" Retirement gives you a golden opportunity to re-charge & re-shape your LIFE. A colorful LIFE awaits you if you adopt a positive & optimistic mindset, healthy lifestyle, embrace change & surround yourself with positive people "
After retirement, you are entering the "Golden Year" phase of your LIFE ! If you are able, active & healthy, there are ample "Golden" opportunities for you to pursue your own path, dreams or interests which you dearly missed or were not able to do so (due to family commitments or a hectic working LIFE) prior to your retirement !
Early retirement, mandatory retirement, working life extended after mandatory retirement, everyone of us has our own cycle of LIFE while working or in retirement ! When it comes to retirement, each individual has his or her own perspective. I see in retirement, you are not "fired" & have now take on a new path & "re-fired" ! Retirement age varies from one country to another ! In my home country Malaysia, the mandatory retirement age now is 60 (during my years of working, it was 55 so I was very much a young retiree !), Singapore is 63, France 64, United Kingdom 66 - so quite often, I have been asked " how many of the 10th good years in LIFE you could enjoy after retirement ? One tenth or Two tenths or more or less ? ". Frankly, I do not have an answer for you ! Assuming you retire at the age of 60, & if you are now aged 80, this means you have gone through two tenths (2 x 10) ie 20 golden years in your retirement LIFE ! But I believe after mandatory retirement, the wisdom of living is that you are living from moment to moment, so make hay while the sunshine (make the most of a favourable situation while it lasts !) "
After retirement in May 2006 at a "tender" age of 56, my DNA in travelling grew stronger each year ! While working, thinking of planning a free & easy visit to London, Paris, Vienna, Moscow, New York, Washington, Toronto, Tokyo, Istanbul, Rome, Berlin, Cairo, Dubai, Damascus, New Delhi, Beijing & Shanghai (KM was too ambitious then & I believe visiting these cities is almost every traveller's dream, I supposed), it was just a fantasy dream as work & family came first, every saving counts & overseas holidays were deemed secondary & always placed in a back seat (a case in point for me but others maybe more fortunate & were able to roam & see the world at their own free will & resources) ! But dream does not have an expiry date so I went ahead to chase these dreams at my own will and pace & visited these famous cities of the world mostly during the 1st Tenth phase of my traveling LIFE after retirement ! There were envies in me each time I read about a traveller's tale to a fascinating country in far east or wild wild west or following the ancient Silk Road trails from Xian, China to Central Asia & India ! But don't be envious, be inspired instead ! Just move on & be passionate about what you intend to do in travelling, you reap what you sow & the world is your oyster if you put in initiatives, efforts & plan well to pursue them !
I like to quote these few verses from a popular song entitled "All my LIFE is a Circle " which I enjoy listening most, serving as a reminder that time flies, season comes & go. So value your time & LIFE making them memorable as much as possible during your "Golden" years, season after season, year after year from now on .... !
" All my Life's a circle; But I can't tell you why; Season's spinning round again; The years keep rollin' by.
It seems like I've been before; I can't remember when; But I have this funny feeling; That we'll all be together again.
No straight lines make up my LIFE; And all my roads have bends; There's no clear-cut beginnings; And so far no dead-ends "
This moving song reflects the reality of our LIFE that there is no straight lines make up one's LIFE, there are always twists & turns in our life including travelling. LIFE is a mix of all different kind of experiences, Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Spicy & Salty & that one must be prepared for whatever LIFE tosses at you in the coming years ! How sweet, how bitter or how spicy of your LIFE thus far, this varies from one person to another !
Face to Face in a new city or country; Season after Season & my most preferred season for traveling is Spring; Year after Year of travelling, thriving to complete the 12 year Chinese Zodiac animals starting from Rat to Pig (I was born in a Tiger year in 1950 & this year 2023 is a Rabbit year ! If you are a Rabbit year person & being a "hoppy" creature, hopefully 2023 will end up the best year in travelling for you ie "hop" along well from one country to another !). Such was the nature of my LIFE over the last 17 years after retirement. Here are the trips I mainly orchestrated in my first One Tenth (2006 > 2015) of my retirement life but for the second One Tenth (2016 > 2023 + 3 more years yet to come) of my travelling LIFE, I am grateful to all my travel buddies including my wife for their keen interest, support & company providing me a renewed opportunity to re-visit the cities & countries a decade ago with a new perspective & down the memory lane one more time !
Here goes my story of One Tenth & Two Tenths I like to relate in this post in my travel blog - My travelling to overseas countries from 2006 > 2016 (1st Tenth phase of my life after retirement) & re-visits (not orchestrated but realised with my travel buddies whom I enjoyed accompanying) to the same city or country during my 2nd Tenth phase of my LIFE ! Thanks to my strong passion, sustainable interest, open mindedness & a healthy body without which I might not able to "roam" the world I yearn to see & experience with my younger travel buddies ! Keep it up, KM as you had done well so far in the world of travelling & another 3 more years till 2026 to complete the Two Tenths of your LIFE after retirement in 2006 - a noble mission about to accomplish but hopefully I can still prod along to nearby countries for a few more years before hanging up my "Timberland" walking shoes !
Following are memorable pictures taken when I was a "young" retiree graduating to a "golden year" traveler in my 1st Tenth Year of visits & 2nd Tenth Year of re-visits of cities & countries after my retirement in May 2006 ! A total of 6 re-visits worth mentioning here, reminiscing my good old days strolling in Ximending Pedestrian Area of Taipei (Taiwan 2004), Hoen Kiem Lake area of Hanoi (Vietnam 2007), Malioboro street of Yogojarkata (Indonesia 2009), Angor Wat of Siem Reap (Cambodia 2006), Istikal street of Istanbul (Turkyie 2008) & Paharganj of New Delhi (India 2007) & in recent months re-visited Orchard Road of Singapore (Oct 2022) & Yaowarat Road of Bangkok, Thailand (Nov 2022) ! Needless to say, in every free & easy visit to a new city or country, there are always anxieties, expectations & a mix of different kinds of experiences like the 5 fundamental tastes found in food ie Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Spicy & Salty that go into it. How sweet, how bitter & how spicy is your 1st visit & re-visits, only you yourself could describe & tell a story about it !
In closing, in all my 17 years of intermittent travelling (May 2006 > June 2023 despite the Covid years of 2020 > 2022), I am immensely grateful to my family members in particular my wife & siblings not to forget my travel buddies (all were unknown to me but by chance we got to know each other & a bond of friendship flourished from then on) who had one way or another gave me a "lift" & became a close partner in my travelling LIFE after retirement ! Travelling makes the heart grow fonder so KM, continues your passion & travel more to keep your heart hearty, healthy & happy !
1) Taipei, Taiwan visits (Dec 2004 before retirement in May 2006 & March 2024, a lapse of 20 years !)
Dec 2004 (Taipei, Jiufen, Yehliu Geopark, Tai Chung & Kaohsiung) - a family affair's package tour with my wife, siblings, brother Yuen & sister Mei, mother & father in law's family members (totalled 10 members) on a round the Taiwan island visit covering Taipei (I could still remember my walkabout in Ximending & Shilin Night Market on a miserable wet evening in Dec 2004 !), Jiu Fen, Tai Chung, Kaohsiung & Hualien, my 1st visit to Taiwan, filled with excitement & curiosity & after a lapse of 20 years, my wife & myself showed up again in this modern Taiwan (once upon a time called Formosa in 1895) focusing on places which we missed visiting in 2004 !
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Yehliu Geopark, Wanli, New Taipei
Taiwan (2004) |
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| Jiu Fen, Taiwan |
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| Tarogo Gorge, Hualien, Taiwan |
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| Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
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| Fo Guang Shan, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
March 2024 - made a re-visit (a lapse of 20 years !) to a modern day Taiwan with my wife together with 2 of my travel buddies (Thompson & spouse) but this time on a 20 days free & easy visit (at age 74) covering more cities / villages / country towns in Taiwan ie Taipei, Ruifen, Houtong, Jiufen, Shifen, Pingxi, Keelung, Tai Chung, Nantou County, Chiayi, Tainan & Kaohsiung; fulfilling my belated dreams of seeing Yangmingshan, Beitou Hot Springs, Sun Moon Lake, Yehliu Geopark (re-visiting), Alishan National Forest Recreation Area & Taipei city in greater depth !
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| Taipei, Taiwan (2024) |
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| Ruifang, Taiwan |
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| Houtong, Taiwan |
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| Shifen, Taiwan |
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| Pingxi, Taiwan |
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| Jiu fen, Taiwan |
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Keelung, Taiwan
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Yehliu Geopark, Wanli
New Taipei, Taiwan |
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| Sun Moon Lake, Nantou County, Taiwan |
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| Qingjing Farm, Nantou County, Taiwan |
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| Taichung, Taiwan |
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Alishan National Recreation Area
Chiayi, Taiwan |
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| Fo Guan Shan, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
2) Hanoi, Vietnam visits (May 2007 & Feb 2023, a lapse of 16 years !)
" It seems like I've been before, I can't remember when; But I got this funny feeling, that we'll be back once again " - the foregoing verses from the Harry Chapin's song "Circle" stirs up emotions & gives me fond memories of my 2 visits to Hanoi (one in May 2007 & the most recent one in Feb 2023) I am so glad to be able to make a return visit to Hanoi, Vietnam after a lapse of 16 years !
May 2007 Hanoi, Vietnam - my 1st visit (free & easy) with two of my younger brothers in May 2007, also visited Halong Bay & Catba Island, I enjoyed my time in Hoan Kiem lake area & vowed that I would one day set foot again in this scenic lake - it was a wishful thinking that time but I made it & showed up again together with my wife after a lapse of 16 years, shouting Good Morning, Vietnam as soon as I landed in Hanoi Airport !
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| Hanoi, Vietnam (2007) |
My travel buddies (2007): my younger brother Yuen & Kheong
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| Hanoi, Vietnam |
Feb 2023 Hanoi, Vietnam - re-visited (free & easy) together with my wife (her 1st visit to Vietnam) & 3 others of my travel buddies (KF Wong, Thompson Tham & wife) in Feb 2023 (a lapse of 16 years), also visited SAPA, Lao Cai, Haiphong, Tam Coc / Ninh Binh, Hue, Danang & Hoi Ann.
" A lapse of 16 winter seasons, my perception of downtown Hanoi is still the Hanoi of 2007, narrow streets, street crossing is still a major challenge, iconic landmarks & touristy places spruced up & more appealing, locals enjoying a beer or a pho noodle sitting on a low stool, the Beer street forever young at night, Vietnamese sandwich (Banh mi) for breakfast, lunch, dinner & supper if you do not mind, signs of Vietnam's economy heading towards more prosperity, I am still the same KM looking at the pictures of 2007 & 2023 but I have more grey years due to my PHD (permanent head damage) in travelling ! "
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| Hanoi, Vietnam (2023) |
My travel buddies (2023): my wife, KF Wong & Thompson Tham & spouse.
2) Yogyakarta, Indonesia visits (Feb 2009 & May 2023, a lapse of 14 years !)
Feb 2009 Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia - visited in 2009 together with my travel buddy (Ng) from my neighbourhood Subang Jaya, also visited Solo or Surakarta, Borobudur & Prambanan Temple & Dieng Plateau; I stayed for 4 nights in a budget hotel nearby the famous Malioboro street in Yogyakarta; Malioboro of 2023 is more bustling & presentable, no longer the same as what I had seen in 2009, a lapse of 14 years ! Selamat Datang (Welcome back, KM) !
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Malioboro of 2009, Yogyakarta
Java, Indonesia |
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Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Background is Mt Merapi |
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| Keraton Yogyakarta, Indonesia |
May 2023 Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia - re-visited in May 2023 (after a lapse of 14 years), also visited Surabaya, Semarang, Malang, Batu & Probolinggo, Java; as soon as I arrived in Yoyga & after a dinner, both my travel buddy & myself hailed a Grab & headed to Malioboro for an evening walk, Malioboro is alive again since my last visit in 2009 ! Interesting to see that the popular horse carriage rides are still in business after a decade of appearance in Yogya !
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Malioboro by Night (2023)
Java, Indonesia |
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Horse carriage ride, Yogyakarta
Java, Indonesia |
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| Taman Sari, Yogyakarta, Indonesia |
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| Malioboro, Yogyakarta, Indonesia |
My travel buddy (2023): Thompson Tham, Kuala Lumpur
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Keraton Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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3) Angor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia visits (Oct 2006 & Feb 2018, a lapse of 12 years !)
Oct 2006 Siem Reap, Cambodia - visited (free & easy) in Oct 2006 together with my younger brother Yuen; visited Angor Wat & Tole Sap Lake; Angor Wat was in my bucket list of visit so I just showed up & admired this UNESCO awesome heritage site in Cambodia !
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Angor Wat, Siem Reap
Cambodia (2006) |
My travel Buddy (2006): my younger brother Yuen
Feb 2018 Siem Reap, Cambodia - a re-visit in 2018 (a lapse of 12 years) together with 3 of my Klang buddies, Wong, Boon & Teh; the old charm of Angor Wat, Mother of All Temples has been well maintained & retained except a steep rise in entrance fee (US$37 for a Angkor Day Pass) but overseas tourists & visitors keep coming to see this amazing Angor Wat ! Not to forget my happy hours with my travel buddies enjoying a cool beer & savouring the local Cambodian food in the Pub street of Siem Reap after a long day of merry go round tuk tuk fun ride admiring the Angor Wat - a must see !
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Angor Wat, Siem Reap
Cambodia (2018) |
My Travel buddies (2018): Wong, Boon, Teh from Klang Selangor
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| Angor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia |
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Pub Street, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Wong & Boon (Brothers) |
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| KM & Boon |
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| KM, Wong & Teh |
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| KM, Wong & Teh |
4) Istanbul, Ephesus, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Troy, Turkiye visits (Sept 2008 & Nov 2018, a lapse of 10 years !)
Sept 2008 Istanbul, Ephesus, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Turkey - my solo free & easy visit to Turkey in Sept 2008, also visited Bodrum & Selcuk; a country rich in history & beautiful landscape, a side visit (solo) to this country (half Asia half Europe) together with my first time visit to Egypt (Pyramid), Syria (Damascus) & Jordan (Petra) - KM was too ambitious then but nothing venture nothing gain ! I scored some brownie points in this visit !
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| Cappadocia, Turkey (2008) |
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| Pamukkale, Turkey |
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| Bodrum, Turkey |
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Kaymakli Underground Town
Cappadocia, Turkey |
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| Troy, Canakkale, Turkey |
Nov 2018 Istanbul, Ephesus, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Troy, Turkiye - re-visited together with my wife in Nov 2018 & my wife's sister (Soon Hoh) & husband (William Boey), a lapse of 10 years, also visited Antara & Bolu; a down the memory lane visit to Istikar street, Istanbul, no more roasted turkey but the country name is now called Turkiye !
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| Istikar Street, Istanbul, Turkiye |
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| Hagia Sophia, Turkiye (2018) |
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| Bosphorus Cruise, Turkiye |
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| Tokapi Palace, Turkiye |
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| Grand Bazaar, Turkiye |
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| Antara, Turkiye |
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| Troy, Canakkale, Turkiye |
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| Salt Lake, Turkiye |
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| Ephesus, Turkiye |
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| Cappadocia, Turkiye |
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| Pamukkale, Turkiye |
5) New Delhi & Agra, India visits (July 2007 & Nov 2018, a lapse of 11 years !)
July 2007 New Delhi & Agra, India - my 1st visit to India in July 2007 together with 7 of the Hospitality Club members from India, USA, Canada, Spain, Germany & Ireland, also visited Jaipur, Manali, Simla, Macleod Ganj, Kashmir, Leh / Ladakh & Pangong Tso Lake, had an interesting stay in Paharganj area & witnessed the daily life of locals in this densely populated city of the world !
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| Paharganj, New Delhi, India |
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Jama Masjid, New Delhi
India (2007) |
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| Taj Mahal, Agra, India |
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| Jantar Manta, Jaipur, India |
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| Amber Palace, Jaipur, India |
My travel buddies (2007):
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Ladakh, India. Hospitality Club members
from India, USA & Canada |
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House Boat, Dal Lake, Kashmir, India
Hospitality Club Members from
Spain, Portugal & Germany
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Nov 2018 New Delhi & Agra, India - revisited in Nov 2018 (a lapse of 11 years) together with my travel buddies, Lam (Singapore) KC & Lana from Subang Jaya & Sarawak, also visited Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Patna, Hajipur, Nalanda, Lucknow & Amritsar; as usual, Paharganj is always full of people, this time the whitening marble Tai Mahal looked more magnificent & elegant, India is still the "Incredible" India of yesteryears, that's the reason for my strong interest in re-visiting this fascination country having one of the oldest civilisations in the world !
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| Paharganj, New Delhi, India |
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| India Gate, New Delhi, India (2018) |
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| Red Fort, New Delhi, India |
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| Dilli Haat Bazaar, New Delhi, India |
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| Parliament House, New Delhi, India |
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| Taj Mahal, Agra, India |
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| Agra Fort, Agra, India |
My travel buddies (2018): Lam (Singapore), KC (Subang Jaya) & Lana (Sarawak)
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Lotus Temple, New Delhi
KM, Lam & KC |
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Jama Masjid, New Delhi
KM, Lam, & KC |
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Red Fort, New Delhi
Lana |
