On The Train, Jan 28, 2011

I walked down slowly to the station after I had finished what I wanted to do in the office at 2015. Today the short walk seemed to be taking forever. I guess a lot on my mind and a major changes are ahead of me in the office.  Upon arrival at the station I thought my train was still at Sg Buloh so I stopped at the snack shop at the entrance to buy a bottle of mineral water and a small packet of nuts. That’s an irony I thought maybe I was going nuts LOL. I just could not be bothered with my ticket anymore and just walked through the barrier down to Platform 1. Luck had it that I had been listening to a wrong announcement before, my train was actually 3 minutes away as soon as I wanted to get comfortable at the waiting bench.

The train was empty when I boarded but was filled with the normal Friday evening commuters as soon as we got to KL Sentral. I welcomed the crowd actually for I could resurrected my old favorite activity observing all sorts of characters on the train. Through the corner of my right eye I could see a young boy looking at me wondering, I guess, what was I writing about? A lone young lady standing in front of me was staring down through the floor obviously taking her mind away from the train. Two young ladies beside her were busied 'texting' and talking to each other. I overheard a young  man sitting next to me on my left calling one of his service providers in terminating a service. More crowds started to push in at Mid Valley Station. I ignored them. Two African ladies were talking in their language on my right. This has been a common fixture on the train these days. Whether in the morning or evening, well in fact, whenever I was on the train I would see at least two of them, the Africans. Good or bad the main Malaysian feature now.

I over heard the young lady that was staring through the floor asked the lady next to her whether she could get down at Serdang because she missed her station or something like that. I was not sure though as she said later something like wanting to go ahead to Seremban whereas maybe her ticket was only for Serdang. I wanted to butt in to offer help but decided to just observe especially when I heard she was given the right information she suppose to get. Amazingly while typing my mind wondered off LOL. I needed to be a bit more focused especially with a lot of thinking and writing waiting ahead of me. I do not want to be typing something and  thinking about something else at the same time as I may end up writing what I am thinking that I am not suppose to be thinking he he he.

The train was still a can of ikan sardin when we arrived as Kajang Station. I smelled like ikan sardin myself LOL.

At UKM Station half of the train was empty. I immediately stretched my legs out lazily waiting for Bangi Station to show up.

The CNY week break is something I am really looking forward to now. Away with the family again will do good for me. This time we are going to places that we really have not been before. New experience for all of us.

Yeap, Bangi Station at 2131 and I am home.

On The Train ( The New Year KTMB style and what not), Jan 5, 2011

It’s an increase of another digit to everything again. Work wise I am expecting a new exciting thing to happen in 2011. Morning routine remain the same as last year with just very minor adjustments here and there. KTMB at large remain the same with a bit of improvement with the introduction of the new six car train plying during peak hours on the Seremban Rawang line.

Today I was early going home as I had promised my family a dinner outside. My schedule further helped me to make sure I was out of the office at 1730. I took the 1800 shuttle train to Bangi. I tried to write something but dozed off after Mid Valley station only to wake up at Kajang when the train pulled into platform number 3. As if trying to be a constant spoiler in my life, KTMB dumbed all of us at Kajang station to wait for another train to Seremban. %%$$&O&^$ KTMB! Only recent we were stranded at Salak South station because of a malfunctioned train now this. As I was sitting waiting to walk out I sensed a gentleman was on the phone talking on my left oblivious of the announcement. As I walked out he sort of asked somebody as to what was going on. Since I was the only one in front of him I remarked that KTMB asked us to abandon the train as it was turning back to KL. He replied, ‘Can they do that?’ I said, “ Nothing surprise me anymore about KTMB and they can do anything they like.’. With that we started to talk as we walked across the bridge to platform 1 to wait for another Seremban bound train. He continued, ‘ I thought they have a new good guy as CEO?’. “Yes’, I said. ‘but what can a guy do if they still operating with old and almost obsolete train sets or infrastructure. As long as you have the majority of the workforce with the same old mentality, no point as well.’ As we reached Platform 1 he remarked, ‘I might as well go an have satay Kajang first before I take another train home.’ ‘Not a bad idea.’ I replied. With that he walked away to exit the station.