Japan - March

Thanks to the 2007 hard work, we finally made it to Japan!

It was truly an incentive trip, as i know i won't be able /not willing to spend this sum of money to travel to Japan in next 5 years. Since it's a paid trip (though we paid extra for extension stay) we really made full fun of it.

Most of the money spent was on food. Damn expensive sashimi boat & Kobe beef - being con by the tour guide! Never ever belief what tour guide says anymore. It's not the the food didn't taste good, but it was just too expensive! With that money, I can have that kind of sashimi & kobe beef in Malaysia too...

Very interesting part is to explore the convenient stores like our 7-11. They sell everything, more than you can imagine! As well as the pharmacy/ drug store. You can find skincare & cosmetic like Shisiedo, Kose, Kanebo at cheap price... Other than that, clothes and shoes are not cheaper, not worth the time to shop, unless you are looking for local Japanese fun fashion.
Of course, the main shopping target would be 'Burberry Blue Label' exclusively in Tokyo.

Thanks to the healthy & delicious Japanese food, as well as heavy walking non stop, I lost 2 kg from this trip!

seeing Mount Fuji at Kawaguchi lake

happy touching Mount Fuji

Fresh but expensive sashimi boat (almost Rm500 for a boat for 4 person)

Parade at Asakusa temple - the geisha are a little too 'old'...

Very busy Harajuku on Saturday... many funny people in funny dresses

they even sell Starbucks in convenient store!

Guess what's this? It's 'instant' noodle in can! It's hot on shelves in convenient store, just open and eat like a coca cola - variety soup!

as well as hot corn soup in bottle, just drink it like mineral water! Good in cold weather.

My very Japanese Yukada (bathrobe)

Lake toba - February

After coming back from Germany/ Amsterdam in Jan, I did heavy traveling for months...

Since it's Chinese New Year and I was released from visiting to aunties uncles with my mom( hehe my parents flew to Barcelona & Portugal on Cho 1 night already) I had the opportunity to visit Lake Toba that planned to go long time ago.

It's a very nice place to relax. As it is a small island in the huge lake, it is not as hot as the beach, not as sandy as the beach. Always breezy (sometimes even very cold in the evening), clean lake water.

I was surprised there are so many churches there, almost every 500 meters. There are big one, small one, and all in different designs. Kids were very excited to see us, always waved hands and shouted 'halo' to us.

I enjoyed for the first few days and started to hate it when I was stung by the sand bugs! It felt so itchy, and swollen everywhere. I couldn't stop scratching it and couldn't sleep well at night..

my hand was swollen as if there is an alien struggling to come out from the hand!

The local kids swam happily and nakedly in the lake

I swam happily but not nakedly in the lake

the lake view from hill

churches a long th road
the Batak style villa that we stayed

nice & cozy lobby/ restaurant/ hang out place

Naughty Amsterdam ;)

Everyone knows what's the fun part of Amsterdam :P

The first time i went to Amsterdam with a group of naive friends, we all didn't know that the Cafe means places that you can have mushroom (we didn't even know what's the mushroom for, thought it's for sex purpose ;)).

But this time I went, I didn't intend must try, but eventually I've tried (a little only..)
I was surprised by their transparent way to sell in and the professionalism of the sales person. They display all mushroom by level in the fridge, with explanation of effect you would expect. Then the sales girl explained to me how to take it, and what to avoid, and what to expect.

I was afraid to take mushroom, so i started with a 'Space cake' (a muffin, choices of flavour eg. chocolate, vanilla etc) But i was totally wasted that evening. I only took 3/4 of the muffin but it's still too strong for me.. and i just got the sick and dizzy feeling and lied on bed the whole evening.

I was adventurous. And they said mushroom has different effect. So I went to try a lowest level mushroom, and only took 1/5 of portion this time. Well, I started to be funny, everyone around me looked funny to me. I could laughed in a tiny matter for very long while (while it may not be funny) and all sensations became really slow. I talked very slow, thought slow (sometimes even forgot what did I want to say half way of the sentence) and looked really stupid.

It was a fun experience but not what i always want to do. So don't worry about me getting addicted to it. But if you go to Amsterdam, why not try it, as it is legalize there. But, don't be addicted, just take it as an experience.

Herring -Raw fish and raw onion
somewhere in the city, do i look stoned?
last time we took a lot of stupid pix in front but didn't go in, this time i must go!
my dream guy - still sexy
The Pannekoek

Xmas 2007 in Germany

Have been doing a lot of travelling for the past week.

18th Dec -7 hours flight to Bahrain, wait for 10 hours transit, another 7 hours flight to Frankfurt (19th Dec, 7am)
19th Dec - 2 hours breakfast break at train station, 2 hours train to Erlangen
20th Dec -- 3 hours drive to Schloss Neuschwanstein, 2 hours drive to Munich, 2 hours drive back to Erlangen
21st Dec - 15 min bus to train station, 35min train to Nürnberg (most relaxing day!)
22nd Dec - 5 hours drive to Emmerich

and finally, I can have few days to rest in Emmerich, enjoy the German food, nice cold weather, and feel the Xmas!


on the way to Schloss Neuschwanstein
Cannot resist to pull over for this snow, many pix were taken in extremely cold situation -5°
the very touristy Schloss Neuschwanstein (lit: castle new swan stone)
Arrived in Munich 6.30pm


Nürnberg Christkindlmarkt (Nuremberg Christmas Market)

Nice glüwein and the roasted almond. Prost!

Arrived in Emmerich!

Emmerich on the Rhein

Transit in Bahrain - Manama city tour

Thanks to the flight reschedule, my transit in Bahrain had been extended to 10 hours.. luckily, compensation from the airline company, we were given a hotel to rest.

Good news is-- we had the chance to see the city - Manama city!

The weather is colder than i expected, it was only approximately 15° in the evening. I didn't have much time to take a day time picture as I arrived at about 4pm and the sunset in 1 1/2hour time. There were not many women walking in the street, 90% only men. The another 10% women were almost all in the black ropes covering from head to toe, like those Arabian women that we know.

The Manana city is not too interesting, but it was a nice experience though..


yeah, shopping queen was able to get some bangles!

Party, Party, Party!

'I was never a party girl since school time.' No one ever believed that when I told them so.
But it's true, I rarely go out especially when I was younger --form 5 till college till university...

OK, the very first reason of course is I stay at home, and my parents really concern about going out at night. So, I didn't have many chances to go out unless they went outstation. Secondly, my group of frineds are not party type but 'singing kaki'. We rather spend 12am-4am in the karaoke room than in a club :) I think I could really use 1 hand to count the times i go out in a year, along my study life, which is the most active party time for most of the people.

But since not too long ago (guess last year??), I occasionally go out more and more often. First of all, my friends are all starting to enjoy the 'happy hour' and getting used to the 'drinking' in stead of 'yam cha' or 'mak nga tong'. And of course the financial capability of ours are better to afford this new 'hobby' of us :) and then my parents are more relax on my night out ( think they will worry even more if i stay at home every weekend), but yet they dont encourage 'clubbing'.

Well, i still dont do it too often, but yes, i think i just started to enjoy PARTYING!!


The big guest for the night - Dan Lee who rarely join us, and our regular kaki - Augstine

My regular companions - sheali, carine


My occcationally kaki - Daniel, hei will be meeting up with u soon!



My fantastic kaki (never drink but always high) - Momme, how's gold coast? Miss u much!!
Party kaki - KC, crystal, carine, augstine


Party animal - Eda, du bist toll!


the drinking kaki (I'm out!) - thomas, max, sören



the new kaki - maurizio and simon


My very BIG kaki - thomas!

get out from KL!! 2- Taman Negara

Another weekend that i made a short trip again to get out from KL - Taman Negara.

Think there are not too many people will be interested to go to Taman Negara, and therefore it was my 1st time exploring it. As usual at moment like this, Lonely Planet helps a lot again.

We drove to Jerantut on Friday night right after work, and reached the hotel by 8pm. Nothing much to do in a small town like this, but we got to bump into some mat salleh and local students who were preparing to go to Taman Negara the next morning like we did. Hotel (or should I call it motel?) was cheap, but new and clean, and think we dont have much choices in town like this. It was far better than I expected.

Early morning we caught a bus to the port and got into a boat which took 3 hours to enter Taman Negara. There was another option which we could take a bus which is faster, but Lonely Planet recommended to take a boat trip as it would be interesting. I didnt see how interesting it was, as nothing much along the river. But i guess those mat salleh enjoyed it quite much as they would not have much experience seeing tropical forest as we do.

Spent a day and half in the forest, did some hiking, which almost killed me. I thought that I was strong to do some 'little' walking, but i didn't expect it to be that exhausting. Think i should go to my gym more often when i go back to KL :P


Boats that we took to go into Taman Negara - doesn't look too good, but was quite comfortable for 3 hours trip, I even had a little nap :)


Somewhere up on a hill with great view, which I was half-dead



Was fun doing the canopy walk, the MUST DO in Taman Negara


Kayak - quiet and peaceful, good time to clear the mind up