Beauty of Kyrgyzstan - Places we visited in Issyk-Kul Region

Beautiful nature in the land of Kyrgyzstan :)

Here we are!!! Let me share with you the wonderful nature in the land of Kyrgyzstan :)

Broken Heart - Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

On our way from Karakol to Bokonbayevo Village, we passed through few places, mostly beautiful nature that were not to be missed!!! First, we stopped by to see a large cliff that looked like a heart broken into two, that was why it was called the "broken heart". 

Djety-Oguz or "Seven Bulls" Rock Formation in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

Soon after, we stopped again to see the 35km length Djety-Oguz (in Kyrgyz language, it means "seven bulls" since the rock formation composed by tertiary (Paleogene) reddish deposits shaped just like it. There were many legends about the this rock formation, so with the 'broken heart' and they had become the symbols of the Issyk-Kul region and favorite images for photographs and paintings (As to say: "If you have not seen it yet, means you have not been to Issyk-Kul region").

Sea buckthorn tree - Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

Not far from here, we saw many sea buckthorn trees on the side of the road. Our driver stopped by and cut one of the branch full of it and gave it for us to eat when we reached to our next accommodation. Remember the last post where Issyk-Kul Brand Shop was one of the must visit places in Karakol and sea buckthorn juice was one of the local product produced and sold over there? So this was how the fruits and the tree looked like. You could eat it raw and just plucked it directly from the tree.

The first waterfall - Barskoon Gorge, Kyrgyzstan

We drove to Barskoon Gorge and hiked up to see the cascading waterfalls named as "Tears of the Leopard," "White Beard," "Splashes of Champagne," and "The Bowl of Manas", named after the legends. So many legends to be found here in Kyrgyzstan. The above photo was the first waterfall we visited, which was also the nearest and easiest to reach.

"Tears of the Leopard Waterfall" - Barskoon Gorge, Kyrgyzstan

The "Tears of the Leopard" came from the story of the female leopard cried when she lost her three children while went hunting. The tears then became a waterfall with three ledges. This was the second waterfall we visited, said to be the most beautiful one among the three. Here, you could see the beautiful Tian Shan furs (spruce-like trees) and barberry trees (you could see the barberry fruits on the picture above :)).

One of the two Yuri Gagarin monuments at Barskoon Gorge, Kyrgyzstan

We saw one of the first astronaut's monuments in the area - Yuri Gagarin - as he often visited this place, spent some time here to recover from his mission to space.

Horses for rent - Barskoon Gorge, Kyrgyzstan

The view was really beautiful. The air was fresh. Nature was all you could see. You could pay and ride the horse if you wanted to. I chose to hike instead as I had been eating too much and needed to do some exercise :D

All these places were located near the Issyk-Kul Lake, one of the largest and deepest mountain lakes in the world that did not freeze even in the coldest winter, surrounded by the beautiful Tian Shan mountains. You could check the Kyrgyzstan map out and see how big the lake was and where were the places I mentioned located. And wherever we went, we could see the beautiful Tian Shan following us.

Royal Gate Yurt - Issyk-kul, Kyrgyzstan

The above photo was one of  the yurt camps that were available for rent (quite a new one), overlooking the lake and also the snow capped Tian Shan mountain range. We stopped there to have our lunch and I had a chance to see the view inside the yurt. Most yurt was equipped with personal bathroom (unlike some who had separate share bathrooms and toilets). You could see yourself how beautiful it was!!!

Skazka Canyon or the Fairy Tale Canyon - Kyrgyzstan 

And before we moved to our "private rent" yurt camp (since it was only us stayed in the area for the night), we headed to one last beautiful nature of Kyrgyzstan called the Skazka Canyon or known as "Fairy Tale Canyon". 

Skazka Canyon or the Fairy Tale Canyon - Kyrgyzstan

Skazka Canyon or the Fairy Tale Canyon - Kyrgyzstan

This was the place where you could see the limestone clusters, bulging sandstone and the colorful soil, one of the best destinations to visit in Kyrgyzstan. If you plan to visit Kyrgyzstan, this place is a must visit place!!! 

With our lovely guide - Ms Aisuluu at Skazka Canyon, Kyrgyzstan 

Formed as a result of thousands years of ice, water and wind erosion, this magnificent desert like landscape had transformed into an array of sculptures and formations, where red, yellow, orange and brown spires of rocks rise out of the earth and into the sky.

Talking with stone - Skazka Canyon, Kyrgyzstan

Skazka Canyon or the Fairy Tale Canyon - Kyrgyzstan

At this point of time, you could see all the photos I took, it was like I was the only visitors of this magnificent place and it seemed like those produced for the post cards, weren't they? We were very lucky and grateful indeed because there were not many visitors visiting this place when we were there. I mean, some area was small and meant to be climbed in a very small group of people. I could not imagined how it would be if a big group of people visiting this place at the same time.

You need to wear shoes with strong grip as to prevent slippery while climbing. It was not advisable for people who had weak knees. It was advisable to walk with your guide as well since the area was huge. You might get lost if you wander around alone because no signage available. And yes, we were lucky too for the great weather!!! :)

Statue of Sayakbay Karalaev - Kyrgyzstan

We passed by the above statue on our way to our camp. It was the statue of Sayakbay Karalaev - a Soviet and Kyrgyz famous storyteller and manaschi (a reciter of the epic Kyrgyz poem Manas). You could find his face in the 500 som note of Kyrgyz money too :)

Sunset view at Elistet Yurt camp, Kyrgyzstan 

We had a really great time exploring the Skazka Canyon and our driver drove as fast as he could so that we could catch a lovely sunset view from our yurt camp :)

View from our room - Elistet Yurt camp, Kyrgyzstan

We stayed at Elistet Yurt camp, a very beautiful camp where all of our yurts were overlooking to the lake (you could wake up with sunrise view in front of you). The room was very big for 2 of us (they gave us one double and one single bed inside). There was standing jacuzzi inside the big bathroom too where you could take a bath and listen to the radio at the same time.

Overlooking Issyk-Kul Lake - Elistet Yurt Camp, Kyrgyzstan 

Below, we could take the staircase down and visit the lake that were made looking just like a sea or the beach with sands. The mountain views at the side was equally marvelous. Apart from the usual green mountains, you could also see the colorful ranges of mountains :)

Dinner at Elistet Yurt camp, Kyrgyzstan 

They prepared our dinner freshly cooked there. As the appetizer, we were served beef cooked with cucumber, colorful paprika and tomato together with the local bread and butter. A big bowl of chicken soup was perfect for a cooling night (and also for its nutritious value). As main, we were served with white rice and another sautéed beef with vegetables.  

Full moon night at Elistet Yurt Camp, Kyrgyzstan. My favorite photo :)

It was a full moon night. There were cats and dog at the area. This cute and playful kitten entertained us during our stay there. He ran here and there surrounding us. They even wanted to come inside our rooms. Hahahaha... It reminded me of my roommate who ran here and there, trying to shoo the kitten away from entering :D Thank you Claudia for capturing the lovely photo above. Love it so much!! Also for the local beer treat ;P Cheers!!!!

To summarize, let me share this Youtube video "Welcome to Kyrgyzstan" where you can see the beauty of Kyrgyzstan with a lovely music and song :)

Cheers to 20 years, Overcome Life!!! :)

Cheers!!! :)

Just realised now that this blog has been with me for 20 years now. Wow!!! Look how far I have grown and how much memories and moments I have made! It is incredible!!! It is really like a diary, that I can open anytime, to see what kind of event I went through, what mood I experienced, what songs I listened to, what lesson I learned, and so on. 

Life has been good for the past 20 years and of course it is without hiccups in between. Many things I want to forget, many things I still want to do too. I am still grateful for everything, especially for the good health (15 years of SLE and still going strong), only that I prefer a slow life these days with handful of people who are close to my heart. 

Could not believe how many countries I have been to for the past 20 years and that was the drive of living my life to the fullest while my legs still can walk.

I know one day I will be gone from this world. But as long as I live, I will still write what I want to write, express all what I feel. Just as when as I want, have feeling and have time. 

Time to sleep now. Once again, cheers to 20 years reeverking.blogspot. Thank you for being there for me always and all the readers (if you are still there to read my non sense post or just to see beautiful photos that I share).

Wish everyone be blessed with good health and happiness. Take care and smile always :) Hope there will be more decades to go in this blog journey. Cheers.... :)))

Where to go and what to do in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

We spent a night in Karakol. Karakol is the forth largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located near the eastern part of Issyk Kul Lake. It used to be a place where the Russian military outpost founded in 18th century, and also the place where the place where large number of Dungan, the Chinese Muslim fleeing warfare in China. I will share here some of the places that you can visit or things you can do in Karakol.

Holy Trinity Cathedral (Russian Orthodox Church) - Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

1. Visit the Russian wooden Orthodox church called Holy Trinity Cathedral. The building was constructed in 1894-1895, replacing the earlier church that was destructed by the earthquake. During that period, this church was initially built as a chapel for the Russian military personnel. Later on, after the 1917 revolution, it also served as a school, sport hall, theatre, and even a coal store, before it was briefly returned as a church. By 1961, again it was not used as church until the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991. 

The church is beautified with flowers and trees at its surrounding, plus the snow capped mountains view as the background. Inside it was quiet, calm and peaceful. You could grab some wooden souvenir or accessories to bring home afterward. 

Dungan Mosque - Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

2. Visit Dungan Mosque - a mosque built and designed in 1904 by Dungan, the Chinese Muslim, without a single nail and looks resemble like a Buddhist temple. If you visit it in September, the place will look more like a garden with so many beautiful roses beautified the area. Fruit trees like pear, apple, and walnut would be full of fruits too!!! We were lucky that the staff plucking some of the apples and pears to be shared with us. I had them for breakfast next day and it was really wonderful!!! They were juicy, sweet and crunchy, most importantly, organic and grew with TLC (tender loving care) :D

Issyk-Kul Brand Shop - Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

3. Shop local products at the Issyk-Kul Brand Shop - a store that sells natural, high quality handmade products made by local community, such as: honey (Kyrgyzstan is famous for its pure white honey and varieties of honey from Kyrgyz mountains), wool products (bookmarks, wallet, hat, shawl, doll, slippers, bags, etc.), various local fruit juices and jams made of sea buckthorn, barberry, raspberry, walnut, etc., soaps, lip balm, hand cream, paintings, various handcrafts, etc. You can try some of the products before deciding to purchase or not. The store commits to support the local communities with OVOP - One Village One Product concept - to produce, sell, and earn from their products sustainably. You can find more information about the shop here. 

Dinner at Dungan Family House - Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

4. Have dinner at Dungan family house, tasting the dishes that Chinese Muslim would eat on their daily life. We were given a private room where 7 of us could peacefully enjoy our meal. They served 9 different types of dishes plus laghman (handmade pulled noodle - similar with Chinese lamian) as the base to eat the dishes with. The owner's son served us the food personally, explained their cultures and traditions, also origins with us. He could speak a little Chinese too as he went to learn Chinese in China himself, so that he could communicate better with his guests (many Chinese or Chinese Asians guests came and dined at his house). It was a great experience and for us, we could finally have something Chinese in our food after almost a week of mostly Central Asia food on our menus. Hahaha... Something spicy and delicious :D

5. Visit Karakol local bazaar. Unfortunately it had closed by the time we reached Karakol and we did not have time to visit the next day as we still have many places to go. But if you have more days to visit, it will be a great experience to see how it looks like and what types of things they sell over there.

We continued our journey to Bokonbayevo village and on our way, we passed by many places, which I will cover next. Stay tune :)

Koshpendiler Alemi Ethnoaul - The Universe of Nomad - 5th World Nomad Games 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan

Koshpendiler Alemi Ethnoaul (Universe of Nomads): the heritage of the steppes in the center of the metropolis

The Koshpendiler Alemi Ethnoaul or the Universe of Nomad - the heritage of the steppes in the center of the metropolis - was organized at the Kazanat (horse racing) hippodrome. It was the day when we watched the horseback archery competition, we visited the Ethnoaul, which happened to be held at the same place. I had heard about it from the World Nomad Games website, but I had no idea on how it was going to look like.

So I was so thrilled and exciting upon entering the area. They organized it in a way where everyone would be able to immerse themselves in the rich world of the Kazakh people and be acquainted with the original culture of nomadic peoples. It was simply amazing!!! It was just like an open-air museum showcasing the nomadic civilization. No words could describe how lucky we were to experience it in such a short visit in Astana.

Altybakan - Kazakh wooden swing (Ethnoaul in Astana, Kazakhstan)

After checking out our ticket at the main entrance, we saw this big wooden swing, which later on I found out its name to be Altybakan - literally meaning six pillars. The Kazakh swings were built of six pillars. The ends of which were drawn with a strong rope with a cross-pole established on the top, and a pair of ropes for legs and a seat was secured (a big plank of wood). People stood out or sat down on it and swaying front and back. My roommate and I tried swaying on it. Well, it was easier to see than be done. Hahahaha... Perhaps, if we had this during our childhood, we would not have difficulty in swaying it around :P 

Shygys Bazary (Oriental Bazaar) - Ethnoaul in Astana, Kazakhstan

As we walked, we were entering the Shygys bazary (Oriental Bazaar) and smelled the delicious golden flaky Kazakh Samsa with savory goodness!!!Too bad that we just had our breakfast from the hotel. Therefore, we had to give it a miss and continued browsing around. Basically the bazaar was built in a row of yurts (nomad tents) - restaurants or cafes inside the tents - where people could taste the local authentic Kazakh national dishes, snacks, and delicacies.

Sheberler Auyly (Village of Craftsmen) - Ethnoaul in Astana, Kazakhstan

We passed by the Sheberler Auyly (village of craftsmen) where you could purchase a variety of souvenirs. It was said that more than two hundred artisans from all over the country would present their unique products and share the secrets of their craft.

Outdoor music performance from Atyrau and Almaty Region - Ethnoaul in Astana, Kazakhstan

The things that I found it most interesting there were the display of different styles of ethno-tent, which came from different regions in Kazakhstan. People were wearing their beautiful and colorful traditional dresses, completed with the head, shoes, accessories, and they were singing, dancing, playing the musical instruments, inside and outside, welcoming the guests from all over the world to visit their tent. They displayed their animals too, such as the Tazy hunting dog, hunting eagle, etc. Not only that. They were even displaying their food, and let us try their local delicacies, everything that were on display.

Beautiful eagle and handsome owner :D - Ethnoaul in Astana, Kazakhstan

For the photo below: Initially they were outside the tent. So we asked them if we could take a photo together. After taking photo, they invited us to enter their tent. Inside, there was a display of their local food. Again, we took a group photo inside. Then, they asked us to taste their food, whatever we wanted. This warm hospitality was called "konakas" - a tradition of hospitality by providing the guest with the most delicious food and do everything to make them feeling safe and comfortable. 

Inside the Kostanay-tent - Flatbread, varieties of kurt (dried cheese), horse and camel milk, etc. - Ethnoaul 

Wow!!! I heard about their hospitality before I came here by reading the article online, but I never expected that they really offered their food from inside the tent. I thought that it was only for display.

There were so many varieties of snacks and food, with some that I never tasted before, on the table, such as: kumys (mare's milk), shubat (camel's milk), kurt and its varieties (Kazakh dried cheese) - including the colorful ones, qazi - traditional Kazakh horse meat sausage that only the wealthy could afford in the past, dried fruits (apricots, raisins, dates), nuts (walnuts), zheti shelpek - the round flatbread, roasted in oil, "bauyrsaq” - a round or diamond-shaped doughnut - a symbol of brotherhood, unity, and abundance, butter, cheese, samosa, etc. 

If you never heard before, the traditional Kazakh cuisine revolved around lamb and horse meat, as well as a variety of dairy milk products. It was our second day of the trip and we had not tasted the horse meat yet because we did not know how it tasted like. We worried that if we ordered it in the restaurant as a dish, and if it happened not nice, then we would waste the whole dish. So when they offered us to try it, we did not hesitate a single second and gave it a try to it immediately!

Inside Kostanay tent - Shuzuk and qazi - horse meat delicacies tasting. Yum!!!! - Ethnoaul in Astana

I tried both kumys and shubat. Kumys was a bit sour. Perhaps they had kept it too long outside and not that fresh. Shubat was ok. Not really my favorite but I was glad that I tried. Then we tried all things in the plate that contained kurt (dried cheese). Some a little bit salty, some hard, some soft. Nice experience!

Then, it was the horse delicacies or qazi. I tried 2 types. First the one shaped like a cut sausage, but inside was lots of yellow fat. Another one also like a cut sausage, but more like mixture of meat and fat. If I was not wrong, it was called shuzuk. They usually smoked and dried it, and served it in slices as an appetizer. It was made by combining the rib meat and fat in an intestinal casing. Interesting right? Moreover, I was surprised that it tasted reaaaalllyyyy gooodddd..... hahahaha... really tasty!!! From there onwards, we ordered horse meat dishes a lot when having our meals in Kazakhstan :D They entertained us by singing and playing dombra - a long-necked musical string instrument - after that. 

Wedding ceremony from Karaganda Region + Shashu - scattering candies - Ethnoaul in Astana, Kazakhstan

In another tent, we experienced another Kazakhstan culture, which was the wedding ceremony that usually performed in the Karaganda region. They showed us the whole processes with music and singing, and at the end, they also performed "shashu" ritual, literally meaning 'scattering', by tossing out sweets, dried cheese, chocolates, etc. at the end of the ceremony, while reciting “nūr zhausyn” (may the light of heaven fall upon you). This ritual was done as a symbolic act of wishing everyone wealth and happiness. 

Dumandy dala (joyful steppe) concerts at Ethnoaul in Astana, Kazakhstan

We also had a chance to watch the Dumandy dala (Joyful Steppe) concerts representing the best regional groups from all over the country, consisting the ethno-folklore ensembles, Kazakh national orchestras, soloists, dance groups in the traditional ethnic style, poet reading, and so on. Btw, I was almost mistakenly that I had met Abai Qunanbaiuly, a very famous Kazakh poet, composer, philosopher, and also a founder of the modern Kazakh literature.

My Almaty's guide thought I saw his ghost. Hahahahaha.... It turned up that he had passed away long long time ago back in 1904, but Kazakhs people considered Abai, through his nationalism poetry, as one of the first cultural heroes to penetrate the surface of the entirety of their national awareness and the one who opened up Kazakhstan to many opportunities for education and philosophical diversity.

450 Kurak-korpe recorded in the Books of Records of Kazakhstan - Ethnoaul at Astana, Kazakhstan

At the ethno village, one of the unique events took place and I was lucky for witnessing the 450 Kazakhstani seamstresses breaking the world record by embroidering a patchwork blanket (1.5m x 90cm kurak-korpe with same size, technique, pattern, ornament and color scheme), when joined together, formed one huge beautiful carpet measuring 252m x 40m - included in the Book of Records of Kazakhstan "KINES", and nominated for the International Guinness Book of Records. 

Various Kazakh souvenirs from different regions - Ethnoaul at Astana, Kazakhstan 

And more artisan souvenirs from the Sheberler Auyly (Village of Craftsmen) at the photo above. 

There were a lot more things to see and experience but too bad we did not have so much time to spare. It opened from 8 to 13 September though. If I were to visit on my time, I would browse the tent one by one and experience everything there and immersed myself in the beautiful culture of Kazakhstan (also beautiful and handsome looking people of Kazakhstan) Hahahahaha.......

Seriously!!!! Since we landed in Astana airport, we had already felt amazed with the beautiful and handsome looking people of Kazakhstan as many Nomad Games volunteers were waiting there to fetch their guests. You could witness it yourself from the photos I shared in my blog ;)

More photos - Ethnoaul in Astana, Kazakhstan 

So, I hope you enjoy reading this and could imagine yourself how it looked like if you were there by just reading this. Bye for now :)

Let's be active and healthy!

Health quote (Pic source: Google.com)

As a fellow Singaporean, I feel very grateful that we have a government that takes care of its citizens well being, as well as health. In this matter, I want to spread this information as far as possible, so that more fellow Singaporean, permanent resident, employment pass holder or work permit holder aged 17 years and above can benefit from the exercise events that you can find out from the Healthy 365 app. 

Despite being Singaporean for almost two decades, I only started joining the event last week. Hahaha... It is never too late though. I believe, there are still many more who do not even know or aware about such benefits. What I am talking about is the free exercise programs that are available all over this tiny island and country.

Sample of Healthy 365 app

First of all, I hope by now you have downloaded the Healthy 365 app on your mobile phone, and also have collected points from many sources, such as steps that you walk every day, minutes from your physical activities (MVPA - Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity), number of hours of your sleep, points collected from healthy meals, drinks, desserts or groceries that you purchased from various shops by joining the Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy Challenge 2024 and National Steps Challenge.

Fyi, the Sleep Tracking Challenge has ended on 31st May 2024, so there is no longer needed to wear your digital watch when you sleep.

And from those points that you collect, you can redeem it to various eVoucher. From as low as 150 points, you can exchange it to a S$1 SimplyGo eVoucher (for those who do not know, SimplyGo is a travel card - can be used to pay for public transport such as: MRT and bus). You can use your point to donate to various organizations too, such as: Community Chest, SGH Needy Patients Fund. You can buy soya bean drinks, bubble tea, and many more. For me, I usually change my points to the FairPrice eVoucher - the supermarket voucher. I can buy more healthy food as a result - fresh fruits and vegetables.

I used to use the app up to this point only.

Sample of Healthy Workplace Ecosystem (HWE) events - Healthy 365

Last week my friend messaged me and asked if I ever joined their exercise program. She sent me one of the exercise events that is held at my office building. I told her, so far I had not joined any yet. I heard about those events from my Boss last year. However, when I tried to find suitable programs around my areas, I did not know how to search. Feeling hopeless, I never pursued it any more.

But this time, since the exercise event that she told me was just being held above my office, so I thought, why not? I did not even know that there was such events at this building. So that day, I brought the exercise mat (as they did not provide) and joined my first Pilates for free. Yes, it was free!!! All the programs stated there, were provided free and led by professional and experienced instructors.

As you can see the above, they have this so called Healthy Workplace Ecosystem (HWE), usually located near office buildings or city area, so that office workers can join the activity after work instead of going back home. Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, Cardio Dance Fitness, KpopX Fitness, Piloxing, Line Dance, Steel Combat, Dance Remix, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) - are some of the exercise programs they offer. You can see the level of intensity of the training from that page too so you can have a mental preparation before registering the event.

It was perfect for me! I heard about Pilates since long time ago but I never gave it a try. There is classes being held but usually it comes with a price (nothing is free for those private health centers). Even when my friend told me the above, I was still hesitating as I worried that I might not be able to follow - since I never tried it before. But she encouraged me to give it a try. So, I thanked her for her support and encouragement that I finally gave it a try. Perhaps I may try other type of exercises too since it was opened to public and it was free. From the trial, then I can decide which one to keep joining and which one to let go. Isn't it fantastic??? :)

How to check exercise events at Healthy 365 App

Apart from those located near workplaces, I could also find activities nearby my home. How to find? From the Healthy 365 App, click "Explore" at below page and click "Events". You can type the area where you live in or nearby you. Here, I typed "Punggol". But Punggol is big, so is Jurong, Tampines, and other parts of Singapore. To find a more specific area, I click "Map View" Here I could use my fingers to move the map around and find the location nearby my home. 

The blue pins indicate the place where the exercise events being held. So I can just click on the blue pins, and the name of the place will appear at below, then I click "View events at location".

Healthy 365 App

The above left page will appear. There, you can see which day and date, what type of exercise, level of intensity, for who, and so on. For details, click on that event and the right page will appear. If you are interested and want to join, click "Book now" below.

So, there are many ways to search for the suitable exercise and location that you want. Once you click Book now, they will send an email for your as confirmation. If you are unable to go, you have to cancel it beforehand, otherwise there will be penalty - and it also gives other people chance to join that empty slot. Fyi, Active Ageing means for people age 65 and above.

This way, you can have as many exercise as you want and all at the convenient of your fingertips. 

You can check the Health Hub website here to find out government programs for the healthier Singapore, not only physically, but also mentally. 

So, are you ready for your next exercise event??? I hope this post can benefit you and motivate you to exercise more in your daily life. Jia you!!! :)

Coldplay Concert - Thought and Experience

Coldplay 'Music of the Spheres' (Pic source: Google.com)

Just 2 days ago I had a chance to attend the Coldplay 'Music of the Spheres" world tour. There were 6 concerts held in Singapore (23, 24, 26, 27, 30 and 31st January 2024). It was a big hoo haa when the tickets were being sold in more than 7 months ago. People was trying very hard using multiple gadgets, some even took leave from work (some took MC or sick leave) in order to get the ticket.

I heard about this band group long time. I love listening to music (and their songs) but I did not really put attention on who sang it, just like I watched many movies and dramas, but I did not know who starred it. I just listened, watched, and got entertained. Did not really give more attention on who played it. 

Other than being entertained, I listened to music for various reasons, such as: to lift my mood up (especially in the morning as I got myself ready to start my day - usually inside the toilet while poo or taking a bath), to calm my mind (especially when studying, preparing exam, getting ready to work or starting my day activity), to heal (from the broken hearts - mostly, from separation from loved ones), to motivate myself (from bad mood, bad occasions, or to get ready for something - new job, new class, etc.), to accompany my journey (I spent lots of time in the public transport and flights, so it was a really good accompany), also perfect companion when exercising alone (while running, walking, cycling, etc.), to express what I feel (many lyrics suited my mood - it could affect both ways - feeling more emo or stronger), to bring happiness (how many of you would suddenly smile when listening to song lyrics? heart thumping? suddenly knocking fingers following the beats? or shaking legs following the rhythm?

Chris Martin - Coldplay Singapore 2024

From this concert, I found out more benefits from the music. First, it brought people together. 52,000 people was there in the stadium. We all came from different countries, nationalities, religions, race, languages, background, and many more. But we all went there for one reason - to listen to music that Coldplay played!!! Wasn't it wonderful???

The concert was also one way to express what you felt (by singing along, dancing and moving your body with the music, by shouting out loud - really a way to release your stress too and forget about anything else that happened in your daily life - the job that you hate, the never-ending assignments and exams in school, family problem, relationship problem, etc. 

At mid forties, having been living in Singapore for more than two decades, I had only attended one concert before this, one of my favorite duo singers - Air Supply - which was held a long time ago, in an indoor old Kallang stadium (before renovation). That too, I attended because my husband and I got free tickets.

Despite living in a country with endless lists of world bands and musician performances and concerts, I used to tell myself that there was no need to spend substantial amount of money just to go and listen the 1-2 hours of music. I mean, I could just turn on the music in my mobile phone if I wanted to hear their songs. Why should I fight the battle to get the ticket so many months earlier, pay an exorbitant amount of money to get a good seat, and the enjoyment was only last shortly? I had to face a mass crowd upon entering and leaving the premises too. So, that was why I had never attended a paid concert before.

But this time it was different .I just felt that the Universe conspired to make me to attend this concert. To begin with, I met up with an old friend from the school in beginning of January this year. We had not met for over two decades (since we graduated and parted our ways). He currently worked organizing the food and beverage stalls whenever there was event in Jakarta. So he was familiar with concerts. He too had a pair of teenager twins and a younger boy. Despite their ages, the twins often requested him and his wife to attend the Korean bands' concert. 

I, who only attended one concert before, was having no experience or whatsoever with these days concerts and its related matters. As we chatted, we was talking about the light stick, that people bought to attend their favorite bands' concert. At that point of time, I could only imagine what light stick would look like and I thought it was just a stick with some photo label and name of the band and could produce some lights. Little did I know that the stick that produced lights was synchronized with the songs played during the concert and why people would buy it even if the cost was very expensive!!! One light stick, he mentioned, cost him one million rupiah (S$85) in Indonesia. In Korea, it might cost around S$50. So some people tried to get the cheaper one from online shopping stores, and they might get the fake or counterfeit ones. And how did he know if it was fake, was when that light stick would produce different light color from what was synchronized with the real ones. Lol!!! So when it supposed to be red or blue or green, that fake light stick might produce yellow or white. So, it would be obvious for people to find out that it was actually fake. Lol!

We continued our conversation. He mentioned that in one concert where various bands came and performed, the audience who sat not far from his wife, brought various light sticks (one light stick for each band). Wow!!! That audience must be a damn rich die-hard fans!!! Hahaha... 

Seat location - Coldplay Concert Singapore Stadium (Pic source: Singapore Sport Hub)

Little did I know that in less than a week later, my sister-in-law said that she had an extra ticket of Coldplay concert to sell, but it was a single seat, which mean that if I was to purchase it, I would be sitting alone during the concert (She bought 6 tickets that was located in one area, sitting side-by-side, and 1 ticket that was located in another area, and only 1 seat. She bought it initially as she thought my nephew in Hong Kong would want to come to Singapore to attend it, but at the end he could not).

I heard about how good the Coldplay concert was. I mean, they came to Singapore before and I had close friend who loved attending it, as I saw his Instagram posts. I too knew how lovely their songs were. So, when she offered that extra ticket, I immediately said yes to the ticket, even before she showed me the location of my seat. It was S$134/ticket (still within my budget - I mean, I never put any budget for concert at all, but I felt that S$100 plus ticket was in fine range for me. Her was  S$200+/ticket. She already said that my seat was a bit far for that price range, which was fine for me because I did not even have the intention to watch at the first place and did not have much expectation on it. Just want to go there, be there, enjoy the show, experience it myself, get myself happy, have fun with the rest of the audience, and yes, I paid her immediately on the same day.

The concert was only two-week away and I felt that I had to get myself ready. Hahaha... 'Get ready' here means to get myself familiar with the Coldplay songs. Like I said earlier, I heard many of their songs before without knowing it was them who sang it :D So I downloaded their popular songs (20 of them) and put them into my mobile phone. I listened to eat on my way to and from work, whenever I was in toilet, and so on.

I felt that was not enough. I needed to get their lyrics too! Because I wanted to know the song in more depth and also I wanted to sing along during the concert :D So, I copied it from google and pasted it into my Samsung notes one song by one song so whenever I needed it, I could open it faster and easily. It proved to be very useful!!! :) I used them during the concert and sang along confidently hahahaha.... even my brother was surprised that I knew the song lyrics of particular song that he was not aware about.

On the day of the concert, again the Universe heard me. I was tired and did not have enough sleep the night before as I had to attend the night class. That day, my Boss came to office to have her quick lunch. At 2.30pm, before she left the office while opening the office door to leave, she told me this out of the blue, "Rim, today if you have nothing, you can go back early. It is a festive mood (Chinese new year is coming soon and she was busy preparing it - shopping here and there, and therefore, she was in good mood too that particular day)." I could not believe my ear when she said that. I just needed it!!! Time off early so that I could go home and rest (because the concert would only start at 8.30pm and I usually finished my work at 5pm. The gate opened at 6.30pm. So if I had to finish work at 5pm, it would be impossible for me to go home first and go to the concert place as to reach home itself, I would require at least 45 mins and to go to concert place would be another 45 minutes. Stayed idle in between would be tiring). Wahhh...... thank to the Universe for hearing my wish... I went home at 3pm. I managed to sleep for an hour, had quick dinner at home before leaving to the concert place. 

Coldplay Concert - View from my seat :)

I reached there in time with my brother and his families. We entered together and took some photos before we parted to our gates (we sat facing each other). To my surprise, my seat was actually good. Yes it was far from the stage and located at higher level, but I could have greater view (more complete view) of the stadium. I mean, with the light that synchronized in the bracelet that we were lent during the concert (we could actually bring it home, but they would appreciate if we returned it back to them so that they could recycle and use it for their next concert), I would be able to see more colorful lighting effect from my seat.

The person who sat on my left and right was also seated single seat, just like me. One came with her friend who was seated at the other side. Hahaha... I was not alone :D

Cut it short, the concert was awesome!!!! I loved it very much!!! Maybe it was my first time to attend world class concert, so I had nothing to compare (and as you all knew, comparison was a thief of joy!!!). And I was awed with the performance, the lightings, the music equipment, the arrangements (to control crowds and people to their seats, offer help with directions, facilities, etc.), and even the audience, everything was great!!! I was glad I was there, very lucky indeed, and million memories - although seating alone - would remain at the back of my head. 

In the future, I would love to attend again, not just Coldplay, but maybe some other amazing singers and or bands, with world class standard :D 

Current Purpose of Life :)

The scenic view of MBS and CBD area of Singapore

As some of you had already known, I was no longer a full-time traveler now. The job was kinda tying me down to remain staying in Singapore city. I had no problem of staying here at the country as I had traveled enough for the past two years after the pandemic had eased down.

Starting this month, however, I had another kind of life, a life that I used to lead. Out of nowhere, I received messages from many of my good friends who were staying overseas. They informed me that their friend, or their cousin, or their spouse, or their family, or themselves were coming down here for a short trip of many different purposes. Some was for holiday, some for working, some for other foreign country Visa appointment, some for attending religious purposes, and so on.

I was very grateful that they all still remembered me, despite we had not met each other again for quite a long time (since before pandemic, or and many years before that). As long someone went over here, they would think of me. I was very happy with their remembrance of my presence here. Many would even ask and offer if I had anything that I wished to have from their home country. Such a sincere heart touched my heart.

Since last year, many of my Bhutanese friends flew to Australia for studying and or working. There were lots of them. I felt like 80% of them were there to experience a different kind of lives. But the rest of 20% was still remaining in Bhutan and led their lives like usual, and some with changes happening through their lives due to some circumstances. And those whom contacted me of the arrival of their acquaintance, mostly were residing still in Bhutan.

Lao Pa Sat - It's Tiger time!!! Cheers...

So, once in a while, with their visits, I would have a chance to meet up with them. If they stayed longer, we would have more chances to meet and if I was free, I would be able to accompany them to visit some of the Singapore tourist attractions. However, they would usually follow my plans (which usually traveling in budget) by visiting places that required no admission tickets to purchase. It would both save our pockets while we still could enjoy the beautiful scenery of Singapore city.

Personally I felt that the prices of the tickets to those tourist attractions had increased a lot and very expensive. E.g. visit to Singapore zoo would cost S$48 per pax, while visit to both zoo and River Wonder or Bird Paradise would cost S$88 per pax. There might some % of discount offer, but it was still expensive for me. SEA aquarium would cost S$32 per pax. If you were coming alone, it was fine and especially if you had never experienced going such place. But if you came with family (spouse and children), that would cost quite a lot!

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple - Little India

So usually, I would not bring them there. They could visit on their free time. But under my guide, I would bring them to see Singapore beautiful city scenery like to see the famous Merlion statue sprouting water from its mouth, the view of Marina Bay Sands, CBD (Central Business District) area, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, to specialty areas like Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street, and so on.

Apart from guiding them on how to go around Singapore by themselves, I could also advise where to buy things they wanted to buy, where and what to eat (different categories of food providers here, such as: hawker center, food court, and restaurant), and even took beautiful pictures for them (as I was blessed with quite good quality of camera phone). Compared with usual Singaporean citizen, I was sure that I was good enough to provide such hospitality to my dear overseas friends. Hahahahaha..... In a way, I was still travelling, but domestically and within the country ^^

This post was not written for me to show off, but to share with you my activities lately as I had to remain staying in Singapore and no longer became the full-time traveler. And I never asked them for money nor tips of my service hahahaha... but they usually showed their gratitude and appreciation by giving me gifts from their home country. So, thank you very much for your kind thought and gesture lah :)

I had a chance to browse the country as a guide and tourist, exercised my legs, challenged my brains on what to do, where to go, how to go, and so on, like took it as some form of exercising both physical and mind, becoming an active individual rather than just staying at home, doing nothing or just watching some dramas.

Beautiful scenery of the Garden by the Bay at night

That was also why I chose to settle down here in Singapore - for their geographical situation, for their safety to go around day and night, for their convenient public transports and accesses, for the free shows offered to both local and tourists in some places, for the government and political stability situation, and so on. The only downsize was that it all came with a price (the increasing cost of everything here - food, transport, utility, services, tax, etc.)

Still, I felt grateful and thankful. Well, that was the post for the day! Hope you all found your purpose in life too apart from living a mundane everyday life. Wish you all a great weekend and F1 weekend is here!!! Those who came to Singapore for this special event, have a great time ahead!!! Ciao!!!