The one who does not remember history is bound to repeat it again

What a tag line I've as the title of the post. Simply put it, Auschwitz and birkenau really impressed me.

I think history has a lot of lessons for us but as humans, when we live in peace and harmony for too long, we take it for granted and forget what it takes for us to perpetuate this stability. Look at how Iran is on their way to develop nuclear weapons, the death of Kim Jong Il and hopefully not another bloody succession, unrest in the Syria, and hopefully not another war by Israel man! :(

I've always wanted to visit Poland for the history is too enticing for anyone else to miss it. When I stepped foot onto the camps and listened to the stories shared by the guide, I was overwhelmed with lessons to share with my students in school!

Yeah the Nazis were really the kings of propaganda! They painted such a rosy picture of a life in Auschwitz and convinced more European Jews to voluntarily pay for a one-way ticket to the death camp. Imagine trucks filled with people who were full of hopes of a place where they can lead better lives. When they finally arrive at their supposed 'paradise,' they are separated from their families and still, they think that this moment of anguish is worth the paradise that awaits them. Life or death laid in the hands of one man, one crazy experimenter, and if he points you in the right direction, you get a second life. For all that they did not know, these Jews were walked to the end of the platform and only till their very last gasp of air will they finally find out that getting to paradise is indeed true, only that paradise is in another dimension and no longer on our beautiful Mother Earth!

A lesson that I brought home with me today from Auschwitz is, no one should be seen as being superior to another, for that creates divide, anger, hatred, extremism and eventually extermination.

We should all be really glad that the Polish government is doing their very best to maintain these historical sites as they serve as warnings to our future generation about the atrocities of war crimes. I am full of praises for Germany's efficiency and this impression has not changed after the visit to the camp. Instead, I have new found admiration for their courage to step out and up to face their past. The Germans could be subjected to mockery and reprimanding by the rest of the world. However, we all have our own judgment about war crimes. A series of atrocious acts by a group of self-proclaimed actors of justice i.e. Nazis is not representative of how German civilians in general are. And for that, we will not judge the future generations of Germans that we face today. If only the Japanese could understand this argument, I am sure we will be exposed to more life's lessons from history.

And after the visit, I think about the true purpose of education yet again. Sometimes, we hear kids complaining about the various theorists or academia for e.g. Why did pythagoras invent the stupid Pythagoras theorem? or why did Adam Smith read so much into human's behaviour? If they had not existed, we would not have to study so hard!

Now, I think I will have an ideal explanation for that - Education is the avenue to remember the legacies of great people from the past and also have your own legacies being written down in history.

Are you game to create your own legacy?

Indeed, the world is the biggest classroom one can ever afford. There is Chinese saying: 读万卷书不如行万里路. I understand the world so much better with all the travels that I've embarked on.

Singapore VS Poland

I arrived in Krakow late on Sunday night and was expecting a ghost town. But to my biggest surprise, the town was the exact opposite of what I had imagined it to be! There was an ice-skating ring just at the doorstep of the railway station. That really reminded me of the time when I was in Stockholm and Kim and I went ice skating in winter. It was the first time I had my feet on the ice skating ring and having snow hitting my face as I skate was simply awesome! :)

I had to collect my rail tickets at the post office which was opened 24 hours and trust me, the queue is lonnnggg! Perhaps we Singaporeans take things for granted. Singapore is truly an efficient city, from the airport to the city centre, with the exception of our transport system I guess! :) I have never seen any unusual long queues at the immigration checkpoint in Changi Airport, instead I see numerous spacious toilets placed at strategic locations in the terminals and multiple water points and Internet access points. Recently, I even see the OSIM massage chair at T3! :) our malls are open for long hours and we always get have clear directions or signage for tourists who attract our various places of interest. But I can't say so for other countries. It is when I leave Singapore that I start to appreciate all these little things in our everyday life! But there are pros and cons. No doubt we as citizens are proud of our nation and this makes our standard of living better - quality lifestyle, however we lack patience and tolerance (some not all) become over reliant on our government to make things right. We blame our government for the Orchard Road floods and make a joke out of it (if you watched the hitler one). C'mon people, the extent of that flood was not even 1% of the recent one that hit Bangkok and Cambodia. The SMRT train relays were seen as a life and death issue to some but compared to UK or Europe, such delays are common.!

I guess enough of my rants and praises after my first experience with Poland!

Interlaken day 2 and Zurich!

I was complaining about how I missed seeing the French and Italian alps due to the foggy weather. Come to think of it now, I am absolutely fortunate because the very next day, Jungfraujoch was closed to visitors due to a snow storm! :)

Nevertheless, I explored Munnen and lauterbrunnen. Both are villages or stopover points for people to get to Jungfraujoch and schitlorn. I went all the way to Munnen, saw the Jungfrau, Eider, etc from Munnen. Yeah, it was snowing up there and the scenery was awesome! :) I guess Switzerland did impress me and made me wanna go back again some day.

I went to lauterbrunnen as well, green with valleys etc but there wasn't much for me to explore as it was raining. There wasn't much shopping to be done anyway. So I returned to interlaken after taking some photos. And since i started the day early, I finished the two places by 12 noon.

Initially, my plan was to get to a inn for their wings but I missed grocery shopping when I was in Stockholm.! So I went to coop and grab some pizza and prepared my own dinner! :) I guess that's one thing I miss a lot about Europe! :)

I went around the town centre and interlaken west for some shopping but bought nothing! I guess the best way to cure the shopping impulse in me is to have myself face the situation of not being able to bring it back to Singapore! As I'll be flying on Ryanair and they have this absolutely dumb rule of only 1 hand carry including your handbag, I would have to squeeze 4 bags into 2.! Come on!

While on my way to Zurich, I pass by super pretty scenery! :) mountains covered with snow, lakes, cottages covered in snow, etc. I guess the name of the area is Thun! Some day, I should be there! :)

As for Zurich, it's a small city. Or rather the downtown is small! Finished the whole area within 5 hours. Did the shopping, went to a Christmas market, absolutely love the atmosphere of Christmas! Perhaps it's a Saturday, that's why everyone is out! ;) kids running around, lovers strolling along the rivers, etc etc!

The one thing I'm sure about the Swiss is - they adore Louis Vuitton! I see the LV bags everywhere I go.! Love this feel of walking around, doing nothing.! Absolutely relaxing.... And yet i know soon my dream will end and I'll have to be back to reality once again....

Interlaken

Embarked on my journey to Jungfraujoch this morning. For those who are unaware, Jungfraujoch is at the highest point of Europe, 3000 plus metres above sea level! :)

I guess the planning should have been done better because I had forgotten to check the weather! It was too foggy up at the top thus I was not able to see the French, Italian and German alps! ;( Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience. The train ride up there exposed me to the beautiful landscapes or the famous mountains of Switzerland, the greenery, countless pine trees that stood tall and was covered in snow, etc! It was also the first time I experienced a "snow storm."

Some day, I'll be back during summer at Jungfraujoch I believe! The one thing I love about Switzerland is that it is really safe. The streets are extremely quiet at night and the weather is freezing cold. However, the people are absolutely warm and always willing to help!

My first Swiss hospitality experience was on the very night that I arrived. I had a hard time getting to the hostel and ended up flagging for a cab. The driver drove me to the place for free! My second experience was with regards to my gloves. I left one of my gloves on the train unknowingly. When I boarded another train, the conductor on the previous train found my gloves and immediately got the station master to bring it on board my train for the owner to claim it back. They did it with a smile, and with a true sense of responsibility. Kudos to the Swiss! They impress people! :)

Fly away, stop the reminiscience

It's been ages since I last blog and I do hope I will pen more during this period when I'm away.

Read the title of the blog, reminiscence of memoirs from 6000 miles.. And yes, today I'm embarking on another 6000miles flight to the place hat I've been reminiscing for the past 3.5 years.

I indeed have very mixed emotions. One, I'm really excited that I'm finally going back to Europe, the continent that I've been dreaming of revisiting. Yet at the same time, I am a little upset that I'll be missing Christmas and New Year and precious time with my family and friends!

There's this saying, the pastures on the other side are always greener. I guess it's true! While I'm in Singapore, I miss Europe. Now that I'm on my way to Europe, I'm starting to miss Singapore! Perhaps it's the reality that I will have to face come January when my trip ends that is hard to swallow for me!

It's been 3.5 years since I last step foot on Europe. After 3.5 years, I guess I'm finally ready to see this beautiful continent once again. Whatever that lies ahead in these 3 weeks, I'm sure it will be a fruitful experience yet again! :)

Time to recharge, time to acquire a new outlook in life, time to be independent and definitely time for new adventures!

My dear family and friends, be patient and we will see each other next year! :)

Merry Xmas and a happy new year in advance! ;)

Only You

Recently, I am addicted to this Hong Kong drama - Only You. I know I am a little outdated considering that the drama was aired some time late last year. The drama portrayed the various beliefs people have of love and the various interpretations of what marriage entails.

I guess different people have different beliefs and values in life and we seek for a different mission and purpose in life too. While some hope to settle down and start a family, others seek the thrill and adventures that lie in our great Mother Earth. I used to believe that some day, I will settle down and start a family. However, with the passage of time, I realize that I have truly come to discover what I really want in life.

Mommy and B always hope that I will some day settle down. But neither of them ever hurries me. B feels that I will act on a moment of impulse when it comes to marriage. That is why I say no one understands me more than they do. :) Perhaps.

I have similar beliefs to the male lead in the show. Maybe he is right. When the right person comes knocking and you do not want to lose him or her, that is when you will be willing to compromise with your dreams. However, it is unlikely that you will give them all up. Since I am unwilling to give up any of my dreams, I have stopped looking out for the right person to complete myself.

Come to think of it, this is only fair. When I was slightly younger and eager to settle down, random people come knocking. Some were really good bf material and perhaps something did or could have worked out. Now that I am not eager to settle down since I am unwilling to give up any of my dreams, it shows that I am not ready for a relationship. Indeed, no one's been knocking for some time.

Perhaps some day, I will really meet someone who have the same ideals as me, to want to go around the world and lead a carefree life. And should that day come, I might then truly want to settle down.

Growing Up

There's this saying that goes, "wisdom comes with age."

It is true but only to a certain extent. When people age, they are more aware of the dangers and risks that one has to take in life. Some are risk-averse while others are risk-loving. But as a result of them being more informed and able to weigh the benefits and costs of doing every single thing (though not everyone is able to do so), they assume that they know it best. They are more resistant to change, more inclined towards forcing upon others their ideals, lifestyles, etc. That explains why people use the label "stubborn" on them occasionally.

I do not think that being stubborn is necessarily bad. At times, we need to stand firm on our feet and not get swayed by others' opinions easily, because in whatever that we do, there are bound to be praises and criticisms. People are born with differing opinions anyway. However, there needs to be some kind of balance.

If you always think that you are right or you only accept criticisms from a certain group of people, then we can simply leave the whole discussion to the so claimed "elite" group of yours. Why bother to hold a discussion and get the rest of the people whom you see as "outsiders" to comment. And honestly, I do not see how "elite" you guys are. Times have changed, so we need to move on. We should be more acceptive of what others think can be right especially when we are scrutinizing issues filled with ambiguity.

But as I am typing this post, I am trying to reflect on myself. Since young, I hate to be controlled by others or have them bossing me around with the "I Know It All" attitude or mentality. If someone truly earns my respect, I will follow him or her with my heart and soul. However, that does not mean that I do not question and be an ignorant follower. Respect, nevertheless, needs to be earned. It does not come with your status or age or whatsoever. As I age, I start to get worried that the intensity of my stubbornness will increase unless I meet someone who can truly question my ideals and perspectives. As a result of knowing what I want and who I am as a person, I start to question my ability to continue my --- as a ...

The only thing that is constant in this world is CHANGE

As I walked down memory lane moments ago, I realized that so many things have changed. It is extremely difficult to maintain a certain status quo between certain relationships in life. I count the places that we have been to, recall the words that were said, reminisce the activities that we engaged in, and indulge myself in the joy and laughter that embraced us for the past 3 years. Why did the number of places that we have been to stopped at a certain count? Why were the words left unspoken? Why do we still engage in the same activities, just that we do it with a different person? Why do we send each other joy and laughter no more?

At this juncture. my mind has come to terms that we have to move on and accept the cold hard truth that our paths have diverged.

Over the course of the events, I discovered that the distances grew not because others moved on but rather, I was the only one who has been stuck and refused to edge forward. That is why history repeats itself over and over again.

LEARN lessons from the PAST so that you can APPLY them in the PRESENT to SHAPE your FUTURE. Will I?