• Ramblings,  Travel

    Travel Blues

    March 1, 2021

    It has been more than a year since this COVID19 pandemic started. The last time I flew was to Tokyo towards the end of 2019 and first day of 2020. Since then, I am stuck in Singapore. While the country is one of the best country to be stuck in during this pandemic, it is small, and there is really nothing much to see or do.

    The Government did try to encourage ‘domestic’ travels by giving the SingaporeRediscover Vouchers to us, but for a small country like Singapore, and have lived here my entire life, I have seen them all.

    I did try to see if having a staycation in Singapore might lessen the travel blues by staying a few nights at Ritz Carlton. It helped, for a while. I guess it probably also did not help by watching travel related programs on TV, like the wonderful BBC series Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, which introduces amazing hotels with some of the best views and comfort, the Fuji TV series Hangin Around with No Plan, which provided me with a list of places to go in Tokyo.

    Hopefully with the vaccine now being rolled out gradually, there is a chance that I will be able to travel again soon. In the meantime, I am creating all these wonderful lists of places to visit.

    Read More
  • Happenings,  Travel

    Daily Memories

    April 27, 2020

    Facebook has this feature ‘Memories’ where they show you the various posts on this day number of years ago.

    End of April happened to be the period where most travels were done. I usually take advantage of the public holidays around this period (Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day) to go traveling.

    So 1 year ago, on this day, I was in Switzerland, bidding farewell to Zermatt:

    27th April 2019, Zermatt, Switzerland

    2 years ago, on this day, I was in Lake Windemere, Lake District, on the way to London by train:

    27th April 2018, Lake Windemere, Lake District

    4 years ago, on this day, I was in Otaru, Hokkaido, where I finally get to see the sakura:

    27th April 2016, Otaru, Hokkaido

    This quarantine measures forcing us to stay at home really make me think that we took for granted the freedom to move, the freedom to travel to see the world.

    Can’t wait when we can travel again.

    Read More
  • Travel

    This Wanderlust Thing

    May 26, 2018

    What is this wanderlust thing that makes one want to travel again and again? To see new sights, experience new places, new food, new culture? Recharges one mentally and emotionally? Sometimes I wonder if this endless cycle of working just to save enough money to travel is a good thing.

     

    Read More
  • Ramblings

    A Little Reminder

    November 17, 2013

    It was pouring as we ended the meeting in Jakarta. Our local partner, after talking to the driver on the mobile, advised us to walk over to the next building instead of getting the driver to come over due to the deadlock traffic jam.

    There were a bunch of young kids waiting at the building. Our local partner talked to two kids, and immediately they opened two umbrellas. Using the two umbrellas, we proceed to walk over to the next building.

    The two kids followed beside us, thoroughly soaked by the rain, and walking bare footed along the poorly maintained roads, walking through the muddy filled potholes and trash.

    When we reached the building opposite, our local partner paid them, equivalent to a few cents in Singapore currency, before the two kids ran back with the umbrellas, presumably to await for more business.

    It is these little incidents that remind me how fortunate I am.

    Read More
  • Ramblings

    Travel Log

    May 27, 2013

    I went to collect my new passport today. I had renewed it online, and it took less than 5 minutes from the moment I stepped into the ICA building, take a queue number, collect my passport and leave. The efficiency of ICA.

    Flipping through my old passport, which had a validity of 10 years, looking at all the customs chop in it, it is like a travel log of all the places I have been to in the last 10 years. My first Europe trip, my frequent trips to Australia, my numerous work trips to countries in the region, and more, are all recorded into the red book.

    Much has happened to me in the last 10 years, mostly unhappy and unpleasant events. And this old passport of mine has been with me throughout them all. The good trips, the bad trips, but most importantly, every single overseas trip was a memorable one for me.

    There will be new custom chops on my new red travel log, new places to go, new people to meet, new food to be tasted and new memories will be created. And hopefully, what is going to happen in the next 5 years will be better than what had happened in the last 10 years.

    Read More