Solo Journey To Stockholm‏

Day 8 (17 November 2006). Hemmm.... SOLO or SOH LOU [??](I think should be Soh Neoi [??] for me = Silly Girl in Cantonese) ???

The Amsterdam canal ride took 2nd quarter of the day (the Volendam package was via Lindbergh Excursion - thought it might help) since we woke up late, got our lunch and did a little bit of shopping before the beginning of my new Scandinavia journey.

SCARY!!!!! And worried too! First time flying in Europe alone (despite it's only a 2-3 hours flight - me so The DRAMA QUEEN). After all, it's only a plane ride mah... what's the big deal. Well... taking into consideration :-

1. Flying to Scandinavia country which supposedly colder the Europe and the fact that I don't think my entire luggage suit this weather (What was I thinking!)
2. Departing Amsterdam at night meaning I will arrive Stockholm even later at night (darkness disorientation - is there even such word)
3. Single, cute, female arriving at almost midnight - will it be safe to take a cab to Kista? (Worry..worry..worry..)
4. Does the cabbie knows how to get moi SAFELY to Kista - Elaine's house (Lagi lar I scared scared scared)
5. Will I be cheated by Mr. Cabbie

Hemm... did I ever tell you am a semi-high-paranoid-cute-travelholic (hahahhaa... selective paranoia lar), however... upon arriving to Arlanda airport I realised :-

1. Weather was bearable, unless the wind start whooooooshing
2. Not that big an airport as Paris, hence - easy peasy
3. Strangely - VERY safe (base on my personal experience lar)
4. NO! They have navigator/GPS
5. Elaine told me it should not cost more the 300 kr (Kronor) and to take a specific coloured cab (Thanks dearie!)

Panic for no reason hor... such a waste of my time. HOWEVER, my journey in the cab was quite interesting (well, at least to me lar... who cares about the rest mah... ehhehehe).

Cut the story short - landed at the airport, gotten my luggage, look for the exit and cab stand, found it and that where the story starts... jeng jeng jeng

Panic for no reason hor... such a waste of my time. HOWEVER, my journey in the cab was quite interesting (well, at least to me lar... who cares about the rest mah... ehhehehe).

Cut the story short - landed at the airport, gotten my luggage, look for the exit and cab stand, found it and that where the story starts... jeng jeng jeng

Gotten into the cab, what do you know - driver and not Mat Salleh (Caucasian). Hemmm... I was thinking to myself, this will be like chicken & duck talk lar. As usual, I brave myself (yeah right Lily!) and as him to take me to Kista, Elaine was also very kind in emailing me a her MOBILE #, MAP, FULL ADDRESS (Hey! I still kept it - mana lar tahu; incase I get to migrate to Sweden [PRAY PRAY PRAY]). As I was saying, the cab driver was a Tunisia or Algerian, speaks minimal English (Oh No! Kantoi!), I told him that I wanna go to Kista, he look at me one kind, I remembered saying to myself (SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!) - pull out the address cum map and pass it to him. He said "Ahhhh....", not sure was that delight ie 'you-have-the-address-&-map' or 'you're-not-so-stupid-after-all' - Ahhhh (I would like to think the earlier though, for my own self-consoling self).

Cabbie IGNORED my map.... WHAT...!!! He keyed-in the address on his navigator (mind you, at this point [ie 2006] Malaysia is not big on GPS), and he start driving... and I pulak start memorising the road, just incase I got kidnap - been watching too much CSI & Criminal Minds :P . After about 10 mins of driving in the drizzling rain (which seems like ages to me), I peep at the navigator, it seems he is following the right road; felt abit calm. BUUUUUUUUT guess what, as I glance at the speedometer, it was showing at 160 km/h, the cab is super FAST and I am darn FURIOUS (more like kecut perut like it). I mean.... I don't want to meet up with accident in foreign land right!?!? I asked Mr. Cabbie "politely" to please drive slower, he of course slowed down - only slightly (PHEW!)

I soon to realise we were entering apartment area and begin to wonder which one is Elaine's apartment, there's quite a number of blocks and at night how to see lar. In fact, I don't even know whether I've reached Kista, it is possible for me to be Cista or Mista or Lista - how would I know mah... Then RIGHT IN FRONT of one of the apartment block, the cabby HALTED; "he got lost is it?" me started to get panic thinking about it.

I asked him in as simple English as possible.

"Have we arrive?", of course I wanted to say the standard "Are we there yet?" thingy but I thought he might get annoyed.
"Yes! Yes! We here", he replied.
"Which building? Which one?" I ask again.
"This one" pointing to the building next to his cab.
"You sure?" Doubtfully I ask - am I suppose to trust GPS? (Ignorant talking here, I just learnt recently that am suppose to lar)
"YES!" He open the car door, when to the building door, point to me Lim Residence.

WAAAAAH!!!! SO ACCURATE one this navigator! Malaysia cab should have these stuff install, will do Malaysia good by tourist standard (AND locals).

"Oh! OK! OK! Thank you" sheepishly I said.

:P

Well Elaine! That's my ordeal getting to Kista.

:D

Hyperlink Credits : Wikipedia, Kista.com, Lindbergh, Cantonese.sheik, Stockholm Arlanda Airport