A Great Big World - Say Something

I prefer the original version, without the big name (and voice) of Christina Aguilera backing up the duet. More haunting. 

Reminiscing

Sometimes, things don't go your way and it feels like some evil forces began to form this dark cloud around you all of a sudden - cloying, blinding and suffocating .

And the only way is to bite down, brace your shoulders, lift those legs that felt like they weigh a ton each, and take that mighty difficult step, one and a time.

When you look back at that dark cloud after a distance, you wonder how did you even manage to get through that mess, and wish that there is some way to tell the you at that time, engulfed in the dark cloud and probably believing that you wouldn't make it out alive, that everything will be ok.

Yes, everything will be ok.

Note to myself sometime in 2012 crossing to 2013

Random thought

As I looked up from my book (so much for not buying any more hardcopies, but I couldn't resist when I saw how cheap books were in India), I saw that many others are equally engrossed..in their smartphones.

It shouldn't amaze me by now, since I started leaving the car and started taking public transport more nowadays. But today, I wondered how time in all were people's time being sucked away at checking Facebook updates, playing candycrush/plants vs zombie/any other faddish games now trending, surfing the internet on their mobiles...

And if all the time spent is grouped together, how vast this time/space zone might be. Enough to turn back time by maybe 10 years?

I have weird thoughts sometime....this time, I blame it on the fever. 

That aside, time to practise more mindfulness myself, spend less time on the mobile, look up and live the life that is ticking away by the minute.

Tricky "Does It"

Will you fight for a cause?
Will you break all the laws?

Will you come back again?

Remember by when

Are you living free?

Have been nursing the sore throat for at least 6 days, which usually means having the low grade fever that usually is part of the package. Too fast trying to keep pace and picked up work where I left it off before running off to India (I like the sound...and mental image of it. Thinking back, that was kinda what happened anyway :p), with the deadline looming and all, the body finally put up its protest and decided to stage this face off - "Rest or else?!"

The "or else" came fast and furious. I went through the presentation with the fever running, and feeling really drained out by the end of that day. Even with rest, the body is keeping up its campaign, probably in protest for not listening to all the warning signs on the first two days back in office. 

With the low grade fever and sore throat, it was not debilitating enough to rest the whole day, neither did it feel ok enough to venture out. In the end I was so frustrated from doing nothing that I just went to run, hoping that maybe the boost may just kill off the infection somewhat. Bad idea. Grrrr....

Maybe I should listen to more Tricky's tracks to channel off some angst. 

India 2013

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” - Terry Pratchett,  A Hat Full of Sky

And the trip was done. Just slightly over 2 weeks, but finding myself wanting to stay longer. 

Even though when somehow, everybody back home was still surprised that I wanted to go India, and to some's horror, that I went on my own to Agra for even a day. Horror stories abound about the dangers of women travelling in India, one which allegedly happened on the day that I flew home, that friends and family were obviously quite disturbed to know that I had also took the auto rickshaw on my own to the railway station, Nizzamudin no less, the day before. Hearing all these stories, i could only thank my lucky star or guardian angle for watching me at every turn, in staying safe and sound.

Horror stories aside, it still amazes me the people that I have met along the trip are generally friendly, which I doubt even Singaporeans would offer the same politeness or (gasp) friendliness to the tourists that we get here. I have met passerbys, shop keepers, service staff, fellow tourists, who are willing to chat a little more with you, if only you are willing to start or continue the conversation with them. 

Of the 3 places - Boyd Gaya, Amritsar, and Dharamsala - they were so seeped in culture of the history and anthropology, that, having not blogged from the start of the trip, I got my hands on a notebook at Dharamsala and sat for 3 hours straight at a cafe just to journal down what I had seen, heard or thought for that 1 week of travel, writing non-stop that the woman who shared my booth seat tooted her amazement to me before she was leaving the cafe. 

It leaves me to wonder about what the other places in India can offer. Obviously more than I can imagine, given by what I have heard from my fellow travelers, as even within the same country, the people are so diverse at its different corners, that it sounds to me that that would almost be like visiting a different country altogether. 

Really hope to see the other parts of this country soon!