Paloja paratiiseista sisälläni / Bits of Paradises Inside Me

This text is written both in Finnish and in English. Please scroll down for English version.

Tämä kirjoitus on kirjoitettu kolmen viimeisimmän matkutuskuukauden aikana niiden ajatusten pohjalta, joita pitkät bussi- ja lentomatkat ovat tuottaneet.

Matkustaminen ei ole rannalla makaamista, tai turistinähtävyydestä toiseen ravaamista.

Matkustaminen on itsemme soveltamista erilaisiin tilanteisiin, reaktioiden seuraamista ja niistä oppimista.

Matkustaminen on tutkimista, kokemista ja oppimista.

Ehkä siksi ihmiset, jotka matkustavat eivät tunne vain maailmaa paremmin, he tuntevat paremmin myös itsensä.

Ja siksi meidän ei tarvitse mennä kovin kauas, jotta saamme nämä matkustamisen hyödyt.

Kyse ei ole etäisyydestä. Kyse on asenteesta.

Kaakkois-Aasian matkan aikana olen uinut kaksi kertaa Singaporen kokoisessa vulkaanisessa järvessä, kiivennyt Kaakkois-Aasian korkeimman vuoren huipulle, maistanut dim sumia Kiinassa, maannut riippumatossa Don Detillä Mekongin virratessa vieressä, ryöminyt Vietcongin tunneleissa, matkustanut yöjunalla Thaimaassa, nähnyt ihmeellisen Angkor Watin ja turissut imaamin kanssa Bruneissa.

Nämä ovat vain murusia siitä kokemusten vuoresta, jotka olen saanut.

Blogimme ChangeX:n alaotsikkona on kulkenut ”The Trip of Dreams” eli unelmien matka. Matkani Kaakkois-Aasiaan ei ole ollut sitä. Se on ollut paljon enemmän; jotakin, jota en olisi voinut koskaan kuvitellakaan.

Maailma on todella paljon mahtavampi paikka kuin olin koskaan osannut ajatella.

Blogimme on kysynyt: Onko muutos väistämätön?

Nyt minulla on vastaus. Muutos on väistämätön. Ja sitä myös toivottiin.

Mutta meidän ei pidä vain odotella, että maailmaa muuttaa meitä. Yhtä tärkeää on soveltaa itseään aktiivisesti ympäristöönsä.

Tämä on tärkein yksittäinen opetus, jonka matkani on antanut minulle. Ja voimme tehdä näin missä tahansa.

Me olemme maailma.

Yleiset polkumme saattavat luoda tänne yleisen rakenteen.

Itsenäiset polkumme luovat kuitenkin ne nyanssit, jotka tekevät maailmasta ainutlaatuisen ja todella matkustamisen arvoisen.

Matkani aikana olen kohdannut tällaisia itsenäisiä polkuja, jotka myös ovat antaneet minulle paljon.

Haluaisin esittää valtavat kiitokset kaikille, jotka olen tavannut matkani aikana. Teidät tuntemalla tunnen maailman paremmin siltä osin kuin te sitä edustatte.

Kiitän Suomi-kommuuniamme Kuala Lumpurin Times Squarella, sekä kommuunin saksalaisvahvistusta Rela-Petteriä. Haluan kiittää myös muita saksalaisia vaihto-opiskelijoita sekä malesialaisia opiskelijoita, joiden kanssa minulla oli ilo tehdä töitä. Haluan kiittää Momoa, Dhineshiä, Samia, Amiria, Helsingin opiskelijatiimiä, Penangin vaihto-opiskelijakaartia, Jocelyniä ja Nadinea kiipeilytiimistämme sekä kaikkia muita yliopistoltamme ja matkoiltani.

Erityisesti halua kiittää matkakumppaniani A. Viitaa, jonka kanssa valloitimme Thaimaan, Vietnamin, Laosin ja Kambodzhan ennen opintojen alkamista Malesiassa.

Kiitokset myös teille lukijoille, jotka olette blogimme eliniän aikana tarkastellut seikkailujamme jo lähes 13 000 yksittäistä kertaa.

Blogin kirjoittelu päättyy minun ja tämän seikkailun kohdalta tähän merkintään. Seuraavat elämän seikkailut ovat jo suunnitteilla.

In English

This text is written based on thoughts that long bus trips and flights have producer during the last three months on my travels.

Traveling is not to lie on a beach or to go from a tourist attraction to another.

Traveling is applying ourselves into different situations, seeing what happens and learning from those encounters.

It is to explore, experience and learn.

Maybe thus people traveling not only know the World better, they know also themselves better.

And thus we don’t need to go that far to have the benefits of traveling.

It is not about distance, it’s about your attitude.

During the trip to South East Asia I’ve swum in a volcanic lake double the size of Singapore, I’ve climbed to the summit of the highest mountain of SE Asia. I’ve tasted dim sum in China, lied in a hammock in Don Det watching Mekong to flow past, crawled in Vietcong tunnels, taken a night train in Thailand, seen the miraculous Angkor Wat, and chatted with Imam in Brunei.

These are just the crumbles of a pile of experiences I’ve got.

Our blog, ChangeX, is subtitled as The Trip of Dreams. My trip to SE Asia has not been this. It has been something more, something I could have never imagined of.

The World is truly way more incredible than I had ever thought.

Our blog has asked: Is the change inevitable?

Now I have an answer. The change is inevitable. And it was also wished for.

But we shouldn't just wait for World to change us. As important is to apply ourselves actively to our surroundings.

This is the single most important teaching my trip has given to me. And you can do it anywhere.

We are the World.

Our common paths might create here the common structure.

But our individual paths create nuances that make the World unique and really worth pursuing.

During my trip I have came up with many individual paths that have given me so much as well.

I would like to give huge thanks to everyone who I have met during my travels. To know you is to know the World better for the part you represent it.

Thanks to our little Finnish community we had in Times Square, KL, and its German reinforcement, Peter the Relaxed. As well I’d like to thank other German exchange students and Malaysian students I had a privilege to work with. I’d like to thank Momo, Dhinesh, Sam, Amir, student team from Helsinki, exchange students at Penang, Jocelyn and Nadine from our climbing team and all the others at LUCT and from my travels.

Especially I’d like to thank my fellow traveler Mr. Viita, with whom we conquered Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia before starting our studies in Malaysia.

Thanks as well to our readers, you who have checked our adventures for almost 13 000 separate times this far.

I'll end my writing of this blog about this adventure to this posting. The next adventures of life are already in their planning stage.

Matkaajat: Peter the Relaxed

Matkaajat-series interviews other travellers about travelling, exchange studies and travelling philosophy.

This time we interview Peter, who is also studying Business Management in Limkokwing University.

Who are you and where do you come from?
My name is Peter, 23 years old, from Germany. In Germany I study at European University of Applied Science, which is located between Bonn and Cologne,

What are you doing in Southeast Asia?
I came for studying, but my aim was also to travel as much as possible during these four and a half months.

What has been the best place you’ve been in or the best experience you’ve had so far in South-East Asia?
I think the best place has been Vietnam, people are very friendly and helpful there. I really think the best experience has been to come here to live together with you, eleven Finnish guys.

In which places have you been traveling?
In Malaysia Cameron Highlands, Melacca, Penang, Tioman islands, Langkawi, Taman Negara, KL and surroundings, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand. Last year I was in Indonesia.

Where are you heading next and why?
Next journey will be to Cambodia, because I want to see Angkor Wat.

Do you have some kind of a philosophy when traveling?
Yes, of course: Low budget. The cheapest food is always the best. Also don’t stick to those main tourist routes. I try always find the true spirit of the country.

What is the best thing in traveling?
Learning about other cultures, broadening your horizon. It doesn’t have to be with locals, because you can get to meet so many other people as well.

Your best traveling tips?
If you have the time, get into country and start without planning or at least don’t plan too hard. Go with the flow. Try to eat as much local food as possible. And try to avoid diarrhea.

Is change inevitable?
I think yes, because you always change when you see something new, and your mind and way you think about things changes. But I think it’s only good.

Your greetings to blog readers?
If you have time, you should definitely come to South East Asia, because it is amazing.

A lecturer with passion

Lokaalit-sarja haastattelee Kaakkois-Aasiassa asuvia elämän synnyistä syvistä. Sarjan kolmannessa osassa haastatellaan yliopistomme iranilaista yrittäjyyden opettajaa, Hashemia.

Lokaalit-series interviews people living in South-East Asia about the Life. This time we interview our Iranian teacher of Entrepreneurship, Hashem.

How would you introduce yourself?

Well, I would like to start from my weaknesses. I am a little bit sensitive person, but I’m trying to work on it. Sometimes I get really stubborn; this, I guess, is inherited from my father.

When I feel with my heart, that something is true I want to act on it. I’m also hard-working, I have goals in my life, without them life would be meaningless. I’m persistent: If I want something, I might be slow, but eventually I’ll be there. Quite independent. Very patient.

I studied in one of the best schools in my country, Iran, and after finishing high school, took the national examination –Konkour-  and got into one of the top five universities back home called Isfahan University of Technology (IUT). I did my bachelor’s degree there and majored in statistics. Then I started my own company and at the same time worked as a deputy manager in a bank.

How did you end up in Kuala Lumpur and what are you doing here?

I moved in 2007. I always wanted to live and work in another country. By the time that I decided to leave Iran, I had three options which were India, Malaysia, and Sweden. I eventually picked Malaysia. 

Surprisingly, I could not speak English when I came to Malaysia, but I knew that I would speak English fluently one day. When the plane landed in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, I was really excited.

If you just forget the taxi drivers in Malaysia, everything else is somehow nice and new. If people ask me “whether I like Malaysia or not?” my answer is very simple: If I didn’t like this country I wouldn’t stay here for five years.

As I came to KL I studied 10 months of English Course in a college called KBU. After finishing my English course, I applied for master’s in two universities and got the approval from Multimedia University. After finishing my master’s, I started a company in education industry where I was the business development director. To follow my goals and passion, I decided to apply for teaching positions in a university or college in Malaysia. Eventually, I was admitted and started working as a lecturer in Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.

How it feels to teach in a university in KL? How are the students?

A multinational environment with students from more than 160 countries around the world is basically a great experience and exposure to people from different cultures and backgrounds. I’m learning from my students about their countries, cultures, and the ways businesses are conducted in their countries. Teaching is quite fun. It’s my passion so it’s quite awesome.

How do you like KL overall?

Except for taxi drivers and public transportation, I love KL. Food is good here and there is variety of choices. Basically you can see whole Asia in Malaysia. I believe that it is because of the multicultural environment of this country.

What are your favorite places here in KL? What about in Malaysia?

Lookout Point, you can see the whole KL from there. And Lankgkawi, of course.

What do you like to do in KL when you have leisure time?

I usually go and try a new restaurant. About local restaurants, one of my favorites is Madam Kwan Restaurant. I also hang out with my friends whenever I have time. I like reading a lot - all kinds of books. I also like watching movies, Godfather is the best of them. I love Beautiful Mind, too.

Do you have some favorite Malaysian dish / food?

Chechen and beef rendang are my favorites. Watermelon here is awesome, I love it very much. I got really sweet teeth and I love chocolate very much.

Do you have life philosophy / vision etc. and if so, would you like to tell, what it is?

Definitely I have. I want to work in education field, that’s why I’m here. I want to contribute to the society where I live in and where I belong to. I hate racism. To me everyone represents him/herself by his mind and heart.

What do you think; is the change inevitable when you are traveling?

I have one recommendation to people younger than me: Travel as much as you can. Even if you don’t have enough money, try to borrow some and at least visit two or three countries around the world. You benefit from travelling definitely. Knowing the cultures, the people, and etc. will help you to grow faster, get more mature, and broaden your horizon.

What kind of greetings you’d like to send to our readers?

I wish them all the best in their life and career path. I hope their life is filled with happiness, success, wealth and health. Never get disappointed and remember that: “a quitter never wins and a winner never quits.” Be a winner, be curious, and change your strategies whenever you find it hard or difficult to reach to your goals. In your life remember one simple thing:

Everyone has a special gift and the only challenge is to find that gift.

Matkaajat: Nadine and the Best Experience in Life

Matkaajat-series interviews other travellers about travelling, exchange studies and travelling philosophy.

This time we email interviewed Nadine, who was also a part of our Mt. Kinabalu Summit team.

Who are you and where do you come from?

My name is Nadine Simoen, 24 years old and I’m from the Netherlands, living in Rotterdam. I just graduated last year in Sports Marketing (Bachelor of Commerce) and when I’m back home (which is already the 4th of May) I have to look for a job and hopefully I will find one in the sports business.

What are you doing in Southeast Asia?

After graduation I really wanted to travel around and I chose Southeast Asia. So I’m backpacking together with my friend Lisa for total of 4 months, including countries like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

What has been the best place you’ve been in or the best experience you’ve had so far in Southeast Asia?

It’s hard for me to name just one place or one county because I think every country has something special to offer.

But there are definitely some highlights. In Vietnam I really liked Hoi An. The place is really cute and picturesque, and the atmosphere is really nice. For me it was really special because I was there during TET (Chinese New Year). After the fire show at 12 o’ clock we ended up drinking and dancing with some locals and other tourists. Great experience!

Next best place in Vietnam was Sapa where I did trekking for 2 days through the mountains and rice fields. Amazing landscape and we had a really nice guide who explained their way of living. For example she was sent to the marriage market when she was 15 years old.

In Laos I had a really great time in Vang Vieng. After one month of traveling through Vietnam it was really nice to be stuck in one place to party and meet other people.

I thought Cambodia was really impressive because of its history. In the first two months I started reading about the Khmer rouge. Visiting the Killing Fields was really special experience. I was traveling with three other people. We visited the fields for 3 hours and we hardly said anything to each other. It’s a really sad story and you’re definitely going to imagine the impact which it had and still has on the country.

I really liked the northern part of Thailand. One of the highlights was a scooter trip from Pai to Chiang Mai for about 5 hours. Great scenery! And of course the islands in Thailand were amazing. One of the best experiences over there was getting my Open Water certificate. And great food! I love Pad Thai!

I also went to the Full Moon Party, which was the best party in South-East Asia. We just overstayed our visa for that and it was definitely worth it. After lot of partying on the other Islands it was relieving to finally hear some good music, and with thousands of people on the beach dancing till sunrise - an experience you never forget.

An American teacher in Vietnam

Lokaalit-sarja haastattelee Kaakkois-Aasiassa asuvia elämän synnyistä syvistä. Sarjan toisessa osassa haastatellaan yhdysvaltalaista opettajaa Marya, joka on työskennellyt Hanoissa, Vietnamissa yhdeksän kuukautta.

Lokaalit-series interviews people living in South-East Asia about the Life. The series continues with an interview of Mary from USA, who has been working as a teacher in Hanoi, Vietnam for 9 months.

How would you introduce yourself?

I’m a single adult traveler who is looking for both work and travel experiences outside USA.

Where are you specifically from?

My own family is raised in Texas but I was self raised in Minnesota.

How did you end up in Vietnam and where are you living in there?

I’m living in Hanoi. I was looking for career change and I accidentally met a woman who had been teaching over 15 years overseas. She mentored me about that then. Living overseas was also one of the things in my bucket list.

How do you like Vietnam, how about South-East Asia?

What I like the best in Vietnam are the people, and what I dislike the most is the weather. I have not enjoyed of winter there. There are no modern convenices and no heating in buildings which makes the winter quite poor.

What are your favorite places in Vietnam and in South-East Asia?

I’ve been traveling in Cambodia and southern Vietnam. Angkor Wat in Cambodia is fabulous - If you come to South-East Asia just once, you have to see it. There are no particular favorites in Vietnam - I enjoy visiting the provinces instead of the cities in there.

What tips would you give to travelers going to Vietnam?

Remember it is a communist country and that it’s a Third World country. Do not expect anything to operate in western precision and do not expect people to understand English.

What do you like to do when you have leisure time?

Riding bicycle, it is my chief mode of transportation. I am gradually increasing the perimeter of places I know. I enjoy cycling because speed is moderate and thus you can be more observant of the surroundings. Cycling in Hanoi is safe because everyone driving cars or motorcycles has been cycling before and thus they are more considerate.

What is the best way for a curious traveler to approach Vietnamese people?

Many people there really want to practice English, so usually they approach you. Vietnamese are actively seeking contact where they can practice their English.

What about food - what is your favorite Vietnamese food?

Fruits. They have so much more tropical fruits there than there is in the USA…and they are always fresh. You can also get them anywhere. Papaya is my favorite.

Do you have life philosophy and if so, would you like to tell, what it is?

Embrace the change because nothing ever stays the same. If you ignore the change, by the time change is ahead of you, you feel upset. For example I didn’t learn about computers when they came and now they are everywhere.

What kind of greetings you’d like to send to our readers?

In order to grow as members of the World, I think it is important to visit other places and understand how fortunate we are in the country we were raised in.

Straight from the KLite: Tips and Philosophy from a Local

Lokaalit-sarja haastattelee Kaakkois-Aasiassa asuvia elämän synnyistä syvistä. Sarjan avaa malesialainen Dhinesh ajatuksineen.

Lokaalit-series interviews people living in South-East Asia about the life. The series begins with the interview of Malaysian Dinesh.

Dhinesh and I at Berjaya Times Square.

How would you introduce yourself?

I am a very friendly person, opposed to other Malaysians that are quite rude. I’d like to be a traveler also. For hobbies I read, write, cook, play online games and collect books. Favorite past times is though to be with friends and meeting new people.

Where are you originally from?

I’m from Penang (northern Malaysia). I go there once a year.

When did you move to KL (Kuala Lumpur) and why?

I moved to Klang nine years ago. To finnish my schools and such. I moved to KL very recently.

How do you like KL?

If you know how to adapt KL, it’s fine. But in general it is dirty and people are rude and selfish - they don’t mind anyone else expect themselves.

Positive thing is that this nation is growing, there is also diversity of people and cultures. The best thing in KL when you think about Malaysia, is food - where most delicacies from all over Malaysia gathers.

What are your favorite places here?

KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center), where the night view is just fantastic! Also shopping centres and especially bookshops. Favourite bookshop is Japanese bookshop Kinokuniya at KLCC.

What would you recommend from KL to foreigner?

Putting aside those negative things here, you’ll find it really easy to spend your time here. Definitely cheap shopping spree - especially if you’re coming from Europe. I'd also recommend fantastic night view from any high rise building, not as good as New York, though.

What are the best places for traveler to visit in Malaysia?

Depends on everyone’s favorite places. For example tropical islands: upnorth Penang, Pangkor and Borneo island which is close to the nature. The most overestimated place in Malaysia is KL. Sometimes people think that KL is like New York…that is way overestimated of a thought.

What do you like to do when you have leisure time?

Seeing friends, reading novels. Playing online games in the middle of the night next to a window and watching the city lights.

What is the easiest way for a curious traveler to approach locals?

Start with a simple smile and ignore all the rudeness some locals might show.

What is the best place in KL to get to know local food?

The streets. Mamak stalls where you can get authentic Malaysian foods.

What is your favourite food / dish?

One that I cook, but in general Chinese curry noodles, Malay's sambal belacan, and for Indian food briyani rice.

Do you have life philosophy and if so, would you like to tell, what it is?

My philosophy is to take everything easily and turn those bad things into good things. When we smile often, even if we face problems, we can overcome them.

Is the change inevitable when you are traveling and is it inevitable in life overall?

You can’t avoid changes, they are everywhere. But it is individual’s own responsibility to turn changes into good ones. Don’t be afraid of changes as they come no matter what. Control the changes yourself and don’t let them to control you.

What kind of greetings you’d like to send to our readers?

I’d like to say Hello in Finnish…if you come to Malaysia do contact me, I’d like to meet more Finnish people. Don’t be afraid of Malaysia, ignore the negative Malaysia and try to enjoy the positive sides as much as you can.

Welcome to the trip of dreams!

ChangeX is something more than an ordinary student exchange blog. We want to explore in addition to Southeast Asia and its cultures ourselves and see how the totally different scenery will be change our viewpoints of life.

To get to know us and the actual aim of the blog, check our About page.

As we start our trip from Finland and majority of our planning process is relevant only in here, we well post those writings in Finnish. But during our trip we'll start to post stuff in English so that possible international viewers also get a chance of see our reflections.

Planning is on its way as you can guess from this photo:

Continuing reading.

- Jani

The Trip of Dreams

Note: As said on About page, most of these writings at the start will be in Finnish (read more here). But this writing I wanted to share also for our potential international viewers.

I guess it was watching Madventures travel program (one of the finest travel program concepts on TV, I've ever encountered) when I decided that someday I will travel to Southeast Asia.

When I was doing my BBA studies at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, I thought that I had no time for exchange studies.

When I continued my studies in a Master's Degree Programme, I thought that I would definitely use the chance of leaving Finland for exchange studies.

These two paths encountered each other when I was seeking some exchange programs: Program in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Also third path lead to that way: my interest towards creativity and design. 2012 I will be studying in a Design Innovation programme at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.

Before that I have a great pleasure to see other parts of Southeast Asia with a man I share so much of ideology. We are planning to see Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Other probable destinations during the trip include Sumatra of Indonesia and Vietnam.

Planned activity is half-done activity

Though that latter part, actual travelling, will be more significant, I want to plan this trip very well so that we don't have to consume our time or other resources to planning when we have better things to do.

For me that planning doesn't mean "we should be there at 10 AM and leave exactly 8 PM" type of strict scheduling, but collecting a lot of ideas about possibilities in advance and reading about the local cultures.

During this planning phase we will probably post some info about these:

• Insurance (in Finnish only)
• Budgeting
• Vaccinations and medication (in Finnish only)
• Equipment
• Route and carrier planning
• Accommodation
• Destination and activities

Now towards The Trip of Dreams!