Paris: Famous landmarks

Helloooo I finally have the mood to blog again! Yay? :) I know I owe you guys a lot of travel posts! So I shall settle my blog debts before the next trip's photos come in. 

Anyway let's continue with Paris:

After our breakfast at Rue Mouffetard, we navigated our way to the iconic gothic cathedral, Notre Dame de Paris.

As a huge fan of Disney, this is definitely one of my favourite historical sites ever. 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' was one of my favourites (actually I watched & loved all Disney films haha) since young, and I remember myself watching it over and over again. To be able to set foot on this famous architecture, I couldn't hide my excitement at all.

First glimpse!

  

This view definitely gave me a strong 'picture-came-into-real-life' feeling. You could see gargoyles vividly up there from below. It was absolutely stunning!

Paris: Breakfast at Rue Mouffetard

We didn't do much on our first night in Paris. After meeting our host and passing over the keys, we went out to explore the neighbourhood (near Poissoniere metro station). At first we wanted to go for dinner at Chatier (along Rue du Faubourg Montmartre) which is famous for their cheap French cuisine. Unfortunately, we were a little late so by the time we wanted to queue for it the manager said they are done for the night. Oh well. We decided to save it on our list and come back to try our luck the following night. (alas we made it! talk about it next time)

I don't know why but every single time I go for vacation, the first dinner is always super simple and spontaneous. Guess what, we ended up tapao-ing Kebab and Falafel back to our apartment HAHA. The reason was that we saw Glacier Amorino nearby and I think all of us were like..

 

"Screw dinner. Let's just eat this" 

Europe self-guided trip: Train and place to stay

Sorry it took me so long to update. I had been procrastinating once again. And I don't even know what's wrong with me these few days, lacking the will to even upload photos to facebook.

But as promised, here's a new blog post!

Before I start, let me briefly give some details of the trip. Me and my girl friends had planned to go for a long Europe trip and after rounds and rounds of discussions, we finally narrowed down to just 5 cities, 4 countries: Paris > Brussels > Amsterdam > Cologne > Berlin.

After listing out our tentative routes and calculating the costs, we decided to buy the InterRail Global Pass, which allows us to travel in Europe within a consecutive period (in our case, Travel 5 days within 10 days). It basically means that within that 10 days, you get to choose 5 days as your 'travel days' and on those days, you can just hop on any trains connecting cities to cities (unlimited amount of train rides on the same day). A pretty flexible and cost effective package I would say, but will only be worth it if you travel to many places or travel to as far as you can. Like for our case, if we did not plan to go up north to Berlin, we wouldn't have gone for InterRail. So I guess you just have to do some calculations before deciding to whether take up the package or just buy the usual point-to-point train tickets.

I suggest you read up this page it's really informative. My tip is that you should always avoid any high speed trains like Thalys for example because even with a valid InterRail pass you will still need to pay for the reservation fees which is very very expensive and not worth it. Apparently, any train connecting France is always the trouble maker so do check out the best option available. Other than that, in other countries, you can just hop on any IC or ICE trains you like and show your pass to the conductor when being asked to.

Anyway, we went to Paris by boarding the Eurostar from London (excluded from InterRail). The train ride lasted for 2 hours plus and we reached Gare du Nord around dinner time. First thing to do is of course, check in the apartment we have pre-booked online.

Throwback Macau trip Summer 2012

This is really way overdue. But I thought I should still post these up before the upcoming Europe trip's photos start flooding in my iPhoto.

So as you know I went to Hong Kong last August for summer vacation with two of my aunts. While trying to cover as many attractions as possible in such a short period, we still managed to allocate one whole day for Macau. Not that I was interested in gambling at the casinos but because I really wanted to try the famous Portuguese egg tart there.

10 years of Love for Harry Potter

I remember being skeptical at first when my aunt recommended me to read about Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone a decade ago. All I knew about Harry Potter that time was that there's this young boy who lived in a small storeroom under the staircase and later discovered his magical abilities.

To be honest, I was more of a movie fan initially. This is because the day I fell in love with this brilliant imaginary wizarding world was the day I first watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone. It was one of the longest movie that I had ever watched at that age and believe it or not, I was truly absorbed into the story.

Piqued by curiosity and some igniting sparks of interest, I began reading the books one after another. Then I discovered more fun reading the detailed version and that, marked the beginning of my addiction/obsession for Harry Potter ever since.

I knew about the Leavesden Studio of Harry Potter even before coming to England. It was just opened to public last year and this had been on my list of things-to-do.

After buying tickets online for me and my group of KTJ friends (who were all also dieheart fans of Harry Potter), the next thing we knew was that we were already riding on the special shuttle bus from Watford Junction to the Warner Bros. Studio.

 

Collected our tickets at the counter and look, how cool the tickets were! We were 'fighting' over our most preferred creature, with Dobby being the most demanded one. Oh well I got Fawkes :)

Why I haven't been blogging?

I give you my top 3 excuses.

1) I have discovered a new hobby.

Yeah. I just realised that I have some passion too in cooking after coming to UK. Since the accommodation type in University of Surrey is self-catered, I share a kitchen with another 4 housemates (who don't really cook much). So basically it's like I own the kitchen! *evil laughs*

So far I have been eating my own home-cooked food everyday, and I had only had meals outside in Guildford town ONCE and the other times were during the weekend when I stayed over in London.
I'm quite amazed by myself to be honest, to actually cook everyday and more importantly, wash my used pots and crockery so many times a day.

But then I remembered when I was a little girl, my favourite toys were things like.....
the typical 'masak-masak' kitchen set, food toys which I loved to death, Play Dough set of different versions: sushi, dimsum, noodle stall, food plaza etc. 

Ouuuuu. No wonder.
So actually I have been imagining myself as a good cook since young.
which I might be!

I am always experimenting different recipes and I actually join the Surrey's culinary society!

 

Most memorable and epic meal. Because it's the first of every other meals cooked in UK! :')

And then I attempted my first own version of Chinese fried rice! Note that there are no stupid frozen green peas and carrots! coz I hate those very very much >:P

I added boiled corns though. But I totally forgot to add shrimps. Aiya.

Nevertheless it was good. My fried rice is getting better and better now so I guess I can enter some rice frying tournament soon LOL.

Saw Tesco selling Salmon at reasonable price (or rather cheap! if being compared to m'sia ) so I decided to make myself Japanese style dinner. Bought Kikkoman's Teriyaki sauce to marinade the Salmon before pan frying + baking. Awesome meal.

Also made pizza! Even the pizza base is homemade. My senior taught me how to make bread so everything here is from scratch I swear!
 I know I should have added more vege :P ah well, my cheesy meaty pizza.

but most of the time I would be stir-frying because I don't need to think when I'm hungry. Just throw anything available in my fridge into the wok and then add soy sauce. Stir stir fry fry...Teppanyaki style FTW! am also getting more pro day by day. Heh.

Sorry ah these photos are a bit unglamorous because firstly, they are all the first attempts.. (which I think is worth remembering though) Secondly, I didn't use my G12 to shoot these and there's no editing & no angle..so yeah.

but see the below:

Beef Bolognese pasta. NOT BAD right I KNOW THANK YOU. haha

you know why? because I used G12 to shoot this. Praise the magic of photography.

of course it tasted good too lah, duh ;)

2) I was being academically kiasu. 

I must be kidding. It's just the first month and I am already... studying. -.-

Despite the fact that I myself couldn't really 'tahan' this so-not-grace kind of behaviour, it is the sad fact unfortunately. hah! Even though the syllabus seems pretty easy for the first semester(and probably throughout my first year), I am constantly reminding myself to not be complacent at anytime.

What to do,  I've learned my lesson the hard way. There were so many if-onlys and regrets that I would probably drown myself in life's deep ocean next time if I still don't learn how to swim properly. I don't wish to repeat any of my mistakes ever again so I have been striving really hard to change and improve my own self.

 

Whenever I am standing at the Economics section, browsing through the racks in search of my reference books, I would feel invincible, utterly alone yet genuinely happy. I could even spend hours there alone surrounded by books and silence only. I don't wish for any particular person to be there with me, nor do I feel the need to include anyone in that moment. It's my own time and space. There's no rush and everything is being pleasantly unhurried.

 :')

well, one of the reason is also because I love walking to the dark areas of the library purposely just to play with the automatic lights.. That awesome moment when the lights were suddenly on when you entered the walkway. Heh.

It feels like harry potter or something.. like magic  *snaps*

Left: 4 modules for this Autumn semester: Quantitative Methods, Introductory Economics, Economic Data Analysis, Contemporary issues in Economics.

Right: Borrowed textbooks. Such a Chinese I actually 'sapu' the highly demanded books back since the first week and plan on renewing all the way. LOL. I will buy my own books eventually when I can get a good price. It's so frustrating lo sometimes as I can't highlight or scribble on the books :/

 

( ´ ▽ ` )

3) I was busy exploring.

Of course, I can't possibly nerd all day long right. That would be so sad.

The thing is I don't really enjoy drinking or partying so most of the time I would spend my time and money on shopping trips to the town or even worst, London. (because taking a train to London from Guildford only takes around 35 minutes!! just like from KTJ to MidValley last time)

Photos here are all from my Samsung Galaxy S3.
Please bear with me but from now onwards I will always remember to bring my G12 out so that I can post higher quality ones. Phone camera will never be better than a real camera.

  

Our very own lovely little town in Surrey, Guildford! :) Just 10 minutes walk from campus. (Yes I walk everywhere in Surrey because I wanna save bus fares for more shopping haha. Plus, it's healthier)

 There's a high street here too which is enough for me to shop even if I don't go up to London.

which reminds me of the Friary Centre's Student Shopping Night event next week. 

Oh no. I need to plan my budget!

Of one month in UK, my 2 weekends were spent in London. Heh. 

and gosh, why am I so proud of it? 

this means I'll have to allocate a certain amount of money for London shopping every month. OH GRACE GRACE CONTROL YOURSELF. 

 Oxford street and Trafalgar Square.

 M&M world in Leicester Square.

South Kesington and Hyde park.

I will upload more of these kind in my future posts don't worry. These are just teasers. heh.


____________________________________________________ :)




There are more excuses I can provide but all in all, I was just bullshitting coz the real reason behind is: I had been procrastinating, again.

Fret not, I am here to revive this poor little bloggie. Yay.

Shall be updating about my life pretty often from now on so, stay tuned people!

HK getaway: Night at Mong Kok

 Went for late dinner one night, after deciding to spontaneously drop off at Mong Kok MTR station.
We didn't even know what famous eatery should we head for. There were just too many choices, and we didn't actually research about Mong Kok district.

But one thing I like about randomness in a holiday trip is because, you discover surprises most of the time.

Walked into a random cafe/cha chaan teng that looked kind of promising, and then observed what other local customers had on their tables as we were led into the inner corner of the cafe for our seats. No more empty tables and we had to 'tap toi' or in English, share a table with the others.

Ordered this Cheong fun (with juicy beef & char siew inside).
You can add sesame and soy sauce on it according to you own preference.

 After my first bite, for a moment, it made all the things on my virtual list of favourite food move down a column. Man I am not even trying to exaggerate it.

It really was soooooooooooo good I felt like swearing.
(guess I did already haha)

One of the best soya bean milk I've ever tasted in my life.  

And also one of the best 'yau zha guai'/ 油条 ever. The best ones are probably still from my hometown. Heh.

It was an epic moment when both me and my aunt smiled and exclaimed at the same time "omg 很好吃!!! "  It was delicious, really.

Homemade. Good stuff!

Taxis, mini buses, and billboards. This is Hong Kong.
 

Street stall selling magazines and comics.

Uncle wearing white singlet, ah pek shorts and slippers, sitting by the roadside, enjoying the time of his life. haha

SHOPPING after DINNER.

the best combinations ever. (＾▽＾)

 

It's very crowded and happening..and boy there were so many Sasa! I think I saw at least 3 branches in the same area. and also other cosmetics shops like Angel and Aster as you can see from the pics above. It was like heaven! but heaven also no use.. you need money though. haha

Nevertheless I think I bought quite a lot of masks here.
They were cheap! Like RM2 per piece only. And they're not of some random brands but good quality ones. If you buy back in M'sia it's like double the price here.

So why not?

杀!  \(≧▽≦)/


Women's street. Nothing much but mostly all the not-that-cheap-also imitations.
Well you could buy some souvenirs here like key chains and magnets with the word 'Hong Kong' printed on it. Just remember to bargain. Speak Cantonese if you can.

Walked pass this crowded shop and I was like "ooohhhh isn't this the one they opened in KL that day"


lol very kampung for a moment.

but I'm glad that I had my first bowl of Hui Lau Shan's dessert in Hong Kong itself.

Award-winning signature dish: 多芒小丸子 (Mango sago with glutinous rice balls)

Slurps. Another moment of happiness. ( ˘ ³˘)♥

 

Me and my tourist shots.

 

Had to end the post with this pic..
just because someone's legs appeared to be (a little, at least) longer in there.

Ah well ╭(╯ε╰)╮

HK getaway: 1st Night

I'm back from Hong Kong~ and it's time to update my blog and share my experience.

On the whole, I really enjoyed the trip because it was the first time ever I went overseas without my parents tagging along which means *coughs* I can do many things according to my will *coughs* haha.. Nola No :P

In fact, it sort of gave me a new definition of 'exploring'. The best part of the whole trip, to me, was utilizing the MTR(Mass Transit Railway) to the max in order to visit different districts and to try out famous local delicacies. I guess I could say this is a mini practice for me before any Europe trip in future. lol.

Flew using AirAsia. Except for their not-that-pretty air stewardess hahaha so cruel (maybe it's just me), it's actually not that bad when they don't delay their flights :) One thing I have to mention is their Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak was quite delicious for an in-flight meal. Try ordering next time!



We landed 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. *claps for AA* We then got transferred to the Hong Kong island by taking the 24/7 shuttle bus called 'Cityflyer'. Just follow the directions in the airport to get to the bus station and then line up at the bus stop according to the routes you prefer. We took bus A11 that would pass through Sheung Wan (where our hotel is located)

Do check before hand but even if you don't, you can still find your way out by studying the crystal clear directory in front of the bus station. 

While in London they call it Oyster, here in Hong Kong they call it Octopus. Seriously what's with all these seafood sea creatures? Haha

Basically, it's like my 'touch & go' for the next few days. Be sure to get one at any MTR station asap once you have arrived. It's really useful and convenient as you can use it for taking public transportation like the MTR, buses, ding ding trams, ferries or even buying cup noodles at 7-eleven.
Didn't try this but apparently, you can also use it in their Starbucks! what's this called if it's not awesome :D

 

Checked in 名乐居 Mingle Place 'On the Wing' , a boutique hotel in the historic Sheung Wan.
The standard room is super duper small (normal in HK) just like a box and there isn't much walking space. However, it doesn't really matter since as tourist, we just wanted a place to rest after spending the whole day outside exploring the city. Plus, it's kind of luxurious to me already. I mean look at the bathroom! mad love the shower ♥

After unpacking, we went out to explore using 'ding ding' tram, the iconic transportation in HK.
You need to know the rule: you hop on the tram from the back, drop off using the front door and that's when you pay using your octopus (or exact fare).

Pretty Caucasian in the tram behind ours. After I snapped a photo of her (like a paparazzi), she did the same to me (secretly as well) and oh, did I mention I purposely posed for her photo? You know, looking out of the window..acting as if I'm thinking of something hahaha ( ´ ▽ ` )

The initial plan was to take the tram straight down to Shau Kei Wan (last stop) to try out the famous 'wun zai qi'/ 碗仔翅 (shark fin soup w/out shark's fin) but since it's already 9 and our stomach were growling, we decided to drop off at any station where we could still see crowd. 

And then we ended up in some random cha chaan teng (tea restaurant, literally) in Wan Chai district. Oh not random lah, I actually jot down the name :D 

新丰记 牛什鱼蛋大王 (Sun Fung Kei)

149, Johnston Road, Wan Chai.

My 1st dinner in Hong Kong! haha I ordered this Fresh Prawn Wan Tan Mee out of sooo many options on the menu. don't ask me why. I can be very indecisive when it comes to food ordering and I was so scared that the waiter would give me the impatient look. Hence, it was just a random choice.

At first I didn't expect that much from them since it was supposed to be just a random restaurant and a random order hahaha.. but hey it was really good! *thumbs up* Their noodle was of the good quality ones i.e. egg noodles which has a good texture. And the prawns inside the wan tan were just so juicy and succulent! Not forgetting to mention their soup base, which is cooked using abalone as one of their main ingredients. *slurps*

My aunt ordered their Meatballs wan tan mee and I thought it was equally tasty as well.
However, we should have ordered their fish ball noodles instead since it's their specialization apparently. (I only found out after I had placed my order)

One downside of this restaurant is that the waiter sort of forgot to serve us the free hot drink (either coffee or tea) which was supposed to come along with the meal. Well I am not sure whether it's because he had really forgotten about it or was he trying to keep quiet unless we ask for it.

Either way, luckily I asked another friendlier waiter about it.
By adding HKD 2, we upgraded our free hot drink to 冻柠宾 (Iced lemon Ribena).

Trivia~ :

冻柠蜜 Iced Lemon honey
冻柠乐 Iced Lemon Coke
冻柠七 Iced Lemon 7 Up
咸柠七 Citrus+ Lemon+ 7 Up
龙凤柠乐 Citrus + Lemon + Coke

Awesome combination right! I wonder why we don't have it in our Kopitiam in M'sia? heh :3




Strolled around the area for a while before taking the tram back to Sheung Wan again.

and that was my first night in HK :)