Perhaps it is due to recent happenings in my life that I have flashbacks of the past as I prepare for bed at night. Unconsciously, people and places that used to matter to me stop by in their journey on my train of thoughts to smile and wave at me. Reflexively, I smile and wave back.
The autumn colours along the pavement in uni and the piercing cold winds that are ushering winter into the year bring back memories. Special ones which make me think that I have experienced much; emotionally, intellectually. I did not realise how much one person could have an impact on me, especially one whom I was confident was a passerby in life.
Goes to show how much an ass I made out of myself.
Sometimes, I cannot help but activate my iPhotos to browse the photos that were taken during the autumn adventure I was on last year. It was one that continued to be a wonderfully memorable winter, with me doing random unanticipated things. Things like take a train in the wee hours of the morning to spend a whole day with a person I hardly know to places not set foot on for a photo-snapping spree.
I walk down this lane pretty often. This lane has windows of memories; some which I merely look into while some are which I open to have a better look inside.
As much as I do not enjoy thinking and saying this, but I feel that this stroll down memory lane is a happy one. And it reminds me heaps of you.
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Grey
The forecast for this week presents weather that is depressing not just for holidaymakers, but for students and office workers alike. Having had a week of welcoming winter sunshine, it feels depressing even when I look out of my window in the morning - what happened to the bright slivers of light that would play hide-and-seek with me when I poke my head out of from under my covers?
Some people think that the weather is able to affect human behaviour. To a certain extent, I agree. When bright and sunny is accompanied by fresh breezes of nature, I am compelled to blend with the great outdoors by going for walks and even reading out on the balcony. When all I see is a sea of grey filled to the brim with rain-pregnant clouds and puddles of water along the roads, I tend to gravitate towards the comfort of the indoors.
My feelings, too, go all funny according to the weather. I even feel that there is some force out there making events happen according, too!
It is as if I am responding to Mother Nature, and she, to me.
Aiya, pity this humble human daughter of yours, please. It is not funny to have my hormones go for a roller coaster ride and have my blood flushed out of my system during a wet week. It is cold enough for me to layer up like an onion, so I do not need to have stomach cramps to add to feeling like I am on the verge of becoming frozen.
You know that feeling of waking up on the right side of bed and having an entire day that is good because of it? It is a great feeling, isn't it? But due to a spell of rain, you start to feel like the right side of bed is becoming the wrong side. Things start not to go your way.
I know, I know. We have to be appreciative of life, of what we have and not ask for too much. I am thankful for the love and care and opportunities that has come my way, do not get me wrong. But is it wrong to feel down once in a while?
My horizon has patches grey. I guess, that makes me cherish those rainbow moments.
Some people think that the weather is able to affect human behaviour. To a certain extent, I agree. When bright and sunny is accompanied by fresh breezes of nature, I am compelled to blend with the great outdoors by going for walks and even reading out on the balcony. When all I see is a sea of grey filled to the brim with rain-pregnant clouds and puddles of water along the roads, I tend to gravitate towards the comfort of the indoors.
My feelings, too, go all funny according to the weather. I even feel that there is some force out there making events happen according, too!
It is as if I am responding to Mother Nature, and she, to me.
Aiya, pity this humble human daughter of yours, please. It is not funny to have my hormones go for a roller coaster ride and have my blood flushed out of my system during a wet week. It is cold enough for me to layer up like an onion, so I do not need to have stomach cramps to add to feeling like I am on the verge of becoming frozen.
You know that feeling of waking up on the right side of bed and having an entire day that is good because of it? It is a great feeling, isn't it? But due to a spell of rain, you start to feel like the right side of bed is becoming the wrong side. Things start not to go your way.
I know, I know. We have to be appreciative of life, of what we have and not ask for too much. I am thankful for the love and care and opportunities that has come my way, do not get me wrong. But is it wrong to feel down once in a while?
My horizon has patches grey. I guess, that makes me cherish those rainbow moments.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains in winter is seriously no joke but if you have been following my Facebook lately, you would have realised that with the presence of sun, it will remain pleasant. And that was how the weather was like for Saturday - chilly but pleasant.
I suppose, it also depends on the company you are with. We went with the group of crazy Nutrition Club people so you could imagine how abuzz with chatter, laughter and 'quick, take a photo!' it was.
The first stop after a quick nap in the coach was Wentworth Falls. I have to admit that despite having been to the Blue Mountains several times, this is my first time at Wentworth Falls. I have a feeling I would return, as I would want to go for the trek to the falls. Who would not want to, when the falls look like this?
To get to where I took this photo from, we had to climb down this flight of steps, which reminded me of my glacier climb in NZ:
After half an hour of 'bushwalking', we proceeded to Leura, my favourite stop! Why? Because of this place:
They house the world's largest private collection of teapots. The entire house is filled to the brim with pots, bric-a-brac, antiques, pottery, jewellery, collectibles and cards:
I absolutely adore this place not only for the enormous teapot collection that it holds, but also for what they serve:
Scones with strawberry jam and Devonshire tea! Yum! I give you the Chrys guarantee that you will fall in love with the jam. For the price that you pay, I would think it is worth the taste and ambiance.
It was during this visit that I found out that they not only run the museum and tea house. Bygone Beautys also has accommodation should you, your family and friends want a place to put up for a night or two. Judging from the pictures and the museum itself, I would imagine that their cottages would be anything short of charming. How can they not be charming when even the washrooms look like this:
Having fueled up, we had strolled the mall. I have this thing for pretty stationery and was impressed with what I saw in one shop. I was introduced to yet another brand - Elizabeth Rosa Fine Stationery, that is actually based in Double Bay here in the city. When they say fine stationery, they mean fine. They are the sole Australian authorised distributors of Vera Wang's Wedding papers. I fell in love with the leather journals and diaries but they were a tad pricey for me. Otherwise, I would have gotten myself a refillable diary.
Before long, we were at Echo Point Lookout, a must stop for all visitors to Blue Mountains. This is where you would get the best view of what everyone around the world comes to look at - The Three Sisters rock formation...
... and the blueness of the ranges...
Can you see that layer of blue? That is supposedly created by the emission of eucalyptus gas of the trees. You know those aromatherapy stuff that you could get that creates a calming effect? Yea, the same thing. Haha, I guess that explains why koalas are a little slow in movement and are always sleepy - they are mabuk with the thing!
And, like the last time I was up here, there was a cute cat!
Our final stop was Scenic World, where we had the options of trying the Skyway, Railway and Cableway. We opted the Valley Return, which allowed us to take the Scenic Railway, go on the Walkway and the Cableway.
Certified as the steepest railway in the world, it was quite an exhilarating ride! It was almost like standing and we were moving rather fast!
The view from the platform at the bottom of the railway looked like this:
I thought we were very lucky to have the blue sky as a backdrop. The Walkway, again, reminded me of my NZ trip, especially with the tall ferns that line the boardwalk:
As the sunshine could not pierce through the canopy, it was freezing cold walking to the Cableway. But, I enjoyed the cooling fresh air and anticipated the ride back up the cliff...
The sky was changing from blue to a grayish shade, which made me feel relieved as it was already nearing the end of our trip. Thankfully, we still managed to capture the contrasting colours of nature:
And to give you a perspective of how high up we were (and how far below the railway took us), have a look at this:
Talk about my fear of heights! Haha... another good trip in the books!
I suppose, it also depends on the company you are with. We went with the group of crazy Nutrition Club people so you could imagine how abuzz with chatter, laughter and 'quick, take a photo!' it was.
The first stop after a quick nap in the coach was Wentworth Falls. I have to admit that despite having been to the Blue Mountains several times, this is my first time at Wentworth Falls. I have a feeling I would return, as I would want to go for the trek to the falls. Who would not want to, when the falls look like this?
To get to where I took this photo from, we had to climb down this flight of steps, which reminded me of my glacier climb in NZ:
Haha, ice-cream, anyone? It is a different experience to having ice-cream in summer because in winter, your ice-cream stays frozen for longer. And wah, not to mention the cold you would feel!
After half an hour of 'bushwalking', we proceeded to Leura, my favourite stop! Why? Because of this place:
They house the world's largest private collection of teapots. The entire house is filled to the brim with pots, bric-a-brac, antiques, pottery, jewellery, collectibles and cards:
Look at this pot! How cute!
I absolutely adore this place not only for the enormous teapot collection that it holds, but also for what they serve:
Scones with strawberry jam and Devonshire tea! Yum! I give you the Chrys guarantee that you will fall in love with the jam. For the price that you pay, I would think it is worth the taste and ambiance.
It was during this visit that I found out that they not only run the museum and tea house. Bygone Beautys also has accommodation should you, your family and friends want a place to put up for a night or two. Judging from the pictures and the museum itself, I would imagine that their cottages would be anything short of charming. How can they not be charming when even the washrooms look like this:
Having fueled up, we had strolled the mall. I have this thing for pretty stationery and was impressed with what I saw in one shop. I was introduced to yet another brand - Elizabeth Rosa Fine Stationery, that is actually based in Double Bay here in the city. When they say fine stationery, they mean fine. They are the sole Australian authorised distributors of Vera Wang's Wedding papers. I fell in love with the leather journals and diaries but they were a tad pricey for me. Otherwise, I would have gotten myself a refillable diary.
Before long, we were at Echo Point Lookout, a must stop for all visitors to Blue Mountains. This is where you would get the best view of what everyone around the world comes to look at - The Three Sisters rock formation...
... and the blueness of the ranges...
Can you see that layer of blue? That is supposedly created by the emission of eucalyptus gas of the trees. You know those aromatherapy stuff that you could get that creates a calming effect? Yea, the same thing. Haha, I guess that explains why koalas are a little slow in movement and are always sleepy - they are mabuk with the thing!
And, like the last time I was up here, there was a cute cat!
Our final stop was Scenic World, where we had the options of trying the Skyway, Railway and Cableway. We opted the Valley Return, which allowed us to take the Scenic Railway, go on the Walkway and the Cableway.
Certified as the steepest railway in the world, it was quite an exhilarating ride! It was almost like standing and we were moving rather fast!
The view from the platform at the bottom of the railway looked like this:
I thought we were very lucky to have the blue sky as a backdrop. The Walkway, again, reminded me of my NZ trip, especially with the tall ferns that line the boardwalk:
As the sunshine could not pierce through the canopy, it was freezing cold walking to the Cableway. But, I enjoyed the cooling fresh air and anticipated the ride back up the cliff...
The sky was changing from blue to a grayish shade, which made me feel relieved as it was already nearing the end of our trip. Thankfully, we still managed to capture the contrasting colours of nature:
And to give you a perspective of how high up we were (and how far below the railway took us), have a look at this:
Talk about my fear of heights! Haha... another good trip in the books!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
South Coast Saturday
My day started early on Saturday. The last time I had an early start was last month when I followed Xin Wen to work. If not for trackworks on the Northern Line, I could have had another 15 minutes worth of sleep (or bed lazing). Instead of taking the complimentary bus service to Strathfield Station, I decided to take a walk. I am glad I did, as I found out it takes only 40 minutes to get there on foot.
My 9:06am train to Central was unusually empty. Perhaps it was a long weekend? I arrived at Central with plenty of time to make the connecting train on Platform 14 to the South Coast. Just look at how deserted the station was when I was there that morning... big contrast to its weekday bustling form, eh?
Recalling what Alex said about the coastal scenery, I decided to read my book during the first half of the train ride. Coincidentally, when I finished the first section of the book that consisted 7 chapters, the view changed from suburban rooftops to unending blue. The snapshots from my window seat reminded me of my Taiwan coastal bus ride last year...
A happy face greeted me when I alighted the train at Fairy Meadow. Also, I was welcome with warm sunshine and friendly breezes. My new coat remains unworn due to the lovely weather - it was in the backseat throughout the trip.
I was taken for a car ride through the main campus of the University of Wollongong (UOW). I came away impressed with the greenery of the campus. Like my uni, they have a new medical centre for research purposes, too.
The clear weather prompted Alex to make Mount Keira Lookout our first stop.
As his uni is located at the foot of the mountain, they bring students up to the top as one of the activities during orientation. With Keira meaning large lagoon or high mountain in Indigenous Australian, it lies 4 kilometres northwest of Wollongong city and forms part of the Illawarra escarpment. Here, let the pictures show you what I saw from up there:
Yes, that is a lighthouse in the last picture. Alex pointed out the Innovation Campus and was trying to look for the temple but due to the trees that obviously grow taller every year, he was not able to locate the temple. We were, however, able to trace out the Princes Highway or Highway 1, the main highway linking all the major cities of Australia.
We then proceeded to Nan Tien Temple for lunch. As it was the first day of the fifth lunar month, I wanted to observe my practice of having a vegetarian meal. I was glad that the Dining Hall was open for business, as the last time I came, it was shut. Similar to the Chatswood branch, they too served a set lunch meal for $9.
For that day, the meal consisted of your choice of either white rice or fried noodles with vegetarian chicken with potato and Chinese cabbage curry and green vegetables.
There were side servings of two pieces of fruit and tempura vegetables.
We were also allowed to take our own serving of salad.
It was funny how I had a piece of orange and pineapple each while Alex had 2 slices of orange.
It was funnier when he bit into the second piece of orange and said, "It's not the same orange!"
Chinese tea was free-flow but we did not take any. And, the below picture shows the common practice at most vegetarian eateries:
Exploring the temple grounds ensued after the meal. The pagoda was a must and I let Alex show me the way.
Halfway, Alex thought it would be a better idea for me to exercise more and so we did a detoured hike up the hill...
... to see the Nan Tien Gratitude Bell...
After deciding not to sound the bell (haha, I have no gratitude), we continued down the path towards the pagoda.
The pagoda functions as a resting place for the cremated ashes of devotees and their relatives. Inside, I paid my respects to the Buddha, lighted an incense and then headed towards the car.
Our drive to Hyams Beach was an earful - my nano was plugged in and so you can imagine all the singing and head bobbing (mostly on my part) that entailed. The journey was broken by a short toilet stop in the historic township of Huskisson in the Jervis Bay Territory. This is where you would want to come to if you are interested in dolphin or whale-watching - they have resident dolphins!
The GPS took us through the long way to Hyams Beach. Walking on the beach made me tell myself never to wear my pair of Croc flats to a beach ever again. Have a look at what happened after I spent time admiring the whiteness of the sand:
Reported to be the whitest sand on the world by Guinness World Records, it was a case of seeing is believing when I shook the sand out of my shoes:
While we still had sunlight, we drove to Green Patch:
While walking from the carpark to the beach, we came across this:
I thought it looked strange - it is a waterfall but the road does not stop there.... so....
... it took a vehicle to drive through it to demonstrate to me that it forms part of the road. How clever! The national parks in Malaysia could learn a thing or two from this!
Munching on some food at the side of the boardwalk was this little guy:
Honestly, if you asked me, I thought the sand here was better than the sand over at Hyams - finer and whiter. It was sunset when we were there:
Chasing the orange sun in far yonder, we headed back to Alex's for dinner. Meeting his brother and sister for the first time in person, it felt slightly weird. Even more so when it was just introductory and for a few minutes (do not think it was even for half an hour). All in all, I returned to Sydney a tired but happy person.
Recalling the glistening linings of the clouds of sunset, I wondered during the train ride home if a new leaf is being turned over. Like how the calm of night turns the crispness of day, how winter seaps into the autumn air, how exciting beginnings unknowingly kidnap bitter endings...
My 9:06am train to Central was unusually empty. Perhaps it was a long weekend? I arrived at Central with plenty of time to make the connecting train on Platform 14 to the South Coast. Just look at how deserted the station was when I was there that morning... big contrast to its weekday bustling form, eh?
Recalling what Alex said about the coastal scenery, I decided to read my book during the first half of the train ride. Coincidentally, when I finished the first section of the book that consisted 7 chapters, the view changed from suburban rooftops to unending blue. The snapshots from my window seat reminded me of my Taiwan coastal bus ride last year...
A happy face greeted me when I alighted the train at Fairy Meadow. Also, I was welcome with warm sunshine and friendly breezes. My new coat remains unworn due to the lovely weather - it was in the backseat throughout the trip.
I was taken for a car ride through the main campus of the University of Wollongong (UOW). I came away impressed with the greenery of the campus. Like my uni, they have a new medical centre for research purposes, too.
The clear weather prompted Alex to make Mount Keira Lookout our first stop.
As his uni is located at the foot of the mountain, they bring students up to the top as one of the activities during orientation. With Keira meaning large lagoon or high mountain in Indigenous Australian, it lies 4 kilometres northwest of Wollongong city and forms part of the Illawarra escarpment. Here, let the pictures show you what I saw from up there:
Yes, that is a lighthouse in the last picture. Alex pointed out the Innovation Campus and was trying to look for the temple but due to the trees that obviously grow taller every year, he was not able to locate the temple. We were, however, able to trace out the Princes Highway or Highway 1, the main highway linking all the major cities of Australia.
We then proceeded to Nan Tien Temple for lunch. As it was the first day of the fifth lunar month, I wanted to observe my practice of having a vegetarian meal. I was glad that the Dining Hall was open for business, as the last time I came, it was shut. Similar to the Chatswood branch, they too served a set lunch meal for $9.
For that day, the meal consisted of your choice of either white rice or fried noodles with vegetarian chicken with potato and Chinese cabbage curry and green vegetables.
There were side servings of two pieces of fruit and tempura vegetables.
We were also allowed to take our own serving of salad.
It was funny how I had a piece of orange and pineapple each while Alex had 2 slices of orange.
It was funnier when he bit into the second piece of orange and said, "It's not the same orange!"
Chinese tea was free-flow but we did not take any. And, the below picture shows the common practice at most vegetarian eateries:
Exploring the temple grounds ensued after the meal. The pagoda was a must and I let Alex show me the way.
Halfway, Alex thought it would be a better idea for me to exercise more and so we did a detoured hike up the hill...
... to see the Nan Tien Gratitude Bell...
After deciding not to sound the bell (haha, I have no gratitude), we continued down the path towards the pagoda.
The pagoda functions as a resting place for the cremated ashes of devotees and their relatives. Inside, I paid my respects to the Buddha, lighted an incense and then headed towards the car.
Our drive to Hyams Beach was an earful - my nano was plugged in and so you can imagine all the singing and head bobbing (mostly on my part) that entailed. The journey was broken by a short toilet stop in the historic township of Huskisson in the Jervis Bay Territory. This is where you would want to come to if you are interested in dolphin or whale-watching - they have resident dolphins!
The GPS took us through the long way to Hyams Beach. Walking on the beach made me tell myself never to wear my pair of Croc flats to a beach ever again. Have a look at what happened after I spent time admiring the whiteness of the sand:
Reported to be the whitest sand on the world by Guinness World Records, it was a case of seeing is believing when I shook the sand out of my shoes:
While we still had sunlight, we drove to Green Patch:
While walking from the carpark to the beach, we came across this:
I thought it looked strange - it is a waterfall but the road does not stop there.... so....
... it took a vehicle to drive through it to demonstrate to me that it forms part of the road. How clever! The national parks in Malaysia could learn a thing or two from this!
Munching on some food at the side of the boardwalk was this little guy:
Honestly, if you asked me, I thought the sand here was better than the sand over at Hyams - finer and whiter. It was sunset when we were there:
Chasing the orange sun in far yonder, we headed back to Alex's for dinner. Meeting his brother and sister for the first time in person, it felt slightly weird. Even more so when it was just introductory and for a few minutes (do not think it was even for half an hour). All in all, I returned to Sydney a tired but happy person.
Recalling the glistening linings of the clouds of sunset, I wondered during the train ride home if a new leaf is being turned over. Like how the calm of night turns the crispness of day, how winter seaps into the autumn air, how exciting beginnings unknowingly kidnap bitter endings...
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