On Monday I woke up to my alarm going off at 3:30am -- I was getting up early for a sunrise tour of two temples in the area, Borobudur and Prambanan. As Borobudur is one of the few regions in Indonesia with maleria, I was wearing long pants and a long sleeve shirt despite a very hot weather forecast. A German couple I met who was staying at my hostel were also on the tour, and we sat around complaining about it being early until our driver came. Upon getting picked up we drove out to a view … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2013
September 9, 2013 2 Comments
September 8, 2013 3 Comments
9/8 – Day 3 – A visit to the Sultan’s Palace and bird market – Yogyakarta, Indonesia
On Sunday 9/7, after having a delicious breakfast included at my hostel of banana pancakes, I headed back to the Sultan's Palace, which had been closed yesterday. This time I was able to get in and was treated to a performance by the Sultan's orchestra, who were playing some traditional Indonesian music. It is enchanting in its own way, and very repetative. After enjoying the music for some time, I headed into the courtyard to explore the Sultan's collection of artifacts. On the way I was … [Read more...]
September 7, 2013 3 Comments
9/7 – Day 2 – Balik art school, water castle, Ramayana ballet – Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Yogyakarta is still under rule by a sultan. So, the next morning I decided to pay a visit to his palace, which is located near the city center and open to tours. Despite it being very hot out, I decided to walk. Along the way I met a German couple who were also there to see the palace. Unfortunately, we were informed that the temple was closed that morning to visitors, but the extremely helpful employee proceeded to spend 10 minutes providing advice on other areas to explore and see during … [Read more...]
September 7, 2013 4 Comments
Inspiration from Singaporean cab drivers
My favorite thing about Taxis in Singapore has to be how friendly the drivers are. A close second is the fact that the lights on top of the cab will tell you if if a cab is empty or occupied, unlike in Chicago where the lights don't really mean anything. Taxis are an important means of transportation for those living on Singapore island. Owning a car is discouraged, due to the high population density, through the mandatory purchase of a Certificate of Entitlement (COE) which costs about $100K … [Read more...]
September 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
Museums, Kite Festival, and Night Safari — another day touring around Singapore
I woke up Sunday, refreshed and ready for another packed day of touring to see the sites. If you happened to read my previous post, you'll recall that I forgot my sunscreen at home (amateur move, but hey, it was my time out during the day--rather than night--when you really feel the heat of the tropics). I wasn't going to let that stop me from taking advantage of my day off from project work, though, so I decided to hit up a few museums. First, I took the MRT from my hotel over to the … [Read more...]
September 6, 2013 10 Comments
Day 1 – Singapore to Yogyakarta, Indonesia
I departed Singapore last Friday (Sep 6). At my employer, I turned in my laptop and company credit card. At my hotel, I piled up my work clothes in my room with a note -- "I no longer need these clothes; please feel free to keep, donate, or throw out." I took breakfast for the last time in my hotel, grabbing a newspaper to get the latest update on the Syria situation and reading about the flooding that had occured yesterday in northern Singapore (away from but not far from where I was staying … [Read more...]
September 5, 2013 5 Comments
Being intentional means living like a human-BEING, not a human-DOER
“Goals are dreams with deadlines.” ― Diana Scharf When I spoke to one of my friends before traveling to share details about my upcoming trip, he said, “I think what you’re doing is great. So many people just go through life doing things, but not really experiencing life. They are almost like human-doers, doing things and not really thinking about why. But when you take a trip like this, you can really be a human-being, and “be” what it means to be human. You can live in the moment and get … [Read more...]
September 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
Four strangers on a train
Note: I wrote this post before leaving for my trip but never had the chance to post it. This weekend I went home, to spend some time with my parents and some friends before my trip. To get to the airport, I took the most convenient commute I’ve ever had in any of the 4 cities I’ve lived, walking just two blocks to get onto train for a 25-minute commute to the airport. The train seems to never be crowded and always feels like it has just been cleaned—in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they … [Read more...]
September 4, 2013 2 Comments
How to plan an “unplanned” trip
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” –- Jawaharial Nehru // How do you plan an unplanned multi-month trip? Don’t go with a tour group, travel on your own, and skip the set itinerary. Seem overwhelming? It's actually easier than you think, if you keep the following guidelines in mind: Pick a region of the world - First, decide on what region of the world you'd … [Read more...]
September 3, 2013 8 Comments
Indians, Chinese, Arabs … and Prada and Gucci – a day touring around Singapore
"Singapore is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend going there." -- paraphrasing Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller's Day Off // This weekend I had a chance to tour around Singapore, which was awesome. On Saturday, I woke up and headed to Tiong Bahru, a stop on the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) green line, to grab breakfast witha friend of a friend living in Singapore. Tiong Bahru is a bit off the tourist track, in an area without as many of the tall skyscrapers that pepper the … [Read more...]
