Tales and Spills

Kamakura

2012-03-03T09:17:00.001-08:00

The coastal town of Kamakura, was where I found myself after having scoured through every corner of Tokyo. Its a small cozy town off Tokyo, with lots off shrines and temples immediately surrounding the JR Kamakura station. Slightly too many for my fancy though.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine

Most of the sights in Kamakura are easily accessible by foot, which makes it so much more convenient for the solo traveler me to navigate around.

Wakamiya-Oji Street

On a nice spring day, I can only imagine Wakamiya-Oji in its full crowning glory of cherry blossom lined street, stretching all the way to the ocean.

The highlight of my trip to Kamakura was lunch at Rai Tei. Perched on a tiny hill overlooking the city, Rai Tei is famous for her buckwheat noodle and traditional Japanese cuisine.

Rai Tei is housed within a Japanese garden, in a truly historical building dating back to the edo period (if I remember correctly).

The tempura soba I ordered was so good, I think its the best I have had. Yummmms! Wish I had company though, so that I could have ordered more.

Tempura Soba

On a clear day, you might be rewarded with a view of Mt. Fuji whilst enjoying a leisurely stroll in the Japanese circuit style garden.

The Gardener

Shimokitazawa

2012-02-25T07:12:00.002-08:00

The Shimokitazawa neighbourhood immediately surrounds the Shimo-Kitazawa train station. Its my kind of place with loads of vintage buys, ranging from vintage cars to bikes to household items and right down to the fashion. I was there early in the morning, and I only left hours after the sun set.

Nothing fanciful, just a laid back neighbourhood fit for the shoppers and the bums with their quaint coffee shops and many cool vintage shops at every turn of the corner.

Meiji Shrine

2012-02-20T07:31:00.001-08:00

About 5-10 minutes walk away from the Harajuku station is the Meiji Shrine. The shrine is a place of quiet repose, perfect for those seeking peace and tranquility away from the bustle of the city.

The Meiji Shrine covers a huge ground, although much of it remains a forested area.

At the entrance of every shrine, there would be an area where devotees scoop a cup full of water for cleansing I suppose, before they enter into sacred ground.

Prayer Tags

I followed the forested path to the back of the shrine, and it opened up into this huge expanse of very parched ground.

There is something very haunting to this image of scarecrow-like trees, dried up stream and cawing crows in the background.

I never leave my room without my guidebooks and maps!

Give me a grass to roll on, a perfect spring sunlight mixed together with the last cold breeze from the departing winter, and you have found me my perfect place (:

Asakusa

2012-02-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

Tokyo is divided into many districts, each with their own unique identity. The Asakusa district forms the old part of Tokyo, characterized by a thick traditional atmosphere of temples, ryokans and geisha houses.

Asakusa

Asakusa is most famous for the Senso-ji temple, Tokyo's oldest temple.

Kaminarimon "Thunder Gate"

Past the thunder gate is Nakamise-Dori, a main street lined with small shops selling food and souvenirs for the tourists. Nakamise-Dori leads right up to the temple.

Lady in Kimono

Senso-Ji Temple

Japanese Style Garden

Senso-Ji by Night

Toco

2012-01-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

Toco Tokyo Heritage Hostel comes highly recommended on hostelworld.com, and it also tops my list of must-stay-places in Tokyo. It overflows with character, is clean, has wonderful staff, and did I mention highly affordable.

Reception Area

Dining and Kitchen Area

My little corner

Make up area overlooking mini Mt. Fuji

The friendly man

Ueno Park

2011-12-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

Winter Chill

Harajuku

2011-12-09T00:05:00.001-08:00

The heart and pulse of Tokyo. Even if you dont agree with the gaudy Harajuku fashion, a trip to Tokyo is not considered complete without soaking in the craziness of Harajuku!

Harajuku

My New Buy!

Harajuku Girls

The last of Nikko

2011-11-29T05:56:00.001-08:00

And when our feet could carry us no further, we found ourselves lost in this little bakery.

Nikko Himawari

After a round of freshly baked buns, we bundled up again and trudged through the snow towards our final destination of the historical walk - the Shinto Shrine. Too bad, the walk took us longer than expected and the shrine was closed by the time we finally made it there.

Shinto Shrine

Inn Keeper of the Nikko Sumica Guest House

Bakery stop before the train ride back to Tokyo

And its back to Tokyo!

Historical Walk

2011-11-15T06:30:00.001-08:00

A well worth 2.5h walk in winter, taking you into the heart of some of Nikko's most beautiful sights of clear blue water and snow covered paths.

Shinkyo Bridge

Snow Angel

Jizo Idols

Along the route of the historical walk, we were greeted often by these seated stone idols, adorned with a red hat and red bib. The locals call it the Jizo idol.

The Nikko Diary

2011-11-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

Just a little further up north from Tokyo, is the quiet sleepy town of Nikko. The Tobu train brings you directly from the Asakusa station to the Nikko Tobu station.

Nikko is a compact town with everything important within easy reach by foot. But in the thick of winter, I say get a 2-day pass from the tourist information counter which allows you unlimited travel on the local buses. Don't bother fighting the biting cold wind of Nikko.

And even in the secluded town of Nikko, I was on the hunt for good Ramen. Thanks to the recommendation of our innkeeper, I found it a little further down from our guesthouse.

Nikko's main attraction has got to be the Nikko National Park. On our first day, we had time only for the Kegon Falls before sun set.

Frozen Fall

Thawing by the heater because the oversized jacket and super thick scarf were no match for the February wind of Nikko. And then we were up on our feet again, shivering through the grounds of the national park.

And we ended the day with another bowl of hot ramen.

Ramen Dinner

29 October 2011

2011-11-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

When she became a Chan.

Shalom!

2011-09-28T03:40:00.000-07:00

Shalom! I only have enough time for a really short post, coz my cab is coming in 5 mins! So now that work has officially wrapped up here in Israel, the big road trip begins! Stay tuned! Miss you all mucho mucho (: Till then, be good!

Winter/ Spring 2011

2011-09-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

A lot of research and intensive visits to the library went into the planning for my Japan trip. I suggest you do the same if you have holiday plans for Japan.

The subway system in Tokyo is a transport nightmare. I spent many sleepless nights, wrapping my brain round the complex intersecting lines, going through the different permutations of train routes to get to our destination at the shortest time possible. And dont get me started on the long string of names the stations have, that is very much a tongue twister.

Subway Nightmare!

So best tip is to set of at least 30 mins before your scheduled time, in case you get lost in one of the lines!

On our first night, we had one of Tokyo's better Tonkatsu found at Maisen near Harajuku. What I like about the golden crisp pork cutlet is that despite it being super fried, it still tasted light, almost air light. And Maisen claims that their pork cutlet can be cut by just giving it a slight squeeze between your chopsticks. I tried, and they werent lying.

Main Hall

Tonkatsu Meal

Fried to perfection

After meal stroll

Accommodation in Tokyo is not cheap, and its common to stay in one of these cheaper traditional Ryokans, with creaking wooden floor boards and paper thin walls. We slept on tatamis, but i suppose this is what immersion means.

Taito Ryokan

What I like about Japan

2011-09-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

The pretty shop display, where the fantasizing of that piece of fabric has to be done across a glass pane for the budget conscious traveler.

How to be a good food critic

2011-08-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

"...cloak them with adjectives, dilate them, stretch them over the length of a sentence, or a verbal melody, and let nothing of the actual food remain, only those magician's words which will make the readers believe they have been eating as you did..."

And she did it again. Adaptation from Muriel Barbery's Gourmet Rhapsody.

Till we meet again

2011-08-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

An alternative to a morning of tanning would be a wild ride down the rapids of Rendang. So wild, the strap of my black spag snapped.

White Water Rafting

And of course a ride that wild had to be followed with an afternoon of self pamper. It began with mani and pedi along the Kuta stretch, and ended off with the hot stone massage at the Febri's Spa (If my memory doesnt fail me).

Just before we bade farewell, we found time to linger by the beach for a while longer, grabbing that last satay and avocado milkshake.

And thats the last of Bali.

Bali Bites

2011-08-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

The best view of Mount Batur is not 1000+m above sea level where most tour buses will drop you at. Rather, its found at the foot of the still active volcano, by Lake Batur.

Mount Batur in the far distance

And the Kedisan Floating Restaurant is just the best place to enjoy this stunning lake side view of the volcano.

Kedisan Floating Restaurant

With our chair turned towards Lake Batur and a glass of chilled avocado milk shake in hand, it was a perfect moment. Everything was right in place, the view, the company and the symphony of gentle ripples lapping against the platform

Us and our driver

Thats Shuaz on the far left, our very shy driver for the day. You can find him on my facebook if you need a guide in bali, he will take really good care of you.

And that wonderful man in red taught me to play that (:

And for dinner, we went to Bianco Restaurant upon Shuaz's very good recommendation. They serve a mix of traditional Indonesian fare and fusion food, but I was won over instead by the white colonial-esque feel of Bianco.

Bianco

9 August 2011

2011-08-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

To our Nation,

Happy 46th Birthday!

Sweet July

2011-07-31T06:21:00.000-07:00

When Pam became a Suen

Retreat for the soul

2011-07-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

So I suppose there must be life after China. The traveling cant stop! From China, I moved on to Bali, a short retreat for the slightly damaged soul.

The bad thing about blogging about a trip 7 months later is you forget the places you visited, the food you ate and the people you met along the trip. And I forgot the name of the hotel we stayed in. It was a pretty decent place, close to the airport (at Kuta, if I am not wrong) and that shopping street which i obviously have forgotten about too.

Dinner at Jimbaran Beach

On our first night, we rode out to Jimbaran bay, where much of Bali's best seafood places are. No recommendations were made, so we walked into a random restaurant. We sat by the beach, peeling our prawns whilst being serenaded by the buskers in red.

Much of the sights in Bali are over rated. A good example, the Monkey Forest. All there is are monkeys lazing around.

Monkey Forest

And when they are not in the horizontal position, they stand upright clawing your bag for treats. The most daring of them climb on your shoulders, making themselves comfortable.

Half an hour later, me and van were running out of the forest. Not a fan of monkeys.

A trip to bali is not complete without a visit to the Ubud Rice Terrace. We watched the farmers work the fields, and then we went our way.

Rice Terrace

And I know I should really change the shout out on the right. I will, I will.

What I dont Understand

2011-07-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

So here is a picture of Violaine.

She has curls as I do. We both have really short hair. But why is it Violaine's short curls work for her, while I have to spend 15 mins every morning pulling mine straight? And mind you, 15 mins later I still dont look half as good. Unfair!

And split fringe or not, she still looks great. I should embrace the defiant fringe of mine.

[Photo Credit: Vanessa Jackman]

Summer Soiree

2011-07-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

One summer ago, in our garden frocks and summer hats, the family gathered at grisek for a time of celebration. We drank to my return, a birthday and the summer heat of course.

[Photo Credit: Marvin's Nikon]

Saturday Night Fever

2011-07-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday nights would never be the same without you (: And because its your special day today, this post is for you guys!

Behind the scene

2011-06-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

of a graduation shot.

The friends I said goodbye to

2011-06-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

This final post wraps up my 2 years in China.

Come Sunday, I celebrate my one year anniversary since my return from Beijing. 1 year ago, I said my piece. So today, its a simple goodbye.

Cuiling

Aunty 1
Aunty 2
Aunty 3
Aunty 4
Ma La Tang Aunty
Landlady

Photos of my favourite aunties are posted for easy identification, should anyone need any *coughs XX. You know who to look for (:

The Last Wall

2011-05-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

And for the grand finale, we had the driver drop us off at Jin Shan Ling, and we stomped all the way to Si Ma Tai. Thats the only decent way to bid farewell to the iconic landmark of Beijing.

Jt and her nerves spilling all over even before the climb.

Sigh, no more of this for the next, erm, 20 years? Bye bye.

Life by the river

2011-05-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

When work gets a bit crazy, its nice to look back at these photos and reminisce the wonderful times we had at Xi Tang, a time when i was still the free-spirited wanderer.

Xi Tang is a quaint traditional water town near Shanghai, with lots of eye-popping reds against a backdrop of grey dilapidated buildings. I like especially my set of red-accented photos. Turned out pretty well :)

There are many small alleys to explore, and if you find yourself lost in any of them, always head back to the canal to get your bearings right again.

The man and his craft
A little bit of home

We didnt do much except sit around and moan about life. And in the presence of such tranquility possible only from a life of simplicity, a certain member from our group found inspiration to compose a poem (in chinese mind you).

Mademoiselle and her laundry

Bye bye!

On the street

2011-05-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Work is a lousy excuse, but I am keeping up here!

Cheng Huang Miao

Nan Xiang

A must have when you are at Cheng Huang Miao!

Yu Yuan Garden
Xing Tian Di

To the ends of the world

2011-04-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

and back again.

Singapore

The Singapore Pavilion was a big disappointment. If not for the priority access we had as citizens, I would never have joined the snaking queue just to catch a 2 mins long mtv by our local artistes.

Switzerland

The highlight of the Switzerland pavilion was the ride on the ski lift up the roof of the pavilion, atop a bed of yellow and white flowers with the sound of cowbells ringing in the distance.

Serbia
China

Joining the queue outside the China pavilion would get you nowhere near the insides of it. Only a ticket (see above) would guarantee you an entry. Getting there an hour before opening hour would not get you anywhere too. What you need is a friend who after queuing for 2 hours decided that she didnt want to see the pavilion after all (: Thanks aman!

And the award for the most elaborate exhibition would have to go to the Chinese. Well what do you think, they have a monorail running inside the pavilion.

Saudi Arabia

And its a pity we didnt get to see the Saudi Arabia pavilion. The most expensive pavilion yet, with a 8 hour long wait. Madness i say.

Israel
Pakistan
New Zealand

Good job ting! *winks

Australia
France

As usual, the French with their simple, chic, tastefully done up pavilion. J'adore.

*stifles a laugh. Our inside joke.

US of A

I wish I had some photo proof of how much I enjoyed the USA pavilion. From the start with flawless delivery of the welcome speech (in mandarin) by the mc and random americans on the street, to the strong messages delivered by the head of states, there was a resounding theme of unity, perseverance and vision throughout the 3 acts. Good job!

Germany

Poland
Sweden

Japan

It was another 4 hour long wait at the Japan pavilion, which we unfortunately did not have the time for.

South Korea

We settled for the South Korea pavilion, the last for the day. An unfortunate choice really, no pow wow way to end our expo journey.

Noise

2011-04-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have been watching a series of short interviews compiled by the new york times. There was this question which I found myself answering to.

What is your top 5 favourite non-musical sound?

1. The chopping of anything against the wooden chopping board. It must be a wooden chopping board.
2. "Qiiiaaak" sound from pulling open the tab of a coke can, or any other can for the matter.
3. Heels "clocking" across a hard pavement.
4. The sound of fingers thumping furiously across the keyboard (like now)
5. Bubbling sound from a running stream of water in a creek

What is yours?

Shanghai-tang

2011-04-10T05:15:00.001-07:00

When we were not at the exposition, we were out on the streets of Shanghai.

Park in the city

南京步行街
 The Bund
The Shanghai Bull
The Shanghai Oriental TV Pearl Tower

Somewhere in the pearl tower, the first ball structure i think, is this amazing museum where they made a mini replication of life in olden day shanghai. It provides really good insights into the high life of those days.

Mini Bund

It is about time!

2011-04-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

The dress is pressed, and my bag is packed. It is true, it does feel like the first day of school!! *sweats. Will they like me?

29 March 2011

2011-03-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

That was a day to remember, and i am excited to find out where this journey would lead to!

Thanks to all who knew and understood that crazy one week i went through. Sorry if i was a pain in the ass, and i definitely would not have survived it without your prayers and support (:

Thank you you you you, hope all of you are reading this!

Globetrotting

2011-03-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Egypt

Russia
Italy

We heard loads about the Italian pavilion and it was a unanimous decision to have it on our must visit list. And, we were not disappointed. They brought out their fashion, music and cars, and we were sold.

Shoes shoes shoes
Orchestra on the wall
Dolce & Gabbana
Versace
Germany
Spain

It was all about babies at the Spain pavilion, and the highlight was the mammoth of a baby at the end. He turns his head, bats his lids and pouts. Very creepy.

United Kingdom
Seed Cathedral

The UK pavilion gets my vote for their simple and straightforward idea. Inspired by the seed bank project, a seed cathedral was constructed, where at the end of every spoke, seeds of different plants are embedded. Seeds represent life and the continuity of it, and its nice that it was in line with the theme for the 2010 Expo, building a greener future. How more direct can it get.

33

2011-03-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thats how hot it was today. I forget how hot it gets this time of the year in Singer. To prove my point, my concealer melted into a pot of oil.

All the world's a stage

2011-03-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Shanghai World Expo 2010 was an event like no other on many counts. For starters, the event saw the largest participation ever, with countries and communities from across the globe brought together to one single location, showcasing their culture and technology.

You will soon see, I have posted photos of some of my favourite pavilions from the exposition. Out of the world designs, housing some of the greatest exhibition.

And please dont get me started on the crowd. Mad mad crowd.

The essentials:

A Map,

ticket,
a passport, and you are all set for globetrotting!

So the idea was to get your passports stamped at every pavilion you visit. Awesome right? Not so when you put it into the hands of the chinese. At some of the pavilions, it was a nasty sight of people clamoring and clawing each other for a grab of the stamp. Unbelievable. Some made a beeline for the stamp booth, total disregard for the exhibition. Unbelievable. And then there were those with 20 passports in one hand. Unbelievable.

Enough said.

Finland
Estonia
Latvia
Greece
Turkey
Iceland
Sweden
Ukraine
Ireland
Norway
Austria
Russia
City of the future

Russian children were asked to imagine a city for the future. Inspired by a child, to the drawing block, and finally on to the model.

Africa
United Kingdom

If I had to choose, I would say the UK pavilion had one of the most interesting structure around. From a distance, it looks like a grey fuzz, but up close, its a clever design of hundreds of long spokes sticking out from the core.

The Netherlands

And the most crowd friendly pavilion award would have to go to the Netherlands, where you can just stroll on without feeling like one in a million.

Canada
Brazil

UTELS

2011-03-17T10:08:00.001-07:00

Where we stayed in Shanghai. The UTELS International Hostel, full of character and highly affordable!

Down the alley

2011-03-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

I was back in Shanghai again, after my solo trip in 2009. This time, I was there with the girls for the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

Before the Expo, we revisited some of my favourite places in Shanghai.

Tian Zi Fang
Lunch break

[Photo Credits: Marietta and Jiting]

That Cake

2011-03-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

In the summer of 2010, the girls flew up to visit me and China, just before i was to return back to Singers for good. It was about time girls.

For 2 weeks, I showed them my favourite hang out places in Beijing, most of which receive frequent feature here.

Just behind my block, across the overhead bridge, is this little bakery which sells the freshest red date cake and you can smell it from across the bridge.

And of course it had to be their first breakfast treat in Beijing!

1995

2011-03-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

I have been spending a lot of time at home lately. And trust me when you are home as often as I am, your room becomes the only comfort you have got.

It has been brought to my attention that my comfort of a room is nothing more than a Karang Guni center. Ok, i am a hoarder.

In a bid to make my time with my room more enjoyable, I have been engaging in a series of major clearances. In my most recent sweep, I chanced upon a memory from more than a decade ago. 16 years to be precise.

This is definitely for keeps (:

Heal the wounded, rescue the dying, put the patients above everything

2011-03-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

There were no tears, no hugs, no sorrowful goodbyes. On the last day of our internship, in all true Marietta's spirit, we took photos. Lots and lots of photos to remember the day.

Dong Fang Hospital

Group Shot

And so it just happened without us realizing. We survived 2 years in China :)

Alameda

2011-03-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

According to my Insider's Guide to Beijing, for great lunch time deals, head over to Alameda. And to Alameda we went.

It says contemporary cuisine, but in my book, Alameda is an Euro-Brazilian eatery and it has got quite a lot of mentions. Worthy mentions.

Its not that hard to locate it. Its at San Li Tun, directly opposite the Village, nestled somewhere behind the row of pubs. Its been almost a year, and I still remember the place like a local.

Clean Cut Look

For food and ambiance like that, we paid something like S$15? And people ask me why do I miss Beijing.

A new chapter

2011-03-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

I generally don't deal well with goodbyes. No matter how much i might have complained these past few months, at the crux of it all, I am still very much a sentimental fool.

But at the end of every chapter, a new one begins. And thats how we all write on.

Favourite corner in my room. Its the neatest.

In Ruins

2011-02-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

The old summer palace is reduced to what we now see at Yuanming Yuan - a sprawling site of rocks and marble strewn over the grounds, the result of years at war with the Brits and the French. At its peak, Yuanming Yuan was likened to the Versailles in France, notably because of the strong european influence on the architectural design of the palace.

I remember the ditsy woman who took several shots of me and rf, laughing, opened mouths, eyes not looking. She just went click click click. And the shot below is the best of the lot.

Yuanming Yuan is best visited in summer, when the leaves are green and the sky is blue, and flowers grow abound. It softens the rough edges of the random rubble you see.

The summer heat was getting to us, and both rf and I just really wanted to get out there and experiment with our cameras and creativity. With both our enthusiasm that took us sometimes up the rocks and through the ruins, we came back with quite decent shots i must say.

Today, Yuanming Yuan is more like a park, with the occasional stone slabs thrown across your path. It does make you wonder where that stone once belonged to, which part of the pillar did it once form, the former glory of Yuanming Yuan.

Playing with the colour accent function in my camera. Blue, for the blue blue sky we had that day.

What is left of the main building

Enjoying a good tan
"The Versailles"

Tian Zi Shan

2011-02-19T01:09:00.000-08:00

Further up north from the Zhang Jia Jie nature reserve, is the Tian Zi Shan nature reserve. It was more mist, more mountains and more climbing.

The Ride

That, was possibly the highest cable car ride i have ever taken.

Hole in

Photoroll: Zhang Jia Jie Natural Reserve

2011-02-13T02:38:00.000-08:00

View from the top of the reserve

The Infinite Waterfall

And then from the top, we took an elevator down 100 odd stories. View from the foot of the columns was just as spectacular.

Zhang Jia Jie

I love it how the peaks at Zhang Jia Jie are perpetually shrouded in a white cloak of mystery.

The 3 Sisters

Beautiful huh!

Hallelujah Mountains

2011-02-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

It is said that Pandora's floating Hallelujah mountains were inspired in part from the mountain range of several locations in China. One of them being Zhang Jia Jie, the next of my travels around china.

Cry for equality

An overnight train and a bus ride later, we arrived at the Zhang Jia Jie natural reserve. We stayed in the park itself, a simple no frills lodging. The next 2 days, we traveled across the reserve, sometimes on foot, the rest of the time by the park's shuttle bus, capturing the best angles of Zhang Jia Jie's famed karst landscape.

Natural Bridge

Chinese Painting

Where we stood, we were told that before our eyes was once a vast expanse of land. That was until a huge earthquake happened in the area, causing the earth to open up and crumble into what we now saw. Random limestone columns which were likened to the Emperor's brushes, his generals, the bridge of the immortal etc.

The Lion Rock
The Mouse
Inspiration for Hallelujah Mountain
Celestial Bridge

* All shots were taken within the natural reserve.

Early Bloomers

2011-02-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

Konichiwa!

Thats about the only Japanese phrase I know after 2 weeks in the land of the rising sun.

Spring is here :))

Out of Office

2011-02-03T04:47:00.000-08:00

Sumimasen, sumimasen.

Go figure.

I will be back in another weeks time!

One of the many ways to kill me

2011-01-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Gluing the mirror to the bottom of the swimming pool.

Photoroll: Graduation Dinner

2011-01-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

The Dancers
Flowers for the ladies
Our Mentor
Words from the teacher's heart

Twenty Eleven

2011-01-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

Its difficult to keep up with time. You know this once you hit the big twenty one.

So its the 1st of January 2011 today, and what better day to start it all right again. At the beginning of every year, I always wish for a reset button to be pushed so i could start over on a clean slate. But yes, we all know better.

I am never a fan of new year resolutions, since we all tend to sidetrack along the way. Yesterday night, I was having a conversation with the cousin about his resolution for 2010. And I thought it was pretty cool we could look back to a year ago and compare notes at the end of the year to see what he had accomplished (pretty impressive I must add).

It was fun and I decided to have my own list of resolutions for 2011! There are 11 items on my list, but i will share only 4 of them. The rest is quite embarrassing.

More quality quiet time
Master a dish and cook it for the year end party
Pack every corner of my room
Eat more healthily , more vegetables and fruits

The review date is set to be on 31st December 2011, and I am excited to find out how I would fare!

My favourite shot from last night's family party

Keep Out!

2010-12-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

The wildest, toughest, scariest but prettiest of them all. That warning certainly did not turn us and 50 others away.

Jian Kou

A great wall closed to the public only can mean free entry!

It was a tough climb, one accomplished not without pain and much swearing. The journey began with us on fours and ended with us on our butt. Ya, you get the picture.

After an hour of rough climb through the forest of naked trees, we finally caught sight of the wall.

...and it was to die for, literally and figuratively speaking. Should I begin from the crumbling wall, or the death defying moves we have to make to get across the wall, or the simply spectacular view of this man made wonder.

Ok, there you have it, I was the weakest link. Man, my friends were bulldozing to the finishing line, and no one cared that I was breathless and crying for help.

Chillax

And I wasnt exaggerating! All 4 limbs had to be pulled out to get us through the wall!

Spring Flower

I have not read Secret Garden (will do someday), but I suppose this is how it would look like avec leaves and more flowers.

Watch Tower
The death defying stunt

So somewhere along the way, the path was abruptly cut short and we had to continue the journey by climbing over the wall. With body plastered to the wall and shaking arms, we tiptoed precariously over to the other end. One misplaced foot, and its down the cliff.

Never attempt Jian Kou alone. You never know when you need a helping hand.

A helping hand
Bonfire moment
Trademark Shot
Conquerors

And then on trembling knees and weakened backs, we began the slow and arduous descent down the hill.

Gift Wrap Counter

2010-12-18T23:41:00.000-08:00

Only one more week to Christmas!!

Have you got all your gifts ready?

So see, I am feeling the whole Christmas spirit now, and I offer you this. Only for this week, if you have all the gifts but not the time to wrap them up, bring them over to my place and I will gift wrap them for you, free of charge.

Lazy Saturday Afternoon

2010-12-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

Its the last weekend before Christmas, and I chose to stay at home, away from the crowd of last minute Christmas shoppers. Call it anti social, but i feel so comfortable holed up in my room right now.

My sis is out shopping with her friends, bro is in JB as usual, friends are all over town. Oh boy, its just me and my parents at home. Gaspppps.

It ain't all bad staying home. I accomplished quite a lot! Made my bed, hand washed my clothes, wrapped Christmas presents, packed out my China box (yes 5 months later and my things still lie hidden in boxes), and now i am staring at the mess in my room trying to figure out my next course of action. Bless me.

Leaving all with one memory of a beautiful spring day in Beijing.

Around Beijing with the Ngs

2010-12-12T04:17:00.000-08:00

It was only the Ngs left when Fiona and Kelly bade farewell to Beijing. The travels continued on despite their early departure.

Bubble tea craze just 2 minutes from the hospital i interned at. Every lunch hour, i squeeze with the 16 year olds for my doze of oolong bubble tea.

Beijing's Bubble Tea
Pan Jia Yuan

Fabz would have you be told never to be photographed near a China shop, with a big bag. You do not want to be stuck with a mob of angry chinese, brandishing broken plates in your face and screaming "pay up you cheat!!!".

SoHo
Grandma's Kitchen
Cousin's Night Out

You know whats funny. This note was written in Singapore, before the Beijing trip. Sweet thought, nonetheless.

Private Business

2010-12-11T22:54:00.000-08:00

Even the dogs need their privacy.

It was after work, and i was on my way home from the mrt station. From a distance, I noticed the golden retriever and its owner. The sun was almost down, and the evening breeze gently caressed my skin. It was almost a perfect night.

As I approached the duo, I gave the lady a little smile and I looked down to the golden. It was propped on its hind legs, butt barely touching the ground, going round in circles. It was in the middle of finding the perfect spot.

The evening rays and light from the street lamps threw the ground into pockets of light and shadow. And then the golden did the most amusing thing. Still hunched on its hind legs, the golden started inching its way, away from the light into the shadow. There, it found its perfect spot, away from the prying eyes. I tried so hard to stifle my chuckle of amusement.

Smart creatures aren't they!

Bobby, our golden, has his own favourite spots for his private business too. It used to be behind the christmas tree in my garden, where the long branches could hide him away from the public. That was until it got unceremoniously chopped off. With that gone, Bobby now does his business all over the shop. Naughty Bobby!

Bobby