JB to Kanchanaburi. Journey Back to the Past

It's 2018


To fulfill my teenage aspiration, I have decided to travel at a slow pace on buses and trains from Johore Bahru to Kanchanaburi in Thailand. I had wanted to go on a solo trip since I was in secondary school, but didn't had the gut to get parental approval as a negative response is a foregone conclusion. Now I have retired from my flying career, it sure is a great opportunity.

One of intent of this trip was to journey me "back to the past". Now, I have the luxury of time, and I hope travelling through less developed places in a slow trains will help me reminiscence the past. I also wish to see and feel how far and fast technological improvement have changed my life and how far those in less developed areas are left behind. Another intent was for me to transit to retirement. On a solo trip, I will be able to do some self reflection and think hard, how I want to live in the future.

I grew up living in an attap house in Ulu Sembawang. We drank water from the well. Cooked on wooden stoves and get our light from kerosene. My parents worked very hard and do extra work to keep food on the table and to send us to school. They have no holidays and no luxury.

I am very blessed for the love my parents gave me. For the hard work that put me to school. I too work hard and understand the need to do well. My only gift to my parents is to give them the pride that their son is doing well and successful.

The easy part of my life ended in Primary School. As I stepped into secondary school, the expectation was high and I needed to work hard and compete in extremely competitive environment. Invariably, I ended up on the high speed lane from the day I stepped into the most prestigious Raffles Institution. After Pre U, I was chosen to be the first batch to NS Naval officers. The stress to get through each stages had been very tough. Failure was never an option.

After leaving NS, I joined SIA. The training was really tough and trying.  It was an enormous pressure to get through each stage of the training. They fear of not making through was really stressful. And the responsibilities that came with the job were tremendous.

Yes, I was on the high speed lanes for the last few decades.

It's time I slow down and adjust and learn to enjoy the slower lanes.

Tonight I will be taking a train from JB to Kota Bahru. It’s about 16 hours ride. From there I will be travelling up north through southern Thailand to Kanchanburi. It's about 2 to 3 weeks, moving from town to town.