Closing Time

They cleared the alcohol shelf before shutting down the bar. 

I think they don't trust me very much.

There goes perspective.

Hello Fishie Fishie!

A very happy lion fish just chillin'

Here is the only one good decent picture I took from my two dives in the Maldives last week. The flash of my camera didn't always work - in fact only when I was very close to my subject; which doesn't always work depending on how effectively buoyant I am. I always thought it such a pity that we can never see the full beauty of the underwater world with our naked eye due to the seawater, sunlight etc. Imagine if we could see everything in their pure natural colours!! I hear that's what you get when night diving - but night diving doesn't quite work for (1) someone who's afraid of the dark, and (2) claustrophobic. Both of which, yours sincerely am.

A Peep into the World of Short Memories

Inspired by SneakyNiki's comment on the previous entry, here are some pictures from my dive today. The site is not great and I only had a regular camera, so pile on the imagination!

Where you going, big fella?


Who comes to disturb my slumber???

Just hanging out with the guys...

Life in the fast lane.

Oh, hello there, Master Shifu!

Sorry to disturb! Don't go!!!

A Fish Market. hurr hurr hurr.

Why do stars up above the world so high get so much attention?

What about the stars under the sea?

Looks like an office building of sorts.

This could be a waiting area for... the dentist?

These Feet Are Meant for Walking - Udhoo Rock, Maldives

Went diving today! Haven't been in the waters in about 18 months. Thought it'd be refreshing to be swimming with the fishes, and it was. No mobile phone, no emails, no social media, no talking, no listening... just swimming! The visibility wasn't great though, and aside from 2 moray eels, 1 scorpion fish, 1 large turtle and tonnes of maldivian trigger fish and the usual reef suspects, there wasn't anything earth shattering/ water splashing. I hear it's whaleshark season, but I have never been a lucky person.

That's why I think I am destined to have to work hard for my life.

Not that that bothers me though.
=)

These Feet Are Meant for Walking - Maldives

This is my third time in the Maldives, and it still does not fail to amaze me how turquoise the waters can be and how ridiculous the geography of this place is. What was Mother Nature thinking???

Got stung by jellyfish today - second time in my life; and after sharing my first jellyfish attack from 7 years ago last night!!! The coincidence!!! It first hit me on my calf. I brushed it away, and then it came back to hit my thigh. I just couldn't believe my luck, until the pain escalated. I swerved and squinted into the water, looking for the sonofagun... and there it was, with its rainbow coloured tail shining in the waters like one of those plastic battery operated child's toy. 

One upside to the experience though... i found out that the following is true: pouring pee over a jellyfish sting helps to stop the pain. 

These Feet Are Meant For Walking - Vientiane, Laos

Apologies for having been missing in action the last few weeks/ months. I have been working my feet and have been doing tonnes of walking! I have so much to share, but not enough resilience and motivation to write about all of them. What is one to do when in such a situation???

Well, I promise to write again very soon, and hopefully with a few accounts of ridiculous adventures and profound thoughts to share. In the meantime, I'm going to continue walking, and I hope you are doing tonnes of walking too! 

p.s. make sure you treat your feet well! They are going to carry you along for many years to come!

An Amazing Life with an Amazing View

Last Wednesday, I woke up bright an early in a small B&B in Central East Bali to this incredulous view. I had arrived at the B&B in the late of the night, and could not see what was beyond my fluorescent light-lit verandah. It was a very cool evening, temperatures were probably hovering at about 15 degrees. We had a simple dinner of papaya curry (try to imagine that!), some local vegetables, the chef's special fried chicken and soto ayam; before a long conversation ranging from movies, to books, to religion (of course), and the meaning of life.

Now, i shall not dwell into the discussions of the meaning of life. It is far too large to be contained in one blog entry, and far too indulgent a topic for me to write about. In a nutshell, i do not believe there is a meaning to life per se, and i justify my existence by trying to be a better person, and to make life more pleasant for the people around me. I think life, is like a glimpse between two dark eternities. There is no beforelife, nor an afterlife. I like to think this way, to be honest. It reminds me of the temporary and fleeting nature of my life. I'm not afraid that i will be no more, but more afraid of not utilizing my life to the fullest.

Recently, together with Koks and a good friend who resides in the godforsaken land of the vikings, we came to the conclusion that the best life strategy is summarized in 3 alphabets.

E, D and F.
Eat, Drink and F**k.

The funny thing is, when my companion and I were discussing about the meaning of life in the darkness of Central East Bali, he mentioned that life is about relationships, good food and wine. That struck me. Maybe there is some truth in this EDF life strategy. Maybe we're really onto something here. Maybe it could really work. I thought about it for a few days, and wondered... how about family? That falls under relationships... how about travels? how about.... music???

So now, I've revised it to the TMFED life approach... and it's pretty exhaustive i find. What about work and professional success? I am still struggling with that one, it always elicits mixed feelings... but perhaps that is merely a means to achieving the TMFED way of life.

At the end of the day, perhaps that's all that matters.

Time Froze in Galle, Sri Lanka

Galle is like a town frozen in time. The old town is still reminiscent of its colonial days - charming architecture, vintage cars, antique clocks.

Ohai-o-gozaimas Tokyo!

I have finally made it to Japan - have read, watched and heard so much of this intriguing country but never made it till now. Koks and I just spent a week in Tokyo, and it has been nothing short of intriguing and eye opening. I can't wait to share some of my findings, observations and travel tips here! Konichiwa!!

It's back to the 'pore tomorrow afternoon, and just a few more weeks before the end of the year (and the reemergence of the Starbucks Christmas drinks! WOOHOO TOFFEE NUT LATTE, come to mama!!!) Two more trips till the arrival of 2011 - Sri Lanka and the exotic island of Bali, and one life changing event *gulp*. The rest of the year will be busy, but in a good way, which is great.

Scarlett performs in a week at the Fort Canning Green!!! Can't wait!! It'll be for a charity event presented by Action for AIDS. We're always up for contributing to a good cause!

Malaysian Kampong Girl in the Sound of Music

Instead of looking like this...

.. I'ma look like this...

The Malaysian Kampong Girl hits the alpine nation! How will the Ever Polite people deal with Baba Malay (a dying unique language of Malay combined with Hokkien)??

"Eh Kawan! Orang Putih!! Awak jia pah bueh?"

Stay tuned!

Dolphins in the Maldives

I never knew turquoise, till I arrived in the Maldives 2 days ago. Never have I seen waters so clear and so blue, I am almost convinced that I can drink it straight from the ocean and quench my thirst.

For the first time in my life, I saw dolphins in the wild. Not one, not two, but at least a hundred of them. They swam alongside our boat, performing graceful stunts, teasing us with front and back flips, putting up a show in appreciation of our disbelieving applause. Such beautiful and adorable mammals!That's them swimming along us, responding to our claps and calls.

That's one of them caught in the act!!! How cool is that??

And since it was a sunset cruise, there must be a shot of the warm sunset. The sun took its sweet time to roll over the horizon, tantalising us with a glorious splash of colour.

What a beautiful introduction to the Maldives! Hello dolphins! Thank you for the great show, I look forward to seeing you in the waters in a couple of days.

.... and that's Life.

I told Nawoo that I was going to start a blog again, and he asked, "write about travel?"

And i told him, "about life, travel, love, food, death, passion, friends, everything."

Not in order, of course. That's also life, when you think about it. Nothing happens in order, or as planned, aside from the natural order of things - we are born, we live, we die. End of story.

Nope, i'm not pessimistic or cynical. In fact, I am very positive by nature. Today, I was reminded again that life is fleeting, that "life is but a glimpse between two eternities". Unfortunately, I learn these lessons through the short lives of some of the people around me, and the pain that the people around them have to go through. So, celebrate life! Celebrate love, celebrate living, celebrate being!

One of my favourite questions to bug my friends is "what is your objective in life?" Trust me, I've had quite a few looks, but I haven't had many earth-moving answers. Maybe we have been tricked into unsatisfactory objectives, maybe we haven't had time to ask ourselves that question, maybe we're afraid to look into ourselves for fear of finding only darkness and no answers. I'm not sure what's worse - not asking, or not having answers. 

One thing, to me, is for sure. Travel. 

It opens up your mind, it refreshes your eyes.

It is liberating, it makes you feel vulnerable.

It warms your heart, it makes it beat - in every rhythm.

It renews hopes, it creates dreams.

It heightens your sense of being, it is real.

And so, i almost live to travel so that I can learn as much as possible from this earth and with this life and body. Along the way, some people join me in my journey, and show me another aspect of traveling; and enhance my joy of discovering new things and accummulating new experiences. 

... and that's Life, my friends! That's Life!