Hot Chocolate

I need it!

It's a necessity on a cold day!

Best Espresso

I am craving for a cuppa and some cookies now.

It reminds me of the alfresco cafe in Florence.

We were starving after a long walk in the morning so we just simply chose a restaurant for our lunch. 

It's cold and probably around 3 - 5C.  We had to put on winter jacket while having lunch! See how clumsy we were...

The meals were mediocre. You could guess how tasty it was by looking at the photo of carbonara spaghetti above; obviously it didn't look tasty at all.

Nevertheless, they served the great espresso! It's the best espresso we've ever had thus far! Its aroma alone would be good enough to kill you. Mmmmm~~~~~~

I miss it so much!

Ripped Off

I felt like being ripped off by the Irish government.The income tax rates are 20% on the amount under the threshold and 41% on the above of threshold. On top of that, I have to contribute 6% of social insurance.

On 1 January 2009, there was an introduction of INCOME LEVY.1% of income levy of my GROSS INCOME regardless of what I have already contribute on income tax and social insurance contribution. WTF WTF WTF

Says individual A earn 2,000euro

2,000 x 20% = 400

An individual get a tax credit for 305euro per month.

So, Income tax = 400 – 350 = 150

The income tax individual A has to pay is 150euro.

And… individual A has to contribute 6% of social insurance after the tax payments.

Social insurance contribution = (2,000 – 150) X 6% = 111euro

And…

Income levy = Gross x 1% = 2,000 x 1% = 20euro

TOTAL AMOUNT PAID = 281euro. (281euro can eat 200plates of Nasi Lemak in M’sia ler)

And… there was a 21% of value added tax on whatever goods we buy! This rate has been increased from 21% to 21.5% from 1 December 2008.

Ok, so now you think you have paid all of them.

Wait!!! Guess what??? This is not the end yet. They’re going to change the tax rate again and it will be announced on around April.

Happy St Patrick’s Day and thank you for ripping off my hard earned money.

Maybe

"Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate."

-Grey's Anatomy

A usual Saturday night

I am now enjoying a glass of red wine and watching another episode of “Nothing to Declare”. So glad that today is Saturday :)

What We Had

and the foods I missed during that 4weeks are:

1. Kam Heong Crabs
2. Yong Tau Foo
3. Mamak Mee Goreng !!! OMG, how can I miss this :(
4. Cendol
5. Popiah
6. Curry Puff
7. Lo Bak Kou
8. Herbal Chicken
9. Siao Loong Pau
10. Cheese Nan
11. Soya Bean Drink!!! It used to be my daily must-have!!!! Sigh...
12. Gyoza
13. Sang Har Mee
14. Chee Cheong Fun
15. Rendang Beef
16. Steamed La La
17. Kung Po Har Kou
18. Nasi Lemak Ayam Kukus
19. Lo mai kai
20. "Siew Gai Yik"

.
.
.
.
the list goes on...........

My first experience

to take a A380 plane!

It's night flight from London - Dubai. It was about 12.30am and I can't sleep. In fact, I was excited. It was about eight/nine hours duration to Dubai.



The seats of A380 are spacious! I mean is big enough compared to the other aircrafts which I have travelled with.



We had our own TV console. I took KLM to Dublin last time. KLM's 747 has got no personal TV.
I kept watching movies and playing games while waiting for the next meal ;p


I was extremely excited because I was heading home soon, well, after the long hour flight!

The 4weeks holidays have flown by so fast that I can barely remember what I did. That's the reason I have been disappeared from this blog.

I still remember on the very last day, my mom order a take away for me. Just because I said I didn't have any Hokkien Mee and Kong Fu Yin Yong for the past 4weeks. She cried when I leave. I was sad too :(

It's funny that we used to argue when we lived together.
Distance could sometimes draw our hearts closer, huh???