Sunshine

Sunshine, Blue skies and Big smiles!

Festelavn

Sunday morning after Festelavn weekend, the Danish equivalent of Halloween.
I think the only difference is the smashing of the barrel.
Plenty of souvenirs from the parties over the weekend.
Headaches, vampire teeth, painkillers and coins.
I think I was the coolest impromtu vampire.

Nightscope

The night allows scope.
Night removes the limitations of details and concetrates on form.

Lux Lucis

I can't stand any more light.
Yes, it is night.
Allow the darkness in.

Walk like an Egyptian

With Egypt, there is always a bitter after taste. Spectacular sights are followed by revolting sights of rotting carcasses and garbage. A nice visit to a museum could be spoilt by a taxi driver trying to rip you off. It makes you wonder how the cradle of civilisation ended up in such a sorry state. Sitting on oil deposits and attracting 8 million tourist every year is not exactly the recipe for a poor and dirty country. Or is it? Perhaps it breeds complacency, perhaps it breeds overreliance on tourism, perhaps it breeds inertia. Perhaps perhaps perhaps. When anybody mentions Egypt now, I really can't decide if the image should be a statue of the Majestic Ramses II smiting his enemies or the man on the streets of Cairo, cap in hand, the other hand oustretched asking for baksheesh (tip/bribe, you decide). Everywhere you go, you see young men standing around, idle. Why is this so? Why aren't they employed? Perhaps its the thought that everything is God's will. Shah Allah. That they are born into poverty and that it is God's will that they stay in poverty?
" ...he and his men kept the protection money for themselves, imposing restrictions and punhisments on the harafish and reducing them, as Sheikh Said said, to the station alloted them by Almighty God..."
~ Naguib Mahfouz, The Harafish
I think this passage written by the Nobel Laureate really highlights the inertia that stems from a belive that poverty is their lot and therefore there is nothing that they can do about it. Even football commentaries are punctuated with "if god willing he will get the ball..."
Perhaps it is successive occupations, from the Romans, the Arabs, theMamluks, the Ottomans, the French and the British that has led to this submissive attitude. That perhaps has lead to Mr Mubarak being in power unchallenged for such a long time.

In Egypt, my accomodations ranged from hostel to hilton, my means of transport ranged from 4 feet to 4x4 , meals from 20cents to 20 bucks. Here are more photos, not of the tourist sights but of a tiny ( bordering on miniscule) glimpse into the life of an Egyptian.

Sahara

Photo from the White Desert. The whole landscape looks like a Salvador Dali painting. The first day of the camping trip was really bad because there was a sand storm. Sand got everywhere, camera, nostrils, ear, eyes, clothes and even food. But as the wind died and the sand began to settle, the sky became red and I felt like I was on another planet. Actually some bits of the desert really look like a star wars set.
There is also the Black desert, where metallic rocks litter the landscape and crystal rocks jut out from the ground. And then of course, there is the Great Sand Sea. The desert is really a land of extremes, of extreme temperature, of extreme beauty and extreme nothingness. Throughout the four days, it was just my guide/driver and Azizzah, our trusty 4X4. The guide was a bona fide bedouin who navigated the desert without GPS or any maps. Cooking over an open fire and sleeping under a blanket of stars, watching falling stars drop from the heavens, wandering the night landscape illuminated by moonlight watching the ethereal shadows cast by the moon. It was the first time I have ever seen the moon cast shadows. I loved the solitude and peace of the desert.
More photos here

Nuweiba

Imagine being greeted every morning with a spectacular sunrise, watching the sun rise from behind the mountains of Saudi Arabia, stretching across the Red Sea and gently caressyour face. If you manage to imagine that, you are a step closer but not quite there yet. To experience the beauty of Nuweiba and the Sinai you really have to be there. Nuweiba was the base camp for exploring the rest of the Sinai Peninsula. I stayed at a lovely beach front resort that had the Red sea in front and majestic red mountains to the back. And to top it all off, it was at a good price, a positive outcome of the Intifada and the War on Terror.
The highlights of course were Mt Sinai of Biblical fame and the St Catherine Monastry where the burning bush, or its descendant rather, resides. But most specatcaular of all was the Coloured Canyon. I have never seen sand in so many shades, purple, red, violet, yellow, white and even dark brown. The canyon was quite a squeeze and some bits had to be navigated with caution and dexterity.
More photos here

Luxor

This a picture of the Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak Temple Complex.
This is definately the most specatcular hall that I have ever been to. It was planned by Amenhotem III and built by Seti I who decorated the northern half in delcicate raised relief. Ramses II added the rest of the sunken relief work. The hall covers an area large enough to put both St Peter's Cathedral in Rome and London's St Paul's Cathedral.
Walking through it both in the day and the night is an awesome experience. In the night, you feel as if these massive columns are holding up the night sky, as if the twinkling stars were ornaments painted onto the once present roof of this great hall. In the day, one is intrigue by the playful yet mysterious shadows cast by the sun. In total there are 134 papyrus and lotus shaped pillars and in its original form the whole hall would have been painted brighty and roofed, making it dark. What amazes me is how they managed to place the humoungous stones that made up the roof. In some of the photos, you can see the louvers built high up that allowed only shafts of light into the hall. There are one ore two photos showing the massive blocks that once formed the roof. Simply amazing.
Of course there is more to Luxor than Karnak. There are the valley of the Kings and Queens, the tombs of the nobles and numerous funneray temples on the west bank. But none as spectacular and majestic as Karnak.
More photos here

Felucca up the Nile

I really like this photo. I think it is a nice composite photo of the Nile. My Felucca boatman's face is in the shadow of the afternoon sun, partially masking his identity yet still making his form recognizable; a representation of the many boatmen that make a living plying the Nile on these lovely sail boats. In the background is a modern bridge which serves as a contrasting backdrop to my boatman's traditional outfit and the Felucca in general which is after all no more than pieces of wood and canvas. I like how everything is reflected in the calm waters of the Nile, the bridge, the blue sky and the boat. The river reflects silently on the millions of lives that transverse it, relies on it and enjoys it; a passive observer.
There is little to do on such trips but to relax and enjoy the ever changing surroundings. The days are spent watching locals on the shore, bird watching, watching the sunset, exploring the shores and listening to the breathing sounds of the river as the boat glides through it.
The boat ride began at Aswan and ended in Edfu temple. En route we visited Kom Ombo temple, a massive riverside temple and from there it was minibus to Luxor.
More photos here

Aswan

One of the four giagantic statues of Ramses II that guard the entrance to his temple and his kingdom at Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel is actually closer to Sudan than to Aswan but for convenience sake I have put the photos in the same album.
Abu Simbel has got to be my favourite temple. Inside the temple, there are beautiful wall paintings and reliefs of Ramses II in full battle pose, this time on his chariot with his bow drawn, ready to fire at his enemies. There are scenes from his numerous battles and most importantly the Battle of Kadesh. It is such a shame that photography is not allowed inside. There are one or two photos taken sneakily, but being the responsible tourist, I took them without flash.
The overnight train from Cairo to Aswan was horrible but it did make some interesting stops along the way, partly scheduled party due to circumstances like the train breaking down. Aswan is probably the nicest of the tourist hotspots along the nile. It has a nice laid back atmosphere and although you still get hustled here and there it was much much better than in Luxor. The Nile is in its element at Aswan and the Felucca cruise around the islands was simply fantastic. On the east bank of the Nile where it is irrigated, civilisation thrives. On the west bank where man has failed to apply water, the desert is dominant.
More photos here

Roaring 80s

The 80s themed party last night was like Zouk Mambo nite with a Spanish twist.
But what a twist.
Took the drunk bus home and crawled into bed early this morning. It has been a while since I've done something like that. I miss the crazy parties that we had when I first arrived in Aarhus.
Feeling the after effects of too many Sangrias.

Islamic and Coptic Cairo

Here is a peek into relatively modern Cairo.
In the Coptic area, the vistas are dominated by domes instead of minarets, a refreshing change
Cairo also has one of the largest concentration of mosques. All sorts of Islamic architecture are present from Crusader style, Mamluk style to Ottoman style.
More photos here.

Pyramid Pile-Up

One would imagine that the Pyramids of Giza would be set in the middle of a desert landscape, isolated, regal and towering over everything else. Well, the area around the pyramids was a tourist circus. It was crowded and the traffic was chaotic.
Welcome to Egypt.
From the pyramids of Giza we went further back in time to the Step Pyramid of Saqqarra and the ancient city of Memphis.
More photos Here

Reflections

My day was grey. How was yours?
I think my world needs to be larger than the view from my window.
I think the best thing in life is to be understood.
I think a promise made should be a promise kept.
My day was grey. How was yours?

Relative Reality

Not being able to sleep again last night, I sat up and read in the hopes that the book might lull me to bed. I got a glass of water from the sink and plonked my fat ass down on my tiny bed and began to devour my book. Re-reading Nothingness and Being and I must say that it is a very interesting book but it is also very draining. After an hour or so of reading I actually dozed off. Hurrah you say? Now he's finally gone to sleep.
Well, I didn't stay asleep for long. After maybe 30 minutes I woke up again, but this time feeling very confused and dazed as is always the case after such short periods of sleep.
For a brief moment I forgot where I was and I was wondering why the kitchenette's light was on.
For a brief moment I thought that WJ was here and that she had gone to the bathroom.
For a brief moment it was December and WJ was standing there by the stove, attempting to make breakfast for me while I lazed on the bed. Turning around to smile at me and say the soft sweet words that only I am privileged to hear.
As my eyes focused that moment disappeared into the surrounding air. I realised that I had left the light on when I went to get my glass of water. The shattering of a dream, intially built up by raised expectations. Hope is an equally sharp knife and reality a very forceful hammer; perfect for shattering dreams.

Bottles by the Door

Once again, there are empty bottles by the door of the Tan residence in Aarhus. It has been a while...
The result of last night's Egyptian dinner and photos. The kofta was good and so were the photos but there was a tinge of saddness in my heart that lingered throughout the evening. It just wasn't the same as before, a play with key actors missing. Trying to pretend like it was only made it worse. C'est la vie.
The wine put me to sleep fast but not for long and I was up again before sunrise with a humongous headache. The cancellation of tonight's dinner due to unfortunate circumstances on my guest's part was actually quite a fortuitous event for me.
Just like how the elections are the talk of the town in Singapore, Internship application is the latest buzz in NUS Law School. So I tried to make the best of the day by writing my goddamn CV and cover letter for internship applications. Didn't get very far. Its such a pain looking for my results, especially my O level results. I can remember my total score but not the combination i.e. which subject was an A1 or A2 etc. I am so tempted to write "good enough to get me this far" under the O levels bit. To distract me from the pain of doing the CV, I chatted with some friends on MSN who confirmed my worst fears that the internship frenzy had reached an all new high back home. We came to the conclusion that somebody needs to put an end to this mad rush.

xxx says:
you have no idea how much a fervour its become
xxx says:
you're lucky you're not here
-prometheus- 一路向北 says:
some people make it sound like the quest for the holy grail
-prometheus- 一路向北 says:
its a herd mentality
-prometheus- 一路向北 says:
we need one brave person to say STOP, relax, take a chill pill.
xxx says:
and will you be the one jeremy oh brave of heart and foolish of mind
-prometheus- 一路向北 says:
i will
-prometheus- 一路向北 says:
Not brave of heart but at least pure of heart
-prometheus- 一路向北 says:
purified by the alcohol that has been coursing through my veins

The identity of my counterpart has been masked to protect his/her identity.
Of course that was just the remnants of the alcohol talking. I am not going to be another Chee Soon Juan. There ain't no Porsche 911 in going against the current. Plus, despite spending a large part of my formative years abroad, I have been indoctrined well enough after numerous years of Singaporean education to do the right thing.
Even my favourite colour is white.

Full Sun

Technicallly, thats not the sun but it's reflection off a solar panel.
For a few minutes, that shaft of light painted my room a surreal shade of golden yellow; reminding me of the sun glorifying the figures of Ramses II at Abu Simbel temple, or how the light strikes the middle of the tomb in Maes Howe during the winter solstice.
Unfortunately, it also reminds me that my window needs cleaning.

Full Moon

There is a hidden beauty about not being able to sleep or not being able to stay asleep.
Like everything else, there are also two sides to the coin of sleep. The anguish of trying to fall asleep, and the subtle joys of waking hours before sunrise; the joy that has been nurtured, like so many other joys that we experience in life. You grow to enjoy the coursing of fresh blood through your body, feeling it fill every vessel and vein, strengthening every sinew of your body. Feeling this flow desperatly fighting off exhaustion, valiantly but in vain. Drained but unable to sleep, yet feeling more alive then when actually living.
It is a choice every such waking to reach for the bottle on the shelf that would put an end to this sensation or to let nature, ableit a warped form, run its course. I notice that I no longer dread or curse such wakings but have begun to embrace it as if it were a dear old senile friend. Tonight, I decided in favour of nature and resumed my watch over the moon illuminated landscape; savouring this clarity of mind that has ironically come from exhaustion and fatigue, the clarity that is the source of joy in every such waking.

Ars Longa Vita Brevis

AROS, Aarhus
I love art museums.
They remind me that man was created for more important things apart from work.

Reflections...

My favourite pastime is actually standing in front of my giant window and just watch the world pass me by. But today, I watched tons of icey snow past me by, driven by howling winds.
Being on the 5th floor and on a hill, in relatively low rise Aarhus gives one an ego boosting feeling of towering above everything.
So I've been thinking,
1. This whole Danish newspaper cartoon incident comes as no surprise. The attitude of Europeans of late has meant that such an incident was only a sooner or later thing.
2. Expression of freedom of speech is part of democracy. But Winston Churchill once said that Democracy is not the best system. It is just the best that we have for now.
3. Which sounds like my career decision making process. A legal career is not the best for me. But it is the one with the most prospects now, unfortunately.
4. Its a pity that countries like Iran and Syria are using religion as a pretext to further nationalistic interest. Iran is facing big flak over its nuclear ambitions. Denmark is now a member of the UN security council of which Iran might be hauled before. Iran is just trying to stock up enough ammo to sway opinion and to blackmail a member of the SC. Syria on the other hand is just using this opportunity to wreck havoc in Lebanon. Besides, Syria and Iran have always been sympathetic to each other's cause.
5. Which makes me wonder why the leader of the free world, Mr Bush, called for a boycott of the last Iranian elections which resulted in Mr Ahmadinejad, a hardline militant, being swept into power on an extremist vote. A boycott which resulted in the moderate Khatami being ousted for lack of support. A boycott called by a democratic powerhouse, of a democratic process. A boycott which has led to a resurrection of an Iranian nuclear program.
6. And if the west is so against nuclear programs, why has it turned a blind eye toward's Israel's nuclear program?
7. That the Europeans seem to have a hidden xenophobic agenda and perhaps that is expressed through freedom of speech? But an influx of immigrants is a sooner or later matter. With the greying population across Europe, there will definately be a need for foreign labour in the near future. And it is highly likely or already obvious that the source of such labour will be muslim countries like Turkey or Egypt. Why not embrace it with proper legislation, proper administrative measures and proper education about such matters. Why not think about how to integrate peoples instead of comparmentalising. Why not be prepared for it before it overwhelms you.
9. I belive the reason for this lies in democracy. Politicians need votes and anything that would suggest greater immigration in Europe would be highly unpopular. So now the decision making process has passed on to the masses, with imperfect knowledge and no specialised expertise in such matters. This is Western democracy.
9. Most countries pay lip service to Globalisation. Creating of a global market means that people will move to where there are opportunities. One cannot insist on having a global market without acknowledging that as boundaries become more permeable to goods, it will invariably become more permeable to people too.
10. That we don't have to necessary love or like the people that we live with but we do have to tolerate them for the simple fact that they are human beings. If we can put up with our mother in laws, why not with foreign workers, why now with people of a different religion or skin colour?
11. That this exchange stint has enrinched every aspect of my life except academically

Walled In

The second day of school was no better than the first. UN Human Rights Law is interesting but the tutor keeps repeating himself. Its almost like as if somebody was counting sheep for you, trying to lullaby you to sleep.
EU Law today was so technical and boring. But its hard to fault the tutor. Trying to make something as bureaucratic as the EU sound interesting is like trying to make a Volvo handle like a Porsche 911.
Broke out of the academic wall by seeking solace in the library after class. Devoured a couple of newspapers and a few magazines before heading home. At least the day wasn't wasted.
Tempted to blog about the Muslim Cartoons situation, especially since I am in the eye of the storm. Overheard an American exchange student exclaiming loudly in a southern drawl at the canteen that he hopes nobody plans to bomb the Jyllands-Posten office which is next to his dorm. I shall limit myself to a few lines regarding the issue, sparing all of you a lengthy blogpost.
1. There are limits for almost everything in society, from speed limits to credit limits. Why shouldn't there be one for freedom of speech.
2. Two wrongs don't make a right. Printing offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) does not give one a right to commit arson, vandalism and death threats.
3. Everything is a compromise. The West wants to promote free speech and Muslims want respect which they deserve. Offensive remarks really stretches the limit of freedom of speech. Try saying "fuck you" to any policeman and you'll probably get into serious trouble. But isn't that freedom of speech too? Similarly, muslims by burning and threatening death are demanding that Western society bow to a version of Islam that is rejected by most of their co religionist.
4. The solution? That the western press learn that being polite and sensitive does not mean sacrificing fundamental freedoms and rights. That the enraged muslims heed the calls of notable muslims like Hamid Karzai for restraint and forgiveness.

If only human beings were that simple.
If only the flames weren't being fueled by politics and power.

I've got mail

Things seem so much better when, they're not part of your close surroundings.
Words in a letter sent, amplified by the distance.
Possibilities and sweeter dreams, sights and sounds calling from far away.
Calling from so far away.

One Man Band

Got back from Egypt yesterday morning. Really early in the morning. It was snowing when I got out of the train station. What a change from 25 degrees in the Sahara to -5 degrees in Aarhus.
It felt really strange to be back in Aarhus. The weather probably played a significant part but I suspect that there is a deeper underlying reason.
I feel really exhausted and a tad disoriented. Perhaps its because I have been travelling for 3 weeks with WJ in December, then back to Aarhus only to book my flight and "plan" my Egypt trip and then its off again for another 3 weeks.
For a moment, you forget where home is. Is home Aarhus? Or is it just an oasis, to rest and prepare for the next journey. After a while, you get used to living out of a backpack, sleeping in a different bed everynight, sometimes not even having a bed. After a while you get used to airports, overnight trains and foreign tongues. You get used to the food, the habits and the smells of a country. Yet this is the only way to experience another country. To stay up to the point where the country no longer seems too foreign for you, to the point where you can look beyond tourism and see the country for what it truly is. Where you are now equipped to see what makes that society function, not completely but at least you are allowed a deeper understanding. Staying any longer might allow you an even better view, but it also comes with the risk of getting sucked into its vortex.
So that is why I travel. Even if it tires me, even if i forget for a moment where home is. So that like the one man band, I may understand a country like how he understands an instrument, at least well enough to make a decent sound. And that I may put all my experiences in different countries together to make decent music.