Honestly, you guys have no idea how good it feels to be home in Vienna =) After about more than 14 flights and God only knows how many train rides...........it was quite satisfying to land at VIE =P However, there was a feeling of deja vu bc it seemed like yesturday I arrived at the same airport for the first time ><"
It's weird how in Feb I couldn't wait to start travelling........but after all of that, it just feels good to be home =P I may not speak German but I know how to get from the airport to my rez, where to buy groceries, and just the fact I can cook.......my own bed never felt sooooooo comfortable =) And just hearing "bitte, danke" was just so comforting =P After I dropped off my stuff, I like RAIDED the supermarket........I came home w. so many fruits and veggies that I think I went a little overboard, especially since I'm leaving next Wednesday lol.
Also, just seeing familiar faces in the kitchen as I cooked was so reassuring =P I'm glad I never lived in rez before (Shanghai didn't count lol) bc otherwise I would have expectations........speaking of which, I've learned to travel w.o expectations bc you build it up and most of the time you're let down.......I guess that's how expectations work in general right? =P
Anyway, it's amazing to be home that I don't want to leave......but at least I have trips every so often so I can appreciate it......I'm seeing friends, my Chinese/Austrian buddy =P, my Austrian friend who's teaching me German.....it feels GOOD to be home.......that's probably how Toronto will feel like in July......although I'll miss the freedom I have in Vienna =P
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Longest and Craziest Easter Break Ever =)
Honestly, April has been a complete blur to me =P travelling to all those places can be quite hectic. Furthermore, if I had been travelling w. just the same person for a whole month, I think I would've died -_-
But having said that, April was just amazing =) Honestly, I can't believe it's almost the 30th.....and I have presentations and exams coming up (although I know I don't have it as bad as you Schulichers out there). I spent some time travelling by myself, with a friend, and the last leg (Spain) w. Marcella and my Vienna exchange friends =). I met up w. Wolf, Riddhi, and some other Schulichers...........but I've also bumped into people randomly on the streets! It's honestly such a small world =P I had an amazing time w. Tina and her friends while I crashed at their place in Barcelona.........
It was a great growth experience and I've honestly lost count of how many times I've said "This is breath taking". From drinking the cleanest water in Switzerland, having AMAZING gelato, climbing Mount Tibidabo (omg cream, FRIENDS!!!), the memories I have are priceless =) I won't go on about my travel experiences but if you *are* keen on hearing about it, I'll probably be gushing out stories in toronto if you want to hear them =P
Can't wait for my trip w. Naila!!! =) can you imagine the damage we'll do in amsterdam...........*wink wink*
But having said that, April was just amazing =) Honestly, I can't believe it's almost the 30th.....and I have presentations and exams coming up (although I know I don't have it as bad as you Schulichers out there). I spent some time travelling by myself, with a friend, and the last leg (Spain) w. Marcella and my Vienna exchange friends =). I met up w. Wolf, Riddhi, and some other Schulichers...........but I've also bumped into people randomly on the streets! It's honestly such a small world =P I had an amazing time w. Tina and her friends while I crashed at their place in Barcelona.........
It was a great growth experience and I've honestly lost count of how many times I've said "This is breath taking". From drinking the cleanest water in Switzerland, having AMAZING gelato, climbing Mount Tibidabo (omg cream, FRIENDS!!!), the memories I have are priceless =) I won't go on about my travel experiences but if you *are* keen on hearing about it, I'll probably be gushing out stories in toronto if you want to hear them =P
Can't wait for my trip w. Naila!!! =) can you imagine the damage we'll do in amsterdam...........*wink wink*
Friday, April 3, 2009
Milano & Bergamo!!
When I arrived on Wednesday night, I took the bus from the Milan/Bergamo airport to Milan central station. My friend, Narges, then met me at the station. We took the metro before walking to her house. She lives w. one of our Schulich friends, Angela. They have the BEST appartment....it's close and there's a kitchen, bathroom, and a HUGE bedroom. There's a bunkbed with 2 more singles. So I slept quite well.
The next, the three of us and Angela's mom hopped onto a train to Bergamo city, about an hour away. It was a really cute city that didn't have a lot of tourists. We took a bus to the upper city centre, where we walked around, eating pizza (so cheap!) and shopped =P we saw a lot of cathedrals, basilicas and even took the funiculare down.That night, we had dinner around the corner from their house. Basically, in Milan, you can order one drink for like 7 euros and eat whatever food they have laid out for you. It was soooooooo good =) Then we went back and slept ><"
When we came back from Athens, I did a little city tour by myself, becuse my friends have exams on Friday. I went to the Duomo, a cathedral and an area where they have a lot of shops. Oh my goodness. I am so glad I didn't go to school in Milan because I would be pressured to buying stuff!! There was this store, La Rinacente that is like Holt Renfrew times 10~!!! There was this level of JUST designer bags -_- miu miu, prada, D&G, Dior........but i felt awkward looking at it ><" Something to aspire towards I guess...........The women here are so fashionable that you feel pressured =S but i didn't buy anything =) saving my money for Paris lol
I visited the Castello, a castle with museums within it. I spent about 30 mins in the ancient musical instrument exhibit.......so many pretty pianos of various shapes, sizes <3 I then walked back to the Duomo as it was a short walk, with a lot of shops to browse in =P I came home and Narges and Angela had pasta and salad waiting =P It's just good to be around people I'm familiar with........not that I don't enjoy my friends in Vienna.......this visit was just a tiny taste of home =)
The day of my departure, Narges and I walked along another shopping street.......the weather was grim as it started raining again......however, we took our time, checking out cute boutiques....surprisingly, some of the stores were relatively inexpensive =) We then had gelato at "Chocolat" for lunch ^.^ Yummy, I had pistachio and mango sorbet..........Like Cella said, no other place is able to top it! What a great end to a crazy trip =P
The next, the three of us and Angela's mom hopped onto a train to Bergamo city, about an hour away. It was a really cute city that didn't have a lot of tourists. We took a bus to the upper city centre, where we walked around, eating pizza (so cheap!) and shopped =P we saw a lot of cathedrals, basilicas and even took the funiculare down.That night, we had dinner around the corner from their house. Basically, in Milan, you can order one drink for like 7 euros and eat whatever food they have laid out for you. It was soooooooo good =) Then we went back and slept ><"
When we came back from Athens, I did a little city tour by myself, becuse my friends have exams on Friday. I went to the Duomo, a cathedral and an area where they have a lot of shops. Oh my goodness. I am so glad I didn't go to school in Milan because I would be pressured to buying stuff!! There was this store, La Rinacente that is like Holt Renfrew times 10~!!! There was this level of JUST designer bags -_- miu miu, prada, D&G, Dior........but i felt awkward looking at it ><" Something to aspire towards I guess...........The women here are so fashionable that you feel pressured =S but i didn't buy anything =) saving my money for Paris lol
I visited the Castello, a castle with museums within it. I spent about 30 mins in the ancient musical instrument exhibit.......so many pretty pianos of various shapes, sizes <3 I then walked back to the Duomo as it was a short walk, with a lot of shops to browse in =P I came home and Narges and Angela had pasta and salad waiting =P It's just good to be around people I'm familiar with........not that I don't enjoy my friends in Vienna.......this visit was just a tiny taste of home =)
The day of my departure, Narges and I walked along another shopping street.......the weather was grim as it started raining again......however, we took our time, checking out cute boutiques....surprisingly, some of the stores were relatively inexpensive =) We then had gelato at "Chocolat" for lunch ^.^ Yummy, I had pistachio and mango sorbet..........Like Cella said, no other place is able to top it! What a great end to a crazy trip =P
Athens!!
I had an amazing time in Athens! The sun was shining and the weather held up! It only started raining after we left (the protests also started the day we left but that's another story)
Narges and I woke up bright and early to catch a 5am taxi as our flight was for 6.30 am =( The system in Milan is amazing bc the stoplights turn into 4 way stops in the evening =) The driver just cruised to Linate airport.
If I can make a suggestion, I would not take connecting flights ><" the wait is too long (though necessary) and you're just exhausted. Thankfully I had Narges =P We just shopped and read while we waited for our connecting flight from Rome.
What can I say about Athens......it's amazing how they have so much culture and history in an urban city. As I looked down from Filoppapou Hill, I would see blotches of greens and historic sites admist the houses and buildings. We did a lot of walking, going from the Acropolis to the National Gardens, stopping for lunch near the Ancient Agora at Monastiraki market.....visiting the Olympic Stadiums of 2004......then climbing up Filopappou Hill to watch the sunset.......On Sundays, majority of the attractions are free. We hit most of the attractions on Sunday. Then on Monday, we visited the National Archaelogical Museum (so many scultpures!) and the Temple of Zeus for free bc we were EU students =) So many student perks! lol
Prior to exploring Athens though, we did a little island hopping =) We missed the ferry to Poros island bc there was construction on a metro line so we had to navigate the bus system ><" Anyway, it worked out for the best bc we took another ferry to Aegina instead. What was supposed to be only a quick stop for a map turned into us renting a car! The owner was so chill and didn't even care that Narges was 21. Her manual driving skills came in handy =) we saw half the island, visiting two monastaries, driving by the coastline, seeing a wild peacock..........it was just a lot of fun and a completely different experience =P We ran to catch the ferry to Poros from Aegina. Aegina was just a pretty, though we didn't have a car to wander around the city ><" Nonetheless, we followed randomed paths to reach the town's clock tower; as long as we were going up, we were getting somewhat closer =) We walked along the island's coast, stopping to skip rocks and dip our feet in water (well, it was just me, but that still counts lol).
The city has just been amazing =) Everytime I stopped to ask for help, everyone was willing to give us directions. There were a few weird moments that I'm trying to forget but still =P Exchange in general has been an eye opener as to how evident cultural differences are in the real world.......
Narges and I woke up bright and early to catch a 5am taxi as our flight was for 6.30 am =( The system in Milan is amazing bc the stoplights turn into 4 way stops in the evening =) The driver just cruised to Linate airport.
If I can make a suggestion, I would not take connecting flights ><" the wait is too long (though necessary) and you're just exhausted. Thankfully I had Narges =P We just shopped and read while we waited for our connecting flight from Rome.
What can I say about Athens......it's amazing how they have so much culture and history in an urban city. As I looked down from Filoppapou Hill, I would see blotches of greens and historic sites admist the houses and buildings. We did a lot of walking, going from the Acropolis to the National Gardens, stopping for lunch near the Ancient Agora at Monastiraki market.....visiting the Olympic Stadiums of 2004......then climbing up Filopappou Hill to watch the sunset.......On Sundays, majority of the attractions are free. We hit most of the attractions on Sunday. Then on Monday, we visited the National Archaelogical Museum (so many scultpures!) and the Temple of Zeus for free bc we were EU students =) So many student perks! lol
Prior to exploring Athens though, we did a little island hopping =) We missed the ferry to Poros island bc there was construction on a metro line so we had to navigate the bus system ><" Anyway, it worked out for the best bc we took another ferry to Aegina instead. What was supposed to be only a quick stop for a map turned into us renting a car! The owner was so chill and didn't even care that Narges was 21. Her manual driving skills came in handy =) we saw half the island, visiting two monastaries, driving by the coastline, seeing a wild peacock..........it was just a lot of fun and a completely different experience =P We ran to catch the ferry to Poros from Aegina. Aegina was just a pretty, though we didn't have a car to wander around the city ><" Nonetheless, we followed randomed paths to reach the town's clock tower; as long as we were going up, we were getting somewhat closer =) We walked along the island's coast, stopping to skip rocks and dip our feet in water (well, it was just me, but that still counts lol).
The city has just been amazing =) Everytime I stopped to ask for help, everyone was willing to give us directions. There were a few weird moments that I'm trying to forget but still =P Exchange in general has been an eye opener as to how evident cultural differences are in the real world.......
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