Introducing to you: Business Class!

 

 

Assalamualaikum

 

Call me a freak of the universe or what’s not, I was beyond ecstatic upon knowing that my extra crew flight seating is in the business class section! Wuhoo! And I don’t have to fork out a single cent! Obviously I don’t have to, I was there for work. So to those unfamiliar with the term “ Extra Crew “, the perfect laymen’s term will be “Paxing”. And what the heck is Paxing? Hahahahaha. I love to toy around with your emotions my dear readers ( Hopefully I still have people reading my blorg haha )

let’s get down to the A to Z, the 101 of my working pattern. As you might know, I’m based in Jakarta. There’s the management office and main operational base called FLOPS ( Flight Operations ). But I’m not active in Jakarta, or easy to put it this way, I don’t take off and land the aircraft in Jakarta. Instead, I’ll be flying from other base such as Surabaya or Bali. To get there, us pilots will be assigned seats from the airline working under the same umbrella, bound for our destination as per schedule.

Do you guys get it??

I was from Jogja and was at the end of my working shift, commonly 4 to 5 days of flying duties away from Jakarta. Scheduled to fly back to Jakarta as an Extra Crew at …… OK I’ve forgotten the departure time hahaha. As I have predicted, they didn’t allocate the seat for me, mainly coz I was flying back to Jakarta alone and they probably missed out on that. As a singing pilot, ahahahaha, I remained cool and calmly requested to the ground staffs for any empty seat on the flight. Be advised that there are 13 flight Jakarta – Jogja and most of the time, They’ll be full. With my fingers crossed, finally I was given the designated seat number. Alhamdulillah.

 

 

Seat 2A. For a full economy seating, that seat is obviously behind the front row. I was super excited when I stepped into the cabin. IT WAS BUSINESS CLASS!!!! WUHOOOOOOO!!!! FIRST TIME EVER IN MY 22 YEARS APPROACHING 23 YEARS OF LIFE IN FEW MONTHS TIME THAT PLEASE LAH PEOPLE GIVE ME PRESENTS EVEN DRIED CHILLIES IS OK SINCE THEY DON’T HAVE IT HERE IN JAKARTA HAHAHA THAT I EVER FLOWN ON BUSINESS CLASS!!!! ALHAMDULILLAH

 

Was further put into greater state of gratefulness to find out that I was the only one in the Business section. Wuhoooo. I surely can get used to the VIP, special treatment kinda lifestyle. Hahahaha. Though the flight is a short sector, about 45 to 50 minutes, I’ll make the best out of this first experience. Lets do this!

 

 

Ample room for my spidery long legs ( yeah right ), Which I can only get at the front most row seats or near the wings seating next to the emergency windows. I always felt like a sardine stuck in a tiny tin drenched in tomato broth. OK let’s cook gulai sardine tonight hahaha.

 

Ohhh, so this is the in flight magazine for kids. Since I was soo excited to sit in the business section, even the smallest finding like this meant a world to me. OK shut up. hahaha

 

 

See see, I told you I was the only  one there. Wuhoo. Was feeling a tad generous therefore the uncle’s face is included in this frame hahahahahahahahahahahaha.

 

This caveman’s premier experience of flying on business class. Ermmmm, that means that this caveman is a frequent flyer of the coach section. LONG LIVE CAVEMAN!

 

 

Caveman: Hey, I heard you guys have pillows and blankies for business class passengers. I’m a bit drowsy. Can I have a set?

stewardess: Sure, here you go.

Caveman: Hahahaha no lah just kidding, I just wanna snap few photos with it

 

 

Ok, with nothing else to do, It’s a better option for me to hit the dreamland. Of coz not, I never sleep flying as extra crew. I always hang out with the stewardesses at the front galley. They find me, hilarious. Not sure why. Perhaps the language differences.

 

 

OK, it was not a complete experience without the complimentary refreshment, which I proactively walked to the front galley and asked. “ Ehh, no free meals?” Ya Allah I felt a bit ashamed of doing so. They have for me the chocolate bun. I saw  the chicken sandwich and I asked to the stewardess again that why she refused to offer me with that. The stewardess further clarified that it was for the early morning flight. It’s OK. I just wanna snap a photo or two of it. No harm in doin so right?

Eventually, the chicken sandwich got ingested by the caveman and went down his throat – __ --

 

P/S: I have registered myself for a vocal training classes. InsyaAllah to be in session in January. Siti Nurhaliza, I’m coming for youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…

Reflexology

 

Assalamualaikum

 

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I didn’t blorg for nearly a month? AHAHAHAHAHAHA I’m totally took slacking off to a whole other galaxy. What happened to the so called renewed commitment towards this lovely web diary where I constantly spill all my brainwaste and emotion by products to? Ahahaha. Let me recall back my life during my absence:

• For a week, I was down with flu and rather high fever which was at its worst during daytime and cooled off at night. It took me a week to finally realised all I need was antibiotic. Clearly proven that this humble physique of mine is not that strong at all. Oh I can’t be weak. NO.
• My family came to Jakarta, for 8 days. Obviously an undivided attention must be put to cater for the best for my guests. All 8 of them. How many of you at the tender age of 22 ( OK I’m no longer a teenager ) has 8 people came in barging at your apartment. Now though I’m living alone, but I have 9 pillows in total. Should organise more sleepovers in near future.

Yeah, I said it all. I slacked for a reason. I do love myself for doing this, to further uplift my image and to again further avoid myself from looking like a total ignorant to his on blorg. OK I’m on diet. Don’t toy with my feeling. I’m in the state of mental instability hahaha.

 

 Inside the terminal of Batam International Airport

 

facts about this airport:

• it has the longest runway amongst all airports in Indonesia, at the length of 4Km something. I’m not good with numbers. Ahahaha
• It serves as an alternate to the much applauded Changi International Airport of Singapore.
• When I say it acts as an alternate, I do mean it. Soon after take off, tadaaaa you can see the republic island. Not you who can see it, it’s me. I’m in the cockpit. Since you guys are stuck in the cabin, retreat yourself by enjoying the breath taking view of the Batam’s…….. ermm, what do they have there?

 

 

 The lounge. My favourite spot

 

Since the flight back to Jakarta is scheduled to arrive an hour plus from the time we touched down in Batam, the captain and I proceeded to the lounge, accompanied by the ground staff. It was a typical lounge. Nothing to shout about. As usual free wifi is provided but I was totally drained by the days of flying there. for 2 days I started by day before sunrise and ended my working hour after the sunset. Nope. I can’t even see the shadow of the sun when I stepped out from the plane. It was hectic but it’s good. Really good. My major concern with the lounge was the toilet. There’s only one cubicle and an urinal. My rectum was growling yet I need to keep it on hold as the person using the toilet bowl took soo long to end up his business in the cubicle!

 

***arghhhhh ( sigh of relief ), wash wash, flush flush***

 

Once I’m done with the call of nature, I went around wandering, refreshments were nice but I was not in the mood for filling up my belly. The magazines were in abundance but I don’t really understand Indonesian language. How should I kill the remaining time left in Batam??

 

To the reflexology I went

To those who do not know me ( most of you guys for sure haha ), massage and myself, we aren’t good together. It is destined that I need to repel myself from any massaging gestures made on my body. It’s scary. I have a super strong reflex action. Once my friend tapped me on my waist ( coz she is short ahaha ) and the reflex action took over me and I accidentally elbowed her, on her face. Scary. Alhamdulillah no bruise was left on her face and she remains alive till this day. An another incident, I was in the salon in Setiawangsa and sure, they’ll prewash my hair before it got trimmed. I found it to be sooo uncomfortably tickling, I ended up washing my own hair. Sucks that I still need to pay for the wash service. Erghhh.

And yet why did I brave myself to step into the reflexology section of the lounge??

 

 

Ya Allah I did the unthinkable. I let myself to be manned, by a man. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Nothing racy, just reflexology. Wow that rhymes. Never ever ever in my 22 years of life, anyone had ever washed my feet. Do not count when I was a baby. I was about to scream. It tickled and it was sooo disturbing. I just not in favor to be touched. Ahahahaha.

 

 

Ooooo, a giant CCTV camera, facing to the wall –____--

 

 

Wait, that was the guy from the toilet! He was to be blamed for making me holding my digestive waste from walking out the backdoor. Ahahahaha. And now he’s massaging my feet. Yes, I strongly perceived that he had washed his hands. Ahahahaha

 

 

 

I constantly told him to be rough on me. Ok that sounded sooo inappropriate. If he takes it slow, it will feel as if he’s caressing my feet. Not gonna happen. I demanded for pressure. and he did. And he was hard. And I loving it. OKKKKKKKKKKKK sounded sooo against the nature of humanity.

Being soo inquisitive, I asked him how the pressure he applied on my feet will affect my well being. He explained it all, the heels will connect to which part of the body and the list was endless. It hurts a lot. He told me my body is in a bad shape. OK. Noted. Huhuhu

 

'’ WE HAVE BEEN REJUVENATED! " screamed the feet.

 

Wooooooow. Never in my life that I ever think of how much your feet may influence the whole system of your body. It felt good, real good. I’m changing my mind. Massage is not a bad thing after all. I gained lots of benefits out of it. I will surely do it again! No wonder mama just love it so much for me to massage her shoulder.

 

 

As I walked through the tarmac to the aircraft bound for Jakarta, I saw this mammoth, Hajj flight, just arrived from Jeddah. The cabin crew is the mix of locals and arabs. And the locals looked like grandmas. My captain further clarified that they are retired cabin crews and are contracted for Hajj flights. Ooooo that’s cool. You still can fly even with them wrinkle on your face hahaha.

Another view. It’s too massive it just can’t fit in the frame.

 

The stupidest thing I’ve done so far in Indonesia:

Already on my designated seat. Flight will be pushed back soon. The cabin crews are busy doing the last part of their duty before closing the door of the aircraft. And then, the unexpected, the airline ground staff came in. I thought she is heading to Jakarta too. And then she opened her mouth and speak her mind out

“ mas, you haven’t pay for the massage.”

 

YA ALLAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!           I thought it was free!!!!!

I thought it was included as part of the service in the lounge. Since we don’t have to pay for the food I guess the massage is handled in the same manner too.

 

EMBARASSING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I took out the only piece of note left in my wallet. Hope it was sufficient to cover the fees, I bet it’ll do. Ya Allah. All I wanna do at that point was to rip of the pashmina from the lady across my seat and to cover my face throughout the flight. Might as well throughout the day.

 

P/S; Dato’ K is recovering from the road accident in Queenstown. Hope that all of us could offer some prayer for a speedy recovery of his fractured shoulder. Amin

Flying as a passenger 101

 

The adverse effect of pressurisation. Hahahaha

 

Ya Allah I’ve been on a hiatus for a week! I should renew my commitment towards being committed to this baby, my blorg that is. Was sick few weeks ago and hahaha, sick again this week. Before the further elaboration on the topic of flying, may I express my frustration towards AIM for not granting Siti Nurhaliza any award for this year. Hands down, no one stands at par to the quality of her voice and let alone be better than her! YES I am mad and I am as I was typing this. Seriously Malaysian music industry, please reevaluate yourself, where will you be without the presence of the most successful singer ever. I don’t think any other nation on this planet owns a singer with such fruitful career and hold the throne for being the number 1 entertainer for such a long duration.

NO ONE CAN BEAT SITI NURHALIZA!!!!! NO ONE NO ONE!!!

 

OK enough of blabbering, let’s talk about flying. Yeah checking in at the counter or doing it online, holding the boarding pass, gracefully walking to the departure gate pretending yourself strutting the catwalk on the runway of Versace. Flying with airliners will just kick the enthusiasm knob to high gear. Alhamdulillah thank you Ya Allah, I always appreciate flying with airline and today I’m working for one, oversea. Ahahahaha. These few keypoints that I’ll share with you are just basically based on my point of view, through my observation. Therefore if you’re judgemental enough, you may skip. Hahahaha.

 

Danau Toba taken from flight level 160

 

Do not be late

Nobody likes to be delayed, right? Smack yourself hard if you like so. There’re so many factors that may contribute to the delay of an aircraft’s departure and arrival. Blame it on aircraft traffic, technicalities of the aircraft, weather accumulation and even ground handling issues. Yes, there’re so many possible factors that may lead towards delay and please, DO NOT BE ONE OF THEM. Take my words seriously and I am being serious. Be at the airport at least 2 hours before, be ready at the departure gate as per schedule and walk fast. Hahahaha. Always practice online check in as this will cut the time for any processing at the airport. If you’re embarking for an international flight, be much much ahead of time, at least by 3 hours. Immigration check may consume your time.

 

Another international destination: Penang Island. Hahahahaha

 

Do not carry along an elephant as a hand carried luggage

Hahahaha if you possess the energy to carry along a mama jumbo, you might be flying with an entourage of a circus. I do understand that most of the airline travelers are complaining on the restriction of the size and the weight of the hand carried luggage. Not forgetting the check in luggage must abide to such limitations and will cost quite a lot if you ever exceed it. Bare in mind, the overhead stowage in the aircraft is just like a house. If you own a 3 bed room apartment, you can’t afford to bare 14 kids. You just can’t fit it in. It is always troublesome for a passenger to block the aisle and cause delay for boarding just coz he or she is struggling to fit his or her luggage/a huge box of cookies/50kg sack of rice into the stowage. Mind you, aircraft performance is limited by its weight. You don’t wanna put the pilots to struggle, being one of the reason why the aircraft is overweight. Ooooo I’m fierce!

 

 

Chicken curry. A potful!

 

Switch off the freaking phone!!

You do realize that when you put your phone next to the TV or car audio, you can hear the static noise tettt tettt tettt right? Yes, it can happen the same way to the aircraft. the signal that you may receive will just be an annoyance and it worst case scenario, it may cause miscommunications between the pilots and the controller. Logically you can’t expect to get any mobile network at the high cruising altitude. But this is crucial at lower altitude for example on descent to land and it is a crucial phase of the flight. I did use the word crucial twice in the previous sentence haha.

 

With crazy Kelly. When are we gonna head down to the karaoke and dangdut again??

 

Why the cabin lights are switched off during take off and landing

This is the most obvious if your departing and landing at night. The airline is not playing hide and seek of any such kind. The purpose of doing so is for situational adaptation. All that is in mind is focused towards emergency evacuation. You don’t wanna give ur eyes a shock. Imagine yourself driving through a dark tunnel and exited out to a bright sunlight. Yes, your eyes just can’t take the sudden brightness. Vice versa if you’re walking into a dark place. OK I’m soo sleepy. Enough with these few points of my view. ahahaha

 

P/S: Will you still love me tomorrow, Siti Nurhaliza??   

I crashed a wedding, and I like it!!

 

Took the lift from the 22nd floor to the lobby. Transport to the airport is expected to leave within 20 minutes. As usual I’m the first crew to check out. It goes as second nature that I need to be punctual at every point of time. Punctuality can’t even justify this good trait of mine hahahaha, I need to be ahead of time in whatever I do. If ever I gonna get married and my wife is a slow poke, I’ll not hesitate to file for divorce. OK that’s too much, shut up now hahaha.

Met this lady, with full make up and her beehive-esque hairdo. Oh she made me miss Amy Winehouse even more. I’m pretty sure she’s heading for the wedding at the convention hall. Not as a bride for sure ahahaha.

That lady: You’re flying?

Siti Nurhaliza’s biggest fan: Oh yes, to Denpasar and back to Surabaya ( was hoping she’ll invite me for the occasion ahahaha )

That lady: Good, do come to my daughter’s wedding. We start at 7pm

Siti Nurhaliza’s biggest fan everrrr: Oh really ( blushing. bahahahahaha ). I’ll try to make it on time.

 

It was just a short flight and we were on schedule, landed before 8.30pm. That was none of the concern at all. I know the traffic in downtown Surabaya on saturday  night will be atrocious, and to top that, they’re celebrating Hari Pahlawan, lots of road, main roads for reemphasis, were closed and the traffic was put to halt. ARGHHHHHHHHH. All that I can think of during the flight was about to make it on time to the wedding.

But what to wear? I only brought along pyjamas and a set of uniform. I can’t wear jeans. Ermmmm. Just stick with the uniform. I think I look rather apart in it ahahahaha.

Reached the hotel at 10pm T_T An hour and a half journey which usually will be just 30 minutes for god’s sake. But the main focus and thrust was for the wedding and I better make it there. Better. Was taken as a joke by the rest of the crews, thinking I was crazy. But who cares, I WAS INVITED!

 

Came in and to be greeted by the empty aisle - _______ -

 

Immediately, I went in for the search of the mother of the bride. She’s the reason why I was there and at least and excuse for crashing a wedding. AGAIN, I WAS INVITED!!

 

Met the lady ( huge sigh of relieve coz she was able to recall who I am ahahaha ) and the bridal couple. My biggest intention was to experience the Javanese wedding reception right before my eyes ( the groom’s attire was rather revealing don’t you think? ). The hall was superbly decorated and I know it costed tons for such event to be held in the hotel. And yes, it was held in the hotel. How can a person decline an invitation of such holy matrimony at a grand place! ahahahaha

 

To prove that I was the last guest to arrive hahahaha

 

And when the hotel staffs came in to pack up the leftovers, that’s when I came in ahahaha. The food looked untouched! and still in a huge quantity! Oh snap I’m such a freeloader hahahahaha

 

Suffice for me to just have a small plate to take into consideration that I arrived unfashionably late and I was alone. Had this nice fried rice and fried fish with lemon sauce. Was a bit disappointed, hear me I’m not complaining but it’ll be more memorable if they serve authentic Javanese delicacies. I guess the hotel can’t meet up to such requirement. See, I’m not making a fuss out of it I’m just hoping for authenticity hahaha.

 

 

The groom approached me when my mouth was full, with a door gift. He thanked me for making it to the wedding. That was just beyond sweet. He doesn’t even know who the hell I am.

 

 

 

The altar. They were bringing it down as I snapped the photo HUHU.

 

The empty hall. It’s about time for me to walk off. Nice food, I’m liking it!

 

 

  Supposed to wait for the photographer to take our photo, overlooking the super big banner of the bridal couple. The photo will be emailed to me, if I wanted to. By the way the photo of the couple was taken in a Kraton, or palace in Madura Island. I highly suspected that the family are royally linked. Just a thought.

Wow I’m loving it, crashing people’s wedding. The hospitality was beyond my expectation, they treated me like a family member though we just acquainted, like for 15 minutes. Hahaha. I even promoted Malaysia as a honeymoon destination to the newlyweds. How sweet am I right? In return they asked me when will I gonna get married. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY? Why bother asking me such question?? I still don’t believe in settling down. Terrifying, marriage is what I’m truly repelled from. Hahahaha.

 

P/S: Congratulations Siti Nurhaliza for such a magnificient show you did in Kuantan. I know you’ll rock it good. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU. Ahahahaha

I survived emergency ward, alone

 

CAUTION: Read at your own discretion. This post contains lots of medical jargons ( so not ) and explicit details of the situation as a whole. I’ve warned you. Hahaha

 

So sorry for being away for quite a while. This post is my way of making up for the lost times. Ya Allah I’m so considerate towards my uncertain number of readers/followers/stalkers hahahaha.

I was sick. Sick to the point of breakdown. The doctors gave up, I was made to sign a piece of document to justify my refusal of being admitted to the ward. At the end of the day, I don’t even have to. The whole hospital was full. If they still insist to keep me in their observation they might need to place me in the labour room, or the death bed. OK shut up.

 

It all started with, James Bond.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YA ALLAH THAT’S SOOO FUNNY. OK, you should see my face as I was typing this, I ain’t kidding.

A friend was in town and I was beyond thrilled to take him for a night out, and the latest Bond installation is out, Skyfall. Love it! Ever since Daniel Craig stepped into the scene, I’ve never been more impressed. I’m glued to the whole James Bond phenomenon. Pierce Brosnan, may you retreat to a peaceful retirement. Hahahahaha.

It goes by nature that I hardly order popcorn or drinks for the movies I watch in the cinema, to be frank I don’t even fancy watching movies at the cinema either. Most of the time back in KL my Mama will be the one suggesting to go out for a movie. I just don’t do movies in the cinema quite well. OKKK back to the real time, my friend was being generous and he gave me a treat, a hot dog. I highly suspected that thing was the source of the near pandemic. I knew it. Coz I didn’t consumed anything huge before that. Is tapioca chips that I had as snacks few hours before is counted as a meal?

Blah blah blah the movie ended blah blah blah bond girl is hot and she died after she got shagged as predicted blah blah blah went back home and had a good night rest. Woke up the next morning, had the urge for the toilet bowl. Visited the bathroom for that call of nature. Took my pants off ( ooooo explicit hahaha ), and then, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuushhhhhhh. The sound of water flushed out from my backdoor. HAHAHA. I was soooo shocked I thought I urinated. But I didn’t. What was that??? It happened the whole day, summed up to more than 20 times. Yes it was a lot, and nasty.

Like a normal diarrhoea cycle, It should just walk off after a day, That’s how it usually occurs on my body. But it didn’t. And this time around, only water came out! No solid was at sight! The same thing the next day. I took myself to the hospital for some consultation, and the doctor was being persistent, I need to be taken care of in the ward. But the ward was full. What’s up with the limited number of bed?

Woke up on the third day, the same vicious cycle, I was purging water like the pipe is loose. I can’t take control of my outlet. I was dehydrated. Situation was getting worse as I was getting muscle aches and cramps, particularly over my shoulder. A sign of salt imbalance due to loss of bodily liquid. My friend advised me on that. I’m no expert in this field. I was alone, my friend was away to the town to settle his business, and I was dying ( ok exaggeration ). I need to live. I love my life. Let’s check out the hospital again. This time to the emergency ward.

 

 

And that’s how i  ended with that branulla stucked to my wrist. oooo my wrist is soo slim, actually I do benefit something from this diarrhoea thing hahaha. Cheated my way in to the emergency, convinced the doctors that I was advised by the doctor that consulted me the day before to go straight to the ER. What can I do with it, I was shrinking, I drink a lot to recover for loss of water yet my urine is soo thick, my body wasn’t absorbing much. I was infused with a litre of that saline solution. Alhamdulillah thank Allah I’ve made the right decision. Though have to pay extra for the taxi hahaha.

 

 

The doctors and nurses constantly asking where’re my family members, why am I alone. They just worried that if anything goes wrong, they might just have to push me into the garbage as no one might claim my corpse OKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK SHUT UP!

 

That is painful. Not at the moment when the nurse poke my skin. As the treatment goes your wrist became stiff, it made texting and BBM-ing, whatsapp-ing, FB-ing, twitter-ing and anything social networking a stressful ordeal. Much hate, hahaha.

 

 

I asked the nurse where can I get the pilow, and she told me they don’t have any –___--

 

Music and social networking as the time killer. Left hand as put to use as right one is down for the day.

 

 

Taking the advantage of the whole blood testing thing, I asked the male attendant to check my blood type coz I had no clue what kinda blood I have. OK I’m an O positive. O as in universal donor. A statement to prove that I might be a saint after all. BAHAHAHA shut up now.

 

I just have to add this in. There was this lady, few beds away, to be exact just in front of me actually, was screaming at the top of the Himalayas to express her pain. It was scary and my first thought was whether she was pregnant. I asked the nurse, and to find out that she is suffering from some sort of mental trauma or something. OK a mentally unstable sick person was just 3 steps away from my bed. Just imagine if she went all amok and came to me and took a bite of my ass. OK enough of insult, she’s innocent. She was constantly screaming “ YA ALLAH YA AMPUN YA ALLLAH SAKIT SAKIT YA AMPUN”

Ironically, the guy next to me had the same traumatic experience at the ER too. I was soo not sure of his sickness but he kept on screaming “ HOT HOT ENOUGH. HOT HOT “  everytime the nurse is putting something on him, I thought so. If hot oil treatment was what he was getting, the nurse should better be coming to my bed coz my shoulder was aching!!!

 

Dear Siti Nurhaliza, I’ve recovered. Back to my own healthy self now. Enough of being worried. You can focus on your concert in Kuantan. Though I’m never gonna be physically there, you know my support goes a long way. Just for you.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Melaka, or Malacca. Whatever

 

* Kring Kring, Ding Dong, Meow Meow * Wtv the sms tone sounds like. Wait a minute, my phone doesn’t produce any sound, I put it on silent all the time. Hahahaha.

Checked the schedule for the next day. Ya Allah, 8 landings again??

Syukur Alhamdulillah all praise to the Mighty Allah for giving me this golden opportunity of learning, experience gaining and flying hours accumulating. But 8 landings?? That simply sums up to at least 12 hours in the aircraft. Back pain alert, I need some ointment and heat patch for my spine.

Ehhhh, I saw MKZ. MKZ? Where is this?

Malacca. YA ALLAH MALACCA!! MALACCA!!!

Ya Allah my very first international flight!! Yeah considering I just cruise within Indonesia ahahahaha. Ya Allah I’m heading home, Malaysia in terms of home not straight to home for the scrumptious home cooked nasik lemak done by Mama. My dad did informed me once I received any schedule for Melaka or Penang, the only 2 destinations where the airline landed to in Malaysia, I need to inform him beforehand. He wanted to see me making the landing. But it turned out the other way around, the captain did it for that leg hahaha.

 

Can’t anyone spot the Melaka runway??

 

Time to get most of you guys educated. Pilots, you guys are not included, therefore buzz off. Hahaha. Before a pilot, make it an airliner or just a normal casual aviator to take the sky, a request needs to be made inclusive of your intention of the flight, intended flight level or altitude, and for airliners, the destination for sure. Since I was from Batam, request must, compulsory, mandatory hahaha to be made at least 10 minutes prior to departure coz the aerodrome, or to those not really comfortable with this term you can substitute it with airport, is within the Singapore airspace. Ya Allah, the airspace is SOOOOOOOOOO congested I wished all the aircrafts will just divert elsewhere and let me fly alone uninterrupted hahaha. The common request will go as follows:

‘ NADIM GROUND, SITI NURHALIZA 123 REQUEST CLEARANCE FOR MELAKA, FLIGHT LEVEL 130’

Some sort of those format. HEY wait, I departed from Pekanbaru for Melaka, not Batam! hahahahahahaha. Get yourself corrected if you do understand what I’ve just babbled. SITI NURHALIZA 123 is the callsign for the flight of the future airline that I’ll come out in collaboration with my dearest singer. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

People around me keep of pronouncing Malacca as MALAKA. I constantly reemphasized on the correct pronunciation. ITS MELAKA. MEEEELAKA. MEEELAKA. It’s a place in Malaysia and so please pronounce the name like a Malaysian hahaha.

By the way, the enroute weather was rather unkind. Was praying nonstop. Wanted to meet my family so desperately.

 

Arrived! International airport. Wowwww I’ve made it. My international debut. HAHAHAHAHA. Just to inform that the airline I’m under is the only one operating the international route from here. So we hold the ground honey, we hold it tight!!

 

 

Ok I was there, just another photo to solidify my presence in the foreign land. Hell no, Malaysia is my home. I’m home!

 

 

Bought a polo shirt and a cap for my dad. Ended up I have to owe the cabin crew 70000 rupiah coz my wallet was completely empty bahahahaha

 

 

Walked straight to the terminal, more on a fast walking or a running pace, highly anticipated to meet my family. I SAW MY NIECE!!! YA ALLAH I MISS YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!! But she was rather adamant towards my affection and love. I just met her few weeks back. She has forgotten me!! Seriously? I’m not that memorable? Like seriously?? You should see her stiffed body and her all confused face. I was too excited I didn’t even realised my shades was on the floor hahaha.

 

 

Again, She was rather clueless about the things going on around that moment. Erghhh I’ve been forgotten. She was really nice to me when I had my week off in KL. I even bribed her with McDonalds. OK now I’ve learnt that the effect is sooo temporary. Should get her an Ipad maybe. I don’t even have one.

 

 

My brother was with her and my Mama was nowhere to be seen, and my dad was enjoying his lunch. Ya Allah, where is the freaking love I’m supposed to be getting???

The story of the stroller. OK, my Mama entered a convenience store in the terminal and my niece saw that bright pink imitation of a stroller and she took it for a stroll out from the store, minding her own business like it’s hers. Wait, she even grabbed a ten ringgit lollipop along. My brother did try to pacify and persuade over a bread as a replacement. It didn’t work. Though she strongly feeds on bread. Perhaps only Gardenia’s butterscotch will do the trick. Thirty ringgit went down the drain for the candy and the toy huhuhu.

 

 

Dear Vaseline, You lied to me. You’ve promised a fairer skin tone after 2 weeks. OK I just started putting on the product last few days hoho. Patience patience patience

 

Was waiting for Mama, Where is SHE!!! I called her name from outside of the ladies’ and no response was made. Walked into the female prayer room ( luckily didn’t get caught in the act ) and saw her praying. Why didn’t she pray earlier?? All the time I had was to salam and hug her, inside the surau itself, and that’s it. Passengers were about to board the plane and I need to get my ass back to work. Ya Allah that’s all. That’s it the time I had with my family in the airport. Duty calls. Get back to the cockpit

 

 

Sunset over, I’m not sure where ahahaha. Enroute weather was again, hell. 3 more landings to go. Ya allah, 3 MORE???

 

 

P/s: If Siti Nurhaliza was in the airport, I’ll run straight for her and sing Aku Cinta Padamu. OK now I deserve to get my mouth shut. hahaha I love you Siti Nurhaliza!

The Singing Pilot Does Cooking: Singapore Style Fried Meehoon

 

Was on off day. Was looking forward to a productive rest day. Don’t really fancy going out to the mall. Weather in Jakarta is currently on the unkind manner. I should just sit home and reevaluate to live life at the humblemost manner. And what the hell am I talking about right now. Within a split minute ( mind was at a slower working pace during off day )

Productivity + staying at home = Cooking!!

 

Done a bit of shopping at the Carrefour which is ten stones throw away from home. Not that close either. It is actually. Again, laziness strikes at its worst during off day. Mind you Vaseline and Sunlight detergent were not included in this productive session. It did actually. I was running out of detergent and my face needs to be in a fairer tone. Now I look exactly like an overburnt loaf of bread hohoho.

 

Hold that thought. I was running out of gas. Need to get a newly filled cylinder. HOHOHOHOHO my gas cylinder looks like a fat spaceship. Never patronize and underestimate due to its petite size, it is adequate enough to keep me supplied with cooking gas for more than 4 months. Considering I was at home like 2 days a week that will explains it all  hahaha.

 

First thing first, soak up those dried chinese mushrooms. They take like forever to be rehydrated.

 

Ya Allah, after 2 hours bathing in a bowl full of liquid, it turned out to be this gooey jelly-ish handful piece of fungus!

 

The mise en place: minced garlic with sufficient amount of black pepper as per your liking, not so julliened carrot, as much as you wanted slices of luscious juicy chicken breast fillets ahaha, few handfuls of beansprout, and meehoon for sure that is. Don’t forget to slice up the rehydrated mushrooms so that know you or might even yourself will not mistakenly take it as a piece of unwanted junk that fall into the wok. Hey introducing my cute rice cooker, looks like Doraemon hahaha.

 

 

I’m turning into my Mama in a way. Just bought this cooking wok and never been this thrilled. I never shop for kitchen appliances and crockeries and to commemorate my shopping debut at the kitchen section, I bought this big wok! hahaha. Ok enough of pity party, sautee the minced garlic and black pepper corns with just right amount of oil, not too much. I’m on a weight watch, yeah right.

 

Toss in the sliced chicken fillet and put the heat on high. Get the meat charred for some hawker style effect. Didn’t happened to me since I forgot to extract out the excess liquid in the chicken huhuhu.

 

Next, julienned carrots and sliced mushrooms. Isn’t this easy???

 

 

Put in some amount of water to evenly cook everything in the wok. You need the liquid to aid the cooking process of the meehoon or vermicelli to make everything sounds more fancy. Then next is to pour in some oyster sauce, I was being generous to myself and poured in extra dollop of it. Support Malaysian product! I saw this Mahsuri brand oyster sauce and without any second guessing i tossed it in the trolley. I should be getting an endorsement deal for doing so ahaha.

 

Salt to taste. Although I did put in the oyster sauce, I just felt like it. No salt means less excitement in life. Right??

 

The cheat. Chicken cubes. Ahahaha as long as it turned out good, why even bother much right??

Let me spill all the emotional rant of my screaming heart, hahaha. I have been coaching my cousin through Blackberry messenger ( how sweet am I haha ) on how to improve her cooking skills and to brainstorm more and more new simple and quickie fix for the family. She is of the low esteem kind of lady. Been cooking repetitively the same dish day in day out. After much sharing sessions, she has improved hell a lot  and the carbonara fettucine recipe that I shared with her is now a hit among her lovely daughters. YES they are really adorable.

What I wanna reiterate is, to be a career woman, and a mother on top of that, is a hell a lot on a person’s plate and I take courage to pull of such stunts. Ahahaha. Having to wake up on the wee hours everyday to get the kids and spouse out of bed, fix up some breakfast in the kitchen, fetch the kids to school, off to work, 9 hours spent on doing whatever tasks in the office, braving herself through the traffic jam and reckless drivers on the road in order to make it in time to reach home to cook up a storm for dinner, and to proceed with other domestic chores if there’s any amount of energy and will left in her.

To all mothers out there: YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE, PHENOMENAL!!

And to all future mamas and wives, fret not, YOU’RE NOT A SUPERWOMAN. No one will ever be. It’s fictional.

 

Stop punishing yourself if the gulai you cooked turned out curdled, your chicken soup is tasteless and your sauteed veges are overcooked. It takes time and practice to make it near to perfection. Don’t expect perfection. It doesn’t exists! Some of you guys just wonder why you’re not a masterchef in the preparing even the simplest food. Here me, YOU WILL NEVER BE AND STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO THEM CELEBRITY CHEFS except  for Nigella coz her hips are just juicyyyy! hahaha. Those chefs went through professional cooking training and rigorous on job training in the restaurant and I can guarantee you, it is NO FUN AT ALL. Be proud for what you are, A PROUD MOTHER AND WIFE!

To those husbands who are just uncooperative at home, just lounging around on the couch after work, hoping wonderful food will magically appears on the table. BE HELPFUL, LEND YOUR HANDS IN THE KITCHEN. OR DO OTHER DOMESTIC CHORES LIKE FOLDING THE LAUNDERIES, SWEEP THE FLOOR, OR ATLEAST DON’T WHINE OR COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING. KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. Ahahaha.

I truly despise those men who just love to criticise his other half’s cooking, and simply stash his used plate in the sink without even bother to empathize and sympathize on his wife’s burden at home. Rasulullah SAW is the perfect example. He did clean his house, look after his children and even help in sewing. How cool is our Holy Prophet. Be like him.

WOOOOW I AM MAD! 

 

OK back to the kitchen ahaha, stir it well and let the liquid to reduce abit.

 

 

And now, in goes the water  soaked meehoon. And I’m getting hungreyhhh

 

 

Stir stir stir, let’s get physical, Let the remaining liquid to evaporate. We don’t need a watery fried meehoon. It’s disgusting

 

 

Once about to be done, pour in the beansprout. Close off the fire and let the heat of the meehoon to wilt the sprouts. You want it to be crunchy and not thoroughly cooked.

 

 

YEAHHHHHHHHH finally! Sweat all over my face with a plate of love. And why did I squint??

 

By the way I was on Arafah fast, which was the source of my enthusiasm. Hahahaha. The meal is complete with a coke zero, perfect for weight watchers. OK shut up.

 

Packed up some to be given to the owner of nasi padang restaurant. He’s much of a family to me here. Plus point: He can speak malay wuhoo! Hope you’ll try out my recipe!

 

P/S: SITI NURHALIZA RETWEETED MY TWEET ON HARI RAYA KORBAN’S EVE. WUHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!