Going JB This Labour Day? Then You Really Need to Know This Experience

So. You’re going to Malaysia this long weekend, because you’ve conquered all the food in Singapore.

If you’re driving, you’ll know what to expect: jams that would snake all the way from Woodlands to Sentosa (okay, an exaggeration, but you get what I mean), angry drivers scolding each other and most importantly, that bladder power you’ve never used since primary school (when, you know, going to toilet is such a paisay affair).

And if you think taking the bus is going to be easier, here’s my experience that you really have got to know.

Last year, during a long weekend, I thought it would be nice to go up north, because #longweekendgomalaysiaiscommon. Knowing that Friday night would be worse, I’ve decided to be a smart alec and went on a Saturday morning instead.

And I thought taking the bus would mean I won’t have to hold my bladder for hours.

Boy, was I wrong.

Firstly, on that morning, the bus in Kranji MRT Station didn’t come. Yes, despite waiting for an hour, it just didn’t come (or maybe one came). The queue there was soooooooo long, you didn’t even know where it started.

So, we had to resort to walking from Kranji MRT Station to the Checkpoint. And lest you wonder why I didn’t cab or Uber there, here’s the thing: taxi drivers apparently rejected us because they won’t be able to get near the checkpoint.

Now, that’s a 2.5 km walk…or a 32-minute walk.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a route march.

But that’s only the beginning.

After clearing the checkpoint, the number of people in the bus interchange is so high that it’s almost like walking in Artbox—you have to shove in order to move one metre. It seems like buses are not coming as the jam has made them stuck somewhere—I don’t know where, but just somewhere.

So, the gates were open and people were allowed to walk on the Causeway.

Yes, walking on the Causeway.

It isn’t romantic when there’re hundreds of people on the side of the Causeway, cursing and swearing as we walked from Singapore land to Malaysia land. I’ve thought of singing songs like “Training to be Soldier” to take away the pain in my feet (NS say one leh), but decided not to.

Here’s how long it takes, according to Google Maps.

The shortest distance is 122 km, and it takes about 13 hours for us—hey, wait. Google Maps don’t even calculate the walking distance, because by right, you don’t walk on the Causeway.

But…anyone who has walked that path (get it?) will know it takes roughly about 30 minutes or so. In other words, I’ve walked for almost an hour…and guess what?

It’s not the end.

Over at the JB CIQ, when practically everyone thinks it’s over, everyone gets a shock when they go up the escalator to the, you know, place that you “chop passport”: there’s no queue.

There’s no queue because it’s just like Artbox: the entire hall (if you’ve been there, you’ll know HOW big the hall is) is packed with people. The time taken there? About 3 to 4 hours, give or take.

Adding in breaks, the walk, the waiting of buses that never came and everything else…I can only say that I left home at around 8:00 a.m., and reached City Square at around 4:00 p.m.

Like what one of the people in the hall (trust me, when you queue for so long, you make friends) say, his lunch appointment with his JB kakis became a dinner appointment.

Just saying, you know.

Anyway, I lost maybe like 10 kg from the walk and gained back the 10 kg from the food because #JBfoodboleh.

Since you’re here, why not check out Goody Feed’s YouTube videos as well? They’re so Singaporean, I bet you’ll like them!

Featured Image: Facebook (新山路况情报站)

This article was first published on Goodyfeed.com

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