Carnivore

Colleague bought very nice 汤包 for me for breakfast today. Initially I thought I could never finish the whole pack, then came to realise I am a big-time meat eater.

I must go running tonight!

Went for HK disneyland training session. Got a free photo frame (with magnet that I can stick onto the fridge) for answering a question during Q&A session. Like it very much.

Now random photos taken earlier this week.

Getting nicer

View from Suzhou Tourism Board, while accompanying a colleague there during lunch time

I have been busy for the whole day doing design work again. Have yet to let my boss vet through all my masterpieces, even though I've completed.

Hungry now, wonder if I have energy to run later.

Monday again

It is another new week again, week 11 now. Still got 10 more weeks to go, which means I am now at the mid-point. Oh my, time really flies. I am just not having it enough. Living abroad can be lonely initially, but as time goes by and I have fully adapted to the new environment, it's when the fun begins.

This trip to China has confirmed my desire to find a job overseas when I graduate in 2010! Singapore is good, but it's just another place where I was born.

Come to think of it, Singaporeans (including me) are quite fortunate. Being a small country, one doesn't have to relocate to another city away from family and friends. This is very unlike in big country such as China.

Most of my friends in Suzhou aren't born in Suzhou. But further afield in the north. Many have gone through separation from families for extended period of time, that is why I admire their willingness to get out of their comfort zone, often without a choice in search of employment.

Anyhow I got back from Shanghai yesterday, this time round I like Shanghai for its vibrancy.

I shall let the photographs do the talking now.

Xin Tian Di with an English ambience

An evening by Huangpu River

Breakfast al-fresco

Sunday morning madness

Waiting for train back to Suzhou

Porridge

Wasn't feeling good over the weekend due to flu, so I had people accompany me to eat porridge.

Baby porridge which tasted 80% similar to what my granny and mum used to cook

Next time I shall add scallops (干贝) to make it even sweeter.

Last day of work for the week again! School again tomorrow, then Shanghai on Saturday woohoo!

Raining cats and dogs

Woke up to a rainy day, cold air is sweeping down Jiangnan once again. And I have to wear my thermal once more.

Waiting for bus

Outside my room, full of umbrellas

Good colleague brought me pears to soothe my throat and cough

But I am 90% recovered. In a tra-la-la~ mood now.

Travelling in China

Our class this morning was interesting: 中国旅游及地理 (China Travel & Geography).

Tibet and Xian are on my wish-list, after my work attachment ends. Otherwise a ferry-crossing to either Japan or Korea; North Korea; or Inner Mongolia may be good as well.

Returned home to rest while the rest went to visit the Humble Administrator's Garden because I have yet to fully recover.

As I was preparing porridge for lunch, I peeked out of the window and thought to myself:

Oh man, I pity the grass... This is how people here park their cars

Ohh, steaming apple with honey for 10-15 mins is super nice, which is good for cough.

Sick

Came down with flu and sore throat yesterday. Thanks to the weather, dry weather especially, which is making my throat unbearable. This morning my condition got worse, so I decided to skip the afternoon class and returned home to sleep.

Woke up to do house cleaning, that was when I realised living abroad is so challenging because I have to be independent. When I am sick back in Singapore, there is always father around to buy me food and mother around to do the cleaning. Although now it seems a little weird for me to write in such a manner, because it seems as though my parents are my domestic workers.

By right I'm supposed to go Shanghai tomorrow with osc who have bought the train tickets for 62 rmb for 2. Now I can't go so the tickets have to be forfeited. Such a waste. Shall go on next weekend.

Anyhow, I went Times Square 2 nights ago. Nice lights, although the area (full of branded boutiques) was like a ghost town.

The gal from Harry Potter movie

Must be very careful walking along this bridge because the stairs are very dark! I almost missed a step

Spring time, flowers in bloom right below my apartment

Work, work and more work

It's been two months since I first started work in Suzhou.

Have been busying with designing work. These are few of my masterpieces...

Think I am quite bias in this piece, coz I put Singapore in the first level; intially it was mostly red, but decided to make it as colourful as possible - colours of Asia!

I like this piece most, and kept it to two colour tones


5 Days Hong Kong Ocean Park & Disneyland




5 Days Hongkong & Macau

6 Days Taiwan

7 Days Taiwan Train Travel

Oh God! I still have 1001 things to do, including nothing!

I'm stuck with Europe now. Europe is so vast and I shall familiarise myself with its geographical divisions namely Central, Northern, Eastern and Western Europe.

To do list:-

- Europe

- East Asia

- Hong Kong & Macau

- America

- South Africa

- Australia

- Resorts & Cruises

Shoot me dead now!

Hair makeover

Went Inn's City for brunch, of nasi lemak and bobur cha cha. Very nice! I will definitely return again. Hopefully twice every month. Total 48 rmb.

Went fengmen street yesterday again. Sky was cloudy.

Suzhou is known as "Venice of the East," but many of the waterways these days have been cleared to make way for urban development.

Nice weather to have a coffee by the canal

Went Inn's City again for lunch today. Ate tomato chicken chop set for a whopping 48 rmb! I should really watch my expenses lately. Not at all worth it although it was nice. But still, yesterday's nasi lemak was nicer.

Went to salon with a colleague and I decided to undergo a hair makeover, which is to straighten my otherwise permed hair.

Satisfied!

Tragedy

Went Inn's City for dinner with shane yesterday at Old Grandma's Kitchen. Heard it was very popular so we decided to try it. Had to take a queue number, and even after returning from grocery shopping at walmart for 1.5 hours, we still had to wait for half an hour. 4 dishes for only 75 rmb! Cheap, no wonder so many people. I wouldn't say nice, because Dian Xiao Er in Singapore is far nicer (SGD though).

Shane later pointed out to me that there's a Singapore cuisine restaurant beside; as we walked past the glass panel, i saw 1 lady inside eating a plate of rice, then go ikan bilis, cumcumber, chilli padi. I can't control myself and said "OH MY GOD!!!" IT'S NASI LEMAK!" LOL. I shall go eat it tomorrow night!

Bean curd with "kou rou"

Pig's skin with fish and meat balls

Radish

Roasted chic (nicest)

During lunch break today, had lunch with the rest at a japanese restaurant in 石全街.

I shall have this 玉米油拉面again next time; the ramen noodles is just like 'wanton' noodles.

Wanted to cut my hair initially. But the stylist recommended me to do some stuff. He said it in mandarin which I don't understand what was it. So I just said "ok."

Later I realised something was going amiss, and realised they were going to perm my hair! In a shock I sms-ed wl, who came to see me. The chinese here like to say "真的是遭遇啊!"

Putting on my fake smile, I was really very sad by then

Nevertheless, I decided to go to the park for a walk, because the weather was especially good. 23 degree celsius today, which was a dramatic increase from only 5 degree celsius just yesterday morning.

This dog cheered me up... I shall buy a dog next time, but I like only big dogs, which I can't have it in HDB... haiz

Reached home and washed my hair 6 times in order to lessen the curl, and finally my LV snow cap comes in handy

Was watching the news on tv and I was awe-strucked by this gigantic cruise liner - Celebrity Eclipse - which was inagurated only earlier today in Germany.

My ambition last time was to work on Star Cruises... now I must consider other liners that will bring me further?

Unseen Suzhou

Was on the bus home and saw endless crowds on the bridge. The KPO me decided to get off the bus to see what's happening. To my horror, here's what I have seen.

Bare in the cold weather

I am still clueless as to how the car got ramped into the river.

Left for dinner at a nearby food outlet called 好吃面. But the 面 is 不好吃 so these days I eat rice there. The tofu is nice.

As usual, I had to cross the notorious road to get to that food outlet, with traffic from all direction, where I almost got hit just last week. The motorcylist, who was a ccb woman, cursed and swore at me while I was geared with my headphone blasting lady gaga song that I don't even care to give a damn fuck face back. Stupid woman appearing out of nowhere when I've already checked my blindspot a few times.

Each time I cross that road, I feel that my life is so fragile. Hurrr~~