How to get the best deals on AirAsia

Air Asia's advertisements : As sweet as a boy's lips telling you he'll never break your heart. Sounds securely tempting, but you know you'll get screwed over in the process. 

If you are a frequent flyer with AirAsia, you will discover that it is almost impossible to score the deals that they promote on their advertisements. China for RM300? Or Singapore for RM50? After many attempts of getting the best deals online, I have discovered some tricks for buying your tickets, without hairpulling tantrums, and minimal swearing (and get a good deal while you’re at it!).

To pull this task off, you will need these important things :

1. A well updated diary/organizer/planner
2. A rough idea of how long you would want to stay in a place
3. Online banking account (with money inside, of course)
4. Stable and reliable internet.
5. A higher-than-normal patience (a yoga session before booking is highly recommended)

If you are like the other 85% of the world’s population with school, work or a schedule to keep up to, it is impossible to start buying random tickets without checking the schedule. Your diary should be in front of you during the booking to look for possible dates of travel.

Tip : do highlight the public holidays of Malaysia (or any other country you are flying into or out from) to detect if you can extend your stay.

More often than not, long weekends or holiday season is a rather difficult time to get a deal. So don’t keep your expectations high when buying the tickets during holiday seasons such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, New Year or Christmas. Include in the diary the festivals that happen at your destination to ensure that you do not miss anything special.

An illustration of how your diary should look like. Do take into consideration the classes you'll miss or the days you have to take leave in order for this to be possible. 

So in this example, if I leave on the 22nd for a 5d4n trip to Beijing, I will have to take 2 days off from work? Sounds possible, right?

Now, moving forward with the booking, opt for the dates that you do seem free in (double bonus if you are getting the ones on promotion)

Oh lookie look! KL-Beijing return airfare for RM1,200? Sounds cool? Now lets see how we can make sure this number remains at RM1,200.

1. Luggages. 

If you are relatively comfortable with travelling with only one backpack and not carrying any other form of luggages with you, then you don't have to spend money for the additional luggages. 

Tip : Bear in mind that there is a limit to the carry on luggage and AirAsia can be pretty strict about them. Make sure that you are only carrying in one bag (with the exception of ladies, you can bring in your handbag along) and that the bag does not weigh more than 7kg

Tip : If upon double checking, you discover you have exceeded the limit, buy your luggages at least 3 hours before your check in time. The rates are murderous after that.

AMOUNT SAVED : RM65 x 2 

                                        = RM 130

2. Add-on calories. 

I call them add on calories because they function like calories. They are hidden inside the little form of foods that you never think twice, and SHAZAM! you are fat like a Godzilla. Okay, maybe I suck at making metaphors but you get the idea right? 

These are the things that you should pay extra attention to :

• Red carpet services (RM 100)
• Food 
• Travel Insurance (RM34)
• Skybus (RM12)

Some of them are automatically added on, and thus, you have to pay attention and unclick them as you feel necesary. 

Tip : Save the food and the bus trip for later. Your plans might alter and the prices of the bus and the food are the same online as the are when you pay cash. 

Tip 2 : If you do plan on getting the travel insurance, please do pay attention and read all the clause (or if you are like my friends, find the lawyer friend (and give them hell) to read them for you). Personally, I have chosen not to travel with their travel insurance for reasons that I do not think their limited coverage is worth it. If you are contemplating on it, I suggest you read their policies on lost luggages and delayed flights. I doubt you'll ever click that button again. 

AMOUNT SAVED : RM 100 x 2 + RM 34 + RM 12

                            = RM 246

3. Seating Arrangements

Personally, I can sleep like a log on the plane. I have trained my brain to sleep the moment the cabin crew stands in front and takes out the yellow vest. Unless you are the sort who requires seating with your travel partner or if you are travelling with a child, I suggest that you skip the seating arrangements. 

This is the trickiest part of the whole transaction. You need to deliberately cancel out your seating, or they will consider your picked seat for RM35 (even if all you did was press Confirm)

Remember to unselect!

AMOUNT SAVED : RM 35 x 2

                           = RM 70

4. Payment method

If you can, do opt for the debit card or auto debit (Internet Banking), rather than the conventional credit card. For every flight for every person, they will charge you RM 16 per transaction. That means if you are buying a ticket for a family of four, you will spend an approximately RM128 for nothing. Direct debit has zero charges and you'll be good to go!

AMOUNT SAVED : RM16 x 2

                           = RM 32

So, if you have followed the tips correctly, you would have saved a total amount of 

RM 478.00

*insert sounds of applause here*

That amount can get me to and fro CAMBODIA for another happy pizza Angkor Wat trip!

Hope this was beneficial, and yes, you're welcome :D

ps : I didn't actually buy the tickets to Beijing as stated in the example because I am broke and unemployed at the moment  I just finished law school and I have to wait until my pupillage starts before I can even start dreaming about travelling again. However, if you (yes, you the one who is reading this) are somehow an eccentric billionaire who wants to spend money on young travel enthusiasts, you can definitely buy me the ticket above. Hahahaha. (no, seriously, I mean it) 

Love, 

;)

Kings Don't Cry

by Izzati Rahman

When the sun sets,

I take off my armour,

I take off my crown.

.

I let go of my limbs,

to feel the nakedness of the soul.

.

I leave my sword at the door.

.. “No use for defences now.”

.

Because when the sun sets,

When fathers return home

And when mothers greet them

You become invisible.

Invisible.

Leave your sword at the door.

Because no one is coming.

 .

When the sun sets,

The world darkens,

My scars come out.

.

When the sun sets,

At the blinding darkness,

At the howling of the wolves,

I let out a sigh,

And I brush off the tears.

I hold on to my cape,

In the loneliness of the eclipse,

The cape is the only thing left.

.

The cape.

Which blanketed my fears,

And kept me warm.

.

.

“Sleep tight thyself.”

.

Because when the sun comes up,

When the darkness is gone,

You will put on your armour,

With your red cape flowing,

At your back.

.

You'll put on the crown,

You'll smile.

You’ll be King again.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

And Kings don’t cry.

Backpacking with a HIJAB 101 - Part I

Backpacking with a HIJAB 101 – Part I

I have been meaning to write this piece for a very long time. But due to my terrible laziness and procrastination heavy schedule and attempts to save the world, I have finally decided to pen this piece down. Please do bear in mind that this guide is not an absolute guide, I just penned down the few tips I discover to be handful.

I’ve travelled both as a non-Hijabi and a Hijabi in my life. While most of my solitary travels begin after I started putting on my headscarf, I have learnt many unspoken rules and tips the hard way. So in this attempt to share some of it, I have divided this post into 4 different categories :-

1.        Packing the load
2.        Outdoor activities
3.        Airport Security
4.        General tips

1.       Packing the load

Packing the load includes picking out the right headscarf to wear, and tips of how to fold them with minimal creases and space consumption. So lets get to it!

• -          Know the weather of the destination of travel

Oh boy, did I learn this the hard way. I was in India in August ’11 (in her monsoon season) where I was donning on my favorite thick red Pashmina. Due to the weight, it holds great on my head. But halfway in Varanasi, I and my friend started to smell funny things. It smelled like a bad sandwich, not too strong, but the smell was pretty bad. So we started digging in our bags to see whether we  left a bad veggie burger. Suddenly she stopped, and said “Babe, it is coming from your headscarf”

Yes. Pashminas holds on to smells a lot. And considering the fact that we just came back from a body burning funeral ceremony, passed by countless cows and goats along the way, ran in the rain and had the headscarf air dried, it was no wonder it was holding up smell. (yea, sounds disgusting, but frankly, it  commonly takes place my dear).

At the base of Himalayas, in the village of Dharmsala. I was standing in the raining mist, before the damage happened.

So, it is very important to double check on rains, humidity level and temperature of the location of your travel. But to be honest (and to save you on the research) I can simplify this in one sentence. Go for cotton. They are amazing for all weathers; enough to keep you warm in cold climates, and cool enough for the hot summer spell and tropical climates, plus, they dry easily and they don’t crumple badly.

But if you will be travelling in a relatively cold climate, this will not be a problem.

In a Pashmina and freezing my brains out in Times Square, New York City.

Avoid silk scarves at all cost. No darling, the silk scarf Beyonce wore as a turban on her beach photoshoot will not look good on you on your trip across Cambodia. Silk scarves are extremely fragile, they stick to your skin when you sweat, and they crumple as easy as thin paper. They may look good for the first 20 minutes, but the moment the winds from the tuk tuk rides attacks you, when your forehead starts sweating and your underscarf starts running, you will look like you slabbed on paper mache on your head  messy. Plus, they require ironing and are sensitive to water and other liquids (trust me, this is a big deal).

So if you are planning to be eating crickets by the roadside of Phnom Penh under the scoarching sun, this is not a good idea.

(ps : Crickets taste good by the way)

They taste like paprika chips, I kid you not. 

• -           Your pins and underscarves are as important.

Treat your underscarves like you will treat a piece of underwear. If you refuse to repeat your underwear without washing, same rule should apply to your underscarves. They are in the layer between your hair and your headscarf, where most of your scalp sweats accumulate. Do not repeat your underscarves without washing it.

Pins are a matter of national security. No, I am not kidding. In Schiphol Aiport (Netherlands), my pins were forced to be removed and left behind because they were afraid I will poke the pilots with my pin and the plane will crash felt that it could be used as a weapon. When in airports, opt for bobby pins instead.

These pins are evil. Avoid in all costs during travel. Opt for bobby pins instead :

Less evil I assume

        

•   How not to lose your pins during travel

Find a tiny soft toy and pin them on it! This fish is so small that I also carry it around in my handbag everyday.  No longer will you spend time looking through the bottom of your backpack for it.

-          Pack it, with minimal crumples!

 1. Layout all the hijabs you plan to bring on the trip, and a sock for storage. (Yes, a sock)

2. Stack the hijabs onto each other, and make sure they are folded at the same width

 4. Start rolling them into a ball                            5. Put them into Mr Wolverine!

And you will have crumple free scarves, promise!

• -          Pack an Al-Amira

This will be explained below

2.       Outdoor activities

With the massive growth in the Islamic fashion industry, you see massive growth in headgear fashion and Islamic compliance swimwears. Personally I think its great that this area of art has expanded and many Muslim girls are able to express themselves through different styles of hijabs, but please, just because the drapes, the folds,  the long flowy ends with feathers diamonds and the origami flower sculpture you create on your head looks good for LookBook, it doesn’t mean its practical, especially for backpacking. Stick to the basics.

Personally, I do not own a Burqini, and I do not plan to own one. I feel that you can create the same coverage with everyday clothes, that you can recycle in your bag to save up space. For swimming, I usually wear black leggings, an oversized black t shirt, hand covers and an Al Amira. And this outfit has survived cliff divings, paraglidings, parasailings and snorkeling. I personally feel that the Burqini takes up too much space and is overpriced. But hey, that’s just me.

The said outfit, parasailing near Mamutik Islands 

Important note : In all such activities, please avoid all form of difficult or complicated hijab styles. The general rule I follow is If you need to fold it, wrap it, put too much pins on it, it is too dangerous for you. During my paragliding stint in the Himalayas in Dharmsala, my headscarf’s pin got stuck to the parachute’s gear. Thank God it did not affect my landing and the pin could be pulled off without damaging the gear, but it was a close call. Thus, I would suggest all you Hijabi travellers to invest in an Al-Amira (which also goes by different names like the 2 piece Hijab, Tudung Syria, etc) They are the safest bet on it.

The Al-Amira (photo courtesy of www.muslimbase.com)

Part II will comprise of dealing with Airport Security and General Tips. Wait for it!

17 Crazy months

Life is one crazy journey. 

17 months, 15 countries. 

And because I am a procrastinator extraordinaire,

I shall give you :

15 countries, 17 months,

I post. 

;) 

So, what have you been up to the past 17 months?

Right there where it hurts.

I want to run to you,
Fall right into your arms and cry.

I want you to wipe away my tears,
and tell me that the wait is over.
Tell me that you've finally found me,
and I've finally found you.

I'd pick up my car keys,
I'd hear my engine roar.
I would drive a million miles,
to where you are.

I'd tell you all that you've missed,
And we'd fill the future with what you didn't.
We'd be strangers, who knew everything but one,
"why weren't you here before?"

If.
If only I know who you are,
or rather,
If only you know who I am.
This search wouldn't be so painful.

So, whoever you may be,
come home soon.
I miss you,
though I have never known you.

Photo taken at Mahallah Nusaibah,

International Islamic University.

Thank You Stranger

I pushed the glass door and felt the rush of the 7 Eleven’s AC on my face. My headscarf drooped a bit, and I could feel the strands of my hair flying across my forehead. I slowly brushed my hair, corrected my headscarf and gripped my handbag.

It is gonna be a long night, I told myself. Images of me falling asleep with my cheek on the cold metal table, highlighters strewn all over the table, and coffee stains on my papers filled my head.

I should really stop doing things at the very last minute.

I headed to the beverage section, and took out two mineral water bottles. Two very overpriced mineral water bottles.

Why can’t we drink water directly from the tap like Europe again?

Bottles in hand, I walked to my favorite part of that 7 Eleven. The Caramel Cappuccino machine. There was a man standing in front of me. Jeans, sneakers and a red tshirt. He grabbed a 12 oz. cup, looked up, and gave me a crooked smile.

“I’m sorry, are you getting the coffee?”

“yes I am, but its okay, go ahead”

“Its okay, you can get yours first”

“no really, I insist. Go ahead”

Didn’t want to feel so awkward, I walked to the cashier and put the two water bottles on the counter, smiling to myself looking at the stupid condom advertisements next to the Chupa Chupps lollipop stand.

I headed back to the coffee machine. The stranger was stirring his coffee, while searching for the coffee cup cover.

I pressed the 12 oz. button, and nothing happened.

I pressed it again. Again nothing happened.

I sighed.

The stranger looked at me, puts his coffee down, and called the 7E cashier. Grunting, the cashier walked grumpily and told me that the coffee machine was probably out. Like an automatic response, I sighed and frowned for a bit.

The stranger looked at me with guilt on his face.

                “I’m sorry, you can have mine. But I already took a sip out of it”

“No, no, its okay. They’re probably out. It will only take 10 minutes to refill”

The stranger smiled, and left.

I walked through the magazine section and read a gossip column while waiting for the cashier to refill the machine. I saw the stranger walked into his car.

Nice ride.

Halfway through Kim Kardashian’s page, the cashier called me and told me that the machine was fixed. I put down the magazine, and head over to the coffee machine, and pressed 12 oz.

And a piece of heaven came out and filled that empty cup.

I grabbed the coffee cup and headed to the counter, where the second cashier stood.

“Caramel Cappucino satu, and air mineral.”

I searched through my purse to look for small change when the cashier said

“But the guy who just left just paid for all your items”

:)

There are times life throws at you ugly bastards who breaks your heart and leaves you crying. And just when you are ready to give up on them, life leaves you little surprises, asking you to keep on having faith. Sort of a little whisper reminding you, He's out there, somewhere.

Thank you stranger, and I hope to see you again.  

One.

Words of a different chapter, but all from the same book.

I contemplated doing this again. Writing down emotions that might as well be bottled up inside. I worried doing this again. Flashbacks of horrid memories haunt me by day only to continue at night.  I questioned myself, on why had I found solace in words, and not in other things. I pondered, wondered, scribbled quotes on empty sheets of paper, only to realize that I should be here.

Welcome.

Call me the raindancer.

Raindancer?

Its funny how I can relate a lot to raindancing. I’ve only seen the real dance once. Done by a friend of mine from Africa. She twirled, dance, chanted, sang on top of her lungs. She told stories, of how her ancestors did it. I could remember how fast her barefooted feet danced on the maroon polka dotted carpet. I could remember how stunned I was, to be so interested in it for years, but only manage to see it at the ending of my 19^th year.  

My name? No, that’s not important. And that’s not why I’m here.

Why are you here anyway?

I am here to tell my story. I am here to tell myself the story about the girl that I’ve lived with forever, that I look at in the mirror every day, and yet I know nothing about her. I am here to tell my formation of words, the pain behind growth, the tears behind the laughter, broken dreams, plastered hearts, but most importantly, the faith above it all.

Hello.