Happy New Year!

2007 has indeed been a wonderful year. From the life-changing experience in Hong Kong has has evolved my world view on life and the importance of living life beyond academics to the hectic semester in Singapore that has saw me enjoyed the process more than the results, the ups and downs were truly lessons worth learning.

The magic number may have dropped an inch, but life now has different priorities. I have learned to enjoy the process, to make the best of life. Be thankful of what I have, 2008 would promise to be a better year and internship looks set to reach new heights very soon. Well rested, I hope I am ready to go the distance. To all my friends that has helped made this incredible year truly unforgettable,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


Hong Kong will be having a wonderful fireworks at Victoria Harbour and I will be glued to TVBJ for it...

I wish I am in Hong Kong. Still.

Hokkaido: More Photos

Lake Toya

Where the G8 Summit will be held next year..stunning views with Japan's Mt Fuji No. 2, and active volcanoes that last erupted in 2000, and a special fireworks performance by the hotel to celebrate Christmas














Mt Fuji No. 2











Ski Mobile











Hakodate

Where the world's 2nd best night view is..of course, Hong Kong is 1st...






Morning Market




Colours


Freshness


Packaging

Hokkaido: Part Deux

As the clock ticked past into the wee hours of Christmas' Eve, it started snowing! Haha...yes, and the kid in me woke up and my mum and I burst downstairs despite being just 5 minutes to sleep..yes..almost ready to turn in..haha...but what the heck..its SNOWING!!!







Well, it went on to snow more after that so the novelty worn off..haha..the next day we went to Susukino, which was the Orchard equivalent of Sapporo...







The Ramen of Sapporo is supposedly a 'must-try' too and so it was just one delicacy after another..I am super satisfied on this trip...lolz





Sapporo Beer Factory cum Museum











Tomamu Ski Resort


Ice Village






Ice Bar


A truly magical Christmas...




This Hong Kong kid was damn cute...


Winter Sun


I can jump too..heh


White


Snow

A Hokkaido White Christmas

Yes, I am no longer dreaming of a white christmas! Haha..technically I have had white christmas before, but its the snowing kinda white christmas..hahaha...yes..ending the 1st part of internship with a xmas party before heading to a I-think-is-a-well-deserved break in Hokkaido is really great! Haha....

ANA has fall short of expectations this time, the food aren't that great anymore but the service is still pretty good...but as usual the aircraft is really stuffy and it does not help that the 3 of us are stuck in the 2-3-2 configuration and the cold air is only seeping through the body of the aircraft at the sides...

As for the people, well, it is a Singaporean group so I can rant on forever about the immature and no-brainer behaviours forever that I might as well leave it out on my own blog...it shall only record the happy moments :)

Anyway, I am still sorting out the pictures but here's part one of the trip. Day one was largely traveling, ending up at the airport at 6am and flying to Tokyo before transiting to Chitose.

We headed to a Whiskey factory next and it was the view, more than the drink, that stole the show. Single-storey factory with snowy fields amidst the winter sun, it was the scene I have long-missed...it didn't snow in Eastern Europe last year...and the weather was perfect for me...the omni-present natural air-con :)







And this day was the day of food galore and of course that satisfied me A WHOLE LOT! Hahaha...We headed to Otaru next where we visited the famous music box shop, had scallop along the street (the most delicious and fresh-tasting one I ever had)...and Lavender ice-cream which was so delicious that I forgot to take a photo of it


Still makes me drool...


For lunch, we added a crab, shabu shabu and dipped in egg..it was heavenly!




The Otaru Canal...nothing special I would say..just that its pretty romantic if you aren't there..its just flooded with people trying to grab the photo opp..haha

Then we headed onto Sapporo City where we took in the night view of the TV tower, and the xmas decorations..and dinner was tepanyaki with additional Kobe beef ordered..oh man..I had so much good food that day and it was surprising that my stomach held up ok...haha







Well, after seeing so many country's light-up, it is just back to the same thinking of when will STB understand that simplicity is beauty..we do not need to clutter the whole Orchard Road with tonnes of lights..what it needs is some creative and beautiful, simple lighting..or perhaps just some snow :)

Apprehension

On the eve of new chapter in my life, I am feeling unsettled all over again. I am starting my professional internship tomorrow, ahead of the others. Maybe it is the feeling of going out of my comfort zone again, maybe it is the calling out of the holidays (I just ended exams last tuesday!), or maybe it is just the doubt if I had made the right choice.

The journey ahead is full of questions, I can only hope that the working environment will prove to be right for me. My fingers are crossed.