perhentian perspective: part 1

When I decided to come to Singapore, 

I had a couple of seeds planted in the back of my mind. . . 

- to go to every corner of Malaysia/ Singapore and shoot travel/food segments 

- to come up with an idea for 

and shoot another film

And, because (as anyone who knows me well knows),  I am a bit of an over-achiever and am impatient with myself sometimes, in the past month or so, I've felt a bit like, "What am I doing here? I'm not getting anywhere... I need to be acting in something right this minute!"

. . . but now that I am on Perhentian Kecil, the most blissed out island imaginable, I've been able to slow down and get some perspective. Truly, it's like lucid dreaming. No, shamans or ayahuasca necessary. 

I've realized that subconsciously, I actually have been working steadily on what I set out to do --- chipping away bit by bit, like a sculptor. 

Julia Cameron talks a lot about this idea in "The Artist's Way" series, how we all want to see results of our labour immediately, but, especially in the case of a project of greater scope, it simply doesn't work that way. We can't speed up the creative process, nor would it be wise to try to do so. 

And, what am I talking about, I haven't done anything? I've been making plenty of friends well connected in the Singapore food scene who are open to video projects, I was granted permission to adapt a novel set in Malaysia and Singapore into a screenplay and shoot it, and I've taken four eye-opening trips to Malaysia in a span of a few months. I've done more research than I ever expected to, and I've been able to scout locations as well. AND. . . the film idea has arrived.(As well as the location!)

There is a lot to be said for being in a peaceful place with no distractions.

more about Perhentian paradise soon. . . 

A few updates!

It's been a while since I've written--- a lot has happened and many trips have been taken, but sometimes the simplest day-to-day details of life take up a lot of head space. Getting things sorted out  -- reducing mental clutter -- is important in my world. Some good changes are happening!

1. I finally got my EP (Employment Pass) after months and months of waiting. In the beginning, I thought, oh— it’s no big deal— it will materialise eventually, but over time, I realized that I wouldn’t feel quite legal until I had it. Traveling in and out of Singapore turns out to be a bit of a hassle without it (I will write more about that soon….) Also, without it, you can’t get the many discounts offered around town nor can you obtain a library card——and anyone who knows a lick about me can attest to my love of libraries. When I received the EP card at work the other day in the middle of the class, I jumped up and down, much to the amusement of the pre-teens I was teaching.

2. I am moving to a new place with roommates who are female, super laid-back, and around my age. I will finally be able to have visitors and cook. Seriously, this “no cooking” stipulation in my current place put more of a damper on my day to day existence than I even imagined it would. As an experimental cook who loves finding new Asian ingredients to work with, walking into a supermarket proved to be sheer torture. At least 20 varieties of greens I’ve never seen or even heard of (sweet potato leaves— what the what?), dried spices and spice pastes, things like freshly pressed coconut milk and exotic fruits. . . all I can say is wow.

3. More upcoming travel! Writing and photos to come on my recent trip to Tioman, which honestly made my heart feel alive in so many ways. I am tempted to go back in September, as I have a week off, but first it’s off to Ipoh, to go to Kellie’s Castle, a place which has been on my list for ages. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie%27s_Castle

Silly? Probably. But not going would be sillier. I’ve heard Ipoh, where I'll be staying, is quite cool and a bit off the usual banana backpacker's path....

http://wikitravel.org/en/Ipoh

 I also booked this interesting hotel(where it seems like Haruki Murakami might materialise at any moment):

http://s18.mboutiquehotels.com

After Kellie's Castle, the trip is pretty open-ended, but the Perhentian Islands are on my list as are the Cameron Highlands and Taman Negara. So much to do in Malaysia, seriously! 

Ta ta for now!

Cele-break!

It's SG50 y'all! -- the weekend when Singapore turns 50 years old! 

I had tentatively planned to go to Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay with my co-worker this evening, but quickly realized that starting today for 3 days, it is like the most intense Black Friday everywhere. I have never seen crowds of this sort, and one is likely to get trampled going to the two most popular places in the city. 

Luckily, a while back, I booked a mini-break departing tomorrow night to Tioman, 

one of my favorite places in the world.

Tioman Island was depicted as "Bali Ha'i" in the film South Pacific. Monkeys and monitor lizards rule this little slice of paradise.

More to come soon. Until then....

"Someday you'll see me floating in the sunshine,
My head stickin' out from a low flyin' cloud,
You'll hear me call you,
Singing through the sunshine,
Sweet and clear as can be:
Come to me, here am I, come to me.
If you try, you'll find me
Where the sky meets the sea.
Here am I your special island
Come to me, Come to me."

I was literally starving.

And I do mean, literally.

Hungry for books! 

I forgot what this feeling was like, 

but I do remember it from Japan, 

especially living in rural Japan...

but,

after residing in Portland, Oregon, 

a city which is blessed with as far as I know 

THE BEST new/used bookstore in the US, Powell's, 

as well as a state-of-the-art library network, I forgot what it was like to want for new reading material.

As I am still waiting for my employment pass, I can't get a library card in Singapore quite yet. For anyone else, this matter would probably be no big deal, but for a biblio-holic like myself, it's torture lah!, 

especially since the libraries here are insanely awesome. 

Even more ironic is that my official job title here is "Reading Specialist." Something is amiss in the world.

I'm sure you might be thinking:

Why not just go buy a new book, Kellie? 

and yes, you're right, I could. . . but books in Singapore are extremely expensive--- twice or three times the price of those in the US, and I always feel guilty about buying new books anyhow, unless it's a book I plan to keep for years and years

and so

 I decided to go on an adventure- 

(adventures are more fun anyway!)

to seek out used bookstores in Singapore.

My Google search brought up a few different spots, and I ventured out to the MRT station.

I found two bookshops almost located right next to each other on the map, and I found myself in a great little area called Tiong Bahru. It's a area that still retains a neighbourhood-like feeling of an Singapore of days of old. . . and it's beautifully quiet. The hustle and bustle of the city, the sheer number of people and amount of ambient noise can grate on the nerves, slowly over time, like water torture. In fact, I decided to move across the street from my workplace, to avoid commuting for this very reason. I didn't realize that a quiet neighbourhood like Tiong Bahru existed, though, 

until now! 

A few bakeries and cafes on a single street, all unique.

A very relaxing day.

AND

Mission accomplished, books are being devoured.

Story time. . .

I had just finished 'talk time' 

with my class of 4 year olds-- 

Since we had all been on holiday the previous week, I had asked them to talk about the various places they went, what they did, did they eat anything special, etc. 

and after they finished, I told them about my trip to Borneo and all of the wildlife and interesting creatures I encountered. I had some postcards I had brought back as well with pictures of underwater specimens. 

They were fascinated and full of questions. 

Suddenly, I looked up at the clock and realized that it was already time to go... 

"Alright everyone. Please put your books in your bags and line up. Time to go home!" They obediently did as I asked, but a couple seconds later, 

I heard a voice from the corner of the room. 

"Teacher Kellie, 

I cannot put my book in my bag." 

Trying to foster independence and autonomy, I say, "Sure you can! It's easy. I know you can do it." 

The child shakes his head.

"How come?"

"There is a lizard inside my bag."

I laugh. Serves me right for telling such young children about Komodo dragons and such. 

I pick up his bag and look inside. 

Nothing at all.

"Oh. . . there's no lizard in your bag, nothing to worry about," 

I say in a calming voice.

The child just blinks at me, 

but doesn't move a muscle.

"It's just your imagination! See..."

I turn the backpack upside down and shake it. 

A huge lizard drops to the ground and runs around the room causing an effect 

similar to a strike in bowling. 

Screaming, chaos ensues.

Ahhh.. 

The hazards of living in a tropical climate.

Pulau Ubin

Upon arrival to Singapore,  I took some time to get settled in, and not having to start work straight away, my new co-workers and I decided to take advantage of the few days off and explore Singapore a bit. On one day, we decided to take a trip to Pulau Ubin, a National park on an island quite close to Singapore which offers a view of what Singapore might have been like years ago, before it became developed. I had relatively no expectations going to the island, and it turned out to be just stunning. All kinds of flora and wildlife inhabit the island, and it had such a peaceful vibe. In such a quiet place, it was hard to believe that I was so close to such a major populated city!

The journey begins.

Greetings!

The journey to Singapore and Malaysia from the US takes more than a day of travel, but somehow it didn't seem all that long this time around. I suppose my heart was beating with anticipation from the moment I boarded the plane. Malaysia is my favorite place I've ever traveled to for the kind energy of the people, cultural diversity, and glorious food, and though I have been several times for short vacations in the past, this would be my first longer journey. Boarding the plane I felt extremely fortunate to be able 

to pursue a dream and work simultaneously.