Blog

Another Saturday morning, another early rise. For the 8th time in 2 months,  I am waking up early because there is a tradesman coming over, and once again he is late. I am not sure what I am more resentful about, my loss of sleep, my 10 week renovation disasters, my anger at myself or hiring incompetent contractors, or just the patriarchy that allows ‘females like me’ to be taken advantage of by tradespeople.

Let me explain. A few months ago, i decided to finally bite the bullet and get a few things done around my house that i had been putting off for years, probably because i subconsciously knew there would be issues. To cut a long story short, a one week job has now been ongoing for 8 weeks, due to misunderstandings, oversights, and general bad workmanship. The only consistent thing along those 8 weeks is everyone telling me how ‘so many tradesman take advantage of females’ and how ‘hard this is all to navigate when you are out of your depth.’

Now, if I was experienced in home repairs, and enjoyed getting my toolkit out, I might be offended. But the truth is, they are right. I am a feminist but I dislike  home repairs and am not interested in learning about the technical details of an air condition unit. I just want the people I paid to do a job, to do that job well, and not give me excuses. My point is, I am angry. Angry with the suspicion that if I was a male I might be treated with more respect in this process. Angry that so many people have commented that females get taken advantage. Angry that it turned out to be true, despite my researching and my attempts to be knowledgable. I can’t be alone in this. I am sure there are other women who are home owners who have also experienced this.

So after years of flying budget airline Air Asia between Malaysia and Melbourne, I decided to combine a visit home with a trip to Singapore. Enter Scoot Airlines*. The budget arm of Singapore Airlines flies directly from Singapore to various Australian cities.

I was impressed from the start: the Scoot check in counter at Melbourne airport is a kiosk that allows you to scan your passport and self-check in your bags, so no endless queues. I breezed past all the suckers in the long lines, and sailed past the new security gates at Melbourne international.

To add to my luck, I discovered that the airport now has a noodle shop! No more overpriced dry sandwiches or $25 burgers my friends! This welcome addition has everything- pho, baos,dumplings, bhan mhi, and gourmet soup noodle options like duck and soft shell crab! *

My wait at the boarding gate flew by as I was seated near two international students having a very entertaining conversation, which I of course proceeded to eavesdrop on. One of them was going home to Singapore for a week, but he was going to visit his girlfriend, who his parents don’t approve of. He planned to not tell his parents he was in Singapore, and hoped he wouldn’t bump into them. He was also very sad that his parents don’t accept his girlfriend, because she is not Indian, but he planned to marry her anyway as soon as he graduated. Who needs in in-flight entertainment? This was a roller coaster of emotions!

I then proceeded to board my flight and was lucky enough to have a whole row to myself. The Scoot staff were very friendly and helpful and we arrived more than an hour early! I haven’t been to Changi Airport in years, and I have to say I was extremely impressed. I am not sure if it is because I am comparing it to Air Asia’s KLIA 2, but this was the most enjoyable airport experience I have had in years.

The duty free retail staff are very friendly and helpful but not pushy. The toilets resemble a hotel bathroom, and smell and look better than my own. They have an electronic rating system for the bathroom with a range of sad to smiley emojis (I pressed the most smiley face -excellent). They have water fountains INSIDE the boarding gate! In Asian countries, you can’t bring liquid into the boarding gate and I hate this as I dehydrate easily. It’s so convenient to be able to top up your empty bottle.

While this was just a layover, I will be back to Singapore in a few days after visiting my family in Malaysia and I can’t wait to leave the airport and explore the city I haven’t been to in years!

*This post is not sponsored by Scoot , Changi or the Melbourne airport noodle shop (name forgotten) . I just had a really good flight!

So every year around April have a serious case of the winter blues. It’s like the Monday blues that you get on Sunday when you realize the weekend is over and the working week is looming ahead, but much worse.

I really hate winter. Maybe it’s because I am from Malaysia where it rarely drops below 30 degrees (although I have been living in Melbourne for 14 years so it’s not an excuse!) or I simply miss the sun, but I always find myself dreading winter and bemoaning the departure of daylight savings and summer dresses. I decide this year I would embrace the great things about winter instead, so hopefully the 3 months (lets be honest, 5 months) will fly by. So here is a list of 20 things to love about winter:

1. Red wine

2. Fireplaces

3. Hot chocolates

4. Winter fashion (which girl doesn’t love a great pair of boots)

5. Baking (nothing better than a warm house that smells of biscuits)

6. Healthy casseroles and comfort food

7. Walking outside with your hands in your pockets (just makes me feel cosy! )

8. Blankets on the couch

9. Reading

10. Electric blankets (I know it can kill me but omg that feeling when you get into a warm bed)

11. Flannel sheets

12. Flannel pjs (I like flannel ok!)

13. A very hot shower just before bed

14. A sunny winter morning where you can see your breath but still feel the warmth of the sun

15. Cuddling

16. Sleeping in on the weekend and not feeling like you “wasted” a nice summer day (I hate that term wasted a day. Netflix in bed in pjs all day is never a waste!)

17. Netflix

18.Hot springs! If you have never been to the Mornington Peninsular Hot Springs and you live in Melbourne, do yourself a favor and go this winter.

19. Scarves. Nothing like a colorful scarf and a pair of earrings to take a boring black winter outfit to the next level

20. Red wine (deserves a second mention)

I have to admit Krakow definitely falls into the same category as Bosnia for me : if my travel companion hadn’t wanted to visit Austwitz and suggested Poland, I wouldn’t have considered it. Fortunately my cousin who I am traveling with picked Bosnia and Poland/ Austwitz (my picks were Croatia and Prague, but the very different destinations came together in a varied unique trip!).

Our first night in Krakow we (obviously) ate delicious polish dumplings and killed time walking around the park that surrounds the city and replaced the city walls that once stood there, waiting for our air B and B to be ready (for various reasons it wasn’t so we spent a LOT of time walking around)

The next day was a tour of the Old Town, Jewish quarters and Schindler’s factory which is now a national museum. After a lunch of more dumplings (don’t judge me!) We visited the incredible salt mines, hundreds of feet underground, complete with a breathtaking chapel and railway tracks. Despite being in a large group of 40 people, our guide kept us entertained with his humor and knowledge about the mines.

Next we visited Autzwitz, which was a confronting and heartbreaking experience, but a crucial one. The message we left with is “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The two camps, Austwitz and Birkenau, as our guide reminded us , are cemeteries first and foremost. While it wasn’t obviously a “fun” day trip, it was definitely a day I will always remember and I feel everyone should visit if they can.

We had the fortune to visit various bars in Krakow. Despite often drinking cocktails, I managed to start a losing streak of picking cocktails that lasted 2 nights over 4 bars! The main reason was most of the cocktails were experimental and I always think I should try something different although what I actually want is a simple whiskey sour! I won’t bore you with my choices but I did make the mistake of ordering their signature vodka cocktail which turned out to have mushrooms in it and it tasted like the worst mushroom soup I have ever had in my life!

I would recommend Krakow to anyone who likes an old European town- or even if you don’t, you will find something to love about this charming city. I know I did.

Some of you may know that Vienna and Melbourne have had a healthy competition for “the most livable city in the world” for a few years now. After holding tight to our ranking, last year Melbourne was pushed down to second place, which made me even more curious to see what the Austrian capital had to offer.

Sorry Melbourne, I have betrayed you. Vienna has stolen my heart in 3 short days. The practical everyday things like the atm that lets you choose the exact change you want your cash withdrawal in, the pedestrian traffic lights with a couple holding hands (2 boys, 2 girls or 1 boy and 1 girl- it’s insanely cute!), the free WiFi in the train station, and the amazing public transport system; are all reasons to live in this welcoming city.

If I pair that with the less mundane and more touristy things to appreciate about Vienna like the delicious sacher tort (Vienna is the birthplace of this apricot jam chocolate cake concoction btw), the breathtaking palace, and the ridiculously beautiful architecture in the city Centre- Vienna wins.

My favorite experience in Vienna was when we went in search of a tiny deli in the local market, which was recommended by the late and great Anthony Bourdain. After some time trying to locate this literal hole in the wall, we found the 2 square feet deli that will put together a meat and cheese board for you and suggest a nice wine pairing, making it a popular local hangout. There were heaps of people hanging out there after work, and the energy and conversation of the “happy hour” in this minuscule butcher/bar/hidden gem was amazing.

We ended up spending 4 hours in this shop, drinking five glasses of wine and eating copious amounts of the best roast beef I have ever had in my life. This roast beef is so good that two documentary filmmakers from Berlin squeezed into the deli with their camera to interview the owner and his sons. We chatted with all the locals (who were probably wondering how two small brown tourist could eat and drink so much!) and bought wine and bought too many snacks from the neighboring stalls afterwards (oops)!

Another one of my favorite things about Vienna (I could go on!) is the small open sandwiches that they seem to favor. We visited a bar called the black camel, which was an odd mix of a restaurant, sandwich and cocktail bar.

I have to admit I felt very much at home in Vienna, thanks to the large hipster culture (beards, fancy avocado twists and vegan options are everywhere!). As we checked in our bags at the main train station (Melbourne doesn’t even have a train to the airport much less a check in option with a lounge!) , I am hopefully that I will return to Vienna at some point in my life.

I have always been drawn to the ocean and sea, despite the fact my mother hates that I spend hours in the sun “getting black”. So when I was planning my Eastern Europe trip, I knew Dubrovnik had to be a key stop. When we arrived on a very hot afternoon, the town was filled with thousands tourists, and I was worried we had made a terrible mistake. But this charming city stole my heart over the next four days. The old town is tiny, with just 3 main streets and 14 little alleys running across it, so it gives one the rare feeling of knowing your way around instantly. Although the food and drinks are very expensive (more than you would pay in Melbourne!) we didn’t have a bad meal in Dubrovnik.

We spent all of Friday on a day trip to Kotor, Montenegro , which was like a perfect mini Dubrovnik , minus the droves of tourists. Despite a long wait at the border on the way back, it was a day well spent and I am very glad we took the time to explore this tiny county while we were in the region.

On Saturday (one of the busiest days in Dubrovnik because of cruise ships) we escaped the heat and spent the day island hopping on a sailing boat. We were lucky enough to have 2 young skippers (one was in training) who took us to secluded spots along the coast and recommended an excellent seafood restaurant for lunch.

Our last day in Dubrovnik consisted of a Game of Thrones tour (I couldn’t help myself guys!), a walk along the city walls looking down on the rooftops and across the coast (the views were unbelievable) and then a food and culture tour of the city. I was hungry all day, but saving stomach space paid off because we ate a lot!

We ended the night stranded because of a thunderstorm in a wine bar with a lovely couple, who then convinced us to go clubbing in the only club in Dubrovnik in the old fort (this was a Sunday!). The night ended under a bridge at the old town gates, listening to an Englishman who had commandeered a very patient buskers guitar. Despite my hangover the next day, that night is definitely one of my top travel experiences of all time.

While I love a good solo travel trip, one of the nice things about traveling with company is they sometimes suggest a destination that you would have never previously considered visiting. As I told the flight attendant at Melbourne check in when he asked why on earth I was going to Bosnia for a holiday, I have never been anywhere that i didn’t find something of interest.

Expecting a small city scattered with bullet ridden buildings, I was surprised to find Sarajevo old town a wonderful maze of intriguing stalls and amazing coffee shops. The town itself is just the right size, not too big that you feel like you can’t see everything but not too small that it’s boring. The shopkeepers are all warm and smiling but not a single person touted us or was pushy.

We completed an excellent walking tour of the city, as well as a tour about the war and siege of Sarajevo, which lasted for 1425 days in the early 90s. Despite the heartbreaking history of the town, the people remain humorous and cheerful. The main message that came through is “we forgave but we will never forget”.

One of my favorite things about the city was a tiny bar that we discovered thanks to the wonders of the internet. Only seating about 20 people, this laneway bar seemed to have no apparent theme but somehow it worked. The sole goldfish in a vase in the corner, the menu which is handwritten in tiny quote books, the toilet that had a minuscule black and white tv playing an old movie ,and the lovely waitress that recommended excellent cherry Rakia all came together into one quirky, mismatched experience. I wouldn’t have been surprised if we returned the next night to find the bar had disappeared back in time, like an dream. https://www.facebook.com/zlatnaribica.goldfish/

As tourism picks up over the coming years, I won’t be surprised internet if Sarajevo grows into a key destination in Eastern Europe, so my advise is if you are in the region or planning a trip to Croatia , consider this unexpected gem of a city.

As I give my boarding pass to the flight attendant before boarding, she says something. I lean over to show her my visa, dreading having to justify my Malaysian passport again and proving that I have the paperwork I need. Instead she tells me I have been upgraded to business class. I ask “Are you joking? Because that’s mean.”

I am in shock as she reassures me she is not joking, and it’s my lucky day. She rips up my economy boarding pass and gives me a new one that says “business”. I guess the airlines noticed I was a solo traveler who just got off a 14 hour flight!

It’s always been a life dream to fly business class, but given that airlines rarely upgrade people anymore, and I am too poor /cheap to even consider it, I had given up on my dreams of flatbeds and free champagne.

It is amazing from the time I climb up the stairs on the blazing hot tarmac in Abu Dhabi to the moment I step on board. The flight attended introduces herself and immediately offers me an overwhelming choice of water, fresh orange juice , lemon and mint juice or champagne.

Despite telling myself to “be cool and look rich” the look on my face when I ask for Champagne (guys, it’s real champagne from Champagne in France, not Jacobs Creek Sparkling that I usually have to pay for on Jetstar!) definitely gives me away. I look like I have won the lottery. I spend the next 5 hour 15 minutes making the most of my good luck.

Soon I am sitting in my business class seat and attempting to look cool when I am secretly planning to make every minute of the flight worth it.

I spend most of my flight eating (naturally), drinking, (I had matching wines with my 3 course meal!) and looking around in disbelief. If you have ever seen The Hunger Games movies or read the books, I feel the same as Katniss when she first goes to the Capital and realizes how much better they have it compared to District 12. I know it’s better, but I didn’t realize how much better.

Economy will never be the same again.