Christmas miracle?

^^ That's the Qantas flight schedule and price list.

^^ That's the British Airways multi-city flight whence I go from Singapore > London > Frankfurt > New York > Singapore by air. It's quite confusing to me right now. Whatever it is, I need to save a lot of money. I need to set up a Sponsor Me page. Hopefully some kind souls might help!

I mentioned before that I may write a travel book on my trip. What I think now is I would most definitely write one. I will have an adventure of a lifetime. Why won't I write about it? I love Bill Bryson's Neither Here Nor There. It did make me laugh out loud. However, I want mine to be more serious. Not serious serious, but something more or a novel. A travel novel. Is that what they call it? (I write here, you can check my work out. It is all unedited work and based on Tokio Hotel for when I cannot think of any original character to write about but all story lines are original. I hope you like! I have gotten favorable comments from many, many people over my 1.5 years on that site, both public and private!) It will be from my point of view, from a nineteen-year-old who might most likely spend her 20th in USA. Who knows, if I could find a good "freelance" writing job, I would write from wherever I am and earn some cash and continue living on until my 12 months is up in wherever I will be and then I'll return to Singapore. I'm very excited about these trips.

I sincerely hope my sponsors give me a favorable reply, make my 2009 Christmas a Christmas to remember. :)

Timetable

So most likely I will fly off from Singapore to reach London-Heathrow on August 9 2010. Here's a basic list of the places I am going to visit and in order. I have done extensive and thorough research on each place and town and I have a list on things I'm going to do there as well! It may or may not change!

Europe
9/8-16/8: London, England
17/8-20/8: Stockholm, Sweden
21/8-24/8: Copenhagen, Denmark
25/8-28/8: Hamburg, Germany
29/8-3/9: Prague, Czech Republic
4/9-8/9: Budapest, Hungary
9/9-13/9: Bucharest, Romania
14/9-19/9: Athens, Greece
20/9-24/9: Rome, Italy
25/9-29/9: Florence, Italy
30/9-3/10: Munich, Germany
4/10-9/10: Venice, Italy
10/10-13/10: Milan, Italy
14/10-17/10: Lausanne, Switzerland
18/10-21/10: Geneva, Switzerland
22/10-25/10: Lourdes, France
26/10-30/10: Madrid, Spain
31/10-4/11: Barcelona, Spain
5/11-6/11: Ibiza, Spain
7/11-10/11: Bordeaux, France
11/11-19/11: Paris, France
20/11-23/11: Amsterdam, Netherlands
24/11-27/11: Cologne, Germany
28/11-3/12: Berlin, Germany
4/12-8/12: Vienna, Austria
9/12-12/12: Salzburg, Austria
13/12-16/12: Nuremberg, Germany
17/12-18-12: Frankfurt, Germany

America
19/12-28/12: Baltimore, Maryland
29/12-5/12: New York City, New York

What do you think? About America, my mom's old mate lives there and so we're invited to come over anytime. My folks are planning to spend their 2010 Christmas there. Why not head to New York for New Year's too if we're near? ;)

Christmas Markets, anyone?

Feeling a bit dizzy because of Christmas (that is around the corner), I've looked up the top Christmas markets in Europe. I've seen a few strong contenders featured on various sites and they are Tallinn, Dresden, Copenhagen, Nuremberg, and Vienna. Here is Times' Europe's Best Christmas Markets 2009.

That's Tallinn. Want a perfect White Christmas? There it is, right there. I have an Estonian friend who seems rather proud of being—well—Estonian. I told her I was intending to backpack Europe and she told me to visit Estonia, that it is an unknown and ignored country full of beauty. I, for one, was not so sure what language Estonians speak, neither do I know where exactly in Europe it was. All the European countries I know are ones named on the Eurail website. I am now hanging my head low in shame. Estonia is not part of my rail pass and I'm afraid I am skipping it. :( Here is Times' review on it:

Tallinn, Nov 29 - Jan 7: the Estonian capital will host its 8th Christmas market since the tradition was revived in post-Soviet times. The picturesque Town Hall Square is said to be the site of the world’s first Christmas tree, which formed part of a ritual begun in 1441, when unmarried merchants sang and danced with the town's girls around a tree, which they then burned. Organisers expect 200,000 visitors this year and no tree burning.

 

All the pictures are rightfully linked so please click on them to be directed to the original photographer's website. :) Right on! So we move on to the next famous Christmas market. Dresden!

 

Dresden's Christmas Market is traditionally called Striezelmarkt, it is Germany's oldest Christmas Market with a very long history dating back to 1434. Its name derives from Hefestriezel, a sweet delicacy which centuries later has become know as “Dresden Christstollen” (German Christmas Cake). The Dresden Christmas Market is located in the historical part of the city centre between the recently rebuilt Frauenkirche and the culinary famous restaurant street of Münzgasse. (Taken from Germany-Christmas-Market.org)

Next up, we have Copenhagen. I love how this place sounded from all the reviews I read regarding the epic Tivoli Gardens!

Copenhagen, Nov 20 - Dec 30: The Tivoli Gardens in the centre of Denmark's capital have all the fun of the fair. Rollercoasters and other theme park rides add extra excitement to the masses of Christmas trees, presents, elves and stalls. The gardens are transformed by a huge Christmas Tree and miles of fairy lights: the Tivoli Lights were invented by Tiffany’s head designer John Loring - 1,800 light chains are needed for the willows around The Tivoli Lake. (From Times)

And then next up is Nuremberg! I am going to make this a pit stop for when I am on my German leg of the tour. Is it all right when I leave all my German trips till the end of November towards December? I still do want to see the famous sites all over the country. Anyway, that is out of topic. Let's go back to Nuremberg, shall we?

I have to say this looks entirely medieval and romantic! I cannot wait to visit!

Nuremberg, Nov 27 - Dec 24: Nuremberg is the biggest and perhaps the best in Germany. Gingerbread is a speciality of the region, so get your finest Hansel and Gretel garb on and feast on that and the speciality sausage - Nuremberger bratwursts. (From Times)

And last but not least, here is Vienna. Vienna has always been the top three of my MUST-SEE places in Europe. I'm in love with it (partly because of this story I wrote that is based there, and I had to research Vienna and Salzburg up for it) because I've read so much about it and things like if you've not been to Austria, you've never been to Europe. It's like a modern city with that old classic European feel to it. I don't know. I'll have to go to find out. ;)

I think Austria is simply amazing. :)

Vienna, Nov 22 - Dec 26: The best locations include the Schönbrunn Palace, the market in front of City Hall, the traditional Viennese Christmas market on Freyung, and those at Spittelberg, Am Hof and in front of the church of St. Charles Borromeo (Karlskirche). (From Times)

Planning your next Christmas already? ;) See you there!

How cold is cold?

So just yesterday my mother convinced me that my father was going to buy my air ticket for me. I'm pretty reluctant for him to do that but that would greatly ease my financial burden. I was also itching to buy a ticket with my own money right there and then and safely say, "See? I can fly to London now no problem. Nothing's stopping me." Yeah, right. That's not true. I don't have a ticket. Originally, my plan was to purchase a flight from Singapore to KL and then to London Stansted after. My mom frowned upon "Stansted" when I said it. It still is an airport, isn't it? It's for most budget airlines. When I take my Ryanair flight to Sweden, that's how it will be.

Oh, did I say I was skipping Oslo? Yes, indeed. It's too expensive a night and I just had to schedule the trip to be over the weekend. Weekend accommodation is much more expensive undoubtedly. Great job. So I canceled it. This means I am going to spend a week in London with Ashlee and CJ and hopefully we can take a trip up north to York and catch a game of football or two! I would love to watch Liverpool or Chelsea play a game. All I can hope now is that neither Ashlee or CJ would object to it, or to the idea of paying a hundred bucks to take a train to and fro York. York is amazing. It's got a lot to offer and a friend from York, Emily, is willing to take us around. I'm sure she's not going to take us in. Three strangers? Okay, maybe two strangers since she knew me. I don't like imposing on people but sometimes, it's an advantage. Anyway, like I said, I hope we can visit York and the haunted locations and have tea with Emily.''

Back to the idea of tickets. Most likely, dad will get me the ticket directly to London Heathrow via Qantas. Right now it costs almost SGD$1000, no more, but mom convinced me there will be sales by summer. I'm not too sure. All along, my parents were the ones buying my tickets whenever we traveled. Hopefully, they're right. The ticket could go up to SGD$1600 by the time summer comes. I don't want to know I could have saved €300 by booking earlier. With €300, I can drink a dozen mugs of beer at the Oktoberfest in Munich where I could stay for at least four days. Isn't that amazing? As long as my dad will buy me a ticket, I will try to worry less.

Saving is going on quite well. Soon, I will make a list of things I want for Christmas and my 19th birthday (which are just a week apart). Hopefully, I get what I want and good ones at that. I'm planning to ask for a good backpack but is buying a backpack seven months before too early? I hope not. I'm also asking for a money belt, a day pack, walking shoes, winter wear and thermals. Ashlee told me I would need a hell lot of clothing since we're going to tour in fall/winter and I'm already saying 25 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) is cold. Having lived in the tropics since forever, I obvioiusly call that cold. It's still slightly stuffy and warm but it's cold enough. This year end, I will be traveling to Macau and Hong Kong, near China, and will experience 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) on average. It will be the temperature of what Paris is right now in mid-November. And that's the period I will be visiting Paris and the rest of France. A good time to get used to the weather, right?

I hope I get a direct flight to London. I don't feel like laying over for two and a half hours in Doha or any part in the United Arab Emirates. I want to be on a plane knowing when I get off, I am in Europe. In the Europe. In the London Heathrow and that Ashlee and CJ are waiting for me on the other side of the gate, awaiting to start a journey of a lifetime. That's what I want. What do you want?

London Heathrow or Stansted?

So there's this really amazing deal on Air Asia that I could get my ticket to London for $300 tops. How? Does Air Asia really fly to London from Singapore? Sadly, no. There's only a KUL-STN route. That's Kuala Lumpur to London Stansted for you. Yes, that's the only catch. Where in the world is London Stansted? It still is an airport but just not the London Heathrow. That costs only 499MYR and altogether, around plus baggage and food, it costs $250 for the ticket to London. Might I add, that is absolutely insane. The ticket from SIN-KUL just before that flight would cost SGD$0 but with taxes and baggage, it would be almost $50 so altogether, the ticket would cost almost $300. This fares last only till the end of the month because I checked in July, the fares went up by 200MYR so I decided if I waited any longer till December or January, the price would surely rise further.

Picture credited to Jim Linwood on Flickr

So the Grapevine Hotel in the heart of London looks like a winner for now. :) Bed and breakfast? Yes please! That's very English, isn't it? Another place for B&Bs would be Paris. In fact, hopefully all over Europe we would live in B&Bs because it would be great if a meal is provided without worrying over where and what to eat. Simply marvelous.

Eight more months till Europe comes and if there are plans to be made, I'm making them right now. It's really not easy planning so that events coincide, fares are cheap, attractions are open, weather is acceptable... When we've done London where it's going to be cool and non-rainy during August, we will take a cheap flight to Oslo which costs no more than SGD$100. It's as much as a rail ticket from Eurostar from London to Paris so why not start from the top and save time as well? ;) It will be during summer so it would be the warmest up north. That would be the only flight within Europe we would take that would take us to the Northernmost part of Scandinavia. We will skip Finland. It's far too far and cold and we expect little there. I have originally excluded Norway but Norway as I have heard of and read up is extremely beautiful. To add to my enthusiasm, I saw New Scandinavian Cooking on the Asian Food Channel just yesterday and my interest was piqued. ;) And I'd love to spend a night in the world's most expensive country and show how it really isn't that expensive at all for a budget traveler!

From Oslo, Norway, we start our Eurail pass after we finished seeing what Oslo has to offer in hopefully two days, no more. Then at the end of Oslo, we will begin using the pass as we head down a few hours to Stockholm. Two days there and then to Copenhagen. Two days after, a boat ride to Germany and the first place would be Hamburg. We may or may not stop. Then we go to Amsterdam, Brussels, down south to cover France, Paris, Bordeaux, Lourdes, then Spain, Madrid, Ibiza, Barcelona, back to France, Marseille, then Switzerland, Bern, Munich for Oktoberfest, a bit of Austria, Salzburg, Innsbruck, some Italy, Milan, Venice, Rome, 15-hour boat ride to Athens, then Eastern Europe, Sofia, Bucharest, Budapest, Prague, back to Austria, to Vienna just in time for Christmas markets. And then if we have enough stops we can hop around Germany with our remaining time on our pass or buy a Germany pass before flying out of Frankfurt, Berlin or Munich to New York, New Jersey or Maryland (which I will check the fares for in February to March 2010) since my family's going to Maryland next Christmas. All these pit stops definitely exceed my 25 maximum travel days and I'm trimming it to 20 days on my list to keep safe (in case we overshot and need an extra day of travel or slept overnight on the sleeper train) but I'm excluding counting places like Ibiza and everywhere in Germany except for Munich which we have to stop at just in time for Oktoberfest. Hamburg in the beginning may be canceled but how can I resist not stopping in Germany when I'm even just passing through? ;) I have a friend who's going to Germany during the summer so maybe I would stop by Berlin to see her!

So I have decided we (my friends Ashlee and CJ from New Jersey) end Europe in Germany when our Eurail pass ends, around November since I'm planning on two 2-month passes that allow 10 and 15 travel days each. It's cheaper than buying a 3-month pass alone. I've long been complicated by it but I've already decided. It's at the most four months excluding the United Kingdom. Two months is too little and since the 4-month is cheaper than 3-month (just 25 stops as compared to unlimited respectively), I've decided to go for two passes. I don't have to finish all 162 days! Since it's Ashlee, CJ and I bunking together, rooms would be divided by three and Ashlee and I would share a bed so there's going to be no problem there. Plus CJ's got links and most likely we'll get some rooms here and there for cheap. All in all, the trip would last four months from early August to early December. I have planned for and will visit the Christmas markets in Germany and Austria.

And one more thing: if my sister Ellie saves enough, she could go with me to London for the four days I'll be there. A return flight and food and accommodation can squeeze into that if you're frugal enough and traveling in a group. Book early. ;)

Picture credited to ArjyP on Flickr

The details for my flight to London Heathrow is as of yet unconfirmed. My mother insists I should wait for better deals but don't airlines always refund you what more they charged you before the sale? Well, I'm going to let mother decide that. She's funding my tickets, anyway. :) However, most likely we'll take the flight from London Stansted to Oslo Torp and start the Eurail pass at the end of Oslo.


13 August 2010: via Ryanair — London Stansted (STN) to Oslo Torp (TRF)

Skyscanner has been a really helpful site for me. Do visit it. For cheap hotels if you're not taking the risk with hostels, go to Travellers Point. :)

Ooh la la!

I have just watched this French food show on Discovery Travel and Living and I'm inspired to write something about it. Each time some wonderful croissant was baked, a delicate fruit pastry was decorated, a rib-eye steak was seared and herbs were sprinkled all over the meat, I shivered and looked away. It was just way too beautiful for me to stare at. It almost felt illegal. Feeling the itch to research more on this, I have first sought to find interesting and pretty pictures and it seems I have indeed found some of Paris, the capital of France.

The Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tour may be the ones you'd undoubtedly recognize, and indeed, they are as amazing as they look. Maybe even ethereal in person. I would have to find that out by myself!

Pictures credited to Xiaozhuli at Flickr.

Did the pictures manage to whet your appetite? Aren't those just little masterpieces? You can never really taste real French food unless you head down to France yourself. In this case, for this journal, it's mostly about the pastries. I have always been a fan of Delifrance, a French-style cafe in Singapore. I'm not sure where else they have them but I remember my mother would buy fruit tarts home almost daily because her office was right across a Delifrance cafe. I loved the chocolate eclairs and I can taste them in my mouth! For the top ten patisseries in Paris, visit this page for more information. I for one cannot wait to personally write a review on them when I go there!

The Neues Museum and Nefertiti

The famous 3,300-year-old bust of Queen Nefertiti seen at the "Neues Museum", New Museum, on the so-called Museum Island during a media preview in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. Berlin's Neues Museum will be reopened on Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 and welcome back the famed bust of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, more than 60 years after World War II bombing left much of the building in ruins. The building will be reopened after a decade of painstaking restoration work, marking a major step forward in a marathon project to revive the German capital's neoclassical Museum Island complex. British architect David Chipperfield reconstructed the remains of the 'Neues Museum', originally built by Friedrich August Stueler between 1843 and 1855. — AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

So just hours back, Queen Nefertiti's bust has returned to the Neues Museum in Berlin, German after a remodeling of the monumental building. How did I find out about this? Let me be honest—I am honestly not a news buff. I actually flicked over to the German channel on my local cable service and watched Deutsche-Welle TV for a while where they talked about the reopening of the Neues Museum. The thing that caught me was the Queen's bust herself. I recognized it immediately and I stopped to listen! Lo and behold, the news was up to date. If I never watched that, I'd never know. What an interesting entry this will be. ;)

Pictures credited to The Associated Press.

Isn't it beautiful, just one of a kind? She's in a bulletproof box, obviously, and one that's 4-meters tall! When I realized this was in Germany, I knew it would be one of the places I definitely HAD to visit regardless. I have checked and its ticket will cost me €10 which equals to approximately SGD$20. Not too bad to see the real life bust of Nefertiti and other amazing Egyptian artifacts, no?

If the ministry overseeing reconstruction is able to square the circle and all goes according to plan, in 2009 the Neues Museum will also become part of the archaeological promenade. The archaeological promenade will be an underground passageway connecting all the buildings on the Museum Island, with the exception of the Alte Nationalgalerie. It will integrate the Neues Museum as an important part of the historical architectural context of the Museum Island. The Neues Museum's restored, expanded, and new galleries will then again offer, as they did before their destruction, a worthy framework for the collections of the Egyptian Museum and the Museum for Pre- and Early History. Finally, the building will at last represent a lasting monument in stone for its first architect, Friedrich August Stüler, who wished that "the whole building should form a center for the highest mental interests of the people, the likes of which no other capital would likely be able to exhibit." — Wikipedia

An archaeological promenade that connects almost all the museums? This has got to be a dream. I would probably die from it . . . and in a good way. I can't wait to spend at least a hundred Singapore dollars on these things! I can imagine if I was actually there, I would be leaving my hand prints at every glass panel there is. Hahaha, kidding. But really, it is amazing. I have always been fascinated by the Ancient Egyptians and I've even written a fictional story or two about it!

 

 

Pictures credited to berlin fan's Flickr.

I believe it looks just as beautiful to you as it does to me. There are a few more pictures where this came from so just click on the credited link above! Come the same time next year, I should have already taken a picture of the famous bust and immersed myself in the wonderful Ancient Egyptian culture and what more at on the Museum Island in Berlin. I'm not a huge museum fan but these are some of the kinds of things I cannot refuse. I love history. Are you huge museum fan?

Money, the root of all evil . . . and happiness

You know how hard saving up for a trip can be, right? Most of the time, I'm bothered by it. I don't earn much, honestly, even though I work 8.5 hours a day and at least two Saturdays a month lasting four hours long each day. I don't know how many hours I work because I don't bother counting and being disappointed but I am sure it is very little.

My best friend who is saving to go on this trip with me has been successfully saving despite having to return money she borrowed from people. If I'm not wrong, she has been up to a few thousand US dollars as of now, maybe 3 maybe 4. As for me? I wouldn't even say. I've been working at this current childcare center for at least 7 months and I should have at least 3.5 thousand if I have been saving successfully as I planned half a year before. I shall officially reprimand myself. Where has all my money gone?

I have gotten a camera earlier in the year which I would need for the trip. I got it early. I am happy with it so that if I do get it lost there, it wouldn't be so painful for me because it would be considered "old" by the time I bring it around Europe. What else have I gotten? An iPhone for 238 dollars with a 56-dollar plan a month that I pay for myself entirely. That isn't half bad seeing how it retails for 1600 dollars normally. Let me tell you—I am entirely self-provided. I pay for my transport, my social activity, my phone bill, my shopping and my dream trip. I really wish I earned more but yet I have not been looking for a job elsewhere.

My goal is to—by the new year—find a better paying job that pays at least a thousand and a half. My current job gives me great lunch daily, is quite laid-back and is a 30-minute walking distance away which gives me my daily exercise. So far in 7 months I lost 7 kilograms which I am extremely proud of. My job is rather interesting. I don't type, I don't answer calls, I don't do much but teach the alphabet, sing nursery rhymes, feed, bathe and lull these kids. It's basically being paid to be a surrogate mother to 22 monkeys. (This job also tests my patience.) I do love children so finding a children-related job was the cherry on top for me but considering my expensive dream, I realize I need to do more and earn more. Much more. If this goes on into 2010, I might just only earn enough to fly to Stockholm and stay a night or two, the end.

I do not want to disappoint my best friend. We planned for three months around Europe. What is there to consider?

1. backpacking gear—$200—backpack, money bag, bottle, day pack
2. clothing—$300—winter clothing, fast-drying clothing, leggings, shoes
3. plane ticket—$1200—an open jaw flight to Europe (because I plan to fly to America after)
4. rail ticket—$1200—a three-month pass from Eurail
   
5. accommodation—$3000—in at least eight countries and fifteen cities lasting 3 to 10 days each
   
6. food—$2500—again, for three months at least (not counting the UK)
7. attractions—$1000—museums, gardens, castles, theme parks, festivals, clubs and concerts
8. extras—$500—toiletries, new clothing, transport, etc
   

Remember, everything is in Singapore dollars which is two times that of the Euro. The total I would need to save up is $10,000. I need to save $10,000!

Now, I have about 10% of that. Go me. In ten months I have to make $9,000. I have Christmas, my birthday, my year-end bonus and Chinese New Year to go. That would probably fetch me no more than $2000 in total. I would have to earn another $6,000. I would probably leave Singapore in August because it would be cheaper for me to go off-peak and for my best friend Ashlee to go because there would be summer deals for her since she comes from New Jersey.

I have thought of plus-size modeling because I am not size 0 or 2, not even 4 or 6. Despite this thought, I have not started looking. I could give tuition to little kids but I'm afraid no one would trust me enough to teach their kids or that I'm not educationally supported. All I have is an O Level certificate. I get my diploma only end of June, maybe July (and that's why I have to go only in August). I have thought of something in the events company but that means a flexible working schedule. Most of the time, I might miss classes.

The most important thing about getting another job is because I am so comfortable now with the distance and working hours and the fact that I have to come up with no money at all for lunch! The lunch by the lunch lady is just great. I save on transport because dad drives me to work every morning which takes only 3 minutes. I walk back. And I save on food and socializing after work. I probably save about $10 a day. That is great plus I get to lose some weight. I'm very pleased but I earn close to peanuts. I understand childcare is not the way to wealth but I love children and the work is pretty simple aside from the fact that I have to handle 22 lives daily. I got used to it.

Whatever it is, I am determined to earn at least $7000 by August 2010 by hook or by crook. In ten months. $700 a month. I would have close to no social life but I will save it all for Europe. I can do it. I will hound after job agencies and MTV and Disney and The Straits Times for a job related to my Mass Communications diploma that I would get by that time. After that when I get to Europe, I'll start writing about my trips. Hopefully I earn some readership and get GoogleAds and Nuffnang working for me. At least I earn something along the way instead of just traveling. In the end after, I would write a travelogue and send it for publishing. When I go to America, I would start finishing my novel, one of many I have in mind. How does my plan sound to you? Will I be able to make it to Europe at all in 2010?

I have wanderlust!

It's a fine night, almost thirty minutes to 4th October 2009, and I'm barely started with wŏn'dər-lŭst'. I'm sure it's complicated to write but let's just all call it 'wanderlust', shall we not? Basically, wŏn'dər-lŭst' is the dictionary guide to pronouncing the word 'wanderlust'. The first time I actually became interested in this word was when I was listening to a song by the German band Tokio Hotel called Hilf Mir Fliegen. It contains a line that was emotionally sung by lead singer Bill Kaulitz, "Ich hab Fernweh, Ich will züruck." Translated, it means, "I have wanderlust, I want to go back." There and then, right in front of my laptop screen, I realized I have wanderlust and indeed, I want to go back. Back to where, you may ask? Back to where I believe I was from, and was meant to be, yet have landed somehow in the tropics of Singapore. Just kidding. I'm a happy Singaporean but my strong desire to venture further beyond my region has been begging me desperately to reach for the skies, push my limits and save every penny I come across since the summer of 2008 so that I can make it to what I assume would be my biggest adventure yet. Since then, since I've heard that line and truly understood 'wanderlust', I knew I was infected by that wicked virus, that unrelenting desperation to book a one-way ticket to somewhere in the romantic Bavarian Alps, the freshwater in Oslo, the breathtaking coasts of Athens, the hustling and bustling streets of Barcelona, the picturesque cafes in Paris or rolling ridges of Dublin . . . as long as it was in the Europe. If I could just take a whiff of that continent right now in exchange for my waist-long hair, I would. I have even been considering to chop it off for a while now after keeping it for two years. I promised myself before I visit Europe next summer, my hair would be short and straight. As of today, it is slightly curled at the bottom and it is more than a hassle to maintain. I will also dye it back to black, maybe a dark brown. When I am in Europe, I will be what I was born as, a true blue Singaporean with dark hair and a cheesy accent that puts any other kind of bad English to shame. All that, I will achieve in about ten months by summer, maybe less. It depends on how soon I finish my graduation project for the Mass Communications diploma I am now doing at MDIS Singapore.

Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Ezabel Dominique Siek and I am currently 18 years of age, turning 19 on January the 2nd. I have an unending lust for travel but unfortunately due to certain circumstances, I am denied this luxurious privilege since I reached my teenage years. For a long time, I have been piqued greatly by European culture, history, food, and people. I have watched countless movies and music videos in my life and have witnessed enough to briefly show me what Europe could really be like. My favorite that I can remember now as I write would be the Dan Brown series that was made into a movie, obviously titled 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels & Demons'. It showed me how my predominantly favorite country France (and Italy, of course) can be full of mystery and history and adventure. However, my ultimate inspirational movie, the one that inspired me to take a chance years later, was titled 'The Spanish Apartment'. It is a movie whose characters have their life's stories intertwined, and all of them revolve around this main French exchange student who resided in Spain. A few quirky characters lived in one shared apartment and basically, it's every young adult's dream to live with so many kinds of people at once in an entirely foreign country with everyone speaking something other than English. Its sequel was titled 'Russian Dolls' and I loved it a lot, but not as much as the first which brought me the first experience of Europe I ever had. If I am right, I was no more than 14 at that time. My mother and I decided to rent the VCD at the local video store and there, the long-hidden wanderlust in me had been aggravated.

If you're somehow not excited yet, maybe try watching this trailer. Watch the movie as well. You'll love it. Don't ask me why I was watching an R-rated movie at 14 years. It was good, though.