释怀

有一些人事物，你以为过了很久很久它们不会在你的生命点滴中再有一丝丝的关联。可是，某一天当微风又在你的耳边吹起关于它们的消息，你才发现心中仍然会乏起一阵阵的涟漪。当你想再抓住它们的时候，你才突然醒觉它们早已随风而逝。

罢了。与其随风追逐，倒不如逆风而行。至少这样我是为自己而活。

共勉之......

The Roof of the World - Tibet! (Day 2)

Day 2:

The thought of getting a hot shower started sinking in my mind. That afternoon of mist and drizzle, it was the best time to have a hot shower!

Tibet has an average elevation of around 4,500m. As mentioned in my previous post, taking shower is not encouraged on your first day here to prevent altitude sickness. Speaking of altitude sickness, the only way to cure it is by descending otherwise you might face severe consequences such as breathing problem, ataxia or headache. However, I would strongly recommend you to take Diamox, a kind of medicine to prevent altitude sickness. You are advised to consume it at least 24 - 48 hours before departing to high altitude. This has to be consumed on a daily basis.

Day 2, we visited the most significant building in Lhasa - Potala Palace. Potala Palace was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the intervention of China. It was also a place devoted to religious study and Buddhist prayer.

 Potala Palace, enclosed within massive walls and gates

Traditional building made from soil

Side view of Potala Palace

As you travelled in Tibet, you would have noticed that there were many prayer wheels stationed inside the monastery. A mantra Om Mani Padme Hum written in Sanskrit on the outside of the wheel. Spinning it will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers.
                                               

The locals would do a circumambulation for 3 hours in clockwise direction every morning.

A lady spinning the prayer wheels

Me, trying to get adapted into the local culture :)

Hallway outside of Potala Palace crowded with tourists

Lake view right next to Potala Palace

Stupas are also known as the tombs for monks. The stupas outside of Potala Palace are used to preserve the remains of the Dalai Lamas.

Huge stupas

Other than stunning sceneries and breath-taking monasteries, one of the most significant animal that I would like mention here is - Y.A.K! Yak is a kind of long-haired bull-like animal

A preview of Yak. Spot it!

Do try the yak milk yogurt if you happen to visit Tibet. I, personally do not fancy / prefer the taste of it but it worth a try.

Yak milk yogurt

Main street view in Lhasa. 

 The night blanketed Potala Palace with cold breeze and it stole my heart and my breath.

Night view of Potala Palace

To be continued......

The Roof of The World - Tibet! (Day 1)

11 days without Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and even Google (or perhaps clean toilets too), Tibet compensated us with its most stunning landscapes and sceneries. It was an inspiring, magical trip it was also somewhat bitter sweet because of their hardship in fighting for its independence with China.

5 months ago, I made my dream to visit Tibet come true. After going through all the hassles of getting Chines Visa, I finally packed my luggage and waited to be on-boarded at the airport. There are multiple ways of getting into Tibet. You can choose to fly to Chengdu or Xi Ning or Beijing. I bought my AirAsia flight ticket to Chengdu way before June 2015 (note: I visited Tibet in June 2015) and it only costed me RM 560++. 
ISN'T THAT CHEAPPPPPPP???

After landed in Chengdu, I spent a night at the hotel before heading to Lhasa by flight. (Here, marked the beginning of my life without FB and Insta. Ughhhhhhhh) 
I know some of the articles say that you may take train from Chengdu to Lhasa or Xi Ning to Lhasa to get yourself adapted to the altitude. In fact, taking train does not help at all unless you are ascending slowly in 3-4 days. Another reason why I would like to suggest you to take flight instead of train on your first day because taking train is relatively more tiring than taking flight. The shortest journey of taking train to Lhasa is 24 hours (*correct me if I am wrong) whereas flight only takes you 2-3 hours. 

Oh, by the way, in order to get in to Tibet, you have to follow a local tour. There is no way you can visit Tibet on your own. Choosing a reliable tour agent is very crucial. Why? I will tell you more later.

After 2 hours flight from Chengdu, we finally landed on the Holy Land - Tibet! Words just could not describe how I felt at that moment. Tibet is part of China but it is indeed a very unique environment as they have their own writing and language. How cool is that!

We were warm-welcomed by the local tour guide and a driver. We spent most of our time talking to the tour guide as the driver speaks neither Mandarin nor English.

On our way to hotel. 

On our way to hotel, there were police checks, stationed along the highway / army in tents.

Stunning view from the car's window!

A view of my room. Looks a bit small but actually quite comfy.

Street view

A picture of meeee in front of the hotel.

My hotel was actually located right next to a mosque. Do not be surprised by the presence of Muslims here in Tibet. Even though Tibet is a place where most of the citizens are Buddhists, there are quite a number of Muslims here too. Mosque is also known as 清真寺 in Chinese.

Bazaar started at 4pm everyday.

Evening market

Note: we were also advised by the tour guide not to shower on the first day as she afraid we might catch a cold. Do note that the temperature in Tibet can drop drastically at night. Hence, bringing extra jacket / sweater could keep you warm at night.

To be continued.....

给自己的一封信

人的一生中总会遇见那么一两个混蛋。 也许是因为他们曾经打击你的信心；破坏你的世界；欺骗你的感情；嘲笑你；甚至是无视你。你喜欢与否，这就是成长的代价。

如果你还恨他们，那么表示你的世界比他们渺小，内心比他们懦弱。当你有一天，心中不再有恨，那么就表示你的内心已经非常强大。强大到你已经看不见那些卑微的小人。这时候，幸福和成功就会与你更靠近了。

大家一起努力，共勉之。

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

It is hard to believe I have never visited east Malaysia for the past 20+ years. So, I decided to pay Sabah a visit and climb mount KK last two weeks ago, and it was smurfing awesome!

The first thing that came in my mind is I am going to climb the highest mountain in Malaysia. And here I was! I knew KK is the capital of Sabah but I was still very surprised with the skyscraper buildings and branded stores! I really fell in love with KK! A city where you can get everything but not as hectic as KL.

The trip was solely planned by a friend's friend and what I did was to pay money only! :P  This was a long-awaiting trip for me where I managed to escape from the hectic lifestyle in KL with overwhelming workloads. It was pure satisfaction and the best time to clear off all the mess and really listen to my heart. And to do that! I need a HOLIDAY!

Hostel view

The first day when we arrived there, we stayed at a hostel near Mesilau gate. We have booked a 2-day-1night tour. The climb to Mount Kinabalu was actually easy and smoothly crafted for climbers. The trail is easy, but for people who has got none outdoor experience and had only climbed 2 mini mountain in KL, it was tormenting for us. There are two trails, Mesilau and Timpohon. If you wish to take a shorter but less breath taking views, you can choose Timpohon. It is only a 4km trail. Mesilau is 2km longer than Timpohon but with nicer view.

On the way up to Laban Rata from Mesilau

I started climbing at 9am and took me freaking 6 hours to reach Laban Rata. Yes, 6 hours of non-stop stairs climbing! It was indeed a mental game where you had to have a very strong determination to continue the climb. Cough made my journey up to Laban Rata become a tough one. I coughed all the way up and surprisingly I was the third to reach there out of 14 of us! *winks! :)

Alien looking trees everywhere

After a decent rest at Waras Hut, I embarked on the climb to summit at 3.00a.m. I did not sleep well the previous nights due to bad coughing and this caused me pretty bad altitude sickness when I was getting near the summit. I told my friends to leave without me as they wanted to see the sunrise. Meanwhile, I started to slow down my speed because I could feel the pressure in my lung and difficulty in breathing. The rope holding part near the summit was not really terrifying me because I know there was no turning point and I had to keep going. I knew I am heading to the peak, but just not sure how long more do I have to bare the cold. Altitude sickness getting worse as I moved higher. I started throwing out and my heart started jumping fast. Oh gosh, I was only few hundreds meter away! "I must keep going," I told myself.

5.45am and I was only 10m away from the summit. I really wanted to climb higher but my heart did not allow me to do so. Breathing getting more difficult and I told the tour guide I decided to stop here. So near yet so far the peak. Sigh.

However, the scenery did worth every strength and endurance. I stayed on the top for around 30 minutes and I decided to come down because I felt really ill. When I reached Laban Rata, I took the altitude sickness medicine and a quick nap. Thank God, I recovered slightly and managed to go down to Timpohon gate without asking someone else to carry me. Haha.

On my way down 

I was feeling so awesome after the climb.  I was starting to feel lucky, and getting to know some new things and people. I can't help thinking that positive energy does project into good luck.

Kota Kinabalu is indeed a must-go city and I will be back again! :)

When You Realize...

I saw a few activities posted on FB today. I was so tempted to join until I saw the age range...

Sigh. The moment when you realize you are too old for all these fun activities.

现实是残忍滴。。。

Friends and End

I have long forgotten how happy I can be just by crapping with friends, teasing each other with no fear of offending people.

We talked, we laughed, we gossip-ed, we surprised each other with birthday cakes...

When we grow, we grow apart. Their contacts are still there, their facebook accounts are still there but you would never take the initiative to contact them or even say hi. I don't remember when was the last time we talked, I don't remember when did I stop talking to you.

Friend who used to be so close yet still growing apart and far away......

Maybe.....maybe one day, if I ever bump into you on the street, out of the blue, unplanned, I would have the courage to greet you and remind you how ridiculous we used to be.

True friends never fade away, just like how your loved ones will never leave you alone. The ones who left you would have definitely taught you a lesson. Be thankful for their presence because they shape who you are today. =)


C.H.E.E.R.S!

The City of Love - Venice

It has been so long and I do not know how to start my story in this beautiful city. But Venice is probably one of my favorite places in Europe. Overall, a short trip to Venice was an absolute blast. Everything went really well with great people, food, and ambience. However, water was expensive! :(

Every moment spent in Venice was a pure bliss. I loved it most of the places I went because it was so relaxing, laid back and the weather was absolutely perfect.

Canals

The alleyways that make you want to explore more...

Would you dance with me? (St. Mark's Square)

 Gondolas everywhere!

Bring me back to Venice! :(

“It is the city of mirrors, the city of mirages, at once solid and liquid, at once air and stone.” -Erica Jong

My Braces Diary

Happy 16th monthliversary with my braces!!! It has been 1.5 years since I put on my braces. Please tell me I look better than last time....plurseeeeeeeeee!!!!!

After gone through all the pain of removing 4 pre-molar teeth, 2.5 wisdom teeth, tightening, I can slightly see some improvement on my anterior open-bite. The last step would be closing the gaps.

It was indeed a life-changing decision which I had been hesitating for the past few years. I used not to smile when I first put on the braces. I was so ashamed of myself. However, having the same expression in every single photo sicks me out. So, I DECIDED NOT TO CARE ANYMORE! :D :D :D I wanna laugh-out-loud!

I have also summarized some Q&A during this period:

1. Do they hurt?

Oh, YES! The soreness comes from inside out, from deep in your bone to your teeth.

2. How do you eat with braces on?

Well, speaking from a brighter side. It makes me eat slower. I used to eat at a fast speed but now I slow down even with toufu and mashed potato. -.-

3. Are you able to talk normally?

It does affect my pronunciation ever since I put on the braces. 

4. Is it worth the price and pain?

I am not yet at the right place to comment. I will tell you after 6 more months. :)

Anyway, I hope I won't be celebrating my second anniversary with my braces. Teeth, please move faster. *fingers crossed

**Here is the to do list after I take off my braces:
1. EAT MANY MANY CHICKEN WINGS!
2. EAT CORN
3. LAUGH OUT LOUD

那些你以为过不去的过去，都会过去。。。

新的一年让自己好过一点，该让他过去的就让他过去吧。

你是你自己的作者，又何苦写难么难演的剧本。


source: http://www.jimmyfans.com/3/54545

什么时候开始

什么时候开始，世界不再只有黑和白？
什么时候开始，眼里看到的是种种的谎言？
什么时候开始，我会怀念读书的日子？
什么时候开始，身边的人开始对你别有用心？
什么时候开始，朋友不再是朋友？
什么时候开始，梦想已经渐渐被淡忘？
什么时候开始，你不再有热血？
什么时候开始，金钱已成为了你的一切？
什么时候开始，两个人慢慢的渐行渐远？

原来，从我们长大那一刻，世界就已经改变了。。。

Living

Living in this world, most things are like clockwork, people are born, they grow up, get education, get a job, get married, have kids, look after them and themselves, get old and pass away. 

Have you ever wondered why most of us enjoy going out, watching movies, listening to music and socializing? Why do many enjoy being part of big gatherings, crowds and go to concerts etcetera? Society and evolution has conditioned most to seek their joy outside. Such external pursuit of happiness increases the distance, widens the gap, between who you really are and what you are projecting to be.

#justarandomthought

Just A Random Thought

I think loneliness is eating me up finally...

Everything felt so different now. Everyone has more stories to tell, more troubles, more unspeakable pressure.......