2240 HRS MARCH 26TH 2007

My dear friend Ms Y

is going to Europe

for summer holidays.

I've travelled around the world,

there are not many cities left

that I have not been.

It always amuses me

when people wanna

go travelling,

"to see the world"

"to experience life".

Other than different places,

life is generally the same.

If you wanna experience life,

go to Batam,

and hang out with

child beggars

and pregnant teenage

prostitutes.

When I travel,

I like to experience

a bit of local life.

I have no cares

for sightseeing.

I don't want

to go to another boring church

or castle

or ancient ruins.

If you have to visit

a tourist site,

by all means,

but do take a bit of time

to wander off

the little lanes

and explore quaint little shops.

Don't bother about another

shopping mall

with the same old

Body Shop, KFC, MacDonalds etc.

I want to experience culture

and have no interest

in seeing another church

with 200 tourists

snapping photos.

It does not interest me

to see a 1000 year

temple ruins.

Life is for the living,

not the dead.

I want to see living culture,

not a culture that died

thousands of years ago.

I like to hang out

in local places,

not discos.

But in places

where locals hang out

like bars.

Quiet places

where people are always

happy to talk

to me.

I'm always struck

by the universal problems

of the human condition.

True there will be some

experiences

that I find extraordinary

and I learn

from their extraordinary ways

of dealing with extraordinary situations.

But I learn more

in a squatter's home

in Batam,

a small concrete structure

whose floor area is about the

size of my kitchen.

In that floor area,

they eat there

they shit there

they sleep there

they fuck there.

The opulent splendour

of the Palace of Versailles

of the French Aristocracy

disgust me

more than impress me.

I prefer to talk

to locals

about economic

and political situations,

and more importantly,

how they cope.

And sample

local food

and local beers.

If you try hard enough,

people will always understand you

no matter where you go.

And please,

don't compare prices.

When you travel,

be prepared to pay.

I hate to waste time

haggling.

I have an idea

how much I want to pay

for something,

and if the price suits,

its mine.

Let them keep the rest.

I am afterall

a guest

in their country,

I should pay

for the priviledge

of being there