End of my one-month break

So I am ending my month long break in 2 days' time. I didn't write in HK cos there were just so many people to meet and so many things to do! But I really want to say that I am deeply thankful for everyone, who had shown me a little wisdom here and there by action and by words.

Am already missing Dad and Mom, as well as my grandparents. Am also very glad that I got to meet Simshie who happened to be in HK! :)

So going to miss my month-long break but who knows, maybe the next one will be coming up real soon. Heehee.

Day 10 - Paris

On my last day in France, Mom and I made a dash to Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, which is equivalent to BKK's Chatuchak market. There are so many things to see but so little time. Didn't get to buy a lot of things as well because we didn't have the time, and didn't have the space to stuff inside our luggage. It's actually my first time there. If anything, this trip is like a major trip of weekend markets because we are always searching online for bargains and asking the tourist office about them.

After we have checked out of the hotel, we finally finally had the time to sit at a road side cafe and enjoy our last cup of coffee and bread. The weather is relatively warmer now, but the breeze made sitting outdoors perfect. Fortunately, there weren't a lot of people smoking, so we get to enjoy our so-called lunch.

Look how Hayrer has been stuffed. She's so heavy that she can hardly stand.

And then it's time to say goodbye. Like I said, this trip has been really fulfilling in all sense. I learnt so so so much, mainly because I was spending time exploring new things, learning how to "cope" with Mom (yes, it requires loads of patience and understanding, and I'm sure it's the same for her as well), and also spending time reading, thinking, reflecting, and just... digesting things that are happening all around. I guess once in a while, it really helps to step away from the everything, quiet down, and just let God work His way in you.

So France, thank you for being the place where I can find myself and more. Yes, I'm pouting as I leave, but I'll Be Right Back. Bisous bisous. :)

Day 9 - Paris

I always have this thinking that our 3-day stay in Paris will be very slow-paced and relaxed, and I am always so wrong. In our second last day in Paris, we took an early train to Fontainebleau and visited the famous Chateau Fontainebleau, which was used by several French kings, including Napoleon. Mom said her legs nearly broke from all the walking around the salons. I totally agreed. But still the Chateau is beautiful. It was worth the 40-mins ride from Paris (and of course, the flea market at the place where the bus stopped was also worth it cos Mom bought over 40 Euros worth of accessories.)

We went to LV at Champs Elysee when we return to Paris but unfortunately, they ran out of the neverfull MM bag that Paulyn wanted. So we went back to the hotel to pull down our bags and came out again. This time to the Louvre. Got distracted (like always) by the amusement park in the Jardin des Tuileries. This gigantic machine really got us laughing like crazy, because whoever ventures in were made to go through a series of challenges that sometimes can get you trapped in the most embarrassing positions. Check out these three girls, who came giggling and screaming out at the same time. Confetti was flying everywhere in celebration of their triumphant exit.

Weird enough, our last dinner in Paris was spent eating Spanish food. The staff was super friendly and the food was quite yummy. But oh, the beer was superb!! It's called... cruzcampo? Must remind myself to drink that the next time I eat Spanish food... or if I go Spain. :)

It has been a wonderful, fantastic, marvellous, awesome and enlightening trip. Giving much thanks, and hoping that I will be back again soon. :)

Day 8 - Paris

Finally finally, I met Haoxiang again after 2 years! It seems like we have just parted yesterday. We were in Reims together in 2006, then I visited her in Paris in 2008, and now again in 2010. To think that we were both quite "young" back then. Now both of us are married, and she has a daughter of 1.5 years old. How things have changed, but am so so happy to see her and catch up again, even if it is just over a simple lunch. :)

Went to walk walk around St Paul and Montmartre with Mom after lunch. Montmartre is actually one of my favourite place in Paris because it is really beautiful, but I am quite reluctant to go because this area is one of the most dangerous areas i.e. pickpockets and gypsies are everywhere.

I suppose we must have looked really local, cos for once no one approached us to buy stuff. We sat on the slope, comme les francais, and enjoyed the afternoon sun for a while before heading back to the hotel to wash up.

Had dinner at Leon de Bruxelles (La Republique) with Mom's former colleague from HK. Expected a boring evening with the two "adults" talking, but Helen is surprisingly very engaging and full of funny stories of how she adapted (and is still adapting) to the French way of life i.e. the slow way of handling things, endless paperwork, wrong food order etc. And the thing that I didn't expect her to do is to create an understanding within me on why Mom sometimes does some things (she was sharing her own experience on how frustrating she could be when her mother calls her and ask how she is, what she is doing etc. Little did she know that this phone call thing is a neverending argument between me and Mom. And yes, btw, I think I almost quarrelled with Mom about this over dinner at Toulouse). She said, "I need to give my mother a chance to know me." I suppose, yes, I need to give Mom a chance to understand me as well, so I should stop sounding so irritated every time she calls. :p

I had wanted to say this towards the end of the trip, but I guess I can say it now. I started out on this trip wanting to find something. Throughout the trip I had doubts on whether I had taken the right path, of resigning, of deciding to go back, of wanting to take a break. I still do not know if I had found the thing I was looking for, but I think I had gained a lot a lot from this trip. A sort of enlightenment on many things. And I think yes, I will go back a better person.

Chaque instant de ma vie, et chaque endroit ou je suis, Seigneur conduit mes pas.

Day 7 - Toulouse - Paris

Spent the day chasing after the TGV again. We were supposed to transit at Bordeaux and St Pierre but in the end, we decided that we shall heck care the timetable and take a direct train from Toulouse to Paris. What a wise choice it is. Nobody checked our tickets at all on the 5-hour ride to Paris, and we managed to reach 3 hours ahead of our initial scheduled time. C'est parfait.

Mom and I decided that we shall not go to the usual tourist areas since it is not our first time in Paris. Instead, she convinced to me to go to this free open air cinema at Parc de la Villette. Turns out that the show only starts at 10.30pm! It's really too late and unsafe for the both of us to stay around that time, so we took a walk around the park instead.

This is the gigantic ball that got me really fascinated. It's made of mirror, so you can see the reflection of the park and of the sky. It's supposed to be some water clock by the Egyptians. Not sure how it works but it's beautiful.

Can you see us?

The park is a mixture of scientific and artistic installations. I love the way how art is always part of the French way of life, be it graffiti or proper drawings on the walls, the floor, the seats etc etc. It adds flavour to everything that would otherwise be simple and dull.

Day 6 - Toulouse

A tiring tiring day of walking around the town to the main places of interest i.e. eglise st pierre, basilique st sernin and cathedrale etienne. I especially like la Garonne, because it's sorta away from the main tourist areas and less crowded.



Had lunch at an Italian cafe. The food is nice but the portion is SO big! Couldn't finish the pasta or the pizza... and also because I want to save room for the Tiramisu which comes with the set.

Afternoon was spent shopping for "souvenirs" for Mr. Jang and the in-laws. Seriously, I have never seen souvenir shops closed but it seems to be the custom here, to close for Summer holidays. A bit perplexed...Like, ain't Summer supposed to be the period where most tourists come? In any case, found good bargain along the walking district. Yay yay. :)

Mom cooked Salmon steak with pasta for dinner. Thank God for Mom again. Not everyone can enjoy good "home-cooked" food in the comforts of a hotel room.

Day 5 - Bordeaux - Toulouse

And voila, we arrived at Toulouse, the Pink City. It is much warmer than Bordeaux and surprisingly, more crowded as well. It's totally swarmed with tourists and locals who are taking advantage of the superb weather. Thank God, we finally had an air-con room to stay in. Not that we needed it in Paris or Bordeaux, but it's nice to be able to sleep with the window closed and air-con on for once. Less noisy in a way. The Citadine hotel in Toulouse is much nice than the one in Paris and Bordeaux as well. Newer, bigger, and the lifts work much faster. In case you can't see it in the photo, I am pointing at the hotel. It's within walking distance to the train station, and also to the town center.

I finally realised my dream of cycling in France, even if it's only for half an hour. Mum tried to cycle as well but it has been ages since she cycled, so we went "practising" around the back street. We must have been quite a sight, going back and forth so many times. The bicycles are sturdy, but much much heavier than we thought. In the end, we decided that we better stick to the safer method of walking around town. So I said au revoir to my velo. It was a short but sweet experience.

We took a tourist train for 5 Euros to go around town. It was quite popular and people had to literally climb over the barriers once the train arrived and grab a seat quickly. It's like taking the train in the zoo, only better because we were actually travelling along the roads and alleys. It's like, the whole city is a big zoo and we are exploring it.

Ended the day with a superb dinner at a restaurant facing the Capitolium. Took a set dinner which includes an entree and un plat du jour. Took a salade grecque and les moules, plus 2 glasses of chardonnay blanc. It's super super yummy.

Couldn't resist dessert so added a profiterole du chocolat.

Total damage: 75 Euros, and maybe 10,000 calories. :)

Day 4 - Bordeaux

The full day walking tour turned out to be real fun although we had to cover long distances. The weather was nice enough, with the occasional showers but only when we were indoors having lunch and on our way back to the city centre. The small village in the region of Entre-Deux-Mers has vast expanse of vineyards. Some recently planted, others ready for harvesting. I wish we could have more time for taking proper photos. The guide moved relatively fast so we could only snap a few here and there before running to catch up with the group.

Tne grapes looked so juicy... like they are going to burst anytime. According to the guide, the harvesting period should be around mid to end September.

We had two wine tasting sessions - Chateau deMarsan and Chateau de Bellegarde. The former is the biggest around that area, while the latter is the smallest. Learnt much about the risky business of making of white, red and rose wine. Definitely made me appreciate every sip I drank. And perhaps, I will also be wiser the next time I choose a wine.

Was supposed to go Place de la Bourse with Mom after dinner, but felt so drowsy after taking the flu medicine. Couldn't find the strength to go out anymore. It's a pity cos I was also looking forward to see the night scenary, and we are leaving tomorrow for Toulouse already. Hopefully there will be a next time for Bordeaux. There is definitely a lot more to explore in this region.

Day 3 - Bordeaux

Bordeaux is by far one of the most beautiful cities in France. And I am half drunk as I am writing this. Blame this on the smooth 4.99 Euro red wine which we found at the supermarket opposite.

Spend the entire morning walking around the weekend bazaars around the town area. Wasn't expecting myself to buy clothes in France, especially since I just came back from a trip to BKK, but mind you the clothes found at the bazaars are made in Italy and France. Not "fabrique en Chine". They sell anything from dresses to lingerie. Around a picturesque cathedrale (St Michel) somemore. Need I say more? Spent more than 100 Euro at the weekend markets. Zut.

Lunch is roasted chicken with potatoes bought from a shop near the bazaar area. Yummy yum yum. In the comforts of our hotel room.

Cross over to the other side of the river in the late afternoon. The weather was superb although the wind was literally blowing the two of us away. Bought some more stuff along St Catherine, the famous shopping stretch. Oh gosh, I am starting to wonder if we have brought enough money to spend. Seriously, the clothes are selling from 2 to 10 Euros. And they are of good quality!

Dinner is hotel-cooked steak. Really, my Mom can do just anything. Like, steak in a hotel room? It was superb, combined with a bottle of red wine. Oh gosh, I hope I can wake up for the tour tomorrow. And yes, just to update, we didn't manage to book any bicycle tours. It's like the super hot holiday season right now and the only tour we could get in is a whole day WALKING tour around the vineyards. Around 12 km? Yes... I better go get some rest now...

Bonne nuit... et a tout a l'heure. :)

Day 2 - Paris - Bordeaux

Nothing significant to highlight on my second day in France. Except that breakfast was really good. Nothing beats a cup of cafe creme and pain au chocolat in a chilly morning.

We spend the morning walking around Jardin de Luxembourg, the Latin Quarters and the Pantheon. And then it was endless hours of travelling. The annoyingTGV that was supposed to take us to Bordeaux was delayed by 2 hours. Luckily we managed to jump onto another one which was heading that way. Otherwise, we would only reach at 11pm plus.

And we had to stand at the cramped doorway because there ain't proper seats for us. The TGV was wobbly (see pic for proof). But I suppose it added a bit of an artistic feel to the photo. :p

We are contemplating taking one of those half day bicycle tours tomorrow for wine tasting (if we could wake up in time and have enough energy).

But as it is, I need to recover from some internal injury - fell flat on my face after tripping on Mom's luggage. I must have looked like a really clumsy tortoise. My backpack was too heavy and I couldn't get up at all. And Mom was clearly juggling between guilt and amusement at seeing me struggle. After a few moments of "are you ok?", she burst out laughing for the longest, longest, longest time. Grrr. So much for me praising her yesterday! Growl.

Day 1 - Paris

Bonjour!

Arrived safely in Paris after a tiring flight on Emirates. Stopped over at BKK (again) and DXB before finally arriving in France - the country which still captures my heart despite this being my 4th time here.



Missing Mr. Jang terribly, and wishing that he is here as well. But Mum's good company. I've got to hand it to her. No matter how grouchy I am and how irritated I seemed, she is always in good spirits, "wowing" at stuff endlessly, eating heartily and talking incessantly. I am more amused than annoyed. And deep down, I am very grateful that she put aside her work once again for her daughter. She might claim that she wants to go for a holiday as well, but I highly suspect that she came along because she wanted to make sure that I am safe.

Well, I am really not good with words. And I don't think I will ever say it. But yes, thanks Mum. You are great. :)

Jia You!

Just back from BKK this morning. And now am at the airport once again. Mixed feelings.

Must remind myself why I want to take a break in the first place.

Focus, focus!

I love you, Deuter...

Hi. My name is Deuter. I am about 10 years old. I was with my master when she first travelled to France in 2000/2001, where she stayed with a host family. From then on I travelled with her to HK, BKK, Bintan, Batam, and many many other places. I know that she is very unwilling to give me away although I have been dirtying her clothes (the skin on my inner walls is peeling). Her parents bought me for her first France trip, and of course, she has deep feelings for me.

So what would be my fate? Would I be given away, dumped, or kept inside the cupboard for old memories' sake? Or will I be used again for shorter trips, if she can find a way to mend my inner walls?

Oh master, I will miss you when you visit France again this time round. Although I won't be there, I am sure my sister, Hayrer will be a good company. Have a safe trip and looking forward to see you when you are back (if I am still around). Love, Deuter.

A month-long break...

Went back to the colourful office today to bid farewell to one colleague who was about to be posted out. My cub was already set up. Felt weird yet glad to be back there again... to see familiar faces and be in a familiar environment. Still don't know what to expect when I officially start work in Sep. I only know that no matter what, I just need to 加油加油! And God will take care of the rest. :)

Also collected the Eurail pass today. Getting excited about all the travelling I'd be doing this month. Praying for safety, and also praying that I'd find the thing that I am looking for!