Growing up

When you are young, your whole life is about the persuit of fun.
Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious.
You could break a bone or a heart.
You look before you leap and sometimes you may not leap at all because there is not always someone there to catch you.
And in life, there's no safety net.
When did everything stop being fun and started being scary?
I decided it's time to leave fear in life and have some fun - Easily said than done I know.

New York (3)

Back to UK - Arrived at 5am and went straight into work ^_^v I am still crazy haha

Photos are up! Let the rest of my holiday be told in picture form, afterall one picture speaks a thousand words =p Plus, I really should sleep.

Wanna thank Fred, Connie and Pony for making my week so accomodating and fantastical!! Muah love you all xxx

New York (2)

Maybe I am getting old - but my hardcore travelling itnery is no longer a 12-hour marathon in the holiday destination. Instead, I take my time to wake up in the morning, eat a full on breakfast, put on make-up and dress to suite the mood before I march out of the house around 11am.

People say it takes a week to see New York, which is probably true taking it at this present pace. Strolled around Little Italy and China town today. The area around little Italy was flooded in three basic colours - green, red and white - this is true for restaurants, shops, parking meters and pavement fire extinguishers. In comparison, crossing Canal street one encounters the total chaos of China town. Assortement of dead fish covering the stalls, the pavement covered with cardboard litter...dare I say it was even more than I can bear! We hurried into a chinese ice-cream factory and sat down for some lychee and dragon eye ice-cream instead.

Walked up broadway towards TriBeCa. Discovered a Prada store with $40 million spent on its interior design. It is simply AMAZING - the flagship store has floating stairs which is both a passage and a display space, undulating walls, futuristic elevators and high tech dressing rooms with real butterfly specimens as exterior decoration. It is not suprising that the store houses every possible Prada design this season. I would put this on the top 10 DK must see list for Soho area personally =p

New York (1)

Yes, where is the justice of naming one's blog a travel journal if one does not blog when on holiday?

True to Annie style, I once again encountered turbulence on my travel. The British just happened to reveal an extreme counter-terrorist attack in all airports two days prior to my departure. The best part of it all is: I had to carry a clear plastic bag, with no more contents than 1. my passport 2. tampons (only enough to cover the journey) 3. contact lenses (without solution). So there I was, carrying my see-through bag with my 2 tampons in clear view to the general public, stranded in the airport and enduring the 4 hour-plus delay.

Here I am, on my second day in New York. Day one involved a traditional Taiwanese breakfast with soya and steamed vege dumpling, followed by a stroll through Chelsea (meat packing district, Chelsea piers) & MOMA. It is very nice to just - stroll in New York - the simplicity of its mapping means all is as easy as a matrix.

Have seen my first broadway show: The Drowsy Chaperone was an unconventional piece of work. A three hour musical with no interval. The energy was sustained through a narrator who kindled the audience's spirit. The fact that the play had delibrate interruption only accentuated its impact once the pause was restarted.

Today has been a busy sampling day - there is free food everywhere in NYC! Had peach and tomato at the Green market near union square, followed by brownie Ben & Jerry milkshake. As I carried on my stroll through the city I hit an area known as Curry Hill, lined with restaurants and filled with intoxicating indian spiced air. It is very strange why a particular cusine has territories within the city, such that if one wants korean one would have to head down 43st. Is this an attempt to streamline and facilitate, or is it to compete and improve??

New House

830am Annie and Yi Fei 'power up' for another potentially unproductive and exhausting day of house viewing - not for the unfocused and fainted hearted!
915am Arrive at Dautons ready for first viewing, only to be told keys has not yet arrived, postphoned viewing to Monday.
1015am In addition to half of the scheduled engineering work on the underground, the victoria line decided to follow the trend by malfunctioning. Made it to Clerkenwell on time for second house viewing.
1030am Realised place is too good to let go, try to secure property with landlord. At the time landlord was unable to make a decision.
1200pm Trekked across half of london from east to west. Viewed another brand new property in Bayswater.
1230pm Faced dilemma of which property to chose. Sat in starbucks and concluded to take Clerkenwell property.
200pm Oxford circus Natwest branch - only bank open late on Saturday - discussed and familiarised oneself with the potential liability to transferring deposit online. Withdrawl of cash for upfront payment.
230pm Back to Plimico to draft temporary contract, obtain check for payment.
320pm Return to Clerkenwell and secured OUR NEW PLACE!!! It's all worth it...2 months of house hunting has finally paid off!!! YEYYYYY ^_^