Human Nature?

My sister treated us to coffee and cakes at Starbucks the other night.

It was really nice to laze on the sofa and chit chatted with sibblings. Not something special for some ppl but it is to me coz we don't get to sit down together & talk to each other face to face like this very often. With my sibblings all over the world (& different time zones), we hardly even have the chance to talk over MSN.

It was stormy outside but I felt warm inside. I guess we would fight like enermies instead of doing this if we saw each other everyday. Sometimes I really feel that we human beings have this bad habit of taking things for granted... Why do we only appreciate when things are not within our reach or easily obtainable?

So sad that my sister is leaving for Paris tonight and that brother will leave for Aust in 1 week's time... I will have no sibblings to play with liao... The good thing is, Jane will be back in 3 weeks time! Yayyeeee, someone to go CNY visiting with meeeeEEEee.. :)

Santa Claus is coming to toOOoownnn....

Now that my exam is over, I should be on my way realising the stuff I felt like doing during my studies... Yup, Should be... but I'm not in the mood anymore. hehe, I'm not suprised at my 180 degree change...

I am so slack this December (hehe, actually i'm slack whole year round)

Christmas is 2 days away and my Christmas tree is still nicely tucked away in the box. It used be up by November every year! Awww.. no twinkling Christmas tree to brighten my home this year then....

Christmas Eve is tomorrow. I can't believe that I haven't had a plan yet. Do you have one? Can I join? haha... I used to organise a Christmas gifts exchange party every year but this year, I broke the tradition coz all my energy has been spent on my studies (yeah, i blame it on my exam). Also, I have to save some money for emergency use. The economy might get worse in the Moo year... So, no big celebration for me this Rat year. Just a simple get together gathering with a couple of my buddies. I reckon that's good enough ^^

My sister came back from Paris last night. Nice to have her back for a short holiday. What's nicer is that she brought me a Xmas gift. From Paris. The City of Loveeeee..... Should be City of Branded Goods lah... ;p

I like branded stuff and like all other girls, I dream of having one of my very own. Any kind will do so long as it's not one from Petaling Street. I'm not very picky when it comes to free gift ;)

Guess what my sister bring all the way from Paris? The package comes in a very good quality box. It's exquisitely wrapped with blue ribbon too and it has the 'Paris' wording on it. The whole thing looks very classy and feels very heavy! OOoo, i have a good feeling about this. I can feel the 'branded-ness' already....

So excited at the sight of a gift that I almost ripped the box open! My dear sister got me

not a LV or Chanel bag. It's a box of handmade chocolate! How sweet of her *smiling happily (and also disappointedly ;p)*

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to you All!

It's weekend?!

It's official. My exam is tomorrow *nervous*

No weekend for me this weekend. Well, there is a weekend this week. Just that weekend is supposed to be for enjoyment and since I have to study over the weekend, which is no fun at all, so technically, I don't have a weekend. ahhhh what the... Too much studies makes me talk nonsense!

Suddenly, I feel like re-decorating my room, washing my dirt-covered white car, making giant chewy choc chip cookies... all the things I've been procrastinating for months or years...!

Haiiii... studying is definitely making me M-A-D. There is too much information in my tiny brain. It's spilling out.....

Oh, today is Dong Zi. Mum made a big pot of tan yuan (glutinous rice balls) this morn and I had that for breakfast. Yummmm....

Happy Dong Zi!

mum's savoury tan yuan

We finally see LIGHTS!

Mr. Sun is finally back from his holiday in Hawaii! ^^

*singing* You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey.....

Oooppssss.. i forgot to reset the date... should be 19/12/08 :p

Rain Rain Rain....

It's Dark and rainy again. It has been like this for the past few days. Love that it rains in the morning. Such a perfect weather for more sleep! What a pain in the neck having to leave my warm comfy bed! Grrr....

I love rain but when there is too much gloominess, cold and wetness, life can be a bit grey. I seriously need some colours, some warmth, and some happiness! I miss Mr. Sun! Where is he anyway? Probably enjoying his Xmas holiday, sunbathing in Hawaii ;p

I know something that can give me exactly what I need ----- Colourful, spicy Indian food of course! *clap clap* Jenn is soOOoooOOoo smart!! I heard that there is a bit of opium in their food. Good, coz that makes me happy (and keeps me going back for more..... ;p).

Guess what? I've been having Indian food 2 days in a row hehe.. I felt v full (& guilty) after that and drank 2 cups of green tea hoping to cleanse my system and also wash away my guilt hahaha... Yesterday, i found an Indian restaurant in a really quiet place and i suddenly had this idea that i want to try ALL the Indian food in kch! hahaha... what a strange and unhealthy thought... But...

Is there anyone out there who would like to join my crazy adventure?? It will make you happy you know...........

Image from theworldthroughmyeyesgroup.blogspot.com

Swollen Finger

Clumsy me 'kiap' (caught) my thumb in the door *sob sob*

I didn't pull my finger away fast enough when i shutted the car door. hmmm... is that a sign of aging?

It wasn't painful at first so i continued to take things out from my car. After like 2 seconds, my thumb hurt like hell! I immediately threw all my things on the ground and looked at my poor thumb. It had swollen into a lightbulb and started to bled! Then i cried.

The more i cried, the more painful it got and the more painful it got, the louder i cried. Then like a little child, I ran to my mum. My mum kept blowing on my finger and told me that this will make finger less painful. At the same time, she gave me some sweets to eat to keep me distracted from pain while she searched for ointment. For one moment, i really felt like a little kid! An old kid that is hahaha....

Not only that, I was like a princess for I didn't need to do any cleaning up after dinner. And bro was asked to do things because mum said 'sis has painful finger' hiak hiak... i bet my bro hated me that night... ;p

I still have swollen and bruised fingers. I can't type properly....

before the blue-black effect

Holiday Project

I've been wanting to try making fruit enzymes ever since I found the recipe in a newspaper months ago. After months of giving myself tonnes of excuses, I decided to give it a try over the long weekend. How hard is it to put 4 things together, right?

Wrong. Because it took me 3 days to gather 4 things at 5 different places! 345.. what a nice number....

I really miss those one-stop departmental stores like those in KL and overseas. Those so huge that i cannot find the exit; that sell everything under the sun that I can complete my shopping list (and probably also end up with things I don't need) in one go.

I didn't manage to do as planned over the long holiday. Because by the time i finally got all the things i need, i was too lazy to begin hehe.... I guess long holiday is meant for activities like eat, sleep, play or just do nothing....


P/s: I made fruit enzymes last night. Hardworking of me huh? Actually, I was forced to do it coz the papaya was showing sign of 'aging'.

My blood and sweat

An ocean apart

My world has become quiet again...

I look into the far horizon and wonder what are going through your mind at this moment. Are u having the same thoughts as me?

Time seems to have come to a stop but how come I can still feel the wind? How come I can still feel the stinging of the sun?

I'm exhausted. I need a sleep. We shall meet again... See you in 5.... in my dreams....

I look thinner! Yayeeee

Last night, stop-growing-since-12 CS said I'm thinner.... That's one beautiful compliment, esp when it was given when matchstick LY was around.

Thanks, CS for the beautiful words. It made me sleep like a baby last nite. When i woke up this morn, i felt as if all my spare tires had gone until.... i touched myself...

CS gave Jane the same compliment too.... except that her face is 'puff-ier' Tee hee......

La la la.....

For the first time in many months, I don't have Monday blue! Am in such a happy mood that NOTHING can drag me down from Haven of Happiness to Earth.... (p/s: if u have any bad news, do tell me today ;p)

Am feeling super duber excited now. We are celebrating Mum's birthday tonight. What makes the already-special event extra special is that it's gonna be a 'semi' family reunion too! How rare! How priceless! How I can't wait!

Although our family reunion is not quite 'complete', it's good enough. We haven't had such a 'big' reunion dinner for AGES! Since I was 10 i think. I bet Mum is the happiest and most excited among us all... How can one not be when Jane took time off her busy schedule and flew in last Sat, Pete extended his stay and brother will fly in this afternoon with family ?

Simply Rain.....

It feels like 7pm right now. Dark and pouring at the moment.

It has been like this every afternoon lately. Bright hot sunny morning followed by gloomy wet rainy afternoon.

Love that it rains. Love the gloomy weather, the cool wind, the fresh air, the smell and sound of the rain.

Love that Mother Nature does the jobs of watering the plants and washing my car for me. Love the blurry scenery created by rain. Everything feels more beautiful and cleaner in rain. Love the music it makes when touching my umbrella.

Love that it's ok to be lazy on rainy days. No need to feel guilty to have no plans, no motivation, no aims, no happiness.

Love the smoothing effect it gives. Love to listen to rain in my sleep. I hope it continues to rain til dawn.

I simply love rain....

Arrrrggghhh............

I'm in big shit. one gigantic one...

I only found out that I've been studying the wrong study materials today. After nearly 6 months of studying!?!?

My deadline to sit for the exam is end of this year. That's like 1 month and 6 days away including public holidays. That's definitely not enough time for me to re-study. Just look at the way I've been studying! CRAP!! Arrrgghhh... I'm such a goon!

I will have to shoot the birds in the exam liao :(

Pondering

Time flies. In less than 1.5 months, we will be greeting 2009! Oh my, where has time gone?

While i was driving last night, i thought to myself that in 20 years time, i will be at near-retiring age!

Will i still be lost in life like how i sometimes am?

Will I still be doing what I'm doing now?

Will my life become better or worse?

Will I still look slim? Will people still look at me and say 'are you a mode?' 'No? you should be one.'? [I always say i'm too fat to be one. Is that too modest of me? ;p]

Will I be going for cosmetic surgery to look 18?

Will I this? Will I that? Will I....? Will I....?

Too many questions. Too many demands. Too many uncertainties. Too many worries. Too many fears.

I think I think too much. I need a break.

My dream life

Everyone has his/her own idea of perfect life. Mine keeps changing. What.... I'm a girl. I'm entitled to be indecisive... ;p

At the moment, my kind of perfect life is....


Sipping a cup of dark chocolate on a big comfy sofa before a burning fire while watching the soft snow gently falling down from the sky. And a twinkling christmas tree in the other side of the room..*


* Inspired by the coldness and the xmas carols playing in my office :p

Kinda look a bit like this

What's your idea of perfect life?

Dental Experience

I finally visited a dentist last weekend. *proud*

I was gonna see one 2 years ago but.... Hmmm... procrastination is really a sickness! haha..

I dreaded seeing a dentist and kept making up excuses not to go. Tonnes of them. And some really didn't make sense... It's Jane's recent broken teeth incident that 'motivates' me to do it...

Actually, I've phobia about seeing a dentist. I remember about my dental experience back in primary school. Everytime someone came into the classroom, holding a green card in her hand, my nerves would be on the edge, hoping hard that my name wouldn't be called.

There is nothing wrong with dentist. I simply hate the sound of the drilling and depise the actual drilling even more! The pain is unlike the one u feel when u cut yourself with a knife. It's more like your nerve is being stabbed and pulled. Eeeesh, I get goosebumps just by thinking about it!

Of coz what Jane went thru is a million times worse than drilling. That's why I made myself see one before it's too late. I think i'd rather die if i had to go thru that!

I'm glad that to know that my teeth are all healthy except that I've been brushing my teeth the wrong way.

Yes, I only knew about it last weekend! After all these years?! It makes me wonder what other wrong things did our teachers plant in our brains!

Seeing Double

That night, H said to me 'you look like Jane like this'. We all laughed at him.

So bad of us I know. It just sounds funny as Jane and Jenn are identical twins. And we are 'supposed' to look similar if not identical. We've caused countless number of confusions to many. Once, we even tricked an ex-colleague into thinking that he had seen ghost. I can't forget the shock in his eyes haha...

Sometimes I get puzzled too..... when strangers smile or wave at me. Or even chat with me! I have to pretend that I've known them for ages. Well, just in case they are Jane's friends (or people i know of but just couldn't recall ;p). I don't wanna be called 'a snob'....

Friends who have known us long enough can tell us apart. They say we don't look alike AT ALL and we have difference voices. Really? Gosh, are we losing our uniqueness? Oh Nooooo....

Jane or Jenn?

Notice the shorter hair? Yup, finally have it chopped off.

My Birthday

It has been 12 months since my previous birthday AND the great thing is, I'm still ALIVE! *Celine Dion's I'm Alive playing in the background*

Hello 25, we meet again! :p

I received many birthday wishes and yummilicious cakes from good friends and family this year. Some are pretty unique like a taro/ yam ring. Ahahaha, guess I have established myself a reputation as a yam/taro lover.

Jane, I did try to save you some of the cakes but.... the bear ate them all......

11.11 - a pair of adorable twins were born - the reason to celebrate :)

This eating frenzy has gotta stop! I've already put on a couple pounds of birthday fat because of the non-stop celebrations. Oooo I know, Let me just close my eyes and wish.......



How clever am I?! I'm indeed the wise one..... ;p

Red Hair Fruits

Jane's favourite fruit is in season now.

Ang Mo (red hair in Hokkien) tan it is... The rambutan tree in my backyard is full of little red fruits which kinda make it look like a giant christmas tree with red glass ornaments. Very pretty.

Helped mum to pick the fruits the other day before fruit thieves get to them. This is what we get.





Jane! Please control yourself... This is your birthday gift from me! haha...

Happy Birthday to Jane, Siaw Whai and myself!

Wallpaper

It has been 2 months. My desktop is still looking like this........

I miss our family time!

Say... DURAINS!

It is the season for durians now.

Last night, we drove past lots of street stalls selling durians. Prices have come down. Last month, my mum bought a small durian for $18. It didn't even taste good! The whole thing ended up in the bin. Now, we see bargains everywhere. 3 for $10, 1 for $1...




Last Friday, my colleague came to my seat and whispered softly for me to go downstairs. Curious, I followed her instructions. Once i got downstairs, another colleague called out quietly from behind the building, waving for me to go over at the same time. Hmm.. What are they up to? I wondered.

There, behind the concrete poles surrounded by bushes, another colleague was squatting on the floor, with a knife in her hand and a durian in the other. Ahaha.. We are having durians half way through our work? COOL!

It was hilarious that all of us squatted on the floor (Imagine us looking like one of those mainland chinese ppl squatting on the floor in jackets that we often see in streets of China ;p), eating durians with our fingers and in our professinal work attire as if we were in the wet market! And we were doing it in a secret. The durians tasted amazingly good. I think the fear of being caught and us fighting for more had added extra tastiness to the durians...

Bowling

We felt like a pro in the virtual bowling Wii game and decided to showcase our invincible skills in the real bowling games. So on Thurs night, we went bowling at Riverside.

I got a strike on my 1st try of game 1. How good was that! But Life works in a strange way in that the good and bad always even out like how ying and yang works and how balance sheets always balance. Okie.. in plain text, something bad usually follows after a good thing. I pulled my BUTT muscle for that score, just three seconds after the game started! T_T

Because of the pain in my butt and thigh, I now walk like a goose. And climbing staircase has never been more challenging! People suggested that i go get myself a massage which would cost me $40.

It's not the money that bothers me but the whole situations. First, I paid to bowl, then got myself injured and now, I have to pay someone to massage my butt? Hmmm... One of the little ironies of Life.....


As for the bowling game, we concluded that it's better that we stick to Wii. We really suck in real life. What's more, the worst that can happen in a Wii game is having a few swollen fingers, a swore arm and broken voices for excessive pressing of the controller, arm moving and screaming. Wait, that doesn't sound very appealing either huh....

Hmmm... I better stick to something less physical... like eating.... ^^

Forever in our hearts

We miss you, Meow Meow...

Meow Meow not only behaved the same way as Husky but also suffered the same fate as her *sob sob*

Although it has been a week, we still miss her. A lot. The pink fluffy ball she played with is still at the exact place she left it. Her 'house' is still untouched, just the way it was before she left.

The only difference is that Meow Meow is no longer around to light up our lives. No more kitty climbing up my legs as if they were tree trunks, messing up the living room as if twister had just swept by, wrestling with a scorpion,& finally killing it, showing pitiful face and meow-ing at meal times....

Rest in Peace my cute little Meow...

We must cherish our loved ones every second, every minute for we never know when goodbye is.....

I need a Change

It's that time of my life again.

I was at the very same crossroads just a few months ago. Sometimes you think you have moved but when u break things apart and analyse them carefully, you realise that you probably haven't changed much. Probably you have developed something a little different but overall, not much has changed. You are still in your comfort zone, not wanting to change much because of fears. Taking a little step at one time and when a little something happen the opposite way, you panic and take a huge step back. We are fearful of regrets, fearful of making mistakes, Fearful of having to start all over again. FEAR is the thing that prevent us from changing.


Back to what I said early about me standing at the crossroads. I need someone to tell me what to do. I need advices. I need words of assurance. I need support. I need to know what I need to do. HELP!

I'm going to my hairdresser this weekend. Can somebody tell me what hairstyle would suit me? *headache*

2005 - in HK

2006 - Melbourne

2007 - Beijing

2008 - Melbourne

Can you spot any dramatic difference in my hairstyle?

I bet that some of you wouldn't even notice the changes in the length and colour of my hair!

Raya Fun

Am struggling to keep myself awake now. Should go to bed but have to leave in 5 mins to fetch my brother from the airport. Damn Air Asia for not being on time again!

In two days of raya holiday, I put on unknown kg of weight and not sleeping enough. Had been going to bed at 3am and waking up at 7 or 8am to start raya visiting. Am actually very happy that my life will be back to 'normal' from tomorrow onwards. Can't imagine how crappy I would look if this kind of lifestyle continues ;p

Eating frenzy is over. Time to cut curry, masak merah and frizzy drinks from my diet for a while.

Gotta rush to airport now and hope to be back in a flash to catch up on my sleep.... *yawn*

Busy Weekend

Twins will always be twins. Not only do Jane and I were born on the same day but we also had a little gathering at our place on the same day. In different countries though...

We didn't plan together. We found out about it when I mentioned to Jane that we would have a potluck at my place on Saturday. Then she screamed "ME TOO!" What a coincident!

Dad and Mum were away from town at the weekend and I took this rare chance to demolish my mum's empire - her years of creation; her collection of food in the kitchen. Like Jane, I kinda regretted for making myself so busy and exhausted! I actually spent two days tidying up the kitchen! Yup, that's how much things we have in that little kitchen alone. I couldn't even bring myself to think about cleaning the whole house. It will be a nightmare for sure!

In between, I had to get ready for the potluck too. Hundreds of recipes went through my mind. I really wanted to turn those gourmet meals I've imagined all these years into reality but due to time constraint and my limited cooking skills, I made Coleslaw and Sago Milk. They are not as easy as expected OK. A lot of time and skills are still required. I slided my fingers into the blade when I did the carrot *ouch* [got my blood & sweat!]. Also, I manually extracted the coconut milk with hands.. *hard work*

I almost gave up half way through the cleaning and cooking. Doing two things at one time was really not fun! Why would anyone bring this onto oneself? Because...... to achieve many things in one go! Greedy but the end-result is satisfying provided you do not quit half way. And, Jenn is no quitter! :p

I did manage to shrink my mum's empire a bit. Found many gems during the demolition process. And we all had a lot of fun (& food) last night :) Just look at the food we had. It's making me hungry all over again ;p

Looks like somebody is hungrier than I'm

My Hobby. My Passion.

I don't know about other people but I find supermarkets an exciting place, like kids finding playground a place full of fun....

A local supermarket near our apartment in Melbourne

I visit a supermarket even though I've nothing to buy. Weird I know. It's like a hobby, a passion of mine. People can understand if it's window-shopping for clothes. But this??? Nobody can understand. Wait, probably my mum can ;p It's just pure fun to check out what's new, what's popular, what should've been a hit but not and what's on offer.

Jane hates going to the supermarkets with me because I ALWAYS take ages to come out from the maze. Hehe, I get lost easily in mountains full of all kind of interesting products from all over the world. How can one not when there are so much to see and think?!

'Just what do you do in the supermarket?' Jane asked me when we were in Melbourne. 'You just went to one yesterday, why do u want to go again?' 'Huh? You have things to buy, AGAIN?!'.... Shhhhh, Jane, you are distracting me! You asked too many questions! ;p

Supermarket is like a Disneyland to me. I touch everything I see and examine stuff with interesting labels/packaging. It's fun I tell u. I read the labels and imagine how it would taste in real life. Then I do a little modifications of mine in my mind - what would go well with it, what else to add in to give it an extra taste, when to eat it, how to eat it.

With things I see, I make up a 5 course meal in my mind. I do sound like a very pro chef, don't I? Sadly, in real life, I am not a very good cook BUT I'm a very good eater. I just love to eat :)

Very often, I stand there with my mouth watering, dreaming about eating the stuff I just make up. Hey, I get to eat 5 course meal without paying anything and what's more, I don't have to worry about gaining weight :)

Ahhh... I kill two birds with one stone! Wanna join me next time? Creative imagination required though :)

Cherished Moments

Family trip to Melbourne was great. Wish it never had to come to an end *dreaming*

When people asked me what we did during the trip, I found myself speechless and thinking very very hard til my brain hurt.

We didn't have a fixed itinerary like we had for other trips. No plans, no rush basically. Sometimes, we didn't do much in a day. Everyday, we would go somewhere for a stroll. When mum got tired, we would rest in our apartment or a cafe/restaurant. Then we would go somewhere and when mum got tired, we'd rest again. Then out and rest again.....

I would say this trip is about family and FOOD. Lots and lots of food. Like, eating 7 times a day! From sunrise til sunset. Each time mum felt tired, we would find a cafe/restaurant and had something to eat. Anything.

I ate so much til I puked (what a sinful act!), had upset stomach and lost my appetite. Despite all these conditions, I continued to eat. It was simply not right to sit there and watch my family enjoying food!! It was crazy but heaps of fun!

All my family members love food and it only makes sense that we spend quality family time by doing our most favourite activity :) Now I know why I love and enjoy food so much. The mystery is finally unveiled!

Some of my favourite holiday pictures:

Steak Attack!

Waiting for lunch to be serve at Chandon, Yarra Valley

Enjoying scones, milkshake, Cappuccino, hot choc &
each other's companionship near a park at Healesville
(Right after lunch at Chandon)

Gigantic Burger at Port Campbell

Jane - while waiting for desserts to be served

Jenn - playing with drinks while waiting for my grilled honey-glazed pork ribs & nachos!

Happy family - Paul, Florence and tiny Isabelle

1,2,3... JUMP!

This one is funny.
It's like we are doing groovy dancing moves behind my mum's back

"Look! Desserts!"

A surprise (& very early) b'day cake for Helena!
Queen Victoria Market
Red capsicums are damn cheap in Melb.
Ate so much that i now look 'orange-y'

Forever together

Jenn's Snack

I'm very into chickpeas lately. So, I roasted some last Saturday.

Taste pretty good! Love the crunchiness! Yummm....

I finished the whole thing in no time. Ahhh... roasted chickpeas... i can eat lots and lots of those. Without feeling guilty ;)

Does anyone have a can of beer that I can 'borrow'?

Robbed

It's a very unlucky day for my mum today. She got robbed! ROBBED in broad daylight!!

Both my sister and mum were in the car when it happened. Mum who just got into the car felt very hot so she had the window fully down. Suddenly, a black arm came in from outside and 'gently' took away her handbag!! Gently, like it didn't require any effort at all....

Instinctively, my sister chased after the motorbike. And mum who desperately wanted her handbag back, instinctively wanted to catch the snatch thieves so she ordered my sister to hit the motorbike. And the scary part is, my sister took her order and did manage to hit the bike with the car but not hard enough to cause them to fall down. The thieves escaped of course.

I am thankful that both my mum and sister are okay and that they didn't kill the thieves (although they deserve it). At least there wouldn't be a headline in the newspaper tomorrow - 'Mother & daughter put in jail for reckless driving'.

p/s: gotta be careful these days. This is the month that thieves are most active because Hari Raya is just around the corner. Sometimes I wonder, how do these ppl have the strength to steal during fasting month....

On & On i go about Sapa, Vietnam

Here. My last post on my Vietnam trip.

VERY outdated I know hehe.... Still, I must talk about it. Just to give my Vietnam trip a proper closing. My previous posts about Sapa can be revisited here and here....


Tan Van - Ze Zhao - Sapa Town

I woke up just in time to see the sun burning a hole in the sky. The day of the farmers and buffaloes had already started and were already working hard in the paddy fields. As it was still hours from our breakfast, we took a stroll to the morning 'market' which is a few kilometres away from our cottage. We stopped by a grocery store (aka someone's living room) where we bought Vietnamese popcorns (plain and chewy), rice bubbles (sweet & crunchy) and 10 farm chicken eggs (fresh & energy booster) . All were great!

6am - An older Brother lovingly taking care of his younger brother

Older brother left crying brother behind...
He did come back for him & gently wrapping his crying brother's hand in his

After our pancakes with bananas breakfast and our free range chicken eggs, we left our cottage to the Village of Red Zhao tribe.

Up & UP & UP we climbed *puff*

Jenn, staring into the beautiful scenery

In Red Zhao's house. Grandma Red Zhao beside me

After 4 hours of climb, it was finally time for lunch! While waiting for our tour guide to cook for us, a Black H'mong gal kept asking me to buy something from her. I must have looked very friendly because everyone seemed to like to ask me to buy things! haha... Her persistence paid off. I bought a handmade belt at a very cheap price. So cheap that I almost felt guilty ;P She spent 3 months making it!

Gigantic Jenn, Littler Belt Maker & my new belt

Vietnamese noodle + fried egg. Simple yet satisfying

After another hour of climb, we finally arrived at the main road where we sped thru the winding road back to Sapa town in a jeep. It was hard to believe that our 2 days of jungle trekking = short 10 mins car ride! But then, it's worth every sweat to jungle trekked in the hot sun. It's the journey that makes everything interesting. The Chinese is right 读万卷书不如走千里路 (reading millions of books can't beat travelling thousand miles). One definitely learns more by seeing the world in person!

I'm a person who keep my words. After a fresh and relaxing shower in our hotel, we headed off to Highlands Bakery where I had a hard time choosing what to indulge in. Everything looked so bloody tasty, esp after such a long climb! So in the end, we decided that each of us should order something different so we could try as many varieties as we could. It was a heavenly feeling to finally realise my wants! :)

Just fresh out from the oven. The fragrance of baked bread - Heavenly!

Our very 'French' looking hotel

Cat Cat Village

It was drizzling on the our final (3rd day) day in Sapa. Despite the wetness, the scenery remained beautiful.

Beautiful Cat Cat Village

Waterfall in Cat Cat village

Local Family

Me waiting for my BBQ Potato. Hurry Up, I'm starving...

Crossing thru rice paddy terrace

Heaven Gate

Getting up there requires a lot of strength and it wasn't easy if you'd just done a 15 hours of intensive jungle trekking earlier on. If you miss this, you will regret. The place is simply heavenly, just like its name! It was so misty up there that I felt like I were a little fairy in heaven! Where are my wings?

This way to the Clouds... That way to Heaven...

The Gate to Heaven behind me!

At Cloud Yard. That's Sapa town behind me

I don't mind taking an 8 hour train ride + 1 hour of bus ride to Sapa again. It truly deserves all the effort :)