Why Burn Money To Welcome In The New Year?

It is a new year, a new day. I am looking forward to a change to, hopefully, a better year ahead for everyone.  Everywhere around the world, people are celebrating the end of the year, welcoming in a new day. The night was full of pomp. Gaiety and merriment ruled the streets. Where ever it was, one thing for certain has never been left out, the fireworks.

Photo credit : AFoong

Fireworks have been a man-made celebration one way or the other. Beautiful as it is, the awe held by the old and young, fireworks brings out a sense of joy, even in the unhappiest of heart. But at what cost?

I sat at home, watching on the television, broadcasting the news of the countdown followed by fireworks display. I asked myself, why burn the money, not just a few hundred dollars, but probably a few hundreds of thousand dollars just for a few minutes of excitement and pleasure?  Why throw so much of money into thin air and watch it vaporised?

If only there is a way to have a more environmentally and just as colourful celebration, like the use of LED lights or the shooting of laser images, mimicking a fireworks display. Wouldn’t this have a cleaner effect on the environment on long term?

When IT IS Time to Take a Break

What to do next? Here am I, sitting around and brooding, is life always greener the other side?  When it was work work work, how I envy those who do not need to work, take life as it is, all carefree and to the wind. Now, I am on that side, here I am, brooding over it.

Now, why did I resigned? Without a job, the purse strings are tighten. Every dollar, every cent, think thrice.. do I need it? Is there an alternative? Is it worth it? Heck, this was what I have been preaching since I learned to read my savings book but it is only now that I really put it in practice.

Oops, I am running away with my thoughts, back to the basis of this rant. I took a break from work, to recharge as many would say. For me, it was more of to recollect my thoughts, my passion, and more importantly my compassion. I lost my passion for work, I lost my compassion for those around me. I turned cold and cynical. Yet, those around me, my friends, rallied with me, to take a break.

And what a break it is. In the short period of a few weeks, I realised the support I get from those who were not the closest of friends and yet, they were most supportive. A break to recollect my thoughts. A break to quell the anger arising. A break to calm the mind.

While in this break, a "kalyana mitra" bugged me to work in a NGO since my passion was there. I took this advice, but not to work. I volunteered in menial jobs in the NGO, doing work what I used to assigned to junior staff. And yes, I am happy to do it. No pulling ranks. Just plain volunteerism.

This reflects back to the time I travel, when it was rushing here and there, to see the most I can in the limited time. Maximise my money worth. And only in recent months, I learned, travel is not necessary to see everything there is to see. I learn to take a break, take it slow, just relax, hang around the same spot daily, visit the same streets, eat the same food. It was a good holiday.

Most recent eye opener, take a break before the stress of life kills me. I was an the verge of depression.  Not really yet, but just managed to stepped back. (Work was depressing. The workplace has killed my passion for what I have loved doing for more than a decade.) Again, a "kalyana mitra" came along, "let's go off on this holy day, to listen to a holy teacher". Without a thought of hesitation, I jumped onto the wagon. And what a coincidence, the teaching of the day was on depression. How apt. This time, it is to take a break and practise letting go, practise exuding love and compassion (which I am devoid of such). Yet many a time, I have run away from this. The fear of discovering my fragility, the fear of breaking down. How will I handle the melting of the cold iron in me?

Maybe it is time I let the light of metta lit the path, and for it is I myself who has to walk that path.

IT ALL STARTED THROUGH A GRAPEVINE….

 



Grapes grown as a shade and for the food table.



It took me a while to learn the say the country’s name, what more to learn to spell it correctly. Now I am standing here, embracing the new air around it.

The idea was mooted to me about a year ago. “How would you like to join me to Krygystan”? Huh? What? Where? Is there such a name? Next I know was, I was planning my job around this trip. I was tight-lipped on this, having bad experiences being overly excited over any trip.

Well, there I was, in the soil of Tashkent… alone. Somehow my travel partner was caught up somewhere with red tape. How was I to face a foreign country alone? Oh well, everything has its first time. Luckily for me, accommodation was taken care of earlier and the hotel was well situated near the city and airport.

The reception guys (and gals too) were friendly enough for me to strike up a good conversation to ask how do I get around. Got myself a city map and off I went wandering in the streets.

Children of Uzbek

Tashkent has its colourful culture and to check it out, the marketplace was the place to go. They called it “bozori” (bazaar). The nearest bozori to the hotel was within a walking distance. Well, it was a good 30 minutes walk to the Mirabod Bazaar.

Mirobod Bozori

The bozori is nothing like the wet markets at home, more of a cross between the wet market stuff with “kedai runcit” environment set in a hypermarket space. Being on a weekend, the bozori was teeming with locals buying produce of tomatoes, potatoes, capsicums and what nots. Tomatoes and aubergines were the size of an ostrich egg.  Camera started clicking away and locals were more than happy to share their moments.



Herbs, potatoes, vegetables to shopping cart service





Honey ladies, raw honey of various quality and taste



Large tomatoes, small cucumbers

Peach vendors are more than happy to have a photo taken

At first, communication was a hiccup. The main language spoken was Russian and Uzbek.  Other than the basic greeting of “asailaimualaikum”, “mualaikum-salam” and “rahmat”, I was lost for words. I was hopeless at sign language but somehow a thumbs-up and a smile did the job. I ended up with a peach in hand and bananas in my bag. Well, the language section of the travel guide did help too, with common phrases like “change money”, “yes/no”, etc..

One historic figure of Tashkent was Amir Temur (web search it and loads of info comes up). Since the museum of Amir Temur was airconditioned, it provided a great relief.

Musuem of the Timurids

Inside the museum

The court of Amir Temur

They did built great monuments, which are still standing today.

Not contended with just Mirobod Bozori, by accident I stumbled upon another market, Oloy Bozori.  It too has its own uniqueness.  It is one of the 3 bozori that is must visit (the other being Chor-su bozori)

Cottage cheese and yoghurt ladies



A delicacy, lamb fat



One local drink that has caught my fancy, though the original was credited to Russia, was the Baltika beer. There are a few variants, namely No. 0 (no alcohol but taste horrible), No.3 (4.8%), No.5 (did not get to drink this), No.7 (5.4%) and No.9 (8.4%). Having tasted the number in descending order, I gave my vote to No. 7 and No.9.  After a long hard day of walking, a cold beer was most welcome.



Baltika No.9



Chor-su Bozori is a must, being one of the largest market in Tashkent. Being on a Sunday, it was teeming with people. Anything and everything under the sun from fresh produce to jeweleries are sold. With a systematic layout, common goods are group to a section. One can really get lost here… which I did.



Chor-su panaroma





Shopping at Chor-su



Rice and lentil sellers

Not all vendors are locals, this lentil vendor is from Tajikistan. I was impressed that all wore a blue uniform.

Spices are part of daily life

Taken in by a local delicacy made of milk and salt, this goes down well with beer

As the country is more than 80% muslims, all food are halal. Beef and mutton rules the meat section, with the occasional chicken and horsemeat. Unfortunately for me, the food was too good to give it a miss and I ended up putting more than just a few grammes to my weighing scale.

Fresh out from oven

Mutton and beef fill the air



My last meal in Tashkent, slightly luxurious. The “Caravan” restaurant was of a lovely romantic atmosphere….. it does makes one fall in love Tashkent in its own unique way.

“Caravan” restaurant

Local dishes of horsemeat soup, mash aubergine and pilaf (rice)



Leaving Tashkent was an episode itself. I was looking for a flight out from the city to Biskek and 3 air ticketing agencies told me "fully booked" for 2 weeks. How was I to get out of the country? Well, being alone in foreign soil has its advantages. I encounted a good samatarian at the third agency, who to my greatest relief, spoke good English. Not only he helped me to in translation, he even offered to fetched me to the airline office to get my air tickets. (Mr X, thank you).

Finally my travel partner arrived on my last night in Tashkent. Departing Tashkent was an episode itself. Custom checks were "stringent" and somehow, I ended departing Tashkent in the same manner I arrived... alone again.

Tashkent International Airport

I wish I could spend little longer in Tashkent, which there are more of adventure to explore. Maybe one day I will visit the place again.

To Tenggol with Spanish Dancer

End season was approaching soon, I was desperate for a dive trip. It did not matter where. So when I chanced upon a Facebook invitation (what will the virtual world be without FB these days?), I just jumped into it. I knew no one, who was going? All I wanted to do was dive.

From FB, we got connected and I ended up on a trip with 10 other divers, some veteran, some like me, a newbie. The trip was over a holiday weekend, Deepavali, but being end-season dive, it was off season. I got hooked up with 2 young veteran divers and we car-pooled all the way to Kuala. Dungun.

K. Dungun is about 4 to 5 hours by car via the new East Coast Higway, approximately 300km from my home. We set off at the wee hours at 2:00am, taking a careful,slow and leisure drive. It was wet and dark and it took us a good 6 hours (having make a few pee stops) to finally reach K. Dungun at 8:00am. Off the jetty we went as we reached the quaint little town

View from the jetty, the bridge across Sg Dungun

After the long drive, our hunger growls were heard. Just across the jetty was a stall, manned by 2 ladies selling local Trengganu breakfast. Of course the staple nasi lemak was there tempting our buds. Then there was nasi briyani too. Fried meehoon and fried chicken were amongst others. I could not resist and had both nasi lemak and nasi briyani, served with simple onion sambal,pickle/jeruk, hard boiled egg, anchovies and peanuts. I could not resist adding on one local delicacy made of glutinous rice with fish flakes filling, wrapped in a nipah leave and grilled for that oomph. I forgot what it was call but it was something new for me.

My breakfast + 1 glass of Kopi = RM5.00

We boarded the boat at 9:00am. It was a small ferry boat. The boat ride was not choppy and I slept all the way there. When I woke up, we were approaching the island, greeted by the staff upon reaching the shores of the island.

The resort where we bunk up

The island was as "fairytale" as it could be, palm trees, soft sea breese, fine sand, rippling waves, clear blue-green water, a fishing boat, sunshine and all. The sun was shining hard on us. The weather was good. The sea was inviting.

Clear water, can see right down the sea bed, even 5m deep

No time was wasted. Since our rooms were allocated while in the boat, we quickly got our room keys and checked in. Immediately my room-mates and I changed into our "wet gear" and we are all ready to go.

Our first (check-out) dive was before lunch. I joined a group of newbies where we did the shore dive as our check-out dive, while others went on a boat dive. I had the luxury being guided the dive instructor/organiser himself.

BCDs in the divecentre.

The dive centre was well equipped with various dive gears; BCDs, regulators, air tanks, wet suits, etc. Most of the veteran divers brought their own gear, while some of us rented.

Veteran diver suiting up, ready to go.

Our dive schedules.

Our package was 5 boat dives and 1 shore dive over 3D2N stay. For the price we paid, it was a reasonable package. There is no lack of dive sites in Tenggol. Some of the sites we went were Teluk Nakhota, Tanjung Gemok, Tokong Timur and Tanjung Api.

Dive sites around Tenggol

Among the many creatures we saw, I was fascinated by nudibranch. Tenggol is a nudis haven, not the mention whale sharks too. Unfortunately at the time we were there, the family had move on southwards. (a school was sighted in Tioman). It was a different world under the sea, a world of its own.

Nudibranch (photo credit R. Biddle)

Nudibranch egg (photo credit R. Biddle)

Spanish dance, a flatworm(not a nudi) (photo credit R. Biddle)

When not diving, the idyllic island just lull one into the surroundings.

On a sunny afternoon by the quite beach

A fishing boat anchored not far from some shore reefs.

Seahorse pendant made out of discarded shell.

After lunch, we took a break from diving. The next dive was usually late afternoon, around 4pm. In our free and easy time, for most of us, it was siesta time. Being Asians, our siesta was under the shade of the coconut tree rather than under the sun

Siesta, a popular spot due to hammock

My afternoons were with with Theodore, the resident squirrel. He never stayed still. It was a challenge to photograph him and I had no food in hand, which was the only time he stayed still. He was totally at ease with humans, being brave enough to jump onto me to check out if my camera was edible.

Theodore nibbling away

When night comes, the sky was filled with colours of the rainbow, watching it changed from a hue of bright red to dark purple hue. It was a fun time taking various shots and exposure levels with my camera. If only I have a superwide angle lens...

After a long hot day, a dip in the water was a relief

The dining area was airy, nice romantic light, just short of the ambience. When not diving, this was one of my fave hang out, since this place is where the food was.

Dining area, lights on approaching dusk

Our meals were simple local dishes, nothing to shout about but it fills our hungry stomach. All meals were served based on room number and number of occupants in a room. Our room is supposed to have four but one room occupant joined another table and we had more than ample food. (3 people eating for 4). All our meals (except for breakfast) are rice based, serve with chicken or fish, vegetable, soup and fruits. Dinner was better than lunch, having more dishes. I ate to my fill, being me, I chomped down anything edible.

Fish balls, stir-fry cabbage, sambal ikan kembong, sambal sotong, watermelon serve with rice.

On the day we depart, the sun was strong. There was no dive on departure day. Whilst waiting for the boat, we hung around, had a long breakfast.

Fine sand, we were all ready to leave

View of dive centre

As usual, I slept all the way back to mainland and only woke up as we were approaching the jetty. It was a beautiful sight, but alas, it means our trip was over.. for now.

Fishing boat anchored at the Sg Dungun

Along the banks of Sg Dungun, approaching Kuala Dungun.

Alas, the dream trip was over for now. I am looking forward to going again next year, this time I will take some underwater photos