Looking Back At 2003
This is a little late, but after seeing Don's entry on the past year, I thought I'd also take the opportunity to wrap up 2003 in retrospect:
Spirit of the Dance: This Irish Production blew my socks off when they came cavorting through Bangkok. As a celtophile and Irish fanatic, this only further sparked my urge to someday spend weeks on end trekking through the lush, green valleys, ancient ruins, and musically-fuelled pubs of Ireland.
Return of the King: Cinematic genius at its greatest. Wow.
Finding Nemo: This has got to be the cutest thing to ever hit the big screen. I absolutely loved Dory.
Santana Concert: His licking guitar riffs and latino-influenced beats brought the house down. Too bad Alex Band wasn't there, though. 
Jay Chou Concert: AHHHHH. ('Nuff said.)
Malachi Cush Concert: A voice of velvet and a personality full of Irish charm - go Malachi!
Germany: We stayed at the same hotel Marie Antoinette stayed at during her passage through the Black Forest on her way to France to marry King Louis XVI. And yes, it's true, German TV does have free porn. Out of all the countries we visited, my brother liked Germany the most (gee, I wonder why).
Even though it was a little slushy, I was thrilled to see snow again after so many years of tropical weather.
Um, I think Jason had a wedgie.
The views around Lake Titisee were absolutely stunning.
J had fun playing around with the word 'Titisee': "Tit-I-see? Tit-see-I? I-see-tit?"
You get the idea.
A cuckoo clock house.
People actually live in there, which is pretty darn cool.
The Netherlands: Windmills and wooden shoes galore! We bought enough cheese to last us a lifetime and saw the loveliest gardens at the Keukenhof in Lisse. The Dutch countryside, while exceedingly flat, is still very picturesque and tranquil. Very pretty indeed.
Mom, J, cheese lady, me.
My friends don't call me Bigfoot for nothing...
The gardens at the Keukenhof were beautiful!
I wish we'd gone during April instead of March because a lot of the tulips hadn't fully bloomed yet.
Standing at the very top of a windmill and gazing down at the never-ending tulip fields is one of my best memories from this trip.
We befriended a couple hundred dwarves hard at work.
(We couldn't find Snow White, though.)
Belgium: Simple things like eating chocolate-covered waffles while walking down the narrow cobble-stoned streets of Brussels as the melancholy notes of a violinist's aria strained in the background will forever be embedded in my mind. Of course, getting lost in front of the Brussels Stock Exchange and having to bail myself out with my shamefully appalling French is pretty hard to forget as well.
Obligatory touristy pic in front of the Atomium in Brussels.
Le Grande Place was, well, exceptionally grand.
It's a great place to sit back and do a little people-watching.
Gotta be careful of the pickpockets, though.
Gorgeous gothic architecture was abound everywhere.
Spires that seemed to reach for the sky and cantankerous gargoyles that snarled at you made for some interesting photography material.
The infamous Mannekin Pis.
Hehe, cheeky l'il fella.
France: Ooh la la! It's true, most of the Parisian ladies dress up in incredibly posh clothes and most of the guys look like they've just stepped out of modeling magazines. I don't know if it was just me, but everywhere I turned I'd notice couples, couples, and more couples. La cite de l'amour indeed!
I took about a gazillion pics of all the famous Parisian landmarks.
Before the trip, I thought Paris was a tad bit overrated, what with all the movies and such that have been filmed there. But after spending a few days sipping lattes and soaking up the exquisite Parisian city culture, I fell in love.
Entrance to Notre Dame Church.
I tried looking for Quasimodo in his bell tower, but I think he was away for the day.
Ah well, maybe next time.
Lovely architecture could be found at literally every crook and cranny of the city.
It's almost impossible not to take a good picture in Paris.
Boat ride along the Seine River at sunset.
C'est tres purdy, eh?
Cut myself trying to photograph this dood (long story) and so I had a big, ugly gash for the rest of the trip. Bleh.
While Versailles is a breathtaking architectural masterpiece, it is also incredibly extravagant and lavish. With all the poverty during the 1700's, it's no surprise there was a revolution.
More nekkid guys in Dijon, Burgundy and around Le Palais Des Etats De Bourgogne.
I couldn't get enough of the cobble-stoned streets and quaint, little cafes.
Switzerland: The land of watches and chocolate. Mom got her Rolex and was happy for the rest of the trip. I got ten Toblerones and was ecstatic for the rest of the trip. Yurrrrmm. Mind you, I didn't consume all ten Toblerones during the duration of the trip. (I was mighty tempted to, though.)
Famous lion monument in Lucerne - the story behind it is rather tragic.
Classy and cute.
J and I seriously contemplated snatching this baby from the Bucherer building in Lucerne and selling it on Ebay, but our plans were thwarted since we didn't have a ladder.
Then again, there's always next time.
Hua Hin: One of my favorite beach destinations in Thailand - it's not that far away from Bangkok and isn't as touristy as Pattaya.
Sunrise in Hua Hin
Sofitel Hotel, which used to be the local train station, is now 13 hectares of paradise.
Couple of monkeys kickin' back and munching on some bananas as they look out to sea.
Thrang: The snorkeling alone was worth the 15-hour drive down south to the very tip of Thailand.
Pattaya: Despite the stupid prostitute-hungry farang guy, I enjoyed getting away from Bangkok for the weekend and delighting in the soothing tranquility of the sea.
Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat): Since I was a child, Korat has always been synonymous with family, relatives, and kin. Our trip this year wasn't any different from previous years, except that there was even more family, distant relatives, and obscure kin present this time. Oddities and quirks aside, I always look forward to meeting up with them.
Ayutthaya: Melancholy grandeur of a bygone era.
Met up with old friends whom I haven't seen for ages - Monta, Aparna, Napat, Nick, Akira, Patrick, Alan, Pete, Paul - as well as new friends - Beer, Tim, Toon, Jip, Joy, Jan, Jai, Kang.
Favorite cuz in the whole world got married to an ultra fantastic guy who compliments her beautifully, and vice versa. I couldn't be happier for them.
Met cousin Paul for the first time ever. So he has picky criterion for his future wife and is a little uptight, but hey, he's still family.
Was introduced to the lovely tunes of Joanie Madden and was thus inspired to teach myself how to play the tin whistle with a finger chart and $5 Irish whistle.
Digital Photography - Discovered that it's incredibly addictive; in fact, it should come with a warning or disclaimer.
Talked to a real-life princess and didn't foul up.
Can now drive without being honked at every time I get behind the wheel.
And, of course, how can I forget blogging. (This should come with a warning, too.)
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