Baliriffic ...

Bali: 12 - 18 February
It took a bit of convincing, and I do mean a 'bit' (as in little), to convince Ryan to drop his plans of going to Malacca and to roll out with me to Bali to meet up with Dwight and Jarno (the Hawaiin, guy from the Pacific Northwest and the Finnish jigalow respectively). After nearly missing our flight out of KL and then waiting 7 long hours in Jakarta for the second leg of the trip, we made it to Bali.

After finding a place, Ryan and I set out on a two part mission: procure a chilled beverage and find Dwight and Jarno. Both proved quite easy. There are Circle K's, Mini Marts and the like lining the streets of Kuta Beach and therefore my throat was never dry. After walking around a bit with no luck of finding the others, I spotted Jarno's mane blowing in the wind ... needless to say, another insane night ensued.

Outside of the party scene, oh and there was a party scene, Bali was amazing. We motorbiked around the island for 3 days, Ryan and I made a trip to Ubud to see the monkey forest (no, I did not get bit this time) and I solidified 4 good facebook friends (I'm kidding, they are in fact real friends). I even had a romance that I cannot shake and nor do I want to. It's amazing that despite people's different histories, social norms and respective realities that two strangers can come together and just 'click' ... and that's what happened. As I sit here in Singapore, I cannot help but smile. This is my life and well, to use my own words, I'm owning it. Although I say this is my life, make no mistake about it, you have all contributed greatly and I am but the product of all the goodwill, hope and support that you have bestowed upon me. Without you, all of you, this experience - this life, this story, this journey - would not be possible. My heart is with you all.

Much love,

- Ardeshir

Rockin' KL ...

7 - 12 February:

I had no idea my time in Kuala Lumpur would turn out the way it did. I had originally assumed that it would be a time for detox and reflection; quite the contrary. KL turned out to be almost as action packed as Thailand. How can one actually be entertained for 6 days in a city like Kuala Lumpur? Answer: Join an ensemble of people comprised of a crazy Englishman from Leeds, a gung ho Hawaiin, a Finnish jigalow and an outgoing fisherman from the Pacific Northwest.

In order to paint a picture of the kinds of shenanigans that we might have found ourselves in, I will share with you a story of class, wit and charm (class might be debatable). The Englishman, Hawaiin and myself, after a fun hour of bowling without socks, set out for the Petronas Towers. They tower over the city as if it were its guardian, its protector and one would have to be truly numb to not be taken back by this architectural feat. After photos were taken, we set out for the Mandarin Oriental to do what anyone else would do: crash the pool.

For those of you who don't know what the Mandarin Oriental is, think of it as like a Ritz Carlton except in terms of its numbers. I believe there are less than 10 in the world and according to the Hawaiin who formerly worked at one in Oahu, anyone who "has money" knows about the hotel and the quality of service they provide to their paying guests. We walk in what can be described as rags at best and walked with our heads held high, barely acknowledging the workers we passed on our way to the elevator. Floor 3. We made it. We enter to the right, and there it is ... an infinity pool with the KL Tower dominating the skyline as the back drop. The Hawaiin didn't hesitate. He took off his shirt and just walked right into the water. The Englishman and myself on the other hand, did hesitate. For one, we were a little scared and two, we didn't have swim trunks, only our underwear. The pool man (I know the term is 'pool boy', but he really was more of a man) came by and asked if we wanted a towel to which we obliged. He then, slyly, followed up with a "And what room are you in?". Without so much as a flinch I responded "214" with a straight face in hopes that he would buy it. He did. As the pool man turned away to retrieve our respective towels, the Englishman suggests that we just go in our underwear. I thought he was kidding, but then out of stupidity and pride (I didn't want to be the last one in if he was serious) I stripped and walked in leaving him baffled because he in fact was kidding.

The water felt great as it moved around my skin, swallowing a little more of me with each step. The only way I could describe the feeling I was experiencing at that moment is with the saying "money won is better than money earned". There is a certain thrill in "cheating" or finding out that you paid a lower price than your friend. We all want the best deal in town and in KL, a 5 star pool for free is indeed the best deal in town. At some point, the pool man returned and began to ask the Hawaiin what room he was in. Luckily I had informed him of the number and we were all in accordance. "214", "214", "214". The pool man finally beckons him to come over. He knew I was full of it. The restaurant and a few retail shops are on the second floor while rooms don't start until the 4th. We had been caught wet handed.

After a few jokes and a few apologies, the pool man lets us stay for free and gave us one tip of advice: scout the hotel and give a real room number next time.

KL ... you were cooler than I thought.

Thailand ...

29th January - 7th February
My stories from Thailand are those that I dare not post on the web ... suffice to say, I had an amazing time. Bangkok was, well, Bangkok. It's funny despite all the talk of how crazy that place is, it's really not. Maybe it is just the case that, in a sense, I've been numbed to chaos as a result of my experiences in India. To me, Bangkok is first world. I mean, their roads have lanes and sometimes they even use them.

I had been longing for an overdue trip to the beach and Koh Samui was where the long standing memories of salt on my lips returned to me. My experience there was no match for Koh Phan-gnan though. The home of the legendary Full Moon Party and my time there can best be described as a blur. Chill people + chill beaches + increasingly large amounts of chang = an experience that I will never forget. A warm thank you to all of you who added to that chapter of my life.

Darjeeling ...

The jeep kept shaking its frame back and forth like a leaf dancing on the wind as we hit the ever more inclining switch-backs. Lush green trees lined the road and blanketed the accompanying mountain as the driver continuously avoided death at every turn. The road, now level, continued to wind slowly as snow-capped Himalaya came into view.

Buildings gracing the slope of the mountains in the foreground grew in size and detail with each passing minute. We have arrived ... welcome to Darjeeling.

Inspired

I had just finished "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell earlier in the day and with Darjeeling and the Himalaya as a backdrop, I was inspired to write. I can't really say what I was going for, but this is what came out.

Soundtrack while writing: Fionn Reagan - Bunkers or Basements

wake, rise
blink and begin to realize
that time, yeah it flies
like a hawk in the sky
recedes and proceeds
at once or at ease
in control of its flight
and i'm hoping i might
stop, think
forget about last week
when you told me no
it'd be better if i'd go
take this ticket
and see the world on my own
the poverty and pain
the way they dance when it rains
the rich man denying the beggar
pretending he's got no change
and i know some might say
the world stays the same
but their heads are hung low
it's beacuse they're ashamed
their eyes haven't seen
the inner-city kid on the street
pick a text-book retreat
instead of a night with those creeps
or the immigrant and his son
ask about the battles he's won
or the boy at the ashram
the horrors he's seen
bonded in a factory
and sold by his family
for pennies on the dime
hoping that in good time
he would soon come home
and take his place at the throne
but now he's ridden with scars
never an option to change his stars
but he goes on living and breathing
contributing to this little known feeling
that man and woman alike
can choose to put up a fight
and be a catalyst for change
so rape and murder no longer remain
the world will never ever be the same
if we all contribute in small, minute ways
we can put change in a can
or lend out your hand
and recognize that that person
is not a mere man
but he's you and he's me
and everything in between
so let us all fight
for our natural rights
to live and to be
in all actuality free
no longer shackled and chained
to a past that has changed