Simply sick

I was not feeling very well for these couple of days…

And suddenly I remembered those days when I have to go to work with such conditions.

Having PMS was the worst moment of my life… I have to drag myself from the bed… And along the way while waiting for the bus I kept on praying that the bus would be empty… Please, please God… let it be empty… Which of course…recently…NOT…

Entering the bus, I could only pray that my stomach would not hurt…then again...as I have already aware…the stomachache killing me… I looked around desperately…trying to find a place to seat otherwise I think I would collapse… Finally I decided I could not take it anymore I beg (yeah, literally…BEG) a guy sitting next to me if I could sit there for a while because I am not feeling very well. He probably feeling sorry for me after looked at my pale face he immediately stood up and gave me the seat. Bless that guy… Though he was probably swearing at me…

Years while still in college, I slipped in the bathroom and my toe nail almost ripped off (is that the correct word? Well, you know what I mean… it simply nearly took off from the skin…)
It hurts like hell and yet I have to go to the university as I was about to take exam. So, cautiously I went there using the bus… I have promised to myself that if ANYONE dare to step on my bleeding toe I would definitely KILL that person on the spot… But that was the year of 1993… People were not so crowded like nowadays… And more important I went to the university not during peak hour. So all I have to do is to walk with the pain expression and people just moved away from me… Especially after they saw bandage on my toe. Nowadays, I probably just took a taxi no matter how it cost…

If another person was sick on the bus or other public transportation we would soon find out because they starting to use this balsam and the smell… Let me just say that there is this one brand that could drag me to feel not feeling very well too after smell it… I totally hate it but what can I say…? Lucky me they only use that in attempt to drive away the sickness… Imagine if that person spew beside you… Within minutes, you would start to feel that the sickness has moved to your body though perhaps it was only in our imagination…

Another thing I remembered when I chose to take a taxi to go to the office. Along the way, I saw someone I know from Omprengan (private cars used illegally as public transportation)… So, I stop the taxi and called her out to join with me in this taxi… I remembered her office is just a few blocks away from mine… I did not intend to ask her to share the fare but just being a good Samaritan. I saw her hesitation but I keep asking her anyway so finally she got it.

Inside the taxi she asked me why on earth I took a taxi to go to the office? I said I was not feeling very well …
She then looked me for a few seconds too long before finally said,” Then why are you going to the office if you are not feeling well?”

I looked at her again… Tried to think something smart to say…short, witty but straight to the heart… Could not find any… So, I just smile and keep on silent up to the moment she reached her destination…

Oh dear… Of course I would rather STAY at HOME while I was sick… BUT…I have responsibility and consideration to fellow colleagues… If I was not going to the office it means she would be working alone with lots of works to do… And since I could not stand the fact I have to stand all the way to the office on the bus…then taking taxi seems a better choice…
Like I said, being in the same city…facing with the same hectic traffic jam, using the same bus…does not mean people start to understand each other…

In short… If you are sick… DO NOT GO TO THE OFFICE!

Queuing separation

When they started to separate queuing between men and women on busway's bus stop and terminal, I could only laugh...

Not that I do not appreciate what they were trying to do to prevent sexual harassment that has been going on for ages. However queuing separation will never be able run smoothly if:

1. BUSY HOUR
It is peak hour, busy hour, crazy hour. The hour when people want to leave home for work, school. The hour when people leaving school and office to go home. All come together in the exact same time. People instinctively going to search no matter how tiny space that giving them even the smallest chance to get in the first line from the queuing. If necessary, they will bring rope and hanging around in front of the rolling door at the bus stop for busway in order to be able to get on the bus ahead from other people. If they are able to get on the bus first, then they will be able to choose which seat they want to sit on. Otherwise, they could choose which corner they could just stand without being squeezed by others. So, if the line for women's queuing is a bit empty during the peak hours then those men will never care less. If people already over crowded, the officials in charge finding a hard time to keep the rule. The people will becoming more fierce. And the official probably think, oh what the heck... It is you who is going to fall not me.
Out from the peak hour, then there are less people and therefore automatically they becoming calm and just follow the rule without being told to.

2. TINY SPACE
Before they started to apply the rule, please be informed that the space on the terminal and bus stop for busway are tiny. Do not imagine that the space is as grand as terminal for train (please be reminded that they built those places in the middle of the road)
So, how can they arrange separation between men and women regarding to queue?


Good intention to have this kind of rule. Unfortunately is not really that easy to be applied. As it will be up to the user, will they agree to follow the rule? Will they agree to be told what to do in order to obey the rule? Mostly...not really... Come on! Admit it...! (just like me when panicking in rush for home as soon as possible)