I'm back from Hong Kong!

Yesterday.




Or two days ago since it's already 2am in the morning. Slept the whole day (ho ho ho I love sleeping), it was an extremely exhausting trip from too much walking and playing and shopping.

SHOPPING~~ I love SHOPPING!

Omg I'm becoming a city girl! o.O





Hong Kong Disneyland reminds me of a pathetic sad sorry version of Tokyo Disneyland. Even the Buzz Lightyear and Space Rider rides are exactly the same.

It's so much smaller, more expensive, smaller, lousier rides (a sad excuse for modern technology), and way smaller.




Anyway, I'm back and I am ready to visit some houses and hit the poker table! It's not too late is it?

Blog later, got to go catch up on more sleep. Ciao~

Mommy's Gift This Year

A week ago I celebrated my mom's birthday.

Got her a present during my stay over Xmas in Singapore from Takashimaya.

Last year I got her a bouquet of CASH.

Yes cash. As in roses made of money.




Two years ago, it was flowers made of RM1 notes.

Then last, I decided to upgrade my present, pooling money with my brother, to RM10 notes flower.




So this year I decided to give her something different.

My mom is a lover for Bone China.




Despite its name, bone china is British made porcelain crockeries.

But the thing is she doesn't own any. Her reasons for it was that when she was younger, she couldn't afford them. And now I think she prefers to save the money than to spend on unnecessary items.


Old Country Rose from Royal Albert


So when I went to Singapore, I decided to scout these cups out.

Two of the more well known Bone China brands are Royal Doulton (owned by the father) and Royal Albert (then the son).

However, when Old Country Roses design was launched 1962, it became one of the biggest hit and till date most popular English bone china design.




And seeing that my mom loves big red roses. I decided to get some of these. In the end, I brought home two sets of cups and saucers, and a mini milk jug. :D

Why all the way to Singapore? Because it's bloody expensive to buy it in Malaysia. One cup and saucer set can easily cost more than RM300, whereas you can get half that price in Singapore. A teapot can cost between RM2~300 after conversion in Singapore.

Just imagine, how would would this table cost?




But even with just a normal set of saucer and plates, sipping afternoon tea with some of these exclusive bone china. Fuu wa... Damn posh feel.




I got my experience sipping afternoon tea in some of these 22k gold rimmed teacups one day at Angelic, which was how I got to know about this particular bone china.




The setting of this cafe was SO nice I could just die! I was already wishing my future living room to be set up something like this.




Don't I look damn comfy?




Did a bit of camwhore while I was there.





Love the gold santa! was there during xmas








I wanna go back to Angelic.

Magic Mah Jong Table

To those who loves Mah Jong to bits.

Here's a little nifty gadget you might want to get from Shenzhen, China. (or any parts of China but then this video was taken in Shenzhen today, so yea)

Cost CNY3000 (China Renminbi, roughly RM1600).




It's cool. But man...

Getting this is like spending money so you can lose money faster.

Farewell Adelaide - Dim Sum and Chocolate Fondue

On my last day in Adelaide, I met up with Jeremy Andrew (who has just graduated the previous weekend before this photo was taken) at Star House for breakfast dim sum.




And then there was Ms Doreen who's the admin of Uni of South Australia. She's so sweet to extend my student card expiry for me (I was still an active student) so I could get cheap bus fare around Adelaide.


Me, Jessie, Doreen, and and.. er... forgot what's her name :p


Okay, let me tell you a bit about Australian Dim Sum.

Those peeps down there serve the best dim sum in the world. I have tried Dim Sum in some of the most renown places that are best known for their dim sum, like Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai, and yet, despite the magnificence of Hong Kong dim sums, the best was still in Australia. Generic wise (which means by randomly picking any restaurant on the street in Australia, you'll be find the dim sum quality and taste way better than any random restaurant you pick in other countries).





If you're ever in Adelaide, I would strongly recommend the Mango Pudding in Star House located in China Town.




This has to be the best Mango Pudding I've ever tried in my life, other than the one in Hong Kong, but that's a whole different sort of mango pudding.


Later that evening, my wonderful readers of Adelaide and I had a little fondue farewell getaway.




It made me feel like I'm a student or permanent resident of Adelaide suddenly, instead of a typical traveller or backpacker in Australia. Hanging out with fellow Malaysian students and residents felt pretty much at home.







My final reader I met in Adelaide was Regina, a kuchingnite (seriously, they're everywhere) living and working in Adelaide for 8 years now with her Japanese boyfriend (whose name I forgot :p).




This is Regina doing a koala move on her boyfriend. Oh yea... those kinky Australians.


Leaving Adelaide was going hard, having met and hang out with all these wonderful people together for days, I was just reluctant to move onto to the next city.




Goodbye Adelaide, I'll be back soon.

Pietro and his Ribena Guinness

Hung out with Pietro and Shawn the other day during the Bride Wars premier at Mid Valley.




Which was btw a must watch if you're a Kate Hudson or Anne Hathaway (or both) fan. I'm definitely Kate's fan. But Anne has the best hot bod any girl would die for. Woot!

I would gladly give my purse, my cuticles, my toe nails, and half the length of my hair for her legs. They are oh my god.


Anyway, back to our night.

One might easily assume that a guy such as the Radio DJ might be all about glamour and up-market style, but Pietro is actually a pretty cool sensitive guy.




After the movie that day, he, Shawn and I proceeded to Irish Pub on the ground floor for a quick drink.

And I learnt from Pietro that Ribena do make Guinness taste much better. It's a pretty good combo. You should try it.

I had Bailey's Cheesecake instead.




Which was the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted. Bitter, sweet, frozen (cheesecake?), simply... ugh.


Oh yea... everyone remember Shawn?




We first met in Bangkok while I was travelling and him on business trip, had great wet fun during the Songkran festival.

And yes.
He cut his hair.

*all the girls please squeal*



Shawn has always appeared to be this really rugged half shaven dude that seem to have come out from an Indiana Jones movie in his tracksuit and army pants.

And the thing about him, he always has this longer, slightly wavy hair that set out a particular charm. A sort of I-am-a-naughty-boy-and-I-know-you-like-it-you-saucy-minx aura.

This was his photo last year in Langkawi.




And there was I always too busy taking photos of something else ignoring his camera advances.




But he was always been rather appealing, despite my silence, and everyone else's for that matter, back then.

Now....

now... he has become Forest Gump. T_____T





It's ok. We still love you, as long you still join us for diving this year. :D

And then there's me.




Been experimenting with photoshop new brushes. :D
Hope I am not over-doing it. :p


Editor of OK! Magazine spotted on the left. What's her name again?

It's the Chinese New Year Eve...

CNY Family Trip

It's been years since I last went on a full family trip to a foreign country.

Oh I had several trips to foreign land with my mom before, more than one occasion. Just three years ago I brought her to Bali and we had a ball at white water rafting. Oh yea, at the age of 61 (58 when she was in Bali with me), my mom still rocks my socks off, and this is her with spinal and joints problem.




In 2004, I brought her (carried her bags too -.-) to Italy and France for a two weeks backpack trip. Going through Milan, cruise through Venice, slept in caravan in Florence and toured through Rome and stole a few shots in the Vatican city. Got our camera stolen in Paris and visited castles in Tour (a city in northen France).

Ate Gelatos three times a day, pizza twice every meal, walked a dozen miles (which she complaint endlessly), walked through the Lourve and ate pâté with baguette till our teeth drop.

Back then she claimed that she must've been the oldest Asian backpacker around (hardly able to find 56 year old mother backpacking with her daughter). I laughed.

Then it was 13 years backward when she brought me to California for a 10 days trip, at the age of 12, the biggest fun I remembered was Disneyland Los Angeles. Riding the waterlog with my mom. It was the most glorious moment in my life, because both of us were (still are) terrified of extreme rides that involved speed + height.

The closest of a family trip we had for the past 15 years (maybe even more) 17 years was my whole family coming up to KL for a night in One World hotel (it was odd for me, seeing that I only needed to drive from Puchong to 1U to check in). Anything further would involve my mom, my brother and me spending Chinese New Year in Guilin, China three years ago.


This year, it's going to be different.

This year, we are all going to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. 5 days 4 nights.




I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this trip. I have not felt such excitement about travelling in a long time! Not since my first trip to Indo-China last year, but even that one didn't give me such anticipation.

You could say I have been dreaming, for yeeaaarrrrsss, for this very day to come. One whole family of four going on a trip together.

Yes I have been to Hong Kong before. But that's least of the point, I really don't mind where we're going. For all I know we could be in Laos or Bangkok, I don't even mind being the tour guide and show them around (which I am most gladly to) and bring them to the best eateries. The most important thing, we're together, and we're going to be having fun.




Speaking of which. Mom, dad, bro, you are sooo going to die when you try to Hong Kong mango pudding!! And their "lou po beng" (wife cookies) fresh from oven! OMG I can't wait!!!!!




I'll be chanting "Hong Kong" every night from now.

Low, lower, lowest!

I love this, I really do.

Nothing beats a good flight fare deal.

Sometimes I really wish that flying can be SO dirt cheap that at the snap of a finger I can be boarding a flight to Sipadan or Sandakan and chill out on beach, say, three hours from now.




But then not all our fathers print money, so we just have to make do with earning a living and saving up for that very special year end trip. In my case, my travels mostly fall in the middle of the year. I just like to travel when no one is, less crowd.




We, however, do have a choice. Now imagine if I were to work for a big corporate company, hold a high position; (okay, you can start laughing now, cause I am; but yes, just imagine) I will be travelling to a lot of places for business. And the good thing about working for a company is that all your travel expenses will be covered.

Oh yea baby. You know what I mean.




I’ll be going for the most expensive hotel, the most expensive restaurants, and most importantly,



Business class flight.

What if you are not important enough to fly business class? Hey, you still can fly on company’s expense and don’t have to book a flight 30 days in advance just to get a cheaper fair, and you can fly to London and back ANYTIME you want. FLEXIBLE dates.

If I were you, I would take few days leave and stay back and fly back on company’s budget. Free trip, free air tickets, and if you’re lucky, free accommodations.

But then I’m not working for a big corporation, do not have a very generous boss and do not have a very big fat bank account.

So I have to be like every backpacker out there (hey I enjoy backpacking, it’s fun and I get to meet many travelers around the world and share experiences with them)




and PLAN (yes I do plan, not often, but beggars can’t be choosers) for my trip so I will know what date I am flying in and out of a destination, hence to obtain the cheapest possible flight fare.


MAS airline is offering this FOUR new fare options where travelers can choose among
MHlow Fares (for me! Yay!),
MHbasic (also for me! Yay! This one can change date in case of emergency),
MHsmart (this is for rich well-off people who don’t want to pay full fare but want to afford missing a flight or two),
MHflex (this is for my business class imaginary self who has no budget constraint whatsoever).



These offers are only available for domestic flights


MAS has now removed domestic fuel surcharge and the All In Fares are cheaper. Check out the reductions!





OMG. Speaking of flexible dates, if I could actually recollect all the money I “wasted” on paying for brand new tickets on flights that I’ve missed last year, and let me remind you, three in a year was a lot (twice in the bloody same month!).




DAMN IT, how many times does a girl need to lose her flights to prove a point!
(that it’s about time they come out with flexible discounted fare).

I would have saved so much money from all my trips from MHsmart fare.




That's it! Before I buy any more air tickets, I am going to check out www.malaysiaairlines.com by clicking on their website every day from now on.


psst: I heard another air tickets promo coming up right after CNY, I got my eyes set on going to penang and alor setar in Feb and March, but shhh. Tee hee

Let me have Now

I don't know how long this is going to go on.

There were days I thought I would never get through this, there were days I was convinced everything was over. And they were.

When I reminisced what's left of the memory, all I had was that faithful, or not so faithful, day filled with cruel lines, words, ignorance and painful heartaches, I felt nothing but sorrow, sadness and grieve beyond words. And the utter bliss that was further kept in the distant memory, somewhere in a little dark invisible corner of my head that sometimes, just sometimes, surfaces.

Those feelings have faded.

I never knew I will find a smile as beautiful again, a smile I love and makes me cuddly every single time. That smile has been replaced, with a more beautiful curve, more heart capturing, or maybe more present, more livid, more realistic, for everything that was once upon a time became a distant memory. A faded vague distant memory.

I want to live in now, the present, it was once a present, and the sudden corruption of that presence blinked overnight. Morning came, I woke up in a coma. Or maybe I've never woken up, for it was a coma, a long reality-like coma that lasted forever.

I live in fear, disguised intelligently under ignorance, negligence of the ever prodding pain from that little dark corner of my mind; by laughters, pleasure, love, and care.

Dwelling among the past, present, future was once my favourite past time. Not any more, not any longer.

Forget the past, ignore the future.

Give me now. Just right now.

30 year-old Tumor

My mom had her tumor surgically removed from her finger last weekend.




It's been there for as long as I could remember when she first told me some time in my teenage-hood, before it grew into somewhat rather obscenely bulge.


From Wiki:
A tumor or tumour is a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells (called neoplastic cells). Tumor is not synonymous with cancer. A tumor can be benign, pre-malignant or malignant, whereas cancer is by definition malignant.


In plain English, it's just a lump of meat.

Of course there are cases where tumor can grow into something cancerous, so don't condone it thinking that it's harmless.

I was at the hospital playing with the tumor, or what's left of it (75% of it according to the doctor).







Mom, I know it sounds weird.
But now I have a piece of you to remember by.

Clare Valley - A Walk Through the Riesling Trail

Later that day, we proceeded to meet up with my third reader, Casey, in Cocolat.

The one and only infamous chocolate cafe in Adelaide.




My favourite place in town, knowing me as a chocolate addict, Bryan did not hesitate to usher me to this place for our little meet up.




What nicer way to meet someone while eating in euphoria.

Now the joke was, when Casey first messaged me on email to ask to meet up for a drink, I quickly invited her to join us in our little plan to rent a car further up North this time into Clare Valley, a two hours ride from Adelaide.

She promptly replied and agreed. It was all very spontaneous and we were all very excited. I arranged us all to meet in Cocolat to discuss about our following day roadtrip to the wineries.

Little did I know and expect, when Casey showed up, I was shocked to no ends.




I honestly was expecting a girl!!

I meant, correct me if I was wrong, but, wasn't Casey supposed to be a girl's name? Wasn't it? o.O




I further threaded on the thin friendship water by asking her, I mean him *cough*, if he was gay the next day.

Sorry darling!!! I just never met any guy who enjoys desserts as much as I do whose name's like a girl!


That night, Bryan bailed out on us to fulfill his work commitments (boo!) but left his credit card for us to rent a car from town. Casey picked up the car 8am in the morning and met up with Jessie, then they drove out to meet me at Ann's place (my couchsurfing's host who's living in the urban area).




I woke up with a Toyota roaring at the front yard,

quickly I jumped up, put on my scarf, hat and jumper and quickly grabbed two apology cookies from the cookie jar in the kitchen which I was generously offered to abuse, dashed out and into the backseat before I fall asleep again.




Oh yea, halfway through the journey I took the ends of my long hair, and stuck it out at the front like a fringe.




I thought I looked rather cool.

It took us 2.5 hours to reach Clare valley, having made a slight detour, two U-turns, and god knows what other forsaken routes, but I had a list of wineries I wanted to visit in hand so the moment we hit the valley, we wasted no time hopping from one winery to the next hunting for the wine.




Clare Valley was (is) famous for their Rieslings.




However, I have always preferred sweet late harvest aka dessert wine rather than the orthodox preference most wine connoisseurs would go for.




Like this one for example.




We're at Jim Barry, a rather well known commercialized winery (like Jacob's Creek in Barossa Valley) in Clare, where this lady barrister showed us this rather highly concentrated red wine, 12 tonnes of grapes in a bottle.

At AUD195 per bottle (keep in mind whatever the exchange rate, it's almost double the price here in Malaysia, the usual wine rate at most wineries were going from AUD10-25 per bottle, occasional AUD35 for dessert wines),




I found the taste too intense for my liking.

When I say intense, I meant I could hardly swallow it.





Err... no thanks lady.


Clare Valley was even more beautiful than Barossa Valley. To start with, the valley itself was much bigger, and hence the land stretched far out into the horizon.


Click here for wallpaper size.





We went down to the vineyard to take some shots.




It might appeared sunny, but it was still pretty chilly back in August.




We spent the entire day hopping from one winery to the next, visiting at least 10 that day, trying more wines than I ever had in my entire life.




It was like a marathon of drinking,




and drinking,




and drinking,




then cat hugging,




jam tasting,




and learning about how to make Olive Ice Cream,




Took a break for lunch at a winery restaurant that's very grandmother house looking.




Eating bread drizzled with wine,




then more wine tasting,




Back to drinking,




and finally, yes... drinking.




My god, I was sure I drank more than 5 dozen glasses of wine that day. I could be wrong, but heck, it was insane, I was tipsy, singing, dancing, prancing all the way with Jessie. And guess what, Casey, drank as much as I have, was still sober as hell, and even managed to drove us safely back to Adelaide.

o.O

Back in Adelaide, we went shopping for a sleeping air mattress for me to sleep over at Jessie's place.

In Harvey Norman, I spotted a HUGE 6-men tent!




Right! I'm going camping this April in the vineyards from Melbourne to South Australia, who's coming with me!

Visiting Haigh's Chocolate Factory, Adelaide

Short note: is anyone coming back from USA this CNY? Can someone help me buy this back? Pretty please?


Third day came and I met up with my second blog reader, Bryan, along with Jessie.


Bryan and the "I Love Hooters" sticker I pasted on him


Bryan brought us to Haigh's Chocolate Factory in Adelaide. Since that I have a South Australia student card, I was allowed concessional fare on bus rides in Adelaide. Yay~ :D




I love riding buses with my ipod. My pinky (name of my Ipod which I just created 2 seconds ago) and I have been through a lot, and to a lot of countries.




Yep, and that was the hat I was wearing before I lost it two and a half weeks later in Canberra while snowboarding.




Wearing the very same gloves and glasses too.







I miss my hat. :(


Anyway, after blindingly followed Bryan changing few buses here and there, we arrived at Haigh's Chocolate Factory with an empty stomach that's ready to wolf down loads of chocs!


This was me before I gained 10% of chocolate-y fat



Joan of Arc? Wtf? Why was this statue in a chocolate factory?


There was a gush of chocolate aroma swept through us when I pushed forward the glass door. It was like landing in paradise of which clouds were made of chocolate.

Haigh's didn't produce a lot of fancy chocolate. Most of the chocolates were very plain in design, focusing on taste and originality more than anything else.




But they're ain't cheap for an average chocolate.


AUD15.65 for a bag of chocolate balls?


Though there were few that were cheap too. Like Haigh's chocolate bars, perfect for your fondue session.




Or some plain chocolate nibbles.




Why the steep difference in price I had no clue, apart from the less attractive shapes, I doubt they would taste any different. Could they?


It's not just all milk and dark and plain chocolate though. There were other things too.

Like this very colorful French Jellies.




Or the very unique strawberry white chocolate that looks like it got chicken pox.




There were also the more exclusive range to suit your palate.




At AUD 9.50 per 100 gram, you could purchase around 4 balls of chocolate?




Hey they even have wine truffle!


Shiraz flavoured. Hmmm...


I really wanted this very cute teddy bear though.







So cute omg can die.
I love teddies.


Luckily, we were able to catch a chocolate tour, sneaking in together with a group of college students who were there on an official chocolate tour to see how Haigh's produced some of their most infamous signature chocolate.

Like the rocky road. Which were basically just chocolate-covered marshmallows.

But the process was rather fascinating to watch. Didn't take any photo here though, as it was too far and too cramped up to take any.

On our way out, Bryan bought each of us one truffle to savour.




Mine was dark chocolate truffle, I think.




Very expensive chocolate ball. One pop and gone was RM8.




Hence must nibble slowly. Kiss it if you want. God knows when you're going to spend another RM8 on a pop again.




We all then went to Bodyshop in the city to get some deep moisturizing lotion for me. My skin was cracking up like desert ground on a drought. It was getting annoyingly painful, as my cuticles were splitting and dry blood was surfacing.

Ugh! You know how annoying that is right?

Makes you just wanna pour lotion into gloves and stick your hands in them whole day.


Me and Jessie happy-ing over some fancy gloves


On second thought, maybe not.

Three Four Bronze Pigs in Adelaide

Ladies and Gents...

Presenting the hottest tourist attraction in Adelaide.




No I'm not pulling your legs.

These really are the VERY famous tourist attraction in Adelaide. Tourists come here to take photo with these pigs.




I don't know. Maybe they think that Adelaide has nothing to attract the tourists with so they created three fake bronze pigs and put them in the middle of the street, say Rundle Mall, along with some fake trash on a fake bin.




I mean, no offense, but does it get any lamer than this?

Well hey, whatever goes you know.

If you can't beat them, join them. :D


Pigging out (with a pig?)


Say PIGGY everyone.

I can type again!

Yay!!! Just removed my pretty nails today, feels soooo good to be able to type at lightning speed again!




No more, typing word by word little by little. I seriously do not know how the other bloggers do it.
(sorry, but yes, this is why I have not been updating my blog as often, being a princess recently)


Pretty right?


These were last taken in Skybar where we attended Lionel's sister's birthday gathering last Saturday before my camera went dead for several days.




Why not charge it? Because I have misplaced my camera charger since my stay in Thailand.

That means I have not been actively taking photos (also because I'm lazy) for weeks now, only to realised that it was superbly low on battery last Saturday. -.-

Anyway, found this photo in my batt-dead camera.




Oh yea. I Agree!

"Uncle Boris! When are we having wine again?!"

Cutest Thing in The World

I found her in Jaktujak Market in Bangkok.




now say OMG.

9 Things to Do When Visiting Wineries - Barossa Valley

So five of us head off in Bronwen's car the next day to Barossa Valley, a vineyard valley an hour's drive north of Adelaide.




On the way we stopped by a local bakery for some snacks and quick breakfast.










After picking up our snacks, we continued our way into the valleys.




With yummilicous meat pies in our hands.




Let me present you... Barossa Valley.


Click here for wallpaper size.


Now let me teach you a thing or two about visiting vineyards.

1. You pick any winery you think it looks good.


Gomersal, I pick you.


2. Then you walk up to the counter and ask for Free Wine tasting.


in Richmond Grove


Yes, FREE WINE.




Choose from the menu and pick any wine you wish to try. They will pour in a new glass for you.


3. Color, Smell, Sip and Savour.

Now to drink wine like a pro, or pretend that you are one, so that the barrister doesn't give you a cock-eyed look.

Tilt you glass and observe the color of the wine.




Usually the thicker or darker the color, the older or stronger the wine is. Red for redder and white for, no.. not whiter, but more luscious gold for the stronger flavor. I said usually, it does not apply to all wine.

Swirl the glass, so to release the flavour, then take a whiff.

They say 60% of savouring wine is through your nose.


Kellermeister's Red Frontignac



Red Frontignac


Now take a sip, let it fill your mouth before allowing it to go down your throat.

And lastly, enjoy the fragrant.

Is it dry? fruity? luscious? rich? light? woody? wtf? or omg?


Like OMG there's no wine in my glass!


4. Drink water in between wines.




There will always be a bucket nearby for you spill your glass of water after you gurgle your water (or drink it) to wash down the taste of the previous wine so it doesn't ruin your next wine taste.

Or for you to pour disgusting wine that you cannot finish.


"Oh baby, you know I love you. I will finish you no matter what."


5. Buy buy buy

Well, you don't have to if you don't want to.

But do you know that wines in its local country are so damn cheap as compared to achieving it elsewhere?

All the wines here were like AUD10 to 22. OMG. that's blinking cheap as compared to most of Malaysia's imported Australian wines retailing at RM65 to 135.




6. Look out for home-made jams.

There will be a few wineries that make their own jams. If you don't mind spending a little bit more, grab a few, they are absolutely delicious.






Try a chutney, they're my most loved.


7. Have lunch in a winery

If you happen to be Barossa valley like I was, then I highly recommend Peter Lehmann for lunch.




They have the most gorgeous indoor setting that just made you want to live in Australia forever.


Imagine a dog, a cat, hot cocoa, a good book, cold winter night. WOO!


Order a platter of hams or cheese. It's not a lot for lunch, but it's the experience of dining in a winery, next to the cold chilly green field where creeks run,




and a list of wines for you to choose from that counts.




Do you want the sweet Moscato?




Or the very sweet Botrytis Semillon




Good life. I tell you. Good life.




8. Camwhore




Seriously, it's just so beautiful at the wineries it's impossible not to camwhore. Not only the scenery was built for your camera, it was so beautiful, you just want to bask in the gorgeousness forever. OMG.








Click here for wallpaper size.



Click here for wallpaper size.
This is my favourite.


Even the buildings were so beautiful, you want to cry just looking at them.


Richmond Grove



Jacob's Creek


Experience is everything. And nothing can save those beautiful experience up than a good camwhoring session with people you met that made the trip ever so amazing.





Who says adults can't act like kids.



Me and Bronwen fighting on barrels





9. Get drunk

Now if you're not the one driving (or if you are, make sure there are other available drivers), get bloody drunk.

Hey, you're in a wine country for crying out loud. You're surrounded by beautiful sceneries and endless fields to run and roll around like those Indian movies, endless list of FREE WINE, and good company.

Look at our driver, she's your model. So what you're driving!


almost there.


Nothing can be more fun than getting a little whoosy, right? Things will also seem more interesting around you.


Even the moon looks rounder.





"Bronwen, I think you have just about enough"

“Hey, I want you to listen to this song. NOW.”

What do you do when you are extremely sad?

For me, I listen to music.




I once listen to this sappy song, of which lyrics rhymes in the exact tune of my heart, of how I felt, and GOD, next thing I knew, I broke down and cried like a baby.




It was my first ever heartbreak, it was too much to bear. And for many weeks I felt numb, choking back my tears every single time I came across the littlest thing that would remind me of the past.

But that song broke me into pieces, it sang like it knew me inside out. Every word understood me, it felt like the song was written exactly for me for that moment, and I wailed in despair, in heartbreak, in desperation to let it all out. And I did.

I felt worse after that actually, but it was the start of the journey to recovery.




God if I were to name you the list of my favourite sappy sad emo songs, this entry could be compiled into a book!

And then there are the times when you wish to tell someone you love just how much you love him or her simply because there were no better words to describe a feeling than a song, or a particular song that rings to heart.

Or even the times you wish you can dedicate a song to someone spontaneously because it reminds you of the good times you had. You know, spur of the moment.




I have a lot of those times. Especially during a special moment, when a particular love song feels SO intense, you just want to share it with that special someone, so that he/she could feel how you feel right then.

From this website, I can actually do that, because that someone I want to share this song with is using DIGI line (the recipients have to be DIGI subscribers). It’s like buying a gift for someone, and has it sent to him/her immediately.





Only that this gift comes in the form of tunes and lyrics and it cost RM5 per full track (or less, depends what sort of tunes you are looking for and I just found out the Full Track download is on 50% discount).




Brilliant isn’t it? I mean, phone is the only thing EVERYONE will have it at ALL TIMES. What better device can we send through via with if we want to deliver something real-time. You can send a full track mp3 song, legally, to your love ones or friends through the website, or through WAP on your phone.




Further add on, during this promotion period, you might even get the chance to get your songs dedicated to your love ones from a radio DJ! Watch out for radio programmes on Hitz, Era, My FM and also live performances by DIGI’s on ground Music Squad.

I have yet to find a song that which I can classify as OUR song.

But this song sure brought back a lot of memories!




To you: Remember that first acquaintance, that first road trip, that first glass of wine.
Note at 2:26 min.

To everyone else: Can you relate to this song? If you can, then share with me your experience about it, btw, the song is for you too!


The said song can be purchased from the site. To understand how this system works, you can go here to read more about DIGI Music Telegram.

PMS Please Go Away

Why do breasts hurt so much during PMS?

I hate this. I can't even move freely. Each time they jiggle, I feel like the glands ache like it's been sore for days; like how one's muscle would ache after lifting too much weight at the gym. Yea that sort of feeling.

They're swollen, sensitive, and god damn it painful each time any of the pair bounces!

As if mood swings and muscle ache and headaches and emo-ness are not enough to come with PMS, now you have to torture me with what is most sensitive to me. How would you feel if your crotch hurts like crazy every time it sways when you walk (assuming God is a guy), huh?! Not so fun anymore huh?! Hmph.

He who created sports bra should be named God.

Midnight sins

Sitting here, alone, in the middle of the night, in this gorgeous pink room.

Typing.

Thinking.

Staying awake.

Thinking of fresh ideas, but the night is eating my brain away. All I can think of is banana cake, no wait, it just randomly switched to Twilight, went to watch Twilight today, God I love vampires.

I really don't mind living forever, irregardless of what anyone says, I have too many things I want to achieve in this lifetime, or the next, and the next. Let me see, there's wanting to become a pilot, fly my own plane, own my own mansion, live in a castle, afford a walk in wardrobe, start a franchise chain of my own, travel the world 10 times over, live in every country for two years as a local resident, learn every language of every country I live in, excel in piano and cello, o.. and harp too, and it has to be learnt in Ireland, become skinny (this will take a long time), learn ball room dancing, etc. Man, by the time I were to achieve all of these, 8 lifetimes would have passed by swiftly.

Afterall, if I really want to die, I'll just chop myself into a billion pieces and burn myself dead.

Ermmm.. my left's foot itchy.


I picked up baking again, every since my uni days in the UK. Baked two banana cakes yesterday, oven's a bit rusty, turned out a bit wrong. They were nice, just... not what I wanted. So I baked another two today, destroyed one, but the other one turned out perfect.

Moist, soft, banana-y, lots of chocolate chips too, sinful as usual. YUM!

I would go out now into the dining hall to take a photo of it to show you, but I would set the alarm off if I were to do that.

Maybe no one will notice that half eaten slice in the morning.

Yep. Ants ate them.

Landing in Adelaide: How to Meet Strangers when Travelling?

The final morning of my fifth freezing day in Gold Coast, Stuart sent me off on the bus which took me to Coolangatta Airport. (note: this was back in August)

Two hours later, I was in Land of Wineries with Jessie waiting at the Airport for my arrival.




Okay, my impression on Adelaide, it felt like... Hull, England. Small town, friendly people, no tall buildings and rainy.




Adelaide is always raining and freezing cold in the winter. ALWAYS.

Brrrr... to think I was travelling south where it got colder and colder. GOD.

But thank god being in Australia, one of the highest chocolate consuming nations, there were always body warming bites around.




So Jessie and I popped by Hudson Coffee for a hot cuppa. They serve really good hot white chocolate.




That evening, I met up with Anne, my host in Adelaide.




Who was the first to teach me how to operate the most complicated bus ticket system I have ever seen.




There are so many types of tickets you can purchase: student fare, weekly fare, 10x fare; by the time I figured all out, I would have flown to Melbourne on Virgin Blue and back.

The very same day, I've also met up with another local, Bronwen (lady gym instructor *wink wink*), to arrange a road trip to the vineyards the next day.


cute Bronwen


Okay. Back to my original point. So how does one meet strangers, and get free stays, and free road trips in a foreign land?

I have exactly TWO answers for that.

1. Couchsurfing.com

It's one of my favourite sites. It's more useful than most travel info sites, because this site is the key to your free stay, free tour guide, free food (maybe, not guaranteed), and best of all, free friends!

Both Anne and Bronwen were my couch surfer friends. We've been in contact a month before I started my journey down under.

How it works is that you search for a couch surfer who has a couch (this can be a bed, a mattress, or.. well.. a couch) to spare for you to spend a few nights so you don't have to pull your budget on unnecessary "needs" like hotels.

Anne and housemate, Kitty, were two very lovely Adelaidians with a HUGE fat fluffy Persian that's to die for (which I cuddled to no ends every time I saw it), offered me their surprisingly very confortable couch in their very cosy house during my whole stay in Adelaide.


My uber comfy bed-like couch (pardon me, I looked haggard)


They even had a bit of dress-ups (Anne's housemate was selling Gothic clothings) with some of their friends.




Kitty even made us all dinner on my first night. My very first Australian home cooked food.


Very Cheesy Rissoto


Bronwen, on the other hand, also offered me a two single-bed room in her house, and because I accepted Anne's offer first, I turned her down but accepted her offer on a road trip to Barossa Valley the very next day. :D


re-using photo: Bronwen bringing us on a roadtrip


Who introduced me to Tobias, her couch surfer friend from Germany, who was also in town, but for business.







Who introduced me to Katharina, his couch surfer friend from Germany, who was also in town, for travelling.

Now we have a group of road trip buddies!


Tobias, Katharina, Bronwen, Jessie (from Malaysia) and Me (the one taking photo)


And it was only my first morning (second day) in Adelaide.


Soon it was champagne and strawberries all the way to the vineyard in the car.


Booze



Me



Plastic cups



Strawberries



Happy hour!


See. Who says you can't have fun travelling alone? There're friends to be made everywhere!


Now, my answer no. 2 to how to meet strangers when you're travelling.

2. Own a Blog

That has many friendly local/foreign readers that's residing/studying in foreign countries~!

Who will contact you when you're in town and then go for coffee together. :D

It's the most effective method. Some of the closest people I got to know were through my blog while travelling. :D




Jessie, don't kill me :p
I love you xoxo.

Bangs? No Bangs?

I've been contemplating to cut my bangs for a while now. I mean, I never really had one since I was 5 years old.

So I took a photo of mine and photoshop it to see how I would look like with bangs.

After analyzing at myself, I took a deep breath and still couldn't decided if I should have one. So I consulted a few friends online.


Conversation with Friend A:

Me: Hey, what do you think of me with bangs?
*show before and after photo (photoshopped)*

Friend A: NOOOOO!!!!!


Conversation with Friend B:

Me: Hey, what do you think of me with bangs?
*show before and after photo (photoshopped)*

Friend B: Nicole, if you do it I will SLAP you alive!



This is before:




This is (assumed) after:




What chu think? Bangs?

But I don't want to be slapped to death. :(

Snapshots of Thailand

I am too sick to blog.

TOO SICK.

My nose won't stop running, my throat hurts, my eyes feel swollen all the time, the phlegm comes on and off. When it's off it's aweful to cough.

Like yea, what a way to welcome the new year right? If you're wondering, I count down on NYE with chick flick in my hand and a warm cover over my shoulder sniffing my nose out.

Brilliant if you ask me. Both in a sarcastic and serious tone.

So yea, not going to post anything serious today because my brain isn't functioning too well with the blockage.

Here are some random snapshots of my life living in Thailand last year (or 2-3 months ago if you don't want to feel too ancient).



Jack Sparrow spotted in Jaktujak weekend market.




Or not. He's doing a charity. So I donated some after taking this photo.




Where else can you still find 0.5 baht candies. They're like what? 5 cents? (Malaysia currency, so that makes what? 1 cent in USD?)




It's all about big temples and big Buddhas.




Presidential suite's lounge on the top floor of Amari 5-star hotel in Bangkok.
Don't ask me how I ended up there.




Movie night out.




Donation packet: Put some money in and pass it to the reception, they'll handle the rest. Genius idea!





Did you notice everything in the photo is of the same color?