WAWAS! - "What? The LRT Station is Closed?!"

--15 of 19--


We sat in a corner away from the drizzle, wondering what to do next. There was some talk of getting a foot massage at the nearest reflexologist. Zalinah, Aizat, Sarah and Nadiah, among others, were fine with that idea--but at this time? It was past twelve; no doubt there would be plenty of late night reflexologists in Bukit Bintang, but the whole idea seemed somewhat far-fetched. But they were determined to go, so we wished them a good journey, and off they went.

The rest of us were still left with no subsequent course of action.

Minor commotion over a cockroach in our midst. It came from the bushes behind the fountain. Nearly everyone shifted to the other side, quite unsettled.

The Foot Massage Group reported to us the closure of KLCC LRT Station. I thought it still had an hour of service? The Group had hailed a taxi to get to their reflexologist. Impossible, Malaysian transport is! We at KLCC decided to take taxis as well.

The new woman in the MRT is terrible! She switches accents mid-sentence and enunciates letters much too clearly! The "Going to Johor Bahru?" announcement in the Woodlands area is particularly hair-raising. It appears to be an imitation of the old woman, but she says it much too suggestively, in my view. Why "Doors Are Closing" when she could very well say "Doors Closing"? (Maybe I should blame the scriptwriter for that.) The announcement at Jurong East when the North-South train pulls into the station is also particularly long-winded. But to her credit, her "Yew Tee" is quite good, can make it. However I much prefer the old woman.

Continue.

We were discussing possible locations for taxi-hailing. Walking along a back road leading away from the LRT station, Jihad and Hadis hailed every taxi in our path, but they either quoted extravagant fares or didn't know the way to Wisma Puspanita. We were getting quite tired. I was especially concerned over Didi with his injured knee. He was quite irritable earlier, entering into a minor row with me over transport. Having no luck getting a taxi along this back road, we trudged solemnly further down.

At long last, we reached a main road, and a taxi stand. A series of explosions were heard. I thought for a moment that it was some sort of terrorist attack! (I was feeling quite morbid.) We never did find out their origin.

A few unsuccessful hailings later, I was ensconced in a taxi along with Suhaila and Aidil. The journey was uneventful.

WAWAS! - Hainanese Chicken Rice, and a Journey on the LRT

--13 of 19--

After clearing Stor Teater of all our stuff, we headed back to our rooms. Sash reassured me that we would organise an SSP ice skating outing once we got back to Singapore, which made me feel quite hopeful. She said the last time *we* had one was back when she was in Year 1! (!) I wasn't part of SSP then, but I'm sure it was fun.

An hour's rest in our rooms; then promptly at 8pm we got out again for dinner. We went straight to a Chicken Rice Shop near the cafe where Cikgu and Encik Harun were left the other day. (Actually it wasn't *the* Chicken Rice Shop but a Hainanese chicken rice restaurant.)

Our seats on the second floor commanded an admirable view of the crowds below, through large, full-length glass windows covering the entire stretch of the restaurant facing the street. The food there was sumptuous and well seasoned. We gobbled down our chicken rice in record time, and those who couldn't finish it donated their portions to those who could.

After dinner we had a spot of people-watching through the full-length windows built for that purpose. There was a lot of fun to be had playing "Spot the Person/Sign/Colour". Totally picturesque, the scene was. I even spotted a person wearing the same beanie as the Black Cat in Kucing! We played for quite some time, gazing boldly into the street as if no one could see us.

On the contrary; everyone did. Once downstairs, we looked up and there it was, our seating area! Every person on the street could see us, as clear as day.

Next stop: the Petronas Twin Towers! (A.k.a. KLCC.) Pushing through the masses of People, we reached an LRT station. Up we went, and waited in a corner for Haddad and Jihad to purchase tickets. It was no less crowded up there. Downstairs, a great hoo-ha was occurring. We looked down and saw groups of people amusing themselves with aerosol cans of confetti and foam. Clearly, the Spraying had begun!

Feeling inwardly relieved that we weren't down there as well (it was New Year's Eve, by the way), we got our tickets and went through the fare gates into the station. No Adventure for us tonight!

The experience of entering the station and going up the steps was like riding a rollercoaster--for some reason, it was quite exciting and novel to us. (Of course, there was the customary snapping of pictures and capturing of videos.) It felt like some theme park monorail.


Everything was going smoothly until we reached Dang Wangi, an interchange station, where we had to switch trains. But every train that came was full to the brim! You couldn't even put a finger in there, and fitting all 21 of us in the same train was out of the question. We decided to split up into our 5 groups (S,I,N,G and A) and meet up at KLCC later. I was part of Group A, consisting of Efin, Aidil and Suhaila. We managed to squeeze into one train, clinging to each other for safety.

WAWAS! - The First Day

--2 of 19--

The Nasi Goreng, Telor and Teh Tarik from the train's Dining Cabin was delicious! Thus was the testimony awarded them by Nizal and Nadiah, among those of us who went there at the unearthly hour of 4am. (They refer to Fried Rice, Eggs and "Pulled" Tea respectively.)

Aizat was all enthusiasm the next morning. "We ate MacD!!!" he exclaimed.

Well! It is now 9am, and we are seated at McDonald's KL Sentral Station. We have just finished breakfast, and some of us have gone for a smoke.

Then, hailing five taxis, we depart for Wisma Puspanita, our accommodation during our stay.

Wisma Puspanita is actually a sort of hostel. Goodness knows where its students study, for I don't remember any educational institution nearby. It is currently empty, save for one "Mama India" residing in Room 2, who was kind enough to mop our rehearsal space for us, in the South Wing of the building so that we may walk around barefoot.

Girls go into Rooms 9 & 10, boys in Room 12 & 13. (I'm in Room 12.) Each boys' room had 6 beds and a toilet, plus a little balcony full of mosquitoes. Jihad promptly produced a mosquito coil, and it was lit. Everything had to be set up properly on the first day, according to him.

The man who led us up to our rooms told us not to be too frivolous during the night hours. "You guys don't be too happy at night," he warned.

And with this sinister pronunciation, he left us.

After a short nap and a bath, we proceeded to our rehearsal space and had a run through of the plays we were to perform.

Lunch was a tasty affair. The stalls we ate at reminded Nizal of Geylang, back in Singapore!

Enough of that. Now it is rehearsal time again at Stor Teater.

I might as well describe the reasons for us being here in Kuala Lumpur.

We have been invited here to perform our award-winning plays from Singapore. Cikgu Hasnah, our teacher and advisor, had arranged for us to perform in Stor Teater, within the prestigious Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka. All 19 of us were to go to KL, props, costumes, music and all, and perform Dot.Dot.Dot, Pelita Wawasan, Wawasan Anak Geylang Serai Roboh (better known as Kucing), and S.H.I.T, which stands for Selampit Hari Ini Tiada. There was supposed to be 20 people but Efin, our missing person, is to join us later.

This is what Suzana has to say (pardon the informal language):

"They've been rehearsing ALLLL day & I'v been sitting on È steps aLLLL day and I'm sooooo hungry...:("

And this is what Nadiah has to say:

"Not enough sleep!! even afta a "long" rest while the others train for kuching. At least something lar har. It's freaking cold in here!"

The rehearsals continue.

WAWAS! - The Journey to KL, and The Trains

--1 of 19--

(This is the first of many posts to come on Sang Singa Purba's trip to KL in December 2007 for a performance called Wawas. Read on!)

In exactly 23 minutes we are leaving for Kuala Lumpur!

The whole group of us rushed to the KTM station thinking the train would come at 11pm. Upon asking the guard, however, it was found out that it would come at 11.28pm.

We were very much relieved! Aizat was feeling happy--"Woohoo!" he cried out, adding that he "missed his mummy". Hadis was "so excited, going to KL after so long!"

Suzana praised the hipstrap on her backpack for relieving the strain on her back. A good investment, indeed!

A somewhat muffled announcement declares the opening of the gates. We do a quick roll call and pass through them. Asmida is quite eager; this is her first time boarding the trains. As far as I can remember, this is my second time! The last time I rode on a KTM train was when I was 7, coming back from KL after 3 months there. (My family wanted to apply for Malaysian citizenship but was unsuccessful.)

There is a prolonged photo-taking session on the platform. All of us are extremely energetic, though some felt after some time that the multi-burst pictures were quite tiring to take. Shamil chose to conserve energy by standing still throughout one whole series of pictures.



A headlight appears in the distance. Our train is here!

There is a dining cabin somewhere in the middle of the train. On either ends are the sleeper cabins. Ours is L5. I am to occupy bunk 29, an upper bunk.

We climb upon the cabin. The other passengers already inside peer though their bunk curtains, looking at us as though we were aliens. Sang Singa Purba advances through!

It turns out that most of us get the upper bunks, except for those with smaller numbers. Upper Bunk 2 is designated as a luggage compartment, and everything else which wouldn't fit there may kindly be arranged along the aisle near your bunk. Aidil and I, in the last two allotted bunks, ended up doing the latter.


Some of us cannot contain our excitement and burst into a chorus of various Malay songs in the space between the cabins. Over there is a complete ruckus--thuds, creaks and screeches! We add to the din.

Human waste is deposited straight onto the tracks from the train's toilets! I sit pondering this appalling thought for a few moments. The waste is left to rot on the tracks. Not very appetizing, isn't it?

We cast our eyes gravely over Didi on his bed. The whole scene looks like a hospital, with his bandaged knee (a healing injury), crisp white bedsheets and the metal railings. There is nothing much to do now. The rest are still awake, having idle conversations. Aidil begins to snore. I'd better join him as well.

The train roars and lurches through Malaysian terrain! I sleep.