The Long way home

I can’t say I have not been afraid of coming home and the whole reversed culture shock thing. I have tried to soften my tough landing in reality by visiting my dear friend in Singapore again – after all, I don’t know when will I see her again, from there I travelled to Kuala Lumpur (KL) – just cuz I have not had the chance to be there during my 100days of conquering SEA, and from there I took a flight to Vienna via (dum dum dum dum) Jordan. I would not be myself if I hadn’t had any adventures on the way.

After wonderful goodbye dinner (thank you Kim for organizing it and for being such an amazing friend to me!) and a less wonderful, yet still entertaining goodbye party, I managed to leave Taipei – not without some relief. I admit, I was tired of those 9 months away from everything familiar, living on fried rice and noodle soups. So yes, I finally was going home. But before that, one last quest for a little adventure.

I arrived in Singapore around 2am (sorry dad). I booked a hostel beforehand but I was full of fear that they will simply be closed as they have not answered any of my emails confirming my late arrival. I was right. I knocked at the knobless door several times but all I could get in response was hearing someone approaching the door just to turn the key and lock it even mire secure. Awesome! Fortunately, my friend booked the hostel I stayed at previously ‘just in case’. On the bright side, I knew I had a place to stay, on the dark one – I did not remember the address. I took a cab and asked to be taken to Little India. The driver insisted that I told him the street name instead of driving around until I recognized where I am, but was deaf to my explanations that I simply did not know. That was a bit stressful but I made it! Safe and sound.

Singapore was as amazing as last time, and even though I did not meat such cool and crazy people as last time, I discovered a great Tapas place (Little India), which has a rooftop and a décor that reminded me of Portugal nights. Well, maybe it was the Sangria. Anyways -awesome place worth visiting. I also asked my friend to take me to an Indian restaurant as I have never had Indian food before, and she’s of Indian origin. We went to “Banana Leaf”. OMG was the service slow. The food – yeah not my favorite, but not too bad on the whole. The only little turnoff was some people eating with their hands. I admire the dexterity when eating rice, after all that’s one of the reasons why India is such a good outsourcing destination – because cheap labor often involves dexterity, which the nation possesses thanks to the eating habits. These are the words of one of my professors from Taiwan.

Other than that, I have visited places that I hadn’t had the chance to check out last time – Arab street, Chinatown and Santosa island. Santosa was somewhat disappointing, but I guess I had my standards set after Philippines and Thailand. The mosque on Arab street is definitely worth seeing and Chinatawn, well I lived in one for the past couple months so not so exciting. Also visited old places like Esplande and the Marina Bay area – beautiful as always and a must see. I tried looking for the famous Raffles Hotel, but void of my travel guide I did not know where it actually is. Trying to think logically I took the MRT to ‘Raffles Place’ – only to discover full of skyscrapers financial district. Only later did I learn that MRT stops have little to do with the places they are named after. Surprise!

Another adventure awaited me in KL. I followed the instructions on how to get to the hostel only to get lost at the MRT station, taking the wrong alley according to one lady’s advice and ending up circling the place for about 1 hour only to arrive at the sealed door. Fantastic!- I thought – Another closed hostel. Only this time I didn’t know anyone in the city and I had no alternative accommodation. Fortunately my phone miraculously worked and I was able to call the hostel. It turned out this was the old entrance and all I had to do was to go around the corner. I stayed at “Te Travel Hub” run by this amazing woman and her daughters. They gave me a free welcome coke to cool down my nerves and allowed to check in at 9am. Really sweet people.

KL was a really pretty city. It reminded me what it means to walk a lot. The architecture was not like anywhere else in SEA – a meeting point between Middle and Far East. Splendid!! I spent there 3 days and in that time I have seen most of the ‘must see’s’. The night visit at the rooftop “Luna Bar” of a hotel right next to the KL Tower and with a great view on Petronas Towers was the cherry on top of my Asia trip. Although I have never had more expensive drink, ever. Other than that, I must concur with my fellow backpackers, that KL is not the most exciting place. One observation, shopping malls here and in Singapore are humongous!! It is a consumerism in pure nature.

Also, naturally I was intrigued by the Muslim culture and the way women dress. I tried to be respectful and wear longer pants and at least a tshirt to cover my shoulders even though the heat was unbearable, but seeing Asians wearing very short shorts and very revealing tops I was at least frustrated. As to Muslim women, I categorized their outfit into 4 levels of hardcoreness. Level 1: regular clothing, but hair covered. Female police officers had to have their hair covered as well, whether they liked it or not (apparently that’s the law). Level 2: Apart from having their head covered, usually in some flowery higab, they were also wearing matching outfit (dress, gown – no idea how to call it). Level 3: a black higab with black outfit (yes this one is also matching, but nota bene it is all black and the sun is merciless there). Level 4: is a level 3 enriched in covered face so than you can only see eyes. Respect to those women.

To be continued…

Yeah... I'm whining

How I hate group projects

How I hate group projects and group works! Seriously! When individual performance within group is not evaluated, than there are always free riders, but when it is, group members just waste my time and talk for the sake of talking without a point. Either way, I usually am the person who does most of the work, because I don’t trust others and because my standards are usually higher than everyone else’s. So what that according to Confucians values a good leader has to follow well as well when the reason why I’m being appointed one or I appoint myself for a leader of a group, is that nobody else is capable of organizing the group well; and if I were a follower, I usually believe that my way is better than the appointed leader’s, and I get frustrated that he/she can’t coordinate the other’s work and as a result I will get a worse outcome. Who the hell came up with an idea that group work is such a great thing?! I mean some constructive brainstorming is great but with people who are equally motivated and have something new and important to say, not a bunch of people who want a good grade and just blab their way through the whole thing. I had the best group work and group presentation at the beginning of last semester when everyone was still excited and interested, or on a totally trivial topic of social networks back in Germany. Right now I’m just annoyed. The purpose of the group projects and presentations is to prepare us for the “real world”; and ppl think that because it’s a fake situation one doesn’t have to try hard at all… but how the hell do they wanna learn?! UGH!

Next chapter

I've just realized I miss writing, so I decided to extend this blog at least as long as I stay in Asia. Since I have Uni here and verious extracurricular activities ;) the posts won't be too regular - not that they ever were.

SO, I'm back to Taipei, 2 weeks into semester. The place is exactly as I remember it, half of my friends are gone, but the other half remains - that makes me really happy :) Since I never got the chance to integrate with the new exchange people, it's the old buddies I hang out with.

My first classes were more of a joke with hiphop music as an intro than Master's class... I dropped it. Since my grades don't transfer, I am taking only those courses that I find interesting or profitable in any way. No more bullshiting and enduring teachers who don't challenge me. Not that you can actually have any here but, I learned that much last semester, but with enough self motivation and effort there's great eal one can learn from the stories or exaples that professors give or simply from the library. And we do have an awesome library here. So, here's the plan for the new semester: tone down on social life, tune up the studies and chinese, stop buying cheap taiwaneese shoes that fall apart after second use, start jogging and get the most travelling that time allows. These might sound simple but why are they so difficult to implement?

The worst thing that I have to face is the cultural difference. You;d say that I should already be accustomed to the chinese way of living and doing things. That may be so, but that doesn't mean I like it. Actually the other day when I lost my nerve that I created the whole page of my annoyances... sorry, it won't be public - too mean. It doesn't mean I don't like the Taiwanese! The cultural difference is just so big that there are bound to be clashes and as long as such lists are never published world peace is safe.(I guess Gadaffi's lists went on to WikiLeaks).

Btw, to anyone that might be worried, the tragedies in Taiwan did not affect me. It's astonishing how much this country had to endure in the last few months. Although looking at the news it seems that the world is falling apart everywhere. Who knows maybe the Mayans were right and we only have a year to enjoy this planet ... With this optimistic accent, good night and good luck.

The sum up & the new beginning

I just got back in Taipei. I had no problem getting into the center knowing the city already. I checked into my new room in the I House and it’s time for some thinking.

I left on the 21^st December and came back 6^th March – that is 75 days, if I’m not mistaken, of travelling. I wasn’t sure If I would make it hearing ambiguous reflections from various backpackers. After going through it myself I think that even though it is tough sometimes, backpacking solo is still the best option and I’m glad I did part of my trip this way. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the part when I had a travel buddy!! It was just different. Solo travelling made me meet people, come out to them and that’s a great training for self confidence. If my friends think of me as bubbly and outgoing it’s all trained through travels.

I’ve met quite a few wonderful people, whom I am thankful for advice, support and the great time we had together. Everyone seeded a little idea in me and gave me a new perspective on how to look either at my life, my abilities, my perspectives and myself, which I am very thankful for. I had my crazy moment and my dull moments – no one can ever take away from me either.

I’ve also read more books than I have had for a long time. I travelled with dodgy planes, overcrowded buses, and various sorts of local taxis. I learned how to drive a motorbike, how to bargain hard and sleep in um..not such great conditions. I know now that I packed way too many clothes and left way too little space for clothes I could have bought on the way. I also got really good at tetris-packing. I now have a new view of the many things I possess. I just unpacked the luggage and boxes I left 3 months ago and realized that not only I really don’t need all of this, I also don’t even like half of it any more. I learned I don’t need to be attached to my things – if it’s become a burden, it’s ok to leave it behind.

And the most important thing, I know now that there are quite a lot of people like me – those who don’t want to settle in one place and live a normal, ordinary life. There are a lot of women out there who are happy not being housewives, not having kids, not even liking kids and living their lives the way they want to. There are tons of people who choose to live abroad, far away from their home countries, and don’t feel regret. I realized that my options are not as restricted as I’ve always thought. Actually, the world is my oyster – I can choose to settle, or not, anywhere I want. The formalities can always be dealt with if one has enough conviction and motivation. I think I even started to value my time more – I mean why would I spend a month, a semester or a year doing something I really don’t like nor do I consider it beneficial in any way ?! It’s definitely time to start thinking outside of the box!

Doing it solo

I’ve always been a fan of travelling solo – you get to decide your own ways, what you do, where you stay and you meet a lot more people. If you get tired of your travel buddies, you can always change your company without much explanation or guilt. You can either share the expenses and live with people you just met or if you feel like being alone for a while, you can do that too. However, there are moments in traveller’s life that company is much appreciated but non-existent – like illness. There is no one to bring you food or hot tea or say it’s high time to go to the doctor. It happened to me at the supposed end of my stay in Ko Phangan, that my travel buddies left and because I didn’t feel 100%, I decided to rest and stay one more night. One night turned out to be 5 nights at a local clinic with IV almost permanently attached. Damn nasty throat infection and a week of my life is gone. I wouldn’t mind being ill in paradise as long as I could enjoy the sun, the beach and some company but I was stuck in one room. Can’t complain about conditions: DVD at my disposal, free internet, food delivered from a restaurant next door and nurses and doctors at my disposal (after full moon I happened to be the only patient). It was fun during the first two days when I could rest and do absolutely nothing, but soon I’ve watched all the movies, got bored with internet and had no appetite for any food whatsoever. Moreover my visa was running out and I seemed to need more and more antibiotics each day – not the most cheerful situation. If it wasn’t for the staff that kept me company, cheered me up, helped with the visa extension I finally recovered enough to go on. I got my farewell drugs pack and left for Krabi town, where I am at the very moment. I wish I could stay longer or visit more of the west coast, but time’s ticking. I have already extended my stay in SEA for a week just to meet up with my friend in Singapore, where I’m flying tomorrow (love the cheap airlines!). And yet again, I have to say: next time dear Phuket, Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta!! Next time will I explore you and Malaysia ;] Too bad, but I hear it’s already too late to experience these regions as a traveller. Now you can only do it the sheep herd style – with expensive package holidays together with the honeymooners. Since when did people start to invade these wonderful corners of the world?! I mean, I’ve always encouraged everyone to travel as much as they can, but seriously, this is not the way to do it!! Thailand became too westernized and too touristy. Package holidays destroyed backpackers’ paradise… Being educated by various Business Schools, having been fed with “globalization is good for world economy” I find myself thinking “maybe it is, but it makes the world a boring place full of morons without identity”. So, before you get out there into the unknown, please think how you do it first and travel responsibly, so that the exotic parts of this world remain exotic and exciting.

Full Moon craze

First of all, I apologize for the long silence. It seems like too much of a waste of time to be occupied with writing when you’re having fun with lovely people. It was usually either due to too much to do or no internet or worse: no free internet. With that said, let’s continue my journey.

When we finally reached the port, I was stunned. The views were absolutely jaw-dropping. Turquoise sea, beach, palm trees… Boradise all over again YEY!! Ferry ride was cool too, most of which I’ve spent on the sun deck in my new bikini.

My enthusiasm soon wore off when there weren’t any touts offering accommodation and anywhere I asked was full. Damned tourists and the full moon party!!!! With the help of locals I found a decent place to stay at least till after the full moon party, than rented a scooter and begun exploring. I must admit that driving on the “wrong” side is quite uncomfortable, especially when the road is curvy and hilly and It’s my 5^th(?) time on a motorbike. I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t get lost in the first place. Wanting to visit the east coast with supposedly beautiful beaches I found myself driving through the jungle (as pretty as it was), but with no sight of a beachfront. It must have been around 1,5hour that I finally reached the coast and could chill, sunbake and talk to locals. Finally!! Do I have to mention that the beach had white sand, was pretty much empty, the water was warm and crystal clear and scenery picturesque?Nah, I'm not gonna say that, don't want to annoy my precious readers stuck somewhere in cold countries stuck with their warm blankets, tea with honey and winter jackets :p

Only one thing spoilt that day. On the way back, because of sun overdose mixed with road side confusion, I had a tiny accident on my bike. Nothing major, it just fell on the side when I too suddenly turned on sandy ground. I got a few scratches on my body and alas, on my motorbike – that was a costly adventure, but I decided to try and act innocent in front of the rental guy.

The next day my buddy from Lao arrived with another guy (whom he met on the ferry – lol) and I’ve let them stay with me, since the chance of finding any accommodation on the night of Full Moon was a mission impossible. I found out later that people were paying nearly as much as me but were sleeping on hammocks outside the bungalows. I enjoyed having some company finally and we all went to check out what the whole fuss about the Full Moon was about.

I have to admit, if Vang Vieng was crazy, this place was absolutely insane. It looked like every young person (young physically or mentally) that was backpacking somewhere in SEA broke off their route just to come to the Full Moon to Ko Phangan. It is true, as someone told me, that if you’re with friends there and you lose them for a split of a second you will not find them till the day after. There was no point of setting up a meeting point either. The day before I’ve met some lovely Indonesian girls from Jakarta so I hang out with them (guys didn’t really want a girl tagging along). It was amazing – the party I mean. The fluorescent (or glo as they called it) tattoos, fire shows, fire skipping ropes (insanely dangerous but fun to watch) and the buckets… again. People there could have been divided into several categories: the Australians (no comment here), those wearing Vang Vieng shirts (already fit in combat), those wearing Full Moon Party shirts (quite fit after pre-parties), and the rest. I got home quite early (comparing to everyone else) so I was able to get up at a reasonable time. One thing I have to say, the beach where it all took place looked disgusting the next day. My friends didn’t get back until early morning so even though I provided breakfast, we still didn’t do anything productive that day – only managed to move out and check into a cool Bungalow Resort with a swimming pool and a cool backpackers’ vibe – perfect place to withstand the weariness of the night before.

The day after me and one of the guys (a Brit) went exploring the island (the other guy – from Chile never made it back before we got up). Wow, that was a real adventure. We were looking for a waterfall and the road that lead there… well there was no actual road, more like a dirt-bike track through the jungle. I had my hear somewhere in my stomach but – the hell with it – it’s adventure time. So I had my adventure when we reached the waterfall. It wasn’t very impressive in the dry season, but that enabled us to climb down to the beach. I’m not the most skilled rock climber so it took me a bit longer than my companion but I finally made it. The beach was very secluded, and I mean really, we were the only people there. Not so impressive though, with rubbish lying around and rocky shore, but the sea was enjoyable – deeper than on the east side of the island so I could swim a bit. When it was time to go back, we found a tiny lane leading up the hill (ugh climbing back up the waterfall was a lost cause). The only problem was that we parked our motorbike on a steep hill and couldn’t make it go up. We were stuck. It took us probably around 2 hours to get the bike up again – no scratch, but I don’t think I’ve had that much exercise in one day with all the pushing and pulling. It’s amazing how my British friend could stay positive. Otherwise I would probably hurt him – yes, I was furious. But we made it all the way back, exhausted. I deserved a decent Thai massage, to which I of course treated myself.

The next day I was already feeling sick so I took it slow and just hang around the pool all day and the rest you already know. The guys left the next day and I went to the clinic and stayed there for a couple of days…. Overall I have mixed feelings about Ko Phangan. It had some amazing views, very pretty blond beaches, but I don’t think I’ll be back any time soon. No hurt feelings, just you know, been there, done that – time to move on. I’m not interested in diving so Ko Tao isn’t really my thing and Ko Samui seems like a place for Samsonite tourists.

One night in Bangkok

Ugh getting up early is definitely not one of my strengths, but I had to catch my flight to Bangkok! It was nice to seat on the plane for the first time since… a month – a nice alternative to stinky buses. I arrived in Bangkok fresh and ready for the day. I checked into the best hostel I’ve stayed in …ever. It was brand new, just opened 2 nights before I got there so the staff was super nice and helpful, the showers were working perfectly and there was no danger of bedbugs – anyone staying in Bangkok I recommend the WE Bangkok hostel!!

The plan for the day turned out to be way too ambitious, especially that after booking my ferry to Ko Phangan for the next day I realized my debit card was missing. I wanted to go shopping but instead had to call my bank and with the little money left on me I bought the most needed item – a bikini. Then realizing I might not have enough money to get the taxi back I had no choice but to walk from Khaosan Rd to the nearest Metro station – that took me only 2 hours :] I learned later that Thai people don’t walk - EVER, under any circumstances. This must be the reason why everyone I asked the way looked at me as if I was a loony. I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t get lost a few times wandering into tiny alleys or industrial areas… that was fun at least at the beginning. Later it was just a pain in the ass especially that most locals outside of touristic areas could not speak English and ignored me conspicuously when I tried asking for directions.

I had no idea, that the last time I was here (wow, nearly 2 months ago!) I left out a very important tourist attraction. So, on the way to the MRT I climbed some more than 300 stairs to reach the “Golden Mountain” – a Buddhist temple with spectacular views over the city. A MUST see!! Sunset from there would be magnificent, but I didn’t have time to linger as I had an appointment with my friends that I met while studying in Canada. Both of the Thai girls already graduated and were working full time. I also met a French girl who was there for her second exchange. Such a funny feeling getting together after all those (2!) years!! Too bad I couldn’t spend more time with them but I had to get up at 5am the next day and was still tired after the 2h walk... Surprise, surprise, my “one night in Bangkok” was very lame.

Right now I’m on the most comfortable bus ever. Since it wasn’t full I got the 5 back seats all to myself and slept like a princess. I’ll be boarding the high speed catamaran very soon to get to Ko Phangan - beach time!!! Time to slow down, and finish the trip with a nice suntan before coming back to cold and rainy Taipei. I still have a little more than a week left :[ so I am not going to think about it and enjoy the time I have left!!

Edit: After spending most of the journey like a princess we stopped to get some more people and I found myself sitting between two significantly overweight and sweaty men. Hah, karma. But I managed to spot a wife/girlfriend of one of them and arrange a swap – ufff.