One Day in October

Life's a beach and then you die.

I never really thought I would write something morbid in my blog. After all, before recently, the last death in the family I could actually care to remember was that of my paternal grandfather. I was still in the early level of primary school back then (I was so young I can't even remember exactly what level). And then one day in October 2007, my mum got a call from my elder brother who was in Bangkok at the time, and I remember after the call had ended, my mum was in tears. I knew right away that things were never gonna be the same again.

A year later here I am, just a few days short of a week after my brother had passed away peacefully in our home from cancer. Sometimes I find myself wondering if there was anything I could have done differently to make him still alive today. But then again, perhaps this what God had designed for him.

So why am I rambling about my brother in my travel blog, you wonder? Well, first of all, my brother was only 16 months older than I was. Growing up, I was practically his shadow, and he was my inspiration. Whatever he did, I just had to do the same. I remember one day he showed me a piece of banknote from a foreign country and the next day I started collecting banknotes from all over the world (his collection was still better). When he started French course in high school, I couldn't wait to do the same so I could also parler français (by the time I finally began, he had already mastered his fifth language). And when he went to Europe on his own, he traveled around there for a good few months. I could only follow suit a few years later, for a fraction of the duration of his trip. At last count he'd been to six out of the world's seven continents while I'm still working on my fifth one. Bottom line is, I have to admit, when it comes to travel nobody had inspired me more than my brother.

I could write a long chapter or two on the subject of my brother but I think for now I'm just gonna share a poem I wrote in the loving memory of my brother (mind you, it's in no way an obituary - hell, I didn't even know what that is!). I'm not much of a poet myself, but then again, I couldn't help it when I had such an inspiring brother like him. (And if you think I didn't know how to spell "bitch", well, obviously you know now that I could. I just think that life feels more precious when you start seeing it from a full-glass perspective, don't you think? ;-))


To The Beloved Departed

Yes brother, you know you weren't like the rest of us
When I was one step ahead of the other
You were already two steps ahead of me

You sure had a way with words
When I was still grappling with my imparfait
You could already tell that I was your xiongdi and not your zimei

Tell me about all those exotic places please
That you described to me with the sparkles in your eyes
That others could only dream about

How about those cute puffins in the Føroyar
And the ostrich you took for a ride in a Cape farm
Or when Cuzco's height almost took your breath away

Remember the time you tried the real Finnish sauna
I bet it was better than being stuck in the middle of the Outback
Or having to wait for hours at a US airport

Shanghai was a favorite place for you I know
And how much you loved to be one of those happy-go-lucky Brazilians
But you don't need to tell me it was Bangkok where you'd left your heart

Farewell brother
You're in a way better place now
An ultimate destination
That one day you'll describe to me
With the sparkles in your eyes
That others could only dream about

(dedicated to Oui, 1973-2008)