You know when God says Proverbs 3:5-6, he really means it. I was hurt & dejected about how things were going with my friends in school and I kept asking God why, thinking that I brought this upon myself. God just have to scoop me up & tell me that “Nope my child! It is all my in plans, you just haven’t understood it yet.” You know I thought about questions like How will things be if I were with my original group? Isn’t this a little too good? Many a times I came to this conclusion “This is definitely not happening if I am still with the original group”. So, I really count them as blessings.
Scotland
I was supposed to be flying on the flight alone to Glasgow, Scotland. The original plan was to take a plane to London & take a 10 hours bus ride to Glasgow. A classmate (Deyang) happened to ask me if I was going close to the starting school date and he decided to take the same flight with me to London, but he takes a transit flight up to Glasgow instead of a bus. So, because my mode of transport is slower, he managed to have time to look around town & picked me up at Glasgow central, hence saving me the time to be lost & money, i guess.
In Scotland – on the 2nd day of arrival, in Glasgow City Center, we met this amazing retired mathematics lecturer , Ian which I now call Dad, from our current university (University of Glasgow). He first spoke to us because he was learning Mandarin. That meeting was a blessing. He then met us up, planned, paid for trip expenses & brought us to multiple places. He shared with us things that were interesting from his family & also the place. It led to many amazing encounters with events or items like seeing a steamship, Chelesa owner’s yacht, cloth stitch maps and amazing people. We visited local spots and really relaxed and enjoyed ourselves really much. He also invites us to his home and cooks us fish & chips, crumbles (rhubarb, gooseberries, apple) and desserts (ice cream & strawberries). This is such an encounter that I would not trade anything for.
As an overseas student, it would be normal to have to choose your own meals. It is such a blessing that because of circumstances that I ended up not needing to have to be the cook. It is like I was well fed & also nice classmates who offer to treat me a meal. Let me drive to wherever that I think is awesome. That I am very thankful for, things that are not a given but by people’s kindness. It keeps reminding me of the grace that God gave us every single day of our lives. It works the same.
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God knows – that I am someone who don’t really want to travel, unless there is a reason behind it. The old me, would have just decide to go home at the end of the 1 month Summer School in Scotland, if not for the solo travel that I did a year ago to Korea.
Last year, i heard promptings to have to leave the country. I chose Korea as a destination because of my then pursue of language studies and I had convinced myself with so much reason that I had to go there. I couldn’t find someone with similar available timing, which lead me unto solo traveling. In the end, I am glad I did. I met some amazing people & got introduced to Couchsurfing.
But these are also the people who caused me to be staying in Europe for a long period of time. The reason, because we promised to meet or I will pay them a visit since they are nearby. At the point of buying plane ticket, they couldn’t offer me their schedule. Causing me to be traveling around Europe for a period of time.
I kept thinking: Won’t having to solo traveling for a full month in Europe be a total disaster for an Asian girl like me compared to Korea? . Well, God sure plans this well.
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Some countries it hard to find people who speaks English and most speaks another language in which I couldn’t understand or guess anything at all. In every new town I reached, I ended up being lost for 1.5 hours before I managed to find my way. Thanks to couchsurfing, there were so much blessings that we received.
Paris
I promised to meet the girl (Seungeun unnie) that helped me out a lot from Korea, since she was schooling in Germany before. She had to leave Europe since her visa was going to expire & so Paris happened to be the location she is stopping during the period that I am available to make it.
In Paris that we were unable to visit any museums because the days I was around, those museums happened to be closed. Nevertheless, we managed head to the gardens in Versailles, tried rowing a boat, spend the time in the sun sitting on the grass, talking & walked around the pond (that took us 2 hours). I told unnie that I had to meet a guy at the gate & he came with his car, so he drove us off to the places he wants to bring us.
Jose is from Spain but is working in Paris. We met him up twice & he showed us the night scenes in town. Once, he cooked us Spanish food & next, brought us to have a full French course. In which he paid for it, and you don’t know how much these blessings were.
There were also crazy episodes like walking down the streets drinking with wine bottles in hand and other stuff.
Italy
Places traveled: Rome, Umbertide, Perugia, Assisi, Venice, Conegliano, Milan, Bergamo
I spend many days traveling Italy. I met many interesting Italians with different occupations. Policeman, Stocks Broker, Engineer, Administrator, Street Artiste, Businessman, Lawyer, Liquidator. Also met other travelers from US-Texas, England-Leeds, Scotland-Glasgow, US-Miami, Hungary, Russia, India.
Travelers I met in Italy are really nice, but I do have second thoughts about the locals. Some of them are really nice & I also stayed at their places which they offered to host. Some people I met that are really dark, I wonder about them. I makes me feel like I dont want to go back into the world that does not have God in it. This made me miss home very much. This vibe came from guys who are seeking out for partners in relations and I think I wouldn’t want a man that isn’t following Jesus. Regardless, how attractive, rich or well-educated they are.
I also saw live a train with people boarding without tickets and running through cabins to avoid the conductors so that they won’t get caught and pay a fine for not having a ticket. Still, I am grateful for the blessings & realization they bring to my life. I am pretty all of these were God’s plans.
Macedonia
I met up a friend that I met in Korea in the hostel. She is sent here to teach the kids English. She was really nice to invite me to stay with her at her house. She has a really cute kitten that loves people but I do sustain some injuries from her cat scratching me. Here she brought me out with a group of locals on Sunday to just simply relax at a beach and played with a baby. Another day we just stayed home and just chill out and talk. Another day we went over to the next town and met a Turkish family.
Over here, I went to a house that do nails to try having my nails done. After everything they decided to not charged my money because they were so excited in town to see an Asian. Deep dyed my hair blonde and got offered a Turkish meal. Many many things I recall back has so much blessings as i get to rest my legs from the painful 2 weeks travel & just simply enjoy relax the days. Really thankful to Sarah for introducing so many wonderful and nice people to me. I believe this is actually what really makes it interesting. The people.
Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam(Netherlands) & London
These city are beautiful but as I didn’t have much time to visit them properly. I just went to town, took a look at them and left soon after. However I am still thankful for the people I met on those trips, even the transport fine with uncover agents. New friends I made and interesting things I saw.
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Airport Episode & Blessing
Previously I have rented a car in Scotland and I found out during the course of my travels that there are outstanding balance to be paid to the rental company. I kept searching through the branches to try to clear this but to no avail. I tried one last time at Heathrow Airport which nearly caused me to miss my flight. I reached Healthrow Airport area at 6pm, when my flight was at 8pm and wanted to give it a try to settle it.
Who knows, I waited for an full hour and was unable to settle it. It so happened that when I was at the car rental company area that I found out my flight was delayed by 45 mins. By the time I got myself to Terminal 5, it was already 7.15pm. I stood in a long queue to wait for my turn to check in. To my dismay, I landed up at the counter at 7.35pm. The airline personnel said sorry the baggage check in is closed, please go to the customer information counter. I asked if he could let me in since the plane was delayed for 45mins and he said no. The earliest next flight was the following day at the same timing.
I missed the actual entrance of the line and was really about to cry & asking what should I do (to God or to myself – I think to God more likely because I need a miracle), when I was going to miss my flight. I saw this kind lady standing at the entrance of the line and I called for her attention while I was still holding my tears. She asked if I was alright & i told her what was happening. She walked to her desk and gave a call, after a long talk and I believe they said okay and she checked me in and send me on my flight (time check 7.50pm). She told me to run straight to the gate C62.
I haven’t refund my oyster card (20sgd) and done my tax refund (40sgd). When I ran pass the counter I asked if they could do it and they mentioned that tax refund is done at another counter. I rather in the opposite direction from the departure gate and saw a long tax refund queue. Another criteria is that you must have your items with you when you are leaving, which have already been sent on the way by the kind lady to the airplane cargo gate. I spoke with the lady at the tax refund and she said it was not worth to wait at the queue, the flight is more important, go catch it. I stoned for 3 seconds and bolt towards the departure gate.
7.55pm – I showed my boarding pass, poured my water in a rush and dread the security queue. The lady wasn’t going to listen to any explanation or let me through she shortest queue. She simply usher me into any queue. I drag the wait and worry that the plane is flying off at 8.45pm. This means gate closes at 8.15pm.
8pm – I just cleared the security, grab my stuff & ran. I haven’t gotten the time to put on my belt and I just hoped my pants do not fail me. I ran down an escalator and ran through the whole terminal A gate. Near the end of gate A, down another an escalator and into a skytrain. Luckily at the point of time the train was already there.
8.09pm – In the skytrain, I left immediately after I ran in. i managed to catch a breathe & put on my belt. Not looking good, I wish the train will move a little bit faster. Oh yes I forgot to mention I was in need of the toilet since 6pm. I was just like jogging on the spot in the skytrain. The trained stopped at 1 stop which leads to B gates and slowly moved to the last station C gates.
8.11pm – I bolt out of the train into the terminal. Saw everyone else leisurely walk towards the lift and waited. I dashed to the escalator and started running up on them, 2 flights of it I which the C gates area. I keep running since I only saw gate C52. and tried so hard to find C62. Saw a toilet but felt that I didn’t had time to go so I continue running.
8.14pm – I saw the gate C62 and a long line of passenger boarding the plane. I went like “I made it!!” I should use the toilet first.
And so, I did. I managed to board the plane.
If you think that’s the end. Nope! Not at all.
All the passengers boarded the plane. I took my seat and breathe out a sigh of relief.
8.40pm – Something seems off, the plane is not moving and the captain have yet to make an announcement.
8.50pm – It haven’t taken off. Air stewardess and stewards disappear from all the cabin areas. Still nothing was heard.
9.10pm – “Hello, this is your captain speaking. I am embarrassed and sorry that I have to break this news to you about this conversation that is going on. We have found misplaced luggage on board and was checking with the control to know an accurate timing of when we are able to take off. We are in the midst of engaging the baggage crew over to remove the baggage on board, we are sorry for the delay and inconvenience caused.”
10pm – Introduction of safety regulations finally starts & captain announce we are finally ready for take off.
10.30pm – time in which we actually took off the runway.
I arrived in Singapore to find out my baggage is also one of those that were misplaced. The baggage will only be able to reach Singapore a day later. And so, I left the airport without a heavy luggage & they sent the luggage to my house the next day. Furthermore, I get to claim insurance for the whole incident that happened.
I really thank God for this blessing.
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Throughout the travels wonders
Some questions that I really asked myself when I came across while I wonder..
Why did God wants me to travel?
What does language means to me?
What will my life be life if I am someone who live by favors?
Some old vision resurfaced, Jesus are they my dreams or are they God’s?
How would you feel if you are interrogated at very customs or checkin about why are you going into a country? Whether they are allowed in or not? Won’t you feel so rejected? That’s why I am a little grateful to be holding a Singapore passport.
& The book – The power of a whisper. I read some things really amazing in there. To commit your everyday work day to God. Believing he can use you to change situation, in whatever situation that we are in.
Everlyse- "The One Consecrated to God" 