What inspires me to travel?

Undeniably I love to travel, a lot.
All of my friends know it. And I'd received some questions such as: Hey Pek Teng, why do you like to travel?
I've been questioning myself as well, and I think...

It's the stories.

It’s always the stories that inspire travel. The stories come from many different people: family, friends, authors, teachers and mentors.
But, no matter who you hear them from, the most powerful stories are those that come from people you can relate to. Those that help you believe you can do it too.

I must admit that I spend a hell of a lot of time dreaming and planning travel.  Far more time than I spend actually traveling.  The amount of trips that I have planned in word documents and excel far outnumber the amount of trips I have taken, let alone the number of times I have daydreamed about destinations. 

So, out of so many dreaming and planning travels, I'd successfully achieved one of it, which leaves the most memorable and meaningful memories for my life so far - It was my eighteenth birthday gift which I gifted for myself, to Korea, alone.

You can see how lonely I was through this photo T_T 

Hey, however, do you know that being alone can create stories too! And all those stories you've gone through, nobody will know it besides yourself :) It's like, what you've did there, just leave it there. HEHE. I only mean those crazy clumsy acts which you'd not doing in your own country :> For example: fully naked in a public sauna :o <--which I nearly did but not due to certain reason :(

Okay okay. Lemme story you a bit my single trip. 

One of the most heartwarming things that I've encountered of being alone is definitely when I receiving helps from strangers :)

PLEASE IGNORE MY FUGGLY FACE.  And focus on the 4 persons at the right. 

They're 4 Hong Kong travelers which I first met during my trip. Thus, the impact that they gave me is truly big. We traveled for an one whole day together. And since I was the youngest among them, they took care of me well. As you can see in the photo, the wind was blowing so strongly till our hair became so fuggly lol. We were climbing a hill and the weather on that day is horribly cold and blustery. Since I'm from Malaysia which consists only hot and very hot seasons, I've nearly zero knowledge on keeping myself warm. I'd underestimated the weather in Korea since it supposed to be flowery and comfortable spring season. But it was not. I almost freeze like a statue at that hill -_-

Fortunately, I got help from the Hong Kong people!

One of them (2nd ppl counting frm the right) borrowed me her down jacket *cries of a grateful heart*

Yes the jacket keeps me warm, but the warmest one is their heart and kindness, which touched me very much.

It was only a small story out of my 18-days trip. But it inspires me to keep going on traveling, to fully experience other world views, to meet new people, and to create my own stories. I can say I'm fully addicted to traveling, and it's also where my money goes T_T 

But it worth, as experience can't be copied and pasted.

So,

agniesz (2012). Keep calm and travel on [Poster]. Retrieved from http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-travel-on-165/

Get closer.

Jung von Matt Limmat. (2011, March 25). Jung von Matt/Limmat: Pro Infirmis Get closer. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFWr-CKMWGY&feature=share

Surfing through Facebook and saw this video shared among my friends. And it inspired me to be thoughtful, and leads me to think. 

It's a video filmed by Pro Infirmis to conduct an experiment: small part of the society doesn't have empathy on disabled people. Nevertheless, the passenger seat in the public bus next to Fabian (the disabled person who dressed up as a mascot in the video) often stays empty. The message that they filmed this video is to remind public that handicapped people are a regular part of our society. 

In the video, it might be regular and normal at the beginning. A bear mascot giving out free hugs. Seems regular right? But at the end, when he took off the mascot, then I only realized it's a disabled person dressing as a mascot. I started to think the purpose of this video, the message that the author wanted to tell.

"Do we need to disguise ourselves to get closer?" - It's a line appeared when he took off the mascot. So I wonder, is it true when they disguise themselves, hide themselves, only can get hugs from the public? Why is it so? How if when he doesn't wear any mascot and offers free hugs on the street? Will he get equal responds as when he is in the mascot? I doubt.

We always say out loud that we're giving the disabled people love and caring. But when the last time we give them one? Or have we even started? If you're in the situation - a disabled people giving out hugs on the street - will you hug them? Without thinking twice? 

I'm also asking myself.

 

 

Rose inspiration

Was looking for stocks to design computer graphic assignment, and I found that rose is a very good source of inspiration.

Taken by me.

Rose always give a sense of graceful and sensitive to me. The color, the shape and the texture on it always able to create good quality of work. I mean no matter how you insert the rose, it still looked fine and good haha. 

It can be easily adapted and generated a new piece of art. Hence, I've used rose as the main subject to create my first photoshop work:

I used 2 roses with different color as the main subject and focus. Red and pink create harmony and some butterflies to evoke stability. Rose inspires me to finish my first exercise!

What inspires you to do good?

When I was scrolling through Facebook, I saw a picture of an African child starving, and it inspires me of goodness...

I think the 'do good' inspiration stems from the empathy of our own hearts. To a certain extent, everyone feel the same sadness, frustration, emotional, etc. as others. Hence, those discomforts often urges me to initiate action and caring.  

It is difficult to look at a starving child without feeling some kind of emotion. When I see these pictures online, I can’t help but think of my family and my friends; I think I can safely say that no one wants to see their friends and family starving. And I realize that we are very blessed if compared to starving child somewhere in the world. In this way, I have a desire to help the people who truly need it. 

Besides that, the bad in our world inspires me to do good. There is an infinite amount of hurt in the world and we are all affected by it in one way or another. No one’s hurt is more significant than another. However, there is the also the potential for an infinite amount of good in this world as well. 

There is no better place to find goodness than inside yourself. That is what inspires me to do good in this world: the knowledge that I can contribute to something positive. Something that may bring a smile to someone’s face or cause the ache of the world to slightly subside for a moment. 

Goodness is everywhere, you just have to be willing to open your heart and eyes and embrace it for what it is. Be good.