Monday, December 29, 2008 @ 4:09 AM
X'mas in Finland!
The x'mas tree behind us is REAL! Taina's sister went to chop it from the woods! So cool isn't it?!I think this is the most unforgettable Christmas ever! =) & this very christmas, my dream came true! I finally had a white christmas! Been wanting to experience that since dunno when ... This year I finally got the chance! & I hafta thank Taina & family for inviting us over to her place to stay over the christmas! It really made my christmas special.
Since Taina didn't stay in Helsinki, but in the countryside, Louise & I took a train into Parikkala where Taina stayed... Then Taina pick us up from the train station. Then brought us to her place.. It's a really nice farm house.. It's my first time staying in farmhouse... & I guess it's a rare chance since there's like no farmhouse in Singapore? So everything was 'new' for me ... & we had a traditional Finnish christmas! It's really nice to spend it with her and her family ... The traditional Finnish christmas food was nice too! Louise love the Keralian pastries... I love the rice porridge with some fruit sauce we had for breakfast on christmas day! Of course there's the basic few like Turkey and ham ... But they have like all sorts of casseroles... Then they have this pastry with plum filling ... That was good too! & Taina's sister baked the log cake herself! It tasted so good ... it's chocolate cake and there's like lemon cream in there or something ... It's nice! Then after christmas lunch ... We had a gift exchange then we went to the cemetry! I know it sounds kinda creepy ... But it actually doesn't even feel creepy at all .. It's actually a Finnish tradition to go to the cemetry to light candles at their elderlies/family's tombstone on christmas eve... So you see many ppl there ... & actually .. If you overlook the whole cemetry when it's dark .. It's really kinda nice to see the lighted candles... I know some of you might think i'm crazy .. But it's the truth ... =P
The Christmas Meal!
Keralian Pastries (It's rye pastry with rice porridge in them)
Butter with egg spread... They usually eat it with the Keralian pastries...
The casseroles... Frome left: Sweet turnip casserole, liver casseroles and carrot casserole (top right)
Pastries with plum filling 
Log cake that Taina's sister baked!
Pepper cakes! (There's no pepper in there, it's more of like ginger snaps?I dunno, it's apparently a scandinavian christmas thingy... It has like cinammon and some other spices in there) 
The view i get outside the window when i have meals! so nice! 
Gift exchange time! 
Fruit sauce for the porridge.. There's like Prunes, apricot n some other fruits in there... 
Rice porridge On christmas day, Taina showed us around her area - the statue park, drove us near to the border between Russia and Finland... Then we went to the bar on christmas night... It's something different from the usual club or bar we go to .. Coz it's like a small county ... So everybody knows everybody... It's kinda weird ... & everyone goes to the same bar coz that's like the only bar? So you see ppl of all age group in there! from like 18-70? I really dunno ... But it's just weird seeing ppl who are older in there ...
Calf that they rear... 
Playing with the sparkle thing ... =P 
That's a frozen lake behind me ... 
My 2nd snow angel! =)
At the statue park ... 
But all in all ... We had a fun stay at Taina's place... It's really nice ... =)) This christmas was indeed special!
@ 3:43 AM
Venice...
Finally i'm back to whr i really love to be - venice! Been wanting to go back to Venice after i've been there when i was younger... Dunno why ... But just love the place! It's nice to be able to see it again .... Lucky me ... =)
Anyway, we had like way too much time in Venice ... So we went into almost ALL souvenir shop.. at least those that's nearer to the train station ... haha ... It's kinda nice to be able to take things slowly ... Enjoy the sights n have enough rest ... It's really nice !
There's really not MUCH attraction in Venice I would say ... It's a realy small place ... but I guess just walking along the canal is nice? =P Alright.. Shall let the pictures do all the talking .. =p
I totally just love this place ... Although it's a small place... & maybe kinda touristy ... But it's nice to be walking along the canal! =)
Sunday, December 28, 2008 @ 10:04 AM
Rome
After Sweden, the next stop is Rome!
I guess everyone roughly knows where i went ... Just the typical tourist attractions! Vatican city, colosseum .... There's just too much to see in Rome... & I seriously think that it's a very popular tourist country! I see SO MANY Singaporeans there! I din even feel like i was in Italy ... It's definitely not one of those exotic country.... Our hostel was near to the train station ... So in some sense it's pretty centralize? I guess we mainly just sight see there... Didn't do much I guess...
There are more pictures... guess i will upload on facebook! =P
@ 9:35 AM
Sweden...
We took the SJ train to Stockholm ... it was bout 6-7 hours? We spent a couple of days in Stockholm.. Everyone says dun need to spend so many days there ... But in the end Karen & I seemed to have so much to do that it seemed like we could have used more time ... Basically we did quite some shopping there...
We stayed in Old town.. It's a really nice place with those 'older' buildings and stuff... But we din really hang out there much ... We took the ferry to Skansen, went to the christmas market there, there's like so many stalls and all selling more or less the same stuff... It's kinda interesting .. .Just like our chinatown during chinese new year... & we tried Reindeer meat! =X Then we saw all the scandinavia animals ...
On the ferry to Skansen
Great Grey Owl
Reindeers!Apart from Skansen, we went shopping! & of coz we shopped lotsa H&M coz it's from Sweden.. then of coz we went Ikea! How can we not go to the ikea there when it's from there? =P We ate meatballs, walked ard abit ... & Karen got her sis Nudie jeans from there... It's so much cheaper there... Sweden has so much products/brands/shops.. Everything seemed to be from there!
The Original Ikea!
Swedish meat ball!Oh wells, we definitely enjoyed our time there! =)
@ 2:36 AM
Back to Oslo ...
Alright... I'm finally back to Oslo, Kringsja! It feels good to be home! But, this time the feel is different ... Coz it's so much quieter... Karen went back to SG alr ... No one to lepak with n chat with n to have meals with already ... =(( But good thing is i have my laptop n i have packing to keep me company! haha .. Packing's not the thing I wan but i've got no choice! Got some of my stuff into one luggage, but STILL lotsa stuff outside! I'm so dead! =X
I just went shopping with Louise today at Majorstuen ... Last chance to shop here already ... Gonna miss seeing 'Cubus', 'H&M', 'Bik Bok' n all the other Scandinavian brand! Bought abit of stuff today ... But i shouldn't buy anymore if not i really dunno how to pack it into my luggage...
Anyway, i had an enjoyable trip to Sweden, Rome & Venice with Karen & enjoyed myself with Louise & Taina in Finland! All my trip was awesome & fun! =)
I shall dedicate a post to each of my trip ... Stay tuned! =X
Sunday, December 7, 2008 @ 10:19 PM
Sculpture park
Finally 3 paper down and term paper clearing soon! Means 1 more paper! I just can't wait! After that it will be travel & back to SG!
Anyway, after entity paper, Karen, TK, Lou, Dada & I went to the sculpture park! Like finally! Coz we've been wanting to go but it just drag on and on ... So we thought that we won't have the time to do it alr since it's exams ... But we manage to make it there in the end! But it's really cold! Brrr... My hands was so painful even thou i was wearing gloves ... & it was so cold that my camera can't take it... When i on the flash, smoke came out from my cam! I got a shock ... =X Lucky nothing happen to it ... =P
After that we just went to shop a bit then came back to hostel ..