The End #4: Journey home

I'm home :))

Well, this probably means the end of this space, but who knows, if somehow i get bored and update this space with the final saga.

The feeling is great!! No more scheduled meals and eating gluttonously for fearing i might miss those precious meals, no more worrying about coming back to Jordan, no more using temporary items! I'll get my own bank account which i can manage by myself yay!!!!

Of course i fear of the commitments i'll have to make, but who cares about that now muahaha. As usual, things like that, plan now and worry later la.

I left Jordan in peace, i hope everyone in Jordan also let me go in peace too. So far i do not miss Jordan, but i do have some difficulty adapting here. I was very aggressive in Jordan, and my family did not know that so they were in great shock watching me amok at Secret Recipe just few minutes after i landed in Penang because my lemon tea was so sour. I crossed the streets without looking, and that almost sent my dad to ER because of possible angina. The food is really great here, really suits my taste bud so i'm fine in that category.

My journey home: I flew by Emirates for the first time, and it was great!!! During check-in, my baggage was 48kg, excess by 18kg. I kinda expected that so i just paid the penalty. Besides, what else could i do? Cargo-ing those stuff would probably cost the same, and give me headache for waiting and worrying about them. The downside was, they didn't allow me to pay the penalty for my connecting flight to Penang so i had to collect my stuff at KLIA. But that was actually a blessing in disguise hihi.

So, the first flight: Amman-Dubai. It was ok, the food was nice, i slept almost the entire flight. Only woke up for dinner and went to toilet afterwards, then back into deep sleep. I told my girls to pray for me to get awesome partner to sit beside me, not sure if they prayed or not. A very old American couple sat beside me, at first I was disappointed (was hoping for handsome gentleman :p), but they were so nice so i guessed maybe my girls did pray for me. Because my cabin luggage was so heavy, i had to take out my laptop and put under the front seat, but when i woke up from my coma, the laptop wasn't there. They helped me find it, by asking the nice old man sitting on the front seat :)

Then, the transit. Dubai Airport. It was so big, and i was alone. The first thing i searched after toilet and musolla was the meal voucher counter haha. My dad gave me very specific direction, but directionally-challenged me still had some troubles finding it. Then, i went to the farthest terminal (terminal C, i was in Terminal B) just to get my Thai cuisine, and it worth every steps i took. I'm so learning cooking Thai cuisine now! Then, went back to my terminal (the board said estimated time for walking between those terminal was 28 minutes. Went to eat, by the time i reached my terminal, i was hungry again grr)

After cleaning myself, i sat at those reclined-seat like an old man and waited for boarding. Didn't have to wait too long though, because i was so lost before, that 6 hours+ transit was actually like 3 hours transit minus the lost time. 3 hours+ = Toilet time for 1 hour, musolla time 1 hour, eating time 1 hour and the rest was spent resting on that  seat.

Then, boarding. I already selected an awesome seat online so i boarded like usual. Besides, the boarding pass given in Amman also stated my selected seat so i expected nothing..until the guy at boarding counter asked for my passport. I was like, whatev dude i just need my sleep (didn't sleep the entire night before, packing like a madman. PSA to all final year students: start packing for your going-back-for-good now!!!). Then, the guy looked at me twice to compare with the passport, and then gave me a new boarding pass and said, "Business class, enjoy!". It didn't sink in yet, until i went to the toilet in the gate, and looked at my new boarding pass and read/spelled clearly, BUSINESS. I lost my mind, whatsapped my family and my girls like crazy and then went back to the toilet to dance in euphoria.

the piece of joy

It was Airbus A380, and business class was on the upper deck. During my very first  flight to Jordan, i got business class seat too on Boeing Jumbo, 787 kot, but it was nothing compare to this time. That time, i had to climb some stairs to go to my seat, this time i rode an elevator straight to my seat. Also, because my very first flight to Jordan was chartered, business class that time only means wider seat and bigger screen, and because i sat directly behind the cockpit, the pilot invited us for cockpit little tour. Same treatment and food as everyone. This time, it's heaven. Heaven! Flat-bed seat with mattress, foods at my request anytime, shelf filled with drinks, Bvlgari travel kit, dining on china alhamdulillah..I didn't want to sleep at first because i wanted to savour every second there, but i had to succumb to my physiological need. But at least, i got to sleep like a boss in that flat bed seat :) .. I'm not sure why i got upgraded, either because i paid the excess baggage like a boss, or they saw my stethoscope in my backpack. You know, doctors sometime can get free upgrade to business class, according to my untrustworthy friend. Or probably Emirates knew i just graduated and wanted to celebrate it.

Anyway, the highlight was..i wasn't sure how i slept, but when i woke up after breakfast, my ring (my only ring) was gone! The ring! I went into panic mode, ran to the toilet, checked the bin, checked my seat hundreds times, and finally saw it.

See that arrow? My ring fell into the small space under the seat. I tried to reach it, but accidentally pushed it further inside. At that time, the plane was already descending! I thought, ah just let it go la, can find another ring in KLIA that probably looked the same, mom won't notice it. But then, money money money!! So, after everyone were out, i informed the stewardess about my ring. She opened the seat cover and sought for the ring, but she couldn't find it so she called another steward, and the chain continued. At last, almost all the cabin crews knew about my ring, and 5 of them were searching for it seriously. While waiting, some of them took me for business class tour, and offered me foods (again!) but i declined because i was too anxious and full. Finally, 2 of the 5 saw the ring and they decided to call the aircraft engineer to get it because it was unreachable by hand or normal tools. After 5 minutes, the engineer arrived, he's local Chinese and looked annoyed but i didn't care. I just needed my ring. He opened the seat, like really opened the seat, taking out screws and things and still couldn't see it. He asked me and the 2 cabin crew again if we really saw my ring or mistaken it with the screws (my ring is white gold, but it's shining so i was confident i did see my ring). I firmly said i did see my ring, but the cabin crew began to doubt themselves..Anyway, he kept on searching, and opened the seat more and more until only the metal frame left. His friend also came to help and brought more tools.

Finally, after 30-40 minutes of waiting, the engineer finally saw my ring! It was so deep, even with his awesome tools, it was so hard to take it out. After careful reaching in, he finally got to grab the ring and take it out safely :) Everyone was cheering like mad that time haha. They asked me if the ring was important, i said yes, very important. Then, they asked, is that your wedding band? haha. Also, that time, the land crew kept bugging the cabin crew asking whether the flight was ready to embark, our cabin crew were quite pissed off with them and used me as an excuse for the delay in a cheeky way, which is totally right. If the KUL-DUBAI trip that night was delayed, i sincerely apologise, because it was single-handedly my fault haha.

The ring, nicknamed as the stubborn ring by the cabin crews. Has the power to scare away flirtatious guys.

Then, i got out from the flight and stumbled upon other cabin crew on the way to immigration, and everyone asked about my ring haha. I just showed them my ring finger and grinned widely. We proceeded to collect our bags..and..i was stumped by the ridiculous number of police there. All my bags and boxes arrived safely, by the way.

There were around 20-30 policemen escorting some Koreans loosely. I caught a glimpse of those Koreans, and thinking ah probably some diplomats. I was very close to them so i couldn't stare at them longer because it'd be rude. But then, a women dashed to me, and clicking her phone overzealously. I gave her "the" look, but she kept on clicking, and the Koreans and the police didn't do anything, they didn't even get mad so i just bore with it. Because the troop was so slow, i overtook them and hurriedly went to catch my Penang flight.

At the arrival gate, there were lots of women screaming at the top of their lungs words i couldn't fathom..and clicking their cameras, complete with fans and boards saying "Lee Min Ho". Ooook, so the Koreans were Lee Min Ho and his gang la. Hurm...if only he was a Linkin Park. Anyway, i braved my way forward and went upstairs for departure.

I wrapped my boxes again, and queued to drop my bag. At the counter, again, i told the man in advance that  i had to pay for excess baggage. And alhamdulillah everything went well, the man somehow managed to make me pay ridiculously low amount for that 18kg :) rm5/kg hihi. Then i went straight to the gate, only to find out my flight was delayed for 40 minutes. Played Ace Traffic while waiting, and some Japanese old men were so fascinated by it and offered to help, but also failed haha. That level was so hard!

Then, penang flight: slept the entire flight, didn't even realize anything, taking off, landing, refreshment. At Penang, collected all my bags and boxes, and waited for my family for 3 hours, they were stuck in massive traffic jam because of accidents :(.. I waited at Secret Recipe, and ordered Tomyam Mee (because i was still high on Thai cuisine) and Iced Lemon Tea, and mengamuk as per above reason. They made me new drink and made me taste the drink beforehand after that. Ate my food slowly because it was too hot, and finally 3 hours later my family came, and finished it. And we went to heaven (home sweet home) after that :)

All in all, it was the most memorable journey i've ever had, and it should be. It was the clear transitional period, from a mere girl to a woman full of commitments. I was so afraid i'd weep the entire journey, but thank god the journey itself was so adventurous and exciting to keep my mind busy. With this, i bid adieu to Jordan, and i wish for the best to us all.

ps: This very long post is written on 3 jetlagged nights.

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