“Oh, look at that mural! It looks similar to Starbucks’ logo, isn’t it?” I asked my tour guide who took me and the group around Capri, a beautiful island in the Bay of Naples, Italy. “Starbucks? What is it?” she replied. Oops! Right. Italians don’t drink Starbucks. Aaand, there wasn’t any Starbucks store in Italy when I visited in 2017. Due to sheer volume of business, Starbucks is designed to serve customers quickly and efficiently, whereas in Italy, you go to a coffee bar precisely for leisure and long, winding conversations with your local barista. Jenna Wang, “Why It Took Starbucks 47 Years To Open A Store In Italy” –…
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How to Keep Motivated Until the End of the Year
I can’t wait for the end of the year. How many of you wish for the same? I can’t wait to welcome the Ox Year in 2021, with the hope of better (hardworking) days ahead. I’m not a very superstitious person, but this year 2020 in Chinese 2+0+2+0 = 4 = death, bad luck. Surely, there are things that I feel grateful for. But we still have four and a half months until the end of the year. What could keep us motivated and carry on? I found mine, and I’m gonna share them with you in this blog post. It may or may not work for you, but hey!…
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I Hope This Makes You Feel Better
Yesterday wasn’t one of the best days of my life, but there was a mixed feeling. At the same time, I had a lot of things to be grateful for! So, I had an idea to write this post. Hopefully, it makes you feel better 🙂 Llama, Not Drama Llamas and alpacas, I love them! They’re so cuddly and stare at you with an innocent expression. This cute pencil case with a giant zipper made me smile after I failed my exam. It’s like a reminder not to sweat the small stuff or dwell on negative feelings, especially for something that you can fix. Also, when you’re surrounded by people…
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God, Why Me? Have a Break at Kenny Hills Bakers, Bukit Tunku
If you’re reading this, I hope you’re well. I didn’t update the blog last week because I had nothing in mind that I felt was worth it to share. But I do now, especially after a well-deserved break at Kenny Hills Bakers, Bukit Tunku 🙂 No, this isn’t a food review post. The previous blog, in which I shared my vulnerabilities, surprisingly received a well-response. I thought nobody would care. But turned out, that some of them were feeling the same! God, Why Me? ‘…in all things God works for the good of those who love him…’ Romans 8:28 Last week, a lot of things happened to me at the…
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Other Things to See in Toraja Besides Ke’te Kesu and Londa
There are three main reasons why most people are intrigued to visit Toraja, Indonesia: Ke’te Kesu, Londa and the funeral ceremonies. But actually, there are other wonderful things to see when you’re there! I could write a lot of blog posts about Toraja but there won’t be a lot to read as some of them are short visits. Or perhaps it’s I who want to finish writing about Toraja (hint: look at the Countries page, there are many places that I haven’t written about). Ok, without further ado, here are some places or things that you shouldn’t miss when in Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia: The Erotic Mountain at Buntu Kabobong, Bambapuang…
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Rambu Solo, Toraja: The Grand Funeral that Attracts Travellers from Around the World
It is grand and bizarre at the same time. But that’s exactly why people from around the world come to Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia – to see Rambu Solo aka the traditional funeral ceremony. In the previous post, I shared with you how Torajans respect their family highly, especially when it comes to sending the deceased to the afterlife. Noble families usually sacrifice 24-100 buffaloes. The middle-class families will sacrifice 8 buffaloes and 50 pigs. The locals believe the more buffaloes slaughtered, the faster the soul reaches heaven. As you can see from the video above, Rambu Solo is a grand funeral ceremony. It lasts for a few days/weeks and costs…
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Cinque Terre, a Walk to Remember in Italy
COVID-19, be gone! It took me some time to get inspiration for what to write about for this week’s blog post. I miss walking outside so much thus I decided to write about my one-day adventure in Cinque Terre, Italy. It was a very long walk and tiring, yet made me so happy. Oh, how I wish to experience it again, especially at times like this! Cinque Terre is the postcard image of colourful buildings on top of a cliff with a beautiful blue sea that some of you may have seen on Google. The must-visit destination in Italy is located on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline and consists of…
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Палкинъ — Palkin, Where You Can Find the Best Beef Stroganoff in St. Petersburg
The Coronavirus quarantine really makes me miss travelling. Hence, my past travel photos come to the rescue! The further the country is, the better it is mending my travel bug bites. Some foods are better eaten on the spot than be delivered, really… this inspired me to write about Палкинъ (Palkin), an amazing restaurant in St. Petersburg, Russia, where you can find the best beef stroganoff. Beef stroganoff is one of the Russian traditional dishes, made of strips of beef and mushroom in a creamy sauce. The dish is served with potato, rice or noodles. If you’re a fan of carbonara or creamy dishes, it’s a must-try when in Russia!…
