say smth, i'm giving up on you

when i see mango sticky rice in bangkok

here's my ultra qt pie auntie who loves to pose for peace-sign shots, she's so wonderful and i didn't give her enough recognition in my childhood

en route to suvarnabhumi airport via express train *snazzy*

this was supposed to happen on the first day!!!

mindblowingly good buys from bangkok!!! i would think the stuff there fall short on quality, but i stand corrected as even chatuchak had blogshop-worthy clothes and solid leather platforms/
but for the most time of this trip, i spent with family and soaking in the sights this city's got to offer. money does buy great experiences sometimes as of our hotel which was *heaven* and i watched frozen in 3-dimension with my dad n ricky, our fam yolo moment.
fun fact: we had to stand up before the movie commenced as the king's anthem was playing. everyone in the cinema has to!!!
mbk, platinum, terminal 21 had us as visitors, and i tried the massages at healthland-
(strongly do not recommend the thai massage it was two hours of immense pain to the muscles ha ha and it was ticklish too; i shocked the lady when i jerked my foot up as a reflex bc she touched my soles and my dad mum and aunt laughed) and in the aromatherapy one u had to be stark-naked save for the tiny disposable black underwear while the masseuse rubs you with oil and she rubs your butt cheeks too... no shame no shame.
amazing seafood on the last night and coconut ice cream at chatuchak and mango sticky rice at terminal21 where we stayed ($2.80 for a big plate), marvellously great deals all day

speaking of chatuchak market, i planned to meet magnum before we left but it was heart wrenching bc we waited at different stations and he waited for two hours which speaks volumes of his kindness and he even contacted brenda to try to contact me but on my side i didn't have wifi (the worst ever way to travel handsdown). would have loved to meet him + my family was so sad it was amusing.

frozen was so good i caught it again w jo and shaun (jo proceeded to watch it like a second time in a day w alvs aww). haven't been able to revel in the shared memories of pink family between the years of 2007 to 2010 bc 

1. overprotective mother 
2. oppressing curfew (to be back before sunset)
3. they always seem to hang out at night idek....

but anyway bren jo and ariel are my friends-i-go-to-most-frequently and i'm really grateful for them being in my life and accepting all the shitty vibes i throw at them, my poopy insecurities and their willingness to fight them w me by not making me think about it bc they're positive people.

^ the stark contrast of that brief paragraph and the actual reality of my adolescent years and the heavy-overthinking which i do bc i was very reactive to what other peoples' thoughts are; are as extreme as black and white rly.

i love the later part of 2013 bc i get to be close to family, be close to friends worth treasuring for a century. would not like 2014 to arrive at my doorstep now 

perfect.

Last night here in Bhutan

I will be at a loss of what to do after this trip (there will b a flurry of meet ups w favourite singaporean people and xmas shoppin n -hopefully- postcard making). Flying off in the break of dawn at 7:20 from the Paro Airport. When we first stepped down from the plane what amazed me was how traditional looking the airport was, what with its very asian /ancient china looking roofs and intricate paintings over the bleach-white walls. The architecture of this country is pretty-no very consistent which is a beautiful and fascinating thing! Bhutanese take pride in adorning houses w beautiful handdrawn designs and intricately carved patterns on every window and door.
This country is frighteningly beautiful and rich with traditions and beliefs dating back centuries that it deserves to be fiercely protected and kept away from the ominous clutches of globalization. Im no buddhist but the richness of this country is enough to make me a convert. *tbc* *does religion have to be a strict thing or can i have two religions at once idk this is bad*
Today we had the 'grand finale' of this trip, the climbing of thakhsang (900 frightening metres abv ground level) & we left the hotel at 8am, came back at 4:30. The route was peppered w hardcore steep slopes that makes lungs burn from the high altitudes and the rays of the sun make u heat up and want to take off your thick coat despite it being the chilliest of the winter days. The people sold walking sticks and made horses available for rent although we used our feet to conquer the mountain. So excited to upload the photos bc its picture perfection and so, so underrated u dont even know!!!! idek. ♥ dad has alw been super positive thruout the climb bc it's his third time now and he'll b all "ok this part means we're reaching alr", "after this part ah i must warn you first, it's going to be very steep"
In the middle of the journey, as a trademark of all vertical hikes, they served us tea and biscuits and i think it's so cute bc the ppl are friendly and where the heck do they make tea and biscuits in the middle of nowhere right
The climb was undoubtedly rewarding as the views were bucketlist-worthy, the cliffs were sharp and grey n seemed like a big budget chinese movie set. More than that.
I finally know why daddy has alw been excited about bhutan, i had to see it to believe it and then fall in love w it. Hes also super well-versed in all things bhutanese bc of his frequent trips so all my qns could be answered hahahaha informative.

tl;dr- bhutan is underrated and beautiful hence worthy of everybody's time and consideration!!!

Bhutan

Its been my fourth day into touring this majestic country. It yruly is untouvhed by the factory-made artificial goods like McDonald's and Ferragamo n life is simple anf content here.
Everythjng is made locally anr what made me yhr most happy is thqt there are no pesticides used in thr veggs and fruits. Things are organic yet they are cheap which is a stark vontrast from sg imported crops bc they jave to b expensivr first befpre they are otganic. For all my meals here ive never sampled a veggie that has that bittwr aftertaste remnant of pesticides. That has got me thinking of life back home; that they would make poisonrd veggies available for the masses whilr only the higher tier enjoys pure things??? The economy has driven our decisions that result in really nonsense choices.
This country id poor yet it does not feel that way. All thr locals are genuinely friendly and treat us tourists kindly wirhout any hint of xenopjobic hostility. Food is cheap here (we d be rich bc of our exchange rate!!!) We dined at a sligjhtly westernizrf restaurant w a massive pizza sized 'regular' costing SGD6, quality uncompromized. Yak burgers *yolol* w a side of fries are SGD4. Digressing- yaks n cows r everywhrrr even on yhe roads. Thr roads r mainly one-laned so sometimrs we have yo wait for thrm to cross or thry can be 15cm away from the van while the driver expertly maneuevers his way around these animals.
My dad has somr friends ftom the ministry n we had amazeballs authrnic bhutanese cuisine. We shared momo and noodle soup one time n it was SGD30 for 13 people. Momo are carbohydrate bombs bc they r xiaolongbaos with a mad generous outer layer. Beef dumplings essentially. And thr hpapy people dining tgt ultimatdly constitutrs a happy meal!!!
We travel a few hours eveeyday n i never ever sleep  on the  bus bc its alwaus a sight to look at the mountains from yhr van windows. Roads are beside cliffs so steep its exhilaraying to look down below. BEST PART IS THERE R NO BARRIERS!!!! *roller coaster feels* also i dont slp during road trips bc im holding my pee ever so often. Ive even come up w stupid pee phrases like "its not even high tide anymore its the freakin 2004 tsunami", "my bladder is crying". The roads r not v well maintained n its bumpy all yhe time. Makrs me wna pee even more which is why i peed on the grass a coupla times.... its so so fun maybe i waa meant to live in the wild or smth.
We've been visiting temples, buddhist university (!!!!!) for aspiring monks and ive learnt a lot about buddhism. Tbh i avtually ljke it, i like the stories the guidr tells us when we comr across rlaborate n beautiful paintings on trmple walls, and i feel there are a lot of trachings about happiness, attaining enlightenment. How the demons arr actualy in the thoughts of individuals which i agree 100% not just bc i rxperirnce it sometimes but it justifies a lot of actions from other people as well. My thoughts r flurried but thesr are my vague takeaways.
Since bhutan is in thr middle of literally nowhere ok, somewhr near india and the himalayas, the slopes. The slopes make me cry. To visit the buddhist uni, we hiked up a crazy steep slope probly 50 degrees in angle, no joke. It was cold yet i lamented to my sis tjat my back had a sheen of perpiration bc it was so tough n the altitude was making my head hurt n my lungs gasping for air. The view was so amazing though. *cue miley cyrus' the climb*
lol no ew
I see clouds on mountains i see clouds below mountains i see mega fit ppl (with like beautiful legs HAHAHA result of going up the slopes evryday. Its not xonsidered exercise tjat they jate doing. Its a way of life!!! I wish i have that heh singapore is so automated tjat it has become a norm to get on vehicles onstead of using our bodies as a form of travel. Such a worrying yet peculiar contrast)
Theres a nicotine-laced food thing, similar to cigs- beetlenut juice it stains teeth red and kjnda scary looking as if bleeding gums are a prevalent disease here. And patches on the road have red splotches whr ppl have spit. I have yet to spot wild marijuana as my mum has promised though
Im typing on board the van n i feel gd bc today not so high tide ah. Heres the view

Life in Sydney

Being in Sydney, getting a hold of the sights and sounds seems terrifying. It's daunting, the thought of living here by myself for four years. It's different from the forever summer weather here in Singapore for one thing. There's this unshakable New York vibe to this country omg. What matters is that it's not Singapore ha ha ha.

Ok nonetheless the time here has been great and I love getaways so this is a pretty good one. There was an underground haven of nice restaurants and aWoolworth's the best supermarket around!!!! Sydney streets are walked upon only by people wearing formal work clothes and high clunky heels or suits and ties. 

The September weather is sweater weather and it's amazing but it gets dark early. 6pm. 

Queen Vic's place

Westfield near the hotel which is tucked in the city centre 

The haunted looking opera house at night. We took a boat ride which was a lot less chilly than the one in NY ☺ makes for a pleasant ride 

The sunset is to-die-for. The rays are rly rays

They are no imposters. 

Here, the worlds steepest railway ride which was more of a slow moving roller coaster bc it was just mad steep super terrifying 

Cable car with a clear bottom

Hehe

Sunday mass at this gothic beauty. The all-male choir is amazeballs and truly grand. Rly lovely to hear them harmonize and create lyrical heaven 

Ok I concede the Samsung galaxy takes astounding pictures...... ^

Excited for my future accommodation at the central area. It's a newly renovated place and has individual bathrooms attached. No meals so I'd have to cook my own but supermarket meals will suffice!! A lot to look fwd to it's scary. 

My dad on the right getting some char siew fan for dinner 

So my dad has always been obsessed since day 1 about capturing the nicest night shot of the opera house, he went out one night by himself to take the shot and then we received a notif that the grp icon has been changed to that ^. I was so excited coz the picture v nice

But he said he didn't take the shot basically turns out, it's one of those google images hahahaha

Dreams remain dreams.

The Beitou Hotspring experience

First time OOTDs (hashtagged)

Excitedly taking pictures outside the Hello Kitty Cafe in Da'an. We took two separate occasions to find this gem, only succeeding on the second time. And then Jodi and JJ broke the news that we needed a reservation to dine. Heartbreak!!! Into a million pieces. 

Shifen: lantern releasing. We bought the four-colours one and wrote random deep English quotes on each side- only Jodi wrote her true wishes hehe. Shi Fen is beautiful and has it's rustic charm!!! It is centered around the train tracks and the shophouses all line up neatly at the spaces adjacent to these tracks. It's a pretty small place actually, but so pretty to visit. ☺

They had these cool things at Shi Fen too!!! Cool things aka I've no clue what it is. It had writings all over it. Dayum, ignorance 

The Zhong Zheng Memorial Hall; made pretty thanks to VSCOcam ☺☺☺ and the clouds ☁☁☁. What a combo. There, we unintentionally snooped around and got to experience a candy exhibition which needed an admission fee to enter. Yay for yolo moments

Ximending!! Was disappointing but we got to try Mian xian and other awsm TW street snacks like mochi, high-quality milk ice cream, risotto, and more bub tea. 

Another Zhong Zheng Memorial temple structure which housed wonderful TWnese bubble tea

Didn't post about the Taiwan trip. It was an awsm experience, meeting at the airport being all excited, discovering our hostel environment, meeting nice Taiwanese people, JJ introducing us to her fave Taiwanese snacks, traveling by train and JJ having her public transport syndrome wherein she will laugh at the un-funniest things. Us always trying to have a HTHT but I think I alw end up sleeping quickly. One night I slept on the bed with a comb in hand. I had wanted to blow dry my hair