Redang with Strangers

Its a comfort to receive notes from people that people do read my blogs and looking forward to my next post. It has been a while since i write. Actually, i do write every day, or in between every single empty space moment i have. Not punching the keys on my lappie or putting pen to paper. It's in my head. And thats when the, "Don't-disturb-me-when-i-am-talking-to-myself" rule came up.  Especially for the past month i've been experiencing a 80% deafness on my left, i could literally talk to and hear myself without anyone noticing it; like a permanent iPod stuck to my ear. It's curable.. but till it pops, i'm enjoying the unvolunteered silence.

I doubt anyone can beat me being the laziest and the most indecisive traveler ever. Not mentioning that i'm one of the poorest as well. That combination usually means that i do everything last minute and end up paying more than what it actually cost. Then again, at the last-est minute, i usually come up with a smarter, brighter, crazier idea and my whole plan flip once again. So this time round i came up with another brilliant and mad idea - I'm not staying in SG this weekend. Lets go Redang. It was thursday noon.

Where else would i find another crazy soul? Naturally, i post a message on couchsurfing.org, shouting out to whoever that is keen to join me on this senseless 2days 1 night trip. Who else but me, would buy a bus ticket 1 day prior leaving, spend 12hours on a bus, not having a ferry ticket, 2 hours on a ferry, arriving the island without any accommodation booked and the same journey back to SG after one night there???!!         Lets give a round of applause to all the crazy souls who responded.

So apparently, there are people who are just as bored and nutty as me. I guess the universe is fueled by the word trust. I ranged up my buddy, informing about my last minute trip.

"Who you going with?"
"Strangers, from CS"
"Met them?"
"Nope."

*she has got used to the idea that its normal for me to travel with whoever.



"And i bought all their tickets, before they paid me the money. ok, 2 paid."
"And what if the 2 other didn't turn up?!"
"Faith"

"Accommodation?"
"Faith"
"U have time to get the ferry tickets?"
"Faith"

"Good luck"
"Bye"

Basically thats it. Pure strangers choose to trust each other with money for a senseless trip. It amazes me how sometimes all these could work out. I received the money via bank transfer soon after i called up the guys to confirm the trip. It sounded like a scam in fact. i could be another internet scammer. But for a $70? I would be a total brainless bitch.

Got the tickets on a thursday, met the guys for the first time on friday night and we set off for a 48hours of adventure together.

My personal adventure started even before the coach gets onto the expressway. I got lost at the malaysia custom after getting my passport stamped. Being a weekly visitor to johor bahru, it was my second time in 6 years that i crossed the border not being in a car. A car is easy, you stick your passport out of your window at the custom, they stamped it, give it back to you, and you f*** off! One way in, one way out!

A whole different story when i "walked" through the custom. One way in, many ways out! Like, where the hell is the bus?! 20mins of anxiety and frustration from walking and being lost, the entire bus  applauded when i finally got into it.

The ride was long enough to hold a good conversation with my travel partner, fell in and out of sleep, a throbbing headache and an aching back by the time we arrived, 12 hours later. So whats an adventure if everything is too smoothly plan? Indeed, we went to the jetty with our fingers crossed, hoping to get tickets for 5 to and off Redang. 

Faith. We got the tickets! ( knowing clearly that its crazy to risk that cos its a weekend.)  

For the next 2 days were nothing but beer, diving, beer and Nothing. Yes, nothing is something that everyone should do. I need to do nothing once in a while. Staring into spaces, dozing off, wakes up, stares into space again. The cycle repeats itself. Its addictive before depression creeps in. Its potentially depressing. Till then, i love it.  Island's life is simple, easy, what i yearned for. Maybe that's the reason why i always island hopping. Planting myself in some island,  smelling the sea, hitting the waves and sometimes diving into it to remind me that i am alive. 


Meeting up random people, having random fun, at random times. Its all these randoms that make life interesting. At least, my life interesting, able to get out of this mundane life for a short random retreat. What's there to lose anyway? time? I've got lots of it.


So 4 guys 1 girl all packed up in a room. Some girlfriends think i'm out of my mind. Other guy friends think that the idea was awesome. The combination of being 80% lazy and 20% faithful, brings either lots of trouble or hell loads of fun. Its a 50/50 risk i am more than happy to take.