Created this Starhub stores listing because their iphone where to buy page is SO informative. And also because i wasn't invited to the midnight bonanza, i have to go to the stores on 30th July to pick up a leftover set (which might not have). Sigh.
Anyway thought this might be helpful for you guys. I had to go to 2 different pages on Starhub to combine the information.
Anyway thought this might be helpful for you guys. I had to go to 2 different pages on Starhub to combine the information.
NORTH
|
EAST
|
WEST
|
CENTRAL
|
| Causeway Point #B1-08 Daily: 10:30am - 9:30pm Tel: 68936558 | Tampines Mall #02-26D/27/28 Daily 10:30am - 9:00pm | West Mall #04-17 Daily: 11:00am - 9:30pm Tel: 68617535 | Cuppage Centre #01-02/03 Daily 10:30am - 7:30pm |
| Sembawang MRT #01-02 Daily 11:00am - 9:00pm | Tampines One #04-28 Daily: 11:00am - 9:00pm Tel: 67831101 | Bukit Batok MRT #01-04 Daily: 11:00am - 9:00pm Tel: 65691011 | Plaza Singapura #01-36 Daily 10:30am - 9:00pm |
| Northpoint #B1-03 Mon to Fri: 11:00am - 9:00pm Sat, Sun & Public Holidays: 10:30am - 9:30pm Tel: 67542028 | Parkway Parade #B1-37 Daily: 10:30am - 9:30pm Tel: 63462008 | IMM #01-62 Daily 11am - 9pm | Bugis Junction #01-55 Daily: 11:00am - 9:00pm Tel: 63387780 |
| Ang Mo Kio Hub #02-57 Mon to Fri: 11:00am - 9:00pm Sat, Sun & Public Hoildays: 10:30am - 9:30pm Tel: 62583915 | Jurong Point #B1-14 Daily: 11:00am - 9:00pm Tel: 67949210 | OUB Centre #B1-02 Daily 10:30am - 7:30pm | |
| Compass Point #B1-30 Daily: 11:00am - 9:00pm Tel: 68755210 | ION #B3-16 Daily: 11:30am - 9:30pm Tel: 67600800 | ||
| Hougang Mall #04-13/14 Daily: 11:00am - 9:30pm Tel: 63860906 / 63860908 | VivoCity #02-202 Daily 11:00am - 9:30pm | ||
| Toa Payoh HDB Hub #01-06 Daily: 11:00am - 9:30pm Tel: 62568895 | 313 @ Somerset #04-04 Daily: 11:30am - 9:30pm Tel: 65098800 | ||
| Toa Payoh Central Blk 183 #01-278 Daily: 11:00am - 9:00pm Tel: 63565466 | Esplanade MRT #B1-07 Daily: 11:00am - 9:00pm Tel: 63372128 | ||
| Sun Plaza #02-15 Daily: 12:00pm - 9:30pm Tel: 67533973 | |||
| CitySquare Mall #B2-25 Daily: 11:00am - 9:00pm Tel: 65091182 |
*This post is dedicated to Scott!
You are the best! :) :) :)
You are the best! :) :) :)
just finished ep4 of true blood season 3. the ending closed with damien rice's demo version of '9 Crimes'.
damien rice songs make me sad. true blood is so good though.
9 Crimes (Demo) by tds
rainy chilly night.
damien rice songs make me sad. true blood is so good though.
9 Crimes (Demo) by tds
rainy chilly night.
just watched Inception just now and i would concur with everyone else that it was indeed quite the mindfuck. if you have yet to watch it, go watch! and do not read this post because it contains spoilers, so be warned. for the rest of you that did, scroll down...
So the movie essentially is a Ocean's Eleven + the Matrix combi, with Leonardo DiCaprio leading the group. What is really cool for me though (and a lot of people, judging from the red hot reviews every where), is that this movie is intelligent. Nolan really showcases the complexity of his storytelling through the plot that is supported and executed so elegantly with a perfect cast and action effects. In a landscape littered with brainless Hollywood films and independent films that take themselves too independently, the film is like a much needed open window to a stuffy room. Fresh air, finally!
Although there are flaws to the movie logic (if you watch a 2nd time like my friend, it becomes more obvious), the movie still manages to draw you in. To me, watching a movie or reading a book is actually a parallel to being in a dream, because you are following someone else's stories. It is an entirely constructed world that has rules defined by the scriptwriter, the director, or, the architect. One of my favourite lines in the movie would be, "Well, dreams feel real while we're in them, right? It's only when we wake up we realize something was actually strange."
Bam! Genius line.
To understand Nolan a little more, here's a quote by him:
And that, people, is more or less why the film mindfucked me. It actually has layers, in the film and beyond. Not forgetting the Edith Piaf song, "Non, Je ne regrette rien" that was used repeatedly as a siren song to bring people back to reality. Marion Cotillard played Edith Piaf in a Oscar-winning role, yet in this film she is the one that does not believe in reality. Ironic, and i love the intertextuality, whether it is intentional or not!
I have to watch Memento now.
Jul 20, 12:05pm edit: Brilliant blog post. Some points in that article, we discussed it too! (esp. the baggage part). hmm.
So the movie essentially is a Ocean's Eleven + the Matrix combi, with Leonardo DiCaprio leading the group. What is really cool for me though (and a lot of people, judging from the red hot reviews every where), is that this movie is intelligent. Nolan really showcases the complexity of his storytelling through the plot that is supported and executed so elegantly with a perfect cast and action effects. In a landscape littered with brainless Hollywood films and independent films that take themselves too independently, the film is like a much needed open window to a stuffy room. Fresh air, finally!
Although there are flaws to the movie logic (if you watch a 2nd time like my friend, it becomes more obvious), the movie still manages to draw you in. To me, watching a movie or reading a book is actually a parallel to being in a dream, because you are following someone else's stories. It is an entirely constructed world that has rules defined by the scriptwriter, the director, or, the architect. One of my favourite lines in the movie would be, "Well, dreams feel real while we're in them, right? It's only when we wake up we realize something was actually strange."
Bam! Genius line.
To understand Nolan a little more, here's a quote by him:
"I've been fascinated by dreams my whole life, since I was a kid. I think the relationship between movies and dreams is something that has always interested me and I've liked the idea of trying to portray dreams on film," Nolan explains. "For me the primary interest in dreams and in making this film is this notion that [in] your mind, while you are asleep, you can create an entire world that you are also experiencing without realizing that you're doing that. I think it says a lot about the potential of the human mind, particularly the creative potential. It's something I've found fascinating."And while the son of the enemy empire goes through a catharsis to reach the end goal of the inception team (to plant an idea in him through his relationship with his father), the same thing happens to Leonardo's character. Through the dreams, the catharsis happens and he realises what he must do with his wife and the guilt that finally frees him to go home. And the spinning top that spins without conclusion before the film cuts -- that was a brilliant 'kicker' by Nolan that wakes you up from the dream-movie that you've been in. It is inconsequential whether or not Cobb is in another dream or not because he finally moved on to beyond not seeing his kids' faces, and that is a new state, reality or not. I loved how Nolan uses the recurring images of his kids appearing everywhere in Cobb's dreams because oft-times people dream about the same things again and again, without knowing why or their significance.
And that, people, is more or less why the film mindfucked me. It actually has layers, in the film and beyond. Not forgetting the Edith Piaf song, "Non, Je ne regrette rien" that was used repeatedly as a siren song to bring people back to reality. Marion Cotillard played Edith Piaf in a Oscar-winning role, yet in this film she is the one that does not believe in reality. Ironic, and i love the intertextuality, whether it is intentional or not!
I have to watch Memento now.
Jul 20, 12:05pm edit: Brilliant blog post. Some points in that article, we discussed it too! (esp. the baggage part). hmm.
my current song obsession. bruno mars, and paolo nutini (jenny don't be hasty!)
enjoy :)
We interrupt regular programming to bring you a piece of unrelated news.
In case you don't know, hollywood's most infamous party girl was sentenced to 90 days jail because of her various misdemeanors that includes driving under influence of booze and coke. However tmz reports that she will typically only do 23 days of actual jailtime.
Lindsay Lohan is going to jail!
(Just thought that this photo actually made her look quite good, plumped lips and all.)
[Source]
In case you don't know, hollywood's most infamous party girl was sentenced to 90 days jail because of her various misdemeanors that includes driving under influence of booze and coke. However tmz reports that she will typically only do 23 days of actual jailtime.
Watch the videos of her recorded court session, including her plea and crying here!
There was also further news that she might be sued for contempt in court because her 3rd fingernail had the words "fuck you" written on them. ok, that was seriously not smart, lohan.
But she's a pretty lass and Hollywood paps will miss her. We're waiting for the post-jail interview now.
19 June 2010, Day 9 – Geneva to Zurich to St. Gallen
I OVERSLEPT AGAIN! Shit man. I remembered setting my alarm for 6.30am, but my alarm totally did not go off at all, or either it did and I cancelled it. I don’t know why! It was 8.30am. But this time it was not as big a deal, even if I did miss my 7.45pm train. And then, this is good. I got out of the house at 9.10 and bought a ticket to take the tram that takes me to the station to catch the 9.45 train. However I was so unlucky because there I was, tight for time, and the police had to do inspection checks on the tickets! I had mine in one of my pockets but I was searching everywhere for it and the officer said, “give me your passport. Get off the tram now.” And I had to do what she said. Two of us got off the train, and then I found my ticket while she was writing the other dude up and fining him for not buying a ticket. But I did! ARgh! So I had to wait for the next tram, and of course I missed my 9.45am train.
No matter. I bought the 10.14 train, but this time it was an indirect one that changes at Bern. I thought I had some time finally so I went to get breakfast from that awesome boulangerie. Guess what. I got to the platform at 10.14 just in time to see the train pull away from the station! FML.
Had to wait for the 1045am train then, which was the direct one, so actually the train will arrive just 10 mins after the one that I missed at 1014, so it wasn’t that bad. And I don’t have to lug my bags around to change trains. Ate my chocolate au pain at the station while waiting... and the fat fat pigeons were eyeing my pastry ok! I had to shoo them away and protect my pastry from their beady eyes. I was afraid they would fly into my face and just steal the pastry away, haha.
Uneventful train ride that stopped at Zurich. I am such a pro now at taking the train. Haha. Got there, and had to wait for my sibs as they were stuck in a jam in the rain! Bought a Beef Italia burger from macs while waiting as I had to try their local version of macs. It was only 3.90 francs, and surprisingly good! Bought one for Fe too, haha. Finally found the sibs and joined them in the car in the brutally cold weather. It was raining again! Miserable!
Long car ride back to St. Gallen. They could have in fact met me straight at St. Gallen as I found to my chagrin that my bro’s apartment is just opposite the train station! Argh. But no matter. Went grocery shopping at Migros! The boys went to buy Omar’s sausages which were damn good while I stocked up on chocs and cheese to be brought back. We then walked in the cold and I wanted to check out H&M, but it closes at 5! It was like 4.55pm. Sucks. Everything just closed so in the end we just went back to the apartment.
Dinner was researched and found, just 1.5km from us at Fondue Beizli! Yums.
-pics-
17 June 2010, Day 7 – Thurs Client Meeting
Next day was bright and early meeting at another client’s office. It was again a good meeting, and we went for lunch just next door. This time the food was rather normal, but still good for someone who’s really starved for authentic European food!
-pics-
After lunch we finished up the meeting and got back to the apartment. By then it was 7pm! Just went downstairs to the Road Runner for some gourmet burgers then, which was really quite good as well and apparently well-known. I have a penchant for junk food so burgers are totally fine by me.
Got back to the apartment and had to work on a presentation.. but we did that in front of the telly as France was playing against Mexico. And they lost, which got Alex swearing. Haha. Then it is off to bed for an early morning the next day, but not before I wrap everything up. By then it was 2am.
18 June 2010, Day 8 – Vallee de Joux
Ok this is really embarrassing, but I overslept. We were supposed to leave the house by 6.30am but I thought we were waking up at 6.30 so even though my alarm rang at 6.15 I was like oh, I can snooze, till 6.30am and Alex was standing at the door asking “Alexis, we are supposed to leave at 6.30 right?” Omg. So it was a mad rush but we got out of the house in 15 minutes. Quite a feat. Rushed to the train station, and managed to catch our 7.14am train, with some time to spare to get breakfast too. But we received a call halfway that we were to alight at this stop that we missed. So we alighted at the stop we were planning to alight at, and had to take a cab. This particular client was situated way up in the mountains! It was a really scenic drive up.
The meeting went well again as usual. Lunch was at their canteen which was super huge and had all kinds of food! I had a magerhita pizza.
-pics- it was super yummy!
Back to the office after lunch to continue on till about 6.30! Then we had a driver send us down. The twirling of the roads around the mountain got a bit much for me and I felt slightly sick but I was ok when we got back to our apartment and rested for a while. Again it was like 8.30pm when we set out for dinner.
This time round its for the best Italian food in Geneva, on the recommendations of Michel. We took a tram to the city center and found the place after walking around a bit.
-pics-
It was a great dinner to round off the intensive week, really. Kind of like a celebratory reward for us and the work put in! We really did not have much of any R&R time during the 4 days so it was nice to just sit and relax and have some sparkling and red wine with our Italian food.
Took a brisk walk back to the tram stop after to digest a bit before going back to the apartment! Then it is bed time for me at 1.30am to wake up at 6.30am the next day to leave Geneva for Zurich again!
15 June 2010, Day 5 – Geneva Client Meeting
Next morning, had the same breakfast and checked out together with Grace by 10am. She went on her way to the train station while I took a cab to see our client and finally meet Alex and Michel, who are coming direct from the airport. It was a good meeting. We went for a nice lunch nearby at the town of Carouge.
-pics of lunch-
Back to the office, further discussions, before we end off at about 6+. Cabbed back to the city again, and this time we had to find out own accommodation instead of Michel’s apartment as planned as something cropped up. We had to check all the hotels nearby but they were all full! The ibis hotel that we first checked said they might have availability though, but will only know at 7. We should have stayed and waited but instead went around the city lugging our luggage all over only to meet with full bookings. That was tiring. Stopped to have a drink, got the good news and back to ibis we go. Nice room.
-pics-
Freshened up and then it was out of the door again this time for a nice dinner. CHEESE FONDUE!!!! It had always been my dream to have that signature Swiss dish and apparently I had the luck to go to the best cheese fondue restaurant in Geneva – Café Soleil or something like that. It was tres awesome. You can taste the wine in the cheese at the sides of the tongue as the cheese engulfs your tastebuds in a cocoon of bliss. Mmmmm. Before that was an appetizer dish of dried meat as well as a glass of red wine that was really yummy.
-pics-
And that concludes day 5.
16 June 2010, Day 6 – Wed Rest
The next day we woke up to the news of the Orchard Road flood as I checked my twitter feed at the hotel looby. The weather’s not that great in Switzerland either but we finally made our way to Michel’s very nice apartment that was situated convenient next to a tram stop. It was on the 4th floor and had this really small lift that has a manual door you have to open. Apparently that is a feature in French lifts as well. The apartment was really really nicely decorated with an African theme. It was really comfortable, and I especially love the rain showerhead in the bathroom. Too bad I did not take a photo!
We just regrouped that day and chilled out for a while, with clients coming over to the apartment. Switzerland won their match that afternoon and the whole street was honking! By evening, its time to head out to Michel’s wife’s place and we watched the live finale of the French version of American Idol called Nouvelle Star in front of the TV with some bread, cheese, wine and salad.
-pics-
An interesting thing was how we got there – 3 people in a SMART car that is a two-seater. So I was sitting in the middle with the gearstick in between my legs. Haha. It was such a hilarious situation, Michel always makes any situation funny. Startup-style, that was called. Vroom vroom! Forgot to take a photo again!
Next morning, had the same breakfast and checked out together with Grace by 10am. She went on her way to the train station while I took a cab to see our client and finally meet Alex and Michel, who are coming direct from the airport. It was a good meeting. We went for a nice lunch nearby at the town of Carouge.
-pics of lunch-
Back to the office, further discussions, before we end off at about 6+. Cabbed back to the city again, and this time we had to find out own accommodation instead of Michel’s apartment as planned as something cropped up. We had to check all the hotels nearby but they were all full! The ibis hotel that we first checked said they might have availability though, but will only know at 7. We should have stayed and waited but instead went around the city lugging our luggage all over only to meet with full bookings. That was tiring. Stopped to have a drink, got the good news and back to ibis we go. Nice room.
-pics-
Freshened up and then it was out of the door again this time for a nice dinner. CHEESE FONDUE!!!! It had always been my dream to have that signature Swiss dish and apparently I had the luck to go to the best cheese fondue restaurant in Geneva – Café Soleil or something like that. It was tres awesome. You can taste the wine in the cheese at the sides of the tongue as the cheese engulfs your tastebuds in a cocoon of bliss. Mmmmm. Before that was an appetizer dish of dried meat as well as a glass of red wine that was really yummy.
-pics-
And that concludes day 5.
16 June 2010, Day 6 – Wed Rest
The next day we woke up to the news of the Orchard Road flood as I checked my twitter feed at the hotel looby. The weather’s not that great in Switzerland either but we finally made our way to Michel’s very nice apartment that was situated convenient next to a tram stop. It was on the 4th floor and had this really small lift that has a manual door you have to open. Apparently that is a feature in French lifts as well. The apartment was really really nicely decorated with an African theme. It was really comfortable, and I especially love the rain showerhead in the bathroom. Too bad I did not take a photo!
We just regrouped that day and chilled out for a while, with clients coming over to the apartment. Switzerland won their match that afternoon and the whole street was honking! By evening, its time to head out to Michel’s wife’s place and we watched the live finale of the French version of American Idol called Nouvelle Star in front of the TV with some bread, cheese, wine and salad.
-pics-
An interesting thing was how we got there – 3 people in a SMART car that is a two-seater. So I was sitting in the middle with the gearstick in between my legs. Haha. It was such a hilarious situation, Michel always makes any situation funny. Startup-style, that was called. Vroom vroom! Forgot to take a photo again!
13 June 2010, Day 3 – Dijon Strasbourg Geneva
Next day we woke up to a sunny day. Proceeded to go back to the town centre where things were still closed, being a Sunday. The thing with Europe is that virtually EVERYTHING closes by 5pm on a Sat, and all closed on Sundays, with weekdays closing at 7pm. That is one thing I cannot reconcile with compared to Asia. We couldn’t even buy any Dijon mustard since the shops were closed, haha. Had some pastry from the boulangerie though. Everyone was buying bread. That seemed to be what they like to do regularly, buying baguettes, which I find very amusing.
The wine shops were open though and that’s the aim of QY – to try and buy wines from the Burgundy wine area. I however am not that interested as I don’t think I can fully appreciate wines. But it was nice to experience them anyway since we are in the famous Burgundy wine region.
Went to another little town called Eguisheim that looked like a real Disneyland setting with all the quaint cottages, cobbled stones and even a horse drawn carriage! Popular among LKKs, this town. LKK = lao kok koks, the old folks! It got a little drizzly but nothing serious.
When we got back to the car I realized that my train to Geneva is at 5pm instead of 7. That was quite a blur moment, and the entourage had to discard their white-wine region to send me to Strasbourg. Boo. And when I got there found out that my train had left so I had to take another one that transfers at Bern. It was a super long journey – 2.5 hours to Bern, half hour wait, and then finally to Geneva. I reached the station at 11.40 and finally got to the youth hostel at midnight.
The youth hostel was another new experience. Luckily the registration desk opens till late and I had already booked a bed (really last minute, 2 nights ago). I had to stay in the 6 people dorm as there was no other space. I got a bedroll and a card that lets me open a locker and access to the room. It was surprisingly clean and filled with people at that hour though, so that’s great. Showered quickly, had a quick wrap with a drink downstairs and crawled into bed quietly (4 other people are already sleeping).
14 June 2010, Day 4 – Geneva Annecy
Breakfast! Woke up a bit later and went for the canteen breakfast downstairs. It was good actually, quite hearty, with bread, butter, jam, cereal and coffee/tea/orange juice. Nothing too fancy and I suspect what a lot of people in Europe have for breakfast.
Had a quick chat with a dorm mate, and found out to our surprise that she was from Singapore! And further conversation divulged that she was my senior from university from 10 years back. Wow! That was quite cool that we actually met in a youth hostel in Geneva. She’s here on stopover from London.
That Monday was excursion day for me. I set out at about 10, and had planned out a whole journey to Annecy in France that was supposedly just 2 hours away. My siblings told me it was beautiful there so I wanted to see for myself, since I have nothing much to do anyway. First part of the trip started well, walked to the train station, took a tram, and alighted at Amandolier. Then the confusion started as I could not find the Geneve-Eaux-Vivres train station where I am supposed to catch a bus! I asked an old man for directions and he told me to take another tram for a few stops along with him. Then I got even more lost walking around from there and asked more people for directions all of which did not help. Haha.
Finally had to resort to smsing ZQ and scott in Singapore for them to check the transport website for me again. Apparently then I had to take the train from Eaux-Vivres to Annemasse and catch a bus instead of a direct one, so I went back to amandolier, and found the station tucked behind in a small road fork! I should have looked closer the first time.
So I took the train, and had to look around for the bus as well and managed to buy a ticket and catch it in time. Dang. The bus ride was uneventful, but the weather outside was great for the first part. But by the time I got near to Annecy it started pouring really heavily! Really not my luck. Got off the bus and it was freezing cold with the rain that I had to hide in a restaurant and have my lunch. I was also quite clueless as to where to go to sightsee as I am alone and do not want to miss my bus back. I did however see a little of the old town and it was really nice, if the weather is. Hurried back and had a coffee and crepe, as well as bought 2 macarons and an apricot tart to take away. At least I had that!
Another long bus ride back, but this time direct to Eaux-Vivres. Took the tram back and then walked to the hostel, but not before stopping to have a kebab nearby. It was a HUGE kebab, I cut it into two and was still full from the half. I saved the other half for Grace (the fellow Singaporean), thinking if she did not have dinner I can pass it to her. In fact, when we got back, we found out that the Japanese girl in the bed above me had not had dinner and shops were all closed! So she had a free kebab, haha.
Next day we woke up to a sunny day. Proceeded to go back to the town centre where things were still closed, being a Sunday. The thing with Europe is that virtually EVERYTHING closes by 5pm on a Sat, and all closed on Sundays, with weekdays closing at 7pm. That is one thing I cannot reconcile with compared to Asia. We couldn’t even buy any Dijon mustard since the shops were closed, haha. Had some pastry from the boulangerie though. Everyone was buying bread. That seemed to be what they like to do regularly, buying baguettes, which I find very amusing.
The wine shops were open though and that’s the aim of QY – to try and buy wines from the Burgundy wine area. I however am not that interested as I don’t think I can fully appreciate wines. But it was nice to experience them anyway since we are in the famous Burgundy wine region.
Went to another little town called Eguisheim that looked like a real Disneyland setting with all the quaint cottages, cobbled stones and even a horse drawn carriage! Popular among LKKs, this town. LKK = lao kok koks, the old folks! It got a little drizzly but nothing serious.
When we got back to the car I realized that my train to Geneva is at 5pm instead of 7. That was quite a blur moment, and the entourage had to discard their white-wine region to send me to Strasbourg. Boo. And when I got there found out that my train had left so I had to take another one that transfers at Bern. It was a super long journey – 2.5 hours to Bern, half hour wait, and then finally to Geneva. I reached the station at 11.40 and finally got to the youth hostel at midnight.
The youth hostel was another new experience. Luckily the registration desk opens till late and I had already booked a bed (really last minute, 2 nights ago). I had to stay in the 6 people dorm as there was no other space. I got a bedroll and a card that lets me open a locker and access to the room. It was surprisingly clean and filled with people at that hour though, so that’s great. Showered quickly, had a quick wrap with a drink downstairs and crawled into bed quietly (4 other people are already sleeping).
14 June 2010, Day 4 – Geneva Annecy
Breakfast! Woke up a bit later and went for the canteen breakfast downstairs. It was good actually, quite hearty, with bread, butter, jam, cereal and coffee/tea/orange juice. Nothing too fancy and I suspect what a lot of people in Europe have for breakfast.
Had a quick chat with a dorm mate, and found out to our surprise that she was from Singapore! And further conversation divulged that she was my senior from university from 10 years back. Wow! That was quite cool that we actually met in a youth hostel in Geneva. She’s here on stopover from London.
That Monday was excursion day for me. I set out at about 10, and had planned out a whole journey to Annecy in France that was supposedly just 2 hours away. My siblings told me it was beautiful there so I wanted to see for myself, since I have nothing much to do anyway. First part of the trip started well, walked to the train station, took a tram, and alighted at Amandolier. Then the confusion started as I could not find the Geneve-Eaux-Vivres train station where I am supposed to catch a bus! I asked an old man for directions and he told me to take another tram for a few stops along with him. Then I got even more lost walking around from there and asked more people for directions all of which did not help. Haha.
Finally had to resort to smsing ZQ and scott in Singapore for them to check the transport website for me again. Apparently then I had to take the train from Eaux-Vivres to Annemasse and catch a bus instead of a direct one, so I went back to amandolier, and found the station tucked behind in a small road fork! I should have looked closer the first time.
So I took the train, and had to look around for the bus as well and managed to buy a ticket and catch it in time. Dang. The bus ride was uneventful, but the weather outside was great for the first part. But by the time I got near to Annecy it started pouring really heavily! Really not my luck. Got off the bus and it was freezing cold with the rain that I had to hide in a restaurant and have my lunch. I was also quite clueless as to where to go to sightsee as I am alone and do not want to miss my bus back. I did however see a little of the old town and it was really nice, if the weather is. Hurried back and had a coffee and crepe, as well as bought 2 macarons and an apricot tart to take away. At least I had that!
Another long bus ride back, but this time direct to Eaux-Vivres. Took the tram back and then walked to the hostel, but not before stopping to have a kebab nearby. It was a HUGE kebab, I cut it into two and was still full from the half. I saved the other half for Grace (the fellow Singaporean), thinking if she did not have dinner I can pass it to her. In fact, when we got back, we found out that the Japanese girl in the bed above me had not had dinner and shops were all closed! So she had a free kebab, haha.
Day 2 – Lyon and Dijon
Saturday, woke up bright and early and checked out of the hotel. Packed everything into the car, and it was off to walk about! The weather that day was gorgeous – it was cool but the sun was shining, blue skies! Perfect for sightseeing.
beautiful river!
they have bicycles for rent there. the gang checks them out.
it's a scene we'll quickly get familiar with. closed shops :(
Cam whored a little on this beautiful day!
Elsie looking cheerful, but mute from her bad throat.
The sisters
We had pastries from an artisanal boulangerie first and it was yummeh. With a cuppa café crème. We realized that they don’t serve lattes in France. But it was top stuff, one of the best breakfasts we had in Europe.
Look at the selection of freshly baked bread. Who wants to go to Breadtalk after this???
i tried to order a quiche + dessert + cafe set in french. i think i failed, but got what i wanted.
other items that we shared!
SALIVATES. best. tart. ever.
the happy 6. (i am smiling behind the camera too!)
It was onwards to the Old Town after! I love walking there as the architecture’s so authentic! There was also a Saturday flea market happening in front of the cathedral.
Explored the rest of the old town, with the secret passageways, before climbing up the really high Basillica and the church.
It's really steep, groans. You can see the basillica from here.
Nice houses along the way
Halfway up, you can see the cathedral that was at the foot
There was a panoramic view of the entire Lyon city.
Took a lot of pictures of the church etc, but realised they looked quite similar to the one below, and are rather boring, so SKIP!
We had lemon sugar crepes as reward after coming down. (The guy behind is preparing a Nutella one, and yes he looks quite fierce.)
Felicia with hers.
Next up, we went grocery shopping to buy a picnic lunch in the Lyon park! Apparently one of the biggest urban parks in Europe, it boasts of a lake and acres of greenery. There was even a zoo but we didn't go. People were sunning themselves and we joined them on the grass with our grocery-bought baguettes, cheese, hams, salads, biscuits, ovomaltine spread, yogurt and a kebab. Very cool, I love picnics!
Then it is bye bye to QY’s friend, who was with us. She’s on her way to France while we continued on to Dijon. It was a beautiful scenic drive with the clouds forming picturesque views! And the vineyards with the baby grape plants got all of us so excited we stopped to take a closer look.
Dijon!
Windows XP Wallpaper, v.2. haha!
Super awesome cloud formations
Last cloud pic promise. haha.
Paying for toll
Saw something funny on the way and I managed to capture it! Half a house!
Baby grapes. Come August they will be delicious ones!
Reached the town of Dijon pretty late at 7, so everything else was pretty much closed. Went to the little little hotel room to place our stuff and out we go to search for dinner in the town square.
Quaint little town..
Found a place with my name in it! But we went to the restaurant beside and sat al fresco as the sun slowly descended.
This was our view as our seats were surrounding the plaza
Bro with his GPS. Planning.
He ordered an aperatif AND a wine.
My order - beef bourguignon that comes with some egg pasta!
I could taste the wine in it and it was quite nice, if not a tad too salty
Bro's cous cous with chicken, I think. Looks rather gross in the pic but its yummy, really.
Fe has never tried a beef tartare, so she was determined to order one! It came, gargantuan, and had mustard in it which she did not really eat. But it was quite interesting, the raw taste of beef with the wasabi-ish mustard... A bit like eating sashimi.
Close up of the RAWness.
Da's carbonara.
Elsie's salmon with veggies cooked in a plastic bag. haha.
The sun was slowly setting at TEN.
Yummy ice cream, salted caramel
Apple tart with ice cream, yum too!
View of the plaza as the sun finally decides to call it a day.
Awesome end to an awesome day. Back to the hotel we go!
Saturday, woke up bright and early and checked out of the hotel. Packed everything into the car, and it was off to walk about! The weather that day was gorgeous – it was cool but the sun was shining, blue skies! Perfect for sightseeing.
beautiful river!
they have bicycles for rent there. the gang checks them out.
it's a scene we'll quickly get familiar with. closed shops :(
Cam whored a little on this beautiful day!
Elsie looking cheerful, but mute from her bad throat.
The sisters
We had pastries from an artisanal boulangerie first and it was yummeh. With a cuppa café crème. We realized that they don’t serve lattes in France. But it was top stuff, one of the best breakfasts we had in Europe.
Look at the selection of freshly baked bread. Who wants to go to Breadtalk after this???
i tried to order a quiche + dessert + cafe set in french. i think i failed, but got what i wanted.
other items that we shared!
SALIVATES. best. tart. ever.
the happy 6. (i am smiling behind the camera too!)
It was onwards to the Old Town after! I love walking there as the architecture’s so authentic! There was also a Saturday flea market happening in front of the cathedral.
Explored the rest of the old town, with the secret passageways, before climbing up the really high Basillica and the church.
It's really steep, groans. You can see the basillica from here.
Nice houses along the way
Halfway up, you can see the cathedral that was at the foot
And FINALLY! We reached the top.
There was a panoramic view of the entire Lyon city.
Took a lot of pictures of the church etc, but realised they looked quite similar to the one below, and are rather boring, so SKIP!
We had lemon sugar crepes as reward after coming down. (The guy behind is preparing a Nutella one, and yes he looks quite fierce.)
Felicia with hers.
Next up, we went grocery shopping to buy a picnic lunch in the Lyon park! Apparently one of the biggest urban parks in Europe, it boasts of a lake and acres of greenery. There was even a zoo but we didn't go. People were sunning themselves and we joined them on the grass with our grocery-bought baguettes, cheese, hams, salads, biscuits, ovomaltine spread, yogurt and a kebab. Very cool, I love picnics!
Then it is bye bye to QY’s friend, who was with us. She’s on her way to France while we continued on to Dijon. It was a beautiful scenic drive with the clouds forming picturesque views! And the vineyards with the baby grape plants got all of us so excited we stopped to take a closer look.
Dijon!
Windows XP Wallpaper, v.2. haha!
Super awesome cloud formations
Last cloud pic promise. haha.
Paying for toll
Saw something funny on the way and I managed to capture it! Half a house!
Baby grapes. Come August they will be delicious ones!
Reached the town of Dijon pretty late at 7, so everything else was pretty much closed. Went to the little little hotel room to place our stuff and out we go to search for dinner in the town square.
Quaint little town..
Found a place with my name in it! But we went to the restaurant beside and sat al fresco as the sun slowly descended.
This was our view as our seats were surrounding the plaza
Bro with his GPS. Planning.
He ordered an aperatif AND a wine.
My order - beef bourguignon that comes with some egg pasta!
I could taste the wine in it and it was quite nice, if not a tad too salty
Bro's cous cous with chicken, I think. Looks rather gross in the pic but its yummy, really.
Fe has never tried a beef tartare, so she was determined to order one! It came, gargantuan, and had mustard in it which she did not really eat. But it was quite interesting, the raw taste of beef with the wasabi-ish mustard... A bit like eating sashimi.
Close up of the RAWness.
Da's carbonara.
Elsie's salmon with veggies cooked in a plastic bag. haha.
The sun was slowly setting at TEN.
Yummy ice cream, salted caramel
Apple tart with ice cream, yum too!
View of the plaza as the sun finally decides to call it a day.
Awesome end to an awesome day. Back to the hotel we go!
Finally got around to inserting the pics into my blog! Here's the first entry on my trip to Europe 2 weeks ago.
-------
Blogging in the plane now because it is 5.21pm Zurich time and I am unable to sleep. Foresee some trouble staying alert when I touch down in about 6 hours and have to to work straight, but also foresee the lack of time in blogging and the inertia that will arise, so I thought to better get it done first while the memories are still fresh.
Work was the reason why I was given the opportunity to travel to Europe. My company is French-affliated and we have clients overseas, so this time we go over to visit them (instead of skype and emails) and finally get to put a face to the electronic communication we have. The value of such visits in strengthening relationships on both ends that no amount of calls and emails can make up for is immense, despite the high cost and 12 hour journey that we have to take to create that.
Like I previously said, preparing to leave for the airport was a huge huge rush. For some reason there simply was no time and it was as if every minute was snatched away. Even during the week leading up to it had been slightly breathless. But I was really excited to be taking the new Airbus A380 from Singapore Airlines.
I was however not used at all to travelling alone. My dad sent me to the airport and saw me off the gate, and it was literally flying solo from there. Travelling is much more fun with companions I reckon, and it also reduces the chances of getting a fat woman sitting beside me on the plane, which is just my luck. She had no concept of personal space and kept elbowing me with her fat arm and shifting in her seat. Not fun. Flight food was also underwhelming perhaps due to my expectations for SQ. I conclude that food from Cathay or Japan Airlines were yummier.
I have also taken about 775 photos this trip. Actually that was not a lot – 515 photos were taken in the first 4 days while from Tues to Sun night it was only 260. They are mostly food or scenery photos as well so, pretty boring in terms of visual interest and Facebook-postability, even if the food posts are definitely gonna get some attention. I am going to try and keep the photos to a bare minimum to ensure their quality!
Day 1 – Arrival at Zurich
OK so back to the day. I arrived in Zurich at 8am and had to find wifi so I could settle some last minute stuff at work before catching the train at 10+am. The one thing I realized is that free wifi in Europe is almost inexistent and in most cases you have to pay, at rates such as 4 CHF per hour. That’s 5.6 sgd per hour! Pricey since I am so spoilt with Wireless@SG. Ahh, perks of being in Singapore.
On to the trains. Another thing that I quickly became an expert on was the transport system of Europe. Trains are the lifeblood of the country really and they are completely different from the so-called “trains” we have in SG. There, trains travel from France to Switzerland to anywhere basically, connecting from 1 service to another seamlessly in a precise timetable.
However for me that first day getting to my destination of Zurich to Geneva to change to Lyon-Part-Dieu was rather hellish due to my novice ability in taking the train. Imagine, getting off the plane with swollen feet and fingers due to the water retention from the flight, and then having to drag my rather heavy baggage (a black duffel and a red small luggage and a 2.4kg macbook in my handbag) from the airport to the train station in the cold that I wasn’t used to, and to figure out which platform to catch the train.
The trains there are really impressive though.
I made my first mistake of boarding my Zurich-Geneva train in the first class compartment, as I had no idea they were separated until the conductor came by and told me. Ah, no wonder the seats were so spacious and there wasn’t anybody. So I trudged after him to the 2nd class cabins and boy was it different. There were 2 levels so I had to carry my bags up the stairs and squeeze through all the young backpackers sprawled across the cabins. Quite a nightmare but I finally got a seat. Read my book and bought a sandwich and coke for lunch.
Next, changing at Geneva. That was rather uneventful even though I was momentarily stressed again from figuring out where to board. I have to stamp my ticket as I am crossing the border, and find the correct section of the train I need to board get my luggage quickly on the train before I hold anybody up. Finally reached Lyon-Part-Dieu, which was a major transport crossroad as the station was huge!
(Just requested for a 2nd movenpick chocolate ice cream. Whee! And I can feel my feet swelling in my shoes. Ugh, I hate that!)
People-watched at the station as I wait for my siblings to arrive. By then it was 4pm. Finally saw my brother QY with his super long floppy hair – he apparently did not trust the Europe barbers with his hair so it was uncut since February! Goodness. Haha but I was so happy to see them! Finally some company. It was drizzling then. Took the train and walked to the hotel they were staying at. Small place, nothing great but at least I could wash and freshen up, before meeting the rest near the giant square in Lyon (photo below). The rain had intensified into a huge one by then and blew my umbrella into unrecognizable shapes. Ha. But quite fun. Stopped by in a café and had a pastry and coffee, before we decided to walk around. Yili stayed in the hotel room as she was feeling unwell – apparently they have been “chionging” (rushing everywhere in) Europe before I arrived and it was a bit much.
Joined fe in going to the Lafayette store as it was simply too cold to walk around, which is what the others did. Ha. Regrouped at macs and it was off to find a place for dinner! Lyonnais food was the order of the night. It was traditionally food of the workers and very heavy. By then I was almost concussing into my plate, I was so sleepy from jetlag! After dinner it was a quick cab back to our hotel for bedtime.
Here's the Lyonnais food.
C'est tout for the first day!
-------
Blogging in the plane now because it is 5.21pm Zurich time and I am unable to sleep. Foresee some trouble staying alert when I touch down in about 6 hours and have to to work straight, but also foresee the lack of time in blogging and the inertia that will arise, so I thought to better get it done first while the memories are still fresh.
Work was the reason why I was given the opportunity to travel to Europe. My company is French-affliated and we have clients overseas, so this time we go over to visit them (instead of skype and emails) and finally get to put a face to the electronic communication we have. The value of such visits in strengthening relationships on both ends that no amount of calls and emails can make up for is immense, despite the high cost and 12 hour journey that we have to take to create that.
Like I previously said, preparing to leave for the airport was a huge huge rush. For some reason there simply was no time and it was as if every minute was snatched away. Even during the week leading up to it had been slightly breathless. But I was really excited to be taking the new Airbus A380 from Singapore Airlines.
I was however not used at all to travelling alone. My dad sent me to the airport and saw me off the gate, and it was literally flying solo from there. Travelling is much more fun with companions I reckon, and it also reduces the chances of getting a fat woman sitting beside me on the plane, which is just my luck. She had no concept of personal space and kept elbowing me with her fat arm and shifting in her seat. Not fun. Flight food was also underwhelming perhaps due to my expectations for SQ. I conclude that food from Cathay or Japan Airlines were yummier.
I have also taken about 775 photos this trip. Actually that was not a lot – 515 photos were taken in the first 4 days while from Tues to Sun night it was only 260. They are mostly food or scenery photos as well so, pretty boring in terms of visual interest and Facebook-postability, even if the food posts are definitely gonna get some attention. I am going to try and keep the photos to a bare minimum to ensure their quality!
Day 1 – Arrival at Zurich
OK so back to the day. I arrived in Zurich at 8am and had to find wifi so I could settle some last minute stuff at work before catching the train at 10+am. The one thing I realized is that free wifi in Europe is almost inexistent and in most cases you have to pay, at rates such as 4 CHF per hour. That’s 5.6 sgd per hour! Pricey since I am so spoilt with Wireless@SG. Ahh, perks of being in Singapore.
On to the trains. Another thing that I quickly became an expert on was the transport system of Europe. Trains are the lifeblood of the country really and they are completely different from the so-called “trains” we have in SG. There, trains travel from France to Switzerland to anywhere basically, connecting from 1 service to another seamlessly in a precise timetable.
However for me that first day getting to my destination of Zurich to Geneva to change to Lyon-Part-Dieu was rather hellish due to my novice ability in taking the train. Imagine, getting off the plane with swollen feet and fingers due to the water retention from the flight, and then having to drag my rather heavy baggage (a black duffel and a red small luggage and a 2.4kg macbook in my handbag) from the airport to the train station in the cold that I wasn’t used to, and to figure out which platform to catch the train.
The trains there are really impressive though.
I made my first mistake of boarding my Zurich-Geneva train in the first class compartment, as I had no idea they were separated until the conductor came by and told me. Ah, no wonder the seats were so spacious and there wasn’t anybody. So I trudged after him to the 2nd class cabins and boy was it different. There were 2 levels so I had to carry my bags up the stairs and squeeze through all the young backpackers sprawled across the cabins. Quite a nightmare but I finally got a seat. Read my book and bought a sandwich and coke for lunch.
Next, changing at Geneva. That was rather uneventful even though I was momentarily stressed again from figuring out where to board. I have to stamp my ticket as I am crossing the border, and find the correct section of the train I need to board get my luggage quickly on the train before I hold anybody up. Finally reached Lyon-Part-Dieu, which was a major transport crossroad as the station was huge!
(Just requested for a 2nd movenpick chocolate ice cream. Whee! And I can feel my feet swelling in my shoes. Ugh, I hate that!)
People-watched at the station as I wait for my siblings to arrive. By then it was 4pm. Finally saw my brother QY with his super long floppy hair – he apparently did not trust the Europe barbers with his hair so it was uncut since February! Goodness. Haha but I was so happy to see them! Finally some company. It was drizzling then. Took the train and walked to the hotel they were staying at. Small place, nothing great but at least I could wash and freshen up, before meeting the rest near the giant square in Lyon (photo below). The rain had intensified into a huge one by then and blew my umbrella into unrecognizable shapes. Ha. But quite fun. Stopped by in a café and had a pastry and coffee, before we decided to walk around. Yili stayed in the hotel room as she was feeling unwell – apparently they have been “chionging” (rushing everywhere in) Europe before I arrived and it was a bit much.
Joined fe in going to the Lafayette store as it was simply too cold to walk around, which is what the others did. Ha. Regrouped at macs and it was off to find a place for dinner! Lyonnais food was the order of the night. It was traditionally food of the workers and very heavy. By then I was almost concussing into my plate, I was so sleepy from jetlag! After dinner it was a quick cab back to our hotel for bedtime.
Here's the Lyonnais food.
C'est tout for the first day!
