Travel Bits: October 2021

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The wild beckons....... but.....

Being stuck within the confines of a small apartment and its walled interiors for the past 20+ months while (at times) feverishly working-from-home to meet rushed deadlines imposed by clients has left me feeling a bit cooped up. Suddenly, usually boring and typically ignored stuff like a patch of grass or a bunch of trees in the distance has become a much yearn-for change-of-environment.

In part inspired by my recent weeknights binge watching of Korean variety shows on cable showcasing life in rural outdoor places, I imagined how nice it would be if I could (for a short period of time) indulge in these same activities. In these shows, Korean celebrities camped out, prepared their own meals over open-air campfires, went fishing or simply just chilled out  and enjoyed nature.

Unfortunately, I live in a small cramp city where there are hardly any wilderness to head out to, where driving camper vans and spending a week or two out in the wild is an impossible dream and also where open-air campfire is strictly prohibited due to the risks of fire hazards. Of course, living life in the wild comes with inconveniences not featured in those variety shows I watched on cable. Inconveniences such as armies of mosquitoes, sudden rainstorms drenching the campsite, where to find fresh water, how to keep food fresh for a week out in the wild, how to handle laundry and so on are not shown or discussed. 

The city-slicker in me will thus continue to stay in my small but cosy apartment, work like crazy from my home-office in the day and camp on my sofa in front of the television at night to watch Korean celebrities live life in the wild on variety shows. Oh, and a warm cup of beverage on my side table for me to sip while I enjoy my nights away.

Urban Apartments, Bukit Panjang, Singapore (2020)

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