* Wow~
IT IS SNOWING~~:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
This time it is for real.... not a dream.... :D*edit*The snow stopped after one day. Didn't manage to take any photos. How disapointing ...
* tadaa...
Pokai Planet: A Cheapo's Guide to Europe Travel
1) Search for the cheapest way to get there. ie. flight, bus, train or hitch hiking.
2) If travelling by plane, (budget flights such as EasyJet) book months in advance. Flight tickets can go as low as €50 both ways.
3) When your transportation is confirmed, time to search for accommodation! If you have friends staying in that particular city, time to take out your address book and keep in touch with those long forgotten friends. :D If not, ask for a friend's friend. If really really really not, ask for friend's friend's uncle's father's son's cousin's whoever's contacts. :p But if your skin is not as thick as the Berlin wall, refer to number 4
4) Search and book online for hostels. Prices can go as low as €8 a night (depending on location and facilitles)
Preferable hostels that are in the city center i.e near train stations and main tourist spots. This way you save on transport tickets by walking (refer to number 6). Try to find hostels that provide breakfast. (refer to number 5)
5) Food: Bring/prepare your own food. It's easy, not messy and filling. Buy bread and cheese/salami at the cheap grocery store and prepare your own sandwiches. And you can eat it while on the go. Snacks such as cookies, chocolates or fruits are also recommended. (Maggi mee also can lar, but where to get hot water in the middle of sightseeing right?)
If your hostel provide breakfast, eat as much as you can so you feel full and skip lunch. (If you're kiasu/brave enough, steal some sandwiches from the hostel breakfast. :p
6) Transport: If everything is near, WALK. (In Europe, a 20 minutes walk IS near) You save on bus/metro tickets and also get some much needed exercise. :)
If you must take the public transport and don't feel like paying, you can! Just get on! If you're lucky you get through. If not, risk getting caught by the controllers and get slapped with a hefty fine.
7) Souveniurs: Why is there need to buy souveniurs anyway? People will just keep them on the shelves collecting dust. Memories are the best souveniurs. :P But if you cant help it and need some...search for those souveniurs that go €10 for 3 or something like that. Try to convince your travelmate to share with you. :)
*Best souveniur tip: Postcards. Nothing beats receiving a personally handwritten postcard from different cities. :)
8) Museums/tourist spots: If it's FREE Go! If you're a student, remember your student card to get discount. If the museum is not interesting, you don't have to go if you don't want to. Taking photos outside will do. :)
9) Travelmates: Last but not least, travel with a friend or two and enjoy yourself. Although you cant eat the best food and sleep in the best hotels, the memories and adventures you experience with your friends is totally PRICELSS. Good company can make shitty sausages and chicken organs taste like mom's homecooked food. :D
Side note: All of the above have been tried and tested. Results:
A 2 day 1 night trip to Amsterdam cost about €100 including bus ticket.
A 2 day 1 night trip to Prauge cost about €100 including bus ticket.
A 3 day 2 night trip to Rome cost about €200 including flight ticket. Ok, we kinda splurge on this one here. Rome is an expensive city and not to mention the cost to cover our missed flight too.
A 3 day 2 night trip to Athens for me cost only a little over €100, including flight ticket!
A 2 day 1 night trip to Geneva cost less than €100.
*Pokai = (adjective) broke, without any money to spend
* ho hoe hou
Oh my gosh~~
It's snowing!!!
Little white snowflakes falling from the sky~
Yippeeeeeee ....... my first snow!!
Then a flock of pigeons flew by...
It's not snow....it's....it's.... pigeon poo poo ....eewww...
...then I woke up...
Dream dream dream...
Wo ist die Schnee??
Anyway, I wish everyone far and near a ... Blessed Christmas & Glorious New Year!!
*eenie meenie mynie moe~
How to pack half a year of your life into two suitcases?
It's been exactly 4 months and 12 days that I am here in Berlin.
Soon it will be time for me to balik kampung .... or not?
No idea where I'm heading to.
My contract ends in 1 more month.
Watudu?
Do I want to continue if given the chance?
Difficult decision...
Sure I miss home and the familiarities around me,
But when I'm back there I'll be longing to keluar kampung also..
If balik kampung ... then what?
Anybody wanna offer me a job? :D
If only life was as easy as flipping a coin ...
I really wished I had more ambition, to know what to do, to have more drive in life like this guy
here ...
* whoaarr
I miss Malaysian junkfood lar....
All those artifical flavour and coloring, hair-loss inducing MSG .... yum yum yum....
you just cant get enought of it :D
My favourite :
It leaves you with bright orange lips and fingers .... finger lickin' lip smackin' good :D
Artificial cheese never tasted so gooooood....
First bite, you'd want more ... when you finish the whole pack ... you swear you'll never touch it again...
... but after 1 week ... you crave for it again ... and the cycle begins :D
... makes you wonder what other 'artificial' stuff they put in it huh ...
:p~
*oop pah~
My Big Fat Greek Weekend
Guess where I was? :D
Everything is in Greek!...literaly...
Athens is just wonderful wonderful wonderful!!
It seems that every city that we go to is better than the next.
The weather was great. Nice and sunny! And we didn't miss any flight. :P
The Greeks (especially the Simiakis) are awesome awesome awesome!!!
We stayed at Ioannis' parents house. Unfortunately Ioannis was still in Berlin and could not personally host us but it was ay- oh-kay for us. The Simiakis (Costas & Giota) took care of us so well. They were such gracious hosts.
They accepted us with open arms and heart. Treat us like their own kids, fed us huge amount of Greek food and ask for nothing in return. If you have watched the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you would know what I mean. Of course this time without the wedding and relatives.
I am truly blessed to have met them. Words can't describe how nice they were to us.
Imagine I can see tears well up in Costas eyes when we presented him a little gift for hosting us. That is just so sweet. I can't thank them enought.
Ioannis, if you're reading this, big hugs to you and your family for making our trip unforgettable!
I will definitely wanna visit Athens again. (..in summer!..)
Flag of Greece...
Acropolis
The Parthenon
Parthenon
Acropolis at night... it's amazing...this photo doesn't do it justice..
Ancient city of Agora
Beautiful view...
Sunset over Athens city...
Sunset ...
...no words to describe...
Greek Guards doing Ballet... (the changing of the Guards actually)
The Greek Parliament Guard
Being silly at the old olympic stadium
Lineup for the 100 meters dash L-R: Josef-Czech, Anna-German, Sandra-Colombian, me
Temple of Olympian Zeus
A real fireplace! .. jakun abit... :p
Our gracious host Costas and Joita (Ioannis..say hello to your new brother and sisters :p)
Ioannis, thanks for everything...we will miss you!
*oh la la~mamamia~
Bella Italia~
Woke up at 3:45am in order to reach the airport to catch our flight to Roma Italia~ *cue Italian accent*
Our group consist of Sandra, Duygu, Dilek (Turkish trainee in Hamburg) & Ioannis.
We arrived at Roma Ciampino airport on Saturday morning and checked into our hostel...then erh....we...went....erh... oh no.... i just got back from Rome last Monday and now i totally forgot the order of our trip... We visited so many historical sites and churches until i can't remember the names. Next time I should blog about trips the day after and not wait one week later.
Let me see, we visited the Colleseum, the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon, Casa de Navona and our favourite the Fontana di Trevi. (And lots of other piazzas and countless churches)Basically I've covered the places where all the cardinals were killed and where Robert Langdon was in Dan Brown's book Angels & Demons.
Colleseum is awesome.... Vatican...for me...nothing really special...oh oh! We 'met' the Pope yo.... ok ok ...we didn' meet him per se...he was giving a speech from one of the windows .. anyway...
The most memorable part of the trip for me was being in front of the Fontana Di Trevi at night, eating Italian Gelati with your fellow buddies, watching the world go by.
Second memorable part is the Sistine Chaped, staring at the infamous ceiling that Michaelangelo painted. It was definitely worth the 8 euros (student price) ticket. :P
hmm....what else.... ok....unmemorable moment (but ironically will definitely cannot forget).. we missed our flight back to Berlin cos of the bad Italian traffic. :(
We might have wished a wee bit too much at the fountain. :p
Some obligatory touristy photos ahead.... :p
Meine Chicas... Meine shoulder to cry on... Ich liebe euch...
Our cun Flugbegleiterin showing the safety procedures...watudu...budget airline ok..
Colleseum...
The Gladiators...
St. Peter's Basilica
No idea where this was....forgot....guys, please remind me...
The girls at Monument of Victory...
The Pantheon
Sistine Chapel...you cannot imagine how crowded this room was...
Famous Michealangelo painting....
Vatican Swiss Guards ... in funky uniform...
Pasta and wine...
Dilek at the bar....
ooohh...dilema....which flavour to choooose....
Yum yum yum......Gelati~
Fontana di Trevi
Throw a coin and make a wish here....
... ask and ye shall receive...seek and you will find....
