Tuesday August 23,
2011
It is a rare occasion on this trip but I am writing this entry
from the comforts of a mediocrity within the departure gate C2 at Kuala Lumpur
International Airport. My destination is
Jakarta, a city in Indonesia that is not especially far in distance. It might beg the question then, as to why I
have chosen aviation over my typical bus / boat combination that I have grown
accustomed to. The answer will reveal
itself in the following paragraphs.
It has only been a matter of hours since I have said
goodbye to my traveling companion for the past 4 weeks. David had flown out from this very airport
the previous night, returning to the USA but undoubtedly wishing to travel for
at least another week. We spent our
final days in Kuala Lumpur, the largest of the Malaysian cities and one that
has produced some phenomenal architecture.
Most notable are The Patronas Towers, identical in appearance and
connected by a sky bridge, these buildings are certainly recognized the world
around. We were too late to secure tickets for a vertical voyage but were still
able to take ample photos, both during the day and returning the following
night for some beautiful images. Walking
the city of Kuala Lumpur has helped to solidify it a spot near the top on the
list of the countries I have visited. Being a city of more than 1 million
people I was surprised at the ease by which I navigated and the relative lack
of time required to tour the metropolis.
To its discredit though, the price of beer is near crippling as even
within a supermarket prices seem higher than back home.
Now, although I would not have thought it, after seeing
David off yesterday I noticed a small void.
I’ll give him some credit personally as he is my friend and it would be
unfair to declare otherwise. But aside
from our personal interaction there was a general void after having traveled
with the same person for more than 25% of my trip thus far. There has been little time for reflection
though as his spot was quickly replaced with another. A friend of a friend whom I had met before
through my Portland roommates, Dustin recently met up with us in Kuala
Lumpur. Coming from the same [Gonzaga]
University as those I lived with back in Portland, Dustin had also escaped his
cubicle shackles and was traveling through SE Asia like me.
It is only fair at this time to take a moment and enlighten
my readers with the news surrounding the recent and unforeseen series of events
that has added due weight to my current location in terminal C2. You see, it came to my attention in the
previous weeks that the very company I had left was in the process of making
some very serious changes to personnel.
In fact, the department from which I had taken my leave was itself being
dissolved and relocated to the Philippines.
I must say I took slight joy in knowing I had escaped on my own merits
before the axe of outsourcing landed on my nape. And so, after learning the news I sent a note
to my former boss informing him that I would entertain the idea of helping them
on a short term basis if we could agree on all the necessary “numbers”. I must say that at my initial outreach I gave
it quite small odds indeed that there would be any use for me; after all, I had
abandoned them only months before, heralding that I would strike it out on my
own as I explored the wilds of Asia. Yet
after a series of phone calls and emails here I sit, quite close to ironing out
the final details in a temporary contract.
The whole state of affairs reeks with irony as it was I who was trying
to leave them and now it is I who will be helping them outsource my old job to
the very place I was attempting to flee.
And so entered my most recent travel predicament; what do
I do before starting my job in 6 weeks?
That amount of time is nearly too much to fixate upon one idea and so
after meeting with Dustin and learning of his plans to fly to Jakarta I had
much to consider. Every month is like a
year when traveling and I was beginning to feel tired and weary upon nearing
the end of my fourth abroad. I contemplated a return to the USA to recharge
before going back to work. I gave due weight to spending 6 weeks in New Zealand
in case after my job I desired to return home.
And perhaps most significant was my desire to see the woman who has
captured my heart. It’s been nearly 2
months since Sarah visited me in Thailand and a trip to see her would mean
certain rejuvenation. The difficulty,
however, with reuniting is that she has just recently relocated to Ecuador for
a semester abroad and a round trip flight to South America is quite the
financial endeavor when flying from Asia. So after much deliberation I decided
to continue my travels through SE Asia and join Dustin on his adventure in
Indonesia. It made the most sense
logistically and financially to push on and continue my adventure through SE
Asia before employment.
So here I sit in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. I am surrounded by a mix of Malaysian and
Indonesian citizens with some Westerners sprinkled in for good measure. It was only this morning that I was informed
my “boss” actually wants me to start in less than 3 weeks. So I have made the right decision to go to
Indonesia and will spend my last days traveling overland through Java for a
week before hitting up the island of Bali to try my hand at surfing. It is there I hope to sit back, relax and
take my last breaths of freedom before returning to the working world. What I will do after my upcoming 8 weeks of
employment is unknown. Perhaps I will return to the USA or continue to NZ as
originally planned. Either way I’ll let you know!
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