A Home

Taken from the book - have a little faith

From a sermon by the Reb, 1981

"A military chaplain told me the following story:

"A soldier's little girl, whose father was being moved to a distant post, was sitting at the airport among her family's meager belongings.

"The girl was sleepy. She leaned against the packs and duffel bags.

"A lady came by, stopped, and patted her on the head.

"'Poor child,' she said. 'You haven't got a home.'

"The child looked up in surprise.

"'But we do have a home,' she said. 'We just don't have a house to put it in.'"

Everyday, I though of ways to earn more and to buy a bigger place, to get a condominium where there are facilities and such. It never dawn on me that I was lucky, luckier than millions... who have no house to place their homes... for that,  I will cherish my home much more.

Pleasure and Sorrow

I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne'er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.

Robert Browning Hamilton

An Island

"How long are you going to stay like this?"

My mum asked me one fine day.

"What do you mean by this way?"

I was caught unaware by her question and frankly, have no idea what she was referring to.

"Being an island, keeping to yourself, staying home all day long, not meeting up your friends and such."

She sighed as she spoke.

"I am meeting up with friends, I just met up with Elizabeth a few days ago and was going to meet up with Joann until you came along and interrupted our lunch plans."

I replied defensively.

She knew that I would start raising my voice if she kept probing so she sighed and asked no more. I sulked and though about what she said, my thoughts ran through the events that occurred the last few months... I knew that I was keeping to myself, it was as if I had transformed myself into a statue, hoping that no one would notice that I exist. I simply lack the energy to make new friends... I should say it was the lack of effort. It never occur to me that one day I would be in such a situation, an island by myself.

It was my own fault, I had placed myself on this island, rooted myself there, I should have made more close friends than depend on a couple. And I know that I do not want to stay on that island anymore, I just need some time to trust again, to trust people again. I asked myself if I was satisfied with my life to die now, my answer was no, I wanted to live, to live life once again, to cherish the memories of the past and make new ones in the present. It is never too late... I choose to believe =)

The Black and White

I always thought black and white pictures give a unique characteristic to the picture itself, it seems to portray the people or things in the picture in a different manner and I do take black and white pictures from time to time.

1 picture a day

When I am home, my camera is only used when I baked or cooked something special but that is not the way to hone your camera skills so I told myself: 1 picture a day, all I need is one good picture a day with the correct lighting and exposure.

Well, I returned from Milan 2 days ago, was contemplating buying a Chanel wallet when I was there. But I was glad I managed to resist the temptation even with the other girls around, it is hard not to give in sometimes, they usually seem to have the power of persuasion, that is why I dislike going out with anyone that has a goal - a goal to purchase something branded. At that moment when you see someone else holding something new in their hands, you find the need to do the same, and that need can really burn a hole in your pocket.

Instead, I bought cured beef, parma ham, mascarpone... etc. Salads have become a staple food in my life, something which I crave for time to time and having salads in the States or Europe can be costly at times even though all of us knew that vegetables are not expensive itself. So I do enjoy a home-made salad which is put together in matter of minutes, no fuss at all. I can't stress enough how much I love cured beef and smoked salmon. They pair perfectly with almost any kind of salad leaves and dressing but not the creamy kind like caesar salad dressing. My all time favorite salad with cured beef as the topping seen below, dressed in balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil. Simple yet delicious!

Once mine

Surely there were memories that hindered my path once.

Those were once mine.

I can't show anyone this tearful face I have, the scars I so cherished.

Those were once mine.

Go and search for what you need even if it's only a little by little.

So your eyes can get used to this darkness.

Sway, sway my feelings, on the nights I cried alone.

Hurry, hurry, there's still time left to wave your arm widely as you go.

And when you finally find that treasure, shout out "It's not over yet!"

I am waiting and if you are not coming, then I'll go to you.

Love theme songs from animes but sometimes, the direct translation of the lyrics can be weird. But all in all, the feelings within the songs still reaches you.

Cream or no cream?

I returned from Milan, and I was eager to make tiramisu again. Why is that so?

Firstly, I bought a few tubs of mascarpone cheese knowing that I wouldn't be able to finish using it all, but all thanks to my itchy fingers... Every time I see a new brand of mascarpone, my hands reach out for the tub unconsciously and there you go, I brought back with me 1.5kg of mascarpone cheese *smiles*

Secondly, I ate an authentic tiramisu made by an italian and it was unbelievably delicious, the tiramisu cream was thick yet smooth, the sponge fingers had soaked up all the aroma coffee and was wrapped entirely in the creamy mixture. From that moment on, I kept thinking how the cream mixture was being made, was it that he added double cream to the mascarpone which made it thicker and smoother?

The moment I got home, I knew what I had to do... After shower, I went through the procedures in my mind. Two different tiramisu, one with double cream and one without, this way, I would be able to compare the two while tasting.

My mum told me that my sis-in-law and brother would be returning for dinner, and maybe going back to visit his in-laws too. So I made 4 boxes of tiramisu... only to discover that my sis-in-law was on her way to Jakarta, and my bro would not be coming as he might be watching the soccer match tonight... 4 boxes may be a little too much for my mum and I since my dad can't take sweet stuff, but in the face of tiramisu, it is never too much!

Can't wait for night to come when the tiramisu sets, and that's when the sprinkle of the coco begins... =)

Tiger's Birthday

"Happy Birthday!! Tiger!!"

I said out loud as I ran after my dog. He must think what is this crazy woman up to again. *laughs* I fed him more apples today, as usual, known as the culprit for causing him diarrhea and once, an allergy because I bought him a movable soft toy dog to play with, the bill from the veterinary caused me ten times the price of the soft toy... bravo... Karen...

Yesterday, 18th October 2009, was the birthday of my shetland sheepdog, commonly known as sheltie. He is 5 this year, but still behaves like a puppy, sulking when anyone heads out, chasing anybody with food in their hands, barking non-stop at the ice-cream and newspaper men, tugging at us when it rains to remind us that it was time to shut the windows...etc.

He has been a good dog and I always scold myself for not playing with him more whenever I am back here. He has become a part of my life the very day he was brought back to our home, a small and curious puppy whom my brother and I chose as he was 'bullying' his fellow cage-mate, thus the name - Tiger. But as we all know now, he is not that brave, jumping up at the slightest crash or bang. But our family loves him for the joy, laughter and comfort he has brought to each and everyone of us.

Cheers to the happy times ahead!

bLUEbERRY mUFFiNS

As mentioned earlier, I decided to go against my mum's request of not baking anything when she is not around. Well, before deciding on the bake item of the day, I did take into account that there would be no helper this time round to help me wash and clear up the mess. Heh.

I went through the list of pastries that I wanted to try out mentally and it seems that blueberry muffins was the best choice. I had two boxes of frozen blueberries in my freezer and it was time to use it!

It was the first time I am baking muffins and I have no idea what to expect since I rarely ate muffins myself. My only worry was that the muffins would be soggy after the blueberries thawed.

It was an easy recipe, A+B=C, wet and dry ingredients were mixed separately in 2 bowls, and then combined together to form a muffin mixture. Lastly, it was time to add the blueberries, I decided against thawing, what I did was coat the frozen berries in a thin layer of flour before adding it to the mixture, so that when it thaws in the oven, the juices seeping out would not be too watery, causing the muffins to be soggy.

I waited like a child for the outcome of the muffins, and it was better than expected, the muffins was moist inside and crunchy at the top since I added a layer of streusel topping before baking it. I couldn't help having one when it was still warm, the muffin was moist and soft on the inside, the tanginess of the blueberries went very well with the cinnamon, it was definitely worth the effort to add a layer of streusel topping as the sweet and crunchy topping added a different texture to the soft muffin.

It was good, I actually baked the muffins for Liz whom I was supposed to meet today, but I have no idea where she is! Too bad... you are missing out on the de-li-cious muffins, my friend.

Recipe adapted from montcarte

Muffins (makes around 12)

Mixture A:

3/4 stick (113.5g) unsalted butter (melted and cooled)

1 cup light brown sugar (lightly packed)

1/2 cup full cream milk

1 large egg

Mixture B:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

2 tsps cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Streusel Topping

2 tbsps unsalted butter (melted and cooled)

1/4 cup light brown sugar (lightly packed)

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

3 tbsps oats

1. Combine mixture A (dry ingredients) in 1 bowl and mixture B (wet ingredients) in another.

2. Combine the two mixtures together until well-blended.

3. Coat the frozen blueberries with a thin layer flour, sift away any excess flour (You may skip this step if you are using fresh blueberries).

4. Mix in the blueberries lightly.

5. Line muffin pan with muffin cups, divide the mixture equally into 12 portions.

6. Mix the streusel topping and layer it on the top of each muffin.

7. Baked muffins in a preheated oven of 400F (204 degrees C) for about 20-25 minutes.

8. Muffins can be checked by inserting a wooden stick into the muffin, if it comes out clean, the muffins are ready to be enjoyed.

Do try the muffins when it is still warm, but not hot!! =)

a day without Mrs. Chang... breakfast...

Who is Mrs. Chang? I realized nobody has ever addressed my mummy as Mrs. Chang, always as Miss. Chin. I wonder why she prefers to be addressed using her maiden name though it is quite common nowadays.

Well, my mummy has gone to Taipei to enjoy herself, without me! My initial plan was to meet her in Taipei right after my Amsterdam flight but it was too rush as I had to leave for Milan in 3 days time and I couldn't bring forward the Amsterdam trip so here I am... at home...

Again, I couldn't fall asleep at night, so I surfed the internet, watched some animes and read some food blogs. My mum warned me not to bake anything till she comes home as there would be no one to clean up my mess, there was very true, I love cooking and baking but intensely hate washing! But I decided to against her wishes and bake something =)

Breakfast... I was hoping to replicate what I ate at Mart 130 but my refrigerator was kinda of empty, that is what happens when mummy goes out of town... So I made do with luncheon meat which was pan-fried till crispy, placed on a slice of ciabatta bread, topped with a poached egg and baby tomatoes, drizzled some pesto sauce and made myself a cup of chai latte. It was my first time using the milk frother which was a spinning device that created foam on the top layer of the milk. With my clumsiness, of course, I did spilled the milk everywhere... but finally managed a decent cup of chai latte to go with my breakfast.

Amsterdam

Bicycles... that were the only objects that came to my mind whenever I though of Amsterdam, bicycles seem to be one of the preferred transportation tools,  so commonly used that there are tracks just meant for cyclists and it can get quite annoying when you have to keep watching out for bicycles all the time. Amsterdam has never been a city of interest to me till now.

This time I was looking forward to discover the beauty hidden within Amsterdam. The hotel which I am putting up in is situated in a great location, right in the smack of the city. I arrived in the morning and was quite determined to shower and head out for breakfast in one of the cafes nearer to the hotel. But the pillows and bed was just too comfortable and hard to resist, I visited the dreamland the moment I sat on the bed.

Oh well, it was a good rest anyway. I felt refreshed after an hour nap and decided to take a walk to the Amsterdam Centraal railway station, I have been there before but not on foot, the route that I took brought me past the famous red light district area whose activities seem to have dwindled compared to the last time I was here, there used to be many women sitting behind panels of windows, and waiting to be approached... and these 'windows'' were known as 'fish tanks'.

Amsterdam has many canals and people do travel on small boats and such, but for a different reason when compared to Venice, it was more for leisure. I was blessed with clear skies for both of the days that I was there, it was sunny but still chilly. Under the clear blue skies and white clouds, the great architectures seem to stand out even more.

Amsterdam is one of the cities that you would be able to see rainbow flags hanging from the shops...etc, and it is great to be in a place where most people are able to accept others for what they are. It makes me feel 'free''  to do anything, being set free from all rules and regulations which I do find suffocating on my little island from time to time, but I still love it.

I managed to find the cafe that I was looking for - Latei. It is a unique cafe which sells great cakes and coffees, to add to that, if you find anything you fancy in the cafe, you can buy it!

A few years ago, back home, there was an advertising firm that placed colorful cows all over the island, when I went Manchester, I found colorful statues of lamb, and look what I found here, elephant statues! Each with their unique colors and patterns =)

As the weather turned chilly, I headed back to the hotel along the banks of the canals. I was still feeling the fatigue from the flight, so I decided to rest early and head out early tomorrow to the 'the 9 streets' where shops are placed along the streets in the shape of a tic-tac-toe.

While walking to my destination, I came across a fun fair being held at one of the tourist square, I am always quite lucky to bum into such events and festivals. These events always bring about lots of good food and beautiful pictures.

The 9 streets were lined with shops selling vintage clothing, toys, bags, books, furniture, black vinyl records...etc It was an interesting street filled with much surprises, being the usual shopaholic-queen, I had to buy something and I did *laughing*. I came across a shop selling old vintage suitcases and I fell for a light brown one which I wanted to use for work but now, taking a second look at it (back in my room), I doubt I will be able to use it at ease, the brown was far too light and it was a little too big. Hmmm, I guess I will find a time to use it one fine day. Not to forget, my Le Coq Sportif shoes, a pair of dark brown shoes with soft fur that wraps around your ankles, this is the pair of shoes that will keep my feet warm and snug this winter, I can 'see' the images of myself wearing the shoes for my very next trip. It definitely did burn quite a hole in my pocket... well well...

I met a pair of cute shetland sheepdogs out with their owner for a walk, the lady owner could speak a little english and was very friendly, I was allowed to pat and play with the dogs, they were a mother and daughter duo, they seem small in size compared to my Tiger (my shetland sheepdog!!!!), and I started to miss Tiger and wished he was here to make new friends too =)

By the time I finished touring the streets, which I think I did, because I was lost while wandering from one street to another without making a mental note of where I had been. I was hungry, so I popped into one of the cafes that I was eyeing awhile ago, ordered a ice-cold beer and a beemster salad. Beemster is a kind of cheese, hard cheese I would say... like... Parmesan. Rocket leaves salad with cubed potatoes dressed lightly in cream, topped with juicy tomato slices and shaved ham, of course not forgetting the shaved beemster cheese which added the extra 'oomph' to the whole salad. On the whole, it was a 9/10 salad, it was healthy, delicious and not too filling.

Amsterdam... a place where the skies are so blue, clouds are so white, a place where colors are seen everywhere, it will always hold a place in mine.

SNAPPED

As I was rummaging through my new-bought bag for my purse, I removed my earphones on to my neck. My lovely black skull candy earphones that I bought in Japan. As I proceeded to pull back the earphones to my ears, it snapped, it snapped, it snapped... I kept telling myself at that moment that it was a dream. It must be! As I hold the two separate earpieces in my hands, I finally acknowledged the fact, I snapped my earphones with that incredible strength of mine...

Letting it all out

Yesterday, I let it all out but something tells me that the person is not listening to me or he was busy with something else. Well, maybe it was hard for him to comment since his status has changed and it involves someone close to his heart now. 

Frankly, although I did say I hate the idea that they are together but I didn't meant it literally, it was the process of how and when the news was broken to me that made me pissed off and disappointed. And while feeling deceived and disappointed, it felt as if they were building their happiness on my misery. 

Why was I miserable? It just hit me right in the face and I didn't had enough time to open up an umbrella or use a pillow to shield myself from the impact. The impact wasn't the worst, what made it scary was that I was confiding in this person for the last two months about everything before I cut her off entirely. Everything... including what I thought, what I felt and my opinions and comments about this friend of mine. She listened to everything I said, feeling what I felt, just like always, but her status quo was different, she already had feelings for my friend. And I wasn't aware, it was not as if I would confide in her less just because she was with my friend, which I would find it impossible as I practically kept nothing from her since she was someone so close... so close to my heart. But just not knowing at that point of time that they were together gave me a feeling of being deceived or used. 

It was as if I was like an open book, more like a journal with a past, sharing the histories of the journal but never getting the pages filled with words again.

When he told me that she was hurt and crying. I asked him, what about me, would I be laughing and smiling as if my world still spins in a full circle. I told him that when she was hurt, she had him to comfort her, I was hurt doubly, who do I have to turn to?

When it first happened, I cried to sleep and woke up crying. Everyday was a struggle. It still is, everyday is a struggle, memories of her would bring tears. How did a friendship with a foundation as solid as concrete become shattered into rubbles? Because you cut it with a diamond...

TIRAMISU

I love tiramisu, but rarely ate it, I wonder why. It never occur to me that I should try making it one day. And I am glad that I decided to make it because it was extremely easy, no baking and no flour. There was hardly any work except for whisking up the egg whites.

I went through several recipes and finally decided on the nigella's one, it was one with more liqueur and I choose Baileys since I had it at home and I do enjoy the liqueur from time to time. Baileys with milk is one of my all time favorite for a night cap. The taste was fabulous, the Baileys has seeped beautifully into the sponge fingers, filling your mouth with the taste of coffee and Baileys at the same moment. The cream mixture texture was just right after leaving it in the fridge to set, there was no sugar residue thanks to my KitchenAid mixer. Thumbs up for the Tiramisu!

Tiramisu (serves 8-12)

350ml water

9 tsp expresso powder (normal coffee powder can do too)

250ml Baileys liqueur (any liqueur you prefer)

2 x 200g Savoiardi (sponge fingers)

2 eggs

75g sugar

500g mascarpone

cocoa powder

1. Mix water with expresso powder in a wide shallow bowl, let it cool before mixing in 175ml of the Baileys liquer.

2. Dip in the sponge fingers till it is damp but not soggy, place a layer of soaked sponger fingers on the base of your container.

3. Separate the yolk and white for one of the eggs, whisk the yolk with the other egg and sugar. Beat till the mixture becomes thick and of a paler yellow, mix in the remaining Baileys liqueur and mascarpone. This should give you a moussy mixture.

4. Whisk up the remaining egg white till thick and frothy, fold the egg white into the yolk mixture, spread half the cream mixture over the layer of sponge fingers in the container.

5. Repeat with another layer of soaked the sponger fingers and topping of the cream mixture. Cover the container with cling film and leave it overnight in the fridge to let it set. Serve it up with cocoa powder by using a sieve to dust the top of the tiramisu.

Tips: Make sure that there is no more sugar residue in the yolk mixture before adding in the Baileys liqueur and mascarpone, this will ensure that the cream mixture is smooth and silky. If there is not enough time to leave the tiramisu in the fridge overnight, you can cheat by leaving it in the freezer for less than 2 hrs and place it back down again.

Enjoy your sweets!  

Will You Always Be The Same

When someone says they have always been the same as before. That's total crap. What I meant by change, a change in the the way one behaves, one thinks, one talks, one reacts... etc. If you do not change, how do you adapt to the ever-changing world? How do you survive in this world where everyone else around you changes with time. 

Even I, change, from time to time, I find myself going through what I have done or felt in the past, sometimes, the change is for the better and sometimes, for the worse. But I realized, I do not see the change, only people close to me can sense the change, I might feel it, as I do things differently or maybe I feel differently. 

Till now, I am still amazed or maybe I would say scared of how people can change. People change when they live in a different environment, people change when they get to know new people. And I have come to learn that no one can stop the change.

When people gain friendship, love, money... etc They are scared that the happiness brought about by all these will be taken away, and they use all kind of methods to protect what was once theirs but only realizing that what was meant to be will be.

So sometimes to let go may not be the worst decision, not meaning you do not fight for the ones that are close to your heart but rather sometimes, letting go would keep things as it is, even though it does not progress. 

I always think back and reflect whether my actions were selfish. Sometimes, they were, sometimes, they were not. What about yours? Have you ever been selfish, have you changed?

Every action, there will always be a reaction...

P.R.O.F.I.T.E.R.O.L.E.S

Profiteroles, in simple terms, are known as cream puffs. They are definitely as delicious as eclairs, my love for profiteroles are well beyond words, when I start with one, I rarely stop till the very last one. and I had huge expectations of the ones that I was going to make today.

As always, I prefer chocolate with high cocoa content, this time was no different, but I was going to make use of the valrhona chocolate which I bought during my last trip to Los Angeles. Something tells me that the profiteroles are going to be fab-bulous!!

It was much easier to make as compared to the eclairs that I attempted the last time, maybe it was because I had experience in making the choux pastry so it was quite a breeze this time. But nevertheless, my arm was quite tired from the stirring of the pastry cream over the stove. But, it was definitely worth the hard work.

The profiteroles turn out great, the choux pastry rise beautifully, little golden brown of balls. When paired with the bittersweet pastry cream, it was heavenly... I had one, then two, then three, until I lost count. It was better than I expected, another great baking recipe!

Choux pastry recipe can easily be found on the internet, most recipes do not differ much but I used the recipe that was given on the Tartelette blog and it was great. As for the chocolate pastry cream, nothing beats the Pierre Herme recipe. The puffs taste great with ice-cream too, it is really up to individual on what kind of fillings he/she prefer.

CHOUX PASTRY PUFFS (Makes abt 40)

85g all-purpose flour (sifted)

75ml (1/3 cup) water

75ml (1/3 cup)whole milk

65g unsalted butter

2 eggs

1 egg white

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375F (190 degrees C). Heat the water, milk, sugar and salt till it boils, gradually pour in the sifted flour with a wooden spoon, stirring continuously, be careful not to let the mixture burn. The mixture is ready when it comes away from the sides of the saucepan, which would take around 2 or 3 minutes.

Transfer the mixture into a mixer and beat at a low speed to cool it down. Add in the eggs one at a time, lastly the egg white. Beat till the mixture is well-combined, it should have a sticky and thick consistency. Place mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a round pipe. Pipe quarter-sized puffs about an inch apart, the puffs do expand quite a little.

Bake for 15 minutes without opening the oven door, the puffs should rise and turn golden brown, do not take the puffs out too early as it will deflate when they are not baked enough. Puffs should feel firm and hollow within. When done, allow the puffs to cool before filling them with cream.

CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM

2 cups (500g) whole milk

4 large egg yolks

6 tbsp (75g) sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch (sifted)

7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate (melted)

2 1/2 tbsp (40g) unsalted butter (room temperature)

Bring the milk to boil in a saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

When the milk has come to a boil, whisk in a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk into yolk mixture before gradually pouring in the rest of the hot milk while stirring continuously. This is to prevent yolk mixture from scrambling, if the yolk mixtures do scrambles, strain the mixture before returning it to the saucepan.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk vigorously until the mixture comes to a boil. Keep up with whisking for another 1 or 2 minutes and stir in the melted chocolate. When the mixture is well-combined, remove from heat.

Scrap pastry cream into a bowl and set it in a ice-water bath to stop the cooking process. Remain stirring the mixture to keep it smooth. When the cream has cooled to around 140F (60 degrees C), remove from the water bath and stir in the butter bit by bit, divide the butter into 3 or 4 portions.

Return cream back to the ice-water bath, stirring it from time to time till it is completely cooled. Cover the cream mixture with a cling foil and store in refrigerator if it is not to be used immediately.

CINQUE TERRE VIA MILAN

It has been a crazy week, I have been working non-stop practically for 8 days, 5 days in Milan and 3 days in Brisbane. but the experience in Milan was definitely worth the hard work, it was an unforgettable experience...

Milan... this time I was determined to travel out of Milan and to some other cities, should I visit Pisa, Bologna, Siena, Genova or Verona? The names ran through my mind, I started to do some research on this places but somehow I couldn't find the right destination, as I was opening and closing web pages on my safari, I came across a blog and there was a costal village name Cinque Terre [SINKQ-quay TAIR-ay]... interesting.

After some brief research (since I was leaving for Milan that very night, there wasn't hours to spare), I found out that Cinque Terre is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) world heritage site, it is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. Cinque Terre consists of 5 costal villages - Monterosso [mon-tere-rol-sso], Vernazza [varre-naz-za], Corniglia [corr-nig-glia], Manarola [mann-na-roll-la] and Riomaggiore [rio-mann-gio-rrea]. This is how I think the villages should be pronounced after hearing it from the Italians, it may not be accurate but it beats the english version definitely!

After a 14 hours flight to Milan, I settled down in Doubletree Hilton hotel, washed up, confirmed my train schedules with the concierge, I was ready to go... alone. In fact, I was kinda of glad to be going alone as I hate it when other people whine to me that they are tired or they have opinions about staying in the hostel. Talking about hostel, I didn't manage to get any reservations since it has to be made at least 1 week in advance but I decided to take the risk. *crossing my fingers*

views of the hotel

It was still quite a rush although I decided to take a train that departs later due to my dilly-dallying in packing my bag. First, I took a tram 12 from a bus-stop near the hotel to a subway station known as Lanza, then proceeded to Milano Centrale train station by the subway, the station was just above the subway itself, it was not my first time to the train station but since I moved to a new hotel and it has been a long time since I went Milan, it took me longer than usual to arrive at the train station, I had 20 minutes left before the train leaves for La Spezia, so I ran to the ticket counter. I gasped when I arrived, they renovated the place... great... ran in again, found the counters with long queues, by the time it was my turn, I had 10 minutes to get my tickets, to railways and find the right track. The moment I was given the tickets, I made a dash for the tracks, panting with due to the slightly-heavy backpack that was burdening me. But, I was glad I made it just in time. I slumped into the seat, looked through the information I printed, ate some chips and cookies. I was hoping to slip a few winks on the 3 hours ride, but sleep never came, which meant I was awake for at least a day. Definitely tired, but still excited.

Arrived in La Spezia, I decided to proceed to Manarola to reserve a room in the hostel first, so I bought a 2 days regional train ticket which allows me unlimited travel through and fro the villages by the train or hiking from one village to another. At Manarola, I found the hostel I was looking for after a 10 minutes walk - Hostel Cinque Terre. I reserved a bed in a single-sex dormitory with 6 beds per room and shared bath, costs me 23 euros. It was almost 5 in the evening before I was ready to explore the villages so I decided to hike from Manarola to Riomaggiore since it was just 1 km and should take around 20 minutes. The view was splendid in the evening with the sun setting and with the sounds of waves crashing onto the rock walls gently. It was what I needed after a day of rushing.

In Manarola:

Along the hike:

In Riomaggiore:

I missed a train back to Manarola after the hike, and it was starting to turn dark, I wanted to hike back since the wait for the next train back was an 1 hour later and it would be 10 at night if I was to walk back to the hostel, so I started walking towards the hiking route and the route was pitch black, there was no way I could walk back in such darkness, and I was scared, what should I do? I decided to have my dinner at the restaurant across the railway while waiting for the train to arrive, it was indeed a blessing in disguise, I had the best mussels linguine in my life! The mussels were cooked perfectly without any kind of unpleasant smell, and the linguine was coated in a white wine sauce matched with olive oil and fresh tomatoes, the meal really perked my spirit and I was ready to face the darkness that awaited me which I reached Manarola.

Finally, I managed to catch the train to Manarola, I was both worried about finding my way to the hostel as well as the safety issue of walking alone in a strange town. It was definitely not safe for an asian girl to travel alone in the wee hours of the night in Europe. I was so nervous that I almost forgot how to pull the hatch to release the train door, thanks to 3 ladies, I managed to alight in time at the right stop. As I walked out of the train station, I took a deep breath and started to walk really quickly, at that moment, I really thank God for my long legs *heh* it was barley 10 minutes when I reached the steps of my destination. Safe! As I climbed the steps towards the hostel, I could feel the lightness of my feet, I never realize that I could feel so unsecured in a place and the relief thereafter was so tremendous.

The moment I flicked the light on, I flicked it off again, there was someone else sleeping in the bunk below mine, I tiptoed to my bunk, left my camera bag and food, tiptoed out of the room to the shared bath area. I was definitely inching for a bath, I couldn't wait to strip and jump into the shower. Rummaging through my shower stuff, my make up-remover was nowhere to be found, I sighed. My attempt at cleaning off my mascara with H2O has turned me into a panda, who cares, there was no one around... The door squeaked open, I smiled, she definitely did smiled, I almost died of embarrassment.

Okay, time to shower, took off my clothes and turned the knob, no water, you must be kidding. Was there a curfew for showering too? I stepped out in my towel which only managed to cover the front portion of my body, and looked at the coin machine right in front of the 2 bathrooms. Right, I need to pay for water? The girl was still here, she came towards me and smiled.

"You need the coin that was given to you when you checked in for the water to run."

"Oh, the coin... I left it in the room."

I looked at my attire, barely dressed while chatting with a stranger. Of course, I feel awkward but I needed help, this was not the time to be shy.

She seems to know that I was feeling uneasy.

"Many people walk in and out barefooted from the shower to the dorm rooms only with towels, there is no need to be embarrassed. When you put your coin in, 5 minutes is all you have, the water will start running, it makes no difference even if you turn it off. I learnt my lesson the very first time."

She chuckled.

I smiled and thanked her for the important advice, tiptoed into the room again and got my coin. As I slipped the coin into the machine, I dashed into the shower and started scrubbing in a frenzy. When 5 minutes was up, I was cleaned and thankfully, no soap bubbles anywhere, this definitely goes into 'guinness book'. The last time I was showering so fast was in Chiang Rai where the water was freezing cold!

As I lay on my bed of crumpled sheets, I wonder where I found the courage to travel out alone. Sleep came and left within a few hours, 5 in the morning, I woke up, washed up, checked out, bought 2 bottles of water and a cup of hot chocolate to start my morning. The hot chocolate was heaven sent, it was thick and creamy, I couldn't help but slurped it thankfully. It was 7 when I finally set out, I couldn't set out earlier since it was still dark.

I wasn't planning on doing the hike but for some reasons, I decided to do it but was ill-prepared for such a long hike, it was a 9 km hike and estimated to take around 5 hours. It was 7 a.m now, train to back to Milan was around 2.30 p.m, which meant I had 7 and 1/2 hours for the hike, more than enough time I though. So I took my time to hike from Manarola to Corniglia. The weather was cooling and air was fresh, it was great to be near the costal area in the early hours of the day. There was no one around and I had the whole view to myself. The colors of the skies was amazing, the view of the village of Manarola looks picturesque, just like the ones you would see in postcards.

The village of Manarola:

When I said I wasn't prepared for the hike, I meant it... it was these babies against the rocks.

Reaching Corniglia wasn't tough since it was quite a short hike, I was motivated to move onto Vernazza after hiking through the wonderful weather and sceneries. But it wasn't long before the sun started to rise and the number of hikers gradually increased. The temperature was slowly rising and my attire wasn't helping much. But I was determined to shoot as many beautiful pictures I could as I hiked.

Corniglia to Vernazza took much longer than I expected, and I knew why, I was stopping way too often to take photographs and changing the apertures, the exposures, the ISO... etc to perfect each picture. And I was unconsciously learning, taking another step towards photography, improving at what I love doing and enjoying it tremendously. It was at the end of the trip that I found myself understanding more about the technical side of photography, this was something that money could not buy, a knowledge that no one could take away from me.

The hike brought much surprises as each paths was different, some paths were rocky, some were sandy, some were made of concrete, some were shadowed by trees, some was away from the sea, some were in the woods, some were just right by the coast, some led to a beach of pebbles, it was indeed interesting and intriguing. It was hard to get lost as the was a white and red marking at different corners to reassure that you were on the right path.

By the time I arrived in Vernazza, it was 1130, close to noon, which meant I had close to 2 hours to make it to Monterosso. I had to take a break, the high temperatures of the day was slowing me down and I had to replenish my water bottles. I spent some time walking around Vernazza, it was indeed a beautiful village but it was bustling with tourists, it was one of the villages that attracted more tourist due to its castle-like buildings and splendid views. I prefer the quiet streets of the other towns but I did enjoy walking through the crowds, gelato was what I needed to cool myself down, it was a bad idea to consume 2 at a go, a little queasy after the second one.

Gosh, I forgot all about the time! 1230, now I had exactly 2 hours and that would seem to be an impossible task since the hike from Vernazza to Monterosso was the longest and most time-consuming. I was wavering, maybe I should do it the next time and relax for now. My aching thighs and calves were begging me to stop, my brain was telling me to take a break, but my body just trudged on to the route towards my next destination. It was now or never, my mind kept repeating that I would never make it in time to Monterosso to catch the train back to Milan and I would be in a fix. What made it worse was the spasms that ran through my thigh, crippling me from time to time as I hiked up the stone steps, why does it have to be uphill now. I was panting and stopping with each step, this would not do...

So I brainwashed a sentence into my head - NO SHADE, NO REST. This was because I could not afford to get tan unevenly now with my attire, and the sun was blazing down on me. I could only stop if there was shade, which was not very often, this motivated me to hike much faster than expected as it was tortuous to be under the hot sun, I tried not to stop as often, but did stop once in awhile to snap a photo or two.

Of course I had to snap these two cuties above, they wanted me in the photo but there was no one else to snap the photo... Well, in actual fact, I was kinda of dirty and sticky, it always good to leave a good impression *giggles*

The village of Vernazza:

The last leg to Monterosso was the toughest, it was definitely physically taxing on my body, it still amazes me now how I got through the spasms and how determine I was to finish to the very end. Surprisingly, it took me only 1 and 1/2 hours to get to Monterosso, leaving me with adequate time to rest and walk to the train station. Upon arriving into Monterosso, the sense of achievement washed over me, this hike had to be the most amazing trip I had this year.

Monterosso was more of beach resort town rather village, and the reason is obvious. The beach is clean and the water is clear, if I had a few more hours, I would gladly remove my clothings and stay on the beach till it was time to leave, but I could only fantasize the image of me running towards the clear sea under the blazing sun, letting the sea cool the heat within me. All right, dream over, it was time to move on...

Every village has its own beauty, and the reason why the villages are still so beautiful is because not many people on this half of the globe are aware of its existence. I pray that the next time I return, the place would be just... like how I remembered in my memories, ever so clear, ever so fresh, ever so natural and ever so timeless...