Around the World on a Shoestring Budget

Now I'm not going to start a habit where I post a little sth on my blog every day just for the sake of updating it. I don't want to turn this blogging activity to be an addictive habit and besides, I do keep a separate diary on my own for other stuff that I don't want people to read. Obviously. [I'm just saying that cos I know some people do start a blog as some kind of on-line diary but I'm not one of them. Yet].

Anyway, I came across other great, useful and handy sites today. Among others are the Round The World Flights website [for flights obviously] and VIP Backpackers and Hostelworld for lodging. So add that to Venere [for lodging], list of low-cost airlines in Europe and BugEurope [which as the name suggests covers travelling in Europe] that I've been relying on for some time now.

In true Adek style, I will only let people know where I went after I returned from the trip. I hardly ever tell people before the trip itself, well, except my family of course. Don't ask me why, maybe I don't like to talk about them until they have been realised, because a cancelled trip to me is, well, horror of all horrors! Also, not everyone is interested to know where you're going next and talking about it may border on 'riak'.

I would have thought that my officemates have eventually accepted or respected [if not understood] this need on my part to be a bit secretive before my trip, so it always amuses me somewhat when I return to office that someone would ask me this - with just the right amount of hurt injected [for how could I possibly not tell her I was going on that trip?]: 'Where did you go? Why didn't you tell me?' when the person knows fully well that my standard it's-so-not-great-to-be-back-in-office reply would be 'Why, I didn't know you were going to offer to send me off to the airport!' [also with the right amount of genuine regret of 'darn, I knew I should have told you!' injected]. Actually, sometimes I suspect that the person only asks me that leaving the query 'Where's my souvenir?' hanging but it might as well have been asked out loud especially when it is so apparent/obvious as if it is etched across the forehead! I don't know which I dread, returning to the office after a holiday getaway, or dealing with questions like that and also attempts to make me feel guilty should I somehow overlook to buy souvenirs for certain people [No, I'm not kidding. These people bent on making you feel guilty do exist]. But hey, I don't dread them enough to stop planning for future trips.

Only a matter of hours now before the list of special airfares will be revealed... maybe, just maybe, I might share where I plan to go this year in my blog.

Have Plans, Will Travel

There is this link to a website I have unashamedly nicked from someone's site. Among others, you can check your Visited Countries - just scroll down the disturbingly long list of countries and tick those countries you've visited and presto! you'll get a percentage of the dim, distant and exotic lands you've been to, along with a map showing where you have visited and other foreign soil you have yet to set foot on.

Evidently I haven't been collecting enough airmiles as I've only visited a miserable total of 31 countries or 13% of the world, and that includes a transit in Jakarta! [I can't seem to load pictures for the past few weeks so can't reproduce that map here but you can click on this link to view my 'Visited Countries' map]. So much of the world yet to see and do and discover... but rest assured, I plan to add more of that red paint over the map by June this year - three cheers for MAS for having another travel fair starting this Friday, an answer to my wanderlust indeed.

Note to self: stop visiting Down Under and fly out to other places instead [but a couple of cities in China is not enough, so need to make my way there again]. And try to switch jobs if I want to go globe trotting - but since I don't meet the criteria as an aircrew, maybe be a travel agent, or a journalist [er, but that's probably even more stressful than my current job]. Or alternatively, get someone to pay for my trips - which again is as likely as being an aircrew.

Try it out yourself http://www.world66.com and you'll be calling your travel agent, making plans to visit the MAS travel fair and MATTA fair in March, surfing the AirAsia website, and/or visiting the bureau de change [any or all of the above] in a jiffy.

Furore

Is there no end to insults hurled to the Muslims? There is no one word to describe the newspaper cartoons depicting our beloved Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] - sacrilegious, blasphemous, made in very poor taste, offensive and downright insulting. Surely there is a line between free speech/press freedom and religious beliefs.

I came across this entry posted by someone from Hong Kong. She's neither Muslim nor Christian and this is what she said [reproduced without editing]:

~~~~~~~~~~
freedom vs. respect

Recently there is a very disappointing news regarding a Denmark newspaper published the comic of Mohammed, and even more disappointing, several press in Europe copied that comics and even described Mahomet as a terrorist. Although they defended that this is to reflect the freedom of press, but no doubt this is a bull shit.

Everyone should know, at least press should know, this is really an insult in drawing the face of Mohammed, you can indigest why they are thinking in this way, but you should show your deference, this is what we called taboo.

I was very angry with what they have done, although I am not a Muslim, nor a Christian. What I believe, that people should respect each others, and never abuse others right and freedom and belief. Right should always come together with responsibility. If we want our rights to be protected, we shall then responsible for defencing others right first. And the most stupid thing is that mass media is ever thinking their freedom of press is someway higher and more important than Muslims' freedom of religion? Highly absurd!!!

Westerners (no matter Americans and Europeans) are always so arrogant that they believe they are the most civilized and never respect others culture. Dont know start from when, they do not respect the Middle East culture the most, and after 911 incident, naive westerners even linked Muslims as terrorists. From my eyes, what they thought is just too naive, too uncivilized.

I have been to Middle East before, what I met, what I saw, Muslims are nice, pure and peaceful. There are some radical ones, but radical peoples appear in all nations, all places, not only in Islamic world. Like George Bush should be one of the most radical people in Western world.

Sadly, Western mass media never give correct message to people the real face of Muslim faith, and even mislead the idea of "Holy War", and many many. If they are able to know Muslim culture better, they are able to publish something much better, not some rubbish like this.

If these people never adjust their arrogant mind against other cultures, I am so persimistic about the world peace ever.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As for me, it is very clear what I shall do: refrain from buying any products from Denmark, Germany or even France, until a public apology is issued [and even then, it is still not enough to erase this outrageous and despicable act from the mind]. In the words of a friend, this is the very least I can do to protect the honour of our Prophet and 'to support the outrage at the supposed 'democratic right to blasphemy' nonsense over printing drawings depicting our holy Prophet S.A.W.' After all, I've already stopped patronising some American establishments as a protest against the war on Iraq. I can only hope that my small acts can be likened to the little bird which helped Prophet Ibrahim [peace be upon him].

The story about the little bird, the fire and Prophet Ibrahim: When Prophet Ibrahim [peace be upon him] was thrown into a fire that filled up two valleys by the evil ruler Namrod, some birds were flying overhead. Some of the larger birds saw this little bird that kept on flying to the ocean to scoop up some water, bring the water in its tiny beak and then flying back to drop the water onto the fire. After seeing the small bird going back and forth a few times, the larger birds made fun of it and asked him why he was doing that, as such tiny drops of water could not possibly put out such a large fire. The small bird replied that it wanted to do its share so that on the Day of Judgement it could go before Allah with a clear conscience, because on the Day of Judgement, God would ask him what he did when Ibrahim was in the fire, and he wanted to be able to answer that he did everything within his ability to extinguish the fire. Wallahu'alam.

The bird, in its own little way, did something against evil, gifted as it was with such clear conscience that wondered about its actions in such a way. Can we say the same about ourselves? Sadly, there are so few of us in this world who think beyond our own selves.

A-dor, the world needs more people like you.

The Land Below The Wind

I had been planning to return to Sabah since my first visit in November 2004. My plan for this trip started in August 2005, shortly before emails circulated of the potential long Chinese New Year-Maal Hijrah-FT Day break. And it paid to be prepared for even back in September, resorts were already filling up!

Lin and I joined the mass exodus of KLites from the city on CNY eve. Our flight was at noon and 2.5 hours later, we landed in Kota Kinabalu. Our friend from boarding school days was already waiting for us, watching us with an amused expression as we walked out trying to spot her, and whisked us away to our hotel, Berjaya Palace Hotel. Sited on a hill, the hotel overlooks the hustle and bustle of the city. After checking in and freshening up, we set off to the Handicraft Centre in the heart of the city, or more popularly known to the locals as 'Philippines Market', where we managed to pick some handicraft items and accessories before going to the Centrepoint Mall. We walked around in Centrepoint but most shops were already closing seeing it was the eve of CNY. We then walked to Plaza Wawasan and Anjung Senja, which were a mere few blocks away. Anjung Senja, where we had dinner, is a stretch of open-air food stalls by the sea, offering a stunning view of the sunset. We then returned to the hotel where we learnt of the terrible jam at all exit roads out of KL.

A brief history lesson here on KK: it started as a tiny British settlement on Pulau Gaya [the biggest of five islands across the bay] before being relocated to the mainland. The new settlement was renamed Jesselton after Sir Charles Jessel, who was then the Vice-Chairman of the British North Borneo Chartered Company. Jesselton was selected as the capital of North Borneo to replace Sandakan which was destroyed during the World War II. It was later renamed Kota Kinabalu after the Mount Kinabalu, which, peaking at 4,095.2 m, is the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. [Info courtesy of Sabah Tourism Board].

Sunday/Chinese New Year: we went to Pasar Gaya at Gaya Street. Gaya Street apparently has the largest number of law firms and financial institutions of any street in Sabah. The street is closed to trafiic on every Sunday morning for the Gaya Street Fair. Almost everything is sold here - the ubiquitous pearl accessories, food, rabbits, puppies, clothes, souvenirs and handicrafts, antiques, the aromatic Tenom coffee... even kuih lapis Sarawak! We got the chance to polish up our bargaining skills here again. Hunger set in after all the bargaining and surveying. After lunch and a brief stop at a friend's place, we set off for Kundasang, which is very close to the entrance to the Kinabalu Park where Mount Kinabalu is ['Aki Nabalu' as the Kadazans/Dusuns named it means 'home of the spirits of the dead'. 'Aki' literally means 'ancestor' and 'nabalu' means 'mountain', hence the sacred resting place of ancestral spirits. Good thing this fact escaped me then]. Now, Kinabalu Park is Malaysia's First World Heritage designated by UNESCO in December 2000. The 2-hour trip to Kundasang wound through lush countryside dotted with traditional village houses. We were soon greeted with cool, invigorating air and magnificent views of the Crocker mountain range which at some points were shrouded in mists and clouds. Simply breathtaking! Heaven on earth!

We settled into Rose Cabin before venturing out again to Mesilau. We passed the town of Kundasang [if you can call it that] with stalls selling fruits and vegetables - in other words, fresh, local produce - lining up the road. The majority of the people at Kundasang town are Muslims and they are either into farming, thanks to the fertile soil, or rearing animals. The village of Kundasang is surrounded by rolling farm fields dotted with tiny shapes of grazing cows with the magnificent range that forms Mount Kinabalu as its backdrop. Mesilau is higher up than Kundasang - now I understand what SK meant - and the road was steeper too [thank God for Len's 4WD!]. We stayed there until it was dark, drinking in the view and taking in gulpfuls of pure mountain air to clear our KL-polluted lungs.

All those nature appreciation and numerous Kodak moments did wonders for our appetite. After a barely-concealed impatient wait for dinner, it was finally served and it was worth the wait! There were a few dishes of vegetables that tasted as fresh as they looked and so crispy and crunchy too, besides fish and beef. After dinner, we retired to our respective rooms. We played Pictionary and despite being complete novices, Lin & I won. Maybe it was just pure luck, heh [SK, we can have a rematch. No problem]. Now, it's in my nature to be involved and get all excited in games like this [and even when watching emotional movies] so a lot of shrieking was heard - good thing there wasn't another room neighbouring ours! The excitement of having won was not enough to grant me a good night's sleep though and I was tossing and turning in bed for the better part of the night.

After breakfast on Monday, we drove to Poring Hot Springs, about 45 minutes' drive away through the plains of Ranau. The scenery just as we left the cabin was such that it could pass as the Lake District in the North West of England or somewhere in the heart of Wales/New Zealand! We reached there at almost 11 in the morning and evidently it was the local tourist attraction for it was already packed! We then learnt that some people come as early as 7 am! How's that for bright and early? Anyway, there is more to see and do than just dipping oneself in the hot springs: there is the butterfly farm, orchid farm, the canopy walk... Being part of the Kinabalu Park, a minimal entrance fee is imposed. Separate fees are applicable for different attractions within the area. As we entered the area, we saw poring, the gigantic bamboo plants which give the place its name.

The enclosed rooms for more private bathing experience all had problems with their cold water facility so we decided to hang around and wait for one of the open-air 'tubs' to be free. A bit of a wait since it was public holiday and Poring is to Sabah folks what PD or Genting is to KL folks. Lin and I decided to go up the canopy walk while waiting. After paying the fee and a separate one for cameras, we set off. In the tropical heat, going up the hill to get to the canopy walk/hanging bridge proved to be a challenge and I was reminded time and again of the time when I scaled the Great Wall in Beijing. After much panting and gasping for air, we finally reached the bridge.

A notice assured us of the bridge's strength and I hadn't heard of anyone falling off the canopy walk so I suppose all we had to do was put our best foot forward and Just Do It. All the same, I had this weird sensation in my feet as I contemplated the wisdom, or the foolishness as it seemed then, of continuing on. Because sometimes, I have this fear of heights and while walking in treetops sounds great, it also sounds a bit crazy. Honestly, I am also actually not a brave person but I'm not me if I'm not stubborn so most of the time, it was actually stubbornness and craziness that make me do certain things I wouldn't normally have the guts to [like taking the cable car in Langkawi, all alone in the gondola. Whatever was I thinking? Maybe I wasn't. Thinking]. So I decided to conquer my fear anyway and plastered on a brave face. After all, I had trekked my way all the exhausting way up, hadn't I? And oh, those kids in front of me actually made it, right?

Yikes, the bridge seemed to be swaying even as I tried to balance myself and hang on for dear life. Somewhere in the distant, we could hear the sound of a waterfall, or was it a river? It was dark down there in the seemingly bottomless ravine as the sunlight struggled to penetrate through the thick foliage of the treetops. To set your adrenaline faster, the canopy walk is not just one straight hanging bridge, but is instead split up in three parts of platforms zigzagging through the treetops. A few huge trees act as support for the hanging bridge and have a little 'platform' attached to them, where you can pause to catch a deep breath before continuing to walk on the next part of the hanging bridge. And don't worry about the crowd as only six people are allowed at any one time. We were there for perhaps under 10 minutes and pretty soon, we were making our way down already.

Our friends who left Kundasang separately had by now reached Poring and had managed to secure two tubs to share. Lin decided to join them while sleep-deprived me decided to return to the car to catch some quality forty winks. Visited the info centre before heading to the car and as I was just about to get myself settled, the others arrived. And off we drove, stopping at Ranau for a late lunch and then at Kinabalu Pine Resort and Perkasa Hotel Mt Kinabalu at Kundasang for more Kodak moments and our own version of A Walk In The Clouds sans Keanu Reeves before buying some plants and produce at the Kundasang roadside market. We finally reached KK just after dusk, which marked the beginning of the new Muslim year.

Tuesday morning, the first day of the new 1427 Hijrah year, we set off to Pulau Manukan, one of the five islands [besides Pulau Gaya, Pulau Sapi, Pulau Mamutik and Pulau Sulug] that form the marine park of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. We spent the whole morning and part of afternoon at Manukan. It proved to be a popular tourist spot and the beach was quite crowded. I was surprised and a bit disappointed to see that the sand was brown, not white. The morning heat which was partially shielded by the swaying pine branches above coupled with the sound of lapping waves and the coll breeze pretty soon had me feeling drowsy...

We left after 3 pm and stopped at Yoyo's, a local eatery that specialises in iced milk tea. Pretty soon, the nine of us shiny, happy people were in deep discussion of life in general. Oh did I mention earlier that we are all young, single, carefree, single, fun-loving girls? We finally parted at almost 5 - I didn't say goodbyes cause I hate goodbyes! Back to the hotel to pack and rest. Dinner at nearby Plaza Karamunsing. Spent the night reading 'Letting Go and Loving Life' by Carmel Greenwood as I had to return it the very next day.

Wednesday started off a brilliant sunshiny day. We caught the hotel shuttle to the city centre and helped spurred the local economy with our last-minute purchases of souvenirs and sea products, just like any responsible tourists would do. Btw, if you want to buy prawns - king prawns, flower prawns, even abalones - you can get them at SAFMA, that's short for Sabah Fish Marketing Agency. SAFMA can even pack it for you. Iced prawns can last up to 15 hours. We then rushed back to the hotel and stuffed more items into our bags. After prayers, we checked out just before 1 pm.

SK came to pick us up and drove us to the airport after a brief stop at Plaza Wawasan because yours truly spotted something on the first night of arrival and decided she must have it even if it caused some serious, major damage to her wallet. Upon reaching the airport, we immediately checked in our bags, had a light meal and browsed over the dutyfree shops. The flight was delayed from 3.45 pm to 5.30 pm, raising concerns for potential further damage to my wallet. We were finally allowed to board the plane at 4.40 pm and been made to roast in there while they continued with some fire inspection/tests. And that was my third consecutive flight delays in as many months!!!

Finally touched down at KLIA at 8 pm. The runway looked wet, it probably just stopped raining a short while before we landed. Baggage claim process was swift and we were almost out of there when I was stopped by an officer from the Agriculture Department. You see, I was carrying my precious pine tree for all the world to see, not knowing it was actually subject to plant quarantine. He explained that anyone bringing over plants need to show some certificate of approval or sth from the country/state of origin's agriculture department. Now, I seriously, honestly didn't know that as I never made importing or transporting plants from anywhere a habit. Anyway, he was nice enough to let me off [thank you officer!]. We took the cab back and pretty soon were joining the mass return of KLites. Reached home at 9.25 pm.

Many thanks to SK and Alice who went out of their way to ensure our stay was comfortable. We truly appreciate your hospitality!

KK/Sabah/SK, I'll be back. InsyaAllah.

Saying NO to YES

How do you say N.O. to Y.E.S? Well, I have to, and believe me, it's hard saying NO [No Ongkos - Ongkos means money for those who don't know enough Indo lingo] to YES [Year-End Sale]. A sad situation for a shopaholic to be in, I kid you not.

YES started in early December and will last til end-January - fortunately or unfortunately. I was looking forward to some purchases from my hard-earned money but alas, it is not meant to be. I shall not bore you with the details of where my money will instead be chanelled into but suffice to say that I am very broke/tight with money/can't stretch my budget until February pay day [I hope]. So that's like another month to go [boo hoo!]. Being positive, I'd rather view these expenses as capital investment. Which they are really. And I'd rather not take a loan and have to bear the interest when I can still put up with a little suffering.

Now, I know it's not elegant, vulgar in fact, to talk about money. But really, even a shopaholic like me have to be careful with money [after all Adek studied accountancy and if she fails to budget for her expenses, then really, it's like a waste of education], especially since the chances of me landing a ultra-rich boyfriend is close to nil. So like it or not, I do have to save for my future. Mind you, I used to be a spendthrift pre-varsity days. The delights of the shopping complexes were too hard for me to resist even back then. Akak [my elder sister] used to comment, 'She always buys branded stuff.' Actually, I don't think that's wrong. If I derive satisfaction from my purchases, am happy with my little luxuries which I finance myself, don't break the law or rob a bank in getting them, then I don't think it's wrong. And while I'm on this topic, I don't buy fake designer goods. Buying a fake designer product just to impress people is not only 'riak' but also downright distasteful and disgusting. Personally, even brandless products are preferable to fake imitations. But I digress.

University days, well, I had to learn to control my finances. Thousands of miles away from home and dependent on scholarship, with the charms of mysterious, exotic Europe beckoning me, well, I decided I simply must go travelling, exploring England and Europe. That meant I had to juggle my budget between clothes [all those British brands! and shops!], CDs, movies and the less-interesting-but-necessary groceries while leaving a bit in my account for my trips. When Akak came visiting during my final year, she was astounded that I could actually go from one shop to another, from Boots to Superdrug to Wilko and back again, comparing prices. Not that I'm a miser, just wiser and more financial savvy with money. After all, why should one let another cheat him/her off his/her hard-earned money? That would simply be stupid. Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.

Last check: still another 4 weeks of extreme financial discipline and exercising restraints on shopping temptations...

Oh, before I forget, Gong Xi Fa Cai to all. May the year ahead be prosperous for us all. And hey, I'm still eligible for ang pows...

The Lion City: 21 - 25 January 2006

Flew to Singapore on Saturday morning. Trolley bag wheel cover broke off en route to KLIA upset me at first but I was determined not to let that spoil my trip. Landed in overcast Singapore at 1245. Took MRT into the city, alighted at Tanjung Pagar station and walked to the Berjaya Duxton Hotel where I was to spend the first night. It's at a nice row of restored Straits Chinese trading houses in a quiet, leafy area [although the many pubs around guarantee no shortage of nightlife, it was sufficiently quiet enough at my side of building later that night]. The counterlady pointed out at first that my room wasn't ready as it wasn't 3 yet [it was a quarter past 2 then, come on!] and I wasn't too happy with that as I desperately wanted to use the bathroom, pronto! Settled down on the couch to text my friend and the next thing I knew, I was told that the room was ready after all. It was a funny building and reminded me of the Berjaya Eden Park Hotel in London. My room was great, spacious and real nice, despite its irregular shape. The hotel staff were thoughtful enough to offer me a welcome drink at the lobby [thanks, I really needed it after the walk in the afternoon humidity] and some fruits in the room which I gratefully ate for some Vitamin C-powered lunch.

After refreshing myself, I decided to venture out. The counterlady had to tell me when I left the keys that 'We've upgraded your room to deluxe cos there's no available standard room', to which I replied, 'Oh, ok', unsure of what to reply actually! Did she really have to tell me that?!

Took MRT to City Hall. My mate told me he would be there at 4 so went walking around at first. Then he text to say he was running late and would only arrive at 4.15 pm. No problem, I needed to make another visit to the washroom anyway.

Went to the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay via an underground link. He admitted that it was his first time there but no worries, I had enough maps on me to ensure we wouldn't be lost. Esplanade, a performing arts centre located on the shore of Marina Bay, is actually two domed buildings housing the Concert Hall and Lyric Theatre with a spiky durian-like exterior. You can see the Merlion Park from the Esplanade and other Singapore landmarks [in case you don't know, Merlion is Singapore's defining symbol with the head of a lion and a tail of a fish or mermaid]. While admiring the Singapore skyline, I had the following conversation with my friend:

Me: What's that building there?

He: Where, which one?

Me: There, that one. The one that looks like a spaceship just landed on it.

He: [short pause] That's the Court.

Me: ...whoops...

Just as we decided to walk over to the Merlion Park, it rained, fortunately or unfortunately [it didn't look very near somehow, or perhaps it was getting hazy and the location seemed a bit obscure]. 10 minutes on and it looked like it was determined to continue raining cats and dogs so we decided to saunter over to the Suntec City. As it is Singapore's largest shopping and entertainment centre, what little part of Suntec City that I saw reminded me of Times Square. Huge, gigantic, with nothing much to offer apart from the normal shops you can no doubt find in countless other malls. We didn't linger here long as I was getting a little sick of shopping malls by then [Raffles City, CityLink Mall, Suntec...]. And it was only my first day!

I then decided to check up Arab Street so we walked to the nearest bus stop in the drizzle [the rain had since trickled to that]. After traipsing all over the place checking out Masjid Sultan, Istana Kampung Glam and the various textile shops, we had a late tea at Zam Zam Restaurant, quite famous for its murtabak. After the cosy tete-a-tete, I suggested going to Little India, specifically the Mustafa Centre, to er, purchase superglue for my poor bag wheel [which turned out to be an unnecessary purchase as I later discovered back at the hotel that the whole covering had broken off. Sob!]. The rain came down again and I regretted for the umpteenth time leaving the hotel's umbrella in the wardrobe. Later on, after walking up and down, and in and out of Mustafa [there is definitely more than one block of Mustafa!], we decided to have dinner at some food court near Lavender [the neighbourhood name escaped me now]. Dinner was bones of lamb cooked an alarming shade of red [wonder if it was the chilli or the colouring?] served with bread.

The remainder of Saturday night was spent glued to the TV, flicking the channels between Badminton All England and Australian Open and English Premier League. Alas, all those I rooted for lost. So much for robbing my beauty sleep!

Sunday morning, I woke up for prayers then back to the sheets again. Checked out at a quarter to 12 and made my way to the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel at Havelock Road, where I would spend the next 3 nights. Realised rather belatedly that I didn't even take pictures of the Duxton Hotel [it looks quite charming from outside]. Oh well... After an early check-in [thank you, God!], ironing, freshening up etc, went out to Orchard Road. Developed serious leg muscles walking there and back and along Orchard Road. So many people on the streets, I reckoned there must be 573,249 people walking up and down that stretch of road and in shopping complexes there, what with the upcoming Lunar New Year the following weekend. Didn't find much to catch my fancy except for some innerwear at Marks & Spencer to reward me for all that walk. It rained again, very heavily too, but I was well prepared with my umbrella - which I didn't get to use anyway as I was in malls and covered walkways. Stopped at the Great World City, some 100 metres away from the hotel to buy dinner and some groceries. Found out that it actually offers free shuttle services to Chinatown MRT, City Hall MRT, and get this, Orchard Road! Argh!!! Moan, groan, mumble, grumble!!!
Sunday night, again watched Australian Open [no HBO at this hotel for some strange reason despite many more channels] against my better judgement.

Monday: another grey start to the morning. Rise and shine early, conference started today [yes, I was there on business]. The keynote addresses almost put me back to sleep, thank God for the coffee break! It got more interesting after that til the end of the day. Befriended some folks from India and had the following conversation during tea break:

Me: Are you going to Little India?

They: No, we are from Big India, we don't want to go to Little India!

Me: [laughed] Yeah, but most Chinese friends I know will go check out Chinatown wherever there is one.

They: We want to check out Chinatown, but not Little India definitely!

Monday evening, took shuttle to City Hall MRT. Decided to be a normal tourist and walked to the river, past the Parliament Building, and came upon the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, sited where he supposedly landed on his first visit. I looked up at the proud statue and wondered, eh, what happened to Sang Nila Utama then? Walked further on to the Fullerton Hotel, and crossed the street to the Merlion Park. Another overcast day, no rain on the horizon, but still no scenic sunset either. Back to the comforts of Raffles City Plaza but still couldn't find anything to buy. It's still so much cheaper back home... stayed up again to watch Australian Open, til way past 1 am, which was really really late for sleepyhead me who's usually in bed way before 11 on a typical weeknight at home.

It was a struggle staying awake on Tuesday but I didn't sleep and still managed to concentrate. Hey, otherwise it would be pointless to be there at all. Some people may even skip the second day altogether and wander off to other more interesting places. The speaker at the end was getting all excited and ended up taking longer than he should, much to the dicomfort of most of us. It finally ended at 5.45 pm and I practically ran all the way back to my room.

Changed clothes in record time and caught a shuttle to the City Hall MRT. Took MRT to Kallang station and walked to the Singapore Indoor Stadium [SIS] for the [*drumroll*] BACKSTREET BOYS concert!!! It all looked very near and within reasonable walking distance from the MRT station on the map but heck, it was anything but! To top it, the SIS was on the other side of Nicoll Highway which meant you need to take the overhead bridge or underpass to get to the other side.

I thought I'd be the only one to come on my own when this nyonya who didn't look a day below 45 came in and sat at the row in front of me. Amazing, she really didn't look the typical BSB audience/fan. Shows that one is only as young/old as she feels. BSB was superb, cute and funny, especially Nick, my favourite. Almost everyone was screaming, yours truly included. Will try post some pictures later on but the pictures didn't turn out great unfortunately.

The show ended barely 2 hours later [it started at 8.30 pm, half an hour later than scheduled]. I wasn't keen to catch public transportation that late in the day but Singapore is quite safe. Took MRT back to City Hall and then bus back to hotel. Watched some Australian Open action until I couldn't stay awake anymore.

Alas, Wednesday arrived all too soon. Woke up early to go to Arab Street. Being adventurous, took a bus there, wandered a bit before finding Zam Zam Restaurant for the murtabak to bring home. Next, it was the textile shops, looking for cotton materials. Back at hotel at 10 sth, packed, had some light meal - hey I needed the energy with all the luggage. Realised I would be running late, flight was scheduled for 1345 hours and hurried to check out. Took a cab to City Hall MRT, changed to MRT to Changi. The sun was actually shining today. Anyway guess what, the flight was delayed to 1500 and subsequently 1515. Duh! Checked in anyway and went straight in to the duty-free area. Was so tempted to buy a white gold ring at Gucci [I can never resist going into Gucci] but I was sure it was more expensive, even after the sale, than in KL. Told the snooty saleslady as much and I could swear she gave me a cold shoulder after that. [Whatever happened to Service With A Smile and The Customer Is Always Right, huh?]. Did contemplate it though a few times after that - that's what delayed flights would do to me - but decided I couldn't, mustn't, shouldn't charge anything to my credit card, not now. Instead, walked around other shops and then went to check my emails before having a meal while still contemplating that ring. I really should get a guy to buy me a ring and not have to buy it myself. I don't mind buying other stuff for myself, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, earrings, but I've never bought a ring for myself. Almost did in December, but most rings at KM Oli seemed to sport diamonds, which I simply refuse to buy for myself [the Gucci ring did not come with any diamond].

Flight finally took off at 1530. Caught up with news back home and attempted Sudoku and before I knew it, it was time to land...

Can't believe I'll be at the airport again in 2 days' time.

Memories...

It wasn't love, no, it was certainly not that. But I did like him.

He was different from the other blokes I knew: he was much older. I'd hoped that that would mean that he was wiser, more matured, patient, considerate and caring. Oh, and he was of a different background, race and religion. I liked him (note the past tense) despite all that. A few friends encouraged me to pursue the relationship but many more advised me against it/him.

I told him earlier on that he must not convert because of love (if it ever developed into that) or because of anyone: that is not a good enough reason to change one's faith. But he must only do so because of God. I hoped that over time, it would be clearer to him as to the right thing to do. Sure, converting one's faith is not something one does every day or overnight. It takes time to change one's beliefs and faith. I was willing to give him time. I was willing to wait. I prayed to God for him to make his own decision, not that influenced by peer pressure. Oh, how I prayed!

But it didn't work out. It was not meant to be. it probably shouldn't have started at all. And I was hit. Surprisingly, unexpectedly, hard.

I never knew the reason(s). Was it religion? Pressure from family/friends/pastor? Was it the background then? Was it the age gap? Was it me? Or circumstances? Something like being in the wrong relationship at the wrong time? Or, was there a third party? Worse still, was he just playing with my Feelings?

I was angry at first, understandably so. Angry that he didn't seem to try to save it. Angry cause I didn't know what happened, why it happened, how... Sure he didn't make promises, infact he disclaimed any liability even from the beginning. I was convinced I hated him for not giving it more time to work out. I hated it when we bumped into each other which was inevitable at first. I hated him for making me hate myself for liking him. If that makes sense.

Was it wrong of me to expect a miracle? Was it wrong of me to set hopes, to pray that it would work out? Was I just being stupid, naive, Foolish? I'd like to think that I had not prayed, hoped and waited in vain.

I accept now that we are not meant to be. That it was another page in my history book. That God has other plans for me, which I have yet to uncover and discover. I no longer hate him - it's self-destructive and pointless. He probably doesn't even know the torture I put myself through. I have forgiven him but it proves much harder to forget. But I have stopped wondering what went wrong, a long time ago. I have stopped analysing the past and agonising over 'what-ifs'.

As the saying goes, there's a lot of water under the bridge now. Let sleeping dogs lie. But sometimes, the Memories still come back to haunt me...