Travel - Living In A Technological Era

We have been living in a technological era. Well, thats what I call it and whatever you name it, thats your choice. With technological gadgets around I found something is missing from life whenever any gadget I have can't be used. My traveling companion(you want to name it accessories?) includes my laptop, PDA, camera, hand phone. So whenever I travel, all those four gadgets is part of my luggage. As you have reading my previous blog, that I can't blog when I was in Penang and Labuan, I felt lost.

Internet has been part of myself now and I am not sure my internet addiction level is getting higher. But what I can feel is that I am addicted to blogging. Since I started blogging my perception of things has changed. Now the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning is what I am going to blog abut. Whenever I see things I try to figure it out what can I write about it. I find that I am more critical looking at things. Period.

Back to what I am going to blog about.

This time my trip is to Brunei. What I post below is what I drafted on board Royal Brunei Airlines BI 0874. So its my second time blogging in the air. What a coincidence. The first time I blogged in the air was when I was flying to Miri sometimes back and this time to Bandar Seri Begawan, just next to Miri. Period.

Blogging in the air

Malacca has been a popular tourist resort due to its long historical background. Malay legend and folklore mostly has the background of Malacca. It is the land of Hang Tuah and his four warrior friends Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir, Hang Lekiu and Hang Kasturi after the opening of Malacca by Parameswara. Then the arrivals of the Chinese created yet another chapter in the history of Malacca. Hang Li Po , Admiral Cheng Ho all contributed to the history. Not only Parameswara landed on her soil but the Portuguese and Dutch also set foot and leave historical marks present till today. When I was in secondary school one of my literatures book was Panglima Awang. It was a bout a Malay man being taken into custody by the Portuguese and was taken back to Portugal. He can't return using the same route back to Malacca and has to travel West. So he made it back through the Pacific Ocean with the Ferdinand Magellan. Magellan died in the Philippines and Enrique (Panglima Awang's Portuguese name) return to Malacca to tell his story. So who was the first man to travel around the world? Is it Ferdinand Magellan or Panglima Awang. Ferdinand did not make it back but Enrique returned home. So that makes him the first man to sail round the world. Know what? He is a Malay and that means the first man to sail around the world is a Malay, but since history is written by them, they will always propagate that they are still the best. Just like Hitler says the whites are the greatest race on earth until Jesse Owens prove it otherwise.

When the late Tunku Abdul Rahman return from London with the news of Independence its was on Malacca soil saw the first proclamation. No wonder it earned its status of Malacca Historical City.

I return to Malacca again and this time stayed at the Renaissance Hotel on Jalan Bendahara. It was a three night stay.

27^th August

I returned early from Malacca before the programme ends because I will be leaving for Brunei. This is my 5^th time to Brunei and on an official trip. We are helping the Kementerian Belia dan Sukan Negara Brunei Darussalam conduct a sports science course for their sports coaches.

At first I was not sure whether the programme will be on as I did not get any response from the organiser in Brunei. I was away from home and office and had no access to the internet to check my email. Only after returning from Penang did I check and found out the programme is on. But still I haven’t received my flight ticket. That’s the reason for coming back to KL early to arrange for the ticket and it is at Royal Brunei Airlines office at Wisma UBN, Kuala Lumpur.

Went back to the office to settle things and then only leave for the city to get the ticket. I called the RBA office to check whether they are open. I was told that I will be issued an e-ticket and I can get it at the airport. However since I was already on the LRT I decided to proceed and go to RBA office at Jalan P. Ramlee.

I got the ticket not only for myself but also for my two friends who will also be involved in the programme in Brunei.

It was quite hectic. I have to rush back and it was lucky that I did not drive to the city but took the LRT. Change to KL monorail at Hang Tuah station. Altogether it took me about two hours to settle the ticket including travelling. Then I have to go to the supermarket to buy essential for my family. The store is just 10 minutes drive away and return home at 1.00 p.m. I arrange for the driver to fetch me at 2.00 because my flight is at 4.15 pm.

On my way to the sattelite building I saw this counter from redtone. They are renting travel phone for travellers going oversea. My handphone is not on roaming and therefore I won't be able to use it when I am in Brunei. I decided to rent the travel phone at RM 3.00 a day and in all it will be RM 15 for my five days in Brunei. Whether I am going to use it in Brunei remains a question mark. Till I blog this, I haven't buy the local sim card yet since I am staying at a hotel quite far away from town. I was told by the red tone staff that I must buy the sim card with IDD accessibility.

However while sitting with my friend who has just arrived in the morning, I found out that I can use my Digi sim card and make calls to Malaysia subject to availability of my credit. So I switched my Celcom sim card to Digi and viola! I goat the signal from BRU-DSTCom. So the first thing was I sent a message to my wife back home. At least she know I am still alive here in Brunei. I thought the message did not get through but a few hours later my hand phone rings alerting me of a message. Yes, it was from my wife. So, now I raise my hat to Digi for the availibility of the connection. So their advertisement that in some foreign land the yellow man was replaced with a man in another colour is true.

So now I am on board Royal Brunei flight BA 0874. Just has my meals. It was beef satay and lontong. Period. Shutting my laptop and going to rest. So I do it again – blogging in the air. Period.