A conversation with my good friend, Stefen

Yesterday, I asked my friend, Stefen Chow whom I know him through "Make-It-Real Programme" which is organised by NUS and SMF (Singapore Mountaineering Federation). This programme encouraged NUS students regardless of sex, races or fitness level to join in this challenging programme which requires them to scale 14th highest mountain in the world, Xixabangma.

Stefen has scaled Xixabangma and the world tallest mountain Mount Everest successfully. It was such a lauded achievement that Stefen has ever achieved at his young age of 24. He is one of the 3 team members who successfully scaled the Mount Everest. It is definitely once-in-a-lifetime moment that should be relished with the full ounce of energy that no one from Singapore at this young age has ever conquered the Mount Everest. As for myself, I was being dwarfed by his great achievement and yet when we met each other, I was simply bowled over by his great humility that he is just an ordinary mortal who has his big dream.


So, we arranged to meet up at the Food Republic at 7:30pm and I tapped on his shoulder, saying Сайн байна уу "Sain Ba Nu". Then I asked him whether he could catch what I am whispering to his ear. He shook his head while keeping his cheerful disposition. I repeated "Сайн байна уу" and I explained it means "Hello" in Mongolian. His face lit up with his bushy eyebrows pulling backwards from his eyes as he tried to pronounced this word. And then I added 2 more Mongolian phrase words "Баярлалаа"(Bayarla), Thank you and "Баяртай" (Bayartai) Goodbye. He seemed to be awed by new linguisitic vocabularies as I always am so keen to learn different foreign languages. Then he said "नमस्ते" (Namaste) with his both hands clasped together. I immediately clapsed my hands and said "नमस्ते" (Hello in Nepali). We both laughed together as we had been to Nepal before. I went to Nepal to scale Annapurna Circuit for 1 month on my solo expedition.


We ordered our food and I started my conversation with him. I asked what he was doing for past few months. His hair seemed to be longer than before when I met him before I departed on my second half clipper race from Singapore to Qingdao. He told me that he is now working as a SPH photographer for 3 mths. He is doing his photography assignment for the New Paper and containing my excitment to interrupt, I said "Wow, that is good as you always want to be a photgrapher".Then I shared my personal odyssey from Singapore to Qingdao. He listened intensely while eating his mee poh. I shared that when we left Singapore, the wind speed had picked up and the boat sliced through the sea at higher speed unlike the first half of the leg. However, after 1 week out on the sea, the Glasgow Clipper ran into the technical problem with the rudder. I posed a question to him whether he knew what the rudder was. He nodded and I further explained that the rudder had been severely damaged and there was a big hole on the hull of the boat. The Glasgow crew had to abort its plan to continue the leg to Qingdao and went to Subic Bay in Philippines. The news of Glasgow's abort of the journey, has prompted the rest of the boats to double check with their hulls and it turned out that 7 out of 10 boats had the same problems. Only Singapore and other 2 boats were not affected but still all 10 boats must go to Subic Bay for their thorough investigation of the technical problems. Stefen quipped that what would happen to the rest of the leg. I explained that whilst we travelled to Subic Bay, the repairmen found out that these affected boats had to remain in Subic Bay for more than 1 month affecting many crew members' plans including mine. Many of them were, of course, disappointed and given 2 options : Clipper would pay them to fly home and when the boats were ready to sail, the Clipper would pay for their return trip. For the rest, the Clipper would foot the air-fare ticket to fly from Manila to Qingdao. So, I opted for the second option as I had my travel plans. So, I arranged with the Clipper management that I needed to go to HK the day after. So, the Clipper reverted to me that they could only get the air ticket next monday. Refusing to give in to their alternatives, I made a white lie to them that I had a Hong Kong friend who had a major heart operation and I had to be there in HK. The Clipper, on hearing my believable pleas, relented and tried her best to negotiate to get the early flight. Within 2 hours, the Clipper confirmed my flight out of Manilia to HK. Brimming with delight that the Clipper was fooled by my lie, I quickly packed my stuff and hailed the taxi to Manila which was 5 hours' away. Stefen rolled his eyes with his smile, thinking that I dared to make a childish white lie. I continued to share with him about my bad experience in Manila Airport.


When I arrived at Manila Airport, I checked in the Cathay Pacific counter with the hand-written paper with the air flight information and booking reference number. I explained to the Filippino staff that I had a hearing problem and I did not have an air ticket. I only just booked the air ticket a couple of hours ago and I, therefore, had a booking reference. She refused to accept the e-ticket booking and the airport only accepted the air ticket. She said "No air ticket, no boarding pass" with an air of arrogance and averted glaze. I was furious at her vile customer-service being rendered to me without any tinge of consideration and respect. I wished to yell at her for being rude to me but I held myself. I persuaded her to call the Clipper for me as I could not hear. She snapped "No" with no suggestions without even saying a simple word "Sorry" which is always used when we cannot fulful customers' satisfaction. I simply could not understand her behavious as if I had owed her a big thing in my previous life or we were arch enemies. Stefen raised his eyebrows as if he could not believe his eyes. Exactly, if anyone hears this story about these insolent CATHAY PACIFIC STAFF which is consistently rated one the best in the world, it is really disappointing to note that the customer service rendered by these staff is far below my expectation. Then I approached the other staff and I was horrifed that she also behaved the same thing as that horrid girl. Giving up on those staff, I went to the end of the counter row and I tried to rake through my brain. Surely, I could not just stay there and do nothing. I had to do something to salvage this situation and saw a staff who seemed not to be busy. I accosted her and explained my situation to her in a gentle voice. Luckily, she responded to my desparate help very well and she managed to get the boarding pass after confirmation with the tour agency in India. After being issued a boarding pass, I realised that I had only 5 minutes before the gate closed. I had to rush to the check in area and I was stopped by the immigration custom officer that I must pay the airport tax. Realising that I had no Filippino money as I used up all the money to pay for the taxi fare, I rushed to the bank nearly. To my deep chagrin, the bank was closed because it was only opened from 8am. I had to rush outside to draw money from ATM machine and I had only 2 minutes left. It was really time-bomb situation which anytime threatened with a menacing thought that my flight would dump me here in this dreary airport. I rushed through the immigration counter and finally the gate closed just before I dashed into the aerobridge. Stefen concurred with me that I had a very harrowing experience at Manila Airport and then I flew to HK to meet my mother who was there for taiji competition. Then I flew to Qingdao alone then to Beijing and then took Trans Siberia Railway from Beijing to Ulaanbatar, crossing the Gobi Desert. When I came out of the train, Siberian wind slapped me hard with icy biting cold sensation that my ears nearly went red. I asked Stefen what the coldest temperature he had ever experienced. He replied "-60 degree celsius" whilst over there, Ulaanbatar is a open-spaced city with few mountains to break the wind. So that is why the temperature could dip to -30 or -40 degree celsius.Then I shared my experience living in ger camp and he was amazed by interesting anecdotes.

[Later on, I will continue my story cos I need to go for my running training. Come back again to read my story...Hee] Byee!!!!