Here is a list of Travel Blogs ordered by Last Commented, posted by members. A Blog is a journal you may enter about your life, thoughts, interesting experiences, or lessons you've learned. Post an opinion, impart words of wisdom, or talk about something interesting in your day. Update your blog on a regular basis, or just whenever you have something to say. Creating a blog is a good way to share something of yourself with others. Reading blogs is a good way to learn more about others. Click here to post a blog.
online today!
These days, visiting the PRC---NOT!...Spent a fair amount of time there almost three decades ago,
....both of us staying mostly in hostels, backpacks on, using public transport, (including the Wuhan-Shanghai cruise, before closing of the gorgeous gorges), but of course never on China Air.
Wonderful people, scenery and food. Beijing-Moscow train trip of a life time.
But watching things change there, we have been loosing interest in going again. Once, high in the bucket list, perhaps to teach, as a certified teacher, and NOT of English, as so many unqualified ones do. And by immersion, to learn Mandarin, ideograms and all, along with some study of ancient acupuncture texts.
B U T---
Oz FT and ABC ( the later once great, now dreadfully lib PC), pair of reporters finally allowed to leave for home, after a little time under interrogation in lock up. Expats always say these stints with police were a delight. Valid charges---not so much.
All have seen my blogs and posts here, and elsewhere, simply stating the truth, good and not so much, about the downsides, VERY downside, of the wannabee Communist one party, workers' paradise state. As here right now.
Perhaps someday again, but not with current rule.
Great material and military progress in the PRC, over the decades, even with the many murderous, heavy handed, government blunders. But it'll take time for things to change, and then only after the cure of the great fear, VERY great, of the peoples' thinking, via higher ups in the Party.
Hope is often eternal. Great people can do it, if properly ruled. Hopefully with minimal violence.
King George learned the hard way.
Wonderful people, scenery and food. Beijing-Moscow train trip of a life time.
But watching things change there, we have been loosing interest in going again. Once, high in the bucket list, perhaps to teach, as a certified teacher, and NOT of English, as so many unqualified ones do. And by immersion, to learn Mandarin, ideograms and all, along with some study of ancient acupuncture texts.
B U T---
Oz FT and ABC ( the later once great, now dreadfully lib PC), pair of reporters finally allowed to leave for home, after a little time under interrogation in lock up. Expats always say these stints with police were a delight. Valid charges---not so much.
All have seen my blogs and posts here, and elsewhere, simply stating the truth, good and not so much, about the downsides, VERY downside, of the wannabee Communist one party, workers' paradise state. As here right now.
Perhaps someday again, but not with current rule.
Great material and military progress in the PRC, over the decades, even with the many murderous, heavy handed, government blunders. But it'll take time for things to change, and then only after the cure of the great fear, VERY great, of the peoples' thinking, via higher ups in the Party.
Hope is often eternal. Great people can do it, if properly ruled. Hopefully with minimal violence.
King George learned the hard way.
Rose of the North
The mandatory photoshoot with the pigeons at Chiang Mai Tha Pae Gate 
One of my daughter's best friends visited her when she was there for 2 months.
Beautiful Hotel
With the doorman
Doi Suthep- we arrived there very early in the morning to watch the sunrise on one of the highest peaks in Chiang Mai.
I went to Chiang Mai in 1997 with my then (first) husband. I took a picture standing at the exact same spot 27 years later. Seeing this picture collage, Art then commented, "You will take another one 27 years later with your 3rd husband!
Art really can't handle his drink
One our way to one of the many elephant sanctuaries. First encounter with an elephant on the road.
Time to check out of the resort and fly back to Malaysia.
I tried the famous Khao Soi - a Northern Thai curry noodle, for the very first time.
To be honest, I prefer our very own Malaysian curry noodle. My daughter and I can have kari mee, as we Malaysians called it, for breakfast, lunch or even dinner! Just like with any other food, in Malaysia we don't care about the time or protocols, we eat whatever we want, wherever and whenever we want.
One of my daughter's best friends visited her when she was there for 2 months.
Beautiful Hotel
With the doorman
Doi Suthep- we arrived there very early in the morning to watch the sunrise on one of the highest peaks in Chiang Mai.
I went to Chiang Mai in 1997 with my then (first) husband. I took a picture standing at the exact same spot 27 years later. Seeing this picture collage, Art then commented, "You will take another one 27 years later with your 3rd husband!
Art really can't handle his drink
One our way to one of the many elephant sanctuaries. First encounter with an elephant on the road.
Time to check out of the resort and fly back to Malaysia.
I tried the famous Khao Soi - a Northern Thai curry noodle, for the very first time.
To be honest, I prefer our very own Malaysian curry noodle. My daughter and I can have kari mee, as we Malaysians called it, for breakfast, lunch or even dinner! Just like with any other food, in Malaysia we don't care about the time or protocols, we eat whatever we want, wherever and whenever we want.
Thank you, Beibee!
Thank you for meeting Art and MiMi under such a short notice. Thank you for belanja-ing me the yummy dry Bak Kut Teh. Thank you for the kopi that Art can’t wait to try it out once we are back in Omaha ( meanwhile, just minum kopi kat kedai mamak aje ) Last but not least, thank you for your time and introducing your long time friend to us.
Hope to meet you again when I make another trip to Malaysia!
It’s always nice to be able to meet a fellow CSer in person. I hope to meet more in the future.
) Last but not least, thank you for your time and introducing your long time friend to us. Hope to meet you again when I make another trip to Malaysia!
It’s always nice to be able to meet a fellow CSer in person. I hope to meet more in the future.
Never Say Never
Damnoen Saduak floating market. I went there for the first time back in 2003 with my then husband, now my ex. My kids were probably 5 and 4 back then. My mom and stepdad volunteered to look after them while my ex and I ventured out for a day on our own.
The floating market was nothing at all what you saw in the advertisement pictures. Such a big letdown and disappointment that I vowed NEVER to ever pay money to go there again….
Until yesterday…
The kids and I had been to Thailand countless of times and this is Art’s 4th trip. There’s only so much you can shop and eat while in Bangkok ( unless you shop at ‘Big C’ ) and I decided to do something different with Art and my kids. Damnoen Saduak floating market and Mae Klong railway market sounded like a good idea initially but I quickly realized my mistake
Hot, humid and very crowded. People jostled and pushed and I nearly punched ( yes I chose violent ) a Korean b*tch for trying to overtake me and in the process caused me to lose my balance and footing.
Everyone vying to get pictures/videos of the approaching train.
Damnoen Saduak. Go only if you had all your shopping done and had nothing else better to do
Have a great weekend ahead everyone!
It’d be a hectic one for me, that’s for sure
The floating market was nothing at all what you saw in the advertisement pictures. Such a big letdown and disappointment that I vowed NEVER to ever pay money to go there again….
Until yesterday…
The kids and I had been to Thailand countless of times and this is Art’s 4th trip. There’s only so much you can shop and eat while in Bangkok ( unless you shop at ‘Big C’ ) and I decided to do something different with Art and my kids. Damnoen Saduak floating market and Mae Klong railway market sounded like a good idea initially but I quickly realized my mistake
Hot, humid and very crowded. People jostled and pushed and I nearly punched ( yes I chose violent
) a Korean b*tch for trying to overtake me and in the process caused me to lose my balance and footing. Everyone vying to get pictures/videos of the approaching train.
Damnoen Saduak. Go only if you had all your shopping done and had nothing else better to do
Have a great weekend ahead everyone!
It’d be a hectic one for me, that’s for sure
It’s time to go home
Well, I consider Omaha home now but I’ve been pining to go back to Malaysia for awhile now. Wanted to fly back late last year/earlier this year but there were too many restrictions still and I abandoned the idea until a month ago when Art just booked a ticket for me to fly back to Malaysia end of this year!
I’d be visiting on my own without Art. We both feel it’s best I go alone coz by then, I haven’t been back for more 3 years and I would’ve a lot of things to catch up with family and friends and so many food to binge and gorge
A couple of days ago, I saw on my FB Malaysia Quarantine support group that the Malaysia Health Ministry have decided to do away with the cumbersome ’Traveller Card’ and now all I gotta do before I embark on my flight is to just fill up my vaccination details on that one app. Such a far cry from early this year!
My daughter already been making plans to take time off from her work so that we can spend a little bit of time together.
My girlfriends will make sure their calendar is cleared when I go back to my hometown, they better be! 
My ex-husband’s aunts and cousins already invited me to their house to stay and promised to cook for me the whole time I’m there! I’ve even placed the menu!
December cannot come any sooner….
It’s a good thing the world is slowly opening up now. People can be reunited and for those who have been wanting to meet their long-distance relationship ‘love’, this is the time! What are you waiting for?!?!
I’d be visiting on my own without Art. We both feel it’s best I go alone coz by then, I haven’t been back for more 3 years and I would’ve a lot of things to catch up with family and friends and so many food to binge and gorge
A couple of days ago, I saw on my FB Malaysia Quarantine support group that the Malaysia Health Ministry have decided to do away with the cumbersome ’Traveller Card’
and now all I gotta do before I embark on my flight is to just fill up my vaccination details on that one app. Such a far cry from early this year! My daughter already been making plans to take time off from her work so that we can spend a little bit of time together.
My girlfriends will make sure their calendar is cleared when I go back to my hometown, they better be! My ex-husband’s aunts and cousins already invited me to their house to stay and promised to cook for me the whole time I’m there!
I’ve even placed the menu! December cannot come any sooner….
It’s a good thing the world is slowly opening up now. People can be reunited and for those who have been wanting to meet their long-distance relationship ‘love’, this is the time! What are you waiting for?!?!
Making plans for the USA! (part 2)
I know I am very early with all this planning, but it doesn't hurt to be well prepared.
So far, I have three things planned: The first thing is transportation from the airport to my accommodation. My friend is picking me up from the airport, so that's a plus! That saves me money on an Uber or a taxi.
Second: Places to eat! I am visiting one fast food place, one restaurant and one street food place. I have the fast food locked in, which is Wendy's. I will decide on a restaurant and a street food place later down the line.
Third: A visit to a mall. I want to visit a proper American mall, with lots of shops and food options. If the weather is good, I might go for a stroll along a waterfront.
Once my accommodation is booked, I will apply for an ESTA.
For now, more planning.
I know, 302 days, 14 hours and 51 minutes until departure, but still!
So far, I have three things planned: The first thing is transportation from the airport to my accommodation. My friend is picking me up from the airport, so that's a plus! That saves me money on an Uber or a taxi.
Second: Places to eat! I am visiting one fast food place, one restaurant and one street food place. I have the fast food locked in, which is Wendy's. I will decide on a restaurant and a street food place later down the line.
Third: A visit to a mall. I want to visit a proper American mall, with lots of shops and food options. If the weather is good, I might go for a stroll along a waterfront.
Once my accommodation is booked, I will apply for an ESTA.
For now, more planning.
I know, 302 days, 14 hours and 51 minutes until departure, but still!
Chinatown in Kansas City
I was in Kansas City last week. My second trip there. Both times not with Art but a fellow Malaysian girlfriend, PL.
I left all the decision makings to PL coz I was too lazy to crack my head to think about anything. She knows better coz she has been in the US since 2008 and has travelled to a lot of different states in the US.
The journey from Omaha to KC was slightly more than 3 hours. She drove all the way while I slept all the way!
When we reached KC, she asked me if I was hungry and I said “Yessss! I’m starving!!!” She then quickly checked on her cellphone the places where we could eat. Prior to the trip, she had informed me she would like to take me around the Chinatown in KC.
“Ok! I found a value-for-money buffet in Chinatown”, PL said excitedly.
When we were driving into the car park lot, she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh NOOOOO!!!! In my haste, I made a mistake ..... the restaurant is not in Chinatown ..... the restaurant is named ‘Chinatown’!!!!
She and I both laughed so hard until our tummies hurt!
We were still laughing when we got inside. And continued to laugh even more when we realized we were the only Chinese in there! For one moment I thought we were in Mexico!
I left all the decision makings to PL coz I was too lazy to crack my head to think about anything. She knows better coz she has been in the US since 2008 and has travelled to a lot of different states in the US.
The journey from Omaha to KC was slightly more than 3 hours. She drove all the way while I slept all the way!
When we reached KC, she asked me if I was hungry and I said “Yessss! I’m starving!!!” She then quickly checked on her cellphone the places where we could eat. Prior to the trip, she had informed me she would like to take me around the Chinatown in KC.
“Ok! I found a value-for-money buffet in Chinatown”, PL said excitedly.
When we were driving into the car park lot, she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh NOOOOO!!!! In my haste, I made a mistake ..... the restaurant is not in Chinatown ..... the restaurant is named ‘Chinatown’!!!!
She and I both laughed so hard until our tummies hurt!
We were still laughing when we got inside. And continued to laugh even more when we realized we were the only Chinese in there! For one moment I thought we were in Mexico!
online today!
Snow Birds...
Seasonal residents of South Florida are often called Snow Birds. Many of them have their cars shipped down by trailer during the winter months. You can see them in the front of many developments unloading. Now, it's time for them to return to the North and the car carriers are again back to transport vehicles to the North.
For them, the season is now over. Florida is too hot and humid. If they hail from Canada, it's my knowledge their stay is limited to 6 months. After, they have to declare their income to the IRS and be taxed on their earnings. So, their limit is 6 months.
As I drove out of my community today, I see about 30% of the parking spaces are empty. I know the neighbor on one side of me is from New Jersey and her unit is dark at night. See you when you return.
In the news today another resident of Florida is relocating to the North for the summer. It's reported former president Donald Trump left Mar-a-Lago and headed to New Jersey. Where he will be staying at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course.
Bedminster will become the new go-to spot for the GOP as many political hopefuls had flocked to Mar-a-Lago holding or attending fundraisers to get time with Trump and possibly get an endorsement.
When winter returns, so will the snow birds!
For them, the season is now over. Florida is too hot and humid. If they hail from Canada, it's my knowledge their stay is limited to 6 months. After, they have to declare their income to the IRS and be taxed on their earnings. So, their limit is 6 months.
As I drove out of my community today, I see about 30% of the parking spaces are empty. I know the neighbor on one side of me is from New Jersey and her unit is dark at night. See you when you return.
In the news today another resident of Florida is relocating to the North for the summer. It's reported former president Donald Trump left Mar-a-Lago and headed to New Jersey. Where he will be staying at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course.
Bedminster will become the new go-to spot for the GOP as many political hopefuls had flocked to Mar-a-Lago holding or attending fundraisers to get time with Trump and possibly get an endorsement.
When winter returns, so will the snow birds!
Just our luck
Art booked flights to San Antonio somewhere in Nov 2021, thinking that it’d be nice for us to be in SA in late February.
Boy was he wrong! For some unknown reasons, the weather the few days we were there was unexpected for the month of February. Everybody in SA that we came across was telling us how odd that they were getting a cold spell during that time.
We were in SA from Feb 23rd-26th 2022.
The weather was real nice just a day before we arrived and a day after we left, it went back to being nice again!
Well, we tried to make the best of it since we were already stuck down there. Nothing much to be done at the famous Riverwalk due to the cold, rain and wind
Saw some funnies around town.
A day before we left, Art and I decided to check out the Mexican Historic Market Square at the recommendation of one of our Uber drivers. To be honest, I wasn’t very keen on these run-of-the-mill kinda stalls/shops. I suddenly spotted one of my favorite store in the world!!!! GOODWILL!!!!!! I squealed in delight and Art was like
He was, “Really?!?! You really wanna go to a Goodwill even while we are on a holiday?!?!” Looking at me incredulously, shaking his head at the same time…
Not about to back down, I said defiantly, “ As a matter of fact, YES!!!”
At the same time I texted my Malaysian girlfriends back in Omaha about the whole showdown
I bet you could guess who won the battle at the end?
Boy was he wrong!
For some unknown reasons, the weather the few days we were there was unexpected for the month of February. Everybody in SA that we came across was telling us how odd that they were getting a cold spell during that time. We were in SA from Feb 23rd-26th 2022.
The weather was real nice just a day before we arrived and a day after we left, it went back to being nice again!
Well, we tried to make the best of it since we were already stuck down there. Nothing much to be done at the famous Riverwalk due to the cold, rain and wind
Saw some funnies around town.
A day before we left, Art and I decided to check out the Mexican Historic Market Square at the recommendation of one of our Uber drivers. To be honest, I wasn’t very keen on these run-of-the-mill kinda stalls/shops. I suddenly spotted one of my favorite store in the world!!!! GOODWILL!!!!!! I squealed in delight and Art was like
He was, “Really?!?! You really wanna go to a Goodwill even while we are on a holiday?!?!” Looking at me incredulously, shaking his head at the same time…
Not about to back down, I said defiantly, “ As a matter of fact, YES!!!”
At the same time I texted my Malaysian girlfriends back in Omaha about the whole showdown
I bet you could guess who won the battle at the end?
My Malaysian holiday coming to an end in less than 24 hours….
Just like that….6 weeks gone!
Bittersweet. Can’t wait to see cheeky Art again and my son but it’s breaking my heart to leave my daughter behind….
I’ve been traveling to few places on my own, with my daughter and my best friends. Very very tiring for someone with severe rheumatoid arthritis ( nope, the pain did not lessen while I’m here ) but I would do it again in a heartbeat…
I stayed at my ex-husband’s relatives’ house and they cooked some of the most delicious southern Indian food for me throughout my stay!
It’s the 8th Feb, 4.30am and in less than 8 hours, I’d be meeting my daughter’s best friend for the first time. Dora and her bf always look out for my daughter and I really appreciate that.
After the meeting, I won’t go anywhere else coz I’d need to pack, pack, and pack! Too many stuff I’ve bought and given by people and a bulk of them have to go…sadly…
Yesterday afternoon, my daughter picked me up from the bus terminal after I arrived from my hometown, Teluk Intan where I spent some time with my long-time girlfriends.
We went to a cafe right away and I had the best rosé flavored latte
Mingle Cafe in the heart of Kuala Lumpur Chinatown. I’ve always loved pre-war shophouses coz when I was a wee gal, I would visit my maternal grand uncle at his law practice conducted from one of the oldest pre-war buildings in Teluk Intan and they are very similar all over Malaysia and Singapore.
The Chinese character ‘Fuk’ ( in Cantonese ) means ‘Luck’ and often times you’d see them hung upside down. There’s a meaning to it…
Bittersweet. Can’t wait to see cheeky Art again
and my son but it’s breaking my heart to leave my daughter behind…. I’ve been traveling to few places on my own, with my daughter and my best friends. Very very tiring for someone with severe rheumatoid arthritis ( nope, the pain did not lessen while I’m here ) but I would do it again in a heartbeat…
I stayed at my ex-husband’s relatives’ house and they cooked some of the most delicious southern Indian food for me throughout my stay!
It’s the 8th Feb, 4.30am and in less than 8 hours, I’d be meeting my daughter’s best friend for the first time. Dora and her bf always look out for my daughter and I really appreciate that.
After the meeting, I won’t go anywhere else coz I’d need to pack, pack, and pack! Too many stuff I’ve bought and given by people and a bulk of them have to go…sadly…
Yesterday afternoon, my daughter picked me up from the bus terminal after I arrived from my hometown, Teluk Intan where I spent some time with my long-time girlfriends.
We went to a cafe right away and I had the best rosé flavored latte
Mingle Cafe in the heart of Kuala Lumpur Chinatown. I’ve always loved pre-war shophouses coz when I was a wee gal, I would visit my maternal grand uncle at his law practice conducted from one of the oldest pre-war buildings in Teluk Intan and they are very similar all over Malaysia and Singapore.
The Chinese character ‘Fuk’ ( in Cantonese ) means ‘Luck’ and often times you’d see them hung upside down. There’s a meaning to it…
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