No one can save us but ourselves.
No one can and no one may.
We ourselves must walk the path.
Category: travel
Burj Al-Arab & The Jumeirah Beach
Since my first independent flight in 2012 to London with Emirates, the stopover in Dubai International Airport made me wonder what Dubai is like outside of the airport.
That year in June, my return flight consisted of a 25-hour transit which I was not aware of until 2 days before departure. I panicked and was frantically figuring out what I was supposed to do for 25 hours in a foreign land. I was with my classmate and we both booked the same return flight. I was also a broke student – living on financial assistance and bursaries from month to month – and even the London trip was made possible by financial assistance from my institution because it was a clinical placement opportunity for selected students. With only less than 3000 SGD for the entire month (inclusive of flights and accommodation and living expenses), I had almost no cash left on hand by the end of the month despite living frugally.
And by frugally, I really mean it – I walked to all of my destinations. From my accommodation to the hospital, to the attractions like Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace etc. Thank goodness for the weather and my trusty pair of legs and shoes. One day, I walked for the entire day on a weekend exploring Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens with my friend and we walked back both ways. It was crazy. I also cooked a lot because halal food was not easy to find in my area. The only thing I would buy would be a sandwich from Marks and Spencer in the hospital I was at. The rest of the money I spent wisely, making sure I get to visit all the places I wanted to visit in the UK – Cambridge, Liverpool, etc etc.
Back to the main purpose of this post – I was a broke student. I had no cash. My friend already had his accommodation settled at the Dubai International Airport Hotel. It costs 900 over AED at that time which equates to about SGD 300+. I couldn’t afford it. My parents couldn’t afford it.
I broke down crying that night in my room.
What am I going to do??? Why didn’t I check it when we did the booking??
I was so angry at myself.
Then, I thought:
I’m not going to waste the entire 25 hours inside the airport. I need to do something. Maybe I should go out and explore. But alone? 20 year-old me, exploring Dubai, alone? Can I do it? I’ve explored London on my own. I think I can. I know I can.
So I called my parents and told them that I’ll find a hotel room outside the airport that is more affordable. Then, I could have some rest and explore Dubai in the day. I mean, why should I waste this opportunity right?
My mum was horrified. There was no way she would let me do that alone! She rejected the idea so much. She almost called my Aunt and Uncle to fly over to Dubai to accompany me (because they get a free flight each year since Uncle works at the airport or something along that line). She said, “You’re not going anywhere. I’m going to get them to get you.”
Upset. Disappointed. Muddled thoughts.
I really wanted to do this. I wanted to experience solo-travelling. All this since 2012.
The next thing I know, my mum called me again.
“I booked a room at the airport hotel. You’re gonna stay in the airport and you’re not going anywhere else. Please, don’t let me worry about you.”
I had nothing else to say. My parents just forked out $300+ for a room for me inside the airport hotel. It was a 5-star hotel. And I was not going out of the airport.
Although the problem was settled, my heart wasn’t. My stay in the airport hotel was comfortable. What more can I expect? The hotel had all the amenities I needed. It is a 5-star hotel after all. And I didn’t have to worry about luggage or missing my flight. Food was abundant as well. But I kept wishing to get out of the airport to see Dubai.
It wasn’t time I guess. 2012 wasn’t it. Maybe I was too young to understand solo-travelling. Maybe I was mature enough but I knew better than to make my parents worry so much. Regardless, Dubai has always been on my visit list since then.
2016 was it.
I purposely booked a flight with an 18-hour transit on my way back home. I was adamant about it and my parents followed what I wanted. Because they knew my heart has been set on Dubai for 4 years now. My dream came true.
18 hours went by too fast. Despite that, we managed to visit old town Dubai, the Jumeirah district, and the much-raved about Souks, and last but not least, the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. I can’t believe that just happened last weekend but it did. Those 18-hours were some of the harshest travel experience I’ve ever had because Dubai was sizzling hot! Temperatures were reaching 47 degrees celcius, yet, its residents are all cool about it. It was hot and dry. I felt like I was stepping into an oven every time I walked out of the tour bus. It was also fasting month, the month of Ramadan. I looked up to the people fasting in such conditions. I don’t know how I’d manage it if it were me.
The visit to Dubai made me feel thankful that Singapore’s weather is less harsh than that although I’ve seen reports saying temperatures were at a high 37 degrees here. Regardless, I don’t think I can ever compare the heat of 37 to the heat of 47 that I experienced in Dubai.
I’m happy I had this wish fulfilled and I get to see all the places I wanted.
Still, my heart yearns for a longer stay.
Dubai, I’ll be back.
♥
Nur
Commencement
23rd of June 2016 was the biggest highlight of my life.
It was the most amazing experience I have ever had the opportunity to receive and I can’t feel ever more blessed than I ever had. I brought my family along with me to Dublin so that they can witness me being conferred my degree. The degree for which I put a lot of hard work, tears and sweat into. The degree for which I fought hard for. I’ve never wanted to do this so badly before in my life.
It was a choice I made personally and one I will never ever regret making. I started later than my friends because I wanted to save up so much so I can do this degree with financial stability in mind. I worked hard for an additional year and restricted my spending so I could save so much that I needn’t worry about not having money to pay for tuition or for my own expenses. I saved up so much so my parents wouldn’t have to worry about selling the house or the car to pay for my education.
Thankfully, with the assistance I have received so far, and the subsidies from the government, I only needed to pay a fraction of my tuition fees and the rest were my allowance for the 9 months I would be away from work.
Because I didn’t have to worry about this, I could study without distraction. And I surpassed my own expectations having been conferred Honores Primae Classis (Honors of the First Class) at the commencement.
The ceremony was simple yet so beautiful. I could remember every single second of it. From the introduction of what and how the ceremony will be conducted, to conferring of my degree, signing of the Graduates list on the book of records and finally, the procession at the end where we walked out of the hall and into the Front Square, parading with pride and our certificates in hand. Proud parents and family members, students passing by and tourists and onlookers stopped in their tracks as we walked past them. We are proud Graduates of Trinity College and I was ecstatic to be present right there and then; to witness and to be part of the tradition.
I am so thankful to a lot of people who have guided me, motivated me, understood me and listened to my troubles as I went through those difficult 9 months.
My family, who always knows I’m trying my best and accepts my results whatever it is.
My classmates, who are always on hand to answer my never-ending doubts and calm my worries.
My good friend, who had so much faith in me and kept on insisting I could make it with First Class even though I highly doubted myself and was more than happy to even achieve a Second Class.
I will always remember how much they play a part in my life at this stage. And I will always remember their sacrifices and their words to get me where I am today. I really would not have made through without all of them by my side. ♥
All of you are so precious to me.
A Fresh Graduate,
Nur
Co. Wicklow, Ireland
I am back in Ireland after 7 months and I feel extremely blessed and thankful because this trip could materialise.
In 13 hours time, I will be attending a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to graduate as a Trinity student in Trinity College itself. I think it will be a wonderful ceremony and I can’t wait to don on the graduation gown and mortar board and be in the company of my family and some friends! It feels surreal but as I passed by the city on the airport bus towards my accommodation, I felt like I was coming home. It seems that I have regarded Dublin as my third home (second being Seoul).
As I bring my parents to the college and to walk around the city, I get reminded of last year when I was commuting from the city centre to our satellite campus in a teaching hospital. And also taking the bus to another hospital for our attachment. It felt like it was only yesterday that I was here. I could remember some little details here and there and I could hear the conversations I had with my friends at some of the cafes and as I passed by on common routes. Wow, I thought to myself. That really happened. And here I am again, on a second trip.
I brought my parents on a short trip to Wicklow Mountains because Wicklow is gorgeous. The tour guide made a comment that struck me –
“You will visit Ireland at least three times in your life. Trust me.”
I turned to my sister seated beside me. “Oohhooh, it’s my second time already,” I whispered to her and grinned.
Then I wondered when my third trip would be and if it was really true that a person would visit Ireland at least three times. The purpose of this second visit was to attend my graduation. What would the third purpose be if there is any?
Nonetheless, I am always captivated by the beauty of Ireland’s countryside. Wicklow itself is stunningly beautiful. While it was unfortunate that this tour didn’t bring us to some of the places that I went to last time, I think it was enough for my family to experience a tiny bit of what Ireland’s nature is like. Wicklow certainly has charmed my parents and my sister. I think Lough Tay did most of the job though. My parents are somewhat conservative so when we visited Glendalough and it’s monastic city, they were taken aback at how a “graveyard” was a tourist site and people were walking in it.
They were a little reluctant to walk through it but they did eventually while saying mumbling a lot of prayers to themselves. Actually, I wanted to bring them to see the lake but it was a short visit so we couldn’t enjoy the lake scenery as I had wanted to.
I really wished I could bring them to Connemara because really, Connemara is stunningly beautiful. The vast landscape of different colours and textures are breathtaking but the bus rides are long so I didn’t think they could handle it.
My body clock is nuts at the moment and I’m awake still at such a late hour.
I should rest up for the ceremony tomorrow!
x
Nur
European Christmas Market Experience
Edinburgh in winter is pure magic.
Before I left for Dublin last year, I shared my travel plans with my cousins. The top favourite thing to do at the end of the year by many people is to visit a European Christmas Market. I wondered why.
What’s special about Christmas Markets?
Maybe it’s because I don’t celebrate Christmas which was why it never crossed my mind. Christmas is also a known holiday in Singapore and up till last year, I don’t recall ever visiting a Christmas night market in Singapore (that or I must have been living in a shell my entire life).
We do have night markets especially during Ramadhan (fasting month) and we call it a bazaar. It’s huge and spans across a long street in Geylang. The Ramadhan Bazaar is a must-visit for locals regardless of ethnicity and it has been a recurring event for decades. There’s tons of food, home decoration and traditional clothes sold in preparation for Eid celebration when Ramadhan is over. For Christmas, in Singapore, the entire Orchard Road lits up with decorative lights. It was only last year that I learned of a similar “Christmas Night Market” called Christmas Wonderland @ Gardens By The Bay. It was it’s second year of running in 2015.
Back to Edinburgh – I decided I should visit a Christmas Night Market to see and feel for myself why it has been all the rave by my relatives and friends.
The first day we reached Edinburgh, we took a couple of hours to locate our hotel in Old Town Edinburgh. We had no internet, no GPS and therefore, despite having a manual map, we got lost a few times. The only street that I remembered clearly was the Royal Mile – and apparently, our hotel was along one of the streets intersecting the Royal Mile. So we found ourselves in Royal Mile and thankfully, there were a bunch of police officers. We asked them for help and they were so kind to show us the directions to our hotel! We felt blessed and grateful!
After settling down at about 3 or 4 pm, we headed out. The sun was already setting. We grabbed a quick dinner nearby and then headed straight for the Christmas Night Market!
Lucky for us, it was within walking distance from our hotel. The sight that bestowed upon us when we reached, blew our minds.
It was simply gorgeous and magical.
As we walked our way into the night market, I can’t help but be amazed at how organised the place was with so much walking space at that! There were rows of food, handmade goods and games station! The atmosphere – ah… I fell in love even before I stepped in to the grounds of the market. Isn’t it just beautiful?
I wondered to myself, “Ah.. So this is what the hype is all about.”
At that moment, I felt a tinge of regret. Before coming to Scotland, I made plans to visit Switzerland and Germany. It was supposed to be the highlight trip of my life because it gave me the opportunity to travel solo. My friends who have done it kept encouraging me to do it! I thought of visiting the Christmas Night Markets at all these places.
I made my plans but I guess God had better plans for me. It didn’t work out because of a change in our college timetable, so I had to put Switzerland and Germany aside. Being able to visit Scotland was already a blessing for me. I flew to Scotland a day after my semester ended and only had four days to see and experience everything I wanted to. After the four days, I had to return to Dublin to catch my flight Home. I was literally squeezing in this trip and at the same time, we were doing a group assignment while I was in Scotland! I don’t remember how I managed all of that – and packing to come home … Wow. What an experience it was.
Nonetheless, I feel so grateful to have seized such an opportunity. I mean, at least now when my friends talk about Christmas markets, I know what they’re referring to. I wish I can visit another one in the near future!
Switzerland, I might have put you aside this time round but you will always be first on my list. Just you wait for me.
x
Nur
Trinity College Dublin
Trinity College Dublin and how it Changed Me
Trinity College (Irish: Coláiste na Tríonóide) is the sole constituent college of the University of Dublin, a research university in Ireland. The college was founded in 1592 as the “mother” of a new university, modelled after the collegiate universities of Oxford and of Cambridge, but, unlike these, only one college was ever established; as such, the designations “Trinity College” and “University of Dublin” are usually synonymous for practical purposes. It is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland, as well as Ireland’s oldest university.
Before embarking on my degree, I had two choices – to do it as a full-time student in Trinity College or take a part-time course offered by another overseas university.
I chose to do it full-time with Trinity College Dublin because first and most importantly, the modules interest me – a lot (second would be the ability to fly to Dublin and experience it first-hand).
I compared the modules offered by both universities and I felt that Trinity would be able to provide me with knowledge that I am looking for. I was genuinely interested. Genuine interest is important because only when I put my heart and soul into my decision will my effort follow. I had a negative experience several years ago whereby I could not choose what I wanted to study and it affected my attitude towards studying, receiving the knowledge and subsequently my results. No matter how hard I tried to even just memorise, I couldn’t do it because my heart wasn’t in it. It wasn’t what I wanted. So, this time round, with the ability to make my own decisions, I’ve put in nothing but my best.
The academic rigour in Trinity is very different from what I was used to in Singapore. The way lessons were taught required students to think critically of what the lecturer has presented and to question and find answers. The students in my class were very outspoken while the few of us Singaporeans felt intimidated.
“How did they know to ask such a question?”
“They’re even rebutting what the lecturer said.”
“Oh wow, why didn’t we think of that?”
The lecturers would often try to engage us in the conversation so that we could get used to it but honestly, for me, I need time and preparation before hand for any discussion. When I was asked on the spot about my opinion, my mind would freeze.
“You.. want.. my opinion?” I thought to myself.
It’s difficult for me to state what I think because I was used to the spoon-fed method that was widely practiced in the schools I attended locally.
Spoon-fed. I hate that word. Spoon-feeding me doesn’t make think. It tells me how things should be done. My thoughts were confined to what was being taught only. There was no creative-thinking. That was how I survived 15 years of education. I’m being taught something, I memorise it, I practice the format for answering and I regurgitate the answer during my exam, making sure I don’t miss important keywords and phrasing that would help me gain points. That was how we studied. We had assessment books that revealed past year’s questions and answers (up to 10 years ago). There’s a term for such assessment books. We call them the 10-year series or 5-year series. They had one in every subject we took. We learn trends in questions. Our teachers discover trends in answer keys and formats that would help us get good grades. So if we learn them by heart, we could easily ace the paper.
But with Trinity, there is no such thing as an answer key, keywords or answer formats. Because they believe that each student has their own way of writing, of expressing their answers, so, as long as they can show their understanding of a topic, they’ll be graded based on how well they show it. This was such a huge change for us because the assessment topics were broad. It taught us to cover a range of topics when tackling an answer – how we link these topics together, how we infer and how we apply it to practice. It was really hard at first but I like it. I no longer need to memorise pages of answer formats. I can write how I want, however much I want to as long as I know I’m answering the question. I wish that Singapore would adopt such a method to encourage creative thinking. I’m not sure how students are being taught now but I hope there are some changes at least.
Because in the real working world, there is no such thing as an answer key.
Just my own opinion,
Nur
Holyrood Park, Edinburgh
Throwing back to November 2015 when I decided to do a 4-day trip to Scotland and successfully convinced my friend to tag along with me before our return Home.
This trip holds a lot of meaning for me.
Firstly, because this trip was just a week after the Paris attacks. I had bought the tickets and everything earlier on so there was no turning back. At that time, I wasn’t scared. Instead, it was my family who feared for my safety. The fear was because I am a Muslim. They were afraid of how people would treat me. Despite telling them multiple times that I am fine and the people around me are fine, I guess their fear was heightened because I was so far away from Home. Nonetheless, I overcame all negative thoughts and eventually made the trip. I loved it. I made a wonderful friend and fell in love with Scotland and her beauty. Scotland was just mesmerizing.
Secondly, this trip made me realise the importance of friends.
Before flying to Edinburgh, I learnt that my friend from junior college was studying there at the moment. Now, this friend of mine, she is different from other friends I made. I think we were both similar in some ways. We both decided not to follow the traditional route of going into a local university upon graduation from A Levels. I would have been a nurse if I did that but it wouldn’t be what I wanted. It would be what my mum wanted me to be. Instead, I chose to do a diploma in my current field in a polytechnic. While my mum was supportive, my dad was hesitant. I guess you could say he might have been a little bit disappointed that I chose to do something as radical as this. Because a degree in this field was not available back then, I had no other choice. It was this or nothing. Slowly, he started accepting my choice. Today, despite being 2 years later than my peers, I will finally don that Graduation Gown and Mortar Board in two weeks time. My friend, S, on the other hand, she knew what she wanted all along. She wasn’t accepted in the field of her choice initially and decided to not do it altogether. Instead, she sought education overseas in order to pursue her dreams. People were skeptical of her choice because everyone kept saying that if she does obtain her degree there, it won’t be accepted at Home. But she knew what she wanted and she knew how she was gonna get it. We supported each other’s choices regardless of what other people had to say. Unfortunately, we lost contact as the years went by.
As I was talking to one of our common friends, I wondered if S remembers me. Of course, nowadays, if you say you’ve lost contact, you can’t really lose contact because there’s Facebook. Almost everybody in your social circle would have Facebook. I found her there and decided to message her. If she doesn’t reply, at least I tried. Moments later, she did. Soon enough, we were acquainted like we used to 6 years ago. She decided to meet us in Edinburgh and be our personal tour guide. She even went all out in wanting to accommodate us at her place! We refused her offer though, because it would be troublesome for her. Just to be able to meet her was more than enough to make my trip to Edinburgh worth it.
Meeting her was the best thing to happen in 2015. She’s humble yet she was just as confident as she was when I first knew her. With both of us exposed to overseas education and work culture, we had similar thoughts about the healthcare structure at Home and what changes should be made or what was great about it. I was excited to know we were both as passionate about the healthcare scene despite us having different roles! We could go on and on about it for hours to the point we almost forgot about dinner that day!
Later on, she introduced me to one of her good friends in Edinburgh who is also a Muslim lady. Our dinner with her was an enriching one. I learnt so much from her struggles that made me appreciate what I took for granted. This is so cliche but only moments like this makes me truly reflect upon my life. My new friend had left her family back at her Home country to pursue her studies. However, during that time, her country was faced with danger and she was constantly worried about her family. Telephone lines were cut off so she could not even contact them. Listening to her stories… I could only sympathise with her and wished there was more I could do. Nonetheless, I hope and I prayed for good things to come for her and her family as soon as that was over.
These are the moments where travelling makes me realise a lot of things. It also changed my perspective. It’s not only about seeing the world and appreciating the beauty. It’s not only about experiencing cultures. It’s also about making new friends, learning from them and constantly reminding yourself how lucky you are and how thankful you should be.
“You want me to tell you why your game isn’t improving?
You’re too hung up on rules and previous examples. Obviously you should learn and study moves, but how can go survive purely based on repeating existing strategies?Then what should I do?
Break the norms and formalities. Be radical and go the unconventional route.
Be radical?
If you don’t break the norms, you can’t become a professional (pro).”
– Misaeng: The Incomplete Life
The unconventional choice that I made 6 years ago was the best decision I have made in my entire life. That has led me to where I am today and the experiences I have gathered over the years. Would I make the same choice again? Definitely.
x
Nur
Ao Nang, Krabi
It’s been a very difficult and chaotic two weeks for me. When you have intensive back-to-back lessons coupled with assignments that are due, and a thesis paper to write continuously.. I felt like I’ve lost a little bit of motivation here and there to do just about anything. I feel suffocated yet I can’t show it to my classmates who are having it worst than I am experiencing. Because I’m older than all of them, and because I’m the one that holds my class together (it just happened that way), I feel like I have to be the strong one in class. I can’t show it to my family either because .. I’m supposed to be again, the strong one among my siblings.
And now, I’m a little bit tired of being the strong one.
Because of this pressure and trying to get on top of college work, I haven’t been caring for myself as much as I used to. These days, I find myself reminiscing of my carefree visit to Krabi in 2014. It was random and it turned out to be the most fulfilling trip I’ve had in my entire life where I conquered many of my fears. It was also the most peaceful trip – no internet, just my family and I, and the wonderful activities Krabi offers. I want to experience that again.
I want to set my mind free, for now.
(But I have 2 assignments due next week, a partial report of my thesis to be completed by the following week and a major examination in that same week.
Following which, my final Thesis report is due together with 3 essays in the following month. )
Trying very hard to be sane,
× Nur
Travel & Come Back 
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