perspective + perception

a week before gong xi gong xi

2012-01-29T00:03:00.000-08:00

busy running around here and there

#1 Yam cha session with uni mates, and minghann played with siri and camera... so you get a spot here..lol!

#2 Ramen cravings with japanese class mates. @ Marutama Ramen.
While waiting for my friends, i had my ramen, then came this uncle..who ordered a lot all by himself and when he sees me alone, offered me half of the dumplings... lol! arigatou!

#3 Met up with Len Foong @ KLCC! :D
this girl is back for CNY and we talk talk talk.... must save for my RUSSIA trip!!! she brought presents for me! hehe! xie xie!

#4 :) nerdy me as usual... zzzz

#5 SUPER CUTE HELLO KITTY CALCULATER.WHERE DID THIS LADY GET IT??? @ maybank klcc...

#6 @ ben's for friday lunch! yaay!

#7 sometimes........ :p

#8 silly face 1 2 3 4! bleh!

#9 nice face 1 2 3 4. hahahah!

#10. Snoopy is here at KLCC! i have tried the singapore one.

why iphone camera no TIMER?

i have so much to tell about my chinese new year... !! and about the super rich friend's friend house! omgzzz

love love!
happy birthday everybody!

Diane

If I....

2012-01-17T03:24:00.000-08:00

Dear firefly,

Can you not play the song "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry before take off, during flight or after landing?

Because I don't want to die young.. Really don't! Even if the song is really sedap!

Thank you.

Sincerely,
D

coca

2012-01-15T04:34:00.000-08:00

It was a hectic week! Im all into work and getting beauty sleep! :)

#1. Current read. have a coke life!

#2 the drink that keep me going everyday.

#3 Lovely little flower from IKEA.

I need more calories to run around level 22!! and it's just january, why are their schedules packed until december? talking about planning....

love =)
Diane

note to self: new year resolution; continue to blog more.!! looks like some KPI dropping here!!

My wildest dream (1)

2012-01-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

What is yours?

Mine shall be reveled soon!

Hint: high and up above! ;)

Loveeee
Diane

Snap shots

2012-01-06T01:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some cutesy with my new phone!

#1 Christmas present from bluefriend. NANO BLOCK! nano size lego!

#2 pink! I didn't buy it! Thanks to my Ah Yee! :)

#3 I have fond love for this city. No i have not been there. :)

#4 peace yo! READ this people!

#5 the dragon is coming! *i need a pair of sunglasses*

#6 friday night.

What is the best singing computer?

answer: aDELL

=)

2011 - a note

2011-12-31T06:16:00.000-08:00

So here I am, at the end of 2011, it's just 2 hours away.. It has been a challenging year, roller coaster most of the time..but looking back now, it was a journey worth the walk. I took out my John Goddard list, and to my surprise, I did achieved some of those things which I didn't even remember writing down in the first place! See dolphins...ya, I did! More to come and I love this list and my subconscious sourcing power! Hee! A year that taught me about giving and loving; giving up and hatred. A year where I explore this side of the world a little, reliaze the difference we all had in our culture and beliefs. A year that challenged my thoughts and put me straight up at the front line of adulthood and being matured in handling life issues. Couldn't be more appreciative for my family and friends, and God. All glory to you. As I open another new chapter, I'm bidding farewell to 2011 with a grateful heart. And a new phone! ;) happy 2012!

Soon & Ching

2011-12-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

3rd Dec 2011
Holiday Villa
Kiat Soon & Ching Ching's garden wedding.

I think the setting is really simple and nice! A lovely wedding reception.

the people at the reception.

he is super star wannabe. HAHA!

now, the bride and groom!

with Jun.

LP121

Here's a super lovely pic of the group!

Congratulations Ching Ching!
Party continues tonight!

lots of love,
Diane

梦

2011-12-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

我对追梦的人都有一种说不出的佩服与尊敬。。。

很感动啊。。。

Optimus Prime.

2011-12-01T00:51:00.000-08:00

TRANSFORMERS - THE RIDE!

AHHHHHHHH!
it felt so good to scream!! :D

World Premiere in Universal Studio Singapore on 3rd December!

BESTNYA!

loveeee

A

2011-11-30T07:25:00.000-08:00

LEAP of FAITH

job-s

2011-11-17T00:03:00.000-08:00

starting afresh.

him

my new bedtime story. :) as thick as a dictionary.
just to mark this date down.

:)
Diane

lets jump!

2011-11-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

lalala!

1 2 3! why you no jump?

fun! fun! fun!

holidays are always nice. especially it's on a Monday!

xoxo

五颜六色

2011-11-03T00:52:00.000-07:00

lovely group pic @ sekinchan 231011

不断提醒自己，生活是可以很灿烂的。

要自己创造一个色彩缤纷的世界。

♥

玲

wedding bells for WY

2011-11-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

test test!

after waiting for nearly a year...
after months of preparations...

this weekend, i shall see you in your perfect wedding gown!

love!

Diane

octobercelebs! #1

2011-10-30T23:41:00.000-07:00

So for October celebration dinner, we had it at Hanazen; Jaya One. Yummy jap food and a convenient location!

One of the must eat; Kani Salad. (crab salad) delicioussssssss!

Moon brought along her princess! Sze Qin..

before

after. haha soundly asleep!

Happy birthday to Janet and Matt!

Black Forrest Cake by A Slice of Heaven by Just Heavenly. bought in Jaya One. contain liquor! Good one!

All of us! :p

I love LP121's celebration! always fun and noisy!
Lets see what November celebration will be!

love
Diane

octobercelebs! (prev)

2011-10-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

We went to a place with green paddy fields.

and celebrated october babies' birthday in a japanese restaurant later that night!

so fun! can't wait for next month's celebration!
:)

Diane

ah matt!

2011-10-14T00:16:00.000-07:00

This one for you ah matt! =)

loveeeeeeeeeee!!

Diane

nothing beats home

2011-10-11T01:04:00.000-07:00

i have finally finished reading the book that was given to me as a gift.
Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father.

I actually read more when i travel, precisely, traveling alone. It's the best time to settle down my thoughts and put all in my reading.

i have many thoughts after reading this book, i find myself somewhat know who this president of america is. the struggles of the black people in America.. even the white people too! he put it in a way that is honest and humble.
and i couldnt stop myself from thinking about what is it like here in Malaysia. In fact, we too, have our struggles, maybe i'm just in search of acceptance, that we are all Malaysians.

i was with my ahma the other day and i started asking her some questions..

me: 阿嫲！你是在哪里出生的？
(ahma, where were you born?)

阿嫲：我就在这里啊！Senai 啊！
(i was born here! in Senai (Johor))

me: 你的妈妈呢？太婆?
(how about your mother? great grandmother)

阿嫲: 也是这里啊。。
(also here...)

me: 你有没有去过中国？去客家村？
(did you ever been to China. to Hakka village? (she is Hakka) )

阿嫲: 没有啦！我在这里出生的！我们在那里没认识人。。全部都在这里。。阿公的爸爸妈妈就是在广西来的。。
(no! I was born here. We dont have anyone there, all is here. Ahgong's parents were from GuangXi china.)

me: 哦哦。。
(oo..)

she moved on to tell me stories of her childhood, and the struggles that they faced during the japanese occuption... how they hit underground and paid bribe to the communist gang..

i remembered ahpoh used to tell me those stories too! how they have only potatoes for food to eat.

it was a precious conversation. now that i only have her with me. :)

after all, it has been so many years and i'm born here in this land. There will be real change SOON! i believe so!

ending this with a meaningful song that i like. HERE

for the love to my country and the people!

:)
Diane

a dream house

2011-10-04T00:37:00.000-07:00

sooooooo!
i know i have been slacking; sleeps till 10-11ish in the morning, brunch, check out the web, read a book, watch tv, dinner, msn and sleep. every now and then, japanese class. :)
but, it's really niceeeee!

as promised earlier.. well months back! i want to blog about michelle's house!

after the meet up at curve, we head to her house in Country Heights Damansara.

us @ curve

the whole neighborhood is awesome! is quiet (up the hill), huge space, and all the owners had their houses designed to their dream. very unique!

and then we were wow-ed by mich's house! :) :)

best features that i love most in the house:
1) infinity pool.
2) LIFT! haha
3) walk in bathroom in master bed room!

this house is her dad's dream. built to his design. as well as her mom's!

i love it as it really feels warm; owners put their personal touch in each corner.

pool!

fish pond and indoor area to hang out!

erm haha!

infinity pool with a floating boat!

i am happy!
unfortunately, couldn't spend more time with mich... take care darling!! till next year~

and so inspired to build my own dream house.
not too big :) one day! haha

love
Diane

celebration @ Penang (I)

2011-09-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Penang island; Butterworth

So makan-makan sessions took place before Sam's wedding dinner and the next day after dinner!
Our main purpose to Penang is to attend wedding.. but nevertheless, food is very important too!

Woke up rather late.. and went to airport to pick up Sylvie before we go for lunch!
First time to penang for Sylvie, of course must do some sight seeing!

For this time, Matt is our super guide! :)

Lunch:

1) Lobak. Delicious! dip with the sauce.. yum yum~

2) Kuey Teow Soup. (Kuey Teow Teng). this one is with duck meat. very yummy soup! i loveeee it!

3) Char Kuey Teow. Penang famous, must eat. lol!

4) Duck meat with dont-ask-just-eat. haha! those little things are duck intestines. (?) It's kinda crunchy! haha nice!

happy face; jon jon!

all clean = yummyyyy!

***

The next day after the wedding, left a few of us stayed back in butterworth. So we decided to go for our final round of makan-makan before heading back to KL.

here we go~ with the guide from locals. :)
*need to have big tummy!*

breakfast:

1) my portion: Kuey Teow Teng + Milo.
why is penang's kuey teow so much more delicious than kl? it's just pure kuey teow! slurp~

2) Sylvie's: Penang's Prawn Mee + Milo.

3) Yusie's: Dried Prawn Mee. :)

Eat eat eat.. :p

Then... next round! straight to eat Curry Mee!
A famous stall in butterworth. Same kongsi with the one in penang island.

Penang's Curry Mee. Awesome! (shared with sylvie...)

delicious soup. pig's blood like jelly!

happy faces! chiam;jon;sam.

the shop's name. :)

we then chilled at apartment for awhile before heading for LUNCH.
yes.. plenty of spaces in my tummy for lunch! haha

head out of town to a place.... i forgot the name.... to this restaurant... :)

separating the si ham-s. :)

lets see what we have for lunch...
1) teow chew fried noodles.

gone in awhile!

hahaha! who says we are full?? :p

it's really nice!

2) this...sea creature is called.. ???

and this is how you eat it.. using a toothpick!

and dip in some special sweet and spicy sauce.

3) Freshly steamed prawns! very long never tasted fresh prawns. :)

4) shell creatures. Bigger than lala. i'm really bad at names... :(

5) yummy soft shell crabs! cooked with generous amount of salted egg yolk!

6) veg and beehoon too!

so before we leave... a big thank you to the hosts!

matt, JJ & wife. GLPs!

Chiam & Sam!

End of food trip with lots of memories!
Thank you to all penang lang-s!

i still have lots to show about PENANG!
stay tuned.

Love
Diane

p/s: quek quek, this is for you! :) hehehe

傻

2011-09-29T04:18:00.000-07:00

傻傻的。。。
我又剪了一头短发。。。

^.^
rm5

迷 (ii)

2011-09-28T00:14:00.000-07:00

哦!

原来你是猫！

猫先生，你好！

傻傻！

玲

p/s: chiam's cat in his car. :)

谜

2011-09-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

我把你拿上来。。。

左看看，右看看。。。你是什么呢？

last weekend...

2011-09-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

was at Penang last weekend.

Penang is all about...

1) Historical site & Love!

2) Celebration & LP121.

3) last but not least... good food!

hahaha!

stay tuned for penang!

love
Diane

sing along!

2011-09-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

sometimes, just a couple of good songs can make a difference!
things will be fine.

1)

2)

*dance*

love
Diane

post cards love

2011-09-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

i know i'm very loved by people around me...

they showed by sending me post cards...

hand drew post card by Qheng frm Sarawak! so cantik!!!

italy added to my collection~~

italy...

stamps are very nice too!

mom said collection is going up the ceiling soon! hahahha
i need another post card wall?

love
Diane

yoga 2

2011-09-13T05:45:00.000-07:00

so only after a year of practicing yoga, i finally can do a head stand preparation.. just preparation...

something like this.. =)
but i can't hold for long! NEED TO FOCUS baby!

credits: google

in the near future, i can show you full head stand.. hand stand, shoulder stands etc..

near future hopefully. hahaha

yes, i'm so bored i note down my yoga progress.

lalalal~

xx
Diane

fly free

2011-09-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

fly high..

it's my dream..

but, somehow..

i wonder..

how can they fly high indoor?

NTU grad

2011-09-09T04:25:00.000-07:00

28th July 2011
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

The day Miss Tammy Lim wore her mortar board and robe. Proud!

BSc in Chemistry & Biochemistry.

.
i love to attend graduations of my friends. somehow i feel very touched to see their parents feeling so proud of their son / daughter, it's in their eyes. just like my mom and dad on my graduation day! a great milestone indeed!

so with tammy around, it's all the fun! She always find fun in life.
avacardo juice, daiso shopping, even taking taxi can be hilarious!

thank you tammy! although it's just a few hours of hanging around with you & family!

love
Diane

小情歌

2011-09-02T00:50:00.001-07:00

原来离别那么难...

=(

tripod

2011-09-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

5th weekend

here's something i noticed while looking at 5th weekend photos...

do you notice anything? hmmm....

then in the next couple of photos, i see myself..

and MATT!

did you see what i saw? hahahahha! the similarity! so cute la!

Thanks to zang yi for this 3 photos! so cantik!

x
Diane

japanese food hearts

2011-08-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

favourite food. comfort food. celebration food.
happy days!

1) Santouka Hokkaido Ramen @ Tokyo Street Pavilion.
my first serving after it's grand opening! to celebrate a successful examination! :)
they have a few selections of Ramen: Shio, Shouyu, Miso, Spicy. etc. come in different sizes - small, regular, large. :) Small RM22.50 / bowl.

kitchen.

Shouyu Ramen. Small. the soup is full of flavour!

my Miso Ramen. Small. Not bad! but i prefer Shouyu Ramen. haha!

happy face!

the queue after we have finished! it was a good day because when we reached there, there isn't any queue!

I love this place. give me more money! :D

2) COCO-TEI @ Jalan Delima.
hmm... i didn't get to try Hajime before this, so not going to let Coco Tei go! According to review, one of the top Japanese Food in town.
here's why.

menu.

ambience

delicious cawamushi. comes with the set dinner i ordered.

Cocotei's ladies set. :) a little of everything. very nicely done. Sashimi is THICK and FRESH. very yummy!! wasabi also yummy!

Bento! see the thickness of the sashimi........

home made green tea ice cream + vanila ice cream. i love the green tea ice cream!

happy face!

3) Santouka Ramen 2nd serving.
this time had dinner with Jap class classmates and sensei! :)

desserts. Mochi Sweets! Thanks to Alan!

Uuuuuuu~

the flavours!

pork cheek.

Jeffrey's dinner. Shio Ramen + tender pork cheek. Signature dish.

Shouyu Ramen. yum~~


Sakura Mochi! inside filled with ICE CREAM! amazing!!

classmates + Hara Sensei (2nd from the left)

4) And at Tokyo Street, you can find Ocha Do!
So good! I will remind them for less ice next visit!

Ochado Roasted Milk Tea + pop eggs!

Pop eggs is a seasonal thing. this thing is amazing! it pops in your mouth and tea comes out! lol! :p

yummy japanese food. i like!

what's your favourite food?

xx
Diane

the summer meet up

2011-08-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

the meet ups!

it's time of the year again when my darlings (since college time) are back for summer holidays!
but they always come back and go at a different time... so both LenFoong and Michelle didn't get to meet each other. And i'm the blessed one that can get to meet both of them! heee!

so just love them and have to just bring gin along! to pass the test. :p

At Zanmai Fahrenheit 88. 7th July 2011.

At Gelare E-curve. 27th August 2011.

:) so happy lah!
and i have to do another blog for the time we spent after Gelare at Michelle's new home! so amazing!

next time! haha! Lenfoong, see Michelle's summer new look here. Michelle, see Lenfoong new hair style here!
oops~ i'm the one with the auntie hairstyle. hehehehhee!

love
Diane

mid year food for soul

2011-08-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

FOOD.
it has been very long since i share the yummy food in town. seriously, kl rocks.

okay.. less words, more food. enjoy!

1) The Daily Grind @ Bangsar Village I.
May 14th. Had a small catch up with a few of LP121 gang there. portion is big, that's why the price. :p
it was a while back, sorry i couldnt remember the names..

huge burger.

another huge burger!

my salad. yummy!

2) The Pink Sage,Solaris Dutamas.
a quiet place to hang out. lovely breakfast!

Salmon omelette. just nice for brunch!

Stacked breakfast. Signature breakfast for them. :)

3) to n) ...

fish head noodles at Kg Kasipillay! hidden gem.

super addictive chocolate from switzerland. :p

big apple donut for supper. :)

Gelare waffle ice cream for supper. chocolate.

Gelare waffle ice cream for supper. i think this is macadamia nut ice cream~.

Soong Kee beef ball noodles @ KL for dinner.

morning teh halia warms the tummy!

for a bite. loveeeeee!

Hilton buffet breakfast for the day! double the love!

more to come actually!
not for the weak tummy! haha

love
Diane

love from abroad

2011-08-28T01:56:00.000-07:00

happy moment is when there's a letter for me!

happy moment times 4 in a month! (all from the same person! haha!)

beautiful paris

Awesome Switzerland.

romantic night views of London. biggest post card i have ever got! nearly an A4 size!

happy place on earth!! DISNEYLAND! sooo happie~

so cute i think Sylvie can't resist, so she bought it for me. hehehehe! thankssssssss! muah!

if you are wondering where i keep these lovely notes from abroad...

wall of LOVE!

FOOD post is next.
go eat before reading!

xoxox
Diane.

what's next?

2011-08-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

So now, end of a big portion of travelogue... what's next?
browsing through my photo files, i realized i haven't been blogging about the 'current' issues. hahaha!

so, what say you?
FOOD?
EVENTS?
RANDOM LITTLE THINGS?
SINGAPORE TRIP?
FOOD?
or
MORE FOOD?

hahahhaha!

Till you see the photos!

xoxo
Diane

Taiwan; Heart Warming (12)

2011-08-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

Summary of my Taipei, Taiwan Trip.

Taipei. cute backdrop!

Prologue

Day 1: Shih Lin Night Market, Taiwanese Style 'eat all you can' dinner.

Day 2: National Museum 故宫, K-Mall at Taipei Main, Martyr's Shrine 忠烈祠, Dan Shui Fisherman's Wharf.

Day 3: 九份 Jiu Fen half day trip, Wu Fen Pu 五分埔.

Day 4: Hua Lian, Whale watching trip and town.

Day 5; Part 1; Part 2: Taroko National Park, chi sing tan 七星潭 , night market.

Day 6: Taipei 101.

Day 7: Long Shan temple 龙山寺, Graduation, Shi Ta Night Market 師大夜市.

Day 8:Taipei Zoo, Xi Men Ding.

Day 9: Xi Men Ding breakfast.

Hostel that i stayed: 不瓜的窩 Bu Gua. 绿宿 Green Hostel.
Transportation in Taipei is very convenient, just refer to Taipei MRT, if not, just ask around! :)

The hustle and bustle of the city, crowd at the night market, beauty of the nature that is well reserved, the untouched, the old and magnificent, the lights of this city during night view at one of the world's tallest building, the auntie that serves, the family that has great hospitality, all these plus the people we met along the way, makes a difference in Taipei. And for that, it's very heart warming! A journey that i will remember, because Taiwan, touched my heart!

For those who are planning for a trip there, feel free to take it as a reference, most importantly, explore with a big heart, you will be amazed!

love
Diane

burfday!

2011-08-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

it's the time of the year again, where i celebrate the special occasion of my greatest buddy in life.

here's something additional for you, Quek!

"我们同时拥有一个真心的朋友, 要日出日落, 因为有梦, 所以更认真生活."

Happy birthday!

May God showered you with all the wonderful things, give you peace in heart and joy in life!

Love,

Diane

girly thoughts

2011-08-18T01:55:00.000-07:00

i think i'm a lost soul.
everyday, being thrown BIG questions in life.

making decisions in life (that somehow affects my life / others) has been the greatest learning.

bah!

to LP121

2011-08-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

LP121 - 5th Weekend
4th - 5th June 2011
Suria Hills, Janda Baik.

从♥ 延梦，续拼蓝图。

Relive our dreams. Assemble our blueprint.

with love,
Diane

Taiwan; Heart Warming (11)

2011-08-13T02:35:00.000-07:00

Day 9, Tuesday
24th May 2011
XiMenDing, Taipei, Tao Yuan Airport.

Woke up a little early, head to XiMenDing to find breakfast.
Ximending is very quiet in the morning. Just a few shops opened in the morning..

We couldn't find something to eat... until we stumble upon this....

Yong He Soya.

Mavis told me there's one Yong He in Ximending and i should try it out. the locals way of breakfast!

best sellers.

we ordered number 1 and number 5. plus soya bean.
it was indeed yummy!!

ahpui's last cup of bubble tea in taipei this time.. haha we'll be back, right?

number 5 - Man Tou burger.

Number 1. Super yummy la! like da chang bao xiao chang. the ingredient inside is different.. but omg.. i want MORE!

we lazed around... watched tv and called the cab.. he is kind enough to help us take our heavy luggage from 5th floor to G floor... both luggage at one go! *thank u uncle!*

we were worried that our bags will be overweight..due to those excessive *ehem* buying.. but it turns out that they're NOT! weeee! less than 35kg.

hello kitty says GOOD BYE! going somewhere else~

bye taipei

this is why Taiwan - Heart Warming... they waved at us.. and we waved back... :)

Sun set.

That's the end of my heart warming trip!
summary and thoughts up soon!

Running late..

Have fun!

Love
Diane

Taiwan; Heart Warming (10)

2011-08-07T05:58:00.000-07:00

Day 8, Monday
23rd May 2011
Taipei Zoo, Taipei Main Station, XiMenDing.

it wasn't a sunny morning.
had breakfast at a coffee shop otw out from hostel.

pancake. but Shih Lin's one is better...!

then for the love that we've prepared!
post office is just across the road. too convenient lah!

flying home!

then we head to the Taipei Zoo. must see the must sees!
it started drizzling when we step out of the mrt.... :(

tickets. with be friend's card!

we didn't see much. it was a really big zoo. just the important ones!

greeted by flamingo! first thing we saw!

no. 2. Koala bear! one lonely kid here....

now the must see!
Panda!
there's 2 here in Taipei Zoo. 团团 (tuan tuan) and 圆圆 (yuan yuan)

Tuan Tuan.

sex and birth date.

it was just so active.. turning round and round and round. occasionally rubbing it's bum bum. lol!

on the other side... it's partner. Yuan Yuan. female.

sleeping. didn't wake up the whole hour we were there waiting for the rain to stop... lazy bum!

4th thing we head for is the Penguins.

Still was raining! argh... head back to taipei main station and walked around there...
about tea time we met up with Qian and gang for food. (:

when they head back to do assignments, we said good bye. not seeing them until they are back home to Malaysia!

so two of us went to xi men ding and spent our last dollars. see ahpui. (:

so happy!!

and we found this famous food. Ah Chong Mian Xian.

people. took back hostel.

i was impressed. very good!! must try!

my only hello kitty collection. lol!

and ta-da!

shhhhh!

we enjoyed our last night in Taipei. deep in the hustle and bustle of Xi Men Ding.
the sales girls / aunties that are friendly to us...
(: surely will miss this place.

morning before took off, soon to come.
and a summary for easy reference + recommendations.

Keep reading.

Cheers,
Diane

SLK

2011-08-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

my slk was sick the previous week.

diagnosis: fever. high fever.

meter: C to H.
heart was racing.

so sent to the slk clinic and now she is all well again! weeeeee!

now, i have air con! so cold~

lets go racing. 90km/hr!!

love,
diane

p/s: money can earn back, but i can't buy back the same slk. same goes to human. i love my slk!

p/s2: still kena bully though! >.< some people just don't like to give signal and think they own that whole damn road!

journaling

2011-08-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

♥

my blog.

heeeeeeeeee! :)

there're just too much thoughts and gratefulness that i feel every time i read back my posts. life has been great to me after doing the final equation. and i'm glad i wrote them down, here.

thank you for reading! the anonymous and the loyal!

(:

Diane.

p/s: yes, sometimes i do feel hungry reading those food posts. i fall for it too! lol!

Taiwan; Heart Warming (9)

2011-07-31T05:42:00.000-07:00

Day 7, Sunday
22nd May 2011
XiMenDing, ShiLin, 台北台电大楼站.

it's a lovely Sunday morning! we woke up rather late, and walk to xi men ding hot spot for McD breakfast.
of course must try mcD in taiwan lah! (not halal)

we had pork burger.

pork sausage mcmuffin.

kinda similar to Hong Kong / Macau's one. all good!

then we chill around and went to Long Shan temple. 龙山寺。

grand entrance

hot la. lol eyes can't open!

must go inside and see the amazing architecture!

this area is mainly for the older generations, i'm very amazed with the architecture inside this temple. it's HUGE. and people giving thanks to different God for the blessings they received. very busy temple on a sunday morning!

**

We both then head to Shi Lin. Meet up with the girls and we all head to their uni for some photo taking session!

Long story cut short, we didn't manage to attend the convo, so we do this photography session earlier! Qian's friend from HK joined us too! just at one of the park in their university!

personal fav! (:

heeee

group photo with tripod.

Polaroid.

they are the proud graduates from Ming Chuan. Congrats!

we took hundreds of photos there. crazy funny poses. laughed so hard and glad that it's Sunday. no one around to ask us to mind our manners.. hahah!

Lunch time! Qian brought us to a simple shop in Shi Lin. for home cooked food. they called it bian dang. 便当.

menu.

i think this is item 2.fried chicken rice.

pepper beef rice.

this cafe, drinks are free. tea / milk tea etc.
and rice is unlimited. you can eat all you can. therefore it's popular among teenagers and workers. (:

we had free time before going to another night market. So we thought of heading to Miramar.with it's huge ferris wheel, it's a local attraction.
to my disappointment, weather wasn't sunny, no blue sky. :( so photos aren't as great as i wished to be. and we weren't planning to go back for night view.

huge. gloomy.

shopped awhile and head back to meet the girls.

next destination: 師大夜市 Shi Ta Night Market. Stop at 台北台电大楼站.

yam ball with salted egg yolk. NICE! from shi lin.

dinner at a korean restaurant! not bad as people were queuing up!! squeezed ourselves for a table and finished our delicious dinner.

korean pan cake.

ginseng soup.

kimchi soup! yum!

it's kinda our last night market to shop. i spent a lot there. it's a great place. (besides the on and off rainy weather that make me wet!) mostly korean / jap styles clothing and accessories.

If you can find, easily see a puzzle shop. amazing stuff inside like i love everything inside can? especially jimmy's collections of puzzles! Sylvie & Quek, if only i have lots of money, i will buy many many for you all!

and opposite the night market, See Yee brought me to this quaint little book shop. the owner is an uncle, very witty professor look.
he sells his book giving price by mouth, not by the price tag. and he assures you that this is the cheapest you can EVER get. if not, 2 tickets to malaysia for free from him! lol!
he keeps promoting this Kyoto book to me, sigh... if only i have more cash... :( he said it's the greatest book ever. and everyone in their life time, must go to Kyoto at least once...
oh well, uncle, next time i go back find you k! then you can give me 2 air tickets to kyoto.
bought ~~a few~~ more than a few Jimmy's book there. best price. bestttttttt!

after some more walking, we go back to hostel. (: rest for the next chilling day!

the famous Xi Men Ding crossroad.

i want to remember this side of Taipei.
it's a wonderful Sunday.

Love,
Diane

Sing Ka Poh!

2011-07-27T00:44:00.000-07:00

taipei travelogue haven't finished.
now i'm on another trip!
hahaha! this time is for a short trip to Singapore and JB.

so here i go again!
how can i survive without holidays??? HOW?

okay, see you guys next week!
enjoy!

love
Diane

Taiwan; Heart Warming (8)

2011-07-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

Day 6, Saturday
21st May 2011
Taipei 101, XiMenDing.

Morning with heavy hearts, we took train back to taipei city, saying goodbye to uncle and family. and of course hello kitty.. (:
we had a really great and relaxing time in hualian!

Back to town at noon, we meet up with qian xin & gang, and head to our new place to stay for the last 3 days! it's at Xi Men Ding. Took a longer route to find it, but anyhow we found it, main problem. it's at 5th floor, without lift. with all our big luggage.. PHEW~ thanks to the gang who helped us take our heavy heavy bags!

other than no lift issue, the room is great! location is awesome! share in the next few posts.

plus rain shower.

studio like! spacious!

so after chilling awhile at the new room; we head to the city!
for Super Junior M!!!

ahpui shouts: OMG!! :D hahaha

super junior @ taipei!!

it's quite a scene! see this!

95% girls :)

and obviously we aren't a fan. lol!
sorry ah pui!

hahahahaha! see yee damn funny!!

you have to see the taipei girls for yourself to really get the EXPERIENCE!
OMGGGGGGGGGGGGG! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~~~

okay, we head to the mall food court for early dinner. leaving ahpui enjoy the mini concert. (:

-dinner-

back to the concert place, couldn't find her! >.< she finally pick up our call and meet up. haha!
next awesome place. TAIPEI 101.

citibank, you are gorgeous you know?

all of us! Malaysians!

jump jump jump jump!

pui and I head up to 101. the rest hang around do assignment.

tickets.NTD 350. with friends card. Normal rate NTD 400.

damper baby. main attraction.

red.

the view up there is AWESOME!
i know i'm night view lover. give me night view and i will drown....
i see the beauty of the city with gorgeous lights. Thomas Edison is great. *love*

my best shot. without reflection and with tripod. can you see citibank the gorgeous?

2nd best thing: tripod. Thanks buddy ZANG YI! hahah! (you must be waiting for this? :p)

so when there is less crowd, we had fun with damper baby and camera. lol!

yellow!

grey!

the yellow damper behind us is the real damper. a total of 3 dampers installed in 101. it's a great creation to maintain and protect this extremely tall building from earthquake and strong wind. basically stabilizes the building!
and their cool marketing skill = change it to something cute and iconic!

Great great stuff! i love the whole 360 degree view of taipei city. this building is just super awesome and i'm proud that i step foot on it.

after lepak-ing at the 101 mall, we head back hostel. had a quickie supper! instant noodles are yum!
and i love drinking milk in the morning! Seven ar sevennnn!

guess which one is mine. hint: ahpui lovesssssss bubble milk tea. hahahahha! :p

So we prepare for Sunday!

:) still some long way to go before i finish up this travelogue.

loving these memories that i have created!

keep visiting!

love,
Diane

Taiwan; Heart Warming (7)

2011-07-23T04:21:00.000-07:00

Day 5, Afternoon
20th May 2011
Hua Lian.

After Taroko National Park, uncle send us to a beach!

七星潭 - chi sing tan.
But this beach is special cus it's filled with stones rather than sands.. only towards the sea it's sandy...

we hang around there for a short while.. gorgeous day and perfect for photo taking! glad that i took tripod along!!

blue. pacific ocean.

emo?

weee!

i did the jump there too! hoho!

tea time; 大肠包小肠. sausage wrapped with glutinous rice. must try in taiwan.

very filling and yummy! half for me!

Then uncle brought us to a museum;

Fish Museum

to see this cutie; white socks prawn.

and.. papaya fish! haha

back to hostel, took a nap.. and then it's dinner time!
night market and uncle recommended a few must try.

bbq. choose what you like, take a number and back in a short while to collect your food! yum!

Guan Cai Rice.

interesting fillings to choose from..

toast filled with yummy stuff!

papaya milk. it's different! (:

Xiao Long Bao for supper! haha

wrote some love letters back home that night too..

the next day, we packed and back to Taipei.

3 more nights in Taipei for crazy shopping and more hang outs!

Love,
Diane

ffffffffuuuuyoh

2011-07-19T01:51:00.001-07:00

F*** off.

sometimes, i just cannot control.
so please just leave me alone.

Taiwan; Heart Warming (6)

2011-07-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

Day 5, Morning
20th May 2011
Taroko National Park, Hua Lian.

Morning at homestay;
Auntie cooked breakfast and when we are ready, breakfast is ready! (:

home made breakfast. (:

house no.137

Then uncle is ready to bring us for a day out! We were all set to go for trekking at Taroko National Park!
So excited!!! :D :D

on the way; 七星潭

vehicle entrance.

Then uncle park his car and bring us for a trek at Shakadang Trail. (:

From there we saw amazing landscape, mountains, river that has amazing colours, rocks, waterfall, bee hive, insects, pretty flowers, and herbs too!

Enjoy God's creations in my photos;

uncle and us! hee!

to the dam.

crystal clear...

reached the dam. 3.4km from the starting point! and then turn back. (:

red bridge.

away from the trekking trail, we then go into the national park by car, stopping by at various locations to take some great photos and uncle told us jokes and his experience along the way!

little red indian drinking from the river.

can you see him? hmm~

Lunch time!! Uncle brought us to this rest stop and ordered something that is not on the menu!

droolss... the best noodle i had in taiwan! 竹笋面. bamboo shoots noodles. super yummy! it's claimed that the soup is made using mountain water. that's why.. hahaha! thank you uncle!

another location on the way down is this suspension bridge!

brave to go!

view from the middle of the bridge.

ah pui didn't go, and she took this shot of playful uncle.

it was scary! can feel the strong wind, luckily, i didn't get blown away.. hahaha

we had a short nap while uncle drive down to low land... haha!

next stop, beach!

keep visiting!

love
Diane

p/s: quek quek is coming backkk! and she is now at the world's happiest place - Disneyland. lol!

human planet

2011-07-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

I was first introduced to human planet after watching a link Shin Yin gave to me by email. i was wondering what's human planet about. and while talking to Gin, he found the 8 episodes and downloaded all.
We finished watching it over the last 2 weeks.

All i can say is that it's so magnificent and jaw-dropping. I was stunned, i couldn't believe what i saw in most of the episodes!

Have a look here;

i have so much thoughts after watching this documentary;
the world is so huge, and at every single corner of this earth, there's someone living there, surviving and just wanting to fulfill their daily needs to feed their families.

i was inspired, to live my life to the fullest, given that i am so lucky, i don't need to walk across Mekong river to catch fish for my family; nor do i need to climb hundreds feet up the tree to look for honey to feed my family...
i'm blessed. more than ever, for not only am alive, but i do not need to go through life the hard way. and i am able to make a difference in other people's lives.

Here's a quote that i love;
"...we share roughly the same hopes and dreams for life; we are essentially looking for a roof over our heads, looking to find a mate in life, and feeding ourselves and looking after our offspring. that's about it, really"
Timothy Allen. Photographer.

You have to see HERE for his amazing shots.

for more of Human Planet, check it out by yourselves! i love John Hurt's narration that gives this documentary a special touch!

if you want the episodes, let me know!

love and respect for the bbc human planet team,
Diane

kiddy (ii)

2011-07-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

if you have missed my kiddy series part (i); HERE it is.

as i'm one big kid, scoring another 100% is one great surprise! *jumps*

so...! i think i deserve a japanese dinner / lunch / breakfast!
mahhhmiiiii..... *puppy eyes*

mahmi's reply: OMG! you can go japan ad!! /// you should treat me!
.....

(:

love
Diane

thumb and toe

2011-07-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

a little update of life rather than travel. and better still, no food photos! hahaha

i have lots of food photos waiting to be uploaded and show their pretty faces! :p

the recent love that i've received! both from taiwan! more to come, i can sense it!

MAY: what to eat in taiwan! thanks ssy!

JUNE: taiwan train. thanks ahboss!

some present i got before quek quek flyyy to somewhere FAR! :(

hie chicky, i'll take care of you! xx

and this week! the best thing is i went for a manicure and pedicure session! omg so loveeeee!
bought from Groupon for only rm38. Jojo Nails' service is awesome!

self pampering session is best when one person is doing my feet, another one is doing my hands. i just sit there and watch TLC. besttttt!

french mani. and classic pedi.

so love.

so now, i dont feel like wearing any shoes besides my flip flops.
dont feel like doing anything with my hands.. hahahaha LAZY!

love
Diane

Taiwan; Heart Warming (5)

2011-06-30T01:04:00.000-07:00

Day 4,
19th May 2011
Hua Lian.

woohoo! 3D2N HuaLian trip. HuaLian is located at the east coast of Taiwan.
we stayed at Green House. Pre-booked online via email. (:
and they are such great people!

train tickets. Journey is about 2.5hours.

on the way, you will get to see awesome view of the pacific ocean!

paddy field.

View from the HuaLian train station. See the gorgeous mountain!

Living hall of Green House.

This is my hello kitty room! :) :) :) omggg so pink!!! so love!

the super awesome wash room! raindrop shower!! nice!

It's lunch time by then! we walked towards a nearby eatery! beef noodles!

beef rice for ahpui!

beef udon for myself. yumm~

Green house + uncle's car!

Then we went for a tour to see whale! out to the pacific ocean!
it was cloudy but it didn't affect the trip!

the boat.

didn't see whale. just dolphins! :) they are sooooooooo cute!!
i have like a few hundreds photos of them. but just show you some.. (:

a school of dolphins (:

doing the JUMP! it was mating season, when they mate successfully, they'll do some jumps! triple jumps even! hehehe

happy me!

we reached hostel exhausted! and the owner of the hostel treat us snack!

pan cake + wobbly egg! yummmmy!

Rested and it's dinner time!
Uncle sent us to town and we had dinner there! (plus shopping.. :p )

xia long bao.

gong zhen bao zi. recommended by uncle!

ahpui's favourite. bubble milk tea! this is called the panda bubble milk tea! black and white pearls. hhee

It's a really relaxing trip, nothing to do, enjoy the night with tv and snacks.

(:

next day trekking!

love,
Diane

period

2011-06-24T00:31:00.000-07:00

transition.

endure diane. i know you can.

seeing my photo albums, i know there are many things in life besides work.

world, dont worry about me! (a gift for sylvie :) )

period.

love
Diane

simplicity

2011-06-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

who needs a fancy dinner when simple local delights can make my day / week!
jimat cermat!

curry mee sedap!

wan tan mee. the most famous one in KL!

drools~~

okay... add one more. Kissaten's teriyaki pork burger!

So good lah!

so love this jimat cermat month!

xoxo
Diane

Taiwan; Heart Warming (4)

2011-06-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

Day 3,
18th May 2011
Jiu Fen, Wu Fen Pu, Shih Lin; Taipei.

The rain finally stop and it's a really gorgeous morning in Shih Lin!! *love*
Today is the day we go for 九份。and then it's free and easy!

View from room. MORNING!

breakfast. (:

took a train from Taipei Main to Rui Fang. NT$ 59 / ticket.

Rui Fang. 瑞芳

and then took a bus to Jiu Fen. it's a gorgeous highland place! See for yourself!

overlooking pacific ocean!

souvenir.

ice cream anyone? hehehe

rose and lavender flavoured ice cream!! YUM~~~~~

bear as your companion.

happy!

deco outside lavender cottage. Buy souvenir there!! sooo niceee!

choose :)

souvenirs that i bought.. :p

together.

famous dessert in Jiu Fen.

eating dessert and seeing this view.... breathtaking laaa!

Rui Fang train station.

Then we head back to Taipei, met Qian and she brought us to Wu Fen Pu. 五分埔. a place to shop for clothes, accessories... and everything in a whole sale price..

Lunch first!

鲁肉饭 yum!

shop shop shop..walk walk walkkk... buy buy buy!! crazyyyy the number of alleys packed with vendors!!

rest and eat tau fu fa!

then we head to Zhong Xiao Tong Lu for dinner... (i think so..)

Chilling at station while waiting for others!

purple scarf!

Dinner. Buffet steamboat!!

We had dinner with the girls and their uni friends! :)

Jamali on the left and Michael on the right.

full!

We then head back to Shih Lin and phew~ prepare for check out the next day and go for Hua Lien!!

Keep reading!

love
Diane

Taiwan; Heart Warming (3)

2011-06-12T00:07:00.000-07:00

Day 2
17th May 2011
ShihLin, DanShui, and places in between; Taipei.

The rain didn't stop throughout the whole night.. it was still drizzling in the morning! amazing... lol!
Met up with Qian, SeeYee, Mavis for breakfast. The usual student breakfast!

seeing where to go!

menu + order.

milk and milk tea.

蛋饼。it's like roti telur. roti tuna. roti cheese. BUT, the difference is the sauce. amazingly yummyyyy! BEST! and this shop did it nicely.

hungry.

We then took a bus to the National Museum. 故宫。 Entry fees = NT$ 80 (with Let's be friends cards).
Normal price NT$ 160 / entry.
This museum is worth the visit! So many things to see and i'm very impressed with how they keep all the pieces in good condition and 3 languages in all descriptions. *thumbs up*

outside the magnificent museum. (raining, yes)

hie

us outside.

ticket.

someone famous. do you know him?

It was raining... we headed back to town and walked around..decided to go to K-Mall at Taipei Main and find Gundam base! Yes, i was influenced by my big kor kor on Gundam. But it was too expensive to buy back home... so for my eyes onlyyyy!

hello hansem! :)

miniature me.

me and them. very hugeeeee!

Lunch time. Follow the map, search for MOS Burger.
:) Malaysia dont have, so must eat in Taipei.. lol!

Seafood rice burger! yummm~

Beef rice burger for Pui; yum!

hungry.

we walked around the area; visited 诚品 Eslite bookstore. And last minute when the rain stopped, we rush to 忠烈祠 zhong lie ci. Martyr's Shrine; dedicated to the people who sacrificed their lives fighting for the Republic of China. To see the guard change shift! (every hour; check before you go).

banyak orang....

art.

humble me.

as you can guess, we have nothing to do while waiting.. we took lots of photos and try to remain silent as it's a place to respect those who fight for freedom...

There they are..

i followed them from front to end back to front... -_-

hehehe

We had fun taking pics there.. because the rain stopped! yuuhooo! head to Dan Shui and waited for Qian there after her class.

night market.

pretty sky in taipei.

Romantic sunset at Danshui.

Dinner at AhGei. 阿给。 it's a very unique food. Toufu + glassnoodles inside.. hmm..

happy to see food. haha!

阿给。

cut it open... worth a try.

Green tea ice cream!!

We then took a boat and head to the Fisherman's Wharf.

bright moon.

snack!

windyyyyyyy!

beauty.

After enjoying the windy Danshui. we head back to Shih Lin..go night market eat again! haha!

silly cat. Qian's pet in the pet shop..haha

isn't it better without the rain? :D

Iceee cream againn!!! Love love loveee!

super famous shop.

choose your favourite!

Green tea shaved ice with red bean. Best!

peanut shaved ice.

joy la!

happy la!

night market shopping..

and we tapao-ed food back to the room.. continue eating.. lol!

#3 - bubble tea. Pui become addicted to the bubble tea here. so good!

choose the sweetness level in your tea. be healthy!

and with all the food we had a very full night. all set for day trip tomorrow! 九份。

it's gonna be super duper long posts all the wayyyy!

xoxo
Diane

我。们

2011-06-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

单纯

简单

快乐

很爱。

玲

Taiwan; Heart Warming (2)

2011-06-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

Day 1
16th May 2011
Tao Yuen Airport, ShihLin, ZhongXiaoFuXing, ShihLin; Taipei

My travel partner this time is... *deng deng* siew pui! :D
We were both so excited months before the trip cause we are going to see qian xin!

Touched down at Taipei about 3pm and we were greeted by a rainy day.

this is for floral expo! haha

we followed some simple instructions given by Qian and took a bus to Taipei Main Station.

rainy taipei.

The hostel room we booked is in Shih Lin and we head to Shih Lin Station to meet Qian. (: it was great to see her, at a place far away from home!!

@ hostel - Pui & Qian

So we flip through the flyers and notes and decided to walk Shih Lin Market for awhile before heading to eat dinner with the girls.

Gloomy Shih Lin. Very interesting pic.

An old cinema just at the main road of Shih Lin.

Fish ballssssssssss! Yum~

love this shot!

you can spot this stall easily @ the main road.

rainy day

Dinner @ Pasta Frolla, ZhongXiaoFuXing station.
It's buffet style. Dessert buffet, but we ate lots of pasta and mains. The mains are nice!!

Eat until you full! :D

Choices of desserts!

Salad bar


Delicious mains.. squid pasta is nice!!

Food!!

desserts


girl gang in taipei!

fuiyoh! showing off Canon dslr. hehe!

Heeee!

Cutie wall deco at that station!

Mavis & Pui

Meteor Rain..hehehehe!

This shot seems very symmetrical. Taken from the escalator!

Then we are back at Shih Lin Market and started shopping with umbrella! it's just wet but it's good fun!

try! but if you dont like smelly veg (lol) dont try!

Easy Card. You need it to hop around Taiwan!

It was a great evening in Taipei besides the rain! Makes us all wet and emo!

The bed is comfyyyyyyy!

We prayed for no rain next morning and guess what! the rain didnt stop! gosh!

So stay tuned for Day 2! Tourist day!

Love

Diane

like duh, i have a choice

2011-06-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

what would ~~you~~ i do if ~~you~~ i see the person that ~~you~~ i hate?

1) see the person 500m away, take a turn / change walking direction.
- thinking this is the BEST way. to avoid any sort of contact so that i dont have to pretend and i stay true to myself.

2) hi bye and then continue to bitch about that person behind.
- can do so, as bitching is my hobby. (: but should i smile when i say hi? and bye?? *wonders..* but then..smile = pretending??

3) give a big wide smile and shake hands. pretend there's no hatred in between. continue to chat.
- this is like the ULTIMATE fakeness that one could do. it's just too not authentic, and way too hilarious.. if im feeling hatred inside, how can i still pretend to be fine and shake hands??? NO WAY.

so the drama queen goes to...... *deng deng deng*

Okay, so im running away for the weekend!

Love,
Diane

Taiwan; Heart Warming (1)

2011-05-31T00:19:00.000-07:00

I know i need to post something up, but i'm so caught up with work due to my long leave.

Been thinking of what title to put too! "Taiwan; touch my heart" is just too common! but indeed, Taiwan has touched my heart!

So i put on my cap, with a big back pack and a heavy camera, i took off on a journey up north (a little...haha)

@ 九份

Put on my shoes to walk the extra mile in search of God's creations!

Thank God for a blessed life and to be able to see and experience a wonderful journey and a great life, together with great people!

@ Taroko, HuaLien

AND, the food that tickled my taste bud!! hahaha!

Stay tuned for my Taipei travelogue!

love,
Diane

facial mask

2011-05-25T04:14:00.000-07:00

hua! i'm back!

pink lock.

it was a fun trip! running here and there, enjoy the busy taipei as well as admiring God's creation and getting close to nature.

will start blogging about the trip soon!

Till then, back to work.

Love

Diane

Hanoi - (11)

2011-05-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

Hanoi, a city that i chose to "get away" from all the stress that i was facing that time.
I wasn't expecting much as I was unfamiliar with the culture there. Certainly i did had a lot of judgment on the first look of everything when i touch down. Especially on communication.

Putting down my judgment, i found the city quaint and charming!
It's like discovering a gem. i was delighted!
The influence of French can still be found there in their buildings and food. The narrow streets especially at the Old Quaters of Hanoi showed me the beauty of this city. And of course, the food that shows me their passion in their lives and passion for food.

Outside from the hustle and bustle of the city, there's something amazing out there! (:

The people work hard to find a living, they are warm and friendly. And they do their best to show others the beauty of their beloved country. The warmth of their smiles and the simplicity of their lives make me contemplate on my life and my dreams.

It's a trip worthwhile and a breath of fresh air taste so much nicer!

Thank you kor kor!

xox
Diane

kor kor

2011-05-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

For my kor kor! :D

Sometimes we do fight.

But that's just how siblings are! haha!

Love you!

Diane

Hanoi - (10)

2011-05-20T00:26:00.000-07:00

Day 4 and Day 5
29th March and 30th March.

Food post! dont you just love them? hahaha

#1 Day 4 Dinner (after back from Halong bay)
we had BBQ!

bbq! see people behind me..hehe

charcoal bbq. chicken, beef, frog! :D

#2 Dessert.
Walk opposite the bbq place, we had desserts!

menu 1

menu 2. everything is SO CHEAP!

local desserts: yogurt + pulut

mix mix mix! you get something sour... -_- too sour for me, but bro and anne loveeee it!

durian ice cream! this is NICEEEEEE! i likey!

#3 Supper!
bbq wasn't enough? supper! try this sticky rice...

sticky rice + pork + egg. confirm bao!

sticky rice + sausage + meat + green bean paste. confirm bao..... haha!

#4 Breakfast
Snail pho!

snail, sausage, beef and many other things!! slurppp!

#5 Lunch!
Met up with Jack and his family!
Jack's gf is so pretttyyyyyyyy~

So we went to eat fish! it was really GOOD!

Fish in a pan!

very nice food here!!

shao yu!

eat with noodles and lots of veg!

thank you Jack and family. I'm so blessed!

#6 Tea time.
had some snacks after whole afternoon of shopping!

i call this...beef rojak. with some internal organs.. hmm... it's nice!

spring roll. i love!

clean shoes! For a few cents, the shoes cleaner took my shoes and clean them when i had tea! Ooo! some more wash the shoe lace. how great! thank you!

#7 Dinner
Last dinner is Hanoi before i leave back home the next morning!

We had seafood dinner at somewhere far. it's very famous place. Fresh and it is somewhat like that frog steamboat place. haha

*no photo as i didnt take.

#8 Breakfast
Before i leave, Anne's mom make me baguette + egg and eat in taxi otw to airport!
She is the sweetest! she showed me love with her food even though we have communication barrier. (:

Vietnamese is influenced by French is many ways. 1 of it is this bread. But throughout the years, they have changed the bread to much softer, unlike the baguette that i know of.

So that's all the food i ate in Vietnam. (:

It has been a very adventurous journey in my food hunt!
I'm proud to say i'm not done trying ALL the must eat that bro prepared for me and i will be back!

xoxo
Diane

Hanoi - (9)

2011-05-19T00:10:00.000-07:00

Halong Bay in full HD (panasonic lumix LX3)
hahaha! Enjoy the pics as i feel Halong bay is just in front of me! :D

waiting for pick up!

our room. so cantik!

peace

boats..

me.

my big kor kor!

us + couple from india + couple from Holland.

view from the cave.

inside the cave... impressive!

morning!

me!!

me! :p

nice hor?? haha i know i know i know!! :D

Story about halong bay. the pieces i remembered from what Osen told us...

Ha = down
Long = dragon

= dragon come down.

Legend has it.....
okay i decided not to tell... go discover it yourself! haha!

all in all, these islands, thousands of them.. are said to be dragon's pearls that turn into stone / islands! to protect Vietnam from invaders! .

If you have a chance, do visit this place! it's just wonderful and i'm glad i decided to go for this short trip to see the world's wonder. God's creation is just amazing!

Love
Diane

Hanoi - (8)

2011-05-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

Day 3 and Day 4
Halong Bay
2 days 1 night trip.

(okay, i decided to do 2 posts on halong bay, this one is the photos in my little baby canon. next up will be from my bro's lumix. to put photos from 2 different camera doesnt do any justice to my baby! haha! enjoy!)

For the food on board, nothing to be wow-ed about, usual stuff, of course seafood is very fresh! Drinks / alcohol paid separately. Alcohol is cheap there!!

the package includes room for 2 for 1 night, visiting cave, kayaking and food on board until day 2 lunch.

Tour bus pick up from travel agency, it was already filled with travelers from all over the world!
That's where we took a 3 hours bus journey to Halong! and the tour guide, Osen.. started telling us about Halong Bay. (:

In our group, we have travelers from UK, Germany, Holland, India, and Russia!
Osen thought I was Vietnamese where he started asking me something in Vietnamese... i gave him a blur look and decided to answer him with English. wahahha!

tour bus

waiting for tour guide.

at the dock.

ticket to go on board.

day 1 lunch!

beer anyone?

the weather was cloudy and very cold and when the sun shyly came out for a while, i faster take photos (of self).. lol!

vendor selling. people buying.

the cave!

stalactite, stalagmite; very amazing!!

kayaking during sun set. Bestnya! :D the sea is calm and we just explore the little islands around for 45mins!

that's Osen! his vietnamese name is Chuong!

the German group!

Left: couple from Germany who took 1 month paid leave to travel in Vietnam! they told me, work smart not work hard! haha!
Right: couple from Germany. the wife is Russian! love!

Sing Karaoke.

Okay after dinner, there's nothing to do. I spent some time writing postcards. while others had karaoke session. it was very fun where we just laugh at everyone cus most of them cant sing! lol!

when bro and i went to sleep, they were singing lady gaga and bruno mars...hahaha that's all i can remember...

Next Morning was just chilling all the way, enjoying the view of Halong bay!
4pm reach back the city!

There are lots of travel agents in Hanoi city that offers trip to Sapa, Halong Bay, and places around Vietnam. Do check them out and compare the prices. Itinerary is somewhat similar! This trip is about rm250 which i didn't keep the receipt!

One of the best thing of traveling is making friends with the people around the world! We chat on the deck on travel experiences! :) and one UK guy said they followed top gear's route in vietnam! how cool!

Love
Diane

Hanoi - (7)

2011-05-17T00:04:00.000-07:00

Day 2 - 27 March 2011
Full day of doing the TOURIST thing!

Very happy as i get to line up together with some ang mohs.. haha and some Vietnamese did thought i was one of them as they speak Vietnamese to me.. but i just can give them a blur face and said sorry, i dont speak Vietnamese. (:

Destination #1 - Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum

Entrance Fee: Free.
This is the place where Uncle Ho's body is placed. His body is mummified, in a glass box, with 4 guards surrounding the box. Everyone in Vietnam wants to see this amazing leader! even people around the world (me)! The line to see him is so long and no camera is allowed! everyone goes through scan..

I went on a Sunday morning! A lot of people! waited about 30-40mins to walk inside the mausoleum for just one round.

As respect, no hats no sunglasses, and no speaking inside the mausoleum.

Very impressive stepping in...

Outside. See the queue... (:

When nobody to ask for help, i can help myself. :D

Destination #2 - President palace and Ho Chi Minh House.

Entrance Fee: need to pay, but i just walk and see from outside.
After the mausoleum, follow the road and the crowd, you will reach the president palace (where HCM worked) and his humble abode.

Palace

Beautiful lake outside the palace.

A row of mango trees outside the palace.

There was this group of tourist from china and the tour guide explained to them... (as usual i was very 8.. hehe) so he said, this row of mango trees is like uncle Ho. No fruit all these years.. as he very focused on his country and he didnt marry the lady that he love.

Same lake, another view.

Destination #3 - One Pillar Pagoda

It's a Guan Yin temple! Read the legend at the link attached. (:

It's very pretty. and i went up and pai pai.

people.

pretty!

Another temple.. hmm.. next to the one pillar pagoda.

Destination #4 - Ho Chi Minh Museum

Entrance Fee: Free of charge

Museum! i went in to have a quick look. but... well.. i didn't understand as everything is in vietnamese..but worth the see!

main entrance

then, i walked from HCM museum to... (15mins! not following the map.. haha!)

Destination #5 - Vietnam Military History Museum

Entrance Fee: VND 20,000.

take a look at what vietnam is like during the war! all the weapons, the defense, they even had a video played for little kids that visit that day! (yes, i sat down and watched with the kids.. they looked at me :P)

some wreckage left by US army.

--LUNCH--

Destination #6 - St Joseph's Cathedral

It's a church built by the French!
It's a very beautiful church!
and when i went there, it was Sunday noon, the French community just finished their sunday service. (:

impressive

quick snap shot on the inside.

side wall. (:

---Went for shopping at old streets..---

Destination #7 - Hoan Kiem Lake

First, read the legend of this lake from the link.

It's a very beautiful lake, because there's a temple / pagoda in the middle of the lake. which can't be access.

Legend is about the tortoise. And there is really a very old tortoise in the lake.
If one sees it, it'll bring good luck.

Anne didnt see any tortoise before since she was born here.
My brother on the other hand, seen it 3 times. So.. i guess he is really free, sit at the park everyday to wait for mr tortoise! (:

I didnt see it... all i see is beautiful view and many couple taking wedding photos there!

post office building where i sent my love across the sea!

love bird + crew

Bridge to Ngoc Son Pagoda

Destination #8 - Ngoc Son Pagoda

Entrance fee: VND 10,000.

Tea time!
@ Highlands coffee.

View from top! busy old street.

see the crazy guy at 3rd floor! haha!

cold day.. town stay busy!

See highlands coffee at 2nd floor? hehe Here's the famous round a bout at old street!

--DINNER--

yam cha at a cafe for avocado ice blended..and this is the view of West Lake. (:


Gorgeous night view. yes, i have a thing for night view..they are super gorgeous!

That's all for Day 2!

Day 3 & 4 - Halong Bay!
Do come back!

love
Diane