The first time I flew on an aeroplane was when I studied 2nd year Mechanical Engineering in year 1979 and took a German proficiency course in University Malaya. With the arrangement of Herr Fleischer from the German Embassy through the help of my German language teacher Herr Volkmar Sturm, I was offered a 2 months training program (Ferien Beschaftigung) in Daimler Benz, the headquarter of Mercedes Benz in Stuttgart Germany. In Germany, in a train I met Mr. Wolfgang Wolber and subsequently her daughter Beate Wolber, who visited me in Malaysia with her friends many years ago and subsequently we lost contact. I only remember their home address was somewhere near Danziger strasse 3, Feldkirchen, Munchen!
I have height phobia since I was a small kid and my mum always had problem to persuade me and grab my hand tight just to cross a bridge above the Kampar river to a place called "Wah Loong" or "Wah Seong Kok", where one of my aunties lived ! Flying at such great height is definitely a no no to me. Whenever I fly I have to put my fear or phobia for height behind my mind and under my seat, and I always prefer, if possible to drive than to fly! In year 1991 I flew first time to US and during the landing in Chicago airport, it was snowing and the airport was filled with white snow all over, sitting inside a narrow body plane, it was a 737 I think, was a scary experience for me when the plane landed jerking violently and trembling all the way down the slippery airport runway, one could only see snow from the window and nothing else!
Another time was I returned from Shanghai to Penang while I was working in Suzhou, the plane already with its landing tire extended out, on a downward landing position and suddenly the pilot pulled up the plane away from the airport. I felt as though my heart was dropping out! The latest in year 2007 was when I flew with my colleagues from KLIA to Shanghai while taking on a position in Shandong province, and the plane pilot announced that the plane landing gear was having technical problem! We told ourselves that this is going to be the last time we fly if we ever have any other choice! Thank God that we eventually landed safely!
The furthest that I ever flew was from Malaysia to Mexico, that was 23 hours on the sky from KLIA to HongKong, Los Angeles, and El Paso Texas and it normally takes two days to arrive at the final destination, Juarez Mexico.
By the way, I spoke better Spanish than my German after my 3 years stay in Mexico though I had completed my 3 years Advanced German Proficiency course in University Malaya.
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