GOODBYE 2008

WELCOME 2009

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY BRAND NEW YEAR

Can U believe it ?

My Sleeping Pattern was screwed up totally for the past 2 days...Managed to only sleep at around 5 am and woke up at about 4 pm !!! This is what I called Jetlag !!! N my day was gone just like that. What a waste ~

Just came home from dinner with my Montfort gang at Shokudo. Second time there and kinda like the Japanese food especially my all-time favourite Japanese Omelette. Glad that everyone is doing well and do hope that we can go for a short overseas trip one of these days when everyone is free since they are busy with their FYP now. Coming next May/June, they will be graduating and if I never quit University, I will be like them too...Again, I tell myself that I will never regret my decision and recent events made me feel that I made the right choice.

Though the drama series which I downloaded from MOBTV was a little old, I truly enjoyed watching the show. Just in Singapore aka Yi Fang Ban Ting Yi Shui Gang was not only a comedy , it also depict a typical Singaporean lifestyle & 'character'...Kinda meaningful and interesting. 30 episodes were finished within the span of 3 days. Watching one episode after another can be so addictive that I refused to allow my eyes to leave the monitor for even a fraction of a second. One down, many more to go...

As mentioned in the previous entry, I was away in Frankfurt and New York City for the whole of last week. The weather was killing us...bone biting cold and wet ! And I fell sick...I guess it's not due to the weather, instead I suspect I got the flu bug from Faith and coupled with insufficient rest for that few days made my immune system weak. Afterall, I know I am not that weak :P Despite my flu, I decided to forgo my much needed rest and went ahead with the rest for our shopping spree.

<>

Did I mention to you before that the hotel's buffet breakfast in Frankfurt is one of the best I ever had ? Waffles, Made-to-Cook Omelette, Sausages, Various healthy Juices, Assorted Bread rolls, fruits etc etc etc and it only cost me 8.50 Euro ( approx. S$ 17 ). With that, you could eat all you can. Of course, I did not stuff myself with all the food...A buffet to me means variety and not quantity. With the variety of food offered, it was damn Worth it I must admit. After the Hearty breakfast, Faith, Iris and myself made our way to the downtown area where we do our shopping...

Well, I did not buy anything except a shawl from H&M and the gummy sweets from one of the specialty shops. The Gummy sweets were really tasty and chewy...Peach n Mango Flavours...Thanks to Ling who recommended to me on my last trip. It's so nice that Faith and Iris decided to buy some back for their family and friends. The biggest winner for this shopping spree was...FAITH...cos she bought a GUCCI handbag. Well, I must say that she got this at a very good price...it's on sale and that the design is no longer available in SIN. When we returned to the GUCCI boutique a couple of days later, the handbag that Faith bought was no longer in sight. She was lucky, wasn't she ?

When we came back from New York a couple of days later, the 3 of us decided to visit the annual Christmas Market in downtown Frankfurt. I dare say that the Christmas Market did not let us down and it's really worth a visit even though we were really tired and lethagic after we touched down that afternoon.

Each makeshift stall has their own unique Christmas Decor and its really nice. The Weather, the ambience, the people etc all made us feel that Christmas was in the air.

A Crowded Christmas Market. An eye-opener.

Some of the food you can find @ the market...

Chocolate coated Bananas, CHILLIS etc etc, Various German grilled Sausages, Gummy sweets etc etc

These were what we ate while exploring the crowded Christmas Market...

We had the popular Nutella Crepe...Oh it was so yummy. Next, we had the Currywurst sausage...*Drool* before Iris decided to give the warm red wine a try. The finale was a cone of home made fries with curry ketchup sauce and I can tell u its ten times better than McDonald's or even Long John...Shiok man. Don't believe me ? Just look at our expressions especially Iris'.

The Night Scene @ Frankfurt

Bye Frankfurt...Will be back in 2 weeks' time :D

______________________________________________

I must count myself real lucky to be able to visit New York just before Christmas. Christmas sales was everywhere and I really mean everywhere from Victoria Secret to American Eagle to Macy. As usual, the Christmas Decor never fail to attract my attention and not to mention the Big Christmas Tree in front of Rockefellar...It's just Awesome. It is here that you really feel that Christmas is just round the corner.

Had an early morning breakfast @ AppleJack Diner with the rest of my colleague...

Frankly Speaking, this was one of the worst American Breakfast I had in the States. The Omelette was kinda dry and the potatoes were one of the worst I had. Ewww...Service aren't that great either. I think I will try not to visit the cafe again even though it's just behind our hotel.

The Hunt for the Christmas Tree began just after we finished our (aweful) breakfast...

Some interesting photos...Notice the Big Christmas Tree @ Radio City ? It's really Tall. Though it's early in the morning, the Christmas lights were already switched on. I guess they were switched on for 24/7.


After a few blocks, we finally saw...

The Christmas Tree @ Rockefellar !!!!!

It's kinda Big & Beautiful...According to some of my colleagues, the Christmas Tree for this year was smaller compared to the past and that it's not that awesome. Oh Well, maybe next year be better ? Afterall this was a REAL tree and maybe due to global warming and other factors, the tree growth was affected ?

The Christmas Tree Hunters along Fifth Avenue :D

M&M @ Times Square

TIMES SQUARE

Times Square was flooded with tourist and people from all walks of life even though it was a Wednesday morning.

A visit to Toys R US @ Times Square

An eye-opener...lots of toys on sale.

Again, the Christmas Tree Hunters taking a group photo @ Times Square before we were splitted into 2 groups.

On our way to Macy...The Empire State Building...isn't she Gorgeous ???

Dinner @ Topaz...

Did I tell you that this Thai cuisine is one of the best I ever had ? Though the price was a little steep, the ambience and most importantly, the food made up for it. Besides Bangkok and Auckland, New York has one of the best Thai food around.

Bought some stuff from Origins & Victoria Secret as Christmas gifts for my friends and relatives back home. I do hope they will like it. Will be returning to New York in about 2 weeks' time, guess will do a little more shopping (this time for myself :O) and perhaps make a visit to new places like Brooklyn Bridge and Chinatown. Again, that will depend on the weather and my physical state. Oh, I do hope that I can see a snow covered New York on my upcoming trip because I miss the snow storm just by a day. Wonder if I should consider myself lucky or unfortunate.

Schedules have been tight for the past few months and I tell myself that I shall give myself a mini break coming the next months so that I can spend more time with my friends and relatives. Kinda feel a distance between me and them...Argh.

I just cannot believe it...I am in New York City right now...My dream has come true...to be able to see the World Famous Big Christmas Tree in front of Rockefellar Centre plus the Christmas decorations/sales/lights along Fifth Avenue, Times Square etc etc. The Christmas Season is here !!! Woohoo~ I just cannot describe the feeling inside me especially when I saw the heavy snow flakes falling from the sky on my way to the hotel this afternoon. Oh man, the scene was simply Awesome. Loving it ! Too bad, it lasted only for a while.

Though I won't be spending my Christmas in Paris anymore, I will be spending my Christmas Eve in Singapore with my beloved friends. And Now it's time to do my Christmas Shopping due to this very last minute change. OMG, having a bad headache now as I am really bad at buying gifts...What should I buy ??? Just tell me what u want, Friends :D

What I am looking forward right now is the mini Christmas Party organised by Fion coming this 24th. Initially, I have to reject her invitation as I thought I will be in Paris but now I am glad that I will be joining her mini Party .... Woohoo ~ Oh ya, and I will be meeting some of my friends on the 23rd. Haven't been seeing them for a long long time :( And Hopefully, I will be able to meet up with my JC pals some time soon before New Year. Time to start planning and organising.

Came across this from my cousin's blog the other day ...

Procrastination is POISON to any Goal in Life

ACTION is the Cure

Promises are the CATALYST

FRIENDS are the Warranty

And most Importantly, BELIEF in Oneself is the Core

I find this very meaningful and true. Time for a wake-up Call.

Oh ya, I just realised that nothing is impossible...I managed to pack my luggage for a 8 days trip to a cold country within 10 minutes....Yes....without missing any necessities....kudos to myself. Normally, I would take like half an hour to an hour thinking of what to bring while watching the TV or doing some unrelated stuff etc etc :D

Woke up this morning and found myself having this lump on my left cheek...Just had my lower left wisdom tooth extracted at the dentist yesterday and was given a week's MC ... Woohoo ~ The procedure was traumatic...A few jabs of anaesthetic around the area before cutting the gum open to expose the wisdom tooth, followed by drilling of the tooth into fragments before the poor dentist using all the strength she had to try to dig out the root canal. After half an hour of surgery, the wisdom tooth was finally removed albeit in many pieces before the dentist stitched the wound. Anyway, gonna 'suffer' for the rest of the week and I guess only fluid food allowed and NO seafood for the first few days before I can chew and enjoy my favourite food again. Argh...I miss my Mee Rebus, Fried Chicken etc etc.

Was back from Shanghai on Sunday morning. Oh man, the weather in Shanghai was freezing ! Imagine it was -1 degree celsius when we touched down the night before. Woohoo~ That's my favourite. Oh yes, I did manage to buy some of my 'Must-watch' HK drama series....That should give me enough reasons/excuses to stay in my room during my overseas stay :D That's what I always tell myself but always end up doing other things or heading out :P

Oh yes, did I tell you guys that I made a very last minute decision last weekend to go Penang for a night ? Sound crazy right but I truly enjoyed the trip. Oh man, it's the food that made me go wild ! Here's what I did...

Penang ( 30-01 December )

View out of my Balcony @ Copthorne Orchid Hotel in the northern part of the Island.

Got this hotel room at a very good deal...approx S$ 65 per night, considering that it was a very busy weekend with most hotels being full and that I only booked it the night before. Nice Seaviews and the location wasn't that off. Room wise was decent and spacious :D

Penang is not only a food paradise, it does have numerous famous temples that are worth a visit...

Visit to 2 popular Temples

And so what's my main aim of visiting Penang just for a night..to be precise...it's less than 24 hours ?

The answer lies in....

Penang Delicacy !!!! Chendol, Hokkien Mee ( Prawn Noodles ), Char Kway Teow, Laksa and Curry Mee....Woo...Really nice. No joke. The Chendol was really nice and it was from one of the famous stall which many celebrities have visited. It was so refreshing under the hot and humid weather. The Hokken Mee was spicy and the soup was damn tasty. The Char Kway Teow was one of the best I ever had. The Laksa was different from the ones we have in Singapore...it's more sour and not that spicy. Lastly, the curry mee that I had was not bad. The soup was more like our Singapore style laksa rather than the typical curry we always have. Since I only have a day in Penang, there's still many local food which I have yet to try. Nevertheless, I shall be going JB soon with LL for our food hunting adventures :D

Adelaide ( 21-23 November )

After almost a year, I finally got the chance to visit Adelaide again. Though there aren't much things to see and do in Adelaide city itself, there's one place where I would visit for sure....

Central Market

'Market-ing' @ Central Market

What Central Market offers...Fresh Fruits & Vegetables, Dried fruits, Coffee & Tea, Chocolates, Australian specialties such as Nougats, Plants, Freshly baked pastries and bread, dips etc etc etc. What's best is that...they are all very affordable and fresh !

Only bought for myself some titbits from the market while the 2 girls bought lots of fruits and mushrooms to be brought back to Singapore. After about a 2-hour 'market-ing', our stomachs couldn't take it anymore and we had a sumptuous and hearty breakfast at this cafe in Central Market...

Scrambled Eggs with Bacon and Toast, A hot and crispy ham & cheese croissant coupled with a mug of hot thick Chocolate....Woo....What more can one ask for !!!

Chinatown @ Adelaide

Auckland ( 15-18 November )

Guess what....I went to Auckland again...3rd time within 2 months :D

And...I think I am falling in love with Auckland !!!

Be frank, the City itself or rather the downtown area where I usually frequent is really boring and dead. What made me fall in love with her is the food Auckland can offer. Yea, it's food that make Jang Son so hyperactive :P

The Mussels @ The Occidental are one of the best I ever had. Most importantly, I love the Thai food in Auckland...they are simply so nice and delicious. I wouldn't mind having Thai Food every single meal :D

The view from Devonport ... Auckland Skyline

This time in Auckland, I managed to visit an island off the shores....Devonport. Thanks to Ed who brought me there.

On our way to Devonport...

The journey took about 20 minutes and a return adult tickets cost about S$9.

Some interesting landmarks in Devonport

While exploring the area near the ferry terminal, we came across this Bed & Breakfast Inn which was very unique and beautiful...it has a real beautiful garden blooming with different types and colours of flowers.

Peace & Plenty Bed & Breakfast ... A very nice and cozy place to spend a night in.

Other interesting things that we came across while walking around the island.

Taipei ( 30 - 01 November )

The thing I like about Taipei is its friendly people and its delicious food. A visit to Taipei will be incomplete if you fail to patronise its famous night markets. As I had a 2 nights stay this time round, I managed to visit 2 night markets ... Shilin & Yong He :D

Enjoying our Shabu Shabu in the heart of Ximending...The slices of beef was so fresh and delicious. Nice Nice Nice.

Our Night Market snacks...

The fried assorted mushrooms which PE bought was really tasty. The moment I tried one, I was hooked !!! We went to this famous stall in Shilin which specialise in 'Cho Beng' aka Snow Ice shavings....Woooooooo......it simply melts in your mouth :P The Chow Tofu (fermented beancurd) was really crispy on the outside and soft on the inside...Nice. One of the best I had was the 'Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang' which I bought it from a stall in Yong He...I vowed I will have it again on my next visit. Oh ya, the dessert chain stall which specialises in Yam balls and Grass jelly is a must try in Taipei :P

A Glimpse of Yong He Night Market

In my opinion, this is one of the better night market and definitely worth a visit.

Seoul & San Francisco ( 07 - 14 November )

The Beautiful view out of my hotel room windows in Seoul.... Autumn Time

Saba Fish Dinner @ Namdaemun.

Not forgetting the popular Chicken Stew @ Myeungdong ... Look @ everyone's expressions while tucking in... Yes... It's that nice !

Shopping in Myeongdong

Joanne introduced to us this makeshift stall @ Myeongdong which sell Grilled Chicken Stick...Hey its unique and nice lol. Many told me that the KFC's fried chicken in Seoul taste much better than in Singapore...so I had my share and hmmm it did taste better alas much crispier. :D

Finally after a day out @ Myeongdong... we decided to go ...

O'Sulloc for our Green Tea Desserts !!! Nice Ambience and Good selection of Tea and Desserts. A must visit though a little expensive.

Thanks to Estelle who brought us to this Dim Sum Restaurant @ San Francisco Chinatown

Actually the Dim Sum was quite delicious considering you are in the USA and what I like most was that they are still pushing those dim sum carts just like the old days ... very nostalgic eh :D Something rare these days.

Chinatown :D... The Ginseng looks like human right...Heard that they do 'walk' :S

Best Dinner in San Francisco

@ The Cheesecake Factory !!!!

Alright, that's it for now...Time to rest :D