Belgrade-Sarajevo-Mostar-Dubrovnik-Kotor-Ulcinj-Shkodra-Bajram Curri-Prizren-Skopje-Sofia
Serbia-Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Croatia-Montenegro-Albania-Kosovo-Macedonia-Bulgaria
090411
I left at about 1330 for the 1357 train to Charleroi, changing at Brussel. I changed trains at Brussel-Noord instead of Brussel-Zuid this time. The train to Charleroi suffered a 10 minute delay. The TEC bus to the airport left early at 1545 or so instead of 1610, but it appeared that it was actually late by 10 minutes, based on the Ryanair crew on board. I eavesdropped on their conversation again.
The flight was delayed by close to one hour. I sat next to an empty seat and watched Friends and ordered a Snickers bar.
On arrival there were many taxi touts at the arrival hall. I quickly went to the departure hall and asked for information and found the bus stop. I bought tickets from the trafika and met Leuven guy on the bus. Off the bus I left Leuven guy with two local women and bought McDonalds and quickly walked to the Downtown Hostel, making it just in time before it closed at 2300. The burger was wonderful but because I slept right away I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet.
100411
The next morning I had a burek and coffee for breakfast and went to buy my train ticket to Sarajevo. I walked to the market, then the main street, then to the park and explored the fortress for quite a while. Then I went to the zoo. I saw Bactrian camels, an Asian elephant, white peacocks, white wallabies, grey kangaroos, black swans, mute swans, black-necked swans, ducks, geese, golden eagles, vultures, owls, white mice, white pigeons, white crowned pigeons, a night heron, two grey herons, a seagull, lots of other birds, harbour seals, a black panther, tigers, polar bears, brown bears, black bears, gray wolves of many colours, an American alligator, a caiman, a green anaconda, reticulated pythons including one albino, many other snakes, goats, sheep, yaks, bison, kudu, lions, cheetahs, llamas and probably many more.
I had an early dinner of fish and chips that cost about 500 dinars. On the way back I saw the pro-Gaddafi rally.
110411
The next morning I took away breakfast and then got on the train to Sarajevo. It was a long trip, with interruptions at the border crossings into Croatia and then Bosnia and Herzegovina. The part in Bosnia was more scenic.
I met Leuven guy at the Sarajevo train station then walked to the hostel. I went out to eat the hamburger and bread for dinner and then walked around. I realized I really liked Sarajevo. I had a coffee at the ORT coffee bar and then a beer, watching Liverpool beat Man City 3-0 then went back.
120411
The next day I visited Markale market. Then I had cevapi for breakfast then walked out to the park and then up to the fortress where I met the German guy. I walked down to the cemetery and then to the Latin Bridge and then the long walk to the Historic Museum, meeting German guy again on the way. The museum was very touching. After the museum I took the tram back and went to the hostel for a while before going out for dinner, which was a weird fish and chips and then a terrible sirnica for dessert. After dinner I walked around a bit and then went back, where I met David.
130411
The next day it snowed heavily. I took the tram to the US embassy and walked to the station, meeting Daniel on the train. We talked on the way to Mostar and took pictures of the beautiful scenery. We changed onto a bus at Konjic. The bus part was really scenic, in the huge gorge. Maybe that is where the word “gorgeous” came from.
At Mostar we agreed to go with the woman to her home because it was quite cheap. We walked around Mostar, which was pretty. We had lunch at a small restaurant and dinner at a fast food sort of place. I walked to the Majdas Hostel to arrange the tour.
140411
The next day we left for Dubrovnik, but met the guy who Majdas arranged to meet me. She is really nice. We were stamped only entering Croatia at Metkovic. There were no stamps exiting Bosnia, whether at Metkovic or Neum, nor entering Croatia at Neum. Again we went with private rooms, this one for 10 euro. We walked to the Old Town, had coffee, took pictures, saw the church and harbour, and walked back and had dinner at La Luna.
150411
The next morning I had some cereal for breakfast and we walked a little around the new town before heading to a hill for a view of the old town. We had La Luna for lunch, then Daniel left. I walked down to the old town again and explored it a bit more, then I had La Luna again for dinner, followed by some cereal and a beer, which is where I am now.
160411
I woke up and finished my cereal for breakfast and walked down to the port/ bus station for the bus to Kotor. I met the old man whose rooms we rejected when we arrived. He made snide remarks about how the rooms we stayed were 5 minutes away by helicopter.
On the bus to Kotor I chatted with Aidan from Sydney. He is an English teacher in London who is doing the job mainly to travel and experience life in Europe. He was an interesting bloke who seemed genuinely curious about the world and we talked a fair bit about travelling. He was going to Budva.
The journey was scenic, skirting the Bay of Kotor, which is surrounded by steep mountains. Upon arrival in Kotor I did not manage to find a private room, so I bought a loaf of bread and an orange and ate while walking around looking for a room. I gave half the loaf to a begging boy. There was no Hippo Hostel, so I went to Montenegro Hostel, where I was the only guest in a six bed dorm. After settling down I wandered around the harbour and old town and sat down for a while at the harbour watching men fish. I wondered about owning a private yacht and sailing around the world. I had an ice cream and a coffee in the main square and bought a postcard for Nicole.
I had dinner at Regina del Gusto, an interesting tomato soup with meat. After that I walked around a bit more and went up to the fortress in the dark.
170411
I woke up at about 10 and went for breakfast at Regina del Gusto: ham, bacon, eggs, cheese, bread, and coffee. I mailed the postcard and went to the bus station for the 1215 bus to Ulcinj. On the bus I met Marcel. The route from Kotor to Ulcinj passed Sveti Stefan.
The Ulcinj bus station was in a corner of the city and Ulcinj itself was rather ugly. Marcel left on his own and I was a bit lost for a while. Eventually I found my way to the central bay. I found a room for 10 euro with two elderly women. I had coffee with them while they tried to make conversation with me, but they did not speak English or understand the Bosnian/ Serbian/ Croatian/ Montenegrin from my phrasebook.
I took a walk around the town, including the old town, which was mostly deserted. I had a hot dog and a hamburger at a fast food joint on the main street by the bay. I bought a tube of biscuits and returned to the room.
180411
I woke up early to catch the 6 am bus to Shkodra. I met Marcel again near the bus station. The minibus reached Shkodra at about 730. Shkodra was definitely not a pretty city on first impression. The difference from Montenegro, even the rather dingy town of Ulcinj, was quite startling. It was clear that Albania was several steps behind most of Europe.
We found rooms at the low price of 8 euro at Hotel Rozafa and found the public bus to Shiroke. The bus lady was nice but did not speak English. We walked 4 km to the village of Shiroke, where we had a coffee and talked for about an hour. In Shiroke schoolchildren were excited to see us and we took a few photos. While waiting for the bus back a few young schoolgirls tried to talk to us – I remember Antonetta and Martina in particular, along with Jasmina (too young to talk). They spoke a little English and some Spanish. Some of them even requested autographs. It was my first encounter with the friendliness and curiosity of Albanians.
Back in Shkodra we split up and searched for more information on transportation to Lake Koman. A taxi driver mentioned a police vehicle we could join. I asked at two travel agents, one of whom offered a ride for 10 euro. I had a hot dog and stood by the road checking on the internet. I finally got some real information from someone near the minibus area who told us that the furgons left from somewhere down the street. I met Marcel at this point and we walked to the so-called point and asked more people, who pointed us further down. I asked at a shop near that spot. Eventually we could vaguely confirm that the furgon left from there at 6 in the morning.
Then we went to the main pedestrian street and had a coffee. After that we walked around and had dinner at a fast food place and a beer in a bar.
190411
This was one of the best days of the trip. Perhaps the second best day.
We left for the furgon point at 530. We had a coffee, then found the furgon and waited. It left at about 7. At Koman we had another coffee but did not have to wait long for the ferry. I was quite excited at this point, because the views from the furgon and at the pier were nothing short of spectacular. I knew it was going to be an amazing journey through the Albanian Alps.
So the ferry left, and I spent the entire trip on deck. It was stunning from start to finish. The lake is surrounded by massive mountains, and the ferry wound slowly between the green stone towers. I felt like I was in another world, quietly gliding into the valley of gods or giants or some fantastic mythical thing. At the start the mountains were big and green and the sun was shining. Then came a section with lower green mountains, and the sun began to hide behind the clouds. After a smooth glassy section the ride reached the climax, where huge grey cliffs stood ahead of us, guarding the way into the giants’ lair. The ferry entered between the soaring sentinels. I was truly amazed at this point. After this was another smooth section with the mountains reflected perfectly in the green lake. I can’t remember the exact details but roughly this was how it went. The whole ride took over two hours.
After the trip we began walking a bit but got into a taxi for 200 lek each to Bajram Curri. There I enquired at Hotel Vllaznimi (25 a night) and we settled for Hotel Ermali at 20 a night. Then we were brought around by Bezar, a nice man, but somewhat chauvinist and also frustrated and bitter. For example he said we would have been cheated if we didn’t meet him - I doubt his countrymen deserve his lack of faith in them. He was also more interested in Alisa’s looks (the teacher) than her good intentions in inviting us to the classes.
He brought us to the mosque, to some apartments, to his school where we met the director and Alisa and another English teacher, and to his home. His brother also looked bitter. When we had coffee, Alisa who happened to be there invited me and Marcel to join in their English Hour the next day. Marcel decided to stick to his plan but I decided to take the opportunity to meet Albanian youths, despite knowing that I probably would not be able to get to Kosovo the next day as planned.
Marcel and I went out for dinner at Restaurant Kosova and then a couple of beers.
200411
Marcel left early while I slept. It was good travelling with someone outside the typical traveller mould: someone older who has many stories to tell and is interested in my stories. Without him I also would not have known about Lake Shkodra, and without me he would not have known about Lake Koman. It was a mutually beneficial partnership.
I went to the school at about 810 for the class because I did not know when I was supposed to meet them. I had a coffee at the café and eventually at close to 9, Besjana, Visar and Linda arrived to pick me up, to my relief. I was genuinely excited about this opportunity to meet young people of a different country and to hopefully make a tiny difference to their days.
The students did not disappoint me. They were boisterous as most teens are, but they were very curious about me and about Singapore. They also spoke very good English, and were very informed about the world. They asked about my travels, my country (culture, standard of living, language, food), my opinion of Albania and its people, my life as a student and a Singaporean. I asked them about their dreams, their ambitions, their lives in Bajram Curri, their pride in their country, the problems in their town and in their country.
I was very happy to converse with them. They were very excited to meet me, as I was to meet them, and I hope they know it too. They took many pictures with me. I had the opportunity to join a third class, but chose not to, although I think I should.
Besjana, Visar and Linda were assigned to find a bus for me to Kosovo. While waiting we had coffee where they told me truly humbling stories about their childhood. They have faced and will face many challenges growing up in a small town in a poor country, but their ambition, determination and drive surely stand Albania in good stead for the future. On the other hand, what are the youth of Singapore good for? We have everything but we know nothing. And honestly, I think we deserve nothing too. Yet my life will surely be far better than most of theirs. Such is the frustrating injustice of life.
I thought of what I can do to help. I have learnt a lot from a few days in this small town and would love to give back. Maybe if and when I become wealthy, I can improve their school or donate a scholarship. For now I will write a Wikitravel page for the town and hopefully get a travel article on the area published.
The minibus to Kosovo failed to materialise, and for once Albanians were not very helpful. I went back to the hotel where the price for the next night was much less than expected. I should have simply planned to stay and then I would have been able to do the third class too. I went to an internet café and tried but failed to contact the three bright students.
I ate at the Byrektore, walked around and met Hassan and had coffee with him, then went back to Restaurant Kosova for dinner. I had goat liver and beer. A man bought me a beer and spoke Albanian to me, and then started kissing my hand. Fortunately the owner recognised my look at him for help and he said something in Albanian to the strange man and everything was fine. I tipped him 300 lek, 60%.
210411
I met Hassan again the morning, and we took the minibus to Gjakova, which looked nice, but I went straight for the bus to Prizren. I had a coffee at the bus station there then walked to the town, looking for what I thought was Oltas Pension but was actually Hotel Aldiva. Anyway I decided to stay there for 20 euro. Kosovo is unfortunately expensive for accommodation.
I had a kebab, then walked up to the Kalaja fortress, got chased by the shepherd dog. At Kalaja I met and took photos with the Albanian students from Lezha. Then I went back down into town, had coffee and ice cream, then walked back for a kebab and then to the hotel. Prizren is pleasant but has nothing terribly interesting. Or maybe I am too tired of good views from hills around cities. I have seen them so many times and although they are all nice, maybe I am spoilt from too much beautiful scenery.
Cities with a nice river and a hill overlooking: Lyon, Grenoble, Firenze, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Prizren
Sea and hill overlooking: Dubrovnik,(not really cities: Kotor, all of Cinque Terre, Dingle)
Nice river no hill: Mostar, Pisa, Maastricht, Dublin, Cork
Hill no river: Fes
Nothing special river: Leuven, Gent, Lille, Aachen, Brussel
Canals: Brugge
Mountain: Chefchaouen
Nothing: Jorf El Melha, Killarney
220411
I left Prizren for Skopje, arriving in the afternoon. I went straight to Hostel Hostel. I walked the long walk to the city and walked around the city a little, looking for a McDonald’s and settling for fast food at a nameless place in the centre. I saw the Turkish baths and was fascinated for quite a while by the shell game con artist. I visited a museum that was rather empty and that showcased some pieces of art and a nicely put together display of prehistoric Skopje and another of everyday life in the communist era. I bought instant soup and had a beer back in the hostel. Dinner was bread with some of my soup and some of the free soup.
230411
Easter Sunday. I met the Singaporean American dude over a three hour breakfast, then went back to the city again. This time I explored the old town, which was similar to but less nice than the old towns in Sarajevo, Mostar and Prizren. I went up to the fortress which was closed. The Holocaust Museum was closed too. I went back to the hostel, slowly drank through a 3 litre bottle of Skopsko beer and had another instant soup. There was free pasta for dinner.
240411
The 830 bus to Sofia in the morning was cancelled. I had bought the tickets and had a coffee while waiting. After changing the tickets I walked back to the centre where I had to climb under some construction hoardings because of a wrong turn. I then had a coffee in one of the few places that was open, Skyped with Nicole and chatted with Josh online. I found a McDonald’s (finally) and had a nice big lunch followed by some hockey on the television. Finally I got on the 330 bus. There was a significant delay waiting for the other bus at the Bulgarian border. Eventually we arrived in Sofia late at night, where I walked with Danny, his mum, and the Aussie dude to Hostel Mostel, and settled down for the night.
250411
I had breakfast, then joined the free tour of Sofia. It was very interesting, we saw a mosque, the Buddy Bears, the hot springs, the discarded Red Star, the huge Orthodox church, the eternal flame of the unknown soldier, some parks, underground Roman ruins, a huge statue of a woman, a statue of Stefan Stambolov, the house of the famous writer who died having sex – well, basically a lot of things I have forgotten the details of. After the tour I went to see the church and the Buddy Bears on my own, then returned to the hostel and went out again for KFC, and went back and chatted with Danny for a while. That night I went to the bar and had several beers and shots with Trey and two Aussie dudes. I went back at 3 or so in the morning.
260411
I woke up rather late, but in time for breakfast. I checked out and hung around for a while in the hostel, before walking around Sofia a little, hanging around some of the small parks, then going to the huge “central park” of Sofia, where I watch inline skaters for a while. Then I went back to the hostel to rest again, and finally left at about 7 for a good last meal at KFC. I left for the airport, taking the bus from a far off bus stop which I didn’t pay for. I went to the airport and sat down for a long night of Friends.
270411
People start filtering in from before 4 in the morning. I was nodding off every few seconds by this point. Somehow I spent my last few leva on some snacks and found my way onto the plane, where I totally knocked out. I don’t remember anything from the flight. Finally I was back in Charleroi, found my way back to Leuven and slept for about an hour more before going for the class on Chinese Competition Law, then sleeping for two hours over lunch break and then going for Labour Law.
This blog has, for a while now, been dying a slow natural death. In a vain attempt to revive it, and at the same time to preserve some memories in a more lasting and easily accessible form than a Word document on this poor netbook, I will post some things I have written since the beginning of this exchange. It is, so to speak, a diary, but a rather clumsy one. I have unfortunately written my thoughts all over the place: in two separate notebooks, on the Word document I will now post, on this blog, on Tumblr, and most substantially in my emails to Nicole.
These were meant to be private thoughts. By posting them I am succumbing to my exhibitionist and narcissistic tendencies - I know that I will read this many times as I grow older and reminisce about this prime of my life. I hope there are at least a few people who will bother to read at least a bit of this.
200211 1848
I will start writing down my thoughts more regularly. This is a special time of my life and it would be a shame to forget even its more mundane details. Every day, countless thoughts, ideas and emotions rush through my head. Some of them are expressed to the few people I know here, some in emails to Nicole, and some on one of the online platforms. Most, however, are remain in my head as silenced nuggets of memories or even wisdom, and I now think it wise to record as many of them as I can somewhere. For this first entry I would like to recall some of my thoughts over the past few weeks.
It is a Sunday evening: the time of the week when Belgian students return to the city from the comforts of their homes elsewhere in the country (or in the world, usually the Netherlands). It is one of two times of the week when the city is filled with the very familiar sound of luggage wheels rumbling on sidewalks, the other of course being Friday afternoons/ evenings. Indeed, that low groaning rattle ought to be Leuven’s signature sound, even more so than the lovely chime of the church bells. Brugge’s bells chime more often and more beautifully anyway. Rolling luggage constantly remind everyone that Leuven has long been and will perhaps forever be a student city.
I am rather impressed by the average Belgian’s ability to speak three languages relatively fluently. Those few from the German part can usually speak four languages. What makes it more impressive is that they start learning other languages than their mother tongue only at about 13 or 14, when they usually start learning English and the other national language in school. Mandarin Chinese was the first language I spoke in my life and I have studied it throughout my life, yet I still struggle very much with it. It either attests to the difficulty of Mandarin, the vast difference between Mandarin and European languages, or my poor language ability.
230211 1744
It snowed today for the first time in Leuven and the first time in my life, although there were extremely light flurries on Monday before I left for Aachen. Today the snow also came in a very light flurry but at least it was visibly snow.
Bus, train, plane
These are the three main modes of transport for travelling around Europe. I have in my head gone through lots of pros and cons, although I have not yet flown in Europe.
Plane
Beyond the distance of a one night train ride, most people would fly. It can be cheap if booked in advance. However, I think most people view flights as an unpleasant necessity to get somewhere rather than as part of the travel experience. Therefore, most people would prefer to fly no more than twice in each trip. Airports tend to be far from city centres and the lengthy pre-flight procedures often turn people off. Finally, it leaves the biggest carbon footprint.
Train
On most routes and in most countries trains are the most popular, most convenient and fastest way to travel. Trains are frequent and quick and go from city centre to city centre. The biggest downside is price: trains are usually the most expensive mode of transport between two cities, and over long distances and popular routes can cost several times the bus fare.
Bus
Cheap and environmentally friendly, buses are often not popular. However, in certain areas they are the most convenient way of getting around. Long distance buses in Europe tend to run overnight, capturing a niche market. Over certain distances this is certainly more convenient than taking the train for a whole day (eg. Brussels-Berlin). I don’t love coaches but I suspect I enjoy them more than the average person. They are cheap, even up to the last minute, and give a view into a side of Europe travellers rarely see: dingy bus stations (why are bus stations always dirtier and shadier than train stations?), immigrants and poorer people, lonely petrol stations haunted by sleepy truck drivers.
090311 2031
It has been a while since I wrote here. I have a few thoughts.
Leuven is a very safe place. People have no qualms leaving their things, including their computers, lying around in school, not unlike Singapore, and unlike the habits of some European exchange students in Singapore. It is safe at the oddest hours of the day, owing to the strong party culture and vibrant nightlife.
The city office, however, is quite inefficient. It could not open my file before I moved in. After it opened my case, the police did their bit very quickly and returned the file to the city office. Thereafter the office took the maximum ten days to set up an appointment with me, which was about four days thereafter (I think). After that appointment it again took the maximum ten days to get back to me. It has been a full month since I first turned up to register, and I have another three weeks to wait. Allowing one week for the average new resident to turn up for registration (although I am sure the average is probably longer), this means that it is at least two months from arrival before a new resident is fully registered. By Singaporean standards that would be an awfully long time. However, most things are run efficiently, for instance the police as mentioned above.
120311 1041
Some of the highlights so far – not memorable experiences, of which there are much more, but true highlights where my heart soared.
1) Walking out of the Leuven side of the train station on the morning of 180111. I had had a long tiring gloomy day getting to Leuven, and the previous day I had gone straight to the hostel on the Kessel-Lo side, which was mucky and under construction. It was a sunny morning, and for a few brief moments I felt like I was in the right place. In a few hours, the weather would get worse and I would start the difficult search for a room, but I still remember the joy that surged through me emerging onto the Martalarenplein for the first time.
2) Snowboarding down a slope on the toeside for the first time. When I realised I could go down and stop on the toeside, and thus being able to bona fide “snowboard”, I felt so excited I grinned nonstop for a long time after while practising further. This happened on the beginner slope at Les Deux Alpes. Later that day I would go to the “Big Viking” beginner slope and snowboard properly down several times, sort of carving on both toe and heel side. It was a happy day.
3) Moving into this room. It was a happy, comfortable feeling after almost three weeks of a vagabond lifestyle. I unpacked my bags and chucked my stuff all over the room, where some of them still remain.
4) Cinque Terre. It is a beautiful place, especially Manarola and the Via dell’Amore. Vernazza is as beautiful, but it was a little rushed for me to fully enjoy. The sunset over Manarola with a traditional Ligurian farinata is perhaps the best travel experience I have had so far. It was enhanced, no doubt, by the thought that Nicole had been at the same place and had called me. There was only one thing to do, and that was to return the favour. I was alone, but I could feel the romance of the place. Just walking up and down the hills of Riomaggiore and Manarola I felt at ease and contented. The atmosphere and sunshine of Cinque Terre were a welcome respite from the gloomy cold of Belgium. I slept very well all night. More time would have been nice, but I managed to see the main sights and many of the hiking routes were closed anyway, so I have no regrets.
5) Taylor Swift. It was really a fairy tale, a dream come true. This is easily the most emotional experience I have had here; my heart leapt everywhere in an hour and a half. The highlights of this highlight are when she emerged and launched into Sparks Fly, when she sang Fearless, especially the part “in this moment now, capture it, remember it” – I almost cried, when she was singing and dancing to “You Belong with Me”. Music transports us through our memories and our dreams, and her songs bring me to amazing times, mostly with Nicole, and also forward into my hopes for the future. I think that is why Fearless is such a fantastic song. It inspires us to draw strength from our memories and our past to plunge courageously into pursuing our dreams, without forgetting to live and enjoy the moment.
210311 1716
I have so much on my mind right now it may be impossible to write everything down. What I essentially would like to say is how amazing this trip to Ireland was. It was a tremendous experience that filled me with much joy, pleasure and pride. I have learnt and gained so much and would like to recall some of those here.
Hitchhiking is obviously one of those experiences that left a deep impression on me. I forced myself to leap far out of my comfort zone and to confront a completely new challenge. While I am generally now quite confident in getting around and getting things done alone, hitchhiking was a whole new ballgame in that I had to put myself out in front of the whole world to be judged, to ask for help in the full expectation that it will probably not be given, and to meet and interact with complete strangers.
I am truly proud of myself for hitchhiking a considerable distance with different drivers. All of them strengthened my faith in the goodness of people and specifically in the generosity and kindness of the Irish people. I was also particularly pleased when Patrick emailed me to tell me how I made his day. Such is the joy of simple human interaction and conversation, when two complete strangers from ends of the world can meet by chance for an hour or so and have a positive impact on each other.
From the travel perspective hitchhiking allowed me a profound insight into Ireland and its people. All three drivers told me much about the history and culture of the country and about the present gloomy mood. I saw a number of small towns I would never have otherwise visited or even heard of, including Cahir, which had a lovely castle right in the heart of town.
Various other smaller experiences also gave me a lot more confidence in myself, on top of a lot of fun, of course. Finding the Rainbow Hostel in the darkness of night and cycling around the Slea Head Drive were both fantastic experiences, as were the early morning Dingle parade and the Killarney parade.
This trip is also memorable for the friends I met and the lessons I learnt on friendship. I met an old friend from JC, a really old and nearly best friend, and a group of acquaintances from law school, perhaps now friends. Given my solitude here on exchange, I really enjoyed talking to real people I knew for once, as opposed to making small talk or talking to a green furry hare.
The weather must also be mentioned. It was particularly cooperative, save for the first few moments at Dublin Airport and the last couple of nights. I returned to Leuven to bright sunshine. Spring is here, and I think my exchange has seen a new beginning. I am strong, brave and adventurous.
260311 2020
This past week since I returned from Ireland I have been in a few minds about friendship and exchange. My conversations with BC, Janahan, Ming Kun, Pamela and Swan made me feel somewhat envious of the very tight bonds they have no doubt formed with their respective groups of friends in this period of living and travelling in Europe.
Whereas I spend most of my days on exchange alone , whether in Leuven or travelling. To be sure, I have friends, but they are of the fleeting sort. I think all of us international students here acknowledge and understand that the friends we make here will hardly ever turn out to be close lifelong ones. We make the effort to reach out and hang out and have a good time, but we all know that our best friends are back home.
Or, in my case, are they? The “train” on Skype, as it has come to be known, has been an excellent platform for Joshua, Kallynn, Jen and me to chat and remain in touch. I might even say we have become closer with the train. I truly hope we will remain close friends when I return (we will for sure), and after we graduate (not so sure).
I also wonder how close BC and I really are now. I appreciate the length to which he went to make it in time to meet me in Dublin at short notice. I have no doubt that he will be there whenever I need him, as I will be for him. However, I find that our conversations have not moved on much from our secondary school days. He has new friends now, with whom he shares new experiences and memories, as I do. It may be difficult to find common ground moving forward, although hopefully his return to Singapore will change that.
My travel plans have been set for the next month or so: Morocco, then the Balkans until the end of April. Thereafter I really ought to get started studying.
To the list of awesome experiences above I must add the pleasure of hitchhiking. In particular I remember walking up and down the waiting cars at Newlands cross in the big green hat, smiling at every driver, and waiting at Durrow and Cahir with the green hat and Herry. Also, listening to Pat Moylan’s life story while the Free Electric Band blasted in the background. That was somehow quite poignant.
Cycling along the Slea Head Drive probably also counts as awesome, especially the earlier section around the cliffs just before Slea Head itself.
280311 1510
Today I finally received my residence permit.
My thoughts have been heavily preoccupied by the impending general elections. Many of my peers are politically apathetic, but for some reason or other I have been fascinated by it since I was a small boy. The reason could be anything from a base mechanical interest in how things work or a genuine belief in the “power of power”.
There is certainly a palpable sense that this is a watershed year, and I sort of wish I was in Singapore to experience it. I would like to attend rallies, having not attended any for my constituency since 1997 and none at all since 2001. Having picked up the habit of drinking Tiger Beer late into the night at coffeeshops, I would like to join the uncles I have met there in chatting about politics. Now that I am in law school with politically aware and interested classmates, I would like to discuss and debate political issues with my friends. All this sounds clichéd for a law student – after all this is how the Men in White began their path to fifty-plus years of political dominance – but I think I am of the age when I should be more interested or even active politically.
This year, many issues have come to a head. The tremendous increase in immigration since the last election has caused some social friction and plenty of suspicion that the new arrivals are taking jobs and opportunities away from born and bred Singaporeans. The income gap has become frighteningly wide, and the minimum wage sacred cow is regularly dragged into debate. The cost of living is a perennial hot potato that just got really hot, with COEs heading back to their earlier highs and the property bull charging hard with no signs of slowing down. The latter is particularly sensitive. The issue of new HDB flats for young couples is a big issue that has reared its head many times over the past few years and that has forced Mah Bow Tan to defend his ministry’s policies more vigorously than the government has had to in the past. Transport is another point of contention, with car prices increasing as mentioned above and the promised improvements to the public transport system coming too slowly for the electorate.
All this is set against the wider global backdrop of political change and revolution: the Arab revolution this year, the defeat of the LDP in Japan for the first time in 50 years in 2009, the defeat of the KMT in 2004, and closest to home, the unprecedented defeat of BN’s two-thirds majority in Malaysia. There is a remote possibility that the opposition will take away the PAP’s two-thirds majority this year.
Are Singaporeans ready for change? The big question is whether Singaporeans are mature enough and bright enough to make the correct policy decisions. PAP has for the most part made the right moves over the past fifty years in a top-down and rather arrogant manner. I am sure they will continue to do so if they remain in power. The question for me is whether I, and Singapore, have had enough of PAP’s arrogance and constant failure to consult the populace. If yes, then Singaporeans must also be prepared to present viable policy options of their own accord. For example, if not immigration, how are we to combat the economic effects of a falling birth rate? In place of Workfare, will minimum wage do a better job in lifting the lower income group?
All said, this is a year I would have liked to be in Singapore. Of course, I am still very grateful and happy to have this opportunity to live and travel overseas.
Songs of this exchange
Katie Perry - Firework
Taylor Swift – almost all, especially Fearless, You Belong with Me, Enchanted, Sparks Fly, Long Live, Mean, Back to December
Razorlight –America
Bon Jovi – almost all again
Five hundred miles, Viva la Vida, Free Electric Band, Ireland’s Call
020411 1156 Chefchaouen Harmony Hotel
It is interesting to note what nationality I am mistaken for in various places. It does not say much about myself but more about cultural and international perceptions of a place. In the Philippines the most common guess was at “Korean”, because it is a popular destination for Korean tourists. In Morocco it is usually Japan, sometimes China and Korea. French is also not an uncommon guess, reflective of the significant and increasing ethnic Asian population in France.
The Tin Pei Ling saga has left me wondering. Our Public Law tutors were very sceptical of the “sensitive man” reasons for the restrictions on political criticism, and for the most part I agree with them. Many people, however, have during this Tin Pei Ling debacle spoken out against the perceived descent of Singaporean politics into a culture of “gutter” politics and debate. It is not an unfair point. After all, we have all probably taken “act cute” pictures at some point in our lives, eaten at nice fancy restaurants once in a while, and gone on nice holidays. We probably would not want to be ridiculed for these simple personal choices.
On the other hand, I have a feeling the personal attacks on Ms Tin, while unfair per se, are reflective of a genuine doubt about her capabilities. Her interview answers have been terrible to say the least. Her life story, especially her older powerful husband, raises many questions about her true abilities.
It is nice to meet Joshua here in Chefchaouen.
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It was a good trip in Morocco. I did not see many highlights of the country but I experienced true hospitality and generosity. I also had several good meals, particularly breakfasts, and had the chance to meet Joshua for a while.
It was a good idea to try hitchhiking. Both my hitchhiking experiences have been fantastic. I can think of two main reasons. First, I see and experience genuine kindness and goodness of people. As I have written in many places, it makes us happy to care for others and to be cared for by others. The second main reason is that hitchhiking surprises me. Most of our best travel experiences happen when something good surprises us. By hitchhiking without a solid plan, I inevitably chance upon new places and meet new people. Not all are particularly remarkable of course, but the town of Cahir in Ireland and the farmland of Morocco’s Middle Atlas region were both beautiful in themselves and as surprising new places.
Each language is a key to a whole new world. My broken French gave me the opportunity to meet and have a functional conversation with Driss, among many other Moroccans. I am glad I can speak a little French, but I think I should work on it so I can travel effectively in the Francophone world. It is for the same reason that I want to travel in China, where I can do more than just gawk at sights and point clumsily at things.
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I must first note that I have become quite preoccupied with recording my thoughts down. In Singapore I don’t feel the same urge, probably because my time in Singapore does not feel as precious as my time here, and consequently my thoughts in Singapore appear more mundane than the thoughts I have here. In reality, however, I am not having major epiphanies here, unlike everyone’s favourite fat UCLA blonde. The other reason must be that I don’t talk much to people here, especially when travelling, and I don’t want my thoughts to disappear into a black hole without even making someone else pause for a second to consider.
Right now I have some thoughts about the English language in Flanders. Much ink and vitriol has been spilt and spattered about the language situation in Belgium, of which I have read much. Flemings are unhappy that Walloons are reluctant to learn Dutch and often choose not to whereas French is taught in all Flemish schools. The Frenchification of Brussels is also a sore point and the consequent Frenchification of Flemish areas surrounding Brussels (Sint-Genesius-Rode, Linkebeek, Zaventem) is even more touchy. The Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde electoral district is obviously another big point of political debate. Anyway my point now is not to discuss this.
As an English speaker living in Flanders, I am less than comfortable in my dealings with Flemings. I am usually extra polite and I also do not go out of my way to chat with them, because I am not sure if they are happy speaking English. The internationalisation of Leuven is also a minor issue in Leuven, with the many foreigners living in the city who don’t speak Dutch.
However, for the most part, English is viewed quite favourably by the Flemish people. I think most of them are proud that they are able to speak good English and have no qualms speaking in English, even with fellow Flemings when there is a non-Flemish person in the group. I have heard of unpleasant encounters but never had any myself. I think they recognise that the Dutch-speaking world is tiny on global terms and they are also fairly global in their outlook. Another reason is that many of them grew up with English as part of their lives in a small way – movies, TV, songs and the Internet in particular. Movies and television shows are not dubbed but subtitled. Almost all the music they listen to is in English. It is not uncommon for advertisement slogans and store names to use English idioms and puns.
Train from Belgrade to Sarajevo, 110411 1344, after entering Bosnia and Herzegovina
I am in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is pretty amazing when I let it sink in. This is the country that was torn by civil war in my youth. The train ride is not particularly scenic and I have not talked to people on board, but I think Sarajevo should be a lovely city.
