Shanghai

I took shitloads of time to put up the pictures and it's a 3-day trip. O dear, i don't think my Turkey pics will ever be up. Anyway, here's how the 3 days went.

I stayed at a friend's place. Very swanky 4-room condominium development, apparently by Keppel Land. Yep, little Singapore in Shanghai.
My temporary room and toilet.
Below is there guest room. It only has a sofa bed and a TV.
I arrived at 7am, reached my friend Y's place at about 830am. Said bye to him as he went to work. I walked around the apartment for a little bit, then i headed off to the streets of Shanghai!
Ok, i decided to go everywhere on foot. And i mean everywhere. Basically from Y's apartment, which sits on the intersection of Chang De Lu and Xinzha Lu, i walked along Chang De and it hits Nanjing Xi Lu, which is a freaking long road and links everyone in Shanghai, or so i imagine. So yea, below are some pics of Nanjing Xi Lu. I got really tired at around noon and found myself sitting in Starbucks. Ok, don't laugh, but i was actually a little apprehensive about sitting in a non-familiar place. Even if it was a respectable looking tea house. I ended up in Macs and Starbucks at various parts of the day, all along Nanjing Lu.


Along Nanjing Lu, if u keep walking, u hit the grand theatre.
And below is the Shanghai Cityhall. (if i didn't remember wrongly)
And here, my destination: The Shanghai Museum.
Honestly, i was rather disappointed at the museum. It's not any fault of the museum. It's a nice easy layout, just that i'm not all that into bronze carvings, pottery and calligrphy. But there was a visiting exhibition of American art, which i liked. The entrance was Y20, which translates to S$4. it's alright for a 2-hour walk and easy breathing.

Then i continued with my walk, wanting to find Huangpi Nan Lu station. But along the way, i saw this. I didn't actually go there. I merely took a picture.
I did reach Huangpi station. Only that once again, i didn't take the train. I wanted to buy my Jiaotong card, but the little stall wasn't open. And i didn't mind walking. So i did. I headed to Chenghuang Miao, also known to be the area near Yu Garden. And along the way, i passed the Wedding street. It's a little eerie cos they hang the wedding gowns outside. And the dresses would swing in the wind, making them look like ghosts. Didn't help that it was a cloudy day.
Below: the stalls around the temple. I kinda got lost here. And got pretty freaked out. It was a combination of things. Like the gloomy day, me not being used to the people, the dirt, the streets. I think at some point i almost cried. I'm weird this way. In Sec One, i cried cos it was my first day. Yea, i'm timid this way.

Below, the entrance of Old Shanghai street. At the end of it, it connects to Henan Bei Lu, which if u walk along it, u hit the swanky streets again, like Westin Hotel, where Deloitte offices are.


Yep, touring alone means taking idiotic shots like this.
Then, the light at the end of the tunnel: i met W for dinner. And we had Kailan in ice, Brinjal and this other chicken dish that doesn't deserve a picture. The entire meal cost Y89 for both of us.

Below: this is Nanjing Dong Lu, also called the Nanjing Bu Xing Jie.


We're getting near the Bund if we keep walking, which is what we did!
He Ping Fan dian - Peace Hotel.
The (cloudy/foggy) view of Huangpu river.
Peace Hotel again.
I forgot what building this is.
Ping Tang Hu Lu. Very yummy. Y3.

Once again, i forgot what this building is again. But we walked and walked and oohed and arhed at the sights and building and lights. Then when we were too tired to take another step, we decided to part. I took my first form of public transport in Shanghai: the cab.
It has in-cab entertainment. The ride 'home' cost me Y21.
The next day, after i visited the office, i went to QiPu Lu, which is really our version of Far East Plaza at a fifth of the price.

Me taking picture in the office toilet.
Outside the office, there is an italian restaurant cafe/restaurant.

Then in the night, i met J for dinner. She works at PwC Shanghai. It is a gorgeous office.

The next day: i walked along Nanjing Xi Lu again to meet A for lunch. I passed the Shanghai exhibition centre. Apparently Mao has been here!

Another mall i passed.

Yep, i just wanted to take the New York Pizza.

This is the Jing An temple, which is a 10 min walk from Y's place. It has a mall near it too. It's interesting how it seems like 'settlements' form around temples.

My first time taking the metro. After my first time, i was hooked. It's nice and clean, like in Singapore. cost Y3 for a standard ride, ie, not too long a ride. Below: don't these gantries look familiar?

The No 1 Shanghai department store. i didn't go in. But it's one of those that's mentioned in the travel guide.

I was at People's Square. Ren Min Guang Chang. I was headed to the Shanghai Urban Planning museum. Below: the town plan. The blue part is the Huangpu river, which splits Shanghai into Puxi and Pudong, which means the west and east side of the Huangpu river respectively.

Below: a virtual tour of Shanghai in the museum.

After that, i headed to Pudong.

Below: a mock-up of old shanghai streets in the Urban Planning Museum.

The tower. i forgot the name.

My last day ended with dinner with Y and B. And after that we had dessert. Similar to ice-kachang.

Except this one is as big as my face.

Yep. that's my Shanghai for u. =)

Hen Night?

It was a friend's hen night. The first time i participated in one too. And being in boring Singapore, and to my knowledge, our cute little nation only has one bar that has male strippers. And that's where we went. Gotham Penthouse. I'm of the view that if they didn't have this male strip thing, there wouldn't be anyone at all. We had loads to drink. I didn't drink a lot. I get dizzy real quick, but the fact that i'm typing now shows that i recover fast too. We were there till past 2am, and the bride-to-be could not stand up independantly anymore. And then we headed to Wine Bar.

And the drinking continues, this time with talking (now that we can be heard) and we could munch on hotdogs. It was more fun. At the end of the day, Zouk does it for me. Yep, the night ended with the groom-to-be turning up to fetch the bride-to-be, which according to my other friends, is the most wrong thing to do. Hen's night is supposed to be a gal pals only thing.

Overheard at Zouk:


random GIRL A: I'm damn sure (....) happened!

random girl B: How sure?

random GIRL A: I'm really very sure la. I bet my balls it happened!




(i'm thinking, just how sure is she?)

We went to a friend's place for a cook-out. Oh my. She technically stays in a 3-room flat. BUT the important thing to note is that it is a landed property. Yep, it belongs to HDB, is categorised under 3-room flats, despite having a garden and a large living room. They also built outwards a little. So now it is really a semi-detached landed property with 4 rooms and a large garden. And the best part? They have 2 rabbits!

Meet Cotton. He's got a nice, meek personality. And though it seems like he has a heavy bottom, he's rather quick and agile. It was tough trying to catch him.
Now meet I-forgot-his-name. He's got a beard. Have u ever met a rabbit with a beard?!
I also want a rabbit. Summer had one.

Their kitchen.

We needed 2 men to open a bottle of wine. It was a successful attempt.

When you're alone and not busy, quiet, what kinda thoughts usually come to your mind?

I want this hairstyle

Summer

I also want a chocolate brown labrador. And the nice brown leather boots she's wearing. =)

Yellow/Mustard and green are my current favourite colours.

Nice dress right? i think she looks real nice.

Now notice the shoes. Pointy, high heels.

This is very un-Summer-like. But she looks nice in the "jeans tucked into boots" look.

I like her top here. And her pants. Ok, and her shoes too. =)

Priceless

I managed to catch a show today after work. At Vivocity. It's really not the best cinema, nothing close to what one can get at Cathay cinemas. The seats were way too upright, the popcorn was tasteless. Thankfully, the show was very enjoyable.

Audrey was at her best. She was lovely in the movie, showing both grit and vulnerability at the same time. You really love and hate her, but love her more. =)

Bathing tip

Today is Saturday. And in preparation for dressing up to attend a friend's wedding, i bathed. It was a long, tedious, yet relaxing, feel-good process.

Before that, i went for a run in the sweltering heat. Well, it wasn't on purpose. I felt like running a bit, but i woke up really late. So yea, i slapped on lots of sunblock, put on a cap, then off i went.

When i returned, it was as if i stepped out of a sauna. I was dripping sweat from every pore. After stretching, i showered in hot water. Then i shampooed and conditioned my hair. Then i put on a hair mask and wrapped up my head.

I proceeded to scrub my body, first with a menthol bath foam. It feels damn cool! then i scrubbed down with an oily scrub with grains. Then i washed off everything in cold water. The hair mask and oil (and dead skin). Now i feel nice.

Go try it!

First time

Today was my first time seeing an SBS double-decker bus do a U-turn. =)

Turkey!

Very soon i'l get down to bloggin my entire journey ok, stay tuned!

My favourite brother

by the way, it's not that his eyes were closed when the camera snapped. He think it's cute this way.

Too many things i want to say

I have too many things to say, i don't even know wat to name the entry.

First, i had a hard time thinking of my blogger password. Can u believe that? And now that i've recovered it, i'm not exactly sure wat i wanted to say.

But i think it was this:

Today while i was in the office, i felt really cold. I was cold in the morning, then in the afternoon, and in the evening. All the way till i left the building.

Then when i hit the shops with my sis, i felt cold. Argh. I'm thinking why people waste electricity like that.

Now i'm home. On my bed. No air-con. No fan. bliss.




the end.

My dad just called to say that he loves me.

A-Por

My grandma passed away while i was in Turkey. I was shocked. She wasn't all that healthy having suffered from a minor stroke last year, but she recovered well and looked pretty strong. No one expected anything like this. She died from a heart attack. I hated the fact that i was away on holiday, not near, and not available to help with the funeral affairs. Nor look at her and hold her hand, even though i've never touched a dead person's hand.

I went on the trip with my Dad, who was busy with the rest of the tour group. I didn't have any peers on the trip. Neither did i feel it appropriate to share with anyone how i felt. But it pained me. It feels like the first grandparent i lost, even though i only had grandmothers left. Both my grandfathers died before i was born.

My grandma, A-Por, has 15 grandchildren. I'm her favourite. Every grandchild feels this way. We're all her favourite. This is because she has that much love.

As i thought about her during all the times i was alone on the trip, i would be very sad. A-Por loved me unconditionally. Not because i was good or i was smart. But because I am her grandchild. I didn't have to do anything.

My grandma would tell me everytime when she meets me that i have a good job, that i'm pretty and that i should eat more. Don't laugh. She's the only person who thinks so. And everyone needs someone like that. She was that someone in my life.

The funeral went smoothly. i requested my sis to take as many pictures as possible, so that i can feel like i was there. It is important for me. Although i wish so much that i spoke to her just once more before she died, i rest in that i'll see her in heaven.

i'll miss her. I didn't imagine that losing a grandma is so hard.

Update

[i coloured my hair black. The colour it was supposed to by anyway]

[heh.]

[yay!]

[all the pictures are different, u know?]

Lazy Saturday

[(i-forgot-their-names-cos-they-all-look-the-same cats]

[Jonsie (brown, female) & Jed (black, male)]

[an (incomplete), major dressed-down Scarlet]

Hey all, this is what happend on Saturday. Now that i found my camera, i can post more pics. i like blogs filled with pictures. heh. We had met to practise to play at one of the girls' sister's wedding. This is a legitimate girl band called Scarlet. I'm not actually a part of them. Just joining on ad-hoc basis. But if u need good chill-out music for a wedding, a party or any private event, be sure to gimme a ring. I'l get u a good rate.

It's a 4 piece band - bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboard and drums. If u consider the singers, then its a 5 to 7-piece band, depending on song/event requirements.

We practised at A and Y's place. They have 5 cats and 2 dogs. and ALL of them have good temperaments. Everyone was made comfortable cos it was so nice to have friendly fluffs walking around, keeping u busy.

Yep, that was Saturday for u. =)

Shop and shop and shop!

Heh. i went shopping today. I know u must be thinking i'm weird since CNY is over and i only started to shop. Well, i wanted to wait till the crowds ease out and the sales to set in u see. These are the things i bought:

1) a shrug
2) shorts (the type u can wear with heels one)
3) a dress
4) a pair of gold earrings
5) a gold chain
6) a nice retro elegant skirt for work
7) a khaki mini skirt
8) a red bra
9) a red top (makes me look demure)
10) the same one in black
11) this top with large sleeves (like for casual fridays and night outings)
12) a black speg top (cost a bomb)


all the above items cost me $240. heh. i'm happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think i need more skirts. OOOh, the next on the list is pants actually. yea pants.

Ok, that's it for now. i'm goin to pack up the clothes i don't wear anymore and decide wat to do with them. New clothes are great!

Singapore-Malaysia