Travelling

I will be flying to India tomorrow. My first time in India. Not sure what to expect, a little worried about my weak stomach especially having heard 9 out of 10 times friends and colleagues getting sick while in India. Its going to be a short trip, just 4 days, I am going to be fine.

Without getting too overly worried, its a bit of a mixed emotions for me. Firstly its a work trip and I have some very major presentations to make while I am there. On the other hand, Taj Mahal - a place where I have always wanted to visit for the longest time. Amongst a whole list of places which I would love to go to before I die.

Travelling is one of my many loves. I love the history, architecture, culture, food which different countries bring, it opens up one's horizons and makes one realise just how big the world is and how so absolutely small we are. It impresses upon one how amazing God's creation is and how incredible human kind has evolved - from the art, the history and the architectural feats from ancient buildings. The awe and the amazement I awlays get is a feeling which I treasure and devour, something which you dont experience on a daily basis in your everyday life.

The world has so much to offer and we have so little time to enjoy what God has created for us to enjoy. For that reason, I guess oftentimes TV is a good subsitute and that is why I enjoy watching channels like Travel & Leisure and reading travel magazines so much. What you cant experience, you read. Its probably not the same, one would argue. But it would have to suffice, especially for someone in a time starved society where there are more important things in life such as earning for one's keeps, to take care of.

Now, some of the best trips I have ever had in my life, so far, must be Cambodia (sSiem Reap), Spain (Toledo, Granada) and Czech Republic (Prague). I have also equally enjoyed the charms of Vietnam (Hanoi and Saigon) and am looking forward to the much heard beauty of central Vietnam - Danang in my upcoming June trip. Thailand is always enjoyable - from Bangkok to the touristy Phuket, Krabi.

Travelling is not just sightseeing for me - its about the local experiences and food and local culture is a huge part of it. How can you leave Thailand without ever experiencing the wonderful massages and the incredible Thai food? How can you not taste Vietnam's history through its plain yet rich offering of the simple Vietnamese cuisine which I personally feel tells alot about what the Vietnamese people have gone through in history and also the influence of the French colonisation with just a bite of the Saigon baguette.

And I will always remmember the cold winter in Czech when we were there and how our stomach have been warmed up by the local Czech cuisine of which I vividly remember an evening in a really old charming restaraunt serving up rabbit meat (my first time!) and beef stew.

But for now, tomorrow, India awaits me. I hope Taj Mahal welcomes me with open arms and I look forward to embracing the culture and history of India, well at least once my stomach settles after the stomach churning big presentation I have to make.

Writing

As writing composition becomes a requirement for my son as he enters primary 3 this year, I suddenly find myself regaining my interest in writing again while I try to convince him that writing is really not that diificult as he claims. When was the last time I really write about something random, just rattling my thoughts away in pen or on the keyboard - a really long time ago I must say! I write everyday fo course, emails and emails, presentations and proposals. But that's not really writing. Thats really a consolidation of facts and numbers, business case and information. No feelings, no humor expected. Just pure simple professionalism and rationale.

He could rattle on and on, conversations is not an issue for him at all. but he is stuck when it comes to writing. His flow of thoughts get all jumbled up. He doesnt make any sense and suddenly all his words are mis-spelt. What could be crippling his ability to write? Is it a fear, or maybe a lack of confidence? Is it his lack of imagination or words?

I remember I had the same problem when I was young. I couldnt write. I have no topic to write. And when I was given a topic, I have no contents. When I do have contents, the words do not come. Writer's block they call it. It was a major piece of block for me indeed.

I used to dream of being a writer. When I was in primary school I used to have a good friend who shared the same dream. We will play a game while the teacher is giving her lessons, passing each other this notebook where we will write a sentence each as we try to form a story. It was fun though I cant quite remember if we ever end up with a piece of story good enough to publish or share!

And journal writing was a very big part of my growing up years. You know those troubled adolesent growing up days where you have so much inner thoughts that you need to find an avenue to vent out. I called my diary "evergreen" and would start each day of my diary with Dear Evergreen...and I would use only a green pen in that diary. How silly! I still have that diary with me, somewhere in the storeroom. Goodness me, i discovered it recently while unpacking the storeroom, that Evergreen must be at least 25 years ago!

Now back to the question - how do you teach a nine year old how to write? Other than telling him each composition must have an Intro, a Body and an End? Or that you can use the H and W to help you along - how, why, when, what, where, who. Or sending to British Council to learn about Creative Writing. Which by the way I have done so, having invested several thousands for his class and am patiently waiting for miracles to happen...which thus far I have not seen in his weekly submission of his journal yet. I know I will, afterall writing is not something which you can master overnight and have to be developed over a period of time. At least I hope I am starting him right by making him interested in reading books and awarding him with stars for every book he finished reading. That seems to be paying off as he now really enjoys reading.