8 天的独自散心

再过几分钟，飞机就起飞了。

又是独自散心的时候了。

很是感激我有个很体谅我的老公，很勤快的帮佣和很独立的女儿。

要不是拥有这得来不易的一切，我想我是不能有机会独自散心、享受偶尔的寂寞。。。

是的，每个人都应该有独自、寂寞的时候。就因为每个人天天为着一口饭而失去自我、失去曾经拥有的心灵平静，我们更应该安排时间重新感受自我、为疲惫的心灵充电。

8天后见哦！

1 more day!!!

I am amazed how much I had 'changed' over the years.

Usually I would have the luggage packed at least 3 days before my trip. I would have changed money at least 1 week before any trip. 

In 24hrs time, I will be at the airport with Yvonne and I still have not packed nor changed money. 

Yesterday I was a bit panicking but today I suddenly found peace. It maybe because of what happened these few days or maybe people just changed when they hit their next 'milestone'. 

Anyhow, I know I have "grown up" over the years and become a "more mature" traveller :P  I am slowly able to travel to familiar places with minimum research. I slowly feel less stressful going to unfamiliar places. 

I guess this is a good change. It makes my heart "stronger"! Hahaha... 

Really looking forward to my trip and I even told Laogong to let me travel to the airport alone via taxi so that I can appreciate the "loneliness" and independence. Sometimes, loneliness equal to freedom... At least to me, it equates. Packing in my white headphone n downloading my favorite Taiwan drama.  Must get into the Taiwan's dreamy mode soon!!!

Okay! Time to pack and hug my Jamie!!!

1 more week to Taiwan!!!

Taiwan...

A country I uncontrollably love. 

I had this déjàvu feeling about Taiwan. It was as if I once lived there. Hahaha.. Maybe that's what I always feel about the places I love. I had the same feeling about Beijing too :P I shall share more about my Beijing trip last year in my next post! 

I am so glad I can start having free and easy trips again! It was something Laogong and I really love before we got married and have kids. Last time, Laogong and I would simple hop onto the next bus that set off from Lakin interchange from JB to KL... In 2006, we even took 30 hours of long distance bus all the way to Bangkok! 

As we have more commitments, it also means we have more responsibilities and hence more to lose. And less 'free' brain sense to plan free and easy trips. We became boring couples who signed up for tour packages. We became less exciting and maybe even lazy... 

I am really so glad to have such an understanding Laogong who gives me a break from my work and from the family. I think everyone needs this type of break at least once a year. As the saying goes, distance makes the heart grow fonder. Giving us the chance to miss our lives, family and friends in Singapore, ensure we are able to continuously appreciate what we have. 

Frankly I am a very timid person. After I have kids I became even more timid because I would worry what will become of my kids if I am unable to return home safely. Hence I had never travelled 'alone' (aka without Laogong). Hmmm.. Ok, I only travelled once during my school days without Laogong. But though I was away on a field study trip for a month, I SMSed Laogong a lot. So often that it costed me $300+ for the SMS I sent in a month. Well, I always feel safe with Laogong coz I know he will protect me with his life and soul. I am not saying my girlfriends or guyfriends won't protect me but they will also need to spare a thought for their own loved ones. 

Beijing was my first step to 'independent' traveling. The packing was tough coz weather was very cold and I was 'bigger' than usual but I did not want to buy new clothes. I could not zipped up my jacket so I was cold as the wind 'cut' me. But it was really really fun and reminds me totally of the <步步惊心> drama! I was glad 3 other friends wanted to go to Beijing too as I knew China is not a place anyone should travel alone or in pairs. 

This year, I had really took a big step forward. It's just me and Yvonne to Taiwan! Though we knew each other for coming to 3 years and we had been short trip roomies, but we are still nervous about this 8 days trip together. Who knows, we might come home as enemies? Afterall, traveling/living under adverse condition either draw two persons closer or tear two persons apart.

Hmmm.. I have to say we had miraculously grown closer after all that had happened. Though we at times wanted to pull each other hair, we were still similar in little ways. I have faith that this trip will turn out great! She being a seasoned traveller can definitely tough me up over these 8 days! 

This is my 4th trip to Taiwan, so you must be thinking what else still interest me? Well, I had been revisiting places I really like in Taiwan. There are places I don't get sian going over and over again, eg. 九份. There are also places yet to be explored. 

Being ambitious, we had scheduled to walk half of Taiwan. We are starting with 南投清境 -> 宜兰-> 台北. I did up a very brief itinerary (as requested by Yvonne). Let's have a look and see if I can cover all :P 

21/2 (fri)

5am - reached 桃园 airport  

8am-2pm-HSR to 台中 then take public transport to 清境民宿, Misty Villa.

3pm-check in and go for high tea and late lunch at old England castle 

6pm-9.30pm-庐山温泉

22/2 (sat)

4am-7am - 合欢山看日出

10am -12pm: visit the sheep farm 

12pm-lunch

2pm-5pm-spend time in 清境

23/2 (sun)

9am-3pm travel to 台中then take train to 宜兰民宿，Sea Luv

3pm-look for late lunch

4pm-5pm: check in n rest and enjoy the minsu

5pm-8pm: walk around nearby places and grab a light dinner (fish market, pier, beach etc)

8pm-12am: shop at luodong night market

24/2 (mon)

8am-breakfast

9am-12pm- 礁溪温泉 and lunch

2pm-set off to Taipei

5pm-reached hotel (Amba), check in and rest

6pm-12am-shopping and dinner at 西门町

25/2 (tue)

9am-11am-museum

12pm-5pm-reached 淡水, lunch and shop.

5pm-7pm-board ferry to 渔人码头 for sunset view 

7pm-12am-shopping and dinner at Shilin night market

1am-zz

26/2 (wed)

8am-10am- set off to 九份, 十份, 平溪

10am-2pm-lunch and sightseeing at 十份and 平溪

3pm-8pm-dinner and shopping at 九份

8pm-10pm-return to Taipei

27/2 (thur)-1/3 (Sat)

Unconfirmed

Like our itinerary? I think first time I actually 'ok' to leave my itinerary so blank. Feeling insecure now but maybe I should just play along and enjoy the uncertainty! Anyway I got seasoned traveller, Yvonne, with me :P She promised not to leave me alone de :P 

Haha! 

Meantime, stay tune on the preparation for my trip! 

病不单行 Overwhelming Bad Health

Replaced my temporary fillings at NFC this morning.

Sigh, am really overwhelmed with the continuous relapsing of my old health issues since the beginning of year 2013..., followed by the beginning of the horse year... 

Read somewhere that my health issues would have improved in the year of the horse. But it didn't seem to be accurate coz at least for now, I am will juggling with the spills over from last year :( 

Below is the arising/relapsing health issues by chronological order:

Sep 2013: Toothache due to cavity and collapse of right bottom molar and wisdom tooth, spilled over since pregnancy in 2012.

Oct 2013: Four Wisdom Teeth Surgery + Temporary filling to the decayed right bottom molar

Mid Jan 2014: Exteme pain in my decayed right bottom molar and was sent to A&E. Nerves was removed in preparation of root canal treatment (1.5 years wait list) 

End Jan 2014: Fall down and sustained injury on tail bone

Feb 2014: Tail Bone injury relapse + Flu and fever + collapse of temporary filling 

I can only hope I won't be more suay than this :( 

Just 1.5 more weeks I will be on my way to Taiwan with Yvonne. Hope we can recover fully by then and enjoy our recharging holidays! 

Meantime, I wish for more energy to spend time with my children, before my trip! 

Toothache Relapse!

Just 3 months from my wisdom teeth extraction and attempt to save my infected molar, I was back at NDC on 20 Jan.

I felt as if I almost 'died' on Sunday night. The pain was so intense that hubby had to send me to A&E when he came home and saw me crying and moaning on the bedroom floor. Seriously! The pain was worse than contraction coz there was no interval.. It was just pain all the way, and the pain triggered a headache too. I could feel half my face from head to chin in pain. I had to isolate myself in the bedroom so that Jamie and James need not see me in suffering. 

Dentist announced to me that my molar could not be saved and I only have two options: 1) extracting it or 2) doing root canal + crowning. She recommended the latter because she felt I was 'still young'. She said I should not deprive myself from eating normally so early. 

She is a very sweet and gentle lady like my dental surgeon. I always feel the female dentists in NDC are motherly, pretty and gentle. I feel at ease and safe with them. I remember my surgeon would tell me 'poor thing, hope you get well soon k?' coz I was required to change my dressing everyday after my wisdom teeth surgery, due to some complications.

As the wait list for root canal is 18 months long, Dentist suggested I removed my nerve first. She assured me that I will be able to last till my root canal surgery, after the nerve was removed. So now my right bottom molar is hollow and without a nerve. I no longer feel pain when I drink room temperature water too. 

Next review will be in Feb, just before my Taiwan trip. If things go well, I will then get a permanent filling for the next 18 mths. If not? Let's hope there is no 'if not'! Because currently I don't have any backup plan! Hahaha... And of coz I will like to eat heartedly in Taiwan!

Speaking of Taiwan! Just 3 months from my wisdom teeth extraction and attempt to save my infected molar, I was back at NDC on 20 Jan.

I felt as if I almost 'died' on Sunday night. The pain was so intense that hubby had to send me to A&E when he came home and saw me crying and moaning on the bedroom floor. Seriously! The pain was worse than contraction coz there was no interval.. It was just pain all the way, and the pain triggered a headache too. I could feel half my face from head to chin in pain. I had to isolate myself in the bedroom so that Jamie and James need not see me in suffering. 

Dentist announced to me that my molar could not be saved and I only have two options: 1) extracting it or 2) doing root canal + crowning. She recommended the latter because she felt I was 'still young'. She said I should not deprive myself from eating normally so early. 

She is a very sweet and gentle lady like my dental surgeon. I always feel the female dentists in NDC are motherly, pretty and gentle. I feel at ease and safe with them. I remember my surgeon would tell me 'poor thing, hope you get well soon k?' coz I was required to change my dressing everyday after my wisdom teeth surgery, due to some complications.

As the wait list for root canal is 18 months long, Dentist suggested I removed my nerve first. She assured me that I will be able to last till my root canal surgery, after the nerve was removed. So now my right bottom molar is hollow and without a nerve. I no longer feel pain when I drink room temperature water too. 

Next review will be in Feb, just before my Taiwan trip. If things go well, I will then get a permanent filling for the next 18 mths. If not? Let's hope there is no 'if not'! Because currently I don't have any backup plan! Hahaha... And of coz I will like to eat heartedly in Taiwan!

Speaking of Taiwan! Yvonne and I are so brave! Less than one month from our trip and we have only confirmed lodging for the first two nights! :P Share more in another blog post! Really happy I finally resume my free and easy trips! Though it's less stressful and more comfortable to travel by tour group, it's definitely more fun and in control of my itinerary when I travel by free and easy!  Teeth!!! Please get well for the lovely Taiwan food! ^^

Meantime I will just enjoy the yummy food at my office's pre-CNY celebration today :P