Tag: labuan

a window of opportunity

Date: (March 2020) A week before life as we knew it changed.

Location: On a ferry from Labuan to Sabah

Mid-March 2020, my grandfather celebrated his 71st birthday as he visited Labuan Federal Territory. This trip marked his completion of visiting all the 14 states of Malaysia. I’m very glad I got to do it with him.

Since that trip, I’ve only seen him once and even that was only for an overnight stay.

During our Labuan trip we knew the unavoidable was coming. The virus had already hit China and was rapidly spreading. It wouldn’t be long before it hit our country. However, what nobody could expect was the impact of the virus. Thus, nobody was prepared for it. I naively assumed it would be over in a few months, yet here we are in our third lockdown with thousands of cases daily. I still naively hope that we will be in the clear soon. My greatest wish of last year was to be able to spend Christmas with my family. It didn’t happen. Despite that, my greatest wish this year is still the same.

I frequently contact my grandparents through video chat but it’s just not the same as being in their arms.

I love looking back at photos from my previous trips. Even photos as insignificant as this window on a ferry, brings me back to a time where I could feel the sea breeze on my face and wrap my arms around my grandpa.

lanterns at Labuan

2 weeks before my country announced a movement control order due to the Covid-19 outbreak, my family and I took a trip to Labuan Island. It was a 2 hour drive from our home to the jetty in a small town and then another 2 hour ferry ride to Labuan Island. It was not my first trip to this island but it was a first for my grandfather. He had visited all the states in Malaysia except Labuan Federal Territory. He had always planned to visit with my grandmother but unfortunately she passed away before he had the chance to. To fulfill my grandfather’s adventure across the country, we took him there on the weekend before his birthday. We spent one night there. It was a lot of fun to visit the small shops in town, the botanical garden, the beach and the Labuan War Memorial for the soldiers of WW2.

This photo is of lanterns outside of a Chinese shop open at 10pm. My family and I were headed to the shop next door to buy some snacks. These lanterns caught my eye as I was looking away from the glances of the tipsy men at the shop.