Buffalo soldier

We are out for lunch at this funky Bob Marley and Beatles inspired, Warung Beach Breeze, a short walk from our hostel. It's a bright and windy day. We have ordered a pot of lemon tea, detoxing and resisting the temptation for Bintang beer. Bintang is the equivalent of Tiger, Singapore. I got to know that it means "star" in Bahasa. I quite like the word "bintang", it resonates well.  There is lively Bob Marley painting of the wall, I keep staring at it. It's blue and full of life. I like the way the currency notes blend with the caricature. Bob Marley, even after his death is able to live it up! And yeah, Buffalo Soldier tops the chart most places here.

Jack's Place at Sanur Beach

For long, I've been chided as the only Goan who didn't eat fried or grilled fish. Beware people, that is changing now. And don't say I didn't warn you ;)

The crude Sanur beach map given to us had a few restaurants and beach shacks highlighted, well, rather crudely. Over the years, we've come to trust these little nuggets more than the famous, published ones, and so we stepped into Jack's Place along the Sanur beach. They specialize in seafood, and it really is foolish to order anything else. We asked for a grilled mahi-mahi fillet and a whole snapper, along with some rice and urab (vegetables). The photo here only does part justice to how good the snapper looked, and no justice to how good it tasted. And all for an extremely reasonable price. We've bookmarked this place for our next Sanur visit - you should too.

Breaking bad

And it actually begins...we reach Bali in the afternoon from Singapore. Cab from the airport takes us to "Big Pineapple"  hostel in Sanur. This is the same hostel Mandar broke bad at. Big Pineapple is a chilled-out place, buzzing with backpackers who are hanging out by the pool, on the couch, sharing travel stories and travel tips. Most of them are Europeans (expected, yeah) on a south-east Asia trip. One of the stories I hear, is how weird Singapore is as a city, how it has so many rules and you can't get cigarettes in, the girl says, "What can I tell you I was there for a day and the city is just weird". I really want to tell her that she needs to look beyond the cover of rules and fines, to see how much Singapore has to offer. And yes, it can't be experienced in one day. But, I keep to myself since I'm just low on energy after all the pre-trip madness. So I laze at the hostel, start a book called "Eats shoots and leaves", and chill by the pool in the evening glory. Its finally happening!

The tipping point

Bali. February 2013. When I look back several years hence, that will be where it all started.

For several months, I've had an urge to take a break from work, from the daily routine, from the technology overload, from the constant de-prioritization of things I want to do most, and to do all those things that have been sitting impatiently in my bucket list. I've talked about it fleetingly with Shamin, usually after I've read an inspiring blog post by someone who had the courage to do it. But that c-word took a long time finding my doorstep.

I'm not that old really *snigger snigger*. I've had a good work life too, with a culture that few enjoy, and the myriad interactions with people across four different cities have fueled my passion and kept me going. But the ten years I'm going to complete with my employer this July seemed like an eternity, and the routine finally took its toll. 

Circa Bali. The tipping point. My employer was observing a week-long, mandatory Chinese New Year break, and my wife was travelling to India for a good friend's wedding, so I took the opportunity to spend some quality time in Bali...doing nothing. A close friend was in a similar situation, minus the wife bit as he was single, and decided to join me on the trip. We decided to experience the backpackers life, and booked dorm beds in a hostel at Sanur. The trip turned out to be very eventful - we made good friends at the hostel, learned new drinking games, took night outs on the town, zipped around Bali on bikes, and even took a beginners course in surfing. That last experience in particular was mind-blowing, and deserves a dedicated post, so I'll skip any details here. During all the late-night dinner table discussions and debates, one thing became painfully clear - we were the two oldest people at the hostel! And then it hit me - the best time to take a break from the monotony and truly experience life was actually gone. All I was left with were meetings to attend, Facebook posts to like, a social ladder to climb, and weekend holidays which I hopelessly hoped would never end. 

Many years ago, I'd come across a saying that had caught my attention "When you're on your deathbed, and look back at your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did". That statement rang loud in my ears, and I had to make a decision. There are times when you look before you jump, and then there are times when you take a leap of faith. I just jumped, and I know I won't ever regret it. 

Turtuk

A faint morn' sun brushes my face
A light drizzle outside plays
Marigolds form an orange maze
Pine trees around me, I'm in a daze
I get up from the cosy laze
Sweet sweet earth, makes a pretty face
I soak, leaving behind the city race
Turtuk, with its Godly ways
Consumes me, and a high stays!

Saigon bliss

Saigon during Tet / Lunar New Year

City light
Buzzing night
Bikes galore
Packed floor
Sky ablaze
Fire maze
Rainbow shade
Smiles invade
Faces light
Eyes bright
Saigon bliss
Still miss! 

 

FIFA Madness

The D-day finally arrived – our match day 27th June at Soccer City, Johannesburg. We opted for a “park and walk” ticket which turned out to be a smart decision. The walk to the stadium was a rush in itself. The most enthusiastic soccer crazy hawkers selling vuvuzelas (stadium horns), makarelas (hand-cut and hand-painted hard hats), Zakumi miniatures( Zakumi is the Offical Mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, an anthropomorphized leopard with green hair), giant glasses and shields with team slogans, mufflers, badges, flags, jerseys, even nail art with your team’s colour. We were to watch the Argentina-Mexico match and Mandar being a devoted White and Sky Blue fan picked up his team’s merchandise. I was a neutral supporter so picked up the home country colours. As we reached the stadium, we were engulfed in the hysteria. Outrageously dressed fans with the craziest head gear made from feathers, cane and what not, big screens showing the previous match live, fans doing the diksi dance( a south-african way of celebrating soccer – all the football moves, minus the ball), soccer games, fans sharing stage with Zakumi and beer flowing. Not able to control our urge to be in the gigantic stadium, we made an early entry. Pictures followed. It was finally 8.00 pm, our first glimpse of our favourite players warming up. At quarter past eight, the flags were out, anthems followed while the vuvuzelas screeched as 84000 fans longed to watch their teams. Both the teams were high on energy and we got desperate to watch our first goal. And Tevez it was whose sheer energy on the field was transferred to you. We screamed laduma (a popular cheer at soccer matches literally meaning “it thunders” in Zulu). A fast-paced game and so much frenzy at the stadium, it seemed like the match ended too soon. A contrast of emotions followed, happy tears from the Argentina fans and a crest-fallen Mexican crowd. It was an adrenalin rush and we couldn’t wait to see our next match Argentina-Germany at Cape Town.