Airport Drama and Undercover cops..

TET holiday is a vietnamese holiday that symbolises the Lunar New Year. We get about a week off work to celebrate however as my friends and I are over achievers we decided to take a few extra days off and make it a big trip. After researching destinations we decided on Maylasia, it was close, there were lots of things to do and most importantly it was cheap. There were seven of us in total so it was bound to be a hoot. I wish I could say that it was a classic holiday without a hitch, but if you have read any of my other posts you know that it would be too much to ask for... Our day started at 4am on Monday morning so we could be at the airport, bright and early, get checked in all safely without a hitch.. famous last words.. The first casualty, Angus spelt his name wrong, instead of putting his name as Michael, he typed Mochael. Mochael, what a bloody ridiculous name. Thankfully the staff were really good about (aside for making fun of him in Vietnamese, which he can speak and understand by the way) and they changed it for free. So one disaster adverted, however we wernt out of the woods yet! Emily, bless her wee heart managed to book the wrong flight, so she wasn't actually meant to fly out till the next day, and our flight was full. After quickly booking a new flight ($100 later) she was on the flight after us. After a very stressful morning at the airport we were finally boarding and making our way to Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur is a very diverse country, there are a few different groups that make up the community. There are the Malay people, there is also a large Muslim community, a chinese community and an Indian community. The main thing that means is the food is BANGING and I mean amazing! The con of that situation is, to generalise, a rather reserved country. Now you have to remember I'm very used to vietnamese life, which is rather lawless, bars dont really close so we are used to sotting on the side of the road, in tiny chairs, having cans till 8am, Maylasia however, is not like that. They have something that locals refer to as "sin tax" which meant drinking in KL was very expensive. After getting a few recommendations from some locals we decided to head to an area called Bangsar which would be the closest thing to our Bui Vien street. We arrive just after 1.30am which doesnt give us much hope as everything closes at 2am. Walking down the street trying to find a watering hole proved rather tricky. Stopping at the end of the street next to a bar that had its shutters down we decided to have a team chat to debate the next move. That's when a man appeared from the visibly closed bar and told us to come in for a drink. Which Shane's many strange danger chats ringing in my ears we politely decline and go back to our conversation. That's when he pipes up again.. "On the house" Simultaneously all seven of us mack eye contact, shrug and follow the man inside. Let me be the first to say we would be the easiest group to human traffic. Upon entering the man hands us beers, he does not stop. There were seven of us and we had serval each, next came the shots. A few beers in we are all mates and chatting away as such. We find that we have just stumbled upon Ronnie Q's, his local, hense the being allowed to stay past closing, enjoying a classic lock in. That's when the self-proclaimed King Of Maylasia pipes up again.. "Do you smoke Marijuana?" I try to answer the question with another question, Remembering that Maylasia has very very strict drug regulations "Why are you an undercover cop?" He shoots his mate a look and says nothing more... Had we just stumbled into the most elaborate sting operation? After the King has a few more drinks he gets a louder and more offensive when the bar man, Leo, decides he likes us more, asks him to leave. However Leo is still open for us. After a few words he let's me get behind the bar and pour my own pints which is a treat, it's been awhile since I've been on the other side of the taps and I will humble in saying I have not lost my touch. At 5.30am we decided that we had squeezed every bit of time we could out of the man and decided to call it a night. Getting home at 6am in a country that typically closes at 2am was not a bad feet at all. But if any group of absolutle nongs could do it, it would be this bunch. The rest if our days in KL were relatively wholesome however the exercise, humidity and the close living courters were starting to wear us down, and it showed in our interactions, bitchy comments here and there were coming fast and few in between. So we had no choice but to develop a system.. the "At Hat". When you made a bitchy comment directed at another member you had to wear the hat, until the next coment was made then you passed it like a baton of shame. The hat? The white plastic type material they place around spirit bottles in duty free. Did it work? Yes and no. When you didnt have the hat you did think more about your comments as it really wasnt a good time. But when you had the hat? You had nowhere left to fall and there was no need to hold back. The "At hat" literally held our holiday together.

Stumbling to the airport it was time for our next leg, Penang and Langkawi.. what could possibly go wrong?