Finally, on Spain... my last Europe trip with friends :)
Disclaimer: This post is not about the attractions of Spain. It doesn't even come close.

Flying from Edinburgh to Barcelona Girona Airport, then taking the expensive airport shuttle bus (the only option available) to Barcelona Nord Bus Station. It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the blue, blue sky.

We got to our accomodation via the metro, then settled down for the night. The next day, we headed out to sightsee but got a bit lost. But we caught sight of a beautiful building. Dunno what it was, but it made the extra miles worth walking.

And (fortunately we took the wrong path) for what did we discover but a famous chocolateria, Escriba <3 The hot chocolate was heavenly. I had the hot chocolate with chilli. Mmmmm.

I took more photos on this detour than I did on our actual stay in Barcelona o.0 I couldn't resist. Check out this graffiti.

The next thing that caught my (camera's) attention was this sign warning vehicles that this was a school zone and to look out for children. Why are the children on the sign running as though they were escaping from something deadly? Says something about Spanish schools, doesn't it?

For our first main meal in Spain, I went for... the Hog Roast Burger at Hard Rock Cafe on Plaza Catalunia. Don't ask.

 My first attraction photo coming up! Guess where we went! FC Barcelona at Camp Nou. It was drizzling the whole time.

I stood at where I think they do interviews and stuff and took a photo (with my umbrella so I can remember the dismal weather o.o)

Their museum is definitely one of the most artistic football museums I've ever been to (the rest being only Old Trafford and Anfield).

I also sat in the commentator's box and tried screaming out stuff (without trying to embarrass my friends too much).

Check out their cool lamp-post. It's a football! (and Blogger is refusing to let me upload any more images)

 Maybe it's a sign. That I should go do other stuff. Instead of blogging. Though I'm not done with Barcelona. I haven't even come to... the main stuff like Sagrada Familia.

I have lived in Singapore for around two decades, but I'm still experiencing 'first's.

Could you guess what this is? Haha.

Artists creating the new exhibitions for the walkway from Citylink Mall towards the Esplanade :)
I've always seen the exhibitions but strangely enough, I never saw them being taken down and put up.
Well, there's always a first for everything :)

I'm listening to Ryan Shupe's Dream Big


When you cry, be sure to dry your eyes,
'Cause better days are sure to come.
And when you smile, be sure to smile wide,
And don't let them know that they have won.
And when you walk, walk with pride, 
And don't show the hurt inside,
Because the pain will soon be gone. 

And when you dream, dream big,
As big as the ocean, blue.
'Cause when you dream it might come true.
But when you dream, dream big. 

And when you laugh, be sure to laugh out loud,
'Cause it will carry all your cares away. 
And when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself,
And it will help you feel okay. 
And when you pray, pray for strength to help to carry on,
But when the troubles come your way. 

And when you dream, dream big,
As big as the ocean, blue.
'Cause when you dream it might come true.
But when you dream, dream big. 

When you cry be sure to dry your eyes, 
cause better days are sure to come.
And when you smile be sure to smile wide, and
don't let them know that they have won.
And when you laugh be sure to laugh out loud,
'Cause it will carry all your cares away. 
And when you see, see the beauty all
around and in yourself, and it will help you feel okay. 
And when you pray, pray for strength to 
help to carry on when the troubles come your way. 



:)

OMG.
So irritated with myself.
Saw a book the other day. Can't remember the title. Can't remember the author's name x.x

But I was really inspired. It was written by a lady (I vaguely recall) who started jotting down little things that made her smile, or made her happy, in a little notebook. She collected them for like six years and published the collected words as a stream of consciousness chain (or however you describe it).
So anyway, I wanted to do the same.
But I'm annoyed I can't remember her name. Or the book's name! Grrrrr...

Taken from http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/funniest-holiday-complaints-revealed/story-e6frfq80-1225943163031

An Australian news article about the 'Funniest holiday complaints'

Travellers' Complaints

1. Lack of kangaroos hopping in Sydney city

2. Too many tourists in Europe in summer and not enough English-speaking people

3. Too cold to ski in Japan during winter

4. Too hot in Singapore

5. Too many children in Fiji during school holidays (although visitor brought her own kids)

6. $20 Gucci handbag bought in China is not real!!! (duh.)

7. Greece's beaches had stones

8. Emirates' airplane seats too comfortable - put visitor to sleep when he wanted to stay awake

9. There are fish in the sea! (duh.)

10. *drinks from gravy boat* Soup is too thick.

11. Hotel made me pregnant

12. Too many Spanish people in Spain

13. Too much curry served in restaurants in India

Travellers' Demands

1. Chaperone for a group of sex addicts

2. Menu of only blue food

3. Bed for dog

4. Request for hotel staff to put a stop to the rain

5. Request for staff to tape up window to prevent sunlight from shining through

6. Stop aircon from making weird noises *Electric toothbrush in suitcase buzzes and pretends to be the aircon*

6. Borrow hotel staff's shoes

7. Use hotel staff's car

8. Request hotel staff to drive them to a shop

9. Request to marry staff's daughter x.x

LOL.

At the expense of leaving work late, I have to put this article down before I forget.

Tourists these days...

Yay I have some more photos, which I finally uploaded :)
BUT I'm a bit lazy, so I'm going to sort through the smallest folder first, which chronicles my last few days in Europe :(

Snapshot 1: Random advertisement I saw on the bus (from Edinburgh) to London Victoria coach station... (and sign-writing too. haha. it says)

Snapshot 2: Tan-tan mee at a small noodle bar in London Chinatown. It tastes horrible. Can't remember why I wanted to try it. But I think the restaurant I wanted to go to was too packed (for good reason) and because we have been eating duck rice in London for the past 2 days.

Snapshot 3: Mommy and I in Europe because it's my graduation! Looking very young :)

Snapshot 4: Mommy and Sis on the Hop-on Bus in London! Yeah, it's not Paris, cos I cleverly took the sign behind that says 'Trocadero London'. HAHA.

Snapshot 5: Mommy and I at 54 Farringdon, apparently relatively famous Malaysian restaurant in London. The food wasn't too bad. The sorbet was quite exciting - Cempedak, Durian and Lychee, but too sweet for my liking. And when I say too sweet, it REALLY is too sweet.

Snapshot 6: JUST so that I have at least 1 photo of an attraction we saw. We were on the Hop-on bus in Paris and we saw the Eiffel Tower. Not that we didn't go to the Eiffel Tower, and not that we didn't take a photo there together, just that, my sis has a more pro camera, so I can't really be bothered to take :)

Snapshot 7: Mommy and I on our umpteenth bus ride to Livingstone designer outlet. When 3 girls get together, all they can think about is shop, shop and shop!

Snapshot 8: This is what happens to white trousers when you go out for a walk on a rainy day.

Snapshot 9: This is the staircase which I lugged up my 25kg luggage and lost a wheel. You can see it (the wheel or what's left of it) on the third bottom-most step. I was feeling brave and strong and decided I could manage wheeling my luggage from my flat to the hotel. But forgot about the glass pieces on the pavement (from the drunken gangs that haunt Edinburgh at night) which took 1 of the wheel on my luggage about halfway there making it almost impossible to wheel it. Wanted to give up and take a cab but realised OMFG I forgot my wallet. Didn't want to leave my luggage in the middle of the street and run back for my wallet so I dragged my handicapped luggage to the hotel, cutting through the shortcut (decided that up the stairs beats walking for an extra 200m or so). Bravely and politely rejected the offers of help that kindly Edinburgh gentlemen offer to me and pretending not to pant too hard.

There you go. My exciting grad trip. (Not really) 

As in not that it's not exciting. But the photos don't show half of it xD

Went for a concert last Tues at Yong Siew Toh with Xiaomirs :)

It was possibly the first string quartet that I've heard because as a wind orchestra person, strings are beyond me. The first time that I heard a violin that I didn't immediately go 'EWWWWWWWWWW' was back in 2006, sitting the B&B in Cambridge with Rui, watching the BBC Proms on our little TV. I'm not even sure who it was. It was a lady, and she was so awesome that Rui and I just sat there listening, instead of launching into our usual complaints about string instruments :)

So, anyway, I can't tell if the Shanghai Quartet was brilliant but they sounded pretty good to me. The rather modern-sounding piece by Penderecki, however, was ... well, modern. It sounds like the type of piece that I wouldn't be able to understand and perform unguided, though the motifs are quite pleasant taken alone.

But Xiaomirs and I were discussing how amazing it was that they could change tempo, and in general, play together without a conductor to direct them. Sitting in Rwinds prac yesterday, it's amazing how even when there IS a conductor, the band was unable to change dynamics or tempo together. Maybe for the simple fact that some of us are unfamiliar with the pieces. But also, because coming from different backgrounds and different bands, we don't play in the same style and we don't feel the same about how a piece ought to be played.

Anyway, back to the Shanghai Quartet, alarmingly, I quite like their 'Selections from China Song'. Perhaps it was cos the first movement was Yao Dance, and in RG, I'm pretty sure I played 'Dances of Yao' or something like that and it just sounded so familiar :)

This is such a boring entry x.x

今日はちょうつまらない！何もしませんでした！雑誌もう読みました。日本語で日記を書きたいですが、日本語を書けません。いらだたしいんですね。ついさっき、エディンバラのクリスマスのウェブサイトを見る。思い出を蘇える。日本語で書くは難しすぎる！友達が今晩の晩御飯の予約を取りやめました。どうする。一人でご飯を食べるか。

You know you're a workaholic when you think about putting work-related stuff on your  blog.
But I can't resist x.x

Japanese have fewest digital friends on social networks
Quotes from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11501625

In Malaysia the average number of friends is 233, closely followed by 231 in Brazil and 217 in Norway. This contrasts to an average of just 29 friends in Japan, and 68 in China

 Article suggests countries like Japan have 'fewer but closer relationships'. To be honest, I find that assumption plausible but unreliable. It really depends on what the survey meant by social networks. If they only surveyed global sites, which are mostly English-speaking, then it would make a lot of sense why Japan and China scored low. Not that Japanese and Chinese speak less English, but they tend to prefer using their own languages, I feel. Sadly, I don't know of any Chinese-only social networking sites, but I'm pretty sure they do. And perhaps this is the channel where most Chinese social networkers go?

Or it could also just mean that social networking sites are just not as popular. For China, internet penetration rate isn't high. It is possible that many 'friends' simply do not have easy internet access. Or, even in Japan, where internet penetration rate is high, the statistics may simply suggest that social networking sites are not very popular amongst the locals.

It is true that the overall rise in the use of social networking sites, or more generally, digital sources suggest that businesses should venture into digital space in order to attract their customers. But, it is also crucial that one looks at which market they are targeting. Because statistics are so misleading sometimes.

Don't feel like expanding. It's too brain-taxing for a Friday morning :)

Just found some photos on an old thumbdrive - Manchester photos :) Haha. Year 1. My first trip in the UK. (Not counting touching down in London, going to Cambridge and then to Edinburgh) With Kenny, Hian Liang and Garrick. Being very studious uh students, we went to the library.

 
Then to the Christmas market at the town square :) It was very pretty.

And the Manchester-eye?flyer?wheel?!

And of course to Chinatown, where we FEASTED on Chinese food, dim sum (nom nom) and bought snacks at the Chinese supermarket.

Also saw 3 cute trumpeters in Santa hats playing Christmas carols. In the cold. In the FREEZING cold. Surely their fingers must have been frozen.

Dunno why. But I can't upload any more pics :( So sad. So you can't see the cute newt-salamander-monster thingy. Or the pics at Old Trafford. Or you can.. just wait for the next post haha. Since I'm lazy to transfer new photos.

This was so long ago I can't even remember most of what happened. 2006 Christmas holidays. With 3 guys I barely knew. Just cos all the girls went back for Christmas in their first year. But it went surprisingly well. I can't say I didn't enjoy the trip haha! I'm glad I met up with Nic and Shun in London after that though :) It's always nice to be with your loved ones during the festive season!

I'm determined to start blogging again :)
Will blog about Sat when I can be bothered to sort out kite-flying photos.

Sunday :)

Went to catch 'Welcome' at Alliance Francais.

(I'm not sure how to credit photos. But I got this from inSing.com. Why is the hyperlink black!)

And... non, je ne parlez pas Français.
About a strange relationship between Simon and Bilal. Actually I can't be bothered to write about the story :) But some of the images were very striking. The brown 'Welcome' doormat at the hostile neighbour's door. And the way it said 'Welcome' stark white against a black background at the end of the film. Bilal in his blue wetsuit striking out against the foamy waves in the stormy grey sea. It was very grey. The sky was grey. The sea was grey. The blank, blank looks on Bilal's and his friend's face at their sudden fortune. The typical messy, ravenblack hair of a poor Pakistani girl in London (Londre). The ring. Diamond and sapphire. That nobody wanted. And the look on his face when Simon told his wife: He walked 4000m and now he wants to swim the Channel. Just to meet his girl. And I can't even cross the road to get you back.

Irrelevantly, mini burgers are very yummy :) I think I will eat mini burgers everytime I go back to Holland V. As long as I don't go with Qpuffs, the restaurant will probably be open.

reading 2006 posts - by myself.
somehow some of the events don't even seem familiar - at all.
i used to write quite interesting posts. maybe my life was more interesting. actually i do write interesting posts (right? xD) but just a lot less frequently. maybe i should make it a habit of writing almost everyday. it's nice to look back. note the change in writing style. so much has happened in these 4 years that not much stays the same anymore. it's not just how i write, how i do work. but my entire attitude towards life, towards people, towards events. it's strange how for the first 18 years of my life, nothing much happened to change my world view. but in these short 4 years, maybe even just the last 2 or 3 years, things after things happened, so much so that i don't know who the xin writing all those past posts is.

The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them — words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they’re brought out. But it’s more than that, isn’t it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you’ve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.

- The Body, Stephen King

Copied it off Chong's blog. Just cos it's so true. Especially the part about making revelations (that took you ages to pluck up enough courage to utter it) and facing an indifferent response that 'you almost cried while you were saying it'.

But we musn't lose the courage to try again.

it's a long, long journey.
but i'm home...
and nothing is the same.

Back in Singapore.
Time flies. And I still miss everyone... it's so strange how I won't be flying back.Stepping into that house.Dreading all the household chores and the bugs that have settled in over summer.THOSE WOODLICE.And then meeting up for tea at Kilimanjaro or Beanscene or someone's flat.Found some miscellanous photos taken over the last half year or so.Random memories unaltered by Photoshop (just cos I can't be bothered to).They may be blur, not artistic or whatever but they remain a special part of me.

Snapshot 1: Supper. An almost daily occurrence usually in the wee hours of the morning. Apple pie from Farmfoods and a scoop of Haagen- Dazs Bailey's, not that you can see the rest of the tub, which we managed to finish as well.


Snapshot 2: Oreo smilie. Tea break at Nurul's. One of our countless dissertationsessions with yummyfood. Rahima and Nurul and I with mugs of tea, 3 laptops and a constant chatter.


Snapshot 3: Happy chocolatebread family <3 Lots of love from Nurul and I. A lesson on what to do when you get sick of studying.


Snapshot 4: Sunset at Arthur's Seat.I miss having such a beautiful place just 15 minutes from my place.


Snapshot 5: Botanic Gardens. I know I said I'll go back when the flowers are out. Maybe someday I will..


Snapshot 6: Scottish weather. Self-explanatory.


Ok I gotta go out. So.. will continue this next time. Hehe. Didn't expect -that- many photos. BUt the more I look at them, the more I want to talk about them. Every one of them. They all seem equally important.

So I can't sleep.
And I really don't want to look at my dissertation (OMG the D- word)
So I blog o.o
Not the best idea but...

During the summer hols, I went to Hong Kong with my mom and my 2 sisters :)


We stayed in a nice hotel :)

We got hungry. So we ate some yummy crépes.


Man, we were really hungry. So we had an amazingly HUGE bowl of noodles with ALL the TYPES of ingredients they had to offer. Each.


Breakfast was just porridge. And Char Siew Bao. And Spring Rolls. And Many other Dim Sum. You get the idea.

We went to some scenic place. By the river. At the famous convention centre??


I took a blur photo of my mom and sisss at the famous golden peony statue thing.



And then got a pro photographer (you know those with the big NIXON camera) to take an
equally blur photo of us at the big Guan Yin statue.


Got mommy to take a CLEAR (finally o.o) photo of us loving the lion statues.


Then Jia shows her elation at being in front of a red arch o.o



We got on a boat.


And passed by an awesome floating seafood restaurant (which we didn't go into)


We later step into a jewel/precious rock kinda place, which had a spitting man as our tour leader, introducing (and splattering the poor kids in front with saliva as he went along)the place to us.



And apparently tea in restaurants aren't meant for drinking. They are meant for washing your cutlery.


We went to take the funicular after walking and walking and thinking we were lost o.o Giving me a chance to take one of my awesome black photos of my siss at the station.


At the Peak, who else did we bump into but James Bond?


There was an awesome view, but who needs pictures of that? Nah, we just got a French guy to take A photo of us blocking the view :)


How can any trip be without the usual toilet trip to get freshen up and take a few photos in the mirror?

And although Daddy didn't come along, we didn't forget Daddy <3

And tea break came not too soon. With typical Hong Kong egg tarts and milk tea. Nom nom.



Went to the Avenue of STars at night forgoing dinner just to catch a lousy light show of buildings. We were hungry. HUNGRY!



So, NATURALLY, we headed to an all-you-can-eat buffet STEAMBOAT. i mean, boiled stuff is healthy right?


Our last horrible moments at the hotel, after finishing a yummy dessert, waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for that irresponsible ***** who didn't fetch us to the airport... (ONe of my wonderful dark photos)

It was a great trip despite the minor glitch at the end. And maybe it's my curse with travelling. The return trip was a bit horrifying but we returned in the end :)

Maybe I'll do Japan next. Except I don't know where my photos are.
And they're all of Huiyan so I need her approval.
Then maybe New York. which is like in this SD card too for some reason. Yay. Just wasted 45 mins of my life doing this o.o Uploading photos is HORRIBLE.