My 2011 Great Finds (&Recommendations)

1. La Mer cream
Awesome for very dry skin.

2. Top Chef (reality TV show)
My favorite TV show, it is really impressive the creative dishes these professional chefs can whip up given short time limits.

3. Valencia, Spain (side trip destination in Spain)
I adore Spain, and I have been to some of the most popular cities. A business trip took me to Valencia, a relatively smaller city, and I loved how bohemian it was while still offering plenty of interesting architecture to admire.

4. Shiseido Tsubaki shampoo, conditioner, treatment and conditioning spray
Truly impressive results I had never experienced - my sun damaged hair became shiny and manageable. It was like miracle.

5. Shiseido Integrate swivel eyeliner/ shadow in golden brown color
My friend recommended this product to me in Japan drugstore. It glides on smoothlJy, no smearing for hours, and can be blended to work like an eye shadow. It's a beautiful product. My "HG".

6. Marks & Spenser thermo underwear line and heat-generating black leggings
Warm, nice looking and extremely comfortable, I cannot live without them in the winter. I wear them to sleep, and sometimes underneath my sweaters when I go out. As for the black leggings - they are soft like silk and very slimming. Suggest to buy one to two sizes larger than your normal size so the fabric stretches less and looks more black.

7. Sleepnaked.com for online bed linen
At such affordable prices, the bed linen is soft and smooth, of top hotel quality. Delivery is also extremely fast.

8. Boho-Betty.com for cute beaded wrap bracelets

9. Earl Grey martini at 001 Bar (Wellington Street x Graham Street)
It's one of my favorite hangouts, a quiet but quaint bar with a secret entrance in the wet market. No door sign. Just a black door. No photos allowed inside.

10. Gianicolo Trail in Rome
Very nice walk with a great view of Rome. Loved it.

11. Kiehl's original musk fragrance and body lotion
I feel so innocent when I have that scent on me!

12. Fragonard perfume, Paris
I was staying in this very charming boutique hotel where they supplied guests with the Fragonard fig scented toiletries. I fell in love with the scent, researched the brand, and dashed to the Fragonard museum to look for it - sacrificing a longer visit to the Louvre.

13. Crepes in Rue Montparnasse, Paris
Quite a few good creperies in this street.

14. Moka stovetop espresso machines
After making good coffee at home myself, I had trouble drinking bad coffee in restaurants.

15. Unforgettable brigadeiro made by my Brazilian friend, Marianne
It's a special Brazilian sweet made with condensed milk and cocoa powder. I love it way more than chocolate.

16. Amazing molten chocolate pudding in Sirocco restaurant, Soho

17. Po Toi Island for a nice island hike
Totally undeveloped island, it is a great way to spend a day away from the city.

18. A few true java outlets in Sheung Wan for a nice coffee in a quaint neighborhood
Honestly, I don't even remember the name of the place I went to. But, I read that Cafe Loisl is another special one.

19. Shore bone-in cowboy rib steak
Steak heaven!

20. Oolaa, best brunch restaurant / cafe in Hong Kong to spend a lazy afternoon
Love the all day brunch menu. Love the leather sofas. Love the space!

Solo in Italy - My Laid-Back Travel

I spent a week in Italy just to rest away from my usual surroundings and it became one of my best trips. I might not have visited the highest number of tourist attractions or highly reviewed restaurants on tripadvisor, but quantity means nothing to me in this trip. It was not about the most, but the BEST experience - even if it meant just one excellent meal, one heart-warming conversation, one breathtaking view.

The picture here was taken in Orvieto, Umbria. It was an impromptu day trip suggested by a local, after I mentioned that I wanted to visit a quiet town like Sienna, but near to Rome. It was a sweet journey, walking off the beaten path without bothering to follow the map or any guidebook and finding a quiet spot - with no one in sight - to enjoy this rare sight. All other tourists flocked to Duomo, underground caves, tower, ceramic shops. I covered most of those but also had some undisturbed beautiful views of the city and surrounding areas. It was priceless.

Every traveler's source of fulfillment in a trip varies. For a first visit to a city, I do often try to visit the key highlights, to experience as much of the best as possible. But for a second visit, I find it more enjoyable to take it easy and try to understand more of a local's way of life and view of the city. More of a cultural exploration. This trip allowed me to sit back and observe people, slowly enjoy a fantastic homestyle meal without having to chow down my food and rush to a museum or something, leisurely stroll around unfamiliar areas and get lost for a while (before GPS came to my rescue), have meaningful (and flirtatious.....) conversations with a local, take part in a 5-hour cooking class (I don't give a damn how many tourist spots I could have otherwise visited in 5 hours.)..... I walked a lot, rested a lot, talked a lot, smiled a lot. Just what I wanted.

You are special, BUT.....

The B&B owner didn't arrive in the morning to say goodbye.  He sent me an SMS saying: Not all the guests are the same, someone is special and my dad was right. :) I would have had more time to spend with you, but...that's life.  Take care of you (yourself), M.  The message made me sad.  Not because of this person in particular, but too many guys had said similar things to me and I didn't need one more during my 6-day trip. "I like you a lot, but....."  "You are special to me, but....."  "I want to be with you, but....." If there's any "but"', please just keep everything to yourself. I don't want to know how you feel about me if whatever you feel is unjustified at the end of the day, for a short romance or in this case even a proper goodbye hug.  I never asked you to leave your girlfriend, or your business, your job, your country.  Why create such drama by telling me what your dad thought of me, how you found me special, unconventional, yet dangerous?  (in our other conversations)

I May Not Look 35, but I Certainly Have Experienced Like 35.

I have been traveling in Rome for a week staying in a B&B run by a young (31-yr old) Italian guy who quit his ad agency job to start this business. And strangely, he has become quite fond of me.

Don't get too excited yet - he has a girlfriend and is well aware of our cultural & language barriers (though he is already quite westernized and well traveled for an average Roman), and of course it is also unprofessional for him to mess around with his guest. So, despite our flirtatious behaviour (texting each other when I'm out doing touristy stuff, messaging each other on facebook chat, texting me from the dining room when our morning conversation got interrupted by guests who entered the room for breakfast, asking me "did you sleep well in my bed".....), he bailed a few times after suggesting casually to take me to have coffee or to have gelato in his fav shop. Fair enough.

Today he bailed again, and sent me a message late night, apologizing for delayed SMS, and inability to meet me. I didn't bother replying. And likely he's wondering if I am upset.

My thought on this:
I may not look my age, but I certainly have met and surpassed the minimum life experience for my age. My experience has taught me that most people I meet in my life are likely to be quite predictable. Men, in particular, are very predictable when it comes to emotions and their resulting behaviour. Thus, no need to take anyone too seriously too soon.

So, am I disappointed? Not exactly. I sort of sensed his pattern. Am I upset? Well, just a little, that he wasn't one of those few people who could prove my prediction wrong.

I am not stating that I know everything and am always right. I am merely saying that life does have certain general patterns that repeat themselves, whether we want to accept or not. And I am being realistic and practical WHILE REMAINING HOPEFUL AND OPTIMISTIC THAT I MAY ENCOUNTER EXCEPTIONS TO GENERAL PATTERNS. Each time I meet someone, I always secretly hope he will be a pleasant surprise.

Solo Travel - Next Destination is Rome!

I love sudden travel ideas when I least expect to travel - this time it's Rome!

I will have 2-week break from work in September before starting a new job.  Originally I wasn't planning to go anywhere, since my next job will require a lot of traveling within the region.  Yet, someone pointed out correctly that my work travels will not be for pleasure, so I should still consider a real vacation to chill and get ready for the next challenge.

At first I was only considering places like Bali, Tokyo, Bangkok..... somewhere close and easy to get around.  Then I thought to myself, if I knew that place reasonably well, I could still relax there without the need to stress myself out having a jam-packed trip.  So, the idea of Rome suddenly flashed in my mind, a charming city I had visited back in 2009 and had enjoyed immensely.

Most of my friends like Florence more than Rome.  I personally love how dramatic Rome is, all those exaggerated doors and architecture, and I really enjoyed sitting in touristy or quiet piazzas doing absolutely nothing.  Having said that, I do like Tuscany as a whole.  I do wish I could visit Sienna again and some other Tuscan towns.

Back to my Rome trip.  A few ideas in mind:
1. Borghese Gallery - I regret missing this amazing gallery because I had forgotten to book online beforehand.
2. Sitting in front of the Trevi Fountain to eat gelato and do absolutely nothing!
3. Having many many cups of nice coffee!
4. Taking Cooking Classes in Rome to learn to cook Italian food.
5. Strolling around Porta Portese flea market on Sunday, hopefully finding some great bargains.
6. Sitting outside the Pantheon after dinner and do nothing.
7. Eat lots :)

Am looking forward to it!

My Travel Must Haves

Given my frequent traveling and preference to only have hand-carry luggage, I need to prioritize what I must have on any trip, and what I can do without.

My Travel Must-Haves:
1. Small compact umbrella
2. Shades (to hide puffy eyes and chic-up!)
3. Photos of my pre-saved google maps (especially useful in unsafe areas, I could be super lost but instead of appearing like a lost tourist, I look more like a local expat checking my phone)
4. Cole Haan or Adidas ballerina flats with air cushion
5. Stomach medicine 黃蓮素
6. Compact universal adaptor
7. Muji liquid containers and clear vanity bag to store my beauty essentials
- shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, oil based makeup remover, Skinceuticals Phloretin (vitamin C essence), face lotion, contact lens solution, Murad lip balm
- comb, spare pair of new contact lenses
- a tiny plastic bottle of perfume in case I sit next to a smelly traveler
- brow pencil, Deja Vu waterproof no-smudge mascara, MAC eye pencil, eye lash curler, tweezers
8. Pashmina or large but light scarf (absolute must)
9. Pair of Havaianas to walk around hotel room, wear in shower if not very clean, walk around town casually
10. eBook on my iPhone
11. At least one dress suitable for a surprise date or fancy dinner
12. Clothes that don't crease easily and are as versatile as possible. Ideally of similar color tones to mix and match and go with same pair of dress shoes
13. Apart from my Cole Haan or Adidas flats in metallic or golden color, I bring max one pair of heels
14. My soft neck brace especially if flight is over 3 hours
15. iPhone and plug charger

These are what I can't travel without. I think I am generally quite low maintenance - but hey, if you are traveling for business, you really need to go for efficiency and mobility over having your entire home in your suitcase.

Two Peas in a Pod, Traveling

Having done so many travels alone, these days I only enjoy solo traveling when I have someone special back home to share my experience with - real time.  I have never really thought about how the person at the receiving end felt though - hearing all the funny stories - real time - but not being there to experience it first hand.  Perhaps it really sucked for them!

I think I would still enjoy traveling alone on spiritual journeys - you know, places that are soulful, enlightening - unless I have a soulful companion who wouldn't spoil the mood.  Otherwise, for all other places, it's so much more enjoyable having someone to explore together. 

I am still very much a fairytale kinda girl.  Silly day dreaming like a little girl, thinking how cool it would be to run around with a guy holding hands, experiencing everything together like two peas in a pod.  Sort of like what Kev and I were, for a while at least (before things fell apart of course!).  I really really aspire to be just a simple girl running around with a simple guy.  You may say,"but you aren't a simple girl, dear."  And I would say,"but I AM just a simple girl being thrown into complicated, sad situations.  I don't belong in those situations, really."  And I know you still won't believe me.....

Alone in Valencia

Arrived at Valencia, I hungrily walked around Plaza Reina to look for tapas.....

It's hard to have tapas for one person, as they are meant to be shared so I can only finish 2 tapas by myself without wasting food or money.

Drink: Cava. (I only know of cava and sangria in Spain)
Food: Calamares, and bacalhao with red pepper in olive oil (lovely on bread even though I normally don't eat pepper)
The bacalhao dish was a recommendation by the staff.  And I love it.

I'm enjoying my lunch on the sidewalk, surrounded by couples, groups of tourists. Being the only one eating alone, I am used to curious stares and unaffected. It's strangely chilled here, in Valencia, and I am already in love with the people here. The lady who recommended the bacalhao dish to me just stuck her head out of the window to ask if I liked the sweetness of the red pepper paired with the saltiness of the fish. Earlier, an old man walked over with a bottle of garlic mayo telling me I must try calamares with it  How sweet.

I sip my cava, watching people walk by, and am enjoying all this. I also think about the Spain trip o had with Angie - it was my first time in Europe and was very excited by everything around me. I also think what it would be like to be here with a special someone. I think it could be nice too, but sometimes it's nice to travel with someone who can also quietly enjoy the experience instead of frantically dash from tourist spot to tourist spot like competing in Amazing Race.

It's difficult isn't it, looking for companion with similar energy level, state of mind. Yet, I also admire couples who are able to accept extreme differences and accommodate. It's an art.

Tour Eiffel from Trocadéro

As advised by tripadvisor, the first night I arrived at Paris I waited till the sun set - after 10pm in June - and took the metro to Trocadéro to for a night view of the Eiffel Tower. It was very easy to get to, and the tower was right in front me! It was effortless taking this picture as I arrived late and avoided peak tourist times.
Was it really breathtaking? Well, I spent only 5 mins there. But it really is charming in picture so I definitely think it was well worth the quick visit!
I hope to also take the Bateau Mouche late tonight to have a little boat ride along the river lined by key monuments.... Let's see what time I finish work.

Travel - Time for Reflection

I dread long business trips now, especially to uninteresting cities with very packed work meetings in office. It used to be more interesting when I could visit real people's homes for my work.

Yet, jetlag, flight waiting time, insomnia provides a great timeout to reflect on life. Being away from my usual surroundings often allow me to see my life from another perspective, reassessing my priorities.

I am in Frankfurt now. Not the most happening or beautiful city, but strangely, the squares, the fresh air, expressionless faces, slow walking pace amidst a mix of old and new (yet uninspiring architecture) calms my mind.

Singapore Fav Food, Shopping & Play

Spent a few days in Singapore to visit good friends.  It wasn't a typical touristy trip, as the intention was mostly to spend time with my friends there, rather than going to all the tourist spots.  Still, I managed to revisit a few of my all-time favourites in Singapore, and discover new ones.

FOOD

• My Little Spanish Place - as its name suggests it's a small Spanish restaurant with very nice tapas
• Three Wombats Cafe - a small cafe on Kim Keat Road serving nice coffee, good breakfast, wonderful ca.esar salad, and peach cheesecake
• Icecream waffle sandwich vendor on Orchard Road near TANGS
• 211 Roof Terrance Cafe in Holland Village.  Food is alright, but drinks not that great.  It is a nice oasis on the rooftop of Holland Village Shopping Center.
• Lau Pa Sat - for years I loved Fatman Satay (Stall #1 and 2) but this time I tried Traditional Satay (Stall #3 and 4) and I actually liked it better.  I think mutton and duck are both particularly good.
• PS.Cafe is a nice brunch restaurant set in a very green, park environment.  I loved the whole atmosphere even though the food is mediocre and overpriced.
• Newton Hawker Center is NOT my favourite.  I prefer Lau Pa Sat, East Coast, and Maxwell.  Regardless, I always love sugar cane juice with lemon.
• Founder Bakuteh was alright.  It's very peppery and I think I prefer the Malaysian herbal version of Bakuteh more.
• Ion Shopping Center's food court was pretty nice, with large variety of food choices and a clean environment.  I loved that they had a wash basin for customers to wash their hands in the middle of the food court.
• Bengawan Solo is always my favourite for Indonesian cakes and desserts.  I often buy pandan cake at the airport both on arrival and departure.

SHOPPING
I love shopping in Singapore (even more if the exchange rate is more favourable).  I just always manage to find things to buy there.  A few of my favourites:

• TANGS is always my first stop.  I love the earring and accessories brand, Metalli, and I often bought more than 3 or 4 pairs of earrings each time I visited their counter.

• TANGS also sometimes have pretty shoes at very affordable prices.  They may not be the most comfortable shoes though, so I rarely buy heels from them.  This time, I bought 4 pairs of ballerina flats cos they were really pretty.  I am still trying to find a way to make them softer and more comfortable as I do not believe in torturing my feet no matter how pretty a pair of shoes is.
• Holland Village is also a great place to look for trinkets, home decoration items, or ethnic wear.  In particular, I love Lim's and Creative Dimensions.  The former has plenty of home decoration products, mostly Asian style with a modern twist.  I bought cushion covers and a jewelry box there.  Creative Dimensions is heaven if you are into sequins and beaded bags, coasters, cushion covers, etc.  I got myself two little purses, some coasters and a small coin bag there.
• Another favourite shop of mine in Singapore is Island Shop.  It's great for beachwear and summer clothing.  I have a lot of clothes from there, accumulated from each of my Singapore visits.  This time I didn't buy anything as it wasn't on sale.

PLAY
Apart from Night Safari, I never had much idea what else to do for fun in Singapore.  Thanks to my friends, Janis, Pat and Gautam, I was taken to some new places this time.

• Night Safari has always been my favourite.  I love taking the park train to see different animals, and love the walk up and down the jungle in the dark even more.
• Peirce Reservoir was a really cool place my friends took me to, as I wanted to get away from all the traffic and crowds, and be near to nature.  It was a really lovely walk, with a very flat trail by the reservoir, and lots of greenery perfect for a picnic date.  I really loved it.  
• A new and chic rooftop, open-air bar/ lounge is Ying Yang.  We walked past Chinatown to get there.  It was really happening.
• We also spent time just chilling in Starbucks, Page One etc in the mall for some aircon (the humidity in Singapore was unbearable, even my clothes and bag were damp most of the time).

Singapore Boutique Hotels

I love staying in boutique hotels when I travel to cosmopolitan cities.  Modern, chic, quaint designs just seem to blend in perfectly with those cities, complementing the city vacation spirit.  Tacky anything in a hotel room just doesn't work for me.

I've stayed in quite a few boutique hotels in Singapore and they generally didn't disappoint.  The Scarlet (picture on the left, taken with my miserable Nokia E71 phone camera which does not do the hotel justice) is my favourite so far.  Located in Chinatown, with a curvy floor hallway leading to the rooms, and sweet decor in the room itself.  Great attention to detail, very nice amenties in the bathroom, helpful staff throughout the hotel.

I just came across a blog article, Singapore Style - Hotels, from Hip Hong Kong website, on other newer boutique hotels in Singapore, featuring (among others which are not boutique hotels) the following which I thought I should share here - which would also serve as my bookmark for future Singapore travel reference:

NEW MAJESTIC
THE SCARLET
NAUMI
THE QUINCY 
THE HANGOUT@ MOUNT EMILY

Sri Lanka - colors, grace, and subtlety (updated)

I traveled to Sri Lanka alone 3 years ago, in search of inner peace, adventure, and cultural experience.

I feel that Sri Lanka is a country which can only be fully appreciated in person, and with an open-mind.  Unlike countries like India, Barcelona, Brazil, Morocco, Japan,.....bursting with overwhelming madness, boldness, energy, which could be easily described in words, Sri Lanka strikes me as graceful, subtle and genuine, contrary to my prior expectation, but delivered the most pleasant surprise.

My trip started in Negombo, then continued to Kandy, Ella, Yala, Dickwella, Galle, and ended in Colombo.  I spent 9 days there, and loved every bit of it.  The extremely friendly and down-to-earth people, the needy driver, nerdy spice/herb salesman, my deaf-mute friend on the train who fell in love with me, the resort front desk boy who thought I would sleep with him for a cheaper room upgrade; the road-trip and the 7-hour mountain train ride; the mountain area and the coast; the botanical garden and the quirky Brief Garden; elephant orphanage and the safari.....

I truly hope such a beautiful country will remain unspoilt for a long time.

Koh Samui Thai Cooking Class - Siam Kitchen

Siam Kitchen's Thai cooking class is a must-do in Koh Samui, if you enjoy cooking, good food, and want to get a taste of Thai culture.

Koh Samui is not the most exciting or romantic travel destination in Thailand.  For shopping I'd go for Bangkok, for culture Chiangmai, for sun and beach Phuket, for tranquility Koh Lanta, etc.  My short Koh Samui trip wouldn't have been half as interesting if I hadn't spent 3 hours at Siam Kitchen, learning Thai cooking from Sont, the instructor and founder of this local cooking "school".

The class starts with Sont taking you to the local farmer market to show you typical ingredients used in Thai cooking and how to pick the freshest herbs, seafood, meat, fruits, vegetables.....

You will then be taken back to Sont's kitchen where he'll brief you on the principles of Thai cooking.

Before cooking each dish, he will give you a quick briefing.  Then you are expected to start cooking the dish following his instructions.  Sounds easy - but the cooking time is usually within 10 minutes, so everything happens very quickly!  Add in three-quarters tablespoon of vinegar now!  Half a teaspoon of sugar!  Taste it!  Is it sour enough?  Is it sweet enough!  Adjust the taste so the sweetness doesn't cover the sourness!  Keep tasting!  ........

It was really exciting, like being on a reality cooking show, in a cooking contest!   The dishes turned out perfect, better than any Thai food I had had in any Thai restaurants.  I really enjoyed the class and felt like I learned a lot from Sont.

The dishes I cooked were:

Laab Gai, Moo/ Spicy minced chicken or pork

Thom Khaa Gai/ Coconut milk soup with chicken

Phad Thai/ Stir-fried rice noodle”Thai”style

Gaeng Kiew Waahn Gai/ Green curry with chicken

After each dish, you'd have time to enjoy the food at a table on the pavement.  It was quite a special, local and authentic way to enjoy such authentic Thai food - Sont teaches only authentic Thai dishes cooked the traditional way, so nothing Americanized or internationalized!

Don't forget to book in advance.   Go to the website and email Sont to arrange directly.

Enjoy!

Paradise or Hell? Hotel Reviews

I recently wrote a hotel review on a resort I stayed at in Koh Samui.  In the review, I already stated that I was disappointed with the resort not because it was the worst resort ever, but that it was disappointing relative to the value one could get for the same price in other resorts in Koh Samui.  To name a few of the complaints I had:
Shower head was not working properly - weak water pressure (on the first day), sudden change of water temperature (extremely hot) every 20 seconds or so;
Poor staff attitude - No greeting of guests in hallways, no smiles, saying "no" to all requests or questions without giving alternative solutions or suggestions;
Poor housekeeping quality - Toilet bowl was stained with a brown "ring" of stain.  Housekeeping supervisor checked and told the customer relations manager that the toilet bowl looked very clean (even with the stain).  Open bottle of shampoo by the bathtub remains there, still without lid cover, after 5 days.
Noise - Each morning I could hear a few airplanes fly by.  At night, I heard repetitive noise similar to that of a laundry dryer.
Handling of complaints - Despite complaints of the room, I was not offered a change of room. 
Room quality - Design was fine, decoration was fine.  Speed-dial keys (to concierge/ room service/ reception, etc) not working.  Very humid room, the bedsheets and quit cover felt damp.  My lightweight cotton beach dress remained wet/damp for 36 hours after washing.

Then I received a message from an unknown Tripadvisor member, who wrote:

I travel extensively around the world and this in my opinion has to be one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in.
The hotel staff were fantastic, friendly and very efficient. The staff to us could not be any more helpful in every respect.They were happy and willing to help in any way.
I can only think that if they were rude to you, they were just responding to your attitude.
Our room 5211, was clean, quiet and extremely nice.
The food in this hotel was amazing. We enjoyed every meal we had.
The beach pool was full of people enjoying themselves. If you dont have a life, think you should get one.
If you think this hotel was bad, I suggest you stay at some others and relise that what you think is bad is not as bad as you think.
To write a review of a fantastic hotel such as Amari shows you really have no idea.

I was speechless after reading his message. I didn't think of the resort as hell, but certainly it was not fantastic!  I had read a few other reviews by American / European travelers and they called the place "dreamlike", "dream come true", "paradise".  While there were also some negative reviews similar to mine, saying it's an "okay" resort, "nothing spectacular", "average".  Most of my complaints were hard facts - things not working properly, lack of greetings, etc. - not subjective opinions.  Understandably, if someone has never stayed in a proper Thai resort before, or is a first-time traveler to Thailand, the measuring stick could be very different.

Ignorance is bliss indeed.

Travel Plans - Going Solo?

I was originally planning a trip to Spain + Morocco in late Sep with someone but that fell through today because my friend had other medium/long haul trips around that period and it would be too much budget pressure.

So,
*taking a deep breath*
it means I will either have to abandon my travel plan or travel solo.

Only picture of me 
in Casablanca

Pathetic self-portrait 
in front of a tomb 
in a cemetery 

in Buenos Aires.

Tough call.  I have traveled to numerous places alone, whether for work or pleasure, and I fully appreciate the joys of traveling alone.  Though, when traveling to really far-off countries, it is much better value for money and more enjoyable to share the costs and experience with a compatible travel partner.  Not to mention it is invaluable to have someone play the role of your personal photographer during the trip.  It sucked having only one decent picture of me from Casablanca - rest were either awkward self-portraits (I hate self-portraits, they make me feel like a narcissist) or completely bad pictures taken by strangers with shaky hands or zero framing sense.

I haven't yet figured out what to do with this travel plan.  I don't like to travel with just anyone, or even any friend, for that matter.  My travel motto is: better to have no travel companion than a bad one.  Just like relationships.

Perhaps I might still explore the option of traveling only to Morocco alone, if accommodation won't cost me an arm and a leg outside of Marrakech.  Otherwise, I really have to think about what other economical yet exciting options are available.

Underwater

My Travel Map - 88 cities in 27 countries

My Favourite Destinations:
1. Marrakech, Morocco
2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3. Boracay, Philippines
4. Vernazza, Italy
5. Mana Island, Fiji
6. Rome, Italy
7. Hakone-machi, Japan
8. New York City, NY, USA
9. Orlando, FL, USA
10. Portofino, Italy

A few of my favourite pictures from Casablanca, Morocco

Havaianas Heaven in Brasil

I never consider myself a shopaholic but I do get out of control when there's something specific I really like.

Here's the latest culprit - inexpensive Havaianas in Brazil!

In particular I love the World Cup collection, as well as the variety of pins I can add to the flip flops.  The World Cup collection is really cool - for selected World Cup champions each has one style (except Brasil which has two) for the country with the number of stars printed on the flip flop indicating the number of times it won World Cup and the year(s) in which it won the championship(s).

I also visited the new concept shop on Oscar Freire, and lost myself there!