The Curious Partnership of Ebony and The Wandering Wasp
You will find in any family two types of people: the social butterfly and the solitary turtle. One spreads her wings in the eyes of an audience, relishing the attention while the other retreats into his shell, sensing threat and danger. The family of Vespidae is no different. Similar to other monarchs, the eusocial wasp colony of the Vespidae elects a Queen to rule over them all. Some of the most commonly known worker wasps are the yellow jacket and hornet, both of which have been the inspiration to some automotive and motorcycle models like the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 ‘Yellow Jacket’ and the Honda CB ‘Hornet’ 160R to exemplify.
(The Wandering Wasp in the Cholistan Desert, Pakistan)
It is no wonder, then, that this particular family of wasps sounds so familiar. Hailing from Italy, the Piaggio-manufactured brand of scooter, Vespa, is aptly translated to ‘wasp’ in Italian. So, is it fate or coincidence that brought Juvena Huang and her Vespa scooter, Ebony, together?
(Ebony enjoying the scenery at the Drina River, Serbia)
Like the mandrill Rafiki presented little cub Simba to all of Pride Rock in that glorious scene in The Lion King, so does Huang sit aboard her Ebony as she presents herself to ‘The World’. The 30-year-old Singaporean has traveled parts of the world on her beloved scooter for two years now, an idea that was first posed to her during a casual conversation. Ever since then, the thought kept nagging at her until, “Under no pressure or expectation from anybody, what do I want to do?
“This is what I want to do.”
The self-confessed loony dreamer has had the Vespa scooter since she started riding motorcycles, preferring the two-wheeler to her two legs. Apparently, her backpacking experience was lackluster compared to riding a scooter.
“The classic Vespa scooter is very simple,” she responded in our e-mail exchange, “easy to repair and quite ubiquitous in the world.
“I am in charge of my own movement and not have to rely on public transportation. I can move, stop anywhere and anytime without subscribing to a schedule. There are also some places where public transports do not reach.”
The spark that lit her wanderlust was the sudden passing of a friend, one who was planning on a riding adventure to the border of China before getting into an accident. When the news came then, the brevity of life hit her. In the grand scheme of things, who was she and what was she to do?
Her late friend, Lawrence, is her inspiration, she wrote, and the final push that came to shove, luckily, in the right direction.
(In Tatev, Armenia overlooking the Tatev Monastery)
Her first long-distance trip was in 2012 to Malacca and before that, to South Thailand. She has since been to 25 countries including Myanmar, India, Macedonia, Armenia, Turkey, Austria, Switzerland, Albania, and more, riding around six to eight hours on the daily.
Although she does travel with her friends and family, Huang confessed that she preferred to travel alone, which was exactly what she did for 27 months.
“Being alone makes you more approachable and open to local experience,” explained Huang. “Plus, it is difficult to find someone who shares the same attitude and frequency towards traveling especially on such a long trip.”
Without travel companions, there is no time constraint or the luxury to spend – a vacation but not really. Instead, “I do not splurge on hotels and restaurants but camp, couch surf and cook my meals.“There were times I had to rough it out like camping a week in a park while waiting for a scooter to be repaired. Or deal with visa and vehicle paperwork.
(Here is Huang camping out in the wild with only Ebony and the nature as her companions)
“However, doing so, I met a lot of people who extend their homes or help me in different ways. Many of them are friends whom I still keep in touch with.”
For it is exactly in these moments that we will find the city’s brute capacity of gathering to release generosity is most apparent. Or in Huang’s case, it found her.
More than just a means of transportation, Ebony has been Huang’s most loyal and adventurous comrade. So far, Huang’s favorite place that Ebony has taken her to is the Hunza Valley in northern Pakistan. According to the 30-year-old, “Every turn of the eye is beautiful. The valley is flanked by majestic mountains. People there live simply and are hospitable.”
(Pasu, Pakistan)
So hospitable, in fact, that a Pakistani gentleman ordered to have two goats slaughtered as a welcoming gesture before Huang’s host “stopped him to inform that I am a vegetarian. Countless times, my payment for products and services were rejected just because I am a guest. I was even escorted out of a shop for insisting to pay for something.”
Such warm and gracious acts were unfortunately, Huang noted, “lesser known amidst all the negative media image.”
But what’s next for this young inspiring lady?
Huang, who is currently in Singapore to rest and have more family time, has set her sights on Africa and South America.
However, until then, you can keep your eyes peeled for her “other projects”, one of which is a book “that documents her experiences, observations and revelations”. She can also be found at her official Facebook page and blog where she shares instant updates for the former, and the latter, “some musings, tips, and travel stories” with enough travel pictures to salivate over.
(On the road: Ayutthaya, Thailand)