road rage... that means trippin' with a vengeance...

After 3.5 years of crippling covid lockdowns, 2023 was set to be the year of travel, driven by the fumes of post-cabin fever vengeance.  The highlights had to be Africa, Sarawak and Royal Belum...

The quick list in chrono order:
1.  Fraser's Hill (February)

2. Cameron Highlands (February)

3. Sarawak (April)

4. Batu-batu (June)

5. Kenya, Tanzania + Uganda  (August)

6. Royal Belum Hornbill Expedition 2023 (September)

7.  Jakarta (December)

I won't go into details of all the trips, only the more interesting ones:

Sarawak (Ba'kelalan)

Ba'kelalan was the main aim of me wanting to do this trip and the highlight would have been a stay at Ba'kelalan Owl House, with Andy & Maureen hosting us.  Unfortunately, I never got to meet Andy, even though I was in touch with him just a day before he passed.  This unexpected turn of events meant that my booking was still uncertain but on the advice of several locals, we decided to bite the bullet and go anyway, not wanting to cancel the MAS Wings tickets that had already been bought.  A long story cut short - we ended up staying at the house of the Penghulu, Pak Yudan and his lovely wife.

Ba'kelalan is very far off any beaten track and is idyllic in all of its remoteness - there are no roads, very few vehicles other than for practical (haulage) use, the people you will come across are from the local Adan tribe (and are all related, somehow) or transient visitors to Gunung Murud and where simplicities of city-living such as electricity, running water and broadband connection are never taken for granted.  And it is an awesome place to do some birding.

However, it doesn't mean that the people aren't friendly and that life is hard here.  Far from it.  

By the end of our five days in Ba'kelalan, we were acquainted with everyone and at the airport (a shack, really) we were hugging our goodbyes with everyone like rellies we won't see again for a long time.  And as for how hard life is here - well, we were so well fed at Pak Yudan's home that we had likely put on 7kgs collectively, which was coincidentally the same amount of Adan rice that was gifted to us - rice that was grown in their own fields, by their own hands.  One could argue that it is, in fact, a pretty charmed life IF one could be so privileged to live here, away from the humdrum of a city.

Kenya (The Mara Triangle)

This was a trip of a lifetime.  A whirlwind 2 weeks spent in East Africa along with 6 other good friends on a trip that was 3 years overdue.

Starting off in Kenya, this was our first taste of safari airlinks that would make the uninitiated (that was us!) very nervous - from the lack of physical structures for an airstrip (some were literally just trees for shade), to the loosey-goosey parking of aircraft on the strip, to the constant re-arrangements of schedules and passenger manifests, to the inevitable delays of take-offs and landings due to wildlife intrusions on the runways, to the claustrophobic cabins onboard aircraft that look like they could fit into your back pocket if you folded them up enough times.

That aside, wildlife in the Masai Mara Triangle was alive and well, with us ticking off four of The Big 5 within the first two days - all that was left was the (VERY) illusive African leopard.  Our guides were abundantly & generously knowledgeable,  our accommodation super luxe (where else would you have wild hippos lazing in the river right outside of your room's balcony?) and the excursions were long & rewarding.

Tanzania (Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater)

Our second stop was across the border to neighbouring Tanzania.  Here, we spotted a very shy leopard to make it five for five, witnessed the great wildebeest migration, enjoyed the famous Serengeti sunset and morbidly watched many wildebeest carcasses being scavenged in an unending cycle of life.  The first of two stops in Tanzania was Nasikia Mobile Migration Camp somewhere on the great Serengeti grasslands, where sounds of lions, warthogs and hyenas can been heard lurking around the camp during the nights.

The second stop was the Ngorongoro Crater, where we experienced a safari in very different terrain and geography than where we had been.  There was a lot of wildlife thriving here and it is said that this was one of the best single locations to sight the Big 5.

Uganda (Bwindi Forest & Mabamba Swamp)

Third and final country in East Africa for us was Uganda.  First into the impenetrable Bwindi Forest to track the silverback mountain gorillas - it was a humbling experience where we were just feet away from these great beasts that were larger than us and without a doubt, could snap our necks like toothpicks if they so chose.  We were on their turf, after all.

And finally, a brief stopover to the Mabamba Swamp on Lake Victoria in an attempt to spot the humongous and prehistoric-looking Shoebill storks.  Just an hour's boat ride out of Entebbe, we came across abundant birdlife and of course, the Shoebill...

Royal Belum Hornbill Expedition 2023

This would be the third time on this expedition in 4 years, thanks to our friend, the intrepid Birdman.  Royal Belum is in north Perak state and is the only area where you can sight all 10 species of hornbills in Malaysia at this time of year.  We manage to spot eight over two days - Oriental Pied, Rhinoceros, Great, Wreathed, Plain Pouched (migratory), Black , Helmeted & Wrinkled (no photo).  All this while rain was always present, ranging from mildly misty to downright torrential.  Note: the remaining two species of hornbill that were not spotted on this trip were the Bushy-Crested and White-Crowned.

Concluding 2023 with a great review in terms of travails, setting it up nicely for more wanderlust in a new year.  Watch for it.

my listening post for 2023...

The stash of listens that I had accumulated through the year (all books can be found on Audible, I use the UK service):

1. FURIOUSLY HAPPY
AUTH: Jenny Lawson, NARR: Jenny Lawson
RT: 8h 28m | ST: Dec-22 | END: 18-Mar-23

2. SAPIENS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUMANKIND
AUTH: Yuval Noah Harari, NARR: Derek Perkins
RT: 15h 18m | ST: 18-Mar-23 | END: 22-Apr-23

3. THE BOMBER MAFIA
AUTH: Malcolm Gladwell, NARR: Malcolm Gladwell
RT: 5h 14m | ST: 22-Apr-23 | END: 8-May-23

4. TALKING TO STRANGERS
AUTH: Malcolm Gladwell, NARR: Malcolm Gladwell
RT: 8h 42m | ST: 8-May-23 | END: 25-May-23

5. THE PRACTICING STOIC
AUTH: Ward Farnsworth, NARR: John Lescault
RT: 9h 57m | ST: 25-May-23 | END: 22-Jun-23

6. HUMANKIND: A HOPEFUL HISTORY

AUTH: Rutger Bregman, NARR: R.Bregman, Thomas Judd
RT: 11h 36m | ST: 23-Jun-23 | END: 12-Jul-23

7. STORM IN A TEACUP: THE PHYSICS OF EVERYDAY LIFE
AUTH: Helen Czerski, NARR: Chloe Massey
RT: 10h 41m | ST: 13-Jul-23 | END: 3-Oct-23

8. BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING
AUTH: Malcolm Gladwell, NARR: Malcolm Gladwell
RT: 7h 43m | ST: 4-Oct-23 | END: 17-Oct-23

9. OUTLIERS: THE STORY OF SUCCESS
AUTH: Malcolm Gladwell, NARR: Malcolm Gladwell
RT: 7h 18m | ST: 17-Oct-23 | END: 15-Nov-23

10. THE TIPPING POINT
AUTH: Malcolm Gladwell, NARR: Malcolm Gladwell

RT: 8h 34m | ST: 16-Nov-23 | END: 5-Dec-23

MY VERY OWN EPILOGUE:

I started the year with Furiously Happy, which came highly recommended. It sounded like a hoot - a lady who had mental health issues AND wasn't afraid to talk about it and laugh at her own absurdities. Let's just say that this is a book that is probably better read that listened to.

Continuing along the philosophical lines, I also did The Practicing Stoic - stoicism is not as negative as a philosophy than the word generally implies. I am inherently stoic by nature but as the philosphy teaches, it is not a journey with an end because a practicing stoic continually aspires to a higher zen-like state of being.

Then, I decided to finally bite the bullet and do Sapiens, followed by its counterpart, Humankind. Honestly, doing these two back to back will either (1) give a reader whiplash, (2) leave them sublimely optimistic or clinically depressed, depending on the order in which both are read, or (3) be really noisy because these two books literally try to out-theorize each other almost point for point. Sapiens is a stark and depressing indictment of people as a race, while Humankind tries to look at that same race through rose-tinted glasses. I am a pessimist and/or a realist, hence i gravitate towards the terrifying study of Humankind.

The odd one out in this list was Storm In A Teacup which was a fun break after Sapiens vs Humankind to learn about physics and how it affects our everyday lives.

The rest of the year was dedicated to almost all the major books that Malcolm Gladwell has written on socio-psychology. I loved every one of the five books - suffice to say that the only difference between Gladwell and I is that he has wayyy more academic knowledge and all the right words to describe what we are both already thinking.

Overall haul of 10 titles (96.5 hours of runtime) done. To be fair, I spent quite a fair bit rewinding many portions of Gladwell's books because i found certain points fascinating and wanted to make sure I understood it well enough to intelligibly regurgitate as anecdotes.

I have decided to start every year with a Booker or Pulitzer winner from the previous year. Hence, 2024 will begin with Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, followed by a final audiobook from Malcolm Gladwell for me to complete, David vs. Goliath.

the bane that are telemarketers...

this story is absolutely true, it happened to me and less than an hour ago:

Telemarketer: Good evening mam, my name is xxxxx from zzzzz College and I would like to invite you to attend a Tour Guide Course.
Me: a Tour Guide Course???

T/M: Yes mam.  You have been recommended by someone who had earlier attended this course.

Me: And what will I do with this course?

T/M: After you do this course, you could run tours as a guide in your free time.

Me: And where would I find free time?

T/M: .........

Me: Do you even know what I do for a living currently?

T/M: No mam.

Me: And it never occurred to you to ask first?

T/M: .........

Me: So what makes you think this would be relevant to me or if it would even interest me?

T/M: it’s only 45 minutes mam

Me: Tell me who it was who recommended me for this course?

T/M: I can’t tell you that mam

Me: So why should I believe you?

T/M: it’s our policy, mam. We can’t give out our contact details

Me: (yelling by now) and yet you will use it to harass me. how do i know you're even telling me the truth about a recommendation or you're just making it all up??

T/M: mam, we are only doing our job

Me: well good for you, I don’t want to hear any more until I know who it was who was stupid enough to suggest that I would be interested  in it!

T/M: it was your friend or your relative who is stupid…

grrrrrrr... gerammmmm...

and the awakening continues...

A little over five years ago, I wrote a blog entry the morning (well, two mornings) after GE12.  I said a couple of things that now, in retrospect, were eerily insightful.

Five years on and we’re now past GE13.  The general feeling is one of another massive hang-over.  In fact, this comment overheard on social media summed up the dramatics; “feels like the morning after I’ve been gang-raped”. 

But I digress.

Back in 2008, I wrote about the things I learnt from that election.  In a nutshell:

1. Exercising one’s vote matters;

2. That it was not about the candidate but more about the badge he/she wore;

3. There was a growing voice (of discontent) among the youth; and

4. It was the start of a time for opposition to prove their salt.

About voting: Exercising one’s vote should have always mattered.  But there was a long time during which it didn’t.  That all changed in 2008.  Five years on, it is more evident than ever.  The gradual shifts in the realization of voters themselves of the power they wielded.  Each one had a right, they were going to use it and no (alleged) illegal foreign import was going to steal it from them.  Kudos!  The awakening continues.

About the Candidates: This time around, it appears that the opposition were more ready, fielding candidates who were prepared and qualified for public service, rather than just anyone off the street (or behind bars) who stood for some kind of rebellion.  But the sentiment is still strong – ABU (Anything But UMNO or conveniently translated as Asalkan Bukan UMNO) was a movement that began sometime in the last five years because of the compounding discontent and is an example of the increasing feeling of anti-establishment.  And countless protests persist, post-GE13.  The awakening continues.

About the Voice of Youth: the youth of five years ago, older and wiser this time, were evermore entrenched in the belief that “CHANGE” or “UBAH” was imminent going into GE13.  For their sake, I pray that they have also cultivated patience and resolve because I personally believe that it WILL come.

But something else that I had observed about the youth between GEs; many who thought of themselves as inconsequential in the grand machinery of government and the electoral process had realized the difference that they could (should) make, they went out and got themselves registered as voters, not wanting to lose out.  They began to take interest in how government worked.  They felt invested in  the electoral process. They took to the streets and stared down water cannons and tear gas.  They stood up and questioned authority and were not afraid to own a voice.  And when the time came, they made an effort to learn about the candidates before they voted.  They even went to ceramahs to listen to them speak. Suddenly, it was cool to be interested in government and talk about Malaysian politics again.  It was their government and their politics again.  And so, the awakening continues.

About Opposition Government: I think they have done a sterling job, especially in Penang and Selangor.  But don’t take my word for it.  Take it from those who contributed to the majority-vote increase of candidates being returned to office.  In 2008, I had said that it was too early to call it a new dawn.  Rather, it was time for opposition to prove themselves worthy.  And that, they have. 

The heavy disappointment of the Oppostion Coalition's loss is most palpable among urbanites.  After all, it is where they won the popular vote; 51% of Malaysians are pro-Opposition.  However, voters registered within Penang and Klang Valley alone make up 33% of the total but is represented by only 21% of the 222 Parliamentary seats up for contest.  

Najib’s unfiltered and ill-advised utterance of the phrase “Chinese Tsunami” is sadly a delusional knee-jerk attempt to find immediate blame.  It was an “Urban Tsunami”, Sir.  Continue to ignore the dangers of playing divisive racial-politics at your own peril.

Pakatan’s glowing 5-year track record should now be used to further their strategy, which must surely be a fundamental part of the next 5-year plan to capture a larger non-urban base.  Because the awakening MUST continue.

It is easy to think that the Opposition front has been dealt a blow but everything points toward a progressive upward momentum.  The PR leadership still seems to be reeling from the narrow loss two days on.  Ironically¸ it is an obviously hopeful people through their outpouring of sentiments in a social media space that have displayed a maturity in understanding that the battle is lost but it was another emphatic step towards winning the proverbial war.  If the people haven’t lost hope, the leadership shouldn't either. 

Ok, fine.  Brood for 21 days, if you really must, but waste no time in licking the wounds.  The clock is ticking and it's time to start strategizing a counter-attack for the dirty tactics and money politics that will no doubt be faithfully employed again by the BN machinery for GE14.

new year baptism...

Standing on Pantai Tengah beach in Langkawi waiting for the synchronous bursts of noise from all around (and down the beach) of party poppers and shouts of "happy new year". Sadly, auld lang syne is not heard much these days.

And then followed soon after by fireworks. Advantage of watching from Pantai Tengah is that one could see all the way down the beach of Pantai Cenang, where the crowds and the drunken parties were. Someone even shot a emergency flare from a boat out in the middle of the dark cove. Pity the poor fellow, if he really was in dire straits.

Fireworks were accompanied by reverant kuomin lanterns released by the hundreds, lighting up the sky with serene floating lights amidst the angsty bursts of gunpowdered psychedelia.

Soon as the light display was over, Karina walks into the sea and everyone followed. It only felt like the natural thing to do. And amidst loud music of LMFAO from a nearby cafe, we all shuffled in the sea.

Back at La Pari-Pari, we walked straight into Karina's brand new pool and the yin and yang new-year baptism was complete; salt, washed away by the fresh. Along with a chilled bottle of bubbly to toast, hence the new-year crossover was completed to perfection.

Here's wishing everyone the same perfect start and year-long perfection in everything this 2012.