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.
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