Esthee H.

I'm a sucker for Wedding dresses. The luxury of modern day variety kills me. I could change a million gowns on my wedding day itself. Thank god for Chinese customs, I could probably change a couple for the tea ceremony and Wedding dinner itself. There's something dazzling about the bride on her wedding day. I always wonder to myself when I watch weddings taking place if it's the grandeur of the 1000 dollar dresses that sparkles or the happiness that's bursting out of every single pore of hers.


I love the tail of this gown, though I think we can do without those strappy things around her back and butt.



And this, is how I'd like my photoshoot to be like... wish my HTB could be Kim Hyun Joong! They seem so happy, is it really the art of being in the Korean showbiz because obviously they're not a real couple.

Pictures can be so deceiving!


Can't believe I'm really seriously browsing through wedding dress catalogs. :) So excited!

God, all these wedding preparations are really giving us a huge headache. So many things to consider, so many things to plan! I didn't think there'll be such a long list of things to do, not until now when the date approaches.

Okay, we haven't got a date yet because we're still waiting for the tong shu (the lunar calendar) to be released so we can calculate 2014's auspicious dates. Will update once I get the dates!

I have no idea why Simon and I are so superstitious about it since both our parents are pretty relaxed about such stuff. Same for the wedding banquet, it seems as though we are the ones who want to get married the traditional way, instead of our parents' wishes. Weird. It's usually the other way round for people our generation. But for some reason, it doesn't feel complete to me if we bypass all these traditions.

Anyway, speaking of the many things to prepare for, one thing we stroked off our list is finding our bridal studio for our Actual Day.

We booked our pre-wedding shoot with IDo-Wedding and we'll be shooting it in Korea. Pricey as it was, we went ahead with it because we really liked the photos. Since an overseas shoot doesn't include gowns for the actual day, I needed to either buy or rent gowns for my AD.

Some people go to China or America to buy gowns since they're more affordable over there, I decided against it because there is no way my wedding gown is gonna fit in my wardrobe. Even I'll be shifting to my new home in future, I'm pretty sure I won't have space in my wardrobe. If you bought your wedding gown, surely you'll want to keep it. It'll probably turn yellow and end up in the storeroom years later.

So we shortlisted a couple of bridal studios and visited them to find out more about their AD package. The two studios that we considered were: La Belle Couture & My Bridal Room.

Both studios were personally recommended by people I know who had engaged their services so both I knew I could trust on in terms of services. I shall share my experience with them here for the benefit of others since I myself greatly benefited from those who shared their experience online too.

My Bridal Room:

First studio we visited because of the raving reviews we found on forums. Also the studio my brother & sister-in-law engaged for their shoot.

Service:
Service is top-notch. I doubt anyone else will argue with me on this. Everyone I know as well as the reviews online all agree that Uncle Quek (the boss) has a very warm and friendly approach. That's MBR's entire business approach. You can trust on every staff to be absolutely warm and patient.

Even if you're not signing up with them today, they're definitely not pushy and won't pressurize you into signing up with them. Feel free to walk-in, or make an appointment and still keep your options open. No black faces nor offers that last only for that day. Just tell them your concerns and negotiate for something you want. They'll do what they can. If you need more time to consider, just let them know to hold your package and they'll do it. Of course, they will tell you not to take too long as prices can increase anytime.

I must emphasize again that service is top-notch. I particular like Wendy as she served my sister-in-law two years ago and she was so sweet. She'll give you suggestions on what type of gown suits you best since she's a gown designer herself. She's also my friend's coordinator this time round and my friend is absolutely pleased with her.

The lady who served me this time is Grace and she's also very sweet. She's of a little more age and says all the right things. She knows very well how to handle people and made all the appropriate small talk to my sis and mum who accompanied me there. We never once felt a tinge of discomfort with her around. She volunteered to show me the selection of gowns to help us decide. Most studios won't bother unless you've already signed up with them.

She even let me try loh! I tried two very gorgeous ones and fell in love with both instantly. Didn't dare to try more since I was still open to options and felt very paiseh trying on those heavy gowns when I still wasn't a customer yet.

One thing I'm sure of, service at My Bridal Room will never disappoint. 

Gowns:
Here are a random few photos of the gowns I took from their website.


Chio right?! I randomly select the gowns still can be so gorgeous.

Another thing to note is that MBR's gowns are all included in the package. They aren't separated into premium range or normal range so you can select any one of their gowns without having to pay extra.

Here's a sample that MBR posted on singaporebrides.com's forum and it so happens that the bride involved is my friend! So I thought I'd share it here.

This was quite interesting because the horse later on had an erection and it was more strikingly obvious than it already is now. HAHA.

Anyway my friend had a fabulous time and she looks great in the photos. Also, she didn't have a single bad thing to say about Wendy, her coordinator!

Photoshoot Quality:
Photos wise, I was greatly impressed with my brother's wedding album and that was 2 years ago. Till this date, I am still impressed by their photos. They remind me of the Taiwanese style kinda of photo shoot. They're very good at taking lively, cute, bright photos. They made my bro and sister-in-law looked so awesome!
Take a look at their sample photos, they'll be most happy to show you. There was a wide range of album cover material for you to choose from too.

Negotiation:
Grace got Uncle Quek to speak to us when we wanted to negotiate and it was pretty simple with him. He laid everything flat on the table. What will cost money and what not. What he can't bend he's also very straightforward about it. You may feel that he's very inflexible but he'll also explain and justify why he's being so inflexible about it. It's also good because you know he's pretty standard with all the other couples. You don't feel as though you're not bargaining hard enough and you're losing out. I liked it that way because he doesn't make you feel like you owe him a favor when he grants you one of your bargains.


Here's MBR's website: http://www.mybridalroom.com/
Ask for Wendy or Grace if you're making an appointment.



La Belle Couture:

The second studio we visited. Overall feel was that La Belle was much more negotiable than MBR. We generally felt as though they were more flexible than MBR as we were able to play around with our package more. But we later on realised that it's a tactic because they don't lay everything out on the table, you gotta bargain for it. AND BARGAIN HARD because you can get it. It's a very different approach from MBR so it's really what works for you.

Service: 
Not quite the same family/homely atmosphere I got from MBR. The staff were generally younger and hence the studio also felt more modern, sophisticated. I wouldn't say service is bad, just that the salesperson we spoke to wasn't particularly nice to negotiate with. I shall not mention names since he's also trying to make a living.
I'd choose to talk to MBR staff over him anytime but that's just ONE person in La Belle. I don't want to generalize the whole studio that way. Will update on this part again.

Gowns: 
Note: La Belle's gowns are all included in the package.

La Belle's gowns are known to be gorgeous. They're always having shows to display their latest collection and I can tell they're absolutely proud of their gowns. Simon also commented that La Belle's gowns seem more sophisticated and classy compared to those at MBR.

But when I went to look at their gowns, none caught my eye the way the other two gowns at MBR did.

Though I have to mention that it was because Grace at MBR made the effort to show me those two gorgeous ones that she thought I'd like.

The salesperson at La Belle didn't, he left me there to explore on my own but I didn't because I could only take a quick glance. Who knows, I might find something I love since they're famous for their gowns? (please let me find something I love!)

Oh, and their outdoor gowns range is definitely more extensive than MBR. Their outdoor gowns also include quite a wide range of the long gowns, while MBR mainly offers short dresses. This was a huge selling point for me since we are only considering outdoor shoot.

Here's one that I found on their FB page and I think is gorgeous.

This one also not bad! Their gowns are also all available for you to choose from. No separation into premium range.

Photoshoot Quality:
Photos wise, I prefer La Belle's photography style. Not that MBR's isn't great, but it's a personal preference for Simon and I. We felt that MBR focuses alot on the couple and their shooting style is generally more close-up. La Belle's photos seem to focus more on the scenery/background and their graphic editing also has more variety. Again, they seem to take on a more classy look while MBR offers the bright and cheery style.

I must say the graphic designer is very proud of his works so he'll be most happy to show you what he can do.

Negotiation:
Bargain, bargain & bargain.
BARGAIN AGGRESSIVELY!
Had two other couple friends who signed with them and it was only after comparison that we realized our packages are different. I think Simon and I weren't aggressive enough so we didn't get the best deal. :( We were so soft-spoken the salesperson was actually louder than us.

You can say they're more flexible than MBR because they offer small things, which you don't really need and can be traded off for other things while MBR doesn't really. (MBR offers all the basic essential stuff hence they're cheaper)

To sum it up, BARGAIN.


La Belle Couture's Website:
http://www.labellecouture.com.sg/
Ask for a lady because the guy we spoke to like not very flexible. haha. I felt like I was begging each time I bargained.


PRICE:
Do note that there's a difference in $400 between the two studios. They each offer different things. You can email me for more details if you like, I'll try my best. :)





After the extensive research online and making two trips to each studio, we decided on La Belle. I don't know if it's MBR's softer approach that lost or what but I was a little sad when I signed up with La Belle. I felt like I was missing out on MBR's good service and I was actually sad to not be able to continue my journey with them. I knew I was in safe hands with them but I can't help but like La Belle's photographers more.

It was the photography style than won me over. It was the style that I wanted and I knew MBR wasn't able to produce that. It doesn't make sense paying for good service but the end product doesn't deliver what you want. Deposit paid, and we're looking forward to gown-fittings and further discussions with our coordinator and photographer!



I mentioned earlier that all these preparations are causing us headache and I must admit, they're a hassle and waste of money really.

But I've never felt more excited planning for something. I think Simon feels the same way because it seems to draw us closer together and we both have a greater sense of reality that it's really happening. Speaking to professionals and asking around friends with experience really gives us a heads-up on how to plan a wedding. Previously we had been so lepak because we thought we still had plenty of time, but honestly, it's never too early. Start early so you can get things settled first!

Deciding on a bridal studio can take so long, what about the other things?!

Next up, selection of gowns I'M VERY EXCITED. HEEE.

Okay, I generally don't do Food Reviews but this I just have to.

CHICKEN UP is a Korean Fried Chicken joint that serves fried chicken of all flavours and I tell you, it's sooooooooooo yummy omg.

I didn't know about this place and sorta chanced upon it last weekend after visiting La Belle Couture. We were looking for 2days1night when ChickenUp right next to it caught our attention. When we saw people ordering the Watermelon Soju and we were like, "Yeah! Let's try this!"

Here's what we ordered.

Sorry included my dinner date in the picture too. Heee.


Chicken Up @ Tanjong Pagar

You can't really see the variety from the picture cos I only took picture of the first round of food served to us and later on got too pre-occupied with eating. But anyway, fried chicken, you get the gist of it. No matter how you take photo of it, it's still gonna look like fried chicken right.

But I must specially mention this Yangnyum flavoured one. Shiok max can?!?!



They've got Soya, Spicy Up, Curry and I can't remember what other flavours but you don't really need to know cos you'll probably be getting the buffet option and just eat everything anyway.

Why not buffet?! It's only 25++ sgd per person and you get to eat not only every flavour of the fried chicken, but also salad, some korean chicken stew, and also their famous truffle fries! The buffet also includes a whole bunch of other things like popcorn chicken which I didn't really bother ordering cos I just wanted fried chicken and truffle fries in my tummy.

Eat as much as you want, for a period of two hours. But really, an hour plus of non-stop eating is quite enough already, you don't need more than two hours. There's only so much one's stomach can hold, don't over-eat peeps!

They've also got promotions every other day like ladies night on Wednesdays where you get 50% off alcoholic drinks and some other promotions on the other days.

Not bad since alcohol is great with fried chicken. I'm guessing cos of the Korean drama <You Who Came From The Stars> , this fried chix cum beer combination is latest IN thing now.

You can get beer buffet with your chicken buffet too, at an additional cost of 20sgd if I'm not wrong. Not bad right!

I'm not really a beer kinda person though, so we went for the Watermelon Soju instead.
Watch my instavid here.

Watermelon Soju at Chicken Up

It was 38sgd++ for soju poured onto a mega huge watermelon sliced into half. HAHA. If you think about it, soju costs like $1 in Korea, and how much does a watermelon costs, maybe a few bucks.

Totally not worth it, if you consider the cost price like this. But we had fun definitely. Worth it to try once with a bunch of friends, but I'm not ordering it a second time for sure. Chicken buffet, yes. Watermelon Soju, nahhh.

Check out their FB page for more details on the promotions.
https://www.facebook.com/ChickenUp

Address is at:
#01-01, 48 Tanjong Pagar Road

Very easy to find lah. Google Map saves the day! Google Map can give you better directions than I can, I'm sure. Alternatively, it's just next to 2days1night Korean bbq restaurant or opposite La Belle Couture bridal studio. Like short 5-10 mins walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT.

Chicken Up has officially replaced KFC for me and you have no idea how much love I have for KFC.

I dream about Chicken Up every single day now. :(
When can I eat again?

Okay so here's my post on the pros and cons of having an overseas pre-wedding photoshoot versus a local one.

Kinda pissed now because Ido Wedding is so inflexible!
Like really damn inflexible I'm so annoyed I feel like advising newly-weds-to-be against them now.

Sorry for the ranting but I just received an email from them and I don't think I'm being over-demanding leh. I understand that things are done different from local bridal studios. But also, since your target group is now Singaporean couples, then you should also adjust accordingly right? Flexible abit can?

I'm still wondering if I should kick up a fuss over this. It's not exactly right of me since I've known this right from the start and now I'm kinda bargaining my way around it. Aiya, that's why I say they should be more flexible right?

Okay basically they only allow you to choose your gowns and tuxedo suits after you arrive in Seoul. It's a half day process, after which the gowns will be sent for alteration and that's it. No more trying on until the following day which is the actual shoot itself. Many other Ido brides had an issue with this because it means you can't go through the whole "Say Yes To The Dress" process. Most of them just hung onto the hope that the gowns will be up to standard.
Though I haven't read a negative review about the gowns lah.

Con Number 1: You don't have the luxury of time in choosing your gowns.

Hey, most local studios allow you the visit the studios time after time until you finally find THE ONE gown.

Okay, granted that they can't possibly allow you day after day of gown selection cos some people can take forever and never ever find something they like. Plus you really can't afford that kind of time when you're overseas, unlike those who have signed up with local studios.

So you can't go to Seoul in peace knowing that you're be donning your prefect gown. And if alteration fails, they will alter on the spot but seriously... Major turnoff factor.
:(

And like I've mentioned, your whole "Say Yes to The Dress" process is completely eliminated. I guess it doesn't matter to some? But I'm abit sad because I can't let my mum, sister or best friends enjoy helping me choose my gown!

Anyway, what I was annoyed with was that I asked Ido if I could visit the bridal studios in Seoul myself in advance and take a look at what gowns are available.
Since I can go to Seoul easily on my own, why not just take a look, try on a few gowns, and have an idea what sorta gowns suit me best? I'm not asking you to alter for me what.
Just let me try on a few gowns so I know which types are big no-no for me and I can have more peace of mind right? People wearing wedding gown for the first time in their life leh! What if suay suay choose an unsuitable one for the photoshoot and spend 6K on photos wearing something that doesn't look good on them?!

I know it's not their usual practice to let people visit and try on their gowns in advance. I tried asking anyway because I really do get to travel to Korea very often and I can find my way easily. They really just replied a flat NO. Came up with some lame excuse saying that alteration is done straight away and if I tried on my gown now, my body measurement might change when the time comes. Hello, totally missing the point? I'm saying I wanna see the gowns and just try so I know what type suits me and what doesn't. I also don't need your translator or transport mah. Don't wanna entertain me say lah.

But I'm paying 6K leh!!!! *cries*

鸡蛋🐔 the photos better turn out mega perfect I tell you.

Con Number 2: Overseas shoot is definitely way more EXPENSIVE.


Period. Nothing much to say further.
Do note that your airfare, accommodation and expenses aren't accounted for yet.
If your package includes paying for the photographer, makeup artiste's expenses or what not, I totally think it's not worth it lah.
(Ido don't need to pay, cos they're all Koreans. You pay for your own butts to get there and no one else's.)


Which leads me to....

Pro Number 1: It's like a honeymoon!

Some couples take this opportunity to go for honeymoon in advance. One stone kill two birds, not bad right? Save $$$ and completely relish in the whole 二人世界 newly weds atmosphere.

Pro Number 2: Your photos are different.


Of course lah, take in another country. How many people do that? More nowadays but I can safely say, majority still go for local bridal shoots, so your photos are definitely fresh and different.

I'm major jealous of those who have theirs taken in Paris or in Japan where Lourve and Sakura blossoms cannot be found elsewhere. Very special indeed!

Pro Number 3: It's a unique experience that's special to the both of you.

I truly believe in all these pre-wedding or even wedding must-dos. I know some people find them a hassle and all a waste of money. That's fine because it's a personal preference. If you hate these things, good for you! Save so much money, HAHA.

But I think that you only get married once. (God forbid, I don't want twice) Don't do these things to get yourself excited about the wedding, then why marry If it's just a simple signing of name on paper. Feels like getting married for the sake of it only. No offense, I know it's personal preference.
But you still can't deny a photoshoot overseas will be a mega special experience for both in a long long time.
It's a additional memory of you both to hold onto. It'll be as special as your first date, first kiss, proposal, etc.

Pro Number 4: Your photos will be stunningly Chio.

Ido-Wedding, please hor. I'm banking 6K on you to deliver that.

Starting off today's entry with a picture of mum and sis's new bake. They called it steamed cake. If I baked them, I'd give them a better name. Like Pastel Cupcakes or something. Pink and yellow, how pretty! It's some icecream soda flavored cake. Not bad, very light and fluffy.


Sis & Mum's new bake: Icecream Soda Steamed Cake

Anyway got woken up early because they were making so much noise. But it's good that I got woken up, because we are going to check out bridal studios today!
Finally a weekend around together and we didn't oversleep. HAH.

Just looking for actual day gowns because our pre-wedding photoshoot has already been settled. We're going to Korea for the photoshoot in September and I'm like ultra-duper excited! we decided to go with Ido-Wedding because I fell in madly love with the photos that the Lettuce Couple took in <We Got Married>.





So pretty! I really like the entire feel of it. The silly props that aren't too plastic looking so young adults like us don't look silly posing with them. Look at her holding the dainty umbrella sitting on top of a bus! Super cute concept la. Only the Koreans and the Taiwanese can pull off this concept really well.

When I saw the episode of WGM in 2008, I was like 20, never had a boyfriend, and of course marriage plans were nowhere near. But I just knew this was kind of photos I wanted. Good for me that Fiance is so game about it too! I mean he was pretty impressed with the photos too, apart from giving in to me too. Haha Dream come true. Yay.

Here are some of the samples of the various studios they have. These are as of 2014. I think each studio generally change the concepts every now and then to keep their concepts fresh. Pretty good I say. Keeps your customers interested when you frequently update! You wouldn't want to have the same exact photos with like hundreds of other couples because the studio has the same background all the time right?

As of now, I think studio 9 is really popular with a lot of other Singaporean couples because of its lively and fresh concept. Very suitable for young and energetic couples.





They have many different concepts to choose from. There are 59 studios in total can. Mostly in Seoul, some in Jeju. And each one of them has it's own unique features. All so chio can? Haiyo how to choose? You tell me how to choose.
Here's something different.











If I got money, I'll choose everything. But we no money for that. Haha

Simon and I had such a hard time choosing our studio. There are so many lovely scenes from each studio that we really couldn't decide on one. I would say Ido wedding's studios are top notch. The tough part about going with Ido is that you can't mix and match the scenes because they're all at different studios so you're really spoilt for choices and it hurts having to pick just one. Feels like I'm letting other good things in life slip right by me. HAHA. Too overwhelmed with choices!

As of today, we've decided on Studio 17. Here's a scene which I really like. Studio 17 has the most number of scenes which we like so far. But Idk, I keep seeing more pictures that I like from other studios too. Ah headache. Every time I look at the photos I feel like changing my mind.



All pictures taken from their official website.

Pre-wedding Photography in Korea No.17

Free publicity for Ido. HAHA Please make me a prettier bride, I'd do more publicity!

I haven't gone for the shoot yet so I can't say how the experience was. But reviews from other Ido couples were really good. (or rather those that were published) I believe many couples had a positive experience with them, despite having language barrier. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Shall share in my next post on the pros and cons of doing a shoot overseas VS a local photoshoot since I've considered both very thoroughly. A tad biased to begin with but I've really weighed the pros and cons of both okay! Shall also update on my first appointment with them!

To fly around the world and to see it all with my own eyes, I've given up many things.

Important things such as precious weekends and PH to spend with loved ones here, birthday parties and important festivals, dance concerts where I'd see my friends shine/I might shine, etc.

Having a roster also means that it was tough planning for Backstreet Boys World tour in Shanghai, my beloved Shinhwa's concert in Korea, or even simple things like meeting up with friends.

There were plenty of things I had to give up, many things I miss. And i must admit I haven't danced in a year or so. Dance used to be my everything. Did I trade this part of me for something else? I feel like I did. I have no idea how taking on something else makes you have to give up something. Is it the lack of strength, lack of will? Have I not enough time? How is it possible that others with corporate jobs are able to chiong to studios after work despite slogging from 9am -5pm the entire day?

But then I realize that everything in life, why we do certain things we do, is really just one's own priority. We all have 24 hours a day, we have a choice. You simply choose what you want to do with the time on your hands. For a period of time, I gave all my time to dance. Months after months given to dance practices and rehearsals for that few minutes on stage. And why did that few minutes matter so much? Why did I feel like I was glowing and why was my smile so enormous?

Because dancing made me feel alive.

It made me feel like I was living. Amidst the insane Uni life that overwhelmed me with texts, lectures, mountains of research papers and essays and much more. I supposed dance was my escape from reality then. And I liked it. Even if the practices and rehearsals ate into all of my time. Even if it gave me nothing in return but that feeling of being alive. No cash, no time for non dancer family and friends, nothing. Just that feeling of self-fulfillment I get on stage.

So I wondered how it was possible that something I used to love so much has given way unknowingly. What did I live on before dance? And it struck me that I used to be love sports so much. I used to be an athlete and won medals all the time. I played sports and loved volleyball with all my heart. Volleyball made me feel alive. The adrenaline, the sweat, the way i'd jump with all my might for that spike.

I can't explain the intensity of being in a game.

But with time, volleyball gave way to dance.

I still love volleyball, but I chose dance over it. Simply because I couldn't afford the time for both. And I think it's the same way now, that Dance is giving way for something else. But I think that's how life goes - that we all have different priorities at different point in life.

And I think I might have given up dance because I found something else to make me feel alive.

Sure, as I've mentioned, I also have to sacrifice plenty of things.

But it is also allowed my dream to come true. I have been to so places I would never have imagined. I cuddled a lion cub in South Africa, I watched an opera in London, I sat on a gondola in Venice, I've heard the prayers from the blue mosque in Istanbul, I went to the Red Square in Moscow, I saw how traffic is like in India... and so much more! In a single week, I could be in so many places having cuisines from all over the world. It is a dream, and I am totally living it.

Okay, Imma post some pictures so you know I'm not bullshitting!




Eiffel Tower - Paris, France


Near Ayasofya - Istanbul, Turkey


Warwick Castle at Warwickshire - Avon, England, United Kingdom.


Me and my red boots in the Red Square, Moscow Russia


Me on top of Duomo di Milano - Milan, Italy.


San Francisco Bay - California, USA.
Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan - New York City, USA


The Peak - Central/中環, Hong Kong

Meiji Shrine 明治神宮 at Shibuya - Tokyo, Japan
Somewhere in Christchurch, might have been Highcliffe cliff top? - South Island of New Zealand

Klompenmakerij/Woden Shoe Clog Workshop and Museum - Amsterdam, Holland


Burma Railway/Death Railway/Burma-Siam Railway, River Kwai, Thailand


Mum and I doing it the traditional way, donning on the Vietnamese hats. Somewhere in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam


Modern Toilet Restaurant 便所主题餐厅 at Ximending 西门町 - Taipei, Taiwan


Gyeongbokgung 경복궁, Kyungbok Palace - Seoul, South Korea

Okay la, enough spamming.Got carried away, cos pics all too awesome alr couldn't help myself. HAHA.
Bloody hell, it was so difficult choosing ONE single picture to represent my entire trip at each country!

Sure enough, I do not know weekends, nor day and night. I could be sleeping the day away and saying Good Morning at 11pm. Jetlag really isn't funny, this I cannot deny. But something lost, is another thing gained. A weekend away from home is also a Monday blue not so blue for me! I could be at the salon with no queue, or at a not-too-crowded cafe people watching, or sitting with my grandma on her couch watching tv all day long.

There are many things in life that makes one feel alive. At 5, being alive may mean going to the playground. At 10, being alive may be being able to go to Orchard Road with friends. At 18, it's going to the club and grinding teenage boys. At 25 right now, I am happy. At 30, I'll probably be bursting with joy when I come home from work and seeing my babies running to me. At 60, bringing my grandkids to eat junk food at McDonald's.

At 80, I'd be telling the little ones around me, that I was a spiker in the volleyball team, I was the dancer that knew hip hop, waacking and reggae. The girl who had showed off her abs while dancing and seduced her old man with her sexy moves. I was the girl that travelled the world, Esther The Explorer whom you'll find on instagram! (if the app is still around 60 years later)

Wheee. It's nice to reflect back on life and things that matter to me.

I think it's important for us all to do so once in a while - to remember what makes us feel alive. Even if you can't do those things now, memories alone can trigger something in you.

What makes you feel alive?

You know how sometimes you get bouts of nightmare on certain nights.... and you wake up feeling like your mind was really active but you're so physically dead tired that you usually just fall back asleep right away? Most of the time you don't really recall what you dreamt of. Even so, it is usually just bits and pieces of your dream. Last night, I had a series of dreams in my half-asleep state. I was dead beat from sleeping at 3am after flying to Shanghai without any sleep the night before that. And so, you can probably imagine how zombified I was when I finally got to bed. In my zombified-state, my mind was crazily active. So here goes.

My nightmare from last night:
Someone said to me: "Are you going to Rome? You should totally visit Transylvania! It's a must go!"
Me: "Eh yarrr. Of course!"

Ok, for those who don't know. Transylvania is most famous for the birth of Dracula cos Bram Stoker wrote Dracula and the entire novel is set in Transylvania. Bram Stoker's Dracula is nothing like the ones we see in 21st century Hollywood's Draculas. If you have read the novel and have vivid imagination power like I do, you will know what I mean.

Transylvania in Bram Stoker's Dracula IS SCARY CREEPY SHIT.

Okay, so what happened in my dream was, I went ahead with sight-seeing cos really, who wouldn't visit famous spots, especially if it's like a place from classic literature. Like, going to Beijing and not visiting the Great Wall of China just doesn't make any sense. So I did. I think I went alone in my dream cos there wasn't anyone else who wanted to sight-see with me. I went in the day, but boy, everything in my dream started to feel like Dracula happening to me. The whole Transylvanian setting, it's misty dark fog and hours and hours of traveling into the woods...
REALLY SCARED ME.

I woke up perspiring and it took me some time to fall back asleep. I guess I might have dreamt that cos I was worried about going to Rome for 8 days (longest time possible) and I usually don't count on any companion to go sightseeing with.

So now that I got home and I remembered this dream, I googled Transylvania.

Guess what?

Transylvania is not even in Rome!
It's in ROMANIA.
...........................


Ignorant moment. :(

So the next day we went to Pilanesburg to hunt some wild animals. It was a darn long ride out of the city area in Jo'burg and it's really interesting seeing the transition from city life to squatters and slums. The transition is like almost immediate. Some of these slums don't have electricity nor proper sanitation. Our guide Shane, was explaining to us how astonishing the crime rate is in Jo'burg. Apparently, cases of rapes, robbery and murder is high throughout the year but having lived in Jo'burg for almost all his life, he has never witnessed any sort of crime happening. He says many foreigners are afraid of stepping out of their hotels but he reckons it's perfectly safe to walk down the streets. Oh well.

So upon arriving at Pilanesburg, we got onto our open vehicle (I don't really know what's the proper term for this) and went on our adventure to hunt some wild animals.



The guides for the wildlife tour were young chaps who spoke great english and had amazing knowledge about wildlife animals, or at least the animals they had in the area. They could answer almost every sort of question we had, but of course, at times ignoring certain idiotic questions such as "So is the Zebra white with black stripes or black with white stripes?"

Here's Lester with the handsome safari guides.


Here's an idea of what wildlife is.



The guides drove us around the wildlife area and it all depends on how lucky we are to catch the solitary animals like the leopards and cheetahs. It was cool watching a family of 6 elephants walk by, or a bunch of zebras and giraffes munching on grass. There were so many animals! These animals are used to vehicles driving around the area and they're not really afraid of us because we're only observing them and do not pose any sort of harm to them, though they tend to stay away from the paths. Or in the case where there's a head/leader in the herd, the leader will watch out for the rest and defend should we go too close.





We had to trail behind this elephant for quite some time because he refused to get off the track and we coudln't overtake him cos you do not want to mess with this fella. When we finally overtook him, he flapped his ears wide open, raised his trunk at us and let out this roaring sound which means "I can attack you any moment".

Here are a few shots.

Family moving to find water source.


I have no idea what animal this is, but a friend says it's a Gazelle.


Below is a giraffe that got struck by lighting, probably while eating from the tree. Guide told us that this giraffe died over a month ago and amazingly, no animals have come by to eat it.
Point is, animals never eat cooked meat. Only raw.
So this giraffe's corpse is pretty much safe till flies and worms finish it up.


We saw many other animals too and the tour lasted for almost 4 hours, from day till sunset. We had to wait for the sun to set cos that's when the lions will come out. It was so fun hunting the lions and you see the guides driving around, corresponding with each other via walkie talkie with updates on where they last saw a lion. We had to use torchlights to shine onto the grassland because if there's a lion in the area, if shone by a torchlight onto the eyes, we'll be able to spot it. We eventually found a herd of them and watched for a bit. I was waiting for them to mate but seriously, all they did was to laze around and play with each other. Lazy cats.

Couldnt take any picture because I didn't have a pro camera but it was still exciting catching them! Also caught a female leopard on the way out.

The Pilanesburg day-tour was really expensive and some other people on the safari tour with us were apparently there in Pilanesburg for days just to go on the safari tour everyday.

I felt like a Nat Geo cameraman for a bit and I think I kinda know how it feels like to snap an awesome picture of nature after hours and hours of wait. Too bad I only had a digital camera and the pictures I took were nothing like a Nat Geo picture.

The lion park and Pilanesburg wildlife was all I did in Jo'burg but I had tremendous fun there. Thanks to Lester, who was my companion on the trip and I think he was a major factor to the fun I had. Who would have thought that Jo'burg would be one of my favourite stations? :D

Till, next time!