warming up

I met a guy in Vietnam, who used to take me out to this exclusive places for dinner, as we found an affinity in liking company on the table and for good food and wine.

He was coordinator for a reputable newspaper, a correspondent abroad, an interpreter and now and then a touristic guide.
I saw passion in what he did and I shared passion on what he thought and knew.

Among the people I have been crossing paths with, he, not knowing me, gave me a few tips to go on in this new stage in life. I looked up to him, I always admire people who reach their goals professionally in a field that is also their passion.

So among the advices of that Vietnamese stranger, there is one I remember and cherish, and wonder if I should work on or just admit my lyricism. While I was interested in writing my traveling experiences from the point of view of sensations, he believed I should work on my journalistic writing. Leave the sensations, the smells and the thoughts and focus in the facts that reveal stages in history, tell people how different places and cultures are, what are the differences or how parallelisms acquire different shapes in different parts of earth.
I do capture it, and that's why I like to trot around the globe, but I often think that pointing at differences with journalistic scrutiny is like stressing in them. I personally usually celebrate those differences and retain how they made me feel, forgetting the details of that process, in which people are usually so interested in.

Or I think of my friend Jahel, who gave me an insight on writing scripts, that so fascinated me because there is a lot of visualizing involved, detail, you predict who is going to appear, what is going to happen next, how, where... What is going to be said, how is it going to end.

Such different styles, such different views on writing. Does it reflect our personality?
Am I too lyric because I can't see further from my heart? I can write about the past but not the future, I can't picture it. Excited to see what happens next, totally unprepared: Is it good or bad?
... I know is a rhetorical question as these writings don't serve as start of a thread,but sometimes I would love to read opinions.

As I arrived back in The Netherlands I noticed cloggie things, things that make me find the answer to "how are Dutch like?"
I know I shall work on hanging pictures, to gain attention (the purpose of writing needs also feed, and readers), I just got up, had some coffee and I am still setting myself up in an empty apartment that strangely feels like home. And trying to define my line of work with routines. Like writing a lot more, developing old ideas and writing a few songs.

So here a preface to write a few more journalistic things in coming days and move on to develop a script, on a heavy heavy matter, but let's see...

All good.
Today's feelings:

Just laziness, every other thing is peace.

Inner monologues-ubiquitous narrator

How does the era of communication affect very communicative individuals?
Ubiquous narrator, that is. The narrator is not that observant to the small details, but does look in the essential inner of people, captures surroundings, smells and sounds, takes the best of it, subjectively.

My inner narrator is always looking forward to seeing someone or a group of people because there might be somebody among them she hasn't seen in a while. Taking account into people and impregnating of their thoughts or feelings makes the inner narrator collect parallel stories, sometimes interpret them, sometimes deconstruct them and choose a time to make up stories out of a sensation.

Has it ever happened to you? I realized mostly back in Barcelona.
Went running a few times, taking my usual routes. Being thankful of the sun in my face and the old fashioned songs dowloaded from my dad's collection.

As an example. The house under the bridge, the magic house I imagined so many beautiful things about. Everytime I run pass it, there were flowers, pets and smiles. A squatter tunnel house close to the bridge, so colorful, and so quiet beneath the busy surface of cars passing by. I sometimes imagined myself moving in there, hang around far from conventions.

The house was gone this last time, the flowers, the colorful place in an urban quasi decadent space... Concrete will be laid soon to build yet another road.
All these stories arose all at once in a split second. I reach a particular state when I run that makes me elaborate amazing stories and create tunes in my head.

All to the sound of Jeannette... Why do you go? Another bit of me gone, another story seen by the ubiquitous narrator that won't be told, which I never took a shot from to at least keep the visual bit to remember the stories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G-_lmBTrLQ

Lost words

My Philippines experience is coming to an end.

It is not a light thing to say. Some times you arrive at a place you have no big expectations and offers you way more you than you could have imagined.
That is the Philippines for me. So far.

I have been happily island hoping, jumping from boat to island or boat to the underwater world and made my most amazing diving experiences.

And while I have been feeling at home with the Filipinos I have bumped into and felt so close, the service branch has made me smile... Asian way. 100 people attending you but no real effectiveness. Yes ma'm sir and a whole lot of running around for you.
I reached the summit when I left my hut in a nearby island and a guy was waiting for me outside to know if my toilet worked Ok...

And so far for my last night in the Philis. I have seen the sort of concentrated beauty you need to see in 4 different countries, had the best fish ever and seen such underwater wonders I had to make efforts to control my breath.

On bad news I lost my traveling notebook with my fully inspired notes on sights and (my two favourite subjects, smells and sounds)
Sights are easy to show, and I will dedicate a whole chapter for the smells on each country, but soundwise...
Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines have opened me a whole different world of music. And I am not talking about the Karaoke (here Videoke), the music scene has a whole new constellation in this corner in the world (as for Malaysia, where would you hear great rock combined with Islamic chants? and what about Indonesian Punk? and the great Philippino bands? aaahhhh, and I thought Peninsular South East Asia did it for me, and then... I have felt in an upward spiral of sensations, that makes it so hard to go back to the monochrome/monosound Vietnam...

Amazing picts of Malaysia and Phili are not compatible with PCs here, so I have to leave a few shots of my last night in Coron. I have been witness to a drag queen night I would have had to pay for otherwise.
Enjoy bizarre-ness for a change:


Pictures of our funny little Filipino bunch:







Ok, enough now. You get the picture.

Leaving Borneo, and sad for once

This has lasted short. I could have stayed weeks in Borneo, I just know they will be weeks to just hang around and my ambition to set foot in the Philippines won.

In this post I will hang some Bali pictures I had to share. And the Borneo impressions... Ahhh.

Kona Kinabalu got me to begin with. Such sunsets, such surroundings. Met a new travel buddy I painfully said goodbye today. As it happens, nothing lasts forever and you have to let go when you are starting getting attached... Or does it only happen to me... constantly?
On the first day we went to a nearby island, Sapi, where we got acquainted with the lizards, just hanging around there. The island was tiny and there was little to do, just a lazy day on the beach!




Trip up to the "selva" where we got to sleep in some basic cabins and where, at night we could hear the sound of the beasts and the crickets and the frogs. Like those CDs some people play in order to relax. It was our relaxing lullaby.

I used the good camera for the jungle pictures, from which I doubt I have a USB connection. Things at a time.
My highlight was to see a python in the wild, face to face. I love reptiles and it was just gorgeous! And we managed to spot a lonesome orangutan in his habitat, I think it was a she, actually...

The guys at the jungle camp were gold. At night we became entertainers. They'd grab a guitar we'll sing. I became the assigned singer, and I liked to entertain them and teach or share some songs. I also learned a beautiful song in Malay composed by one of them. Such a talented kid! I hold him close in my memory and really wish he grows to be the amazing person he is letting us see already. You should see his eyes, his eager to know, his passion for music.

I have returned from my first dives around Sipadan. Tomorrow is the big day and I get to see one of the most amazing underwater sights. If what I've seen so far is awesome I can't imagine what I will see.
I just got to spend one night in the Mabu island and really liked the environment. Divers would gather in the evening and let the night pass among stories and beers.
Weather is perfect, sites unique, food amazing and people don't hassle... Anybody would now understand my crush in Borneo and it hurts to go.

Below some post Bali pictures and some Borneo impressions, a few of many more to come.

Checking out to a live concert. A few weeks left and anticipating a sort of sadness, I just can't imagine to go back...



Transport in Gilli T



Any evening before sunset... How will I miss Bin Tang...



Another sunset on the Gilli beach.

Petons!

It keeps getting better

Lately I have lots of thoughts to share. It is this bit of earth, the Malaysian Borneo, which makes me want to.It is erally inspiring. Thanks Angel and Scott for giving me the greatest piece of advice prior to heading off to this side of the world.

After days of staying at fiends of friends this time, and unorganized with accomodation, I am flash backing to communal sleeping. Some other day to note how the generations have changed since I last checked in bunk beds.

I can't upload wonderful sunsets, fish and impressions of the last days in the Gilis, in Bali, not allowed in this hostel. Just one piece of advise to Bali goers: go straight to Gilis/Lombok or the south coast. I am going back to Bali (surely will go now and then) and that bit left me an impression to explore it with more time. North of the airport is sad and in a few years, the Gilis might be as well.

But well...

Love at first sight: Borneo - Kota Kinabalu. Sweet! Grinning since I stepped out of the aiport. Great weather, great food great people.

Spent a bit of the day with my new traveling buddies in Sapi, a near by island and I am heading off for some mountain trekking in the Kinabalu park, on the second highest mountain of South East Asia.

I would love to hang pictures, this is beautiful. I haven't seen much, but the impressions last in my mind like no other country.

En fin, ready to go. Hopefully will be able to show some fine shots.

PETONS!

They say images speak more than a thousand words. That would save me a few thousand...
Let's get it straight with the Bali-Feeling.

First, it is indeed a paradise, and to follow up, I am sleeping in a great house of an admirable survivor, in the middle of nowhere surrounded by rice fields and amazing, amazing people, so full of positive energy it is hard to imagine a better place or better moment.

BUT... What are we doing to the island? As soon as you get there you get a taken by the positive vibes of the place to see mediocre people are trying to turn it into a real state paradise for the ones who eat noodles all year and then want to pretend they are someone by having a jacuzzi. The rapid growth is making the small roads intransitable and soon enough the need of bigger infrastructures will be greater... And so we will move to change another paradise and make it ready to fit us, instead of us being ready to fit in it. In a way, I so very feel the island it somehow hurts me to see this.

At the moment I have found "the spot" and I am trying to get impregnated of its energy. The black sheep is called. A house for people who are not the same kind, a house owned by a Basque, I can surely relate and feel home.



View from the terrace.


We have been checking out the island and being on time for Yoga or a run on the beach.
At the moment I am just trying to set up the plan to become the ultimative surfing beyotch, but I have been too busy being too happy and loving the family-like feeling.




Above, death of a duck. There is a whole lot to explain in petit committee about this and in fact, I just did what had to be done. Pate!


Some picts more before closure and many hugs!
(I know my blogger account uploads in Facebook, to see the picts: )







Our big gorgeous gecko in da house!



And evil mokeys!

Epic, epic, epic

I have just topped up the best days in Singapore with a frozen soy latte. You have no idea what memories it evoqued me. So many I have decided already where I want to live. So I will do all possible to achieve my next life goal.

I came to Singapore from Vietnam to follow Amanda Palmer. The Halloween party and the two concerts were amazing and I achieved my mission: I kissed her, and had small talk with her, and she called me awesome. And I cried a lot and I got hugs from everywhere!





Not only the days were amazing, also the people I got to hang out with. Starting with the stranger who took me out for lunch and enlightened me. He was smart and made a point on things I was shocked to see we had so much in common. He is further, though, but I will get there.

The people I bumped into at the concert were also indescriptively inspiring. I can't hang pictures now as I am at the airport on the way to Bali, but I will try to re-edit this and add them.
We felt all close, and Amanda was so approachable she spread good vibes all over. I hope she has an idea on how she is making a difference in the music business. Music as art. Raw, personal. We pay, she works and delivers results. No divaing, no stupid distance. I can only admire her work and her independence.


Singapore is funny with all its control. Sometimes it made me think of 1984 or Huxley's "brave new world", all so scheduled, planned, controlled... I just met a film director who was explaining me that. The dreams of the youth shattered by the Singaporean "properness". If you get out of the path, you pay for it. Literally or with your life. But this great living standard shows a harsh dictatorship of capitalism. I didn't stay long enough to work out the theory, but this is my impression.

Moving on to Bali. Picts and stories will follow.

Much love!