Hiking the Gosaikunda Trek, Part 2

Expedition Itinerary

Day 1 (Dec 12, 2016): We flew from KLIA2 to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The flight took roughly 4.5 hours. Our 18-member team consisted of 10 girls and 8 guys, whose ages range from 21 to 33 years old.

Day 2 (Dec 13, 2016): Spent the whole day shopping for hiking gear. I didn't buy anything though as I had everything I needed and partly because my bargaining skills are non-existent 😅

Day 3 (Dec 14, 2016): We took a bus to go to Dhunche, which took about 8 hours. I'm not sure of the actual distance in kilometres but the narrow, winding roads carved from the hill sides made the journey longer which belied its distance.

Spot the tiny lorry!

The width of the unpaved roads could only comfortably fit one vehicle so when another vehicle came from the opposite direction, the gap between both vehicles was mere centimetres. And if you looked out of the window, the space between the tyres and the cliffs was even more terrifying.

Day 4 (Dec 15, 2016): Dhunche (1960 m) to Thulo Syabru (2210 m) 

Finally! Our first day of hiking proper. It was nice to exercise our legs after days of relative inactivity. It was a light trek which had us ohhh-and-ahhhh-ing over the magnificent scenery. We were quickly joined by four stray dogs whose story I'll elaborate later on.

Multiple layers of mountains and terraced-hills for plantations formed most of the backdrop on our first day of trekking. We reached Thulo Syabru at about 5.00 p.m., just half an hour before sunset.  

Day 5 (Dec 16, 2016): Thulo Syabru to Chandanbari (3330 m)

The second day of trekking afforded us even more spectacular views of snow-capped mountains and alpine trees. Our diet had become strictly vegetarian which was palatable for a few days but after a while, we craved spiciness and our local cuisine. So supplies of sambal and serunding were highly coveted and zealously rationed.
We spotted wild yaks on the way to Chandanbari but our main target, the red pandas, remained elusive until the end.
Again, we reached our lodgings just before dark and were rewarded with the most stunning sunset. On a side note: One of Chandanbari's claims to fame is its yak cheese. So be sure to try it out when you're there! 

pink clouds!

Day 6 onwards coming up in Part 3!

Hiking the Gosaikunda Trek During the Off Season, Part 1

How it happened

I haven't been anywhere since Mulu (in March) because the 2016 school mid-year break was during Ramadan and the mid-semester 2 break was during Hari Raya Haji. So I was itching to go somewhere - anywhere really - during the year-end break.

I came across Pakatan Bejalan's ad for Gosaikunda and impulsively signed up for it since the dates fit nicely into my schedule.

I wasn't going to go with my usual gang and that made me a bit hesitant but the allure of Nepal was too strong to ignore.

Gosaikunda 101

The Gosaikunda Trek is located in the Langtang National Park. The Trek isn't that well-known compared with the more famous ABC and EBC Trek (Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp, respectively).

We were probably the first Malaysians in a big group to hike there. Previously, the only Malaysians spotted came in pairs or as solo hikers.

The Gosaikunda Lake is a sacred lake, located at an altitude of 4380 m. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims ascend to this area in the month of August, but in December, we were virtually the only visitors there. We only crossed path with a backpacker from Holland at the Lake and throughout our 100-km hike (from Dunche - Thulo Syabru - Chandanbari - Gosaikunda - Ghopte (via the Lauribina Pass) - Kutumsang - Chisapani), we came across very few other hikers (less than 15 in total).

Though we escaped the crowd, hiking in the off season meant that we had to endure the cold weather. Supposedly, by mid-December the place should have been snowing but due to global warming and the erratic weather patterns, the sky was clear and blue throughout our hike (Dec 15 - 21, 2016). It was still very cold though and coming from a tropical country where the temperature hovers around 30 - 35 degree Celsius, surviving the cold weather was quite a struggle.

Even with thermal wear, fleece, a jacket, socks, a sleeping bag and a blanket, my feet and fingers were still deathly cold and once I returned to Malaysia they began to swell (probably Chillbains or Raynaud's). So make sure you're well-equipped for the cold weather if you do decide to hike sometime in December - March.

Kathmandu 

Kathmandu is a feast for the senses. It is crowded, busy, chaotic, dusty and full of energy. There are innumerable shops selling hiking gear and trinkets but be prepared to bargain as almost none of the prices are fixed. The streets in Kathmandu are typically narrow so pedestrians, motorists, street vendors and trishaws jostle for space. The drivers there seem to follow their instincts, rather than conventional traffic rules. Their incessant, colourful honking provide background music to the city. On our last day there, Suraya and I took a taxi to go to Swayambhunath. The 15-min ride was a hair-raising experience. On multiple occasions, it felt like we were heading straight towards the oncoming traffic but fortunately, our driver swerved (or the other vehicles did) at the very last moment and all potential accidents were averted.

Part 2 (coming soon!) will detail our hiking adventure. For more pictures, click here, or check out the hashtag #pbgosai on instagram.

Still Alice

And Allah has created you and then He will cause you to die, and of you there are some who are sent back to senility, so that they know nothing after having known (much). Truly! Allah is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.

-Surah An-Nahl, Verse 70

The movie and the book has made me realise this: We derive so much meaning from-, place so much pride in-, and based a big part of our identities on: our work, our intellect, our strength, our beauty, our youth, our power and our wealth. But all these are temporary. How would we cope if these things are taken away from us?

In Alice's case, her sense of self was eaten away by the Alzheimer's Disease. For us, it could be old age, or an accident, a recession, an illness, a civil war or any other plot twists that life has in store. Point is, the rug can be pulled out from under us at any moment. A sobering thought which can really cut our ego down to size.

5 Averroes 2016

To my 5E kids

A year went by in the blink of an eye.

You'll be sitting for your SPM in 3 days' time and all the hugging from today's Majlis Mohon Restu has made me nostalgic.

I want you guys to know that I've enjoyed being your class teacher tremendously. We always had so much fun during English lessons and I'll definitely miss all your jokes and antics.

Forgive my shortcomings; I think I should have been an adultier adult and not let you guys get away with soo many things tsk tsk. (2017 resolution: Run a tighter ship!)

My hope is that all of you achieve true success, in this life and in the hereafter. And that you'll make a positive contribution to the world, in small or big ways.

I love you guys.

Take care & all the best!

Here are some recaps of the fun times we had had (combed from my fb timeline):

This group did 2 chemistry experiments for their English presentation: Chemical Garden & Elephant's Toothpaste.

Ammar prefaced their presentation with the weirdest and most memorable opening line ever:

"Kids, watch where you're stepping...

Because Papa is going to drop some knowledge."

He delivered the line with such panache (i.e. Ted Mosby-like) that it was greeted with loud cheers and laughter.

XXX

I don't usually blow a gasket in class.

And technically I didn't but when my students didn't do the work I had asked them to, I just expressed how *disappointed* I was.

Kirtina said that I was very good at that (guilt tripping students).

Anyway, afterwards, I found this letter on my table and subsequent lessons had a different feel to it.

The kids have been extra nice to me (it feels like they're walking on eggshells so as to not upset me again) and they have been producing above average work. It's clear that they've been putting in extra effort in the ongoing ULBS presentation and I'm very impressed by what they have come up so far.

So maybe I need to employ this God-given guilt-tripping ability more often? 

XXX

A: Teacher, I just saw an angel

Me: What are you talking about?

E: He's talking about his crush teacher

Me: Ohhhh

A: Yes, the angel just walked through the gates of hell

Me: What??

A:  She just entered the school compound...

Pandai guna metaphor ehhh

XXX

Some of my 5E kids were trying very hard to increase their marks for English.

They tried every possible tactic to get me to change my mind.

I didn't relent and told them; "You know, in 5 years' time, it won't matter if you got 2 extra marks for a monthly test. You won't even remember whether you got 86 or 88 for English."

The students responded with, "But teacher, we'll remember you *kindness* and *generosity* in awarding extra marks to your students."

Good try kids but no, flattery will not work either.

XXX

The students were brainstorming ideas for their section of the school yearbook.

Several themes were suggested:

Star Wars

Gatsby
Ambition
Hipster

Syafiq asked the girl next to him, "Theme Ambition tu macam mana?"

The girl replied, "Kena pose jadi your ambition. Macam, what do you want to be?"

Syafiq, without skipping a beat, replied, "I want to be with you."

Smooth Syafiq, very smooth...

XXX

For our class photoshoot, the kids have really gone all out dressing up as flight attendants, doctors, veterinarians (Iffa even brought her cat as a prop), lawyers, imam, film directors, etc.

Khairul, our in-house photographer, has done a very good job of taking the pictures. They turn out real nice.

Today the students asked me what I would be posing as.

"Do I have to?"

"Eh, mesti la Teacher. Tapi Teacher tak boleh jadi teacher. Kena jadi benda lain."

"Okay, give me some ideas."

"Imran dressed up as a Prime Minister yesterday (complete with the Jalur Gemilang & I Love PM banner). Why don't you be Rosmah?"

XXX

Imran was absent on Monday because he had a fever. When I saw him today, I asked him how he was feeling.

"I'm okay Teacher, it's just that now I have a sexy voice."

"Sexy? Says who?"

"Says me"

"Hurm okay"

I started to walk away but he was insistent:

"It's sexy kan Teacher? Am I right?"

XXX

Some of my students took part in a Solar Car Competition today.

One of them had this as his whatsapp status:

'Come home victorious or don't come home at all'.

"So menang tak?" I asked

"Might have to find a new home today" came the sheepish reply.

XXX

R: Teacher, cover your ears, we're about to begin our council.

Me: What council?

R: (in an officious voice) It's the Council of Men

Me: Am I not an honorary member of your council?

R: Are you a man?

Me: Urm, no.

R: Then you're not... as this is The Council of Men.

Me: Fair enough, may I know what does this council do?

R: It discusses, you know, MANLY stuff.

XXX

An example of students seeking divine intervention for their SPM Trials:

H: Teacher, I wanted you to pray for our Physics paper, but I would rather you pray that we'll win the gold medal tonight.

Me: Why? Is there a quota or something? Am I allowed only one prayer per day?

H: No Teacher, if we win the gold medal, we'll have a public holiday tomorrow!

#Rio2016

XXX

Today, my students sat for, yet another, mock exam.

When I entered the class to start the English paper, the students looked weary and tense.

Some were frowning, some had furrowed brows, bulging veins on their foreheads, etc.

I tried to get them to relax:
"Just think of it as another practice session. Don't worry too much about it.
No exam is worth risking your mental health."

"Well it's a little too late for that Teacher," came the wry reply.

XXX

I examined the Panadol, tissue, Brands chicken essence & minyak angin on a student's desk during examination.

Me: What's all these?

Hong: Things a stressed student needs.

Another student brought a big box of tissue.

"What's with the tissue?" I asked.

"To cry," the boy answered succinctly.

#sambiljawabsambilmenangis

XXX

A: Teacher, after SPM, could you text me every day and remind me to exercise?

Me: Every day? What's in it for me?

A: You'll get one hot student.

Thanks for the memories :)

Last Runners!

At yesterday's #MHWHNightRun, I arrived way later than the flag-off time.

First, it was because my friends and I had spent too much time at Alia's open house (the food was really good!). Then I went to the wrong venue. By the time I arrived at the starting line, some runners were already heading back to their cars (!)

So Zu & I became, literally, the last two runners of the race. We even had two crew members on motorcycles to escort us. Whenever we passed a traffic marshall or people serving drinks, our escorts would call out, "Last runners, last runners!", and the people would cheer because their work was done for the night.

I haven't been running for months so I was so out of breath and I felt like walking throughout the 5-km route. But since I was with Zu (aka the alpha female), I had to run all the way just to keep up with her. Though she ran slower than usual so that she could keep her eyes on me, she was still about 40 metres ahead.

The man on the motorcycle was going very slowly yet I still lagged behind so he had to stop every few minutes for me to catch up. I think the only way for him ride alongside me was to put his gear in reverse.

Around two kilometres to the finish line, we finally caught up with the other runners and were no longer dead last. #pridesalvaged

We met with another runner, Nelson, who had already completed the race and was looking for his friend. He took pity on me probably because I looked like I was on the verge of crying or dying, or both, so he accompanied me to the finish line.

He offered me some drinking water, urged me on when I wanted to just walk and taught me the correct breathing technique. Well, he tried to anyway but I was still breathing like an asthmatic patient until the end. 

At long last we crossed the finish line. Yeay!
I have to admit it was kind of fun but I think hiking is more my thing :)

Anatomy of a Breakup

Breaking up is hard. But when the other party has let you down so many times and there's a growing distrust, I am forced to face up to the truth and make that tough decision.

I've glimpsed the writing on the wall for some time now but I was in denial for a long time.
We were such a good fit and we had so many awesome adventures together. Who could replace such a fun-loving, trustworthy and dependable companion?

We've conquered Kinabalu, Rinjani, Mulu Pinnacles, Irau, Kutu, Nuang, Twin Peak, Bunga Buah, Tabur & Broga together. Those trips wouldn't have been the same without his reassuring presence.

He's always had my back and pushed me on though I was ready to give up.

But he's changed. He now seems unsettled and a bit unsteady. And I can no longer rely on him :'(
When he didn't catch my fall the first time it happened, I just brushed the incident off. Things happen; There's no need to make a big fuss out of it. But when it happened again and again and he still didn't save me from shifting ground, I suspect that he is just unwilling to.

He has made his point very clear: I can no longer depend on him and that it's time for me to go to Decathlon to find a worthy  replacement.

(Quechua Grey, you'll always be my first love and I intend to find a pair JUST LIKE YOU)

Why do you do it then?

Last Sunday I hiked Gunung Nuang (via Pangsun), a trek that normally takes 12 hours. Since it's too gruelling to make it to the summit, we decided to just hike until Kem Lolo.

But after reaching Kem Lolo, we decided to push ourselves further and trek another 3km to Kem Pacat.

But we underestimated the trek and were woefully underprepared.

For one thing, I didn't pack any lunch nor any high-energy food like I normally would. And our water supply was dangerous low.

Halfway through the journey to Kem Pacat, I regretted my decision. But somehow turning back was out of the question. Hikers have this deep-seated pathological taste for suffering I guess hahaha

Then I got multiple cramps which made things even worse. It's not just the pain, it's the guilt of having to inconvenience others. (I'm indebted to the stranger who offered me his analgesic spray)

So after what seemed like forever, we finally reached Kem Pacat. Yeay! 

It was packed with around 40 hikers, all jubilant (and relieved) that they had made it that far.

We refilled out water bottles and had a good rest before embarking on the journey home.

That journey was even more torturous. At many points in the journey I felt like taking off my shoes and throw them far far away, all the while entertaining these thoughts: 

"I don't want to do this anymore..."

"I wanna be home, relaxing and bingeing on Netflix."

I wrote on instagram that the last 2 hours was pure, unadulterated torture. To which my friend asked, why do you do it then?

It's hard to explain but the picture below might help. It's taken from the Outside magazine. The illustration accompanied an article that describes how running has helped the writer keep his demons away.

And that's how I feel about hiking. The (temporary) physical pain and suffering somehow clear up my mind; they unravel the knots in my head and make my problems seem smaller. And the process allows me to regain clarity and purpose.

Further, hiking teaches you so many life's lessons. The most obvious one being: to keep going even when the going gets tough.

So yeah, while I do need a few days to recover from Nuang, I'm already looking forward to the next adventure :)

New Zealand Trip, Part 1

2015 has been a rough year for me. It has been a rough year for everyone I think. Personally, I have had to deal with some tough issues. But they are easily dwarfed by the major issues, conflicts and troubles engulfing not only my country but the world at large today. Whenever I read the news, my heart sank a little further. Sometimes, I did come across some feel-good news (mostly about people's kindness and efforts to build bridges) but by and large, the hateful rhetoric blanketed and suffocated me.

I badly needed to get away from it all and find some peace. Thus the trip to New Zealand (that had been planned months earlier) couldn't have come at a better time. Besides, I couldn't wait to see Kakak again.

Kakak left for New Zealand in February 2015 to further her studies and since then, I have been drifting without my anchor. I've always considered my older sister to be one of my greatest blessings in life. She's my best friend, my partner in crime, my confidant and my pillar of strength all rolled into one.

She always listens attentively whenever I have something to say, regardless of how trivial it is or how long-winded I may be. She always laughs heartily at my jokes even though they are not particularly funny. We can understand each other almost telepathically. And since we have complementary attributes, we make the best team:
She's the driver, I'm the navigator.
She's the doer, I'm the planner.
She cooks and I wash the dishes.
So yeah, for the past 30 years, we have lived in a perfect symbiotic harmony.

But then she left for NZ and I was all alone. It wasn't easy and I missed her so much. Incidentally, at around the same time, a close colleague (and one of my favourite people in the world), Kak Safrina, went on an extended medical leave. I keenly felt both losses. But the ordeal has taught me that I shouldn't depend on the creation too much. It was Allah's way of teaching me to rely on Him alone. It was a very painful (but necessary) lesson for me to learn.

So, coming back to the New Zealand trip. Below are some of the things I've reflected on so far:

Travel is glamorous only in retrospect!

Though we looked happy and cheerful in our pictures, we encountered many hardships along the way. Those pictures only paint half the story. Our plane was delayed, our passports were misplaced, our luggage was lost and we had to travel hundreds of kilometres in order to retrieve it.
Then I got extremely sick on the journey to and fro Milford Sound. My stomach just couldn't handle the ten-hour journey by coach and though the scenery along the way was breathtaking, I just couldn't enjoy it and wished for the bus ride to end as quickly as possible.

But that's the essence of travelling, isn't it? In order to experience something wonderfully out-of-the-ordinary, you must be prepared to sacrifice comfort and familiarity. Brene Brown said something similar: "If you choose to be courageous, then you have to let go off the need for comfort, because you can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot have both."

I think when it comes to travelling, besides forgoing comfort, you also have to make do with less certainty and be ready accept whatever comes your way. Things will NEVER go exactly as planned and you're foolish if you think that you can control every aspect of your trip. It's a lot like life; You can sulk all you want or get angry or depressed when things don't go your way OR you can accept that disruptions are inevitable and that Allah is the best of planners.

The good always overrides the bad in the end

The best part about the trip so far is being on the road with my sister and mum. We rented a car and drove from Christchurch to Queenstown, often stopping to admire the view and take lots of pictures. Hours on the road were spent updating Kakak with the latest news from home and relating the funny things our nieces and nephews had done or said.

Kakak had also compiled our favourite songs in a playlist and we listened and sang along to these songs while driving. I thought that driving in a foreign country would be tricky but so far it has been smooth sailing, alhamdulillah. It's only maddening to have to drive at 100km/h even though the road is clear of any traffic. This rule is incomprehensible to Malaysian drivers who are mostly speed demons on the highways.

We also met a lot of wonderful people along the way and ate delicious food. But I think I'll save these two topics for Part 2 :)

Bukit Tabur

I posted on Instagram that I was planning to hike Bukit Tabur today and was wondering whether anyone would like to join me.
Later that night, I suddenly woke up at 3.30 a.m. Out of habit, I reached for my phone and was alarmed when I read the text below:

Teacher, if it rains tomorrow and you decide to go for a hike anyways, even though the rain has stopped, then, i have a reminder for you: do not try to cross the path where you're stuck okay? Do not even try to jump over or something because it looks like you can reach there by jumping but you actually can't, well if you're fully equipped, that's a different thing because i live somewhere near there and the ambulance truck always comes and save the ppl ( the victims usually end up breaking a few bones) I really do not want that to happen to my teacher. Please do not post this, don't even think about it 😏. I know you'll probably screenshot and all 😏😏😏. Anyways have fun teacher and stay safe. :) (u can tell how much i actually care about you now, even though, I'm a shitty *** student to most of the teachers but that doesn't mean I don't care about em) i typed so long for youuuu 😂.
goodnight teacher and stay hydrated 💪🏽

Please disregard the fact that I did exactly what H had told me not to (i.e. post his message). 

I couldn't sleep well after that. I was tossing and turning while contemplating whether to go ahead with the climb.

I didn't have a good feeling about it and I truly feared for my safety. Though I had successfully scaled Bukit Tabur before, this time, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I would not make it out safely.

To calm my nerves, I made wudu' and recited some dua. Then I tried to resume my interrupted sleep. But I promised myself to back out of the trip if I was still feeling uneasy later.

Alhamdulillah, an hour and a half later, I woke up feeling much calmer. Plus, since it didn't rain last night, my fears were somewhat assuaged.

So I made my way to the meeting point in Melawati and met the people I was going to hike with. 

I've never met Mat, Jas & Ikhwan prior to today and was a bit apprehensive about hiking with total strangers but these three were super friendly so I was immediately put at ease.

We climbed Tabur East at a leisurely pace and were rewarded with the picturesque scenery below:

I'm glad I went ahead with the climb and got to experience such beauty but H's message made me realise that I should never underestimate a climb even though I had successfully scaled the peak before.

One should always be humble and have proper reverence for nature. And to always remember that:

لاحول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم

(There is no strength nor power except for Allah)

(Im)perfection

It's true, isn't it? Social media has the powerful ability to incite envy and make us feel inadequate. I think we can all relate to the above punch line: "I can't handle anymore fake displays of perfection!"

Of course the displays are fake as no one's life is perfect. We carefully curate our Facebook profiles, Instagram pictures and our presence on other social media platforms so that we only display ourselves in the most flattering light (literally & figuratively). We only share our happiest memories, most successful occasions and when we're having the time of our lives. We don't share the moments when we feel broken, sad, lonely and empty, though we all experience them.

I once read that the source of envy is when you can only see other people's blessings and not their trials, whereas you only focus on your trials and not your blessings. 

I also love this quote by Lillian Schneider that drives this message home:

"Single people want relationships, settled people wonder if they're missing out on something, traveling types miss stability, stable ones are restless, old friends want new friends, new friends miss old friends, and basically almost everyone my age has some dangling worry trailing around after them everywhere that they're somehow not doing everything, that what they're doing is not altogether the right thing, that they are missing out.
A million lessons can be taken from this. All I want to say is, don't for a second convince yourself that you are the only who knows this doubt. Do not be ashamed. The doubt is natural, and everyone you know -- yes, even that person -- carries it sometimes too. Allow yourself to be peaceful. Allow yourself satisfaction in what you have. If you really don't like it, allow yourself permission to make changes."

The truth is everyone struggles. And everyone has their dark moments. And all of us are on a quest for that elusive and ephemeral thing called happiness.

I think as one grows older, one realises that it's okay to be sad sometimes. That life will never be perfect and can never be devoid of pain, but that's okay too.

For me, faith plays an important part when dealing with life's trials and curveballs. One of my favourite hadiths is:

“How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.” (Narrated by Muslim)

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said something profound:

“Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.”

I think this post is getting quite incoherent now but what I'm trying to get at is this: Though everyone seems to lead a perfect existence on social media, the truth is, no one is. Everyone is familiar with that void in one's heart, that sadness, and that emptiness. As a Muslim, I believe that "verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" and that sabr (patience) and shukr (thankfulness) should be an essential part of our character, so that we can weather life's ups and downs, with contentment.