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July has finally arrived. My favourite month of the year.
lots of flashbacks went pass my mind these days. the hustles and bustles for the past one month. days past without me noticing. but glad that everything is back to normal.
hope to take some time off from everything so that i could spend more time for myself and do things that i like.
Mr Tan pointed put a fact that was pretty accurate. I have achieved a lot more as compared to a normal average university undergraduate. However, i shouldn't be pushing myself and trying to excel in too many things, thus diluting the quality of each activity. I actually knew what i wanted, just that i couldn't bring myself to let go of things.
i cut down my workload till once a week at ichi. The pinch was a bit hard, as i saw myself improving after going thru those pains.
But i am free-ed from harsh criticisms that dragged my morale down and had more time for myself. Sometimes i wonder if the culture of every service F&B industry is similar, whereby no proper training is given and we have to learn through scoldings after scoldings. Upper management giving conflicting SOP's, when they do not even adhere to it sometimes. But well, figured out that this applies everywhere in the working world. It's all about preparing yourself and how to handle people and situations. I had learnt to be a little more humble, tolerant, understanding my weaknesses better.
Things that i have achieved: holding trays on 2 hands and closing the most hectic station on time! =)
Sometimes i feel disturbed when people comment it as a degrading job, but guess the soft skills i had gained from there, would bring me far.
Wanted to take some time off from everything, but guess i am not given the privilege to. Afterall, i still need to feed myself. ('',) But i slowed down the pace by only having one activity per day, in particular relief teaching.
Felt i had become much more seasoned when i face a class and could handle them much better. It can be quite challenging conducting PE sessions. My first and alone todae. though not very experience handling 3 classes consecutively, but still quite satisfied in how i managed them, though there could be much room for improvement. tried handling P6 classes and had a feel of how "real teaching" is really like. Used to do baby-sitting for classes in the past, but it's definately a different experience when u are expected to teach. Well, didn't expect myself to stayed till 3:30 to mark test scripts.
my confidence started to regain these days. realised small, little things in life now that i had more time for myself. found myself a shorter path that leads me from hg station to the gym. SPC near hg stadium has more assortments of bens and jerry ice cream compared to other SPC and NTUC in the vicinity.
i see things getting better these days. After all, i never break off from the hectic cycle ever since the exchange and the depart of lengyn. It's time to take a short retreat...
P/S: Know that you are busy these days with your dance practices. Won't call to disturb you for the next few nights... stay happy and dun get so easily unhappy. i won't feel good when u are not. Pls take care of yourself...
lots of flashbacks went pass my mind these days. the hustles and bustles for the past one month. days past without me noticing. but glad that everything is back to normal.
hope to take some time off from everything so that i could spend more time for myself and do things that i like.
Mr Tan pointed put a fact that was pretty accurate. I have achieved a lot more as compared to a normal average university undergraduate. However, i shouldn't be pushing myself and trying to excel in too many things, thus diluting the quality of each activity. I actually knew what i wanted, just that i couldn't bring myself to let go of things.
i cut down my workload till once a week at ichi. The pinch was a bit hard, as i saw myself improving after going thru those pains.
But i am free-ed from harsh criticisms that dragged my morale down and had more time for myself. Sometimes i wonder if the culture of every service F&B industry is similar, whereby no proper training is given and we have to learn through scoldings after scoldings. Upper management giving conflicting SOP's, when they do not even adhere to it sometimes. But well, figured out that this applies everywhere in the working world. It's all about preparing yourself and how to handle people and situations. I had learnt to be a little more humble, tolerant, understanding my weaknesses better.
Things that i have achieved: holding trays on 2 hands and closing the most hectic station on time! =)
Sometimes i feel disturbed when people comment it as a degrading job, but guess the soft skills i had gained from there, would bring me far.
Wanted to take some time off from everything, but guess i am not given the privilege to. Afterall, i still need to feed myself. ('',) But i slowed down the pace by only having one activity per day, in particular relief teaching.
Felt i had become much more seasoned when i face a class and could handle them much better. It can be quite challenging conducting PE sessions. My first and alone todae. though not very experience handling 3 classes consecutively, but still quite satisfied in how i managed them, though there could be much room for improvement. tried handling P6 classes and had a feel of how "real teaching" is really like. Used to do baby-sitting for classes in the past, but it's definately a different experience when u are expected to teach. Well, didn't expect myself to stayed till 3:30 to mark test scripts.
my confidence started to regain these days. realised small, little things in life now that i had more time for myself. found myself a shorter path that leads me from hg station to the gym. SPC near hg stadium has more assortments of bens and jerry ice cream compared to other SPC and NTUC in the vicinity.
i see things getting better these days. After all, i never break off from the hectic cycle ever since the exchange and the depart of lengyn. It's time to take a short retreat...
P/S: Know that you are busy these days with your dance practices. Won't call to disturb you for the next few nights... stay happy and dun get so easily unhappy. i won't feel good when u are not. Pls take care of yourself...
- Location:o chi
- Mood:
accomplished
A rather busy month after settling down from my exchange. Taking a small retreat. =)
- Location:o chi
- Mood:
blah - Music:ben lai- tong en
This month definitely was one of the most hectic, yet enjoyable moments of my life. With the success of EVOLVE conference and ending of Sino exchange, my facebook started flooding with photos and my brain storing beautiful memories of china, shandong in particular. Thank you for those who had crossed paths in my life and left their nice footprints on it. Now that i am back in singapore, life has to be back to normal. Had a week of rest and was told i need not had to go for reservist.
Going for a job interview tmr. Starting work soon... Exam results almost released. Jumpstart meetings and duties flooding in. Registering for yoga classes and Jap lessons if possible. that's about all i have in my head now. And to that special person in my life, hope you could be more open to me, so that i could get to know you better. i dun really like guessing all the time, you know. Ha! =P
- Location:Home
- Mood:
chipper - Music:Jolin - Haidao
With Evolve conference starting in 2 days, feel so excited about it. Our hard work that we have put in, would start paying off... Had lots of logistics matters to attend to , esp with regards to the accomodation. Had to add go down to rebook accomodation time by time due to the indecisiveness of the delegates. But kinda expected as handling human flow has always been the toughest segment with regards to logistics matters.
Was quite swamped the past few days, jugling with my tuition kids, Evolve meetings, my Sino exchange meeting today, and an unexpected wake. One of my elders in my dao arena met with a car accident, car with a head on collision, leaving 5 dead. I feel rather sad, experiencing air of melanchony during the cremation at mandai hills today. On the contrary, a bit jaded since my grandpa departed last Vesak Day. Everything happens for a reason. But i guess my elder would be blessed in heaven for his deeds he had done. =)
Kinda not very prepared to handle the magnitude of the conference and the exchange to china. Well, need to start mentally prepare myself... Taking IPPT this tues. Need some blessing... Agent R, start working on that if you see this! ;P
Some desperate measures outside the lab during exam fever...
Some better treatment at Garden Slug... Poached pear... favourite basil sauce with pasta!.
Was quite swamped the past few days, jugling with my tuition kids, Evolve meetings, my Sino exchange meeting today, and an unexpected wake. One of my elders in my dao arena met with a car accident, car with a head on collision, leaving 5 dead. I feel rather sad, experiencing air of melanchony during the cremation at mandai hills today. On the contrary, a bit jaded since my grandpa departed last Vesak Day. Everything happens for a reason. But i guess my elder would be blessed in heaven for his deeds he had done. =)
Kinda not very prepared to handle the magnitude of the conference and the exchange to china. Well, need to start mentally prepare myself... Taking IPPT this tues. Need some blessing... Agent R, start working on that if you see this! ;P
Some desperate measures outside the lab during exam fever...
Some better treatment at Garden Slug... Poached pear... favourite basil sauce with pasta!.
- Location:Home
- Mood: excited
- Music:She de - Sammi Zheng
Was lying on bed, when my tears started flowing. Haha. Have to admit am a bit weak at the moment, with all the anxieties and stress for the past few days. Agent E flashed across my mind while i was crying. Was tinking how i would be able to cope with the magnitude of being aboard at the later half of this year for GIP. Tink would miss him quite a lot and could potray the scenes at the airport.
Though my msn heading always appears "Agent E left long ago", however, i guess his presence still lingers in me somehow. He taught me how to take care of myself, how to wash my clothes to make it smell nice, appreciate life so that i would not be consumed in my own world, made me pick up jap, brought Namie Amuro songs to me, to make me stronger. i would miss those times, though now i have to put it at the back of my mind and allow someone that appreciates me more to come into my life. Though i must say, i may not be able to find another person whom i loved so deeply, but it would serve as a beautiful memory that will be locked at the bottom of my heart. =)
4 papers down. Last up, mechanics! Ganbatte... My only hopeful subject that could score an A this time round. Will jia yous!
- Location:jia
- Mood: happy
- Music:Namie Amuro - I Will
Thanks sam for allowing me to sqat over at your hall during exam period. Gota learn some wine/cheese appreciation, and tried your durian fried rice. Garden slug is a nice and cosy place. hope to be back there soon! =)
Thanks walter for colongne 101 and bringing us to yr mum's office to study yesterday!
Thanks Eugene for Namie songs... i love the classics as much as her new album!
Sam's favourite !
Thanks for those who had lent out their help in the lab during this exam period... Jia yous.
First and Second paper: electronics and Jap!
P/s : I love the pepper cheese, though it's the cheapest out of the three ;P Please dun kill me!
Thanks walter for colongne 101 and bringing us to yr mum's office to study yesterday!
Thanks Eugene for Namie songs... i love the classics as much as her new album!
Sam's favourite !
Thanks for those who had lent out their help in the lab during this exam period... Jia yous.
First and Second paper: electronics and Jap!
P/s : I love the pepper cheese, though it's the cheapest out of the three ;P Please dun kill me!
- Mood: busy
- Music:Namie Namie
Knocked into Agent E in cant A on wed after Leslie's talk.
He shared with me an interesting account of himself, but it took me quite long before i could digest the info. Bruppp!!
Apparantly, his roomie requested to move out of the room. At first i tot that it was becos he was afraid of Agent E, having realised his identity after some misfortunate events. But i was super wrong!!!!
According to Agent E, he moved out becos he was confused, and was afraid that he would fall for Agent E. Which i feel is a whole load of buaffalo shit! Ha! But well, guess would have to call duy out one day for coffee... ;P
Dunnoe if it was pure coincidence, i bumped into Agent E twice, in both cant A and B today. Well...
We would see each other again during the dry run today. Need to find topics to entertain him again. Lol...
BTW, HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY to my dearest friend, YX who i had known for 9 years. Hugs!
Dun u dare forget the money u owe me!!! Basket!
He shared with me an interesting account of himself, but it took me quite long before i could digest the info. Bruppp!!
Apparantly, his roomie requested to move out of the room. At first i tot that it was becos he was afraid of Agent E, having realised his identity after some misfortunate events. But i was super wrong!!!!
According to Agent E, he moved out becos he was confused, and was afraid that he would fall for Agent E. Which i feel is a whole load of buaffalo shit! Ha! But well, guess would have to call duy out one day for coffee... ;P
Dunnoe if it was pure coincidence, i bumped into Agent E twice, in both cant A and B today. Well...
We would see each other again during the dry run today. Need to find topics to entertain him again. Lol...
BTW, HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY to my dearest friend, YX who i had known for 9 years. Hugs!
Dun u dare forget the money u owe me!!! Basket!
- Mood: crazy
3 movies in this week... weee....
"Jumper" last sat with felix
"PS I love you" on thur with john.
would rate this the highest out of the 3! Worth catching... Paid 6 bucks at the cathay as they had UOB debit promo. Injected humour coupled with romance. sweet.
"Meet the spartans" today with mewkof. Dun catch it on a weekend ya? haha
went to this hong kong cafe at vivo city. food was great! would visit there some time soon.
Jelly sam made for me on V' Day
Meal at HK cafe
"Jumper" last sat with felix
"PS I love you" on thur with john.
would rate this the highest out of the 3! Worth catching... Paid 6 bucks at the cathay as they had UOB debit promo. Injected humour coupled with romance. sweet.
"Meet the spartans" today with mewkof. Dun catch it on a weekend ya? haha
went to this hong kong cafe at vivo city. food was great! would visit there some time soon.
Jelly sam made for me on V' Day Meal at HK cafe- Mood:
sleepy - Music:Bu xiang dong de - Zhang Shao Han
Contented that this year's V Day turned out good!
Did my traditional choco fruits for my close friends and also my jap totor. Saw the happiness on their faces. Felt so warm. thanks sam for accompanying me to buy the ingredients for VDay choco fruits and helped me out with the fondue! Love the soba you made for me for dins. though it's already mid night. some pics to remember our "choco manufacturing process". =)
V Day
feeling super goggy cos slept at around 5 plus. woke up ard 9 to prepare the last minute packaging.
enjoyed the dins i had organised on that day. haha. was quite surprised managed to ask another 5 more guys out to celebrate "friendship day"! thanks agent j, mewkof, sam, jon, and not forgetting stanley for making this happen! really great having the company of u guys that nite! =) huggies!
making a mountain of noodles onto stanley's chopsticks...
Did my traditional choco fruits for my close friends and also my jap totor. Saw the happiness on their faces. Felt so warm. thanks sam for accompanying me to buy the ingredients for VDay choco fruits and helped me out with the fondue! Love the soba you made for me for dins. though it's already mid night. some pics to remember our "choco manufacturing process". =)
V Day
feeling super goggy cos slept at around 5 plus. woke up ard 9 to prepare the last minute packaging.
enjoyed the dins i had organised on that day. haha. was quite surprised managed to ask another 5 more guys out to celebrate "friendship day"! thanks agent j, mewkof, sam, jon, and not forgetting stanley for making this happen! really great having the company of u guys that nite! =) huggies!
making a mountain of noodles onto stanley's chopsticks...- Location:home
- Mood: loved
- Music:Jap
Thanks jj for the macoroni yesterday. really touched by it =) hugs!
will catch up with you and sam soon! really love yr new house... very cosy
will catch up with you and sam soon! really love yr new house... very cosy
- Location:Home
- Mood:
geeky - Music:Pink Key- Namie Amuro
Finally, finally! i found time to blog... After school reopened, pace of life has been rather fast for me. Remember receiving Ellen, My EP from the Netherlands and arranging her accomodation on the first week of school and now, it's the fifth week! Dang! Quizzes coming up... Need to start mugging.
Before i continue, need to thank the person above for giving me a relief teaching assignement last wednesday when i am so lack of money!!! Muacks!
Finally "back in school!"
Was having this dilemna of whether to be in the same jap class as Piggy during the second week of school, but guess i had made the right choice to keep a distance.
Afterall, he had sent quite a few blows to me in the first week of school. i need to start taking care of myself, and start treating myself better, like what Agent J says. But one thing did surprise me was Piggy got attached within 2 weeks of MIA. Felt a impacted blow to my heart when Agent J announced it to me on the day before he flew back to vietnam. But well, that's life. =)
2 Days before new year:
Celebrating ym's bdae at NIE.
Headed gym at NIE before meeting up with sam. We had a long chat with him regarding Piggy. Afterall, we are rather alike and are on the same boat. He brought me to the open space beside SAO where we faced the spectacular lightings at Jurong Island. Thanks Sam for accompanying me that night! =)
Was nt in a good state of mind at that time as i was going to squat over at Piggy's hall later as i had early lab session the next day. i did had a choice of staying either at sam's or his hall. But i chose the latter. Partly cos i did nt want our misunderstanding to go further, esp after i switched jap classes without informing him. Also, i set to reconcile our friendship before the new year, so that i could enjoy myself, without tt sticky issue in my head. And i am glad i followed my heart this time round and made that decision. Though it's inevitable tt i would miss him a bit more, like what ben has said. Have to jia you! =)
We had quite a long chat (about an hour plus?) outside the stone benches at Hall ju. I changed the contents of what i intentionally wanted to say and made it more light-hearted, casual, so that he could feel more comfortable. Afterall, i have became a master of communication after the long talks on the phone with Agent J for 10 mths? haha. And yup, i did achieve what i set out for. We did started talking and laughing after isolation for a mth. Though i could still feel some tension and uncomfortness from Piggy, but guess it should fade with time. Afterall, i was the one being betrayed, i was the one who got hurt and i am also the one who wanted to preserve this friendship. Very magnanimous i have to say, but guess, i jus didn't want to have any more regrets or lose any more friends in life. I must say i have evolved quite a lot from Agent J. And having to move on from Piggy , would be another big step and i would give myself a big pats on my back when i finally achieve it! Jia yousssss!!!
Before i continue, need to thank the person above for giving me a relief teaching assignement last wednesday when i am so lack of money!!! Muacks!
Finally "back in school!"Was having this dilemna of whether to be in the same jap class as Piggy during the second week of school, but guess i had made the right choice to keep a distance.
Afterall, he had sent quite a few blows to me in the first week of school. i need to start taking care of myself, and start treating myself better, like what Agent J says. But one thing did surprise me was Piggy got attached within 2 weeks of MIA. Felt a impacted blow to my heart when Agent J announced it to me on the day before he flew back to vietnam. But well, that's life. =)
2 Days before new year:
Celebrating ym's bdae at NIE.
Headed gym at NIE before meeting up with sam. We had a long chat with him regarding Piggy. Afterall, we are rather alike and are on the same boat. He brought me to the open space beside SAO where we faced the spectacular lightings at Jurong Island. Thanks Sam for accompanying me that night! =)
Was nt in a good state of mind at that time as i was going to squat over at Piggy's hall later as i had early lab session the next day. i did had a choice of staying either at sam's or his hall. But i chose the latter. Partly cos i did nt want our misunderstanding to go further, esp after i switched jap classes without informing him. Also, i set to reconcile our friendship before the new year, so that i could enjoy myself, without tt sticky issue in my head. And i am glad i followed my heart this time round and made that decision. Though it's inevitable tt i would miss him a bit more, like what ben has said. Have to jia you! =)
We had quite a long chat (about an hour plus?) outside the stone benches at Hall ju. I changed the contents of what i intentionally wanted to say and made it more light-hearted, casual, so that he could feel more comfortable. Afterall, i have became a master of communication after the long talks on the phone with Agent J for 10 mths? haha. And yup, i did achieve what i set out for. We did started talking and laughing after isolation for a mth. Though i could still feel some tension and uncomfortness from Piggy, but guess it should fade with time. Afterall, i was the one being betrayed, i was the one who got hurt and i am also the one who wanted to preserve this friendship. Very magnanimous i have to say, but guess, i jus didn't want to have any more regrets or lose any more friends in life. I must say i have evolved quite a lot from Agent J. And having to move on from Piggy , would be another big step and i would give myself a big pats on my back when i finally achieve it! Jia yousssss!!!
- Location:Home
- Mood: hashbrowns?
- Music:Baby Don't Cry - Namie Amuro
Before I start my blog entry, I would like to thank 3 very important people who made this trip in China safe, fun, interesting and enjoyable. Without their guidance, help and dedication along the way, this trip would have been mundane. They are none other than my lovable tour guide Joe (she’s a lady!) and our informative cum experience guide, Andy! Of cos, have also to send the greatest thank you to our coach driver, Mr Zhang, who ensured that our safety is not compromised during the trip. =)
Candid Shot of our "Feng Shui" fertish tour guide Andy!Travel Route ---) Shanghai -> Su Zhou -> Hang Zhou -> Nanjing -> Wu Xi -> Shanghai
Day 1
We reached Changi Airport at 10:50p.m. and board China East Airlines MU 544 from Singapore to Pu Dong Airport. We arrived on the 17th at 0715 hrs. Loaded our luggage to a bus and started our long awaited journey in China.
Shanghai
We boarded the fastest train on earth (which could only be found in Germany and Shanghai) at Pu Dong Airport to Longya Station. It's a common misconception that the fastest train is the bullet train in Tokoyo. But apparently, it’s not.It can travel up to a speedof 431km/hr. We took about 8 minutes before arriving at Longya Station.
Shopping was the first on our itenary ;P We did our shopping at a tourist district called "Cheng huan miao(temple)".Interesting thing is, it is not a temple,but a shopping district.
Never ever miss the "xiao long bao" at "Nan Xiang Xiao Long"(NXXL),if you have a chance to visit that area. The “xiao long bao” is sold in a 3 storey building and interesting thing is you get better quality of xlb as you go up the storey.But as you could have expect, the price proliferates greatly too.
Being vegetarian, i abandoned my family at NXXL and went wandering around the streets for food in the bitter cold.My eyes set upon my favourite food "smelly toufu" and hungrily gobbled it down. Went on to explore the streets and bought a DIY wooden craft dragon for Sam at RMB$40 (a rather stupid move as i mistook the exchange rate of Taiwan with China and divided the prices by 20 instead of 5) and a framed up handicraft for Johnson.
We headed for lunch at "Ming Xing Hotel". The waiters and waitress were on blades! Wow!
There was some confusion regarding my table sitting as it wasn't made clear that i was a vegetarian. But luckily, there was a vegetarian family in the tour. We got to know each other and realised that they were also in the same religion as me. =) Food was great but all tables ended up having much leftovers. Thanks to the "XLB". A little of misplanning but the trip so far was still enjoyable. Btw, it's my 3rd day into this tour, when i blog this.
Su Zhou
We headed for Su Zhou after that hefty lunch. Well, would fill you guys a bit of interesting facts, myths and stories about Su Zhou and other cities I have visited (under abstract) before I blog my encounters in the various cities... FYI, these interesting facts were supplied by Andy (our tour guide) to rid our boredom while sitting in the coach on our 4 or 5 hours journeys to the various cities. Kinda boring. Enjoy falling asleep ;P
Abstract:
-Su Zhou ( Also known as Dong Fang Wei Ni Si - Eastern Wei Ni Si) cos it's surrounded by water.
- One thing unique is tt everything comes small. The ladies here are small and petite (hmmm, this statement is a bit controversial ;P ), bridges are small, houses are small, hmmm… and so on…
- Also known for silk production. Just for your knowledge, a cocoon of a silkworm can produce as long as 3500 metres of silk. Garment made for delicates of APEC meeting in 2001 were made of silk. Silkworms consume only "Sang ye"(a kinda leaf) which is unsparingly grown in Su Zhou. The cocoon it forms is made into silk, which is mainly proteins. It is a form of "saliva" spitted by the silk worm. Thus it is advisible not to put any silk products under direct heat or proteins would be cooked! Silk can be made into comforters and blankets which could be used to prevent rhumetism.(not cure it) The bowels of silkworms can also be used a special kind of pillow to lighten sleeping disorders.
Upon reaching Su Zhou, we first visited "Wan Qing Yuan" - some sort of mansion where wealthy people lived 600 years ago. These mansions were bought by the rich for their retirement. Thus they built everything possible on earth in that mansion,to make their lives as comfortable as possible. It may look normal from the outside, but luxurious on the inside. This includes a huge lake and a garden for their wives and daughters to spend 1/2 of their day walking and looking at the flora and fauna. A contemporary household would consist of around 80 maids, perhaps a dozen wives and only a master. ;P There are different treatment for different visitors.
The rich will be invited through the front door,while the poor haveto navigate through the back door.
Plane view of how internal looks like
Plane view of how internal looks like Our next stop is the famous "Han San Si" (Temple with 1500 years of history) Every year, visitors of Japan spend a fortune to visit this temple on New Year's eve to listen to the high monk hitting the bell 108 times. The 108 "gongs" reflects the 108 different kinds of worries we humans ought to forget in the upcoming year. 3/4 of the tickets are being sold to foreigners. And each tick cost ard 480RMB. Upon attending this ceremony, these visitors hope that their worries in the forecoming year would be gone and that they will be blessed with happiness. This temple houses two kinds of buddha, namely the "Si jia mo ni fo"(Buddhist’s biggest Buddha") and "he he er xian"(a heavenly god) . Upon visiting the temple, we headed for dinner where tour memebers get to try the famous "Dong Po Rou" .
We passed by the longest man made canel on our way back to the hotel. "Jiang Hang Da Yun her"- The transportation River of Jiang Hang) It is 1794 meters long and stretches from BeiJing to Nanjing (Hang Zhou) It was built during the Sui Dynasty to facilitate transport between the North and South. We stayed in a hotel opposite the renowned "Sherlaton Hotel" ( Sherlaton Hotel is known for maze-get lost in it! ) There was once where Thai princess stayed in there. Her rhumethism had troubled her for years. After the night’s stay in Sheralton, she realised the aches that plagued her was gone. Found out to be the silk comforter being the culprit of the cure. She placed this silk comforter into her luggage wanting to bring back it back to Thailand to “explore” it. But was stopped by the store manager. News became widespread. And the hotel became further renowned. Check it out at:(http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/p
Made my new pair of spec there too =)
Flashing some photos of contemporary lives of ppl living in shanghai to "soak" you guys in the mood...
Flashing some photos of contemporary lives of ppl living in shanghai to "soak" you guys in the mood...
Day 2(Su Zhou)
Our first stop is "Wu Zheng" (The town of Wu) . Where we took a boat ride in the canal. This canal was built in Tang Dynasty 872AD. There are 380 households, housing 10,000 people. Houses were built on water, something like our "Klong" concept. The depth of this canal is 3 meters and the common folk’s main source of income comes from silk harvest. This town isnow occupied by older generation while the youngsters go out to the cities to work. Every year, after the harvest, youngsters climb up the city pole(floating in water) on a shaft as a ritual to celebrate cocoon harvest.
Hang Zhou
And then, we headedfor Hang Zhou.
Abstract:
Hang Zhou is much larger than Su Zhou with a general population of 6 million people, with 3 million people living in the cities. Famous for myths such as "Yue Fei","Bai Se Zhuan"(The story of Madame White Snake), " Ji Gong" (who was born in Su Zhou but stayed in Hang Zhou).
The symbolic flower is Gui Hua. In Hang Zhou, there is an interesting culture where people would exchange wooden coffins as gifts, symbolizing "Shen guan fa chai – Rise in job position".
Another interesting fact is that if you take a close look at top of some private estates, you would see a sharp pointing object with 3 donuts in it. It's a kind of feng shui formation called "San yuan hu shen" used to ward of spirits. Now in modern dayChina, if you are earning a decent income, you would engage a "Feng Shui" master(Geomancer) to take a look at your house. Universitiesnowadays offer a "Feng Shui Civil Engineering" course to cater for the market demands. It is a well sought after university subject which is only offered to elites. Earnings would reach around 60- 80k per year. Currently in China, there are 13 billion people, but there are only 9 internationally recognized “Feng Shui” Masters.
We reached Xi Hu (The West Lake) to take the last ferry ride at 4 pm.
Our boat passed by the renowned "Lei Feng Ta" (the Thunder Pagoda in the story of Madame White Snake). The pagoda originally has 7 stories, but 2 were destroyed by lightning, During the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese government suspects Jap warriors hiding in the Pagoda, so he ordered to set fire to burn it down. Foundation becameunstable. Moreover, there came a myth spreading that owning a tile of Pagoda would ward off spirits. Thus people went in to steal tiles at night. Finally, it collapsed! After years of renovation. itnow stands at 72 metres, 7 stories tall, with a lift in it for tourist to travel easily.=) It is made of brass.
In Xi Hu, the lake is natural, but islands are man made. Near "xiao ming zhou dao"(The island of Xiao Ming zhou), you will get to see 3 stone lanterns erected out of the lake. During mid autumn festival, you would get to see 33 moons. 15 comes from the light that shines out of the holes of the 3 lanterns. Another 15 is the reflection from the water. 1 comes from the moon above and another is the reflection of the moon. The last moon is the reflection of the moon in your tea cup, while u enjoy your tea and experience moon tanning that night! Ha!
We also passed by "Lou Wai Lou" also known as "Bai yuan restaurant"(The 100 dollar restaurant) It is the best restaurant in Xi Hu. Well known for vinegar fish. Story goes whenscholar didn't make it for imperial examinations and was too ashamed to go back to home town. He settled in Xi Hu andinvented this dish . Vinegar Fish became so renowned that he came up with enough capital to set up his own restaurant.
As it was raining cats and dogs, we went to the Xi Hu museum where theyintroduced us abt the tea leaves plantation that we are about to visit the next day.
Basic knowledge of Tea cultivation:
Elements needed: 1) sun 2) water 3) soil 4) mist/fog
4 seasons:
Spring ( Pluck the leaves) Best harvesting period- worms die due to the bitter cold winter,
mountain dew in between mountains produce enough moisture for leaves.
Summer: plough
Autumn: Trim the leaves
Winter: Fertilization
Benefits of Tea: Good for liver to help detoxify poison. Anti oxidant level ranges from 10 %(600RMB), 24%(900RMB), 48%(1500RMB) Also known as "Cha Duo Fen" good for preventing cancer in cancer popular countries like Singapore.
After dinner, went to see an exciting performance at a theatre. It features "Qian Shou Guan Ying" (thousand hand Buddha) performance, "Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai",and some heart throbbing circus stunts. It was splendid!
Day 3 :
Our first stop, was Chang Qiao(Long bridge), where Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai send each other for 18 rounds before they part. Although it is only over 10 metres long, but call it Chang Qiao as their love transcends centuries.
Some Geographical knowledge of Hang Zhou (70% mountains, 10% water, 20% tian - land)
Three weird facts: Hang Zhou lao gong pa lao po (husbands scared of wives)
Shan shang zhu ze yi ba quai (bamboos in mountains used to make chopsticks)
Cha Ye zhuo cheng yi dao chai (Tea leaves to make a dish)
Hang Zhou is voted the best place to live on the planet. Air quality super super good!
They even have cleaners on road to maintain the cleanliness 24hrs/day on the road.
Having walked the "chang qiao", we proceeded to our next stop: "Long Jing Wen Cha Mei Jia Wu" ( for simplicity sake, it’s a tea leaves plantation). Most people in that village lived to a very ripe age of over 100 years old. 40% of them have a common surname "Mei" .
Demonstrator tried his best to “impress” us by adding their tea into iodine and churn it colorless
to show us the detoxifying effect of the tea. Hmmm…
After Lunch at Wai Po Jia , we took a 4 hour journey to Nanjing. Before we left Hang Zhou, we were given a pair of chopsticks as a momento- signifies "chen shuang chen dui".
Nanjing is considered one of the slowest developing states in China, but not without it’s reason. Here, they experienced 4 seasons like other parts of China. (1.5 months of spring, 4 months of summer and winter, 2.5 months of autumn.) Nanjing temperature ranges between -12(winter) to 42 degrees Celsius(summer)
Abstract:
Abstract:
Feng Shui in Nanjing used to be good. But it was destroyed throughout the human age.
1) During Qing Dynasty, Shi Huang Di dominated 6 countries, wanted to flaunt his power, went on a journey around China. Came to Nanjing, geomancer told him this area would threaten his position, a plausible solution was to destroy it's Feng Shui.
Ordered 12 gold coffins to be placed in Zi Jing Shan(mountain).
Introduced a stream into Nanjing (using water to destroy it's feng shui)
But of cos, there are always cause and effects. The introduction of water, Created the "Qing Huai He" - Most advanced place in Nanjing. By introducing water - produce a lot of "yin energy" .Other side is a bothel. On one side of stream is a place where scholars stay. So in history text, often find many scholars from Nanjing, but no long lived kings, as those who settled in there, would lose it's throne fast.
2) Famous Nanjing Massacre. Approximately 30k of people were massacred by Japanese. Nanjing was the capital at that time and Jap threatened to invade into the capital. The governor Jiang Jian Shi was in a dilemma. He was unsure if he should stay to defend his fort or leave the capital. He went to Hang Zhou's Ling Ying Shi(temple) to look for a reverend who could peer into the future. The reverend gave him 2 sentences :
"Sheng bu li chun, bai bu li wan" - To survive, dun live the village. If you fail, proceed to “wan”.
Unable to decipher the riddle, he escaped with his army to "Chong Qing" to set up his new base. Jap were confused by his actions but they were thinking that it was a god send and a golden opportunity to invade the capital. So they penetrated "Zhong Hua Men" and invaded Nanjing. There begins the 6 long weeks of massacre. What made matters worse was, villages from all over the states flooded to Nanjing, thinking that Jiang Jian Shi would not abandon his capital, neither did they noe, they met doom. Years later, after the Jap surrendered, JJS decided to return back to Nanjing. But he realised that he was not able to seize back his throne as opposition team surrounded them. Then he remembered the reverend's riddle and realised he made a wrong move. He should not leave chong qing village. But second part of riddle gave him the hint to proceed to Taiwan. So he took whatever is left of China's bank account and leftover troops, and headed forTaiwan. Taiwan became one of the richest country in one night.
Mao Zhe Dong took over the government post and set up it's capital in Beijing. Like JJS, he wanted to know where China should progress. He ordered his troops to charge into Ling Yin Shi and forced the reverend to predict the future. Revevend hated MZD a lot cos of his humble background. Deep within him he still acknowledge JJS as the state governor. But thru brute force, He finally gave in and wrote 4 numbers - 8341. MZD gathered all his advisors to solve the riddle. But it was not until his death, then they unsolved it. 83 - how long he lived. 41 - number of years he ruled China. At that time China was very poor. MZD wanted to rebuilt China, but when he opened the national treasury, he found only 3360 gold pieces.When you visit Nanjing now, there is lots of fog, even in Summer. Partly cos it's surrounded by lakes producing water vapour. Most importantly, it has a very strong "yin energy" Geomancers came up with auspicious beast "pi siu" to ward off evil spirits. "Pi Siu" is being used in Nanjing to guard houses. They are often blood red in colour. We were warned not to touch it!!!
We reached Zhong Hua Men, the fort protecting Nanjing at night falls. By the way, sun sets at around 4:30 pm in winter and the night and day temperature range is large. We were told that Zhu Yuan Zhang set up strict guidelines to build these forts. Each craftsmen needed to carve their names on the rocks as evidence of rocks they have crafted. If it's not up to standard, it would be rejected and sent back to the craftsmen. If it was rejected the 2nd time, he and his family would have to be executed. As technology was not advanced in the past, they do not have cranes to lift the rocks up. Thus they could only built the fort in winter. They sprayed water on the ground and started their work at mid night where the water solidified into ice. By doing so, they would be able to slide the rocks across the ice and lay the foundation more easily.
It took them around 10 years to finish building the fort. 20k craftsmen entered Nanjing, only 1,300 odd survived. Those who stayed, married the locals and set up their family in Nanjing.
After Zhong Hua Fort, visited a night market where we started to practice our bargaining skills. But wasn’t a very nice occasion as sis got lost for half an hour. But still, managed to buy a local pair of shoes and also a "Nike" bag ;P
We went to the internet bar "wang bar", near our hotel, where i started my blogging ;P
We returned quite late, at around 1 and became pandas the next day!
Day 4: First stop: Zhong Qi bridge
Abstract:
Yang Ze River seperates both Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei (North and South). It is 6300km long flowing through 1 provinces. As water is too deep and swift, it becomes a hazard for the living population as their only means of crossing the bridge is by boat. But it was not safe. As Nanjing was experiencing 3 years of non harvest, they had to chew on rubber skin to keep them alive. Russia at that time offered trade agreement and also build bridge. But in return, they wanted to take over governance. China rejected the offer immediately as they deemed nation pride as their utmost form of dignity. Russian drew out of China and spread the message across to the whole world that Chinese are less superior, called them pigs and dogs. Nevertheless, 10 years of "wen hua da ge ming- chinese revolution" brought about more hardship and humiliation. At that point of time, chinese wanted to prove the whole world wrong. Sent 9 civil engineers to wreck their brains to build the bridge. Estimated cost is 1.3 billion. At that time was very poor. Each family on average earned less than 40RMB monthly. But everyone chipped in, only wanting to gain back their dignity that they have lost. They persevered for 10 years. Theyfaced many hardships as the current soil is too soft. Mao Zhe Dong went into desperate measures to call youngsters to dive into the river to the bottom of the river to scoop up the soft mud. A lot went, but never returned. =(
Famous Nation Artist "Gong Liang" and his bro "Gao Yuan" devoted their life living a low lifeform selling paintings and art pieces under the bridge. They were recognised by Dong Jian Hua at an APEC meeting and were honoured for their sacrifice. Gong Liang has retired but Gao Yuan is still playing his part selling his art pieces in a museum.
Today the bridge is almost worn out after a decade. Bridge has a highway on top and a railway running at the bottom. it is 4,5 km long, 80km high. There’s a famous 1 to 10 song for it.
1 - independence
2 – double usage
3 - 3 flags on top for some significance
4,5 - 4.5 km long
6,7 - 6.7 km long (one is the length of railway, other is length of road)
8 - 80km tall
9 - 9 concrete pillar holding it
10 - 10 years of life.
Before we left Nanjing, we were given wu hua shi(a kind of rock) as a momento. =)
Left Nanjing for
Wu Xi
Abstract:
Wu Xi as the name implies, stands for a gold mine being fully extracted.
Famous for it's Da Zha Xie( Hairy crab! ) - I can't eat!!!! ewwkkkkk (150RMB for a pair)
Season to eat: September to Chinese New Year
Male crab: Eat it's meat and crab paste (distinguished as being larger and has a triangle bottom)
Female crab: Eat it's egg
To differentiate between wild hairy crabs and those breed, you can place it on a glass and invert it to 45 degrees. If the crab is able to use it's strong legs to crawl up the glass slides, it is a wild crrab. If it see saws, it's being breeded. Where to catch it: none other than Wu Xi’s 3rd largest dan shui lake : "Tai Hu" . Tai Hu: 36k hectres in size, 4 times larger than Singapore.
How to prepare hairy crab:
1) Soak it in wine to purify the toxic in it, also make it dizzy.
2) Give it a hard scrub
3) Tie it together. Tieing needs skills cos if one of the legs is dettached, flavour would be ruined.
4) Steam it in Shao Xin Wine.
Accompany it with a sauce ( mixture of ginger and white sugar)
Obviously, my family did not missed that for dinner. =P
We reached local "Cadecott hill" - Place where they film "san guo yan ti". We were brought to various filming sites in an eco friendly car.(I dunnoe how eco friendly it can be when it runs on diesel) After which we proceeded to a restaurant to have dinner.
Had dinner of hairy crab and proceeded to shop at departmental stores Wu Xi locals shop. Was quite amazed as lifestyle of locals were quite high end. They shop at departmental stores equivilant to Sogo at City Hall back in the late 90's. Tour guide Andy told us a story which changed the life style of people in China.
In the past,Chinese chose to live a poverty lifestyle so that they could accumulate enough wealth to buy a house and save the rest for the next generation. So they end up saying: After 40 years, i can finally buy a house. But they did not have the life to enjoy it.
On the contrary, Americans chose to take up mortgage to buy a house. So they end up saying:
After 40 year, i finally repaid my debt for housing loan, but i get to have a roof above my head and maximize the usage of a home.
After the saying was published in the newspaper, Chinese finally woke up. Bank loaning financing proliferated and became contemporary the locals. They started upgrading their standards of living. After all, they only get to live their lives once. Not logical to torture themselves.
Dun Miss this!When u go shopping at Wu Xi departmental store
Dun Miss this!When u go shopping at Wu Xi departmental store Day 5:
Visited the Pearl factory.
Visited the Pearl factory.
Pearls were extracted from Tai Hu. Tai hu - 2460 hectares Depth of Tai Hu is around 2 metres. Pearls absorb light from sun and moon to grow. In the past pearls were big and rough because pearl per hectares is high. Present is small cos pearl per hectare is small. Hee hee... bought beauty products there... Best pearl is gold in colour. 1 in a thousand and the gold pearls found May have a tendency of being distorted.
Proceeded to Tai Hu.Took a stroll though fog due to the water vapour and there was no wind. One specialty in Tai Hu is that the rice is very big (Tai Hu zhen zhu mi) unlike in Su Zhou where the rice is small and q q.There are 155 different kind of fishes in Tai hu... There is a period where they ban fishing( from febuary to September )so that the fish population will not drop drastically.
I took an ice creamwhile strollingwith one of our tour members(same religion).
Visited the pottery industry museum (Zi Sha Cha Hu) next.
Started flying back to Shanghai after lunch!!! Wooo!
However, thehighway was closed due to fog. We had to travel by the normal routes! Dang! Stuck in the jam for 4 hours, before we could get on the highway at Su Zhou to go back to Shanghai. Reached Shanghai at around 6 plus... Added up to about 6 hours of journey.
Some tour members became nauseous, one of them "seasick" even till the last day of our tour. Hada very difficult to swallow dinner at this horoscope restaurant, and headed for "Dong Fang Ming Zhu Ta"
Abstract:
Dong Fang ming Zhu ta (trademark TV station) – which is a Feng Shui building in East of Shanghai. In the past when MZD realized Shanghai being one of the slowest developed province in China. He was puzzled. Thus called in the 9 top local geomancers to solve problem. They realized that Pu Xi (west part of Shanghai) was too well developed, while Pu Dong(east part of Shanghai) was left untouched. Created "Ying Zhen Yang shuai" (Ying strong, Yang Weak)
Thus, he started developing Pu Dong
One of the Feng Shui building used was "Dong Fang Ming Zhu Ta"
We sat up to 263metres to view Shanghai from above. But Dang!!! too misty. See nothing but dim specks for light.
For General knowledge (tink tink), Dong Fang Ming Zhu Ta is the third tallest broadcast tower in the world. 1st up is Canada Toronto TV station standing at 553metres. Next up is Moscow TV station in Russia (Mstankino tower standing at 540 metres).
please Tilt yr head 90 degrees!
Headed back to the hotel. Went to Internet bar at 11 plus. Our midnight supper: Fried Nian Gao =P
please Tilt yr head 90 degrees!
Headed back to the hotel. Went to Internet bar at 11 plus. Our midnight supper: Fried Nian Gao =P
Day 6: Visited Song Jia Ling Yuan. It is situated in one of the nation's museum. SJLY is a place of burial for the renowned "Song family". In Shanghai, there are 200 over new cars being registered one day. Out of 10 household, 4 would have cars. The wealthy could afford Mercs Benz while commoners would drive QQ cherry...Due to the serious air pollution and high rise buildings that traps the polluted air within the city, it is quite impossible to see a rainbow after the rain. The Only place possible to see is "Song Jia Ling Yuan".
Having visited the burial site, we were brought into a room where Feng Shui masters explain to us about auspicious Feng Shui beast "Pi Siu".In retrospect, Pi Sius were used by emperors in the past to ward off evil spirits. They would bring them to war with the belief that it would bring them swift victory. In modern days, they are now used for personal and commercial usage such banks and casinos to bring about good fortune, ward off spirits and most importantly to "strike gold" =P
Our next stop was "Du Xiang Fu Ren La Xiang Guan"- (Madam Tussauds Wax Museum) Haha.. took photos with Charlie Chaplin, Coco Lee, Victoria Beckem, etc ;P After an hour of photo snapping, we proceeded to Nanjing Road to see the famous thing of Shanghai - ren tou "people squeezing people".
Having visited the burial site, we were brought into a room where Feng Shui masters explain to us about auspicious Feng Shui beast "Pi Siu".In retrospect, Pi Sius were used by emperors in the past to ward off evil spirits. They would bring them to war with the belief that it would bring them swift victory. In modern days, they are now used for personal and commercial usage such banks and casinos to bring about good fortune, ward off spirits and most importantly to "strike gold" =P
Our next stop was "Du Xiang Fu Ren La Xiang Guan"- (Madam Tussauds Wax Museum) Haha.. took photos with Charlie Chaplin, Coco Lee, Victoria Beckem, etc ;P After an hour of photo snapping, we proceeded to Nanjing Road to see the famous thing of Shanghai - ren tou "people squeezing people".
Evidence !!! Hee hee hee
Our tour guide Andy told us that there are also 3 renowned phenomenon in Shanghai.
1) Wu zi qian qi bai guai ( Houses in countless shapes and patterns)
2) Nei yi dang jie sai (Undergarment hanging all about in streets)
3) Bai Tian pi bao shui, wan shang shui bao pi ( Day- skin warps water. Night- water wraps skin) Skin wraps water refers to Shanghai's most sought after food - xiao long tang bao (a kind of dumpling that has meat fillings soaked in juice. Water wraps skin is a culture Shanghai people cultivated during night time. Spa and foot reflexology.
Evidence !!! Hee hee hee Our last stop for the day was Tong Ren Tang – A Chinese medical hall for a taste of foot reflexology. We were asked to soak our feet into herbal medicine before the massage. By the way teenagers under the age of 18 are not allowed to do foot reflex cos their blood circulation in their body is not yet fixed. Haha. Got a handsome chap to do foot reflex for me! Apparantly, he is also the same age as me. But people in Shanghai are more matured, especially the guys as they held more important responsibilities compared to us in Singapore. Left with quite a bad memory, but shall not highlight it here.
Day 7: Finally a free an easy trip. Tour guide offered to bring us around to some local places to shop at a price of 100RMB(20 Sing) per person. Considering the cab fare and inconvenience, we decided to take the package! We got to woke up late that day finally! Free and easy mah, must let us sleep more, then got energy to shop till we drop!
Our first stop was Long Hua Shi Chang (catered for asians in the tropics) Thus you could get your T shirts, belt, Calvin Klein undergarments, jeans, jacket there at an affordable price. Nevertheless, you must also be a basic mastery of bargaining so that you wouldn't lose out too much in the price fight ;P On one hand, me and sis tried our very best to slash prices to as low as possible, on the other, our parents contributed their funds generously to help the local economy. Perhaps, this is what we meant by balance in the universe. Glad that i could finally lay my hands on some new outfits! Bought stuff for my friends the past few days and forgot all about myself! Ha!
Our second stop is "Qi bao gu zheng". Where you can buy your goodies! Will let the picture do the talking then!
The Best crackers and chips u can get in town!
Last stop was People’s Square(equivalent to Raffles City in Singapore). But we didn’t shop there. Instead, my daring sis and me headed for the renowned 3 stories Shanghai Bookstore a few streets down the road! Finally had a chance to lay my hands upon some local books! My sis bought some Chinese literature books while I bought “Dilbert and Dogbert” comic strip and an interesting “Mr O” picture strip for Eugene. We headed back to the Hotel and took a stroll down the road side stalls, before heading to the Internet Café.
Day 8: Took a last stroll round the vicinities of our hotel. Shall let the photos do the talking too!
Went to Xu Jia Hui’s Metro City. There was a Burger King competition where people compete for the shortest time to gobble down a burger. We also did some last minute shopping in the underground walkways. (something like the underpass that links City Hall to Suntec City). Glad to get my K750i earpiece and and protector there! Wahahaha… And it’s 3 times cheaper than in Spore!
We checked in at around 9 pm at Pu Dong International Airport. There was an air of melancholy as we parted, after spending a week together in China. After this trip, we would return back to our normal lives and continue striving. But was glad to have this experience with such wonderful bunch of guys. Would remember Christian, the boy who always snatches my phone to play my games. The ah ma who despite her ripe age, preserved through the journey. I guess my sis will miss her vegetarian sambal chili! ;P Yuan Kai and his malicious price slasher mum. The loyal husband with 3 other ladies. (One of them got sea sick after the ride from Wu Xi to Shanghai, and had not recovered even on the last day of trip.) The family of vegetarians who ate grass with me and sis throughout the whole trip. The 7 year old girl with her “kiam pak” (owe beating) face. I will always remember her rolling her eyes on her mum at the dining table on Day 6…
Spent my Christmas countdown on MU 543. A rather complex feeling. But was a great experience! Touched down on 25th December 4:17 am.
I will bury these beautiful and sweet memories rite down in my heart. Thank you everyone for making this trip possible and memorable. =) I will miss you guys!
- Location:Home
- Mood: content
25th Dec
Ever since i made the decision to stay on, i knew i had to make an effort to tie up ends of the rope which i had previously left loosened. New Year’s Resolution would be to reconcile relationships with Agent J, Agent E, Cedric and my platoon mates... I started off with the simplest but one which had bothered me for the past 8 months.
It was good that I had used this one week to sort out some feelings in China and am glad that i had moved on from Agent J completely. We went out for a bowling session that night and had quite a long heart to heart chat, which we were deprived of for the last 2 1/2 mths. Am glad the misunderstandings and factors tt kept us apart has been resolved, and we could rekindle our friendship. But this was not without it's cost. Well, solved this problem and created another accidentally. But guess this one would be a little tricky as it depends if i could recover fully from the trauma of that incident.
26th Dec (boxing day)
Growing fat.... So i decided that i should go for my routine swim to keep myself in shape. Did 24 laps today and my whole body ached like hell lor! Haha...Must admit that I am old alreadi! Went to measure my weight, hit one of my lowest record again. (62.7kg). Guess the stress from the past one week contributed to the weight loss when i was in Shanghai. Spoke to Ben today. His results were out. Got an A- average. First class honours! Basket… Haha... But kinda expected... But well, mine will be out on friday! We shall see if lady luck smiles on me this time round then!
27th Dec
The time now is 0420 hrs. Sitting in the McDonald's at East Coast Park using the free Internet service here ;P Me and Xing just completed our night cycling journey. We took approximately 7 hours 40 minutes to complete the National Park Connector route which was about 30 odd kilometres. Not a very glamourous timing to boast about, but well, it was rather shiok and enjoyable as we took our own sweet time for the journey!
We started off at 2040hrs. Rented our bikes at the usual bike store beside an open concept restaurant. Was kinda surprise that that the rental was only 8 bucks. Haha...expected sth much more, considering we are renting the bikes overnight and the uncertainties that the bikes may never return for some reason or another ;P Seriously speaking, i didn't know where to go, and it was till Xing took out his Park connectors map, then i realised he actually had an agenda as to where to do.
We started quite slow, reaching our first check point, the NSRCC (Chalet For NS personnel) at 11. We cycled a bit further, to hit the incoming/outgoing airplane runway. Layed our bikes near the lamp post n blatantly sashayed towards the runway to see planes flew and touched down. Wanted to take a picture of planes taking off … 
Basket! One plane flew off when i was drinking my "Long Jing" Tea. And i just stood there pointing at it and before i realise my grave mistake, the plane was already in the air! Tired of waiting, we decided to hop on our "exciting" and "amazing" journey planned by our great mastermind...
Having cycled a few kilometres, we reached a spilt junction and xing hinted to head towards the direction of Changi Park connector. He was quite amazed by the fact that there were actually 3 ferry terminals in the connector itself and kept pestering me for a reason. I was just wondering if i had answers printed on the face cos he was not the first person who does that. =X We reached SAF ferry Terminal at around 2330hrs. Time flies fast. In retrospect, i never did had a chance to take a good look at the ferry terminal when i was a recruit.
All i could think at that point of time was sian, gotta book in and kena tekan again. Snapped a few photos there and the warrant officer came out to delete my pictures. Well, typical SAF protocol. But i still managed to took a few photos ard the vicinity. Was kinda suprised that there were ppl pitching tents nearby, embracing the incoming sea breeze with their loved ones. We rode to the end of the Changi Park connector and slacked around at Changi village. Walked past a few nasi lemak stores, but me being vegetarian, so no choice. Haha. Can also prevent me from getting bahs bahs further and being called hippo by piggy!
Next, we went upslope, riding past Aloha Resort & charlet for the civil servants, and managed to snaked out to Changi Air base(West) Time check: 0000 hrs
We cycled down Pasir Ris Park connector, reaching Down Town East at 0045hrs. Got lost for the first time. Unsure where to proceed. Xing took out his Park Connector map and hinted we need to proceed to Tampines Park Connector. So we cycled into the nearby park nt knowing what to expect. Accidentally found a mid night fishing spot for the residents staying nearby. Haha. Found another plausible midnite hang out. True enough, at the end of Pasir Ris Park, we found Tamp Park connector. From there, we grilled our way through Sun plaza park, along the MRT lines, reaching tampines mall at 0145 hrs. At the end of tampines park connector to sun plaza, we passed this interestingly, remarkable long winding bridge! Although i could say, there are more bridges to expect, but this one is super long! With 4 L bridge joining together.
Nite life: Fishing at Pasir Ris Park
A rather eye opener to me, to see skaters and roller bladders in Sun Plaza Park at such wee hours. Haha. Active night life sia...
Skaters at Sun Plaza Park
There were many discontinuation linking the Park Connectors. We encountered the first one at a bridge around some ulu HDB estates in between Tampines and Bedok. We took quite a while before we found out where to head. Just in case any of you guys out there experience the same prob in the near future, cross the bridge and you will see the connection continues. Do not attempt to take the route to Bedok North! Distance check at this point! 8.24km to go!
Bridge where we got lost
Next up, was the Siglap Park Connector. But first, you have to overcome the most challenging path of all - The Bedok Park connector! Haha... Enjoy getting lost in there.=)
Nevertheless, after the long search and a tiring detour to avoid crossing the bridge, we got to enjoy down slopes!!! Yupee! Got to see a condo that twinkled in the night. It was really cool! We reached to Kembangan experiencing light drizzles... Feng Shui there wasn’t very good! Xing's sterring wheel got slanted and i had to kick it back in place for him. Just when i was about to continue, his wheels chain got loose. Haha... Had a fun time messing around with the chain with my hands tinted with black unremovable mud inks!
As usual, the Park connectors sign boards went missing again. This time round, we took a long time before we found the missing link! Cycled past a Caltex Station(Frankel Road branch) and the cashier was kind enough to give us direction. Blessed with luck, we made a final right turn ,somewhere near CHIJ Katong girls before finding the missing connector link. Haha. I tot i found the link by luck, but as usual Xing had already figured out to take the right turn from the Park Connectors map, but just didn't voice out, like when we were in Hong Kong... Grrr.. Always trying to test my patience! We hit East Coast at around 0410. Locked our bikes and chaos to the McDonalds nearby. Dang! Damn cold now lor, after blogging for an hour plus. Xing already cmi liao. Okie... gtg. Or will become frezzy hippo!
- Location:Samuel's house
- Mood: tired
- Music:Zhuo Pie Zi- Su Hui Lun
HRM paper down...
Five more to go
Five more to go
- Mood:
confused
