Just a simple miracle

It seemed like ages since I last had teh si and soft boiled eggs, decided to have them for dinner today, coupled with kaya toast. Took my own sweet time to allow drips of dark soya sauce to fall on the soft runny eggs, it's always interesting to look at how each drip of it spill over the smooth surface of the eggs and makes its way kinda like how a channel of water in a creek flows, some hidden passages along the way...creating a pretty interesting piece of art at times I must say :P As I took a sip of hot teh si, looked at the ceiling, those white ceiling fans were twirling. A Chinese song was playing in the background, seemed nice and gentle to the ears. My eyes were fixed on one of the ceiling fans for a while, the surrounding was filled with conversations but the fan and the music seemed to get more of my attention.

Thought about a text that was sent by an ex-colleague, she wished she could learn to be abit more positive. Hmm, maybe positivity does exist in every one of us, maybe it has always been there in us all the time, it's just a matter of whether we want to and choose to face it? Some would probably deny it or shun it. Maybe it's really not an easy route to positivity and hence, we choose the other route which seems safer? I don't know. We don't have many years in our lives, do we? What would our life stories be like as we look back?

Another Chinese song was playing in the background. I finished my last bit of teh si and looked at the empty cup and plates in front of me...a simple miracle for the day.

A miracle

You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle. ~ Paulo Coelho

Back home...in denial, great denial

My very own pasta salad!

Back home after a somewhat long flight on my own (still don't like long flights :P). Still kinda in denial...mopped the floor of the whole house, did abit of laundry, grocery shopping, swept the leaves in the garden and cooked but still refused to look at anything related to work. I can't believe my holidays are coming to an end, can't believe it's time to start work soon, can't believe it's back to schedules and deadlines, can't believe...what an unbelievable world at this point of time! Am I still in dreamland?...

Prepared pasta salad last night, a big salad bowl of it! It's been a long time since I last prepared that. You wouldn't believe it but I do have fans of it. Hence, gladly made it for those fans :P Added lotsa celery for that crunchiness, carrots for the colours, tuna, ham and baby corn for the sweetness. Not to forget marcaroni and salad cream (not too much though), don't want my ingredients to be swimming in cream :P Well, left in the fridge overnight and would certainly be great if it's eaten cold. Four containers of it have just been picked up from my place and left one bowl of it in my fridge for my own consumption :P

Last day in Basel

Fried rice! Everyone had a big bowl of it :P

Time to cook dinner...Bak Kuh Teh (from instant mix :P)

The host (multi-tasking: replying emails and watching World Cup) :P ...plaited hair done by me

The bottles of ice tea I have tried...it's not only three, I have drunk more than three for the whole trip, seemed like an addiction :P

The people by the river...

The river...

The bridge...

It was a sunny day, took a walk to the city centre of Basel and the river, wondering how many times have I walked there :P It was not even a weekend and the streets were packed with people, maybe people were out for lunch. Still wondering why some could just sat by the sidewalk cafe and enjoy coffee and food for a pretty long time, looking so relaxed and having lots to chat about with others. Hmm, lots to learn from them about enjoying life :P I bought a bretzel (with ham and butter) for lunch and just walked by the river. A good day for a bottle of cold ice tea too!

Left Basel the next day, it was a train ride to Zurich airport in the early morning. Had mixed feelings, missed home but I know I will miss my days in Basel too, will miss Rune (keeping me company for most nights), Sidney, cooking in the kitchen and most of all, the host...hugz (KNS :P)

Interlaken - At the peak

Here's another two unidentified persons, did you spot them? :P

Who are these two tourists squatting on the ground, holding their cameras? :P

Do you enjoy looking at the mountains? Think carefully...

...motionless but yet you could feel the life in them

I call them the silent giants...

At the peak, stepping on snow...everyone that was there did not make much noise, everyone was either snapping pictures or enjoying the surrounding. It didn't really feel cold up there, no altitude issue too, maybe not high enough :P Shh...

Interlaken - Up the mountains

On our way to take the cable car to Schilthorn

Running free!

As usual, enjoy looking up...

Beautiful weather, isn't it? :)

Hmm, which part of the mountain would be a good shot? :P

We decided to 'conquer' Schilthorn, 2971m. Heh, via two short train rides, some walking and three cable car rides to reach the peak. Had wanted to go up Jungfrau, probably about 4158m high but decided to be just satisfied with Schilthorn :P The journey was pretty interesting, saw many enthusiastic trekkers who chose to trek parts of the mountain or maybe even up the mountain. I guess the most inspiring part was quite a percentage of the trekkers were considered the elderly, they were all geared up to trek long distances and conquer different terrains. They were awaitng the challenges ahead and anticipating the sights ahead. I believe for them, it was mind over body and maybe even age too. Hmm, maybe to them, the triumph was not the peak but the journey and the experience. They were nice people :) Could see from afar in the cable cars and the trains that there were tracks to guide trekkers. Hee, I dun mind doing that too :P The weather was certainly good for trekking!

Interlaken - Along the way

Posing in front of the casino...we went in, quite a small one

People never fail to fill the streets during sunny days, Interlaken is usually filled with tourists during summer. During winter, people do make their way there to ski too.

Walked this route a few times for those days in Interlaken, watched paragliders land in the big field, I wanna try paragliding too!

The water in the lake was so clean that you feel like swimming in it. But I believe it's very cold :P

Train, bus, ferry and cable...tried all forms of transport in Interlaken. Oh yes, we walked alot too! Hmm, had boat (oh well, ferry maybe) rides for two days. The second time we took the ride was better coz it was sunny and the surroundings were great and serene.

Interlaken - Our accommodation

Sleeping amidst the mountains...You can't imagine how quiet it was at night, one could really feel silence

Love the light that seeped through the curtains during breakfast

It was a little cosy hotel (Hotel Carlton Europe) near the city centre of Interlaken, very accessible to the train station and supermarket :P ...Sometimes, it's always the little and simple things that really matter and they have shown us that, wonderful and thoughtful service I must say.

Rune and the evening

Looked out of the window and the sun was setting...beautiful

It's Rune from Sweden! (XF's soft toy :P)

Who's this?

Back from an expensive but not so nice and authentic dinner across Rhine and lazing by the dining table...abit lazy to pack for the short trip to Interlaken :P

Novartis Day@Basel 2010

Yo!

Glassy offices

I thought this would make a good place for lunch break, enjoying packed lunch

Was happy to be able to eat my ice cream and sharing my joy with Mummy :P

Big-faced Didi :P

Say cheesey cheese :P

Anyone for some beer?

The premises have nice trees!

It's really a mega family day over here at Novartis where XF is working. Thank goodness, the rain stopped and we were having a nice slow walk around the whole campus, hmm, quite a good working environment, not really sure what goes on inside though :P We spent almost the whole afternoon there, drinking coffee and eating pastries :P There was not much time for Art Basel, probably need a few days to finish viewing every hall, so decided to give it a miss and have our Thai meal at a restaurant recommended by Didi.

Lazy Saturday morning

Take away lunch bought by XF, broccoli! :P

Saw a bee while having breakfast, wondering if it's cold in the rain?

Woke up feeling cold, it's raining, still refused to get out of bed :P When I finally did, it's almost ten. We would be out only after lunch so I took my o..w..n s..w..e..e..t time to make my own breakfast and take a shower. Didi and XF were out shopping for some stuff. Plans for the day...Norvartis Day@Basel 2010, Art Basel and dinner.

The same hand

I was in the train, on our way back to Basel from Schaffhausen. The train was pretty empty and Didi was busy taking photographs and looking at them. Thought of the our visit to IWC factory and museum at Schaffhausen in the afternoon...Hmm, all about men's watches (Well, you should know who suggested going IWC :P) but it's kinda interesting to know a little more of the history of watch making and how watch making can link so closely to sports and creating awareness in relation to world issues. Thought of the quote that I have read about in the museum...

"People need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want. We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and history of the world were written by the same hand." ~ Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)

...I looked out of the window on the other side of the train, saw a beautiful river, water gleaming under the sun...I smiled

Schaffhausen

Breathtaking view at the Munot

Time for ice cream break! It's hazelnut :P

Ba ba black sheep...hmm, are we black or white?

City centre in Schaffhausen

Appreciating the little beauties while walking along the river...

After lunch, it was a real long walk along Rhine River...on our way to Rhine Falls, walked about 3km but I thought it's a nice walk, weather was good!

My travel companion for the day :P

Dogs over here seem so obedient, loyal and friendly. They don't really bark and they can be brought into restaurants and shopping malls...thinking of Sunny baby every time I see a dog...

At Basel Bad Bf train station...a connecting train we took here to go to Schaffhausen

Today, my parents decided to just rest in the apartment and maybe shop a little in Basel. Didi and I headed for Schaffhausen in the late morning. I must say that we really walked alot today, my legs are still kinda tired from all the walking :P