Its week 2 for us here - I already miss my children like hell! But, as promised, I will tell more about my first Milan trip...
12 June 2010, after we came down from the mountains, it was still early, about 11am. We decided to go straight to Milan. Luckily our GPS help us a lot. I set to Milan Centro, and asked Zaiful to follow the directions given. Its about 45 minutes drive. And finally, I saw the board "Milano" ... yes... we arrived in Milan - but not yet the center. At this moment, we didnt know what is the main attraction for tourists in Milan. As far as I am concern, Milan is a City of Fashion! and that is all! Well, with that, we continue to drive until the GPS said "you have arrived at your destination"...
I would like to go in details but - just to make it short... let the pictures says it all ...
We started our ground school for the AW 139 acft - Later on, I found that, the aircraft have a very sophisticated instruments - which make all the "other" aircrafts I have flown before looks old... old enough to be in the museum! For me, I found that, its very hard for me to understand the new systems introduced. After all, I have only 2 weeks to get things in hand.
Our class consists of 16 people - 5 of us from MMEA, 2 from Oman Police, 2 from Greece Police, and the rest I cant remember but - all of them are pilots from various countries. First 5 days were uneventful. The class starts at 0900H and finish at 1630H with lunch break at 1300h till 1400h. We were told that lunch is provided but - for muslims like us, I found a hard time going for lunch. The food were good but they mix the pork together with the other meat (turkey and fish). Finally, I only have bread and cheese plus coke. After a few days, we decided to go out during lunch, looking out for halal food. Eventually, they are two muslim "restaurant" and one shop selling raw meat (beef and chicken). Mostly, they were from Morrocco. They speak Italian fluently (and of course Arab) but not English! But - we manage to order some kebab for lunch with "sign languages" and a little Italian word. We also found out that - there IS a surau nearby (just across the street) and we did our Zohor after the lunch. It is said that - the surau were once used to perform Solat Jumaat -but the authority said that - its not proper for the place to perform Solat Jumaat because it is too near to the street and that, every Solat Jumaat, the people will take over the street (its a main street!) to perform Solat Jumaat. Since then, local people perform their Solat Jumaat somewhere else...
Just a few names to remember - Abdul Halim and Kamal for the Kebab's shop and Khalil for the surau.
And since then, almost every lunch time we went for the kebabs... (you dont want to know the price...)
Come first weekend (Saturday), Zaiful, Sabar and myself decided to go to look for a place with snow... We took off at 4am (yes, in the morning!) - for "The Mission"...
Using the GPS, we found the mentioned place - but since it is summer, the local said that - there are no snow available - and the mountains with snow is closed for public! Sadly, we still go on with the journey - just to take a few more pictures. And when were on top, we found out the locals were right after all. The place is closed for publics. Actually during winter, this place is packed with tourists from all over the world. They went up there using the cable cars provided. But since it is closed, the cable cars were there, just hanging over the cables....
BUT >>> since it is a high terrain place, of course there are still snow somewhere. And we found a few patches of snow!!! Ha ha... a few patch of snow s more than enough for us to enjoy our success!!! We packed some snows, throwing each other and I even slide on the snow ...! Biasa la orang Melayu jumpa snow.... After tired with the snow, we decided to go back - but its still early (almost 11am) ... hmm... where else to go but.... Milan! heh heh ...
We arrived at KLIA 1920H for the departure. After solat maghrib at the airport surau, we went to the counter to check-in. After sorted out the luggage problems (the luggages were over weight) we were given our boarding pass.
2100h: After a lot of goodbyes, hugs and kisses and also reminders, we went to the departure hall…. But it’s the Golden Lounge for us. It’s not the first time I went to the Golden Lounge and it hasn’t change much…
2300h: we are supposed to board at 2320h but we decided to check out from the Golden Lounge earlier. I managed to convert a few Malaysian Ringgit to Euro … I got only 30euros. To make it short, we boarded the 777 aircraft smoothly. The captain announces that the flight will be delayed about 15 minutes due to … I don’t know why, and I don’t care much about it. And here again, after a few trip to overseas, I am in the business class again … heh heh …and I make myself at home ! Not much to do during the trip. After having the business class supper, watch the movie about sons-of-god-become-hero, I fell asleep and woke up just about three hours from the estimate landing time. In short, after the business class breakfast, the aircraft prepared to land.
06 June 2010 At exactly 0540h, we were landed at Rome! We don’t bother about the luggage because we check them in directly to Milan. After strolling pass thru the customs and immigrations and Terminal 3, we headed to Terminal 1 where our next flight will be (to Milan). Its still very early in the morning and its Sunday … so not much movement in the Terminal 1. We were suppose to check-in 1220h – but since there were nothing else to do (plus tired of hanging around the Terminal), we decided to check-in earlier. After checked in, we went to the departure hall. And yes. Our gamble is worth it. There’s more shops and activities in the departure hall. We had a light breakfast at McDonald’s (we were having harsh brown each) and chatting to kill the time. Finally, at 1255h, we were boarding the MD (McDonnell Douglas aircraft) to Milan Malpensa! Yaayyy !!! Our flight suppose to take-off at 1320h and landed about 1 hour 20 minutes later … since we were still having the jet lag, I fell asleep during waiting for the aircraft to taxy out. Suddenly I woke up and .. we were still at the same place! Yes, the aircraft is not moving and … guess what .. the captain told the passengers, briefly, about the reason of delay and its in Italiano (hmm… so much to do with the “considerations”!). The aircraft finally moved out (at least!) at 1405h (almost 30 minutes delay!) and we took off… yes, finally! 1500h: The aircraft landed Milano Malpensa Airport (Aeroporto Malpensa) with everybody was praying for their life during final! I think its must be the new pilot who was handling the aircraft! How I wish they do it to some other aircraft instead of mine! After got out from the aircraft, we went to pickup our luggages. Its funny when I found out that my luggage was the first luggage to come out from the conveyer! In brief, we got out from the Terminal and looking out for the car rental. The company (Agusta Westland) suppose to sent their representative to assist us to our hotel and facilitate with the car renting, but there was none. We re on our own now.
We manage for the car rental that have been booked earlier and try to look out for the car... After a while, the reps still not there and after a few phone calls, they finally assigned one bus for us to follow. Actually its the bus driver who suppose to greet us at the airport, but it seems that he have to greet a few students from Egypt (just like us, attending the course). The address is: Via Cognolia, Castelletto Sopra Ticino (not even related to "Milan") and the apartment is CalAlbergo.
1730h: We checked in, and got outself one room for each of us. All the luggage with food, were sent to my room and that means, my room is the cook house- and also the "dining" room for five of us.
They decided to go out to a supermarket nearby ("Bennet"), to buy a few things. Myself, preparing my room (to be converted into "cook house"...) which is offloading all the food that we brought along.
1930h: For dinner, we had nasi goreng and sardines.
2000h: I decided to go out with Zaiful to explore roads and nearby town. Later on we found out that our apartment (the town we lived in) is nearby a big lake (I can say that it is as big as Shah Alam!) - but I still yet to find the name of the lake.
2120h: We came back to our apartment, and its just nice for Maghrib. Isya' will be at 2330h and Subuh at 0320h. Since syuruk is at 0520h, I set my alarm at 0500h before went to sleep.
So much for the first day, will continue later... good night all.
