Selamat Hari Raya

My wish this Hari Raya is firstly for all to be safe on the roads and secondly for all Malaysians to be as one. These are lofty aspirations, easier said than done, but I shall keep the faith that they are possible to achieve, hopefully sooner rather than later.

I always feel that come Hari Raya, Deepavali, Christmas and Chinese New Year, it is time for renewal. Time to shed the wounds of the past and start afresh. To look forward to better things ahead. To see what life has in store for us. A new chapter so to speak.

Selamat Hari Raya to all!

Photo shot in the beautiful Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey when I visited in April this year.

Istanbul

I have been in Istanbul for 2 days. This is a solo trip, my first since the last one 2 decades ago, a birthday treat for myself, and somewhat of a rite of passage as well.

Istanbul is infinitely beautiful. The historical, architectural and cultural attractions. The scenic beauty of the Bosphorus. The exotic food. Their tea drinking tradition. Turkish delights. The like-minded awe that fellow tourists delight in.

Of course, tourism comes with its downsides as well. The crowds. Aggressive carpet shop owners and pushy restaurant touts, a minority, but still a nuisance. The upsides definitely outweigh the downs though. I head off to other parts of the country for a couple of days. But am looking forward to returning to Istanbul for a day and a bit before flying home. There is still much to see and do here.

Photo of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.