What are 2 Malaysians doing in Austria?

"I can not believe it... of all places, we are meeting in Austria!!"

That was the exclaimation from Ai Ling within minutes after meeting at the train station. The two of us were laughing and hugging eversince she stepped off the train at Innsbruck's central train station. Quite unbelievable... it has been nearly 3 years since we last met, and of all places... we met in Austria! We have been friends since we were 13, and yes, we do go a looong way back. She was pursuing her Masters in Germany, and is currently doing her internship in Switzerland. As, I have been away in the States... it is somewhat of an irony that this 2 Malaysians finally meet in Austria!

As the ever gracious host, I have a full agenda for her. First, let's talk about the food (Yes, Malaysians have an obsession with food, not surprisingly). Throughout her entire stay, I prepared Nasi Goreng, Omelette (american-style) and Beef Tortilla. We also tried chocolates, wine and beer that is typical from this region. She is my perfect excuse to binge on food and go sight-seeing! So goood!

Ai Ling was totally entranced by the beauty of Innsbruck and the surrounding mountains. I still remember her comment when I tried to persuade her to come to Innsbruck over the phone: "Mountains... hey, I am living in Switzerland, ok?" Hah... she ate back her words. ;p Innsbruck's beauty is indeed unique. Situated amongst the Alps, you can see the mountains at every angle throughout the city. The combination of Inn river (with its pale green waters), the Alps and the medieval-style Old City makes walking, a most delightful experience. At times, you might be able to catch the snow-capped mountains after a rainy spell in Innsbruck.

Oh... I believe I am falling in love with Innsbruck. ;o)

The weekend was so good. The pleasure of Ai Ling's company, the familiarity of old friends, endless girl-talks, good food & wine, the beauty of Innsbruck... This has been my BEST weekend in Innsbruck!

Off to Munich and Oktoberfest!!

As previously arranged, I was off to Munich, Germany and I will meet up with Kerstin. =) I have not met Kerstin for 2 years and am really looking forward to seeing her again after all this time!

On Wednesday, I was at the AIESEC Office by 7.30am and tried to do some work. By 9.45am, I was off to the train station to catch the train at 10.39am. On the train, I met a very nice lady from Kufstein who spoke fairly good English. We talked about Kufstein, her previous work in a circus and her children. She said she missed the mountains very much when she was working for 2 years in Vienna. I can see why... the mountains are so big and beautiful and it becomes a part of you... and you get accustomed to seeing it everywhere you go. At the border with Germany, I was awakened by a man speaking German to me. He said something that sounded like 'pass' or 'document' but my groggy mind was not processing at the usual speed, and I must seemed wierd. Finally, I understood and pulled out my passport. I was then subjected to a series of immigration questions. In the end, I felt like telling him "Don't worry, I have every intention of going back to Malaysia" which of course I didn't as I am a polite Malaysian/Asian. ;o)

I found Kerstin waiting at the arrival of the Munich train station, and its so good to see her again! From the station, we strolled along Karlplatz (Stachus), Neuhauser Strasse, Marienplatz and Viktualienmarkt. I was quite enchanted by the Rathaus (City Council), a beautifully architectured building with many sculptures and carvings. Kerstin treated me to a Bavarian meal of Weißwurst, Pretzen, Spetzi and light beer. I liked the Weißwurst a lot. We visited many beautiful churches and I really wonder how rich the rulers were in those days to build such magnificent buildings.

Then, it was Dallmayr... luxurious grocery shopping for the rich in Munich: coffee, chocolates, liquor, pastries, cheese, meat, fruits... quite an experience for me. In the evening, we strolled along the Isar river before going home. Dinner was spätzle baked with fried onions, cheese, salt and pepper... yummy...

The next day, we visited Hirsch biergarten... the biggest beer garden in the world and then Schloss Nymphenburg, where we had a nice stroll along the palace grounds, garden and fountains. Right after that, we went to the Wiesn (thats how the locals call the Oktoberfest). There were so many people... and half of them were dressed in Dirndl (women) and Lederhosen (men). I was very fasinated looking at the various styles and colours of it. We visited the beer tents, walked around and tried the different food and drinks. Kerstin was such a good host, introducing me to the various types of typical German food. In the beer tents, the crowd started to get jolly (or drunk ;p) around 6pm. People have been drinking beer and eating for hours in there. I could see people singing, clapping and dancing on the benches and tables! Such a facinating sight!!

I enjoyed Munich very much and couldn't wait to return in October, this time with Jack, Li-Ching and my brother!

10 days in Innsbruck, Austria

It has been 10 amazing days since my first step into the land of Austria. I have had this idea of staying in a German speaking country for quite some time, but at the back of my mind, I guess I was thinking about Germany. However, I am glad with the way things work out... and I am so happy to be in Innsbruck! =) It is such a beautiful medieval town and it is TOTALLY surrounded by the Alps. Really breathtaking... and its like nothing that I have ever seen before!

On the night I arrived, we went to Sandra's place to have kinda gathering and chat. There, I also met Oleg, the trainee from Ukraine. I stayed with Stefanie for the first week. She lives in a 2-bedroom flat with her brother, Sebastian. At Stefanie's place, I get to dominate the living room and its a very comfortable space. I discovered that Sebastian loves to cook, and one night he even cooked curry... yummy!

Workwise, I did not accomplish much on the first week as they wanted me to take some time to relax and get over the jetlag. Hahaha.... I know this sounds like an excuse, but its true!! Anyway, I was working hard on SN matching from the 5th day onwards. I have 4 SNs and 5 TNs to match, and also recruitment. According to Sandra (LCP), I am supposed to focus more on recruitment, but so far I am still doing more matching. I guess I needed a more concrete result.

Activities... had a walk on Tuesday, with Madzia, Stefan, Ulrich and Sandra along the old city, Inn river and Hofgarten while enjoying an icecream. Then, we bid goodbye to Madzia who travelled back to Krakow, Poland. The highlight of the week was hiking with Stefanie, Julia, Ursula and Krista. After the hike, I cooked Malaysian food for everyone: Pineapple fried rice and Black bean beef. The rice was very soggy, but they all loved the dinner and finished every single morsel. ;o) There was some talks about a Tyrolean (the region where we are) dinner night... but lets wait and see...

Monday evening, I moved to Ulrich's flat... where I will stay for the next 2 weeks. The irony was that I get the bed while he is on the couch. ;p I felt really bad about that, but he insisted... must be a guy thing! Aside from that, he is very nice and 'cincai', so I didn't feel so 'hak-hei' all the time. Life in Innsbruck: I am beginning to have a healthier lifestyle. ;o) Everyday, I wake up at 6.30am, sleep at 10pm and walk everywhere. Plus, I enjoyed cooking Malaysian dishes for my hosts/flatmates too.

Hiking in the Alps

The MOST AMAZING hiking experience ever! I was working at the AIESEC Office when I received a call from Stefanie... "Do you want to go hiking with my friends?" Of course! I would be home doing nothing otherwise. I met Julia, Krista and Ursula, and the 5 of us (plus Stefanie's dog, Atilla) set off at 5pm. I was riding in Ursula's convertible to the foot of the mountain. The journey was really interesting, as I was enthralled by the typical Austrian houses, which reminded me of postcard scenes.

The start of the walk was easy, mostly consisting of straight paths, and I was feeling confident and good. After 15 minutes, Ursula asked whether am I up to some cross-country challenge... and I said, "Sure, if you think I am up to it as an amateur". Well, she smiled, and we turned towards a small track. MY GOODNESS!!! So scary laaa.... I never climbed so long and so hard, plus if I missed a step, I could have tumbled down the cliff!! The climb began to feel long, tensed and bleak for me. Everyone else seems upbeat... I guess its just me, that haven't exercised for a loooooooong time.

After what seems like eternity... the girls were cheering and I was told that we have reached the peak. FINALLY!!!!!!!!! I was comtemplating to sit down and wail already. Hahahaha.... I hurried on, and as I turned around the corner, I saw the MOST beautiful scenery ever! I could see the whole Innsbruck, and it was beautiful and definitely worth the scare/ torture of going up. We sat down at the picnic tables, drank apple juice while enjoying the scenary. It was great... a feeling that was beyond words.

Adventure from Klagenfurt to Innsbruck

Finally... I am in Innsbruck! =D I had quite an adventure (a mild one... hehe) during my first train ride in Europe. I agree with Micha... solo travelling can be really fun and interesting!!

The moment I arrived at Klagenfurt Airport, I realised that there is NO currency exchange at the airport!! Unbelievable! The airport security was even mocking me for bringing US$ and British Pounds into Austria. Aiyo... so 'smart' of me, la! Luckily, VISA saved the day. Hahaha... I was able to withdraw Euros at the ATM machine. Phiew!!!

From the airport, I had to take a bus to the Hauptbanhof (Central Train Station). During the bus ride, who should I meet, but 2 AMERICAN GIRLS from New York!!! I didn't think they were American at first, maybe I was just expecting Europeans. I am glad I greeted them first! ;o) Donna and Christine were very nice and kinda looked out for me a bit till they boarded their train to Slovenia. They even gave me their name cards and told me to keep in touch with them! Nice!!

As I was purchasing my train tickets, I realised that I made another absent-minded mistake! I forgot to bring a passport-sized picture... and I needed that to make the Vorteilskart!! Wah lau eh.... I can't believe it! So, I have to pay a price of €5.00 to make the picture, in order to have the discount card. (...and I have tons of these pictures in my suitcase at London) Sigh... Emily, you did it again!
More to come... once aboard the train, I reached for my camera to take some pictures of my first train ride in Europe... but WHERE IS MY CAMERA? Oh my goodness, I left my camera AND my jacket at the ticket counter!!! So, off I went... running like a crazy girl, and luckily my things were still there! The kind man at the ticket counter gave me a fatherly-reprimanding look, while I smiled cheekily in return. Hehehe...

The train departed, and I was safely bundled up... a woman and her little boy shared the carriage with me. I smiled at them, but got no smile in return. Hmm... first cultural shock... maybe the Austrians are more serious people. The little boy kept STARING at me. At first, I smiled at him, but he never smiled back. So, I started to stare back at him too (without his mother realizing, of course!). After 3 stations, the lady got off... but did say bye and gave me a smile first! Nice... =)

After 2 more stops, 4 middle-aged men came in and shared my carriage. They seem nice, and were speaking in German all the time, drinking beer. After 20 minutes, the carriage got unbearbly HOT!!! Must be the 4 men radiating heat... plus the beer!! ;p I was thankful when they got off... phiew! After a while a nice middle aged lady came into my carriage. She is the first person to smile back at me, and the first Austrian to speak English to me also. Such an angel!! We talked a lot... about the Austrian economy and European history. Finally, I had to get off at Schwarzach to change train. I bid the lovely lady farewell and got off.

At Schwarzach, I was approached by a Serbian guy who was curious to know where do I come from. After all, I guess Asian faces are rare in small Austrian villages. We talked a bit, and he gave me his phone number and kissed my hand right before I boarded my train... saying that he wants to visit me in Innsbruck... hahaha! My 2-hour train ride from Schwarzach to Innsbruck was uneventful, and I slept all the way. The moment I arrived in Innsbruck Hbf, I kinda panicked, because I was walking around but did not see any AIESECers. Finally, I heard someone calling me... and I met 2 smiling faces, Madzia and Stefan!!! Such relief and joy! After a few minutes, I met Stefanie, Hannes and Sandra. I was extremely happy to see so many friendly faces. =D

RyanAir: London to Klagenfurt

Today I started my journey at 5.30am... what a crazy hour, but better be early than to miss my flight. So, I said goodbye to Evon, and went on my way. I kind of wish that I had more time to spend with Evon, as we had sooooooooooo much fun together.

I arrived at Stansted Airport without any problem and sooooooooooo thankful for that!! However, I had so much problem understanding the guy while checking into the flight. British accent laaaaaaaa!!! He actually asked me to read the instruction instead. Sigh... feel so dumb. Anyway... from the moment when I board the flight to Klagenfurt, I start to realise that the faces start to look different. More 'Germanic' (is there such a word?) and I hear more German than English instead. Then... I start to freak out and worry. Am I going to be ok?

In London with Eddy, Evon and Julia

A most wonderful weekend... it was absolutely great! Now, I am missing them already... just blogging and thinking about the wonderful time I had in London.

My arrival in London was somehow haphazard, as Evon and my brother, Eddy was stuck in the tube for more than one hour. I was really worried that I would be stranded at Heathrow Airport for the night... but I felt so happy that I have two friendly faces to look forward to. Definitely the most important part of travelling! ;o) Then, the journey from Heathrow to Evon's flat added even more spice to the eventful day. We were racing to chase the last tube (and I was allowed to board without buying a ticket!) and then had to take 2 buses, hunt for a cab, and finally walk 5 minutes to the flat... all this plus lugging 3 suitcases (~60kg) around like crazy!!! By the time I stepped into the flat, I was sooooo glad! Poor Evon... she was doing this the 3rd time today (Eddy, then Julia... and finally for me!)

The next day... Evon cooked English Breakfast for us! So motherly... and then we walked around the Picadilly Circus area. I remembered that I was enjoying people-watching the entire time... esp coming from USA, I was noting the differences between these 2 English speaking countries. In UK, the people have a smaller build/size (maybe because it is a big city??) and there was no stark difference between the dressing of the black and white people compared to USA. However, the Americans' dressing are more colourful and casual. (I missed seeing all the pinks and greens...) We ended eating dinner at a Malaysian restaurant: Hokkien Mee, Nasi Goreng Kampung, Laksa and Nasi Lemak. Sooooooo good!!!

Back home, Evon, Eddy and I went to Walkabout: an Aussie bar and danced the night away!! I went quite crazy when the American hip-hip songs came up!! I danced with a few British guys and it was a more decent type of dancing/twirling compared to the 'humping' or 'groin-grinding' kind of dance sequence I usually see at Velvet's. Hahaha... So, we went home, totally exhausted and with an aching feet, but we did not sleep. Evon, Julia and I talked till 5am! I didn't even feel the time, as we were so engrossed in our conversation. Unbelievable... girls can really talk! So, the next morning... we woke up late and I decided not to do sightseeing and just pack for Austria instead. I made my favourite omelette for everyone... the American way!! They all loved it, of course! For dinner, it was Tomyam Soup (Emily), Maggi Mee Goreng and Grilled Chicken (Evon, of course!), and cheesecake (Julia). It was a lazy day... in short!

Thanks... Evon, Eddy and Julia!! You gave me an unforgettable weekend in London! Exactly what a homesick-for-StLouis girls needs. =)

The Day I Left USA

The day finally arrived... I have been preparing myself mentally for this day, but still I feel affected. It is still unbelievable that after 18 months, today I will finally leave and step away from the life that I built for the past 18 months. I look around and try to remember as many pictures as I can in my mind: my room, my house, Hwy 70, driving my Geo Prizm...

I spent yesterday running through last minute things that I have to do before I leave, then meeting Lulu and Eng to watch St Louis Cardinals vs NY Mets baseball game at the Busch Stadium. The game was very good (and I didn't sleep) but we could only watch 2 innings as we had to leave for dinner... my last dinner in St Louis. On the way for dinner, I had a horrible argument with Jack as we were both very stressed. I felt very bad about it... The dinner at Applebees was delicious, we had barbecued baby ribs where I ate till I could eat no more. Justin joined us after work... and I was soooooo happy to see him. He remembered!! As usual, we picked on each other and made jokes while entertaining everyone else. News: Justin actually got his airmile credit card, and he will start collecting miles to come Malaysia!!! I am so overjoyed...

After an eventful day, I got home and started to repack my things and making sure that I did not leave anything behind. Jamile, Conrado, Sunny and Lavinia called to say goodbye and I am touched... Alfredo dropped by my apartment at 3am and we talked... Sunny gave me gifts... Finally, at 4.45am, Emily left 2404 Lodgewood Lane... and drove towards the airport. Along Hwy 70, I remembered telling Mauricio to take care and how much I will miss him... that I came close to crying. I keep telling myself to be positive.

At the airport... Justin was already there when I arrived. (such a rare occasion) Another touching moment... Checking in was no problem, and thank goodness for that! Andrea's flight was earlier, so we hugged and promised to keep in touch. Jack, Mauricio, Justin and Emir made fun of me for taking an eternity to decide the amount of cash to withdraw at the ATM. After making this difficult choice, we had breakfast at Starbucks... where we talked about our life in St Louis and the people we met here. Finally, the moment comes and I had to leave. We walked to the gate but the lady told me that I was at the WRONG GATE! Wah lau eh!! We hurried to the other gate laughing at my stupidity... This time, I took turn to hug Mauricio, Emir, Justin and Jack, wished them well, exchanging promises to meet and tried to memorize their faces in my memory.

As I walked into the terminal, I was told that I was randomly selected to be searched. All my belongings and I had to go through 5 minutes of extensive search. It was funny, the guys could see me being searched! After that, I waved to them and walked into the wrong section again! I turned back, and saw the guys waving frantically for me to go the other direction!! Oooooh!!! So typical of Emily, la!

Some thoughts before leaving USA

After 18 months, the moment finally comes... I am really leaving USA. Maybe for good... or maybe I will be back, but I really don't know. It feels strange.

The day before I left, I had butterflies in my stomach nearly the entire day. You can say, that I was freaking out. I was so happy to see Justin the night before as he lightened me up, and of course... he remembered!!! It feels surreal to think that in a few hours time, all that I have come to know and see everyday will be not be around me anymore. Its all just going to be memories... like a chapter in the history of my life. I am going to miss the American society.

I already miss Mauricio and Andrea... as we have been spending a lot of time together. I will miss soooooooo much the wonderful South American culture that I have begun to embrace as my second culture, with their passion for life and love. I would love to send my kids (one day, ahahahaha...) to live the South American culture.

However, life goes on... and I tell myself that this is part of growing up. I count myself VERY fortunate that I have Jack, and we will go through this phase of our life together.

A Malaysian Dinner Before I Leave

As promised, I made some Malaysian food for the trainees before I left. I have to let them have an unforgettable taste of Malaysia so that they will always be tempted to visit my beautiful country. Strategy... hahaha!

Walid and Lena has offered to be the gracious host of my dinner. I arrived at their apartment at 8pm with loads of food: Curry Chicken (again!), Nasi Pulut, Hainanese Chicken Rice and Cendol. We had a nice sit-down dinner together, and joined by Andrea at 9pm and then Chekar. As always, we talked, we ate and drank red wine while I enjoy the company and cherish these moments. At about 10.30pm, Anis and Emir arrived from work and they both loved the food, while I discovered that Emir doesn't like soya sauce!!! Hahahaha.... Maria, Patteri, Jamile and their friends also popped by to say hi. I talked to them for a little bit but they had to leave early as they had previous engagements. I stayed up till 2am talking with Walid, Lena and Andrea. It was a lot of fun watching the 2 lovebirds bickering at times. ;o)

Jack called from work, saying that Sunny misses my curry chicken (hah!!) and that I should drop by GSC before going home. Of course!! I spent the next 2 hours at GSC... talking to Sunny, Phyllis, Jarol, Stephanie, Aymen and Amine while also enjoying the compliments about my delicious curry chicken ;p Andrea and I had to finally bid everyone goodbye at 4.30am as we were both getting really sleepy at this point. An end of another great day!!

American Football and Dimsum

Yesterday, we went to the Edward Jones Dome after dinner to watch the American football game between St Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs with Simone and Justin. It was a great game, and both teams played very well. The Rams won!!!! Yeah!!! However, I will just make a tiny confession here, that I fell asleep again during the match. I am really getting quite consistent at sleeping at sport games, its horrifying! So far, I have a track record of sleeping during soccer (ManU vs B.Munich), NBA basketball and now the American football. The only exception so far was the ice hockey as the game is very fast-moving and I enjoy watching the players fist-fighting throughout the game. ;p

Justin was great... as he patiently explained how the football game works and even lent me his shoulder to sleep on towards the end! Hehehe... After the game, we kidnapped Andrea Banana to Hooters for supper at Westport, where I also witnessed Justin trying to 'hump' a signpost and trying to act really 'smart'! ahahaahaha........... After supper, I proceeded to kidnap Justin as he did not have much choice and have to sleep over in my house.

This morning, we (Jack, Mauricio, Justin and I) drove to Manchester Rd for buffet dimsum with Sunching, Stephen, Evan and Ryan. Wah lau..... I should have found this place much earlier!!! $10 for unlimited dimsum!!!! (Now, I am hungry again) Justin commented that he loved the way SunChing talks with her 'big-sister' ways. I have to second that!! ;o) It is also here, that I was introduced to the other side of Stephen. He is always very quiet and serious at work, but today he is very talkative, jovial and funny. When I asked him... he says that 'I work hard when it is time to work, and play hard out of work'. Such pleasure to have seen the other side of Stephen. I am glad, and I am looking forward to host Stephen when he comes to Malaysia soon.

My 7th Anniversary

I still find it hard to believe... I have been together with Jack for 7 years! Time really flies, and surprisingly, I don't feel like 7 years. I am still very much in love... but I feel even more loved by him. What a lucky girl I am!

To celebrate this important day, we went to my favourite restaurant: Longhorn Steakhouse. We enjoyed a delicious meal: Firecracker Chicken Wraps, Wild Mushroom Sirloin and The Renegade. The food was good and we even enjoyed a Mile-High Key Lime Cake... compliments from the restaurant for the occasion. I have to add, that I also received a very beautiful bouquet of champagne coloured roses from Jack... and watched his delight when he unwrapped his brand new Swiss Army knife. =)

Wine Tasting

We went to Andres' place yesterday for wine tasting. Andres had this idea and he invited us to his house. He will cook pasta and prepare the wines, so all we needed to do is to be present.

It was really crazy because firstly, we were 1.5 hours late (Sorry, Andrea and Andres)... then, the moment we entered his house, we all realised that we were kinda under-dressed/ too casual. There was jazz music pouring out in the living room, two more girls all dressed nice, and to make it worse, Andres was upset that we were soooooooo late. Wah lau eh........

After the initial uncomfortable feeling, things got okay... Andres and Scott taught us about wine tasting (sight, smell, taste), types of wine and basic facts about it. I also discovered that Scott used to market and sell wines, which made the whole experience even more engaging. While tasting wines, we ate pasta, and grapes as well. We tried 6 types of wine: Chauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. My personal favourite was the Riesling and Shiraz. Of course, Jack's face was bright red by the time he had to leave for work... hehe...

After the wine tasting, Andres urged us to retire to the living room. The moment my butt hit the couch... everything started to swim before my eyes and I WAS SLEEPY LA! It was embarassing and horrible! I could not keep my eyes open, and they were making fun of me while I slept. Now, I am embarassed to see Andres and Scott again.