Entry 3: How To Be A Classy Hitchhiker

Song of the Moment: The Way We Get By by Spoon

Remember those movies that featured hitchhikers who turned out to be serial killers? Well, what if the hitchhiker was a twenty-something lady who was using an iPhone, had a Liz Claiborne shoulder bag and was speaking fluent American English in a Muslim country? Would you let her hitch a ride with you?

A Singaporean and a Malaysian did. Hehehe.

En route to Kuala Lumpur on a budget flight, a Singaporean Chinese man in his early 40s sat beside me. We started chatting. He was in the businesses of sports apparel direct selling (e.g. Adidas and Nike, y’all!) and a new business project (ready-mix cement) brought him to KL with a Malaysian business partner. Next thing I know, I was taking the 1 1/2 hour car ride with them from the airport to Kuala Lumpur on a well-preserved vintage Jaguar, with a brief stop at Putrajaya to take photos of the beautiful government buildings. I could have decided not to hitch a ride with them, but  the idea of taking a 1 1/2 hour bus ride with Indonesian domestic workers who have no sense of personal space gave me goose bumps. So I took the lesser evil. Hitchhike it is. 

Many Putrajaya photos and light conversation topics after, I found myself also having lunch with the two men at a rustic Malaysian restaurant called Sakura (Since Year 1977). I finally got to sample authentic Nasi Lemak and Chicken Satay, “as preferred by the locals,” and said to be better than the Singaporean counterparts.  I offered to pay for lunch at the least cuz they were being so kind to me, but nooo.. The Singaporean man just kept saying, “Oh no no no.. Take advantage of the Malaysian hospitality. Because Malaysia is Truly Asia.” 

The two men dropped me off at my hotel, and it was a jovial handshake here and there. That’s it. 

Suspense thriller novelists will probably whine and say, “Whaaaatt?? Where’s the catch?” I guess, for a change (and don’t take my word for it; this was a RARE occurrence!), being a hitchhiker isn’t always synonymous to a disaster or crime scene waiting to happen. 

I guess, someone out there’s making sure I go through this trip smoothly. 

PS: Enzo dear, I know the minute you read this, you’ll probably get mad at me. But what the heck. Hehehe.