Couple days in Istanbul

Reached Istanbul at 6:00 am 12 July 2007. Followed the instructions to the hostel. Not a direct route but fortunately the instructions were very clear. Istanbul is beautiful - very historical and diverse. All the main tourist sites have so much history. Well I am not in the mood to write much now but just to let you know that I will be staying here for at least one more day. Then I might be heading off to Ankara but am not very sure yet. Things might change when I get to the bus station. I am tempted to go with a tour operator but the prices are so much higher and so i'll just trudge along while I have so time.

Turkey trip

Time 10:07. I am now waiting to board my flight at Changi airport and so I thought I would find this time to quickly update this blog. Isn't it great that Changi airport provides free internet? The last few weeks have been rather tiring because every weekend I was running off to Malaysia. It was fun but it meant that I lost some sleep here and there. This 3 weeks trip to Turkey would hopefully be refreshing. I am a little wary because I really have no idea how Turkey would be like. First time in Middle East, so I really do not know what to expect. Most of the Middle eastern news have been rather negative and so I go with a little apprehension. Anyway, if I hesitate and not go, I think it will be harder to make the trip when there are more commitments later on in life.

Going alone again. Somehow I always end up going alone because of my constant lack of planning. Going with a group just seems like so much work - planning and coordinating. Anyway, time is running out so I will have to end this blog now.

The Hermit

You are The Hermit

Prudence, Caution, Deliberation.

The Hermit points to all things hidden, such as knowledge and inspiration,hidden enemies. The illumination is from within, and retirement from participation in current events.

The Hermit is a card of introspection, analysis and, well, virginity. You do not desire to socialize; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. You prefer to take the time to think, organize, ruminate, take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent but these feelings eventually lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity.

The Hermit represents a wise, inspirational person, friend, teacher, therapist. This a person who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious and confusing.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Something in my eye

Sick! I managed to remove a small piece of contact lens that has been stuck in my eye for 2 days. I was really sweaty when I was removing the lens so I had quite a difficult time. Guess I must have accidentally torn it. I felt something stuck in my right eye for two days but I couldn't see anything in the mirror. Glad I did not get an eye infection from it. I was about to give up and go see a doctor but fortunately I manage to get the piece out before I went.



Focus dailies - cheap and very comfortable but ultra difficult to remove. My face was slapped by the Padas river while I went river rafting and the contacts were still intact. Good for water sports because you have to go through a lot to lose them. I had my face filled with sea water while diving and they were still on. With Acuvue, I had contacts fall out on me while diving. However I use to spend 15 minutes trying to remove these damned Focus daily contacts. My eyes would be all red by the time I had them out. It is really irritating to spend 15 minutes tearing at your eyeball because you just cannot get a grip on the contacts. Now I remove them easier because I went to the Focus website to see how to better remove them. Stupid me. Overall, Acuvue from Johnson & Johnson is still better. Acuvue have a bluish tint so you see them in your eye in the mirror and their lenses so much easier to remove.

A Serious Case of Wanderlust

Lately, I have been hit by a serious case of wanderlust. I felt like just walking out of the office during lunch and not returning for the next 3 months. However, logic tells me that would be a really stupid move. I believe I could probably come out with 101 answers for why that would be a really stupid move but I do wonder what would happen if I did that? That move would be so out of my character that nobody would expect it. Anyway, I probably would never find another job in the banking industry if I did that. Ha ha ha.



Anyway I feel like if I don't wander off somewhere soon, I'd die of boredom. Maybe I just need some variety to spice up my life. Maybe I seriously need a girlfriend. Maybe I just need to grow up. Maybe I need a purpose in life. But for the time being, I'm going to spend the time daydreaming about where I'm going next. It is my quick fix, my 'wander' cure for boredom.



Tomorrow, I'd see if my boss is in a good mood. I'll try my luck to see if I can negotiate a couple weeks holiday sometime next month. If it is successful, then I'll have to stop daydreaming and start forking out months of hard-earned money to some greedy airline company. Seeing the damage to my already thin wallet sometimes cure the wanderlust like no other wonder drug. Once the dough is gone, quite often the desire to travel subsides. I wonder why?

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My Korean friend

 

I went up to Mt Kinabalu again this time with some friends - one of them was Korean. Once you get her started talking about Korea, there is no stopping her... If I'd listened intently, I could have written a guide book about Korea but as usual I'd tuned out after 5 minutes. Anyway, her photo is blurred to protect her identity. Instead you get to see my beloved travelling doll.

My new Core2 Duo

Well I finally splurged and assembled a new computer. I spent $1500 SGD on the box without the monitor. I'll keep to the existing monitor since it is rather new and the monitor currently doubles up as my PS2 display.

Compared to my old Pentium 4 1.6 GHz machine, this new one can run rings around it. My previous rig was 256 Meg ram and spots a 40 Gb harddisk. It runs on a $40 graphics card. My current computer is a Core2 duo 1.83 GHz machine, 2 Gb ram, 500 Gb harddisk with a Radeon 1950 Pro graphics card. Currently this set up would be a mid end computer but since I have been so used to the old setup, software just seemed faster. Moreover, the 500 Gb harddisk allows me to burn rental DVDs into the harddisk in about 10-15 minutes. No more late returns for rental DVDs.

All in all, does the new machine save me time? The answer is a resounding "No!". As with most(98%) new technology gadgets, this computer just does not save me more time. No matter how fast windows take to boot up, I end up having to spend more time learning new software, playing new games where the old junk could not play, downloading new animes to watch and a plethora of things that just eats up my time with nothing to show for in the future. The morale of the story is this - "Don't kid yourself into thinking that the latest gadget will save you more time." I'll have to admit I kind of like playing with these new toys even if they eventually end up wasting days of my life.

In a blink of an eye

The last month has been really interesting. A lot of things happened but of them 2 events stood out. First, my brother got married. Bam! Out of the blue I heard about it from my sister Kim. Since ,about now almost everybody in the world knows it, I might as well publish it officially. I don't have a picture yet so I can't post it.

From what I heard or felt, it happened really quick. One week he wasn't married nor dating, the next he was married.I was shocked for a couple days but happy for him. It's about time he got married. He's old enough to know what he wants in life. It's about time I got married to but lady love has not been as happy with me as my brother. I'm not sure how's the other family members reacting to it but I'm sure we'll all be very supportive.

The other event was that mom's shop got robbed. Cleaned out by 5 robbers - 2 with guns. This also happened really quick. 5 minutes. It took the robbers only 5 minutes to clean up the whole store from what dad said. They took a lesser time cleaning the shop than I would have taken cleaning my room. Gosh, might be even faster than my shower. Luckily no one was hurt. In times like these, money does not seem like such a big deal after all. It would have gone really bad if someone was shot.

In a blink of an eye, these 2 event happened and will likely impact my family and my life for a quite a while.

Lava Wall

Legaspi, Philippines - My travelling doll amidst the lava wall at Mayon volcano.

Got to see lava

If it is any consolation to myself, I finally manage to see lava. I thought I was about to waste my only decent holiday of the year being trapped in a dinky town with nothing to do but sit in my room watching tv. I finally decided I would just suck up my pride and call the taxi that fetched me from the airport to take me to see the volcano. Yup, I had a strong feeling I was over charged for the ride and it was quite a waste renting a 10-seater van all by myself. So he came and drove me to some of the sites that had great views of the Mayon volcano. Much to my delight, the volcano had some activity during the night I was there. In the night, you could see streams of lava flowing down the Mayon. It was a majestic sight. I couldn't get any pictures because it was too dark and I found it impossible to hold my camera still for more than 3 seconds.

The next morning, I got the driver to find me some willing villagers to walk me to the nearest lava site. This was rather difficult because the military had imposed a 6 km radius evacuation plan. The villagers had to take me through the routes where the military guards could not spot us. Fortunately, there were plenty of volunteers. Initially I had a guide, who then brought along the uncle who then brought along another uncle by the road side. I wasn't upset about the party but everyone they bring along means Pesos coming out of my pocket. We had a 30 odd minutes 'brisk' walk to the destination. They brought me to a point where the lava had formed into a huge wall and many coconut trees were brought down by the lava. The wall was still smoking so I did not want to risk my hands getting burned to climb it. The sulfur smell was still very strong so I just took a few snaps, had a short rest and started my journey back. Not 'Discovery channel' close but close enough for a tourist. A good experience for me and a profitable morning for my guides and driver. A win-win situation, I guess.

What am I doing here?

Immediately upon reaching Legaspi, I find myself regretting it because it was raining quite heavily and I have no idea what I am doing in some dinky little town in Philippines. I initially came to Legaspi and skipped the more touristy part of Philippines because I thought the volcano here was about to blow. Upon reaching here I find that for everyone life is as normal. People are still busy running around doing their usual thing, all the news you read is a little exaggerated. I have no idea how to get to the volcano and it seems the only tourists here are visiting relatives or some volcano specialists. I on the other hand am a tourist who knows next to nothing about a volcano except that my mobile phone theme is volcano.

I am going to stuck here for 2 more days without the trusty lonely planet because I decided to be adventurous and not let the lonely planet ruin my holiday. Now I scouring the local bookshops trying to find out where the hell is Legaspi, Philippines. Well I get what I asked for. Or I need to find the local bar and chat up with some locals who are willing to be my tour guide. Anyone would do but I wouldn't be complaining if it turns out to be a hot local Filipina.

My 4% fund

From the few places that I have stayed for a little while - Malaysia, US and currently Singapore, Singapore's deposit interest rate has been the most dismal. Currently, the rates for a savings deposit is about 0.25%. That means if you have 10,000 Sing dollar in a savings account in the beginning of the year, you will get only $25 at the end of the year. Yes 25 stinking dollars. If you have breakfast at Starbucks and then take a taxi to the bank to collect your one-year $10,000 interest, the breakfast and taxi fee would have almost wiped out all your interest. Moreover, $10,000 savings to a salary earning adult like me is ultra difficult to save (of course, with my lifestyle I almost spend it all).

Well, my colleagues and I have been scouring the banks for a better deal and quite recently there has been a few 'limited time only' 2.8% fix deposit rates if you put 20,000 and above. Good rates compared to 0.25% but $20,000. Somehow, I think I can do better than 2.8%. I have always boasted to the colleagues that I can top the 2.8% offer. I told them if they put money with me I will give them a 4% fix rate. Surprisingly, none has taken me up on the offer. I don't know why not!! Do they think I would run away with their money?

Lately, a bank has called me up and said they would give me a 5% loan for six months. 5% is not too far from what I am offering my friends. I have been thinking of taking it up to see if I can get back more money with it. Very tempting. I will let you know if I take up the offer. The chances of me taking up the loan is very high. Very high indeed.

Mad interns

(This was written 13 April 2006)

Today is the last day for our intern who came in from one of the local colleges. Almost from day one, we constantly had to keep her entertained by conjuring up menial tasks for her to do. Correction, maybe from day four onwards – after her id was created and she found out that she had no internet access. It really isn’t because my colleagues were mean or anything but whenever we give her quality jobs, jobs that required learning and understanding the business, she would complain or come up with a half completed jobs that took us more time to clean up. So for the past six weeks we have just been trying to keep her entertained, filling envelopes, filing, excel charts, no brainer SQL queries, crossword puzzles, sudoku, etc. If we don’t keep her entertained, she would come over to our desk and pester us. Her enthusiasm on non work related things when she is not napping on the job is really incredible.

She was the topic of many of our office gossips for the past few weeks. Some of the ladies couldn’t stand her and she could somehow sense it, so she ended up disturbing me and the other guy who could take her ‘rubbish’ most of the time. I even wrote in her report book 10 things she should learn from this internship. For example, thou should not sleep on your desk during the job, thou should learn to do your job with enthusiasm, etc. This was a reaction to her constantly posting posters of scantily clad women on my cubicle.

However, sometimes we adults or professionals who think we know better might benefit from learning about life from those who are more innocent. She was annoying but there was an innocence around her that was lacking in all of us. When she was happy, she smiled. When she was bored, she let us know about it. She bawled her eyes out when she left. I wish I could cry and feel more like her and not feel that my heart is becoming more and more calloused gradually.

Derms and All

Thanks for all your concern. The previous post was my sighing and my attempt to score some pity points. I have pretty much learned to live with what’s happening with my skin and am grateful that it doesn’t bother me as much as it can. Of course, I still wish it to go away as it is still embarrassing but it has improved quite a lot.

Yes, I grown rather tired of dermatologist because they tend to recommend the same treatment for a great majority of skin diseases. Corticosteroids. Now this class of medication has helped me a lot but I sometimes wonder if they worsen the underlying problem – which often goes undiagnosed. Of course I am not trying to undermine the work of dermatologists whom have spent a great deal of time learning their trade rather I see there are some underlying flaws in their approach of always treating the symptoms and not the cause. Just in case you are wondering, I think the better treatments are cyclosporine and Narrow-band UVB treatment. As with all medication, these treatment have their side-effects as well.

Skin deep

It's 12 something and I know I shouldn't be writing. Sleep, it does your body good. However, I am still up so I just thought I'd come up here and do some complaining. For the last few years, I have been struggling on and off with a skin problem. At first it was diagnosed as an adverse reaction to insect bites, now it is discoid eczema. Living with a skin problem is no fun. There were times when my skin was so itchy I wake up with blood on my sheets because I have scratching my skin in my sleep.

Fortunately, lately the condition is rather manageable. Also, most of the spots are covered by my usual long sleeve shirt and long pants. I shouldn't be complaining because I have seen pictures and heard stories of people who had to go through so much more. It is a terrible condition to live with and western medicine doesn't seem to have a cure for the condition only temporary solutions. Even going to the gym, I am always in a track pants. Hopefully, things go better in the upcoming months. Enough complaining already. Good night.

Don't delete this Blog

At long last, this is an update of my blog. I am updating this blog because I have told many people that I was going to update my blog weeks ago. I haven't updated this blog so long, I fear Blogger would delete this from their disk space. Fortunately, they don't have this policy because I think thousands of blogs will be deleted daily.

Anyway, my boss just had a talk with me today about my confirmation and I was really at a lost of words about what I want to learn in the future when it comes to my job. I usually can talk about most topics under the sun but when it comes to my future, I am stumped. My prophetic capabilities stop there. She wasn't asking about my predictions on the Singapore stock market (in which case I would likely say up) nor was she asking about who the next prime minister of Malaysia would be, she just asked about my aspirations in my current job. And my mind turned blank. There was nothing I could say that didn't sound like a lie. Sad to say but I wouldn't wish for any of you to be in my situation today. Just in case my colleagues stumble on this blog, I absolutely adore them and I am not in the mood for lying today.

I do miss my days as a temporary worker. Ah, carefree and unhindered. Roaming around collecting stories and experiences. Too bad I don't have an endless supply of money. If I did, I would be a total bum. Maybe, that is why I don't have an endless supply of money. God is trying to teach me character and hard work. An idle mind is the devil's playground. Fortunately, that statement is not in the Bible.

More China Pics

Sorry haven't taken the time to write much so I guess I will post some of my other China pictures. Actually I feel like writing but my thoughts are not very organised right now.


Monk's Ritual, XiangCheng, China. I managed to sneak a picture of a monk shaving another monk's head in this lovely and tranquil temple.




Bustling Marketplace, Litang, China. A typical, Tibetan-Chinese style marketplace. Another place to find some exotic and strange foodstuff for the typical city-dweller like me.




Temple Courtyard, XiangCheng, China. We were stuck in this little town for a day and we were grumbling a little because the town was not pretty. Moreover, it seems like the whole town is going through major reconstruction. However, the huge Tibetan temple at the place was enchanting. Tourist-free except for the four of us, quiet and the monks and the people were really friendly.




Head on a pedestal, China. Buddha head sitting in a Tibetan temple somewhere in Western Szechuan. After a while, I lost track of some of the temples that I have been.

The Journey to LiJiang

As with most trips I have done, sometimes the journey is more interesting than the destination. I didn't write much about my week long detour to Lijiang via the Sichuan-Tibet highway but the trip was very memorable. Yes, there were daily bus rides which most of the time were not so comfortable but the trip, the scenery, the company and the friendly people that I met made it memorable. Here are some pictures.


River towns, Yajiang, China - Many towns were situated beside a river. With a raging river, beautiful mountain landscapes, what more could a town ask for?


Kid Games, Litang, China - Kids playing at a monastery compound at Litang. Better than video games, if you ask me.


Blue Skies and Sunbeams, Yajiang, China - Blue skies, fresh air and vast open lands, this is the part of China that captivated me more than the industrilisation of modern China.


Monk's house, Litang, China - This friendly monk invited me in to his house for a chat.

Final few days: Hong Kong

I reached Hong Kong this morning and it means I have reached my final destination for the trip. I wanted to come over so that I could meet up with some friends and also to go to church for a Sunday. Somehow, one Sunday probably will not make up for the months or years of neglect of my spiritual life but at least it is a try.

Anyway, Hong Kong and its previous British rule means no more toilets that can't take toilet paper, no more spitting everywhere, no more smoking in the buses and those are very welcoming thoughts. Also, with all the Falun Dafa protesters in the Kowloon harbour area means I am kind of out of China.

I checked in to another el-cheapo Mirador Mansion beside the infamouse Chunking Mansion because it was cheap. It was also rather sleasy - about 10 bunk beds cramped together in a little room with 2 toilets in the side. After I agreed to the place, I was wondering why I had to sleep in a sleasy place like this since my flight is only 3 days away so I promptly checked in to the YMCA beside the Peninsula hotel. Now, the Peninsula hotel would be nice but the price of one night would be equivalent to another China trip.

Today there is a level 3 typhoon warning in Hong Kong and the walk around the Tsim Tsa Tsui promenade was nice and breezy. Hopefully, the level would go up a little so it will get a little breezier in Hong Kong.

Day ??: Guilin & Yangshuo

Guilin had a beautiful 7-star park. I was pleasantly surprised when I climbed up the Sky Pavilion to see a gorgeous view of Guilin. Also, since the pavilion isn't heavily touted on the tourist map or the lonely planet, there was only one other person there. Guilin definitely has its charm - gorgeous scenery and interesting food. I was thinking that some of the small limestones hill can be compared to Ipoh but Ipoh doesn't really have much to snare the tourists. Too bad. My hometown should be more interesting. Yangshuo lies an hour and a half south of Guilin. Another gorgeous little town, absolutely catered to the tourists. I knew I was going to face a rough time with the touts, when an 'Auntie' followed me from the bus and down the whole of West street - their most touristic street- despite numerous demands that I wasn't interested in whatever rooms she had. I did a little cycling around the vicinity of the town to the some scenic spots and the place was very interesting. We passed through padi farms and little lakes to reach the popular Banyan tree and Moon Hill. I'm glad the French tourists that came along with the trip didn't want to do the parks nor the bamboo rafts nor the caves, as I did not want to get wet at all. I did not have a guesthouse or clean clothes so I wasn't very interested to take the bus to HK all grimy and muddy. Maybe I did miss some interesting sites, but then Yangshuo is really near to Singapore/Malaysia and I can always come back for a prolonged weekend trip. Anyway, after the bicycle trip - I was all sticky and grimy so I would have to look for a shower before the bus trip. Maybe drop down the local Giordano and get a cheap t-shirt.

Day ??: Kunming & GuiLin

I have lost tracked on time so I am not sure what day it is but I did zoom past Kunming and will likely fly pass Guilin just the same. Anyway, Kunming was a nice change after some days in small cities. The city has almost the same type of shops, like Singapore - Carrefour, Giordano, U2..., so I guess I am not missing too much. It seems like I might be rushing a little if I am to make it to HK. That will depend on whether I can contact some friends else I will have 2 more days to spend in Yangshuo. Tried some Kunming food which was quite good but really didn't do the city justice as I stayed only 1 day. The same will go for Guilin. All I did so far was had bad food in Guilin which was supposedly a very good place for food. It seems like with their menu I can only read the simple dishes and the stupid waiters can't understand me enough to make recommendations so I end up with really plain and horrible dishes. The next time I will just do what I normally do and point at what the locals are eating but first I have to find the places to eat. GuiLin does have really nice lakes, rivers and mountain backdrops. Also, at night they block off the main street for a night market. However, it seems like there don't seem to have a large backpacker crowd here so I had a hard time looking for a cheap hotel. I ended staying in a 100 yuan room, which was quite nice but it has been the most expensive lodging I have paid so far. Also, I took the 25 hour train from Kunming to Dali. Wanted to fly but they didn't have a discount so I decided to savour the experience of taking a China train. I can't visit China and not take the train. The trains were more comfortable than the buses and there were attendants cleaning every so often and reminding the Chinese not too smoke in the cabin. Not too bad but the place was really packed with people and I had to worry a little about losing my stuff. For your info, most internet cafes in China block blog sites so I haven't been able to look at any of the blogs I have written or reply to any comments.

Day 13: Dali

I reached Dali in the afternoon and there was a little rain. The horse carriage that was suppose to send me to my guesthouse stop me in the middle of the city and I had to make my way to a guesthouse that I had in mind. Unfortunately, I was sidetracked by some of the touts along the way and stayed in another guesthouse that was affiliated. I found a Swiss guy, Patrick, that was on my bus from Lijiang staying at the same place and so we decided to share a room and cut the cost.

Dali (Old town) is a neat town, built somewhat like an ancient Chinese fortress built with four main gates. I suppose in more ancient time a wall would have surrounded the city but now only the gates remain. Also, there is a huge inland lake right beside the city. The main hotels are all in a satellite town to the south, Xiaguan, so there are not a lot of local Chinese tourists with their little flags crowding the streets.

I liked Lijiang better as Dali is a little more 'Chinese' which means it is a little dirtier. However, it does not mean that Dali is not a charming city. I had a really good time taking the chair-lifts to the top of Zhonghe Temple and there were no tourists once I hiked up the steps a little more. I found a great cafe on the top and had a really good time just reading and chilling out. I also did a little tour of the Lake in the rain but the places the boat took us to was not that interesting. The boat trip was nice as the rain made the trip very cooling and the raindrops dropping on the lake was very serene.

Day 11: Lijiang

I finally reached Lijiang after grabbing my bags from Qiaotou. It would be nice to stay in a place for a little longer than the short hops that has been happening. China is a big place and even in little places, it takes a few days to visit some of the sites.

Anyway, the old town of Lijiang is a very interesting place. The place is very nice and has a lot of friendly people. However, after a while you will see that the place is full of tourist. The old town is a little like a theme park with everything catered for tourism, which was fine with me since I am a tourist. This also means that there were clean toilets and the public toilets were impeccably clean. It was definitely cleaner than my guest house toilet so I paid the 5 jiao to use the toilet beside my guest house.

It felt a little touristy but I loved the place. The old town had 3 little streams running across the town and the water was clear. Staying a little longer just chilling out seemed more like a holiday than the bus rides but each journey has its own beauty.

Day 9 & 10 : Tiger Leaping Gorge

It has been a few days of just moving quickly through some really nice Tibetan-Chinese towns. The bus moved through some magnificent mountain passes and scenery was absolutely beautiful. However, the bus rides were not very fun. 7-8 hours of bus rides on the average everyday, with a bus full of smoking and spitting Chinese is not an enjoyable journey. Some kept talking to me despite my crappy Putonghua and I really had difficulty understanding their Sichuan hua, which is something like a mix of Mandarin and Cantonese. Anyway, after a few days of waking at 6am to catch the bus was quite enough for me so I was glad when I reach Qiaotou, the start of the trail to the Tiger Leaping Gorge.

I stayed one night at the Gorged Tiger Cafe which was run by Margo, an Australian lady. The Australian and American ladies that were travelling with me seem to think she was crazy but I thought she was really nice. Also, she gave us accurate advice on the conditions of the track and advice on what to take and wear for the track.

We took the upper road and found very few travellers, maybe because it wasn't the peak season. Six of us started out together and we planned to reach the Walnut Garden about 8 hours walk away. I really liked the trail as the view was gorgeous. Along the trail there were magnificent mountain backdrops, waterfalls and sharp drops down from the cliff. What didn't help was my el-cheapo shoe that seem to have no traction at all when we were walking through wet areas. The gorge trail was one place I didn't want to slip because one slip and quite likely my dad could collect on my travel insurance. Slipping wouldn't be fun. As we walk along, the ladies kind of rested for too long and by nightfall only Neal, a british traveller and I reached the Walnut Garden.

Also, Neal made some adventurous decision that kept getting us lost. First was deciding to go back to the trail from the road at 7:15pm when we were 30 minutes away from the guesthouse we were planning to go. So we had to track in the dark for a while because the path wasn't very clear in the dark. On the next day, we track down to the river and we decided to come up through the landslide. We quickly found that we could get lost even in short bushes. Walking through thorns were not very fun, we found out soon enough but managed to find the trail back after half an hour. Of course, we were never in any real danger because we could see the river below and the roads not too far ahead of us. It was tiring, getting off the trail, but it was fun.

Day 6 - Litang

Ok I am not going to be long as I have splitting headache from the altitude here about 4000m above sea level. Anyway, I am in Litang and will be making my way to XiangCheng on the way to Lijiang. Also, some technical glitch happen with my harddrive backup machine and I lost all the pictures from the first day till today. Will write more when I get more comfortable.

Day 3 & 4 : Emei Shan & Le Shan

I did a rush rush job to see both Le Shan Giant Buddha and Ermei Shan. There were a lot of construction going on in both places. Particularly, the summit of Ermei was closed due to construction so that was a little dissapointing. Ermei is a beautiful place but I did not get to see as much as I did not hike up. Most of the places are only accesible if you do a few hours of walking. The day I thought was really cloudy because I couldn't see many of the surrounding peaks but I overheard some other tourist say that the day was especially clear. I managed to stay up at one of these guesthouses to catch the sunrise and thankfully a screaming and rude monk awakened me by screaming for the receptionist at 6am in the morning. With most of the Chinese places I have seen, too many places have been artificially touched up or reconstructed. The museum at the foot of the mountain was nice as well. Whenever, I look at something like that and realise how young Singapore and Malaysia history is. History here goes to the BCE era whereas Malaysia history goes to the 16th century.

I also had to rush Leshan because I decided to do a detour in the route and go west toward Tibet before heading towards east again. The detour will probably eat up 5-10 days of my time so I will probably be in a rush for the remainder of the journey and probably have to fly in to Hong Kong. Tomorrow, I will head to Kangding and then to Litang near the Sichuan-Tibetan border.

Day 2: Chengdu city

I was overjoyed when I landed in China. It seems at last I have made my
way to China, the homeland of my forefathers. Some friends that I met as
I made my way to Chengdu asked me if I was going to kiss the ground. I
pondered on the idea for a while and then decided it was a little out of
character for me to kiss the ground. Also remembering that I do not have
a hepatitis jab, kissing the ground might transmit some unwanted
diseases. I expected the place to be a bit wilder with cars not obeying
traffic rules and everybody trying to get a few more of my hard-earned
dollars, but I was pleasantly surprised that people it Chengdu were
generally honest and traffic abiding. I was expecting India but guess
nothing really beats India.

One of the first thing that I noticed very blatantly was that my Chinese
is not enough for me to communicate. Yes I could manage 'Where is the
toilet?' but how many times does one have to make their way to the
toilet. Anything more than that I found rather unmanageable. Luckily,
the friends I met will still be in Chengdu for 1 day before flying off
to Lhasa. I can still let them do all the haggling and taxi and the
ordering of food till they leave tomorrow.

Chengdu is a beautiful city - the most beautiful chinese city I have
seen. It has to be since it is the first Chinese city I have been to.
The food is on the spicy side and I got to visit a few cultural temples
and parks. The city is very old and historical but with my kindergarten
level of Chinese I did not get to understand too much about what is
going on. Tomorrow, I will try to make my way to Ermei Mountain on my
own and have not decided whether to walk up the mountain or to take the
bus. Judging from what the others say, I'd probably take the bus or the
cable car up.

Day 1: Cheng Du + flight delayed

The flight to Chengdu is delayed for 2 hours tentatively, possibly a little later. Fortunately, there seems to be quite a lot of shopping and free Internet stuff to distract me from all the wait. I am walking around a little like a zombie because last night, I started packing at 1am and finished packing at about 4am. Usually I am quite a fast packer but I was distracted by the laundry and trying to sort out my first aid bag so I spent a little more time. Also I had to clean up my room before my Austrian friend, Ulfred, takes over my rental room. So by the time I went to bed, it was something like 5am.

Anyway, the airport free Internet service here limits me to 15 minutes. Quite interesting - it does make me more productive in churning out one of these blogs. Maybe I should organise my life similarly, in chunks of 30 minutes. I'd get so much done or spend all my time trying to update my organiser.

New toys

Lately I got a bit more updated with technology and bought myself some new toys. For example, I just bought myself a wireless router and a new cable modem and so I now have broadband internet access at home. As with most new technology stuff, I find myself getting less time and sleep because now I have something to play new to play with. Also, I find myself checking my mail all the time when I am at home. Fortunately, I still haven't immerse myself into the world of instant messaging. As usual I am quite a late adopter of technology because I think technology should free us to do more things but this is usually not the case.

Right now, I am typing this message out as I am lying on my bed with this new wireless BenQ mobile phone that a friend lent to me. Quite a nifty device. It is one of those new phones with a PDA. It also has a camera, voice over internet capabilities and has a mini keyboard plus a wi-fi connection. And of course, my hands will soon be cramping because I am trying to type out this message on the mini keyboard. Classic case of how gadgets suck up our time because there is a full size keyboard at the computer desk beside my bed.

Back to Ipoh

I went back to Ipoh to visit Grandma and family. She seems to be not as cheerful as she used to be. Maybe it's the aches and the tiredness from old age that is getting to her. Yet I am glad that she can still move around, watch TV and chat with the neighbours. It is still nice to go back for a visit. Wouldn't mind staying in Ipoh at all if I had a good job there.

Ipoh is a beautiful place - good food, great people and a nice pace of life. However, the city hasn't been able to generate enough income for many young folks and people like my cousins and I have all left the place to work in bigger cities. I wish I could do something to help the city. It really is a nice city. However, even some nice food stores will be closing down soon because the hawkers are growing older and the young ones don't want to take over the businesses. I truly wonder how the city will be when there are lesser and lesser kids growing up in Ipoh.

Everytime I come back to Ipoh, it is just a lazy time for me. I take grandma and uncle for food and shop. The majority of my time is spent watching TV and catching up on sleep. And I dread the time to go back to Singapore because it means work...

Sergei's principle

I have not posted anything in the blog for a while now. It seems like ever since I started doing the temp job the desire to write has slowly ebbed away. Anyway, I am still kicking and looking for a more permanent job. For now, I will just be doing whatever pays me money without breaking the law or my conscience. So no stealing or killing.

For now, I would leave you with some wisdom that an old traveller I met up in Chieng Mai shared with me about. Now it might not make any sense to you, so take it for what its worth. This old man, an American who decided to build his house in some remote part of Thailand, told me that after living all these years, his had a principle that he would like to share with me. His principle was that "Happiness in life is inversely proportional to the number of keys that you own." Of course the "keys" here doesn't refer to your miniature padlock key but rather to the big items in life that you own, for example, a house or a car. So his philosophy was that the more big ticket things one own the more unhappy one would become. So a person with 3 Mercedes and a Jaguar would be more unhappy than a person with a Toyota. If that philosophy was true than I would be a really happy person as I do not own any keys.

Well, just thought I'd write something to share with you. Maybe there is a little truth in his philosophy if we reflect on it a little more. It is a little difficult for me to judge as I have not owned much in life.

Mountain Preparation

Rudolph Giuliani said in his book "Leadership" that one of the key points to an effective leader is to prepare relentlessly. In that sense, I am a little ashamed to say that preparation has never been a strong point in most parts of my life. Sometimes, however it is not the lack of ability to prepare but to choose not to be too prepared as I feel that too much preparation in something like a holiday trip takes away the sense of adventure in it. However at other times, the lack of preparation hits you in the face hard.

I had a sense of this feeling a couple of weeks ago as I climbed Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in South East Asia. The climb was supposedly a walk in the park for many but I was rudely awakened to the fact that I am getting old and very unfit. I came to Kota Kinabalu without any preparation as I just thought of coming the week before and was told by friends that going up the mountain usually requires 3 to 6 months of advance booking. The climb was also said to be rather tough for an unfit 30 something year old person who leads quite a sedentary lifestyle.

The park was beautiful and pleasantly cooling as it was situated higher at around 1800m above sea level. There were jungle trails and guided nature walks. I spent a night over at the camp so that I could put myself on the waiting list for any cancellations the next morning. I thoroughly enjoyed staying at the hostel there and having tea and chats with 2 backpacker there. The next day, there was a cancellation and thus began my painful journey...

Australia Road trip, Part 2

Too lazy to summarise my Aussie trip so as promise, I have decided to pull 2 entries from my journal. Some parts are a little exaggerated.

Recap of my journal before New Year's day...

(Dec 31, 2004)
One day more to the New Year and what have I accomplished? When I started off 2004, I'd probably didn't imagine I'd be out wondering like a vagrant across Australia. My resolutions if I made any was probably to settle down and to play with my grandchildren. The year however turned out to be quite different. Not that every part of the year was bad. Too many of my years have been spent doing things I did not enjoy, so in that sense this year was rather different.

Well the year sure turned out different. I am now cooped up in a Hyundai Getz on my way to Sydney. 2800+ kilometres. I have been sleeping in the car for the past few nights, taking showers at petrol stations and bus terminals. It has been quite a different experience from travelling in South East Asia. We've covered a lot of ground and it has been an experience of a lifetime - something to tell my grandchildren about. Now, if only...

(Dec 28, 2004)
We've been cruising through quite a bit of Eastern Australia - from Brisbane to Cairns and now Cairns to Sydney. We took the inner road away from the more popular coastal road as we will be taking that road back up to Brisbane, on our way back. Anyway, the trip on the inner road has been quite exciting. Daily we face the risk of adding to our road kill count as many of Australia's marsupials like jumping in front of our car. Up to date my sister has managed to hit kangaroos, koalas, numerous other little mammals, hundreds of tree toads and hundred of thousands of insects. This means that I am constantly worrying about how much the car company is going to charge us for the dents and scratches to the car. To be fair, I probably added a few counts to the road kill but comparitively (to the other driver beside me) I am quite a driving saint.

Quote for Students

Here is a quote from Ecclesiastes that I related to a lot while I was studying.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

Ecclesiastes 12:12b

I realise after my last stint at school, I am a little too lazy to study with my own schedule. I need some tests to keep me accountable.

Books and stuff

Kid sister at the park - Somewhere, Australia. One of the many stops that we went down to take a picture. I think beside this park is a beautiful art gallery. I just can't recall the town name.


I have been reminded to finish the story and I know I have been leaving a few hanging stories here and there. Anyway, the travelling is finish for now and it is time for me to get on with other aspects of life but fortunately, our life story continues. I will look through my journal for something on the Australia trip which I think will be again most likely about how my sister is messing things up.

Anyway, I started off the year reading Les Miserables. Yes, I loved the book but can't pronounce nor spell it. I like it because it is a book that helps me want to be better. I think about Jean Valjean and ever since his repentance from crime he has on both times that were important chosen to live true to his principles than take the easy way out of things. That is so difficult for me. Also, Hugo makes me want to do aware that I might be able to contribute something to society.

Another fiction I read was Pride and Prejudice. A painful read. I took such a long time to go through I was wondering if it would just be better putting the book back on my bookshelf. The english was tough because a lot of the words that author used are hardly used nowadays. However, I must admit I did love the ending and can see why and how it has been an inspirational book for thousands of women. Ah! so worthwhile an ending. Don't we all love happy endings.

I do realise now that I have a half an hour travel to my temporary job, I do get through books a lot quicker. Not that I have improve in reading speed, but because I get about an hour of uninterrupted reading a day. Unfortunately, a fair bit of my pay goes toward the purchase of books. Otherwise there are too many distractions to get to reading.

Dam Sen park lizard

Godzilla? - Saigon, Vietnam. Dam Sen Park in Saigon. No matter how much Lonely planet tells you to go, you would not be missing anything much if you went. I think I was the few foreigners who got con into going. Can anything be more cheesy than this lizard?

Letter to Addie

Dear Addie,

From what I know, it seems that you are bored with life. Maybe not to the point of death literally but you find something lacking. Or like me, you are looking for something but you don't know what that is. I know exactly how it feels. Living in a first world country, as written by Thoreau, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them." Yet, I am convinced that searching for a solution within you will prove to be in vain and for that I write this letter.

I believe that you are looking for a solution outside of the church because you feel that within the church there are restrains to inhibit your happiness. Thus you have come to the conclusion that in removing these restrains - be it in time, freedom of expression, sexual, social choices, etc - there will be a remedy to the desperation that has crept in. If you didn't think along these lines, I did and still do. As you have known, for a time I too removed some of these restrains in an attempt to find some meaning in life. Some purpose to existing other than just to survive for the next day of work. I wanted to live life and enjoy - go around the world, meet people and feel alive. And yet today, I have not found the answers that I have desperately sought for and am still seeking.

There was a person who has done much more than we in removing the restraints - seeking pleasure, success and laughter and at the end of the day still came to the same conclusion. (Solomon in Ecclesiastes.) That conclusion was that only in a relationship with God can an answer be found and to look for an answer to boredom in success, pleasure or laughter is a chasing after the wind.

I have no quick answers for you and I feel that you have quite resolutely made up your mind on certain matters. As the father knew it in vain to stop the son from leaving (Luke 15), you too must seek out to learn your own lessons. Yet I hope in all these that you will not forget about your God who loves us more than we can imagine. And, that we can come to the same conclusion as the author in Ecclesiastes did.

With Love,
Ong

Road trip in Australia

The mighty Getz - Misty Mountains, Australia.

Before I absolutely forget about the details of the trip, let me just jot something down about my Australia road trip. My sister and I decided to take a road trip after our family members left Brisbane. We decided to drive from Brisbane to Cairns on the popular coastal highway and then return from Cairns to Sydney on the innerland highways. A journey that was about 6000 kms (at least on the little Hyundai Getz above) and we did the trip in only about 2 weeks. So the pace was a little too rush for my liking. Still I had an incredible time, other than the times I had to look for a hot shower for my little sister.

We stopped by a lot of little towns that now seem rather difficult to recall. Of course some town names are easier than others, for example the town of 1770. Oh, I think we didn't stop there. But we did sleep at some lesser known towns like Cardwell. I remembered this town because when I came down from the car to pee during the middle of the night I saw a sign warning people of saltwater crocodiles by the beach. I had to quickly finish up my business and jump back into the car for safety. I didn't want some ugly crocodile chomping off my foot while I was peeing.

Our protocol for finding a place to sleep was that it had to be dark enough to sleep but still relatively safe. Also, we didn't mind having a toilet nearby. Showers would be most welcomed. So we ended up sleeping by tourist information centers, surf clubs parking lots, 24 hour petrol stations, mall parking lots, etc. Our food initially started out on the cheap side, IGA roasted chicken with stuffing - 8+ and enough for 2. However, we realise we were spending quite a bit on groceries because we often shopped when we were hungry. At times, I was quite sure that it would have been cheaper eating at a restaurant than buying food at the local Woolies (Woolworth). At least, we constantly had premium quality fruit juices and candies which once melted on the dashboard. Thanks again to - you should have guessed by now - my sister.

(to be continued...)

A Hard Life

A hard life - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The poor are really poor in the slums of Cambodia. What you see over here is almost the complete room that this family have. It is their living room, bed, kitchen and all.

Tanah Merah

Where is Tanah Merah? - Brisbane, Australia. It seems interesting that not so far from Brisbane is Tanah Merah. Feels almost like Malaysia.

Lakes in Kashmir

Boats at Dal Lake - Kashmir, India. We were suppose to stay at a houseboat on Dal Lake but ended being moved to 'small' Dal Lake due to our ignorance. Small Dal Lake turned out to be a small overflow lake that seemed more like a drain than a lake. Now we know where Dal Lake is.

Sleeping confirmed.

Sleeping Lady - Sydney, Australia. I was hesitant to take her picture but my sister just clicked along.


Vagrant Lady - Somewhere, Australia. After too many days in the car, my sister was turning into a vagrant. Also, shows that she's sleeping through most of the journey.

Brisbane at Night

Brisbane at night - Brisbane, Australia.

Job Applications

I haven't been writing much lately because I have been stuck in places where internet connections were very difficult to come by and when they did come by I was busy doing something else. Anyway, I have been mildly depressed as I have come to a stage where I need to apply for jobs. In the time being, I have been surviving on temp jobs, begging, pestering friends for free meals and so forth. It is still rather scary having to hear the clacking of high heels as I walk out of the subway tunnels everyday on my way to the temp job at the business district. I'm not sure why that particular sound frigthens me but maybe I imagine the horde turning into mindless zombies with dead conscience doing what they hate doing everyday. Or maybe it is the collective mood of the Singapore morning blues. My mood fluctuates between being grateful that I have some money for the day and I wish I was somewhere else or doing something else. Yet, reality is we need to work. And most of the time, I am happy to be doing something after such a long hiatus from work. However, that doesn't mean I like the interviewing process and all the farce that is involve in it. Might have to bite my conscience and pretend that I am really smart or really capable or both. Guess, being interviewed and job applications are necessary evil we have to endure in life. Now, if only an interview comes...

Sunset at Halong

Sunset at Halong - Halong Bay, Vietnam. Halong Bay is a magnificent place. Many have said that if you have not seen Halong Bay, you have not seen Vietnam. Unfortunately, I stayed only one short night at Halong Bay.

Tibetan temples at Ladakh

Tibetan temple - Leh, India. One of the tibetan temples near Leh, Ladakh. I have heard it said that if you wish to see Tibetan temples, India might be a better place to see them than Tibet. I am not sure how true that statement is as I have not been to Tibet.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne Library - Melbourne, Australia. My brother, sister and myself in front of the Melbourne Library.

It is no wonder why Melbourne has been named one of the most livable cities in the world. Melbourne is a beautiful city with activities and places that can cater to anyone. If you want a nice place for a cup of coffee, there are numerous cool coffee places. If you want beautiful scenery, the Great Ocean Road is not very far off. It has its share of beautiful parks and cool night spots as well as nice historical sites. Also the pace of life there is not as hectic as many Asian cities. I can imagine if you were to work there, you would still have some time for your leisure and to pursue your hobbies. Also, unlike places like Singapore, there are actually many places to drive to.

After we arrive at the Melbourne airport, one of our relatives, Tom, drove us to some wonderful Chinese restaurant for our morning tea - a dim sum session. Secretly, I was thinking about why I had to travel all the way to Australia to eat dim sum when there are numerous stores in Malaysia selling dim sum at a fraction of the price. However, dad, grandma and uncle were quite delighted at the food. Dad refuses to eat Western food unless he is forced to by circumstances. So throughout most of my stay in Australia, we ate Chinese or Asian style food when we dined with the family. Personally, I wanted to try something very Australian but couldn't seem to pinpoint what is a mainly Australian-styled food. Even in retrospect, I can't figure out what is the main Australian diet. My ignorance is probably due to the fact that I didn't get to eat any home-cooked Australian meals while I was there in Australia.

Cave Buddha

Cave Buddha - Vang Vieng, Lao. This sleeping buddha was found in the Pakham Caves. To see the Buddha, I had to travel 6km of dirt roads, walk and climb 20 minutes up a steep slope.

Falls Near Luang Prabang

Top, Falls at Luang Prabang - Luang Prabang, Lao. One of the waterfalls, I visited at Luang Prabang.

Mid, Fall Buddies. We hired a tuk-tuk for a day to visit the 2 waterfall. From left, Me, Cesar, Kate, Liz. Superb travelling buddies.

Bottom, Falls with many pools. I forgot the name of the falls but this fall was short but wide. It had many little pools for short dips and some pools that were quite large. Kate went back the next day so that she could have a swim when it was sunnier.

Australia, Family trip.

Family Portrait - Melbourne, Australia. A family picture taken at the airport in Melbourne.

Our family flew over to Melbourne to attend my sister's graduation. Of course, my dear sister would remind us till the day we die that we absolutely missed her graduation. We flew all the way there but missed her graduation. We were happily eating at the Victoria Market and lost track of time. When we arrived at the stadium where the graduation was held, it was all over. Of course there was also the drama of grandma getting lost in the stadium. Dad had to piggyback my uncle up a steep flight of stairs while both the sons were happily finding a parking spot. It was all very chaotic. Grandma was trying to ask for directions in Malay in Australia. Naturally, nobody understood what she said. We were fined $100 AUD for parking at a 'No Stopping' zone. The sign honestly looked like a 'No Money' sign to me.

Travelling with family is definitely a very different experience from travelling alone. I was more accustomed to going wherever I like but a lot more coordination is required. We have to consider the likings and capabilities of everyone. Also, we have to consider whether the journey is too long for grandma or whether the venue is wheel chair accessible, things that I have never had to consider.

Some days grandma was so cold she was shivering. Also, she said she couldn't breathe when she walks too fast. And this was summer in Melbourne. Summer! I thought it was going to be like Malaysia but seems like I was very wrong. I was totally unprepared for the weather as well. I came down the plane in shorts, t-shirt and sandals and the temperature in Melbourne was 13C. For some that is totally acceptable but am have been quite used to 32C all my life. Now, I need to go looking for a jacket in case the weather gets more chilly. The only jacket I had was left on a bus in Bangkok.

Ladakhi girl

Ladakhi Girl - Leh, India. We met this girl in the middle of the highway. As with many parts of the Himalayan region, walking is sometimes the only means of transport for many. She seems quite used to the walk and must have been walking for a long time.

Faces at Bayon

Faces at Bayon - Siem Reap, Cambodia. The beautiful faces at the Bayon intrigues and inspires.

Sunrise Over Angkor

Sunrise over Angkor - Siem Reap, Cambodia. The serenity of sunrise at Angkor Wat cannot be captured entirely in a picture but must be felt.

Temple Guardians

Temple Guardians - Bangkok, Thailand. Garudas line the wall of the famous Wat Phra Keow in Thailand.

Journey Down Under

The Van - Tamborine Mts, Australia. The Toyota Tarago was the family mobile for a brief 2 weeks.

Just as the Indochina trip ended, I embarked on another trip with my family to see my sister graduate in Melbourne. That was probably an excuse for all of us to go to Australia for a while. I was a little reluctant to go at first due to certain obvious reasons but decided to go anyway as all had been thoroughly planned by my dad. My thinking was that I have already squandered enough time journeying around Asia and Indochina and I haven't had any income for the last 6 months. Compelling reasons to stop wasting more of my life away. However, the thought - I might never get to go again with nearly all my family members - prevailed and I asked my dad to book the flight tickets. Little did I know, the flight ticket was just a minor expenditure and I would find out frighteningly fast how expensive things are in Australia compared to my part of the world - South East Asia. Guess money can be made back, but opportunities for adventure seldom come. And seeing that I would be using up a lot of money, I might as well make it big and extend my stay Down Under for 2 more weeks. My plan was to see a good part of the Australian east coast.

The Sleeping Pigs

Top, Sleeping Pig - Bangkok, Thailand. This is a picture I took of the murals at one of the temples.

Bottom, Sleeping Babi - Surfer's Paradise, Australia. My travelling companion and dear sister that cannot be awaken in the morning. Notice the similarity with the picture on top.

Guesthouses at Luang Prabang

After a few days in Vang Vieng, I took the bus to Luang Prabang, the tourist capital of Laos. The road up was windy like roads up to Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Only this trip ended up lasting for 7 hours. Naturally, when I reached Luang Prabang, I was not in a happy mood to go around as I was suffering from some mild travel sickness. Trying to read in the bus probably wasn't the best thing to do. Also, I had trouble looking for a guesthouse as many of the guesthouses were full. The ones that weren't were those that costs $15 USD and up - not a price I was willing to pay. After 45 minutes of trotting down road with my big rucksack looking for a guesthouse, I was willing to settle for anything below $10 USD. Finally, I found an $8 USD room and I took the place despite not really liking the condition of the room nor the price.

I did not do my usual running around to all the temples because I seemed to be coming down with the flu. I had a slight sore throat, blocked nose and seemed to be tired. I pretty much loitered the day away and went for a steamed bath and massage. Nice. I rested for 2 days in Luang Prabang just hanging out with some very interesting friends that I met along the journey.

Home in Penang

Finally, after a couple months of roaming about I am finally back home in Penang. Yes, I know the last time I wrote was about Vang Vieng. I will continue with some of the stories I left out in the last couple three weeks and hopefully this time with some pictures. Unfortunately, I have been very lazy with the camera for my last 2 weeks so there hardly any pictures of my two mates - Boris and Erik whom I travelled with for almost a week plus.

I took the flight from Bangkok to Penang on the 25th November morning. It was a short, one and a half hours ride and quite different from the many 10-hour-plus bus rides I have taken. Actually, quite a pleasant experience for a change. For now, it seems that my travels have ended. The trip has not been as reflective as I would have like it to be - in that I have not found the meaning of life - but the trip was surely a lot of fun. Also, I feel like some of my perspective in life has changed. I have always liked adventure but it seems like my priorities have always been more financially related. Earn more money, be a responsible son, listen to your church leaders, be a good 'Christian'... and things along that line. Now all of that I still want to be but there is so much to see, so much life to live. I cannot just go through life being a goody-two shoes. I still am (a 'nice' person) in more ways than not but I believe that there are flexibilities and freedom in life.

That said, I still realise that without money, none of the travels would have been possible. There needs to be a good balance in using money and acquiring it. Of course, I would like to make a sh*tload worth of money. Yes and I feel that I can contribute more to society when I have money than when I am poor. Yet I can be sadly deceived as money lures and corrupts. It makes you want to covet it without you even realising it. I feel that if I put my 'chinese' business mind to it, I can start a thriving business. I should put down some guidelines to getting rich before I start off on that line. Some line to tell me when is enough and what I should do when I have reached the goal. Something to keep me moral and sane before I turn into a greedy entrepreneur. Success is so often so much more dangerous than failure, in Christian terms, because it makes you proud. It gives you the impression that you do not need anyone, not even God. Only a few exceptional characters can be successful and yet stay humble. Should this be the road that I should be striving for?

Motorbiking in Vang Vieng

On the second day while I was in Vang Vieng, I rented a motorbike to go around the place and visit some of the caves around the area. This was quite a scary experience, not because of the road conditions nor because of the traffic congestion but it was due to my lack of skill and experience on a motorbike. I have not been riding a motorbike since I was 16 and that was only around my school compound or around my residential area. The moment I started on the bike, I had a bad feeling about the whole thing because the motorbike was so crappy and I already paid my rental fee. The engine couldn't start well, the gears did not shift well and the overall feel of the bike was just bad. Fortunately, I had a very pleasant ride in the morning 25km south of Vang Vieng. It was a trip to see a big lake with small islands jutting out of it.

The mistake started when I took some people's advice and visited the Pukham caves. On the journey, the first obstacle was crossing a 200m b ridge that was four plank wide without handrails. Given my skill at the motorbike, I was constantly afraid of falling of the bridge into the river. Also there were the bridge trolls that collected about $1.50 USD for the short journey on the bridge. The price seemed quite high to me if I compared it to the price of the Penang bridge in Malaysia that is 10km long and costs millions to build and cost about the same to cross. After the bridge, it was a 6km journey on a dirt road that was so bumpy, the shock absorbers on the motorcycle fell off. Naturally, I wasn't a happy camper when I had to pay for the shocks on such a trashy bike. I had to abandon the journey and walk the last 700m because I came up to a two-plank wide bridge with gaps in between across the river. I tried to push the bike across but figured there was a 95 percent chance the bike would fall into the river. Not very good odds in my head. I finally found the cave but was down $25USD for 2 new shock absorbers. Af ter thinking about it, I guess it is a small price to pay for motorbike lessons and for coming back in one piece.

Tubing in Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng was good fun. On the day that I arrive, I went tubing with 3 British girls that I met in Vietnam. Tubing down the Nam Song river was definitely a relaxing event. It gives you an illusion that there are no cares in the world. You just drift down the river and stop by the river side 'Beer Lao' bars and have a beer or two. The bars usually set up some form of entertainment to entice you to stop - rope swings into the river, platform jumps, etc. Many, I think, get drunk before the trip ends. It was a fun and relaxing experience. In fact, this other lady who jumped on to the tuk-tuk before it went off, lost count of the number of times she has went tubing. Guess maybe she had a few 'happy' pizzas or 'happy' shakes too many. She said she lost count after the 18th time. However, one of my friends got molested by 2 innocent eleven-year old looking boys that jumped on to her tube, near the end of the trip. They jumped on, looking very innocent and cute, but started to touch her soon enough. She made good fun of it afterwards but guess we should have taught those porno kids a good lesson.

Vientiane, P.D.R - Please don't rush.

Coming in to Vientiane from Hanoi, I am hit by a complete change of culture. In Hanoi, people were very industrious. Many woke up very early. When I woke up at 7am, seems like the whole place was awoke; breakfast was on the table, people were all around rushing for work, roadside eating stores were filled with people. In Vientiane, the people running my guesthouse was still half asleep when I came down at half past 8. Things were generally slower and tuk-tuk drivers hardly bother you with going somewhere eventhough I was looking for one.

Anyway, I have been Vientiane for a few days now. I was hoping to meet up with some of the Christians from my church in Vientianne. However, the Vientiane contact I had was in Bangkok so I did not manage to meet up with any of the locals. Spent my days visiting temples, parks and museums around Vientiane. Spent 2 days staying with some really budget travellers so I spent only $10 a day. And that was because I ate $5 for breakfast and dinner. I was staying in a real dodgy guesthouse for $1.50 a bed. After 2 days of being bitten by mosquitoes and facing dirty toilets and unclean bed sheets, I had enough and moved on to a $5 a day room. Not the best place but very clean and the owner seems to have an obsession with killing bugs - a real luxury compared to the rathole that I had to endure for the past 2 days.

Vientiane does not seem like a popular place for the tourist. Most of the tourist stops here for a day or two and move off. Half of them don't even make an effort to see the popular sights in Vientiane. Many just come here for visas or official business. They probably would rather spend their days in Luang Prabang. Overall, Vientiane is a slow, quiet and beautiful city overlooking the Mekong River.

Halong Bay, the pearl of Vietnam

People say if you go to Vietnam, you must visit Halong Bay. They are right. It is a beautiful part of Vietnam. Thousands of little islands sticking out from the sea and many small caves around, the scenery is simply magnificent. The boat ride was also serene. I stayed only 1 night on the boat. A little rush but then that gives an excuse to return to Vietnam some time later, if ever. Also I missed Sapa, a northern town in Vietnam very popular with the tourists, because of the budget constraint. Had a lot of time on the boat just chilling out on my boat.On other boats, it could just be a big long party. Some of these travellers seem to come on holidays just to have a long party. Some get pissed so many nights that the holiday is recovering from one hangover after the other. Not trying to judge them but having a hangover on Halong Bay just didn't seem too fun. You'd just miss most of the trip. But then what do I know about hangovers since I've never had one.

Backpackers in Nam

I rushed through Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi as there was still quite a lot to see and I thought I should go a little faster. While I was in Hue, I cycled to and around the Old Citadel and the purple city with this Japanese girl, Haruko as she was also travelling alone and we were going to the same places in Hue. It is funny how you meet back different people who are backpacking because many are doing the same route. I met Jonny and Kate in Hue again after saying goodbye to them in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I sat with them through the awful, rickety bus ride to Siem Reap from the Thai border. They were with a huge group of Europeans who seemed to be drinking through the night and most of the day. A really fun bunch comprised of Swedes, British, Irish & French. At the end of the day, they were a little too 'party going' for me so I had too sneak of to Halong bay on my own. There were so many Europeans travelling in Vietnam but I was surprised that I hardly met any Americans as the American dollars go rather far around this region. Also they were many Australians and Japanese along the route. Many of the Japanese are travelling alone. I finally met a Singaporean (uncle) who was backpacking in Hanoi. He just came from China and was boasting about how cheap the food was in China. How typical - Europeans would have talked about how beautiful the place were and the people that they met. Singaporeans - a die-hard fan for the bargains. Okay not all Singaporeans, but many. I kid you not.

Cycling in Nha Trang

Cycling in Vietnam is definitely an unforgetable experience. Traffic goes in all directions and all types of vehicles travelling at different speed share the same lanes - trucks, bicycles, pedestrians, motorbikes and all. Also the road signs are all in Vietnamese so I missed a few turns and missed the place I was going to. Had to ask for direction in the offskirts of Nha Trang to get to Hon Chong promonotory. Naturally there wasn't anyone who could speak English. Finally found the place I was looking for after cycling for more than 10k. Absolutely tired by the time I got back to the hotel. Still I would definitely recommend cycling if you are in a smaller town like Nha Trang. The main reason is that if you have a bicycle, the touts for motorbike, massage, boom boom, weed, cyclos, books, cigarettes, whatever, leave you alone. No one bothers you after you get a bicycle. It is also thrilling to know that you can be killed by all the projectiles (other bicycles and motorbikes) coming from the roadside on top of all the traffic that goes the wrong way. All this for $1 USD a day.

By the way, if you ever come over to Nha Trang and expect to have a great dive, you will be rather disappointed. The visibility wasn't very good when I dived as it was off season. However, even if the visibility was good there isn't anything to see. An occasional eel or a lionfish, some grey corals, sea urchins, you won't be missing much. Do the boat trip and have a good party instead as it is much cheaper at $6 USD versus $30 USD for 2 dives. One redeeming factor is that I heard Nha Trang has one of the cheapest diving in the region.

The Dalat Highlands

Dalat is such a neat place. It is a cool place to come with some friends as it is quite lonely to be sitting in a cafe all alone, when everyone else is in groups. It is 9pm now and I see loads of people standing at the town central talking, eating or kicking around a shuttle cock thingy or hacky sack. People in Vietnam seems to like sitting around outside the park or at their doorway just chatting to their neighbours or watching people. With the weather being in the 15 degrees Celsius and a lake in the middle of town, Dalat is a good place to chill out and has the nickname 'City of Eternal Spring' or City of flowers.

Also, met up with some of the people from the city tour and had a nice meal together. Since we were made up of a motley crew, French, Japanese, Australian, Malaysian, communication was sometimes difficult. I had a great time and joined them for a cup of coffee. Also, joined the local Catholic church for a mass in Vietnamese. Couldn't understand a word they said except Amen. So be it.

The Aftermath of War

Visiting the Tuol Sleng museum, the killing fields at Cheoung Ek and the Saigon war remnants museum shows how painful and inhumane war can be. It shows how cruel and evil people can become. It brings tears to my eyes to see what the Khmer Rouge did to its own people. They were not only out to kill - they wanted to wipe out culture, love, art, literature, all things that makes life worth living for. Yet I wonder if I would have stood up for what is right and die for my convictions if I was in the midst of war. How easy it is for us to say we believe in something when it costs us nothing but how difficult it is to keep the same convictions when our lives and possessions are on the line.

On a lighter side, I saw someone paying $10 to shoot 10 bullets in an M60 machine gun at the shooting range near the Cu Chi tunnels. I think it lasted 15 seconds and that was only because he paused to aim. I think he managed to pull the trigger a total of 3 times. What was he expecting with a gun that shoots 600 bullets a minute? That was the quickest way I've seen someone spend $10 in Vietnam so far. Now, it would have been way cool if he paid $600 for bullets and shot the machine gun like Rambo.

The Amazing Angkor

The temples around the Siem Reap area were absolutely amazing. Huge moats, creepy trees, faces from the wall, all were very interesting. Spent sometime reading and writing inside the temples. Angkor Wat during the sunrise was serene and the silhouette of Angkor against the morning sun is magnificent. Definitely worth waking up for if you are in the Siem Reap area. However, you do have to tussle with numerous tourist for your photo spot. However after 2 and something days, I am a little 'templed' out. It was also great being able to chat with some of the other backpackers or just hear some of their travel stories. Some are rather extreme; I met one who travelled with a daypack only and he has been on the road for 2 years.

Anyway before I forget, I should write down the approximate prices for Siem Reap so that you don't get cheated if you come around the area (like I did). Guess I must look rather gullible.
$6-8/per day for mini tour and grand tour by motorcycle.
$10-12 for the bikes with mini trailer.
$10-20 for going to Bantey Srei and Kbal Spean.
The cheapest way however is to not go with a permanent driver and do the trip planning yourself. Then just get any driver waiting on the side or flag down any drivers on the road. Food prices are from $1-6 USD.

A day in Phnom Penh, Penh's Mountain

I am glad I could meet up with Glenn and Heather Geeting in Phnom Penh. They have 3 absolutely adorable kids and work at the non-profit Sihanouk hospital to help run things over there. A very friendly and God-fearing couple, who inspires me to see what a great family life can be like. Anyway, they also allowed me to stay at their place at a whim’s notice.

Heather took Ada, a local Cambodian and I over to the hospital for a tour. It was definitely a great experience being able to hear the staff explain the functions of the various departments in the hospital. Also we were taken to some places where we would never have been able to see at any other hospital unless we were staff of that particular hospital.

After the tour of the hospital, a group of us went over for a ‘home-care’ visit – a visit to a few families being treated by the hospital who are HIV positive. The visit was definitely an eye-opening and humbling experience. Most of the families were living around garbage-filled dumps, had barely enough money to pay their 25 cents USD rent, no money for food and were seriously ill (HIV and TB, etc). Literally a real shitty place. There were holes in the zinc / card board roofs that sheltered them so when it rains their 6x10 feet shack becomes a little pond, I’d imagine. Moreover, these rooms typically houses 2 adults and 3 kids. So it puts me to shame complaining about my health and living conditions in Malaysia / Singapore.

Angst in Singapore, Part I

For the past few years there has always been a struggle over staying in Singapore. I could not really pinpoint the problem but as I am sitting at one of the library buildings at the Angkor Wat pondering, things have become slightly clearer.

Now don't get me wrong, Singapore is actually a very nice place to stay in when compared to the other countries in South East Asia. It is probably the safest place in the region. I could leave my bag in an open food court and leave and order food without having to worry about it getting stolen. I take jogs in the park at 12am or 1am without fear of getting mug or killed. The place is super clean and have air conditioned places everywhere. Also the money is good. Compared to an average graduate pay in Indonesia which is just 45 minutes away, an average worker in Singapore gets about 7 to 8 times more in salary. Compared to Malaysia, 20 minutes away in the north, the pay is doubled. So what is there to complain?

For me, I just don't like the culture of performance, efficiency and materialism. It basically is not my personality. Everything around seems to be about who can perform the best or who makes the most money. Also, degrees and learning have been put to such a high importance that there is so much pressure on the kids and also adults to achieve. Casual conversation will drift to the latest gadgets or status symbol. There are exceptions but as a majority it is a culture that pushes performance above all else. But being an Asian and Chinese, escaping this type of culture is difficult because it is how we were brought up. Maybe I just need to find a balance within myself or just be confident about who I am.

Trip to Siem Reap

I wanted to take the train to the Thai-Cambodian border at 6am but overslept as I had only 2 hours of sleep the night before. The problem started then. I had to quickly changed my plans and took the bus to the border instead. Very smooth ride to Thailand but once I passed the Cambodian border, the chaos begins. Anyway, I took the bait and bought the bus ticket to Siem Reap at a rip-off price. A very bumpy ride to Siem Reap. At the end of the day, I was a bit 'bumped' out at the end of day. Tired but excited to look at the Angkor Wat tomorrow.

The Seedier side of Bangkok

Today it is on to the seedier side of Bangkok for me - the figths and the ladies. Seeing that I am in Bangkok, I thought I had to at least see Soi Patpong I and its naughtier side street Soi Patpong II. Anyway, checked out the streets while it was still broad daylight. For some of my Christian friends who will never find out but are still curious, the opening price for a full body massage plus additional services is 1500 Baht. That is before haggling. I didn't want to find out how low it can go. You'll have to ask someone else. Anyway, just wanted to see the place because it is famous. A lady who was touting her workers was asking me why I would walk down Patpong if I didn't want to see (and for 'free'). A good question that I didn't answer.

Also, decided to go see some Thai boxing at the stadium. Seems like on Tuesday nights they have the big fights. I wanted to buy the middle stadium tickets at 800 Baht but was advised against it by the ticket seller. She said those are the seats where all the gamblers are and she was right. Anyway, I got the ringside seats for 1500 Baht. Not cheap but quite an experience. At the end of the day I was so tired. Maybe I should have used the 1500 for something else.

Public transportation in Bangkok

I have decided to travel to the tourist places I want to see via buses and river taxis because :-
1. They are cheaper than the regular taxis (when you are alone).
2. It seems more adventurous.
3. I don't know how to tell the taxi driver the place I want to go.
And after doing so, I would definitely recommend it. Yes undoubtedly by doing so you will probably miss some sights of interest if you are rushing for time, I think the experience makes up for the places that you will miss. So what if you miss one or two temples. After a while, they look kind of similar anyway.

I manage to see some of the recommended places in Bangkok, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and China town. However, for me the best part was the river taxi ride along the Chao Phraya river. An enjoyable ride together with a great view of Bangkok skyline. Also the ride is very affordable, only 6 Baht for a 20 minutes ride. I liked it so much, I purposely missed my stop and went on for a few stops further. Of course, I had to pay another 6 Baht to travel back to the original place I intended to stop.

Also, I think I was kind of scammed by the tuk-tuk driver and his cohorts but it kind of backfired at them. But that will be a story for another day.

Bangkok - Local Attractions

My cousin Alan and his two managers took me around to see Bangkok seeing that I have not the slightest clue what I want to do in Bangkok. Of course I am planning to see the 'touristy' areas only when my cousin goes to work as he has probably taken tons of people to these places in his few years here.

The first stop they took me to was Bang Saen, a beach visited mostly by the Thai locals. There were literally thousands of reclining chairs, tables and large outdoor umbrellas along this endless strip of beach. This probably shows that the Thais are a bunch that really likes to frequent the beaches on the weekends or their time off. Many were sitting in groups enjoying their seafood dishes. Tire tubes line the beaches ready to be rented by the eager beach wader along with the usual jet skis and banana boats that are so common in Malaysia.

At night we visited the night Bangkok flea market. There were thousands of people walking through the streets browsing at the wares displayed for sale. There were so many vendors that it seemed like everything imaginable was out for sale, from commercial refrigerators to handphone accessories, from used computers to kitchen knives. If only one had the patience and time to walk through the streets, one would probably find the item they were looking for. Of course bearing in mind that every stop you make probably jams up about 10 to 15 people behind you trying to go pass you. Again I could hardly see any tourist except myself; a consolation that I am seeing a little of Bangkok through the eyes of locals here and a compliment for the 2 friendly local guides that might have come obligingly as a favour to my cousin, their boss.

The ride to Bangkok

I took the choice of taking a train from Butterworth to Bangkok, a 23 hour train ride. Even before I bought the ticket, my uncle, dad and mom is advising me on what a silly decision this is going to be and how I am going to regret it. A plane ticket would probably cost only a bit more than the train ticket and takes about an hour. Yet even as they advice me, I strangely wonder if this is going to be the most comfortable ride in this short journey.

Barely an hour into the journey and I am feeling incredibly lonely. Probably exacerbated by the Japanese couple that sits beside me reading their Japanese comic together and laughing out aloud. I desire the company and someone to cuddle up to but my cuddling companion would have to be the huge bag of laundry they put opposite me or my own backpack. Anyway I am glad I brought along at least a novel to read. There will be plenty of reading time in the upcoming journey I feel.

Journey into the unknown

I will be taking a trip through the Indo China region soon. It'll be the first time in my life that I have gone on a backpacking trip alone out of my country. Honestly, I am a little afraid because I will be in countries where few will speak a common language as I do. Also, I will be expecting times of incredible loneliness and in moment like these I fear that I will be doing something foolish. Yet thousands have taken the trip and came back unscathed so I am not that worried. Well it has been something that I have been thinking of for quite a while so I am excited about the trip as well.

This trip will be more of a trip to reflect spiritually and about life in general. The other day, I saw the movie 'Motorcycle Diaries'. It was a show about 2 friends who went on a trip around South America and in the process changed their perspective in life greatly. One of the characters, Ernesto Che Guevarra became a famous revolutionary who wanted to unite South America.

In a way I wish my trip would be so profound, not that I want to be a revolutionary or anything like that. I want to to take a trip to see if my perspective in life could change, if I can be inspired to take action or to somehow point me towards the direction of life. All throughout life, I have always been thinking or dreaming things but take little action towards fulfilling these ideas. I guess you can say I like to daydream. I'd like to be more of a doer than a thinker, someone who dreams in the day to turn their dreams into reality. Daydream or reality? Only time can tell.

Keeping the Muses alive

The Ongster on a hill overlooking Sri Lanka


In an ongoing effort to keep the Muses alive in me, I have left my job and have wandered off around and back to my home town. The aim was to search for adventure, excitement and some reason on why I can't seem to break the "work-home-church-bored" cycle of my life. The journey has been exciting but seems like the Muses were not content and have added a cruel twist to the story in the form of a 'breakup'. A breakup from a remarkable woman whom I am still very much in love with. A high price to pay for trying to break from the routine.

In case you have been wondering, for the few months, I have been trying to break many routines that have been formed in my life. The daily routines - going to work, sleeping on time, going to church twice a week, praying and reading the Bible are no longer routine. I do sleep but no longer at regular hours. 6am to 1pm, 3am to 11pm, anytime can be sleeping time.

Looking back at the last few months, I think routine is a necessity else life would always be so full of complexities. We would always be thinking about what needs to happen next. Maybe I need some routine in my life but more importantly I need some meaning and passion in life.

Plan A lifestyle

Like many I believe, I live a very routine lifestyle. A life that if you look at your watch, you can probably tell where I am or what I am doing. Hardly ever do I change from my typical schedule.

8:00am Wakeup
9:00am Work in a job I dislike
12:00pm Lunch
7:00pm Get off work
7:30pm Meet friends / Go to church (certain days)
10:30pm Reach home
12:30am Sleep

This is my typical schedule. I call it my 'Plan A' schedule. At first things were fresh. Money was coming in. I was debt free and having money for the first time. Slowly, the routine began to eat into me. Life in general just became bland. Things were the same. I hated doing the job because it was doing the same things everyday. Things I use to enjoy became monotonous also. My early morning walks and prayer became a chore. Even if I manage to wake in the morning, I'd rather lie in bed. My life was in a rut that I felt I couldn't get out off. I was living a life of 'quiet desperation' as Thoreau said it (if I don't remember wrong). I don't even remember when things when out of 'Plan A'. Am I destined to be stuck in a schedule that feels so meaningless? Is there a way to break out from this rut?