¡Viva Madrid!

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I ended up going to Madrid (totally unexpected) for 2 days, and I don't regret it at all! Even if my objective was to be back in Brazil as soon as possible, I ran the risk of being stuck in NYC anyway, and even if I was frustrated I could not see some of my friends in Madrid (because I had no time to contact them beforehand), I could still manage to see Xavi, Miguel and Isa, and I also spent a great time with Marcus, for the only day he was there.

I was supposed to go back to NYC next day with Marcus but of course I could not resist staying one more day, especially because the wonderful hosts Xavi and Miguel insisted that I'd stay. I was flattered. And the we spent an amazing day walking in the streets of Madrid, visiting some new cafes and the CaixaForum. Xavi also had this great party at his place in the evening for the celebration of his American friend's birthday. And maybe I'm starting to feel more and more at home in Madrid, as I feel in NYC or Paris... :)

Check out my pics of Madrid at:

www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets

New York New York...

...literally twice! I could board from London to NYC and gracefully on business first, and I could enjoy a little more of this city that I have never lived at, but that I really feel at home there after so many times that I visited it (maybe 35-50 times? I don't know...). Together with Paris, they are cities where I never lived, but it is almost as if I did.

I could see Charles for lunch the first visit, and I also saw Paul the evening before, who recommended me to do this boat trip to see the light waterfalls they had put under several bridges and around the Pier area downtown, it was beautiful! Then I could not board the day after to Sao Paulo (again flight was full) and last minute in the airport I decided to fly with Marcus to Madrid as he was going there for work and was in the airport the same time I was. It was a crazy idea, especially considering my objective was to arrive in Brazil! And to go back to Europe did not make too much sense, but it was a delicious deviation (I'll tell you in another post). Then on my way back from Madrid, I passed through NYC again for one day, and finally could see Jose and Hector (Jose was not there when I first passed). So twice NYC, and twice I love it.

See my pics of NYC at www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets

London in a couple of hours

As I could not board for 3 consecutive days from Hong Kong to NYC (I was on a stand by ticket and flights were full or they had weight restrictions), I decided to buy a ticket from HK to London, hoping to be able to board then from London to NYC more easily.

Unfortunately I could not stay in London, because I really had to arrive in NYC for an interview. But as I had a few hours between flights, I did leave the airport and took the train to Paddington and walked around for one hour or so. I had to see again a little bit of the city that represents a lot to me, since it was the first place I have ever been and lived outside Brazil and actually outside my own city. Directly from Sao Caetano do Sul to London! And I was only 21, young and innocent...all those experiences in London were fascinating and it definitely put me in contact with the world (and perverted me)! Every time I see the city, it brings me back all those memories and experiences I will never forget. Even if now that I know so many other parts of the globe, London seems so depressive...lol...but still I love that city and I think I have a lot of identification with it.

See my few pics I could take in one hour around Paddington Station at www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets

My last days in Asia - Hong Kong

On my long way from Singapore back to Brazil, my first stop was Hong Kong. And what would be 1 day turned into 3 and a half days, because I was stuck there waiting for a position available with a stand by ticket to NYC.

The good thing was that I could see two of my best friends in Asia, and that only for them my stay in Asia was already worth it: Albert and Maher. Albert had to travel next day but at least I could spend some more time than predicted with Maher. I also met his friend Robert, who's very cool.

Funny that Hong Kong was the first place I visited in Asia (beginning of last year when I first went to Asia on vacation) and then last place, before I left Asia this time. I guess I can say HK is my favorite place in Asia, it's a dynamic city and very interesting, so I didn't mind spending a few extra days there.

See more pics at the album Hong Kong Aug 08 http://www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets/

Music Festival in Borneo

In July I went with some good friends from Singapore to the Borneo World Music Festival. I'm not really into world music, even if sometimes I think it could be anything, and even some interesting stuff, but mostly for me the objective was to get to know a little of Borneo and to spend a good time with my friends. There were the Frenchies Cedric and Jean Baptiste, Indian Amit and Venezuelan Robinson. Apart from them, many other friends of their friends came and we had a good time all together. I already miss my friends in Singapore!!!

Robinson and I also took one day to explore the jungle, we saw monkeys and snakes and nice landscape as you'll be able to see in my photo album at Flickr, and we most of all had a big laugh.

See more pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets/

Back in Kuala Lumpur

Last weekend I felt like going somewhere in Malaysia, just to get out of Singapore for a couple of days (as if I did not do that all the time), and I first thought of going to Tioman, an island on the east part of Malaysia. But when I arrived at the bus station, they told me all buses going there were full, and after going to another bus station I realized my only option would be to go back to Kuala Lumpur. And I am just so glad I did!

My first visit there was last year with Jose and Hector (you can see a post about it here on my old posts), and it was really cool, especially being with my very dear friend Jose. But this time I was by myself and maybe I also knew Asia already a lot better, so I could explore the city in a different perspective, and I think I saw many things I did not see last time.

It was mainly great to go through the popular markets of food and clothes, and to see that mix of colored covered Muslim women and Indians in some other parts of the city, and especially to walk through the Arab district. This time I realized there are many Arabs in KL, and I have always been very attracted to their culture. To make my experience more complete, I met Mostafa, and Iraqi who has been living in KL for less than one year. He came with his family, escaping from the war. As most of Arabs, he is fascinated by Brazil and he was super nice and took me around the city and made my weekend really worth it.

Other things that caught my attention this time was the mix of old/modern, traditional/trendy things (you can see it on the pics), there are very trendy shops and coffee places, with the most exclusive brands, at the same time you can find very typical street markets where people are selling fruits and clothes. Also I visited more of the park area this time, and it is really impressive: it is huge area with a lot of nature and lots of parks and museums (Islamic Arts Museum, Botanic Gardens, Bird Park, Butterfly Park, Deer Park etc).

See my pics of Kuala Lumpur (and others) at:

www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets

Formosa (Taiwan)

In the beggining of this month (June) I went to Formosa (as the Portuguese called Taiwan when they arrived there centuries ago, and still today Taiwan is also known by this name) for a few days, to join my friend-brother Alberto, who was there or work (as I did before in Thailand, Jakarta etc). And once again it was more than worth it. Especially because of our wonderful hosts: Greg and Rex.

Greg is the brother of Reiser, a common Taiwanese friend Alberto and I have in Hong Kong. They were just amazing, taking us everywhere, day and night, and I had heard about the Taiwanese hospitality, and it was not only confirmed, I was even surprised (it was even better than I thought) and it just made me feel like home, people were a little like in Brazil, very nice and smiling all the time. Besides, Taipei reminds me a little of Sao Paulo (it is pretty grey and ugly in a sense) but again like Sao Paulo you go and dig in and find amazing places and people. Another surprise was that the city looks more like Tokyo than like China. I had this impression since I first saw the city, and later they confirmed that they have a lot of Japanese influence (I did not know). So I define Taipei as a mix of Sao Paulo and Tokyo.

We visited the National Palace Museum, which has one of the main collections of Chinese art in the world, it is impressive, and also the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, where it was interesting to find out more on how Taiwan and China were divided during the Chinese revolution (things that we definitely do not learn at school in Latin America, lol). And of course I went to the top of 101, the tallest building on Earth.

Click here to see my Taiwan pictures, and others:
www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets

A few more times in Hong Kong...

I went to Hong Kong 3 times after my long visit there in November. First on my way to Brazil in December, when I met another Brazilian (Andre) and his friend Ben (an American who lived in Brazil before) and even if I was stuck in Hong Kong because I was in a stand-by ticket, it was great to spend time with them, we went out to bars and also went to the 1,000 Bhudas temple in the New Territories.

Then last month (in May), also on my way to the States, I spent a few days in Hong Kong on my way back to Singapore. It was again great to see Maher (a Tunisian/French friend I made on my to the States) and Claude, who was in China for work and came to HK to spend the weekend with me. We went to Lamma island. We had a fantastic time together.

Somehow I always have a great time in Hong Kong and meet a lot of people there. I guess it has an energy that is missing in Singapore.

Click here to check the pictures of Hong Kong and more:

www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets

Big Big World

And some people say I travel a lot...well, maybe it is true, I love travelling. But so far, I have visited "only" 34% of the countries in the world!!!!! There is still so much to see :)

Here are the countries I have visited:

Back in Rhode Island

A few weeks ago I went back to the other side of the world, I attended one of my best friends (Marcus)'s graduation party in Rhode Island. My first part of the trip was in NYC, I spent a few days there, and besides seeing some good friends, I just felt like home again: not only I have been to NYC many times before and it does feel like home naturally but also compared to Asia, it is so much closer to my culture. Instead of seeing signs in Chinese, Malay or Tamil, I was glad to be able to understand all of them in either English or Spanish! I would also understand most of people on the street, as there are some many Latinos in the city, but also many tourists, being most of them French, Italians, Germans or Brazilians! (what a relief…European languages!!!!)

Then Rhode Island with Marcus was just fantastic. I had been there a few times, but I guess this time was the best. First because it was great to see some good friends again, and then I don't know, I guess because it was Marcus' party, it was something special. It was really great to spend days with people who were either close to me already (like Marcus and David) or wonderful people that I ended up knowing a little better this time, like Marc, Claudia and Marcus' mother and sister. Revising my pictures, I realized how lucky I was to be able to share these moments with Marcus and his friends/family, also included all the other times I had been there in Providence with him, it is a unique place, and I could live that a little bit every time. Thanks Marcus!!!! And congratulations again!

The weather was great most of the time, and we did biking, picnic, we went out to clubs and I took advantage to eat all the Western food I could possibly do: Italian, Brazilian, Cuban, Mexican, Greek, even some nice very American burgers in NYC (I'll post later). Spring was just there also, so flowers everywhere, as you can see at the bucolic pictures of Rhode Island that I took:

www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets

Asian Civilisations Museum

I must confess that usually when I visited museums like the Metropolitan or even the Hermitage, they would have a vast collection of Asian arts and I would look at it very briefly just to run later to see the Impressionist paintings.

But today I visited the Asian Civilisations Museum here in Singapore, and I had heard it was good before, but I did not think I would be totally fascinated by it.

It is at the same time sad to think the rich countries get all the art from the other countries (just look at museums in London, Paris or NYC), but at the same time I am glad Singapore could gather such great representations of art from other Asian countries and that I could see them today. It was not enough though, I will have to go back to spend more time there.

Site of the museum: http://www.acm.org.sg/themuseum/galleries.asp
For a great selection of places to stay with discount prices visit Singapore Hotels for more info

It's Alright!...

...even if the world is falling apart!

Funny that when I was traveling by bus in south India I had my iPod (and felt guilty because it was a common bus and people were looking at my iPod as something unaffordable, but could not help listening to some music) and on my shuffling I got Pet Shop Boys' "It's Alright", and it fitted so much the situation. Even if they were so poor and fighting to have something to eat, all that peace in their eyes, no matter how bad the world might be, it's still alright! And it will always be, hopefully. Problems come and go, and it will just be like that forever.



Just look at the first phrases of the lyrics, the problems are still there, just different now! I just hope it's gonna be alright! 'Caus the music plays forever!

Dictation being forced in Afghanistan
Revolution in South Africa taking a stand
People in Eurasia on the brink of oppression
I hope it's going to be alright
I hope the music plays forever

Forests falling at a desperate pace
The earth is dying, and desert taking its place
People under pressure on the brink of starvation

I hope it's gonna be alright
(Alright Alright Alright)
'Cause the music plays forever
('Cause it goes on and on and on and on and on)
I hope it's gonna be alright
(On and on and on and on, forever)
And the music plays forever
(Alright Alright)

Generations will come and go (will come and go)
But there's one thing for sure
Music is our life's foundation
And shall succeed all the nations to come

(Alright Alright Alright)
'Cause the music plays forever
('Cause it goes on and on and on and on and on)
I hope it's gonna be alright
(On and on and on and on and on)
(On and on and on and on)
And the music plays forever

The year three thousand may still come to pass
But the music shall last
I can hear it on a timeless wavelength
Never dissipating but giving us strength

India

I went to the south of India (Tamil Nadu) for the 1^st of May holiday. Even if it was too short, the experience was intense, as I could have imagined before. I visited Madras (Chennai), Mamallapuram and Pondicherry. Chennai is a megalopolis and very chaotic, and I love it! It is true I had not seen so much poverty before, but neither had I seen so many colors and peace in people’s eyes. Everything is dirty and there are cows walking in the middle of the streets, and people selling everything. The most amazing thing is that people are starving, but it feels safe, they are not trying to steal or deceive you. Maybe I was lucky, but people were only coming to me to talk, they were very curious (even if many had no idea of what Brazil was), and it felt so pure, I don’t know, I was really touched by every single contact with the people I made. Even the children, they want to practice their English and whenever you go, they would shout “Hello, how are you?” and smile.

Pondicherry is an ex colony of the French empire and therefore a lot of French influence, and therefore I guess frequent French visitors, and people would come to talk to me in French (thinking I was French). It was interesting. I met this guy who wanted to practice his French and he took me in his motorbike and was telling me about the town etc. I also had one of the best “coq au vin”’s in my life in a French restaurant for less than US$5.

And Mamallapuram is a “temple city”, where they did these stone carvings during the 6^th-7^th centuries mostly, and they are very impressive.

Some other curious things were to see how they enjoy the beach differently: they usually gather there thousands of people, but they are dressed, and they mostly don’t even go into the water (opposite of Brazil, where everybody is almost naked). Then the food I was afraid before I went, that I’d have problem with it, as everybody warned me before, but actually Singapore has trained me well (I eat Indian food here a lot), and I was already used to most of the food, and it was pretty good, and some of the lunches or dinners I paid less than US$1 for a nice meal with a soft drink included!

India was one of the few countries that I visited, that I cried of emotion: I cried a few times, the first time was when I saw these children dancing to Indian music in the street, and they were so happy and when they saw me they would smile and all say “hi, how are you?” and continue dancing and laughing and showing their abilities. And the middle of street in India includes cows, people selling fruits, flowers etc, dirty everywhere, all under a 40 C weather.

Then taking a bus to go to the south, this boy came to talk to me and told me about his whole life and really he had no interest at all, he was just curious and he was so nice. He was just one of many who did the same, but when he left the bus, he was waiting outside to wave me goodbye, and his eyes transmitted me so much peace, I was crying along the way down to Pondicherry.

And then these “processions” to the temples, with instruments and elephants and monks and people offering fruits and flowers to the gods. And if it was in any other place, they’d maybe be angry I was taking pictures, but there they were just smiling. It made me cry once more.

Maybe I was too emotional, but India did make an impact on me, and I’ll carry it for the rest of my life. I do want to go back and see other parts of the country, it was too short this time.

See my pics at Flickr!!! The cool thing is that now the videos are also included at the Flickr album. I also added recently pics from Phuket, Malacca (Malaysia), Bintan (Indonesia) and Brunei. Just click at the link below:

www.flickr.com/photos/gibin/sets