It was a beautiful and important morning for Malaysians. A day we had been all waiting for eagerly with great anticipation for a month. It was 9th May 2018, Malaysia's 14th GE.
I put on my "TRANSFORMERS" black t-shirt and denim jeans. TRANSFORMERS, yes, represents my family and I. Our motive, just like the rest them out there looking for a change. A clear hidden message, which I'm sure people would just pass it as as any other black t-shirt.
We arrived as early as 8.30 am to exercise our rights. There were already more people before us. The line was shorter for my age group. However, I had to stand in for my parents in their line for more than 1.5 hours. Anyway, all went well. Need I write more? There rest was HISTORY! Welcome, New Malaysia.
It's been 27 days since our election day. It is that long I had been going on doing my chores with voter ink on my left index finger. Time had come to bid farewell to it last night.
After a sense of accomplishment, finally I decided to paint my nails again. A complete sense of fulfillment. I had kept my inked left index finger very proudly. Showing it off, directly and indirectly, letting people know that I had exercised my rights on 9.2.2018. Not only to showcase that I had voted but most importantly to show that I am part of the change :)
That was the main reason, the one and only REASON to be exact, I kept the ink on for that long ;)
I see many Malaysian still have it on so proudly. Showcase of our determination and hunger for change finally materialized.
How often does this happen? Why does it happen? End of the day we are common human beings and we somehow or rather get trapped in good conversations.
If you notice this happening more than twice then that person is surely taking advantage on you. Or rather making use of you to fulfill their free time. The best is to slow down communicating with such people.
"How do you do it? "How come you have so much money?". "Wow, you get long holidays". Your boss is so nice". "You must be sucking up to your boss to have holidays!"."You have all the time in the world". "You are blessed that you have no commitments!" Blah..blah..blah...Those are common questions and statements thrown at me. Countless times. Usually I just shrug my shoulders, wink, smile and say "Just like that!". Let them ponder and come out with more theories! I just love those scandalous thoughts they have. Let it be :)
Normally I don't bother explaining. I don't like unnecessary long conversations that digs deep into my personal life. Secondly, I cannot rationalize my point of views to them. It will be difficult for them to see what I see. People see what they want to see. People hear what they what to hear. They decipher what they want to according to their bandwidth.
So how did I managed to TRAVEL when most of my friends are facing their PC 24/7? Lifestyle and priority! That makes a difference. Huge lot of difference.
I have very little materialistic obsession. Therefore, I have very limited possessions ;) Therefore I have very little worry of what I have ;) In fact these days, I am becoming a minimalist. Ok, that is going to be my next blog topic.
Major difference between them and me, I am a traveler not a tourist! I don't drag baggage. Instead I carry a backpack. While people flash their new cars and bigger houses, I maintain my first car and a small home. No tour packages for me instead I do my own research of those places and I move on my own. Usually with very minimum guidance. I take public transports, experience the countryside, hillside, terrains. Bumpy rides and crazy nauseating rides. I had puked all the way up and down the hills. I had hitchhiked on bikes. Crazy.
I seek adventure in my travel. No fancy big hotels but equally safe and cosy bed and breakfast rooms. That opens up opportunity for me to mingle with other backpackers. My travel cost is reduced when we share our transportation and accommodation while heading to the same destination.
No big restaurants all the time. I try local street food but of course hygiene is a factor. There is no way I can control that but I can choose to eat in simple, hygienic stalls. Get the local flavor. At times, I bring some basic, quick fix dry food from home. Bread, butter and cheese slices. My all time quick fix.
Traveler vs tourist. Even this they will find it difficult to perceive. Those are two different things. I travel on budget. I mingle, learn and go hands on when I travel. I travel to acquire knowledge and experience! I don't travel just to get my passport stamped - hey, I have been here! NO! I travel to rejuvenate my soul. I leave bits of myself everywhere I go. In return, I come home with bits from those places.
I get my tickets whenever there is major sales. Then I plan the rest. Most times I work backwards. Lol. Meaning, I don't determine the destination first. I grab whatever cheap ticket that is available on sale, then I work on the route and itinerary. Voila!
Mostly I ended up traveling to countries with lower currency than RM. They are affordable and I could spend quite comfortably. Most Asian countries are very affordable.
Another rule, no extensive shopping and souvenir purchase. Usually only fridge buttons as memoirs, only for ME. :)
People, instead of wondering, complaining and comparing, should do a little research about traveling. Read more about places. Then you will understand and find ways to travel.
Many pages in my passport are awaiting to be stamped still. I am still exploring, a small time traveler. I would love to see Europe! My wishlist includes Trans-Siberian Railway journey. Plenty to see. So little time.
Having said it all, I am still the girl next door whom enjoys some luxuries for herself. Occasionally I do pamper myself - spa, mani-pedi, eating out, friends, hangouts, cosmetics, perfumes, accessories. lol. What all not. After all, I am still that stylish working woman! Or rather I try to be one. Lol! Again, this will be another topic to blog ;)
All I can say is, it is a big and beautiful world out there. Take some time off your routine. Breath fresh air. Experience new places. Lets not hoard materials, instead lets collect memories and experiences. We live only once. Lets make the most out of it. Don't sit on your favourite couch and rot there ;)
ps 1: Songs like this always inspire me to travel more. ps 2: Thank you so much for inspiring me to write again R! Truly appreciate it :)
I always had a lot of things in my mind, all the time but as much as my mind had it all, my fingers couldn't type them. Time is such a commodity. I have even lost sense on how to blog anymore. I need to start. Begin. Again, this is what exactly I had been telling myself for the last 3 years!
Seemingly lost in time and priorities of life. To many sudden happenings in the family. Work! Reasons! Reasons! Reasons! Why am I so defensive? Why can't I just put aside my ego and admit I have lost touch to blogging? It is becoming more difficult to pen my thoughts.
What do I want? As for now, I wish to do this. Or rather I wish someone would hold my hands and take me along like this. Or maybe, I should be holding a smaller hand and go places?
Which is which? It doesnt really matter, as long as the heart is happy and new places are explored. Sorrows are left behind, smile is taken everywhere. Sigh! Wishful thoughts :)
Sometimes, we need to slow down a little in order to have space to catch up. That's what happened to me. I slowed down a little but never stopped. This is a perfect poem I came across today on a social media. It hit hard at me.
Made me write. Logged into my blog and typed my mind's ramblings.
Hence, I knew i didn't quit at all. I thought I quit but I didn't lol! I have merely slowed down to fulfill other aspects of life. I am back now. Should be more consistent!
There is so much to write and so little time with so many ad-hoc responsibilities in hand now-a days.
My mind has started to ponder again, my fingers shall execute those thoughts :)
Be a fighter! Never accept defeat without trying!!!
Three comments today and that to for older posts. Never expected that readers actually scroll through old posts and I wonder what made them go back to older posts. Perhaps, minds alike? Well, old posts or new posts, that is immaterial. As far as I am concerned, all my posts are important and I made them whole heartedly. They all mean something to me. Excitedly, I read those comments and approved them one by one for publishing. At the same time I read the those commented posts as well. They all had something in common. They all could stir emotional typhoons in ones mind and heart, perhaps both!
Ironically I think those comments were made by the same person, he/she used an open pseudonym. Just like me, that person too would like to be "unknown". Hmm.... the last comment was made on a song post, "Vellai Pura Ondru" which I posted sometime in 2011. Sigh!! to be specific, it was 15Dec2011. I was taken back to in time as I read the post, it was a very short write-up of just a few lines. Merely few lines, but it had a lot of impact on me. The shorter the write-ups are the more I had camouflaged my feelings. Guess I know why I posted about it. My mind wandered, re-winded just like an old cassette. Afterall, I came from the cassette generation and saw the evolution to what we have now!
I played the song in the post, the prelude itself was...fuhh berjiwang (feelings oh feelings..he he lol). Damn, here I am at office and I have 2 deadly datelines on my desk to be completed before 5pm. How dare I daydream (yes, end of the day it had been just a dream, beautiful one but with lots of not so beautiful impacts). How dare I reminisce and sort of enjoyed that moment. So many incidents flashed in my mind, I smiled to myself and just as I was about to rewind further my handphone rang. It felt like a splash with cold water on my face. Zapped me back to reality!! It was a very familiar name on the screen and I smiled even wider. That person was not exactly the person whom I was thinking of but we were good old buddies at that phase of time, heck! even now we are but just that we hadn't met for years. Perhaps we have some soul connection. LoL.
Sarcastically, I thanked him for bringing me back to present and even more cynically he told that "I should be spanked and have a pay cut for daydreaming during work"! It brought us both to burst in laughter. Remembering, good old days where sarcasm was all our friendship was, at least in the eyes of strangers. Just as I was not done with one flashback, my second flashback is waiting in que, he he lol.
Anyway, I better get back to work now before my mind takes me elsewhere. Darn, those deadlines are starring at me, I better sort that out before I am sorted out. Lol...Have a nice day :)
