Jas & Dom Virtual Home

6 weeks plus of running around made me appreciate a normal weekend of going to buy stuff for the new house, having meals with sweetie and chilling out with the doggies so much more.

Yes, I do think I have a lot in this life (I mean the one in SG), I don’t go away on bucket list holidays to really get away from day to day life, I go to experience more of it. And the more I see, the more I know home is where I want to be.

Tom Yum soup never tasted this good. Nothing beats Singapore food man, the taste is just right and things are so fresh. Maybe also the recovering from the food poisoning make everything taste so so much better.

With me being away, Sweetie had lots of time to think about completing our new place to make it way more cosy. So one of the key items missing in a larger house is some plants. (inclusive of fengshui master advise to get some of the bedroom) So off we went to shop for plants, and squash them all into the car. Thank god my car is large enough, but still rather dangerous to load loose cargo in. Sweetie had to sit at the back.

We ended the Saturday catching up with the dance class friends. Kelvin finally left S&G to join M&D Safra. And Weishin quit his job because he was feed up with his boss. I know how they feel, just hope they are much happier now.

Yes, life is about being happy, and if your job is against this proposition. Make a choice now…

My first flight cancellation, a free hotel stay, a round of food poisoning. I’m finally home from a long 6 weeks break.

2 totally contrasting holidays, one of comfort, luxury and shopping in a first world country, the other of discovery, dreams and realization in a third world country. I’m a lucky guy, really lucky guy. And I still have a job when I got back with a trusted team that cover me while I was out on the adventures and a loving and understanding family that knew life was to short just working eight to five for the many years ahead…

Although i’m still struggling to catch up at work and it wasn’t easy either to jump straight back into our new home with unsettled doggies and many boxes to unpack. The chaotic mess, ever-increasing emails and outstanding actions/ errands strangely give me a sense of comfort and strength.

Guess this is really about appreciating the fact I have more than just clothes, a few dollars and my handy trekking gear to live with day to day.

I miss home. For a long time I didn’t know this feeling but home is still the BEST!

The dream of visiting the ice-capped mountains, the amazing sights created by nature, the lack of oxygen, the fear of another ankle sprain (3 times this trip), the constant chill of below 0 degrees, the many pictures, maps and souvenirs that elder brother shown me when I was only in secondary school and the adventures he once spoke about. I’ve seem them for myself this past 17 days. I walk through the same roads with hundreds of other Trekkers, struggle my way thru the slopes and push my way up to 5700m above sea levels.

Some people think it is crazy, frankly, many a times, I thought so too. Before and during the trip, but when it all happen, I knew in my mind that it was sometime I always wanted to experience for myself, and now I have.

I sit at Himalaya Java Cafe now, wondering how it all past by so fast. The misses and the gains, the things I thought it might be but didn’t and the surprises that I thoroughly enjoy (snow flakes rushing towards me as I brave my way thru the buzzard).

The excitement, amazement and glory that elder brother talk about of traveling through these mountains didn’t exactly appeal to me the same way. To a large extent, i was rather disappointed with most of what I saw. Was the effort worth it? I’m not too sure myself but the experience was definitely an eye opener.

For each who visited this strange highland with yak dung everywhere and super strong man walking up the hill with weights beyond their own.

I’m sure each of our experiences vary tremendously. And everyone came for different reasons – some to scale and proof themselves worthy of a challenge, some to boast about the fact that they have been tough enough to endure the altitude and physical requirements, while other like myself who just didn’t know what to expect but wanted to see for myself what it all meant to everyone and hopefully find the reason why i wanted to do this for myself.

First time after more than 1 month away from work that I feel the holidays is ending. Once again, tonnes of mixed feelings around stopping work and going out to see the world 8 years after leaving University.

For the Nepal trip to see and try climbing an ice-capped mountains, I literally thought it was all over when I got married, didn’t expect for the chance to come this year and least expected to do it one shot with my 2 weeks USA road trip holiday.

Highlights of this year will surely include this 6 weeks away from work. Yes, had to give up around 2 weeks of pay and maybe even more, but there will never be a good time for this anyway.

Today I rest at the lodge in Namche Bazaar (entrance to the Sagarmatha aka Everest National Park). Today I blog 3545m above sea level but my head is clearer than ever. My dreams and hopes can come true, it is just a matter of playing my role well, and the time will come when things come together. Have faith I guess…

Kathmandu to Trek Start Pt
Day 1 – Lukla (Airport) to Phakdingma
Day 2 – Phakdingma to Namche Bazaar
Day 3 – Climatization at Namche
Day 4 – Namche Bazaar to Thengboche
Day 5 – Thengboche to Pheriche
Day 6 – Climatization at Pheriche
Day 7 – Pheriche to Lobuche
Day 8- Lobuche to Gorak Shep
Day 8 – Gorak Shep to EBC
Day 9 – Gorak Shep to Kala Patar
Day 10 – Gorak Shep to Dingboche
Day 11 – Dingboche to Chhukung
Day 12 – Chhukung to Island Base Camp
Day 13 – Island Base Camp to Summit
Day 13 – Summit to ChhuKung
Day 14 – ChhuKung to Pheriche
Day 15 – Pheriche to Namche
Day 16 – Namche Rest Day
Day 17 – Namche to Lukla (Airport)
Back to Kathmandu (R&R)