A Flight Where The Sun Doesn't Set

I'm on a flight home. A place where i call home for the past 6 months. I've been away for 21 days without the comfort of my room and my radio. I am already missing my room in linkoping even before i miss my home in sg. The song leaving on a jet plane by john denver has never been more apt than now. 2 nights from now, i'm gonna bid goodbye to K, just like the first verse of the song. As i fly home from bergamo, the sun never sets. It is constantly on my left side as i fly north. The plane took off before the sun dipped below the horizon, and when it lands, the sun will be still there, hovering above the horizon. I caught up with time. I managed to prolong a sunset, at least for a day. I manage to enjoy life, while it lasts. But now i must return to singapore, where The Adventure will continue.

What Is Life All About

I'm sure many scientist and philosophers have defined it time and time again, but what does life mean to you? I remembered father gabriel's sermon sometime back. To live a good life is simple, has the world become a better place because of you, or has it become a place full deceit and evil because you existed? I thought about mine. It has been a mixture. At times i've sinned, sometimes quite gravely, at times i've tried my best to bring out the best in others, to give more. Just yesterday i was asked if catholics were allowed to do a certain thing, i answered a firm 'no' but deep inside i felt terrible. To me, life is all about being happy. If you're not happy, that means that you are dead. The Adventure continues on a ferry from santorini to athens.

Bodrum

I miss the beach. It reminds me of the times i spend at the beach, just enjoying the cool sea breeze, cycling along east coast and stopping at my favourite spot to ponder about life, to ponder about relationships, to ponder about sad stuff. The sea takes away all the sad stuff, and i always leave the beach a more relaxed person, with a calm mind knowing exactly what my next game plan is. Today is different, i have my game plans all laid out and have little to ponder about, little sad stuff to delve into. But deep at the back of my head, i am hiding lots of thoughts, putting away lots of emotions. Knowing that i have just one day left in Sweden makes me realise what i'm gonna leave behind. A town full of nice people at church, the third sunday makan, ms K, the snowy winter, my nice room, my freedom, my time, the cooking sessions, the talking to corridor mates in the kitchen. This is life, things come and go. Live in the present, not the past or the future. On a side note, Ephesus-dream come true for ruin chasers like me. The place is sprawling with big ruins, complete with a whole walkway into the city.Got it for free again cuz The Adventurer found a climbable gate which indirectly led to the whole sit. It was an explorer's dream.

Çanakkale

I saw a donkey, a goat, a turkish flag, a nice goods delivery guy who gave us a ride to anzac cove, a nice couple with an empty minibus who took us along from the lone pine cemetery to the turkish monuments, a bunch a school children who never see an asian in their lives and were amused that i could say merhaba, many a letters and poems that drew to light valiant soldiers who fought ahead even though death was eminent, a village so backwards in terms of civilisation. I saw all these in my 2 days here. The Adventure continues on a 6 hour trip to selçuk.

Yet another Bus ride

Sending someone off is never easy. Being sent off is also not easy. I'm on my way to çanakle, and i just witnessed another tearful goodbye. A mother sending her daughter off, with tears swelling up in her eyes as she waved her final goodbye through the glass window of the bus. Its a kind of feeling you get when you know your loved one is leaving, and the only thing you can do is to wave through the hard glass. Its something you know that must happen, and you can't do anything about it. I soon will be faced with such a circumstance. Its mixed feelings for me now. The Adventure continues on my turkey trip. A place full of asian tastes, air and prices.

Turkey

Hospitality is at its best when you don't understand the language. When all you got are a piece of paper, hand signs and smiles, you tend to understand kindness and helpfulness better. On the way back last night, talked to a turkish in entire turkish, and i understood 80 percent of what he was trying to tell me. Met an iranian who struggled with his english, but won my heart and praised him for his good understandable english. Was so happy that he told me to repeat what i just said to his wife. We all exchanged smiles and a bit of our culture. Getting on a bus was not so daunting, when you have friends to write out for you directions and everything you need to know. The Adventure continues later when meeting kerem, a corridor mate whom i've not seen for ages. And he was also the one who showed me turkish hospitality, introducing Salih, our accomodation in Istanbul. We got help the moment we arrived from the airport. We practically got walked to the bus stop that we were supposed to take the bus into the city. The kind guy we met was an exchange student before. He understands what we are going through.

London

The land of the english. And i like it. It feels so familiar to have people all around you speak english, being able to understand everything, including the british accent. The english are polite and warm, ever helpful when i need directions. All i need is to hold a map, and they'll come up to you and ask if you need directions. Food is much cheaper than in norway, but still more costly compared to the standards at home. The air is moist and cool, refreshing in a way. The car rental worked out just fine, maybe just abit more costly than than public transport, but I got to see so many nice views. Would like to come back and do a cycle round the countryside, maybe when the weather is not so rainy. Stow-on-the-wold in Cotwolds was a very nice village, a place to relax and enjoy the countryside. Finally went to mass yesterday, and the homily was about forgiveness, and i think i need to learn that. I have lots of disagreement with S and Z, but i guess i need to be a good catholic and stop my sarcastic remarks about them and start talking to them properly.

London

A city that is so vibrant, with everybody sounding so close to home because its english, and people are happy and few irritating beggars. Night scene along thames is just wonderful.

Norway

Of tunnels, mountains, fjords, hikes and fountains. I've experienced it all. The next trip to norway would be a camping one, coupled with aurora hunting. Bergen was a nice town to be in. There are just so many wonderful treks just to the north of the port. Good place to cycle too. Would return to europe with a backpack, bike and tent.

Oslo

Today is a day of many mixed feelings. Yesterday I bode goodbye to 3 people, L, A, and K. And I know I'll miss K very much. Its kinda hard to understand how I can make such close friends in half a year. And i didn't even know K better until recently. It feels like its just something that is not meant to be, like it will never work out, just like all the past ones. Sometimes i wonder what God's plan is for me. I know I'll be back in linkoping some 20 days later, but its just gonna be another round of sad goodbyes. Ok, I'm supposed to write about oslo. Its a nice city, but things are very expensive here, nice sun today, albeit too much. Especially loved the sculpture park, the human forms just have so much in them. Not having 7 hours of sleep is making me very tired, and I'll have to endure another night of no proper rest. The planning is just so wrong. Right from the start. I hope it gets better tomorrow.