Home Sweet Home

It's been awhile...

I'm certainly not homesick, in fact I think I can do this forever, but I felt it was a good time to come home. For one, I missed eating singapore food. Been having crappy meals for weeks. And you wonder why Singapore is labelled a food haven.

25 days is not a long time. But it was enough to change habits, leave a thick layer of dust on my stuff, experience changes to my surroundings.

I fell asleep at about 10plus yesterday. Came home at 8pm, unpacked backpack (usually it will take me a fortnight to do this), washed clothes, hang clothes, bathed. Then I read a few pages of my pirated copy of "The Audacity of Hope" on my bed (see I don't usually read books, bought it in HCMC for $3) , fell asleep while reading, with my bolster still behind my pillow (have not had a bolster for weeks), and woke up at 8am today, still without my bolster. Now I'm sleeping early and waking up early like how it's been for the past few weeks!

Oh yes, I started using my com a couple of hours ago and I had this feeling that something isn't quite right. Thinking, thinking, oh yes, cuz my laptop screen is so LARGE. -_-" Been using netbook for too long. Kinda forgotten how using a laptop feels like. Lol.

Oh well, X'mas dinner coming up soon. Looking forward to it. =)

Highlights II

This post will be about highlights in Cambodia.

Of the 7 places we went, only 3 places are worth mentioning:
1. Siem Reap, Angkor temples (a must-see for anyone who calls themselves a traveller)
2. Battambang (the friendliest town I know)
3. Sihanoukville (for its Bamboo Island, rather than its town)

Bayon in Angkor Thom, one of my favourite sites

Angkor Archeological Park, Siem Reap

Riding on the hot air balloon for an aerial view of Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

Nice sunset on Phnom Bakheng

Angkor Archeological Park, Siem Reap

Ta Phrom, a temple half-devoured by a jungle, also where Tomb Raider was filmed

Angkor Archeological Park, Siem Reap

Dramatic sunset at Chong Eneas floating village

Siem Reap

Riding on the soon-to-be-extinct bamboo train

Battambang

Beautiful, tranquil sunset on the bamboo train

Battambang

Swimming in the crystal clear waters of Bamboo Island

Sihanoukville

Scammed!

Our Laos and Cambodia tour has officially ended and we're back on Vietnamese territories. Just within 5 mins on their soil, Kh and I are harshly reminded of how aggressive and dishonest Vietnamese can be. If Laos is bad, Cambodia is worse, and Vietnam tops the list. It just goes to show what development can do to a country and its people, though of course I'm certain the situation will change for the better if it were out of poverty.

Needless to say, we got scammed about $30 by some unscrupulous Vietnamese, and I was extremely irritated with the all-too-familiar push on the shoulder,"OEI! Buy from me!" However, I'm thankful we didn't lose a lot of money, and it was a good learning experience.

Having said that, I also think getting scammed is part and parcel of travelling, especially in poverty-stricken places like these. There are certain things you wouldn't know, and you wouldn't have known unless you've been there. Nevertheless, I will not let my good impression of Vietnam be tarnish because of this one-time scam. Vietnam is a beautiful country and there are places which I'd love to revisit.

Highlights

A few highlights of the trip so far...

Visiting Tat KuangSi, one of Laos most dramatic waterfalls

Luang Prabang, Laos

Eating delicious roadside bbq food

Luang Prabang, Laos

Kayaking along the scenic Nam Song river

Vang Vieng, Laos

Enjoying the beautiful scenery of Don Det

Siphandon (4000 islands), Laos

Being amazed at Khon Phapheng, one of Laos largest rapids

Siphandon (4000 islands), Laos

"Is that the front of the bus?"

Why did I ask that? Read on to find out...

8am: Today is the day we leave Laos for Cambodia. Our VIP bus was scheduled to leave at this time, but it wasn't until 9am that we got to leave Siphandon in Laos.

10.30am: The bus arrives at Dom Kralor border crossing to Cambodia. This is truly the smallest custom I've ever seen. From my research, I knew that we had to pay US$1-2 for "processing fees" (aka bribes) at both sides of the border. Kh prepares four US$1 bills. The British lady in front of us takes out a US$5 bill and we think about how silly she is. To our amusement, she receives US$4 in change from the customs officer.

Border crossing at Dom Kralor

11.40am: After an hour long delay, the bus finally leaves. More people got on the bus. A few angmohs even had "aisle seats", and I mean that literally. They had to sit in the aisle. One angmoh took out his camera and said,"Everybody say VIP!" Ah, what a lovely day.

1.30pm: The bus stops again. 2 angmohs got down to puke, and some men-and women- went to pee in the bushes. One of the angmohs who puked happens to be sitting next to us.

3.30pm: The bus stops at Kratie. The 2 angmohs who puked couldn't take it anymore and decided to rest there for the day. The rest of us had a half hour break for lunch and loo.

4.15pm: Back on the bus, a Cambodian woman takes over the seat which the angmoh had left. She had an elbow on the armrest with her head resting on her palm, and had her two large eyes fixated at me. I was feeling extremely uncomfortable with the extra attention. I looked at her and she smiled at me. That could've been a nice gesture if it wasn't so freakish.

4.30pm: A guy from the bus company apologises for the tardiness. He claims that the VIP bus had broken down, hence our lousy a/c bus. I think they were trying to make up for the long delays by taking a short cut, because we soon found ourselves on a heavily potholed road. I had a can of Yeo's grass jelly drink in one hand and it was 3/4 full. The bus was rocking so badly that I spilled some of the drink on myself. I wasn't sure if I was going to be sick, so I took an anti-motion sickness pill just in case. The medication proved effective because I was starting to enjoy the rocky ride.

5pm: The bus stops again in the middle of the road, in the middle of nowhere. Curious, I draw the curtains and see the bus driver peeing in the bushes. Several minutes later, he lugged something up onto the aisle. It was the bus bumper! Apparently it fell off from all the rocking.

6pm: The Cambodian woman next to the one who was staring at me starts puking into a plastic bag. Seems like we have lots of luck sitting with people who puke. If it weren't bad enough, she also started spitting on the floor. The bus stops at Kompong Cham and a couple of people got down. The women quickly took their seats and left their puke bag and spit behind.

7pm: The bus stops somewhere for dinner. I ordered a bowl of chicken noodles and had plenty of extra ingredients- in the form of large black ants. I complained to the waitress and she brought my noodles back to help take the ants out. I'm guessing she didn't do much because there were still many of them in there. I spent the rest of our dinner time inspecting my dinner, taking the ants out one by one-and sometimes in clumps.

9.30pm: The bus finally reaches Phnom Penh, 3 hours behind schedule.

Welcome to Cambodia!

Travel Planning

Sometimes I think I plan too much for everything, holidays especially.

Well, of course I love spontaneity--who wouldn't? But unless you have a lot of time and money on your hands, it is not the way to go. Kh and I backpacked through Vietnam in 16 days, covering as much ground as what some people would have done in 3-4 weeks.

Reason being, we don't miss buses and trains and spend days waiting for them. We don't miss opening and sightseeing hours to sights and attractions and have to wait another day to see them. We don't spend our daylight hours on transportation but rather on whatever that operates during working hours.  All these due to a little research ahead. Travel efficiency--Maximising travel experience, minimising time, minimising cost.

I think I'm just being annoyingly meticulous. Someone help me.






With the bus timings from Ha Tien to Can Tho.

My YouTube!

Lol... I just realise that my old YouTube video has 10,294 views! Actually I just uploaded it so I can embed it into my blog. Didn't expect so many people to view it. Hehe. Ah, I miss cruise already.

3 more days till I fly! Busy busy busy.

Anyways, Kh will be bringing his netbook along, so I'll do live updates about the trip here as and when I can get access to the internet. Stay tuned! =)

Amy's Back!

4 long years eh, Amy? Finally back for good!

Some pics from Amy and Jf's birthday celebration at Waraku...

Present-giving ceremony. Lol...

9 more days till I fly!

Route Map

Last year, when I told my mum I was going to Laos and Cambodia, I really didn't know what I was getting myself into.

I remember saying something like I didn't know why Vietnam was considered as a developing country until I got there. Well I've come to realise that travelling in Cambodia and Laos really does make Vietnam look like a walk in the park. Looking back, I think it is a perfect destination for amateur backpackers like us. Now, having conquered Vietnam, Kh and I are ready to take on the extra challenge. We're ready to battle red tape, seemingly endless scams, frequent transport delays and -yikes- potholes.

Speaking of potholes, the road conditions have significantly improved since a couple of years back, when all the roads were still unsealed and having 2 flat tires in a single journey is common. All thanks to external funding from China and Thailand that we might enjoy the luxury of a flat road. However, smaller roads (aka non-highway) still remain unsealed and travelling can be quite a bummer.

After weeks of research, I've finally came up with a route map for the whole 25 days of our trip.

Ideally-keyword Ideally-, this is the way we want to travel.

We'll be flying to Bangkok, then take a train up to Nong Khai, bus to Vientiane, bus all the way until Ho Chi Minh and we'll fly back from there.

Flying direct to/from Laos/Cambodia is possible seeing that Singapore is one of the 4 countries that fly to these places. However, budget flights do not fly to these places, and non-budget flights are not cost-effective for us. Kh and I decided to do what most backpackers have done--go overland from Thailand/Vietnam.

That said, everything is still very unpredictable in there. I'm having at least 2 backup plans to make our entire trip more time-flexible and adaptable to changes.

Well, 25 days is very very little time. We'll just try to get the most out of this trip.

Flying in 12 days time! =)

This Is It

I went to watch Michael Jackson's "This Is It" movie yesterday. Hmm, not sure if it should be made into a movie because it seems like the producers just wanna make a quick buck out of it. It's already bad enough that thousands of people paid millions of dollars for this concert which never happened. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed it. It gives a really upclose and personal look with Michael. 

However, fans who are anticipating hits like "Heal the World", "You Are Not Alone" (unfortunately, also my top 2 fave MJ songs), prepare to be disappointed. He also did NOT do the moonwalk! =(

Anyhow, I must applaud his team of dancers (11 guys chosen among hundreds). They're really really really good. Like how during the auditions, the producer was saying that they are looking for "an extension of Michael Jackson". Wow.

Also, the pyrotechnics and background clips were amazing. So much effort was put into it. They even built the sets for Thriller, Earth Song, and Smooth Criminal to film the introduction of each song.

At the end of it all, everyone gathered in a circle and held hands while MJ made a short speech. He was saying something like all of us must love each other, and take care of the planet (as if it's of any relevance to the concert =.=) because we have only 4 years to fix it before it is irreversible. For a moment there, he sounded like a politican or something haha. But aww, so sweet. =)

I'll just list out the songs that he performed in the movie, as far as I can remember, if anybody's thinking of watching.

Bad
Jam
Wanna Be Starting Something
Beat It
This Girl is Mine
Human Nature
Thriller
Smooth Criminal
Earth Song
Man in the Mirror
Billie Jean
Black Or White
They Don't Care About Us

He also did 2 Jackson 5 songs. Can't really remember, I think it was

I'll Be There, and
I Want You Back

Of cuz now it sounds really different. Imagine him singing the abc123 song. =X

27 Klicks

Jack came over to Kh's house today for another board game maranthon with us. Unfortunately, this time, we're really really sick of our current collection of board games. After 1 round of Cities & Knights, we decided to join Kh's sis and her friend Steed for cycling.

All 5 of us did 27km of cycling today. It was crazy. I mean 27 klicks is not a big deal, but we had bike seats which were practically like wooden planks. Our groins ached so much to the point that they got numb, and you can totally feel warm blood flowing down there everytime you stand up.

After about 22km...
Kh's sis: If given $100 now, would you cycle up and down that long stretch of road again? (approx. 10km)
Jack: 不要，我还要生孩子的。

LOL.

Lesson learnt: Don't stinge on renting bikes!

After more than 27km of chionging, our legs were really wobbly. It's like how after rollerblading, you still feel like you're walking on wheels. Except that for cycling, you could fall down from all the wobbliness. Kh, being his ultra-annoying self, was nonetheless the first to knee-jerk me.

After which, we headed to Sembawang for the peh bee hoon. Jack and Steed ordered gonggongs which we thought were really disgusting.

Kh's sis: They don't even look nice!
Jack:  They don't have to look nice. You're gonna be eating them, not dating them.

Lol. Hilarious.

Overall a really fun day minus the groin aches. =X

Lady Castle

I finished watching this korean drama series, Lady Castle a.k.a Take Care of the Young Lady a.k.a My Fair Lady, last friday. I actually watched the raw version for the last episode 'cos I couldn't wait till sat/sun for the subs to come out. Surprisingly, I actually understood quite a bit of the show. Haha.

Anyways, I don't understand why Yoon Eun Hye received widespread criticism for her role in this show. I thought she acted pretty good? In fact, better than in Goong (and maybe Coffee Prince? I dunno.) perhaps?

On a side note, I'm seriously thinking about signing up for Korean lessons. I wanna be able to fully understand the korean dramas I'm watching w/o having to rely on subs! =D

Top 10 interview questions

I used to wonder why I had to learn interview skills as part of my course requirement. I used to think interviewees are at the mercy of interviewers, and there isn't really a need to rack your brains trying to think of insightful questions to ask. But lately, I've begun to understand why. Interviewers are like representatives of the company. How they conduct themselves, the way they talk, the questions they ask, all reflect on the company itself.

Personally, I don't think I would wanna work for a company whose manager speaks like an ah beng, or a director who talks down to people. (Believe me, I've experienced both.) I think finding a job/employee should be a mutual thing. Both parties should respect each other. Even if the candidate/job is not suitable.

hmm. I think I've had my fair share of professional and not-so-professionally conducted interviews. Here's my own personal list of top 10 most commonly asked interview questions. Wonder if anybody experienced the same?

1. Do you have any questions?
Always the big winner. I don't think I've had any interviewer who hasn't asked this question. Hah. (Great tip from MC,"Always say yes!" Just ask something smart. ;) )


2. Tell me about yourself.
Usually the first question to be asked.

3. Do you see yourself in this role?
Usually asked after the interviewer has briefed you on the company/job dynamics.

4. How old are you this year?
Employees who ask this are obviously not prepared for the interview. Unless you haven't already stated your age/birthday in your resume. Which you so obviously should.

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
I'm not complaining about this one.

6. Sell yourself to me- tell me why I should hire you.
I really hate this question. It sounds quite tactless, like I'm desperate for the job or something. It peeves me even more if it's a job that I'm not even interested in (you know, after listening to the briefing).

7. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Not too fond of this question either. I believe it can be phrased in a more professional way.

8. What are your hobbies?
Hmm.... again not prepared for interview. Unless you haven't already stated in your resume also.

9. What is your greatest achievement in life?
I hate this question too. Because I can never answer it. Usually I just say whatever comes to my mind and try to make it sound "great". Lol. Seriously, even if you give me another year to think properly about this question, I still won't be able to answer it.

10. What are your parents' occupation?
Seriously? I think this question is really irrelevant. If there's a need to know about family background, then it should be phrased in a more professional and relevant way. But if my parents' jobs so happen to be relevant to the job scope at all, I'll usually elaborate further and say how such a background helps? So this question is only useful (at least to me) in certain situations. Lol.

Graduation

27th August 2009- My Convocation

Mum and Dad attended. Kh managed to attend the ceremony too thanks to Wayne's extra ticket. Frankly speaking the convo was so boring. I wasn't even listening to all the speeches. But I gotta say the buffet lunch was really good. Mum liked it so much she wanted it employ the same caterer (Kriston) for grandma's 80th birthday. In the end, it didn't work out because it was too ex. No wonder we had to pay $16 per "guest" ticket. I reckon the buffet alone would have cost SIM at least $20-$30 each.

After which, my parents brought me to Bugis to choose my graduation gift--a diamond pendant! Went to Lee Hwa, then Goldheart, then SooKee, then Meyer. After looking at all their designs, Mum and I still liked Lee Hwa the most as their diamonds are the brightest. I would rather have a small but bright diamond than a large but dull diamond anytime.

18k white gold chain to complement the pendant

i just find the circles interesting

29th August 2009- 10am, outdoor shooting with MC and JF. Got Jack to do the shooting for us. Will be collecting the photos from Jack this weekend when I meet him in church. Some samples in RAW format...

29th August 2009- 2pm, phototaking @ Clementi Bright Studio. Will post the photos when it's ready.

Went to grandma's house after that and took a photo with her. Also took some pics of Rachel. Hehe.

**Fave pic**

**Fave pic**

Brown Season

Kh and I are having our very own BROWN season. It all started when we bought our BROWN specs which we love so much that we decided to buy BROWN things to match it.

Oakley specs from City Square, JB
$454
U.P. $700+ in Singapore



BROWN Guess specs from City Square, JB
$196
U.P. ??? so far can't find it anywhere else
Mr Ding says the stock just arrived and I was the first person to touch it. Haha.

BROWN Scholl sandals from Scholl shop at Queensbay, Penang
$65
U.P. $95

BROWN Chrome sling bag from Fall Factor (sole parallel importer of this brand) at Queensway
$219
U.P. US$148 not inclusive of international shipping.

BROWN Colin Stuart flipflops
US$9.99
U.P. US$15.50

BROWN Victoria Secret's classic hoodie
US$9.99
U.P. US$39

pink-BROWN Crocs slippers from Queensway
$65
U.P. $69

golden-BROWN Billabong shoulder bag from Billabong Factory outlet store at Anchorpoint
$29.90
U.P. $59.98