Adorable Ganesha

Eventhough Lord Ganesha is only my second favorite god after My Dear Lord Murgan, I got to admit that this are the most adorable pictures of Lord Ganesha.  I loved the middle one most, he has hair and has someone to do his home work!

Best Use of Face Book

Bag packing

About a year and half ago, not many circle of my friend and family knew what bag packing was. Some didn’t even understand the need to travel, what more travelling on budget and solo. All they ever know was book tour from home, travel in style, see what everybody oblige to see in nick of time, spend tones on money on unnecessary thing and come back to say that they have seen enough of that country.

However, in today’s lifestyle, thanks to AirAsia, people buy cheap ticket, book tour locally, travel abroad in style, see what everybody oblige to see in nick of time, spend tones on money on unnecessary thing and come back to say that they have seen enough of the country.

So where lay all the differences? The answer is on the bag pack. The theory today is that as long as you go holiday and carry a bag pack, you graduate as the bagpacker. Thus I told my mom, who frequently travel abroad that, from now onwards, I am calling you trolley packer, because she carry’s her trolley bag.

Furthermore, many people in that group claims that bag packing is easy. And all I do is give them the ‘whateva' look!

It took me almost 5 years to actually understand what bag packing and how is done, yet I struggle on every journey. Each time I go abroad, I learn something new and change my travelling pattern in order to move with confidence. Yet at times, luck is never on my side and all plans leads to failure.

So after travelling for quite sometimes now, I frequently ask myself these questions. Do I see bag packing as fun; my answer is yes. Do I like to travel alone; my answer would definitely be yes and yes. Do I see bag packing as easy; my answer is definitely big NO. But, if I get a sign from god before I depart, it’s a joyride all the way.

Bag packing is one thing, but going solo is another thing. Even though I have heard about it for a long time, I ought to stay my courage came from my sister’s friend, Charis. So what started as trying, leads me to Sabah, Sarawak, Loa, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand.

In each journey I do lots of mistakes, and I learn from my mistakes. I learned to find the right destination, to booking the tickets and hotels, to carry my cash and even to pack a bag. Lots and lots of research are done before I step of my house, just to proof to my father that I will come back home safe. Yet at times, things are beyond my control.

In my resent trip to Thailand, despite being one of the easiest places in South East Asia to travel, I learned how to be a real bag packer. I was so unprepared and didn’t have my lonely planet as guideline.

When I first arrived in Chang Mai, the place I have booked online which should assure me a place for one day was full. I didn’t have anywhere else to go. Luckily, the guesthouse owner was awesome and manages to find me a room. Then there was an incident in Ayutthaya where I went to the place based on lonely planet and it was fully booked. In place where people hardly spoke English, without a map or clue about the city, I searched for the guesthouse just by its name. Then, there was the Koa Phagan, where I knew nothing about the place. All I said to the driver was, “I want some where quiet” and she pointed a faraway place called Had Yao. She dropped me in the middle of no way and said, “Here is Had Yao”. With my bagpack I walked and searched and somehow manage to find a shack for 300 bhat when everything else was 500 baht.

As for transport, Thailand is the best. It all organized and no thinking at all. One can move any corner of the land without sweat. In Thailand, there is something called joint ticket. The tickets will consist of bus ride or train ride, ferry ride and minivan to all destinations including airport. For example, if I am in Ko Phagan, I can go to Ko Tao, Ko Samui, Surat Thani, Champoon, Bangkok, Krabi, Phuket, Ko Lanta and even to Had Yai. All this is done without going to Bangkok. But sometimes even the easiest transport like train can be disaster as the signboards are all not in English. So it’s better to stick to busses.

Nevertheless, many times I just needed up on bike taxi. Hop on and it will take you to any corner of the town on minimum charges. My first bike taxi encounter was in Vietnam. I not only jump on a bike with my huge bag pack clinging on my back but also went on a 10 hour journey ride. Then there was Indonesia, where I went bag packing on bike. Even the steep, 45 degree Mt Penanjakan was done on bike.

But when everything fails, I always have my feet to depend on. On the 10th April 2010, I was supposed to head to Ko Samui form Kanchanaburi but stopping first at Bangkok. Unfortunately, that’s the day the red shirt army decided to capture the bridge to Koa San road, where my bus to ko Samui was. The mini van driver, stopped at the middle of the riot as said the journey ends there. All but me was heading to Ko Samui and there was no address of the bus stop where I should go. After arguing so long with the minivan driver and with the help of another guy, I manage to walk across the bridge and find the guesthouse that operates the bus service. I after 17 hours later I arrived in Ko Samui.

There also times when the traveling pattern need changes at the last minutes. When I could not depart to Yangoon because I didn’t have a visa, I didn’t even give my brains to think and be sorry for my stupidity. I just went with the flow. I headed straight to town and took the train to Kanchanaburi and from there continued my journey to Ko Samui and Ko Phagan, and would have headed to Ko Tao, Krabi and Ko Lanta if not for the red shirt protest.

As for food, being vegetarian, I never had any problem at all. Its more difficult to travel in my own country. If I actually starve or skip a meal it’s not because there are no food, but because the food is expensive. A place where many whites travels, you can always find one page of the menu full of vegetarian dishes even if it’s not vegetarian shop. But one must always keep in mind that, tell them NO EGG.

As for me I am still learning the art of bag packing. One of the first thing I need to learn is pack less and shop less. Above all dont plan anything.

So, if you still ask me if bag packing is as easy as carrying a bag pack, I can only give the ‘whateva’ look. Go ahead a try, you will experience things beyond words can say. The ultimate happiness I can get after god ofcourse.  

The Arrival of 2010

The year 2009 was superb. I went through a process of self discovery, living my life to the fullest. I have experiencing things that I have only dream off over the years. It was a beautiful journey.

Some of the things that I am proud to achieve in 2009 are as listed below:

1. straighten my teeth and today I smiled with of resistance;

2. straighten and cut my hair short after postponing for some time;

3. Loose weight;

4. went solo backpacking to Vietnam and Bali;

5. went solo backpacking from Yogjarkarta to Lombok;

6. climbed Mt Agung, Batur and reached the rim of Rinjani;

Agung

Rinjani

Batur

7. went for rock climbing

8. went for kayaking and white river rafting

9. went to Sabah again and visited lower Kinabatangan river

10. learn to LET GO and stop having expectation.

Despite the list above, the best part of 2009, was to see my dear friend getting married. It completed the whole 2009 package. It was truly an amazing feeling. I am not proud to admit but, I was in tears to see her walking down the isle comparing to others (which best no mentioned).

Of course the journey of self discovery was never smooth. There are always ups and downs with lots of tears and laughters. But nevertheless it’s an experience that changed me in many ways, many ways that I am proud off.

By the end of 2009, I will now walk further up to the next level of what Walsch calls it 'creating life". Meaning to be what I want to be by determining BY MYSELF! I am going to create my own path, my own destiny for another year ahead.

It’s never going to be easy task, as we always have great barriers, especially from people surrounding us who claims on our decision to be selfish. Nevertheless, I am putting their opinion aside as its not their thought that going to create my path.

I have not asked anything to HIM yet, but I saw the sign yesterday.  Its presence yesterday says that HE will be with me till the end. Thats more then enough to start my journey with confidence.

So for starters, here is what I scheduled for a year ahead:

1. Backpacking to sabah again to climb KK!

2. learn diving.

3. learn extra language (preferred Hindi or Thai).

4. backpacking to Chang Mai (northern Thailand) and Myanmar.

5. go to either Bali or Laos again.

6. loose weight.

7. buy furniture for house.

8.buy zoom camera.

9. go to ashram in india and learn to meditate.

10. celebrate my tenth year of vegetarian!

11. stop being judgmental and etc.

Note: Walsch, Neale Donald- is the author to conversations with god

Life's Lesson!

A friend of mine forwarded me with 45 life's lesson written by 90 years old Regina Brett which, I thought of sharing with all, especially with people who blames god and faith for almost everthing.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you, really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone, everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift

ps: i love dthe higlighted on most

Battle with Kuala Kubu Baru River- Part I & II

KKB Part I
27 Jun 2009

I confess that I love out door activity, but white water rafting was never in my do list. Probably because it requires more then 4 person and high possibilities that I can never get enough people to sit with me on the raft. So when the opportunity strikes, and akka asked (actually me asking her thanks to Ganesha), I said yes.

There was about 30 of us from Mani's gang plus another couple of people form different group. All together we had 60 people, 10 raft.

Since we wont be coming back to the same place, the driver was requested to park their car at the ending point and us the passenger went free floating. Uuhoo.

Upon the arrival of the driver, we were separated into groups of 6, all, equiped with safely instrument like red ants and was then was preached on the rules and regulation of rafting before sending us on the raft.

All raft came with a driver and us we had Ruku. Together with 2 boys and 4 girls, we conquered the KKB River once and for all. Wohoo..the best battle ever!

walking our way to free float while waiting for the drivers

somewhere in the middle of the raft;Let the fight begin..who is greater then who?

My team

The first battle

The second

Rest

The Third

The forth

Part II
27 Jully 2009

Not enough with conquering KKB river the first time, i went of the battle again for the second time with different battalion. this time, we were in the whole different scenario. The presence of the Young Royal Selongor prince and the high river flow from the damn.

Even though the second time was not much hassle as moving to right left up and down, I had a whole lot of fun. First with my driver Rizal, who was so funny; second with my buddies on the raft that was creaming all the way; third with high level and me diving with the current and last but not least getting stuck at river bank all covered with under trees and branches and whole lot of spider and bugs falling on the raft.

Nevertheless, there was one small disappointment, my boat never capsize nor did I fall on my own or even when Rizal tried his level best to do so!

Did you realize someone went missing on the raft? Wonder how?

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Because of she went flying off the raft. The best picture taken!