Air Asia

Special mention for the "best low cost carrier in the world" (Copyright: Asia-lover scuba diving friend).

Purchased for 1 ringit (25 Eurocents), inspired by Ryanair business model, so far it managed not to become the pain in the neck the Irish carrier has converted itself into.

Air Asia gives you an assigned seat - although probably the last you would have chosen. It does not oblige you to put your handbag, computer and sandwiches all in one cabine luggage. It sells real food on board and has the best flight attendants ever: not trying to sell you lottery tickets, not making noises or trumpeted announcements and wearing jeans and cute slim-fit shirts.

Perhaps, after you have tried Ryanair, you just get happy with small things.

Feelomaysia

And then, there was the time I landed in Asia.

I had not been too attracted by this part of the world before. I think it is because I like drier lands, maybe. Or perhaps in my previous life as a RAF pilot I have been shot down in this area and now I am afraid of going back to the region. Who knows, speculations. Malaysia here I went.

Everything started off as a full immersion in Malaysian-Chinese culture, courtesy of my friends whose wedding I came for.

Hospitality is sacred and the guest gets fed, pampered, driven around, paid everything, all the time.

Breakfast means noodles, spicy chicken, rendang beef, dim sum and honey lime. Not that lunches and dinners are any different. A wedding meal has 8 courses, including rice and dessert, and has to be celebrated with loud toasts "iaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam seng" - or something like that - by the 400 or so guests.

Interesting to discuss with the locals and to learn that in their view western women are too submissive (i.e. forget about your Malaysian wife if passivity and obedience is what you are after).

And then there was Kuala Lumpur, KL, with its highways, its heat, its mix of races, its traffic jams and its breathtaking skyline.