Kafe Merah

We are having diner at Cafe Rouge tonight.

Its been a long time since I ate there.

Happy.dot.com.

4 more minutes and I will be in Birmingham!!! Woooot...

小人国

One of bizzare thing that has happened this month is that I have been to two miniature museums this month - an indoor one in Taipei and an outdoor one here.

The one in Taipei I thought was really cool with a lot of attention to intricate details.



Every little girls dream to have a doll house.


We went to the model village in Beakonscott yesterday.

It was a typical English day. Drizzling with random bouts of sunshine. Was just telling Madie how much I will miss the crazy English weather when I leave.

The model village has been around for 90 years! The models here are less intricate and less delicate than the one in Taipei.

But the moving trains did get me quite excited. I was waiting for it eagerly with the kids.




Marlow is gorgeous. Wouldn't you love to have a house by the river? All you need is a million pounds. Maybe I should get myself a doll house first. Surely that I can afford...or maybe not.


Another bizzare thing this week is that I have seen a full rainbow twice this week!!!
Once on the train with Jo to work and yesterday again I saw a full rainbow. Remembered to captured it at Beakonscott.



There were lots of stars in the sky on the drive back to Birmingham.
It was so pretty!!! Alas it is something that can only be captured in my memory. Its the first time I have seen so many stars in UK.

2 miniature museums...2 rainbows...and many many stars.

Those have got to be a sign of many good things to come!!!

Sylvia

This is a long overdue blog post about my first ballet in Birmingham earlier this year.

We got to the Hippodrome like 2 minutes before the performance started. I thought we would never get in there on time but we did on the dot.

Have been wanting to go watch a ballet for a while now. Its just that I feel I should watch them now as the chances of catching one in future will be slimmer. But who knows eh, I might be watching the Nutcracker somewhere in Asia this time next year.

Sylvia is a humourous story about Cupid trying to teach a couple a thing or two about love.I was amazed at how so much emotions could be express from just dancing and music. And the guy that acted as the Count danced with so much force and manliness. I have never seen a man danced with so much macho-ness like seriously. It was a really good show although I thought Part 1 was a wee bit messy. But it got better and better towards the end.

I reckon these people are so freaking good because they are really passionate about what they do. Work to them is probably like a vacation. I was told a lot of successful people enjoy work so much that work is just like play to them. I told Ef that we should all treat work like a vacation. And Ef's response is as pragmatic as ever 'People who say work is like a vacation obviously never worked before.'

Imagine how awesome it will be if we treat work like a vacation.
Everyday will be like a holiday!

I wish I could watch all the ballets and musical performances here before I go. If only I can afford it. The next show that I got discounted tickets for is not till June - its not a show that I have been dying to watch but I got half price corporate tickets. Might as well. Plus everyone is going. So it will be good summer fun!

I wonder if spring will ever arrive cause its gone freezing cold again....

谢谢老板!!

这三年在这里真的很 tough.
有时后好想放弃.

啊不知不觉的也熬过了.

人生真的好 ironic.
当我终于决定了回去，我发觉我在这里开始觉得好快乐。
真的好快乐。

老板问我：为什么要回去？你的爸妈还年轻。

也是啦。但是为什么要等？我想当他们还年轻，健康，多陪陪他们两。

老板说：但是你现在很快乐。你要为自己想想。如果你快乐你可以永远在这里工作。

真的好感动。

我想快乐是来自内心里的。
不关在何仿都可一快快乐乐的过。

老板还说：为什么不在多作一两年，当上了经里才回去。可以多赚一点钱，况且现在经济也不好，不容易找工。

我想...money is not important but money is essential. Haiz...

可是我还年轻啦。还有一辈子的时间去赚钱。

经济不景气也没办法。我会加油！!!!!

x

The Naked Truth

We were in Taiwan. So we have to do what the locals do – visit a real hot spring.

Most of the visitors at the hot spring were elderly ladies – ladies my mum’s age and beyond. There were a few younger ones but the majority were the older ones. The oldest there was 82 years young!

When I got back to Muar, I told my mum I will bring her to a hot spring next time and she said ‘Eeeee…siow (crazy) ah!’ Dad was a bit worried about hidden cameras and stuff which I thought was hilarious.

Anyway back to the naked truth, when everyone has nothing on, everyone actually looked the same after a while. My little niece told me she found naked women disgusting when she visited a hot spring in Korea. I think I would feel that way if I were her age. But now older (though none the wiser) I think I feel the naked body is actually the most beautiful work of art. We probably look better naked than clothed. Even looking at older ladies’ wrinkly skins and saggy bossoms, I still think it is amazing God designed us with those features.

We met 2 lovely stranger ‘ah yis’ (aunties) at the hot spring whom we later had dinner together and they even drove us around to Yangminshan to admire the night view of Taipei. They remind me of my ‘da gu’ (eldest aunty). It is just something that I can imagine her doing. I felt extremely touched by the 2 ah yis’ generosity. I pray they are well and maybe one day our paths will cross again. It’s a small world after all.

I had a good laugh recounting the experience with On-chan and Jo. I was suprised that the English gal has not gone to a naked hot spring before. She couldn't stop giggling when I told her my naked experience.

Looking back now it felt like a liberating experience although I was very shy there. I am still in disbelief that I actually bared it all in front of strangers and 2 friends!!!

I guess I have nothing to hide now ever from Daffy and Fel.

Taiwanderful

PJ, Daffy and Fel do Taipei!! Woot!! Check us out.

First night walking round the streets of Taipei somehow reminds me of Johor Baru. The JB that I was reminded of by Taipei is the one that I visited when I was little. Not too sure why it brought me those brief memories I had of JB. Maybe it is those shop houses that felt familiar to those that my cousins lived in which I visited when I was a kid.



Taipei like any other big Asian cities – busy, hectic and polluted.
The pollution makes you feel really fatigue. And people there wear masks which I thought is kinda weird but I realised that it might actually be necessary and I might do that the next time I visit Taipei.

The weather at Taipei is perfect when we went - 20 plus degrees. The whole world should have weather like this all year round. It is not too hot or too cold.

I have been to many places in the past few years but I have to say the Taiwanese have to be the friendliest bunch to date. There is genuine warmth in the Taiwanese which has touched me during the short trip in Taipei.

Taipei is all about food. Everywhere you walk there are shops selling food, there are people walking while eating something, or just queuing up for good food. One of the things we did whilst in Taipei was attend a cooking class. It was really simple stuff which is practical and can be tried at home. Not too sure about value for money but it was fun.

One memory of Taipei which I heart is going to a tea shop in Danshui. It is just a shop selling tea. Feels a bit like a local medicine shop in Muar.



I really enjoyed this trip. It was lovely easy going company. Mucho arigato to Daffy and Fel for the wicked time!

I think this is how a holiday should be. It is not how much you see or how much you do but how much you experienced and felt. Very often we look forward to a holiday for a much needed break from work to come back feeling more exhausted than before because we wanted to do so much over the holiday that we forget to chill out. Although I was in a bit of a rush – got back from Taipei and landed in Singapore, rushed home to catch my flight to Birmingham – I was surprised I didn’t feel tired even though I barely slept in the last few days because of a bad stomach (too much eating.).



Most people visit a place and feel that it is enough for a lifetime. Been there, done that – next. But whenever I visit a place, I always wonder if I ever have the chance to come back again. Perhaps I am just greedy for more. I am still young so hopefully I get many more chances in the future to visit Taiwan again because I would love to feel the genuine warmth of the Taiwanese again.

Coming up next time – The Naked Truth….

Romantic

I wish upon a wishing star for a job that I truly love - A job that can make a difference and pays reasonably well.

My 18 year old friend remarked that is just a romantic idea of a job. And perhaps they don’t exist.

Hmmm… romantic idea of a job. That never occurred to me ever.

There are people out there who love their jobs. I don’t think they are romantic. Lucky maybe? Perhaps they are just people who know what they want.

Recently many of my friends got married, engaged or met someone special. I am so happy for them. I think it is Amazing that 2 people meet and fall in love. Even if it doesn’t last forever, there will always be many cherished memories. Like the first time he calls, the first kiss, the many special moments….

The end of a relationship can be painful. It is just like a ring that you have always worn. Suddenly you stop wearing it but you still strangely feel as if the ring is there. But the truth is it is not. You still think of that person occasionally and wonder if he is well. He still haunts you in your thoughts and in your dreams. But I guess through time you get use to the ring not being there. Likewise the ghost of the past will stop haunting you over time.

There is no such thing as a wasted relationship, only a broken relationship. It is amazing to meet someone, fall in love – even if the love was just for a moment, even if he had hurt you deeply, even when you look back and felt used or betrayed.

And you wish him well and you hope you get well too as you continue to wish upon a star…..

P/s – I am not cliché by the way. Heck maybe I am but I love being cliché. Oooops… can’t believe I just typed that.

Its Been A While

I realised that I have a backlog of stuff I wanted to blog about..

Like...watching Sylivia at the Hippodrome in Feb.
...the emo week back at home.
...driving my family to Melaka and BP for the first time. (I know its no big deal but its something special for me.)
...the long flight home and back again.
...the Taiwanderful trip with Daffy and Fel.
...my spanky new computer that I love.

Laterz...need to get some sleep, have been up since 3.30am cause I just can't sleep.

I'll be back...Ciao.

No Place Like Home

... is an understatement.

Happy. Happy. Happy.

Busy. Busy. Busy.

And I thought it will be a relaxing do nothing holiday.

..and then there is a new to do list.

I will get round to it. Please bear with me.

P/s - Dad got me a little Chinese dictionary. So happy. Any good Chinese books to recommend for a beginner?