Lake Como, Italy '08

Lake Como is the third largest lake in Italy. Took a day trip to Lake Como from Florence. It is a nice quaint little town.

A nice little cafe in the square of Como

This reminds me of Venice - the roads are closed due to flooding from the lake!

The ducks are happie to swim in the water - you can see the road markings through the water
One of the many towns around Lake Como

Me on the cruise boat

A cathedral in Como

My new boyfriend!

Check out the blue gelato!

Pizza - there is an egg on top; we don't get it like this in Singapore

My favourity Vongole sphagetti - Yummy!

Kamakura, Japan '08

Kamakura (鎌倉市) is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan; about 50km south-west of Tokyo. It is famous for the Kotoki-in, with its monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha. A 15th century tsunami destroyed the temple that once housed the Great Buddha, but the statue survived and has remained outdoors ever since.

These Buddha figurines were placed by couples who either had a miscarriage or had a child that passed away. It is to signify a safe journey for the child into the netherworld. Japanese shrines are famous these plagues on which devotees wrote their hearts' desire. Sometimes, it is soooo nice to have the innocence of a child like Max... Giantic slippers The statue of the Buddha Size of Buddha statue in relation to me Notice the swan neck on the cream puff - too pretty to eat!!
Japanese veggie soup for lunch Side dishes

Bangkok, Thailand '08

After Pattaya, I spent some time in Bangkok, Thailand. It was my second visit to Bangkok in 2008. Highlight of this trip was a visit to The Dome - it is a restaurant-cum bar place at The State Tower. It is an open-air bar that is located on the 60th storey of the skyscraper. When I was there, it did not feel like I was in Bangkok at all.

That is the Dome. The staircase on the left of the picture is the "entrance" to the open-air bar. So when you step out of the elevator at the 60th floor and have to walk down these steps, you feel like some celebrity! :)

View of Bangkok city from the State Tower

With my colleagues These are the colleagues that attended my training session I went for lunch at the Chinese Restaurant @ The Hilton (our competitor). Sometimes, you gotta know how your competitors are doing..:P The Dim Sum there is very good!

Had craving for Japanese food when I was in Bangkok. My Japanese noodle soup. Scallops sashimi Assorted Fish sashimi. Yummy! Thai noodle soup

Pattaya, Thailand '08

Next destination for work-cum-holiday: Pattaya, Thailand. I had the time to spend one day by the poolside in the Sheraton Pattaya Beach Resort :) I am not complaining... Hotel Lobby - Typical "resort-style" feel
View of the ocean from the lobby

One of the many swimming pools in the resort
One of the villas
Elephants - The Thais like elephants

This is a public toilet in the hotel. I thought it was nice that one side of the toilet faces a garden and there is an island in the toilet providing towels and hand lotion. :)

Super duper antibiotics

I had a growth on my body which got infected recently :( I went to my family doctor and wanted him to perform a minor surgery to "zap" the growth off! However, he said that we should try to remove the growth with antibiotics and see how it goes.
He prescribed me the antibiotics below. It was @!@#$$%^# strong! The side effect was that I had diahorrea the whole time I was on the course and my stomach feels bad ALL the time. :( It was horrible horrible horrible. I could not wait to be rid of this antibiotics!!
The outcome: the growth is still around although the infection "died" down a little. Sigh...

Shenzhen, China '08

My first trip to Shenzhen, China. I was blessed with very good weather during the whole week I was there. The sun was out and the sky was a nice blue; there was not a hint of pollution or whatsoever - very different from the other China cities that I have visited.

View of Hong Kong from Shenzhen

I went hiking up Nan Shan - View of the city of Shenzhen from Nan Shan

Me along the Marina Promenade

Bowl of noodle soup - It's for you, Ryan.

Mushroom Chicken soup - It was yummy!!

Fried frog's legs. First time I had it cooked this way. It was very good!

Corn kernels coated with salted egg yolk - very sinful but delicious!

These are my colleagues that attended my training session