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The two most often asked questions I get personally are:
1) Are you enjoying the local food again ? and
2) Are you going back?
Both are easy enough to answer
1) Yes, but in moderation! We have to get our digestive systems back in synch with local food and not overdo it . As it is we've already tucked into our local favourites like char kway teow, grilled fish in soy sauce, and most recently, a great ' welcome home' BBQ dinner hosted by His Excellency Paolo Pinheiro, Ambassador of Brazil
2) Probably not in the near future. Everest demands an immense investment in time, risk management and opportunity cost. None of the team are paid to climb and it took over a year to raise the funds, coordinate the various awareness-building and community activities. For Rozani, Gil and myself for example, we were effective unemployed for three months with no income.
For all of us, I think it would be nice to be able to summit but Everest is one of those kind of mountains which will grant you the privilege of summitting her snowy top under perfect conditions. In this respect I mean you need a great day to climb to the top or a series of good days prior to that to get into position as well. You need a strong team to support the climb. Your health needs to be good as does your acclimatisation. Even then, as our American friends on the IMG 8000 expedition discovered, curve balls can come your way and you may be faced with a moral decision to get (or not) involved in a rescue en route to the top. A 101 things can conspire to thwart your goal.
So, as we began this expedition, the view that still prevails in the team: summitting would always be a bonus but not the only or the most important goal.
Our website http://www.everest.org.sg garnered almost 1 million hits with monthly average in March - May of nearly 300,000 hits. Well wishers and kind words were sent from all over the world.
I'd like to end by making an appeal for the Society for the Physically Disabled, Brands Essence of Chicken's website are offering to donate a
small sum for every online registration of support received on http://www.brandsworld.com.sg - Brands will be wrapping up the "click and register" appeal very soon.
I think this is an excellent contribution by them at no cost to interested readers/surfers except for a few minutes of their time. All proceeds to go the Society. Both Wong Ting Sern and I went to Everest with our own physical disabilities and these proved to be challenging to overcome. Many less fortunate here in Singapore may never leave a wheelchair or walk without a crutch. Do publicise this website and the appeal.
Many thanks and regards,
David Lim
Leader,
Singapore Latin American Everest Expedition 2001
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