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I intended to spend a whole day in Vienna and this had initially worried me as oh, one must understand that Vienna is the 'cultural capital' of Europe and Vienna is 'simply Vienna' and supposedly renders one speechless. However, upon spending 4 hours in Vienna, I was ready to leave. High inflated prices, the bitter cold weather, touts pestering me to watch a Mozart concert and an overcrowded city filled with tonnes of tourists and 'Simply Mozart' souvenir shops were such turn-offs! So seriously, whats the big deal over Vienna?
So far on my trip over Eastern and Central Europe, I have discovered the joys of small little towns and have learnt the disdains of huge bustling cities. The supposedly 'more important' the city is, the more disappointing it is. I had high hope of Berlin and Vienna, but they were easily overshadowed by the charms of Krakow and Cesky Krumlov. Prague and Budapest were large cities, but they had the 'Eastern' dirty charm about them. In contrast, Vienna and Berlin felt like any other city with the usual overwhelming of banks and shopping malls. Basically, the evils of globalisation at work in transforming civilisations into similar identical metropolises.
Lesson learnt: Stay clear of big cities cause they're just the same as Singapore. For a truly European experience, spend more time in small cities and towns where there is that 'old world' charm and simply more realistic prices.
So far on my trip over Eastern and Central Europe, I have discovered the joys of small little towns and have learnt the disdains of huge bustling cities. The supposedly 'more important' the city is, the more disappointing it is. I had high hope of Berlin and Vienna, but they were easily overshadowed by the charms of Krakow and Cesky Krumlov. Prague and Budapest were large cities, but they had the 'Eastern' dirty charm about them. In contrast, Vienna and Berlin felt like any other city with the usual overwhelming of banks and shopping malls. Basically, the evils of globalisation at work in transforming civilisations into similar identical metropolises.
Lesson learnt: Stay clear of big cities cause they're just the same as Singapore. For a truly European experience, spend more time in small cities and towns where there is that 'old world' charm and simply more realistic prices.
- I'm in...:Vienna, Austria
Sigh, just when I feel as if i've integrated into the local culture and system, its time to move on to explore yet another city of Europe. I spent my last day in Budapest as if I were a local having lived here for 10 years! Here's a recount of this memorable day.
Woke up super late today (about 9am) and had breakfast at a local corner coffee house. After ham and eggs and yet another Americano, I took the metro to the Budapest Great Market Hall where I shopped for meats from the butchers and vegs from the local produce. I had decided to cook dinner tonight as dining out in Budapest is definately not an option for a shoe budget traveler as myself. (I had learnt this yesterday, after being charged an exorbitant price for a Bratwurst sausage, like 10 dollars? Super siao one...) Anyway, I barely spent 5 bucks on half a kg of paprika sausages, hams and pork steaks, as well as some vegges. Returning to Dinah's apartment, I put whatever cooking 'skills' I had to prepare a meal for myself, my travel companion, and my host Dinah.... and.... it was a success! The meats were tender and soft and tasty and succulent and... Dinah surprised me with a bottle of Hungarian wine! Woohoo! Great way to polish down the meal of meats. We shared the whole bottle (my traveling companion doesn't drink) and I felt as tipsy as anything after that. We went out to watch a concert at the Listz Academy after that. Mozart, Sebelius and Mahler to end my trip to Budapest.
Also, on my last day, I visited another Hungarian bath carrying pleasant memories of the first Hungarian bath I'd visited the day before. Alas I didn't know that this bath I'd chose to visit on my last day was a notorious gay bath in Budapest! So, when I turned up (alone and without my friend cause he wanted to go shopping instead), I was given a tiny kinky loincloth, that barely covered my front and exposed my entire rear, to wear instead of my Speedos and I joined a whole group of middle aged and old men (all clad in similar loincloths) in a Turkish styled bath. Immediately when I had soaked myself in, a middle aged man slided up and put his hand on my thigh! In disgust, I stared at him with the ugliest look i could muster and knocked his 'paw' off! After that, none of the men in the baths tried, though i received tonnes of eyes all over my body. I suppose I was some sort of a novel fetish for them; a young slim Asian teen in a pool of saggy skins... you'll understand.
With that, I ended my 3 day visit to Hungary. It was a wonderful experience for me in this great city, watching operas and concerts, cooking dinner, soaking in baths, visiting castles and shopping in the market hall. Fabulous!
Woke up super late today (about 9am) and had breakfast at a local corner coffee house. After ham and eggs and yet another Americano, I took the metro to the Budapest Great Market Hall where I shopped for meats from the butchers and vegs from the local produce. I had decided to cook dinner tonight as dining out in Budapest is definately not an option for a shoe budget traveler as myself. (I had learnt this yesterday, after being charged an exorbitant price for a Bratwurst sausage, like 10 dollars? Super siao one...) Anyway, I barely spent 5 bucks on half a kg of paprika sausages, hams and pork steaks, as well as some vegges. Returning to Dinah's apartment, I put whatever cooking 'skills' I had to prepare a meal for myself, my travel companion, and my host Dinah.... and.... it was a success! The meats were tender and soft and tasty and succulent and... Dinah surprised me with a bottle of Hungarian wine! Woohoo! Great way to polish down the meal of meats. We shared the whole bottle (my traveling companion doesn't drink) and I felt as tipsy as anything after that. We went out to watch a concert at the Listz Academy after that. Mozart, Sebelius and Mahler to end my trip to Budapest.
Also, on my last day, I visited another Hungarian bath carrying pleasant memories of the first Hungarian bath I'd visited the day before. Alas I didn't know that this bath I'd chose to visit on my last day was a notorious gay bath in Budapest! So, when I turned up (alone and without my friend cause he wanted to go shopping instead), I was given a tiny kinky loincloth, that barely covered my front and exposed my entire rear, to wear instead of my Speedos and I joined a whole group of middle aged and old men (all clad in similar loincloths) in a Turkish styled bath. Immediately when I had soaked myself in, a middle aged man slided up and put his hand on my thigh! In disgust, I stared at him with the ugliest look i could muster and knocked his 'paw' off! After that, none of the men in the baths tried, though i received tonnes of eyes all over my body. I suppose I was some sort of a novel fetish for them; a young slim Asian teen in a pool of saggy skins... you'll understand.
With that, I ended my 3 day visit to Hungary. It was a wonderful experience for me in this great city, watching operas and concerts, cooking dinner, soaking in baths, visiting castles and shopping in the market hall. Fabulous!
- I'm in...:Budapest, Hungary
I'm in Budapest! haha! Its hard imagining that I'll actually get to come to this place that is so not on the average tourist getaway! Hungarian culture and way of life is so different from other parts of Europe. Actually, each country in Europe has its own practices and way of life, so that was quite a 'duh' statement:) I'm residing with a friend here in Budapest (Dinah, if you know her... Music pepps..), so integration into Hungarian lifestyle did not take as long as it did in other cities that I've been to. With some help from Dinah and 2 hours later, I had my 3 day Hungarian transport card, a stash of Hungarian florints in my wallet and a neat city map. So off i went to explore this huge city!
One of Budapest's main 'must dos' would be taking a dip in one of the many hot thermal baths around the city. This is similar to the Japanese Onsen culture, but the Hungarian baths are huge complexes with an assortment of hot and cold pools, saunas, steam rooms and spa services! Anyway, I gathered the courage to wade in warm waters amidst a crowd of Hungarian 'Ah mahs and Ah peks' scantily clad in Speedos smaller then mine were! Thankfully, there were no sights of wardrobe malfunction, although there were lots of assets bursting to spill over and beer bellies that sagged like dead weights! Compared to the native Hungarians in the bath, I felt like a underfed Prisoner of War just released from a concentration camp! Anyway, it was fun running outdoors to the heated pools dressed in only tiny Speedos in sub zero temperatures. Once you're in the 40 degrees heated pools, you can play chess with Ah peks on floating chess boards and dread the idea of how you were going to leave the warm waters and dash back indoors to the changing complex (remember the nippy cold winds and sub zero temperatures and what I'm wearing?)
Budapest also has an amazing music scene and you would not believe how little I paid to watch Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet at the Hungarian Opera House tonight. (400 florints, about 3 Singapore dollars!) The Hungarian Opera House is way better then Singapore's Esplanade which seems pathetic in comparision. Dinah claims its superior even to New York's Carnegie! The concert hall is a Baroque aged building with all the usual Baroque elabourate ceiling paintings and ornamental columns and decorations. The accoustics are fantastic and I could hear clearly even seated on the highest level! In short, the experience was fantastic!
Hungary is an amazing place and I'm happy that I have one more day to spend here before leaving for Bratislava. In the meantime, I'll try to keep blogging. I've also uploaded more photos onto Facebook!
One of Budapest's main 'must dos' would be taking a dip in one of the many hot thermal baths around the city. This is similar to the Japanese Onsen culture, but the Hungarian baths are huge complexes with an assortment of hot and cold pools, saunas, steam rooms and spa services! Anyway, I gathered the courage to wade in warm waters amidst a crowd of Hungarian 'Ah mahs and Ah peks' scantily clad in Speedos smaller then mine were! Thankfully, there were no sights of wardrobe malfunction, although there were lots of assets bursting to spill over and beer bellies that sagged like dead weights! Compared to the native Hungarians in the bath, I felt like a underfed Prisoner of War just released from a concentration camp! Anyway, it was fun running outdoors to the heated pools dressed in only tiny Speedos in sub zero temperatures. Once you're in the 40 degrees heated pools, you can play chess with Ah peks on floating chess boards and dread the idea of how you were going to leave the warm waters and dash back indoors to the changing complex (remember the nippy cold winds and sub zero temperatures and what I'm wearing?)
Budapest also has an amazing music scene and you would not believe how little I paid to watch Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet at the Hungarian Opera House tonight. (400 florints, about 3 Singapore dollars!) The Hungarian Opera House is way better then Singapore's Esplanade which seems pathetic in comparision. Dinah claims its superior even to New York's Carnegie! The concert hall is a Baroque aged building with all the usual Baroque elabourate ceiling paintings and ornamental columns and decorations. The accoustics are fantastic and I could hear clearly even seated on the highest level! In short, the experience was fantastic!
Hungary is an amazing place and I'm happy that I have one more day to spend here before leaving for Bratislava. In the meantime, I'll try to keep blogging. I've also uploaded more photos onto Facebook!
- I'm in...:Budapet, Hungary
Its now approching 2 weeks into my backpacking trip to Europe and I've decided to do a quick recollection of what i've experienced so far. Its been a crazy 13 days and my experiences are so diverse and varied I can hardly imagine what to list in which order. In summary, here are some
- Having 'survived' claustrophobic conditions on 3 overnight trains. (Including stuffy cabins, freezing cabins and a talkative British cabin mate who seems a little crazy)
- Drinking 4.5 litres of beer so far in 2 weeks. An assortment of German, Polish, Czech and Hungarian beers.
- Lugging a backpack that weighs more then 15Kgs across some of Eastern Europe's greatest cities. (Damn it, as usual, I overpacked like 150%)
- Buying gifts for my entire CG27/07 class :) (If you guys are reading this, I'm gonna call you guys out for coffee when i return)
- Hiking over 2 inches deep snow
- Eating tonnes of sinful foods and lots of meats (I think i'm getting fat...)
- Learning basic Polish phrases to get around in Poland.
- Getting use to Europe's way of counting with fingers, levels in a building and street numbers...
- Winter's harsh coldness!
- Shopping for bananas and mineral water everyday
There are much more then this, but this is what i can think up of at the moment. I'm currently in Budapest, Hungary, and there will be more interesting lessons to learn from this amazing city. Szia!
- I'm in...:Budapest, Hungary
Naturally, when you're traveling and looking like a little lost kid with a huge haversack, people are bound to take notice and try to rip you off. Thats me on 2 occasions so far in my travels. However, i have to admit that it was partially my fault too, that i got ripped off...
In Poland, they use the 'Zloty'. That is a super minor currency that you can't change in Singapore. So i brought my Euros into Poland to change into Zloties. My train from Germany dumped me in Poland at 6am with totally no Zloties at all and that was kind of a desperate situation, especially when my travel buddy needed to use the toilet badly and you had to pay for the toilet and you had no Zloty and they don't take Euros. So we desperately searched around for money changers (3 of them within the train station complex) and settled grudgingly for terrible rates at the best of the three. So we did our business at the toilets and walked happily into town, thinking that we've got the best rates. However, much to our dismay and horror, almost all the money changers just outside the train station were offering remarkably better rates then what we changed at! So after that, it was a whole half an hour of whining and self consolation on our terrible exchange rates:( Lesson learnt: don't change money at train stations and do your business on the train so as to avoid 'desperate' situations like mine...
Today, I got ripped off at yet another 'toilet' incident:( My Europe stories seem to revolve around toilets:) anyway, I arrived in Prague this morning at 6am with totally no Czech money in my pockets (dejavu) This time, i saw that the toilet in the train station was super old and run down and there was no sign saying that you had to pay anything to use it. So happily, i strolled in with my huge haversack and did what i had to do. When i finished, i walked to the sink and washed my hands and realised that there was a middle aged lady sitting in a little booth near the entrance hidden in the doorway. Suddenly, i realised that there was a sign just above the sink indicating that the use of the toilet will cost 5 Crowns and i had not a single Crown in my possession! So i pretended that i did not see the sign and did an emo 'look down on the floor look' and tried to exit the toilet quickly.
Little did i know how loudly Czech women can shout! She screamed at me in a burst of unintelligible language and rushed out of her booth. I was so freaking embarassed that i didn't know what to do. In a meek attempt, i offered her Euros. And this was where she seized her opportunity and said '50 cents Euro'. Wanting to get out of that embarassing situation and without thinking, i dug out the coin and gave it to her hurriedly. She then walked away with a little glimmer of a smile on the corners of her mouth. Later when i had recovered from the shock, i did some mental calculations and realised that i had just paid 2.5 times more then what i should have paid in Czech Crowns! So yet another lesson learnt: Train stations are dangerous places. You get ripped off when exchanging money and when visiting the toilet without money. I guess i'm still sore about it...
In Poland, they use the 'Zloty'. That is a super minor currency that you can't change in Singapore. So i brought my Euros into Poland to change into Zloties. My train from Germany dumped me in Poland at 6am with totally no Zloties at all and that was kind of a desperate situation, especially when my travel buddy needed to use the toilet badly and you had to pay for the toilet and you had no Zloty and they don't take Euros. So we desperately searched around for money changers (3 of them within the train station complex) and settled grudgingly for terrible rates at the best of the three. So we did our business at the toilets and walked happily into town, thinking that we've got the best rates. However, much to our dismay and horror, almost all the money changers just outside the train station were offering remarkably better rates then what we changed at! So after that, it was a whole half an hour of whining and self consolation on our terrible exchange rates:( Lesson learnt: don't change money at train stations and do your business on the train so as to avoid 'desperate' situations like mine...
Today, I got ripped off at yet another 'toilet' incident:( My Europe stories seem to revolve around toilets:) anyway, I arrived in Prague this morning at 6am with totally no Czech money in my pockets (dejavu) This time, i saw that the toilet in the train station was super old and run down and there was no sign saying that you had to pay anything to use it. So happily, i strolled in with my huge haversack and did what i had to do. When i finished, i walked to the sink and washed my hands and realised that there was a middle aged lady sitting in a little booth near the entrance hidden in the doorway. Suddenly, i realised that there was a sign just above the sink indicating that the use of the toilet will cost 5 Crowns and i had not a single Crown in my possession! So i pretended that i did not see the sign and did an emo 'look down on the floor look' and tried to exit the toilet quickly.
Little did i know how loudly Czech women can shout! She screamed at me in a burst of unintelligible language and rushed out of her booth. I was so freaking embarassed that i didn't know what to do. In a meek attempt, i offered her Euros. And this was where she seized her opportunity and said '50 cents Euro'. Wanting to get out of that embarassing situation and without thinking, i dug out the coin and gave it to her hurriedly. She then walked away with a little glimmer of a smile on the corners of her mouth. Later when i had recovered from the shock, i did some mental calculations and realised that i had just paid 2.5 times more then what i should have paid in Czech Crowns! So yet another lesson learnt: Train stations are dangerous places. You get ripped off when exchanging money and when visiting the toilet without money. I guess i'm still sore about it...
- I'm in...:Prague, Czech Republic
Europe is an expensive place to live and eat, but i've found the true dirt cheap Europe:) haha:) actually, i played cheat, cause i went to Eastern Europe and not Western Europe. But if i had gone the touristy path and ate and shopped at all the touristy places, i'll be broke in a week:) i've been resorting to means and creative ways to stay afloat with my 1000 Euros for 1 month:)
WALKING: I've been walking like siao just to save money and not use the public transport! The metro trains in Berlin cost 5 Sing Dollars to take 3 stops and cannot transfer!! So walking is the cheapest way to get around:) In contrast, the public transport system including trains, buses and trams in Warsaw only costs 4 Sing dollars for 3 days unlimited use:) So the verdict is, to walk in ex places like Germany and exploit the system in cheapo places like Poland.
EATING: Pizzas, sandwiches, breads, and local foods and more pizzas again. What to do? Food is so ex in Europe, so i'm just eating bread, skipping lunch, and eat a larger dinner. Cause when you save up money from lunch, you get a better dinner. Thats so important, cause nights are long in Europe winter, so slacking in some dinner joint is a good way to spend and kill time.
SLEEPING: Goodbye to fanciful hotels and private rooms. I've been sleeping in dormitories in hostels and i think it is a fantastic way to save money. It only costs about 20 to 25 Sing dollars a night and you get to meet new friends and people in the common room:) I've still been getting my daily hot showers and beauty sleep (beds are comfy and plush)
Saving money always makes me happy:) its like getting something that everyone is getting but at a better deal. You know what i mean:)
WALKING: I've been walking like siao just to save money and not use the public transport! The metro trains in Berlin cost 5 Sing Dollars to take 3 stops and cannot transfer!! So walking is the cheapest way to get around:) In contrast, the public transport system including trains, buses and trams in Warsaw only costs 4 Sing dollars for 3 days unlimited use:) So the verdict is, to walk in ex places like Germany and exploit the system in cheapo places like Poland.
EATING: Pizzas, sandwiches, breads, and local foods and more pizzas again. What to do? Food is so ex in Europe, so i'm just eating bread, skipping lunch, and eat a larger dinner. Cause when you save up money from lunch, you get a better dinner. Thats so important, cause nights are long in Europe winter, so slacking in some dinner joint is a good way to spend and kill time.
SLEEPING: Goodbye to fanciful hotels and private rooms. I've been sleeping in dormitories in hostels and i think it is a fantastic way to save money. It only costs about 20 to 25 Sing dollars a night and you get to meet new friends and people in the common room:) I've still been getting my daily hot showers and beauty sleep (beds are comfy and plush)
Saving money always makes me happy:) its like getting something that everyone is getting but at a better deal. You know what i mean:)
- I'm in...:Krakow, Poland
Before coming to Europe, I had apprehensions of hostel life and living in hostels. I mean like you're sleeping in a dorm with 7 other people and what if some idiot drunkards come in at 1 am in the morning and puke all over the floor? Especially when mine are all mixed dorms (Eastern Europe only has mixed dorms), i might get to see some unsightly strip tease when fat girls start changing without any decent consideration? Anyway, i've now come to learn that these fantastic myths are nothing more than what the mind can imagine:)
However, I cannot say for sure cause i've only stayed in 3 hostels so far and most of them have been good experiences. There have been some quirky experiences too. I'll just share some of them with you.
I've realised that most of the hostels that i'm staying at are extremely energy efficient:) Take this for example, you go into the WC to take a piss and you are pissing and suddenly, the lights go out! So you jerk your head upwards (still pissing) to see whats wrong, and then the lights come back again! Relieved, you continue pissing and yet again, the lights go out! So, i tried an experiment, the next time i used the WC, this time, to take a dump. When the lights went out, I jerked my body (Lights came on) and started counting... One thousand, two thousand... five thousand... (Lights out!) Jerk Body (Lights on) One thousand, two thousand... five thousand... (Lights out) The conclusion of my little experiment was that, the lights only last for 5 seconds until you need to make an involuntery movement just to keep the light there! Same for taking a shower. So I've decided, to stop the light from constant flickering and me haing to keep jerking my body, I did all my WC activities in the dark! Yup. Anyway, thats what the hostel wants. Energy saving:)
Hostel life is really communal. Like living in Big Brother, just that everyone is nice and not pulling each other's hair out. There is usually a nice living common room where everyone just chills out after a hard day of sightseeing. You cook your own meals and wash your own dishes after that. You can really see how nice the common rooms are from my photos on facebook:) The beds in the dorm are really nice too. People having different agendas come and leave at different times. But the unspoken rule is that if someone is sleeping there, you tip toe your way around and speak in harshed tones. As such, I have hardly been woken up even though people come in at 1 am and such.
Hostel life is short is really fun and an experience for everyone. Do try it on your next visits overseas!
However, I cannot say for sure cause i've only stayed in 3 hostels so far and most of them have been good experiences. There have been some quirky experiences too. I'll just share some of them with you.
I've realised that most of the hostels that i'm staying at are extremely energy efficient:) Take this for example, you go into the WC to take a piss and you are pissing and suddenly, the lights go out! So you jerk your head upwards (still pissing) to see whats wrong, and then the lights come back again! Relieved, you continue pissing and yet again, the lights go out! So, i tried an experiment, the next time i used the WC, this time, to take a dump. When the lights went out, I jerked my body (Lights came on) and started counting... One thousand, two thousand... five thousand... (Lights out!) Jerk Body (Lights on) One thousand, two thousand... five thousand... (Lights out) The conclusion of my little experiment was that, the lights only last for 5 seconds until you need to make an involuntery movement just to keep the light there! Same for taking a shower. So I've decided, to stop the light from constant flickering and me haing to keep jerking my body, I did all my WC activities in the dark! Yup. Anyway, thats what the hostel wants. Energy saving:)
Hostel life is really communal. Like living in Big Brother, just that everyone is nice and not pulling each other's hair out. There is usually a nice living common room where everyone just chills out after a hard day of sightseeing. You cook your own meals and wash your own dishes after that. You can really see how nice the common rooms are from my photos on facebook:) The beds in the dorm are really nice too. People having different agendas come and leave at different times. But the unspoken rule is that if someone is sleeping there, you tip toe your way around and speak in harshed tones. As such, I have hardly been woken up even though people come in at 1 am and such.
Hostel life is short is really fun and an experience for everyone. Do try it on your next visits overseas!
- I'm in...:Flamingo Hostel, Krakow, Poland
I've been traveling in Poland for about 4 days now and it is a fantastic place to be in. The people are really nice and they are very helpful too!
I've visited the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland yesterday and it was truly a memorable experience. For those of you who do not know, Auschwitz is the place where the Nazis killed 1.1 million Jews during Hitler's 3rd Reich. It was quite a sombre experience listening to the horrific tales told by the concentration camp guides. Like how the Jews were tricked into going into the camp, believing that they were being resettled in another part of Eastern Europe. And also, when they arrived in the camps, they were tricked into believing that they were about to take a communal shower, so they stripped and walked into a room with shower heads and towel hooks. However, the room was actually a gasing chamber where gas will come out of the fake 'shower heads' and then kill them. Quite sad and horrific.
Apart from the sad experiences, Poland is actually quite a safe and wonderful place. The food is unique and i've tried 'Bigos', some sour cabbage with little bits of meat, 'Pierogie', something similar to wanton, and 'Kolet', some minced pork cutlet. The sausages here are HUGE and delicious. The mushrooms are impossible!! They taste better then any SIngapore cooked mushrooms ever!
I've got another day tomorrow in Krakow, Poland before i head for Prague. Will keep blogging then! My photos are on Facebook. View them there!
I've visited the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland yesterday and it was truly a memorable experience. For those of you who do not know, Auschwitz is the place where the Nazis killed 1.1 million Jews during Hitler's 3rd Reich. It was quite a sombre experience listening to the horrific tales told by the concentration camp guides. Like how the Jews were tricked into going into the camp, believing that they were being resettled in another part of Eastern Europe. And also, when they arrived in the camps, they were tricked into believing that they were about to take a communal shower, so they stripped and walked into a room with shower heads and towel hooks. However, the room was actually a gasing chamber where gas will come out of the fake 'shower heads' and then kill them. Quite sad and horrific.
Apart from the sad experiences, Poland is actually quite a safe and wonderful place. The food is unique and i've tried 'Bigos', some sour cabbage with little bits of meat, 'Pierogie', something similar to wanton, and 'Kolet', some minced pork cutlet. The sausages here are HUGE and delicious. The mushrooms are impossible!! They taste better then any SIngapore cooked mushrooms ever!
I've got another day tomorrow in Krakow, Poland before i head for Prague. Will keep blogging then! My photos are on Facebook. View them there!
- I'm in...:Krakow, Poland
Those of you who know me will know me to be a conservative 'guai kia', but i must say i've been kinda playful in Europe thus far:) So far, my total beer consumption count stands at 2.4 litres in 5 days! Its kinda shocking and i know it. As i'm typing this post, I've just consumed another 0.5 litre and got drunk over 1 litre of beer last night. I can't really say its my fault can i? The hostel at which i am staying at has a 'Happy Hours' where they serve 1 litre of beer at 7 Polish Zloty (3 Singapore Dollars!) Its crazy.
Poland is a wonderful place to be in! Its crazy! When i first arrived in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, i thought to myself that never in a million years would i ever have imagined that i will be traveling through Poland! Things have been amazing here. I thought that thief might have been rampant here, but it seems even safer then Germany! Nothing stolen thus far, thank God...
Another thing i've noticed about Polish people is that they are fantastically nice! I've had a couple of chances to learn this. Such as having a couple of rounds of beer in my hostel common room chatting with a few Polish locals on everything from our own country, life, economy, teasing each other and such.
Also, i've realised that there are very few Chinese people around in Poland. This might explain the fact that I received tonnes of stares, smiles and looks these last 2 days in Poland. While visiting some museums, i've got a chance to flirt with some cute Polish girls that were totally bored with their school fieldtrip to the same museum:) I've also recieved some 'arlikatos' from some of the Polish teenager guys, thinking that i was Japanese. When i walked passed them again later, they greeted me 'Bonjour' thinking that I look French this time... Er... Its just strange!
I've been quite fortunate to be able to find a card reader in my hostel, so i've uploaded pictures that i've taken so far. Please add me on Facebook, trentng@gmail.com and view my photos there:)
Continue to leave messages on my blog please:) and i'll continue to blog. Can message me on my handphone too. Won't cost you anything but the 5 cents you pay for Singapore SMSs. Yup, hope to hear from you guys!
Poland is a wonderful place to be in! Its crazy! When i first arrived in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, i thought to myself that never in a million years would i ever have imagined that i will be traveling through Poland! Things have been amazing here. I thought that thief might have been rampant here, but it seems even safer then Germany! Nothing stolen thus far, thank God...
Another thing i've noticed about Polish people is that they are fantastically nice! I've had a couple of chances to learn this. Such as having a couple of rounds of beer in my hostel common room chatting with a few Polish locals on everything from our own country, life, economy, teasing each other and such.
Also, i've realised that there are very few Chinese people around in Poland. This might explain the fact that I received tonnes of stares, smiles and looks these last 2 days in Poland. While visiting some museums, i've got a chance to flirt with some cute Polish girls that were totally bored with their school fieldtrip to the same museum:) I've also recieved some 'arlikatos' from some of the Polish teenager guys, thinking that i was Japanese. When i walked passed them again later, they greeted me 'Bonjour' thinking that I look French this time... Er... Its just strange!
I've been quite fortunate to be able to find a card reader in my hostel, so i've uploaded pictures that i've taken so far. Please add me on Facebook, trentng@gmail.com and view my photos there:)
Continue to leave messages on my blog please:) and i'll continue to blog. Can message me on my handphone too. Won't cost you anything but the 5 cents you pay for Singapore SMSs. Yup, hope to hear from you guys!
- I'm in...:Warsaw, Poland
Sorry i've not been updating my blog... I'd originally intended to bring my laptop along my backpacking trip, but the bag is filled with a whole tonne of clothes and other junk that i have now regretted bringing along and wishing that i had brought the laptop instead.
Anyway, the last 4 days that i've spent backpacking Europe has been a real immersion into the very culture of the places i've been. I'm typing this post from my 'free internet' kiosk in my Oki Doki Hostel in Warsaw, Poland.
Consider the following and you'll know just how much Culture shock i've experienced:)
- Sleeping in a hostel converted from a former church/monastery called '3 little pigs' hostel
- Being accosted by 5 gypsies in 2 days begging for money and chasing me half way down the street. (i'm smarter now. I have a whistle in my pocket:))
- Seeing fresh falling snow!
- Being chatted up by a group of cute Polish girls;)
- Spending 1.40 Euro ($2.4) to visit the toilet twice in Germany! (Can go 24 times in Singapore...)
- Spending $3 on a filling meal of cheese, ham, chicken and pastry in Poland:) cheap!
- Squeezing 6 people in a bunk the size of a toilet for an overnight train!
- Drinking cheap beer every night ( going for happy hour in my Hostel bar in 40 mins:))
- Sun that rises at almost 8am and sets at 4pm... Dreary Winter...
Yup, these are just the begining of my culture immersion in Europe:) Encourage me to post more by leaving a comment or tagging my blog:) This will keep the lazy bug away and i'll type away!
Anyway, the last 4 days that i've spent backpacking Europe has been a real immersion into the very culture of the places i've been. I'm typing this post from my 'free internet' kiosk in my Oki Doki Hostel in Warsaw, Poland.
Consider the following and you'll know just how much Culture shock i've experienced:)
- Sleeping in a hostel converted from a former church/monastery called '3 little pigs' hostel
- Being accosted by 5 gypsies in 2 days begging for money and chasing me half way down the street. (i'm smarter now. I have a whistle in my pocket:))
- Seeing fresh falling snow!
- Being chatted up by a group of cute Polish girls;)
- Spending 1.40 Euro ($2.4) to visit the toilet twice in Germany! (Can go 24 times in Singapore...)
- Spending $3 on a filling meal of cheese, ham, chicken and pastry in Poland:) cheap!
- Squeezing 6 people in a bunk the size of a toilet for an overnight train!
- Drinking cheap beer every night ( going for happy hour in my Hostel bar in 40 mins:))
- Sun that rises at almost 8am and sets at 4pm... Dreary Winter...
Yup, these are just the begining of my culture immersion in Europe:) Encourage me to post more by leaving a comment or tagging my blog:) This will keep the lazy bug away and i'll type away!
- I'm in...:Warsaw, Poland
Its a brand new Friday morning and the sun is bright and shining, my coffee was good and the newspapers were thick and spoongy! It should be a great day I hope. Gonna spend the day studying Lit and maybe some music... Sigh... 5 more days to the end of A levels! I killed myself yesterday writing 3 music essays and felt so tired after that i watched 2 hours of TV last night and didn't study anymore...
An old friend from sec school messaged me today and I've got a feeling i'm gonna ask him out for some coffee... So i better get to work now and finish up the lit stuff so i won't feel so guilty later if i really do go out:) haha!
The PSLE results were out yesterday and I wonder how the kids in my P6 sunday school class did? hehe! I went snooping around some of their blogs and i do see some excellent results indeed! Hope you all did fine! See you all this Sunday, with big bright smiles!
An old friend from sec school messaged me today and I've got a feeling i'm gonna ask him out for some coffee... So i better get to work now and finish up the lit stuff so i won't feel so guilty later if i really do go out:) haha!
The PSLE results were out yesterday and I wonder how the kids in my P6 sunday school class did? hehe! I went snooping around some of their blogs and i do see some excellent results indeed! Hope you all did fine! See you all this Sunday, with big bright smiles!
- I'm in...:Home
- I'm feeling...:Excited to start the day!!
Today's the ambivalent day because many things that happened today were very ambivalent. It also helps that i like the word 'ambivalent', hence the naming of today as such.
Went to school today with an ambitious plan to achieve many things in music, but in the end, the plan was foiled and i ended up spending 9 to 5 in the music room trying to finish what i set out to do and avoiding mental block. I've found a perfect cure for this situation: when you're not productive and the notes you try to read are not going into your brain. Simply choose an essay question pertaining to what you're studying and set down to writing it! The end product: A standard essay, a happy You because you've just written a WHOLE essay and the studying is kinda done too, somehow in the process of writing and referring to the notes:)
Tonight's the night that dear Mrs Lofthouse (Lofty) is leaving Singapore to retire in sunny Spain, truly a sad day, for TJC has lost one of her inspiring Lit teachers... Thanks Mrs Lofthouse for enduring our crappy PCs and Othello essays and always striving to help us better appreciate Literature. Your passion for literature is unrivaled. Do have fun in Spain:)
This ambivalent day will end with me slacking around in my room, reading travel guides and trying to finish up the knitting of my scarf. I've got only 9 days to finish it now... Else i'll freeze in the streets of Europe...
Went to school today with an ambitious plan to achieve many things in music, but in the end, the plan was foiled and i ended up spending 9 to 5 in the music room trying to finish what i set out to do and avoiding mental block. I've found a perfect cure for this situation: when you're not productive and the notes you try to read are not going into your brain. Simply choose an essay question pertaining to what you're studying and set down to writing it! The end product: A standard essay, a happy You because you've just written a WHOLE essay and the studying is kinda done too, somehow in the process of writing and referring to the notes:)
Tonight's the night that dear Mrs Lofthouse (Lofty) is leaving Singapore to retire in sunny Spain, truly a sad day, for TJC has lost one of her inspiring Lit teachers... Thanks Mrs Lofthouse for enduring our crappy PCs and Othello essays and always striving to help us better appreciate Literature. Your passion for literature is unrivaled. Do have fun in Spain:)
This ambivalent day will end with me slacking around in my room, reading travel guides and trying to finish up the knitting of my scarf. I've got only 9 days to finish it now... Else i'll freeze in the streets of Europe...
- I'm in...:My Room
- I'm feeling...:
drained
Finally home! Spent my whole morning and afternoon in the music room in school studying and picking Miss Chew's brain. I've realized that there is still alot to be studied for music, so I'm going to spend the next few days studying music. Its getting better though... I can tell the gong cycles on Gamelan music now! haha:)
Just came home after popping by the library to pick up a couple of guide books on Europe. I particularly quite like one of them, so much so that I'm quite tempted to bring it along with me to Europe. Its small, handy and with tons of info! I'll probably have to pay the library a couple of days' fine on it though... But then, what's a couple of cents for travel sense on the go. :) Gonna spend time tonight poring over the guide books and picking out the info that i need... Sigh.. 9 more days to the end of A levels....
Ok, i've realized what a blogging klutz i actually am... I'm trying to make my blog look a little nicer, but it seems plain in comparison to some of the flashier and more 'star-studded' blogs i've been surfing around too. So, in consolation, i'm going to convince myself that simplicity and objectivity in blogging is the way to go!
Anyway, if anyone who is less of a blogging klutz can help me, what is a 'tag' and what function does it serve? And why can i not add friends from .blogspot.com and other blogging hosts? Am i really a klutz or is it just not possible? Haha:) You can now see how bad the situation is...
Sigh... The week ahead is going to be a long road... I've got a silly week's break before my last 2 'A' level papers the following week. People are going to finish their exams and go out into the sun and play, wearing happy grins while i continue mugging lit and music... (sulks)
Going to school tomorrow and on tuesday to mug music. Time to recall all about Stravinsky, Hindemith, Satie, Indian and Indonesion music!
Its an ambiguous title i know, but there are many things that i am currently waiting for. Amongst them,
English Lit Paper 4 --- 9 Days (I'm imagining things...)
Music Paper ----------- 11 Days (lalala...)
My Backpacking Trip -- 12 Days (YAY!!!!)
My NS enlistment ---- 53 Days (An ambivalent rush of feelings)
Yup, i've decided to reopen my blog in light of my being very free next year when i am serving my time in National Service:) And also, i plan to keep an online travel journal when i go backpacking across Europe in a fortnight's time. So lets hope this new 'revival' project will not be like the last 3 failed attempts to revive my blog.. :) For my dear friends who are screaming at me to update my blog, the time is now!! YAY!
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I will marry Clarice. | ||
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After a wild honeymoon, We will settle down in Tokyo in our fabulous Apartment. | ||
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We will have 6 kid(s) together. | ||
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Our family will zoom around in a Pink Mercedes. | ||
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I will spend my days as a Private Banker, and live happily ever after. | ||
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Is that the sound of thunder?
It brings sweet relief to my ear.
However, rain is not to be
Oh, woe be to me!
But wait,
What is this pearl?
That lands on my lashes
All around me,
More splashes!
Praise be!
Our Lord has delivered!
No more PE this afternoon,
No need to run rounds,
that reduce us to sweaty dripping
lifeless beings.
Praise be!
You ask me why i look so angst
You do not see what I hide in my heart
You only see my dormant self
You do not see raging billows innate
Trashing tempests throwing,
trained, targeting my trudged torn mind.
Torrents, truckloads of trash and traps
stray into my once straight way.
Tragic and terrible,
stark contrasts
againest my yesterdays.
You ask me why i look so angst
I offer you a weary smile.
Weak and wry.
And when I should up…
fall prey to Death’s embrace up,
shed not a tear, up,
be not afeared. up,
Death is up,
but part of life. up,
My time is done up,
My soul goes up,
I doubt I'll have a tomb,
a crypt or a den
then let me rot
in the musty grot.
A gravestone?
Ha! Not a chance
Haven't got me a field
lonely and cold in the rain...
And when i should
fall prey to Death's embrace
Feed me to the flames
reduce me to black dust
then scatter me to the ground.
For men are dust of the Earth,
now in my original form,
I return my form...
Trent Ng
