12th – 13th February 2015 The Quiet American prompted me to visit Vietnam especially Hotel Continental (HCM). “The Fall” pushed me to see India and due to the memorable last scene of Tarsem Singh’s epic movie, Jodhpur became a must. Like the movie, Jodhpur is the last city of my adventure. Although, I’m going to say goodbye to this ancient country in a matter of days, the feelings that I’ve experienced will stay with me for a lifetime. I left early for Jodhpur and asked my driver/bodyguard to drop me off at a little village located between the two cities: Ranakpur. Towards the western side of the Aravalli ranges that guarded Udaipur from constant attacks, Ranakpur is famous for intricate pillars, monkeys and the three-storey tall Jain temple. It was built by a businessman in the 15th Century following a divine vision. Rising from the slope of a hill and quietly nestled…
India
India – A dash of Indus color
India: Going to the white city of Udaipur
10 to 11th February 2015 The image of Taj Mahal remains fresh in my mind and as I left with Diana for Udaipur, I looked back at Jaipur and said goodbye to the pink city and all of my memories. Mission: Dance at Wendy’s wedding = complete. Now, bring on the holidays! The drive to Udaipur takes one through Ajmer and Pushkar. It was only natural that we also make a stop there. There is no better way to see and understand the country than to travel by road. You don’t miss out on any hidden scenery and come to understand many of the social phenomenal that occur in your host country. For example, it was interesting to see many empty and somewhat isolated apartment blocks. With her growing population, India do need more housing however like China, is the supply and demand balanced? Can people afford it? I’m curious…
India: My love the Taj Mahal
I cried. The sight was too splendid for me to behold. I’ve imagined this moment for a long time. The Taj Mahal is exactly the place that a hopeless romantic individual feel like dying. Yep, I could die in a lot of places – on top of the Great Wall of China, on a floating boat next to a bamboo forest, on the look out at Tiger Nest Monastery, in Angkor Wat, on that hill in Mt Namsan overlooking Gyeongju, inside the Louvre, in Florence, at Arthur’s seat in Edinburgh etc…the list goes on. Taj Mahal – can be my resting place too. I could die here and lie with one of the greatest royal couples in Indian history. Yes, I really could. I’ve always imagined myself having my wedding photo taken here. I’d be walking the grounds of the Taj Mahal with my husband. We would walk hand in hand…
India: A splendid wedding!
8th of February 2015, Jaipur, Rajasthan = the official Wedding day for Wendy and Saurabh. Since I’m cheesy and romantic at heart, I’m just going to say that Wendy and Saurabh married around the same time as my favorite Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great and his wife Jodha (she exemplified the Mughal’s tolerance of religious differences and their inclusive policies). Ok to be correct, the greatest ruler of the Mughal Dynasty in India and his wife married 453 years ago on 6 February at Sambhar near Jaipur when they were both 20 years old….anyways, close enough! Whether it is Wendy and Saurabh or Akbar and Jodha, the two couldn’t be any more different yet they are brought together as one and it is that love that we need to remember and respect. Hi Friends! A few things before we get to see you beautiful party people in India: Please arrive at…
India: The Pink City of Jaipur
7 to 8 February 2015 Rajasthan is culturally and historically rich. It reminds me of Gyeongju South Korea, Central Province Sri Lanka, Kansai Japan …all filled with top-notch priceless sites and attractions all within close proximity to one another. It is an excellent choice to pick Jaipur as the wedding venue since it is part of the Golden Triangle or how I like to call it- the Golden Bow tie. It was even better that the wedding will last for two day (still short by Indian standards though). There were breaks in between the various wedding activities which allowed the guests to do some sightseeing. As the capital of the state of Rajasthan, it was founded in 1727 by a Maharaja who moved from Amber due to a growing population. As the first planned city of India, the Maharaja played an active part in designing the layout of the city.…
India: From Beijing to New Delhi
After my wonderful trip to India in Feb 2015, I hit rock bottom. I had a work accident which broke my right hand and I was hospitalized. Then, my favorite colleague left and I nearly died in a car crash during work. Office politics+ bitchery + unfairness made me realize the dark attention seeking and childish side of journalism. I was sleep-deprived. I went to work hating the atmosphere and I cried as I ate lunch outside the Second Ring Road in Beijing. I was like a zombie- soul-less.I lost my passion for traveling and I gave up on writing but since I’m alive and that bullshit is a thing in the past now, it is definitely time to catch up and re-live the good moments so that I know just how easy it is to feel sad and how hard it is to be happy. So, this is a very late…