Singapore

What’s the best thing about traveling? Is it the sights you see? The people you meet? For me it’s the totality of the experience. It’s not what you do, but how you do it that matters.

On the flight to Singapore, one of the things I’ve notice that I never did before was the simple awe that struck me when I saw the clouds. Imagine tufts of cotton with light seemingly emanating from within. I know that the radiance of the clouds is caused by the suns reflections. However, the beauty of the clouds from that vantage point was just majestic. It was as if a bomb was set off and time was set a stand still.

Rolling mounds of pure white only defaced by its own shadows with the radiance of the heavens pouring forth from its very core. As far as my eye could see, just mountains of pure white as if God has given us a glimpse of heaven. Though these reflections of simple perfection seem to solidify grace and beauty, we pass through it with no evidence of disturbance. It was as if perfection can never be touched by us mere humans.

This epiphany of beauty transcends all the beauty that has graced my presence with my feet on the ground. Flying is a high on its own. To reflect on such beauty and serenity leaves one with a sense of peace and tranquility as the plane passes hill by hill of subtle perfection.

What has been the most memorable part of this trip been thus far? The trip getting to my destination. Like I said, it’s not about the people you meet or the things you do. It’s the way you experience things that matter. The best thing about it was the mere simplicity of enjoying what is around us. Somehow, the most mundane act of looking out the window can throw into action a world of possibilities. Let your imagination take the trip with you and I guarantee a lifetime of memories that are like no other.

I’m still in Singapore as I write this and it seems that this trip has yet to show me what else lies in wait. You can’t help but wonder what other beauties lie beyond our reach. This is the question that hangs me by the seat of my chair yet leaves me smiling knowing that I have just experienced a small sliver of such blissful perfection.

What else lies in wait? I can only hope to see more things that inspire such intrepid eloquence. All along I thought that my muse for my recent diatribe of emotions would be by way of a woman. Oh how wrong I have been. There really is more to this life than what we give it credit for. Whatever that may be is up to each of us to find out.

Malaysia

I wait in anticipation as we land, away from the window without any clue. My surroundings remain anonymous to my senses. I grab my bag and walk down the ramp. Finding my way to immigration, I am greeted by a grumpy Malaysian. Not that I wouldn’t be either. Its 1030 in the evening and I’m still at work, I’d surely be grumpy as well. Finally I make my way out the airport. Like any inexperienced tourist I find myself at a loss for actions. The taxis seemed to be taking a queue. I inquire my way around and finally get into a taxi.

Finally, I’m on my way to the hotel. The roads look pretty much like a collage of Metro Manila. One minute I’m in Commonwealth, the next in the districts of Binondo and then in the suburbs of Alabang. All these places holding their own taste of home in bits and pieces within a 20 minute span.

Aah, my hotel at last. I check in and go up to my room. For the first time, I have a hotel room all to my own. However, unlike my previous trips abroad, I don’t have my dad’s wallet to keep me alive. So this time around, I have to be a tad more frugal.

I realize how much the flight to Malaysia has worn me out and my body clamors for some rest. But to my delight I find out that I’m on a smoking floor! Woo – pee – doo! I can smoke! Haha! I finally get myself to bed after a very relaxing warm dip in the bathtub. This bathtub thing has turned into quite a ritual every time I travel.

Sleep calls to me, hence I answer. Oh wait, i need to wake up early the next day. A quick call to the concierge assures me that I will wake up on time for an early start the next day. A quick smoke and slumber takes over soon after.

730 AM. The phone rings just on time for my wake up call. I do my morning thing and start to get ready. This is when I realize the biggest mistake I’ve made thus far. I didn’t bring a belt for my formal clothes. Good thing my shirt was red so the belt kinda matched. Although the belt was meant for casual and not formal wear. But nonetheless, I wear it and make my way out of the hotel. Outside I’m greeted by the Malaysian sun. I breathe in and smile at the prospect of a new day in different country. But first things first, I need my breakfast. Unfortunately, not much choicess lie in wait around the hotel. I end up eating in some Indian diner. BIG EFFIN MISTAKE.

It just so happens that Indians don’t just look dirty, some of them really are. Have they even heard of the concept of hygiene?? I mean who serves you a hard boiled egg with their bare hands? Damn. Good thing the curry was pretty good. So much for my first meal. At the back of my head, I feared only one thing. That my breakfast will agree with my stomach long enough for me to get back to the hotel.

I board a taxi and make my way to my training. Turns out I was half an hour early. First impressions last. Finally some of the other FAE’s from different distributors arrive, including my Malaysian counterpart in Ultro. To my big surprise, I realize I forgot one more thing. In all my excitement to leave, I had forgotten to bring a universal adapter for the laptop, my phone and iPOD charger. ARG!

I survive my training and end it with a fucked up presentation of a demo board that I hurriedly made a day before I left. Shit happens I guess. I finish what I came to do and make my way out. Need to go to the bank and get more money for tomorrow’s check out. I walk for 20 minutes in one direction until I finally land a taxi. I get on and find a bank. HSBC comes into view and I get out. I smile even more as I see that they have the Cirrus / Maestro icons that I very much needed to get my money. I do my thing and proceed. Then as if things can’t go wrong, well, it did. Turns out the money deposited into my account was deposited as a check. Meaning, I needed 3 days for that fucking check to clear. Godammit. I make some calls back home to find a way to pay for my hotel. We figure something out and hope for the best tomorrow morning.

So I catch another taxi and find my way back into the hotel. I take a breather and watch a little TV and finally get myself back into the tub for another relaxing dip. After which I go back down and look for something to eat.

My only beef with Malaysia? I can’t fucking understand their menus! I eventually end up in another Indian diner after walking around for half an hour. And guess what?? The fucking Bombay picked up the chicken I pointed out with hi bare hands. Clap for Mico the genius. I eat anyway, pay and go back to the hotel.

Aaah, finally some more rest. I watch a little TV, do a little accounting of all my expenditures and here I am typing this in sheer boredom. If you ask me how the TV programming here is, well let me put it this way. Would I be writing this if it were any good?