Learning from people who we met while travelling

One of the most valuable things I have experienced during the travel was meeting people who are from all over the world, talking about each others' journey and sharing our life stories. What I have realized is when we get older, it seems to be getting harder to have a chance to meet new people and obtain a close relationship with them. Especially, 9 to 5 lifestyle doesn't really encourage us to put an effort to meet and know someone new. We all seem to be too tired in our daily life but travelling creates a magic. Travel opens our hearts and invites new friendship. Anyone can be friends. It doesn't really matter where they are from, how old they are, what they are doing for living, etc... One common thing is we all like travelling and being open to the new experiences and it helps to connect between people. Many times I have been surprised and emotionally moved by the people's experiences and attitudes towards to their lives. Watching how they approach to people and open their hearts truly impressed me and made me to think about myself. Therefore, I would like to introduce some of the people who we met on the way and who gave us precious tips to drive our life journey more meaningful and worthwhile. 

 1. Monica : We met Monica, a 19 year old Australian girl on the way of climbing the Tround, India. When we stopped for a breath on the way up, she was already heading down from the mountain. She was a delightful aussie girl who we seemed to know for a long time. She is having a gab year after the HSC (High School Certificate) exam and spending the year for travelling and volunteering in India. She is young but wiser and mature than anyone else. She knows what she wants to do and how to achieve her wishes. I loved and also envied her strong mind and independent behaviour. Her open and positive attitude to people and future were so worthy to learn. When I was at her age (very long time ago), I didn't know what I really wanted and how to step closer to achieve my wishes. Being in India was absolutely challenging to us who are two and far older than her but she seemed to manage extremely well. On the top of that she spent her precious time and efforts for helping people who desperately need supports in India. I was very proud of her and wished her the best. Unbelievably we met her again at the Goa airport by chance and spent an hour to chat up. Talking about our journey and sharing experience with her was an absolute pleasure. She was on the way back to Australia then and we promised to catch up when we return. I can't wait to see her and talk about our unforgettable experiences.

2. Linda and Frank: We met Linda and Frank at Delhi airport while waiting for a flight Dharamshala. Their heavy backpacks caught my attention as they looked far over 60. The delayed flight schedule (as very usual) made us to start a casual conversation and accidently we met each other again in McLeod Ganj. It is an absolute surprise to meet people again in a country where 1.2 billion people live. They are from California in America and enjoying their retiree life while travelling overseas. I was very impressed by their tracking experience in Peru. Walking for a week to complete the track wouldn't be easy for even young people. They were far more active and braver than many young ones I know. I loved their attitudes towards to the age. How often we stop ourselves to try new things by excusing our age. I have learned from them that we can achieve more than we think if we don't limit ourselves. I wish them a good luck for their next tracking challenge and hope that I can get older like them. Age is only number and it is depends on how we look after our body and mind. 

3. 3 siblings from Spain : When we experienced the cultural shock in Varanasi, India, it was a absolute relief to meet the 3 siblings from Spain. Walking and talking with them helped us a lot to survive the day in the messiest city we have ever been to. They are late 20's to middle 30's and had been backpacking for a month when we met them. All of them quit their jobs and got together to accomplish their dream trip. As we all know quitting a job and getting away from our daily routine are not an easy decision to make, what they decided to do was fantastic. Especially, the decision of travelling with siblings for 4 months was unbelievable. I have 4 siblings but it is getting more difficult to agree with each other as we are getting older. So I can't think about a long trip with them. Imagining that 3 siblings are experiencing and having unforgettable memories together made me feel warm in my heart. I believe they are still on the way, maybe somewhere in Thailand or Cambodia at this moment and sharing their lifetime experience. I wish them to complete their journey with a good health and safely. 

How many of us wish to achieve what we really want to do but give up with many excuses. It was great fortune to see people who live the dream. I have to admit that I become bit more dramatic and emotional during the travelling so I take anything more seriously, but most certainly meeting people and learning things from them to me are simply priceless. I believe we truly need to open ourselves more to meet and know about people and their life stories. There are plenty of things to learn from others and I believe that will make our life more purposeful and enlightened.

At the top of the Tround

McLeod Ganj City with a cow

Anjuna Beach, Goa

Taj Mahal

We are back! (After 4 months and 10 days)

"Wow!"

I couldn't say anything else to express my overwhelmed feeling when I opened our front door after being away from my sweet home for more than 4 months. I didn't realise that my living room was that spacious, kitchen was that nice and bedrooms were that cosy. Extremely ordinary things around me suddenly become very special and precious.

Yes, we are back!
We packed away on the 4th July 2013 and returned on the 14th November 2013. We have travelled 14 countries and over 27 cities. It was an absolutely amazing and tremendous journey. Each place we have been that has carved unforgettable and truly priceless memories into our heart and I believe we will enjoy the little pieces of the memories all our lifetime. I am glad that we have made our dream trip and came back safely and healthy.

Travelling 14 countries and over 27 cities offered us magnificent and sensational experiences even though some places are far different from our expectations. Every single day was unique and extraordinary. I had to admit that it was not always easy for me to adapt the cultural differences and understand the diversity of customs. However, the journey was absolutely sensational and I am extremely proud of that we decided to do it and have made it.

'Nothing is permanent.' and 'Life is too short not to do what you want.'
Theses made us to plan the long trip and I am glad that our decision didn't disappoint us. I still remember that we were very nervous and unsure about the things (mainly bad ones) that may can happen while we were away. Any reason, we seem to worry more than necessary and the worries stop us to pursue our wishes. When I came back from the trip, (fortunately) I have found nothing much has happened around us and the fact ensured that we made a good decision. I would like to tell anyone who is delaying their dreams because of distressing or concerning about what could happen, "Just do it, all will be fine!"

After 4 months of journey, I am sitting on the same sofa, in the same living-room, in the same house and having the same job. However, I am not the same person. I feel stronger, fresher and healthier than ever. I truly appreciate what I have more than before. Experience on simple living (4 months with 20kg of baggage) was challenging but it taught me real value of possessing. This travel taught me countless things and I trust that they will help me to overcome life barriers easier.

As much as I loved travelling, I am happy to be back. The end of trip in India, I was looking forward to coming back to my home, my castle.  Honestly, I started missing my ordinary life which I wanted to get away. I think everything has its own limit and being away from home for 4 months was close to my limit. Now I am back and enjoying the comfort which I didn't appreciate enough. I know I will get bored one day and looking for some where to escape but I am happily enjoy this feeling at the moment.

I will write about what I have seen and experienced during the trip in my coming blogs so please share with me.

"Welcome home Jin!!!!"

Things must know before travelling to India

"I got cheated..." 

While we were having the last breakfast at a hotel in Varanasi, India, my poor husband mumbled this and I nodded without adding any comments. If anyone, any books or any travel guides informed me about India honestly, I would have considered our trip to India more seriously and perhaps I wouldn't stay at this hotel in Varanasi, India at this moment, and I wouldn't decide to write about this negative and critical blog.

I do not deny that India is one of the most spiritual countries in the world and it has plenty of special and unique things to offer to the outside. However, very unfortunately I have been finding that reality of India is not that exotic nor magical as many people, movies and media described and advertised. I am very sorry for the truth, too. Any reason, they have missed writing or showing the reality of India and focused on fantasizing and exaggerating about the cultural differences. 

I am going to write my personal views of India as an ordinary person who lives ordinary life with ordinary wishes from now on. I am ready to get blamed for my personal but truly honest views about India. Maybe some people wouldn't agree with my views but I believe my live experiences of India and honest opinions will help someone can make a right decision on travelling to India. We have been in India for 19 days so far and travelled to 6 main cities recommended, New Delhi, Dharamshala, Amritsar, Varanasi and Goa. 19 days definitely can't be long enough to travel and see such a big country, India but I truly feel that I have seen enough and don't want to see more to disappoint myself. 'Things you must know about India' are based on my personal experiences and honest observations. Therefore, I hope this blog can be a helpful information to you (which I wish I could have had before I decided to come to India). 

Let me start with the traffic in India. It is simply HELL. I regret that I have to use this unfavourable word but I can't find any other word to describe it close to real. Both of us like walking around and seeing how the local people are living so we can experience and see more than tourists who are moved from one place to another by tour buses. I have been always proud of our style of travel. However, we had to realise that it is simply impossible from the first hour in India. Unless you try to kill yourself or don't mind to get injured, walking freely and safely is impossible in India. People are permanently in danger. Truly everything is on the road. Cars, overloaded trucks, moto rickshaws, motobikes, bicycles, carriers, cows, dogs, goats, donkeys, elephants and millions of people are on the road and trying to cross the road at the same time. Can you imagine? Worst thing is there are absolutely no rules. They may argue that they have their own rules but I haven't found any rules so far. Whoever wants to go faster (everyone does), use the horns as loud as possible. The noises from the horning are terribly loud and stressful that you can get a headache. There is no care about people who walk. No cars stop for pedestrians. You need to look after your own life here. Not many cars have rear mirrors because they drive too close to each other and break the mirrors so people don't even bother to have them. We have been 6 cities in India so far and seriously I haven't found even one traffic light for pedestrians. There is simply no space for people to walk safely and driving is also not safe. All my life, I have never experienced this much chaotic and disastrous traffic conditions. I refuse to accept this as a livable condition. I finally found out why India is famous for the number of people killed on the roads. When people can't walk on the streets without fear of being killed or injured, I can't think the country is livable. I feel permanently in danger whenever I am out. My stress level is going up even thinking about the traffic. I feel terribly sorry for the people who live in this unacceptable conditions. 

India itself is like a big rubbish tip. I was extremely disappointed by the reality as all the photos taken by photographers and movie scenes have never shown the truth. I couldn't believe my eyes. Piles of rubbish are everywhere. You can't simply miss the mess. People throw away rubbish everywhere and live in the mess. Streets are full of rubbish and animal drops. Cow poo, dog poo, donkey poo, goat poo, bird poo are nicely mixed with human rubbish everywhere. I couldn't see anything around as I had to try VERY hard to avoid stepping on the drops and piles of rubbish. Men are openly pissing anywhere on the streets so streets smell like toilet. Just imagine that thousands of people are sitting or lying in this disgusting mess and eat their delicious Indian cuisines, and walking on the dirty streets with their barefoot. Hard to imagine? It is still hard to believe for me even though I see them every day. You need to be careful not to step into the open sewages. There are no proper sewage systems so everything(?) flows into the main sewages and they are flowing sides of the streets and roads wherever you go. It is not pleasure to walk as the unbearable smell comes along with the mess. Quite often I felt my stomach got stressed by all the unexpected mess and dirt that I didn't feel to eat anything. The beauty of the magical attractions and historical monuments are very often being faded by this unbelievable mess. I can't tell myself as a tidy person but I believe there is certain limit of messiness for humankind and India's messiness is far over the limit. The level of messiness is unacceptable. I believe this mess is destroying the country and it's own people's lives. India is the dirtiest and messiest country I have ever been to and I refuse to go anywhere worse than here. 

India is absolutely polluted. You can easily guess how India would be so much polluted by imagining the chaotic traffic. Pollution from the cars, motorcycles, old trucks, rickshaws, incredible dust from the roads, uncleaned smoke from factories, dirt from the piles of human rubbish are totally mixed and harming people. I never thought that Muslim women's burka would be a proper dress code for myself. However, I have to wrap my face with a scarf whenever I am out. The air is not breathable. Sunglasses are necessary to protect my eyes from the dust and nose and mouth need to be covered to avoid unbearable smell and polluted air. Every evening when we come back from outside, I can't believe how dirty myself is. Our clothes are totally black from the dust and pollution. I love to walk or run outside but I can't recommend anyone to try them in India as they will harm you instead of making you healthy. Please correct me if I am wrong but I haven't seen any rubbish collections since I came to India. What I can see is people start burning the piles of rubbish around sunset time. You can't see anything else but the smoke from the burning at the time. I don't know who to blame but I certainly know the pollution is killing people here. 

If you see how Indians live and where they cook with what kind of water, I am sure that you will lose your appetites. It looks to me, they have definitely lack of common sense regarding the hygiene standard. I don't want to blame the ordinary people who live unacceptable living conditions. I assume that the Indian government doesn't provide even basic services such as clean water, regular rubbish collections, proper public toilets. Therefore, it would be extremely hard to keep even minimum standard of hygiene. However, I was also very disappointed by the ordinary people's attitudes. They don't seem to mind the messiness or dirty conditions. They sit and watch the mess instead of cleaning and they add up the mess without any thoughts. When I know many people got sick in India and I witnessed how people clean the dishes in what kind of water, we tried not to eat any street food and put efforts to find clean restaurants. However, it is very difficult to find the right ones as there are not many available here. When we came to Varanasi, we couldn't believe how Ganga River was polluted. All human rubbishes and raw sewages are going to the river directly. As you know that Ganga river is a holy place to Indian so they burn their loved ones when they passed away and leave the ash or parts of body in the water. Hundred times of the burning ceremonies are being held a day at the river and people are bathing and even drinking the incredibly polluted water. I was supposed to be impressed by the holiness and spiritual events but unfortunately I was totally shocked by the people's unreasonable attitudes. Would you drink or bath in the water that is one of the most polluted and contaminated water in the world? Am I not spiritual enough to understand this? No, I am not but I know I shouldn't drink the dirty water which makes so many people get sick. When I saw 'Loundary services' people were washing for the customers in the Ganga river and drying the clothes, bed sheets and towels on the floor next to the cow drops, I was almost devastated. OMG... 

You need to have ENOUGH time and patience for anything here. It took us to buy train tickets from Jaipur to Agra and Agra to Delhi more than two hours, and on the top of that we didn't get the tickets for Agra to Delhi. First thing, we had to get a form to fill in all the trip details including our home address, train name and code, departure time, arrival time, etc... I still don't know why they need all the details and people have to fill in manually. However when we are in India, we need to follow the Indian law, don't we? We had to be in a queue for more than two hours to get a ticket as the officer had to enter all the details for each person. Their inefficiency tested our patience but we had to think that we were lucky that at least we had tickets for one direction. When you flew to Varanasi, Goa and Jaipur, we had to stop over in Delhi and Mumbai for transfers but each time we had to completely go out and start again from the security check as there are no transfer gates or entrances. These are one of the biggest airports in the country and many people use the airports to go somewhere else which means everyone have to go through from the beginning each time. I couldn't get the logic but what could we do? One more thing I can add is very often the clocks at the airport and stations are not correct so you need extra care of checking time. Each time we move to a new hotel, the staff opens a huge notebook in front of us and we had to write down all the details such as, when we came to India, where we are from, where is our next destination, nationality, age (why?) sex(why?), when we going to leave India, home address and signature. I believe that there must be reasons to check every single traveller's movement but I was not really convinced about the usefulness of the checking procedures. You certainly need to be ready for enough patience here in India. 

Frankly, as a woman, I didn't feel safe in the most of cities in India. Especially, Delhi I felt even worse. First reason is there seems to be gender imbalance in Delhi. There are too many males than females on the streets. Most of shops are being managed by males and significantly less number of females are even walking around. Subways are full of male passengers and most of time there is not enough personal space for female passengers. One more thing made me feel uncomfortable was staring eyes. Obviously, we look different from them so it could be acceptable to be glanced but being stared unreasonably long time made me feel very uncomfortable. Indian government provides separated train carriages for female passengers and separated quese for only female so females can be protected. However, I had to question why female needs different treatment in India. 

Thousands of people are killed by dog bites every year in Amritsar only one city in India but no one seems to do anything about it. I am a dog lover but I have been trying to avoid the dogs in India because sick dogs are everywhere. Many street dogs are sick so getting a bite from the dogs can be fatal. Based on cultural and religious beliefs and strong tradition, people here live with all the animals. How wonderful story it is? Human and animals are living harmoniously. However, I have found that can be only in a dream. Reality is a disaster. Sick animals are everywhere. Half ton cows are walking between cars and people and poo anywhere. They are searching rubbish bins for food. Sick dogs are lying on the ground everywhere. 1.2 billions of people are living in the country with billions of animals and their mess. It is absolutely disaster. I do believe that keeping the tradition and understand religious beliefs are important but they shouldn't be more important than people's safety.

I have never seen so many poor people in my life. I knew India's GDP is not great but I didn't expect what I would see here. Countless of people including kids are begging everywhere. You can't give any money to anyone as thousands of beggers will come to you with their empty hands. Countless people are living on the streets and unacceptable housing conditions. It is absolutely heartbreaking to see these many people live in poverty. People are lying on the streets without any hope and kids are searching plastic bottles from the rubbish tips. I can't count how many times I have to ask what Indian government is doing for these people. I don't know. Existence of cast system also disgusted me. Who can be born to be lower and poor? I can't accept this lunatic system and the fact that it is still working here at this moment. 

I know I have been so negative and critical but as I told you earlier I wanted to tell my honest views which you can rarely get from others. Of course, there are not only bad things in India even though my blog looks like that. Our second and forth destination, Dharamshala and Goa were very impressive. Even though there were still common problems such as messiness, chaotic traffic and lack of hygiene awareness but these places offered us a beautiful nature and peaceful spaces from the crazy world. 

Dharamshala (McLeod gangi) was very spiritual place where many people from Nepal including Dalai Lama have come and settled. It offers fantastic mountain tracks to enjoy views of lower Himalayas. Goa is another place we felt released after visiting Varanasi. It was under the Portuguese rules until about 50 years ago and many foreign tourists' favourite place to visit. Therefore Goa is very different from other states in India. Normally we try to avoid touristic places but we were quite happy in Goa as cleanness standard was higher than any other places we have visited in India. Goa has many beautiful beaches so anyone who wants to go to India, I would like to recommend Goa to relax. Please avoid Callangute beach as the beach is very popular to Indian tourists so it can be too busy to relax. 

One more thing I shouldn't forget to mention is Indian food. Even though we have been a hard time travelling in India, we could not stop appreciating Indian food. Indian food is absolutely divine. Especially, vegetarian dishes seem to be unlimited. It has full flavour of fresh vegetables and herbs. Ingredients are so fresh that we didn't need to look for any other meals and enjoyed each time. However, I really ask you to choose a clean place to enjoy the food. Hotel restaurants and restaurants recommended by travel guides would be a better choice. Price of food is unbelievable cheap even in the better restaurants so don't risk your wellbeing because of the little difference in price. 

We have got only 2 more days in Agra, India and I am glad it is ending. I knew it would be challenging but definitely I was not ready for the current stage of India. I am very sorry that people who lives in poverty without basic human needs and left in the mess. Also, all the historical monuments that are left with lack of care. The messiness and chaotic surroundings diluted my curiosity about India. Holiness and spirituality seem to be destroyed by people and the unreasonable belief seems to destroy the people. 

Indian government has announced that they are extremely proud of being the forth country to send a space ship to Mars. I am rather sorry than be proud of the news. When their own people don't have their own toilets and clean water, when millions of people are begging on the streets for surviving daily life how it can be highly recognised to waste public's money for the unreasonable show off business.

I can't stop... 

Hope my review can show the reality of India and make you to be ready for the trip physically and mentally. It was challenging and difficult to accept the real situations here (maybe I am not spiritual enough or too emotional). I am standing the last stage of the trip in India and glad it is over soon. If anyone asks what I am thinking about the plan on travelling to India, my answer will be very simple. "Nope!" 

P.S. While I was competing this long and skeptical (sorry) story, I came to Agra by train from Jaipur. It was our first train trip in India and lucky the last one. It took us 7 hours for 200km and the train was called an express line. It was delayed for 1 hour and stopped for about 1.5 hours near Agra without any information. No one really knew why but they told us it was very normal.

Taj Mahal was absolutely amazing and magical looking. However, the river next to Taj Mahal was incredibly polluted. Unfortunately, Taj Mahal smells like a toilet. It was absolutely disappointing to see one of the most precious monuments is surrounded by the sewage. I am truly sorry...

Taj Mahal

Water around Taj Mahal

Laundry Service at the Gang Ga river

Snowed mountain view from The Tround, Dharamshala

Delhi traffic

Walk to the station

Anjuna Beach, Goa

How to lose weight

Since I started this long trip, I have been very conscious on my weight as I can't keep my regular exercise routine and diet regime. I have been trying as much as I could but it has been extremely hard to control the food intake (definitely it has been my biggest weakness) as plenty of mouthwatering and variety types of food are everywhere I go. Especially, since I came to Korea, my craving for the food that I have been missing is totally uncontrollable. Therefore, this blog will be a reminder for someone who are trying to lose weight including myself. Some people would argue that I shouldn't get stressed and enjoy food as much as I can while I am travelling. I do understand their point of view but I truly need to control myself as this 4 months trip needs to be taken as my daily life. Geee... I feel guilty that I am writing about losing weight while I am chewing the best Czech waffle, Kolonada. I can't stop eating at the moment and that is the main reason I need to talk about this for alarming myself.

When I was in Czech, I have met many of my husband' s friends and family members. Two major changes I have noticed this time are English and health awareness. More people can spoke English than before that made me feel more comfortable and connected. The second change was that people have started looking after their health and fitness more than ever before. Many of them have lost significant amount of weights so they looked younger and healthier. Hereunders are some tips from the people who successfully reduced their weight and feel healthier and happier with their body so I think these will be perfect tips for us to try. Shall we start?

1. Set a strong mindset : You can't achieve your goals without a strong mindset. Admit that you do need to lose weight and promise yourself for trying and getting the result what you wish to achieve. You need to set up a clear goal, how much you wish/can lose for a certain period such as 2 kg per month. If you have set up the clear and strong goal, you are now on the start line and ready for the journey.

2. Control the portion : Most people who I witnessed have lost the weight by controlling the portion of food. Reduce the portion gradually from your normally daily food consumption. Prepare the food only 80 percentage of portion that you normally have and try to leave some food on the plate, and stop eating. Avoid eating from a sharing pot or big dishes. Get your plate and put all the food on the plate before starting eating so you can actually see how much you eat. Remember that we normally eat more than necessary.

3. Get knowledge in food : Do you have enough knowledge in food what you eat? Do you know which food is good and which one is bad for you? Trying to get more knowledge about the food which you consume three time every day is essential for losing weight. When you know about what you eat, we will figure out why you are having a problem in controlling the weight. Avoid food with high calories, fat, sugar and replace them with fresh vegetables, fruits and lower calorie food. Many people complain that they are getting fatter even though they don't eat too much. Are you one of them? Then you need to know more about what you eat than how much you eat.

4. Look at the mirror and see your body as often as possible : I know it is painful but we need to see how our bodies look like. Not many people would be completely happy with their body but if you don't want to see yourself through the mirror, it means there are problems. We need to face the problems in order to resolve them. When I was fatter, I hated looking at myself and started wearing black and baggy clothes for hiding my body. Hiding, ignoring, rejecting and denying will not help us at all. Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself sincerely, and promise that you will look after your body from now on.

5. Exercise : Here you go. Exercise is here again. I know exercise can be annoying to someone who hates moving but it is not avoidable. You can control the food to lose weight but you can't get healthy and fit body without regular exercise. My cousin has lost more than 30kg by restriction on the food intake. She looks great and slim but she is very often sick and permanently feels weak. Is that you want to achieve? I hope not. Exercise helps you to get healthier physically and also mentally. It also helps your immune system stronger. At least 3 to 4 times a week, spend 1 hour a day for your body and mind. Try to get involved in group exercise. It will help you to get into the exercise regime easier. There are plenty of options offered by the fitness centres so try to find the best option for you.

6. Talk about health and food with people around you : You will be surprised how many people are interested in health matters once you start talking about them. Talking and discussing about health and healthy food with your colleagues or friends, sharing useful information and encouraging each other to live fit and healthy will keep your emotional strength to achieve your goals. Get tips from someone who has lost weight or try to lose weight and try them together. Talking about health and healthy lifestyle will attract people who have similar interests. Studies show that fat people intend to have fat friends. If you have people who are interested in healthy lifestyle, you will naturally adapt and learn their lifestyle and it will help you to lose weight and be healthy.

7. Measure yourself regularly : This is very simple but very important. Sometimes you don't realise that you have put on weight. 2 kg per year doesn't seem too much but you will be 20 kg heavier in 10 years. Measure yourself and try to keep the healthy weight. We all know how hard to lose even a single gram of weight so we need to check our weight changes regularly. Get a scale which shows BMI (Body Mass Index) and find out your ideal weight for your height. I have to admit that I dislike measuring myself but it is very important to know your weight.

8. Chew slowly : I have seen many people who are overweight eat much faster than any others. They don't seem to chew the food long enough. Our brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after 20 minutes so if you eat fast, you are likely to eat more than necessary. Eating slow and chewing the food longer will help you to eat less. A study shows eating less is one of the most powerful factors for human's longevity so chew slowly and finish food before you feel full.

9. Get a professional help : One of our friends who has lost significant amount of weights told me that he went to see a dietician to find out the problem of his diet. The dietician advised him a new diet schedule and he followed it properly. He looked healthier than ever before. If you have tried hard on diet but didn't get any positive results, seeking a professional help wouldn't be a bad idea. I saw many people who are getting better results by using personal trainers. If you are not sure about your persistence, get a professional help that can lead you to the right direction and also encourage(push?) you to achieve what you want.

10. Light food for dinner: The earlier, the smaller the better for dinner. My cultural background offers light lunch and big dinner so it has been very hard to change my craving for a big dinner. However, it really works. Since we came to India, we started eating fruits and vegetables for dinner as we have normally delicious Indian cuisine for lunch. Indian food is absolutely fantastic but can be quite rich and heavy so we try to balance our diet with fresh vegetables and fruits for dinner. I found that my stomach is lighter and more comfortable in the morning. Avoid eating after 7pm as your body movement is less and eat more vegetables and fruits instead of meat and carbohydrates for dinner. I promise that it will work for you.

11. Less meat and sugar : How often do you eat meat a week? Whenever I ask this question to one of my friends who loves eating meat and also struggles keeping her weight answers always same. "not much, not too often! ". She eats meat dishes a couple of times a week but most of her food contains pieces of meat and she doesn't recognise that is meat. Watch out how much meat you eat consciously and unconsciously. I recognise that our body needs to have protein but you need to limit the amount of meat when you have a trouble with weight. Sugar is also you need to avoid. Many fat free products still contain high portion of sugar so be more careful to choose.

12. Get rid of the bad habits and replace them with good ones : How many bad habits do you have which make you hard to lose weight? Write down them on the paper and try to replace them with good habits. Using a lift to walking on the stairs, drinking soft drinks to water, sitting at lunch break to going for a walk, etc... Once your bad habits have been replaced by good ones, you will realise how much healthier lifestyle you can have.

Losing weight can not be easy but it is achievable if you are REALLY ready for the journey. Try to enjoy the journey that you are getting slimmer, fitter and healthier rather than fight with yourself. It is a rewarding experience that you are truly loving your own body and doing something for getting better. I do admire people who try to change themselves as I know it is not easy. While I am writing about this blog, I realised that I have been lazy for my own health with many unreasonable excuses so this blog helps me to go back on to the right track. I hope this encourages you to start or continue your healthy journey.

China, what a great surprise!

China is the country I have been wanting to visit for a very long time and finally, here I am. We have reached our second last destination, China. China, only less than 2 hours by plane from my home country, South Korea but I didn't have any chance to visit there when I lived in Korea. Funny enough when I live 10,000 km away from the country, I finally put down China into our itinerary. 

I was curious. I wanted to see why the world is non stop talking about China. My curiosity led me to come here and I am now discovering the 'WHY?' 11 days of trip in China is definitely not enough to talk about the country but it is enough time to amaze me in many ways. Frankly, my observation can be very shallow as I have seen only little part of this anomous country but I can't stop forcing myself to write about my experiences in China and share my views with someone who are interested in China. I am amazed and surprised. I am amused and fascinated by China. WHY? Let me share with you. 

1. Too many people : I was completely overwhelmed by seeing so many people and being around with them permanently. I couldn't find anywhere without crowds. 23 millions of people in Shanghai and 17 millions in Beijing. I definitely saw enough people while we were in China for 11 days. Being in a queue (very long one) is unavoidable. I was told that Chinese government decided that only 50 thousands of people per day can visit the Forbidden City so you can imagine how many people would be around tourists attractions. All the trains, buses, streets, roads and even hotels are simply full of people. Whenever we come out to the square, we couldn't stop saying 'Wow!'. Too many people everywhere. There is no 'personal space' allowed. It looks like a complete chaos but everything seems to work anyhow. It was amazing.

2. Old and new together: I was often told that Shanghai and Beijing are unbelievably modernised and westernised so I had a rough imagination about the cities. High-raise buildings, luxurious shopping centres, expensive vehicles and well dressed people... Actual level of development of the cities was easily matched/exceeded my expectations. Endless high raised buildings and morden style shopping districts are everywhere. It was an absolute eye opening. However the most interesting thing to me was that the country still keeps their traditions strongly and respect it firmly. In between high-raise buildings, there are traditional markets for their own people and also tourists. Very often, I felt like walking on a street somewhere in Paris and suddenly I felt like being in an old Chinese movie. I loved the combination of old and new. I was fascinated by witnessing the people who keep their traditions sincerely and adopt new chances smoothly at the same time. I absolutely enjoyed being between new and old. 

3. Many choices but not much to eat (especially for vegetarians) : This comment can be very personal so feel free to ignore if you don't agree. There are plenty of different meals available everywhere but choosing right food was the hardest part of our trip in China. First, not many places have menu in English or picture so we didn't know what to order and how to order. Don't expect some staff will help you to order. 99.99 percentage of people will explain to you in Chinese. Especially, as we tried to limit our meat consumption, the choice of food dropped down to 10 percentage. Most of vegetables are cooked or boiled in a meat soup so we couldn't enjoy even vegetables. Quite often we got the food which was far different from our expectations/imagination. Traditional sauces are very strong that sometimes we couldn't be able to finish the food. Chinese food seems to me very meaty, greasy, sweet and overcooked. I am not telling that Chinese food is bad or not delicious. It is very special. Maybe, too much special taste for us. One good thing was that we didn't have to worry about overeating or being fatter in China. 

4. Toilets everywhere but not always what you expected : I know toilet is not a common topic to talk about but I can't help myself. I have never been anywhere that has more public toilets than China. About 1.3 billion people live in China so I guess many public toilets must be available everywhere. Toilets are absolutely everywhere so we didn't have to try hard to find one of them unlikely Amsterdam. I must admit that I was surprised that many of them (in shopping centres) are no problem to use as any develop countries. However I have to mention that public toilets on the streets have very special setups. There is no dividers or walls/doors between toilets. You are totally exposed when you are doing very personal business. When I discovered this funny truth, the person who was very shocked and embarrassed was me not a Chinese girl who was doing her own business. Chinese tradition is sometimes too strong to outsiders like us. 

5. Good roads and excellent public transport : There was absolutely no problem to visit one of the world most famous places, the great wall by a public bus (12 Yuan = about 2 AUD). Public transport in Shanghai and Beijing is unbelievably amazing. It took us only 5 hours between Shanghai and Beijing, 1,300 km by the fast train that goes about 300 km per hour. Quality of roads between cities was far greater than anywhere else in the world. Fare for the public transport was incredibly cheap (30 cents per ride in Beijing) for the public. As I come from the country which has not provided a train line for more than 20 years after spending so much money for the numerous studies, still no promise for any better solution for the public, Chinese public transport system was a delight shock and eye opening experience. 

6. No English, Yes Chinese : Don't expect you can communicate in English in China. We hardly found anyone speak or understand English in Shanghai and Beijing, two biggest cities in China. Most of signs are written in Chinese so it was extremely hard to find our destination. People will speak to you in Chinese regardless of your appearance. My European husband was permanently told something in Chinese. However, we could manage to get very close to whatever we wanted eventually by body languages. It is a fun part of trip overseas, isn't it? Any reason we commonly expect everyone in the world will speak English and respect for foreigners. This unreasonable common sense doesn't work in China. At the end, I didn't really mind their attitudes. Why can't I speak Chinese when I am in China? 

7. Better quality goods than expected : Any reason, I have been underestimating and downgrading Chinese products. This trip has broken my foolish assumptions about the quality of Chinese goods. From simple gadgets to high technology products, from very cheap stuffs to expensive goods... China seems to be on the very top of the world markets. If someone tries to dismiss the Chinese products, I would like to tell them to come to China and see what they have achieved. "Wow!" was my constant reaction. 

8. Disconnected and constantly controlled : Some of you might wonder why I have been so lazy to upload anything in my blog or post any pictures into Facebook. China was the first and only country to me where these social media sites are blocked. No BBC or CNN news, no TV channel for foreign programmes that allow us to be connected to outside of China. Every 10 meters, several police officers and soldiers are standing and checking out people's ID. They could argue that it is for the safety of public but it seems to me more than necessary checks and control. All train station has only one entrance even though there are more gates in order to monitor who goes into the station PERFECTLY. I felt I am very lucky to live in a free country where I can do whatever I want and wherever I want to go without the constant control. Don't get me wrong that people in China would live miserable life. Unbelievably they seem to be very happy and relaxed. They may get used to live and be treated like this on daily basis. 

9. Huge development of residential and commercial buildings : Wherever we go, there are massive developments happening. Skyscrapers are at every conner to attract people's eyesights and high rise apartments are being built everywhere. The country seems to be moving. Quite often I had to assure myself that I am in China as I was surrounded by the westernised department stores and buildings. It was a delightful surprise but all the development seems to happen too fast to be adapted by traditional Chinese people. Most of the luxury department stores merely have any customers so I felt bit strange to shop around. Many apartments looked like empty while another big apartment blocks are being built. I don't want to put too much my opinion as I barely know about China and its current economic situation. However, I can tell that the developments seem too faster than necessary. 

10. Shopping pedestrian walking streets : One of the things impressed me a lot was the streets where no cars are allowed so people can walk, shop, sing and dance freely. There are many streets in Shanghai and Beijing are only for pedestrians. It was absolutely great fun to walk along the streets and enjoying being within local people. Especially in the evening, the streets become full of people. People are gathering together, making many little groups and dancing, singing and performing whatever they want. Looking at them and the ways how they enjoy their lives were delightful surprise. These streets make the cities alive and allow people to release stress from their daily life. Walking on the streets became one of my favourite things to do while I was in China. It was absolutly cool.

I didn't intend to write this long but I couldn't help myself as there are too many things to share with you about our experiences from China. I would like to return to some countries to see more in future and China is certainly one of them. I am very happy that visiting China has ended up as a great decision and eye opening experience. I am amazed by what they have achieved and astonished by how people manage/balance their live between old and new, freedom and being under control. Before heading to our last destination, India, I would like to recommend you to visit China. I am sure that it will open your eyes and change your ideas about China as it did it to us.

The Forbidden City

The Great Wall

View from The Great Wall

Confucious Temple

Heaven Temple

Tian An Men Square

The Bund

 Square Pagoda

Things to learn for a long trip

It has been more than 3 months we are on the road and so far we have been travelling over 13 countries. We are sitting in a metro in Shanghai, China, our second last country at the moment. I can't believe that time has passed this fast and we have got only 1 month to reach our final day of the journey. 

It has been absolutely fantastic opportunity to see many unforgettable places and have memorable experiences. Every single day has been unique and special. Meeting old friends on the way was undescribable joy and knowing new people and learning their lives have been also rewarding. Eating each nation's variety food and learning their culture have been truly amazing experience for me. Every single day has been full of excitement and fascinating expectations.

I have been truly enjoying the trip that opens my eyes and mind about the world and our lives. However, I have to confess that it has not been always easy to move to the next new places constantly. Time difference, cultural difference, language difference, diet changes, sudden climate changes, different rules, people's attitudes diffences, etc... All these differences and changes have been challenging me time to time. I believe that many people would like to travel more and longer as we did (We still do). While I am travelling, I have learnt that there are certain skills/attitudes required for a long travel in order to enjoy the journey more. Without them, many people would feel tired and exhausted before enjoying the true pleasure of travel. 

'My home, my castle! '
Yes, I am bit tired of being away from home such a comfortable place for this long time. Especially, unpacking and packing business still bothers me the most. When I wake up in the middle of night for the loo, I can't count how many times I couldn't find the way to the bathroom as we sleep at different hotels constantly. Whenever I reach a new place, I have to deal with my unsettled mind between excitement and nervousness. However, I still love travelling and experiencing new things. I couldn't be proud of us more that we started this journey. The trip has been bringing anomous pleasure and joyment to our life that I have been always wanting to have so I can't complain too much about these little discomfort. 

Again... Whenever I start talking about the trip, I become so emotional that I can't stop appreciating this opportunity again and again. It is time to back to the main topic what I wanted to talk about. If anyone who is planning on travelling for a long period or who wishes to do in future, I would like to suggest you to have/learn the following skills/attitudes. These are from my personal and live experience and I believe they will hep you to manage your trip better and enjoy it more.

1. Keep physical strength and health: Travelling requires good health and strong physical foundation. We have been walking nearly 10 km on a daily basis. While we are moving to another places, we have to carry about close to 10 kg of backpack on the top of 20kg of baggage. Non stop moving and visiting many places can't be achievable without physical strength. There are too many things to do and too many places to see within the limited time so you need to be healthy and strong. Regular exercise will help you to get the strength for a long trip. 

2. Be adaptable of differences : Nothing is same and every place are different any how. You need to be open and adaptable for the differences. differences in culture, religious belief, food, whether, custom, people's attitudes and behaviours, rules, fashion, appearance, language, etc... You will be permanently shocked by the differences and also amazed by them. Open your mind and accept the differences as you will definitely need the attitude wherever you go. 

3. Be patient : Don't expect that every thing will be happening as you planned. 6 hours bus trip can be turned into the 12 hours trip and you might need to wait for hours to get a stamp on your Visa. No credit cards are acceptable when no money exchange offices or banks are around. Buying a train ticket requires hours of waiting and finding out the hotel can be extremely difficult as no one knows what you are talking about. You suddenly feel like an animal in a Zoo as everyone is staring at you. Unexpected things can happen more often than things expected while travelling so be patient. When you get frustrated or feel anxious, the situation can go worse so try to be calm and find out the best alternatives. Being patient is the best wisdom you need during the travel. 

4. Be organised : I cannot promise you that nothing will surprise you if you organise the trip well but I can be sure that you will get shocked less. Plan earlier and confirm before you do. Some people don't like plan ahead but they should be ready for the shocks. Before you move, find out where you are going to, know about the places and prepare yourself on special requirements. Also, confirm your bookings and prepare alternatives. Being well organised will easy your long journey and relax you on the way. 

5. Underestimate yourself: I know you are smart and very capable but don't overestimate yourself while you are travelling unless you know the place as much as your home town. You are a stranger in a strange place. Ask a help to people if you are not sure and avoid doing things which are not necessary. Be modest about your knowledge and ability and behave like a new student who are ready to be taught. It will help you to have a safe journey. 

6. Be careful and be cautious at any time : I don't think I need to emphasise why you need to be always careful and cautious while travelling. Car accidents, food, diseases from mosquitoes, water, thieves, illegal drugs, etc... There are plenty of things you need to know about and be cautious as you don't have enough knowledge and experience about the places. Better be careful now than sorry later. 

7. Be flexible : Frequently you need to adjust or change your plans while travelling. You need to be ready for the unexpected results constantly so be flexible with your plans. Don't leave the decision till the last minute. Allow enough time for just in case. Travel will surely teach you how to adjust yourself to overcome unexpected situations. 

8. Be positive : Remember how much you wished to have the freedom. Every single minute is precious and priceless so do not waste by being negative. Time to time, you will face unexpected incidents or unpleasant moments during the journey ,and you cannot avoid these. Therefore, take them positive way and ignore some which are beyond your control. Being positive has been very important to keep us going. I have been trying to remind this phrase to myself whenever I feel down or worried and it helped.
'Life is beautiful and all is well.' 

9. Keep simple living : Unless you have plenty of money for a long trip, you need to check your spending constantly to keep your budget under control. There are endless things to buy or want to have. There are always better hotel, better food, better things than you can afford and travel mood makes you be more generous on spending. However please remember wherever you go, there will be many reasons to spend more money than you expected during the travel so you will need to keep extra money available for the occasions. Avoid buying unnecessary things as they will become only extra weights you have to carry. Keeping a frugal lifestyle will help you to complete the journey smoothly and also avoid getting financial hardship when you return from the trip. 

10. Have a good company : Some people wouldn't mind to travel by themselves but I do prefer to having a company to share the time and experiences together. I believe that good companionship can enrich the trip more. Sharing the wonderful memories with someone who you like is blessing. I simply can't imagine what if I didn't have my lovely husband with me. The trip has been gluing our relationship stronger and all the experiences we have been enjoying together will be one of the most important connections between us in future. Travelling together will make yourself happier and also safer so I highly recommend you to find good company/companies for travelling with. 

Of course, there are many more things that you need to prepare or know before travelling but you don't need to worry too much as you will need to learn any how on the way. A long trip can be hard sometimes but the pleasure from it is far bigger and stronger so it will compensates all your efforts. After 3 months of trip, I am far stronger and opener than before but still I struggle with the changes occasionally. I admit that I will need to continuesly practice all these essential skills in order to complete our journey happily and safely. 

Our next and last destination is India. Am I ready for the cultural shock?  I am not sure yet but I hope my experience from the last 3 months of trip can support me get through the challenge easier and smoother.

See you in India!

World is so small...

"Sister!!!! Sissss teeer!!!"

When I realised the desperate calling was for me, it was already too late to react. Someone grabbed my hand hardly and hugged me strongly.
"What the h......!"
"Oh My God.....!"
The friend who I was really wanted to meet while we were travelling in Switzerland was standing in front of me and hugging me in a city where we came for a trip for only two days after 25 years. How can I explain about this unbelievable reunion with her? 

We met and lived together as flatmates in Sydney 8 years ago and she left Australia after getting married to a Swiss man about 5 years ago. Since then we haven't been in touch. How can I excuse my ignorance about the relationship or friendship with her? All I can say is we were too busy to survive and settle in our new country, Australia then so we didn't realise how important things we were missing at that moment. Simply, we were young and foolish. We were only focusing on our future career and getting permanent residency to stay in Australia at the time, and dismissed relationship/friendship with others thoughtlessly.

When we organised this long trip, when we decided to stop over in Zurich, Switzerland, her existence suddenly popped up into my mind and I really wanted to meet her. I was not sure why I started thinking about her after 5 years passed by but as a middle aged woman who feels surrendered by age, I have been feeling hungry for warm and close relationship with people. I wanted to know how people who I knew before are doing nowadays and she was one of them.

Unfortunately, when we were in Zurich, she was away from Switzerland to Korea to visit her parents so I had to give up the hope. What kind of faith it could be! I met the friend, who I wanted to meet in Switzerland, in the middle of street, in front of crossing, in a small city in Korea today. If I didn't go to the city after 25 years, if we didn't ask our tour guide for stopping the bus on the spot where we didn't plan to visit, if we didn't stand and talk on the spot at that time, if she didn't decide to come to the city for a day trip, if her husband didn't recognise my husband's face under the sunset light, if......, we wouldn't be able to see each other. This incredible and unbelievable reunion offered me time to think about how world is small and how old friendships are valuable to our life. I was extremely happy to see her and her family accidentally 10,000 km away from our home. 

My mother used to tell me that according to Buddhism , this kind of unexpected meeting can happen only after more than thousand times of meeting in our previous lives so we should take any relationship sincerely and I was very impressed by the story. As it is hard to forget what you learnt/believed when you were a kid, I couldn't take our meeting as a simple accident. I felt we were meant to meet each other any how. One more funny thing we have found out while we started talking about our trip was that only one extra day trip we made outside of Zurich was where they actually live. How amazing it is?

I organised one more chance to see each other in Seoul as I didn't let this faith go away and as I don't know when we can meet each other again. We had a chat about many things about our past which we all remember so can laugh together and also current life that we all can share so we can know each other's life bit deeper. Non stop giggling and talking made us not to realise that we have been talking for more than 4 hours. I feel sorry for talking too much (as usual) but I couldn't stop enjoying the time with them and knowing their life in Switzerland. 

Friendship that I didn't take seriously when I was younger suddenly became far more precious and valuable to me. Especially, having a good relationship with people who have similar life experiences in the past so we can share our homesickness has been one of the most missing things for both of us who live in the new country. So, this meeting definitely helped out for curing our craving for the friendship. 

After 4 hours of talking, unfortunately we had to say good bye to them as we needed heading to the airport for our next destination, Shanghai, China. We swapped our contact details and promised to keep in touch. I am not sure when we can meet up with each other again. All I can hope for are happy life to them until we meet each other and keeping touch with each other. On the way back to the airport, my husband and I continuesly talk about them and what we were talking about for the 4 hours. We both couldn't hide our joyment from being with good friends. My feet were lighter and my heart was full of gentle warmth.