A Site That You Should Bookmarked

Cringel...

Cringel...

Cringel...

This is a blog operated by four people who decided to leave their office jobs and went travelling. Read below if you're interested...

Have you ever had thoughts similar to:

"Oh, I wish I could be a pensioner when I'm young, and work when I'm old"

or

"I'm so exhausted in my job, I really need half a year of vacation to sort things out and get back on track"?

I bet you did. What action did you take? Erm, yes. The action to "wait a little bit and see what happens".

That's ok - most of us choose this one, and later on wonder what would happen IF a different option was chosen.

And thats exactly what we'll do: cringel.com is here to illustrate and document the progress of 4 close friends, who once decided to quit the established positions in companies they worked for, take a break in their careers and travel to Asia, for travel and exploration purposes.

So whenever you get bored in the office, you should come over and read what would you be doing at this very moment if you had chosen that other option. (Bookmark cringel.com now, it will be easier to find it later!)

Update: we are already out of the jobs and on the road for hal a year. Feels great!

Some quick facts:

The departure was 2007 January 23
We started in Thailand
We managed to persuade 2 more friends to join us in Thailand, met two more in Nepal, and plan to meet one more in Australia. Small world.
The plan is to stay until August, 2007.

Update: return date moved to December 2007

Countries visited are:
Thailand
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Myanmar
Nepal
Malaysia
Countries to visit:
Singapore
New Zealand
Australia

So, what do you think? Was worth trying this or should we have better stayed at our jobs?

So are you interested? If you are, then click here

Once there was a girl who went to work
And most people regards her as a dork
She once glued her toe to a cork
Before she went home and ate some pork!

Her favourite hobby is to daydream
She liked to think about strawberries and cream
And imagine herself looking very trim
And loves to act very prim

One day she tripped over a slippery stair

And landed on the floor with dust in her hair

Her skirt alas, suffered a big long tear

Her underwear of course, faced the same fear

"Oh, how unfortunate" she cried

"I feel like a runaway bride"

So she got up and quickly covered her exposed behind

Hoping very much that nobody would mind

The girl hurried to the closest lingerie shop,
Hoping the cover she used wouldn't drop,

She was worried of course, that the tear would go pop!

She started to walk, then run, then hop

A bright blue pair of knickers she spotted
And then a pair that were bright yellow and dotted
"Oh my," she exclaimed, "these are so very ugly!"
But I will wear them to a party

She walked out of the shop, wearing a bright yellow pair
An old lady nearby yelled, "oh, how, how can you dare!"
"You looked just like a yellow-dyed mare!"
She retorted, rudely, "at least I don't look like a bear"

To be continue...

By: Rebecca, Mel, & Nam

Mr. Moon

Oh Mr Moon,
In this silent night, please appear soon!
I wait for you, like a silly loon
like the sun waiting for noon

It is a starry night
with Mr. Moon lending his light
Casting the world in white
Oh, such a sight!!

Like rainbows and rain
The beauty in the world is countless like the sand and its grains
As exciting and as lovely as bright choo-choo trains
Sweet tasting as christmas candy canes

Sometimes Mr. Moon would whispers to the stars
And the wee babies perched high up on Mars
trying to capture the comets into the jars
Whooshing past them like fast cars

Mr.Moon retires as dawn approaching

Hiding behind a cloak of grey, crouching
Waiting for Mr. Sun to appear, shining
So sad he is almost crying

"Don't cry" said Mr.Sun when he appears
He looks like he's been smiling for years
"Because when you cry, you look like crinkle pears"
Your face, it has no room for salty tears

"But Mr. Sun" said Mr.Moon, "I am sad because I have so much fun"

"Each time you come, I hate having to run"
"Ah, but run you must" declared Mr.Sun

"I do, I run like Maria the Nun"

"It is time for you to go, Mr.Moon" said Mr. Sun "Until I retire and you come out to play"
"Ok, dear sun, have a great day"
"Same for you, Mr. Moon" said Mr. Sun while arranging his ray
Quickly, softly, Mr Moon faded into the gray

So here ends Nam & Mel's little story of Mr.Moon

By: Mel & Nam

Nam & Rebecca next project

We'll be co-writing short story next..so stay tune!!

(But we won't abandon poetry, of course)

A Poetry Recipe

A poem is a funny thing, a little bit of rhyme

Like making a dish with a little bit of thyme

With a dash of rosemary, and perhaps some poppy seeds

And a pinch of salt to complete the deed

But do you need to cook it? Oh no

You only have to read it, be it here or on the go

It might make you laugh, it might make you cry

Or it might make you feel as if you could fly

It'll let you pretend you're touching the sky

Though, be warned, some poems can be a bit sly

They'll mock, and laugh, and tease

And the mirth with never cease

So if you're happy, or when you're sad

Just pick up a pen and a pad

Tell the world your troubles, or if you're mad

It might make you feel better, just a tad

You can make it look all pretty

Or even put a picture of a jetty

If you do that, it'll become like a picture book

Just like Peter Pan & Captain Hook

Listen now to my moral, it's a good one I'm sure
If you're sad and down, poetry might be your cure
Whether happy or sad, poetry is honest and true
Addictive poetry also is, lack of it might make you blue

But if you write (and read) it, it'll take away your cares
So if you think you're brave enough, then I'll dare you upon dares
But other than that, let's not split hairs
Or push each other down the stairs

Because that would hurt and then we wouldn't write poems in pairs!
So my dear readers, who likes to go to the fairs

Come along and join me, in a poetry-writing spree
So if you're ready and sure, then let your hands go free!

Your mind and your heart will follow soon after
And your soul will be filled with laughter

By: Rebecca & Nam

In the Silence

The stars shining in the darkening sky
Twinkling, whispering, playing upon the silent mind
The northern wind swept by
And dancing leaves leapt up in delight

I stand in the darkness with my hair swaying gently in the breeze
From beneath my feet comes a whisper
That sooth my heart with its sweet melody
Sighs of contentment escaped me

The pale light from the moon dancing across the surface of the lake
A spray of foam, a trace of stardust
The smell of pine trees, the twinkling lights of fireflies
And I am alone with my thoughts

I step towards the lake, shivers as the cold water touched my feet
Starfish leap around and across my toes
I look up to the starry sky and close my eyes
Peace, a thick envelope sealing me

My lips move in silent prayers, to Him who resides in heaven
A feeling of faith surges within me
And a sense of wholeness filled my soul
Wonderful peace was mine

By: Mel & Nam

The Racket in the Forest

There's a racket by the lake, which shooke the forst in its wake
A sight to be seen, that magnificent drake
and the biggest toad you could ever seen!!!
"Hello Sir Drake!" proclaimed the toad, "Where have you been?"

"Meee?" drawled Sir Drake in a bored voice, "Oh, I've been up and down, left and right."
"Here, there, and everywhere... but I saw such a fright!"
"Oh my!!" exclaimed Lord Toad, "It must have been a sight!"
" You couldn't imagine! You couldn't guess! But... what do you think I saw?"

"Well, I imagined that you saw Countess the Cat who is so fierce with her claws!"
"By jove! you've guessed it" cried Sir Drake, as Countess the Cat approached on silent paws.

"Sir Drake, Lord Toad" greeted Countess with a nod of her elegant head, "You two would never guess what I just saw"

"A fish?" "A frog?" ... Lord Toad looked sly "a dog?"

"Oh, my dear Lord Toad" replied Countess, "Do you think that I am excited by mere fishes and frogs? or even dogs?"
"Well, I don't know" Sir Drake began to tease, "did it chase you into a bog?"
"Oh ssh, Sir Drake" answered Countess, "or I'll tell Lord Toad about the time the wood nymphs chased you into a log"
Sir Drake quacked and fussed, and trees overhead rippled in the breeze

Then five wood nymphs appeared, and one was greeted with a sneeze!
"Thank you for that" the wood nymph "now that you've stained my clothes, I'll need some febreeze!"
Then Sir Drake flaps his wing with a fever that surpasses any dumbstuck beaver

"Whatever is wrong with you?" asked Countess Cat, "anyone would think you'd seen a cleaver!"

"Ah!" exclaimed Sir Drake, "something just whizz pass my swimming legs!"
They all looked into the water, into the deepest, darkest dregs

And bobbed up, a little duckling by the name of Mooshoo

"Ah ha!" cried Sir Drake, "a little duckling, Mooshoo, tis you!"

"Tis me, papa" replied Mooshoo, "I heard the voices of the pretty nymphs, so I came here to investigate"
"Is it a party? Is it fun? Is there any chance I can participate?"

"Oh Mooshoo, you do know how to make a nymph blush" teased the nymph in pale blue dress,
Mooshoo quacked, and tried to bow but fell flat on his face, oh what a mess!

He then scambled up on his legs, flapped his legs, and hide behind Sir Drake

"Oh" cried a nymph, "a party, let's do! We can have cake!"
"And a jazz quartet, flowing stream from hot chocolate, and perhaps unlimited gingernuts!"
Oh what fun, the cry went out, let's also invite the neighbourhood mutts!

So the small party of animals and nymphs, decorate the forest with ribbons and stars
They're happy and laughing and dancing and joking, far far away from the sound of cars
So ends the story of the racket in the forest, until the next time we meet

By: Rebecca & Nam