In order to comply with my transit visa, I quickly packed a heavier suitcase to be able to stay out of the country for a few months this time. Man! Was it ever heavy! But, mercifully it had wheels.
So, I decided a sleeper on the train would be a nice way of easing into the two-day journey to Bangkok. Then, if I decided to take the bus in Thailand, at least it was only the one day. (Maybe my ankles wouldn't swell up so much.)
I took the commuter to K.L. in plenty of time for the train, visited the mall, had a coffee, tried on some perfume (Victoria's Secret was nice) and ate my packed squished peanut butter and jam sandwich. (It's an addiction since childhood. My comfort food I guess.)
While waiting for the train, I met an interesting fellow from Australia who now lives with his wife and kids in Japan. He expounded on life in Japan which surprised me to find out has lots and lots of regular earth-quakes. It sounds like they get them more often than California. And they drill the kids on survival tactics. (Never, never go outside in an earthquake. That sort of thing.) I asked him my usual sarcastic question,
"So, do they teach them to put their head between their knees and kiss their ass good-bye?"
He was only slightly amused. He commented that people get used to the quakes and that they are far enough away from Fukoshima. And, besides, to go back to Australia now would mean taking the kids out of school where they are learning to do Math so amazingly well.
(How will Math skills help if you're dead? Ok, that's just negative.)
Japan. That's a story in itself and I don't think we should go there or even ever go there under the circumstances. Things just seem to be getting worse and worse all the time and the economy is in the you-know-what...
So, I got on the train and started chatting with a lovely lady across from me. Then sat on the comfy sleeper with the comfy pillow behind my neck. Later on that night, I almost dozed off a couple of times but whenever the train stops, it wakes you right up!
The next day, we're travelling along. I'm enjoying the scenery and wondering when we'll pull into Immigrations. I thought,
"Please don't let them give me a fine for overstaying my visa for a few hours!"
But, what happened next never entered my conscious mind!
I was queuing up behind an Indonesian girl who was having a bit of a sticky time. She looked at me and I gave her the look. You know that look that says,
"WTF is their PROBLEM?" That look. And she shrugged.
I'm up. He takes my passport and gets this really ugly look on his face, then calls his supervisor. She calls me aside.
Bother.
So, after lots of gibberish which I cannot understand, they tell me,
"You cannot leave the country on the train. You must go back to KLIA and fly out."
By this time, I'm too tired to argue. Besides, nobody is listening. So, we get my bag off the train. The young officer calls a taxi and I go! It costs 100RM to get to the bus station!
On the way back, the bus breaks down. Three times. But, somehow I get back to Seremban.
My friend said to me,
"Now you are one more illegal alien in Malaysia."
Funny. But true. But I got a flight to Canada. So, I hope I don't get arrested before Thursday!
Can Immigrations tell you how to leave the country? And WHERE to go when you leave? I never would have believed it, but apparently THEY CAN. (Malaysia boleh.)
