Switzerland Trip, September 2013

Visa was a nightmare again, as I was travelling to Malaysia two week before the trip so I had only one week to apply for a visa. It’s not so complicate but it made me worry and I felt like I was going to get a brain cancer.
The day that they call me to pick up my passport, I was like, I was really wanna jump up and down around the office.
I had to use Quatar airline and it was not that great. There was a stop in Vietnam and that I was not informed about that.
I supposed to be in Geneva, but I booked my flight ticket to Zurich! Say what??? I also thought that Zurich is very close to Geneva. Yes, 3 hours by fast train close.
The funny thing about the Zurich and Geneva is that. I got direction by an organizer, who thought that I landed in Geneva. Then I got out from Zurich airport and try to take a bus to Geneva. Hahaha, then there was a kind woman told me that I should take the train.
Then I got the train, after 3 hours without sleep or at least not full sleep I reached Geneva. Still I got lost for a while before I could find my hotel.
Transportation in Geneva was very cool, they work with trust and moral! They believe that everyone paid the tickets. Actually, I was not pay for the first bus I took as I was not really sure how I do that.
My first meal there was pizza, it was already dark so I went for a pizza next door to my hotel.
I went to the meeting for only 1 hour and I walked back to the hotel and then I realize my sponsor would want a few thing more from me. I don’t know what to do, I almost cry because I don’t know what to do. Then my sponsor was very nice she told me calmly of what to do and suggest me to meet a few people.
At first I thought that my trip was so easy but then it was not, I plan for a day trip but I rarely had a free time to go there.
Strange and drunk guy came to me and want to touch my hand. After a few words, I knew he was so sick then I try to look for excuse and run away.

My first impression of Switzerland was not as good as with Sweden. I don’t know what to tell but I do like visiting Sweden more than Switzerland.

ฺBrunei Trip, July 2014

First time, first trip to Brunei
First time arrived so late, around 12pm or so in Brunei. Luckily, one kind woman I sit next to on the plane agreed to drop me at my hotel. At first, I was so worry that she might be not the good person, I might be tricked and being sold. However, I was at my hotel safe and sound. I would like to apologize silently to her now for doubting her.
The hotel was not a normal standard that I have been accommodated in other countries.
The night I arrived at the hotel, I got electricity in the room damaged because the different voltage of electricity. The entire room got black out and the hotel staff have to move me to another room 😛
Attended a meeting that they didn’t provide lunch for the first time. The organizer even did not mention about that to us and we were starving to death.
I had a chance to meet and discuss with Mr. John Kerry, the US State Secretary. #reallyexcited and he even called my name, though he will not remember after that but still, it was excited at that time.
There one time that the fellow participant from Timor Leste would like to change money from USD to Brunei dollar, however, we could not find the place for the exchange at all. There were a lot of places that we could find but they were not accepting USD. We were running around like crazy.

It was a great chance, all in all, to visit different place, learn new culture and see thing differently. The country seems rich, everyone seems rich and there are a lot of Filipinos came to work there as well.

Sweden Trip, May 2013

Interesting point of the trip:

The visa process is some pain on the a** and I just got Schengen visa on the day that I departed to Sweden
It was my first ever trip to Europe. Yayyyyyy!!!
It was the longest trip I took since I was born
The chocolate was very delicious, #swissair
My plan was transited in Zurich, Switzerland
I saw the sun at 10pm, seriously??? (I was so happy and excited)
Experience the cold whether the first time
Food was not that great but I did love it there
The room of my hotel was very lovely and it very artist
Meet a few old friends and make other more new friends
Internet Stockholm Forum, it was really great event. The gov’t officers in Sweden are very open and I haven’t seen that with my own gov’t officers

All in all, I loved Sweden and I want to visit there again sometimes!

Thailand Trip, May 2013

Date: 11 – 14 May 2014

Place visited: Bangkok and Pattaya (Art in Paradise)
Most wanted thing: Watch the comedian movie, P Mark and books of course.
Most wanted place to go to: Art in Paradise (3D Museum)
Normal thing to buy: Tons of books
Most wanted food to eat: Yen Ta Fo (เย็นตาโฟ)

Interesting about the trip:

Arrived BKK, but haven’t found a place to sleep, but rush to a cinema to watch P Mark, but it was already finished, but did not come back to find place to sleep, but watch another movie
Our belongings were left somewhere that we didn’t even remember the name
We left the cinema so dang late and the Taxi could not find the place that we left our belongings, so he dropped us where the Tuk Tuk was. The Tuk Tuk driver was drinking beers with his friend. We had no choices but to go with Tuk Tuk, who were kind enough to brought us from place to place and finally we found one suitable place to stay.
The place we stayed was so close to the van station, and in the morning we walked to van station and then took a van to Pattaya. We didn’t know where to stop, we almost went to Koh Lan.
A Thai friend called and then we were brought to Art in Paradise. Yet, there were a lot of people there so we didn’t have a chance to have a lot of (good) photos.
We bought a lot of books.
We went to China town on their days off and could not find the way back by using normal bus so we took Taxi. It was my first time took a bus in Thailand, normally I only took Taxi, Skytrain or MRT.
Took a boat ride along Chao Praya river and it was a bit hurry, otherwise we will be able to go to the Palace.

It was really fun trip and I’m looking forward to do this kind of trip once again. Thank to #Frankie that helped make this trip possible and so much fun.

PS. I want to wrote this in a long time but I haven’t had a time to do it, so!

Malaysia again, August 2013

Well, I think I should restart the blogging habit or at least write something that interest me or bother me during my trip outside the country. If I have time I will write the other recent trip to Sweden and Brunei as well but let’s start with Malaysia first.

Well, it was the first time my brother brought me to the airport. Normally, I took Tuk Tuk from my home to the airport but today my brother finally took me. I am not sure if it’s his willingness or it was because he could not say no. We planned we would have eaten Burger King as a breakfast but we end up eat hot dog as burger king is a bit far from the departure terminal and I afraid I don’t have enough time to check-in.

I met my old friend from the six grade, he remembered my name while I only remembered his face. He is living in New Zealand now, most of my old friends end up living abroad which is great for them.

On the plan, it a bit awkward that you directed by the air hostess to sit near the window while my seat supposed to be out at the aisle then there a couple coming and told me that I sit at the wrong place. The air hostess say sorry to me. The awkwardness still continued as they kissed. That’s why I don’t really want to be near the couple because I feel uncomfortable when they are sweet at each other, it’s not jealousy but I just don’t know what expression should I wear on my face. I listened to my iPod all the time and focusing on the book instead of listen to their kissing sound. Hmmmm,

When landing, I just realize that in Malaysia we don’t need to fill out the immigration form anymore. I was here once in 2011 I think and back then there was a long queue but now it’s quicker at the immigration check point than before. I need to find a taxi, this was where I feel a bit lost. I think I caught the wrong taxi, a bit expensive than what I was told. However, the taxi ride was good. The taxi driver tried to talk to me a lot, maybe he was so sleepy. He even told a joke to me and gave me his number in case I need a taxi back to the airport when I go back.

Arrived that the hotel, I was impressed by the room. It looks simple but at the same time is really modern. It’s not big and it has no bathtub but I liked it. I like the design so much. It is similar to the one in Sweden.

When it’s time to find food, I tried to walk around my hotel place and I didn’t realize that my hotel is inside the shopping mall. I walked around and then when I decide to turn and walk in to the mall, I end up walked in the college, Oh my! What have I done? And then I saw a few places that sell foods, I chose one place that I thought it would give me the noodle soup, but when I ordered it and when it already cooked it was really different from what I expected. I didn’t eat it all and when I walk back to the hotel, I bought something from SevenEleven instead just in case I would hungry at night and which I did.

Oh, one thing that I would like to share is that there was a man come to talk to me about the some real estate thing. He first talked to me in Malay, I think and when I replied in English he still not realized that I am not his target group. He asked if I know any places for sell or anything I said I am a tourist and then he offered his hand said ‘Welcome to Malaysia’. Well, I took his hand and nod. He asked further that ‘What do you like about Malaysia?’ I really don’t like to talk more as my food arrived and I was so hungry but replied that I love the greenness in the city and then he tell me to enjoy it here and walk away.

I felt ‘weird’.

That’s my first day in KL, tomorrow I will start the conference and the schedule is very tight I don’t think I could go out anywhere. But will see, maybe I could sneak out in the evening.