Travel, Portugal

One fantastic thing that travel does to you is to free you from your comfort circle and your old self. I feel most at ease speaking to strangers then, who of course no longer feel like strangers... since now the whole world is your home, and all its peoples your family. So it came to be that in Guimaries, the birthplace of Portugal, I got to meet Atty and Hieke from the Netherlands, who brought me licorice, Dutch pancakes and good company :)

We explored Guilmaries, a quaint medieval castle town, as well as nearby Braga. There we crashed a regal church wedding and listened to riveting, melodious choir music... till humorless guards chased us out. Crap. And then off we were to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal!

I find that it always makes things easier traveling when you have someone who speaks the local tongue. But we can't all travel with some hyperpolyglot! My favourite solution: just keep looking till you find that person :) In this case, Joao, a brazilian named after John Paul the Second, fell right into our lap. Speaking Portuguese fluently, he led us through the town and introduced us to some cultural tidbits: Brazil's history with Portugal, (in)famous kings and rulers, 5-years-old tuna, fava beans and famous salted codfish. We ventured to a meaningful district, Belem, where we tasted the Original Portuguese eggtarts (Pasteis de Belem), and refind the excitement of the Age of Discoveries, where luminaries like Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama paved the way for the New World... the Americas.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that my knowledge of European and American history and famous figures was essential for me to understand, appreciate and enjoy the sights and scenes all this while. Now where did i pick this up from? Not from school, where I hated history lessons. No, i have historical games like Colonization and Civilization to thank for teaching me about everything from the discovery of the New World, the European Wars, even cotton-growing, to wonders like the Colossus, the Sistine Chapel. These were perhaps the most educational games I have ever played. Games that make history come alive.

Anyway. At night, we had a most memorable meal of Dutch pancakes with bacon and cheese, and my very own veggie soup dish :p

The next day, I was already off to Barcelona. Sunny weather, beautiful beaches and FC Barca, here I come!

Leader, Portugal

On the spur of the moment, I borrowed some money, packed my bags and flew off to Porto, Portugal, where I started on a two weeks long trip across Portugal and Spain, right smack in the middle of the semester.

I arrived at twilight, and met with Carlos, who ran a chain of gaming hardware shops in Porto. I felt his kindness and considerate hospitality in no small way, and we talked freely, randomly I might add haha. Carlos had just started to host, and had not actually ventured to travel afar often. Yet I sensed his budding wanderlust and interest for travel, and expect him to come by SG in the future!

To me, the most astonishing thing about Carlos is that he is completely close pals and buddies with his employees. In my last night, I was introduced to them over dinner (which they had nicely treated me, a most memorable traditional northern Portuguese food Francesinha!) Miguel, Favio, Daniel, all colorful characters that I will have a hard time forgetting! It was so much fun talking to them, and picking up tidbits about Portugal along the way. We even played Texas Holdem poker at night, where I got eaten like a newborn lamb :p

Regardless, I wish to take away this simple principle of his: there is no more effective leadership than that which bonds your people with you. I remember vividly my experience in chairing Hall FOC, where I worked hard to forge my own leadership style. I later identified it to be servant leadership, when I saw how it resounded deeply with Pat Williams’ book The Paradox of Power. Yet I still have a long way to go, to bond so closely that there is no difference between the leader and the follower; only you and I.

I also meditated on the past times when I was led, both good and bad. The last time was traumatic, perhaps one of the worst experiences in my life; yet it enabled me to personally feel the effects of bad leadership, and to strengthen my resolve never to fall in these footsteps. I admittedly committed the same mistakes before, and I may have regretted it then but now I swear to myself: Never again. Never to alienate, to put down, to injure.

We all learn, and forge our own identities. I recognized myself to act at times like a driver type too, forceful yet tactless, or an analytical worker, methodical yet unassertive. Now I aim to abandon all rigidness, and to adapt my style to the situation, the cards in my hand. There are no bad cards, only bad players. And though everyone might know this principle and be able to spout it freely at the tip of their tongue, few ever internalize this truth of life in the way they think and act, or realize the full significance of its meaning.

When we played poker that night, I survived till the very end, then lost with my hand of cards and all my chips.

Well.

Not bad, for a start.

Pause

It is a silent, silvery night in Dubai, where I await my flight back to Singapore after having arrived here from Munich.

These past six fleeting months have been the most fruitful, growth-inspiring period in my life. I have scarcely a moment where I am not tormented, excited, stimulated by events, environment and the people around me. I will hopefully pen down my learning thoughts over my travel journals in my next entries, but it is hard to contain the rush of ideas, the recall of memories and experiences so alive they seemed to have happened yesterday.

It feels strange now, to reflect on my past self, a distant person, a blurry image of haphazard purpose and characteristics. At this moment, I have never felt more defined, as a person, a living thing. They say travel is a journey of self-discovery and exploration. For avid travelers, it might not be the most magnificent of stunning views that stimulates the mind, but rather the simplest of thoughts. Thoughts that inspire, thoughts that are inspired.

I guess, this is the path that I took in my exchange. I ventured, I sought new experiences and inspiration across Europe, deeply engaged in introspection and conversation with people from various cultures, various spheres of society. In return, I sacrificed many things which I deeply regret. I lacked the time to fully know and understand my newfound friends from all over the world. I lacked the commitment to pursue various computer science classes, which had finally began to interest me. I lacked the focus to truly develop a particular skillset, be it coding, socializing or leadership.

But I have grown, in a deeply meaningful way. And I pray to retain this modicum of wisdom in the journey of life ahead.