Mambo!

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

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

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

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

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

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) Yes I do!

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

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

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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

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

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!

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... 

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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