Can't believe how busy I was over the last few days...Check out some shots I took in Bali (click on flickr link on right side bar). I was there for a holiday in 2003. Bali was recovering from its bombing aftermath so travel packages were cheap then!
Haven't seen a nude beach? You can see just that in Bali's Kuta Beach ;)
For those who love beauty in rawer and less touristy form, do pop by Lombok, an island near Bali.
Beautiful Okinawa
Looks like it's gonna cost me a bomb to travel from Taiwan to Okinawa but it's still cheaper than flying straight to Okinawa from Singapore. Here are some findings after a whole morning of googling:
1) Okinawa is accessible via Taipei by air. Seems like China Airlines is the only carrier to Naha, Okinawa. A round trip (about 1.5 hour flight) will set me back around S$500. Lodging isn't exactly cheap in Okinawa but there are always decent hostels at lower prices.
2) A cheaper alternative to Okinawa is via Kaohsiung or Keelung by ferry. Considering the time wasted (about 16 - 19 hours), it might not be worth it. However, being in the middle of the sea overnight is an experience I welcome!
The Arimura Sangyo Company is the only ferry line that operates between Keelung Port and Naha Port. The ferry departs from Keelung at 10pm and arrives next day at Naha, 3pm. Usually departs from Taiwan on Mon / Tue; departs from Naha on Thu / Fri. Fare costs approximately S$250 from Naha to Keelung. I haven't gotten my hands on info if this is a round-trip fare or just one way.
Arimura can be contacted via email adachi_arimuraline@nifty.com. Think I'll drop them a note soon. They apparently has rep offices in Taipei and Kaohsiung (Tel. + 886 (0)7 330 9811).
3) If travelling out of Taiwan looks too expensive, we can also consider Xiao Liuqiu*, a Taiwanese island off the southwestern coast of Taiwan.
*Xiao Liuqiu = 小琉球, literally translates to Mini Okinawa; Okinawa was an independent kingdom and was known as RyuKyu before it was annexed by Japan during the Meiji Restoration period in 1879.
For more information on Okinawa, visit:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Okinawa
http://www.okinawa.com/
For more information on Taiwan, visit: http://www.taiwan.net.tw/lan/cht/index/index.asp
My fellow PTCs, according to my estimation, we need to set aside $1,500/person for transport + lodging alone to realise our Taiwan-Okinawa tour. More updates soon!
It was pouring the whole day. So nice to be at home, reading and lazing around, till it was time to go out for my dinner date :)
We headed to Crystal Jade La-Mian-Xiao-Long-Bao @ Great World City and I had my all time favouritest (+ cheapest noodle on the menu) Sichuan Dandan noodle. Very satisfying!!! Shan't bore you with details on food you can only imagine but can't taste.
Now the gist of this post. Dinner was so full, we decided to walk from River Valley to Orchard Road and I was happy to know it's lights up tonight! If you haven't had a trip downtown, here are snapshots to share:
I thought Tangs has one of the loveliest displays tho I recall liking last year's even more.
I love the marketing folks at Jetstar. They put up posters of their 2nd anniversary promo at all the ice-cream men's carts in Orchard Road. Genius!
Experimented a little with my kamera and got this brilliant effects on the lights...heh..
This is a nice tree I tell ya but just can't steady my hands to take a focused shot :(
The red tree's cousin donning white.
Check out what Centrepoint is up to...
No ra-ra display or the same-old christmas tree routine. But the colourful lights exude an understated elegance.
How about Plaza Singapura?
Lights-entwined twigs and 5 cubic trees...not too impressive huh?
Tata Orchard Road, I'm hopping on the home-bound bus.
So...what do you want for Christmas this year?
Where am I?
Changi Airport!!!
Where am I flying to?
Taipei!! On my fave budget airline - Jetstar!
Yea...dreaming on. I'm just here to send mama off. Anyway Jetstar's having their 2nd birday sale. Fly to Bangkok or Phuket from S$2; Taipei, Hong Kong and Bali from S$22!
%*$#@(**!! Dun care, I'm going Taipei-Penghu-Okinawa + Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto next year. Someone remind me I dun have enuff moolah again...
My new travel buddy Fuji F30 has not been put to real test but I'm really pleased with it so far :)
Some shots that Shazz took during lunch today:
I have a little time before work starts. Shall I go Macau? Shall I? Should I? And then lament over a small hole in the pocket and suffer from cognitive dissonance over spending on a trip I don't exactly need and had plans for initially. Argh...dilemma dilemma...
But...
Macau is the gateway to Hong Kong (dessert! shopping @ Mong Kok! CDs!) + China (incredibly cheap buys!)
I can spend 2 days in Macau, 1 in Hong Kong and 1 in Zhu Hai!
Macau is one of Asia's most European-looking cities
And Tiger Airway's tix to Macau is cheap - just $250 to fly there and back!
However...
Why not save the money for Japan next year? No matter how cheap, Macau's still gonna cost me around $800 for tix, hotel and expenses.
I've just been to China, and I don't exactly need anything from Hong Kong.
I can spend time at home, doing a lot more things.
I dunno. The devil is still arguing with the angel :S
shares more or less the same agenda on the trip,
watches out for and takes care of me while I do the same for him/her,
may not know how to read the maps well but take things in good stride even if we lose our way,
puts up with and does not mock at my idiosyncrasy,
does not complain incessantly,
gets fun out of everything – sight-seeing, shopping, eating, people-watching, exploring, anything!
is not fussy and does not expect to be waited on like a prissy princess,
shares the load – I bring the shampoo, you bring the soap,
is generous and not miserly over sharing some cost,
can walk miles and miles without having the need to constantly adhere to a fixed itinerary,
adapts to changes and makes the best out of the situation,
does not need to sleep really early,
loves the noise and also appreciates the quietude (like what XY and Minty mentioned!),
does not take photos of me from a low angle thus making my face look swollen with double chin :p
likes me enough not to get freaked out by my "just out of bed look".
Add on to my list of the PTC. Keep the voxpops coming :)
My PTCs! We miss Taipei :(
I want to post an entry on what/who makes the grade of a (near) perfect travel companion. You tell me your idea of a perfect travel companion. Post a voxpop today! Sorry, no prize tho. This is not a sponsored blog.
I've been answering these questions from everyone who has just heard of me winding up Runway. So given my tiny celebrity status, I think it's time to put up this FAQ with OFFICIAL answers from the horse's mouth. Whatever you've heard from my secondary circle are prolly just half-truths.
1. Why did you decide to dissolve Runway?
Excuse me ah, firstly please note that the question has been carefully phrased to use the word "dissolve". The company didn't "toh-teon" mind you.
I decide this is the way to go because I'm not interested anymore. No, kidding - how can I sound so willful and frivolous?! Honestly, I lost sight from where I first started. Much as I realised my strengths along the way, it has also been a humbling experience of realising that achieving ideals can be challenging.
2. Why did you decide to become a lecturer? Is it just a temporary getaway?
Because I like young boys. Nah....I'M KIDDING TOO. I've always wanted teaching / training as a career in the later part of my life. It's not a sudden thought. It's my natural progression. Afterall, I've got innate nurturing traits mah..even so-and-so thought I remind him of his mum. Ultimately, it's to fulfill my very vain aspiration to make an impact in some people's lives.
3. Why are you going to teach at XP?
Because other polys dun want me, as yet lar! Else why you think I'll be crazy enough to travel so far (which is gawd knows how many thousand metres away from my house) and have XYZ near me? The good thing is at least I get to teach and this makes my decision stated in (1) worthwhile.
4. Who is XYZ and why does the prospect of working near her irks you?
She's a witch. She used to suck up to me cos I'm Miss Popular and she wasn't. See lar, how the wheel of fortunes turned its table on me. but XYZ dun take offence if you read this ok?! I'm learning to appreciate you lar...give me time please... :p
5. So will you go back to business in the future?
Of course!!! The entrepreneur in me never dies! But I wun dabble with agency business again, unless it's an agency that creates for itself at its own pace and whims and fancies. I dream of owning my own cosy cafe one day. Partners, anyone?
So, this woman is going to be a lecturer:
Give her your blessings.
p.s: I'm sorry, my faithful readers (chey! as if there are a lot!), if my 2 blogs have caused confusion as to which is about what. To answer the question as posted by Bren today, I attempt to once and for all set the guidelines for the content positioning of these 2 blogs:
AcesGoPlaces
1) Will continue to fulfill its vision as a travel blog.
2) Will also post contents on the bimbotic leisure activities, great haunts and good food we get to enjoy in our small town.
3) The above entry will be my last post on my life away from RUNWAY here. Thereafter I'll be posting contents on activities (see point 2) when I'm literally not travelling via the airport runway, which is most of the time anyway.
That Gibberish Blog
For humble writings on "oh-so-exciting" happenings around me, please continue to support my newly revamped gibberish blog.
But come back here often. I'll keep u entertained on my travel adventures in and out of Singapore.
Now you can worship at my blog!!!
Presenting the creation of aspiring inventor, quack doctor and horse-master Mr Chee *gulp* *drum roll*......
My pa brought home a wooden piece, started decorating it with $$$ signs and proclaimed it the 大发财神 (The Great Fortune God) tablet! No wonder he was looking for multi-colours markers over the last few days! He told me he's not quite done with it yet - wanna accessorise further with images of gold bars and jewellery *HAHAHAHAHHA*
If you're wondering why the Chinese words look so scrawny that's becos my dad can't write Chinese for nuts' sake. This latest project of his sent me laffing till i get stitches. Oh man! Tell me if my family's as dysfunctional as the Hoovers' in Miss Little Sunshine?!
Other than hilarious happenings at home, the 19 days away from Runway had been all about:
1) finishing the incomplete projects
2) lunches with various folks at raffles place
3) debt collecting at Kreta Ayer
4) watching vcds
5) listening to music by 强辩 (I so love the tunes of 雨下个不停，甜蜜的愿望，1234，彩虹的另一端), 克群 and 静茹
6) got concert tix to Eason!!!
7) hoping very hard someone could sponsor me ABC stout crowns / ringpulls to the gig featuring our favouritest Mayday, stylo Chen Sheng and lame-beh Pin Guan
8) reading the Dangerous Book for Boys
9) cooking up a storm with my toasties and meatballs. YUMMILICIOUS I TELL YA! I'm a genius cook!
10) negotiating with my future employer
11) wanting to climb Mount Faber everyday but dammit! the haze forbids!
12) paying old colleagues an "incidental" visit then claiming free lunch and basking in praises of how i look younger and prettier...hehehe
13) renewing ties with frens who had been a part of my life, then not so much of my life, then part of my life again!
14) celebrating my birthday many times over...this year's celebration started earliest and is going to end latest. I can't believe this.
15) unpacking, unpacking and unpacking. I'm down to 2 cartons now from the initial 13! And there's a basketful of miscellaneous which i really dunno where to hide.
16) catching a few good movies - the departed (ok, typical hollywood all men's show), little red flower (sounds like a soft porn but not) and the very funny, simple, nice Little Miss Sunshine
17) tearing up newspapers with buddy at the NUS libby and saw her cutie not-too-bad-looking classmate who alas, is married and is not really cute by XY's standard cos he has centre-parting
18) reworking this blog and the other old and dowdy one
19) learning my driving and forgetting all the parking steps AGAIN and irritated the hell outta my instructor.
Kreta Ayer still looks the same after 2 weeks. How different can it be anyway?
p/s: my pa's gonna place the tablet at Telok Blangah Hill. He welcomes all worshippers and wish everyone the best of luck. May the GREAT GOD OF FORTUNE report at your home.
10 things I like about Taiwan:
1. The "cutified" Mandarin - it's hair-raising just hearing the gals speak!
2. The tall cute guys - I suspect the rice they eat is good for growth.
3. The freedom of speech - Taiwanese speak as they like, act as they wish, fight as they please.
4. The countless night markets - You sure won't be bored at nite.
5. Mayday - the country that gives us Mandopop and the unbeatable, rockifying 五月天.
6. The variety shows - Gogo Jacky Wu!
7. The "Big5" Chinese - traditional Chinese characters that would soon be unrecognisable by younger generations.
8. The friendly service - pseudo or not, I still like the warm greetings and ready smiles.
9. The Taiwanese snacks - good food is everywhere!
10. The winter that doesn't snow - walking in air-conditioned outdoor is such a breeze.
And here are some lovely shots I rediscovered from my albums:
In autumn, the leaves of the trees in Taroko Gorge were gone with the wind.
Dawn breaks at the horizon of Pacific Ocean in Hualien.
Jiufen has a way of greeting you with its old charm.
Signboards and neon lights shine bright in Taipei Ximending.
Rock with the crowd at outdoor gig.
Eat till you burst at steamboat buffet [吃到饱(爆)] of all sorts.
I present the final moments as we say tata to the Attic.
The Final Episode
The door leading to the 4 storeys of staircase
Runway neighbourhood - left wing. See the backview of Mr Postman in the distant? He's my fave friendly postman who'll flash his best smile and chit chat whenever he sees me. See, I'm the unanimous people's choice of Miss Popular...hahaha
Runway neighbourhood - right wing. Kreta Ayer is a blessed area. We've got church, mosque, Chinese temple and Hindu temple just round the corners!
My appointed Moving Director of the day climbing up the mean staircase
And me journeying up...by the way it's bullshit that climbing stairs can help lose weight. It didn't show on me lor.
Saying goodbye is never easy, especially if it's parting with something that has become part of your life. My "Moving Director" was once a member of the Attic.
I left a love note for the next tenant! But most likely the landlord will take it out before they get to see it. Jeff, leave it on will ya?
See lar, I'm so considerate, even left notices like that for likely situations that might inconvenience the next tenant.
Me and Geok posed victorious as we gave our final touch to the packing. We're ready to move!
Tata again! I've said it so many times and it's now for real.
The two rooms reinstated to when I saw them for the first time. (except for the carpet and empty cartons which I've so charitably left behind)
No more flights from 1st Oct. Email and business license will still be live for keepsake.
I'm starting my 28th year afresh, with new career in anticipation and new shoes to fill.
Good luck all, on your lives' many journeys.
