happy new year from taipei!
i love taipei! i love sheraton taipei! i love the pretty lady staff of sheraton taipei!! although there are so many channels on tv in the room, i decided to come down to the lounge for a complimentary drink. taiwan beer of course.
i wanted to upload pictures to share.. but speeds are not very good here.. go to my
facebook to see!
the feel is really different here.. perhaps it's the long holiday period during chinese new year.. perhaps it's the spending vouchers issued by the government.. anyhow our chinatown just pales in comparison.
it's still pretty cold (10-14C) so it's not uncomfortable and sticky to walk in the crowds of a new year market.. there is also much more variety in the stuff sold here.. unlike in sg where it's always those handful of food items and what not. boring. maybe it's because here the whole country celebrates this occasion
i just have to keep stressing how much i love sheraton taipei.. wahaha..
it's good why, because on the eve of cny, there it was full house in the restaurant. maybe 90% of the diners are taiwanese families having their reunion dinner. they arrive in the lobby and start wishing everybody happy new year and stuff.. no lack of festive spirit.. even as of now, the night of 初一, it's packed to the brim.
it's really refreshing to take a break from 22 years of waking up early in the morning of 初一to go 拜年at all the specific relatives' houses. i'm glad i got such a good roster to start my lunar year!
新年快乐，身体健康，万事如意，心想事成！
破产咯！
wahaha.. it has come!
on the chilly night of 05 nov 2008. i drove a little too fast along wynau, bernstrasse. i saw a red light flash.. wahaha..
sibei chor man.. fine for 13km/h over the limit after allowance is 250chf!
speed limit for that road was 50km/h, i was running at 68km/h minus 5km/h allowance is 63km/h
just for sending 2 pieces of paper to jelupang, singapure they charge another 30chf. lesson learnt.. next time drive slowly.
yay!!
finally! i'm going to san franscisco!! i want to sweep the outlets.. i want to visit mythbusters lab.. haha.. it's icn-sfo not hkg-sfo.. sad.. it is already a 777 operation now..i shall not have preconceptions of the flight.. let's wait and see.. all flights are good until proven lousy.
yay. i see my leave reflected on the roster. i hope my probation has not been extended. it's unplanned leave.. i still don't know what to do with the 9 days.. from 14-22 feb.. anybody wants to go on a holiday with me?
yay.. going to another new city in europe after my leave.. heading to rome! gotta brush up on my italiano.
woo. happy happy!
=)
people go milan shopping. i go and stir people. people come home go sleep. i go shopping.
meet iBert!
too bad the red one is only available online.. being a cheapo like myself, i decided at duty free, that iBert shall don a cool shade of black
winter in milan
i find the advantages of visiting a country in winter outweigh the cons. one very big pro is that it's not as crowded, off peak. it's nice to take a break from summer all year round back home, although temperatures can dip to as low as -13C. not too bad here in milan, lowest was only about -5C like now a about 23:40.
today was my last chance to play in snow but it wasn't snowing still.. even in barcelona, the weather has cleared up like magic. doesn't look like the airport had to be closed up till the day before we arrived in milan. lucky for that set. get to spend an extra 2 days in milan. $$$ wahaha.
venice was worth the trip. the architecture, the good sunny weather, the good restaurant with air sommeliers we happen to chance upon, nutella gelato and of course the endless streets of fashion boutiques.
judging from the algae marks of high tide, i think venice will suffer the consequences of global warming in several years. the residents have already moved to the second floors of their homes and measures have been put in place to prepare for the worst. it is sad an iconic city like this will be lost.
it's hard to decide which city i like best now. is it paris or milan? or is it amsterdam.. haha.. i like all of them.. it's really important who you go with. that can make or break your trip.
watched "Wanted" just now. angelina jolie was super sexy in the movie. pity she had to die in the end. damn. my last night in milan. surely going to miss it. let's pray roster is good!
good night from milan =)
greetings from milano
it's only 6pm and already the skies are dark and it's -1C. now i know what is cold. lucky it's not windy. duomo was nice. the cathedral was awe inspiring. pictures to come on fb.
don't know how cold venice would be. i feel like popping by san siro to have a look. but i'm sure none of the girls are interested.
spotted a nice miu miu wallet at only €210. too bad i have no girlfriend to buy for =)
simple yet tasty dinner. huge serving of linguine with clams and shrimp
oo.. it's -3C now.. time to sleep =)
primer poste del año
the view of the fireworks from the middle of esplanade drive was pretty awesome. it felt like the fireworks exploded in your face. you feel so small standing directly under the flurry of sparkles.
the girl with braces was quite hot.. she was the last hot girl i saw in 08 and the first hot girl i saw in 09. i don't know how to just walk up and take her number. i just don't have the guts.. maybe that's why i'm still one. haha
i guess one reason why i havn't been as lively as some other friends leading up to the festivities is due to work. january will be a fully packed month for me, spending chinese new year's eve to 2nd day in taipei! back to back flights without standbys. only one saturday off.. rest are on weekdays. starting the year with a dhaka turn.. that's in a few hours.
cheers to good health, happiness and prosperity in 09
