Annapurna Circuit trek is also known as the Around Annapurna Trek.
On 1 Apr, I will take a bus to Besisahar, the trail start to do the above mention trek. I will be back in Kathmandu latest by 25th Apr.
You will not be able to reach me during my trek.
Saturday, 31 March 2007
Baptism
I looked forward to join the church for service today. In fact, I actually postpone my trekking trip to 1 Apr so that I can be with the church. It turns out to be worthwhile.
Ramesh was as nice as ever. He picked me up at my new guest house (after checking out of nightmare hotel) at Thorang Peak. I like this guest house, it's quiet and has a nice garden. On exception is that I have to climb 5 storeys to get to my room. We were early for service. At 1030am, only the songleaders were present. I spoke to a couple. It is encouraging to see husband and wife both serving in the song ministry. In the Singapore Church, there are also such serving couples- ZQ and Grace, Raymond and Sherlee, Jonathon and Wanjun, Bruce and June, Francis and Choi and their sons.
Dahal was not feeling very well today, so Ramesh preached on his behalf. Ramesh preached n Nepali and there was no English translation though. It was ok for me, whenever Ramesh refers to a passage, I spent time reading it carefully. (in case I space out and doze off)
Church service is more than coming together to hear the lesson. There were exchange of hugs. You make new friends, You catch up with old friends. You share about your week, you talk about life.
During fellowship, I learned that there'll be a baptism today. Brothers and sisters starts to gather and sung This is the Day in Nepali before they proceed to share and encourage our soon to be sister-in-Christ.
I couldn't understand the language but I could feel the spirit of this session. I understood the body language. Their sincerity and love in their sharing touched me. Suddenly I become slightly emotional- The joy of baptism, the forgiveness of sin from God, the promise of a new life causes tears to swell in my eyes. It was pure joy, an almost indescribable feeling.
I figure that Dahal is asking Supreyah the 2 important question.
Firstly,
"Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he died for you on the cross, and on the third day resurrected?"
Supreyah replied, presumbly a "Yes"
" What is your God confession"
"Ye su ....."
Everyone clapped.
We proceed to Sansher place which was 5 mins walk from the church. And there, Supreyah got baptised in a huge drum.
We broke into a Nepali song.
"I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back, no turning back."
Amen, one more soul is saved.
Ramesh was as nice as ever. He picked me up at my new guest house (after checking out of nightmare hotel) at Thorang Peak. I like this guest house, it's quiet and has a nice garden. On exception is that I have to climb 5 storeys to get to my room. We were early for service. At 1030am, only the songleaders were present. I spoke to a couple. It is encouraging to see husband and wife both serving in the song ministry. In the Singapore Church, there are also such serving couples- ZQ and Grace, Raymond and Sherlee, Jonathon and Wanjun, Bruce and June, Francis and Choi and their sons.
Dahal was not feeling very well today, so Ramesh preached on his behalf. Ramesh preached n Nepali and there was no English translation though. It was ok for me, whenever Ramesh refers to a passage, I spent time reading it carefully. (in case I space out and doze off)
Church service is more than coming together to hear the lesson. There were exchange of hugs. You make new friends, You catch up with old friends. You share about your week, you talk about life.
During fellowship, I learned that there'll be a baptism today. Brothers and sisters starts to gather and sung This is the Day in Nepali before they proceed to share and encourage our soon to be sister-in-Christ.
I couldn't understand the language but I could feel the spirit of this session. I understood the body language. Their sincerity and love in their sharing touched me. Suddenly I become slightly emotional- The joy of baptism, the forgiveness of sin from God, the promise of a new life causes tears to swell in my eyes. It was pure joy, an almost indescribable feeling.
I figure that Dahal is asking Supreyah the 2 important question.
Firstly,
"Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he died for you on the cross, and on the third day resurrected?"
Supreyah replied, presumbly a "Yes"
" What is your God confession"
"Ye su ....."
Everyone clapped.
We proceed to Sansher place which was 5 mins walk from the church. And there, Supreyah got baptised in a huge drum.
We broke into a Nepali song.
"I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back, no turning back."
Amen, one more soul is saved.
Nightmare hotel
My stay in Thamel has been plagued by noisy streets and now, bed bugs.
They are disgusting creature. The hide under the bedsheets and attack you in the middle of the night.
On the first night, I woke up in the middle of the night scratching myself. I thought it was the heat or maybe mosquitoes, so I got out of the bed to check that the windows are open. I woke up many times on the first night.
Then comes the 2nd night. I get the same bugging Itch again. Then it starts to dawn on me that it could be bed bugs. I lie there considering for awhile. Should I get up and check? Just then, I felt something crawling over my fingers, I am almost sure they are bugs. I switch on the lights and examine the bedsheets hard. It wasn't long before I spot a big fat bed bug. I got paranoid. I almost wanted to go down to the reception to demand for a change of room. But then again, who can guarantee the next bed I lay on is not infested with the bugs.
I decided that the safest and surest way to get a bug free night is to sleep on my sleeping mat with my sleeping bag, away from the bed. And that is what I did. At the same time, I pray that the bugs would not pick up my body temperate and crawl to my sleeping bag, that would be even more disastrous.
Thank God, the night was uneventful.
The next morning, I got up at 715am. Packed my bag and check out of this nightmare hotel.
Wanna know the hotel name???
They are disgusting creature. The hide under the bedsheets and attack you in the middle of the night.
On the first night, I woke up in the middle of the night scratching myself. I thought it was the heat or maybe mosquitoes, so I got out of the bed to check that the windows are open. I woke up many times on the first night.
Then comes the 2nd night. I get the same bugging Itch again. Then it starts to dawn on me that it could be bed bugs. I lie there considering for awhile. Should I get up and check? Just then, I felt something crawling over my fingers, I am almost sure they are bugs. I switch on the lights and examine the bedsheets hard. It wasn't long before I spot a big fat bed bug. I got paranoid. I almost wanted to go down to the reception to demand for a change of room. But then again, who can guarantee the next bed I lay on is not infested with the bugs.
I decided that the safest and surest way to get a bug free night is to sleep on my sleeping mat with my sleeping bag, away from the bed. And that is what I did. At the same time, I pray that the bugs would not pick up my body temperate and crawl to my sleeping bag, that would be even more disastrous.
Thank God, the night was uneventful.
The next morning, I got up at 715am. Packed my bag and check out of this nightmare hotel.
Wanna know the hotel name???
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Choppers in Ghorepani
The sound of an approaching helicopter broke the conversation between Bekh and the guesthouse owner. They were discussing about the death of a Caucasian man just a few hours ago.Usually, helicopters are use for ferrying trekkers. Those who are rich. On occasion casualties and even rarer, a body.
It is interesting how news spread among the villages in the mountain. People stop and chat and exchange news. Apparently, this Caucasian in his 50's had suffered a heart attack. He died instantaneously.
The rain comes on intermittently. We start and stop walking for a couple of times. The change in weather was impressively quick. It could be sunny, cloudy, raining and hailing, all in a short time of 10 mins.
Call it coincident or what, as the chopper approaches the rain eerily turned into hail. Very timely when we're talking about the meaning of rain in the event of a death. It has the same effect of a black out at the suspense of a ghost story telling session.
At a Buddhist/Taoist funeral wake in Singapore, on the day of sending the decease to the crematorium, raining has its meaning. Some interpret it as the deceased is sad, others claims that its a good omen. Perhaps a sign to indicate his willingness to part with the world.
Nepali regards raining in the event of a death as a bad omen. The deceased is unhappy or even angry.
As for me, I don''t believe in any of these. I empathise with the family of the deceased. Must have been a shock and blow to the family. Holidays and travelling are meant to be happy. No one would have expected death.
The chopper landed at Ghorepani to ferry the body back to Pokhara (or Kathmandu). Soon after it flew past us, the clouds cleared and make way for the sun.
We hit the road again.
It is interesting how news spread among the villages in the mountain. People stop and chat and exchange news. Apparently, this Caucasian in his 50's had suffered a heart attack. He died instantaneously.
The rain comes on intermittently. We start and stop walking for a couple of times. The change in weather was impressively quick. It could be sunny, cloudy, raining and hailing, all in a short time of 10 mins.
Call it coincident or what, as the chopper approaches the rain eerily turned into hail. Very timely when we're talking about the meaning of rain in the event of a death. It has the same effect of a black out at the suspense of a ghost story telling session.
At a Buddhist/Taoist funeral wake in Singapore, on the day of sending the decease to the crematorium, raining has its meaning. Some interpret it as the deceased is sad, others claims that its a good omen. Perhaps a sign to indicate his willingness to part with the world.
Nepali regards raining in the event of a death as a bad omen. The deceased is unhappy or even angry.
As for me, I don''t believe in any of these. I empathise with the family of the deceased. Must have been a shock and blow to the family. Holidays and travelling are meant to be happy. No one would have expected death.
The chopper landed at Ghorepani to ferry the body back to Pokhara (or Kathmandu). Soon after it flew past us, the clouds cleared and make way for the sun.
We hit the road again.
Monday, 19 March 2007
Charmaine, my new traveling companion
Today, my sis Charmaine arrived in Kathmandu by Air Sahara. Now I have a companion.
Tomorrow, we are meeting Bekh our guide and we'll make our way to Pokhara by bus. We are doing the Ghorepani trek. Yeh, i look forward to it.
After that, my sis and I going for 2day 1 night rafting trip along Bhote Kosi. Class 4+ WOW!!!
Tomorrow, we are meeting Bekh our guide and we'll make our way to Pokhara by bus. We are doing the Ghorepani trek. Yeh, i look forward to it.
After that, my sis and I going for 2day 1 night rafting trip along Bhote Kosi. Class 4+ WOW!!!
Rafting at Bhote Kosi or Trisuli
Bhote Kosi was not my first choice for rafting. However, after talking to a few rafting agency, I agree with them that perhaps my first choice, Trisuli, would be to mild and boring to be call white water rafting. At this time of the year, water level is low. Sailing would be a more appropriate activity to call it.
When i stepped into Drift Nepal, I was greeted warmly by Sanjay. As soon as he find out that I'm a Singaporean, our conversation turned to Singapore food and places. Sanjay was born in Singapore. His father served in the respectable Gurkha regiment. When his father retire from the force, they moved back to Nepal. He was 16 then. Thru our conversation, I can tell that Sanjay has fond memories of Singapore as he recount the places he studied and lived, his sentences was peppered with Singlish. Ah... Singlish sounds like music to my ears. I like it when he said "Lay Jay". (Singlish for troublesome,inconvenient) 100% Singlish.
I was convinced by Sanjay that Bhote Kosi is more worthy than Trisuli. And when Charmaine arrived in Kathmandu, we both agree that we want to do the real rafting.
Sing-Ma restaurant
In the evening, we took the advice of Sanjay and had dinner at a Singapore-Malaysia restaurant, aptly called Sing-Ma restaurant. I must admit, I got really excited when I saw the Menu. I wanted to order almost everything. In the end, I settles for Laksa, Hainan Chicken rice and Sate.
They verdict-food tasted 60% authentic to Singapore's But that was good enough. I wish we have more Singaporean food outside Singapore, just like the way Japanese and Korean food can be found anywhere in the world.
When i stepped into Drift Nepal, I was greeted warmly by Sanjay. As soon as he find out that I'm a Singaporean, our conversation turned to Singapore food and places. Sanjay was born in Singapore. His father served in the respectable Gurkha regiment. When his father retire from the force, they moved back to Nepal. He was 16 then. Thru our conversation, I can tell that Sanjay has fond memories of Singapore as he recount the places he studied and lived, his sentences was peppered with Singlish. Ah... Singlish sounds like music to my ears. I like it when he said "Lay Jay". (Singlish for troublesome,inconvenient) 100% Singlish.
I was convinced by Sanjay that Bhote Kosi is more worthy than Trisuli. And when Charmaine arrived in Kathmandu, we both agree that we want to do the real rafting.
Sing-Ma restaurant
In the evening, we took the advice of Sanjay and had dinner at a Singapore-Malaysia restaurant, aptly called Sing-Ma restaurant. I must admit, I got really excited when I saw the Menu. I wanted to order almost everything. In the end, I settles for Laksa, Hainan Chicken rice and Sate.
They verdict-food tasted 60% authentic to Singapore's But that was good enough. I wish we have more Singaporean food outside Singapore, just like the way Japanese and Korean food can be found anywhere in the world.
Saturday, 17 March 2007
Videos of Nepal church of christ service
The Nepal church singing is great and full of Nepali flavour. Like I said previously, John is really well-known. The New Delhi speaker, Raji knows John. They are from the same hometown in south India.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjgZbmhnfG8
Singing Nepali song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJJNX8fJvFw
What a friend we have in Jesus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZweHAn_OXE0
Special speaker from New Delhi Church
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2KmL6du8qw
HOPE director Nepal. Brother Thakur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB6ks7T77d0
Majesty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjgZbmhnfG8
Singing Nepali song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJJNX8fJvFw
What a friend we have in Jesus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZweHAn_OXE0
Special speaker from New Delhi Church
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2KmL6du8qw
HOPE director Nepal. Brother Thakur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB6ks7T77d0
Majesty
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
First day in Kathmandu
I can't believe it. I am back in Nepal.
When we got to Zhangmu, it was 0900hrs (Beijing time). Just when we got out of the 4WD, another 4WD driver offer us transport to Kathmandu directly for 100 yuan (20Sing). For the convenience, this offer is to good to reject. If I don't take up this offer, I have to find a transport that brings me across the no-man's land (appr 8km) between the Chinese border (also call Zhangmu) and the Nepali border (Call Kodari).
No man's land
No man land belongs to nobody, as the name implies. As a result, the road condition are bumpy and unpaved. People have no regards for these god-forsaken land. Truckload of garbage are simply discarded along the slopes. Some people say that the state of the border (between 2 countries) are a reflection of the relationship between them.
I used to think that one HAS to get their passport checked and stamped everything they enter a foreign country. As least that was the case for me. The woodlands custom is 20mins bus ride away from home, while the causeway is 2 km long. Yet I have to get my passport checked and stamped every time I step on Malaysia land. It was the case for all countries I visit.
In north America (continent), citizen of Canada and US are allowed to visit each other without passport. The same goes for citizens of EU, they are allowed to visit each other too. The last I learn is that Nepali and Indians are free to visit each other.
I checked into Kathmandu Guest House, the most prominent hotel in Thamel. Almost every landmark is made with reference to this place. Simplicity room is an affordable 4 USD per night.
Kathmandu 2007
Preliminary observation. More cars on the road, especially the Korean and Japanese made. More traffic lights. More upmarket outlets, shops and restaurant. No sighting of MacDonald's but I saw Baskin & Robbins.
Thamel is as busy as ever. Locals and foreigners roamed the streets. Ultra tourist friendly. Thamel is home away from home. Nice cafe and restaurant, fancy bakeries, extremely affordable accommodation, all forms of communication (local and overseas calls, Internet, CD burning, fax), a book paradise, available taxi, banks (SC have a lot of branches) and ATM that readily accepts foreign ATM card.
My late lunch at 1500hrs was a chocolate donut and Cinnamon roll,. I munch them while accessing the internet that claims to have fast access. It took 5 seconds to load the log-in page of Gmail.
When we got to Zhangmu, it was 0900hrs (Beijing time). Just when we got out of the 4WD, another 4WD driver offer us transport to Kathmandu directly for 100 yuan (20Sing). For the convenience, this offer is to good to reject. If I don't take up this offer, I have to find a transport that brings me across the no-man's land (appr 8km) between the Chinese border (also call Zhangmu) and the Nepali border (Call Kodari).
No man's land
No man land belongs to nobody, as the name implies. As a result, the road condition are bumpy and unpaved. People have no regards for these god-forsaken land. Truckload of garbage are simply discarded along the slopes. Some people say that the state of the border (between 2 countries) are a reflection of the relationship between them.
I used to think that one HAS to get their passport checked and stamped everything they enter a foreign country. As least that was the case for me. The woodlands custom is 20mins bus ride away from home, while the causeway is 2 km long. Yet I have to get my passport checked and stamped every time I step on Malaysia land. It was the case for all countries I visit.
In north America (continent), citizen of Canada and US are allowed to visit each other without passport. The same goes for citizens of EU, they are allowed to visit each other too. The last I learn is that Nepali and Indians are free to visit each other.
I checked into Kathmandu Guest House, the most prominent hotel in Thamel. Almost every landmark is made with reference to this place. Simplicity room is an affordable 4 USD per night.
Kathmandu 2007
Preliminary observation. More cars on the road, especially the Korean and Japanese made. More traffic lights. More upmarket outlets, shops and restaurant. No sighting of MacDonald's but I saw Baskin & Robbins.
Thamel is as busy as ever. Locals and foreigners roamed the streets. Ultra tourist friendly. Thamel is home away from home. Nice cafe and restaurant, fancy bakeries, extremely affordable accommodation, all forms of communication (local and overseas calls, Internet, CD burning, fax), a book paradise, available taxi, banks (SC have a lot of branches) and ATM that readily accepts foreign ATM card.
My late lunch at 1500hrs was a chocolate donut and Cinnamon roll,. I munch them while accessing the internet that claims to have fast access. It took 5 seconds to load the log-in page of Gmail.
Nameste...Now in Kathmandu
This is new for me again. I was on 4WD for a total of 24hrs. We start at 5pm. This was the route.
Lhasa-Shigetse-Lhatse-Shegar-Tingri-Zhangmu-Chinese custom
After crossing the Chinese custom, we waited 1 hour for the Nepalese border to open. (2hrs and 15mins behind Beijing time)
Then
Nepalese custom-Kodari-Kathmandu.
pss, tell you a secret. I enter China without a visa as it is permissible for 15 days. I actually overstayed by 3 days. The Chinese custom officer never said anything about that. He was friendly to me. For some reason, Chinese (citizen of China, can be tibetan or Han) seems to show interest in Singaporean. 1 guy from Dalian I met told me that Chinese regard Singapore as close. Like 自己人 (Kah Khee Lang).
Don't tell anyone hor...
Lhasa-Shigetse-Lhatse-Shegar-Tingri-Zhangmu-Chinese custom
After crossing the Chinese custom, we waited 1 hour for the Nepalese border to open. (2hrs and 15mins behind Beijing time)
Then
Nepalese custom-Kodari-Kathmandu.
pss, tell you a secret. I enter China without a visa as it is permissible for 15 days. I actually overstayed by 3 days. The Chinese custom officer never said anything about that. He was friendly to me. For some reason, Chinese (citizen of China, can be tibetan or Han) seems to show interest in Singaporean. 1 guy from Dalian I met told me that Chinese regard Singapore as close. Like 自己人 (Kah Khee Lang).
Don't tell anyone hor...
Monday, 12 March 2007
Leaving Tibet for Kathmandu, Nepal
Finally, I am leaving Tibet for Nepal by 4WD this afternoon (12th Mar). I will cross Nepal immigration on Wed morning.
You will not be able to contact me thru my China Mobile line thereafter.
See you in Nepal.
You will not be able to contact me thru my China Mobile line thereafter.
See you in Nepal.
Wednesday, 7 March 2007
Tibet trekking: Ganden to Samye
I am back from my trek from Ganden to Samye. It was not an easy trek for me. Trekking at an elevation between 4500-5200mt. Temperature range -10 to 25 degree celcius. I would like to come back again but in the spring or summer. Winter is a bit too cold for me.
Check out the videos, I want to say "we're walking on ice" instead i said "We're walking on glass". The cold really gets to me.
The last stretch of the trek is an uneventful trail where local trucks plies back and forth. We decided to catch a ride to Samye. Can you recognise me?
Monday, 5 March 2007
Back-log of blog
Hi there, pls take note that on many occasion, I back-logged my entries to the actual date. It means that you might have to scroll down the page to check for new blog entries, since the blog entries are arrange in chronological order. (Newest date stamped first.)
Well the reason is this. Sometimes, I need time to write a blog. I usually write in my diary first. When the story is completed, I'll then transfer to my blog. Hence the back-logging. If I don't back-log, the flow of my travel stories will be jumble up and illogical.
Sorry for the trouble and thanks for understanding.
Well the reason is this. Sometimes, I need time to write a blog. I usually write in my diary first. When the story is completed, I'll then transfer to my blog. Hence the back-logging. If I don't back-log, the flow of my travel stories will be jumble up and illogical.
Sorry for the trouble and thanks for understanding.
Sunday, 4 March 2007
Trekking in Tibet.
I'll be going out for a 5 days trek around Tibet. Will be back in Lhasa on 9th Mar 2007. You will most probably not able to reach me by my mobile, but you can try.
+86 135 6869 1755
+86 135 6869 1755
Lhasa videos.
Monks debating at Sera monastery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmuR8lDR4rQ
Hundreds and thousands of Buddhist doing the circuit.
Friday, 2 March 2007
I will return... to the Himalayas
9 Mar marks the last day of my travel in china. My Singapore passport only allows me to stay in china without a visa for 15 days. I am glad that this chapter of my travel is coming to an end. Nepal and India is yet another adventure in a starkly different way. Assuming that I'm meeting Fang in New Delhi on 28 apr, i have a good 6 weeks to climb all the mountains i want. I suppose this is too short a notice but you are welcome to join me, if you can get leave from work and the flight tickets.
2002 was my first visit to Nepal. I fell in love with the mountain and the warmth of Nepali. Back then, i took 21 days of leave from work. It was consider long an average Singaporean to be away from work. My colleagues thought that I'm on some sort of mountaineering expedition.
Year after year, i told myself that i'll go back to Nepal. But year after year, I have a new mountain to climb-Tahan, Fan Si Pan, Kinabalu, Rinjani, Yu Shan, etc.
Returning to Himalayas is like homecoming for my wild and adventurous heart, where my internal compass points me to.
One day, I'll take up mountaineering. I'll climb a summit above 6000mt, then 7000mt, then 8000mt and eventuality K2. I am not sure... Let me do a check with the internal compass embedded to my heart.
2002 was my first visit to Nepal. I fell in love with the mountain and the warmth of Nepali. Back then, i took 21 days of leave from work. It was consider long an average Singaporean to be away from work. My colleagues thought that I'm on some sort of mountaineering expedition.
Year after year, i told myself that i'll go back to Nepal. But year after year, I have a new mountain to climb-Tahan, Fan Si Pan, Kinabalu, Rinjani, Yu Shan, etc.
Returning to Himalayas is like homecoming for my wild and adventurous heart, where my internal compass points me to.
One day, I'll take up mountaineering. I'll climb a summit above 6000mt, then 7000mt, then 8000mt and eventuality K2. I am not sure... Let me do a check with the internal compass embedded to my heart.
Thursday, 1 March 2007
Hurricane-strength wind gusts derailed a train in China's far west
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/archives/international/200731/103539.htm
Hurricane-strength wind gusts derailed a train in China's far west on Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring another 34, state media said.
The accident occurred on 28 Feb 2007 at 0200hrs. At that point of time I was sleeping soundly on the train too, somewhere between ShiJiaZhuang and XiAn.
My family was alarmed as they heard the news on TV. They were unsure if I am onboard that train. They couldn't contact me thru my China Mobile no. as there was vague or no signal in between stations.
Thanks to technology, I soon contacted my family and relieved them of their worries.
Thanks to God for protecting me throughout my travel.
Hurricane-strength wind gusts derailed a train in China's far west on Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring another 34, state media said.
The accident occurred on 28 Feb 2007 at 0200hrs. At that point of time I was sleeping soundly on the train too, somewhere between ShiJiaZhuang and XiAn.
My family was alarmed as they heard the news on TV. They were unsure if I am onboard that train. They couldn't contact me thru my China Mobile no. as there was vague or no signal in between stations.
Thanks to technology, I soon contacted my family and relieved them of their worries.
Thanks to God for protecting me throughout my travel.
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
New videos on train ride and the Great Wall
This is what we did to survive 48hrs on the train.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIKnCv8mCc
A foggy day on the Great Wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIWPMB92Gvs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIKnCv8mCc
A foggy day on the Great Wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIWPMB92Gvs
Tuesday, 27 February 2007
Goodbye Korea. Goodbye brother.
I am on board the ferry to Tianjin. I don't know, is it sea sickness or am I really feeling hungry. I opened my bag to search for snacks and I saw the rice that Intae's mom has packed for me. I am so touched...
At Intae's house....
A 1410hrs, I decided that it's time to leave. I wasn't expecting this but Intae walked me to the bus stop. Last night, he hang out with his uni friends whom they've not met for the past 3 years. As a result, he come home after 0130hrs. I had intended to ask him out for a drink just the 2 of us. Usually I prefer beer but this time I want Korean rice wine, Uniquely Korean. I wanted to sincerely thank him for his friendship and his generous hospitality.
Intae's mom is an amazing, faithful and extremely dedicated home maker. The house is keep clean and tidy with beautiful decoration, though seemingly small but significantly beautified every corner of the house.
Every morning, I wake up to a home make Korean breakfast (sometimes I wake up at 12pm, but since it's the first meal of the day, I consider it as breakfast) She knows I love coffee and will always make me a nice cup of Maxim ( Korean popular 3-in-1 coffee) I felt so well taken care of, just like the way my own mother takes care of me.
Intae's mother strongly exhibit the beauty and the strength of a woman-Loving, caring, faithful, diligent. It's a pity that I am not able to speak Korean, I would have thank her and express this to her in person.
Hospitality
Here are some verse in the Bible that talks about hospitality.
Matthew 25:35-36
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'
Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it.
1 Peter 4:9
Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
As we walk to the bus stop, both of us felt the need to say what is in our hearts.
In the morning (before I got out of the bed), Intae and his mom had a little discussion about me. They felt that they could have treated me better. They felt a little bad about it. I was quite blown way...
When was the last time someone invite you to his home and house you for 20 days?
Intae and his parents are probably the nicest people I've ever met. As a matter of fact, I think they really done their utmost in accommodating me. If what they had shown me was not hospitality and love, I really don't know what to say man....
3 things I cherished most about our brotherhood
1) Our shared experience at Mei Li Xue Shan
2) That late night talk at Cafe Lin (in Lijiang)
3) His hospitality during the 20 days in Seoul.
Let me elaborate on the 2 point.
Secret revealed
This might surprise you. Around the first week of Feb, I had reservation about my trip. I was alone most of the time. Loneliness creep into my life. I felt terrible. Many thoughts comes to my mind and the one that stands out is this:
"Why am I traveling"
I lost my direction. I lost my motivation. I need encouragement.
At 1 point, I am thinking of going back to Singapore to spend CNY with my family and friends. I felt so deprived of relation and I miss everybody in Singapore badly.
On this particularly night in Cafe Lin, we started to share openly about our lives. I told Intae and Hansoo about how my relation with my dad mended over the years. Intae shares about his close relation with his family too. I took the risk and decide to be vulnerable. It was not easy for me to tell him (nor anyone for that matter) that I've intention to end my travel. I felt like a failure in some ways. I thought of how people would think of me if I go back 3 months earlier than I've planned.
"He's a failure, claims to travel 6 months but he's back now. It's not even 3 months."
I could sense that Intae could understand and related to me. He could empathise with me on the loneliness of travel and the occasional lost of motivation and travel. Not to mention homesickness. He has been thru these in the course of his 10 months of travel. He encourage me to press on and to continue what i set out to do. He never regret and so wouldn't I...
Coming from him, it was a great comfort. His understanding as a fellow (and veteran) traveler was like a double dosage of Red Bull. It motivates and encourage me.
I realise I am not alone.
Goodbye brother
We saw bus 721 approaching the bus stop. A warm hug and exchange of goodbyes, an assurance of our friendship. I boarded the bus.
Goodbye Korea. Goodbye brother
At Intae's house....
A 1410hrs, I decided that it's time to leave. I wasn't expecting this but Intae walked me to the bus stop. Last night, he hang out with his uni friends whom they've not met for the past 3 years. As a result, he come home after 0130hrs. I had intended to ask him out for a drink just the 2 of us. Usually I prefer beer but this time I want Korean rice wine, Uniquely Korean. I wanted to sincerely thank him for his friendship and his generous hospitality.
Intae's mom is an amazing, faithful and extremely dedicated home maker. The house is keep clean and tidy with beautiful decoration, though seemingly small but significantly beautified every corner of the house.
Every morning, I wake up to a home make Korean breakfast (sometimes I wake up at 12pm, but since it's the first meal of the day, I consider it as breakfast) She knows I love coffee and will always make me a nice cup of Maxim ( Korean popular 3-in-1 coffee) I felt so well taken care of, just like the way my own mother takes care of me.
Intae's mother strongly exhibit the beauty and the strength of a woman-Loving, caring, faithful, diligent. It's a pity that I am not able to speak Korean, I would have thank her and express this to her in person.
Hospitality
Here are some verse in the Bible that talks about hospitality.
Matthew 25:35-36
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'
Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it.
1 Peter 4:9
Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
As we walk to the bus stop, both of us felt the need to say what is in our hearts.
In the morning (before I got out of the bed), Intae and his mom had a little discussion about me. They felt that they could have treated me better. They felt a little bad about it. I was quite blown way...
When was the last time someone invite you to his home and house you for 20 days?
Intae and his parents are probably the nicest people I've ever met. As a matter of fact, I think they really done their utmost in accommodating me. If what they had shown me was not hospitality and love, I really don't know what to say man....
3 things I cherished most about our brotherhood
1) Our shared experience at Mei Li Xue Shan
2) That late night talk at Cafe Lin (in Lijiang)
3) His hospitality during the 20 days in Seoul.
Let me elaborate on the 2 point.
Secret revealed
This might surprise you. Around the first week of Feb, I had reservation about my trip. I was alone most of the time. Loneliness creep into my life. I felt terrible. Many thoughts comes to my mind and the one that stands out is this:
"Why am I traveling"
I lost my direction. I lost my motivation. I need encouragement.
At 1 point, I am thinking of going back to Singapore to spend CNY with my family and friends. I felt so deprived of relation and I miss everybody in Singapore badly.
On this particularly night in Cafe Lin, we started to share openly about our lives. I told Intae and Hansoo about how my relation with my dad mended over the years. Intae shares about his close relation with his family too. I took the risk and decide to be vulnerable. It was not easy for me to tell him (nor anyone for that matter) that I've intention to end my travel. I felt like a failure in some ways. I thought of how people would think of me if I go back 3 months earlier than I've planned.
"He's a failure, claims to travel 6 months but he's back now. It's not even 3 months."
I could sense that Intae could understand and related to me. He could empathise with me on the loneliness of travel and the occasional lost of motivation and travel. Not to mention homesickness. He has been thru these in the course of his 10 months of travel. He encourage me to press on and to continue what i set out to do. He never regret and so wouldn't I...
Coming from him, it was a great comfort. His understanding as a fellow (and veteran) traveler was like a double dosage of Red Bull. It motivates and encourage me.
I realise I am not alone.
Goodbye brother
We saw bus 721 approaching the bus stop. A warm hug and exchange of goodbyes, an assurance of our friendship. I boarded the bus.
Goodbye Korea. Goodbye brother
Reminisce Dynamic Korea
I enjoyed my trip to Korea. It was meaningful and culturally rich.
In total, I've spend time with at least 40 friends, including brothers and sisters from the Seoul Church of Christ.
Korea society is ultra competitive. People work really hard. Almost everybody i met is a graduate. For the guys, national service is compulsory. At the age of 27, it is not uncommon for a guy who is an undergrad in local or overseas uni. Working adults often take up part time course to further upgrade their already solid portfolio.
Korean have a love/hate approach to master English. TOEIC and TOEFL are a common topic over dinner. There's a great pressure to master the language, yet many Korean have what they termed as "English phobia". Unlike S'porean, we talk about dinner while we are having our lunch. TOEIC and TOEFL is a English exam use to gauge ones proficiency. One shortfalls of these standard is that spoken skill is not emphasize. As a result, a Korean may have the ability to read and write in grammatically perfect English but have difficulty holding a conversation.
So why the pressure to learn a foreign language? After all, Korean language is rich and comprehensive. Many overseas uni and big firms (Samsung) require and expect potential student/employee a good grade reflected in their resume.
Self-sustain Korea
Whatever you need, Korea has it. Food (Kim Chi), sauce, electronics (Samsung, iRiver) car (Kia, Hyundai), Korean trains, language (off course), Music (BoA), Movie, dramas...
It is strange for a Sua Gu (ignorant) Singaporean like me. Growing up, almost everything is imported. Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce, Toyota car, Sony Walkman (back then), Hollywood movie Forest Gump, Malaysia veges, Toshiba TV, Sumsung fridge, Ikea furniture, Nokia handphone, Giordano or Levi's jeans, Mac Pac backpack, IBM lapop, Micheal Jackson, Jacky Chueng, History of Malaya and Malaysia raw water (hmmm....nevermind.)
Right now, we do have World Famous made-in-Singapore brands.
Food-
Hainan Chicken rice (not from Hainan)
Singapore coffee exclusively found in Singapore coffee shop
Milo Dinosuar
Singer/ Song writers /actors-
Jacintha Abisheganaden, Corraine May, He Yao Shan, Sun Yan Zi, Ado, Lin Jun Jie, Tanya Chua, Mavis Hee, Kit Chan. Dick Lee, Li Wei Song, Fann Wong ( appears in Jacky Chan movie)
Companies-
Hyflux, NeWater, Creative, BreadTalk, Keith and ... (sells ladies shoes), Zouk Disco, Axe brand medicated oil, HDB, Singapore Airline, Changi Airport,Tiger beer, Banyan Tree, 77th Street,
Movie and directors-
小孩不笨 by Jack Neo (very famous in China, probably the only known Singaporean movie)
Be With Me-Eric Khoo (receive standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival)
15- Roystan Tan
Language-
Singlish, even have singlish dictionary. Don't pray pray ah....
Competitive Korea
This is what I think. Whatever S'pore needs, we source for the best and import them. In Korea, whatever they need, they manufacture them and sell it to the world.
As a nation, Singapore is very open to the world. Whatever product is superior, we buy. Whatever system is best, we adopt.
On the contrary, Korea, as a nation, is somewhat resistant to influences from the world (except for English language and American pop music)
Korea's never die attitude to make more money, upgrade house, take more courses is both their strength and weakness. This hardworking trait was the key factor for South Korea amazing economy growth. On the down side, Korea's suicide rate is ranked top 5 in the world. My 3 weeks of stay gave me a glimpse of the tension and competition amongst Korean
In total, I've spend time with at least 40 friends, including brothers and sisters from the Seoul Church of Christ.
Korea society is ultra competitive. People work really hard. Almost everybody i met is a graduate. For the guys, national service is compulsory. At the age of 27, it is not uncommon for a guy who is an undergrad in local or overseas uni. Working adults often take up part time course to further upgrade their already solid portfolio.
Korean have a love/hate approach to master English. TOEIC and TOEFL are a common topic over dinner. There's a great pressure to master the language, yet many Korean have what they termed as "English phobia". Unlike S'porean, we talk about dinner while we are having our lunch. TOEIC and TOEFL is a English exam use to gauge ones proficiency. One shortfalls of these standard is that spoken skill is not emphasize. As a result, a Korean may have the ability to read and write in grammatically perfect English but have difficulty holding a conversation.
So why the pressure to learn a foreign language? After all, Korean language is rich and comprehensive. Many overseas uni and big firms (Samsung) require and expect potential student/employee a good grade reflected in their resume.
Self-sustain Korea
Whatever you need, Korea has it. Food (Kim Chi), sauce, electronics (Samsung, iRiver) car (Kia, Hyundai), Korean trains, language (off course), Music (BoA), Movie, dramas...
It is strange for a Sua Gu (ignorant) Singaporean like me. Growing up, almost everything is imported. Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce, Toyota car, Sony Walkman (back then), Hollywood movie Forest Gump, Malaysia veges, Toshiba TV, Sumsung fridge, Ikea furniture, Nokia handphone, Giordano or Levi's jeans, Mac Pac backpack, IBM lapop, Micheal Jackson, Jacky Chueng, History of Malaya and Malaysia raw water (hmmm....nevermind.)
Right now, we do have World Famous made-in-Singapore brands.
Food-
Hainan Chicken rice (not from Hainan)
Singapore coffee exclusively found in Singapore coffee shop
Milo Dinosuar
Singer/ Song writers /actors-
Jacintha Abisheganaden, Corraine May, He Yao Shan, Sun Yan Zi, Ado, Lin Jun Jie, Tanya Chua, Mavis Hee, Kit Chan. Dick Lee, Li Wei Song, Fann Wong ( appears in Jacky Chan movie)
Companies-
Hyflux, NeWater, Creative, BreadTalk, Keith and ... (sells ladies shoes), Zouk Disco, Axe brand medicated oil, HDB, Singapore Airline, Changi Airport,Tiger beer, Banyan Tree, 77th Street,
Movie and directors-
小孩不笨 by Jack Neo (very famous in China, probably the only known Singaporean movie)
Be With Me-Eric Khoo (receive standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival)
15- Roystan Tan
Language-
Singlish, even have singlish dictionary. Don't pray pray ah....
Competitive Korea
This is what I think. Whatever S'pore needs, we source for the best and import them. In Korea, whatever they need, they manufacture them and sell it to the world.
As a nation, Singapore is very open to the world. Whatever product is superior, we buy. Whatever system is best, we adopt.
On the contrary, Korea, as a nation, is somewhat resistant to influences from the world (except for English language and American pop music)
Korea's never die attitude to make more money, upgrade house, take more courses is both their strength and weakness. This hardworking trait was the key factor for South Korea amazing economy growth. On the down side, Korea's suicide rate is ranked top 5 in the world. My 3 weeks of stay gave me a glimpse of the tension and competition amongst Korean
Monday, 26 February 2007
万里长城
"He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man" - Mao Zedong
I don't buy that, my manhood is not dependent on a mortal man's quote.
In any case, I still went ahead to visit the Great Wall at 司马台. The tourist bus finally arrived at 0830hrs. it took 2.5 hrs to get to the starting point at JingShanLing. I fell in and out of sleep on the bus. I had my Texas friend with me. we made small talks about Singapore and Japan.
Fog is almost all i can remember about the wall. Besides that, some locals selling postcards, t-shirt and other tourist souvenirs. I chatted with one woman. She is a farmer from Hebei. Everyday, she'll walk 1-3hours from her village to the wall, making a living by selling souvenirs. She asked me to help but i declines. I was not interested in souvenirs except for postcards. Then I increase my footsteps, soon she's out of my sight.
Many told me that the Great Wall is like walking along Orchard Road with thousands of Chinese and foreigners rubbing shoulders.I was walking on my own most of the time. There is a guy 500m ahead, 500m trailing behind me is another couple. I suppose this compensate for the fog. I was not in the mood to take pictures. Spend time singing to myself.
The walls from jingshanling to 司马台 stretch from Hebei to Beijing. Jingshanling's walls are restored (about 25 years ago). 司马台 walls are built during the Ming dynasty. Some parts of the walls and towers are in ruins which adds characters to the the wall.
In my opinion, the Great Wall is not spectacular, nothing like that of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Angkor Wat preserved the Kingly presence.
Sunday, 25 February 2007
Incheon (korea) To 天津 (China)
I had a good time on the ferry. It cost 120,000W (200Sing), approximately 170sing cheaper by flight. I never regretted taking the ferry though it takes 25hrs to get to TianJin and another 2hrs or so to Beijing.
Well, there are 3 level for passenger to explore. My cabin is on the 3rd. It is communal. But it's fine for me. I don't like to stay in the room. I like to walk around.
Well, you've got everything you need. Communal toilet, restaurant (Chinese and Korean), karaoke, playstation, jackpot, viewing gallery, large screen TV, lounge, Cafe...
Weather was a disappointment. It was mostly cloudy. I couldn't get any good pictures in the day nor can I find a sea of stars at night.
I spend my time writing my stories. I like singing to jay chow songs on my mp3, totally ignoring the fact that others can hear me. I don't care. I think I sounded good. I met 2 Australia guys, one of them I met in a youth hostel in Seoul. The other guys is a student studying in Beijing. He can speak Mandarin.
We arrived at Tanggu International Ferry Terminal at 2030hrs but it took us 2 hrs to get tot eh immigration and clear the custom. I was a little worried about my Visa situation. According the the China Immigration website, Singaporean can enter China WITHOUT a visa for a period of 15days. I told the officer upfront that I don't have a Visa and reminded him that I can enter China without a Visa. He was a little hesitate. I believe I am the first Singaporean he met without a visa. I didn't get a visa because I didn't plan to stay long in China. I wanted to get to Nepal asap. Enough of China for me. By God's grace, he let me thru. I wonder what will happen to me if I overstay.
At the ferry terminal, there is a bus that can bring us to Beijing for 60yuan. By 1am, we arrive at the terminal station. It was besides a university. We stop a cab, ask for direction to the nearest 24hrs MacDonald's. 3 mins in the cab, we saw the familiar M logo. I felt conned. Sigh. this is China.
After our meal, we decided to check into the hostel that was highly recommended by a hostel website. We grab a cab to a place near the hostel. We didn't know the exact address, neither do we have the contact no. We are trying out luck.
Well, we spent 1 hours walking around. Until we found this motel that has an internet access. From there, we are on the right track. By 0300hrs, we were at the counter of Lama Temple youth hostel checking in to our rooms.
When I was brushing my teeth, i saw a familiar Chinese. I was too tired to confirm if we knew each other.
Saturday, 24 February 2007
Not this time, Japan
No this time, Japan
Originally uploaded by Jerry Tok.
The past 10 days has been really colorful and exciting for me. 25 hrs ferry from Incheon to Tianjin. I walked (or trekked) The Great Wall of China. Took the world's highest train from Beijing to Lhasa. Set foot for the first time on the rooftop of the world.
The last 2 days of my stay in Seoul was a big dilemma for me. I've been thinking about going to Japan by ferry.
From Pusan(south of Korea), there are ferry to 4 ports in Japan- Shimonoseki, Hakata, Hiroshima and Tsushima with Shimonoseki being the nearest to Pusan.
From Japan, one can take ferry from Kobe to Shanghai, Tianjin and Qingdao.
Here's my plan-travel to Pusan, take ferry to Shimonoseki, bullet train to Tokyo. My return journey would be- Tokyo to Kobe by train, Kobe to Tianjin by ferry, Tianjin to Beijing by land, then Beijing to Lhasa by train.
Unfortunately, Japan is not a backpackers friendly place. Just on transport alone, I'll cost 1000 sing. I was drawn to the uncommon mode of transport to cross country's borders. Would I go for it at the expense of bursting my budget? I decide on a "no". As I told Charmaine and Raymond that I don't want to return to Singapore broke and jobless.
I'm keeping the ferry itinerary in mind. I might do it some time in the future,
北京
Hi ther, I am back in Beijing. However, I'm leaving on 27th Feb 2007. Going to Lhasa, Tibet by the world's highest train. Envy right!!!
You can contact me at +86 135 6869 1755
You can contact me at +86 135 6869 1755
Thursday, 22 February 2007
Incheon (Korea) to TianJin (China)
I will be traveling back to China by ferry. It's going to take 25hrs. Departs Korea on 23 Feb 07, 1900hrs. Arrive at China on 24 Feb 07. 1 hour time difference.
See you in China.
See you in China.
Wednesday, 21 February 2007
Videos- Midweek service at Seoul Church of Christ.
Took this videos at the North Region Midweek service.
I'll Be Listening
Santuary
Lord God Almighty
I'll Be Listening
Santuary
Lord God Almighty
Monday, 19 February 2007
Singlish: Learn it, love it.
Can ah: can you or can't you?
Can leh: yes, of course
Can lor: yes, I think so
Can hah?: are you sure?
Can hor: you are sure then
Can meh: are you certain? EG A: I think can take 85 to zet(church) B:Can meh??
cher: a quick way of calling "teacher". Most prominently heard from secondary school students. EG Student A: Cher cher! Can I go toilet?
chiminology: to describe difficult words such that one cannot understand. EG Ah Beng: "Ooi! What you say I don't understand lah, stop using those chiminology can or not!" Ah Sheng: "When writing must use some chiminology, then teacher will think that I am very educated mah."
dom pang: usually used as an expression to request a favour from someone who might be going your way.EG My bicycle broke down today, can dom pang your car to work today or not... Since you are going out for lunch, can I dom pang you to buy me some cheeken lice (rice)?
or biang: meaning ugly, especially for ah-lian/ah-beng category of people EG Wah lau, your sister really look or biang, man.
orbit: out of fashion. EG Wah your clothes velly orbit sia!
wenlah: "won't lah!" mispronounced. Expression which implies that something will not happen. EG A: "Hey, do you think it will rain?" B: "Aiyah, wenlah!"
Can leh: yes, of course
Can lor: yes, I think so
Can hah?: are you sure?
Can hor: you are sure then
Can meh: are you certain? EG A: I think can take 85 to zet(church) B:Can meh??
cher: a quick way of calling "teacher". Most prominently heard from secondary school students. EG Student A: Cher cher! Can I go toilet?
chiminology: to describe difficult words such that one cannot understand. EG Ah Beng: "Ooi! What you say I don't understand lah, stop using those chiminology can or not!" Ah Sheng: "When writing must use some chiminology, then teacher will think that I am very educated mah."
dom pang: usually used as an expression to request a favour from someone who might be going your way.EG My bicycle broke down today, can dom pang your car to work today or not... Since you are going out for lunch, can I dom pang you to buy me some cheeken lice (rice)?
or biang: meaning ugly, especially for ah-lian/ah-beng category of people EG Wah lau, your sister really look or biang, man.
orbit: out of fashion. EG Wah your clothes velly orbit sia!
wenlah: "won't lah!" mispronounced. Expression which implies that something will not happen. EG A: "Hey, do you think it will rain?" B: "Aiyah, wenlah!"
Eh, wan to ponteng or not???
The other day I was persuading Deon to ponteng and come join me in Nepal. It got me thinking where on earth did the word "ponteng" come from. Every student use it during their school days. "Eh, wan to ponteng or not?" So here's the definition.
http://www.singlishdictionary.com/
ponteng /pon-teng
[Mal. slang ponteng, ponting bilk, cheat (Wilkinson, Winstedt); Batavia Mal., run away (Wilkinson); compare Mal. pontang-panting (run) helter-skelter (Winstedt)] Escape, evade, play truant from.[1955 R.J. Wilkinson A Malay–English Dictionary, vol. 2, 912 pontang. Pontang-panting: helter-skelter, as fugitives bolting when defeated; Ht. Panj. [Hikayat Pandji Sumirang (3rd ed.) (Batavia: Balai Poestaka)] 45, Perch. Mal. [Berbagai-bagai Kepertjajaan orang Melajoe (vol. 1) (Batavia: Balai Poestaka)] 30 1955 R.J. Wilkinson A Malay–English Dictionary, vol. 2, 912 ponting. I. (Slang) to cheat; to bilk. Also punting, ponteng. From Ch. [Chinese]; Hn. [A.W. Hamilton]. II. (Batav. [Batavia]) To run away; Z. [Batavian words compiled by Ritter E. von Zach]. Cf. pontang. 1963 Richard Winstedt An Unabridged Malay–English Dictionary 278 pontang-panting, Jo. [Johor], P. [Penang], (run) helter-skelter 1963 Richard Winstedt An Unabridged Malay–English Dictionary 278 ponting, Ch. [Chinese], sl. [slang], bilk, cheat] 1978 Leong Choon Cheong Youth in the Army 253 But by then Ah Bang was most heavily hooked on morphine, and he started to ponteng work. 2004 Wong Fei Wan Today, 23 December, 30 I ponteng (skip school) when my mother doesn’t have money to top up my fare card. 2004 Colin Goh The Sunday Times (LifeStyle), 2 January, L12 [W]e might finally be able to make it home for Chinese New Year, without her having to ponteng classes.
Quiet Time:Ezekiel's Wife Dies
Ezekiel Chapter 24
15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners ."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
19 Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?"
20 So I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me: 21 Say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners . 23 You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of [a] your sins and groan among yourselves. 24 Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'
25 "And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as well- 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD."
15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners ."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
19 Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?"
20 So I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me: 21 Say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners . 23 You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of [a] your sins and groan among yourselves. 24 Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'
25 "And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as well- 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's funny, man learn their lesson by experiencing the failure and by hitting the walls. Man don't listen, we refuse to listen. What a heartbreaking experience for Ezekiel. God allowed his wife to die. And he was commanded not to openly grieve for her death. How bitter it is to not be able to grieve and express ones sorrow at the lost of his love one. Sometimes, the emotional pain surpasses that of a physically one. You can literally feel a cut in your heart and around the chest area, as though it was a physical pain. I have experience both physical and emotion pain.
At Cherating, Kuantan west Malaysia, I got stung by jellyfish (or jellyfishes) on my arms, across my chest, part pf my ab and parts of my thigh. The most severely affected area is my right fore arm. It was as though someone is constantly pouring boiling water on my forearms, with electric shock sensation all together. The pain was overwhelming. I felt giddy and I though I almost passed out. I couldn't think properly nor talk. All my attention were diverted to my arms.Tears trickled down my cheeks uncontrollably.
I will share some, but not all, of my emotionally pain, the kind of emotional pain that I mentioned earlier. First was the lost of my grandfather a couple of years ago. At the funeral wake and weeks after his death, I think about him all the time. I think about him before i sleep, at the instant I woke up, while walking to the MRT.
2ndly, the death of my beloved dog, Mao Mao. He has been with my family for about 15 years. He was a part of the family. I remember how his health deteriorate to a point that my family decide to put him to sleep. We figure he'd suffer less. When I received the sms from my eldest sister that Mao Mao is gone, I wept. It hits me real hard, like a cut in my heart.
Back to the bible. He lost Jerusalem his bride just like how Ezekiel lost his wife. God could relate to Ezekiel. God was grieved but he had no choice but to sent them to exile in Babylon. Jerusalem was deeply in sin. They were beyond the point of no return. God had to resort to teach them the hard way, since they wouldn't repent nor response to God's messenger by ways of the prophets. It was in their exile did Jerusalem learn, repent and turn their hearts back to Him.
Friday, 16 February 2007
Bukhansan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMZnl_f-YmU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0StZG-1xwk
Videos of my trek in Bukhansan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0StZG-1xwk
Videos of my trek in Bukhansan
Tuesday, 13 February 2007
Prayer: Praising the Lord
Dear God, you are worthy to be praise. Your everlasting words existed before the creation of the world. It is still living and active today. Your desire to have a relationship with man and your never-changing love was the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Will your Word ever pass away, will your love for me ever ceased? Never...
Father, your plan to save the world is amazing. It is unfathomable, even to the Jews, your chosen people. Not even the 12 disciples whom Jesus eat, sleep, preach and walk with. Not even John, Peter and James-Jesus' best friends. I am amazed that you chose me amongst the millions of people in the crowd. You change my heart and I decided to make you the Lord of my life.
Thank you for my church in Singapore. It was the church that taught me your Word. I grow and nurture in the church. I was love by the Christians. I learned how to sing. I become a better communicator, a better listen. Most of all, I learned how to love and be loved. I can distinguish evil and good. Through my eyes, I see the weakness in others. But through Your eyes, I see their strength.
I love my family and I pray for them that 1 day, they'll find the treasure that I found 8 years ago-a relationship with you; A purpose in their life; a meaning to wake up every single day.
God, you determined life and death. I'm sorry to hear that Sherlee's dad passed away. God be with the living-Sherlee, her mom and her brother. May they find strength and comfort in your love.
Your son, Jerry
Father, your plan to save the world is amazing. It is unfathomable, even to the Jews, your chosen people. Not even the 12 disciples whom Jesus eat, sleep, preach and walk with. Not even John, Peter and James-Jesus' best friends. I am amazed that you chose me amongst the millions of people in the crowd. You change my heart and I decided to make you the Lord of my life.
Thank you for my church in Singapore. It was the church that taught me your Word. I grow and nurture in the church. I was love by the Christians. I learned how to sing. I become a better communicator, a better listen. Most of all, I learned how to love and be loved. I can distinguish evil and good. Through my eyes, I see the weakness in others. But through Your eyes, I see their strength.
I love my family and I pray for them that 1 day, they'll find the treasure that I found 8 years ago-a relationship with you; A purpose in their life; a meaning to wake up every single day.
God, you determined life and death. I'm sorry to hear that Sherlee's dad passed away. God be with the living-Sherlee, her mom and her brother. May they find strength and comfort in your love.
Your son, Jerry
Sunday, 11 February 2007
Seoul Church of Christ video.
I recorded many footage of midweeks and sunday service.
Songs:
Be Still My Soul http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRltZ_5OnLg
In The Kingdom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb7dppBHRVQ
I'll Be Listening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXp0bLKkm28
Korean songs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1QaKRbnVQc
Korean songs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHMqp9lcmM0
Unknown title http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzKMm37hDic
Service:
Letter from John Louis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH7H9JNmv4I
Midweek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MUsZxWpUpI
Midweek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv5KiJ1rMiE
Songs:
Be Still My Soul http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRltZ_5OnLg
In The Kingdom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb7dppBHRVQ
I'll Be Listening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXp0bLKkm28
Korean songs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1QaKRbnVQc
Korean songs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHMqp9lcmM0
Unknown title http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzKMm37hDic
Service:
Letter from John Louis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH7H9JNmv4I
Midweek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MUsZxWpUpI
Midweek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv5KiJ1rMiE
Saturday, 10 February 2007
Seoul subway
Seoul subway
Originally uploaded by Jerry Tok.
Someone ask me why I suddenly write about the Singapore MRT (subway). Well the reason is this, I feel a bit intimidated by Seoul's subway. The map is the prove. I thought Singapore MRT very "sat" (hokkein word for impressive) already. By writing about the driverless system on the Circle Line (due for completion in 2010), I feel less intimidated.
There are 9 lines in total. There are some many lines that most Seoul ppl aren't even sure. Contactless card, just like the EZ-link card in Singapore, are used on the subway as well as public buses. There are adequate designated seats for the seniors, I notice that most commuters observe this rule and avoid sitting on those seats, even if no seniors are using them. Trains are generally clean and spotless, with occasion mini advertisement stuck on the walls. I was told that eating and drinking is not allow on the trains BUT allow on the platform. You can find many vending machines around the station. Well, there are commuters who did not observe this regulation but there are only a handful. Announcement are made in Korean and English. I prefer those trains that has LED display to show the approaching station.
One unique and interesting sight on the train is people selling products on the train (while it is moving) Usually these 'sales person' push a medium size trolley and go from 1 cabin to another. They will stand in the middle of the cabin and display their products, from MP3 players to umbrella to trekking poles (walking stick for trekkers). To catch the attention of the
commuters, they have to walk around the cabin and raise their voice. I notice that most commuters seems oblivious to their presence while some expresses vague interest. I am curious at what they are selling but usually I pretend not to be playing attention, in case I sent the wrong signal to them. Who knows, you might get a scolding for expressing interest but not purchase.
I find the seat space slightly narrow. I mean you feel like sitting at the back of a Kia Picanto with 3 adult men. I guess the train seats are design exclusively for Koreans, since most Asian frame are not as gigantic as the overweight Americans (sorry to mention this but it's true, there are many overweight Americans.) There aren't many foreigners (non-Asian) in Seoul. On the average, I meet 1 foreigner per train at the most.
As for the interchange, I still like the interchange in Singapore. I am referring to Jurong East, Raffles Place, City Hall and Expo station. Changing trains is as easy as walk 15m to the platform across. If the Olympic has 15m sprint event, I think Singaporean would excel. We love running across the platform to catch the train. Especially during office hours at Raffles Place station. Don't need Asics most high tech running shoes or Nike DriFit running attire. These office workers can sprint well in their business shoes and high heel shoes for the women. As for Seoul, a typical distance to get to a connecting train is about 2 mins walk.
Friday, 9 February 2007
Singapore MRT
Singapore MRT
Originally uploaded by Jerry Tok.
Suddenly, I feel like sharing about Singapore MRT. Currently, three lines are in operation- East-west line, North-south line and Northeast line. A forth line, circle line, is currently underconstruction. The project is due for completion in 2010.
According to reports, the circle line upon completion, will be the world's longest driverless railway. The world is watching Singapore...
Wednesday, 7 February 2007
Seoul Church of Christ.
Seoul
Originally uploaded by Jerry Tok.
Today, I went to midweek service at the Seoul Christ of Christ(east region). The American brother in the picture is Rick Cade. His wife is a Korean. The brother on the left of the picture translates Rick's lesson into Korean.
Oh, there's singing. I missed congregation singing so much. We sung Ain't No Rock. The church sung in Korean, while Rick, another visiting German brother (Berlin Church) and I sung in English. It was great!
The brothers and sister are very warm. After service, I had fellowship with so many Christian, one after another. A brother by the name of Jeewon Jung, used to be with the Singapore Church for almost 1 and a half years.That was almost 15 years ago. He was baptised in the States though. He knew Christians from the Singapore Church like Teck Meng, Agnes, Richard Cheong, John Louis.
Oh yah, John Louis is really famous. We are so blessed to have him in the Singapore Church.
Tuesday, 6 February 2007
Singing at a pub (video)
Hang out with my friend Hansoo. He introduced me to his friend whose dad is a musician and runs a pub.
Cuts Like A Knife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZU-co0C-T8
Feelings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CbZkTC8_1Y
So some reason, this korean friend of mine reminds me of my buddy of 14 years, Sam Leong. Sam is talented in piano and singing. We used to hang out at his place playing Super Nintendo. Since he's so good on the piano, he'll play and we'll sing along to it. It was a great feeling, even better than singing in Karaoke. It's feels like singing in a live concert, only thing is our only audience are his neighbour. Some of whom are unwilling listeners. Haha, we don't care...
So even now, i still meet up with Sam. We still play video games. Instead of Super nintendo, we play PS2. My favourite game is still Street fighter. Yah, I am stuck in the SF era.
Cuts Like A Knife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZU-co0C-T8
Feelings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CbZkTC8_1Y
So some reason, this korean friend of mine reminds me of my buddy of 14 years, Sam Leong. Sam is talented in piano and singing. We used to hang out at his place playing Super Nintendo. Since he's so good on the piano, he'll play and we'll sing along to it. It was a great feeling, even better than singing in Karaoke. It's feels like singing in a live concert, only thing is our only audience are his neighbour. Some of whom are unwilling listeners. Haha, we don't care...
So even now, i still meet up with Sam. We still play video games. Instead of Super nintendo, we play PS2. My favourite game is still Street fighter. Yah, I am stuck in the SF era.
Monday, 5 February 2007
China and Singapore mobile no. temporary suspended.
Dear all I am now in Korea. You will not be able to reach me by my Singapore nor China mobile. Korea doesn't support GSM network.
I'll update you when I get back to China.
I'll update you when I get back to China.
Sunday, 4 February 2007
Incheon or Seoul international airport.
Incheon Intl airport is clean and modern. However, I still think Changi Airport is the best. Everytime I step on Changi Airport (from abroad) I always have this feeling : "It's good to be home". I look forward to say that 3 months later when I get home.
You might ask why i arrived in Incheon instead of Seoul. Here's the explanation- Incheon is about 30-40km away from Seoul city. Several years ago, the government built a new international airport off an island in Incheon. First operational in 2001. Geographically, it really resemble Hong Kong International Airport, also build on a small Island off the coast of Lantau Island (a bigger island). The previous international airport is now serving domestic flights. For more info,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incheon_International_Airport
Like i mentioned in another entry, I was with a Korean on my flight from Kunming to Korea. His sister and brother-in-law are supposed to pick him up. However, they were not in sight.
Emergency call
Here's something interesting about Korean public telephone. Unlike in Singapore and most countries (I assumed), you have to pay for phone call using coins or phonecard. Not so for Korean. You can make a so-call 'emergency' call. In Singapore, emergency calls are referring to police or ambulance. In Korea, you can make an 'emergency' call to your friend by pressing the emergency button, follow by punching in '1541', follow by the local no., and ends with a '#'. At the receiver end, he'll get a recorded message informing him that the phone call that follows has to be paid by him ( the receiver). You must understand, in Korea, only the caller party pays (outgoing call). Receiving, or incoming calls, is free (that's what I was told). I thought that was a brilliant system especially so for tourist. I like the definition of 'emergency' call in Korea. It means free call.
ATM are abundant at the airport. Back in China, "UNION" service are available on their ATMs. Other services like "PLUS" "CIRRUS" "VISA link" are available on selected ATMs only. I like Korea's ATM, they supports the above mention services, including "UNION". I thought you can find it in China only.
So we finally meet up with my Korean friend's family. They were very kind. I got a ride to Susaek subway station where Intae will pick me up. It was a short hour ride.
My best plane ride.
Seoul
Originally uploaded by Jerry Tok.
I have to share about this. Remember my really cheap airfare from Beijing to Seoul? Ya, 850 yuan (170 Sing) 1 way. It was supposed to be economic ticket. Take a look at the picture above, doesn't it looks like economic cabin to you. No, it was much better. Not sure of the class but i think it is at least 1st class.
I was really surprise when I was shown to my seat. I thought it was a mistake. I check the seat no against my tickets. Yes, it is correct. Prior to this, I met another Korean (we met in Lijiang) and so we check-in our luggage together. He was also given a seat next to me. Yes, we both have the surprise look on us.
I have ridden on Boeing economic class, Airbus economic class, Chinooks, Super Puma, C130s... 1st Class, it's my first time. Yes, I will confess upfront that I am very Shwah Gu (mountain tortoise, how to translate this to English). The first thing I notice is the seat. On my left armrest, there is a remote control with over 10 buttons just for the seat itself. You can control every single thing on the seat. Wow.
When the plane landed, we looked at each other, it was the shortest plane ride of our life.
Saturday, 3 February 2007
Listen to Mama. (performed by Jerry Tok)
Hey Kids, do you have a lot of questions?
Why are others reading comics
while I'm here practicing my drawing and talking to my piano.
While others are out there having fun,
I'm memorising my ABCs.
i said I wanted a big big plane
but all I got is an old old radio.
Why listen to mom?
You will understand it better by and by...
now that I'm a grown-up I understood
why I run faster than others,
fly higher that others.
Now everybody reads my comic
everyone sings the songs I penned.
mom hides her suffering from you.
the warmth of her love kept deep in her heart.
hold her hands more often
together in sweet dreams
Chorus:
Take heed of mom's words
don;t let her get hurt.
i wish i'll be a grown up
and to protect her.
Her beautiful white hair
grows abundantly in blessing.
天使的魔法 溫暖中慈祥(Help, I don't know how to translate this.)
Now that music is your trump card.
use your trump card to find a girlfriend.
Hmm... i better not tell you those things.
better listen to mom,
find a date when you get mature.
I know what I want in my life
but I think mom knows even better
soon you'll follow what others are doing
-writing graffiti on your bag
Instead, I suggest you write :"mom, I will study hard'.
"study hard" how did the word come from my month.
Study hard hard, future bright bright.
mom knitted a sweater for you.
you better properly safe keep it.
On Mothers' Day, I'll tell her I still have them.
yes you will meet Chow Yun fatt.
you can boast to your friends that the King of Gamble is your dad.
I can't find the love poet I penned
and I wouldn't give it to anyone
Because I know they ended up in the field
you'll grow to like pop song
because Jacky Chueng will be singing 'goodbye kiss'
(Chorus)
Why are others reading comics
while I'm here practicing my drawing and talking to my piano.
While others are out there having fun,
I'm memorising my ABCs.
i said I wanted a big big plane
but all I got is an old old radio.
Why listen to mom?
You will understand it better by and by...
now that I'm a grown-up I understood
why I run faster than others,
fly higher that others.
Now everybody reads my comic
everyone sings the songs I penned.
mom hides her suffering from you.
the warmth of her love kept deep in her heart.
hold her hands more often
together in sweet dreams
Chorus:
Take heed of mom's words
don;t let her get hurt.
i wish i'll be a grown up
and to protect her.
Her beautiful white hair
grows abundantly in blessing.
天使的魔法 溫暖中慈祥(Help, I don't know how to translate this.)
Now that music is your trump card.
use your trump card to find a girlfriend.
Hmm... i better not tell you those things.
better listen to mom,
find a date when you get mature.
I know what I want in my life
but I think mom knows even better
soon you'll follow what others are doing
-writing graffiti on your bag
Instead, I suggest you write :"mom, I will study hard'.
"study hard" how did the word come from my month.
Study hard hard, future bright bright.
mom knitted a sweater for you.
you better properly safe keep it.
On Mothers' Day, I'll tell her I still have them.
yes you will meet Chow Yun fatt.
you can boast to your friends that the King of Gamble is your dad.
I can't find the love poet I penned
and I wouldn't give it to anyone
Because I know they ended up in the field
you'll grow to like pop song
because Jacky Chueng will be singing 'goodbye kiss'
(Chorus)
My first China train ride-Kunming to Beijing
2120hrs. I was in a queue with a few hundreds Chinese. There is not a single foreigners(non-Asian) in sight. Passengers with all types of luggage from backpack to rag sacks. ( we call them Ali Baba bag in Singapore army). Actually I thought I would see cattle and poultry.
When the gate opens, everybody inched forward. There wasn't much pushing even thought the queue was quite long. The ticket officers tries his best to check the tickets as fast as he could. Actually, he didn't even have time to check the validity of the tickets. As long as he sees a proper looking ticket, he lets you through.
Finding my place was easy. First, look for the cabin no. In the hard sleeper cabin, there are 22 rows. Odd and even rows shares an aisle. Each row has 3 deck namely- Low, middle and top deck. Low deck seems to be the best deck. It has allowance for an adult to sit upright. There's a table in between the 2 rows. Middle deck is narrower. I can't sit upright on my deck, I can only manage a crouch.
Top deck is the worse, it has even lesser allowance. Furthermore, it takes a quite an effort to get up and down the deck.
The main aisle is manageable, just wide enough for 2 person to walk side by side. However, near the windows are installed 2 foldable chairs with a 20 X 65cm table. Above the chairs and table are racks for luggage. I put my Mac Pac under the seat of the low deck. It's easier to access as compare to the luggage racks.
Other facilities includes a washing area with 2 basins. Above average toilet by China's standard (something like KTM Malaysia). Lots of rubbish bin but still lots of rubbish on the floor. Most pleasantly, there is 24hours hot water for consumption, not for shower.
Service was good. Officer check every bed to make sure everyone has a valid ticket. You can rest assure that you have a bed to yourself
During meal time, push carts serve reasonable meals. I got out of my bed at 0830hrs and immediately order my noddle. 10yuan, 2 times more expensive. After breakfast, I took out my useful Nalgene bottle to fill hot water and to take my daily dosage of coffee. Today I took double dosage. 2 packers of instant 3-in-1 Nescafe.
Right now, I have spent 17 hours 30mins in the train. 22hrs more to go.
Compare to long distance bus, i prefer trains. At least there are places to walk around. You can access the toilet almost as often as you like. You can sleep laying down. Most importantly, strictly no smoking. This time, they bothered to enforce the restriction.
Thursday, 1 February 2007
Beijing by train, Seoul by flight.
Tonight (1 Feb 2007), I am taking a 40hrs train to Beijing. I will arrive at Beijing on 3rd Feb around 1300hrs.
On 4th Feb, I'm taking a flight to Seoul, Korean.
Time: 1130hrs
Flight no: MU5087
See you in Korea!!!
On 4th Feb, I'm taking a flight to Seoul, Korean.
Time: 1130hrs
Flight no: MU5087
See you in Korea!!!
To Korea via Beijing.
Today, I met the brother from the Kunming church. He bought me to a Chinese Restaurant for lunch. He rides a bike. Reminds me of those times in Taipei. The brothers and I zoom around the city in bike.
After lunch, I was alone again. I decide to get my train tickets to Beijing. I made enquiry at the ticketing booth of the hotel. They can arrange for train, bus and flight ticket. To my horror, I was told that tickets to Beijing( from Kunming) are sold out for the month of Feb. Should I trust them, I thought? I prefer to ask another booth.
Again, to my dismay, I was told the same bad news. Immediately, I was offered flight tickets. The best price they offer is 900yuan, inclusive of tax. In comparison to train, flight cost 400yuan more. My last resort- go to Kunming Station (train). The main station, the big mama. Got to be fast, tickets are selling out fast.
True to the travellers 'holy bible' Lonely Planet. Kunming Station ticket office is quite a crowd. On the big LED flashes the status of seats. There are so many destination, I waited patiently for Beijing's seat status. Here it is.
Beijing West- Hard seats, soft seats, hard sleepers, soft sleepers, no seats (I wonder what is that). 无无无无. There is still a handful of 有 in the sea of 无. I jumped into a queue, waited anxiously, hoping that those before me in the queue purchase tickets for destination other than Beijing West.
Everyone seems to be unhappy- People in the queue, ticketing officer, information counter. I want to make a difference, so I ask the ticketing officer politely "您好，北京的票好有吗？" (Hello, do you have tickets to Beijing). She maintain her stoned and stern face. But at least i feel good about being polite.
So I got my tickets. 550yuan, hard sleeper, middle deck. Just what I wanted. I skipped my way out, holding my prized ticket in my hands.
Next I need to get my flight tickets for Beijing to Seoul. I need internet access. 程现(Korean girl I met in 丽江) gave me 2 good website for booking flight tickets. 2 days ago, the price was 430yuan. Today, the price increase to 540yuan. Hmm, increment of 110yuan in 2 days. Gosh! I called up another company-Ctrip.com. I was surprise that they're offering 410yuan, 850yuan inclusive of tax. What am I waiting for? So I bought the ticket. 550 (train) + 850 (flight) 1400yuan. Hey, that's about 280 Sing for 1-way ticket. Assuming 2-way ticket is multiply by 2, it'll add up to 560sing.
My brother Raymond told me that typically a 2-way ticket to Seoul from Singapore starts from 1000sing. Do the maths, I think I got a great deal.
Korea... Here I come.
After lunch, I was alone again. I decide to get my train tickets to Beijing. I made enquiry at the ticketing booth of the hotel. They can arrange for train, bus and flight ticket. To my horror, I was told that tickets to Beijing( from Kunming) are sold out for the month of Feb. Should I trust them, I thought? I prefer to ask another booth.
Again, to my dismay, I was told the same bad news. Immediately, I was offered flight tickets. The best price they offer is 900yuan, inclusive of tax. In comparison to train, flight cost 400yuan more. My last resort- go to Kunming Station (train). The main station, the big mama. Got to be fast, tickets are selling out fast.
True to the travellers 'holy bible' Lonely Planet. Kunming Station ticket office is quite a crowd. On the big LED flashes the status of seats. There are so many destination, I waited patiently for Beijing's seat status. Here it is.
Beijing West- Hard seats, soft seats, hard sleepers, soft sleepers, no seats (I wonder what is that). 无无无无. There is still a handful of 有 in the sea of 无. I jumped into a queue, waited anxiously, hoping that those before me in the queue purchase tickets for destination other than Beijing West.
Everyone seems to be unhappy- People in the queue, ticketing officer, information counter. I want to make a difference, so I ask the ticketing officer politely "您好，北京的票好有吗？" (Hello, do you have tickets to Beijing). She maintain her stoned and stern face. But at least i feel good about being polite.
So I got my tickets. 550yuan, hard sleeper, middle deck. Just what I wanted. I skipped my way out, holding my prized ticket in my hands.
Next I need to get my flight tickets for Beijing to Seoul. I need internet access. 程现(Korean girl I met in 丽江) gave me 2 good website for booking flight tickets. 2 days ago, the price was 430yuan. Today, the price increase to 540yuan. Hmm, increment of 110yuan in 2 days. Gosh! I called up another company-Ctrip.com. I was surprise that they're offering 410yuan, 850yuan inclusive of tax. What am I waiting for? So I bought the ticket. 550 (train) + 850 (flight) 1400yuan. Hey, that's about 280 Sing for 1-way ticket. Assuming 2-way ticket is multiply by 2, it'll add up to 560sing.
My brother Raymond told me that typically a 2-way ticket to Seoul from Singapore starts from 1000sing. Do the maths, I think I got a great deal.
Korea... Here I come.
Spring City.
Kunming, affectionately known as Spring City by the locals. Spring City, as the name implies, enjoys weather like that of spring thruout the year. No Summer, no autumn, no winter.
Today, I woke up to winter. Before I washed up, I looked out of the window hoping for a bright and sunny spring. Sigh., It was snowing. Last night, I was just talking to a brother about the weather in Kunming. He was from Guang Dong. In his 3 years of stay here, he had seen snow probably maximum 3 times.
I recall other rare or extreme weather that I've encounter-
2006 Sep at Gunung Tahan, Taman Negara Pahang. It rained intermittently for 7days and 6 nights in the forest.
In Chengdu, winter are usually cloudy and cold. But when I was there, it was bright and sunny for 3 consecutive days.
At 飞来寺，many has tried to captured the first ray of light on 梅里雪山. According to my friend who is an avid photography, that sight is rare. Yet I caught the beautiful first ray of light casting on 梅里雪山 on my first visit.
There's something special about me, I bring surprising weather.
Today, I woke up to winter. Before I washed up, I looked out of the window hoping for a bright and sunny spring. Sigh., It was snowing. Last night, I was just talking to a brother about the weather in Kunming. He was from Guang Dong. In his 3 years of stay here, he had seen snow probably maximum 3 times.
I recall other rare or extreme weather that I've encounter-
2006 Sep at Gunung Tahan, Taman Negara Pahang. It rained intermittently for 7days and 6 nights in the forest.
In Chengdu, winter are usually cloudy and cold. But when I was there, it was bright and sunny for 3 consecutive days.
At 飞来寺，many has tried to captured the first ray of light on 梅里雪山. According to my friend who is an avid photography, that sight is rare. Yet I caught the beautiful first ray of light casting on 梅里雪山 on my first visit.
There's something special about me, I bring surprising weather.
Internet cafe-Love it, hate it.
I love and hate China's internet cafe.
I love it for the speed (at selected ones), it's faster than my internet connection at home. I love it for the price. You can get as low as 2 yuan (S$0.40) an hour. I love it because I can stay in touch with my love ones in Singapore.
I hate it for the smoke. There's not restriction on smoking, even if there is, it's rarely implemented. For the 'X' number of hours I spent at the internet cafe, I'm breathing 'X' number of hours of 2nd hand smoke. No wonder I've been coughing for the pass few weeks.
Most of all, I hate it when the guy besides me watch internet porn. So far, I've encounter twice. While he devour the naked woman on the computer screen, I suffered in silence. Fighting the temptation to peek at his screen and at the same time trying to focus on my work. (this wonderful blog that you are reading now) I know, I could have change to another terminal but I was lazy. Ok, I'll make sure I do that next time.
Dreams
Dreams... most of the time they don't make sense... Here's my dream last night.
I was in Beijing. I got on the plane leaving for Seoul. Suddenly, I got company-1 guy and 1 girl. I cannot recalled their face Somehow when the plane landed, I found myself in Singapore Changi Airport. Now the guy suddenly become Intae. We took the MRT (train/subway) to my house. On the journey, I was explaining to them the different place-like the Singtel Satellite station (before Khatib) and about the different housing estate.
The three of us got down from the train. We walked across the park (behind my apartment block.). We got into the lift to get to eighth floor, suddenly, Intae changed into William, my next door neighbour. So William went home. End of dream.
Weird
I was in Beijing. I got on the plane leaving for Seoul. Suddenly, I got company-1 guy and 1 girl. I cannot recalled their face Somehow when the plane landed, I found myself in Singapore Changi Airport. Now the guy suddenly become Intae. We took the MRT (train/subway) to my house. On the journey, I was explaining to them the different place-like the Singtel Satellite station (before Khatib) and about the different housing estate.
The three of us got down from the train. We walked across the park (behind my apartment block.). We got into the lift to get to eighth floor, suddenly, Intae changed into William, my next door neighbour. So William went home. End of dream.
Weird
茶花宾馆
I moved to a new place. This morning has breakfast with 程现 at 0830. She's very nice. Last night I told her I'm looking for chilli sauce. So this morning, she handed a bottle of hotsauce and a couple of Korean coffee.
Breakfast was ok. 9yuan, quite value for money. There's a variety of chinese andwestern food- from Chinese fried noodle to french toast. The best think about breakfast is the free flow of coffee.
I like to stay in youth hostel. It's affordable and you can meet lots of ppl. In my room, there are 4 Koreans. Just a moment ago, we have a new comer. A Chinese from Shenzhen.
I think I'm really lucky. Almost all the Koreans I met are nice people. When I got back to the room at 2200hrs, the 3 korean guys are chilling out with beer. Immediately, they offer me a bottle of Qingdao beer. So we had a chat over beer. I told them 'm leaving for Beijing and then to Seoul. One of the Korean guys is going back in a weeks time, He suggest we meet in Korea. He leaves in the southern coast of the peninsula, southwest of Busan. Unfortunately, I forget the name of the place.
Breakfast was ok. 9yuan, quite value for money. There's a variety of chinese andwestern food- from Chinese fried noodle to french toast. The best think about breakfast is the free flow of coffee.
I like to stay in youth hostel. It's affordable and you can meet lots of ppl. In my room, there are 4 Koreans. Just a moment ago, we have a new comer. A Chinese from Shenzhen.
I think I'm really lucky. Almost all the Koreans I met are nice people. When I got back to the room at 2200hrs, the 3 korean guys are chilling out with beer. Immediately, they offer me a bottle of Qingdao beer. So we had a chat over beer. I told them 'm leaving for Beijing and then to Seoul. One of the Korean guys is going back in a weeks time, He suggest we meet in Korea. He leaves in the southern coast of the peninsula, southwest of Busan. Unfortunately, I forget the name of the place.
Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Mother tongue...Native language.
Today, I thought of this topic on Mother Tongue.
To start off first and for the benefit of my fans of this blog, let me introduce myself. I am a Singaporean. My grandparents come from China. My parents were born in Singapore and so am I. I am therefore a Chinese by race, not citizenship. I am a PROUD Singaporean.
When I was young and still study, we were told that in the Singapore education system, our first language is English. Our mother tongue is Mandarin if you are Chinese; Behasa Malayu is your are a Malay; Tamil if you are an Indian. Logical right?? Not until I completed my study at the age of 20.
My Education path
- 2 years kindergarten
- 6 years primary education (elementary)
- 4 years secondary education (middle)
- 3 years Polytechnic (Diploma)
If you can choose university, your path goes like this.
- 2 years kindergarten
- 6 years primary education (elementary)
- 4 years secondary education (middle)
- 2 years junior college (High)
- 3-5 years degree (according to course).
In addition. polytechnic does not offer mandarin, meaning all subjects are taught and learn in English. So, in my case, after 15 years of education with English as the first language, I realise that Mandarin has taken a far second place in my life. I think in English, I write in English, I read and listen in English. Basically, I breath and eat English. Out of curiosity, I search dictionary.reference.com for the definition of mother tongue.
Mother Tongue
definition 1. the language first learned by a person; native language
definition 2. a language from which another language is descended; parent language.
definition 3. one's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next.
On the thesaurus, the word mother tongue is synonyms (link to) these word.
first language, natal tongue, native speech, native tongue, parent language, vernacular
Native language
definition 1. a speaker of a particular language who has spoken that language since earliest childhood; "native speakers of French"
definition 2. a person who has spoken the language in question from early childhood
Houston, we have a problem... help!!! The dictionary definition is not applicable for Singapore.
My parents are Mandarin speakers. In addition, my mom speaks Cantonese, Teochew and Hokkien (Fujian). My dad speaks Fujian and some Teochew ( I think). According to definition 1, yes, mandarin is my mother tongue. I learn how to say "爸爸" and "妈妈" before I know the words "father" and "mother".
Look at definition 2 of Native language "a person who has spoken the language in question from early childhood". Interesting. I like. yah, I think when we were young, we say what we say in question.
Mother Tongue definition 3 - one's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next.
Me teaching my son Mandarin? Hmmm... I think I cannot make it. I better ask a tuition teacher he'll do a better job than me.
Does that mean that in the next generation, my children's mother tongue will be changed to English, since I'll might teach my son to say "DADDY" instead of "爸爸". Hmm I am confused....
In conclusion, I am a Singaporean Chinese who doesn't converse nor form my thoughts proficiently with my mother tongue-Mandarin. I converse and form my thoughts proficiently in my first language- English.
End of dicussion...sigh... so tired....
To start off first and for the benefit of my fans of this blog, let me introduce myself. I am a Singaporean. My grandparents come from China. My parents were born in Singapore and so am I. I am therefore a Chinese by race, not citizenship. I am a PROUD Singaporean.
When I was young and still study, we were told that in the Singapore education system, our first language is English. Our mother tongue is Mandarin if you are Chinese; Behasa Malayu is your are a Malay; Tamil if you are an Indian. Logical right?? Not until I completed my study at the age of 20.
My Education path
- 2 years kindergarten
- 6 years primary education (elementary)
- 4 years secondary education (middle)
- 3 years Polytechnic (Diploma)
If you can choose university, your path goes like this.
- 2 years kindergarten
- 6 years primary education (elementary)
- 4 years secondary education (middle)
- 2 years junior college (High)
- 3-5 years degree (according to course).
In addition. polytechnic does not offer mandarin, meaning all subjects are taught and learn in English. So, in my case, after 15 years of education with English as the first language, I realise that Mandarin has taken a far second place in my life. I think in English, I write in English, I read and listen in English. Basically, I breath and eat English. Out of curiosity, I search dictionary.reference.com for the definition of mother tongue.
Mother Tongue
definition 1. the language first learned by a person; native language
definition 2. a language from which another language is descended; parent language.
definition 3. one's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next.
On the thesaurus, the word mother tongue is synonyms (link to) these word.
first language, natal tongue, native speech, native tongue, parent language, vernacular
Native language
definition 1. a speaker of a particular language who has spoken that language since earliest childhood; "native speakers of French"
definition 2. a person who has spoken the language in question from early childhood
Houston, we have a problem... help!!! The dictionary definition is not applicable for Singapore.
My parents are Mandarin speakers. In addition, my mom speaks Cantonese, Teochew and Hokkien (Fujian). My dad speaks Fujian and some Teochew ( I think). According to definition 1, yes, mandarin is my mother tongue. I learn how to say "爸爸" and "妈妈" before I know the words "father" and "mother".
Look at definition 2 of Native language "a person who has spoken the language in question from early childhood". Interesting. I like. yah, I think when we were young, we say what we say in question.
Mother Tongue definition 3 - one's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next.
Me teaching my son Mandarin? Hmmm... I think I cannot make it. I better ask a tuition teacher he'll do a better job than me.
Does that mean that in the next generation, my children's mother tongue will be changed to English, since I'll might teach my son to say "DADDY" instead of "爸爸". Hmm I am confused....
In conclusion, I am a Singaporean Chinese who doesn't converse nor form my thoughts proficiently with my mother tongue-Mandarin. I converse and form my thoughts proficiently in my first language- English.
End of dicussion...sigh... so tired....
Monday, 29 January 2007
Multiple translation
Chief brought us to a Pu Er tea wholesale centre. He is shopping for tea.
We had tea at one of a potential tea wholesaler. We have a very interesting way of communicating.
Chief- some english and some mandarin
Intae- Good English and little mandarin
Hansoo-Little english and little mandarin.
I translate mandarin to English ( to Intae) Intae translate it to Korean for Chief and Hansoo. So, 1 message is translated twice in order for Hansoo (and sometimes Chief) to understand the mandarin speaker.
But today, the translation gets more complicated. A lady spoke to me in Kunming local dialect. Her husband have to translate her kunming dialect to Putonghua for me.
We had tea at one of a potential tea wholesaler. We have a very interesting way of communicating.
Chief- some english and some mandarin
Intae- Good English and little mandarin
Hansoo-Little english and little mandarin.
I translate mandarin to English ( to Intae) Intae translate it to Korean for Chief and Hansoo. So, 1 message is translated twice in order for Hansoo (and sometimes Chief) to understand the mandarin speaker.
But today, the translation gets more complicated. A lady spoke to me in Kunming local dialect. Her husband have to translate her kunming dialect to Putonghua for me.
Sunday, 28 January 2007
I am stuck at Kunming...sigh...
DVD Galore.
We are now at Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan, and bus ride away from Lijiang. Boss had an apartment here and so we bunk in there. In a few days time, Intae will be ending his travel and return to Korea (I think that's the plan). For now, we have a few days here to bum around.
0900hrs, Chief and Hansoo are still in bed. Intae joked that they were in a competition to see who gets out of bed later. Anyway, while they were still in bed, we had our morning prayer together. Today it's Intae's turn to pray first. When it comes to my turn, I prayed for China. There are so much work to do in this land.(helping them to know God)Breakfast was a few chocolate pie. Morning DVD- March of the penguin. One of my favourite show. Mandarin language with Korean subtitle. At the end of the show, we all agree that it's hard to be a penguin. nonetheless, they are really cute.
At the end of the day, these are the DVDs I've watched.
1) March of the penguin
2) Korean comedy.
3) Korean horror
4) Band of Brothers part 1.
Tomorrow going to Chinese government church. Goodnite.
Saturday, 27 January 2007
Goodbye Cafe Lin...hello Kunming.
Today, Intae and I left Cafe Lin with a heavy heart. As for me, I only stayed in Cafe Lin for 1 week. Intae?? 1 month. I can imagine how much he felt for Cafe Lin and the lady boss who is an extremely nice person. 0830hrs. We arrived on the dot at XinKeZhan. Waiting for us is a double decker luxury coach. This is probably the most luxurious bus I've ever taken. Actually, it doesn't matter what grade is the coach, it's the companion that counts.
I had a good chat with Intae on my journey to Kunming. On the surface, we are world's apart. He's Korean, I'm Chinese. His default language is Korean and mine is English. But upon closer examination, we realise there's lots of similarity between us. We are both thinkers. Not that we're great philosophers. But we like to ponder about life, our past, the present and future.
He was the only child and I was the only son. We shared about our relation with our fathers. For most men, we love both our parents but in a slightly different way. Moms are usually the one that we are more emotionally attached to. Dads are usually respected by us, in particularly how he work so hard to raise us up. Men tend to not want to let their parents down. Take for instance, part of the reason why I study was to do my parents proud. Part of the reason why I joined the air force was to take the financial burden off their shoulder. My father, in one sense, is very liberal on the choices I made in my life. For e.g., on my academic path and career path. In recent years, even my faith in Christianity and God.
When my ORD (Operation Ready Date, meaning the day I get out of Airforce) was approaching, one of my concern is what to tell my dad about my plans for future. I think all parents hope that their children can secure a good job. I was afraid that dad would not support me, so I hesitate to share with him my plans for the next 3-4years- First (and immediately) to travel for 6 months. Secondly, to get a job in OBS as an instructor. I thought these unconventional plans wouldn't have won the approval of my seemingly conventional dad. That is why in the past, I used to tell him the 'safe' answer that's I'll secure in job in Singapore Technology or Singapore Airline Engr. (SIA engr) as a mechanic. Last year, I decided to be really honest with him everything about my plans. I was surprise by his response. He didn't object, instead, he even ask me in details about my travelling plans and also how's it's like to be an instructor in OBS. I was encourage, really. Pursuing my dreams with the approval of dad was such an unexpected bonus.
It's amazing that how in such a short time, my relation with Intae grow so much. Now we talk about everything, conversation beyond the weather and stock market. We shared about things deep in our hearts. It was a great feeling to get connected with someone (ever since Nov). For the past 4 days, we've been praying together. Initiately, he prayed in Korean. Yesterday, he prayed in English for the first time in his life. It was refreshing. Really appreciate him for making special effort so i can understand his prayers. I was moved by his prayers as he express his feelings to God and especially how he prayed for his family.
I had a good chat with Intae on my journey to Kunming. On the surface, we are world's apart. He's Korean, I'm Chinese. His default language is Korean and mine is English. But upon closer examination, we realise there's lots of similarity between us. We are both thinkers. Not that we're great philosophers. But we like to ponder about life, our past, the present and future.
He was the only child and I was the only son. We shared about our relation with our fathers. For most men, we love both our parents but in a slightly different way. Moms are usually the one that we are more emotionally attached to. Dads are usually respected by us, in particularly how he work so hard to raise us up. Men tend to not want to let their parents down. Take for instance, part of the reason why I study was to do my parents proud. Part of the reason why I joined the air force was to take the financial burden off their shoulder. My father, in one sense, is very liberal on the choices I made in my life. For e.g., on my academic path and career path. In recent years, even my faith in Christianity and God.
When my ORD (Operation Ready Date, meaning the day I get out of Airforce) was approaching, one of my concern is what to tell my dad about my plans for future. I think all parents hope that their children can secure a good job. I was afraid that dad would not support me, so I hesitate to share with him my plans for the next 3-4years- First (and immediately) to travel for 6 months. Secondly, to get a job in OBS as an instructor. I thought these unconventional plans wouldn't have won the approval of my seemingly conventional dad. That is why in the past, I used to tell him the 'safe' answer that's I'll secure in job in Singapore Technology or Singapore Airline Engr. (SIA engr) as a mechanic. Last year, I decided to be really honest with him everything about my plans. I was surprise by his response. He didn't object, instead, he even ask me in details about my travelling plans and also how's it's like to be an instructor in OBS. I was encourage, really. Pursuing my dreams with the approval of dad was such an unexpected bonus.
It's amazing that how in such a short time, my relation with Intae grow so much. Now we talk about everything, conversation beyond the weather and stock market. We shared about things deep in our hearts. It was a great feeling to get connected with someone (ever since Nov). For the past 4 days, we've been praying together. Initiately, he prayed in Korean. Yesterday, he prayed in English for the first time in his life. It was refreshing. Really appreciate him for making special effort so i can understand his prayers. I was moved by his prayers as he express his feelings to God and especially how he prayed for his family.
Friday, 26 January 2007
Wednesday, 24 January 2007
丽江(Lijiang)-The beautiful ancient town
Everyday, thousand of visitors from all parts of China flock here. Lijiang is separated into 2- Old Town and New Town.
In the Old Town, there are so many main road which are further expanded to streets. For e.g., one of the hostel I am staying in 七一街，兴文巷。On 七一街, there are at least 10 巷 (Xiang, don't know how to translate to english). In a nutshell, be prepared to get lost in this fun cobweb street of the Old Town.
One of the tip to get around the Old Town is by landmarks. The 3 major landmarks are the 南门(South Gate)，北门(North Gate)，and 四方街(Square Street).The busier area is in 北门(North Gate) and 四方街(Square Street). If you like a less touristy area, than opt for 南门(South Gate). I spent a few afternoon at Cafe Lin, while the whole afternoon sipping coffee, reading my Bible, writing my journal, all at the same time.
At this time of the year, night temperate is about 5 degrees. Set on an elevation of 2400mt, 丽江 Lijiang's weather is lovely. Everyday is sunny day. A stark contrast to Chengdu (Over 200 cloudy days)
Sunday, 21 January 2007
Snow
This is a close up of a snow on my jacket. It's beautiful.
It was snowing while we trek 梅里雪山 (Mei Li Xue Shan)
Friday, 19 January 2007
梅里雪山 Mei Li Xue Shan
The follow event took place on 19 Jan. Yah, I took me 1 month to record the events in writings. This trekking trip felt like an expedition...
As soon as I heard from Cheng Xian that the Koreans are going to Mei Li Xue Shan, my eyes brightened up. Yes, I want to go trekking.
19 Jan- When I get back from Lijiang (after Tiger Leaping Gorge), all I wanted is to get back to Cafe Lin asap. I want to hear about the trekking itinerary. At the same time, I have a slight problem here. Should I go trekking with Kevin (and 2 of his friends) or with the Koreans? Initiately, I thought we can all go together. Later, I realise that the Koreans wanted to travel by their own. To cut the story short, Kevin eventually call me to tell me to go with the Koreans. He and his friends have other plans.
Everyone was present. I soon learn that there'll be 5 of us-Chief, his good friend You, Intae, hansoo and I. Intae was the translator. I felt a little tension going on here, it was as though everyone's eyes are on me. I found out from Intae at a later time that everyone was worried about me. I think they are not use to my trademark dark eye ring. They thought I was not feeling well or exhausted from my Tiger Leaping Gorge trek. They were even concerned if I could get up tomorrow morning to catch the first bus to De Qin at 0930hrs.
Since we setting off from Cafe Lin, I think it's wise to stay at Cafe Lin. Intae help me carry my bag to the room. It has 2 double decker beds. Hansoo handed me the toilet key which puzzles me. Then I realise that Cafe Lin (the hostel) have this practice to lock the toilet door, for some reason I still don't know. Intae suggest I take a shower before the other guest comes back. So after I settle in my room. I got my shower gears ready. Too bad, someone got in earlier that I. It's 15mins past 2300hrs. I dropped the idea to shower. Instead, I turned into bed after brushing my teeth.
0700hrs. Rise and shine. Yes, I'm going to trek today. For me, it's been ages since travel with a all men team. In the past, whenever I organise any trips, there's always more woman participant than man. I recall the last time I went on a all men trip was in 2003 ( I think) with Raymond, Jt and Jonathon. Though we got 'lost', I still remembers it as one of the most memorable trekking trips in Malaysia.
Secret Wallet
We caught a cab to XinKeZan. The rest of the guys bought their tickets already. I have to get mine on the spot. I did something stupid on the cab. Realising my wallet had less than 100 yuan, I try to dig a few hundred dollar notes from my hidden wallet. You see, I have 2 wallets with me. As the saying goes, never put all the eggs in 1 basket. I separate my cash and cards into 2. The secret wallet is kept in a..er herm...discreetly strategic position. Accessing it before the counter is strictly no-no. So I resort to do it in the cab. Using my hands to feel, I reach for the notes. I try pulling it out slowly. Indeed, I manage to carry out this acrobatic act and reach my note, only to find that it was torn into 2. sigh...
Anyway, we arrived at XinKeZan. No more acrobatic moves. At worse I'll borrow from the guys, though not a good idea too because we only get to know each other yesterday. Luckily I still have just enough money to pay for my bus ticket.
Our destination is Zhong Dian (Shangrila). From there, we need to catch another bus to De Qin. As we were unsure of the bus schedule at Zhong Dian, it means that we might have to wait for an indefinite time to catch the next bus.
1145hrs, arrives at Zhong Dian, guess what? The next available bus is 1200hrs. We are so lucky. however, it also means that we can't have a proper sit down lunch. Instead, we bought snacks and mineral water to munch on our bus ride. I think it's due to our hunger, the snacks we bought tasted especially nice. Chief cracked a joke. What do you call a man who is hungry? Answer-Hungarian. I add on to his jokes-What do you call a man who had his fill? Answer. Bulgarian (Bul sounds like full in mandarin.)
On the bus we 2 girls discussing and exchanging info on Mei Li Xue Shan. We got company. Our New friends are Wen Min from Shenzhen and Qiufong from Guangxi. First thing when we arrive at De Qin is to find transport to Fei Lai Si. The 7 of us squeeze into a van that's good for 5 pax.
Men and women
Let me branch off abit. The difference between man and woman. There are a few components of travelling that all travellers faces.
1)accommodation
2) food
3)Transportation.
Men,
We are concerned about the price but it is certainly not a priority. Our top priority is to get the job done, especially so for accommodation. We don;t need top end. Hot showers and attached toilet are a bonus. I am speaking myself and the Korean men.
Women.
They love shopping. Typically, they want to look at all the options before making a decision. For instance, at Fei Lai Si, they went around looking for a value-for-money place. While the guys are happy with the 2nd hostel. The women apply the same approach in finding transportation to Xi Dang as well as accommodation at Shang Yu Beng.
The trek to Bing Hu
The hostel boss suggest we hire a guide to bring us to Bing Hu. However, we decided that we want to figure out the way by ourselves. (men don't like to ask for direction, especially in the presence of women). Breakfast was rice and soup. Wen Min also brought out some preserved vegetables.
Just like what you anticipated, we lost our way. Well, let me rephrased. We didn't lost our way, we figure out new ways. Trace abit to our ancestors, men primarily hunt. 1 of men's greatest skill is getting home at the end of the day with their hunt. By right, men should be very good with directions.
On the trail, there was not even a single soul in sight. We tried all sorts of methods to find the way-from following footprints of man and animals to following animal dungs. Due to this random method of walking and finding the way, there were many occasion that we have to bash thru the woods.
A quick check with my watch, I realise it's 1230hrs, we've walked for 4 hours and we are not even sure of our progress. how long more to Bing Hu? Are we even half way there?
We decided to stop for lunch. Chief did something unexpected. he tries to set up a fire. Notice I use the word 'tries', haha, we're not good at that. Do I know how to set up fire? Technically- Yes. Practically-Yet to find out. I learn how to set up fire in an outdoor adventure camp. So technically I know how to set p fire. In practical, the last time I set a fire was 11 years ago. I actually love fire very much but in most national park, fire is prohibited. As a true blue law-abiding Singaporean, off course I obey the authority lah. That's why 11 years also never set fire before.
So back to Mei Li. Ye, we did set up a fire after trial and error. Fire makes people happy, it gives one a sense of achievement. We almost for forget that we're 'lost'. Remember Chuck (played by Tom Hanks) in the movie Cast Away? He was rejoicing and doing the fire dance the first time he successfully set up a fire. We were rejoicing at our fire, minus the fire dance.
After lunch, I thought it's time to pack up and go back to ShangYuBeng. Chief decided to press on. At that point of time, I'm not sure if that was smart move. My concern is getting back t o ShangYuBeng before the sun sets at 6pm. Anyway, we proceed on. The trail gets thicker and thicker, At the deepest, the snow reaches above the knee level. Times like this, you wish you'd a gaiter with you. Snow starts to get into your shoes wetting your socks as a result.
Eventually, we gave up the idea of getting to Big Hu. So we poise for a picture, claiming our trek to Bing Hu. Going down was easy. Somehow, the trail looks well marked out unlike our way up. We got back to ShangYuBeng before sunset.
Thursday, 18 January 2007
Warning: The pictures are rated R(A) for extreme gross images
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Originally uploaded by Jerry Tok.
This fat chicken is now being weigh and about to get slaughter. Go to
www.flickr.com/photos/jerrytok
to see the full procedure.
Warning: The pictures are rated R(A) for extreme gross images.
虎跳峡 Hu Tiao Xia (Tiger Leaping Gorge)
These are the local people. They are offer their horses for tourist. From the start of our trek, they followed us. Thruout the trip, they kept reminding us that we can hopped onto the horse if we are tired. Sigh... No peace ah.
The trek itself is so-so. I wouldn't say it's great. Just average. You can do the trek in 2 days. 1 maniac did it in 1 day (quoted from Lonely Planet.) Difficulty level- 2 out of 5 if you do it at a slow pace in 2 days.
If you like, you can also stay at the numerous lodges found along the trek. On the average, you can find 1 lodge every hour of walking. My Korean friends like it so much, they stay in one of the Naxi lodge for 5 days.
虎跳峡 Hu Tiao Xia (Tiger Leaping Gorge), originally uploaded by Jerry Tok.
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