Bibhusha's Travel Blog: Out and About in South East Asia
Disclaimer: I’ve only been here for a couple of months so this is a truly outsiders view and purely subject to bias so please cut me some slack. It’s also my first blog post :)
Out and About in South East Asia
Singapore manages to amuse me more and more by the day. A ban on
chewing gum, exorbitantly priced licenses in order to own dogs, mandatory bomb
shelters in apartments.. The list goes on and on… Nonetheless, I have enjoyed
my stay here. Its bountiful of Western amenities paired with the convenience of
the Asian culture (you can basically get anything done here) makes life pretty easy.
It’s the perfect nexus of the two worlds. Also, the Singaporean government is
synonymous to the word “efficiency”. It’s true that I have had minimal exposure
to government bureaucracy (probably limited to immigration officers and the
Ministry of Manpower) - nonetheless, they are so damn efficient.
Singapore is
also probably one of the safest places I’ve ever been in. One day, I (stupidly)
left my laptop in the cab and as soon as I called the cab company, they were
able to locate it and the cab driver arrived 15 minutes later to hand it back
to me. The abundance of security cameras scrutinizing your every move also
probably helps in keeping it safe. My friends and I often thought it felt like
we were in the Hunger Games- we were being watched every single minute. Among
other things, Singaporeans count shopping, eating and “queuing” as the national
pass times.
Apparently, it’s a thing here to line up wherever and
whenever possible. Be it eateries, train stations or shopping malls,
Singaporeans just cannot resist the urge to “queue up.” Intrigued by this
phenomenon, some people apparently conducted an experiment in which they placed
a box with black curtains at a shopping mall. Within half an hour, people were
queuing up for absolutely nothing. As I said, Singapore amuses me every single
day.
Fortunately, traveling to other South East Asian countries is pretty
economical thanks to the fierce competition among budget airlines and
Singapore’s convenient location. Although I could not travel as much as I would
have wished to (damn you Nepali passport -_-), I did end up going to Malaysia
and the Philippines. With 6 other friends from the same program, I went to
Kuala Lumpur for the weekend. But as soon as I got out of the KL airport, I
started missing Singapore. The ridiculous traffic jams, the fear of being
ripped off by taxi drivers coupled with the anxiety of having food poisoning
did not make KL seem as appealing. To think about it, these are probably few of
the sentiments of a Kuire (meaning foreigner in Nepali) traveling in Nepal- and no, I’ve not become a Kuire.
However, a trip to the bird park in KL, the Petronas Towers and Batu Caves
increased my fascination for KL and lessened my fears. Unlike Singapore, KL was
way more “natural”. If you’ve ever been to Singapore, you’d know what I was talking
about. Singapore’s perfectly aligned rocks on hills, immaculately trimmed
bushes and a handful of manmade rivers and beaches (with sand imported from
South America) makes one truly crave for “nature”- the real deal I mean.
A couple of weeks later, I made a trip to Cebu, Philippines. Cebu
reminded me a lot of Kathmandu. The serenity veiled in the chaos, the throngs
of people aimlessly standing on the streets staring at you, and the pristine
escapades from the city. A trip to Kawasan Falls will remain- if I may sound
clichéd: a memory of a lifetime. I could not comprehend how the water could be
SO clear and blue at a waterfall. After haggling for quite some time with the
guides, we got on a wooden raft and made a trip under the waterfalls. They
called it a “massage” but it felt more like being thrashed by a zillion fists. After a small hike, we reached another
waterfall which was smaller but absolutely gorgeous. The fact that my friend and
I were the only ones there also added to the serenity.
Good food, great friends and beautiful places- this summer has
definitely been one of the best I’ve ever had. Now if anyone could spare me
some of their frequent flyer miles and hand me a different passport, maybe I’d
write a couple of more travel blogs…. =)
Introduction to Bibhusha Dongol
Currently a rising senior at Yale University (need I say more?) working her way to that Economics and International Development degree, Bibhusha studied in Budhanilkantha School and then left the school for Rato Bangala (i knoww right? we haven't forgiven her for that.we kid, we kid) for her A-levels. While working as an intern in Singapore, she took the opportunity to go "out and about" in South East Asia and experience the culture there.
Madeinepal will hope to acquire her services again in the near future.
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