A day later..only one day and so much has happened. Thinking back to yesterday, feels like days ago. But all is well, I arrived safe and sound and I now find myself sitting in a hostel, smack bang in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, in the area most commonly known to the westerners as tourist central. It's called Bukit Bintang, and it's also near where I stayed 2 whole years ago, when I first visited Malaysia.
Yesterday was so cool though.. Why? Because I was suddenly apart of the real traveling world again. I was meeting people from the word "go" and was, and still am, loving every minute. When we finally got flying, as the flight was delayed by an hour and it then turned-out to be an 8 hour journey..instead of the 6 hours I thought it was going to be (silly me forgot to take the 3 hour time-difference into account), I didn't want the flight to end. Yes, of course I was excited to get to Malaysia but I was so comfortable on that flight that the thoughts of having to "throw" myself out into this big city and figure out how to get to the hostel and sort out my money and arrange my mobile phone and be on-the-ball and alert at all times.. all felt like so much effort, as I sat on the plane totally chilled and relaxed and reading my book.. But then when we landed, I just went with the flow, as I didn't have much choice..haha, and soon everything started happening.
I stepped off the plane the air was so hot and sticky. It was like walking into a room where the heating had been on forever and that hadn't had the slightest breeze or chilly wind..ever. Muggy is the word, and with that muggyness, there was rain. It was beautiful! I was instantly heated and refreshed by the rain, all at the same time! Most people would probably hate that kind of muggyness, but the aircon on the plane had felt really awful and cold, and seeing as though I feel the cold so easily, this heat was so very welcome. Being at the airport, which was tiny by the way, and chaotic, turned-out to be nothing but stress-free. Even though I hadn't a clue how to get to the city centre and I didn't know where my hostel was (that was a little booboo on my part.. I thought I had the directions from the airport to the hostel, but in my haste, as I was booking the hostel online back in Adelaide, I printed the wrong ones..oops!!). It was all pretty straight forward and the Malaysians hanging around the airport, offering to sell bustickets or taxirides, made it so easy.. They were the registered taxi's and coachservices ofcourse!! I hoped on a bus and sat and waited to get going. The only westerner on the coach, but I was feeling so confident and at ease. It felt so normal being here, that I wasn't even worried about what I was going to do once I got to the Central Station in KL. It was an hour and a half on the bus and I actually slept most of the way.. That's how at ease I felt, in this crazy and insane city.
Arriving at the station, the first thing that happens when you get off the coach: you are bombarded by taxi drivers wanting to offer you a ride. But I shrugged them all off and had stubborn thoughts of trying to find this hostel all by myself. But those thoughts soon went out the window, or were washed away by the rain, as I set foot outside the station and didn't have a clue in what direction I was heading (I thought I might have been able to recognize some streets or something from my last visit..but KL being KL.. every street name sounds the same and every street looks the same and it was dark too, which didn't make matters easier!). So I jumped in a taxi, gave him the address, paid all of 3 dollars, and 15in later I was the Pujangga Homestay!!
I was where I had set out to be!! It took next to no effort at all and the hostel was so nice!! Within 5 minutes I had even made myself a wee Irish friend, Aine, who had just arrived that day too in KL, after having been in Cambodia for a month. We hit it off instantly.. and have been hanging out ever since (sounds like we've been friends for ages..haha). It was nearly midnight by this stage, but on my normal bodyclock, it was 03.30 am, I had been awake nearly 24 hours and feeling so tired. I went out about for a very short spell, to try and make some phonecalls, and I felt amazing, even though I was wrecked. I didn't phase walking around the streets of KL at night on my own. I didn't know exactly where I was, so I didn't venture very far, for fear of getting lost, which happens so easily in this place. But everything about this place, made me feel so great. There was no culture shock.. Nothing of the kind. It felt natural, normal and like I almost belonged here, for now. The hostel felt instantly familiar, as did the people.. I didn't get to sleep until around 1am, because I was back sleeping in a dorm with 6 others and there was lots of activity.. But not to worry..
So today I was out and about, hanging out with some girls from the hostel, a thai girl named Nana, and Aine. I was loving it.. The weather, the muggyness, the streets with all there mini stalls, full of food and yummiesness and a hype of activity everywhere I looked, it was so cool! The stares and the remarks from the locals was something I had expected, so I ignored them all. The smells on the street, some of them pretty stomach-turning, brought back so many memories from when I was here last. I had a little bit of a run-in with some not so nice people the last time I was here, which made me want to get out of this city asap, but today as I was walking down the same street where my little bit of misfortune had come my way, 2 years ago, all the memories came back, but it wasn't bad.. It was all good and I was glad to have returned.
I spent the day exploring China town, the markets, some temples, until I was so tired that I hopped on the monorail (which is a train the rides the same route back and forth, above the city, giving a great picture of everything-all the temples, mosques, highrise buildings alongside the dirty "slums" almost and derelict "houses". I sat as it the monorail rode back and forth, the same route, for a while, resting the legs and watching the Malaysian people going about their daily lives.. How much fun was I having!
All in the space of 24 hours.. So, now I sit in the hostel, and will be going out to the Chinese stalls, just around the corner for some Malaysian yumminess and maybe a beer.. huummm..
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
In transition
Sitting at the airport.. Melbourne Airport to be exact. It's 10.56 am on the 1st of December. It's a Tuesday morning and it feels like I've been on the go for hours already. In a way, I suppose I have been. This morning I woke up at 04.30am, by the beach. Jason brought me to the Adelaide Airport, and my flight was due to leave at 06.50am. It was hectic, it was manic, it was packed and I very nearly missed the flight..
In some ways I'm glad of this, because then I didn't have to think too much about saying goodbye to Jason. It was short but sweet. I'll be coming back on the 27th of December and will be spending more precious time with him. We both don't know for how long or what either of our plans will be once the new year sets in, but we don't need to think that far ahead yet. First things first.. Niamh is leaving Oz for a month and flying to Malaysia.
I'm waiting for my flight, as I sit here right now. And I'm in transition. Not only physically but also mentally. That's the thing that always seems to happen to me when I'm in airports. I love them so much, because with every flight I take, I seem to be ending one chapter and starting another.. I always have hours to kill at the airport, just like most travellers, and if I don't have hours to kill I make sure I do by arriving too early.. I enjoy these periodes of transition so much. It's like I'm right in the middle of 2 chapters of my adventure. And whilst killing time, I think back over the chapter that's just closing and give it a place in my heart by learning from it, no matter what that chapter has thrown at me and no matter what realizations I have come to make. Once I've given that chapter a special place, I gear myself up for the next chapter. I almost mentally prepare myself for the unknown and try to find stability and security within myself, as I won't be having it anywhere else until the unknown is embraced as fully as possible and can be called the "known" in my eyes.
Leaving a place a security and certainty and stability, can be such a big step. But as I find the time and become aware that I'm now in transition, I can feel that leaving a secure and familiar environment doesn't and won't effect me in any way. Because having that feeling within yourself means that you can always go into the unknown knowing that everything that happens and comes your way doesn't have to be scary.. It's a beautiful and it's a part of learning and growing. And that's the place I'm reaching to right now. I don't feel uneasy or anxious or scared. I feel stable and in control. Whatever comes my way over the next month, will be for a reason. If it doens't turn out like I hope it will, nothing will be lost but there will always be something gained. I have no expectations as to how it will turn out, therefore nothing will be better or worse than it should be. It will be amazing no matter what..
In some ways I'm glad of this, because then I didn't have to think too much about saying goodbye to Jason. It was short but sweet. I'll be coming back on the 27th of December and will be spending more precious time with him. We both don't know for how long or what either of our plans will be once the new year sets in, but we don't need to think that far ahead yet. First things first.. Niamh is leaving Oz for a month and flying to Malaysia.
I'm waiting for my flight, as I sit here right now. And I'm in transition. Not only physically but also mentally. That's the thing that always seems to happen to me when I'm in airports. I love them so much, because with every flight I take, I seem to be ending one chapter and starting another.. I always have hours to kill at the airport, just like most travellers, and if I don't have hours to kill I make sure I do by arriving too early.. I enjoy these periodes of transition so much. It's like I'm right in the middle of 2 chapters of my adventure. And whilst killing time, I think back over the chapter that's just closing and give it a place in my heart by learning from it, no matter what that chapter has thrown at me and no matter what realizations I have come to make. Once I've given that chapter a special place, I gear myself up for the next chapter. I almost mentally prepare myself for the unknown and try to find stability and security within myself, as I won't be having it anywhere else until the unknown is embraced as fully as possible and can be called the "known" in my eyes.
Leaving a place a security and certainty and stability, can be such a big step. But as I find the time and become aware that I'm now in transition, I can feel that leaving a secure and familiar environment doesn't and won't effect me in any way. Because having that feeling within yourself means that you can always go into the unknown knowing that everything that happens and comes your way doesn't have to be scary.. It's a beautiful and it's a part of learning and growing. And that's the place I'm reaching to right now. I don't feel uneasy or anxious or scared. I feel stable and in control. Whatever comes my way over the next month, will be for a reason. If it doens't turn out like I hope it will, nothing will be lost but there will always be something gained. I have no expectations as to how it will turn out, therefore nothing will be better or worse than it should be. It will be amazing no matter what..
A little sweet taste of Adelaide
Monday afternoon, my last day at work, my last day in the van, my last day in a town called Gawler. I've been here only 9 days and it's already time to pack up and leave..
Since leaving Nyah West, last Saturday morning (the 21st of November) Jason and I have been both working and having a ball at the same time. We left on Saturday, headed towards Adelaide. It was an 8 hour drive and the feeling I got, just from doing a short roadtrip in the van again, was amazing. I felt so free and enjoyed every minute of the drive alone. The term "roadtrip" was really so appropriate. Because this term means that a journey is being made but it's not a means to an end and it's not with a mindset that is focused on the destination. Even though the destination does approach ever so slowly and even though there is a purpose and a reason for taking the roadtrip in the first place, it still felt like a holiday, just those 8 hours on the road. What a great drive!
We arrived in Adelaide on Saturday evening. I'd never been before, not to the city or to the area where Jason is from (which is Gawler). I passed through the airport several times, in the last 6 months and me and Jason did a wine tour in a valley an hour north of the city, but I'd never ventured into Adelaide itself. We ended up touring around the city on Saturday night, checking out all the "hotspots", such as Chinatown and having some yummy Malaysian food (just to get me "warmed-up" for my trip). It's a tiny city, compared to every other one in Oz, and had a similar feel to it, as Brisbane does, only smaller. I loved it! The vibe I got was great.. We camped on the beach that night, south of the city, after having had the best luck in the world when we decided to try find the house of a couple we met when we were in Queensland back in June, called Jimmy and Shirley. We had an idea of where they lived but we weren't too sure but we thought we'd chance our arm anyhow and drive around that area of Adelaide, up and down the beachfront, to hopefully spot their mobile home outside their house and pop in for a visit.. And that's exactly what happened!! I never expected to find them or to see them again but we did..so randomly! We ended up staying there for a good few hours, talking about our travels, looking at photo's and just being in good company. It was such a random experience and what a way to spend a Saturday night! They are a great couple, both in their 80s.. so full of life and with an amazing amount of energy, it's unreal. We were delighted we made the effort to look for them and were so grateful to them for inviting us into their home, as we turned-up so unexpected.. What a great couple they are!
Sunday I decided to set-off and explore Adelaide by myself. Those short few hours we spent there the night before didn't cure my craving for a city, which I didn't realize I had, until being in one for the first time in months.. It was so great being in a city again. It made me feel so alive, not that there was so whole lot to do as retail-therapy doesn't seem to be my thing anymore. But just being amongst the hustle and bustle was enough. So I sat and drank tea all day long and ate sushi every chance I got. How cool!
We were due to start work on Monday morning, in Gawler. This is Jason's hometown which is around 30 minutes north of Adelaide. We started work on the rosefarm Jason has worked on for years, doing the same work as we did in Nyah West..the rose-patching. The conditions were so much better, but I struggled all week trying to get back into the swing of working again. It had only been a week and a half since I worked, but for some reason the heat (only 28degrees) got the better of me everyday.. But this didn't ruin the fun we had. We were camped on a caravan park in Gawler, only 5 minutes from the farm. It was a different experience, compared to all the other camping spots we've had.. A caravanpark was something new. There were other "budders" (this is what Jason's job is called..he is a "budder" ) staying on the caravanpark aswell. They were all English, so we all had lots in common and we quickly had created out own little community within this holiday atmosphere we were surrounded by. We hung out lots together, explored some of the sights, had a few sessions and had lots of fun out in the field too. It made such a change from it just being Jason and me in the field.: We now had more people who we could share the experience with, we could all motivate each other and have a laugh and relate our own personal experiences to, regarding either work or travel, was a great way of being!
And suddenly I found myself having to say goodbye to the English workers and, more importantly, to Jason. Today was the last day at work and tonight we'll be camping at the beach once again just like we did 4 months ago when I was flying from Adelaide to Cairns. It's almost like coming full-circle. We'll be in the same spot doing the same thing: we'll be at the beach near the airport and having to say goodbye. This all might be the same set-up but other than that everything has changed so much. We've done so much together over the past 3 months, since my coming back from Cairns. We know that I'll be back after my Malaysian adventure. We know where we stand now and I know that I'll always have a home in the van, no matter what happens. I'm leaving my dream catcher, that Jason gave to me as a present, hanging above where I'd sleep.. So I'll definitely be coming back, even if it is only to sleep and let my dreams be caught and lead me to where I'm supposed to be. How amazing...
Since leaving Nyah West, last Saturday morning (the 21st of November) Jason and I have been both working and having a ball at the same time. We left on Saturday, headed towards Adelaide. It was an 8 hour drive and the feeling I got, just from doing a short roadtrip in the van again, was amazing. I felt so free and enjoyed every minute of the drive alone. The term "roadtrip" was really so appropriate. Because this term means that a journey is being made but it's not a means to an end and it's not with a mindset that is focused on the destination. Even though the destination does approach ever so slowly and even though there is a purpose and a reason for taking the roadtrip in the first place, it still felt like a holiday, just those 8 hours on the road. What a great drive!
We arrived in Adelaide on Saturday evening. I'd never been before, not to the city or to the area where Jason is from (which is Gawler). I passed through the airport several times, in the last 6 months and me and Jason did a wine tour in a valley an hour north of the city, but I'd never ventured into Adelaide itself. We ended up touring around the city on Saturday night, checking out all the "hotspots", such as Chinatown and having some yummy Malaysian food (just to get me "warmed-up" for my trip). It's a tiny city, compared to every other one in Oz, and had a similar feel to it, as Brisbane does, only smaller. I loved it! The vibe I got was great.. We camped on the beach that night, south of the city, after having had the best luck in the world when we decided to try find the house of a couple we met when we were in Queensland back in June, called Jimmy and Shirley. We had an idea of where they lived but we weren't too sure but we thought we'd chance our arm anyhow and drive around that area of Adelaide, up and down the beachfront, to hopefully spot their mobile home outside their house and pop in for a visit.. And that's exactly what happened!! I never expected to find them or to see them again but we did..so randomly! We ended up staying there for a good few hours, talking about our travels, looking at photo's and just being in good company. It was such a random experience and what a way to spend a Saturday night! They are a great couple, both in their 80s.. so full of life and with an amazing amount of energy, it's unreal. We were delighted we made the effort to look for them and were so grateful to them for inviting us into their home, as we turned-up so unexpected.. What a great couple they are!
Sunday I decided to set-off and explore Adelaide by myself. Those short few hours we spent there the night before didn't cure my craving for a city, which I didn't realize I had, until being in one for the first time in months.. It was so great being in a city again. It made me feel so alive, not that there was so whole lot to do as retail-therapy doesn't seem to be my thing anymore. But just being amongst the hustle and bustle was enough. So I sat and drank tea all day long and ate sushi every chance I got. How cool!
We were due to start work on Monday morning, in Gawler. This is Jason's hometown which is around 30 minutes north of Adelaide. We started work on the rosefarm Jason has worked on for years, doing the same work as we did in Nyah West..the rose-patching. The conditions were so much better, but I struggled all week trying to get back into the swing of working again. It had only been a week and a half since I worked, but for some reason the heat (only 28degrees) got the better of me everyday.. But this didn't ruin the fun we had. We were camped on a caravan park in Gawler, only 5 minutes from the farm. It was a different experience, compared to all the other camping spots we've had.. A caravanpark was something new. There were other "budders" (this is what Jason's job is called..he is a "budder" ) staying on the caravanpark aswell. They were all English, so we all had lots in common and we quickly had created out own little community within this holiday atmosphere we were surrounded by. We hung out lots together, explored some of the sights, had a few sessions and had lots of fun out in the field too. It made such a change from it just being Jason and me in the field.: We now had more people who we could share the experience with, we could all motivate each other and have a laugh and relate our own personal experiences to, regarding either work or travel, was a great way of being!
And suddenly I found myself having to say goodbye to the English workers and, more importantly, to Jason. Today was the last day at work and tonight we'll be camping at the beach once again just like we did 4 months ago when I was flying from Adelaide to Cairns. It's almost like coming full-circle. We'll be in the same spot doing the same thing: we'll be at the beach near the airport and having to say goodbye. This all might be the same set-up but other than that everything has changed so much. We've done so much together over the past 3 months, since my coming back from Cairns. We know that I'll be back after my Malaysian adventure. We know where we stand now and I know that I'll always have a home in the van, no matter what happens. I'm leaving my dream catcher, that Jason gave to me as a present, hanging above where I'd sleep.. So I'll definitely be coming back, even if it is only to sleep and let my dreams be caught and lead me to where I'm supposed to be. How amazing...
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