Romantic Porvoo

 ~ Serenity never fails to stir my emotions ~

Porvoo

Another impromptu trip alone. English is generally spoken in Finland, so no worries about getting lost. An hr bus journey from Kamppi station brought me to this second oldest town in Finland- Porvoo.

Divided into Old Porvoo (Traveller's Porvoo) famous for its wooden red houses along the river and Finland's greatest poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg; and New Porvoo with its commercial centre and scandic design buildings is the home to arts and business.

With a map and a camera, I began my day trip admist the colourful wooden houses.

EarlyHelsinki Street

Signage at Porvoo Bus station

Information Centre at  Old Porvoo

 Sights of Porvoo

Delightful wooden houses selling souvenirs and food

Yellow wooden house double up as a cafe. 

Main street in Old Porvoo

The famous red wooden houses facing the frozen river

Museum which describe Finland's history from the Vikings period. 

Porvoo's Church

It will be nice to row a boat, have a drink and read a book here during summer.

Food in Porvoo

The rumbling of my tummy at 12pm brought me to this quaint riverside cafe for a cuppa and cake! I adore my cakes and desserts! There will always be space for em! I tried their speciality, lingam berry cheesecake. It was nice! From then on, I have been on the lookout for lingam berry cake :D

Cappuccino and Lingam berry cheesecake

Finnish adore their coffee

 My lunch was at the highly raved Hanna-Maria cafe. The set lunch is cheap and filling. Look at that thick slab of salmon and mashed potato! This is good enough for 2. 

My salmon set lunch at 9 euros only! 

Interior of Hanna-Maria

Entrance of Hanna-Maria

As dusk approaches fast during the winter, I have to head back before its dark at 4pm. 

Onboard the bus with the beautiful winter sunset

辽阔的天空映照着夕阳。。。

An hour later, I arrived at Kamppi. It was burstling with activities- a stark contrast to our Day 1.  SALES was going on! I lost myself admist MANGO, Accessorize.  

Back to Kamppi. It's alive again!!

Bags and Chocolates

I met up with the hub for dinner at the trip advisor recommended Restaurant Mange Sud. 
A sleek and polished interior decked in white and black, with guests dressed formally and conversing in hushed tones. We began our 'seriously delicious' dinner course.

Day's soup with scallops and herring. 

I forgot the full name, but its sea bream with some seeds and creamy sauce. Very nice. 

Duck confit, truffle and potato purée and red wine sauce 

Ravintola Mange Sud is worthy of its ratings. 

A great meal with wine comforted the cold ~ 

Helsinki, somewhere so far away!

Finland- a country that sounds remote, cold and barren. My first impression, that is.

Destiny sure has her way to fly me halfway across the globe to the Nordic when the hub mentioned that we are going away for a short trip in January 2013. So there, I booked my last minute tickets and venture into a country which was not on my 'to-visit' list.

What greeted us upon arrival was the cold and white. Not as bone-chilling as Korea. Ironically I miss the cold since I returned to Sg. Helsinki airport is good. Big clear signage written in English, free Wifi, clean and bright.

To/From Helsinki Airport
From either T1 or T2,  Finnair airport bus provides direct transportation to Helsinki Central Railway station (Rautatientori) for less than 10 euros. Alternatively, you can board local bus 615. For hassle-free traveling espcially with huge luggages, Finnair bus is definitely the choice.

On our way to the city, I do not see alot of cars, and because of the winter, the city does seem abit gloomy. They are said to have a high suicide and depression rate.  I think during that journey I do feel abit depressed. The buildings are not skyscrapers, but rather 80s factory looking kind. Sad huh?

The streets had at most 3 or 4 passerbys. Having lived together with 5.5 million everyday, the scenerio was certainly barren. Stores were not open and we were hungry. At that moment, I miss Korea.

31.12.2012 Countdown at KFC in Changi Terminal 3 while waiting for our New Year flight.

Yes, the significance of starting year 2013 with a travel means many more to come later on? hehe.

Central Railway Station-Helsinki. Subway and Train main hub.

Outdoor skating ring at Central Railway Station

Tram in Helsinki

Tram 6 to Radisson Bleu Seaside Hotel

Radisson Bleu Seaside Hotel- Helsinki

View outside our room. 很冷但很美吧！

Food
We ate at Kynsilaukka Ravintola (Garlic restaurant), recommended by Tripadvisor. The prices were reasonable at 5 -24 euros. If you are a garlic lover, you will love this place as garlic is their primary ingredient.

Cosy cottage-style interior of Garlic Restaurant

Garlic Cream Soup. Super garlicky and those crispy garlic bits just added ohm! to this dish. 

Pan seared salmon. Crispy skin, juicy meat. 

Grilled pork chops with lots of wedges that tasted heavenly

Scampi that were so crunchy and fresh!

Medium rare steak 

Salmon soup. SooO good! Creamy and 'herby'

Meat was perfect, but could do with lesser sauce as it mask away the fresh 'beefy' taste which I like.

Helsinki Kamppi at night

Nothing is opened and I am feeling so lethargic. Not sure if its the jet lag or the winter or the lack of human (I think its a combo) . So we conclude our day 1 by walking back to the hotel. 

Hello There! 2013!

Dust must have been stacked high on this blog. It has been ages...years since I last updated. After reading through the entries, it felt like a lost and found memory.

Initially this blog was to document my life in Korea for 2 years, but who would have predicted that weekly drinking sessions, tons of research, projects, seminars, and of course my then-bf (now hubby) made me abandoned my blog unknowingly. Ok! I am lazy. haha. 

So, instead of throwing my memories to the wind, I decided to revamp this, and continue updating my travel and life from here...

My 2010

It feels weird not to include my arrival in Seoul. Hence, I will start with end of 2009! hehe..

Aug 2009- Tears, farewell and hello Kimchi Land.

Sept 2009-

1st day in lab and got culture shock.

Joyce brought me around to meet up with all her friends.

Had my first jimjilbang experience.

Met up with ZW and Vince in E-dae.

Oct 2009-

Namiseom Chuncheon with Vince and ZW.

Nov 2009-

Hongdae clubbing and drinks.

Dec 2009-

Sisters visit and we went to Jeju island.

Christmas spent in Onyang Hot spring town.

Celine's visit.

Ski ski and MORE SKI!!

Jan 2010-

Heavy snowfall on 01/01/2010. No lab yipee!

NY dinner at VIPS with Vince & ZW.

Went to High1 and Pheonix Park (night ski).

Taebaek Snow Festival.

Feb 2010-

Home sweet home to Spore for half a month.

Mar 2010-

Exam, lab. Dance practise.

Teach undergrads practical.

Lijia left for China.

Apr 2010-

Freshman party.

Senior's wedding.

Yeoido cherry blossom.

May 2010-

1st tooth scaling in SNU clinic.

Seoul International Food festival w Des, Ines, Vince, Inas & ZW.

Homecoming party.

Lantern festival in Insadong with Des, Ines, Vince & Amilia.

Inje white water rafting.

ZW's return flight frm Beijing delayed. T.T

Jun 2010-

SC and Joyce visit.

Pyeontaek lab outing.

Exams!

Jul 2010-

Senior's wedding.

Daejeon 2D1N. Met up with Jong Hoon who is in KAIST.

Seorak conference 3D2N.

COLONSCOPY WTF!!

Another senior's wedding in Daejeon.

Aug 2010-

JW Mariott conference. Tasted foie gras for the first time. Oily but not bad.

Apkujong Mafia bar for drinks!

Love's bday!!

Incheon concert 2D1N

Sept 2010-

JAPAN backpack trip 10 days!

Gangwon-do roadtrip + North Korea DMZ with JY and Jon. 3D2N.

Hilton Grand Millenium Hotel to celeb belated Sg bday. Sg club.

Oct 2010-

Korena Hotel with Sg club to celebrate Mooncake festival.

Fireworks festival (but sadly, missed it T.T).

Pharmacy's deptm Sports day.

Itaewon bulgarian dinner and drinks!

Myeongdong shopping date (FINALLY!)

Girls' outing with Rachel to perm hair and watch contemporary dance. My 1st experience!

JY surprise bday party!

Nov 2010-

Met up with Jill and Nat.

Support Alison for her Arirang competition.

Dec 2010-

Mama papa visit. *love*

Christmas eve dinner at Suji's in Itaewon.

Ski on Christmas w Shichi at Konjinam.

Bing visit.

NY eve dinner with labmates.

LZW went to Japan during NY eve!! I WILL NOT FORGET THIS! muahaha! ^^

Jan 2011-

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This is the life of a research science geek living in Seoul. Besides the mundane lab, meeting, and journals, I like to spice my life up with some cuties viewing, drinking parties and of course, whizzing down white slopes!

I love to travel! And my 2011 resolution is: TRAVEL MORE! Yup. This is the only resolution I've got cause it is what makes my life and my days interesting! ^^

Summer member training

This is my first summer retreat, or what the Koreans called MT (members' training) with my lab. Its a 3D2N from 8th July. Chartered a bus and assembled by 830am.

''Today's gonna be long...'' My groggy mind told me. The bus took almost 4 hours with a lunch break consisting of noodles and steamed pork slices. The weather and atmosphere were different from Seoul. Gangwon province is located on the extreme eastern side of Korea hence, it experiences the most bitter winter and cooler summers. Our destination took us to Yangyang county. A small town with mainly pensions and the beach. No high-rise, no whizzing cars.

Just us, the sky and the sea. Through my junior I comprehend that Yangyang is very close to the 38th Parallel hence, it is not a very popular tourist destination. Most people head for Sorak county where Mt Sorak national park and waterpia (hot spring) are located.

Headed for the beach and started playing a series of games organised by lab mates. Not bad though it started to drizzle slightly. The wind, crashing waves and the sinking fire played a nice melody to my nature-starved senses.

Night fell. We had a nice dinner BBQ and afterwich, games and drinking sessions. How can you end a gathering in Korea without alcohol? =) Lucky me, I have alcohol-sensitive knockout.

The drinking games ended midnight and my peepers were closing on me. The rooms were small and some opted to sleep in the living hall. Mosquitoes aplenty =(

12am -4am: Juniors were on the vendetta drinking and chatting making quite a din. Most of us could not sleep. I hated myself for being a very very light sleeper. So light that even the fan or air-conditioner sound could wake me up =S In addition, we slept on the floor with 2 thin blankets.

Needless to say, I could not have a wink throughout the night. 730am woke up and wash myself. Once again, no HOT water!! Argh! I bathed with freezing cold water and jumped around the bathroom trying to distract myself from the cold. At times like this, I wish I were in Seoul instead. Dressed up for the conference quite formally. Anyway, I think my forever 21 skirt is the best buy in my entire shopaholic history. haha ok, exaggerate abit to show how much I love that skirt. =D

Had breakfast consisting of bagels, cup noodles, kimchi, rice. Juniors and seniors especially my lab manager woke up early to prepare breakfast for everyone. How nice T.T After brekky, we had abit of time so a few of us headed down to the tourist destination. A nice pavilion named: Ha Jo Dae.

Volatile

Instead of saying I'm petty, I coined a new term for my character: V-O-L-A-T-I-L-E

May be a wrong word, a wrong action, or even silence could trigger the low boiling point which I believe is due to my genotype. Forever changing- character, plans and mood...

I should be happy I'd gotten straight As for my 2nd semester. But this happiness lasted for only 24hrs. Recently I'm feeling suffocated and I need to go away. I don't know where.

Just somewhere.

My mind pictured all the flaws of people close to me. Its mind wrecking to try and forgive by comparing faults with merits. I've did that most of my recent years and am tired. Mentally.

I could not rely or be dependent on anyone. even for just a teeny weeny moment. I thought I found a shoulder to cry or rely on but reality is cruel.

I don't like pretending or not being able to be myself. I am thankful that all these past incidences made me grow and be a more patience person.

Mr/Mrs Right is someone who grow with you...but

I feel that I am growing alone. I can't help but take those words to heart.

Some things are easy to forget while some stay for life.

Its not 100% now... its just oh wells I don't know.

I just hate Adam and Eve.

May

I dust my blog and realise however deserted, my memories are still kept...

Alrighty! Enough with the emo. I have been keeping a calender on my desk since I started working in A* and write down daily activities. It started off as just a daily reminder to keep check my appointments with friends and of course, due to my non-renewable brain cells. But now, it has become a diary of what happens within a yr. It serves well to rekindle my memories as I am really not diligent in diary keeping.

Looking back in May.....

1) Caught Ironman II and went to Seoul International Food Fair with Desmond, Ines, Inas, Vince and zw. A sunny spring with loads of multi-national food and people.

2) Played my first bball in Hangang. I always feel best when I perspire.

3) I permed my hair! haha! I only live once right?! It costs only 40,000KRW. Not bad though my friends were shocked and I told them I had an explosion in the lab

4) Amelia (Su ann's friend) came to Seoul alone and we met up. Initially it felt weird since I've never met her and what should I talk to her about? haha but it turns out all fine. She's as chirpy as I was and man! She stands out. Among the throngs of ppl in Itaewon, you can spot her. That is stand out. Not to mention she received many requests for a drink or chill out. I super love her dressing style. Cool and chic!

5) Went to Lantern festival with Amelia, Des, Ines and Vince. Zw went to China. They had a major celebration for Buddha's birthday =D

6) Happily I bought flowers from SNU, dressed in my best and made a 2hrs trip to Incheon airport to welcome zw back. But his flight was cancelled. I know I can't blame anybody but it felt stupid and frustrating to carry flowers to & fro only to get your hope dashed. Try pouring ice water on me during Winter. I expect more than 'what to do? You go home lo' Ok, I must contain the fire within me. Dam it.

7) Organized a rafting trip in Inje Gangwon-do. Proceed to Sorak mountain and stayed the night there. Seafood aplenty!! Too bad no seafood lovers except me =(

Nothing much except that I did my first lab meeting presentation. I was so stressed the entire week before that I stayed in lab till 1030pm and my mood was so bad for those past weeks.

I flared up no reason. I am not confident of myself. I have many doubts. I hate this!

But anyway, it's over. May I have a good year ahead =)