London -3°C, Budapest -15°C, Kuala Lumpur 32°C
It seems like I made it out of Europe at exactly the right time. In Budapest, we had a surprisingly warm November but as it moved into final month of 2010 things took a downward spiral. It got cold, very cold. Now was the time to fly East for the winter in search of warmer climates.
After what seemed like 5 minutes sleep, I awoke at 4am on Saturday morning and took a taxi to Budapest airport. KLM had decided it would be a good idea to move my flight forward so it was now even earlier – 06:30 in the morning. In what is completely abnormal for me, I did not go out partying the night before the flight. As such, I was there on time and without hangover. Not a bad start.
I spent the day in Amsterdam before flying out to Kuala Lumpur overnight. Pretty standard flight and no delays or any issues like that. A week later and things might have gotten interesting though, judging by the news reports of severe weather.
One interesting thing happened as I was among the last few passengers to pass through security before the KL flight. Security seemed in a hurry and I said I had to take out my liquids before putting my bag in the x-ray scanner. “Don’t worry, you are the last passenger” was the response.
Getting off the plane in Kuala Lumpur was great. That wave of heat and humidity that hits you as you step out from the air conditioning was very refreshing. An hour later I was sitting by the swimming pool with a Gin and Tonic in hand. Life is good.
I pretty much spent the first 4 days chillaxing. I did my work as normal as I can work from anywhere so long as I have my laptop and wifi. Making the most of the parental generosity, I ate all the good food that I never bother buying at home: fresh blueberries, strawberries and Tropicana. I also took advantage of the cheap prices out here to make a quick visit to the Dentist.
My friend Matt and his girlfriend Charlotte arrived on Thursday. They are in the middle of a big South East Asian backpacking trip. I have known Matt for over 20 years now (since I was 5) and it’s been almost 2 years since I last saw him so it was good to catch up.
The Christmas build up seems well under way now. Shops are packed and Christmas tunes are blasted 24/7 on the radio. The only difference here is that it is 32°C and I’m working on my suntan.
