When I say I'm a Christian....

When I say… “I am a Christian“

I’m not shouting “I’m clean livin’.“

I’m whispering “I was lost,

Now I’m found and forgiven.”

When I say… “I am a Christian“

I don’t speak of this with pride.

I’m confessing that I stumble

and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say… “I am a Christian“

I’m not trying to be strong.

I’m professing that I’m weak

And need His strength to carry on.

When I say… “I am a Christian“

I’m not bragging of success.

I’m admitting I have failed

And need God to clean my mess.

When I say… “I am a Christian“

I’m not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible

But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say… “I am a Christian“

I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches

So I call upon His name.

When I say… “I am a Christian“

I’m not holier than thou,

I’m just a simple sinner

Who received God’s good grace, somehow!

~ Maya Angelou ~

2215....A man's compassion.....

Athiwara  “Toon” Khongmalai is probably one name that we do not know in this part of our country but to the people of Thailand, he is their national hero because of what he has done for the country.  On 1st November, 2017 , Toon started his charity run from the most southern tip of Thailand, Betong, Yala and ended a 2,215km run to the most northern tip of Thailand , Mae Sai, Chiang Rai on 25th December, 2017 to raise funds for 11 public hospitals in Thailand.  At the end of the run, his charity organization Kao Kon La Kao raised THB 1.37 billion which doubled their initial target of THB 700milion.

To be perfectly honest, I’ve not heard of this man until I watched “2215” on Netflix. The documentary was one that moved me very deeply. Lying back one evening after dinner, I browsed through the documentary section of Netflix and came across a very funny title of “2215”.  Honestly, it intrigued me and soon, I was engrossed into it. This documentary digitally documented one’s man effort to make his country believable again. This is one man who takes the real effort to unite the country despite the unnerving political and economical difficulties that rocked his country. This was one man who saw the needs of others and passionately took it into his heart to do something about it. He did what he knows best as a singer, artist, musician and a runner. He simply put on his running shoes and ran his life for 55 days for the believable love his countrymen and his country. 

Toon Bodyslam as he is fondly known had heard the cries of public hospitals who were having difficulties in running their health care facilities due to dwindling funds from the country coffers for health care programs and machineries.  Many amenities that are standard in the big city become a luxury outside of Bangkok. One of the biggest concerns of all would be the quality of healthcare available in hospitals outside of Bangkok. You can find that most of it has run-down facilities and outdated equipment. Families are still paying quite a premium in return for a sub-standard medical care from underfunded hospitals. One man set out to change this and he did it like no other people can. That man is Artiwara “Toon Bodyslam” Kongmalai.

One question people most frequently ask is :-  Why doesn’t he organize a concert or two as the means to raise the money instead? His answer is simple; running, which is an act of putting one foot in front of another, is an action that most people are capable of. He wants to lead by example and shift people’s mindset to believe that anyone can make a difference. Watching the documentary moved me a lot as I see how the ordinary folks from all walks of life responded to Toon’s effort by giving generously to the charity run. It was most humbling to see Toon going down on his knees to receive blessings of love, prayers and money from older folks and the people in general. The responses from the people along villages and towns were overwhelmingly appreciative, carnival–like and truly heartwarming. Indeed, there were frustrations, disappointments and injuries along the run suffered by Toon and his team members but these were eclipsed by the great effort of the medical team and the team members overall. The overall effort to make this run a real success was truly magical and momentous. The huge sacrifices, big hearts , the humongous patience and endurance had helped make this run such a great success. 55 gruelling days of muscle aches, cramps, injuries , endurance and boisterous weather made it all a more meaningful in such a cause such as this.   

This man has earned my respect of truly being a man with an enlarged heart of compassion. Maybe, it all seemed so dramatic in the documentary but it is not that way in real life. Running almost 50 km a day is no simple feat nor a joke. That’s the distance one has to achieve each day and a parcel sets of distance, rest and meals. For simple folks like us, we would all rather throw a fistful of ringgits into the offering bag rather than taking up our shoes to run, right? Here was a man who would do a marathon run each day for 55 days. How about that? It is no simple feat, I tell you. For us the comfort of the plush bed and soft pillows are such comfort that plundering footstep on the paved tarred roads seemed such an arduous torture lest running for 50km a day! 

To me, seeing this man crossed the finished line in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai seemed like a great achievement but to me, it is much more than this. The mental, physical and spiritual achievement were far more greater than the physical punishment on the physical body

The correct, teachable and cohesively positive attitude changes everything about this run. I remembered seeing the humanly side of this man who at one stage out of frustration threw down something and it hit one of his crew. He immediately reacted by hugging his crew and apologizing profusely for venting out his frustrations. That was the raw human attitude of us and the greater respond that came thereafter. I captured that in my mind as that scene made me felt very humbled inside. I realized that sometimes our venting out will hurt others unknowingly in the process and it is really hard at times. 

Yeah, the documentary does highlight the human side of life for every person in this world of ours. It shows us that with a great compassionate heart, care, the right focus, pure honesty for a cause and a great giving heart, we can make this place we live in a little better. For the Thai people, they have found belief, hope and care in the steps of a running man in Toon Bodyslam. 

“The real phra ake ( leading man ) in this film is every Thai person, not me."   Athiwara “Toon” Khongmalai.

What a finish, I tell you!

Leaving Bali with a bang - Day 5 (Final)

The breakfast....

It’s our last day in Bali and we all woke up early to make it a memorable day for all of us. We decided that our driver, Kartika should come at 10.30am as we wanted to enjoy our last day and breakfast together. Yunno, the hardest thing about the last day of your holidays is that it sucks big time when the time is up. Nevertheless, in saying so, my family has decided to have the best time every before we get off Bali island. We started off our morning with breakfast of pancake ( the brand name is Pondan pancake – I kid you not! Richard turned out okay. So, it is safe according to Richard! ), eggs ( mashed, hard boiled, scrambled and sunny side up ), toasted bread and coffee/MILO. We laughed, joked and had fun. Everyone was relaxed and in a good mood. We told each other that we are going to “sai lang” ( finish the cash! ) all our pool money by having good meals. 

The pancake with maple syrup.....yummy

Richard ,the man, on the breads.....

The pancake fella....ME

Kuta Beach.....

Cordinator, Hwe Shean.......

That morning, we went to Kuta Beach to get a feel of the beach. We then bargained for some souvenirs at Kuta Art Centre while watching the surfers do their stuff at Kuta beach. I realized that there ain’t many tourists at Kuta Beach. I guess, there were far more tourist at Legian beach which was a surfer’s paradise nowadays. A quick check with our driver, Kartika revealed that most of the tourists have now settled in Canggu which is the new happening place to be while Kuta, Seminyak and Legian had been saturated with touts, souvenir sellers and mushrooming local surf shops. 

Three beauties on the beach.....

Look beyond the three standing persons....hahahahhahahahaaaa

Legian Beach entrance

Look, this is what I believe personally, rising prices have scared off the tourist to other less expensive places like Canggu. Kuta was the hub-centre at one time for surfers and surfer community but nowadays, Legian Beach has the better crowd and the paradise feel. I guess, if you are like me, I am there for the bikinis show, people and there ain’t a lot happening these days! Hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa……I was just joking. The sand in Kuta and Legian are fine and very soothing to the feet. The waves are awesome and I could understand why surfers would still pick these beaches to show off their figures and buff bodies. That’s the beauty of Bali beaches. The food service and shades were also awesome.

Legian Beach reclining rest .....

Photo of the year, baby!

Legian beach.....note the smooth sands..

At Naughty Nuri, Seminyak...

After feasting our eyes on the beaches, it was time for makan! This time we were off to Naughty Nuri, Jalan Mertanadi No. 62 Kerobokan Seminyak, Kerobokan Kelod, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali. Yes!Yes!Yes! The queue is damn long but SLing managed to register ourselves early so that we can get seats to fill up our stomachs. It was like a 30 minutes wait and we were called to our tables. We wasted no time in ordering the BBQ ribs, pork sliders, nasi goreng, pork satay and mashed potato. Though it was quite a wait for the food but it tasted real good. Goodest of good,man! The ribs were fantastic especially with the BBQ sauce. 

The juiciness of the ribs were just breathtaking. They did not fall off the bones but the firmness was a good signature of the pork. Mama mia! They were so good. The pork sliders were also nice together with the pork satay. Yup, we broke the bank for this one but it was well worth it. Everything tasted good and succulent. 

The entrance to heaven;y delight....BBQ ribs...

Yup, we ate these for sure....

No wonder they taste sooooooo goooooooooood......

IBC -Pondok Tempo Doeloe

Rather than wait or a heart attack to happen, we decided to leave this place and headed out to some craft centre ( Bali Agung ) for some much needed walking and some souvenir hunting. I must say we almost had an instant heart attack of a different sort when we saw the prices of the souvenirs!!!! I don’t know about the rest but I was already hyperventilating and almost request for a CPR, when I saw the prices. Luckily, the snap call from SLing helped revived me to my normal state. I still managed to get some fridge magnet souvenirs as they were the cheapest items around. Then it’s off to Legian Craft Center where we walked around the souvenir stands to pass our time and get a sample of what life is like. 

Our table...for the feast...

The restaurant......no WIFI.....too distracting....

The feast - lamb fried rice, grille gourami fish, grilled chicken, telor tauhu goreng, Ballinese fried rice, vegetables etc.etc

Alas Harum ......brings out courage, boldness, a sense of achievement and adventurous spirit. 

Yeah, we bargained hard for the things we want to buy and it was all good. Afterall, the locals are in to make a profit and a living too, right? I believe in all fairness that one should have fair prices and make some profit at the same time. The only problem in most places is simply overpricing, over–profiteering and exorbitant prices. If the prices are fair, I believe, people will tend to see what I am talking about. It is not a matter of being cheap or any of that sort but simply do not want to be suckered punched or a sucker for such schemes. Generally , it is alright to make a profit for what you are doing but if it is meant to lead to greed then that’s wrong. But sometimes, in a very touristic place like Bali, you tend to get the other end of the stick when it comes to prices. 

Bebek Joni....for the love of ducks

Hog Wild....evolution of great piglets

Alas Harum....great coffee; greater fun...

Hungry Bird Coffee Roasters.....coffee and nature entwined together in perfect harmony

Pura Tanah Lot ....brings out the deep love and great gentleness

Pura Tirta Empul...brings out faithfiulness, blessing and goodness of the heart

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan...brings great joy, togetherness and fun...

Guardians of Pura Taman Ayun....binds friendship, build bonds and cement friendship

Tegenungan Waterfalls ..... birthed joy, happiness and fun

Ubud Virgin Villa....housed love, care, fellowship, laughter and cheers to the heart...

Kintamani overview ......high hopes, explosive blessings, extension of wellness

Kintamani......cool life, gentle heart and live to travel & love more.....

We then headed out to Ikan Bakar Cianjur (IBC) for our Indonesian food fare before leaving for the airport. This was a huge and posh restaurant and they serve Indonesian dishes. This time, we ordered an array of food fare ranging from grilled gourami fish, grilled chicken, Balinese fried rice, egg tauhu goreng, soto ayam, two types of vegetables ( kangkung and chai seem ), fried noodles and some special rice in a pot. The food was surprisingly good. We definitely ended our trip with good Indonesian/Balinese food at the end of our trip. Nothing can be more satisfying than knowing that you get good authentic food at the end of your trip. To me, it was a befitting farewell in a gastronomical sense. 

Innocence and smiles of the Balinese future.....

The grace, the pure at heart and the faithful of the Balinese future....

As I peeled back the events and places we had been through, I would say that the places of attractions in Bali were simply breathtaking, delightful and a feast to the eye while the weather was also heavenly. There weren’t any accidents nor any injuries to any of us and I am so thankful for that. I have spent 5 beautiful days and moments with my wonderful family and friends. I feel very much alive and in awe of my friends who are caring, loving, great sense of humour and very sporting indeed. I really enjoyed their company and I realized just how blessed each and every one of us are, actually. So, thank you, Hwe Shean for lighting up our days each day with your planning, humorous sarcasm and meticulous great ways. Thank you, Richard and Teresa for your wonderful smiles, care, humour and great gentleness. I have learnt a lot from the three of you. Thank you too to SYuen for showing me your bravery and great adventure spirit during the extreme swing activity and SLing for going to another adventure with me and provided me with that happiness and joy as a family. 

Bali......We CAME, we SAW and we WILL BE BACK

Till we meet again, sweet & memorable ,  BALI.....

I love Bali for its uniqueness and the wondrous natural beauty in its landscape and natural surroundings. The fantastic culture and the arts certainly brought a fresh perspective in the artisan world. The mystique and stoic facial expressions can sometimes play tricks on you and yet the heavens smiles and pour out its goodness to the people and the land of Bali. I am blessed knowing I’ve come to this land and tasted its goodness while sampling a great slice of its hospitality and its own graciousness. 

Bali is known as the “Island of The Gods”. But I personally preferred the other one which is  Bali is also known as “The Paradise Island.“ It is indeed a paradise for the earthly body, mind and soul. There is so much to see , do and taste in Bali. Guess, I found my earthly paradise in Bali island. Cheers!  Au revoir, BALI!~

Spiritual and free mindedness - Seminyak Day 4 Part 4

To shrug off some of the lethargy of over-consumption of vegetables that lunch hour and the disappointment of GWK, we decided to get to Melasti Beach which is an hour from Canggu and it is the preferred site for marriage photography session. What a good site, actually! This place lifted my inner spirit immediately. I am surprised that this is truly a very beautiful beach site. Melasti Beach is also located at the most southern tip of Bali and truly one of the clearest water and cleanest beach in Bali. 

Melasti Beach landscape....

Melasti corals and landscape....

Women's power la.......

Pura Luhur Uluwatu

It was low tide when we arrived there and I could see the coral and rocks formation below. It was such a wonderful sight with the waves of the Indian Ocean hitting the beach. I could see anglers doing their thing at the shallows and pocket pools. Beautiful sight and the rock formation to get to Melasti Beach amidst the twist and turns of road was tremendous. Love the place very much. We did not stay long as we need to get to Pura Uluwatu to catch the sunset which was known universally as the loveliest sunset ever. 

Getting to Pura Uluwatu or locally known as Pura Luhur Uluwatu (with Luhur meaning “something of divine origin”) was a real rush as we wanted to catch the sunset. Uluwatu Temple (Balinese: Pura (Luhur) Uluwatu) is a Balinese Hindu sea temple (Pura Segara) located in Uluwatu (South Kuta, Badung). The temple is regarded as one of the sad kahyangan and is dedicated to Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in his manifestation as Rudra. The temple (pura in Balinese) is built at the edge (ulu) of a 70-meter-high (230 ft) cliff or rock (watu) projecting into the sea. In folklore, this rock is said to be part of Dewi Danu's petrified barque.

Kawan-kawan at Pura Luhur Uluwatu

Mother -daughter bonding....

Though a small temple was claimed to have existed earlier, the structure was significantly expanded by a Javanese sage, Empu Kuturan in the 11th Century. Another sage from East Java, Dang Hyang Nirartha is credited for constructing the padmasana shrines and it is said that he attained moksha here, an event called ngeluhur ("to go up") locally. This has resulted in the temple's epithet Luhur.

Sunset in Uluwatu.....

Sunset in Uluwatu...

As usual, the temple grounds were off limits to tourists except for those who are offering prayers but the view was breathtaking. The inner sanctum of the pura (temple) is perched at the edge of steep cliffs which tower over Bali’s legendary surf breaks at the south. Most travelers enjoy the view of this temple from two different vantage points, from both northern and southern part of the area.

Sunset in Uluwatu....

Behind the main shrine in one of the courtyards of Uluwatu Temple lies a Brahmin statue facing the Indian Ocean, considered as a representation of Dhang Hyang Dwijendra. The two entrances to the temple area are split gates with leaves and flowers carvings. In front of each of them are a couple of sculptures shaped like a human body with an elephant head. A heritage of the 10th century is the one-piece winged stone gate to the inside courtyard of Pura Uluwatu. Winged gates are not commonly found on the island. An addition to Pura Uluwatu in the 16th century is Pura Dalem Jurit. There are three statues in it , one of them is of Brahma.

Fat Buddha, Jalan Drupadi, Seminyak...

At a good vantage point, I struck a conversation with an Indonesian man, Pak Jomo who tells me that he comes here to catch a glimpse of the sunset. He even told me where to stand to get the best pictures and when the sunset would be at its best. However, that evening, he told me that it wasn’t going to be a good one as it was too cloudy and I couldn’t have agreed more. After taking a few shots of the sunset, I hurriedly climb down the stairs to meet up with the rest who were already on the way down the temple. Along the way, I saw a troop of monkeys and they are mischievous lot indeed. Quickly hurried pass them and went in search of my family and friends. What a great relief and we are off for dinner that night.

Interiors of Fat Buddha, Seminyak.....

That night, we had dinner at Fat Buddha at Jalan Drupadi near our “home” in Seminyak. I guess, it was the place mentioned by our Australian “neighbor” to be cheap and good place for makan. So, we decided to try the fried rice and fried noodles there. Yes, again it was fried rice and fried noodles, our favourite staples in Bali! Hahahahahahhaaaaaaa…… Surprisingly, the food was nice, tasty and quite a portion. Then the crowd started to walk in as they were promoting buy 1 free 1 cocktail drinks. Quite a nice place to relax and sauntered over drinks, actually. Well, we were tired after a long day today but we’ll be back ….someday. 

We then walked to Coco Minimarket to get our food stuff for breakfast the next morning. Though tired and exhausted from our travels, these lovely people could laughed, make fun and even lift each other’s mood up. I am so thankful and blessed with Richard, Teresa, Hwee Shean, SYuena and SLing – the bestest travel companions, actually. What a group of bonkers family!

We sat down for drinks and nightcap after freshening up. We talked some more, laughed a lot and drink some more as the night wore on. We had a good time and just laughing at each other, I guess. That’s what good friends do and that’s what travelling is all about. We spoke enthusiastically about the places we went and the food we tasted. We also spoke of the people we’ve met along the way. 

It was our last night in Seminyak, Bali and as I lay my head on the bed, I am so thankful for the wonderful memories that I had and the opportunity to share my experience with others through my writing and my own way of expression. I look forward for the next day and I know that I will leave this place filled with greater memories ever.