Took me nearly 8 months to grasp what's been happening in my life after we left Myanmar. I barely remember the details, only some 'old' memories flashing inside my head and what's left written on my wife's blog. It's like a sudden flash, it's all happening too fast for me...

To make peace with my mind, I'm trying to trace the events one by one starting from last December 2005 when we were packing for our holiday. Don't know whether it's a hunch or else, but somehow I knew we're not going to come back ever again. Or was that maybe, unconsciously I was trying to assure myself not to come back? I just knew 125% that my wife felt the same, but we never discuss it. We just packed as much as we can as if we're already talked and agreed not to go back once we're out of there.

Ok, not want to leave a bad impression to Myanmar, it's really a nice and beautiful place, but just not for us. We actually know some of our dearest friends who enjoy living there. But again, it's not for us..

So the exodus trip began by first stopping at Bangkok. There was an olympic-like sport week run by the company each year for its employees. Short story, I played as one of the contingents from Myanmar and we as a team managed to get second prize in volleyball and first at tennis. But again frankly, time passed at Bangkok were not as enjoyable as we had before, especially because for the first time after we got married I had to leave my wife on her own. I had to go for a training and left the excessive baggage along with her on her trip to Jakarta.

As if I saw it coming, I wasn't very surprise when she called from the airport saying there were problems with the baggage. After an exhaustive-frustrated day and got bumped to the next morning's flight, she needed to stay for another night at the hotel, alone!. At that time I was thinking of cancelling my training and go with her back to Jakarta. But knowing she had more experience handling these kind of things than me I knew she can cope with it and handle it well enough. So there I left her alone and went for my training. Swadikha..

Mumbai and I, we kinda got on the wrong foot. First impression? Very bad. Got off from the plane to face a very long line of migration. Passed that and went to exit gateway only again to be faced with 'millions' of people. They were each holding a sign and shouting for the taxi, the hotels' names and other words I couldn't understand. I almost gave up looking for my hotel's sign when I saw a person coming out from the customs. I instantly knew he's from the same company as mine. Don't ask me how, I just knew and approached him right away. Turned out I was right and eventually I tagged along with him to the hotel

After a long and winding road and a close encounter with an elephant, I finally arrived at the hotel. First impression? Very bad (again?). Wanting to take a bath to washed away my tiredness I found only hot water available (no cold or warm one) and a toilet that can't be flushed! Yuck, how gross was that? Nothing more to tell about this hotel. It's simply not lived to its expectation. Found out on the next morning that I wasn't the only one who had complaints, funny there was a guy who complained he had only cold water! I told him we should combine our bath to have the warm one! At the end of the day the company decided to relocate us to another hotel.

The training went very well and I got to meet interesting people, they were great and if given more time, I'm sure I could learn a lot from them. Most of them already with the company for a minimum of 10 years! One guy even on his 17th year! Imagine that! Compare to me who's just on the end of my 4th year, I was like a toddler to him.

So the training days finally ended. Some of us stayed for another one or two days to cruise around the beautiful Mumbai. Me? I had enough. I passed seeing more elephant and tuk-tuk on the same road! Maybe some other time, when my mind stays put on my head. All I can think of was going back to Jakarta, trying to catch up the New Year's eve with my family!

To be continued...