Meet Robert

Meet Robert. Isn't he adorable? He's very old and half-blind in one eye (left, you see?). He's also deaf. He enjoys basking in the sun in the front compound of the house on th street and cannot hear the honking of cars. Being deaf, I guess he cannot also hear himself mews. He's still a pretty cute cat with black fur and white paws. I hear when he was much younger, he used to the neigbourhood gangster-cat or so. Cat rumours.

The girl with the paper umbrella

I really like this! Found it on the wall right beside The Wohnzimmer in Bremen.

London, Paris, Bremen

London, London right the day I arrived with the original Salone crew

So I have left Freetown about a month or so ago. Since then, I have been in London catching up for a few days, spent a delicious evening with the orginal Salone crew which includes Gio, Cwistle, Kat, Michelle and even that guy.. Bimbola was there! That was a good except heading to a club called Passing Clouds didn't turn out so exciting. I was dying for some dancing action, the boogie woogie and all I got was people twirling, hips-swnging and gyrating to an overdose of Lebanese beats - not exactly what I envisioned for a night out. But otherwise it was cool to see the guys right back in civilisation, in fresh pretty clothes and socks and no more patchy, mouldy outfits! *ching ching*

T bought tickets to Paris and voila.. off we went to the land of passion, romance, wine, beautiful women and men. The last time I was in Paris was 2005 but I never recalled Paris to stink - of piss! Yes, fucking yellow, dirty piss!! You walked along the streets, you smelled piss, you stepped off the metro, you smelled piss! Did I miss something here? It was as though as some point, Paris was dipped into a toilet bowl of piss. Or did someone call Piss Painter ??

So yes, Paris smelled of piss to me, old stained piss. Despite this rather unalluring factor, we had a lovely time. A really really pleasant time. We walked around a lot, eat a mountain of cheese, pate, drank wine, had salad for lunch, blah blah... all the pretty things you do when you're on vacation in Paris. The weather was so hot that I had tanned lines from the sandals I was wearing. But who cares, we are in Paris!

Side note: I noted with glee at the numerous folks lying in the hot sun, soaking up its rays, and hoping to turn honey/caramel/chocolate/carrot colour etc. Have they not heard of skin cancer and how bad roasting yourself in the sun can be? When I was living in Australia, they had adverts reminding Aussies not to tan yourself and stay out of the sun. And I thought: this is exactly why European women (not all) who tanned endlessly in the sun when they were younger get lifeless, saggy skin when they are old! Really. I think Asian owomen would agree with me here. Just look at the Asian women wearing those hats with brims that covers everything, they know what's important for old age, supple and fair skin. Ok, Asian women have another issue to deal - the constant obsession of staying fair, wait.. white is more precise and anything beige, yellow and beyond means not beautiful. It's true. I used to play sports in my teens and my grandmother used to be worried that if I get any darker, I might be thought of as Indian. Hmmm.. She was concerned that a dark skin colour would not make easier for me to find a potential husband in the near future. I have a boyfriend, still not married and I don't think my skin colour would play a factor BUT try telling that to my granny.

Ok, back to the Paris ooh la la.. I realised digression is an absolute skill I have. If only it helps in one's unemployed status. Anyway, we had such a good time until T fell sick, oh poor baby. It was flu-like symptoms and so we self-diagnosed it as swine flu. In that situation we figured it was best to ride the train back to Bremen and which is where we are right now.

Location: Vienna, Austria

Location: Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. Including the crowd at the Astronomical Clock, from the top of St. Basilica Kirche at Prague Castle, the terrace view from our room and the store across the hotel.. woah!

Location: Dresden, Germany... on the way to the Czech Republic

Location: Berlin

Location: Bremen and Cuxhaven

Bremen posting

Dear Friends,

I am writing this to let you know I am presently residing in the comforts of small town of Bremen in Germany. Auf der Wachsbleiche to be precise. In T's lovely home, with two cats (Robert and Clara) and a big-bear looking dog called Tapas. London has exhausted me and this quiet little town is a little pleasure I so badly need for this moment in time. I am being very lazy these days and my laziness has perhaps reached an excessive point where I feel as though my brains and any soul left of it has been almost filtered out. I don't quite like to think that this is anywhere negative. It is indeed therapuetic. I am certain you will understand how it is so much easier to pass the day sitting, sipping overflowing tea, talking and dreaming than resolve to spend it productively.

I have been here for almost a week and in the time I have been away, I have learned much about my capacity to cope with being alone in a foreign place and away from any nuances of familiar comforts. It is not easy and perhaps never will but the body and mind is resilient I guess. And if each day I find little pieces of gems and treasures, I am grateful.

This is a very lovely town, and strangely it reminds me a little too much of Canberra even. A little quiet town with its unique characteristics lurking in unknown little corners. It is joy to discover these things, mostly accidental. Sometimes, I find it very surreal to think I actually took this step to be here. Cycling is a nightmare for me though. For those who know me well, I am a certified nervous cyclist. The roads are narrow, the cars slow and they seem to be annoyed at you if you happen to not understand the rules of the road. And as such I am beginning to doubt my capability to learn how to drive.. hmmm..

I am lazy yet again and the sun is starting to shine after days of sporadic rain... I might consider the idea of a walk. I am thinking of you as I am writing this and as you are reading it.

Much much love as always..

top to bottom: the mannequin pis dressed as a venetian peasant and medieval representations..

Brussels part 2

In my eyes and my eyes alone, Brussels comprised of the following items and experiences:

pretty jewellery. a stylish jacket. eurostar. one duck leg. kriek. pierre macolini. mannequin pis dressed as a venetian peasant. a monty hotel. waffles. a runny nose. german, french and flemish sounds that is honestly unintelligible to my ears. medieval lives on display. beautiful architecture. a third of james brown thrown together with some old school hip hop, all courtesy of matz. pitta bread with fillings. thee. an understanding of the belgian tradition of beer drinking. cobbled stone streets. scholes. fromage. one beautiful day spent in brugges. european baccalaureate. a warm belgian family. rainy days. croissants. tintin. lots of smiles, laughter, hugs, kisses and love.

Brussels has been unbelievably warm, kind and generous to me and for that, this whole adventure has been heaven.

Tomorrow, London awaits.

Brussels part 1

Today I am writing this to you from a nice, brick hotel located in Montgomery in the city of Brussels. Refurbished in 2003, the interior of the Hotel Monty is centred on a perpetual red-white colour scheme, which in some ways reminded me very much of lunar new year celebrations back home. Seriously it does. Slightly unnerving I must say at first but you get used to it. And in a while, it does becomes artistically pleasing, with te likes of those ghost-like, transparent chairs by Phillip Starck and gorgeous lamps by Kartell and Bourgies and so on.

In the time I have been in Europe (as of today, that would be an estimated four days), I have managed to do the following:
1. slipped and fell on the Millennia Bridge across Tate Modern in London, and as such I now have a very sore, red and scarred left knee. NB: Please note that this injury was incurred not so much in excitement as I ran across to meet my loved one.

I simply stopped and stood still and I slipped. It was almost as though my brain decided then that I should fall and I certainly did. As I have mentioned many times before, I do suffer from crippling bouts of idiocy. This is one of those moments and rest assured, I believe there is more to come.

2. sat around a dinner party with many, many and I mean many Germans and have little inkling as to what dinner conversations was all about. There is a possible chance that I am exaggerating here. I do get bits and pieces of German but for the love of the language, I don’t get around it very much. And then the very next day, attended a typical European high school graduation where almost every other language was spoken except English. A cacophony of German, French, Flemish, Italian sounds that was almost unintelligble to my Asian ears. Delightful experience.

3. a runny nose

Not too bad I'd say...

ps: I missed rice badly. I know I have only been gone for less than a week and one should after all maintained an open and inquisitive mind when travelling in strange lands, BUT I want rice! If anyone of you could possibly shipped me a plate together with some kangkung, and maybe some sambal udang together with a bowl of asam pedas, I will be most grateful. On top of that, appreciate it if you also send some of those jollybean soya bean drink. I have a small love for soya bean. Thank you. Your kindness is really appreciated and upon receiving these items stated aboved, you will immediately be moved onto the number 1 spot on my "Favourite People" list... yay!