Hiatus

Yes, I have yet again abandoned this space of mine on dubber-U-dubber-U-dubber-U.  

It seems like, after that last entry, I've lost all inspiration to write.  Well, okay, not that I don't want to write or have nothing to write about (I really have lots to tell!), it's just that I've been too busy...and by the time I finally have the time, my brain tells me her office hours are over.  Duh.

I suppose this blog will be on hiatus for a while. For about a month or so.  

Till then, take care.

India: Impressions of Delhi

I hope you're still excited to know what my recent (ok, not so recent anymore) India trip was like because I still talk and marvel about it to friends and family members up to today, now more than a month since I got back.

I really do not know where to start really because everything happened too fast, but OK, let's start with Delhi, the port of my disembarkation and where my first impression of India is formed.

After approximately five hours of enduring 'incredible India' in the plane itself, we landed at the new swanky Terminal 3 (T3) of Indira Ghandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

T3 was inaugurated on July 3 this year by the Prime Minister of India and is five million square foot making it one of the world's largest terminals, just behind Hong Kong and Bangkok but ahead of Madrid's T4 and Heathrow's T5.   Cleaning and polishing works were ongoing at that time and many kiosk and stores were yet to be opened but ya, it's a world class terminal that you will really enjoy walking in. You will love it. I loved it.

It is so huge and so modern that it was here that my first impression of India was formed and it was a positive one. WOW is all that came out of my mouth as soon as i stepped out of the plane and into the terminal. I mean, hey, honestly, this is more beautiful than our own Kuala Lumpur International Airport!

 And if you get lost or are searching for your check-in counter or the rest rooms, etc, you have this digital information center to assist you.

 

...and this to help you recharge your cellphone battery if you have left your charger at home.

 Restroom/toilets. Nice, huh.

Of course, it is a whole different world altogether once you step out of the terminal building; the adventure begins from here onward, a different impression is formed, and out in the streets is where it all hits you--the sounds, the smell, the poverty, etc.--all at the same time.  But this is exactly why you want to come to India--to learn and experience from all that she truly is: mystical, spiritual and vibrant in every way but also moving and life-changing.

Inside the classic yellow-black taxi

Dusty and busy lanes at Paharganj.

 

The bustling Paharganj area at Arakashan Road, 40 minutes (21km) from the airport on a smooth flowing road - this is where I stayed for the night upon arrival. Many backpackers or travelers from around the world flock to this area because of how well it is mentioned in reputable guidebooks like Lonely lanet and Rough Guides.  To be honest, it is not the best area to stay but Paharganj has a good concentration of hotels for all kinds of budget. You just need to find the right one for you that fits your budget.

 Well, I stayed at Hotel Ajanta.  I picked it because it had a fair amount of good reviews on Tripadvisor and on other travel forums.  Paid Rs1800 (it cost a little more than what I budgeted) for the room.

 

 My room at Hotel Ajanta. Pretty basic, not so clean but it was stay-able. Service was good  and hotel staff were friendly and helpful.  Take advantage of your hotel's complimentary airport/train station pick-up (if they have any and esp. if it is your first time in India and you're arriving late in the evening) but be prepared to pay a small fee (between Rs40-80) for the parking.

 

Cozy restaurant at Hotel Ajanta. I also had my first authentic taste of Indian dishes here. 

Shopping at Janpath Road, New Delhi - one of the best places to get your 'indian' stuff. Bargaining on the price is expected so test your skill here.

Nepalese Market (I think), you can find this place after the Tibetan Market, also in Janpath Road.

Lovely stuff. I went crazy here!

   Little girl who begged us to buy her beads stuff.

Most of the pictures here were taken the day/night i arrived, so there isn't much to tell.  But i did a few more sightseeing in Delhi after returning from the Himalayas and i will share some more pictures with you later.

Meanwhile, let's move along - Manali & Dharamsala are next.

Behind the Scenes: Eat, Pray, Love

Yes, okay, i know i still owe a write up on my India trip. I will get on to it, i promise with all my heart - just that, it's going to take a while. 

Meanwhile, the most awaited movie EAT, PRAY, LOVE, which is based on Elizabeth Gilbert's book and her own true experience, is finally out in the cinemas since a week ago.  I have not gone to watch it - i've only glanced through the book whilst I was in India - but i definitely will this week! I am very excited.  Not because Julia Roberts stars in it--I think she really makes for a wonderful and charming pick for this kind of genre--but it's because the second part of Liz's (Julia) soul-searching journey involved a trip to India, and anything India fascinates me to no end. Talk anything India and all things India to me, I am sure to get all hyped up in ecstasy. :)

Normally, when a person wants to watch a particular movie, he or she will want to watch it with his or her own eyes and not want to know the plot of the movie beforehand or hear  reviews of it from a person who has already watched the movie. Don't spoil the story for me, i would often hear. 

But I am truly the opposite. I like to know everything beforehand. I don't really care if it would spoil my excitement because it doesn't matter to me if it did anyway, i'd still go watch the movie. 

Because I know I will love EPL, i've gone to YouTube to watch some bits and pieces of the movie, the trailer and how the movie was made. Here it is, the making of EPL:

 
Stories of my India trip would be next, I promise.

Incredible India: An unforgettable experience

Excuse me for keeping you waiting for my reviews of my recent India trip. I did initially write something and even published it, but when i read through the entry again, i felt I wasn't really done writing so I changed the entry status back to draft, expecting to continue writing the next few hours after that. But truth is, I never continued from the hour and day i said i would.  I've since gone back to work and slaved myself to the hectic life of a hotelier. 

I've not forgotten to share about my trip and experiences of India, however. So, here i am again, fingers on the keyboard, trying to continue writing so i can finally publish something. 

As there is just so much to tell, I will have to do a series of entries for this India trip alone, and god knows how long it will take me to write, but i hope you'll be patient with me.

So, it's 20 days now since I've returned home from the Subcontinent, that is India. I must admit that being away for almost a month in a mystic land like her has left a profound effect on my soul.  I've never felt so moved, so touched and so inspired in my travels as i have with India.  And now that i'm home, I miss her so much, you've just got no idea! I don't think i could even articulately and accurately describe this incredible experience of India, but i shall try my very best.

When I shared with my friends and colleagues about the amazing experiences I had gone through whilst traveling in India and told them that I'm going back again next year, some reacted with a look of disbelief on their faces and asked, "What's so great about India?" or "Why India?"

"Go there and you'll know," was my simple reply because I felt no one can ever truly understand another person's experience, convictions and passion of India until he or she has been there to experience it first hand. 

"But i don't think i can ever stand the smell, the food and the hygiene there,"  said one. 

"I don't think i can ever be brave enough to go backpacking in India, it sounds so scary!" said another one after hearing of one of my shocking encounters in Varanasi.

You see, not everyone wants to go to India because of some preconceived notion or mindset that he or she has already held--quite often leaning on the unpleasant side of things--about India.  Well, that is perfectly normal and it is okay; it is something that we all do as a result of prior hearing, reading and seeing pictures of/about that place or person. We are very judgmental, which is a very human thing to do.  But what is very amusing is that we all do that without even having been to that place or knowing that person up close.  We close ourselves and narrow our minds. How do you know it is smelly in India? How do you know that the food sucks? How do you know it is so dirty there? How do you know it is a terrible place? How do you know if you're going to be scared traveling in India? Have you actually been there?  By narrowing the lanes of our intellectual mind, we are only limiting the possibility of feeding and enriching it with new perspectives.

I've got to admit that, yes, India is not like the spotless and sparkling Singapore or Hong Kong or New York, it is much the opposite, and to a certain extent, it is true what you've heard or seen about India--positive or negative.  Those with already a negative impression of India will never visit India, or even if they have to because of work, they won't enjoy it no matter what.  But for those with a positive outlook, an open mind and a thirst for enlightenment and enrichment, these are the people that will benefit tremendously in life when they visit India.  I chose to bring with me the latter and i have to say I've certainly gained a lot of life lessons from there.

Here are some things i've learnt about India:

India is where age old beliefs and traditions still prevail as ways of life.  You'll see that almost everywhere you go, there bound to be some rituals going on.

India wakes every part of you, and this you could almost feel as soon as you step out of the airport.  I've never had my sensory all triggered and jolted at the same time, it was madness but exciting.  I had my sensory overloaded right from the start--the incessant honking of vehicles, crazy and dangerous driving, children knocking on car windows asking for baksheesh or crying out 'my chapati', homeless locals lying on the roads (doesn't matter whether it's on dusty roads or muddy pathway), human and animal excrement everywhere, dhaba-wallahs frying samosas that look seemingly all delicious, etc. It was so crazy and overwhelming that I didn't know what to say or think on my first few hours upon arrival. But like i said, it was exciting and i loved how familiar yet foreign things are to me.

India is not a mere destination, it is a place for you to experience and learn something from. Not a place to be trifled about.

India is also one of those places that will make you love and hate all at the same time. 

India is a country that will really challenge you and your mindset, forever. It is a country that is NOT GOING TO ADJUST TO YOU, but that you will have to learn to adjust to, no  matter what and how you feel about it. 

India is a country that will, no matter how bad or worst your experience is, eventually humble you to your knees and accept her as she is.

India is a huge, overpopulated country and is undeniably the most uncomfortable place to travel to, but with all her beauty and mysticism, she can enchant and charm you and sweep you off your feet (depending on how you are enjoying yourself) that when you finally return to your homeland, you'll be finding yourself planning your next trip back. That is what is happening to me right now.

The laws of Karma work visibly in India.  Always think good out of the good and bad. When you travel to India with good intentions in your heart, everything will fall into place nicely.  If you start complaining and make a big fuss out of something trivial, trouble will start to come to you. 

They said anything is possible in India, and that's true, but only if you know what and how to ask for it.  So always be courageous and brave enough to put on extra layers on your face and ASK for what you want. You can even incorporate the word 'possible' in your sentences or conversation with an Indian, and done usually when you want to negotiate  something that is agreeable to your budget.

Lastly, India demands that you always keep your wits about you while traveling. There is no need to fret and get all uptight when your schedule is all mess up or if you feel you are having a tough time getting away from the annoyance of aggressive and cunning touts. There is no need to feel all disgusted at the sights of human and animal excrement and smells of urine.  If you can't keep your wits about you, don't even think of coming to India because India is not about maintaining your comfort zone, but more about teaching you to live and deal with situations that are out of your comfort zone.

Those who have gone and traveled to India and stayed there for many days, weeks or months or even a year, have their stories to tell.  And I have mine.  Go there, experience and make the best out of your trip and come back with your own version of story to tell.  All stories of India are always very fascinating and i hope that in the next few entries i will be able to fascinate you with further stories (with pictures) of my trip.

Till the next entry...

Incredible India!

Just got back from an incredible and amazing journey in the mystic land of India. And now that I'm home, I am actually missing her. Despite of the tough and challenging days in some of the destinations i visited, 20 days of traveling in some random portion of  the subcontinent is just not enough. I want more.  

I have so much stories to tell, so many pictures to show, but it will take some time for me to write and get pictures uploaded here.  Plus, i just don't know where to start!


Meanwhile, here are some (random) teasers from my trip:

New Delhi: Hotel Ajanta in Paharganj (Arakashan Road) - we stayed here on the evening we arrived.  Cost us Rs1800 (excl. tax) per night - not quite a backpacker's budget but i split this cost with my buddy so it wasn't that bad.

 New Delhi: Chaotic and dusty Paharganj area.  Not a good place to form your first impression of India. 

 

 New Delhi: My first taste of authentic Indian dishes. It was yummy!

 New Delhi: Bangles i spotted on the market in Janpath Road.

 

Traffic jam in New Delhi - Taken from inside the HPDTC bus heading to my first destination, Manali.

Stranded high on the Himalayas - there was a landslide ahead that had us waited for about 2 hours.

Manali:  After 17 hours of bus ride through narrow and bumpy roads, we arrived Manali and hopped on to an auto-rickshaw to Old Manali where i stayed for four nights. I love riding on an auto, it always makes me giggle.  Auto-rickshaw ride costs between Rs50-80 to Old Manali from the Mall at New Manali. 

I love Manali for its eclectic and hippie atmosphere.  And for the cool (sometimes chilly) weather.

A pose on the side of the narrow lanes at Vashisht, 3km from Manali.

New Manali: The Mall. Vehicles are prohibited to enter this street. No smoking here, too.

Himalayan Nyingmapa Buddhist Gompa: Turning the Prayer Wheels containing the powerful mantra of Om Mani Padme Hum.

 In the bus to Rohtang Pass, 51 km from Manali.

 Marhi (11,200ft in altitude): En route Rohtang Pass. Stopped for some 'chai' (tea).

 Treacherous roads to Rohtang. We were 7km short of reaching Rohtang pass when the weather turned completely in chaos, we had to turn back as it was getting scarily dangerous.

 Seeing and meeting His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet (in exile) whilst i was in Manali was certainly the best thing that could ever happen to me. I consider myself to be one of the luckiest few to have this rare opportunity.

 And visiting Mcleodganj, Dharamsala where His Holiness resides was real treat to the soul. It was so hard to leave this place after five days of pure relaxation.

 Red Fort in New Delhi. Entrance fees: Rs250 (for non-Indians)

 Jama Masjid in New Delhi. You need to leave your footwear at the entrance. Entrance fees: Rs250 (for non-Indians) and something like Rs30 to retrieve your footwear.

India Gate

Fatehpur Sikri, located some 40kms away from Agra. Entrance fees: Rs250 (for non-Indians)

Taj Mahal in Agra. Despite being all so brown, filthy and exhausted from the long train ride, just being in the Taj Mahal complex has got to be the happiest moment in my life. This is certainly one of my dreams come true.

Varanasi! (the Hindus call it Benares or Banaras or Kashi) This is one of the oldest living cities in the world and Mark Twain once wrote, "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together." 

I'm so glad that i made it to India and got back safely in one piece.  Will write soon.

Song of Hope: My Life is in Your Hands by Kathy Troccoli

I am currently going through a very rough time in my life and realize that no matter what I did to bring things back to normal, it isn't going to be the same. Anymore. I've not given up but i'm not going to try to revive the past any longer either.  I've let go, i've surrendered everything into my Creator's hands.  What i truly need soon is a proper and peaceful closure so i could move on and find the smile in my face and laughter in my soul that once fully describe the person i am.

If you think your life isn't going the way you wanted it to be, listen to this song and let it be your inspiration to keep moving on despite the hardships in your life that you may be facing.

Life can be so good
Life can be so hard
Never knowing what each day
Will bring to where you are
Sometimes I forget
And sometimes I can't see
That whatever comes my way
You'll be with me

My life is in your hands
My heart is in your keeping
I'm never without hope
Not when my future is with you

My life is in your hands
And though I may not see clearly
I will lift my voice and sing
Cause your love does amazing things
Lord, I know, my life is in your hands

Nothing is for sure
Nothing is for keeps
All I know is that your love
Will live eternally
So I will find my way,
And I will find my peace
Knowing that you'll meet my every need

My life is in your hands
My heart is in your keeping
I'm never without hope
Not when my future is with you

My life is in your hands
And though I may not see clearly
I will lift my voice and sing
Cause your love does amazing things
Lord, I know, my life is in your hands

When I'm at my weakest love
You carry me
Then I become my strongest love
In your hands

My life is in your hands
And though I may not see clearly
I will lift my voice and sing
Cause your love does amazing things
Lord, I know, my life is in your hands
I trust you Lord
My life is in your hands

Weekend trip: To Kuching, To RWMF!

Heading for a short weekend trip to Kuching to attend the Rainforest World Music Festival at Sarawak Cultural Village.

Happy weekend!