Malaysia- Kuching

Straight after leaving Japan, I landed at my next destination: Kuching. My mission was to eat as much as possible and to attend JT and HC's wedding. Kuching was a real big contrast to Japan! Nevertheless, it was still an awesome experience especially being able to be an MC in front of 300 guests.

I remember when I first arrived, Jo and Di took me to eat something that I have been savouring for a very long time: Bak Kut Deh! What I make and what can be eaten in Perth is nothing compared to this! For those who don't know, this is a herbal soup with assorted meats. One of my favourites!

Di and her parents also took me to visit one of their family friends for Chinese New Year. Although I have celebrated CNY before, I never had the opportunity to do family visits as all our relatives are based in Hong Kong. It was interesting to see the amount of preparation one will take to make their friends and family welcome; you need to have your house decorated nicely with lanterns and other decorations, the table needs to be filled with 20 different kinds of snacks and to constantly make sure you guests are constantly eating/ drinking. I also got a bonus: my first red pocket in Malaysia!! :)

Jo and HC's wedding- This was the main reason I was in Kuching and it was definitely an unforgettable experience. The day started off with the groom and his mates having to 'play' some games so they can gain access to the bride in the house. Di has been planning for days on what sort of torture she will implement on us, but luckily we were let off easily on the day by doing things such as singing songs, drinking soy sauce and having someone doing a Korean dance move...

The second part involved a tea ceremony and lunch at both families house followed by the main reception dinner at Hilton. I have to say that the wedding reception was done really well. The decorations involved several swan ice sculptures, the entrance was beautifully done up and the whole venue was well presented. There was a band playing at the reception called "Young Once", which was made up of several men in their 50's. I have to say that  they were actually really good!

I'm not going to go in detail with my MC gig but I will say that it went well overall minus hiccups at the beginning... Thanks Jo and HC for letting me be your MC! 

Now Di, if you are reading this post, I know I still haven't covered a lot of stuff such as the amazing food I ate, the whole family (myself included) being sick and also celebrating your birthday (I felt so bad for sleeping through most of it...) but I'm gonna end it by saying that my main highlight of the trip was being able to spend time with the Ting family. They were so hospitable during my stay and I felt like I was part of their family. I'm blessed to know such great people and thanks for making my trip so memorable!

Not quite an update just yet...

I allocated myself sometime tonight to update my blog, which I haven't done for a while. To be honest, it's one of those days where there is just too much in my mind to think about. You know me, I'm a worrier/ stress-head (This is one thing that I really want to change but am struggling to). Give me a bit more time and I'll be fine.
I still need to do a post on Kuching (Even my friend Di has done all her travel posts that she has delayed for a very long time) before I'll give you a thorough update on life in London...

A Whole New Culture- Part 2

Travelling in Japan for the past two weeks have been an eye opener for me. The most prominent thing I have noticed is the friendliness of the locals. They are so courteous and respectful to everyone. I bet it must be hard to be always that well-mannered.

This was at a public onsen(hot spring) for your feet. The ladies who asked me to sit with them after seeing me burning in pain decided to join me for a photo.

I have been very lucky with having two friends who live in Japan. They were able to take me to awesome restaurants, cafes and even meeting the locals. Thanks again Carl and Sam!

I've covered Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto and Yamasaki with my two weeks in Japan. It was interesting to see how each city was different in terms of architecture, specialities and atmosphere.

My first main highlight with Japan would definitely be the food. There is such a huge variety of food to try as you can see from the pictures I have taken. I can't name half of them but the food was de-li-cious! I have to say that my favourite dish was the 'Chirashi bowl' (Thanks to Diana for giving me a name to the dish) which consisted of a variety of Sashimi on rice. Can you find it in the picture?

Another highlight for me coming to Japan would be the picturesque surroundings; both urban and natural. I'm a big fan of architecture, and Japan didn't disappoint me. When you think of architecture, people would automatically think of tall skyscrapers. However, in Japan, the quaint and distinct houses and short buildings are the standouts. I was just looking through my pictures and just realised I didn't take a lot of  the buildings but these will have to do for now...

As odd as it seems, my favourite town after all of the places I visited had to be the country town Yamasaki. Not only was I able to spend time on my own exploring this small town, it was my first time ever to experience fresh snow! I still remember standing on top of this hill looking at the whole town and when I turned around, these small white specks started floating down towards me.

I have to say that this trip will definitely be very hard to beat. I'm really blessed to see such a beautiful country and it has made me realised how big this world actually is. I will be back!

My next post will be on Kuching and it's amazing food, and of course Jo and Hieng Chiong's wedding!

A Whole New Culture- Part 1

What can I say about Japan? It's an amazing place with a very different culture and amazing people. The respect and manners shown by the locals are unbelievable!

I'm currently in Osaka at the moment and it is such an exciting and happening city. Communicating with the locals here are difficult, especially when my knowledge of the Japanese language is virtually zero.

So what have I been doing here for the past few days? Well starting off on the night I arrived, I was overwhelmed with the transport system. With only a few instructions given by my hostel, I lugged my luggage on the train and kept asking people for directions. I nearly got myself lost several times but made it to my hostel unharmed.

After I settled down at the hostel, I went about exploring the streets while waiting for Sam and Carl to arrive from Yamasaki. The landscape was just what I imagined it to be; it was very similar to Taiwan but at the same time unfamiliar to me. Short buildings on either side of the streets closely connected to each other and pedestrian areas called "Shopping Streets" are a common sight.

Look, I can keep going on with all the details about Japan but you really need to come here and explore it yourself! To sum it up, I have done so much such as going to the Aquarium, visiting several shopping streets, eating a load of food (I can publish a book on the variety of food here!!). And don't get me started about clubbing in Osaka. All I'm gonna say is that it was an eye opener!

Just before I finish off, I have to say thank you to Carl and Sam for being my tour guides. Without them, I wouldn't be able to experience Japan at a whole new level!
Alright time to fill up my belly. More to come soon!

Time to Move On

I'm currently waiting for Air Asia to get back to me for a flight they have delayed, which is affecting my connection flight back to Perth in February. Thought i'll just update my blog before the big trip begins!

I still can't believe it all begins tomorrow; my flight to Japan for two weeks, Malaysia for one week before heading back to Perth for two days to continue my journey to London. It hasn't quite sunk in yet...
So how am I feeling right now? STRESSED (as usual) There are still things for me to sort out before tomorrow afternoon.

For the past few weeks, I have started to ease myself into a holiday mood by catching up with friends and family, and basically doing nothing at all. The excitement of going away for the year hasn't quite kicked in yet, but once I'm on that plane, I'm sure that will change.

I'm also feeling a bit sad at the moment. Having to say goodbye to friends and family is something I never expect I have to do for a very long time.  However, everyone has got to do that one day right? It's time for me to leave all that has happened last year and move onto my next chapter.

I know that going abroad will be an eye opener for me. There will be so much to see, do and learn that time will just fly past! There is so much I am expecting from this trip. I want to gain confidence in myself which I have always lacked, I want to forget certain things that I had to face last year and just step out of the protective bubble that I've had in Perth my whole life. I need to stop depending on people and start fending for myself. I know there will be tougher challenges in life that I will have to go through but I know that as long as I have faith in God, it will all eventually work out.

I know I'll be back in Perth for two days in February but I might as well say my goodbyes now and start fresh. I'll keep you posted on the awesome adventures that awaits!

The Beginning of a New Chapter

My desire to travel to Europe started 5 years ago, when two of my best mates saved enough money to travel around Europe and asked me to come along. This was the time when both of them were already working and I was still doing my teaching degree, with a  miserable bank balance standing between me and a potentially awesome holiday...
I then remember them coming back from the six week trip and sharing their highlights and all the mischief they got up to. I really did regret giving up on a life time trip with them :(


Move forward to 2009.  By this time, I have already saved enough money to travel. But with different priorities in life, Europe was placed on hold. I gave myself the same excuses for 2010, but 2011 was finally a wake up call for me.


This year has been such a big learning curve for me in all aspects of my life. I thought that moving back to Perth after two long and hardworking years in the country was going to be a positive start for the year, but it wasn't. So much has happened this year both with work and personal things (Sometimes I regret coming back to Perth). Being overwhelmed was an understatement. Although there has been highlights this year, the negative aspects have caused me to overlook things that I should have appreciated. With all that has happened, I finally made a brave and selfish decision to take time off work so that I can travel to the other side of the globe for a year!


Going overseas for the year is not simply just for having fun and travelling anymore as I once dreamt of. It is more to do with leaving all my problems behind me and starting fresh. I guess it is an excuse for me to not face my problems temporarily and to chicken out from it. But I do know that I really do need to leave here for a while and to give me time to clear my head. I'm going to use this time to gain some life experiences and hopefully have a sense of direction in what I want to do for the rest of my life.


I remember there was a moment in time when I thought to myself that I would give up this trip to stay back for someone. That was a stupid thought and I'm glad I never did it for that person. As people say: when one door closes, another one opens for you. Going overseas is the door that God has opened for me and I hope he will continue opening up other doors for me along the way.


Here I am now with just three weeks left before I venture off to my first destination: Japan. After that, it will be to Malaysia for a wedding, before my final stop: London.  This will be the beginning of new  sights and experiences for me, and a chance for me to see all that Europe has to offer!
With airfares to all destinations booked, working visa sorted and only some minor things to organise, I can now count down to the big day when I'm ready for a really big and hopefully positive new chapter in my life!