Bryan Wong

Its been quite a while since my last entry..reasons being i am finally taking a break from work…Though a good part of last year was spent abroad,it was a working trip..thus the mind and the body has yet to have a chance to recover..I am now finally able to wake up in the morning without having to rush off to work..Just two days ago i finally had the luxury of cleaning up my place..getting down on all fours with a rag and cleaning every square inch of the floor..scrubbed the balcony hard..trimmed the plants…clean off all the grease in the kitchen..did tonnes of laundry..finally getting down to do my paperworks..and going to the gym almost everyday and wow, i think the chest size went a couple of notches bigger:) all in all, catching up with my life has been great..

and till i work again..adious

Every week , sometimes on a saturday or a sunday,here i sat, uploading pictures and penning my thoughts..sometimes with much gusto, at times, trying hard to recapture my feelings..once or twice, too lazy to carry on..

But now, as i set about my weekly task, i am filled with s sense of regret..of loss..for this is the final episode of Destination Most Wanted..With a heavy heart i write..as now my journey is coming to an end..Somewhat baffled at the speed time flew..Just moments ago, i thought i was still packing my luggage..or waiting for the plane to take off..and now,  i am writing my last entry…It took us almost one year to finish this project and in a mere thirteen weeks, the entire year is gone.But i have learned so much, my dear friends, i have felt so much within the one awesome year..i have seen so much..experienced more than i could..and i am forever thankful, to have had this precious chance to do this programme,which i think is rightfully the milestone of my career.I am much honoured to have had this opportunity to share with you guys what i have learned and very much thankful …that you have walked the extra mile with me..

The end is near..12th of may..my journey and my journal  ends…

walk with me till the end..and together, we will finish this journey of innocence and experience..all time high..on..the Highlands.

巴德岗山城 Bhaktapur: Nepal

i stood tall on the mountain top, as the first light broke through the morning mist..rays of light filtered through the clouds, sprinkling golden dust across the land..the himalayas rosed ,proud and magnificent..

as i looked at the rising sun,i saw the beginning of day..the promises of a better tomorrow and..most importantly..of HOPE

I gazed so hard faraway, my eyes taking in the splendour of the view..thinking how big the world is..and small as i may be..i know, i can still make a difference

Sitting in an enclosed area, i cringed at the irony, that this pic makes a mockery of our mundane lives. ,aren’t we all trapped in a little birdcage looking out, when the world out there is awaiting us?

this is where we lodged..rustic and serene..and the view, in the earlier pictures, are simply heavenly..

Terrain farming is widely practised here ..life is simple..and hard..

But a simple life rewards in its own ways.Life devoid of greed and wants allows a simpler outlook of life and without the constant pursuit of materialistic possession, true happiness prevails..

Innocent looking greens ..however, if you were to light it up……

we were invited to visit this traditional home of the local folks..with much warmth which touches our hearts..Mud walls, straw roofs..life is as basic as it gets..

from her smile..her happiness shone through..how to this happy?one may ask..if one reverts to such a simple life?

even the goat look pleased wor..

The town square is a raw beauty ..a trip down memory lane, as it was more than well  preserved..

time to sit and watch the world goes by..One question: When did you last did that?

Simple pleasures on a rainy day..

Heavy as it was..the smile stayed on..

I see and i absorb..i watched…and i lived to tell..

To experience the life and culture of this highland makes me ponder..of my complicated lifestyle .would i survive in this simple life..would i make a good candidate and be an accomplice to simplicity..

One could only wonder..if we dwell on it.

if only, when we dwell on it.

西姆拉山城  Shimla: India

its not that difficult to get high on highland..just the view will get you all time high..

Before this trip, i have not heard about Shimla before..Not knowing that it was once a British colony and not knowing that coffee is big here…

It is divided into three level, or three different classes if we were to get down to be really snobbish..Obviously, the peak would be first class and that is where the trades are carried out..and the most pleasing to the eye..of course:)

When one strolls along the street,one could easily detect the English influence..the style of the buildings..the layout..the street lamps…

Notice the wrought irons? so English la…

We all know that Indians are more inclined to drinking tea but, over here,coffee was once the main outstanding commodity and coffee houses are strictly for businessmen who are in this trade and dress codes were to be adhered too..

I so adore the whole ambience of this coffee house..it’s quaint and echoes memories of long ago, where the sights and sounds of yesterday are  just a blink away..

Shimla is unofficially split into three levels..three social classes..while at the top, where everything is pretty and dandy, life takes on a simpler role when we descend to the second and third landing…

this is their ordinary folk’s market street..the mood here is definitely more light hearted than above..

but the dwellings not as fancy….

and its sacks that were being carried..not shopping bags..

When the night falls, we are transported to yet another world..

the class system in Shimla exists even till this present day and the blatantly split three levels indicates strongly the three social status..However, when the sun sets and the mountain is bereaved of lights, all becomes one..every light bulb from every house sparkles and from faraway, Shimla is a blaze of shinning star….

甘托克山城 Gangtok: Sikkhim

Most people have not heard of Sikkhim before..well, to make it short, Sikkhim is surrounded by India,Nepal, and Tibet. Mountainous region with lush forestry ..To get to Gangtok, you have to go in via India, transport widely used would be a 4×4..

After hours on a winding road, you reach Gangtok feeling rather dizzy:) But once you hit there, there is no mistake about it, the cool if not cold air will refresh you instantly.This trip, we stayed in this guesthouse that is ever so lovely..The building in art deco style and green is the prefered colour,as it compliments nature..

There is a fantabulous reason for anyone to wake up early..just the view is one of many..

The heart of gangtok is a throwback to the fifties or so..

a wave of nostalgia swept over me as i drank the sights of the art deco styled buildings ..

Though old and some rather run down, attempts to liven the mess with flowers and plants adds much respite to the drab..

Movies..anyone?

Not far away from the centre is a tibetan monastry that captured my heart…

The vibrant colours are such a celebration of Life!

Every mural is an esteemed art piece..a work of love..and devotion

with this last picture , we come to the end of destination most wanted..

with all my heart, i wish that one day, you will too, take off into the skies and roam the world..

perhaps one day, in a foreign land, our path shall cross

we will then,stop and have a cup of tea

just like all travellers do…

and we shall talk,

about our own destination most wanted..

its been a wonderful journey, my dear friends

and thank you..

for walking the distance with me…

Shakespeare has got this famous line: If music be the food of love,play on. So here we go..Food..Glorious food.Our greatest mate in times of hunger,pain,happiness and sorrow.Food be there for us in all occasions and all times..Food is our greatest alli when we are so very hungry and we needed the energy to carry on living or to conquer the extra mile.Food is our greatest enemy when we find ourselves weighing one too many and life takes a turn to being horrible when obesity haunts us as we struggled into jeans that used to fit. Oh food..glorious food..mankind worship you and abused you..but, the bottom line is, we can never ever do without you.So, instead of abusing you, we learned to embrace you..so much so that, a distinct culture exists in this world in dedication to one of your kinds: Noodles.

Frankly, i was never a great fan of noodles..well, can’t say that i love them, i could live without them..just think that they are just, well, long and slinky and sort of a bland and at times, has got that powdery taste and also at times, kind of a ammonia tinge to it.I used to think that they are just a substitute for rice and never considered them proper food.In terms of ranking, i felt that they are probably second class citizens…

BUT..was i ever so wrong..Never ever judge a book by its cover! Never ever allow yourself to be trapped in your own presumptions! After my encounters with the noodle culture of three different countries who held noodles in high esteem, i realised that, though a simple fare, it is th dedication and work of love that is being poured into evry dough, every strand of noodles that not only appeases our appetite but also our soul. To understand, to know..to comprehend every effort and intention behind any causes..even the most basic and plain subject would touch the deepest core of your heart….

this second last installment of destination most wanted went deep into the noodle culture of  Kyoto Japan, China and bolognese pasta from Italy Bologna..an episode that baffled me when we went about doing it..only now, as i just watched it on the telly, i pieced up the feelings and thoughts i have had then that i realised, this is not simply an episode about noodle culture..An underlying message came across clear to me, that, how  dedication and love could make such a major difference to our lives and how we conveniently ignored the beauty of simple things that we have so gotten used to have for granted..Perhaps its time to live for this exact moment, to appreciate all things big and small..learn to look at things from another perspective and not resort to the same pattern of definning things based on the same methodical ways that measures the worthiness of things.perhaps it time to reassess things..all things..including ourselves..