I have just recently traveled alone to Sabah for 10 days. Along my journey, many have repeatedly asked the same question, “Why I choose to travel alone? Aren’t I afraid to travel alone and something might happen? Don’t your mom say anything that you are sleeping in mix dorm? Aren’t you afraid that something will happen or someone will do something to you?”
And I did realized for the fact that this questions was only posted on me for three main possibilities:
1. I am female
2. I am Malaysian (Indian) and its weird that my parents are allowing me to travel alone and sleep in mix dorm
3. I am female Malaysian indian in my late twenties and I should be traveling with my boyfriend/husband rather then traveling alone.
Then, I was in the jungle for three days and both foreigners as well as locals circulated the same question. Of course this time when the question was being posted in the middle of the jungle, at 2.00 a.m while your are animal watching, it does sound creepy all right! But yet, I had so much faith in everything that being afraid was not even an option. This is for the fact that
1. I was still in Malaysia and I speak the same language; and
2. I have been there before.
So being afraid seems unnecessary. And with god grace, nothing did happen.
Of course, the curiosity of people never end and the same questioned circulated once again upon my arrival. Just when i thought I have said enough about my bravery, my parents left 10 days to Egypt and i soon discover that i am not brave at all.
The 10 days turned out to be a real nightmare, nightmare that caused by dear old Rusty. Previously I use to just take him around my housing area, which was really safe. But due to some bad incidents with neighbors, we started to bring him away form my housing area to main road just couple of minutes way from my house where 99% of the time the street light fails to be on.
Usually I park my car at the corner of the street and take him for the walk. If he is really in hurry, he will just simply do his business near by. If not, we go for walk. And we walk and walk and walk away from my car, away from people towards an isolated place. At times it so quiet and dark, one will never know if a stranger is passing by. And at times they are so loud, Rusty refuses to get in the car and will wait till they walk by us. Luckily, many just walks away. At times I was afraid neither one will do something, so I started the habit of caring an umbrella.
Nevertheless, worst things did happen. People and police stalked at my car and myself; stranger, drunker and even little boys were disturbing and giving funny faces and even stray dogs decided to growl and bully us. The truth was that I was afraid for real. I was so afraid something will happen, I am not sure what to protect, my car for abandoning it, my dog that keen on jumping on strangers and bikes and my self. And I was afraid for the fact that if anything happens, I have no justification, as everything would be my fault. But I was helpless and my dog was useless. Poor thing, got so much of scolding and smacking from me.
The car...
Rusty...
or Me..
I realized, for the fact that I had no faith in past 10 dyas. Seriously, this is where the question of safe pops out. How safe is safe nowadays:
1. Is it safe being alone on backpacking journey;
2. traveling alone in the jungle
3. Sharing mix dorms
4. Driving to the airport; or
5. Simply walking alone late night with dog by your side just couple of meters away form home!
It sure sums on one thing, the city is not a safe place to live anymore.
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