Going to see Jane~

My perfect travel companion and I have gone to many places together since we met last year. I almost lost her during my flight to Paris last year but the lovely MAS air attendant found her and we were reunited. Phew...

Rabbit is sunbathing

We just traveled together 2 weeks ago, to visit Jane. I must say, it wasn't such a smooth journey. First, we couldn't land in KLIA because, according to the captain, there was a heavy rain in KL thus we had to take a spin in the sky for an extra 1 hour. It's OK for me since my connecting flight was still hours away and what's more, it also means I could finish the in-flight movie :P

My flight to Shanghai was a midnight one. I planned to sleep through the journey and woke up in Shanghai~ such brilliant plan i know haha...

However, things don't always happen the way you plan it coz at 5am, the captain woke us up and informed that due to bad weather, we had to divert to Hong Kong as instructed by the Shanghai Authority.

Too bad we weren't allowed to disembark but I was lazy to budge from my seat anyway haha... We were served with breakfast and I had it while watching sunrise in HK through the tiny window. It was a lovely... 

Finally at 7am (yeah, we spent 2 hours in the aircraft!), we took off and flew to Shanghai. Although i arrived 4 hours later than planned but at least i arrived well and emotionally not affected and what's more, i got to enjoy the on-flight services longer. Totally value for money hahahaha...

Oppps, i did it again hehe....

A few weeks ago, I was in GZ with my sisters. From the moment we woke up, we couldn't stop eating. Everywhere we went, we had to stop by somewhere for some food or beverages. Even when we were full to our throat, we still had to sit down for desserts. My BIL is totally convinced that girls have a separate stomach for desserts, haha~ 

GZ is not only a food heaven, it's also the heaven of wholesale! From textiles to wedding stuff, clothes to Chinese herbs . I think the city is like a Doraemon! You can find almost anything u can think of here... And also things u can never think of! Love the city! we visited the same wholesale market Jane brought me to years ago. The last time we were there, we bought a lot of stuff which take up space in our homes. I won't say that they are useless because they are useful, it's just that we didn't put them to use. So the fault is on us :P While we were on our way to the market, we warned each other to buy with care so we don't end up with stuff we don't use. 

Talk is cheap, really. Everything suddenly seemed necessary to us when we were there T___T The place is still full of everything! Sometimes we only wanted one or two of the items but to get a better bargain, we had to buy more, which we did ... well, in a way, we get more for paying less, that's savings right? :P 

The building is so huge that we couldn't find our way back to the boots store to collect Jane's new purchase. It's like a maze! I think we only managed to visit 3 floors.. It's too big to walk. We sat down to grab some juice and were too hungry to continue shopping after that... 

Here are just some of the stuff i bought in GZ

Shoes, hair band, purse, books, socks, shoes etc

Gosh, they are ALL useful stuff!

Gosh, if i lived here, i wonder if my home would be a store? *sweating*

Big Birds

Spotted this signboard in Yangshuo.

Come take picture with my birds
Apparently, tourists can take pictures of or with the fishermen's birds here!! How exciting! What's more, you get beautiful scenery of Yangshuoas the backdrop! And all for ONLY RMB5! Is that money for value or what?

I didn't know that people are so open-minded in China these days! Sigh, looks like I'm the country pumpkin....

I was tempted to take picture with their birds but i was a bit shy. Too many people around to stare at me la. I would feel uncomfortable having to pose with birdies when so many eyes would be on us... *camera shy*

The fishermen's birds are indeed different. They are so big and full of dark fur that it makes other birds jealous of their masculine look. And they have very pointy peaks. I think they can spear through anything without much strength.

Big black bird waiting for business

Okie, i didn't pay for this pic :P i saw the signboard only after i took it. By ethics, i should pay. If not, I should delete it. But, i decided to exchange it with something better ~ a post on it to advertise for fishermen, and their birds.

The bird is called 渔鹰. It dives under the water and helps fisherman catch fishes. Because the fisherman ties a string around birdie's neck, it has to spit out the fishes. Kinda pity the dude. Food is so close but yet so far.....

Fisherman looking for the spot

Birds waiting patiently to start working

Caught a fish! But cannot swallow in...
If you are on diet but cannot control your food intake, maybe you can tie a string around your neck to stop you from eating. No need to spend thousands of dollars at slimming centres liao... woo hoo... do let me know the result after u try ya!

In Heaven 世外桃源

Chinese Painting

In the past, when i heard Chinese poems about the beautiful sceneries poets saw, I praised them for their magical words. When i saw chinese paintings like the one above, i praised the artists for their imagination.

In my mind, such heavenly scenery existed, well, only in heaven... I now finally believed that such heavenly place does exist on earth when i saw it with my own eyes. Am amazed! I don't have to die and go toheaven to see it! It's real! It's the creation of mother nature and it's toucheable! 珍珠都没那么真！

Floating tea houses on the river

Guilin is damn beautiful. U can easily take award winning pictures even if u are hopeless in photography. I took dozens of pictures without much effort and all are postcard, wallpaper, painting materials. Suddenly, i felt like such a professional photographer! haha...

Greeted by mountains in the morning
~ From our hotel room

We took a 4 hour boat ride from Guilin to Yangshuo. It may sound like a tiring way to travel but not at all. I had no time to feel bored as I was mesmorised by the beauty along the river. It's beyond words can describe... u just gotta be there physically to know what i mean...

Boat ride "in between mountains"

Yangshuo - see our resort on the right?
Like living in heaven!

The mountains in Guilin are unlike any i 'normally' see. They stand individually and are everywhere!! In the city, behind the shops, along the river, in the park, next to the washroom.... And sometimes, a family can have one whole mountain in their backyard like they own it! mannn, i would love to have a few as my backyard! Simply beautiful!

Lucky ppl! They have mountains as 'back up'!

Guilin to me is heaven on earth. I especially like a town called Li Pu. It's the place filled with my favourite food - taro! yummmm... now u know why i love that place so much. Not only is it peaceful and beautiful but also because i can get taro in every dishes! ooo, i think i can live here :P

taro with pork

minced pork and taro balls
They are big like tennis balls!

Candied taro 芋头拔丝
Similar to the candied sweet potato in Shanghai/ Chengde

There is even taro rice! YUM!

We went to see a performance directed by the famous chinese director, Zhang Yi Mou 张艺谋. Like most of his movies, I didn't fully understand the plot but the real Guilin mountains and river as its backdrop and stage and the big number of performers and colourful use of lightings really took my breath away! How did they do it??? I must say, they are good!

Just imagine this as the background. Very beautiful right?



Was being told that Guilin used to be under water. From then on, each time i looked at the breathtaking scenery, I imagined how they used to hide under the deep sea where only fishes could enjoy their beauty...

See the reflection on the water!

Guilin kinda reminds me of my trip to Halong Bay, which is known as Little Guilin. I can see the resemblance... Hmm, you know what? Probably after a few thousand or million years, Halong Bay might lose the water and become Halong Park instead... Don't sneer. That's what happened to Guilin. Applying the same theory, it might happen to Halong Bay one day too... or not since Guilin is inland while Halong Bay is not.. okie, a bit irrelevant. Am going too deep :P

Guilin is indeed a beautiful place. It's different from other Chinese cities i've been to... The only complaint i've for this holiday is that - it's too short!!! *greedy jenn demanding for more*

Even inside the cave is beautiful

Can't help feeling a bit sad at the same time though coz by going inside, we are actually 'killing' the cave :( Hope ppl would stop taking pictures with flash lights while in caves... Every little action counts mah......

Okie, before I end this super long post, here is one little game to bring u back to reality ~~ Can u spot the 'sleeping buddha' in this picture, which I took it at the mountain top?

Natural is beautiful???

I had very good impression of my China tour guide. She is quite pretty, young and friendly. Really captured my attention lah... One day, she was giving history lesson at the front of the moving bus like what all other tour guides do. Suddenly, the driver hit the brake very hard. Instinctively, she lifted her arm & grabbed the handle. At that moment, I didn't know what shocked me more - the sudden stop OR her bushy armpit! aiya.. my points for her dropped to -ve instantly!!

This isn't the first time i got scared by full bush armpit. Once, at Sentosa, a man asked me to take picture of him with his long hair, pretty Chinese gf. U know lah, Chinese ppl like to pose for the cameras. The guy stood like a pole while the lady gently put one hand on the guy's shoulder. She then put the other behind her head. I almost fainted!! Because her bushy armpit hit me in the face v hard! I was in shocked & was shaking. Not sure how the photo eventually turns out haha....

Wahhhh... so sexxxxy......

Are girls with hairy armpits more attractive?? I dunno.... can someone pls tell me??

People mountain people sea

I know i don't have to mention this - it's CROWDED in China!! Everywhere i go, it's a black sea!! I'm amused with some of the photos I've taken during my 江南 trip. Take a look at this one

What is this woman doing behind my back?? I assure u that i was there first!!

One thing abt these people is that they don't care if you are in the middle of taking pictures. They'd just pose/walk anywhere they like (& sometimes right in front of u). Either they think they are some big shots who deserve a face in my pictures or that i'm too cute and beautiful that they want me in their holiday pictures! *^v^*

西湖风景一流. 唯一的遗憾是后面的auntie. 她等不及了.

It's almost impossible to take a picture with just me and the 'people-less' scenery. It sometimes frustrates me that I've to actually fight with others to get a spot for pictures! Sometimes, I get fed up that i just take pictures at unpopular spots. The pictures are not bad though!

Blocked by a tree instead haha..

Some pictures require 高难度的技术 and creativity..... *wink wink*

Afraid no more! I have Buddha behind my back.

A place for the Kiasu

It's Pizza Hut, in Chinese ^___^

New Found Heaven

Those who know me know I love P-O-R-K.

无猪肉不欢.

I should consider moving to 周庄 because delicious pork legs are EVERYWHERE... I can even smell pork legs in the air!! Such fresh air and pretty sight...

[My mum couldn't resist the temptation. The pork leg tastes soOOOOooo good!]

The Sound of Music?

In Kuching, we use our car horn with great care especially when dealing with Ah Beng drivers in dark-mirrored & modified Honda... You know your consequences for messing with these people...

In SuZhou, we can honk at anyone we want. The city is filled with the sound of car and bike horn. People here seems to use it for all kind of reasons. Sometimes, for no reason at all. See below for some 'honk language' in SZ: -

• ........
• 你吃饱了吗？
• Hi, 美女。
• Come ride in my car
• Look over here! I want your attention!
• Move aside!! I'm too lazy to overtake!
• Coming through! Coming through!
• You are TOO SLOW!!!
• Watch out Asshole!! I almost kill you!!!
• Move away from the road!! You want to DIE?!?!?!

Just now, one bus came out from the bus lane without seeing our taxi. It almost got us. Our taxi driver scolded '发克右'! I know Olympic 2008 is approaching. Is this the reason why drivers learn some foreign languages so they can communicate with tourists.....?

Excitement in SuZhou

I've always thought that drivers in Kuching are reckless. Not anymore...

It's madness in SuZhou. Riding a car is like riding a roller coaster over here. Damn scary man!!! I'm usually the front seat passenger, who not only get the 'best' view but also get to enjoy the excitement. Every few seconds, I have to close my eyes so I will not suffer from heart attack.... Why? Because the 'electric bikes' and pedestrians will rush out from nowhere, to the middle of the road. Car drivers will press their horn and skillfully avoid from knocking them while passengers like me will scream their head off...

If you hear complaints abt kuching drivers the next time, tell them to visit places like China....

Watermelon Anyone??

Yummm... with added ingredient to make it more delicious - dust




(Freshly cut watermelon in Shanghai)

Around 江南 in 7 days

My 7 days tour around "Jiang Nan" has ended. It was no fun waking up in 7 different cities in 7 days... but it was all worth the effort for all cities are unique in their own ways. A few words to summarise my trip:

苏州看Y头，无锡看骨头，南京看石头，上海看人头 haha... ^___^

I came out with a new phrase for Shanghai today. We witnessed a fight between a van driver and a motorcyclist in the middle of the road this morning. The taxi driver told us that it's a VERY COMMON sight in Shanghai. Therefore Shanghai is also a place to see 拳头。