Change of Plans
Posted by: amellie
2 years, 2 months ago
I had been carefully planning everything that I wanted to do during the summer break (December - February). Apart from working in the current company, I was going to take a summer course and do some other part-time or volunteer jobs. I talked to my boss about the possibility of taking a 10-days off and he said he’s ok with it. He told me that he will be going to Europe during the Christmas break, so I thought it would be a perfect time for me to go back home. I honestly didn’t feel like going home coz I wanted to focus on my work. An awful law made by the Saudi governments requires me to go back at least once a year. So I set up the date, 20 December, and called my dad about that. But then he told me that the government offices will be closed a week prior to Hajj. Knowing that my dad will also be sooooo busy during Hajj, it would be impossible for him to renew our ID card.
This is the time when I feel like mocking the Saudi government!!! They don’t provide the replacement for the ID card while they process the renewal! My dad needs it, since he’s going to be travelling Jeddah-Mekkah back and forth every day. It’s not only about their system that I truly hate. It’s also about the role of women (yeah.. yeah… I know I’ve written about this several times… but I DON’T CARE.. coz I’m pissed). Imagine if I were allowed to enter the government office and drive my own car, I would have done the ID-renewal procedure by myself!! I would have not depended on my dad for this freakin process. I would have gone to the government office and renewed the ID just like every selfish-men-who-locked-up-their-wives-and-daughter-at-home did when they renewed their IDs! Tell me, why the hell this Prince thinks the issue on women driving is not a priority??? He said: “We are a society, which has its own viewpoints based on Islamic teachings.” What kind of Islamic teachings is that?? Tell me, Prince, can you show me anywhere in the Qur’an and Hadith that women are forbidden to drive??? Don’t bring the name of Islam for this sort of problem, ok!! Bring YOUR name, your generation, and your father’s generation who made this ridiculous law!
As a result of Christmas & Hajj clashes, I won’t be able to go home in December. I have to go back right after my exam finishes - a perfect time for my dad but a bad time for me. I won’t be able to take a summer course as well 
coz it will start after the exam finishes. I know that plans might change so I have to accept it no matter what. But I will never want to accept the fact that we, women, have to be dependent on men to do these very simple tasks! Hff… If I were a Queen, I would have valued women more than men… as a result of revenge LOL (kidding, guys!!! :P).
Anyway, I’ve been monitoring the ticket prices in Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines, as well as these travel agencies. I honestly would prefer flying with Spore, but Malay is $100 cheaper than Singapore’s. So I guess, I have to take Malay this time. I have no idea how I’d spend 9 hours transit time in KL… it’s too long!! I don’t know whether my friends would mind picking me up at the airport at 6 am??? Ugh, I have to contact Jocelyn, Nasser, or Anne later. I’m going to fly with Spore coz I just realized that I have to transit for 1 day in KL. I usually fly with Spore, and I’d spend my transit time wandering around the city of Spore alone. But I’ve never been to KL before (I’ve only been to the airport) and I heard that it takes one or two hours to get to the City from the airport (can anybody verify that??). It seems like I have to buy lots of books at ebay later on. By the way, I’ll leave Brisbane for Jeddah on 18 November, Insya Allah. I’ll book the ticket this afternoon. Have a nice weekend, everyone!! Wait for my “report” about my volunteer experience, ok? 
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Sometimes I would rather take a hit with $100 as long as I can enjoy a long haul trip. I hope Malay Airlines is a good one though.
Does Malaysian Airlines have the little TV screen in front of our seats like Spore Airlines do? hehe, cos i cant get enough of them
im too loyal to Spore Airlines, hehe
He ? Prince Naif ? So naive …
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Have a nice trip Amel, SQ is better i’m going to use SQ for my next plan in this year. I never been in KL also, i have no any idea, anyway enjoy your journey smart girl..wassalam mu’alaikum..
Dessy: Yeah, they do have that little TV screen (i love that haha.. i won’t sleep for the entire journey :P). But the food on Spore Airlines is much better. I dunno why Malay people like to put sweet stuffs in their food.
Jales: LOL
QQ S: Thanks
Are you going back home?
Have a nice trip sist
and good luck 4 the volunteer project
*Idul Fitri is coming,, yeah*
mel, ada yang mau aku tanyain. aku email ya? email yang aktif yang biasa kamu isi komen ditempatku kan?
thanks sis!
Wow.. Trip here, hon..
hehe.. *ngarep*
wahh… semua punya rencana di liburan ini… kok kayaknya aku aja yang belom ada planning… hiks
iFa: thx, fa!
everything from my trip ampe masa depan pun aku udah ada bayangan nantinya mo ngapain aja.. begitu 
bebek: hmm… aku soalnya segala sesuatunya harus diplanning jauh2 hari hehehe.. biar gak berantakan en kelabakan
Safe trip!
hei mel, baru tau kalo kamu lagi marah dan kesel keluar tulisannya jadi begini too..hehehe
about the driving ban, i think it’s interpreted from a hadist that says women are forbidden to travel alone, without any companion from their muhrim (or else they must travel in group).
terlepas dari sejati atau tidaknya hadist ini, i kinda believe that such rule is in very much acculturated to the situation at that time in Arab whereas very dangerous from-thirsty-of-sex-male.
even until now kali ya?
but i travel alone most of the time, as long as i can read the situation in an area (like u did in singapore, as u know its a safe place. i’m sure u wont do that in an african dessert), i consider its ok to travel alone
and oh ya,
i think it will take more or less one hour to KL center with bus or maybe a litle bit less with taxi. but i suggest u take the fast train from airport to city center, it’s cheaper than the taxi and faster than the bus, only about 30 minutes with 64 ringgit (kalo nggak salah ya, rate ringgit aja udah lupa..hehe).
gud lak with KL. Its not to miserable kok change of plan nya, u cant complain lah dear.. it good malah, u will have the chance to explore new city..
cheers
akhirnya milih singapore airline lagi? mudah - mudahan nggak terganggu sama asap waktu transit di changi
ok ditunggu cerita voluntary - nya, sukses selalu dan tambah beken di sono mel hehehe.. ^^
mulia: “i kinda believe that such rule is in very much acculturated to the situation at that time in Arab whereas very dangerous from-thirsty-of-sex-male.” Yes, I agree 100% with you.. I mean, look at the West.. for example here in Australia.. the men just never staring at the women on the street just because they wear skirts… i mean, it’s perhaps different thing when they’re in the night clubs.. but hey, on the street,… how do you feel when all eyes are looking at you as if they want to rape you or something.. whoaaah… i just don’t get it why those people in Saudi Arabia act like that…
hehe thx.. yeah, I complain a lot lately.. and I always feel so bad about that, coz I promised to myself that I would never want to complain.. I pretty much have everything that I want. Anyway, I’m not going to KL, coz I need to transit for 1 day. I have to go back to Brisbane as soon as I can. It seems that Singapore airline is better in this situation.. thanks so much
Enaknya bisa do some “OTHER JOBS” sungguh pengalaman yang uindah