Tag Archives: Travel

On My Mind

A Long Way Home

Leave a comment

Friday marks the end of my school break. I’ll begin my 30ish-hour journey back to Singapore tomorrow evening, land early Sunday afternoon, get my life in order, and head back to work first thing Monday morning. Some of my friends are already back in Singapore, but I really don’t do well with downtime. I’m already getting close to a point of emotional turmoil  so the quicker I get back into my routine, the happier I will be (and the sooner I’ll be rid of the inevitable jet lag).

I’m sure I don’t have to say that it has been wonderful being back in the US for the holidays. Mitch and I made a lot of decisions during the 4 days we spent together in New York City, and the subsequent week or so we spent together in Rochester. I feel much better about the choices we’ve made and about our future, than I did before we sat down in person and talked. Since Mitch and I have so many important discussions over the phone, I often forget the instantaneous communication of body language. In truth, body language makes tough conversations a lot easier. Silence takes on a new meaning. Togetherness matters a lot more when it’s not taken for granted.

While I was home, Mum and I took a quick trip to Montreal to see my grandparents.Seeing one’s grandparents really shouldn’t have to be a special, planned occasion. I’ll see them again over the summer when I’m back in the States, but that’s a long way away. It’s unfortunate that we had to drive for 5 hours (and then back) to make Bubbie and Zaidy dinner, but that pizza with a puff pastry crust was delicious. In some ways, we’re lucky that it’s only a 5-hour drive because it’s easy to do in a day. It’s a distance that I’ve been used to for the last 23 years, but I’ve never grown to like it. More convenient than the distance between Singapore and Rochester, though!

No matter how often I fly back and forth, or how many people I say goodbye to on either end, I’m never completely ready to leave. It was easy to leave Singapore for a 3-week break because everyone was leaving and we’d all be back soon. It wasn’t easy to leave Malaysia last June because it meant saying goodbye to my friends, possibly forever, and it wasn’t easy to leave Rochester in July. I usually find myself somewhat anxious and certainly rather despondent. It makes me reluctant to act and leads me to avoid productivity. For example, I should be collecting various clothing items and putting them in my suitcase, but I’m writing this blog entry instead. I want to get back to my home, friends, and even my job, but I don’t want to leave the family and friends I have here.

It’s a conundrum. Welcome to the fragility of life abroad.

On My Mind

One Day More

4 Comments

And no, I’m not counting down to Star Wars. The much-anticipated film opened in Singapore yesterday with a special premier the day before, so it’s already old news.

ONE DAY MORE UNTIL I AM BACK IN THE US FOR BREAK!

I’m leaving Singapore tonight at 11:20pm (our time) and I will land in New York City’s JFK Airport at 11:15am on Saturday (Eastern Standard Time), which is shortly after midnight Sunday morning Singapore time. Time zones are so convoluted. The fact that a 25-hour travel journey allows me to relive 13 hours of my life essentially means I’ll spend those 25 hours in an actual time warp. Bring it on.

After four days in NYC, I’ll fly up to Rochester where I’ll be until after the new year. All in all, I’ll be in the States for three weeks and I can’t wait. As much as I love Singapore and love traveling and love my friends here, there’s no place like home.

Travel Guide

Travel Guide: Bangkok x2

9 Comments

This is the first in a series of three posts chronicling my October break trip with my dad. You can read my introduction to that trip here and you can read about my first trip to Bangkok here. The destinations that followed, Hanoi and Hoi An, can be found here and here.

Thailand's idea of how to wire a city. I couldn't stop taking pictures of these the first time I was there!
Thailand’s idea of how to wire a city. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of these the first time I was there!

We landed in Bangkok late Friday night and were up at and it early the next morning. Our first stop was Wat Pho, which is a beautiful temple complex. Dad struggled a bit with the heat, but he persevered admirably. My guidebook (Lonely Planet’s Discover Thailand) had a really good walking tour, so we simply followed that. I liked Wat Pho a lot because each temple was different. There were shaded areas throughout the complex, which also made it very pleasant to walk around.

We took as mall water taxi to get to Wat Arun, which is an experience I think everyone should have
We took a small water taxi to get to Wat Arun, which is an experience I think everyone should have.

And then we arrived at Wat Pho:

After a delicious lunch of pad thai, green curry, and Thai iced tea, my Thai favorites, we crossed the street to visit the Grand Palace. Mitch and I were in Bangkok a year ago, as I mentioned, but it was fun to go back and see it all through my dad’s eyes this time. Now that I’m used to certain aspects of life in Asia, and certainly now that I’m used to traveling in Asia, I’ve somewhat lost track of what used to make me uncomfortable or strike me as new or different. I revisited all of that during my weekend in Bangkok with my father.

I did warn Dad that he’d have to don a pair of elephant pants over his shorts to be allowed access to the Grand Palace. He was skeptical, but elephants pants suited him. The Grand Palace itself is only used today for ceremonial functions, but visitors are are restricted to viewing from the outside. The temples on the palace grounds, however, are what make the site spectacular:

No palace is complete without a guard:

Why are silly hats a guard requirement?
Why are silly hats a guard requirement?

The next day we visited the Jim Thompson House, which was a new spot for me. Jim Thompson made his home in Bangkok after years of working in Thailand for the Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner to the CIA. He is responsible for turning Thailand’s silk production into an international industry and his house, which includes a rather impressive collection of Asian art, is now a museum. Photos are only allowed outside of the house:

Jim Thompson House
Jim Thompson House

While I appreciated the guided tour and learning about Thompson’s art collection, which was unlike most art that I’ve seen because I’ve mostly seen art around Europe, I also really enjoyed the views from the house’s windows. They provide an insight into real life in Bangkok. I do expect the scenery was a bit different when Jim Thompson moved into his house, however.

P1050541 P1050542

Finally, I was glad for the opportunity to revisit Chatuchak Weekend Market. We were actually shopping for souvenirs this time and got a lot better at bargaining each time we did it. Learning from mine and Mitch’s past mistakes, Dad and I went to the market hungry and tried some tasty food. Live and learn, right?

The clock tower at Chatuchak Weekend Market. Not only is it iconic, but it's also a useful orientation tool.
The clock tower at Chatuchak Weekend Market. Not only is it iconic, but it’s also a useful orientation tool.
Exterior of Chatuchak Weekend Market. My interiors photos couldn't possible capture the size and scope of this operation, but the exterior should give you an idea of the resourcefulness of many of the vendors.
Exterior of Chatuchak Weekend Market. My interiors photos couldn’t possible capture the size and scope of this operation, but the exterior should give you an idea of the resourcefulness of many of the vendors.

Since I’d been to Bangkok before, I took the fewest number of photos while we were here. We stayed from late Friday night to early Monday morning, which was more than enough. Bangkok is loud, busy, smelly, chaotic, and a wonderful experience. I’ve now been twice and I’m glad; the first time let me see the city and the second time let me take a closer look because I was no longer surprised by what I saw. A very good friend is spending a couple days in Bangkok next month and I can’t wait to hear his thoughts about it!

Tuk tuk

Click here to read about our second stop, Hanoi.