The China trip-preview

Dear readers, I'm having my long semester break and the most exciting part of it has finally arrived. I'm going to China!!

Me and a few pals are visiting Beijing and Xi an, and after checking up on some of the landmarks designated in our tour programme, I must say we had a lot of adventure and exploring (no doubt plenty of walking) in store for us! Can't wait!

"Wait? Going to China at this time of the month? Are we insane? The temperature was cold enough for hell to freeze over!" Yeah, it's as if life is too boring and we want to end it in the coolest style possible, literally. I had echoed these similar thoughts long ago. But there's no turning back now. Rain or shine (unless a blizzard happens to hit), our China trip is on!

Look at all the negatives, no kidding it's going to be a subzero affair in China!

So these few days had seen me packing bulky supplies of winter wear and anything necessary to combat the cold. Heck, donned in all those layers of clothing, I think an elephant can roll over me and I'll survive without a dent. That's how drastic things are for first-timer like me.

And there's Facebook, and my beloved game Mousehunt, which I had to make do without for the whole week (no thanks to the Great Firewall of China). Well, I keep telling myself this moment would arrive sooner or later. I can't expect myself to have the privilege of Facebooking/Mousehunting everyday. So, gotta face it head on. :)

I'm going to end up like this, more or less. Image from Mousehunt.

Done with my packing, wishing myself a safe journey. Stay tune for my next update, that is, if my fingers have not frozen off!

Happy New year!

So at long last the slumbering beast awakes. About time! Clear out the stale air! It's New Year's day!

You had obviously noticed a huge chunk of updates in my life missing. Here's a new year resolution spurring me to blog more consistently this year. That said, I had been trying to give my blog a facelift and a fresh new start. But after exploring new options like Tumblr for its supposedly user-friendliness, I had to give up in frustration and stick back to my good old Blogger.

'Of Tales and Tails' is my new header. It's still the same old blog updating bits of meaningful happenings in my life, but with an added twist now that I will occasionally put in some facts and trivia of cats (or other furry mammals that I find interesting) at the end of the post.

Meh, one don't need to guess further that I'm an avid cat lover. Yet I'm not a cat expert or a walking cat encyclopedia. Far from it. In fact, I discovered how surprisingly little I know about the cat family's domain. So here's a learning journey for both me and the readers, not that knowing more about cats could save lives, but just for the sake of interest.

Introductions aside, here's how I spent my New Year Eve!

I had the most wonderful celebration with my family. The evening was spent in Bukit Jalil Resort swimming, jogging, hitting the gym and sauna (each to their own liking). Dinner was in 1Puchong Jaya foodcourt and some take-away Domina Pizzas to celebrate at home. Here’s a huge billboard ushering in the new year courtesy of 1Puchong and err.. Plaza Perabot?

Minutes before midnight, we took a stroll to the edge of the hilltop. A lot of other Bandar Puteri residents were gathered there. The night view from the hilltop was simply spellbinding, a sea of lights against the velvet black sky. Well, that’s not the only thing illuminating the sky that night. At the stroke of midnight, fireworks erupted simultaneously, competing with one another to reach the tallest before exploding into a dazzling array of colours. The defining moment: 2010 is gone, 2011 is born.

Just to rant, night scene photoshoots are such a pain. Each shot took a good 10 second, and any slight motion means a blurred picture. Done at great peril, I had to balance my camera on the fence to take this perfect shot, which sadly was after the firework show ended. So there you go, a Bandar Puteri Puchong hilltop night scene without the fireworks..

That wraps up how I spent my New Year Eve. Anyway, 2011 is the year of rabbit. May this year bring forth good fortunes and happiness. After all, for the country and the world, who doesn’t agree 2010 had been a turbulent year? I'm sure 2011 is gonna be a great year full of new surprises!

*Blog background is for illustration purpose only. No fish has been harmed. Nor does it insinuates that I'm a fish hater. So to fish enthusiasts out there, if you smell something fishy, it's not me. :)

*The fear of cats is also known as ailurophobia. To my fellow respected ailurophobist and cat-haters, I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do. I'm born to adore these little felines. :P