monograph of a sporadic blogger

Bewilderment

2006-06-12T15:32:00.000+08:00

Me,Devil's advocate? And here I was having the impression that we were thinking alike.

The Picturesque South

2006-06-03T06:19:00.000+08:00

During our spring break (eons ago in April) we made a trip to Bratislava, Vienna, Prague and Munich (BVPM) but there are just too many pictures to put together, hence I'll skip those. Interested parties could (as I know, you already have) look at the 2 blogs, amanda and jia, linked on the right.

anyway, the second spring break trip was more interesting. We went to the Aeolian Islands in the South. Rather thronged with tourists, but not as bad as Florence, Rome and Venice. It was definitely charming and idyllic.

Pictures from Lipari, the Aeolian Island we stayed on.

Side note: If you want to read about some misadventures my roommates had while I was off hiking on Stromboli, read amanda's 26 April blog entry.

More pictures from Italy

2006-06-03T05:24:00.000+08:00

There seems to be a sort of dearth of photographs in my blog. It is time to rectify it.

Continued from the Veneto, Venice

After that trip, I went solo on a short weekend trip to Florence. Unfortunately for me, it was cultural week so many of the blockbuster attractions were overflowing with tourists and locals alike, taking advantage of the entrance fee waiver.
Since I was there alone, I decided to go to Pisa (which wasn't on my original itinerary) on the 2nd day with 2 other girls I met at the hostel, which of course meant that I took the requisite "Heaving the Leaning Tower" pictures.

Clockwise from top left hand corner: Ponte Vecchio, View of Florence with the distinctive dome of the Duomo from Piazza Michelangelo, Baptistry at the Campo dei Miracoli in Pisa, Leaning Tower partially obscured, Gardens of Palazzo Pitti

ruminations on my life

2006-06-03T04:46:00.000+08:00

I woke up today to various epiphanic realizations.

1) My life lacks direction. 2)I can't decide what to do to remedy that. 3) Maybe I'll be happier relishing in mediocrity.

Of course, a whole bunch of people I know would be positively flabbergasted at that last thought, but to be honest, being mediocre is a really comfortable state to be in. Breaking out of that zone depletes energy much more quickly than languishing in it, unless you are born with that abundance of ambition. I admit that I don't possess that drive. If someone were to ask me what I want in life, I would be stumped. I have a pretty good idea as to how would like to live i.e. perhaps with regard to the quality of life, but I cannot pinpoint what exactly it is that I want out of life. It remains unresolved in my mind but continues to haunt, irk and perplex me sporadically.

Is this a phase or is it a permanant condition?

the prodding...

2006-05-10T08:13:00.000+08:00

after much ribbing from aghast friends, i am back. I don't know for how long, since putting down my thoughts in writing doesn't seem to suit me very much. I definitely applaud those who can blog coherently and insightfully day after day.

i am currently supposed to be studying for the upcoming exams. there hasn't been much success, thanks to my preoccupation with all things unimportant.

At the Teatro alla Scala

2006-04-04T05:58:00.000+08:00

It was Great. I watched Angela Gheorghiu, Romananian soprano extraordinaire in person and loved the entire performance.

The entire setting of the theatre enhanced the experience. Forget the Esplanade Theatres' claims of acoustic superiority, they cannot compare aesthetically. Sitting at my stall seat and looking up towards at the horse-shoe shaped galleries, its easy to imagine the theatre in another era; men in knee-length coats, breeches, stockings and (powdered?)wigs, with their fair companions all decked out in fine gowns complete with ruffled sleeves, dainty slippers and paper fans for flirting. Their prestigious elevated boxes not only providing them a birds' eye view of the audience but also to be gawked at and admired. In short, a place to see and be seen. That is not to say that they did not appreciate the fine art of opera, I'm pretty sure they multi-tasked well enough.

I enjoy going to the Esplanade Theatres at home for despite its atypical architecture, it does have other merits. However, as I sat at my seat at La Scala, it was heartening to realize that for ages, people have been sitting at possibly the same spot I was at, perhaps appreciating the same pieces as I was. Given the era in which operatic pieces were written (there are hardly any contemporary operas), it also felt like I was experiencing it as it was meant to be, in an environment that would best showcase the work. Then came the thought that I would probably only feel that way about old theatres in Europe, where these artistic traditions have been in place for centuries.

Indeed, it was somewhat sobering to know that this feeling of heritage would be out of reach when I return home to the modern theatres. More importantly, it will further be worsened by the scarcity of excellent artistes and performances, with the rare few definitely being exorbitantly priced.

No pictures for this post, as photography was forbidden within the theatre.

Happy Bday Val!

2006-04-02T18:44:00.000+08:00

This post is dedicated to my wonderful elder sister, who turns 23 today.

Thanks for being my sounding board over the years, letting me drag you to places, and tolerating my being a pain in the arse at times. Hope you're having a good celebration in London even though you're there on business.

Buon Ventitresimo Compleanno!

To the Veneto

2006-04-02T17:27:00.000+08:00

Ack, clearly behind with the blogging again. Sorry to friends who have been checking for updates.

I went back to the Veneto again. This time, there were only 2 of us, as my other housemate had gone gallivanting around europe (5 countries in 12 days) with her boyfriend.

We first went to Verona, land of Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately, I found the entire R&J theme rather inane given that they weren't even real people. Its quite baffling how other people can get excited about visiting the famed "Julietta's Balcony" and even go on an entire R&J themed tour in Verona. Honestly, I have to say that J's Balcony was the most crowded with sightseers. Honestly, who could find a balcony and nude statue of a fictitious figure more intriguing than the Verona Arena or the Giusti Gardens?

The Giusti Gardens. A miniature Eden hidden from the hustle and bustle of the city.

View from the top of the gardens.

I have to confess, I have a fixation for high places where you can see the entire city. Places such as the Dome of the St Peter's Basilica (Vatican City) puts me on cloud nine. Its an exceptional feeling and the views are excellent. Once I reach the top, I can stand there taking in the panaroma for a good hour. Thus, I just had to climb up the Torre dei Lamberti, a 12th-century bell tower. Being the (ahem)robust youth that I am, I chose to climb by foot instead of the lift (its wimpy. for old/injured ~~ladies~~ people. )

Sometime up the eternal ardous climb to the top of the bell tower, I ~~had to~~ pause and take some of these pictures.

It was great. The longest climb ever, but it was worth it. We were just glad to reach the bell tower and were soaking in the view when there was this great "DONG" in our ears and the ground shook beneath our feet. Anticipating more "Dong"s, our fingers flew to our ears. There were no more. We looked down at our watches, and saw that it was 1.30pm. I shuddered thinking what it would have been like had we been 1.5 hours earlier.

The Arena. Partially obscured view due to works in the centre. Imagine a half-sized Colosseum, and there you have it.

The Arena was rather enchanting. Nothing on the scale of the Colosseum, but definitely in better condition. I think I might just buy tickets to watch an opera when their season starts in June, seeing that Verona is only about an hour and a half away. Definitely a rather unique setting, plus I've heard its a hit.

Chicken Rice

2006-03-14T04:51:00.000+08:00

I have to talk about this. After weeks of non-Singaporean food, our yearning for home food has finally been assuaged.

We had Homemade Hainanese Chicken Rice.

My plate at dinner: Clockwise Baked Dark Sauce Chicken with Herbs, Tortilla Espanol, Mixed Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

The all-too-familiar tastes perked me up immediately. There must be some kind of relationship between chicken rice and endorphins.

P.S Mom, we can cook.

More pictures of Alghero

2006-03-12T01:32:00.000+08:00

Part of the Old Town overlooking the sea

A piece of Catalan Gothic architecture, the bell tower of Cattedrale di Santa Maria.

Boats anchored at the waterfront in the evening.

Food, glorious food

2006-03-12T01:08:00.000+08:00

One great thing about going to the islands is that there is Fresh seafood. It's great. You could get lobster at a restaurant there for under 20 euros. I had crab, my favourite. You can't blame me for going crazy in Alghero when there is hardly any fresh seafood here in Milan. I don't even get to eat fish, just chicken, beef and pork. Ever since the avian flu hit Sicily a few weeks back, my choice of meat has been ever diminishing.

Another type of food that rarely goes wrong in Italy is Pizza. They have all kinds here, but in general, they like them huge. Most often (if you go to the right places) the pizzas are bigger than the plates they are on. For instance, this is one that we ate in Alghero. It is supposed to be 1 metre long, and cost us about 25 euros for the whole thing.

Chelsyee and Adriana grinning in delight(and anticipation) over our 1m pizza

The view while we were freezing...

2006-03-12T01:01:00.000+08:00

Sardegna

2006-03-11T23:43:00.000+08:00

After Rome, we went directly to Alghero, in Sardegna. The stark difference between Milano and Alghero was salient once we got off at the bus stop in the middle of town. Alghero reminds me a little of what I see when I travel from Singapore to Penang to visit my relatives. It seems as though I had stepped 20 years back in time, quiet and not a tall building in sight. Completely peaceful.

It was definitely a nice change. Even though Milan is in no way as hectic as it was when I was in Singapore, Alghero was a nice refuge away from everything cosmopolitan.

However, if I were to go again, I would probably not pick the middle of winter to go. First of all, it was pretty breezy most of the time I was there, which meant that I had to wear my coat a lot. Winter is also off-peak season, which means that while it was cheaper, buses were less frequent, attractions closed early and a whole host of other inconveniences.

One of the major attractions in Alghero is Grotta di Nettuno. We were all psyched up to see the caves after visiting the tourist information. We hopped on a bus which promptly took us on an extremely scenic ride during which I took this picture, my favourite:

Chelsyee, a fellow traveller, commented that the way the sunlight filtered through the clouds and cast light on the sea was so beautiful that you almost expected angels to descend from heaven and some divine creature to rise from the sea/come down from heaven.

Anyway, back to our story. When we got to the entrance of the caves, there was no one, which was odd. It should have been open by then. Suddenly, a male voice with a waving arm came from the direction of the cafe (which was closed since it was winter). Someone went up, only to be notified that the waters were too choppy that day, and that we had to wait for another hour. And so we did, shivering out in the cold especially since it was right along the coast. Another hour passed before the same guide came to tell us that there was NO way we could enter the caves that day. Well. There was more bad news. The bus would only come by at 12 noon, which was in another 1.5 hours' time. We were hence left to freeze out in the open, much to our combined horror and disbelief.

Not long (read half an hour) after that ominous bit of news, a familiar blue bus came rumbling down the road just as we were starting to get frostbites! We were saved! Apparently the guides had informed the bus service company that we were left stranded at the entrance, and they were kind enough to send the bus by to provide us with some shelter and warmth, even though the bus had to follow the bus schedule and not leave the place till 12noon.

Rome Favourites

2006-03-11T22:59:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite pieces of Rome. Its definitely a piece of architecture to be in awe of.

The interior. Pity it got damaged by the Romans and their penchant for bathtub antics.

Some art pieces from the Vatican Museums. An amazing collection of art in one place. My favourite pieces, The Last Judgement and The School of Athens, are not here. The Sistine Chapel is a must-see. You absolutely have to be there to experience the grandeur of all the works there. Beware though, that the Sistine Chapel is closed on Sundays, except for the last one each month whereby entrance to the museums is free.

Personally, I wasn't as awed by St Peter's Cathedral as my travelling companions. I did find my favourite piece of art there, Michaelangelo's Pieta. For me, the highlight was the view from the dome of the Basilica. From there, you feel on top of the world, looking over all the ancient ruins and centuries-old buildings throughout Rome. The tedious, never-ending hike up there is Definitely worth it. Even middle-age men with claustrophobic wives go all the way up just for the view. Not an experience to be missed. For the faint-hearted, there is always the elevator.

Roma, non basta una vita

2006-03-08T07:26:00.000+08:00

where else do we start, but in Rome. where the ancient coexist with the modern. it was definitely fascinating to take a turn around the city and find cordoned-off archaeological pits dispersed amongst homes and offices.

the first attraction we went to is the Trevi Fountain, made famous by "La Dolce Vita". However, there is much more to see in Rome, for me at least, that it pales in comparison with other monuments. Nonetheless, it is very popular with tourists and couples who toss coins into the pond to ensure their return to Rome.

Piazza Venezia, a former papal residence. nice view of the roman skyline from the top, together with a very helpful chart that points out what each building is. incidentally, the piazza overlooks a roundabout where you can easily get yourself killed. An interesting aspect of this monument where you get whistle-blown at for eating/sitting/putting any of your extremeties (other than your feet, while you're standing) anywhere or all of the above is the mammoth-sized horse statue in whose tummy the ten-plus creators apparently had dinner upon the completion of the monument.

Interior of the Pantheon. Fascinating. the entire temple/church is lit naturally by a 9m-diameter hole in the roof. It doesn't get wet when it rains due to drainage holes in on the ground so tiny you can hardly see them. Painter Rafaello is buried here too.

my first chinese new year away from home

2006-03-08T07:09:00.000+08:00

there was no pigging out on pineapple tarts, ba kwa and loveletters this year. though i had been looking forward to rice-cooker steamboat, i was instead treated to 2 sumptous feasts of chinese food. the first was dinner on CNY's eve at meimei and jac's place, and the second the reciprocal invitation by the student's from HK. while reunion dinner steamboat is the event i look forward to every year, it was a welcome change to have chinese cuisine from other regions. and of course, chinese new year being THE holiday for chinese all over the world, it was nice to have spent it with like-minded people, though the food was so good that we had to lay off the chinese food for several weeks.

La Nostra Piccola Casa Verde

2006-03-08T06:52:00.000+08:00

after much badgering from my house/room-mate, Amanda, to quit procrastinating and update this blog, i have relented and here are the photos of the new place where we are staying. it is so-named because of the ubiquitious presence of green objects in the living room. nonetheless, our humble abode (it consists of only 2 rooms, the living room and the bedroom) is extremely cosy and welcoming.

and then, we were snowed in for 2 days and 2 nights.

2006-03-02T07:27:00.000+08:00

and this is the view out of the window when it snowed out of the blue. chaos reigned since streets were too artifically narrow to be plowed due to convention-defying parking by milanese drivers.

i lived in this simple room for a month

2006-03-02T06:40:00.000+08:00

what i have been doing

2006-03-02T06:30:00.000+08:00

this blog is essentially an attempt to keep the folks at home updated as to what i have been doing. perhaps it should be renamed "a picture blog of an accidental adventurer with a PAS camera".