Europe Trip 2005 - In Review

It's funny how feelings are. How fickle they can be.

In the time I was away...
As much as I took in the sights, people and culture
As much as I indulge in those fluffy, creamy, caramel-oozing, delicious pastries and tarts
As much as I laughed and giggled, unwound and relax

A part of me kept longing to come home, to the:

• Comforts and convenience of home
• Animated voices of friends who are just a phone call away
• Privacy of my own room and space
• Happening blogs to keep up with the updates in their lives
• Soothing voices and songs on Class 95
• MSN for the juicy gossips and lively chats
• Spicy aroma and affordability of the local dishes
• Solitude and time alone on my morning jogs

But now that I am back...

I am missing the:

1. Elation on our (and only our) faces that we tried so hard to conceal when the flight was delayed. Totally smothered by the free international buffet breakfast, and the lasagne and mutton curry supper
2. Detection and confrontation with the Italian ticket officer who attempted to shortchange 5 seemingly innocent and blur gals in foreign land. Wrong move, officer. We learnt our AT on Parmalat well enough to be cautious in Parmalat land.
3. Human looping system, where conversations are repeated over and over again, so that preoccupied cameragal can be filled in as to what the rest were discussing about
4. Drama and spontaneous scriptwriting course on the roads, content covered included innovative elements like interpretation of foreign language and expressions, subsequent weaving and translation to a timeless Mandarin script, featuring princess, jealous gf and a chauvinist bf
5. Race to be the fastest and cleanest gelato/ice cream eater and the jibes and jeers the dirtiest gelato eater had to take. Alas, sadly though, I think she has removed the evidence by sending her bag for dry cleaning:P
6. Blending into tour groups to leech on the tour guides to hear the history and the significance behind the many paintings, monuments, musuems and buildings
7. Shrill whistle blow and strong gust of wind that threatens to blow one away when the train shuttles past
8. The signature, crestfallen 'huh' expression when we met with incredibly unreasonable people and dingy quarters
9. So Singaporean trait of apartment viewing and my, the steps we climbed. A breath of fresh air and home- cooked pasta never felt/tasted better
10. So construction worker trait of hanging our clothes on twine to air and dry in our squatters and incurring the wrath and disgust of the poor cleaner
11. Finding out the hard way the genuinity of a LV bag -through a stab of pain and a large blue black after getting hit by one
12. Excited passing of the 'baton' aka. a hot baguette around to share the freshness and the crispness of the crust tt oozes from the baguette. And how can the nicely wrapped eclairs and meringue tarts be forgotten?
13. Savouring of pate and nissin cup noodles- our delicacy dishes- to make up for the days of meals with only bread dipped in olive oil
14. Straying gazes from Gaudi architecture to furious shots to remember the Zara we din get a chance to go into
15. Gulping down of a whole bottle of water instead of sips from the water fountain that is said to bring one back to Barcelona. Doubled assurance that we'll be back with a vengeance to complete the shopping that couldn't be done cos of the holiday
16. Bedtime peppered with one liner lullabies from the magnanimous gal who volunteers to be the last to bathe ... Somewhere over the Rainbow, Luck be your lady tonight....Zzzzzzz
17. Search for a Whittard tea shop , for the many free doses of diff flavoured tea, hot and cold - to meet our daily water intake, but ending up having to pay for pricey toilet visit after
18. Exhilaration of being given a Krispy Kreme doughnut to try for free when queueing up to buy one. Wonderful marketing.
19. Spilitting up to do individual shopping at Harrods to find everyone with brimming baskets in where else but the food hall.
20. Supermarcardo search in every city and the overstaying -in every single one of them
21. Slapping of body butter on every part of our body, hair included. Almost did that to our bread, din we?:P
22. Rustling/Crinkling symphony of plastic, ziploc and paper bags
23. Motion sleepiness whenever we step on any transport- leaving us with no time to participate in some dramatic episodes like nitpickings, quarrels and catfights

Most of all, I miss the poking and shaking each morning when giving you'll the wake-up calls:)

A backpacking trip like this, the simple life as we aptly coined it, I don't think I would ever embark on again. Once is enough. But what was felt, shared and learnt would stay with me for a long time and put a smile on my face when I see something that triggers the memory. Stairs. Tartar sauce. Pigeons:)

The richest lesson learnt- especially in tiring and draining times- is to know that my Lord is always there to lend a listening ear. To carry me through. To anchor me. To shower His blessings and protection upon me, to keep me safe. To straighten out vexing time schedules of connecting trains and flights. To bestow calmness and peace upon me as i figured out how to operate the toilet lock that refused to open. Thank you Lord for your protection and love!

It has been an amazing journey- but much of the fondness comes only on hindsight. Not when it is still ongoing, more likely when it's converted to memories. Experiences like these require time to digest and appreciate.There will be times of reluctance and dread, when one is in the thick of the action, but perservere, and endure through it, and the snugness of those sweet memories would be exclusively yours to keep and store. I'm glad I have been through it.

This is for you, big picture gal, one day, someday, I KNOW you would grow to love what you are doing and have the sense of belonging to your 'office'. All it needs is time to get used to the rhythms and a mind that is focused on Him to carry you through.

To readers who are not i) my travel mates ii) 'big picture' gal and have read to this point. Whoa! Either you'll are very 1) kaypoh:P - the long list above wld prob have bored you'll to tears with its irrelevance or 2) kind - to listen to my ramblings. Whatever it is, that's a lot of stamina! My way of saying thanks to all the SMS, email and comments of concern and encouragement during the trip. *heehee* Do drop me a comment for more rewards ;)

Let me assure you'll though, that this is the one and only time your reading power would be put under test. This would be my only entry on the trip. Besides, most of the time 1)Was too tired to document my thoughts 2) too lazy to copy from the only dilligent journal writer on the trip as to what's been happening every single day.

Hopefully, my painstaking entry here would have cured all my frens out there, who seems to be travelling all over the world on grad trips, business trips and what nots, of their jetlag and those in Singapore- of their work/internship fatigue and insomnia:)