Mediterranean sunshine, good food and meeting great people.
Amazing seafood, arancini, peaches and cheap beer. Even cheaper coffee. 40 cent espressos.
Granitas.
Dinner with two professors and a sociologist; Walking across Italian highways to get to a beach party, staying up all night and eating pastries while watching the sunrise. Watching Tom have raw oysters at 7 am.
There is an heavily tattooed, lovely Italian man called Paolo who is our Italian Fairy Godfather (shout out to Matt from Cali, love you dude).
Watermelons :P
Became an Isabella Blow for the next up and coming Alexander McQueen of Knitwear. He's 6'4, a Northern teddybear with black false nails. Buying him lunch was my investment in the arts.
Was watched over by 3 men as we partied at the local hotspot in Palermo (it's a fish market by day and the area was never regenerated after being bombed in WW2). It was a brilliant night. Josh said he faced 'boyfriend envy'- I was very flattered to hear that.
Was scared at the Catacombs in Palermo- it felt as if the dead was watching me. The vibe there was weird.
Challenged by another northern man to try and fit my fist in my mouth. I cant, but there was a discussion about how big my mouth was and he drunkardly asked me if I loved my boy.
Had to rescue a little English rose from the Sicilian John Malcovich (serious doppleganger moment).
Got baked in Cefalu- Le Bronzissima!!! Sun stroked
Patischerria Cappello: Settevelli is the name of the best cake ever. I had it once before in Malaysia (made by a family friend) and though I would never taste anything like it again. Until Settevelli (the seven veils). It was worth getting lost, chafing my thighs and the blisters on my feet. I made a pilgrimage for that cake.
For the first time ever- I was early for a flight back to London
Showing posts with label Travelings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travelings. Show all posts
Monday, July 29, 2013
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Travellings: France! First stop : Aix-en-Provence
Flew into Marseilles on a thursday-i was greeted by glaring sun and T, my pal who's been studying in France. From the airport its a 20 minute bus ride to Aix, which is a little town somewhat west to Marseilles. Its pretty- lots of fountains; big ones, little ones....it gets pretty hot there so its nice to have a stop at a fountain, have a drink, splash some water on my face and just run my fingers in the cool water. The town is built around a main street called Mirabou which is where its at in Aix. The street is tree lined, and it shades the little cafes and shops. Off the Mirabou are winding cobbled streets- lotsa brand name shops and posh restaurants and further off you've got all the other little shops and things. T's place wasnt far from town, about 10 minutes away. His place was small, so i tried to stay outta his hair and be in town most of the time.
On the first day i went to an art gallery- the Musee Garnet. There were a few pieces i found really interesting and all day i kept on doing this thing where i would think of a song that went along with the painting. I kept on chuckling to myself because some paintings would make me think of the randomest songs-who'd think Eve 6's song "think twice" would be the perfect song to a painting?
I lunched there at the gallery, and after wandered the town a bit. I managed to trek all the way to this park slightly outside of town where i spread my pario on the grass, lay down to read my novel and eat yummy french artisan cookies.
On the saturday we went down to Marseilles- and hit the beach. We arrived at the beach at about noonish, but screw sun safety- we covered each other nice and good with sunscreen and was out there for a good 3-4 hours. The beach was gorgeous. Not sandy, but i can handle a beach of small pebbles. The water was lovely. It was cold, and it was a great way to cool off from all that sun. The water was really salty and so very buoyant- it was perfect to just float in and swim....... Oh, and allow a moment of vanity. I wore the cutest purple halter neck tankini that i had bought at the airport before i flew in. I didnt get matching shorts, but i had tiny-tiny black shorts with hot pink swirls on them. I thought i looked very cute. That's a personal opinion by the way. T didnt say anything. Not like he would. I could've been sunning topless and he wouldnt say anything. Not like i would ever do such a thing.....no........
That evening we met up with some friends of his for dinner. I was lost in the midst of french menu and french chattering- still, his friends were nice to me. There was a spanish girl so i was trying my rubbish spanish, but all of them spoke english (bless!). I had pastis for the first time: initially it tasted a bit like mouthwash, but i liked it in the end. We washed down dinner with some local Rose and after that went to his friend's place for cocktails. Had a few and then went to a little underground bar for a giraffe of beer. I had one slow, and was falsely informed to down my next glass. Before you can guess it i was tipsy and dancing inappropriately. Was dragged home at 4- i didnt remember much to be fair, except walking through the sprinklers and T being very sweet and letting me have the bed.
My allergies didnt flare up much (hurrah! and no hangover) but T suffered somewhat (apparently there's a lot of people with this kind of allergy.....i never would've guess- im glad im not a freak).
I was in Aix for a week- didnt do all that much really. Sleeping in, watching Death Note, siestas, hanging out at cafes, reading my novel and generally chilling. There was a bit of work involved as well, i was expected to earn my keep :P . T made me do his laundry (to be fair a bit of it was mine) but to make up for it i got sunflowers. Im still a girly girl at heart, flowers can make up for a lot..... on a side note- sunflower petals are NOT yummy.
There was the horror which was trying out the moving van: he couldnt figure out to get the damn thing to reverse for like half an hour and i was getting a stitch from laughing. Apparently there's a funny trick to it, which the lady at the car rental place showed us later. So brainlessly simple, but both of us couldnt figure it out. Brains isnt everything, i guess. That night we picked up Paulo and headed for a midnight drive around Aix- just to get T to get used to the van (it was massive and tall) and practise parking.
I helped pack up his stuff and clean his room- honestly i think i was just in the way, but i tried to help out where i can. We were all done at about 9-ish and set off from Aix about quarter to 10.
Bye-bye Aix, here we come Toulouse!
On the first day i went to an art gallery- the Musee Garnet. There were a few pieces i found really interesting and all day i kept on doing this thing where i would think of a song that went along with the painting. I kept on chuckling to myself because some paintings would make me think of the randomest songs-who'd think Eve 6's song "think twice" would be the perfect song to a painting?
I lunched there at the gallery, and after wandered the town a bit. I managed to trek all the way to this park slightly outside of town where i spread my pario on the grass, lay down to read my novel and eat yummy french artisan cookies.
On the saturday we went down to Marseilles- and hit the beach. We arrived at the beach at about noonish, but screw sun safety- we covered each other nice and good with sunscreen and was out there for a good 3-4 hours. The beach was gorgeous. Not sandy, but i can handle a beach of small pebbles. The water was lovely. It was cold, and it was a great way to cool off from all that sun. The water was really salty and so very buoyant- it was perfect to just float in and swim....... Oh, and allow a moment of vanity. I wore the cutest purple halter neck tankini that i had bought at the airport before i flew in. I didnt get matching shorts, but i had tiny-tiny black shorts with hot pink swirls on them. I thought i looked very cute. That's a personal opinion by the way. T didnt say anything. Not like he would. I could've been sunning topless and he wouldnt say anything. Not like i would ever do such a thing.....no........
That evening we met up with some friends of his for dinner. I was lost in the midst of french menu and french chattering- still, his friends were nice to me. There was a spanish girl so i was trying my rubbish spanish, but all of them spoke english (bless!). I had pastis for the first time: initially it tasted a bit like mouthwash, but i liked it in the end. We washed down dinner with some local Rose and after that went to his friend's place for cocktails. Had a few and then went to a little underground bar for a giraffe of beer. I had one slow, and was falsely informed to down my next glass. Before you can guess it i was tipsy and dancing inappropriately. Was dragged home at 4- i didnt remember much to be fair, except walking through the sprinklers and T being very sweet and letting me have the bed.
My allergies didnt flare up much (hurrah! and no hangover) but T suffered somewhat (apparently there's a lot of people with this kind of allergy.....i never would've guess- im glad im not a freak).
I was in Aix for a week- didnt do all that much really. Sleeping in, watching Death Note, siestas, hanging out at cafes, reading my novel and generally chilling. There was a bit of work involved as well, i was expected to earn my keep :P . T made me do his laundry (to be fair a bit of it was mine) but to make up for it i got sunflowers. Im still a girly girl at heart, flowers can make up for a lot..... on a side note- sunflower petals are NOT yummy.
There was the horror which was trying out the moving van: he couldnt figure out to get the damn thing to reverse for like half an hour and i was getting a stitch from laughing. Apparently there's a funny trick to it, which the lady at the car rental place showed us later. So brainlessly simple, but both of us couldnt figure it out. Brains isnt everything, i guess. That night we picked up Paulo and headed for a midnight drive around Aix- just to get T to get used to the van (it was massive and tall) and practise parking.
I helped pack up his stuff and clean his room- honestly i think i was just in the way, but i tried to help out where i can. We were all done at about 9-ish and set off from Aix about quarter to 10.
Bye-bye Aix, here we come Toulouse!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Travellings: France! Toulouse
The drive was interesting. We were driving through the south of france in a massive moving van with no air conditioning in the middle of summer.
It was a test of patience, planning and temperature control. I was navigating and in charge of music (hurrah- finally, no more japanese pink bubblegum pop!). The first problem was that the directions were in french. My pronounciation and reading (of french) is rubbish- but by the time we got to the 3rd roundabout i could say rond-point like a proper sailor from marseilles (i have a serious sailor jerry obsession at the moment and a slight southern french accent. i can also cuss in french now with considerable ability).
The views were amazing-massive sunflower fields, some in full bloom.....little villages, castles, fields with bales of hay.....the stuff impressionist paintings are made of. Gor-ge-ous!
What got to us was the sun though. It wasnt that hot with the windows down, but then the sun just burns. I gave up conversation- it was talking rubbish and getting on his nerves. Instead i sang along to stuff on the radio- it was the first time i heard 'jenny dont be hasty'- i fell for it at the first listen....I tried painting my nails, but he cant stand the smell of acetone. There was a bit of speeding, me trying to get the guy to slow down and general scowling at each other.
We had to drive back to Aix to return the van and it was better this time, although there was a little road rage involved. We ended up playing time crisis at one of those highway stops to take the edge off all that road rage. On arrival in Aix we had champagne in plastic cups- in the park! And since he lost a bet, the champagne was on T.
We arrived in Toulouse in one piece (both times), but the problem was he didnt have a place in town yet- we had to dump his crap at a friend's place (we were crashing there too). His friends were not informed of me coming, and so i got some quizzical looks (i may have just been the bluer than blue hat). His friend's place is a great apartment in the centre of Toulouse- unfortunately still shiny and new and sans furniture. We dumped all his boxes in the huge living room, with everyone else's boxes as well. We ended up sleeping on the carpet in the living room- me in his sleeping bag and him on the sleeping bag mat.
It was a test of patience, planning and temperature control. I was navigating and in charge of music (hurrah- finally, no more japanese pink bubblegum pop!). The first problem was that the directions were in french. My pronounciation and reading (of french) is rubbish- but by the time we got to the 3rd roundabout i could say rond-point like a proper sailor from marseilles (i have a serious sailor jerry obsession at the moment and a slight southern french accent. i can also cuss in french now with considerable ability).
The views were amazing-massive sunflower fields, some in full bloom.....little villages, castles, fields with bales of hay.....the stuff impressionist paintings are made of. Gor-ge-ous!
What got to us was the sun though. It wasnt that hot with the windows down, but then the sun just burns. I gave up conversation- it was talking rubbish and getting on his nerves. Instead i sang along to stuff on the radio- it was the first time i heard 'jenny dont be hasty'- i fell for it at the first listen....I tried painting my nails, but he cant stand the smell of acetone. There was a bit of speeding, me trying to get the guy to slow down and general scowling at each other.
We had to drive back to Aix to return the van and it was better this time, although there was a little road rage involved. We ended up playing time crisis at one of those highway stops to take the edge off all that road rage. On arrival in Aix we had champagne in plastic cups- in the park! And since he lost a bet, the champagne was on T.
We arrived in Toulouse in one piece (both times), but the problem was he didnt have a place in town yet- we had to dump his crap at a friend's place (we were crashing there too). His friends were not informed of me coming, and so i got some quizzical looks (i may have just been the bluer than blue hat). His friend's place is a great apartment in the centre of Toulouse- unfortunately still shiny and new and sans furniture. We dumped all his boxes in the huge living room, with everyone else's boxes as well. We ended up sleeping on the carpet in the living room- me in his sleeping bag and him on the sleeping bag mat.
Generally Toulouse is not the most touristy of towns- there's loads of churches and interesting architecture, but not much else. Its small enough to walk about comfortably, and the churches have that old feel about them, many still unrestored. Didnt have a chance to go near the Pyranees, but Toulouse is probably the largest town nearest to the Pyranees. It had a chilled out feel though, i guess its all that Spanish influence. There's a canal system running through town, coming off a pretty big river. Its nice to walk around, lots of interesting shops and things though i got lost once or twice (i was frazzled by all that sun).
We went to Domino's a lot for pizzas- it wasnt just because it was cheap, but there's this really cute girl there that T took a shine to. What are the chances- she's half malaysian and goes to his school. I've decided to keep my hands outta this, cos so far my matchmaking have had disasterous results. We'll let the higher powers handle this one. I kinda got sick of pizzas after that- it was 3 pizzas for the price of 1, and so it was pizza for breakkie, lunch and dinner. For about 3 days.
We took and early train to Bordeaux and so had to spend the night at the train station. The damn train station closed at 1, so we had to spend the night outside, on a bench near the canal. A rat infested canal. Big, fat, curious rats. I was so scared, i couldnt sleep and so keyed up i couldnt stay still. It was overwhelming fear. I saw the rats creeping everywhere- my eyes flicked left and right, ready to kick any rat that dared to even come up the kerb. I didnt even have a anything to whack them with. I screamed once or twice, when a rat dared come up the kerb and that was enough to make them run away- thank God. T was happily asleep on the bench throughout all this drama. The bliss of the fearless. The train station opened at 3, and i duly fell asleep in the bright, rat free station, leaning on T.
Continued blissful sleep in the train all the way to Bordeaux!Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Travellings: France! Bordeaux
Arrived in Bordeaux in the morning and blessed; the auberge (french for hostel) was near the train station. We couldn't get our room, so we dumped our stuff and got walking. We took the scenic route and checked out the town's tourism office. We got our rooms a bit later in the afternoon (they were nice rooms- massive and we had our own bath!). Cant remember what we did the rest of the day- i think there was a siesta, shopping, dinner and long walk by the riverside (even messing around in a playground- dont you just hate it when they design swings so that only lil kids can swiing on 'em.....grrr.....i love the thing that goes 'round and 'round though....whirl.......)
The next day we headed out bright and early to St. Emilion- a cute, medieval wine growing town. The train station is basically two platforms on each side of the tracks. We got off and had to walk into town, past vines- some heavy with grapes, and at the end of some rows roses are planted. The town itself is built on a natural hill, with the vines making up the valley surrounding the town. Underneath the town is natural catacombs in the rock, and monks had dug out an amazing church underneath the town. Walking down there is creepy- i felt a bit Lara Croft-ish in my cute shorts and tank (all i need is slimmer legs and bigger boobs, oh, and big guns). The entrance is a small doorway, and the there is very little light- but it opens up to this massive hall supported by these huge beams. There's a painting of a pair of angels on the ceiling- watching over the congregation. Wandered the hilly town- had a canneles which was bought on the steepest street ever- it was yummy! And before we left, got myself 3 bottles of wine to take home: a bordeaux red, a rose and a white. Had an uneventful dinner- another night, another kebab (broke-ness from shopping!).
Started the next day with a bit of faffing about-lingered over breakkie, did some laundry....left the auberge pretty late, but we headed out to the Plage par le Lac (beach by the lake). I wasn't too keen, but T was, so we headed out on the long bus ride there. Basically someone had dumped tonnes of sand of a spot of grass next to a massive lake, cordon off a bit of lake, put some floating platforms around it. It was a great day, so what else- sunning and swimming it was. It was different swimming it fresh water, but what was real fun was jumping off the floating platforms.....There's enough room on the platform to take a short run before"geronimo....!" and leap into the lake. I had almost lost my shorts and had a brief tankini malfunction in the water after a particularly spectacular jump. On the way back we stopped by the mirror lake- its a really big rectangular shallow pool (about 2 cm deep) with jets placed at even distances from each other. It fills up and drains in cycles- when filled up, it reflects just like a big flat mirror- hence mirror lake. We went crazy- chasing each other around and trying splash each other. I watched in fascination as the mist rose up from the jets and then the water bubbles up....lots of kids just running around (me included) and i took lotsa nice shots on the camera. Came back to the hostel utter exhausted and with sore burnt shoulders and back. We went out later with full intent to party (it was a saturday night) but instead wandered about town aimlessly (enjoying the sights, Bordeaux is beautiful at night!) and passed out when we got back.
The next day, after breakkie, we boarded the train headed to the seaside town of La Rochelle.
Travellings: France! La la La Rochelle
Initially we had planned to sleep rough in La Rochelle (because we couldn't find a room there anywhere online)but after the hellish night out with the rats in Toulouse i begged T to find us a place to stay. We managed to get a room at the auberge which was a hike and a half from town and the train station. The room was small and smelled weird, but it was a bed and a shower. We rented bikes that afternoon and headed out to the beach (again!) where i managed to break my bike (don't ask) but the bike shop sent a replacement (hurrah!). Managed to work on the tan a bit and swam a lot (the atlantic this time,and there were weird cold and warm currents- the water wasn't that nice though, its a port town after all).
Got dressed up for dinner then me and my rising hemline had to bike it all the way into town. Found a restaurant that was still serving dinner at 10, and we sat down for the most expensive seafood dinner ever. I had an aperitif and we started off with a massive seafood platter. Oysters, mussels, small lobsters....the works. Came with yummy sauces and dips- seafoods is so much fun, especially when we left the massive crab for last. I made an absolute mess! We shared the main- butterry bass seasoned with fennel and ratatouile. We had a half bottle of chablis too, and finished off the meal with some sorbet.
We then went to tour the city on bike- The main part of town in pretty small, and we found this lovely park by the sea. The sky was cloudless and the stars were shining down- i was lying there in the grass staring into the sky for ages. We spotted a shooting star- which i though my vision was blurring. It was warm and there was a pleasant sea breeze- a lovely night. We cycled past some of sights before crashing for the night.
We got up pretty late the next day- made in just in time for breakkie! Right after, we went out-took the scenic seaside offroad route across the town (basically from one end of town to the other). I could barely keep up- huffing and puffing all the way. We went through a beautiful park in the middle of town (complete with its own stream) and then cycled along the sea.....The path wound through some woods and fields, even a tree tunnel.
Returned the bikes that afternoon and hung about town a bit. Picked up our stuff from the auberge and dragged it all the way across town to the lovely park by the sea. See, we had a 5 oclock-in -the-morning train, so we thought it was better to sleep rough. Except that this night it was cold and there was lightning. I passed out, cold and exhausted on the bench and was woken up at 2 am: 'hey, wake up, its raining....' Good thing i had spotted a gazebo- we dashed there with all our baggage. I climbed back into my sleeping bag and went straight back to sleep- i love sleeping to the sound of rain pattering on the roof (even if it is in a park!). I felt pretty safe with T there and he is nice to snuggle with :P
At about 4 we dragged our dazed selves to the train station- its off to Paris then!!!
Got dressed up for dinner then me and my rising hemline had to bike it all the way into town. Found a restaurant that was still serving dinner at 10, and we sat down for the most expensive seafood dinner ever. I had an aperitif and we started off with a massive seafood platter. Oysters, mussels, small lobsters....the works. Came with yummy sauces and dips- seafoods is so much fun, especially when we left the massive crab for last. I made an absolute mess! We shared the main- butterry bass seasoned with fennel and ratatouile. We had a half bottle of chablis too, and finished off the meal with some sorbet.
We then went to tour the city on bike- The main part of town in pretty small, and we found this lovely park by the sea. The sky was cloudless and the stars were shining down- i was lying there in the grass staring into the sky for ages. We spotted a shooting star- which i though my vision was blurring. It was warm and there was a pleasant sea breeze- a lovely night. We cycled past some of sights before crashing for the night.
We got up pretty late the next day- made in just in time for breakkie! Right after, we went out-took the scenic seaside offroad route across the town (basically from one end of town to the other). I could barely keep up- huffing and puffing all the way. We went through a beautiful park in the middle of town (complete with its own stream) and then cycled along the sea.....The path wound through some woods and fields, even a tree tunnel.
Returned the bikes that afternoon and hung about town a bit. Picked up our stuff from the auberge and dragged it all the way across town to the lovely park by the sea. See, we had a 5 oclock-in -the-morning train, so we thought it was better to sleep rough. Except that this night it was cold and there was lightning. I passed out, cold and exhausted on the bench and was woken up at 2 am: 'hey, wake up, its raining....' Good thing i had spotted a gazebo- we dashed there with all our baggage. I climbed back into my sleeping bag and went straight back to sleep- i love sleeping to the sound of rain pattering on the roof (even if it is in a park!). I felt pretty safe with T there and he is nice to snuggle with :P
At about 4 we dragged our dazed selves to the train station- its off to Paris then!!!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Still in france
Ahoy mateys
Im still in France, now in Paris!!! Spent the day at the Versailles- it is gorgeous, opulence and lovely, but it would have been wonderful if i didnt have to spend it on my own. Got abandoned a bit today. But i had a great day anyway, just wished there was someone to share my witty comments with.
Bordeaux and La Rochelle was great. Went wine shopping at the former and cycling at the latter. In La Rochelle we spent ridiculous amount of money on a seafood dinner and because we wanted to save money we spent the next night in the park. It rained on us and we had to sleep in a gazebo in the park. My first time sleeping in park-all i can say is that it was cold.
Ive got another day in Paris then im headed off to Mont St. Michel.
Lovies!
Im still in France, now in Paris!!! Spent the day at the Versailles- it is gorgeous, opulence and lovely, but it would have been wonderful if i didnt have to spend it on my own. Got abandoned a bit today. But i had a great day anyway, just wished there was someone to share my witty comments with.
Bordeaux and La Rochelle was great. Went wine shopping at the former and cycling at the latter. In La Rochelle we spent ridiculous amount of money on a seafood dinner and because we wanted to save money we spent the next night in the park. It rained on us and we had to sleep in a gazebo in the park. My first time sleeping in park-all i can say is that it was cold.
Ive got another day in Paris then im headed off to Mont St. Michel.
Lovies!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
From France
Bonjour mes copains
Its me, struggling to scribble a quick post using a french keyboard. Its confusing to say the least. My french has not improved at all- i just smile qnd look lost if people speak french to me. My friend is a gracious host and im having a great time. I got a lovely tan yesterday on the beach at Marseilles, had a lovely dinner and subsequently hammered. Im doing well today though. No clear idea when im going back but we will see- know that so far im doing well and missing you guys and wishing you were here.
Lovies
Eliza
Its me, struggling to scribble a quick post using a french keyboard. Its confusing to say the least. My french has not improved at all- i just smile qnd look lost if people speak french to me. My friend is a gracious host and im having a great time. I got a lovely tan yesterday on the beach at Marseilles, had a lovely dinner and subsequently hammered. Im doing well today though. No clear idea when im going back but we will see- know that so far im doing well and missing you guys and wishing you were here.
Lovies
Eliza
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Post-holiday/travelling blues
Been listening to sad songs and trying to figure out why im so miserable. There's some loneliness, some malancholy, a touch of despair and a whole load of hopelessness. I wouldnt say its pure post-hols blues- i've been depressed before, during and now after the trip. Before the trip i was overwhelmed by work, during the trip i felt alone, despised and angry and now im feeling terrible hopelessness.
I keep on telling myself that i do not deserve to be miserable. The despised outcast i am does not have the right to be upset with my lot. I have a warm bed, clean clothes and food. I am working towards a vocation. I am young (still) and living in one of the world's greatest cities. I have good teeth and decent hair. The diagnosis of the grave endocrine disease is still uncertain. I have people to talk to.
Then why to i feel that there is no point in carrying on?
I want more. So much more. I am greedy and lustful. I want to see, feel and do it all. I want to be the life of the party, the glittering diamond of the scene. I want adventure, i crave romance and intrigrue. I want to know it all- to be wise and thoughtful.
But i know i cannot and will not ever achieve this. My recent travels confirm this. I travelled to some of the most amazing cities in the world and i did, felt, learnt nothing. I only felt a kind of futility- its like im swimming against a very strong current and drowing so slowly i dont realize it until im so tired that im happy to die anyway.
It feels like im living like this. Trying, working too hard to no avail. And now, im so tired that im ready to give up, throw in the towel and let myself drown in my misery.
Maybe not yet. I never quite quit. Why i dont know. But im setting myself up for misery. I know this. And i do it again and again. And i write about it over and over. Im boring even me. But hope is my drug. Im soaked to the very marrow of my bones in the stuff.
Hope that one day i'll be skinny.
Hope that plastic sugery can make miracles.
Hope that i can succeed in my vocation.
Hope that someone out there loves me for me.
(its not ever gonna happen, but believe it or not, im such a good liar i lie to myself convincingly)
Some poeple say its being delusional, for me its the way to be happy.
I keep on telling myself that i do not deserve to be miserable. The despised outcast i am does not have the right to be upset with my lot. I have a warm bed, clean clothes and food. I am working towards a vocation. I am young (still) and living in one of the world's greatest cities. I have good teeth and decent hair. The diagnosis of the grave endocrine disease is still uncertain. I have people to talk to.
Then why to i feel that there is no point in carrying on?
I want more. So much more. I am greedy and lustful. I want to see, feel and do it all. I want to be the life of the party, the glittering diamond of the scene. I want adventure, i crave romance and intrigrue. I want to know it all- to be wise and thoughtful.
But i know i cannot and will not ever achieve this. My recent travels confirm this. I travelled to some of the most amazing cities in the world and i did, felt, learnt nothing. I only felt a kind of futility- its like im swimming against a very strong current and drowing so slowly i dont realize it until im so tired that im happy to die anyway.
It feels like im living like this. Trying, working too hard to no avail. And now, im so tired that im ready to give up, throw in the towel and let myself drown in my misery.
Maybe not yet. I never quite quit. Why i dont know. But im setting myself up for misery. I know this. And i do it again and again. And i write about it over and over. Im boring even me. But hope is my drug. Im soaked to the very marrow of my bones in the stuff.
Hope that one day i'll be skinny.
Hope that plastic sugery can make miracles.
Hope that i can succeed in my vocation.
Hope that someone out there loves me for me.
(its not ever gonna happen, but believe it or not, im such a good liar i lie to myself convincingly)
Some poeple say its being delusional, for me its the way to be happy.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Berlin!!
Ah, post from my fantastic hostel in Berlin-the Jetpak. Its great- big rooms, toilet-with a bath, playsation and satellite TV. Oh, and great people at the counter. What more can i ask for?
There's so much to see in Berlin! absolute tons!! The city is humongous and the public transportation is messy (the map looks like a buncha snakes tangled together). And german isnt the easiest language to pick up. For me, its kinda like french- impossible to pronounce and harder to match what i hear to what i read. Still, its pretty cheap so that's a plus point.
Had a great tour tour of East berlin today- only cost me a fiver!! I could've got it for free, but the guy sure as hell deserved a tip. He ran us through the history of berlin and most of the major sights- the city's been through so much!! Most of the sights are on the eastern side- imagine, only 17 years ago, all under soviet rule!!
I felt really bad for main kejar-kejar with Z at the holocaust memorial. Its suppose to be a sombr reminder of all the Jews that died- going down to the information centre, we got to find out all about what the 3rd Reich (hitler) did to the Jews. It was terrible to read about. They make the exhibits very personal by delving into the lives of families who were affected by the holocaust- they showed that it wasnt just Jews, it was individuals, people like you and me, who were evicted by their homes in their own country, killed because they were 'different'. Im appaled at how human beings have it in us the ability to systematically exterminate (harsh term, but that was how it was done). Mobile gassing vans? Mass crematoriums running day and night? Making women strip, lie face down and shoot them in the back? That is sick and wrong.
enough sombreness for now-most of the sights in Berlin are fairly new (18th and 19th) century cos most of the place was bombed to bits in all the wars. Its been done up brilliantly (most of it) and berlin looks like a great modern city. If your ever in Berlin go for the 'free' tour. These guys know their stuff and the 3 hours fly by and you learn so much!
Not much else apart from good-ole sight seeing. My travelling mates arent the most wild party types and so i spent the saturday watching satellite tv movies (dubbed in german for about 1/2 an hour before i figured how to switch 'em back to english-hurrah, i felt so clever!) and now on sunday night we had just spent the past 2 hours in a mc-donalds in a train station and now im sitting here typing my blog while sipping a brew (only a euro, courtesy of the great hostel reception).
Wanted to hit the palace tomorrow, but sadly its closed. My travelling party are not too keen to do a walk of east belin to check out the museums so it may be the zoo. Or the sex museum. I prefer the walk or worse comes to worst, the latter.
There's so much to see in Berlin! absolute tons!! The city is humongous and the public transportation is messy (the map looks like a buncha snakes tangled together). And german isnt the easiest language to pick up. For me, its kinda like french- impossible to pronounce and harder to match what i hear to what i read. Still, its pretty cheap so that's a plus point.
Had a great tour tour of East berlin today- only cost me a fiver!! I could've got it for free, but the guy sure as hell deserved a tip. He ran us through the history of berlin and most of the major sights- the city's been through so much!! Most of the sights are on the eastern side- imagine, only 17 years ago, all under soviet rule!!
I felt really bad for main kejar-kejar with Z at the holocaust memorial. Its suppose to be a sombr reminder of all the Jews that died- going down to the information centre, we got to find out all about what the 3rd Reich (hitler) did to the Jews. It was terrible to read about. They make the exhibits very personal by delving into the lives of families who were affected by the holocaust- they showed that it wasnt just Jews, it was individuals, people like you and me, who were evicted by their homes in their own country, killed because they were 'different'. Im appaled at how human beings have it in us the ability to systematically exterminate (harsh term, but that was how it was done). Mobile gassing vans? Mass crematoriums running day and night? Making women strip, lie face down and shoot them in the back? That is sick and wrong.
enough sombreness for now-most of the sights in Berlin are fairly new (18th and 19th) century cos most of the place was bombed to bits in all the wars. Its been done up brilliantly (most of it) and berlin looks like a great modern city. If your ever in Berlin go for the 'free' tour. These guys know their stuff and the 3 hours fly by and you learn so much!
Not much else apart from good-ole sight seeing. My travelling mates arent the most wild party types and so i spent the saturday watching satellite tv movies (dubbed in german for about 1/2 an hour before i figured how to switch 'em back to english-hurrah, i felt so clever!) and now on sunday night we had just spent the past 2 hours in a mc-donalds in a train station and now im sitting here typing my blog while sipping a brew (only a euro, courtesy of the great hostel reception).
Wanted to hit the palace tomorrow, but sadly its closed. My travelling party are not too keen to do a walk of east belin to check out the museums so it may be the zoo. Or the sex museum. I prefer the walk or worse comes to worst, the latter.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Its nice in Nice
I WENT TO CARNIVAL!!!!!!
I wasn't sure earlier-but i did it! The parades themselves were great- tonnes of flowers, people and floats. Not to mention tonnes of confetti and silly-string. Since it was carnival people were attacking each other (randomly) with silly-string. People would just spray you with silly string as you walk by- kids, teenagers, grown-ups....Initially we just screamed away and ran away. Then we got smart and got our own cans of silly string and retalited.....It was so much fun to squirt yards of silly string on some guy and then have all his friends spray you back and then you and your friends spray them back and run for it laughing. And then there was confetti, which got everywhere- in hair, baju, even got into my bra!
I was terribly excited by all parades- My favourites included the guys who sprayed paper ribbons into the air, the amazing flower floats (so much lovely flowers!), the medieval guys throwing flags, the dinosaur spewing shiny paper from its mouth.....so many cool things!!! I was a six year old again-clapping, cheering and smiling in glee. I hope my friends had as much fun as i did!
We woke late the on sunday. We went to KFC for lunch- its halal in Nice! Cool huh? Kenyang and warm we ended up on the beach. For more than 2 hours. We started with just sitting down, waiting for the grand carnival to start. We ended up lying down and napping on the beach, in a line. I took off most of my layers- trying to get a decent tan so that R doesnt think i have a pale chest anymore. I disappered for a short walk (to coax the two to get chummy) and had a nice french guy sit and chat with me.
I had an insanely expensive dinner- bouillabaise (a french seafood soup eaten with toasted bread covered in creamy stuff and cheeese and soaked in the soup till its soft....) and escargots. Wanted wine- but my conscience was there, in physical form. I initially couldnt say bouillabaise so i called it "bulat betis". It sounded close enough. French is a bloody hard language. I cant pronounce it, so reading the language is outta the question. The spelling for "bulat betis" was googled.
The incineration and fireworks were magical. I hope fireworks never lose their magic for me. They set the fire to the head of the king of the carnival ( a float, not a real person) and that was an inferno on a boat- i wondered what would happen if they had set the boat on fire as well....The fireworks were on the water, and it was beautiful. Set fire to the sky and the water. Unique cos the water reflects the light- and the sea was lovely, still and calm. I always make a wish, with lights and noise like that, God cant miss you. Some kid kept on spraying silly string on us during the fireworks and so when the fireworks ended we attacked him. His dad held his arms as we emptied our silly string cans on him....HAHAHAHA
Later, we sat huddled together on the beach for the longest while- why i have no idea. It was cold and kinda wet, but we were there, rolled together on the beach. I made a confetti offering and made wishes to Neptune. The water levels were coming up, and so we decided to go find us a club to chill and party. We ended up in an old part of town- pretty, with little pubs and bars...We didnt find a club/bar/pub we like but we did find Fenochios- the winner of Nice's Golden Cone Award. They deserve it- 96 flavours of ice-cream!! Baskin Robbins, bow before your master.....I had the lavender flavour- it smells like potpurri and tasted ok-probably what potpurri would taste like.....Then we were accosted (in a good way) by a cute french boy who took an instant liking to our boy. And us. He was obviously drunk, but very friendly. Spoke for ages with our boy and then did capoiera moves for our entertainment. Then he proceded to show us how the french pray: by praying/singing at the top of his voice while peeing into a fountain. We were appaled: i was amused, S shocked, our boy incredulous. We hung about a bit more and then made our escape. We dragged ourselves back to the hotel- tired.
Our plan was to watch the sunrise, but no one woke up in time-we liked our sleep too much. Rushed to the airport, checked in and sat on the floor in a corner of the airport eating breakfast. We sent off our boy (kinda sad- we loved having him around) to the bus and we flew back.
Skipped class, had lamb ribs for lunch and crawled home. I dont want to be here. I like Nice.
A lot. It was a great weekend. I'm gonna try and make this our new tradition. A weekend every once and awhile- we actually enjoy each other's company and didnt want to kill each other in the end. I need to find me a man though- i dont think we can share our boy, not for long anyway.
I wasn't sure earlier-but i did it! The parades themselves were great- tonnes of flowers, people and floats. Not to mention tonnes of confetti and silly-string. Since it was carnival people were attacking each other (randomly) with silly-string. People would just spray you with silly string as you walk by- kids, teenagers, grown-ups....Initially we just screamed away and ran away. Then we got smart and got our own cans of silly string and retalited.....It was so much fun to squirt yards of silly string on some guy and then have all his friends spray you back and then you and your friends spray them back and run for it laughing. And then there was confetti, which got everywhere- in hair, baju, even got into my bra!
I was terribly excited by all parades- My favourites included the guys who sprayed paper ribbons into the air, the amazing flower floats (so much lovely flowers!), the medieval guys throwing flags, the dinosaur spewing shiny paper from its mouth.....so many cool things!!! I was a six year old again-clapping, cheering and smiling in glee. I hope my friends had as much fun as i did!
We woke late the on sunday. We went to KFC for lunch- its halal in Nice! Cool huh? Kenyang and warm we ended up on the beach. For more than 2 hours. We started with just sitting down, waiting for the grand carnival to start. We ended up lying down and napping on the beach, in a line. I took off most of my layers- trying to get a decent tan so that R doesnt think i have a pale chest anymore. I disappered for a short walk (to coax the two to get chummy) and had a nice french guy sit and chat with me.
I had an insanely expensive dinner- bouillabaise (a french seafood soup eaten with toasted bread covered in creamy stuff and cheeese and soaked in the soup till its soft....) and escargots. Wanted wine- but my conscience was there, in physical form. I initially couldnt say bouillabaise so i called it "bulat betis". It sounded close enough. French is a bloody hard language. I cant pronounce it, so reading the language is outta the question. The spelling for "bulat betis" was googled.
The incineration and fireworks were magical. I hope fireworks never lose their magic for me. They set the fire to the head of the king of the carnival ( a float, not a real person) and that was an inferno on a boat- i wondered what would happen if they had set the boat on fire as well....The fireworks were on the water, and it was beautiful. Set fire to the sky and the water. Unique cos the water reflects the light- and the sea was lovely, still and calm. I always make a wish, with lights and noise like that, God cant miss you. Some kid kept on spraying silly string on us during the fireworks and so when the fireworks ended we attacked him. His dad held his arms as we emptied our silly string cans on him....HAHAHAHA
Later, we sat huddled together on the beach for the longest while- why i have no idea. It was cold and kinda wet, but we were there, rolled together on the beach. I made a confetti offering and made wishes to Neptune. The water levels were coming up, and so we decided to go find us a club to chill and party. We ended up in an old part of town- pretty, with little pubs and bars...We didnt find a club/bar/pub we like but we did find Fenochios- the winner of Nice's Golden Cone Award. They deserve it- 96 flavours of ice-cream!! Baskin Robbins, bow before your master.....I had the lavender flavour- it smells like potpurri and tasted ok-probably what potpurri would taste like.....Then we were accosted (in a good way) by a cute french boy who took an instant liking to our boy. And us. He was obviously drunk, but very friendly. Spoke for ages with our boy and then did capoiera moves for our entertainment. Then he proceded to show us how the french pray: by praying/singing at the top of his voice while peeing into a fountain. We were appaled: i was amused, S shocked, our boy incredulous. We hung about a bit more and then made our escape. We dragged ourselves back to the hotel- tired.
Our plan was to watch the sunrise, but no one woke up in time-we liked our sleep too much. Rushed to the airport, checked in and sat on the floor in a corner of the airport eating breakfast. We sent off our boy (kinda sad- we loved having him around) to the bus and we flew back.
Skipped class, had lamb ribs for lunch and crawled home. I dont want to be here. I like Nice.
A lot. It was a great weekend. I'm gonna try and make this our new tradition. A weekend every once and awhile- we actually enjoy each other's company and didnt want to kill each other in the end. I need to find me a man though- i dont think we can share our boy, not for long anyway.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Welsh Daydreamings
I'm currently crushing on a charming Welsh boy i met while dissecting. He's very good with scaples but a bit too keen to chop and slice. He's now practising some play in the hall- I can spy him from my room.....
When he speaks my knees turn a bit jelly. I love his adorable accent- it sounds so cute and pretty. The moment i crushed was when he hummed along to 'whistle while you work'- i was singing cos i had a tough bit to slicing to do.
Charming as he is though, it is a silly crush with no real viability. Just daydreaming- did a lot of that on the bus to Cardiff.
Wouldn't it be funny if I'd marry a nice Welsh boy? We'd live in a village somewhere, or maybe even a farm. We'd rear sheep and cows and I'd be the first producer of halal Aberdeen Angus steaks in Wales and maybe even Britain. The children would speak Bahasa and Welsh- probably a combination never seen before.
Cardiff is a lovely city- clean and nicely sized. Lots of older buildings, with a castle in the middle of town. It gets a bit rowdy on a friday and saturday night- the streets looked like a parade just passed by. The Malaysians i met and hung out with are lovely! Thanks for letting us stay at yor place and taking care of us! The Malaysian night was entertaining though it was a bit dull at parts. The play was different- it looked into sticky issues that arent the usual fodder of malaysian nights. Still, it managed to be light-hearted and funny....Reminded me terribly of DJ, old friends and home. Not going home pangs are hitting a bit hard.
Had a excellent weekend and now its back to school. Starting a new program to attain physical perfection (or at least move a few milimeters in that direction) on top of rowing training. Its the S.P.P: Six pack program. The aim is to develop the rectus abdominis, external oblique and internal oblique muscles and also to remove the fatty layers covering these muscles so that the definitions of these muscles can be seen externally.
To put it simply is to have a lean, flat, solid stomach. *Insyaallah, Amin*
If it works, i may even get my Welsh boy. Doesnt have to be the current crush......Id be happy with a 6 foot, broad shouldered half Spanish, half Welsh boy named Jorge. As long as he doesnt have red-hair, i'd be happy. Im simple like that........... *now you can snicker and roll your eyes*
When he speaks my knees turn a bit jelly. I love his adorable accent- it sounds so cute and pretty. The moment i crushed was when he hummed along to 'whistle while you work'- i was singing cos i had a tough bit to slicing to do.
Charming as he is though, it is a silly crush with no real viability. Just daydreaming- did a lot of that on the bus to Cardiff.
Wouldn't it be funny if I'd marry a nice Welsh boy? We'd live in a village somewhere, or maybe even a farm. We'd rear sheep and cows and I'd be the first producer of halal Aberdeen Angus steaks in Wales and maybe even Britain. The children would speak Bahasa and Welsh- probably a combination never seen before.
Cardiff is a lovely city- clean and nicely sized. Lots of older buildings, with a castle in the middle of town. It gets a bit rowdy on a friday and saturday night- the streets looked like a parade just passed by. The Malaysians i met and hung out with are lovely! Thanks for letting us stay at yor place and taking care of us! The Malaysian night was entertaining though it was a bit dull at parts. The play was different- it looked into sticky issues that arent the usual fodder of malaysian nights. Still, it managed to be light-hearted and funny....Reminded me terribly of DJ, old friends and home. Not going home pangs are hitting a bit hard.
Had a excellent weekend and now its back to school. Starting a new program to attain physical perfection (or at least move a few milimeters in that direction) on top of rowing training. Its the S.P.P: Six pack program. The aim is to develop the rectus abdominis, external oblique and internal oblique muscles and also to remove the fatty layers covering these muscles so that the definitions of these muscles can be seen externally.
To put it simply is to have a lean, flat, solid stomach. *Insyaallah, Amin*
If it works, i may even get my Welsh boy. Doesnt have to be the current crush......Id be happy with a 6 foot, broad shouldered half Spanish, half Welsh boy named Jorge. As long as he doesnt have red-hair, i'd be happy. Im simple like that........... *now you can snicker and roll your eyes*
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