royaltylites: Of Memories and Rants ...

HUÉ - Vietnam

2012-01-27T14:32:00.000+08:00

The views from Da Nang to Hué on the train is supposed to be really spectacular, which was why we took the day train (3 hour journey). However, as we made our journey up north of Vietnam, it got colder, wetter and the skies were gloomier. Even though we sat at the train's lunch cart, next to the window, the sight outside looked too depressing to 'enjoy'. Pretty, no doubt, though I kept myself occupied by doodling on Chris' notebook - whoops!

And that, was practically how it was in Hué - wet, muddy, chilly!

We stayed at Waterland Hotel; our room was nothing like what they promoted in their website or in Agoda. We were given a room at the top floor, and weird enough, next to ours is an empty room with an altar. Since we were only there for two nights, it did not matter much as our room was decent.

Hué is my least favourite destination in Vietnam during this trip. The bad weather is one of the reasons. Food is not bad either, yet I missed Hoi An! Bia Hoi is slightly expensive here, 5,000VND/glass (approximately 25cents)

Took the Emperors' Tombs tour from our hotel on the morning itself. Luckily they managed to slot us into one of the groups. The tombs are magnificent, with Emperor Minh Mang's outdoing the other two. Nevertheless, each tomb is significant in its own way.

Our tour started on a boat, which I think I might enjoy it more if the weather was sunny instead of wet and chilly. It drizzled the whole day. The guide took us to someone's ancestral house that looks nothing extraordinary to me (maybe because I am Chinese), I spent more time taking photos of toads! We had to give the house's caretaker 10,000VND each - blah! What a good way for them to make money.

My slipper broke while stomping in the mud from our boat to the house. Bugger! It was so hard to trample in mud with my flops that I just took them off and walked barefooted. It's only mud anyway.

After that, we headed to Thien Mu Pagoda - something I looked forward to, if only it wasn't raining/drizzling. Place was filled with tourists too.

I know, I look really fashionable!! I knew it will be cold in north of Vietnam, but never expected it to be constantly wet. In fact, I only brought a jacket with me but no warm-enough pants. On and off, I would cuss aloud "Damn sejuk gila babi!!" just because I can, and no one understands me anyway! haha!

Lunch on the boat was OVER-PRICED!!! Hey, first off, I am Asian and from a 'neighbouring' country, so I roughly know how much it costs for them to get fresh produce from the markets. Secondly, we have been eating at street food stalls throughout our trip and am aware of the standard price (for tourists, even though I'm Asian! blah!) I know, I know ... help their economy, yes, I will, if they put in more effort at preparing our food. Food was not bad on the boat, much better than Ha Long Bay's in fact. But I wouldn't say it's cooked Vietnamese-style. Also, we felt cheated by the menu (not just both of us, but a few other tourists on our boat too)

Photo from Chris

After lunch, we got off the boat and continued our journey by bus. Before that, we made our first tomb stop at Emperor ~~Khai Dinh~~ Minh Mang's. One thing I do not like about following a tour group, it's hard for me to get my 'alone time'. Whenever I visit historical places, I like to imagine how it was back then, picturing figures carrying on with their daily activities - just like looking into someone's memory in the pensive!

Visits to the tombs require a guide though as there is no information available around the grounds. Unless you did plenty of reading about the historical days of the Emperors, you'd be pretty lost around the tombs. Huge is an understatement, these tombs are MASSIVE! Enough land to conduct seasonal hunts, one can even kayak around the lake(s).

According to our guide, these gates were shut after the emperor's body passed
through during his funeral, and were never opened since.

We were also told that when an emperor passes away, only three people knew of his burial spot - safety measures from the thieves as the emperors were buried with all their treasure/gold! And one can not locate any of the three because they will be buried alive with the emperor. One of them, is the embalmer.

Photo from Chris

Next was Emperor ~~Minh Mang~~ Khai Dinh's tomb. Some stayed back in the bus because they read that Ming Manh's was not all that fascinating. Oh, how deceived they were. ~~Minh Mang~~ Khai Dinh's tomb may look smaller than the rest from the outside, but inside ... let's just say I had my eyes fixed on the ceiling and walls. It took him 11 years to finish the tomb he wanted, extremely detailed with his wall art. Colored glass and ceramic chips were used to form mosaics with an oriental touch. The ceiling was hand-painted with dragons and clouds.

WHAO! Snap! I just found out that our tour guide mixed up the two tombs. The first was Minh Mang's, and this impressive one belongs to Khai Dinh. Haha! Geezz.. I feel bad for those who stayed back in the bus. This tomb is really beautiful!

Emperor Khai Dinh's body is the only one they managed to locate.
Underneath this life-sized gold statue of his is his body and treasures

By the time we reached the third tomb, belonging to Emperor Tu Doc, I was starting to get restless and did not take any photos. The constant drizzle did not help either, and the herd of tourists piling in made me feel so 'blah!' - after visiting Khai Dinh's tomb, that emperor's set the standards up in terms of impressiveness.

Before heading back to the city, the tour ended with a trip to a conical hat and incense-making village. Yea, right... it was more like commercial stalls by the side of the street, few minutes walk from Tu Doc's tomb (which we ridiculously went on the tour bus that drove us there), selling souvenirs at an exorbitant price, with two ladies demonstrating how incense sticks and conical hats are being made.

Upon reaching the city, Chris got ~~grumpy~~ hungry so we went scouting for food. Unlike the other places, there was not a food stall in sight on the streets in the backpackers' area. One has to cross the bridge to the other side of the river for markets and such (which we did the following day). While walking around looking for food, a girl from this bar called 'Brown Eyes' was passing out flyers. In conjunction with New Years Eve, the bar had a "Buy-1-free-1" promotion from 5-9pm, and first 50 customers get a free t-shirt. So, yup, we went for drinks after food, on the way back to our hotel. And we went back after for the countdown!

MJ Wall Art

With our new friend from Japan, we were on the same tour that day. Cool guy!

Food hunt the following day!! Visited the wet market, literally WET and muddy. The ladies at the food stalls outside the market were being too pushy, tugging and pushing me towards her stall. Gave us some food that was not what we ordered - only found out later as we were scouting for non-tourist food areas in the market. We found one, sat down and were treated like royalty!! Woo-hoo. The lady was SO NICE!! She took time to explain to us all the food we tried, even introduced to us local specialities and we paid a decent price for all the food we ate. Really cheap, in fact! Sorry, folks! I don't like pushy people. I can make up my own mind.

Coffee in Vietnam is Good. They serve you in shot glasses. It will be perfect if they did not add so much condensed milk into the cup. It is super sweet after stirring it. Yuckkk!

As we were heading back to the hotel, Chris got hungry, again, and we stopped for noodles. The bowl of noodles were tasty at first, until I had too many bites of pork fat!! I thought there was some meat in my bowl of noodles but it was pure fat. And in that cold weather, the fat turned into gelatin after a few minutes which makes if even more disgusting. I felt like barfing right after that because of the after-taste of lipids in my mouth.

I guess there are hits-and-misses when it comes to eating on the side of the streets. I would say 90% of our gastronomical experiences were good. However, in Hue, I only enjoyed our meal in the marketplace and Banh Bo Hue the first night we arrived. Pho at the restaurant is not as good as what we tasted on the streets.

Cab driver took us on a longer route to the train station in the late afternoon. There is actually a one-street way but he refused to use that road - communication barrier. We took the night train to Hanoi from Hué, and managed to secure a soft-sleeper. It was actually pretty comfy, and we had awesome roomies from California whom we hung out with in Hanoi too!

I travelled Hué from the 30th Dec 2011 to 1st Jan 2012.

The Year of the Water Dragon

2012-01-26T12:47:00.002+08:00

Ah.. Chinese New Year - the only time of the year where I feel obliged to go back home, even though I yearn to take a trip out of Malaysia during that festive period. Alas, family traditions never die, and well ... I don't really want to receive a bundle full of nagging the next time I head home.

ANYWAY, it has always been great going home, somewhat. This time, in particular, I am extremely glad that I have Ipoh to call my home town. If you were born and bred in a small town/valley surrounded by mountains and greenery, then have to spend 4 years (and counting) in a chaotic concrete jungle of shopping malls, too-many skyscrappers and mad traffic, you will empathize with my need for Nature (or not).

I can't help gazing at the clear blue skies with marshmallow-candy floss clouds and the sight of limestone mountains every time I drove around town or look out my window. Where I stay right now in the Klang Valley, I see a shopping mall right outside my bedroom window - pain in the eye!

However, I am pretty agitated by the newly built hotel on the left of the road, at the junction exiting the highway near Bercham. Imagine this, you are enjoying the wonderful scenic view, doing a 180° panoramic scan from left to right, when all of a sudden this tall building stands out awkward from no where, obstructing your sight. #$*@&$# !!!

My younger sister came across this article and linked on my wall - Our Perak MB wants DCA to lift the ban towards construction of tall buildings in Ipoh. What the dickens? *protests* I say, do NOT lift the ban. Preserve Ipoh's natural beauty.

-Post diverting back to CNY-

In a nut shell, CNY for me is family time, food, and 6th Form Class Reunion (if a group of them is available). I am not really into routines, and I doubt my sisters are too; hence we utilize every single brain cell to brainstorm ideas to keep ourselves constantly entertained. At our relatives' house, we only have a camera and five natural-born entertainers who are working/studying in the wrong field.

Playing with our cousin's camera's panoramic feature

Not forgetting, the signature 'jumping shots'. Though, we might be doing and impromptu dance routine in these photos (below), you never know.

The first two days of CNY were spent eating, visiting, eating, watching the Australian Open with the family, and eat again. Yup! I hardly took any photos because there were two cameras snapping away, so I was technically just plain L.A.Z.Y.

One will reach a certain age when receiving red packets/money do not matter much during CNY. Maybe for the majority, that happens when they get married (and have to be the one giving out ang pows instead. haha!). The only significant thing for me during CNY is seeing the whole family around, and taking our annual (paternal) family portrait.

Outfit Day #1: Lace-top (OB Couture), Tank (Cotton On),
Red skirt (Tailored/Mum's), Flatforms (Vincci),
Necklace (Bugis), Bangles (flea market), Sunnies (MBK)

Dinner Outfit Day #2: Retro-lace Dress (Kitschen),
Flatforms (Vincci), Necklace (Bugis)

Tip on shopping for CNY: Avoid buying tight-fitting clothes. It may look good on you before purchasing; but after three days of reunion luncheons/dinners, you might notice some unwanted bulges. Best option is a loose-fitting dress or top. Works every time, even for Christmas! Ace!!

Family photo

Paternal Family

Grandmother and her Grandchildren

Ate so much during the course of two months (this includes Yogyakarta and Vietnam) that I got so sick of food yesterday. Plus, I need to get back my lean body in time for our dance concert scheduled in July. Blah! Liquid diet all the way, and yoga - anyone?? Some weekend hiking will do too!

=====

Every year since I left high school, my 6th Form classmates will gather at least once to celebrate our 'reunion'. Got to thank our ex-monitor, Jared, for putting in extra effort to get everyone together (even though our last gathering had 3 turnouts!). I am secretly glad that my classmates are quite grounded people themselves, and there were no crazy party reunions - my liver might suffer from alcohol intoxication! We had lunch, and pai lin-ed at Yan Hua's house, ended with some card game that got Jun Bon soaked in his own sweat. Whao!

The Crew @ William IX

HOI AN - Vietnam

2012-01-20T14:46:00.005+08:00

Hoi An, Hoi An...

Where do I even begin? My favourite stop in Vietnam, in this trip.

First off, the Architecture! We stayed in the Ancient Town of Hoi An, one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites. Huy Hoang River Hotel is the nicest hotel we've stayed in throughout our trip in Vietnam. It is strategically located near by the riverbank, and stone's throw away from the wet/dry market, our daily Banh Mi and fresh juice smoothies stalls, cobblers, tailors, and FOOD!!

Our room for two nights

WHAO!! Gastrorgasmic!

I love the old Chinese-looking shops in the Ancient Town. Makes me imagine myself walking around in the early 20th century in a Chinese community.

Chris and I never ate in any tourist-catered restaurants, only street food stalls - where we get delicious and cheap food! On the day we arrived, we spotted this man with his cartful of cremé caramel a few times and decided to stop for one. Turns out it's Banh Flan - cremé caramel with a shot of Vietnamese coffee, and it was PURE ECSTASY!! Chris and I were craving for it every single day after that, even to the end of our trip (I'm craving some now). The following two days in Hoi An, we were literally walking around the streets in hopes to find the guy with the leopard-printed hat and his Banh Flan cart! Arghh... failed! I swear, that's the best dessert I've tried in Vietnam!

Where for art thou??

Best way to see Hoi An is by bicycle - Perfect!! I have been longing to cycle for years!! It's hard to do so living in Klang Valley, mind you. Thankfully, our hotel rents bicycles for a dollar a day - cheap! and we utilized it to the max. Rode across the river to a less touristy place, into the villages. I felt like we were invading the homes of the locals ....

On our second day, we rode to Cua Dai Beach, located approximately a 25-minutes ride from our hotel/Ancient Town. Though we took a longer time, making several stops to take photos of the countryside. Can't blame me for being enthralled by paddy fields, coconut trees, and clear blue skies. Feels like I'm being trapped in a concrete jungle with too many shopping malls in Klang Valley!

Tell me, how can I not stop with such serene sights. Look at the fluffy white clouds against the clear blue sky that blends nicely with all the greenery below it!

Cua Dai Beach

Give the beach an early head-start to avoid the flock of tourists crowding the beach even though it's ridiculously hot in the afternoon! I had my 2-hours of morning sun, hence we left before noon. As we cycled back to town, we saw groups of tourists cycling the opposite direction, heading towards the beach. Crazy or what? Under the scorching sun! The heat was 'killing' me, this coming from someone who's born and bred in a tropical/humid climate.

Was so hot that I needed to quench my thirst with THREE glasses of fresh juice

Hoi An is famous for their tailors and cobblers. True enough, there are TOO MANY in sight; we were staying close to a whole row of cobblers. I kind of regretted not having a cheongsam tailor-made during my stay. I got a quote for less than MYR80 !! The nice cheongsams I came across in KL are above MYR150! Blah! Regardless, I got myself comfy light-weight pants that I've been wearing pretty often since I got back. $4 each - found same but cheaper ones after buying mine, bugger! My advise to shopping in Hoi An, spend time scouting around for the best prices, it's worth the effort doing so.

I ain't complaining much about the price I paid because it is still cheaper than KL, and the shop I bought from don't seem to have tourists stopping by (walked pass it a few times every day we were there) - people still have to make a living, right?

Accompanied Chris to do his shopping most of the time! And he says I am the Shopaholic! Pfft! Complete bullocks. He got himself a pair of custom made suede shoes for $20!

I would definitely go back to Hoi An in the future.

If you would like to read my review on the hotel we stayed at and Cua Dai Beach, click on the links above. I am an active Contributor to Trip Advisor. Woots! Because I think reviews matter a lot, and would like to give my 2 cents on places I've been to/see, hoping to help other travellers too.

I travelled Hoi An from the 28th to 30th December 2011

Bar Hopping Changkat - 14012012

2012-01-17T13:46:00.000+08:00

From Twentyone to Havana to an Irish Pub, then back to Havana, 'twas too long since I last bar hopped and stayed out till wee hours in the morning (back home at 5AM to be exact). There, we chanced upon a completely pissed dude from England (homie to Katie - haha!) who wanted to head to Chinatown to continue his drinking session. Hence I hailed a cab for him, told the driver where he wanted to go, put him in the cab, and... after the cab drove off for say, less than 100meters, that guy came skipping up to us again (to our surprise!) He started lying atop another cab parked at the side of the road. That's when we decided to just get along ... sweet!

Oh, and I bumped into my sister!

Thanks to Joyce@kinkybluefairy for the drink voucher at twentyone kitchen+bar !!

DANANG - Vietnam

2012-01-11T14:28:00.001+08:00

From Saigon, we flew to Danang, our transfer port to/from Hoi An. We arrived quite early, hence decided to take a cab to Cham Museum to kill some time before we catch the bus to Hoi An.

Yup, a much cheaper travel option is to take the bus. We paid 50,000VND each. Apparently, locals pay much less, around 15,000VND. Pfft! Talk about double standards. We could not even bargain for a lower fare. However, on our journey back, we managed to get the fair down to 40,000VND per person. He refused to deduct any further.

Cham Museum was just okay. I was not really that interested and got bored after 10 minutes. It houses artefacts and ruins of temples, which are not that impressive if you have seen the Borobudur and/or Angkor Wat.

We had good coffee in Danang, but the Banh Mi we bought before we left for Hué was a disappointment.

Some snapshots from Cham Museum and Danang:

SAIGON - Vietnam

2012-01-09T17:24:00.000+08:00

Spent 5 days in Saigon. Met some really cool people, as mentioned in my previous post *here*

Did not do much touristy stuff my first few days here but spent time exploring the city. And thanks to my new Vietnamese friend, I got to experience and see more of Ho Chi Minh City while zipping through several districts on her motorcycle. Sweet!

Not the cheapest cocktails, yet cheaper than Malaysia's

Craft Haven @ District 5

Interesting sights of Saigon

My new friend and I at the posh side of Saigon @ District 7

I 'celebrated' my first Christmas away from home, tagging along a small 'Santa-con' crew. We walked around the streets of Saigon, being stopped a multiple times because the guys dressed in Santa suits made great photo-ops for the locals. Did a live Karaoke in a Vietnamese Bar, being the only ones singing in English (to Queen and Journey). Embraced the chaotic Saigon traffic on Christmas eve, it was bewildering! I feel like Queen of the Roads now that I have graduated from crossing the main roads in Vietnam!

What KL Traffic?

That's my travel-party dress I was wearing. It is crease-free, which is why I love it so much. I can just roll it up and stuff it into my big backpack. It has partied in Phuket-Phi Phi-Bangkok-Phnom Penh, and now, Saigon! Pretty neat, eh?

Chris arrived on Christmas morning, and I moved from Hoang Linh Hotel to Saigon Backpackers' Hostel. There are 2 Saigon Backpackers. One located near the intersection of Pham Ngu Lao and De Tham streets, facing the main road, and the one we stayed in is located in an alley on Pham Ngu Lao.

We spent 3 days in HCMC together before flying off to Danang to catch the bus to Hoi An. Our gastronomical hunt began in Saigon. It was FOOD, FOOD, FOOD, and juice. My daily fix was an Avocado shake - the thickest, most delicious shake I've ever had. Cheap too (around $1) a cup.

Lunch at Ben Thanh Market

Rooftop @ Go2 Bar - Happy Hours

Banh Mi

Everyday, we had to get our daily dose of Banh Mi (15,000 VND). There are at least 5 Banh Mi stalls along Pham Ngu Lao. This is gastronomic-addiction!

Chris was raving about the famous Lunch Lady featured in Anthony Bourdain's travel series, and was determined to locate her. It was worth the long walk from Pham Ngu Lao as our stomachs were fully satisfied after a wonderful lunch. In fact, the Lunch Lady knew we were looking for her as she gave us a huge smile when we were walking towards her stall. She's been featured in several magazines and newspapers, yet remain ever so modest about it.

Tastiest, freshest Spring Rolls we've had in Vietnam

Bowl of Goodness from the Lunch Lady

There was an International Food Festival in the park near Ben Thanh Market, and guess what I chanced upon:

Malaysian Food Stall

Though the Roti Pratha they were preparing on the stove are frozen instant ones. Blah! We did not stop for food at the food fest though. Why come to Vietnam to have food from some other country??

As mentioned, we did not do a lot of touristy stuff, which means I saved a portion of money from all the sight-seeing, but spent it all on more food! Heh!

We checked out the War Remnants Museum before we went to the Lunch Lady as it was 'on the way'. Very informative history of the Vietnam War, yet according to many, I feel it was quite biased too. Though one can not deny the awful truth of war, plenty of photographs that depict the tragedy of the Vietnam war. Museum has 3 floors of photo exhibition - we only covered one as it got too packed with tourists and our minds wandered of to the Lunch Lady's whereabouts.

At the compound outside the museum were planes and tanks used by the US Army during the Vietnam War. Again, too many tourists around. So we just snapped a few photographs and left.

After reading about the Cu Chi Tunnels, I was looking forward to the trip out to the former battlegrounds of the Viet Cong guerilla during the Vietnam War. It is without a doubt, really impressive how they have managed to dig such narrow tunnels as hiding spots and underground travel routes, and constructed rooms for several purposes (eg. medic, kitchen, armoury, living quarters, etc). However, I find the jungle too 'artificial' and it doesn't feel like it was once a battlezone. Maybe it was due to the numerous tour groups present. I crawled through the tunnel routes, though I was hoping for one with longer distance (it is said that the tunnels stretch as far to the city centre of Saigon)

Cu Chi Trails

Ventilation Holes

Part of our Tour Group - we came in 2 buses!

Maybe we feel that we get our money's worth by spending on food instead of tours - to go to or see some sights, one needs to follow a tour group. Though, we did not dine in any fancy restaurants, just stuck to stuffing ourselves silly at the food stalls by the streets - places where you hardly find any tourists!

Food market outside our hostel

SEAFOOD!!

I was in Saigon from the 23rd to 27th December 2011.

Saigon - Part 1

2011-12-24T18:29:00.001+08:00

Arrived in Saigon past 8pm and was starving. So after dumping my bags in Mumz' room (yup, my Mama is here), I went out in search for food and to purchase a local SIM card.

Walked down Pham Ngu Lao (the Backpackers' hub) and found some scrumptious bowl of beef Phô for less than $3. Asked the girl sitting next to me where to get a SIM, and made a new Aussie friend. Thus my night began. Chilled for a bit at a bar 30meters from where I'm staying with beer and Jaëger shots, then moved on to my current favourite chillout spot at the corner of the street. This place plays the best music - Rammstein, Greenday, System of a Down, Red Hot Chilli Peppers,... you name it. In fact, that's where I'm seated as I type this on my Aria.

We befriended an American and the night went on. Best thing bout traveling is the people you meet along the way, at random.

Following day - was zipping around Ho Chi Minh on a motorbike, passing several districts, with my new Vietnamese friend.

District 1 : Backpackers hub. Filled with tour agents, hostel, B&Bs, bars.... and not forgetting, insane traffic!

District 3 : similar to District 1, much less of a Backpackers' zone though

District 4 : Town houses, did not stop by, just breezed through

District 5: CHINATOWN!! But boy, do I adore this place. It's not your typical Chinatown with knock-off goods. This place is a gem; hardly any Caucasians in sight. We went to a craft haven - not over exaggerating!

District 7 : the posh area. Not to say I didn't enjoy it. It's quiet, looks like where all the expats are located. Hut there's no sense of adventure and action there. Oh, despite the huge ass party Tiger is throwing tonight, in conjunction with X'mas eve.

... to be continued

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Class Reunion 2011 - 5th Edition

2011-12-20T15:05:00.001+08:00

My Secondary 6 class monitor has been organising annual gatherings ever since all of us left school and started paving our own tertiary edu/career paths. Without fail, a group of us will meet up every year regardless of the turnout - this year there were only 4 of us.

2008

2010

I somehow can't find 2009's photo - we dined at some Japanese restaurant in Ipoh Garden East.
This year it was just Jared, Jenn and I for dinner at Italiannies, The Curve. And meeting up with Eli at Starbucks Ikano (where we gate crashed their X'mas party. Hah!)

2011

Seafood Risotto and Spaghetti with Meatballs

At Starbucks' X'mas Party

I think all of us look the same, no obvious physical changes (aside from me putting on weight...)

Yogyakarta - Part 4

2011-12-19T16:47:00.000+08:00

Part of our 10th Global's itinerary is the Exposure Visit - to local communities struggling with different issues. The group was separated into three, one to Srunen Village (disaster zone), Sempu Village (farming/agriculture) and Plered Village (single women-headed households).

I followed the group to Srunen Village, the village located closest to the peak of Mount Merapi (the infamous volcano in Yogyakarta).

Our journey started early morning on the 6th of December. The ride up was a challenge for a huge car of 7 as roads were narrow and rocky. In fact, during our final leg up, Anu and I jumped on the motorcycles as the cars were apparently "too heavy". Best ride ever, breezing pass trees, fresh air and wind blowing across your cheeks, as we headed towards the peak (well, close to) of the volcano. I will upload a video later (I hope).

We met with three village leaders who explained to us their situation (with Fitri and Anik being the translators).

Villagers on Mount Merapi did not receive any help from the government after the huge eruption of the volcano. Instead, the government insist that they relocate to emergency shelters built at the foot of the mountain, but for the villagers who have spent all their life living near the peak, it is impossible for them to abandon their livestock and land - the government is not giving them sufficient reimbursement, and they fear that if they leave their villages, the government will take away their ancestral land.

They continue to struggle for their rights to proper education and health system from the government. A local newspaper, Suara Merdeka, provided aid to build a school in the village for the children as the government refused to do so, only providing an education at the emergency shelter which is 9km from their village. Children had to walk 9km downhill to attend school and 9km uphill daily, which resulted to quite a number of drop-outs.

The villagers main water source - a river, currently covered by cold larva

Despite living in a 'danger zone', the villagers have been trained in terms of safety measures when the volcano is about to erupt or when there is a tremor. Srunen Village is so beautiful, I was telling Sarah that I want to wake up to this sight every morning, breathe air this fresh every day - office should relocate! haha!

People are so friendly on the mountain. This guy stopped to smile while chopping wood. I feel bad for not stopping and talking to him, I just dashed back to join the group. *sniffs* How terrible of me.

As we were about to leave, the clouds cleared - it is always foggy up the peak of Mount Merapi during the day. Best time for one to catch a sight of the peak is early in the morning. Nevertheless, the volcano revealed itself before us as we were about to leave. It was such a breath-taking sight, my photos do no justice in capturing that very moment.

Green hills was where we were at earlier

Such a Beautiful Disaster

Trails of cold larva

It felt really good to be outdoors again. I miss hiking so much! I really despise the extremely polluted city lifestyle, not to mention the ridiculous daily traffic (which made me sworn off driving/buying a car and contribute to the pollution/congestion)

'Twas a guy, who appeared to be some radical extremist *clears throat*, questioned us on the motive of our visit - to help the villages with a solution to their struggles, or just "visiting like every other rich Western tourist, and snap photographs of the volcano". Little does he know that our group consists of activists from their own countries and not some rich bum on holiday in Yogyakarta. Most of our participants work on the ground and with their local communities back home, some even facing the same struggle with their local government. Let's just hope he does spread/brainwash the villagers with his "idealism".

Yogyakarta - Part 3

2011-12-16T14:14:00.000+08:00

During my two week stay in Jogja, I've only visited Borobudur (part of our programme's field trip) and Prambanan. The former is a Buddhist monument, where else the latter is of Hinduism. I was so close to wandering around the Kraton, but my plans were interrupted by a certain being.

Borobudur is my favourite out of the two. As we were there in a group of 30+, we were split to two, accompanied by two tour guides from Borobudur. Yes, they do serve their purpose - knowledgeable and helped us skipped the long queue heading up to the top part of Borobudur. Nevertheless, I'd like to venture around this massive structure on my own, spend time admiring the detailed carved reliefs on the walls, and be amazed over and over again by the geniuses behind the construction of Borobudur as the base was built without any cement yet stood strong and survived multiple natural disasters along the years.

"The 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake which badly damaged nearby Prambanan, left Borobudur unscathed."

Till today, it remains a mystery, as to who built this amazing structure and why it was built. It was in the 19th century that Thomas Stamford Raffles (yes, the founder of Singapore), unearthed this magnificent complex covered by layers of volcanic ash (from eruptions in the early days), deep in the jungles of Yogyakarta. It took 5 years to restore the site; and in 1956, UNESCO started its assessment for a full scale restoration, listing it as one of the World Heritage Site in 1991. Thus drawing enormous attraction from tourists all over the world, which led to the presence of annoying people walking around with colorful umbrellas.

Imagine taking a photo of the whole structure from afar, at a perfect angle, then out pop few colorful spots (umbrellas). Besides that, some people are just so oblivious of their surroundings that they can have their umbrella jutting an inch from your eye yet have no decency to close it (the place is crowded daily) while walking on a narrow pathway.

I was, and still am, greatly fascinated by the architects of Borobudur, as the whole monument is constructed from dark grey andesite stone - extremely heavy - chiselled into a puzzle which has been holding the whole monument for multiple decades now.

Look, Ma! No cement!!

Someone was telling me that there is a 'key' boulder. If one pulls that out, the whole complex will collapse. I am not sure how true is that, or if the person is just joking.

Photo from DI

Still no cement! My curiosity is driving me crazy!!

Chilling on the stones of Borobudur - I look like a Hippie!

Climbing up Borobudur was peanuts *shows off stamina* HAHA! You know what's the toughest obstacle? Getting around the hoard of souvenir sellers rushing up to you as you leave, convincing you to purchase something from them. And it was not just one person at a time, but 3 to 4 different sellers asking you the same thing while shaking their items right in front of your face.

I understand that it is part of their living and they are just trying to earn money to feed their family. But seriously, oversell is a no-no, especially when I have to keep repeating "Tak mahu, terima kasih" more than 100 times - not exaggerating on that! I will buy a thing or two, if I really need them. Being a seasoned traveller, you somehow come to a point of 'awakening' that you can not do impulsive shopping just because you are in another country, or that souvenirs are 'cheap' and you might have to give someone something back home - no, does not work that way. Because I end up collecting a whole lot of stuff that is of no use to me. So I did give that a thought at Borobudur, plus there was nothing that captured my interest (except for the puppets but the guy refused to sell them to me for the price I wanted)

Hippies

Everyone had to cover themselves with a batik sarong, provided upon entrance. It is a sign of respect. Matches my outfit anyway - hah!

Tour Group - yay!

Entrance fee:-

USD15/ 135,000IDR for non-Indonesian adults
USD8/ 72,000IDR for non-Indonesian registered students (need proof of ISIC)
15,000 IDR (weekdays)/ 17,500 IDR (weekends) for Indonesian adults

Spot the price difference??

Can't really complain because in Malaysia, the same theory applies - leech more money from the tourists!

Nevertheless, I will definitely visit Borobudur again (and walk around the complex 7 times - haha!)

For more information about Borobudur to assist you in your trip, READ THIS >>>

======

The day before I left, I had the chance to visit Prambanan too as one of our participants from Cameroon arrived in Indonesia a few days late (due to visa/flight issues) and missed out on Borobudur. As a good hospitable organiser, I agreed to accompany him to Prambanan (also because I'd like to check out the place myself). My colleague was supposed to join us but the guys slept in and did not answer my calls - how typical, heh! In the end, we headed to the site with 3 other guys (South African, Kenyan and Ugandan), and boy, were they treated like celebrities around there. People were stopping them, asking multiple question about where they are from (mainly girls from English study groups), and requesting for photos with them. Well, I get to join in the fun too, when the Indonesians thought I was Japanese/Korean!

Prambanan is amazing, but I think it is being overshadowed by Borobudur. The site was heavily damaged, with rubble stacked around it. It is also listed as UNESCO's World Heritage Site.

Personally, I was disappointed because Shiva's Temple was closed. It is the largest of the temples in the complex, situated right in the middle. As I did World Religions some point during my uni years, I kind of have a basic understanding of Hinduism, although I kind of mixed up Shiva and Vishnu's role. I knew Brahma is the God of Creator. We did not get a tour guide as we prefer discovering the site at leisure.

Temple of Shiva was out of bounds, what a bummer!

"In the wake of the May 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake, some parts of Prambanan sustained significant damage. The site is open again, but some temples are cordoned off and as of the end of 2009 entry into several temples is not allowed, while major repair and restoration work is undertaken."

Broken steeple

Celebrities for the day

Here comes the not-so-good part: The path to the exit is cleverly structured, leading you pass rows of shops selling (more) souvenirs. However, the hawkers here are less pushy than the ones in Borobudur. They let you pass with no annoying oversells, unless you stop and look. Most of the items sold can be found in Malioboro anyway, at half the price.

In conclusion, this place lacks information. It is a huge compound, enough space for them to put up some info boards, just to educate tourists about the history of Prambanan or basic Hinduism. I think UNESCO needs to work on that. So, I would suggest one to do some reading before visiting the site - HERE

After taking this photo, the group of Indonesians (looks like they are from Jakarta) were asking us to do some "crazy" pose. Hence, I gave them CRAZY!

Sweet!

I love history and learning/discovering culture. I should consider doing a second degree in Anthropology, just for the fun of it!

The Legend of the Slender Virgin

After her father King Boko was defeated in battle, the Javanese princess Loro Jonggrang reluctantly agreed to marry his victor Prince Bandung, but only if he built a temple with 1000 statues before sunrise. With the help of spirits, Bandung had completed 999, when the princess lit a fire to the east of the temple. Fooled into thinking it was dawn, roosters in the neighboring village crowed and the spirits fled — and a furious Prince Bandung changed her into stone, the last and most beautiful of the statues.

I also ought to get back to my reading as my English is failing me severely - result of too many languages!

Yogyakarta - Part 2

2011-12-15T21:09:00.003+08:00

Most of my friends thought I was on vacation in Yogyakarta. Little did they know that I spent most of my 2 weeks in the hotel conference room, working. In fact, I barely had time to sight-see (aside for what's planned in the programme for the participants) nor did any shopping throughout the programme. I only did my last minute shopping the last day in Jogja.

I bought my dad's X'mas present when I was at the Batik village with Fitri - hey, can't pass that opportunity, no? And for my mum, thanks to Pembri for introducing his artist-friend, I managed to get an authentic piece of Batik drawing. Oh, trust me, it was the best find! Victor (Kenya) and I were almost fighting for the same piece of art. We were scouting around Malioboro for a few nights with no avail; some were either overpriced for its value, not that captivating, or we were questioning its originality (we were not looking for mass-printed batik paintings).

So, after the Human Rights Day celebration on the 10th December (that's another story to tell saved for another blog post), Roberto (Ecuador), Victor and I followed Pembri to Tamansari/Water Castle where on can find plenty of artistically-talented individuals. Though, one should read up on the "Tamansari scams" online before heading there. As I mentioned before - RESEARCH!!! and READ!!

Us with Sasongka (the artist) at his workshop/home

His workspace

I feel that I missed out much for not checking out Tamansari sooner. The area is like another township all together. That place is famous for the Water Castle - go read up on the history, which I did not get to explore either, but Pembri led us to the top to catch the sunset before we left. Completely mesmerising! I can move to Yogyakarta instantly with such scenic view daily!

Sunset View from Water Castle

If you have insufficient time to do your (last minute) shopping, the place to go to is Mirota Batik. Though I made the mistake of heading there on a weekend and had to persevere through a huge crowd who were acting as if the world will end if they do not purchase a specific item in that store - you know, typical "mak cik shopping" attitude.

I had a few hours after playing tour guide to a few of our African participants in Prambanan (another story to tell), then meeting up with 2 Couch Surfers above Mirota Batik.

I noticed a rather humorous sign near the entrance of Mirota Batik, stopped to take a photo, then wondered if anyone else noticed it. I mean, judging from how ignorant and oblivious most of the shoppers are towards their surrounding, I highly doubt they even thought of getting a good laugh out of it.

Literally translated:

When you sigh:
1. about our service
2. about our products
3. about our staff
4. when you are depressed
5. when you want to commit suicide
6. when you are heart broken
Call this number: 0274-6825450

I can't help but smiling at it, people must have thought I am weird. Oh well!

Yogyakarta - Part 1

2011-12-13T22:11:00.000+08:00

Well, well, I hardly found time to write from Yogyakarta. Mainly because the whole town is so interesting and captivating that I prefer spending time outdoors than in my hotel room. In addition to that, I was relatively occupied throughout the 10-days of our programme.

So, let me reminisce upon my 2 weeks in Yogyakarta.....

It was love at first sight upon touching the grounds of Yogyakarta. I had the best view ever from above - greenery stretching far and wide, mountains, rows of corn fields and paddy fields, and no skyscrapper in sight! One will not be able to fathom all these emotions brewing from within me, I just want to move to this town and wake up to blue skies every morning. It is too grey back home.

Dumped my stuff in my hotel room and left to run errands with Fitri, who is managing our local organising committee in Yogyakarta. As mentioned in my previous post, I have not had any sleep, excluding the few blinks in the plane - being woken for pancakes, and switching seats to the row behind so that I can stretch myself out on all three seats! Times like this, I am proud to be Asian, standing at 5'4"

My room/workspace for 2 weeks

Despite struggling to stay awake, I am glad I opted to tag along with Fitri to run errands around Yogyakarta. I even passed the offer of heading to Malioboro (the shopping district) on my first day - because I was so exhausted that I do not want to think about shopping nor being squashed by hundreds of people in the afternoon. Hung around in Tandabaca for a bit, then headed to the villages south of Yogyakarta.

As we were driving pass the paddy and corn fields, I can't help but gaze at the people on the streets. Even though they do not make much for a living (as compared to higher middle class people), I can see that they enjoy their life and are grateful for what they have. These people are carrying out their daily tasks in the fields with a smile on their face. It is such a delightful sight, and leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart. I love the countryside!

>>AND I SAW LAMBS/SHEEP!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?! IN THE PADDY/CORN FIELDS<<

Excuse the jakun expression, we only have cows and goats on the road sides back in Malaysia.

Fitri brought me to an eatery outlet where I had my first Indonesian meal for lunch. Food in Yogyakarta is so scrumptious, I swear I will not look at Malaysian food the same way again. So, we made out way to the Batik village to collect some items for our programme, and I did some shopping as well. Got my Dad a Batik shirt, for half the price of what you can find in Malioboro, and better quality too. In fact, the Batik was made behind the shop.

On our way back, she gave me a tour of the biggest ceramic village in Indonesia! My head was literally turning from left to right and left again, just looking at the wonderful craft available on a whole stretch of road. Unfortunately, I knocked out on our journey back.

The following day, I hung out at Tandabaca again, because I needed to work too. The organisation is so laid back, although it felt like I was being surrounded by chimneys! Once I was done with my day's work (until there's nothing much for me to do), I decided to take a stroll to the Kraton (palace), only to be approached by one of those 'tour scams'. Sigh!

Anyway, this guy came up to me in his motorcycle and told me the Kraton was closed, and I should check out this gallery that's exhibiting art from 300+ artists. He offered to bargain the becak (trishaw) ride for me at a local's rate. I told him I needed to check with my friends first, and he kept insisting that it was "the last day" and they will be closing in an hour *rolls eyes* After a brief conversation, I just told him I am going to walk back to my friends' place and check with them. And so I did. You know what? The guy was tailing me on his motorcycle all the way back to Tandabaca (which is a 15-minutes walk away).

I do not mind the Kraton being closed as I wanted to take photographs from the outside or its surroundings. But that guy was being so peskily annoying, he even followed me into the lane towards the Kraton.

Hence, to all future travellers out there, please please please do thorough reading before your trip. I spend insane amount of hours reading up on everything I can about a country (especially caution notes) before I travel. I knew about all these scammers as Brent and I chanced upon one in Bangkok.

There's just so much to see and capture around that area. I wish that guy would have left me alone so that I can wander around more. Bah! Kacau je

The Boss arrived on the second day, so we (Fitri and I) had to head back to the hotel to meet up with him. Then we had more good food for dinner - Nasi Padang!! Had the same for lunch too, the guys packed some back for me.

On my third night, all of us went out for dinner with the participants - 80% of them arrived by the evening of the 30th. Guess what's for dinner?? NASI PADANG, AGAIN!!! Not complaining; I absolutely adored the whole lump of fish eggs cooked in curry. Mmmm....

Yogyakarta Traffic

Our hotel pool served its purposed throughout my stay even though I did not take a swim in it. Towards the end of the programme, a few of us were chilling by the poolside till wee hours in the morning with big bottles of Bintang beer - now, that's how we roll! The night sky is spectacular, clear sky, full moon, blanket of stars; I could sleep outside.

Yogyakarta gets dark early (around 5-ish) but sun rises early too - 5am feels like 8am!

Artistically-inclined

2011-11-28T03:28:00.001+08:00

Quick one before the taxi comes.

Happy Holiday, folks!!
I have not had any sleep so I feel like I am at the stage of Enlightenment

See you in Indonesia!
xo

Life on the Nickel

2011-11-27T12:42:00.001+08:00

My Weekend in a Nutshell:

My day started with IKEA-IPC-Curve. Had to do some shopping before I leave. Knowing it is a weekend, and how I despise being in malls on a weekend, I was planning to do my usual grab-and-go. Until I was lured into a few shops because the whole freaking country is on sale! Damn those female tempters.

Plenty of festive shoppers around Ikea, saw a few families carrying Christmas trees back. And they are cheap too - MYR169 each! I want one .... but I won't even be around for X'mas. In fact, I will only be in Malaysia/KL for 10 days in (mid) December. Next year, I will get a tree - if I don't plan to travel, that is, which is kind of impossible.

Walked pass Padini(?) and saw 50% OFF and 70% OFF signs everywhere; the whole shop is on sale. Even the shoes!! And I kind of walked in and walked out with a new pair of Flatforms!!! I have been meaning to get a pair; saw one in Topshop early this year but it was way over my budget for a pair of shoes which I will only wear once in a while.

Intended to catch the 12.30pm shuttle to KJ LRT station, but I missed it; because I was searching for an exercise resistance band in Tesco, which is at the opposite end of IPC. Darn! Hence I slowed my pace and went for lunch at Green Life Vegetarian. Brown rice ROCKS!! I can stay vegetarian forever.

Went into FOS and stood in front of the rack of boxers for the longest time, trying to reason out to myself on whether to get one or not. Something caught my eye ....

YES! Dr Seuss' Cat in the Hat printed boxers!! Why can't girls have quirky brilliant prints like that on the underwear instead of hearts/polka dots? So, I was standing there, holding this pair of boxers, admiring it - I know the staff were laughing at me from behind. Meh..

Nearly missed the bus the second time because for some reason, I just had to stop and look at nail polishes, when I was supposed to head to the lavatory. Who knew time passes by so swiftly by just looking/trying out nail polishes - I ended up buying 2 colors and a top coat - WHY?!? I am still asking myself that exact same question as I hardly paint my nails. But I was so fascinated with this color-cracking nail polish I was experimenting with on my two thumbs

Who says I need to go for manicures?! I think I can paint my nails better than most of the manicurists these days. In love with the random patterns and wanted to get a bottle for myself, I even slept on that thought of buying, yet woke up and still want it.

More errands after that in the city - exchanged currencies, bought a skirt for ballet - nearly got conned to pay/buy something. It is amazing how one's character changes instantly in such situations, I call it pretentious.

"There was a group of youngsters standing at the bottom of the steps outside Sungei Wang with forms. As I was approaching the steps, this girl started talking to me about their project - selling souvenirs, collecting points, blablabla.. And she said something about helping her to sign a form to show support, but did not mention any money involved. I even asked, "Do I only need to write my name/sign it?". Of course, all the while she was sweet talking, asking me where I'm from, said I look like a Korean, etc. *rolls eyes* After I signed it and handed her the form, she asked me how much I want to contribute in monetary terms. I was like "What?!" They are selling small keychains and charging people MYR30 for them! What kind of scam is this. So I pointed that out to her, that she did not mention that I am obliged to pay for anything. Her whole character changed, replied me rudely, I could have reported her. She's one of the scam clans around Bukit Bintang area."

Night ended with cake at The Social Bangsar with Thasha. I simply can not stop admiring the cracking nail polish on my nails, the random patterns it created. I am just amazed by this 'technology', close enough to actually Google for its ingredients and how it reacts once applied - Nerd much? Honestly, I paint my nails better than most manicurists

It Happened in Monteray

2011-11-18T13:59:00.001+08:00

Greeted with a full dosage of work woes this morning as soon as I entered the office. I was in the verge of dropping everything and just leave, questioning my unnecessary worries for someone else's problems - a perfect epitome of babysitting gone wrong.

I needed music to keep me alive, to calm my nerves in order for me to complete my million-and-one tasks today. Hence I turned to Mr Sinatra.

One can never go wrong with Frank Sinatra; he's a legend! I grew up listening to Sinatra, my grandfather loved his music. We used to listen to his cassettes in the car daily when I was just a tod. Sigh.. the good old days! Classic. I can reminisce about the early 20th century with music from the likes of Sinatra, Billie Holiday and many more. Such an old soul, I am.

Just close your eyes and listen. Let his voice sweep you off your feet into another wonderful and charming era. Then you might probably wonder, "What happen to good music today?" heh!

Color On The Walls

2011-11-18T01:23:00.001+08:00

One will not believe how I reacted to the news of Foster the People playing in Kuala Lumpur (Jan 13th, KLCC). I fell in love with these guys from the day they broke through the music scene in the States, even before they invaded local airwaves (thanks to Dianna Argon's religious advertising). I really hoped, back then, that they will not go mainstream over here, but that's the only way to actually get them to this godforsaken land (in terms of musicality) to play a show, right?

When they officially announced their concert on Facebook and Twitter, I went mad - literally ballistic! Squealing in front of my laptop like some psycho, stalking TicketPro just to check on the release of tickets for sale. The Early Bird promotion just pumped up my craziness, plus the fact that I overdosed on caffeine - story of my life.

I could easily get tickets off TicketPro's website, but being a weird ticket stub collector I am, I want THE ticket, not an electronically-generated one to print off an email. Bah! Since I was in The Curve today, to Rock Corner it was! FTP and I are destined to meet, although not face-to-face, but yea.. you get the gist.

Ferdinand hollered at my Tweet when I was unconsciously and unintentionally (I think?) spamming @fosterthepeople - there was too much excitement in the air, pardon my non-ladylike manners. Haha! So, he's my concert buddy *pumps fist in air* Chris will be around too around that time; nevertheless, that guy can't make up his mind/plans fast enough, and I can't wait any longer. Of course I would LOVE for him to join me at the concert. However, if I don't get my hands on those tickets soon, my artistic soul will die of desperation. Dramatic, much?

So, I got the tickets ....

ROCKING IT with TWISTIES

2011-11-17T15:25:00.001+08:00

Despite the whole drama that unfolded before, during, and after our performance last weekend, I cherish the time spent bonding with my group of awesome friends through Monopoly Deal, lunch at Manhattan Fish Market (Saturday) and Italiannies (Sunday), Guinness at the Irish Bar, oogling over men with super hot bodies in Immortal, followed by Hugh Jackman in Real Steel, and of course, plenty of laughter and random moments. That weighs out all the restlessness due to the long waiting hours in between performing, and also the hovering dark cloud above someone's head which resulted to his foot-in-his-ass attitude. Bah!

Day One - 12th November 2011

Someone was late - more than 30 minutes after our scheduled 'Show Time'
Hence we killed time on the Carousel with a cheesy version of Waltzing Matilda

When ROCK meets HIP HOP!

Meet my buddy, Mark

Day Two - 13th November 2011

Messing around in The Gardens after our first performance

Yarhhhhhh!

Dramatic game of Monopoly Deal after Lunch at Italiannies

The Red do reminds me of Britney in Toxic

Fishnet Stockings and Sequinned-Kicks!

The Milo guy should not be in this frame! Hah!

I think I make a better Standee, no?

For our last performance of that weekend, we had this crazy impromptu idea at the 11th hour, to add in some stunts and such in our routine. Spot the difference in the video below ...

What happened after that, in terms of management, is a whole different story. But I can assure you, I have at least 4 years of experience in working with event companies AND organising events. So I can give a critical remark on how 'this situation' was handled. Pfft!

PEPPERMINT TEA AND MILK!

2011-11-10T02:00:00.000+08:00

hello. how is your week? mine was exhausting - i am literally drained to the core. speaking of core, i did two hours of classes today, back-to-back, i can already feel the sore. not looking forward to waking up tomorrow morning. makes me realise how much i need to work on my core muscles, lower back, to find my center, and that's only the beginning [dance-related entry diverted to DANCE BLOG]

work is too demanding at the moment; i nearly lost my cool. vented to two people whom i can trust (and allow me to take a few minutes of their time to let out my frustration) - then life goes on, and it's back to managing some people who refuse to cooperate and have no sense of urgency, but when things don't go according to plan, it becomes my 'effin problem/responsibility. gawd! of course i get pissed.

hence i have had to divert my thoughts to december - vietnam! boy, do i wish time would quicken its pace and 23rd will come soon. besides that, i will be spending both x'mas and new years with someone. 2012 feels more like a better year after all.

2AM - hit the sacks. have to. if not, i'll most probably end up biting off someone's head tomorrow. GAH!

dancing at mid valley this weekend - 12pm, 4pm and 8pm. i will definitely stand out from the crowd, you won't miss me, without a doubt. do drop by if you are free/around town. won't reveal much. you will have to come see for yourself.

Hurricane

2011-11-03T22:29:00.000+08:00

Today is not going on too well for me

woke up with aching muscles - calves, hamstrings, back
my right ring finger starting to bruise and swell, making it tough for me to actually 'do' things because I can not even place too much pressure on it
so-called self-righteous people feeding the mass media irresponsibly with false information about Seksualiti Merdeka
reading illogical comments by homophobes who have completely 'no clue' about when SM started or even WHAT is SM before spurting out their nonsense on SM's articles
and a few other 'not that important to mention here' things to end the night...

Hence I am going to sleep on it and hopefully wake up tomorrow morning greeted by rainbows.

Yup, welcome to life. After each eye-faucet, I grow stronger, which makes it easier for me to detach/numb myself from certain things. Why isn't there a dance studio in this condo? Even a small one will suffice right now.

"I am not here, I'm not listening
I'm in my head and I'm spinning"

~ Fallen, 30 Seconds to Mars

Halloween Two-O-One-One

2011-10-29T17:16:00.003+08:00

Halloween has always been my favourite 'celebration' ever since I was a little girl. I know, it is a very American thing, but I have always loved the idea of dressing up, roaming the streets at night, walking up to neighbours and asking for candy. Come on, which kid would say "No" to bags of candy?? And caramel apples look so good, though I have not tried them.

Anyway, this year I thought of dressing up and heading to some Halloween party with Katie. Then she told me she will be away for work, which was cancelled. But I am so caught up with work these days that I do not even have time for myself.

I am still pretty bummed out, have been planning to dress up as a Ninja Turtle.

However, this morning, I was bombarded with a series of work emails - duty calls. Have to get visa settled for our participants. Ra-ra-raaaa.... Nevertheless, my brain is still in sleep mode, and caffeine did not help. Sat in my room, longer than usual, before I headed out, looked around at the clutters of stuff every where, and dust-filled surfaces that I feel like it is clouding my aura. My brain fills cluttered, it is mirroring the condition of my room - gah! Feng Shui madness

Have to start keeping minimal required hours in the office. It's a weekend, I'm supposed to get smashed and recover from a hangover the next morning. Yea, life!

Photo source

Underdog

2011-10-27T03:39:00.001+08:00

Just as I was about to sleep, Radio 1 is streaming their Student Tour live performances in Leicester.
Guess who's performing - KASABIAN!!!!!

It don't matter, I won't do what you say

You've got the money and the power, I won't go your way

I can't take from the people, they don't matter at all

I'll be waiting in the shadows till the day that you fall

Feels like I'm lost in a moment

I'm always losing to win

Can't get away from the moment

Seems like it's time to begin

Kill me if you dare, hold my head up everywhere

Keep myself right on this train

I'm the underdog, live my life on a lullaby

Keep myself riding on this train

*****

I am so exhausted right now, yet I still want to tune-in to Kasabian. My first Kasabian concert was back in August 2009 - MTV World Stage. One of the few who knew Kasabian, and who went to World Stage JUST for Kasabian. Arghh! They need to come back to Malaysia. Such Geniuses!

Speaking of concerts, the news piece I have been waiting for ever since Elton John announced his concert in Malaysia is finally out - took forever though. The ramblings of PAS

royaltylites #014

2011-10-24T02:10:00.001+08:00

Here's my weekend in a nutshell:

Last night I attended a potluck party at Ken's place, met new people, reconnected with long-lost acquaintances, and played Scrabble!! I remember growing up and loving Scrabble so much, but never had anyone to play with - sad. Word games for the Nerd, please!
That resulted to me, signing up for a Scrabble game on one of the Facebook applications
Speaking of which, I am getting bored of Facebook Timeline and want the old layout back. Anyone know how to switch back to basic Facebook profile? Sigh!
Camping in the office for a few days. Tonight's agenda - read through 100+ emails. Pure joy, trust me!
Having a music battle with the pub downstairs right now. I am blasting John Lennon to drown off their noise. Ah, Lennon and I can be good friends, do you know that?

Hold Your Horses!

2011-10-21T17:25:00.002+08:00

I have been yearning for an impromptu weekend getaway - ALONE! since last week. Did I mention work is insane? Yes. And 'insane' is an understatement. Managing a Global programme is even more stressful than a National one (duh! obviously)

Normal working hours - 1000 to 1800, my working hours 1000 to super-late-at-night. Basically, I go home just to shower and sleep, treating my room like a hotel. Bliss!

Anyway, as creepy as this sounds, I came across two blog entries today (one from Joyce@kinkybluefairy) about slowing down in life. I can really relate to that as I have been "..rushing all the time as if I will die if I don't finish everything" - quoting Joyce.

For me, it is not a financial matter, but more of a 'perfectionist syndrome'. Personally, I am well aware of my capabilities and limits, and I keep wanting to test myself by pushing those limits; once succeed in doing so, I set my goals higher and force myself to achieve it. At the end of the day, I please myself, yet beat myself up real hard if I fail (told you, Perfectionist syndrome)

Some times I regret self-conditioning my mind to function in such manner, though it has its benefits. I am highly shielded by an invisible strong barrier, preventing malicious forces from the outside. However, the biggest enemy is myself - gosh! You have NO IDEA how tough I am on myself. *tries to kick habit*

One day, I will just pack my clothes and a few books, jump on a flight or bus, and head to a beach, laze on a hammock under the sun with a book in my hand, and just empty my mind.

Then again, I might be prone to worrying about that pile of work waiting patiently for me on my office table.
Gah! Can't win, can I?

royaltylites #14

2011-10-20T01:10:00.001+08:00

Yes, this is a Quiet Zone!

I am, once again, submerged in a sea of non-stop work as I have been given the privilege to take charge of our final programme this year in early December. The 12th month is a month away, approximately! Gee, where did all the time go? Oh yea, more work. haha! Enjoying it nevertheless; will only start complaining when my learning growth remains stagnant. Judging from my curiosity level, it won't happen any time soon. Okay, done with work rambles (not even close to it).

Despite all the crazies, I managed to allocate time to chill with my friends - yes, I still have a social circle. Last week, Katie and I went to a party at Havana, Changkat - FREE BEER!! Bumped into a few people I have not seen awhile, had some (kind of yummy) cake, sweat out too much on the dance floor, left the place by half-past ten, and the night went on with more fun-planning on the first weekend of November. Yay!

with our new Swedish friend

That aside, I booked my ticket to VIETNAM !!! Mega-excited and looking forward to it. I have not planned out my journey though, because Someone is too busy with assignments/projects at the moment that most of the time I just end up getting ignored on Skype (which is really annoying). However, I have been doing A LOT of reading on Vietnam and I am already in love with the country before I get there, despite the chaos. Reason why I have to start planning my budget now is due to my time constraints. I have to be back for work next year. Plus, starting November, I will be constantly in a pissy mood due to the amount of work/things I managed to greedily shovel into my life sack - it is rewarding in many other ways. So, Chris has to take over the planning then since he will be super free. Meh!

End of November, I will be leaving for Jogja for 2 weeks. All in all, I will be gone for more than half of December, which means, I have to scout for dance schools in Jogja as I will be skipping my dance classes. In fact, a gym or space with mirrors and a barre will suffice, as long as I can work on my foot work and stretch at least twice a week in order to maintain my flexibility.

Speaking of dance, I have started a blog just for my dance-related posts as it seems to be a tad too cluttered in this blog. It's like a freaking rojak over here, I write about too many things. Then again, it's my personal blog, so you can roughly envision how many things I have going on in my daily life.

http://dancerology.blogspot.com

That's where you need to head to if you only fancy reading my strenuous dancing routines. haha! I am planning on doing something about it - I don't know - just an idea. I need time to sit down and work on it properly though. Trust me to revamp my blog(s); my domain has been registered for more than a year and my website is still non-existent. One day, I will structure it and get it running, one day...

And since we were on the topic of travels, I am looking forward to writing about my travels again. Besides that, I need to renew my passport as I've reached my last 6-months before my current one expires. Bah! Going on a shoe-string budget every month just to save up for my travels. Speaking of which, I've bought my return tickets for Burma too! Life is sweet~

Gotta hit the sacks now as I predict another full-day of non-stop working tomorrow. What irritates me is the heavy, loud breathing which disrupts my concentration. Gah! Pet peeve (way too many). This concludes everything in a nutshell!

Happy Thursday, Folks!

Bar Scene

2011-10-14T00:59:00.000+08:00

Isn't it ironic, that the majority of society have this mindset that if you are single in a bar/club, you are trying to get lucky?

I just got back from an event in Changkat. Went mainly for the (free) beer, but got acquainted to a few people along the way. As I was trying to persuade Katie to go to the dance floor with me, I overheard this conversation between this Brit and Kiwi guy she was talking to before she took off to the washroom.

Kiwi told Brit that I am trying to get him (Brit) to dance because I am "into him" *rolls eyes*
I only asked him because Katie kept telling me that Brits don't dance, and if I get him on the dance floor, she will do so too.

Then, Brit turned to me and started telling me that he is "too old for me" *rolls eyes again*

Oh, for the love of marshmellows and cheese!
I was the least interested in you just because you're 'White' - please.
Men! Tsk!

After that, I just dismissed them and waited for Katie to get back from the washroom. I bet they must be yakking away on their way back that "oh, that Asian chick was so trying to hit on you..." blablabla... *rolls eyes again - eye balls falling off*

Well, sorry to burst your bubble, mate - I am pretty sure those two other Chinese ladies around your table are more likely to accompany you back home - I am just NOT one of them. It just peeves me off this much, Katie and I were even discussing about it on our journey back. Why can't people just socialize without any hidden intention (like trying to get into someone's pants)?

I ought to start telling all men that I am a lesbian, and I am only interested in females.

royaltylites #013

2011-10-12T02:33:00.001+08:00

Lack of updates due to the lack of time for me to sit down and properly pen down my thoughts. My mind is overwhelmed with too many things going on past, present and happening in the near future - surprise! working on a new programme. Welcome to my endless working world!

Amazing how one person can make you feel as if a heavy dark cloud is looming over you one moment, and the next as if the skies are cleared off and the sun rays reaches so far that it touches the tips of the dew drop on a leaf, reflecting a twinkle or two from a distance. Some times I have to pull myself together and evaluate my actions; I've set out being too independent for far too long that in a certain context of my life, I can project very selfish manners if I do not practice self-control and be considerate over matters that involves another one.

It is a constant battle between my heart and mind - the latter still reigns with too much pride. I wish I could mellow it down for a bit.

Constantly busy, yet trying to slot in an hour or two to meet up with my close friends:

Sushi Zen Mai @ Pyramid
Joint birthday celebration for June and I
Photo from Shaun

Sakae Sushi @ Klang
Thasha's Birthday Celebration
Funky photo from Thasha

Honestly have to make an effort to go out, if not I will only see them once a month. No kidding!

Random photos on what I have been up to ...

Freedom Film Fest 2011 @ Wisma Bentley
Photo from Evelyne

MP3xKL Planning Process @ Pusat Rakyat Loyar Burok
Photo from Zain

Star-struck moment meeting Mr A. Samad Said!
National Conference on Anti-Racism @ Maju Tower

Dancing Tales #010

2011-10-05T02:02:00.000+08:00

Some times, dancing is of no help at lifting my spirits, instead, I felt utterly crushed and depressed - throw in disappointment to that pile. Like this evening, we only did one barre exercise, then adjourned to working on our pirouettes, and I could not nail mine. It was so horrible that I felt like giving up, yet I kept trying. I just did not 'feel good' today.

Reasons:

I have piled on weight! Remember I mentioned my waistline ballooned by 2-inches? It sure makes a whole lot of difference if one is taking dance seriously. Gravity pulls you down easier with all that rear weight too. Plus, it's harder to fold your body forwards with the multiple protruding belly-rolls. I am too disgusted by the sight of that - DIET! DIET! DIET!
I was completely drained by the time I reached the dance studio. I was already pretty exhausted at work, been having trouble sleeping of late. God knows why. In addition to a strict dietary plan, I think I have to set a sleeping curfew for myself too.
As said before, too much control, too much thinking. Geeez! I need to just let lose!
Also, I was focusing on not putting too much pressure on my left toe. Yes, I have foreseen more cuts, bleeds and band-aids around my toes in the near future, especially if/when I advance to pointe (at the rate I am progressing - or not - with my pirouettes, it will take another freaking year)
Menstruation - bloated, uncomfortable. Not that this is a valid excuse, I just thought 5 reasons look more complete than four.

This is Perfection
Photo source

I found some exercises to strengthen my ankles:

To be successful on pointe, it is important to have strong ankles. I suggest doing an exercise my ballet teacher has my class do everyday: Standing in first position, do 16 relevés (begin and end in plie) and then 16 elevés (begin and end with straight legs). Next, standing on your right foot, coupe you left foot in back. Keeping this position do 8 relevés and then 8 elevés. Repeat on the left foot. Try not to do them too fast, or else you will start to build endurance, not strength. It may be hard at first to get through, but after a while it gets easier and soon you will be able to do the whole thing twice through! This has really strengthened my feet and ankles this year, improving not only my pointe work, but also my arabesques and turns. Article source

Another Ballet related recommendation:

Paul McCartney nailed the Ocean Kingdom's music
Image source

Grant's Words of Wisdom

2011-10-04T13:05:00.003+08:00

"It's difficult keeping your feelings a secret, but try anyway. If a youngster or lover knew how angry you really are, they'd be afraid to take an important step. Pretend you are unfazed by an unfair decision and throw your unconditional support to your beloved. When your emotions become too intense to bear, channel them into creative and artistic pastimes. Your imagination won't hurt anyone, but your wrathful words will. Keep this in mind every time you are tempted to lash out."

I have been subscribing to Russell Grant's horoscope readings since... I don't remember when, and normally, I will just skim through my daily read in a jiffy especially when I find it folly in certain aspects.

Today's struck a chord. I was kind of taken aback by someone's actions last night as it was a repeated scenario. Let's just say that I felt like I was talking to a brick wall, hence I ended the call. As simple as that.

Some people do not understand why I became so reserved - hey, I used to have some serious issues with my temper when I was still a kid. Various events in life have thought me to evaluate my priorities, constant observation on society has shown me the vast personalities we have to face, and to remain unfazed by the ones who do not even bother taking the slightest consideration on people around them.

Besides my strong passion for dance, another reason why I look forward to my weekly classes is to channel out all negative emotions from my core. I do not want to bear such dark thoughts and emotions - wait, what emotions? I thought God has already numbed mine. The Pain feels merely like a prick on the finger right now, as I continue to channel them into 'creative and artistic pastimes'. Focusing on a goal, or two (or more) turns me oblivious to unnecessary figures in my life; it's for the best.

Because, one can only convey so much generosity, and I am kind of done being nice to people who do not appreciate it - I know, I should not think as such, but, it is tiring and holistically draining! It is sucking my soul dry and I am already struggling to live, fighting with this other dark side of me that is constantly contaminating my thoughts, pulling me in to the relapse center. It's just one toe away for me right now, I am that close.

Dancing Tales #009

2011-10-03T23:13:00.000+08:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Contemporary Class - Saturday, 1st October - Remember I mentioned 'letting loose' of myself in my previous post? Well, took my own advice and did just that. Had tons of fun trying to nail a new routine/exercise, until .... I felt my toe throbbing on one side, only to discover that the multiple sweeps causing friction between my left toe and the dance floor have shredded the epidermis off the side of my toe. It was painful, hence I had to stop.

It was not as bad as this over the weekend. Today I wore my Birkenstock to work, because I could not walk in shoes - it HURTS!!! Yea, I'm being all whiny, yelping at the pain - it stings, okay? Anyway, for some reason, my right foot has this tendency to accidentally touch/softly kick the side of my left foot, apparently. I only noticed today because even with the slightest pressure on this wound of mine, my nerves zap immediate signals to my brain.

Now it is ugly and cover in a shade of dark red (bruised blood?). How am I to dance on Wednesday??

I have a feeling I have to buy a complete First Aid Kit soon with the rate I am going. My body is filled with scars! Plus, I'm already losing a lot of blood at the moment *clears throat*

On a much more depressing note, my waistline increased by TWO INCHES!!! HOLY SCMOCKS!! Serious detox in-need! I can not dance with all these fats hanging around my body. Heck! It will be even harder for me to do my leaps and lift my rear-end in routines. Strict diet starts Today!

Dancing Tales #008

2011-09-29T14:15:00.001+08:00

Feel psychologically better after last night's class, although I woke up with an aching back. Minor improvements on my Pirouettes, but, hey! it's better than none, right? I just need to keep practising in order to nail it. Side-splits are almost there; am pretty happy that my right side split is 80% rid of its former stiffness. "Front-split" stretch does not hurt much any more, and I can place my forehead and nose on the floor - this is not a full frontal split though, I still have to work on that.

Suggested to my teacher, who is also the principal of the dance school, that I need Flexibility & Strength training classes. Told her about the MYR80/class, she finds it (ridiculously) costly too. Just crossing my fingers and hope that she will start a class soon as my core strength needs a serious workout.

As sick as this may sound, I am, by all means, willing to go through all that pain in order to improve. That video is somewhat inspirational, in a way ..

Dancing Tales #007

2011-09-28T15:06:00.002+08:00

I realised what has been holding me back from quick improvement on my dancing - too much control. True, dancers need to have a sense of control over their body and movement. However, too much control will kill it too. I need to let loose a bit. Am researching on other classes I can join to improve on my core strength. I have heard Pilates is good, but the classes in this city cost a bomb! MYR300 for 10 sessions - that is pretty steep for me to digest, although I am considering it if it helps. Another option I discovered is the Flexibility and Strength training class conducted at Lush Studio - the mainly teach pole dancing, hence this is vital for their dancers. I was kind of turned off by the price of one session - MYR80!! I wish people would concentrate more on nurturing the arts and talent instead of focusing on making money out of it.

Maybe I should talk to my teacher tonight about starting a class for flexibility and strength training. That might work!

BOOM BABY! It's the Facebook Timeline!

2011-09-25T20:25:00.001+08:00

Come October 2nd, Facebook will go through an evolutionary change. Zuckerberg has already announced it in the recent f8 conference; it, referring to the Facebook Timeline. Your 'life' displayed chronologically on Facebook instead of the usual profile page.

Well, the 'Geek' side of me managed to configure my page last night and get a taste of the new interface. Personally, I find it interesting, though there were quite a few bugs here and there. One example is when I scrolled down to the year I was born - haha, yes! - and it noted my younger siblings are 'Older' than I am.

I also decided to play around with it in order to arrange my content and disable some of them from public viewing. The Facebook Timeline is only available for viewing to a limited number of users at the moment, but the full version will be revealed on October 2nd. Which means, currently, everyone else is only able to see my old layout when viewing my profile even though I've switched it to Timeline. So, here's a sneak preview:

My first reaction to my new profile interface, the Timeline!

In my opinion, the Facebook Timeline is really simple to navigate and browse around, especially if you want to trace back what you did few years ago (if you posted it on Facebook then), and there are several interesting features to it. However, there are also ones which I will most probably not use (like many other existing features/applications) - highlighted above.

Back in 2009

I love how my photos are displayed on my Timeline two years ago. Also, I randomly stumbled upon when Chris and I first became "Facebook friends". HAHA! I am still digging the photo montage, koodos, Z and team!

Here's the final look of my Facebook Timeline:

TA-DAH!!!

I've added my personal banner, something that depicts 'me'. Anyway, I do not know how to change it back to the old layout after publishing this (I had the option to publish it, or wait until Oct 2 where it will go live automatically). I ain't really bothered to switch it back to the old one though. Let me fiddle around with this long enough, there are some hiccups here and there that needs to be fixed. I am extremely astonished by the geek-capability in me!

Dear Zuckerberg,
Please give me the option to choose my own background color, I ain't really feeling the 'blue' - nor do I want to feel so blue all over. haha!

Pirouettes

2011-09-22T15:49:00.000+08:00

Yesterday we started working on Pirouettes - or, I think the class have already started some weeks ago. I honestly can not afford to miss any more classes, I feel terrible not being able to nail even a clean half-turn. How depressing is that?

**Watch this video**

Dancers like that are the ones that either, i) inspire you to work harder at your techniques, or ii) make you feel like shit and just want to quit. Thankfully I am not one who is willing to surrender myself to such failure, I shall continue working on it and make that my goal for the following 6-months after my current one ends.

In case you have not been following my previous rants about resuming dance classes this year, I have set a target to improve on my flexibility within 6-months. Subjective, I know. Secretly, I am aiming to do a full frontal split, and judging from last night's stretching session, I am ALMOST there. I say 'almost' because I can see a huge improvement from my earlier attempts. So, "BRAVA!!"

Source

Nevertheless, still a long way to go in terms of technique. Le sigh!

Dance is what keeps me sane these days, makes me feel like a 'normal person'

Psychological War

2011-09-22T14:20:00.002+08:00

i feel like i have lost myself, overpowered by endless work deadlines alongside numerous other responsibilities i seemingly love to embrace naturally *chants* "Learn to say NO"

i feel mechanical all over, almost as if i have lost my whole purpose to living. yet those dark thoughts are often counteracted by the more rational side of my personal notion. nevertheless, i find it personally disturbing.

i think this is a sign for me to slow down; tap into the things i once enjoyed and found time doing, like writing and creating music - boy, do i miss my guitar. and attending multiple artsy-fartsy events over the weekends, meeting people, having a good laugh...

making yourself your own 'worse enemy' might seem to have successfully distant yourself from libels and slanderers. little was known that the critical side of me might just be the cause of my down fall, the constant push and force into accepting challenges, forgoing my limit - that limit everyone has, when it is time to slow down for life on the fast-lane is indeed, extremely exhausting.

i might do just that, i hope. take a chill pill, care less about the world, be selfish and irresponsible for once, have more 'ME' time, venture back into that artistic realm of mine - on the contrary, aren't most brilliantly talented artists emotionally disturbed at one point or another?

Party Like A Rockstar

2011-09-21T15:43:00.002+08:00

Before I left for Thailand-Cambodia, we celebrated Andy's birthday at Rootz KL (I think that's the name of the club, above Lot 10). It was a crazy night, had plenty of photos in my camera, some of people whom I do not know at all - for some reason, my camera got passed around some time in the middle of the bash and I have pictures of random people in it. Sweet!

I never had the time to upload them onto Facebook, and I solemnly swear I chucked it into a random folder before I headed off for my trip. Got back, could not find it, and thought I accidentally deleted the files. As a result, I received several death threats from Amir after my confession - nah, kidding. He was fairly disappointed though that I 'lost' them. But, surprise surprise! I stumbled upon the pictures yesterday, hidden in some, as I've said, RANDOM FOLDER in my external hard disk.

Could not help laughing as I was going through all the photos from our night of pure mayhem! Our Austrian friend, Max, joined us too. He stopped by Kuala Lumpur again after his month-long holiday in Thailand. His tan puts all Asians to shame.

The EPIC stash of photographs, I just have to share. We need another night like this!

9th JULY 2011

This photo was taken upside down on my camera, and I think it looks good this way.

Balloons Balloons EVERYWHERE

Birthday Boy, Andy

On-stage with the Girls!

EPIC SHOT!

Re-living VIENNA 2009

Film Addiction

2011-09-19T17:12:00.002+08:00

FINALLY - developed the roll of film from my Fisheye2. Whoever thought it would be that hard to use up 36 exposures artistically?! Patience is virtue, and I am surprisingly happy with the photos, seeing this is the first time I am experimenting with my 'new' Fisheye2. I have yet to discover the true wonders of it, just did trial-and-error shoots; the downside of it, there is no instant viewing to see if I have captured that moment in time. Yet, the feeling of suspense and curiosity which left me fidgeting for days after dropping off that roll of film at the photo shop is the one to blame for my instant love for film photography. All I need right now is a dark room and learn the tricks of developing my own photos. Trust me, it was hard enough trying to locate a photo shop that still develops film; I must have walked into more than two hands-ful of shops in the city, only to be told that they have all gone digital - Bah! Even the lady at the shop where I developed this roll of film understood all the trouble I went through before I found her, judging from the way my face lit up when she told me they are still old school in that way!

Film photography might not be as costly as professional digital equipment, yet it ain't exactly economical either. This, is an addiction. I knew it, from the moment I started reading about lomo and film processing few years ago (back then I was still a student and could not afford such a hobby, hence I stuck to gathering knowledge through reading material and videos). I even bought an expired roll of film from the lady (MYR3) to play with it. However, I need to develop my second roll of film from my toy camera first to see if it really works and the outcome of the shots. If it does not, well, I will have to purchase a better film camera. Shall also try asking Chris to lend me his Holga for a few months if he ain't using it.

A few experimental shots - mind you, it's my first time fiddling with a Fisheye/Lomo, so be nice

Camera: Fisheye 2

Film: 35mm ISO40 (forgot the brand)

10th September 2011 - Port Dickson

10th September 2011 - Port Dickson - MultiExp

14th September 2011 - PJ Community Library
Legendary Bread Man

15th September 2011 - Singapore

15th September 2011 - Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

15th September 2011 - ArtScience Museum, Singapore

15th September 2011 - ArtScience Museum, Singapore
Your Typical Tourist Posey Shot

July 2011 - In my room
THE BFF

12th July 2011 - Phi Phi Island, Thailand

17th July 2011 - Bangkok, Thailand
The Grand Palace

17th July 2011 - Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok Traffic

August 2011 - Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

August 2011 - Al-Safa

Closing One Chapter, Another One Opens

2011-09-17T14:13:00.000+08:00

So, the last one from the TUT group has officially departed. Office feels extremely odd without the gang around. Seems like it was just yesterday that we were planning the whole programme, going through logistical information. Time indeed, is drifting by too fast, as all of them departed to their respective countries. Besides acknowledging the team as colleagues, working side-by-side presently and some time in the near future, we have also fostered a friendship through conversations, meal times and beer nights! Ah.. something that I will miss with their absence - drinking buddies.

Friday was beer day with Fabio before he left for the airport late evening. A well-deserved one too after all the shopping he did from morning till afternoon. Erdinger at Deutsches Gasthaus, followed by more beer at the Chinese coffee shop near the hotel. He is, one of a kind.

After this, I have told myself that it is detox time. All the drinking has awarded me with a beer belly - awful looking sight! Every thought of a relaxing period after these two back-to-back programmes just vanished from my mind after a meeting with the boss. We have to start working on our annual programme scheduled in December. Hence, while the guys are coordinating the upcoming ones in India, I will have to slave my ass off in the office, juggling my usual tasks and working on the Global one.

Leaving, on a jet plane. Don't know when you'll be back again..

2011-09-15T23:43:00.000+08:00

Going through flight delays two nights in a row is truly NOT a good experience, especially being confined in a space smaller than most toilet cubicles. To add on to the 'misfortune', this guy seated beside me has terrible breathe. It is tormenting to my nostrils every time he exhales or speaks (on the phone). Honestly, the least they (Air Asia) could do is to feed me. I am extremely starving here, expecting to arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 2150hours, only to be scheduled for delayed departure at 2230hours. Gee-whiz!

On another note, my bag is aromatically filled with bold caffeine scent, thanks to Chris for that bag of ground coffee beans - I am a Happy Kid! My life/daily essentials while pursuing a workaholic's lifestyle - Lots of (good quality) Caffeine and Music! He who so kindly provided me with a CD of Experimental German Rock and Electronic Music from 1972-83 when I am in need of 'new' stuff in my playlist. Tell me, how can I not like this guy??

Those 12 hours felt surreal. Maybe it was due to my lack of sleep and meeting him so early in the morning (0600hours), that it feels like a dream. Or maybe those 2 years of distance was not much of a threat to how I genuinely feel about him, hence it felt as if we have only been apart for a few days. On the contrary, those 12 hours were just too brief of a meet that I am finding it hard to stomach all these emotions and thoughts of mine.

Moments before we headed back to the airport from the city, I was trying to distant myself from him in order to stay strong and not surrender to being 'human'. I do not want to bawl my eyes out again, as I realised that the day was ending, and it was time for him to board his connecting flight to India. It was hard to say "Goodbye" again, not knowing when is the next time I will see him in-person. And as I took a last glance into departure hall F59 as he stood in-line to have his bag checked, I had to force myself to walk on and hold back those tears.

My flight was scheduled to leave almost 2 hours later, hence I had all the time in the world to wander around Terminal 2 aimlessly and get lost in my thoughts, also trying to contain my emotions to avoid looking like some crazy sobbing lady in the airport. Changi Airport is marvellous; I stayed a night there - despite experienced freezing on my reclined seat. I will save that for another entry, along with the Dali's bloody brilliant art exhibition we visited in the ArtScience Museum.

I just needed to get lost in my thoughts again ....

Angular Cheilitis

2011-09-12T00:46:00.000+08:00

The positive side of falling ill is increasing my knowledge of symptoms and remedies to certain sickness or inflammatory lesions. Currently I am suffering from the said AC. It is somewhat the finale from the week I was bedridden sick at the end of August. Last week, I was scabbing and shedding skin. I secretly enjoy it, pretending I am a snake (love snakes!) - I know, I am weird like that. While I was so sick, my lips were terribly dry due to dehydration, even though I was drinking so much water, it chapped so badly especially the corners of my lips that I have this tiny (none contagious) sore right now called Angular Cheilitis. It hurts like a bitch some mornings, especially if it is too dry.

Anyway, that is not the main point of this blog.

These two weeks have been completely hectically manic for me! Long days/hours, have been working daily since the 3rd of September. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it, spending time with a group of really great people. Most of them have left, 4 more days till everyone is back in their own countries, continuing with their lives. I don't really fancy goodbyes, no. Initially, I thought it was a tad too much, seeing them every single day for more than 10 hours. But there was so much to learn and share, now it feels like more time is needed (especially if you include the hours spent on work).

September Babies - (L to R: 2nd Sept, 2nd Sept, 9th Sept)
We had a cake session in Port Dickson

At Waikiki

Selesa Beach Resort, Port Dickson

Men with super long legs

On the contrary, I have been reviewing my life at the moment. In comparison to these people, I am way behind, makes me feel like an outcast most of the time. I know it's a learning curve here, but I wish I could push myself more to venture into this field and pour as much commitment as the rest of them to be so well-versed in what they are doing. All the experiences and skills they have are just amazing, puts me at awe most of the time. Hence I have been trying to justify my present goals, on whether it is wise for me to walk the path I chose, or should I surrender and give up something so dear to me just to excel in another perspective of my life. If this is geek talk, I am a complete noob, a minion next too all of them. My strengths lie on a complete different area. This is a personal tug-of-war for me.

Yet, in a different matter but somewhat similar in a certain approach, I have been pondering over what was boldly conveyed right in front of my face for months and I bluntly chose to ignore the odds and possibilities of it. Maybe in months, even days to come, I will force myself to make a concrete decision, because in reality, it is doing me no good and well.. I really do not know how to phrase these thoughts of mine in sentences that actually make sense to a stranger (to that particular situation) who is reading this. Some times I wish I do not think about nor evaluate my life too much.

Melting Pot of Culture

2011-09-07T17:50:00.000+08:00

For the past 4 days, my work hours were from 9am to 1am, yup, including Sunday. We are in the midst of a programme right now, and the participants (experienced human rights practitioners) are from 6 different countries - Bolivia, Brazil, Canada/Columbia, India, Ireland, and Kenya. Hence I am literally submerged in a melting pot of interesting cultural exchange sessions since the 3rd, which explains why I am not complaining about the long work hours (okay, maybe just a bit).

Meeting people from a 'foreign' place fascinates me ('foreign' here refers to another country which I have yet to get acquainted to her citizens). Take Bolivia for example, I do not have any friends there before this. As a result, I have been bombarding Carlos with plenty of questions about the way they live, culture, language, and just about any random thing which I can think of that satisfies my curiosity about this 'new' community (in my context).

I noticed I tend to question one a lot about religion/beliefs/practices, only because I find that topic of discussion mystically amazing. Using Bolivia as an example again, I've learned that the Aymara people do not have a standardized set of written symbols for their language (also known as Aymara). Instead of paper and pen, they encode/record information using cryptic knotted strings called khipu. When Carlos told me that, my jaw literally dropped, while trying to figure out how one manages to decipher a vast collection of words from strings. Besides that, they worship a god by the name of Pachamama (aka Mother Earth). Cool name, eh? Interesting stories too.

Kawan baru dari Bolivia

Female bonding session over vodka, mojito and a Guinness (me, obviously), led me to discovering more about India and Ireland. Oh, there is a whole lot more to go....

Half the group
Photo source: D.I.

And these people look at least half their age, extremely young at heart too, which is why they are such a fun crowd to hangout with.

Quoting my colleague, Adrian, "I love my job!"

Sick-tardiness [[Day 6]]

2011-09-02T23:40:00.007+08:00

Yesterday's pasta set made me sick again. I ordered Mushroom Aglio Olio Spaghetti and it turned out to be filled with cili padi and black pepper. I knew I should have stopped eating as it was not only burning my throat while swallowing but also upsetting my stomach lining. However, due to my desperate hunger pangs for solid food, I walloped everything within 15 minutes.

Anyway, I woke up today feeling terrible, which really surprised me as I was all right the day before. Headed to the office but did not last very long. By noon, I was already feeling so horrible that I was silently begging to be united with my bed. Yet I stayed on a little longer to finish up some work, doing so with minimal concentration as my head felt extremely heavy. In the end, I messaged my boss and told him that I have to head back due to my lack of productivity and I was constantly walking to the toilet, turning off the air-conditioner, and just dropping my head onto my table every 10 to 15 minutes. I was a total wreck!

Came home, crashed, woke up and felt slightly better. Staying in tonight, we ordered Dominoes and they are LATE!!!! (which means we get a Free Pizza coupon)

ps: I kind of tweaked my birthday date on Facebook for some reason I shall not reveal, also partly to avoid a hailstorm of Wall messages. Nevertheless, I got what I wanted, so I changed it back to my real birth date. Some people are just weird like that.

Sick-tardiness [[Day5]]

2011-09-01T23:36:00.006+08:00

Extremely restless today, slept for more than 12 hours the night before, yet my head still feels heavy. Initially planned to head into office for a short while after feeding my hunger pangs, but I do not think I could make it to and fro the office, hence walked back home to rest.

Hives gone, "bye bye", but left me a gift upon its departure - dry skin. My lips were chapped with cracked sides when I woke up. I thought I was a dead corpse when I looked into the mirror. Face and neck feels rough, I am shedding skin like a snake. Even my scalp dried up and dropped flakes that can mount up like a miniature Everest when I brushed my hair. gosh.

.... and I received my first birthday greeting from Australia, which made my day/night ♥

Sick-tardiness [[Day 4]]

2011-08-31T23:11:00.000+08:00

Throat feels better, I could finally eat something solid. Dad and sisters came down, came to get me then we headed to aunt's place - just a stone's throw away from mine actually. And I finally could eat, but it does not seem to sit to well in my stomach.

Despite that, hives are a pain in the neck/arms/face. It itched so badly that I could not fight it anymore, and took an antihistamine from my cousin. Seems to control it. Although by the end of the day, it slowly hits me. One of the side-effects of antihistamine is drowsiness, and I could feel my head getting heavier ......

Sick-tardiness [[Day 3]]

2011-08-30T11:25:00.003+08:00

Woke up with swollen face today, parts of my body hurting with red patches. Honestly this whole sick thing is irritating, and I just want to heal and not talk to anyone. It's bad enough that I can't talk. Throat feels slightly better, though it is still sore. Last night I took two Panadols to kill the fever, it came back this morning -urgh! Which part of "leave" do you not comprehend?? I need to line my stomach with some 'food' before I popped another two pills (desperately need to get well hence taking medication). No gifts for guessing what's on the menu today:

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Updated @ 2340

So, I hurried to the doctor's at Uptown in fear of scarlet fever, which might lead to something lethal to my overall well-being if I do not get it treated as soon as possible.

Described the symptoms to the doctor from the very first day I got sick and suggested that I may have scarlet fever. She pushed it aside and told me that the term is used in Western countries, not here, then suggested I should get tested for dengue fever (MYR120), which I did not agree to because I knew very well the cause of my sudden downfall is not because of that pest of a mosquito. In the end, she prescribed me MYR154 worth of medication (including consultation fees) and asked me to head back the next morning for another check up.

Honestly, one can not blame me for being so skeptical with doctors over here. I have not seen one that does an actual checkup, not that I visit a lot of doctors, only when I need to. She did not even do much of a checkup - stuck a thermometer into my mouth and checked my throat. That's about it.

Without a doubt, the medication did help cure my sore throat - at a very hefty price.

My self diagnosis is more reliable, me thinks. So, I did more reading on these rashes/spots my body seemed to conjure overnight. I had it once before, last year. It was really bad; huge ugly-looking spots. Fits the description of hives and heat rash actually, which sounds more logical to me as it only popped up the night after I baked myself under two layers of blanket and two more layers of clothing, hoping I would sweat the fever out.

Then again, I am not the certified medical practitioner here and there is only so much I can read from medical websites, besides being aware of how my body reacts to certain conditions/situations. So, I guess I will just finish my prescribed pills for tonight, take a cold shower, watch a movie, get some sleep and see how it goes tomorrow morning.

Sick-tardiness [[Day 2]]

2011-08-29T23:48:00.000+08:00

Spent too much time sleeping, just staying in bed and hoping to get well soon. Continuously promising not to do what I did if I get well soon.

Woke up with an ulcer-like feeling on my throat. Consulted Dr Google again and might be throat inflammation.Gargled glasses of salt water several times, it actually helped soothe my throat. Warm honey lemon does not really help, it only produces more phlegm, which I can't spit it out because of that ulcer-like thing on my throat.

All I ate is a bowl of Vono Mushroom soup. Today's special ingredient: GARLIC CHUNKS! which burned my throat when chewed and swallowed. It is supposed to quicken the healing process as garlic is known for it's healing properties. Might need to take some again tomorrow, though I really don't fancy that after-taste that lingers in my mouth even though I tried getting rid of it by brushing my teeth and drinking lots of water.

I am supposed to photograph some images for the Mang Tha community - volunteering with them at the moment, slowly starting with their newsletter - but I could not even get out of my room/bed apart from refilling my water bottle and using the lavatory.

And all I am worrying is losing my flexibility as I have not been stretching regularly for 3 days now. On the contrary, I have not had lemang and rendang this year. URGH!

RAINBOW CAKE

2011-08-24T00:48:00.001+08:00

Photo from Bite Me!

Someone please get me a slice of this Rainbow Cake, and I will love you to pieces. Story of my life:

Sweeties-makers of BITE ME! are the ones to be blamed for my August-cravings. However, for the Ramadhan month, they are not accepting orders and only prepare limited slices on weekdays to be sold at TTDI's bazaar. Seeing it was a public holiday last Wednesday, I PURPOSELY went to the bazaar just to get a slice of this heavenly goodness, only to be struck by disappointment as it was sold out barely an hour after the bazaar started. *ROARS* Of course I could order a whole cake - and finish it by myself ??? I will end up rolling on the floor, crunching my aching tummy due to sugar/dairy/cake overdose. Which was why these individually packed slices is a better option for me

Well, unless some kind sold takes pity of my desperate cravings and deliver a whole cake to me for my birthday. Then I can throw a party with it too. HAHA!

*dreams of cake*

Jelly Legs

2011-08-23T21:36:00.001+08:00

Due to my Short+Sweet Musical rehearsals on Wednesday night, I replaced this week's ballet by joining the Intermediate class this evening. As a result, my legs are wobbling non-stop right now.

Oddly enough, I really enjoy Intermediate class. No barre exercise, more challenging work, killer stretching session, which contributes to it being extremely exciting class. I think I might have to follow this class until Short+Sweet is over.

Besides having to discipline myself to go to bed at a normal hour every night, I have to dance and stretch daily too. About time, I know. It's no surprise either that I will succeed in the latter and not abide to the former. Hence I should stop groaning and complaining (to myself) about these horrendous eyebags that seems to be giving a sunken look to my overall experience. Great, just great.

Setting my goals until December. A little goes a long way. Most importantly, to find my balance and centerpoint so that I can nail those pirouettes. It is terribly frustrating and annoying not being able to do a clean turn. Practice practice practice!

Spoke to the principal/my teacher about auditions for the dance company. I think I will focus on perfecting my technique and strengthening my upper core, then I will audition for it.

Six months is ending soon. I need to see prominent improvements!

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Oh-My-Aching-Feet!

2011-08-23T02:06:00.001+08:00

Just got back from Carlsberg's headquarters. It was manic!! We were told of this performance just over the weekend, the people at Carlsberg just felt like throwing an impromptu party. How can I say "no" to a beer party, especially one that's freshly brewed!!

According to the Managing Director, we were being served beer fresh out of the tank (it's a brewery after all). Can't compare that to anything that's bottled (yuck). As a beer drinker *clears throat* I have to give my honest opinion, beer from the bottle /can do not meet the standards set by my taste buds and digestive system.

Besides good food, and beer (of course), guests were entertained by local beatbox star, Shawn Lee - he's a kid! Barely 20, or fresh out of his teens. MD gave an astounding rapping performance too. At the end of the night, some guys were even making an attempt at break dancing, I just could not help smiling and laughing at the sight of it.

Then came the good news. If I was complaining about unproductive weekends/week nights, well, bless my dear soul - we have approximately SEVEN upcoming performances with new choreography!! Jolly well about time! Though, I have to really sit down and reschedule my life soon.

Besides the night dance rehearsals, I still have my dance training twice a week. In addition to that, (oh I did not mention) I am the new edition to Joanna's Short+Sweet Musical 2011 team - made up of a group of completely insane yet talented people. Rehearsals are twice a week - dancing and vocal training. Of course, I still have my work obligations to tend to, and in September, we have four programmes back-to-back.

Sounds like this machine's going to start clocking in those extra hours and gearing up with all the energy I have within me to fleet through October. Gosh! I am pretty sure September is going to drift by swiftly now. We will be doing the musical FOUR FREAKING NIGHTS IN A ROW at the end of September!!!!

I'm such a champion, honestly. Bye (non-existent) Social Life!!

I promise to train hard to strengthen my ankle and arch

GLEE 3D

2011-08-21T17:23:00.001+08:00

To all you bummers at home, I salute you. I honestly do not understand how you guys/girls do it.

I've been spending my Saturday/Sunday at home doing nothing, and you hardly hear me say that, well besides watching movie after movie. Still was/is super unproductive and I felt completely useless, being controlled by this unavoidable feeling of lethargy.

Then, *lightbulb moment* I recalled GLEE 3D showing in theaters this month. Checked the cinema website and it is playing, 6.00pm show, empty cinema! Score! Ahh.. the wonders of living across a mall/cinema. Hence I walked over, bought my ticket (still empty), checked out the quality of clothes from this e-boutique (I just purchased a dress from them), and did some grocery shopping for next week's lunch/dinner. All hail laziness!

Check out Harry Shum Jr's abs!! *gasps* Asian obsession. I can't wait to see Heather Morris dance on-screen too. My two favorite dancers in 3D, I'm sold (they are the reason why I watch Glee).

I think I OD-ed on dairy, my stomach feels awfully sick right now. gah! Anyway, gotta head to the cinema now. I shall give a critical review of Glee 3D later, although Heather and Harry's dance moves might just blind me from all the flaws. By the way, link to Heather doing Single Ladies on the above paragraph.

The dress I bought

=========

Cinema was almost empty, there were only *counts* 12 of us?? and I had the whole row to myself, not that it even matters. So, the highs and lows of GLEE 3D

The Good:
Heather Morris dancing, Harry Shum Jr dancing, Cory Monteith on drums, Kevin McHale CAN dance, the whole concert-movie shone the spotlight on all the other characters - less on Finn and Rachel, Amber Riley's singing, have I mentioned Heather's dancing???

Imagine Heather doing I'm A Slave 4 You, magnified 10-times, up-close, right in your face. I could not take my eyes off her. She's such an amazing dancer. And when she partnered with Harry for Valerie, there are the dynamic dancing duo!

The Bad:
Nothing much really, except that some of the scenes are not really suited for 3D, especially the quick dancing ones. Makes my head go dizzy having to see them zip-zap from one side of the screen to the other.

My advise to anyone who have yet to watch it and will be watching it, do not expect much of a plot. It's more of a show choir live on stage movie. But, I won't miss watching Heather and Harry in 3D !!!

Random List Today - Part 2

2011-08-20T00:08:00.000+08:00

My Canon's battery is almost depleted, and I can't find my battery charger. It's either in Bangkok, Phnom Penh or some where on Earth. Checked with Ryan's girlfriend, it's not at his place. Not sure if I left it at Brendan's place. GAH! I need to spend more money again... it is barely 3-months old *sulks*
Drowning myself with Bon Iver at the moment ....... then I am going to pump up some Joy Division and Triple J's mix of Top 100 hits *screams SKINNY LOVE*
Also going to finish penning a letter and postcards so I can mail them out tomorrow. I am so frustrated at the moment, due to the mysterious disappearance of my battery charger, that I just want to lay under my sheets and suck in those sultry croons from Justin Vernon
THUNDERSTORM!!!! I LOVE THUNDERSTORMS!
Oh.. oh.. WICKED is coming to Singapore!! I have have have to go, I am splurging on front seats ($165, which is approx. MYR400)
Of late, I am contemplating on getting a motorcycle license, in addition to my existing driver's license. Driving in Klang Valley is too stressful, I do not want to be tormented that way on a daily basis, as if my life ain't stressful enough (work overload, juggling two different lives, yea, you get the gist)
Dancing on Monday, Carlsberg event. FREE BEER!!!

That concludes this issue of "Random List Today". Super drained. I need to start sleeping properly. Good night

Reggaeton

2011-08-14T23:16:00.000+08:00

Main intentions on Friday night was to head home and crash - I am so drained out this week. Work overload. Now, I don't want to talk about work here, so, let's continue...

As I was walking back from Uptown, gave Katie a call/text, and she invited me along to Reggae Bar, promising that they won't stay long. True enough, we were back before midnight *Kudos!* I needed a night out anyway. Met up with her cool bunch of volunteers from W.O.X.

We were enjoying and swaying to pure reggae until they started 'mixing' R&B.

Katie and I

Imitating the Orang Utans, I guess?

Rao, Katie and my new Aussie friend!

First two photos snitched from Katie

I feel like if someone were to touch me, I'd dissolve into molecules

2011-08-14T22:36:00.000+08:00

Do you feel bewildered, or do you find it scary when you watch a movie and you notice one of the characters similarly resembles you, especially the way you perceive life?! I can't help falling in-love with and relating to Julie Delpy's character, Celine (first in Before Sunrise, now in Before Sunset). Specifically the ones bold and underlined.

"For me it's better I don't romanticize things as much anymore. I was suffering so much all the time. I still have lots of dreams, but they're not in regard to my love life. It doesn't make me sad, it's just the way it is. Yes, obviously, I can't deal with the day to day life of a relationship. Yeah, we have, you know, this exciting time together and then he leaves and I miss him, but at least I'm not dying inside. When someone is always around me, I'm like suffocating!"

"No, wait, you just said that you need to love and be loved..."

"Yeah, but when I do, it quickly makes me nauseous! It's a disaster... I mean, I'm really happy only when I'm on my own. Even being alone... it's better than... sitting next to a lover and feeling lonely."

========

"It's not so easy for me to be a romantic. You start off that way, and, after you've been screwed over a few times... You... you forget about all your delusional ideas, and you just take what comes into your life. That's not even true, I haven't been... screwed over, I've just had too many... bla relationship. They weren't mean, they cared for me, but... they were no real... connection, or excitement."

========

"It stirred shit out from you, It reminded me how... genuinely romantic I was, how I had so much hope in things and... now it's like... I don't believe in anything that relates to love, I don't feel things for people anymore."

========

"You know what? Reality and love are almost contradictory for me."

========

"I never felt it was the right man. Never! But what does it mean the right man? The love of your life? The concept is absurd, the idea that we can only be complete with another person is... EVIL! Right? You know, I guess I've been heart broken too many times. And then I recovered. So now, you know, from the start, I make no effort."

========

"I'm so miserable in my love life, in my relationship, I always act as... Like... you know, I'm detached, but I'm... I'm dying inside. I'm dying because I'm so numb, I don't feel pain, or excitement... I'm not even bitter, I'm just..."

========

"It's funny, I read a... one of mine from '83, the other day. Yeah, And, what really surprised me, was that I was feeling with life, the same way am now. I was much hopeful and naive, but the core, and the way I was feeling things, is exactly the same! It made me realize I haven't changed much at all."

========

"Memory is a wonderful thing, if you don't have to... deal with the past."

========

"Sometimes, I put things in drawers inside my head, and forget about it. I guess it's less painful to put certain things away than to live with it!"

========

"Yeah, I know. I decided a long time ago that I was gonna to be open to everything, but, not buy into any one-and-only belief system."

========

"Yeah, but I feel really alive when I want something more than just basic survival needs."

========

"They enjoy the goal, but not the process. But the reality of it is that the true work of improving things is in the little achievements of the day."

========

Jumbled

2011-08-12T02:37:00.000+08:00

i have already said what i want to say, for way too many times, yet with no avail. beginning to accept certain things in life. unloading baggage in order to progress. i need to learn how not to be nice to everyone. lesson plan: to do unto others what they did unto you. it is not as easy as it sounds for i did not condition myself to act in such a way. but it comes to a point where i just get so fed up of everyone taking advantage of most things in life. a good example is when someone is just nice to you, no further intentions. and when that person realizes that, that's when all means to start taking advantage of such sincerity starts to surface. i am getting so sick of it. i want out. at the moment, i am tapping back into my social side. i need to know when to say 'no' to work. these days i am so drained out that i really do not have time for myself, which i try to make up for it by staying up till wee hours in the morning (like now) even though i have to wake up early the next day. gah. in addition to that, my brain has been on a mechanical run-up these few days, refusing to stop thinking. i am trying to control it by being as oblivious as i could towards my surroundings. that was hardly successful as i just can't help observing the little things around me. which leads to more thoughts. and it links to many other possibilities or questions of 'why' and 'how come' play in my mind. sucks my soul dry. nevertheless, all the thinking made me see through a lot of things going on in my life. self-evaluation, i would call it. *shakes off baggage* shower. sleep. that's what i need now. still a lot of rethinking needed this weekend. formation of new goals. the year is almost coming to an end. and i definitely need new directions. good night.

Hamstrings

2011-08-09T23:26:00.002+08:00

I solemnly promise not to skip dance training anymore. Saturday's Contemporary was plain torture. After my 4-weeks hiatus, I felt like I was degraded back to square one. My joints were so stiff that halfway through the class, my hamstrings started to ache. I could not do my routine properly, which was extremely disappointing.

Endured the pain throughout my weekend, and was limping around the office yesterday. As I headed out to the basement during the evening to grab a light bite, it hit me - Why am I acting like a complete spoil spot? This is not the first time my joints ache from all the dancing. Hence, I sucked it up, conditioned my mind to toughen up and walked properly, forcing through the pain. And, hey! After 100meters, it did not feel 'that' bad anymore. However, I had to keep chanting this little mantra in my mind, that "it is all in the head". Amazing how much ones psychological state actually affects, well, everything. If I had voiced out those little thoughts in my mind, it will be mainly instructions for my nerves.

Anyway, today I was forced to join a futsal match between my organization and our partner, and I was not happy about that initially. My boss made me go home during office hours to grab my sports wear. Besides feeling extremely drained from the amount of work I have to complete before insane back-to-back datelines, my legs do not feel like running. I have Ballet tomorrow, and it's going to be a complete killer. Yet my boss dragged me away from the office - I know, I ain't supposed to complain because that RARELY happens to anyone in their career. Futsal over Work?!?! See, how can I not love my job??

As usual, we adjourned for dinner after the game. After sitting for almost two hours, I got up and felt my muscles throb again. Now, don't be deceived, I am not much of a futsal player, although I was told today that I have improved from the last time I played, which was more than 4 months ago! Not that I practice doing so weekly either. I just wanted to get done with the game, head home and sleep. Ahhh... wonderful motivation, no?

Tomorrow evening I have ballet training - rephrase - CRUCIAL ballet training. Gah! I will survive, with plentiful moans and groans when I wake up the following morning, of course. Served me right for skipping two weeks of classes (the first two weeks I was away, travelling).

The pain I persevere through to achieve my 6-months goal. It will be worth it, definitely. Also, I am thinking of toned legs, and ass. The latter is quite noticeable at the moment *grins*

On the other hand, the reason I do not update my blog as consistently as I did before is because my days are filled with work. Although I find my work interesting with on-and-off 'classic moments', I do not feel like flooding my blog with work-related posts. It kind of gives off the impression that I am a workaholic, not that I am not. hah!

This is my version of 'brain-drain'. I am so tired to the point where my brain refuses to function properly any more and is crying out (more like making me obliged) for sleep! So, good night.

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Work Woes

2011-08-04T12:05:00.000+08:00

I have too much on my platter, I do not know where to start. This is a crucial month, we have three programmes back-to-back in September. Besides preparing paper work and making reservations, I have to design a logo for the t-shirt and a banner, brochures, edit and finish the layout for this month's bulletin, and a whole lot of other stuff. Desperately in need of another holiday now, not that I am entirely stressed up .. yet. Although I am definitely feeling the pressure.

Caffeine, you are forever my best buddy.

All I want to do, is just to dance.

The Movie Effect

2011-08-02T22:30:00.000+08:00

Two days ago, I watched 'No Strings Attached' (yes, finally). Despite the reviews (I do not even know what the critiques say about it and could not be bothered anyway), I kind of like the movie. For obvious reasons, I adore Natalie Portman and she looks real good in the movie. Most importantly is how I can relate myself to the character, Emma, she played. Not the whole 'friends for benefits' part, more of her personality in the emotional perspective. The numbness she chose to endure to avoid getting her heart broken. How insecure she felt when it comes to the topic of commitment and relationships, and expressing herself emotionally to another person, the opposite sex, specifically.

Then I thought, hey! Sounds so familiar. I am not the weird one after all.

For a moment (or less than 24hours) I was weirdly inspired to continue conditioning my mind to not give a fuck about that area of my life anymore. I was almost there, numbing my emotions, and before you ask, yes, one can actually do so, self-conditioning. Do not take that advise lightly, "It's all in the mind", because it is.

Yesterday I watched "Dear John" and as the story unfolded, it reminded me of someone. Yes, I admit, I have not read Sparks' book for this. He is the professional tear-jerker, and a good looking one too. ANYWAY, as I was saying, despite the one or two years distance, there was constant communication between John and Savannah. Letters.

And that kind of broke my hardened soul a bit. Am not going to go too detailed because I don't feel like exposing my personal life. Oh, everything else I write on my blog is not really considered very personal, in my context - in case some smarty pants decide to voice an opinion.

So, the secret is finally out. I've actually booked my ticket to Singapore for 18hours - no kidding - just because someone will be transiting from Melbourne to India. I did so last week, but have gotten my boss' approval early last month. Yup, I was intending to let the cat out of the bag say.. a week or a few days before the date, but I could not contain it inside any longer (no thanks to you, Mr. Sparks) - gosh! What a pun.

Do you know that I even read multiple reviews/forums on where to sleep in the airport? My flight arrives around 11-ish and his' at 5am. I find it too troublesome to crash at my aunt's hence I have decided to spend a night a the world's BEST airport to sleep in - I kid you not. Go Google!

A few hours is better than nothing...

BODY SHOP TEA TREE RANGE LAUNCH

2011-07-31T23:32:00.000+08:00

30th JULY 2011 - PAVILION/FARENHEIT88 BUKIT BINTANG

From #FakeWaterGunFight to dancing for 15 minutes non-stop, change locations, and dancing for another 15 minutes. At one point, during a 3 seconds break during the song, I was gasping for air (only because I ran all the way to Pavilion from BB Plaza before that)

After weeks of (almost) daily practices, excluding those 2 weeks I was away, the day finally arrived.

I will always love the adrenaline I get prior and during a performance. Moments before, my heart thumps fast, I get all hyped up; after the performance is done, I get withdrawal symptoms, wanting more and just can not believe it ended so soon. Seems like it was only yesterday when we were hastily learning and memorizing the steps (it's a 17minutes mix by the way)

Video performance from Pavilion:

After which we adjourned to Farenheit88:

Photo from Kay

Watch Farenheit88's performance here:

Photo from Zul

Everyone thought we are sisters
Photo from Zul

Kamal, me, Sylvia
Photo from Michelle Ng

The night before, I stayed up until 4-in the morning, just to rip my shirt and Kamal's.

Photo from Michelle Ng

Yup! It was THIS crowded at Farenheit88
Photo from Michelle Ng

After that, Katie and I went to Magnificent Fish&Chips for, well, Fish & Chips and a plate of Mash (name slipped my mind at the moment - very English though). Complete with a pint of beer each. Mmmm... Perfect weekend! I love Changkat during the day. It is so relaxing!

Caught In Action - Fake Water Gun Fight

2011-07-31T18:56:00.001+08:00

Another brainchild of Zain's. We gave Kuala Lumpur a big surprise yesterday afternoon in the midst of traffic. With 3 blockage cars stopped in the middle of the street between BB Plaza and KFC, us Fighters jumped out of our cars and started shooting like maniacs.

The whole group gathered at an empty parking lot near Havana, Changkat Bukit Bintang, at noon and did multiple extremely tiring dry-runs. It was indeed exhausting, no joke. And one'd think an actor's job is easy....

Rolled out five minutes before 3pm and got caught in the massive Bukit Bintang jam (before we created one.. kind of). I could hear my heart beating from excitement in the car. Screaming at every other car that tried overtaking any one of our cars, also at the traffic lights for turning red too fast!

Then it was time. When I jumped out of the car all hyped up with my water gun, a tourist was shocked, turned to his partner and went "Look!". Another guy's eyes nearly popped out when I aimed the water gun at his face, I swear his was contemplating on whether to bash me up or not. The whole stint lasted 30 seconds before we dispersed into the crowd (and me, running all the way to Pavilion because I was late)

News Straits Times reported about it today.

Am eagerly waiting for the editing team to finish up the video and make it viral!

Dry-run #3428175
Photo by Jackie Lim

Sweat Floor

2011-07-29T23:55:00.001+08:00

Being back in KLDA brings back so much memories. A plethora of visions from the days we were preparing for the Opera Ball in 2009. Truly a once in a lifetime experience...

Despite being sick, I am glad a sweat it out on the dance floor. It was our final rehearsal before the big day. I was amazed by the huge turnout. We never had THAT many people during our regular practices.

... and my pants kept falling...

I think this photo is creepy. Look at my neck!

I got one of the Body Shop's tops. Went home and started ripping them (not as brutally as you picture it to be)

All photos from Kay

Random List Today

2011-07-28T22:34:00.000+08:00

## I FINALLY settled my documents for graduation. Yes, I have finished uni. No, I have not [officially] graduated. Make sense? To summarize the whole tedious process, graduation ceremony commences every December. Unlike the US, the delegates only travel to this side of the world from Iowa, at the end of the year for the ceremony. Since I completed my final semester in Fall 2010, I can only 'walk' the ceremony end of this year. However, due to work, I will most likely not be around. Hence, I only submitted the required documents to get my degree.

## Why did it take me so long to do so? Let me break it down to you:

At the moment, I stay at least a 30-minute drive to uni, in one condition, when there is no traffic. Which is impossible as it is always congested in the morning
I've been back to uni at least twice this year. Every single time, some one or another is not around, or out for lunch, or on-leave, yada-yada.. If I go too early (before I start work), no one is in.
I am working, I ain't bumming at home all the time. It is hard for me to take an hour or two off work to head all the way to Subang. It is RIDICULOUS - if you are familiar with the infamous Subang Jaya traffic conditions

## So, I was questioned about my decision to not attend the ceremony to receive my degree on stage. Honestly, it is not much of a big deal for me. All I want is the certificate, which will not be given out during the ceremony itself anyway. Sure, one might argue that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Yet, I can name a whole list of once in a lifetime opportunities that can top that. Besides, I intend to further my studies. Hence I am not fussed right now. If I get to travel for work at the end of the year, it will be more worth it (location undecided, region revealed) *crosses fingers*

## Due to my lack of sleep and overly packed schedule, my immune system is really weak. After all the screaming at MTV World Stage on Sunday, I have a killer throat right now. Also, no thanks to inconsiderate homo sapiens who cough/sneeze in public and do not know how to close their mouth/nose, I fell sick today. Not my worse, but bad enough to keep me off work. I just sat at my desk in the office, head felt super heavy. Very unproductive.

## I ought to head to bed now and hope to recover as tomorrow night is our final rehearsal before our big performance on Saturday. I am no where near ready by the way....

## Which reminds me, I need to write a message to a few people. If you are in Kuala Lumpur this weekend, Saturday specifically, do hang around Bukit Bintang for something (or a few things) extremely spectacular. Nothing shall be revealed now. I am just so secretive like that. Good night!

Trip Overview

2011-07-22T18:54:00.001+08:00

It will take some time for me to get into detail about my trip, plus I have a million-and-one things to do such as cleaning my room. I swear, I felt a layer of dust on the floor as I walked into my abandoned (for 2 weeks) room last night.

Generally, these two weeks have opened my eyes to a lot of things and has helped answer a few questions which have been lingering around for way too long. My perception on some things changed, and I have never felt better about it.

In addition to that, I've been bitten too hard by the travelling bug that I am already planning a trip at the end of December. Sorry 'rents! Not going home for X'mas this year. I will be "globe-trotting", throwing myself into unfamiliar terrains and enjoying every single moment of it.

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UPDATES: 25th JULY 2011

I am slowly updating my travel logs, though, you will have to scroll down to read them. I am updating according to the dates I wrote them (in my notebook. Classic, I know)

DAY 8 - The Auschwitz of Asia

2011-07-18T23:51:00.000+08:00

Honestly, I am really glad that Brendan agreed to host me although I am hanging around Phnom Penh on working days. The gang pretty much work during the day and party up at night! How's that for a equal balance of cultural and party experience?

As everyone left for work in the morning, I tailed out too (if not I will be under house arrest until someone comes home for lunch). I decided to give an early start for today as there is so much I want to see. Arranged for a Tuk Tuk driver to meet me at Tuol Sleng Museum at 11am to take me to the Killing Fields. Sophee recommended him, she said he speaks quite good English.

If one asks me what I'd recommend in Phnom Penh, I vouch for the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, in one condition, don't expect a Disney experience out of it. I planned my route to Phnom Penh without doing any research on what I should expect from this city, that is until my boss suggested that I check out Tuol Sleng. Tuol what? "Genocide museum," he said. *Googles away*

From what I read about Tuol Sleng - yup, it is always useful to do some reading first - it made me anticipate for my trip to Phnom Penh. Words can only paint vague images in my mind on the terrible things that happened in that (once) high school. Automatically, I linked it to the infamous Auschwitz Concentration Camp. As a matter of fact, it is the Auschwitz of Asia - I coined that name.

Entrance fee is USD2, one can opt for a tour guide for an additional USD3 (?). Well, I didn't, as I said, I did some (okay, maybe slightly more than 'some') reading prior to my travels. Though, it will be great to hear stories from a family member of one of the detainees in the S21 Prison - I kind of eavesdropped, heh!

Brief introduction to Tuol Sleng for the lazybones

On the outside, it looks like your everyday high school compound (excluding the few tomb stones near the entrance), classroom blocks surrounding an assembly area/mini field shaded by coconut trees. Little will a random foreign passer-by know that at one side of the field was where the prisoners were hung upside down and tortured until they admit they are guilty (most of the time for something they didn't do).

If you linger in the 'classrooms' long enough you will understand what I am trying to explain. I swear, this is the most devastating place ever! Also, it does not help much that the horrific events took place on this very grounds three decades ago, a decade before I existed on Earth.

In the first block are classrooms turned into torture chambers. Visitors are allowed to wander around freely (except for the second level in one of the blocks which was out of bounds). You walk into a room and be greeted by this deformed, rusty metal bed. On the wall is a photo of a prisoner, lying on the very bed, signs of protruding bones, torture wounds, tattered clothing (some nude), and some with a pool of blood beneath the metal structure.

There were photos of the prisoners; men, women, young, old, children... it was really depressing to stare into their faces. Unlike normal mugshots, theirs were taken with some kind of vile-looking object clawed behind their skulls, besides being chained, hands and feet. It got to a point where I could not bear to look at them anymore - there were so many, I just felt sick inside. Trust me, for me to feel this way, it means this place is devastating beyond words. Here, why don't you take a peek for yourself? Of course, in order to get the full impact of it, you have to be IN the place itself.

Do you know, out of 17,000 people imprisoned in Tuol Sleng, there are only 7 survivors? Get the picture?

Razor wires surrounding the "school"

This was Pol Pot's secret prison during his reign of terror, where thousands die from starvation, torture and killed. I wrote a review for TripAdvisor here (sorry for the typo, entrance fee is USD2, not USD3).

Met up with the Tuk Tuk driver at the entrance at 11am - there were plenty of other Tuk Tuk drivers trying to make money out of tourists. For a return trip from Tuol Sleng to Killing Fields, I paid USD8. The journey to the Killing Fields was really nice, I love the sight of locals going about their daily routines, kids running/playing at the side of the road, and paddy fields that stretches afar.

Very skinny cattle

I very much advise one to visit the museum before heading out to the Killing Fields. There is nothing much in the Killing Fields besides a shrine of bones and clothes belonging to the victims killed in the fields (or buried alive). Yup! They don't call it the Killing Fields for nothing. One disturbing information is a tree where they used to kill babies in the most malicious/brutal/'no-words-can-describe-such-inhumane-act' way. They held babies by the ankles and just hit them hard against the tree, smashing their skulls, then throwing the bodies into the nearest 'pit'. Very sick, I know.

*tries to erase images from memory - FAILED*

On a lighter note, I had a very interesting encounter with the Tuk Tuk driver. He was hitting on me, no, I ain't misreading signals or assuming it. First he took my photo (he's a part-time photographer too), then asked me to take his', printed both out on the spot and asked me to keep his photo. I was like.. "okay?" *raises eyebrow* Then he told me he will keep a copy of mine too - creepy factor - 7/10.

After that, he mentioned that although he just knew me, he liked me already. Wokay.... I just said thank you and refrained from asking him to define his meaning of "like". Creepy factor - 9/10.

My Creep-O-meter went off the roof when he invited me back to his place, insisted it when I rejected his offer, and kept hinting that he stays alone, etc. Thankfully I got the whole 'conservative perspective' from Ben and Shae the night before and decided to put my acting skills to good use.

Scrolled through my camera for photos and found one I took with Thasha upon our arrival in Phuket. I showed it to him and asked if Thasha looks pretty. He agreed on it, and complimented her looks. Then I pulled a "I know right.. my girlfriend is really beautiful" *continues admiring photo on camera's screen* He was confused for a moment. And to clarify what I just said he told me "I like girlfriend". I nodded. He asked, "You like girlfriend too?" Boldly, I replied "Yes, she's my girlfriend, in the picture. We went to university together, I have known her for 4 years"

WHAO!!!! He was absolutely COLD towards me after that. After-shock, I assume?

Technically, I was telling the truth. Thasha is my girlfriend, in a non-sexual way, of course. Duh! He does not need to know that, I was trying to save my own ass at the moment. In the end, I got him to take me back to Tuol Sleng with no further invites back to his place. Problem solved. I knew homosexuality was not acceptable in their staunch beliefs/culture.

Nevertheless, the Tuk Tuk driver is a smart guy, not many people in Phnom Penh can converse in English. I did not send out wrong vibes, all I did was asked lots of questions about him. I want to know more about the Khmer lifestyle and his opinions about various things in life (which vastly differ from mine).

Extremely dusty ride back from Killing Fields

Since I was done early and had a few hours to kill before the rest got off work, I headed to the Russian Market. It was not a long walk, but in the scorching heat, I felt I was walking for hours! It was all worth it, everything in the Russian Market is SO CHEAP!!!

First things first, hunt for food. In the middle of the market are food stalls. My lunch (including drink) cost me USD1.25, and I was stuffed, very satisfied. The lady and her husband are so friendly, she tried teaching me numbers 1 to 5 in Khmer (which I forgot) and told me the name of the dish I had in Khmer (which I also forgot). All I know, it was tasty *rubs belly* Khmer food is similar to Chinese's but with a Khmer-twist. haha!

After that, I wondered around and did some shopping. Damn! I went literally mental (also due to the heat), bought dresses, tops and extremely comfy pants. I was a happy girl.

Made my back home, waited for the rest to get ready and we headed out for dinner. Told them about my experience with the Tuk Tuk driver, they told me it's normal. Tuk Tuk drivers tend to hit on foreigners (Shae shared a story with me, about this American girl currently staying in Phnom Penh. She's crazy. literally) On the way to the restaurant, we stopped by SUPERCHEAP (I love Super Cheap), a liquor store, where alcohol is literally SUPER CHEAP!! No kidding. I bought a bottle of Stoli Vodka for USD6 !!!!!!!!!!!! *eyes popped out* It took us awhile to make our purchase as we just could not decide what to get.

Wait, did I mention, these guys drink beer with ICE?!?!?! I tried, one glass, then it felt so wrong that I picked the ice out of the glass. Shae said it's too hot, that's why. Nooo.. beer and ice is just a complete mismatch.

ANYWAY, I adore my new friends SO MUCH because, despite having to work the following day, they took me out, a whole lot of dancing, and we only went home after 4am. We meant to head home after dinner, until we walked pass a massage place and randomly decided that all of us go for a massage - USD5/hour!!! I'm sold. Then we walked pass this bar near Brendan's place and the guys suggested that I should go check it out, for obvious reasons not to be disclosed here.

Okay, so I kind of (maybe) killed the dance floor a bit (it kind of involved the prostitutes eyeing at me move in dismay - according to Brendan, so, yea...), and they think that was not such a nice place for me and suggested that we should all hit one of the clubs in the city center. Hence we went ....

FUN!

DAY 7 - PHNOM PENH

2011-07-17T23:04:00.015+08:00

In the plane, I was fortunate to be seated next to a Cambodian-American girl, Sophee. She is such a sweetheart and really played a huge role in making my trip in Phnom Penh a breeze. At first she offered to help me bargain for a Tuk Tuk from the airport into the city as she speaks Khmer. But I ended up getting a ride with her as her friend was driving - a car with its steering wheel on the left side. Traffic in Phnom Penh is on the right side of the road!

I know I sound like a jakun, but I have never sat in a car with its steering wheel on the left side, nor rode on traffic on the right side of the road.

View of Phnom Penh from inside the car

They drove me to ST330, near the Tuol Sleng Museum and took the trouble to drive through multiple narrow streets just to get me to my destination. Furthermore, her Sophee's niece helped me register a SIM card (USD1), even got a reload for USD2. Lovely people and I am oh-so-grateful.

On this leg of my 2-week holiday, I am staying with a Couch Surfer in Phnom Penh. This is such a quiet place, not as developed as Bangkok, with no proper housing planning. The houses are not orderly numbered. You will find a 12 next to a 432, and on the street where Brendan (my host) lives, there are two 8C units. How confusing is that?!? It took us quite some time to locate where I needed to be.

Sophee gave me some pointers on where to get cheap stuff.... and beer - Happy Hour rates @ USD1 (or lower??) I am SOLD!!!

As I am writing this, I am seated outside Brendan's gate because no one seems to be at home.. hmm..

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(continued later)

So, I finally saw someone in the living room. Brendan's housemate, Ben, let me in, showed me to my room, and gave me a tour. I love it here already. People stay in town houses (omg!!). Yes, well, those who know me well enough will know how I have been longing to stay in a town house. Theirs is 4 stories high, excluding the roof. Brendan and Ben's unit is upstairs (imagine that, two living rooms!) where else Shae and Tyler is downstairs.

They abducted me before Brendan got back. Befriended two Cambodian girls (I am bad with names, sorry), Ben has a huge crush on one of them and she is really sweet. So, I experienced my first Tuk Tuk ride in Phnom Penh, traffic is SCARY!! There are no traffic lights, too many motorcyclists, although people here are highly considerate (unlike KL) and actually give way to pedestrians. Still, it was insane.

The gang took me to Dream Land - a (permanent?) carnival in Phnom Penh. Gosh! How nostalgic. I felt like I just walked into the realm of the 80s/90s and I love it!! They even have a little 'Disney Park' within the grounds, and mechanical dinosaurs which reminded me of my childhood days (when Jurassic Park hit the screens). We went on the pirate ship ride, similar to the one we have in Sunway Lagoon, the ride that swings you 90 degrees back-and-forth. It was hilarious. Shae and I were laughing so much (I honestly felt ticklish when we were up in the air) at the sight of how the Cambodians reacted during the ride. One girl was practically clinging onto her boyfriend so hard that it looks like she was choking him.

Met up with Brendan and his girl (heehee!) after that at the entrance. Followed them to this open area with a huge (redundant) pile of sand. I am not sure about the whole political scenario in Cambodia, but Ben was sharing some stories with me which I find pretty interesting. Also, Brendan said they dug up all these sand, dump it in that area, hoping to sell it off to some country that needs sand?? I am not entirely sure about that either. But I was enjoying my first few hours in Phnom Penh.

On top of the huge pile of sand
L-R: Brendan, Me, Shae, Ben

[Sadly, that is the only photo I have of them, and we hung out for THREE nights!! We need to do something about this]

We went for dinner after that, Khmer food, and 3 (or 4?) jugs of Angkor beer between the 4 of us, all for USD2.50 each. *goes crazy* omg! I can live here forever...

I was also told of the Khmer culture about dating. Well, I was pretty astounded at first, because we are living in the 21st century and I have never actually experienced being in a community where arrange marriage/relationships are still highly prioritized. Sorry, my mind is synced to the whole 'modernized, globalized, worldly' tune. Yes, I do know that in certain parts of the globe, people hold strong to their culture and beliefs. It just takes awhile for me to get used to living in one. Boy, will I never say Malaysians (some) are conservative.

Day 6 - BANGKOK - The Grand Palace

2011-07-16T22:09:00.002+08:00

Entrance fee of 350BHT, inclusive of ticket to Vimanmek Museum, the world's largest golden teakwood mansion (which I did not get to go). Strict dress code applies at the Grand Palace. Although I was covered up, I was not allowed to enter as I was wearing leggings (yup, no leggings allowed). Hence I had to pay 50BHT for a wrap-skirt at the entrance. What a good money-making scheme. I paid some random lady standing at the entrance, had to return the skirt in order to get back my 100BHT deposit (on top of the 50).

Basically, I was extremely hippy-looking

The Palace grounds is humongous! I was vividly imagining the King living there few centuries ago. Scenes from The King and I flood my mind. Beautiful compound; sadly, renovation works were carried out at some of the structures/buildings and I was pretty disappointed that the Temple of the Emerald Buddha was closed on that day.

That is one of the many entrances into the Palace compound - door between the two guards

One drawback at this attraction is the lack of English description. Besides a double-three-fold pamphlet, there was not much information provided about the culture/practice/tradition of the Thai monarchy back in the good old days. An example of what I would like to know is the symbol of coins placed on these elephants heads:

Of course, I could have opted for a guide, but that will mean extra moo-lah spent (350BHT is a lot for an entrance ticket by the way).

Near the entrance of the palace is a model of the Angkor Wat. This was a gift from HRH King Rama IV to his parents - something I read from the exhibition at the Wat Phra Kaeo Museum, also located within the palace grounds. I can only imagine the real Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, I have to head there soon!

Since it was still a public holiday, a lot of people were offering prayers in front of the [closed-for-the-day] Temple of the Emerald Buddha. And because my friend, Ryan, is a Buddhist, we accompanied him to do so too.

Wandered along the river, intending to get a boat ride but only found the ever-so-pricey package of 2,000BHT, including dinner. Not what I was looking for. I read that you can get a cheaper ride. However, since I was 'sight-seeing' with other people, I kind of had to adjust my plans, which is why I normally prefer to travel alone. Basically walked around the city aimlessly for a bit, looking for food, because Ryan does not know the are well. Ended up in an Italian restaurant and paid 180BHT for my lunch. Great.

Later in the afternoon, the skies started to pour. Ryan had to head back to resume his 'boyfriend duties', so Brent and I went to Pratunam. We went to a mall where only 20% of the shops were open, could be due to the public holiday, but spotted plentiful good buys. The kind of stuff that I love - a lot of trinkets and knick-knacks. Settled for an hour's massage for 300BHT, which I still consider pretty pricey.

Overall, I did not get to see much of Bangkok, as I have planned. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy having company and the guys are really cool to hangout with, but I did feel kind of restricted (to do what I want to do). When I travel alone and get to wander around at my own pace, I get to see more as I did my research on the places I want to see and things I want to do. So, I definitely have to head back to Bangkok for Wat Arun, Vimanmek Museum, the Floating Market, Jim Thompson's House, etc. See, told you I did my research. sigh, oh well, next time.

(Maybe that is why I did not really enjoy Bangkok - to everyone's amazement when I told them how I feel about the city.)

Day 5 - BANGKOK - Wat Pho

2011-07-16T03:51:00.000+08:00

Today is a big Buddhist celebration, hence, a public holiday in Thailand. Temples were said to be packed. Ryan's bestfriend, Sue, advised us against going to the temple due to large crowds. No offense, but I am glad I did not take that advise. Sorry, a backpacker can be quite stubborn, you know...

Brent and I decided to head to Wat Pho after noon. We took the BTS line to Hua Lamphong station and decided to walk to Wat Pho initially, only to be approached by several touts trying to convince us that the temple is closed due to the public holiday. Nice try, fellas! I was few steps ahead of you. Before my trip, I've already did all the reading I could do and most of them warn travelers of individuals as such.

Tuk-tuk rides in Bangkok are ridiculously priced that we just settled for metered cabs wherever we went.

Entrance to Wat Pho is 50BHT. Made a beeline for the famous massage center/school (this is the birthplace of the traditional Thai massage), got our numbers (it was an hour's wait) and went out exploring the temple grounds. An hour of Thai massage is 420BHT (price increased). One thing I love about the architecture in Thailand at the sights are the steeples.

The place is full of tourists! There is so much to see, and I wish there were signs/descriptions in English. It will be great to learn about the history behind this fascinating temple, or even get to know how religion affects their culture. Well, I guess I will have to read about it on the internet then.

Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldest wats in Bangkok, housing thousands of Buddha images. Being inside the temples gave me a sense of serenity and peace. It was interesting to watch the locals offering their prayers too. Wat Pho is also the home to one of the largest single Buddha image, yup, it is also known as The Temple of the Reclining Buddha.

Guess who?

The Reclining Buddha

While most tourist were busy photographing the Buddha from every single angle imaginable, I was marveling at the beautiful paintings on the wall (even the ceiling)

No, I did not take a photo with the Buddha

Very impressive gold plated Buddha at 40meters long and 15meters high. Feet and eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decoration, with its feet bearing 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha. The design illustrates the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. Yay, Internet!!

We left Wat Pho later than we planned. That evening, Ryan planned for us to take an hour's trip north of Bangkok to some temple to witness the whole Buddhist procession. He got his timing all wrong, hence had to cancel it. This resulted to more time for us to wander around Wat Pho.

Since we were in that area, Brent and I decided to head to Khao San Road - I was STARVING!! Stopped-by a cart with deep fried bugs and got a packet of mixed bugs for 350BHT. Yummeh!!!

Khao San Road is full of backpackers!! The area reminds me of Petaling Street, though, they have their own Chinatown not too far away. No wonder Nile was not too fond of this place. Settled for Padthai, a spring roll (very delicious one too) and coconut water - nothing beats cheap, scrumptious and filling street food - before we went to an Irish bar for my pint of Guinness (they have a Mulligans here!!). Because it was a religious public holiday, they aren't allowed to serve/sell alcohol. But we were directed to the bar upstairs where quite a number of Westerners were happily drinking beer.

The Grand Palace, majestically lit up at night

The night was still young when we were done with Khao San, so we went for Harry Potter 2 at the Esplanade Cineplex (Yes, the mall is called Esplanade). One can not visit Thailand and not get the whole cinema experience - after all the advertisements, we had to stand for the Thai's National Anthem accompanied by a video compilation of various footage of events/moments in the country. Speaking of ads, TVCs in Thailand are irrelevantly cheesy, especially the ones on the BTS! Thailand's got a very nice national anthem, wish I understood what they were singing.

Day 4 - From Phuket to BANGKOK

2011-07-15T06:28:00.000+08:00

After walking along Rat-U-Thit last night, in-search for a cheaper option to the airport from Patong, we chanced upon a metered cab parked outside our hotel *Thank the Heaven and the Stars*

I was reading about the whole 'taxi clan' in Patong/Phuket, quite the mafia they seem to be - go Google. Apparently, the Tuk Tuk drivers (association?) do not allow metered cabs to enter Patong area too. Go read about it to understand the whole touting gimmick. Best do so before you visit Phuket.

Anyhoo, we arranged a ride to the airport for 600BHT. Was extremely restless, too much partying, lack of sleep. Thasha and I said our 'Goodbye's at the airport. She was heading back to Kuala Lumpur while I carried on with my travels.

======

Weather was the pits too the moment I arrived in Bangkok. Waited for at least 30 minutes before my bag breezed pass on the luggage belt *pfft* I was not in much of a hurry though. Throughout my stay in Bangkok, I crashed at my friend, Ryan's place. He was too kind to offer me a place to stay and made sure I felt at home (even went to the extend of buying a mattress and new sheets)

Headed into the city and was greeted by too-many-malls and heavy traffic (after work). It reminded me so much of Kuala Lumpur that I did not really like it and wished I was back in Phi Phi *sniffs* Stood at the pedestrian bridge outside the famous MBK mall and observed the traffic. They have cabs in multiple colors - green, yellow, orange, and pink. Yes, PINK! Too many, in fact!

Hail the PINK CAB!!!

While waiting for Ryan to finish work, I sat at McDs *groans* and succumbed to a Samurai Pork Burger set meal. Tasty, no doubt, but nothing much to shout about. I was craving for Mango Dessert+Sticky Rice instead.

Got back to Ryan's place, was greeted by his best friend, Sue, and then his girlfriend. Witnessed some drama (which I later found out has something to do with me and a whole lot of jealousy - tsk!) before they took me out for dinner at this somewhat fancy but quiet restaurant, a little over a 10-minutes walk from Ryan's place. The food is so good! Though, in a backpacker's mindset, I much prefer to pay for something that costs less but tastes as good (or better) than what we had. Don't get me wrong, I ain't complaining. Just expressing a thought in my mind (and pocket).

Brent, Sue, Ryan, me
Oh yess, I'm wearing the same dress for the 3rd time - tales of a backpacker

Salivate, sial!

How cute are the orange shrimps in the Mango Salad?

Ryan is such a bad influence, even to the dead deep fried fish

The boys took me out to Soi 11 (me thinks?) for drinks at this Irish bar. However, it was closed - most bars/clubs were closed early and no sale of alcohol was allowed due to the religious public holiday the following day. Bummer. We strolled along the streets and spotted a push-cart filled with fried insects. YUMMY! I adore the grubs and beetles.

Walked back to Soi 5 (?) and bought drinks from my favorite Bar & Cocktail minivan instead. Jaegerbombs Round #2 and bucketfuls cocktails. Two German guys were seated next to us, watching us doing bombs. I bumped into SO MANY Germans in these few days, and I know they are Germans because I kind of understood what they were conversing with each other, not that I was eavesdropping. *shrugs*

Remote Cocktail Bar

Cocktail Bucket @ 240BHT

Yeahhh.. That's how I roll!

First night in Bangkok, and the drinking continues... woohoo!

Day 3 - Phi Phi to Phuket

2011-07-14T05:41:00.001+08:00

13th JULY 2011

Late nights, sleeping in - now, this is a great start to my holiday. Although, I am craving for some culture!

Checked out of Ivory at 11am - by the way, I recommend Ivory to anyone who is going to Phi Phi Island. Read my review on TripAdvisor *HERE*

We were allowed to leave our luggage at the guesthouse even after we have checked out (standard check-out time is 11am, but he was really lenient about us doing so 10minutes after), I even walked back at one point to use the toilet. Can't deny the call of Nature, can I?

Wandered around the Tsunami Evacuation Center in-search of food and ended up at Sammy's (aka Soda) restaurant. I am not exactly sure what is the name of the restaurant, it could be called 'Thank You Phi Phi' as that was what's written on the logo, and were the only English words on it. It is situated very close to the pier, smack in the middle of the souvenir market. Technically, it is not a restaurant per se, as it is an area under tents with plastic table and chairs (and wooden walls filled with scribbles/positive comments/well-wishers from backpackers)

Multiple scribbles on the wall

On my way back from the lavatory, I stopped to read Soda's story. He was trapped 2 meters under the gravel when the tsunami hit Phi Phi Island 3 years ago, survived with the help of his friend who helped him start his restaurant. Food is good, also serving the best lassi I have ever had. Decently priced too with generous portions. Soda was running up-and-down, serving and tending to customers with a smile on his face. It was a full-house by lunch time!

Had to take a photo of this - reminds me of all the water color scenery paintings I did when I was an adolescent

Thasha and I walked around Phi Phi after that. Headed to the more "modern" area with colonial-like buildings and fancy resort hotels. Turned around and suggested to Thasha that we should just walk back to the TEC as I love it there more than this swanky side of Phi Phi.

Look, Ma! Brick walls!

I prefer the shack-like shops

Journey back to Phuket was an adventure. The four of us, Steven, Thasha, Theepan and I, sat on the top deck, soaking up some sun. We were warned of the rough sea that afternoon before the ferry departed from the pier. True enough, we were drenched from head-to-toe, rocked side-to-side, feels like an adventure ride in a theme park, just triple the fun! All we had were plastic sun chairs and nothing else to cling on to except our belongings. Steven and I were comparing music on our playlists (he has everything that I normally listen to - friend approved!) but had to stop as water started splashing 3-stories high. Watching the Asian tourists (Indians) around us was hilarious! They were covering their faces with a towel; these three guys (British, me thinks?) seated in front of us were laughing their asses off at the sight of it.

In the end, we surrendered and headed downstairs when it started to rain because the heavy patters were hitting our backs brutally. Have mercy, Nature! Had no choice but to sit in the cold air-conditioned 'cabin'. Guess what? Avatar was playing on the TV sets, and for the second time, I fell asleep - no, I have not seen Avatar. I keep falling asleep by/before the 20th minute.

At the pier on Phi Phi - my bag was still 'light'

Transportation in Phuket is SO EXPENSIVE!! Our ride back to Patong from Rassada Pier was 500BHT. Weather was the shits, it rained the whole evening. We were supposed to hangout with Steven one last time before we head off from Phuket. No thanks to the weather, it was called off. He was staying down south from Patong, at Kata Beach. Not very convenient to come all over to our side in the rain. My first Dutch friend *thinks* Wait, no... I know two other Dutch guys and we went on a random road trip to Malacca some time last year. Nevertheless, Steven is like the first person I know who listens to Boards of Canada, Air, AJS, Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Services, Sufjan Stevens, Vampire Weekend, Chopin, Beethovan, etc .. all in a playlist. It's like he snitched mine and chucked it into his iPod! People with similar music selections as I do becomes an instant buddy. Aaaahhh.. Music is my Ecstasy!!

Dinner at McDs - I limped all the way to the nearest mall (around 15-20minutes walk from SquareOne), which was bloody annoying with puddles every where and my fresh bandages soaking wet (eww!). Anyway, Thasha wants to have the Samurai Pork Burger before she leaves. I had the pathetic looking (too small, how stingy of them) Tuna Pie. Nevertheless, it tastes good, though I am still not impressed by the size of it.

Both Theepan and Thasha went for Shisha at Cairo after that, some where along Rat-U-Thit road. I headed over to Bali Hai Spa & Massage two doors away as I needed to fix my toes' nail color. No pedicure though, my feet bore several battle wounds from Phi Phi's excursion.

Personal opinion, for 100BHT, it was a terrible job. I can paint my toe nails nicer than what she did. Period. I wrote a review on TripAdviser too *HERE*

Opted for the rest of the night indoors. Had to pack for Bangkok the next day and could use some much needed rest. Plus, we do not have happening people staying in the dorms downstairs. Thankfully SquareOne's cable TV offers 80+ channels, although majority are in Thai. As long as there is an English news channel, I will be fine. Hey! I was even watching the Parliamentary session about UK's Phone Hacking Scandal that broke out during that week. Talk about savvy, eh?

Am already missing Phi Phi and the wonderful people I met over there.