Only Ten Minutes To Go
This was my very first time to go abroad by myself along with my backpacking friends. I arrange my own backpacking to Singapore with six other people. The strongest memory left in my head is when we arrived in Changi Airport. There was actually a person among us who has visited Singapore before but she’s having hard time to remember the routes. Luckily, maps everywhere! So, we took some and asking the security there, then we went straight to the hostel. My friend seemed so confident to go to the hostel, so all of us just followed her. Our hostel was in Chinatown, we’re just walking from Chinatown MRT Station to reach there. As we arrived at the hostel, the keeper welcomed us warmly and brought us in the dorm. After walking for so long, we’re unpacking things and prepared to enjoy the city night of Orchad’s. A minute later, the keeper told us that we got the wrong dorm. He said that our dorm is in Banda Street, about ten minutes far from there. I was completely shocked. All I wanted is just to relax a while before continuing the journey.
Anyway, life must go on. My friends don’t have good English to have conversation with strangers. So they put me in charged of everything related to the natives there. I settled up to go to the right address of our hostel after asking direction from the keeper. Thank goodness that the keeper was willingly to lead us the way. Comparing Indonesian and Singaporean people in walking speed, it’s a big difference. Singaporean walks faster than most Indonesian people. About half an hour we walked in rush and got to meet with the owner. Mr. Andrew, such a warm and kind person. He lead us to the dorm and while walking on the street he kindly told us the stories about Chinatown’s history. I actually have read about its history before visiting Chinatown and very impressed with The Deaf Street which has such amazing culture. Luckily that’s an old cultural habit to let people dying on the street. I can’t imagine if I had to see those view. After a long walk, we’ve arrived at our dorm.
If someone ask me and had to count how many kilos we’ve walked along the way, then my answer would be “It’s enough to burn calorie and lost 1-2 kgs weight in a day”. I am not just saying, because it was really far and long way we walked. At 3 p.m. we arrived at Changi and we got to the dorm at 8.40 p.m. From this experience, I thought that was called “Hardship will never betray someone” means. We’re strangers in Singapore, got to walk such long way and time, got to the wrong address of hostel, but after we arrived to the right address we found that we got better hostel, very comfortable, and free guide of Chinatown. Well, experience is penniless.
