The purpose in life..

It's been a long time since I'm here blogging. Most of the time I just share photos and articles. But this morning. I was reading an article in the newspaper which was talking about how a girl quit her job to travel and find herself. And it got me thinking. 

A little background about the article. This girl's a Uni graduate and came out to work in the corporate world. She got tired of climbing the corporate ladder and wanted to find herself. So she took off to Guatemala for 3 weeks. Hoping to find what she really wanted in life. There she met travellers who are as lost as her and did not know what they wanted to do with their lives either. Until she met a yoga instructor (who is now her boyfriend) and she opened a restaurant there and an agency helping others to look for jobs for Spanish teachers. That was 4 years ago that she left Singapore and she seems to have found her purpose in life. 

What I want to share here is this. If you want to find yourself. You do not need to leave the corporate world. Neither does it guarantee that once you leave and travel you will be able to find yourself. And I strongly disagree with the fact that travellers are lost. I have met and known travellers who know exactly why they are travelling. And travellers who are travelling to find themselves - but not lost. 

I've a full time job and in the corporate world. I face the corporate ladder and dog-eats-dog world every day. But do I know what I want to do with my life? I do. I know that this job I have now allows me to earn enough to continue travelling when I have the time. But it doesn't mean that I lose myself when I stop travelling. 

In the 9 years that I am in this full time job of mine. I travel. I travel to places that I grew up dreaming of. Never thinking they will come true one day. I travel alone. Living by the day.

Travelling opened up my eyes to the places beyond the horizon. It made me come back more appreciative of what I have and taught me things that education did not.

One of the first few places I travelled to alone.. Malacca, Malaysia.

Another one of the first few places I travelled to alone.. Taken at the foot of Mount Phousi, Luang Prabang, Laos. 

I didn't only take the less trodden path. But I splurged once in a while when I went to DisneyLand in Hong Kong. Universal Studios in Osaka. DisneySea in Tokyo. Of course with every splurge it came with a price. But have I ever regretted spending more money than what I brought over? Never. I worked so hard back home. Why shouldn't I treat myself a little better when I'm away?

With Mickey in DisneySea, Tokyo! 

I learnt to appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature. Especially when I started backpacking to The Philippines.

Kids playing on the sand bank in Batanyan Island, Cebu, Philippines. 

A 8 hours banca ride from Coron to El Nido, Philippines. 

Sunrise in Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I made new friends along the way and hung out with them.. Just like a local. =) 

My friend and I sitting on the ledge of a waterfall in Siquijor, Philippines. 

And a family and me rafting away in Bali, Indonesia.

 I went to places that I never even dreamed of sometimes. Learning the ways as I go along. 

On top of one of the 5 peaks in Mount Hua Shan, Xi'an, China.

Floating down the Yellow River on a pig skin raft, China.

Drinking horse wine - neat - once we got down the bus in Inner Mongolia, China. 

And to fulfill my dream of getting to Tibet. I planned and on a whim. Signed up for the tour and off I went! My first destination that was crossed off my bucket list! 

Beautiful beautiful Lin Zhi, Tibet, China. 

Of course a visit and climb to the Potala Palace is a given! Lhasa, Tibet. 

Another place on my bucket list was to backpack to Sri Lanka. I love the hospitality. The people. The nature. What I didn't really enjoy was the food.. Coz I came back home and swore off Indian food for a good 9 months!

Sunrise from our 'tent' in Madulkele, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Across us was the Knuckles Range. Breathtaking!

Finally seeing the fishermen on stilts in Galle, Sri Lanka!

Just not too long ago. I took a 3 weeks break and went back to the Philippines and decided that after procrastinating for so long. It's time to pick up scuba diving. Never have I accomplished something that I'm so proud of. Till the extent that I'm thinking of doing the divemaster course too!

My Open Water session in Camiguin, Philippines.

Fish feeding in process in Batangas, Philippines.

Heading down into the unknown off White Island in Camiguin, Philippines.

And seeing a white tip reef shark so close while down under in Maldives is the icing on the cake!

I learnt. Through backpacking and staying in hostels. And through driving on road trips. I don't need to leave the corporate world to find my purpose in life. I know what I want and I go for it! 

Question: why do I travel?

I was juz reading an article of why 'I tendered my resignation without securing the next job. Here's why I don't mind.' (Read the full article here: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/tendered-resignation-without-securing-next-033039932.html) and it evoked some thoughts in me but more related to travel then to work.

So I was wondering why do I travel as much as I do now and the reasons behind it. Initially I started travelling coz it was fun and pure fun. After a while the fun sort of died off and travelling became a journey to find myself. My independence. To detox.

1) To satisfy a craving of chicken rice balls and tako su: A day trip to Malacca with a friend. Along the way we saw super bikes and it juz made my day so much happier (I have a place in my heart for super bikes). After the dinner I was of course even happier. =)  

2) Being rebellious/adventurous.. depending which angle you are looking at: I have no bike license and whenever I mentioned about riding I had a friend who will give me that dead stare. (That was a friend who mattered most to me back then..) So knowing that I will piss him off in some way. I rode in Siquijor without a license and without a map in hand. In which I fell off 4 times off the bike and came home with scratches and bruises and burnt skin.

3) To check off my bucket list: The only place that was on the list for the longest time ever.. Tibet. Roof of the World. I went with an open mind and worried that I may not make it up the Potola Palace. But all my fears were unfounded coz I had the best time of my life. Ever.

4) Meeting new people and making new friends: On a trip to El Nido. I met and befriended a German and a couple from Russia and we are still in contact since. It's wonders how travel can bring people from such diverse background together.

5) Finding myself: Travelling with a friend I've never travelled with before who's also a solo traveller to Boracay. Each trip I embark on. I find a little more about myself and the person I lost touch with ever since I started working.

6) To get away from it all: My trip to Bali in December last year was impromptu and it was something I've never ever done before. I've never travelled on spontaneity and enjoy the process of planning. I went on a whim coz I juz wanted to get away for a little while. Hoping that coming back would bring me a fresh perspective on what is happening and how I could have done differently. But it didn't really work out that way.

7) To seek solace. Peace and inspiration: I went Kandy (Madulkele specifically) and suddenly my Chinese was all the more powerful.. (I was posting on my personal facebook page in Chinese flowery sentences.) Hahaha. The scenery took my breath away. Literally. The sunset and sunrise was awesome and the journey up was worth every single bone shattering moment. I found a peace within me that I haven't had in ages (even though I was travelling with 2 other friends) and that solace I was looking for all this time. Short lived - no doubt - but it was a time that seemed to slow down when I was there and I could breathe more easily.

All of us have different reasons for travelling. So more than others. So lesser. But whatever your reason may be. Have a good one and don't regret doing what you did! There would come a day that you will appreciate the opportunities you took. Travel is priceless. So are the memories that's etched forever.

Dancing.. In the rain? =)

Okies. So this post has nothing much to do with food. Nor travel. But it has something to do with what's happening this 2 weekends in Singapore! Da:ns Festival at the Esplanade! =) 

A gigantic poster hanging from the exterior walls of the Esplanade. 

So what's this festival all about? It's all about dance of course! Yes yes I know. I am not a dancing person (Well. Given that I have two left feet and a body that can't seem to response to the music and is like a block of wood.. I don't blame you.)

'In celebration of the spirit of movement. da:ns festival invites you to 10 days of dance that will inspire and lift your heart. ... ... Don;t forget your dancing shoes: come shimmy and shake at our workshops. Or dance the night away under the stars. Fall in love with dance this October!' (http://www.dansfestival.com/2013)

Friday's theme is 'I'm in love' and yesterday featured dances from swing. to West coast swing. Cuban salsa and LA salsa. And it was awesome! Coz we get to dance too and it was a free workshop! 

Swing dancers.. 

West coast swing.. 

My personal fav: Cuban salsa.. 

LA salsa..

But the highlight of the night was when the floor was opened and it was a freestyle event. Honestly I didn't know there were so many people who could dance salsa in Singapore! 

I love watching people dance. Especially those fast paced dances. From tango to salsa. Partly the music juz brings you out of your current place. One of the first dance movies I watched that left me with a deep impression was 'Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBf-pgicICU) which was salsa. And very much Cuban I believe. <3 

The other movie which had dance routine which I love has to be from 'Step Up 3D' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNlVOcPKDCU) - Tango. And this came from Latin America. A place I'm dying to visit (if not for the exorbitant flight tix =/).

I remember the 2 times I went dancing in public. First was in Surfer's Paradise in Gold Coast with mum and the next was on my solo trip in Lhasa in the square right in front of Potala Palace. It was spontaneous and super fun! =P 

Sometimes in life. Rather than wait for the rain to stop. Why don't we learn to dance in the rain?  

Bucket list: Tibet!

Tibet: roof of the world. A place that holds a mystery like none other. A gnawing attraction to get there (which I have no idea why given that I don't really see much reports on the place). Call it the mystery. Call it the unknown. It has drawn me since I know how to travel solo. Probably (and now definitely) is a place that none of my usual travel kakis would travel to. 

The trip that I've planned for years finally came true this year. After that attempt last year which got canned due to the self burning incident on 27 May 2012. 2013: a new chance presented itself. I left on the day of my birthday. A new milestone since graduation from poly years back. Graduation trip of sorts one may say. 

A Buddhist country by majority. One could see prayer flags lining along the mountains. Different colours of the flags signifies different meanings from the 5 elements. Blue - sky and space. White - air and wind. Red - fire. Green - water and Yellow - earth. Prayer flags are not meant to carry messages from us to the Gods. But rather to 'promote peace. Compassion. Strength and wisdom.' (Wikipedia) Tibetans believe that when the wind blows on the flags. The wind will carry the blessings into the world and thus bringing peace to one and all.

My first glance of Potala Palace from across the river. An ancient palace situated at the highest point in the world. As obvious from this picture. The palace is divided into the Red Palace and the White Palace. The Red Palace is the place where religious study and prayers take place while the White Palace once served as the office building of the Tibet local government (http://www.travelchinaguide.com).

A sunset captured while crossing the river. At one of the highest point of the world. <3

3 different angles of the Potala Palace. From across the lake. To at the square. And lastly at night. Surprisingly when we enter the Palace. We are given a time frame to climb the steps (all 1,528 of them!) and to stay within the Palace. All within an hour. Nothing more. And due to the high altitude. You do get breathless after a couple of flights of steps. =P And no liquid is allowed into the Palace. You can only buy whatever you need once you reach the top. Security is at the 3 entrances and it'll be no surprise that we had to go through at least one. 

To a lot of people. Potala Palace is juz another 'old building' with 'some' history. No doubt it's that. But when you see it up close and personal and walk the hallways of the monks and Dalai Lamas who have walked before. A sense of peace prevails over unknowingly. You tend to forget the hustle and bustle of the city life down below and it's a world of its own. A class on its own (almost). 

Tibetans pay pilgrimage to Lhasa. A journey which they will do at least once in their lifetime. No matter which part of Tibet they hail from. A pilgrimage to the city of Lhasa is a must. As we walked around Bakhor street. Many faithfuls were seen 'kow tow' around the street. From the young to the old. The male to the female. And even to the handicapped. Each step is done with the devotee clasping the hands to the forehead. Throat. Heart and then he/she will prostrate full length on the ground. Throughout the whole journey without fail. (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/13/content_11008302.htm) A scene which touches the hearts of many of us as we could never envision the amount of tolerance level and devotion it muz have taken to start from their home till Lhasa. With many covering kilometers of land in months and even years. *salutez*

And last but not least. A glacier unlike many others. Kharola Glacier. Standing between the prayer posts at the top of a mountain that was 5,020 meters above sea level and the tip of the mountain reaching a staggering 7,191 meters. That was no easy feat. Even given my excellent (if I may say so) health condition. To be breathing in that cold mountainous air was like breathing in ice and my fingers were numbed by the cold even though the temperature was probably around 16 degrees Celsius (which isn't that cold). The UV however is the killer. Dry and strong UV meant I lived in moisturizer daily. =P

Given the chance. I would definitely go back again. Not so much to challenge my body and health to those conditions but coz I really felt at peace during the whole trip and could really let go of my struggles. Seeing those sights that not all (or even majority) of the people would want to was really something that spurred me on. I never regretted travelling or having such a place on my bucket list. BUT. I am proud to say I've conquered the highest country in the world and came back in one piece. =)

Would you want to go and take a look? =)