I was thinking that we were just simply lucky last weekend when me and a friend went to Singapore for SCMarathon. The first nervous-breakdown-point of our journey was at the KLIA immigration counter. The immigration officer was like double confirming, screening my face and his monitor screen back and forth for a few times, as though I have some sort of criminal records in the system. Dah lah sebelum tu ada sorang hamba Allah ni tak lepas that counter becoz of his PTPTN loan. Kesian. Anyhow, I was lucky to have passed through that counter.
Then, our flight was delayed for an hour at KLIA and departed around 3.15pm. Pic below, muka Wawa (aka Najwa) keboringan tunggu flight.
Then again, the air traffic jammed for another half an hour at Changi. Pening kepala memikirkan race pack kene amik before 8pm. Pastu tak tau pulak nak amik race pack tu kat mana..not sure the exact location of The Float Marina Bay. Aiyooo..
Once we touched down at Changi around 5pm, I called the hostel to extend our arrival hour, thinking that we couldn't make it to the hostel at 6pm, the time we supposed to check-in. Heartattack dalam lima minit biler dapat tau the room has already been occupied since I haven't replied their email to confirm the booking. I've rarely been this careless for planning any trips before. Tatau la..memang dah ditakdirkan camni. Redah dan redha jek la. Back to the hostel matters, I was told that there were only mixed dormitory left. Takmo lah tido campuq2 pompuan laki nih. Tapi..takkan la pulak nak tido kat airport kot. Pening lagik. Luckily got free internet browsing while we were still in the airport. So, we googled and jotted down all the phone numbers of the nearest hostels at Bugis area.
While queuing up for immigration, I called all the hostels. Some were already fulled. Some were only having mixed dorm left. Only one or two with available private room left..but without the bathroom attached. Reluctantly, that was the only option and hope we have. (we'd prefer the private room with bathroom attached). But we need to be there before 8pm or our booking would be cancelled. While making the reservation, there was a Malaysian guy, who overheard our problems, kindly giving his thoughful tips on the hostels we should and shouldn't stay. Thanks Derek..you are kind enough to understand our situations back then and really being helpful..luckily we bumped into a gentleman like you..;)
It was 6pm when we passed thru the immigration counter. We decided to take MRT, since it was weekend and probably the road traffic might be jammed..like the air traffic too. Nak kejar race pack lagik, hostel lagik. Luckily, we found a cute, modern Indonesian girl who was helpful to show us the way to the city by MRT. Mind you guys, it's a bit tricky for the first timer to go to the city link MRT from Terminal1. First, we took the skytrain to Terminal2. Then, bought the ticket and got into the train to Tanah Merah station. Then, changed train again to City Hall station.
I have surfed the Internet before and found that the nearest station to The Float Marina Bay is Promenade. But the thing is, there is also a "Marina Bay" station. The marathon organizer pulak bukannye nak kasik the detailed direction or a map. So clever! To be safe, we decided to stop at City Hall station, the center between the two locations. Asking around, but no one really sure where it is, except for this one makcik who seemed confident that it should be somewhere near the Marina Bay station. Quickly, we took a train and went to the station, and when we reached there, we asked again the lady at the Marina Bay station counter. We were so frustrated when we being told that the nearest station to The Float Marina Bay is the Promenade station. That would be a big U-turn and waste of our precious time when my friend made her sarcastic remarks "Boleh kalah macam ni kalau kita yang masuk amazing race ni"...Hangin aku dengar tuh..hahaha..
So we've made it to Promenade station around 7.30pm and still searching for the place, dah lah malam, gelap, takkan takde papan tanda kot. Luckily we saw a few people with the race entry packs in their hands. Terpaksalah buat muka tebal bertanya kat mana. Nasib baik sampai2 kat tempat collection tu takde orang. Yelah dah pukul 7.40pm. Semua yang nak berlari pun tau gak nak rehat for their big day tomorrow. Haha. (ketawa tension dalam hati masa tuh). Masa nak amik race pack tuh, macam nak jek straight ahead tell them the problems getting to that place. But again, I was grateful, malas nak mentensionkan diri atau sesapa. Syukurlah dah dapat apa yang dihajati. One problem down. And one more to go. The hostel!
Again, we rushed back to take the train. It was quite tricky and might take some times since we have to change trains for 3 times to get to the hostel. Around 7.55pm I called the hostel, reconfirming our stay and begging to hold on the room for us since we might be a little bit late. Pehhh..aku tak penah begging kat orang cenggitu sekali..first time and hopefully the last time ever..kuikuikui..
Nak sampai ke hostel tu punye la payah. Walhal dekat jek dengan Bugis station tuh. The hostel lady said that we should see a fountain, McDee at the corner lot of the building once we've come out from the station..tapi tak nampak pulak. When we asked around, people directed us to go here and there, while we were actually turning around and around and around the building. Dalam 10minit pusing2 tuh, singgah lah 7-Eleven, beli air, tanyalah mana Cosy Corner Hostel..Rupanya selang 2 3 kedai jek.. Penat..penat.. That 7-Eleven old man said "ohh..you are so lucky to stay at that hostel" we were just "hmmm" just what he meant by that?
When we checked-in, the hostel lady was being friendly and told us that so many people from airport asking about the room that we just reserved this evening. Thinking of what the 7-Eleven old man just said, was this what he meant by "we are so lucky"? But we were in our terrified-horror state, when we were guided to our room and passing the dormitory area, where people sleeping in their double-decks, a man without shirt was sleeping and snoring. Dalam hati "Sib baik la dapat private room. Takleh imagine tido kat mixed dorm nih!"
Lepas beli selipar kat Bugis Mall, makan kat restaurant bawah, mandi, terus tido dalam 11.30pm. Dapat sms from Azila "Have fun and enough rest for tomorrow!" dan mak "Bawak trophe balik malaysia!" Tergelak dalam hati. Kalaulah korang tau apa yang berlaku sepanjang ari kat Singapore nih..
Sebelum tido tuh, pening datang lagi when my friend's handphone couldn't get her Maxis coverage. Camno nak jumpe esok lepas larik? Takut tak jumpe sebab ada 60k participants for this event. I flipped through my race pack book, there was a checklist saying that "You should be physically and mentally prepared a night before your big day tomorrow" Isn't that ironic? Yeah!!! Arini memang mencabar dan memenatkan fizikal dan mentalku ini..hehe..
So we promised to meet up at the Finish Line tomorrow around 9.00-10.30am. No matter what happen, just be there. Paling teruk pun, kalau tak jumpe kat finishing line, jumpe kat hostel terus. Takut tak jumpe, ada plak yang tak balik ke Malaysia nanti. Mencabar mental kan? Haha.
Malam tu tido pun tak lena. Kejap2 terjaga. Takut lambat bangun. Kaki pulak terasa kepenatannya. Pasrah jek la esok camner.
I woke up the next day around 5.30am. Mandi kat bathroom bawah, lalu mixed dorm yang horror itu. Makan 3bijik epal. Minum air sikit. We've made our move around 6.45am. Before that pegi toilet. Naik train to City Hall station. Ikut la ramai2 orang menuju ke Start point. Buat warm-up. Amik gambo. Lambai Najwa, my dear friend and photog for this event, hoping that we somehow manage to meet up at the Finishing line.
Larik dan larik dan larik. Panas betul Singapore ni. Dah la start lambat, 7.45am. Panas sampai satu tahap rasa cam nak pengsan tapi digagahkan jugak. Atlast, sampailah ke garisan penamat dalam 9.10am. Tercarik2 la mana si Najwa nih. Pandang kiri kanan. Mana ada orang leh duk kat Finishing line tu unless VIP or media. Dah abis race dan dapat medal...tapi muke cuak, tak hepi mana pun...sebab bayang Najwa pun tak nampak...isk isk isk...
~~~To be continued~
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