"We are such stuff as Dreams are made on..."

"We are such stuff as Dreams are made on..."

greetings

this is chris..i have just hacked into shan's blogspot account! she doesn't know this..heh. felt like writing someting on the blog so i did some hacking! haha

since shan did come reflecting about the trip, i shouldn't lose out also right? must do some reflecting of my own! or not the viewers of the blog may think this chris got no 'black ink'!

9 days has passed already since we came back to singapore on our pseudo-backpacking trip! but sometimes it only feels as though we came back yesterday!. i guess it's the holiday mood still rampaging in me, everyday seems like a holiday! why i say 'pseudo' is because we haven't really had the toughest of conditions to live in. we were very fortunate to meet so many nice people and received so much help which made our trip both enjoyable and relatively comfortable. there were days where i wanted to return to singapore, but there were also times when i wanted to extend my trip and visit more places. on the whole it's would have been a rewarding experience even if we had only stayed one week.

it is rewarding on many grounds.

firstly it was the first time i am travelling to such a faraway place for a considerable time with someone. shan has proven to be a worthy companion (like in the amazing race! haha) i could not have asked for anyone else on this trip. she adds a woman's touch to my occasional reckless MAN way of handling things. i'm glad i had her around to discuss things before making decisions. her meticulous ways also proved valuable on many occasions. but of course there were difficulties and disagreements, we even had a small silly fight over a sofa bed! i also had 'extra duties' to perform like standing guard outside the toilet when she bathes because she was scared of intruders! but looking back at it i just have a good laugh, never regretting it for a minute. i wouldn't go on to list all the good and bad stuff...it'll take me the whole day or maybe more! most of all i felt that i have gained a companion, a partner, a special friend.

secondly it rewarded me with the experience of travelling faraway from your country and family members. just boarding the plane bound for 10000 miles away took alot of courage knowing that in the next 30 days i am responsible for myself; that there will be no safety net of your family by your side...from then every decision is yours to make and to live with. from this trip i saw the difficulties, magnitude and responsibilities of being an adult. i also learnt that being courteous and respectful to other people actually goes a long way. even with communication problems sometimes, it was important not to be afraid of asking or embarrassing yourself, people will always acknowledge a sincere request. being on your own for a long time also taught me to be independent. in many western countries, it is in fact the norm for children to find jobs and live on their own from ages 16-18!

third and finally, it was interesting to see so many different people from all walks of life, cultures and lifestlyes. u listen and gasp at their varying experiences from all over the world. many people also were keen to find out more about little known singapore. i think both shan and i can give a good summary of singapore to any tourist in a few minutes! some of the interactions with people and different environments also made us appreciate what we have back home. despite her criticisms like boring and tiny, singapore has given us many things that we often take for granted.

i'd like to end off with a quote:" We are such stuff as dreams are made on..." go figure!

P.S last night was the first time i ate chem-pa-dak..this fruit which tastes like jackfruit and durian...2-in-1! shan introduced it to me....and she peeled grape skin for me! so romantic! haha

good day!
chris