Away from Runway: 1 Year in Retrospect

300906. I packed up and left the attic with the help of friends. Changing paths is not easy though not a big deal and it's necessary. I'm glad I have the lucidity of mind to do it then despite I'm still not getting anywhere one year on.

Life over the last year is at best enlightening but ironically entrapping. The long vacation gave me enough time and space to think through what I need to do next to reach where I want to be later. It's great to have dreams; not very nice when the mysterious hands at work are not cooperating. I've to admit I'm running out of patience, sinking into angst and possibly disillusion. Ok, maybe not this bad since knowing myself, it only takes one big positive thing to send me to cloud nine again.

While this cycle of ups and downs is expected to last a lifetime for hot-blooded folks like me, I couldn't verbalise my thoughts better than Mayday's "我". One of my favourites among my many other favourite Mayday numbers that I cried listening to it sometimes. I'm such a sap.

And how could I end this entry without well-wishes on such a significant day? May the folks at home and friends around me be safe and healthy always - your well-being really means a lot to me. May I realise what I want to do, step-by-step and not missing one. May the career option I so desire happen very soon.

我 / 词+曲:阿信


还记得　小时候　作文簿上的志愿
那天真　的幻想　如今都到哪裡躲藏?
走出网咖凌晨的三点鐘　飆过天堂世纪帝国直达战慄时空
看不见的世界裡　我是英雄　
然后回到没有目标的活著　在现实中
oh my god, oh my god who am I ? 我的外号是　嘴上乔丹
oh my god, oh my god who am I ? 座右铭是　我混故我在
也曾开心的耶耶耶　也有失落的我我我
蝴蝶飞出了潜水鐘　我却还在原地停留
留不住时间耶耶耶　总是后悔的我我我
我不要一生就这样　到最后一生就这样　这样的我
这样的　勇敢的我　单纯的我　复杂的我　冷的我　热的我
无聊的我　懒惰的我　总是怀疑的我
讲了不听　听了不做　做又做不好的我
买一个梦　五十块钱的梦　期待五百万分之一的奇蹟降落
从此以后　想要什麼　喜欢什麼　就有什麼
但是我的人生还可以　努力　追求　什麼
Have you ever wanna be a spaceman?
Have you ever wanna be a president?
Or you're still a daydreaming maker?
Have you ever wanna be wanna be wanna be wanna be

*For an excellent English translation of this song, click here. I like the lyrics for the cultural references.

Pi a Tour Guide?

I've been thinking about this for some time now - to go through a 5-month course for a tour guide license after I'm done with driving. This will cost me $2,500.00, license valid for 3 years, renewable on the basis that I complete 21 hours of training every 3 years.

The only reason why I want this license is my love for exploration and travel and how well I interact with groups. Pi's everyone's darling, remember? :p

The license is not going to serve me much purpose since I don't intend to venture full-time into the travel industry. Just want to use it to do freelance tour-guiding when I feel like it.

What do you folks think - shall I part with the money?

Babe(s) in Jakarta

Greetings!!!


It's been some time since I post a "decent" entry on this blog. Anyway, hope you like my new self-portrait - taken outside my cousie's house in Jakarta. Ok... I know... I know... I'm such a cam-whore :p

Jakarta's more or less the same after 5 years. My trip there wasn't too affected by the flood but I've heard stories of distant relatives whose houses were plundered of all furniture and many things precious by the sweeps of waves. The tradition of 送旧迎新 couldn't have been more painfully embraced than this Chinese New Year...

I wonder how the locals survive. The average guy earns about S$200 per month and the cost of living isn't exactly low. One fish soup meal (1 bowl of soup + 1 bowl of rice) can cost $5 per person; a pair of shoes ala Charles & Keith standard costs an average of $35!





My uncle, aunty + cousies stay in the suburban Serpong/Tangerang area which is less affected by natural calamities. The sleepy town could bore me to tears if not for my cutie 表-niece, the occasional shopping at the uninteresting malls, the sub-standard food that's supposed to be great by the locals' definition and the old folks who have really aged over the last 5 years.

I ended up not buying anything much except for discounted pieces of sewn cloth to cover my twin peaks. With so much left-over rupiah, I ended up buying my Indo folks a meal at Coca and it costs me only $50 for 7 of us!


I'm this bored.


The houses at Alam Sutera, Serpong






Old babe + cutie babe 表-niece Ling: she's got really beautiful eyelashes and very pinchable cheeks just like a walking doll!


Cutie 表-niece with one of her many boyfriends Ben








Can't get enough of my cutie 表-niece! She's very sensitive to the camera and is ever-ready to pose. I so love kids :D

The locals of middle-class and above fuss damn a lot over their lil' ones. For those families who can afford, there'll be one baby-sitter (donning nurse uniform) to every kid. I hope my 表-niece grow up to be an independent, lovable gal, not bratty and pampered. She's very clever for her age with lotsa potential if groomed rightly.

And here's a photo of my closest uncle, aunty and their family. Ling is the result of my cousie Mega + her hubby's (on extreme left) union. I've a feeling my offsprings' gonna be good-lookers too, given my cutie pie looks. Besides, according to my hunch, my husband's gonna be cute too!!! :D



Another off-the-plane-window shot added to my collection:



Check out what lulls me to sleep every nite in Jakarta:

Never like this song as much as I like it recently.

Till the next trip.

I'm Going Jakarta

What could be more exciting than visiting a place I used to visit nearly on an annual basis until recent years, when my last stopover was in 2002? *droops head*

It's been nearly 5 years and I can almost smell the polluted air of Jakarta in my imagination now. Obliged by duty and a genuine sincerity to pop by and say hi to my beloved uncle, aunty and cousies, I had to give in to my ma's powerful 'coercion'.

Hope the flood has subsided. And I'm crossing my fingers that its aftermath won't spell D.I.S.E.A.S.E.S. I'm coming back to start new job one leh.

Special invitation to PALS (read PALS only - if you're unsure of your friendship status with me, please consult me.): Drop me a msg if you want me to get you anything from DFS. I'm flying off T1. We'll settle payment when I'm back ;)

Around the World in 80 Lines (the first 20 lines)

Take me on London's Eye,
Round and round like life and lies.
We'll go up Taipei's One-O-One,
Now the world's creations look small and fun.
Let the glitter of Hong Kong lights,
Dazzle our eyes and spice the nights.
Or slurp ramen on Tokyo's streets,
Warm our tummies in winter's breeze.
Conquer the bunds like Shanghai knights,
And feel the rush with the rising tides.
Shop like a tai-tai at Champ-Elysees,
Dine al-fresco and eat souffle.
Go party-hop in Madrid's pubs,
Till the wee hours when the sun comes up.
Dig in kimchi with the Korean folks,
Ogle for cute dudes while drinking coke.
Pick some flowers from the Netherlands,
Beware when you roam round their red light bends.
Return to basics on Tibet's grounds,
Life can be rich with greens abound!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Pipi poses 3 cheers to:

1) Me for flunking my driving test! Sorry my fellow very outstanding DWPers, it was my mistake. I deserve it. I mocked at the short-tongued man. I denied the uncle of his chance at me. I sang the christmas carols with too much SHHsss. No roadtrips for now, but I'll get there, soon.

2) Me for having a 2nd go at my driving test in March 2007! I promise I'll be a good gal, a more astute driver and less short-circuit when I'm in the test circuit.

3) You, for a Merry Christmas and a Great New Year! May dreams take flight and I promise all my pals that next will be great year for us. Whatever good things the horoscope says will come true. Pls tear out all those pages that mention the bad stuff. We'll be fine.

Have a great journey in 2007 :)

I'm So Not Going Anywhere

I apologise for the lack of updates on this blog. In the midst of pulling through some life's battles now, so please summon all the luck you can and lend me some force! :)

Hopefully things will be for the better very very soon. Want to have a new year with some bright outlook. And thanx everyone, for being with me.

Marry me under the starry skies

Following our recent discussions on wedding receptions (and after attending yet another boring wedding dinner), I set out to name you my very own preferred venues for wedding receptions, right here in Sing-a-pore! My dearest sistas, in case my future husband-to-be ever secretly consults you for suggestions, please refer him here. Thanks.

(1) Greens in the gardens
If you love the lush soft grass and the rustle of the leaves when the breeze blows by, consider these:


a) Botanic Gardens - just be careful not to scare Vanda Miss Joaquim with the crowd


b) Fort Canning - throw in a spooky ghost tales trail for your guests. Woohoo! Alternative! I like!


c) Shangri-la Hotel's garden - I heard it's nice, haven't been there though.

d) Your house garden - why not, if you stay in a big big landed property?

The cons: watch out for the occasional mozzies, factor in bad weather contingency + be prepared for budget bust though I'm not too concerned over this. My husband and I gonna be rich :p

(2) A dash of architectural elegance
If indoors still sound best and you don't wish for the same old hotel or restaurant options, how about:


a) Singapore Arts Museum - free entrance for your guests to see the galleries too. Oooh, how cultured!


b) Giraffe @ Istana Park - I'm afraid you won't be greeted by the president, tho it says the "Istana Park".


c) Asian Civilisations Museum - infuse the peranakan style to your wedding and tie your knots with your better half as bibik and baba.


d) Red Dot Design Museum - An all-red building facade for a red letter day. How appropriate!


e) National Museum of Singapore - I think you can even request for the screening of "The Singapore Story" and feel truly patriotic at your wedding.


g) The Fullerton Waterboat House - great place for the sea-sick; get on the boat without getting rocked off.


h) Chijmes - what better place to sound the wedding chimes than at chijmes?

The cons: limited capacity not ideal for those with lots of guests.

Oh goodness, as I write on, I realise there are really a lot more alternative locations. Engage me as your wedding planner! I've got loads of ideas up my head. ;)

For those who are regrettably to be left on the shelves, don't despair! You've got friends who can go those places with you! And for those without friends...aren't you one sorry ass?

Love is an affair in beautiful Bali

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.

Heads-up on Taiwan-Okinawa Tour

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!

Christmas arrives at Orchard Road!

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?

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

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...

Glimpses of Chinatown

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:

Shall We Go Macau?

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

My Perfect Travel Companion Is Someone Who...

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 :(