I used to be a skeptic when it comes to meeting strangers from the internet.
But my first couch-surfing experience in Bali in 2009 changed it all.

The wonderful friends that I have made through couchsurfing in Bali and the travel experiences we had together made my trip much more memorable than my other gallivanting travels.

I first stumbled upon the concept of couchsurfing while reading a travel magazine in 2009. Put simply, Couchsurfing is a global hospitality exchange network and website which connects travellers with people of the local community, who offer free accommodation or advice. Today, there are over three million members in 246 countries and the number is on the rise.

The concept of couchsurfing piqued my curiosity. I decided to check out the website, www.couchsurfing.com. As a travel buff, my wanderlust has brought me to many exotic countries as well as trails off the beaten track. I’ve always enjoyed interacting with locals during these travels. As I explored the website, it felt like a perfect fit for me. A couchsurfing experience will certainly add a new dimension to my travels, allow me to make new friends and explore these countries in a more in-depth manner, beyond just the surface exploration of these places.

My first couchsurfing experience in Bali, Indonesia: More than just a couch, 2009“What have I done to deserve it?”, I muttered to myself as the friendly Balinese boy brought me to my “couch” and presented me a welcome drink. My “couch” was neither a mere sofa set nor a spare bedroom that I was expecting.

I stood in awe at the door of a fully-furnished honeymoon suite in a spanking new villa. Fresh hibiscus flowers were nicely laid on the plush king-sized bed and the pillows. The luxurious room was complete with a television, nicely carved teak furniture, a jacuzzi tub, and a pool just a few steps’ away. That was my first incredible couchsurfing experience.

Before I set off for my backpacking trip in Indonesia, I was determined to make this trip different from my usual trips. I wanted a real taste of a couchsurfing experience – to stay with a couchsurfer.

I chanced upon the interesting profile of Elsha, an artist and Phil, her husband who is a retired psychologist in the couchsurfing website. The spiritedness of the husband and wife duo was infectious even from the profile description. The elderly couple from Hawaii had sold all their properties back home to move to Ubud, Bali in search of tranquility. Curious to find out more about their journey to Bali, I wrote to Elsha to request to couch-surf at her home. I was elated when she replied and said that she would be happy to host me.

Elsha turned out to be just as I had expected, a feisty and friendly lady. The couple had generously shared opened their doors to couchsurfers, or rather strangers like me. At their villa, I also befriended two other couchsurfers, Carol Schaffer, a doctor from America and Claudia Scheffer from The Netherlands and her friend, Maria Vetters from Germany. Once, I chatted with Phil and he shared the romantic love story of how he met his wife and the “heart-leaping” experience when he first caught sight of her.

On the third day, an unfortunate bicycle mishap landed me in a local hospital. I had to do a stitch on my lips and get treated for my badly bruised chin, kneecaps and palms. Elsha and Phil were gracious hosts and allowed me to stay for another day.

My new-found friend, Carol became my resident doctor in the villa. One evening, she came knocking on my room door with a headlight on her forehead “Is there a blackout outside?”, I asked innocently. “No, I brought this so that I can see your wounds better.” We had a good laugh The kind-hearted woman even brought me to a local pharmacy and prescribed a whole load of medication to prevent infection.

For the next week, Carol and I explored the town together, strolled through lush ricefields, visited art galleries and enjoyed many nice meals. We even met Carol’s Indonesian couchsurfing friend, Nyoman Suparta, a doctor in Gianya and learned interesting facts about the medical scene in Indonesia.

Though the bicycle incident disrupted my ambitious plans to travel around Indonesia, the couchsurfing experience made the nasty bicycle accident much more manageable than if I were to handle the emergency situation as a solo traveller. I was grateful that I had a “home” to return to after the mishap and friends that I could count on for help, despite the short time that we had known one another. Carol will be travelling to Asia this December and I’m looking forward to show her around Singapore.

Having a “whale” of a time at a picnic in the famous Vigeland Park in Oslo, Norway, 2009

A work trip brought me to faraway Oslo, the capital of Norway. When I first met Marianne, I was surprised to realise how tall she was. Marianne stood at a whopping height of 1.82 metres, something I totally did not expect from her profile picture. She became my tallest girl friend instantly.

Marianne was an active member of the couchsurfing community in Oslo and had played host to numerous travellers there. Though we were complete strangers, she was very friendly and put me at ease right from the start. She candidly suggested that we should have a picnic at the famous Vigeland Park, the largest sculpture park made by Norwegian sculptor, Gustav Vigeland.

Despite the looming dark clouds, we zipped to a supermarket and happily carted an instant barbecue pit, corns, chicken fillets, strawberries and even whalemeat to the park. That was the first time that I attempted placing a a piece of the largest mammal into my mouth. Sensing my apprehension, Marianne reassured me and described that whalemeal was like a cross between tuna and beef.The barbecued whalemeat tasted exactly like what she said and was surprisingly tasty. I gobbled it up in no time.

As a first-time visitor to the country, having a new-found friend to bring me to the park to admire the magnificent sculptures was a memorable experience. I will always remember that I had a ”whale” of a time, literally, at our little picnic in the gorgeous Vigeland Sculpture Park.

A taste of Japanese hospitality and insights of Japan from an expat in central Japan, 2010

During our three weeks’ backpacking trip in central Japan, we had a few interesting encounters with couchsurfers in Japan.

In Tokyo, Mizue Mori, an amicable Japanese woman in her early 40s, gave very precise instructions on where to meet her at the train station. Affluent in English, Mizue brought me to a local sushi bar and there, I tasted the freshest sushi that I have ever tasted. We also visited a art gallery, an anime shop in town and took a neo-print picture together as a memento. She even invited me to her home to meet her husband, Masaki. We had a great time chit-chatting about our cultures and she proudly showed me her tank of hermit crabs and cross-stitched handicrafts.

In Beppu, my friend and my travel mate, Mae, couchsurfed in the home of a young college girl, Asami Nambara. She readily accepted my couchsurfing request after a few email exchanges. Just before we reached her home, she sent me an email detailing instructions on how to get to her home and how to retrieve the keys to her apartment from her letterbox. When quizzed about whether having two travellers couchsurfing at her home was too much trouble for her, she replied, “Don’t worry, I’m a world traveller. I will stay in my friend’s place tonight. You can use anything in the house today.”

That day, we had the whole studio apartment to ourselves. Through the display of French words plastered on her walls, we caught a glimpse of the hard-working young student. We placed our present from Singapore with a thank-you note, slipped the keys back into the letterbox and left. The experience was somewhat surreal, having slept on someone’s bed without even meeting her in person.

Nara is not just about deers, parks and temples.

To me, Nara is special as it reminds me of the cozy couchsurfing experience at Yuki Miya’s home. Yuki spoke perfect English and interestingly, her suave-looking husband who works as a chef could not utter a word of English. Nonetheless, he was ever so smiling and made several attempts to speak short English words. When we arrived at her home, the tatami mats, comforters and pillows were nicely prepared for us in the bedroom. Two new towels and toothbrushes were neatly placed in the washroom. We were touched by the little gestures of kindness and the sincere hospitality of our hosts. We reciprocated with our presents from Singapore and took photographs as a memento. The next morning, her thoughtful husband even made us breakfast before walking us to the train station.

In Gifu, we couchsurfed at the home of 30-year-old Chris Gifford, an Australian expatriate. As a solo female traveller, I would never even consider couch-surfing at a man’s place but since there are two of us, we decided to give it a go. Chris was a friendly and cool chap from Australia. Three years ago, he ventured beyond his comfort zone and moved to Japan. He first started teaching English to little Japanese children before opening his cozy pub, Treehouse.

The fun-loving and animated Chris shared bizarre and hilarious stories about Japanese landlords and cultural and work habits that he could not fathom as a Westerner and shared his aspiration of setting up his sports academy for children there. It was refreshing to hear insights about facets of everyday life in Japan through the perspective of an expatriate. Chris recently emailed and shared that he will be closing the TreeHouse Bar soon and opening a new bar, Marquee on the main street of Gifu.

Instant Chemistry and a new-found friend in Athens, Greece, 2009
It is really amazing to discover how people across cultures can share such similar interests and that it takes no more than a casual meet-up to spark off the instant chemistry.

Even before I met Ina Melengolou, a designer by profession in person, I had a hunch that we would hit it off right away based on her profile description and the interests we had in common.

Over dinner at a quaint traditional Turkish restaurant, our conversations flowed endlessly. We chatted about everything under the sun, from arts, books to our families, travel stories and interesting couchsurfing experiences. By the end of the meal, we arranged to meet again the next day with a curator who was couchsurfing at her home.

In 2011, Ina travelled to Southeast Asia for a holiday break. I took a coach to Malacca to meet her. Together, we roamed the streets of Malacca, visited the Peranakan Museum and sampled the famous chendol and chicken rice balls.

To make her Malacca trip even more unforgettable, I brought her to her first foot reflexology session. Ina created a little commotion in the shop as the masseurs giggled and commented that she resembled internationally-acclaimed pop star, Michael Jackson. She denied exasperatedly and the masseurs broke into peals of laughter. We are still in touch by email regularly. Should I visit Greece one day, I know that my new-found friend, Ina will be there to welcome me with open arms.

My interactions with fellow couchsurfers in these countries have enriched my travel experiences immensely. One of the things that I really like about making new friends through the couchsurfing is that it open doors to people of diverse backgrounds, many whom I would not otherwise have crossed paths in my routine social circle. It is interesting to meet these like-minded people who share the love for travelling and often have very interesting personal stories and amazing travel experiences to tell.

To anyone who may be thinking about trying the couchsurfing for the first time, I would say, “Be brave, take the first step as the whole new world of exciting travels and new friends await.”

Horror stories of people getting murdered in foreign lands when they knocked on the wrong doors, literally using the couchsurfing platform are not uncommon One must take precautionary measures to meet the right couchsurfers in order to ensure an enriching and safe travel experience.

Useful tips when couchsurfing
1) Research, research and research
Don’t just write to the first good-looking face that you come across in the couchsurfing website. Take time to read through the person’s detailed profile to gauge the person’s personality. For people who are trying couchsurfing for the first time, I would strongly suggest that you stick with the same gender host or married couples. You can also go with “verified” members of couchsurfing community with good reviews from fellow couchsurfers who have met them and avoid dodgy characters who have not received any couchsurfers’ reviews to play safe.

2)Be a Santa Claus
Bring small gifts from home to share with your new friends and hosts. They don’t have to be expensive gifts, small tokens that are reflective of the country that you come from are often well-appreciated.

3)Learn about your own country
Do take some time to learn some fast facts about Singapore. This will allow you can strike a sound conversation and not fumble when your host asks you about questions about Singapore, for instance, the population size and the size of our island.

4)Have an inquisitive mind
People who are in the couchsurfing community tend to be more curious about people’s cultures and open-minded when it comes to travel experiences. With an inquisitive mind and a keen interest to learn about others’ cultures, you can be assured of a great couchsurfing experience.

Most Singaporeans would head to tourists hotspots such as Malacca, Penang and Cameron Highlands for a relaxing weekend get-away. My adventurous travel mates decided to venture beyond these usual haunts to a somewhat mysterious place, Tasik Chini. Some of us have heard about Tasik Chini but none of us have been there. We decided to embark on a road trip to explore Tasik Chini and find out for ourselves what it has to offer.

Getting to Tasik Chini

Lake Chini or Tasik Chini is Malaysia’s second largest natural lake and is located on the right bank of the Pahang River. The lake was formed from the natural damming of a river valley and comprises 12 lakes. Tasik Chini is located in Chini Town in Pahang, about 100 kilometres away from Kuantan. Tucked away in nature, Tasik Chini stands amidst the area of 12,565 acres of lush tropical wilderness and is not easily accessible by public transport.

The easiest way to get to the lake is to travel by road to Kampong Belimbing, about 100 kilometres southwest of Kuantan and then by boat through the Chini River. We decided to try the overland route via Segamat Highway through the new town of Chini to Tasik Chini.

We spent a night in a resort in Mersing which had a great sea view and admired the gorgeous hues of sunrise from the balcony. A morning stroll by the beach became a pleasant treat when I chanced upon two white hornbills. Our breakfast was a simple fare of mee-siam and nasi lemak at a small eatery (warung) along the roadside before we continued our drive to Tasik Chini.

Our first accommodation choice was Rajan Jones Guesthouse, a longhouse in the village but it turned out to be more rustic than what we city dwellers are used to when we spotted a shiny black snake the moment we entered his compound. We decided to opt for comfort and headed to the nearby Tasik Chini Lake Resort instead. For those who are game to experience the laidback Malay village life in its most original form, this guesthouse may be your ideal homestay. The owner, Rajan is known to be a great trekking guide who speaks decent English.

Tasik Chini Resort is one of the more established chalets with a variety of room choices ideal for families and groups and a restaurant. Holiday seekers often go there for activities such as bird-watching, fishing, camping, jungle trekking, boating, canoeing and visiting the Orang Asli village. The resort is especially popular during weekends among the locals.

Our nine-people group stayed in a stand-alone chalet which had two rooms, and came complete with televisions, air-conditioning, bathrooms and balconies.

Legend has it that Tasik Chini is home to a serpent-like sea monster which inhabits in one of the lakes called Laut Gumun and it is believed to be guarding the waters till today. Deep beneath the still waters of the lake, the lake is also believed to be the site of a sunken ancient kingdom, the Khmer city. Many archaeologists have visited the area in search of this ancient civilisation. These myths and mysteries surrounding the lake added a sense of mystical charm to the tranquil area.

Tasik Chini is especially picturesque from June to September as many parts of the inter-connected lakes will be covered with blankets of pink and white lotus flowers. The sight will certainly be an eye feast for those who are on boating trips and on canoes in the lake and photography enthusiasts. Tasik Chini is known to be a treasure trove of nature heritage and the lake is home to over 140 species of freshwater fish and numerous aquatic vegetation.

In the late afternoon, we took a leisurely one-hour boat ride to admire the quiet charm of the lake and to visit the indigenous Orang Asli village. As we cruised along the calm waters of the scenic lake and moved from one lake marker to another, I could not help but let my imagination run wild about the visual imagery of the loch ness emerging from the waters. As our boats steered through the calm waters, we were immersed in a quiet painting of nature, clear blue sky and lush greenery.

The visit to the Orang Asli settlement was an equally interesting experience. Little children running around playing games, makeshift zinc-roofed homes on stilts with little chicks scurrying around and a small shed plying souvenirs to visitors to the village – such is the simplicity of life for the indigenous people. It was interesting to see how the orang Jakun (indigenous tribe) live their primitive lives today. The Jakun are the second largest of the nineteen Orang Asli people groups of Peninsular Malaysia and are believed to have lived in the Peninsula for 7,000 years.

Gourmet food was certainly not high on the agenda for this nature’s retreat. It took us a good 30-minute drive from the resort and numerous rounds of zipping in and out of little shops before we finally managed to get the cup noodles. Since food was not readily accessible and restaurants beyond the resort were not existent, we decided to have a “fruity” detox-diet dinner instead.

Along the way, we stopped at a roadside fruit stall and happily carted a bunch of bananas, a watermelon, apricots and many kilograms of kampong durians back to the resort. Our poor durian-phobic travel mate, May had to seek refuge in a room while the rest of us devoured the king of fruits to our heart’s content. That night, we savoured the durians at the balcony and threw the seeds from where we stood onto the ground below in the hope in years to come, durian trees would sprout.

Tasik Chini area may be relatively under-developed as compared to the other parts of Malaysia, but the unspoilt surroundings and its natural beauty make it a unique nature’s gem. For those who are considering a trip there, do manage your expectations and come with an open mind to enjoy the simplicity of the lake and appreciate nature in its most authentic form.

A short weekend get-away it may be, but with a feast of kampong durians, a cruise along the magical lake and good company, it was a great treat to rejuvenate the body, mind and soul.

Writer’s Tips
1) Cast your rocket-high expectations for five-star hotel accommodation aside when you visit Tasik Chini. The accommodation is basic and fuss-free but you will be well-rewarded by this tranquil nature’s gem and its simplicity.

2) The best period to visit Tasik Chini is from June to September as large areas of the lake will be dotted with pink and white lotus flowers. It will be a picturesque sight ideal for photography and the area aoround the lake is also photogenic in the early morning.

3) When you visit the Orang Asli village, do respect the privacy of the indigenous people and do not turn instant shutter-bugs. It will be good to build rapport with them before you take their photographs. Do support them by buying the hand-made souvenirs and blow-pipes in the small shed.

4) Mount a gps in the car and it will save you time and effort when it comes to navigating unfamiliar places.

Nice imagery of nature never fails to excite me.

A random email from showing big boulders at the summit of Gunung Datuk, against the clear blue sky and a short write-up about the expedition was enough to seal the deal for me. I signed up for my first expedition with Meet-up group with my friend, Juanita and waited in anticipation for my first trek to Gunung Datuk.

Gunung Datuk is nestled in Kampong Batang Nymar, Gadung, about 21 kilometres from Rembau Town, in the state of Negri Sembilan in West Malaysia. Unlike some of the other mountains that I’ve hiked, the summit of Gunung Datuk requires some serious leg and handwork – climbing on the huge boulders to reach the peak. I secretly hoped that my weekly hikes at Bukit Timah Hill would help make the trek less strenuous.

Legend has it that in 1372, the summit was used by Dato Perpateh Nan Sebatang to gather his people to announce the position of the clan chief. Today, the mountain is a popular get-away for locals. Some gather for a casual swim at the petite waterfall at the foot of the mountain, while others who are more adventurous would pack their camping gears and spend their night at the campsite near the summit.

Katherine, the organiser said in one of her earlier emails, “Strangers today, friends tomorrow.” It was also comforting to know that she promised never to leave anyone behind in the group. The group was a fun-loving mini international community with Singaporeans and people from Hong Kong, Japan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia. Amongst the 40-people strong group, many were first-timers who have signed up for the trek on their own. I too was a lone-ranger, as my trekking mate had to give it a miss due to a flu and persistent cough.

There’s adventurous Panny who parasails, Tricia who enjoys trekking and living the life of others in their countries during her travels just like me, Sebastian, the photography enthusiast who is into climbing and overseas community projects, the only Japanese lady from Tokyo and her artist friend, Kiat Sing, Darren and his “sunblocked” friend who shared their umbrella at the scorching summit, Rohit, the adventure sports lover and “bollywood star-poser” from Delhi, Calvin, the hyper-energetic one whom I believe gets high from the fresh oxygen in the mountain and the lovely couple, Kat & Hubbie who were always there to ensure that everyone is well-taken care of..and the list goes on.

Though I didn’t get to chat with every single person in the group, those I spoke to shared similar interests in trekking. The passion for nature, adventure and trekking amongst the group was infectious.

At 880 metres, Gunung Datuk is considered a “short” mountain by some, but still nonetheless, enough to cause the adrenaline rush than our one and only molehill in Singapore, Bukit Timah.

The first part of the hiking trail was tedious and seemed somewhat endless. One often had to grapple with crossing over fallen trunks, navigating through steep passageways and climbing roots and narrow paths. Being a first timer to this mountain, it was fun traversing in the embrace of nature, at times solo and at times, chatting with other hikers in the group in the trail, exchanging hiking experiences and travel stories. There is only one trail and it is near impossible to get lost. Though the hiking requires a bit of stamina, one can reach the summit within 2 to 3 hours.

Nearing the summit, the group formed a natural queue, to clamber onto the rusty ladders to cross from one big boulder to the next to get to the summit. The wait to conquer the boulder was long as we had to wait for others to descend from the summit before we could climb up the ladder. Many soon whipped out their protection gears, from sunscreen lotion,hats, towels to shield their faces to umbrellas, while others enjoyed baring their skin to absorb the tan. The sight was amusing.

At the summit, the panoramic view of the surrounding towns more than made up for the tiring trek.According to research, one can even see the Strait of Malaysia on a clear day and roam around the summit which offered unobstructed view of the entire states.

Some quietly found their own spots to admire the views ontop, while others busied themselves with group photographs and candid poses with the mountainview as the backdrop. I was happy to absorb the charm of the mountainview and amusing myself with the varied activities that people were engaged in.

Descending from boulders at the summit was more challenging than climbing the ladder up to the summit. Thankfully, Kat’s husband graciously wedged himself between rocks near the descending point, to provide clear instructions to every member of the group to guide us downhill. But descending the hill using the trail was a breeze. For me, I prefer to work with gravity instead of against but those with ankle and knee problems would find it an uphill task instead.

Along the way, a pretty flittering butterfly caught my attention. Thankfully, the little butterfly was generous enough not to budge and stayed on the rock long enough for Tricia and myself to do some close-ups of it. Another unexpected discovery – a pair of glasses for far-sightedness was spotted hanging on one of the branches along the trail. We placed it more prominently, in the hope that the specs will find its way to the rightful owner, or rather the owner would trace the trail and find his specs.

Somehow, the “do-do” bird streak in me misplaced my sunglass case at the restaurant, and thankfully, the person who found and kept it was none other than my new-found friend, Tricia with whom I descended the hill. Looks like what goes around do come around. Thankfully, I will be able to get my specs case back.

Dinner was a sumptuous spread of delectable delicacies, from shark’s fin soup, steamed pomfret, stir-fried vegetables, cold dish to herbal chicken, cereal prawns and yam-ring in a Chinese restaurant. Our four tables of trekkers ate and ate to their hearts’ content before heading to the customs for another queue wait. The customs in Malaysia has introduced a new system which requires all to scan their fingers while clearing the customs.

It seemed like the Malaysian customs know that queuing is an inherent habit of Singaporeans. Obediently, we joined the long queues while keeping ourselves more entertained with more chit-chatting with our newfound friends and exchanging more travel stories.We learnt the unbelievable story of how the physician in Incredible India can “straighten” broken hands without aesthetic nor x-ray, with two men to hold the legs and another to hold the head, while the physican performs his hand-straightening act.

It was near mid-night by the time we reached Singapore. It was a good get-away back to nature with like-minded folks though many are first-timers to the group.

Special thanks to Kat and her hubbie for taking the initiative to organise this trek. Cheers to new friendships forged and many happy travels ahead! I’m sure this will be my first trek with meet-up and there’ll be many more to come

To see the travel pictures,
https://picasaweb.google.com/dottiedot77
Luvheaps,
dot

Most Singaporeans would head to tourists hotspots such as Malacca, Penang and Cameron Highlands for a relaxing weekend get-away. My adventurous travel mates decided to venture beyond these usual haunts to a somewhat mysterious place, Tasik Chini. Some of us have heard about Tasik Chini but none of us have been there. We decided to embark on a road trip to explore Tasik Chini and find out for ourselves what it has to offer.

Getting to Tasik Chini
Lake Chini or Tasik Chini is Malaysia’s second largest natural lake and is located on the right bank of the Pahang River. The lake was formed from the natural damming of a river valley and comprises 12 lakes. Tasik Chini is located in Chini Town in Pahang, about 100 kilometres away from Kuantan. Tucked away in nature, Tasik Chini stands amidst the area of 12,565 acres of lush tropical wilderness and is not easily accessible by public transport.

The easiest way to get to the lake is to travel by road to Kampong Belimbing, about 100 kilometres southwest of Kuantan and then by boat through the Chini River. We decided to try the overland route via Segamat Highway through the new town of Chini to Tasik Chini. We spent a night in a resort in Mersing which had a great sea view and admired the gorgeous hues of sunrise from the balcony. A morning stroll by the beach became a pleasant treat when I chanced upon two white hornbills. Our breakfast was a simple fare of mee-siam and nasi lemak at a small eatery (warung) along the roadside before we continued our drive to Tasik Chini.

Our first accommodation choice was Rajan Jones Guesthouse, a longhouse in the village but it turned out to be more rustic than what we city dwellers are used to when we spotted a shiny black snake the moment we entered his compound. We decided to opt for comfort and headed to the nearby Tasik Chini Lake Resort instead. For those who are game to experience the laidback Malay village life in its most original form, this guesthouse may be your ideal homestay. The owner, Rajan is known to be a great trekking guide who speaks decent English.

Tasik Chini Resort is one of the more established chalets with a variety of room choices ideal for families and groups and a restaurant. Holiday seekers often go there for activities such as bird-watching, fishing, camping, jungle trekking, boating, canoeing and visiting the Orang Asli village. The resort is especially popular during weekends among the locals.

Our nine-people group stayed in a stand-alone chalet which had two rooms, and came complete with televisions, air-conditioning, bathrooms and balconies.

Legend has it that Tasik Chini is home to a serpent-like sea monster which inhabits in one of the lakes called Laut Gumun and it is believed to be guarding the waters till today. Deep beneath the still waters of the lake, the lake is also believed to be the site of a sunken ancient kingdom, the Khmer city. Many archaeologists have visited the area in search of this ancient civilisation. These myths and mysteries surrounding the lake added a sense of mystical charm to the tranquil area.

Tasik Chini is especially picturesque from June to September as the many parts of the inter-connected lakes will be covered with blankets of pink and white lotus flowers. The sight will certainly be an eye feast for those who are on boating trips and on canoes in the lake and photography enthusiasts. Tasik Chini is known to be a treasure trove of nature heritage and the lake is home to over 140 species of freshwater fish and numerous aquatic vegetation.

In the late afternoon, we took a leisurely one-hour boat ride to admire the quiet charm of the lake and to visit the indigenous Orang Asli village. As we cruised along the calm waters of the scenic lake and moved from one lake marker to another, I could not help but let my imagination run wild about the visual imagery of the loch ness emerging from the waters. As our boats steered through the calm waters, we were immersed in a quiet painting of nature, clear blue sky and lush greenery.

The visit to the Orang Asli settlement was an equally interesting experience. Little children running around playing games, makeshift zinc-roofed homes on stilts with little chicks scurrying around and a small shed plying souvenirs to visitors to the village – such is the simplicity of life for the indigenous people. It was interesting to see how the orang Jakun (indigenous tribe) live their primitive lives today. The Jakun are the second largest of the nineteen Orang Asli people groups of Peninsular Malaysia and are believed to have lived in the Peninsula for 7,000 years.

Gourmet food was certainly not high on the agenda for this nature’s retreat. It took us a good 30-minute drive from the resort and numerous rounds of zipping in and out of little shops before we finally managed to get the cup noodles. Since food was not readily accessible and restaurants beyond the resort were not existent, we decided to have a “fruity” detox-diet dinner instead.

Along the way, we stopped at a roadside fruit stall and happily carted a bunch of bananas, a watermelon, apricots and many kilograms of kampong durians back to the resort. Our poor durian-phobic travel mate, May had to seek refuge in a room while the rest of us devoured the king of fruits to our heart’s content. That night, we savoured the durians at the balcony and threw the seeds from where we stood onto the ground below in the hope in years to come, durian trees would sprout.

Tasik Chini area may be relatively under-developed as compared to the other parts of Malaysia, but the unspoilt surroundings and its natural beauty make it a unique nature’s gem. For those who are considering a trip there, do manage your expectations and come with an open mind to enjoy the simplicity of the lake and appreciate nature in its most authentic form.

A short weekend get-away it may be, but with a feast of kampong durians, a cruise along the magical lake and good company, it was a great treat to rejuvenate the body, mind and soul.

Writer’s Tips

1) Cast your rocket-high expectations for five-star hotel accommodation aside when you visit Tasik Chini. The accommodation is basic and fuss-free but you will be well-rewarded by this tranquil nature’s gem and its simplicity.

2) The best period to visit Tasik Chini is from June to September as large areas of the lake will be dotted with pink and white lotus flowers. It will be a picturesque sight ideal for photography and the area aoround the lake is also photogenic in the early morning.

3)When you visit the Orang Asli village, do respect the privacy of the indigenous people and do not turn instant shutter-bugs. It will be good to build rapport with them before you take their photographs. Do support them by buying the hand-made souvenirs and blow-pipes in the small shed.

4) Mount a gps in the car and it will save you time and effort when it comes to navigating unfamiliar places.

5)Bring your own supplies of drinks, food and snacks. The restaurant at Tasik Chini has nothing special to boast. The resort does have barbeque pits for rental but you would need to inform them in advance if you need them to prepare the food for your barbeque session.

6)Take a boat ride or hop onto a canoe and explore the lake at your own leisurely pace. It will be a great way to immerse yourself in the embrace of nature

It has been a long, long while since The Company went gallivanting into the foreign lands as an entire group. This time, for the weekend getaway, our super-dupey organisers, JT and JN managed to rally a grand total of nine people, Dot, EL, JS, M, Raj,Cheng, XF and themselves to go on a road trip via Mersing to Tasik Chini.

None of us have been to Tasik Chini, the unknown of the lake made us even more curious to check out the place. According to some research materials, Tasik Chini is 100 kilometres away from Kuantan, with an area 12,565 acres of lush tropical wilderness and is Malaysia’s second largest natural lake.

On 25 March Friday night, we congregated and set off to our first stop, to Mersing. Our energizer-charged land-pilot, June steered the wheels, speedy yet safe. This time, the “royal” throne next to the driver seat remained vacant for the first time, courtesy of JT’s friendly neighbour, aka the “prized poodle” of the company. C became the second pilot in command.

By near mid-night, we reached our first stop at Mersing, had a quick supper and headed to the resort where J & Rj were patiently awaiting our arrival. M went on her traumatizing “dar-dar” mode on me, to the amusement of everyone. Our sweet and caring couple Rj & J had prepared the beds ready for the gang. The entire company slept together in the main hall, while M, XF and me shared the bed, a privilege that Taitai has bestowed upon the reluctant me.

The next morning started with flying accusations from the sleeping mates about the human “amplifiers” that prevented them from enjoying their beauty sleep. The key culprit, Rj counter-reacted with his reasons to justify his snores and left the sleep-deprived folks dumb-founded.

The resort had a nice view overlooking the beach. Whilst the rest are happily hestled in the hall, I went to the balcony to admire the gorgeous hues of sunrise before sneaking out to the beach, to be pleasantly surprised by my accidental discovery of two gorgeous white hornbills resting at the little building and some nice sunrise sights at the beach.

Our breakfast was a short drive away in a small shack where the locals gathered. Mee-siam, lontong, three plates of nasi lemak were the main items for breakfast and the simple fare was enough to keep our stomachs full and contented.

Our first intended guesthouse was a little too makeshift for everyone’s liking, the lack of a lack-view and a little slimy black snake at the house were enough reasons for us to hunt for another place to stay. It didn’t take long before we decided to make the Tasik Chini Resort as the stop for our trip.

Tasik Chini area was even more remote (“ulu”) and underdeveloped than I expected, the lunch at the report restaurant was not great and we decide to hunt around for cup noodles. It took us a 30-minutes drive out and several zipping in and out of little shops before we finally found cup noodles in one of the small shops. Along the way, we stopped by a roadside fruit stall and happily carted a bunch of bananas, a watermelon, apricots and many kilograms of kampong durians back to the resort as our detox-dinner meal since food was not readily accessible. The poor durian-phobic M had to remain in the car while we devoured the durians and bought more back to the resort to feast upon that evening.

The one-hour boat ride turned out to be quite a fun experience. Though there were no blooming lotus flowers along the banks of the lake, our short visit to the Orang Asli village more than compensated for that. Little children running around playing games, makeshift zinc-roofed homes with little chicks scurrying around, and a little shack plying souvenirs to visitors to the village –such is the simplicity of life for the native people. We posed for a few candid shots before we headed back to the comforts of our resort. As our boats steered through the calm waters back to the jetty, we were immersed in a quiet painting of nature, clear blue sky and lush greenery, the view was nothing to be in awe about but still enjoyable nonetheless.

That night, we savoured the durians in the balcony and threw the seeds from where we stood onto the ground below. In years to come, durian trees would sprout, we hoped. Dinner was nothing fanciful, three flavours of cup-noodles, an assortment of fruits and one little orange that was split multiple ways to share amongst the company. The prized poodle fell asleep in the other room while the rest of the company happily nestled in the other room to chit-chat and posed triumphant pictures with the one and only orange we shared.

I managed to escape from the super-glue claws from M and EL became Dar-Dar Number 2 and thanks to the paparazzi photographer, JT and her priceless shot of the two girls caught “red-handed” on bed as great proof for me to “severe” ties with M.

Before we departed the resort, The Company cheekily decided to pose for the 3-sequential shots, on the special request by Rj. I managed to squeeze through the rooftop of our rented car to pose for the shots. M wanted to follow soon,but backed out to the hilarious outburst of all. We parted ways with our most adventurous couple, J & Rj at the resort and headed for our relaxing foot reflex massage before going back to Singapore. JT accompanied XF to the Chinese sinseh for her head-turning gesture, to cure her achy shoulder and neck muscles.

Though the sights at Tasik Chini were not jaw-dropping, the weekend get-away with fun-loving and great pals was still a relaxing way to spend an otherwise typical boring weekend back in Singapore. XF’s tripod was way underutilised as the owner seemed to bring it here a spin in Malaysia, literally, or maybe the poor XF was too busy keeping her “slanted’ head in check.

Thanks to each and everyone in The Company, or otherwise known as the Adventure Club friends by EL for the great company as usual. Cheers to more fun one-day trips and fun travels in 2011. Special thanks to JT & Taitai for organising the trip.

Bangkok has lost its appeal to The Company, to some. June decided to “fly our aeroplane” as going to Bangkok would be a “waste of time” and she was brewing something bigger and getting herself ready for her excitingKorea trip end of the month. Our Bangkok tickets were extremely cheap, we bought the tickets, thanks to our super efficient CFO, almost a full year ago. And a year later, the actual attendance, four our of five. Not too bad a start.

Pumping adreline scare & false alarm.
Our adrenaline started pumping way before we even step foot onto the plane.

XF and I happily went to check in our backpacks to be told that check-in would cost an addition of $50. We decided to carry our backpacks ourselves onboard the plane as it was hard to justify the price for the check-in when the one-way ticket was under $50. And so we left the counter, without much thought about the bottles and bottles of sunblock lotion, facial stuff which rightfullly cannot be brought onboard the plane. Both XF and I turned frantic when Mae rang the bell - to alert us on this. I contemplated hard on which to throw, my bottle of sunblock was the important of all, the rest was secondary. Poor XF was stressed up over her “branded” facial bottle, which costs over $60 - $70. We decided to take the “risk” and smuggle them up the plane and as for the bottle of sunblock, I peeled off the bottle sticker to hide the 100ml sign.

Mae almost gave herself and us yet another heart attack. While walking, she gave us a blank look and asked us where her money pouch was. We didn’t know and we dashed to Burger King while she ran to the Air Asia counter in search of the “missing” pouch to realise minutes later that it was safely tucked in her bag. That was the second panic attack - even before we leave home ground.

Redrawing boundaries & definitions of Bangkok
The four accomplices, Taitai J, Mae, XF and Dot. It was not our first trip to Bangkok and it was intended to be a relaxing shopping and makan trip. Somehow, the trip evolved and we had lots more fun beyond the long-distance walking up and down the Platinum Mall.

On the first day of arrival, we zipped to the Baiyoke Boutique Hotel which was just two streets away from Platinum Mall and costs 1000 bahts each night. The rooms were fully refurnished and renovated, decorated with a colourful painting in each room and complete with a bathtub, safe, bar fridge and a flat-screen television. It was definitely more than basic and we were pleased to see the changes in a year. Same price but better services, certainly value for money considering the price we paid.

My “massage” radar came out instantly. We dropped our bags, except the sleepy Mae, and patrolled around the familiar vicinity for a quick 10-minutes before we hit the pillows.

The next day, we went to our favourite Platinum Mall for the frivolous buys. As compared to last year, the fashion wasn’t quite my cup of tea this time and I didnt manage to buy heaps of clothes like I did in the last trip, but still it was good fun shopping around. XF contemplated about the purchase of the new namecard holder and thankfully managed to get a nice green one to replace her horrific blackened one that she is currently using. Mae was the first to wave her white flag and headed to the usual haunt, Black Canyon Coffee in the basement.

Dinner was in the Lak restaurant along Chinatown, the same one we went last year. We had a somewhat interesting conversation with the taxi driver who brought us there. The driver was pro-Thaksin and anti Abishek.Throughout the whole journey,”ok, Thaksin good, Abishek no good, Thaksin no take money, Abishhek take money.” Dinner was a sumptous spread of grilled prawns, steamed fish,stir-fried kangkong and omelette with oysters. The food portion is a far cry from what the entire The Company would order, but for the four of us, it was just nice.

Next day, we decided to venture beyond Bangkok to do some sightseeing. I’ve been to Bangkok numerous times, but have not seen the Floating Market nor Kanchanapuri. This time, since M is a non-shopper, we decided to abandon shopping and go sight-seeing instead.

By a stroke of luck, we found a taxi driver just outside our hotel, who spoke Teochew. After some negotiation, we decided to make him our official gang. Our driver was a friendly and chatty person, with a wicked sense of humour that we fully enjoyed. Throughout the long taxi drive, I turned official translator from Teochew to English and Chinese and the girls laughed along.

The first floating market experience was a fun one. We tasted one of the best freshly made coconut creams and “hijacked” many of the food peddlars when their boats came our way. From satay, coconut ice-cream to noodles and skewered beef sticks, we literally ate along the way, and was even offered some food items by a Japanese tourist in another boat. Despite the blazing sun, we enjoyed a unusual and leisurely afternoon.

Our next stop was Kanchanaburi, a town in the west of Thailand and the capital of Kanchanaburi province to see the famous Death Railway. Kanchanaburi was under Japanese control in 1942, and the allied prisoners of war, built the infamous Burma Railway, constructed a bridge. It was said that more than half of the prisoners working on these construction projects died in the process, from disease, maltreatment and accidents. Thankfully, we were there in the daytime and it was not that eerie. tbc

Last weekend was an eventful getaway in Malaysia. My usual travel company said it was a trip to try that famous bak kut teh in Kota Tinggi that we have long heard about through our adventurous couple, J&R.

By 7.30am, I was at JT’s area, ready to take the royal throne seat, thanks to our “queen” who is gallivanting somewhere in the States. The ride through the customs was smooth and we reached the renowned Bat Kut Teh’s place, owned by R’s relative,Kiang Kee Bat Kut Teh.

Located at Batu 3, it takes about half an hour to get from the Malaysian customs to the eatery. It’s easily spotted as it is along the one and only road from Kota Tinggi to Mersing and one can’t miss the big yellow signboard.

Business was brisk as the staff in polo tees zipped in and out of the house to the open shack eatery, bringing pots of the bak kut teh,to the charcoal stoves, ready to feed the many hungry mouths, Singaporeans and Malaysians, cyclists in their full cycling gear and families with old and young. The entire scene was chaotic, yet organised in some way.

The attentive staff went into panic mode as we had no number tags at our table. Thanks to Uncle R, we had our special “pre-order” the night before. During the wait, we had a chance to see Raj’s feisty near eighty-year old auntie. Her swift movements and nice complexion certainly did not reveal her true age. R shared that his auntie and uncle were the only “survivors” during a recent trip in Tibet and turned “medical officers” when the entire tour busload of people all suffered headaches, nauseusness and other symptoms of high altitude sickness.

We waited in anticipation and when our order finally arrived, it certainly did not disappoint. The bak kut teh was cooked over the charcoal stove for hours and tasted distinctly different from that in Singapore, with a strong and fragrant herbal flavour. The other side dishes, including the pig intestines soup and braised pig’s trotters were also commendable. By the end of the meal, we paid 77 ringgits for six of us and went away contented, our stomachs full and appetite whet.

Our next stop was to look for a stop-over place in Mersing for our end March escapade. The resort offered a scenic view of the mountains and the sea and has a tempting dip pool that overlooks the view. We took the chance to look at the room and hung around to enjoy the view. The staff at the resort did not seem to be interested in making our money and did not come around to ask if we would like to have drinks and we lazed around for a little longer before heading to our next checkpoint.

During the chat, Cheng mentioned a Singaporean sculptor and his work studio in the area. That rang a bell in Raj’s yet another relative who used to learn pottery and sculptures from a sculptor. We stopped by to Raj’s second relative’s place, and coincidentally, the sculptor that Cheng mentioned was the very same teacher of his relative. And so, we went, into the creative art space of the artist.

The artist was friendly and humble and I liked with his rustic home surroundings right away. His little black dog was elated to see new folks and was happily pounding onto anyone who walked past, thankfully his moves were restricted by the chain around his neck.

His home was tucked away in a little lane, nestled in the middle of a rainforest. The plot of land which his house and studio are built upon was huge, about 2.5 acres of land in total. The artist generously brought us around his studio, shared candid stories of how the thieves broke into his house and took away with his DVD player, television and metal parts in his fridge, his stairs and potters’ wheels during the height of Olympics when China was on a rampant acquisition for copper and other metals. The “daylight robbers” even returned the trolley and we jokingly told him that it was for their own personal benefit, so that it would be easier for them to cart more loot during their next break-in.

The Malaysian born sculptor currently resides and teaches in Singapore on weekdays at NAFA. On weekends, he would take a bus from Singapore back to Malaysia to his studio to create his artworks. Sometimes, he would have students stay over during the weekends. It takes strong conviction and passion to be able to do what he does every weekend and that was admirable.

Though we were complete strangers to him, the artist generously showed us his artworks, works of his other artists’ friends and students and brought us on a tour around his extensive compound, his wooden artist studio.

As the artist shared some of the old furniture he salvaged over the years, R turned philosophical and shared how old furniture that were trash to him when he was younger have now become treasured vintage pieces of yesteryears that he likes. That was an obvious tell-tale sign of his fast vanishing youth, or vanished youth and his becoming of “unclehood”.

We sat around at the wooden shack, by his man-made lake and chatted about the changing times. His wise words, “Money is meant to be earned and spent, since they can’t be brought away anyway” became an instant lesson for our dear money-horder, M. Instantaneously, all of us pointed at M, hoping to incite her to ponder deeper and attain enlightenment from the wise man.

The artist shared that he intends to sell his land soon and he would very much prefer to resolve all these and not leave these issues for his only daughter and wife to settle years down the road and will be open to sell the place to people that he would feel comfortable with, even if it means less profits.

The impromptu visit to the artist’s studio became the new highlight of our “one-day” tour in Malaysia. We bade farewell to the artist and went in search of our long-awaited dinner.

In between, we did some frivolous shopping of dvds, chewing gum and I managed to even buy a pair of heels for work at about 39 ringgits, a hairband for Little Shermaine and stickers for her and Nicholas in the short span of about half an hour.

The intended dinner place was quite secluded and hard to get to. Playful R’s decided to pose a challenge against technology, more specificially, with JT’s GPS to see who would be able to get to the place first.

Technology had a headstart and we reached the meeting place, Tune Hotel before R could reach using his scotch-taped map. We won, hands down and we were triumphant, and a little cocky.

The navigation to the dinnerplace was harder than we thought, even with the GPS and we missed a few wrong turns. Unwilling to admit that technology has lost to the scotch-taped map of R, we decided to come up with a white lie – Cheng had to “purge” his system before dinnertime to save our faces. Another wrong turn set us back even further, and we had to use the same lie twice, Uncle Cheng had to answer nature’s call, yet again.

By the time we reached the dinnerplace, we were bemused to be confronted by an angry woman – Mae, while the adventurous couple, J&R still maintained their cool dispositions. A hungry woman was an angry woman indeed. The long wait had made the woman grouchy indeed as she exclaimed that she had waited a long, long time for us and “reprimanded” Cheng for choosing the wrong timing to do his “business”. The guilty trio, Cheng, JT and myself could only snigger.

Dinner was a nice spread of interesting dishes, salt-baked chicken, stir-fried vegetables, fried fish and deep-fried balls. By the time the food arrived the table, our angry woman busied herself to the food. Her smile and her bubbly self were soon re-instated after the meal and there was no bad blood.

The short trip to try bak kut teh across the causeway became a full day exploration in Malaysia, or rather Raj’s homecoming trip back to the rustic Malaysia. It was indeed a privilege to meet the master potter in person after watching a documentary on him a few years back.

Thanks folks for the great company as usual. For the first time, we did not overeat and that was certainly a great achievement for The Company. JT, I’ll be looking forward to more “One-Day” trips ahead and Cheng, don’t forget to standby your passport to await for JT’s activation to hit the roads.

I’m waiting in anticipation to our road-trip on 25 March. Cheers to great companionship and fun explorations ahead!

From the inhouse reporter,
Dot

There are numerous trails in Nikko that one can hike. We decided to take the Lake Chuzenji Hiking Course which covered Hangetsu Pass Hiking Cours, Cha-No-Ki-Daira Plateau, Akechi-Daira Plateau after our brief walk to the Keagon Waterfalls near the Information counter.

To get to Akechi-daira Plateau, the guidebooks recommended that one can take t the aerial lift (about 5 minutes riding). It is said that this observatory is the Number One scenic point in Nikko. We peered at the long queue and decided to give it a miss and to hike around the area instead and embarked on the Lake Chuzenji Hiking Course. The total distance of the trail is 11km and is estimated to require about 4 hours 55 minutes of hiking.

This was what the brochure stated, “Akechi-daira Plateau via aerial lift (5 minutes to Akechi-daira Observatory>(1 hour 10 minutes)>Chanoki Plateau>(1 hour)> First Parking Lot>(40 minutes)> Mount Hanegetsu Observatory>(20 minutes)>Hangetsu Pass>40 minutes>Mujjina Kubo>(1 hour) Chuzenji Hotsprings.

Long and hard trail with many divergences with mostly steep up hills and down hills to Mujina-kubo.Please plan enough time to do this trail. On the way to Hangetsu Pass, there is a roadway to walk up. From the Mount Hangetsu Observatory, you will enjoy the magnificent panoramic view. After climbing down the mountain to Mujina-kubo, the trail will follow along the lakeside towards the Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park and Chuzenji Temple.

Mae had several root-related mini accidents that almost caused her to trip but thankfully didn’t fall. The trek was quite tedious and somehow it seemed that we were the only folks up in this trail and we didn’t chance upon any locals nor tourists at the first part of the trek.

We walked down the Mount Hangetsu Observatory, literally, we walked down the mountain down the main road. By the time we reached the Mount Hangetsu Observatory, it was about 2.30pm. Walking amidst the different hues of yellow, brown, yellow ochre and orange in the late afternoon is surreal, yet breath-taking. We toyed with ideas of hitching rides from drivers who were going down the one-way road, pretending to limp and walk with difficulties, getting Mae to squat and puke along the site to create attention, waylaying peoples’ cars to beg them to bring us back to the main street.

In the end, we stuck to our integrity and walked down the entire mountain, literally. The walk down though tiring was visually captivating. At one point, when faced with a sea of varied yellow-hued trees, I instantly felt that I was walking in an impressionistic art masterpiece by one of the famous master painters.

We took the JR from Tokyo to Nikko in the morning at reached Nikko at about 11am.

Nikko is famed for its world heritage shrines and temples, the wooden sleeping cat and the see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkey sculptures are amongst the key attractions that bring hordes of Japanese folks and tourists to this place.

A helpful Japanese lady at the main bus station kindly helped us booked our mingshuku accommodation at Lake Chuzenji for the next day at 6800 yen per person, inclusive of two meals. As compared to the ryokan stay in Hakone and Kyoto, this was comparatively cheaper and I’m looking forward to the sumptuous traditional Japanese dinner.

We booked our accommodation at Sumica Nikko Guesthouse and the place is run by a friendly Japanese couple in their late 30s or 40s. The guesthouse is a nicely kept and cozy place conveniently located within walking distance from the main bus station and has been newly opened for about six months.

Mae and I felt the signs of temple fatigue from Kyoto and Nara and decided to just enjoy the exterior façades of the shrines and temples, roam the parks and see the temple activities instead of going temple-hopping.

The trees at the Nikko National Park have all changed colours and it was an eye feast just strolling at a leisurely pace. I attempted to take some “artistic” close-ups of the yellow maple trees, similar to the ones that I’ve seen from fliker site.

My highlight for the day was when we chanced upon little children decked in their kimono and traditional Japanese costumes at the shrines. Accordingly to the Japanese traditions, children at 3, 5 and 7 years old would need to go to the shrines to receive blessings and often, they would be dressed at their best, from nicely styled hair, to gorgeous kimonos and traditional Japanese costumes. I turned into a paparazzi photographer, snooping to catch a glimpse of the little kiddos.

Thankfully, we found a hotspot, just outside the shrine where there was a signage/banner in Japanese, probably specially for this celebratory occasion. Many of the nicely-dressed little children posed for shots with their parents and I happily stationed myself there to take pictures of their joyous celebrations. I helped a Japanese grandfather take several group photographs of their family and in return, requested to take a picture of his cute little red kimono-dressed granddaughter and they graciously agreed. Mae quickly snapped a shot for me and that made my day.

The shops in Nikko generally close quite early. According to Sato’s wife, most of the shops close early because many of the tourists and the visiting Japanese people would prefer to have the meals in their hotels or ryokans that they were staying in. In fact, some restaurants only serve lunch and close shortly after. By evening, the temperature had dropped by a few degrees. We decided to head to the nearby supermarket to buy some of the discounted bento sets or instant noodles for dinner instead so that we could eat in the comforts of our guesthouse instead.

The supermarket turned out to be really big and had ample selection of sashimi, bento sets and other groceries. My bento set costs 348 yens instead of its original price of 498 yen and Mae bought a instant cup noodles instead. I decided to go for another hot soup and bought the beef stew, thinking it would be real beef stew but it turned out to be a cup of instant noodles with the beef stew flavour. In the end, I wiped out both the bento set and the extra cup of instant noodles.

Sumica Nikko Guesthouse has a nice resting area for travellers to congregate and chit-chat.

Sato’s wife was very happy when she realized that we are Singaporeans in the morning when we checked in. We met her husband, Sato in the evening. He shared that he worked in a Japanese logistics company, Yamamoto in Singapore for four years and just returned to Japan last year. His wife shared that she missed Singaporean food, like bak kut teh, prawn noodles. Her husband seconded her views and related his nasi briyani meals in Zam Zam, “I like very much,” him joining the long queues in Chinatown at the porridge place for the porridge and fish sashimi and his love for bak kut teh and durians.

Sato candidly shared his first onsen experience in Singapore, at the hot spring tap in Yishun. “My friend tell me, Singapore hotspring. We, Japanese people like hotsprings very much so I go.” He related his somewhat amusing experience of taking the MRT from his Tampines home to Yishun, to the “so-called” hotspring in Yishun which required him to walk into the Singapore army premises. He was apprehensive at first but still went in anyway.

The famed hotspring turned out to be a tap. “Uncle come, give me pail.” And he did soak his feet into the Singapore-style onsen. And he added bemused, while pointing at his blog pictures of his travel images of his hotspring experience in Singapore, “I see uncle bring big pail (referring to bathtub), very enjoy.” The hostspring experience is Singapore is certainly not quite the standard of that in Japan but nevertheless a funny experience from an expat’s perspective.