Early morn:
The Good: Finally indulging our itch to shop after being in China for several days already. Shortly after we arrive from Xian, Phoebe and I freshen up and dart for Qianmen Shopping Street, south of Tiananmen Square.
Tag Archives: travel
Food Tripping at Donghuamen
When you think of Chinese food, I guess the last thing that would cross your mind is this:
The Summer Palace: Why It’s Good to be Royalty
If there’s one thing that the guidebooks don’t stress enough about the Summer Palace, it’s the fact that the Summer Palace is huge. No, I mean REALLY huge. Hail to mind what you think is huge, then double that. Then add in a man-made lake in the middle. Yes, it’s that massive.
I’m more hippie-chick than socialite, but if being a member of the Imperial Family meant having a playground that was as breathtaking and serene as this, then sign me up! I can totally imagine myself as that low-profile royal cousin, who does nothing but meander in the summer recluse given whatever season. Let my power-hungry relatives rule the Forbidden City; methinks I’ll stick with my writing and kite-flying near KunMing lake. Continue reading The Summer Palace: Why It’s Good to be Royalty
The Beijing Express
China — the land of It-Can-Be-Done. Think Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, the capital’s makeover for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
We tried our own great feat as well: a city-wide scramble to pack temple-hopping, panda-spotting, bargain-hunting, palace-promenading and kung-fu fighting — ALL IN ONE DAY. We couldn’t afford to waste any time, and we were mad to comb through the ever-spry Beijing. One thing that we had going for us though was that it only took 2 RMB (0.3 USD!) to go to anywhere by subway in the capital. Yup, the Beijing IC transit smart card (or ‘Yikatong’, as they call it) will be your new BFF when in the city. Continue reading The Beijing Express
Lessons in Mandarin
Just when I thought I was getting savvy with flinging myself off to new, strange places, China happened.
This trip was supposed to be a solo jaunt, but I don’t think it would have been quite the same experience if seven of my pals didn’t sign up for an adventure in the Orient as well. There were more than enough bloopers and good times to go around, after all! Continue reading Lessons in Mandarin
Easy, Breezy, Perth
It took me a long time to finally get this done, but I’m really happy at how my Perth collage turned out. Enjoy!
Want the behind-the-scenes stories, photos & tips? You can check them out over here!
Song: Love Today by Mika
Getting the Batad High: The Video
One day, I’m bound to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and look at life with utter exhaustion and hate.
And then I will watch this video, and everything in the world will seem to be right again.
For more stories, pics and tips about the glorious, idyllic nook that is Batad, you can read about them in my post over here.
Life’s a Beach in Sydney
It was our Day 8 in Australia, and I was getting a bit frustrated as I haven’t been able to take a dip yet after seeing miles and miles of gorgeous coastlines.
Well, I certainly was in for a treat in Sydney’s Northern Suburbs. On a weekend, the dress code seemed to be singlets, bikinis and board shorts. We haven’t even lingered for an hour yet, and I had my nth sighting of someone crossing the road, lugging along his surfboard. All these just a brief bus ride away from alighting the tube. How could I not fall in love with this lifestyle? Continue reading Life’s a Beach in Sydney
Yey for Australia Day in Sydney!
After back-to-back days of nature-tripping in Melbourne, we hurled ourselves back to the urban jungle, this time in the heart of Sydney! It was a cool coincidence that we arrived just in time for Australia Day. Festivities were in full swing in almost every nook, despite the unusual rainy weather. On the train, I glimpsed at kids and adults alike proudly bearing the Union-Jack on their board shorts, capes and even temp tattoos. Continue reading Yey for Australia Day in Sydney!
What’s So Great About the Great Ocean Road?
Exhibit A: Gorgeous beaches that will blow you away
Growing up in an archipelago of kick-ass beaches, a look-see at the shorelines of other countries usually isn’t the highlight of a trip for me. A mental image of Boracay would almost automatically pop up every time, and pride would make me go, “It’s okay, but I’ve seen better.” But then, I caught a glimpse of Australia’s coastline: Continue reading What’s So Great About the Great Ocean Road?
Happy Feet and the Wildlife of Australia
Everyone has their destination must-do; for Geebee, it was to see the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island. Fortunately, it wasn’t that difficult at all to arrange a day trip. It took us just a couple of sites before we set our hearts upon the fairly-priced Phillip Island package offered by Wildlife Tours.
We sneaked in a quick breakfast jaunt at the Queen Victoria Market, before rushing back to the hostel, where our tour coach was to pick us up at 11 am. Continue reading Happy Feet and the Wildlife of Australia
Day 1 in Melbourne: No Plans? No Problem!
Fresh off a chill-out weekend in Perth, I found the busy, bustling streets of Melbourne a bit disorienting at first. Quick-footed yuppies stirred the city off to a start, while tourists and a whole lot of tennis buffs looked forward to another nail-biting day of the Australian Open.
Our well-laid out itinerary for Melbourne Day 1? Verbatim, it was this: “see the city”. Okay, sounds like a plan to me! Continue reading Day 1 in Melbourne: No Plans? No Problem!
.: ishcapades 
