Birthday adventure

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails." - Mark Twain

"If not now, then when?"

These quotes are in my head almost all the time, it reminds me to seize my youth. 

(Maybe on a flip side, it is not too good as it makes me pretty aggressive with my goals - I want to travel, I want to do this that etc. I get so anxious when I feel that I am being confined and not doing enough with my life. Always feeling the need to be on the move or doing something. Well, I'll learn along the way as I go through life) 

I decided to visit Ho Chi Minh for a very short 3 days 3 nights.

2 big questions that a lot of friends asked:

(i) Are you going alone? Why?

(ii) Don't you feel it is too short, might as well not go then?

I'd like to share some thoughts on these. A lot of us think that going alone is lonely, but nooo. In my opinion, travelling alone gives a good space for introspection, and it allows us to decide what we truly want to do - we have the full control of our time. Also, there will be more chances to meet new friends, speak to the locals and be adventurous. Maybe, safety might be a concern but there are definitely ways to work around that. (ps: I was not alone ok hehe since I visited my friends in HCM)

Yes, but what about if the available time you have is short. Would you wait a few more months for the right time to come? Then I will ask myself, till when will you wait? Maybe this is a trait of a young lady - wild, free and she just wants to enjoy the freedom she has.

______

HCM is a city for the young - everyone moves around with motorcycles, quick, sometimes reckless but safe. Everything feels so fast here, perhaps it's the effect of motors - crossing the road is also an adventure. Most of their buildings have many levels where one has to climb stairs - I wonder how the old do it over there. The meals there are pork-based and noodle-based. However, there are many vegetarian options available too.

During my stay, I was very lucky to stay with a good friend who is from HCM, so I got to experience the life of a local. Throughout the 3 days, I was always on her motorbike - rain or shine :) The roads to their houses are soooo narrow as well, it is impossible to own a car because there is no place for you to park the car.

Will let the pictures do the talking!

Motorcycles in the parking instead of cars

Bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls)

Good morning Saigon! Notice how the houses have at least 3 stories.
Also, houses have a corner that has no ceilings in between floors;
this allows families to talk with one another even they are on different floors!

Bún bò Huế: Rice vermicelli and beef - homemade

The narrow street between houses

Thank you AIESEC for these friends hehe.
Also thank you for going with me through the most difficult tunnel which no Vietnamese normally completes haha

Signature Củ Chi Tunnel pose
(altho I had a hard time getting out of this tunnel)

The narrow and dark tunnel

Bún thịt nướng: Cold rice vermicelli with grilled pork, fresh vege & fish sauce
(I love this so much! 5 stars)

Bánh tráng trộn: Rice paper salad

The best restaurants don't have to look the best or cost the most.
HCM is a really a good place where you can enjoy quality with cheap money.

This is an old apartment which they turned into a building of cafes.

The Café Apartment

Partea: some fancy tea place, you get to choose your own tea cups

Bò lá lốt: Beef wrapped in betel leaf (left)

Bánh xèo: Sizzling pancake

A simple place by the roadside for supper

I could not understand a single thing during mass!
Haha should go to the Notre Dame instead, they have English mass there :)

Church choir dressed in Áo dài 

Post office! I'm now tanned after this picture haha jk

Reading is a culture in VN.
Their book advertisement are made with thought like this :)

Book street, nearby Notre Dame Cathedral

Trying the smelly food of Vietnam:
Bun Dau Mam Tom
(bad smell is due to the shrimp paste dip)

Horse Chess - I play this game so badly because it requires so much luck

On my last night, round 1: shellfish 

Round 2 was at the riverside with this view *love*

As I was watching the nightview, suddenly heard this girls shout and tadaaa
they surprised me with a cake and sparklers. Sooo thougtful and sweet

Round 3 at a local karaoke

Virtual reunion!!!

Xôi: Sticky rice

They sell yummy Bánh mì here, too good that I forgot to snap 

:)

Vietnamese cold dessert:
pretty similar to Malaysian Ice Kacang & Philippines' Halo Halo

Thank you family, for having me and the warm hospitality

Till we meet again!

Upon reaching home, I felt really tired but fulfilled from a memorable and precious weekend. Super thankful, that I get to experience such warm Vietnamese hospitality - super well taken care of and my itinerary was sooo filled and enriching. Thank you for bringing me to where the locals go, for making sure I make the most out of my time in VN, even skipping class and taking leave to spend time with me...

I am eternally grateful and allow me to return the favour someday!

x,

Kish

An unexpected gap year. Part II

I'll start this with Bob Marley's quote: 

'You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have,'.

Fave spot at home in Manila -
to read books, work on my laptop and occasional journal-ling

Exercise became a lifestyle

I knew that I needed to give myself motivation to wake up every morning. So, I promised myself to jog every morning - and that is how I gladly stumbled upon a Zumba class in the neighbourhood. Almost every morning, I was present and it always filled me with good vibes - endorphins and dancing to happy tunes :)) I was one of the youngest zumba participants (along with my cousin when she was free to join) but it was totally ok hehe. Best thing was that I made friends!!! Titas older than me by 40+ years but they are so sweet. Got really close to this one Tita and she drove me home every time after class and we would drop by church to pray together. 

Scientific studies show that it takes 66 days to build a habit. And thanks to these daily practices, exercise became a daily agenda.

(stolen from Facebook heh).

But... I remember I would go home - help out with chores, have lunch and would feel lost on what to do for the next half of the day. In the early stage, I planned some meetups and would go out. This chill life went on for a little while.

Helped my cousin when she conducted sports lessons for kids

However... I could not be out all day gallivanting. I am not even earning and how can I be out going to meet friends, explore new places, spending money. I kept comparing myself with peers who were progressing with their career/studies - and meanwhile what was I doing with my life? A lot of self doubt, questions and 'why's. 

There was always a voice that resonated in me, 'trust in my plans for you, my child.'

I pushed myself to be productive. Learn Spanish, read books, worked on a side project with some friends. The side project was about commute betterment in Malaysia. 

Translated and memorized some Spanish songs to learn the language,
and this is my favourite one: David Bisbal's Mi Princesa

The startup experience, for social good
In the midst of all this, I started to look for flexible internships - places that were not very strict with the timeline (since I was not sure of how long I could commit). There was this commuting app in the Philippines sakay.ph and I was realllly interested, as it was related to commute betterment = related to the side project I was involved in.

I was sooooo thrilled when they allowed me to join them!!! It is a place where I really got to learn a lot because my coding skills were really really really super basic but my mentor was really patient and helpful. Thank you! :> Oh - also the travel was really hectic everyday - work was in Ortigas and I travel from the south. Crazy EDSA journeys, morning and night. Grateful to P for accompanying me when I headed home.

Oh hello EDSA traffic

Also, no longer fear dogs as much because
Biffy roams around the office
and comes to me while I am doing work haha

Well, I ended this internship mid-December thinking that I was heading home soon. And celebrate Christmas was family. Haha. I was wrong.

So... I got myself into another internship with ASAM.ph, (a GKonomics brand). They are the bridge between marginalised communites and the market. So for example, company uniforms are sewn by the Gawad Kalinga (GK) communities - and are marketed to big firms who need the product. Since it is not easy for GK communities to easily search for clients, ASAM is the middle person!

I am so grateful that I was given a chance to be with them although I could only commit for 2 weeks in the beginning. Got to understand more about social entrepreneurship - the challenges and triumphs that come with it, personally speak to people from the community.

Stock-take day

Visiting the sewing community in Baseco

Smokey Mountain on my last day with ASAM

From these two experiences, I observed that the startup culture differs from the big and established firms. In a startup, I get to meet everyone in the team more easily, and the team is usually smaller and thus tends to be more close-knit. Maybe flexible working hours? And!!! Got to experience working in co-working spaces. I realised that beautiful working places are actually conducive for the mind too :)

These two experiences mean so much to me and I believe it has molded me to be a person with more empathy, grit, gratitude for my privileges, and a yearning to find purpose in my career path. 

Truly, God has better plans, He knows our every need. 

Kitchen Exposure lol

If you know me, you know that I rarely enter the kitchen and... I am clueless about basic steps of cooking. Haha. At home in Manila, I learnt some recipes from my uncle and yay - I made one of the food (zaalouk) yesterday at home. Being at the kitchen helped me improve my knife skills too. Hehe no longer just doing the dishes but I can help with meal prep now!!! 

A weekend afternoon at the outdoor kitchen

Weakest point when I had dengue

Thank you Tita Doc for the blood tests, drips and numerous pocari sweats to keep me alive.

Hello needles

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As I reflect on all that has happened, this experience has definitely made me a stronger person, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. If I entered the working sphere right after graduation, I would have another outlook on life perhaps - but I am grateful for the bearing I have now.

When all seems impossible and you want to give up, remember that that is the last point you have to reach for all to get better. You reach the lowest point to bounce back. I remember that was how I motivated myself. 'Kishia, you are going through this now, because the battle is almost done. God wants to give you a last sprint, and all will be alright'

I also learnt to cherish the opportunity I have - I used to think it comes easy - aiya, Malaysia is home and I've been here all along - should be no problem. But truly - nothing can be yours forever - so cherish it when it is given to you

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I owe this little triumph to all the wonderful people around me, who have been a great source of support and love. So thank you very much!!! Love love love you. 

And to the Father above who knows everything ahead of me and takes care of all of us, thank You!!! Continue to be with me as I step into a new chapter of my life :)