Made my lazy afternoon less lazy when i saw the matching poem by Zen. Very nice of him.

Last week,
I left myself with another option
I accept it but deep down
I hadnt make any decision yet

A year down,
when i recall
of the decision I had to made,
i hope it comes without regrets
though i wouldnt dare to ask for pride
I know my dream is a tough one

As the camera click away
I hope to remember your smiles
whenever if we are leaving all together
or i am left behind
I still hope to remember your smiles

You reminded me that different people will choose different paths in life. As I was at the crossroads last week, I choose to take my dream path. There would be a check- point one year from now. If I continue to stick to this path, Yes,I sure need the courage to withstand the hard work, the loneliness and once again the hard work. If I choose to leave, Yes, I sure need also the courage to withstand my decision. Hope whatever decision I will come to one year later, I would not leave myself with any regrets. To take or not to take is a difficult decision to make because taking it up doesnt guarantee a second upper hons. Using my present results as a benchmark, I would need lots & lots (x1000) of hard work to work for that second upper. I still remember when I enter Business School, I want to make it to the hons. When i receive my results for the first time, I didnt really know I was far from it. The second time, I started to get worried for it didnt get any nearer. So I tried harder and when the third time came, I was suprised and happy for it, though I am still far from it. Before the fourth time came, I was too tired to even try thinking of getting near to my dream as the modules I took was real tough. I thought, as long as I dont take any more steps backward, I should be thankful. When the fourth time came, I was happy. When finally I was being offered of the course, I was indecisive. If one extra year doesnt gives me a second upper, then I shouldnt take it. But really who knows...

So i took it up but deep inside no decision is made as yet..

Think I mentioned my friend said this before; she said that I could publish those travel narratives on China. I told her if she is the publisher then I really could :) Anyway this is another part that says about the weather, food & taking photos in China. Next, you can look forward to hearing about the hotels, toilets (yap lots about toilets) & the stars in China..

Weather in China
Super cooling. Like natural air condition. There isn’t a time when you would sweat. And now you know where their skin is so beautiful.But during summer it could be as warm as us too. Heard on radio news that the government in Shanghai would switch off streets lights soon so that the electricity will be enough to supply air conditional to people in the city. As well, when it is so warm, we were told that tour guides don’t bring tours already. Plus, what is the point of climbing Huang Shan if every step you take is tedious and sweating? You would miss the wonderful bits. So choose the best time to go. Don’t go there when the weather is like ours. No point.

Eating & drinking in China
MEALS salty + oily (even soup is made up of 50% oil, 50% water- I never drink their soup) and sometimes fatty (especially Dong Po Pork). They served omelette almost everyday. Was so sick of it that the first few days back in Singapore, I skip eggs even though it is one of my favourites. Most common food – cucumber. And never in my life would I find them in so many styles.
RICE Since most of the time were spent visiting various tourist attractions, the most strenuous activity of the day would have to be walking. And because we are always on the road, I try to have enough rice, afraid that I would be hungry on the roads, and left with nothing more than biscuits to munch. But I wonder why they always make us eat from a real small bowl? Much smaller from the regular ones we have in restaurants here.
COKE The best consolation that I have is that Coca Cola (or Pespi Cola, Spirits and occasionally 7-Ups) is such an established and famous brand and nearly all restaurants, even restaurants in Huang Shan or Mount Huang served them. Without this sweet, fizzy drink to whet my appetite, I would have dread
mealtimes much earlier already. Grateful!
CHINESE TEA And luckily for the Chinese tea they served, towards the later days, I resorted to dipping my food (except rice) into the cup of tea to remove the oil and excess salt. Yap, everything from vegetables, fried omelette, prawns, meat are dipped into my cup of tea.
EVERYTHING WARM Orange juice can also be warm. Don’t know of this till I taste it for myself. One word- BAD.
EVERYTHING DILUTED Milk and soya milk tasted like plain milky water.
WESTERN BREAKFAST Once we had cereal and milk- feast (At the restaurant in Putuo Shan Island). Occasional we have bread, but never as nice as Gardenia.
FRUITS Watermelon. They said watermelon reduces heat in our body system. Anyway I eat it almost every time till I heard that they soak them sugar water so that they are always sweet. Only once we had apples and oranges (In Huang Shan) though I must say they taste super weird.
BEST MEAL Felt that Shanghai served better food. First time to try curry chicken, fried fish in Wu Xiang skin… And the only meal that I actually put the food into my mouth directly would have to be the last meal I had in China. Lunch was served at Shanghai’s Huang Jia Chuang Cai. The last, and also the best meal among the 9 days X 3 meals/ day. I like the fried prawns or Xia Ren; fried chicken (only get to eat more fried food in Shanghai); sweet pork and bun; Shanghai steamed dumpling they served (should try).
MEALS ON BOARD Hardly know what I was eating while on China Eastern, but really it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. Still ok, especially the ham or sausage they served. Plus the portion is quite big. Often comes with yoghurt, fruits, hams and stuff like that. Drinks are always sufficient.
OTHERS Other than the food they served, I only had Lao Beijing, Set 4B of KFC at Cheng Huang Mia or City Temple in Shanghai. All meals are provided in the tour package, which isn’t really a good thing for me. I rather them allowing me to chose what I want. If allowed, I would try the MacDonald meals over there too. And there is this fast food restaurant in Shanghai called Monday or Xin Qi Yi. I probably had Ajisan, pizzas from the various pizzas chains they have…

Taking photos in China
QUEUING It involves Q because sometimes the spot is super popular that everyone wants to take at that place. So you have to adjust your lens and stuff like that, get someone to take for you and wait. Sometimes you even have to be real fast and immediately step up while the previous one is done. Otherwise you never get your turn (especially if the locals are there too).
JUN HAU Good if you can always ask your tour guide to take photos for you. First he doesn’t take photos (except if he needs for some projects or it is also his first time there) and second when he is familiar with your camera, then you don’t have to teach him how to use it all the time. Jun Hau always helps us to take family shots too. And those times when I climbed slower (on
Huang Shan) to take photos.