Graduation trip to Inner Mongolia

Like each and every excited bunch of graduates in the last year of university, me and my friends decided to embark on a journey of our own, aka the once in a lifetime Graduation Trip. There was a slight debate on where to go initially, and we finally came to a conclusion to go to an exotic and uncommon place that would hold dear memories - Inner Mongolia, China and an en route to Beijing.

So, a brief introduction to Inner Mongolia: it belongs to China and is situated in the far north, just above Beijing. It spans for around 1.18 million km² and is the second largest provincial level region in China. I get that people are sometimes confused between Mongolia and Inner Mongolia; apparently they are two different countries. Inner Mongolia is famous for their beautiful Hulunbeir grasslands and sandy dunes (but we didn’t go to the desert on this trip), and we were especially excited to experience living in traditional Mongolian yurts.

Another thing to take note is that the best time to travel there is probably summer time (June - September). The weather is relatively warmer around that time so it would be best for sightseeing. It is also advisable to bring some long-sleeved clothing due to the large temperature variation between day and night.

How to reach Inner Mongolia?

Just a random view while travelling from Beijing - Halar

As there is no direct flight from Singapore to Inner Mongolia, we first booked return tickets for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) departing from Singapore - Kuala Lumpur - Beijing. From Beijing, we then booked a domestic flight from Air China (中国国际航空), departing from Beijing International Airport to Hailar Dongshan Airport (HLD).

Total cost of air tickets:

1. Return tickets for Malaysia Airlines (SG - KL - Beijing): S$398.70/person

2. One way ticket for 中国国际航空 (Beijing - HDL): S$288.30/person

Do you need Visa?

Yes for Malaysians or all other nationalities who needs Visa for travelling into China. We applied for One Time Entry Visa for SGD90 in Singapore. Rates change every now and then so please do your surveys beforehand.

Tour Guide

Our cool-looking tour guide 于哥 in the far right.

Mr. Yu Yong Fu (or we call him Yu Ge 于哥) is an experienced self-employed tour guide and was an excellent companion and photographer (his photography skills are awesome and he has his own set of DSLR cameras that he brings along the way) for entire journey. I must say, he is one of the best tour guides I have ever met.

Mr. Yu has actually written his own detailed itinerary in Chinese, so those who are interested can visit this link: https://www.meipian.cn/a66r5m7?from=message&isappinstalled=0

Our full tour (inclusive of travel and accommodation) was a total of RMB6000 for the total of 6 of us. This equals to around SGD200 per person for the entire trip. For current prices and enquiries on availability etc., you can go to the above link and contact Mr. Yu via WeChat, which he has provided in the webpage.

Itinerary adapted from our tour guide：

I shall use picture story method to make it easier to browse:

Day 1: Hailar→金帐汗→穿越草原→亚洲湿地→额尔古纳入住。

Traditional Mongolian Yurts along the way.

Breathtaking view from 金帐汗

Lots of sheeps and cows and horses along the way. 

We brought along our graduation robes along for this trip, and had a mini photoshoot on the grasslands. It looked like those classic Windows XP desktop wallpaper, no joke. 😂

One of my favourite group photos in Hulunbeir, Inner Mongolia. Many thanks to our tour guide for helping us to take this photo. 

Delicious mutton steamboat on the very first day.

We were very satisfied with the accommodation as all the hotels were clean and tidy. Given the price we paid for the tour, it was very worth the money.

Day 2: 额尔古纳→敖鲁古雅使鹿部落→得耳布尔→龙岩山→莫尔道嘎入住。

We came to get close with animals at 敖鲁古雅使鹿部落 but the big adult deers weren't that friendly.

So I got friendly with the kids. Here's a 2 months old baby deer and me <3

Trying hard to find a balance in life.

I just like this photo. So many feels.

Mr. Tour Guide insisted on bringing us here because apparently he loves these flowers. They have a name but I'm not a fan of plants and botanical stuff so their names don't resonate well with my memory. Nevertheless they're pretty haha 

Hotel on the second day was nice and clean too.

Day 3:莫尔道嘎→太平村→老鹰嘴→月亮泡子→临江入住。

Concentrate. Keep going in Moerdaoga National Forest Park.

Can you spot the eagle's beak?

Argun River. Borderlines of Russia is in plain sight. Super majestic.

Another really pretty wooden cottage like hotel. Thumbs up!

Day 4:临江→室韦口岸→9.8.7.卡线→恩和→入住。

Outside Hawu'erhe Scenic Area

I found my street here in Inner Mongolia. Seems like Anna is a Russian common name.

Right across the river were the borders of Russia. Was really excited about it for some reason.

This group pattern more than badminton, LOL Took on some random bridge.

How the villages looks like in the evening.

Day 5:恩和→白桦林→黑山头（骑马，看日落，草原篝火晚会）入住黑山头。

Group photo in Hulunbuir Prairie

Overlooking the Argun River.

Love the experience of riding horses on the grasslands! P.S. Horse-riding activities are not included in the tour package so we paid extra for this experience. 

Our one and only night staying in Mongolian Yurt. We were completely disconnected from the outside world with no Wi-Fi, but it was a pleasant experience. Billions of stars could be seen at night just outside our tent and it was amazing. 

Literally staying on the grasslands. You could ignore my feet.

In case you wanted to take a look of how the inside of the tent looks like. It's actually very modernised and consists of an attached bathroom (but withour doors), and the facilities are well equipped. 

Day 6:黑山头→彩带河→巴尔虎原→猛犸象公园→国门→套娃广场→满洲里入住（夜游满洲里）。

We visited a traditional Mongolian Yurt.

Traditional Mongolian snacks and yoghurt. I really liked the original flavoured yoghurt and they claim it is made from fresh milk with no added preservatives. Healthy huh.

Another favourite part of the trip was to be able to try on their traditional Mongolian costumes. All complete with headgear and everything. It comes with extra charges though.

Don't we look like we came from some Chinese drama like 还珠格格？

After that, it was time to leave the beloved Hulunbeir grasslands and proceed on to Manzhouli, another city which borders Russia. 

Our first stop when we arrived at Manzhouli was to have some authentic Russian food.

More food.

Outside Manzhouli Matryoshka Square. We didn't get to go in because they were closed for renovation. But it was really pretty from the outside.

Majestic ancient mammoth and saber-toothed tigers' sculptures in Mammoth Park, Manzhouli.

D7:满洲里→呼伦湖→陈旗草原→海拉尔结束愉快的旅行。

Hulun Lake.

青春无敌 😚 In our last place of stay in Inner Mongolia.

And finally, that's the end of our 7 days trip in Inner Mongolia. We continued on our graduation trip to Beijing via train, but that's another story. 😜

Budget wise, total expenditure for Inner Mongolia rounds up to around SGD1100 inclusive of flight tickets + private tour package + personal expenses. The most expensive part was the flight tickets, so if you could grab a deal that is cheaper, then you could probably save more.

Overall, I really loved the trip as it was one of the most memorable ones in my life. And huge thanks to my fellow travel mates who have came together and made this happen. May everyone strive well in their future careers and life. Cheers!

Final group photo for our 飘向北方 group. YOLO ✌

Don't you ever feel like you're nothing.

I have huge insecurities. I am easily affected by other's opinions. I am too cautious and I'm afraid to take risks. I hate to have conflicts. But girl you should be strong and accept yourself for who you really are. 

Pretty pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel 

Like you're less than fucking perfect

Pretty pretty please, if you ever, ever feel

Like you're nothing, 

You're fucking perfect to me. 

Heard a friend singing this song online via Instagram one day and something in the lyrics touched my heart. That's something I should tell myself every time I feel less than perfect.

近况

清晨5点，翻来翻去睡不着。
这几个月，或者说是这几年来发生了太多太多事，有好的，有坏的，连我自己一时也难以消化。
我想，20几岁这个年龄以后的时间大概会过得比火车速度还要块吧，而这些时间在我们不知不觉中悄悄流逝。
一去不复返地，留下来的除了岁月印留在脸上的细纹，希望还有那么一点让人成熟，让人成长的人生经历。
很惊讶，就在时光飞逝饿一瞬间，22岁这一年，我毕业了，找到人生第一份工作了，结束一段感情了，和大学同党毕业旅行了，重新认识自己了，慢慢成长了。
可我也很害怕，这个年龄的我好像太年轻。现在做的一切是因为要迎合世俗的眼光而做的还是内心其实想要的，都还没搞懂。迷茫的同时又觉得不能浪费宝贵的时间，所以这是走在雾茫茫的道路上瞎走吗？我不知道。
也许是害怕成为大人了吧，大人的世界如此复杂，但你在不想参与这乱糟糟的世界的同时，你的年龄已慢慢将你送入成年人的阶段。也许当初的单纯烂漫也会一点一点被社会现实磨损，但愿我们都能保持赤子之心。

曾看过一段文字：

现在还不知道自己要什么不要紧，重要的是知道自己不要什么。

这句话事业也好，感情也好，都能拿来做参考吧。
对于感情，我们喜欢说，我喜欢你，好像我一定会喜欢你一样，好像我出生后就为了等你一样，好像我无论牵挂谁，思念都将坠落在你身边一样。总有一秒你希望永远停滞，哪怕之后的一生就此消除，从此你们定格成一张相片，两场生命组合成相框，漂浮在蓝色的海洋里。纪念青春里的乘客，和没有返程的旅行。

谢谢你从我的全世界路过。

你最終要尋回的，是最初的自己

近來開始10個禮拜的實習生活，而這也意味著即將離開學校邁入社會的初步階段。

很多人在求學時一直想要快點畢業出來賺錢，卻不知工作的人們是多麽向往求學的時光。那是因爲當時候的自己不需要對自己的人生有太多的責任，但可惜的是教科書裡不會教你如何出社會生存，在畢業的那一天，我們驟然的被丟進社會的洪流裡，有人選擇無畏地衝撞，直到遍體鱗傷；有的人選擇戴上面具換裝自保，但最後往往演戲成精，變成迷失在人生裡的無臉男，失去了所有，僅憑慾望與寂寞驅使走向無盡深淵。

來説說我最愛的一部卡通，宮崎駿的《千與千尋》講述誤入神仙湯屋的少女千尋，如何找到回家的路。我們以為這是動畫世界的奇幻故事，殊不知社會如同修羅場，一旦踏入，不是剛強易折就是改弦易轍。漸漸地，我們都變了模樣，成為湯屋中的打雜的小千，或遺忘作為河神記憶的白龍。千尋雖然是故事裡的人物，但在現實中打滾拖磨的你，不要忘記最初自己的，行有餘力，還能用心中藏著悲憫和溫柔，喚醒身邊迷失的同伴。生活是一灘淺淺的水，但我們往往溺死在其中。

給每一個忘記名字的人:

你離開了故鄉，就戴上了面具，也許不能像學生時期吵吵鬧鬧，必須諂媚奉獻給險惡的社會，直到我們把每一個面具揉和在心中時，自己卻騙了自己。忘記了自己的名字，忘記了自己的初衷，連那一點點怯懦都要掩飾的不痛不癢，直到痲痹，永生帶著不屬於自己的自己過活。

做自己很難，在這千瘡百孔的社會裡要披上一層假象的皮卻很簡單，只是披久演久你會上癮，但在成癮之前，想想最初的那個自己。

當然也有人會意識到失去自我的那瞬間，就像千與千尋如此的隱喻，名字雖然是別人給予的，但對我來說其中的涵意便是你掛著這個名字活過的歲月，中間也許你會換過姓氏，但並不會改變本身成長的過程與靈魂本質，我們最該害怕的是，當這些都已經不是自己時，你就變成了千，被「社會」這個湯婆婆剝奪了原本應有的部分，忘記自己原本的樣子奔波勞碌。

裡面最扣人心弦的當然是千尋與白龍之間的情感，但對我來說白龍並不只是「情愛」的象徵，而是那些不斷提醒你需要保有「自我」的存在。

「其實當發現你變成了千尋，你才會發現好多人都是白龍。」

愛，並不只是存在於形式上，而是環環相扣的關係，嚴格來說我們同時都是千尋與白龍，在體醒別人同時尋回自己，至少這樣子想，我們多少都能比較不孤單點。這時回過來看社會，它的確是無盡慾望與迷路的熔爐，又或是多元文化的集散地，但當你自己已經意識到「保有自我」這件事時，社會就不會那麼面目可憎，我們只需要溫柔的去提醒其他仍然在迷路的千尋、白龍、甚至是無臉男，一切都會回歸到最原始的樣子，只存在著溫柔的世界。

只是這說起來很簡單，做起來還真的是很難，光是保有自己這件事就可以有好幾種說法，有些人選擇武裝的保有，有些人用逃避來保有，但對我來說，不斷的去面對世界給予你的難題，並且勇敢的解開之後，再輕輕的將這些回饋給你身旁所愛。

「有些人會認為做自己很自私，但如果你真的做好了自己而回饋他人時，你就是美好的化身。」

人世間所有的苦難都被社會包裝成令人垂涎三尺的餐點，你一個不小心便會貪食淪為畜道，只是面對誘惑時若還能保有自我那純粹的樣子，我相信你會懂得拒絕這些，就像千尋拒絕無臉男那般。

自我延伸的愛與柔軟，早就已經保存在我們體內，只是在眾多誘惑下該如何取捨，貪與不貪之間眾說紛紜。但自己存在的意義只有自己能夠賦予，那這些便是從艱難的生活裡萃取出來的點滴，終究會凝結成完整的靈魂。

也許我們都該慶幸自己正成為千，或是已經變回千尋，而生活裡有著白龍與湯婆婆跟無臉男，都與我們無關，在保有自我的時候，這些並不會影響你任何事，甚至於說你有能力去感染周遭。

「感謝人生裡的無常，而你尋回你名字裡所有的過往與成果，都將築成一艘不會沉的船，儘管地面會因為下雨成海，你依然能夠在現實與幻想中駛去自如。」

最後，感謝 張宀的文字，讓我領悟了許多，也希望他的文字能夠對於以後欲沉淪的我有所幫助。

Sometimes, You Just Have To Love Yourself

I think what everyone is asking for in this inconstant and inconsistent world is assurance; to be sure in something somehow, to be sure about someone, to know for sure that someone will fall and rise with them.

Some, if not most, people are choosing to stay with people who keep on lying to their faces, partners who keep on hurting them physically and emotionally. It’s not like they don’t have a choice, believe me, they do, but they fear for the surprises after the change that they are about to make. The saying, “change is the only permanent thing in the world,” is yes, cliché, but most definitely what this world is all about. There is no assurance that they will be okay if they decided to let go of the things that are continuously hurting them.

We all crave for the love we give; we all thirst for the attention we offer; we all want someone to take care of us, someone who’ll handle our fragile souls with care. We all want someone who’ll look at us the way Brad Pitt looks Angelina Jolie, even if we don’t have the natural lips she has. We all want someone who’ll be sure about us, no doubts, no lies, and no second thoughts.

We all want a Bonnie to our Clyde, a Romeo to our Juliet; we all want someone who’ll stay and stick with us through good and bad times. We all are praying for someone who’ll fight for the love they feel for us. We all want to be safe. Because after all, who wants to feel pain?

But you see, the only people capable of giving us assurance are ourselves. You cannot expect something from someone and then get hurt when he did not do what it was you thought he would do for you. We are living in an era where there are only two types of people in the world: foolish, and trickster. Whatever angle you please to see it, one will use one for his own good. But you cannot complain if you ever get hurt, it was your choice, it was your decision, it was all you.

In this world, we need to stand for ourselves, we need to assure ourselves, we need to be our own kind of the knight in shining armor we all are waiting for. We need to be the damsel in distress for ourselves. For some people will always value their selves more than they value anyone else.

We all crave for a selfless type of love, we all want someone to stay, to accept, and to love the beast within us. We need to be that person to give that kind of love to ourselves. People are afraid to get hurt, so they will hurt you first before you can even touch them.

But see, nobody is capable of giving you the assurance you are looking for in this inconsistent world, for it will only be you who can protect yourself, it will only be you who can choose who to trust, who to hold promises on to. You cannot blame someone for the emotional feel you are going through, you chose to trust him, to expect, to assume. You have the same amount of responsibility of putting yourself in your position with the person you are accusing of such doing.

So stand up, be brave, and be your own knight in shining armor to save your damsel self in distress. Go slay your own dragons. 

Credits to Thought Catalog for these words and inspirations.

The Truth That You Leave

一直覺得很幸運，在我的少女時代里，曾有個人一直在我身邊，與我分享每一天的喜怒哀樂，每一天的新發現，大事小事都會相互信息，那幾年的每一天都變成了習慣。

記得你分享的每一首歌曲，也記得你把宮崎駿那麽棒的經典帶到我的世界裏。記得你每天到樂室很勤奮的練習，你説你想自學鋼琴，很努力很努力地學習。當然，你很有天分，笙，大提琴，揚琴，琵琶，鋼琴你樣樣摸得透，放學后在樂室里和朋友們一同合奏自己喜愛的曲子，那是多麽愉快的時光。你在我想退出這個團體的時候勸我勤奮練習，然後幫助我這個拍子永遠抓不准的人找到拍子，幫我抓音準，邀我每天一起練習。

還記得我們曾經都很喜愛的九把刀作品，常常會互相借閲，然後分享裏頭故事情節。印象很深刻的是第一本向你借閱的書，不是那種純情《那些年我們一起追的女孩》，而是九把刀《樓下的房客》，故事也有夠變態的。

從認識那年起，每年生日你一定是第一時間祝賀我的人，真的很感謝每天10點就要睡覺的早睡寶寶會特地挨到12點位的就是祝你一個生日快樂。也很感謝15歲的那份禮物，我一直收藏在床頭，至今也有6年了吧。我一直承諾說會回送生日禮物，但一直沒機會，真的現在想起來還是有點虧欠，就連你要離開去升學的時候也沒有給你好好送行。記得你説你在咖啡店打工，本來要約請喝咖啡，但由於種種因素沒能赴約，真的不太好意思呢。

人與人有聊不完的話真的好難，但那幾年有這麽一個人在身邊挺好的。身邊好朋友也會好奇地問“你們到底每天有那麽多話題聊嗎？” 哈哈 我也不清楚，反正就是習慣，習慣有事沒事地都跟你傾訴。其實喜歡的東西，眼光都很相似，話自然就多了，不是嗎？

很久以后，我們少聯絡了，上了大學都有各自的世界，我有我的生活，你有你的忙碌，我們不再每年的生日爲彼此第一時間送上祝福，不再每天噓寒問暖，不再有時間湊在一起討論一些天馬行空的事了。很開心去交換一個學期的時候還有機會約出來見個面，一樣有聊不完的話，一樣能夠很自然地討論彼此的生活。啊，還很驚訝一見面的時候發現鞋子竟然也一樣，都是同一款。哈哈哈 還真是眼光一致呢。不知道下次見面會是什麽時候，説了再見也不知道何時會再見，嗯，不過大家過得安好就好。

記得你介紹這首歌，而且還印了鋼琴譜，你曾承諾過學好這首歌后，會教我，然後彈給我聽，不過我想這是不可能了。不過話説回來，很多以前的承諾也都沒實現，那就當讓它成爲過往的遺憾吧。

很久以前看過網上一段話，做不成男女朋友，做個特別的朋友，有什麽不好呢？

每個人這輩子， 心中都有過這么一個特別的朋友， 很矛盾的行為。 一開始可能不甘心只做朋友的， 但久了，突然發現這樣最好。 寧願這樣關心對方的心情， 總好過彼此生活在一起受傷害。

那是一段最純真的時光，有你在，就是我的小幸運。