My turn - day 140

140 days ago I woke up in my bed in Finland, with a runny nose, headache and a cough....
...a couple hours, lots of packing, last minutes stress purchasing, almost missing the train -later, Sophia, Ruut and I were sitting on a train, almost bursting with energy and happiness - our adventure had finally started, and we had no idea what to expect.

140 days later I wake up in my dorm bed in Singapore, with a headache and a cough, looking over the city from the open dorm window my bed is next to.
140 days later I've experienced, seen, done, learned so much more than I thought I would and been to so many places I never thought I'd be.
140 days later, it's time for me to fly home. It's time for me to write my last blogpost while traveling, from Singapore, just as Sophia and Ruut have before me.

I'm afraid I don't have the time to sum up the trip (impossible) or my feelings about going home (equally impossible) and since the decision was made, and the ticket home bought last night, I haven't really had time to think about it either. So luckily I've been able to enjoy my last day, headed for the beach with Colin (last day of 30 degrees, sunshine, and a warm ocean....) and when it started raining (this is Singapore) I did what what you are supposed to do in Singapore (considering the infinite number of malls) - shopped.

And ate. Singapore now has officially vegan paradise -status.
This means I have no idea that I'm actually going home. Instead I feel excited - the way we always do when leaving a city and heading someplace new.

But this time my destination is Finland. I'm gonna fly (FLY???) via Japan to Finland.
.....hahahhahahahahah. Finlanad???
Naaah.

Ruut going home
Sophia going home

//H

Back in S'pore

Left Melacca a couple days ago, after celebrating the last night of Chinese New Year and participating in a big Hindu festival the next day (saris, hindu gods, loads of people, jewelery, spears through cheeks and hooks through the backs, smells, sounds, colours...) taking Josh from Melacca (originally Taiwan) with me, and heading, once again, back to Singapore.

After Josh, who knows these things, told me what hostel is the cheapest, I met up with Tom, and since we haven't done much but watched movies, walked around and eaten, eaten and eaten. How did we not spot all this vegan food last we where here??
Now Tom has left for Nepal, and I'm headed out with Colin and his friends...
...will update more when I can upload pictures!
 
//H
ps. Singapore is still way too expensive for it's own good.

Last post from Asia

Did all of this really happen?

Or was it just an elaborate, yet sweet, dream? I fell through a rabbit hole and found another marvellous world just waiting to be discovered. Sounds so cheesy, but it's how I feel, probably how many first time travellers feel. Not that you could ever get tired of the world.
Like Alice in Wonderland we've been stumbling around, ususally without true knowledge of surrounding ongoings. Tasting this and that, having peculiar converations, seeing unbelievable things and hearing stories beyond our imaginations. I can't really find the right words describe how I feel leaving all of this.

Three/four months is not a long time, but it's long enough to make me wonder if anything's changed back home. Have I changed?
At least I learnt a lot; about hospitality and frendship, patience and composure. Essentially, there's no need to ever lose your temper and things will always work out with a big genuine smile. If you're broke and homeless someone'll always help you and lift your spirits. If you're hungry someone will offer you food, even if you're not hungry somenone will want to share their food with you. Sing, play cards, talk, dance. It could be your fellow travel company or someone you've just met. A smile can take you around the world, I'm certain of that.

All the amazing people I've had the privilege to meet, all the hilarious incidents and all experiences, big and small, will hopefully remain in my memories for a long time to come.
This is not the end, it's just the beginning.

Transmission over.

//R

Diverging paths (update from R in Singapore)

Entering this weird city state once more felt strange. Leaving Malysia and all fabulous new friends wasn't easy. I was excpecting to see Hanna or Sophia appear any minute, but they never showed up... My room mates are friendly and helpful, and thus it's not hard to find company. Still, us having been such a tight group, an entity almost, you can't help but feel a little lonely. What a quiet day it's been.

Took the opportunity to do things that might have bored others; a vistit to Singapore Science Centre and book stores. Numerous second hand and high end book stores later I was penniless but in a much better mood. I also discovered several vegetarian restaurants in the area around my guesthouse on Dunlop st. So now I'm on a tight schedule to visit all four of them within 24 hours!

Still planning on catching a Kung Fu movie and checking out China Town to see how the preparations for CNY are going. Another mission is to find some Lei Cha, this really delicious Chinese breakfast food that we've dubbed "Green Soup".

//R

Singapore to Malaysia

Don't let our clothes fool you, the luxury massage bus might have been freezing (like all buses) but the weather's definitely 35+ and the sun is shining constantly...

 

Okay, so where are we, and where do we wanna go...?

Singapore without Sophia - Day 105

With our Chinese roomie.

(Sadly we don't know they're names, trying to ask with the help of charades, and then understanding the answer, isn't so easy. Nor is explaining why you are vegan and a bunch of different things, but that's what made the day so interesting, AND this is what communicating with the Chinese in China was like most of the time, even though they weren't deaf-mute.)

We showed of the poses we learned in China, they approved.

The Merlion was no longer taking a shower.

(Expensive) Cable-car ride to Sentosa

Back inLittle India

 

Hanna and Sophia.

The Lion City with Sophia - Day 103 -104

 1. Arrive in new country - check, 2. arrive in new city - check, 3. find hostel - check,  4. find ATM -check, 5. check-in -check, 6. EAT

 Our kind of street

Tioman represents

Only thing to do in S'pore... SHOP. Malls EVERYWHERE.

 

Met our friend from elementary school and junior high, and he was kind enough to give us a tour of the city!

...he also showed us new places to eat, which we of course appreciate a lot.

Matias teaching us about Slurpees... now Ruut can't live without them.

Later we ran into Azlan and Colin, two guys we'd met a couple days earlier on Tioman, and they showed us Singapore nightlife...

....which isn't much when it's a Sunday night, but we had a great view of Singapore from Mt. Faber.

The street we lived on in Little India. We felt very much at home there, since Little India isn't that different from the rest of Asia (and especially not different from all the other 'Little Indias' in other Asian cities...) while the rest of Singapore was... big, clean and Western.

Sophia packing her rinkka... for the last time.

"Don't ever let anyone leave with your rinkka..."

 

Last picture of the three of us, we weren't actually smiling...

The last we saw of Sophia before she boarded her plane to Bangkok.

Colin and Azlan came to wave Sophia goodbye, and drove me and Ruut home, while trying to do anything to cheer us up, before returning to camp.

They didn't manage to cheer us up, but at least we learned a lot of interesting(shocking) things about Singaporean (Asian) culture, for example violence seems to be/have been(we hope!) a crucial part of raising your children...