The value of 5 minutes

"Alright, I'll get it done in 5 minutes!"

"Jap ya, 5 minit lagi!"

"I'll be there in about 5 mins...?"

"5 minutes" has always been used an expression to signify a short amount of time - almost as if such duration is insignificant.  Notably, the value of something is often viewed in relation to one's situation with another. For instance, "5 minutes" to a passenger on a bus may pass away quickly and not matter as much even with delays, but the same amount of time may be the thin line between life and death which is shown in the case of a surgery: with every minute gone, the chance of the success of the surgery may decrease continuously.

<<<<< STORYTIME! >>>>>

Personally, during one of my vacations this summer break (acah je musim panas, silibus je ikut UK bukan musim!), I was reminded of how valuable a few minutes could be! If I could turn back time, even for just 5 minutes, it could have a big impact!

This reminder came to me as I was waiting for my flight back to KLIA from Terengganu (from my trip to Pulau Perhentian with my friends). The careless side of me forgot to thoroughly go through my flight itinerary and the weight limit. Coming to Terengganu by bus, I disregarded any concerns regarding the weight of my bags (ceh, kononnya kuat sangatlah tu nak usung bagpack besar macam unta!). I was really early at the airport with three hours to kill before I'm allowed to check my baggage in. I really killed time and did not do anything productive (except in terms of entertainment if you want to count it in hehe). An hour before I was allowed to check in, I rechecked my ticket at the AirAsia booth and realized it didn't include cargo (welcome to AirAsia, where it may seem cheap at first sight but upon any inclusion of additional elements, there comes an additional fee!)

On autopilot, I ran to the weighing scales and my bags (a handbag and a backpack) were 13 kg in total (which was almost double the allowed weight i.e. 7 kg!).

Shocked, I ran back to the counter and discovered that if I came just 5 minutes earlier (an hour (if not mistaken) before the departure time), I could've added cargo to my ticket for about RM30 rather than the RM75 I was charged at the check-in counter. The airport admin fee was more than the flight ticket price by 50%. (The ticket was bought at RM 50 during a promotion!)

Alas, "By time. // Indeed mankind is in loss" (Al-Quran, Surah al-Asr/Chapter 103, Verses 1-2)

Takeaways:
1. Check details thoroughly!
2. Maximize your time! A lot can be done within just 5 minutes. In fact, check the Pomodoro technique out to get things done in 25 minutes!
3. Reminders come in many forms: take each moment in life as a lesson even when you feel like you want to scream your heart out!

Salam sayang,
Anis.