Life in Rome, week one...

It's been just over a week since I arrived in Rome, Italy, and, what a week. It started off a bit slow due to a cold and a lot of disappointment on my part since I couldn't taste the amazing food or smell the air. I know this is a wee bit weird but I am going to say it...I like to smell. Yes, I assume we all like to have each and every one of our five senses, or sixth for some of us, but, part of travelling, as someone once put it to me, is to enjoy all the experiences of a new place including the tastes, sights and smells. Everywhere you go is distinct and unique, including the smell of the air. 

We have packed in a lot during the week. A lot. Including but not limited to visiting the Roman Forum, The Coliseum, Piazza Navona, Capitol, Pantheon, Fountain of Trevi, Arches of Constantine, The Piazza di Spagna, The Piazza del Popolo, the bridge over the Tiber and Castel Saint' Angelo, St. Peters Basilica...sigh and the list goes on. Included in these tour is of course what we see along the way. We have done a lot of walking and I think we have taken two taxi's the entire time I've been here. One from the train to the apartment when I arrived and one to St. Peters Basilica because we may or may not have left in time to get to the Vatican museum on time.

Now that I have one week left it feels like time will fly by. We are going to head to Florence this week and maybe a few places around Rome so I can see beyond the walls of the Capital city. I can't wait and I want to soak it all in.

Uhm...did I mention I love pizza, and there are pizzeria's everywhere.

I also love the little cheese and meat markets, but
hate it when they are closed.

Amazing sky at the Forum. 

A beautiful view of the Forum.

Mailing a few postcards to some  friends.

Italian antipastine.  

Michelangelo sculpture in St. Peters Basilica which he
created when he was 23 years old.

Capitoline Museum...

Everywhere you go in Rome you are seeing a part of history. From buildings to the cobblestone streets everything is old. And even though everything is old on this particular day we went to the Capitoline Museum, to see a bit more of the Roman past. The history of Rome dates back approximately 3,000 years. It is one of the oldest cities in the world so you can imagine their museums are just as unique. We were lucky on this particular day visiting the Capitoline Museum because for the first time, an exhibition of sixty-six drawings from both Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci were on display providing a detailed comparison of the two great masters of the Italian Renaissance.

The Capitoline Museum has been traced back to 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated a group of bronze statues to the People of Rome. The collections are closely linked to the city of Rome and most of the exhibits come from the city itself. Hundreds of sculptures line the hallways of what used to be the political centre for Rome. The Capitol and Capitoline Musem along with courtyard, building and gardens was designed by Michelangelo.

For more information on the Capitoline Museum visit: http://en.museicapitolini.org/

Statue of Venus di Milo.

A fragment of the colossal statue of Constantine in the courtyard.

One of the hundreds of sculptures that line the hallways.

Several painting adorn the walls of the Capitol building.

On the rooftop patio at the museum overlooking Rome.

Another fragment of the Constantine sculpture.

Travel dilemas...

I am not Bill Gates. Surprise. Nor am I part of the Carlos Slim Helu family, who was named the richest family in the world according to Forbes magazine.

The point is I don't have a ton of disposable funds. I managed to have enough pennies saved that I can survive this year without a job to travel, well on a budget. And, even though I would want to, I can't see everything.

So, the next question is, how do you decide? Some of my decisions have been made for me based on a number of factors, one being weather. For example, I would rather visit the Scotland when it's not bone chilling cold. Which is my top destination by the way. So, I will head there hopefully in the spring or summer. I am currently in Italy and will be here till the beginning of December. Coming from Malayasia the one thing I have found is that Italy is cold this time of year. Ok, not Canadian cold by any means. But, from coming from a tropical climate I froze my buns off for about three days. It probably didn't help that I was fighting off a cold, but nonetheless I was chilled. I want to go to Spain and Greece. However, upon further research I have discovered that its as cold if not colder than Italy this time of year. Sigh. So back to the drawing board.

I have a list of places that are my top picks, including but not limited to, Scotland, England, Amsterdam, Australia, Greece, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia...ok I will just stop now...the list could go on forever. Get my point. How does one choose where to visit, what to see, how long to go for? And, yes I guess I should have planned this all out prior to jetting off across the globe, but hey sometimes a girl has just got to fly by the seat of her pants and hang on tight.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Rome's Trevi Fountain...

Making a wish at the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome.

I visited what I call the wishing well in Rome. My Mom laughs at me since it's actually called the Trevi Fountain. But, I'm not good with remembering names. Sad since it is one of the most famous fountains in the world.

In Italian, Trevi Fountain is called The Fontana di Trevi and is beautiful. It is centred in the small Trevi square located in the Quirinale district of Rome. It was constructed in 19 BC and water flows from the Salone Springs, which is approximately 20 kms from Rome. I was amazed at the size of the sculpture and of course the intricate detail. The centre figure of the fountain is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell while being pulled by two sea horses. Each of the sea horses are guided by a Trion. One sea horse is calm and obedient and the other resistant, symbolizing the moods of the sea.

Thousands of tourists visit the Trevi Fountain every year. It is estimated that 3,000 Euros are collected each day from well wishers visiting the fountain. A traditional legend is that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain they are ensured to return to Rome. I threw two, just for good measure. Okay, well actually I threw one while I was getting my picture taken, then was reminded after the fact that I was supposed to make a wish. Oops. So, take two I focused on smiling for the photo as well as making a wish. I wonder if that means I will return to Rome more than once.

My Mom and I in front of the Trevi Fountain.

Luigi, who was raised in Rome, is my very valuable tour guide and he just
so happens to be married to my Momma.

Kuala Lumpur to Rome

In the last week I have travelled from Miri to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and then to Rome, Italy where I will be here for the next couple of weeks. I'll be enjoying the sights with my Momma and Luigi. Have I mentioned that somehow its so much better travelling with someone who knows the lay of the land, who can speak with the locals and well is essentially a private tour guide. At home base in Miri, I have plenty of tour guides and now in Rome I have Luigi and my Momma, who is gaining ground in learning Italian. It is great.

Last week during my few days with Rezebel, Ridley's sister, and his mom in Kuala Lumpur I was treated to days of eating and shopping. Two of my favourite loves. I think we walked miles up and down both Mid Valley and Pavilion shopping centres. It was a great woman's bonding 'retreat'.

Yummy sushi! 

Bel trying out the sushi. 

Amazing dessert at Ben's restaurant at Pavilion shopping centre.

View of Kuala Lumpur skyline.

And...now I am enjoying the ancient city of Rome. I've been here for a day and a half and already tour guide Luigi has calculated we walked about 3 miles my first day. Yes. Three miles. Ok, it might not be that long of an excursion but considering I had travelled 12 hours by plane with a sinus cold I might add, I am pretty proud of our mini-walking tour.

So, we are off to go exploring again in this beautiful city. I am already amazed by what I have seen and am so excited to see and share more of historic Rome...

First birthday celebration...

I celebrated my first birthday in Malaysia. Well, actually not my birthday, but Ridley's father Ron's birthday. This was not only my first birthday celebration in Malaysia, but my first Chinese birthday celebration. What makes it different you ask? The food. Isn't it always the food. We went to Dynasty Chinese Restaurant and it was a feast. A 7 course meal to be exact which included:

1. Fish Maw Soup
2. Hot and Cold combination
3. Steamed Green Snapper Fish
4. Orange Duck
5. Deep fried buttermilk mushrooms
6. Fried Nestum Shrimp
7. BBQ Pork Ribs

All of this followed by Fruity Cheesecake birthday cake. Yup, that's right, 7 courses, plus cake or yeah and can't forget the fruit platter that was filled with honeydew, watermelon, and papaya. Delicious.

Steamboat...

Steamboat! No, not the kind of steamboat that you find on the shores of Vancouver. This kind of steamboat is a way of cooking food, which is well...very tasty. You may have heard the Steamboat be referred to as Hot Pot, or Chinese fondue. Basically a simmering metal pot of stock is at the centre of the table and is kept simmering, ingredients are placed in the pot and cooked at the table. Typical items include thinly sliced meets, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, dumplings, wontons, and seafood.

We went to the Mitsu Shabu Shabu Restaurant in Miri for traditional steamboat. This was my first time and it was a great experience. Since I am a rookie steamboater, Ridley took me around and helped me pick out the times that I was eventually going to cook.

And...what's really neat is I found that this particular restaurant has also been reviewed by Makan Maniacs, a Miri restaurant review blog. Check it out: Makan Maniacs

Don't choose too much food.
Every 100g of food you don't eat you are charged 6 Ringgits!

Ready to cook, noodles, fish balls, tofu, crab.

And the cabbage is going in.

Ridley adding his noodles.

Me eating a pork dumpling, similar to a gyoza.

Heading to Rome...

I'm going to Italy! Yes. Italy. The land of wine, pasta, cheese, well...all things good really....I think I should have been Italian....then maybe just maybe I would have an excuse as to how much bread I like to eat. But this trip will be different. I will be going to visit my Momma who is there with her husband. They are spending over three months there and I get to take advantage of it. Yeah me! If you want to check out their travels, visit,
http://www.fuzzytravel.com/nancyandluigi/28256-life-rome.html

So, currently I am in the capital city of west Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur with Ridley's Mom and sister. We plan to do a lot of shopping over the next few days till I fly to Rome.

Have I said how lucky I am to be able to travel around the world...but not just travel, I get to see places with such great people. I. Am. Lucky.

Toast and tea, hold the milk and sugar please...

So, recently I was sick. Not homesick. Sick. But, let's be honest whenever I get sick I do get a wee bit of homesickness. Let's face it. Nothing worse than being sick, than being sick away from home.

The kind of sick I endured was where you aren't sure if you are going to get sick or just sit there with a twinge of nausea. My diet for about three or four days didn't consist of much other than 100 plus (Malaysia version of Gatorade) and crackers. Of course I was sick over the weekend, but tried my best to pull through. I went out for breakfast, and had toast with tea. I asked for tea with no milk or sugar. I got tea with milk and sugar. After that I stayed housebound, laid on the couch, with my 100 Plus and crackers while watching mostly cooking shows. Not sure if that helped with the nausea but it was in English.

Even though I was sick, I am still very lucky. I am lucky I am staying at a place where I am treated like I am home.

Thank goodness.

Remembrance Day...

Even though I am thousands of miles from home, I still remember. I will always remember.

My grandfathers, great uncles and aunties, so many family and friends have been part of the reason I am free. Free to travel the world. 

November 11th, a day to remember. But, everyday I am thankful. I am thankful for bring able to walk out of my house and not have to worry about being harmed. I am thankful that I am able to make my own choices in life as simple or as complicated as they may be. 

So many times we tend to forget what those soldiers went through for our freedom. In reality I truly believe the reason we forget is because we never went through it ourselves. Let's be honest. If I was placed in the middle of war for one day, one hour, one minute, I would never forget. I would never forget the trauma that I would endure during that short amount of time. But, for those who did sacrifice their lives, who still are sacrificing their lives, they will never forget. And, although I have never been through what they have, I don't want to forget about them. I may not know what they have gone through or are going through, I will never forget what they have done and what they do everyday.

I am truly thankful and will always remember them, especially my two favourite grandpas.

In Flanders Fields

By John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Home cooking...

I don't know about you but one of my favourite things to eat is fried rice. Even better if it's home made. Yes, not the overly done kind you get in most Canadian restaurants where you aren't sure if they have reheated the rice a few too many times and it sticks together in little solid lumps. Yeah. Not that kind.

The kind that Momma Chen makes is well, fresh fried rice. Can you have fresh fried rice? Well, here we do at during this special day it included eggs, and some with carrots, shrimp, and scallops.

The ingredients

But it's not that simple of a process either.

First you have to stream the rice. Then you have to let the rice cool a bit. Then you pour a little oil in a pan, fry the garlic, and shrimp, oh and cook the veggies a bit before you throw those in. Ok, so now you can throw in the rice. Crack an egg and drizzle over the rice, Oh yeah, and cook the scallops in butter and a bit of garlic before you add it to the rice. Well, its not that complicated if you've done it a thousand times. But in the end it's worth it to have fresh fried rice. Yum. And hopefully one of these days I will learn the ropes from an expert.

Cooking fried rice with egg, carrot, and shrimp

So fried...

Who knew that deep fried vegetables would equal dessert. But interestingly enough it does. This was the second time I was treated to 'dessert' and it is delicious. However, let's be honest I am a fan of french fries, anything crispy like potato chips so it is only fair to say that I would like Kueh Campur. The sweet potato, yam, shrimp cake and tofu all deep fried then dipped in a chili or sweet sauce with peanuts is definitely a dessert.

Kueh Campur

I was also treated to the "Spe-Cial". Yes. That's what it's called the "Spe-Cial".

The "Spe-Cial"

And in the Special it is a combination of shaved ice, grenadine, sweetened or condensed milk, jelly and corn. On a hot day, which most of the days around here are hot, the Special does the trick. It sounds like an interesting combination to probably most North Amercians but it is a must try here in Malaysia. It is generally referred to as Ais Campur. "Ais" is a Malay spelling of the English word "Ice". "Campur" means "mix". There are many combinations of Ais Campur including the "Spe-Cial".

Distance...

One would think that when you are half way across the world from your family and friends that things would be different. You can't see them when you want to. You can't get a hug from them when you need to. You are in different time zones and can't pick up the phone and talk to them whenever you want.

One of my besties reassured me that it doesn't matter where you are, that family is, well just family. And not that just family means anything but the fact that no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, your family is there. Yeah, they might not be physically beside you. They might not live next door and you might not be able to pop over for a quick visit whenever you want. But, it doesn't matter. What matters is that no matter what, they are still there.

My friends and family mean the world to me. They are my world. And even though I am thousands of miles away from them all, I feel like they are still right beside me.

My playlist...

I am writing. Just randomly writing. Which I haven't done in years. It's nice to finally just write. And, while I am writing it's raining outside, I kinda feel like I'm at home. The air conditioning makes me chilly and my coffee taste even better. But while I am enjoying this moment writing and drinking coffee while the rain comes down in droves, this is what I am listing to:

The making of shrimp crackers...

Shrimp crackers, like bacon puffs but only different. I had now idea how they were made until the other day.

They remind me of a toy my nephews once had. It was a small capsule that you set in water and in a few hours it was triple its size. I think it was a sponge. Imagine that. But, someone had the ingenious idea to package it into a children's toy, probably tripling their profits.

To make shrimp crackers it's kind of the same. But different. The pre-cooked crackers come in small packages and you drop the dried shrimp cracker in cooking oil. A few minutes later it doubles or triples in size and becomes a shrimp cracker. Who knew, well apparently I had no clue. Check out this video I found that shows you how it's made: How-to make Shrimp Crackers

Before

After

Laundry day...

Yesterday I did laundry.

And it rained.

You may not thing that's significant. Well, it is here. We don't have an electric dryer, we hang dry all the clothes. So, after running errands up town we returned home to rewash two loads of laundry and hang them, again. This time we rolled the clothes hanger undercover. Apparently rainy season is coming so I propose we leave the clothes hanger where it is.