Taiwan Trip: 10-18 Sep 2018 Part 1 Tainan

Itinerary:

Day1:
Kuala Lumpur - Taoyuan















Take Ubus from Taoyuan to Tainan, thought it will be a long journey, however, Taiwan is really a small country, it took about 4.5 hours from Taoyuan International Airport to Tainan City via bus.

Overnight at TT Homestay 旅人时光. We arrived at after the check-in hour and the reception came and welcome us. The first two days, only two of us stay in the place which make us own the whole homestay! There is free snacks in the common area (fruit drinks, biscuits, ice cream, tea bags etc) and we are given breakfast voucher (worth TWD$50) for each day.






After put down our stuffs, we went out to get our dinner. Tainan really quiet during the night. We simply walk to the nearest street to see any food around and ended up eating the Window Toast (窗口土司）. Had a short conversation with the waitress while ordering, she was quite surprise that Malaysian can speak Chinese. Is that so little Malaysian visit Tainan?

It is my first time here too. My first trip back in 2013 I only managed to visit Taipei and Taichung.

After get our dinner/ supper, we went back to homestay with some beers and snacks.

Day 2:
Breakfast at 凉咪咪早餐店, we came here simply because of the breakfast voucher, after visiting the shop only realized that it is also a local shop that has been opened for 40 years. Ordered the black pepper pork hot bread (黑胡椒猪肉蛋饼) as recommended by the homestay.

After that we walk around and towards the train station to meet up with my ex-housemate, Francis. Totally a tourist day with a good local tour guide. Hehe.

Visited the historical buildings : Chihkan Tower, Hayashi Department Store, then to Anping Old Street to have lunch. Then continue to the Anping Old Fort and Anping Treehouse. Then to the beach side (观夕平台）to see the sunset.

Finish the day at the night market at Datung. Had duck blood soup, pork blood soup, stinky toufu, oyster egg, oyster mee sua, and traditional BBQ wild boar meat.

Thanks to Francis, this day in Tainan, I have a free guided tour, and able to try more food in the night market. It was also after almost four years since we last met each other.

Day 3:
Breakfast again at the 凉咪咪早餐店 and this time tried their hamburger patty + toast with egg and soya milk. Saw that there is a giant gashapon market (巨型扭蛋市集）nearby and the classic handmade canvas bag shop.

Too early to the market so there is no one else there. 

Back to hostel to pack our stuff and then go out for lunch at the milkfish fishballs soup 永记虱目鱼丸.

After that, walk back to hostel and check out.

Mar 2018 Europe trip: Topdeck tour to Paris, Swiss Alps, Florence, Rome

It is not common for me to follow a tour package when come to travel. My last tour package is in 2012 for the Vietnam trip. Since then, I have started to plan my own itinerary or follow people's plans for the trip.

How come I ended up with tour, is because of a contest I simply click on Facebook and then I received an email saying that I have won the free tour of my selection. I was shocked and actually doubt if it is safe to join for the tour.

Anyway, I ended up joining the tour and it was really fantastic!

Follow tour is really suitable if you are a lazy planner or first time step on the county. I am both. It was my first trip to Europe in Mar.

Often, I have a lot of places and people to visit but ended up dragging and get myself endless excuses. The introvert part of me always scare of exploring new things.

But this time, with the free tour and also the staff price ticket that my sis can offer, I have no more excuse but to step out and with that, I did spend on most of the optional activities during the tour. As I know I won't be doing those activities if I am on budget and backpacking.

This trip is dragging too long to update as I have been living without WiFi since I started working. I finally move to a place with WiFi and it's time to update.

Europe Trip Part 1 : London

I kept telling everybody I might be going to Europe in Mar 2018 when I work and travel in NZ, not knowing that I did make it to Europe after I back to work in Malaysia. I did not really plan for the trip, but yeah, I participated in a contest and I won it, and not done much homework, I came to Europe. I met with my colleague in UK and he become my tour guide in London. After that, I join the winning trip to Paris, Swiss Alps, Florence and finally Rome before I come back home, total of two weeks vacations.

Day 1: I was stuck at the airport for quite some time to cross the immigration then have to travel to my hostel without GPS. My colleague was travel from Naas, stuck at the Victoria station looking for the lost sheep, but the sheep used too long time to leave the airport and directly go to the hostel. When I finally arrive the hostel and got the wifi, he also heading to hostel already. 

Dinner and then go walk around the Tower Bridge then back hostel to sleep. 

Day 2: Originally a free and easy trip, but we walked too fast, until we almost finished the itinerary for the rest of the days we planned, Tower London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, St Dunsten in the East Garden, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Millennium Bridge, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament, London Eyes, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, M&M world and etc. Legs started to get sore after too much of walking around. >.<

Day 3: have to starts slower for the legs to get more rest. So in the morning, we went to the Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of guards. Have lunch (fish an chips!). Then go to the Natural History Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum. Didn't stay long at V&A Museum, we went back to hostel to get more rest then come out for dinner. After that, go back to hostel to redeem the free drinks in the house bar.  

Day 4: Spend the half the day in British Museum and the key highlights is to see the Mummies. Then dine in at the Italian restaurant, Carluccio's, had a pasta and gelato. Then to Lego, Chinatown, and Hamleys. Then finally, the long awaited opera shows as recommended by my sister when she visited London last year: The Phantom of the Opera. Opera shows is not allowed to take any photo, but cant agree anymore with my sis, it is really worth to witness the show at least once in a lifetime, to see how amazing an opera show can be. 

Purposely took this photo to show Jia Ying, 

how she can dress up her teddy bears at home. 

Her Majesty's Theater, 

where the Phantom of the Opera Show will be held daily.   

Day 5: Walk to the Borough Market as today is the full market to get our breakfast. Had a pie and get some fruits. Then go to Leadenhall Market. And finally don't know where to go as my colleague has gone back to Naas. Then try to get the Kettle chips that requested by Thong Thong. I tried to find it in a few Sainsbury's and Tesco but cannot find it, and then check again at the online site, found that it is not available in local Sainsbury's, nor Tesco Metro, where the one that you most likely to walk into. Since got a bit of time so just try my luck to find it at the nearest bigger Sainsbury's and found. So mission completed at London although I did not make my move to the King's Cross Station, to find my favorite Harry Potter Platform 9 3/4. 

Rest much early to get ready to the following 9-days tour as I had to get ready by 630 am the next day to meet up with the Topdeck tour. 

To be continue.... 

16/02/2018

I don't know what title to put for this blog. Today is the Chinese New Year first day, the big day for most of the Chinese, the time of the year for family gathering, I finally get some break. 

I have come back to Melaka for the celebration of course, after missing the one last year due to far away from home. 

Last few weeks has been a little busy, to settle the wake for my mum and to reply to those friends who are really concern. Sorry for those short reply on that few days as it was really long day for us, the sisters. 

Thanks for those who understand and find me later at the time and to ensure that I am alright. I even get the love all the way from NZ to Malaysia! 

I can't say I am good but with all the love and supports from family and friends, I am doing fine and thank you for all the understandings, and all the calls and meet ups to talk to me, to listen to me and to show your care. 

I am indeed, feeling all the love and care, and more appreciate of all the freedom and lesson my father had taught me when he is still around to prepare our independent and the ability to survive on our own. The little girl who don't even dare to take a public transport in secondary, had made her way to the outside world again and again. Only that she has been gone too far, too far until she refuse to go back home. One thing that made him proud yet disappointed. 

And then for my mum, I am always the little princess at home too. Even the last few months she is not able to cook, she will still ask the helper to cook me good meal whenever I tell that I am coming. I did not do much as a daughter, but only glad that I managed to come home, meet her and talk to her especially the month of October before I started working again.

She has been standing up strong after a few times of falling. This time is coming too soon. I am not ready for it. Yet, it has become the fact and nothing can changed. 

I always feeling sorry of being not a good daughter. However it is always not the reverse way. Even if history do repeat, I would chose the same path. 

Thank you for both daddy and mummy, for being understanding, for not forcing me the way you want me to be. Thanks for the freedom, thanks for the letting go.

Thank you for all the family members supports. We are not always meeting up one another but we can always feel the love. From the first step of me stepping to the university at Penang, the very first step of learning to be independent from home, until I graduated, started working, and when I am far away from home. 

Thank you for all the friends who are concern, I feel all the love also. These amount of love, have very much filled for this year valentine. I am not always feeling alone or lonely without a life partner, thanks to all these good people I met in life. Of course, I do hope to find a soulmate in life soon. Meanwhile, I will stay strong and life will still go on. 

Thank you for all the wishes and blessings too. Lastly, wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year, this year just a simple wish to everyone to stay safe. However life is short, do go ahead with whatever challenges that scare you most. With that, you grow and be stronger than yesterday. 

Little sheep is now with that Wanaka Tree, New Zealand. 

The lone tree that standing in the middle of the sea, 

alone but not lonely, 

with all the tourists that visiting everyday, 

and sometime the bird that resting on it. 

My most favorite spot in New Zealand. =D

Jan 2018 Application of Working Holiday in NZ

Two days later, 25th Jan 2018, 5 am will be another year of opening for Malaysian Working Holiday Scheme to work and travel in NZ.

It is just like yesterday, I applied for the working holiday, but it has been 2 years ago, and I have also returned home for good.

Recently, some friends come and ask me about it. Some has been long planned(we discussed it when we were still in university) and finally it is the good timing for her to apply, some has come and approach for advises and tips.

Initially, after come back from working holiday, I was quite discouraging people to go for this working holiday, especially If you are in doubt if you do want to go and worry about getting a job when you return.

But soon after talking to one of the good friend, she make me be more neutral.

I just hope those who go for this working holiday is really looking for a good change and change from within, it can be a challenge for a lifetime, or just a break from the hectic life.

I was considered very very very lucky, to get it the first time I apply it and without much preparation to go.

I was also very very very lucky that I managed to get job along the period with little gap in between. Not mentioning that the 9 months travel period is FOC and the experiences and the friendship I gained is worth for this betting.

While I was there get bored with the rolling kiwi berries, I did discuss the luck that we get the visa with a friend there. We did, eventually get into the conclusion that, some times the luck come is not only faith that we have, but is the persistence that we fight to become who we are today.

Last week, I also started back to read, this book is also kind of linked with the same concept, it is some how your belief and you really go for it, that made your dreams come true (刘墉 «不疯魔，不成活»).

You have to be crazy enough in order to live your life.

While going for another working holiday will not be my next destination, I do look forward for more life changing experiences.

Good luck to all those who are going to apply the working holiday this round, be calm and if You get it, congratulations, go for it and make it a good lifetime memories. If not get it, it might means there is more duty for You to stay and do what you need.

I do trust life changing situations is everywhere, it is not starting with a new country but starting from a little mindset.

Can you withstand such a long period without nasi lemak and sambal???

If not, learn to cook yourself first before you go.

The nasi lemak is not cook by myself, I only eat it. She is The one who advice me to be neutral, while she thinks that she will not brave enough to travel alone, I am always thankful for her kindness to cook me good food and bring me around when I visit her. 

Not everything can be ready in time though, so be flexible, help others and let others give you a hand too. 

This is the lesson I learnt the most during my working holiday period and everyday.

Good luck people!