Holidays!!!

Camel Races

2012-01-06T22:57:00.000+04:00

Interesting Facts about Camel Races or Camels

Q: Did you know that the former UAE President, had 14,000 camels and 9,000 staff for the camels!

Q: Can camels race?
A: Of course they can! All animals can race!

Q: What makes camels run fast?
A: Their long legs. They're light and agile!

Q; How many types of racing camels are there?
A: Mainly 3 types: Oman camels, Sudanese camels and Arabian Peninsula camels.

Q: Apart from the UAE and Middle East countries, are camel races held anywhere else?
A: Yes. They're also held annually in Germany and Australia.

Q: Why do camels play such an important role in the Middle East?
A: It's a source of food, transportation, entertainment, and preservation of the Arabic Heritage.

Q: How fast can camels run?
A: They can complete 10km in 18 minutes!

Q: Did you know that there's even a camel beauty contest? Yup yup yup! They do! So, what's the judging criteria?

A: Generally, camel beauty is based on 7 criteria:
i) Size: The bigger the body the better
ii) Length: Long and big lips
iii) Thickness: Legs should be thick
iv) Shape: Pointed face and nose
v) Attractiveness: A long neck
vi) Colour: Shiny and black wool
vii) Connection: Humps should be connected to the thighs
(Latest news! Camel Contest in Abu Dhabi)

Q: How many toes does a camel have in its hoof?
A: Two! (This is how a camel's hoof look like. It's split into two!)

Q: Any advantage for the split hoofs?
A: There is! It helps to stop them from sinking into the sand.

Interesting fact:
In the past, people used to race alongside with camels too!!!
(http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/the-rich-history-of-camel-racing)
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Reference Sites:

1. http://www.dcrc.ae/?p=1
2. http://www.dubaifaqs.com/things-to-do-in-dubai.php
3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8506946.stm
4. http://www.myoasisliving.com/images/pdf/download_emirati_culture.php?
5. http://wanttoknowit.com/what-do-camels-eat/

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2012-01-05T23:23:00.000+04:00

Lately, I've been wandering around town. Somehow, I ended up at one of the universities at Academic City in Dubai. As I walked up the stairs, I stared out of the window and looked around. Lo and behold! All I could see was sand, sand, sand, everywhere I turned! It reminded me so much of my alma mater, that I resolved, if I ever wanted to pursue my Masters, I will definitely do it in the UK.

What was I doing there? Well, I shared with the students on my experience of simulation, how addictive it is. Being students, they have the innate ability to be cynical. They raised their eyebrows, smiled the Johnny Depp way and said, "Yeah, Jean. We think it's addictive too."

Expecting this response, I created a special video about my favourite job - dynamic simulation! Just to entice them into loving simulation, which encompassed 99% of my life for the past 3 years.

The soundtrack is from Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu No.4 in C-Sharp Op.66. Conducting simulation is just like this song. We need to have high imagination, trust our gut, be alert and observant. Above all, we need to be calm and level-headed.

This, is a tribute to all my mentors who taught me that the way to excel in something, is through asking and enjoying the process, each and every step of it. Thank you to all who made it possible! Enjoy!

Fujairah on A Friday

2012-01-04T20:14:00.000+04:00

Among all the Emirates, Fujairah is one of the most hilly areas. It has lots of peaks and valleys. In fact, its name means 'Stone Mountains'. Well, I suppose it looks like Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone Mountains in the US. Having never stepped into such a setting before, I hungrily accepted a spontaneous invitation by a friend to visit Fujairah on a one day trip.

It turned out to be a real surprise. Perhaps, I've been accustomed to the sights in Dubai - tall buildings, shiny surfaces, customized shops catering for every single need. The whole city hums with activities around the clock.

On the contrary, in Fujairah, the land is so barren. Void of greens, people and buildings. Low rise buildings spring up by the roadside; sharp, poky shrubs dot sparsely across the rocky mountains (it still amazes me how is it possible that these are the only plants that manage to survive this terrain); and of course, big, heavy boulder chips resting on the foot of these hills. If I were stationed here, I would probably fade into existence.

Fortunately, the Masafi Friday Market is pretty interesting. It sells all kinds of toys, plants, carpets and fruits! Here, one can't but help but appreciate the presence of bright colours amidst the dull and barren hills.

Well, I shall say no more. Let the pictures speak for themselves.

Typical Fujairah Scenery

Plain Desert

Mountains

Rocks, Boulders and Little Stones

Driving through the Mountains

Masafi Market

Toys!

Date Palm Trees

Nursery!

The only place where you'll see cactus in UAE...

Fruits! Bright red, Fresh Greens and Delightful Oranges!

Flowers - Sunny and Joyful!

Persian Carpets, Kashmir Carpets, Indian Carpets

Al-Madhab Spring Park

Date Palm Tree

Hot Spring!

Al Hail Fort

Donkeys! So cute!!!! Look at their ears!

(Reminds me so much of Donkey in Shrek - the cartoon series)

Remains of the Al-Hail Fort

Road to the Fort

Oasis around the Fort

Signs of Greens = Signs of Life

Mountains all around the Fort

Hut

Age of this fort?

1300 to 300 BC (Iron Age)

It is one thing to read about places, and another to physically walk out, touch its soil, inhale its air and absorb everything around it.

Here, for the first time, I saw little local children playing, creating games on these hills, running effortlessly up and down the rocks. As we stood on the grounds of this fortress, an archaeological site well preserved for four millenniums, it dawned upon me that all that's available here, are just mountains. Everywhere I turn, that's all I see. I, am surrounded by them. It's barren. It's deserted. There's nothing here.

What then, was this fortress used to protect? Who would want to invade these lands?What were the Sheikh's of the Iron Age protecting? Who were they protecting it from? The fortress is not very tall either. It's so hard to spot enemies in this dusty terrain. With limited range of vision, by the time the enemy came, it would have been too late for defence. How did they protect the city? Where exactly was the city?

The questions circle around my head, like eagles flying above the skies. Yet, there are no answers. When I retire, I will be an archaeologist. Dusting grounds, searching for clues, to the questions about origin of humanity, resurfacing stories that have been pushed behind our minds, a long, long time ago.

2012-01-03T22:09:00.000+04:00

Living in Dubai, can sometimes seem like living in a glass castle. At the beck of your call, with the promising sight of dollar bills, you'll have people literally running to serve you hand, foot and mouth (manicure, pedicure and restaurants). There's a high degree of freedom, and a variety of ways to pampering and entertaining oneself. The treatment accorded, is often that commonly reserved for royalty in other parts of the world. For a first timer, this can be shocking. After a while, one becomes accustomed to it. Life is so carpeted here. You'd be forgiven if you think that this, is, heaven.

It is no wonder then, often said that Dubai is the number one place to work for expatriates. One never realizes the truth this phrase holds until one ventures out of Dubai. Anywhere outside Dubai, one is reminded of human race's trials and tribulations. In Turkey, I saw how the economy had taken a turn for the worse. In Fujeirah, I realized that not all cities in the UAE consist of high rise buildings. Along the way to Oman, the land looked really barren, except for the dates plantation. In Tanzania, the simplicity of the locals put us to shame for wanting much more out of life.

Dubai then, is a place for one to forget all of one's troubles. Here, one learns of the many luxuries that can be bought with cash. Yet, at the same time, one easily forgets that it is always the intangible elements that counts. A reassuring word; a heart-warming smile; a tight, loving hug; a song from the soul... In Dubai, seeking for this items seem like a search for a needle in the haystack.

Because, here, most feel as if they're living on borrowed time. We know, we won't be here forever. We know, this is just temporary. We know, it is here, that we can access to parts of the world, we'd never visit, if we weren't based here. It ignites a strong desire in us to visit every country and continent, from Europe, to Africa to Central Asia and of course, Gulf region. It makes us more appreciative of the little things in life. It makes us more open to new ideas and suggestions. It makes us more receptive to new cultures. It transforms us into self-reflective creatures and in many ways, enhance our sense of identity, and strengthens our characters. Here, you get an idea of what it'd be like, if globalization were to take place on every corner of the globe. It is here, one truly lives. That, is why, I love Dubai.

Today, I no longer ask, "What's the meaning of life?" For these are extremely futile attempts. Some, search for eternity, and never find the answers. And what would be gained, by asking these questions? Except to confuse ourselves further?

Instead, I ask, "How shall I live life to the fullest every second?"

For, life is short. It is unpredictable. It is spontaneous. This, is life. Embrace it. Celebrate it and love it. For like an eternal spring of youth, it is temperamental and unpredictable.

2012-01-01T19:23:00.000+04:00

Mambo!

2011-12-16T21:50:00.028+04:00

Many a times, we seek out new challenges. One day, out of boredom, a friend suggested, "Hey! Let's go for a safari trip."

My first response?

"What?! Safari? No way! Nothing there! Only animals! Why would you like to see animals? You can see it in the zoo!"

"It's different. In the safari, the animals are roaming wild and free. Besides, not all animals are in the zoo. You only get to see selected ones. You should see how the animals live, in their natural surroundings, not in the restrictive confined space." my friend persuaded.

Playing along the lines, I asked playfully, "So, where exactly do you plan to go?"

"Well, it's either Kenya or Tanzania."

Suddenly, my ears perked up. Tanzania? Now, that sounds exotic!

Immediately, I looked up my trusty atlas and located Tanzania. Wow! It's right along the equatorial lines, below Kenya, and between South Africa. It's on the east of the African continent. Seldom appears in the newspapers, means it must be relatively safe, compared to Burkina Faso, Congo or Nigeria.

With little effort, I was sold into the idea. I searched about places to visit in Tanzania. Somehow, I ended up with Mikumi and Selous game reserves (more popular locations are Serengetti National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro.)

Picture of Mount Kilimanjaro from the Plane

Vast Plains, Vast Sky...

Picture of Absolute Tranquility, at the Hippo Pond, Mikumi Reserves

Rufiji River - View from our Lodge

Healing Powers and Natural Theraphy

2011-12-15T16:32:00.051+04:00

Tanzania is a beautiful country. It's green, green, green, everywhere you turn. Green hills, green grass, green trees, green insects. Dark green, light green, brownish green. I never knew there were so many shades of greens.

Uluguru Mountains

Green Carpet

At the Temeke market (one of the three markets in this city), one stall usually sold only one item. Some might sell potatoes, another might sell tomatoes. Unlike markets at home, where a vegetable stall would sell all kinds of vegetables, not just one type. Butcheries were usually housed in white tiled buildings, with big chunks of red, bloody meat hanging on hooks and in buckets. Flies hovered almost everywhere, even on dried up rice grains in gunny sacks! Needless to say, I lost my appetite for the next four days. Turning into an overnight vegetarian and fruit lover.

One of the most prominent sight in Tanzania was seeing women and children alike, carrying goods on their heads, stable and balanced. Unlike Asians who typically love light, pastel coloured shirts (in general, not all), most Tanzanians loved donning bright shirts and dresses. Visiting the market was the most bizarre experience indeed.

Yet, it reminds us of poverty at the same time too. That just two continents, separated by one ocean, can be worlds apart, is a phenomena that I still can't quite figure out. At first sight, it reminded me of Jakarta. People walked on streets selling tissue packets, towels, scarves and fruits. In places were transportation was scarce, most people walked for several kilometres a day, from one village to another. Some hitched rides on trucks, but sat on top of it, instead of in it.

In the outskirts, frames of mud huts were made from fragile sticks and branches. Its walls made from balls of dried, rolled up mud from the grounds that they were built on. Pasted like chocolate chips on a cake. With time, some houses became dilapidated and dipped at an angle.

On every house, numbers were painted in faded red paint, large font on the left side of the main door. On the right side, a large, red cross marks its walls. Outside, wells were dug for water source. Elsewhere, water trucks visited villages to provide clean water. Clothe lines consist of a nylon rope, hung from tree to tree, or tree to roof. Termites and their mountains were as tall as the trees beside them. Firewood - used as fuel for cooking. Whenever it was burning, smoke billowed through windows, doors and walls. Windows were just holes in a wall, covered up by clothes, mosquito nets or bricks.

It was nerve wrecking. There's a constant tugging in my heart, "Look. There must be something you can do."

Yet, I'm rendered powerless. Instantly, I came to realize the gravity of the phrase ' a drop in the middle of the ocean'. For, what, can we do to eradicate poverty? With that thought, it made me even more resolute to give the very best at my present job. An individual can sprinkle a little help, here and there. But a corporate organization, can contribute much more.

The Kingdom of Mufasa

2011-12-14T16:38:00.027+04:00

When it comes to animals, I am indifferent. I neither like them, nor dislike them. Coming to Selous Game Reserves (A UNESCO World Heritage site), has increase my understanding of animals, big and small, and perhaps, won my affection for them too. I learnt that animals are usually docile and gentle in nature. Unless, of course, they're hungry, provoked or agitated. Visiting the safari is a great way to get to know them on a closer scale.

On the boat safari, we found out a lot about birds. For every species, we spotted and distinguished at least 3 types of sub-species. For kingfishers alone, there's pied kingfisher, kite kingfisher and great kingfisher. Plus, did you know that kingfishers have varied techniques of catching fishes too? Some hover above the waters before catching the fish. Some perch by the river bends before diving straight into the water.

Where do birds usually build their nests? In the caves? In the trees? In every dark nook and corner? Did you know that the Yellow Weaver's nests are so light that they hang on every blade of grass by the river? Some can even exists alongside in pairs or threes. Such a sight is most common during the breeding season, in the months of October to December. The most interesting fact is that the male yellow weavers turn bright yellow during these months.

We saw hippopotamus soaking in the Rufiji river too! The reason the hippopotamus are often depicted in the waters is because they are perpetually immersed in it. Their skin is so sensitive to heat that they need to cool themselves down in the water for 19 hours a day. They emerge only to scour the surroundings for at least 40-120 kg of food per day. Oh! They're vegetarians by the way. They don't eat meat. Baby hippos get bitten by crocodiles though. When the parents find out though, they'll stomp all the way to where the crocodile is and protect their young.

By the way, animals can really move their ears! Whereas humans' ears seem to be like an ornament that sticks out on both sides of the head, the ears of these animals are very dynamic! They can wriggle their ears and steer them towards the direction of the sound. Just like in the Disney cartoons!

Their tails are extremely useful too! When the impalas get frightened by humans, they hide it between their legs and dash towards the forest. As lions nap on a lazy Sunday afternoon, their tails swish from left to right, chasing away tsetse flies which bite anything that's alive with juicy blood veins. The black tip of a lion's tail, is also a guide for baby lions who hasn't fully gained their sight.

The most fun part of the trip was distinguishing between lions and lionesses, bull and cow, deers and does, cattles and ewes. And of course, male and female giraffes. The patterns of a giraffe differs from one to another, just like a human's fingerprints. But, how do you differentiate between a male and a female giraffe? A hah! This requires skill! All you need to do is, to look at the head of a giraffe. If it has a knob on top of it,, it's a male. If it doesn't, it's a female. Interesting, isn't it?

How about deers? Only male deers/stags have antlers. Plus, they usually roam around in either bachelors or female groups. During breeding season, a single deer can impregnate up to 50 doe-s! Upon which, he has to look after the whole herd of them! If he doesn't, a stronger and younger deer might usurp him and become the leader.

Oh oh! We saw warthogs, swines and wildebeests too! After this trip, my vocabulary on animals improved tremendously. Watching Lion King will take a whole new dimension!

Buffalo's Skeleton, with larva growing on its horns

Hippos soaking in Rufiji River

Galloping Giraffe

Baobab tree - Largest Tree in Africa.

It can grow up to 100cm in circumference, where every metre gained is equivalent to its survival of one century. It has a very interesting story too! Check it out here.

Rains and Relief

2011-12-13T09:02:00.082+04:00

From October to December in Tanzania, it rained almost everyday. In Dubai, wipers were almost thought of as an accessory, a decoration, something that a car ought to have, but its function long forgotten. As soon as it rained though, the guide turned on the wiper. Had it not been for this trip to the reserves, its existence would have wiped off my mind,

In most parts of the world near the Equatorial line, roads are usually wet, even more so in Tanzania. In the suburbs, the roads were unpaved. The ride was muddy and bumpy. Our vehicle got stuck all the time that I learnt how to release it using seat belts, shovels, sticks and strength. Since fuel was scarce, air conditioned was not turned on. Windows were wound down at all times, rain or shine.

On sunny days, it was great, as the winds were cooling and refreshing. On dusty roads, it was a bane, dust coated every inch of our permeating pores. On rainy days, raindrops flew in, mud splashed in. Sometimes, in the mud, you can even see snakes slithering eerily across. Who knows what other creatures lurks in these thick, murky foundations!

After 3 days, I've had enough. Bites were beginning to take a toll on me. I didn't want larvae to grow on my skin, or suffer from high fever, with yellow skin for ten years without any cure. I didn't want to hear lizards clicking their tongues and frogs croaking beside my bed. Or imagining some wild animals roaming around our little hut, hunting some poor, helpless animal. Or hear that victim screaming for help.

On the last day of the trip, I jumped out of bed at 4am, relieved to get back to the cool Dubai with clean, hot water and zero mosquitoes.

Yes! I finally made it back from Africa, alive! Yes! I did it!

Contemplating Strategies

Muddy Roads with Unpredictable Depths

Dolphins and Fjords in Oman

2011-12-12T18:30:00.003+04:00

Ever since I started working offshore in 2006, one of my greatest dreams and desires is to see dolphins. I don't know whether I was teased, or I'm too gullible. People always tell me they spotted dolphins during rig moves and flaring. All I know is light and motion attracts dolphins. It must be true.

So, when I found out, that the neighbouring country, Oman, harboured dolphins, I was excited! Finally! I would get to see dolphins in the open sea too! Eagerly, when the temperature in the Arabian Gulf dropped to 19 degrees Celcius, I booked a ticket to Musandam with 4 friends, just to see them.

And the best part? These dolphins were often spotted around fjords!

"Wait a minute." you might stop me here.

"What are fjords?"

Ahh... in short, a fjord is an interesting geological feature. It consists of a body of fluid, flowing between valleys. My first love with fjords began when I encountered this term, during a geological field trip. Back then, it was hard for me to visualize it. So, I Googled it, and ended up with this website (here). In some of the photos, both sides of the valleys flourished with green grass and trees. During winter, it'd ocassionally be covered in snow too!

Naturally, being in the Arabian Gulf, I can't expect the fjords to be pure, snowy white. But I'd expect it to at least have some greens. So, imagine my surprise, when we arrived at the Musandam fjords, only to find it barren from the peak to the foot of the mountains! Not a single plant, tree or flower in sight! The mountains were brown and dry. Even the rocks crumbled, like dried up biscuits. Had I been assigned to work here, I think I would have cried my heart out.

The land seemed lifeless, save for one or two nearby date plantations, and the immigration at the customs. How could anything possibly survive this harsh terrain?

Yet, human beings are not to be underestimated. We have thrived and survived throughout centuries of natural and man-made disasters. It has only made us stronger and smarter. So, which leaves us with this question, "Why would anybody want to live here?"

Oh. I shouldn't let my wandering mind get the better of me. Back to the story.

Anyhow, despite its barren surface, it surrounding waters are a source of life for aquatic creatures. Here, one spots jelly fish, barracuda, long fishes, short fishes, baby mud fishes, shellfish, sea urchins, plus all those little shells which geologists call gastropods. Which, when buried under thousands of layers of sands, under high pressure, they are compressed and shrinked. Eventually, they become smaller than sand grains, and can only be spotted under a high resolution microscope. Yet, of all creatures, every single one of these animals were present, except for dolphins!

How could it be? Every one whom I've spoken to, mentioned that they've seen dolphins here. Right here in Musandam. Did the travel agent bring us to the right spot? Did he trick us? Were we even in Musandam? Well, for the moment, I'd give them the benefit of doubt and treat it as another reason to return when the sighting of dolphins are a 100% guarantee.

Despite one minor misgiving, I'd say the trip was fantastic. I got to soak my insect infested hands and legs into the salt water, killing those imaginary larvae. Got to dive and swim in the deep blue ocean with invisible dolphins. Rode on the banana boat at top speed, under the hot sun, with a magnificent view of the fjords. Sitting cross legged on a cruise, Emirati style, floating on the waters was a unique experience too! Whiling away the time, chatting about hopes, dreams and impending future.

Ahh... Life, is blissful indeed. What more could one ask for?

Fjords - Imagine a river flowing between the valley

The Barren Mountain

Eroded - Withstanding the Test of Times

Sparkling Waters - Home to Marine Creatures

Limestones - It's pure white! We think it must be really tight, because none of the fluids can permeate through it.

Massive, Magnificent Mountains.

Question: Are these sandstone or limestone?

Layers and layers of mountains, one behind d other...

Exactly how many are there?

Buildings by the Sea...

Christmas in Dubai

2011-12-11T19:47:00.001+04:00

25th December, 2011

After spending most of the UAE public holidays out of Dubai, this Christmas, I decided to utilize it in a different manner - spending it in Dubai.

And so, on Christmas eve, I opened my eyes, body aching from all d swimming in Oman, only to awake to the realization that I'll be all alone here this Christmas! To top it up, the taxi driver didn't even know how to go to the church I wanted to go to! Huhuhu! Depressed, I watched a really comical movie which only made me cry further.

Fortunately, my Filipino colleague invited me to spend Christmas with her! So, I happily hopped to the Christmas party venue.

Apparently, Christmas parties for Filipinos are a major event, just like Chinese New Year. Since most are Catholics, they start celebrating it, 9 days earlier! We have booze, lots of food from morning 'til night. And of course, gift exchange and karaoke too! Plus, they broke spontaneously into song, wishing Jesus Happy Birthday! There's even a song that accompanies the gift exchanging session too! And it goes like this:

I love my Monito (Monita) Yes I do!

I love my Monito (Monita) but I won't tell you!

(Which sounds like the melody of Itsy bitsy spider, climbing up the wall...)

View from my friend's Apartment - Al Barsha Side

View from my friend's Apartment - Jebel Ali Side

Nasi Goreng - Indonesian Style

Malt Drink - Really, really bitter, which makes the food taste even better!

Istanbul - The Cradle of Civilizations

2011-11-06T23:08:00.118+04:00

Quiz: How well do you know Turkey?

(1 Kit Kat for you, for every right answer).

#1: What is the capital of Turkey?

#2: What is the national flower of Turkey?

#3: What's the population of Istanbul?

a) 1-3 Million

b) 5-8 Million

c) 12-15 Million

d) 20-25 Million

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guess what? If somebody were to gave me this quiz last month, I would have scored zero. haha.

Anyway, upon arrival at the Mehmet Arkif Ersoy Park, a middle aged guy trailed me from the entrance to the fountain for a hundred metres, trying to sell me a book about Istanbul. Well, since I came to Istanbul at the spur of the moment (with invitation from 2 lively, cheerful friends), naturally I knew nothing about it. I had every intention to buy the book. Furthermore, the guy had a very unique selling point. He told me, "Ok! You buy this book, I give you postcard, free!" Then he flipped open a stack of postcards, all connected to each other, severed only by a thin perforation line. Wow... pictures of Istanbul flooded my eyes. I couldn't see anything but those glorious pictures! Being fresh and new to the city, I bought the book on the spot. The guy was so happy because I was his first customer. I knew, because his face glowed, and he expressed it verbally! Ahh.. nothing beats brightening a stranger's day!

The next day, I passed by the same place and he tried to sell us the same book! Oh my goodness! I was shocked! I told him, "But I just bought it from you yesterday. And you were so happy I bought it from you too, because I was your first customer!"

The guy replied, "Miss! Do you know how many customers I have every day? I don't remember every face. Come on... buy this book."

Hahaha... I could just smile in response, and began brisk walking. Shaking my head as I sped away.

Oh! Did I mention that the book was pretty costly too? He told me it cost 35, and I assumed it cost 35 Lira. When I proceeded to pay for it, he told me it was in Euros! 35 Euro for a 150 pages book? That's about 90 Lira, which is equivalent to 180 Dirhams or RM 150! Wow! Unbelievable!

Of course, my simple, porous mind couldn't calculate that fast at that particular moment. I was stunned throughout the exchange of money and the book which I wanted so badly, that I paid in a trance. It is as I write this, that I find out how much I paid for the book.

But, I have to admit. The book was pretty informative. It beats having a tour guide anytime, who rattles on without giving an inch of concern whether you're getting what he/she is saying. Whenever we forget some vital information about a certain location, we refer to the book.

For example, when we were lost, we referred to the map in the book, which happened to be in Turkish. So, we just took one look at it, and dismissed it.

When we forgot why we were visiting certain famous tourist locations, we looked it up in the book. There it was. The pictures and the English words! We devoured every single word and digested it from the heart.

The book was also pretty useful too! Especially when we were waiting in line, with about 200 people, queueing up to buy tickets at major site attractions. We flipped diligently through its pages, studied about the places we were going to visit, there and then.

November is a great time to visit Istanbul. It's cold, it's windy and there are leaves falling everywhere. It was sooooo.... romantic, sentimental and nostalgic! Some parts of the park were strikingly beautiful that I unconsciously held my breath in awe. Momentarily, I forgot to breathe. Until I gasped and realize that I had stopped inhaling air. Within seconds, I have been transported to a whole new world.

And so, it is in this state that I travelled throughout Istanbul for four wondrous days. Entranced, enthralled.

Sultan Ahmat Park

Unique Buildings!

Golden Leaves

________________________________________________________
Answer:

#1: Ancara
#2: Tulip
#3: C

________________________________________________________

Roads and Food

2011-11-05T23:43:00.000+04:00

Turkish Salt Crusted Fish

Turkey is a great country to visit. Rich in culture, and a lot of innovation. One of the the things that I am most fascinated with is the tram, which runs on the same road as the cars, vans and taxis! Plus, the road is so narrow, maybe about 3-6 metres! Yet, it can accommodate vehicles from both directions! Amazing!

Turkey also has a very interesting presentation when it comes to food. They love playing with fire, and knocking on clay jars! It makes the food more tasty. You don't even need appetizers for these sort of meals!

Trams on the road... look at the vehicles trailing behind it!

My favourite pomegranate juice! Ooooh... the purplish-red pomegranate!

Look Look! The Innovative Juice Machine! So impressive! It can squeeze a lot of juice out of the pomegranate too! More than the modern juice blending machine!

Fiery Turkish Kebab

Soury Sweet Pierre Loti Apple Tea

Bitter, Rich Turkish Coffee

Turkish Candy. Two words: Sickening Sweet.

Famous Testi Kebab. One word: Delicious!

Constructions for Spiritual Welfare

2011-11-04T23:21:00.000+04:00

History books often tell us that when temples were destroyed in the past, it took ten years or sometimes even a whole generation to rebuild these places of religious worship. In my mind, I could never comprehend the reason for this long completion duration. Why! Nowadays, people construct buildings within three months. It's not a big deal. All you need are some bricks, cement, glass panels and red roof tiles, you're good to go. I thought all buildings of worship were as simple as that.

Thus, the minute I stepped into Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, I knew I could not have been more misguided.

Building the foundation of the church itself is a complicated maze. Housing tombs, chandeliers and wide pathways, required knowledge of precise architecture mathematics. To decorate its interior, artists were contracted to depict scenes from the Bible as accurately as possible. Unlike people who drew murals on the walls today for decoration, people in the past made every effort to ensure that these works of art were used to educate illiterate citizens on the miracles, stories and lessons of the gospel. So, how did they do it?

They chose to use little, minute, 1cm by 1cm, square mosaic pieces, dyed and coloured before placing them together to depict a picture. While we may have thought that the concept of pixels was created only a few decades ago, with the invention of cross-stitch and computers, it actually originated long before our great-great grandparents were born.

Has mankind really advanced much since the passing of our ancestors? In my opinion, not really. In the pursuit of making our lives more convenient, our natural instinct to be creative has been diminished. Nowadays, to understand art, one has to read or talk with the artist to understand the concept. it depends on how well the artist presents his ideas too. In fact, it seems like child's play compared to that of our forefathers. Gone are the days when art could inspire everyone. As if sensing my desperation in expressing myself on this point, a journalist recently ran an article about his opinion on art. To put it simply, he said this, "There is no original art. Each is a copy, a work of plagiarism from one to another. People are simply putting in different pieces, different elements from various works and piecing them together. Originality, died, a long time ago."

To think that religion played such a central role in the Roman and Ottoman Empire, is pretty amazing. They put in their whole heart and soul to ensure that these houses of worship would be more solid and sturdy than their own homes and palaces. They probably did it with a high sense of reverence and accountability. While residences may have been destroyed throughout eqrthquakes, fires, floods and droughts, these main community buildings such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Ephesus Library have stood throughout it all. Wow. God must have been pretty impressed. Perhaps he was touched, and he made sure that these structures stood the test of time. That it was not to be turned into ruins, but stayed on to serve as a reminder of the blood and sacrifices paid by the people, eons and centuries ago.

Stained Glass in the Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque (From entrance of the Hippodrome)

Hagia Sophia

Interior Decoration of Hagia Sophia

Depiction of Mary and Baby Jesus in the middle, with the names of the Prophet Mohamad and his 4 friends on each pillar

Chandeliers hanging low to facilitate better lighting for people reading.

(In the past, these lights had black ostrich eggs boiled with spices and herbs in it, to ward off spiders)

Stained Glass with Ottoman Designs

Observe the carefully placed pieces of mosaic, just like playing jigsaw puzzle

The Two Thousand Lira Book (~ 4000 Dirhams) book that I yearned to buy...

Cruise of A Lifetime!

2011-11-03T23:43:00.050+04:00

This is the first time that I've gone on a journey without a tour guide, no plans, one friend and one stranger. Yet, it turned out to be one of my best trips ever!

Travelling in a threes, is pretty interesting. I discovered along the way that each of us had unspoken distinctive roles. One decided where to go, one decided how to go, another provided information about the places visited (acting as an on-the-spot tour guide). The roles developed as we strolled along sidewalks and kerbs. Throwing endless questions back and forth, like a brain-teasing game, tickling our ribs the whole time!

Since all of us come from different faiths, visiting a place like Istanbul, was an added advantage. It is here, where east meets west, a splendid exemplary model of the integration of Christian and Muslim influenced arts, philosophy and architecture. As they explained about the Islamic faith, model of Mekkah, its umbrellas, I shared with them on my knowledge of the Bible, Jesus, Mary, and the angels on the walls. It was this way, our faith strengthened, our tolerance increased, our understandings deepened.

In KL, I stayed near two mosques. During prayer times, these mosques would compete with one another, reciting the same prayers simultaneously, but unsynchronized. One could not even hear what they were saying, because the loudspeaker from another mosque, overlapped the soundwaves of another.

In Istanbul, they have three mosques, in the same area. Not exactly side by side, but probably separated by just 500 metres. Yet, as they recite their prayers, it is tremendously harmonious. Without looking, you would have thought that the sounds originated from only one mosque. But if you looked up, you'd spot 3 mosques! Apparently, the leaders decided to harmonize these mosques, and decided to assign one alternate verse each. What a brilliant solution! No squabbling, no quarrels, no noise. Just pure melancholic voices reaching out, touching souls, far and wide.

Hence, when we cruised and walked along the Bosphorous Straits, recitation of Quranic verses floated along the shorelines. Our hearts quietened, our minds settled. An unbroken silence precedes and quietly takes over...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scenery along Bosphorous Straits...

Front

Houses on the Hills! Imagine if this were your house...

Asian Side

Asian side

It's one of our national tourist herritage

Golden Horn - Sunset from Cruise

Mosque in the night

The Power of Music

2011-11-02T23:44:00.185+04:00

A trip to Istanbul is incomplete without attending a performance of Turkish dances. As musicians play traditional instruments on stage, lively Turkish dancers wed strangers, throw knives, spears and cart-wheels effortlessly.

The gala performance? A stunning lady in a golden dress, belting out favourite songs of each nation across the globe! The Turkish lady displayed a strong sense of confidence, identifying nationalities of the audience, fluently switching from one lively national favourites to another, without leaving anybody out!

As she sang, scenes of my native home and family rushed back into my memory bank. Her strong voice moved me to tears. I am taken aback. For three months, I have successfully pushed back the dread of destitution in a foreign land. But the moment she sang, all memories resonated within every vein, and every nerve of mine. It reminded me of love that has protectively enveloped me all these years. At that particular moment, I wished my family was with me, enjoying everything for the first time together, just like the old times. Not scattered halfway across the world, not knowing when we'd meet again.

Truly, oldies of the yesteryears will always remain an all time favourite, transcending time, space and generations. The whole room was mesmerized by her strong, melodious voice. As soon as she finished one song, she skated on to another. All of us clapped and danced along. For a while, time stopped ticking. We just couldn't wait to hear which folk song from another country she'd sing next!

As it is, life in the Middle East is filled with strife. News of Syrian revolution, Libya's struggle to liberation, Tunisian uprisings, US occupation in Iraq, Israel fencing lands, Palestine retaliating... fill the pages of local newspapers and TV news slots daily. At the rate this is going, one wonders if 'peace' is a noun or adjective.

Yet, among the audience, we saw Iraqis cheering and singing along; couples in their mid-fifties, waltzing on the dance floor, who probably found the lost spark in their marriage. If only peace processes were this simple.

Peace talks doesn't seem to have much progress when organized across long, rectangular tables. I think United Nations should organize music concerts and performance to unite countries. This 'star' would have been a great peace-maker.

Music, in itself, is a very powerful tool of influence. We don't need negotiators, or peace-makers. We just need music, our lifeline and bloodline.

I once was lost, now am found.

2011-11-01T23:44:00.105+04:00

Being in Turkey, has jerked me back to reality. Life in Dubai, pales in comparison. It is here, how real, normal, people live everyday. Joy, sadness, happiness, hopes and desires reflected in every word and gesture.

The touristy European part of Istanbul reminded me very much of Thailand, where there are people who struggle to make ends meet, so desperate to try to make sales that they take out every trick in the book to entice you to purchase their products. Yet, despite all these, warm, humane emotions are as real as the sun which shines steadfastly every morning.

People greet each other with sincerity; embrace friends and strangers with tight, loving, hugs; smile with a warmth that melts freezing hearts; walk with a gaiety that livens up the streets. With the rhythm of the pedlars, pedestrians, strawberry flavoured shisha permeating your nostrils, you could almost imagine a song springing up any moment. It's spontaneous. This, is what I call - real life.

After living in Dubai for 3 months, I have been accustomed to receptionists who speak so fast like robots, as if they have a memory script engrained in them, or how people always seem to say 'yes' to everything, but they never seem to deliver what you want. What may have seemed surreal initially, now transgresses into reality. It is as if I have been here all this while.

Yet, one can have all the luxuries in the whole wide world, and still feel that something is missing. Something is not quite right. What is it? I've been wondering for the past twelve weeks. I seeked and searched every corner, but I could not pin point the missing element.

Visiting Turkey, I finally know what it is - Connecting to people on a deeper level!

No doubt we do meet up from time to time with mates and colleagues. But after that, we disappear into our cocoons, engaged in a lot of alone time before emerging out in the open again. When Dubai-ans meet, we greet each other with an air of formality, that's hard to dismiss, no matter how much we wish it'd vanish.

And so, I've decided. I will maintain my sanity and humanity by being joyful, caring and giving at all times. Perhaps, I may learn a thing or two about strategic thinking in business, economics and war, but I will stick to my roots, values, principles and beliefs. For without these, we are but empty shells without a soul.

Thank you Turkey, for giving me a reason to live again!

(Before) (After)

My Life: Before and After Istanbul

The Desert

2011-10-31T06:34:00.001+04:00

Of all the paintings that I've seen, artists always depict the desert as a vast area, on flat terrain, filled with sands, one or two cactus plants, a camel and a person walking under the sun. And so, this is the image that sticks in my mind, whenever the word 'desert' is mentioned in any conversation, books or magazines.

It is a very strong image. Growing up on cartoons, art and pictures, it may have been a little distorted. I didn't realize it until I visited the desert recently.

When I first visited the desert, I didn't expect anything great. I mean, what could possibly be so impressive about a desert? Just sand and a few plants. What's so awesome about that? Fjords, mountains and caves are much more captivating than a plot of sand filled plains. Oh well, since I had nothing planned for the weekend, I gave it a shot anyway.

Nevertheless, nature always has its own way of proving someone otherwise in its most gentle mannerisms.

For one, as the little four wheel drive travelled along the desert, I began to realize that the desert is not flat! Can you believe it? It consists of little mounds of hills made from pure sand! Every few metres or so, little mound of hills (called 'dunes'), ranging in the order of one to hundreds of feet, form all over the desert! Suddenly, millions of questions rush through my brains.

"How are deserts formed?"

"Why isn't the desert flat?"

"How can the desert form, just by the sea?"

"If there's sea, there should be rain. So why does it rain only for 3-4 days in a year in Dubai?"

"How were dunes formed?"

"How come there's not a single cactus in sight?"

"Where are the camels?"

Except for the first five questions, all were answered by the tour guide. Apparently, cactus are not the only plants that grow in the desert. In the area we visited, not a single cactus plant was in sight. The only greens that we saw were some thin, stickly, little bushes, like a miniature pine tree which grew haphazardly on the ground. And guess what? These are what camels eat! It's their staple diet.

Camels, as we found out much later, are usually reared as pets. They're not like birds or tigers or dolphins which roam around freely in the wild habitat. Instead, they're more like domestic farm animals, like cows or goats, reared for their meat and milk. In December, during winter, they're registered by their owners to participate in the annual camel race! Around Dubai alone, there are more than five camel race courses! Judging from the number of race courses, one can only guess that it is a very popular sport in the Emirates! And mind you, these race courses are not small. They are real big! Enough to form a residential area and build a world class golf course terrain.

Can you imagine a camel running? Racing side by side with another camel?

Another misconception of mine is that camels don't run. They only walk, like all camels in the movies. They walk alone in the desert, walking towards a destination which only God knows where; or they walk in single file, each herded by their caretaker, with goods between and on both sides of their humps; or with riders on their back, being a main mode of transport for the men of the ancient world. But racing? Who would have thought of that? So, one of my next desire is to watch the camel race at a real racecourse. Having never been to any sort of race, I'd love to watch one right in front of my eyes! Camels, for a start.

In Malaysia, horses which retire from racing are often dragged to the beach for a life that's easier on them. Here, instead of being forced to jump fences and run for their lives, they are just expected to plant their hoofs, one in front of the other, and carry excited little children, who wish to look at the world on a horse's back, higher than they'd ever imagine.

In Dubai, there are camels like that too! I don't know if they used to race once, but these camels certainly endure the heat and quietly follow their herder, carrying adults and children alike, who excitedly snap pictures with them, stroke them and feed them. I must say, it is a much better life than being butchered for their meat, or having their udder constantly pressed for their milk.

And did you know? It's so windy in the desert! Who would have thought that it'd be so cooling? The winds were so strong that I had to push with all my might, just to open the doors of the vehicle! And I thought in the desert, it will be burning hot!

As I stepped down onto the sand, my! oh my! The sands were so soft, that it felt like stepping on silk! So smooth, so fine and so welcoming! Instantly, I fell in love with the desert. Standing there, on the peak of one of the highest dunes, surrounded by nothing but miles and miles and millions of sand dunes, the sight is absolutely breathtaking! With the winds blowing from all four corners, felt as if I could be blown away anytime. Yet, it was a liberating experience. At that particular moment, I could have been swept off my feet by the winds and I would not have minded a single bit.

Standing there, a thought occurred. Being in the desert, is like being in the ocean without water. You can feel the sands beneath the soles of your feet. You can feel the current of the waves, trying to move you, inch by inch. The only difference is, it's dry. You can just feel it.

And did you know that the surface of the sand is not smooth? (The artist always depicts it as smooth, even colour tone). But there are different sizes of sand grains too! They form ripples, just like sands in a channel. From there, one can determine the wind direction. And they contain different colours, in varying shades of brown too!

As we head back towards the city, the sun sets against the backdrop of my new found love. A scene of nomads, prophets and messengers walking in the desert jumps to mind. How did they know where they were heading to? There are no landmarks, no clouds. Nothing. Just a few plants scattered here and there. Save for the sun which rises from the east, and sets in the west. It's amazing how people managed to travel from one destination to another, just by using what they had. Today, we use GPS, and we still get lost! What an irony!

At the end of the journey, I was speechless. Struck by the beauty of this immense, giant land, engulfed in all its quiet magnificence.

Sands made up of varying grain sizes

Sand Dunes... Uneven Terrain

Sand Ripples

'Grazing' Camels

4 wheel drive going down d dunes! Just like a roller-coaster!

Sunset in the desert

Desert Plant

Running on the sands

Footsteps in the desert

Varying Shades of Sand

Well to quench the thirst of weary travellers

The Museum

2011-10-30T22:22:00.001+04:00

There is something about museums. I simply find them fascinating. Especially in Dubai. While in Malaysia, the museums seem to be an endless spoon-feeding of information in glass displays, Here, in the UAE, the museums are so interactive, that the moment you walk in, you will feel as if you've been unconsciously time warped back to few hundred centuries and eons ago.

It is an extremely interesting experience. The museum curators put a tremendous amount of effort into recreating the ambience of the old times, that you can't help but be awed and inspired by everything you see, hear, feel and touch. Kudos to all of them!

In the Dubai museum, they even place sand along the corridor, to stimulate a feeling of being in the desert in the night, looking at stars, the sun and the moon; wax figurines looming at every corner, engrossed in their daily activities (they look very real, so much so that when you see a person sitting on a chair, twitching all of a sudden and standing up, that one would be taken aback, thinking, "Hey! This is alive!", and jump a few steps backwards).

It is also very heartening to see to find out that while construction companies go around building skyrisers and famous landmarks, they ocassionally stumble upon artefacts of great values, and civilizations of the ancient times. Yet, they patiently wait for the archaeologists to carry out their studies, map out the areas, collect the artefacts, before they resume working on that land.

Being an archaeologist, can be pretty fun too! Imagine yourself crawling on all fours, sweeping away sands, grass and dirt with your bare hands/gloves, peering through a microscope, and suddenly you discover a miniature spear, pot and lid! Wow! It's the discovery of the century! It's the answer to your roots, your origins and your identity! Wouldn't you be excited? Had I been born here, I would have aspired to be either an archaeologist or architect. It brings much joy and excitement to the world's little kids and adults alike.

Most people think that museums are boring. They are only for those who have nothing better to do. Indeed, if possible, most avoid museums, or leave it until the last destination on their list of sites to visit. Yet, to me, if one would like to understand the country they are living in, the local culture and tradition, visiting museums are a real eye opener to the people that we interact with daily, to appreciate the transformation of a city that has been through trials and tribulations, just to be on par with the giants of the world.

As I walk through the time capsules of Dubai Museum, I gained a heightened and elevated sense of the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who not only united the seven Emirates, but also walked around the country, hunting, diving and farming with his subjects! It requires a person of true calibre and charisma. One with a vision, who sees and understands the plight and need of his nation.

Today's politicians are a far cry from our early founding fathers. Blinded by the sight of the original goal, today, they've been diverted to other side topics which are of the least concerns of the people. History, indeed, has a lot to teach us. We, on the other hand, still have much to learn.

Merchants, discussing on the trading value of their priceless goods

Real Pearls!

A man diving for pearls!

Decorative button (Look how simple the designs are!) Simplistic, yet captivating!

Miniature arrow heads! Cute, yet dangerous!

Look at this pot! Just imagine how much time and effort the people put into carve these concentric circles around its circumference!

The miniature lid

This is one of the buildings excavated at Jumeirah! Wow! What if a person who did not care about ancient civilizations just bulldozed the whole area? The discovery of this ancient civilization would have been erased from history forever!

The Creek

2011-10-29T22:21:00.000+04:00

When people talk about Dubai, they often describe how beautiful Dubai is, and how, it is an architect's dream playground.

However, in our pursuit of realizing development and advancement of a country, we often forget our humble beginnings, the roots of where we came from. Hence, a visit to Dubai Creek is a must, at least once throughout our stay here, to see, feel and appreciate, how such a simple city evolved into what it is today because of a vision and the blessings of vast resources from Mother Nature.

It is, in this part of the town, where we still see Dhows ferrying goods from all over the world. We see little wooden thatched huts that occupy an area of nine square feet and grey, mud huts built so low, that one could only huddle in it. For the richer ones, they occupy acres of land, with tall, thick walls. On every corner of these walls, are wind towers and watch towers.

As we walk through these parts of the town, a thought occurred. How do the people of the ancient times who lived in this hut , stay dry if it rains? Perhaps, in this part of the world, and a long, long time ago, it never rained! (Is that even remotely possible?)

In one of the wooden huts, there are cushions placed around the three corners of the walls. Under them, a colourful, hand-woven carpet brightens up the whole atmosphere. It looks so inviting that I feel like running in to have a seat. Ahhh... the wonders of simplicity.

It is, in this part of the town, where I truly feel alive. It is here I can feel the winds brushing against my skin; the sun shining brightly, spraying its rays across the lands; and people truly interacting with each other. No electronic gadgets, no glass panels, no uniforms. Each shop is unique, inherited from their fathers and ancestors. Occasionally, we even see a boy in his teens, carrying a tray with six cups of tea, three on the top, three on the bottom, serving it to the individual shop owners. This, is the environment that I was born in. No pretence. Just a pure, caring, loving heart to create a peaceful community. Life has enough trials and tribulations of its own. We don't need to add any more to it.

As I sit in the abra (water taxi), I am relishing every moment. I wish this boat was my holiday getaway destination. Whenever my nerves are knotted up, this is the perfect place to be. The bobbing abra on the gentle waves, calms my excited neurons. Like a child in a cradle, I learn to let go and sway along with the tide. My mind stops thinking altogether. The present appears. The past and the future fade into distance. This world, is so beautiful. The world, is my oyster.

Abra (Dubai's Water Taxi)

Textile Souk

Pigeons! Yes, in Dubai Creek, shop owners throw grains to attract these birds

Isn't it romantic? Notice the couple holding hands, walking in the blazing heat.

Dhows... which carry a wide variety of goods (even TV, made in China)

View from Dubai Creek

Villa

2011-10-28T08:26:00.152+04:00

I used to wonder what it was like, whenever I passed by the numerous brick villas in Dubai. Thus, when I found out that the residence of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum was opened to the public, I was elated!

Before I venture any further, I think that the most proper thing of all would be to introduce Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum. Born at the end of the 19th century, year 1878, he began ruling in 1912. He was simple, religious and a true Arab to the core. He favourite sport was falconry and hunting. Guess what? He owned a date plantation too!

During his reign, the pearl industry thrived and Dubai was established as one of the main ports in the Gulf. He was far-sighted, transforming Dubai into a modern city. He ruled for 46 years, and died the year my parents were born, in 1958. He lived 'til a ripe old age of 80.

Houses were huddled closely, with high population density

Ahhh... Dubai was prosperous, even before the discovery of black gold. But have you ever wondered, how did the city look like before its skyline was dotted with high rise buildings? As I walked through the creek and museums, I learnt about its humble beginnings. It started out like any other cities in all civilizations. It began by the river, where men could easily fish, farm and trade.

At that time, of course, there were rich people and poor people. Rich people or rulers lived in grand houses and large compounds, whereas the commoners or poorer ones lived in wooden huts and palm leave roofs, a vast contrast indeed.

Commoner's Residence

The Sheikh's residence was very grand. Why? Because it was built over a large compound. Consisting of around 1100 square meters (about 12000 sqft), Sheikh Makhtoum's villa consists of 2 floors with a spacious courtyard in the middle. Each room has a living room, bathroom, verandah and summer room.

While the commoner's house was made of wood, the Sheikh's house was constructed from limestone!

As a petroleum engineer, all I know is limestones are they're excellent oil reservoirs! I never thought that in the past, people used limestones with embedded fossils to build their houses too! Wouldn't it dissolve, form holes or caves, staglagtites and staglamites? I guess these chemical and dissolution processes take a long time. By the time these natural structures formed, its occupants would have been long gone.

The Sheikh's house has to be decorated too, to distinguish it from the rest of the other houses. So, here, the house is unique because it has a distinctive floral designs which are extremely geometrical, using only gypsum and charcoal! (My first thought as I read this was: How did the charcoal last for so long? Wouldn't the colour fade? or its tiny particles risk being blown off the surface by strong winds?)

Oh! Have you noticed that both kinds of houses contained tall wind towers too? They're square and hollow, just like chimneys. The only difference is, it brings wind into the house, instead of polluting the air with thick, black smoke puffs. Being more environmental friendly, it sieves out light sand particles, increases ventilation and even removes bird waste!

I used to wonder why a ruler's house ought to be high on the mountains, or taller than anybody else's house. Why? When I stepped out onto the roof, I finally found the answer. It's because, as a ruler, you'd want to see the lands your own, the activities of your people, to enjoy the beauty of your own homeland. What better way than to locate it right in the heart of all activities, and make it the tallest building in the vicinity of hustle and bustle of the town?

Standing on the roof top of Sheikh Makhtoum's house, I realized why kings always want to conquer more lands and have many loyal subjects under them. Imagine if I were the ruler of this land, I would not only want it to prosper, I'd also like to the boundaries of my country to extend far and wide. The more subjects I have, the more taxes I'll get! No wonder people went to wars all the time. You can't blame them. The idea of having more is very addictive.

Today, Dubai is very different from before. Emiratis of the previous generation miss those quiet and peaceful times, when people still experienced face to face interactions, and visited each other physically. (Read all about it here.)

Global Citizenship

2011-10-27T08:27:00.000+04:00

Living in Dubai is absolutely wonderful. Here, we get to mingle with nationalities from all over the world, sometimes even from countries we never knew existed (such as Azerbaijan) or countries which we (or at least 'I') thought was a city of another country (such as Luxembourg).

Most of the time, whenever someone mentions their countries, I'd wonder in silence, 'Umm... where on earth is that?'. After each conversation, I'd rush back to my trusty Google Map and check out the location of countries like Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Syria, Jordan and Palestine and ... ... a whole lot of other superb places!

As much as I love flipping through the newspapers, after getting to know citizens from these countries, I realize that the media often portrays stories that are skewed to one side. They have a high tendency to magnify small, unique, localized events and explode it into stories that are larger than real life. So, to get the real story, I love 'interviewing' my colleagues on their view points. After all, they're speaking from their hearts, and not trying to paint a colourful story because their words are weighed in gold.

So, here's what I learnt thus far:

France - from the French:

Q: Why do blue collared workers always go on strike?

A: The law is too relaxed. People who rob and rape get a jail sentence of only two to three years. Hence, people are not afraid of the law. Besides, most workers work for about 30-40 hours a day. Their salary may be low, but they never realize that if they want pay rise, they'd have to work for longer durations.

Japan - from the Y-Generation:
Q: Why does the Prime Minister of Japan changes every year?
A: In Japan, our leaders are accountable for the problems that occur in our country. So, whenever a major catastrophe happens, we need someone to take the blame and responsibility. Our Prime Minister is indirectly the head of everything. So, naturally he's the one who has to step down.

Q: Is there any impact on such a philosophy?
A: Yes. Because each time we have a new leader, we have new policies. But because they don't stay on long enough, and their policies are revamped when the new person takes over, the policies never really get implemented, so we'll never get to see the results and effectiveness of these frequently revised recommendations. Hence, the Japanese economy is still staying at the same place it was, ten, twenty years ago, not really moving up, and we're all afraid it's gonna get worse at this stage.

Sudan - from North Sudanese:

Q: Is it true that people still practise genocide in North Sudan?

A: This issue of genocide has been going on for a long time. But in reality, it does not happen everyday, nor is it a wide spread event. As you know, Sudan has many tribes. Those who live in the extreme North are nomads. They travel from one place to another. Each place has their own tribe. Sometimes, when one tribe trespasses into another tribe's region, or the member of one tribe falls in love with a member from another tribe, they get into a squabble, quarrel, have a feud and get killed. That's all. The journalists however, like these sort of news and love to blow it out of proportion, making it sound like the tribes or nations are culling one another, when in fact it involves just one or two individuals.

Q: Has the US embargo been lifted since the split between North and South Sudan?

A: Never! It will be there until we agree to let them invest in our country. Everything is about money and resources these days. Would fair trade ever exist? Never. So does the US embargo in Sudan. We must protect the interests of our country, not let it be exploited.

Tunisia - The New Generation:

Q: What's the latest news about Tunisia?

A: Ahh! Have you heard about the latest uprising in Tunisia? Well, before this, it was a socialist country. Now, after we marched and protested in the streets, it has now turned into a democratic country. This weekend, is the first time I am going to vote. I've never, ever voted before, so I can't wait to cast my first ballot. I can't go back all the way to Tunisia. It'd be too expensive. So, I'm going to the Tunisia Embassy and I'll be meeting a lot of Tunisians there too! It's so exciting! Then, next week, I'll be following news of the results closely on the Internet and TV!

Q: So, how do you decide who you'd like to vote for?

A: I read about every candidate, learn their political views, and opinions on various subject matters before deciding who to vote for. I may be far, but thank God for the media and Internet. These are very useful tools in conveying fast information!

Morocco - a Patriot:

Q: Where's the best place to visit in Morroco?

A: Casablanca! You've heard the song? It's the most romantic place on earth! If you want to go for honeymoon, that's the best place!

Algeria - Passionate Nation:

Q: What's famous in Algeria?

A: Ooooh! Algeria is a beautiful country! It has a lot of nice sceneries and it's one of the countries with the most UNESCO World Heritage sites! Give me a call any time, and I'd be glad to bring you around!

Switzerland - Thankful Tourist in Dubai:
Q: Is Switzerland cold now?
A: Yes! It's winter time. Do you like winter? Do you like snow? Do you like skiing? Then, It's the perfect time to visit!

Q: Oh! Does Switzerland have summer time too?
A: Of course! Visiting in summer time, you will find that Switzerland is a beautiful country! The temperature can reach up to 30 degrees Celsius! Just like Dubai!

Yes! I've got a new resolution. I will visit at least 2-3 countries in each region before I return to M'sia!

(Rubs the magic Aladdin lamp)

"Genie, grant my wish!"

Puff! White smoke appears and surrounds my room 'til I cough and splutter.

The Genie laughs gleefully, claps his hand dramatically, thrice and announces, "Done. Your wish has been granted."

Hahahahaha!

What I Love about Living in Dubai

2011-10-26T08:26:00.000+04:00

In Dubai, I have so much free time that I can scour the newspapers every hour. I discover so much about myself and life fulfilment here.

In UAE, my favourite newspapers is The National. It covers not only news of the GCC (Gulf Corporation Council) Countries, but also focuses on events that happen worldwide. The best part about it is, it highlights all the exciting events that are happening every day of the week, such as theatres, musicals and concerts. It is also in this newspapers, that I marvel about vehicles, humans, art and weather, such as:

1. Abandoned Boats in Dubai

2. Fined for Filming at Beaches

3. Women Power in UAE

4. Rain in UAE

5. Traffic Jams
6. 6.5 Million Bathtub
7. Child Jockeys in Camel Racing
8. Fined for sleeping on the metro
9. Fined for taking pictures of public buildings

Oh! I have a marvellous view from my apartment too! I get to enjoy sunset by the sea, fireworks from Palm Jumeira, and the cool winter breeze. It's so blissful that I wish I could work here forever.

Fireworks!

Sunset at Jumeira

I'm also very thankful that I found a great church here, with a very supportive cell group and provide insightful information about biblical events! Living in the Middle East and studying the Bible is great, because one develops a fond association with the characters and locations as one steps from one terrain into another on these sacred lands. For example, did you know that Noah's Ark was found in Central Turkey? or Babylon was in Israel? or that the Garden of Eden, might have been in Iraq?

Wow! It's just so exciting. Even though these events happened centuries and milleniums ago, my heart throbs at the evolution of new information. I just can't help it! At the look of things, I might even consider becoming a missionary!

The Move to Dubai

2011-09-06T16:15:00.073+04:00

Perhaps, I've been working way too long. One day, I was plucked out, with a message saying "Hey, Jean! We're sending you to Dubai!"

Wow... Unbelievable! Dubai? Yes! Happily, I announced it to everybody!

My mum's response was, "Oh! My Gosh! Dubai? It's the Paris of the Middle East! I'm going to fly together with you k!"

My brother, who's a cynical young man, despite his age, said in his gruff voice, "Why on earth would you like to go to Dubai?! It's the desert, for God's sake. Why would you want to go all the way there, stay under the hot sun, 60 degrees, and suffer?"

Some friends think that Dubai is a very conservative area. Many think that I've sent myself to the worst place on earth for women. "Jean! You can't drive there, or go out unaccompanied. You have to wear that black robe, and cover your face all the time. Are you sure you want to go?"

My bosses, in a bid to tempt me, advised, "It's very fun there. Totally different from here. Very care free. No stress. It's the best place to work on earth. You'll love it."

Me? All I had in my mind was, "Wow ! I am going to miss my present project very very much. This is the only project which I feel a great sense of belonging, great team work and high sense of self-worth. Why do you want me to leave? What's going to happen to me when I venture out? What will I do? What if I don't have any jobs? What if I don't know what to do?"

It's terrifying. It's exhilarating. It's liberating!!!

View from My Current Residence

(A song comes to mind... 'By the beach, by the beach, by the beautiful beach...')

Construction of Dubai Pearl at Dubai Internet City

View from My 1st Hotel Room @ Al Murooj Rotana, near Dubai Mall

View of Sheikh Zayed Road from Burj Khalifa

Dubai Town

2011-09-05T16:22:00.110+04:00

Dubai is an extraordinary city. Buildings may look very ordinary from the outside. But every single time you step into a building, you will be awed by its interior designs, decorations and materials. From the ceilings to the floors, lightings, furnishings and scenery, it's unique and amazing, how people manage to come up with such inspirational creations. Had I been born and bred here, I would have aspired to be an architect or an interior designer, and not an engineer.

The first time I stepped into the malls, I couldn't stop gaping at how tall and spacious all the shops were! Maybe, in the desert, land is vast. One could simply take a big plot of land and convert it into anything they loved.

As I step out of the malls, my line of sight fall upon the buildings surrounding me. All of them are of different designs, with all kinds of shapes and sizes. From circular, to angular, flat to wide, representatives of various symbols and logos, spoke volumes in these unique structures. I never thought that a city could contain so many live examples of buildings that only existed in drawings. The developers take our dream buildings and turn it into reality. Wow. It is definitely an architect's haven. Whenever I pass by a new structure, I never cease to ask, "Wow! How did they manage to think of designing a building in the shape of an Oreo biscuit, a yacht, a gate, an arch, and a lopsided milk carton? Why would you want to take a building, stack the storeys up and turn it around every 10 degrees? How can the government ensure that all buildings are alligned and in the same row?"

I thought all these were impossible until I came to Dubai.

Indeed, Dubai seems to be a place of never-ending wonders. It's a very nice place to stay, even more so when we have lots of cash to spend. As long as we have money in our hands, we can get flashy and branded goods. Even if you are thrifty by nature, the temptation to spend to buy yourself something nice and techy is just too great. Suddenly, 80 AED bracelets, necklaces and ear rings seem so worth it!

Shiny, bling-bling jewels and colourful stones jump out and greet you the moment you step into a mall. When I was in Malaysia, I thought the beauty of gold accessories were over-rated. How could people find gold to be so fascinating, so taken in and smitten with that simple piece of jewellery? But, staying here, has truly heighten my appreciation for golden necklaces, bracelets and rings.

Every time I try one on, I can't bring myself to put it back on the shelf. I would imagine myself in a totally plain, black dress, wearing this shimmering piece of tiara or choker, looking ravishing and stunning. I would smile to myself and silently hope that I'd get the opportunity to wear it. Once again, I begin my self-conversation.

"Awww... this looks so sweet!" my heart says.

"Yeah, but it's expensive!" my mind says.

"Um... should I get it? It looks really nice!"

"Nope. Definitely not."

"But why? It's so nice, pretty and colourful! Are you sure you don't want it?"

Upon further questioning, my mind gives in. My heart rules. The urge is too strong, I end up buying everything I've put on.

From a workaholic, I've become a shopaholic. What a transformation, just within 3 weeks in Dubai!

So, you see, I've come to love Dubai and view it as my home!

Our New Acquisition - Hand Jewellery

Villas at Palm Jumeira

Palm Jumeira Villa Verandah

Dubai's Well Aligned Structures

Burj Al Arab!

Nice View!

Check this out! It changes colours too!

Melting Pot

2011-09-04T16:22:00.041+04:00

Before I came to Dubai, I thought it was a place which consists of many men and women walking around in their traditional costumes. Even though I knew it was an international trading hub. Despite being 'equipped' with this fact, when I arrived at the airport, I saw people from almost every contingent and nationality, except for Arabs dressed in dishdash and abaya.

I was shocked. Have I arrived at the right airport? I searched for every indication around me to point out to me that I was really, really in Dubai. As soon as I saw a big advertisement with pictures of Jumeira beach, Atlantis, and the gigantic, white words - 'Dubai', I heaved a big sigh of relief. Ahah! I am indeed in Dubai. Finally!

But wait! Where are the UAE Citizens?

As I queued in line for my passport to be stamped, I noticed that the officer was of African origin. The air stewardess who helpfully directed lost passengers to the immigration looked like a Lebanese. The receptionist at the taxi stand was Filipino. The taxi driver was Pakistani. The hotel receptionist looked like a Turkish. The concierge was an Indian, and the porter was Indonesian.

Am I dreaming? How can this be Dubai? I am surrounded by people from all nationalities except Emiratis?

Little did I know that Dubai is a city that consists of around 20% Emiratis, until I bought a mini guidebook about Dubai three weeks later. (I know, I know. It is a little too long. Call it delayed reaction. But hey, it's never too late to learn!)

The rest are mainly expatriates and foreign workers. Wow. I never knew that a country's own citizens could actually be outnumbered! Yet, the government maintains such excellent control of its economics, development and welfare!

(Startling fact: Did you know that only 6,000 Emiratis voted in the last election, despite having about 129,000 eligible voters? That means only 4% of the population voted, 96% chose to be neutral.)

As I read on about the history of United Arab Emirates, I was even more surprised to discover that UAE consists of 7 Emirates, united by Sheikh Zayed . As the founding father of UAE, he hunted with the locals in the deserts, fishing with village folk, understanding the deepest needs of his countrymen and improved the wealth of the nation. These days, I don't think we have rulers like this anymore. Dedicated, passionate and truly cares about the people under their reign.

As I began my life anew in this foreign, sophisticated land, nothing prepared me for the interaction style of Dubai. I found that the system here was highly efficient. People were trained so well that everything seemed to run smoothly. No baggage delays, no long queues, no traffic jams, no hassle at all. When I asked about directions to certain shopping outlets at the malls, the concierge answered immediately without consulting his manual. Everything was fast. Information was available instantly.

But, as soon as I stepped into the mobile network outlet, this pretty image was shattered to a thousand pieces.

As I enquired further about the mobile network data package, the cashier spoke so fast that I had to stop her to speak slowly. When I probed further about the charges, the girl replied mechanically about all kinds of data packages. When I tried to top-up the prepaid SIM card, and failed, the girl asked me to buy another card and key in a different number.

It was frustrating. I arrived to the conclusion that when people are trained too efficiently, it means that they know in-depth about their specific areas, and not others. Is that good? In a certain way, yes. But looking towards a broader scope, one should really know a little bit about everything to increase our contribution to society. Confining ourselves to certain areas, not only constrains our knowledge, but also our perspectives. In our pursuit towards excellence in technical areas, we tend to lose touch with our basic human instincts and emotional needs.

This brings to mind about my past 3 years as a workaholic. The situation is identical. I am suddenly peering through the glass, identifying with the girl. I am thinking, "Oh! So, this is how I've transformed! Into a working machine, consisting of formidable mechanical parts, but lacking in human emotions. Oh no! I really really need to learn, how to love and care, all over again!"

Gastronomic Delights

2011-09-03T16:22:00.105+04:00

Malaysians, in general, are a food loving nation. Everything about us revolves around food. We pride ourselves on having multi-cultural cuisine, even though it's an Islamic country. We offer chocolates, biscuits and fruit juices to guests when they visit our homes. When we meet, it's often our meals. When we begin a conversation, it almost often always begins with the question, "Have you had your dinner/breakfast/lunch?"

Hence, since I moved here, I have been bugged with the question by family and friends, "So, what do you eat over there?"

Let's see... so far, I've had bread, meat, cheese and on a few rare occasions, salad.

Do I like it?

Well, let's just say, when you're running out of choices, you just take whatever's on the plate, and gobble it all up. Beggars can't be choosers. Especially if you don't have a car, and running short on cash.

Arabic bread are mostly dry and hard. Unlike European bakeries, which sell piping hot buns and rolls, the shops here sell bread which look like they're three days old. If you ordered a sandwich (in Arabic names of course), which doesn't ring a bell the first time you struggle to pronounce it, but when you look at the picture, you'll realize that it's just pieces of meat/fish/vegetables clipped between pieces of bread sliced into half. Despite their different shapes (triangles, squares or circles) and colours (black, brown, burnt or white), they taste the same, with an equally hard texture.

The meat is equally dry. Chicken definitely does not taste as good here. Fish though, are extremely fresh and tasty! It is a wonder that it even tastes much better than meat! The first time I bit into a Dubai fish fillet, I could almost imagine myself in heaven. Wow! The fish is authentic. It's real! It has those little white flesh that you could peel off and separate, and immediately identify as fish. Unlike the ones we have back home, where the fish fillet looked like they're pounded and mixed with 99% of corn flour. Here, the moment you bite into something fishy, you could almost imagine the chef, slicing off the fish in the kitchen, bit by bit, putting it into the wok, frying it, clip it between lettuces and tomatoes, before adding some tartar sauces and finally sandwiching it in your favourite choice of bread. Mmmm.. Yummy!

Apart from that, I also love the Basmati rice. Those long, slender grains don't stick together when they're fried. (I wonder if they could be steamed too). If I dug into a large pot of rice, none of them would stick to the ladle. That makes cleaning much easier too.

I had begun to psych myself into loving Basmati rice, until I had dinner with a Japanese friend at a Chinese restaurant. When the bowl of steamed white rice was served, I looked at it with such awe and reverence that I couldn't believe I was actually savouring Chinese food in this part of the country. The rice was warm and sticky. It reminded me so much of home and the things that I had given up to be here. I realized then, if nothing could make me home-sick, food definitely will.

Hence, the saying, 'The way to a man's heart is food'.

As we travel across the 7 Emirates, we are exposed to several types of colourful and a wide variety of dishes. Some hot, some cold, some bland, some colourful. Among all these, Lebanese food seem to stand out in every other way.

Oh! Did I mention that cheese seems to be on offer every day here? Oh my gosh! You can't imagine the generous helpings of cheese that is present in every dish! Maybe cheese is a substitute for salt. Or maybe a substitute for cream or coconut milk. Whatever the reason, here, cheese seems to be abundant. It is melted in Indian curry, under Latino Tacos , between Lebanese sandwiches, on top of Italian pizzas, and hidden in Arabic salads.

As such, I have come to identify various types of cheese. I learnt that cheddar cheese is orange, mozarella cheese is slightly yellowish and melts easily, goat cheese is white, and some cheese can even be mixed with sesame seeds and churned into rolls! They spread like Swiss rolls, soaked in probably water or some kind of fluid, like fresh olives preserved in oil. The strangest thing is, in this part of the world, yoghurt is eaten together with curry and rice too!

By now, I am deeply enlightened by the fact that food here is abundant in calories. If you were counting calories, it would leave you no choice except to have salad for three square meals a day. Or... if one loved cooking, you'd rather prepare what would presumably be the most sumptious dinner in the whole of Dubai, throughout the duration of your stay here.

Exercise then, is a must. Gyms are present at every corner of the street. After all the calories consumed, it's best to jog and run, and sweat it all out just to have another round of equally rich food the next day.

All in all, food here still leaves much to be desired. I still prefer Asian food. Hot - sprinkled with spices and made with love.

Steamboat!

A Typical Lebanese Meal

Italian Beef Raviolli with White Sauce

Arabic Merzeh

Assorted Middle Eastern Cheese

Technology

2011-09-02T15:27:00.078+04:00

As a trading gateway, Dubai possesses one of the most sophisticated technologies around the world. Here, there are cars with automatic doors, saving you the energy of slamming it shut, each time you climbed in and out of it. Every cab has Global Positioning Systems and touch screens. The cab driver can even pause the meter to stop it counting at traffic lights!

Almost every building has WiFi services. The metro and buses arrives at destinations on the dot. The Emirates ID is digitized. The revolving doors rotate automatically as soon as you hop into it.

At the food court, an electronic pager is given to patrons. When the food is ready, it beeps like an alarm clock, alerting patrons to collect food at the counter. Even the telescope at the Burj Khalifa is interactive! It can switch between scenes in the daytime and night time, equipped with buttons on the left to zoom in and out, buttons on the right to seek information about major tourist destinations! You could even take glimpses of the old and new Dubai through the telescope.

The Dubai musical fountain is simply stupendous! Perfect integration of light, sound and kinetic energy weaved into synchronization of time, creativity and elements of surprise, are just awesome and marvellous. Looking at it, one is momentarily transported into a realm where only peace and harmony exists, creating a song in the heart of every soul present.

Is Dubai a desert? Definitely not. The only thing that reminds one of a desert in Dubai is only the extremely high temperatures in summer and the adverts on Safari tours and camel rides. Other than that, it is a very developed city in every dimension.

When I was 17 and found out that Malaysia was categorized as a third world country, I was offended. I couldn't understand why. As I lead my life in Dubai, I began to realize the rationale behind it. Development then, is akin to the level of technology and spending power of a country's citizens. The country with the most amount of automated gadgets and with highest spending power will be the most developed nation.

And of course, as my friend commented, the mindset, attitude and the belief that everything is possible. How can we achieve that? By exploring the abounding possibilities and shifting our paradigms. Think, Implement and Innovate. That's how we progress and develop our nation.

Dubai Musical Fountain - Spectacular! Wonders of Engineering!

Electronic Beeper. I was staring at this thing for 10 minutes, wondering what it'd do, when it suddenly beeped and lighted up! Cool!

First Thoughts

2011-09-01T16:27:00.234+04:00

Having lived in Dubai for almost six weeks, I have to admit it is a really nice place to stay in. It's peaceful, it's calm, it's quiet. Unlike KL, you don't hear police and ambulance sirens wailing every three hours, or loud motorbikes testing their roaring machines and exhaust systems. It's nice. I like it here.

If anybody were to interview me as an expatriate in Dubai, this is probably how it would go.

What's your first impression about Dubai?

It's flamboyant. Everything is extravagant. For the average Joe-s like you and I, it's like living the life of the rich and famous.

You just can't deny it. After all, this is a city which has air-conditioned bus stops, developers who spend millions and billions on building artificial islands, plus having hundreds and thousands of cars (Lexus, Mercedez, BMW, ... ) in parking lots around the city covered in dust for five years and above!

Nothing is ever done in moderation. Furniture look like it's fit for a king's palace. The floors sparkle, as if they magically polish themselves every second.

Did I mention that they put a shiny, red Mini Cooper in the aquarium too?

Seems to me this a strange and mysterious land where the impossible becomes possible, your wildest dreams materialize, stuns and strikes one speechless. Transfixed. Mesmerized. Awed. The longer you live here, the more you believe that everything is possible.

What do you find strange in Dubai? Anything incomprehensible?

Well, one of the most preposterous rule that I found was that one would be fined for boarding a bus without pre-paid card, even though the bus-ride is free. If it's free, why do you need to tag it on the machine?

Another rule is being fined for alighting from the left side of the vehicle, instead of the right. Maybe it's for the passengers' safety.

Did you also know that people do end up in prison for kissing in public here?

In M'sia, I once spotted a couple kissing the French way on the train, with the guy's hands running all over the girl's hair, neck, and body curves. Malaysians, being polite people, we just averted out eyes to the ceilings or towards windows. Everywhere except at the couple. I think the couple was pretty lucky because in KL, nobody really cares what you do as long as you don't encroach into their space and step on their tails. You live your life, I'll live mine.

Since this is your first overseas posting, do you find it easy to adapt to the Dubai lifestyle?
Well, I have to admit, at first it was tough. Being new and all, I realized that I have to re-create my own life here again. Once again, I venture out at all costs to try out new adventures, crawl out of my shell to strike conversations with strangers and finding common ground as a basis for building a long-lasting relationship. In the process, I learnt that to survive, I need to be really resilient and positive. Take time to analyze the situation and response.

I also have to adjust my mindset a little to the driving system of UAE. As a Malaysian child, we have been taught to 'look right, look left, look right, and cross the road". In Dubai, my brain cells are all jumbled up. When the road is empty, I still look to the right first unconsciously. As I take three steps towards the road, cars start honking and screeching four feet away from me. I jump ten steps backwards, reminding myself to be more careful next time, reprimanding myself, "Jean! Remember! In Dubai, it's always left first!"

This change of system can be pretty dangerous. Once I spotted an Indian man taking the escalator on his left up to another floor. He stepped forward two steps, only to be tripped and pushed down by the oncoming mechanical steps. He stumbled, quickly turned around to make sure that nobody saw it happening, before proceeding to the right escalator up. There and then, I realized, "Hey! I'm not the only one."

One of the things that I really need to adapt to here is the freedom to venture out at any time of the day, as a single lady, walking unaccompanied. As soon as I step into any shops or vehicles, the first question asked by any males will be, "Are you single?"

The moment I answer 'yes', truthfully, they will volunteer to drive me to my destination right to the door step of any apartment, pro-actively write their mobile numbers on a piece of paper, asking me to call them when I wish to talk to somebody, or unwaveringly, persistently ask me out for dinner or drinks at one of the multicultural-themed bars Downtown Dubai. If I refuse, they will stalk me as I walk in and out of the shop, leaving twenty missed calls on my phone.

Once I sent a text message to the wrong number and the person immediately called me up to ask about my personal details and history! I really need to heighten my defence mechanisms, observation skills here. Watch out for warning signs, and don't look so vulnerable.

I hear you love Dubai. What is it about Dubai that appeals to you?

I have always yearned to work overseas. Perhaps it is to escape from all the tiny, tricky perils I face back home. Here, I'm freed from the cuffs of work stress, family stress and financial stress. There is absolute freedom and liberty. That, is pretty appealing.

Ah, yes, I can just imagine. So, tell us, what have you learned in Dubai so far?

Hmmm... quite a lot actually. To sum it up in five words, 'Rediscovering life's simple joys'.

Such as... ?

Well, for example:

- Reading as you sip a cup of coffee by the fountain

- Pouring stories from your heart after dinner in a dimly lit restaurant with pop music in the background

- Strolling by the beach on a Saturday morning

- Riding camels on the desert in summer

- Reuniting with your family 5000 kilometres away from home

- Encountering a fellow countrymen at any random shopping mall

- Listening to classical music radio station in the middle of the night

- Aerobics to Hindi music in the morning

- Lying under the stars on sand dunes

- Enjoying sunsets in the evening from the many windows of your apartment

- Watching the sun inching upwards in the mornings

- Reading a wide variety of books on a Friday afternoon

Indeed! Life is very blissful. You must find life here pretty inspirational.

Absolutely! We must enjoy all the circumstances that we are thrown in. We all know that there is a silver lining in every cloud. In order to see it, you have to believe it. Otherwise your vision will be clouded by the rain. A rainbow is just around the corner. Keep on walking. The sight that greets you at the end of your journey will be awesome.

Any situation that you are thrown in are a consequence of your actions. You are responsible for it directly or indirectly. Either way, you just have to persevere and stop complaining. Figure out a way. Work around the problem, not at it.

To get what you want, there isn't only one way of doing it. Utilize varied approaches to accomplish your desires. If you ask and don't get it, ask again. Be persistent. If that doesn't help, try the elimination method.

First, eliminate all the impossible possibilities. Next, piece all the puzzles together and cook up a story. Finally deduce, hypothesize and conclude. There. It's easy.

If you spend too much time evaluating, life's opportunities will just pass you by. Take risks. It's worth it.

As a single, it must be pretty tough living here all alone in Dubai. How do you combat loneliness and avoid it from encompassing one's life?

In Dubai, you're pretty much free to do anything you want. There's nobody to judge you, to criticize you for the ways that you live.

But sometimes, no matter how tight you arrange your schedule to be, loneliness will silently creep and settle into the creeks of your soul. No matter how much you try to run and hide away from it, like the tsunami, it will eventually catch up with you. You can't run away from it. So, what do you do?

One of the most important thing that I learned early on is, every so often, we need to take a step back, breathe, and realize that we need to diversify. Don't allow the focus of one area to envelope our life. If it does, it can be smothering. We should find a way to work around work. There is a life out there. Go! Live a life!

In the face of adversity, rebound fast. Don't lick your own wounds for too long. There are far more pressing matters in this world than your own wounded pride and ego.

Make new friends. You'll always need them, even though you might not think so now.

Love yourself. If you don't love yourself, how are you going to love others?

Get a tight grasp of reality and what you really want ultimately. It is never too late to start pursuing your dreams. Everything is possible. It's never too late to start.

If there's only one take home message from this article, what would it be?

In life, nothing is absolute. Every description is a subjective term is made in reference to one another. It depends not only on which side of the fence you are on, but also from which angle you are looking at.

A grey area will always exists. Black, or white? Right, or wrong? Pretty, or ugly? Long, or short? Bent, or straight? It all depends on how you choose to look at it. Remember, we always have a choice.

It's not simple, it's not complicated either. That's just the way life is, just as it has been for centuries, a constant change. Unpredictable. Wild. Exciting. Like love.

You just need to know how to mix everything together to concoct a nice pink drink of sunshine cocktail.

Sunshine Cocktail - Key Secrets to a Happy Life!

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-30T18:14:00.001+04:00

Throughout four and a half years of my short career stint, I have travelled across d whole country, on average, once a month. Yet, since I began taking up a new job two years ago, I have failed to return home for a long, long time.

Define long. A month? A year? A decade? To be precise, just half a year actually. Exactly, five months and two weeks. Altogether twenty two weeks.

Is it long? It depends. When compared against a century, it seems like a split second. 0.05% of 100 years. When compared against a month, it seems tremendously long. 5.2 times longer.

As a workaholic, I think, "Who cares? Does it matter? Work comes first."

But when I step into the shoes of a daughter, regret sets in. It is unbefitting of a daughter to not set foot into her parents' home for more than three months! Do I not want to go home, and visit my parents and friends? Do I not want to spread laughter and smiles into the lives of my family members?

Yet... as often as I want to, I often put work first, family later.

Hence, on the eve of my 28th anniversary, I decided to forsake my favourite work for two days and hitch a ride back home.

"Luck affects everything; let your hook always be cast. In the stream where you least expect it, there will be fish." - Ovid.

2011-07-29T18:38:00.001+04:00

"What? Hitch a ride? Are you saying that you did not plan your trip back home in advance? Do you know long it takes to reach home? Four and a half hours! And you did not buy any bus tickets in advance? Wow!"

Ya ya... I know. I should have bought a ticket. But... hey! Seems like when I take chances, luck is always on my side. So of course, I just took the risk. On Friday, I just took the taxi to the bus stop nearest to the highway, and buy a ticket on the spot.

But... All the tickets were sold out by the time I reached the ticket booths. I almost cried out. Carrying two bags on my shoulders, with double buns and books, I wandered around the bus stop aimlessly. Wondering if I should wait at the bus heading towards my hometown, eyeing the driver with my puppy look eyes... hoping that he'd allow me to board the bus, and find a seat somehow. Wishing desperately that somebody out there would cancel his or her trip back suddenly, came late and missed it, or had an emergency that had to be attended immediately. Walking back and forth, thinking , 'Should I?' or 'Should I not?'... 'Should I?' or 'Should I not?'...

Just as I began to lose hope, and as soon as I took a step to head towards the taxi station to head back towards the city, these tough looking ticket sellers beckon me to them, calling out, "Hey! We've got a ticket! You want a ride?!"

Wow! Unbelievable! Of course! I nodded eagerly. Ran towards them, chucked the cash in their hands, and flew towards the bus. Yes! Shouted for joy (silently)...

Next time, I will leave early and get a ticket one week in advance, in future. Though lady luck is on my side, I should not take it for granted.

For, to be a stranger is naturally a very positive relation; it is a specific form of interaction. Georg Simmel

2011-07-28T19:05:00.001+04:00

As soon as I step onto the bus, a big, friendly Singh in a red turban greets me, "Welcome aboard! Come! Come! Make yourself comfortable."

He pushes down the co-driver's chair, brushes the dust of it, and invites me to sit. I am relieved! I've finally got a seat of my own!

I plonk myself onto the seat above the steps of the bus. The seat, which seems rather flimsy, is latched onto a piece of hard metal board. I gingerly hold onto the metal railings on my right, as my head turns left and right, frantically searching for the seat belt. "Where is it?! How on earth can there not be a seat belt? What if the bus stops suddenly? What if the road ahead is bumpy? I need something to strap myself to this 'wall' . "

" I hope you don't mind... sitting in this rather uncomfortable chair, " a husky voice shatters my thoughts. The driver, who seems fatherly talks in a rather soothing tone, enough to make any weary traveller feel at home. "If you don't feel safe, why don't you sit on the steps?"

"Here!" (Turning towards the lady behind me) " Take this round bean bag, put it here on the steps. and make yourself comfortable."

I quickly grab the bean bag and immediately sit on it. Thankful that I do not have to sit on the co-driver's seat, dangling my legs in the air, clinging onto the railings as if my life depended on it. As uncomfortable as it may be, at least I have secured a seat back home. I hug my bags tightly to my chest, and my thoughts stray towards the haphazard events of the week.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Melody Beattie

2011-07-27T19:34:00.000+04:00

I think I must have seemed like a damsel in distress, ready to cry anytime. Quiet, flushed complexion, with beads of sweat dripping down onto the floor, with a long-lost, faraway look. The driver, being his fatherly self (he reminds me of Santa Claus), attempted to soothe my nerves by making small talk.

"See this flowers?" He points to a bouquet of pink flowers with small petals, a bunch of them, stuck in a transparent mineral water bottle. "I plucked them while I was stuck in a long jam on the highway last week. Amazing, isn't it? It's been a week, and they're still alive!"

The fact that these flowers are alive and have not wilted is not surprising. I've seen some flowers who stand tall and upright, even after being plucked from their stems after a month. However, I am surprised that he is able to enjoy the beauty of the flowers whilst driving.

"Waaaah!" the ever obliging me... 'oooh-s' in amazement. "How did you manage to do that?! You were very close to the divider?"

"Of course! Beauty is meant to be admired! I just decided to uproot them and transfer them to brighten this bus. Everything needs a little decoration to lighten up the atmosphere, make it more homely and pleasant. Don't you think so?"

" Aaaah.... definitely. It takes away the sleepiness too! The flowers are so bright that you'd immediately jerk up the moment you set your sight upon it."

"Indeed! Indeed!" The bus driver happy that I've responded... began to tell humour me with riddles and jokes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What's so special about the sentence ' The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog' ?

Do you know how the term 'gostan' and 'mat-salleh' were coined?

Do you know why Singapore's dollar hold higher value than the ringgit?

etc...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life is more interesting when we throw in a few jokes.

Call me Captain - I am the Captain of this bus.

2011-07-25T20:15:00.083+04:00

The more jokes this interesting bus driver tells, the more impressed I get. He's witty and intelligent. He tells riddles and jokes with a natural flair. A wink, a pause, and an intended pun. These days, souls like these are hard to find. In fact, he seems rather old-school. Coming from the generation of baby boomers, taught by the British nuns and brothers, proud that he still speaks the Queen's English. Throwing a few proverbs for me to remember.

When he spots a sign to see the current location, he's so happy that he's able to multi-task. "An idle mind is a Devil's workshop. Look at me! I'm able to know where we are, even while I'm chatting with you."

When he stops at the rest house for a short break, he says, "Did you know that pee-ing is also called 'answering the call of nature' ?

He even gave me a few tips on health. "Young people like you need to be wary of your health. Youth is a luxury. Exercise and eat right. There are three things to control in life: sex, food and weight. Hah! Hah! Hah!" He laughs from the belly,,, a hearty laughter indeed.

"But of course, joke aside, if you want to lose weight, take brown bread. Less meat, more vegetables. Set a target. See those slender girls with time-glass figures? Set that as your target. You need to have a goal to work towards." I must seem like a short stubby penguin, way past the acceptable BMI level.

Within two hours, I think he must have exhausted his library of jokes and analogies. He diverts the topic to me soon after. "Hey, girl, so, what's your story?"

"Ummm.... story?" I 'm stunned. " I don't know? I'm a workaholic. I don't know about anything else except work. If you ask me about how we explore for oil and gas, how we plan for production, I can tell you all about it. Other than that, I have little to offer."

"Ok. Go on. " the bus driver eggs me on. "Shoot. Tell me how we drill for oil."

A hah! It's my turn to talk. So I happily tell him about my first helicopter ride, boat ride, the difference between rigs and platforms. He's amazed that rigs are towed by small boats! But hey.. everybody knows that the pay is good, despite the risk. Hold onto to that job, young lady. You're in the right industry. he advices.

Within ten minutes, I finish my story. The ball is back in his court. Then we exchange anecdotes about our families.

At the end of the journey, he gave me his handphone number, saying that I (or any of my accquaintances, or family members), could call him up to reserve bus tickets. Wow! I am so happy! Fast and easy access! Who knows what fortune brings when misfortune befalls...

As I'm about to key in his name, he says, " Call me Captain. I am the Captain of this bus. My duty is to ensure that everybody has a chance to arrive safely at their destination.So don't worry. I will personally see to it that you, arrive at yours." The pride in his profession is profound.

A deep sense of admiration floods my soul. There and then, I discovered the difference between work and profession. Both hold the same definition, but viewed with a different perception. Work is seen as a means of earning our keep. Profession - it is the visualization of something greater, with the ultimate objective in mind, to be completed with utmost perfection.

Peace - that was the other name for home. ~Kathleen Norris

2011-07-24T20:15:00.027+04:00

As the bus nears towards my hometown, Captain asks, "Where should I stop you?"

"Oh.." I say with a little wave. "Just outside the Shell petrol station."

As the bus wheezes past the row of familiar shop-houses, church, temple, schools, overhead-bridge, I know I'm nearing home. I'm so happy!

But wait!

He has just passed by the Shell station! Why didn't he stop?

"Captain! Captain!" I almost shouted out. "Stop! Stop! Stop right here!"

Screeeeeeeeech...... The bus brakes and everybody lunges forward. "Strange! I didn't see any Shell sign on the left!" the observant bus driver blurts out.

Suddenly, I remembered my mom telling me that the Shell station owner decided to call it quits and sell of his station or renovate it. (Perhaps it was still under renovation)... "Oooops... sorry... wrong information, Captain. It's been so long since I came home, that my town has been transformed beyond recognition."

"Yeah, girl! Looks like you should come home more often. Don't just lock yourself in that small 4x4 cubicle of yours and bury yourself in your work. Remember! Family is more important above all else."

As I hop off the bus, right before the driver shuts the door, he manages to slip a question, "Hey, girl! What's your goodself's name?"

I chuckle. This Captain is really entertaining. In this day and time, who uses such a phrase anymore? I smile and shouted out my name as he steps on the accelerator. May his passion for his new job stays and he will have a good life ahead of him. God bless him!

Weddings

2011-02-26T18:28:00.005+04:00

Lately, I've been feeling very tensed. So much so that I laugh and cry easily. Hence, when one of my closest friends, announced that she'd be getting married, I jumped at the opportunity to attend her wedding ceremony. After all, it is not everyday that I get invited to attend weddings in Kuching, Sarawak.

Weddings are a sacred ceremony. Truly. Of all the ceremonies on earth, weddings are one of the happiest occasion, rejoiced by all. I never truly understood its meaning until I witnessed my friend's wedding at St. Thomas Church.

As the newly wedded couple walked down the aisle, the atmosphere was charged with pure, simple joy. Another union has been formed and sanctified. One could see that they were absolutely in love with each other, smiling and laughing throughout the day, glowing with pride, radiating with love.

At the end of the ceremony, family, members and friends took turns taking pictures with the newly weds. The church choir, Priests, Family members, colleagues, friends, etc. The number of people could have easily exceeded a hundred. This wedding has the support and blessings of the whole community! Tears welled up in my eyes. Though I've watched this simple scene replayed over and over again on cinema screens, somehow, seeing it unfolding in front of my eyes right now, just seems to tug away at my heart.

As I sat on the wooden pew, I couldn't help but wonder, "Will I ever have such a wedding ceremony? With the backup of everybody? My family, friends and colleagues?"

I often envision myself having such a wedding as well. Nobody knows when the date would arrive. But, as my beloved friends always say, " Stay in the tower... 'til you meet your perfect half."

Yes yes... I definitely will.

Congratulations, Les! Can't wait to see you carrying laughing babies soon!

Bondings

2011-02-25T12:09:00.009+04:00

It is always great to meet up with friends, irregardless of the circumstances. Right after the wedding ceremony and dinner, we reminisced about the long-forgotten past. Just thinking about how we used to spend our time, clowning around, playing silly jokes on unsuspecting victims, laughing and fooling around, brought smiles upon our faces.

Ahhh... Those were the days. Young, innocent. Most of all, fearless. We thought we are the ones who would rule and conquer the world once we graduated from the ivory tower. Hah!

Sadly, our lives drifted apart as soon as we started working. Thrown in the ocean, hurled by the storms, we have sobred up. Nowadays, we don't do 'ridiculous' things like waiting under the rain for a cab, walking ten miles to save on a dollar cab fee, or treading on unknown territory under moonlight, knowing full well we'd be shot if we get caught.

These days, we are wiser. We think ahead, and consider the consequences of every single action before we execution. In fact, we have mellowed down, weighing our options before selecting them. Constructing invisible decision trees, evaluating every single option, placing values, benefits beneath them, to make our decisions. The days of hurried trudging through the thick jungle are long gone, only to be replaced by wary, cautious footsteps. Taking each day one step at a time. Sipping, instead of gulping.

And so it is with our relationships as we go through life. While once, we were wholly trusting, friendly people, easily forming bonds and relationships with anybody; today, it is harder. Of course, in every part of our lives, somehow or rather, we thrive on relationships. Some are strong, some weak. Some temporary, some permanent, even after we are placed far, far apart.

What determines the strength of this bonding? Is it the amount of similarities that we share in common? Or were we united in the quest of achieving the very same goal? Or is it simply because we clicked, just like that? We feel absolutely safe and secure in the arms of one another, no security threat, impingement of privacy or sadness... just a feeling of calm and joy flooding over us whenever we meet.

Nature often has its own way of teaching us the ways of the world. When typhoon strikes, the biggest, thickest tree trunk will stand tall, even after the winds die down.

Heavy oil is formed just the same way! As oil forms and floats up into a trap near the surface, it's attacked by bacteria from meteorite water. The lightest ends are consumed, the heavy ends remain. Guess what holds them? You're right! It's the long, complicated benzene rings with strong double bonds, linking them together.

Likewise, forging relationships is just the same. As long as we have ample time to get to know each other, we have the luxury of experiencing joy, triumph, trials and tribulations together. Perhaps, that is why our strongest bonds are often formed when we're in thrown in a camp or a hostel.

As we emerged out of it, we eventually accept each other for who we really are. Deep down, we are only humans. Despite our differing needs, wants, desires, vision and mission, we share a common aim. To have a good life, filled with happiness and joy.

Having seen my friend finally getting married, I'm proud of her, knowing that she has found her true soul-mate, who will be with her through thick and thin. May the Lord keep all marriages strong, and unite couples in their quest for a long lasting companionship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person."

From The Lighted Rooms by Richard Nelson

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Trick or Treat?

2011-02-24T18:41:00.004+04:00

Everybody needs a shoulder to lean on from time to time, be it a thin, bony shoulder; a hard, fleshy shoulder; or a nice, comfy, perfect fit-of-a-head shoulder.

At some point of time, I've come to realize that I need a shoulder to lean on too! Somebody who comforts me when I'm sad, accompany me when I'm lonely, give me smart words of wisdom to survive on the street, cheers me up when I'm down in the dumps, somebody refreshing, and of course! Someone who cooks really well. Somebody, who would be with me, 'til the ends of time (figuratively). Somehow, it beats leaning against the cold, glassy window panes of a bus.

After listening to my long-winded elaborations, some jokingly say, "Get a robot!" . Serious ones would say, "Lean to God. Focus on the powers above, not on earthly, temporary beings." My loved ones say, "Love yourself first. Your time will come."

Very often, we don't get what we want. Sometimes, we do, but at a cost. It is rare indeed to get something you desire, without having to sacrifice a single dime for it.

Is integration of everything possible? Sometimes, it is just a matter of re-prioritization.

Catch-22

2011-02-23T18:47:00.008+04:00

Having spent a full day in the company of a group of tight-knitted community, talking about everything under the roof, especially our work and families (for what else can we talk about, since work encompasses 70% of our lives, and 30% of our lives goes to our families) , we found that we are often caught in a dilemma. More so if both areas overlap each other.

Even though most things seem pretty straight-forward, when various characters into play, the picture becomes complex. Gradually, we learn to consider little tricks that make people happy, and avoid previously unbeknownst words/acts that trigger the unexpected explosive response, going into the 'Amygdala Hijack' mode.

In all earnesty and modesty,, it is by staying true to our souls (the safest and bestest-best way), that we are able to keep our sanity, purity and spirituality.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I often wonder...

How to render assistance, without insulting?
How to be opinionated, without being disrespectful?
How to assert your independence, without hurting others?
How to maintain professionalism, without being detached?
How to love your job, without being workaholic?
How to be friends, without falling head over heels?
How to achieve inner peace, without bitterness and vengeance?
How to love and be loved, without pretending, filled with hypocrisy?
How to be a bundle of joy, without being irritating and annoying?
How to prepare your closed ones for the unavoidable circumstances...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One Good Thing Leads to Another

2011-02-22T14:49:00.002+04:00

Since I came back from the wedding, I've been tremendously joyous. Hmmm... probably because I've come to realize that there are more important things in life, especially those that involve a warm, human touch. Not my cold, heartless, intangible work which provide only a temporary refuge.

So, what has happened since then, that makes me sing for joy from the bottom of my heart?

Well, first of all, I have been blessed with the additional help of a new intern. She's bright and cheerful, smart, fast and precise. Many hands make light work. Since she joined, my I don't have to do copy and paste work anymore!.

Next, I've also been more patient with another intern of mine. I am gradually exposing her to different areas to gauge her interest, and mould her into a passionate, enthusiastic reservoir engineer. I see she loves numerical simulations, but she doesn't ask too many questions.

One day, by chance, she happened to be available on a Saturday, and I exposed her to Petrosains Operations. I hope it will be the starting point of her life, where she will truly, fall in love with the profession of a petroleum engineer. It is after all, far more meaningful to derive joy and to be passionate about our jobs, rather than treating it as a mere means of obtaining our daily wage.

Family life seems to be improving as well! Now, that is a relief indeed! Takes a tremendous load off my mind. Less domestic issues, more occasions that call for a celebration, such as career advancements, improved communication among family members, and travel opportunities.

One good thing always leads to another. Keep on holding to our faith and hopes. Everything will eventually turn out for the better. There is always light at the end of every tunnel; silver lining in every cloud; and a big, pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!

Ooops.. did I mention? Prayer helps too! It certainly calms our nerves and help us to think straight ahead!

Retracing My Steps

2011-02-21T19:11:00.002+04:00

Spending the last 24 hours in Kuching has certainly aided me in my attempts to re-synchronize with reality. At one point or another, all of us face the same predicament, even though it may be under entirely different circumstances.

So, no matter what happens, I will always search for a positive outlook, in everything that I do. If I realized that I have started on the wrong foot, may I be granted the wisdom to retrace my steps, and start all over again. Take it all in stride, work out the remedial plans.

The key, is to never complain. Instead, take the initiative to seek out solutions and change the world for the better. Hence, securing a brighter vision for ourselves and future generations.

Kit Kat, Take A Break

2010-12-26T11:55:00.054+04:00

As engineers, we often work excessively. So much so that we get caught up in it. We don't even know it, until our nostrils flare, ears burn and alarms start ringing in our heads.

I knew I needed a break when severe acne broke out all over my scalp recently. Luckily it did not spread to my face. Otherwise, it would have been permanently scarred. Whatwith the freckles I have now, acne scars are the last thing I'd like to deal with.

So, where's the place to go for a real holiday? Definitely someplace out of reach. A clean break from everything for 4 whole days. Eradicating the need to worry about pressing financial matters, dire working situations, as well as social obligations.

The best place of course, would be to visit my uncle in Phuket. No financial constraints, and definitely a real stress reliever since I would be seeing my lively 6 year-old cousin too! Naturally, there would no social functions to attend whatsoever. After all, the only people we knew in Phuket were my uncle and his family! Perfect holiday destination! And so, off we went, flying for about an hour and a half to reach this blissful aea.

Jack and Jill, went up the hill, to sip coffee and chill...

2010-12-25T12:05:00.109+04:00

Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand. Before I came, I imagined it to be around the size of Langkawi or Labuan. I presumed it would take about 1 hour to tour the whole island. Little did I know that it is 5 times larger than Langkawi (550 sqkm vs 110 sqkm).

So, when I climbed up the Big Buddha Hill and stared at the topography of Phuket, I was surprised at the extent of the island's coastlines. It extended kilometres away. And my! Everywhere I turned, I saw hills! I thought Phuket was just about beaches. Nobody ever mentioned hills and peaks and mountains! I had to see for myself to believe it.

In some of the deepest parts of these hilly jungles, one can even bungee jump from waterfalls or trees!

View from Big Buddha Hill

Hills, Hills everywhere I turn...

Next, we visited Khao Rang - Phuket Hill. There's a cafe here which is built right above the trees, overlooking Puket town. It's lights are so attractive that even red bottom monkeys with greying eyebrows gather here for grand feasts in the evenings. The view point is stunning. I bet the monkeys wait 'til 'the city is dotted with bright, orange sparks before they retire back to their homes.

Monkey with God of Wealth (Cai Shen Ye) Eyebrows

Cafe Among Trees

Sipping Coffee on the Mountain Top

The highlights of our trip, was visiting Promthep Cape. It's a beautiful place to feel the sun settling behind faraway hills. Sun rays spread across the marine bay, like snowflakes, floating gently down into the ocean. Windmills turn as the light sea breeze whistles by. Little white yachts dot the coast, bobbing up and down, up and down according to the rhythm of the waves.

Ahhh... what a sight to behold. Soothing, calming... it makes you forget all your troubles... and reminds us of the reason we're alive. It's the kind of place that floods you with a sense of inner peace as soon you set foot on it.

To market, to market, to buy a plum bun; Home again, home again, market is done

2010-12-24T12:06:00.037+04:00

I like visiting markets in foreign countries. It gives me an insight of the various types of food people consume daily. It's also a great opportunity to increase our general knowledge on the types of vegetables available. Who knows, we might even consider importing these common commodities and create a high demand for it in our home country.

Holidays are a good time to bring young kids to the market to expose the process of marketing, shopping and cooking to them. They'll have so much fun exploring, get an inkling on what goes onto their plates, fresh from the market, and begin to select what they eat with care, not gobbling down everything in sight.

Crabs on a tray

It's also an eye opener on varying perspectives of people from various countries. For example, in New Zealand, little ducklings are reared as pets at home. In Beijing, however, ducks are grilled, roasted and served on the table as a delicacy, commonly knowned as Peking duck. In Sudan, crabs are left to roam freely on the beach, laying their eggs, hiding in big holes, coming up when the tide is low, when the beach is drying up. In Malaysia, black and floral crabs alike are trapped in cages. With its sharp claws still tightly bound together, it's thrown into the hot, bubbling wok, cooked alive under high heat 'til it turns bright orangey-red. A real appetizer for Malaysians, but a turn-off for Sudanese. They just can't comprehend how we have the heart to stomach lively little crabs which are supposed to be running happily on the soft, white sands.

As we walked in Phuket market, the very first thing that caught my eye were the rows and rows of meat and different animal parts hung on hooks in rows. Some shops sold rib cages, while some sold only meat. Some sold livers, stomachs, intestines, ears, tongue, blood cubes too! Almost every imaginable body part that you can think of.

Horse shoe crab

Some vendors sold turtles, snails and horshoe crabs as well. I wonder how they cook it. When I was 5, there were abundant horshoe crabs on the beach opposite my grandfather's house. My cousin, who was 10 years older than me, used to dig into the wet, salty sand, and catch these horshoe crabs with his bare hands, holding it high up in the air for all to see. But I don't remember any of us consuming it at all! As far as I remember, we just caught it for fun, and threw it back into the sea hours later. In some countries, horse shoe crabs are caught for their medicinal properties and released back into the sea. So, I wonder why do Thais consume horseshoe crabs for centuries? Is there any flesh? Is it delicious? Doesn't look too edible to me. Looks like it consists of just a coat of hard shell and fluids within.

Another rare species I discovered were helical shaped pea pods!

Oranges... they turn into delicious orange juice!

Small Snails

Fish! huhu! So bloody!

Turtles - for Turtle Soup

Snails! Millions and millions of them - to be steamed/fried

Ahhh! I love markets, even though I only visit them when I'm out of the country. hahah!

Islands & Beaches

2010-12-23T12:08:00.004+04:00

Phuket is blessed with tremendous amount of natural resources. In the area of agriculture, it's suitable for the cultivation of cashew nuts, rubber trees and dragon fruits. With regards to natural resources, it 's a haven for tin miners. Naturally, its surrounded by islands with lush greenery, white sandy beaches. It feels just like living out of a travel magazine. Within a day, we hopped across three islands, Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Ley and another whose name has slipped my mind.

Probably because I've been studying too much, the moment I saw these outcrops, I began to think, "Hmmm.. are these sandstone or limestone?"

I think they're limestone formation, because I can see staglatites and staglamite sticking out. I can even see caves here and there. Ahh... they must be limestones. Pity I didn't bring any acid with me, to test.

Judging by its shape, it looks very much like the shape of homes to corals too. Growing upwards, with a steep decline towards the flank. Definitely carbonate formation. Wow... I wonder what would we observe when we acidize these formations.

The sands here are so white, definitely no organic material. They're fine too, definitely low porosity. A hah! It's a wonder they fracture easily, creating pores to store hydrocarbon!

Since the water here is calm, and shallow, corals grow happily along this shelf. Colourful fishes feed on them, and the corals multiply every day.

Carbonate Reef Patches

Limestone Hills

Come Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!

Look out for the Rainbow Fish!

Schools of fishes (presumably anchovies) swimming around us!

Fish Feeding Frenzy.
Blue fish! Can you spot the blue fish?

Wow... Amazing!

Everywhere I turn, I see mountains and clear, blue water. Psalm 23 springs to mind:

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want,

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside still waters,

He restores my soul..."

Now, I can see where the writer got his inspiration from. He was probably on a long holiday by the beach, stretching his legs, looking up at the ever-changing clouds in the sky, seated in the valley. (",)

Sticks and stones may break our bones, but we will never, ever waver....

2010-12-22T12:08:00.001+04:00

On Boxing day, 26th of December, 2004, certain parts of Phuket was hit by tsunami waves with thousands of casualties reported. I remember watching news footage of this natural disaster the day after it happened, shocked that some place as calm as Phuket could be destroyed in just a matter of seconds - by waves. Then again, that's the risk we expose ourselves to when we stay by the beach.

About 70% of the inhabitants here are Buddhists. Desperate times call for desperate measures. After the tsunami, the number of wat (temples) and altars have sprung up like mushrooms. There are Buddha statues overlooking the island inhabitants from mountain peaks; Buddha statues at homes, as well as by the seaside. . So, images of Buddha are a fairly common sight.

These days, citizens of Phuket are more prepared just in case a Tsunami hits. At the foot of the mountains, as well as by the beaches, the very first thing that you will see are signboards which state "Tsunami Evacuation Route. Follow this direction to evacuate to higher grounds." On the boards, are arrows which point to the peak of the mountain.

So, even if you are a tourist, new to the place, on unfamiliar territory, you will know what to do. Should you need any reassurance, just look up, and you'll spot Big Buddha overlooking your safety, protecting your wellbeing.

Buddha overlooking Phuket

Big marble Buddha on a Hill

Wat Chalong

Altar on a Khao Rang Hill

Ladder for spirits to climb up to the altar

Miniature statue housed in miniature temple

Eat, Drink and be Merry!

2010-12-21T12:07:00.105+04:00

I am always hungry. No matter where I am, I need to munch some snacks every two hours when I'm awake, especially when my brains are idle. So, in Phuket, I was practically chewing and biting away every second.

On the first day, we were whisked away to the local dimsum shop. I expected it to be like our Malaysian style, waiters pushing trolleys with bamboo baskets containing little dumplings. However, it was very different. The moment we were seated, the waiter brought a tray of minute snacks (steamed and fried). All we had to do was point at our favourite dishes, and the waiter would place it on our table instantly. The most delicious delicacy at that shop was a piece of fish fillet in spicy, sweet and salty soup, served on a metallic saucer. Oooooooh... yummy! Stimulating our taste buds at eight in the morning!

And my! The cup we drank in were shrunk to a fifth of the giant Starbucks mug. I felt like a giant holding the handle of the cup with my thumb and index finger, the remaining three fingers sticking out like a lopsided 'three'.

In Thailand, every dish is loaded with spice. Even its fried chicken was seasoned with curry leaves, lemon grass, cinammon, turmeric, green and red chilli, etc. Every bite was an adventure, you never know what to expect.

At night, we had super-sour-spicy-salty-sweet mango salad, steamed fish, and stir-fried vegetables, on the hilltop. Ahhh... we were in seventh heaven.

The next morning we had Thai Laksa, where a variety of curry flavoured gravy were mixed and poured onto a place of freshly made rice noodles. Sprinkled on it, were finely sliced banana shoots, cucumber, pineapples, basil leaves and other plucked green leaves. A mixture of white,yellow,green, blue and red. A delightful concoction to brighten our day!

Other interesting things related with food include:

A Bouquet of Pandan Leaf Flowers

Bunch of coconuts

Coconut spoon

Black-Pepper biscuit

Tom Yam Cashew Nuts

Pigeon walking determinedly with an aim

(Pigeons are cooked too!)

Pigeons... conversing and deep in thought...

Once Upon A Time...

2010-12-21T10:54:00.140+04:00

I like Phuket. It's quiet, it's calm. Just the place one would come in search for inner peace. It reminds me much of my hometown, before it was developed a decade ago. Single storey shop lots along the road with narrow corridors; faithful, old time customers enjoying cups of tea and coffee, as they chat about their children and politics throughout the day, are a common scene.

As we head towards the outskirts, rubber trees increase in number. Soon, we are lost in the midst of rubber estates, save for a stretch of tarred road, leading us ahead. As we drive on in silence, we can even hear chirping birds and croaking frogs.

Phuket is blessed with amazingly beautiful views by the beach, and from the hills. As if it is insufficient, there's even a park with a big lake, for citizens to exercise, and breathe in fresh, unpolluted air. The aesthetic landscape is just superb.

King Rama IX Park

People here seem to be pretty contented. They don't mind the routined lifestyle or the slow traffic. In fact, they often open their doors to give alms to temple monks in faded yellow robes, who offer a prayer or two in return for their generosity. When life becomes too hectic, or too much to bear, with rough trials and tribulations, the temples offer refuge for its devotees too. Lost souls with nowhere to go, and lost aims in life, seek solace on tranquil temple grounds, until they regain their footing.

One thing that caught my eye was the number of 7-Eleven outlets in Phuket. At one corner, we spotted three 7-Eleven outlets at the T-junction. One before we turned, and another two more after we turned, directly opposite each other. 7-Eleven stores must be the most popular convenient store among the locals and tourists. Apparently, in Thailand, it requires just about THB 600-700 thousand ( That's RM 60-70k equivalent) to open a 7-Eleven outlet. Much more affordable, compared to McDonalds and KFC. No wonder everybody can afford to own one.

Smile, and the World Smiles with You

2010-12-21T08:42:00.023+04:00

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"The world is like a mirror, you see? Smile, and your friends smile back." –Japanese Zen saying.
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Every so often, we need a holiday. Phuket is definitely the place to go if you plan to take a long, delayed, deserved rest.

It strips life down to the bare necesseties, and makes one think, "Why? Oh Why? Did I ever place such high priority on my work? You see.. life goes on, regardless of the turmoil you're experiencing. So, take it easy, one step at a time. Control your emotions. Stay positive, resilient. Persevere. It's not worth it to get soooo... emotionally worked up."

In the sea, on the hill, by the beach, I pause in my steps. Each time, keeping my heart and mind silent. I have found my true calling. No matter where I am, and what I do, I will always take pride in my profession as a reservoir engineer.

Chance of A Lifetime

2010-11-06T16:04:00.000+04:00

Every once in a while, a shooting star swoops past us and crashes on the shores of our vast, green lands. We anticipate their arrival, predicting the exact time, date and place, whooping for joy when we actually see the phenomenal event happening right in front of our very eyes. It's shiny. It's magical. It's awesome. In most of our lives, witnessing a shooting star however, is a rare ocassion indeed. How many of us have actually seen it? In our minds, it only happens in movies, not real life.

So, when I was invited to participate in the SPE ATW Well Testing for Reservoir Management, I was elated. It has always been my desire to participate in international conferences in petroleum engineering, but the opportunity often escaped me. Partly because of limited funds and stiff competition. This time around though, I was fortunate enough to be selected to present and participate in the workshop. I was only too excited and happy to be able to join this International Conference. Yes! Finally!

What was even more fantastic was that this event would be graced by several well testing experts. Professor Roland Horne - the Author of our well testing textbook on Modern Well Test Analysis; Dr. George Stewart - Author of Well Testing Analysis & Pressure Transient Analysis; Olivier Houze - the Developer and Managing Director of Kappa Software; Professor Shi Yi Zheng and Professor Christine Ehlig Economides, just to name a few.

All of them have published books and papers on well testing that we refer to in our work in and out on a daily basis, whenever we are stuck in the analysis. Can you imagine? All of them will be attending this conference, the very same conference for 4 days! It's indescribable. It's just like the meeting of G-16, or ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, and I will be part of it. I was so excited that I looked forward to it, day and night, counting down the days towards the actual day I'd be travelling to Penang to present at my first international workshop.

Pearl of the Orient

2010-11-05T18:02:00.000+04:00

The conference this time was held in Penang at Batu Feringghi. A quick check on Google revealed that it meant Foreigner's Rock. I wonder why. Perhaps because of its name, foreigners flock to this stretch of the beach in throngs every year just to see the Pearl of the Orient.

During the conference, I was one of the few Malaysian participants. Naturally, participants of the workshop who were from overseas assumed that I knew the general information they seeked about Penang. For example, the length of the famous Penang Bridge , whether we could take a U-turn at the end of the bridge, its famous tourist spots as well as popular places to wine and dine.

Unfortunately, I am a bookworm and a workaholic. I do not know much about KL, my home state - Perak, nor myself. How would I know how long the Penang Bridge is? or the best place to shop in Penang? In my feeble attempt to disseminate these information, the best that I can with statements that began with "I suppose..." and "Ohhh... I'm sorry... I think you have to ask the taxi driver about that." , we gradually diverted to other topics such as work and politics.

It is, suffice to say, a little embarrassing if one didn't know about one's own local states. For a person who spent 99% of my time in my home country, I ought to know the rough estimate of oil production rates in my own country, the demographics as well as remember its famous sight seeing spots.

All of a sudden, I realize that, when we attend these international conferences, we not only represent ourselves, our families, our organization, but at the same time, we also act as ambassadors of our respective countries. Hence, under these circumstances, in any international meetings and conferences, alternatively, we may also term ourselves as delegates . So, we need to live up to our names, sweep every corner, and sharpen our knowledge on every inch of the country.

Burning Stars, Shiny Stars... How Bright Thy Are

2010-11-04T18:50:00.000+04:00

In my 20s, I've seen Tun Dr. Mahathir thrice. Once when I shook hands with him to receive my scroll and certificate on my graduation day, twice on the day he toured our campus, the third time - on my way to work at Twin Towers. Although all three were entirely under different circumstances, yet, each time, he was amiable, flashing a signature smile at all times. I often wondered, as the leader of our country, from outward appearances, he seemed to a relatively simple man. Since then, it has been a long time since I rubbed shoulders with somebody famous.

Thus, it was exhilarating to attend this event with several prominent and world-renowned technical experts. Along the way to Penang, I wondered, "Hmm.. how would they be like?".

I was surprised to learn that they were absolutely down to earth, spoke earnestly from their hearts, and possessed a high sense of humour!

It was also pretty amazing to learn that at one point or another, they always crossed one another's paths, in terms of work and studies. Professors now who were students of another professor, or worked with another expert before... I guess the best mentors are the ones who teach us to ask answers, seek out answers, and spread it to the world. That is how our world progresses, how countries develop, and how organizations flourish. Through sharing, discussions and working together. Our ways and methods might differ. But what's important is, all of us share a single, common objective, that is towards the betterment of society.

It is also fascinating to interact with an author who writes books for universities and industries. I mean, it is a constant, uphill task to write a book. You'd have to have lots of minor details in it, so that your readers wouldn't get confused and frustrated. You'd have to turn it into a reference material, with consistent information, just like a Bible. A book which contains facts and information, yet not contradicting with the page before it. At the same time, it has to be a book which inspires the readers to think, to wonder and to explore.

A Japanese professor I stayed with once, was very passionate about writing. He published a book about the most simple, basic, element on earth - Hydrogen, water, and many other books before it. Writing, was his passion. It was his lifeline. I suppose, in one way or another, writing books helped him to get through life. It made him happy, and it spurred him on. He often slept early, and woke up while the world was still asleep, to record his ideas and phrase them into tangible, imaginable sentences. He had so much to share, and so little time to spare. It touched me, right down to the very core, that there are people out there, who dedicate their whole lives in writing books that only a certain percentile of earthlings would read. Is it worth it?

Attending the conference, I finally found my answer. Yes, it is worth it. Even if your book has been read by only a handful of people. For life is often a series of surprises. For all you know, these are the few people who would understand your concerns, who share your thoughts, concepts and principles; and from then on, are inspired to discover and create milestones and breakthroughs and revelations in their respective technical areas. That is how technology is developed. That, is how we progress into the evolutionary future. That, is how we improve our lives.

Writing books enables one to reach a wider audience. Not just in your school, your organization, or your country. By publishing books, you'd get to reach out to the whole world. And you don't even have to shout. It is, without any doubt, an ideal platform to share your experiences and findings, definitely a much louder voice without political and geological boundaries.

And so, with all these in mind, I asked the Professor, siting right beside me, "So, when do you write your books? In the morning, night, or afternoon?"

Haha. The Professor was stunned for a moment, before answering, "Jean, in all my life, I've only written one book. I can tell you, it is not an easy task." I smiled, and took his word for it.

The next day, I researched more about him on the internet, and found that he has , in fact authored 2 books, and co-written 3. Well, that is what was published on the profile. It could have been more. On published papers and journals, it surpassed 30.

Throughout the workshop, it was reiterated that 'it is a fool who makes mistakes, and a wise man who learns from the mistakes of others'. However, I thought this phrase made a fair amount of injustice to the fool, for he committed the mistake without knowing any better. Hence, I think we should add another phrase to the end of this quote:

"It is often a fool who makes mistakes,

And a wise man who learns from others,

But precious as a jewel,

Is the noble man who shares his experiences,

So that others might learn from it."

The Strange Political Web

2010-11-03T18:48:00.000+04:00

When I read the newspapers every morning, I am often taken aback by how neighbouring countries are always displeased with each other. Take for instance, Pakistan and India, Israel and Palestine, North Korea and South Korea, North Sudan and South Sudan, and a long string of never ending list.

Whenever news of these conflicts reach my eyes and ears, the first question I'll ask is "why?". Why do they want to fight? Why are they at war? Why is it that even after they split, they are still quarrellings with each other? Can't they just live in peace? Can't they settle it in a civilized manner?

Nope. Apparently, they have to fight it out. Throwing bombs, planting suicide bombers in the midst of a multitude, kidnapping, threatening, flying war planes over each others heads... these are just some of the atrocities that they have gone through just to show their dissatisfaction and state their point.

So, I was overjoyed when on the first day of the workshop, we were informed that there would be 66 participants who hailed from 16 countries, gathered from every continent of the globe, who would be joining us. It'll be a small gathering of nations. A wonderful opportunity for me to find out all about everything I've ever wanted to know about other countries, directly from the citizens themselves.

Frankly, three days is too short to build a relationship that is enough for us to trust and open up to each other to discuss issues which are considered to be politically sensitive. Nevertheless, it is sufficient for us to gauge the response of their opinions on certain subjects.

Most of the young, like me, are relatively uninterested in the progress of politics in our own countries. After all, we have a whole, bright future ahead of us. Why would we be concerned with politics? Besides, it's not even in our place to change the way the game is played. Our voices are lost. It's soft. People say we should focus on our careers first, whatever they are, and creating families. Venturing into politics, can come much later.

The veterans, on the other hand, love to elaborate on what they think. When I asked an Iranian on the embargo situation in his motherland, he said, "You know? The embargo isn't so bad, after all. When you think about it, because of this embargo, we learn how to be self-sufficient. We develop our own technology, we are independent. We don't have to rely on anyone."

"But... " I remarked, "Because of the embargo, you won't get to have any US Products in Iran, right?"

The Iranian bats his eyelids, raises his eyebrows, and looks straight at me, "How do you know?"

"I have friends in Sudan, who is also under embargo, and they can't have any US products there, such as KFC, or BurgerKing..." my mind... as usual, is flooded with thoughts about food.

"Ahah!" The Iranian exclaims triumphantly. "That, is where you are wrong. No matter what kind of obstructions are placed in our way, we will always overcome adversities that we face. We have our own ways and means getting what we want." he winks.

"But, it comes with a price. The prices that are charged, are three times higher than those sold in the open market. And you know who's the one who profits the most from this embargo???"

He pauses with a knowing look. As if he's communicating with me telepathically. I got it. I nodded as an indication.

"Yup. You got it! You see, it is all done with a hidden, political agenda. But, we Persians are a strong nation. Look at our history. As cities rise and fall, as wars come and go, we will survive. We, have survived for thousands of years, despite the odds. The situation now isn't any different than it was before. No matter what happens, we know, we will definitely keep on living and be a victorious nation."

It certainly touched a raw nerve of mine to meet somebody who has been part of the Iranian revolution, who's been through thick and thin in his own country, and yet, still have so much faith in the future of his country. He neither complains nor laments about his fate. Instead, he does his best to ensure that his country will be a better one for the children of his future generation. In this aspect, I am impressed. It teaches me so much about the important qualities that one should possess as a leader, like the prophet who led his team out of the desert. Faith, confidence, hope and loads of initiatives.

"So," it's his turn now to quiz me. "All countries are more often than not, enemies with their neighbours. Who's Malaysia's strongest 'enemy' among all the neighbouring countries?"

"Ummm... " I was stunned for a while. Who? Malaysia works alongside with Thailand on several joint-ventures. It's competitive with Thailand for tourists though. Malaysia is always quarreling with Indonesia about the haze, how they should quench the fires, venting their frustrations about the smog and open burning of forest fires, maids, and a whole bunch of other important health, safety and environmental matters. Singapore? Well, that will reveal cans after cans of dispute! Shipping routes, migrations and emigrations of Malaysians to Singapore, discrimination towards Malaysians in Singapore, the way history is written about Singapore in Malaysia, business ventures, bridges, economical preferences, island borders ... ... ..

"Singapore. Definitely Singapore." I answered, after much thought.

"Ahhh!" The Iranian revolutionist winks again. " See! Every country has its own dose of disputes to settle. Some are just more major than the others. And you know what? We just have to learn to deal with it."

That said, the conversation we had that day, felt like attending an open lecture on a Saturday morning to me. Whisked me around to look at things from a totally new dimension.

Gender Equality

2010-11-02T18:48:00.000+04:00

When I was a well testing engineer, I was the second female engineer in a team of a dozen men. The first female engineer then, was only too happy to welcome me. It was tough at first, being one of the only females on the team. Opportunities skated by us because most countries didn't accept female engineers onboard their rigs. So, we were limited to domestic operations. Communication with guys, were mostly problematic. Partly because they spoke so fast, and mechanically, that we never quite catch up to what they wished to convey to us. Some of them didn't even talk to us, much less bat an eyelid, when we joined. Some talked down to us, while some just treated us like irritating little ants who would, presumably, be gone in a matter of months.

There are, on rare occasion, some who take the time to guide us and teach us patiently, and provide every little opportunity now and then to allow us to design, guide, supervise, interpret and analyze the data. It was all part of working life. The pros and cons.

When I confided my concerns to a well-travelled male colleague, he cited an instance of a German female engineer who carried a 136 pound formation tester tool (equivalent to 61kg in SI units) on her own shoulders. As she walked, the men at the supply base dropped whatever they were doing, and stared as she strode across the yard. Some of them couldn't even lift the same tool on their own.

Yes. As humans, we adapt to any situation the best we can. As females, we have a tendency to express our dissatisfaction whenever we gather together. Looking back, it was tough. But it certainly taught us to stand up and be proud of our profession, be confident in our work, and strive even harder to catch up with the seniors and the guys.

I was only too glad when the opportunity came to move out of the team and be a reservoir engineer. Here, the ratio of females to males increased. But I realized that in the higher management level, males still outnumbered the females. But of course, that's besides the point.

Before I attended the workshop, I thought this type of gender disparity only existed in my current organization. Silly me. The workshop proved otherwise. Out of 66 participants, only a handful were females (maybe less than 10). Amongst the men, we felt like fish out of water. Half of us felt like going back into the sea, half of us felt like swimming up to the surface, to check out the atmosphere. Anyhow, years of experience have taught us to stick with our guts, go with the flow and see what the tide brings us.

Then, I found out that my company isn't so bad after all, because women constituted about 30-40% of the overall workforce. In the engineering department of other countries, Saudi Arabia for example, only 1% of the workforce are women. When I heard that, I immediately took off my imaginary hat to salute these brave women. They are the frontiers of lady engineers in their country, inspiring others to do the same, giving them hope that they too can achieve this seemingly far-fetched dream. They are the ones who set the benchmark for future female engineers.

Perhaps, in a decade or two, gender disparity will be significantly reduced, as education opportunities are increasingly being opened to women. Achieving gender equality in our field is unfathomable to me, at least for now. In the meantime, on my part, I'll make it my mission to dedicate my life to learn more about this exciting field of petroleum engineering.

Opportune Revelations

2010-11-01T18:57:00.000+04:00

As human beings, we tend to complain a lot. Well, most of us anyway. As adults, we complain about the political situation, terrible management in our organizations, the never ending queue at a waiting line, frustrating domestic issues, education system, and a host of other important matters in our daily lives.

Children, I observe, rarely complain. At most, they complain about petty things, like not getting their toys, or being ridiculed in school. Petty things, compared with our predicament.

But, the minute we hear children complain, we advise them to do something about it. If the child complains the soup is too hot, we ask them to blow it and cool it down. If the child complains about being exhausted, we tell them to hang on, we'll reach in a little while. If a child says he's being bullied, we tell them to stand up and fight back. The best part of it all, is, the child actually listens to what we say and acts on it.

These days, as we mature into young adults, our ears seem to tune out to the words of others. We have our own opinions and our own ways of doing things. When others say turn left, we go right. When others say 'hop', we fly. We do the exact opposite. And what happens when things don't go our way?

That's right. The very first thing that we do, is complain. It's never our fault. It's always the fault of the tool, the stranger, the team, or the environment. Even when we think it's all our doing, we rarely admit it. In fact, sometimes, we even turn a blind eye on the situation, which makes it worse!

Yet, one important lesson I've taken away from this workshop, is that despite the hurdles, champions are those who turn complains into opportunities. None of the people I've interacted with throughout the workshop, lamented about their environments or situations. Often, they looked at obstacles straight into the eye, stared down at it, and faced it head on.

Every waking moment, they are thinking of ways to hammer complicated problems into little chips and pieces that could be stored, evaluated, understood and shared. They analyze the chips under the microscope to understand every ion, going down on their knees, cracking their heads to break down pages after pages of complex equations, and come up with the most simplified mathematical functions. The most amazing thing is, not only do they apply their analysis in their technical area, they even look at its application in other industries to see how it can help to improve the lives of others.

Ever heard about nanotechnology? I first heard about it 10 years ago, from my coursemate, who had a vision that it would define the future of our world. At that time, nanotechnology was still at its budding stage. Scientists had grand visions of it. It would eradicate poverty, heal incurable diseases, and improve economies. It'd give us higher hopes and a reason to live.

When I was first exposed to it, it scared the hell out of me. My naive mind thought, "Wow... wouldn't that replace God?" It shook my faith in the powers above for a while, for I thought with such magic, we wouldn't need God anymore. So, why should I have any religion, for that matter?

Today, after being exposed to the wonders of nanotechnology, I am a convert. Because of nanotechnology, cancers can be cured, bomb threats can be detected in the air through nano-particles. Nevertheless, there will always be limitations to our work. As we strive to achieve breakthroughs and revelations, we discover that our knowledge is consistently inversely proportional with our ignorance.

But, should that stop us from taking up leading roles and initiatives in our efforts towards improving the quality of lives of humanity.? Ought we even complain when plans go awry? While others are going all out to resolve issues, how can we play our parts in ensuring the problems don't go out of hand? How do we take an active role in ensuring that our voices are heard, our concerns are noticed? How do we increase the number of our manpower? How do we create solutions?

We, can achieve this by first being passionate and interested in areas we are most concerned about. Solutions will hit us and flow like electricity the moment inspiration strikes. Like the waterfall, once it finds its highest falling point, it will never run dry. The least we can do, while our hearts are still beating, is to resolve one issue at a time, to make this world a better place. Taking it step by step, and innovate along the way.

Work Life Balance

2010-11-01T16:18:00.000+04:00

I love my job. So much so that it engulfs my life in fiery flames. I devour work like a ferocious piranhas who viciously chews their victim. Every morning, the moment I open my eyes, my first thought is, "Hmm... what kind of work should I do today? Analysis? Reports? Email? Study?" Rarely a day goes by without me touching my work.

As a result, I am aloof. I space out regularly, and my mind wanders away from typical conversations that revolve around relationships and daily matters. My brother describes of me to others as being 'not quite here', as he gives a gentle, playful knock on my forehead.

Work is my life. I breath it, like a dragon who breathes fire. It defines who I am, gives me a reason to keep on living. Most of all, it keeps me happy. I derive much pleasure and joy from my work. The more I put in to keep up with the dynamic changes, the more questions I have. As the questions increase, the curiousity multiplies.

This process of learning seems to be a never ending cycle. Like a hamster, who's running on a runged, hamster wheel. This journey of information seeking is especially addictive. It takes a lot of strength just to stop running. It's hard though, when the gaining momentum fuels my pursuit and quenches my thirst.

Among my circle of acquaintances, there are few who share my perception. To them, work is something we do as a means of living. To me, work encompasses life. I derive too much joy from work that I often drown myself in it. Bobbing up and down in the bottomless sea, stuck so deep in this sticky, gluey stuff that even my friends and family can't pull me out of.

My family often remind me that I have other roles to play simultaneously, i.e. as a daughter, a sister, a niece and a cousin. The endless demands and hopes forces me to reconcile with the fact that I am not just an engineer, but also a person with flesh and blood and other abounding responsibilities.

Mingling with the people here for the past few days, I find that there are others who are just like me. We love our jobs tremendously. To tear ourselves away from it, would be like breaking our hearts into two. No matter how we try to compartmentalize our lives into work and social life, it becomes excruciatingly painful to separate one from the other. Often, we find that they are closely intertwined.

So, between work and life, it is a constant compromise of finding the balanced proportions. Ultimately it is our priorities that determine how we distribute our time between these two grey areas. Right now, to me, my work, is still my life. Take it away from me, and I'll probably be flinching, sulking and in absolute misery.

Perhaps, in time to come, I might be able to take off my Wizard of Oz green spectacles, see everything for what it is, and come to terms with reality.

~"Oh Lord! Please grant me the wisdom of discernment."~

Yes! Vacation!

2010-09-20T15:56:00.024+04:00

Yes! I finally had a real vacation! After a year of slaving away in the office, in front of countless computer screens, I have finally earned the opportunity to go for a long vacation!

This time, it's in Tasik Kenyir (Kenyir Lake), a Malaysian destination.

Being a person who's not very interested in general knowledge, I had lots of misconception about Tasik Kenyir. I thought that it's situated in Pahang, a round lake, with a mass accumulated volume of water in the middle of plain grasslands.

Apparently, I was greatly mistaken. Tasik Kenyir, is actually located right in the middle of Terengganu. It is not a big lake, like Lake Toba in Indonesia, where a huge volume of water accumulates in the volcano. Rather, it's like a small sea, where many rivers flow into it.

The rivers used to flow out in all directions. However, in 1985, the government decided to turn it into a dam, to generate electricity for the nation's supply. So, they sealed up all the exits, and turned it into a lake. Hence the term 'man-made lake'.

According to the locals, Tasik Kenyir is twice or even three times the size of Singapore. It would take around 2 or even 3 weeks to circle the whole lake by boat. But, according to Wikipedia, the size of Singapore is 710km2 and Tasik Kenyir is only 260km2. Theoretically, the lake is only about 30% of the size of Singapore, not twice its size. Either the locals are misinformed, or one of the authors of Wikipedia mis-typed the information.

The lake is used to store water during the monsoon season, from the months of September to February. In March, when the water level is at its highest, the dam is opened and the rivers come to life. It is thus best to visit Kenyir Lake in the months of March and April, where the whole lake looks really green, with the mud virtually invisible.

Today, some of the rivers have extended into Taman Negara (National Park) in Pahang. The locals are extremely grateful that the lake was constructed. It has not only helped to divert the flooding of the residential areas, it has also helped churned income for Terengganu state as a popular tourism spot.

Lodging

2010-09-19T19:31:00.004+04:00

There are altogether 15 resorts around Tasik Kenyir, with varying levels of comfort and facilities. When I told my boss that I'd be camping at Tasik Kenyir, she thought that I'd be setting up a tent in the middle of the jungle, constructing bonfires, cooking Maggi Mee and catching our own fishes for supper with our bare hands.

In actual fact, we were staying in a simple chalet at Musang Kenyir Resort. In the room, there was a Queen sized bed, a double decker and an outdoor bathroom. We even had a balcony, facing the lake! It was great!

Thank God we didn't have to cook our own food. The owner of the chalet cooked really good, healthy, nutritious meals for all of us. Each meal consisted of vegetables, chicken, fish and soup. The meals were so traditional that I had totally forgotten all about it. It was like tasting dishes back in the '80s. We had dishes like fried fish with ginger and soy-sauce, steamed fish with sambal, steamed chicken with cili-padi, ginger and salted fish, steamed tofu, ayam goreng kunyit and baby kailan.

The fishes of course, were fresh from the river. However, it didn't have any of those muddy river taste at all. It tasted really delicious. There were talapia and ikan patin. Yummy! No ikan kelah though. Probably 'coz it's a protected species. Definitely a far cry from our meals in Mulu where we had instant noodles for breakfast and fried rice with garlic for dinner.

The Chalet

Musang Kenyir Resort - in a secluded spot of the lake

View from the Verandah

The Food

Boats & Waves...

2010-09-17T20:02:00.164+04:00

The resort that we stayed in is situated at the top left corner of Kenyir lake. Direction - North West.

To get there from KL, first we flew to Kuantan, and drove 240km to Kuala Terengganu, where we spent a whole evening touring the town. The next day, we travelled to the jetty, another 50 minutes from Kuala T'ganu.

The journey was long. But, it was a transition from the city to the countryside. Scenes of grey brick buildings, gas stations, house pets gradually distanced and faded in sight, only to be replaced by green hills, fruit trees, healthy brown cows and merry, little lambs. The best part was the phones lost its coverage, with every step inched towards the lake. By the time we arrived at the riverside, there was totally no coverage at all! Yes! Cut-off from the outside world!

Setting foot on the river banks of the TNB bridge jetty, is like entering a whole new world. Stepping off from the hard, steel metallic floors of the car, and onto the soft, cool mud, with a whiff of fresh, green grass early in the morning, is sufficient to remind one of our natural ecosystem. Mosquitoes buzzing around our heads, crickets chirping, frogs croaking, and swinging monkeys on the trees were a well harmonized orchestra, creating music that resonated through the woods.

To enhance the experience, a small perahu that could only accomodate 5-6 persons at any one time, was awaiting us by the river. We stepped into the rusty-red laterite soil, and sat in this simplest, most basic form of transportation. For a moment, we were transported into the era before the creation of bridges, roads, speedboats and helicopters. It would have been perfect had the helmsman-the person who steered the boat used a paddle to row the boat, and a long stick to guide its direction. That would have been like sitting on the gondolas in the Vienna Channels.

The heat was burning into our skins. Fortunately, the guy used an outboard motor, installed at the rear of the boat powered by gasoline. Within minutes, the engine roared and we were skidding across the surface of the river, creating waves.

From the looks of it, steering the boat seems so easy. All one had to do was power up the engine and move it to the left or right. Yet, we witnessed a group of tourists who decided to rent a boat and 'drive' it out on their own for a fishing trip , without depending on experienced hands.

As they selected on the spot to fish, the amateur stopped the engine all of a sudden. His passengers lurched forward and sideways, and dropped into the waters. The boat capsized, along with important travel documents of the keen, young fishermen. As a result, they had to return to the same spot (this time, with their life jackets on their backs) with another boat, dived near the area of the incident, to search for the lost documents.Fortunately for them, they managed to retrieve their bag of important papers, thanks to the help of the locals.

Note: Never underestimate the process of a seemingly easy job, not unless you've been through it.

Mode of Transportation - Sampan/Perahu

High Waves Generated by this Small, Little Sampan

Jungle Trekking

2010-09-16T20:03:00.099+04:00

A trip to the woods is incomplete without hiking and jungle trekking. Hence, we signed up for a stroll in the woods. Once again, taking the boat, we arrived at the foot of one of the hills, and began trekking through the wilderness to Tanjung Tembat Waterfalls.

At first, it seemed easy enough. The trees were far apart, earth was dry, and the terrain was flat. As we ventured deeper and deeper into the jungle, the trees grew closer to one another, the earth became wetter. It became harder to identify the paths as numerous wet, brown, blackened leaves and branches stacked onto the less trodden path. Trees were rooted firmly onto the ground, forming natural staircases, easing our journey up the mountains.

Since it had just rained the previous night, the ground was extremely muddy. It was a nice and cool walk. We didn't even feel the sun shining brightly over our heads as the sunlight was filtered through the leaves. We felt safe and exhilarated at the same time.

Along the way, we spotted circular tracks about 1 feet in diameter, with deep imprints onto the ground. Many times, due to our inexperience, we mistook it for human footprints, stepped onto it and tended to follow those tracks. Unbeknown to us, those were elephant footprints. Thankfully our guide never left us to try out new paths on our own. Whenever we took the wrong path, they'd always call us back. So, we always found our way.

Every few metres, we would stumble upon huge green, spherical mixture of grass and mud particles, which we suspected were elephant poop. Areas which elephants had passed by, tended to have fallen branches, tree trunks and extremely muddy paths. As a result, we often had to look really closely before grabbing branches and tree trunks alike. Once, the guide in front of me was just about warn me about the sharp, thorned shoots on my left when I grabbed it hastily and shouted "Ouch!" . Too late! I had already touched it.

Yes. In the woods, we should really look before we touch and step. While crossing the river, I touched a branch for support, only to be stinged by something sharp, and I shouted, "ouch! ouch! ouchs" three times, as tears accumulated in my eyes and flowed steadily down my cheeks. It was really painful. I looked up and saw only a bunch of sharp, green, haify stuff sticking out from a branch. The guide, who stood on a elevated boulder, said, "Aww... don't be a big baby. It's just a young caterpillar. Is it painful? Just put your stung finger on your hair, and rub it on your head."

Naively, I trusted him and assumed that by doing so, my left ringer wouldn't hurt anymore. Yet, the pain did not reduce even one single bit. In fact, it seemed to spread through my upper arm. At one point, I even felt as if my arms would go numb! I always wondered what would happen if one were stung by caterpillar. Now I knew. It isn't that bad. As much as I complained of the pain like a little baby, the pain was gone by the end of the day.

Since it had just rained, black, juicy leeches were lurking at almost every corner. Whenever we stopped in a new territory, there was a high tendency for our skin to be poked and blood sucked out by the leeches. Our Canadian friend, who had never seen a leech, was curious about how it looked. The first time a leech hung stubbornly onto her arm, she picked the creature up with two of her slender fingers, snapped a picture of it, before throwing it onto the ground. Upon further advice by our group members, she stepped onto the leech, squashing it flat.

Suddenly a speculation by one of my colleagues crossed my mind, "If we pour lots of salt onto a leech, will it explode into a million pieces?" Hmmm... I wonder. Did not have the opportunity to try it out through. The next time I feel adventurous and want to jungle trek again, I'll be sure to carry a bottle of salt just to see what happens. Hah!

As we were walking out of the woods, our guide decided to reveal that sometimes, while bringing tourists like us into the jungle, they would occasionally encounter porcupines, tigers, panthers, leopards and elephants. In moments like these, it is always tense. Should they run? Or should they stay put? They are after all, trespassing into the habitat of these animals. "We are the intruders, not them." they explained. Thus, in such situations, they try to be as quiet as possible and not attract any attention to themselves. As such, both parties have been well protected, co-existing in peace and harmony. Amen.

Big Ants, Small Ants, Grouped Ants Moving Together

Waterfalls

2010-09-15T20:05:00.029+04:00

The main attraction of Tasik Kenyir is its abundant waterfalls. Upstream of every nook and corner of a river, there is bound to be a waterfall, gushing down with grandeur, zest and boundless energy.

Here, its water is clearest, with lots of baby fishes swimming around your ankles. As soon you dip your feet into the cool river, these fishes will quickly swim to your feet and nibble eagerly on your smooth, raw skin. It's ticklish. The feeling of their sharp teeth and smooth lips will definitely send tingling sensations throughout every nerve of yours.


Mini-Waterfall

Downstream of Waterfall

Clearwater

Revelations

2010-09-15T15:24:00.069+04:00

Language is a funny thing. Although its commonly used as a tool of communication to express oneself, it differs and varies across states, even though it's the same language. People from different states and countries have their own unique ways of communicating in the same language.

During our recent trip to Tasik Kenyir, the Canadians we were travelling with, found our spoken English tremendously amusing. Malaysians, based on their observation, tend to speak in words instead of sentences. For example, if a person asks, "Can we go out?"

A Malaysian will answer "Can, can." . Twice. Repetitious. Short. Simple. Straight to the point.

A Canadian will answer, "Yes, if you think it's absolutely necessary."

They also find it funny the way we pronounce words that start with 'th'. Malaysians tend to eliminate the 'h' in words that begin with 'th'. Pronouncing 'three' as 'tree, 'the' as 'd' , 'that' as 'd', 'think' as 'tink'. Hence when we say 'three bags', the way we say it, it'd sound like 'tree bags' instead of '3 bags', tickling our Canadian friends' funny bones.

After spending two weeks in Malaysia, our Canadian friends have become partially Malaysianized - adding 'lah' to the end of almost every sentence, e.g. 'can-lah', 'no-lah', 'yes-lah', and '"aiyah! How come you don't know-lah?" It's pretty entertaining hearing non-native Malaysians saying 'lah'!

In comparison, our Canadian friends spoke 10 times more than us. They can just speak so much, which is pretty amazing to me. These days, it is hard to get even 10 words out of my mouth. These Canadians, on the other hand, spoke as they thought. They spoke with eloquence, spontaneous with a lot of details and analysis. On one hand, I wished I could speak as much. On the other hand, in my current state, I find that speaking is a great effort, especially on non working related topics.

Life is a series of surprises. If everything went as planned, it wouldn't be life, would it? This trip to Tasik Kenyir has taught me that I should really lighten up and not take everything soooooo.... seriously. Increase my frequency of meeting with friends, entertainment sessions. It starts now. By saying 'yes!' enthusiastically to all invitations to meet up. *Wink*!

Save the Environment!

2010-09-15T15:22:00.005+04:00

When we were young, we were always advised to save the environment. Until today, we are bombarded with messages such as 'Save our rivers', 'Save our earth', or 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle'. I've never understood the importance of conserving greens until the day I arrived at Tasik Kenyir.

The moment one arrives at Tasik Kenyir, the very first thing one will notice are the bald trees, all chopped right down to its very core. It is a pitiful sight indeed. It looks as if these trees - the guardians of the forest - were beheaded for just being caretakers of the jungle.

When we inquired further, we found out that when the prime minister came to Tasik Kenyir for a site visit, he found overgrown trees with leaves on its billion, zillion branches absorbing all the natural light, casting a dark shadow over the rivers. Thinking of it as unsightly and deeming it unsuitable as a tourist spot, the prime minister ordered all the trees to be cut down. Naturally, the respective ministry acted on the orders and embarked on a mission of chopping of trees that were submerged in the river.

Today, what's left of these trees are its roots and thick trunk. In fact, these trees are of superb quality. Proof of its strength and long durability were evident. The trees, despite being submerged in water since its birth, are still standing upright, tall, strong and sturdy, bringing to mind a famous proverb 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'.

The trees in Tasik Kenyir fetches high commercial value because it is long-lasting and able to withstand termite attack. It is often processed into furniture and construction material for houses. Hence, logging activities are often carried out upstream of certain parts of the river, speeding up the deforestation process. In certain parts of the river downstream, the water is murky and brown, with lots of foam floating on the surface. It looks extremely polluted and, it just gets hotter by the minute. All for the sake of monetary gains while exploiting some of our natural resources.

I now realize that global warming is very real and it's escalating by the second. Despite our attempts at approaching paperless society, discarding the utilization of plastic bags, and recycling efforts, trees are still being cut everyday. Perhaps, these seemingly futile efforts might make a difference in saving our porcupines, tigers, eagles and hornbills, just like the famous starfish story by Loren Eiseley, an American anthropologist.

Witnessing the drastic sight of deforestation right in front of my eyes, and having experience dfirst-hand the results of it all, I resolve never again to print on papers unnecessarily and support wholesome efforts in saving Mother Earth. After all, there is only one earth. The survival of our human race depends on its continuity.

Decapitated Tree

Trees by the River

Hills, trees and rivers

Foamy River due to Logging Industry Upstream

Murky Waters


Our Precious Resources

Mixed Responses

2010-09-14T20:01:00.002+04:00

Being in the woods, isolated and cut off from all channels of communication is awfully relaxing. I just can't help repeating myself. It is where I am able to find my true self, identify my deepest needs, able to decide on my future, purely based on my own desires.

It is here, in the thick, lush, greenery that I feel close to God. It's a funny revelation, considering how Church is all about getting closer to God. I don't feel closer to Him on any given day these days. It's probably because in the city, everywhere I go, I see things that are man-made. Even the rain clouds are are planted in the sky by airplanes.

In the jungle, everything amazes me. It is in here, true beauty exists. Whenever I stand by the river, I see huge, gigantic mountains. In the evenings, the colours of the sky mix so evenly and gradually. In the night, crickets, monkeys and owls chirp and chat throughout the night. It is then that I am reminded that God truly exists. For what else could bestow such beauty and serenity upon our land, except for the powers above?

Hence, when Pete Seeger, a 91-year old social activitist, born on the 3rd of May 1919, and still very much alive to this day, said, "Every time I’m in the woods, I feel like I’m in church.", I am in absolute agreement.

Eager to share my thoughts and joy of being in the wilderness, I shared pictures of Kenyir Lake with several friends and family members. When friends of my generation saw the still reflection of the hills on the calm water surface, they were awed. Impressed that such a place still existed.

My family members, on the other hand, were more taken aback that I found such scenes impressive. They were dumbfounded that I was bowled over by these scenic display of tranquility. "When I was a child, Sitiawan and Kampung Koh (the hometown of my family and my ancestors after they migrated from China) used to look like this." my mother began reminiscing. "I still remember us, as little boys and girls, soaking ourselves in the streams on a scorching, hot day, catching fishes and playing the whole day long by the river during school holidays."

I listened in amazement. "Wow... " speechless as I gathered my thoughts. "We used to have these kind of scenery in Sitiawan? The rivers? The grasslands? The grazing cows?"

I can't believe it. Ever since I was born in this town, all I ever saw were rubber estates, oil palm estates, schools, single story and double story buildings. No rivers, no lakes, no vast greenery. Somehow, it seemed ... impossible. It is as if, the town existed just the way it was, the moment I set my eyes on it, along with the years I grew up in it. Even if it did change, it was not drastic. As far as I remember, the most major change was the day I noticed bulldozers destroying corridors of shops by the roadside, in their attempts to widen the road. It was a sad day for me. As a child, I liked things just the way they are. Change was, to me, always an intruder.

And so, when my mom did not even bat her eyelids as I showed her how green the grass were, how tranquil the rivers were, how peaceful, trying to convey how I felt as if I had been transported up to paradise, I just couldn't comprehend it. How is it that my mom, who has lived for half a decade, not be impressed by this? or even longed that she could have this right at her backyard?

In fact, the way she momentarily glanced up from time to time, as I tried to attract her attention, seemed as if it was such a common, daily sight. I suppose, changes in my hometown are pretty gradual, and in her mind, she still sees it the same way as it was fifty years ago. Or perhaps, she has had her fair share of living by the river, and now has embraced the convenience that only town living can offer. A lifestyle that a city-bred like me takes for granted, eager to escape from the solid grasp it has on me, creeping into solitude, searching for my true calling.

My brother's response was, "Jie (Sis)! U know! We used to catch fishes in the drains all the time! Nothing new at all!"

Hmm... That is when I found out that I have missed out pretty much on life. My decision to dedicate my life to reading a whole library of books gained me some wisdom and knowledge, but lost in terms of experiences gained.

I am still in my twenties, 27 to be precise. I need to take risks, be courageous and chase after my dreams. Be like a wild horse, galloping freely, roaming adventurously. One is only young once. If I don't start now, when will I start? Try everything, Jean!

For without experience, from whence cometh knowledge?

2010-09-14T20:00:00.000+04:00

I finally figured out why I love being in the jungle so much. It is because when I'm surrounded by thick, protective trees, I feel as if time comes to an absolute standstill.

For those few precious moments that I hold closely within my heart, I am living only in the present, no regrets about the past, no worries about the future; I am living only for myself, no worries about relationships, no worries about family bonds and ties.

Momentarily, I feel whole and contented. I blend well with my surroundings, gradually losing myself in the harmonious backdrop, drinking in the sound of the silent gushing streams, calming down the rush of adrenaline, flaring tempers within the cool, rhythmic air of the forest.

I, am now breathing in perfect harmony with Mother Nature.

Ahhh... yes. Being in the woods has that magical effect on me. It takes away all the pain, all the worries and all the sadness, and renews our hearts with joyful beats and magical strength. In a mysterious way, going to the forest is just therapeutic.