A Lil Update

The past week quite been a stressful event for me.

For once I am so gungho for the KL run but backed out at the last minute.
Why? Not because I chicken out but I had on off fever for the last 3 days before the run.
Why? Not because of flu or cough or sore throat.
Why? It's all because I ate too much!!
Yes. I didnt realise I could have fever because I ate too much.
Apparently, my stomach couldnt take the amount of fried and spicy food that I ate in the pasar malam and I didnt even know that. That was not the worst part. The worst was, I went to see a doctor asking him why am I having this on off fever and he prescribed me normal antibiotics. Then everytime I ate some food and the medicine, I realised I will have fever but if I stopped eating, my temperature is back to normal. Didnt know that until I stopped the medicine and I am back to normal. So, moral of the story.. dont over eat!

But on a happy note, I am finally finished with the paint job at my new home. It looks so pretty now and reno works gonna start this week. I still have little things to stress over such as where the hell to get a 12 feet curtain railing for my room but things are beginning to fall in place.

On a happy happy note, finally had the salary revision.

In Rome

Just a short upload on a video taken by my brother when we were holidaying in Rome, a city I wanted to go back again one day but with my love one.

A surprise at the end of the video!

17 Countries 5 Continents

Yes, I did travel to that many countries in 1 year while I was in UK doing my masters. Decided to dedicate this entry to exactly which countries I had been during that time and mine you, this do not include transit. It's in order of the country I visited first.

1. UK

2. USA (Miami, Florida & Chicago)

3. Sweden (Stockholm)

4. Poland

5. Denmark

6. France (Nice, Cannes & Avignon)

7. Monaco

8. Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Segovia, Toledo, Valencia, Seville, Granada, Cordoba)

9. Portugal (Lisbon & Sintra)

10. Swiss (Geneva, Lucerne, Basel, Interlaken)

11. Egypt

12. Jordan

13. Greece (Santorini, Athens)

14. Turkey (Kusadasi, Pamukalle & Istanbul)

15. Romania (Transylvania, Bucharest, Sinaia)

16. Hungary

17. Peru

18. Iceland

Yea..it's 18 countries altogether if you include UK & Scotland. And yes, it's possible because I practically travel every weekend when I was there since flight was relatively cheap.

London Most Famous

the famous London Underground

Gonna be a short entry on some of the sights and sounds when I was in London recently visiting a friend after my business trip in New York. I have been to London numerous times but seeing London again from the eye of a tourist indeed bring out some surprises. But my all time favourite of London landmark would be the Tower Bridge since I love bridges! That will be in another dedicated entry.

Picaddily Square which reminds me of Trevi fountain in Rome


the famous red bus (L) and St Paul cathedral (R)

Yang Ming Shan National Park @ Taipei, Taiwan

the pink cherries against the green

I was being told by a friend that Yangmingshan 陽明山國家公園 is a must especially during the cherry blossom season in March. Since we were there during the spring season, we made a day trip from XiMenDing. To get to the national park, one can take the bus no 260 across exit 3 of XiMen MRT station which cost roughly around NTD 30. The journey is about an hour plus. What we didnt expect that it would be extremely cold to hike those trails in the park as the temperature dropped until around the tens.

So instead of walking around the park, we just walked till the place where there's plenty of cherry blossoms. It was quite a sight to see such beautiful scenary although I wished it could be warmer but then if it was warmer, I guess the cherry will die faster..haha

bonzai (L) and lonely bench (R)








capturing the reflection

Anyway, we spend just a few hours walking around and then headed to Beitou from the park.

Emo

Yup, that's exactly how I feel these days and it's not even about work. The process of buying a non moveable asset was stressful but still manageable. However the process of renovating, buying lights, getting your kitchen sink, electrical stuff and most important getting the electricity and water connected are making me hitting an all time high of stress and tension not to mention I had to drive all the way to Wangsa Maju to get my electricity reconnected and now I have to drive all the way to Gombak not once but at least twice to get my water sorted out. It may sound trivia to some but trust me when you are being told that it takes 3 days to check my plumbing after driving more than half an hour to Syabas and then only pay the deposit and then another 3 days to fix the meter, seriously I am getting a bit emo!

And the top things off, I need *repeat* desperately need to shift in before the Hungry Ghost festival or I need to wait a month before I could shift in as the whole of seventh month in the Chinese calendar is a big no no for moving. Sigh....and guess what, my reno work and paint work cant start without water...double sigh

Stairway to Heaven at Sun Moon Lake (Wen Wu Temple)

windchimes along the stairway

Wen Wu temple 文武廟 , a very famous Confucious temple located at the bank of Sun Moon Lake whereby it's a must see attraction if you ever in Sun Moon Lake. The temple is famous for it's stairs which have a total of 366 steps from the bank which symbolises 366 days in a year. That's where the name of stairway to Heaven gotten from.

At first when we climbed the steps, we were not aware of the dates engraved on the steps. Only when we reached the top did we know about the dates and thus I went back down to snap my birth date. Thank God I was born almost towards the end of the year. We walked to the temple from the Bamboo Garden even though we bought the round the lake bus ticket as we waited too long for the bus. As with Murphy Law, once we started walking, the bus came and even honk us as though he is laughing at us..sigh...it's about 3km walk to the temple. Not advisable under the scorching hot sun!

the long way up


my birthdate & feet

Somehow the walk was worthwhile as the scenary was breathtaking along the lake. Windchimes are hanged along the stairs which signify blessings. Taken from a website:

"Visitors first go to Wunwu Temple and buy wind chimes for their specific animal of the Chinese zodiac, and then have the chimes passed through incense smoke by temple workers. Then the visitors write their names and the contents of their wishes, and go to the top of the Year of Steps to ring the chimes, and finally go down the steps and hang the chimes beside those steps that represent their birthdays, symbolizing the completion of their efforts."

more windchimes


blessings upon the wind


inside the temple


trying my fortune


view from the roof




the carvings




the entrance