The Colosseum Trespassing

Everyone told me that it wasn't possible, to take a picture of the Colosseum without tourists and whats more, naked. Was it really impossible? Its just a matter of getting caught and of course, the guts. To strip down to your socks at 5degC winter.

So what does 2 drunks do together? Trespassing.

The desire in me to be nude inside the huge ancient stadium was too much to keep down. ONe of the reasons why i'm back here the second time. We arrive outside on Robbie's scooter. Braving the freezing wind, i could feel that a headache is developing from this cold at 5am. Rome is beautifully mysterious during this hour. No cars, no people, what remains are the ruined pillars, broken buildings, once held the stories of the past heros and villians. Every ruin unearthed, every curves of the ancient buildings and every stone laid on the path, stood in silence and yet screaming out their stories of the past 3000 years.

The city is so intense that even on the day that i left Rome,  i still couldnt comprehend the entire emotions that the city holds. I've been to Rome twice and yet i can surely say that i've not seen and know Rome. I wish i could go back in time. I am comfortable. I am excitedc, happy and full of life when in the midst of the city. And yet, i felt that i don't belong there. Yime stood still. Everything changed except for the ancient city.

I constantly have this movie which repeats itself that fast forwar. The buildings/structures/roads stay the same and modern roads are added, lights filled in, cafes/restaurants mushroomed, shops, people of modern times crept in but the structures are still there. I imagined the movie to play in reverse where every thing fade out and removed one after the other. How this place gonna look like? The playback repeats inself that i did thought it was getting me sick. Its either too intense or im getting bonkers.

Colosseum in sight! We walked along its gates looking for a flaw or an easy foothole. Found it. But its still a 4metres high metal gate with sharp pointy tips! Then movies i'd seen on TV, of people getting pierced by such metal tips/gates/railings while trying to climb over it flashed through my mind. I knew TV unhealthy. And if i became one of those featured on TV, it will be disastrous!

While battling these insane thoughts, RObbie was already onthe other side of the gate. Great climber! So following his instructions, and having great confidence in my "cross-fitted" limbs, i managed to get over the first gate. So my limbs are not that strong as i thought. They almost failed me. Ok, second gate, same thing. Left here, right foot there, one leg over, (now the pointy tips are stuck right at my anal, if this thing pierce through, i can't imagine), the other leg over, left foot here, right there, twist and jump. Sounds easy huh. I've got muscles ache the next day. Boo.

So walking through that short tunnel, it ipened up to this great magnificient sight. Breathtaking! The lights fall on the centre. Its a stadium, an old, old one. The curves and every architectual were made perfect, even part of it is ruined. You can see the perfection during its making. No time to lose! I still couldnt believe that i got in.

I tore out every precious fabric on me, in this damn winter, ran to the planned spot, snap snap, done! I did it a few times in various countries that im almost quite well rehearsed. In the few seconds of nudity, i wasn't even conscious that i was actually clothe-less. Not because i got used to being naked in public. I was too distracted by this grand structure. Trying to take in every precious moment i have with this beautiful architectual. There you are, just me and you. Just so you lknow, i am not in love with structures. They are madmade regardless of how awesome they are. Its still the works of human. Great, spectacular, but still, man made. Its the stories and mysteries that it holds that drew me near everytime.

Getting naked isnt a habit, or just another fun crazy idea. Its a statement i am putting across, or trying to put across to people about nudity. Loving yourself, putting down all defense and just be real. The clothes on us are not merely fabric but defense, ego, pride, false idenities, deceptions, and a self create personality that one show to the world. Without all these, arent everyone just as naked as everyone? We seems okay with violence, and yet we race to criticise and judge nudity.

Putting back my clothes, i walked out with massive satisfation. Checkbox, ticked!

So there it is, the colosseum climb. An experience i wouldn't forget.

The Epic Photo

Fox Glacier

I never thought i would blog on non-travel related matters. Just a sudden urge to pen down all the random thoughts and the bugging feeling to want to scream - So what if i'm naked?!

Ever since the photo has been posted up to FB, the comments have since hit a new record on a single pic. Never did any of my pictures received this much of attention since my first upload. Sure it made an impact on my profile. Positive or not, i'm still fence-sitting. It brought me to slowly realize how superficial human beings could be as time passes when people create the perception of me base on one single outrageous photo.  I was sane, friends know. And when I said friends, I do meant, friends - those who know what spells Jac and it ain't just a 3 letter word. I'm crazy enough to take chances... so much that i got into shitty troubles that no one else would be capable of. Not that I’m proud of that, but I am amazed by Jac at times. Like, how did she even do that, and again?! I shall not swerve into that. And i was normal. Gradually, normality isn't normal anymore, what is doomed now is insanity - which i call normal at the present.

Driving from Te Anau to Queenstown, New Zealand, my buddy and I somehow lost the way and found ourselves driving through this magnificent landscape, on an unsealed track. Winding through the hills on this rocky, barren track, in a big fat camper wasn't a kidding matter. Every stone, every hole, every humps and bumps, our bums took it all. For the last 5kms at least, we see nothing but endless greens with backdrops of surreal snowy mountains, which almost seemed like a huge curtain falling from the sky. Maybe someone will draw it close, revealing darkness and emptiness. That would be more believable. So in this 9 degC afternoon, taking off any piece of cloth off my body is what i deemed bravery. To know that the almost cold-blooded German already had 3 layers on, i decided to strip to my boots. When but now would i have a chance to have this epic photo taken ever again? So i decided to greet the raw mother nature with my upmost sincerity, nudity.

I was traveling with my German buddy. Someone whom I’ve met in June during my Cairns’ trip. Hit it off quite well and decided to do a trip together again 3 months later. So the instructions were easy. It sounded wrong but it was the way it was!

“I strip, you shoot!”
“Go! Go!”

I took off all the precious warmth on me in the van and the moment I opened the door, the bitterly cold wind hugged me like icy metal sheets.  Braving through the windy field, I ran 20m away from the van and stood long enough to capture just 2 shots. With almost nothing on, I stood facing this majestic snow-cap mountain, trying to embrace the rawest form of nature around me. In the mere seconds, besides the chill, I felt that breath-taking mother earth and how insignificant I am in this midst of God’s creation. Isn’t this the kind of simplicity all should be thriving for? Rather than pride and fame or any form of worldly material that so called giving man the satisfaction that they need. It was only in the brief moments of nakedness, I felt the weakness and dedication in me. The clothes I wore aren’t just fabrics but superficial smiles, prideful defenses and deceiving fronts that manage to fool even myself. Nudity is hence beautiful. It shows the rawest form of beauty of man, no pride, no fakes, no self-consciousness. Removing all these clothes in life was not an easy task. The insignificance of me magnifies in this midst of nature and it compelled me to accept and acknowledge my vulnerability.

All said and done, I never expect a simple photo like this would raise many different perceptions of me. So Jac is crazy. yes I am. So Jac is an attention seeking bitch? Why not?! Haha. So Jac is shameless. Am i? So Jac is loose. Oh yeah? So Jac like to bare her ass and thus she is easy. Wow. Although these were not mentioned to me directly but nonetheless, I felt that from people around me when after all the formality talks, they can’t help but to throw the question, “So you like to bare the ass huh?” Seriously, dude..

Its good somehow. Now I know who are the respectful ones and who I should eliminate.  Maybe it’s the asian ethics and values towards nudity. Or maybe it’s the centuries of media influenced culture that shaped our thinking that going nude means obscenity and shame. Then again, what is shame? Its just the different levels of acceptance in the individuals towards an act.

It is indeed discouraging to know that people appreciate the act of the photo in the wrong way, creating a perception that disappoints more than anything else. Isn’t perception a funny thing? As mentioned in my fb, I am who I am and you are who you are and everything else is a perception based on acceptance, deception, smoke, mirrors, and so on. It's everything in between us that seems to justify our accidental identities. It's human nature to mold his/her behavior and personality according to such suppositions and assumptions. Even if i could spell myself out in words, who will be there to justify? Which is more believable, my words or your perception? Still, anyone has his/her entitlements of judgments and definitions of Jac. She is still who she is, not seeking for any acceptance or agreements.

And lastly, So what if I’m naked ? ")

Queenstown, New Zealand.