108

On the first day of Monash Saturday school, literally every kid called me 'China'.

And played with my hair.

It took quite some time to teach them to call me by my name, not 'China'.

I found it interesting that people often refer the whole Asia to one country, China.

There are 48 different nations in Asia.

But then how come all these 48 nations can be generalised to one nation, China?

I do understand that China is huge and its impact is relatively massive politically, economically and socially in the world.

But still.

That is the problem with the term, Asia as well.

When people refer things to Asia, they tend to only link to China, Japan, Korea and Thailand.

Saudi Arabia is actually belonged to Asia continent.

Turkey is also part of Asia.

Kazakhstan is in Asia too.

Mmmmmm.

The same thing goes to generalising Africa.

People often mistake that Africa is a big huge one country.

And everyone looks the same.

Everyone behaves the same.

Everyone believes in the same religion.

Everyone practices the same culture.

Dang.

Not a good answer.

It actually contains 54 different nations.

Generalisation or rather easily explained 'stereotyping' is not really a wise thing to practice.

It is because it keeps you only in certain ways.

It would prevent you from seeing things from different angles.

It is easy to associate one to his/her nationality, because it seems to tell everything about him/her.

Yet, you do not know him/her that much.

One's passport can't tell every story of the person.

So why not just get to know the person without fitting him/her into your perceptions of country where he/she is from? :)

Taken in Johannesburg.

107

So there was a huge blackout which lasted for 6 hours last night in the hotel I stay. (Right, I am on holidays. Yay! Yet stuck with an assignment) After long waiting for electricity to come back, it still did not seem to come back any time soon. So I went out to the beach to walk around rather than staying in the hot hotel room with darkness. I laid down on a bench and there were stars shining in the dark, and that brought me back to the memory where I used to put my extra mattress at balcony and lay down there. I used to sit on the mattress just to read books in the day time, but mostly to look at the stars at night. Gentle chilling yet not too cold wind. Numerous stars shining in lines in the dark. Slow yet not too slow music. Perhaps a glass of white wine or a bottle of Savanna. Just a small little thing that I miss caught me in the dark. Oh, and that is a picture of the decoration that I displayed on my window.

Taken in Johannesburg.

106

Because we party hard!

Come to Spring Bash in Pretoria to party and party and party.

When the spring comes, Pretoria holds a Spring Bash to celebrate Spring every year.

In the University area in Pretoria will be fully crowded by students to party all day long.

Cheap liquors everywhere. People everywhere.

Now the only thing left for you, PARTY!

Hahaha.

Taken in Pretoria.

105

Paris 9 294 km

Berlin 9 575km

Jerusalem 7 468km

New York 12 541km

from Cape Point.

Sounds like nowhere far to travel.

Where do you want to be?

Taken in Cape Point, Cape Penninsula.

104

Do you have a pet or plant at home?

I used to keep this plants when I was living in a hostel in Johannesburg.

The first is mint herb. I got it in purpose of cooking. Haha.

The second one is just... a vegetable. Hahahah.

I was just curious if it would grow so.... I put it in water and surprising it started to bloom.

Pretty little yellow flowers blooming in front of my balcony.

Things like a pet and plant, I think keep you alive.

Suddenly or eventually they become part of your daily life.

And.. you give them your heart to look after.

Also, I believe, they make you feel.... warm.

Well, just a crap from whom want to feel alive or warm.

Loves.

Taken in Johannesburg.

103

Woooooop!

Sexy ladies enjoying the music ya!

Taken in Cape Town.

102

Hey, lovely ladies,
Where are you sailing to ? :)

Taken in Kenya.

Photo credit to Jamad.

101

Set me free.

Taken in Cape Town.

100

....and after having our dumpling supper, we played twister!

Hahaha.

I am telling you it was crazy!

All 5 of us playing the small little twister? CRAZY!

We were all tangled around over bodies.

Hahaha. Good times with good buddies.

Maybe that is why I am writing this blog.

Because I love my lovely friends.

Because I miss them.

Because I love the place.

Because I miss the place.

.. and because they showed me that Africa is not what I thought of.

Not everyone is suffering from AIDS, poverty and war.

Not everyone is naturally bad and rude people.

Not everyone is trying to rob me.

Not everyone is a Black African.

You might wonder why this little Asian girl who had been in South Africa only for 7 months and trying to do something for Africa or acting like an African to bring a change.

But hey,

Yes, I am not an African but I can stand for them, because I care about them.

Thus, we all live in very globalised world where nationality does not have much meanings any more. Where you feel belonged to, that is where you can call home.

Taken in Johannesburg.

P.s.. Yay! 100th post!

Thank you people reading this blog all over the world!

I really appreciate your supports!

You people make me feel alive. :)

Love you all.

99

Sunset in Kenya!

The hot sun in Africa!

This time for Africa!

Taken in Kenya.

Photo credit to Aisha.

98

DUMPLINGS!

A friend of mine, Nasreen used to call me 'dumpling'.

Well, that is just one of nicknames though. Hahah.

She then one day curiously asked me if I really have dumplings at home.

Luckily I just bought some dumplings from China Town in Johannesburg not so long ago.

So a number of friends, Mugurey, Lewis, Albert and of course, Nasreen came over for dumplings that night.

So it was their very first time to see the real dumplings!

Cool right?

At first I told them to dip the dumpling with soy sauce and eat, but then sooner or later they were looking for tomato ketchup.

And eventually I was the only one eating the dumplings with soy sauce, everyone else was eating with ketchup.

Mmmmmmmmm.

So you know now, if you want to do some dumpling business in Africa, serve it with tomato ketchup! :)

Taken in Johannesburg.

97

At the Shela island in Kenya.

Taken in Kenya.

Photo credit to Jamad.

96

Every year Cape Town celebrates Christmas Lighting Festival before the Christmas.

The entire Cape Town from the Cape Town train station to Adderly Street is always full of crowd to celebrate the festival.

Before turning on the Christmas lights, there will a concert performed by popular singers in South Africa like Kurt Darren and Freshlyground.

After the last song of the concert, the lights will be finally on.

All different designs of lights will be brightening the city till the Christmas holidays.

Celebrating Christmas in summer could be very special thing for those only used to have it during winter.

If you are travelling all along on Christmas, do not be sad and depressed all by yourself at the room. Dress up with a star and head to any party in Long Street!

You will never feel lonely.

Celebrating Christmas with total stranger can be very fun! :)

and I promise you, they will never let you feel foreign there.

Taken in Cape Town.

Photo credit to Amanda.

95

Come for the amazing waffle in the Old Biscuit Mill Market!

As mentioned in the previous post, it is held on every Saturday.

It is like an open market, selling all kinds of food.

There are fresh fruit or vegetable juice, smoothies, freshly baked bakeries, samosas, sausages, sandwiches and of course waffles!

I can guarantee that that waffle is the best in the entire Cape Town.

So stop being lazy, move your lazy bum to head to the Old Biscuit Mill Market.

It would be such a lovely way to start your Saturday. :)

Taken in Cape Town.

94

Hello, boy! What are you doing up there?

I met this cute boy on the way to the old biscuit mill market that is held every Saturday.

This chubby cutie boy was laying on the wall like in the picture above.

A friend of mine and I asked him to look after the car since we just bought a surfing board.

We then offered him R 5 if he would do great job to look after the car for us.

The boy then happily took the deal, and when we finally came back from the market he was still there looking after the car.

Since he was so cute, I asked him if I could take a picture of him.

After taking a picture he was asking when he could get the picture.

I could not yet answer him confidently, because I was leaving on that day.

I then just said 'when I see you again, maybe sometime soon'.

And... I forgot about him till now.

Hopefully I can pass the picture of him soon someday.

His such a lovely smile makes me smile all the time I look at this picture.

Going through busy hectic days?

Seems like the whole world is turning its back on you?

Well, then take a break and slow down things.

Take your time, no one is rushing you, but yourself.

When you take one step back and walk slowly, you could see more small little things that you could have missed.

If I walked so fast then I could have missed the boy.

I would then have missed out small little chat with the boy and his lovely smile that makes me happy too.

:)

Taken in Cape Town.

P.s., Hello! So yeapp. I am finally back!

I was having pretty hard time with every single thing in life.

Well, maybe not literally every single thing, but it felt so.

Too many small little bad thing came all together and it swept me away like a tsunami.

I hence had no peace of mind to actually think of anything, and I was not able to continue blogging.

Would you please forgive me for not keeping my promises?

WOOOP. Well, I am back with all healthy mind and everything.

So I guess I will see you guys every day again then :)

You excited?

You should be! Because I am so excited to show you more stunning pictures of Africa!

And a new project will be coming up soon!

So stay tuned. xxx