The zombie departs

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Tue 24 May 2005

My senses are dead from am all nighter for last minute preparations but the bodily feelings of excitement are palapable as I grab some comission free sterling travellers cheques from Barclays and sprint towards to the tube. I have said said my goodbyes to Tome, Nick and Nigel and am ready to leave London to embark on a first time trip to South East Asia. Don't you just love trave? I mean not travel in the sense of A to B but travel that involves a change of state; a chance to "seek out new life and new civilizations" to boldly go where every other lonely planet reader, businessman, aid worker, paedophile has gone before?

I'm still in Heathrow and try to see the BAHT exchange rate at the Travelex shop. I still doing bates (www.thecentralfixation.com) can't see it clearly so I look through my fingers to check it. The girl behind the counter eyes me curiosly and I explain "I'm trying to see the exchange rate and don't have my glasses with me........pause...This is a weird as I 'll get."(Yeah right just so long as you don't get to know me too well). She laughs out loud and her colleague looks on. The BAHT exchange rate 62 plus 3% commission she informs.

I sleepwalk to the departure gate for the Kuala Lumpar bound Malaysia Airlines (MAL )flight . There is a long line of people waiting impatiently to go through. I slump into a chair cover my eyes and slumber for about an hour.

Going through the gate. ticket guy makes mistake tries to give my stub to this girl in her mid twentys - "Your not getting my ticket" I shout with a smile. She laughs and we are all ushered into another room for another long wait.

Wow. The MAL staff treat you so well and are so immaculately groomed and pretty I am immeditately impressed. I'm lost looking for seat 16A. You're upstairs says one. I climb the few steps and step into the first class cabin. Can't find 16A and I know I'm not in first class. I've lost the ticket stub and search my wallet for it.
"I don't think I'm here" I say.
"I don't think you are either" the pretty one says
(Oh genie was it that obvious?)
"That's not your ticket for this flight", she says.
I take out my wallet and search for the ticket stub
"Is that it?", she points to a paper card.
"That's a day bus ticket" ...."it's only valid for zones 1-4" I joke
She laughs and directs me to a row of three seats downstairs at the front of the plane.

How fortunate! Now I have a window seat and a bed to sleep on plus extra pillows and rugs....

MLA food is delicious - this is truly gourmet dining at 30,000 ft.
I start with curried chicken with Raisin on a bed of salad and then follow with the spionach totellini with Pesto sauce. Next comes a delightful lemon crunch but it doesn't stop there as the MAL airline sterward comes back yet again with a big smile "icecream, sir?"

Simpsons, reading my guides and much tossing and turning follow before breakfast.

He returns again with a wide smile and fresh face despite the passengers ringing him throughout the night. "What will you have for breakfast, sir?"
"Oh what doya recommend?", I beam back
"Try the Nasi Lemak, its a local speciality"
"The Nasi Lemak, then"
He hands me a delicious dish of rice mixed with Shrimp sambal and fried egg. (Of course we had a bunch of starters beforehand)
and croisants afterwards...

...soon we are about to land....I am reluctant to leave this womb in the sky with permanent sustenance and a little white button that hangs above my head (it has an etching of a person with a glass on it) and it calls a smiling genie.....this is customer service like I have never seen it and it ends with the granting of a long standing wish of mine ....to see Asia..

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Photos

Goodbye party
Muhib's new girl, Julian, Nigel (flatmate), Carrie and Josip.

Goodbye party 2
Mick and Nick (flatmate)

Tomoe and Muhib
Tomoe and Afghan Tycoon

Newly weds
Josip and Carrie

Zombie
So organized - even my hair is combed