Rising Sun in Batam

Rising Sun in Batam, view from my hotel room

 

If you are living in Singapore for quite some time, you will probably get bored after visiting all the malls or you will probably get tired after working for long hours. You will probably reach to a point where you will like to go somewhere different… either to a fancier place or even to a lousier one. So one gloomy Saturday, we boarded on the ferry to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. In spite of the fatigue from the long work week in the office, I was a little jumpy while we were sailing the Singapore coast.  It always excites me to go on an adventure in a place I’m visiting for the first time.  And it was my first trip to Indonesia! We were heading to Batam which is located less than 20km from Singapore. It took us an hour before we finally reached our destination. After we pass through Immigration clearance, we hurried to collect our luggage and hopped on the tour bus.

We opted for the package tour since we didn’t have enough time for the free and easy one. Most of our companions were Chinese Singaporean; luckily, our tour guide, who is an Indonesian with Chinese descent, spoke both in English and Mandarin fluently.  Our city tour was rather too rushed. I felt like we were just given a time to take a glance and not really experience the town.  We first visited the Thua Pek Khong Temple which is said to be the oldest historical temple in Batam. I didn’t even have the chance to get in and we only managed to take a snapshot outside the temple. Then we passed by the Nagoya China Town and headed to the very popular Polo Shop. According to our tour guide, the shop sells authentic Polo by Ralph Lauren at a cheaper price. I wasn’t a fan so I didn’t buy one; rather we went to see the sidewalk shops where we met one Filipino vendor (kababayan from Mindanao) who sells woodcarvings and other home decors.

It was almost twelve noon when we finished the shopping tour. And I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and was a little starving too, but we had one more stop before lunch. A few minutes later, we finally arrived at The Batam Folk Culture Villages Miniature (Taman Mini Indonesia). It’s an open space park where you can find dozens of miniatures of local houses in Indonesia. There are several trees in the park but they aren’t fully grown yet. Thus, going around the miniature houses during the day when the sun is up wasn’t really enjoying. It was very hot and extremely humid. But in fairness, the houses were cute and lovely.

We had our seafood lunch at the seaside restaurant called Golden Prawn. Being a fan of seafood, I found the food very nice and delicious. The fish, prawns, clams, crabs, squids... what else… It was the best part of our tour. My tummy was extremely happy.
We were dropped off at our respective hotels after the sumptuous lunch. We relaxed at our room while waiting for our scheduled aromatherapy full body massage at a nearby spa. The hotel we stayed in was rated 4-star in Batam but if compared to Singapore standard, I’d think it’s below 3-star. Smoking in the reception area and even on the second floor lobby, is allowed. The hotel has only two restaurants and one bar. The breakfast menu was quite ok, mostly local food. There’s a small yet clean swimming pool and a gym too.

Batam is seemingly ordinary place to visit. It’s like a typical town in the Philippines where anyone can cross anywhere on the street or jaywalk. It’s a place where people don’t mind tossing trash left and right. But if you’re just tired of waking up day in and day out in a very stressful and workaholic type of environment and you just want to have a quick break then taking a short trip to this idyllic place is a good option.

What I love most about my Batam experience was its rising sun. The hotel room I stayed in has an unblocked view of the sea. And waking up in the morning with stunning panoramic sunrise view was priceless. It was a beautiful thing. It reminded me that every day is a new gift.  It’s a new chance to experience and appreciate both the good and the not so good in life, no matter what we’re going through, no matter where we are and no matter who are we with. The rising sun in Batam is just a simple reassurance of God’s abundant love to everyone.

 

Simple Fun - Playing with Angles & Lens

Recently, I suggested two ways to relieve stress by "being creative" -- painting and writing poems. Well, if you're not into playing with colours or playing with words, try another one - playing with angles and lens or photography.

Exploring photography is another way to unwind. If you have a camera, get out and shoot for the fun of it. See the world through the eyes of a photographer; you will be amazed how you can make dull things interesting through your camera lens. 

Photography can be a great hobby as well. And with today's technology, you don't need to learn all the "professional stuff" to capture great photos. For a start, you can just use a point-and-shoot camera. It has many pre-set modes and settings that shooters can use in different situations. Why not give yourself a chance to be a "photographer for a day"?

If you don't feel like being a "photographer for a day", you might want to be a "model for a day" instead. I do fun shoots from time to time to hone my skills and to relax. Give me a chance to be your "photographer for a day" and experience what it's like to be a "model" without any cost.

All you need to prepare are three sets of outfit, a little confidence, a smile on your face and about 3-4 hours of your time.  If you're in Singapore, let's hang out sometime. Drop me a note and let's see how we can schedule a photo-shoot.

However, if you are looking for a professional photography for your upcoming engagement or wedding, please contact KuatroMedya Photography. They offer a quality photography at a very competitive price. They have covered our simple celebration of love (wedding) last year and we were happy with the results of the images and album.

Hope you will find time to go out and take photos of some ants, flowers, buildings, people on the street or whatever you like. Good luck and have fun, fun, fun!

Getting Rid of Stress by Being Creative

Simple relaxation exercise - Breathe in/out

Are you feeling so tired and stressed out about your job, situation or people around you? Chillax, breathe in and breathe out. Pack your luggage and go on a short vacation somewhere else. Go to the mall and shop around. Or you can also go to spa with your friends. Have your hair and nails done at the salon.

However, if you don't want to hurt your pocket in managing stress, you can also try cheap activities right at the comfort of your own home such as do movie marathon, take a longer shower, take a leisurely walk at the nearby park, pray or meditate, read a book, play with your kids or pet, enjoy a cup of tea, turn on the music and dance and among other simple things that can help you feel refresh and rejuvenate. 

You can also get rid of stress by being creative like doing art crafts or painting. Another way of releasing stress is putting words in poems. Poetry for me is playing with words and phrases with whatever I can think of when I decided to start writing one. Start creating one poetry journal today and relieve stress by putting your inner thoughts on words. You'll be amazed how this can be so fun and relaxing. The good thing about writing a letter or poem is you can express your emotions and thoughts but you have the option not to share it.

Poetry is a form of expression, so either you use your personal experience or use your imagination. If you don't know where to start in writing a poem, the following steps might help:

• Think of a positive experience. How do you feel about it? Why do think it is a beautiful experience? 
• You can also use negative experience to write a poems. Write down your frustrations, angers and hatred. 
• Try what "ifs" or write about your wildest dreams.
• If you have limited experience, use your senses - smell, feel, look, listen and taste. Describe what you sensed.

Don't think of the styles, structures or choice of words; just write what’s in your heart. Start alleviating stress now, write a poem and have fun!

Below is a poem I wrote. This is inspired by my painting, "Wide Open", it's about grace and how I have been ungrateful to the great provider. It's a poem I dedicate to the one above.


Wide Open

Wide Open - Acrylic paint on a canvas 101412

How I often forget that the sun still shines
Even if it's so dark and rain at times
Oh Your embrace how I missed
Though You're always there and never left
On my walk how often times I stumble
Please allow me trust You and make me humble

You offered a love as clear as the blue sky
What else can I ask for in life
Your arms are wide open wider than the fields
In You alone my heart and mind should yield
Set my eyes upon You, I beg and pray
Stay with me always and even after my days

If somewhere somehow I lost my way in this journey
Hope I can remember to look up and see
That Your care is higher that the beam of clouds
And Your provisions is greener than the green fields.

Colour You, Colour Me

"Rise Up" - Acrylic Paint on a Canvass

Painting is for everyone, not just for the "talented" or "artist". It is a form of expression and it enriches one's lives. Creating art can divert your attention from what's stressing you for certain period of time and once you're done with your art therapy, you can have a clearer mind.

According to Elizabeth Scott, M.S., a wellness coach, "you can experience 'flow' when doing creative activities. There’s a certain quality of being called “flow”, that experts say is very beneficial for us. This refers to a state of being completely engaged in something to the point of being in a near meditative state. It carries many of the benefits of meditation, leaving you much less stressed when you’re done." So if you feeling stressed, lonely, happy, in love or in despair try to get brush, colour and paper or a canvas. Relieve stress, release your emotions and turn it to an art piece. Here are simple steps if you would like to try our painting to relieve your stress:

"Black Day" - Acrylic on a Canvass

• Buy some colour/paints. Get something that you can be comfortable to use - crayons, pencil colour, watercolour, acrylic or oil paint.

• You will need a medium, paper or canvas which is the most common.

• Get some paint brushes if you are going to use acrylic, oil paint or poster colour.

• Once you have all your materials, think of a subject and choose the colour you want to use.

• Unleash your creativity. Start playing with the colours on your paper/canvas.

• Enjoy the process. Then stop when you think it's done.

• You can show it to others or give as gift.

Try it once and have fun!

Here are some of the paintings I did during the most stressful days in my life. I'm glad I turned to painting, now I don't need to buy stuff to hang on my living room.

"Stand Still" - Acrylic Paint on a Canvas 

"Lampas Kalendaryo" - Acrylic Paint on a Canvas

"Woman's Mind" - Acrylic on a Canvas