NOBODY

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Tag: travel

  • Day 3: The cost behind the free lunch

    Should I call ghost busters to this place?

    Maybe yes.

    I had never imagined that I would leave a hotel without worrying about wasting money.

    Although I accidentally got the hotel room, I soon realized why the person in charge would dare spare me with a 7-day free hotel. To be honest, staying at this hotel gives me goosebumps.

    How it started?

    Four days ago, I was preparing the teaching materials for a Philippines girl who came to Hong Kong to learn Cantonese. Unfortunately, the agent forgot to prepare the documents for the girl, leaving her being trapped in the Philippines airport.

    The agent immediately asked for cancellation for the hotel. However, the hotel rejected his request. Running out of solution, he asked me to use the quota. That was how I got the 7-day free hotel room.

    Why I left?

    Three days in this hotel, I had already realized the girl may be lucky enough to stay in Philippine. This is one of the worst hotels I have visited in my life. There was a strange smell in the air, and strange things were happening all the time.💀

    For example, it took me more than 30 trials to open the door of the hotel room, and the lift couldn’t be used once I entered it.

    My instinct kept reminding me to leave this place.

    Ending

    When I told the receptionist that I wanted to check out today, he was a bit shocked.

    “But your booking said you will move out on 3 March. You are leaving today…”

    I don’t care since I trust my gut feelings. Also, this is not paid by myself. SO it is not a stupid decision to leave this place. 🥶

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  • Day two: Mental preparation

    Everything stems from your thought.

    Today I went to visit a temple in the diamond hill.

    Even though I’m living in a hotel and enjoying the freedom alone, I don’t like its environment, so I left and visited a temple.

    Why visit a temple

    A few days ago, when I mentioned my confusion to my counselor, she suggested me talking to the volunteer in the temple.

    “Buddhism is not the same as Buddhism studies. Chat with the volunteer and you will have some new insight on life.”

    A few days later, I visited the temple and met the volunteers.

    The place was as peaceful as usual. Pool, stones, trees and flowers were everywhere. Occasionally you would see a stone board with words like “fragrance mountain⛰”. Surprisingly, there were a lot of foreign visitors around today.

    When I reached the inner temple, I finally saw the volunteers that provide support for the temple’s operation. There was a table that placed a load of books for visitors. She told me all of them were free.

    “Take one if you want. This is “The Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva“, have you ever read it?”

    “No, but I had read The Sutra On The Original Vows And Merits Of The Medicine Master Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata. It is very interesting.”

    Then we started talking about Buddhism’s effect on our mind. At the same time, she kept saying how Buddhism improved her mind and living quality. She kept encouraging me to learn more about Buddhism to improve my life.

    The miracles in Life

    Therefore, she shared some stories with me.

    “One of our volunteers is very lucky. She retired in her mid-30s. She said she is bored of working for money, so her elder brother decided to pay for her living fee. And she works as a volunteer in this temple. What a peaceful life.”

    I was speechless.

    “Only people with high level of “practice” can be devoid of the stress and pressure of work.”

    That seems to make sense? It seems like if someone has truly mastered the lessons life offers through practice, they no longer need the ‘classroom’ of stressful work—so the world doesn’t force it on them.

    …

    Latest Updates

    When I returned to my home, I received a call on interview arrangement. Let’s see if I can get the offer!

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  • The waterfall💦 in Luang Prabang is the paradise on earth

    Am I living in the reality? Yes, or No?

    Kuang Si Falls, located in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR

    “Have you not seen that the waters of the Yellow River come from upon Heaven, surging into the ocean, never to return again;”

    From Translation of Li Bai, Bring in the Wine

    Although the poem above was describing the yellow river in China, I found its home in a authentic country in Southeast Asia. The breathtaking scene reminded me of the poem I read 6 years ago. I couldn’t imagine myself seeing the world depicted by a dreamy poet like Li Bai.

    Unlike the waterfall I saw, Kuang Si fall is surrounded by mountains and the beautiful animals in the area. There are bears (but they were sleeping😴 most of the time), snake and squirrel everywhere. You will never be alone, even if you are a solo traveler.

    Apart from the waterfall that catches everyone’s attention, a small lake nestled in the foliage is another must-visit spot. The sunlight filters through the leaves, creating a beautiful scene with patches of light hopping on the earthly surface of the rushing water.

    Visitors can jump into the lake and feel the coolness of the water.

    Unfortunately, even though I wasn’t at work👩‍💻, I still couldn’t stop worrying the process of my work and preparation for the grant even that was happening very soon.

    “While my companion was soaking his legs 🦵 in the cool, crisp water, I found myself worrying about the deadline for my photo book. What a fool I was!”

    Maybe I still have to learn about work-life balance.

    Hope everyone can come and visit this amazing waterfall. I can guarantee you will not regret about it. 😁

    Source: 085 李白 將進酒 Translation: Bring in the Wine, by Li Bai | East Asia Student https://share.google/FKkmIvjhmhL5DIa6f

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  • My first city bike experience

    This little grasshopper gave me a whole new driving experience.

    My first unofficial ride in my life.

    After arriving in Luang Prabang, a province in Lao PDR, I saw a green object that aroused my interest. On first glance👀, I thought it was a bike. However, when I saw the slingshot and metal engine, I soon realized it was a city bike, 🚴🏻.

    When I first turned on the engine, I nearly lost my footing. The city bike thrashed forward before I could pull it backward. It hit the back of a car, and I was frightened to death. 💀💀💀

    Fortunately, no damage was done to the innocent car🚙

    At the same time, the receptionist from the hotel witnessed the whole incident. He walked out of the entrance, and asked,

    “Do you know how to use it?”

    I said no, and he showed me how to use it.

    “The left handler is the brake, and the right one is for starting the engine.”, he said.

    And I soon understood his meanings. I hopped on the back of the grasshopper and began my exciting journey. Since it was my first ride, I drove very slowly to avoid losing my balance.

    I could feel the air whipping my face tenderly. These experiences gave me confidence. Images of me driving different cars bloomed in my mind. I saw myself driving a jeep in a desert, or riding a motorcycle on a deserted highway located in a verdant mountain⛰️. pictured my free, amazing future in my mind.

    But my imagination was crushed by the reality within ten minutes. 🤣🤣🤣

    When I reached the highway, there were more vehicles heading towards my opposite direction. Although most drivers were behaving well, I was overwhelmed by the flux of cars and noise. Only at this time that i suddenly realized driving is more exhausting and riskier than I thought. Thus, I nearly forgot that I was driving in Luang Prabang, a place without any traffic light.🚦

    At last, I ended my journey and proceeded to my hotel. Somehow it made me realize I don’t want to drive in Lao. Even though I acquired the skills to control the city bike, I lack the courage to traverse the highway in Laos.

    PS: When I sent told my friend that I learned how to ride a city bike, she said I can get one. 💵 But now I changed my mind. I would rather spent money to catch a cab.

    What do you think of this experience? Feel free to leave your comment and share it with your friends!💖🍡💖

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  • Lucky day🍀 & My first Motocycle experience

    Coconut water provided by my company

    15th August was my lucky day. Although I didn’t receive any extra money or gift on this ordinary day, I felt lucky and grateful about the good things that happened to me.

    The first good news was about my colleague. He told me he could earn more money in the future, and I felt happy for him. A few months ago, I tried to manifest him getting an offer with higher income💵💵💵. The unknown power heard my prayer and turned it into reality.

    Another amazing incident happened later on the same day. It was a compulsory ⚽match. Even though my friend didn’t want to join this event, her role forced her to stay at with us. I saw her chatting with her colleagues, so I thought she was enjoying her time. During the dinner time, she sat next to me and began to try the dishes on the table. But she was disappointed with the texture of the beef. At last, when most dishes were cleared, she asked,

    “Shall we leave together?”.

    Without any hesitation, we immediately walked out of the restaurant.

    “Do you want to ride on the back of my motorcycle?”, she said.

    “Yes, no problem.”

    Then I was on the back of her motorcycle. Suddenly, I realized that my manifestation worked again. One month ago, I dreamed of seeing myself riding on the back of her motorcycle. It became reality⁉️

    My journey began when she started the engine. While we were zooming forward, the wind was patting my face tenderly. I could feel my body resisting the air flow on the road, but I had never felt so refreshed. At the same time, I could feel my heart beating crazily. The noises of the engines and vehicles freaked me out. Sometimes I would wonder if I were gambling my life💀.

    At last, I arrived at my apartment without any danger. After dropping off from the motorcycle, my friend asked,

    “Now, do you want to learn how to ride a motorcycle? “, she said with a smile.

    “Um… To be honest, not at this moment.”, I answered.

    She laughed😄😄. And we said goodbye to each other.

  • The 44th Day in Laos: My thought on refilling water dispenser

    The water dispenser in my apartment

    The process was harder than I thought.

    A month ago, I visited my friend’s apartment, and I saw him installed a countertop water dispenser on the mouth of his 20kg water container.

    “It’s very cheap. I ordered this countertop dispenser from e-gets. And it is very convenient. One click and the water will get out from the tube.”, he said.

    I followed his advice and got the water.

    A month later, I moved to a new apartment, which was one floor below his comfortable “castle”(defined by my friend). Out of laziness and stinginess, I decided to do everything by myself.

    I first asked for the price of each water container from the security guard, and he said each water container was talking about 28,000 kip (1.29 USD). Compared with the 2L mineral water (costing 8000 kips, 0.37 USD) in the convenient shops and supermarkets, it was very cheap.

    Without any hesitation, I placed my first order.

    Ten minutes later, I heard someone knocking the door. When I opened it, no one but a big water container was standing in front of me. I dragged it into my apartment, but it was very heavy. I was exhausted after work, so I left it alone for the next few days.

    Today, before I left my apartment for work, the idea of replacing the old container with the new one suddenly appeared in my mind. But I had already forgotten the fact that it contained 20 liters of water. I tried to lift it up from the floor, but it was way too heavy. I flipped it and rolled it to the corner where the water dispenser was located at.

    To be honest, I was not a weak woman, given that I had enough muscle mass in the fitness test (161cm and 56 kg). But when I tried to lift this plastic object from the ground, I nearly lost my footing and destroyed the dispenser. Even though I could hold it for 10 seconds in the air, I didn’t have enough strength to place it on the mouth of the dispenser. At last, I had to use the chair to reduce the weight of the container and “throw” the mouth of the container into the dispenser violently. It was a mind-blowing and dangerous experience.

    This was something I wouldn’t do in my home city. Ironically, I only knew it exceeded my limit after my colleague told me the container’s weight was 20kg.

    Now I understood why the waster dispenser in the office is always in an “empty” condition. Hoho.

  • The 32 th day in Laos: Visiting the Lao Textile Museum

    The garden

    The Lao Textile Museum is located in Ban Nongtha Thai, Vientiane, Laos.

    “Are you interested in textile?”

    “A bit.”

    Then my friend and I hopped on the journey to Lao Textile Museum. It took us 30 minutes get to this tiny museum. On the outside, this museum was made up of several wooden cottages standing on a verdant garden that rarely existed in a city. We dropped off at the entrance and headed to the reception desk.

    Each ticket costed 30,000 kip (1.39 USD) for all visitors. Does it worth our money? The answer is YES!

    The Lao Textile Museum is located in Ban Nongtha Thai, Vientiane, Laos. This is a museum that showcases the female clothes worn by Laos women during the 20th century.

    The textile looms
    The silkworm cycle shows us how silkworm is sacrificed for our needs-we can’t forget these responsible cocoons!

    When my friend and I entered the first station of the museum, we saw some local women weaving textiles with their weaving looms. It was the first time I saw people maneuvering the clumsy and intricate machine in my real life, and I was fascinated by their skills and professionalism. There was a placard on the wall, stating that they did it for better demonstration of how people in the past created textile through the weaving looms. The person who came up with this idea must be a genius, for I had never seen a museum that would “hire” real person to showcase their exhibition. Now I saw the real-life experience, and I found it admirable.

    The upper floor of the main building was a collection of tools, dress and gowns in Laos in different time periods. Unsurprisingly, the room adopted the modest design from the entrance to the exit. Visitors couldn’t find any air conditioner or electronic monitor in here. Although there were no fancy technologies presenting the history of the dress or textile in the past, its design did not affect our understanding about Laos textile and dress.

    To be honest, I’m not a fashion enthusiast, so I wasn’t familiar with the patterns and styles of this vintage design. However, most of them were created for special events and festivals. For example, some dresses could only be worn on a specific day of the year, which meant women couldn’t wear them on ordinary days. I was surprised by the similarities between Chinese and Laotian cultures. Although they are quite different from each other, rituals still hold an important position in their lives. But what I didn’t expect was the function of the dresses. Apart from being worn for celebrations, they also served as the “uniform” of witch doctors during the 20th century.

    The tea provided by the shop owner

    When our tour was over, we visited a shop that sold handmade textile products. The goods were very unique, but they were expensive. We decided to rest and waited for the taxi inside the shop. At that moment, the shop owner prepared two cups of chamomile tea for us. When the afternoon sunlight filtered through the window, the tea was as bright as purple crystal. When I took the first sip, the unique taste of the chamomile melted in my mouth. The flavor was mixed with the taste of the herb and dried flowers. It lingered in my mouth for a long time, even though I had finished it a while ago.

    Hope you guys will visit it in the future!!!

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