Greetings from Serengeti!

 

It's been already a week since I arrived in Tanzania. How time flies! Nobody missing me yet, right? Left Singapore last Saturday with Qatar Airways towards Killimanjaro, via Doha and Dar Es Salaam. The flight took about 18 hours in total and I almost wanted to die during the flight! Well, I have always hated flying anyway. One good thing is that I was brought to Mt Meru Hotel for a night's rest before taking off in the small chartered flight and another 45 minutes drive to finally reach the bush. Indeed a long journey! The drive to the lodge is simply amazing, it's like a mini game drive and spotted giraffes, antelopes, rhinos and lots of pretty coloured birds along the way. Finally arriving at the bush, we were welcomed by almost everyone who has arrived before us. What a hospitality! True Four Seasons I would say. 

Settling in was easy. The people here are just amazing. Everyone is so friendly and you smile and greeting every single person you see and pass. It's their culture, and in fact they will find you rude if you don't do so. That made the whole ice breaking so easy! Vast difference from city hotels, and I would say comparable with the Maldives property. It's easy to say this is one big family. The lodge opened in 2008, makes it 3 years in operations.

Just spent my first week doing rotating in the department, to get used to the operations here. Indeed it is different compared to a hotel operations. And sure it has a lot of walking to do! Walking from one end to other takes almost 20 minutes! But fun, I love it :)

As I am currently lodging in a guest suite, the view outside the suite is so nice! Basically the park is just right outside and there is no fence around the lodge at all. The animals are free to roam around even into the lodge. But they usually won't come all the way into the main building. Maybe along the ground level walkway, you can spot some antelopes, baboons and lazy buffaloes. Actually, the locals find the buffalo more dangerous than a lion, can you imagine? I haven't had my luck spotting a lion yet though! Hope soon enough (probably next week), I will get to go for a game drive to Ngorongoro!

The lodge has two waterholes; one in front of the main infinity pool, another in front of the pres suite. These waterholes serves as water source to the animals. So usually on a hot day, elephants, zebras, antelope families will appear for some drinks. The view is just stunning! Where else can you find this seriously? But too bad it has been raining yesterday and today. Luckily I am off today, or else I really cannot be walking in the rain. 

Because of the climate, I have fallen ill abit. Caught a bit of flu and now just coughing away. Indeed, it gets really cold in the morning! About 20 deg cel and during the day it gets up to maybe 30 deg cel? But because the weather is dry, we don't perspire (like mad) as in Singapore. I really want to get well soon and get acustom to the weather and dryness soon! I hope that the mini air humidifier gave by NCPB will work wonders in my room! :)

Yet to upload any pictures from my camera though, don't have sufficient to do so. Wanted to do a photowalk around the lodge today but didn't happen because of the rain.. Till the next off day! 

Cheers & love,

Sock

It's time for Africa!

Today is 13 August 2012.. Another month has past since I last came up to my blog. I cannot believe today I am facing a huge thing which is happening in my life. My application to Serengati is confirmed. Yes, I am (finally) moving to a new property. For those who know me, I have been looking out for opportunities for the longest time. I would say it is almost a year since I started having thoughts to move. And yes again, in this one year I realized how to appreciate and cherish every opportunity which comes to your face. Some things, such as this of mine, took one long year to finally letting something to happen. So soon, I am relocating to Tanzania. A country I have never heard of ever until I had to because of how interested I was when I saw this opening on Career Watch 2 months back. And, "relocating" IS a big word. 

Just one month ago, I was looking ready for the annoucement to be made. From then, I get many mixed reactions from people, my friends and colleagues. Not that it really matters to me since I have decided to go and accepted already! There are 101 things to be done to get ready for this move, of course. But thankfully my colleagues and the company has been really helpful in getting me ready for it.

Just two days ago I had my last day of work in FS Singapore. A lot of mixed feelings. Honestly, there isn't many close colleagues left in the hotel as of today hence my leaving is not extremely sad or teary as I thought it would be. But I felt that I had grown more feelings for the hotel itself than anything else. It was definitely hard to leave my first job of 3 years 4 months. I had my last couple of hours just roaming around the hotel, yes alone. Because most of my working time is spent alone anyway. I went into one of my favourite room, sat down and just broke into tears. I was reminded of all the hard times I have been through at work, the thought of just surviving everyday, always seemed so impossible but everyday miracles will happen, somehow. I just felt so thankful that I managed to pull through what I have been through, not easy, really. For I started at age of 20? To now at 24.. It was tough, but I am glad of whatever I have done right for the past 3 years. And how much I have grown emotionally during these years.

Although not many friends left in the hotel. But I will never forget the fun and tough times we have been through together. And how our chemistry just became so strong and how we worked together just to get the day by, and giving the best to our guests. Some days I worked 12 hours, some days up to 16. But everything was willing to and we enjoyed every moment of it. Just remembered so many times which I get frustrated and just ended up hiding in a room crying. I was so helpless, but those days still went by. 

As I think and think, I realized that there are too many reasons why I want to leave. Firstly, when it's enough of work at one place, you will feel it. And I hate the feeling that I start to get, which is to get sick of work, dragging my feet to workplace before every shift. That is so unhealthy! And going to work unhappy each day is just terrible. Next is the crowd which I had enough in Singapore. The overcrowding issue is getting on my nerves. I just cannot be living with so many people everywhere everytime. I feel so stressed up that I have to face so many people, so many different nationalities every single time. Maybe the city is getting too developed which I can't catch up. Funny for someone born and raised here, but there is just too much rushing around everytime. Well, maybe the constant pep talk from best friend about getting away from people really affected me too. Honestly, not a bad way, I am pretty glad I am going back to nature and to truly appreciate what we should. Lastly and the toughest, is to love with no strings attached. I have grown a lot in this relationship, and I am really happy and forever thankful that I have met you even for this short period of my life. I can say it is the best thing which happened to me and I have never regretted anything. Short and sweet, I truly understand the meaning of love and what I can do for love. Although there is nothing ahead of us but at least it left us very sweet memories which I will keep in my heart forever. Today, its my choice of no choice that I am moving on from my tree but I will never forget how it sheltered my through rain and shine, provided me comfort and love.

I miss that amazing team I used to have. While I look forward to another great team I will work with in Serengati. Cheers to more excitement and new fun in the wild! Don't ask me anything about the property yet... I haven't been there yet! So I shall let you know once I reach there, and hopefully get connected with wireless soon!

As always, special heartfelt thanks to you.

The one best thing happened in my life.

Regardless when I will see you again,

I love you forever and the same...

Till then....

xoxo, Sock