Singapore: Singapore - The town

Ok Singapore.

This is the 2nd stop of mine from NZ.

By the time i reached in Singapore was 12am, to save a night of accommodation fees, i decided to slept in the airport. So i got a quiet corner with great view and spent my first night in the airport.

I checked-in to a hostel, got a quick shower and went out, although i didn't sleep well though.

I didn't plan to go to sentosa or universal or any other theme park, not interested me at all, i love culture and color, although Malaysia and Singapore has similar culture la.

So i just walked around to get some interesting photos.

My hostel is very near with Little India, i got a map in the airport and let myself went missing in the city, afterall Singapore wasn't that big, i never worried that i will lost the direction.

Sasha agreed that Singapore has no own culture, well i don't have any comment but frankly, Singapore is really not my city. I stop by because i don't feel like goin back to Malaysia yet, and i don't have any other destination so far, that's why.

Ok too far, i wanna talk something bout culture, so i can link that to my next photo, i went to have my very first hanna.

Of course this is not something new for me la, i'm a Malaysian what.

But this is my first hanna and don't ask me why to have it here, i dont know. I passed by a stall and the girl showed me her hand, i nodded my head so i sat down and let her draw on my hand.

Not expensive though, like 5 bucks, and its last for a week.

2 things always catch my eye in my trip, culture and architecture.

Although someone tease me architect is part of the culture la.

Singapore has similar building style with Malaysia, nothing really impress or surprise me, except the flat.

Most of the flat in Singapore painted with different color, when the sun is shining those flat do look good.

Theme park and shopping never a plan in my trip, while everyone telling me that Singapore is good to shop and good place to hunt for foods.

I love food but seriously, i don't like the service attitude in Singapore, no matter how yum the food us, it will never pleased me.

I booked my flight home in the 2nd days i stayed in Singapore, i don't like Singapore, no offence, this is just not my place.

The best part is to met some good friends here and we went to club in the last night i stayed in Singapore, we had really good time in Clark Quay.

Bout accommodation, i don't like hotel (ok ok i'm not rich enough to stay in hotel!), i like hostel more because i can meet more people and cheaper, of course.

I choose footprint after read all the review on the net, reasonable price and good location (MRT station is not like in the next door, but its not far though), so i stayed in this hostel in the whole trip.

Free wifi connection, but i never ever connect successfully in the dorm room, i don't know what's the problem and i don't bother to ask. I just brought greeny to the common area to get connect.

Alternatively you can use their desktop in the kitchen area, free of charge.

Locker in the room, bring your own lock. Air-con only allow to on after 8pm (if not mistaken). And they don't allow early check-in, but you can wait in the living room anyway, like what i did.

Met friends from everywhere in this hostel, including friends from Malaysia and we met sometime in KL here now, again, the best thing to stay in hostel is to meet people and share their story.

http://www.footprintshostel.com.sg/

Make your booking, not huge backpacker but warm and cozy, offer free breakfast too. Worth the money.

Alright next post, China.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

20110424, 0758pm

Rach in tomorrow is monday =( mood.

New Zealand: NZ memory

I suppose to start my Singapore journey post last week, but i was too busy with my book and my features story of the press, i skipped a week without telling, but i guess you guys can guess so right?

But sorry ar, this week still NZ la XD.

Just because i was keeping my room, and i found something that i brought back from NZ and it worths to blog about.

Worth to blog for my own memories la.

This is the certificate of climbing on the world's steepest street in Dunedin, to prove you did walk up and down to the street.

But heck i tell you what, this certificate doesn't give away free, there is a shop in the beginning of the street, walk in and tell him you want a certificate, give the old man 2 bucks and you'll got one, the man doesn't care if you really did walk up and down from the street.

But seriously 2 bucks wasn't much la, as a tourist like me and you, i would really spent the 2 bucks for this certificate, just for memory.

By the way, if you wanna know more about steepest street in Dunedin, i do have a post about it.

Click me click me!!.

I know this photo looks funny, ok, at least me, i look funny i know.

I get this old photo taken in Arrowtown, people say there has the richest river in NZ, because the town produce gold.

Arrowtown nearby Queenstown, if not mistaken it was like 1 hour away. And heck i suddenly remember!

THE TOWN DO NOT HAVE A PETROL STATION! THE NEAREST WAS IN QUEENSTOWN!

This is all i remember about that town. Because that day we leave from Queenstown to next destination (ok i forgot where is the next destination la!), and we decided to pass by Arrowtown to have a look, and see if there sold any cheaper petrol.

But fuck, when that time we reached Arrowtown we found no petrol station, people in i-site told us the nearest was in Queenstown, and we're too far from the next destination, i estimated 100% not enough for us to reached the next destination.

Yes, so we drove back to Queenstown for petrol.

Ok la what-so-ever la, we walked for a while in this town but fuck i remember that day was raining and i leave my camera in the car because i don't want to wet it. So i let Ju and Aston to take photo.

And i forgot to get the photo for them.....

=.=

So this is the reason why i forgot about this town and there is no blog about it.

ok for what i remember, the Arrowtown river is one of the shooting place for the movie of hmmm... The Lord of the Ring? Yea if not mistaken la, the place was the river side, you can miss it because billboard everywhere. =.=

A very nice candy shop, you will turn to 5 years old when you get in there.

Countless of gold shop, but i don't have money for it wtf.

Some and old little town, very good to have a nice walk.

Oh damn i forget about the photo above, i get this photo in the lower ground floor of I-site, 20 bucks per photo taking and clothes and all that. I pay that for my mates to take this photo with me. Just for memories la.

P/s: I shouldn't smile, like how Ju react so i will look like women from last century wtf.

And the next thing, my birthday card from Cat.

Nothing much to say bout this, she knows, and i knows. =)

But this card was making by Prof. Chan, a prof from Taiwan, he gave up everything he has and came to NZ, get a piece of land, build his own home, grow vege and flower by the river side. He makes 3D cards like this and sold it in Sunday market.

We met each other from Jess and Elsa, and become very good friend after that. Love the card he makes, he put lots of effort in making it.

Last but not least. The farewell card from Bill and Johanna, my neighbour in Motueka, very lovely old couple staying quietly in the town.

Johanna was the English teacher for Elsa and Cat, i was the interpretor between Elsa, Cat and Johanna, although i don't speak good English, but its pretty enough to have conversation with them.

Bill used to talking to me, and showing off his Bahasa, he was born in Indo and later move to Netherland, met Johanna and later move to NZ.

The day before i leave, Bill and Johanna want me to go over for tea, i brought June together because she comes to see me. And Johanna handed me this card before i had to go home and packed my stuff.

Cant never ever forget she told me that how much Bill and her will miss me, wet my eyes.

The biggest different between travelling and backpacking was you will get more time to build more memorable relationship with local people, and those memory will brighten your journey.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20110416, 1023am

Rach in ha-chiu mood.

New Zealand: The South Island - The end of the NZ journey

I met Jenn last night and she told me that my blog replaced by "Announcement" but not the name of places i had visit anymore.

This make me sad for awhile.

Not that i don't have trips to update, but i have no time to update.

This is a difficult post for me, because this is the last post about NZ.

C'mon, real real one la, i know i mentioned the same thing in last post.

So forgive me if you found familiar with some photos below, i'm not very sure if i posted them before, and i'm lazy to search it out post by post.

Because for this last post, i'm trying to dig out photos that i left out in previous posts, so this post can be theme-less, because all rojak

First part, the leaving of Kinna aka Julien, if you guys wanna know why he called Kinna, this is come from Taiwan Mandarin, Si Kin Na, means spoil kid. You won't agree more if you know him in person.

But yea, only kid likes him has the guts to backpacking in his 19. He's brave, i cant agree anymore too.

This fellow sneaked in my place for 2 days without letting Claire know.

Dino and Alice, Kinna and Me. The best summer ever =)

Claire and I

That also my self-farewell leaving from Motueka to my trip. I know God always love me, by leading me to meet good people in this trip.

Such as Dino and Alice, and Claire, my landlord in Motueka.

The day before i left, Dino and Alice came and look for me in my place, just to say goodbye and want me to take good care on myself, like my parent did.

How blissful am i to have them in my journey. I miss you Dino and Alice, of course you too Claire, and the little hut that i spent so long in Motueka, all these my sweet memory in my life, i can never forget those old days.

The second part of my trip is the journey from Queenstown to Lake Tekapo, i passed by a place called Omarama, which is not an attraction at all, i never heard of this place before and after i been in NZ.

So i always say, the most beautiful part of backpacking is, you will have much more surprise in your journey.

Like i found this fantastic place on the way to Lake Tekapo.

I say it is fantastic just because i never been such place before, i mean, a place close to desert.

I got the feel that BK mentioned from this view

NZ's weather changes in a minute, and weird. Half sunny, and half cloudy.

Like i mentioned thousand times before, driving in NZ is an enjoyment.

Because most of the time, its make you feel like you're the owner of the road.

Nothing, but desert

long way to go

Frankly i dislike desert, or place like this, make me feel the world is going to the end and i was all alone in such a hopeless place.

But heck i cant deny the beauty of this place anyway.

I never ever thought of a place like this is existing in the middle of the south island, this is a surprise and somehow amazed me alot.

And this journey let me got to see another side of NZ.

By the way, there is a small township in the middle of this highway, this is a long way with all the view like above, if you want you can just stop by and get to know the people in the town, talk to them and listen to their story.

This is what i used to do when i was travelling in NZ.

And the 3rd part.

The end of the journey. I mean, going back to Christchurch, catch up the flight to Auckland, and leaving.

I remember i told Gary once, Alpaca has a funny Chinese name, called Chao Ni Ma.

Surprisingly he got what i mean.

Hey i'm serious, my friend from China called it Chao Ni Ma, direct translate to English is Grass Soil Horse. And don't ask why, i have no idea at all.

Well, Aston leave us and stay in Lake Tekapo after i had to go to Christchurch, a regret for her because she hasn't had chance to see anyone of alpaca throughout the journey.

Finally Kinna and I found a huge group when we were on the way to Christchurch.

Group of alpaca, different size, different color

Farewell dinner. Last meal in NZ.

We rushed back to Christchurch 1 and half days before my flight, for 2 reasons.

To meet June, Dino and Alice, who came all the way from Motueka, a total of 5 hours driving distance to Christchurch, just to farewell me for another time.

No matter how selfish am i too cant reject the kindness of them.

So we meet for dinner, joined with Sam and Poon from Ashburton.

Give each of them a damn big hug when they were sending me off to the airport.

June dropped her tears and really make me so nervous, and happy, was comforting her but cant stop smiling. I know if i don't, i will too drop my tears.

So there i boarded to Air NZ, flight to Auckland, caught Qantas and flied to Melbourne.

In some airport

Don't get me wrong, i was lying on the floor and this is the reflection on the celling wall

I guess this is in Changi Airport.

In Changi i bet

Whole night long i couldn't sleep well, because i know my journey has came to the end

I cant really remember clearly, which airport it that in my photos. I stopped in 4 airports on the way back to Singapore. (My flight destination is Singapore, i wasn't decided to go back to Malaysia yet that time) Took me about 1 and half day to reached Singapore.

Keith came and meet me in the Melbourne airport, brought me out for a quick dinner and send me back to the airport, as i only have 10 hours stay in Australia.

I didn't get any photo in the land of Aus., forgot to took my camera out and seriously, i dislike Australia, nothing worth me to capture for my memory, except some people that i love who are surviving on this land.

10 hours later i flied to Singapore, and this is not my country too. I mean, not my type of country.

I reached in late night, as a backpacker, i have to spent every single cent wisely for next trip, i decided to stayed a night in the airport, and check-in to a hostel in the next morning.

And Singapore airport was the hmmm... 5th airport? that i had slept in. I just cant deny, this is the best airport for overnight. You can always find some silent corner with great view and slept in safely.

Well i haven't realised that i spent whole night on a piece of visible glasses until the day came, seriously freaked me out while i woke up by thinking i was hanging in the air. LOL.

So, here is the end of my whole 9 months journey in NZ. Thanks for those who is following my story of the journey all these while.

The end of NZ, doesn't mean the end of my backpacking journey. I know i have long way to go still.

Coming will be the journey in Sing' Land, China, Malaysia, and Sing' Land again.

Hopefully i will get the offer to Abu Dhabi, then you can see me in tudung. LOL.

Thanks reader, your support always be my motivation.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

20110403, 0735pm

Rach in knee bleeding mood