After leaving home for half a year, it was
the first time for me to travel with someone for such a long time, half a
month’s time. I found this Malaysia Chinese guy was very calm, humble and patient.
I never ever saw him impatient or angry, and I was so keen to know more about
him.
Daraz was 28 years old this year. To him
dream is something very big, like serving the society or contributing to the
world. He didn’t really have anything big dream so dream is something very far
away from him. Goal, however, is more realistic, everyone has a goal in
different stages of their life, one goal appears after another. For him, he
only wants to do things he likes, so he is achieving his goals now and let
things become valuable.
Daraz said he didn’t have much thoughts
before going to University. He used to have a very stable life, just going to
schools and taking exams, never thought of doing anything great. His mom was
from Taiwan, so he went there a few times before and liked it there. In
Malaysia it was very common to attend University there as Taiwan was considered
one of the cheapest place with good schools and good food. Daraz also thought
he would go to University there too.
Daraz never thought he would ever study in
Mainland China. He applied because his classmates applied only. He submitted
three choices and the third choice Zhejiang University accepted him. He never
heard of the University before, however, his parents checked with their friends
from Mainland and found out that Zhejiang University was a good school, and
Daraz ended up accepting that offer.
Daraz said he didn’t know anything about
Mainland China and thought China was like a poor rural country. He didn’t even
have hopes on anything. There were 8 Malaysians going to Zhejiang University that
year and they took the flight together. A school van came to pick them up at
the airport. Daraz saw the houses along the way and felt they looked fine. When
reaching the school he saw the newly built hostel he was so happy because there
were concrete floors and they were the first batch living there. Then Daraz
started his happy University life in China with Biotechlogy major and started
to forget Taiwan.
Daraz used to live in Malaysia and was well
taken care of. However, living alone overseas by himself in the University, he
needed to take care of everything himself. He also found out more about
himself, what he liked and disliked. He met a lot of people and joined
different activities, and realized the world had so much. During the first
summer holiday, Daraz went traveling with his schoolmates and found out it was
so much fun and full of excitements to travel. He kept on traveling during
those years once he got the time.
Daraz started liking Tribal patterns too,
like Islamic style with geometrical shapes with triangles, rectangles and
circles designs in the mosques and carpets. One day he wish to start his own
brand and specify in designing bedsheets, sandals, slippers and socks. He won’t
think much on the marketing even though it may close down anytime, what he
likes is more important.
Daraz said he is a very lazy person.
Worklife is such a tiring thing to do while studying is so relaxing, he prefers
to study than work. He planned to take up a master degree during his Year 4,
but thought his Biotech degree was not his cup of tea anymore. He realized he
had very poor memory and didn’t like to stay in the lab all the time. That’s
why he deferred his study from 4 years to 5 years. Instead, he developed
interests in drawing and photography, arts and design, movies, or something
with people likes psychology. He applied 3 Master degrees in 3 different
Universities and got accepted by all 3. At the end he decided to choose one
which offered the most scholarships. He went to Shanghai Jiaotong University
for his master degree for 2.5 years and majored in Interaction Design.
Studying and living in China allowed Daraz
to become more independent. In 2010 he got to volunteer at the Malaysian Booth
in the World Expo for half a year, and knew more about different parts of the
world. He liked the Turkey booth very much and decided one day he would go
there too.
After master graduation Daraz wanted
continue to live and work overseas, and he worked freelance for half a year in
Shanghai on webpage design. However, he felt sick as he only slept 3 hours
everyday, and was admitted to the hospital for 1 month. Doctor recommended him
to go home and rest and stopped working. He went back to Malaysia but then he
found a job in India, and flew there after Chinese New Year and started his new
life in a new country last year.
Daraz was holding an Entry Visa for his job
in India, and needed to go through immigration every half a year. After the
first half year, he took one month no-paid leave in order to travel. At the end
the time was not enough so he decided to give up his job and started full time
traveling. This year Daraz went home for Chinese New Year and came back to
India again but with a tourist visa which required him to go through
immigration every 30 days. As a result he went to Nepal 3 times and Sri Lanka
once in the past 1 year.
Daraz finished his big trip in mid-Aug
because he has used up all his savings. He would stay home rest for a while and
may look for a new job or any other opportunity to work overseas. He wants to work
and live in the developing countries like Central Asia, Pakistan, and Turkey.
He likes to combine traveling and living in a totally new place for half a year
to a year, so that he could shop around, talks to the locals, learns their
languages, and cooks the local dishes. His mom once told him, everyone is
responsible for his own life.
I was with Daraz for half a month and
realized he was a very optimistic and open-minded person. He didn’t mind giving
his handphone or camera to some newly known people to see his pictures. For me,
those are very private and valuable items. Daraz said he likes to take the
neutral and peaceful way because he doesn’t like quarreling or complaining. Just
let it be, there is really no need to hurt anyone or get angry, because one may
do something regretful afterwards. He realized this since his primary school
time already.
Daraz shared his favorite quote with me,
“People should not wait for the thunderstorm to pass away, but to learn how to
dance in a thunderstorm. The most important thing in traveling isn’t the
scenery, but own attitude.”
Daraz gave me a bracelet made from brown
beads. He got it from an old woman in Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India.
She had a very simple look, and was selling combs and hairpins near the shore.
Her English wasn’t very good but was trying to tell Daraz her business was not
good. She insisted to put on the bracelet on Daraz, but he thought if she asked
for money he would just return it to her. At the end she didn’t ask for
anything and just walked away, and later on even came back with a tea for him.
Daraz felt bad what he thought about her because she was the only person he met
in India without asking for money, which is really a rare thing in India. The
bracelet really connected him and her. Daraz wish the next dream achiever who
receives this bracelet can give his own meaning to the bracelet.
24 August 2014
Written in Dubai home
“來到喀休米爾，我借宿在一個回教家庭裏，住宿主人家裏空房間很多，過了幾天他們又接待了一個馬來西亞的華人男生。好久沒有遇到華人背包客了，第一天晚上大家有的沒的聊到興高采烈的，大馬男生在印度工作了大半年，然後在印度旅遊了差不多一年，他旅程剩下最後三星期就要回國了，最後的日子他也沒有甚麼大計劃要到那裏要幹甚麼的，因為他的旅費都快要用完了，我在印度同樣只剩下大半個月的時間，既然大家的旅遊方式都是隨心而行，於是我們決定要一起結伴同遊。” – 轉載自「桃花園記」
出門流浪半年時間，第一次跟別人一起結伴同遊那麼久，足足半個月時間，大馬男生為人隨和、沒架子，耐性好得不得了，從來看不到他有半點牌氣或不耐煩的時候，所以，我也很有興趣多了解他成長的故事。
Daraz今年28歲，他說，每次聽見有人說夢想，都覺得是一些很偉大很了不起的事情，像要服務社會、貢獻世界，所以夢想對他來說是很遙遠的東西，因為他真的沒有甚麼偉大事情想做。目標卻不一樣，是比較實際的，是人生中每一個階段都有的，完成一個目標後又會有新的目標，從完成目標的過程中訂立新的目標。對他來說，他只想做自己喜歡做的事情，所以他現在是正在達成目標，讓事情變得有價值。
Daraz說自己上大學之前都沒有甚麼想法，只是不斷上課考試，安穩的生活不斷循環，從沒有想過要做什麼事情。他的媽媽是台灣人，從小到大到過台灣幾次，他也很喜歡台灣。在馬來西亞，到台灣升學是很普遍的事情，因為那是一個相對便宜的出國地方，學校也不錯，食物也好吃，甚麼都有，所以他一直的想法也是到台灣升學的。
Daraz從來也沒有想過要到中國大陸升學，那時候卻因為同學申請，於是他也湊熱鬧一起申請，總共有三個選擇，放第三名的杭州浙江大學最後竟然錄取了他。他從來沒有聽說過這間大學，只知道清華北大而已，他一心想到台灣讀書，但父母跟友人打聽後得知浙江大學名氣很好，於是半推半就後他便到了大陸讀書了。
Daraz說那時候自己像個鄉巴佬，對中國大陸一點概念都沒有，以為那裏還是個貧困農村，也不抱有任何希望。那一年總共有八個馬來西亞人到浙江大學唸書，於是他們一起搭飛機，下了飛機後有校巴來接載。看見一路上經過的房屋，感覺還可以，抵達學校看見新建成的宿舍，真的不得了，竟然有石灰地，他們將會是第一批入住的學生，那一刻他真的高興得不得了。Daraz唸的是生物技術，他在大陸開展了非常愉快的大學生活，慢慢把台灣忘記了。
Daraz以前在馬來西亞的生活衣食無憂，但大學時期在國外生活，任何事情都要自己安排，同時間，他也更清楚知道自己到底喜歡甚麼不喜歡甚麼。接觸的朋友多了、活動多了，才發現世界上原來有很多不同的東西。從第一個暑假開始，Daraz便和室友一起去旅行，原來旅行是那麼好玩的，充滿新鮮刺激的感覺，一有時間他也盡量用來旅行。
那時候開始Daraz喜歡上民族風的東西，尤其伊斯蘭教那種用幾何圖形構成的圖案，像回教堂、地毯的設計都是由三角型方型圓型組成的。有一天他希望有機會開設一個自己的品牌，專做床單拖鞋涼鞋襪子，也不考慮市場因素了，很容易倒閉也沒法子，因為自己喜歡就好。
Daraz說他是一個很懶惰的人，工作是很疲倦的事情，讀書是很輕鬆的，所以能讀就多讀。當他本科唸到大四時開始找老師打算唸硏究所，但本科主修的生物技術已經唸不下去了，因為他發覺自己的記憶力很差，和不喜歡常常呆在實驗室，否則也不會四年本科延期至五年才能夠畢業。他對畫畫攝影美術設計電影等產生了濃厚興趣，又或是可以與人接觸的心理學有關的科目都可以，他申請了三間硏究所，最後竟然全部取錄，於是他決定以奬學金的多寡來決定。最終Daraz到了上海交通大學唸兩年半碩士課程，主修互動設計。
中國讀書和生活的體驗令Daraz變得獨立。2010年更有幸在上海世博內的馬來西亞的展館當了半年義工，令他對世界有更深的體會。那時候看到土耳其的展館很美，亦令他決定有一天一定要到訪土耳其。
硏究所畢業後Daraz打算繼續在外地工作和生活，他在上海做了半年自由工作者，負責設計網頁，可是卻因為每天只睡三小時而弄至身體不適，要到醫院療養一個月，後來醫生亦建議他回家休養，不建議他再操勞工作。回到馬來西亞家中後，Daraz又找到了一份在印度的工作，於是在2013年的農曆新年後他便來到一個全新的國度，展開了新的生活。
Daraz在印度工作持有的是Entry Visa，必須每半年出入境一次。當他工作了半年，本來打算拿取一個月無薪假去旅行，最後卻發覺時間不夠，最終決定放棄工作，正式開展全職旅行。今年農曆年回家過節後他又再次回到印度，今次轉換了旅遊簽證，需要每三十天出境一次，結果在過去一年間他到過三次尼泊爾和一次斯里蘭卡。
Daraz會在八月中結束他的旅程回到馬來西亞，原因是他已經把所有積蓄花光了，回家先休息一陣子，或許找找工作，或找找其他在外地工作的機會。他希望能到發展中國家旅居，例如中亞、巴基斯坦、土耳其，他喜歡把旅行和生活結合在一起，在一個全新的地方生活一陣子，大約半年至一年時間，到市場逛逛、跟當地人聊天、學當地語言、學煮當地菜。他媽媽跟他說過，自己的人生要自己負責。
我和Daraz一起相處的半個月時間裏，發覺他性格樂觀，為人大方不計較，有很多小事情他都不介意，例如整部手機和相機交到剛認識的人手中讓他們看相片。於我而言，那些都是很私穩又貴重的物件。Daraz卻說他只是採取中庸之道、以和為貴的做人之本，他不喜歡吵架或抱怨，既來之則安之，因為沒有必要得罪別人，也沒有必要生氣，因為可能會因此而做出後悔事情，他小學時期已經悟出這個道理了。
Daraz跟我分享他最愛的座佑銘，「人不是要等待暴風雨渡過，而是要學會如何在暴風雨中跳舞，旅行最重要的不是風景，而是自己的心態。」
Daraz跟我交換的禮物是一條咖啡色珠鏈，是他在印度最南部Kanyakumari一個人旅行時，一位老太太送他的。那是一位打扮很樸素的老太太，她拿著梳子、髮夾之類的東西在海邊售賣，她英文不好，大約想表達自己生意不好，然後老太太堅持把珠鏈載在Daraz手上。他想若果老太太要收錢的話就立即歸還給她，但最後那老太太沒有向他要錢便離開了，後來還給他買來了奶茶。Daraz說他為自己之前的想法而感到很羞愧，因為老太太是唯一一個送禮物給他而不求回報的印度人，在印度真是一件很難能可貴的事情，這條珠鏈，正正代表著他和她的連結。Daraz希望接收這份禮物的追夢者可以再次給珠鏈賦予新的意義，因為意義都是人賦予的。
24/08/2014
寫於杜拜友人家中
