Singapore and Malaysia

Thus far we have found Southeast Asia to be remarkably accommodating and extremely reasonable in terms of dining, hotel and hostel stays, and transportation. I suppose we did not know what exactly to expect when we left Australia for the first time, but I can say that I am extremely pleased with our experiences. The one thing that is a continual drain, but cannot be changed is the infernal heat and accompanying humidity. These tend to suck the energy right out of you, and hence in the guidebooks we have consulted one is advised not to walk the city streets, but rather to acquire transportation by taxi, public bus, or light-rail/monorail train. As to these systems, they seem to be much more sophisticated and more efficient than anything I have seen in the United States outside of New York City. Even still the trains in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur arrived at the station no more than 5 minutes apart during all hours of the day, and were extremely well-signed and easy to navigate. For these reasons we had no trouble getting to see and the do the things we wanted to, and then returning to the hostel for a good few hours break from the outside climate.

It is interesting to note how well the people have taken to us. No one seems to view us as outsiders or suckers, but rather people on a holiday who might very well be good customers to have, or people to photograph. This was typified of course once we had left Singapore—where we were recognized as just another pair of Westerners walking on the street—and had arrived to Malaysia. I found the people here to be warmer, perhaps due to their lower socioeconomic status as compared to Singapore, and their desire to improve the tourist experience. After arriving back to the train station at Butterworth from Penang, I was interviewed by a representative of the Malaysian tourism and received a nice little monkey memento in exchange for my replies to her queries. As to the average people on the street, I will not soon forget our host Az at the hostel in KL. When asked as to the checkout time he simply said, “Check out whenever you want.” When asked about where to smoke cigars, he indicated the living room, “Here, the balcony, the kitchen, wherever you want.” Hence we spent the better part of 36 hours there catching up on sleep, emails, writing, reading, and simply relishing the free time and relaxation that comes with a holiday. Another great memory is that of Faisel from Mumbai, who served us some beautiful Indian food on our way to the KL Tower. When I loved the lemon iced tea, he explained exactly how to make it, and offered to show me how the following day. Unfortunately we were slated to leave KL that night on the train to Butterworth and so I had to respectfully decline. Unfazed, he asked whether we had any US currency that he could acquire for his collection. I was bummed that we did not, but will remember to bring such things on future trips to Southeast Asia.

Now we set off for Thailand. The great “Wild West” of Southeast Asia as best I can surmise. Everyone cautions you about the hawkers, or “touts” and the prevalence of pickpockets, and people seeking to take advantage of Westerners, but then goes on to say how much of a good time they had, and how they look forward to returning very soon.

I am excited, both about what is to come now, in our $16/night 4-star hotel in Pa Tong on the island of Phuket, Thailand, but also for the future, for as I have said a number of times to my brother Daniel, “Nothing will ever be the same again.” Indeed it will not be. We will go home, and everything may be the same for everyone else who has stayed, but we will have changed dramatically. These thoughts even go to the point of affecting my dreams at times. Last night, on the train from KL to Butterworth, I dreamt that I was driving my old green and tan Jeep Wrangler with the top down somewhere between Rockford and Byron, but could not seem to recall how to work the stick shift. Somehow I was making my way along, but it was not the same as it used to be. Similarly, after attempting to referee a game of basketball in the same dream, I found myself exhausted from the effort. It wasn’t until a compatriot referee in the person of a short, black woman told me that I needed to drop some of my ass that I realized that I was not in the shape that I once was. Life has changed, and will affect the life that we left behind, both because the life we return to will not be the same life we left behind, and on entering it, we will not be the same people we were when we left either. I am excited for what this might mean.

I once said that I could not be a good teacher because I had not yet learned anything. Now I have seen enough of the world to think that I might know a few things about it. I have learned that I was born with the burden of needing to experience life first-hand in order to learn from it. This burden has been both fortunate and unfortunate at different points, but overall I am grateful for what I have learned from its constant prodding and inspiration to go out into the world and learn.

First post in a long time

So I have wanted to make an entry on the blog for a long time, but never felt sufficiently inspired to do so. One of the reasons is that life hit me, in all of its ordinary and mundane glory; I will try to explain…

Life takes on a rhythm no matter who you are, where you are, what you are doing, what you are seeking, and where you are going. For this reason I used to feel disenchanted with life, craving a natural high in every moment and yet only experiencing the normal, ordinary feedback that comes from getting up, fulfilling the day’s activities, eating, doing more activities, eating again, practicing some relaxation or leisure activities, then going to sleep. And the next day to do it all over again. I spited this and it incensed me to think how much time I had “wasted” simply filling the hours of my day with the requisites of life. It took going on a trip around the world to realize that life does not give itself meaning. We can become as angry or spiteful as we will, but this does not change the fact that we have a very significant role to play in our own pursuit of happiness. Why did it take going around the world? In my mind I used to think that people outside the United States lived differently, and hence experienced more fulfillment in life, however in encountering them face to face and taking in their daily doings, I have come to realize the truth that I stated at the beginning. Our lives naturally (and of necessity) develop a rhythm, and only by understanding our individual rhythm and enriching it by including the things that we enjoy on a regular basis, can we find true happiness and fulfillment in the short term of our daily lives, and I believe ultimately this leads to long-term happiness and a sense of fulfillment as well.

Daniel, Mike, and I spent a long time in Melbourne, and I think this is one of the greatest lessons that I learned. Joy and fulfillment only came when I recognized the rhythm in my life at that time, and then effectively implemented the things that I enjoy into that rhythm. We all have needs and desires that we cannot run from, but rather must learn to embrace and fulfill in the most natural and healthy ways possible, in order that our lives take on deeper meaning simply because we enjoy them more completely.

Life always has the potential to become mundane, and do not think that just because we are on the other side of the world that life does not at times become mundane and ordinary all over again, because it does. We still have to eat, use the toilet, sleep, pay bills, and take care of our needs just the same as when we were at home. Thus, it is not simply in drastic changes, such as travelling around the world, that true change and satisfaction is achieved in the human person. I believe it lies more in the small things, and making them as personally satisfying and fulfilling as possible, such that the little necessities of every day become no longer nuisances, but rather little reasons for joy.

To concretize my reflection a bit, I want to thank all of our friends in Melbourne who helped make our stay so much more rewarding and fulfilling. Friends, family, and relationships are key to maintaining that meaning and sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in life, for without them life too easily devolves into a mundane and even boring repetition of the same necessary tasks over and over again. These tasks are necessary. That we cannot change. However we can change the way we think about them, the way we do them, what we do when we are not doing them, and then suddenly life has been reinvented, life is fun and interesting again. For some it may take a trip around the world, but whatever it is for you, strive to learn more and more each day of what makes your life more meaningful and rewarding, and permanently integrate those things into your life.

Live life to the fullest and die knowing that you have indeed lived.