Simple

Today, I went to my dad's garden. Well basically he bought a plot of land here, near the mountain, and decided to turn it into a garden where different sorts of plantations were planted. And of course, the crops will be sold. Seems really exciting for me, it's like a new kind of business, apart from the factory and the hospital.

And one which I would really love.

Why? Why would someone young like me like gardening? Where most of the youths about my age would be so eew-y about the mud, soil and others. Well I love the fact that firstly, I'm close to nature, secondly, I'm working in a refreshing environment, and thirdly, I feel that I have more freedom.

More freedom, in a sense that I'm working in an environment where life is like limitless. In nature, under the sky, with the breeze of the wind against your face. Where the temperature is cold and refreshing, when life winds down as if time has stopped. As if you have been transported to another realm in your life. It's just wonderful.

Where life seems like a dream. Where you're not limited to the walls of your office.

Oh well, I hope the prospect of having this business would make my dad sort of... "More interested" in this kind of business. I mean seriously, I don't mind working there at all. Be it me being a farmer, me being a supervisor, anything. I really love this kind of job!

In fact I wish that in this vacation, I can work in the field for a day and try the life of a farmer. I think it will be really fun don't you think so?

Okay I think I have digressed quite a lot from what I wanna say.

Ultimately, I want to lead a simple life.

A life where it doesn't revolve around people that simply gives me stress (like some people here, who gives us headache). A life where I would always smile, and enjoy the things I do. A life where I live a life that is mine. I repeat, mine.

Sometimes I just wonder whether I will live such a life. Even though deep in my heart I always wish I will. So here goes a line I thought of today.

Time is the ultimate answer to almost all of life's questions. Because only time would tell.

Well, I've always speak of things like this. And as I've always said, I only wish that this will come true. And when one believes, one will make it. Hmm?

My Little Escape - Episode 3

The morning was cold. I could hear the wind howling against my window. Little drops of rain, rippled through the air, making silent sounds that woke me up in that cold morning in Moscow, Russia. And I told myself, I have to wake up.

I was surprised when my teacher in France sent me an email, three weeks ago, offering me to play in a recital in one of Russia's prestigious music school. She told me it was a friendly recital, musicians all over the world were invited to play. One of them was my favourite pianist - Lang Lang.

To end my journey, I decided to go on the wild and adventerous side of traveling.

I'm taking, the Siberian Expressway to Beijing.

My parents were shocked to hear me making that decision. So did I. I did not imagine myself taking this form of travelling back, but I told myself, it's worth a shot and I'm sure it will be one hell experience of a lifetime. So there I go, a 12 days long journey to Beijing. On a train.

So I quickly took a bath on that morning, and quickly took a taxi to the Moscow train station. My bags were packed nicely the night before, I knew I won't have time packing them all again this morning. I checked in at the station, and waited for the train to come, and leave for the long and adventerous journey to Beijing.

Waiting for the train to arrive made me remember those days when I was travelling in Norway, in 2009. I was waiting for a train from Oslo to Bergen. That was my first ever train ride, a long train ride of my life. After staring at the blank space for a while, a conductor tapped my shoulder and said "Aren't you going up sir?"

This time round, I decided to travel in style. I booked the first class cabin. The seat was comfortable, I had my own room, and a window all to myself. I've prepared lots of things for the journey. One of the most quintessential, is my iPod, Music never fails to accompany me during long journeys. It's like a good friend of mine.

And so there we go, the journey to Beijing. The train started moving as it picked up its speed. View started changing. From the city-scape of Moscow to the grassy fields. Beautiful lakes, mountaineous region and little cows that herd around a green field.

A few days had passed, and I woke up in the morning. The sunshine shone through my window as it gave warmth to my face. And alas, I realised, we were in Central Asia. I quickly took my iPod, and listened to Borodin's In The Steppes of Central Asia. The song, perfectly painted the scene, when I first heard it in 2010. And to think that I am here, right now, in Central Asia, I just simply smiled, and move my hands as I "conduct" the song.

That was all to my long journey to Beijing. It was fun, lovely and wonderful. Nothing could ever replace a memory like this. Nothing could exchange and experience like so. It was an amazing experience. One, that I would never forget.

PS: Again, this story is fictional. Nothing is true (except for the part about my Norway travel, and me listening to Borodin In the Steppes of Central Asia). The informations are not true but again, who knows it will come true for me? :)

Remember

Remember those days when you were young?

When you think you are the best

And you try to stand out from the rest

When you think you can be everything

From being a policeman, to being a superman

And when you smiled and jumped with joy

As your parents bought you a new toy

And you brought it to school to show it

To your friends who can't stop their envy

And you felt you were Earth's luckiest kid

And when you didn't get what you wanted

You screamed and shouted in agony

You felt miserable, you felt cheated

You cried and shed tears that could never stop flowing

And all your parents did was nothing, but ignore you

And now that I have grown up and matured

Whenever I see children behaving in such ways

I do nothing but to frown at their behaviour

And I think, wasn't I like them during my younger days?

And so I smiled, as I watched the fiasco going

Life is a play, it is funny

It is nothing but an irony

As I stared at the boy, whom acted immaturely

And asked myself that question

Don't you remember those days, when you were young?

Happy 50th post

Dear my blog, La Storia

Thank you for spending these beautiful 50th posts, as you heard my stories, my inspirations and my ramblings. I hope you'll enjoy it too :)

Love

Adhi

Independent traveller

Alright I'm currently in National Library now. Since I'm doing anything here, I've decided to post a story. This time round - being a traveler.

Whenever I am in Changi, be it me going back, sending someone off, or fetching someone from there, I always look at the departure board. I looked at it, and tell myself. I wish I'm taking that plane to London... (Or other destinations).

I may sound foolish, dreaming of just taking a flight to another country. And what's more foolish is that I'm talking to myself over a departure board. Well as foolish as I might have sounded. I really feel it's not really a foolish dream at all. I'm just wishing and hoping that I will one day travel round the world. And perhaps one day, catching that flight to London.

So my ultimate dream is to be a traveler.

An independent traveler.

This is one of the most impossible dream that could ever happen. Firstly, my definition of an independent traveler is basically someone with the ability to travel anywhere, without the worries of money, time, and lack of freedom. Someone who can travel with that sense of joy and freedom, that feeling where they have all the time in this world.

And of course the travel must be a safe and enjoyable one. I wouldn't want to travel to places where it is so crowded, where I would be hassling myself among a crowd of people. It's just weird isn't it. And I would also want to travel to countries and experience a life of the locals. Most importantly, be bathed in their culture.

Life is nothing but a journey. Sometimes I just feel that it is really a waster to throw an opportunity of traveling, if you have the chance to. Seeing the world with your own eyes is like one of life's greatest gift. The ability to savour freedom, to taste joy, and to be liberated from the chains of life.

When I was in Sweden, or maybe Norway, with my sister last year. I remembered it was one of the best times of my life that I've ever been. It was a moment in that year where I did not feel worried, I did not feel stressed, I did not even think of life. All I did was to enjoy. Alas, I've regretted for not doing many things in which I could do then.

So that's a reason why I've always enjoyed watching travel shows. I might not be the real person to experience the joy of the travel, but at least I've got the chance to feel what it is to be there, in the country. I always feel fascinated by those shows. Like as if I was there experiencing it. But of course not.

Life is always a dream. Everything is. Sometimes those dreams come true, while sometimes it just don't. But well nothing is wrong to continue dreaming. No mater how foolish a dream is, it is still a dream. And remember to always dream a thousand dreams.

If I were to see a shooting star now, I would wish nothing but a wish for me to be able to explore the world. To travel around the world before time runs out.

I just really feel that it's such a waste, not to be able to see the world with one own's eyes, when one has the opportunity to do so.

In Holland V

In Holland V, I sit

I sit as I watched people's life go by

I sit as I waited for time to fly

And realised the beauty of this silence

Amidst this bustling serenity

In Holland V, people come

And people go to places they want to be

A warm comforting dinner

Or enjoying their friends' company

Or perhaps, going to an escape from reality

In Holland V, people smile

And people frown as many things happened to them

In the midst of the crowd, a couple was happily kissing

While a woman panicked to find her wallet missing

And a dog was barking, in the middle of all these mayhem

In Holland V, I sit

As an old man came to sit beside me

Staring at the blank space in front of him

His face wasn't sad, it was not happy

It just showed the pure joy of silence within him

In Holland V, I smiled

As I watched people's life go by

People may think I'm weird and crazy

But they didn't know, and they never know

The pure bliss of enjoying the silence within them

(These events are based on what happened to me in Holland V on 30/08/2010)

My Little Escape - Episode Two

The fan on the ceiling was moving above me. I was feeling cold, in fact, shivering in this beautiful tropical country. It was a cold morning I supposed. The breath of fresh air gush through my nose, filling my lungs as if giving it another rejuvenating gush of life. I looked on the window beside me.

Sunrise. The most beautiful one I've ever seen.

The blue sky was painted with streaks of golden ray coming out of the seemingly-endless horizon as it pierced through a cloud, painted in a scarlet and orange hue.

Am I in paradise? I thought to myself. Perhaps I am, but I know I'm in the Maldives right now. A small piece of nirvana on earth, I called it.

It was an interesting decision I made. I was feeling rather stressed in life, and I told myself I need a good break. I need to get away from reality, and escape to small piece of heaven on earth. I didn't know where to go at first, until I remembered a wish I always have - to visit Maldives.

I know a trip here could cost a lot, but I was telling myself, everything will be worth it here. Everything. So I spent some bucks to book a flight there, and even booked a small villa, on a secluded island here in the beautiful Maldives.

As I woke up from a great night sleep, I made my way to the balcony of my villa. The morning air was refreshing. And the view, is worth more than the money I spent to come here. The sunrise drew me like a magnet. I decided to come to the beach to view this magnificent scenery that not everyone can enjoy. Oh, not forgetting my camera as well.

I walked towards the beach with its pristine turquoise water reflecting the golden sun rays above it. The wave was soft, the white sand, the cold temperature. Everything was perfect. It really felt as if I'm in nirvana. In heaven. Without hesitation, I snap away lots of pictures to bring back home for my memories.

In the afternoon I've decided to be adventurous and head out the to main island in Maldives to get some things back for my family. And to fulfill my hobby of travel-photography. I have asked the friendly and always-be-happy-to-help-you villa crew on some of the useful language I can use when buying stuff. And there I go, to the mainland.

The city was bustling. The sky was cloudless and temperature rise quite mercilessly. I beat the crowd to get myself some souvenirs back. And tried a local delicacy - The Fish Mole. It was a roadside restaurant. And that's when I met Beatrice. She was a British traveler, who coincidentally stayed at the same villa as me. We've decided to spend the afternoon together to hunt for more local goodies.

Finally, the day I've not been waiting for arrived. It was my last day in the Maldives, and I'll be catching my flight back tomorrow. The afternoon was cloudy and it looked as if there was going to be a storm. But somehow, it cleared up beautifully in the late afternoon. The sky was blue once more, and I sat on the beach, waiting for another scene I'm waiting for.

The sunset. Which will be a finale to my stay here.

I sat on the beach, watching the sun setting on that west horizon. The sky was once more painted with beautiful paradigm of colours. The sky was blue, accompanied with a symphony of violet and orange coloured clouds. The sound of the crashing waves, the beautiful melody of the wind as it whispered to my ears. I was in a state of euphoria.

And then Beatrice come and joined me. She sat beside me as we watched the sky turned dark gradually.

That was my beautiful trip to the Maldives. A friendship created, and lots of memories forged.

PS: This story is fictional. All the events, names, places are purely coincidental. I wish this could happen to me though :)