Prankster Targeting Public Transport

People are getting so terrible! Yesterday someone got burnt by a substance while sitting on the train. Last week someone got hurt by acid poured onto a seat at a bus stop while sitting down waiting for a bus at that particular bus stop.

I wonder what people are thinking nowadays? Why does anyone want to do any action that deliberately hurt others physically? It is one thing having grievances with someone, but it is another thing altogether to hurt an innocent party one has totally no connection with.

Seems like even taking public transport is dangerous nowadays! What can one do? Take horses? Or carriage rides? I kind of like that idea actually. Imagine cruising through the countryside in a horse-drawn carriage. 

Who am I kidding? What countryside? There is nothing here but tall, modern, fierce-looking buildings! No more countryside and no more old buildings since money and power are more important than history and culture! What a waste!

Hopefully the people who did those pranks will get caught soon! They need some help as soon as possible to ensure they get treated for whatever illness they are suffering from.

Free Travel For Early Birds?

Last week, the "big" news floating around is that come late June, those commuters who managed to tap in and out of the train station by 7:45am will be entitled to free rides. In other words, the government is encouraging people to take the train earlier so as not to jam up the trains during the hours of eight and nine.

 

It makes me wonder, will people really find this appealing? Personally, I rather have my sleep than to wake up so early and reach office so early. As it is, I am already reaching office earlier than everyone else, even if I reach aronud half past eight in the morning!

 

The thing is, people being the way they are, will most likely grab hold of this opportunity to have a free ride everyday. I can understand that. Imagine if you spend S$1.50 travelling to work everyday. S$1.50 means S$7.50 a week, totalling to around S$30.00 a month. S$30.00 saved a month could buy a week's lunch, or some groceries, or just accumulate aside for a rainy day.

 

Hence, in the long run, it is pretty appealing, where dollars and cents are concerned. However, due to this, the trains will suddenly become very jam-packed during the hours of the free rides. Then suddenly the "peak" period will no longer be between eight to nine but seven to eight instead. In which case, people are going to work earlier yet still staying later, which is totally not in line with the family friendly and worklife balance policy the government is encouraging lately.

 

Furthermore, it still does not curb the problem of trains being jam packed, just that instead of after eight, the trains started being jammed much earlier. Due to this, more trains have to come at shorter frequency to cater to the massive jam during those times.

 

So does it really solve the problem of curbing the massive jam during peak hours? This is not a permanent solution though. This solution is only on a one-year trial, which means after the year, this solution may or may not be continued. Maybe if they feel the solution is working out, then perhaps it will continue, otherwise may be scrapped totally? Who knows?

 

I will definitely welcome any solutions to our transport problem. And the government is aiming to increase the population even further. Unless our country's land mass gets bigger, otherwise I really do not see how to solve this overcrowding and overpopulation in the near future.

Transport Across The Causeway

When I was young, whenever my parents wanted a family trip to Malaysia, we would always drive up, or rather, my dad would always drive up. Sometimes there would be an extended family trip, so I would follow in my uncle's car.

 

I remember driving up to Genting Highlands (twice), Fraser's Hill (once) and Malacca (twice). The rest of the times we went by plane, coach or train. For instance, that time when we went to Cameron Highlands, we took a train from the old railway station, then someone came by to pick us up and brought us up the hill.

 

When we went to Penang, we took a plane and then a coach. The last time we went to Genting Highlands, we also took a train then a car. And the last time we went to Fraser's Hill, we took a coach ride all the way as there were four families in all.

 

After I got older, ironically I did not go to Malaysia for a very long time, until a few years back when my mum's company organised a day trip and she brought me along. After that I did not have a chance to go, until last year, when I had to go to Kuala Lumpur on transit. I took an overnight coach ride all the way.

 

The same thing happened when I went to Malacca last year. It was another night time coach ride. Recently when I went to Redang, I took another overnight coach ride to Kuala Terangganu, which was fine but my poor back was aching after that!

 

This time round, when I went to Johor, I took the express bus. The coach I took to and from Kuala Lumpur was called Starmart Express Air Asia Liner. It has the most regular services to and from Kuala Lumpur. In fact, there are coaches leaving every hour or so back and forth. I boarded the coach at Golden Mile Complex, and it brought me direct to Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur.

 

The coach I took to Malacca was called Delima Express. It is one of the few coaches that gives regular services to Malacca and back, one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night. The coach would leave City Plaza and go all the way to Malacca Sentral bus terminus.

 

The coach I took to Kuala Terangganu is called Transnasional. So far it is the only coach that goes regularly to Kuala Terangganu and back, with regular schedules, one in the morning and one at night. The coaches leave everyday as well, from The Plaza all the way to the Kuala Terangganu bus terminus.

 

So far all these coaches have comfortable seats, air-conditioned and the rides are pretty smooth, no jerking and shaking of the bus. Hence I managed to get quite a good sleep on the bus despite the journey and long hours of sitting.

 

This time since I would just be going across the Causeway, I see no sense in booking a coach. After all, there are public buses going to Johor Bahru. Intially, I thought of taking a public bus there, but it would not be express and would stop at every stop. So in the end, I decided to take the Singapore-Johor Express, which would go from Queen Street Terminus, direct to JB Sentral Larkin.

 

So I took the express bus around one in the afternoon. The bus has quite a regular schedule, it departs everyday and the interval is every fifteen minutes to half an hour. One has to buy tickets first before boarding the bus, but the whole system is an old-fashioned system where you buy the ticket from a booth, then you show the ticket to the driver and you are allowed up the bus.

 

It is on a first-come-first-served basis, no seats can be reserved. There is no standing on the bus too, you just take whatever empty seat you find. Once the bus is full, the bus would leave. When it reaches Woodlands, we get down to go through customs, then go up the bus again by showing our ticket. After that the bus will reach JB Sentral and we would then get down to go through the JB customs, before going on our way.

 

It is pretty refreshing taking the express bus. Since it goes direct to Johor Bahru, we were able to reach there in less than an hour. What I like about the bus is that it still issues the old-fashioned type of ticket that I used to see when I was very young, but has since phased out when I reached upper primary or so.

Who else can remember this kind of bus ticket?

 

A pity I did not take buses that much when I was younger. I was one of the "priviledge" ones who got driven around by my parents. If only I collect them, now I think these should be antique collector's items already!

 

So for anyone wanting to shuttle across the causeway and do not wish to drive, the Johor-Singapore Express is a great way to go there in the shortest time possible!



Super Long Bus Ride!

I am no stranger to long-distance bus rides. In fact, I took the coach to Kuala Lumpur and back, with each journey being five hours. I also took the coach to Malacca and back, and each journey is about three hours. Hence, I do not mind taking coaches, especially at night when it saves time and accommodation.

 

This trip to Redang I decided to take a coach because it is just more troublesome flying in. Since there is a direct coach I thought why not? Some people think I am crazy, because the trip direct to Kuala Terangganu will take nine hours per way. Some say with this kind of timing, I may as well fly, but if I fly, it will not be a direct flight, which is why I prefer to take a direct bus.

 

I took the coach at nine at night. The journey there is uneventful. Except stopping twice every two to three hours for a bathroom break, the coach went on its way smoothly, reaching Kuala Terangganu early in the morning.

 

Initially I was uncomfortable, as when I boarded the coach, I was the only female passenger, the rest were males and there were six of them. Luckily I was sitting right in front behind the driver and they were sitting behind, so there was no trouble. However, the bus went to Kotaraya terminus in Johor Bahru and picked up the rest of the passengers, so the bus was full before it went on its way to Terangganu.

 

Even though it is an express bus, the driver would stop at little towns along the way and dropped passengers off. I have no idea where we passed by though since it was late at night. What I am surprised is that at our second pit stop, it was in front of a big hawker centre. It was around three in the morning, yet the toilet was really clean, and there were still stalls operating at that hour. I wonder if these hawkers cater to tourists like us, or to the local population as well? Do people stay out at that hour?

 

The journey back is another story. I took the bus from Kuala Terangganu at half past eight at night. It was a relatively full bus as most of the passengers were going to Singapore. However, the bus driver made several stops along the way, either at petrol stations and pit stops selling food. He would then stop there for an hour or so and took the opportunity to sleep.

 

Again, I am surprised that at one of the pit stops, it was a store selling local produce and titbits, At four in the morning, they were operating. People could still buy the stuff. Do people really buy titbits at that hour?

 

By the time the bus made it to Johor Bahru, it was already half past six in the morning. Hence the journey back across the Causeway took much longer as it was jam-packed. By the time we reached across the Causeway, it was crowded with people who come across the causeway everyday to work. So by the time I actually reached home, it was almost nine in the morning.

 

Which means the journey back took twelve hours or thereabouts. No wonder my back was aching when I reached home! Luckily I booked myself for massage today, so hopefully the aches and pain would be gone after that!

 

The only nice thing is that I managed to catch the sun rising over the Johor Straits. Although it was not as spectacular a sight as I thought, it was still a good sunrise to see.

 

Sun rising over the Johor straits

No More Faith In Public Transport

After all the fiascos about the trains breaking down, being stuck for hours, and technical faults to the cables, the latest news regarding public transport is that one of the underground stations caught fire. This came on the first day when people went back to work after the Lunar New Year holidays. What an embarrassment to the transport ministry!

 

Seems that nowadays, even public transport is unsafe to travel on! Trains break down, stations catch fire, buses come late as the drivers go on strike. Looks like the best way now is to own your own form of transport and travel around! So the government has no right to make us pay so much for a car anymore since the public transport system is breaking down ever so often now!

Why Do Fools Rush In?

I was on the train on my way back from work earlier, when this guy with a heavy backpack that looked as if he was holding several rocks inside, came squeezing into the train. Now taking the train during peak hour is no easy feat. Although it is not so bad as to be squeezed all the way into other carriages, but the train can be so full that sometimes we need to wait for several more trains to pass by before we can even get on.

 

Hence, in an already cramped space where people could hardly stand properly as it is, we do not welcome someone squeezing in with a gigantic and heavy backpack that ended up knocking into just about everyone! For goodness sake, if there is not much space, then at least hold on to your backpack or something? Or wait for the next train where there is enough space for two - the human and the bag!

 

I am sure people do not appreciate being knocked about in an already congested train with barely any standing room left!

Public Transport Cost To Increase Again!

Due to all the hype over the recent bus strikes, the bus companies are looking into reviewing the drivers' remuneration, and they have promised to increase the market value of bus drivers. The reason for the strike is because those perpetrators felt that they were being paid too little compared to the working hours and what they needed to do.

 

I guess it is good to increase the remuneration of the bus drivers, because afterall, they are human, and they do have to be on the road for many hours a day. They work irregular hours and whereas the rest of us can take the weekends off, they may have to slog during the weekends too.

 

Unfortunately, by doing so, starting next year, public transport fares are going to increase again, from the already high cost. The trouble with people is that they want everything - they want more wages, and yet they want lesser cost. It is true that our cost of living is very high, and if we talk about our wages, for most of the general public, what we earn is really minuscule as compared to what we have to spend on necessities. Which is why most people are struggling everyday to make ends meet, especially when one has kids.

 

Sometimes I really wonder what our government do with our tax money. We are literally debt-free, as compared to other countries. But if that is the case, should we not have more money to spare to help improve living standards and welfare for the population? There are many of us who are really struggling, and even though the income is considered low, but they are not low enough to warrant help.

 

Does it mean to say if we earn just enough, we should not need help, even if the family is really struggling to make ends meet? Does it mean to say only kids and senior citizens can get rebate for everything and working adults, even if they bring in very minimal amounts, are not entitled to?

 

Sometimes I wonder if the welfare system in other countries is better, because the government takes care of the people no matter what. On the other hand, this creates laziness as people will take for granted they need not work and just rely on the government to take care of them.

 

I hope the fare increase will not be too much though, otherwise I seriously wonder how some people will fare in the next election. Already there are lots of people with grievances in lots of areas. The last election, the ruling party won by the lowest margin ever, and lost an entire constituency due to some "old school" thinking and opinions, so for the next election, perhaps there will be a better show to see.

Murrays Australia

I took a direct flight to Sydney via Scoot. Since Scoot only has one flight a day (although it flies everyday), I had to plan my itinerary according to when the flight would reach Sydney. Hence, because I would reach Sydney around one in the afternoon, I had to plan the bus ride to Canberra after that time.

 

I initially thought of using Greyhound Australia, as I have heard great reviews about their coaches. However, that is not express as it would stop on a few places along the way. Then my brother recommended Murrays Australia. I have not heard of Murrays, but my brother told me because the office is in Canberra itself, so it has more regular services to Sydney and back. And if I book a place early enough, I can get it at a cheaper rate. Most importantly, it is an express coach, so there would not be much time wasted stopping at places.

 

So I took a look at the Murrays website, and was so lucky to find a coach leaving around two in the afternoon at a very low rate! Hence, I booked the coach from Sydney Airport direct to Canberra, and the return coach from Canberra to Sydney Central Railway, which would leave Canberra at seven in the morning in order to utilise my time at Sydney to the fullest.

 

In the end, taking Murrays is a good choice because the driver himself is friendly and helpful. He helped to load our luggages into the baggage compartment of the bus, and greeted everyone by name! When we reached the bus, he also gave us an introduction to the company. There is even a lavatory on the coach for us to use freely, which is hardly the case in other coaches.

 

Due to the traffic, we reached Canberra half an hour later than scheduled. But that could not be helped. The time taken to go from Sydney Airport to Canberra is around three hours, but with traffic conditions, it can take about up to four hours, which is still considered alright.

 

On my return trip, I took the coach to Sydney Central Railway. Perhaps because it was so early in the morning, there was hardly any cars on the street, and we reached Sydney Airport (the first drop off point) before ten. However, once we were out of Sydney Airport, the traffic started to become heavy and we did not reach Sydney Central Railway until half past ten, where I had to then scramble to find the train to take to my uncle's place.

 

Overall, I am rather satisfied with Murrays. Did I also mention that both days, the coaches are full, even at seven in the morning? It seems that Murrays is a very popular choice even with the Australians themselves, so that probably tells a lot about their reputation and service. If I am ever to go down again and need to take a coach elsewhere, I would sure use Murrays!

Of Long-Distance Bus Rides ...

When I told my family and friends how I would be going to Malaysia, my friends in particular told me, "Why so troublesome? Why not just take a plane straight there?" Of course, if I am to take a plane direct to Kuala Lumpur and back, it really cut the hassle as the plane would bring me directly to the airport, and I need not need to scramble to the airport by shuttle bus. Besides time spent on the road would be cut down as the plane ride would take less than an hour.

However, a plane ticket cost twice as much as a bus ticket. Of course another alternative would be to take a train, but ever since the beautiful. albeit run-down Tanjong Pagar Railway Station closed down, it became a hassle getting to the railway station at Woodlands because we need to take the subway, then bus, go past a military area, and then enter the railway station near the causeway. It became more troublesome getting to the railway station as compared to a bus station, where there are many buses to Malaysia scattered at different parts of the island.

Hence I decided to take a bus. Even though it takes five hours or so to reach Kuala Lumpur, the low rates and the scenery along the way make up for it. I like to see the scenery going past me whenever I travel, and taking a bus is just right. Besides with so many people going back and forth from the causeway, the buses here are very comfortable, with soft cushioned seats and cosy airconditioning, otherwise they would not be able to meet up with the demands of our locals here. :-P

So I booked a return bus journey to Kuala Lumpur and back. Since I was due in Miri on Thursday 5 July, and my flight was at eleven in the morning, I decided to take a night bus the day before. Travelling at night simply saves time and money. We get to sleep on the bus so we do not incur an extra night's accommodation, and we reach our destination bright and early the following day, just nice to start exploring. If I can, I try to travel at night as much as possible.

The bus is even more comfortable than I thought. In fact, compared to the narrow seats some airlines have, the seats on the bus is bigger, wider and gives more legroom. Along the way, the bus will stop for a break, for people to stretch their legs or go to the washroom.

Despite the departure drama I had en route to Malaysia, the return journey was pretty smooth-sailing. Because I took the morning bus when I returned as I did not wish to go back so late at night, I could see the countryside sailing past me while on the bus. The only time there was a delay was when we reached the checkpoint at Tuas and there was a massive queue, as everyone seemed to be coming in at the same time. Since I am a citizen, I just scanned my thumbprint and sailed past the rest who were waiting to get their passports stamped.

The journey was supposed to take five hours, but the whole journey took about six hours due to the waiting time. That is what taking a long distance bus is all about, one need to be prepared to be on the road for quite some time, and to some, they may experience a numb back at the end of the trip. But taking into account the money saved and a great way to see the country, I would still choose to take a long-distance bus ride over a plane ride anytime!

Departure Drama!

I took the bus to Kuala Lumpur around midnight on 5 July. My dad dropped me off at the venue to take the bus, and I collected my ticket at the counter. Unfortunately, the bus was not there but two buildings down. It was raining heavily, there was no shelter and I had to lug my trolley bag, backpack and a big paper bag containing my gowns to the building where the bus would depart. Needless to say, I was caught in the rain and drenched by the time we need to board the bus.

Furthermore, the bus was parked a little away from the place, so I had to walk further in the rain. No one bothered to help me load my luggage, so I had to squeeze my luggage into the compartment somehow (in the pouring rain) and went up the bus. I was wet and it was freezing!

Since it was a night bus and a very wet night, the driver dimmed the lights and turned down the airconditioning for the passengers to sleep properly and not feel so cold. The seats on the bus are pretty comfortable and we can adjust the seats accordingly to a reclining position. The only times we got off the bus was around the two checkpoints linking the two countries together.

Once we have passed the checkpoint in Johor Bahru, it was an express journey to Kuala Lumpur. I was snoozing away, when suddenly, I heard something and the bus jerked to a stop. I suspect it was a tyre bursting. The bus just stalled in the middle of nowhere, and all I could see around me was darkness since there were hardly any street lights, and I suspected we were in a forested area.

Obviously I got a little worried. After all the horror stories I heard about the encounters of Malaysian drivers, how can I not be worried? Furthermore, I have no idea where the driver went to as the rest were still snoring away, and the bus was very quiet. Maybe he went to get help on foot, or perhaps he was also in his seat waiting for help. I am not sure if he even signalled for help.

We were stalled there for about four hours. I remember it was about past two in the morning when the bus stalled. I was drifting in and out of sleep. It was only past six in the morning when I heard something being done, perhaps to the tyres or perhaps to the engine. Whatever it was, the four hours of silence and being stuck somewhere was not a comfortable feeling for me.

Finally the bus went on its way again around seven in the morning. By the time we entered the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, it was already past eight. The sky was bright and traffic was heavy. The bus driver made a stop at a petrol station for a while, then went on his way again. From that part, I could see the Petronas twin towers in the distance, but it seemed forever to be able to reach Kuala Lumpur.

I was starting to panic, as I had a flight due at eleven at the airport, and I still needed to catch a shuttle there from KL Sentral. Furthermore, if I had to take a cab down, I was worried about my money ration since I calculated just enough to get me by through the long trip.

The bus finally reached Berjaya Times Square around half-past nine. I took my luggage and went to the taxi counter, but it was closed hence could not buy a coupon. One taxi driver saw me and asked if I was going to the airport, to which I nodded in the affirmative. For some reason, he presumed I was going to the domestic airport, so quoted me RM90.00 for the whole trip, which I thought was exorbitant, but since I was in a hurry, I had no choice but to accept.

This is the first time I was all alone in Kuala Lumpur, so I had no idea where the airport was. Being the simple minded me, I thought the airport was only half an hour away. So when the cab driver made turn after turn and brought me to some deserted area after an hour, I started to panic. When I told my friend, she told me the airport is quite far away and would take an hour's journey at least. So I heaved a sigh of relief.

True enough, shortly after that, I reached the domestic airport around ten. The taxi driver was true to his word, he really charged me RM90.00, not a cent more. He was helpful enough to help carry my luggage out onto a trolley too.

However, when I entered the airport, I started to worry again, as the whole place was swarmed and messy, with no proper instructions on where I should go. I just followed the crowd and went to scan my luggage, before checking in my luggage at the counter. I had already bought a boarding pass prior to the trip, so that cut the time down.

Unfortunately, my luggage exceeded by five kilograms, and I was charged RM125.00 for the extra baggage. I was already running late for the flight, so I had no choice but to pay the amount, and getting immensely worried about my money ration. Still, I had no time to worry about that and had to quickly enter the departure hall as it was time to board the flight.

When I entered the departure hall, I had to walk another open air stretch to the middle of the runway and walk up the stairs of the plane just to get into the plane. It was the first time I did this as every time when I travel, the plane would always be at the "doorstep" and I could enter the plane easily and smoothly.

I was in a flustered state when I entered the plane, and could only heave a sigh of relief when I was finally seated and the plane took off to Miri. What an experience indeed, but well, if one does not experience anything, then one's travels would be pretty boring indeed!

How To Kill Time On Public Transport

I have forgotten how taking public transport on my own is like already. Three years back when I had to take an hour bus journey back from my workplace to my home, I would always sleep, or if lucky enough to have colleagues in the same bus, we would talk to each other.

Last year when I moved back to the Central Business District, it was never a problem thinking up what to do on the train because the journey was only twenty minutes. I could always just relax and enjoy the scenery going by.

Then when I moved to an industrial park, it was another long journey back of two buses and more than an hour's journey. However I did not need to face the long journey on my own as my dear would always accompany me home.

Now that I have moved to town, it is much easier getting home. I only need to take a train ride of less than half hour. However because the stations are underground this time hence no scenery to see, I have to start thinking up ways to utilize my time while travelling.

With modern technology, there is no privacy anymore. Anyone on the train or bus can be just caught on a camera phone or video and the photos and clipped uploaded on the mass blogging platform or YouTube. So we have to be even more vigilant with our behaviour in public.

That means no more looking over people's shoulders while they are reading or smiling at amusing scenes or hankering for seats. All kinds of "undesirable" behavior can make one famous without even knowing it.

So what else can we do while on a moving bus or train?

1. Read. This has always been a favorite pastime of mine. We can read anytime anywhere, sitting down, standing up, even walking and crossing the street.

However due to public scrutiny (one never knows who is watching you nowadays!), we have to be more selective over the kind of books we read. Normally I do not care. I read anything I can get my hands on, be it comics or children's books.

But now I have to choose my reading material more carefully as I do not wish to end up starring in a YouTube video on full-grown mature adults who still read kiddy books like any three-year-old.

2. Note down things. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with so many things to do. So while commuting, I would remember and note down appointments and schedules so I can clear my mind. Otherwise my mind is in a whirl with too many things to remember!

3. Write. With the blogger installed on a smartphone, you can write and blog anytime you like!

4. Check emails and surf the Internet. Okay, this is not really recommended as it will only make you a slave to your gadget. Do this only when you really have time to kill and if there is no one else with you. Otherwise it is actually very rude to play with your phone or any gadget when someone is with you (unless you are replying text messages but do that quickly too).

5. Last but not least, sleep! After a hard day's work and you feel so drained, what can be better than a nap, especially if you are one of the lucky ones who managed to get a seat? But do be careful not to miss your stop otherwise you will have to take another round back!

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Public Transport Fiasco

In July, our transport authority started charging bus and train fares according to distance and not stages. Hence the transport expenses have increased overall.

Few weeks back, the new distance fares turned out to be a blunder. Apparently the distance between certain bus stops have been miscalculated, so many commuters from July to now have been either overcharged or undercharged. It seems like the overcharged amount is about three hundred thousand!

Now our transport authority has published a notification on the affected bus stops and service numbers, asking all this who have travelled on the buses on those routes to have a refund starting from 18 December onwards. We can just tap our card and get a refund without even needing to give the serial number of the card!

In the first place, how would we know if we have travelled along this routes on which dates? I cannot even remember where I went last week!

In the second place, anyone and everyone can just have a refund, whether they have taken the affected buses and travelled on the affected routes. Who is to monitor?

This is quite a fiasco for the authority in question. I only hope the act can be cleaned up and nothing of this sort happens again! It is commuters like us who suffer the brunt of increasing costs, especially since we take public transport all the time!

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Chimney Pot!

I was on the bus on my way home earlier when this old man who was reeking of a strong smell of smoke came on board and sat next to me. It was so unbearable that I had to hold my breath! Why must he board the bus when he is a walking chimney?

If people want to smoke, why can they not just refrain from smoking just before they step into any form of public transport? Why must they step into the bus or train reeking of smoke throughout their bodies?

Do they know more people get affected and die of second hand smoke than actual smokers? If people do not care about their lives, at least be considerate to those who do care and do not wish to die a premature death!

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Feeling Violated ....

I cannot believe what happened to me yesterday! I was on the bus on the way to claim the kit for the upcoming Standard Chartered Marathon, when I felt someone's fingers stroking my hair from behind. I quickly sat forward, but those fingers moved to my neck and started stroking my neck.

Since it was quitting time, the bus was very crowded hence I could not stand up nor change places. I could only lean forward, feeling uncomfortable since I was sitting at the edge of the seat. The person behind then clasped a piece of paper in his fingers, but his hand never once retracted. I was moving sideways to prevent him from touching me again, and yet every chance he had, he would stroke my hair and neck.

I could scream of course, but the problem was that he was doing it so subtly that there was no proof whatsoever he ever violated or took advantage of me in any way. Yet I felt violated. It was clearly an outrage of modesty, the way his fingers were moving around. There is no reason why he could not put his hands on his lap or on the seat of the bus, instead of putting his hand over to my seat!

Finally he reached his stop, thank goodness! I thought I could finally sit properly again, when he threw that piece of paper he was holding onto my seat before he alighted. Out of curiosity and as proof in case anything happened, I opened the paper and saw his name and his number written on it.

Smart! Very smart! By doing this, I can easily lodge a report since I have his name and number, except in any court of law, there is no proof of any outrage of modesty. It was a crowded bus, people would lean forward and the hand could just slip out in a more comfortable position. I could not even sue!

This is one reason why I hate taking public transport! But what to do, it is the only means of transport I can have, since I am too poor to get my own car, and the guy I am with is not rich enough to get a car too. Unless I stay home everyday and not go out at all, otherwise this is my only mode of moving around for a long time yet.

I really hate men! Why do they think they can just touch a girl and get away with it?! The worst thing is, the guy I am with just laughed it off and kept teasing me about being "attractive to old men" when I told him my ordeal, when all I needed was some comfort and him sticking up for me! What is the use of being with someone if he cannot even protect me?

An Eventful Interview

I was supposed to go for another interview at an offshore fiduciary services company today, but what would have been a smooth process turned out to be so dramatic!

My interview was at 5:30pm in the evening, so I left my office at around 4:30pm, intending to take ample time to arrive at the company. I thought of taking a bus, which would take about half an hour the most, based on past experiences.

However, when I left my office, it was raining very heavily, that I was stranded. My office area consists of lots of buildings and hardly any shelter, so it was quite impossible going all the way downhill, down the stairs, go up the overhead bridge, and then reach the bus stop in the rain. I waited a while and then decided to call a cab.

However, no cabs were available despite calling for so long. I then called my headhunter and explained to her the situation. She said she would inform the company that I would be late. I waited for about half an hour, before the rain finally let up a bit at 5:20pm. So I decided to just brave it and go to the bus stop.

When I reached the bus stop, the bus I wanted to take just left. I waited about ten minutes for the next bus. I finally took the bus at 5:40pm, and called the headhunter again, telling her I was on the way, and that I would probably reach about 6:20 or thereabouts.

However, because some of the roads were still closed due to the Formula One race, plus the fact that it was still raining and the ground was still wet, I was caught in a very bad massive traffic jam, all the way from the highway to past the railway station. Vehicles were literally not moving at all! So I called my headhunter again and explained to her the situation. She said it was not a problem as the interviewer was willing to wait until 7:00pm or thereabouts.

The traffic became a bit smoother only when the bus passed the railway station and turned into the business district. Finally, I reached the bus stop at the nearest train station at the location at around 6:45pm. Because the ground was still wet and slippery and I was wearing a new pair of heels, I could not walk as fast as I wanted. I reached the company only at 7:00pm.

Luckily the interviewer was quite nice and understanding. However, the firm turned out to be a service provider (as I guessed), and not an in-house role. So even though the interviewer was nice, I did tell her my preference would be to look for an in-house role.

The whole interview wrapped up about 7:30pm. Imagine, I took more than two hours reaching that place, only to have a half an hour interview, and then it was a role which did not even interest me! It was a real experience indeed!

The New Distance Fares

Come July, our public transport system is going to implement the new distance fares. How this works is that instead of paying for the number of stops, we pay for how far we go. This makes a lot of difference to me, especially since my place is between two train stations. Now I need to go to the further one if I am to go to town, and then go to the nearer one if I am to go down to the east.

It did not matter in the past because the price for either station to go anywhere is the same since both belong to the same "stage", but now, with the new distance fares, the price between the two stations can cost anything from two to four cents, so I have to go whichever one accordingly if I do not intend to pay extra two cents.

With the new distance fares, the price upon boarding will increase from the existing one. But the advantage is that, if we are to transfer a bus or train, ie if we take another bus or train within the same journey subject to a maximum of five transfers in two hours, we can get quite a lot of rebate off, depending on the total distance. The rebate only applies if we transfer, and not if we take a straight bus or train.

For instance, once the distance fares start, if I am to take a straight bus from my office back home, it will take me two hours. But if I am to take a bus to near where my mum's office is and then change to another bus back home, the total journey is only about an hour and a few cents cheaper than if I am to take a straight bus.

It all depends on the route of the bus. The straight bus that goes to my place will go by several neighbourhoods and small lanes before arriving at my place, whereas the bus that I transferred to will cut through the highway all the way until it reaches another neighbourhood. So the total journey and time is shortened.

Come to think of it, the public transport here has changed a lot. I remember people telling me there used to be conductors on the bus, where they would punch out a ticket to your destination. I have never come across any conductors, but I do remember when I was young, the buses were non air-conditioned, with hard seats and noisy. I could hear the engine rattling each time the bus moved.

Our bus drivers had their uniforms consisting of a blue top and dark blue pants. We put in the coins into a machine next to the driver, and he would pull the handle to take the coins, and the ticket would then come out of another machine behind the driver's seat. I was always excited during those rare times when my mum or aunt would bring me to take a bus ride and I would always collect the tickets. I still have my collection of old bus tickets!

That was when I was still quite young, around the eighties and early nineties. In those days, I was driven around most of the time, and each time I could take the bus or train, I would be so excited because I could then see unfamiliar scenery flashing by me. How times have changed! Now I crave more than anything to be driven around as I am so sick of taking long bus or train journeys with people who are downright inconsiderate and it takes so long to go anywhere!

Anyway, around the mid-nineties, air-conditioned buses were introduced. Now the way of public transport had progressed! With the introduction of air-conditioned buses, I much rather wait for an air-conditioned bus than to take a noisy, non-airconditioned bus. Coins have also given way to a transitlink card, where we topped up cash and then paid using a transitlink machine on the bus. We had to key in our own fare according to the number of bus stops, and the ticket would come out on their own.

The disadvantage of this was that some passengers were not honest. Because we could key in our own fare, some of the passengers just keyed in the lowest fare available, even though they could be travelling a much longer distance. Whenever these people got caught by the inspector during random checks, their transitlink card would be taken and penalised the total fare. I witnessed some quarrelling with the conductor, saying that was the only fare they could afford, but the conductor refused to budge.

Then comes the twenty-first century. Bus drivers are now given better esteem in their jobs by being called "captain". Their uniforms went through an overhaul. They now wear a light green top with black pants. Their image is now updated to a more modern and sophisticated look. Buses are now fully air-conditioned (except for a few services), with more comfortable seats and much less noisy.

Transitlink cards have given way to magnetic cards where passengers just need to tap upon boarding, and then tap upon alighting, and the fare would be automatically deducted. The machines could only be tapped upon reaching a bus-stop and not during any other journey. This was one way to prevent cheating. Of course, there was no stopping some passengers to tap the card upon reaching a bus-stop without alighting, even though they were alighting only a few stops more.

So the bus inspectors upgraded their machines. One tap of our cards would indicate whether we were honest or not. Last year, the magnetic cards were replaced by a longer, slimmer version, but the function is the same - tap when you board, tap when you alight. What if we forgot to tap in upon boarding or tap out upon alighting? Then the next bus or train we took would not be able to register our card, and we had to then pay cash or go to any train station service counter and have the card rectified.

Now with the new distance fares, we still tap in upon boarding and tap out upon alighting, except now, instead of deducting the number of stops, the total distance is calculated and deducted accordingly when we alight. Even buses are automated nowadays!

This works for trains too. Instead of going by stages, now every stop is accountable for the total distance. So upon calculation, sometimes taking buses is much better than taking a straight train! The transfer rebate works on trains too, so even if I take a train, then transfer to a bus, then transfer to another train, there will be rebates for every transfer as well.

The train system has also evolved, from just a few stops that covers East to West and North, then the far North close to the border, then the North-east, then the West extension, now even the Circle and later on Downtown. So the train systems can ensure almost everywhere is covered!

But taking buses sometimes still have advantages especially in places where the train does not go to. And at some stops, the bus stops are nearer to the venue than the train station, and cheaper too, especially with the rebates and distance!

So I can say our island here is pretty much covered and convenient in terms of public transport. But I still say, having a car is still much more convenient, especially if one intends to go to rather "out of the way" places in the shortest time possible!

Transportation Around Japan

Happy New Year! Finally I am back from Nippon-go! It was not quite a white Christmas as I hoped, but there was still a relative amount of snow, especially in the more northern areas. This trip has been a real eye opener, namely to be able to acclimatise in extreme climates. It was ten degrees or so throughout Tokyo, then freezing point in Hakodate, then minus five around Sapporo to minus ten around Niseko, and back to about ten degrees again in Tokyo. Needless to say, now I am feeling very hot back in tropical weather!

I flew to Tokyo on the morning of twenty-third December, where I took a train from Narita Airport to Haneda Airport. I was trying to get my girl friends but for some reason, both their phones were down, local as well as Japanese lines. So I called my friend in Yokohama and spoke to her for a while, promising to meet up when I went back to Tokyo again. Then I took the train from Narita to Haneda Airport. That took about two hours plus.

It was really winter indeed, considering by four in the afternoon, the skies were dark. It felt like eight at night when it was only four in the afternoon! The Tokyo subway is one of the best systems in the world! If one can figure out where to go, which train to take and where to change, then one has no problem anywhere else! The only other comprehensive subway system I ever encountered was the London Tube. I have yet to try out the New York Subway though.

Thus it was not much difficulty figuring out where to go, as long as one is able to read Kanji. I have totally lost touch with the brief Japanese lessons I took back in school, so although I can still read very simple Hiragana and Katakana, conversing in Japanese for me is totally out. Since I only had one night in Tokyo before going up to Hokkaido, I decided to just camp over at the airport or something, so I proceeded to Haneda.

When I reached Haneda, my friend called and asked me to join them. The two girls went shopping in Daimaru at Tokyo Station. Tokyo Station itself is one of the biggest I have seen, with many exits and the central place to change to other lines, local lines, subway lines and Yaesu North Exit (there is Central North Exit, North Exit, as well as Yaesu South Exit, Central South Exit, South Exit, Central Exit) so you can imagine how confusing the place is! Furtheremore, I was lugging my luggage bag along with me.

In any case, I managed to find the Daimaru exit and met up with my friends. We then went for dinner. But it was past eight at night in winter, so most of the shops were closed. Plus that day happened to be the Emperor's birthday, so it was a public holiday. In the end, we managed to find a nice restaurant on the fifth floor of a building (Tokyo has so many buildings that they all look alike) and ate a good dinner of steamboat. Then we walked back to the hotel they booked where I crashed for the night.

The next day, we took a chartered bus to Haneda Airport to catch our flight to Hokkaido. We landed at Hakodate Airport, then took a bus to the town centre, where our hotel is situated. In fact, our hotel is right by the bus terminus and across the JR Hakodate Station. We were not able to check in before time, so we left our luggages there and went for lunch. After lunch, we enquired on how to go up Mount Hakodate, before going back to the hotel to check in. Then, we waited for our friend (the thorn amongst the roses) to arrive and proceeded to Mount Hakodate by bus.

Hakodate itself is a relatively small city. It was just a ten minutes' bus ride from our hotel (at one end) to Mount Hakodate (at the other end). We reached the gondola station and took the gondola up the mountain. The night view up the mountain was spectacular, except it was really cold! The wind was very strong! Unfortunately, due to the strong wind and fog during winter, we were not able to see as much of the spectacular night view as we liked. I daresay it will be much better during the summer! However, we managed to see the big Christmas tree from the top!

After coming down from the mountain, we went for dinner, then to see the big Christmas tree. Since it was Christmas Eve, we celebrated by drinking before taking a cab back to the hotel. The next day (Christmas Day), we explored the Hakodate Morning Market before taking the train to Noboribetsu, where we stayed for the day. We left Noboribetsu the following morning (Boxing Day) and took a bus to Sapporo. It was en route to Sapporo that we were caught in a massive jam due to heavy snow. I have never seen that much snow in my life! The grounds, houses, trees were all covered with layers of snow!

After reaching Sapporo, we checked into our hotel (just above the JR Sapporo Station) then took a train to Susukino for lunch. Then we took a train to visit the Ishiya White Chocolate Factory. I have been to the chocolate factory before, but it looks so different in winter as compared to summer, especially since snow was falling down! Then we took the train back to Susukino to wander and shop. The Sapporo and Susukino train stations have an underground mall with lots of shops, and the things are nice with pretty reasonable prices! I managed to get ski pants at just 1350 Yen (S$20.25) and a pair of Timberland boots (original, no less!) at just 13000 Yen (S$195.00). One can never get such a nice and comfortable pair of Timberland boots perfect for walking in the snow at such a price here! Not to mention a black sling bag I bought at 1050 Yen (S$15.75) to offload my stuff!

The next day, we went on to Otaru by train. Otaru looks really different in the winter. That day was snowing quite heavily so the temperature was minus five degree Celsius. We had a good time in the snow though, with snowball fights! We wandered around Otaru then went on to the Music Box Museum, which somehow had better variety the last time I was there. After coming out of the museum, we stumbled upon a sportswear shop where my friend and I managed to get ski goggles at a big discount of 1380 Yen (S$20.00) from the original price of 6500 Yen! Then we took the train back to Sapporo.

The next day, we took a bus from Sapporo to Niseko, and thus began our skiing holiday. The ski lodge we were staying in is run by a family and they were very nice to drive us around wherever we wanted to go! On our last night in Niseko (New Year's Day), we took the bus to Kutchan (the nearest town from Niseko), but being the Japanese New Year, the town was totally dark and all the shops were closed. We took the bus to the Kutchan terminus, then back again to Niseko. Needless to say, the bus driver looked at us in bewilderment! :-p

The next day, the two girls had to go off, so they took a morning bus from Niseko to Sapporo Chitose Airport for their flight home. My friend and I then took the afternoon bus back to Sapporo. The next day, he took the first train to Sapporo Chitose Airport where he flew to Nagoya, whereas I took another train to go back to Tokyo. There is no direct train from Sapporo to Tokyo. I had to take a train from Sapporo to Hakodate, then Hakodate to Hachinohe (north Honshu), then finally the shinkansen (bullet train) from Hachinohe to Tokyo.

As it was a peak period, I was only able to secure seats from Sapporo to Hakodate. From Hakodate to Hachinohe, I had to stand and seat in the corridor of the train. From Hachinohe to Tokyo, there was hardly any place to even stand, so I had to stand part of the way and sit on the corridor next to the restroom all the way! The trains ran on schedule. I took the 9:15am train from Sapporo and it reached Hakodate at 12:45pm. Then I crossed over to the next platform to take the 12:55pm train from Hakodate. It reached Hachinohe at 3:55pm. Then I crossed got down from Hachinohe and went up the escalator to another platform to take the 4:10pm shinkansen to Tokyo. Thus there was no waiting time at all and the trains ran pretty smoothly.

I reached Tokyo about 7:50pm. By the time I got off the platform in Tokyo Station, I was really shagged, considering the long train rides and the fact that I was lugging my luggage(s) around! I was too tired to take a train to my Tokyo hotel so I just took a cab, which took less than ten minutes. The next day, I walked down to the Imperial Palace as it was just ten minutes away from the hotel I was staying in, before going to Tokyo station and took a train to Yokohama to meet my friend. I spent the afternoon with my friend, then took a train down to Shinjuku district of Tokyo to wander around, and also the Shibuya district before going back to my hotel.

The next day was my last day in Tokyo. I checked out of the hotel, leaving my luggages there, and took a train down to the Ginza district to wander around. Ginza is a "branded" area, full of upmarket stuff. I came across all the big brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Tiffany's & Co, etc (all authentic!). I even saw a Nissan convertible roadshow and went into an Apple store where I finally got my 2GB iPod Shuffle at a very good price at 7800 Yen (S$117.00), complete with an English manual, ear phones, accessories and USB cables! Yeah! The iPod Shuffles I have come across here cost at least S$200.00!

After wandering around Ginza, I took the subway back to my hotel, collected my luggages and took the train to Tokyo Station, where I then took the Narita Airport Express train to the airport for my flight back home. So that is my Japan trip in a nutshell! More details to follow later, about my experiences, attempts at skiing, the great food and of course the photos and some first attempts at movie-making! I did not take as many photos this time as compared to previous trips, because the skies are dark by four during winter, so it is hard to take photos in the dark. Furthermore, batteries and the camera freeze and refuse to function at such cold climates. Plus, we took it really free and easy, did not go that many places. Stay tuned!

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Falling Off A Bus Seat

I managed to find a seat on the bus as usual. This time, it is the seat just behind the exit door, next to the aisle. A burly guy was next to me, reading the newspaper. It was not that crowded on the bus so there was hardly any standing passengers. I was trying to take my book out from my bag when all of a sudden the bus swerved, jerked, and my first instincts were to clutch at the railing, but I missed, and the next thing I knew, I was lying flat on my back on the floor of the bus!

Yes, I was lying flat on the back just like that! I was expecting laughter but nobody laughed (although I had no idea if anyone sniggered). But at least the people were rather kind, they helped take my bag up (luckily nothing spilled out) and the guy next to me pulled me up and asked if I was ok. So I just smiled and thanked everyone. How in the world did I manage to fall off the bus seat? At least I emerged unscathed, save for two bruises on the right thigh. What a laughingstock I made myself!

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Beware Of Octopus On The Train

It could have been a good day yesterday. I managed to bump into an old friend, and met up with another friend for dinner who bought me some food products from Bangkok. Slurp! So just when I thought I would finally be in a good mood after some work troubles beginning of the week, along came a spider and made my journey home unbearable!

Stupid jerk on the train was so touchy feely that I had to move twice! And it was not as if the train was that crowded! The first time I felt his arm on my waist, I turned around and all I had was a stare. He looked to be a few years older than me. I was not sure if the other passengers saw anything, but in any case I let it go. Granted, it could be an accident, even though it was done rather subtly.

The second time that happened, I moved further left, nearer the door. Guess what? He moved with me! Perhaps it just happened that the train stopped at a station, and there were people who streamed in, so it made sense to move. Granted that. Still, he could move somewhere else right?

The third time it happened, I turned around and gave him a glare. He pretended as if nothing was wrong and actually looked bewildered when I glared at him! So when the train stopped at another stop, I took the opportunity to move further left, right by the door. This time round, he did not follow.

Then when the train stopped at another station, he moved towards the door, and I was silently hoping that he would be getting off. But he hovered around the door, letting the other passengers come in, and then moved nearer to me. I was on the verge of screaming but he did not try anything so there was nothing I could do too.

Then it happened. He was trying to hold on to the railing, tripped, leaned forward towards me and with a swipe of his hand, he brushed it against my waist. He did it so subtly that no one noticed! I was seething with rage, and if only I was not in my executive skirt, I could have kicked him then and there!

Luckily I was alighting at the next stop so I quickly got off the train the moment the doors opened! I started walking so fast back home, all the while not daring to look back in case I was being followed or something. When I finally reached home, I breathed a sigh of relief!

The things we girls put up with on public transport! And the things those guys can get away with! Worst thing was that I could not even lodge a complaint because all he could have said was it was an accident, because on the surface of it, it really looked like an accident! But I know it is no accident as it was pretty obvious what he was trying to do! Think there should be security cameras all around to catch people like these, so they can never get away with trying to take advantage of anyone ever again!

Nasty Foreigners ....

Every evening, I have to take at least an hour and a half bus ride back home from my office. If I get off at 6:00pm on the dot, the journey may take longer, because of heavy traffic during peak hours. This bus goes from the east to the west, and vice versa, so I was quite lucky that due to the location of my office, I was able to get a seat on the bus. I cannot imagine standing for an hour and a half at the end of a tired work day!

Anyway, the bus journey will take me throughout the entire District Ten area, go on to Little India, then the red-light district, passing by the area I stay in, then all the way until the next terminus. Normally at Little India, loads of people will come out. The next bus load will be around the red-light district area.

On Friday, perhaps because I got off work late, the bus was crowded. I was lucky there was still a seat and there was no pregnant or elderly people around. The route all the way home was extremely crowded too. There was a massive jam all the way from District Ten to the end of the red-light district.

As usual, massive of people boarded and alighted at certain stops along the way. When the bus turned into the red-light district, there was hardly any space for people to board. Being notorious locals, people just squeezed around the centre of the bus, and no one was willing to move to the back. There was so much standing space being wasted, when more people could board, otherwise they would have to wait another half an hour or so for the next bus!

Anyway this foreigner behind me was just speaking out in general about why people were so inconsiderate and why could they not move to the back, which I think was a very valid point! I was just minding my own business with my nose in a book (as usual), when this other foreigner (think they are both from the same country) who was about to alight, suddenly turned around and shouted at the first foreigner, accusing him of talking bad about him!

A mini-drama enfolded. Both foreigners were cursing and scolding each other in their own respective dialects. Because foreigner B was about to alight, the door was still open, thus the bus driver did not dare to move. And foreigner B kept picking quarrels with foreigner A, holding up everyone and the traffic behind us!

The bus driver stood up but all he could do was to smile in amusement (since he could not speak their language), and the rest of the people just looked on without doing anything. I was getting really irritated, and just when I was about to turn around and tell off both of them for making a scene and holding up everyone, this lady told them to stop quarrelling and let the bus move. That was when foreigner B got down and the bus could finally move! And foreigner A still continued cussing and swearing in his seat!

Honestly, do some people feel no sense of shame creating a scene in public? It does not show how righteous one is; rather it shows how declasse some people can be! Not to mention mighty inconsiderate and selfish by holding up everyone else!