Boring night filled with interesting conversations

Late night yesterday i was really bored and so decided to have random chats with people online. I mean, there can be plenty of people online on your lists, be it msn, google talk or facebook chat. But how many of them do you talk to? Most people are innately boring. Bored people come online and it makes them boring people to talk to.

For my "random chat" mini-project, i decided to just close my eyes and double click on anyone that my mouse cursor point to. Yes, as simple as that. Lo and behold, I did manage some really exciting conversations.

1) This guy with a weird and fictional name on facebook responded interestingly which goes along the line of "Are you gay, bi or straight that is interested in the life of a homosexual". Clearly, he is graceful with his sexuality. It turned out that we have quite some friends in common. Gays are nice people to talk to because they are very fun-loving.

2) I clicked on this other guy and his facebook status was instantly updated to "Is looking for 3 serious people to mentor . . . contact me IF you are serious. No tire kickers!". It turned out that he is a copywriter, and he's trying to convert me into a customer throughout the conversation. No thanks, Buddy.

3)And of course, there's this Clarice Jena girl. She's multi-talented and is one of the finalists for the NUS Arts Queen 2009. Check out her videos here. She's quite a mesmerizing performer. :D

Obviously i had more than 3 conversations last night. But that's about it. Talk to someone whom you don't know today. Everyone is like a storybook. Our pages are being filled up everyday.

Elliot takes pride in his education. At a young age, he was sent to a primary school in Singapore. It wasn't a prestigious institution, but he did make many life-lasting friends. Secondary education was spent at St. Joseph Institution, for which he played a great role in their canoeing team. He rose up the rank swiftly, becoming the team's youngest ever captain in his second year. In his third year, he became the national champion for the rigorous sport. His achievement on the water was due to his sheer discipline. He would always be the earliest to turn up and the last one to leave, putting in twice as much effort as anyone else. To him, nothing is more important than staying focus and pumping in passion onto what he has set out to achieve. He has cultivated himself to be a high-achiever since young.

Elliot had waited ages for the arrival of this day. It was a perfect marriage of coincidences. His father, Ross, was out of town on a business trip. While Emery, his mother, had flown to Hong Kong for her bi-month luxury shopping therapy. He was alone at home, exactly the way he liked. The escape was carefully planned out. For the past 12 months, he worked part time as a untourist guide after school, and at night he took up the role of an urban exploration coach. All the effort had allowed him to amassed a saving of RM12,000. His possessions were reduced to fit into a Vauche backpack and a Crumpler Cashmere Blazer. Elliot picked up his belongings and paced out of his house. He took a last glance and mumbled "good bye, for now".

7 Tips for traveling Phnom Penh, Cambodia

1. Get your travel guide book there. A copy of “Lonely Planet Cambodia” costs RM80 in Malaysia (Popular; MPH). In Cambodia, it costs USD2.50. That is about RM10 and a whooping 8 times cheaper.
2. Pre-book online (AirAsia). Pre-book your meals online to get priority serving and cheaper price. Book the first row on the flight if possible. It is the most comfortable seats on the plane.
3. Tutuk tour. Once you arrive in Phnom Penh, get on a tutuk and have a city tour. This gives you a big picture of how the place is like and what you can expect in the days to come.
4. Gifts to beggars. There are tons of child beggars in Phnom Penh. Give them sweets, food or small toys instead of money or shoo-ing them away. Why not money? ‘cos it will likely to end up in the pockets of their ‘boss’ or parents.
5. Drink lots of beer. Beer is cheap in the city. It costs USD0.75 per mug during happy hours (5-9pm). Grab a mug and indulge in conversations with the backpackers sitting next to your table.
6. Volunteer. Think you can’t fit volunteering into a short vacation? Think again. Schedule talks with youth organizations or universities. Share about your experiences with aspiring youths. Inspirational content required.
7. Make friends. Say hi to strangers. As simple as that.

7 days in Cambodia

Unknowingly, my adventure in Phnom Penh has come to an end. So, what have i done there?

• Met Sopheap Chak, founder of Cambodia Youth Network for Change (YNC). She invited me to a self-development workshop organized by CAN in which she was the main speaker. It was nice being in the same room with numerous Cambodian Youths who want to make a difference in their lives.
• Had dinner with the people from Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR). It was nice catching up with the activists. The dinner was a nice local meal (the fried corn are awesome!). We had a great conversation and lots of beer.
• Helped a local entrepreneur with the set up of his bar. Went around scouting for decorative items. It was a nice satisfaction seeing an empty space turning into a lively place. In return, i got a three nights of home stays.
• Chatted with Chanprathna Leng, creator of Cambodia Entrepreneur Facebook group, and his friend. They are both self-employed in an interesting Cambodian economy. It was a nice chat first in a coffee house and then at a place which served rather delicious local porridge. 
• Nice chat on life with Jan, co-founder of AIESEC Cambodia. Later we moved on to dinner at this awesome place with his friends. Post-dinner was beer with some British, American and Chinese friends at Mekong River Restaurant. Beer is really cheap in Cambodia. It costs $0.75 during happy hours. Nice!
• Crashed a lecture on Asian Studies in Paññasastra University of Cambodia (PUC) thanks to Nana, an inspiring and cute girl i met earlier on. The class was filled bright students. Oh, there was a monk too.
• fused social media with travel. Before my trip, i made friends in Cambodia using platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google. During the trip, i actively updated the happenings on Twitter. Only regret: didn’t put the video cam i brought along into good use!
• Got to know myself better. The small sketchbook i brought along was put to good use in capturing my thoughts. It was a rewarding move which created many insights.

I went to Phnom Penh not as a tourist, but as a traveler. Tourist attractions did not interest me as much as conversations with locals, wandering around aimlessly and trying to experience how is it like to be living in a third-world country. The lively culture of Cambodia has left a deep impression on me.

 

Next post: personal tips on traveling Cambodia, specifically Phnom Penh.

Bright Morning

I was woken up by noises on the street. A quick glance at my phone revealed a time of 6am. 6am it was, but the sky was brightly lit and the streets were already bustling with life. This isn't the case in Malaysia. The sky isn't bright until at least 7am. The streets won't make a noise until the late morning. My comfortable bed kept me asleep for another 4 hours.

A delicious breakfast of sausage, egg and toasted bread treated my morning hunger pangs. The clock showed 10.30am. I have wasted 4.5hours of working time according to the Cambodian schedule. Maybe i should have made the extra effort to wake up earlier to squeeze out more life.

My day was spent setting up my friend's cafe pub. I had rides on bikes, tutuks and cars. Each presented the streets of Phnom Penh in strangely different ways. The empty space which holds the cafe pub was filled with items we bought from electronic shops, lighting shops and others. It was a nice satisfaction building a cafe from scratch.

SOO-UH-SUH-DAY

My late lunch was a nasi lemak on AirAsia flight AK274. It cost a neat RM9. Together on board was a mixture of nationalities, mostly Asians but a few Europeans here and there as well. The short 2-hours flight was spent flipping through magazines, doodling in my sketchbook and imagining the things that will happen in Phnom Penh.

The drive to my backpacker hostel was a straight cruise. Along the way, i experienced a cultural shock. Cambodia is a lot like Malaysia. HOWEVER, its like Malaysia in the 60's. There is an evident lack of high-rise buildings. The streets are packed with motorcyclists without their helmets. Road signs are disobeyed. The road users create their own rules. Coming from a country with a rather organized traffic system, this sight came as a shock. Although the aplenty beautiful women on bikes were delightful to watch.

Upon reaching my hostel, i threw my bags on the floor and walked out to explore the surroundings. Phnom Penh uses a numbering system for their streets. But still, it is easy to get lost in a packed city with hundreds of similiar-looking streets. Its strange. I found the chaotic city a rather tranquil place.

Away in Cambodia

I'll be away in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 8-14 July for a social trip. Weeks prior to my departure, i have gotten in touch with founders and associates of a few NGOs that are focused on different social causes (e.g. Youth Network for Change, AIESEC). Along the way, i will meet up with a few other individuals that went to Cambodia for social causes and also the local entrepreneurs to get a glimpse of their market working.

My trip agenda, on top of a well-deserved break, would be getting in touch with the rich culture there. Plans of homestays/meeting with locals from different walks of life/volunteering work/tasting must-eat food/journaling/local entertainment have been scribbled into my little A6 sketch/note book. I can be reached at +855 8576 6826 and will be blogging and microblogging (@euginn) from time to time when i'm not having coffee with the locals or physically helping out with their organizational tasks. Exciting week ahead. Ciao!

Hack cambodia!

The Death of Michael Jackson- The World Traveler

Michael Jackson, the world's most distinct pop icon, died at the second peak of his career (he was scheduled to perform in 50 sold-out concerts!). The burning passion and brilliant talent of this American man has brought him to countries like Australia, England, Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Brunei, South Korea, Germany, Africa, Egypt among many others. He has toured the globe, not silently, but glamorously with private jet planes, top-class hotel stays and the following of millions of friends and fans. His music and personal style unite nations, leaving people with individualized memories.

Mr Michael Jackson, you will be dearly missed.