Sometimes I wonder if the producers/directors of horror movies associated with waters have ever considered its effects on normal humans like me who subconsciously internalise the horror associated with 'stuff' in the water.
Jaws...
The ugly-barracuda-eel-thingy in Baywatch...
Too-large-for-life crocodiles..
PIRANHAS..
And just unknown stuff in the water in the general.
I have a massive fear of swimming in the open sea despite my love for the beach, which in this case, stops at the shoreline, haha. But today, I had to swim in the murky waters of my swimming pool no thanks to the heavy downpour. Despite knowing it's the same swimming pool which I have loved swimming in, it actually increased my anxiety as I swam in it.
That's not the point of the post actually, well, not entirely at least, haha.
Waters always reminded me of our emotions, to me it has always given me a sense of calm to be in "safe" waters and allow me to connect with the thoughts and emotions swimming within me, pun intended.
And swimming in murky waters reminds me of the transition phase I am going through.
It's the same swimming pool, which to me resembles the metaphor of me being back in Malaysia, a home I've always known. But after certain circumstances that are part and parcel of life metaphorised by the heavy downpour, my home seems different from how I remembered, despite it being essentially my home. Yet, this has always been my safe haven, physically it is always changing and internally I felt a sense of change as well even when it's much less obvious.
Being in those murky waters remind me of my emotions now.
How it's clear, yet not clear. I could only see the distance in front of me, such as my feet.
How it's not dark, yet there is not enough light.
And sometimes it's the not-here-neither-there that scares us than the extremes. If I'm in the dark, at least I know what to be scared of, but in the dusky light of unclear waters, what exactly am I afraid of?
I've heard multiple stories about transition phases and never thought much about it.
Now being in the situation, I'm admittedly frustrated. At the same time, I guess it's my blessing to be given a situation in which I am learning to trust, both myself and others.
It's only in uncertainty that we are called upon our ability to trust what often cannot be seen.
And I think we often call this; faith.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
And My Brother Said
Recently, I had to deal with a situation that is not the fun-est to deal with.
My brother, taught me two lessons.
1) Live your principles, but don't let them punish you
I value integrity. Anyone who tries to defend their integrity by standing by their principles, by having their actions congruent with their words would know the challenge in doing so. Usually it's the world against you, but nothing beats having you against yourself - when you find that you have conflicting principles, when you realise that your principles might need a change; but isn't that failing integrity?
And my brother said; "Why do you let your principles punish you?" He went on to explain that while it is important to stand by your principles rather than be too much of a 'lalang'. But, and here comes the big but, it should not impede you, should not be a prosecutor because circumstances change. With changing circumstances, comes the need to reappraise our principles, to check if we are truly living authentically by them. If we are, yes please go ahead. If we are not, do we hold on, or is it time to change? To him and the situation I was dealing with, my principles became a hindrance for me to move on, it created a sort of analysis paralysis by making me believe that I'm "stuck" with these thoughts. When one is stuck, one is focused on a tunnel of negativity, and it becomes difficult to see solutions other than those already available.
He reminded me that I am empowered by my life principles, but that does not mean they have power over me.
Which brings me to the next point;
2) Learn your lessons, don't let your lessons create you
We are all given lessons in life, much so after bad experiences. The thing about experiences though, is while they leave you with great learnings, they also create a pool of emotions associated with such experiences. And the pain of learning is a good teacher, yet it does not change its identity that it is ultimately a form of pain. Unfortunately, when similar circumstances arise, it is easy to associate with the learnings of our previous experiences AND the pain that comes with it. That pain, or other associated negative emotions can skew the learning to make us feel like we cannot risk making a mistake again. And my brother said; "Don't let these lessons create you before you create the learning"
Of course, it can be argued that if that were to happen, all these silent negative emotions may indicate that we have not properly moved on. However, like all life loops, these emotions probably arise because of this new circumstance and without this new circumstance, we would never have realised these silent emotions. Does that mean we've not moved on? I don't think so. I'll like to think that this is part of life's continuity. We don't learn one lesson, full-stop that's it. It continues to build into future experiences, to see how we can apply the lesson, and from there, transform the future experiences for future future experiences.
In other words, we always always have the chance to relearn and reframe. As long as we realise that we are the one learning the lessons, the lessons don't make us who we are anymore that how much we take heed of it. We are and beyond the lessons we learn, don't let lessons scare and paralyse us.
There were more than two, but these two hit the right spot. Thank you bro!
And, he's my younger brother, massive proudness can?
My brother, taught me two lessons.
1) Live your principles, but don't let them punish you
I value integrity. Anyone who tries to defend their integrity by standing by their principles, by having their actions congruent with their words would know the challenge in doing so. Usually it's the world against you, but nothing beats having you against yourself - when you find that you have conflicting principles, when you realise that your principles might need a change; but isn't that failing integrity?
And my brother said; "Why do you let your principles punish you?" He went on to explain that while it is important to stand by your principles rather than be too much of a 'lalang'. But, and here comes the big but, it should not impede you, should not be a prosecutor because circumstances change. With changing circumstances, comes the need to reappraise our principles, to check if we are truly living authentically by them. If we are, yes please go ahead. If we are not, do we hold on, or is it time to change? To him and the situation I was dealing with, my principles became a hindrance for me to move on, it created a sort of analysis paralysis by making me believe that I'm "stuck" with these thoughts. When one is stuck, one is focused on a tunnel of negativity, and it becomes difficult to see solutions other than those already available.
He reminded me that I am empowered by my life principles, but that does not mean they have power over me.
Which brings me to the next point;
2) Learn your lessons, don't let your lessons create you
We are all given lessons in life, much so after bad experiences. The thing about experiences though, is while they leave you with great learnings, they also create a pool of emotions associated with such experiences. And the pain of learning is a good teacher, yet it does not change its identity that it is ultimately a form of pain. Unfortunately, when similar circumstances arise, it is easy to associate with the learnings of our previous experiences AND the pain that comes with it. That pain, or other associated negative emotions can skew the learning to make us feel like we cannot risk making a mistake again. And my brother said; "Don't let these lessons create you before you create the learning"
Of course, it can be argued that if that were to happen, all these silent negative emotions may indicate that we have not properly moved on. However, like all life loops, these emotions probably arise because of this new circumstance and without this new circumstance, we would never have realised these silent emotions. Does that mean we've not moved on? I don't think so. I'll like to think that this is part of life's continuity. We don't learn one lesson, full-stop that's it. It continues to build into future experiences, to see how we can apply the lesson, and from there, transform the future experiences for future future experiences.
In other words, we always always have the chance to relearn and reframe. As long as we realise that we are the one learning the lessons, the lessons don't make us who we are anymore that how much we take heed of it. We are and beyond the lessons we learn, don't let lessons scare and paralyse us.
There were more than two, but these two hit the right spot. Thank you bro!
And, he's my younger brother, massive proudness can?
Friday, February 22, 2013
Bubblegum Pop
Break out of your comfort zone.
That's the advice we are being fed most, if not all the time. And I think it's probably one of my favourite reminders. Eleanor Roosevelt once said "Do one thing every day that scares you", for it is then that we experience the best in life.
But how do we do that? Travel? Volunteer? Do something that you usually wouldn't do? Is it even remotely possible for humans to break out of whatever comfort zone they are in, without having a massive life overhaul?
I'd like to think I have tried breaking out of this comfort zone. Yet, I somehow don't feel I've broken enough, just seemed like I chipped enough of this zone. and that does not feel enough.
My recent conversation with a friend made me realise that maybe it's not so much how far I break out, when I break out, or whether I even break out. It's more a question of whether I can accept "enough", in its finest sense right now, right where I'm intended to be.
And then I remember an article a friend once wrote long ago, it's one of my favourite articles ever, and she has happily agreed to share (Thanks Tya!)
http://20somethingenlightening.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/the-comfort-zone-breaking-the-myth/
And everytime I read it, I remember that I am where I'm suppose to be and that I'm stretching this place, bit by bit, everyday.
At least it won't be overstretched and pop like a bubblegum splat! ;)
That's the advice we are being fed most, if not all the time. And I think it's probably one of my favourite reminders. Eleanor Roosevelt once said "Do one thing every day that scares you", for it is then that we experience the best in life.
But how do we do that? Travel? Volunteer? Do something that you usually wouldn't do? Is it even remotely possible for humans to break out of whatever comfort zone they are in, without having a massive life overhaul?
I'd like to think I have tried breaking out of this comfort zone. Yet, I somehow don't feel I've broken enough, just seemed like I chipped enough of this zone. and that does not feel enough.
My recent conversation with a friend made me realise that maybe it's not so much how far I break out, when I break out, or whether I even break out. It's more a question of whether I can accept "enough", in its finest sense right now, right where I'm intended to be.
And then I remember an article a friend once wrote long ago, it's one of my favourite articles ever, and she has happily agreed to share (Thanks Tya!)
http://20somethingenlightening.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/the-comfort-zone-breaking-the-myth/
And everytime I read it, I remember that I am where I'm suppose to be and that I'm stretching this place, bit by bit, everyday.
At least it won't be overstretched and pop like a bubblegum splat! ;)
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Trust the Rope
I finally climbed Bukit Tabor. (!!!) It's been a mission I have intended to complete since I got to know about the place. Even more because I've been told I can't survive the climb seeing how careless I am. God willing, I survived without much casualty, sunburns don't really count la.
The best thing about being challenged in nature? You learn lessons. Today's climbing lessons?
1) Trust the Rope.
There was this point in the climb where it was a vertical climb down, and dear God, I am not good with steepness and on slippery rocks. My friend who was helping us down the climb kept reminding us to 'trust the rope'. It's not easy. You see that somewhat-strong looking rope, and then you compare with it your perception of whether it can support your weight, and then you see the drop, straight down. But if there's anything more difficult than moving forward past a challenge is also knowing that you can't get back. The in-between-ness of life that afflicts most of us often makes us feel paralysed.
Yet, we are always blessed with 'ropes' to guide us across our challenge. The thing is, this rope does not come with SIRIM quality safety stamp of security. And often, the rope is not ourselves. It's someone else, it's a feeling of faith or some resource we're not too sure we can rely on. Basically it's most likely some form of existence that is full of uncertainty, but a part of you knows that you have to know whether this is the one thing that will bring your across the crevice. Do it.
Sometimes we are 'ropes' to others; some more than others. And if you're blessed to have the ability to be one, embrace that calling, that opportunity. At the same time, to be 'ropes' to others, we need to first learn how it feels like to trust the rope ourselves. Otherwise, it's pretty difficult to understand the feeling of hanging by a rope in life, and when one does not understand, how does one do?
2) You don't know it till you are actually doing it
It's majorly helpful to have experienced people in life to help you navigate across obstacles. Then the time comes when you are left on your own to navigate an obstacle that only you can navigate. There will be pathways previously, however mild. There will even be instructions. But the fear-laced exhilaration when you are dealing with the obstacle head on is something you will never see if you are not in the arena, or even trying to learn from others. Yet, it is also this head-on honest confrontation that will teach you which footing should go where, these are situations where you learn to trust one of those you would always need to trust in life - yourself.
3) Values in convenience VS values in discomfort
It's easy to stay by our principles when it's to our convenience, when it's comforting and easy for us to carry it out. But the real challenge comes when it is difficult to practice what we preach. In the scorching sun, and painful feet positions because of a steep walk down - not easy to enjoy your surroundings. One of my values in life is to gratitude, to practice being grateful. And it is not easy when you are not in your best form. Yet, we're not in the best form half the time in our lives, and those time matters. Those time question your hold on these principles, on whether you really put your faith in them. I'm glad that I am reminded of this challenge, even if it means just taking two minutes to realise the surrounding I'm in, and to be grateful with it rather than just concentrating on finishing the trail.
I think this is why we're so encouraged to put ourselves in challenges that stretch our comfort zone. It activates our thinker mode. With heart, these thoughts become great lessons in life.
The best thing about being challenged in nature? You learn lessons. Today's climbing lessons?
1) Trust the Rope.
There was this point in the climb where it was a vertical climb down, and dear God, I am not good with steepness and on slippery rocks. My friend who was helping us down the climb kept reminding us to 'trust the rope'. It's not easy. You see that somewhat-strong looking rope, and then you compare with it your perception of whether it can support your weight, and then you see the drop, straight down. But if there's anything more difficult than moving forward past a challenge is also knowing that you can't get back. The in-between-ness of life that afflicts most of us often makes us feel paralysed.
Yet, we are always blessed with 'ropes' to guide us across our challenge. The thing is, this rope does not come with SIRIM quality safety stamp of security. And often, the rope is not ourselves. It's someone else, it's a feeling of faith or some resource we're not too sure we can rely on. Basically it's most likely some form of existence that is full of uncertainty, but a part of you knows that you have to know whether this is the one thing that will bring your across the crevice. Do it.
Sometimes we are 'ropes' to others; some more than others. And if you're blessed to have the ability to be one, embrace that calling, that opportunity. At the same time, to be 'ropes' to others, we need to first learn how it feels like to trust the rope ourselves. Otherwise, it's pretty difficult to understand the feeling of hanging by a rope in life, and when one does not understand, how does one do?
2) You don't know it till you are actually doing it
It's majorly helpful to have experienced people in life to help you navigate across obstacles. Then the time comes when you are left on your own to navigate an obstacle that only you can navigate. There will be pathways previously, however mild. There will even be instructions. But the fear-laced exhilaration when you are dealing with the obstacle head on is something you will never see if you are not in the arena, or even trying to learn from others. Yet, it is also this head-on honest confrontation that will teach you which footing should go where, these are situations where you learn to trust one of those you would always need to trust in life - yourself.
3) Values in convenience VS values in discomfort
It's easy to stay by our principles when it's to our convenience, when it's comforting and easy for us to carry it out. But the real challenge comes when it is difficult to practice what we preach. In the scorching sun, and painful feet positions because of a steep walk down - not easy to enjoy your surroundings. One of my values in life is to gratitude, to practice being grateful. And it is not easy when you are not in your best form. Yet, we're not in the best form half the time in our lives, and those time matters. Those time question your hold on these principles, on whether you really put your faith in them. I'm glad that I am reminded of this challenge, even if it means just taking two minutes to realise the surrounding I'm in, and to be grateful with it rather than just concentrating on finishing the trail.
I think this is why we're so encouraged to put ourselves in challenges that stretch our comfort zone. It activates our thinker mode. With heart, these thoughts become great lessons in life.
Different view, different perspectives.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Chasing the Aurora
2nd January 2013
I saw the Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis. To many, myself included, this was a dream come true. The faint green glow across cloudy skies prove to challenge what my naked eye could see in the beauty of the photos and videos that have fed my expectations - a bit too much.
When everyone asked me how was the Aurora, or tell me how lucky I am to have seen it, I'm greeted with a feeling of gratitude laced with guilt. Because in all honesty, I have to confess, it didn't leave me in awe. Yet, I felt it was not right to tell those who ask how beautiful it was, to tell them my perception of it. A perception that was influenced by the weather, the place I was in, and most of all, my expectations. I didn't want to be adding another set of perceptions to people's expectations.
It got me thinking though, this view I had of the Aurora Borealis. It reminds me of life, and how we are always chasing our desires. But sometimes, our desires don't turn out to be what we expect them to be. When that happens, it's difficult to reconcile the conflicting feelings within. You should feel overjoyed, and yes there is a sense of gratitude, though it feels like a bit of a let down and you're guilty for feeling so. Don't get me wrong, chase your desires. But that's just it, are they YOUR desires? Is the Aurora gorgeous because you really believe the phenomenon is life's awe or is it because it's on everyone's bucket list, and the TV and videos and HD photos just make it more gorgeous than it actually is. Again, the Aurora is gorgeous, but not the WOAH! impression, it's a silent beauty, a quiet glow, that can only be appreciated with a contented heart. While I was not left as impressed as I imagined to be, I wasn't exactly disappointed as well. As a matter of fact, I was more eager than ever to work my way to find my way up to the Scandinavian countries where there is a better view of the Aurora, or so they say. And this time, I want to do it because I really believe I can see more of the Aurora - never-ending desires or motivation? We won't know now I guess.
So, what does your Aurora look like? Can you chase after it answering your conscience, and let go of all attachment related to the outcome, whatever the outcome may be? God willing, the outcome is as you expect, but God willing also, that you have the gratitude to accept whatever outcome comes up.
Gotta run! ;)
I saw the Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis. To many, myself included, this was a dream come true. The faint green glow across cloudy skies prove to challenge what my naked eye could see in the beauty of the photos and videos that have fed my expectations - a bit too much.
When everyone asked me how was the Aurora, or tell me how lucky I am to have seen it, I'm greeted with a feeling of gratitude laced with guilt. Because in all honesty, I have to confess, it didn't leave me in awe. Yet, I felt it was not right to tell those who ask how beautiful it was, to tell them my perception of it. A perception that was influenced by the weather, the place I was in, and most of all, my expectations. I didn't want to be adding another set of perceptions to people's expectations.
It got me thinking though, this view I had of the Aurora Borealis. It reminds me of life, and how we are always chasing our desires. But sometimes, our desires don't turn out to be what we expect them to be. When that happens, it's difficult to reconcile the conflicting feelings within. You should feel overjoyed, and yes there is a sense of gratitude, though it feels like a bit of a let down and you're guilty for feeling so. Don't get me wrong, chase your desires. But that's just it, are they YOUR desires? Is the Aurora gorgeous because you really believe the phenomenon is life's awe or is it because it's on everyone's bucket list, and the TV and videos and HD photos just make it more gorgeous than it actually is. Again, the Aurora is gorgeous, but not the WOAH! impression, it's a silent beauty, a quiet glow, that can only be appreciated with a contented heart. While I was not left as impressed as I imagined to be, I wasn't exactly disappointed as well. As a matter of fact, I was more eager than ever to work my way to find my way up to the Scandinavian countries where there is a better view of the Aurora, or so they say. And this time, I want to do it because I really believe I can see more of the Aurora - never-ending desires or motivation? We won't know now I guess.
So, what does your Aurora look like? Can you chase after it answering your conscience, and let go of all attachment related to the outcome, whatever the outcome may be? God willing, the outcome is as you expect, but God willing also, that you have the gratitude to accept whatever outcome comes up.
Gotta run! ;)
Friday, January 25, 2013
She was in Iceland
This time it was with family, and boy was it both fun and stressful, hahaha. Not to mention that it was during Winter, and we got the lottery of bad weather so it was icy + rainy altogether.
For my holiday in Iceland, I decided that it would be simpler to arrange a tour since I've looked up some of the stuff that might be interesting in Iceland, and the transportation part can be quite complicated. Since I was with my family, I wanted to reduce the complication as much as possible. That said and done, a couple of my friends who went to Iceland did not end up taking tour packages. Instead they decided on day trips when they got to the hotel. In that sense, they had more control over what hotel they stayed in and such. My package was with Icelandair thus it included flight and accommodation with breakfast.
Transportation:
As we got a tour package, I did not have to concern myself over the transportation means. Most places are easily walkable especially if you stay in the city centre. Buses were also available within city centre. However, in my personal opinion, it would be much more convenient to get a car. Parking seems aplenty
Base/Hotel: Fossbaron Hotel
Location: 4/5
Environment: 3/5
Room: 3.5/5
The hotel was located two streets away from the city centre and faced the harbour which was quite a pretty sight even though it was cloudy and grey most of the time. One can easily explore the city centre from this hotel and even walk to the Old Harbour area which takes about a 20 minutes walk at average pace. It's 10 minutes away from the Orchestra Hall. That said and done, it was a dreary weather when we got to Iceland thus the environment wasn't as exciting especially when Reykjavik is quite the dull city with monotone buildings. The room itself was not bad as we got a spacious twin room. Bathroom was a bit troublesome as the shower area was small and as most Western countries have toilets with no draining holes, the bathroom was wet most of the time. Oh, and it was so difficult to control the temperature of the water as the source is from the natural hot springs so sometimes it's too hot or too cold. Nevertheless, hot baths are much welcomed in the weather. Another issue I had was free wifi only available in the lobby area; room wifi service is payable. That always annoys me, but hey, chance to be away from technology? Haha.
Day 1
Arrived in Evening
Dinner
I don't know how many times I've said this and I don't know how many times I don't learn my lesson. Arriving on New Year's day, and in the evening, is not the smartest idea. Public holiday would mean that most shops were closed which left us with Domino's for dinner. And one of the most expensive Domino's I had at that. The sun sets just before 4pm in winter so it was difficult to navigate around the area as we had to get used to the ice and still had no idea where we were in relation to the places of attraction. Thus the night was spent in the hotel. Not very exciting I know.
Day 2
Blue Lagoon Spa
Church (The Hallgimskirkja)
Northern Lights Chase
These two activities were part of the tour package. We had to pay extra 50 pounds per person on top of our tour package price for the Blue Lagoon Spa - it's like an add on. I think it's slightly cheaper if you were to sign up for the Blue Lagoon Spa once you get to your hotel; most hotels provide such service as this is a really popular attraction in Iceland. I would say the experience is lovely, especially when surrounded by white snowy mountains. One can easily spend half a day there. The changing amenities were clean and sufficient. It's easy to get back to the city as there is a bus every hour from 10am till 6pm. I didn't think the water was hot enough though - super torture to run from the exit into the outdoor pool at 2 degrees celcius; have to admit, it was fun though.
The Hallgimskirkja, or church is a seriously gorgeous building. Very modern, and definitely not your typical church building. If I remembered correctly, it was only recently built, in 2005 as a complement to other churches around. Very simple interior with a huge brass organ. The best part was to climb up the tower, which journey could be completed by life, and then a climb up two flights of stairs. Easy peasy. Awesome view of Iceland as it turned dark, and I honestly think it as prettier at night with lights and snowy rooftops rather than the grey buildings in the morning.
At night, around 9pm we followed the tour to find the Northern Lights. Given that the phenomenon is very weather and location-dependent, the hotel staff would usually be able to advice beforehand if the tour would go on for the day. Also, from my experience, I do think those who take you on the tour are quite responsible in trying to find the best spot for the aurora. Note though, it's probably also very dependent on personal luck if and when you see the phenomenon - how long, how bright etc. For us, it wasn't as mesmerizing as I expected it to be though my brother did catch some amazing photos using his DSLR. Nevertheless, the adventure of waiting in drastically cold winds, trying to capture the aurora with my camera and standing under fleeting clear bright starry skies was quite the worth as well.
Day 3
Golden Circle Tour
Old Harbour
This is the other tour we got as an add-on and it was an almost full day tour lasting about 9 hours? It included a visit to an Icelandic greenhouse, Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir and Thingvellir National Park. The greenhouse was interesting, and in my opinion helpful with sleepiness since the lights are meant to recreate a sunny weather complete with UV lights all. Seriously, the weather in general made me sleepy all the time. Anyway, it's interesting to learn about how vegetables are grown in Iceland, and they honestly live up to their name of 'greenhouses' what's with using biological pest control (bees from Holland) and systems that ensure the use of electricity is not wasted. Pretty cool. Oh and the greenhouse I went to had the loveliest tomato soup served with cinnamon bread, salivating for it now. The journey continues to the Gullfoss waterfall, otherwise known as the Golden Waterfall. Gorgeous sight even in the dreary weather. Apparently when it's sunny, you can see a rainbow across the waterfall.
Then it was onwards to the Geysirs where we stopped for lunch. Basically you go for a multimedia show about geysirs in Iceland which in my humble opinion was less than informative because most of environment that does not help with consolidating the speech from the different TV screens. There are information boards though but we got a bit bored. They Geysirs were an amazing sight, to stand there and wait for it to burst at intervals of 4 minutes was seriously cool! My mum even took a video of it. Finally, our last destination was to the national park. Unfortunately the rain started to heavier, making the icy floor almost impossible to walk on. I would have loved more time to visit the park where you can walk in the canyons cut by glaciers. After a long day, headed back home and rested in hotel.
Since my mum and younger brother preferred to stay in, me and my other brother decided to go for a bit of a food hunting. We found the most famous hot dog stand in Iceland, and had pretty good lobster soup. Whale kebabs are horrible though, ugh. There's not much to see at the Old Harbour, but there were quite some nice restaurants and I think walking by the pier would have been a nice experience.
Day 4
Laugavegur Street
Woke up late due to the long previous day. Our flight was in the afternoon hence we wanted to head to the Harpa concert hall which looked like a magnificent building from the outside. Due to the sudden heavy rain, plans got cancelled and we duck into one of the cafes on Laugavegur street which is the downtown area filled with superbly quirky shops. Definitely would have loved to shop there. Had green tea latte at a cafe called Te & Kaffi, a small modern cafe before heading back and getting ready to leave.
Do try:
- Food in Iceland (especially weird ones); rotten shark, lamb head terrine, the famous hotdog. I've not particular affinity for Icelandic cuisine (except that awesome tomato soup) but I do think you won't be able to find a lot of the cuisine anywhere else especially if you are not in Europe, so why not?
- Climb the Hallgimskirja especially in the evening, lovely view
- Go see the Geysirs and waterfalls
Tips:
- Be prepared to brave the weather. It's not horribly bad especially if you are well-acquainted with winters. Otherwise, it takes a bit of getting used to, and just tons of patience
- The Blue Lagoon Spa was alright for its price, I would recommend to go if you've never been in an outdoor hot springs, otherwise it can be pretty pricey
- If you are more adventurous, I would suggest NOT taking a package/tour, just get a car and explore. Spend time in National Parks, they really look gorgeous. Also, I've been told the South end of the island where there are black sand beaches are way more gorgeous than the city area.
For my holiday in Iceland, I decided that it would be simpler to arrange a tour since I've looked up some of the stuff that might be interesting in Iceland, and the transportation part can be quite complicated. Since I was with my family, I wanted to reduce the complication as much as possible. That said and done, a couple of my friends who went to Iceland did not end up taking tour packages. Instead they decided on day trips when they got to the hotel. In that sense, they had more control over what hotel they stayed in and such. My package was with Icelandair thus it included flight and accommodation with breakfast.
Transportation:
As we got a tour package, I did not have to concern myself over the transportation means. Most places are easily walkable especially if you stay in the city centre. Buses were also available within city centre. However, in my personal opinion, it would be much more convenient to get a car. Parking seems aplenty
Base/Hotel: Fossbaron Hotel
Location: 4/5
Environment: 3/5
Room: 3.5/5
The hotel was located two streets away from the city centre and faced the harbour which was quite a pretty sight even though it was cloudy and grey most of the time. One can easily explore the city centre from this hotel and even walk to the Old Harbour area which takes about a 20 minutes walk at average pace. It's 10 minutes away from the Orchestra Hall. That said and done, it was a dreary weather when we got to Iceland thus the environment wasn't as exciting especially when Reykjavik is quite the dull city with monotone buildings. The room itself was not bad as we got a spacious twin room. Bathroom was a bit troublesome as the shower area was small and as most Western countries have toilets with no draining holes, the bathroom was wet most of the time. Oh, and it was so difficult to control the temperature of the water as the source is from the natural hot springs so sometimes it's too hot or too cold. Nevertheless, hot baths are much welcomed in the weather. Another issue I had was free wifi only available in the lobby area; room wifi service is payable. That always annoys me, but hey, chance to be away from technology? Haha.
View from the Harbour walk
Day 1
Arrived in Evening
Dinner
I don't know how many times I've said this and I don't know how many times I don't learn my lesson. Arriving on New Year's day, and in the evening, is not the smartest idea. Public holiday would mean that most shops were closed which left us with Domino's for dinner. And one of the most expensive Domino's I had at that. The sun sets just before 4pm in winter so it was difficult to navigate around the area as we had to get used to the ice and still had no idea where we were in relation to the places of attraction. Thus the night was spent in the hotel. Not very exciting I know.
Day 2
Blue Lagoon Spa
Church (The Hallgimskirkja)
Northern Lights Chase
These two activities were part of the tour package. We had to pay extra 50 pounds per person on top of our tour package price for the Blue Lagoon Spa - it's like an add on. I think it's slightly cheaper if you were to sign up for the Blue Lagoon Spa once you get to your hotel; most hotels provide such service as this is a really popular attraction in Iceland. I would say the experience is lovely, especially when surrounded by white snowy mountains. One can easily spend half a day there. The changing amenities were clean and sufficient. It's easy to get back to the city as there is a bus every hour from 10am till 6pm. I didn't think the water was hot enough though - super torture to run from the exit into the outdoor pool at 2 degrees celcius; have to admit, it was fun though.
Blue Lagoon - a huge outdoor pool
The Hallgimskirkja, or church is a seriously gorgeous building. Very modern, and definitely not your typical church building. If I remembered correctly, it was only recently built, in 2005 as a complement to other churches around. Very simple interior with a huge brass organ. The best part was to climb up the tower, which journey could be completed by life, and then a climb up two flights of stairs. Easy peasy. Awesome view of Iceland as it turned dark, and I honestly think it as prettier at night with lights and snowy rooftops rather than the grey buildings in the morning.
Wonderful view
At night, around 9pm we followed the tour to find the Northern Lights. Given that the phenomenon is very weather and location-dependent, the hotel staff would usually be able to advice beforehand if the tour would go on for the day. Also, from my experience, I do think those who take you on the tour are quite responsible in trying to find the best spot for the aurora. Note though, it's probably also very dependent on personal luck if and when you see the phenomenon - how long, how bright etc. For us, it wasn't as mesmerizing as I expected it to be though my brother did catch some amazing photos using his DSLR. Nevertheless, the adventure of waiting in drastically cold winds, trying to capture the aurora with my camera and standing under fleeting clear bright starry skies was quite the worth as well.
Day 3
Golden Circle Tour
Old Harbour
This is the other tour we got as an add-on and it was an almost full day tour lasting about 9 hours? It included a visit to an Icelandic greenhouse, Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir and Thingvellir National Park. The greenhouse was interesting, and in my opinion helpful with sleepiness since the lights are meant to recreate a sunny weather complete with UV lights all. Seriously, the weather in general made me sleepy all the time. Anyway, it's interesting to learn about how vegetables are grown in Iceland, and they honestly live up to their name of 'greenhouses' what's with using biological pest control (bees from Holland) and systems that ensure the use of electricity is not wasted. Pretty cool. Oh and the greenhouse I went to had the loveliest tomato soup served with cinnamon bread, salivating for it now. The journey continues to the Gullfoss waterfall, otherwise known as the Golden Waterfall. Gorgeous sight even in the dreary weather. Apparently when it's sunny, you can see a rainbow across the waterfall.
Rows and rows of tomatoes
Gullfoss waterfall
Then it was onwards to the Geysirs where we stopped for lunch. Basically you go for a multimedia show about geysirs in Iceland which in my humble opinion was less than informative because most of environment that does not help with consolidating the speech from the different TV screens. There are information boards though but we got a bit bored. They Geysirs were an amazing sight, to stand there and wait for it to burst at intervals of 4 minutes was seriously cool! My mum even took a video of it. Finally, our last destination was to the national park. Unfortunately the rain started to heavier, making the icy floor almost impossible to walk on. I would have loved more time to visit the park where you can walk in the canyons cut by glaciers. After a long day, headed back home and rested in hotel.
Here
it
comes!
Walking in the canyon
Since my mum and younger brother preferred to stay in, me and my other brother decided to go for a bit of a food hunting. We found the most famous hot dog stand in Iceland, and had pretty good lobster soup. Whale kebabs are horrible though, ugh. There's not much to see at the Old Harbour, but there were quite some nice restaurants and I think walking by the pier would have been a nice experience.
Day 4
Laugavegur Street
Woke up late due to the long previous day. Our flight was in the afternoon hence we wanted to head to the Harpa concert hall which looked like a magnificent building from the outside. Due to the sudden heavy rain, plans got cancelled and we duck into one of the cafes on Laugavegur street which is the downtown area filled with superbly quirky shops. Definitely would have loved to shop there. Had green tea latte at a cafe called Te & Kaffi, a small modern cafe before heading back and getting ready to leave.
Cute modern cafe
Do try:
- Food in Iceland (especially weird ones); rotten shark, lamb head terrine, the famous hotdog. I've not particular affinity for Icelandic cuisine (except that awesome tomato soup) but I do think you won't be able to find a lot of the cuisine anywhere else especially if you are not in Europe, so why not?
- Climb the Hallgimskirja especially in the evening, lovely view
- Go see the Geysirs and waterfalls
Tips:
- Be prepared to brave the weather. It's not horribly bad especially if you are well-acquainted with winters. Otherwise, it takes a bit of getting used to, and just tons of patience
- The Blue Lagoon Spa was alright for its price, I would recommend to go if you've never been in an outdoor hot springs, otherwise it can be pretty pricey
- If you are more adventurous, I would suggest NOT taking a package/tour, just get a car and explore. Spend time in National Parks, they really look gorgeous. Also, I've been told the South end of the island where there are black sand beaches are way more gorgeous than the city area.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Wandering and Wondering
So. I officially graduated again on 10th of January this year, a Masters this time round.
Looking back, much has been bumpy, even more have been blessings.
Someone once asked me "Why did I choose to do my masters?"
I said it was for experience, learn a different culture, increase my knowledge.
But I say that with doubts rising within me. Because honestly, I don't know why I wanted to do my Masters.
I just wanted to do it. And I get it's a privilege to get to do something you want to do.
Nevertheless, I find it largely challenging to describe the tangible benefits of taking this Masters. I've learn a lot, sometimes I think more than I bargain for. But I can't put a tangible worth on these lessons.
Thus, I find that a little troubling. Though a friend said that he wouldn't worry about me not being able to bring extra knowledge to the table, unless I'm a waitress, haha
So, was it worth it? My tendency for future-orientation makes me a person who is constantly trying to question something's worth, trust me, I'm working on it.
I must admit that there are times when I doubt whether taking this step was worth all the change that had happened. I do wonder about other possible paths.
Yet, at the end of all that wondering, I find it hard to be on the other possible paths. Whether it is a case of sunk cost fallacy, self-bias justification or protecting the ego, a small part of me felt this had to happen.
From the beginning where there were various obstacles in my application, to changes in relationships, to facing parts I try to forget, discovering parts I never knew and feeling like a new me yet still the same old me leaves me feeling absolutely surreal.
Ultimately if I really had to answer the question of worth, I would say 'Yes, it was' and smother it with tons of 'it depends' and a smidgen of strong conviction that I actually believe what I say is true.
A lot of people are starting to question the worth of getting degrees and papers that may not even reflect our true self, and question whether education institutions are even relevant to prepare the world for what reality has to show
I've always been a strong supported of education, partially influenced by my grandmother. And while it used to be defined narrowly by achievements and 'A's", in the recent years it had shifted to a perception of mastery.
I have not been an apprentice, so I don't know exactly how the learning process is to start low and slowly progress. I can agree though that it is significantly more practical that a pure college education.
Perhaps a tertiary education is as much the skills as the learning environment. To be put in the vicinity of opportunities to pursue knowledge may sometimes be all we need to actually learn something, if anything.
To a certain extent, I can see how tertiary education may be more suitable for some more than others. But call it conformity, peer pressure or the beauty of human relationships. Being around those who seek knowledge really does give an impact on your own pursuant of knowledge.
Again, it's not the "A's" or distinctions or first classes, it's knowledge of living as a better person.
Throughout my one year in UK, I've met so many different people in various situations simply because I'm pursuing my Masters degree.
People who teach me about Pancake Day, the experience of picking berries, celebrating Easter with eat-chocolate-whole day.
People who have done great things, start their own rebel business, commit themselves to social innovation, planning Christmas dinners.
I don't think any item on that list would look relevant on a career CV, but I think it's got a darn good place on my life CV if that is even sensible. Being a Masters student in UK gave me the passport to both study as a "typical" student and also the access to other life experiences I may not have gotten.
Those that ultimately shape me as a person. And this is my personal reminder should I ever decide to question the worth of my decisions, because honestly, worth itself may not be the most quantifiable term. So, if you have what it takes, and you can honestly give it a shot with an education overseas. Take that passport, and journey into different life experiences. Do it because you believe in it, and not especially because here is one extra blog post that encourage you. Think about what you can do with your passport, literally and metaphorically.
They say not all those who wander are lost, I think not all those who wonder are lost too.
To my year of wandering and wondering, to my temporary home, UK, cheers!
and Hello, Malaysia, for more wandering and wondering.
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