I hitch-hiked...

Ok... It's not common to hitch a hike in Brunei. But I did...today. Well... actually I was walking to the usual coffeeshop near MinDef to wait for my father to pick me up. Then, I think I might be able to catch a bus home coz there's a bus stop around 10 minutes walk from the coffeeshop. So yea, I walked. I guessed I was sweaty and a car just stopped beside me and the driver asked me, "ke mana ko pergi?". I don't know what he wants, since he is a complete stranger to me. So I said, "oh! ke bus stop di depan..." Before I could finish, he asked me to hop in. In the car, there's an old couple, around 60-70 years of age. He told me, "bah aku hantar ko ke sana sajalah... kasian ko berpeluh." At first, he wanted to drop me at the bus stop saja, but there's no shade at the bus stop and the weather is very hot. So he asked where do I stay. I said, "di Berakas, Lambak area.". Then, he said, "aku hantar ko balik la". I don't know what to say, since I have never encountered such kindness before, and all that I could manage was, "baik tah!" I showed him the way. And yea, here I am, at the comfort of my home, telling this story...

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of life nowadays, people seldom find the time to care for other people, not to mention stranger. But this old couple stood out amongst all of them. There are more to life than to be yourself. You live in this world, not because of you yourself, but because of other people around you - your family, your friends, your colleagues and even strangers that you meet every day. I have no idea whether the old couple would ever see this, but I would like to express my sincere gratitude for making that extra effort of sending me home today. Thank You!!!

There are many other encounters and experiences that happened to me while I was walking. I believe the best way to see this world is to walk. Last time, while I was walking in front of a primary school gate, there were a bunch of kids playing and talking to each other. One of them shouted "Oi, ke mana?", apparently directing to me. But I ignored it, thinking it might be for someone behind me and that it would be awkward if I were to wave and say hi. Then, i heard someone saying, "Assalamualaikum.". I ignored it again. Then came another "Eh, u!" I turned back this time and saw all of them staring at me. I waved and said "Hi!" Then all of them burst out in laughter. I laughed too...

I often walked in Bandar as well, and that day there was this young (around 20-ish) cute British tourist in front of Coffee Bean. She was holding a map and looked puzzled. I guessed she was lost. And then she approached me and asked me the way to Sheraton Hotel. I pointed her the direction and she took off. The next day, I met her again in an Indian coffee shop at Jalan Sultan. She waved and smiled at me. I smiled in return...

If you think walking is just a way to cut cost or to be eco-friendly. Think again. Walking leaves me many fond memories that I would not have got if I had a car... Think again.