Yeee haww!

Today we decided to do something most people would associate Texas with.... a visit to the good ol' fashioned cowboy ranch, y'all know what I'm sayin?

Sadly, the weather today is not really the perfect weather to there, cos it had been showering during the night, so it's still wet and muddy everywhere. And it's still pretty cloudy. Nevertheless, we decided to go rather than stay at home and watch the food channel (again). Oh I forgot to mention that my brother is obsessed with cooking since probably about 4 years ago, and nowadays all he watch on tv is the food channel. It's kinda funny cos when we were little, I was always the one who watches mom cooks in the kitchen, and he never had any interest in cooking at all. At some period of time, he even ordered me to make him instant noodle if he wanted it. I guess people change. Let's just hope it's for the better.

Anyways, the ranch is called George Ranch Historical Park, and located about 40 minutes drive from Houston. When we got there, the parking lot was empty, there were just 1 or 2 other cars there. So I got a pretty bad feeling about it. After we got in and took the tour, well, my intuition was right. To me, it's a pretty run down ranch.... nothing much to see. The highlight of the tour was probably the house that the famiy lived in in the 1800s. It's a beautiful house, very Victorian style. Other than that, there was a small hut with a fireplace, a blacksmith (which is naturally dirty.... not really my kind of place). I was expecting like a cowboy show or something, but nothing like that.

So after a little while my parents started to get bored and hungry, so we went for a Texas kind of lunch..... BBQ!!! The place is called Swinging Doors in Richmond, Texas. Apparently it's a pretty famous BBQ place. It's been there since 1973, and they even sell T-shirts and their own special BBQ sauce. The food was good, especially the potato salad and coleslaw. But.... the other day my brother took us to another BBQ place near his place, and I like the pork ribs there better.

As usual, now everybody's taking a nap, so I'm gonna listen to some chinese songs to brush up on my mandarin hahaha.

Houston Rockets, 加油！！！

So as mentioned before, I went to watch a basketball game.... it's Houston Rockets vs Atlanta Hawks, to be exact. Houston Rockets is home to Yao Ming, the famous NBA player. But unfortunately he didn't play tonight.... maybe he went home to celebrate the holidays hahaha.

The game was held at the Toyota Center in Houston, so obviously the atmosphere was all about Houston Rockets. There's a lot of Rockets fans wearing red and white, but no Hawks fans in sight. Everybody was supporting for the Rockets, including the announcer guy..... it's kinda funny actually. When the Hawks score, he would just say "Jo..... Johnson....". But when the Rockets score, he goes "Trrraaaacccyyy McccGrrraaady!!!!". Hmm.... it would make better sense if I can add the sound effects haha.

The star of the show was obviously Tracy McGrady, better known as T-Mac. He is good!! But sadly he was injured (in the ****, if you know what i mean) during the 3rd period, so he was replaced. In the end, obviously the Rockets won by about 30 points (I didn't remember the exact score).





Before the game I was expecting to be quite bored, cos I don't really like basketball. But it turned out to be a fun and pleasant experience. Being there on the actual stadium really makes a difference. The atmosphere was just great. And there are lots of entertainment too, during timeouts and breaks.
So now I appreciate basketball more, but it's still won't be enough to make me buy a ticket to watch a game. But hey, if anyone wants company to watch a game, give me the ticket and I'll come with you! :)

Houston chronicles

So now i have been in Houston for almost a week, i guess. Don't really keep track of time hahaha.... btw here's some pics of where I'm staying.





As I've said before, there's nothing much to do around here, so what have I been doing for the past few days? What else but.... go to the mall! Hahaha.... well, there's a really big mall in Houston called The Galleria, and we've been there 3 times, i think. Bought a lot of stuff... not just for me, but Mom and Dad got some good finds too. So, everyone's happy :)

And finally I've met Sarah Slavoff, my future sister-in-law. She's 23 years old, is a Bulgarian-Irish mix, but was born and grew up in USA (New Jersey, to be exact). She's doing her PhD in MIT (biochemistry, if I'm not mistaken), where she met my brother. She just started, so she have about 4 more years to go. She's a really nice person.... smart (obviously), and likes to smile and giggles a lot hahaha. Oh, and she is tall, even taller than my brother by about 1/2 inch, I think.
I also met her father and brother (they names are both Steve, so including me, we have 3 Steves). They came to Houston to watch a football game..... New Jersey vs. Kansas State (btw New Jersey won).
They are also very nice people. Big Steve (Mr. Slavoff) is a math teacher for 7th and 8th graders. Steve #2 is majoring in History (and a possible future in Political Science). He reminds me of Seth Cohen from The O.C. The short black curly hair, the long face, the way he talks and jokes...... the only difference is that Steve wears glasses.



This morning we had a little tour to where my brother is working now..... Schlumberger. They are in the oil mining industries. The place that I went to is a big complex called the Schlumberger Sugar Land Campus. They even have a pond with fountain inside the complex for people to relax.

This evening we're gonna do something quite different..... watch an NBA game! I don't follow basketball (at all), but I guess it won't hurt haha. And it's supposedly very good because it's the Houston Rockets (Yao Ming is in that team).

OK then, I'm gonna take a nap now.

Additional notes on NYC (1)

Hey..... as of now I am already in Houston with my brother and parents. Before I tell you all about Houston, there are some things that I haven't written about NYC.

First.. the food. One of the memorable one is the Swedish meatballs at Smorgas. They are very very good..... I've had swedish meatballs before (at IKEA), and they were also good, but it's nothing compared to this one. These ones are... fantastic hahaha.

The other thing that I forgot to mention is we went to the Serendipity 3 Cafe, which was made famous by the movie of the same name (starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale).... anyone remember that movie? Well, at least we tried to go there, but it was a very small place and there were lots of people queueing up outside just to get a seat, so in the end we decided that it was not worth it. Instead we went to Bloomingdale's which is just right across the street. But I didn't get anything there.

So..... yesterday before I flew to Houston, I managed to visit the UN complex. But strangely the flags were not erected on the poles, which I don't really know why, except that maybe because it was a Saturday.

Then we went for lunch nearby at a random chinese place that we chose, but the food there was not very good.

Afterwards was the flight to Houston. Actually I was a bit late going to the airport... my flight was at 4.30, but I only managed to get to the airport by 3.20. There were lots of people in the airport, but everything went smoothly and I managed to get to the plane on time. One interesting thing is during check-in time, I was just presented with a touch-screen machine and then I have to find my reservation myself and complete the check-in process myself. Afterwards the boarding pass will automatically be printed out, and then I finally get to interact with a human being for the baggage. Well, that's America for you.... everything is changing so rapidly.... the technology is being applied everywhere.

Today my brother decided to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu, because my parents never had one. So we roasted a turkey, made some stuffings and roast potatoes. There's lots of things to be done, and it took quite some time, but it was good. It's actually quite fun to do it, but not everyday haha.

So I guess now that I'm Houston I don't really have much to do...... I mean Houston is not really a touristy place.... there's not really much attractions here. The city itself is big (the 4th biggest city in the US), everything is kinda mixed up together here, in the sense that you can have residential buildings right next to a factory. And the public transportation is not really good.. they don't even have a subway system. I don't know.... I haven't really see the downtown yet. Maybe I'll change my mind later. I mean, I'm a big city boy :)

Okie dokie, as of right now my parents AND my brother are all taking a nap, so I guess I'll just flick through some TV or read something.

NYC Day 4 (Stefan and The Producers)

The day started with Marcos finally agreeing to go to the World Trade Centre site. Actually you can't really see anything there, just some memorial photos. They are doing construction on the site, but nothing visible yet :(

Afterwards we went for lunch at Little Italy.... yummy! Quite authentic.... I guess in NYC you can get any food you want....



What's the next must-do thing on the list? What else but watch a Broadway show!! So after lunch we queued up for the discounted tickets. At first we wanted to watch RENT, but Felix say he watched the movie and it's quite boring. The next option was Tarzan, but there wasn't any discounted tickets. So in the end we settled for "The Producers". I didn't really have any expectations, because I didn't really know anything about the storyline or anything. All I know that it has been made into a movie before, and I've heard about it before.
Turns out that it starred Tony Danza and Roger Bart (you might remember him from Desperate Housewives.... the crazy pharmacist George Williams). The performances were terrific, and the storyline was also very good.... I really enjoyed the show, but unfortunately I was feeling quite sick (signs of flu) yesterday, probably because it was raining yesterday afternoon. So I was very very sleepy during the show. I even doze off for a few times during the show haha.

Oh btw before the show we had dinner at...... where else but Pong Sri hahaha.

Anyways, I gotta pack for Houston now. Till next time!

NYC - Day 3 (Determination of Jamba)

We wanted to start the day early, but as expected by the time we were ready it was already around 9.30. So first we took the subway to have dim sum at Chinatown. Afterwards we went for the "must-do, must-see" thing for tourist : Liberty Island. Overall, the trip was good because the weather was very nice and sunny. The only downside to the trip was the long queue, probably because of the numerous security checks where they ask you to take off lots of things, including belts and scarves. After Liberty it was off to Ellis Island as the ferry stops there too. Marcos had NO interest at all towards Liberty, but he really really wanted to go to Ellis Island, because it was featured in the movie "Hitch". But when we got there, turns out that we can only go to the museum and nowhere else on the tiny island. Well, we (me and Felix) kinda expected that but Marcos didn't believe us haha. Anyway, in the end we were right.




After Ellis, took the subway back to the Chinatown area for a very late lunch (well, dinner). Ate the usual roast pork/bbq pork/roast duck combo plus fried rice and some kind of noodle. The food was good and cheap (for US standard).



Next stop.... SOHO. We walked along Chinatown to SOHO, because it was quite near. It's an area that reminds me of Chapel St in Melbourne, but much much bigger. Rather than just a street, it's actually quite big, covering a few blocks. Over there, I bought 2 pants... the first was DKNY (how appropriate, buying DKNY in NY). Of course, it was on SALE, otherwise I would not have bought it. The other pair was from GUESS.... very cheap because it was also on SALE haha.
Then a little bit later, Marcos started to lose his spirit because he haven't had Jamba Juice for the whole day. So we asked if there is any juice place nearby. Then the salesgirl said yes, but the directions were not very clear. So we got a little lost for quite a while, but with determination, everything can be found. In the end, we found the Jamba Juice place, and immediately after Jamba, Marcos is back!!!

Anyways, will continue later because I need to take a shower now. See ya.

US Trip (1)

Here's the first part of (hopefully) my US trip blog haha. Anyway, first of all, the flight. I got lucky.... I got an aisle seat (the middle section), and there's nobody sitting beside me. But unfortunately now the armrest can't be pulled up because now the food tray is not at the back of the seat anymore, but it is inside the armrest. But still, I got a little extra room and one extra pillow haha. The flight itself is good (Singapore Airlines, of course). I managed to catch a few movies during the flight: Little Miss Sunshine, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and The Last Holiday. All tree are just so-so, not very good. I also watched 6 episodes of Two and a Half Men... those are funny :) Maybe I will start downloading it once I got back.

Then after 18 hours I finally arrive in NY. No trouble during immigration, but my luggage was searched, probably because the stuff that I brought for my friend. Then I waited for the shuttle bus for about 20 minutes in the cold (well, not as cold as beijing, but still... the wind is quite strong here). Got to the hotel safely, then went for dinner with Marcos (my friend) and Felix (his high school friend who I haven't met before, but he's cool).



We didn't really know where to go, so we just kinda walked to the direction of Times Square. Then after passing by numerous restaurants, we decided to went in to "The Delta Grill". The food was very nice, and we had a bottle of wine. After dinner, Marcos (and I think Felix too) were a bit high already (probably because they didn't have as much 'training' as me hahaha). So anyways, we walked around the city and took some pictures. Which reminds me.... must post pictures as soon as possible. By the time we went back, it was already around 12.30. Then finally I took a shower, and passed out on the bed.

Oh, the hotel itself is very nice. It's called Roosevelt Hotel, and we got a free upgrade to a deluxe room, so there is 2 double bed. Very comfortable :)





This morning I was the first to woke up at around 8. That's probably because my body haven't really adjusted to the time yet. Then we had breakfast at a coffee shop near the hotel. Afterwards we went to Macy's (supposedly the largest store in the world). Today they are having a special "One Day Sale". Once I went inside, it keeps reminding me of MYER in Melbourne. The interior design and the way they put the things are just very very similar. I didn't buy anything there, cos the problem with SALEs are there are usually no more small or medium size. Then we had lunch at Pong Sri (thai food, apparently is Marcos' favorite place to eat at NY). After lunch we walked up and down 5th Avenue for shopping. We bought lots of things.... will post details later.



Dinner was at a place called "Smorgas". Good food, but the service there sucks. And now here I am, feeling really sleepy and writing this blog. So, I'll keep posting in the next few days, so keep your eyes open.

Here we go....

Right now I am using a public terminal in Changi airport as I am waiting fot my flight to NY. Since my last post, I have enjoyed my last week in Beijing, managed to pack all my stuff in 2 suitcases, left China and arrived safely in Singapore on Saturday night.

The weather has been crazy everywhere I go.... my flight from Beijing to Singapore was delayed for 2 hours because of strong winds, and ever since I got to Singapore it has been pouring rain like there's no tomorrow. But it stopped raining when I got to the airport about 1 hour ago, so hopefully there will be no more delay.

I also managed to meet up with Lorraine (my former classmae) yesterday as she was here for an interview. Singapore is packed with shoppers everywhere. It's amazing how many people can go shopping on a Monday afternoon. I mean, don't they have to work or something? But then again, maybe it's because of the holiday season.

I also watched 2 movies : The Holiday and Casino Royale. Both are good.... especially 007. But both are quite a long movie.... when you think about it, movies ARE getting longer and longer these days.

Anyways, I'm off to walk around Changi airport..... who knows I might just start my shopping early hahaha.

Goodbye Beijing

Yes, after not writing for soooo long, so many things have happened, but nothing really interesting to mention here. Anyways, now my study here is finished, and next Saturday I will be leaving Beijing (China) for good.

Actually, exams already finished by last week and I have been doing practically nothing since then haha. Oh yeah, by the way, I got the highest score in class (again) for 综合 and 听力 class. Nothing to be really proud of, cos b4 the exam I've already got some tips from my friends who have been studying here before.

Some of my friends already left during these few days..... miss you all :(

So, what exactly have I learnt during my stay here? I really feel that I've grown in so many ways.... not only did my Chinese level improve tremendously, but I also met lots of interesting people, and made lots of friends (and some not so friendly ones haha) along the way. Had lots of new experiences, did some crazy things here and there..... but I think that my time is done here. I've done everything that need to be done, and I'm ready to move on.

Next stop..... reality. But thankfully I'm still gonna have one last excuse to take a break..... I will be going to New York and Houston on Dec 19, and spending Christmas and New Year there with my family. I will finally meet my future sister-in-law.

Oh, yesterday I downloaded the new All Saints album, and as I was hearing the songs, I don't know why, but they lyrics are so appropriate for my situation right now. In the song 'Scar', there was 'long are the days and lonely are the nights', which reflects my current situation. And then, in the song 'Rock Steady', they sang 'I got my bags packed baby and I'm ready to go, look at my eyes rock steady and I promise you more'. Hahaha.... what a coincidence.

OK then, that's about all that I want to say for now. I guess now that I have lots of free time I will try to post more often. Ciao.