I'm in America!

Experience the life of a " Jie Mei "

2010-11-21T03:32:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine got married yesterday and I was one of her sisters for her wedding, it was a fun every sec. Minus the pictures, I m going to pen down e nice experience.

Few days before the big day:
The sisters met up at the bride-to-b's hse to prepare the "Gate Crashing" tools/food. On the wedding day, before groom is able to receive the bride, he and his brothers will hav to consume the 4 different tastes of food. For example, we used a blender to blend up the bittergourd to make bitter drinks, spread wasabe and chilli padi onto bread to make spicy snacks. Games to make fun of the groom and his brothers were also prepared. We also ran through the sequence of events/roles and responsibilities with the groom and his brothers.

Wedding day morning:
Groom was super early and had been waiting for a long time at the carpark. Food and games for "Gate Crashing" were all ready. Bride took a while for the dressup, so we were overrun by abt 30min. Relatives were worried, but remained calm.

Gate crashing wasn't tat easy at the beginning as we do not know the groom well, so were his brothers. I have heard of weddings where the brothers and sisters can't clique well, and ended up a dreadful experience for both sides. Luckily, the atmosphere warmt up after a few minutes. Because gate-crashing cannot be rehearsed, quick and witty responses are required by the sisters to make sure the groom and his brothers have tiny room for negotiation. The spicy bread made some of the brothers and the groom teared (OPPS!!) and it was fun watching the groom and his brothers dressed up as Hello Kitty characters , trying to fufill all our requirements in order to see the bride.

After the bride was received, it was photo taking session. The bride's dress is real long. We had to hold on to the tail wherever she goes.

Church ceremony commenced a little later than planned, followed by lunch reception and tea ceremony. Sister and brothers stood around in case any help needed, like making sure the sequence for the tea ceremony is followed, and ang paos are collected ...

The brothers are kind enough to offer help to navigate the "not-so-road-savvy" sisters to the groom's hse. Come to think of it, we concluded that it doesn't matter how many sisters and brothers there are, the impt thing is more on whether we help one another. I cant imagine if the brothers were nt so proactive, then the sisters will be furious. There will be alot of last-min hicups here are there, hence sisters and brothers have to be proactive.

Wedding dinner:
Although roles and responsibilities of the brothers and sisters were all discussed before the dinner commenced, unexpected hicups occured at the reception almost every sec. But we were lucky on the damage control part, everyone was proactive aligned. Great. These are reception hicups which cannot be seened by the guests. I am impressed by the amount of effort behind the scenes just to make sure the guest knows the table his is sitting.

Almost 9 months has passed....

2010-09-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

I went in and out of this blog of mine several times not knowing what to fill in the blanks. Basically has life been the same? well, answer is definitely no. But its just too much, too much to write down here. To fill up the basic checklist in life: Family - check, Career - uncheck, friends - check, personal life - uncheck.

So I am stucked again, not knowing what to write down. Its not a feeling of sadness, its just that everything is happening too fast, and I am really lost in transition, trying to catch up.

But I am sure the next entry of mine will definitely be interesting!!!

Shanghai Day 3

2010-07-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

Young at heart, we were still able to wake up early and take public transport to old Shanghai. On our way to our metro station, we past by a special beef pancake shop ( we tried it, its nice but oily!!)

Highly recommended to take cab to old shanghai because we took public tpt and continued by foot there. By the time we reached, we do not have enough time to go to the Bund anymore...

Again, converted old houses with Startbucks, silk shops, handicraft corners, restaurants so famous so with their tea( yum cha) and xiao long bao. Very super long Qs at Nan xing Xiao long bao for takeaways. Do not need to worry much abt getting lost because there are directions to recommended restaurants. its a very touristy place.

Shanghai Day 2 - World EXPO

2010-07-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Regretted not buying the 160RMB day tix in Sg…so we had to wake up at 530am to queue up for the ticket. Sequence of getting into the EXPO is as follows:

630am- start queuing for the entrance tix
8am – Counter open
815am – bought the ticket, start queuing for the entrance
10am – passed the security check
10am – had lunch at Singapore pavilion. U can ask y we ate at Sg pavilion, we were too hungry n there’s no queue

Did I mentioned we stood from 630 to 10am. Some ppl bought chairs at 15RMB. The rest of us just squeeze together (imagine the sweaty arms!! )Trying to cut Q and create personal breathing space, pushing here and there…..i would say it’s a good experience. U just got to be rowdy there.

1030am – got ourselves into Singapore Pavilion through the back door n found that it is such a disappointment…really pity those who had to Q for 2 hours just to get inside to watch a 7min MTV.

Singapore/Malaysia Pavilion

For those who want to go to the China Pavilion, have to start queuing @ the entrance at 5am…this is madness, this is China. We went to pavilions with little or no q, or Qs that move very fast – Italy, Philippines, Holland, Tunisia, Africa, Brazil, NZ, Singapore,Sri Lanka, Pakistan. Pavilions with super long Qs are England (4 hours) , Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia. I think basically it’s either its too beautiful inside or its just crowd control less than adequate.

In conclusion, EXPO is definitely not for the weak. Its hot (but there’s water cooler @ accessible locations) . Be prepared to stand and squeeze and feel “China!!”

China - at night. It is the biggest pavilion, although be did not get to see it, we sneaked a peek from the exit. basically lots of history and icons of china.

Spain

The Philippines

One of the restin areas...alot of ppl are zzzzz by noon...

Africa:

Lets learn a new country - Latvia!

NZ Pavilion which reminds me of ADM building back here at NTU Singapore…

Italy Pavilion – the best , its like MOMA, and the service crew had uniform designed by Prada

Holland – not very nice, but we can oversee the rest of the Pavilions from here. Like England!

England

Brazil

Pakistan

Shanghai Day 1

2010-07-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

We were all prepared for flight delay actually. But it turned out that Spring Airlines from Guangzhou to Shanghai was delayed only for 1 hr, probably because it landed at the super old HongqiaoTerminal 1, where rest of the airlines land at Terminal 2.

Old Terminal 1 doesn't have trains to the city!! Had to take cab to Duolun Rd (~90yuan), a well-known cultural street in Shanghai. Although it takes abt 10min to walk to the nearest Metro Station, it is voted as one of the must visit street - antiques, crafts and the famous Old Film Cafe which screens B&W movies.

Old Film Cafe

Shanghai Koala Guesthouse...very homely and showers r hot!

Shanghai Metro

Renmin Square - was trying to identify this building known as the Peace Hotel built in 1929...which is supposed to be iconic n famous because of its "old-shanghai" architecture. But all buildings here look the same - very Victorian style...and we saw Park Hotel instead.

It is wise to download all the Shanghai apps u can find in iTunes. Do not need internet connection, but when u see an iconic place, u can just open the app, locate the place to read abt it! So interesting!!

Next we conquered the few famous streets in Shanghai. Changle street, Xinle Street, both well-knowned for the French influence in the early days. Basically just shop houses with maple trees surrounded- shopping. Forbes actually recommended this cheap Grape Restaurant. It is real cheap and the food is alot!!!

Another shopping district is Huaihai Rd ( divided into East, Middle and West), stretches about 2 Metro stations. You can find H&M, Isetan, Crocs, Mango, Sephora, Nike etc etc...

Angel, pls guide me...

2010-07-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

A meaningful lesson learnt these few weeks made me relook at the decision i made 7 months ago. A feeling of embarrassment sets in, but it is a good test. Its a lesson to relook at the decision, to fine-tuned it and make it look more presentable. Again, repeating wat I said 7 months back, I do not have any regrets because i know i've done my best. Calamity always come after a big storm. Now it would be wise to prepare the boat for a larger storm if there is.

Here comes Teadot

2010-07-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

Step aside TCC and Starbucks, this is awesome: http://www.facebook.com/pages/teadot/99673625790

The menu contains different kinds of Latte. We ordered caromile latte and mocha latte,each approx $6. Both taste very very nice and refreshing. What amazed us was when we ordered our drink, they actually placed our teacups in the boiler to boil off the bacteria. On top of that, they actually had stop watches to time the mixing machines. And when the tea came after waiting for about 5min, guessed wat, its so personalised!!!! i wonder if we can make special request on the picture we would like to see on our tea?!

Man Fu Yuan UOB 1-for-1 Dinner set promotion

2010-06-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

Turning into a food blog again!

This time round its more interesting. Thanks to UOB, we get a 1-for-1 promotion. This cantonese restaurant is situated in a small corner at 5-star Intercontinental Singapore. Quiet and the staff are really nice, i'm glad we enjoyed the meal!

Price: after discount = $90 per 2 pax, inclu service charges

Norwegian Salmon Sashimi with wasabi soy dressing - the wasabi is mixed with soy cauce and served, makes the soy sauce thick. I never knew i luv to eat raw salmon so much!

Braised Coin Fin with Dried Sole served with Chicken Consomme: another way of eating fins

Braise Goose web & Flower Mushroom with greens: I've never like to eat chicken feet, let alone a goose web! but well, i ate it in the end since its paid! taste no bad actually...

Mocha Wok Baked Australian Yorkshire pork Loin: meat is soft but its not fats. Its meat!

Steamed Sohmen with Crabmeat with Rice Wine Broth: This is Japanese noodles made of wheat flour steamed with egg white/soy beancurd...

Chilled Black Glutinous Rice Puree with Desiccated Coconut & Ice cream : not very different from the normal dessert, but ice cream that does not melt fast is considered to be good!

"the grass may not be greener @ e other side" but wasn't it greener when u said u want to see e world 5 months ago?

2010-06-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

An interesting event occured last week which ended up in a oh-so-u-failed-the-minitesst-again? kinda situation...but peace is set after the big waves, at least i think for a while. Thinking back, perhaps i could have handled it better, i just cant understand why ppl can say things which they dun really mean it.

After all the hard work for the past few weeks, I bought a birthday present for myself. In fact, i'm excited about the changes tat are going to happen come July, i'm looking forward to it with caution. Now where do I find the time to make all these things happen..I rem S once said that i'm easily amused by the little things around me, it makes life more interesting, doesnt it? So much so that I even wanted to keep my used gloves as a souvenior for working so hard.

I'm on the top of the world with my heart-shaped bread

2010-05-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

Alas, finally, conquered. The 100m structure which I have been dreaming abt all week long.

Midway through the climb, when V is already up at the highest level, i passed my water bottle and camera to P, just in case i cant make it to the top. But i know i hav V and P climbing with me, i'm not afraid.

At >100m vertically above ground, I can see the breathtaking view of Jurong Island, Shell Bukom, Pasir Panjang Wharf, Jurong, the experience is great. Its not about fear of heights or fearing that u will fall straight at 9.81m/s^2 when u loose ur grip, its abt physical strength, abt mental strength.

Oh the swiss roll which we made at the baking class was fantastic, never eaten such a soft cake for very long time, i think of making them right now but left the ingredients M passed to me at office...

It might be abit too early, but I am already thinking how I should be spending my bday!!!!!

The little things that made life great. I wouldn't want to change a thing abt it.

2010-05-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

i have to admit i replied the sms and a string of wierd events occur this time round. I am replying out of politeness but then wary that in the end i might be the one who is hurt again. they say i'm too soft hearted n hence probability is high. oh well, i've replied and thats it. theres nothing to think abt, its over.

Oh M is back from Hokkaido!! and she brought me my fav umbrella which i so cherish it that i cant bear to use it when its raining. A diary too from Korea so that i can pen my thoughts down. Rather than typing repetitive things here, i feel unhealthly and embarrassed abt myself too.

just wanna share my phone wallpaper...its a chalkboard @ U.d.d.e.r.s thomson. Driving all the way there just to eat the Mao Shan Wang ice cream is all worth it, of course with gd company!! i like the chalkboard - patrons can vote for their fav type of ice cream, a gd way of customer feedback system in place :)

Iggy's is Singapore no.1 restaurant

2010-05-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

its out of politeness, i would very much like to reply.

Received an sms from a familiar person this afternoon. Twice bitten, never ever shy. The last time after i replied, a string of unhappy events occur, which of course ended with brain-washing sessions again by colleagues and friends.

While i'm blogging here and preparing for work tmr, the rest of the world is probably partying their night's out. G's eating at Spruce right now i guessed...

there's probably too much things on my plate to work on. i'm looking forward to baking class with M and J next week. so as to make sure the guys wont laugh at my skills again. and M will be back from Hokkaido, i wonder what she got for me.

I guessed life will be exciting if u make it be.

oh i have 2 brains

2010-05-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

was wondering the whole day why i seemed so moody. perhaps its the previous post i posted? thinking about unhappy stuff? well, mayb.

later in the afternoon D came and we chatted. i'm going to write abt him today to honor him because he is one of my colleagues who have made an impact in my working life. I used to think he's obnoxious and aggressive years back just because he threw a packet of sweets brought from australia on my desk. but after these years i see the softer side of him, an engineer who really go all the way to help the construction workers.

its hard to believe someone who does boxing everyday and car racing on weekends could be so caring towards his workers. Chatting with him brings back the softer side of me. We are just one of the few who are still trying to gel into the company's system, trying to find our identity...

oh well, i feel better.

lets all fight the virus so no one will be ill!

2010-05-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

Miley Cyrus' its the climb....

In less than 9 days i'm going to conquer the plant's highest structure - vertically at 100m high, and under the hottest sun at 37 degrees C with full harness and fall arrest system.I dunno how i'm going to do it, but i'm going to do it. i've known of ppl who have conquer it in 20min, continuously climbing in vertical direction, its probably worst than mountain climbing.

sadly, the training for the past few months hav all gone down the drain due to the viral attack recently, the clinical drugs, drowsiness blah blah...

But i'm going to do it. I might not conquer the full height but at least i know i tried. In the past i used to think of the person i most cherished when i climb tall structures. its in the unconscious part of me. like this person motivates u to climb, gives u inspiration and all. it just comes naturally.

recently, i stopped thinking about this person when i climb, but well these climbs are probably not dangerous enough.

this time i dunno if i will still think of this person, so its going to be a test for me. Like what S said, i will have to go through these slowly...mini tests, self checks, brain wash stuff...until i found someone. sounds sad but oh ho.why am i still talking about all these stuff when 4 months have passed!!!!! its so unhealthy! n wasting my time n energy on unhappiness when i can use my brain to think of better stuff......like my dream cafe and the exciting life ahead in the next 2 months!!

Alright back to the lighter stuff, here i am, trying out the foie gras at Majestic Hotel. i really cant bring myself to eat, but then its FREE...hopefully by eating liver, my liver will be able to withstand all the erythromycin i've eaten for the past few days.

Wld u rather live as a monster or die a gd man

2010-04-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

Yet another week of brain-washing and reality check session by colleagues. sometimes i just feel the only reason i'm surviving is because of all these brain-washing sessions by friends and colleagues. brings me back to where i last landed, guide me to the perfect path which after so many sessions of brain-washing, made me believed that the path which they lay is the correct one. i dun really yearn for more of such sessions, repetitive thinking is harmful, but yet after every session, i learn new things.

Hurdle rate - a common term we used in projects, to determine the project will fly or not fly . to apply it to our daily lives, the percentage wld help us determine whether we want to execute a certain action. the rate is determined by the consequences ( aka returns in a project).

would u want to know this person all over again? know his/her hobbies, how he/she manage family crisis, know her/his friends all over again? know the parents, pet, relatives all over again? Hurdle rate is definitely high for pple like me, who is a low risk taker. they say i'll need to go thru brain-washing sessions unless i overcome the hurdle rate. i embraced that.

just got to know i'll b moving on to another role at work. great challenges ahead for a low risk taker like me.Stepping out of my comfort zone is a great challenge, but i believe i have to, in order to survive. wat do i want to prove? that without brain-washing sessions, i can survive? that i'm not a low risk taker?

Yesterday, after so many months, i went to a familiar place which i used to go almost every week for the past 8 years. uncontrollable memories definitely there are. But that does not mean I am afraid. being able to overcome the fear is a quantum leap.

Rule 72

2010-03-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

Got up early to meet brother B and sisters to visit the Egyptian exhibit at National Museum of Singapore " Quest for Immortality" . Egyptians dun believe in death, to them, death is a new life in a whole new world. tat's y there hav all those jewellery buried together with the mummies...

Didn't have time to lunch with them as i have to rush down for my financial session. Its fun learning the basics of finance with women from all age groups. But well, action speaks louder than words. We got to practice what we learn... like organizing statements, looking at ur portfolio, types of insurance, how to grow ur wealth, y do we save? how much is enuff???

Spent my night with patients at TTSH. Mr Lee, as usual likes to mumble to himself waves in the air. But he's ok throughout the nite. Mr Ng, after eating biscuit and drinking milo, vomitted...oh poor nurses.

yesterday wa a hectic day.

If we were to collapse, we will become size of a sugar cube

2010-03-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

Today had dinner with a friend who also went through almost the same situation as me. i'm happy that she has really let go and move on. which spur me to think of it. yes i think thinking of such things is really a total waste of time. which is why i'm typing them down, hoping that i will never hav to think of it again.

sometimes i think of asking him how he's doing. but then, i asked myself y am i giving myself chances of receiving lost hopes again. i dun wish to noe whether he's already w her, i believed he is. so really no pt asking him how he's doing. yup. i wish there is such "forget-him-totally" potion in Alice in Wonderland for me to drink.

have i really moved on? i guessed i'm improving. at least now i can concentrate during work much more. i'm not afraid to stay late in office. i look forward to meeting up with friends. but whenever the phone sms tone ring, yes sometimes i'll think if its him. i guess it takes time...

saying that "u're the one" is only at the moment of time. its really v subjective...there's always a better one for u out there even though u might think u're contented with wat u already hav. so its really up to u whether u want to open yourself to the world to find the right one, n even if u think u found the right one, there's always a better one somewhere else. hence it all boils down to commitment n responsibility??

they say god has plans n time will tell. yes i believed in that. there are jus some things in life which u need to go thru to learn...

"if you think that the world is big without me, nothing can stop u from flying."

BSB This is US concert 2010

2010-03-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

i wonder when was the last concert i attended! anyway, the concert was so overwhelming the songs are still ringing inside my head after so many days! paid $148 but never get to sit on our seats, but its still worth it. i wonder when is westlife coming. how about The Moffatts too?

Late night thoughts

2010-02-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

Well, its almost 1am on a thursday night. Tomorrow is Friday. Time passes so fast and a month passed. J onced asked in fb, "what hav u achieved so far in the 1st month of 2010?"

Well, it has been quite some achievement for me. Looking back, (opps shouldn't look back actually). i'm glad i'm still alive. Life is really too short to enjoy, n so i'm into my first step of achieving one of my dreams. :) basically i still enjoy making ppl happy n i think i hav matured abit, i see things from more perspectives than before. mayb its something out from the past traumatised experience.

i hav a few dreams. which i think i should really work on them. previous goals in life are somehow for whatever reasons invalid. So i should be setting some goals for this yr which are realistic, measurable and sustainable.

I am also excited the long holiday i'm getting...wow...hope that schedule doesn't get too pack as i really want to sit down quietly, think about my future, think about shifting this blog to another location. The blog really needs a rehab, n be sure that it doesn't get hacked again.

In loving Memory of ....

2010-02-06T23:41:00.000-08:00

I know J.Pingu, you will be well taken care off. Carebear and I will miss you much. Although u aren't even a living thing, the times shared with u will never be forgotten.

Revisit of the life of an engineer

2010-01-27T02:22:00.000-08:00

well i posted life of an engineer on March 25th 2008. it has been almost 2 years from now. so now its the revisit part!

Engineers always think about the worst case scenario. We always think of it cz it will affect our decision, whether is a go or no go. We call it a risk assessment- carefully assessing the risk and probability that the scenario will happen. Engineers plan upfront, so that we find ways to prevent the worst case scenario fm happening.

Engineers find ways to make the project run smoothly and ideally. However, we also stick to project schedule, deliverables and reporting that must be submitted. Even if we hav to accept an inferior pdt, again we will do a risk assessment , to decide whether we want e inferior pdt anot.

I cherish the ppl i smiled to...

2010-01-18T03:02:00.000-08:00

I smiled to
1) bus driver 1 on my way to Jurong East.
2)bus driver2 and said thank u when i reached Jurong Island
3) bus Driver3 and said thank u when i reached the admin building
4) cleaner and said thank u when she helped me cleared by dustbin.
5) colleagues Gand R when we had our first meeting of the day.
6) manager Y n told him abt the minutes of meeting.
7) colleague I when he came to talk to me abt wat happen during the Friday meeting last wk
8) colleagues J, K, YK, M when they asked me out for lunch.
9) colleagues CW, J, manager L on my way for meeting.
9) colleagues A, C, IS, K, JY - we were talking abt wat food we dislike when we were suppose to discuss abt work.
10) supervisor KH when i saw him at his desk!
11) colleagues CS, S when they just came back from site.
12) colleague M when he asked me abt WS on our way home.
13) colleagues Md, T, JM when we talked abt the upcoming dragonboat competition.

n many many more.....

lastly, i smiled to the shocking sms KY sent me which woke me up at 5:57am...

Life of a Bangladeshi worker

2010-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in the shed with my colleague yday while waiting for the vendor to arrive. I had nothing to do, so i just stared at the bangladeshi worker infront of me. he offered me a bar of chocolate and returned back to do his work.

i feel the emptiness inside him. he must hav left his family there n had come here to seek for a better life. they do not choose this path but they are always the ones who are at the frontline of danger. his spoken english is not v fluent, but he can understand when i explain to him in layman terms.

i hope they have enuff to bring home to their family and may they have a bright future.

Happy Birthday Rudy Ruth Ruth

2010-01-10T05:08:00.000-08:00

We baked a cake for my niece...

Looks nice but taste like hard bread...

n i thought of J.Pingu, if he likes to eat cake?

well, the J.Pingu i knew do not have sweet tooth. but oh well, ppl change, rite.?

Move on, babe. Bake for who who will appreciate...

Bodyguards n Assassins

2010-01-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

I think this is one of the best mandarin movie of recent times. The story plot is very simple but the director really focused on the actor's facial expressions. alot of times the actor's face occupy half of the screen...

The funny part was hearing how Eric Tsang speak mandarin!!

Childhood Dresses for SALE!!

2009-06-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Mum was looking through this big bag of clothes which belong to us 3 sisters when we were young. Having kept for more than 25 years, its time to give them away and move on.

I have taken some photos of them, which I believed will become a treasure to some children in 3rd world country when we give away.

I dun really remember wearing this dress, but I like it a lot back then and even now! Esp the little gal sewn on the dress. This was given to me by my auntie. Oh ya, mum said she didn’t let me wear cz it was too small. Dress still look new, maybe I can save it for my children next time.

This dress isn’t mine. Its my elder sis’s. took this photo because it was sewn by Mum!! Details are so fine and neat.

Another dress sewn by mum...

This was one of my favorite dress I would wear every other day. No prize for guessing why I like it so much, it has ribbon on the right side!Have decided to keep this.

My PAP uniform when i was in kindergarden year 2.

My favourite top 1. Its cooling! Have decided to keep this as well.

My fav top 2. its also cooling and has ribbon at the back.

Front

Back

I want to be a Welder!

2009-06-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

Attended Welding course last week. For most of us who are clueless about welding, well, its the melting of metals and cooling them in order to join them together. our house, car, basically all metals, are joined by this method. and guess who weld? Its the welders of course!!

It so hard to weld, once we don on our face shield, we cant see a thing, only the arc and sparks made by the welding. its so hot and stuffy under the face shield, i really empathise with the welders.welders post themselves in such a dangerous environment, and yet are not regarded highly...

KL Trip 2009

2009-05-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Actually if you are a nature lover or enjoys sceanery, KL is not your cup of tea. KL is mainly SHOPPING and eating...though i haven tried the best food yet!!!

We went to KL by car early in the morning at around 6am, not surprisingly, both SG and MY checkpoints were jammed...

There are canteens and restrooms along the North-south highway of malaysia. my usual practice is to eat Mee soup, cz i think by eating boiled soupy stuffs, prob of getting stomach upset is minimal. too bad i can't find my fav goreng pisang!!

Shopping should never be missed in KL city...of all the shoppings i went, i LUV The Pavilion best...it is located at Bukit Bintang, near Marriot Hotel. there's shops like MNG, Topshop, Foverever 21, Nike, Adidas etcetc...over 200 shops!!! the designs are also different from what i see in SG...my best steal is in MNG, where i saved 8 sing dollars on a long sleeve top which i wanted to buy at vivo.

there's this shop called PADINI which i feel is very suitable for working adults who opt for simple designs at affortable $$. there's alot of variety.

this is only a quater of pavilion...

The cost of a Yong tau foo at The Food Republic in the Pavilion cost RM8. the $ can be better well spent at jalan alor, which is famous for the street food. Dinner for 4 cost abt RM70!!

Jalan Alor by day

Jalan Alor by night

Dinner for 4

Happy but not there yet

2009-04-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

recently, I sat on this same taxi 3 times consecutively and got to know the driver better and realised that he holds 3 jobs: 1) taxi driver 2) businessman 3) helps to take orders for dry products at coffeeshops. from his conversation i was able to feel that he enjoys what he's doing, although its tiring as he is the sole breadwinner for the family.

i realised how important it is to feel good, proud and happy about your job. 1 third of your day is spent at work, sometimes even more. as for me, i'm happy but not that happy yet.

alright, let's talk abt some other happier and more exciting stuff!

Saw this bag at the stationery shop @ Funan. Its real nice. Cost abt erm...$40? and realised that its from JAPAN!!!! Kawaii ne!! http://www.rootote.com/en/ ....postage is half the price of the bags...omg..i think going back to Funan would be a wiser choice!

Also passed by ORCHARD ION...its good engineering design! think the glass panels are designed to reflex sunlight away to keep the building cool?

Am looking forward to the opening of the ion so that it can burn my paycheck!

Chemical Engineering for non-chemical engineers

2009-02-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

I am spending my entire week attending this course on " Chemical Engineering for non-chemical engineers". Day in day out I hav to deal with chemical engrs so this course would enable me to better understand what they are talking abt in work...

I didn't had much expectations before attending. i thought, well its going to be another boring course, going to hotel for 5 days and ppl are still able to call you for work matters and then after 5 days of course, returning back to work with chunks of backlog.

Of all the courses i've attended so far ( abt 4 total), i think i brought back the most for this course. I had the opportunity to learn together with ppl whom i've never seen before (although we're all in the same company), solving problems together (well in work, u solve your own problems, and present to boss). We brainstorm ideas together (in work, there's no time for brainsotrming, just ask the exprienced ppl and you'll get solutions). Its all....TOGETHER...

But its all going to end, tmr will be the last day for this course.......come monday life will be back to normal again, clearing backlog and so on...

Sri Lanka Day 2 - Kandy

2009-01-26T07:02:00.000-08:00

By 650am we're ready on our van to leave for Kandy. Its another city in Sri Lanka, abt 100km away from Colombo. Breakfast was homemade sandwiches! http://www.explorelanka.com/places/hill/kandy.htm Time was early as we got to catch the elephants!!

Elephant Orphanage - as usual, entrance fees are diff among sch children, tourists and locals. the elephant's timetable looks boring- feeding, bathing and back to feeding and bathing. I hope the money we pay (incl tips!) goes to buying them better beds to sleep and better food to eat...

Elephant dung is actually used to make paper for writing. so envtal friendly!!talking abt closed looped ecosystem!

We had lunch at hotel. Sri lankan buffet doesn't really suit our taste. I ordered vegetarian fried rice and fried noodles for everyone. I guessed by having indian colleagues, i know that these are the simplest indian dishes we can order!

our hotel...looks england-like with tall ceiling inside.

After lunch we visited the Tooth relic Temple http://www.sacred-destinations.com/sri-lanka/kandy-temple-of-the-tooth.htm and walked along the streets before we had our dinner and rest for the night.

tooth relic temple

streets of Kandy

Bank of Ceylon

Sri Lanka Day 1 - singapore to colombo

2009-01-24T09:08:00.000-08:00

I'm surprised myself that i am actually spending my Chinese New Year in Sri Lanka. http://www.srilankatourism.org/. What attracts tourist i guessed would be the coastal beaches in this country which was onced ruled by Dutch, Portugese and British.

Taking Cathay Flight from Singapore to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka

Colombo airport-its a small airport with minimal facilities.

What we can see from our apartment - - Indian Ocean with railway along the coast!!! By right there should be sea breeze. but it hot, hot, HOT...

One of the main streets in Colombo...

Our breakfast - - i had McOmelette, harsh brown and coffee, cost 130rp = less than 2SGD!

First time in my life i stepped on railway track and took photo! and with Indian Ocean beside!

The 5th day of 3 week leave

2008-12-18T18:17:00.000-08:00

Time passes so fast when i'm on leave. I spring cleaned the house except my room ( cz its the most "challenging" ), met up with friends, exercised and did crazy shopping. Mum said if new things come into the house, old things must go. i guessed i need to spend quite some time on my room then...

Remember I mentioned about SEPHORA shop we saw everywhere in New York City and I said its the best beauty shop ever. http://rhyolittle.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html It has landed its flagship shop in Singapore Takashimaya!!!! though its officially opened today, i managed to get in yesterday! Staff were not as friendly as compared to those in NYC. but its ok, gals pls go there and shop!!!

I feel good in December!

2008-12-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

Life is going to be so exciting! i'll be on leave for 3 weeks soon and be back to office next year! Finally I can feel normal again, do the things that i like, wake up late etc...and hopefully no phone calls from office!

Christmas is coming , I hope to receive presents i like. In the past, I used to design handmade cards for my frens, which i stopped doing that a few years ago. This year, i intend to make gifts for frens whom i'll be meeting this christmas! So frens out there, be ready to receive a surprise from me!

Company DND

2008-11-22T00:24:00.001-08:00

Last saturday was our company DND. Theme was Magical Kingdom...we have ppl dressing up as Aladdin, Snow white and seven drawfs, little red riding hood, lord of the rings etc.... and my table is Peter Pan!!!

Tinklebell...

We booked a room at Swisshotel for the night....nice view from 45th storey!

Happy Deepavali

2008-10-26T23:44:00.001-07:00

Great Eastern Women's 10K run

2008-10-26T23:36:00.000-07:00

Happy running. I was thinking, this 5km which i ran is probably going to be the longest distance i'll ever run for my life. But think again, maybe i should try for 6km??

Resting weekend

2008-10-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

For your info, I have been working for 14 days continuously, for 12 hours daily. Basically, its just wake up - go work - return home - sleep. Its mentally and physically draining, totally disconnected from the outside world. This weekend i'll be resting, hope this will end soon. i just have too much of other things to accomplish...

Travelling websites

2008-09-27T01:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.airlinemeals.net/

For those who always dream of travelling, this website will bring us 1 step closer to our dream! Wont be able to finish viewing everything within 1st visit to this website.

http://www.buffalotours.com/

Specially customized tours to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Haven tried the trips. Includes out-of-ordinary activities like volunteerism and cooking trips. For those who likes to plan their own trips...

Good video

2008-09-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

Please switch of all music to hear and see this.

Wake up early in the morning to run

2008-09-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

Today is my company's running carnival. We ran 5km, although I was not the top 10 runners, it was a great achievement for me, maybe even greater than work achievements.

Out of the top 10 women runners, 2 of them were managers. WOW. so we all know what to do to climb up the corporate ladder!

Now i will continue to train for the Great Eastern run next month!!!!

Table Tennis fever

2008-09-06T07:27:00.001-07:00

I rem playing table tennis once or twice with my mum and sister under my house when i was young.

Today, i lay my hands on the tennis bat again! Lesson 1.1: Ensure the ball lands within the table area when hitting back to your opponent. it was not difficult. i dun have to run the entire court like badminton. Maybe because today my opponent is lenient!!

NTU is finally becoming more and more like a University now. Cafe by the quard used to be the most hip cafe. now they have SUBWAY, PIZZA etc...tried their SAKAE SUSHI. the ambience is nice cz of the arrangement of furniture, comparable to the restaurants in town.

Debt-Free day

2008-09-02T07:36:00.000-07:00

The feeling of debt-free is so good. it buries all your unhappiness. Just as i was about to celebrate the day, i just got to know that my colleague pays $0 for his uni sch fees. wao...that's not bad. To know that your future company is paying sch fees for next 4 years, and then dun need to prepare for interviews like mad, no anxiety that you wont get replies after sending out resume in final year, and yet get bonded to the company for 4 years after graduation.

oh i am so envious.

I broke my own record

2008-08-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

This week, I ran 8 rounds on the stadium track - 3.2km, continuously. frankly speaking, i have never ran so much in my life before. I am looking forward to my company's run next month and Great Eastern Run in October.

Seriously, my performance is greatly affected by the envt i'm in. i realised i'm more of a TEAM-oriented person. perhaps i'm a lazy person, working in a team will be able to spur me on!

As yet, the future in front of me is still a Dark Dark Alley. My stars are still not aligned yet!

A happy week passed!

2008-07-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

I ran 2.4km and played badminton this week. My "keep fit" programme has been doing well. i hope by October, i'll be able to complete the Great Eastern run.http://www.women10k.com/

--------------------------------------------------------

I thought about the problem i had last week - of how to work with people with different objectives. This week, i found there they are actually people with the same objectives as me! not too bad after all!

I am determined to put my worthy effort to work with these people.

Teamwork and/or Final Result

2008-07-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

last week i thought about what's the use of working so hard.

then i concluded that only with hard work comes with success. I will have to work even harder, maybe use 125% my brain, 100% of the time. I will also do my best not to stay in office till so late.

I succeded in doing.

This weekend i will think about why and how i am going to work with people of different objectives. I always thought success of a project comes with great teamwork and great results. apparently, it comes only with good results. maybe i'm too naive.maybe i'm letting my emotions run wild.

Is success really based on the final results? Or based on the whole journey taken?

as yet, i'm still in puzzlement and have not thought of a conclusion yet.

I am home early today!

2008-07-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

Today seems different bcz when i reach home, i can still see the sun shinning. its all about strategizing: how to work less but gain same recgonition. life has to be strategized. just like how is one going to pay finish a double storey terrace house which costs 900k within 7 years. imagine without any loan commitments, i can save 50% of my income, invest 40% and spend the remaining 10%.

Happy Birthday!

2008-06-26T08:16:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to myself!

This week was special for me, that's if i say so..

I was on course the whole week. sadly, it wasn't at some posh hotel...it's at our own admin building. but it's as good as taking a week off, at least i'm not oblige to entertain my dear colleagues who like to go after me for reviewed doc.

I started my exercise regime this week: Ran 2km and swam 20 laps. A super big achievement for a lazy pig. Can still be improved, i believed. Maybe can participate some marathon one day. Path forward is to engage on more exercises to improve my alertness and agility.

The course which i attended is supposed to be a technical one, but instead i took home more than just technical knowledge. i learn that it's not easy to be a technical engr. REALLY...we have to troubleshoot technical problems, even in our dreams. at first i thought it's really weird how work can cause sleepness nights, but then our japanese trainer always say" Think about it(the problem), maybe you won't be able to sleep tonight".

so it's normal to have sleepness nights...it's even more tiring to work than to study- brain usage is 100%, 100% of the time.

Nevertheless, i had a great week, a week full of deep thoughts. i'm not regretting wat i've done for the past year, but i'm looking forward to spend by 24th year on earth with greater hopes and aspirations!!!

Chek Jawa

2008-06-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

615am - not even the usual time i wake up for work, today i'm going to Chek Jawa, one of the wetland reserves in Singapore not many ppl are aware of...

on board the boat to Pulau Ubin

the reason why we hav to wake up damn early is bcz NATURE WAITS FOR NO MAN, we gotta catch the low tide at 9am and i was looking forward to see starfishes, sea corals...

on broadwalk above the intertidal flats

Horseshoe crabs

Close to the wild with Moon!

Though we only saw tiny crabs and mubskippers and occasionally some dead fishes, it was a fun day for the H@i family. Compare to the normal gatherings we had-eat, watch movie, KTV, today is one we bring our friendship to the next level!!!

DHA

2008-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Few minutes ago, I got a phone call from this lady who called herself 'Sharon'. She started with, "my collegue called you a few months ago for survey, do you remember, the first qns was Have you travel via SIA before? (it was like months ago, i was skeptical of what she said)

Then, without telling me where she is from, she continue to say you are selected to receive the 4 door gifts--- a $1000 dollar evoucher to buy electronics, TV, furniture etc, or 1-for-1 cruise, or 8 day 7 night trip to bangkok, studio shot voucher.

She goes on elaborating how you can use the vouchers and trips and specifically say that this is not a timeshare company and NO OBLIGATIONS, all you need is to go down to Rolex Builidng and listen for 90min-- on how to use the vouchers blah blah...She was talking like a bullet and it all sounded as if she was really memorizing those sentences, she repeated and repeated so many times exactly the same words. A few times I stopped her and asked her how could this be true? The gifts are too good. She repeatedly replied sayin its NOT a timesharing company, 90min blah blah…

I kept asking her what is the company name. she mentioned DHA and before I could ask her more abt the company she again talked abt the same things. Then she tried to fix me up for appointment tmr and again, repeated the address so many times...she then told me you must bring you IC down and asked for my full name.

Afterwhich, she transferred the call to what she called her manager, "Gina Tan". She then told me again the address and I MUST bring my IC.Then she said that Sharon is coming back to work tmr because of me ( is this a threat???) and she'll give sharon an off day on Monday because Sharon has to attend me tmr ( shows she's really threatening me that i better go tmr cz i'm depriving Sharon of her off day). again repeatedly tell me that I must go down...

-------------------------------------------------------------

After putting down the phone, i was curious, went online to search and found a good lot of things abt all these----->http://forum.channelnewsasia.com/viewtopic.php?t=88480&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=70

it looks like a real SCAM!!! they cheat ppl's hard earn $$$. i'm glad i did my research. if this Sharon calls tmr, i'm going to tell her i'm bringing a lawyer or policeman along with me...

Priorities...

2008-05-18T01:13:00.000-07:00

I find some ppl are just so unbelivable...
They often reply they're not free to meetup cz they have exams, too busy with work, etc...
and yet they're always flooding your email...

Do they mean they cant just spare 2 hours to have a meal with their friends?? how can they not have time to catchup with friends but have time to send chain mails...

I mean, helloo...where are your priorities??!?!?

Operation Lindbergh

2008-05-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

A mechanical engineer by profession, I am also interested in the medical field. During my final year in university, I took up biomechanics and learnt about how an artificial heart valve work and how robotic assist technogies have help surgeons to perform surguries miles away from the patient.

2001 saw the first trans-atlantic surgery. Operation Lindbergh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindbergh_Operation , a telesurgical laparoscopic operation carried out by a team of French surgeons located in New York on a patient in Strasbourg, France, was a total success.

Here's a video of the surgery (not suited for faint-hearted though!!)http://www.ircad.fr/lindbergh/videos.php?lng=en

A supersonic cruiser in my office

2008-04-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

i often dream of how nice it would be if i have a supersonic cruiser just infront of my office so when i knock off late at night, i could just step onto it, press the "go" button and i could be at my house the next minute.

however, life's isn't that perfect, which is why we all have dreams in the first place! guessed this is as close as it can get...

9.50pm. As i shut down my computer, i give shuttle bus uncle at the guard house a call to inform him to wait for me at the porch at 10pm sharp. most of the time, bus uncle would be late even though i told him to be there at 10, and not leave the guard house at 10. 10.05pm. I quickly walk down the stairs. the aircon seems to be colder since everyone has left. i board the shuttle bus and dail Prime taxi's number. i always luv to dail Prime taxi for cabs because they are always so so efficient. its really a blessing to be able to get a cab in this part of Singapore where i'm working, esp at night. I guessed I have become Prime taxi's frequent customer...

" yes, miss, a cab for you at the same location as yesterday's?"

"yes, pls"

"ok, miss, pls wait for a moment"

the waiting music starts to play. the shuttle bus now is waiting for the traffic light to turn green. good, if everything goes smoothly, the cab will reach the guard house just as when i will alight the shuttle bus.

"ok, miss, taxi number 2068, waiting at the guard house, arriving in 2 minutes"

"thank you!!"

10:13pm. shuttle bus reaches the guard house. the security guard checks my bag. I walk towards taxi number 2068, board, and i'm on my way home!

Audi Quattro Test drive - is this true?

2008-04-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

What makes a good engineer?

2008-03-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

The best engineers are problem solvers and innovators. It can save some time if they’ve already solved exactly the same problem, but the latest problem may be different in some way.

Good engineers may find a solution based on similar experiences, or invent a totally new solution. They look at the “traditional” capabilities of a system or component, and see new, untapped potential.

The "grammar" of engineering is most easily learned. A good engineer may need only a few days to learn about a new component or technique, and has the ability to apply fundamental technical knowledge within the context of an overall design.

Learning the "poetry" of engineering requires much more time and effort, but allows good engineers to incorporate new concepts into original and elegant solutions.

Extracted from:
What makes a good engineer?
By Don Rowe

Future

2008-03-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

Exactly a year ago I was probably concentrating on my FYP, trying hard to study amino acids in microgels, doing experiments again and again. Completing FYP was my greatest satisfaction - but that was at that time.

Now that i'm already into my 6th month in the corporate world, I come to realised that its no use thinking about the past. I have to start thinking abt my future,

seriously.

working when I am old

2008-03-12T23:57:00.000-07:00

I dun want to think abt this situation that when i'm old, i go to work just for the sake of working.

because i'm so knowledgeable in what i'm doing everyday is just ABC for me.
i no longer have the amount of drive i had when i was younger.
and because i know with what i have, i cant go far in the company
and i see younger ppl in the company advancing far better than me.

then i will think back and start to regret why didn't i work harder when i was younger.
What was my benchmark of working hard? Did i have one for myself or i was blindly following the rest.

or perhaps then I'll start thinking what is my goal in life.

Secret life...

2008-03-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

Pack my bread in my bag and I’m off to work.
Board the shuttle bus, I found myself comfortable.
Sometimes I see unfamiliar faces, but I still smile.
Often, I fell asleep after reading a few lines.
I look forward to seeing some people, who will make my day
I wonder how working life would be like without them.
There are times of frustrations along the day
But with them around, I know all problems can be solved!!

My road trip dream

2008-02-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

My road trip Dream

We will drive across the continent
Enjoy the heli view of Grayon
Breathe the morning air of Yellowstone
Make snowman in Mt Rainier
Stroll along 5th ave of NYC
Explore the Big Dipper under the northern horizon
Sunbathe along Miami Beach
Feel the wonders of Niagara Falls...

HK Day 4

2008-01-04T23:15:00.000-08:00

We were supposed to meet KY for lunch at 1130 but guess wat, we woke up at 1030! took MTR to Causeway Bay, another one of the up-towns in HK.

Here's our lunch : snake, Roasted goose, Vege and pork sausage. HK ppl eat real fast. they just eat and go, no chatting after meals! Or izit because they have to rush back to work?!?!

We had our last minute shopping at Mongkok area. Cant imagine i actually bought 7 peices of "I love Hong Kong" T'shirts.

Hong Kong Day 3

2008-01-03T00:29:00.000-08:00

Breakfast at the tea house just below our Hotel. It quite nice! Porridge and tea "youtiao". like the rest of the tea houses in HK, the breakfast menu is huge, with variety of porridge and noodles to choose from.

Took MTR to to visit the famous temple "Huang Da Xian". Quite alot of ppl. Made our wishes and then proceed to Tsim Sha Tsui to look for the Esprit Warehouse. Cant find it so we shop along Nathan Road at Tsim sha Tsui. Lots of Shopping!!

"Huang Da Xian" temple

There's a new shopping centre beside "Huang Da Xian" MTR station but seems llike high-end goods are sold here so we didn't shop much there.

In the evening we went to Victoria peakhttp://www.thepeak.com.hk/full/en/index.php. Combined tix incl peak viewing gallery, Madame Tussauds and peak tram cost 145HKD.

Wow!! all the stars are here! see them for yourselves! too bad we cant take photos with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. We need to pay to let their staff help us to take...cant even get close to them in wax!

If u're fast and dun spend time admiring, one can finish the entire Madame in like 2 hours! Next, proceed to the peak gallery. by the time my stomach starts to call out, but the food here is so ex!

View from the peak:

With empty stomach, we went back to Mongkok, have Macdonalds for take-away. We filled our stomach first before our last night of shopping at Mongkok.

KY asked us out at Langham for Dessert. Lucky Dessert has more authentic decorations than "Xu Liu shan". And their Mango dessert is better too! Althought not in the case of asthetism!

Hong Kong Day 2

2008-01-02T00:22:00.000-08:00

Took MTR to Central to this famous Luk Yu Tea House at Stanley
road for Dim Sum http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hongkong/D44638.html. Walking along Queen's Road Central one can find shopping centres like my fav H&M!! there's huge sale up to 60% off selling winter clothes.

Luk Yu Tea House has nice deco and reflects back to the olden days where the staff used to carry the tray of dim sum on their backs. Some reviews mentioned that the the staff here are rude, but we dun find it so.

We took MTR to Disneyland http://www.disney.com.hk/en/index_flash.html. The train is so cute! it's decorated with disneyland stuff. Entrace fee was 295HKD. The disneyland is not as big as the one in LA and the themes are almost the same. No princesses to take photos with but there's Mulan the heroine! And the parade was nice too!

Took MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui to watch the Symphony of Lights http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/showtime/lighting/index.jhtml near the habour and bus interchange. it was magnificent. Worth watching, and it lasts only for 15min.

Avenue of stars...

Had our dinner at Hankow road near the MTR station. The food is served hot and the nooodle soup is nice too!!

Hong Kong Day 1

2008-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Upon touching down at HK airport at 5pm, we took Airport Express to Mongkok. By travelling on MTR http://www.mtr.com.hk/engtxt/homepage/cust_txt_index.html, groups of 2 or more can enjoy promotion rates from airport to Tsing Yi.

From Mongkok,We walked through Sai Yeung Choi Street, ladies street to Soy street where our hotel is-Acesite Hotel.The temperature is cold and the streets were full of ppl.

Walking to temple street only takes about 10 to 20 min.Here we are at the famous claypot rice (xing ji claypot).Filled with ppl as well. quite cheap- abt S$10 per claypot and lots of varieties to choose from- pork, chicken, seafood etc .There are a few other claypot eateries but this is the famous one! Seems like the more popular one is the crab claypot.

The famous oyster pancake is a must try!

Ladies street is the famous nite market but of course not as big as Jatujak mkt in bangkok. sells imitation stuff, bags, keychains, t shirts, clothes etcetc. Closes at around 12am

Langham Place is considered a new shopping mall just outside Mongkok MTR station. We went to the Modern Toilet Cafe but too bad it was already closed for the night. Nevertheless, we took some toilet pictures!!

Went to this famous dessert shop Xu liu Shan. They have plenty of outlets around Mongkok Area. http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/gourmet/search/gp_sear_resu2.jsp?ibservic_id=3757&a_id=Hui+Lau+Shan&accountid=AFXRNA000CI6&loc_cond=&disp_name_cond=hui+lau+shan&disp_cat_cond=+All+&disp_loc_cond=+All+&disp_cri_cond=&category=the mango set looks nice, but does not taste as nice. however, worth trying! one need not worry because the shops close after 1am!

Finally we ended our nite with smelly tofu and fishball...these stores can be found al around mongkok.

How can this be true?!?

2007-08-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

I was scheduled for an interview with Company E. Ironically. it was on my first day of work at Company K.

On the day of my Convocation, and Company G came knocking on my life. I had an interview with Company G.

Company G and E pay higher than K and I was determine to leave Company K. And both of them offer very very attractive incentives.

In fact, Company G ranked top 5 in Fortune's Best Companies to work for in US. I'll be able to be train and experience life in US with my university friends for a year !! One Whole Year! What's more, all my allowances will be paid for. I was sure I'm going to enjoy my time in US and was ready to sign the contract for Company G.

Time passed by. I consulted frens, families, uni professors for advice. However, practically everyone told me Company E was a better option. They believed the field company E is in promises better prospects and job security. If I go for Company G, I have to be bonded to Singapore for 2 years, which means I cannot further my studies in total 3 years' time.

Should I just going miss all the fun that I should have in the US? It's only a year. I can always further my studies after 3 years. But do I want to futher my studies??

Time passed by, and deep down inside I, myself. know that I cannot let go any one of the 2 offers. The opportunity cost is too great. Sometimes I just feel like signing Companies G's contract but after a few days I feel like signing companies E's and the whole cycle went on and on for days. it's really taking a toll on me. I was confused, and still am, and I do not know what I really want. I hope fate will help me decide.

And today, today is the deadline of the offer by company G. Believe it or not, it was the very same hour that I was just inform by Company E that I had cleared medical and background checks and they are ready for me to report to work.

But I still cant let it (Company G) go. I'll think about it and it really makes me feel sad.

US Day 30 - NYC Day 3

2007-06-12T23:48:00.000-07:00

This is the residential area behind our hotel. looks pretty by the day but eerie and quiet by night!

Subway station revisited- the number 96 means we're at Subway 96 st.

Had our brunch at a chinese restaurant near Chinatown. Took Metro to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall. NYC has a few state-of-e-art bridges to other parts of NY. We didn't walk thru the entire bridge to Brooklyn cz the 2nd half was just a mirror image of the first. Statue of liberty? Yes we can see, thanks to my Canon 16X digital zoom.

Brooklyn Bridge

Look at the trusses and beams! perhaps only engrs can appreciate...

Statue of Liberty

Since we were quite near to Wall Street, might as well just stroll along the streets and try our luck if we can find Ground Zero.

Wall Street- heavily guarded with barricades and security guards.

Ground Zero - although it looks like just like any construction site, plenty of visitors.

opposite to Grounf Zero there's a cosmetic mall- SEPHORA http://www.sephora.com/. I feel this is the best cosmetic shop ever. the staffs are approachable, the prices are cheap, it has great variety of cosmetics and perfumes. We spent aroung 2 hours inside- trying to finish all our USD!!
Apparently, shopping is endless here in Midtown.

We continued to shop after dinner...spoke to one of the staff in a souvenior shop and he assured us that NYC is very safe, there's video cams and undercover agents all aound the city.

Went to Hersheys, M&M's

look at the sexy legs!

Well, we saw another SEPHORA, went in and shop till 11...

By the time we reach back hotel, there were already so many things to pack. We had to wake up 3 plus the next day to catch our flight back to Singapore...

US Day 29 - NYC Day 2

2007-06-11T23:48:00.000-07:00

Had a good night's rest. Brunch at Sapporo Ramen near Times Square. Not bad since we could have Jap food in US! Actually, NYC is easy to get around. there's everything, subway is super efficient, maps and the streets' numbering are in sequence!
The subway looks abit scary- dull and old...but after taking several times, its ok!

Times Square by day...

Sapporo Ramen. Picture taken from www.chopsticksny.com/guide.php?guide=restaurant

We spent the afternoon at MoMA ( Museum of Modern Art) Things here looked more interesting than Metropolitan Musem of Art...or maybe we're more into the arty mood after a good night's sleep?

Vincent Van Gogh - The Starry night

Pablo Picasso - Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon

John Baldessari - What is Art

Clement Greenberg - Art and Culture

I luv this best. It's created by Dan Perjovschi http://www.perjovschi.ro/- What happened to US? His works showcase the US culture and they're all drawn on the walls.

Henri Matisse - Dance

We went to Grand Central and on our way we passed by the famous St Patrick's Catheral facing Rockefella Centre. Nice structure huh...

Grand Central Station. supposed to be BIG cz the railway runs here too...

Nice souveniors to bring back home...

Had our dinner at this famous Vietnamese Restaurant Cho Dang Gol http://www.chodanggolny.com/. Nice setting and appetizer is refillable!!!

Refillable Appetizer

We rushed to The Majestic to watch our 2nd musical in US- The Phantom of the Opera. Our tix were ard 130USD each so we sat at the 4th row. The musical was superb. All the money was well spent. I would wanna see it again...!!!

After the show, we walked around Times Square. The lights were nice, very modern feeling. Better than Orchard Road! We even had our self portraits drawn at a reasonable price by those China artists along the road.

US Day 28 - NYC Day 1

2007-06-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

Didnt sleep well on the plane last night so I was like a zombie when we reach NYC. The worst thing was we couldn't checked in until 3pm. We wandered abt the streets, had our brunch and set off to The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/

Streets were full of ppl. St 40 plus to 50 plus were all barricated. We wonder why. Saw some posters and it said Puerto Rico Day !http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_Day_Parade! look at those Ricans on the streets!!! We even have to make 1 big round just to cross a street to MoMA. Security was tight, policemen everywhere. Did it make the parade safer or more dangerous???

Preuto Rico Parade outside the museum.

Picasso's art piece

A wrought iron structure which was intalled in one of the Cathedrals in Spain.

Marble Sarcophagus showing Dionysos with four Seasons as ladies

Ugolino and his sons

Tired cz slept only less than 4 hours on the plane+ haven bathe yet+ lost cz just arrived in NYC + quite a boring museum = took little photos....

maybe i'm really not that arty after all.

Took a quick dinner at this famous italian restaurant. Has nice ambience!

I'm in America!

2007-06-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

i'm in America, leaving for new york JFK airport today! It has been for almost a month since we're in America!

US Day 25 - Bonneville Dam, Multnomah Falls

2007-06-07T23:54:00.000-07:00

Bonneville Dam is one of the 9 dams along Columbia River. The turbine blades are specially designed so that the Pacific Northwest salmon that return to Columbia River for reproduction will not be "trapped" and the die in between the blades.

Turbine blade...

Salmon has an interesting migration pattern. They will come back to the place they were born for reproduction. But it's a pity when the baby salmons hatch, their parents are no longer around. www.nww.usace.army.mil/lsr/reports/save_salmon/salmontoc.htm

Next stop-Multnomah Falls and then the Gorge again!

Can u see the 3 of us on the bridge?

US Day 24 - Sunset Falls, The Old Spaghetti Factory

2007-06-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

Alot of vegetables are grown in SY's aunt's house. Brocolli, Snow peas, spinach, carrots, strawberries, pears, parsley etc

After lunch we went to Sunset Falls www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/campgrounds/sites/sunset-falls.shtml. It's a good place for camping and picnic. As compared to living in Singapore, there's really limited things ppl can do during weekends. And whereever we go, there's so much ppl! Over here in US, ppl really live a tranquil lifestyle...

Dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory http://www.osf.com/menu/location-menus/vancouver.htm. They have huge variety to choose from and tasted really different from the normal spaghetti we eat in Singapore.

US Day 23- Shopping at Woodburn Factory Outlet

2007-06-05T23:36:00.000-07:00

Our FIRST factory outlet shopping since we came to Oregon...its day 23 already. This is madness. Polo Ralph shirt at 40USD. GAP shoes at 30USD. Nike leather sneakers at 40USD Guess shirt at 20USD GAP baby tees at 5USD etc! Look at the stuff I bought!! http://www.woodburncompanystores.com/

Btw, this is the messy room of ours...

Ben and Jerry's icecream to celebrate our shopping! Ice cream in US very very cheap and they have alot of brands and flavours to choose from!

US Day 22-Seattle

2007-06-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

We travel North to Seattle, Washington today.

Our first stop- Washington State Capitol in Olympia. This is the government building of Washington State, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Capitol . We joined the tour and learnt that each of the materials is carefully chosen to construct the entire building.

Tacoma, the city in btwn Olympia and Seattle. We had this famous Popeyes Chicken for lunch http://www.popeyes.com/ which sells Chicken set meals. The chicken taste better than KFC! The meat is so tender and doesn't stick onto the bone. The herb smell is so nice. However, the spicy chicken was not that spicy. Singapore frens can try Popeyes Chicken at Terminal 2!

We're on our way to Seattle. Do you know the largest commerial airplane manufacturer, Boeing, is at Seattle? It has its own runway, warehouse etc.And all can be seen along I-5!

Washington State uni- the campus is big, has its own small little town filled with cafes, bookstores etc.

Space needle from far, in between Seattle Stadium.

So we reached Seattle. This is the Pike Place Market along Pike St http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/ .

There's a prominent stall called the Pike Place Fish http://www.pikeplacefish.com/ where the fishmongers throw fish and perform infront of the customers. Visit their webcam to look at the performance!http://www.pikeplacefish.com/Webcam.html

Fresh Veges...

Starbucks' first cafe, started out by 3 young entreprenuers, is situated in Pike Place market. it is still there today. You can actually see how the Starbucks logo changed throughout the years.

In Washington, we often came upon this very nice "glass" deco. These ornaments actually contains the rock and dust from Mt St Helen's eruption in 1980. Each costs abt 20USD.

Final stop for the day - Seattle Space Needle. It looks like a spaceship right? we went up to the observtory deck and it was cold and windy. we couldn't even get a nice shot cz our hands were always trembling!

US Day 21- Shopping at Clackamas Mall

2007-06-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

Clackamas Mall- image taken from http://www.mthoodterritory.com/

We spent the whole day shopping at Clackamas Mall www.clackamastowncenter.com/html/mallinfo.asp. Too bad we didn't take any phots. its basically a very large shopping mall. i think abt 200 stores. We went to the usual stores - Abercrom, Hollister, American Eagle, Anchor Blue and even Victoria's secret etc!!! Oh did i ever mentioned that shopping in Oregon is Tax Free?? so we saved quite a fair bit too!

US Day 20 - Lava Land Mountain

2007-06-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

We travelled along Highway 20 and 242. This is the best road if one wishes to see most of the mountains - 3 sisters, Mt Jefferson, Mt Washington etc...

We reached Lava Lands Mountain in Desschutes National Forest vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/LavaButte/Locale/framework.html along Highway 97 at 1150am. Weather was hot ~28 Degress C. Formation of this Lava lands was caused by a massive Newberry cinder cone erupttion 7000 years ago and produced over nine square miles of lava. The lava is rich in minerals and encourage growth of fur tress. Weather is so hot during summer, fires are frequent.

There's a mini weather station of top of it. Besides the weather instruments like anemometer, earthquake detectors etc, there's also stove for cooking in case the weatherman gets hungry, a sofa to rest too! Not far away we could also see another weather station at another mountain. "mirror flashes" were a form of communication between the weathermen. One thing we learnt was that EACH cumulonimbus cloud has potential to become a lighting cell. And when lighting strikes --->Fire!

Lunch.it's so hot but ppl still do rock climbing!

Mt Washington.

Last stop before returning Washington was Mt Hood. Took a few silly photos and had our teatime at Timberline Lodge www.timberlinelodge.com

US Day 19 - River Lava Cave

2007-06-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

After breakfast, we strolled around the resort. The place is so spacious i think they're still expanding the golf course...

Our messy living room.

By 10am we're on our way to bend. Reached Lava River Cave www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/lava-river-cave.shtml at 1pm. As the name suggest, this cave is formed by Lava. It is also famous because it cuts through Highway 97, from below of course!

From the entrance it looked so dark inside. We had to carry the kerosene lamp. one would need 45 min to reach the innermost part and then another 45 min back. Without the kero lamp, we couldn't even see wat's infornt of us. sometimes, it's steep, sometimes slippery, sometimes narrow. And there's not much ppl inside the cave!

Entrance of cave. Its not that cold although must of the lava rocks are filled with ice.

Photo Taken from http://www.cityastronomy.com/

Since we know it'll take 45min to reach the end. we timed our trail. by ard 20min we're already deciding if we should turn back.

Back to the entrance!

Not much pictures taken but there's this webby where u can see more of the cave, but 3 of us were sure we didn't see anything funny! www.ap-investigations.com/Lava_River_Caves_2003.html

US Day 18 - Crater Lake

2007-05-31T23:33:00.000-07:00

We began our 3D2N trip to Crater Lake and Central Oregon.

Weather was good! b4 setting off from our house.

Travelled on I5 south to the Salem (Salem is Capital of Oregon). As usual we had sandwich for lunch, with raw carrots, salads, eggs, fruits and lots of energy bars. We reached Roseburg at ard 1pm. It was already 3pm when we reached Diamond Lake.

Really wonder y it's named Diamond Lake...

Next stop was Crater Lake www.crater.lake.national-park.com/along Route 62. Crater Lake is ~1200ft depth and ~6000ft above sea level.I really love the scenery. but of course it must be visited at the right time of the year- when its not cold and the snow has not melted. During winter, some routes around the Lake will be close.

The reflection on the thin layer of ice in the lake looks just as real.

On our way down, we saw a nice spot for sledding. First time in my life!

Pulling the sled up the hill...

Ready, get set, go!

Reached!

We came upon this strange rock formations www.untraveledroad.com/USA/Oregon/Klamath/CraterLake/362NSign.htm caused by eruptions of Mt Mazama en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Mazama(btw, Crater lake was also formed by Mt Mazama's eruption.

Fossil Fumaroles...

Had our pizza dinner at Klamath City, an old town. All the shops were close and it took us a while to find a decent cafe. Streets were desserted too. We spent a night at Worldmark, Klamath Falls http://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/ry/

US Day 17 - Shopping at Westfield

2007-05-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

Wah! Finally a relax day after much climbing the day before! We went to Westfield Vancouver Mall www.westfield.com/vancouver/index.html in Vancouver. It has the shops we cant find in SG- big Macy Departmental Store, JC Penny, Nordstrom, American Eagles, Forever 21, Hollister, Old Navy, Victoria's Secret etc.... didn't bought alot of things because we knew we're going to Factory Outlets in a few days time...

US Day 16 - Mt Rainier, Washington

2007-05-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

Today is the day we will conquere Mt Rainier!

It took us abt an hour on I5 to reach the base of Mt Rainier National Park www.mount.rainier.national-park.com/. Weather is as good as ever! At 4392m, it was still covered with snow since winter. It is also the highest peak in the Cascade Range en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Range and Cascade Volcanic Arc.

On our way up to the Mt Rainier Visitor Centre.

Finally reached the Visitor Centre at Paradise.

And we 're all geared up for the climb. The only prob was some of us did not have proper snow-climbing shoes...let's see how far we can go with our track shoes...

First time in my life i'm stepping on SNOW...

The reflection from the snow was so glaring that we had to put on sunshades. oh no...after walking for about 30min, our shoes were wet..and its time for lunch!

here's our Survival Kit for Leisure kind of mountain climbing...haha!

btw, this snowman was not built by us, we just roll a ball of ice for the head!

Came down to the Visitor Centre after our lunch for Mt Rainier Show. It also has an observatory deck that one could see the mountain and neighbouring mountains at any angle. However, the place looks abit old but i guessed renovation works are coming...

Most of us feel asleep as it was weary after a faithful climb!

US Day 15-Mt Hood, Oregon

2007-05-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

We travelled on Interstate 84 along Columbia River. This Highway stretches from Washington DC to Oregon. After an hour or so, we reached Panorama Point www.byways.org/explore/byways/61400/places/61467/, where we can see Mt Hood (3426m), www.mthood.info/ for our picnic lunch! The sun was hot althought there were cold winds. Along the way up we saw a good view of Hood River http://www.el.com/to/hoodriver/, where wind surfing is common.

Along Columbia River

Panorama Point

After lunch we proceed to Orchard View Farms http://www.orchardviewfarms.com/, the largest cherry grower in the world! Cherries are harvested around in July so by the time it reaches Singapore, it'll be August!

Orchard View Frams

We then crossed the Bridge of the Gods en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_of_the_Gods_(modern_structure)back to Washington to buy Salmons from the Native Indians along Columbia River.

Bridge of the Gods

Colunbia River Revisit..

US Day 14-Long Beach

2007-05-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

With all our lunch prepared, we're on our way to long beach!
Dropped by one of the mini markets selling seafood. Temp reported along the road was 10degrees C.

Here's our picnic overlooking Cape Disappointment. Not far away from here there's lots of RVs and Campsites.

We stopped over at Lewis and Clarke Centre at Cape Disappointment, Ilwaco. Interesting history of the Discovery of the Oregon Trail in the early 1800s. http://www.lewis-clark.org/

At Long Beach, Kite flying is the most popular activity here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Beach%2C_Washington

We crossed the Astoria Bridge to get to Astoria, Oregon. After climbing up the lighthouse along Astoria's coastline, we finally get to see the view of Columbia Gorge...
View from the Astoria Lighthouse!

US Day 13-Shopping!!

2007-05-27T05:51:00.000-07:00

We went to 3-year-old Alexander Birthday Party and we saw how Americans live their way of life. The family made their own lagsane and cake! It was the first time we ate RAW broccoli-hard but nice and healthy. the cake is abit too sweet for us Asians, but nice!

Birthday cake!

Today is the very first time in America that we shopped like crazy. We went to ROSS http://www.rossstores.com/ this is not a factory outlet but has branded clothes selling at very very low prices. the variety is huge-for men, women, shoes, clothes, bikinis etc. there's Levis jeans at 12USD, adidas and nike sneakers at 25USD, guess tops at 10USD etc..all sorts of brands! Imagine if we have ROSS in Singapore, i think it will be the favourite hangout of every gal!

After a tiring afternoon of shopping, we went home to have our oyster feast!

i'm still keeping the shell of the largest oyster I have ever eaten!

US Day 12 - Oregon Coast to Vancouver

2007-05-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

Weather in the morning was cloudy and drizzling a little. Cold too ~ 15Degress C. Managed to take more pictures outside our balcony! Look at the Pacific Ocean!!

From Depoe Bay, we drove to Newport http://www.discovernewport.com/, hoping to buy some fish and salmon back. However, it was Sunday and most of the shops were't open...

We drove back to Depoe Bay for lunch at Chowder Bowl http://newportchowderbowl.com/. It wasn't long before our food arrived.I must say the Clam Chowder is nicer than what we had in San Fran! A must try again if I ever visit Depoe Bay. The whole setting of this restaurant is very laid-back, and its facing the Pacific Ocean!

With a full stomach, it's time for some RAW OYSTERS!!! Oregon Oyster Farm http://www.oregonoyster.com/ rear their own oysters- from petite to jumbo ones. Suprisingly, the raw oyster didn't stink like those we see in our local markets. Maybe this is what you call "fresh"?!?!

That's the boss at the background!

The oyster shells along the road!

Here are some of the places we visited as we travelled along Hwy101:

Canon Beach http://nwcoast.com/city/default.asp?cannonbeach, Seaside http://nwcoast.com/city/default.asp?seaside

Our last stop for the day - Tillamok Cheese Factory http://www.tillamookcheese.com/ - different kinds of cheese, ice-cream, cheese products and a huge cow farm infront.

US Day 11-Oregon

2007-05-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

LAX was crowded-everyone rushing to get their baggage checked. The 3 of us were so blur we even queued in the wrong direction! In the end, the security told us that we cant fly the 4 bottles of wine we bought bcz there’s no proper packaging. It’s either we throw away or mail it to our destination – Oregon.

Not willing to pay for the expensive cab fare, we walked and search for the nearest UPS store which is about 1 plus mile away from LAX. It was an experience for us-we had no map, our bags were heavy and we only have an hour b4 the plane takes off.

Luckily, we managed to get the 4 wines mailed to Washington, boarded the plane w/o lunch and we're on our way to Portland!!

Oregon seems to be a completely different place from LA. Just look at wat we saw from the plane- Mt Hood

Portland PDX Airport looked different from LAX too! Floors carpeted, no crowd and the service was warm. We were greeted by SY's aunt and uncle.

We travelled through Freeway 5 -> 99 West ->18 West to Oregon Coast. Washington Coast and Oregon Coast face the Pacific Ocean & are famous for their beaches in the Northwest of US http://nwcoast.com/ . we spent 2.5hours on the road b4 reaching Depoe Bay, where we spent a night at Worldmark http://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/d1/

Night sky was really beautiful but too bad our cameras werent good enuff to capture. Just imagine from our balcony, we could see the Pacific Ocean, hear the waves, enjoy the moonlight and view the Dipper!

US Day 10 - Universal Studios

2007-05-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

After being in US for 10 days, we finally get to go downtown LA today. Imagine we might just see some Hollywood ppl!! TomKate and Suri!! Haha, too bad we didn’t see any.

On the way! Our first stop – Chinese Theatre http://www.manntheatres.com/chinese/index.php. We couldn’t stop finding the handprints of actresses and actors we know. souveniors were sold everywhere! It’s so happening! So different from Anaheim!

2nd stop and highlight of the day – UNIVERSAL STUDIOS!! One can just pay 20USD for a wristband to enjoy food from selected cafes inside Universal Studios for an entire day. We were really saving up for the rest of the trip so we bought 1 wristband and share among 3 of us. Hope no one sees us removing and passing around ourselves! Food was only 20USD for 3 of us for the entire day!! Savings$$!!

Everything inside Studios was really worth going. Good thing we sat down and planned the day with the map. didn't take much photos cz we were enjoying the shows...

House of Horrors - HY was busying taking photos with flash light on..and that makes the walk even more scary!!

Our Lunch per person..huge but delicious!!Imagine we can eat as much as we can for 7USD per pax!

The preserved sets from movies are all found here...jurassic park, desperate housewives (below) , the theathre where Mary Jane performed at Spiderman 1 etc

Desperate housewives' home
The theatre where Mary Jane performed in Spiderman 1.

House of Horrors...

Hall of fame!!! 2 for 20usd! regretted not buying 1
Nightlife outside Universal Studios -shopping eating etc

Happily resting at Hilton Hotel near LAX airport!..gotta get ready for our flight to Oregon tomorrow!!

US Day 9-Sea World

2007-05-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

It was an entire day at SeaWorld San Diego http://www.4adventure.com/SWC/default.aspx. From our Anaheim Resort, it takes abt 2 hours along 5 Freeway. We were told that from SeaWorld, it takes about 20 min to reach Mexico.So close!! Like the rest of the days, we slept throughout the whole journey. Travelling is so tiring! But fun!!

SeaWorld is famous for Shamu, the friendly whale.Their shows should never be missed! They can do lots of stunts! Glad that we actually sat down and plan the day’s itinerary, such that we wouldn’t miss any of the good shows.! Engineers do plan!

Oh ya, there's this this RL Stine's haunted house! It's a must to visit! We came out wet in the hair and legs and hands but HY was quite dry--she brought towel!

Shamu show

US Day 8-Yosemite National Park

2007-05-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Pronounced as Yo-so-me-tee National Park http://www.nps.gov/yose/, yosemite is the native name for grizzly bear http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_bear . There's supposed to be Giant Redwood trees but too bad we didn't see any.

A sneak peek at our Chinese dinner which cause about 6USD each...

US Day 7 - San Fran

2007-05-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

We crossed the double-deck Bay Bridge from Oakland to Downtown San Fran. Crooked and steep streets are common in San Fran. We enjoyed a morning walk at Lombard St, America’s most crooked street. Didn’t manage to “climb” 22nd Steet. The slope is 31°, which makes it one of the steepest streets in the world. Imagine if there’s winter in SF, one could just ski anywhere in the streets! Just like in Hakodate! (Japan)

Had our dim sum breakfast at Chinatown. Price was about 10USD per person. Realized how much I missed the food in Singapore!

Proceed to Palace of the Fine Arts http://www.palaceoffinearts.org/ . 100 yrs after an earthquake and re-construction, it still look well-taken care off!

Palace of the Fine Arts

The 3rd Sunday of May is Bay Breaker (www.ingbaytobreakers.com/main.html ) - joggers will dress themselves with costumes for 8-mile run.

Levis was actually first established is San Francisco in the early days of Gold Rush. http://www.levistrauss.com/ and in SF, they are still situated at the same location as before along Battery Street.n

Rainbow flags and rainbow decorations around the town and buildings symbolises Gay Pride in SF www.sfpride.org/ which started way back in 1970. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Pride

Napa Valley is abt 30min drive from the Golden Gate Bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge

Napa Valley-plenty of vineyards ( but we couldn’t see any grapes). We bought 4 dessert wines in all. Didn’t cost much at all. The Microsoft Wallpaper which we have in our screens is Napa Valley. Can you believe it??

Went to Pier 39. www.pier39.com/They are famous for their Clam Chowder - it's delicious. there's plenty of things to shop at Pier 39. From food to art. HY bought some posters from Image Arts San Francisco located at Building N level 1. It's really cheap!!

Pier 39
Clam Chowder

After lunch it was free time! so 3 of us just roamed around the central district area, and considering it's Sunday, the entire street seemed so desserted...

Desserted streets...

US Day 6 - LA to San Fran

2007-05-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

It was an entire day of road trip.

We took Highway 101 (http://www.us-101.com/) to San Francisco. It is one of the longest highways in US that goes from California all the way to Washington. It is along the coast hence we can see Pacific Ocean along the way.

We also traveled along California Mission Trial (http://www.wunderland.com/WTS/Rash/misc/missions.htm) which links 21 missions around California. Along the road, one can see El Carmino (a red bell) every 5 miles.

There are plenty of agriculture lands along the way as California’s fruits and vegetables make up of more than half of the world’s agriculture supply. Due to our tight itinerary, we were not able to participate in the Strawberry Festival in Ventura. (http://www.strawberry-fest.org/). But I’ll go there the next time I visit US!

Before reaching San Fran, we drove through 17-Mile Drive. It is actually a 4 privately owned golf courses along Pacific Ocean. Visitors have to pay entrance fee even it is just traveling along the roads of the golf courses. There is also the haunted house of Alferd Hitchcock’s The Birds.

Travelling away from the dessert n back to the city.

famous feature of the 17-Mile drive

The sky was already dark when we reach San Fran…

US Day 5 - LV back to LA

2007-05-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

Visited more and more hotels in LV. The day in LV is not as nice as the night. Nevertheless, everything looks so mythical.

That's NYNY Hotel

Hotel Luxor

It’s easy to win money at the jackpots. We spent a few dollars and within 2 rounds, we won some dollars! No wonder ppl get addicted. But it was fun! We were so excited that we forgot to take photos. LV is a nice place to spend a weekend there.

US Day 4 - Grand Canyon

2007-05-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

We only slept for 4.5 hours as the journey to Granyon on Route 66 takes about 5 hours from Vegas. Look at the view of Grand Canyon!! Too bad I didn’t take a panoramic view. One could just stand on the same spot for hours to enjoy the view and think about how small we are compared to it.

Hoover Dam seperates Arizona and Nevada
Grand Grand Canyon

Buffer Dinner 10USD per pax at Gold Nuggets was not nice at all. But we had to save $$. Nightlife at Freemount Strip was even nicer than Venetian Hotel. Imagine the ceiling is a big screen!

Golden Nuggets Buffet Restaurant
Freemount strip

Thanks to SY, we learnt to drink lots of water. Actually, water and bananas are cheap and could ward flu and sore throat away, and it really did cz none of us fall ill during the 1 month!! Take a look at how many 1 gallon water bottles there is in our room!

US Day 1-Anaheim

2007-05-17T00:38:00.000-07:00

On our way to LAX, we had a transit at Narita. It was so exciting although it was my 2nd time there..really couldn't help admiring those kawaii snacks!! We reached LAX at about 10:20am. We were so blur the chauffer had to tell us to give him tips of 2USD per person! Anaheim hotel was so dull in colour. Luckily there's a huge grocery store nearby, where we "shopped" for our 1 "gallon per person per day" water and bananas. The weather was damn cold- 10C at night! Our very first meal in downtown Fullerton was huge!!and its only USD5 per plate!! So we began our 1 month long trip prudently...

US Day 3 - Las Vegas

2007-05-16T01:15:00.000-07:00

So we were on our 8-hour drive to LV. The weather is hot and dry as LV is in Serria Nevada. But 35°C was nothing compared to 18°C(hottest) in LA. I could feel the sweat evaporating from my skin! LV was such a wonderful place filled with hotels,lights and action, with Venetian Hotel that looks like Venice, the half-sized Eiffel tower in Paris-Las Vegas Hotel, Bellagio where Ocean’s 11 was filmed, The Mirage, Wynn etc etc…we didn’t do any research on the shows in LV so we “blindly” paid 65USD for Jubilee show which the tour guide recommended. We fell asleep a few times in the show cz we were just too tired and it wasn’t interesting looking at those topless gals. When we found out that there was actually better shows like Cirque du Soleil, Celine Dion concert, mama mia musical etc..we were so pissed off.

Our bus which will bring us to the land filled with nightlife.

Bastow Factory outlet...heard it is the cheapest factory outlet in US! must go!

The fine line that seperates arid and dessert land.

Wynn Hotel- looks like a chocolate barVenetian Hotel behind The Mirage

Inside the Venetian Hotel, a mirror image of the Venetian City a the river at the lobby! Thats not the sky, thats the ceiling of the hotel lobby!

Really awe by the designs on the ceiling and wall...

Mini Paris!

US Day 2 - Disneyland

2007-05-15T00:58:00.000-07:00

There are 2 parks and the one we went was Disneyland Park.The rides were so fun and the effects were real good, esp Peter Pan's starry sky, it was as if the starts are moving around you!! We were so hungry but still wanted to queue to meet the Princesses-Jasmine, Snow White and Ariel. At night we went back to the same grocery store to buy our "1-gallon-per-person-per-day" water! Our dinner was a whole chicken, corn soup, macaroni and blueberries, all from the grocery store. Nice and cheap!

Night time crowd ....

Our Dinner.....very nice from supermarket! corn soup, chicken, macoroni.