Napoli, I liiiiikkee you (Borat style)

1. Piazza Garibaldi
We were like a trio of zombies when we arrived at the airport, after having less than 2 hours of sleep (combined) the night before. We got on a coach and got caught in their daily struggle of bumper-to-bumper, so Aida thought it was clever to get off the coach and walk to Piazza Garibaldi. I thought, okay a little too early to complain.

So we started walking the streets of Napoli, towards the hotel, lugging our bags (some of us in our knee-highs boots - oy, the agony of looking good). I could have been told that I was in a derelict part of a 3rd world country and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The streets were dirty, and smelt funny and had lots of little creaks in them which my heels just loved getting stuck into. But I was still hopeful.

And within that brief walk alone, we survived a series of near-death experience. Oh boy, the trauma... of crossing the streets. (Refer to point #5 below).

We arrived at the hotel -unimpressed with the exterior. What with the graffitis on the wall and the ladies who lingered around, who looked as if they could be the prey of the Ipswich strangler. But as we stepped into the hotel, bellissimo! What it looked like from the outside did not do justice at all to what it was inside. I thought, I only paid that much and I got this? Not bad at all! But the first thing I asked reception was, 'Do you have internet?' That's my work-life balance being tipped off the scale right there.

2. Buona Sera!
I personally thought that people in Napoli were generally lovely. They were ever so willing to give directions and some tips and hints of their town. The Italianos were, how shall I say, very forward. I think Putri has a lot more to say about this. One time, a waiter in this restaurant just couldn't leave her alone. Seriously you two, get a room.

3. Pompeii
Imagine walking on the grounds which were once covered with twenty feet of ashes of the Vesuvius. And imagine actually having Vesuvius in sight and knowing that it could erupt anytime and that you could in centuries to come, be part of a breakthrough archaelogical finding. Altogether magnificent and humbling at the same time. Centuries old, but seems as if there are still many more stories unearthed and untold.

4. Spaghetti alle Vongole
I think we enjoyed our food and drinks too much that at all restaurants we went to, we were told to leave. It's either because we stayed past their closing time or there's a fire down the street (Read point #7). What started off as something polite, ended up with a waiter having to beg us to leave, "Please, help me." And he had to pick up our drinks and moved them to the bar next door. Hahahahaha.

5. Life as a pedestrian
In Naples, you are allowed to discard your basic rules when crossing the road. The whole 'look left, right and left again' concept can be forgotten. Survival tip: You just look ahead and if you're a bit on the crazy side, close your eyes and just cross. And don't ever hesitate. Because if you do, you'll never make it to the other side. Coz these cars, they never yield at the zebra crossings and they never slow down. So just walk ahead hoping that you'll make it to the other end just fine.

6. Quanto costa?
Shopping was awesome. Everything was cheap, well, in comparison. Putri bought the entire street of Piazza Municipio (via Toledo), that I heard some of the shops went out of business. No, really.

7. Miscellaneous

• Be careful in Naples, just in case there's a fire just down the street. And at any indication of fire such as thick smoke, and people running around with masks over their nose and mouth, take notice and then run to save your lives. We on the other hand, were far too engrossed in our food and naively thought that the smoke was from a burnt fish from the kitchen. Needless to say, we were forced to leave the restaurant. (Refer to point #4).
• Italiano pilots and policemen are hot!
• At a bar, we met a Mario and a Luigi, and I thought that was cute.
• Their statues have nice behinds.

I had fun in Naples, just what I needed. It was very niiiiicee (again, Borat style)!

back to the rudiments

Today I thought of the days when I was a child. Of that time when I was playing ‘Superman’ with my brother and by accident broke mom's flower vase. I said no word about it – I just hid the pieces in another bigger vase, thinking that that was the right thing to do. But that was before I learned of honesty.

And then I thought of many more moments when I was a child. Like birthday parties. I would bawl and cower at the sight of clowns, and would sit at the outer layer of the semi-circle so that I don't have to be close to that yellow-haired beanpole with that red nose. And because of that, I was never picked to pin the tail to that donkey, nor was I picked to throw in the 4th ball when he was already juggling three. But that was before I learned of being brave. And at my 6th birthday party, not only was there a clown, there were two!

And I remember the time when I asked my mom if she could draw ‘God’ for me on a piece of paper and got agitated when she said she couldn’t. That was before I learned of faith. And of that time when I would not eat broccolis or attend Taekwando on my own. That was before I learned of taking chances.

And I also remember the times when I wouldn't talk to that boy who was nick-named 'burn' and 'oven' for reasons which may be obvious to some. That was before I learned that the superficial doesn't matter. And of the times when I used to call my brother names (but he called me names first!) That was before I learned that you don't do/say mean things to the people you love.

20 years later and I'm all grown up. Things that have happened around me continue to escalate by bigger proportions and the challenges within it are of much bigger scale. Today, I am supposedly a lot wiser, stronger, more willing to take chances and...more of an adult. Or am I?

But why do I often catch myself in moments where I could have made better by dealing with them with a little sense of maturity. Like an adult. A lot of times, I screw things up because of my behaviour and rationale which are comparable to that of a typical 6-year old. I question/do/answer things with this pea of a brain. I make the same mistakes. I make uneducated opinions and question the idea of faith all over again.

On this day: I love my broccolis more than ever. Surely, my faith in Him is what keeps my head up high, but my faith in people and in many other things have diminished to shameful levels. When was the last time I really took a chance in life? All I do is play safe. When was the last time I braved through a difficult moment, without faltering? I am not always honest, I am still deluded by the superficial, and I still do/say mean things to those that I love. And truth be told, them clowns still send shivers down my spine.

So after all these years, did I ever learn?

I guess after all these years of growing up, there will always be a tad of immaturity left in me. No candles on a birthday cake or a pension fund can ever get rid of that. Right now, like a boisterous kid, I feel like running and screaming and crying and then sit down and stay only 5 inches from the TV. I want my mommy! =(