What a year. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to live in Singapore and travel around the world. See the world in a whole new perspective and become wiser. Here's a quick recap of my adventures this year.
November- Australia is an amazing spot. Vineyards are amazing, beaches are incredible, the cliffs, the most beautiful. I now know why Andrew refuse to return home. When money is not a problem, Australia is the best place on Earth.
Hello Shanghai. It feels good to be able to use Chinese and navigate like a little expert with Tracey. First trip with roomie. Totally amazing. We also saw one of the greatest acrobatic shows in Shanghai. HIGH recommend. The RMB 180 gives you a great enough view. Tickets can be bought on the spot.
December - Hello Bali. One never gets tired of Bali. The beach, the shows, the rides, the adventures. Trust me, just go. Nothing more, nothing else.
January - Going home with my cousins for Chinese New Year. I can't believe it's been ten years since we've all been together. I miss all of them so much and I hope we will remain better in touch.
February - Kuala Lumpur weekends can be so much fun with you have the right girls. Annie, Jo, Suhanna, and Ronnie, what a great girls weekend we had in KL! Party, food, shopping, the whole package.
March - What a crew. Building houses for those less fortunate than us. Hammer time in Batam with our fearless leader Mike Julian and the crew of Mike, Jess, Cian, Shaad, Janelle, and Parissa. We worked hard. We sweated hard and it was such a rewarding experience. Habitat for Humanity. This will become a yearly tradition.
Jogjakarta - the Angkor Wat of Indonesia. The largest Hindu temples of the region. Definitely worth a visit. The experience might be better than Angkor Wat given the largest temples in tact is not known with very few tourists. Fact: Jogja has more Indonesian tourists than Bali. The locals know what's up.
May - DARN IT! I'm suppose to have the greatest mountain climbing adventure in southeast Asia with everyone I love but work popped up and I was delegated to go to Houston. It's not a fair comparison at all. The only thing that was slight positive was I can now boast to be on the world's longest flight from Singapore to New York (business class only plane).
June - While I traveled to Jakarta for work, I must say I loved the experience. I saw how things really worked in SE Asia.
July - Langkawi - it's where the Muslim people go to the beach in burqas. Really. I am always impressed by the peaceful co-existence of the ladies scantily-cladded vs. the ladies dressed in full black cover up. Yet, we all enjoy the same beach, same sun, and same locations. It's one of my favorite beach vacations.
August - after months of planning, finally we are at Cambodia! Koh Rong is the world's most remote, peaceful, wonderful place I've ever been. Angkor Wat was speechless. The temples are magnificent with a combination of Hindu, Buddhism, and other influences. The kings of Cambodia past left a priceless treasure for its people. PP was what I expected: I saw, heard, and felt the fears from the death camps. I must implore the US to teach as much about the rule of Khmer Rouge as they do about the Holocaust and Rwanda. Cambodia is a resilient country for bouncing back.
September - Congratulations Ye! First of our friends to get married. We came miles away to celebrate your wonderful day. Then Ye lead us on one of the most memorable trips around China. Reminds us of the wonderful times we all had in high school. We were all a bit younger during the trip. One of the best trips of my life. P.S. Boxing Cats united!
October - While HCMC was not my favorite place in SE Asia, I appreciated the war history museum, the Cuchi tunnels, and the GREAT FOOD. I love the food. Everything in Vietnam tastes amazing. Pho, Ba Minh, coffee, French food, or any random food stall you see.
Don't we look so hipster? November was a busy month and it concluded with one of the best weekend trips I've ever had. It's such a free and artistic city with an amazing food selection. Add the book sessions between meals and it is the best weekend anyone can ask for.
Last trip of the year: Dubai. Beautiful tea, beautiful buildings, and sand dunes galore. How did they build this city in the middle of the desert?
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