Happy 29 February 2012!!

So dad might have attempted to pour some cold water over the day by making fun
on the fact that I'm working for free today but...

it's alright with me!

Because I have been hen-picked to be
Nando's Weekly Business Card Lucky Draw Winner!

Except I kinda dropped my card in the bowl many many many mooooons ago.

*sweats*

But who cares!

That just means it is meant to be!

29 February 2012 is an awesome day.
Can't wait for the next one to happen... umm... in four years. Dang!

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining but Sometimes If You're Lucky Enough You'll Find Gold :)

Good Morning Penang on a Friday morning!

It's things like these that make waking up wee early and travelling across

the sea every morning to get to work that wee bit more worthwhile.

That and the fact that I need to earn a living. :P

[L.E.P.A.K series: Amsterdam] Chap 19: Zaanse Schans!

Eeek! I got distracted from blogging once again. The enthusiasm to finish up
my L.E.P.A.K series had to make way for a new excitement in life. 

 Hehe. 

Hold it. 

Hold it! 

 :D 

 I BOUGHT PLANE TICKETS! 

 Yes yes. I’m flying again. Weeee… but it’s not till end of the year and this time it’s a family trip! Which means more responsibility. Yikes! So obviously, all that excitement got me into researching mode once again which totally eat into my blogging time. And I don’t even blog thaaaat often. *hopeless* But I can’t help it! I turn into this mad scientist, crazy planner, travel enthusiast whenever it comes to things like these. Though two days ago, I found out Cik Ipoh’s sister is at a whole different level from me. *respect* 

 So yeah. This blogging thing that’s happening right here. This is a result of discipline.
I told myself  “You gotta do it this weekend yo!” So here I am and here we go,
off to Zaanse Schans!

Zaanse Schans is only four stops away from Amsterdam Central Station and approximately 20 minutes ride by train. The station to hop off is Koog Zaandijk. I don't have the faintest idea how Dutch words are pronounced. How do you even pronounce 'dijk'? Hmm... 

 From the station, we just followed the signs, enjoyed our stroll and took in the views. But we didn't make it very far before we got distracted. Right next to the station was a field of gold, so pretty enough that had us two silly girls wondering into it for some silly shots.

Right out of a Hindi movie. Hehe.

There were many interesting buildings along the way.
From a cute 'tak-halal' house sign to...

...a vine-wrapped home that screams "Stay away!" with a sense of artistic appreciation.
Everything just seems a tad more interesting when you are away from home.

Finally we saw the first sight of a windmill! Peekaboo! See how empty the road is, that's the beauty of beating the morning crowd. It's like having the entire place to ourselves.

"Look ma! That's a windmill."

As we made a turn towards the bridge, we were immediately greeted by an outrageously beautiful scene in front of us. So outrageous that we can't helped continuously exclaiming our awe to each other. As for our inner thoughts... all I had was "You gotta be kidding me!"

How can a place be that tranquil and beautiful where everything is just so calm 

yet so breathtaking? We tried to capture this beauty with our cameras
but I doubt our photos can do this place justice.

Is this even real? *sigh*

One compulsory "I was here! This is amazing." shot.

Look at that smile on Cik Anai's face. She is at a photographer's heaven.
Her shutter just kept on going. *click, click, click*

*points* We are here! 

We actually downloaded this map from Zaanse Schan's website prior to our trip and had the print in our hands but to be honest you can just throw that away and explore the place on your own. It's basically one main trail that works its way around the entire village, so you won't actually miss anything. 

There was actually no one around so it was a pleasant surprise when we were
greeted by a 'local'. Well, sort of... hahaha

Meet our feline friend who came forward without hesitation as we approached the village. Very manja and totally not shy of strangers. Well, I believe it sees thousands of guests every day. We're probably very insignificant to it after all. :P

While we were busy entertaining the cat. Yup, definitely not the other way round. We finally met the first group of people here at Zaanse Schans. A group of young and joyful teens cycling merrily around the village.  

How much countryside can it get?

*hearts* 

 Notice the unique architectural style of the Dutch since the last post? From the signature tall and narrow buildings along the canal to these unique green cottages, you can easily get fridge magnets of all the different types of building as cute little souvenirs to take home with you. All I have to say is that I regret not buying more of these little fellas.

Even the trees are a tad eccentric, don't you think?

Here's one last picturesque shot before I end this post. *sigh in contentment* Cik Anai commented that this was the best 'walk' yet because it was the most relaxing and 'crowdless' of all which brings out the lovely countryside beauty even more. Because seriously, imagine this place filled with tourists at every corner you turn, it just ruins the mood don't you think? 

 So like how 'Tai-lou' Big Bird had said it,
"The early bird do catches the worm." 

Till next time! :)

The Surprisingly Sappy Sisters

Seriously. Me and sis. We don't do mushy mushy stuff. We're even awkward giving each other hugs. It's not like we don't love each other. We do. In a weird understated kind of way. We're just not very good at showing affection. Hah! So it was weird that after a 4-day trip sending younger sis back to KL plus a short family trip to Melaka thrown in together that I came home feeling what I'm feeling right now.

And it's not just me okay! :( 

We sad face together-gether.

Betul-betul sungguh tak sangka.

*sigh*

That little space she occupied on my table while she was home for the past 

three months is now empty. T__T I remembered how I complained she was invading 

my space back then. And I must say looking at the photo now, that's a tiny little space 

I managed to offer. =P 

The only thing she left me with?

One used game cash card. 

That tiny bottle of hand sanitiser was mine to begin with anyway. 

*sigh*

Oh adik.

They Rise to Take Over the World

Woke up this morning to a Facebook wall filled with standing eggs. 

Apparently, this phenomenon marks the start of the spring equinox. 

Here's an extract from an article from New Straits Times,

"When the sun crosses the equator, making night and day equal on all parts of the earth, 

an egg can stand due to gravitational forces of the sun being aligned with the earth. 

Auspicious to the Chinese, Feb 4 is also known as Lup Chun day which marks 

the beginning of spring. A standing egg is seen as the symbol of spring and a sign that 

all of nature is balanced and in harmony." - Read more here.

Well, I'm not too sure about being in harmony.

They look like an army of eggs ready to seek revenge 

for all the eggs we have eaten. 

*shudders*

It is indeed a little freaky don't you think? Or is it just me and my crazy mind? 

I mean it sort of feels like it is something against nature yet it is in fact, 

occurring because of nature. Hmmm.

That aside, among the many photos I've seen on my Facebook wall, I had to say 

the above taken by Yen-san is my favourite one among all. I knew I had to 'stole' it 

with permission of course because I didn't managed to get a shot at this little 

phenomenon myself. 

Well there's always next year...

[L.E.P.A.K series: Amsterdam] Chapter 18: Trams, Bicycles and Boats

So where exactly are we off to now? I bet the above picture is very telling. 

Oh yes, we are heading towards the A in the L.E.P.A.K series! 

It's time for some XOX Amsterdam yo! 

 *excited*

But first, it was time to sleep! The bus was not exactly the most comfortable place to call it a night but nonetheless, we were so tired from the full day's walk that we practically fell right into sleep. We were waken up somewhere along the way when some officers came on board to check out travelling documents. Surprisingly they were more strict towards fellow Europeans who were travelling with their IDs than us with our passports. So we went right back to 'bed' as they busied themselves down the aisle. 

 We woke up again some time later just before 5am and saw that we were already very close to our destination. Unlike when we were on the bus to Edinburgh where we woke up to see the beautiful sunrise shining down on vast fields filled with sheeps, here we woke up to darkness illuminated with cold street lights. 

 We were scheduled to arrive Amstel Coach Station at approximately 6.30am but found ourselves at our destination way before 6.00am. The entire station was soulless with just us passengers wondering around, seriously in need of a toilet. Hahaha. There was no one around and the train station next to it has not even started its operation for the day yet. *yawns* In fact, it was not even manned and we wondered in and out of the platform freely without the need of a ticket. 

Still, not wanting to get into trouble we bought ourselves some train tickets and rode the first train out of the station towards Centraal Station. When we arrived though, we had problem checking out of the station since our tickets were never actually checked-in.

 Our lucky streak of meeting awesome people continued as the friendly stationmaster approached us and opened up the gates for us. He warmly started a conversation with us and asked us where we were from. When we told him we were from Malaysia, he threw us off by speaking the Malay language. It was the standard "Apa khabar?" and stuff but still here at Amsterdam?! Wow! 

 We said our thanks and headed off to hunt down some breakfast 

and found ourselves with some...

...'Gai Dan Gou'? (English: Egg Cake) 

 It was hilarious. Obviously we had no idea what we were actually buying except it' was food and it fills the stomach at only 1.70€. One bite into it and we looked at each other and asked "Gai Dan Gou?" Hmm.... wait... 

 *types 'Eierkoeken' into Google Translate* 

 Hahaha.... and it does indeed translate into "Egg Cake". OMG!

Our first and main itinerary of the day was to catch the train out to Zaanse Schans, a village just outside of Amsterdam that offers visitors a countryside feel of Holland. Because of its easy accessibility, it is also a much favoured tourist spot. It's like your one-stop destination for all things Holland. 

 However since it was still early, we decided to step out of the station and 

enjoy the early morning beauty of Amsterdam instead.

We were greeted by the extensive tram lines. Something we rarely see back home.

But what's mesmerising about Amsterdam is of course its canal and its buildings. The water in the canal was so crystal clear that it completely mirrors the beautiful scenery above it.

While Paris may awe you with its luxurious beauty, Amsterdam's simple beauty 

simply tugs the heart and soul.

Instead of sharing our space with a crowd of people, we found ourselves making way 

for 'Tai-lou' Big Bird and his gang.

Yo, whatcha looking at?!

There's really nothing much to say when the picture alone is saying a thousand words.

All I can say is that it's true that the early bird catches its prey. The best scenery are those 

at the early hours of the day where you can see the city slowly coming to life.

Time for a compulsory "I was here" shot.

Imagine there are people who call this their home. 

Oh oh! Ever thought of going into the window cleaning business?

Well, this is the way to do it! Real dandy. 

 We then made our way back to the station, bought ourselves two tickets off the ticketing machine and was happily on our way to Zaanse Schans.

Off we go again! 

Such a lovely way to start the morning.

[L.E.P.A.K series: Paris] Chap 17: Meeting Madame Mona

Alright! That was certainly a loooong rest since the last L.E.P.A.K post. No time to sit and linger anymore. It's time to get up and go, go, GO! Boy were we determined to hunt down Mona Lisa. Determined enough to set it as our goal before dinner. So we walked and walked until we got distracted by the beautiful night view outside.

The sun had set by then and the lights were on. Pretty. 

 We finally found that little turn we kept on missing and was on our way 

to meet Madame Mona...

... but alas, we got distracted once again. 

This time by a gigantic art piece. I say it just goes to proof my earlier point that 

Europeans have a thing for BIG THINGS. Hahaha. 

 Sure enough, we finally found the biggest crowd at the Louvre, all gathered to lay their eyes on Mona Lisa. It was impossible to get a good shot with her when there was a whole bunch of people to share the spotlight with. Not to mention she was shyly hiding behind a protective glass and surrounded by a barricade. Talk about being anti-social. Tsk tsk tsk. I came all the way just to see you, 'mam. 

 Oh well, you're even more famous than celebrities these days after all.

So I humbly settled with what she has to offer. *click* 

Boy do I look tired out in the picture. *sigh* 

Now that our mission is complete, it's time for a good French dinner!

We had enough of walking for the day so we decided to head down to a restaurant 

inside the Louvre. Nothing overly fancy but still a very 'luxurious' place compared to all 

the budget meals we were having for the past few days. All that savings certainly deserved 

one good meal and what better place to dine finely than Paris, right?

I ordered my very first cup of coffee since I arrived at this side of the globe. 

Truth to be told, the coffee was not very impressive which was kind of disappointing since I was kind of hoping to be wowed by it. *sad face* Now, those little sugar cubes and complimentary nougats on the other hand was conveniently brought home as my little momentos. Muahahaha. So Chinese. So proud of it. :P

Now for the recommended affordable dish-to-try in Paris, Croque-Monsieur! 

Yummy. It was not bad at all. Cik Anai being the bread-potato-lover that she is 

preferred this to our another order. 

 BUT! I stand to differ!

Because I was in loved with this other dish instead. 

Yuuummmmy Poelon de moules au curry et poireaux. What?!!?! Haha... or in English, 

Mussels and leeks casserole spiced with yellow curry. Again WHAT?!? Leek? Eww! 

And why go all the way to Paris to eat curry. These girls are not in the right state 

of mind are they. :P 

 But I see no leek and instead lots of what looks to me like alfalfa sprouts. Hmm... 

and nope, the curry was not spicy at all, obviously. Spiced? More like herbs maybe. 

Either way, it waaasss delicious. Well, at least to me lah. Each to their own.

I love it enough to insist Cik Anai to take a picture of me with it. Yum! 

Oh and in case you're wondering about the cost of a meal inside the Louvre, well, the Croque

 was 15€ and the mussels was 9€. Not to outrageous I guess for a tourist spot.

Now that we are all recharged and energised back to at least mid-battery level, 

we're off again to hunt down our next 'target'. Venus de Milo. By then, the museum was pretty much cleared of tourist. Yay!

That gives us time to linger and take our time at every single thing that 

perked our interest. Like insanely beautiful architecture!

The Nike of Samothrace or also known as the Winged Victory of Samothrace. 

Why such a faraway shot instead of a close-up you say? Well, we were left in awe 

of the sight of the empty stairway actually. Hahaha. Earlier in the day, this place was packed 

with visitors as these stairs was the cross-road to different halls. There were people walking 

from in every direction and there were also those sitting along the stairs, at the feet of the statue. There were people everywhere and now, waalaah! A lady and a statue.

And finally! Venus de Milo was surprisingly easier to locate. Maybe because 

we were more calm and less distracted by the crowd. The down-side of a night trip 

to the museum is the lighting though. :(

One last compulsory shot inside the museum. *click* There are a lot more to see in the museum actually. All that we saw were only in one of the three wings of the museum. Imagine that. Museum enthusiasts can easily spend three days in here and still complain there's not enough time. So yeah, this would have to do for us this time around. If the chance do come by again, I'll be sure to drop by and awed all over again. *smiles*

We decided to step out again for a night shot of the museum.

It was a bittersweet feeling for us as it was also time to bid goodbye to Paris. 

BUT WAIT!

Not before we visited La Pyramide Inversée aka The Inverted Pyramid. Hehe. 

With that, our mission here in Paris was finally completed. 

 Or so we thought! 

 Who knew we had one last adventure before finding our way to the bus station. *sigh* 

For us, Paris does not sign off 'with love' but instead 'Paris... with adventure'. We headed towards the one route that we knew of, the route that we came but alas, we somehow got ourselves a little lost. With the clock ticking away, we hit the yellow panic button. 

 Eh? Eh? Eh?!? 

 Finally we found our way to the metro station only to discover it was already closed! Wooot?!?! Panic signal hit orange. Danger Danger! We headed out to the streets only to be greeted with a lonely street and a sad few pedestrians. Panic signal reached bright RED because we had no idea how to go about from here because we had no freaking idea where we were. 

 Weee!!! Heart-pounding excitement. 

 The thing was, we had a bus to catch and if we missed it then we're practically stranded in Paris. Yeah, worst come to worst, we can somehow manage a night's stay in a hotel but still.... *tick tick tick* 

Time to ask for help!!

We quickly approached a young lady who seemed to be on her way back from work and asked for the nearest metro station and guess what!! She kindly offered to guide us there. Hooray! WAIT! Should we turn our suspicious mode on? No time yo! It's time to believe in the greater good of mankind! 

And so we followed. 

 And so we arrived safely to the metro station. 

 *phew* 

 She even asked if we know how to manage our way with the ticketing machine and we said yes as we already have our carnet of tickets ready. We expressed our deep gratitude as she smiled and wave farewell to us. Yup! She was not heading to this metro at all. She just took the extra effort to help us! *sniffles* Together with the guy who helped us ordered our lunch earlier in the day, I'll say French people are so not what some made out to be, snobbish or unfriendly to those who knows no French? Well, not to us at least. 

Thank you Paris for a wonderful and exciting experience like no other! 

It will forever be a day we will never forget. :) 

 Now it's time for a rocky night's sleep on the bus as we get ready 

to wake up in another country. Weee!