Saturday, April 30, 2011

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Central Europe trip - Austria

Witam wszystkich! A quick update from Krakow :)

Our eastern europe trip has been a hugely fun, enriching journey, a blast to the past back when Mozart made pieces, empires fought over land, communists ruled the day and fascists ran amok. Austria-Hungary-Slovakia-Poland-and still ongoing!

I am still amazed at the sheer serendipity, the fateful twists and turns that happens through our trip. One day before we set off, and Stephen convinces me to go for the school-organized trip to Salzburg. And we made it on the reserve list, saving loads on the travel there. Not to forget, we spent the day with our Potluck gang, Andrew, Paul et al as well as many other exchange students from TUM! Personally, it was too distracting talking to all the people around, and i could barely appreciate the beauty and wonder of Salzburg itself! I just remember being shuffled here and there into group photos with castles and statues, and meeting new friends from Iran, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, etc... (and more of the latter, at that.)

The day ended with us scrambling to look for transport to Vienna. The trains were ludicrously expensive; it would have been cheaper for us to travel from Munich to Vienna instead! As we wandered around looking for a last hope, we stumbled into an internet bar. We began to converse with the owner, but he barely knew English. Yet at that very moment, his english-speaking friend came in. And she actually took the time to help us look for a rideshare option (and the owner made free calls for us, to talk to the ride hosts). So it was that we happily spent the night riding to Vienna in our host's car, together with a student and a professional football player.

To make things more difficult (and exciting, of course), we reached Vienna only to find out that ALL hostels and hotels were full for the night. Turns out the Vienna City Marathon, 32000 participants strong, was about to begin tomorrow. Again, we stumbled from block to block in the freezing night, lugging our heavy bags along. Even the living rooms were occupied in one of the hostels! Finally we found Hostel Ruthelsteiner, and maybe it was our frostbitten faces or Stephen's charismatic begging, but we found ourselves invited inside for a free night's stay, comfortably settled in their bar couches :)



That night, we felt both the desolate feeling of being homeless, and the pure warmth of receiving shelter and kind hospitality.

Dawn arrived, and we were up to explore the city! Daybreak brought runners scrambling for a quick breakfast, and we chatted with them for a map of the marathon and tips on where to catch them in action :) And it was very, very interesting to go down to the starting point, where swarms of people in fancy running suits geared up for the race. (P.s. we took a picture with the medals and certificates later - will post up again haha.)





Vienna...a beautiful, refined city, it bustled with monuments, museums, statues and concert halls galore. We wish we had the time to go through these cultural learning experiences, but with the one day that we had, it was a big rush to navigate and explore the city centre (without a map, too). To our very, very pleasant surprise, along the way we met Marte, a Berliner, who was able to give us FREE train tickets to Budapest, our next destination! I cannot stress how casually our conversation went and how this windfall fell out of the sky into our laps. Just like that.





The night found ourselves grabbing some beers and socializing back at the hostel (we'd gotten ourselves a proper room this time haha). We got to know Eun A, a Korean who was just beginning to travel alone in Eastern Europe. That sounded kinda dangerous to us, so we thought it'd be a good idea to invite her along. And well, she's still here with us haha.





Anddd off we were to Budapest the next day. Farewell, Vienna... somehow i feel like i haven't grasped the full cultural experience you offer. Wait for me to come back in a more appropriate suit and bowtie next time!

Anyway, this first leg of our journey was the most unplanned, unexpected, and... exciting :p It fits Stephen's and my nature to go out there in this vast, wild world and just, you know... get lost. Because it's only when you find yourself lost, that you can discover new worlds of the unknown. Sometimes you have to let go of the control you assert upon the world around you, and instead ride the currents of fate to wherever they bring you. It may not be safe or reliable, and it may lead you to unintended territories, but... isn't that what life should be about? Since when did life degenerate into a little cubicle or flat, a tiny comfort circle where you took pride in the feeble control you had? Since when did life decay into an infinitely extending racecourse, where you scrambled to win and succeed? Since when did you begin fearing to live, to lose, to risk and to die?

We all need a little chaos in our lives. So don't forget to pack it in your suitcase the next time you go traveling :)


Saturday, April 16, 2011

Bayern

Back from a three day trip around Bayern, traversing across historical and culture-rich towns like Nuremburg, Wuertzburg and Bamberg :) It has been a refreshingly fun journey with Jack, Guo Chuan and Edwin, who turned out to be my RI/RJ seniors! One thing we share in common: the love of learning, the passion for thinking... thanks for giving me a blast to the past, where everyday brought a new discovery, a challenge for the mind :p Not forgetting Goldfish, who was constantly being bullied by us guys haha.

Nuernberg, probably our favourite destination, had a majestic, quaint old city that was surrounded by towering watchtowers and walls and gardens. Look out for the Gingerbread man, and try the sweet-and-spicy gingerbread cookies in local bakeries :) And grab some savoury beer in the quality breweries and pubs across the city. Once groggy, head up to the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg at the top of the walls for a good view of the cityscape that it has defended for centuries.

Wuertzburg, with its splendid Residenz and Court Gardens, lives up to its title as Europe's most beautiful palace. Plus it has a grungy medieval castle - the Marienberg Fortress, seat of the Bishop Princes - that offers a fun, exciting route climbing up to it!

Bamberg... a much smaller town with an excessive number of two things: breweries and churches. Which makes sense, since monks were the first ones who made beer here. And this renowned Raunchbier - we savoured it at Schlenkerla's Tavern, down at Dominikaner Strasse in Old Town - tastes and smells of smoked ham. The monks made it so they could get around their fasting comfortably... smartasses. Anyway, a must-try, together with the great Bavarian food found here :)

Anyway, just a few snippets before I set off tomorrow for a two weeks long Eastern Europe voyage!







Friday, April 8, 2011

The Food Blog

Welcome to the Food Blog series.

Creation of the day:
Golden Salami Bowl

You need:
1x Schinken-sprinkled Cheddar
1x fine German bread
50g fatty Salami
150g Italian dumplings
1x weird sense of cooking
1x strong stomach* (impt)

Instructions:
1. Cook a pot of 315.252 ml water. Boil the italian dumplings.
2. You won't know when it's done. Just take it out whenever you like.
3. Hang the bread over the still boiling pot precariously. With luck, it gets steamed.
4. Chop it up like you're Hannibal.
5. Throw everything into the bowl, lay the cheese on like a maestro and put it in the oven for 3min.
6. Enjoy!




Sunday, April 3, 2011

München

Munich likes me.

Well, that's what its motto says anyway. "München mag Dich" (Munich likes you).

It's been my first couple of days here! Stayed one night at Sonya's, near Giesing, where i enjoyed some grocery shopping with her and enjoyed her cooking for dinner :) We strolled around the city center, and i'm beginning to fall in love with the European architecture. It simply gives an old town rustic feel to the place, like 'an age-old village from Grimm's fairy tales', and yet it is exquisitely modern, sharp, efficient. It's not hard to see why their previous motto was, "Cosmopolitan city with a heart".




The next day i woke up to a FANTABULOUS breakfast all setup by Sonya. And i wish i could have said that i must have woken up at a Bed n Breakfast, but i know no BnB would ever provide such great food. Right, ZY?

Thank you so much for your lovely hospitality, Sonya :)


Having started off with a great breakfast, the rest of the day was a cinch as i rode about getting documents signed and moving into my new hall of residence, or wohnheim. At Heidemannstraße, there's a bar for the students, grocery stores, well you can read it here.

The room itself is pretty much like a standalone apartment, equipped with toilet, kitchen, fridge and furnishings. I would have preferred something more communal though, like a common room or sorts! Well, off i went doorknocking to meet the neighbours. Andddd turns out they were all away for the hols. Bummer.



It felt so cold and lonely the entire time that i couldn't help but get my ass downstairs to explore the grounds. I found my way to the basement, and bumped into YuPeng, a student studying Mech.Eng at TUM. He turned out to be my saviour and friend as he gave me a walkthrough on everything, brought me grocery shopping at a cheaper place and invited me to his neighbour, Marco's bbq party tonight! And it was a blast. Just getting to know person after person, practising my German profusely and exchanging about cultures and lives. Not to mention lots of Helles beer :p It reminded me so badly of our block parties back in Hall XI 54, year one, sigh. I will probably never have as much fun again with as great a bunch of frens... but hey, this isn't so bad either haha.




It is absurdly pure luck that led me to meet Yupeng at the exact time he was going to wash his clothes, and the exact day and place there was a party happening and he was part of it. I am getting a great start to my journey here in München!

Well, Munich, looks like your feelings for me are not unrequited. I like Munich too :)

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Respite

My last two nights in SF and the US, before heading for Munich!

It also turned out to be my most comfortable abode, with luxurious lodgings and two cats to snuggle with :p

Judy and Mike gave me such a warm reception, settling me down so quickly that within minutes, i found myself in the living room, sipping tea with the cat on my lap and talking to their other guests! We had a wonderful dinner, trying out my first artichoke (a delightful gastronomic dish, i might add), and sharing across cultures. The house felt unusually safe, homely and civilized; perhaps i was just too used to roaming about the wilds of Las Vegas in the past week :p

Flo, their other French surfer, was embarking on an amazing biking journey across the States the next morning! I'd definitely want to stay with her the next time i go to France...she's a fun, bubbly person, and her home is rooted at the foot of the French Alps, amidst snowy trees and upcroppings!






As for us, miraculously, Judy and Mike were heading off to Napa Valley in the morning, which was one place i missed out in SF previously! So off we went, through lakes and farms, endlessly stretching vineyards that stood like a multitude of crosses, martyr tombs, buried into the hilly lands. They dropped me off downtown, where i wandered the quaint streets and boulevards.

It turned out they had a stunningly beautiful weekend house buried in the hills of Napa Valley, with a ripe bloom of flowers, olive and lemon trees! They even made their own olive oil, pretty amazing. Picked up some misc gardening, agriculture knowledge from them here and there :p

The rest of the day, at SF's modern art museum, roaming its arty farty halls and getting above my head again. Night time, preparing my 'infamous' couchsurfer's SG dinner :) I think i'm getting better at this haha. Really wished i could spend more quality time with Judy and Mike though... I would think that a day or two is never enough to make the best of the couchsurfing experience.





Sadly, i have reached full circle in my US trip. Starting off from vibrant SF and acclimatising for the first time to the States, then hopping to Pittsburgh to experience a non-touristy city plus exploring the snowy wilderness, and then to Orlando for some pure fun and shopping as well as exploring the other side of the city on my own. Finally, Las Vegas for some amazing couchsurfing experiences amidst the glittering glamour and decadent culture. All in all, a full-bodied, diverse experience that exposed me to a full facet of people and environments, and made me feel i'd got to know this big, beautiful world of ours a little more...Goodbye and farewell, America!