I don't really mean that. But since I am so into it, I thot it sounds like a good title.
Weddings, funerals, births..Old age. Retirement.
1st funeral for the year. morbid. Counting number of funerals I'm attending in a year.
I can't remember when I first met her. Maybe at my wedding. She had always been a friendly one. Her conversations were a mixture of English, Mandarin and Hakka. I can never make myself address them the way hubby does.. Even till today, I consider myself an outsider.
So what's it going to be ? I'm either reading, doing Sudoku or writing. What do i dream of doing ? I dream of travelling. And then I wonder why I want to travel. What's the pleasure of the travelling ? Seeing the places I read about ? So what ? Why do i want to travel to the US, to live there for a couple of months ? what pleasure will I get out of that ? After all, i don't really socialise. I am happy with my own company.
So what if I have all the money in the world ?
I am still looking for that illusive success, the illusive perfect job that I cannot find.
So what's so bad abt my current job ? Employer the same. Pay Ok. What determines success ? Why not satisfied ? So if I do get to Band 10, then what ? What gives me pleasure ? Reading a thriller is exciting only when I am on the journey of discovery. But when I reach the end of the book, I am usually disappointed. Disappointed with the ending. I don't ever want anything to end, esp if it is a good thing. Like if I am enjoying a good holiday..
The last holiday in Tasmania. Was it fun ? Not really.. I was busy solving Sudoku puzzles ! What do I really want to get out of a holiday ? Change of scenary, food. Mount KK.. is that the kind of holiday that I enjoy ?
Take today. Woke up early. Made breakfast for son. Guilty that all I could prepare for him was 2 hardboiled eggs. Sent him to the meeting point to catch his bus to his camp. Went to the shops to get some breakfast 'cos we were due to leave for the funeral parlour at 815am. Went to pick sis-in-law. So it was a rather eventful day compared to most w/ends.. went for a nice lunch with mum, in-laws. Picked up new used car with hubby and mum. Came home. Wanted to go for my weekly exercise but coloured my hair instead. Had dinner. Solved some sudoku puzzles. Got bored. And now, here I am.
What will make me happy ?
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Sunday, October 24, 2010
It started with Rome.. wait, was it Korea ?
So how did the travel bug get to me ? Because of my job that took me round the world ? The more I travel, the more I find that there are lots of people who love traveling.
The first time I flew was when I went overseas to study. After watching many family members fly off, it was finally my turn. I was 18 going on 19. I had no fear, 'cos I know that at the other end, my sis and friend await me. I was very very excited to be going to a new country, make new friends, learn new things.
Ever since I was young, it had been imprinted in my mind that one day in the near future, I would leave home. No one stayed behind. After all, what was there to look forward to at home ? The town had nothing much to offer. And somehow I had the impression that it is necessary to leave town to attend a better school, for a better future. My uncles did that. In fact, from my earliest memory, my grandma would look forward to them coming back from Australia for their vacation. We kids looked forward to it 'cos we get to eat nice food. Were we poor ? But we had a phone when most of our neighbours did not. We had a Mercedes Benz which I thought was normal to have.
So, I left home when I was 12. Went to a town which was a few hours bus ride away. They couldn't get me to a boarding school. So I ended up staying with my uncle's family.
I learnt history by living in a historic city. History became a living subject to me when I had an amazing history teacher who conducted history lessons as if she was telling a story.
To add to my budding desire to travel, my geography teacher would tell us about her travels round the world. I often wondered why she was still teaching when she could afford to go to all those exotic places.
So maybe that's where it began.. I wanted to see all those places that my history teacher and my geography teacher spoke about. And having lived in a British colony, where the Portugese, Spanish, Indonesians used to rule, I wanted to know more about our former masters.
At 12, I started forming a friendship with a pen friend in the Philippines. Lucy had very nice cursive writing. She would send me photos of herself and her family. And I learnt a little of her Tagalog, although I was a very bad student as I never really took time to learn it.
So actually, it began with Singapore. When I was 12, the teacher told us that the school was organising a trip to Singapore. I signed up for it. I remember going to the zoo, to the bookshops and nothing much else. I bought my first Enid Blyton books.
The next trip was another school trip with the neighbouring school. Ours was a girls school, and the neighbouring school was a boys school. We took a coach trip up north and saw lots of things. But all I can remember of the trip was alot of singing and someone offering me a stalk of rose.
There were several more local excursions which I did, either with school, or with church.
So going to Australia was major. Once I touched down, my sis and her boyfriend picked me up from the airport. We drove all the way to the country town where they were both studying. I got to see alot of the country during the road journey. I recall seeing lots of brown and being amazed by how brown they were.. My geography lessons came to mind, about the kind of plants that live in Australia. About how the country is quite dry, compared to where I came from, where green was the default colour of plants.
I remember thinking how huge this country is. And temperatures going to the 40s (C) in summer. Sprinklers everywhere watering the grass. Walking to lectures means a race with the sprinklers to avoid being sprinkled !Seeing the sprinkler for the first time was new to me too ! I couldn't understand why they would waste water on something like grass ! Until someone explained to me about the dangers of bush fires due to extreme hot weather !
When autumn set in, I realised what it means to have 4 seasons ! It was cold to me, as I have never experienced changes in season. I was ill prepared for the change in temperature. My one and only warm clothing was a black parker which I wore from autumn to summer. I felt extremely sexless in this black parker. When this guy told me that I looked like a movie star, I was flattered. Until he added that the movie star he was referring to was the ape from planet of the apes !
Over the next four years in Australia, I went on many excursions. I learnt to appreciate the great outback.. Mt Buller for the snow, Grampians for the mountains, Great Ocean Drive for the exhilarating ocean view.. I even worked in a cherry farm during one of the vacations and got paid AUD$2 per box that I picked. We went abalone fishing, crabbing. These were the experiences that I would treasure for the rest of my life. I even squeezed in a fly / drive trip to Adelaide and Perth !
Once I returned home from my first tour of Australia, it was time to get into the workforce. On the flight home for the last time, I wondered when I would set foot in Australia again, and felt some sadness that I had to say goodbye to such a great country.
Lo and behold, before I know it, I was planning my next trip to Australia and New Zealand, one year after my trip home ! The opportunity presented itself when my parents decided that my 14 year old brother, and my 13 year old cousin, should continue their studies in Australia. So in December 1981, I chaperoned the two young lads to Sydney, before continuing on to New Zealand for my sister's wedding.
It was a fantastic trip ! My dear kind sister, who had always looked after me, booked my brother and I on a tour of South Island. For the first time in my life, I rode in a helicopter to go to the glaciers ! What can I say, but to be thankful that I have been so lucky ! Another first was celebrating Christmas with the Kiwis in Queenstown, eating turkey and ham !
In the same trip, we did a road tour of Rotorua and experienced living in motels in NZ. I fully enjoyed my trip and perhaps it was then that I made up my mind that going on such trips is a must as I journey through life.
Countries I've been to :
1. USA - Florida, Atlanta, New York, Rochester Minnesota, LA, SF, Hawaii, San Diego
2. Japan - Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka
3. South Korea - Seoul, Kwangju
4. Taiwan - Taipei, Tai Chung
5. China - Beijing (Great Wall of China), Shanghai, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou
6. UK - London
7. France - Paris, Montpellier, St Topaz, French Riveria, Avaleon (?), Nice
8. Italy - Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Sienna
9. Germany - Frankfurt, Berlin
10. Switzerland - Basel, Lucern, Swiss Alps
11. Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold coast
12. NZ - Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch,Queenstown, Cadorna (?)
13. Thailand - Chiangmai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket
14. India - not yet on tour, but for work
15. Philippines - not yet on tour, but for work
16. Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi
17. Indonesia - Medan, Lake Toba, Jakarta, Bali
18. Singapore
19. Malaysia - Mulu Caves, KK, Kuching, Penang, Pangkor, Redang, Tioman, Malacca, KL, Cameron Highlands, Frasers Hill, Genting Highlands, Ipoh, Teluk Intan, Kuantan
170 countries in the world, I have 151 to go !
On the calendar :
1. South Africa
2. Egypt
3. Niagara Falls
But what is my purpose ?
The first time I flew was when I went overseas to study. After watching many family members fly off, it was finally my turn. I was 18 going on 19. I had no fear, 'cos I know that at the other end, my sis and friend await me. I was very very excited to be going to a new country, make new friends, learn new things.
Ever since I was young, it had been imprinted in my mind that one day in the near future, I would leave home. No one stayed behind. After all, what was there to look forward to at home ? The town had nothing much to offer. And somehow I had the impression that it is necessary to leave town to attend a better school, for a better future. My uncles did that. In fact, from my earliest memory, my grandma would look forward to them coming back from Australia for their vacation. We kids looked forward to it 'cos we get to eat nice food. Were we poor ? But we had a phone when most of our neighbours did not. We had a Mercedes Benz which I thought was normal to have.
So, I left home when I was 12. Went to a town which was a few hours bus ride away. They couldn't get me to a boarding school. So I ended up staying with my uncle's family.
I learnt history by living in a historic city. History became a living subject to me when I had an amazing history teacher who conducted history lessons as if she was telling a story.
To add to my budding desire to travel, my geography teacher would tell us about her travels round the world. I often wondered why she was still teaching when she could afford to go to all those exotic places.
So maybe that's where it began.. I wanted to see all those places that my history teacher and my geography teacher spoke about. And having lived in a British colony, where the Portugese, Spanish, Indonesians used to rule, I wanted to know more about our former masters.
At 12, I started forming a friendship with a pen friend in the Philippines. Lucy had very nice cursive writing. She would send me photos of herself and her family. And I learnt a little of her Tagalog, although I was a very bad student as I never really took time to learn it.
So actually, it began with Singapore. When I was 12, the teacher told us that the school was organising a trip to Singapore. I signed up for it. I remember going to the zoo, to the bookshops and nothing much else. I bought my first Enid Blyton books.
The next trip was another school trip with the neighbouring school. Ours was a girls school, and the neighbouring school was a boys school. We took a coach trip up north and saw lots of things. But all I can remember of the trip was alot of singing and someone offering me a stalk of rose.
There were several more local excursions which I did, either with school, or with church.
So going to Australia was major. Once I touched down, my sis and her boyfriend picked me up from the airport. We drove all the way to the country town where they were both studying. I got to see alot of the country during the road journey. I recall seeing lots of brown and being amazed by how brown they were.. My geography lessons came to mind, about the kind of plants that live in Australia. About how the country is quite dry, compared to where I came from, where green was the default colour of plants.
I remember thinking how huge this country is. And temperatures going to the 40s (C) in summer. Sprinklers everywhere watering the grass. Walking to lectures means a race with the sprinklers to avoid being sprinkled !Seeing the sprinkler for the first time was new to me too ! I couldn't understand why they would waste water on something like grass ! Until someone explained to me about the dangers of bush fires due to extreme hot weather !
When autumn set in, I realised what it means to have 4 seasons ! It was cold to me, as I have never experienced changes in season. I was ill prepared for the change in temperature. My one and only warm clothing was a black parker which I wore from autumn to summer. I felt extremely sexless in this black parker. When this guy told me that I looked like a movie star, I was flattered. Until he added that the movie star he was referring to was the ape from planet of the apes !
Over the next four years in Australia, I went on many excursions. I learnt to appreciate the great outback.. Mt Buller for the snow, Grampians for the mountains, Great Ocean Drive for the exhilarating ocean view.. I even worked in a cherry farm during one of the vacations and got paid AUD$2 per box that I picked. We went abalone fishing, crabbing. These were the experiences that I would treasure for the rest of my life. I even squeezed in a fly / drive trip to Adelaide and Perth !
Once I returned home from my first tour of Australia, it was time to get into the workforce. On the flight home for the last time, I wondered when I would set foot in Australia again, and felt some sadness that I had to say goodbye to such a great country.
Lo and behold, before I know it, I was planning my next trip to Australia and New Zealand, one year after my trip home ! The opportunity presented itself when my parents decided that my 14 year old brother, and my 13 year old cousin, should continue their studies in Australia. So in December 1981, I chaperoned the two young lads to Sydney, before continuing on to New Zealand for my sister's wedding.
It was a fantastic trip ! My dear kind sister, who had always looked after me, booked my brother and I on a tour of South Island. For the first time in my life, I rode in a helicopter to go to the glaciers ! What can I say, but to be thankful that I have been so lucky ! Another first was celebrating Christmas with the Kiwis in Queenstown, eating turkey and ham !
In the same trip, we did a road tour of Rotorua and experienced living in motels in NZ. I fully enjoyed my trip and perhaps it was then that I made up my mind that going on such trips is a must as I journey through life.
Countries I've been to :
1. USA - Florida, Atlanta, New York, Rochester Minnesota, LA, SF, Hawaii, San Diego
2. Japan - Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka
3. South Korea - Seoul, Kwangju
4. Taiwan - Taipei, Tai Chung
5. China - Beijing (Great Wall of China), Shanghai, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou
6. UK - London
7. France - Paris, Montpellier, St Topaz, French Riveria, Avaleon (?), Nice
8. Italy - Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Sienna
9. Germany - Frankfurt, Berlin
10. Switzerland - Basel, Lucern, Swiss Alps
11. Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold coast
12. NZ - Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch,Queenstown, Cadorna (?)
13. Thailand - Chiangmai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket
14. India - not yet on tour, but for work
15. Philippines - not yet on tour, but for work
16. Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi
17. Indonesia - Medan, Lake Toba, Jakarta, Bali
18. Singapore
19. Malaysia - Mulu Caves, KK, Kuching, Penang, Pangkor, Redang, Tioman, Malacca, KL, Cameron Highlands, Frasers Hill, Genting Highlands, Ipoh, Teluk Intan, Kuantan
170 countries in the world, I have 151 to go !
On the calendar :
1. South Africa
2. Egypt
3. Niagara Falls
But what is my purpose ?
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