Of iPods and airports

I'm on the road again - this time for a week. Unlike my last few trips to India, I have come equipped. My typical trip to India involves visits to a few cities and that means hours and hours of transit at various bleak Indian airports (the worst I've been so far has been Kolkata's).

Before, I would while away my hours by reading. But sometimes after a bumpy and winding 4-hour car ride, I am just too tired to read. C'mon, the lady just wants to vege!

Recollection of such distressing moments at airports compelled me to buy an iPod a few weeks ago. After all, isn't getting a MacBook the first step towards Apple addiction?
(Pix courtesy of http://wanderingdanny.com/hong-kong/markets-museums-temple.html)

With a whopping 80 Gb of space, I could have seasons and seasons of my favorite tv shows on it - 30 Rock, CSI, Will&Grace, etc. Last evening, while waiting for my connecting flight in New Delhi, I saw five episodes of CSI!!!

As resistant as I am to the impact of technology on our lives and relationships, I wonder how I have managed without my gadgets. Alas, I think I may have arrived at the dark side...

G spotted

One of the perks of my work is that I get to stay at pretty decent hotels when I travel. Some of the really nice ones I've stayed at in the last few years include The Broadmoor (Colorado Springs), St Regis (Dana Point, CA.), Ritz-Carlton San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Hilton Los Cabos (Mexico).These are hotels that we would never be able to afford on our own but a real treat when we get to check-in on company expense.

While I've enjoyed all these hotels, I encountered one I really adore this week when I traveled to Penang in Malaysia. G Hotel really impressed me with its generosity with space in its decor of the lobby. I love the modern contemporary design of its decor - very simple lines but yet not stark. The lobby furniture was very voguish and the overall color scheme very apropos. I also love the idea of having music piped right out to its entrance - so, as soon as you get off the cab, you are greeted by hip, rhythmic music ala Incognito inviting you to move to its relaxing beat. Though we stayed there only for a night, I was thoroughly won over by its unique concept. So, if you're ever in Penang and you're a sucker for style and design, I'd recommend the G Hotel. (By the way, they cheekily named one of the F&B outlets, G Spot!)

Trimming our attachments

It's been almost three weeks since I made my last entry. One reason for the slack is because I've been traveling for work. I've just gotten back from an almost two-week trip to various parts of India. As always, I enjoy India despite the crowds, chaotic traffic and unpredictable hotel rooms. The cheap saris, woolen shawls and blankets plus the good Indian cuisine that come with the travel always trump the inconveniences in the end. Nonetheless, I am glad to be back and sleeping on my own bed next to the one I love! :)

However, a few days into the trip, we received a piece of bad news from our apartment's landlord - he's selling the place. This means, we have to look for a place to move into by May. But since May is a busy month for me, I'm thinking that we'll need to move by April. Yikes! That's just about three months away! So much to do and think about!

When we first got the news, both my husband and I sunk into depression. I know a lot of you might ask what the big deal is - well, it's just moving house! Yeah, it really is NOT a big deal but various factors have contributed to the shock of the news:

1) This is the first place that my husband and I have lived since we got married - so, there is a lot of sentimentality built in there. Our first couch, our first blender, our first dryer, our first dvd player, the list of "firsts" goes on!

2) We're paying peanuts for our present place. At the rate real estate prices are going these days in Singapore, it would be a near-miracle for us to rent another place at the same rate. Our existing budget means we have to settle for a much smaller place - possibly one bedroom less that what we have now and at a much desirable and accessible location (since we don't drive, being close to a trainstation or bus stop is essential).

3) Trimming our stuff - we presently have stuff that fill up a 2-story 3-bedroom, 2-storage room apartment. We also have a nice-sized balcony where I've started a little "zen" corner with bamboo plants and all. When we move, we'll have to throw out and give away a lot of what we have now in order to fit into a smaller apartment. Especially my lovely plants! I've poured so much of my affection into them! I won't have a storage-room just for my shoes and bags anymore!!! Argh!!!

However, as I contemplate the circumstance, I realize that it could be a blessing in a very saddening disguise. As where we are right now is not our final stop and we know for a fact that we are required to constantly move on, such a move would help us trim off our "baggages" and remind us (me, especially!) to not accumulate unnecessarily. Acts of trashing old things also remind me that I should never allow stuff to define who I am and how I feel about how my life is going.

So, having the time to think through the process and grieve through the pain of having to say goodbye to our neat little apartment, I think I'm almost ready for a change. In fact, I've gathered up the guts to throw away a bag-full of old shoes that should have been trashed two years ago! Yeah, sometimes, the healing, the good, comes after the surgeon's cut!

Have a good week, ya'll!