How Should I Celebrate My Birthday?

This is the milestone year when I finally turn 30. YES, the BIG three! I had the impression that after our 21st birthday, every birthday seems to pale by comparison..  but whatever, it's my birthday! Instead of waiting for others to be reminded when my birthday is, I am informing them in advance..

*it's in the fourth week of November.. 24th of this month*. Yes, the month of November is upon us now.

So, How Should I Celebrate My Birthday?

I got the idea to blog about this from Tammy as she was so open about her last year's birthday celebration! ^^

My week days and weekends are almost crammed to the max (trying to study my hangul verbs, Christmas play, servicing my clients), with barely a few hours free to do much shopping on Saturday afternoons. Sunday is the perfect day to have an early birthday celebration as my Sunday afternoons are almost free ...

After my usual Sunday chapel service, here is a "made-up" plan ..

2.00pm    Mid Valley Signature Gardens- Watch "Final Destination".. (This is the only movie that piqued my interest.. have not even watched latest instalment of Harry Potter... that long ago!

5.00pm    Have a body massage & facial therapy in an up-scale spa somewhere in town. Maybe at a high-class 5-star hotel where the staff won't be pushy to try their treatments *laughs*, or at Sothys, or Clarins..

8.30pm   Have dinner at a fancy steak house in town with friends.. (hmmm *meat* .. or pasta). 

10.00pm   Head over to a fancy club/ karaoke till almost midnight to end the day's celebration!

Sounds like a viable cool plan to me!

Reflection: My trip to Singapore.

In Singapore- ChinaTown during the Mid-Autumn festival.

It's been a while since I had left the country. I officially returned to Malaysia in the last week of January this year, after I had been away from the country for over two years after leaving for Australia to complete the remainder of my undergrad studies in Toowoomba in 2007.

How was Singapore?

I headed during the Raya holidays late September. I was lucky to get cheap flights on Tiger Airways.

My trip was initiated due to someone in my social circle, but for reasons unknown, decided to pull out of the trip, leaving me to fly there on my own. Obviously I had squabbles with her over it, but I shall not dwell on it further..  it was definitely not a good feeling, I must tell you. To that in future, I would have to take suggestions from similar and like characters with a pinch of salt.

Truth be told, it feels a bit funny to be paying for purchases for products where the currency is about three times of the currency where you are getting your payroll from, and its only walking distance between paying for it in Malaysian Ringgit , or Singaporean dollar.

Not to mention, that almost everything is almost similar. If it I were in Australia, or South Korea, it would be a totally different feel altogether.

Going to Singapore on my own was definitely an eye opener. It did give me a funny feel to fly on my own to Singapore.. from Malaysia. I know I have been travelling on my own, by myself throughout South Korea, and Japan, but its different when you know that there is someone at the end of your destination to come and meet you at the airport, or to show you around.

I was supposed to meet a local Singaporean friend from university, but that did not work out.

Oh well, we shall see how it works out when I finally rummage through the group tours as I plan for my year end holiday trip overseas.

Japan: Yusentei Garden @ Fukuoka City.

I arrived in Kyushu by ferry on a Friday evening. My Kyushu native friend, Haruna, whom I had met in New Zealand whilst on Kiwi Experience in North Island, picked me up from the seaport. Japanese customs are *VERY VERY* strict on allowing Malaysians entering the country. I had lost about 100,000 (AUD100) won that very day, and my notebook, so all my information was gone!!

Fortunately, the immigration officer noticed that my visa was issued in Sydney, Australia. It was that "little information" that prompted her to allow me to enter Japan. What a relief!

Not to mention that my phone was running out of battery in cold winter temperature. If you were wondering, yes, the phone battery does not last very long in winter temperature, especially harsh Korean winters. Although it was much warmer down south in Busan, and Kyushu, my phone did not last very long after that.

My Australian Pre-Paid Optus had no coverage in Japan either, although I heard that Post-Paid/Contract Optus accounts do run in South Korea though. Oh Well.

The next day after a quiet Friday night in, Haruna drove us around me around in the morning to look for a laundromat.. It seems that South Korea did not have coin-operated laundromats around. Had to carry dirty laundry all over Gyeong-Ju & Busan!! *Scary*

It was such a relief to be able to see something familiar again. Not cheap to wash your clothes, but whatever! Clean Clothes matter!

The simple but yummy dinner that Haruna prepared on Friday... (can't remember name! )

Coin-operated laundromats.. not found in South Korea..

Up close. The machines operates 10 minutes for Y100. (about RM5.00)

Yusentei Garden- The garden remembered for its association with Kuroda clan of Chikuzen. The nearest garden to where Haruna was living at.

Admission: Y200 (Adults) (RM10.00)

20% Discount with presentation of Fukuoka Welcome Card Guide Book. (Y160).

 

 Pretty Japanese bridesmaids...

Behind the scenes.. its freezing cold with everyone in their shawls!

It was *cold*!!

The black & white bride & bridegroom.

Much later... after a change of clothing..

Carp swimming happily.

A view of the Yusentei Garden house beside the lake...