Short Getaway

Saturday, 23 Apr 2016 at 7.49 pm (GMT+7)

Time to write again after several days without writing here. To be exact, to type using thumb as this is done via handphone.

The beauty of writing is in its ability to capture the seemingly messy thoughts and to unload some of them from my mind.

There are many topics to type on. But let's choose the easiest, short gateaway as today my wife and I go to Batam.

There are at least three things to learn and enjoy in a trip, even it is a short one.

First is to embrace uncertainty. A trip always prepare a break from our routine and it creates doubts. For example, we could only book tickets but have to pay on the spot which means it is not fully confirmed and I learn to trust the ferry provider. Also, we wanted to watch movie, go to karaoke, go for massage and shop. We are not sure which one is possible as we do not make any bookings.

Second is to be flexible. We need to see the situation and change the plan accordingly. We shortened the karaoke and the massage time so that we still have time to shop.

Third is to learn different ways of communication. Although we speak the same language, we have different way of thinking and the way to express ourselves. Two encounters illustrate this point. One was when I argued why we can't leave our belongings in the supermarket compulsory concierge and come back again there. Perhaps in the first place I didn't see the point of such compulsory storage for non-handbag items. If it is for customer convenience, then isn't fulfiling the purpose if I leave there? Or why not provide lockers and charge the customers who really want to use? If it is for anti-terrorist, then storing there are dangerous in the first place. If if is to prevent theft inside the supermarket, why not use mustafa method which seal the bag and later on just need to provide scissors to cut (unless they are very concerned of the excessive use of plastic ties). The second encounter is the taxi driver. We requested for an extra itinerary but we made mistake for not asking the price as he said it was close. Apparently it tripled the original price. We thought it is ok as he would be the one sending us back to the harbour. But later on we only find that it was only for the morning trip and we need to pay for the evening trip again.

Ok, time to stop as we have reached. Thank God for the great trip, we enjoyed it much and learnt a lot too.