Today, I decided to head down to ECP for a little bit of cycling and I invited the French girls to join me. They were quite amused with what they saw in ECP, and were amazed at how long ECP is. Morgane wanted to try black pepper crab too, and there was no better place to take her than the East Coast Seafood Centre. Audrey and Leslie joined us for dinner and the girls understood finally what I meant when I said that Audrey was like the female version of me.

So, we ordered both black pepper and chilli crabs for the French girls and introduced them to the “man tous”. They loved it. They loved the crabs. And of all the dishes, we felt that the sea bass was the best. In my opinion, it is possibly one of the best fish meals I have ever had. After the dinner, I took the girls to Siglap for desserts. We were totally living the Parisian lifestyle even in Singapore. No rush, no stress, no worries about school.

At the rate that we’re going, I think I am going to gain weight. That sounds like a really good plan. Now, it’s time to plan for a little overseas trip.

It felt good being back in Kluang for the Lunar New Year. My sister and I have not gone back in a few years and we do miss Malaysia. And this year, things were different. There were more new faces and some old faces that we have not seen in more than a decade. I was a little apprehensive at first, but gradually, I warmed up to everyone. It was also extremely comforting to walk along the streets of Kluang, speaking in a mix of Malay and Mandarin with the relatives and playing with fireworks with no fear of being caught.

Let’s not forget about the awesome food too. My auntie cooked a sumptuous meal for the Teo/Teng family and it still amazes me how she managed to do that. There were more than 20 people to feed! Everyone at the table was also a little surprised at my appetite and how much I could eat. They were also amused with my cravings for KFC. Well, in my opinion, the KFC and Pizza Hut in Malaysia are really good. Thus, I just had to have a chicken drumstick since I was back in Malaysia. My cousins also took the family to one of Kluang’s best beef noodles. I was blown away. The sauce and the texture of the beef noodles were perfect. I have not tasted anything like that in Singapore.

I think that the best part of CNY was seeing the Sanny, Alvin and Shah after so long. We caught up with the three brothers on the first day of the Lunar New Year and we could not stop talking. Even back in the hotel room, we were up till 3am talking about our lives and catching up. Milene was amused with the brothers and were constantly taunted by them. She was also given a nickname – Frenchy. Milene had no problem with that name and embraced it wholeheartedly. However, i was not allowed to call her that.

It was also surprising for me to see some new relatives and to find out that my cousin, Lisa, had a girl (I honestly did not know that). I knew she was married, but I did not know that she had a girl who is already 2 years old. And some of my nephews and nieces have grown up so much, it just only served as a reminder that I am getting older. I was sitting down in the living room and it dawned on me that I am going to be 24 years old this year. Ohemgee.

Anyway, the whole family also indulged in some light gambling (my mother did not approve of it, but whatever) and Milene is extremely lucky. During a game of blackjack, she was always getting the good cards. The both of us also spoke in French occasionally to not let the other relatives know what we got. It was funny to see the relatives confused and trying to listen into our  conversations.

So today is the third day of the Lunar New Year. Here’s the Teo/Teng family wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year with loads of love!

For weeks,  I kept wondering what the hell did Constantin give me the night before I left Paris. Just last night, he told me what the “black gum” was. It was actually his ice hockey puck, and he made me believe that it was food and edible.

“Keep it, so you won’t forget me,” said Constantin. Of course I will keep it, and I won’t forget how I was tricked into believing it was food. Thankfully, I did not put it in my mouth.

Nevertheless, that was truly a touching, and very meaningful gift.

“For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne!”

This song is stuck in my head, and it makes me think of my dear friends from all over the world right now. Oh how much I miss them.

School has started, and it was weird going for class without everyone. Throughout the three hours in my chemistry class, I was feeling a little emotional. I kept day-dreaming about the good, old exchange days. I day-dreamed about the wonderful friends I have made, the great Christmas in Paris, the great trips around Europe, and the lovely New Year’s in London.

I’ll have to get used to being back in NTU.  I’m still trying very hard to adapt to being back in Singapore.  Le sigh.

I finally have the time and energy to sit down to type out this post about Florence and London. I left Paris on Boxing Day to Florence and was all hyped up to go Prada shopping. Unfortunately, I fell sick upon touching down and struggled to get better. I came down with a very bad fever and could not enjoy myself as much. I felt like I was going to die. Despite falling ill, I still pulled through to see some of the famous sites in Florence and try out some of the great Italian food.

And of course, do my Prada shopping.

We also made some friends on the trip. While on the train to the Prada outlet mall, we met two Malaysians. Immediately, everyone clicked and it helped that we all speak Malay. They were very fashion-savvy too, and they helped us to make decisions on our purchases. Azlan and Saiful invited us over to Kuala Lumpur some time next year for high tea, and we are making plans for it. I cannot wait to see them again.

And London is the time to meet up with old and new friends. Over the past few days, I met up with my sister’s primary school classmate, Terence and his friends, and a few of my ex colleagues. I feel as if London is a home away from home. I also caught Mamma Mia (again!) and Wicked. Tomorrow, I’ll be heading to Windsor Castle and Stonehenge, before catching Billy Elliot on Thursday. There isn’t much time left.

I can’t believe I’m leaving Europe on Friday! ARGH!

Happy New Year to all my readers. Happy New Year to all the awesome people in my life. Happy New Year to YOU.

2011 had its ups and downs, but I do believe 2012 will have a lot more ups. And it’s time to make our new year resolution(s). My new year resolution is to be even more awesome as compared to year 2011. What’s yours?

I’ll be back in 7 days! Am currently in London (last stop for my Europe trip) and it has been quite an eventful day. I am also still recovering from a terrible, terrible, terrible flu. I don’t know how I got it, but it made things hell for me, especially when I was in Florence. My right ear is still blocked and I do hope it gets better. I need to watch my musicals!

Anyway, Happy New Year to everyone back home.

So the mum and sister are in Paris with me for the Christmas holidays. We were blessed with really terrific weather and I had planned out a 4-days itinerary for the family. On their first night in the city of love and lights, I took them to Champs Elysees to see what Paris is really like. They loved it and kept making me take pictures of them on the streets. They also had their first glimpse of the Christmas markets and the various Christmas treats.

Milene and her family also invited us over for dinner. It was really sweet and it made our Christmas holidays even more special. I was quite impressed with Milene’s father, Mr Wu, who is a metal artist. His works are stunning and I could not believe my eyes when we were brought to his workshop. Her mum is extremely nice and kept making sure we had enough to eat.  The dinner was sumptuous and we ate till we were too full to move. When we reached back home, we knocked out immediately.

On Christmas Eve, I decided to take them to Versailles. My sister was totally entranced by the beauty of the chateau and the garden. I took them to the Eiffel Tower too. It was my last time seeing the Eiffel Tower. Watching it light up and sparkle still amazes me and I was a little sad to know that it was goodbye Paris really soon. We also attended an international mass in the Notre Dame and had an extremely memorable dinner at St Michel. The owner and employees of my favourite restaurant treated us with so much kindness, I felt sad that it was the last time I was going to dine in that restaurant. Mass in the famous Notre Dame was interesting, and although it was in French, I could make out bits and pieces of it. It was great to usher in Christmas with my family and friends like Summer and Minjung.

I spent my Christmas at Disneyland, a place where dreams come true. It was magical. The sister went berserk, and my mum just kept asking us to take photos of her. AND My eyes lit up when I saw a carousel. I have NOT been on one since I was 5 years old, and I never dare to ride on one again because I am already…erm…23 years old. However, it was DISNEYLAND. I couldn’t resist. I was actually quite impressed with Disneyland Paris, especially the Phantom Manor and the Pirates of the Caribbean tours. I was blown away with the amount of work and special effects that went into making the experience a phenomenal one. Let’s not forget about the crazy parades. Standing in the cold and watching my favourite characters dance and prance in front of me was worth the wait. I was almost in tears just watching Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Jasmine, and Snow White waving at me.

Boxing Day in Paris was my last day in the city of lights and love. I decided to take the sister and mum to Longchamp, and have my final Parisian coffee at Cafe De Flore with Irem and Mariam. I love talking to those two beautiful ladies because they are so full of life and energy. My sister adores them to death. She thinks they’re gorgeous, and I think so too.

Anyway, it was really hard saying good bye to the both of them. I remember how I felt like when I said good bye to Rianne and Ellen. My heart sank for a minute, but I remembered Viviana’s famous quote and decided, it was just the beginning of a great friendship. I was going to see them again. As Julio puts it, it was not a “good bye”, but a “see you soon!”.

Well, it’s time for me to travel again. Florence and London, here I come.

Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy Boxing Day.

Lyon is magnificent. This shot was taken on top of Lyon, at the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Despite the fog, I was blown away by the lights on the streets. It was breath taking.

It was a little weird to speak more French than English. Back home in Paris, I was very used to speaking French only when I need to. However, in Lyon,  it was actually extremely rare to hear people speak English. Well, at least it was good practice for me. The Lyonnaise are also extremely nice too.  They were very accommodating and loved it when I tried to speak as much French as possible. SQ even commented that I sound really sexy when I speak French.

Don’t think so.

Anyway, Lyonnaise food is spectacular. With so many Michelin star restaurants around and surprising hidden jewels tucked away in the alleys, I was always trying something new. I think one of the best meals that I have ever had in my life was the lunch set menu  at Le Musee.  The chef, despite his halting English, came out to explain in detail of the various entrees and main courses  for the day. He urged me to speak in French completely with him, and he applauded me for my effort. Lunch at Le Musee was interesting because the people sitting around us offered us wine and chocolates. I also received a glass of whiskey from a friendly stranger in the restaurant who was celebrating his birthday. Asides from Lyonnaise food, the French-Asian mix cuisines are fabulous too, and I was quite surprised at the Japanese take-aways we had for brunch today.

Well i’m back in Paris now and am awaiting for the arrival of my mum and sis. Linandes is pretty empty. Everyone is gone, except for Madalena, Joana, Marcos, Leyla and I. In 2 days time, it will be just me. Feels a little weird that everyone has gone back home.

16 days to go before I’m back in Singapore.

I’m looking forward to see everyone in SG again.

People have started to leave, and those who remained in Cergy decided to make the best of it. I accompanied Constantin and his gang of pro ice skaters on a little ice skating excursion. I was a little apprehensive to ice skate because of all the horror stories that I have heard. It did not help that Casper, Alejandra and Sergey made things worse by telling me that I was going to die by slipping and hitting my head on the hard, rock ice. Nevertheless, I decided to try it and it was phenomenal.

I was doing extremely well too, and did not fall much. I guess it was a good thing that I used to dance. I could balance and I pretty much got the groove of ice skating after a few tries. However , I definitely need more practice, and this gives me more reason to be back in Europe during winter. Constantin and Casper were crazy ice skaters. It was just so amazing to watch them skate. I’m going to be as awesome as them…one day.

Last night, I had my last dinner with Anniina, Madalena, Malin and Iris. I was going off to Lyon and the girls were leaving on the day that I return. I was not going to be able to send them off personally, and I felt bad. This morning, I hugged them goodbye. My heart sank as I saw Malin teared. I am going to come back to Cergy to an empty level 3. Alex is leaving too. I even said good bye to Constantin, as I was not sure if I am  going to see him again. I held back my tears. I walked away bravely and towards the train station where I had breakfast with Alexandra. We both wished that time could stand still for a little bit more, so that we could spend some time together. We did not even manage to dine at Cergy Tokyo one last time, and here I am, leaving for Lyon. As we parted ways, she handed me my long overdue birthday present – a facial mask made of chocolate and I have to set a facial spa date with her over skype when I’m back in Singapore. Le sigh. Things are so going to be different when I’m back home.

I know we will all meet again.

I promise.