My early birthday celebration with family & friends before my trip to Goa, India. Thanks for making my “send-off” birthday dinners very special.
Hola! I’m now officially in my 30ish! 🙂 Being 30 is not that bad and being 30ish is still not that bad after all. And I think more spectacular things are yet to come in my days and ages to come. Just like what transpired recently on the exact day of my birthday – April fool’s Day. No kidding! I’m serious… it really became an “April-I’m-So-Full” Day!
I remember when I was a kid I always dreamt about traveling. That time, my dream place to visit was Egypt to see the Great Pyramids while Disneyland just came in second place. I never had the opportunity to travel outside the country until I reached the age of 24. But since then I was blessed to travel year in and year out. It was a dream come true. I was a late-travel-bloomer.
Every time I travel, I also have one wish – to experience being upgraded to Business Class or First Class. I always thought about what was happening behind the curtains in front of the Economy class.
On my trip to Jakarta, Indonesia last February (another answered prayer which can be read here), I was seated very near the Business Class area. I can almost smell the food and reach for that glass of champagne. I always took a peek whenever I had the opportunity (haha). I was curious what was going on behind the curtains. What made Business Class so special?
“The opening of the curtains…”
Last April 1, I had my wish come true! My friend and I had a work assignment to visit Goa, India. It was a short 4-day trip for the Goa International Travel Mart. We were there to represent the Philippines for Travelife Magazine. It was another surprise trip. I didn’t have any travel plans this year, but God kept on opening doors after doors for me to visit amazing places and meet wonderful people.
The curtains finally opened! I was now the one behind the curtains from a Business Class seat. It was such a great treat on my birthday – a birthday upgrade indeed! And Malaysia Airlines helped us enjoy and relax from our very long journey.
We flew in via Malaysia Airlines from Manila to Kuala Lumpur (for 3 hours and 35 minutes), from Kuala Lumpur to Mumbai (for another 4 hours and 55 minutes), and another local flight from Mumbai to Goa (for 1 hour and 5 minutes). For some, this kind of flying is not that bad at all. I know a lot of people from our group who had worse traveling schedule. But imagine all the transfers from different airports and aircrafts, the numbers of check ins and security checks, and the heavy load of all the baggage we need to carry, and not to mention all the waiting time in between flights – it was an imaginable tiring and long journey! We didn’t have any decent sleep.
But, thanks to Malaysia Airlines, we experienced luxury and first class travel. It was the kind of service that you’re treated with when you’re at a 5-star hotel. We were treated like royalties. It was a very memorable experience. 🙂 It was a blessing worth remembering, and an answered prayer and inspiration worth sharing.
Here are some of the photos that I took during my first Business Class experience via Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200. My favorite number – 777. 😉
The entire middle row was my “seat”. The seats here were wider and had great leg space (this is awesome especially for people like me). Our seats also had different seating positions that you can electronically adjust with preset buttons (sitting/normal, eating, lounging, and sleeping positions). I was able to make use of their LED reading light and 10.4-inch touch screen TV as well. What I missed was their light preset of 10 minutes massage!!!! Waaah!
Now, the meals and other good stuff…. 😉
My first meal on a Malaysia Airlines Business Class. My choice under their “Light” Meal Menu:
Appetizer – Green Mango Salad with Prawn
Bakery Selection (yummy breads)
Main Course – Poached Salmon in Cabbage Roll (with parsley potatoes, ratatouille and dill cream sauce)
For Dessert – Coconut Tapioca Pudding (with red beans)
God knows how much I love love love food!!! 🙂
Cheers! Champagne Deutz Brut Classic NV, France (floral notes followed by aromas of toast, marzipan, and ripe fruits complemented the freshness of the Chardonnay and the richness of the Pinot Noir. Full-bodied and elegant with silky texture). Ideal as an aperitif and to accompany variety of fish dishes, poultry, and white meats.
This was what I had with my salmon and some nuts while waiting. 😉
My gorgeous travel companion Ms. Angelica Bayona of Travelife Magazine. We made a toast on my birthday. 🙂 Didn’t realize it until our flight from KL to Mumbai haha!
For Dinner:
Appetizer – Seasonal Salad (with vinaigrette dressing)
Bakery Selection
Fresh Fruits
Beverages – Chateau Liversan AOC Haut-Medoc 2010, Bordeaux, France (feminine style of wine with hints of red petals intermixed with red cherries and slightly blacker currants. Excellent for steaks and roasted lamb.
Main Course – Narial Murgh (chicken cooked in coconut milk with ghee basmathi rice and black eye bean masala)
It was also the perfect time to watch all the good movies that I missed…
Catching up with the movies I missed. Watched “12 Years A Slave”, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (timely movie for an adventure), and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”.
Dessert: Nawabi Tukda (Indian Dessert in reduced milk sauce)
Our lounge pass at Malaysia Airlines “Golden Lounge” in KL was also a treat. They have a really nice space for spa, a relaxing room where you can sleep, a variety of buffet sets, and even a library.
Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge Satellite in KL
Nearly home… I won’t get out of this plane without having my lamb. 😉
Supper:
Methi Palak Coriander Gosht (lamb cooked in gravy of fenugreek, spinach and coriander leaves paste with herbs and served with chickpea mint basmathi rice and tempered lentils
Dessert: Gajar Ka Tukda with Rabdi (cardamom flavoured sweetened carrot dessert served on bed of rich reduced milk. With Gourmet coffee or tea.
And the best experience of all… was having one of my favorite Malaysian delicacies in flight – an all-you-can-eat SATAY!!! Winner indeed!
Appetizer (& even for Snacks):
Malaysian Satay (the Award-Winning Signature Dish of Malaysia Airlines) – charcoal hand grilled chicken and lamb skewers with peanut sauce and traditional accompaniments)
Hands down, our favorite…. 🙂
There are so many things to thank God for from being 30 to 30ish, from my seasons of mourning to my seasons of dancing. In all these things, one thing was certain – God has always been faithful. His plans are to prosper and to give a bright and wonderful future ahead of us. I know this because I was one of the recipients of this promise.
Traveling with Travelife Magazine
For more detailed account on our Malaysia Airlines experience, visit this article: http://www.travelifemagazine.com/2014/04/great-service-onboard-malaysia-airlines.html
Beautiful view of the sunset.
Cheers to another year of His faithfulness and grandeur! And a delectable toast to more places that we’re going to visit and to more memories that we’re going to experience together!
May you also experience (and recognize) God’s “upgrades” in your life. 🙂
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