27 April 2019

TEFL

The first thing everyone asks when I start talking about my TEFL course is always "Why Prague?"

And that's pretty easy.

Firstly, I was motivated by my friend Shaba who did her TEFL in Madrid. She was the one who explained to me A to Z, top to bottom about the course. Bottom line is I knew someone who had gone through the course and had firsthand experience which was such a big motivation. She also mentioned that Europe was a famous place for people to do their TEFL course. I was almost completely sold right there.

Secondly, it was affordable. Out of all the places to do TEFL in Europe, the Czech Republic was probably the cheapest. The cost of living was cheap. The course itself was affordable too. The exchange rate was good. That had me itching to pack my bags already.

Thirdly, it was in a part of the world where a lot of my family and friends were at. I had -and this is a complete list of all the people I visited- my brother and cousin in the UK, aunt in Austria, lecturer and university senior in Germany and friend in Turkey (not Europe but close.) I can see myself on that long dreamt Euro trip already.

That said, I made some really close friends when I was in Prague itself. Man oh man, that deserves a post on its own. All the things we did together, the experiences we had... it was a rollercoaster ride. To be honest I don't know if they feel the same way or even remember it the way I do. But I know it meant a whole lot to me.

So let's start with Prague. Beautiful, crazy, momentous Prague.

Hiatus

This is a reboot of my travel blog.

Today is Sunday, the 28th of May 2019, 1236 am. For some reason I've been hit with a writing fever and feel like I have to blog about my travels, especially my solo trip in 2015. For some reason I didn't fully blog about it and honestly it didn't do that trip justice.

That once in a lifetime trip taught me so much and was so eventful that I don't know why I never wrote about it or share most of it with anyone for that matter.

Maybe it's because I've been -and am -such a private person for so long, it's hard to filter what should be shared and what should not.

So tonight I will try to start a new project to blog about my travels in the Autumn of 2015.

Here's to hoping I will complete this project.

31 January 2018

Okinawa Hai (^~^) - Zamami Shima

Continued...

So yesterday I rented a bicycle for ¥500 /2 hours to explore Ama District. It is an area about 20 minutes from Zamami town, with its own sparkling beach and observation deck where you can view some of the islands within this beautiful archipelago.

It  was mostly cool during my cycle, however the sun came out at about 10.30am. Finally some sunlight! By this time I was already at Ama beach. Earlier I had circled the town and took pictures using my hubs’ camera of the local residence. They’re a quirky bunch, with their dragon statues at every entrance of their house/building and kawaii characters on walls, posters, road signs and basically any kind of public announcement you can find.

Back to Ama beach... what can I say? It’s a long stretch of clear light-turquoise water and pale sand - so pleasing to the eyes you could just sit there for hours. You can tell that there are less corals and fiahes here but it is well-known for having turtles. It would’ve been a dream to see one, but it was not my day. I decided to head to the observatory instead since I couldn’t bring my bicycle onto the beach. Funny story, I didn’t know that the deck was a 20 minute walk *along* the beach, so I set off towards the jungle, thinking it would be there.

It was one heck of a journey, obviously. I pushed my bike from the foot of the hill since there was no way I could cycle uphill. Honestly I didn’t track how long I pushed my bike, but it was long. And tough. With a few pit stops. And drink breaks. Not to mention the photo taking at every sight of interesting flora and fauna. I was literally the only human being going up that mountain, and it wasn’t until about 11.15am that I decided to check where I was on Google Maps (forgot I downloaded the app last night). 

When I saw my location pinpointed in the heart of the island, my breath stopped. I’d been walking in the opposite direction, uphill, for god knows how long, and I could actually get back to town since I was already halfway around the island. Unfortunately it would take another 40 minutes of walking and I needed to return my bike at about 11.50am. How much longer did I need to go uphill? Would I get into trouble if I was late to return my bike? With all these questions running through my head, I decided to turn back and ride downhill back to town. 

To be continued...

Okinawa Hai (^~^)

Hi everyone :) I am currently in Japan now and just suddenly felt like blogging because there’s just so much to share.

Oh, before I continue any further... surprise! I’m married now! :D We’re in Japan for our honeymoon.

It’s 7.07am at Zamami Island. It’s been raining the whole night and it’s been windy too. You can hear  the slight banging of doors / windows downstairs and the whistle of the wind sometimes sounds like people talking. But rather than feeling eerie, it just gives you a feeling of closeness to the sea. It’s quite touching actually. You can hear the waves from here too.

The birds are awake now and I think there are some sounds of fishermen boats. We’re in our cosy room, a small studio with a built in cupboard and a space to hang clothes. Small, but it’s been the best out of the two places we’ve stayed so far. For ¥3000 a night per person, it doesn’t get better than this.

We just finished our fajr prayer and are just resting. Yesterday was a pretty long day. We stayed up after fajr for breakfast then went our separate ways. My husband booked a scuba diving trip at 10am with Kerama Joy Joy (or Joy Joy only) for ¥7000 all in. I was still wondering whether I should take a bike and explore the island or just head out snorkelling. I decided to cycle because I didn’t have anyone to look after my things if I went snorkelling.

To be continued...

06 March 2017

Some tips for the single lady traveler in 2016

Hi everyone 💜

Sorry for the long hiatus. A lot has happened since I came back from my trip in 2015. I have started working as a teacher (love it) and I am officially engaged! Best thing ever to happen to myself to be honest. There have been some challenges too, but this blog is my happy place. A place of healing and therapy. A place of hope for the young, and sweet reminiscing for the old. So let's fill it with some warm and positive words 😊

As you can see by the title, this post is dedicated to women, however, it can be used as a general rule of thumb. I will also include tips specifically for Muslim women too. 

1. Always have someone you can call at your point of destination 📞

During my "Euro trip" in the winter of 2015, I only visited countries where I had a friend or relative whom I knew staying there. With the exception of Prague, because it was the country where I was going to study, I had my former lecturer in Berlin, my senior from university (plus her husband) in Frankfurt, my university friend in Bursa, my cousin and her family in London, my brother in Kent, and finally my aunt in Vienna. Come to think of it, I actually got in touch with some Malaysian medic students in Prague through my sisters before I went to study. So I had them to help out a bit while I was there.

Having someone at your country of destination will not only keep you safer, but also give you a sense of structure in your traveling. When you have someone to meet, you organise your journey better instead of just 'winging it' and finding yourself wandering aimlessly at an airport. Also, you will obviously get a ton of tips in terms of transport, money, communication etc. since your family or friend has plenty of experience.

2. Get an honest, reliable source on the culture of the country you are travelling to 💭

Reading online can be helpful, but it is nothing compared to listening to your own friends' or family's experiences. Talk to them before you book your tickets, and trust your gut instinct about this place as you are listening to these experiences. If you feel like it would be too intimidating or challenging, skip it. Do not compromise your safety or security just to 'live in the moment' or to 'take a chance'. If you are dedicated to travelling that much, trust me your opportunity to visit this place will come in another time in the future. 

3. Have a travel buddy 👭

Alright, this is subjective, so I need to explain my own situation first before I move on to the reasons for this tip. 

I was on my own for most of my travels, and to be honest, I felt lonely most of the time. Being quite the reserved person that I am, I thought I would enjoy traveling alone more, especially with the freedom of time and movement. Unfortunately, after all was said and done, I did wish that I had someone with me throughout my travels. It's not to say I did not enjoy my trip. I saw some of the most amazing places I have ever seen in my life, and I did have a family or friend accompany me for short periods of time during my stay. But that said, if there was one thing I could change, I would have someone accompany me throughout my entire journey. 

Having someone with you is great because:

1) You have someone to bounce off thoughts, opinions and even worries with. Instead of arguing with yourself when you face a problem, you have someone else to help make the decision, or even take the wheel themselves. It's waay more convenient (ironic since I always thought it would be more of a hassle traveling with someone else).

2) You always have someone to watch your back. Look, you don't have the eyes, ears, energy or capacity to be on guard and protected 24/7. Doesn't matter your age or gender, there are always people with bad intentions around you, waiting to pounce on any opportunity they can get. When I was in Vienna, I was conned twice. Once by a 'beggar' and another by a lady pretending to sell roses (they approach you lovingly, call you a princess and hand you a flower, then suddenly ask for 5 euros for the whole show. Lol what). And that wasn't the worst that happened. I always wondered if things would have been different if I had someone with me. So remember to find a good travel buddy, or someone you know especially during your arrival or departure, to and from your destination. 
(Personally, I am looking forward to traveling with my future husband. He's way more seasoned than I am - not to mention way more organised haha. I love the guy 💓💓)

I hope this can be a source of inspiration for those young, eager travelers out there. Traveling is an amazing experience, but some things can make it less amazing. Be well-prepared and careful, then hopefully you will have that amazing experience you dreamed of 💛

Part two coming soon!


17 January 2016

Tikets Europe 1

Hai!

Saje nak share pengalaman beli tiket masa travel kat Europe. Tip: Lagi jimat kalau beli awal. *lagu sedih*

Tiket yg dlm post ni untuk travel dalam city (metro, tram, bus), and dari city ke city dalam negara sama.

Kalau nak tau camne nak beli tiket utk travel ke negara2 berlainan kat Europe, kena tunggu post lagi satu okey? ☺

Prague, Czech Republic


Tiket 24 jam
Tiket ni saya beli last day dekat Prague. Harga 55 crowns ni sebenarnya untuk senior citizen :P (tak guna pun tiket ni last2 haha). Tak biasa beli tiket kat machine pun, sebab diorg ada sistem SMS yg lagi senang nak guna. Tapi kena ada nombor Czech lah. eheh.

Tiket public transport ni boleh guna untuk metro, tram and bus. Nak beli, sila la ke mana2 metro station, semua ada tiket machine. Jangan lupa validate tiket sebelum naik mana2 public transport kat Europe ni! (Cucuk tiket ni dalam satu kotak kecik ni sebelum turun escalator) Kat Prague kalau kena tangkap takde tiket OR tak validate tiket, saman dia nak dekat 1000Kč. Tak kelakar.

Rates untuk tiket:
30 minutes - 24 crowns (RM 4.29)
90 minutes - 32 crowns (RM5.72)
24 hours - 110 crowns (RM19.67)
72 hours - 310 crowns (RM55.44)*
*exchange rate January 2016

Tiket 30 hari. Yang ni dapat sekali dengan pakej course masa sy belajar, so tak sure harga dia berapa


Vienna, Austria




Tiket yg kat atas tu tiket untuk naik public transport metro and tram kat Vienna. Sama macam kat Prague, boleh beli kat metro station mana2. Bus tak sure sebab tak perasan, and tak naik pun. Harga dia €7,60 untuk 24 jam. Jangan lupa nak validate, ok.

Tiket yg kat bawah tu (Vienna Airportlines) untuk shuttle bus dari airport ke city. Dia ada banyak bus utk ke tempat2 yg berbeza dekat city, jadi kita kena tau nak gi mane and bas nombor berapa boleh sampai situ. Saya ada cite pasal bas ni dalam post "Allo Vienna! Part 1". Harga one way €8 , return €13.


London to Kent, England, UK




Tiket ni (warna oren) beli masa travel dari London nak ke Kent. Sebab beli last minute dekat train station, harga pun mahal. Itu pun kira murah sebab dapat tiket balik flexible, and total £35.60, kalau tak nak dekat £50.

Ni first time naik train dekat St. Pancras International, station sama utk ambik train pergi France. Sebelum ni pernah ambik train dari Euston, untuk pergi Manchester.

Tiket yang sebelah kanan tu (Stagecoach) tiket untuk bus dekat Kent. Bus dia banyak tiket yg berlainan, Tak silap yang ni untuk 24 jam and sampai semua tempat dekat Kent (dari city ke countryside). Nama tiket ni Explorer. Harga £6.50.


Bursa to Istanbul, Turkey




Tiket ni untuk bus dari Bursa ke Turki. Sebelum sy cite panjang2, nak bgtau korg yg negara Turkey ni sangat lah mencabar. Bersedialah korg bila nak gi nanti, especially kalau travel sorang2. Nanti sy post full story kat post utk Turkey sahaja.


Okey. Company bas Metro ni nak cakap 100% selesa tak jugak. Kadang2 panas, kotor sket (kat dalam and luar). Tapi overall OK, dapat snacks, jus, air, and sebab ramai orang Turki recommend bas ni, sy ikut je and taknak pikir pun keadaan bus lain cmne.

Bas yg saya ambik dari Istanbul Bus Station (Otogar) ke Bursa Buyuk Terminal. Ada banyakk sgt ofis kat sana untuk company bus yg berlainan. Cari Metro, masuk and mintak tiket nak gi Bursa and tanya harga dulu. Harga standard dalam 30 Lira je. Dia ada bus setiap jam tak silap. Kadang2 diorg akan mintak passport dulu. Dah dapat tiket, kene keluar cari bus terminal, nombor plate OR nombor bas. Selalunye destination dia akan tampal kat depan bas tu.

Mcm senang kan? Ha... tak cite pasal journey lagi. Jangka masa dari Istanbul ke Bursa ni selalunya 3 jam je. Tapi disebabkan traffic jam, cube teka berapa jam sy duk atas bus tu?

6 JAM. Pergi, balik dua2 sama ;__;

Kalau nak ikutkan, sepatutnya bus diorg on time. Kawan2 sy semua pelik kenapa bus lambat sangat. Sorg kawan tu cite yg bus ni main transport kat sini, orang selalu ambik untuk catch flight dan sebagainya jadi tak patut la lambat. Kesian kat diorg jugak sebab kena tunggu 3-4 jam kat bus terminal semata2 nak jemput saya. Oh well. At least journey smooth, and pemandangan cantik.

Oh, bus ni siap naik feri lagi untuk cross Bosphorus River. Masa nak gi Bursa tu naik feri masa senja. SubhanAllah, view atas feri masa tu sangat cantik. One of the only times saya rasa macam nampak syurga atas bumi (first time rasa cmni masa kat Jepun).

Anyway, nak balik Istanbul tu sama je process, tapi bezanya bus terminal Bursa lagi besar, counter tiket semua kat dalam.



Belanja korang video masa naik feri on the way ke Bursa ;)

Ok guys, stay tuned for the next post! Tikets Europe part 2 ☺

Thanks for reading!

10 January 2016

Allo Vienna! Part 2

Second night in Vienna ♡

Day Two - Harini target nak pergi Belvedere Museum atas suggestion orang lain. Tram yang sampai Belvedere is Tram 1 - ingat ni sebab public transport lain susah sket nak sampai area ni. Malangnya tak kesampaian (troll lagi), tapi yang bestnya harini sempat tengok sunset dekat Vienna! ☺

Senja di Rathausplatz ♥

Camni ceritanya.. Sebelum pergi museum tu, ingat nak singgah metro station Erdberg dulu. Erdberg ni satu2 nye tempat yang ada bus station untuk travel ke luar Austria. Esok pagi nak ambik bas pergi Prague, jadi pergi lah cekidout dulu sebab takut esok sesat. Sampai situ senang, tapi nak cari bus station dia punya lah pusing. Dah la tak sure betul ke tak bus station tu sebab macam gelap and tersembunyi je :/ Lagi satu kakacewaan, sampai situ ingatkan boleh beli tiket bas terus, rupanya boleh beli online JE. *lagu sedih* Kalau nak tau lagi pasal beli tiket bus dari Austria, bace sampai hujung post ni, okey ☺


Masih dengan map kertas. Old school ☺

Anyway, lepas jumpa bus station, teringat nak shopping barang kat Christmas market untuk family kat Malaysia. Apa lagi, pergi la balik Rathaus (sebab best) and jalan2 cari barang untuk diorang. Sebab Christmas market ni banyak local produce a.k.a makanan buatan orang situ, saya ingat nak beli lah bende macam seasoning, herbs, honey or jam. Lupa nak tulis dalam part 1, masa first2 jalan2 kat Vienna, ada pergi Christmas market dekat Natural History Museum jugak. Market dia tak besar sangat and barang yang dijual sama je, tapi tak se-crowded Rathaus..

Christmas market dekat Natural History Museum
Monuments dekat area museum..

Dah nama pun wanita, bila start je shopping takleh nak stop. Dah tawaf market tu entah berapa kali dah semata2 nak compare harga and barang, last2 beli la flavoured sugar, seasoning dan jam. Ada satu stall yang jual semua benda yg saya beli ni. Korang boleh beli individually atau dalam combo (3 untuk €5 ,  €10 dan sebagainya)

Lupa nak ambik gambar stall yang jual benda2 ni. Uhu..

Punyalah lama duk kat Rathausplatz, tau2 dah senja. Saya pun decide nak stay sampai malam sket sebab nak tunggu lampu pasang kat tempat ni.......................

Sunset at Rathuasplatz!

Serious cakap kat korang, sangat. berbaloi. Pergi la christmas market kat Rathuas time malam sebab CANTIK SANGAT!

Giant cupcakes!

Christmas lights everywhere ♥
Christmas tree yang centre of the attention
So basically tu experience saya dekat Vienna. Tak duk lama pun, and most of the time saya sorang2 jadi sightseeing dengan santai je kat sana..

Untuk korang yang plan nak pergi Vienna, saya ada a few tips and interesting info tentang Vienna yang maybe berguna untuk korang:

☆ First and most important, make sure korang dah target mana nak pergi sebab terlampau banyak historical buildings, museums, parks yang menarik kat sini. Kalau jalan2 je tanpa hala tuju, takut korang rasa rugi masa balik nanti sebab tak masuk mana2 museum, art gallery etc. Yang aunty saya recommend is Belvedere Museum and Schonbrunn Palace.

☆ Vienna ni tempat famous shooting movie, yang saya ingat mostly dekat Vienna State Opera. Kat situ ada scene dalam Mission Impossible 3, and The Illusionist. Yang minat cerita Before Sunset lagi best sebab the whole movie punya setting kat sini

☆ Public transport dekat Vienna senang je, tapi ada certain tempat susah sket nak pergi and maybe limited public transport sampai kat situ. Buat research dulu

☆ Sebab Vienna ni cantik sangat , travel la dengan kawan atau bawak selfie stick sebab banyak sangat tempat cantik nak ambik gambar. Rugi kalau tak bergambar kat city ni (macam saya yang travel sensorang :,( )

Makanan halal yang saya tau kat Vienna ni satu je. Kat tepi Vienna State Opera ada Hotel Bristol, and depan tu ada a few stall kebab. Satu stall yang warna biru tu halal. Stall lain tak sure kalau halal ke tak

☆ Kalau boleh, try lah makan Sacher Torte ☺ Kek ni banyak tempat lain jual tapi ada certain je yang supposedly authentic, contoh kat Sacher Hotel cafe. Diorang punya kek tak berapa manis, tapi kek dia sangat lembut, ala2 kek kukus camtu. Kalau nak bawak satu kek pun boleh, diorang akan pack dalam kotak kayu. Authentic tak authentic? Ahaa..

Okey, next post saya sepatutnya pasal London (location before Austria), tapi since London tak pergi sightseeing sangat (shopping je kerja), saya akan post destination sebelum tu.....Turkey!☺

Thanks for reading! ☺

Sunset at the Vienna State Opera ♥

**Oh, tip berguna, kalau nak beli tiket bus pergi Prague via station VIB dekat Erdburg, download app FLIXBUS, masukkan info credit or debit card korang, pastu dah setel. Beli la tiket nak gi mana2. Saya beli tiket last minute dapat dalam €22,53. Masa nak naik tu cuak sebab takde bus yang menghala ke Prague, tapi ada yang nak ke Berlin. Check ticket balik, rupanya ada tulis "Connection 060 direction Berlin ZOB", so bus yang ke Berlin tu lah sebenarnye bus yang akan ke Prague. Lagi satu, orang bus tu sangat tak membantu nak masukkan luggage :( Mamat tu 3 kali ganda lagi besar dari saya kot, tapi dia still suruh saya angkat luggage 20kg tu sendiri (tempat letak luggage dia tinggi sikit dalam 4 kaki atas lantai. Pengsan aku nak angkat beg tu woii). Dah nampak saya struggle baru lah nak tolong... **

Separuh dari tiket electronic yg dia bagi. Lagi separuh ada map dengan price summary.