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Defining ‘loneliness’ as a solo introvert traveller

March 4, 2014 Liau Yun Qing Leave a comment

Among reasons that people do not want to travel alone is that they are afraid that they will be lonely.

However, as an introvert hovering between being an ISFP and INFP, “loneliness” isn’t something that I’m afraid of while on the road. In fact, I do my very best to stay away from people which doesn’t make me a very sociable person.

Despite my lack of thought about being lonely while on the road, there were some occasions when I did feel lonely during my trip last year. Oddly, in those situations I wasn’t alone but the sense of loneliness was there.

Lonely situation 1: Feeling blue over a piece of steak

The first time I felt loneliness was in Florence where I almost wept over a piece of undercooked steak.

I tried analyzing why I was so down even though I was hanging out with a group of people the few days before. Shouldn’t I be glad that I would not be lonely when I head back to the hostel??

I came to the conclusion that I was too busy being with people that I didn’t have enough to myself to recharge my batteries.

The low energy combined with an inedible piece of expensive meat led me to feel lonely

Lonely situation 2: Reading at a dance party

The second time I felt lonely was in Argentina during the group tour to Iguazu.

Others were partying and I just felt like reading a book on the sofa. Many people hopped around in the tiny living room in their interpretation of modern dancing while I curled up on the sofa (so my feet would not be stomped on) with my Kindle.

In the crowded party, I felt like there was only me and my book that mattered. I felt silly agreeing to go to the party even though I didn’t want to. I felt silly that I wasn’t mingling around with everybody like I was expected to.

The fact that no one else preferred to be alone made me feel lonely.

Why do I end up in situations that make me feel lonely?

Writing this made me think whether I avoid people while travelling because I will feel lonely among the crowd? Or is it that I clam up around strangers which leads to me being lonely?

What do you think? What makes you lonely when you travel?

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5 reasons why you should quit your job to travel in your 20s. #5 was my biggest motivation.

February 25, 2014 Liau Yun Qing 4 Comments

Last week, I talked about why you shouldn’t quit your job to travel when you are in your twenties.

Most of the feedback I received applauded me for bringing out the ugly side of the truth. Thanks! But sorry I have to burst that bubble and bring out the nice side of the truth too.

Let’s check out the pros of quitting your job to travel as a 20-something:

1. Your pay is insignificant enough that it doesn’t hurt to leave your job

It’s all about the money, money, money.

Money is always on the top of my mind so it’s #1 on this list.

Let’s face it, unless you have climbed really high up the corporate ladder or you are a CEO before you hit the 30 mark, your pay is probably insignificant. (Or maybe it is just me. Ok. I think it’s just me.)

Anyway, it’s easier for you to leave your job now for a long trip than 20 years down the road when you are earning $10,000 a month. Imagine giving up all that for a year trip. I’d tell you not to do it too.

2. You have the energy to do so

Backpack that morphed into an overloaded sack.

You are in your twenties and this is probably the fittest you will ever be. You can manage a monstrous backpack and trek the Inca Trail to see Machu Picchu with only a tiny feeling like all the bones in your body are crumbling. (Not that I’ve done that before, or ever will.)

If you shelf your travelling dream to post-retirement, imagine how much harder it is to walk that 2 kilometer stretch of pebbly road to reach the Rose City of Petra in Jordan. (Very hard, trust me, I was there with a cruise ship of elderly folks.)

You have the energy to do it! Why wait until you’re 65 years old to go see the world?

3. You don’t need to spend a lot

Yes, it totally contradicts #1 in my last post but hear me out. As a 20-something, you can skimp on food, accommodation and transport because your poor body hasn’t reached its limit yet.

The things I’ve done to save money on the trip aren’t that extreme but I’ve stayed in hostels in a room for 12, cooked in hostels, took public transport and visited many free sites.

Compared with paying more for comfort such as taxis or hotels, you can save a lot more but still enjoy my trip.

4. You don’t have a lot of responsibilities

Congratulations if you own a bathing house by the lake.

As a 20-something, you likely do not have a family to support or a house and car loan to finish. Well, at least for most 20-somethings I know, those processes will come later in life.

That makes this period the best time to go out and explore without worries.

The only thing you might worry is your student loan so make sure you take care of most of that before you leave.

5. Not doing it is the worse option

After I posted my last blog post, a friend asked if I regret going on my trip.

I thought about the jobless months and the anxiety that followed. Then I thought about how happy I was on the road. In the end, my answer to her was that I didn’t regret the trip as I would have been much more depressed if I did not do it.

If you are hesitant about quitting your job to travel for that big trip, think this way:

Are you able to cope with questioning yourself daily: “What would happen if I did quit my job to travel?”

For me, that thought would haunt me forever so I did what I needed to do. Sure it wasn’t all smooth sailing but I enjoyed being able to achieve my biggest dream.

If travelling around the world has always been a dream for you, just know that you can do it and you have an example right here. Stop dreaming, make it a reality.

Quitting your job to travel is not for everyone

As with last time, I want to note that quitting your job to travel is not for everyone, especially those who don’t care about travelling.

You need to give something up to achieve another. So if your lifeg oal is to be top of your career by 35, have a loan-free house by 40 and have a soccer team of kids by 45, then quitting your job to travel in your twenties does not fit in this plan.

But if you life goal is to go around the world at least once, see different culture, eat lots of exotic food, then you really should start your trip planning.

You have to make your own decision. It doesn’t matter if other people doubt you. As long as you don’t doubt yourself, that is the way.

Why you should visit Natas travel fair

February 23, 2014 Liau Yun Qing Leave a comment

Liau Yun Qing:

Singapore’s Natas travel fair is happening this coming weekend.

Surprisingly as an independent traveller, travel fairs are very useful.

Here is my post last year about my experience visiting Natas:

Originally posted on YQ travelling:

I used to think that travel fairs are only for people who want to buy packaged tours. Personally, I do not like packaged tours because all activities are packed too tightly and I feel that I am shepherded around. But there are times when tours make sense.

Instead of continuing my bias about travel fairs, I visited the NATAS Travel Fair last year to see if travel fairs are useful for the independent traveller. Kind of surprisingly, my answer then was “yes” since the fair helped me with two out of three questions that I had about travelling.

This year, I visited the NATAS Travel Fair again but this time without any real goals.

Surprisingly, I found the visit even more exciting. Even though there were a lot of people, it was really fun seeing people getting exciting about travelling.

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5.5 reasons why you should not quit your job to travel in your 20s (Asian edition)

February 18, 2014 Liau Yun Qing 4 Comments

Around this time last year, I told my boss of 3.5 years that I will be leaving the company.

A month and a half later, I was on the road for 4.5 months, fulfilling my dream of travelling around the world.

After my long trip and a few shorter ones, I returned to Singapore in search of a new career as I wasn’t brave enough to continue travelling forever, unlike some people.

Even though I have no regrets about quitting my job to travel, I must admit it is not for everyone. For those who are still thinking if you should take a career break to travel, I will have two posts on the pros and cons of leaving your career to travel.

First, the bad news.

Continue reading →

Countries, How to, Singapore, Southeast Asia, travel

Where to buy discounted entrance tickets for S.E.A. Aquarium

February 11, 2014 Liau Yun Qing 4 Comments

Even though I’ve stayed in Singapore for almost nine years, I didn’t know that it was possible to buy cheap tickets to various attractions. I always thought that I needed to pay full price, and thinking about it makes my miserly heart cold.

Luckily, my friend Lilian showed me where I could get discounted entrance tickets. Lilian who is now back in China (and whose wedding I attended) wanted to visit the South East Asia Aquarium (SEA Aquarium) before leaving.

She brought me to People’s Park Complex in Chinatown. In the basement, there were many travel agencies. One of them advertised discounted tickets for SEA Aquarium and Universal Studio Singapore (USS).

I bought my SEA Aquarium ticket there for S$24 when the original price is S$38. That is a S$14 difference!

Discounted ticket for South East Asia Aquarium

SEA Aquarium price for 2014

I believe the tickets are cheaper because the travel agents buy tickets in bulk for groups. Then they sell some individually.

You really need to buy tickets in advance. When Lilian and I went on a weekday during the school Christmas holidays, the queue at the ticket counter for SEA Aquarium was horrible. We joked that we should have bought more discounted tickets and sell them to the visitors.

Where to buy discounted entrance tickets for SEA Aquarium and USS

You can get them at travel agents. I went to People’s Park Complex.

People’s Park Centre in Chinatown

Take the MRT to Chinatown. Go to Exit D and head to the basement of the building directly in front of the exit (People’s Park Complex).

The agency I went to was Farmosa Holiday Tour (B1-18/19/20). They have a poster outside, saying that they have discounted tickets.

Discounted prices:

SEA tickets for S$24, children ticket for S$17

USS ticket for S$65 children for S$48 [Original price: S$74; S$54 kids]

There are other travel agencies there with signs saying Attraction Tickets. I didn’t go in and ask their prices but you can try it out when you are there.

Countries, Food, Peru, South America

FoodFriday: Inca Kola in Peru

February 7, 2014 Liau Yun Qing Leave a comment

Welcome to YQtravelling’s FoodFriday. The day of the week when I show off some of the lovely eats I had while travelling.

Today’s feature is not food but a mysterious drink from Peru. Let’s check it out.

I have a soft spot for soft drinks despite knowing how bad they are for my health. I try to avoid them as much as I can but I occasionally reward myself with a cold can of Coca-Cola.

Of course all diet rules are out while travelling so I tried Peru’s famous soft drink Inca Kola. I usually order this drink to accompany my meals in local restaurants.

A bottle of Inca Kola in Peru

The color of Inca Kola reminded me of pee. But as a Chinese person, I’m used to pee-colored drinks such as tea and chrysanthemum tea so it didn’t bother me at all.

Despite having the word “Kola” in it, Inca Kola tastes nothing like Coca-Cola or its rival Pepsi Cola.

Instead, Inca Kola tastes like Mountain Dew, or my memory of Mountain Dew. It is sweet but not tooth achingly sweet. Even though I enjoyed it, it would not replace the place Coca-Cola has in my heart.

Inca Kola at a rustic Peruvian eatery in Nasca. Do you see the 2 liter bottles of Inca Kola in the fridge?

Have you ever tried interesting local soft drinks while travelling? Share your experience with us.

Interesting reads about Inca Kola:

Countries, Malaysia, Southeast Asia

How Malaysians celebrate Chinese New Year

January 28, 2014 Liau Yun Qing 1 Comment

Liau Yun Qing:

I’m back in Malaysia for Chinese New Year. Here’s a post from last year about how I spend my CNY. Gong Xi Fa Cai.

Originally posted on YQ travelling:

Today is Chinese New Year eve, the second most important day of Chinese New Year (CNY).

CNY eve dinner is an important time for family to gather together, eat good food and be nagged by elders. [Note to YQ: Do not be a patronizing aunt when you grow up.]

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Countries, Food, Malaysia, Singapore, Southeast Asia

FoodFriday: Ghee dosa

January 24, 2014 Liau Yun Qing 1 Comment

Even though I grew up in multicultural Malaysia where Malay, Chinese and Indian are the three biggest races, I am terribly unfamiliar with Indian food. It’s because we don’t have as much Indians where I live.

To tell you the truth, the only Indian dish I can order confidently is plain roti canai (which is yummy and flaky).

So when my friend Debbie introduced me to the wonderful world of Indian food, I was curious. And now, I am proud to say that I have a favorite Indian dish: ghee dosa.

I first tried it in Melaka and I love how it is crispy and fragrant. It’s so good that I could not talk while eating (not that I talk that much when I eat).

Ghee dosa at the bottom

Ghee dosa in Singapore

This thin pancake is fragrant from the ghee and so crispy. I could eat the whole thing plain but you’re supposed to dip it in the sauce.

Next time you are at an Indian eatery, try to order the ghee dosa and not swallow your tongue,

Travel superstitions, do you have any?

January 21, 2014 Liau Yun Qing 2 Comments

I’m a rather superstitious person. I’ve been known to change my travel dates just because my horoscope said it would be a bad period to travel.

Of course, I only changed it because there was a change of timing to my flight and I could get my tickets changed for no extra charge. I wouldn’t change it if I needed to pay extra.

Amulet for safety

Another time I was superstitious was when I was planning my round the world trip.

I made up my mind that I wanted to travel around the world during a trip to Japan with my mom. I decided that I need to buy one of the “Travel Safe” amulets (omamori) from Meiji Shrine.

However I was worried that the amulet’s powers have an expiry date and it would be less effective if I buy it too soon.

Meiji Shrine omamori for safe travel

Luckily, I was able to buy one of the amulets during my work trip to Tokyo in 2012. My trip around the world concluded safely although I’m not sure if was because the amulet really worked or that I was really careful throughout the trip.

Fortune telling

Before my 4.5 month travel, I went to a Taoist and a Buddhist temple at home to pray for a safe journey. At the Buddhist temple, I had my fortune told using the numbered sticks in a bamboo vase thingamajig.

You shake the bamboo vase as you think about what you want to ask the deities. Hopefully, only one stick will drop out of the vase. You still need another round of confirmation with the deities. You read the number on the stick and throw a pair of “cups”.

The cups are actually cashew nut-shaped wooden blocks. One side is curved while the other is flat. If the deities agree with the number on your stick, the cups should fall with their sides facing different directions (up or down).

Fortune telling at Chinese temple

[Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelhaas/3350602817/]

The deities gave a holy thumbs up for my number. My fortune telling slip was a “middle”–at the other ends are “good” and “bad”–told me that I would be safe so I was much more calm about my trip.

Toaist fortune telling slip

Hotel room superstitions

Overseas Chinese have quite a lot of superstitions when it comes to hotel rooms. These transient accommodations are thought to harbor many restless spirits–even if there were no deaths in that hotels.

To ensure a peaceful stay at night, knock on the door of a hotel room before entering for the first times. This is to tell the spirits inside that you’re about to stay in where they call home.

Another way to confuse those tricky spirits is to put your hotel room slippers facing away from the bed. Ghost supposedly will follow the direction of the shoe and slip into your bed if you put them in the wrong way.

If you are staying alone in a room with two beds. It’s best to pile your things on one of the beds, just in case a ghostly companion decides to sleep in the empty bed.

This is how you prevent hotel-ghost roomies.

Do you have any travel superstitions? Share them in the comments below.

Countries, Food, Peru, South America

FoodFriday: Soup a la minuta in Peru

January 17, 2014 Liau Yun Qing Leave a comment

Welcome to YQtravelling’s FoodFriday. The day of the week when I show off some of the lovely eats I had while travelling.

Today we’re having “sopa a la minuta” which translates to “soup in minutes” (I think).

I love soups a lot. (OK, probably not as much as Jodi who is a “soup expert“.) I prefer scalding hot soups to cold soups as I love how the hot liquid reminds me that I’m alive and slurping soup.

While in Peru, I had the chance to have soups. I featured seafood soups a few months ago.

Most of the soups I had were “sopa a la minuta” which I think means soup that is so easy to make, it only takes minutes.

Sopa a la minuta feels like Chinese ABC soup but with noodles. It just confuses me as the normal “soups” I have do not have noodle in them or else they would be called noodle soup.

This dish is usually found as part of a tourist set menu, sort of an appetizer before your main dish.

Check out the different sopa a la minuta I had: