Stranded in Hong Kong International Airport

I thought about posting pictures from Tonga...but I'm procrastinating hardcore. So you'll just have to wait some more. =) Sorry.

Anyway. So let's see...Vegas? Basically all I did was eat, babysit Baby (HAH, that's funny) which consisted of walking around and entertaining her, and eat some more. Oh, and I was horribly jetlagged too. Ryan and Sher stayed the night and we bought this Buffet of Buffets ticket where you can go to any of the 6 buffets that is pre-chosen for 24 hrs and eat till your heart's content. Pretty legit. Also, I took Baby to a Blue Man Group show...hilarious stuff right there!! It was super duper hot while we were there as only Vegas can be. Friday morning, since I was so jetlagged, I stayed up till 5:30am to wake Auntie Beth and Baby up and then I went to sleep till like 10:30am and then left for home. Thankfully everything went smoothly and it was so GOOD to be back home for like....36 hours. Not even joking. I wasn't even home for two days! All I had time to do was go to church (where I wore one of my tupenus!), eat, unpack, repack, sleep, and then leave. No rest for the weary, I tell you.

Anyway, on to the exciting stuff! And I PROMISE there are pictures in this one. You just have to read a bunch before you get there...haha. And I apologize again for the unedited pictures...well, most of them anyway.

Timestamp: Somewhere at the end of July.....

Wow. Where do I begin? So much has happened since I left my house. 

Btw, if I don’t write on here for a while it’s either because I’m at an island, I’m underwater, the power has gone out, I’m too exhausted, or I’ve been kidnapped. Edit: Only the first four happened. Thankfully.

Moving on. 

So I left my house at 10am for the 3 hr drive to the airport. Waited for about 1 ½ hrs there before my 16 hr flight took place. I slept and watched movies for a good portion of that leg of the trip. I got into the Hong Kong International Airport at around 7pm and was supposed to have a 6 hour layover till my flight for Kuala Lumpur (KL) left. So, being a fatty, I ate twice that night at the airport so I wouldn’t be hungry during my flight. Smart right? Well the whole time I’m eating my noodle soup (because I absolutely love noodle soup of any kind) and reading on my Kindle, I’m watching the departure board waiting to see what gate we’re leaving out of. No such luck. A bunch of us on the flight started getting a bit worried as the boarding time approached, so we all queued up to ask someone at Cathay Pacific when they would be showing the gate number. Their reply was something to the extent of, “We’re still waiting, don’t worry, we’re not finding out many of the gate numbers till the flight is supposed to take off.” Really encouraging. So we all wait some more. It passes the time we’re supposed to board as well as the time we’re supposed to take off. Some ladies come sit by me and are talking amongst themselves. I pick up on the fact that they’re on the same flight I am b/c of their accent (Malaysians and Singaporeans have a distinct accent when they speak Chinese/English/Malay). So I talk to the one nearest me. According to her the flight has been cancelled. What?! Then why haven’t they showed it up on the board? She tells me that her friend is supposed to operate the flight (as in, she’s one of the stewardesses) and the pilot has totally bailed and has gone home. Wait. What? Back up a moment. Why in the world is it being cancelled in the first place? Come to find out (or what I heard the first time) is that HK is flooding. Hmmm. Ok. Great. I wait some more and the board finally says something. It says delayed. Oh good. There’s a chance the plane will actually fly out soon. Ok. I’ll just wait around. And wait some more. Mind you, it’s after 2am by now. My body is so messed up by now with all the time zones that I’m not sure if I’m exhausted or not. I finally went up to the counter and asked them if they knew approximately when the flight would be taking off. They said they wouldn’t know. Awesome.  So I waited around so more and read some more. At this point, I’m trying to get into contact with my family over in Malaysia to tell them my flight has been delayed and I don’t know when I’ll be flying out. The only problem is that my computer had no more battery and my phone battery was slowly going out on me. Since I only thought I had a 6 hour layover in HK I hadn’t thought to bring my adaptor to charge anything since I was only going to read while I was there. So charging my electronics is totally out of the questions. Great. By now, it’s past 4am and I go back to the counter to ask if they know anything yet. I find out that there aren’t any flights going out presently and to check back at the counter at 8am for the status of my flight. Sigh. This is NOT going how I expected it to go. I am now stranded at the HK airport and I can’t even call my cousin that lives in HK to come rescue me b/c it’s in the middle of the night and apparently flooding out there. I walked around the airport and saw tons of people sleeping on the floor. Everyone was in the same boat as me. Well, at least I’m not alone, right? I found a corner where the bench wasn’t occupied and laid down deciding whether I should get a little shut-eye or stay awake. I decided to try and sleep for a bit so I took out my iPod touch to set an alarm and I realized it was fully charge and I could use it as an internet source. PTL! So I hurriedly messaged my family in Malaysia and back home what was going on, but at this point everyone in Malaysia is still asleep. That’s when YuBee, my cousin, told me that there’s a huge typhoon going on in HK presently. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh. Is that why we can’t fly right now? I get it now. Meh. So I tried to sleep for a bit except it was quite uncomfortable since I had an extremely full backpack and a violin to contend with. Well I got a whopping 1 hour of sleep waking up in intervals to check the time. I looked out the window and it was raining super hard and the wind was incredible. At around 7am I finally got up from my spot and walked around noticing that there were more people than there had been a few hours before. I haven’t the slightest clue where they all came from. O_o The restaurant lines were out the wazoo b/c all the airlines let us use our tickets as food vouchers while we waited but I wasn’t about to jump into one of those lines, so I sat and ate a granola bar from my bag. Thank goodness for granola bars! I read some more as I waited. By now, I was on my second book. =.=

By 8:15am there was a long line that was forming from the Cathay Pacific (CP) counter so I decided it was high time for me to jump in that line, even though I didn’t want to wait around that long. Guess how long I stood in that line? Not one, not two, not even three…..but SEVEN HOURS!!! All of us stood in line for that long. It was absolutely ridiculous. Since I was traveling alone it wasn’t even like I could switch out with someone to use the bathroom or go get food. Granola bar FTW. By the 5^th hour someone from CP came and gave us all a green dot sticker. After about another hour we were told to follow someone downstairs and they put us in another line. Since we had all been together for a long time we were all watching each other’s stuff to use the bathroom and such, except I didn’t really trust anyone to watch my stuff. Too much at stake. Haha. I was finally given another ticket for 4:15pm which was in an hour from when I got it. I looked at the board and guess what. It was delayed. Sigh. Well, I’ve been waiting this long, what’s another two hours? So I headed upstairs and stood in line for none other than MickeyD’s. Don’t laugh. It’s food and that was the fastest moving line. After having to wait that long anything tastes good. Haha. I scarfed down the food b/c I was starving. This whole time I was trying to conserve my battery on my iPod which was proving to be difficult b/c it kept on dropping the signal since everyone and their mother was using it. There were security guards EVERYWHERE. It was a bit unnerving to see 10 or so of the airport security people walking (or running) around. When the gate number finally popped up a few minutes before we were supposed to board I ran downstairs and queued up. Only to find out that they had another flight leaving out of that gate first. So I waited some more. Then we finally queued up to board…and then they switched the flight on us again. So we had to sit down. And they kept on delaying our flight again and again. It was super frustrating. We got into line once again and waited some more. And waited. And waited. Eventually we all were sitting on the floor. I was so exhausted that if I closed my eyes for more than two seconds I would nod off. The flight was delayed a few more times and that’s when I put up an emergency status on my FB asking everyone to pray that the storm would calm down enough for us to be able to take off as well as other flights. About an hour later after I did that at around 10pm or so we finally were able to board! PTL! By that time our flight had been delayed more than 6 times and it was getting super frustrating. We had to board a bus to take us in the middle of the terminals to board our plane (since there were so many planes there that hadn’t been able to fly out). It was a huge plane but the whole back section where I was sitting was totally empty. Out of the hundred seats in the back section there were less than 15 of us. So I had a whole row to myself and totally knocked out once I was situated. We arrived in KL around 3pm and the place was absolutely dead. There was no one around…we were basically one of the only flights in the whole airport. My luggage thankfully got there in once piece and since not much was open and/or serving food I got a cup of milo, one of my favorite drinks. It made me feel at peace…at least for a bit. Afterwards I found out that since it was so early Malaysian Airlines (MAS) counter didn’t open for another few hours. But thankfully I DID have an adaptor for the electrical plug for Malaysia and I found a plug and got on the internet to let my family know I had reached KL safely. I looked on the news to see how bad the typhoon really was. I was almost shocked to find out that it was a category 10, the highest it can get, and it was the worst one they’ve had in 13 years. Well. No wonder I was stuck in the airport for 27 hours. Oh, yeah. Did I mention I had been at the HK airport for 27 hours straight? Yeah. It was awful. I never want to be stranded at the airport for that long ever again. I don’t wish it upon anyone. Ever. 

It was nasty out there.

Madhouse.

The line snaked all the way past where the top of the second level starts.

Airport security ppl.

Everyone sitting on the floor waiting...and waiting...and super exhausted.

So at around 6:30am-ish I headed over to MAS counter to see if they’d honor my ticket from the day before. I was told I needed a letter from Cathay Pacific stating that my flight had, indeed, been delayed. So I tried to look for CP’s counter…and they were closed. So I inquired when they would be open. Not till 4pm since all the flights had been delayed again. Awesome. The flight I need to get on is at 11:40am. So I go back to the same MAS counter and she directs me to another counter who tells me that I need to go down to the CP office to see if I can get the letter. Mind you, I’m hauling my two huge suitcases and two carry-ons. Thank goodness for those little cart things. So I went down and got the letter and went back up and got back in line. And then was told I had the wrong thing, that I needed a certain FIM form. Sigh. So I had to go back down again to the office and get the right form then go back up AGAIN. Yay for exercise! So I finally had the right form and thankfully there were a few seats left on the flight I needed. See, if I hadn’t gotten on that flight I would’ve had to fly to KK and then to Tawau b/c there’s only one flight a day from KL to Tawau. Thank goodness I was able to get on the flight! Anyway, they charged me RM300 ($100USD) for having too much KG since it’s a domestic flight. Sigh. They always charge me. Every single time! They never charge anyone else in my family when they go over. Just me. Sigh. So I had to wait awhile for my flight, which was ok b/c I was busy with catching up on my blog and other things (like trying not to fall asleep again). 

The flight was thankfully uneventful except for the awkward moment when I was eating my lunch and wondered why the two guys next to me weren’t. Then I remembered that it’s Ramadan. Whoops. Yeah, so I finished quickly b/c it was quite weird. They probably thought I was some tourist on their first trip to Malaysia with the amount of times I looked out the window. If I wasn’t so exhausted I probably would’ve been giddier with excitement. Lol. 

I arrived in the little airport of Tawau and thankfully all my luggage arrived in one piece. Walking off that plane was the best feeling in the world. If it had been socially appropriate, I would’ve jumped up and down and screamed with joy…alas, I could not. Waited around for my uncle and cousin and then we were off! Kian drove, which was scary. I don’t think he has a legal license either. O_o Lol. There’s only one road to get to our destination, so it’s ok. But when he passes cars and trucks…it’s scary. When we got to Semporna, my mom’s home town, it felt like everything was right in the world. Like coming back home. =)

I usually stay in my grandmother’s house (she is now deceased) with some of my relatives but this time Baby wanted me to stay at her place since they have a brand new house which is super nice minus the huge One Direction poster that’s on her headboard of the bed. =.= Also, Angel the dog likes me…kinda. At least she didn’t bite me. =)

It was still a bit early when I arrived but as soon as I settled in Baby and Aku Apo (Aku refers to your mother’s younger brother in Hokkien or one of those dialects) took me down the street (near the bakery they own) to the food stalls set up there. As I said before it’s currently Ramadan, so there’s tons of yummy food being sold outside. We got a bunch of different things including Nasi Kerabu (blue rice), pulut itam (my favorite), and different types of kuih. Mmmmm. So good. I ate so much!! So stuffed!! Auntie Beth was joking that I was making up for not eating a lot at the airport, which is probably partially true. After dinner I went to visit Auntie Belinda and Uncle Paul at my Amah’s house (grandmother’s house) where Baby and I ate more (told ya I’m a fatty), and played Rummikub, an old favorite, thanks to daddy.

SOOOO much good food!!

Food stalls

Selling yumminess.

By the time I made it back to the house I was exhausted and wanted to sleep soooo bad, but Baby made me stay awake till 9pm so that I wouldn’t be jetlag for so long. I don’t think it helped. Haha. I woke up late and discovered that everyone had left me. I was super hungry at this point but decided to wait till they came back…but then I was thirsty so I went downstairs and lo and behold Al, one of their workers, had made me breakfast of Maggi and tea!! He’s awesome. A bit later Baby brought me more breakfast. HAH. We then left to visit some dive shops, including my uncle’s, saw some of my friends, ate a Bajau lunch, slept, and then went to visit the monkeys. My uncle has this Proboscis River Cruise company where you go into the mangroves, see some long-tailed macaques and baboons, get in a small boat to look for wildlife, and if you’re lucky you can spot some Proboscis monkeys (only found in Borneo) in the trees (sorry, I don't have a picture of the ones we saw b/c my lens isn't big enough). Before we did that, though, we crossed over to the other side of the river to look at the long walkway into the mangrove-like jungle my uncle is building. He made one of the workers go into the swampy mud to look for clams (or something of that sort). The poor guy was literally up to his knees in mud! 

Long tailed macaques

Jetty

Newest walkway into the jungle

Searching for clams

Cruising down the river with baby!

You can reach the ocean if you go that way...haha.

That night we headed back to the dive shop for a BBQ my uncle had planned on a whim earlier that day just for funsies for the staff at BGS. Except the people I actually wanted to see were being butts and didn’t come. I got to talk to some of the guests, UK guys, which were really fun to talk to. It was amusing to hear them get so excited about snorkeling with turtles and moray eels. Letter, one of the divemasters (DMs), and yes, his name really is Letter, was cracking jokes while we were all eating. Toto Bill is like a BBQ master. I was then made to play my violin, which I had brought only to play if Jefery was there to play his guitar, but alas, he was sick. So I had to play alone which is no fun at all.

Digging in!

Toto Bill is a BBQ master!

The three weary travelers.