Washington, DC & Virginia
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Once again, i realli want to Thank Sara's cousin. The trip to Wasington, DC would have been different without her driving us around and offering us accommodation.
As soon as we reached Washington, DC, she drove us to Virginia (another state). Visited Shenandoah Valley. The sceneries are nice and we are suppposed to capture the beauty at various height. But the photos turn out the same no matter how hard i tried to take from different angles. Perhaps this attraction isn't my cup of tea. 
The most important and enjoyable moment is up next: SHOPPING. I brought limited clothings and so, seriously need to stock up for the rest of the trip. Spent more than 4hours at Premium Factory outlet and even got myself a new luggage to store my purchases. We had mexican food for dinner and home-cooked food the next day before we set off for Washington, DC. 
I was warned that it is a very boring place and shouldn't spend more than 1day. Oh man, they were right... Everywhere were plain buildings, monuments and statues. The WHITE HOUSE (bottom left pic) is so disappointing. So plain n apparently, it's just white n look like a block. Can't imagine that we spent hours on the road, searchin for this... sigh
fortunately, we had a sunny weather. i enjoyed lookin at poeple havin al-fresco dining along the streets. Such relax lifestyle is what i craved for... :-) Check out the pretty flowers. Signs of Spring is nice after being cooped up in Winter Wonderland for 4months.
A total of only 1.5 day spent at this stop. short and sweet. haha
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 5:22 AM ]]
'FOODFUL' weekend
Sunday, May 28, 2006
CHAMAYS unite! the gals came over to my place on friday night for a sleepover. According to experience, we usually sleep not later than than 3am, wake up in the late mornin and that's about it. This time round, it's different.
Chomp chomp hawker center to kickstart our FOODful night since Mavis is hungry who Amazingly lost 7kg in the 5months when i was away. Stress~~ heehee. Then back to my house for an alcohol-party. Ice wine, sangria, yucky-tasting pina colada with vodka and red wine are the drink list for the day. Chocolate, peanuts, 'dou sar bing' and 'ba kua' (pork jerky) are what we had interestingly used, to accompany our drinks.
someone mentioned, "Let's go Mustafa Centre" (24 hours shopping mall which sells almost everything). Everyone meant to be a joke but i'm really enthusiastic about bringing the gals there. So off we go to buy ingredients for breakfast in our pyjames. haha
Afterwhich, we head off to Geylang to enjoy the famous bean curd stall. We enjoyed it despite the oily pancake and 'you char kway' (fried dough). planned to continue with beef hor-fun but it was closed. Slept at 6am and woke up at 12:30pm the next day to prepare our 'breakfast'. Check out the ingredients for our wraps. Mavis and i posed with this funny-looking fruit which looks like 'golden pillow' and reminded us of a show 'NONG NONG AGO'.
In the evening, Huiying, Rongy and i went Thai express for dinner, followed by Ben and Jerry's ice cream then Cafe Iguana (known for their magarita). 
at cafe iguana, drinks are half-priced after midnight and we ordered mexican side dishes while waiting. Yummy... I'm in love with mexican food and never sick of tortilla chips. Huiying with the spicy sauce that almost killed us and me with the unwilling-look while finishin the beans that nobody likes. 
keep eating non-stop but who cares... puttin on weight like nobody's business. :-(
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 4:34 PM ]]
i LOVE NEW YORK!!!
Friday, May 26, 2006
New York City. Our very first part of the adventure. Though we were all excited about the trip, uncertainty about how things will turn out, the problems we might face and anythin which might cock-up still prevail.
We had a hectic plan. Involves waking up early and going back late. Saranya had a shock after being confronted by a passerby for money on our way back. Apparently, it's not safe to stay beyond the Central Park and our hostel was unfortunately located there. Still, this hostel offers free pizza and popcorn which we didn't go for any. 
TimeS Square is my favourite. New York City - known as the capital of advertising - the bustling Times Square is filled with 3D commercials and signboards. Hawkers, Souvenirs, restaurants and interesting attractions and shops are found along the entire streets. It's totally different from other places. 
mY beloved COLDSTONE Creamary is right smacked at that area. Though the ice cream is abit overpriced, once a day is still bearable. So we basically visited Times Square everyday when we were at New York. nice nice~ (apart from the reason that we need to claim our planet hollywood voucher from there). 
Another important thing at TIMES SQUARE is the high possibility of meeting a celebrity if you hang around the area long enough. When you see crowds or long queues (which happen about twice a day), then you are bound to expect some stars. Check out the supporters of ELTON JOHN.
Went to Madam Thussards which i don't really enjoy. Firstly, Singapore used to have one and secondly, i wonder what's so interesting about taking pictures with wax figures (trying to hard to pretend that the celebrities are standing right beside us).
Other attractions ALSO include the museums such as intrepid air and sea. As usual, i'm not a fan of museum but still went to make our day-pass more worthwhile. We went to NBC tour which is really interesting. Getting to know how broadcasting works, how they scale the props to make the celebrity looks taller etc.
Another not-to-be-missed stop is the "GROUND ZERO" which was formerly known as the TWIN TOWER. Tall buildings surround the vast emptiness. You can actually feel the solemnity as you stepped there. Beams from the drestroyed tower is used to make a 'cross' to remind us of the tragic incident.
One of my favourite attractions: The EMPIRE STATE BUILDING. yeap yeap, it's the one which KING KONG climbed but don't worry, the building is still intact and look really majestic. It shoots out in the middle of the city and outstands the rest of the skyscrapers. We chose the perfect timing to ensure a day-and-night view. ~ I'm speechless by looking at the beautiful landscape! we had this audio tour which introduce the history of the EMPIRE STATE and the significance of most other major buildings from the view on the top of the EMPIRE STATE. nice nice...
Another of my favourite: RIVER CRUISE. Despite the cold we had to withstand, the scenic beauty you can view during the boat tour is amazing. Once again, to enjoy both day and night views, we went for the cruise twice. In the day, sunlight casts strong rays on the buildings, making them classy and unique. The lightings from the skyline in the evening gave a romantic feel which you'll just indulge deeply in. i adore The breeze, the fireworks, the relaxing mood and the idea that i am a tourist exploring this foreign land. Travelling is so fun...
Lastly, the famous CENTRAL PARK which i heard that many scenes from movies were filmed. The abundant greenery, the peace and serenity in the midst of the Manhatten City and its huge area which covers many streets and involve picturesque landscape everynow and then as you walk through the whole park, is definitely a good place for chilling or dating. Sara, Swep and i had a good break in the midst of a large field after 3days of hectic schedule.
Alright, next stop is Washington, DC. Stay tuned!
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 2:02 AM ]]
careless me...
Thursday, May 25, 2006
accidentally left the car keys at the gate in the middle of the night when i went home. Gosh... brother found it lying there when he was heading out in the morning. The keys rested on a position which can be reached by any passerby EASILY. What the hell, the car could have been stolen and i will never forgive myself. Luckily, nothin happen. Phewwww
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 12:44 AM ]]
A million thanks to KYLIE!!!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Dearest Kylie suggested for a meet-up as soon as i came home and insisted on a treat (as she always does). Thanks for the generousity and hope you like the gifts from my trip. We basically did an EXCHANGE of presents and i don't know why i get a MOGU from her... thanks!!! i have 2 huggable MOGUs now. 
Kylie juz got her new cellphone (NOKIA N80) today and with the clear 3.2-Megapixel camera in-built, i was apparently taking pictures for the whole outing. Can't stand the clarity man! so tempted to get it, if not for the bulkiness. 
Dinner treat @ SUN-WITH-MOON japanese restaurant. I introduced it to her and she loves it there. Check out the pretty dishes and the amount we ate. Yummy... Haven't had such good meal for quite some time. 
Had dessert which is totally not worth the money. It's called "Sweet Box". Don't order it!!! NOTHING SPECIAL! -->
Da Vinci Code was next. my treat - the most i can do for the time being in return for the treat. "Kylie, Let me get a job first so i can treat lunch at MICHAELANGELO." oH MAN, i wouldn't have enjoyed and totally understood the show without Kylie man! Thanks for the detailed explanation. It's really heartwarming and pleased to catch scenes that were taken at places i've visited before. Wowowow, the Louvre in PARIS. nice~~~ On the other hand, i'm sad that i missed out certain important paintings. Argghhh. Such a big museum and simply too arty-farty for me.
After movie, we chose APPLE CRUMBLE to cocktail at Balcony Bar because the entire place looks dead> Be sure to visit soon (PROVIDED there's a crowd). Nice chill out and catch up!
Thanks for the night, buddy! hope you get your job at TTSH soon.
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 2:54 PM ]]
Scary Barcelona
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Just got back to SUNNY ISLAND - SINGAPORE. since i've pre-ordered what i wanna eat, i Had a sumptuous home-cooked dinner and the highlight is "ASAM FISH". oH, and mummy's first reaction when she saw me at the airport --> "why are you soooo dark?"
before i forget, i should mention about my life-and-death experience in BARCELONA. I was so looking forward to that destination since many have praised about her beautiful architecture. True enough, that's the good side of the city. 
It was about 2am. A few hours ago, Barca V.S ARSENAL at the European Cup Final held in Paris. and Barcelona won. Check out how patriotic the locals are...
After the match, we left the hostel and decided to walk to the bus station which will bring us to the AIRPORT. The situation along the stretch of road which we had to pass by shocked me badly. I saw fire soaring fiercely at the end of the road and was curious to know what happen. We kept going forward and The word 'DANGER' didn't occur to me at all until glass bottles were smashed against shop houses and shattered to pieces right in front of us.
We screamed and bent down immediately. After recovering from the shock, we turned back. I called for JU as i managed to get one of the hotels to open the door for us to seek refuge. All the shops are closed. It's only a match and why must everyone get so high?! Policemen were around the area but nothing much can be done. The crazy people even threw glass bottles at the policecars. The police were outnumbered. Bomb-like noises, shattering of glasses, threatening shoutings of the drunks etc made me wonder if we'll ever leave the hotel. Though worried, a part of me still hope to stay longer or even walk out to see what's happening and how the police clear the mess.
The kind security guard from the hotel decided to open the back door for us to exit so that we won't miss the bus. Reached the bus station safely after half an hour though we still see groups of problematic drunks on the streets. We had phobia against people wearing the Barcelona Jersey.
What an experience. So should i still like the country which most people do?
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 11:54 AM ]]
While waiting for my flight at 6:50am . . .
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Currently at Barcelona. Nice architectures and we are behaving like a ´TOTAL´TOURIST. Carrying cameras and takin pictures at almost everything. As i always think, the 2 top favourite things that tourists like to take are FOUNTAINS and Christmas Trees. Didn´t really like the place intially because the MAFIA greeted us to the country by cheating us 50€ each (SIN$100). We felt so stupiddddd!!! All in the hope of wanting easy-money and there goes our cash in less than 3 seconds. Arghhhh... We took more than a day to get over this... hopefully... ok, i shan´t mention this further to spoil my mood. Will just pretend that i lost the money at the CASINO or to buy a lesson. Arghhh...
Despite the fact that our mood was dampened a little, we still appreciate how beautiful Barcelona is . Night life is amazing and the beach has lotsa interesting things to check out. London is great as well. Really enjoy the way that things are more similar to Singapore in London, compared to the States. From the subway station, the rules and regulations, the way that we look right first and then look left before we cross the road etc. BUT the Sterling Pounds is getting to me... Things are freaking expensive. A simple plate of Fish and Chips cost 4pounds (SIN$12) and curry chicken with potato can cost 3.50pounds SIN$10.50). Overall, i still prefer the U.S - The people, environment and the shopping. Saranya do not agree with me though.
Flight at 6:50am later and to be on budget, we aren´t getting a room for the night. Anyway, we saw how crazy the locals because of the soccer match between BARCA and ARSENAL. The wrapped in flags, dressed in jersey, shouting and yelling just before the match. Cool... So we blended in with the local to catch the match. Nice... AND Barca won!
Alrighty, my last stop... PARIS
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 5:59 PM ]]
Those who make a difference to our trip
Saturday, May 13, 2006
The U.S trip has ended and come to think of it, Saranya, Swep and i were indeed lucky throughout the whole trip. It's not just about how interesting the place is, the tons of shopping which you can do nor the chance of seeing things in another part of the world. The most important of all, it's the company and the help we've got from the people around us and these indeed cause my sense of nostalgia once again. The 3 gals set off for their trip one fine day, not knowing what kind of strangers they'll meet, doubts about whether they can handle the trip etc. But, we were never alone in any part of the trip. 
It kicked off at New York City with the company of Kailin, Daffy and Amy who brought so much laughter to the whole travelling. We took turns to plan for our day in New York so that no time is wasted. Thanks for the egg sandwich, the queuing for broadway tix and the uploading of our pictures. See you gals soon. 
Then it is Sampson who stayed in the same hostel. Thanks for contributing chicken to our macaroni and cheese and joining us for our late night supper. Hope he manage to get a job by now...
Then we went to New Jersey. Swepna's family friend came to pick us up. The good hospitality and comfort of their house is amazing. We managed to settle things for the rest of our trip with the internet access and did our laundry. Sitting down with the family to chat, have dinner and watch movie are amazing. Thanks for driving us out to get ice cream because of my stupid craving, the lift to the station after your long day at work and the nice meals provided for us.
Then off to Virginia and Washington D.C to meet Saranya's cousin. She drove so much that we really feel bad. Blame myself for falling asleep as soon as i hopped onto the car. Not being able to keep her company when she had to drive for hours. Didn't even realize how much she's struggling to bring us to places of interest because she's not sure about the direction. Thanks and i really enjoy taking pictures with you at the bed of beautiful tulips.
Then off to Daytona Beach. The town looks dead because it's a weekday. Just when we thought that we will be wasting out 3days at the boring place, we gotta know this really cool guy from KENYA called Dennis (the guy in the middle). As he warned us, "we are sure gotta miss him". Yeap, we do... Knew him as the receptionist from the hotel we stayed. Thanks for bringing microwave to our room and telling us the interesting things that we can do in Daytona. You are indeed a good host. Better keep your promise: quit ur job, rob the bank and come over to Singapore. I'll remember how you teach us the way to sneak into other hotel for breakfast, how u can't pronounce the letter 'R', how u imitate 'black'-women, how you were so drunk and babbling rubbish in the middle of the night which traumatized Swepna and Saranya etc etc. 
Rafael - the mexican whom we know at Daytona Beach through Dennis. Million of thanks to him for going through so much. You can never imagine how i appreciate your attempt to bring me to the plane to watch u fly, though it never succeed. Still, your company at Disneyland and your willingness to travel to Orlando with Dennis is much appreciated by us. Else, we'll never get to see "Pleasure Island". "NICE TO MEET YOU" and hopefully, see you in Mexico soon. haha! All the best in your flight school.
Swiss BOY... haha. he's the sweetest thing man! Saranya and i are so grateful to him. We messed up his room with all our luggages, took up his bed and he had to sleep on an inflated bed which was deflated in the middle of the night, wasted his whole afternoon to do packing with us, troubled him to come all the way to TORONTO to bring our stuff over. Hope there's really nothing else to bother him after this.
:::The trip is short but I'm really surprised by the help and offers we received from these people. It's always sad to leave places and bidding farewell to people that you might never meet again. Really hope that some of them can go over to Singapore so that i can return the favour that i owe... I'll miss them... ONCE AGAIN, Thanks to all. you guys indeed make a difference to my trip.:::
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 9:26 AM ]]
change of LUCK
Friday, May 12, 2006
Canada greeted us with bad rainy weather when we came back from States. Bad omen... nothing much can be done and it makes the whole place look so gloomy and sad.
So many things happened ever since we came back. Firstly, my luggage is bursting. I shopped too much and it really seem impossible to squeeze everything under the allowed limit. Then it was the pathetic exchange rate that we get for Euros and pounds. I lost about $40 cad because of the drop in exchange rate. Next, i couldn't get a friend who's holding on to a big bag of my belongings. Gotta rush for plane and yet that friend is uncontactable. so goodbye to my bag of stuff which will not be collected. Then it was hell time for Saranya. Some shitty ass-hole hacked into her email and blogspot, messed up everything and caused so much problems. Changed her password for email and wrote ridiculous entry and post disgusting pictures on the blog. Why are there such people in the world with nothing better to do?!?!?!?!
****************
Well, things aren't that bad afterall and in fact, a total change of luck for us within that few hours. Firstly, the weather starts to get better as we approached the airport and this is definitely a good sign. We couldn't get onto the flight due to overwhelming demand and was requested to take the flight the next day. Sounds unlucky right? but wait... they are offering $250 pounds for each of us, 1 night stay in Hilton and 3 meals provided. WHAT?!?!!? I'm totally thrilled. i don't mind spending less time in London man! So here i am, blogging at Hilton hotel. I felt so generous the whole evening, tipping like nobody's business. haha. Then we just found out how sweet Swiss-boy. He agreed to travel all the way from WATERLOO to downtown TORONTO for us.. woohooo... Wonder how to show our appreciation man! nice.. everything is getting on track now... Saranya has more or less settled her hacker problems. Andddddd we are all SET... hope i manage to rearrange my luggage and meet the desired weight limit.
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 11:52 PM ]]
My adventure
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Just ended the trip at Miami. Beautiful city with colourful buildings. The beach is never short of Hunks and babes. Happening nightlife and nicely-decorated restaurants filled up the streets of Ocean Drive near the beach. (*once again, photos to be uploaded later*)
Currently at Orlando - where the magic begins. Will be visiting Disney World soon, despite the fact that i've been to the one in JaPAN. ok, since they have Narnia, i shall pay another $72 USD for the tix. Didnt expenct admission fee to be so expensive so i'm just gonna forgo the rest of the themeparks since all the rides are almost the same to me.
Irritating transit system in orlando when the frequency of buses are in 30mins and it doesn't even coincide with the next bus you need to transfer. Oh by the way, i need to take 4buses just to go to the factory outlet today!!! So on the way back, despite our well-planned trip to catch all 4buses perfectly, the 3rd bus came an hour late, causing us to miss our 4th bus which apparently is the last bus for the day. (well, the time is only 8:49pm). So to save $30USD on taxi, we decided to walk along the highway which doesn't even have a proper pathway. the sight of 'zillion' Cars ZOOOOMinggg pass is so scary that i dare not look back. Also, not every part of the highway is properly lighted. Took an hour walk and run. FFFFinally, arrived at the hotel safely.
Phewwww... Is this how 'backpacking' should be like???? haha.
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 10:27 PM ]]
I'm burnt
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
I was longing for warm and sunny climate to have a good tan. Guess what?! i fell asleep at the beach with Sara and Swep. Didnt know that we'll be under the sun for so long and decided not to apply sunblock. Now my front is like a red lobster and the burn is killing me. Arghhh, wanted to pace myself for Daytona and Miami Beach but now, im 'killed' in juz one afternoon. Boo...
ok, my pocket is burnt too. with all the shopping and attraction which i've did and will soon be doing, i won't be able to last the whole trip. Bad money management.
Going off the Miami Beach in a few hours time. Daytona is really not interesting. We didnt even go onto the Daytona USA speedway track because the tour is freaking expensive. But still, going round the track with a professional driver sounds cool. Can really imagine the adrenaline that'll build up. Wooh! But even if im willing to spend more than $700 USD on that, it's not available now. In fact, other than New York, the rest of our trip is pretty relax. So at Daytona Beach, we juz did Go-karting, Pubbing (gals free cover and free drinks), pizza buffet, chocolate factory tour, sun-burning and chilling.... Hope the next destination is more well planned.
â§_____that's all folks_____â§~ [[ 11:40 AM ]]