The preparation was short, but tense, filled with a lot of worries and uncertainties. We somehow managed to exhaust our time and end up facing a possible scenario where the trip to Thailand will be just a tour around Thailand as in couldn’t get an interview arranged at all. Luckily for us, the reply came a few weeks before the trip took place.
Our task was made a hell lot easier when we got to know Ms. Nuntasinee Fatima, a liaison officer for MMU. From then on, the tide started to turn, as in the trip is starting to becoming a real thing, as in with all the interviews confirmed and all the accommodation and other matters settled by Ms Fatima. Well, as days passed by, my heart bit increases day by day.
It came to the day when we are supposed to depart to Thailand. Siva and Meng Tze drove the four of us, me, Jerome, Irene and Elaine to LCCT where we are boarding AirAsia’s plane to Bangkok. We took a few pics there and while waiting for departure, I started to feel the pressure on being the figurehead for MESCORP in bangkok.
Nevertheless, check-in and stuff commenced without any problems and we are off. Bangkok here we come !! Well, it is the first time that I’m taking a plane at the day. Second time actually, the first time was a short trip from KLIA to Bayan Lepas at night; anyway, I had my head glued to the window, looking at stuff that I used to gaze by lifting my head to the max which now is on the eye-level or slightly lower. I mean looking at the clouds from the top. For once, I’m above the white soft clouds. Well, before that, I actually spotted MMU and cyberia though, the view was similar to the one in Google Earth.
When we reached the Svarnabumi airport, we went to buy a reload card for the sim card that Ms. Fatima lend us. Taxis outside were overcharging like mad, but luckily on the advice of Ms. Fatima, we went to those who followed the meters. Hence there we go, on our way to Nasa Vegas Hotel. For the first time, I’m outside Malaysia, breathing different air from the place that I called home for my whole life. Its like the first time you are in an alien place, some sort of culture difference that you have to adapt. It’s really mind blowing to see all those things that are only available in the books. For the first time, I set my foot on a soil that is part of Thailand. It might sound stupid now, but the feeling at that time was really inexplicable.
When we reached our hotel, it’s a budget hotel, and I felt that the hotel is really nice, as in perfect to me. It has a water heater, TV with damn a lot of channels, the bed was a bid hard, but none the less, a bed. Then air conditioned and it’s just nice enough for me for RM80+ per night, which happened to be a twin sharing room, so the accommodation fees weren’t really a burden to us. ( not that RM 120++ was little, but for a three night stay in a foreign hotel, it was really a bargain !) After settling down, we went down and have a walk around the vicinity of the hotel. I can’t remember much of the stuff that I saw there, but the main thing that disturbs me are the traffic and the power transmission line. It is awful to say the least. Well we got hungry as we continued walking and couldn’t find a place where everyone will agree to eat in. Then we hired a cab and mentioned a place where Ms. Fatima recommended.
As we are in the cab, we moved around, and then when there appeared to be a little bit of miscommunication, I was a bit worried about where the taxi driver will take us to, just hope that he will stop us at some place where we will have food. You know, that time was like you are in a foreign country, and didn’t have much info about the place and then you are hungry, as in seriously hungry until you feel like passing out.(Well, I’m hungry right now, gonna have a meal after this post ! 
) But in the end, the cab stopped us at a shopping complex. I mean Thailand’s equivalent of StarHill. That was lucky, and as we crossed a bridge, we saw that there were some small ferry passing through the river below and stopped at a port, and the people was like leaving and entering the boat in an extremely fast manner, it’s almost like they are marching in and out of the boat, that was quite a scene. Well, we continued to buy food, and stockpile some other food for our later consumption and fool around there and of course took some pics.
Then when we reached our hotel, have a meeting about our interview the next day. The preparation was quite tense for me, I would want to make sure that we get all our information that we require so that we wouldn’t regret in the future. But then everyone was quite tired and I still have to let them off to have an early sleep. Throughout the trip, I mean from the preparation in Malaysia and up until this point, although there were at times some tense and worrying moments, I was still able to manage the stress and pressure. Then came a point where it is the night before our interview in Thailand. For the first time in err… a long long time, I couldn’t seem to control my heartbeat or emotion. I tried not to think of the interview and other things that could happen the coming day, but you know, your head are kind of mischievous and keep on switching to the scene of what ifs or in cases. I think in the end, I just got to sleep one or two hours for the whole day.
9th January started with the trip to Energy Policy & Planning Office, EPPO. At first, I wasn’t really sure what is the time needed to reach EPPO. But nevertheless, I’m sure that we will make it in time since I spared some time for us to reach there in time. At first, there was a huge jam along the Phetchaburi Road, leading to EPPO, the taxi driver warn us that we might not reach in time, I was a bit stunned, but nonetheless, was not particularly panicking but still a slight worry deep down inside, but then the taxi driver started to use another way, as in the highway or some sort like it, and although the route was slightly longer, it saves us a lot of time and we managed to safely make the trip in time.
Interviewing Mr. Samerjai from EPPO was a bit of a new thing to me. Like you know, talking to a foreigner for something really important, and it is the first freaking interview in Thailand. But then we adapted to the atmosphere quite well, I’m pleased with the results and after the interview, we went to a nearby place to have our lunch before proceeding to the next interview session with DEDE. The interview session with DEDE gave me a bit of uneasiness, firstly, I gave the guard a copy of my schedule list where it lists down the names of interviewee and person in charge, I was pointing to the name and hope that the guard can lead me to the directed people without any hassle, but then the guard, ask somebody to check it out as if he was new here and the two of them keep discussing in their language and soon, a few more people started to join in, I was like wanting to take the freaking piece of paper back and find some other alternatives( through Irene calling the person directly). I forgotten what happened next but we proceeded to the interview. The shocking thing is that 8 of the staff were there waiting for us, I was like what the heck ?? Earlier, I made an agreement with Jerome that we will present alternately and since there are like 8 of them, I was like offering if he need me to present, as in I scared that he will freeze out. But he handled the situation admirably and everything was as smooth as it is. After DEDE, we went to ECCT. This was the most difficult place to go to, we actually went late, although we left a message, I think we are almost like 45mins to 1 hour late. I was very frustrated that the taxi people doesn’t seem to know where ECCT is, as in the building. We were like toiling and waiting for a taxi that knows the place for like 10 to 15mins, then we walked to a place where there is a hospital. I knew I had to go in there and as for directions instinctively. Then luckily, the attendant helped me out and the cab send us near the place, but still not there yet. We were busy figuring out where the place is at with the map in our hands, after a while, we finally found the place and reached there safely. That was a freaking experience of language barrier in a foreign land.
After the interview in ECCT, we went some place nearby for our dinner and then proceed back to our hotel. I was really tired and exhausted by now, and we still have to have a meeting and then have to wake up early the next morning to proceed with our interview. So, I let the team have a rest, and then proceeded with our meeting. I tried to make it as short as possible and although I think we didn’t do a good preparation because of fatigue, I think we did the best we could have done.
We went to EGAT the next day and after that NSTDA, where we got the best interview session in Thailand. I was particularly pleased and impressed by their hospitality, and they actually took the time to do a presentation and then provide us with a lot of information and then with a tour around their department, I was flattered by their hospitality, seriously. Before the interview session, I mean, we reached there early because the taxi driver took the expressway and we reached there like 1 hour early. I saw a free wi-fi service there and got myself a connection access and then for the first time in a few days, access the internet. Simon and Joe, buzzed my YM instantly, I was like wow…. I was touched by their concern, and it gave me more strength to finish our interview session with a bang !!
After the interview with NSTDA, I was absolutely pleased and feel like a person reborned with new enthusiasm. Although we are damn tired by now, but we are not ready to let go of the chance to tour around. Well, we went back to the place where we went on the first night, and got a better look around, and they bought some stuff and although there were like nothing else to see, they were a bit reluctant to go back, especially Jerome. Haha…
For the following morning, we woke up early and toured a few temples in the Tuk-tuk, and then went back to our hotel and checked out. Well, I felt a bit sad as in to leave Bangkok this early, without having the time to really see the place properly, especially the wet market, I was that freaking close to the “Eastern Venice”. Well, the feeling of seeing this place for the last time is really saddening, my heart was really heavy now. Well, nothing much to say now. It’s kind of hard to end this post you know, with the feelings which were like quite long ago, thanks to my procrastination.
