There's No Place Like...

While editing something, I was listening to the News and there was this special report about this blogger who traveled around Southeast Asia for 100 days with only Philippine P100,000.00 (about US $2150.00) on him. That really got my attention and, almost automatically, I began to imagine myself doing the same thing. That would be so much fun! I immediately texted my friend, Tomas, and we decided we'll start saving. Right now! Haha!

Seriously, though, I really want to travel around Southeast Asia, especially to the countries I haven't been to. I am fortunate to have been able to visit some Southeast Asian countries because of a few programs I participated in. That's six countries plus the Philippines, that makes seven Southeast Asian countries out of the eleven (including East Timor) ASEAN-member nations. I also want to go back to the ones I've been to so I could visit my friends, do and try things I wasn't able to do and try, know the colorful cultures more, and, of course, go for more food-tripping and market visits! Yes, I would really love to do all those things. Just imagining it is enough to make my heart skip a bit!

Because all this talk about an ASEAN tour made me remember the first time I ever got to travel outside the country, and because it's that time of the year again, I want to invite you all to walk down memory lane with me as I share what I remember most about the Southeast Asian countries I got to visit. Maybe I can share a tip or two in the process. My first trip abroad was courtesy of the government of Japan through the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (if you've been following this blog for a time, you probably know about SSEAYP a lot by now). I participated in this program more than a decade ago, in 2000 to be exact. My SSEAYP batch was lucky enough to be the batch with the most number of countries visited in the history of the program. The whole contingent (all 300+ of us from 10 countries) visited eight countries (Singapore, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan) and our National Leaders, Youth Leaders and Assistant Youth Leaders visited two more countries (Laos and Cambodia) in addition to the eight. That means that SSEAYP 2000 got to visit Japan and all the ASEAN-member nations except Brunei. East Timor was not yet a separate country back then.

And, here are my memories of...

...Singapore!

Ever since I was a kid, Singapore had always been one of the countries I'd wanted to visit. I first knew about the country when I saw pictures of the Merlion and some Singaporean streets in a magazine. Knowing the fact that Singapore is one of the cleanest countries in the world, when I did get to visit the place, somehow I knew what to expect. And, I wasn't wrong. Up until today, what I always remember about Singapore was how spotless the place was. I also remember the beautiful flowers. There were a lot! I especially liked the fact that most of the flowers were pink! My foster mother, Mummy Rohani (Allah yarhamha), took us to so many beautiful and interesting places. She also brought us to meet her cousins, nieces and nephews. We visited all their houses. Very Meranaw-like, yes. And, we were even fortunate to have been invited to an aqiqah, a religious celebration in honor of the birth of a child.

Mummy Rohani toured us around Singapore, we even went to Mt. Faber because she wanted us to try the cable car, which almost gave one of my companions a heart attack! Of course, I couldn't miss the fact that Singaporeans loved to eat and that Malay food is more similar to Meranaw food than Meranaw food is to other known/common Filipino food. Oh, and they love curry! I'm referring to the Singaporean Malays, obviously. Singapore is multicultural. There are four major Singaporean races or ethnic groups, our guides explained. These are the Chinese, the Malays, the Indians, and the Eurasians. These races differ in culture, tradition, practices, and even in language, which is why English is what is generally used by the population, although Malay is the national language, according to Mummy Rohani. They have an annual holiday that celebrates national harmony despite their cultural differences. Another thing is that Singaporeans, like all Asians as I found out later, are very hospitable. I really enjoyed my visit to Singapore. It may be one of the smallest countries in the world, but it definitely has a whole world of interesting things to offer. Oh, and I love Orchard Road!

One thing that disappointed me, though, was that when we went to the Masjid Sultan, it was under renovation so it was closed to visitors. I wanted so much to see the inside of the masjid and maybe even offer a sunnah prayer there.

Trivia:

1. Singapore comes from the Malay word, Singapura. Singa means lion, and pura means city. So, Singapore means lion city. The legend of this name tells the tale of a prince who encountered a lion when he first reached a place called Temasek. Because of his encounter with the lion, he changed the name of the place to Singapura.
2.  The merlion is the primary symbol of Singapore. It's a half-lion, half-fish creature. The lion part, of course, represents that lion (or the lion city) and the fish part represents the fact that Singapore is a port city. There are many works of literature that center on the merlion. Two of the most famous are "Ulysses by the Merlion" by Edwin Thumboo and, my favorite, "The Merlion" by Alfian bin Sa'at.

************

...Myanmar! 

Myanmar (formerly Burma), particularly Yangon, was a sight to behold! I was so amazed by the place basically because it's so different from the Philippines or from what I was used to. The whole time I was there, I felt like I was transported back in time. The city was quite old, the buildings and structures were old. People wore the longyi, their traditional costume, which is similar to the Meranaw malong. Grown men and women, as well as children, had thanaka (cosmetic paste) on their cheeks. They also put some on my cheeks. It had a cool effect on my cheeks, but it didn't stay long as it "melted" when I perspired. It was nice to see such a country where old traditions were still very much alive and practiced. It was also my first time to visit a country that's generally Buddhist. I'd read and even studied about Buddhism and some of their practices, but being there with them was another story. Being there made me understand and appreciate all those things I'd read about. And, at the same time, this appreciation and understanding made me appreciate and value my own culture more than ever.

A trip to Yangon will not be complete without a visit to the Myanmar Gems Museum. It's where one would find so many different kinds of gems. I was amazed while there as it was my first time to see so many accessories, and other things made of jade. There were jade of all sizes and shapes imaginable! We also visited the popular Bogyoke Market. It's a place where one could buy souvenirs, handicrafts, etc. What I liked most about shopping there was that things were not very expensive. But, the highlight and my favorite part of my Myanmar experience was visiting the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda. It was such a beautiful experience. I'd never been to a Buddhist temple or pagoda before that. Seeing the place in pictures didn't even come close to actually seeing it in person.

We were advised to wear skirts (for women) and long pants (for men) before going there. We were also told that no footwear was allowed within the premises of the temple so we left our shoes in the bus. We walked barefoot on the sidewalk leading to the entrance of the temple. It wasn't a long walk. And, then we went up to the temple itself. Despite the sun, the marble floor was cool to our feet. At first, my friends and I didn't know where to face because, earlier, we were told not to turn our backs towards a Buddha idol because that's offensive. And, in the Shwedagon Pagoda, it seemed like we were swimming in a pool of idols and religious figures so it felt like any where we faced, we were bound to have our backs towards a certain religious figure or idol. But then, we understood, by observing around us, that if one stopped to actually face an idol or pray to it, one should remain facing it and walk backwards as one left. We figured that's what they meant by "not turning our back towards an idol or any religious figure." One more thing, the monks there were really nice. They spoke no English, but they were always obliging when people wanted to take pictures with them or of them, or when people asked them to take pictures. Oh, an important reminder, women are not allowed to touch the monks. So, yeah, no matter how cool you think they are, do not high five them!

Tips:

1. Mingalaba is Myanmar's traditional greeting. They will appreciate it if you say "Mingalaba!" instead of "Hello!"
2. Outside the country, Aung San Suu Kyi, being a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, may be the most popular citizen of Myanmar, but not everyone in Myanmar likes to talk about her. It's not that they don't like her or anything, it's just that sometimes they're not very comfortable talking about politics. At least, that's how I see it.
3. Please don't ask about the military presence.  

************

...Malaysia!

Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful city. It's very clean, like Singapore. Of course, the Petronas Twin Towers are awesome! I wasn't able to get inside the building, but I could honestly just sit there facing it and stare at it the whole day. It's not like it was my first time to see a really nice building, but the Twins just put me under a spell. I can't explain it. I wanted so badly to dine in the restaurant in one of the top floors, but we just didn't have time. My foster family lived in Shah Alam, which is about 30-45 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur, and they wanted to show us around Shah Alam.

Shah Alam is the capital of Selangor, and it's also a beautiful city. It is where the largest masjid in Malaysia can be found. This is the Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah or the Blue Mosque. This was one of the first places we visited when we reached Shah Alam. It was so, so beautiful. I can still see it clearly in my mind's eye until now. I felt so blessed to have been able to see it in person. It was also a very specific place that our foster family didn't want us to miss. I couldn't be thankful enough. Okay, so, because my foster father's super rich, he's the type of person who would go to a five-star hotel just to have coffee. And, that's exactly what we did. We ate only at the most expensive restaurants in the city. He showed us the building where he held office and he showed us two more buildings that he actually owned. He also brought us to the mall, where my very young foster sister and I went ice skating. When we got home, he showed me his collection of hats and caps. He had a whole room full of all kinds of hats and baseball caps! It was the largest hat and cap collection I'd  ever seen in my life. He told me he got them from his trips abroad. He was obviously a very well-traveled and highly educated man. I learned a lot from him. My homestay with this particular foster family became some sort of a long bonding activity for me and Dad Amiruddin. Much as I'd have loved to talk to my foster mother, I couldn't because she didn't speak English and my foster sister was too shy to talk to me, especially in English. Dad Amiruddin and I became very close that, at the end of the three-day homestay, he told me that he wanted to adopt me! Haha!

My experience in Malaysia was great, and my best memories there were ones I had with my foster family. We didn't get to see or do a lot of traditional things because, as I mentioned earlier, Dad Amiruddin liked to dine and hang out in high end places which were mostly more Western than Malaysian. Nevertheless, my homestay partner, who didn't speak much English, and I enjoyed our homestay immensely. We got a taste of the life of the truly rich. Surely, that's an experience I'll never forget.

In our city tours and institutional visits, before the homestay part, we did get to see much of Kuala Lumpur. The Sultan Abdul Samad Clock Tower was beautiful, especially at night! I also noticed how friendly and helpful the people were. Malaysians, like the Singaporeans, also love to eat! And, what I loved most was the fact that, as a Muslim, I could eat anywhere in Malaysia. I mean, finding halal food was no sweat at all. And, if a certain restaurant was serving anything haraam, they would say so. For a Muslim who grew up in a country where Muslims are a minority, not having to worry about what and where to eat was such a welcome change/experience and could be enough to convince such person to think of migrating to Malaysia.

Oh, and, by the way, while we were at the mall in Shah Alam, Freddie Aguilar's Anak had been playing. I got so excited when I realized it. I happily explained the song to my foster family and homestay-mate.

Trivia:

1. There's a Cat Museum in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. (I really, really want to visit that! Sad that my supposed Sarawak trip last year didn't push through.) 
2. Although you can use the more traditional greetings, selamat pagi (good morning) and selamat malam (good evening), the Islamic greeting, assalaamu 'alaykum, is also widely used.

************

...Indonesia!

I'd say I got to experience the best of Jakarta. Our city tour started with Taman Mini, a national park where mini versions of Indonesian traditional houses, buildings, etc., their handicrafts, and samples of their traditional arts can be seen. It's reminiscent of Manila's Nayong Pilipino. Visiting markets, museums, and traditional places is actually my favorite part of traveling to other places. Seeing and experiencing the culture and traditions of a people is the best way to really know and understand them.

When we were in Jakarta, we visited the Trisakti University to interact with local youth. We played games and had other team-building activities. We were having so much fun outdoors when it suddenly started to rain so that we all had to run for cover in one of the buildings. Because of the sudden change in the weather and the place we transferred to to continue the activities was a little small for all 400+ of us, I actually fainted. I can't even begin to describe how embarrassing that was! But, I'm mentioning it because of the adventure that we had as a result of my fainting. Haha! As they were trying to revive me (I could actually hear them, but I couldn't feel anything and even if I was trying my best to open my eyes and sit up, I just couldn't!), an ambulance was requested so they could take me to the hospital. Because I was having a hard time breathing, they put an oxygen mask on me. Just imagine an emergency ambulance scene from Grey's Anatomy, that's how we looked like, I guess. I know this because my best friend, Charo, told me all this later.

We got to the hospital, I don't have any recollection of what happened, but I felt better and good as new after resting. It was already late in the afternoon and we had to go to the hotel where our next activity was being held. What was so funny about this was that, because of the many things that our local guides had to attend to, they forgot to leave us with at least one guide who could help us get to the hotel. So, there we were, one Japanese and two Filipinos, all first-timers in Jakarta, hailing a taxi cab to take us to the hotel (good thing the hotel was one of the biggest and most known in the city)! Not one of us knew a single Indonesian word, except the basic greetings and those we learned from songs. The funnier thing was we were just laughing and chatting away with the driver. In Bahasa Melayu/Indonesia! Our Japanese companion was anxious, but Charo and I couldn't stop laughing! The driver, I think, was asking us questions and we answered him with whatever word we could remember from the Indonesian and Malaysian songs we knew We had no idea what the hell we were saying, but we didn't stop talking until we finally got to the hotel. Aaaand, still, the funniest thing about all this was that I was barefoot the whole time. Turned out that when I fainted, my Japanese roommate made sure to take care of my belongings and keep them. Including my shoes! So, yeah, I was walking all over the city barefoot! Hahaha!

Also, because of what happened to me, I wasn't allowed to go to homestay so I was left with the program administrators and the national leaders. And, it was just as well because the special national leader tour was really something! They took us to many places, I couldn't name all of them even if I tried to. As last stop, they took us to a department store called Sarina. In the two days that we toured around, they took us to the best restaurants in the capital. We got to taste the best that Indonesia could offer. I never liked spicy food; and Indonesians loved their food spicy. Good thing it wasn't a problem at all. I first thought I was going to have a hard time because even their McDonald's Fried Chicken was spicy! The restaurants they took us to, of course, had so much more to offer other than curry and all those spicy food. Oh, and I loved the keropok (crackers)! They came in all sizes and, in the university, they served us huge pieces of keropok as appetizers. One piece of those was as big as a sheet of bond paper! My Jakarta time was one of the best for the food lover in me!

Trivia:

1. With its 17,000+ islands, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world.
2. They also have beef randang.
3. Bahasa is the Malay term for language, so it's Bahasa Melayu (Malaysian language) or Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) to refer to their language. One doesn't just say, "do you speak Bahasa?" 

************

...Thailand! 

Before visiting Thailand, I never knew that there were many Muslims there. I did know that one could find a Muslim anywhere in the world, but I didn't think there were that many in Thailand. It was a blessing to me that I homestayed with the Cheunpakdees, a Muslim family. I had such a wonderful time with them and I truly felt that I was a part of the family and not just a guest. (Even when I went back to Thailand nine years after my SSEAYP experience, I extended my stay there just so I could once again stay with them.) When we went to places, we were so many we had to take at least three cars because we brought everyone. Even the grandparents were present at all times. Such sweet and endearing people! They didn't just show us around Bangkok. They brought us to nearby places like Pattaya to see their rest house and, later, to go to the Sriracha Tiger Zoo and Crocodile Farm in Chonburi Province, and to Samut Prakan Province where we ate at Sailom Bangpoo, while looking out to the sea and breathing the fresh sea breeze, and had the best seafood I'd ever had in my life! And, that says a lot, considering I love seafood more than anything!

Shopping in Bangkok was the best! I think it's easier to haggle with sellers in Bangkok than in any other place I'd been to. We got to go to the famous night market. Goods can be a little overpriced there, though, because it's basically a tourist shopping place and, generally, places where tourists go to shop overprice their goods. The good thing, though, is that in places like this, one can haggle! We also checked out a floating market, where we bought some fruits and some flowers. Before I got to visit it, I didn't think I'd like Bangkok as much I actually did. In fact, I didn't just like the place, I loved it! And, the food? Ah, I can't shut up about Thai food! I love Thai food. Although they have lots of spicy delicacies, Thailand also offers the best non-spicy Asian food! And, I just love the fruits there. I don't know if it was just my imagination or something, but the fruits there seem to be bigger than the ones we have here in the Philippines. The sweet ones, sweeter, too!

The only thing that I didn't exactly enjoy while I was there was the tiger show at Sriracha. I just really don't enjoy shows where animals are made to perform and are subjected to fear and even torture. I mean, they were obviously scared of those rings of fire, but they were more scared of the whips waiting for them if they didn't jump over those horrible rings. The animal lover in me just could not take that.

I found Thai people to be very friendly and helpful. And, very proud of their culture. Going around Bangkok, one would see a beautiful mixture of the modern and the traditional. New, stylish buildings stood side by side with old, traditional ones. This balance between the new and the old is also observable in every aspect of Thai life. Also, the Thai people's love for their emperor can be seen in every corner of the city. One would see many pictures of the emperor all over the place. They'd talk about their emperor with so much love and respect, one can't help but be amazed by it. My Thai friends always said that the emperor is a representative of Thai culture and everything beautiful about Thailand. This is why they take so much pride in honoring him because honoring him is honoring their culture, honoring their country. One friend of mine said that the emperor is always in the heart of every Thai person. They are all raised to always have that in mind. At a time of universality and globalization, this loyalty and love for their monarch stands out and is admirable.

Trivia:

1. Muslims comprise about 6% of their population. That's about 4,000,000 people. Although just a small portion of the population, that is a massive number of people.
2. To touch/tap a person on the head is considered offensive by Thai people in general. Avoid that at all times!

************ 

...Vietnam!

Another country that really surprised me was Vietnam. Well, it would probably not be surprising to someone not as ignorant about the place as I was. All I knew about Vietnam, before I had the chance to see it for myself, was based on what I saw or heard from American movies. So, basically, I imagined a place where the devastation of war was still very much evident. It turned out, I could not have been more wrong! When we visited Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), I was mesmerized by how different it was from what I imagined. We only used either buses (for the program activities, like city tours, state visits, institutional visits, and interaction with the local youth) or motorcycles (the whole time during our homestay). I'd never seen, in my entire life, as many motorcycles as there were in Ho Chi Minh! That actually made the city burst with life and noise not only from the engines, but from people yelling at or calling out to one another. Not a lot of people spoke English so communication was a little tough, but sometimes more fun, I'd say. Who doesn't love a challenge, right? For example in my foster family, only my foster sister's boyfriend actually spoke English. He was educated in the UK and worked there for two years so he was fluent in the language. So, whenever he left us to go home, we'd resort to some special kind of sign language and, sometimes, the help of the dictionary had to be sought.

But, we had fun! So much fun! Same with my other foster families from the other countries I mentioned, my Vietnamese foster family also made sure that we had the grandest time in Ho Chi Minh! They brought us to a school fair where there was a pageant being held. It was actually like being in UP or MSU. At this moment of writing, I cannot remember the name of the school. They also brought us to music bars. I noticed that the Vietnamese love to dance. In one music bar we went to, we saw this couple dancing the tango. And, they were good, too! Believe me, I studied social dance, which included tango, for my PE class back in college and I never truly learned that one. Haha!

Of course, we went to the famous Ben Thanh Market. I loved shopping for souvenirs there because there were just so many things to choose from and most goods, though overpriced according to the little street urchin who decided to assist me, were cheaper compared to the same goods sold in other countries. Their local goods and handicrafts were really nice. I also got some nice cloths there, which I brought home for my mom. And, my God, the food was to die for! We went to dine in different types of restaurants around the city. But, I'd say that the best pho (noodle soup) I'd had was the one from a small eating place just by the side of the street. In the Philippines, we call these places carinderia. I also loved how some types of pho can be minty. When I try to describe the taste to my friends, I'd ask them to imagine chicken noodle soup with some menthol candy in it. One friend of mine didn't like that type of pho, but I loved it! I loved all the food they had us try. I loved it so much that I declared that if only for their food, I'd like to live in Vietnam! Haha!

Vietnam is a really nice place. So much character. And, their culture is very rich. The Vietnamese are obviously very proud people, too. I admire that so much about them. And, they like to keep to themselves. Or maybe that's just because of the language barrier? One day, I'd like to go back there and visit the capital, Hanoi. In shaa Allah.

Tips:

1. When shopping, it's best to ask street children or vendors for help in haggling and making sure you get what you pay for. This is just because these kids know English better. They can really converse in English. According to the little girl who helped me, she learned the language from all the foreigners she got to talk to every day. And, by the way, the only thing you have to do in exchange for their help is to buy from them. They normally sell postcards and they sell at a slightly higher price. But, my little friend explained that it was just fair since they had to stay under the heat of the sun all day. I learned so much from her. At 8 years old, she is a marvel to talk to.
2. A place you mustn't miss while in Ho Chi Minh is the War Remnants Museum. Some things will break your heart and make you tear up or even make you very uncomfortable, but it's all worth it. The museum houses a huge part of Vietnamese history. 

************

For now, that's about everything that I remember. I hope you, dear, enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it and reminiscing about everything!

One day, I will do that #100DaysSEA thing, too. I promise. :-)