suffering from motion sickness

when i was young, i was plagued by motion sickness. i dreaded taking long journeys either by bus or car. plane rides were also no comfort too.

in those days, the rickety buses were not air-conditioned and the fumes that the bus and other vehicles emitted would find its way into the bus. if i had the luxury of choice, which more often than not i did not have, i would sit at the rear of the bus because i was told that i would not get sick so easily.

car or taxi rides were slightly better but i could still end up feeling queasy at the end of the ride. i was advised to look out and far while travelling in a vehicle. it helped to some extent but when the vehicle was crammed and the ride not so smooth, i could still end up looking pale and feeling lousy.

i remember taking bus rides and getting off the bus before i could reach my destination because i was going to throw up. i would go to the roadside and vomit into the monsoon drain.

from my bad experiences, i have learnt that i should not travel on a full stomach and i should choose a seat where i would experience the least motion. in a plane, the middle of the plane over the wing is the calmest area. on a ship, the lower deck near the middle of the ship is the most stable. in a car, sitting in the front seat and looking straight ahead may help.

as i grow older, my sense of spatial orientation seems to have become better - i do not suffer from motion sickness anymore.