10 March 2013

Food, Food, Glorious Food

When travelling overseas I usually stay over houses of friends or families, just to get a true feel of living in the place itself. I usually help cook meals and eat at home most of the time. Still, I like trying out new food and I'm not one to shy from glorious (and gross) new delicacies :)

These are some of my most unforgettable food experiences from around the world:

Sea Urchin sushi, Japan


Sea urchins have spines around them not to protect themselves. They're to protect us. Because they taste awful. And they know this. And they're nice enough to warn people not to eat them. 
Now go eat a chicken.

Lord of the Fries, Australia


I love this place because the concept is so simple yet so genius. Fries with different toppings and sauces on them, each named after a country. Eating this on a cold autumn night made it feel like it was a summer night~ I don't know why no one has come up with this concept here in Malaysia .. or maybe I just haven't discovered it yet!

Hummingbird Bakery, UK

Taken from my Instagram
The mother of all red velvet cupcakes is here at Hummingbird Bakery. There are only 2 stores in London - Portobello Market (original bakery) and Oxford Street. The cake is so amazing, that every bite, chew and swallow contains a different explosion of flavours. I'm no cake expert, but if you can help it don't have any other red velvet than this. It was just amazing. Period.



Stay tuned for more glorious and gross food around the world!

07 March 2013

5 Travel Peeves

My 5 peeves while spending winter in London last year:


5. Heavy garments
A nice big, padded, hooded and waterproof winter jacket will completely protect you from horrid weather (read: unexpected bouts of rain and wind). But it is also huge, heavy, bulky and sometimes, awkward. So unless its snowing, your best bet is to bring a small jacket while wearing layers inside.


Big and warm but only practical when it snows.
For every other day in winter!


4. Faulty Google maps
Remember all the complaints of Google Maps crashing around the time Android was being upgraded to another version last December? Yes, that was what happened. All I can say is, thank goodness for Al's Blackberry.

3. Oxford Street on Boxing Day
Unless you're looking to queue from 3am, don't go. 6 hours of walking and pushing through a sardine of a crowd and not buying much is not worth it! Head here instead (they have all the same stores and more stuff). Oh, and did I mention someone got stabbed here during this time a few years ago?


2. Failing to plan
My backpack in London took exactly 7 days. On the last day, we had at least 3 places to cover and they were literally at either ends of London. Imagine travelling that distance with 6kgs of luggage on your back and in your hands. Not. Amusing.

This was exactly the opposite of what I looked like

1. Being cashless
Never underestimate a long haul flight. You think all you're gonna do is sleep, but you will be surprised at how awake and hungry you can be. I overlooked these things and decided I could survive with only Malaysian currency until I reached home.

I ended up hungry, cold, tired and on top of that, alone, for almost 16 hours, and the whole time I was either in a whole other continent or 30,000 feet above the air. I never want to do that again.

Might as well be me




Photo credits here, here , and here  too.

05 March 2013

Weird and Wonderful II

Click here for part one of Weird and Wonderful!

More weird and wonderful inventions for travelling~

Solar powered, portable pillow lantern useful for hiking or camping trips. © LuminAID


Silicone filter that fits into your own tumbler. Practical for backpacking or budget trips to countries without safe drinking tap water. © TapGuard


04 March 2013

Themepark Survival

If you see me at a themepark, I am only either one of these two personalities:

cheezburger.com
or

tumblr.com

To avoid being the Eeyore in your group of friends, keep in mind these must haves for your next trip to the amusement park:

Shades
It's always sunny in amusement parks............ALWAYS.

Sunblock
Else your ethnicity might get mistaken, or you will look like a shrimp.

Drinking water
Or prepare to pay $10 for a single cup of juice

Cash
For random booths or amusement park games

Camera
Because you will have 1,808,382 photos of your trip and still feel like you didn't take enough. Also, you never know when Bumblebee will make an entrance.

Fan
Manual or automated, a breeze in you face feels the same.

Raincoat
Not wanting to get soaked on wet rides vs. not wanting to get on wet rides:
choose the lesser of the evil.

Optional:
Change of clothes
No, you can't avoid wet rides.

Umbrella
Because in very, very, very, very, very, very, rare occasions.. it rains.

Riddle from the post: Can anyone guess exactly where I was last weekend? ;)

02 March 2013

Weird and Wonderful I

Some weird and wonderful tools for future travels~


Peeing device for ladies. Practical for camping, hiking or on-the-go travel and keeps you dry and hygenic. Plus points for being easy to use, easy to clean and carry.
©  SheWee


Portable electronic device charger. One of my favourites as it runs entirely on solar energy. Doubles as a flashlight too! © Waka Waka Light

Weird and Wonderful II coming soon!