An Expatriate's Diary A monthly column from a Malaysian expatriate in San Francisco

Ten past two... A bright and sunny Saturday in the Southland... Yeah right, I wished!!! Mr. El Nino is still having a firm grip on California...

OK, OK... So I have been very lazy... "Sue me" as the Americans would say. Without going into further detailed explanation (which is a good thing for the readers and myself) I humbly apologize for the disappearing act. And... I am back!!!!

My dear dear diary:

I cannot believe I am back in the States already, after two weeks of wonderful vacation at home. All the waiting... packing... re-packing... double-checking the packed luggage... and phone calls upon phone calls announcing my arrival... now it is all just a distant memory. Just go to show you life is, well, life. It goes on with or without you. Every now and then, friends will ask "How is it going?" Well, my motto nowadays is "It's gone without me."

I had a great time back in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, but the journey on the way there was also extra special. First and foremost, being a homeowner for the first time, I had the privilege of learning how to find a house-sitter. Someone to "watch the door" as my mother would put it. Luckily good friends are easy to find especially when you told them there will be gifts from Malaysia. Still, I have to make sure all the bills are paid on time since my vacation spanned the last week of May and the first week of June.

I have always traveled with Singapore Airlines but this time I tried EVA Airways of Taiwan. What a wonderful choice that was. First of all, my travel agent convinced me that by going with EVA Air I can save up to three hundred dollars (American green bags my friend. According to today's exchange rate... that would be twelve hundred Malaysian ringgit!!) Well, she did not have to spend a lot of time trying to convince me. Penangites are tight, isn't that like a fact in the World Almanac or something?

Anyway, the other "thing" that sold me on EVA was the transit arrangement (by the way, EVA did not pay me to talk about her, I wish she would though) - Three hours in Taipei and one hour in Singapore, a total of three four transit hours from Los Angeles to Penang. Absolutely un-heard-of!! I remembered wondering around Singapore's Changi Airport for up to seven hours waiting for my connecting flight to Penang the last time I traveled. Now, Changi is one of the most beautiful and efficient airport in the world, but after the first two hours it is beginning to close in on me.

And talk about on-time service!! The flight I was on departed on time plus minus two minutes. Another service that took this passenger by surprise, pleasantly! Announcements onboard was in four languages. Count it!! FOUR!! One of them is Hakka, my native tongue (the connection from Taipei to Singapore). I was so touched that I have to quickly wiped away my tears before others caught on. This may sound silly to you all out there, but for someone who have been away from home for a while anything about home can bring you down to your knees, instantaneously. Trust me!

The cabin crews were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, but then, to be fair, so are other airlines' cabin crews. Or at least I am sure they were all trained and asked by management, nicely, to be friendly and helpful. Well, the knowledgeable part is a bit pushing it, I think. The food... oh... CAN WE TALK? (Joan Rivers could not have said it better) The food is "why don't you slap me silly" good. But then I am the type of "weirdo" who really enjoy airline food services.

One thing to mention here is that I am especially impressed with EVA's "Deluxe Class". It costs about two hundred dollars more than Coach, and even lesser if you purchase your ticket through an agency. But let me tell ya, it is well worth the extra money. The seats are like those of the first class but of different fabrics (i.e. not leather). The leg rest allows close to 40 degrees reclining posture, and not to mention individual video set in front of every seat. The distance between seats is so generous and guaranteed no "hair pulling-head jerking back and forth" episode when the passenger directly behind you decides to go to the lavatory. I still have nightmare about serving tray pushed up against my tummy when the passenger in front decided to go to sleep while I am still enjoying my cup of java.

All and all, I have to give EVA a big thumbs-up and unless I am convinced otherwise, this is my new and most favorite transpacific airline. So, if all you readers out there are calling EVA to make reservation, please do not forget to tell the agent where you heard about the airline. I said it first, right here at "Expatriate Diary". Maybe, just maybe, I will receive a complimentary ticket to Penang. (Oh please, sweet Buddha, please! I have all my fingers and toes crossed!)

Anyway, I shall stop here for now. There will be more of my "home journey"... soon, I promised! I really have to forward this segment to the "iron-fist lady editor" before she does the AT&T "thing" on me (you know that Reach Out... Reach Out and Touch Someone theme, don't you?). Except in this case, she will do more than touch I am sure.

Till the next time, sweet dreams and I miss you all too... June, in San Francisco

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