Macam-macam ada...

The summer in England this year is so unwelcoming...with hujan and panas taking turns. This is already August and is already feeling so autumn. Unlike the orang putih, the weather doesn't really bother me...apart from pengguna public transport macam I ni, and sipemalas bawak payung...travel time takes longer.

I'm having a difficult time at work (ohh..apakah cerita baru) and was asked to lie low for a bit by Boss.Not good, but necessary.

I was on Picadilly Line travelling towards Central London when I bumped into bunch of Malaysian businessman.I think they must have assumed that I am a Malay, that prompted them to suddenly talk about 'deliberately' opted for tube rather than limo to their bespoke hotel in London nun.For whatever reason they think I need to know about their choice of transportation pun tak tau la....

One man boast about doing deal with TPM that he refers as 'Najib' rather than Datuk Seri. Obviously, he described 'Najib' with full familiarity that even the dullest person like moir will think that they both geng-geng ketat githoo. One of them time-time tu lah (dalam tube yang bergegar-gegar tu) nak baca file-file business as if he is rushing to one big million pound meeting.

I must say that, because I am working in West London and depend heavily on Picadilly Line to travel back and to work, the sight of Malaysian coming and returning is regular.You can always tell by accent and by the mixed and match of English and Bahasa.I am quite choosy with who I want to be friendly with and they are usually the one that look very,very lost.Jahat kan I?

Couple of weeks ago, there's this laki bini with 2 anak. Maybe datang cuti-cuti London and the bapak was intensely studying the Underground Map on the tube wall (alaa...next to the tingkap tu) With father looking at the wall map and mother looking at the paper map, their children ended up looking at me. I look at their luggage with KUL/LHR and nampak lah Malaysian Airlines tag.I pikir 2,3 kali jugak nak tegur the hubby (as he was the closest one to me) takut the bini will hempuk I dengan handbag dia...but they were both clearly struggling and I overheard the hubby telling the wifey 'kita kena pergi South London'. I nak aje sampuk..there is no such thing as 'South London' on the tube map. The laki asked the wife to read the address of their presumed destination and wife terus cakap...nanananna...Essex. Of course, Essex is not is South London kan?

With the 2 children looking so penat and mengenangkan betapa kesian nya nanti kalau budak-budak tu akan dihangkut ke Essex,South London, I risk my life (nak kena hempuk dengan handbag, hempuk lah) and tegur the hubby 'Abang nak pergi mana?'. Abang face berbunga-bunga ceria githoo...'Eh, orang melayu ke?'

To cut the story short, I instructed the family to stop at Holborn and naik Central Line toward Essex. I also gave them a tip on how to travel cheap around London. Yang penting sekali...I tak lah kena hempuk dengan handbag bini dia, although the wife masa mula-mula gave me the look macam lah I nak pi kacau laki dia.

So, the 4 wannabe Posh but no so Posh businessman ni, gave out the impression that they are all well travelled and tak memerlukan pertolongan.One of them even said to the other who kununnya the navigator 'Ohh..I kalau USA tau lah..London ni kurang sikit'.

From what I see and hear, all of them is trying to outwit each other individually and for someone who kununnya travel for business macam travel balik kampung...I find it funny when

Businessman A 'Kalau nak pergi Harrods, berhenti kat mana ye?'
Businessman C 'Ohh..kau kena pergi King Cross Station, and jalan kaki 10 minit sampai'

Businessman B on Arsenal Station Picadilly Line 'Kat sinilah Stadium Arsenal tu. I ada kawan tinggal kat area Arsenal ni'.

(pssttt...mana ada area nama Arsenal?)

Businessman D 'My brother dulu belajar kat London'.
Businessman A 'London kat mana?'
Businessman D 'Oxford Uni'.


Well travelled Businessman aye?