2023 in Review

 

2023 in Review was originally published on December 23, 2023 in "Heaven on Earth".

I was sitting in the lobby of a small hotel outside Cubao Bus Station in Quezon City as I reflected upon the past 355 days. It was 3 AM, yet the city was not sleeping and the air was humid. What a contrast this was to the way 2023 began in Vancouver. Heavy snowfall had fallen just before Christmas 2022.

Inflation had been rampant ever since I returned to Canada in March 2022, and I did not even feel the desire to window shop during my stay in New Westminster in 2023. For months, I battled skin problems and spent much of the early part of the year in my room. Yet I did not sleep much, as I was constantly being contacted by overseas friends asking me to help them immigrate to Canada. There were over one million newcomers to Canada in 2022, and the trend continued in 2023, with Canadian cities increasingly bursting at the seams.

In April, I renewed my driver’s licence, which also serves as my provincial ID card. Because of this five-year renewal, my travel plans were delayed by almost a year. In hindsight, this worked out well, as airfare prices became extremely high around spring break. I waited until the school holidays were over.

My landlord texted me in early April to inform me of a rent increase of 12% starting May 1st. I replied that this exceeded the government-stipulated 2% increase for 2023 and that, by law, three months’ notice was required. He then mentioned that his relatives would be arriving in Canada in August and staying in the house. By early May, I was already searching for affordable flights to leave Vancouver in August to make room for them.

June and July passed quickly once I purchased a one-way ticket from Seattle to Seoul. As much as I disliked flying out of the United States, I had no other option for a relatively affordable fare to Asia. Airport taxes and fees, I suppose, are significantly higher at YVR than at SEA.

After trying various ways to reduce the time I spent acting as an informal immigration consultant for friends, I made the decision to permanently delete my Facebook account. I had previously deactivated it a few years earlier and reactivated it when I needed access to a travel group for West Africa. This time, I prepared alternative ways to stay in touch before pressing the permanent delete button.

Out of 454 Facebook friends, only four expressed a wish to stay in contact outside the platform. I subsequently created a WhatsApp group to share photos and stories with people who are genuinely interested in travel. I have not felt the desire to reactivate Facebook or join another social media platform since. Friendships, after all, are two-way streets; it is through interaction that people come to understand one another more deeply.

In planning my “Back to Asia, Final Chapter” journey, I chose South Korea as the starting point because it would still be warm in mid-August. It was my first visit to South Korea, and I truly enjoyed it. I began to understand why it has become such an economic powerhouse. I even found myself drawn to K-pop.

The second country was Japan, which I had visited twice before. I took an overnight ferry from Busan to Fukuoka. Although I spent only 19 days in Japan, I visited several UNESCO sites. I especially liked Wakayama. Tourists were everywhere, but in Wakayama I still witnessed a more traditional way of life. In terms of cost, Japan was slightly cheaper than Korea.

Because national holidays in China and Taiwan fell within the first ten days of October, I had to extend my stay in Hong Kong by a few extra days to secure an outbound flight. I visited several outlying islands as well as museums on Hong Kong Island. There were many tourists from mainland China, and accommodation costs were more than double the usual rate, making Hong Kong the most expensive destination on this journey.

Singapore was the next country I visited. Travel was expensive, but public transportation remained affordable. I observed many foreign workers throughout the city-state. Although densely populated, Singapore is filled with trees and small urban parks. My plan to take a photo with the Merlion was unsuccessful because it was undergoing maintenance. While the port area has changed significantly since my last visit 38 years ago, the areas near the mouth of the Singapore River remain familiar.

Kuala Lumpur became the hub of my air travels in the following months. From Singapore, I travelled by coach to Kuala Lumpur. From there, I flew to Timor-Leste via Bali, Indonesia. Timor-Leste had been on my mind since 2013, when I learned it became a sovereign state in 2002. I came to better understand the history of its independence from Indonesia. After two weeks, I developed a persistent cough and had to cut my visit short, returning to Kuala Lumpur via Kupang, Indonesia. My thoughts remain with the people of Timor-Leste as this youngest country in Asia continues to develop rapidly.

Although my 2013 visit to Malaysia had been comprehensive, there were still places I had not explored. I spent three days in Ipoh before flying to Taiwan. I travelled around the island for 32 days in a counterclockwise loop, starting and ending in Taipei. Taiwan was affordable and relatively easy to travel in, especially for visitors who can read or speak some Chinese.

From Taiwan, I flew to the Philippines. I had kept this visit private for fear of “jinxing” it. It was a striking change of scenery to see streets bustling with people and jeepneys. Prices were lower than three years earlier due to a 33% devaluation of the peso. I even purchased a pair of Filipino-made prescription glasses for $25 CAD, including a free eye exam. The holiday season in the Philippines was especially vibrant and joyful.

In a few days, I would fly back to Kuala Lumpur to prepare for the final leg of my journey through West Asia and my last two countries on this route. I hope the world would be more peaceful in my next review. The more I travel, the more similarities I see across cultures. In the end, we all seem to want the same thing: peace, love, and happiness.