Back to The World

Currently Listening To :: Sweet Child Of Mine :: Guns N' Roses

Back in one piece after a week of more than 5 (though rarely more than 7) hours sleep, I'm sitting here wondering where the hell did my holiday go?? Two destinations in a week is pushing it; three in my opinion is just a little too adventurous. I felt like I was constantly coming and going without the enjoying bits in between.

Still, despite the hectic pace and lack of sleep, I managed to jot down some thoughts and observations. Experience (both personal and vicarious) is the name of the game here at izms.blogpsot.com, so in honour of my favourite monthly read, here is my own list of Ben's "What I've Learnt" in my most recent trip to Singapore, Jakarta and Bali.

* After the free-for-all traffic conditions of Jakarta, I've never been so happy to get back to a city where four lanes means four cars on your side of the road, and where the breakdown lane isn't an inside overtaking lane.

* Bali is more touristy than anywhere I've ever been, but with it's pristine beaches, cheap standard of living and friendly people, I can understand why tourists are drawn in droves.

* There are several universal buffet laws, but rule #1 is always this: any seafood is always the first to go.

* There are also several universal coffee laws, but let me just say that no matter if you're in a airport lounge or a 5-Star hotel, pot coffee is still pot coffee. There is no exception to this law.

* To all your non-believers, Santa does exist. And he doesn't just ride a sleigh either; he often moonlights as a Singapore Airlines Boeing 737 pilot.

* If conformism is the name of the game and money is the ace in the deck, then I ain't playing.

* Free breakfasts and cheap buffets are only human to want; the key is knowing when to exercise that degree of self-control. It can mean the difference between a good day and a day of gastronomic explosions.

* If you thought Pininfarina only designed Ferrari's and other luxury vehicles, don't be fooled; they do not-so-luxurious busses too.

* When you have people eating food in conditions where I'd fear to go to the bathroom, you have a serious problem.

*Not all Citibank Gold Cards are created equal. Being told your card isn't the "right kind of Gold Card" in the Citibank Airport lounge is Indonesian for "your credit rating wouldn't even get your poor-ass a silver card here".

* It's never too late (or too early) to throw up or get sick; making it back to your hotel room just makes things easier.

* If you're feeling poor, head to Indonesia. Odds on are you'll be an instant millionaire the second you clear customs. Similar reports have also been filed from India and parts of South America; Japan, North America and most of the EU have yet to comply however.

* If you're feeling like hooking up on Government money, head to Singapore. With it's declining population, there's not a lot the Social Development Unit WON'T pay for...or so I've been told.

And finally...

* I highly recommend eating rice with your hands at least once in your lifetime. There's that "back to your roots" feeling that can't be replaced through shaping the grains with your hands and shovelling it in your mouth (warning: success rates will vary depending on skill and determination).