here goes the update for my Germany and Paris trip:
13 Oct
head home to pack my bag after work then head to tiong bahru with my family for dinner... been a long time since the whole family went out together... guess thats the advantage of having a car.. =)... we headed to the airport after that... leo came to send me off.. thx bud for the lip balm and chocolates!! i still haven finish them!! hahaha...
14 Oct
reach germany around 10am... before that we had a transit in Paris and me and hui xian was practically running in the airport to catch our plane... as the ticket did not state which terminal and gate to go to and by the time we touch down on paris.. we are only left with half an hour before our flight to germany... we stopped to ask a staff working in the airport to check where do we go do... we are like: excuse me, do u speak english? the guy replied us:"no"... we are like... din u just reply to us in english?? duh!! reached Frankfurt... took a cab to our hotel... checked in and we headed out to take a train to Frankfurt... looked around there... din do too much shopping there though as its too expensive and most of the stuff there are thick winter clothes... got some birkenstocks... head back to our hotel in the evening and then head out for a jog!! hahaha... healthy living... took dinner after that and then called it a day....
15 Oct
woke up in the morning... walked down to the city centre but everywhere is closed except for some cafes... bought an ice cream and took a walk around the park before heading back to our hotel... nothing to do and so we slept our afternoon away... woke up in the evening to go for our welcome gathering with the Merck ppl in the lobby.... mingle around for an hr or 2 before we go back to sleep again!! hahaha.... 16 Oct - 20 Oct got up at 645am everyday (singapore time 1245pm) for breakfast then head to Merck ... took some pictures at the entrance of the company on the first day... i like the Pyramid... we had sandwiches for lunch every single day!! yucks!!! its the same ingredients too.... and i got my menses on the second day i reach Germany!! argh!! headed to the city centre for dinner at a mexican restaurant and aussie bar with colleagues from the other countries on our 2nd and 4th day... of course without fail... we had alcohol... had a german beer, tequilla sunrise and mango margarita... on the 3rd day of the training.. they brought us to Frankenstain Castle... its a place up the hills where there's a chapel and dining place there... its really cold up there... but i din enjoy the food....but i got eye candy!! the trainer looks like Sandra bullock and she's sitting opposite me.. i can't stop looking at her all the time... hahah... left for Paris at 4pm but before that we actually remember the flight time wrongly... we rushed back to the hotel like mad to get to the airport on time thankfully..... reached Paris and we got our maps out to try to figure our way to find our hotel... gosh... all the train stations have got no escalators.... we had to carry our luggage up and down stairs... was perspiring like crazy changing trains... reached the station we are suppose to alight... but we couldn't find our hotel... saw a guy making pizza delivery and we asked him for help... he is so helpful that he rode his bike around to find the place for us as he dunno where the hotel is as well... before our trip here... we are told that the french are not helpful and friendly ppl... got to the hotel... carried the luggage up the narrow spiral staircase... put our stuff down and head out for dinner.. the hotel manager walked us out to a resturant to eat... had chicken stew and a greek beer.... yummy!
left to right: hui xian and me in Frankfurt, Octoberfest, me and my german beer
left to right: Frankenstein alcohol drink, Merck pyramid, lady in green Sandra Bullock look-alike
left to right: my plane to Paris, our room in Paris, the hotel we stayed in
21 Oct
got up at 7am to head out for our tour! first stop: the Lourve Museum to see the Mona Lisa... we both ain museum ppl... so for the sake of going there as it is a must go place... we went in to take some pictures of paintings and sculptures... there are artists drawing inside as well... the place is really huge... took us 3 hrs in there... but we din manage to cover everything.... head towards the Seine River for a walk... went to the Hotel Invalides and some other museums which i can't recall the names.... hahaha... we ate nutella crepe for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!! in the evening... Hui Xian decided we should try to find out where the Louis Vuitton shop is at... we walked round and round the city to try finding it and finally after an hr and a half we got there... bought lotsa stuff there... but well... they are all not for me... busted my credit card.... head back to our hotel at 10pm... ate dessert at the same restuarant the previous night... chatted alittle with the staff there... had difficulty communicating with them... had a good laugh trying to figure out what they are saying... and i had a turkish beer this time... i was so tired from all the steps climbing... Hui xian said i snored in my sleep! hahaha... sorry gal...
left to right: Nalpolein's apartment, artist at work, Lourve Musuem from the outside
paintings and sculptures
left to right: Singapore flag in Paris, me and my crepe, Effiel tower from far
22 Oct
we head to the Catacombs today... where lotsa ppl died while digging for rocks... after which.. we went to Notre Dame... the view up there is beautiful... but we had to climb over 400 steps to get up!!! but its all so worthwhile... To a english pub for lunch after that... this time we had kebab... watched the Man U vs Liverpool game there... there are more ppl supporting Liverpool though.. hahah but nvm... Man U won!! after the game... we walked all the way down to Effiel Tower!! its really nice when u go near it... we din manage to get up the tower as the queue is damn long.... all the attractions have got long queues actually... wanted to get our pictures drawn but its god damn expensive... 30 euros for 1 drawing!!! so we changed our mind... head down to Montparnasse for dinner and it started pouring... the wind is so strong that my umbrella got inverted!!... so we decided to walk in the rain... hahah... i was telling Hui xian.. is it that europe umbrellas are better?? y only mine got inverted???
left to right: Catacombs, Notre Dame, half dead climbing the 400++ steps
views from the top of Notre Dame
left to right: Effiel tower, Hotel de Villa
23 Oct
we woke up later today as we had already covered all the attractions... packed our luggage before heading to the city for some last day shopping... lotsa branded stores there... huixian is so in love with the Longchamps store... she gotten herself 2 bags there... and i got a wallet for myself... its really cheap as compared to Singapore... and u can see many ppl carrying their bags on the streets... even for Ah Ma!! and finally at 7.. we head to the airport... the macdonalds there is a flop man... dirty and messy... on the way to the airport in the train we are so bored that we started taking pictures of each other in funny poses... hahaha... we can't wait to get back... din know i'll miss home.......
left to right: Sonia Rykiel(its still alive), all the stuff i bought (not for me), happy to go home
24th Oct
back in singapore!!! got a call from Cindy the moment i touched down... real surprise especially when she's in australia!! have a good time there k... bring a koala back for me!! my dad and brother came to pick me up... asked my mum to cook soup for me... i miss it!!! then head out to meet Chris and Serene after that.....
thats it... 1 and a half weeks of events.... i'm still trying to adjust back to the timing here... sigh.....
