Leisure Trip to South-East Asia

Unabashedly yours...Singapore!

Did I read somewhere that the world economy is in shambles, that there is Eurozone crisis, that the economy in USA is in trouble, that the fuel crisis is leading towards conservation, that high inflation is causing home budgets to crash? Who says all that rubbish? At least to this wide-eyed tourist roaming around in these 700 odd square kilometres of an island-country called Singapore, life is hunky dory like in my good old days!

About the only thing Singaporeans care about is drinking water. It is for all wasteful Indians to know that after all, drinking water has a cost, and it cannot be treated simply as nature’s gift - and therefore free. Indian tourists, please note.

That apart, in between the wide, clean roads and islands of green (some natural and some artificial) are thick, very tall islands of concrete; the lighting effects at night are beautiful. However, if you are an educated tourist, a silly question arises: why waste so much energy? Pat came the answer: we make double the money that goes towards energy costs or for that matter, the costs of fancy high-rises. Ok, fine, says me glumly. The huge luxury car models that zoom around give a whirring effect in the head; there are good answers to that whir-whir in your head. Everything expensive, including the currency or profligacy in spending has perfectly logical answers!

So is Singapore the ultimate in urban utopia? No, said the Chinese guide, adding that she will tell us about the flip side of the visual beauty that is Singapore. She never told me, despite a polite reminder. Why, she could not answer me regarding the source of Singapore ‘river’ that is just 3 km long - and whether it is a sweet water river or having sea water mixed!

Let me stop raising stupid questions and be a normal wide-eyed tourist! I will rest this case and have a look at this city-state about which late Mukesh crooned, in an old Hindi film of same namesake – ‘yeh sheher bada albela, khubsoorat hasino ka mela...’

'Songs of the Sea’ at Sentosa Island

This 30-minute show is simply mind-blowing. They have smartly used the idea of musical fountains by scaling it up to one on a beach using sea water. To top it all, the huts on poles serve as beautiful background as technology goes in top gear to create one, happy blend of music, songs and laser-on-spray sea creatures also participating. Like Singapore, Sentosa island, and this show in particular, makes you ‘feel’ happy; you forget the sad aspects of your life – even if temporarily so.

Imbiah Nature Trail, Sentosa

Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Genting and Penang (Malaysia)

Thanks to our charming guide, we now know how a Chinese boy of 14 left his home town in search of job about 50 years back, squeezing himself into a dirty crowd on board a small ship and landed in what was then Malaya. He started with small jobs, developed vision, became a business tycoon, thought of giving Malaya its only Casino, 40 km away from Kuala Lumpur, envisioned and built Genting and went on to become a proud owner of all Star cruise ships. Amazing legend! What I did’nt know is that Chinese are some of the greatest, and sometimes compulsive gamblers in the world.

I fell in love with Penang straightaway! It gave me nostalgia of my chidhood days in Dar-es-Salaam, East Africa. It smells of the colonialism by the British who have left behind some lovely architecture so typical of those days. In fact, Penang is a UN designated World Heritage city. There is the sea breeze and sea-ish smells.  It was here that we boarded Star Libra for a fantastic 4-day cruise to Phuket and Krabi in Thailand.

PUTRJAYA

War Memorial at Kuala Lumpur

War Memorial at Kuala Lumpur

View from Genting (above);  and as we come down (below)

The Buddhist Temple at Penang

On board the Star Libra - Penang to Phuket

The Festive Atmosphere - Welcome!

Libra at Night

Moonrise over the Andaman Sea

Approaching Phuket the next day

Anchored off Phuket

The Buddhist temple at Phuket

The Beach Scenes at Phuket

 Simply Awesome: Krabi Islands, Thailand

The 'Chicken 'Island

Resting at Phi-Phi Island

Au Long Beach

..and Snorkling

Sailing back - into the Sunset

Thank you!!

Terror at High Noon!

Band, Baaja..and Nuisance

I was about to take my afternoon power nap when suddenly, there was this explosion of noise. In spite of knowing well what the cacophony could be all about in this marriage season, my human frailty still took me to the balcony of my Ahmedabad penthouse on 10^th floor.

There, a bird’s eyeview! Brilliant. The organ is in full volume, amplified further by three loudspeakers, one of them pointing up straight at me. I assume a conspiracy to turn me into a veggie! The trumpeters’ collective effort can be gauged; several drummers are in a frenzy. The singer, if he could be called one, is belting out a popular, b’wood number, “aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai”.

Pray, whose yaar? 

I scan the ground level; there is no baarati around yet. The yaar in question is probably getting ready for this, his D-day. What about my ruined normal day, brother?? Mumbling some expletives, I curse.

I now see some faces emerging in other balconies, mostly those of senior citizens like me as if the Pied Piper was calling! The frenzied cacophony continues with the besura singer’s voice amplified further. Torture, Torture.

Oh God! He has now taken a new role – as the orchestra director. As he raises the wand in his right hand with a flourish a la Zubin Mehta, I flinch.

Can’t have my power nap now, can I? I am raving mad.

Then, why am I suffering the horrible decibels? No laws, nothing like Bhubaneswar where wedding processions are only at night; the orchestra troupes are licensed and accompanied by police so that it stops in the given limited time – or no payment. 

Come to think of it, it is the orchestra company that times the baarat. 

And so I continue to suffer the audio horror. By now, I have gone nuts, diwana - clinically, physiologically, and psychologically. 

And I crack finally. Angry, eyes wide open and hands flaying wildly, I, in my surila voice, break into a jig..begaani shaadi mein, Abdullah diwana..!