2009 January

Start of a new year was spent back in SG. had fun, and back to vancouver, back to work and work. Had been working hard for the last month, with just some impromptu dinners and drinks. No travels had happened yet. Haven't even crossed the bridge out of vancouver. haha.

Went for a jog last saturday, and ran for a long long while. And was my first time,. running pass the Casino, Science World, construction of the Olympic Village, false creek (seeing Yaletown from other side of the water for the first time), and onto to Granville island. and a slow walk back from Granville island.

On Granville street, walking back home.

Overlooking the waters... at the false creek community centre - Granville Island.

Steamboat dinner at Mel's place... the dinner was done. it's onto pudding (as they calle dit) and wine...

Summary of 2008

So, 2008. what can i say, other than, there had been a lot of changes in my life, other than visiting new places in the world, I am now, back to where I had been to 3 years ago. It's amazing that how I can rem the places, like which street to turn, even after 3 years of not being close to the continent.

So, with an overview of 2008, i had
a) several road trips up to Malaysia with my close pals. KL, Zouk, Port Dickson, getting massages, stuck in the jam listening to Micheal Jackson "heal the world" and all the cheesy boybands songs, drinking my cold strongbow at the irish pub in KL in the afternoon with boon, which inevitablely pissed the other 2 girls off... gg to Genting, getting unhappy coz, was bogged down by work then.. to sum it up, i can't just put words to all the fun that we had along the road trips. Missing the food in chinatown already. and of course, my massage lady in KL. It will be a long while later to get to experience all these in Malaysia.... so i hold it really close to my heart.

b) Trip to london/milan/lake district
Loads of ups and downs in the trip. each trip is different, and being back in london, for the i forgot how many times again, it felt good to be able to drink down a pint with my close pal. watching bon-jovi in an open air stadium and drinking and smoking at the same time, was a truly first time for me.
driving in UK, to manchester, lake district, seeing the different falls that i got to see, the company that i have in the car... as well, as going through the first day in milan together -> ending up in the police station in less than 10 mins that we were in downtown milan... is something that will always bring a smile to my face when i think back.

c) impromptu trips to aussieland. Glad to be able to just get off work to go over twice this year. and to see kangaroos right in front ot me.. well, i love the wildlife, were all great memories. once again, highly doubt i will be able to do these trips impromptu trips to aussieland, at least for the next few years i guess.

d) something new, which i never did put up.. photos in SG. it's just came across to me that, sg is also my playground for sure. being away for 3 months from sg, makes me understand what i had so grown accumstomed, that I dont' even realised. maybe previously I had considered it as home, and not a playground. But, maybe things can change along the way. But, i really do think that pwc sg building had been my playground for the last 3 years. the source of happy memories, meeting new pple and experiences (drunk experiences? haha), and it had changed who I was to the current me now.

e) Back in vancouver. going back to places that i had been before -> vancouver city, granville islands etc, seeing seattle, victoria all over again, makes me realised that sometimes, somethings don't change. it's just humans that have changed along the way, and yeah, i have changed since i left 3 years ago. but, the streets, the buildings, the shops all stayed the same.

This brings an end to a great 2008. For me, 2009 will def be a year of travel. Loads of places ard Van that i have not seen. and it's a year for me to sit back, and go travelling once again. Time to buy my backpack..

8 days in summary - 20 Dec to 28 Dec 08

Was a great 8 days of travel, when my family came over to visit me. Took a day off to bring them around for the first day, and it was snowing.. and exceptionally, unusually cold. Was snowing, and had the chance to play snowball fight after 3 years... and first time with my family. A walk along david lam park to the english bay beach, was fun, as yeah, it was great to see them, after not hearing my mom's nagging for the almost 3 mths.
Road trip started from saturday, 20 Dec onwards. Had a late start (as usual, i am not a morning person), and drove down to the US border. and stuck in a jam for close to an hour. really sounds like a typical saturday after heading over to JB from Sg eh.
So, the plan was to head down to Seattle Premium Outlet for shopping... and then, go to the Quality Inn that i had booked for the night. Spend a few days in Seattle, and then, head over to Victoria, and then back to Vancouver in the span of 8 days... so, here goes the photos.
(view from bottom to up)


Back at home, where mom cooked. and, with a cheap bubbly that we bought in the states, to just celebrate christmas.

On the ferry back to vancouver..... always love the ferry ride from Victoria to Vancouver. So many islands that we will pass by... and i am resolute to see all the islands.

Heading back to vancouver.. was early, so stopped by Sidney.... it was sunny. the last time i was there on the streeets, it was cloudy. but there were no spotting of sea otters this time rd :( but, oh well, was just a stop by..

and rubbing the pig's nose... hopefully i will stay lucky!

Back at Butchart Gardens.. Christmas lights....

Back at the beach off UVIC... just driving down the slope to the beach.. brings back those memories, of walking down in berms to read at the beach...

Back at Mt Tolmie...

Back at Craigdarroch Castle..

Christmas village..

Back in Victoria after 3 long years... and as usual, the Parliment house building is still as bright at night.... and, all the streets and shops in Victoria, had not changed... Just amazed that it didn't feel that long ago that i was just in downtown shopping or having drinks.. and yesh, Big Bad John is still ard.. but i didn't get to go.. will be back in Victoria soon again to go visit Big Bad John..

On the ferry.. leaving US behind, heading back to Canada, Victoria

Waiting to get onto ferry to Victoria at the Port Angeles. Treated myself to DQ, since i can't have beer...

And, along the way. i was so happy to see this truck.. "to do list for beer lovers.." was asking my sis to zoom to take the truck!

Drive to Port Angeles

Headed to Victoria the next day. was a stressful drive.. and long one. have to catch a ferry inbetween the way to Port Angeles, and tat's a ferry that i can't miss... so, managed to catch it.. and on the ferry..

Ard the space needle/science centre...

Headed up to Space Needle. My first. Coz, i don't really believe in paying for observation towers.

But since dad said he will pay, so headed up. haha, well, then, was just walking ard the area, Science Centre etc. Maybe the next time i will go into the Science Centre then... (If someone is willing to pay for me.. )

Christmas Lights in Seattle...

It's interesting that everything i go to Seattle, i get to do different things. This time rd, we went to the library, as it is supposed to have some cool archie stuff that my sis wanted to see. just a normal lib with hyped-up way of stacking books, (don't understand why they said it's saving space levels), and cool lights up the esclators and red lights at the washrooms, in my opinion.

Streets of Seattle

The next morning -> to seattle... the day started, with roads in the city of seattle closed.. those familiar roads that i had took the other time, due to really heavy snow. So, parked somewhere else, which was a really bad idea, coz, when we wanted to move the car.. it was stuck. really badly. for a good whole 10 mins, i was just dumbfounded.. and at my wits. Luckily a few passerbys came, helped to push the car.. and i learnt how to get the car out of snow then. a really cool and useful lesson that they taught me. :D

My first starbucks coffee at the first starbucks cafe. Most of the times when i was there, it's usually so crowded. But that afternoon, it was cleared. So, got a drink!

at the museum of glass...
Since the museum of glass was closed, and it was late by the time we drove back to the hotel. so stayed in the hotel for the afternoon/evening. built my first snowman in my entire life. i really proper one (not the one that i made when i was up in alaska). :D But my sis hasn't passed my the photos yet :(

at the Museum of glass. top view of the roads.. and the museum was closed...which also explains the really empty roads in the town.

Was still snowing in the morning, as we drove to Tacoma, to see the museum of glass...

And it snowed non-stop the whole night.. the next morning.. i have to clean away all the snow. and all the stores around the area ran out of snow-brush :(

so, have to make do with

a) asking other pple

b) using newspapers to wipe the snow off the car.

And it's the start of the nightmare of driving a normal sedan... the start of getting the car stuck in the snow.....

At the hotel, after dinner....

Car was fully over-covered with snow... the start of the many times, i have to wipe the car before i can drive.

Started snowing when we were almost done shopping at the Seattle Premium Outlets..

Was snowing last night on Highway 5... but, it's a beautiful view and it's so contrasting to just one month ago, when i was just driving down for a wkend trip. Love the snow.

Stuck in Jam... at the border

Driving to the border... on Highway 1 or is it 99? hahah

In Between

15th Dec: Bdae dinner at Goldfish kitchen, with tim, em, mel, su, charlie and devitka.
Just tot it was going to be dinner only. Was really surprised and happy when they actually had bought me a cake and took it out after dinner. And mel had bought the cake in between work. :)

14th Dec, Snowing day..... was just up drinking on my own in my room, and then, it started to snow..... had a snowly bdae..

7th Dec - Whistler. Took up snowboard lessons. Really bad idea, as my bum hurts badly after tat. Decided to go back to skis the next time round. The mountain was not that covered with snow :( first day of the winter season for ski. remember 3 years ago that i was having fun skiing down the green lines after learning to ski for half a day. those were the days, when i guess, i was younger and fitter. and then, the most memorable event happened, and i will always associate Whistler and Burnaby to be -> losing my camera at metrotown after the ski trip 3 years ago :(

21 to 23 Nov 08 - Weekend to Seattle

It was a weekend trip to Seattle. Say, it was my third trip to Seattle. It's funny how memories of the different streets names, where the location of different stores, and places, and just stayed etched in my head, when it was like 3 years ago memory. I could still find my A&F, pike's market, first starbucks, where the underground tour is, everything, the streets, the really steep streets. After being to so many countries during these 3-4 years, i could still rem. I am amazed by myself. In any case, it was a great trip back. Did all the things that I had not done, and so wanted to do for this third trip back - Being at the Boeing at Everett. Think i will def head to Seattle more often. Afterall it's just lke JB to SG. just a drive across the border...

Outide Safeco Field...

Tour of Safeco field..


A new Cheesecake place that i found in downtown seattle. the cheese cake was great!

Everett - Outside the Boeing plant.

At the Mukilteo Beach..

A place whereby i will definitely head back a lot more times in my life - Seattle Premium Outlets

Days in Vancouver...

First meal that i cooked for myself in Vancouver...

First few weekends, after moving in were spent going to Richmond (as above) and Coquitlam (Below)

David Lam park... times were spent here.. just walk around, jogging..

The first PwC Van's event that i went for... go karting.. my team came in 3rd!.. or was it 2nd... but it was a close fight between the timing for the 3 top teams. I did my part eh.. and learnt the technique of go-karting ard corners... and, was really fun. Enjoyed myself.. cut's other's lanes to maintain my position, as well as over-taking others... :D