The Final Conclusion

6.34pm @ Hotel Ramada Dover, 7th Jan 2006

I'm back again to present my final verdict on Paris.

Let me follow on from where I stopped in the last entry. On the night of the 5th of Jan, we made a stop at Basilique du Sacre-caeur cathedral on our way to drop Chris back at his hostel. The cathedral was glowing beautifully under the moonlight. It was a waste the cathedral was closed for the night. Chris said the inside is very much more beautiful. Maybe another time.

On Friday morning, 6th of Jan, we drove to Versailles to visit the famous castle. The castle was beyond beautiful, with each room lavishly refurbished to the finest. The ceilings were even more elaborate. Every room had paintings that covered every bit of it. "Wow" wouldn't have done justice to the paintings; neither did our strained necks matter.



But the highlight of this visit would have to be awarded to the moment my one month old camera slipped out of my coat pocket during lunch at the castle cafe and landed hard on the floor.

Time of death: 12.27pm.

I mourned and blamed and sulked but what's done cannot be undone. It was beyond rescuing. We parted on bitter terms.

VERDICT AT POINT OF DEATH: PARIS COULDN'T GET ANY WORST! I WAS IN NO MOOD FOR ANYTHING.

After Versailles Castle, we stopped by at Notre Dame Cathedral for a quick visit before heading to a street I've been dying to visit and a shop I couldn't wait to step foot in.

Louis Vuitton on Avenue des Champs Elysees.



There, I did what a shopaholic does best. Of course, this type of shopping was not normal for this shopaholic on a tight budget but exceptions can be made. It's not often I'm in Paris, the birth country of LV.

Shopping at LV is a whole new experience. And there I was thinking all shopping was the same, i.e. you see something, you make the purchase decision, you hand over the cash and receive the goods.

I was given an eye opener. LV had their own process. Because they always had a crowd, salesmen could be found everywhere but yet nowhere. After waiting for about half an hour, I was finally served. I requested to see the item I was after. The salesman went off to locate it for me. When they couldn't find it in their cupboard, they turned to their computer for stock. Eventually, I got to see the pouch I wanted and made a decision almost immediately. There was no time for my fickleness. It was the last pouch they had in stock and I made no hast in the purchase. I paid for the item and was given 2 slips of receipt. Taking the 2 receipts, I approached the shop concierge (yes, they have a concierge and a reception counter). He took both receipts from me and sent another salesman to retrieve the goods from their stockroom. Minutes later, the salesman returned with the item and I finally got to embrace my pretty purchase.

SHOPPING IS ALL GOOD, THOUGH THE LINGERING THOUGHT OF MY LATE CAMERA KEPT RESURFACING.

Later that night at 11pm, we headed over to Moulin Rouge for a performance.

WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW AWESOME IT WAS!!!!

You've got to experience it for yourself to know how amazing, beautiful, awesome, spectacular, magnificent, impressive, fabulous...it is!!!! Any description of mine wouldn't do justice to it. The Moulin Rouge is The Moulin Rouge. No words can describe this lifetime experience.




This definitely added quite a lot of brownie points to my opinion of Paris. But if I am to make a decision, I think I've got too many unpleasant memories so I'm unfortunately unable to say 'I LOVE PARIS' yet.

3pm in the car, 8th Jan 2006

Yesterday early morning, we parted Paris for UK. We woke up especially early and were down at the lobby to check out by 7am. Then we dragged all our luggage to the car park and attempted the impossible - stuffing our luggage into the back of the car. It took us forever. Finally, at 7.40am, we left the car park to pick Chris up before heading off to Calais. Chris and I were cramped into the back row of seats, with luggage stacked beside me. It was a long 2 hour drive to Calais and when we finally got there, both of us were restless and I felt a wave of claustrophobia sweep past me. We needed out.

We stretched our tired bones and got some Mc snacks before getting back into the car, proceeding to the entrance to the Eurotunnel.

It was really exciting. We were going to drive down to the train platform, onto the train and take the train to UK. Driving on the platform and into the train made me feel like I was in the movie '2 Fast 2 Furious'.

When the train started to move, we were told to stay seated in our car. It felt weird. We were in our car on the train. We were the passengers in our car, in which our car was one of the passengers in the train.



The Eurotunnel amazes me. I wonder who came up with this stroke of genius, to design a tunnel that runs below the sea bed, linking 2 countries together. It's just amazing - technology is amazing. I can't even imagine how much work and how many months it would take for this tunnel to be built.

Sadly, the tunnel was pitched black. If only the tunnel ran in the sea, and it was made of glass all around. Cars are transported on a travelator and we had the whole sea to entertain us. That sea-nery would have blown us away.

One day. One day technology would take us there. But for today, this was impressive enough.

And that was the last I saw of Paris.

5.30pm @ Kingswood Hotel in Bournemouth, 8th Jan 2006

And my impression of Paris, putting aside the bad experiences?

It isn't my dream country. Yes, they had breath-taking sights and it would make a very romantic honeymoon destination, but that was about it.

Their roads were congested, and terribly unorganized. Each lane isn't clearly marked so if you think a road has 2 lanes, you might want to think again. It could be 3! Squeezing in-between seems to be the norm. Finding a park was a pain and almost impossible. You can't own a big car in Paris because all the parks would be a tight squeeze. The drivers are generally impatient - you'll hear loads of 'tooting'. The road signs are minute and obscured so if you need to find a street - good luck! Of course, the many one way streets will assist in getting disorientated too.

And there are pedestrian crossings everywhere! It makes you think French people are lazy. I once spotted, in a span of about 400 meters, 12 or more signalised pedestrian crossings (black and white crossings)!!! Some were even about 15 metres apart. What's 15 big steps to the next crossing?? LAZINESS!! But I guess it reflects on the dangerous French drivers. At unsignalised pedestrian crossings, the cars do not stop at all even if the pedestrians are standing on the road itself. That's why they need traffic lights everywhere.

The food - expensive and pathetic.

Well, perhaps shopping is great - especially at Champ Elysees but you can get those brands or those items in Singapore or anywhere as well. Doesn't make Paris any better in this area of comparison. The price is VERY pretty as well.

TO CONCLUDE...I'M NOT A PARIS GIRL - sorry Aunty Mary for dissing your favourite city.

We arrived in UK even earlier than the time we left Paris. Weird huh!! We left Paris at noon and arrived in UK at 11.30am. The world is such a strange place.

We drove to Dover and got settled into our hotel before heading out for lunch. After lunch, we went to visit the famous Dover Castle and the White Cliffs of Dover before dropping Chris off at the bus stop. He had to catch his bus back to Reading yesterday afternoon.





This morning, we left Dover for Bournemouth, stopping by at Stonehenge to witness some crummy pieces of rock in the rain (things we do as tourists) and also past the town of Salisbury to view yet another cathedral. In-between, we also made a quick stop at a town for lunch, where I bought 2 tops from Top Shop. All the shops were having post Christmas sales!! I wish I had more time!!! Can't wait for London. That's our last and I assume the best stop coz we're going to have a day dedicated to SHOPPING!!!

So this brings me up to right now, sitting in our hotel room in Bournemouth, typing this blog entry. That's it for now. Till next time.

The Verdict

2.10pm @ Aeroports de Paris, 4th Jan 2006

I'M IN PARIS!! ROMANTIC PARIS!!!

It's been one hour or more, I've lost track. We've been waiting and waiting and waiting. Still no sign of our luggage on the belt. But we are not alone. There are about 20+ people baggage less. Everyone is hovering around the counter, pressing the staff for answers. The outcome looks bleak. I prepare myself for the worst.




The news: They can't track down the luggages. 50 Euros compensation for the night. Tomorrow, if the luggage arrive, they'll send it straight to our hotel.

OUR LUCK SUCKS!! PARIS SUCKS!!

8am @ Citadines Hotel, 5th Jan 2006

I'VE SHOWERED, BUT CLOTHED IN YESTERDAY'S. EWWWL.

I haven't quite decided if I like our travels so far. Let me explain.

Firstly, we were held up at Singapore airport. As we were on a connecting flight from Jakarta, all passengers from the previous flight had to disembark. That took forever. Then we all had to board the aircraft (AGAIN for those who had disembarked) and that was chaos. Everyone was getting impatient.

I WAS IRRITATED.

The journey from Singapore to Dubai (with a short stop over in Colombo) completely ruined my impression of Emirates.

THE SEATS WERE UNCOMFORTABLE.

I have taken Emirates before so I have a benchmark to compare and complain. This was the worst I've seen of Emirates. Plus, because it was a full flight, the toilets were 'well' used.

GROSS!!

The stopover in Colombo contributed to my impression. It was only a refueling stop so we didn't need to disembark. But some others had to and it was a mission getting them off as they remained in their seats, oblivious to the many many announcements. Not until the stewards and even the pilot came to individually tell them to disembark then they left.

COME ON, GET A MOVE ON!!

At Dubai, we disembarked and proceeded on to our next flight to Paris. Now that, I was impressed. That was how Emirates should be. Despite the fact that the we would be held up for 15 minutes as they had to load our luggage - "I'm sure you wouldn't mind a little wait for your luggage. Don't want to leave them behind." Joked the pilot - I still enjoyed the flight. We boarded a new plane, so the seats were BRILLANT. The inflight entertainment was without a doubt DA BOMB. We could select from about 50 movies, tons of games and many music channels. I watched 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' - cried my eyes out, 'The Perfect Man' - love it, and 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' - had to watch to compare with the older movie, I like the older movie better.

WATCHING THE MOVIES IN COMFORT - LOVE!!

And then Aeroports De Paris...the wait and the news about our luggage.

HOW CAN EMIRATES LOSE OUR LUGGAGE!! UTTERLY UNPROFESSIONAL!

Finding our way in a foreign land with language barriers - not easy at all. It took us forever to find our car rental service. Then we were given a left hand drive and manual - different from what we are used to and what we were told to have rented. The direction of the car on the roads being totally opposite didn't help either. Being unfamiliar with the roads and minute road signs assisted us in our mission to get lost in Paris while searching for our hotel.

ANYTHING COULDN'T GET ANY BETTER!!

Of course, a good amount of driving around would eventually find us our hotel and we met Chris there - who was waiting for the past half an hour for us. We offloaded our hand-carry and went to fill our starving tummies. Once again, we got lost on Paris streets and we had no clue where to go for dinner. Having limited parks along the street didn't help either, but we eventually found an Italian restaurant and had pizzas there. One thing good about being in an Italian restaurant...the owner doesn't speak perfect French either so English was our main medium of communication - perfecto!

DINNER WAS AMAZING AND WE WERE HAPPY PEOPLE.

Then, we got lost driving around Paris, looking for a supermarket that was open and a park to go with it. We gave up and continued to get lost in traffic, until we spotted the most amazing sight or rather the top of an amazing sight ahead of us - THE EIFFEL TOWER.

AT NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! THE LIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

We circled round and round just to get close enough, and then Chris, Laura and I hopped out and jogged in the freezing cold and our high boots to get closer to the majestic structure. I was filled with awe and swimming in romance with this golden and grand tower. Click click click, flash flash flash went my camera. Not to forget - pose pose and more pose.



AHHHH...ROMANTIC PARIS AT NIGHT - THE EFFIEL TOWER SAYS IT ALL!

We continued driving around, past the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and many more majestic constructions. Then we decided that it was getting late so we dropped Chris off at his hostel - another round of getting lost, and then we headed back - lost and tired.

I must have dozed off coz an hour later, we were back at our hotel, got cleaned up and hit the sacks. And that brings you up to now, typing to you from the comfort of our heated hotel room, stuffed with croissants and pastries - luggage less.

I HOPE MY CURLS DON'T DISAPPEAR COZ MY GEL'S IN MY LUGGAGE!

So you can see, I'm still in the process of deciding if I love Paris or not. Having my luggage would definitely turn things around!

5.27pm @ Hotel, 5th Jan 2006

CURRENT STATUS: NEAR TO HATING PARIS

We are back at the hotel after a long day of touring. Actually, we've only been to 2 places.

The first stop was the Effiel Tower. It isn't as beautiful as at night, but nevertheless, it's an amazing sight. To add to it's beauty, it was snowing. Little tiny cotton drops falling from the sky. Effiel tower plus snow equals SPEECHLESS.



LOVE TAKING PHOTOS!!! LOVE THE SNOW EVEN MORE!!!!

Then, we proceeded to the Louvre. I love it there. I could visit it for days!! So little time, so much to see. I think during the couple of hours we spent there, we only covered 1/10 of the Louvre. That's how big the place is.

The ceilings were all decorated with art and statues lined the walls. Paintings hung side by side and ornaments were stored behind glass.

The highlight? Sneaking a photograph with the Mona Lisa.



Getting out of the Louvre was a whole new experience. When you want to exit, they entertain you with many 'Sortie's (exit signs) but take you on a maze. We went in circles for about 20 minutes just to find the exit. We were tired and the fact that Laura and I were both in boots didn't help either. Why were we dressed so inappropriately? Why isn't our luggage here?

I WAS ACHING, BUT THE GRANDUER OF THE LOUVRE WAS OVERPOWERING.

When we got out, we decided to ring the hotel. Our luggage hadn't arrived. We weren't happy. Our plan to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral was ruined as we made our way back to our hotel. And that brings me to the start of today's entry. The reason why I am near hating Paris. My feet was killing me but we just went to soak our feet in hot water. Dad is making many phone calls to track down our luggage but the good news seems very distant.



LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER NIGHT WITHOUT BELONGINGS. POOOZ!!

9.42pm @ Hotel, 5th Jan 2006

PARIS IS STARTING TO LOOK BEAUTIFUL AGAIN!!

After dad made all the calls, we realized that we needed urgent supplies. We headed to the nearest mall.

I bought myself a new pair of flat shoes - my feet needed immediate help. And of course new underwear - the essentials. And I bought gel - hope it's not too late for my hair. We had dinner before returning via the Metro - our first train ride.

The moment we entered the hotel lobby, we were greeted by a big smile on the concierge's face. He pointed into his office and there they were -

OUR LUGGAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't explain how glad I am to see my luggage. I've never been so happy over luggage before. I'm so glad to see it, I don't even need to open my luggage. I'm basking in its presence. God answered all our prayers.

I HAVE GEL!!! NICE SHOES TO PAMPER MY FEET!!! NEW UNDERWEAR!!! PARIS IS WONDERFUL!!!

My reflections so far: The whole journey has been an obstacle for my faith. I never believed that our luck could be so bad, that we could lose all our luggage. So when it did happen, I didn't pray about it. Initially, when at the luggage belt, I prayed that our luggage would come quick. But when the news came that we wouldn't be getting our luggage, I refused to believe our luck. I positively believed that it'd come the next day and I didn't put it in God's hands. I didn't trust this little thing to God because I believed in human luck. Not until the evening after the Louvre when I realized that the luggage might not come and we'd have to go another night and day without clean clothes, then we realized that prayer is what we needed. And prayer is all we needed.

Two Thousand and SIX - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh...It's 2006!! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!

We are another year older, another year 'wiser', another year more forgetful, and many more years to go. But before I get ahead of myself, here's a recap of my last few days of the year 2005.

27th of December was full of nostalgia, meeting up with old friends (Amanda wouldn't be counted as an OLD friend, but it's been about a month since I've seen her). I met Amanda in the morning and we conquered the post Christmas sales. Crazy shoppers and queues everywhere!!! But it was good fun. We were even given privilege cards each at this flash hair salon!! It was hilarious. We just stopped outside this hair salon to check out their prices and out comes the 'managing director' - I never knew hairstylists had such glam titles - and he passed us each a privilege card, saying that it'll entitle us to get 10% off our hair cuts. Pretty cool ay? Wanna know how awesome the prices are? A wash, blow and cut by the Director himself is over $200!! Do we look like we could afford it???

In the evening, I spilt with her and met up with the softballers and we had a ball catching up over dinner and drinks. Most of them are still the same - crazy and loud - but all definitely grew prettier!

The 29th of December was full of games as Pear, Junren, Zeyun and I went Settlers Cafe to play some boardgames!! We played games like Cranium - so interlectual that it required Zeyun and I to think and solve problems, Taboo - my vocab was "fantastic", and Cluzzle. Cluzzle reminds me of Rapidough - similar to moulding out items with dough, except that we get to question other people's mould before speculating what it should be.

On the 30th of December, I did something memorial!! I changed my hairstyle...

Do you like it? It's the newest trend called Digital Perming.

That night, I also went out pubbing with Pear and Junren. Well...not really pubbing coz we only visited one pub. The embiance was very welcoming, with soft music playing in the background and dim candlelights that gave the place a certain glow. We had a good chill out session there.

Followed by a good stroll down Orchard Road - the lights were gorgeous!!

That night or early morning of the 31st of December, we got back to Pear's place at 2.30am after picking Zeyun up on our way back and the 4 of us played games like Scrabble (the singlish-english way - check it out below), Monopoly, and Bridge till 7.30am in the morning before we knocked out.

That morning, I only slept from 8am till 11am before heading back out to town again to meet a friend for lunch. By the time I got home, it was 5.30pm and after a shower, I helped around as we prepared for our BBQ. Grandpa had booked the pit downstairs and invited all our relatives over for authentic charcoal burnt chicken wings, yummy Valley Chef sausages, gorgeous chilli crabs and lots more!

And that was how I spent my last few days of twenty-0-five. I can only imagine two thousand and six to be filled with many amazing memories.

Life on the greedy side...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!!! IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL DAY!

Finally, I'm back to report on my life as a Singaporean. Yikes...I wonder how long must I backtrack till...

20 December 05 - Food n Shopping Excursion to Malaysia

Start - 8.30am Stop 1 - Gelang Patah toilets and stocking up on car snacks.




Stop 2 - Pontian "Heng Heng" wanton mee and otah. STRICTLY NO LEFTOVERS!!




Stop 3 - Pontian relaxing yet cheap chinese massage.


Stop 4 - Pontian city centre to shop, eat melting ice cream and kaya toast. EATING AGAIN.


Stop 5 - Pekan Nanas plant nursery, road-side fruit store and 3 sleeping beauties.






Stop 6 - Johor Bahru shopping at City Square. Sorry, too busy shopping, didn't have time to take pics, but here's a photo of us leaving the mall.


Stop 7 - JB Sentosa road side food stalls for dinner. BEFORE AND AFTER. Now this is the way to eat!




Stop 8 - More shopping, insane causeway traffic jam then home.

BURRPP!!

21 December 2005 - A Different Kind Of Shopping.

Pear and I went shopping on Wednesday, but it's not the normal kind of shopping. The theme was entirely different and very much out of our expertise. But I was very impressed with our efficiency!!

We bought 2 tennis rackets, 1 sports shoes, and a pair of googles in an hour!! It was record breaking time considering that there were so many sports shops around for price comparisons and you could bargain with them on prices.

That night, I stayed over at Pear's place. While her mum, Junren and friends played mahjong, Pear and I did some bimbo bonding over hair, make-up and everything girlish! Here's some photos to entertain you!

Contrast: With and Without


Contrast: Day and Night


Contrast: Pear and Raine


22 December 2005 - More You-Know-What.

Yes, more eating and shopping...LIFE IS GOOD.

23 December 2005 - A Different Kind Of Work-Out.

On Friday, Pear, Junren and their friend Zeyun came over to my grandpa's place and we played doubles. See...that's why we went tennis racket shopping!! It all makes sense now doesn't it?

Tennis was fun, but it seemed like we were constantly picking up balls...goes to show our skills are 'fantastic'!! Of course the guys played better while Pear and I 'bai siew'ed (singlish for 'standing and looking pretty'). It was good fun and after that, we went for lunch and watched Narnia!! It's an alright to goodish movie, since I didn't have any expectations of the movie.

24 December 2005 - Carolers at The Florida.

On Christmas Eve, carolers filled our house with glorious music.



25 December 2005 - TODAY!!

The church Christmas dinner tonight was alright, but the company was great. Pear, Junren and their friend Zeyun joined us on this festive day...



MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Ho Ho Ho!!

Application for Leave

Hi everyone, sorry I've been MIA for the past week or more...me just applying for annual leave right now but the shoppa-fcuk-aholic will return to her blogging work soon - when I find some time. Peace out!

Hole in my pocket

Today, we went to Sim Lim Square to shop...and I did serious damage to my wallet - though it was anticipated.

So what did we go shopping for? We went electronic goods shopping. Laura got a new camera - actually, I wanted a new camera as well, but the guy kept on promoting this camera by the brand Ricoh and though it meets and exceeds all my requirements, I didn't fancy the brand - yes, I'm a sucker for renowned brands like Canon, Sony, and Olympus. But now, after playing around with Laura's camera at home (zooming down from the 15th floor to the playground and getting a very clear snap shot), I have to admit - I'M IMPRESSED. Perhaps we'd go back tomorrow and purchase another - hee hee - Raine and her indecisiveness.

However, I was rather impressed with myself and how quick I decided on my new laptop - I LOVE IT. It has all the specifications I wanted and at a reasonable price - I wouldn't know if it was the best price I could get, but I was impressed. I'm not one to search for the best price. If you sell it to me right - and if I'm impressed with the brand - you've got the sale. Though the cameraman did sell the Ricoh really well, but I just wasn't impressed - however, it didn't take me long to regret my stubborness and now, I WANT THAT CAMERA.

We also came out of the shop a multipurpose printer richer. It's a 4 functions in one printer with scanner, printing, photocopying and with multi-cameracard slots.

Apart from those electronic goods, I also bought 3 CDs - all SHINHWA. Making up for the many years of being away from Singapore and away from the availability of Korean CDs.

Singapore, Round 2 - FIGHT

Today's my second day in Singapore...it's very warm and since I'm just waiting and waiting (for the telecom guy to come and set our internet connection and new desktop computer), so I thought I'd blog.

I survived Day 1 in Singapore with flying colours!

The weather was insanely warm and it was a constant battle to remain cool. I also conquered the cockroaches that were lying on the floor on our way to breakfast. I managed to sleep through the night on the floor of our bedroom. Yes, the floor coz Grandpa's house is a little over-crowded (Uncle John and family are occupying the other room while my family took the other). I survived the busy Orchard Road and the swamps of people.

And my reward...abso-bloody-lutely FANTASTIC!!

I had Wanton Mee for breakfast, the famous Nasi Lemak at Changi for lunch, and amazing duck, char siew and siew york rice with yummy gravy and lots of chilli for dinner. I went shopping at Orchard Road - need I say more. But the best reward...the this-person-is-very-familiar look on Pear's face when I surprised her after work and then went over to her place to hang, did some cell phone shopping together (nope, didn't find a cell phone that shouted out to me, the picky shopper) and I also watched Full House Episode 1 - Pear's fav Korean Drama serial at the moment. Plus, I made my first buy on Monday - a $2 yellow basket to put all my toiletries.

Janetta's 21st Party!!

Getting ready for Janetta's 21st party: $140+

Random picture with a friend's brother's friend: $0.40

Breath-taking scenery shots on-board a hired cruise: $2000 (or there abouts, for exact figures ask Janetta)

The smile on the birthday girl's face...

And the company of friends...

$PRICELESS

There are some things money can't buy, for everything else, get a Digicam!

IT'S BLOODY AWESOME!!!

I think my body clock is a little warped today. For the past few days, by midnight, my eyes can barely keep open, but right now it's way way way past my bedtime (2a.m. to be exact) and I'm feeling perfectly awake. And I haven't done anything to induce my alertness - no espresso, no afternoon nap, no waking up late, nothing. Strange...

But since I'm awake, I might as well make full use of my time, updating you on my short road trip to Taupo and Rotorua with Jasmon, Jacques, Lydia and Rachel.

We left on Saturday morning at 7.30am - yes, we were insane. The drive down was pleasant, but slightly worrying. We had scheduled for a 2pm skydive (yes, my second time in 6 months) at Taupo, but the weather did not seem to agree with us. The morning sky was overcast with many grey clouds and though it wasn't raining, clouds are a big NO-NO when sky diving. Of course, we were still 3+ hours away from Taupo so we remained hopeful. I didn't want to have to reschedule our skydive for the next day - weather permits - as precious holiday time would be wasted so I prayed hard and God answered. The weather was brillant in Taupo and we arrived in Taupo with plenty of time for a good meal and a Santa parade! What brillant luck and timing! While having lunch at a cafe - without knowing, we had sat ourselves at a prime spot with clear views of the parade - we managed to catch the entire Santa parade with all sorts of floats and procession, and of course, SANTA.

After watching the Santa parade, we proceeded to our skydiving destination. There, we got briefed, filled in our next of kin's contact number and Jas, Rachel and I signed our lives away upon the dotted lines. We geared up into the full jumpers and harnesses before take-off.

The skydive was AWESOME!!! I requested for flips as we jumped off the plane and the adrenalin rush was just as good as my first time, or even better because I could fully appreciate it the second time around. I had a brillant time in the sky and I have to say, "I'll be back!"

After the skydive, we headed over to Rotorua and checked in to our motel for the night. The next morning, we went to Skyline to ride the skyswing and the luge.

The skyswing is like this massive pendulum contraption where we are suspended horizontally in mid-air and with a tug on a rope to release, we are swung like a pendulum to and fro. I rode with Jas and Jacques. Here's us preparing to strap ourselves to our seats.

I was left incharge of pulling the rope and releasing us from the wire that was holding us back. When we reached the top and the man gave us the greenlight to release, I tugged and tugged at the rope to no avail, screaming in my seat, "I can't pull. I can't release us!" The rope refused to budge. Jas reached over to help me and with a yank, we plunged - I was too absorbed in my struggle that the release caught me off-guard and I screamed for a second while Jacques sweared at the sudden plunge. But once the big plunge was over, we cheered at how awesome that adrenalin rush was.

After the skyswing, we did a couple of luge rides before breaking for lunch. The afternoon was spent Zorbing. Zorbing is TOTALLY COOL! We did the hydro zorb. A zorb is an enormous clear plastic, air-cushioned ball with a hollow centre. With the hydro zorb, the hollow centre is filled with a little bit of water so that the innner surface is slippery. Once inside, you are rolled along a zigzag path down a hill, slushing and rolling around in water. I lost all sense of direction in the ball while I was tossed and turned. It was AWESOME, I couldn't wipe the grin off my face the whole journey down the hill!! Now, I know exactly how it feels to be in a washing machine. IT'S BLOODY FANTASTIC!!!

On our way back from the Zorb, we stopped by at some geysers to bask in the smell of 'rotten eggs'. That Sunday evening, us girls had a nice hot 'spaing' session in our motel spa to wind down.

This morning, we checked out of our motel and headed back to Auckland, stopping over at Wahii for the best pancakes ever - a brillant way to close our short yet adrenalin-filled weekend.

ONE MORE DAY OF WORK

Need I say more.