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.