i miss you

finally, my bags are packed and i'm ready to go. back to spore. miss him so much. my mum thinks i'm outta my mind. well, at least, every minute now brings me closer to him. Its gonna be one hell of a long and terrible plane ride.. but at least a pot of gold sits at the end. *hugz*...

see u soon babe...

Michael Buble -- Home

Another summer day

has come and gone away

In Paris or Rome...

but I wanna go home...

uhm Home

may be surrounded by

a million people

I still feel all alone

just wanna go home

I miss you, you know

And I've been keeping all the letters

that I wrote to you,

Each one a line or two

I'm fine baby, how are you?

I would send them but I know that it's just not enough

My words were cold and flat

And you deserve more than that

Another aeroplane, another sunny place,

I'm lucky I know

but I wanna go home

I got to go home

Let me go home

I'm just too far from where you are

I wanna come home

And I feel just like I'm living

someone else's life

It's like I just stepped outside

when everything was going right

And I know just why you could not come along with me

This was not your dream

but you always believed in me...

Another winter day

Has come and gone away

in either Paris or Rome

and I wanna go home

Let me go home

And I'm surrounded by

A million people I

still feel alone

Let me go home

I miss you , you know

Let me go home

I've had my run

baby I'm done

I gotta go home

Let me go home

it'll all be alright

I'll be home tonight

I'm coming back home

Spain and Portugal part 2

Spain and Portugal Part 2

21 December => Madrid -> Toledo

Early morning, we got up to a bright start to tour the city of Madrid. Honestly, I didn’t have any earnest anticipation regarding the whole affair as I had the previous notion tt cities will be cities. To me, they are just a congregation of people, living together, as though in a habitat as the primary science books would describe it. However, it is the culture and history of a city tt sets it apart from the rest. This makes it unique and special. Hence first, we went to visit the 2nd biggest bull fighting ring in the entire world (with the biggest being in Mexico), it was an endless parade of photoshoots with parents yelling for us to hold certain postures or be at certain positions. Though I detested it, I know they meant well.

in remembrance of our missing cousins, velda and kor kor. hehe

Then we went to view the Cervantes momunment in Plaza espana, Puerta del Sol, Gran Via and Madrid’s most famous fountain.

Finally, we took a nice stroll towards the magnificent State Apartments of the Royal Palace and marvel at its lavish decorations and tapestry on the walls. I took a particular liking to the room dedicated to the Chinese as it had lovely yellow patterns on the wall, each of them resembling an intricate complex woven lace print tt worked so well throughout the spacious room. What attracted me most of all were the large number of rooms present in the entire royal palace and the amount of effort spent to decorate each and every one according to a different theme and color. Of couse only the best materials, luscious and smooth were used throughout. Every small detail from the ceiling to the floors were managed in the same style, slightly classy with a French flaire and definitely extravagant to the max. Pity photography wasn’t allowed in the palace hence the lack of photos here.

love the similar expressions of my mum and auntie. twins will be twins.. hehe...

After a quick stop over for lunch, we proceed by bus to Toledo, the former capital of medieval Spain.Again, I held no expectations. It was not till I reached the top of the hill to view the panaromic view of the city tt I was awed and dumbstruck by the beauty and strategic placing of the city. Surrounded by high walls on all sides, the city was built on a slight mould of a hill of the country side of Madrid. With houses cascading down the sides of the hill, the cathedral stood high and proud at the top. It was no wonder tt this place was an UNESCO world heritage site.

We then entered the city walls for a walking tour. First we went to view the Gothic Cathedral. Well, wat can I say? Cathedral AGAIN! But this experience was slightly enhanced due to the presence of a very experiences city guide who managed to explain the significance of most of the features in this gargantuan church.

Did I mention tt I think Catholicism is freaky? (no offence to catholics though *gulp*)

Then we took a slow stroll around the city pavements on our own. At the same time taking in the sights and sounds all around.
Toledo was a pretty strange city tt appears as though it is stuck in the past. A past of glory and faded riches. Even the inhabitants of the city are supremely old as compared to the pple who reside just outside of the city walls. Even so, the history of the city and its once glorified history as the capital of Spain remained. And its old world charm had such friendly disposition tt drew me closer to the place. In fact, I felt as if Toledo was the highlight of the entire trip.

a panaromic view of toledo city from the top of a hill

Saint Martin Bridge

trevor deserves a BIG HUG! he doesn't seem to be enjoying it though. haha

Finally after we had finished the tour of Toledo, we headed back home to Madrid where we made a stop over to have a special Tapas Dinner. Tapas is the common food of the Spanish. Consisting of several small cold dishes such as anchovies, olives, sardines and such, paired with bread. This previous finger food for the Spanish had evolved into a proper meal for the people of Spain. Well, I didn’t have too good an experience with this cuisine though. Probably wasn’t used to the food served. Cold… haha. Not exactly attractive on a cold day huh? Haha.

Tapas Dinner

my heart feels a certain aching. a forbidden emotion. one tt i shldn't be embracing. so why???

suddenly, i wanna go home. i want to feel safe in his arms again.

Spain and Portugal Part 3

Spain and Portugal Part 3

22nd December => Madrid -> Segovia -> Avila -> Salamanca

Today we headed on the little town of Segovia where we basically got to walk around the city and view wat a normal olden city had. A cathedral and a castle needless to say. However wat was different about this city was the 2000 years old Roman Aqueduct which runs thru the heart of the city. the blue skies over head allowed for excellent photo oppotunities and the sunny weather caused a slight temperature rise warming up our cold limbs. though the castle was no way as extravagent as the others we had saw in britan before, as we scaled the lookout tower to the top of the castle, we were treated to a spectacular view of the entire city and its surroundings. i guessed the king must have amused himself looking down on his subjects living in the houses far below his. Must have been some form of cheap thrill. haha.

Another Gothic Cathedral...

view from the top of the castle... guess the climb was worth it after all...

the aqueduct.... isn't it magnificant?

After tt, we proceeded on to have our lunch! today's special.... *drum roll* pls. authentic succulent roast suckling pig! my gosh.. made using a tiny 2 month old baby pig. Guaranteed tenderness to the meat there.

the ceremony before the pig was served was rather interesting. this i will post a video off once i get back to spore. Other than tt, the pork was nothing spectacular. Perhaps more on the tender, fall off the bone side, but it was nothing to rave about. Dessert was a measly serving of ice-cream?!?! i was flabbergasted... in wat way did ice-cream compliment or complete a meal such as roast pork? strange...


okie.. so this photo was taken be4 lunch. a hungry woman is an angry woman! *RAWR*

then, we travelled on to view the ancient walls of St. Therea's town of Avila. well, i wld just say this town was similar to a ghost town. With fine walls and beatiful construction on the perimeter, the inside was empty and bristling with gust of cold air blowing down the empty streets. Perhaps the onset of winter have caused everyone to retreat into their homes. As a result, the was pretty much nothing to do in the town besides self entertainment ( tt somehow we were very good at.. me and my cousins) Apparently, this city built on uber highlands (650m above sea level) thus explaining its uncomfortably high temps tt chase away tourists during the winters. Trust me.. it was VERY cold!

dun ask me what was i doing.. anyway, mummy bears testimony to the freezing temps of avila. *brrr*

Finally, after a long day of sightseeing, we were back on the bus and travelling to Salamanca where we to spend the night. Upon reaching the hotel, and checking in, our family went out to walk the streets and take in the christmas atmosphere in Plaza Mayor. the lights in the city were brightly lit around the main square and its surounding streets. Throngs of people moved lyke slow running water along the cobbled pathways. everywhere, shops were full of activity. oh well, i still had a little time to make a little shopping trip at H&M.

Having a lot of time on our hands, we stepped into a little bakery shop along the street. As i stepped in, i was immediately taken over by a sudden surge of warmth. Not only because the shop perimeters were heated, but by the lightings and the strong aroma wafting throughout. it was pastries galore with families queuing up to purchase their sweet goods for desserts of gifts. It was instant comfort for me in a sense. well, perhaps someday i would want to set up a shop lyke this... anyway, feeling a strong urge and temptation to try. We picked out several goodies from the display to return back to the hotel to sample. and guess wat, i fell in love with one of them.. oh god,.. i MUST SO learn to re-create this dessert one day. it was more than just average. it was perfect... wahhh....

look at the lovely pastry shop display window. now, who wldn't fall in love with it?

Spain and Portugal part I

Spain and Portugal Part

well, just for the sake of introducing a little organisation into my blog, i shall do a post by day to day basis. well, i figured by doing this, it wld aid in reviving my dying memory cells. at least to a certain extent...hehe

so here goes...

19-20 December => Barcelona -> Zaragoza -> Madrid

lets just say it was one hell of a plane ride tt i'm definitely looking forward to on my trip back to Singapore. 16 hours on the plane ain't a joke for sure. Thank goodness i've seemed to have ridded myself of the plane sick syndrome. *phew*. arrival was slightly delayed due to the frost tt had developed on the wings of our plane whilst in transit in milan and the defrosting process took a little while before the plane was in good condition to take off once again.

and since it was 7 hours behind Singapore time in Spain. it was as though we were buying time, and upon arrival, it was only 7 in the morning despite the late afternoon setting in in Singapore. of course, then, it seemed like a very very long day. By which at the end of it, i was exhausted.

Touring of Barcelona City started as soon as we touched down and collected our luggage. We were whisked off in the coach to the top of Montjuic Hill to enjoy a panaromic view of the city. Then we went on to the Gothic Quarters of the city where we came to appreciate the styles of buildings there. Cobbled pavements and houses with lovely balconies overlooking the streets were certainly a noble sight, but tt novelty lasted for a while only as far as the entire trip went as these sightings were common throughout the country.

We then visited the Sagrada Familia Church designed by Gaudi. this church resembling a grotto with magnificant sand columms and a chisled exterior proved to be quite a sight. Given its significant height within the neighbourhood, it certainly was a sight to be awed at.

In the late afternoon, we spent it wandering along Las Rambles where we enjoyed a bit of shopping in the city centre. it was madness with the crowds flowing in and out of the area at high volumes and speed. But nonetheless, with big brands such as Zara (originating from Spain) and Pull and Bear. it certainly called for a good shopping spree. Only our wallets were in denial... in the end i managed to get 2 tops from Zara and a pair of new canvas shoes! YAY! gosh.. i'm so easily satisfied... hehe

and of course we had to stop over for a comfort cup of hot coffee.. *yumz*

the next day, after a good nights stay in the hotel, we proceeded by our 'man-former' bus towards madrid. A pretty long bus ride which i knew i had to get used to since we were talking about europe over here. no attractions are back to back. travelling is a MUST! well, thank God for the coach anyway which was comfortable by my standards .

We made a stop over in the city of Zaragoza to view the magnificant cathedral of El Pilar and for our quick lunch break. Slight Rain dampaned our moods a little but the small aisles and the sight of comforting pastry shops comforted me immediately. oh yesh! i must mention the bestest hot chocolate i've had so far on the trip. it was practically melted chocolate, at least 60%, meaning tt it was all the richness of chocolate sans the sugary sweetness. Now tts ultimate indulgence with every warm mouthful. aahhh..

and look at the intriguing xmas decorations installed on the buildings! sorrie for the reallie small picture. But if u take a closer peek, u'll see tt they have little santa statues climbing on the rail. Lyke thieves sneaking into homes. how cute! hehe. Pity i dun get to celebrate Christmas in Singapore. But fret not! with family ard, christmas are always fun...

well... at the very least, you've got drinking companions! haha *cheers*

and in case u were wondering. we had beer and Cava (Spanish sparkling wine).. nothing too fanciful. heh

so tts the end of day 1 and 2. pls stay tuned for the rest of the installements! trust me, they only get more interesting!

Trip to Spain et Portugal

OLA!!! greetings from Spain...

finally here's a short post from Spain. Currently sitting in the hotel room trying to organise 2000+ photos whilst brainstorming what to blog about. Just crossed the border from Portugal to Spain today. Now in Seville.

I figured that this post would probably end up messy with the least amount of organisation or flow of thought. But since that is every bit my feelings now then tt would have to suffice. Dawned on me tt a tiny post from Spain whilst on my long absence in Singapore wld be slightly entertaining to pple who visit my blog. hehe. to everyone, a late Merry Christmas to you! God bless...
Europe, i expected nothing more thn an endless touring of churches, cathedrales, palaces and more. and tt was just wat i got. it was reallie ENDLESS. the largest cathedrale, the most significant gothic church... *yawnz*... they were all beautiful i must admit, but man-made nonetheless. Hence holding less place in my heart then nature and its works would. Now half way thru the trip, i see myself caught in a web. Partially loving the stay whilst half of me yearns to go home. away from the sight-seeing, the giant structures and the never-ending bus rides. I miss my babe and bunny dearly...

Nevertheless, I thanks God for the presence of my two mad-ass cousins whom help to preserve my sanity. erm.. or allow me to display my super childish side without a qualm. 3 of us definitely means trouble. truthfully w/o them, this trip would have been a bore. whether it be the rantings about a particular somebody (hehe.. RUNAWAY NUN! p.s our wacky tour guide with the weirdest accent most hilarious pronunciation) or restaurant chino, its always good to have someone to joke with. besides its fun having pple think you and your cousins are all below the age of 18 when in fact we're lyke 21, 20 and 19. haha.. how childish, but trust me, acting lyke a kid does have therapeutic effects of some sort.

orite, looking at the clock now, its close to 1am here in Spain. and with a long day ahead.. i guess i got to make this quick or risk looking lyke a panda the whole of tmr. heh.

So in the totaly of 8 days tat i've stayed in Spain and Portugal. What rocks, the weather of course! a cool 2 degrees to 18 degrees depending on location. eating local pastries! oh of which i MUST MENTION this stall in Lisbon! Pasteis de Belim, a shop specialising in portugese egg tarts. My gosh.. its lyke the doughnut craze all over again. Here, this shop has no francaises whatsoever and all its pastries are made within its kitchen. Hear said its the most famous shop selling egg tarts with its original recipe being eyed by many. Thank goodness i had the opportunity of sinking my teeth into not one but 2 of these jems whilst passing by the shop. and let me tell u this, i ain't kidding when i say it was similiar to an orgasm in your mouth. the custard was perfect together with the crisp yet not too oily puff pastry crust. oh gosh.. best i've eaten in my life! u knoe.. i was thinking to myself. Some day if the urge arrives, i'll probably throw down everything tt i have and head on down to a cosy little pastry shop in europe and try to pick up some of those baking skills. Pastries here are definitely one class above the rest.

So back to the trip. To cut the long story short, we visited Barcelona, Zaragoza, then took a drive down to Madrid where we did a pretty good day tour followed by a tour of Toledo, ancient city which in my opinion was the highlight of the tour. the ancient city with its high walls and narrow cobbled walkways held a certain magical aura to them and it was definitely a trip back into the olden times upon entering the old city.

then it was heading down to Segovia, Avila and Salamanca all of which were very unique in their own sense. Pictures will be updated soon for these venues. Next, we crossed the border into Portugal to visit the shrine of Fatima before putting up in Lisbon. Portugal i feel was worlds apart from Spain. It meant bluer skies, clearer weather and much more sunny weather. I contemplate coming over to Lisbon to stay, probably rent a house along the coastline and rest for the summer. Could drop by Cape Rock once in a while, sunset over the horizon was gorgeous!

after our stay in Lisbon, we the travelled back to Spain, Seville where we are now staying the night. the rest of the trip... i can only imagine. All i hope for is that Peace and safety be granted to my family as we travel.

but i'm guessing its gonna be churches churches and more churches! ARGH.. im bored. hehe.

okie.. enough of blogging. its reallie time for bed.. i love cold nights and snuggling under the sheets. * yawnz*... i shall leave u with a paragraph tt i scribbled whilst on the bus. long bus rides sure induce lots of thoughts. ok... its Goodnight Spain, Morning Singapore...

Rash is the mind that yearns to throw everything down in search of a better life. One that borders on beauty, prespective, of drawing oneself closer to nature and shutting away from man. Seeking isolation. It is strange that man would often pursue something on the opposite spectrum of his own comfort zone. But whichever the path taken. his roots are missed in the end.

My desire burns strong. I will pursue what my heart calls out for. Yield not to the world. For the world is not my guide. Instead the Lord is my light and wherever he leads I will follow.