Sunday afternoon jaunt

It's been a while since I've gone on an independent adventure of the exploring/walking/photo-taking kind. So I was very happy to fill my otherwise empty afternoon with an excursion to Arab Street. It's a neighborhood that is exactly what it sounds like: Arab. There are mosques, tons of little stores with carpets, fabrics, and lots of Middle-Eastern-esque items, and lots of restaurants and hookah bars.

It was very hot and very sunny and very beautiful. But I will let the pictures speak for themselves:

Doesn't that building in the background look like it belongs in Gotham City?

Making the most of the commute

Today as I was riding the train to go take pictures around town, I was playing with a Rubik's Cube. Ever since I got one for Christmas when I was in middle school, I've gone through phases of taking it with me wherever I go. It's compact and entertaining, so when one finds oneself in a situation where they are waiting for something (i.e. a bus or train), it's easy to whip out and dispel boredom.

I didn't bring my Cube with me to Singapore, but Caleb has one and I borrowed it today for my train ride. I got on the train, pulled it out, and started twisting and turning.

The first time I solved it (I'm averaging 2 and a half minutes), I noticed a lady smile as she was watching me. Then I realized that normally, all you see on the train is a whole bunch of zombified people trudging through their daily commute staring vacantly with their headphones on. That or fingers typing furiously into little pocket sized gadgets. It's certainly not every day that you see a white girl playing with a brightly colored cube.

After the second time I solved it, I noticed a man watching me. He caught my eye and asked if he could have a go. Of course, why not? I handed it over, and his hands started moving the layers back and forth quickly and methodically. Three minutes later, it was done and he handed it back.

I couldn't help but smile. It was such a ridiculous situation--two strangers interacting with each other over a toy on the Singapore MRT. I solved it one or two more times, and the same man suggested we do a race. As the train pulled into the next station, he took the Cube and started as soon as the doors shut. The goal was to finish by the time the doors opened at the next station (~2 min).

I watched in awe as he turned the last layer just in time. Then it was my turn and I am sad to say I wasn't as successful. He was very gracious and we had a quick little conversation about it. When he got off the train, we exchanged "Have a nice day!"s, and that was that.

I spent the rest of my train ride today solving my Cube, hoping that it would cause some smiles and a little bit of entertainment for my fellow commuters.

Unexpected gains.

Time does amazing things for relationships. The more time you spend with a person, the more you learn about them, and the closer you become. I think that this also applies to our own selves. I am the person I spend the most time with, and it's always exciting to see how I change as life goes on.

For those of you who know of the Myers-Briggs personality types, I am an Extrovert to the extreme. I am motivated and energized by being around people. One of my absolute favorite parts of being a traveling extrovert is meeting and befriending people from all over the world. Not only does it mean that soon I won't have to worry about having a place to stay wherever I go, but it also means that I get to learn and experience all sorts of cultures and worldviews that may be different from my own. All of these new friendships have a great impact on who I am and have helped me grow and change in many ways.

Last week I went on vacation to Thailand. My dad was coming for work, so I met up with him in Bangkok and then we went up north to Chiang Mai together. Coincidentally enough, one of my friends (Mairead), whom I was with in Senegal, lives there now. It would probably be an understatement to say that we had a blast together.

It rocks my world to think that two years after Mairead and I met in Africa (and knew each other for a mere two months), we can get together in a completely different country and have the time of our lives. Over the last two years we have kept in touch through email and skype, but this was the first time we've actually seen each other.

Mairead has an incredible group of friends in Chiang Mai, that I had the honor of meeting and spending time with throughout the week. Besides going on adventures with them to the Night Bazaar, a jazz bar, and the coolest waterfall ever, I especially enjoyed just sitting around, talking, and getting to know them. Little did I expect to come home with a whole new group of friends in another country.

Which brings me to one of the curses of being a traveling extrovert with easy friend making abilities. After a week with my new friends in Chiang Mai, I didn't want to leave. I wanted to be able to stay and cultivate these new relationships, to make life-long friends of mere acquaintances. Hopefully, through the power of email, we will be able to stay in touch and see each other again in this lifetime.

Seeing as I gained a whole new community while on vacation for a week, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I find myself with many amazing friends here in Singapore. Friends that keep me accountable, encourage me, inspire me, challenge me, and keep my life as fun as ever. But these friends won't be around forever either. It is the nature of living here that people come and go more often than they rightfully should.

One of my best friends here recently moved back to the States, but she is only the first in a long line that will be moving before me. As heartbreaking as it is to think about them leaving, I am learning how to be present with the people I'm with and not waste the time I've been given with them.

I am blessed to have so many friends in so many places, and I love to see how I am growing and changing through all of these relationships.

So here's a shout-out to friends whom I have left, and who have left me: I miss you and love you and would love to hear from you whenever you have a chance.

P.S. Check out pictures from my vacation on my Picasa Web Albums by clicking the link on the right!

Career Plan #12

I have a long list of secret (and some not-so-secret) ambitions* when it comes to my career:

*Note: These are not listed in any particular order of importance

1. Environmental Educator
2. Behavioral Therapist
3. Founder of an Applied Behavior Analysis Nature Center
4. Bookstore Owner
5. Baker and owner of the most fabulous Bakery that can be found next to my bookstore
6. Coffeeshop Owner that can be found next to my bookstore and bakery
7. Professional trip leader--taking people on trips all over the world
8. Teacher
9. Hot air balloon pilot
10. Educational Campaigns Consultant
11. Librarian
12. Professional Photographer
13. Park Ranger
14. Self-sustaining farmer
15. Dress-maker
16. Zoo Keeper
17. Animal Trainer


And, the list goes on.


In recent days, I have been thinking a lot about #12: Professional Photographer. Last week, I had the amazing opportunity of doing an engagement photo shoot for some of my friends who will be getting married this summer. It was amazingly fun! I was completely blown over when they asked me to, because I have never been commissioned as a photographer for something like this before.

Photography has been a hobby of mine since I took a class in High School. I was introduced to the art of film photography, learned how to develop my own photos, and a little about the ins and outs of subject, composition, etc. I took ownership of my parents' old film SLR. All the way through college, I would take it out, dust it off, load it up and take some photos.

Then, for my graduation present, I decided I wanted to invest in a Digital SLR. It's only been six months, but I've taken more pictures on my camera than I had in the previous 20 years! I couldn't be happier with it.

Using my lens to look the world has helped me to see it differently. Pictures capture moments, and preserve them, moments that may otherwise be overlooked. They see beautiful symmetry in staircases, split second emotions expressed on faces, and can make the most ordinary items into items of interest.

Photos interpret and express the world we live in.

There are a lot of people this week who have said to me, "Have you ever considered making a career change? You could totally make it as a photographer!" And so I have found myself drifting off to the "what if" land of Some Day.

What if, some day, I did become a professional photographer?

Until then, I will thrive in my hobby and keep taking pictures and take ownership of the title "Aspiring Photographer". And now I leave  you with a selection of photos from the a aforementioned photo shoot.

 

Who's line is it anyway?

I used to love watching "Who's Line is it Anyway?". It was the show that could perk me up no matter what--I always ended up rolling on the floor laughing. For those of you who may not be familiar, it's a comedy "game"show that has one basic premise: improv. Four actors and comedians would get up on stage and spend half an hour making fools of themselves by thinking skits up on the spot. I'm not going to lie, I always envied their ability to make it up as they went along.

Thinking on my feet has never really been a strong point for me. I am a PLANNER. There needs to be a thought out plan, as far as I'm concerned. Not surprisingly, I was never the student who could write a speech last minute for class and then get up and make it sound like I had spent days on it. Though I do pride myself in being able to participate in spurts of witty banter, I've never really been able to seriously improvise.

That is, until I became a behavioral therapist.

My job requires me to pull things out of a hat constantly. I need to be able to turn on a dime and change what I do based on Monkey's moods and responses. As a creature of routine and habit, Monkey often gets stuck in a rut if we do too many similar things in the same order too often. It's my job to prevent that from happening.

It was really hard at first to keep a good flow in a therapy session. I would be so focused on the individual activities, that once we finished one, I wouldn't be ready for the next and would be left sputtering "I...um...uh...let's...uh...do.........THIS!". And somewhere around the second "uh", I would have lost Monkey's attention completely.

I guess with time and practice, I've learned how to be improvisational. Because sometimes, no matter how much I plan, the session never turns out the way I expect it to. And those are the sessions that tend to be the best.

Second goodbyes and hellos.

Saying goodbye for the second time is not as hard as saying goodbye the first time. Because the first time you say it, you don't know how it's going to turn out...

I said goodbye for the first time in July. Goodbye to friends and family as I stepped into the next season of my life. I was leaving those who had held me up and lived life with me for the previous four years or more. I was saying goodbye for an undetermined amount of time. Ripping myself away was one of the hardest things I've done.

And then I had the joyous opportunity to go home, to say hello again. Three blissful weeks were spent hugging and kissing and talking and reacquainting myself with the loved ones I had left. There were lots of smiles, lots of laughs, and lots of stories. Old traditions relived and new ones started. I was welcomed back, and it was wonderful.

But then I had to say goodbye again. The second one, as painful as it was, was easier than the first. Having already left once, and knowing that I would, in fact, survive, it wasn't as bad to do it again. Because I know that the next time I come back, there will be hugging and kissing and talking and reacquainting and smiles and stories. And until then, there will be emails and letters and video chats.

First hellos aren't bad, but they aren't always the most comforting things. Second hellos are awesome.

Most won't be surprised to hear that it isn't too hard for me to make friends. Everywhere I go, I end up finding people to talk to, do things with, and just be around. But it does take a little effort. So when I got here the first time, I had exactly four friends (I live in their house and two of them are under the age of seven). There were a lot of lonely walks and adventures to explore the city. It took some time, as it always does, to meet new friends.

Coming back, I got to say hello again. I was welcomed back with familiar and friendly faces, inquiries about my life, and expressions of joy at my return. And now, whenever I go from here to there, I get to say many hello agains.

With every goodbye, there's bound to be a hello around the corner.

Reflections of a long flight.

An airplane ride is a fascinating and truly unique social situation. Hundreds of strangers shut themselves up in tiny seats for hours on end, eating bad food and watching less than desired movies. There's no where to go and nothing to do but pass the time with books, music, and crossword puzzles.

Sometimes you are able to make a friend with your seat mate for the few hours you have together. You go through the motions of small talk and share the leftover dessert you don't want to eat. This comes in handy when you are forced to displace them to relieve your bowels and the stiffess in your legs again. You may even be lucky enough to hear a little of their story.

As you glance around, you see the zombie effect take over your fellow passengers as they shift around trying to get comfortable enough to fall into another dozing stupor. This is one thing you share in common.

As the characters flit in and out of the movie screen, you look at your watch and realize that the eternity it took to get you this far from solid ground is barely half over. So you close your eyes or pull out a book--something, anything, to continue passing the time in limbo from here to there. Which happens to be the only other commonality you share with the hundreds in your midst: where you are going and where you have been.