Respecting the Place

The 'mainstream' traveler visits places to fulfill their bucket lists.  Others get lucky to find a good airfare deal at the right time when their credit cards are not yet maxed out.  However, there are those lovers of adventures who just can't get enough of cultures and peoples.  They hop from one place to another simply to look for the right mix and the right blend of thrills.  To which category you belong to is not my topic here.

I would like to talk about respect of the place.  Of course, there are those social norms that you can't do without especially if the laws of the place demand it.  When the show of flesh is frowned upon, I hide behind my shawls and my loose clothes to play it safe.

Another point that tugged my mind is on the issue to splurge and how much?  When the exchange rate is too low, one gets the 'false' notion of being a millionaire. When poverty reeks to the point of shock, how much tip do we give to service providers?  What about gifts?

What about the norms to observe in visiting houses and villages?  Normally, I go visit these places only when am ready and is genuinely interested in meeting others.  I need to be fully present, breathe into the newness of the place and culture and to be sensitive to what they want to show.  Being invited to someone's home is an honor.

What about photographs?  I don't click much in my travels.  I am prepared to store memories in the heart.  While we may have our own dream photographs in mind to take, I normally ask permission to take photos.

The best way to ensure 'unobtrusive' travel is to be with a local.  They give you signs when rules can be broken and what norms to truly follow.

Candid Holidaying

What does one normally do on a holiday?  Do nothing? Or, cramp the things that has not been done for a long time?  Honestly, resting or relaxing is relative.

I took some photos of friends while on 'holiday'...  And the following will best answer the things they normally do...

discovering

looking into strange captions

taking poses

soaking into the character of the place

communing with nature

take photos

less touristic jamming areas

shop

Ey, the world is still on!

Yes, my last blog entry was last year. It was in my post-operative moments when talking to the computer monitor was not such a bad idea. From that time until now, I day dreamed of having loads of blog entries. Everything, canned in my mind.

Don't count on me as a groupie of doomsday sayers telling that the world will soon end. I just can't join their group because they were just waiting for the world to end. Now that the world moved on, they have to set another deadline when the world will soon stop. Why? They found it good to wait...

For me, I don't need to wait for it to end for am aware that other people's world already ended-- over some relationships, untold stories or perhaps, unrealized dreams. Should we listen to them, perhaps, their world may seem trivial. But then, I find it more colorful than waiting for the world to end...

(this spot might be a good place to wait... but hey, who will sponsor my provisions?)

On punishing the girl-child

The biases of long time ago evolves in time and the context where we are ... The frustrations and disappointments of yesterday may not hold the same impact always...

Browsing through the papers of today, I came across a controversial 'request' by the Catholic schools of the country. I read some friction in here... a 'moral' segregation somewhere.

My reaction: how do we realize in its fullness, the 'best interest of the child' principle? Are we back to the time of scarlet letters?

All for nationalism

I planned to write about a line that I read somewhere in reaction to a friend's graduation picture-- "and now, service to the country?" Reading that comment froze my state of being for a day. Yes, I forgot when I've uttered that line last but for the young people commenting on a simple graduation picture, it was very natural for them to claim service to the motherland.

I long for the time when in my country, we would also be able to do the same... people of all 'kinds' would ask these without fail and in utter sincerity.

This led me to ask... have I served enough?

Revisiting my blog

(or perhaps, this is the reason why i didn't blog?---too much outings :-)


My not writing was at first a case of respite.

And then it became a nuissance to write. I can't blog from my blogspot due to some technicalities.

For 6 months, the issue on freedom of speech and expression played in my mind. But then in truth, I didn't have the chance to write. I rested easy on the fact that my spot was 'blocked'...

But truly, it might just be a convenient excuse of disappearing in virtuality.

Flying again (chronicles in my 'hopping back')

Oblige me. I shall write about my trip hopping back to Asia. I promise that it won't be that dramatic, filling your thoughts about the difficulties of goodbyes. It is just something that I need to write about...

Sunday, September 28---

The day was spent doing my last shopping for the 'paki-padala' list of things that i need to carry to amazing Thailand. It was a discovery shop since I never get to enter into the cathedrals of consumerism in Melbourne. Anyway, I don't have the right to do so. (not much economic strength to do so) But in that day, I just entered into a lot of shops enquiring about brands that people asked me to buy. Some were inexistent in the Australian market while others were just to easy to find.

I had an instant farewell party with friends. (pity--my memory card got deleted...) It was just a simple one full of laughters and exchanges of memories.

When all the goodbyes were made, I remained awake to face the negotiation of my packing. Objective: no luggage overweight. When I achieved my goal, I just had 4 hours max sleeping time.

Monday - September 29

After completing all the packing and putting them all outside ready for pick up, Candy, another Filipina friend accompanied me to the bank. On the road to the bank, she reminded me about harsh realities in life. (Sigh---good to have wel-meaning friends)

When it was my time to leave for the airport, the customary goodbye hugs took place. Admittedly, I do have fond memories of 19 Lovell Drive...

Reaching the airport, I exercised utmost patience waiting for my gate to open. However, when 11 am struck and the gate remained closed, I just have to go to the service counter of Jetstar at Terminal 2. Out there, I was coolly informed that my flight would only be tomorrow. Another advisory was sent out weeks ago but was just left in a measly answering machine (hello! call centres--- moi doesn't return calls made by you!). I just waited for the printed itinerary and then gave them a piece of acerbity...

People in the house were happy for my return. I didn't have the time to make out of their jubilation. I slept through it all. I was so tired after the ordeal.

Tuesday - September 30

I don't have to do so much. My things were already packed. However, it was more difficult to say goodbye to my housemates as both Nilani and Anuja were there...

I was an early bird in the queue for the check in so the lady at the counter just wrote off my 3 kilo excess! It was a very good reason to smile and heave a sigh of relief.

I reached Bangkok 10 minutes after ETA. Jen and Fely welcomed me very warmly. The heat of Bangkok enveloped me and the ever-enterprising taxi driver confirmed the fact that ---Am back to Asia. Sawasdee!

Choosing what's worth it

I was into so much cyclone last week. There were two birthday blasts, barbeques, arguments at work, boredom and fatigue. I plunged into the eye of the storm hoping that in some way I can find balance and compensation in all the things that I do. But well, things don't just happen that way.

So, I went into a self-imposed 'rest' in my own house. How I did that? I let Vonnegut, Sting and Gaiman entertain me once in a while. I slept most of the way -- for in that state of deep sleep, I can't even recall the dreams that I had.

But the hours are waning and I have to get back to work tomorrow. I have to plow the field again. I just have to face the long list of things to be done and start cracking on a few things.

A good friend told me to take my own time and my own pace because-- it is not worth it.

Well, when all else fails, at least I will still have me and the memories. Yeah, I'll take care of myself. I'll forget the rest. Perhaps, I won't dwell so much on thoughts...

preoccupations

funny. a lot worries about tomorrow. i am just too busy to think about it. there are lots to see and hear at the now that the future is too far and sometimes irrelevant. i only worry much if my now is connected with the morrow... but this is not really correct. i worry about missing the u2 3d movie this week just like i missed my date with jdepp because i stupidly burrowed myself in some hole too difficult to get out of. i miss out a good laugh and company once in a while due to obstinacy. i blow my top at a trivial now and i forget about the future implications of the present action...

i don't claim which is really good and much kewler. i just have to live with what i want to cope and do.

the nasty observant me takes over once in a while and my presence is absorbed in the 'arounding' mind you, when this mode is on, well... am neither here or there.

Scrap!

The front lawn of my house is full of scrap. We waited for almost one month for the HMR (heavy metal recycler) to pick it up but it seems that it will stay for a while out there. We even called one day to complain but a grumpy wife simply dismissed us saying that his hubby is in the hospital. Translation: wait till he is able to get it.

The waiting went on and our grumblings grew. We just can't believe that our tiny yard became a 'junk yard'. It is a terrible site for the pedestrians.

I will go back to the surly reply of a wife in pain. Little did we know (to our abberation of tabloid-community papers), the incident regarding the hubby was no domestic hospitalisation. It was work-related. Apparently the guy and his son was mauled and 'chopped' by rival HMR groups in the morning while the two were rounding up for some scrap metals.

Big sigh. In a very clean, posh and rich Australia, they too fight for scraps. For them it was a 'job hazard'. I just don't know how they would call the fighting scavengers of payatas and many other 'smokey mountain' areas in my country.

Plateau stage...

when sharing angst is the business of those who open this blog of mine, I don't feel any guilt for to those weighed down by what i say. At times I feel that i have to much to let out. Sometimes, I feel so shallow that I don't feel like advertising this blog. This is simply just for me.

I just got back from a long travel. It was really nothing extra ordinary. I was just simply accompanying people that are supposed to be older and mature. I couldn't help but marvel at how 'childish' they could be.

My favorite question at that time was 'what am i doing here?'