Pummkin’s Pitch

The call has come to unite & stand for justice in our country. When I began to pray, God showed me these verses in the Bible the moment I opened the Book. He has answered & He will begin the cleansing & deliverance!

When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand, to trample My courts?
Bring no more vain sacrifice; incense is an abomination to Me; the new moon and sabbath, the going to meeting; I cannot endure evil and the assembly!

Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me; I am weary to bear them.

And when you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do good; seek judgment, reprove the oppressor. Judge the orphan, plead for the widow.

Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD; though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. How has the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers.

Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water; your rulers are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves a bribe, and is pursuing rewards; they do not judge the orphan, nor does the cause of the widow come to them. And the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, the mighty One of Israel, says, Alas! I will ease Myself of My foes, and avenge Myself of My enemies.

And I will turn back My hand on you, and purge away your dross as with lye, and take away all your alloy. And I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning; afterwards you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her returning ones with righteousness.

And the downfall of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together; and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be ashamed for the gardens which you have chosen. For you shall be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like a garden that has no water.

And the strong shall be like tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall put them out. Isaiah 1:12 - 31

This article was published in the Virtual Malaysia magazine that’s distributed to all of Tourism Malaysia’s offices worldwide & is a culmination of my travel experiences to stay safe as a female, sometimes solo traveller. Hope it can help you plan a safer trip wherever you may be going!

As much as we would like to have a safe and fuss-free travel, not every situation is preventable no matter how careful you are. So prevention is always better than cure. What this guide was designed to do is to give you a precautionary measure before and during your travel. You may think that misfortune only happens to somebody else; but to others, you are somebody else!

Before Travel

• Scan all credit cards, airline tickets, passports and important documents, front and back and inside front cover and stored online in your email for easy retrieval should you lose them and need to produce verification.

• Jewellery and luggage and all valuables should be photographed prior to trip. If you don’t need them, it is better to NOT bring them.

• Get your cash from the ATM and change your currencies a day earlier and as you wouldn’t want to be a target on the move.

• Keep your cash in separate places, in your wallet for easy access and in a travel sling wallet on your neck or a secret compartment in your belt.

• Pack medical prescription plus first aid in a kit & some in your hand carry luggage. You’ll never know when you may need an antacid, paracetamol or anti-histamines.

• Carry a small LED torch with you. These are super bright and battery lasts for much longer on a set of batteries than those with conventional bulb. Can be handy when there is a blackout or when you get stuck in a lift or end up in somewhere dark. Anything that has 150 lumens (brightness) and above will be good. Sometimes you may want to check out if there are stalkers around the corner while you do a short surveillance with the long range torch.

• Have a GPS with you and learn how to use it prior to travel. Purchase maps of the country/place you are visiting and install them before you leave. It would give you an idea how far you are from your intended destination.

• Get a directory of breakdown service, in case your car breaks down.

During Travel

• At the airport, have your laptop bag placed on your lap and not in between your feet. If you have to, loop the strap around your leg. Syndicates work to distract you then steal.

• Make sure the person in front of you has cleared the detector before you put anything on the conveyor belt. You must delay putting your luggage and laptop on the conveyor belt until you’re sure you’ll be the next person through the metal detector. And, as you move through the detector, keep your eyes on the conveyor belt and watch for your luggage and laptop to come through at the other end, while keeping a your eye on what those in front of you are picking up.

• Always bargain the price of a taxi before entering it, even if it has a meter. Always use taxis that are recommended and referred by the hotel you are staying. Be wary of taxis you hail on the street. If you are in the airport, always use the appointed Airport transfer counter to get one with a list of fixed rates such as the Airport Limo (M) Sdn Bhd at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to avoid being fleeced by touts. See the table in the following page.

• Establish with your hotel to give you the name of the person in charge to pick you up. Do not get into any vehicle if the name of the person is different from the intended person. You could be charged with a hefty sum by unscrupulous cheats.

• You may take the KLIA Ekspres, a high speed train instead from KLIA directly to KL city centre (or vice versa) in only 28 minutes and from there, a taxi to your desired location.

• Stay close to your valuables when passing through airport security.

• If you are a single woman on the move, never admit that you are travelling alone. Always say you are meeting your spouse on the flight or at the destination you are going to. Even as you check into hotels, it would be defensive to check in as Mr. and Mrs. to deter unwanted advances.

• If you have important documents or papers, carry them with you; NEVER check in anything that you simply cannot afford to lose. Photocopy your passport, driver’s license and credit cards.

• Look for a parking lot that is well lit and secure. Find out if there’s valet parking and if it will be available when you need it. Use it, even if it costs a little bit more.

• There should be privacy for guests checking in: no one should be able to overhear a name, room number, or other personal information.

• Room numbers should be written on the key envelope, not mentioned aloud or inscribed on the key–this way, anyone finding your key won’t have access to your room.

• Never hesitate to have a hotel personnel escort you to your room.

• Couples travelling together should pack half of their belongings in each other’s bag. In case of missing luggage, both your clothes are still accessible in the remaining bag.

• Upon checking into your room, familiarise yourself with the fire escape plan usually stuck on the door. It pays to know where the nearest fire exits are.

• Leaving the ‘Please Make Up My Room’ sign at the door is an indication of an empty room. The do not disturb sign can make the room seem occupied (especially handy if you leave expensive items inside).

• Check the bills and write the total amount before you sign and return the slip. Phantom amounts has been known to be included in the ‘tips’ section above the total.

• When walking into a lift alone and someone suspicious unexpectedly comes in with you, press any floor other than the floor you are staying on. This decoy method is to prevent anyone from knowing which room you are staying in. Press the alarm if needed. If in doubt, get out before the door closes.

• If you place your carry-on bag on the floor when sitting in a restaurant or other public area, put your foot through the strap; don’t leave it loose.

• In a taxi, pay the driver while you are still inside to get your rightful change. If travelling with your partner, make sure the male is the first to get in and last to get out. Have the driver leave his driver’s seat to remove your luggage from the boot before you get out of the car.

• Use a security cable to lock your laptop to a fixed object in the hotel. If you wouldn’t leave your wallet exposed in the room, why would you leave RM5,000 unlocked?

These are only guidelines to a safer travel. There are no guarantees that you will not be a possible target when you are a tourist anywhere in the world but the more you prepare defensively, the less likely you will suffer the effects of crime. What you apply to prevent being fleeced as a tourist will be useful in your preparation for your future trips.

Going to Koh Lipe used to be treacherous as you would have to pass through the occasional unrest in Southern Thailand before reaching the city of Hadyai. It was often perceived that cowboys ruled the border towns & lawlessness was the order of the day. Instead of travelling 9 hours into Hadyai by bus, 2 hours by van to Pak Bara and 5 hours of boat ride to Koh Tarutao before finally reaching Koh Lipe, I took a solo flight to Langkawi to board a 1 hour speedboat at Awana Porto Malai harbour the morning after.

How the place has changed! The Mat Sallehs, Mat Sallies & even Mat Salahs thronged what used to be a tranquil isle of recluse. I was somewhat, irritated by the crowd, the chaos at the point of waiting for our passports to be stamped by the authorities and the price hike of food at the resorts. I met a friendly Malay chap called Azhar, who had a car rental counter at the airport on the way there as we shared a conversation over our deteriorating state of affairs in Malaysia. He went to the trendy new resort at the end of the beach while I decided to traverse to the west of the island to Sunset Beach with its own fringing reef that I can snorkel over without much stress. Packing a 40litre Deuter backpack, my entourage this time excluded Choffster but had Simba & Monchichi in tow.

Settling in, I dropped in next door to say hello to Barry of Sabye Divers & Flour Power Bakery. Then upon embarking on my cross island adventure, I was shocked to see half the jungle was cleared to make way for development. What used to be the wetlands for the migratory birds was now a barren land with excavators paving the way for roads and more resorts. Horrors, I did not expect to see this.

Consolation was, I had a furry entourage with me wherever I went on the island & wherever I choose to settle. I could be taking shots of sunset for all that matters when these pooches come & settle alongside with me or on me. What a joy! I’m never alone! I had them check out my camera, my pareo, my Crumpler, my hair, it was as if God had it all planned to welcome me. A Rottie greeted me by dropping the frisbee for me to pick up & throw. What do I do with such a mean-looking dog guarding the frisbee??? Nothing, he stepped away beckoning me to take the frisbee anyway. Upon flinging it into the sea, this Rottie ran into the water, fetched the frisbee & swam back! Woohoo! I am definitely not alone! What a dog!

The following day, while snorkelling, I met a German guy named Peter, who had ventured most of Indonesia’s exotic islands & was in Lipe for a fortnight. We had a fantastic, yummylicious seafood dinner at Daya Resort on the beach under the stars. He told me about the things he had encountered during his travels, all the while, showing me pictures on his camera! I must write about the people I encounter on my journeys one day……

Venturing into the sea gypsies’ village, I took pictures of the way of life here. They were fixing their bubus and having a bath by the well & boiling water over a fire, definitely not something that we see in the city.

Apart from falling off a disused hammock on Andaman Beach, there was nothing eventful nor dramatic about this trip. I returned to Langkawi a day earlier only to find that tranquil in my homeland. And I have been to Koh Lipe almost 10 times now, each time with a hurdle to cross or an issue to fix but this time, it was just me, my Crocs, my lion & my monkey.

The rest of the pictures of my travels can be found here:- http://picasaweb.google.com/pummkin/KohLipe2010?feat=directlink

In 2005, I was ranting about where my Valentine would be found so I tested the waters by inviting love letters, or any expressions thereof. Then by bringing my group of performers together, we went out to do crazy things, snapping pictures under bridges and singing on top of our lungs across the lake! The previous year, I held an exam for my group of students with Greg cooking up a storm at his apartment, which sparked off an annual event ever since. In 2006 & the years that followed, we had more celebrations, and this year, I decided to have a sit-down dinner to spice things up for the year.

Given that Valentine’s Day happen to fall on Chinese New Year, I decided to hold it a week earlier. Inviting the usual suspects, and my group of divers who are absolutely single (isn’t it fun?), we had a turnout of 30 people at The Terrace with a proper, 7-course dinner at Fukuharu Japanese Restaurant.

Andrew Sia, the Chief Reporter of The Star, was given the task of the 11th hour, to talk about ‘chivalry’ in modern times. He broke the ice, the notion that chivalry is dead and several misconception of women during the dinner which I thoroughly enjoyed. We had coffee thereafter which carried on till 2:30am before deciding to let everyone reminisce the event at home. What knights they were when meeting us nightingales…..

Life is full of unexpected turns, winding me up in places that I never thought I would be. I’ve met people, been to places and I’ve encountered amazing things that sometimes, they are too unbelievable to mention. And every time, I tell myself that it’s going to get better…..it almost always does! God has closed chapters for me, although sometimes, I wonder why as I haven’t finished them myself but as He opens up new ones, I will go where He leads. At times when I wander away from the grasp of a Father’s hand, I suffer the consequences of disobedience often resulting in pain, hurt, betrayal and disillusionment. Like a prodigal son, I return to the flock, wounded and bruised but not beaten. I learn to treasure the times spent, the lessons learnt and the healing that’s too precious not to receive. When things are not right to begin with, they cannot be the basis of anything. In the absence of truth, there will be voids, be it space or validity, these voids are too great to patch with anything less than the truth, honesty, sincerity, integrity and candour.

Like the cliffs of Uluwatu that plunges into the depths below, serenity can be found when my heart rests at the right place, my mind at the right thoughts and my soul at the right hopes…..

For awhile, work was all I could think about. The inspiration for my work came in that ability to channel something in me into something worthwhile but of late, I seem to have lost it. It must be a creator’s greatest nightmare to experience a blank, an uninspired phase that decelerates everything else in your life. When I encountered a sad occasion at the end of September, a week of crying did me a lot of good. It was almost like a severance. Then I went through my archives of the tens of thousands of photographs I took and picked out a few to elevate my mood and symptomatically treat my signs of withdrawal.

And then things became alright……

Send me some inspiration please…..

The two days that I got to see my eldest sister back in 2005 didn’t count as she was on an urgent mission to see dad in his last days on earth. I had a dive centre to run on an island who’s Indonesian workers were besieged by a wicked management. It had been 11 years in total, that I haven’t seen my nieces nor have I met the additional one to the family. The temperature was freezing by my standards, giving me the chore of wearing leggings underneath my pyjamas, with flannel top plus a hoodie over it. And we haven’t even gone outdoors yet.

My darling nieces have grown and for a change, I got pampered with food as they baked a pumpkin pie and made brownies for me!!! I got tucked into bed at night by Zazi, who’s 13 years old and enjoyed girlie talks with the eldest one of 16 years. They taught me how to rake leaves which I thoroughly enjoyed in their backyard while discovering bunny holes in the ground where they hibernate for winter. My sister would take me to the huge hypermarts during the day while the kids are in school and I spent 7 blissful days with them in Charlotte, North Carolina doing stuff that girls do!! I got to taste my first caramel apple and found a conditioner for my hair that doesn’t fluff it up like a lion’s mane.

My brother in law took us to Billy Graham Library to see the legacy he is leaving behind, the crusades that he rallied in and the magnificent work of God in his lifetime. His wife was buried in the grounds of the property too. The library was scheduled to be closed for renovations during winter and I’m glad I got to visit it.

Nonetheless, 7 days is too short to make up for the 11 years of separation and parting is never easy. I watched the youngest one score in the volleyball championship and made it all the way to be the champions of the season! Ah! The sports’ trait is running in the family after all! The eldest is trying for the swim team while scoring as the top student in her grade. The second one is just as talented to be the top in her grade too, making me miss all their witty and intelligent conversations. I miss them already. The 35hour journey home made me jetlagged for a week. What an opportunity it would be if I would get a chance to spend more time with them.

As soon as the meeting was over, the planning for my next excursion began! The following day, Wolfgang and I, drove to Disney World (yay!). Stepping into a world that’s foreign to mine, the music seems to be emanating from all directions, projecting from the plants, the pillars, the authentic postbox and possibly even the dustbin! Disney has a way with the world he created and he made sure the surround sound really encompassed you! The parade in Orlando, Florida’s fantasy land, had begun as Wolfgang and I walked in, almost running into the crowd to catch the floats that carried my all-time favourite Disney characters!!!

It’s the child in all of us (especially me) to experience Disney once in our lives and this is it! I joined in the parade to dance with Goofy, Mr. Incredible, Donald Duck & the whole host of people celebrating together!

My quest for their autographs had begun soon as the parade was over as we set out to explore the park. There’s nothing like a sunny day with blue skies for photography! The castle’s main corridor was adorned with mosaic pictures & medieval arched ceilings. Walking through it was so surreal!

Staying on till the end of the day where the pyrotechnics was displayed, I sat in the middle of the castle’s courtyard to capture the fireworks……

For the rest of the pictures, you may search www.pummkin.net/gallery

I made it to the meeting! The who’s who, who does what’s what in the world of diving were all there in the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando. I enjoyed the food. Burnt a lot of brain cells talking and convening in the meeting as it challenged my somewhat limited knowledge in technical diving, being a recreational dive instructor. Despite calls to take up technical diving professionally, I still want to maintain my status quo. Two days of intensive debate and discussion. One for Malaysia. We put in the bid to host the next meeting in November 2010. Let’s see what happens then!

RSTC hosted lunch & dinner! Thank you, Julie!

When you walk on a road to a destination that diverges from your destiny, every step becomes increasingly difficult. There was a time when the vision was similar, the paths crossed were timely but differing and misunderstood objectives cause people to grow apart. The grieving has to happen and the mourning of the loss but as time and tide heal the wounds, the dawn of that new day will permutate to your requirements.

The timely assignment to the United States of America saved a week of grief. Being appointed to represent the country again was truly an honour that I felt I had to live up as the ambassador of Malaysia to the ISO Standards Meeting. I made adjustments, huge changes, sold stuff to make sure I would not be lacking in a foreign country, not wanting to be a burden to anyone. Friends were very supportive, buying up whatever I had to let go. Now if only emotional burdens can be bought!

I arrived in Washington D.C. on the 30 November & spent a night at Country Inn, every moment checking for the possibility of snow as temperature fell to 4?Celsius. Fat hopes considering the autumn leaves were largely left on the trees. I picked up those that fell & endeavoured to make bookmarks out of them. The oaks & maples were my favourite. Stuff that might have seemed ordinary, made my heart leap and dance. A tune that only sings when I’m filled with joy. Out in the cold, I went picking maple & oak leaves for keepsake.

The following day, I flew to Orlando. Had to be ready for the ISO Standards meeting with experts from all of world with only ONE representation from Asia and that is, yours truly. I can feel my world changing already…..

The Damai…..

It’s a long hiatus and one that was not intended to be. Almost as soon as I complete a trip, I had to pack and go somewhere else. Back in July, I was blessed with the grand prize for a lucky draw in renewing my subscription to SDAA magazine and I won an 8days/7nights ALL_GIRLS trip to dive Bali’s most luxurious liveaboard, The Damai in September. What an amazing gift from God!

Volcano - Mount Agung

The back of The Damai….

Massage decks

Built in Indonesia to a length of 33 metres by 8 metres wide, it’s a villa on water! With a cruising speed over 8 knots, this beauty accommodates only 8 divers in private cabins with queen or king sized beds and shower with bath tubs! The best thing I liked about this boat was the individual workspace for camera gears! There were two masseurs onboard to give massages anytime of the day or night! Two feeder boats would be used to send us out to the dive sites from the mothership. Navigating from the south at Benoa Harbour in Tanjong Benoa, we cruised all the way north to Menjangan after one dive in Nusa Penida’s SD Point.

Camera Area…..

My bed!

From left:- Sol, Ping, Lorenzo, me, Meijin, Mei.

Periclemenes soror (shrimp) in blue morph

Scorpion leaffish

Huge commensal shrimp on anemone & sand dollar!

Coconut Octopus retracting into shell & using can top to close the opening.

Menjangan is so beautiful and not many people have dived there at night simply because of the distance to the mainland and the ground considered sacred by the locals. With the access by liveaboard, we were able to recce some areas never dived before at night!!! Currents were swift, and before when people tell me about the Bali currents, I used to shrug it off but I’m telling you, the currents are some of the swiftest I’ve ever encountered! I was in my shorts & thermal vest, every metre I drifted in the dark, away from the beam of my torch was an astounding alert as seafans, huge soft corals & hard reefs emerge from nowhere for me to avoid in a matter of seconds! If a shark had been nearby, it would’ve detected my rapid pulses from breathing deeply and swerving to avoid collision. Amidst all that flying underwater, I managed to take some fantastic shots while grabbing onto a rock. I must say it was the most amazing night dive ever!

Got this Emperor Shrimp & Crab on a Sea Cucumber!!!

Lionfish on the hunt…

Dendronephtya sp. soft corals

Huge Scorpionfish!

Spider Crab

Surely Menjangan had to be the best dive site in Bali! We went on to dive Puri Jati, Amed, Tulamben, Liberty Wreck, Seraya Secrets & back to Nusa Penida. The water condition at Nusa Penida was dangerous and after attempting to dive to see the Mola Molas, we aborted due to extreme conditions unfit for diving.

I spent 5 nights on The Damai, diving to my heart’s content with 4 other girls who coincidentally, were all of Chinese descent! Mei & Ping are Malaysian Chinese residing in Singapore, Sol is Chinese Singaporean, Mei Jin is Shanghainese and I’m Nyonya Hokkien who doesn’t speak a word of Hokkien! The following 2 nights were spent in a luxurious villa in Bali called Villa Casis, where we returned to after we shopped and roamed the streets of Legian. The bathtub was handmade in an egg-shape which enclosed me entirely. The room overlooks the pool.

The Villa Casis

The bathroom

The bath tub….

Returning home with tons of pictures, great dive experiences & having met great friends over those 8 days was like a dream come true. Thank you for making this possible, Alberto (owner of The Damai) & Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine!!!

Almost as soon as I got back from Hanoi, I had to certify a group of students in a secret island over the Merdeka Day weekend. With all the reports of whale shark sightings in the area, I was beginning to resign to the fact that perhaps the whale shark is a myth! I have been diving for 16 years and I’ve not seen it! Why?!?!

On our 5th dive which was my 2,209th, we set out to look for it and after 40 minutes hovering in the blue or was it green, due to the unusually high plankton content in the water. Almost given up, we surfaced to get back onto the boat when the boatman shouted for me to backroll into the water as a whale shark was approaching on the surface! Well, as you guessed it, the whale shark is no longer a myth because I had an encounter with TWO!

Walking into a house that resembled the traditional Nyonya Baba house of Melaka was so surreal. In Hanoi, where the Chinese have immigrated & settled, the houses are no different from the olden Chinese houses that we have here except that they have preserved much of the ancient feel by keeping the furniture as is and maintaining the way of life.

We were on our way to get civet poo (weasel, they call it) coffee and passed this quaint house which we paid some dong to get in.

The open space in the middle allowed the hot air to escape in addition to ventilating the whole house with fresh air. Absolutely great. Now if only houses here were made like this, a pool in the middle would suffice!

A constant reminder flashes on my PDA to look into areas which I’ve neglected since shuttling between countries became a weekly affair. Tasting the best that Hanoi had to offer, I actually miss the food in Green Tangerine after I got back. To say that I have not fine dined is not true, to say that I’ve not eaten the best is also not quite right since I have attended dozens of food sampling fares in my line of work as an editor.

Green Tangerine serves the best French cuisine in the whole of Vietnam.

Apart from that, I was also taken to Bobby Chinn’s, another exceptional place with truly the finest foods, tastefully prepared & equally good on the buds.

To complete the Vietnamese dining experience, Indochine was the place to be. Authentic Vietnamese food.

Treats upon treats, I knew I would have to work doubly hard when I get back to lose the pounds that I piled.

Before long, I had my trip to Tenggol, then Bali for 9 days. Now I’ve really got to get myself in the mode to detail my experiences for the rest of the trip! Here’s a short one for now.

When I set my sight on the boats that lay soulfully on the seabed of Pulau Bidung years ago, I never thought I would be interested in how they were sunken. A man called Alcoh Wong, whose son I’ve come to befriend after his demise, was instrumental in detailing the lives of the VBPs - Vietnamese Boat People. I paid a tribute to him here. It would have been great to sit down & detail his experiences with the VBPs had he been alive.

Knowing the journey would have to take me to the roots first, I had to make a trip to Vietnam to soak in whatever I could. Last year in November, I booked ahead for our flights to Hanoi to spend a week discovering the political city ruled by communism. Little did I know what I was in for when we got there. The traffic had its sovereignty given to motorbikes as thousands of them preside over other vehicles. Crossing any road was a nightmare, never had I been so challenged in what seemed to be a part of life, became a kindergarten affair as I screeched across the streets. I soon learnt that you must walk slowly across and the motorbikes will avoid you.

My pivotal point was to take notes as Chien recited the history of the wars that put Vietnam regressively backward as their neighbouring country, Thailand, progressed far ahead. The tours we took to Halong Bay & Tam Coc caves, although they were no connection to what I was looking for, provided a glimpse of how life had been, were in huge vans with an ex-army tank drivers who drove as if he was still at war! Each time I looked ahead, there would be a truck/bus/tanker coming straight at us as he overtook like a mad man. Trotting off the main road to some short cut right next to some padi field was a norm by their standards and the lawlessness of their drivers put some of our Mat Rempits to shame. By the time I got to the World Heritage Site, I was disoriented and stupefied. To say the least, harrowing was an understatement but Chien seemed to have enjoyed the ride, maybe even enjoyed watching me squirm.

Taking the boat ride out, what stunned me was the view, and posing for Chien drew more than illicit attention from other shutterbugs who fired away before I made faces to express my unwillingness to be a part of someone’s accessible data in a storage hard drive. Surely coincidences are part of God’s plan when we met a couple from England who happened to be VBPs!!! Story on that later.

Back in the city, I wanted to savour everything on the streets, stopped only by his decision to eat something ’safer.’ Sugar cane juice infused with lime was a refreshing thirst quencher as we walked the streets of Hanoi, shooting everything in sight. To astound me further, I was shouted at when my subject disapproved her picture being taken. Come to think of it, Vietnamese women are not very courteous nor timid by any standards. The war was won & fought by these deceptively, demure women too.

We watched the World Heritage Art - Water Puppet show and it was every bit thrilling for me. To see a dying art with a traditional story line enacted by puppeteers who steer the wooden puppets submerged in water from behind the panels, made it all the more appealing to my hunger for traditional arts. An orchestra of musicians playing traditional instruments akin to those found in China, was even more impressive.

As each day held different surprises, I’d detail them over the next one week, if I have internet access.