Last day in Sydney

Lalalalalalalala~~

Life has been pretty cool since I came back from China, literally I only have a month's time in Sydney after China. Mission accomplished - for the eight thousands words essay! 

It's a shame that for the one whole year in Sydney, I have never been to Luna Park, Taroonga Zoo, Manly Beach, Strathfield, Eastwood, Kings Cross, Newtown, Leichhardt, Cabramatta, Merrickvielle and et cetera. And, truly people are amazed with me for staying in the city all the time and not exploring the suburbs.*Because you can get everything in the city, basically.*

But guess what - in a week's time, I made it to Luna Park, Kings Cross, Newtown, Leichhardt, and even a short trip to Melbourne!

I shall call this LIFE. 

Had a farewell with the Shanghigh crew on Thursday night. I'm going to miss all those people and I'm hoping to come back, perhaps end of this year? 

I'm leaving in about 18 hours. Xinyun is packing my last day with everything she can fit in - woke up early in the morning for a breakfast, came home to START packing, and we are heading out later for a late lunch/ tea and hang around blablablabla, and OMG CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT I HAVE NEVER STEPPED INTO STAR CITY BEFORE? If you know me well, you know I don't gamble. But yea Sydney's Casino, I have never got near it before. So, who knows perhaps we will make a visit there tonight, just to prove that I have been to Star City. Buwahahah. 

Yes we are heading out now, she's beside me. I'm so excited but nooooo... in less than 18 hours' time now. Mixed feelings. 

BYEBYE.

The Power of Chinese

I think we people are getting obssessed with Shanghai after 3 weeks spending together, seeing each other everyday from 9am to 3.30pm. And so whenever there's news updates or interesting facts about the Chinese Laws or the urban-city, we share the news.

Source: businessinsider.com


Shanghai, 1990.



Shanghai, 2010.

Someone said to me -
If the world is being fair and equal, Asian countries would be the most developed countries in the world, because they are real hard workers.

And guess how much have the living environment and ecological environment deteriorated in this 20 years' time and how much efforts the Chinese needs to pay off in redeeming the sin in the next 20 years or even longer. To get rich is glorious, xiexie ni Deng Xiaoping - because you're getting me to write an eight-thousands-words on the story following-up your noble-impressive-contribution.

In a fortnight's time

It's funny that I still have stacks of books and papers right in front of me now. I wonder how long will all these be with me but I figure it depends on how discipline I am. The worst case is - I foresee myself failing my own mission and I'm even giving myself excuses for that. No one could be worse than me, seriously. 

Fried rice with stars and loves :)

I'll be back in my comfort zone soon. :)

Recently...

I went to the lab today and the JD booklet on the counter caught my attention. Flipped to the fees page, it says 34k per year. Put it back on the shelf. 

I haven't got my ticket yet. A date to leave for good is so hard to decide but be rational I know when is it, just that when reluctance and procrastination kick in you don't have the say. 

I am not exaggerating but after a month in China I think I see things in a more mature way, or - something undesirable becomes my desire.

All I can say is - my twenty-ten started awfully but ended perfectly. Again, this is something a fortune teller couldn't tell. Everything happens for a reason, that is truer than ever.

Advice from Herng: take a looooong holidays before the start of everything because this might be the longest holiday I might have in my whole life. This sounds freaking true, dammit. Only if everything allows. 

So, can I?

Hong Kong, 27 Nov 2010

(Written in Shanghai...)

So here comes the last day of my vacation in the wonderland of Hong Kong. Time shoooots, no longer flies.

Woke up in the morning after a super tiring day the day before, packed and got ready to check out. I think Hong Kong is really convenient, yea indeed it is! I can check in for the flight in the city, there's one Airport Express Station where I can check in my baggage, get my boarding pass and, yes.. back in the city for lunch and some quick strolling down the streets and some random shots of the city. Oh yea I managed to get a last minute grab at Sasa for Juju Aquamoist essence. Thankfully I grabbed it before I left HK, it is really good for such a cold weather in Shanghai.  

We went to this famous Yung Kee Restaurant which Liz recommended for their roasted goose. Not too bad, I'm not a big fans of duck or goose anyway. Can you tell what's the difference between duck and goose?

After the lunch it was time for me to rush to the Airport Express to catch a train to the international airport. Ahhh.. the last minute before I left the city I met up with Liz and Albert at the station just to bid goodbye. It was such a rush because my flight was at 3pm, and I was still in the city at 1.40pm! I finally made it to the boarding gate at 2.30pm and I was sweating like hell. Hahaha.

Awww I really appreciate Liz and Albert's time and companion in HK, for driving us around the island and bringing us for real good food and the best part of all.. we had a great + awesome + wonderful time in HK! In fact she needed to rush for her homework and presentation.. ahh :( feel so sorry for taking her time away!

For everyone that I met in HK they were asking whether I've been to HK before. Yes, that was exactly 10 years ago and my next sentence was, "I don't remember any single thing of HK". So... I'd say that, it's not a good idea to bring your kids to travel at such a young age because it'd be a waste. Hahaha =P

One last thing - the awesome pawsome black sesame shaved ice which is one of the best things that I had in HK!

If I don't end this trip overview a photo with my love, I just simply don't do the justice. How can I miss it out? Tell me! 

Hong Kong with ❤

Hong Kong, 26 Nov 2010

(Wrote this when I was in Shanghai...)

I woke up in the morning and met up with Liz for dim sum at a famous traditional dim sum place where you can see all the uncles reading newspaper, sitting around together chit-chating blablabla.

This place is so popular that when you see the trolley just came out from the kitchen you've to go straight to the aunty to grab your dim sum. Otherwise, continue drinking the chinese tea on your table until you're full. We didn't try many because there were only two of us and Liz got full so fast, so I was the one eating quite a lot! The dim sum was goooooood! Oh I love the sesame-lotus paste bun, simply awesome! I was like, "WOAH 呢個好好吃啊!" on my first bite. Teeheee :D

So we went back to the hotel to wait for Miss LiYin, thought she would arrive at 11.30am or 12pm. But yea, finally I saw this girl at 12.40pm, I thought she was lost anyway. Hahaha.

And so.. we were on Porsche Cayenne to Stanley. Liz drove us all the way there! Awwww. Great, here goes another dimsum for lunch, Liz has made the booking and LiYin was sooo hungry. I barely able to eat, seriously.

So... some sight seeing and pictures and pictures.

And then, food again. Yes, again! It was my 3rd meal of the day. We walked through this small little tiny alley, yes, small + little + tiny! But the french toast was so good, with coffee and milk tea. It just... melted in your mouth with the layer of kaya in the middle. Slurp!!

And off we passed by Repulse Bay but we didn't stop by because it was hard to get a parking spot. That's okay because I was a little bit tired and dizzy after the long journey. Oh it wasn't long, how big could HK island be, right? But maybe I'm just not a "passenger-person" because I haven't been sitting at the back of the car for so long and I used to be the one driving if I wanna get to anywhere.

Then we stopped by University of Hong Kong, the uni that Liz is currently attending for her professional year. And then we off to The Peak!

Next up... the old Police Station! It opens for sight-seeing purpose and it was the first day, so we were just lucky!

It was 8.30pm by then, and yes.. time to dinner! Okay I should just skip the dinner here because I had this thought in my mind when I was having the dinner - I NEED TO WRITE A SPECIAL POST ON THE DINNER!!!! (But for now I decided not to.. I have something better to do, food is currently got pull down from the top priority of my list, and it's all described in LiYin's post.. Or, afterall it's just FOOD.)

Okay done:)

Hong Kong, 25 Nov 2010

(Wrote this when I was in Shanghai...)

While I'm typing this, a question by LiYin the other day came across my mind. She was asking whether my parents is okay with me to travel alone nowadays. Back then in high school almost everyone knew that I was the one that hardly get permission to go out. But now! I'm traveling alone, from Penang to Sydney, to Hong Kong, to Shanghai.

Okay back to the point, the second day in Hong Kong, I traveled alone to the Ngong Ping for the Giant Buddha. Hopped on the ding ding tram to Central, got the Tung Chung Line and then the Ngong Ping 360˚ cable car. Yes I made it there by myself.

I was in the same cable car with a Malaysian family and yes.. Hokkien! :)

First stop was the Ngong Ping Village with all the small little shops selling souvenirs. Blablablablabla it's hard to earn my $ for souvenirs! And when I spotted the words 山水豆腐花 I went straight in because SK was telling me that there's a must eat tau fu fa! So soft and so smoooooth!

Next stop the 宝莲寺. I thought it'd be good idea to visit the Po Lin Temple first before heading to the Giant Buddha because I'd love to save the best for the last. I was completely wrong after that. Despite the scorching hot sun, my legs were complaining.

So next up is the Giant Buddha! My main purpose of the trip there. The lady at the counter asked if I wanna have some vegetarian food, I politely rejected. But when she asked if I wanna get a view of the statute inside since I've taken such a long way up there, why not?! Yes, I'm always that easy to be persuaded! It came with a complimentary vegetarian meal, so in fact I actually said yes to the vege meal in another way. The lady has got a way to psycho people like me! Hmmmph.

Walked all the way up the staircases... I hope I did apply sufficient amount of sun lotion on my face! Scorching hot sun!! I thought it's winter in Hong Kong!!

I felt myself so stupid for easily get convinced hahahaha because people who knows me know that I'm definitely not a museum/ zoo/ aquarium person. So i walked in the display center and walked through the staircases up to the top and walked out from it, like.. in 5 minutes?! So what's next? I'm looking for the vege meal then.

I said I was completely wrong for visiting the Po Lin temple first before the Giant Buddha because the vege meal canteen is at the Po Lin place instead of the Giant Buddha place. So I got to walk down again and back to the Po Lin place. It was so hot and I was sweating like hell. Arghhh.

And........ the second bowl of tau fu fah! Okay no regrets for the vege meal! When I was back in the city to meet up with my friends, all of them asked if I had the vege meal there. So, I supposed it's a good idea to have the vege meal there because everyone seems to like it. :)

I took the crystal cable car back and had a quick glance at the Citigate outlets. I wasn't in a mood for shopping though, too tired and I've nothing to grab either.

Got a call from Liz asking whether I wanna go for high tea because back in Sydney we wanted to go for one at QVB but that would cost us a lot which was not really worth having it there in the Tea Room. So I rushed back to the IFC mall to meet up with Liz and Albert.

Glam. High tea at the Four Seasons Hotel. I had a luxurious HK trip. Hahahaha. :D

There, we met Ho Hong Sang. Well I had no idea who is him until they told me he's someone really really rich and blablabla some gossips and the family and 四太 was there with him. And things like.. he got stroke years ago and admitted in the hospital for n months blablabla. This is really like what we see from movie for the super rich family with personal nurses. Woah.

And then we met 温碧霞 which I've no idea who is she either! But my mom knows! And they updated me with some gossips too. Hahaha :D I guess this is the life in HK!

After the high tea I went straight to Wanchai to meet up with Jessica and Eva, friends that I knew when I was in Newcastle. They brought me for 大排档 but I was so so so superb full from the high tea. It was yummy but I just couldn't have more...

But... we made it to 五代同糖 for dessert at Causeway Bay even I was soooo full because we wanna try the durian snow ice. Yes, the durian flavoured one. It was really soooooo.. durian!! Interesting!

Back to hotel after bidding goodbye. Tired tired and tired. Walked a lot, ate a lot, walked a lot, ate a lot.. Yea, HK!

Hong Kong, 24 Nov 2010

(Wrote this when I was in Shanghai...)

Arrived in HK at 3pm, a warm welcome from Liz. Awww it's like finally! After 5 months, yea, I do miss her indeed! She got her dad's company's driver to pick me up at the airport and sent me to my hotel at Sheungwan.

After checking in, we strolled down Sheungwan and to Central. Sheungwan is a place with all those dried seafood like dried shark fins, dried scallops, abalones etc etc, they call it 海味街. While strolling down the streets they all look so familiar to me and I was trying to recall when and where did I come across all these. And yes, Sydney's Chinatown/ Sussex St! I know it's.. a little bit 'out' but that's what came across! LOL.

I tried "but chai kou"!! And.. wife's cake, "red bean soft cake"! She bought me these, afraid that I'd get hungry when she went to classes! And Tai Cheong's egg tart, which I was told that lots of 港督 love to visit that. YUM!

Can you imagine the first thing that I actually did in HK was praying at a temple? Weird huh? Haha it was 文武庙! And I get a full set of praying incense!

When she went to classes, I took the star ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui for Star Avenue and  Harbour City. Nothing much about the Star Avenue I'd say, but... I walked all the way just to look for Andy Lau's print on the floor. Yes no joke, LOL, but I'm not a hard core fans.

The Symphony of Lights.. was okay, okay, okay. Nothing amazed me. Teehee.

But I spotted something super duper cute and interesting! The 101 Marathon event they have a display of the very very cute shoes! SO SO SO CUTE I wish I can take photos of every and each of them! Creative aye?

Harbour City Christmas decorations and lighting :) Pretty huh! And 1881 Heritage too!

Blahhhhh Ronald just finished off his work at 9pm (that's HK working lifestyle eih?) and Liz finished her class at 9pm too! Met up with Ronald at TST and we went to Jordan to meet up with Liz and Albert for supper! S U P P E R - the word that has almost disappeared from my dictionary but apparently it remains there as a 'backup'! Yessss this is where I had the most delicious scrambled egg and toast ever!! Simple yet yummiliious, sorry no photos. I was too SHY to take photos. Hahahaha. YUMMM!

And continue with half piece of smelly tofu! It smells.. smelly, but it tastes.. like a normal tofu! Not
that bad anyway, at least it's acceptable for me :)

Walk all the way from Jordan to Mongkok, passing by Templet Street and Women Street. Experienced the local-traditional-aunty-uncle night life by the street, singing and dancing. Hehehehe. And they kept telling me why and why I shouldn't stay at Kowloon area by myself, lol! And the places where many 黑社会 gather! Imagine if I'm staying there and I wander alone, I'd probably have 'intruded' those areas! :D

I'm super duper extremely happy meeting up with them! Life in Sydney without them has definitely become less interesting, I'm missing the good old times!