A Memorable Farewell Night at KLIA

September 11, 2011 (Sunday) falls on the eve of Moon-cake Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional season of the yearning for reunion of the loved ones. But on this night, I went to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to see off 3 categories of departing travelers including my son, relatives and ex-colleagues as follows:

1. My eldest son Wai Kit was flying off at 10.45 pm to participate in the CIEE Work and Travel USA Program, some kind of student exchange program where participants work side-by-side with the locals and earn to cover travel expenses later on. He enters US on J1 Visa or student & exchange visa.
He is going to work as Guest Room Attendant (USD 7.65 per hour and average 30 working hours per week) at Xanterra Grand Canyon (National Park) South Rim, Arizona for 3 months which may be extended for another month. He plans to travel in the 5th month before returning home in February 2, 2012. It should be an invaluable experience for him to be exposed to the way of real life in the U.S. that will definitely last for a lifetime. For the record, the cost of this program includes: RM 3,470 for agency fee, Visa fee and insurance; RM 4,704 for return airfare; USD 500 as pocket money (Wai Kit used his own money to purchase another USD 700).
His flight itinerary is flying with MAS from KLIA to Singapore Changi Airport (2245-2340, 11Sep11, 55 min), with United Airlines from Singapore to Tokyo Narita Airport (0710-1505, 12Sep11, 6 hr 55 min), from Tokyo to Los Angeles (1710-1102, 12Sep11, 9 hr 52 min), form L.A. to Phoenix (1742-1908, 12Sep11, 1 hr 26 min). He is scheduled to come back to Malaysia from New York on 31 January, 2012.

2. My wife Soh Ai’s 3rd aunty Siew Cheng (younger sister to Soh Ai’s mum Siew Fang) and her husband Uncle Tan were to fly off at 10.30 pm to Bangladesh on duty (they are frequent air travelers anyway). Uncle Tan on knowing Wai Kit’s trip was so kind as to ring me up in the afternoon to offer some advices to Wai Kit on certain precautions to be taken at international airports. He was very kind to escort Wai Kit to his boarding gate later.

3. My ex-colleague and best friend from MCA HQ Anthony Kon was to fly off at 11.30 pm to Qingdao, China on a company-sponsored 7D6N tour. I also met an ex-colleague Miss Gan (whom I knew when I worked in MCA HQ from December 1986 to February 1988 during the economic recession) who used to travel with Anthony on such company trips. It was a pleasant surprise as I didn’t meet her more than 2 decades although Anthony always mentioned her in our casual chats.

It is really like “KILLING THREE BIRDS WITH ONE STONE” and it was the first time in my life that I saw off 3 different groups of travelers on a single occasion!

We had an early farewell dinner at 5.30 pm for Wai Kit at Restaurant 328, Bandar Sg Long, in the presence of my mother-in-law Siew Fang, wife Soh Ai, son Wai Kit and his two younger brothers Wai Jen and Wai Kei.

We (4 of us minus Wai Jen) left home at 6.20 pm to KLIA airport. Traffic was quite heavy at one point when we left the North-South Highway to proceed to KLIA Expressway. We reached KLIA at about 7.50 pm and I dropped off all my passengers and Wai Kit’s luggage in front of the Departure Hall and proceeded alone to park my car at the adjacent covered car park.

As it was early, after Wai Kit checked in his baggage and obtained his boarding pass, we went to MacDonald’s for some refreshment. At about 8.45 pm, my youngest brother Patrick who is currently working in China rang me up from Sihui, Guangdong Province. He was invited by our Uncle Yoke Tin (youngest brother of our late mum) to celebrate the Moon-cake Festival in our ancestors’ home town of Sihui. I also spoke to Uncle Tin for a short while and enquired about his health. Patrick took this opportunity to say goodbye to his nephew Wai Kit for his impending trip.

Uncle Tan and Aunt Siew Cheng arrived at the airport about 9.15 pm and we met them after they had checked in their baggages and stood chatting. I also went to greet Anthony when he arrived at about 9.30 pm.

We bade farewell to Wai Kit, Uncle Tan and aunty at 9.45pm as they entered the departure check-point gate. I proceeded to meet and chat with Anthony and Miss Gan after that. We left KLIA at about 10.00 pm and reached home at about 11.30 pm.

Hind thought: I am very grateful to Soh Ai’s cousin sister Phaik Pheng who is residing in Arizona for having driven to the airport to meet Wai Kit on his arrival at about 1.00 pm today (September 13) ort 7.00 pm (September 12) US time. Her residence is 32 km from the airport. She was the one who informed us vide Skype with another aunty Stephanie Chan about Wai Kit’s safe arrival and they had dinner together. What a great relative!