after a looooooooong time.... again..

i m such a lazy slob. i don't even bother to blog nowadays..
not that i m uber busy.. just that. well. i m lazy. haha..
some updates.. (to remind myself in 10 yrs what I did these few months)

1. April (Bangkok)
This was a very last minute, very unneeded change of plans I made to accommodate the interview from nanometrics which did not happen in the end.. very sorry to e ppl i flew 'aeroplane'.. but had a super crazy shopping time @ bkk..

2. May (Msia Trip)
with Sonnie, Por + Lu, we went to Teluk Intan, Penang and Langkawi... i would never forget how good the chee cheong fun tasted in TI.. nor I would forget how horrible was the ferry ride from Penang to Langkawi (unless dire circumstances.. nvr nvr take the ferry again).. heavily imprinted in my memory is also the uber nice + romantic dinner we had @ the german restaurant @ Langkawi .. called beer garden i think.. de beer was good.. pizza great.. and the beach + breeze + ambiance was simply excellent!

3. June (Job Seeking + House seeking)
It was countless hours in front of the computer.. browsing thru countless advertisements for house to rent... jobs to apply.. good sites to look for places to rent includes...
singapore.gumtree.sg
www.88db.com
me, sonnie + fernie had our share of shocking experiences looking @ scary houses.. like de one @ jurong east... no way i m going to pay 2k/month for such a shabby and poorly located flat.. and the horrible 1.5K 2+1 we saw @ telok belangah.. there is FERN growing out of the windows @ e bathroom and don't get me started @ e toilet bowl (ewww.. it's horrifying just to think of it).. saw a uber nice duplex near admiralty... very nice floors and built in cabinet.. with a very 'nice' owner (planning on how to upkeep the house if we are renting it... wth??!!.. like he is hiring housekeeper or something)...
in e end.. we settled for 1/2 a jumbo flat @ blk 821 woodlands.. fully furnished.. really nice owner and kids.. our flat is right opposite fushan garden.. so we hv our share of nature.. bla bla.. @ quite a affordable rate for all of us... so i guess it isn't too bad :)
job seeking was quite a roller coaster ride for me..somehow.. i couldn't land any interviews with those chem eng jobs that are available.. i duno why.. something wrong with my resume? ai. i duno.. anyhow.. i settled with a job with accenture.. and am excited to start e job (tho a bit apprehensive of the long working hours)

4. July (Cambodia, Vietnam + Convocation + House Moving)
early July.. me + ann+lu went for our grad trip to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh and MuiNe (will upload some pics later on.. IF i remember.. hehe)
after my trip, it was a busy busy time when I had to move all my rubbish from Hall 10 to our new place in Woodlands.. went really nuts trying to pack everything.. threw away a lot of clothes.. (sshhh.. dun tell my parents)
den it was the ceremony that marks the end of my connection with NTU.. my convo... sad to think about it now... ai...

5. Aug (Lu leaves + I start work.. i hope)
9th Aug.. Lu leaves for China.. he will be flying off from Guangzhou to Penn late Aug.. sigh. have to get used to life without him around.. de days before he left was hectic.. packing.. throwing stuff.. meeting ppl... spending time together..
currently.. i m just lazing at home.. moping around that Lu is gone.. and enjoying the shows on astro. hoho.. the olympics is pretty interesting too!! hehe.. 11 channels on astro.. superb!
hopefully.. i can start work soon... but it has been nice lazing at home.. haven't been able to really stay for such a long time at home for the past few months.. for most of the time i have to return back sg for my weekly tuition on tues (just a excuse la.. else how do i spend time with Lu?)
ahhh...

let me enjoy Pontian while it lasts :)

another year..

it's my birthday today. (actually it was yesterday)
still remember 365 days ago..
Spending by birthday on the plane and at San Francisco airport trying to sleep at a deserted terminal.
haaa..
time passes so fast.. the time I had in US seems like a dream now..
.. soon it would b a reality for lulu as he leaves for US..
when would it be my turn again?

www.PYOtravel.com

hmn...
seems I had some misunderstanding..
or it was really my bad luck..
anyhow..
everything went smoothly and I got to stay at a great place -Baiyoke Boutique..
will upload some pics later.. (after my presentation at least)

Huang Shan

In the olden days, if you were a prominent figure (brave warrior, wise prime minister), or had extremely good deeds (such as being a faithful widow until death, a filial son), the emperor would bestow upon the family a 'pai fang' 牌坊， which signifies the 'greatness' of the family clan. In Anhui, we visited this group of 'pai fang' from a particular family. It has 7 of the arches, one of the families that had the most.
To me, the significance of the arches lie in the stories behind each and every one of them. One had the story of mistress that brought up the first wife's child into a prominent figure after her husband died shortly after she was married into the family *wonder who would do such a thing nowadays*. The architecture of the arches and how they are arranged .. makes a scenic sight and it was used as the set for many dramas and movies.



early winter: the trees were still brown, a dreamy feeling... like autumn


nearby, is the family's large garden for their sons and daughters to play, recite poems and draw. I really mean LARGE.. the garden is a good tens of acres complete with a lake and countless valuable bonsai trees. During the cultural revolution, many trees were cut and burnt but the villagers around couldn't bear to see the trees being destroyed and hid them in their houses or in the woods. These bonsai plants were preserved to date and are a delight to behold.

a huge lake for the 少爷、小姐 to play.. *envious*

This bonsai tree costs a cool 5 000 000 RMB. :s who would buy such a tree? according to the guide, there was a person who offered such a price for the tree, but this tree is not for sale ;)


I've forgotten the name of the place. It is just next to 翡翠谷， the set for the flying above bamboo sword fighting scene in crouching tiger hidden dragon.. this body of water reminds me of the morning glory pool in Yellowstone. i'm sure it would be even nicer when the sun is right above it.


*flower freak in me*


the waters are said to bring good luck and fortune to those who touch it. *how bout drinking it? more luck? hehe*



*interesting... is this how gps works??*


me in the garish FOC beanie with lu in the cable car on our way to the mid-way point @ HuangShan.


Although I didn't get to experience any snow falling on my head, the sheer thrill of seeing the blanketed ground is simply -- cool, literally :)


I wonder if it was the overexposure of my camera, or the surroundings were simply too bright due to the ice that formed on the twigs and branches of the trees. Most of the trees here are pine trees, many are very very very ancient (100-300 yrs old).

ice crystals on a branch, it's delicate, touch it, and it is all gone.


it snowed last night, hence the sun this morning started to melt the ice crystals..


Interesting mix of greenery and snow, it was the perfect day to tour HuangShan during winter. It was great as there were no haze, no snow, no rain; the weather was perfect with the sun shinning on us while we get to enjoy the snow scenery from the snow fall the night before =)


As with many touristy destinations in China, the padlock on a chain can be seen everywhere. Lovers carve their name on the locks and lock the padlock on the chain while throwing away the key into the valley. *romantic, but too commercialized*




Yay. me luv snow (only there is not enough snow to make a snow man :( )


We had to take a 4-5 hour walk to our hotel for the night at the top of HuangShan. Along our descent, we saw many amazing sights that we thought were only possible in postcards. This is one amusing sight. Notice the stone formation at the top left hand corner of the picture looks like a gigantic 2nd generation mobile phone, complete with the antenna!!



Some of the paths up the mountain were build many many years ago during the Tang Dynasty (i m not sure about which dynasty tho... ). Every single stone is carried up the mountain using manpower.


Sunset beckons as we hurry to our hotel at 玉屏风.




The tree behind us is the most prominent tree in the whole of HuangShan, it is called the 'Welcoming Pine' 迎客松.

As the sun sets, temperatures drop sub zero. These pictures were taken by a half frozen Jayne.


It's FREEZING!! but nice pictures have to be taken :p
Dinner was simple, but everyone in our tour group finished every single scrap of food on the table. We were really hungry after a long day up the mountain. *Didn't take any pictures as the hungry monster in me made me forget everything except food* Although the hotel was situated thousand over meters above sea level, it has all the comforts one could expect from a 3-star hotel. This simple fact is fascinating as every single little thing, from eggs to huge glass doors were carried up the mountain by manpower.



The next morning, we woke up extremely early to see the sun rise. Left (top), right (bottom).
It was an experience to see how the sun slowly crawls up, and slowly one can feel its heat, its warmth and everything around looks different.


The clouds surrounding the mountains.. looks magical~


aaah. it's a blessing in life to see such sight, even at least once.


As the cable car was under maintenance for the day, we had to climb all 40 000 steps down the mountain. My thigh was super sore when I woke up the next morning. Nonetheless, we were still extremely fortunate as we see the many other tourists that had to climb UP the mountain using the 40 000 steps =)


A man carrying two gas cylinders up to the mountain. This is how every single non man-made thing gets up the mountain. I sincerely salute these men and how they toil to make their living. During our way down, we saw one of such worker slip and fall at the steep stairs. *ouch* He looked in pain but his expression was worse when he realized that he couldn't work for the day as he twisted his back.



The trip to HuangShan was fruitful and I learnt much from this trip: the historical significance of different sights in China and above all, the wonders of God's creation.





*i m lazy, a procrastinator, and that is why I haven't uploaded pics of HuangShan since last december until now =)*

kaki gatal @ ntu

yesterday was a strange day for me..
in the morning..
i went to meet a prof from the school of civil and environmental engineering to express my wish of continuing my graduate studies in that field n HOPE to get a research position at least for this 12 months.. guess it wasn't quite possible. He was quite nice to meet me ( I just emailed him out of the blue!), explained to me what environmental engineering is about and how is it different from environmental science... talked to me for a good half an hour..
BUT! seems like my plans to do research for this year is quite dashed. I must now find other alternatives so that I won't live like a slob for this year, while increasing my chances of getting into a good grad sch AND at the same time, save enough money so I need not depend on my parents to go over to the states. stress...

the strange part of the day came later in the afternoon when i had my very last lecture with my coursemates. After 4 long years, yesterday is the very day we ended all our school lectures. The strange part is: it didn't seem like a parting, at least for me, it was not very emotional, no goodbyes, no teary eyes and no laments of the end is finally here..
strange.
am I the only one that feels no attachment to the school?

nyah. since being a poor little PO is not working for me.. i guess i have to find a job.... a job that pays well... a job that satiates my kaki-gatal.. =)


*~Chiet Sin's wedding day~*

more of china

Me and some huge craving kinda thingy @ our hotel called 徽州酒店， there is this old ancient house right behind the hotel which we visit.

I like these details on the knocker of the doors.. i want one on mi door someday :)

the mirror reflects lulu n his brother.. intently discussing something I do not understand.

apparently.. the richer the person, the higher the wall he built.. this is to prevent his wife (wives) from running away when he is out doing business for long periods of time.

the courtyard with funny looking doorways.. talk about Chinese being pragmatic

The intricate cravings on the door, you could even see the expression on their faces!

a contrast: the old and the new

Front view of the old mansion I visited (heck, i really can't remember the name)

See the mud like remnants on the cravings? Apparently during the cultural revolution, the owners smeared the cravings with mud and wrote "long live chairman mao" to prevent the carvings from being destroyed. interesting.


2nd week of sch.
can't sleep. hot humid night. worrying about my fyp which is quite non-existent.
so. i decided to upload some of the nice nice pics i took during my trip to China~~ yay!
hope it would help lull me to sleep :)