Telunas 2014

I brought my family to Telunas last April on 18, 19 and 20th April 2014 and we had a fabulous time!

STAGE ZERO

Of course, initially, as I had recounted, my siblings were extremely reluctant about going someplace where internet was not available. 

"What the hell! There's no internet? What are we going to f------ do there?! Wahhh.... Seriously, I don't want to go there anymore." Honestly, it was like they were about to wage a protest against me. If I was a tour guide to Telunas and my whole group were a bunch of tech geeks, they would be pissssssssed.


STAGE ONE
Upon arrival at Sekupang Terminal, we were supposed to find the staff of Telunas --> They would be wearing blue and ready to pick us up the moment we arrived. True enough, they were standing there, waiting for us, return tickets and list of names on hand. 'Emily?' (She mispronounced my name, Emilia) Not wanting to embarrass her, I went ahead and acknowledged that as my name. (Which would turn out to be a bad decision considering I had to endure her calling me by a stranger's name for the next 2 days)


STAGE ONE POINT FIVE

Because we were provided the express service, us and other tourists toward Telunas were able to skip the long queue for passport check at the customs. Our passports were all placed together with a Telunas staff and we proceeded towards out Sampan boat. She explained that she would return our passports to us once she received it. However, just as we were all ready to board, a tourist started making a fuss.

"Why can't we have our passports now? If we queued the normal way, shouldn't we have our passports by now?" The staff tried to explain that it was faster this way but he insisted on having his and his family members' passports with him. I can understand where he is coming from, your passport is your identity card the moment you're overseas so you have to keep it with you at all costs. Apparently, as I found out 2 and a half days later, they kept the passports in their safe and would only return them to us the moment we paid our bill. That's sneaky is what I think.

As a result of that, the Telunas staff had no choice but to bring the guy back to the terminal (which is a 10 minutes walk away from the harbour where we were currently at) to retrieve the passports.

And so, for another 20 minutes, we just sat at the dock, waiting for the man who's wasting our beautiful beach time since we couldn't just leave him behind without a transport to Telunas (we're just too nice).

I guess it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we ended up enjoying the view and buying a few snacks at the food stands nearby.

STAGE 2: ON THE SEAS

The boat ride towards Telunas was almost an hour long and the horrible noise emanating from the engine just made it even more unbearable BUT, if it's any consolation, the sloshing sounds of the water against the boat, the slapping of the wind against your cheeks and the breeze running through your hair should be able to ease that little bump.

Of course my tech geek brother had to bring his phone, he's practically married to it

Need I repeat that it was almost an hour's ride? 

But I have to say, the waters were stunning. I guess growing up in a city like Singapore, you rarely get to immerse yourself into nature despite the abundance of trees. 

STAGE 3: TELUNAS

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.

- Nelson Mandela

Telunas was a beauty in itself, everything was still the same as it was when I left in 2012. It was amazing and I'm happy I was able to share it with my family in the 3 days we were there. We kayaked, had pizza, dock jumped, went fishing and just had a very laid-back, relaxing time-something we would never have gotten had we just stayed back in Singapore during the Friday holiday + free weekend.

I'm glad my sister and youngest brother mentioned that they wish to come back again one day simply because it was peaceful and they loved the beach.

3 Quotes on Finding Courage

Travel Plans for the Future

The Itch
Months ago, a whirlwind of wanderlust kept going through myself, Brenda, my sister and her best friend, Yu Miao. Because of the fact that we had been seeing all our friends around us going overseas for their much needed break: Joeslyn to S.Korea, Chloe to Thailand and Lin Na to Taiwan, we had the itch to go overseas too.

So at an impulse at the NATAS Fair, an exhibition showcasing all or most travel agencies in Singapore, back in late Feb, I made a promise with Brenda that we simply had to go to South Korea! And so we started collecting all the South Korean Tours brochures in the fair and rushed to some quiet place to contemplate our next move.

We even made it official by doing the pinky promise LOL


Making it Official 
Once we arrived at our quiet little spot (AKA a cubicle in a very clean, well scented and remote washroom) to focus on our findings, we realised that one of the brochures, bnbhero, provided us with choices to find accomodations in South Korea.

Of course, this started our ball running, from venues we wanted to take a gander at to experiences we wanted to try out. This discussion eventually strengthened our resolve to visit S.Korea.

Fast Forward to Now
We're 2 weeks away from setting off towards Seoul and I couldn't be more excited! It's a new place, a new environment and a new adventure :)

Brenda and I have decided that we shouldn't do so detailed an itinerary that we forget to enjoy and just delve into it. What I'm just focused on are my emergency contacts/venues like Singapore Embassy in South Korea and back up hotels just in case something happens with the rooms we booked with our host-to-be in South Korea.


Other Plans
hahaha this comes the fun part--> I don't want to jinx it too soon but I hope to visit UK soon with the help of my sister's close friend, Jeanette! She is studying at the University of Sheffield which is in the top 120 rankings in the world~~

Jeanette has already agreed to do so but my sister is still on the fence about it >> The date is tentatively set around June so my sister had better decide by January 2015 about this so we could book a good cheap flight.

I hope this works out because it would really be a good escape for me from all the pressures that university would soon give me.

Movies that'll give you the feels

Many times, movies have the ability to make people laugh and cry, drawing our inner emotions and providing a safe release of feelings that have been bottled up inside us. Everyone can probably recall or name a movie or two that really made them think, or cry or laugh until their own problems seem lighter.

The topic at hand is sad movies/tear-jerking movies. People enjoy watching them because they deliver what seems to be an unlikely benefit, making people happier in the short run. Research have found that watching a tragedy movie causes people to think about their own relationships, which in turn boosts their life happiness. The result was that what seems like a negative experience-watching a sad story- made people happier by bringing attention to some positive aspects in their own lives.

'Tragic stories often focuses on themes of eternal love and this leads to viewers thinking about their loved ones and count their blessings," said Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick from Ohio State University.

"Tragedies don't boost life happiness by making viewers thinkmore about themselves. They appeal to people because they help them to appreciate their own relationships more,” she said.

But why would people have to get sad by watching a tragedy to feel grateful about relationships in their own lives?

Knobloch-Westerwick said this fits with research in psychology that suggests negative moods make people more thoughtful.
“Positive emotions are generally a signal that everything is fine, you don’t have to worry, you don’t have to think about issues in your life,” she said.

“But negative emotions, like sadness, make you think more critically about your situation. So seeing a tragic movie about star-crossed lovers may make you sad, but that will cause you to think more about your own close relationships and appreciate them more.”

Research has also shown that relationships are generally the major source of happiness in our lives, so it is no surprise that thinking about your loved ones would make you happier, she said.

“Tragedies bring to mind close relationships, which makes us happy.”

Source: http://www.newsucanuse.org/how-sad-movies-make-us-happier/

I for one, at the moment, love sad movies. They really make me feel better after a long mind exhausting day. These movies enlightens me and i'd like to share them with you. Here are must watch enlightening/touching movies.

1. One Day

One Day is a film directed by Lone Scherfig. It was adapted by David Nicholls from his 2009 novel of the same name. It stars the beautiful Anne Hathaway and ever charming Jim Sturgess. 

Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter Mayhew (Jim Sturgess) meets after graduation on July 15th, 1988. They spend the night together but agree to simply be friends. Over 20 years, on the same date, 15 July, we watch as the lives of the two protagonists unfold.

Book Descriptor:

Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY.

The novel itself, attracted generally positive reviews, and was named 2010 Galaxy Book of the Year.

 “This is me.’" He handed her the precious scrap of paper. ‘Call me or I’ll call you, but one of us will call, yes? What I mean is it’s not a competition. You don’t lose if you phone first”

“Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance”

2. P.S I love you

P.S. I Love You is a 2007 American drama film directed by Richard LaGravenese. The screenplay by LaGravenese and Steven Rogers is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Cecelia Ahern.

Holly and Gerry are a married couple who live on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They are deeply in love, a normal couple that fight occasionally. However, Gerry dies suddenly of a brain tumor which leads to a downward spiral of Holly's life.

On her 30th birthday, a still distraught Holly receives a cake. In it, a message from Gerry...

Gerry Kennedy: What do you want? I know what I want, cause I'm holding it in my hands. You.

Gerry Kennedy: [calms Holly] Every morning I still wake up and the first thing I want to do is to see your face.

Gerry Kennedy: Dear Holly, I don't have much time. I don't mean literally, I mean you're out buying ice cream and you'll be home soon. But I have a feeling this is the last letter, because there is only one thing left to tell you. It isn't to go down memory lane or make you buy a lamp, you can take care of yourself without any help from me. It's to tell you how much you move me, how you changed me. You made me a man, by loving me Holly. And for that, I am eternally grateful... literally. If you can promise me anything, promise me that whenever you're sad, or unsure, or you lose complete faith, that you'll try to see yourself through my eyes. Thank you for the honor of being my wife. I'm a man with no regrets. How lucky am I. You made my life, Holly. But I'm just one chapter in yours. There'll be more. I promise. So here it comes, the big one. Don't be afraid to fall in love again. Watch out for that signal, when life as you know it ends. P.S. I will always love you

Patricia: So now, all alone or not, you gotta walk ahead. Thing to remember is if we're all alone, then we're all together in that too.

3. The Last Song

The Last Song is a 2010 American coming of age romantic drama film developed alongside Nicholas Sparks' novel by the same name. The film was directed by Julie Anne Robinson in her feature film directorial debut and co-written by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie. The Last Song stars Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, and Greg Kinnear.

The story follows a troubled teenager, Veronica "Ronnie" Miller (Miley Cyrus) who is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learns to reconnect. During the summer, she also falls in love the handsome and popular Will Blakelee (Liam Hemsworth) whose introduction involves crashing into her in a volleyball match and accidentally spilling Ronnie's milkshake on her.

The Last Song was released on Wednesday, March 31, 2010. The film performed well for a Wednesday release, garnering $5,125,103 on approximately 3,300 screens at 2,673 theaters, for an average of $1,917 per theater, and topping the daily box office. It placed first at the weekend box office, making $36,203,000. Over the course of its five day opening, the film earned $65,590,000. As of July 15, 2010 the film had made $89,041,656 worldwide.

Book Descriptor:

Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father… until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them.

Jonah Miller: Mom says its because she has PMS.
Steve Miller: Do you even know what PMS is, Jonah ?
Jonah Miller: Of course I do dad, I'm not a little kid anymore. It's the Pissed At Men Syndrome.

Will Blakelee: Evening!

[he puts his chair on the sand. Then takes out a lantern]
Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller: Are ya movin' in?
Will Blakelee: Hey, if I wanna get some sleep, I'm gonna need something to scare off the racoons. They don't like bright lights or music.
[pulls out a radio and turns it on]
Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller: You're planning to sleep here?
Will Blakelee: Well, the truth is, the town sorta got together and we decided we just couldn't take another one of your bad hair days.
Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller: [she hits him with her book repeatedly] What's the matter with you?
Jonah Miller: [from the porch] This doesn't look good. You're not okay with this, are you?
Steve Miller: [shakes his head 'no']
Jonah Miller: Then we better maintain visual contact.
Steve Miller: [nods his head 'yes']

Steve Miller: [in letter to Ronnie] Love is fragile. And we're not always its best caretakers. We just muddle through and do the best we can. And hope this fragile thing survives against all odds.

4. Koizora, Sky of Love

Koizora (恋空 Koizora, lit: Sky of Love) is a 2007 film based on a cell phone novel of the same name by Mika. The film is directed by Natsuki Imai and it stars Yui Aragaki and Haruma Miura.

Koizora debuted at the Japanese box office on 3 November 2007. It grossed a total of US$36,684,020 in both Japanese and international box offices.

During her freshman year in high school, Mika Tahara loses her cellular phone, but later finds it in the school library with the help of an unknown caller. Throughout the summer, Mika and the mysterious caller continue to communicate, and agree to meet each other once school starts again. The caller turns out to be Hiro, a delinquent-like boy that Mika is initially afraid of but ends up falling in love with. However, there are many trials and tribulations ahead for them to be together.

 

Hiro: Where do humans go after they die?
Mika: Heaven.
Hiro: I want to be the sky. So I always know where you are.
Mika: Like a stalker.
[Hiro amused and smiles]
Mika: Clear skies will mean you are happy. Rain will mean you're crying. Sunset means you are embarrassed. Night will mean you are gently holding me.

 

Hiro: Mika... smile.

5. A Walk to Remember

A Walk to Remember is a 2002 American romance film based on the 1999 romance novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Shane West and Mandy Moore, was directed by Adam Shankman, and produced by Denise Di Novi and Hunt Lowry for Warner Bros. The novel is set in the 1950s while the film is set in 1998.

When a prank on fellow high-school student Clay Gaphardt goes wrong, popular but rebellious Landon Carter (Shane West) is threatened with expulsion. His punishment is mandatory participation in various after-school activities, such as the drama club, where he is forced to interact with quiet, kind and bookish Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), a girl he has known for many years but to whom he has rarely ever spoken. Their differing social statures leave them worlds apart, despite their close physical proximity.

At first, Landon was only using Jamie for help in the school play and treats her coldly when his friends are around but as he spends more and more time with her, he is surprised to find she is far from the person he thought she was and begins to question whom he really wants to impress.

Book Descriptor:

Every April, when the wind blows from the sea and mingles with the scent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he'd fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's Baptist minister. A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out. Landon would never have dreamed of it. Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter's life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood...

Landon: Do you love me?
[she nods]
Landon: Will you do something for me, then?
Jamie: [smiles] Anything.
Landon: Will you marry me?
[Jamie smiles and kisses him]

Jamie: Are you trying to seduce me?
Landon: Why? Are you seducible?

Landon: I'm sorry she never got her miracle.
Reverend Sullivan: She did. It was you.

Landon: Our love is like the wind... I can't see it, but I sure can feel it.

How Mortal Are We

Friends ask why I'm so morbid, to think of death so often. From where the thought may have originated from, I have no clue but I'm absolutely certain that it grew with the exposure I had from music, media, books and without a doubt, real life experiences.

In recent times, the part time colleagues at my work place have slowly started to bid their goodbyes as each of their contracts ended. Of course I myself am a part timer but my contract will only be ending at a later date, a date where by then, 75% of our 'group' would have scattered all over Singapore and the world. Initially, our group started with 12 hilarious individuals, including myself but now, we are down to 4. Soon enough, it would be short another number.

I can't help but view this situation with a different angle. The way I see it, it's like everyone's slowly leaving the face of the earth and I would be one of the few left coping with the death of treasured friends and families. More often than not, I'd wonder what my thoughts would be then. I think it would include myself damning the universe and bartering with no one in particular to lengthen that someone else's life by taking away my years from me because I'd rather die young than watch my friends die first. 

But then again, this is life. It gives us all the opportunities to shine in the sun, to breathe and be free, to travel the world and fall in love.. And when you have reached the end of your road, it's fair enough to take it back from you and pass it on to the next person waiting in line. 

Nobody escapes death and that sort of makes life cruel but it drives us to treasure it more. To grab life by the horns, to love someone wholeheartedly and trust that they would protect you and do the same and to live each day to the fullest because it may very well be our last chance to do so.

Terribly Afraid for the Future

So many events have transpired in the past few days that.. required me to take a breather.

Here are a few things that I can think of off the top of my head:

1. A good friend of mine will probably no longer come to NTU with me :(
2. I am strapped for cash for South Korea trip so hanging out with friends thing needs to be put on hold for the moment but I can't say that to them.. plus I really want to hang out with them. Just money free :((
3. I'm terrified for the future and what may lie in store

I don't know how to solve it and my mind's a blur. I'm scared one moment and positive the next. I need some alone time but I need advice too. I'm trying to move on to the future but I ain't letting go. 

I need help huh

Have I told you? Oh yes, I've GRADUATED

Graduation is probably one of the most significant milestones of someone's life, it's a day filled with so much joyous laughter, indescribable happiness for friends' achievements as well as heart pumping fear yet unbeatable eagerness for the future and what lies ahead. 

Even though I (as with everyone else) suffered and slogged for my GPA (for 3 years mind you), I might just miss it when I move on to university. I mean, it's definitely gonna be harder and more intense there (my colleague who's working part time now during her NTU break told me she started studying from the second week of school). Since that instant, I've been dreading for university to start. 

However, I'm pretty sure I would have the support of my friends and family when or if the tough gets going. Life's gonna get harder from university onwards anyway, might as well train myself to have more grit, this IS the survival of the fittest. 

But beyond this, I hope to improve and develop myself, to become a better person through my next 4 years there. 3 years in Singapore Polytechnic has definitely changed a lot in me. 

3 years back, I was this timid girl, never voiced my opinion about anything, so insecure about the way I looked, always thought everyone were 'attacking' me in their heads and only had grades in my mind. I don't know how it started but I guess it could be during a trip to Vietnam in 2012 that my perspectives changed. Towards the end of my first year, a friend, Lin Na, persuaded me to accompany her for the Social Innovation Project to Vietnam. It was a 3 week long project where we had to research and find ways to help a village lead a better quality of life. 

In that trip, I bonded immediately with a girl called Zoe, we clicked so well that in the whole trip, we were like glue. It was only towards the end of the trip that I realised that I had neglected Lin Na which I felt bad for and made sure to remind myself to talk and hang out with her more often.

After the trip, even though Zoe and I started getting distant, I started craving the fun that Zoe and I had. She was my total opposite, being able to talk and laugh about anything with anyone she just met while I was extremely quiet and scared to start a conversation. She brought out in me, this giggling little hyena I never knew I had in me. She made me see how fun interacting with people was. And she made me want to make more friends. 

Since that trip, I went to various camps and was also accepted to this program (which included more camps and workshops) in school where I had the opportunity to meet so many like-minded individuals. From there, I met so many more wonderful people, especially Isaac. He is this social butterfly I admire who can talk to ANYBODY. When you hang out with him, every 10 or 15 minutes, he would see someone is knows on the street and start talking to them. Watching him back then (I was in the middle of year 2), I desired to be like him, to be able to always see someone I know across the street to say hi.

Fast forward to today, that's what I had accomplished. I didn't even know I had accomplished that until my friend, Brenda, mentioned (after the 2nd time we stopped during our one hour work break because I bumped into and chatted with a friend/acquaintance), "oh my god, how do you have friends everywhere?!" 

I surprised myself! Finally, I was able to be like Isaac! :) Although I have much to learn from him because he can make anyone comfortable with him, unlike me. I have not actually inherited that kind of skill yet, hopefully one day soon.

Moving on, I became much more comfortable in my own skin, could chit chat with a complete stranger as well as laugh and shout about without my noticing it. And I have Singapore Polytechnic (SP) to thank, for bringing me to where I am now. Thank you to all my friends and acquaintances, it has been my pleasure getting to know you. Hopefully, we'll meet again, on the street or anywhere else in the world. Because to see a familiar face among a crowd of faceless creatures, always brings a certain warmth to my heart.

PEOPLE I'M GIVING THANKS TO

Some/many I haven't met since the time we said our first goodbyes but have still affected me in some way and taught me many things.

Chloe. Joeslyn. Lin Na. Isaac. Jon Hon. Brandon. Melanie. Hillary. Umar. Faith. Felicia. Carrie. Zoe. Aslam. Julienne. Min Yi. Zhikuang. Sharon. Lili. Nadia. Chee Meng. Lenz. Ashton. Aston. Brenda. Sally. Yik Wai. Jason. Arie. Alexander. Jin Yin. Joey. Hui Yin, Hui Ying, Wei Hao. Benji, Sandra. Fiona. Kathy. Amanda. Kristle. Charles. Rafikah. Ryan. Fatin. Toan. Kieu. Yi Yin. Catherine. Vicky. Kemala. Yan Lin. Barani. Qi Qian.