day 37.5: you are the reason

"If I ran out of the plane or airport, do not stop me," I warned Jerrain. It was so difficult to get on the British Airways flight back to Singapore from London. I had so much fun and learnt lots. There are still a million and one places I have not visited, and another million and one I wished I had spent more time in.

I came back. And there were eight good reasons waiting for Jerrain and I once we touched down:

1. Adele
2. Jaso
3. Thomas
4. Siew Huey
5. Keith
6. Jalene
7. Kevin
8. Lester

We had a scrumptious eight-course dinner at a Chinese restaurant along East Coast Road. It seemed like they had just as much to share with us - new jobs, gatherings while we were away, and more! We agreed to meet up again to show them the over 2000 photos we took, but I think what they really want are the presents!!

Home. It is where my family and friends are.

day 37: my favourite things

New friends I met along the way often asked me what my favourite destination was. There were definitely places where I felt like I have come home, more than others. But at each stop, there was always something distinct that stood out.

Here is a summary of my favourite or most memorable thing at each stop:

• London: Seeing so much history in a city is a new experience coming from young Singapore. Meeting Singaporeans in a club. Hanging out in a local bar.
• Warwickshire: Visiting Serene and Gavin, and meeting Nicholas and bunch. Cotswold is lovely with small cottages and lots of green meadows. English breakfast, scones and tea are the best!
• Paris: I will never forget being on the streets for a night, and how Norie stayed out with us even when she had a nice warm bed waiting.
• Brussels: Having mussels at La Cotelette and being served by Nabil, who went the extra mile to make our meal so enjoyable - singing and offering massages.
• Amsterdam: I love how the canals are everywhere! Although we did not get stoned (contrary to popular belief), we had the best pub crawl by Ultimate Party!
• Berlin: Doing a reflective tour at the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe. Seeing the Berlin Wall and East Side Gallery reminds me of the need for world peace.
• Prague: As much as it is touristy, it is a beautiful city. I love the view from the castle and the roast rabbit!
• Krakow: The most eventful day was the trip to the A&E department at the hospital! Besides that, I was intrigued by the place. I definitely want to return to Poland and explore other parts of Eastern Europe.
• Vienna: The entire city felt artsy and musical. It certainly deserved more time, to go for an opera or art exhibition. I enjoyed the walk around town seeing the intricate and sophisticated historical buildings.
• Munich: Having an afternoon picnic at the English Garden and meeting more than three really friendly locals who initiated help.
• Interlaken: The mountains and lakes were unbelievable. I think it is the most romantic place in the world! And the friends we have met were awesome! Nothing beats having a club just downstairs too.
• Venice: Water everywhere! I love that about Venice. And there is always something relaxing about taking boats and crossin bridges.
• Rome: Magnificent architecture and art. I love the Vatican museum, one of the few museums we visited on this trip; I was glad we picked this one. I would highly recommend the Sisteen Chapel.
• Bodo: It was the best ending I could ask for, spending time with friends who were extremely hospitable. I loved the fact that the mountain and the sea was so close. I would love to go back and spend more time.
• Oslo: Although we did not get into the city, we had a taste of how expensive Norway is. And the long twelve-hours wait at the airport was certainly more bearable than the one I remembered in Doha.

And the wall of fame:

• Food: There is a tie on this one. It is either the English Breakfast by Gavin and Serene; or the baked Norwegian salmon with vegetables by Oyvind's mum.
• Party: Amsterdam Ultimate Party pub crawl! Free shots throughout the night as much as you can drink, a t-shirt to prove you survived, great music and bunch!
• New friends: The girlies we met in Berlin and our Carlos Armano! JinSha was the sweetest!
• Hostel: Tom & Greg in Krakow had both Jerrain and my vote for the best hostel in Europe! Free breakfast, snacks, dinner, friendly staff, homely atmosphere - I could stay there for a month or longer if they let me!
• Gadget: Caleb, my iPhone wins hands down on this one! He recorded my feelings of every day and kept me in touch with the world through emails and Facebook.
• Clothing: Black denim skirt - casual and comfortable for all occassions
  
• Snack: Definately Knoppers! Jerrain and I went crazy everytime we find this chocolate nutty waffle in the supermarket.
• Blonde moment: Jerrain asked me which sense I would give up if I had to choose, and I chose sense of taste.
  
• Romantic: Sitting by Lake Brienz in surrounded by the alps at Interlaken Switzerland
• Fun: Playing the card game 'Kings' with our Zach, Dan and Adam from USA, having to end every sentence with the phrase 'in my bed'.
• Glam moment: Putting on the safety suit on our way to the Summer House. We looked at least triple our size!

day 36: the entertainer

From the beginning, we have assigned roles. I was the planner, and Jerrain the entertainer.

But in these 37 days, Jerrain has proven herself to be more than that. I could not have enjoyed myself more without her. If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely get her as my travel buddy.

Here are the reasons why:

1. 1. She carried my 15 kilogram backpack when I twisted my right foot.
2. She wakes up first every morning.
3. I am not the only and most blonde person around.
4. We can speak in languages no one can understand - mandarin, f-language, and blondish.
5. Unlike me, she can count.
6. Her watchful eyes never leave me when we are clubbing.
7. Despite being 'Legally Blonde', she thinks of the most ingenious ideas like pushing the train station trolley on to the streets of London so our shoulders need not hurt from our oversized backpacks.
8. She volunteered her scarf for us to lie on when we did not have a mat in the park.
9. She is a great drinker and an excellent party buddy.
10. We make the perfect pair of Asian hot chicks!
11. We can chat about events that happen 14 years ago because we go way back.
12. She really entertains.
13. She wears her heart on her sleeve.
14. I do not need to worry that she is bored (as long as she has her iPhone).
15. She lets me decide where to go.
16. Her contagious laughter tickles me every time.
17. She calls my name in the sweetest voice and tone.
18. Her advice about relationships is wise and often timely.
19. She brought me home.

The list can go on. I am thankful for having a friend I have known and kept in touch for more than a decade. I am really happy I could share my one month adventure with someone so special and close to my heart.

day 35: also oslo

I must be going gaga over the Kings card game because I cannot stop rhyming, which explains the title.

We left Bodo extremely early this morning at 6.50am after having breakfast. I had my last 'Chocolate Therapy' cookie and said goodbye to Oyvind, his lovely home, our new Norwegian friends, and all the food and snacks I tried and loved.

Jerrain and I were supposed to drop our luggage when we arrive in Oslo at 9am to explore the city. We were so exhausted that the hour long train ride into town seemed like too big a task for the day. We decided to take it easy and hang out at the airport for 12 hours! There was a row of comfortable couchettes, but sleeping on it for five hours straight left me with a very numb butt.

Since we were going to be in London for just 23 hours, we decided to stay at one of the airport hotels, Yotel. It is a cool mini hotel with cabins that could fit two people, but really just comfortable for one. Jerrain and I needed to stay on the bed just so we had sufficient
standing and moving space.

• Location: Oslo Norway and London Britain
• Cost: 68nok pasta at airport, 12nok crisps, 20nok hot chocolate, 35nok orange juice, €4.60 chicken salad sandwich and water, €30 chocolates from Thorntons, €20 tea, €8 M&S
• Highlight: It was not easy waiting at an airport for 12 hours, but having Jerrain with me made it a lot more bearable. I particularly enjoyed our HTH (heart-to-heart) chat - one of many throughout this trip - about what we learnt and experienced in the last 30 over days.

day 34: farewell dinner party

Leaving Ilsoya, the summer house, was swift, but not painless. By this time, we were more experienced with putting on the water safety suits and Oyvind had a softer dock with the small boat. While everything was going a lot smoother, I was not as happy as when I first arrived. I felt like the little green monster who appears at the end of every episode of Gag and screams "Mommy, it's over!!". Jerrain and Oyvind managed to coax me into leaving Soranoy, or South Eagle Island, without being dragged on to the boat.

We caught a quick nap during the one hour ferry ride to Bodo and gathered enough energy to do some light trekking on Keiservarden. We strolled pass two small lakes which Oyvind used to spend a lot of time at as a child. There was a drizzle but we strived on to the peak which took us about an hour. It felt great to be at the summit although the views would have been better if it was not as cloudy.

The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing for the dinner party. Oyvind invited his good friends, Tom, Frida and Arild over for dinner, wine and Rock Band. I helped prepare dinner by doing lots of chopping (and dancing to Lady Gaga). For dinner, we had:

• Bruschetta with chorizo sausage and feta cheese
• Beef roast with mixed vegetables and thyme potatos
• Vanilla ce cream with raspberry purée and chocolate sauce drizzle
• Four and a half bottle of wine

Location: Bodo, Norway
Cost: 99nok ferry back to Bodo
Highlight: Sharing lives and travel stories with our new Norwegian friends over a home-cooked dinner and wine. It warmed my heart to see how we could easily share a joke despite our cultural differences. And I do not know anyone who did not enjoy jamming on Rock Band!

day 33: the summer house

The maroon house sat right by the water. It had a wooden platform just in front which would be perfect for barbeques on warm(ish) summer afternoons. The living room and kitchen were bright and spacious, with unobstructed views of the sea and mountains. There was more than enough rooms for each of us.

While I made the bed, Jerrain and Øyvind prepared dinner. They obviously did not trust my cooking skills, probably the wisest decision for the day. We had oven roasted pork, baked carrots and garlic butter mashed potatoes.

The short walk around the island earlier in the day worked up an appetite it seemed - we finished all the food, even I did. During the walk, we passed the other few houses on the island which belonged to Oyvind's relatives. We spotted a duck and her nest of eggs. While we frightened most of the sheep away, one of them was a little more friendly. We needed to watch where we walked because there was poop scattered around. I do not think the sheep were toilet-trained.

The ferry ride to the island was challenging. We faced fierce currents on the open sea almost immediately after leaving Bodo. The boat rocked so hard we were flung up off our seats a couple of times.

• Location: Soranoy, Norway
• Cost: 99nok boat to Ilsoya
• Highlight: Lunch with Oyvind's parents at their lovely home. Oyvind's mum baked salmon and mixed vegetables which were absolutely delicious. We finished the meal with strawberries, covered with sugar and double cream.

day 32: up in the air

It felt great to check in my backpack (still 15 kilograms) and travel in style and comfort. We left Rome Italy for the eleventh and last country, Norway. Øyvind was excited to show us his home. Jerrain and I are equally - if not more - thrilled to be in Norway for the first time.

We transitted in Oslo airport for a couple of hours where I had one of my most expensive lunches on this trip. For 190nok (approximately €24), I had two chicken legs, mashed potato and a bottle of lemon tea.

Finally, we landed in Bodo. After a quick detour to the supermarket and a short tour of Oyvind's home, we went up to a mountain just five minutes away to enjoy the midnight sun. At 12.30am in the morning, it was bright enough to see the mountain across the sea. We could not see the sun because it was too cloudy but it was fascinating just being in daylight when it was so late. To top the amazing view, we enjoyed a bottle of Riesling and crisps while we sat on the mountain.

At that moment, I knew Bodo stole my heart. With the moutain and the sea, it was difficult to stay faithful to Interlaken as my favourite stop in Europe. And this was just the first evening.

• Location: Rome Italy and Bodo Norway
• Cost: €14 train to FCO airport, €1.10 crisps, €5.90 baci chocolates, €4.90 sandwiches, 190nok lunch at Oslo Airport
• Highlight: Sharing breathtaking views with Oyvind and Jerrain over Riesling (and coke for Oyvind who was driving).