Ivory n Gold is Ivy

The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude

2011-02-27T22:28:00.000+08:00

What is it about being alone that makes people feel insecure?

As for myself i thoroughly enjoy that alone time. I have no trouble taking walks alone, eating alone, just sitting and doing absolutely nothing...alone!

Many a time i would be there sitting by myself when friends would come along and tell me "come sit with me, don't sit alone!"

Sitting alone you can actually hear yourself, that voice in your head that speaks to you. It's where you can come up with your most brilliant ideas.

I guess not many people enjoy that though, talking to yourself does seem a little loony, in my book that's genius though!

Don't get me wrong I enjoy being with my friends just as much but people should try enjoying the atmosphere of being by ones self every once in a while.

Ivory n Gold
Singapore

A New Decade Begins

2011-01-02T10:13:00.007+08:00

A new decade begins.

I was sitting at the balcony thinking what I wanna do in the new decade.

I would like to rebel against the hectic lifestyle and slow down to enjoy life. It means taking time to enjoy whatever I am doing, to appreaciate outdoors, to actually focus on whoever I am talking to or spending time with - instead of always being connected to a Blackberry or computer, instead of always thinking about works and emails!

Slowing down is a conscious choice, and not always an easy one, but it leads to a greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness.

Happy New Year!

Ivory n Gold
Singapore

Istanbul, East meets West

2010-11-14T12:10:00.012+08:00

Istanbul, where East meets West, the only major city in the World that actually exists in two continents.

I love Istanbul.

A city that is rich in culture, history and street life. What drew to my attention is Istanbul is a border city, between Europe and Asia. I spent most of my time walking around the city, a great way to approach a place.

I walked, watched, waited and talked to the local people. I guess I have a well-liked face that most of the time, they did not reject me and we could just easily connect like a long lost friends.

Invest in Humanity, stop investing in property!

The Bosphorus Cruise ride, Hamam (Turkish bath) at The Çiragan Palace Hotel, lunch at Karaköy Lokantasi and dinner at KIYI, was memorable.

Thank you Steven and Andy for organising such a wonderful trip. You guys actually connected 9 of us (2 from Singapore, 5 from London and 2 from Belgium). The sights, stories and friendship that forged in Istanbul will remain imprinted on my mind in years to come.

I geri olacak. Yarin olabilir (I’ll be back, may be tomorrow).

***Photo courtesy of Ms Jayne Taylor, London***

***Photo courtesy Mr Bruno Couck, Belgium***

***Photo courtesy Mr Steven Lee, London***

*** Photo taken by me in Istanbul***

Ivory n Gold
Singapore

A Walk Above the Clouds - Mt Rinjani

2010-05-23T21:28:00.017+08:00

What started out as a dream after viewing some pictures of Mt Rinjani in Flickr by a friend a year ago finally came into a reality.

 Mt Rinjani – 3726m, rains, lava, hot springs, craters, two toned lake, it’s really awesome. Second highest mountain in Indonesia, which makes me fear what climbing the highest will be like! However, I am game for it!

It was a dramatic trip.

First day – we lost some of our teammates during the climb due to foggy mist and bad weather. Four of them managed to find the base camp in the dark and one could not make it and has to camp over night at one of the hut. Training is required prior to the climb. Don’t play play.

The night was absolutely freezing considering we were so close to the equator. He he… I was treated a spectacular display of “Macallan” which I bought from the airport duty free.

Bed early for a few hours of shivering! There were dogs fighting at night in the mountain beside my camp and I felt like hitting them with the Lekki.

It was still raining on the second day and we could not continue the climb. We were so disappointed. We requested or rather negotiated with the guides to continue the trip the moment the rain stopped.

Thus we continued the 1,600m descents to the lake or bottom of the crater so that we could ascend to the peak.

Mt Baru, the child of Rinjani, erupted a few times on our second day climb.

He roared!

The scene was awesome and I witnessed the lava flow at night. That’s the most beautiful fire works that I have seen in my life.

Third day, ascending to the peak and subsequently descending to the base camp at Sembalun because we were behind the schedule. You need to trek continuously for 13 hours if you wanna do so. Thus, some of us decided to ascend to the Sembalun Crater Rim and descend to the base camp because it was very foggy at peak . That also took us 8 hours!! Some of them go ahead to the peak and they made it. They are the first team who conquered Mt Rinjani in the afternoon. According to the guide, no one ever conquered the Mt Rinjani in the evening because the weather makes the mission impossible.

13 hours hike.... Oh, you need to pay a price to be on top of the world.

We were camping on a bridge on day 3.
Derek and Wayne decided to sleep under millions of stars. It was a nice weather but I decided to sleep in the tent.

Day 4 was a three hours trek through beautiful grasslands.

Anyway, we finished. Bla bla bla…….

The sights, stories and friendship forged on Mt Rinjani will remain imprinted on my mind in years to come. Guys, I love you guys long time.

Now that the pain of climbing the mountain has subsided, maybe I might make another trip up the mountain again and make it to the summit this time.

登山很辛苦,但喜爱登山的人却不觉得苦,登山的过程虽坎坷,却令人感到步步踏实.

P/s : You may want to contact Lombok Trekking, Sunny (http://www.lomboktrekking.com/) if you are interested to climb Mt Rinjani. Their service is really excellent.

Ivory n Gold
Singapore

35

2010-01-22T00:03:00.017+08:00

35, a number that I fear.

I am eating noodles soup while writing this blog. My tradition, must eat noodles on my big day. Wow, it tastes heavenly.

I do not blog about special occasion because my blog is for my adventures. However, I decided to blog about 35.

34, what a year of bitter yet sweet.

i. I conquered the Mt Kinabalu, 4095m above sea level.

ii. I was being selected the Shiseido New Face 2009.

It's a consolation for a 34 year old auntie. There were more than 1,000 contestants. I did not expect I will win anything because I was being approached to participate in the contest and I just take part to have fun.

iii. I had my first sexy tattoo on my lower back. Hehe... only my lover can see it.

Iv. I completed my maiden marathon, 42.195km. No joke eh.

v. 34, life was beautiful. I travelled quite a fair bit for holidays. eg, hiking, scuba diving, surfing and shopping trip..... and ended the year on a high note by conquering Mt Fasipan, 3143m above sea level.

Oh yeah yeah, It's enough on 34.

Mates, thank you for celebrating my 35. I am touched because I thought no one will remember it.

I love you guys long time.

The best gift that I received for my birthday is the discovery of a paradise while sailing two weeks ago. The scene is still very fresh on my mind.... oh you are so beautiful.

I bought myself a beautiful photo album to encourage myself to keep shooting and capturing the beautiful moment. My mission for 2010.

Happy Birthday Ivy, wish you good health and a year more refined in beauty.

34, 35, 36, 37, 38.....80....

Life is beautiful. My belief in life.

當失去了一些以為可以長久依靠的東西，自然會有難過及割捨的痛苦，但其中卻隱藏著無限的祝福和機會。日後回首時，你才驚訝自己成長的痕跡，是那麼清晰明顯，甚至是令人滿心喜悅的。

Ivory n Gold

Singapore

Happy New Year Sapa!

2010-01-06T19:51:00.008+08:00

What a good start of the year, 2010.

I countdown the new year in the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, the border of Vietnam and China. We had maple wine and red wine on the train.

Cul Sec!

We started climbing the Mt Fansipan immediately we touched down to Sapa, Vietnam. It was a long public holidays in Vietnam. There were a lot of locals and foreigners climbing the Mt Fansipan on the same time. They were very friendly.

I never greeted people Happy New Year so many times in my life. We just greet each other along the way, the feeling was awesome.

I spent a freaking cold night in the tent in Mt Fansipan, 2800m above sea level. I had two bottles of rice wines (750ml each) prepared by the porter's mother and a bottle of Vodka Hanoi that I bought from Hanoi.

Vodka Hanoi kicks your ass, 39.50% alcohol. No joke eh.

I can't remember how many shots I had on that night. The porters and the mountain guide were surprise that I could hold drinks very well. The two bottles of rice wine and the vodka Hanoi were gone in one night by 3 of us (the rest did not drink eh).

I conquered Mt Fansipan, 3,143m above sea level on 2 Jan 2010. What a great feeling and good start of my journey in 2010.

I had home stay at Ta Van Village at night because I refused to spend another freaking cold night in Camp 1, approximately 2000m above sea level.

I made a right decision.

The owner is so friendly and warm. We had good home cook food and oh yes, her rice wine! Kick ass! She could not speak English but the rice wine brought us together. We only have to say "Kampai".... I could not remember how many shots I had on that night too. She is very happy because she found a friend that could drink with her.

We trekked 10km in Ta Phin Village on my last day in Sapa. Nice weather, nice people from the village.

I want to mention something on photography.

I had lots of good shots for this trip. I walked around the villages and be friendly with people. I took the pictures of the tribes and show them the photos that I have taken. They are generally very friendly and simple minded people. If some of them do not allow you to take their picture, JUST DO NOT TAKE!

An English couple (I am sorry if you are from England), sit in the jeep and lower down the window, calling the tribes that were walking on street to turn to their direction so that he could shoot photos using his kick-ass tele-len camera. The way he called the tribes on the street like calling their dog at home. The way he shoot photos as if he is on a jeep in a safari.

I felt like teaching the tribes two words, just two words, teach them to tell the couple to "FUCK OFF"!

I have no respect to this kind of people even they have the great shots. Please respect people wherever you are.

Invest in HUMANITY.

I bought a beautiful blanket from an old lady at Sapa market and had a small conversation with her (most of the time I laugh because of language barrier). On my last day in Sapa, I went back to the market to bid farewell. She were so surprised and kept hugging me. She did not try to sell me anything but just kept saying bye bye. On my way back to hotel, she and her mate were chasing after me. She hold my hand and gave me a small silver bangle. I refused to take but she just mentioned something in her language.... i guess it's for good luck. I was touched and can you imagine an old lady chasing after you just want to pass you something.

I will miss "ma-ma" (the old lady) and Sapa, Vietnam.

Ivory n Gold
Singapore

Living on a boat

2009-12-06T20:55:00.011+08:00

I am going to write blogs on sailing next year. However, I would like to share with you the life of staying or living on a boat.

I have the opportunity to stay away from the concretes and stayed on Galadriel, the sailing yacht for about a week. I am sure many people like me have had the romantic dream of living on a boat, being rocked to sleep by the waves and waking up to new neighbours in the marina, chatting with friends from all over the world from all walks of life.

The stay on Galadriel really changed my perception towards life.

I am extremely impressed by the people who live in the marina. They came from different background (be it rich or poor) and all over the world. They are very friendly and helpful. They will give you a hand whenever you need help and share with you the information on sailing especially when you are new to the marina.

If you think you are a great traveler who had been to many places, what about people who had sailed through the Pacific Ocean for FIVE (5) times!!!??? I felt shallow when I chat with them.

There is a woman who is being abandoned by the husband, sailed through the Indian Ocean in the storms with a 1 1/2 year old daughter who has Down Syndrome. What a strong woman!

***Respect***

I learned a very important concept in life, SIMPLICITY.

They eat simple yet they do not compensate on the nutrition. The lifestyle is simple but they are really very knowledgeable and happy. How many clothes do you need when you are on a boat? You just need clothes to protect you from the storms and cold or hot weather. How much space do you need when you are sleeping? No more Prada or Gucci bags for me in the next two years. I have enough bags and watches.

SIMPLICITY is virtue.

Stop investing in property. Invest in HUMANITY.

Ivory n Gold
Singapore

Scuba Diving

2009-10-07T10:41:00.016+08:00

I am back to the underwater blog world!

Last week I went to Dayang Island, Malaysia for scuba diving. This trip was organized and sponsored (partially) by our company sports club. I took this opportunity to take up Advanced Open Water Diver Course because I have wanted to do it. This will allow me to dive in deeper water because some shipwreck lies at 60ft/18m deep or deeper. I have plans to go back to Latin America like Rio de Janeiro or Havana, Cuba for holiday. I might want to dive in Havana.

Besides, I want to overcome my fear of night diving. Night dive is an optional skill in Advanced Open Water Diver Course. However, I selected this subject as part of the course.

We have to choose a minimum of 6 subjects to complete the course. Namely, Deep Diving, Underwater Navigation, Night Diving, Drift Diving, Peak Performance Buoyancy and Boat Diving.

It was a hell trip. I almost gave up.

I could not sleep on the bus during the journey to Malaysia. Then we have to take a four hours boat ride to Dayang Island. It was a small boat, not the Queen Mary Cruise whereby you could sleep comfortably on the boat. I could not even have enough leg-room. It was almost 4.30a.m. when we reached Dayang Island. Some of the divers were so energetic. They did not sleep. Some even go for dawn diving straight away!

*** SALUTE*****

First few dives were hell. I could not equalize properly. This could due to lack of sleep. I almost gave up when my nose was bleeding underwater.

Oh yeah, Night Diving!

As the sun set, I rigged up my dive gear, slipped on my scuba mask, bitten my regulator, a deep breath and I stepped off the boat with giant strike entry into the underwater night. This time I dropped into a whole new world and watched it come to life under the glow of my dive light!

It was not scary at all! In fact it was awesome to see the plankton glow in the dark when I switched off the light! Oh Mama mia! You have to experience it yourself.

I have to perform night dive navigation. It was not funny and easy at all but I guess this is a skill that we must acquire for our own good. It was dark and the current were strong. I could only trust the compass and my best buddy, Yew Kuang.

………Night diving is FUN!

We went for deep diving on the next morning. 100ft/ 30m underwater.

Deep diving obviously has more consequences and dangers than basic open water diving. Eg, Nitrogen narcosis. However, It will be alright if we take precautious and follow the safety measures set up by PADI. You will see different marine features as you dive deeper in the underwater world.

I am now a certified Advanced Open Water Diver. I might consider taking up Rescue Diver Course after a few more dives.

Don’t tell Mom that I scuba diving…..Shhhh……….

Ivory n Gold
Singapore

*** perform some skills 100ft/ 30m underwater****

Surfing

2009-09-02T21:27:00.009+08:00

What a great sport.

I am not a good surfer at all. What a waste that we could not surf in Singapore coast. No waves. The nearest spot for surfing that I could think of is Bali.

I like surfing. Rio de Janeiro is the match maker.

I like the feeling of paddling to the sea under the blue sky and waiting for the next wave. I like the feeling of being hit by the waves too. I rather am being hit by the waves than being hit by human.

Human, the killer.

Ivory n Gold
Singapore

A walk in the clouds

2009-08-29T12:22:00.013+08:00

26 March 2009, an auspicious day to start the journey.

We, 13 of us, took off from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia, after few months of preparation to conquer the Mount Kota Kinabalu, 4095m/13,435ft above the sea level.

Nice weather, although the weather forecast from internet indicated that it has been raining for weeks in East Malaysia. It did not affect our spirit to conquer the mountain.

Day 1

We reached the Kinabalu Park and the afternoon was free and easy.

I could see the mountain from the foot of the mountain. She’s so beautiful and sitting patiently and quietly waiting to be touched by us.

I prayed and talked to her quietly. I prayed for safety and good weather. Yeah yeah, you can just say I am superstitious. However, it worked. I will share with you at the end of this blog.

The weather was cold at night. Special thank to Captain Choon Leong for bringing a bottle of Macallan 12 year old to K.K. A man and his best friend. We had that whiskey to keep us warm at night.

Day 2

We started the first 6km trekking ten in the morning from the Timpohon Gate near park headquarters.

The first two km was an enjoyable climb. We took many photos along the way.

Mount KK is one of the natures reserved in East Malaysia. We were comparing the changes of flora along the trails, than overtaking other walkers that set off before us.

3km onward……..I started feeling tired.

The trek was predominantly uphill. The track alternates between steep stairs and regular sections of uneven inclined track. Without the effects of high altitude, the walk would be physically taxing. With the lack of oxygen, we became more fatigued far more quickly.

It took us 4 to 5 hours to reach Laban Rata, 3272m above sea level.

My whole body was aching like HELL! It was bitterly cold in the Laban Rata rest house. Here again, my Hero, Macallan kept me warm and I was able to sleep in the evening.

The food at Laban Rata resthouse was delicious.

It’s incredible how the rest house could provide such a varied menu as every gas bottle, sack of rice, can of cola etc has to be carried up by porters. These are often tiny women, hardly bigger than the wicker baskets strapped to their backs. It made me feel very humble.

DAY 3

Depart from Laban Rata 2.45a.m. for the remaining 2km up to the peak of Mount Kinabalu.

The temperature was about 5 degree, the air was very thin and the surroundings were dark. We geared up in warm winter clothings, beanie, gloves, and a torch (head light) to light our way up. Special mentioned the stairs near the Laban Rata resthouse that covered with ice. I almost fell down in a few occasions. It took up to an hour before I emerged from the scrub to the open rock face.

The party began!

I lost my team mates because the surroundings were so dark. It was a clear night. I could see millions of stars on the sky. It was so close yet so far. That was the most beautiful things that I ever seen.

Subsequently I found some of my team mates. In fact they were all along right in front of me. YF told me that in fact she called me in numerous occasions, but I just ignored her. This is me, the blur queen in the group.

Oh Altitude! You tend to play your role here.

Literally one-step, one breath up the mountain. We took a break after every 10 steps. I have a good mountain guide, Pak Sompot. He kept encouraging me that I could make it to the peak in one and half hours time.

We pushed ourselves step by step from Sayat-Sayat to the Low Peak. It’s frustrated because each time you think you have crossed a ridge, another long uphill appeared in front of you! I cursed and sworn along the way and questioned myself why I was doing it. I should have spent my holiday on the beach.

On Top of the World

We reached the peak before 6a.m. I made it!

The views in all directions were awesome! The experience of seeing the sun rise at 4095m above sea level made all the efforts and pain worth it.

“Im on the top of the world lookin

down on creation And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that Ive found ever since youve been around

Your loves put me at the top of the world”…..

I thought the hardest part was over………. The descent was tricky. I descended from the steep mountain with my jelly legs.

We still went for Sungai Padas White Water Rafting the next day with sore legs. The weather for the whole journey was fantastic. It did not rain at all until we reached the airport.

See, it worked! Respect the Mother Earth and Nature.

Ivory n Gold

Dragon Boating In Singapore

2009-08-23T17:19:00.013+08:00

I would like to write something on dragon boating for my overseas friends or for those who would like to have a better understanding on dragon boating.

A dragon boat is a long and narrow canoe-style boat powered by man. It is now used in the team paddling sport of dragon boat racing which originated in China over 2000 years ago.

I love dragon boating.

It’s a great way to stay fit. It’s good exercise that works out the upper body and the fastest way build up your stamina. This sport has gained enormous popularity and recognition in Singapore. I train once a week on Saturday and I row for my company.

Yesterday, we were participating in the AustCham 10km Challenge organized by the AustCham Dragons. Have you ever run continuously for 10km? How about rowing continuously for 10km under the hot sun? The feeling was sensational.

The start was chaotic. There were 25 teams participating in the race. We were fighting to take off from the narrow Kallang River. I was surprised that no boat capsized.

It was my maiden 10km race. I was being assigned to be the pacer for this race, first time be a pacer too. A pacer is the rower sitting on the first row. They set the pace so that the rest of the team members could follow. It is critical that all paddlers are synchronized.

We took off from the Kallang River, to the Marina Barrage, then to the Merlion, back to the starting point and finished at the Nicole Highway Bridge. We completed the race within 52mins and overtook three boats along the way. The feeling of overtaking people was awesome.

Good race, good team mates, good beer and good prawn noodles.

Team mates, I love you guys long time!

Ivory n Gold

P/S: Photos of my team mates and the route. Unfortunately we did not take any pictures on the boat/ during the race. The first two photos were taken few months ago.

My Maiden Blog

2009-08-23T12:48:00.000+08:00

This is my maiden blog.

I would like to share my experiences with friends, family and anyone who is sharing the same interests as me.

English is not my first language. Thus, please bear with me.

This is my first foray into the blogging world. I will try my best to write some interesting stuff in the future.

The pilgrims journey begins.

Ivory n Gold
Singapore