April 08 : Jakarta

Last week I stayed at Ritz Carlton Jakarta when I was there last week for 2 days. The hotel room was fabulous...so huge...the toilet itself is bigger than my room at home....for USD 120++ a night, it is definitely worth staying there when on leisure as well...only bane is the hotel is located on a hilltop so it is not easy to walk around and not a lot of street lamps on the streets so I never did wander outside at all.

March 08 : A380 & Sydney

This entry is about the new A380 which I had the pleasure of taking to Sydney just last week. And to be honest, it is really nothing that fantastic. I was expecting it to be huge but somehow it didn't look that big and when you are on-board, you do notice that the length of the plane was long that's all. I was in economy (what's new?) and they have 3 cabins of economy in the lower deck and 1 on the upper deck..yes as one of my fren asked me, you are allowed to go up the upper deck as and when you like...there is a stairway at the back of the plane.

The seat was supposingly bigger but somehow I don't feel it...maybe becos my butt got bigger? But I like the tv screen which is bigger and the remote is in front of you instead of next to your arm rest on the other planes such that when you sit down, you almost always accidentally press the buttons...however the downside is the tv menu is abit retard according to my standard...slow and not very responsive...

Flight was as usual not that long that u can have a sleep and the girl next to me was talking non-stop to the girl on her other side...she only shut-up when she decided to go to sleep which by then, was not so long from the time when they served breakfast..and the breakfast sucks...just a muffin...gosh....

Haven't been to Sydney for 4 years and it was a good return trip...took the opportunity to go Blue Mountains and jez, didn't realise had to hike so much....went up and down the mountains 2.5 times so much so that my calf muscles actually ached for 4 days....thought it was one of those tours that you go to a scenic point, snap a photo or two and leave but NOOOOO..this was so not the tour that I went to...but it was well worth the price and no regrets....

January 08 : Manila

Just returned today after close to a week in Manila...though this was unlike those touch and go trips that I made the last few months, I think I m more tired after this trip

The only luxury I got was on the first day whereby I can wake up at 630 because the office I was going to was in town. However, due to the heavy traffic, we only reach the ofc in 830

To be honest, though the Thai traffic is infamous, nothing beats Manila traffic....you can be caught in a jam and a journey that probably take 45 mins or less will take 2 hours or more during peak period. If you are headed to Manila, just remember to lay off the water consumption because there is no toilet breaks

Anyway despite waking up at 630, my first night ended only around 1030 pm...and when I got back to my room, I was surfing the internet and such...maybe free internet is not such a good idea after all...on top of that I get 3 pieces of laundry free a day which is fantastic...turned out I didn't have to iron my own clothes after all

2nd day, I had to wake up earlier at 6 am in order to be ready to be at office by 8 am...anyway some participants were coming from a mfrg plant which is 40km away and they were late anyway...due to dinners every night, you never get to go back to hotel early...urrghhh

3rd day, woke up at 5 am so we can leave for the 40 km away mfrg plant...we left about 650 am (later than planned) and reached the plant at exactly 830 am...that's the traffic for you...already considered lucky that we don't have to take 2 hours...day didn't end late becos all of us decided not to be invited to dinner by the MD and most of them wanted to go shopping instead and again traffic was so bad that though we left before 6 pm, we arrived only at the shopping mall around 725 pm and guess what? the shops at this mall closed at 8 pm.

And you would have though that's the end of the misery but today, I woke up at 430 am becos we need to leave for the airport at 530 am though our flight was at 820 am...thankfully managed to get permission not to go back to the office so went straight home, ran to Tampines to run some errands then come back home to zzzz...slept non-stop for 3 hours...but still very tired and I bet I will need to zzz early tonight...

P.S I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental which was in the Makati area and because the rooms given are from 4th to 6th floor, you can imagine how noisy it is...the hotel itself isn't very new..you can see that from the bathroom fixtures and all...but service wise nothing to complain about...I even managed to get breakfast in the room on my last day because I have to leave before breakfast is served in the restaurant.

January 08 : Bangkok

It was suppose to be a great experience but flight wise it was ok but when we reach the Bangkok airport, we got an old driver and he seems to be half awake. At one point when we were leaving the airport, I think he would have crashed the car into the side wall if my dad has not took hold of the steering wheel and swerve the car away. Along the way, he was driving by straddling many lanes, kinda scary and he couldn't find out hotel and when we reached, we wanted to get out at the side but he doesn't want to let us down and insist wanted to drive us to the entrance...I even gave him a good tip...should have just saved it.

Anyway I stayed at a reasonably good hotel, Sofitel at Sukhumvit using my miles to redeem. When I check in, they told me my room wasn't ready and we have to wait at least 45 mins. I took a shower in the fitness centre and then decided to head out to get my lunch and when I returned, my room was not ready yet...by then it was already 1 hour. I stormed up to the reception and told them and they say for a king size bed room, they are still making up the room. I told them, check my reservation, I asked for 2 double bed and not 1 king size bed. Then they told me oh then they have the room ready. The room was the smallest on the floor but no complaints because it was new and clean. But I just felt there wasn't any customer service, no one follow up with us and no one offer us any drinks while we waited.

Anyway we check-in and headed out to Chitlom to walked around. Gosh Bangkok has changed a lot, the old World Trade Centre has been renamed Central World and further down the road at Siam, there was also a new and huge shopping mall call Siam Paragon...more high end but it was so crowded and they have an oceanarium in the basement, very innovative and entreprising. Why wasn't Singapore so interesting?

We didn't do much shopping, mainly doing some local products shopping only and Bangkok was wild during that period. They celebrated New Year with a vengeance. Apparently they exchange Christmas presents on New Year's Day and many shopping malls were having a New Year's Day countdown. We were caught in one outside Central World and could barely squeeze our way through. By the time they started the countdown and started the fireworks, I was already sleeping away.

The day after was our check-out day, we only headed to MBK to do more local goods shopping then headed back to our hotel vicinity to do Thai massage and foot massage. Then we check-out by hitching a taxi on the roadside...cost us 200 bht vs 400 bht using the hotel's call service. Arrive at the airport 3 hours in advance and wander inside to shop and have dinner. It was alright, if it is the old airport, it wouldn't been worth it. Some late passengers boarded the plane late but we arrived still on time and we leave the airport at exactly 12 midnite. And yes, still have to work today. Came home, saw that a live Man Utd match was on the tv so watched it and packed my bag for tonight, shower and zzzz

December 07 : Phuket

Just returned from a short trip to Phuket and Bangkok. I have not been back to Phuket for awhile. The last time being probably 1998.

This time round I brought my parents there and due to a shortage of hotel rooms in Patong, I decided to book the Hilton in Karon Beach, somewhere south of Patong. The hotel is huge, just imagine, there are 7 buildings within the property and the guy at the check-in counter did tell me 35 acre if I am not wrong. To get around the property, you can either walk or take the free tram service...yes tram...

When I check-in, I was told I am given a garden view room but I asked and said can't you give me an ocean view room because we were just across the road from Karon Beach. In the end, they not only upgraded me to an ocean view room, they even gave me a corner room which is larger than normal and we have a L shaped balcony that gives us a view of the beach and the hotel compound.

My parents are very happy with the room even though the room we were given is in an old wing...and though it was still early because we arrived there about 9 am and was given an early check-in. FYI...the room toiletries are from crabtree and evelyn.

Anyway we decided to take a walk around the hotel and went out to the beach. Then we venture to a town area probably 5-10 mins walk away and bought some fried chicken and sticky rice for lunch...it was delicious and yet cheap. Cost us about 105 bht for 3 of us only. After lunch, my dad saw that there wasn't any sun in the balcony and it was windy, he actually took a 3 hour nap on the beach chair on the balcony. After his nap we took a walk down to Karon town area and we were pleased to see that Karon is a very nice area to stay in...not as crowded and hectic as Patong so it was a better area to relax. We attempted to walk to Patong thinking it is near but in the end we gave up after finding out that we have to climb so many slopes (Only the next day did we find out how far it was when we took a cab). We then decided to spend time in the town area of Karon and we had dinner at a Thai seafood restaurant and then my dad and I went for a Thai massage. After which, we walked back to our hotel, enroute we stopped for coffee at a cafe. The walk back seems much shorter maybe because were were relaxed from the massage and also there were live music coming from some restaurants to accompany us on the walk back.

The next day, we wake up early to have breakfast and then took a taxi up to Patong. We stopped at a new and huge shopping centre called Jungceylon. It was quite a nice place to do some slow shopping while escaping from the heat, we bought lunch from the Carrefour there and then decided to walk along Patong beach. Patong beach has changed quite abit since the tsunami in 2004. The beach path has been repaved and redecorated. I think it looks nicer than before. One can't forget the tragedy that hit Asia as there were lots of signs along the way guiding tourist and locals alike where the nearest tsunami refuge centre is.

We head back to Jungceylon and all 3 of us ended up doing a facial at a beauty salon and then went for some local food at the food court there. Again not that expensive, cost us about 250 bht only. Then we took a taxi back to our hotel and that was the end of our trip to Phuket because the next day we check out real early after breakfast to go to Phuket airport to catch a flight to Bangkok.

That was a record, the family in front of us during check-in screw up their booking and the counter girl has to help amend alot of things for them and we ended up queuing about 45 mins...i was so mad I screamed at the girl, I know it is not her fault but the guy who was doing the check in before us was still there and was not aplogetic at all. And the girl did not try to make peace by giving us entry to the lounge or whatsoever, that was very bad customer service...but I had a worse experience in Bangkok later.

December 07 : Kuala Lumpur

Went on a biz trip last week to KL and stayed at Sunway Lagoon Resort...err nothing fantastic about the hotel and even my colleagues there were saying so so only. One of the downside to this trip was having to wake up at 5 and be at airport around 545...my Or Bak Kak has been darker and darker these days and though I kept saying maybe weekend can catch up, my weekends are just as busy these days....But there is an up side to this trip, all 3 of us managed to squeeze in a short (20 mins) shopping trip before we went to the airport to catch our plane. I got myself a pair of shoes at Vincci...no more nice shoes these period.

And on a side note, I managed to booked my Phuket hotel so I am terribly happy, no more stress over the holiday.

November 07 : Ho Chi Minh & Bangkok

Just came back from 4 days of business travel to Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok. It was my first time ever in Vietnam but I don't have much time to wonder around and we have so many late nites almost everyday or busy at the airport catching our flights.

Anyway Ho Chi Minh has a very new airport BUT not alot of shops within the airport itself...

In HCM, we are not sure what the big event was but all the hotels were fully booked so we couldn't get our preferred hotel and ended up in a probably 3-4 star hotel which is probably better than what I would probably get for some tours and anyway we reached the hotel so late it really doesn't matter to me.

Food was fantastic cos I love Vietnamese food (ok, seems like not much food I don't like anyway) and the workshop we were conducting went well and I managed to spend a lot of time with my colleague in HCM.

The 2nd leg of our trip was to Bangkok. We arrived there super duper late from HCM, almost midnite when we reached our hotel but the hotel was good, near the BTS but not that I used it but I will consider it for my next trip to Bangkok in December. The hotel buffet was good (Err international spread but very large spread)...I managed to sneak in a 3 hours massage on my 2nd day in Bangkok too. Will again post some pictures when I can later. BTW the new airport departure hall has lots of shops but very high end shops and I don't think the structure was good, from the customs to my gate I have to walk in a zig zag manner...and some parts of the arrival hall looks undone..but the artworks inside the airport is good, very buddhist like structure, paintings etc. My colleague really enjoy them.

Much as I preferred to travel alone, this time I had to travel with 2 of my colleagues both of whom are male but fortunately very gentleman like and look out for me as well. And because my boss wanted to come back to spend time with his family we really have a very tight schedule, I left Changi Airport only about 1215 am and the next day was back at work and it was a long day too because we have a department dinner and later we even went k-ok so I was in great need for sleep.

Next month I will probably need to take 2-3 trips but with me having to clear my leave and alot of public holidays coming up I am not sure if I can schedule them but I hope I can.

October 07 : Bintan

I had a rush but pretty enjoyable trip to Bintan the last 2 days and wow the spa experience was so out of the world

I was able to redeem a free Banyan Tree Bintan spa treatment which is 3 hours long during the Great Singapore Sale period and it was coming close to the expiry and I didn't have time to go then but due to the expiry I made time to go yesterday. Since it made no sense to take the ferry just to go and come back, I booked a night stay in Angsana Bintan, why Angsana you asked? That's cos Banyan Tree is bloody expensive and the cost for 1 night stay is enough to pay for a short trip somewhere else in the region.

The whole experience was quite interesting, let me share with all. When I arrived at 9 plus in the morning in Bintan, I waited a while at the lounge area as the hotel shuttle bus waited for the rest of the guests to get through customs. Once done, we were ferried to the hotel where we were all able to do our check-in and due to a request for early check-in by my travel agency, I was told my room was ready and it was not even 10 am yet. Imagine my joy at what I can do once I check-in..geesh...however I was told to give the housekeeping a 10 mins more so the front desk officer brought me to the lobby lounge to enjoy my welcome drink and while doing that I caught up on Singapore news by reading the newspaper that arrived together on the same ferry as me. Before I finished the whole paper, my room was ready and the key delivered to me by the front desk officer who asked if I need help with my luggage..who is she kidding? Me? With just a backpack..hmmm..alright I guess it is just something they had to ask.

And before I forget, I just want to say this is my 2nd trip to Angsana Bintan and I had a room previously that was at the extreme corner of the hotel and has a gorgeous view of the whole stretch of beach when you open the balcony door and this time round, I didn't get to have that room because the hotel was having full occupancy and the room was unavailable. Nonetheless I was still give a room on the highest floor but this time near the lifts which is great, I don't have to walk that far.

Once in my room, I unpacked and took some time out to surf the channels on tv and make myself a cup of coffee. Then changed into my swimming costume and head down to the pool to swim. Then head up to my room to shower before heading down for an activity And on the way there I had to pass by the pool and the pool staff were distributing watermelon for the guests and they asked if I want one as I was passing through and I did, and let me tell you, it was amazing...it is just like 4-5 small bits of them on a satay stick but guess what? They were frozen and it was fantastic thirst quencher as the sun was up then. For those who never stay in Angsana, I just want to tell you that they have various activities daily for their guests and 1 of the activity that I was interested in was Nasi Goreng demonstration...and yes, you get to eat what the chef cooked and also you are given the chance to try (nope I didn't, the wok seems too heavy for me but 1 Caucasian lady tried it) and we were again given the chance to try the lady's Nasi Goreng.

All that done, I was just in time to head straight to the hotel lobby where an Angsana buggy will drive me next door to Banyan Tree for my spa treatment. You seems to get alot of royal treatment I would say, once the buggy drop you at the Banyan Tree lobby, a Banyan Tree buggy will drive you straight to the spa...I always have a thought that all the treatments are held in a location, like a spa building but NO, not Banyan Tree, I was driven up to a villa which is a Spa Pavillon and it is exclusively for my use...dang...and it is 2 storey high with its own swimming pool and I get to enjoy the whole place on my own. And the whole villa faces the sea, fantastic view. Unfortunately it was raining quite a fair bit on Monday so it gets dark pretty fast. Once I stepped into the villa, I was told to change my footwear and led to a huge bed like chair where I was served Ginger tea (cold or hot up to you) while I get a footbath...guess what? They pour in fresh orange juice into the bath...I never knew my feet needed the Vit C that much hehe

After 30 mins, my feet was lightly kneaded and dried and I was led downstairs to have my spa treatment and dang, isn't it grand...ok the treatment name is Royal Banyan and all in all, it is 3 hours long and it cost USD220 excluding tax for those who wants to know. And I tell you it is worth every penny and I would love to go back and enjoy it again...drool....I was given a scrub which makes me smell like cucumber because it was a cucumber lemongrass scrub...and the therapist turned on the shower for me before I get off the bed so I can immediately get under the warm water...AND that's not all, guess what? the rainforest shower was outdoor...YES you hear me right....it was right outside on the balcony...only then I realised that there were 2 outdoor shower for 2 person separately should you come as a couple and hey, there is not door, and the balcony looks out to the sea with the rainforest right underneath you...YES I did see a building quite a distance away and NO I don't think they can see me and neither do I hope they can...Oh by the way before I forget, you are recommended to take the whole treatment in the nude..yeah you hear me right but then don't worry about it cos the therapist will cover you appropriately. But should you feel shy, they always have paper panty available in the super huge toilet attached where you change out of your clothes.

Midway through the treatment I fell asleep because it was just so comfortable and relaxing. Pretty much then the water started running again and you wonder if you are going outdoors again but no...at the end of the treatment you were asked to take a dip in a sunken bath which is in the toilet but has one side looking into the treatment room...I do miss the outdoor shower though...but the bath is alright for me. I was given 10 mins to soak in it and because the therapist had prepared tealights for me, I told her I would like to switch off the lights so I can enjoy the bath and I did. The therapist then asked if I would like my refreshment served while I am in the bath or would I like to enjoy it when I get back to the lounge area upstairs, I choose the latter and thank goodness I said that cos the refreshment is a pot of Ginger Tea and a small plate of fresh fruits and I believed that every step of this treatment must be enjoyed in their own separate ways. By now the sky has already darken and the therapist called the buggy to come pick me up. Once I was at the lobby I told the Banyan Tree staff to call for the Angsana buggy BUT while waiting there was a Caucasian couple who probably just finished their dinner at Banyan Tree and was headed back to Angsana and when the buggy came, they actually boarded the buggy first. Maybe I was just being unfriendly or stubborn but because I didn't want to share the buggy with them, I waited until the buggy disappeared from sight before approaching the hotel staff and told them why did the Caucasian couple took my buggy? The hotel staff was very apologetic because he didn't know I was still there (And he was right, I was very quiet and was sitting behind a huge potted plant) but he made amends and I was driven back to Angsana in the Banyan Tree MPV or SUV, whatever..haha so I get to enjoy an airconditioned comfy ride versus open air and bumpy ride. Short as it may be, it is still a joy after all. Back to my hotel I decided to eat at the open air grill but it was closed due to the rain and so I decided to eat at the main restaurant..and again for those who don't know, Angsana and Banyan Tree charges everything in USD. But I was just so relaxed and therefore lazy to go make myself instant porridge which I brought along. So I order some light noodles and while waiting I decided to head to the Gallery to see what they are selling and told the restaurant staff to come get me if my food arrived before I get back and they did....this is what I call good customer service. Oh and before I forget, the restaurant was selling dinner but because I wanted something light, they actually allow me to order from the lunch menu...isn't that fantastic?

So that marked my 1st day, I headed back to my room and soon I was in bed and probably snoring away.

Next day I woke up earlier than my alarm clock and headed down to the restaurant for my breakfast. It wasn't very crowded and the hotel staff were great, kept offering to top up my coffee and in the end I downed 3 cups by the time I finished my breakfast. Then because I had a heavy breakfast I decided to take a walk along the beach and it was great because the tide was higher than yesterday and one of the hotel staff who worked at the Water Sports Centre came by and talked to me and soon it was time for him to conduct his snorkelling lesson (which is free btw for those who had never snorkel before and are guests of the hotel) and I headed back to my room, took a break and decided to go down and swim. But before I can head down to the pool, my phone ring, turned out it was their Laguna Holiday Club membership people who of cos asked me to indulge 90 mins of my time to listen to their sales pitch and they will bring me along for a short tour around the Laguna Golf Course. I was thinking no harm done since it was only 11 something in the morning and I had a late check-out at 3 pm. Guess what? Turned out by the time I finished it was already coming to 3 pm..AND my stuff are still thrown everywhere in the room, so I quickly went up and packed my stuff (Actually I was still wearing my swimwear) and a quick call to the front desk to find out if there were any shower facilities at the pool and there were so I still went for a swim after I check-out. AND you know what? I found out I was given 2 welcome drinks, I still had a voucher but because I wanted to head to the pool, the staff at the lounge actually gave the drink to me in a plastic cup so I can takeaway the drink...wonderous...so i had a quick swim and head to the shower and then get back to the hotel lobby by 430 so I can catch the hotel shuttle to get to the ferry terminal for my 530 pm ferry. Less than 5 minutes after the shuttle left, I realised I left my swimwear in the toilet and I had to request the driver to send us back again and he did and so it was a mad rush as I ran up and down the stairs to the pool toilet and back and up the shuttle bus again (the pool toilet is quite a distance away btw)...what a workout! Oh btw for the supposingly '90 mins' talk, I got in return a 3 days 2 nights hotel stay in Allamanda Phuket, hey hey not a bad deal cos it is a great hotel and own by the same owner as Banyan Tree and Angsana and Laguna.

Reached the ferry terminal still in good time and decided to checked out the new factory outlet that is located next to the ferry terminal, it was pathetic, not worth going, very small area, clothes not appealing so I was there in and out in less than 5 mins.

Then took the ferry and back in Singapore by 730 pm.

January 07 : Travel List

Just realized that I still hasn't gone to the places I wanted to go but from the list I want to bring my parents, we went to Honolulu, Hawaii and Las Vegas in Nov 08.

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Moving forward to 2007, where will be some of the places that I will want to go?

- Maldives (ok, I know I said this for years already but has not happened but I promised by hook or by crook, I will get there....and to those who said best to go there for honeymoon, I just want to say, says who????? as long as you can handle the lovey dovey couples around you, it is not a problem, you get the most peace from such places cos no one will come and disturb you)
- Greece (another die-for place....especially watching sun-set at Oia in Santorini, visit Mykonos, see the ruins in Crete, enjoy the beaches of Corfu and so much more in Athens itself)
- Alaska (It is a winter wonderland, need I say more?)
- Mexico (Not only the city but the beaches in Acupulco, Cancun and many more)
- Brazil (Rio De Janeiro, oh yeah baby)
- Florida (Disney World, yippee...Miami, Key West, Daytona Beach, Everglades, Kennedy Space Centre and also the doorway to the Bahamas & Carribean [altho I have frens who have been there and said Bahamas is so-so only)
- Russia (Architecture beauty and pick-pockets aplenty haha)
- Japan (Especially the off-beaten tracks, should be beautiful...if not, Tokyo and Hokkaido will suffice)
- Mongolia (To get a taste of nomad's life)
- South Africa (To experience real safari)
- Egypt (To see the pyramids of cos)

Ok I know this is being a bit ambitious because I am never going to have time to visit all in 2007, maybe this lifetime more like it.

Places that I will like to bring my parents to...besides Greece and Alaska...
- Hawaii (need I say more? It is a place my dad will like to go, particularly after seeing how nice the Helekulani is but hey, that will burn a hole in my already torn pocket haha)
- Las Vegas (I know, I have been there but Vegas is pretty happening, don't mind going again and once again it is a place my dad will like to go and guess while there, wouldn't mind going to the Grand Canyon, laugh all you can, I have been to the West Coast 3 times but never even venture to Grand Canyon once)
- Canadian Rockies (Been there but it is pretty nice and L's parents have been there too on a more luxury tour and said it is quite worth it...if I attend K's wedding in July in Vancouver, perhaps I can bring them there)

And a count of the places I have been :
- Bangkok, Thailand...4 times to boot haha
- Phuket and Phi-Phi, Thailand
- Pattaya, Thailand
- Bali, Indonesia
- Bintan, Indonesia
- Batam, Indonesia
(at this point just realised, how come Thailand's beach town all start with P and all Indonesian islands I have been to start with B, coincidental?)
- Various places in Malaysia...lost count
- Suzhou, China
- Beijing, China...4 times I believe
- Hangzhou, China
- Shanghai, China...lost count
- Guangzhou, China
- Chengdu, China
- Jiuzhaigou, China
- Tibet, China
- Taiwan, ROC
- Silk Road, Pakistan
- Kathmandu & Pokhara, Nepal
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Various parts of Turkey, Turkey
- Melbourne, Australia
- Perth, Australia (2 years)
- Sydney, Australia (twice)
- Brisbane, Australia
- Gold Coast, Australia
- North Island, New Zealand
- South Island, New Zealand
- Some parts of South Korea
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Brussel, Belgium
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Paris, France
- London, UK
- Madrid, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain
- Florence, Italy
- Venice, Italy
- Rome, Italy
- Siena, Italy (I must add, Italy is a beautiful country, lots of places to explore, alot more for me to find out about this beautific country)
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Interlaken, Switzerland (Freshest air, snow capped mountains...it is beyond beautiful)
- Bern, Switzerland
- Lausanne, Switzerland (Switzerland has such a diversify and efficient train network that you can travel to many cities in a day, however it will just be touch and go, it is a nice and clean country to be, otherwise why would Singapore wants to model itself after her?)
- Vienna, Austria
- Prague, Czech Republic (Historic and the architecture is wonderful)
- San Francisco, California, USA (twice)
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Phoenix, Arizona, USA
- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- New York (Manhattan, Corning, Buffalo, Queens) New York, USA
- Newark, New Jersey, USA
- Philadelphia & Hershey, Pennslyvania, USA
- Washington, DC, USA
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Toronto & Ottwa, Ontario, Canada
- Montreal & Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (twice)

Although I have been to many places and alot more to go, at least I know I have not live the life of a sua-ku haha

July 06 : Atlanta

Been so busy that I haven't got the time to write, not busy working or anything but busy having fun

On the 2nd day at Atlanta, I got my hands on a gun...a REAL gun and I shot a man....good thing it was just a paper man...the target...very scary experience since I stay in Singapore and has never came up close and personal with a gun before not to mention firing REAL bullets from one...

And that's not all, went to Six Flags and that scared the hell out of me too...in case you guys think I am chicken which I probably is...you may be too if you are scared of heights and had to drop 200 ft from the top of a roller coaster...during the entire ride, I only had my eyes open say 5 secs and the rest was just shut eye and scream my lungs out...sorry M if I burst your ear drums... my throat was sore for the next 2-3 days after that

Trip was fun and great catching up with frens but I miss you guys already...all the good food there had make me put on weight...quite a fair bit I tell you...

Anyway after 30 hours spent at airports/planes, I finally knocked out for 12 hours straight...but I feel so rested and ready to put myself through another long trip but perhaps not for another few weeks

July 06 : Vancouver Island

Another 4 days come and gone...went to Vancouver Island, what a relaxing trip...not like the Rockies trip, touch and go and so hectic

Tofino is beautiful and we have a great hostel with beautiful lounge and dining room which overlook the sea and guess what? My room is just right above the dining room meaning I have a good view too...a very small town where you can stay 2 days but perhaps not more than that

Except my roommates have to have the blinds down as they do not want to be awaken by the morning light...

Went whale watching but not sure why, I slept a lot on the zodiac, everyone was surprised how I can do that with the zodiac bobbing up and down, search me too

Anyhow, we have a great tour guide this time round, he looks a bit like Huge Grant from certain angles. Although I don't like Huge Grant but this guide of mine is just so funny and cute, it's hard not to like him. Apparently he seems to have just fallen out of love and you could see his occasionally depressed mood if you glimpsed at him for he will not show us that mood of his...you could however see him checking his cellphone most of the time...

Victoria..provincial capital of British Columbia...quaint and tourisy but beautiful as well...although the beaches are dirty and not much sand...on a good day, you can see US...ships go to Seattle and Victoria everyday, not a very long journey so one can go to Seattle from Victoria...definitely a cheap and hustle free way

Again not a city where you need to stay very long...some homeless people and druggies hang out on the streets too but lesser than Vancouver, surprise surprise

Flying back to San Frans tomorrow...more shopping yeahhhh...

July 06 : Canadian Rockies

Yes sleepy despite the fact that I slept alot on the bus....as I was the last one to board and the bus was full, I got the front seat next to the driver....shiok, better leg room...

Quite fun along the way, we went for short walks into waterfall and bridge trails....stopped to do grocery shopping for lunch and also for ice-cream

Weather differs as we travel further...one moment it is very cool and the other moment very hot...I am so tan now...

Tonight we are stopping at Shuswap Lake but came here only about 8 pm...thankfully there were still some sunlight so was able to go see the lake and drop by a grocery store for dinner.

Waking up real early tomorrow to depart for Banff so good night everyone.

July 07 : Vancouver

Woke up real early today to catch the flight to Vancouver...and I mean real early...perhaps not as early as the one to Cambodia but well you know...anything before 10 am is early to me haha

Arrived at Vancouver ahead of schedule but got to go into the Canada Immigration to be sort of 'interrogated'. It was so ridiculous...asked me all sorts of funny questions and even call K to verify that what I told them was the truth...ended up there like 30 mins or so...

Questions like :

- How do you know this friend?
- Where is your home, who are you staying with, do you have siblings, are you single?
- Are you seeing anyone or seeing the friend who is living here?
- Why do you only come back here after so many years?
- How much money did you bring? Do you have a credit card? What is your credit limit?
- Etc, etc...

Oh pls, it is not as if I am going to smuggle myself in here...they are stricter than even US customs...according to K, people tend to get into US via Canada, why would they suspect I want to get into Canada via US when I have no problems getting US?

Anyway left the house at 11 am to go Canada Place, apparently not a new place but I have never been there...after that we had dim sum for lunch and head to Stanley Park, Cypress Mountain and Capilano...the entrance fee there is so ex now, even though it is still just one suspension bridge, duh...

Back at home now writing this blog and probably going to shower and take a nap haha...

Oh btw, no factory outlets here sob sob...

July 06 : Sausilito & Muir Woods

Want to know why I have no energy to write yesterday? We went to Sausilito, another coastal town, beautiful...it is definitely a place you can spend a slow afternoon in, driving coffee at a cafe...however the bad news was many attractions are closed on Mondays including the visitor centre...from there we drove up to Muir Woods...a redwood forest...so crowded but we took a hike, totally unprepared, me in my sandals and E in his walking boots, well yeah at least he was in a better status than me...we took at 2.8 km hike up to the top where you can see the whole forest and then took another probably 3 km down which took us some 3.5 hours to complete...it was very rewarding...after that we ate prime ribs without guilt...and my appetite was great...

And for the first time, I slept like 1 plus in the morning instead of 3 am...unfortunately it must be some good day in Singapore because I received 2 smses and 2 phone calls in the middle of the night...anyway because of that I slept in late and woke up like 9.30 am today....grab a bagel breakfast and went shopping, where else on the 4th July - Independence Day.....poor E, has to follow me around and guess what? All in all, I was at the shops for 5 hours and yeah I definitely bought back some good buys....I do indeed need a larger luggage..remind me...

Had a huge dinner tonight and after that we stopped by a grocery shop so that I can buy some snacks for my Rockies trip..something to munch on the bus....or call me itchy mouth...after that we returned to the house so that I can pack my luggage, did it in super quick timing and even managed to sew one of the button on one of my bermudas...then we rush off to the Fisherman's Wharf to catch the fireworks..of course....roads were so crowded with cars and people and not easy to find a parking lot....but we could see the fireworks from afar and as we go closer the fireworks died down and soon there were none but we could see some coming from Oakland and in fact on the drive back, we could see some in some neighbourhoods and even now as I am typing, I can hear some around the house...gotta wake up real early tomorrow...5 something to catch a 7 plus flight to Vancouver...hopefully K got my reminder to pick me up from the airport....and I am not sure how soon I can get online again as I will be on the road soon...

So see you when I see you

July 06 : Monterey and Carmel

E drove me to Monterey and Carmel today...what can I say? The place is beautiful, long drive but truly worth it...it is about 2.5 - 3 hours drive...passing through Stanford and San Jose....where you see the big IT companies by the road, they are companies like IBM, Microsoft, Sun Micro, Intel, etc and there are many more but you won't see it if you don't drive into San Jose.

What's so beautiful about Monterey you ask me? Beyond words but I will try my best...the town itself is a beach town, with a couple of wharfs called what else but Fisherman' Wharf and also one called the Municipal Wharf...where we stopped for lunch which is seafood and clam chowder of cos...

Monterey has a row of shops and restaurants called Cannery Row...good to take a slow stroll, stop for a cuppa at Starbucks, visit the Wax Museum and catch a glimpse of the coastal line.

From there, we drove up to the 17 mile drive, why is it called a 17 mile drive? It is basically a route that is 17 mile long, covering coastal areas and also the cypress lined roads, with 4-5 world class golf courses inside and lots of expensive houses. The most famous Pebble Beach Golf Course is right in the middle of the whole drive, if you are not sure why I am raving about this golf course, you are probably not someone who follows golf...this is where the US Open is held and where Tiger Woods will show his face and compete on this course that has holes near the coast, highly challenging especially when the wind is strong.

After the 17 mile drive, we drove by Carmel to get onto the Highway back to San Franscisco, which is actually a row of shops and some quaint cottages.

Had dinner back in the city and went to see the Golden Gate Bridge up close and personal, right at the foot of the bridge in fact. Then we made our way to Twin Peaks to see a 180 degree night view of the city, it is the highest point in San Franscisco and truth of the matter is, pls come fully prepared for the strong winds and therefore cold at this observation peak.

Going Sausilito tomorrow by ferry...first taste for ferry ride in San Francisco, if I can take it, I probably has no problem with my ferry ride to Alcatraz in a couple weeks time....

July 06 : Napa Valley

My 2nd trip to San Francisco...and I am not sick of it...in fact, in September 08 I went there again and now 4 months later, I still have the urge to go again. Just so you know, some links in this entry may not work.

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Halo, wassup with everyone back home? Seems like I have a feeling that I haven't been writing much these few days but boy oh boy, it has been a activities packed 48 hours for me...

Travelling over 4 different countries from Cambodia - Singapore - Hong Kong - United States..putting up with crazy passenger sitting next to me on plane, thank goodness she alighted at Hong Kong which gives me peace and space to sleep on the plane and guess what? First time ever that I managed to sleep long and well on the plane...

Arrived in SF and was picked up by E, we drove to see his new place in Oakland...work in progress....then drove to meet his fren for a drink...went to bed like 2 am and toss and turn and doesn't know what time I finally fell asleep but only know I woke up when my alarm rang.

Drove to Napa Valley this morning...super duper hot weather up there if you ask me...2 extremes in SF and in Napa...one cold and windy, the other dry and hot. Winery hopped 6-8 of them and drank so much wines, again first time ever in my whole life that I had so many drinks in one day...

Wineries are interesting, some are very classy, some very commercialised, some very hi-tech...each has their own differences and uniqueness. There is one with cable car access and another one is own by the director Fancis Coppola...some of those staff working in the winery are very friendly and approachable, bought a bottle of Gamay and it taste fruity and like fruit punch...yummy...

On the way to Napa, E played a song in his car, great song..good for long road trips, simple lyrics but meaningful and good melody. Found the video for the song on Yahoo Music so I am going to share it with all of you. The song is Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, click here for the video or here for the other version (my preferred version). Hope it works and you guys like it too. Surprisingly there was once when I clicked the fast forward button after the end of the video, it replayed with clips from Grey's Anatomy...double happiness for GA fans...umm yep I mean myself...I have never seen some of the scenes that were in the video clip though so it was good catch up..

Booked my Alcatraz and Angel Island tour as well and checked on the flight schedules from SF to Atlanta...to visit M and harrass him for a week...so bro, don't say I don't visit you, this may be the one in a lifetime opportunity for both of us

So while you guys are looking forward to another work week tomorrow, I am going to get myself ready for bed ...another long day tomorrow...going to Monterey and Carmel...will get to see the fabulous Pebble Beach Golf Course.

Cheerios

June 2006 : Siem Reap

The first trip I took after walking out of my job in H.

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If I were to say Angkor Wat is fantastic, fabulous, wonderful, will I sound like someone you know?

Frankly, it was an eye opener...the place is huge and in my mind, I always thought it was a ruin but surprise surprise...it stands perfectly well, maintained well though I won't say in pristine condition...but most of the carvings on the walls are still in good condition...

You will also notice that there are some chunks taken out of the walls...apparently some foreign tourists cut it out and pilifer the gems inside...who's to know, this is like Taj Mahal??

I had a good tour guide, can speak relatively good English and was able to tell me stories about the carvings on the walls, helpful and good mannered, a friendly tuk tuk driver who wanted to give me some cute pictures and ringtones that was in his handphone (yeah don't be surprised, most people here do have handphones) and perfect weather (at least it didn't start to rain until I finished the whole tour) so I count myself truly blessed...

By cramming everything in one day, saves one some $$$$. USD 15 for the driver, US 20 for the 1 day temple pass and USD 25 for the tour guide (Tipping excluded of cos). Temple pass grant you access to all temples from opening till the closing of the temples...remember though if you want to save the pass as a souvenir, you might want to snap a photo of it first as the guards at each temple may snip a corner off here, tear it away there, punch a hole somewhere, you don't end up with a complete pass by the end of the day.

If you are thinking whether cramming all the main temples visit into one day is too rush, my advise to you is no, unless you are travelling in a big group where the rest may hold up the group but I finished everything by about 2 pm and that included taking time out for lunch.

Food's not cheap in case everyone is wondering...a Coke can set you back USD 1 and in some restaurants USD 2, a bowl of noodle soup cost you USD 3 and a packet of potato chips USD 1.50 cheapest...so if you are thinking of spending little here, you can try eating at the road side stall which my friend mentioned can set you back only USD 1 but hey I wouldn't want to risk getting stomach upset...besides the food served in my hotel are simply delicious, fresh and satisfying so why take the risk?

Worth a visit definitely but I don't think one needs to stay beyond 4 days for Siem Reap!!

Moving my butt

Going to start the migration now, but bear in mind these are my old posts from MSN and therefore timewise, they are oldddddd.

Migrating Blogs

Just as birds need to migrate, so do blogs haha...so hold your horses while I migrate my old posts from another location to this