Back in the City of Miracles

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I kissed a snake and I liked it.

I still doesn't quite seem real. I can't think about the trip as a whole thing yet, its just too much to comprehend. New Zealand to Singapore. Singapore to Kolkata. Thats as far as I can think at the moment.

Singapore has been interesting. Amazig and challanging. Very cool, fun, and it feels like the play ground of the west. Asia Lite. The city is extraordinarily wealthy. And it feels like its lost part of its soul. Insane buildings, a whole island as an amusement park. BMW, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Bently, Evo X, Porsche, Lamborgini. Al the cars speak of wealth and there are no bangers. The lights, the sounds, the mega-construction, it all feels like an attempt to hide something thats missing.

With the help of a few beers, Massive Attack and Ted Simon, I read myself finaly into a travel stupor. The adventure all seemed more real again. And suddenly I wanted to escape this city.



Welcome to the other side man...

I had wanted to ease into this trip. It was supposed to be about self discovery, renewal, adventure, losing and finding. I don't feel as confident as I did six years ago, I don't feel as ready to put myself out there.This all feels familiar and yet strangely unfamiliar at the same time. My fears grow again. What am I doing here? What am I really doing? Once Isaac departs its a long time by myself in strange countries.

Things are not where I remember them. Me tryng to show Isaac around was like the blind leading the blind. But in that, in getting lost, I began to find my confidence again. Traipsing through these dirty, noisey but life filled streets my fears began to melt away and I became excited about the adventure again. This city has was Singapore didn't for me.

Somesort of curry pastie thing from a street corner, a bottle of Thumbs Up, and a coffee and brownie with icecream from Barista's (couldn't resist, its still just as good as I remember Han). I felty the city wraping around me again like it did all those years ago. I would have plenty of time to delve into my own struggles later on, to work through many of the things that brought me here.

And then While wandering in the evening I met a christian couple and we talked and shared for almost an hour. And I realised how hard I had made my heart. How many people I had pushed away back home, how much I had cut myself off in preperation for leaving. God challanged me right to my core.

Day 1, and Kolkata has broken me already.

So far so good.

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Comments

[Mark Wilson]

The start of the journey
Hi Ben. We have enjoyed reading your thoughtful and insightful posts so far on the first days and impressions of your trip. We will be eagerly following your progress, experiences and musings on your experiences. Dad

[David Wilson]

Hi from grandad David
Dear Ben, Jo and I have been wondering how you have been getting on, following you in our minds and in our prayers and this evening I finally got this link to your travel blog whe I was talking on the phone with Mark just now.. Your description of your travel experiences so far are most illuminating and we begin to understand the very real life challenges you have been experiencing. I am sure I would find India a very challenging place to travel solo in. I think you have managed admirably well and our prayer is that the whole experience will have strengthened your faith in God and given a whole new view of what God has for you in your life. Mark tells me you will be coming back sooner than expected, so I hope we may see you after all at the big wedding in Nelson and then hear more of your adventures. Jo and i are heading off to Sydney tomorrow morning for a week of R & R to use up some flying points we just recently discovered we had. Never been thwere before. So may God bless you and keep you safe till we see you again Love from us both David