Home At Last
Let's face it, I've been crap at keeping up with this blog. Mostly because internet in Indonesia sucked big time and when I was travelling elsewhere I didn't get much time to actually sit down and type up long journal entries.
Actually I tried once, when I was in Korea, before my session ran out just as I was about to click "Publish Post" and I lost everything. That taught me. I never even attempted another entry since.
Anyways, I thought now that I'm back home in Brisvegas (just arrived a couple of nights ago) I should post another entry to finish this off.
After Cambodia, I went back to Bangkok before flying back to Jakarta. After spending nearly a month there doing nothing at my parents', we went to South Korea for a couple of weeks. Boring, boring, boring.
Maybe I shouldn't say that since it was a family holiday and to call it "boring" would be disrespectful to my parents, but yes it was boring. It was a family package holiday with a bunch of snotty rich people who wouldn't even carry their own luggage. Not really my kind of holiday, but it was all paid by my parents (yes, yes, spoiled brat) so I couldn't complain.
Korea was beautiful in winter. And though I didn't have nearly as much fun as when I was in Thailand or Vietnam/Cambodia, at least I did enjoy the sceneries. Oh, and I got to have a white Christmas.
We had a 2-night stopover in Hongkong on the way back to Jakarta, and can't say I did much but shop.
After that was another bugger-all time in Indonesia, with a short trip to Singapore for my mum's medical check-up and another shopping spree for me in mid January.
Spent Chinese New Year's in Indonesia - ohh the red packets! I must say CNY's is a good event to earn some free money (for the unmarried youngsters that is. For the marrieds it means more of losing money). I hadn't spent CNY's with my family in years and it was not bad to catch up with rellies (free money), although I've never enjoyed spending too much time hanging around with my dad's side of the family (again, free money).
Anyway, a couple of days after CNY's we left for China. My brother didn't come with us this time. And no more package holiday - yay! We couldn't spend too much time in China, so we only went to Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an. Weren't even going to Xi'an in the first place, but we made a last-minute change of plan when we were in Shanghai (I *had* to see the Terracotta Warriors).
China is vast, and I know that I can travel there for a year and still not see the whole country, so I've promised myself to come back for at least a month next time, to see more of the main sights.
I quite enjoyed our visit to China actually. The sights and the richness of the historical cultures were amazing. The weather was even colder than in Korea (especially in Beijing), and the climb at the Great Wall left me almost fainted thanks to the lack of exercise since I left home, but overall it was a lot more fun than the package holiday to Korea.
The public toilets could do much better, although they've set up star-rated system now in Beijing in preparation for the Olympics in 2008. I've been to the 4-star one and it was quite, umm.. disappointing. I went to a public toilet in Xi'an once and I almost threw up. According to my parents it has improved A LOT since the last time they were there though.
After China, we stopped over in Jakarta to get my bridesmaid dress fitted. I went back to Semarang for a few days to pack after that before heading back to Jakarta for my cousin's wedding.
I will NEVER be a bridesmaid again. I certainly did NOT think it through when I accepted the offer. The 5-o'clock start for make-up, the tight-fitting long dress that's hard to breathe in, the hair, the standing around all day fixing up the bride's dress.. I don't know why I said yes in the first place. Must've been all the holiday atmosphere in Vietnam that made me all high and happy and forget the consequences of my decision. I mean, I'm not even a dress kind of girl! Let alone thick make-up and big hair. I couldn't remember the last time I had a full make-up and hair done.
It was pretty much an all-day event, from 5.30ish to 9 o'clock at night. The wedding was extravagant and the food was great, but I was just knackered. They had another "session" that started after 9, but I couldn't bear to stand up any longer. All my muscles were sore the next day.
Anyways... that was pretty much the end of my holiday. I stayed for another night in Jakarta and flew back home the next day. To tell you the truth it felt a bit weird to be back home after so long (almost 5 months). I've never been away for so long before. It's funny how quickly you adjust to "normal" life though; as normal as you could be while unemployed. Next it's time to start looking for work, after I fix up my PC that is.
Actually I tried once, when I was in Korea, before my session ran out just as I was about to click "Publish Post" and I lost everything. That taught me. I never even attempted another entry since.
Anyways, I thought now that I'm back home in Brisvegas (just arrived a couple of nights ago) I should post another entry to finish this off.
After Cambodia, I went back to Bangkok before flying back to Jakarta. After spending nearly a month there doing nothing at my parents', we went to South Korea for a couple of weeks. Boring, boring, boring.
Maybe I shouldn't say that since it was a family holiday and to call it "boring" would be disrespectful to my parents, but yes it was boring. It was a family package holiday with a bunch of snotty rich people who wouldn't even carry their own luggage. Not really my kind of holiday, but it was all paid by my parents (yes, yes, spoiled brat) so I couldn't complain.
Korea was beautiful in winter. And though I didn't have nearly as much fun as when I was in Thailand or Vietnam/Cambodia, at least I did enjoy the sceneries. Oh, and I got to have a white Christmas.
We had a 2-night stopover in Hongkong on the way back to Jakarta, and can't say I did much but shop.
After that was another bugger-all time in Indonesia, with a short trip to Singapore for my mum's medical check-up and another shopping spree for me in mid January.
Spent Chinese New Year's in Indonesia - ohh the red packets! I must say CNY's is a good event to earn some free money (for the unmarried youngsters that is. For the marrieds it means more of losing money). I hadn't spent CNY's with my family in years and it was not bad to catch up with rellies (free money), although I've never enjoyed spending too much time hanging around with my dad's side of the family (again, free money).
Anyway, a couple of days after CNY's we left for China. My brother didn't come with us this time. And no more package holiday - yay! We couldn't spend too much time in China, so we only went to Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an. Weren't even going to Xi'an in the first place, but we made a last-minute change of plan when we were in Shanghai (I *had* to see the Terracotta Warriors).
China is vast, and I know that I can travel there for a year and still not see the whole country, so I've promised myself to come back for at least a month next time, to see more of the main sights.
I quite enjoyed our visit to China actually. The sights and the richness of the historical cultures were amazing. The weather was even colder than in Korea (especially in Beijing), and the climb at the Great Wall left me almost fainted thanks to the lack of exercise since I left home, but overall it was a lot more fun than the package holiday to Korea.
The public toilets could do much better, although they've set up star-rated system now in Beijing in preparation for the Olympics in 2008. I've been to the 4-star one and it was quite, umm.. disappointing. I went to a public toilet in Xi'an once and I almost threw up. According to my parents it has improved A LOT since the last time they were there though.
After China, we stopped over in Jakarta to get my bridesmaid dress fitted. I went back to Semarang for a few days to pack after that before heading back to Jakarta for my cousin's wedding.
I will NEVER be a bridesmaid again. I certainly did NOT think it through when I accepted the offer. The 5-o'clock start for make-up, the tight-fitting long dress that's hard to breathe in, the hair, the standing around all day fixing up the bride's dress.. I don't know why I said yes in the first place. Must've been all the holiday atmosphere in Vietnam that made me all high and happy and forget the consequences of my decision. I mean, I'm not even a dress kind of girl! Let alone thick make-up and big hair. I couldn't remember the last time I had a full make-up and hair done.
It was pretty much an all-day event, from 5.30ish to 9 o'clock at night. The wedding was extravagant and the food was great, but I was just knackered. They had another "session" that started after 9, but I couldn't bear to stand up any longer. All my muscles were sore the next day.
Anyways... that was pretty much the end of my holiday. I stayed for another night in Jakarta and flew back home the next day. To tell you the truth it felt a bit weird to be back home after so long (almost 5 months). I've never been away for so long before. It's funny how quickly you adjust to "normal" life though; as normal as you could be while unemployed. Next it's time to start looking for work, after I fix up my PC that is.
