10/01/13: went to Osaka - nothing really good there, and went shopping in Shinjuku
11/01/13: visited some famous temple in Asakusa, more shopping in downtown Shinjuku (gotta say, not impressed by the quality of H&M and F21, there's really not a lot to expect when they come to Australia next year) before rushing off to go to my relatives' place! Had a great dinner, went to their house (they live right next to a cemetery...really goes to show how land is so scarce in the country) and took caps for the memory! Had a really good night at their house :)
12/01/13: was all teary since we had to leave Japan to go back to GZ!! :(( after being to Japan, I can't help but keep faulting everything in GZ - the etiquette, airport, service etc.
13/01/13: more eating out with relatives -_- also feel like becoming vegetarian cos my relatives happily dragged me to see a live show of a chicken being killed..which was really unpleasant to watch and hear since the the chicken was crying in misery just before they chopped off its neck :( :( moreover, as many as eight chickens were cramped into one stuffy cage!!! Those poor chickens...haven't eaten chicken since seeing that :(
14/01/13: Hong Kong to do some mac shopping and seeing relatives!! Yeah, not as great as I expected it to be. Very polluted (pfft, good environmental control and hygiene my ass), people are extremely discourteous and unhelpful (got lost trying to get to hotel, dad goes to get some help and some dickhead salesman just pretended he was busy, so I loudly said "arsehole" to shame him publicly...what an arsehole) plus the smell of stinky tofu *retches*. Also customs and immigration were a pain to get through since all the arrival cards and departure cards were mixed together, just really bad service -_- metro not too impressive either... ergh, I miss home. After only 2 weeks away, "home is [indeed] where the heart is". I have never missed my cozy bed so much, eating western food, and the relatively clean air! :( anyway tomorrow I go back to censored GZ (no more NY Times *sob*)
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
#357- Surveying
Hey guys I guess it's time I hop onto the Happy Apple survey bandwagon
So below are my answers to her questions. Also this post will be split into two sections, the first being the survey with the latter being my rambles about my favourite sport and what's been happening in that realm.
1. Do you have a middle name? If not, what would you make your middle name?
I guess my middle name is my Chinese names as it's on all my important documents.... I guess you can tell what those are.
2. Name a pet peeve of one of your parents.
The biggest would be my mum nagging me about how messy my room is (guilty), either that or watching too many shows on the computer or having to tell me something repeatedly.
3. Which European country would you like to visit?
Sorry Dandelion but you stole my answer (jokes we just share similar tastes) but yeah Italy first then France. Gosh can't wait to go Italy either this year or next (I was promised a trip by my parents and I'm holding them accountable), I've dying to see the Ferragamo and Gucci museum in Florence, seeing the sights of Rome and Venice all the while immersing myself in all that culture and food and of course live in an apartment while I'm there. France, because like Italy it is another fashion heritage site, but I think this will be in the distant future because if I do go I plan on buying myself a Birkin
4. What was the happiest day of your life? If you can't remember, what makes you the happiest?
I don't think that I will ever be able to name a so-called happiest day of your life because most say that that it's their wedding day but later change it to the birth of their first child and so forth. But, I guess it's the little things that make me happy like someone noticing something, of course spending time with besties is always a good past-time.
5. Name three things on your desk.
My stash of bobby pins, my letter from UAC with my ATAR (D;), photos!
6. In your opinion, what is the most useless gift you can give?
I would say stationery but then again I think absolutely nothing at all would take the cake
7. A language you wish you had complete mastery over?
Mandarin, without a doubt. Oh how I wish I could overcome my laziness and accent but I am trying someone just make a bet with me so I can become more motivated.
8. What do you wish you had learnt as a child and developed so you were good at it now?
^Mandarin again
9. Your favourite feature physically? (Don't say you don't like anything!)
My eyes, I guess that includes eyelashes as well. It is the only thing that I inherited from my parents that I am pleased with.
10. Your favourite thing personality-wise?
I think it's a toss between my maturity or my pessimistic attitude (yes I'm weird).
11. Do you want to change yourself this year?
Well I've been trying each year... height wise at least but nonetheless I would like to be more patient. Although I remain adamant that 10minutes is my limit on queue at a call centre or any other place that you have to line up at unless it involves shopping then it can be understandable.
12. What are you planning to study?
Well if it all works out for me then comm/law for 5 years
13. Are you an Apple person?
I wouldn't say that I am but I do have more Apple products then most people, that includes a lost iPod nano (2nd gen), iPad 2, Macbook Air and plans for an iPhone 5 unless I opted for my traditional asian phone.
14. What is your favourite word?
Sorry, I don't have one.
15. Do you like the date of your birth?
I think that it's quite special, seeing as I share it with my mum and lol Edward as well.... so yeah I do like it (:
16. What is the coolest thing you have made?
Ask me this in a few months once I've signed up for pottery classes and yes guys pottery is for housewives or people with nothing better to do, so yeah if you're up for it ask me for more info.
17. Introvert or extrovert?
Introvert, definitely.
18. Do you prefer lemons or limes?
Lemons, I think they're more versatile in cooking.
19. What do you find the most annoying "first world problem"?
Our need for more possessions (Guilty myself) or simply not having enough stuff!
20. Do you behave differently at home?
Do I!!!! Gosh you should hear me speak and yes how I dress at home as well. Embrace the sweats.
So below are my answers to her questions. Also this post will be split into two sections, the first being the survey with the latter being my rambles about my favourite sport and what's been happening in that realm.
1. Do you have a middle name? If not, what would you make your middle name?
I guess my middle name is my Chinese names as it's on all my important documents.... I guess you can tell what those are.
2. Name a pet peeve of one of your parents.
The biggest would be my mum nagging me about how messy my room is (guilty), either that or watching too many shows on the computer or having to tell me something repeatedly.
3. Which European country would you like to visit?
Sorry Dandelion but you stole my answer (jokes we just share similar tastes) but yeah Italy first then France. Gosh can't wait to go Italy either this year or next (I was promised a trip by my parents and I'm holding them accountable), I've dying to see the Ferragamo and Gucci museum in Florence, seeing the sights of Rome and Venice all the while immersing myself in all that culture and food and of course live in an apartment while I'm there. France, because like Italy it is another fashion heritage site, but I think this will be in the distant future because if I do go I plan on buying myself a Birkin
4. What was the happiest day of your life? If you can't remember, what makes you the happiest?
I don't think that I will ever be able to name a so-called happiest day of your life because most say that that it's their wedding day but later change it to the birth of their first child and so forth. But, I guess it's the little things that make me happy like someone noticing something, of course spending time with besties is always a good past-time.
5. Name three things on your desk.
My stash of bobby pins, my letter from UAC with my ATAR (D;), photos!
6. In your opinion, what is the most useless gift you can give?
I would say stationery but then again I think absolutely nothing at all would take the cake
7. A language you wish you had complete mastery over?
Mandarin, without a doubt. Oh how I wish I could overcome my laziness and accent but I am trying someone just make a bet with me so I can become more motivated.
8. What do you wish you had learnt as a child and developed so you were good at it now?
^Mandarin again
9. Your favourite feature physically? (Don't say you don't like anything!)
My eyes, I guess that includes eyelashes as well. It is the only thing that I inherited from my parents that I am pleased with.
10. Your favourite thing personality-wise?
I think it's a toss between my maturity or my pessimistic attitude (yes I'm weird).
11. Do you want to change yourself this year?
Well I've been trying each year... height wise at least but nonetheless I would like to be more patient. Although I remain adamant that 10minutes is my limit on queue at a call centre or any other place that you have to line up at unless it involves shopping then it can be understandable.
12. What are you planning to study?
Well if it all works out for me then comm/law for 5 years
13. Are you an Apple person?
I wouldn't say that I am but I do have more Apple products then most people, that includes a lost iPod nano (2nd gen), iPad 2, Macbook Air and plans for an iPhone 5 unless I opted for my traditional asian phone.
14. What is your favourite word?
Sorry, I don't have one.
15. Do you like the date of your birth?
I think that it's quite special, seeing as I share it with my mum and lol Edward as well.... so yeah I do like it (:
16. What is the coolest thing you have made?
Ask me this in a few months once I've signed up for pottery classes and yes guys pottery is for housewives or people with nothing better to do, so yeah if you're up for it ask me for more info.
17. Introvert or extrovert?
Introvert, definitely.
18. Do you prefer lemons or limes?
Lemons, I think they're more versatile in cooking.
19. What do you find the most annoying "first world problem"?
Our need for more possessions (Guilty myself) or simply not having enough stuff!
20. Do you behave differently at home?
Do I!!!! Gosh you should hear me speak and yes how I dress at home as well. Embrace the sweats.
21. What is your favourite kind of shopping? Or do you dislike all forms of shopping?
Do you even need to ask, online of course!
22. What are your views on feminism (sorry)?
I believe in equality but at times I can be a tad bit feministic seeing as I have the stereotypes of women as being weak or constrained to being a housewife.
23. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being a hermit and 10 being aware of things practically before they happen how aware of world events are you?
I always thought that being a hermit meant that you were confined to your home but okay I'll go along with this definition. I guess I'm a 8, watching the news, Sunrise plus reading online articles makes me informed to some extent (?).
24. What will you do when you retire?
Travel, shop, eat.
25. If you were designing your future house, what style would you have?
Already am thinking about this, Provincial French. I recently saw a picture of Chriselle's mum's house and omgosh I am loving her mum's decor.
26. What is an appliance you would love to own?
Kitchen Aid's mix master or a coffee machine.
27. Will you drive a Toyota when you grow up?
It may just well be my first car but I'll let you know hopefully within the month (:
28. What is a common expression of the 21st century you cannot stand?
Yolo or all the hash-taggin (#) and if facebook was an expression then I'd mention that as well.
29. Describe something that has happened to you that you were so sure would not happen or vice versa.
Not sure, ATARs maybe.
30. What are your plans for your blog's future?
Well in the immediate future, I'd like to change the template and layout and hopefully add some photos of Sweet and I. Long term- let's continue to blog!
Thank you for reading up till here and now it's time for me to rant on about tennis.
First of all 14th Jan is comeback for CNBLUE and I can't wait to see Yonghwa's self composed tracks. Also in the realm of K-pop please release Song Joong Ki's Wolf Boy I have waited since November for it to be available online and it pains me to see it screening in America and Canada but not here in Australia.
Finally Tennis time, I wish I was in Melbourne today, there was so much going on. Nole took part in the official draw today for Aus Open starting on Monday and well let's just say that he has a tricky draw but quote from his website and fb page "The greater the challenge, the greater the glory in overcoming it' and so yeah Nole make history and win 3 straight Aus Open and hopefully my presence can help to inspire you when need it most. I shall gallantly wave my two Serbian flags <33
Also on today, was the launch of Sugarpova in Australia according to this website I can buy them in Crown Towers Hotel/convenience stores (do they exist), Events cinemas, DJs, Harris Farm (strange) and other places. So I went to DJs parra today and yet again I was received with blank faces as I asked them when they were going to receive Sugarpova. So I think that I will only bring 7kg all up with me to Melbourne and hoping fill up the remaining 3 kg with Sugarpova and other stuff that I happen to buy and if that plan fails Elisa, Mum I hope you don't have 10kg worth of luggage.
Thank you for reading all of this and wow it took me forever to write this all up.
First of all 14th Jan is comeback for CNBLUE and I can't wait to see Yonghwa's self composed tracks. Also in the realm of K-pop please release Song Joong Ki's Wolf Boy I have waited since November for it to be available online and it pains me to see it screening in America and Canada but not here in Australia.
Finally Tennis time, I wish I was in Melbourne today, there was so much going on. Nole took part in the official draw today for Aus Open starting on Monday and well let's just say that he has a tricky draw but quote from his website and fb page "The greater the challenge, the greater the glory in overcoming it' and so yeah Nole make history and win 3 straight Aus Open and hopefully my presence can help to inspire you when need it most. I shall gallantly wave my two Serbian flags <33
Also on today, was the launch of Sugarpova in Australia according to this website I can buy them in Crown Towers Hotel/convenience stores (do they exist), Events cinemas, DJs, Harris Farm (strange) and other places. So I went to DJs parra today and yet again I was received with blank faces as I asked them when they were going to receive Sugarpova. So I think that I will only bring 7kg all up with me to Melbourne and hoping fill up the remaining 3 kg with Sugarpova and other stuff that I happen to buy and if that plan fails Elisa, Mum I hope you don't have 10kg worth of luggage.
Thank you for reading all of this and wow it took me forever to write this all up.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
#356 - Travel diary II
07/01/13: Three words sums up today up: I LOVE JAPAN!!!! Best day out of my entire trip overseas!
We left Shinjuku early to catch the shinkansen (bullet train) to Hakone, and the shinkansen did not disappoint at all! SOOO fast, so clean (yay for Japan's lovely cleaners who made the train spotless before passengers boarded), you could even charge your phone on the train!
Hakone is a town near the mountains, but sadly we couldn't see Mt. Fuji and some beautiful lake (Ashi?) today since the trip would take 5 hours and when we got to Hakone it was too late, and it was getting dark. But....we shall be waking up super early to go see the sights tomorrow, then rush off to Kyoto!
Anyway, we ate at a picturesque traditional Japanese noodle restaurant, and the eight of us were seated in a traditional Japanese dining room, with a low little table, comfy cushions on the floor and doors constructed of rice paper! Food was delicious, yet I'm a little sick of eating too much tempura prawn :P
There were also some cool temples around, and the most picturesque (ah, I need another word to describe the truly aesthetic appearance of Hakone!) little running streams. Oh my gosh, I just adore Japan!
I'm blogging close to 1am right now, but I gotta say that the hotel experience is truly fantastic - the Japanese really know how to treat guests well (Hotel is Maille Coeur, and it IS divine, highly recommended!!!). Very very expensive (~450 AUD for 1 night), but it is so worth it. Dining: divine, my first high class dinner! (as high class meals go, portions were small, but there were soooo many servings! never thought I would enjoy raw fish,,,,but yummmmm). Rooms: stunningly beautiful and spacious, true Japanese-style with luxuriously soft beds and futons that the hotel staff made when we were at dinner (thank you to them!!). Also...HOT SPRINGS....OMG I WENT INTO REAL HOT SPRINGS provided by the hotel!! So comfy, and clean and luxurious :) Also dressed in traditional Japanese wear for hot springs :P :P soooo many good photos!
Also Jap people are sooooo much nicer than Chinese people - they treat foreigners well (many good experiences in Japan), whereas in China, if you speak English, people give you shit. Sanitation compared to China: incomparable!! OMGGGGG perf! Warm toilet seats, toilet seat covers, disinfectant, clean as heck. Trains have very warm seat heaters too!
Definitely going to enjoy the rest of the Japan trip and shall properly learn some Japanese & Mando after I get back !! Also really glad to find out that Ayaha and Ayaka, my super cute relatives - are actually very closely related to my sis and I, we are actually their aunties!!!
Okay, over and out
-r
08/01/13: Saw Mt. Fuji and nearby lake Ashinoko today! SO breathtaking and sublime..omgosh. Also the air had a stench that was quite foul because of natural sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide produced by natural hot springs up in the mountains...BUT oh my, it was so gorgeous! The view was amazing, the air was so cold, and there was snow on the ground (no snow in the metropolitan areas). Felt a little disappointed that people built on top of the natural sites near Mt Fuji ...but was admiring the high level technology used to construct awesome cable cars to view the mountain and lake!! The boat ride across lake Ashinoko was also so cute /full of awesomeness(?) since the boat was a pirate ship! I think I am getting overexcited, but I really like how everything in Japan is so well thought out and quirky :) Then left Hakone (*sob*....oh yeah BEST asian / western buffet I have ever ate in my life!!) and went to Kyoto via shinkansen...and now I can't remember if we did anything except find our hotel, indulge and eat out (getting a little sick of ramen and udon soup!!)
09/01/13: Travelled to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kinkakuji and Yasaka Shrine - one word: AMAZINGGGG (man I gotta find better words to describe the awesomeness of these sites!!). I am quite the easily excitable and amazed tourist. But the former two places are definitely suitable to be UNESCO world heritage sites...the gold material on Kinkakuji reflecting the sun made me go *______* and Kiyomizu-dera was soooo pretty and magnificent too. People like to buy votive wooden pictures and write their wishes down, and then hang them on special places in the shrines. I am not religious, but was totally digging the votive and ancient vibe and thought, why not? Bought one, my sis and I both wrote our wishes down, and hung ours up next to someone's message which hoped KRudd would succeed (or something of that nature) with courage and faith, haha (: Also dubbing Yoshinoya as the "Single men's joint" LOOOOOL. Ate there for brekky and dinner (thanks to dad >_>), was a little awks because the chef recognised us and gave us 50% discount...discounts never happen... omgggg, never eating there again -_- anyway it's "Single men's joint" since besides our family, frequent customers are ALL men...who eat by themselves. Haha. Also went to uniqlo (got my entire family into this store), daiso (AU daiso can't be compared to the Jap one) and Isetan (equvalent of DJ's...) and bought good quality reasonably priced shoessss (: so buttery soft, all have soft insoles and the heels are so low that all shoes are walk-able for long periods of time, yayy! But I wanna weep at cosmetics :(((( so friggin expensive I wanna die!! MAC is more expensive than in Australia wtf...and also you get 5% tax on items less than 10, 500 yen or something >:(
Admiring the fat rubber duck in Syd as well, thanks for posting it Bitter! Also got your Japanese chopsticks ;P
We left Shinjuku early to catch the shinkansen (bullet train) to Hakone, and the shinkansen did not disappoint at all! SOOO fast, so clean (yay for Japan's lovely cleaners who made the train spotless before passengers boarded), you could even charge your phone on the train!
Hakone is a town near the mountains, but sadly we couldn't see Mt. Fuji and some beautiful lake (Ashi?) today since the trip would take 5 hours and when we got to Hakone it was too late, and it was getting dark. But....we shall be waking up super early to go see the sights tomorrow, then rush off to Kyoto!
Anyway, we ate at a picturesque traditional Japanese noodle restaurant, and the eight of us were seated in a traditional Japanese dining room, with a low little table, comfy cushions on the floor and doors constructed of rice paper! Food was delicious, yet I'm a little sick of eating too much tempura prawn :P
There were also some cool temples around, and the most picturesque (ah, I need another word to describe the truly aesthetic appearance of Hakone!) little running streams. Oh my gosh, I just adore Japan!
I'm blogging close to 1am right now, but I gotta say that the hotel experience is truly fantastic - the Japanese really know how to treat guests well (Hotel is Maille Coeur, and it IS divine, highly recommended!!!). Very very expensive (~450 AUD for 1 night), but it is so worth it. Dining: divine, my first high class dinner! (as high class meals go, portions were small, but there were soooo many servings! never thought I would enjoy raw fish,,,,but yummmmm). Rooms: stunningly beautiful and spacious, true Japanese-style with luxuriously soft beds and futons that the hotel staff made when we were at dinner (thank you to them!!). Also...HOT SPRINGS....OMG I WENT INTO REAL HOT SPRINGS provided by the hotel!! So comfy, and clean and luxurious :) Also dressed in traditional Japanese wear for hot springs :P :P soooo many good photos!
Also Jap people are sooooo much nicer than Chinese people - they treat foreigners well (many good experiences in Japan), whereas in China, if you speak English, people give you shit. Sanitation compared to China: incomparable!! OMGGGGG perf! Warm toilet seats, toilet seat covers, disinfectant, clean as heck. Trains have very warm seat heaters too!
Definitely going to enjoy the rest of the Japan trip and shall properly learn some Japanese & Mando after I get back !! Also really glad to find out that Ayaha and Ayaka, my super cute relatives - are actually very closely related to my sis and I, we are actually their aunties!!!
Okay, over and out
-r
08/01/13: Saw Mt. Fuji and nearby lake Ashinoko today! SO breathtaking and sublime..omgosh. Also the air had a stench that was quite foul because of natural sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide produced by natural hot springs up in the mountains...BUT oh my, it was so gorgeous! The view was amazing, the air was so cold, and there was snow on the ground (no snow in the metropolitan areas). Felt a little disappointed that people built on top of the natural sites near Mt Fuji ...but was admiring the high level technology used to construct awesome cable cars to view the mountain and lake!! The boat ride across lake Ashinoko was also so cute /full of awesomeness(?) since the boat was a pirate ship! I think I am getting overexcited, but I really like how everything in Japan is so well thought out and quirky :) Then left Hakone (*sob*....oh yeah BEST asian / western buffet I have ever ate in my life!!) and went to Kyoto via shinkansen...and now I can't remember if we did anything except find our hotel, indulge and eat out (getting a little sick of ramen and udon soup!!)
09/01/13: Travelled to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kinkakuji and Yasaka Shrine - one word: AMAZINGGGG (man I gotta find better words to describe the awesomeness of these sites!!). I am quite the easily excitable and amazed tourist. But the former two places are definitely suitable to be UNESCO world heritage sites...the gold material on Kinkakuji reflecting the sun made me go *______* and Kiyomizu-dera was soooo pretty and magnificent too. People like to buy votive wooden pictures and write their wishes down, and then hang them on special places in the shrines. I am not religious, but was totally digging the votive and ancient vibe and thought, why not? Bought one, my sis and I both wrote our wishes down, and hung ours up next to someone's message which hoped KRudd would succeed (or something of that nature) with courage and faith, haha (: Also dubbing Yoshinoya as the "Single men's joint" LOOOOOL. Ate there for brekky and dinner (thanks to dad >_>), was a little awks because the chef recognised us and gave us 50% discount...discounts never happen... omgggg, never eating there again -_- anyway it's "Single men's joint" since besides our family, frequent customers are ALL men...who eat by themselves. Haha. Also went to uniqlo (got my entire family into this store), daiso (AU daiso can't be compared to the Jap one) and Isetan (equvalent of DJ's...) and bought good quality reasonably priced shoessss (: so buttery soft, all have soft insoles and the heels are so low that all shoes are walk-able for long periods of time, yayy! But I wanna weep at cosmetics :(((( so friggin expensive I wanna die!! MAC is more expensive than in Australia wtf...and also you get 5% tax on items less than 10, 500 yen or something >:(
Admiring the fat rubber duck in Syd as well, thanks for posting it Bitter! Also got your Japanese chopsticks ;P
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
#355- Running man Jiang
Well you shouldn't be surprised about the title, if you've heard me talk about it recently. I WAS totally obsessed during the 40 or so episodes but I guess my enthusiasm has died down mainly because Song Joong Ki is no longer a permanent member, the scripting is becoming more and more obvious and irritating plus there are no more punishments and they reward guests who contribute very little to the game. So Running Man PDs if you ever read this bring back the earlier games and more exciting guests , and idea could be a We got Married Special, I wouldn't mind seeing the Goguma Couple again (<3) but that's just my personal bias which would never happen because that variety show airs on a competition channel to SBS so yeah....
Anyhow, how has everyone been? Looking forward to tennis because I am, I get to see No1e grace our screens again on free to air tv. Onto other tennis related news, Maria Sharapova is having a fan meet at Melbourne this Friday but me being me, didn't want to spend an extra week there so I book my tickets for the following week only to find out a few months later that I would not be in town for autographs and photos T^T. My only silver lining is that I get to buy Sugarpova candy which I have been waiting patiently for ever since their release in America in August (?).
Follow up from last time's post:
I saw the giant duck and firstly, I must thank those that I may have grudgingly dragged along (sorry guys but I really appreciate it and hopefully it wasn't a bore for you).
Photo time upon request of Sweet:
From far away the beaks looked like chips and thanks to a certain someone I never got my free rubber duck
Free duck quacker thingo and Sweet I got a set for you which comes with bubble blowers- ANZ sponsored which are a pain to open
According to Better my duck bag is quite the craze back in China and you know on this episode of Running Man that I recently watched, I saw Taeyeon with it as well.
Caption: (as requested)
Mr Consistent- What is that the giant duck that we came to see?
If you can't see it just look at one of the train carriages and then compare that relative to the background
nts never upload photos on blogger using Mac before it takes forever
Anyhow, how has everyone been? Looking forward to tennis because I am, I get to see No1e grace our screens again on free to air tv. Onto other tennis related news, Maria Sharapova is having a fan meet at Melbourne this Friday but me being me, didn't want to spend an extra week there so I book my tickets for the following week only to find out a few months later that I would not be in town for autographs and photos T^T. My only silver lining is that I get to buy Sugarpova candy which I have been waiting patiently for ever since their release in America in August (?).
Follow up from last time's post:
I saw the giant duck and firstly, I must thank those that I may have grudgingly dragged along (sorry guys but I really appreciate it and hopefully it wasn't a bore for you).
Photo time upon request of Sweet:
Unintentionally matching in blue and white theme
Mr Consistent- What is that the giant duck that we came to see?
If you can't see it just look at one of the train carriages and then compare that relative to the background
nts never upload photos on blogger using Mac before it takes forever
Monday, January 7, 2013
#354 - Travel diary I
Alright, curently in Japan so....FREE WIFI!!! UNCENSORED INTERNET!
No photos atm but they'll be up later.
29/12/12: arrived at Guangzhou Airport, and stayed at my uncle's place.... SO COLD! Oh yeah, also felt so plane sick after all nighter-ing (why did I do this??!!!) and drinking milk before the flight - never do that again. Also admiring China's obsession with neon lights at night! Ate out with immediate family.
30/12/12: Visited some giant shopping centre called China Plaza (??). Imported food is very pricey, but food generally had me going googly-eyed since it was so cheap, and I kept converting the price into AUD. Typical bread price at bakeries = 2-6 rmb. I had my first experience in a squat toilet after 10 years, and let's just say I still equally disliked it as I did back when I went before. Why do they not provide toilet paper?!! Sometimes there's also suspicious looking liquid on the floor (hence why I bought my shittiest pair of boots overseas). Moreover the plumbing is highly fragile, so you can't flush toilet paper down and you put all tissues and etc. into a bin, and sometimes, there are things you just don't wanna see there.... >_> Also the home toilet is very prone to clogging because of no. 2's, and as I said previously, plumbing is shit (pun intended, and no it was not me who did a no.2 and clogged the toilet, haha). Once again, we ate out for dinner. Also, we have to heat water for 15 min before we can shower....Australia > China (poor standards of hygiene is making me do TMI on sanitation)
31/12/12: Shopping in some rundown part of town, and more complaints about the sorry state of restrooms. More 3 hour eating out sessions again with extended family members -___-Also I feel like a very naive Westerner whenever I come across disabled beggars on the street - I disliked my relatives' unsympathetic attitudes to their plight (they say that the beggars act like they are pitiful during the day so naive people will give them money, but then when night comes, they're laughing as they dine exquisitely and go home to grand houses). I know that some may be fake, but not all of them are truly like that. I must also comment that people in GZ are so freaking vulgar - a lot of people smoke in restaurants (I do not appreciate passive smoking especially when I am eating food) and many people just spit on the street (ew) and the two general scents I identify when walking on streets are: smoke or garbage. Also, typical China - they don't celebrate the New Year (only celebrate Chinese new year *rolls eyes*) and even cancelled fireworks. One thing I do like about GZ is their giant bottles of fake Yakult for $1 AUD.
01/01/13: Happy New Year! Moved out of my relatives' house for 2 days (thank god, felt like my family and I were cramping their lifestyle) to stay at a hotel. A million relatives today, living in and out about the hotel and more eating out. I don't mind eating out but we've been eating out every single meal, and we keep ordering the same food (meat-wise) that I am not the hugest fan of....argh, just like me to be the picky eater. GZ Metro is stunningly simplistic and well thought out, having been renovated recently - trains come every 4-5 minutes, and they also have glass panes to prevent people from falling onto train tracks. Trains have TVs that feature ads and also have bilingual maps and little signs to show you where to transfer at. The metro is very easy to use, buses are a tad more difficult to use though. Met my cousin's 6 yo cousin at lunch, and she is SOOOO cute!!!! AHHH. If I ever had a daughter I want her to turn out like her :) :) The wharf near the hotel had some food stall thingy going on, so shops were open when we popped by at 9.30 PM (almost forgot to mention stores are open very late in GZ), and thus I devoured fairy floss at 9.40 for 5 RMB.
02/01/13: Last day of the hotel stay, eating out the entire day (brekky, lunch and dinner). GROSSSSSSSS, words cannot describe how much I detest eating out every meal. But what can you do when you have 30-40 relatives?!! Bought 2 CDs
03/01/13: Moved back to my relative's house (*groan*). More eating out (*another groan*), wandered to a few shops - shopping is very inconvenient when 10 people are going. Found Watsons (Asian equivalent of Priceline) so was super excited, until I saw the prices for everything (eeek).
04/01/13: I met up with Viv in Taojin (some rich area)!! =D Wandered around with our siblings :) Realised my Canto stinks so badly, I can't even understand anything when salespeople corner me at shops...ordering Macca's was difficult (but made easy with Viv's excellent grasp of Canto). Talked to Bitter as well despite poor reception(: Oh and another tip, do not speak English when going into shops, people try to rip you off because you're a foreigner, and don't give discounts (if this happens, well screw them! Don't buy their stuff) Then caught metro (I dig the metro) to another stop and did late night shopping for cheap stuff like slippers, and late night eating which was not eating out at restaurants (YES!). Also when Chinese TV broadcasted the giant duck's arrival, I was excitedly hyperventilating on the bus and of course, weird looks were fired my way;P
05/01/13: Woke up at 5.30 to catch the 9.30 flight to Narita Airport.... totally head over heels in love with Japan the moment I stepped foot in the airport! Japanese Customs takes your fingerprints and photo before you exit :) Worlds away from GZ in terms of hygiene! Shops are open very late, and I'm staying at a nice hotel in Shinjuku (streets are soooooooo pretty...). Ordering food in Japan fail: couldn't read Japanese, shop owners couldn't keep speak English very well, and we finally realised we had to look at pictures with numbers next to them, remember the number of the food we liked, then go to the ordering machine, put money and put our number, get our ticket, give to the cooks, and voila! Food out in 2 minutes :) Food and drink portions are generally small too...
06/01/13: The very distant relatives who stayed with us earlier in the year (Ayaha and Ayaka) travelled 3 hours to get to Shinjuku so they could take us to Tokyo Disneyland! And omgosh, picked up a few Japanese words along the way (a little language barrier), traveled on Japan Rail (sadly, no bullet train) to Maihama. Went on around 12 different rides / attractions in total (all are beautifully done) and Tokyo Disneyland is awesome since they put accurate estimated waiting times outside attractions and rides (waited exactly 70 mins for 1 ride, which was the estimated time). They have fireworks every day at 8.30 pm, day and night parades, a lot of food and souvenirs (quite pricey)-love this place!! SO WORTH THE TIRED LEGS AND BEARING THE COLD, brrrr. Got back to Shinjuku after 9pm, hopefully I will visit Ayaha's place sometime in the future, and learn some Japanese :) A funny custom of Japan is that people like to wear their school uniforms when they go out on weekends...:O and like China, people in Japan are obsessed with wearing masks that cover the nose and mouth. People are also so polite, friendly and accommodating and their English is pretty good. They bow a lot too! I want to live in Japan since I like a lot of things about it but one thing I don't like is whaling and treatment of sea animals. Anyway,
Over and out,
-r
No photos atm but they'll be up later.
29/12/12: arrived at Guangzhou Airport, and stayed at my uncle's place.... SO COLD! Oh yeah, also felt so plane sick after all nighter-ing (why did I do this??!!!) and drinking milk before the flight - never do that again. Also admiring China's obsession with neon lights at night! Ate out with immediate family.
30/12/12: Visited some giant shopping centre called China Plaza (??). Imported food is very pricey, but food generally had me going googly-eyed since it was so cheap, and I kept converting the price into AUD. Typical bread price at bakeries = 2-6 rmb. I had my first experience in a squat toilet after 10 years, and let's just say I still equally disliked it as I did back when I went before. Why do they not provide toilet paper?!! Sometimes there's also suspicious looking liquid on the floor (hence why I bought my shittiest pair of boots overseas). Moreover the plumbing is highly fragile, so you can't flush toilet paper down and you put all tissues and etc. into a bin, and sometimes, there are things you just don't wanna see there.... >_> Also the home toilet is very prone to clogging because of no. 2's, and as I said previously, plumbing is shit (pun intended, and no it was not me who did a no.2 and clogged the toilet, haha). Once again, we ate out for dinner. Also, we have to heat water for 15 min before we can shower....Australia > China (poor standards of hygiene is making me do TMI on sanitation)
31/12/12: Shopping in some rundown part of town, and more complaints about the sorry state of restrooms. More 3 hour eating out sessions again with extended family members -___-Also I feel like a very naive Westerner whenever I come across disabled beggars on the street - I disliked my relatives' unsympathetic attitudes to their plight (they say that the beggars act like they are pitiful during the day so naive people will give them money, but then when night comes, they're laughing as they dine exquisitely and go home to grand houses). I know that some may be fake, but not all of them are truly like that. I must also comment that people in GZ are so freaking vulgar - a lot of people smoke in restaurants (I do not appreciate passive smoking especially when I am eating food) and many people just spit on the street (ew) and the two general scents I identify when walking on streets are: smoke or garbage. Also, typical China - they don't celebrate the New Year (only celebrate Chinese new year *rolls eyes*) and even cancelled fireworks. One thing I do like about GZ is their giant bottles of fake Yakult for $1 AUD.
01/01/13: Happy New Year! Moved out of my relatives' house for 2 days (thank god, felt like my family and I were cramping their lifestyle) to stay at a hotel. A million relatives today, living in and out about the hotel and more eating out. I don't mind eating out but we've been eating out every single meal, and we keep ordering the same food (meat-wise) that I am not the hugest fan of....argh, just like me to be the picky eater. GZ Metro is stunningly simplistic and well thought out, having been renovated recently - trains come every 4-5 minutes, and they also have glass panes to prevent people from falling onto train tracks. Trains have TVs that feature ads and also have bilingual maps and little signs to show you where to transfer at. The metro is very easy to use, buses are a tad more difficult to use though. Met my cousin's 6 yo cousin at lunch, and she is SOOOO cute!!!! AHHH. If I ever had a daughter I want her to turn out like her :) :) The wharf near the hotel had some food stall thingy going on, so shops were open when we popped by at 9.30 PM (almost forgot to mention stores are open very late in GZ), and thus I devoured fairy floss at 9.40 for 5 RMB.
02/01/13: Last day of the hotel stay, eating out the entire day (brekky, lunch and dinner). GROSSSSSSSS, words cannot describe how much I detest eating out every meal. But what can you do when you have 30-40 relatives?!! Bought 2 CDs
03/01/13: Moved back to my relative's house (*groan*). More eating out (*another groan*), wandered to a few shops - shopping is very inconvenient when 10 people are going. Found Watsons (Asian equivalent of Priceline) so was super excited, until I saw the prices for everything (eeek).
04/01/13: I met up with Viv in Taojin (some rich area)!! =D Wandered around with our siblings :) Realised my Canto stinks so badly, I can't even understand anything when salespeople corner me at shops...ordering Macca's was difficult (but made easy with Viv's excellent grasp of Canto). Talked to Bitter as well despite poor reception(: Oh and another tip, do not speak English when going into shops, people try to rip you off because you're a foreigner, and don't give discounts (if this happens, well screw them! Don't buy their stuff) Then caught metro (I dig the metro) to another stop and did late night shopping for cheap stuff like slippers, and late night eating which was not eating out at restaurants (YES!). Also when Chinese TV broadcasted the giant duck's arrival, I was excitedly hyperventilating on the bus and of course, weird looks were fired my way;P
05/01/13: Woke up at 5.30 to catch the 9.30 flight to Narita Airport.... totally head over heels in love with Japan the moment I stepped foot in the airport! Japanese Customs takes your fingerprints and photo before you exit :) Worlds away from GZ in terms of hygiene! Shops are open very late, and I'm staying at a nice hotel in Shinjuku (streets are soooooooo pretty...). Ordering food in Japan fail: couldn't read Japanese, shop owners couldn't keep speak English very well, and we finally realised we had to look at pictures with numbers next to them, remember the number of the food we liked, then go to the ordering machine, put money and put our number, get our ticket, give to the cooks, and voila! Food out in 2 minutes :) Food and drink portions are generally small too...
06/01/13: The very distant relatives who stayed with us earlier in the year (Ayaha and Ayaka) travelled 3 hours to get to Shinjuku so they could take us to Tokyo Disneyland! And omgosh, picked up a few Japanese words along the way (a little language barrier), traveled on Japan Rail (sadly, no bullet train) to Maihama. Went on around 12 different rides / attractions in total (all are beautifully done) and Tokyo Disneyland is awesome since they put accurate estimated waiting times outside attractions and rides (waited exactly 70 mins for 1 ride, which was the estimated time). They have fireworks every day at 8.30 pm, day and night parades, a lot of food and souvenirs (quite pricey)-love this place!! SO WORTH THE TIRED LEGS AND BEARING THE COLD, brrrr. Got back to Shinjuku after 9pm, hopefully I will visit Ayaha's place sometime in the future, and learn some Japanese :) A funny custom of Japan is that people like to wear their school uniforms when they go out on weekends...:O and like China, people in Japan are obsessed with wearing masks that cover the nose and mouth. People are also so polite, friendly and accommodating and their English is pretty good. They bow a lot too! I want to live in Japan since I like a lot of things about it but one thing I don't like is whaling and treatment of sea animals. Anyway,
Over and out,
-r
Friday, January 4, 2013
#353- Decisions, Decisions
Hi guys, hopefully you've made up your mind regarding your uni course if not then please decide soon. Some factors to help you with your decision:
- location and accessibility
- Environment
- The Course ITSELF <--- I think that this is the most important
- What your chosen faculty can offer you i.e. work exp, certain skills, etc
- Employability
- Flexibility
- Lastly scholarships but remember this shouldn't be the be all or the end all.
On that note if you ever pass Auburn station have a look out for the James An College sign because they spelt scholarships as 'sholarships', I found that pretty funny seeing as they're selling education when they can't even spell properly themselves.
Since I'm comparing universities, I've been collecting the stuff that they sent. It's surprising to see the effort they spent on paper, mailing, micro sd cards.
Also seeing the duck tomorrow, wish you were here Sweet to see this giant ball of cuteness. oh wells and guys i'm never calling you again, your reception is horrible V!
- location and accessibility
- Environment
- The Course ITSELF <--- I think that this is the most important
- What your chosen faculty can offer you i.e. work exp, certain skills, etc
- Employability
- Flexibility
- Lastly scholarships but remember this shouldn't be the be all or the end all.
On that note if you ever pass Auburn station have a look out for the James An College sign because they spelt scholarships as 'sholarships', I found that pretty funny seeing as they're selling education when they can't even spell properly themselves.
Since I'm comparing universities, I've been collecting the stuff that they sent. It's surprising to see the effort they spent on paper, mailing, micro sd cards.
Also seeing the duck tomorrow, wish you were here Sweet to see this giant ball of cuteness. oh wells and guys i'm never calling you again, your reception is horrible V!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
#352- DUCK
From Sweet who is currently in China atm facing censored internet usage
I am currently blogging at 6-ish in the morning! And today is the day I get to travel overseas after more than 10 years, so yayyy. Anyway, in the early hours of today, I read this and mourned the fact that I would not be witnessing this awesome, sublime piece of happiness. But zomg, I am so excited for what lies ahead!!! :-)
~Bitter
29/12/12: I am currently blogging at 6-ish in the morning! And today is the day I get to travel overseas after more than 10 years, so yayyy. Anyway, in the early hours of today, I read this and mourned the fact that I would not be witnessing this awesome, sublime piece of happiness. But zomg, I am so excited for what lies ahead!!! :-)
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