Photo credits to http://www.bildfind.com/bilder_dead_any_any__378.html

Dead

This blog has been dead for quite some time,
and the tress has run dry of ideas and inspiration.
Will be doing up a revamp and get it going.

It's finally 2010, and I can't help but feel older and older.
Hitting the mid 20s soon *ouch, it hurts to hear the numbers*

Things that I have to accomplish before 26th birthday

1. Get a car!
It's been already almost 2 years since I've graduated and not even a scrap metal has landed on my hands. Sigh. So much so for wanting to drive and feel the breeze in my hair. But it looks like I have to make do with a very practical car. Or perhaps, someone would want to lend his Civic Type R for me to drive *wink wink* at the risk of murdering plants, animals and humans.

2. Go for further studies!
I'm honestly contemplating, deliberating, considering a Masters degree. In psychology, law or business. Call me an escapist from reality if you wish, but I really want to further my studies.

3. Start a business!
... though I have really no idea what to do. Compile all the comics that I've drawn into a book and as my love has suggested, publish them into a children's book? Hah.

4. Write a book/play
I never had the time to sit down at Starbucks and start writing scenes/chapters. What a pleasure it would be.

5. Go and see aurora lights!
Seems like I'm never gonna do that :(

6. Make enough money to buy a cat!
But there's no space for cats :(

I'd better stop now before my dreams get bigger and more ridiculous. Sigh.

Dreaming,
Izzy

A Merry Christmas

Au Revoir et A Bientot! =)

The Return of the Travelling Bug(s)

I think it's the time of the year.
Or maybe I ought to find a career that allows me to travel extensively.

(fat hope)

I shall list down the top 5 places I am hoping to go by this year (even if I can only make it for one.)

#5. Maldives

The clear azure waters just make me want to dive in and swim - it's so inviting!

A popular tourist site located at southwest of India and considered as part of Southern Asia, the Maldives are tropical, with plenty of sunshine.

It should be quite clear that this is a perfect place to scuba-dive. but it can be pretty quite expensive.

Price aside, this place is pretty alluring nonetheless. =)

#4. Bordeaux, South West France

A port city and the 7th largest cosmopolitan area in France, it has 116,160 hectares of vineyards.

I've never seen a vine yard in my entire life, except for the one in Perth in 2005 which I have very little recollections of it anymore.

This is probably what one will see in the vineyards of Bordeaux - such a pretty sight.

Rue Sainte-Catherine, located in the heart of Bordeaux, has 1.2 km of a shopping street, making it the longest shopping street in Europe.

The Pont de Pierre is just as pretty as St Charles bridge in Prague.

Fancy a little romantic walk down the bridge, just when the sun is setting?

Sounds awesome to me. =)

#3. Mont Blanc, France

This mountainous beauty is the highest mountain in the Alps and often known as "La Dame Blanche" (the white lady).

I think I shall let the awe-inspiring pictures do the talking here.

Such a beauty, and I'm certain it will be a memorable trip visiting Mont Blanc in the winter.

#2. Lake District, North West England

A rural area in northwest England, this place is often associated with the early 19th century poetry and writings of famous literary figures, like William Wordsworth.

My biggest regret when I was in England was that I didn't manage to make it for the road trip to Lake District.

In addition, I heard that transportation there is really tough, unless you have a car. That said, there's lots of walking and all, even with a car.

And I hope I'll make it there this time, soon. =)


#1. Budapest

The capital of Hungary, it is also the largest city in the country.
It became a single city on 17 November 1873 with the unification of Buda and Pest.

No wonder that it is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

Travelling bugs, anyone?

Dreaming,

Izzy

1 day and 1 night in Manchester, United Kingdom

And so my little escapade to my favourite country began on 27th February 2009, when I boarded SQ327, a direct flight at 11.55pm from Changi Airport Terminal 3 from SIN - MAN.

It certainly was a little of a mad rush, from my work that Friday evening, to packing for my trip (including some time to panic here and there...) and prepping myself for the trip.

And then the car trip to the airport just felt like it was just another day, almost as if I was due for another night audit in the transit area.

However, this time it was different.

I was with my good old worn-out pink backpack, which housed my winter essentials (black leather gloves, checked; favourite army-like jacket, checked; camera charger for a shutter happy me, checked, good brown boots which lasted my exchange days in Newcastle in winter 2006, checked...)

Almost the same, but yet different.

I was travelling alone for the first time on a long-haul flight (discounting those adhoc EasyJet flights from Newcastle to Paris, London etc),

Also my first flight to Europe alone and a monumental one at that since it was my second SQ flight to Manchester (my first SQ flight was to Brisbane way back in 2002),

Most importantly, I had never been to Manchester and a normal rational me would never fly alone to a European city, with no inkling of where to go, what to do, where to sleep... at such a short notice.

I decided within.... a day? After hearing my colleague suggest that I might as well use my privilege tix to somewhere I love.

London was fully booked, and Manchester was my next immediate choice.

Knowing fully well I'd depart SIN at 2355 hours local time on 27 February 2009, arriving at 0615 hours local time on 28 February in Manchester and leaving at 0915 hours local time on 29 February 2009, reaching Singapore at 0600 hours local time on 1 March 2009.... taking into consideration the time difference, I would only have about one day and one night on ground in Manchester, and I'd have burnt most of my time onboard the aircraft.

Thank goodness for inflight entertainment. Never the kind to hanker over such inflight service, I found my time well spent onboard the two flights to and fro Manchester.

I watched Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie with the Audio-video on demand, and finally I understood the whole plot. For the longest time since I watched this in JC during a lit lesson, I couldnt understand and didnt have time to rewatch this film for years. And now, I am really beginning to feel that several French films are really.. fun and eccentric, many a times unreplicable by other kinda films. They have this twist that keeps the audience just enthralled with the interesting puns and philosophies of life. Think Hors de Prix, 48 Heures Par Jour, Jeux d'enfants... These films never fail to amaze me and the closet film maker wanna-be hopes to find inspiration one day to be able to think of a plot like that... just someday.

I also watched Madagascar 2 and laughed so heartily the other British passengers were looking at me. How can anyone not love Alex and his antics and his illusions of seeing his friends as pork chops, really?

That said, I arrived at Manchester Airport on 28th February at approximately 0615am local time in the blistering cold of 5 degrees.

Everything with its own consequence

The first part of my last-minute trip/get-away/rejuvenating measure was pulled off successfully.

I am now in Manchester, backpacking and staying in a youth hostel.

In less than 24 hours, I'll be on a plane back to Singapore again.

That said, it was a real experience travelling to Manchester alone.

Fingers crossed, I need my flight to arrive on time on Monday.

*Crossed extra tightly*

A little well-deserved holiday

Finally, after my last trip to Europe in May,
it's been six months since I am going away from Singapore.

Promised myself a little get-away, and it has finally arrived,
though very last-minute.
It was hell trying to clear my work, and i'm constantly worried about my backlogs.

I made it through these five months of work and it was no easy feat,
nursing a leg wound, trying to bridge the school-work transition,
and with the millions thoughts mounting in my head :)

A reward for me, and an early birthday prezzie for my darling mum.
She's turning 59, and means the world to me.

And since I've combed Europe,
it's time for me to bring her to Taipei, where she's never been to
and let her relax (finally, after the littlest baby monster has graduated from NUS).

Truth be told, I've never researched on an entire city/country that I backpack to alone
because I suck at directions.
(And I mean it - I walk towards Taka when I am looking for Cine)
and because I am reliant on directions given and I am pretty much too protected and sheltered by people who travel with me.

As there is a first for everything, this shall be the first =)

And as I had planned for this trip since July,
I shall take a breather and sort my life out.
Sort 'em in the respective drawers and bins.

And learn to live all over again.

"We never felt the presence, but now we feel the absence."

Hit by the petite bug and

Leaving on a jet plane

Boracay Island

Breathtaking view, isn't it? Looks like a great way to spend the holidays, on the beach, suntanning (though honestly, i doubt i need any more...), sipping a cold beer.. chilling out and forgetting about... work!


And let the tranquility clear waters take you away... =)
Just the thought makes me smile!
Now, its time to save up my vitamin M and make this a reality...

Au Revoir

Leaving on a jet plane tonight, towards the azure seas of the Mediterranean.

Leaving all behind, and embarking on a graduation trip.

Milan, Italy: first stop. 

A break

To take a break, it's to ensure that one can walk even further.
When things around get you down, it will be good if you can take a backseat, observe your surroundings, get detached, and take a momentary break.
Not because you concede defeat, but it's because you know this break will help you to prepare yourself for more down the road and be more determined to cross every obstacle.

Afterall, the light at the end of the tunnel
is the light from an oncoming train.
=)

Sometimes, being the jaded and pessimist me, this is the best I can think to push myself.
And yes, I need a break. A Europe trip to be exact. =)

Been speaking to a few friends about this graduation trip recently, and decided to suss out the alternatives of travelling cheap and easy to Europe.
Here's my 2 cent worth on back packing cheaply. Literally, since my ideas are fuss-free and inexpensive.

1. Accomodation

Because most of the time will be spent travelling, it will be more practical and realistic to stay in a cheap hostel, instead of a hotel. For obvious economic reasons, the accomodation place will probably be used in the night. And contrary to beliefs, most hostels are really quite comfortable.

To book your hostels, these are the following reliable sites:

a. www.hostelworld.com

Personally, having booked hostels numerous times from this site, it has never failed me and has a good feedback system you can check out before booking. With a STA student card, you can also save the $2 booking fee each time you book. It's quite a good website and I rely on it quite a lot. In terms of the booking, the practice is to pay around 10% downpayment online first, and you pay the rest after you check in at the hostel itself.

For example, my personal experience with St. Athans Guesthouse in London has left me with good memories. As advertised in www.hostelworld.com, it made us feel very welcome with a very filling and generous English breakfast. The place was a little dilapidated, but it was in a good location. It has sure motivated us to return.


b. www.hostelbookers.com
Having not used this personally myself, the feedback from my friend was that the website is just as user-friendly as Hostel World. Will probably use it myself the next time.

c. www.couchsurfing.com
My friend introduced me to this website which apparently allows you to have intercultural exchanges with people all over the world by bunking with them. Sounds too good to be true? Maybe. But I believe in the goodwill of travellers - the guideline is to give back to your hosts who allow you to well, couchsurf. For example by doing the dishes, share a special skill. It's really an intriguing idea to me, and I am just waiting to try it out.

That's at least what I can offer so far about accomodation. =) Hope that I have more to share in days to come.

2. Travelling

If you're like me, planning a cheap backpacking trip and saving time desperately as I only have approximately 3 weeks to cover the exotic places in Europe, I am looking for a time-saving travelling method. Sure, there are so many ways but I will only cover certain aspects for now such as buses and planes as the others such as rail transport is a little more complicated and I do not have the material with me now.

a. Buses are a wonderful and cheap way, albeit sometimes uncomfortable. But what's a poor traveller to do, except to make do with the inexpensive but practical way. One good example will be www.megabus.com. Megabus apparently now runs in US too.

Why Megabus? Because it is cheap. The price to travel from Newcastle to London can be 1 pound (SGD 3 dollars) IF you book early. If not, it can be more but if you plan in advance, you can really save quite a fortune. It also goes to Edinburgh. The trip from Newcastle to London is approximately 6 hours and sometimes, the seats can get a little uncomfortable. Just a cautionary word: some bus passengers can be rather inconsiderate by taking up 2 seats, and you end up sitting on a cramped seat. One bus ticket also limits you to one hand carry, for those who have heavy luggages, and thus, it can be quite problematic. But generally, cheap and reliable.

b. Airplanes

Airplanes can help save time if you want to be ambitious and carry out the exploring of as many cities as possible. Sure, it's no fun jetting to one place to another, not being able to stay and really tour the place. But budget airlines can be rather time-saving.

www.easyjet.com

Generally, I enjoy my travels with them as the airline crew are very friendly, and professional. I feel more at ease with them honestly, than Ryanair and my travels with EasyJet have so far been good. The only memorably unhappy time was when I was stuck in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport - my flight was supposed to be at 9pm but because the flight was delayed due to a person in cast was flying and was having difficulties, I only flew at 12 amand reached Newcastle at 1.30am, hungry, tired and very grumpy as I had to edit my essays due next day 9am. It was a shocker for me, but I decided against complaining as they were really professional and apologized for the delay. This shows how important service and damage control are.

www.ryanair.com

Personally, I do not really like Ryanair. I have met several cabin crew who were rude and rowdy, but I give it to them that they pride themselves on being the most punctual budget airline. But mostly, I felt that the seats were uncomfortable. But Ryanair wins forhaving cheap tickets, very important for poor travellers like me. Sometimes, if you book early enough, you can get flights at 0 Euros, exclusive of airport tax. So a trip from Paris to Barcelona cost me about 80 singapore dollars (40 Euros). Quite a good deal, if you consider that the trips are fast and well, cheap, though sometimes uncomfortable.

Another very helpful website if you are planning your flight itinerary will be www.whichbudget.com - this allows you to check out most of the time the cheapest flights and it is highly reliable. Very useful and fuss-free. Saves you the trouble of going though different airline companies to check if they offer flights to specific destinations.

I guess that's all for now. Typing all these is very therapeutic. =)

In the mood for travelling

Been contemplating if I should embark on a graduation trip to Europe. With obvious obstacles such as the lack of money, it's been bugging me quite a lot. I guess I just have to save up and decide after that. Undeniably, it is good to have a motivation to look forward to. May, the month of wonderful possibilities: graduation with a second upper, travelling in europe, a challenging job and my birthday.

My 23rd birthday. Well, not very enthusiastic to look forward to because I am growing too old, way too fast. I was just complaining to Loon the other day that when I was seventeen, I always wanted to be twenty. And once you are twenty, time flies and there's no end to that. You just keep growing very old. 20, 21, 22, 23... and it just goes on. It gets depressing sometimes. 23. I can't believe I've stayed so long on this earth. And sometimes, I really wonder what I have truly achieved. Not in terms of solid achievements, but personal ones.

When I was 21, I told myself that I must accomplish certain stuff in the entire year I turned 21. And I guess I did. I got my driving license, after 3 attempts no less (!!), dug out my guts to apply for exchange in Europe, took up Jazz Dance and Guitar classes.

After 21, I feel empty somehow. I have no idea why. It is funny how you meet your secondary friends and you exclaim that you have known the person for a good whole 10 years. And then you count. And you realise, yes, indeed, you are THAT old.

Back to travelling in Europe. These are the places I truly want to visit, before I die, or possibly for my Graduation trip. Someone give me strength to conquer all my tuition assignments and save incessantly.

1. Northern Lights (Scandinavian countries)



What can I say? Transcient, breath taking, gorgeous. I remembered reading that they can be found once a year, in places like Sweden and Iceland. I would totally love to stand underneath those azure skies, soak in the beauty and remember it for the rest of my life.

2. Eiffel Tower (Paris, France)



This stunning tower amazes me always. Even though I have stood underneath this gigantic monument both in the day and night, I will never cease wanting to visit this French national monument. In the night, it aptly appropriates the title "City of Lights" to Paris. A perfect spot for lovers, yet an individual will never feel lonely in the midst of these shimmering stars. The queue to go up to the highest point can be a bit frustrating and expensive, but I would highly recommend it.




You can always get a kick out of finding Singapore in the viewing tower and knowing that you are really, really far away =)

3. Neuswanstein Castle (Munich, Germany)



Too beautiful that it looks almost unreal. A real castle once habited by King Ludwig, the view of the Disney castle from Marion bridge is awesome. Not for those afraid of heights as you are suspended high above the ground and you can see the sea below. But worth the challenge. I know because I was trying not to cringe as I shot the above picture. The inner decorations of the castle is a disappointment as opposed to the outer façade but it is a must visit! Especially beautiful when travelling in the winter as the mountains are snow-capped and it looks all too ravishing. However, be careful of the shoes you wear. I know because me and Loon almost slipped to our deaths as the paths were icy and slippery and we almost disappeared from the face of the earth.

4. Berlin Wall (Berlin, Germany)


My fascination with European history demanded me to visit the remnants of the wall. There were actually different locations of the Berlin wall, cutting across East and West Berlin. This array is the artists' constructions on the wall - one can often spot cries for peace on this whole stretch of wall. It is so beautiful that you can just stand there in utter amazement.


This is a very interesting slab of wall where you can see many many people writing on their birth years. Finding whatever pen we had, of course we left our marks.

The other sections of the wall is rather old and destroyed, and I guess it is a more vivid and true depiction of how the Wall separated the Germans in the Cold War. A must visit. I would also recommend the Free Walking Tour in Berlin which I went for two times. They meet at the Starbucks in the morning, near the Brandenburg Gate. Very informational. A historical tour that you experience with your eyes. A must go for history buffs.


5. The Colosseum (Rome, Italy)

Colosseum by day



Colosseum by night

All roads lead to Rome. I guess that is true. A trip to Europe must encompass a visit to this beautiful monument. I would recommend a visit to this place in the night as the lights which light up this gargantuan landmark are truly magnificent. A pity we did not manage to enter this place as it was midnight by the time we reached there. A must-go for us again!

6. Venice, Italy

Who can forget this beautiful place after just a mere visit? Not me. The canals are quite an awesome sight, and a boat ride through the Grand Canals is very delightful. The views are simply indescribable. Caution about the gondola rides though - they may seem romantic but they can hurt quite a lot in the pocket. I remember the prices range about 60 Euros. I skipped it because I prefer the good old boat rides. Oh well, you can pretend you are on the gondola while on the boat travelling through the Grand Canals. =)







According to what we read, they are building a fourth bridge for Venice. The bridges are individually beautiful and unique. I remember that I was busy taking pictures in the cold.


The splendid Venetian costumes. For keepsakes, I purchased a small little Venetian mask. And their Murano glass ornaments are simply cute!



I have a weakness for these jewellery, especially those which are very unique. I had to be dragged away by Loon before I spend my entire fortune in those shops. I bought a few goldfish ball ornaments which I do not bear to wear yet. However, beware of some shops which may be selling non-genuine Murano glass goods. It is common to see fake goods being peddled around, especially outside the branded stores such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton. The peddlars can be seen peddling their wares such as bags, belts and shades blatantly outside these shops. Quite an amusing sight.




St Mark's Square, Venice. Very romantic, and quaint. Excellent for an euro-centric person like me.

7. Athens, Greece


One of the world's oldest cities - how to resist? I have not been there personally, but I would sure love to experience one of the oldest remnants of civilisations.

The Olympics Stadium in Athens.

8. St Charles Bridge (Prague, Czech Republic)

Misty and mysterious. You almost cannot believe your sights. This bridge is my favourite. By the side, artists display their work and it is very tempting to stop by every stall.


This is no exaggeration of how the sights look like. It is that charming. An eastern europe tourist spot, St Charles Bridge has the perfect mise-en-scene for great photographs and makes you never want to leave.


After writing all these, it makes me realise that I have visited some of these places and want to go there again. A very boring person maybe, but it speaks a lot about the captivating sights they behold. =)