“Oh, look at that mural! It looks similar to Starbucks’ logo, isn’t it?” I asked my tour guide who took me and the group around Capri, a beautiful island in the Bay of Naples, Italy. “Starbucks? What is it?” she replied. Oops! Right. Italians don’t drink Starbucks. Aaand, there wasn’t any Starbucks store in Italy when I visited in 2017. Due to sheer volume of business, Starbucks is designed to serve customers quickly and efficiently, whereas in Italy, you go to a coffee bar precisely for leisure and long, winding conversations with your local barista. Jenna Wang, “Why It Took Starbucks 47 Years To Open A Store In Italy” –…
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How to Keep Motivated Until the End of the Year
I can’t wait for the end of the year. How many of you wish for the same? I can’t wait to welcome the Ox Year in 2021, with the hope of better (hardworking) days ahead. I’m not a very superstitious person, but this year 2020 in Chinese 2+0+2+0 = 4 = death, bad luck. Surely, there are things that I feel grateful for. But we still have four and a half months until the end of the year. What could keep us motivated and carry on? I found mine, and I’m gonna share them with you in this blog post. It may or may not work for you, but hey!…
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God, Why Me? Have a Break at Kenny Hills Bakers, Bukit Tunku
If you’re reading this, I hope you’re well. I didn’t update the blog last week because I had nothing in mind that I felt was worth it to share. But I do now, especially after a well-deserved break at Kenny Hills Bakers, Bukit Tunku 🙂 No, this isn’t a food review post. The previous blog, in which I shared my vulnerabilities, surprisingly received a well-response. I thought nobody would care. But turned out, that some of them were feeling the same! God, Why Me? ‘…in all things God works for the good of those who love him…’ Romans 8:28 Last week, a lot of things happened to me at the…
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Meditation, Travel Movies and How RMCO Changed Me
This week’s blog post will be about my personal experience, especially how RMCO (Recovery Movement Control Order) changed me. Staying at home most of the time for a few months has changed me. I didn’t know that my new hobbies – meditation and travel movie marathon could open up new perspectives. New RMCO Hobby #1 – Meditation and Face Mask I always use Innisfree Super Volcanic Peel Off Mask 2X twice a week to tighten my pores and get a glowing complexion. Then, one day, I felt super emo so I decided to combine it with meditation. They got along really well! As I couldn’t stand sitting for a long…
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Other Things to See in Toraja Besides Ke’te Kesu and Londa
There are three main reasons why most people are intrigued to visit Toraja, Indonesia: Ke’te Kesu, Londa and the funeral ceremonies. But actually, there are other wonderful things to see when you’re there! I could write a lot of blog posts about Toraja but there won’t be a lot to read as some of them are short visits. Or perhaps it’s I who want to finish writing about Toraja (hint: look at the Countries page, there are many places that I haven’t written about). Ok, without further ado, here are some places or things that you shouldn’t miss when in Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia: The Erotic Mountain at Buntu Kabobong, Bambapuang…
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Rambu Solo, Toraja: The Grand Funeral that Attracts Travellers from Around the World
It is grand and bizarre at the same time. But that’s exactly why people from around the world come to Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia – to see Rambu Solo aka the traditional funeral ceremony. In the previous post, I shared with you how Torajans respect their family highly, especially when it comes to sending the deceased to the afterlife. Noble families usually sacrifice 24-100 buffaloes. The middle-class families will sacrifice 8 buffaloes and 50 pigs. The locals believe the more buffaloes slaughtered, the faster the soul reaches heaven. As you can see from the video above, Rambu Solo is a grand funeral ceremony. It lasts for a few days/weeks and costs…
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Toraja Trip: The Ancient Ke’te Kesu’ Village and Londa Tombstone
On my second day in Toraja, I visited lots of jaws-dropping destinations like Ke’te Kesu’, Londa, Baby Grave, a historical burial site and Christ the Redeemer statue. But for this week, let me share with you about the ancient Ke’te Kesu’ village and Londa tombstone. Your trip to Toraja will be a cultural one, so make sure you don’t miss the two! Ke’te Kesu’: Family Bond, Pride and Hanging Graves If you don’t have enough money to bury your loved ones… would you sleep in the same room with the corpses and act as if they’re still alive? Making our loved ones happy is a joy to most of us.…
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Toraja Trip: Rammang Rammang, King Kong Cave & Pias Poppies Hotel
Too much staying at home and in the city makes me miss Indonesia, especially my Toraja trip. That was an awesome 6-day nature-exploring trip! On the first day of the trip, I was welcomed by the beauty of Rammang Rammang, saw a karst stone that’s similar to a king kong face, made new friends and stayed in a natural, comfy Pias Poppies Hotel. The Au Naturel Boat Trip & Puncak Rammang Rammang Rammang Rammang is a beautiful, natural destination located in North Makassar, between The Karst of Maros and the Pangkep regency. The name comes from the local language, and means a set of clouds or fog. My driver, Mr.Asri,…
