Saturday 06/24/12

Singapore, Remind me why part 2.

 Good Day Loves!!

Here are some videos I shot before our return to the airport:

At the airport, after you walk through customs you have immediate access to shops, restaurants, and lounge areas before arriving to your gate. Each gate does not open until an hour before your departure time and each also has its own security checkpoint. We had about two hours before our gate opened, so we went our separate ways to do as we pleased until check in time. Most of us went to the computer stations to use the free internet while others went to shopping and exploring throughout the airport. I was exhausted and went to take a nap in the lounge area next to our gate (where we all sat in the beginning before we went our separate ways). 

I suddenly woke up at 6:30pm. Boarding time was 6:45pm and the gate would close at 6:55pm!!! Everybody in my group had checked into the gate and was lounging around relaxing, including the professor. At that point I thought to myself, “Well guess it is going to be one of those times where I will always be left by the group even though the group (including the leaders) either knows that I am missing from the group or they know where I am and still to decide to leave me.” Oh well, ::shoulder shrug::, I will not allow that to spoil my mini adventures in Malaysia.

This time we flew Silk Air from Singapore to Malaysia and let me tell you, Singapore Airlines has spoiled me. We could tell by the flight crew uniforms that the pampering party has officially ended. I slept most of the trip but was awakened by a fire-hot burnt chicken pocket something without side items. I was too tired to try to eat it, not to mention it still was blazing hot after 30 minutes, so I gave it away then went back to sleep.

We finally arrived in Malaysia about 8:40pm. The whole airport seemed to be under construction and sort of looked like a flea market in the U.S. (no, seriously). There were shop vendors and people sitting along the walls, people were shouting, and we all seemed to be shuffled through it all to eventually end up at customs. A few people and I arrived at customs first and after waiting a few minutes jumped in line for our clearance to enter the country. Most of the employees at the airport that we saw were women and they all wore hibajibs.

By the time I was 2 people away from reaching the customs desk, the rest of our group made it to immigration too. When I arrived at the counter, they gave me a super difficult time for entrance into the country. First the woman at the desk asked me why I was here and I told her I was visiting. Then she asked more questions then eventually called her male supervisor which was a little more aggressive than she was, “Why are you here? Why haven’t you notified us? Where is your letter?…” and many more interrogating questions. I told them I was just visiting, a student, and anything else they wanted to know but they were not pleased with any of my answers. So, I called up our professor because if we were given a letter or something for country clearance she would have it. Well she didn’t have anything and was just as confused as I was.

After constantly repeating that I was American over and over again, the supervisor finally said next time you bring us a letter and finally gave me my passport stamp (whoohooo!!). I do not know why they kept asking me for my nationality as if they did not believe me that I was a U.S. citizen with an U.S. passport. After gaining entry, everybody came to ask me what happened and I found out that nobody else was interrogated let alone asked any questions at all!!! I felt like I was James Bond being interrogated in the locked cellar in Casino Royale (well after hearing everybody else experience with immigration anyway).

I was confused to why I would have to send notice way in advance that I was visiting the country. But in retrospect, I sort of looked like a Muslim woman. I was the only woman in the immigration line with my head covered. I was cold on the airplane and wrapped my head in my scarf to trap the heat. :: Note to self, when visiting an Islamic country remove the scarf to not cause confusion, even if you are cold::

Check out the recreated photos! haha

::UPDATE:: 

One of our professors mentioned the reason I was hassled at immigration was because  I didn’t say I was here as a tourist. Anytime that you are visiting countries for reasons other than tourism you have to provide a document to support your reasons for coming. Since this Education Abroad trip is not considered an exchange student program but literally only education while abroad, we were supposed to say we were tourist. That information was a little too late for this trip but now we know for future international trips. But you know that still does not explain why I was still the only one given a hard time. Everybody else in the group pretty much walked to the counter gave the official their passport, smiled, had their fingers scanned, passport stamped, and walked through without the official saying one word to them. Oh well, I made it in and been having a blast!

We all finally made it through immigration and grabbed our luggage which arrived to Malaysia way before we did. The employee kept telling us that our bags were at Terminal A when there was a sign posted on Terminal A that clearly said if you were on these flights (our was listed) that our bags were at Terminal C. Well we waited for awhile before I decided to go look at Terminal C. There were our bags patiently waiting for us.

We met with our welcome team, a few students from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), who were very excited. Unfortunately, we all were like sleeping zombies (without the flesh eating thank you very much), we slowly stumbled their way with a bunch of moans and mumblings we called greetings. We boarded the bus and pretty much fell asleep. We arrived to USM fairly quickly and sloppily broke up into roommate groups for the dorm rooms. There are 13 girls and 3 boys that came on this trip; 4 education female students and the other 12 public health. The education crew we to one hostel at the top of the hill, the boys went to the male hostel, and the rest of us went to the highest hostel on campus.

Once we got to our rooms we fixed our beds and fell asleep instantly. I took a 5 minute nap at the desk so I could wake myself up to shower before hopping in my bed. Tomorrow (Sunday) will be our first official day in Malaysia to explore and I want to be well rested and ready to go by 9am. 

 Well another day, another adventure!!

Krystal