DHANENDRAN

An enjoyable journey 4th April, 2020

I once took a bus journey from Johor Bahru to Penang during my school holidays. I was on my
way to meet my family who had already gone there ahead of me. Gathering in Penang during
the December holidays is a yearly routine for my family, as my grandparents were originally
natives of the island before moving to Johor in the early 1950s. This was the first time that I was
travelling on my own and I was a little apprehensive.
But the different sceneries that I was watching to along the way silenced my breaths. When we
were driving through Johor Bahru, I noted the modern and bustling city that it had become. The
buildings were all beautiful and tall, with estate sporting a different identity. Then, the
landscape changed as the bus drove along oil palm plantations. The air of serenity and the
endless stretch of green were unbelievable. I usually travelled by airline to Penang with my
parents, and now knew what I had missed all this time. I was also treated to neatly planted rows
of coconut trees swaying gracefully in the wind, as well as the heavy red fruit of the oil palms
neatly seated along the road for collection by the lorries.
Then the bus passed a stretch of sea as it went along the coast. The sight of the sun’s rays
bouncing on the waves to form a glittering bed of blue and green was absolutely beautiful. I was
enjoying myself so much just watching the scenery that I did not realise that my stomach was
screaming in hunger. The bus stopped at the famous market-Pasar Bazaar where hawkers had
set up little stalls to sell their wares. I got down the bus and treated myself to a juicy Ramly
burger, legendary for its scrumptious taste. If my mother was there with me, I would never have
been allowed to buy it since she do not allows me to eat OILY foods. So I enjoyed my freedom
greatly for a while.
By this time, I had made friends with two other boys who were travelling up to Butterworth for
the holidays. We struck up a conversation and got along well once we realized that we had a lot
in common. Together, we went round the Bazaar looking at the wares on sale and eating all the
oily but tasty food that were cooked on the spot for us. We had a really interesting but
unhealthy time!
When the bus finally reached the depot where I was to take a ferry across to Penang. I had the
pleasure of knowing I had benefited greatly from the journey. I had made two new friends,
while feasting both physically as well as visually. It was really an enjoyable trip!