Notions.

Earlier this month, I showed my Japan trip pictures, including the ones you readers are about to see to my visiting guy pal from BKK.

"OMG Rice, you're so pretty here! You should use make-up!" was his reaction.

The (in)famous pic with new fabulous hair colour I totally love!

That was one honest response from a straight dude right there that yes, once again, exemplified visual beauty works to appeal, whether it's comfortable or uncomfortable for the user itself. But then again, it wasn't me wearing make-up (I don't even to weddings). I shall introduce to you this transformation digital magic that instantly change you to be ultra 'pretty' within seconds - hello to Japanese photoboxes!

Wanderlusting.

First ever couch-surfing trip and solo-tripping to Seoul, South Korea for a mission and time-out after coming back to the homeland has been accomplished. Without any frost bite. Almost...

Word must be crazy that I was by Han-gang at 9-10PM with the winds after a huge dinner from DMC... just for the night lights, really. It was my last night.

I came back, and I saw my mum probably received this calendar from the travel agency, and I was looking at it.

Friends know I have an 'ultimate dream job' is to go out and talk to people. But not just people. They're the Korean and Japanese people that everyone right now is currently fawning over. So as expected their questions upon my return was "so who did you see"

I said, "None".

I tried but in their own land it simply didn't work - it wasn't the country's USP so it would be highly neglected. Visiting on other places especially in the West, they'd be begging for some serious exposure. Time to morphin migrate I guess.

That aside, I felt that I've been slapped because the deeper story within how this trip has tweaked my high levels of skepticism and have significantly reduced it..

The trip gave the needed feels and good angst coming out... and how pure luck and magic of life's unseen algorithms (like The Secret? but we never know) I just need the world to prove to me that I may be optimistic about the bleak future of the earth we're directing ourselves to. Thanks to this trip I reflected what I have accumulated from friends and memories of such to say "Hey, it would be nice after all not to die alone!" - slap!

On the other hand... these quotes from the calendar are all true - slap! as seen below.

A photo posted by ら/ㄹ/R. "Rice" (@ghostxhearts) on Mar 20, 2015 at 6:32am PDT

A photo posted by ら/ㄹ/R. "Rice" (@ghostxhearts) on Mar 20, 2015 at 6:32am PDT

A photo posted by ら/ㄹ/R. "Rice" (@ghostxhearts) on Mar 20, 2015 at 6:33am PDT

A photo posted by ら/ㄹ/R. "Rice" (@ghostxhearts) on Mar 20, 2015 at 6:34am PDT

And this quote was especially befitting with the 7-day getaway out to unplug unfinished issues from where I came from:

A photo posted by ら/ㄹ/R. "Rice" (@ghostxhearts) on Mar 20, 2015 at 6:36am PDT

Can you hear the slap! ?

Hahaha.

I won't lament skepticism about the world's bleak future with current signs and sighs. However power has been given back with new inspiration, perspiration, expectation and new knowledge with each step I route myself to venture out in the city.

Love has returned, as I witnessed something I've never seen in my life for me to believe that such thing does exist. But in order to be able to find it, how simple and hidden can this be? This is still a journey in progress.

While this idea of being a skeptic is magnanimously lifted to some point

Traveling for me, has sowed its seed inside me and grew to be fed with oxygen. Like the air we breathe, we need to step out and do it - I have to do it to fill in this oxygen tank.

Seems like meeting new people that sends the same positive vibes or energy gives me much more strength - an extrovert at its finest?

This couple has lifted my skepticism by an immense amount

Don't count on me after 2 weeks - I'll be hibernating for a month close doors in my room without speaking to anyone because business and leisure trip took quite the energy to speak both ends - speak professionally and to speak with friends after it all ends but it means double energy speaking.

With the success of me couchsurfing (but this includes a LOT of random luck, really, it's been a very interesting trip), I was let for more, more, mooooooore.



Couchsurfing allows us to learn and live from locals, and immediately have friends to tell you about the society. That itself is such a thrill for me and I can testify how perfect, its tagline is:

You have friends all over the world - you just haven't met them yet

(A little Buble here?)

I'm dying to go out now and meet. Rinse, repeat, and do it all over again with the right people, friends, and memories to be made despite all of these havoc - ISIS, global warming, carbon footprints, rainforest depletions, any other plane crashes, natural disasters, anything - going on....

Let's just try and continue to enjoy what's left, live in the life you have, while also trying to find the best solution to all of this.

Live it. I'm going to work my ass off and get some moolah in exchange for another trip out and bounce positive vibes around the globe and fill in my oxygen tank or else I can't live.It's a lust I think I'd have to cave in.

"You are here! We found it!" that tricky Eat Your Kimchi cafe but we found it thanks to my usual map-reading prowess. In Seoul.

Till the next journey.
(see the archive)

화이팅!!!!!!!!!

 

Wanderlusting in 10 words or less...

Open skyscanner.com and book to a place you've never been

Yell.

My editor-in-chief Lily-san and I at the historical Olympic stadium. It was soo bright we couldn't open our eyes, thank you.

YELL FOR JAPAN and, JAPAN TO THE WORLD.

Two days of Japanese music festival to commemorate and celebrate the final days of Tokyo's National Olympic Stadium before it gets demolished and rebuild for Tokyo Olympics 2020 (it was ready in 1963 or -4) - the day I got to firstly visit the stadium after the work begins with a proper press meeting, this is the account of the 2nd day of the trip and I made it to the stadium, where the Olympic flames were lit up among the huge attendees!

See what happened on the first day to catch up where I left off - including meeting the musician and producer Aiji after being Twitter friends what it looks like at the Shibuya scramble at 3AM - is it busy, or empty?

Bookmark this link as this gets into major details from morning to night of day 2. To enable the full experience read it bit by bit and play the music later!

Den-effing-tsu.

YELL FOR JAPAN and, JAPAN TO THE WORLD.

Two days of Japanese music festival to commemorate and celebrate the final days of Tokyo's National Olympic Stadium before it gets demolished and rebuild for Tokyo Olympics 2020 (it was ready in 1963 or -4).

The invitation came along with us (my editor and I of Animonstar Magazine in Indonesia) being smacked for 3 days in the heart of Tokyo. So much things to do, what can I really do? Too overwhelming to have been given an amazing direct return flights, a lucky room that's abuzz in Time Out Japan edition that it's only for hotel residents with room numbers -01 at the end to get the full panoramic view of Tokyo through Shibuya. If you've seen it on my Instagram, that very Shibuya scramble basically justifies the amazement upon my check-in:

This was possible because of the swift response and mailing of visa requirement letters, and who knew it was from Den-effing-tsu behind the JAPANNIGHT project - which without doubt, we'll only receive the best from the rest in terms of service. It was my dream/one of those places I wished to intern!

Being really glum on that particular Monday, and post-travel that left me in such disappointing mood (I was extremely in the down side of everything, which I'm telling you after the break), I finally am able to literally scream and yell out that it was a great trip - I can now focus on the happiest and laughable things I did within the 3 nights I was there.

Here's the lowdown on the first day...

Tanning.

TGIF folks!

I went in August, and here I am backtracking for a #laterpost (in following to #latergram) from last summer's trip around the EU. Remember the big mess I had in preparing for my trip? Well this was the outcome.

Tanning is the title because of the crazy heat that has targeted Europe to be a very hot ground. Not blaming, it made the beaches of Cannes look glorious with lots of ripples and sparkles from the sun. It was so beautiful and ... when you are there (don't enjoy the ladies bathing, enjoy the seaview lah) the very azure blue ocean is simply mesmerizing. (apart from that, my FB album is also called 'Greatest Tanning Trip of Le Life' and I turned 20% darker than usual for my arms).

I still hate the hot weather. Which is why 3 hats accompanied me, and two of them are showstoppers because of the size (see below).

Winter's absolutely game over in the tropics and I'm sourcing for new inspiration for the colors and layers of the summer! Within my natural instinct, I head back for my 16-day tripping under the hot sun and managed to wear all the heels I wanted without feeling that I was the tallest in class. It's EU, I feel small.

Think a truckload of lemons (shoes, accessories, pins, dresses, jackets, hats) and is skimmed through to make lemonades + honey (accessories and the extra oomph of fakq) = squeeze of the summer for the azn girl on holiday and turning 20 on the plane. I meant, on the way to the plane airport. Here's #WIW...LY.

(whatiworelastyear)

Morocco King's palace; and the tomb of one of the wives in the olden days with the very cool guard with his sniper. 

Wearing flower visor, Lalalove London tee, striped pants and red wedges from Platinum BKK

At Alhambra, literally translated as the Red Castle in Spain.

Wearing the eye-stopping blue hat (a tourist actually had asked me to take a picture of me and the hat, it was that famous among the group AND people looking), Batik Keris red dress, Bata sandals

(PS. the day I bought my beautiful kawaii Bimba self birthday present)

Small town Mijas, I left my heart with you!

Wearing a smaller version of the hat, Oink throw on, halter dress and Bata sandals.

Top of Lisbon, hola hola!

Wearing Cotton On shades, batik PJs (yep, doesn't it look swell, and actual PJ), DIY vest, Payless wedges.

 

Lisbon, the next day, in front of the famous patisserie that made the first egg tarts and made Portugal famous. 
Pirates Ahoy!

Wearing an electric blue hat, DIY drape stripe dress. (See the dress' transform)

 Self birthday present of Bimba y Lola necklace I've been hunting; siesta time in Toledo. 

Wearing a Uniqlo striped dress.

 "Merci, merci beaucoup, Cannes! Muah"

Red carpet moment in the summer.

Wearing the just-got-in-this-trip Zara vest for $10, vintage dress, just-got-in-this-trip Portugal sandals.

"Madrid and the walking stabbil0 alien" (if there was a newspaper headline)

Wearing the pixelated Sunnies, neon green top and skirt.

Back to the Gaudi Cathedral from 1999 and of course, still not done but it is totally beautiful. In the centre between those shopping streets of Barca.

Wearing Purple version of the hat, Tosavica pink top, ASOS blue dress, just-got-in-this-trip Zara wedges for $10!

Milan's centerpoint in front of Duomo, the sun's being really nice.

Wearing Oink rose throw, black sleeveless, Zara pants, Payless wedges.

Ulala.

Self birthday present I got about 2 weeks before my birth date - I saw it on Female Singapore once going for about $200... but I was loitering around the dept store in Spain, very uninterested. Until I saw BIMBA & LOLA's counter and I immediately perked up (the only young contemporary product creators within the rest of the very auntie styles, hahaha) and I saw this.

I was like, it's on sale?
Yes it's on sale for 50% to only 39 Euros.

I gaped. The lady couldn't speak English so with all my fervor I made the transaction possible. *shopper's instinct*

Now I can ulala like those Hawaiian.

I was so elated and glowing after this single necklace I'm not sure why, I think the satisfaction of 1) finding the pretty little thing, 2) actually having the power to buy, 3) it's on sale, 4) it's so cute cute cute.

So this was me after purchasing it without my parents meheheheheh.

the small bag of happiness!!!

 I WAS LIKE

Girls, know this:

#Happiness comes in very small packages at #surprise times. #shopping

Croatstal.

Croatia + Coastal = Croatstal.

I know right, I know. I'm right now blogging all for the sake becase of these pretty pictures sitting in my old reliable desktop in my home sweet home country, out of Singapore has this annoying folder which I didn't get to go (BECAUSE OF Student Duties, WHAT ELSE.)

Moreover, I'm down with a serious flu I've never had before - and I could only entertain myself bedresting and drag myself to the computer. This is pain. Seeing these pictures to kill time is pain.

So now, Croatstal: is the sound of my voice cracking, ears clogged during this break which I'm supposed to sort of half enjoy leisure and do my essay, I can't do both.

Where did my holiday goal to do my essay?

Because the mucus and phlegm has infiltrated the veins of my brain and my ears (DEAF) and I can't think straight.

My parents are having this 'fourth honeymoon', a trip without me, to the land of Balkan and Croatia! Without me! Imagine! During October, the best times to TRAVEL to your DREAM DESTINATION.

Well, I couldn't do anything much except /facepalm and gape in awe how fantastic the place is, a bit like those France coastal area. For the sake of my friend's profile secrecy, she's my usual pal in touring around the world and because SHE has a week off or two she could join and I COULDN'T stuck in a rathole in Singapore. From far she can look like me with my mom.

Pass.

Want to see those? Click on for more selected pics that caught my eye and the story of the trip - won't bombard ya.