Chan Weng Kit's Blogspot: August 2020

Aug 16 - 28

As one chapter closes, another begins. For two weeks, Tune Hotel KLIA2 (Room 471) became my new home. It was an experience to say the least. On the first morning of our stay, they sent us a pamphlet asking us to check our dietary requirements and to note any allergies or pre-existing medical conditions. They then asked us to sign a form declaring our quarantine period for two weeks, or in my case, from 14^th to 28^th August. We were each given a white band for identification purposes, and we were restricted to our rooms only.

For meals, the staff (fully dressed in personal protective equipment, PPE) would wheel a trolley from door to door, placing our meals on the chairs outside our rooms. For the most part, the meals were filling and to my liking – certainly a taste of the Malaysia that I had left behind a year back. Okay so it wasn’t outstanding or anything, but it was decent enough (below are some pictures of my meals). To pass the time, there was a nice TV in our bedroom, but I never made use of it as I had good old high-speed WiFi. And that was our routine for the past two weeks – three square meals a day delivered with metronomic regularity.

On the 27^th, some staff members rang my door. They were going to prick my finger for an RTK antigen test (to confirm that I was not infectious for COVID-19). Only then did I find out that I would be moving back home today – a day earlier than expected! Excited but a bit panicky as I had not packed up yet, I scrambled to finish packing by the check-out time, 3.00pm. Finally, with my luggage good to go, I was ushered to the main check-out counter downstairs. After a long queue, my band was removed, and I was once again a free man.

Three hours later, I was back where I had left a year ago – home sweet home. It’s such a warm feeling to be reunited with my parents and grandpa. My parents kept my room prim and proper in my absence, and even added a nice welcome home sign! I was really touched by that. And now that I’m back, I have a month or so to get everything sorted before I return to clinical medicine. This includes shedding all the extra pounds I’ve gained from my gastronomic adventures abroad. Overall, it has been an incredible adventure all the way, and here’s looking forward to many more! Thanks for visiting my blog as always, and have a great week ahead. Cheers :)

P.S. Meet ups in Ipoh, anyone? My driving license has expired, but where there’s a will, there’s always a way.

Reunited with the family - after a whole year!

My grandpa was certainly all smiles

With mummy dearest

Back to tearing up the pavement - need to lose some of those extra pounds XD

Typos aside, I've never felt so loved <3

A one-off goodie bag from the National Disaster Relief Fund

A simple burger and chips with a thoughtful message :)

Breakfast - muesli with fresh yoghurt and some fruits

Fried mee with two spring rolls (popia) and two curry puffs

Pancakes for breakfast :)

Fish and chips with coleslaw and some chocolate cake for dinner

When my mind idles... (after two weeks of isolation)

A few slices of bread with butter and "kaya" (coconut egg jam)

Char kuey teow (fried flat noodles) with scrambled egg and fruit

Nasi lemak with chicken rendang, and a side of cake

They were very generous with the bottled water, eventhough I couldn't come close to finishing it

View from outside my window

Finally, all packed up and ready to head home!

Trying my mum's delicious steamed cream cracker cake!

Lovely durian from a family friend

A very welcoming sign indeed :')

Aug 12-15

1) This is it then. My final day in the UK (for a good while at least). It's a really strange feeling, having to say goodbye whenever I move. I've felt it when leaving for Ireland, when I left China (after research), and I'm feeling it again now. I suppose its change that I dislike. I wasn't happy about getting kicked out from Champion Hill to my current address in Westminster, but now I feel the same way about moving out from here. Still, we have to move forward, and having completed my masters programme here in the UK, it's time to say goodbye.

2) My entire day was uneventful as I was busy packing up and making sure I had not forgotten any important documents. In my earlier post, I mentioned about getting my COVID-19 test, and this afternoon I received the results. Sai helped me print the required documents, after which we met up for dinner. I suggested a nearby fish and chips shop - the Laughing Halibut. Coincidentally, this was the place where I had my first fish and chips when I moved in. It seems fitting that this would be my last before I leave.

3) With my bags packed and my autograph book signed by my friends (Sai and Geoff both signed that evening), it was time to leave for the airport. My taxi driver unfortunately decided to wait by the side entrance, so it took me ten full minutes before realising he could be waiting for me somewhere else. Thankfully, I had plenty of time to arrive and check in. The rest of the journey went smoothly - we departed Heathrow (Terminal 2) at the scheduled time, and reached Dubai International Airport at midnight - a 7-hour flight. The stopover was for four hours, so I decided to grab a snack and a hot drink at a nearby cafe. The next flight was also 7 hours; this time from Dubai to KLIA, Malaysia.

4) I spent most of the time watching movies, playing games (on their in-flight entertainment system), and sleeping. The flight back home was really empty, to the point where I wondered if they limited the number of passengers to prioritise social distancing. Anyway, having set foot on Malaysian soil, we were greeted by a policewoman who ushered everyone over to a number of stations. Essentially, we had to show our travel documents (Letter of Undertaking, passport, etc), fill up some documents, take the COVID-19 test (yes - the same test), and pay for the test (this was free for Malaysian students).

5) Then came the most stressful part - waiting. What was supposed to happen is we get whisked off by bus to different accommodations (mostly hotels), and then we check in and are quarantined for fourteen days. At the end of our stay, if we are tested negative for COVID-19, then we are allowed to return to our homes. At any point should we become symptomatic, they will isolate and treat us as required. On that day, however, there was a small problem. Too many return flights had been booked at the same time, meaning there were not enough hotels to accommodate all of us. So we had to wait. And wait. And wait.

6) After only seven short hours of waiting, the bus finally came to pick us up. My batch (i.e. people from my flight) were taken to a nearby airport hotel - Tune Hotel, where we were registered and checked in. At all stages, the staff were in full personal protective equipment (PPE). They were very professional and apologised repeatedly for the delay. We were assured that this was a once off incident. Having now been given access to my room, there was just one more thing to do - sleep. Tomorrow I will wake up in my home country, far from the one I have grown accustomed to in the past year.

7) And that's it for this edition of my blog. Thank you very much for reading as always, and have a nice day. Cheers!

Channel 4 Television at 124 Horseferry Road. I pass this huge "Big 4" sculpture almost everyday, en route to getting lunch at the street markets just ahead.

Spanish omelette with mini croquettes and garlic bread, from one of the food stalls.

At The Laughing Halibut, for some good 'ol fish and chips

I got the cod and chips, while Sai had the rock (-fish) and chips

Sai putting off my book signing to focus on the camera

Yes - a good motto to live by indeed

The red shirt is for the Range Rover (on the left), while the blue shoes are for the other car on the right. Taken in front of Louise House, my home for the past seven months

My lack of upper body physical development has never been more cruelly exposed.

With Geoff i.e. apartment mate/ course mate/ all-round great friend

All packed up and ready to go!

(and yes, I do travel light)

Room 208 - now vacant I presume...

Farewell Louise House Student Accommodation - it's been a nice one :')

Heathrow Terminal 2

The sign reads (in Mandarin) - from now on, all China Southern Airlines departure and arrivals will be at Terminal 5.

"Slipstream" is a sculpture by Richard Wilson, created in 2014 for Terminal 2, "to transpose the thrill of the air-show to the architectural environment of the international air terminal."