B’S POETRY CHALLENGE #7

(Wednesday 15th March– Tuesday 21st March)

Rules:

1. Each week I will post one word that will serve as an inspiration for a poem.
2. This poem can be of any form and any length.
3. You can choose to use the actual word in your poem or a synonym or simply convey its meaning, that’s up to you.
4. Copy URL of your post to the comment section OR Pin Back (preferably).
5. You can also contribute a word to the challenge, and I will link it to your blog the following week.

7 Tips for Travel to Bali

1. Haggling: whenever an official price tag isn’t available on a product, you can guarantee that you will need to haggle your way to a better price. The Balinese over-price all their products and services, so its best to renegotiate to get the best price. PS: it can be rather tedious.
2. Transportation: unless you know how to ride a motorcycle, cars are the only practical way of navigating through Bali. PS: the streets are narrow and get very crowded especially in the afternoon.
3. People: the Balinese people are friendly, kind and helpful. They greet visitors with a smile, especially when providing a service. The majority are deeply religious Hindus, very few Muslims, Christians and people of other religions can be found.
4. Language: while knowing English is sufficient to communicate in Bali, don’t expect the locals to understand a large portion of what you’re saying. Use basic sentence structure and the simplest words for the best results. Ex: too much money, instead of expensive. Understanding their pronunciation of the English language is another challenge all together,  for there are several letters that either don’t exist in Indonesian or are simply mispronounced. Ex: Lun means Lunch, Epy means Every.
5. Weather: I visited Bali in August, knowing that is during the dry season but expecting severe humidity. While the weather is humid and rather warm, it isn’t intolerable. There is a light breeze in the morning and at night, but sunnier during the day. Bearing in mind that I come from a particularly hot country, so I’m more adapted to warmer climates.
6. Prices: food, clothes and souvenirs are cheap, especially when you talk your way to a better price. Tours, on the other hand, are not. Depending on the length of the tour, prices start from $40 – $100+. This price doesn’t include entrance tickets, food or some activities, it generally only covers transportation i.e. a driver and an air-conditioned vehicle.
7. Insects: I was advised to pack bug repellent, since tropical areas like Bali are known to be rampant with insects, especially mosquitoes. However I haven’t needed to use it once. The country is very clean, and I only encountered a few mosquitoes in the coffee plantation.

Lily on the Lake

Ripples are forming
On the surface of the lake
Lily is floating

Flowing stream carries
Delicacy and beauty
How mesmerizing

Lily travels far
And reaches the other bank
A simple journey

 

Intro to Poetry – Day 1 (Water)

#introtopoetry

Female Solo Travel – The Ups and the Downs

In the fast-paced bustling 21^st century world, women have grown to be more independent. That being the case, it is still seen as unusual for a woman to travel on her own. Whether that woman is originates from a Western or an Eastern culture, liberal or conservative, the question of “why are you travelling alone?” still arises. Friends and family worry about safety, while strangers might pity the lonesome traveller. However there are many advantages to travelling alone that are easily overlooked.

Why Travel Alone

Venturing off on your own and exploring the world is a liberating experience. You don’t have to stress over putting a group together, who would be able to go to the same place at the same time on the same budget, you don’t need to worry about compromising to accommodate someone else’s schedule, and you can change your plans on a whim, without concern for anyone else.  While you might feel cut off by leaving their homes and loved-ones behind, the truth is you are never truly cut-off. When travelling alone you are able to embark on a journey of self-discovery, as well as meet new people at every stop. You can always find someone somewhere who is similar to you in some way.

Concerns

Fear of feeling alone and bored can make you reconsider solo travel. “What am I going to do with my day?” is a common question among new solo travellers. The answer is: plenty. Being in a foreign country, where you are trying to absorb as much of the culture as possible in a limited amount of time, gives you plenty to do. There will always be a show to attend, a museum to explore or an underwater cave to discover, activities and amusements are abundant when visiting a new location. And if you run out of activities during your trip, you can seek companionship in a book or chronicle your adventures in a journal/blog.

Another major concern that faces, particularly women, is safety. Between pickpocketing and harassment, women are considered an easy target, especially when they are walking alone in an unfamiliar area. To avoid a gruesome fate, make sure you keep yourself and your belongings as safe as possible. This can be done by hiding your money inside your clothes instead of in your wallet. Don’t carry large sums of money when sightseeing or shopping, credit cards are preferable. Try to appear like you belong, so as not to attract any unwanted attention to yourself. Walking with a map and turning left and right, labels you as a tourist that can be taken advantage of. Avoid walking alone at night. Finally follow your instinct, if you feel that you shouldn’t be in a particular place then you probably shouldn’t be there. Safe travel is generally about common sense. So as a woman, don’t let your concerns and other’s discourage you from exploring the world alone at your liberty and your own pace.

Keeping up with the Jones’

In response to The Daily Post’s prompt “Keeping up with the Jones'”

Tell us about the one luxury item you wish you could afford, in as much detail as you can. Paint a picture for us.

I would like to buy my own apartment in the city of my choosing anywhere in the world. I don’t care for a townhouse or a penthouse or anything so luxurious, but I would like a place that is mine. It would have a modern design, artwork on the walls, and I would live there by my own rules. Otherwise I don’t really care about luxury items, but I would like enough money to travel as often as I’d like.

 

 

 

Miniature Writing Challenge #15

(Tuesday 3rd November – Monday 9th November)

Write a short story or poem about Travel.

Challenge Rules

No, Thank You

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “No, Thank You.”

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

Words I would ban:

• Rejection
• Tuition
• Entrance Visa

For anyone applying to college,  having trouble traveling or has ever been rejected. Need I say more?

Finding Yourself

“I can’t find myself”. “I don’t know what I want to be”. Clichés. Sentences said by many young people after they graduate from school and college. But the reason why they’re clichés is because they’re true. Some people know, they just know, what they’re supposed to be. They don’t let anyone or anything stand in their way. While others struggle to find their place in the world, literally and figuratively, they wander aimlessly through life. Some of these wanderers may have an ultimate goal, but are taking a longer time to reach it. Others have no goals and no ideas of their true purpose in life. I pity those people.

I thankfully have a broad idea of where I would like my life to end-up. But taking that road is the truly difficult part. I don’t want a traditional life. I don’t dream of sitting on a desk for eight hours punching in numbers and getting a paycheck in the end of the month. That would kill me. I hope for some adventure. I would like to explore the world. And write.

I was asked once whether or not I would want a career. That depends on how you define the word career. If you are referring to a climb on the corporate ladder, which would inflate my bank account and suck years out of my life, then no. But if you are talking about growing in a specific field and succeeding in it, whatever it may be and however much it may pay, then yes. I would like some resemblance of a career. Most importantly though, I want a life!