Learning about Singapore
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Post travels
My travels had ended 3 weeks by now, though in reality it felt like a long time had gone by since I was still living on a suitcase. Life had been turbulent these days but in general it appears to progress to a rather exciting mode. Next year I will once again embark on a travelling frenzy, though more related to work, I will get to go somewhere at least once a month.

Jan - Taiwan
Feb - Australia
March - Vietnam
April - Malaysia
May - Australia once more

It is very exciting, though I am also really tired these days, not much time to think about personal things. Hey, with a bombastic career coming up in the horizon, I really cannot complain.

Singapore had surprised me a little and disappointed me in some other ways. I find the people here very friendly, welcoming, social grace and style had indeed progressed substaintially since 7 years ago I was here. What I find difficult to grapple with though is the lack of motivation in most young folks I've encountered. Unlike the international elites I've met over the years, many youngesters here seems to be generally contended with a sedated and comfortable life. Perhaps I had simply not met the right crowd yet.

Post Travels Depression
Mood:  spacey
Topic: Post travels
I am suffering from what I call "Post Travels Depression". This is probably a new medical discipline that needs to be investigated by modern psychiatry. If anyone out there is doing a research I think I will make a very good subject. For starters, the symptoms should include the following:

1.Lack of interest in life
2.Delayed reaction in decision making
3.General sloth
4.Inability to communicate with peers and immediate family members
5.Inexplicable seizures of melancholy
6.Lack of patience in other people's "stupid holidays" (Thanks Lene for this)
7.An uncontrollable urge to book the next flight out of the country. (A bus or train can be a good substitute)
8.Extreme boredom
9.Feelings of imprisonment
10.An uncontainable desire to scream my fucking lungs out!

Anyone knows a good psychiatrist that specialises in this field? I need help.

Last day of freedom, first day of prison
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Post travels
Today is my first day at this new job. Everything was fab. Everyone was nice to me, I got a rather nice desk, they are going to get me a fantastic laptop. Most importantly the job that I was promised looked promising and exciting indeed. But I am miserable!!! This cubicle feels like a prison after 9 1/2 months treading around the globe...

Hindi lessons
Mood:  lyrical
Topic: India
Further to 'Incredible India, Terrible India', here is a brief Hindi lesson compliments of Oliver

Ni (ryhmes with sky) means NO.

Jow (ryhmes with cow) means GO AWAY.

Dufaho (sounds as spelt) means F**K OFF or a near approximation to.

Last day of freedom
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Post travels
Here I am, one day before new job starts - 9 1/2 months past my previous position. After a 2-day effort of spring-cleaning, I feel like so much is being cleared away. First, there are a lot of remnants of my life pre-London, which felt like a completely different era. Then there are bits and bots of communication materials between London and Singapore, and fragments of my home there that now has ceased to exist. Finally, there are the travelling materials, from background reading to souvenirs and diaries. Above everything, there are the memories...

Ben warned me that life after travels may get considerably boring. I was busy with my unpacking and tidying that I didn't really have the chance to prepare myself for the anti-climax of the end of travels. There are occasions when I am quite glad to have a stable life again - the regular visits to the pool, signing up for wushu courses, that gorgeous digital piano that I am eyeing at the Yamaha music shop, along with Jazz lessons. But sometimes I feel spasms of depression when I realised that I am no longer part of that exclusive and really cool group of people in this world who lives life by the day and experience great new things every moment. I miss the most the time I spent in South America, which I regarded as the best part of my year.

Well, not much point being nostalgic, is there? The progression of one step to the next is natural at turbulent points of one's life, and changes inevitably brings about mixed feelings. I should be thankful that there are changes - surely that is better than stale and stagnant waters. Anyhow, I shall start dreaming and saving for my next big trip.

Exasperation is swelling up like a big fat balloon in my chest that is about to erupt into a massive bout of verbal release taking the form of a mother-of-all scream.

Returning home
Mood:  quizzical
Topic: Post travels
Late evening of 27th September 1997 I boarded a British Airway flight to London. 7 years later I am home again. While the incredible transportation and communication technology had allowed me short-term trips home, as well as plenty of news about Singapore in my time away, nothing is quite like living in one's own country once again.

So often my foreign friends asked me questions about Singapore where I had no definite answers. I have been away too long to be familiar with my own country, especially one that changes so drastically from one generation to the next. In particular I had missed the maturity of my peers in Singapore, the subtle changes in social grace, behaviour in society and value in life. I am looking forward to learn about Singapore once more.

The end of travels
Mood:  happy
Topic: Post travels
At the beginning of this year I left my job and life in London going on a journey to seek happiness and find direction in life. Approximately 6 weeks later I painfully admitted to myself that neither goals seems likely and I should just take the rest of the trip as one big long holiday.

Here I am, 9 months later, the final flight sector completed bringing me to Singapore Changi Airport and my next job in a few days time. If there are two conclusions I can draw from my adventures in these months, I'd say that happiness is a state of mind its derivation dependant entirely on one's hands, and that we can never be entirely sure about what we want from life since any guess is as good as any hence we might as well enjoy the present.

In a way, the acquisition of this two knowledge had indeed made me happier and clearer in mind what I want to do next. In addition, I am also stronger, both physically and spiritually, made many friends around the world and very much looking forward to my next office job.

Incredible India, Terrible India
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: India
On good days India is terribly incredible. On bad days, India is incredibly terrible. In any case, there is simply no simple way any traveller can describe the multi-dimensional experience of walking on a typical street of India. Imagine stepping into a street of intense heat and humidity where the four-wheeled and four-legged entities all attempts to crush your toes instantly. Next thing you know you are greeted by a sweet scent of incense followed very quickly by the foul stench of ammonia. Three thousand car horns then go into a symphony and every other Indian man will begin an interrogation session with you while following you along the dirty grimy road. One Englishman we met summed it up in one sentence. "I learnt three words in Hindi, namely `No,' `Go away,' and `Fuck off,' and I find that they are all I need."

Now don't get me wrong. The spectacular historical monuments and intricate pattern designs in India are every architect's dream. The people who are not in the tourism trade are mostly kind and gentle and physical aggression from the natives is rare. With such rich and vibrant history, gorgeous handicrafts and such variety of landscape, India is indeed an incredible destination. Yet there is simply no way one can prepare for all this difficulty. It demands a serene mind or else there will be threats of cardiac arrests. 5 weeks later and back in Singapore, I am knackered.

What a ride! This 33 1/2 hour (+2 hour delay) is what we called 'character building'. It started 2 nights ago with a fight with an old Indian man who didn't liked the idea that we wanted to put up our sleeping bunks first thing upon getting onto the train. There was a snoring symphony throughout the night from the various men around us. We spent the whole of yesterday burying our faces in books, then come evening time when we're both tired from reading, played the 'guess which famous person I am' game. In the afternoon, a bunch of ladies in the first cabin of sleeper 4 (we were in the 2nd cabin) were happily singing away, which brought a nice ring to the journey. However, when dusk befalls, their baby manifests himself into a screaming brat. This morning the ladies decided to have a shouting competition at 7 in the morning right after handing their brat a toy machine gun that he happily 'rat-tat-tated' away before day break.

I guess this is Indian rail for us.

The old man who had an arguement with us turned our to be a rather kind man. Perhaps he is merely grumpy and like many man his age likes things done his way. But I find him rather generous with other travel folks on the train, offering to buy them tea and stuff, and he forks out a ruppee here and there for crippled beggers and one or two kids who sweeps the cabins half-heartedly then demands to be paid. He even gave a banana to a 'peeking cow', or rather, a stray cow at one of the stations peeking into our cabin.

We are now in Delhi... a foggy day. I am knackered. Returning home in 3 days time, and I made the decision to give the Taj Mahal a miss.

Pirated books
Mood:  energetic
Topic: India
Landmark Bookshop, Spencer Plaza, Chennai.

This place is just heavenly. Both of us, templed-out, churched out, in short, completely Indiaed-out, found Spencer plaza, described as `The shopper's dream come true'. And here, indeed, the 2 of us bookworms felt like our dreams had indeed came true.

Landmark is a massive bookshop that shamelessly sells a massive collection of what I call `pirated books'. They look like the original published version, but costs half of the published recommended retail price. Not surprisingly the quality is dubious, some pages cropped off abruptly. Helen and I went lunatic on the books and decided on the spot that we must set up a virtual book club.

Sorry madam, not on menu
Mood:  d'oh
Topic: India
It was hilarious, though in a rather tragic way. Helen and I spotted a rather posh sounding caf? on her guidebook somewhere deep within a city where we spent about 20 minutes battling through heavy traffic, spitting men, roaring rickshaws to finally locate it in a somewhat plush shopping mall. A great moment of elation descends upon us as we sat ourselves down with the colourful menu offering a gigantic variety of gourmet coffees both hot and cold.

The waiter came around and I indicated my choice of `Cauppochillo' (or something like that) which is described as `espresso with rich creamy milk and floating ice-cubes' (as though ice-cubes behaves any other way?) Unfortunately, he informed me that the selection was not available. I asked him if I could just have plain coffee, no sugar and cold. `But it is not in the menu!' he declared. So I spent the next 10 minutes exploring the fancy selection of coffee trying to alter it such that it is simply `Cold coffee without sugar'. Eventually he gave in and said he'll make it up for me, a new item of `espresso + milk + ice-cubes' to his extensive menu. I was ecstatic. He left and I collapsed headfirst onto the table feeling a satisfaction as though I've just taught a Quechuan child how to speak Mandarin.

This moment of triumph was short-lived though. The waiter returned 30 seconds later informing me that my choice of `espresso + milk + ice-cubes' was not possible because `management' (otherwise known as fat man behind the counter) does not permit the creation of anything that is not on the menu. I gave up. `Just get me a caf? latte then. No sugar please.'

If only ice-cubes comes as a side dish.

P/s on the directory of the shopping mall I spotted a rather interesting shop named `wife to be school'.

I think I've just about had enough of India. I want to go home now.

I have become a monster
Mood:  blue
Topic: India
India had made me a monster. It is not good.

I usually strive to be polite to people, even strangers on the street. However, the millions of scammer each day we run into the street hassling and begging for our attention each day had forced me to turn a blind eye and ignore then before I go nuts.

Yes I know your baby is cute, but your baby is also screaming.

1/2 of Indian men are kind and gracious, the other 1/2 are lying bastards who grabs at every opportunity to scam every possible penny they can from you. Unfortunately, all of them looks friendly at the beginning so it is never easy to tell which category they belong to. In the defense mode we simply adopt the 'play safe' mode and be apprehensive about everyone. It is eventually very tiring and mades me feel like a horrible rude woman.

99% of Indian women are gorgeous and graceful and kind though. The only couple of exceptions we've met though, is grumpy granny on our day trip in Mysore, and a sour face ticket vendor in the train station at Kochi. However, 99% of Indian woman also have along with then, one or two screaming babies...

In short, I've turned into a rude, arrogant woman who has no compassion for woman and children. A spiritual change indeed.

Chennai
Mood:  hungry
Topic: India
We arrived in Chennai last evening at 8.30 after a long 16 1/2 hour journey from Thrivanathupuram (Trivandrum). That was as far south as we would have gone, though if we had taken the day trip from Thriv to Kanniyakumari we would have reached the south most point of India. However, in order to brace ourselves for the train ride yesterday and the horrific 33 1/2 hour journey to Delhi starting 10pm tonight, we decided to give that day trip a miss.

So far my knowlege of Chennai stretches from Egmore station to Hotel Regal (where we are staying) and the restaurants in between the two. Neverthesless I am having a better impression of this city then that of Mumbai and Delhi. Helen and I reckon that the city in India that will haunt you eternally will be that one that you landed in. For both of us it was Delhi, though after several bad experience in Mumbai Helen resents Bombay far more.

That 16 hour on the train wasn't as bad as we'd imagined, half the time we were bombarded by snack vendors and one would think we'll never go hungry. Yet when the moment came for me to finally desire some food, all the vendors miraculously dissappeared...

Kochi
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: India
Kochi, one of the most visited places in Kerala. It has a Catholic, Muslim and Jew community. (Unfortunately it also has a large community of mosquitos) The main town is quaint, peaceful and full of luxrious 'Westernised' commodities such as Continental breakfast, toilet paper (the locals never use them!) and lots of Engish literature. In fact, it is so westernised that we can't even find traditional-styled Indian food.

Tomorrow we are going for a 7 hour backwater cruise, the activity Kerala is famous for.

Attaining Nirvana
Mood:  cool
Topic: India
A few days ago we left the peacefulness of Palolem beach and head back to the 'real' India of chaos and disorder. It is interesting how I seem to have achieve a greater serenity inside me in order to cope with the madness all around. If one does not accomplish this quietude of the soul, the zillions of Indians screaming for your attention each day will very quickly gnaw everything off you.