Rain connection

Weather has been grey and rainy lately. My rainy days in Myanmar last year taught me to accept the unpredictability in weather with some sense of zen, when travelling.
Yesterday was the eve of Lunar Chinese New Year and I was walking in the rain to my mum's place. It had started to drizzle heavier and to protect the blouse which I had worn just a few times, I opened the umbrella. A young cacausian lady was walking in the opposite direction towards me. She looked tired, with a little hunch bearing the weight of her medium backpack, or more seemingly, the tiredness of arriving in another land after some travelling. I turned and approached her.

'Hello! You need a shelther?'. Sheilded both of us from sky water with the umbrella. She looked up and her eyes glittered, literally, 'That's really nice! Thanks!'

She had just arrived in Singapore from Thailand and was looking for Sg Backpackers guesthouse but couldn't find it. The name sounded familiar and I asked her for the number. She checked on her mobile with GPS (an almost must-have for most backpackers these days). I called up the guesthouse and told the person the block of flat we were at. He arranged for us to walk to the traffic junction just a few minutes away so that he could meet us.

As we walked in the rain, I shared that it would be our Chinese New Year and I am heading home for reunion dinner. 'How do you celebrate? Is there a party?', she asked. I chuckled and breifly explained about how we value reunion dinner.

She was from UK and had just travlled to Cambodia and Thailand.
'Have you been to Angkor Wat?' she asked.
I was there almost 12 years ago. Angkor Wat still remains the most mesmerising ancient site in my heart. She too was enchanted by Angkor Wat's mystical beauty.

We spotted a man waving a red umbrella at the junction. Quite a comical sight. By then, heaven has decided on a mightier flick of water. Glad the guesthouse was really close. She thanked me and I wished her the best to her travelling.

The simple encounter warmed my heart as I could relate to how it was like to arrive in a foreign land; backpack on the back, walking and searching for guesthouse just booked online before arriving. The experience of going from one guesthouse to another to look for a bed or room in some of my travels was quite memorable. Any slightest help from the locals never fail to warm and lift my spirit. I hope to pass it on.

And yes, as in unspoken rules among backpackers, we don't usually aksed for each other's name. Self introductory takes form casually with where we are from and sharings of our desitnations and travels. Names come later. As if we are connected by just being strangers in a strange land.

On becoming a Traveller

I am inspired by the few true travellers I met on some of the few trips I made over the past years. Backpacking with my faithful bible, The Lonely Planet to countries, with not much plan but packed with loads of wanderment while leaving my traces on these foreign lands. I enjoy every moment... cherish every faces, exchanges and sharings with the locals and other travellers. Good or bad experiences... they are all experiences to broaden my perspective, to strengthen and smarten me as a person.(see, I'm really not a very smart or strong lady...just manage to get by..) My trip to Iran was a time which affirmed my desire. Met a young Norwegian lady who was working at the budget hotel I was staying.  She is able to speak Farsi, the common Iranian language.Fascinated, I asked her what she does back home.  "I am a traveller." she replied surely, matter-of-factly. The few travellers whom I was fortunate to know, they do not travel to sight-see like most tourists do...they chose the path less travelled. Their purpose is to explore, to understand, to immerse, to live facing the unknown and absorb the moments they are in a foreign land. Travellers do not have a fixed itenary. Freedom is of such value to us all. "I am a traveller." The conviction in this traveller alone is enough to inspire and move me. And so, here it begins my first step to a new chapter of my life...nothing spectacular for most women entering into 40s, but it means a life to me ... ~_~