money+traveling+lame attempt at justifying my impulses

Does it really take a lot of money to travel? Yes, and no. Here's yet another post where I try and convince people that I'm extremely blessed, but not at all rich. And that it is possible to travel a lot on a budget.

But firstly, why I'm able to do this. I've been extremely blessed: I do not have to provide for my family; I earn a decent middle-class income; I've no children to feed; no monthly installments to pay; and I have a job. So at this point in time, I'm still single and employed.

At the beginning of this year (2011), G and I signed an expensive paper that emptied a significant chunk of our bank accounts, we bought an apartment that would be ready in 2014, and I knew that that would be the end of my carefree existence. It is scary just thinking of the bills I would have to pay and the monthly installments I would have to make for the next thirty years! Public Housing is a diabolical mechanism guised as a socialist policy that ostensibly assures us that we would own "a piece of our country's wealth" while simultaneously forcing us into a 9am-5pm (and after) mould where we both have to work hard (and harder if we want to pay off our loans in less than thirty years and 'upgrade' to private housing), month in and month out and take measures to ensure that we are never laid off, and if we are, that we will still have money to pay off the monthly installment. In other words, we have to be perfect cogs in the wheel, now that we've 'democratically' bought (literally) into the system.   

So I'm traveling as much as possible right now because this is what I've always enjoyed doing.

I try to spend as little as possible on each trip. How?

1. Cheap Plane Tickets - I scour the net for the cheapest plane tickets. My brother, Gabriel, can attest to the sheer number of nights and hours I spend trawling the internet for cheap air tickets. For instance, there was a return ticket to Oslo on Qatar for only 500SGD but with an extremely long layover. I'm used to spending long nights in airports, in fact, I like spending my nights in such transient spaces.

2. Couchsurfing - Why pay for accommodation? Why pay for guides? Couchsurfing provides both and it doesn't cost you a cent!

3. Hostels/Air BNB - I stay at very basic accommodations when I travel. What is a hostel but a room to return to? Besides, there are wonderful hostels throughout Europe especially, and the rates (especially off season) are mind-blowing!

4. Transport - this is by far the trickest as it can get very expensive. But as far as possible, I get from one place to the other by foot. I truly enjoy walking and I can walk from morning to evening without stopping, covering more than 20-30km in a day. My brothers may scoff and not believe me when I say this, but I relish the aches that appear in my calfs the day after.

5. Hitchhiking - I've never tried this. But my brother and his girlfriend have! It can be dangerous for a girl though, but if you are in groups and around Europe, it should be good!

6. Eating Cheap - though I love food, when I travel, I try to eat a variety of cheap food. Besides I absolutely adore canned sardines in olive oil and these are really cheap in Europe!

7. I don't travel to shop - shops bore me (do they not all sell the same thing anyway. what seems 'unique' and 'cute' is commercialization at its height) unless they give out free samples in edible forms. People I've travelled with can attest to the fact that the weight of my baggage is never much heavier when I return than when I leave.

By the end of Jan 2012, I think I would have spent close to $13000 on traveling since December 2010. While this might seem like a lot of money (and it is a lot of money), I would like to think that it is not so much considering that in this time I've slept in the sahara dessert under a moonlit sky (Morocco); seen the Northern Lights arching across the starry sky (Canada); trekked barefoot in mud for 4 hours, landing on my bum countless times (Vietnam); stuffed myself with more than 8 meals in 1 day (Hong Kong for 5 days); getting lost (I was alone and scared shitless) while hiking in one of the largest National Parks in the Laplands (Sweden); the numerous chance-meetings with strangers from all walks of life and the fantabulous conversations we shared (India). And then there is France, where I'll leaving for tomorrow and Hk/Macau/Shenzhen-trip that's coming up at the end of the month.

While I am certainly thankful for having had these opportunities, the sardonic side of me would just like to add that I know people who spend that very same amount, in a year, on pairs of ferragamo shoes, facial products, fine restaurants, branded labels, alcohol, gym memberships, expensive facial massage sessions, leather products and luxury holidays.

Just as a pretty pair of Ferragamos sends a deep thrill down its new owner's spine, a set of return air tickets makes me tingle with joy. Other well-intentioned folks like to ask me what I've learnt -- so, are Ferragamos, luxury vacations and fine restaurants an investment?

We all derive gratification from different experiences, let's leave each other's alone. 

Moving (again)

I will now be blogging all my travel-related posts at theotherborder.net. While I'll still be blogging non-travel related posts here (because this interface is so much more idiot-friendly), G and I have decided to combine our travel pictures and adventures into one blog! 

Hello here some pretty pictures from Abisko National Park -- the very first National Park I've visited in my whole existence!   

Old Delhi: Some Preliminary Photos

Delhi is gorgeous, isn't She? 

In the next 11 days...

It is just like me to think I can handle anything only to find myself fumbling half way through. Yes, I've bought into all that if I -believe -I -can -do -it -half -the -battle -is -won -motivational -crap.

I should begin on my next assignment right away because what I have left is exactly eleven days to do that and also to tie up the loose ends to the wonderful itinerary G put together  (his first attempt) (so a round of applause please!), and book a reasonably priced accommodation for what has evolved into a family + G vacation.

Yikes! :O

While I love traveling/holidaying, it can be stressful sometimes.

I told myself I'd give me a lazy breather of about 15 more hours before I start the engine again!

the daunting list of things to do in the next 24 hours

• Complete the final two outstanding assignments
• And Submit them.
• Run out to buy sashimi-fuel before the shop closes for the day for tonight's marathon 
• Charge all my batteries
• Clear memory cards
• Cut my nails
• Drag my bag out from the storeroom (*cross  fingers* hope it is still there!)
• Run out to Watson to buy whatever toiletries I may need
• Return all library books 
• Borrow library books
• Locate Shoes (?) 
• Change money
• Print and make copies of all important documents 
• send rescue teams to war-zone (i.e. my room)
• Look for a few sets of cutlery 
• Tissues, napkins, towels, wet wipes -will I ever have enough?
• take Malaria pills and remember to BRING them
• check itinerary
• Check-in

Doesn't sound like a lot, does it?

Okay I really should stop slacking around. I'll run out to get snacks and whatever I need at 8:30pm. But for now, I need to start at the top of the list!

I don't understand why I'm such a last minute person! argh!

Till then, Goodbye! 

a randomly generated list of Top 11 places to visit!

I like open spaces a lot. The further from the city, the more magnificent, it seems. Perhaps it is because God created nature, and men created cities out of nature. But then men (that God created) also made God's creations accessible to everyone. I've randomly selected 11 "open spaces" from my more recent Facebook albums that I've had fond memories of. 

Lists like these always inspire me so perhaps they'll inspire someone else too! Happy traveling! 

1. West Coast of South Island, New Zealand. 

2. Abisko National Park in the Swedish Laplands

3. Nara Deer Park, Japan

4. view of Mont Fuji shot from a Cable Car, Hakone

5. at Fox Glacier, South Island New Zealand

6. Crown Range Road, New Zealand 

7. Barrage Hassan Addakhi, Morocco

8. Willow Lake, Fort Mcmurray, Canada

9. Old town of Uppsala, Sweden

10. Cat Cat Village, Sapa, Vietnam

11. High Island Reservoir Geopark, Hong Kong

It's amazing just how beautiful our world is. Way to go, God! :)

India: road trip! road trip! road trip!

NLB kindly notified me that my Lonely Planet India book is due in three days. It has already been renewed once, so no way I was going to be able to get away scott free. I mean I have been reading and giving it some thought, but have not yet put together a concrete plan. So tonight, I finally loaded up on milo and biscuits, and sat down to think a little and finally, voila!

I'm not sure if the Ms. will be happy because I've made many changes to her first itinerary. This looks like it could potentially work, though it hinches on us getting a car and driver for a good price, if not it's back to the drawing board.

Eating Hong Kong: Lin Heung Restaurant

The boy made a lot of noise. He said we must go to Hong Kong and Macau although we have been there, and even worse, I've been there twice! Then he cited examples of people who visit Hong Kong at least 5 times a year! I gave him a sour face. He knew he was losing the battle, so he consulted google maps and threw in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. But then I pointed out that I have also been to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Then it was his turn to give me a sour face. I checked out the airfares to Taipei, almost got a heart-attack. Tapei so near to Hong Kong but a return flight cost more than $200/person more! Incredulous! So I relented but made the boy promise to book tickets, look for hotels, told him since he want, he must plan. But we all know who will ultimately be doing the planning right?

To his credit, he did plan la, he showed me three links, said he wants to go, all three links were to shops selling photo books! I think he knows I'll plan la, eventually, he'll just have to put up with me making a lot of noise, but I'll come up with a list of what's most important, food! And unlike photo books, he benefits from good food also what, right? 

Anyway, here are pictures of the very last one and only dim sum meal I've ever had in Hong Kong. Mum, George and I woke up at 7am for this! It turned out to be terribly disappointing, so good la, now got another chance to try other famed Hong Kong Dim Sum restaurants. 

very crowded! 

one of my favourites! This was really good. The skin was not so thick, the ling yong was not too sweet. perfect! 

this was the meat pau we had come down so early for! Apparently, they make only 180 a day - once gone, it's gone! So when the trolley auntie came with steaming baskets of da pau, we grabbed la. Turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the century, the skin was so so thick although it was soft and fluffy. But we don't like thick skins around here. It was very very meaty though with lots of flavour and juices.

this pork thing had a funny smell. 

Although the food was not that great, Lin Heung is still one of the oldest traditional tea houses in Hong Kong. So I suppose, if you are in the vicinity, should pop by and try their dim sum la, if only for the experience! But definately not die die must try!

Lin Heung Tea House

160-164 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong; 852-2544-4556

why hello new friend!

After more than 2.5 years of 'sitting on it', walking into countless apple stores, and flipping through the online catalogue, I'm the proud owner of an 11 inch macbook air! It really happened on the spur of the moment. When I left the house this morning, I never thought I would return home as a new owner.

As usual, I was whining about how I really needed a new laptop and how I was certain my 6 year old macbook would crash at the most inconvenient moment, most certainly when I was in the midst of putting the finishing touches on an assignment. I knew the best deals were  online, but I also knew that by the time I got home, I would dawdle back and forth and the deed would yet again be postponed. (There is something more painful about keying in your own credit card number digit by digit as oppose to the swift, careless swipe through the magnetic gadget at the store. And then pressured into putting your signature on the dotted line quickly by the long queue behind you).

Fortunately, the shopping centre we were in had four huge computer stores -- best denki, Challenger, juzz 1, and Harvey Norman. While Juzz 1 had a very positive sales person, their package deal consisted of sub par accessories. Harvey Norman and Best Denki had terrible sales personnel. In fact, theirs were nonexistent!

Surpassing his competitors, the salesperson at Challenger not only offered us a very good package, he asked us which accessories I would use and offered to replace those that I did not like. After milling around the store and weighing my needs, I thought it'd be best to get a big discount off the the apple care protection rather than lug a humongous bag of freebies I would not appreciate. Happily, he accommodated! Sometimes, bargaining at the store beats an online offer!

To sweeten to deal, G gave me his old 15 inch macbook pro (that is also six years old). It is (unlike mine), in excellent working condition with the sole exception of the battery, which is completely kaputt! Plus, it is running on the brand new Lion OS and has a 500G hard drive (a gigantic upgrade!).  I'm going to be using this as my 'desktop' computer, and it'll sit permanently on my desk.

The huge, matt screen (all the new computers come with glossy screens that can be very painful on the eye :( ) will be great for viewing pictures, watching movies and er, playing sims social. In fact, I'm using it to type out this blogpost right now and I'm amazed at the speed the pages and pictures load as well s its efficiency in general. To think I was contend (and for so long!) with living in a dark, grimy, slow world. I most certainly cannot go back to my beloved 80G macbook much as it has seen me through numerous A and C grade essays.

As for the new air, it will used mainly for writing assignments, and work related purposes because sometimes I cannot sit and think in my very crowded room. Also, it'll be nice to take the air traveling! Geeky G is obviously overjoyed by my new gizmo. And he has volunteered to shoulder all of its 1kg mass wherever we go!

fresh dilemmas.

We're not sure where to spend the new year. 

Hong Kong - a bustling metropolis will surely come alive with fireworks! 

Taipei - home to the second tallest building in the world will be positively glowing. The country is also very well-connected and an escape to the quiet of the countryside the night after for a good soak in a hot spring would be easy and very lovely!

Bagan -- Quiet and calming, perhaps tranquility best ushers in the new year. 

♥♥♥♥♥♥

credits: dimitry D

The end of the year is set to be looking this good. 

♥

G just came back with the good news that we'll most likely be going on a (very very short) holiday! I say most likely because given the number of datelines due towards the end of this week especially, I'm mostly swamped, coupled with several wedding dinners that I've agreed to attend - why so many people are getting married this week I don't know. And G has a lot of 'consults'. (why teachers in mainstream schools call consultations "consults" I have no idea too. So our's will in all likelihood be a midweek holiday and this means, I've got to finish all all all all assignments as soon as possible!

Goodbye Sims Social, Goodbye internet, Goodbye Google, Goodbye blogs, from hence on, it's my microsoft word document, coffee mug, thinking cap and I.

Nirwana Beach Club

Pictures of our Cabanas at Nirwana Beach Club. They look quite yummy in these bright, fun, candy colours, but this was hardly so in real life! The TV wasn't working well, the beds were hard and the toilet was not the brightest. But nobody goes to Bintan to stay holed up in their hotel rooms do they? An excellent excuse to spend more time at the beach or lounge by the poolside. 

Bintan getaway!

There's nothing like a good o'le break away from Singapore. And the Indonesian islands of Bintan and Batam are quite ideal being just slightly more than an hour away from Singapore. 

The best part? All transactions within the resort area of Bintan and Batam are in Singapore dollars, so there's no need to worry about having to pay in Indonesian Rupiahs. I got even luckier because Audrey had manage to snag a free night's stay at Nirwana Beach club!  

We took the last ferry out of Singapore and when we finally arrived the sun had long set. 

We were however very courteously greeted with welcome drinks by a waiter who also doubled up as the lone receptionist.

I particularly like this shot because Audrey looks like she is signing a very huge and important contract.

There is not a lot one can do after 8pm on Bintan, especially at Nirwana Beach club, a distance away from the rest of the larger, grander hotels so we took a stroll by the beach. 

The next morning however, things got a lot better. We started the day with a walk by the beach, followed by a rather lacklustre but still satisfying buffet breakfast. 

Then of course, we hit the infinity pool for a long time just waiting for staff to report to Nirwana's beach club's activities centre! 

When our Indonesian friends finally arrived, we rented a 2 person-Kayak and tried desperately to keep afloat. Following which, our Indonesian friends taught us newbies how to Snorkel. It turned out to be a lot of fun once I got the hang of how to breath normally underwater. 

Our Indonesian friend decided to traumatize us by catching "nemo". And would not release him until Audrey begged him to! 

Hungry for some real food after an afternoon's adventure, we decided to take the hotel's shuttle to Pasar Oleh Oleh! As it turned out, there was nothing much to Oleh Oleh about. The miniature town was stocked with several sad shops selling rather dated cheongsams and deep fried Indonesian snacks.  

The saving grace fortunately, was the food! 

Our restaurant of choice was "Hello Hello Restaurant". Audrey went for some rice with gravvy while I went straight for the Ayam Penyet (smashed chicken rice) - when in Indonesia must have Indonesian food right?  

Although the chicken was a little scrawny, it was tasty and went so well with the chilli. 

We also shared a huge plate of calamari. 

This was quite sedap as well! 

And then it was back on the ferry to Singapore! 

I'll certainly be back but next time I'll check into somewhere a little more upmarket, preferably one that offers a good spa and massage! 

Lok Kei Prawn Roe Noodles, Macau

 The noodle master lays the dough on the table before putting a 2m long bamboo pole between his legs. Using the table as a fulcrum, he then starts hoping up and down like an excited child playing on the seesaw. ouch! But in this way, and with the right amount of hoping and jumping, the dough is flattened perfectly trapping just the right amount of air bubbles to make good, springy noodles. 

Blanched in water and then tossed in a huge bucket of dried prawn roe, these bamboo prawn roe noodles turned out to be remarkably delicious and addictive. We had to call for seconds! 

Sadly, it is a dying skill. So I highly recommend anyone and everyone who is in Macau or planning to visit Macau to pay Lok Kei a visit! Noodles are not their only specialty, they also sell a delicious bowl of crab porridge and fabulous wan tons.  It is only a short walk from Sofitel hotel, so no excuses for not visiting!

Lok Kei Congee and Noodles Shop (六記粥麵)
沙梨头仁慕巷1号d地下 
1d Travessa da Saudade, Ribeira do Patane, Macau
6pm-1am

Taj Mahal, Argra

credits: irene 2005

Should guilty seek asylum here,

Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.

Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,

All his past sins are to be washed away.

The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;

And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.

In this world this edifice has been made;

To display thereby the creator's glory.

Emperor Shah Jahan

I'm thinking of ...

Yes, again! 

For the record, Westjet is a fabulous way to fly. I highly recommend flying with them if you need a ride across Canada. 

Destinations to be revealed as soon as I get round to collecting my brand new passport. 

Back home in Singapore

The very first day I returned home, I was whisked off to have 'Singaporean' food.

Fried Hokkien Mee and Char Kuay Teow. The Hokkien Mee was very good. It was cooked in a thick bodied seafood stock. ummm.

 Made in Singapore by Singaporeans and exported all over the world - enjoying a mint cold poached chocolate from Awfully Chocolate on a sundeck.

Singapore is home to rather spectacular sunsets. But we don't always see them quite clearly because we have these huge mammoth concrete structures all over the city.  

Getting back into the kiasu-grove with a buy one get one free ice-cream treat from Candylicious. Only avaliable after 8pm only hor!

a lovely display of water and lights at the "lake" of dreams. 

In defense of traveling

"I don't get it" Cheryl exclaimed, "how do you get all the money to travel?" And then there was Auntie Karin, thirty years my senior and in possession of infinitely more life experiences than I. "Why do you have to travel so much? Waste money! Furthermore it is dangerous you know. You youngsters don't know the danger. You are a girl. I would be afraid." And of course objection came from the Tsar himself and his wife, who were not the happiest people upon learning that I had set my mind on traveling, again.

There is the assumption that traveling is expensive. But more crucially, that it is unproductive. Traveling frequently for leisure does not fit into the ideology of capitalism - sure a little holiday, a first trip to the major cities in Europe would "broaden your horizon" and help you in your future career. "To have travelled" is even sometimes a necessary pre-requiste to a good job in a world that never seems to stop globalizing. But to do it for fun and for pleasure seems misplaced and alarm bells go buzzing.

"What is it that you learn through your travels? Your brother travels to meet people, you just travel to see things." my father, the Tsar said offhandedly as my first instincts proceeded to list the types of nationalities I had met and the productive lessons I had picked up along the way.

"So?" another friend asked, as if waiting for my three thousand dollar vacation to validate its worth. "So what?" I replied by this time bored to death having repeatedly felt compelled to prove that I had made 10 more gold coins.

Firstly, traveling is only expensive inasmuch as the way we choose to travel. So backpacker's hostel or private 3 star hotel with free coffee and tea? Shared bathroom or en-suite facilities?  The cheapest plane ticket with a long layover or a direct flight? Meals in a restaurant or a self-catered picnic in the park? Ten thousand and one postcards as souvenirs or none at all?

And then of course there is the opportunity cost - different people obviously have different priorities. Mine  is traveling which I place high on the pedestal above gym memberships, spa and facial packages, facial products, short holidays, beach holidays, branded clothes, bags, sewing kits, alcoholic drinks (I don't even drink and one saves a lot of money by drinking less (alcohol) and no smoking!) and electronic products.

For a majority of Singaporeans, traveling usually costs a lot because for them (and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this!) it is a vacation, a break, a "stress-free" holiday, a mechanism in the machine to account for the subject's work-life balance.

It just isn't that for me. And when I tried to make this clear to Belle, who was pretty upset that I had chosen to work less in order to study and travel more, she replied rather curtly, "but I love traveling too. Everyone does, my dear. Who doesn't?" And belle is one who struts around in a new outfit every day and in matching tippy toe heels. I think you mean you enjoy going on holidays Belle I wanted to say, but didn't have the guts to afterall I can't absolutely be certain if there was fundamentally a difference. (I'm just being quite catty here because this is Belle we are talking about and most people I know don't like her so much).

But I maintain that travel in whichever and whatever form is quite essential simply because it saves people, places and spaces and then more importantly ourselves from ideology. I probably should elaborate but then I'm running out of steam. haha.

What's keeping me up so late?

Planning for a new trip of course!

I leave soon and I've only just booked my plane tickets! I'm usually not that last minute, really. So every minute, second, and hour has to be dedicated to planning for this little holiday. I hope I can come up with a route quickly because I would love to have company on this trip at various points and most people would want/need to know where I'll be heading.

a lovely church town (:

credit herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/henribonell/1101446441/

Guess Where? 

;)