travel journal

Our tour has arrived in Taipei last night...it has been a week on the road already and am I glad to be back to being surrounded by terrible traffic and high rise buildings!

Today, I "sneaked out" of the tour activities to come home to do laundry and check my email (and my thesis mark!!) etc...

When I got home, I saw in the mailbox a present from NZ!

It is the perfect present - a travel journal! I'd been wanting to get one before I leave for Europe! Thanks for such a thoughtful present and the effort to send it to me :) Love that photo of us as well...*hugs* Thanks guys...It's the best travel journal I've seen and I've been flipping thru it over and over...so interesting to read the travel reminders amongst all those other traveling stuff in there...I sure will be using it in my trips!

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train" - Oscar Wilde

A little update on my trip. I've been quite sun burnt and sweating like a pig all day long... I'd like the trip to end now but unfortunately there are still 2 more weeks. The sceneries down south are nice but does not take my breathe away... Oh, and I am horrified of the stinky squatting toilets...UGH. I truly not know how to begin describing those experiences with the toilets during the trip...such a contrast to the Toto toilets in Japan that nicely warms your butt.

Most of the tour members are a lot younger than me. Hmmm a lot of high school drama and gossiping going on...hmmm. Should I even mention dodgy people who steals pillows/slippers from the hotels? :( I really do miss those days of traveling in the US with Vivian with the tour and having someone to have great conversations with! Last night there was this huge party and all I wanted to do was to go back to the hotel and sleep. I know...I really am turning into a granny :)

Alright...got heaps more emails to reply then am going to dinner before heading back to join up with the group.

At pebble beach...

14 more days.........

Wow, I didn't know I'd get internet access so soon! :)

It is only the first day of my tour! Ok, so a little update. I arrived at Tainan this arvo after 2 hours on the high speed train! Some tour guides came and pick me up and I met two Canadian guys who are also joining this tour. They drove us to this uni (I didn't even know this uni existed!) where we registered and paid for the trip. Apparently there are 140 ppl in this tour this year and so we are all split into different teams and different buses.

Tonight, I am staying at the dorm room of this university. It is dodgy...hmmmm. There are 3 other girls sharing the room (2 from London, another girl from Sydney) and tonight we've been just getting to know all the other members. We all got so bored that we found the computer room in the uni and everyone seems to be on the facebook now! LOL. It seems like most of the ppl here are younger than me! Most of them have just started uni and some even still in high school. The tour guides (they are actually students from this university) think all of us are incapable of speaking Mandarin so they've been talking to me so slowly. They are pretty "strict" as well. Like just before when we were leaving the room...this girl (who seems to be minding the corridor or something) with the most worried look on her face, asked us where we were going etc. Quite funny I have to say. Maybe she thougth we were going to visit the guys' dorm rooms or something?... I feel like I'm back in high school...

There's supposed to be this introductory meeting now, but I guess they canceled it because not everyone has arrived. Let's hope tomorrow will be more interesting eh?

traveling light

[HEART] missing home already
[EYES] The Heavenly Man by Bro Yun.
[EARS] noisy taipei traffic and *bark bark*
[HEAD] dizzy
[HANDS] squashing everything into tiny luggage

I leave today for the tour around the Island...taking a high speed rail to the most southern part of Taiwan (only takes 2 hours!) and meeting the rest of the tour members there!

I'm soo excited but I feel like a cold or flu is creeping up on me. Ugh.

The last few days have been eventful and I will update when I get back from my trip I guess...in 2 weeks.

How am I supposed to live without the internet for so long? How how how?!?! heheh.

Le Cordon Bleu (Paris)

Paris - Workshop : Autumn Pastry, Cakes
09/29/2007
Description: 6 hour themed workshop
Additional Date & Time Information 8:30am to 3:30pm
Course Duration 1 Day
Prerequisites 18 years old or older
Tuition EUR 142.00

Paris - Workshop : Freshly Baked Pastries
10/20/2007
Description: 6 hour themed workshop
Additional Date & Time Information 8:30am to 3:30pm
Course Duration 1 Day Prerequisites 18 years old or older
Tuition EUR 142.00

Paris - Workshop : Petits Fours
10/13/2007
Description 6 hour themed workshop
Additional Date & Time Information 8:30am to 3:30pm
Course Duration 1 Day
Prerequisites 18 years old and older
Tuition EUR 142.00

Paris - Demo & practical : Cooking for Friends
Description: The day begins with a Chef demonstration followed by a tasting. You will then prepare one of the dishes demonstrated under the supervision of a Chef. You will be able to return home and dazzle your guests with your culinary wizardry! Translated into English.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15 2007
Tomatoes stuffed with large shrimp marinated with dill, horseradish Chantilly Saltimbocca style sautéed veal, crisp vegetables with herbs Strawberries in red wine, marjoram granita
SATURDAY OCTOBER 6 2007
Lobster fricassee with fresh tomato, mushroom ragout Stuffed chicken legs cooked with green lentils from Puy Mascarpone mousse served in a glass with flambéed banana
SATURDAY OCTOBER 27 2007
Leek and shallot compote, poached egg and Roquefort cream sauce Lamb with large white “Tarbais” beans Hot orange flower water flavored soufflé

Additional Date & Time Information 8:30am to 3:30pm
Course Duration 1 Day
Tuition EUR 142.00


I may be returning from Europe a culinary artist! If anyone is willing to sponsor me that is... So costy...these short courses. I'd love to get a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney some day though.

its been 5 years!

Got to spend all day with my little cuz before she leaves for NZ tomorrow. She's so cute!

i love bento

I spent all morning packing and therefore did not get to go for a swim. Because we had to check out by 12pm, for the remainder of the time in Tokyo we went to the nearby museum (The National Art Center) to check out the architecture and the neighbourhood of our hotel. Before we hopped on the bus to the airport, we made a final visit to my favourite place - the supermarket!

The Japanese ppl I'd come across are so apologetic and courteous...always telling me how sorry they are for not being able to speak better English! It made me feel terrible.
I also learnt that you are not supposed to wear your shoes into the changing rooms. Several times I had forgotten about this custom which had the sales ladies panicking and shrieking in terror.

Cute yoghurt bottles...makes you wanna eat them all!

A supermarket which sells all kinds of bento...

Did I mention how much I love bentos?

If only the fruits at coles are packed like these...

Aunty and I

Me and mummy at the hotel lobby


The National Art Center

A French restaurant inside the museum (at the top of the cone)...it had the longest line coz

of its world renowned chef Paul Bocuse.

Mum and I outside hotel before we left...

Lunch time is here....while waiting for boarding time...

It's sad leaving Tokyo...it had been a delicious trip...

regret

We've been thinking about extending our stay here in Tokyo...there are way too many places unvisited and I'd really like to see more of Japan outside central Tokyo. I sort of wish that I do not have to work next year so that I could join Nova and teach English in Japan for a year...It would be nice to learn the language and see all that Japan has to offer. Oh well...some day.

Ok here are some of the places in Tokyo I still need to visit:
-Ginza
-Omotesando
-Ebisu
-Tsukiji (fish market)
-Shinjuku gyoen Park

Perhaps I shall squeeze in another trip to Japan after my Euro trip...but that depends on the seriousness of my debt. :p

Today mum's friend treated us to lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant...and I don't even remember the name of it! Altho I haven't been to Tetsuya's in Sydney, but I can imagine it to be something similar to what we had. My only regret was that I didn't take any photos...:( It was so posh there and I didn't want to look all touristy in front of all these other people. Before the meal, they even give you a list of what will be served on this pretty piece of paper (exactly like how Iron Chef Michiba writes out his 'menu' in calligraphy). Every dish was so delicate and made with so much thought that I was guessing how the judges on Iron Chef would critic each dish. ("The combination of the flavours just explode in your mouth" lol..)

I also met mum's friend's kid at lunch. It was funny trying to communicate with him with his limited English and our broken Chinese.

H: "So where do you live now?"
Me: "Sydney"
H: *looking blank"
Me: "See-doe-nee"
H: "Ohhhhh so-desu ka"

One thing I am sure. I definitely do not want to work in Tokyo. He said at Sony he gets off work at 12am everyday!!!!! He even lives in those company provided dormitory...I was just thinking how horrible...not having your own free time.

Throughout the whole day, my legs felt disconnected from the rest of my body. I haven't walked so much for a long time. I bought a new camera today...and some work clothes. One last thought...never go shopping in Tokyo during the sales period.

Still have half a day tmr before we head to the airport. Sayonara Japan...see you again soon.

Street performer...the little puppet thing on the ground does everything asked...when I shouted "sleep"...it actually collapsed on the group...strange huh? no strings attached!

Desserts at Takano in Shinjuku

Don't judge those by their plain appearances. They are melon-flavoured buns. The tastiest buns ever. Sooooooooo fingerlicking good..

White peach is in season right now. Oh so juicy...

Hmmmmm....this is how I look all day long...

This trip is like a eating tour...all I did was eating..then more eating...