Okay, this post is for Jastin. You people might think that I'm being extra nice to Jastin and am always indulging him. Yes, you are right. That is because Jastin is special and I've always been told to be nice to be people who have less than us. E.g: brains.
Bersih. My story.
5am: Woke up. Showered.
6am: Picked Nasa up from her place. Was expecting her to get into the car from the passenger side. But she came in from the other side and freaked me out. Good to know she's stealthy.
6.20am: At the KL Sentral monorail station. Station empty. Only three other people on the train other than Nasa and myself. They all looked like criminals. Okay...maybe not the kakak on my right.
7am: Walked towards Swiss Garden. Called Karr Wei and woke her up. Had roti canai and kopi ais for breakfast. Fifi and Karr Wei joined us. Everyone in the restaurant macam muka suspek je. Except for us of course.
8am: Walked to Bukit Bintang with Eng Hock, Isabelle and Nasa. Met Fifi and Ong there. Ong looked like a schoolkid...but then, he always looks like that. Bukit Bintang full of media personnels. Where the hell is everyone else?
9am: Bored. Had McDonald's coffee. Nasa found out that they gave out free re-fills. We re-filled. Nasa had to pee. Went to Lot 10. Found a million people queuing up for iPad 2. Like seriously people?
10am: Walked towards BB Plaza. One of the money changer stall's alarm was going off. Like forever. Macam sial.
10.30am: Stop sekejap. Makan KFC. Smsed Christina about it. She told me took look around - just in case Ibrahim Ali was sitting next to me. Looked around. He wasn't there.
11am: Decided to take the monorail from one end to the other and see what the hell is actually going on everywhere else. The most exciting thing we saw was the Puma shoe sale at Berjaya Times Square. Or was it Imbi Plaza? I donno. Nasa had to take another pee break.
12pm: The bloody alarm's still blaring. Looked for the security company's number. Obviously, they are the worst security company in the world and I wanted to just yell at them. No one picked up.
1pm: The whole world was standing in front of KFC. Waiting for Patriots to show up. Suddenly, everyone started running towards Jalan Pudu. Don't know why. So obviously, Nasa and I did what every Malaysian in that situation would do...we followed blindly. Oh, it was the Bersih gang. Someone offered me a sticker. I said 'No thanks'.
1.20pm: Back at KFC. The damn alarm still blaring! A four-wheel drive was parked in front of it...with a bunch of people in, on and around it. They were distributing red Patriot t-shirts. KJ then came out of no where. If Nasa's theory is to be believed, he parachuted himself in. I believe her.
1.30pm: *Hoo-haaa...hoo-haaa...hoo-haaa* Bising, bising *Hidup Malaysia!* Alarm:bibubibubibubibu* Nasa and I were told to go to Petaling Street to find out what's happening there. We ran. Like marathon runners. Well, maybe slower. Then we decided to jog. Then walk.
1.45pm: Nightmare started. Nasa and I were trapped in the middle of Jalan Pudu. FRU trucks and personnels on both ends. Couldn't get out. It started to rain. Then tear gas. Nasa and I found shelter. Slightly felt the effects of tear gas. Decided to walk. And then it happened. A tear gas canister dropped right in front of me and Nasa. I went, "Nasa! RUN!"
2pm: Felt the full effect of the damn tear gas. Was asking myself "Why the hell am I here again?" We were trying to walk, breathe and not die from being trampled on. Well, that's just me...since I'm super clumsy.
I could hear Nasa coughing her lungs out behind me. I couldn't see at all. Walking with my eyes closed, holding on to some pak cik in front of me.
Then there it was - what was used to be a fence...now all flattened, with the wires sticking out. I had to cross that and the drain to get to the other side.
I had a feeling I was going to trip and bring the pak cik down with me. But I managed to stay calm and pretend I was playing 'zero-point'. I jumped across. I made it. So did the pak cik and Nasa.
Was calm enough to get the water bottle out of my bag, pour it on my eyes, wet the towel and cover my nose. Took the toothpaste out (thank you Chan Tak Kong for advising me to bring Darlie (not Colgate...but Darlie!) as a precaution) and put it under my eyes, and ate some salt.
Felt much better.
The tear gas attacks kept going on. We were hiding behind the hospital. Could see doctors (they were wearing scrubs and white jackets) on the first/second floor waving Bersih t-shirts and shouting encouraging words. Dude...tak payah operate orang ke?
Anyway, we survived more tear gas and water cannon attacks. Got out from the hospital grounds. Saw Sivarasah getting arrested. Thought it was the end of it, but no. Walked towards the FRU trucks. They fired more tear gas at us. We were like "Eh, apahal diorang ni?"
Started running again.
One dude was badly injured. His friends were like screaming for water. I went to him with my water bottle, but standing that close to him, I felt the effects as well. It was so bad, I had to pour the water on myself...and as other people started helping the dude, I told Nasa that we should get the hell out of there.
4pm: Re-grouped with Eng Hock and Isabelle. Babi punya alarm still going off! Went around interviewing people whose businesses were affected that day.
Eng Hock said that there's something going on at KLCC and we should walk towards there. Yeay, walk.
Nasa and I dragged ourselves to KLCC. Our feet were just not moving as fast as they did a few hours ago.
Then Eng Hock said we should go to Wisma MCA.
5pm: Nothing happened at Wisma MCA. Eng Hock told us to go back to the Swiss Garden hotel on Jalan Pudu. Nasa said we should hitch-hike. Saw one dude on a motorbike and the other on a bicycle. I 'chup-ed' the guy on the motorbike. Nasa said forget it.
We dragged ourselves back to the hotel. It was like forever. Then another nightmare began.
Saw a lady standing by the side of the road, with a suitcase in one hand and a confused expression on her face. I told Nasa, "If she asks for help, the only thing I can give her is water."
Like I expected, she asked for help. "Hello, miss. Do you know where is Swiss Garden hotel?
I just looked at her and said, "We are going there. Follow us."
In a nutshell, she's from China and it's her first day in Malaysia. The taxi driver dropped her off near KLCC and told her that the hotel is five minutes away. We told her that it was not. She followed us.
15 mins later.
Lady: How many more minutes?
Nasa: Fifteen.
Lady: Five-zero?
Nasa: Fifteen.
Lady: Five-zero?
Nasa: NO. ONE-FIVE!
20 mins later.
Lady: Hotel big? Can see?
Me: Yes, hotel big. But you can't see from here.
23 mins later.
Lady: Can see hotel?
Me: No.
25 mins later.
Lady: Can see hotel?
Me & Nasa: *ignore*
30 mins later.
Lady: Can see hotel now?
Me: Apasal perempuan gila ni? Dah lah menyusahkan orang, bising nak mampus.
Nasa: OMG, she's so annoying.
We reached Jalan Bukit Bintang.
Nasa: Sharm, what's different here?
Me: I donno.
Nasa: The damn alarm is off!
Me: YEAY!
Lady: Can see hotel now?
Finally, at Jalan Pudu.
Me: There. Can you see Swiss Garden. That is your hotel.
Lady: Aaah...I can see. Thank you.
Nasa gave her directions to the main lobby. We had to walk in a different direction. Thank god. Screeching sound. Turned around. Lady almost got knocked down by a motorbike. Seriously lady, we didn't bring you all the way to the hotel just to see you die in front of it!
7pm: Reached hotel. Sent in story. Balik rumah.
8pm:
Me: Mom, I can't walk.
Mom: Don't even complain about today. You asked for it.
10pm: Shower + painkillers + muscle relaxant = Tidur mati.
Some pictures pleaseeee! thank you :)
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