Penny for your thoughts.

I have a few things on my mind these days and I don't know where else to put them, and guessing it will be relevant to this trip, I will put them here.

1. Homeless

More commonly in Eastern Europe, I see people begging on the streets for money. In Prague, there was a man kneeling entirely on the ground with his forehead touching the floor, his hands held out holding a bowl. I remember taking a picture of him, and now I feel quite horrible. Today alone in Budapest, I encountered dozens of homeless. There was a midget who looked quite healthy, and he was holding a cup. There are only one kind of homeless that I feel sad for, and they are the elder women. I feel really sad for them, and I gave 200 Ft to one woman on my first day here in Budapest and she took the money and mumbled something. I'm sure she was happy enough. It could have bought her a chocolate... Then there was another old woman with a scarf over her head (not Muslim) and she was bent over entirely, kneeling down, her face to the floor and she held out a bowl and she was constantly rocking back and forth as if praying. I think she was really begging in that sense. I just passed her by with a heavy heart. Like most people, we don't give money even if we want to just because we don't want to "break the momentum" of walking. I'm positive. Once in a while, I will turn back to give something, like I did for the first woman. My heart breaks every single time. Here, I've seen men use their dogs to get money. This man had his dog play dead/sick and he was stroking the dog and people stopped by to give money more often than to give to a man with one leg missing a few meters away. I found that quite upsetting because people would give to a dog that plays dead and the owner is fit as a fiddle and there's a man with one leg less and no one cared much about. I would have helped the dog, too, if it was really sick. I've passed y many homeless sleeping in the underground pass. They sleep in groups and have blankets, and of course, they smell. Some of them are loud and obnoxious. They are usually the younger group. I was walking with Mariann (my Hungarian couch host) and Emelie underground towards Astoria and some guy went up to me and started talking in Hungarian. I obviously ignored him and he started to shout when I walked away. Mariann stared at him and I asked what was it he wanted and she said he wanted money. If that's the way they ask, it's not going to work. And he's a fit person, he's young, and I'm sure he can work but he's not. It's a sad thing. Old people sit around the steps with an old hat or plastic cup and give sad stares to passing strangers. I'm not saying you should give every homeless person you pass by, but give the right ones.

2. Destiny

Destiny is a cheesy thing. I don't know what it is, because I don't really know what my destiny is since I don't even know what I want in life, nor have I fallen so deeply in love with anyone that I think is my fated one true love, but I know it's a weird thing that makes you think. I may be confusing it with fate but I think they're almost the same thing, just that destiny leads your to fate, and fate leads you to your destiny. I'll stop confusing you. Anyway, I remember my first European stop in Belgium. The first day, in Brussels, I was waiting for over five hours at Bruxelles-Midi since the person I was due to meet wasn't going to be free until 6PM, so I waited around a lot at the station. I caught sight of a guy. I can't really tell how old he was, maybe 21 or 22, and he was alone. What caught my attention was actually the Eurail pass he was holding. I was thinking he was probably doing a solo trip like me through Europe. He was looking for a place to validate his pass (I assume), because that's the only reason anyone with a pass needs to look for some information counter at any train station. I was guessing he was starting his trip. He never looked at anyone, only searching for what he really wanted to find. After five minutes of queuing, he realized it was the wrong queue. (Ah, the random things people do when bored and trying to pass time... People-watching.) I knew, but who was I to tell him? He went to the tourist office (where I validated mine later) and I never saw him anymore. That was September 16 2010. Today, in Budapest, Hungary, thousands of kilometers and one month from Brussels, in the busy streets, among many Hungarians, I saw him. He had the same long hair in a messy ponytail, a little bag pack, the same indifferent look and enthusiasm as when I last saw him in Brussels. It took me a while to recall him. I only saw him for 5 seconds and we passed. I think he didn't see me. He probably didn't see me, or even know me at all. But I knew him. It was weird for me, because it occurred to me all of a sudden: "What a small world!" I couldn't contain myself, but I did, anyway. It took me a while to convince myself it was the same boy I saw in Brussels almost one month ago. That's not it. The same night, Mariann, Emelie and I went to a nice place to have some amazing cakes and on the way back, I saw him again. This time, it was entirely dark and I'm sure it's somewhere near the same street or a few minutes away. He probably lived in a hostel near there. The thing is, I saw the boy again! I couldn't believe it. I saw him for three seconds and was in awe and just couldn't believe that destiny was happening right there and then. ("Awe" reminds me of Hansi, this unbelievably adorable and endearing Austrian guy I met in Vienna if you read my Austrian posts; it's his favorite English word) Fate was working. I don't know what, but it was freaky. Maybe we're supposed to be good friends? I'm not sure. He's like me, I don't know what race he is. He looks slightly like what Ananda Everingham is, this mixed Thai actor. I sort of don't want to see him again. Because I told myself if I did, I would ask him if he was traveling alone, what his name was, where he's from, where he would be going, etc. It can't be that the world is so small, right? Well, Emelie and I passed a couple we met in Olomouc today on the way to Heroes' Square. They didn't see us, though. Maybe the world is small, or maybe there's some weird fate... I'm not too sure.

3. Supermarkets
Travelers, it is true. Shopping at a supermarket and buying the little things are much better than eating at a restaurant. All you need is a well-equipped kitchen and you're set! For last night's dinner, this morning's breakfast and this afternoon's lunch, Emelie, Mariann and I spent 10 Euros altogether and we had a great meal! It's almost equivalent to 1 Euro a meal per person! We bought bread, sausages, chips, milk, eggs, pasta, vegetables, and cheese, and Mariann bought Nestea and cream cheese and we had a feast throughout those two days! It is unbelievable, and we still have milk and eggs and bread left. They are so basic and you can make so many things with the many things you buy! Yes, we do eat the local cuisine once in a while but you should really hit the markets and buy things back, especially in Eastern Europe! There are so many interesting foods and snacks and buying them back to cook in a kitchen in a hostel or someone's house is always worth it! And the cooking process is fun. Finishing the pasta and sitting around and having a good chit chat was amazing. It's something I highly recommend even if you stay in the Four Seasons!

4. Couchsurfing

A single working female, one warm couple, one lonely handsome guy, one weird working girl, five crazy party guys, a neat freak student girl, one psychedelic guy, three fun vegetarians, one funny birthday girl... These are my experiences so far couchsurfing. Every one of them are different and I could not ask for a better experiences. I've been to so many houses and felt different about everyone of them, and had amazing experiences (interesting ones, too) so far and look forward to more. I can't ask for a better way of meeting anyone than this. The good things about couchsurfing is accommodation that you don't pay for, a localized experience, meeting local people and their friends, a home-stay, and a different experience and broadened mind! Bad things? Hardly! There may be the awkward stalling of Facebook friends request acceptances and sad, sad goodbyes but there's always a new experience in every new city with a new couchsurfing host! You learn so many things from so many people learn little things in new languages, learn about the lifestyles, their house habits, meet their friends, and it helps that most of the time it is definitely safe to put your things in someone's house than a hostel. With the new people, we cook together, hike together, dance together, drink together, party together, celebrate together, laugh together, go completely crazy together! We share thoughts on music, politics, learn about geography, where our countries are, exchange world facts and teach each other languages and practice old ones in the back of our minds, share stories, we cook new things and introduce new food to people, impress others of what we can do, share our travel experiences, dreams, jobs, studies, be so comfortable like old friends, joke about Canadians in South Park, laugh at how chewing gum or gum of any sort is banned in Singapore, and what more? It's amazing. It is just... God! I cannot believe my mother introduced me to this system. I wouldn't have asked for anything better! I miss some of my hosts right now! Some houses are amazingly huge and some are so beautifully personalized, I can't even begin to describe! You'll have to sign up for an account to start hosting someone, and you'll realized the beauty of it all.

Vienna again!

We went to the Zentralfriedhof and the Wienerwald and Wienerweinweg! (tongue twister much?)

First it was the St Stephen's Cathedral, THE landmark of Vienna!

And this is the shopping district surrounding the church. It is SO BUSY and you can people watch there. It's pretty amazing. Obviously I HAD to do some shopping!

And now... Guess where I'm having a little picnic? :)

Guessed yet? There are a LOT of "people" there!

Any ideas? It's somewhere moms would TOTALLY push their babies for a good afternoon stroll...

It's a cemetery! It's the Zentralfriedhof where Mozart and Beethoven's tombstones among many others reside!

It took us a while to find Beethoven! :( But ALAS!

Mozart!

Brahms!

Strauss!

Do I look like a Canadian woodcutter to you? Hehehe.

We also "took" some grapes from the vineyards!

It was real good hike up the hills and I finally saw the Wienerwald. It was on my MUST do list! And now I must check it off! :)

After that we went to the cheapest Italian restaurant in Vienna aka Pizza Mafiosi! That pizza right there costed only 3.60 euros! We had to share it! And when we got back, I cut my fringe and I look pretty insane now but whatever. Slept at 7PM and woke at 1AM! I shall go back to sleep!

A week in Vienna ... and counting!

This is Vienna. My host Eva and friend Emelie and I are chilling under the sun at the Museums Quartier! That's what people normally do on sunny days. This was on a Saturday!

This lovely thing is called Sturm. According to Eva, it's produced only seasonally and it the fall and it's really sweet and tastes almost like soda! It's wine.

We also met a few of her friends for some games and Sturm at a cafe before we headed to a club called The Loft where we did the craziest dances!

This is my current Facebook profile picture! I got the XXL lollipop in Olomouc and finally had it here in Vienna. I'm in front of the Karlsplatz Kirche if I'm not mistaken!

That rainbow there is so awesome. Therefore, rainbow = Emily! (My best friend back home. HOLLABACK!)

Warning to all Singaporeans, crows here are huge and fat and scarier. They're almost like chickens!

Even Emelie is avoiding it!

Then on Sunday afternoon it was time for knitting! This is Eva and she's good at it.

This is Hansi (Eva's litttle bro) and he's not so good at it... before! Now he's almost finishing a (too small) hat!

This is me cooking them a Chinese meal that's almost entirely vegan! The eggs were not!

I'm sure dad will be so proud of me! Right, dad? It tasted pretty bomb!

And they did the dishes after. Which was so sweet. The other guy there is their childhood friend and room mate, Rathi. He's such a zen person! He is learning to teach qi gong professionally!

This is another day, and we're at the Belvedere. It's a beautiful place! We hiked up to the Gloriette, something Rathi suggested to do to get an amazing view of Vienna. And right he was!

And then back at the house there was Hansi whom we bumped into literally at the supermarket. He's so nice and funny and he always makes me laugh for some reason.

He's trying to look like a graduate here! Graduate of Wisconsin. He pulls a real funny Australian accent, too! We played a guitar duet to Promise by Akira something... It's a Silent Hill soundtrack. He's so good at the guitar! I played the tune a few times and he can play the whole song with me!

This is another day in Vienna and Emelie and I went to the Prater Park! It's an old school Viennese theme park!

We took the ferris wheel! It was a great view. Pretty scary because there were no grilles whatsoever.

THIS RIDE IS SO AMAZING: I can't say enough. It spins round and round and upside down and all. It's the only ride so far to make me sick and I haven't even eaten anything!

This is near the Kündertwasserhaus. Some artsy guy famous in Austria! Like Austria's Gaudi!

This is a very nice public park called the Stadtpark. It houses a famous statue made of gold of Josef Strauss.

This is the third picture of this place! I was very tired!

At night there was band practice. This is Hansi's and Rathi's band and they play indie, sometimes indie rock. It's kind of awesome. They're playing a show Friday night at a club! They're Daisy O'Hara and they're Austrians singing in English. Pretty sweet!

Wait for another Viennese update! x