Babe's Magnet!

Being a travelholic the last 10-14 years (or perhaps more) have finally resulted with the accumulation of my little-lest collection - fridge magnets, as this was the SMALLEST, LIGHTEST, EASIEST and CHEAPEST of all souvenirs. And along the years, manufacturer of respective country has gotten very VERY creative in designing them; WHICH made me spoil for choices. At times, I felt like buying ALLLLLLL of those in the store, especially when I was in Australia and New Zealand.

Normally, per country; I will end up with approximately 25 pieces at minimum for friends and relatives. It's worst when I was in New Zealand as we were driving from town to town and city to city, I knew it in my heart that I MUST buy them ALL to "prove" that I've BEEN THERE! Hehhehee.... Anyway, I thought I should share this with you - my crazy collection.

By the way, this is not all.... I have other souvenirs as well such as trinket boxes and plates from other countries (HEAVY!). Hemmm.... probably share it in my next blog entry :P

The latest set. Purchased this in Kuching 2 months back.

The 2nd set from Sabah :D

Magnet spring cleaning. I poured all on the floor and start segregating it in my "assumed smart" order (whatever "order" that may be?!??!).

First layer in my newly purchased Togoyo box.

Plastic and rubber type - trying hard to stop buying this. Rubber/plastic are NO-NO as it will melt easily in Malaysia HOT weather which makes the rubber/plastic sticky and slimy AND run out of shape. Sigh... I learn the hard way.

Paper material... I like this the best as it's lighter and doesn't add to the weight to my luggage when I buy by few dozensssss.

Ceramics... and more ceramics.

More ceramics, very fragile, am stopping this and focus more on matels.

Supposedly the buildings magnets which is ONLY a handful, I guess I am kinda pathetic at this collection.

The country faces. Not that many as yet, hope to collect more.

The odd ones.

The fluffy magnets. I started this when I bought my first Koala and Kangaroo from Australia, followed by Angelina giving me the Mickey from Hong Kong Disneyland. Then I begin my quest - Moose from Sweden, Kiwi/Sheep/Pukeko from New Zealand, Panda from China, Bull from Spain etc. I do hope I can get more, hemm..... can Anna help me buy Paddington bear magnet from London? Hehhehe... I shall insist!

Stray magnets from office, just brought it home to be kept with it's magnetic family :D


You think I'm bad? My cousin have more then 500 pieces.... GOSH!


Any of you collects stuff when you travel?
What are the cool items?
And how do you kept it?

Travel Thursday | Kampuchea Kid

While walking towards the jungle temple or more popularly known for the temple where Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) famous scene was shot, I saw this cute little girl begging for money. It sadden me to see this; if I were to help, 20 more will come begging & pestering. And if I don't, would they have any food for their next meal.

What would you do?

Help or not to help?


My globeventure here.

P/S : I'm forever impressed by people who take portrait photography well, I thought I should give it a try while I was in Kampuchea (Cambodia).

Watery Wednesday | Seoul-ful

SEOULFUL

I was really mystified
Where should I go
The sea where I can feel the breeze
and run like the wind
Or... feel the winter's confetti
of melting doilies
When the snow meets the sea
I am drawn by serenity
here, now
Seoul-fully, Korea


Watery Wednesday

Travel Thursday | Malayan ♥ Canon s95

I just purchased a new camera slightly more then a monthly ago, basically I bought a Canon s95. I contemplated like crazy on which brand, model & price should I invest myself into.

After much researching, debating & comparing, I finally have my ♥ set on Canon s95. Sooooo.... few weeks back, Andrea ad me decided to go to Carcosa Sri Negara for English high-tea of which after the fabulous session, I drove to Malayan Railway or now known as Kuala Lumpur Railway Station nearby.

Why I choose this building and pic is because of the Neo-Moorish/Mughal/Indo-Saracenic/Neo-Saracenic architecture style (a mouthful. I know!), it begin serving the public in 1 August, 1910 (OLD!). Now, we have moved the train station to KL Sentral located nearby thus this magnificent building is not being used anymore.

Do you have any interesting architecture/building in your country?

More pics HERE.


P/S : Thank you Raymond Yap for you advice.



I ♥ s95

Hyperlink credits : Wikipedia

Watery Wednesday | Freedom

Can you just feel it... FREEDOM! Life was easier when we were young, carefree and full of energy. Being by the beach with your best friends makes it even more perfect.

When was the last time you felt this FREE?

Let's let the 'nothingness' take charge for awhile.

Enjoy. Relax. Peace.

P/S : I thought I should join in Watery Wednesday since I love ogling at photography and I have tones of 'watery' pics to share.

Sick, am I? It may be contagious!

You see….(sigh)…. I have a confession, (sigh…. *agony*) very VERY long ago I got bitten by a travel bug (not just me, my entire family; my parents and siblings!). We start to travel, mostly few of us or with friends but never whole family (except if it’s local destination = cheaper).

To make matter worst, half of us (that’s my late dad, bro & I) are bookworms (now I limit myself to travel books only, other books if time permits).

Since I love to travel the most, I will chicken scrawl everything (literally translate from Malay, means “bad handwriting”) I see, read or discuss. Am such an eager beaver on these, it’s absolutely crazy; especially if I can kill two birds with one stone (business + personal trip); it’s just like a rat race to me BUT in travel world lar.

As if that’s not enough, Air Asia (Malaysia budget airline) continuously having FREE SEAT & RM1 promos to all destination (kid you not!); I feel like the website is specially dedicated to me by saying “Lily! Buy me, it's cheap!”.

With promoz like this, even wild horses can’t keep me away. I will definitely (MOST DEFINITELY) make a bee line to it. I mean, what were they thinking right!?; especially to a travelholic like me. Have some consideration please guys…. Sigh.

Well, you know that curiosity kills the cat, when it comes to blogger posting interesting or weird (especially weird) places; how could a “holic” like me resist. Monkey see, monkey do; that’s what they say about me and THIS monkey will go/do it even better (so this perasan monkey claim lar).

Guess what? Us birds of a feather, stay together; how true with blogging. Found great travelholics that I find sync in (THANKS Biqque, Chawanna, MKL etc)… life ain’t that bad after all, am no more alone (but that doesn’t mean they don’t have my sickness).

Having said that, am no proud peacock, just that… well…. I kinda have a whale of a time where & when I travel. You see; whenever I travel - I felt like the world stood still and I am the immortal one (yeah right, DRAMA LILY as usual!?!). The truth is... I just have to travel AND I must travel = SIMPLE. PERIOD.

Sometimes it IS so bad that 2 month of no-traveling feels like donkey years to me, or maybe donkey + mule years…. Hemm… hippopotamus years perhaps, since it IS bigger?!

Anyway… so, the question of my sickness is……. after all the monkey, worms, peacock, horses, beaver, bee etc etc etc…. Am I still a human? Or an animal? Or half (since I DID get bitten by a travel bug ?!?! Just like spiderman?)…?



Gotcha!




HEEHEHHEHEEE….

P/S : Am perfectly ok, gotten an inspiration to write some gibberish.Gonna have my catnap now.

CIOU!

(Or perhaps it should MEOW instead?)

Hyperlink credits : Air Asia, Beauty in Darkness, Chawanna, My Kafkaesque Life, all pics are from my own personal collection.

Travel Thursday | Waimea Plantation

You must be wondering, "Where's the plant?".



Me too, I was thinking; since in the itinerary it actually stated "plantation" hence I should be seeing either a coffee or sugarcane plant somewhere (as we are in Hawaii). Instead a beach? This is even BETTER!



I was at Waimea Plantation Cottages in the Garden Isle of Kauai with my travel buddies Anna & Rosy. Yup! This is where they shot the popular (at one point of time) TV series "Ze plane! Zhe plane!" - Fantasy Island and Jurassic Park.

Few hundreds of us spent a day with family, friends & colleague at a Hawaiian beach, where food and drinks at abundance. The sea just waiting for you to take a swim, the sand waiting for castle to be built and the sunset waiting for pictures to be snapped. How good can it get? Am so blessed.

Where's your favourite beach getaway?



Happy Travel Thursday!

Hyperlink credits : Hawaii Web, Waimea Plantation Cottages, Wikipedia

Foxy Babe Fox-trotting at Terry Fox Run

Yeay! The participation is more this year then before, well… at least base on T-shirt sales (means more dollars for the cancer research! Yippee!). As for the attendees, I have to read tomorrow’s paper to find out I guess.

This time around they held it at Titiwangsa Lake which is approximately 7mins from my house. I even strategised where to park (I foresee it will be HELL!) so that other cars won’t block mine (kiasu!), hahhahhaa…. But we decided to do 2 rounds of the lake instead and hoping that once we completed, some of the cars have moved by then. YEAY! It worked! We felt smart on an early Sunday morning (Yup! Brain still functioning despite that at 7ish Andrea got lost on her way to LRT train station and I forgot to take my credit card from the teller machine [Reported card stolen 4 hours later] ! Other then that, yeah…our brain works absolutely FINE!).

This is the 2nd participation for me (totally forgotten about it last year). And this time around my ex-Girl Guide & Scount (1 scout ONLY) joint in as well, bump into friends and colleagues, saw some err….clown hair Terry FoxER etc, bottom line - I had a splendid time and run (felt healthier too physically and mentally). By the way; Wenny, where are you?

Only one last scout standing; who still have the heart for charitable work, aww......

The volunteers still selling shirts on the event day itself.

Mobile toilet - just in case you were wondering, they ensure that it is according to the theme colour (just kidding! coincidentally it's the same colour as the shirt! HAHHAH...).

Oh yah! You know what I like best, seeing kids/toddler with their little Terry Fox shirt and cute tiny butt running trying to catch up with the mommy and daddy - awww…. SUPER CUTE!!!

Little Lily, real cutie. Same "bird day" as Autie Lily.

Swing me up.

Wiggle waggle...

This makes me think, should I run (walk) the one in Singapore too? Hemmm…


Have you ever join any Terry Fox Run in your country?

Hyperlink credits : Wikipedia

Travel Thursday | Great (Fire) Wall of China

I wanted to start something new today by calling it Travel Thursday (or is there one existed?! I can ride on it). Every Thursday I will (plan very hard) to post a single pic and a short description of it; be it my memories, my impression, my feel, my opinion... etc etc etc. Am sure you get it. Feel free to join me, I thought it will be fun.

My very first Beijing trip and learnt that the impressive Great Wall of China is also known as Great (Fire) Wall of China in cyberworld . Why? Apparently they blocked some sites, my main concern are favourite Facebook & Blogger. Sob sob....


Do you know any other country that blocks FB & Blogger? (As I need to get mentally prepared if I ever need to go there).




Beauty In Darkness/Chawanna/Traveller's Anatomy/My Kafkaesque life/ and the rest of travel blogger, do join in.

:D

Flight of the Gibbon

I realized I’ve blog so much about Thailand and yes, I can’t get enough, especially northern Thailand ie Chiang Mai in particular. Chiang Mai has soooooo much to offer, put shopping aside (those shoppaholic out there, Bangkok is heaven for shoppaholic, Chiang Mai… well… so-so). BUT, for adventure LOVERSSSSS out there, YOU ABSOLUTELY must visit this place and mind you 4-5 day is just ain’t enough (THAT's FOR SURE!), and Tourism Thailand did not pay me for this (DANG!!!!).

Sigh…. Sooo…. Since I’ve visited Thailand at minimum 10 times in my whole life (If you must know, Singapore the most lar), so for any Chiang Mai blog entry after this will not be post base on daily experience but base on activities or adventurous stuff we did.

Oh yah! I forgot to tell you, Chiang Mai is home for loads of adventurous stuff (next to Queenstown, New Zealand - of cause this is only my own opinion :D ).

Let’s get down to my adventure…

Flight of the Gibbon

Yup! The same one shown in The Amazing Race last season, obviously I went way before that - 2008. Few reason why I want to do this.

1. I am crazy over outdoorsish & adventurish activities (BUT scared at the same time!!!)
2. My travel kaki Andrea is outdoorsish & adventurish too.
3. It is designed, built and overseen by international expert engineers from New Zealand with more than 20 years of experience in nature-based construction (cut and paste from their website)
4. Feel the freshness of 1500 year old rainforest outside of Chiang Mai.
5. 14-15 treetop zipline base (If I remembered it correctly)
6. 2-3 canopy walk
7. 1-2 abseiling down the tree (Especially the last treetop, how else you gonna get down from the tree right?!!? Duh!)

Wow! I just went in their website, and noticed it has gone thru tremendous change, probably due to The Amazing Race visibility with worldwide audience, in fact I noticed the cost has increased slightly. You know what, it's still worth it.

Gearing up... I think I look cool. Yeah right Lily!

Walking to the starting point. Dup dup dup... our heart beats.

Checking the cables before we start out adventure!

Off we go! Where the adventure begins.

My turn, from the starting point. Weeeee........

Can you see her? Andrea versus the jungle out there!

SOS! Rescue me, I've break too fast, too soon. Or I think she did that on purpose, wanted a pic hanging there. Hemm...

Almost all reached the base/platform, except for me.... hey! Wait up!

Andrea and the mountain beyond...

Can you see the treetop base/platform?

That's the canopy walk.

One for the album, Andrea and me.

Yup! It's very high, can you see the ground from up here?

Descending from the last treetop

It terms of experience and service...

TWO TUMBS UP!

Hyperlink credits : The Flight Of The Gibbon, Wikipedia