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27 June Travel Dreams Part 8- Alcatraz San Francisco FarewellParental Guidance
Be Warned: Don’t break the rules or you would be on the wrong side of the coast.
Alcatraz is about 30 mins cruise away from SF coast. As I board the cruise, I try to imagine myself as an convict being hauled up the ship doomed to incarceration on an island for a long long time. The seagulls flying freely above me seemed to be mocking loudly at me with their screeching laughs. The tiny island getting bigger and bigger as the ship approached. I could see colonies of seagulls and other birds parking all over the rocks of Alcatraz perimeters.
I got on the island. The huge words, “U.S Penitentiary” stared back at me at the main gate. A lighthouse seemed to be guarding the main gate like a warrior at the frontline of a war zone. The guide started his introduction of the island and the brief history of the use of Alcatraz. Well, I was more excited about seeing the inside of the cell block and see for myself how different it was from where I had lived in Singapore Tanah Merah Prison, than to listen to what the guide rattered on about the struggle of American native Indians.
The cell block is a long rectangular building about 4 storeys high situated on the tip of the small island. As I entered the grille gates of the cell block, the familiar feeling of living in the prison just crept up and flashes of scenes like walking in a straight line towards my cell for lock up, the noisy flapping of our slippers, squatting down outside my cell before the warden open the cell door for me, just keep erupting in my nostalgic brain. The Alcatraz cells are built in two rows of three storey cells, four sides equivalent, so there are two sides facing each other and one side on each facing the walls of the cell block. The two rows of cells facing each other is called the Broadway. I could imagine back then the inmates in the cell were enjoying themselves shouting across to their fellow inmates on the other side, jabbing at each other, and maybe like in Prison Break, throwing toilet rolls down to Broadway creating a mayhem in the whole cell block. Maybe they were allowed freedom of moving around Broadway for a few hours a day to mingle and walk into each other cells to play chess or music.
All the cells in Alcatraz are single. Staying alone has its good and bad depending on the inmate. For those who really need conversations to pass the day, staying alone is quite detrimental to the mental health of these inmates. Talking to someone is a kind of counseling therapy for the incarcerated soul. I did see a fair share of inmates going cranky after a while although many of them are due to the lost of freedom and dignity rather than staying alone.
A way to keep sanity of mind is to have entertainment. They have the usual games as in other prisons, like books and chess. One interesting privilege they have is this thing called Music Hour when they could indulge in playing their musical instruments and home made drums and sing. Ironically, this hour was used by some infamous inmates to hide the noise they made when they dug out a hole back in their cell for an infamous escape back in 1960s. It was made into a movie starring Cliff Eastwood.
Their yard was a small one about the size of a basketball court down a flight of stairs besides the cell block. The inmates were probably sunbathing under the San Francisco sun, looking towards the San Francisco coast reflecting on how life would be so different if they were not on the wrong side of the coast. There was a famous inmate called the Birdman of Alcatraz, he was probably talking to his fleet of seagulls and doves during yard time.
There are quite a number of escape attempts but I believe only two brothers who were in the Music Hour plot made it. This is in spite of the U.S trying to put out strong theories that they would not have survived the swim in the freezing seas of San Francisco. I tried to imagine their faces when they reached the shores. Both were looking at each other and smiled.
After this Alcatraz experience, I guessed that prisons do serve a purpose, be it good or bad. Most probably, it would be a life changing one, either for the better or the worst. But definitely it is never the end.
Cherish Your Freedom Jimmy BOH
1 May Travel Dreams Part 7 - Seasons GreetingsParental Guidance
Caution: If you smell some extraordinary fragrance after reading this, it is from the Sakura in Vancouver.
I remembered I used to receive cards from my friends while I was in there. Some of them have "Seasons Greetings" as the heading in the cards. The font was decorated with beautiful stuff, like leaves and flowers, Christmas bells, and others. I never really understood or appreciated the greetings as in Singapore we do only have one season all year round.
Winter has ended in Vancouver. No more snowboarding in Whistler, Grouse and Cypress as the ice has melted or rather are in a state where it is not suitable for snow sports. However, as much as I loved snowboard, the new season brought new experiences for me. I witnessed the maple trees come alive out of their winter hibernation mode! Little green leaves start to fill up the trees again, and as if it was not enough to lift a smile off my gloomy winter face, the cherry blossoms a.k.a Sakura came out in full force, filling up the whole UBC campus with a cheery mood. As they starts to wither, their petals were blown off and float high up by the fresh spring winds and fell upon the hearts of our elated students easing off the pre-exams stress, and overwhelmed us with full post exam summer holidays energy!
Spring is so called the first of the four seasons. No matter what had happened in the winter, it is a new start for all the trees to start working for the environment by actively photosynthesizing, taking in carbon dioxide breathed out from us and turning them into flowers, food and giving out oxygen for us to breathe. No matter what we have encountered and done in the past, we should look forward and take charge of our lives as it comes and be ready to do our part to make this world a better place.
Taking a walk downtown Vancouver, one can see the streets are filled with all kinds of sweet flowers. It would take me some time to figure out their beautiful names, and thus I took loads of photos of them to remember them forever. Cars parked by the sides were littered with Sakura petals but I do not think the owners mind it at all. Walking down Robson street filled with Sakura petals, taking own sweet time to contemplate the true meaning of Spring in my life, is unforgettable.
Winter may come again, ice may hardened our hearts again. But I will bear in mind that it will be only temporary. For we all knew Spring will come again. Be like the maple trees and cherry blossoms, come out of hibernation and be cheerful again.
I am moving out of Gage today. Although I cannot bear to leave Gage, I will be happy because it is spring and I am going to Rockies tomorrow!
A new start is never too late Jimmy BOH 12 April Travel Dreams Part 6 - A Montreal EncounterParental Guidance Caution: Advocating violence will lead you to an abyss of regrets.
It is sad to see a dog eat dog world out there. Or just say it is nature for the stronger ones will eat up the weaker ones the Darwinistic way of survival. The weaker ones will just have to make way. Accept the fact.
Last week I went on a 4 days free and easy tour with six others to Toronto, Montreal and Niagara Falls. We took a 4 and half hour flight to Toronto and toured Toronto for a short while before taking the night Greyhound to Montreal. We reached Montreal around 4am and headed straight to the youth hostel we have booked. There were not enough beds and 6 of us did actually squeezed in a double bed room. Believe that the bed can sleep 5 persons!! I slept on the floor with my head under a chair, next to a heater and a door slit with cold air blowing in. Lethargy can make one ignore all comforts and just zoomed off to dreamland almost instantly.
We woke up in the morning full of zest waiting to see what Montreal have in store for us. It was a snowy Montreal at minus 1 degree, the kind of weather when I first came to Vancouver. We walked around Montreal downtown, St Denis, shopped around, intrigued too by the many sex clubs and shops. People spoke French over here and it is interesting to figure out what the French signs is by seeing the similarities to English and the others always had a good laugh when i tried to pronounce it as if they knew the exact pronunciation!
We decided to get some Coffee and bite at a Tim Hortons at St Laurent. J and W got their stuff and were chatting at a table near the door. S asked me to go out to take photos for her and Siu, B and Sher were still lining up for their goodies. After taking pics for S, we went back to join them. Just as I about to enter the door after S, I saw an afro-american holding a coffee and walk towards the door which is towards me. Just as he pass J, sitting with crossed legs at the table with W, the afro-american swing his leg and kick hard at J's dangling leg! What the heck! Almost at once, he turned to J and sweared, "Hey you S@#$%&! Don't you try to trip me!"
I cannot believe my eyes that such a scoundrel exist in front of me. He continued to swear at J and J looked stunned sitting at his seat. I guessed he cannot believe his eyes too. I know I had to do something. I had done this once before way back like 9 years back.
I went upclose to him and grabbed his arm tightly and tried to get his attention to me. As he turned around, my face was like just a ruler long from his. I said,"Hey bro, you got problem?" I focused my eyes on his. He saw my eyes and averted mine and continued to swear at J. I pulled him back a step and make him to face me and I said the same thing,"Hey bro, you got problem or what?"
He kind of know that I meant business and won't budge until he stop. So he turned and slowly made his way out, but still swearing away. I escorted him out and pat him on the back. Now he turned back and sweared at me, "Don't you try to hit me man! Bloody S#$%@&!" I continued to focus my eyes on him. This time I raised my voice, "Hey, you wanna make a din here?!" By saying this, I am challenging him. My eyes is still on his. If he moves an inch towards me, a fight is inevitable. He was still swearing at me and I started to move towards him with my eyes on his. He then turned around and decided to leave. I nearly just raised my leg and kick his butt! In order to communicate with him on the same wavelength, I regretfully used almost the same vocabulary and replied, "Hey, you go back and s&*% your own C*&%!!" He did not turned back.
I tried to understand why the scoundrel wanted to cause nuisance to people in this way. Maybe they are trying to scare people off and hoping they would get a dollar or two from them, or maybe they are just angry with the world for leaving them out and thus getting attention, though the unwanted way, is one comforting sense of security.
I explained to my tour buddies the rationale of my actions. Firstly, we should know that since this loud and unbearable scoundrel is habitually nuisance-active, he would be quite familiar with the local authorities and as well as the free food and lodging there. Thus, it might be the last thing that any incident would cause him to pay a visit to his holiday home. And the authorities would need a few more beers to believe in his story than mine.
The art of intimidation is up to the individual exploiting your strong characteristics and hide your weak ones. I was a bit higher than the scoundrel which gave me confidence to walk upclose to create an aura of superiority towards him. A strong grip on his arm tells him that someone is meddling in his business, and if he wants to continue he has to get rid of me. The eye to eye gaze is utmost important as it must speak to him "If you move, you are deadmeat." As I mentioned earlier, I did this before years ago and the guy is taller than me. Actually the Montréal encounter is easier as there were other tour buddies besides me which also create sense of being outnumbered in him.
Honestly, I have never got into a fight before as I don't believe in violence but I don't deny I got challenged before by inmates and I walked away because I see no point, I don't deny I got beaten up before when I was 13 by a group of youths. The reason why I stand up to that Afro-american is because my buddy might be beaten by a scoundrel and I know I can stop him, even if I don't, I can help dodge his punches.
At night, we trekked up Royal Park to a splendid view of the Montreal night sky before we headed back to our hostel. This time we have a bed to ourselves.
Help yourself by helping others Jimmy BOH 24 March Travel Dreams Part 5 - A Walk Down Memory Lane - HastingsParental Guidance
Disclaimer: Do not try the forbidden fruit after reading this.
We often crack funny jokes about having to go into jail to serve time and the taste of having to serve time is harsh and bitter for someone who had not lived a day of prison routine but only through their imagination and maybe the fantastic yet not really realistic drama series "Prison Break". If an ex-con are in the midst of a conversation that involves jokes about prison, please pardon him for not being able to join in the laughter because any mention of a prison will evoke memories of his past. It may be the time he spent in there, or prior to that of a decadent lifestyle. Believe that it might be a bit too painful to bring on a genuine laugh. I have to do my groceries shopping at TNT, a supermarket full of Chinese stuff, near Chinatown, and it is cheap there too. On one day, I was bored and so decided to go groceries shopping again and since I felt lazy to cook later, I decided to solve my dinner at some Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. But I wanted to take a walk first.
I walked past to West Hastings. I have heard a lot of stories about Hastings. It is so called one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Vancouver, full of homeless people , scavengers collecting cans and other stuff for a living, begging for change from strangers and lining up at soup kitchens for free meals. When you walked down the streets, there is an unsafe feeling creeping up you as you see all the shop windows are barricaded with metal bars to prevent night burglars from smashing the windows to get in. You would also see some "funny" characters like walking in a zig zag manner and talking to themselves aloud.
What really catch my eyes are those persons who stole a glance from me and pretend to be looking else where. I remembered those eyes. And it goes back to like ten years back when I was still peddling marijuana. Sometimes I have to loiter at a certain place for a short while before making way to a another point to meet up a "friend" who wanted some weed. I wanted to be totally on my toes and yet act cool, my eyes is always darting around for suspicious undercovers tailing me. I would screen and screen my surrounding constantly and sometimes when my eyes caught another eye, I would just avert them and goes back to them to see if they are watching me. Yes, I saw the past me in those eyes of the persons in Hastings. There are waiting for something. Just as I thought, someone threw something like a wrapped paper down and they picked it up. Most probably it is drugs. Now I understood why there are always persons looking at the ground and sweeping small papers with the feet. They might be looking for forgotten stuff left by druggies.
Hastings is also infamous for its drug culture and addicts. If there were a reliable statistics, I would guess that almost 7 out of ten on the streets, are either a chronic druggie or alcoholic and even both, the other 3 being submerged in poverty and despondency. There are stories of robberies in the night and definitely not a good suggestion to walk alone there when the skies get dark. The combination of desperate druggies yearning for the next fix and finding the cash for it might be the spur factor to try his luck on the next unlucky person.
As I said earlier, it is painful to laugh at prison jokes made by unknowing friends, it would be easier because of Hastings. Seeing the drug culture seasoned some into mentally deformed, eyes filled with emptiness and living days without tomorrow, I give thanks to that day I was finally caught when I was twenty three. If I was not apprehended then, I would be like one of these seasoned druggies, rotting somewhere in Geylang, doing some illicit work just to earn my next fix or maybe killed by overdose.
Time to put something into my stomach, but no worries, not ever drugs again. I went to the Chinese restaurant and ordered Wonton soup and Bbq pork with tofu rice.
There is always hope in life. God bless all persons in Hastings as He blesseth me.
Hope gives life Jimmy BOH 13 March Travel Dreams Part 4 - Snow, Board and a Free SpiritCaution: Pls wear additional warm clothing to prevent from freezing Water has three states of matter. It can be in the form of liquid known as water itself, if it evaporates into gas, it become steam, if it freezes into solid, it becomes ice. In nature, we better knew them as rain, clouds and of course snow!! And sometimes hailstones. Ouch! I have always been fascinated by snow. When i first saw them as a kid, it was on TV when there were scenes of snow and the first thing that came to my mind is making snowman with lots and lots of snow. As I grew older, I knew there could never be snow in Singapore and that sort of created a dream for me to go out someplace where there would be snow and really see and feel the snowflakes. A dream which drifted so far away. Even when I was in there, I would entertain myself by teleporting myself to a wonderful place full of snow and playing snowballs. How I wish I had not tread the wrong path then. The fantasy always ended up in moments of regrets. Vancouver is a place full of many virgin experiences for me. When I first saw snow, it was in the night. As usual, I was at my computer doing stuff. I went to the kitchen to get a drink and went to the balcony. Wow! The snow was whooshing strongly up and down. It was a snowstorm! The snow splashed everywhere into me. I tasted snow and it felt like munching ice. Seeing the snow overwhelmed me with a superb deja vu of my childish fantasy. Finally I got the real thing after so long. It was like yearning for something and you thought it would never come true during those dark times since I know it would be very hard in the near future to go overseas when I was still in there, slowly seeing the little doors opening and knowing you would see it soon, and finally the moment came. Shiok Ah!! My roomie was boiling some Japanese Sake and offered me some. I will always remember the high of it all. Forever. Walking under snow falling was also romantic. Every step I made towards Gage, my hideout, or to classes, pass the white campus full of snow covered ground, was like unbelievably light. I enjoyed every step I made on the snow and I even scribbled on the snow with my shoes to have some fun. I made a small snow ball and took pics too. Past regrets seemed to vanished and become stepping stones to my new spirit on loving myself and others, knowing that living is to stay away from making anymore regrets. Live life to the fullest. Being adventurous, I wanted to try snowboarding ever since I knew I am coming to Vancouver. Whistler is the place to go, I set in my notebook of things to accomplish in Vancouver! I have been there twice now and I totally enjoyed myself, with all the thousands falls on my butt, and some bad ones during the second one when I ventured accidentally the difficult route, hurting my right neck down to the waist. Well, I considered it to be worth it. Whistler is a beautiful mountain. I have posted a video which I have made during the two trips. Hope you enjoy watching me learn snowboarding!! There Something Free about Snow.
http://soapbox.msn.com/Default.aspx?action=rate&partnerid=LiveSpaces&market=en-us&vid=b7c92435-9c37-4629-bda2-41af1c6289ee&wa=wsignin1.0 Part 2 Live your Freedom @ Grouse Snowboarding is fun Jimmy BOH 9 March Travel Dreams Part 3 - My HideoutCaution: Reading this will cause you to move house
When i was looking for a suitable place to live for the next four and half months after arrival in Vancouver, the only thing is that I need the rent to be affordable to me as I am on a shoestring budget. Next is that I hope there would be campus hostels available as I like to laze on bed till it is really time for school and to my delight, UBC have a lot of it. There are a number of choices like Totem, Place Varnier and lastly the one I chose Walter Gage Residence. It cost me around 2700 sing dollars so it is around 600 dollars per month which is quite alright as the cost of living in Canada is quite high.
Living alone on my own was not a new thing to me as I already sort of lived alone since 17, not to mention the time I spent living in a cell with two other people for over four and half years. To the bare minimum, all I needed is actually a little corner!! Well, since I am paying this time, I hope there would be a bed. W.Gage Residence is like heaven to me!!
When I first arrived from the airport, getting on a cab to 5959 Student Union Boulevard, Walter Gage Residence, Vancouver B.C Canada V6t 1K2, (Mailbox 309, Pls send a card to me =P ), my excited eyes was taking all the details of the ride down, crossing the bridge from the airport to arriving in UBC and finally reaching the doorsteps of W.Gage. It was raining at the time and I had to pull my large luggage up to the reception. I was one day earlier for check in and the staff sort of told me I had to pay an extra 25 bucks for checking in early. So be it. I was really fatigued after over 23 hours of traveling more than half the globe.
As I took the lift up to 13th floor, I slotted in my card key and keyed in my password. I have to key in for my room too. That was cool as it had some sense of security of my belongings. I opened the door. Woo, it was like a little hotel room to me like the ones I had lived before in Geylang when I was on the run in my heydays. There was a huge clothes cabinet, a medium size drawer, a study table, a table lamp, mounted on shelves, and lastly a comfortable single bed. I love the room.
Going out to the common lounge, the first thing I noticed is the balcony!! Cool! I love balconies. The view of the straits is nice but there were construction around W.Gage which I think the view would be significantly compromised. There are a TV too, common kitchen with 4 electric stoves and 2 big fridges! I started to wonder already what can I do in the kitchen! I love to cook stuff, a hobby I had picked up since my release. Cooking is a marvelous therapy for the soul.
However, just 5 minutes later I just layed on the bed on slept. On my new bed.
The next morning I met my new roomies coming back for the new school term. They are all cool Chinese and they love gaming!
I have posted some nice pics of my apartment and the views from my balcony including a rainbow I saw recently! So Awesome.
A dream have come true for me. Travel.
Cherish your freedom
Jimmy BOH 27 February Travel Dreams Part 2 - In the SkiesBeware: Reading this will make you fly I have tried to book my airticket to Vancouver. Initially I tried to go thru the travel agent in our school. I had tough luck as it was a peak period I guessed. I only got flight from US to Vancouver, Tokyo to US but no flights to Tokyo from the agent. I waited for like 3 weeks and I started panicking. In the end, with the help of my good Korean friend, I decided to go online to book my air fare. I got a round trip from NWA, but at a dear cost. Cost me about 2437 sin dollars!! So painful in my pockets, I am on tight budget.
The next fun would be my luggage. I can only bring two checked-in luggage not above 23 kilos. I packed one luggage and I weighed, it was 32 kilos! I took the stuff out and put it in another smaller bag. In the end i have a large luggage and a smaller bag and a hand carry with all my electronic stuff and lap top.
At the airport, it was blissful to have friends and family to send me off on my first adventure! During the check-in, at a split moment, I was expecting the customs to question my background when they looked and checked my passport. I assumed there would be some electronic marking or alike that I am an ex-trafficker. Luckily they only did the routine stuff like what did I put in my luggage, any liquids in my handcarry and dangerous weapons like guns! My luggage was checked in. I loitered around for an hour with family and friends and I waved goodbye to them and walked through the gates and boarded the Airbus! My heart is pumping when the airbus started it engines. My heartbeats seemed to vibrate with the engines, revving up the excitment as I await for my flight to the skies! A first in my life is about to be fulfilled. I remembered as the airbus turned on its turbo, as it floated above the runway, I felt a lift off my back onto the seat. The feeling is so exhilarating. As i sat by the window, I watched Changi Airport getting smaller and smaller. The airbus burst into the clouds and I discovered there are two layers of clouds formations. There is a lower one with dispersed clouds and a upper one where the clouds looked like a carpet of cotton wool laden for me to sleep on! I felt so high.
After 31 years of living in a small island, I am on my way to a foreign land. It was a great feeling I had and maybe a tinge of regret too as I should have done this many years ago if I were not the person I was before wasting my life away. It is better late than never and fortunately I do feel like a 25 year old anyway! After more than 6 hours of flight, the Airbus was going to land at Narita Airport, Tokyo. During the descent, I had a weird feeling that the aircraft is not going to land safely. My ears felt a pain as if something was trying to squeeze my eardrums out. I panicked for a moment but I still put my head to the window and watched the landing. “Thud” the wheels touched the ground and the captain announced, “Welcome to Narita Airport!”
I strolled around Narita and tried to look for the nice Udon that my Korean friend asked me to try. Too bad time was not on my side, I had only an hour to spare before the next flight, minus the boarding time, I had only half an hour! I just bought some chocolates from the duty free shop and boarded the next flight to San Francisco.
It was a long 9 hours flight. I thought I have eaten like 3 meals on board, maybe two meals and some snacks. It was dark and everyone was trying to catch some sleep while I stoned away reading stuff of UBC and tried to do some writing. It was a long time before the Airbus landed at San Francisco Airport. I walked down the plane and go to the queue through the US customs. At this moment, I was thinking would I be faced with unnecessary questions again about my background. I assumed that all ex-drug convicts would have a record in US too. Well, I did not. I merely said I was on a transit.
I actually went out of the airport to smell the air of San Francisco! Saw white doves flying around and the first time I know the feeling of freedom. To live and experience the world in harmony! It was a long two and half hour strolling around airport and it was quite small. I ate a smoke beef sandwich and got to use my US notes. Finally I boarded the flight to Vancouver!
It was a short one around 50 mins. I landed at Vancouver! This time I did not assume anything with the Canadian immigration. I gave them my acceptance letter and got through. I am in Canada!
Freedom of choice is to not to choose freely without consideration.
To be continued
Loves Jimmy BOH
26 February Travel Dreams Part 1 - MasterPlanBeware: Reading this will cause itch in your travel bug. I should have started writing this column long ago since I arrived in Vancouver more than one month ago. I am now on one semester study exchange in University of British Columbia.
It is so unreal. I have been dreaming of this since year one back in SMU. I knew I have to do well in my studies so as to cherish this second chance I had and the opened doors I encountered in my new life. I did well then and I started to realise my travel dreams by planning an exchange. The reason why I am so eager is because I have been holed up in Singapore for too long. I have only been to Kuala Lumpur in my whole life of 30 years and I have never sat on a flight before!
I went around researching for the universities. I would like to clear my General Electives overseas as I wanted to take some interesting courses overseas. Next would be a country with living costs affordable because I would be taking up loans for the exchange. It is worth it, I believe. After some information from the School Office materials and friends, I deemed Europe to be out. So I started on US and Canada. It seems interesting to me. And I opt for UBC and Minnesota. Yup, just two. UBC and Minnesota would be quite popular, but I decided if it were to come true and it would be great, if not, hmm.. sometimes I should not force on something it didn't meant out to be. Well, the story goes that I was selected for my first choice of UBC!! Hurray.
Next, I also settled the loan from Citibank. 10K man. A sum to repay after my graduation in 54 months. Well, I also got some blessings from really good friends too. Really grateful to them for making my dream come true.
For an ex-convict with a drug trafficking offence, life is not easy. I got to get an extension on my passport. According to the CNB authorities, I am not allowed to carry a passport for ten years! According to the sentence by the judge back in 1998, I am sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment and 5 rotans but he did not said I am going to be restricted on travel. I feel so discriminated because I also cannot find such an legislation act too. I have done wrong before but I am out to do good and I believe I done well enough to show I have more to lose than going back to old paths if CNB wants to assess on my risk profile. I have to go overseas last year and I managed to ask for a one year passport with a well documented achievements made in SMU and my future career with SGX. With a year passport, every six months I have to go back to ask for a extension. But it is better than nothing. I got my passport extended for my exchange. And I guess I am all set to go. A dream is about to be fulfilled. Vancouver here I come.
To be continued.....
Jimmy BOH |
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