If I could just get over this mind-numbing jet lag, maybe I'd find the mental capacity to write a coherent paragraph. But alas, I am still staring blankly at this screen with a headache pulsing from my left temple and all I can muster is a point-form smattering of random thoughts. Please bear with me a few more days while I try to convince myself that this insanity that has come over me is temporary.
I think the iPad is one of the worst names ever. Couldn't it sound just a tad cooler?! iTablet? iSlate? iAnythingElseButPad?!
On my books-to-buy list: Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert and Linchpin by Seth Godin. If any of you have read these, please let me know what you thought! I'm debating which of the two I should start first.
Infinite freedom is a cause for hardship. I know, this sounds ironic, but it's true. I am going through a slough of decisions and it really doesn't help that I seem unable to narrow it down to three possible paths. It's actually a bit stressful. I know, I should be thankful, and I totally am, but seriously, the paradox of choice is real and it sucks!
I think I'm allergic to Bear (our dog). That's a problem, right? How do I cope with that?! And to think we were considering getting her another shiba puppy playmate!
Saw Avatar on a hot afternoon in Singapore last weekend. What a great film! Can't believe it's the highest grossing movie of all time. It was good, but was it that good?!
To deal with jetlag, I've been catching up on episodes of Glee and Grey's Anatomy and Brothers & Sisters. All great shows. And I'm so glad that I watch them all on-demand as opposed to becoming slave to weekly TV.
Do you have 15 minutes to spare? A long but interesting read about marriage (thanks to my friend S.M. for sharing)
Go find a blank notebook and title it “Things I am Thankful For”. And you HAVE TO write in a book. This exercise does nothing for you if you do it in your head. You must write it down.
Every night, before you go to sleep, write down 5 things that you’re thankful for. And why. For example:
The Rain. It’s cold, miserable and dark but there is something cozy about the rain. It makes me feel happy to come home to a warm, tidy apartment after work.
My chat with D.U. today. He totally made me laugh and talked me through some new ideas that I’ve been floating in my head. It’s nice to get a friend’s fresh perspective on old ideas.
Mama. She’s amazing and beautiful and kind and makes the world a better place.
Hulu. On demand The Office episodes late at night when you’re trying to get over jet lag. So great.
Travel photographs. They are the best souvenirs to take home after a long journey. I’ve spent the last few hours looking through the set, dating all the way back from May of 2009! What an amazing year!
Make a list like this everyday. Try it for two weeks. Soon, you’ll find that you’re listing more than 5 things each night and then you’ll see what living abundantly really means. Try it. I promise it works!
I’ve seen many beaches in my travels and I would have to say that Boracay’s is the closest to paradise. It’s an amazing place. I would highly recommend it! Yes, it’s even better than Thailand!
For those of you who don’t know, Filipinos love showbiz. They love to sing and dance and perform. This is why karaoke has been banned in Philippine prisons – it takes up too much electricity. However, they have come up with a performance program in one of the biggest prisons in the country to create confidence and camaraderie in inmates.
This past Christmas, during our month long visit with relatives in the Philippines, we got pretty used to daily karaoke parties, dancing babies and showbiz television. Below is our family’s version of all three.
Singapore is a land of contradictions. I was only there a few days and on the outside the place seems so ordinarily Western (if not for the fact that it’s neurotically clean), but there were so many moments during my time there when my mouth would drop in shock over all the things that I learned about the place.
Gum is illegal.
So is smoking.
But prostitution is legal. The working women get tested every two weeks and are taxed on their income. Most of their customers aren’t local. Most are migrant workers from India, China, the Philippines… men who are away from their families and sending money home. Massages, even high-end ones, can almost always end in a happy ending.
They are building one of the biggest new casinos in Asia, but are charging locals 100$ to play. Tourists get to go free.
When you grow up, you either go to uni or serve in the army. There is no such thing as doing nothing.
There is a mall on every street corner (no joke). You can walk for miles and miles and miles and miles inside a mall.
If you hurt a tree, you are fined. At least 500$.
It is all so interesting. A bit of a shock, a little confusing and in my humble opinion, somewhat elitist. I won’t risk saying anymore to avoid offending anyone. Suffice it to say that the place is fascinating.
And the food! THE FOOD! Heaven! Street markets galore – so delicious, so cheap and so safe! =)
[Finally! Access to my Flickr account! This after a week of emails and crying on the phone with Yahoo people. You guys, don't EVER forget the answers to your own security questions, otherwise you have no hope in hell of gaining access to whatever account you're locked out off! Yeesh!]
Below are some pictures from Kuala Lumpur. My five day stay there was a mixed bag. I got to catch up with an old friend, I went to one of the best museums I’ve ever been to (Islamic Arts Museum) and I ate some crazy foods! Unfortunately, there were also some drawbacks. My India visa didn’t go through, I got harassed by annoying men everyday near my hotel and I basically had to fight with taxi drivers all the time to pay a fair fare! *sigh* Oh Asia, how I love thee!
Ah, so nice to be back. =) It’s warm, humid and super modern. Last night I spent hours walking, eating and shopping. =) The shopping here is ridiculous. You can walk for miles and miles and miles inside a mall.
I treated myself to a proper four star hotel and wow, does it make a difference. My sheets and pillows are fluffy, I have international TV, the AC works properly and most importantly, I feel super safe.
I’ve written a lot about safety these last few days. It makes such a difference to feel safe in the place you’re traveling in. For some reason, I find it hard to find that sense of security in many parts of Asia and I’m not sure if it’s me and my lack of openness, or if it really is my gut telling me that things aren’t as innocent and easy as I’d assumed. I think it’s a bit of both.
I’m disappointed that India didn’t go through. I’ve always wanted to see it. I’m going to plan a separate trip just for India, carrying 1/4 of the things I’m carrying now, with a proper itinerary booked from start to finish. Research will start the moment I land in the U.S. I cannot go the end of this year and not see India. It’s on the list of things to do!
What’s next? Ah, that is the golden question! Well, a few weeks of downtime at home to heal the body and the mind. And then a jaunt up to Vancouver to celebrate Canadian men’s hockey gold (fingers crossed!), and then some serious year planning. =) GMATs, writing, biz planning, consulting and home-hunting.
I got this email from a very close friend yesterday when I told him that I’ve been traveling through Asia solo. He must have read my mind because his concerns have mirrored mine this entire time.
DG:
Goodness – travelling alone in Asia – get a cheap wedding ring and tell creeps that your husband is a sumo wrestler who is waiting for you around the corner with your 5 kids.
BE VERY CAREFUL DG – carry mace, handcuffs, a gun, bazooka, flame thrower . . . .
Email me regularly so that I won’t worry.
Was it really such a crazy idea to try and trek Asia solo? Maybe. Even taxi drivers say that I am brave to be doing this on my own. Ha. Naive would probably be more accurate. Alls well. Home soon enough.
I am so excited to have brand new clean bleached socks to wear! Socks don’t launder well in sinks…
Hi there! I'm Denise. I share my name with Dionysia, the Greek god of wine, pleasure and joy. I'm a photographer, writer, marketer vagabond. I take photographs of enchanted places and the people seduced by them. This blog is an account of the wisdom, joy and grace that I've encountered along the way, and a place where I showcase some of my favourite photographs.
If you have similar stories to share, have questions about purchasing prints or just want to say hello, I'd love to hear from you!
