sabah

(straight from my travel notebook. still in its raw form so its more like a note rather than a decent read cause i am lazy to edit. ^^.)

day 0
set off at 4, with only a packet of instant noodle and a few bars of appollo chocolate cake in my stomach. grinning to myself, i strutted straight for the 969 bus stop. only to realise, on the bus, that it doesn't go to kranji. in fact, i have mistaken khatib as kranji all these while that i pass them by on the way home from zoo. drop off at yishun and took the train whereby it announces that it is possible to take 950 to JB-Kotaraya II terminal. time 5pm. just when i was tapping out, i realise something is missing. i am no longer holding on to my wallet!! with a glimpse of hope, i rummage through all my pockets (theres like 6 pockets) again and again. even my waist belt though i have no collection of touching it (I have a habit of not fiddling with it in the public. that will defeats the purpose) none, none, no where to be found. rush to the train and bus control station in hope that some kind soul will find it. knowing that it will take quite a while for them to check, i sat down, praying (to i have no idea who) that i could recover my loss. my atm card, 150 ringgit and 50 sgd. if all these are gone, then it will be a great hit for me. since i am travellinga lone, i have nobody that i could turn to should i run out of cash. and take note, i don't have my atm card. just then, my phone rang ( i have been gripping and staring intensely at my phone.) my prayers worked! thanks so much. the people working at the smrt station have made my day. good sign!

upon reaching city square (in retrospect, i have gotten off the bus too early, there should still be one leg of journey) i asked the guard about the directions to a the senai airport by public transport. seems like they don't have much idea about going to the airport or rather their own nation public transport as i learned much later. best bet is to ask the bus driver (if you are lucky enough to find one who understand english and speak to you not in a strand of malay) despite not knowing the way, the security guard is still nice enough to go the extra mile to guide me by physically walking me to the bus stop. whoo! and theres like really a lot of security guard in the mall. hmm. i wonder why. and he asked his colleague ( i think one that actually use public transport) only to realise that to get to senai, i have to change bus at larkin. so i follow on. when i reach larkin, it was a way way different experience from singapore buses. one thing is it is actually the coaches for tour. and it cost only 4rm. driver frequently chatted to another person standing at the door (i think help to get customer. touting is ubiquitous in malaysia) with an attempt to make eye contact. OMG! can you concentrate on the road when you drive. and he has such a relaxed way of driving, sometimes using one hand, other time just resting the hands on the big steering wheel. senai airport is such a pure state of simplicity. without extravagance and just to fulfill its purpose of an airport. time, 8pm, just nice to check in. and i am feeling so hungry!

2nd day
in love with the people in this town. the people that i came across will do so much to try to help you if you ask for it. well, even if you don't ask for it and you look lost, people will still offer to help. just like my 1st day. i was circling the town, trying to find somewhere decent to stay in. after passing the same spot for a few times while lugging my huge backpack, an uncle came to suggest an affordable hostel, known as asia adventure lodge. he is a traveller, too by the way, a domestic one though.

my failed attempt to look for energy bars. in the supermarket, i asked this boy (cause he looks really young, like 16 or 17. in sabah i think boys came out to work as young as 7 or 8. esp in the fish market) where could i get energy bar. puzzled look. so i farther explain that it is food that gives you energy like coffee. then he proclaimed, ah, coffee! no, no, no. not coffee. coffee is to drink, i want food. can eat. hmm. then he went into a series of discussion with the other boy nearby. still confused, but he offer to try to show me food products that fit into the "energy food" category. which turns out, they don't really have energy bar, cause he brought me to the biscuit section. and this is like the n supermarket i went into. so i just grab a packet of biscuit. while i was about to go off, this boy came back with a packet of coffee. i smile at him and politely declined him. haha. people there are just so cute.

my hostel auntie offer to bring me around during the 3rd night. but too bad that i am going off. since i sleeping alone in a dorm room with 5 other empty beds, the auntie and her granddaughter i think would come into the room to sleep at night.

3rd day
crazy day! last day of diving. vomited into the sea upon reaching the jetty. lunch become fish food. i could see clear traces of my lunch. noodles, bloated. the sea was so choppy that even the dive instructor felt sick. all was fine in the sea till we surfaced.

after that took a bus to ranau in order to change bus to sandakan. a guy on the bus talked to me. offer to buy a mineral drink when there is an auntie going around selling it. i turned him down. chatted. gave me newspaper, "the sabah times". chatted for a while more and i went to sleep. stopped nearby mt kinabalu and he bought peanuts to share. great timing, i was starving!! my lunch is all in the sea. when reaching ranau, he asked for my no. yea right, like i will give. when we reach, he asked if i would like to go karaoke. how outrageous, at this time? 9pm and with a stranger that i known not more than a car ride. i declined flatly. its just wierd very wierd! at ranau, i attempt to look for a decent place to sleep. but failed. its all too expensive. so i had my dinner (noodle that taste like it has been left there for quite a while), hoping that a miracle would happen afterwards. after asking for directions, i went to the bus stop. i heard that it will be coming at 9. current time, 7.40pm. long way to go. and the bus stop was dark. it wasn't just dimly lit, there is no light at all other than those from the eateries across the street. i held on to my torch, for fear that somebody might lurch at me in the dark, isolated bus stop. on top of that, i couldn't be sure that it is a bus stop cause there was only a bus stop sign. theres not even a shelter. and no bus was passing by. their waiting time for inter-city bus is terrifyingly long. so i ask an uncle with his nearby petrol truck. and he assured me that there will be bus. so i continue waiting. after a prolonged, intense moment of pure fear at the bus stop, the uncle came up to me to see if i want a ride up to sandakan since he is heading that way too. hesitation. but between the bus stop outside the ghostly town and the sincere offering of the uncle (though a bit suspicious looking) i chose the big petrol truck. and to be frank, it is actually quite cool to sit in a petrol truck. even though every once in a while, the wheel will pass over a pit hole making it so "enjoyable" for the ass. chatted on the truck for a while, evaluated the driver to be quite trustworthy. i fell asleep again. reached. sandakan. he went to deliver the petrol and stopped beside the street to help me to search for a budget place to stay in. the one that we found was too expensive and it was very late. time 1am. so he suggested to sleep in his lorry if i trust him. longer pause, but if he were to habour any ill-intentions, he would have carried it out earlier on. but nothing happen, so i push my luck a bit more to be with him, hoping that everything will go on fine. as i have told him, the people who wanted to help you on the road far exceed the one that will want to inflict harm on you. holding on to my believe, i trust that my positive aura will attract positive outcome. so i spend a night on the lorry. OMG! in restropect, its crazy. however everything pass safely. in the morning, i took a bus to sandakan to proceed to sepilok orang utan.

4th day
honestly there nothing much but the video was educational and informative. at the utan, the ranger saw my newspaper from yesterday and asked if he could read it. sure, i have got no use for it anyway. when i came out, we chatted for a while. knew that he was ranger at day, taxi driver otherwise. he was giving an offer to a cheaper rate should i need his service. but neh, hiring a taxi would seriously hurt my wallet. back in sandakan, which is a sleepy town, operating only till 3-4pm. as there nothing much in town, i went to explore the heritage trail to keep myself sane. on the way, saw somebody using a net to catch a puppy and it is whimpering. tragic. try to persuade him to let go of the puppy cause i not sure if he is going to harm the dog. but to bridge a communication is impossible as he doesn't speak english. i motion a house and he nodded. ok. one less worry. hope the puppy will do well. follow the kids that came out to get the dog. and they live in a village. well, guess they will treat the dog well. cause they grew up with animals. they should know better how to handle a dog.

5th day
nearby mt kinabalu. at a eatery. seeing hoards of climbers down the mountain is driving me insane. as i written down at that point of time, i have no idea what to do now, to go or not to go. as much as my mind have been dwelling on sanity, it is going crazy soon. all the decision that i have to made. so i talked to one of the solo climber to see my chances of going up. well, not much. and he gave me an advice that was stuck to my head, never try never know. yea. this is just the thing i need to hear. went to the nearby mountain rest house. it was so freaking cold. to bath was a toture rather than an enjoyment, especially the period when i have to get dress. at night slept with my beanie, 2 layers of top and pants and woolen socks.

6th day
couldn't climb the mountain but i met a tour guide at the mountain rest house. she offers me to join the tour group at just a price of 50rm! and yup. a solo traveler swelling up to a group of 13 domestic traveler!

7th day
last day. and the two of the malaysian treated me and the tour guide to a sumptuous seafood dinner! yum yum! 10 dishes. almost exploded~ i went back to the hostel, wanting to chat with the auntie. but then, i couldn't recover the magical feeling back then. led me thinking. can people with benefits issue between them really be friends? will they, the service or goods provider put on a friendly facade just so as to be after more money? sometimes it will feel better to be not too close to business-minded people as we probably couldn't get any genuine feelings from them. in the end, we not only pay in cash but in feelings too. then again, does it really matters to find true, lasting friendship on the road as it is probably the allure of its brevity that makes it so memorable. just like the fireworks. the serendipity is probably that concoct the magic. at the end, what stays is the growth of an individual that emerges after undergoing all those experiences, wrenching incident and joyous occasion. the moments of pure beauty and optimism. lesson learn, not to repeat the stuff as it kills the wondrous picture instead.

seems like when you travel and you carry with yourself a positive aura, people around you will be there to help you. just got to ask and hope for it. well, i think it pretty much apply to anything.

reliving childhood

cycling in the storm, i probably look crazy. drenched, soaked to the very last fiber of my clothes. the water lashed at me, fighting for a foothold on my glasses, clouding my vision. gravitational force in cahoots with those angled slope. still, these obstacles lie effectively harmlessly and this moment feels so liberating.

don't worry even if i am always getting lost. believe me that i'm on my way now.

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cycled from tampines to japanese cemetery~ whee!

oh, what a stupid thing to do

the buckles snap tight around my calves. through the grills, one could see that it is not going to rain, not today. i have to leave the comfort of the cooling indoor air and battle the sweltering heat. yet there is anticipation as i lock my gaze at the furthest end of the road that the window would permit me to see. i push myself away from the sofa, feeling at least two inches taller. gliding towards the door - on the way, i pick up the bottle that would be so essential in building up my defence in this battle with the heat - i fumble through the set of keys to find the exact one that fit into the keyhole. stepping out, the uninviting heat pervades my body as i felt the drastic change of temperature of the environment.

we persevere on through the heat, feeling the perspiration on our forehead and back. the element of thrill is overpowering the need for shelter. soon, we reach a straight slope, in which i believe i could conquer it. (slope is actually easy, there's just certain risks involved) cautiously, i roll myself off the safe edge and down the slope. i started to pick up speed. increasingly, the only thing i could control was the direction. there is no way i could control the speed. just like a rolling snowball, i just kept going, faster and faster. greater and greater i become.

it is at least 4/5 down the slope and all is smooth (as i said, going downslope is actually easy) till i spot 2 construction workers standing at the mouth of the small road?/carpark?. instinctively, i know i have to stop immediately, before i reach the place and some monster truck turn in or come out from the road and squash me flat. split second decision, there is no luxury of time to be speculating about how my body will be minced under the truck. i couldn't have slow to a safe speed before i reach the road as i am going too fast. i could have fell face flat on the ground and knocked my teeth out if i try.

however i manage, equipped with my critical thinking and observant skills - within a snap of finger - to stop my roll down the slope. flat down on the floor i become. i have use the gravitational force of the fence, that stood ridiculously unaffected over me, to stop my roll, just like how a snow ball disintegrate when they collide into a tree. using the softness of the banner to absorb some of the shock. the residue impact of the collision has sent me flying off and rolling on the floor. the bottle of water flew from my hand and synchronize its roll on the grass with me on the concrete surface. the duet. thanks to my speedy reaction, now i have got a cluster of bruise (around 7) on my left thigh, bleeding right knee and scraped right elbow.

so what they say is true. 厉害就好，不要假厉害。

u call this a study break?

hectic week. 4 days of steamboat. from eve to the third day of CNY.
third day went to museum.
fourth day went to SPCA in the morning and after that zoo for interview. and yes! i got in.
fifth day, which is today went to SPCA again. volunteers over there are really cool~ fun to talk to. and thurs SPCA is not open to visitors so we spend our time slacking around. but the staff over there disapprove of our resting strategy thus she find more work for us and chase us away at 1. theres additional family members, kittens!! so adorable (: somebody please adopt them. don't let them grow old in SPCA. not saying that it is not a great place. in fact, lots of people are there to care for and love them. but admit it, it is stifling to be living in a cage, behind those bars. cats are meant to wander around. you can never guess how much one heart cringes when you see them just staring out to the open field opposite SPCA. you know they want to get out but couldn't do much except to hope that some other kind and responsible soul will pick them up. on the way home, saw a group of boys bullying my fav cat. damn them. they should be so grateful that i only tell them to stop bullying the cat. of course they ran off. kids like that could only bully the trusting and defenceless. anybody bigger than them or with more authority or more assertive, they are scared, frightened like a wet kitten, without the scratches and bite of course. they don't even dare.
alright, got to study, haven't been studying. i haven't even touch the book yet. such a spoiler.

ok. not my usual kind of post. but my brain cells are sleeping now. been waking up at 6 these 2 days.

can i sleep?

Preserving the Body

" The aim of mummification was not to preserve a person's body as it had been in life, but to create a new body that could last for eternity. The body was taken to the ibu or Tent of Purification, to be washed in a solution of natron in water to delay decomposition. Embalming took place at or near the tomb. First, the internal organs were removed. The brain was extracted via nose and discarded. Other organs were removed through an incision in the left flank and set aside; often these were interred separately in special Canopic containers. The heart remained, as it would be important in the judgment of the dead before the gods. The body was then dried out by filling the torso with bags of natron and by covering the entire body with loose natron for 35 to 40 days.

After drying the skull and chest cavities were filled. During the 21st Dynasty, the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were replaced inside the body, wrapped in separate linen packages. As the body would have lost virtually all its fat, leaving the skin loose and wrinkled, sand, linen or mud might be inserted under the skin to restore the shrunken features.

Resin was applied to the surface of the body to exclude moisture and perhaps confer divine status on the dead. Before wrapping artificial eyes, finger and toe covers of gold or silver were put on. During the wrapping, amulets, jewellery and sometimes a rolled funerary papyrus were placed on the body. As the mummy was wrapped in linen cloth, prayers and magical spells were recited."

-- Eygptian exihibition

go wing GO!

hate the crowd. competition for space in the shopping centre and worse, the suffocating shops whereby moving is of the equivalent to a crawl. if not for a pair of heels. bruuu. make me feel like
TREKKING!!

ok. no link. but lots of places that i want to go:
- Egyptian exhibit at singapore museum
- japanese cemetery
- abandoned mitre hotel
- soong's sister house
- dairy farm circuit
- woodcutter trail
- army market

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if it has been nothing, you wouldn't be screaming.
suppose this is all so important, why do i turn away?

an eventful day(:

maybe will edit this post. too raw. all over the place. maybe, maybe not. but for now, just some points i noted throughout the day with my dear girls:D

blood donation drive - talk to a 65 year old uncle there. a regular donor, 4 times a year, thats once every 3 weeks. (the shortest possible time span in between blood donation). salute him. he mention that the age limit use to be 60. but since retirement increase to 65, blood donation has to follow the trend too. humorous (:

kuku ulu place in eunos - buy perfume. (of cos it is not for me) realize my nose is not really good at differentiating the scent. they all smell similar to me. oh well, for somebody who loves the "natural" smell, thats not suprising :X

from kuku ulu place to bugis - have a weird encounter. an old auntie suddenly break into a tirade scolding the china people about how they are taking up space and job vacancies in singapore and how this result in jobless singaporeans. honestly, i don't get why she discriminate them like that. since they are here we should make them feel at home. even if you don't welcome them, don't spat on them in public. it just goes to show how narrow-minded you are. as human, we should help each other instead of segregating them base on colour or origin. and yes, i did nothing to stop the tirade. i ashamed of my bystander behaviour but sometimes i just can't help it.

at bugis chapter 2 - went to cut my hair. the result initially wasn't what i expected. it kind of look like the hair gotten from kimage (oh, spare me from the 3 hours). i seek the opinion from my friend by asking her directly if it looks similar. haha, i only realize how awkward it might be for the hairdresser afterward honestly! he is very paiseh from that. maybe i apologise if i ever see him on the street. maybe. but he is so so so cute when he is paiseh. haha. cannot resist guys who are blushing (not those red red blushing but i don't know the word, or is it embarrassed? maybe). just so cute. he is a japanese too, i guess, if the name on the name card is his actual name. add points. but so soft spoken he almost inaudible especially in such a noisy environment, the hair dryers. he cut my hair like his except for the long right part which he simply refuse to cut! only realize that after he style my hair. (probably better if he cut exactly the same) i wonder if that is a trend? lol. cause my friend told me that the other day when she was there, another hairstylist gave 2 of his customers a haircut exactly like his. anyway back to my hair. it is only after i kept looking at the mirror did i realize it is different and i like it (: is actually feeling guilty for treating the hairdresser like that. but if not i can't see the hairdresser paiseh =X haha. thats actually important ok. it is what make him from cute to attractive :D ok. i am weird.fine. and i shall stop making myself seem like i swooning over some random guy. i not ok. NOT. maybe a bit. but that is pretty rare. haha.

thats why i like to go out even if i am alone. you get to see people with all kind of behaviours (:

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the oasis is meant for us. far they may seem but never once out of reach. cause where our eyes could take us, our body can. that is, if you can still see.
now now now, for my "to save 800 per month." is that really possible? have to be, cause i really need to go. i hope, please give me a yes.

walking the street

when i walk,
i am going to nowhere cause i have no idea where i am heading.
then again i am going somewhere cause every place i ve been have a name.
which also means i am going everywhere, cause my leg just don't stop anywhere.

thats why i love to walk for the sake of walking. i could be at 3 places, nowhere, somewhere, everywhere, anytime, anyday.

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current record.
tampines-simei
pasir ris-tampines
around bugis
raffles place-city hall-bugis-lavender-kallang-kolam ayer cc
kallang-boon keng mrt station-farrer park mrt station
orchard-river valley road-somerset-dhoby ghaut-la salle-little india

ok. i know its lame.

resolution 01b

just some pictures i took when i was sorting out my cupboard.


crazy. maybe. random. yes. stitch is cute. definitely!

and my oldest stitch.
i wonder if you still remember? feel so stuck in time.

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i am like turning into some old ah ma who always think once upon a nong nong time.

2 days of sheer joy

volunteer at CDAC over the weekend. i was lucky to get posted to the haircut section, where i get to play with kids instead of doing saikang like most of the ppl out there (:

DAY 1

kids

nowadays, kids are way different. i know its normal for this changing trend but it still is a bit shocking. the generation gap. must be getting on age. one even confessed that he always scold vulgarities due to influence. not cool ya. sec 1. i would say kids scolding profanities is a norm back in my old days but they don't take that much pride into making it a conversation topic right? so similar to one of my juniors.

one of them is so mature, his speech, the way he asked questions. i wonder how do kids these days grow up?

a hairstylist brought her son over. initially, he was so dormant, not like what a kid should be. i started playing with him and guess what, he transformed into a humanoid-version of tigger. bounces, hops, shrieks, squeals, scuffling of shoes, well, basically the traits of a boisterous kid. even played mini catching around the building till he ran into the rain. no good for the kid to be in the rain though i really love it. i don't want to be responsible for making him ill. oh yea, he really loves to sweep the floor. if only i have that bit in me.

hairdresser
addy, or whatever his name is, the hairstylist cum artist (from monsoon) who keeps appearing on mediacorp show, and his lackey were there too to meet the minister. just to put on a show. their smiles are so "post-it-note" style, those that you could tear off any minute without much hassle.
and there this really cute hairstylist. bonus. ^^ too bad he didn't come for the second day. i was actually looking forward.

DAY 2

kids
i talked to this mischievous boy. he called me a 三八, 八婆. lol. so bad! just because i was harmlessly trying to strike a conversation. though so, he was hilarious. a conversation between him and one of the volunteer.
friend: boy, do you have gf?
boy: choy. (normal reaction) i think you don't have bf also.
friend: why?
boy: cause your hair la. (she highlighted her hair blond) and you so ugly (thats exactly what he says) and you are so young.
and he is with this obedient girl, somebody more reserved. she is really cute. kids, they exude charm seamlessly. she waves to me when i am walking around the event.(haircut service is tucked into a nice corner) it is really a good feeling (:

another hairstylist brought her son over. the one from day 1 isn't here today. he displays a similar character trend as the other one though. quiet initially, playing with his psp. then became playful. kids, there always something in them that wish to play, to have fun. why can't we learn from them? why do we wear a veil or a mask to face this world in an attempt to hide our very own desire (even if its a good one)? whats so hard about having fun right?

he is playing with the paper aeroplane. he flies his aircraft from second floor and it actually lands on somebody head. :D he immediately squat (or run away) so as to stay hidden behind the wall. i was laughing so hard, i hope the lady did not take offense. after which, we went to walk to the mini bazaar, hoping to get some food. (it is really only him) when we reach there, i have to disappoint him by telling him that the food is only for those with the coupons. he doesn't give up, he go straight to the staff and tell the staff he would like to get some food (or something similar). i told the staff that he is actually the hairstylist son and bingo, the staff asked me to get some popcorn through the back. after which, the kid actually went to sheng shiong to get more food. really smart. what more can i say~ throughout the day, we played chopsticks, rhinoceros horn-hand game, pepsi cola, mini wrestling, AEIOU, scissors paper stone cum leg splitting game. besides entertaining the kids, i could proudly claim that i have lighten up the adults there. well, i was just having pure fun but it seems the ppl around are enjoying this whole scene. at the end of the day, the small boy shouted into the loud hailer (personally, i love the loud hailer, one of my instrument for fun too^^) and shocked most of the people (hairstylist and me) around him. i almost jumped out of my seat and a girl who is getting her haircut right in front of me sniggers. lol. to sum it all, everything that happens within the 2 days, it will be, great place. great ppl. great fun.

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maybe i am not so important, maybe you did not get my point.
but i won't stop trying, i won't cease having fun.
you can laugh at me for doing stupid things,
i will laugh with you and i hope,
in the end, you will laugh together with me.

can twilight/new moon get even lamer?

just catch new moon. and it was thumbSSSSS down. i don't even get why so many girls go ga-ga over edward cullen (or maybe robert pattison to be exact), he looks like the chinese opera singer in the show. no offense to the chinese opera singers but it just doesn't work offstage. oh. wait. i think a chinese opera singer looks way better than he does. he just can't pull off the vampire look anymore.
their love story is nothing more than tragedy. i don't see why the story plot make sense. bella is like u leave me, i will die. i going to die for u. go emo. go without friends. do all the reckless (dumbass) thing just to see the illusion of u. edward thinks that its for your own good that i leave you. i want to protect u by leaving u. and if u die when i am away, i will die too. so why not just stay with her instead of this self-sacrificing shit. u think this is very noble. got to make up your mind on whether u want to be with her or leave her.
if edward want to leave her, just leave her for good. so that she can be with jacob. they are so much more better. no emo-ness and they have fun. not forgetting, jacob really hot. not like a piece of sparkling white crap. and bella shut up. you love jacob. why can't you choose, why does the decision maker have to be edward. are you really their pet?
the edwardXbella mini run in the forest in slow motion, looking like they have a very fun time, just look like a cheap imitation of bollywood. oh ya. and they think they can make edward cullen attractive by blowing wind on his face and rolling the film in slow motion. failed attempt. it turns out to be comedy.
cheesy storyline. dying for each other and ended up deciding to live forever with each other. i can't even come out with a worse situation. living with each other FOREVER literally! yea right. they should just die together la. just stop at new moon. why is bella so freaking obsessed with becoming a vampire. cloying love story. puke. u think this is some k drama ar. i didn't pay $10 for this nonsense. why would anybody fall for this plot. its not even consider a fantasy-love story. theres nothing to fantasize about. maybe just the werewolves. they are all so hunky! the only thing else worth watching besides the fighting scene and the comedy (in which u really have to have a low threshold of humour to appreciate it) other than that, its GARBAGE.

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i rather read fairy tales a hundred times than to watch another twilight saga. enough is enough

the feeling of existence

The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

in a swimsuit

venue: downtown east chalet

time: 1900

date: 22 Oct 09

mission: find a way into the room for the hot bath.

dangers to avoid:
- involuntary shivering
- trembling lips
- numb fingers
- freezing of facial features
- acute hunger

equipment:
- goggles (eye)
- swimsuit (body)
- slippers (feet)
- stitch towel cum sarong (accessory 1)

hint:
- stay calm
- call operator for extra keys using dedicated phone in chalet
- if fail or steps given by operator are impractical, lend a phone from stranger
- using the phone, call the person you know as key holder for help
- if all else fail and/or you encounter the dangers as mentioned above, PANIC!! SCREAM!! switch to HYSTERICAL mode!!

lesson learnt: never never never ever go swimming without clothes, towel, soap and shampoo. at least u can change to normal clothes and not suffer from the freezing weather and sticking out like a sore thumb. best is to bring handphone or the key along!!

Macritchie misadventure

alright. i at it again, i went trekking! but this time its more massive, more baffling and so much more ridiculous!!

just an introduction to the trail, i suppose to walk along the terantang trail. upon spotting 3 rocks, i am to divert to the forested "hidden" trail. though the existence was very obvious. and blah blah blah till i find the shinto shrine (shall skip this part cause i never made it there :X)

Part 1: meeting at bishan mrt station
initially i thought i suppose to meet one of my friend. as usual, i was late, and he did not contact me. i thought it was strange since he was usu punctual. so i decided to recheck the msg. to my horror, i had deciphered his msg wrongly. it turns out that he will not be able to make it!! the msg he send was pretty ambiguous and i was too slpy at that time to processed it properly. just to quote an example, he wrote," for now, i now going" when it suppose to be "i not going". so his typo and my mildly dysfunctional brain (at tt point of time) has resulted in my misconception. oh well, i decided to continue heading to the place anyway since i already there. cant be making a wasted trip right? and from what i gather from the net, it seems to be a breeze to find the shinto shrine. BIG mistake. thats was a sign to my misadventure. too bad i didnt pick it up. my adventurous spirit was roaring so loud that all my other senses failed me.

Part 2: starting point at venus drive
i have to admit thats the smoothest part of my journey. finding the start point. so i walk and walk. after a while (like say 5-10 mins.lol), i thought it was pretty boring to follow the trail. nothing could be seen except for trees bushes and people. when i spotted a well-trodden path alongside, i follow my guts walked in. (the compass and map kind of indicated i suppose to walk that way too) and this decision was rewarding! just take a look at the pics. u cant see this along the whole of terantang trail.







the trail kind of stop short around this area. but i dont know what get into me. i was like heck. just walk straight la. and i came to a place with lots of trees~ a relative easy path as the trees kind of far apart (believe me when i say easy was actually an understatment.) and i saw a bird that almost one arm length up close! u wont get to experience that from walking the usual human created trail too.

Part 3: lost!!!
still at the location where i saw the bird. my sight dropped and focused on a group of coconut husk (looks like that to me) that actually took the form of a human shape! i imagined that somebody was actually mummified using coconut husks *erm* and might jump at me as soon as i turn my back upon it. freakish! (ok.. maybe i too paranoid but what do you expect, alone, lost and surrounded by forest even though its bright daylight) i actually turned back when i walked pass it to make sure nothing moved. ok. i know its dumb. after ensuring that i wont be devour in the bright day light by some ancient coconut husk *erm*erm* another problem surfaced. not far from where i stood, there is actually live firing (or maybe blanks) going on. the sound of rifle shot (or whatever firearm they are using) but its not regular. just a few maybe not even 5 shots. so i continue walking where i thought i suppose to walk. (i forgot at which point i actually turn back towards the direction of the terantang trail) and i thought i was saved!! i found a trail. and lots of hearts on the floor!










Part 4: saved?!
so i followed the trail obediently. and though theres still sound of gun shot i figured they wont reach the trail. it suppose to let ppl walk not for some ns training. i turned down slope in a circular direction. i thought i walking in circles since i saw no body else. and a terrible thought surfaced, this might be a round trail that leads to no way! but my faith in the nature reserve trail designer (or watever u call them) stood strong. theres no reason for a circular, abandoned trail that nobody else could find cept for those crazy enough to cross the forest. i saw this tunnel!! relieve, relieve.





from the other end, i could see that there was this guy, crazy hair style and all. due to the badly lited tunnel, i could vaguely see that this seemingly crazy guy is half naked and holding a weapon in one of his hand!! might be a mad killer on the run *squeak* (alright illusion again, then again i have nv doubted my imagination) it turns out that the "weapon" was actually a rod that he used to rub against his head, maybe to stimulate hairgrowth. phew.

Part 5: the gentleman and the damn
at long last, i saw one trustworhty looking guy who was my saviour! i asked him for directions to treetop walk. i had decided to find my destination from there. i followed the directions and i saw signs, signs that i back on the path, "HSBC treetop walk". after a long walk, uphill, downslope, on the road, i spot the 3 rocks!! yes! i finally made it!!





i thought so, but not quite. catastrophe had just fallen.

Part 6: lost again?! BIG TIME
the challenge just started. i trail along the trek. it was easy at first cause many people had previously set on this path. but somehow, i couldnt find the rest of the path. i just stood, and decided to follow my trusty map and compass. head south. forest walk, lots of "unfriendly" thorny plants and trees that grew too "intimately". walk walk walk. forest forest, trees trees, lizards lizards, scratches scratches, entangle entangle, bong bong. BONG BONG?! as u probably had guessed, i near some firing range again. damn, just exactly how much of the forest is being used as firing ground? i walk slightly deviated from "south" away from the gun sound. and i thought i imagined some alarm going off when i walked along that road. but i just conveniently ignored it. i remembered something that sounded like helicopter. am i supposed to hear that? oh well, i just continued not-so-south southwards. and finally i reached a point when a piercing, high pitched alarm sounded. its so irritating, so loud, so much of a warning that it is impossible to ignored. alright this is indication that i had to called it a day and returned with nothing. well, not exactly, i obtained lots of cuts yet again. trekking back wasnt an easy feat either! i couldnt see where i had came from. so i had to start another new route, meaning more scratches. it was tiring and my shirt soaking. (i discovered that the sprain on my left feet has not fully healed yet) finally i saw the "obvious" trek and 3 person!! turned out they have been looking for the shinto shrine too and had just returned from it, and they came out unscathed! walked tgt on the way out, asked a few qns, they are very friendly. got to know they are from this singapore trekkers (google) group. might join them someday. though they are from some trekkers group, they were still quite appalled by the fact i tried to tackle the trek alone! great achievement wing! lol.

i thought working suppose to tone someone down, not unleash and amplify all the "uniqueness" (some of you might plainly refer it to as abnormalities.lol)


sidenote (updates on my normal life)
i have learnt from this and will drag my ns friend along the next time(: yea. u know who i referring to.
wanted #902 for causing bruises on top of the many scratches on my hand. not forgetting u just spoiled my bag used to contain my aikido stuff.
seems like i a natural magnet for criticism (somebody say shit upon seeing my new hairstyle.lol) if this goes on, i might be able to write a book titled, "10,000 innovative ways to ridicule someone" and small letters "and on-going" or "anecdotes on [suaning wing a day keep the blues away]"
will update on my hair issue soon: my not-an-everybody-can-encounter experience with the hairstylist :X
i look like emo who into self-hurt with my new hairstyle, bruises and cuts.

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randomness strike!! (ok i know the rhyming words are not in order and its not even a decent piece. but i dont care, as long as it gets the msg across its consider done)

i shut my heart
with a sturdy lock
made of adamant
pieces of me so strong it won't broke

the key to the lock
which i threw so far
couldnt be seeked
but it will appear cause it has so

yet the finder who as always
i thought to be perfect
threw the key miles away
as an indication of defeat

and now i've learned
to accept the perfection
of my incompletness
arising from the solitariness

Rejuvenating ME(:

finally after 5 long days of cubicle-lisation, its weekend once more!! oh yes, weekend, praise the ingenious person who came up with the 5 day work week. spend the saturday going to places that havent catch my attention till now. they are: armenian church, st andrew cathedral, kampong glam (and the cemetery nearby), former supreme court, fort canning park. i shall let the pictures do the talking though its taken through a bad camera, and an even lousier cameraman (have to admit i not artistically inclined :X)

anyway, going to recce macritchie reservoir on 25 jul, sat, in the morning. want to find the abandoned shinto shrine that lies deep in the forest. (alright maybe not that deep) interested pls drop me a msg. fyi, my definition of recce is exploring the place for the first time and might not be able to stick to the pre-planned route due to human error therefore could end up in some insane place(: (but dont worry, singapore doesnt really have any insane place to speak of in the first place) afterall, whats the fun of living if everything goes according to plan resulting in flat, excessively smooth life without suprises? not forgetting to credit suprises as the optimum opportunity to improve one critical thinking, reaction, stability and ability to stay calm!

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these photos look so much better when they are small.

choo choo trail pics

the pics did not really do any justice to the bridge. wasnt really able to capture the beauty of the bridge and definitely not the "spirit" of the trek(: and obviously none of us is good at taking photos :X


THE BRIDGE!!!


the PROUD recce team!!
i thought they are the ones who wont kill me for this trek no matter what happen (cause of the experience from the previous trek when we walked the wrong direction, i thought i have learned from it and made a good decision by forming the recce team) apparently i am wrong. am i the only one in my social circle thats crazy enough to fall in love with trekking?? somebody tell me i not crazy pls!! though i know i have always been THE unique one. lol


my shoe~ wasnt at it worst. the worst was after the muddy tunnel whereby i looked like i have just planted my whole shoe into elephant dung.


the tired me. although didnt look like it~ but seriously, i look like i just climb out of the dustbin. (for the last leg of the trek, we have to run in the rain to the bus stop. imagine mud+rain+perspiration. u wont even know exactly which is the worst)

anyway, would be more than grateful if anybody wants to give this trek a go. i dont mind showing the way many many many times!!

Life like that!

today is the day that i...
fell, slipped and landed on my butt
was poked, slashed and caked with mud
almost slid downhill

and now sitting at home, i am covered in multiple superficial cuts and extremely exhausted

but today is also the day that i...
recovered from my falls
stood strong against the perils of nature
got in sync with my peaceful side

and yes! all these mean i have made it!!
i have conquered the choo choo track trail that has challenged me last week!!
i have found the abandoned railway track.
by trekking along it, we have reached the abandoned railway bridge.
not forgetting that we have to first go through this mud filled tunnel (it seems more like a hundred elephants have just been shitting in this tunnel. minus the smell that is)

after which, we went to catch a movie, even though i look like i just climbed out from the dustbin :X

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will upload photos soon!! next stop: KRANJI/LIM CHU KANG (: