ok i shall procastinate no more and blog about my taiwan trip~~

it's been a busy month for me ever since my return that i hardly had any time to even sit back relax and re-think about my experiences in taiwan for that fact that it's my first time overseas and on a plane!

lol

the first thing i had to deal with when i returned to singapore was my homework that's due the following week(s), every alternative week and all the work that has been piling up is killing me.

but ANYWAY! All the gloomy things aside, now it's for me to revisit the memories of Taiwan~!

I'll do a day by day recount. Easier haha.. =DDD

Day 1 (19/05/08)

Gu borrowed his bro's car the night before so that he can send me to the airport. Mom wanted to tag along and I decided to give Karen a lift since she stays in the east side as well and we have a car. Save cab fare.

I spent the previous night packing my suitcase and I finally decided to just bring only a pair of slippers with me while wearing my newly purchased adiddas sneakers hahaha.. other than that, i brought only 3 tshirts with me and a pair of extra jeans. i didn't bring alot of things actually. my luggage was 1/3 filled. the other 2/3 are presents to be brought over for MH. Nagged @ Karen to have her remove more things from her luggage cos she overpacked (after having her recount to me what she's bringing). Grr....

our flight to Taiwan will be from Changi Airport Terminal 1 @ 1pm+. So I pretty much left home around 10am so that I can reach the airport earlier to grab some lunch. We couldn't find T1's carpark so we parked in T2 instead and took the SkyTrain over. Checked in our luggages first before having lunch in Popeye cos Karen said she haven't tried it before (surprised!!!) lol. SiewMei came over to pass me some letters for MH as well as the red packet for her wedding.

Mom was pretty worried about me cos she kept nagging non-stop. Dad was nagging non-stop the night before as well. Gu pretty much just stayed close the whole time haha

I'm surprised that I wasn't too unsettled though I've always thought that I had this phobia for flights. I guess it's not the physically getting up the plane and sitting thro it that gets on my nerve. but anyway, we hung around till it's about time for us to get in. After handing my passport over to have it checked, Karen told me my mom was still at the gate. I thought they've left. Think I was too preoccupied that I forgot they might still be around. Turned around and waved at mom & gu before walking in.

We took JetStar Asia. Frankly, it's damn cramped. haha and having to sit there for hours and hours can be rather... uncomfortable. When the plane started to move, it was a little nerve wrecking and it started to take flight, the rush I felt was like whooooosh; when a rollercoaster shoots up ahead. I'm surprised that i didnt feel sick somehow hahaha thought i would kena motion sickness or something. oh yea, i had the window seat cos karen let me. heehee... she was busy sleeping (cos she chionged CR the night before) and i had fun looking out of the window.


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it's fun seeing how the clouds takes shape and even changes form as we move along the sky. they were like candy floss up in the sky and when we're in the clouds, it's a weird feeling.

talk about crash landing. touching down was quite an experience. it was kinda rough.

did i forget to mention that we're travelling free & easy here? lol although it's the first time karen & I been to Taiwan but since I had MH & Khim brief us on the places we can go and the 'how', I planned up a schedule for our 1 week trip & stayed in the hotel Khim recommended. It was very cheap and the service wasn't too bad. the bed was a little to hard for my liking but Karen seemed pretty comfy in it (she K.O.ed pretty quickly). I tossed and turned a lot on the first night.

i got a slight shock when i reached the airport cos they mentioned 'tao yuan international airport' although our itinery states 'chiang kai shek terminal 1'. went to the info counter to verify and realised they merely changed their name. geez.

we took a bus that will bring us to the nearest mrt station from our hotel. i kinda leeched onto another visitor (assuming he is singaporean as well) cos i overheard him askin for tix to the same stop as us @ the tix sales counter heh. in the bus the driver did shout out the stops whenever he reached somewhere but i have no freakin clue what he is saying. so i basically thought to myself that once i see the couple get off, i'll get off. it's kinda amazing how the buildings of taipei's streets are like a fusion of the old and the new. amidst all the old and rundown shophouses you'll suddenly see a really modern and nicely decorated cafe. signs of globalization is so evident as you see familiar brands like Watsons, Starbucks and 7-11 appearing once every other street. it pretty much felt as if 7-11 invaded Taiwan or something. it's everywhere. we got off the bus and was supposed to take the mrt train to our hotel. it's just one stop away. the couple was going to the same stop as well. (i overheard again HOHOHO). so i tagged behind. but we had to get pass the MRT gates, in other words, buy farecard. totally clueless. the couple saw our plight and taught us how to buy ezycard hehe we got to our hotel safe and sound thereafter (thanks for all the landmarks and the maps khim advised us on!! i scribbled it all on a ppr).


finally! in the hotel.
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we took sometime to settle down before MH came over to pick us up for dinner heh.


Dinner in 度小月;Du Xiao Yue
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We had noodles, bamboo shoots, some sort of fish (i suspect it's eel) and duck liver (i think).
the noodles were... fine. rather bland actually but the prawn was fresh and meatball was huge. the rest of the dishes wasn't that bad =) i liked the bamboo thing. karen enjoyed the duck liver thingy alot.

after dinner we chatted a short while before walking over to meet MH's friends for KTV session!

they had this really cool gadget (pretty huge) that'll light up once it's ur turn (we were on the waiting list).


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the experience was a blast and the FOOD, good god. it's gd. they had sweets (gd for throat) and some drink that they named it as 浦大海 (pu da hai) that tasted pretty much like luohan drink that's gd for the throat as well. you basically can just sing and sing and sing thro the night!


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good food, good drink, good fun. i'm contented. *grins silly*
the chicken wing damn nice.

the temperature dropped a few degrees at night and when we left the ktv and hit the streets, i was stunned by the cold as the breeze blew and i was shivering though i wore a tshirt and a rather thick jacket. karen and i practically shivered out way back haha gd thing was we had a ride from MH's friend back to our hotel.

we reached our hotel at about 1plus am in the morn. was told by MH to get ready by 10am the nxt day. we're heading to yangmingshan. goodness gracious!! ZZZzzzzzzz..

Day 2 (20/05/08)
i had a tough time falling asleep and by the time i did, i could hear voices outside our hotel door. i guess it's morning already. then i knocked out for awhile more before my alarm rang. i had to whack karen a few times to get her to wake up.

we set off looking for this shop that sells 蛋餅 (dan bing) as recommended by khim for our breakfast. i took quite awhile before realising it's right before my eyes. hah! it's basically like roti prata with egg wrapping ingredients except it's not roti prata of course. i'm using that for comparison.


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i love the dan bing man!! (had it twice on separate days)
and it's quite cheap i suppose.
the tea was damn nice too.
i spent about NT70 in total. that's about S$3+.

i liked the small streets behind our hotel.


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after we're done eating and making our way back to our hotel to wait for MH, i received a call from her. was told to bring along our slippers...cos we're going to the hot spring later~!!

MH's god bro, Sean, was a sweet and good tempered guy (whom i've never met before either) and he actually took a day off from work to bring us around. i believe... MH must've bullied him into it ahahahahaha but anyway, i'm grateful. seriously. if not for him driving us around, we wouldn't have enjoyed ourselves that much.

we did a lot in day 2 alone it's amazing just thinking about it.

while we drove up towards yangmingshan, MH was recollecting her younger years with Sean, telling us how they used to ride up there with their scooters along with other friends. This place is full of memories for them like a childhood hangout. as i felt like as if i was going back in time with their stories, the window was lowered and the cool breeze blowing in calmed the soul.


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this place, it's huge.

we reached the peak i suppose.

the view was breath-taking.


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we can actually continue walking behind where i stand but from the looks of it. it's as if it plunges down or something. freaky.


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we passed by some sort of a flower garden on our way down.


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there's a grandma selling flowers just outside and there's a couple taking their bridal shots.

moving on from mountain, to pastures.


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we constantly had to avoid cow dung. it's huge. and smelly. can't miss it.
we wanted to see some wild cows? but later we found out they were locked up. -_-

we had enough of the scenery.

time to move on to a livelier place.
this time we drove to 金山 (jin shan).
it's a suburb, village like area.


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it was interesting walking down the street and seeing the old shops around.


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we had our lunch there. the noodles & barley drink was fab. i'm not very fond of the dishes frankly speaking. there's bamboo, liver & duck. it didn't taste bad. just not the kind of food i would like to eat. the ice cream was great. cheap too! 3 scoops for NT20. less than a sing dollar.

we moved on to a temple next.
i'm not a very religious person so i felt a little out of place but i did buy a bracelet for my mom.
the temple was right at the top of a mountain so we had to walk up a pretty steep slope.

next stop: beach!


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just in time for sunset.



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we took a break to check out the sunset and found a cafe by the beach to rest. there's alot of cafe by the side of the beach that's designed with a theme in mind. i found it really cool and some of them really looked very good.

we ended up in Villa Sugar.


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this place is rather relaxing. not very cheap though but the food was decent.
i love their waffle and cheesestick. i ordered coffee milkshake while karen had coke float. i didn't finish my drink cos i thought it was a little too thick.


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next stop: 淡水 (dan shui)


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there's alot of old nostalgic stalls here selling random things or games stuff or local food. then there was the super tall ice cream and candied tomatoes. the fishball was rather special cos it's hollow in the centre but has soup and minced meat in it. something caught my eye while we were there. UFO catcher machine. I saw 'Chi' soft toy! of course it reminded me of YL. she's been singing the opening song forever and ever. i made two failed attempts. sean then took over and tried to help me catch it. failed the first attempt but after some 'hints' and 'advices' from the staff, he got a better idea on how to catch it and we got it!! hehehehehe

next stop: HOT SPRING!!!!!!!!!!

woo!! MAIN highlight of the day. we went somewhere near yangmingshan & beitou for hot spring. my first time going to one. the weather is freaking cold at night. guess what? we have to be stark naked before entering the hot spring. i'm serious. good god. seeing all the naked women inside was.. kinda traumatic. sean is a guy therefore he has to go to the 'male' pool himself. it's separate from the female. it's sorta like a half open air hot spring. look up and you see the moon. temperature was 41degrees for the water. good gracious. then they dragged me into the sauna. could hardly breathe. then we jumped into the 'cold' spring. then the jacuzzi one.

i was pretty refreshed after the whole experience. all my body aches were gone.

our trip back out to the carpark was kinda.. thrilling. uncle in a cart drove us down was driving like he was in a rush on the super steep and bumpy road where MH and Sean made alot of noise. I felt as if I would fall of anytime soon.

next stop: roadside stalls


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I'm not sure where this is located but MH and Sean drove us out for supper @ the roadsides stalls they've been eating from since young. there, there's around three or four stalls side by side selling different items. we had 甜不辣 (tian bu la), fried smelly tofu, and soy beancurd. it was a treat and quite an experience. the food wasn't too expensive and a trulylocal taste. a rather 'acquired' taste to enjoy eating the fried smelly tofu. i know karen enjoyed herself alot eating it. i barely survived. the tian bu la was quite good especially after eating the ingredients and adding soup to the bowl. there was 豬血糕 (pig blood cake) in the tian bu la. i was pretty hesitant about eating it but MH bullied me into taking a bite. i bravely took a bite and left the remainder back in the bowl. after a couple mins, MH and Sean pretty much concluded that i'm not gonna touch the remainder so they ate it up. the smelly tofu wasn't as stinky as i expected it. maybe cos it's fried. i had steamed once before and they stink big time. i was jumping around before i even started eating but MH bullied me into taking a bite again. after i did i continued jumping around. their soy beancurd was prepared rather differently from those we have in singapore. it's like cheng teng and soy beancurd mix.

tiring day indeed. we visited SO MANY places in just ONE DAY!! it's really amazing that we survived all that. our adventures ended at around 1+am in the morning. headed back to hotel and just K.O.ed.

Day 3 (21/05/08)

three things to accomplish today.

go to:
(1) 九份 (Jiu Fen)
(2) try out bridesmaid gown
(3) go to 西門丁　(Ximending)

to get to 九份 (Jiu Fen), we had to take the MRT train to Taipei Main Station, switch to taking a railway train to Rui Fang, and then take a bus down to Jiu Fen. A rather long and tedious journey that'll take us more than an hour to reach our final destination so I pretty much dedicated a good half of the day to exploring Jiu Fen (including our trip thro and fro).

taking the mrt and then switching to the railway train, purchasing of tickets according to train type and time can be a little confusing if you're unprepared. thank god i had jessie help me find out the timing beforehand and brought a printout along with me. knowing which platform to get on is quite a challenge too.

cos we didn't have much time for breakfast, we bought some food from the underpass and found this japanese sushi shop selling bentos at a good price and the selection was fab! the food looked and tasted great.


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these sushi rolls are huge. like.. a good 10cm each or something. O_O



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we took some time off to go to the cafe located strategically by the side of the hills so that we can have a fantastic scenic view. we kinda procrastinated there for a long time before moving on the check out the old sheng ping cinema and walking down a steep flight of stairs that's decorated with red lanterns throughout the entire stretch.

what was the highlight of the day for me there?

super big abalone mushroooooooooom


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yummy stuff!

next stop: Ximending

this is basically one of the places to go if you wanna shop.

which we did. i walked till my legs are about to break.

no time for photo taking. it's kinda amusing to listen to how the shop assistants greet you constantly in a rather musical tone that kinda makes me feel rather brain-damaged after listening to too much of it. it's as though they're trying to brainwash you. it gets scarier when you hear a whole bunch of them saying it at about the same time. one thing i noticed. whether male or female, they're all very attractive. you see young trendy guys being shop assistants and lelong-ing along the way. what's interesting is to just pay attention and hear what they say. it's as if everything they say made sense. basically, they sound very convincing and confident. even in this job, you can really feel how competitive it is for them. we had a taste of the 'famous' ah zhong mee sua. not too bad i guess. it's just that.. there's no seats. so outside the shop there's just this huge mob of ppl standing (or squatting) and eating mee sua. funny sight. there's quite a few roadside stalls and once the police come patrolling, they'll all grab they mobile stalls and scoot. once the coast is clear, they return. another funny sight.

i was so beat after all the shopping, i think we just went straight back to our hotel to rest thereafter. my feet is killing me.

we're damn tired already actually so we headed back to our hotel. miraculously, we still managed to garner enough strength to go to the 24hr cafe that's right behind our hotel. there's a whole stretch of them. it so happened that there's a club just right under our hotel so you see lotsa chicks dressed up to the nines walking around. the bouncers were super huge (in size and height).


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Karen ordered ALOT. we had nuggets, chicken chop (again!), carrot cake (looks like tofu!) and bubble tea (HUGE!!). i think only the carrot cake was worth ordering. bubble tea too. karen loved her pudding milk tea alot. she even managed to finish the whole cup.

Day 4 (22/05/08)

we decided to wake up later and skip going to zhong zheng memorial hall and all the other touristy places. instead, after waking up later, we headed to 五分埔 (wufengpu). but of course, before that happens, lunch is more important. =D

previously i scribbled down some directions to a burger joint that's pretty near our hotel. so good so far in finding our directions and on our way we went up to DAISO to grab some stuff, and bought a umbrella from a roadside stall. only S$5! and it's super light. somehow, stupid of me, i kept remembering the name of the place we're heading wrongly. at the back of my mind i kept thinking that it's some curry house that i'm going to but it's not? damn! in the end we found the street we're supposed to be in but walking up and down in it we just cant seem to find the restaurant. i decided to ask for directions and guess what? the lady i approached looks at me bewildered and points at the shop right before my eyes that says Mary's Hamburger. i must be blind. what's worse is i even walked by while commenting that this joint looks cool (& crowded) and that we shld drop by some other time. -__-"

the guy who took my order resembles machi bro. lol anyway, what's interesting abt TW i guess, is the fact that the ppl really know how to dress up well and in the shops, most of the retail assistants are very trendy and nice looking especially the guys! (comparing to SG obviously & we have mostly ah bengs)

the food was OK priced and i think we spend only about.. S$7 or so for our meal and the burger was tasty and huge. had a blast eating it. loved the red tea.


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how i wish i can just walk down sg randomly and find such good food. doubt that's possible. not without paying enough to make me cry. sigh. carl's jr is a burger joint, their burger is huge but the price is crazy. heard they recently shrinked the size of their burger. oh well.

back to 五分埔 (wufengpu). hehehehe it's like a taiwan version of bugis village where you can get wholesale bargains and clothes at cheap prices. but of course, quality may be compromised here but you can bargain for cheaper deals with the shop owners. i bought some tshirts here for gu. it started raining soon. rather troublesome to move around cos of the leaky rooftops.

we made our way to mingyao mrt station to meet MH to try out the bridesmaid gown. i wasnt allowed to take photos there. wilson wanted 'sneak previews'. i tried on a few gowns upon request from MH and Karen but pretty much ended up picking the first gown i tried on (and decided previously when i tried). fuss free. didn't even need altering. only prob, it's very tight fit around the ribs and waist area. can hardly breathe. MH took longer to try on her gown. she put on some weight and need alterations. *slap head*

Sean picked Karen up to have a haircut in a salon of a hairstyling friend while i waited for MH. after all the trying, MH's husband came and pick us up. there's ALOT to carry. the boot was filled. After picking Karen up, we were dropped off at Shihlin night market to wander on our own. heh. quite frankly, we pretty lousy cos we don't know how to eat guts or livers or wadever or even the famous cockles omelette. since we weren't that hungry to begin with, we went across the road to the shopping streets instead to walk around. the street just goes on and on and on... and it seems like it's never gonna end!!! after an hour of walking, i believe.. we're still not near the end. so we turned back and went back for the food.


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we ended up trying only the beef steak and XXL chicken chop. the chicken chop was good but rather startling experience. while queuing and chatting with karen, i suddenly realised the shop keeper was next to me, face rather near, eyeballs looking at me, hand with paper bag and he was wearing a cover over his mouth (the kind u see ppl wearing during SARS). anyway, i was supposed to grab one of the paper bags and when it's my turn, open it up for the shop keeper to dump the XXL chicken chop inside. O_O

Day 5 (23/05/08)

today, is the day, i visit my taiwan office. hehehehe to look for some colleagues whom i've been corresponding with but not met in person before.

we took the MRT to a stop near some hospital and walked the rest of the way to the office with the directions khim gave me. it wasn't that difficult to find so everything's pretty cool. we spent some time grabbing some snacks from MOS burger and Karen was eyeing this red bean pie that had mochi inside. she loved it to bits.

Just then i received an sms from Ashley! =DDDD
she'll be meeting us later on. i went up to the office first to say Hi and was shocked when they passed me yet another few bags full of local food to bring back -_- my poor suitcase. till now i still regretted bringing those boxes of food back cos i missed my chance of bringing back more comics and now i feel faint whenever i flip behind to check the price of the comics in TW dollars and learn of how much i could've saved if i did buy from TW. arghghghghgh...

i went out for lunch with my TW colleagues and after lunch we stopped by a shop where i bought alot of accessories haha too cute to resist! it started raining afterwards (thank god i brought brolly) as we tagged along my colleagues snaking throu the unfamiliar streets to find ourselves standing outside a dessert stall. we decided to tarpow some dessert back and it's what i would've described as.. 'action packed' hahaha cos it's so full of a variety of jello stuff but not saying that it tasted bad cos it was good. it's just fun to chew on the different stuff that's inside.

Ashley came along and got us out of the place =D


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it's karen's first time meeting Ash but i think it'll be fine. =D since we had too much to hold, Ash suggested we go back to our hotel to put down some stuff first before headin out again. gd idea. walking around with two big paper bags and a handbag is not doing my back any gd. knowing me well, our next stop is to the Eslite bookstore hehe i was busy checking out on manga illustration books and comics. nearby in the vicinity is the Taipei 101 building and Mitsukoshi shopping malls (there's so damn many of them) and each building is just as huge. after some random photo taking sessions with the buildings, for a tea break, we headed to a bubble tea restaurant of some sort. it's called 'Chun Shui Tang'.


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we were kinda shocked @ the size of the bubble tea -__-"
but it was good. i had oolong milk tea.

we had korean bbq for lunch and even tho we ordered a set for two and had three of us eating, we were stuffed and could not finish our food.


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we walked till i nearly dropped around warner village area and saw a man who had countless golden retrievers sprawled out to perform tricks. since it was raining we were kinda trapped and missed our chance of visiting the ferris wheel. the stuff in the boutiques aint' cheap but there's a particular paris brand of accessories that caught my eye and i felt my heart flutter but... the price was too steep. *whistles*


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Day 6 (24/05/08)

today is the day to wake up super early, slap on tons of make up and take a cab down to the restaurant i'm heading by 11pm. why? cos i'm to be the bridesmaid for MH's wedding lunch reception. =DDD

first (hopefully last) time ever being to be a bridesmaid. not an easy job afterall. became the errand girl of the day. had to do my own hair make up cos bridesmaid no priviledge to be looked after. all attention is on the bride herself lol. i entertained myself by disturbing her nephew.



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the bestman too tall lah. lol
think at least 1.8m and above or something.

the food served was pretty unique in terms of the dishes, ingredients and presentation. yummy stuff but too bad i cant eat too much cos the gown i'm wearing is super tight fitting around the ribs and waist area. can hardly breathe.

when i had the chance to take a seat, i chose to sit between familiar faces haha on my left was ZW (fellow singaporean acquaintance! i'm saved!) and Sean, MH's god brother hahaha Sean was busying introducing the dishes to me.

after the wedding reception, it's about time for me to leave and pick Karen up. MH cried buckets-full of tears. i nearly teared but stopped myself in time cos once i start it's hard to stop. T_T

ashley and vivian shared a cab with me to go pick karen up to walk around the streets near our hotel as a form of showing us around. karen's glasses broke just when about to leave. had to buy some contact lens to remedy the situation.

i'm shocked to see the amount of shops available. it's just endless. i chanced upon an accessory shop that had the kind of designs that caught my eye. it's slightly more expensive but given the looks of it, it's a price i'm more or less willing to pay.

we went to ROSE, which is like HMV or Tower Records where I ran loose and sweeped their shelves clean. Bought a whole bunch of DVDs that I've been eyeing on for the longest time. I've always known that SG won't have them and I had no choice but to grab them only when I'm overseas. The only disappointment is that TW don't carry Josee, the tiger and the fish. I've been looking for this film for the longest time ever. Korea has it but i'm not sure if the subtitles is what I want...*cries*

our next stop is the most anticipated of all stop.
we're going for our 麻辣鍋 (ma-la steamboat)

WOO!

and what's best is this shop is super near my hotel. nxt time i know how to get there myself liao!!! muahahaha and i also found out there's another eslite bookstore outlet near the hotel. muahahaha

karen was hopeless in trying to open the bottled coke. so i opened all her bottles for her. kekeke the ingredients was pretty fresh. i avoided pig blood cake as much as possible but the duck blood was irresitibly good. much as i'm uncomfortable eating such things, it's too good to reject. their corn was super sweet too. can you imagine that their free flow of ice cream is haagen daaz? geez.


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we were so damn full after eating. actually, i find the steamboat not as spicy so i asked wad level of spiciness did we order. unfortunately, it's the one that's least spicy. i would've prefered it spicier but judging the amount of noise karen is making, it's pretty spicy for her hahaha


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crazily packed everything i could into my luggage.


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Final Day 7 (25/05/08)

today is the day we're bound to head back to Singapore but our departure flight is in the evening at around 6+pm. we're supposed to reach SG by 11pm at night. So we basically had a little more time to relax and roam around in the vicinity to make our final purchases and tarpow some donuts before the hotel chauffer us to to airport at 3pm.

we had our lunch in the street just across out hotel. it's a japanese restaurant serves curry dishes and when we entered it wasn't too crowded but soon afterwards it was kinda swarmed with people.


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after lunch we walked to the eslite bookstore that's near us and i bought another two volumes of yinyang master home with me.

next is to get our donuts.

that pretty much concludes our morning and afternoon. the sky was turning overcast, threatening to rain. i texted our final goodbyes to Ash, MH and Sean while looking around for the last time in this trip of ours to Taiwan. it's a good place to visit and although others may comment that it is a waste to spend all 7 days just being in Taipei instead of venturing out to other cities such as Tai Chung or Kao Hsiung, well, no rush i feel. a step at a time. relax and enjoy my everyday sights and sound in the place is good enough. i've spent my 7 days well and eventful, not wasting a single minute on procrastinating. i'm proud to say our itinery was one that others could be envious of (at least karen's friend was hahaha). there's alot of culture shock that may not sit well with me the first time round but now that i think back, it's not that bad either. wilson will enjoy himself the next time we return to TW and by then, i'll be a better guide to show him around.


at the airport. tired beyond description
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off we go back to Singapore~



p.s. landing was way better when we touched down on changi airport.

leaving for the airport soon.
in another 15 minutes time, wilson will be driving me to the airport while picking karen up on the way.

am i nervous?

still not really.

i wonder why.

i must be too used to feeling numb. this is getting irritating. things might change for the better once i reach TW i guess. new ppl new sights gets me perked up.

i think it's the crazy hot weather that's making me more moody than excited. looking at the amount of light shining into my living room. goodness gracious. *puts on sunglasses*

=D

cya in a week's time!

MYSTERY GIFT...



I actually received this package of which after I opened it up... i found japanese brand tidbits, poop lollipop, chupa chups lollipop and yes, a toe sock.

Then there's this note that says:

konnichiwa!
when in doubt of what to buy...
junk food is the best.
Yes! says den!

this is by far the weirdest present i've received.

what's more mysterious about this is the fact that the sender is not indicated!

i have no freakin clue who sent this!

i swear it's damn funny somehow and i know i didn't grab the wrong package cos it's attentioned to me. even had my work designation written down.

lol

you know what? i'm kinda nervous and excited but not very... YET.

why 'yet'?

cos i've never been overseas.

i'm excited over the notion that i'm finally going somewhere.

nervous cos this is the first time i'll be onboard a flight.

but why 'yet'?

i guess it just hasn't dawned onto me yet. that i'm REALLY gonna be overseas in just... 2 and a half day's time. i guess i'll start feeling it once i start packing my luggage.

i've spent alot of time planning for this trip (shit! now that i think abt it.. i forgot to scan the latest schedule for karen! *rushes off*)

5 mins later...

ok yea like i was saying, i spent a lot of time planning for this trip, and likewise making plans to get things settled, both for work and for school, before going off for my trip.

life has been pretty hectic for me these few month.

initially it's rather depressing actually.

but somehow.. i became more clear-minded. more in control of the things going on at work. and interestingly, i chat more with my team members than i usually would. this is kinda weird.

as for school work, it's a bitch with all the assignments but i'm glad i submitted by first two assignments early and before due date. i have to worry tho, when i'm back cos two more assignments awaits me. i DID learn quite alot from the course except that i would've prefered a more relaxed pace. i'm so kanchiong every damn day that i cant hardly breathe easy.

talking about taking flight,

i took a 'flight' yesterday.

not on a plane but on the Singapore Flyer. lol

Boss decided to hv a welcoming outing for Jessie so the whole team (involuntarily? just jking...) went to take the Sg Flyer. That ferries wheel. My new intern was pretty hyper. lol like seriously excited which is cute tho cos it makes the atmosphere livelier. took some group shots and random shots here and there along with scenic shots (night view).


(Click pic to enlarge)

the entire... entering of the pathway to the capsules is quite amusing. really felt as if you're about to board a plane or something. bcos the capsule will not just stop and wait for u to board, it actually moves along and you have to hurry and run in while it moves. i saw nets under the capsule. i guess it's for 'capturing' the ppl who somehow lost their footing and fell? lol sounds freaky right. was tempted to just push Atul off to 'test' the net hahahaha

the going up was pretty fun but the coming down part was a drag. i'm not too sure if i'm interested to come back another time. not even if you pay me. seriously. BUT, i might think abt it if it's perhaps towards evening just before sunset. the view might be better that way cos i get to see the merge of colours in the sky. sano actually been up there like THREE TIMES?? he must be either nuts, or too free, or too rich hahahaha not cheap leh!

$29.50 per trip.

i thought we were gonna get to eat popeye chicken for dinner. damn! we ended up walking to hotpot culture in marina sq. lol ok la the food wasnt too bad actually. soup base quite good. food quite fresh. service... ok la cos i think too crowded. i left my jacket behind. -__- my mom bought it so bo bian must retrieve.

all in all, i think yesterday's outing was fine. =D


(Click pic to enlarge)

my braincells are officially fried but at least a load's off my mind now.

make that TWO loads off my mind, but four more to go. *eyebrow twitches*

i'm finally done with two of my more urgent assignments that's due in may, one of which i've already submitted beforehand and another that i've just finished writing and need some fine tuning before i submit it before due date as well.

i've been rushing my ass off cos of these assignments and the fact that one of the due date falls on the period when i'm gonna be off to Taiwan and back only a week later. tsk tsk.

gotta attend classes this fri, sat and sun as well.
there goes my weekend and braincells again. omg.

i made some online orders lately but guess i won't be able to receive the stuff till i'm back.

xxxxxxxxxx

@ Lunar


(Click pic to enlarge)

I can't quite remember when this is actually except we were here first before heading to bar stop next to celebrate colin's bdae. that night gu and I both turned into 'merlions' puking downstairs our hdb block to prevent hangover the next day hahahahaha the next morn we went o'er and checked the grass patch we puked on and the part gu puked DECOMPOSED!! as in turn brown. OMG LA so damn funny hahahahaha

@ Bar Stop


(Click pic to enlarge)

this place is really neat. the ambience is more or less as portrayed in the photos. i dont have the exact address but if you're interested just buzz me. i'll find out for u.

In new office @ Hansapoint

(Click pic to enlarge)

Kinda miss our old office. my old seat. damnit. miss TM & century sq, miss the good, miss the ease of transport, miss the fried fish beehoon, miss the bead shop, miss MH and Ash, too much of what's lost and cannot be replaced.

we had a pretty bz time a week before and after the shift. plenty of packing and unpacking to do, it's been pretty nerve wrecking.

ppl come and go but too many has left recently, most of which r ppl that i really liked having around and now that they're gone, life in the office has become somewhat dull-er than before.

not that there's nothing good about the shift... just that the bad overweighs the good. sigh.

@ Changi Airport Terminal 1

(Click pic to enlarge)

this marks the last day of minhung's stay in singapore. minutes after taking these memorable photos, she's up on the plane and on her way back to TW. it's kinda sad but oh well.. i'll be seeing her again lol. in a week's time.

xxxxxx

i was warned time and again NOT to wear slippers when i walk around TW. lol
so ok fine i finally got myself a pair of sneakers.
i don't have any decent ones.


(Click pic to enlarge)

this is kind of like a limited edition with star spotted all over the shoe. u can click on the pic to get a larger view. i bought this cos i tot it's kinda cool, not too flashy and not too expensive (for a limited edn) either.

it's been a crazy month.
seriously.
i've been so damn busy with life trying to make everything fit and work and operate smoothly that i'm half going crazy.
i don't have time to read blogs let alone blog my own stuff!

i have photos piling and piling non stop, stashed somewhere but i simply don't have any time to post them up yet.

i will soon.
i promise.

*pats iman*

it's just that i've been really depressed lately with all the accumulating stress, mad rush at work and mad rush to complete my assignments, fear that i might not be able to meet the deadlines, crazy assignment topics, people who's not giving me peace at work, trying to clear all my work and studies stuff to make it for my upcoming tw trip (this is a gd thing but it clashes with my assignment due date -_-), right after i'm back from tw trip & wilson will be away for 3 weeks for reservist.. DAMNIT!

i don't even have time to camwhore!

*pats iman somemore*

okok. i'll post something.

soon.

我的人生在接下来的5年内...不，甚至于2-3年内，会有什么样的变化？
难道还是一事无成。

我能引以为荣的“成就”，是什么？
历史将不留下我的痕迹。
我“存在”过吗？
谁有见证了我的存在？
当身边的人们往生后，
又会有谁记得我？

我的坚持，
人生，
既然如此不值一提，
也不过是地球上，数十亿人口的那么一位...
有必要“努力”的理由吗？

“努力”是为了什么？
自己吗？
得以成就又为了什么？
为社会付出，为了什么？

自满。
价值。
贡献。
人生必走的道路。
理所当然的。

内心深处的呐喊，
谁听得见？

社会对我的要求，
我非得回应吗？

想自私却又狠不下心。
愧疚之心。
被束缚到快窒息了。

*bows*

Missed Me? *winks*

bwahaha i know i've been missed due to my lack of blog entries cos i've been procrastinating forever to post my drafts out and omg... it's been a mth!!! wahahahahha

i've gotten countless 'complaints' frm my dear friends so i think i better get my ass off the couch and start some serious blogging already. my last update was since Feb 26th.

SO, in other words, any entries you see that's dated any time after Feb 26th, it's new. hehehehehe

have fun!!

xxxxxx

i've finished watching Nodame no Cantabile: Europe Special and I love it!!!!
nodame is as cute as ever but chiaki's hair kinda sucked hahahaha and they *chu-ed!*
which is the most exciting part and it's fun seeing how chiaki becomes jealous and realising the importance of nodame to him. *grin*

i wanna watch kurosagi movie too.

other movies i watched and are reaaaaaaaally good are:
1. Vitus
2. Always~ sanchome no yuuhi (evening on third street)
3. Millennium Actress (satoshi kon's work - anime)
4. Step Up 2
5. Juno

I still have alot more shows in my pending list to clear (omg):
1. Beck
2. Sugar & Spice
3. Liar Game
4. Fracture
5. Zodiac
6. No country for old men
7. all the hk dramas helen provided
8. drama lent to me by my HR director
9. Bara nai no hanaya drama on tudou.com

*faint*

Scarf for MH

My 2nd Branching Out Scarf made for MH.

Cream Coloured Branching Out Scarf

This time round I made this scarf much longer than the grey one i did for myself and stretched it a little wider than i did for mine. i'm quite pleased with the result but there's definitely room for improvement. since the scarf is longer this time round i had problem finding a proper surface to block it on and so, i took Denise's advice.

I used my bed.

and all the time while doing so, as in busily pinning the scarf on my bed, my dad was nagging non-stop in the living room asking me to hurry up and eat my dinner before it turns cold. but oh well, once u start u can't just stop halfway or the shape gets messed up. i had to finish this before mom comes home n i can leave the room door half closed so she won't suspect what i've done to her bed cover. *gulps*

she'll slaughter me if she found out i've been poking pins into the bed covers.

i'm gonna take a break off knitting for a week now and concentrate on studying and starting on my assignments. feeling stressed already.

Pat's birthday dinner & blythe doll bikini

another multi-pictorial entry.
three separate occasions to blog about.

first and foremost,
KITTENS FOR ADOPTION!!!

ANY KIND SOUL(S) OUT THERE!?
Three lil kittens were 'saved' by my colleague who picked up the orphaned kittens (mommy got killed by vehicle) and has been bottle feeding them. I took the picture last week so the kittens are at least 2 weeks old by now but very young still.

my colleague is trying her very best to keep the kittens safe and strong and feeding them as frequently as she could probably manage but it's a tough job since their mom died and without natural mommy's milk, the kittens lack the strong immune system they need to build up and are more vulnerable under such circumstances.

once the kittens gets a little older, they'll be up for adoption.

please spread the news around and if ANYONE at all is interested in adopting them,
do not hesitate to drop me a msg on my blog or call my mobile if you have my number (no, i'm not posting my hp num up, duh!) XD

they make a heck lot of noise with all the mewing but they are adorable to bits as well and so tiny!! their eyes have yet to open when i first met them and so they were pretty much blindly climbing around in the box while we took turn to bottle feed them and help them pee.

two canine visitors came along and grew very curious and just sat by watching these three strange little mewing things scrambling about blindly.

i swear i felt like kidnapping the sausage dog home.
it has the funniest expression.

for Pat's birthday, the guys and myself made a surprise appearance to what was initially supposed to be just a simple meeting btwn CW and herself.

we had dinner in this japanese restaurant in clarke quay named kura no naka.

before i reached there myself (after work), i actually came to this same place to check it out with chingling the night before ahahaha sekali so damn atas. my normal dressing usually includes slippers. guess i have to seek alternatives now.

conclusion: looks atas and the pricing abit heart-stopping as well but ok la. can relax.
food-wise... i think so so. but i liked how the shabu shabu was prepared with the japanese lady boss preparing and putting in the food for us.

since we're seated in one hidden corner, far from the crowd and staff,
service is not as prompt as expected.

we pretty much had to sit on the flr with our shoes taken off so i nearly had cramps i swear.

my food turned out pretty bland and YK's eel wasn't too fantastic either. forgot wad song ordered. CW had seafood nabe. i ordered pork name. Pat and her friend's order was beef shabu shabu. damn! i wanted beef! but it's a 2 pax order. cant possibly finish it all up myself so i had to sadly order my pork nabe that has hardly any taste. only after i'm done did YK say he could've shared the beef shabu shabu with me if i wanted. arghghghghghghgh...!

aiya anyway paiseh. i dun normally initiate having others share the same makan as me unless they've thought of it right frm the start to hav that same dish.

xxxxx

here's Ranna's blythe doll named Buttons.

ain't it sweet?

i like how there's this orange shade churning out for this photo taken. am pretty pleased.

anyway, in case you're wondering why i posted this pic up,
this doll is wearing yet another work of mine.

for her upcoming Batam trip,
correction, upcoming when i was making it but as of date, it is already a passe event,
Ranna had me crochet a bikini set for her blythe doll.

i created both the top and bottom for the blythe doll but here with the photo,
i only featured the top.


i'm quite pleased with how it turned out. the bikini pieces because it's my first time trying to make one and it fits just nice!

Buttons and her bikini top

i admit that i've been pretty brain dead lately and have not been reading much of what's send to me about my part time degree and thank god chingling has been readin and reminding me when to collect our text books and that we even have an orientation where attendance is compulsory of which, i didn't read about either. *slaps head*


i need my coffee and chicken brand essence.


but i've finally got my engine started and took my textbooks/coursebooks etc out to read through today. within is all the assessments, deadlines, course outline etc and reading materials.


i read thro both the coursebooks and started highlighting all the key points and damn! i have 2 assignments due in may, 3 in june and 1 in july. so exciting! *dies*


but oh well, i'm excited nonetheless cos i get to study finally and learn new things. i like studying and that's the truth. good thing is that there's no exams and so i can focus and have fun writing my assignments. the assignments might seem a piece of cake at first glance but it's not after having done some serious reading into it and i'm trying very hard to remind myself that this is university standard and i'm not expecting myself to submit anything less. it's not like poly where we can just chuck everything in and make it sound like it has sense and just submit lol.


is aiming for High Distinction for all my modules too much?

But I don't think I'll fancy anything less than a Distinction so I guess I better aim high. I have to.


*prays hard*


i'll start my readings next week. kiasu abit nevermind!!!! ROAR

Crochet octopus + bikini + scarvf

just to put all the relevant pics in the same entry will save me some time to post separately hehehe..

since my last entry i mentioned that i've been knitting/crochet-ing right?
has been very busy ever since.

first pics i'll post are of the amigurumi octopuses i made.
i've made 3 so far of 3 different colours: pink, turqoise and mustard yellow.

the pink was considered a defective one since it was the first piece i made and first piece(s) are prone to mistakes where by creating them allows me trial and error to learn from my mistakes and also pick up new tips and i'll implement the new changes to my future creations of the same design.

BUT after Denise and my knit-bitch kakis mentioned that they'll give the pink octopus to Yvonne as a present (i forgot for wad cause), i re-did the pink octopus, re-crochet, re-stuffed, and re-stitched it to perfection. i love the eyes i bought frm Daiso. too cute. luckily i have a crochet flower i made nearly half a year ago and it came in handy to be the octopus's head accessory.

pink octopus with flower

what do you think?
i think it's just too adorable BUT very tedious to make, especially the legs and the part about stitching it up.

but it can get very very addictive once you start and i just can't stop!
and... voila! two more octopuses are born and the mustard yellow one will go to MH, turqoise one for YL.

mustard yellow octopus and turqoise octopus

my personal fav is the turqoise one heh.
i still have yarn to make extras and i have one more colour that i've yet to start on. it's bright navy blue. that one will have to wait for quite some time.

anyone who is interested in ordering these frm me as presents as sms me or drop me a note in my comments yea. i'll revert back to u on the completion date and price.

the next project i started on was a bikini top.
the yarn colour was chosen by my gu and it's quite well received by those who saw it and i personally liked it a lot as well.

i experimented with the design so many times that i was getting so sick and frustrated with it but i refused to give up cos i want to see it completed and soon i concluded. the pattern's B cup is just not it. perhaps caucasian's boobs are bigger even tho they indicate a similar cup size. i decreased it to an A cup and guess what. it fits. stupid! i'm an Asian B cup, mind u. so... i hv no idea how those A cups ladies will be able to complete a decent bikini top with the same pattern.

anyway, here's the result.
sorry for my lack of courage to wear it and 'flaunt' my bod on the WWW but anyway, the hanger does the trick in showcasing it.

Crochet bikini top

my most recent project is the Branching Out Scarf.
I saw the pattern online and fell in love with it.

Had Denise guide me through the pattern and teaching me how to read it and i got started pretty much immediately.

i've been knitting feverently, obsessively and religiously ever since.

it took me a week to complete knitting the scarf and soon after, we've reached the stage where i've got to block my scarf to let it set into the designated shape.

first, i had to soak it in lukewarm water, adding a few drops of baby shampoo.

then, i have to dry it by pressing it with a towel and i cannot wring it.
next, we've got to block it with pins round the border and shape it into the way i want it to result into.

here's my dear gu helping me check if everything is evenly spread out. you wouldn't want a fat and thin scarf that's uneven all over. it took us quite awhile to get the scarf properly blocked since it's my first time doing it and i don't quite know how to go about doing it and wilson is just as clueless.

voila!!

the scarf is in it's BLOCKED state but it's still wet and pinned up to dry.
i'm using a old blanket with towels as the base to poke all my pins into.

i need to get a board or something man.

After one night of blocking...

here's the pic of the finalized look!

oh good god save me.

i've been sneezing since blardi AM in the morning and it's still going on..
my brain cells are fucked up now, my cheekbones are numb, my skull is cracking open anytime (i can feeel it) and yea. i swear i can concuss anytime soon.

i just took a 2 second glance at my calendar.

alriiiitey.
a week since i blogged.
i've done quite alot of stuff.
a few stuff then happened.
watched a few really good movies.
....
ok i'll just.. blog in a little more detail to get my brain juice flowing.
it's prob to stucked for work but yea i can still manage with some blogging i guess.

i've been knitting. yea
ok technically it's crochet-ing.
i've so far made about two amigurumi octopuses each of a different colour.
first one was defective but the subsequent ones were pretty successful.
i took some photos but oh well. i procrastinated.

right now i'm trying to complete my crochet-ed bikini.
i'm almost done. if my brain wasn't so dead, i was expecting myself to complete it today.
but now that i've gotten a warning letter or rather, i was told to not knit in the office cos it wouldn't look nice even tho my cubicle is so hidden so oh well.

and oh yes. more work. but i digress.

so what's with all these sudden knitting/crochet-ing again.
to most i guess, they most prob won't be surprised.
i'm always doing some handiwork project at any given time but well why knitting/crochet is because i've finally found some knitting kakis (ex sec sch mates) and we gather every other week to meet up and knit. i like this. seriously. at least it's not a lonely hobby anymore.

after i'm done with the bikini i still need to make 3 or 4 more octopus. 2 to be given away.

and when i'm done with those, my nxt project will be a fan and leave scarf. need to ask Den abt the yarn i shld get.

i'll try to upload pictures soon.

it's amusing how everytime i go colin's hse and it's like so expected of me to bring something handiwork related there to kill time.

i just found out recently that dennis has just become my neighbourhood friend. like.. just next block literally. he moved in just three months ago and i got a free tompang (ride) from him from TP back to marine parade. swee. one more friend in the area to jio out for teh peng.

i like this feeling. having ppl u feel comfortable living near u and u can just go over their hse n hang out w/o worrying abt transport to get home. u simply walk home.

right and talkin abt good movies/shows,
i bought nodame no cantabile: europe special.
i can't help it.
yes i've leeched it from a friend but i cant help it.
i ended up buying the original DVD as well.
it comes with bonus behind the scenes + interview features.
i can't help it.

i have too many shows but no time to watch. when i have time, i'm somehow still not watching the shows.
damn it! i need to concentrate.

JUNO is good. VITUS is damn good (switzerland film abt piano prodigy).
u guys MUST try it out. i'm serious.

as for drama that i've watched,
Bara Nai No Hanaya is damn good.
I lured MH into watching it and now she's addicted.
I've shown her only like.. half of ep 1.
cool. i like Shingo alot.

oh crap i feel like crashing my head on the table n just sleep.
oh shit it's six pm WHERE'S WILSON!!
I WANNA GO HOME!!!!!

i'm craving for japanese food.

oh one last thing.
mel teo came online yesterday afternoon.
happy and surprised i msn-ed her but oh well.
i'm disappointed with her cold replies.
not sure what i was expecting either tho.

ok. the end.

I WANNA GO HOMEEEEEEEE!!
*calls up wilson*

Anyone Else But You
By the Moldy Peaches

You're a part time lover and a full time friend
The monkey on you're back is the latest trend
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train
I kiss you all starry eyed, my body's swinging from side to side
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Here is the church and here is the steeple
We sure are cute for two ugly people
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

The pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive me
So why can't, you forgive me?
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

I will find my nitch in your car
With my mp3 DVD rumple-packed guitar
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Du du du du du du dudu
Du du du du du du dudu
Du du du du du du dudu du

Up up down down left right left right B A start
Just because we use cheats doesn't mean we're not smart
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

You are always trying to keep it real
I'm in love with how you feel
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

We both have shiny happy fits of rage
You want more fans, I want more stage
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Don Quijote was a steel driving man
My name is Adam I'm your biggest fan
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Squinched up your face and did a dance
You shook a little turd out of the bottom of your pants
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Du du du du du du dudu
Du du du du du du dudu
Du du du du du du dudu du
But you

**I like this song alot cos it's sweet and I heard of it from watching JUNO.

FWAH!!!!!! KONATAAAAA..!!
i like!


(click pic to enlarge)

YY WANNA TORTURE ME!!
gonna get off work already suddenly email me this link with a konata figurine.
basket!

MOTTE KAERIIIIIII~!

To view source, Click Here.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL MI FWENS!

*huggles immy & susu & yifeng*

hee
my gu bluff me say no plans. suddenly got bouquet delivered to my office.