Work -- a easy term and pleasant word to me at this very moment still. At least I hope it will appear to be as good as it lasts...
Plans to be made for the new year...to be happy over the new things that you are going to experience...to get over the things that depress you...and time to make your dreams come true...
For the coming year, or even a few years down the road, I know God has it laid out for me. There are things I need to work hard for, things I need to spend more time on, goals I need to meet, life I want to lead for myself...
As it has been almost a month now ever since I started working, the day to look forward to has finally come -- my very first pay check. How would it feel to hold on to the money that you ever earn it for yourself for living? I know how that feels when you got those money earned working during the school holiday in the past...but now it is different. You are independent of your own, working for your own money, and to give back to your parents what you should. It feels so different now...so independent...so much more thinking and plans to do with it more carefully...
Actually, in Singapore, after you deduct all those CPFs and other high expenses like your mobile bills, subscription fees, internet fees, electric bills and blah blah blah...you will realise there isn't much left to spend on (which is a sad case for all starters..but I believe the day of fuller wallet days will come too... :P). Hence, there is always budgeting and planning to be done.
After much thinking, I have made mine too and I shall remind myself once again what my goals are...can I? :)
Goals I hope to achieve:
- Trip to New York (or maybe other places in US if got time): $3-4k in 2 yrs' time
- Trip to Japan (with Ingenians?): $3k in 1 yr time? (I have a bad feeling I can't save in time for this manz... :X)
- Trip to NZ (to visit my cousin Sarah): $2k (no time limit as she will be there forever anyway... :P)
- Trip to Taipei (mission trip will even be better) + Hong Kong: $2.5k (no time limit)
- Parents' trip to Europe: $6k in 5 yrs' time (their 30th wedding anniversary present!)
- School fees for CFA and CPA: >$10k (if got more money I wish to study or work abroad for a few years...)
Shopping seems to be out of the age for me now...maybe window shop will still help ba...hahaha...lol Don't fancy much stuffs other than to travel around new places, or simply sit in the library or a cozy cafe to enjoy a good book...isn't life is all about working hard and enjoy the result of your hard work? :)
"So far, I still enjoy every bits of my life...cheers... *smile* :P"
Holland...and the famous windmill!!! :DD
Amsterdam has ALWAYS been a very interesting place manz...I mean with its flower market and its red light district...hee hee...what a weird combination! :P 
This is the MAGIC mushroom shop. Spell it with me: M-A-G-I-C...you will know what it means if you juz have a taste of any of these mushrooms ba...which I don't think I will give it a try though...not for now... :P
The flower market!!! :DD
The bridges across the canals of Amsterdam!
The canals in Amsterdam makes the town very unique indeed...but living here will probably cost you a bomb manz... :/
One of the boathouses along the canal. They are all very well-designed houses literally floating on the river, attaching to it their own small boats. 
These are the leaning houses! They either lean forward or sideways...cool aren't they?
Our coach brought us to a restaurant 30 mins away from Amsterdam for dinner.
Our courses include the main dish, White Fish and chips, and the dessert, apple pie with a oversized portion of whipped cream above it...yummillicious!!! :D 
The cozy little street of the place...really quiet at night...
Windmill again...never have enough of it... :)
Welcome to the Black Forest!
Visiting the cuckoo clock workshop...I guess there are probably hundreds over cuckoo clocks here and most of them are even one of their kinds...cool... :)
The materials needed to make a cuckoo clock...complicated right? :P
Lunch in the Black Forest!!! :DD
According to Guiness Book of World Records, this is the world's largest cuckoo clock!
The famous bridge in Heidelberg...nice? :P
Like it here coz it is really a small. cozy little town...one of a kind! *smile*
Another church in Europe...looks the same everywhere lo...lol
Scenic view of the Rhine river in Heidelberg...lovely! :))
My international group tour friends!!! :DD
River cruise...every angle has its own fantastic view...I love it! :D
Taking the cable car down Pilatus...the view is still as scenic as ever... :)
A small chapel on top of one of the mountains...I wonder who will go there for service manz...lol
Overlooking the Lucern Lake...so pretty!!! :D
There are also quite a number of Swiss cottages on the slope of the mountain, with sheeps, cows, deers and many other wild animals ranching on the grass slopes...I am falling in love with Switzerland more and more now... :P
One group of cows spotted "sun-tanning" on the grass...don't they look like they are having some kind of meeting there in that semi-circle they formed? :P
CHEESE FONDUE!!! :DD It is FANTASTIC manz...but not easy to make coz unlike chocolate fondue, it contains some alcohol inside as well...yummilicious!
The Swiss folklore show! :)
This show is the highlight of the restaurant, mainly to attract the tourist groups visiting Lucern. The performers play all kind of the traditional Swiss intruments such as the Swiss horn, the swirling of the coin in the bowl, the broomstick dance and the parade of the Swiss flag! I guess this is the BEST meal I ever had in Switzerland so far! :D
The Swiss cow bells can play out wonderful music too! :)
The restaurant also introduce their very own Swiss cow which roams around the whole restaurant during the folklore show, joking and playing around with the guests in the house. :)
Rosti and sausage! It tastes really fantastic...not like any of those you find in Singapore manz...lol
The famous Swiss watches at Bucherer! :D
CAKES!!! :DD
The little town of Lucern...so peaceful, quiet and beautiful... *smile*
Leaving Lucern, we headed towards Germany, passing by the Rhine River along our way. The Rhine Falls are quite a manificient view from afar too... :)
Spotted this cute little baby clothes...so kawaii!!! :DD
Juz the foot of the Swiss Alps is so beautiful... *Awww*
The little red cable car that bring us to the top. You might not be able to see it from this picture but the road is really very steep...like a roller coaster going slowly up the track juz before it is going to make its thrilling descend! :P
A station in the mid-way high up on the mountain...it feel so peaceful somehow... :P
Looking down from the cable is breathtaking, isn't it? :)
The snow-capped mountains! We are coming up soon! :DD
The cable car ride is definitely worth every penny... :))
Love it! *grinz*
Finally we are at the top! Notice the sharp-pointed thing on the ceiling...it is ICICLES! My first time seeing it!!! *so excited* :DD
The tourist centre on top of Mt Pilatus! And this is the place where we all got into our snow fight, started off by our dear tour guide Jelle! So fun!!! :DD
Helicopter is often seen coming back and forth here, each time delivering something...well, probably food and mails I guess... *shrug*
SNOW!!! SNOW!!! SNOW!!! :DD
The only 3 Southeast Asia tourists here! :D
Swiss Alps...I LOVE them! :))
Even the wooden railings are coated with quite a thick layer of snow...you can imagine how cold it is up here... *shivering*
Overlooking the villages below...and we are actually above the clouds... :)
The tourist centre is not the highest point of Pilatus yet, hence we need to walk up to the higher points ourselves, which is actually quite tough to walk around with a normal sneakers since we are either walking on snow or ice...so slippery!!! *pout* :X
Chorcheng and I taking photos with the two Chinese from US (left) and his uncle from Canada(right) [sorry I've forgotten their names :P]. It was amazing how fit his uncle is as he climbed up here with no difficulty...and he is already 85!!! He is also a Bio-chem professor teaching at University of California...so zai...maybe thinking really helps a person to keep himself staying alert even at old age... :)
Chorcheng & Me! :D
See how the ice is formed on the fence? Cool hor? :P
A metal plate on the rock...probably tell you something... *duh!* :P
One of the staircase in the rocks and super slippery to walk on...reminds me of those scenes where people explore around with their torchlights in those thrillers... :P
Inside the glacier cave of Pilatus...wet, dim and cold! And there are even much more icicles hanging from the ceiling here!!! I actually tried to pluck one of them down to pose for photo but I can't really hold on to the ice stick for more than a minute lo...so paiseh... :P
The red cable car that is going to bring us back to the village below.
FROZEN GRASS!!! :DD 
Never try sitting on a snow covered bench unless you are prepared for your pants to go wet!
THAT is how much we have walked up to the slope to the highest point of Pilatus...not easy to walk in such cold weather with thin layers of clothes on hor... :P
The traditional Swiss horn!
The big fat fluffy bird that can only be found on the mountainous areas! :D
The mountains again...oh manz I love mountains!!! :DD
