All posts by ishg

asia, singapore, video

Wakeboarding? Bangarang!

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Bangarang (as defined in urbandictionary.com)
1. Battle cry of the Lost Boys in the movie Hook.
2. Jamaican slang defined as a hubbub, uproar, disorder, or disturbance.
3. General exclamation meant to signify approval or amazement.

When almost everything in your entire country fits in one tiny island, you don’t get a lot of chances to go out to sea. That’s one of the main reasons why I love to head out to the Punggol Marina to don on those wakeboard boots — just to jump on a speedboat and feel the wind slap against my face as we zip to the vast open water — ah, this is the life! For a moment, the busy urban jungle that is Singapore feels like worlds away.

This is for Yuvraj, Parvind, Lawrence, Cecily and Dai Lin — our brave first-timers for this round, and for Gaurav, who seemed to have banished all anxieties of open water. Til next time!

Song: Bangarang by Skrillex
2012-03, Wakeboarding at Punggol Marina Country Club, Singapore

gibberish

5 Tricks to Re-Simplify Your Life

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When Facebook set ‘It’s complicated’ as a valid status, no one really batted an eyelash. Whether it’s about relationships or something else bigger, we all get it. We’ve all been there — that point where we wonder when life started to be one big mess, when we all just wish that we could conjure a big wind that would whoosh us away to the simplicity of childhood.

While there is no magic formula that will instantly wipe out all inevitable complexities of life, there are some tips and tricks that you will stumble on along the way to help you regain your peace of mind. Here are some of the ‘hacks’ that have worked like a charm for me; hopefully, you guys will find them useful too.

1. Actively de-clutter.

Start with your mail, then raid your closets, your drawers, and the junk underneath your bed. This is effective for two reasons: (1) de-cluttering with active use of your hands does wonders for the mind, and (2) seeing something that used to be in shambles now as clear as a canvas, gives you some space to relax and to be creative. One adage has stuck and has incessantly fed my motivation to de-clutter through the years — if I can fix my room, I can fix my life. Continue reading 5 Tricks to Re-Simplify Your Life →

asia, singapore, travel

Occupy Tiong Bahru

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I belong to the church of Ye-Does-Not-Have-To-Travel-Far-to-Explore. It’s a good thing that Singapore is one of those places that always has something brewing, whether it’s an event for the arts or a good old flea sale.

Dimsum may be the best way to a naughty girl's heart. Artist: Sokkuan Tye (http://www.sokkuan.com/)

When I caught whiff of Oh! Occupy Tiong Bahru in the Honeycombers newsletter (one of my most dependable sources for choice weekend jaunts), I immediately jumped on the chance. I mean, a day spent enjoying art while poking around other people’s houses, especially in one of the more interesting boroughs in the Red Dot? Sounds like a brilliant day to me. Continue reading Occupy Tiong Bahru →

oceania, travel

Life’s a Beach in Sydney

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It was our Day 8 in Australia, and I was getting a bit frustrated as I haven’t been able to take a dip yet after seeing miles and miles of gorgeous coastlines.

Okay, let's take a vote --- Aussie dads: cool or hot?

Well, I certainly was in for a treat in Sydney’s Northern Suburbs. On a weekend, the dress code seemed to be singlets, bikinis and board shorts. We haven’t even lingered for an hour yet, and I had my nth sighting of someone crossing the road, lugging along his surfboard. All these just a brief bus ride away from alighting the tube. How could I not fall in love with this lifestyle? Continue reading Life’s a Beach in Sydney →

oceania, travel

Yey for Australia Day in Sydney!

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After back-to-back days of nature-tripping in Melbourne, we hurled ourselves back to the urban jungle, this time in the heart of Sydney! It was a cool coincidence that we arrived just in time for Australia Day. Festivities were in full swing in almost every nook, despite the unusual rainy weather. On the train, I glimpsed at kids and adults alike proudly bearing the Union-Jack on their board shorts, capes and even temp tattoos. Continue reading Yey for Australia Day in Sydney! →

oceania, travel

What’s So Great About the Great Ocean Road?

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Exhibit A: Gorgeous beaches that will blow you away

Growing up in an archipelago of kick-ass beaches, a look-see at the shorelines of other countries usually isn’t the highlight of a trip for me. A mental image of Boracay would almost automatically pop up every time, and pride would make me go, “It’s okay, but I’ve seen better.” But then, I caught a glimpse of Australia’s coastline: Continue reading What’s So Great About the Great Ocean Road? →

oceania, travel

Happy Feet and the Wildlife of Australia

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Everyone has their destination must-do; for Geebee, it was to see the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island. Fortunately, it wasn’t that difficult at all to arrange a day trip. It took us just a couple of sites before we set our hearts upon the fairly-priced Phillip Island package offered by Wildlife Tours.

We sneaked in a quick breakfast jaunt at the Queen Victoria Market, before rushing back to the hostel, where our tour coach was to pick us up at 11 am. Continue reading Happy Feet and the Wildlife of Australia →

oceania, travel

Day 1 in Melbourne: No Plans? No Problem!

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Flinders St Station -- Melbourne's favorite meeting place

Fresh off a chill-out weekend in Perth, I found the busy, bustling streets of Melbourne a bit disorienting at first. Quick-footed yuppies stirred the city off to a start, while tourists and a whole lot of tennis buffs looked forward to another nail-biting day of the Australian Open.

Our well-laid out itinerary for Melbourne Day 1? Verbatim, it was this: “see the city”. Okay, sounds like a plan to me! Continue reading Day 1 in Melbourne: No Plans? No Problem! →

asia, philippines, travel

The Batad Experience: How Far Will You Go for an Epic Adventure?

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Word on the backpacker’s grapevine says that Batad is one of those rare glimpses of heaven on earth. A village that used to be a well-kept secret, Batad is neatly tucked away, almost in the shadow of Banaue, its more-familiar neighbor. A few souls have dared call it as the 8th Wonder of the World, but seriously, the title has been thrown around so often, that we can probably come up with a Top 7 ‘8th Wonders of the World’ list.

In the end, curiosity got the best of us, and at the third year of a tradition that we unknowingly started, my bundok buddies and I trooped off to Batad to kick off the year with another adventure. Continue reading The Batad Experience: How Far Will You Go for an Epic Adventure? →

oceania, travel

5 Ways to Spend a Splurge-Free Day at Perth

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Australia isn’t exactly among the places you would go to for cheap thrills. In fact, Perth clocks in one of world’s highest density of uber-high-net-worth individuals. Hashtag: FilthyRich.

(cue song) I wanna be a billionaire...

That’s why it was a nice surprise when we found ourselves enjoying a full tourist-y day wandering the fab Perth CBD sans the splurging (except for good grub and ale, of course!). Here are a few tips on how to make like Jessie J and enjoy a day in Perth not caring about the kaching-kaching: Continue reading 5 Ways to Spend a Splurge-Free Day at Perth →