One month assignment to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

In mid-Nov'13, I was told by my boss that I would be posted to the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) office for a month to stand-in for the office manager, who was to go on leave throughout December. I was initially upset with this piece of news - I would have to forego Christmas with friends and family in Singapore to man the Vietnam office; and it appeared likely that my assignment to the New Zealand office in the first quarter of 2014 would similarly prevent me from celebrating Chinese New Year with my dear ones.

Despite arriving in HCMC with a heavy heart, I made efforts to settle in quick. The daylight hours were spent in the office, learning the ropes of how to manage a satellite office; and most nights were spent with William, one of my ex-colleagues stationed with HCMC with one of the Big Four accounting firms. William had been a wonderful host, taking me to his favourite bars and restaurants in HCMC, and I swiftly discovered the food and cultural diversity amongst the organized chaos of motorcycles, taxis, shopping malls, tall office buildings, and little alleyways.

I first came to HCMC in 2010 for a three-day management conference. I had a little taste of the local and french cuisine, and made time to visit the Cu Chi tunnels, Cao Dai temple and Mekong delta tour. To be honest, I was not impressed during this virgin trip. I found the traffic situation chaotic, the distances between landmarks too far for walking, and the highlights did not give me that "Wow" factor I so enjoyed throughout my travels to other cities.

On this second visit in 2013, William turned my impression of this city 180 degrees. There was always a cafe around the corner, excellent bars/restaurants at a fraction of the cost of Singapore, and nightlife options aplenty. In one month, I had tasted authentic Vietnamese, French, Singaporean, Indian, Middle Eastern, American cuisine. And did I mention the best streetside breakfast of baguettes each morning!

Lesson learnt:

As a traveller, my focus was to see as many highlights within the short duration to maximise experiences, whereas as an expat living in a foreign land, the focus would be on quality of life.

HCMC has proven that despite its stigma of being a developing South-East Asian city with chaotic traffic, this city is constantly sprouting up little surprises to keep foreigners entertained whilst still retaining strong local traditions and culture.

Work-Related Travel Beckons - and my first set of wheels

6 September 2013

It has been a few months since my boss mentioned that I was to be posted overseas to take a field office admin & accounting manager position, and in these months living in Singapore, I assessed what I had - a decent job; a small but great apartment; good friends; and I even picked up a number of new skills (cooking and bottle-cutting(!)).

I obtained my driver's license in 2000 and had less than 20 opportunities to drive a car over the past 13 years in Singapore. I have incessently bitched about the prices of cars in Singapore, though I did get by with the public transport system. I presumed the lack of a car reflected a lower social status and a key reason why I remained single. I shall not share my views on materialism and the Singapore girl.

My Aberdeen experience provided me much needed driving practice, and since those 4 weeks and 1,100 miles covered in June 2013, the seed of owning a vehicle had been planted in my mind.

The evening of 6 September 2013marked another milestone in the fulfilment of the material-based Singapore dream. I BOUGHT A CAR. A second-hand Fiat Grande Punto. Despite the ridiculously high prices, the dodgy car dealer, the free rides my friends have been providing me all my life thus far, and more importantly, the fact my boss told me in confidence that I will be posted overseas for a long term assignment within 2 months from 6 September.

Impulsive but necessary. That's how I felt. I was not going to let a few words from my superior determine my lifestyle. After all, the messaege was only verbally communicated and nothing had been presented to me in writing.

It has been less than a week since I collected the vehicle - there are loose parts vibrating at startup, the car has transmission issues on occassion, and I am threatening to take legal action against the dodgy car dealer. But my life has changed. I feel empowered. I can go anywhere, meet anyone, fetch a friend, at anytime. My only limitation would be to drink less alcohol to stay out of trouble with the law.

And then this posting to New Zealand kicks in. New Plymouth to be exact. Population 50,000. 4 hours away frrom the nearest major airport. At least a year or two away from my friends, family, apartment, and now my very own new used car.

FML.

Thoughts on Home

It was a sunny Friday afternoon. I had knocked off at noon, and drove to Stonehaven hoping to catch pictures of Dunnottar Castle in the afternoon sun. The sun was not to last though, as fog overcame the town within minutes of my arrival, which was followed by storm clouds, then rain.

Whilst waiting for the rain to subside, I had lunch at the Marine Hotel bar, one of the oldest establishments at the Stonehaven harbour, and it was with great fortune that an elderly man and his son of 40ish years sat at my table. I came to know the following during our half hour chat:

• The old man lived in the southwest of Scotland, and his son was based in London. They were in Stonehaven to visit the old man's sister, who was 81 years of age.
• The Marine Hotel used to be the only 'local' around, and it has grown and become more family-friendly over the past 60 years.
• The old man still enjoys his beer and an occassional whiskey, though Laphroaig would be considered too peaty.
• The old man was born in Stonehaven, and despite living and experiencing many parts of Scotland, still considered Stonehaven his home.
• The son had left Stonehaven aged 9, but had a lot of affection for the town, as he had many pleasant memories upon returning each summer.

The last 2 points set me thinking. I have lived in Singapore most of my life, changing residences 5 times in my 30 or so years, each time within the same district. The question is - How attached is one to his place of birth/first residence?

Personally, I feel quite attached to District 15 of Singapore, the East Coast District. It could be due to a number of factors:

• I was born here
• I attend church here
• Many friends (previously from church) live around the area
• It is close to the beach, where the air is fresher without the smells of industry (e.g. chocolate, paint etc)
• It retains a sense of history, with the neighbourhoods of Katong and Joo Chiat granted Heritage status to be "preserved", despite the rest of the district redeveloping at a rapid pace
• I feel it has a majority English-speaking community, with a large number of Eurasians living in the Siglap area. I could be wrong here, but it's just the vibe I get.
• I do not feel enveloped by high-rise buildings unlike other "new town" neighbourhoods

These 2 Scots, both older than me, had their own reasons for calling Stonehaven home, having spent a majority of their lives many more miles away from "home" than I have been.

I guess there is not much of a point to make here, but I do hope that in 40 years time, I can walk around District 15 with the same positive feelings the 2 Scots have towards their hometown, with all my reasons above intact.

Scottish Humor/Driving in Aberdeen

In May and June 2013, I was posted to Aberdeen, Scotland for a rotational assignment.

I had a wonderful time here, most memorable for it was the first time I had a car - in 13 years since I passed my driving test, I had probably less than 20 occassions to take the driver's seat, including an incident when I reversed into a carpark pillar. Julie never let me drive her around again...

My first introduction to Scottish humour was upon seeing the allocated vehicle. I had requested for an automatic transmission car, preferably a small model, which would be easier to maneuver around the narrower streets of Scotland. What the car rental company offered was a Kia Sportage, a 2 liter SUV. I managed to scratch the side of the vehicle on the first day, destroying a parking lot post during a hasty 3-point turn. Guess the joke was on them this time.

I am still overly grateful to my employer for financing my driving practice, and giving me the opportunity to explore the Aberdeenshire.

I am also hoping that they can increase my salary soon such that I can finally afford a car in Singapore to boost my social status.

The Elusive Northern Lights of Norway!

Seeing the northern lights is on many a bucket list, and I am glad I managed to cross it off my list aged 34 and 2 months. For readers who wish to know more about the aurora borealis, this link is pretty useful.

It took four trips, yes, FOUR trips(!) to arctic Norway, three of them in Tromsø and one in the Lofoten Islands, before I got to see the lights in their full splendour.

Before getting to the pictures, a summary of my three failed attempts:

November 2008 - Tromsø, Norway - 1 night - camped under the stars with David, my Czech colleague, next to a sami tent (lavvu) for four hours in -20 degrees celsius temperatures - clear sky; no lights

February 2009 - Tromsø, Norway - as above, with three Singaporean girls on an university exchange program, this time in -25 degrees cold - cloudy; with some green spotted through the gaps

April 2009 - Lofoten Islands, Norway - 6 nights - My solo trip to the Lofoten Islands. Winter was ending, and I missed the final northern lights show of the season as I was on the wrong side of the mountain 

Success arrived in March 2013 - Tromsø, Norway - 4 nights - This winter was said to be the best year for northern lights in 12 years. I made sure I gave myself adequate number of nights to increase my chances of catching the elusive lights.

Night 1 - Just arrived at 2200hrs. Decided to defrost and rest.

Night 2 - Booked a northern lights hunting tour (5-7 hours for NOK 950) to chase the northern lights around the islands. Efforts from Lionel and Terje, our northern lights hunters, was commendable. After 2 hours of driving as far away from the lights and clouds of the city, we made it to Hilleoya, but alas, conditions were extremely windy and cloudy, and I only managed these pictures:

Night 3 - The weather forecase was clear, with low wind and temperature of -8 degrees. I stood outside Wendy's (my hostess) apartment and looked up for the lights. Now knowing how to spot them, the moment the lights started their show, Wendy and I went down to the nearby pier, away from the city lights, and got our cameras to work. And what a show it was....

Night 4 - Again outside Wendy's apartment, but it was cloudy, and within an hour of waiting, snow began to fall...

Jumping Crocodiles!

I was not thinking of getting up close with large reptiles since my trip to Komodo Island, but another opportunity arose as I found myself in Darwin, Australia for work in September 2012, with a couple of offdays to explore the city.

Darwin is said to to be the drop-off point for the mining and offshore industry in Australia, and is also currently being used by the US Navy as a base for its Asia Pacific ops. This has resulted in a few things - rapid development of the city, better accessibility by budget carriers, more cultural diversity, and a lot more bars!

Upon further online research, I also discovered Darwin is the gateway to the Top End of Australia's nature parks. Due to time constraint, I opted for a full day tour of the wildlife and natural landscape of Litchfield Park, which included a jumping crocodile tour.

I'd have to admit this was possibly the best day tour I've had in my travels. The tour began at around 0630hrs in the morning with the crocodile feeding, and it was quite the experience cruising down the river and watching crocodiles jump over 1.5m high to grab a slab of ribs. A flimsy aluminium grill on the boat seperated us from the crocodiles, and had any of us tourists stuck an arm out beyond the grill, it was definitely going to be crocodile food. I'll let the pictures below do the describing. It was also interesting to know that the crocodiles were attracted by the sound from the boat motor, and had become "trained" to approach the boat whenever it brought its daily batch of tourists and meat.





The tour then continued with a visit to giant termite mounds, where the guide gave an extremely (information overload!) detailed account of how the termites created the mound, how they regulated the temperatues within the nest, breeding habits, why the mounds faced the sun etc... After an hour of his droning, roasting in 40 degree Celsius temperature and taking lots of pictures, we proceeded to have lunch at Wangi Falls, a lake fed by 2 waterfalls. The swim was refreshing, and the park rangers did a good job of keeping the crocodiles away. It was also nice to see a couple of attractive tourists get half naked and wet in the water ;)



Magnetic termite mounds - thought to have been built according to the Earth's magnetic field



Wangi Falls

After lunch it was a drive to the Buley Rockholes for some relaxing in the divepools, and then the long drive back to Darwin for a sunset champagne and shrimp dinner.



Sunset at East Point

Like I mentioned - Best daytour yet!

Komodo National Park - Dragons and Diving

Since young, I have always been fascinated with the Komodo dragon, Varanus komodoensis. I read articles about them in Zoo-Ed during primary school, visited them at the Singapore zoo, and always thought it would be amazing to see them in their natual habitat - much like how people went to Africa to see the lions and elephants.

The Komodo dragon is only found on a few islands in the Flores region of Indonesia, east of Bali. Their population is now considered vulnerable, and the dragons are a protected species by Indonesia law. Only recently did I find out that the Komodo National Park was an extremely popular area for diving, and access to this "remote" part of Indonesia was not as difficult as initially thought, with tourist facilities (basic accomodation, tour and dive centres) operating for more than a decade.

The big dilemma about going to Komodo was the diving. I had just completed my Open Water Diving course the previous November, and I read that Komodo had some of the best diving in the world, matched with some of the strongest down currents. Some dive operators I approached in Singapore, most internet resources, and all my friends discouraged me from diving in the waters of Komodo, as they were meant for experienced divers with at least 50 dives (I had just seven). It would have been a great pity to make the journey there and not experience the diving, and yet again, the dangers were true, where divers had been known to have been swept away by the currents, never again to be found. I decided that I would purchase my underwater camera, then speak with the dive operators there for an "expert opinion", and if they said no, I'd have to be contented with snorkelling.


I made my way to Komodo National Park in late April 2012. I gave myself 6 days to get myself there and back in one piece, to see the Komodo dragons and perhaps get some diving and snorkelling. Took a (Jetstar;3hrs) flight from Singapore to Bali, then a domestic filght (Lion Air/Sky Aviation;1.5hrs) to Labuan Bajo, a harbour town on the western edge of Flores.

Labuan Bajo is a small town with the bare necessities for tourists - a main street lined with not more than 10 bars (with wi-fi) and restaurants, a few simple hotels,and another 10 or so dive and tour operators to get them to see the dragons. I took the first afternoon to settle in a USD20 a night bamboo hut, booked my Komodo dragon safari tour, and spoke with a dive operator about diving in Komodo's infamous waters, and by evening I had the remaining days planned out - I was to go on a 2 day 1 night Komodo dragon tour with the following itinerary (very standard package almost all tour operators carry - approximately IDR 600,000 if you bargain well):

- depart Labuan Bajo by boat to Pulau Rinca for hiking/looking for Komodo dragons
- snorkelling at Pink Beach (Pantai Merah)
- sunset whilst awaiting thousands of flying foxes to depart their cave (did'nt happen that evening though, much to my disappointment)
- sleeping on the deck of the boat in a sheltered bay
- Hiking/looking for dragons on Pulau Komodo
- snorkelling with manta rays
- snorkelling at Angel Island (Pulau Bidadari)
- return to Labuan Bajo by evening

The remaining two days (yes, just two) in Labuan Bajo were to be spent diving and relaxing.

Joey, the dive instructor at Divine Diving, told me that they assessed tidal current conditions before every dive, and with a dive master to personally guide me (at an additional IDR 200,000 per day), that diving in Komodo's waters would be a relatively safe and amazing experience. And amazing it was, as the pictures will show...

Despite not having seen the flying foxes leaving their caves in the evening, and not seeing any manta rays at the Manta Point divesite, it was still a most fantastic trip. I had seen the majestic Komodo dragons in their natural habitat/kingdom, survived the strong currents, saw some amazing marine life, had my first attempts at underwater photography, and met some really interesting people, local and fellow tourists - Julian and Imogen - father-daughter team on a round the world trip; and Marie the French-Canadian - great company each evening over dinners and beers.



Komodo National Park

The peaceful harbour town of Labuan Bajo



The living conditions of the locals - simple and not the most environmentally conscious as yet

The locals were friendly and never bothered tourists

That's the closest I got to a Komodo dragon - Pulau Komodo

Eagle ray!

Diving at Siaba Kecil



Diving at Castle Rock



God will provide for Man; Man will provide for Woman

November 2011
Location: Boracay, Philippines

The title was derived from 2 seperate incidents which I experienced whilst diving in Boracay.

My Diving Instructor
She had been working in the banking industry for a good 5 years at least, and having gotten sick of corporate culture, quit her job to become a professional beach babe - teaching diving, playing frisbee and keeping fit on the beautiful beach of Boracay.

I got to know her better over the diving course and a couple of meals and beers. She enjoyed the carefree life on the beach, but also admitted to the significant lifestyle adjustments required to sustain a livelihood in Boracay as a dive instructor. Ultimately, she wished to have a place of her own to call home (she was currently renting a simple room with minimal amenities).

Attending mass in Boracay
Being on the island for a week, I fulfilled my Catholic obligations and went for english mass with a few of the folks at the diveshop. This is what I remember of the sermon that evening:
1. God has given all of us talents.
2. Manny Pacqiao had used his God-given talents to beat Juan Marquez again that morning.
3. God will provide Man, as long as he uses his talents well.

Piecing it together
1. God will provide for Man's needs
2. Intelligent and undemanding women will still have needs that she will not be able to fulfill on her own.
3. Hence, God provides for Man, and Man will provide for Woman.

:)

Of Lost Opportunities

I was in Boracay, Philippines for a week in November for a well deserved vacation prior to starting my new job, as well as to get my Open Water Diving License under the tutorship of a friend from university, and now a diving instructor based in Boracay - Anqi.

We had walked by the Spiderhouse Resort at Diniwid beach, and posed the following question: What is your greatest memory of this trip so far?

Straightforward question, but one which I was having difficulty answering. Was it:

1) The diving with barracudas in Maniguin island?

2) The wild partying with Bjorn, Geir, Dan and Rachel throughout the night?

3) The tasty food at the Smoke Resto?

4) Catching up with Anqi over walks and beers?

I was not able to answer - and I attribute it to an incident that happened five minutes before.

We had chanced upon the bar at the Spiderhouse Resort - a simple bar almost entirely constructed of cane and bamboo, and as I walked in, my attention was captured by a most attractive woman, laying on the daybed in a bikini (see pic above). She looked local - tanned and slim built, but her eyes captivated me, as they were directed at me, together with a most welcoming smile. Thinking that she was an employee of the bar or a tourist's "companion", I did not return the warm welcome and walked on.

Of all the above amazing moments that I'd experienced over the last couple of days, each had been captured at some point by someone's camera, which I would be able to relive each time I look at them. But the thought of what could have been had I responded to her remains what it is - a thought. The moment had passed, the picture opportunity missed.

The next evening, we went back to the Spiderhouse bar, where I asked the hotel manager about this lady. Apparently she was a Canadian-Singaporean tourist who had stayed for two nights, and had checked out earlier in the day.

Well, as my Spanish friend Laura reminds me - Keep Walking.

My Czech Travelbook is completed!

Just like how it took ages for the completion of my Turkey travelbook, it took an even longer time to get this project completed. I'm happy with the result (apart from one or two typos), and I hope you enjoy taking a look at it!

Čau Čechy by bentse

Make Your Own Book

I should be a Maxim photographer!

I was impressed with the way the pictures of my 2 Spanish friends turned out.

Goes to show that with a nice location, 2 beautiful women in small pieces of cloth, and some spontaneity  generally get you good photographs!

Muchas gracias to these wonderful ladies for patronising me and giving me a first "fashion shoot:".  

Pix have been removed, but can be found on my social networking site.





Paradise in Bali?

Amed's beach, with Mt Agung in the background.

July 2011
I went to the relatively quiet beach town of Amed, to the north east of Bali, to catch up with my two friends I met whilst on holiday. We had kept in touch via facebook since that trip, and I promised to pay them a visit, since I had never been there before. They had told me  how amazing this island was, about how it was to be their paradise, and I was keen to find out if this was to be my paradise as well.

I spent three quick days in Amed, of which approximately 7hrs (to and fro) were spent travelling from the airport at Denpasar to this quiet beachtown.

Without a doubt, Amed is a beautiful place, especially in the off season which I was experiencing then. Amed had, in no particular order of preference:
A long stretch of black sand beach
Beautiful corals not more than 50m from the shore (which I did not get to see due to my phobia of stepping on poisonous rocks/corals/fish in the low tide)
Cheap good food
Amazing sunsets and sunrises
Calm waters for swimming/snorkelling
Few tourist traps
Friendly locals (about 500 or so in this village)
Clear skies for seeing stars at night
Thousands of chickens used for cock-fighting (I hated them, but when was the last time you heard a cock crow?).

The town is not yet overrun with tourism, but is expected to be in the next few years, as fancy villas continue to be built along the coastline.

It was not difficult to see why my 2 friends had chosen to spend 2 months in this town.


Pura Lempuyang



Padi fields aplenty in Bali

Bali and Amed from a different perspective

Speaking with my friend and reading some of the Singaporean newspapers, I came to know about the Beach Boys of Bali. These men were said to hang around the beaches of Bali to prey on foreign women, with the hope of trying to find a better life with them away from the island.

I had the opportunity to observe them "in action" during the 2 evenings at Amed, and I could see why it was to be paradise - especially for women. There was an American lady of about 50 years old, and there were 7 local men sitting with her, chatting, listening, drinking and dancing with her, giving her the attention and praise to make her feel like a goddess. It reminded me of the stag night parties I attend with my male friends, with roles reversed. The same situation did not apply to men, as Balinese women were kept at home due to cultural/religious reasons. From my discussions with a Beach Boy and the chicas, Amed (and possibly Bali) was pretty much a chavunistic society. The men are not used to experiencing women with strong opinions.

My friend spoke of an incident one evening when her friends did not acknowledge her presence at the bar as they were entertaining a female tourist. It was later on when one of the guys apologised to her for his rude behaviour, as he was simply "working".

She accepts these men for who they are and understands their search of a better life, though at times she also complains about how the men on the island are generally lazy and abusive, leaving the cooking and housework to the women, and spending all their time getting high on arak (the local spirit, best drunk with Coke) or marijuana, and gambling on cockfighting. Her stories of Bali were truely entertaining.
She had lived in Bali for 6 months before, and she spoke basic Behasa to get by. She is living in Bali for 2 months or so. I do admire the way they have chosen to live freely and happily, and I am eagerly awaiting the publishing of her book of Balinese adventures.

Amed's amazing sunset

The Ride of My Life

No, it's not in a car, a cruise, a rollercoaster, an airplane, nor a helicopter...

At of 9 May 2011, age 32, it's THE LORRY RIDE UP MOUNT KYAIKTIYO!

• Top of a lorry
• 10-12 wooden benches secured by screws to the side of the lorry
• 5 to 6 persons per bench
• Around 60kmh, up AND down hill along a winding, bumpy road
• No seatbelts
• I'm seated right at the back, at the corner

Not sure if the picture adequately describes the situation well enough, but I actually kept my camera after 5 minutes, not wanting to risk dropping or knocking it against the lorry, as I actually needed both hands to hold on to the lorry for dear life!

A 45 minute uphill ride on a 1-lane road/dirt track, only for another 45 minute uphill climb up slopes and stairs, just to see this:

 The Golden Rock on Mt Kyaiktiyo, the 3rd most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Myanmar.

I'll update this post upon completion of any of the following, if ever:

• whitewater rafting
• skydiving
• paragliding
• bungee jumping
• BASE jumping

Myanmar experiences

There are not many countries which require Singaporeans to obtain a visa prior to arrival. Myanmar is one of them. As such, I made it a point to get my feet on Myanmar soil and cross off another "country less travelled".

There has been lots of negative publicity about Myanmar in recent years, mainly due to the military junta that governs the country. Stories of human rights oppression are innumerable, which I still have not bothered to read up on. What I did do, however, was to try to adhere to the Lonely Planet's advice of supporting private individuals and establishments where/whenever I could.

Spies in Myanmar?
There are stories in the LP about spies lurking all over the country, and how people seem to be following your movements. I never felt that way, though on at least 3 occassions locals in Yangon would come up to me for a chat when I was walking around or having a cup of sugar cane. They asked the standard questions of where I came from, what I was doing in Myanmar, where I stayed, and my plans in the country. At least 2 of them mentioned that they had visited Singapore and shared with me their experiences of my home country - very nice, clean efficient etc. They all appeared sincere folks, as not once did they ask me to buy something or take a look at their wares (1 did mention he had a shop down the street but walked off not expecting me to follow him). I did ask them why they returned to Myanmar, and the response I got was that they wanted to be at home, and they were happy living in Myanmar.

One thing I was careful about though, was never to ask what they thought of their government. I did manage to see, on the Yangon Circular trainride, barb-wired walls surrounding a compound longer than the train. I have been also told that there are thousands of citizens locked up in local prisons (for whatever violations of government regulations).

Ottma the monk
I was catching the sunset at the Shwedagon Paya, snapping pictures and minding my own business, when Ottma (spelling could be wrong), a monk, approached me for a chat. The usual questions about my background followed.

Ottma was about 28 years old, and a monk for most of his life, and happy to be so. He spoke decent English, telling me that he had come to Yangon to study English for a couple of months at a local school. He also expressed an interest in photography, showing me places to take pictures of the immense pagoda, as well as specific locations where I could see the different colors of the 76 carat (!!) diamond at the top of the pagoda.
I had taken a good hour of his time talking about our lives and taking pictures, and I was getting apprehensive about what he really wanted from me. Based on my travel and life experiences, there have been few instances whereby people came up to you without wanting anything in return. A few thoughts ran through my head:

• Is he really a monk, or a spy/fraudster in disguise (there have been instances of fake monks begging for alms in Singapore and Hong Kong)?
• Should I offer him a tip/donation? How much would be appropriate?
• How should I tell him I want to leave the pagoda and head downtown for dinner? Will he follow me?

Eventually, he walked me to a taxi waiting area, and out of gratitude, I offered him a measly MMK 100 bill for his time. He glared at me, asked me,"What is this for?", and walked off, leaving me puzzled, and slightly embarrassed.

• Did I offend him?
• Was the amount too small?
• Should I have offered more?

Well, I really won't know the truth, but I think I'll keep my money to myself till people ask me for it next time.

The Shwedagon Paya, Yangon






Laura and Nuria
I'm updating this post in  August 2011, as I have to add these 2 Spanish ladies as a significant part of my Myanmar adventure. I had met them on the bus from Yangon to Bagan, and we developed a deep friendshop over the next 48hrs, and I had the pleasure of catching up with them again in July 2011 in Amed, Bali, where they were living for a couple of months. Look up my posts on  Amed, Bali for more info about them!

With Laura (L) and Nuria (R)

"Linking" stories

The Stockholm club (May 2008)
I was with Matthew, Sarah and Damien, backpackers from the hostel, and we went to a popular rock bar near the Old Town. The blond bartender was serving his fellow blonds ahead of the Asian (me) and French (Sarah), but this was just the tip of the iceberg, when things just got worse over the next half hour.

After getting our beers, we were then told that drinks were not allowed in the queue (to enter the club), and that there was no point queueing as the club was crowded and was closing shortly.

Instead of walking around the railings to exit the queue, Damien climbed over a railing. The bouncer did not take the rattling railings well, and told Damien to leave the premises. There was no negotiation, and it was very disappointing to have one of our group forcefully thrown out. That incident left Sarah, Matthew and myself with a beer, no club entry and 1 friend less, and effectively killed off the evening.

The club was named Debaser.

Damien, myself, Matthew and Sarah, before Debaser

Salvador Dali (July 2008)I was first introduced to the surrealistic work of Dali during my trip to Spain in Summer 2008. I had read about his work and eccentricities in my travel guidebook, and saw a couple of his works in a Madrid museum which I found highly intriguing. Since then, I was fortunate to visit one of his exhibitions in Berlin, where I caught his shortfilm Un chien Andalou.

He is arguably my favourite artist.

 Illumined Pleasures by Salvador Dali. Pic taken from the New York Museum of Modern Art

Debaser by The Pixies (August 2008)
Debaser, to me, is a catchy (and rather meaningless) punk rock track by The Pixies, an American Alt-rock band, from the 1989 album Doolittle.

Amusingly, the lyrics are based on a short film by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali titled Un chien Andalou, most popularly known for a scene showing the slicing up of an eyeball. Weird. Read up about the song and film here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debaser .

Raiza - Piecing the pieces together
Raiza befriended me through couchsurfing. We had planned to meet during the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, but our schedules did not coincide.

We kept in touch and did manage to catch up a couple of months later in Mallorca where she was to be based for work.

Whilst sharing travel stories, I recounted the story of the Debaser club to Raiza, and she enlightened me with the music of the Pixies and their track Debaser. It took a Spanish-American to link the Stockholm club, an American alt-rock band and a Spanish painter through 1 song!

Somehow I do find it amazing how these significant and yet diverse experiences - racial, aural and visual have been able to be linked together so closely by a song, and how I have taken another step towards cultural enlightenment.

Getting a visa in Prague

If ever I think of emigrating, this story makes me think otherwise.

It dates back to my post secondment travels in June 2009, when I was travelling with the Schengen work visa stuck to my passport, which was valid till 31 May 2009. I had planned to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in concert on 1 June in Prague, and hence booked my return ticket to Singapore for 2 June.

After what happened in London (where my work visa expired and I was not allowed back to Norway till my work permit was extended for a month), I did not want any form of trouble with immigration on my final flight back home, especially since my firm was not going to compensate me for any costs/penalties incurred. I decided I was going to the Singapore Embassy in Prague to get any potential issues sorted out before I flew back, especially since I had 5 days or so in Prague.

Visa Mission Day 1
Getting to the Singapore embassy was simple, and meeting the ambassador's secretary was pleasant and straightforward. I was instructed to go to the immigration department located at Opletalova 27 and there I should have my visa renewed/extended with minimal fuss. I thanked her and went on my way.

Since I had some time in the afternoon, I thought I would try checking out the immigration building by tram. Based on the instructions from the internet sites, I boarded the tram, and alighted at a stop which appeared to be close to the immigratoin centre (from the map). Somehow I ended walking a good HOUR or so in the suburbs, and I realised I had to get back to central Prague to meet a couchsurfer for beers. Wasted time, if I did not consider the not so scenic tram ride a Czech experience in itself.

Visa Mission Day 2
Getting the directions right this time, I left Tereza's (my CS host) office with a good hour to reach the Immigration Centre (they closed at 12, according to the website). I was at the tram station and wanted to buy a tram ticket from the nearby newspaper stand, but they were closed for lunch, so I took a chance and boarded the tram, since technically the office was to close in an hour, and Tereza told me she had not been caught by a tram inspector for more than a year (she had been travelling free in Prague for most of the year). Horror of horrors, and the inspector boarded the tram, and I was deservedly fined a good EUR40 equivalent... At least I'd get my visa problems solved today... or so I thought... the Immigration Centre was closed for the day! Best part is, they had been closed the entire day, and the website was outdated! Wasted day, with additional cost for a fine!

Visa Mission Day 3 (a couple of days later)
I finally got to the Immigration Centre, and this time made it to the Immigration counter. They did not speak English, and the counter staff did not even put in an effort to help. Basically they told me in Czech that they do not speak English. After an hour or so, I realised I was in the WRONG part of the building...
I was pissed. I returned to the Singapore embassy, and raised my voice this time at the ambassador's secretary, tell her to make some calls, and to get all the steps to get my visa extended. I even told her to type out a letter in Czech so that the monolingual locals could understand what I needed. She was apologetic and did as told.

On my second trip for the day, I made it to the Police Branch, where I was told to take passport photos for the visa. Not too bad, apart from going down 6 floors to have them taken and going up again. At least this time things were moving. After submitting the passport photos, I was made to wait in a rooom with a few other non-locals. 2 were of Middle Eastern descent, the other was Asian. I could hear banging of walls on the other side of the wall. Clearly I was not the only unhappy person in the building. After 45 minutes of waiting, I poked my head out to their office to check on them. I was shouted at to stay in the room. Knowing that arguing was not going to get me anywhere, I did as told. My patience paid off and at the end of 2 hours, I had an extra sticker on my passport which allowed me to stay in Prague till 2 June 2009....

Having gotten what I needed, and feeling bad about what I did to the Embassy lady, I apologised to her by way of flowers on my journey back to Prague central.

Lesson learnt:
I sure as hell know that I would not want to be part of the Czech social system!