Friday, May 20, 2016

The Bucket List

This Bucket List was compiled in 2013 & published on my previous blog. Since then, I have edited it so many times, I lost count. I will now track this list from this post, (X) means ACHIEVED ;)

"The inspiration to pen down (or type out) this list came from the places that I have been to, the people that I have met and the books/blogs that I have read. I immediately noticed a change in how I view the world around me when I started this list – there are so many things to do and places to see. I was 25 (in 2013) when I started this – my Bucket List. Trust me, this is not the final draft." - previous blog, Pixels of Imperfection.


This is the current list, in no particular order:

(X) Live abroad for at least a year – Manchester, 2013-2014


Manchester Town Hall
(X) Graduate with MSc – University of Manchester, 2014
( ) Teach for a living
( ) Work part-time in a book store/library/book cafe
( ) Build a huge smiling snowman and make snow angels
(X) Bungee jump - Auckland Bridge, Oct 2016
(X) Sky dive - NZONE Queenstown, Oct 2016
( ) Disneyland
( ) Legoland
( ) Stand under cherry blossom trees
( ) La Tomatina in Bunol
(X) Drink coffee and send postcards on Eiffel Tower 
Dec 2013 & Sept 2014



View of Seine from Eiffel Tower
(X) Rent a Gondola in Venice – Our gondolier was the charming Ricardo with the killer smile, Apr 2014


Gondola ride in Venice
(X) Ride a hot air balloon – Cappadocia, first honeymoon, Mar 2015


Sunrise hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia
Balloons went up to 1000 meters high

( ) Climb Mt. Kinabalu to the top
(X) See the Mona Lisa in Louvre Museum
– Apr 2014 & Sept 2014



Louvre Museum
The famous Mona Lisa
( ) Climb Great Wall of China
(X) Stay in a water villa in Maldives 
– 1 year wedding anniversary celebration, Apr 2016
( ) Sponsor the ultimate family holiday

(X) Join international running event – Bupa Great Manchester Run 10k, May 2014 & Great Edinburgh 10 Miles Run Apr 2014


Great Manchester 10k Run
Great Edinburgh 10 Miles Run
(X) Take a picture in front of Big Ben & cross the Tower Bridge  Dec 2013 & Apr 2014


Walking across London Tower Bridge
(X) Survive London Boxing Day – Dec 2013


London Boxing Day - crowded Oxford Street
(X) Visit Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque – first honeymoon, Mar 2015


Inside Hagia Sofia

(X) New Year’s Eve in a foreign country – at Manchester home, watching the fireworks on tv, Jan 2014
(X) Roman Colosseum (self guided) Tour – and said yes to the wedding proposal, Apr 2014



Inside Rome Colosseum
(X) NZ road trip - North & South Island, Oct 2016
( ) Iceland road trip
( ) Go on a real safari
(X) Eat gelato under Italian sunbeams – Twice in front of Trevi Fountain, Apr 2014
(X) Take photos in front of I AMsterdam sign 
– Sept 2014



I AMsterdam Sign

(X) Visit Van Gogh Museum – Sept 2014


Van Gogh Museum

(X) Stare at the Burj Khalifa – and we had 360 degress view from the 124th floor of Burj Khalifa too!, Mar 2015



View from the 124th floor of Burj Khalifa

(X) Parasailing in Sabah – lifted off from a speedboat!, May 2015
( ) Invent something useful
( ) Imitate pose while standing in front of Statue of Liberty
( ) Catch a concert in a foreign country
( ) Witness the beauty of Taj Mahal
(X) Sleep overnight on a train – From Berlin to Prague, 5 hours by train, Apr 2014
(X) See Stonehenge 
 July 2014



Stonehenge Rocks up close
(X) Travel as a volunteer – traveled to Wigan by mini bus to volunteer at Rugby League World Cup Quarter Finals, Nov 2013
( ) Paint a room in own house 
 soon insyaAllah!
( ) Pilot a small aircraft
( ) Kickboxing class
( ) Ride a camel
( ) See a Broadway show
( ) White water rafting
( ) Cave exploring
(X) Throw a coin into Trevi Fountain – Threw in RM0.60 with Fareed, Apr 2014

( ) Rent an ATV and explore Santorini
( ) Hike uphill to see full view of Cinque Terre
(X) See La Sagrada Familia and other Gaudi’s masterpieces 
Park Guell, Casa Battlo & Casa Milla, Dec 2013 & Sept 2014



Casa Battlo
Casa Milla
( ) Learn to sew wearable clothing
( ) Have a walk in library at home
(X) Visit Edinburgh castle 
– only from outside haha, Jan & Apr 2014



Edinburgh Castle on a hill
(X) Win a speech contest – under Toastmasters club
(X) Live (and work) in another state for at least a year 
 now living & working in Kedah
(X) Run 21km/10km in local running events – Penang Bridge/Esplanade/Putrajaya/KL
(X) Touch a koala & fe
ed kangaroos  Aug 2012
(X) Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge  Aug 2012
(X) Stare at Sydney Opera House with tears in eyes 
 Aug 2012



Closer look at Sydney Opera House
(X) Get lost in Angkor Wat & watch the sunrise – Apr 2013


Top of Angkor Wat
(X) Travel between countries by land  Cambodia/Thailand Apr 2013 & Germany/Czech Republic Apr 2014


Train ticket from Cambodian border to Bangkok
(X) Teach math/english as a volunteer – 2013
(X) Shopped until I literally dropped in Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok
 Apr 2013
(X) Visit Universal Studios 
– Singapore June 2013 & Osaka Oct 2015
(X) Witness live Kecak Dance performance in Bali 
 Oct 2011
(X) Attend an outdoor music festival – Sunburst, Jun 2009
(X) Stay in a backpackers’ hostel alone – Ryokan Chic Hostel in Georgetown, Penang
(X) Visit Hobbiton/Mata mata & glow worms cave in NZ 
– Oct 2016
(X) Intercity train ride by a bullet train in Japan 
– Tokyo to Kyoto, Nozomi Shinkansen, Oct 2015
(X) Take photos with interesting people in costumes in Harujuku 
 not Harajuku, but Universal Studios Osaka Halloween Party, Oct 2015
( ) Visit Plitsvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
( ) Sunrise over Mt Bromo & Borobudur
( ) Kayaking in Halong Bay
( ) Witness Aurora Borealis in Iceland or other Scandinavian countries
( ) Take the £12 zipline from Spain to Portugal
( ) Canyoneering in Cebu
( ) Road trip to see Horse Shoe Bend & Grand Canyon, Arizona
( ) Maid of the Mist boat ride, Niagara Falls
( ) Mini Balkan trip, preferably by land to see Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro & other neighboring countries
(X) Travel on a scenic train in Switzerland – Bern/Interlaken/Mt. Jungfraujoch, June 2014


Swiss Scenic Train
(X) Find local food at Thailand's floating markets – Khlong Hae, Hat Yai, Jan 2015 & Pattaya Mar 2016
(X) Hike to Tiu Kelep waterfall & pose for sunset photo on the submerged swings of Gili Trawangan – Jan 2016
(X) Laser tag – First Avenue Penang, Nov 2015
( ) Snowboarding
( ) Sandboarding
( ) Swim with whale sharks
( ) Stay in a glass igloo & watch the snowfall
( ) Walk among the trees in Singapore's Garden by the Bay
( ) Stay in a capsule hotel
( ) Trek to Machu Pichu     


Saturday, May 7, 2016

A look inside a Water Villa in Maldives


Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa, truly a paradise on earth.

View our Itinerary & Budget here:
Part 1: Water Villa
Part 2: Maafushi local island