Romania Day 1: Bucharest

Just thought it might be the best time to write about this trip now, the last summer break of my life?

So we 3 girls went to Romania for 6 days after our exam. Why Romania you ask? Because one of us has been to almost every country in Europe and Romania is one of the few exceptions. It ain't easy to find one kay hahaha. Booked the air tickets and accommodation on the last day of class of second year and off we went as soon as exam ended.

Arrived in Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport aka Otopeni Airport by noon and we had to take express bus 783 all the way to the last stop, Piata Unirii to reach our hostel, xHostel. We were quite blur and the ticket counter lady just sold us 3 return tickets when we didn't need it as we won't return to the airport by bus. Most of the time, the bus ticket can be used either for a return trip or 1 way trip for 2 people. For example, for us, since we only need 1 way ticket, we could have bought 2 tickets and burn half lol you get me, with 3 tickets, we burnt 1.5. It's okay, you have to pay to learn lol. By the way, Romanian Leu is almost at the same rate as Malaysian Ringgit to GBP, so we compared everything to the price back home. But of course, it's still in Europe, so you can't really expect things to be too cheap.

RON 8.6 for 2 trips

We only stayed one night in xHostel and it costed RON202 for a triple room. It has all the basic things so it's really good value for money. Just one funny thing, we checked in to drop our luggage and left to explore the city so we did not try to switch on the light. When we tried it at night, the ceiling light was so dim like lol luckily there was a table lamp that was much much much brighter.

Went to Bucharest’s oldest beer house, Caru’ cu bere for lunch. 

There's live music playing as you dine

Ordered the House Specialty: "Very slowly roasted pork knuckle with braised cabbage, polenta, horseradish and a chili pepper". It's RON 83, serves 2 hungry people. In my opinion, they mean 4 lol. It's a beerhouse specialty, meant to be eajoyed with beer, in other words, it's quite salty, almost everything on the plate was salty, except for the polenta lol.

Ciolan de porc cu varză calită. *me before realizing it is too much to handle*

It took us almost 2 hours to barely finish our lunch. And we actually did not feel hungry for dinner at all lol. To burn the pork knuckle we consumed, we went to Cişmigiu Park. It is not as big as Hyde Park but it's the oldest public garden in Bucharest.

come and have a sit beside me

Got attracted to the playground, I mean the designs are all so cute and fun!

lol this is so much more fun than the spring type

pink horse swing yoooo

a cutie we met in the playground #艳遇 hahaha look at that smile awww

Joined a free walking tour that evening. It's nice having someone local telling you the stories of the city, bringing the buildings, the streets to life. It's my first and it's not going to be the last.

Took some photos here and there so enjoy~

Really hope these buildings could be maintained

any buyer?

lol doesn't this look like RHB lol

Curtea Veche Church

Curtea Veche, the Old Princely Court, was built as a palace during the rule of Vlad III Dracula in the 15th century.

His longest rule was only 6 years.

the Old Town with all the bars and restaurants

it means Tailory.

in front of Banca Naţională a României

inside Hanu' lui Manuc which shelters travelers since the 19th century

Stavropoleos Monastery

that is Palatul CEC which is completed in 1900

it's called Statue of Trajan and the She-wolf, uhhuh

Caragealiana, Căruţa cu paiaţe which means wagon with clowns

An unhappy incident on our way back to the hostel after the tour: Ong Xie was checking the map, leading the way with Venie and me behind. When we walked past a row of men squatting on the sidewalk, before we realized, one of them touched Ong Xie's leg!!! We were walking so just continued walking, leaving those people behind, it happened too fast, we didn't know what to do. So from then on, we tried to walk with umbrellas, funny, but it's necessary.

And that's it, our one day in București. Even though before we went to bed, our key went missing and we almost flipped the room up side down to search for it to get back the deposit we paid lol we know the room so well my god after all the searching.





To be continue...

Not the first, not the last either

07.02.16

Second CNY away from home, never gonna get use to it. Had to do something to make it feel a little bit special than other days so dim sum for brunch it was. Somehow only had it twice when I was back in Malaysia last summer, even though I said I miss it so many times in Twitter, to family and friends.

So full almost skipped lifesaving wet session, but glad that I didn't, otherwise I wouldn't be able to have dinner lol. Wish everyone a good year ahead, as my 好朋友 said, .快乐最重要, so yea start doing, keep doing things that make you happy. And erm my 好朋友的好朋友 says, 健康也很重要, may everyone be healthy and live a long life happily.

Late

06.02.16

Didn't leave the house for the whole day. So pyjamas all day, had breakfast, watched some videos I think lol can't even remember, cooked lunch, did my homework, more videos bla bla bla. Nothing much. So I didn't really know what to write here. Oh by the way, the noodles I bought from Chinatown the other day because I needed to get extra things to be able to use card lol was really good, life's full of surprise lol~

But before I fell asleep, a random thought popped up: people around us are all mirrors, for us to see ourselves in them. They're not like the Mirror of Erised, not so deep, so powerful, but are definitely useful. We use mirror to see how we look, and to make ourselves look better, so other than physical appearance, maybe our self-improvement could use these mirrors too?

Rainy day

05.02.16

Stood in front of the rack with honey, maple syrup and nutella for so long this evening, they're on sale but hmmm should I should I not. Bought a pack of crisps at the end, what la.

Saw something on my way home after lecture, cant really describe it well but I don't have a photo. It is a part of a bird, I believe, some bones, feather, oh my, but I didn't see other part near it. Namo Amitābha

Flatmate's parcel from home arrived today, filled with all these goodies. A small fraction of what we normally see at home, in granny's living room, but hey they traveled miles and miles just to bring some warmth to this cold CNY. Family is probably back in hometown now, while I am here watching Chibi Maruko Chan celebrating New Year. 

Those small little things

04.02.16

Tried making the egg stand since it's 立春 but failed. CNY is so near, grandma, uncles and aunts were discussing whether to rent a house as this year many relatives will be visiting, there's not enough bed and space for all. You're welcome guys, don't have to thank me for that 1 empty bed. :')

Flowers are blooming already. So much earlier than last year. This winter is definitely warmer than last year. At least I haven't felt so cold that I start counting down to spring like last year. Can't wait to see London in full bloom.

Business before pleasure

03.02.16

This bad habit of procrastinating. You know mighty well that having your task done, your target achieved instead of leaving them to tomorrow will have the weight on your heart lightened. That is the sole best way, but you always wait, allow yourself to be distracted by some other interesting things and then go to bed feeling bad, guilty. And then, you wake up with all the burden from yesterday, which is extra heavy, if it's cotton yesterday, it's drenched today.  

Anyway, those are some matcha goodness I indulged in today, thanks to flatmate. One of the things I miss so much when I am in the UK but did not even try to look for when I went back to Malaysia. The list goes on and on. Gosh stop or you are going to list everything out.

To think before you act

Or not? That is a question, in my opinion.


02.02.16

I normally end up not doing something if I start thinking about it. That's because even if it is just 5 seconds, I would already have come up with at least 10 reasons or more accurately, excuses for me to not do that thing. So if it is something which you should do, you want to do, maybe just do it and before you realize, you have already done it, perfectly, and the 10 excuses do not mean anything really, then.

Was in Chinatown just now when they were getting the CNY decoration up. 6 days to 年初一. This year, CNY doesn't fall on the reading week, it's a week earlier instead. Just how many times had I thought whether I should just skip a week and go home for 2 weeks. Hah this kind of things, you should really think before you act. I did and so I will not.

I shall sleep. Till then.

Hi February!

01.02.16

Always thought Monday is very important in determining how that week is going to be like. Wake up at once when the alarm goes off, then mostly for that week you will not click on that snooze button. Well, I mean days when you are not forced to wake up early, which exclude days with 9am lecture, urgh. 

Taking the tube once in a while reminds me that I really am in London. Hah yea why do I need to be reminded, I am, in London. London is so congested with people from every corner of the world, including me. So sometimes, the tube is one of the things which I see London in besides the usual, Big Ben, Tower Bridge etc. 

What nonsense is this. 

More to come.
Heh.