Hello, after more than half a year of not blogging, I am finally back in action! Today, I am going to share about my Japan trip back in July, including the itinerary, food review, budget and also tips to travel in Osaka/Kyoto :) It gonna be long, but hope you would enjoy reading the journey! :D
Back in 2016 #1 Grape picking @ Australia
My sister and I went to Aussie and did grape picking job there. The work was tough and physically challenging. We both went through a hard time, especially at the beginning. The good thing about this trip is that we met good people - supervisors, hosts, mums and Ah Yi who helped us a lot in the journey. Farm job is never easy, and I truly salute farmers working long hours under the hot sun.
#2 Internship @ Schlumberger
Malaysia is where Schlumberger set up a global shared service center, the Finance Hub. I did an internship at treasury compliance function. And I am truly grateful to have taken initiative in doing this voluntary internship. Learnt about the system, the company structure and also made some friends in the company. :)
#3 Work and Travel
This is the highlight of the year where I worked and travel in the US. Working with high school students set a benchmark for me personally, difference between Malaysian and American students. Having good communication skills, openness and being street smart are what make them competitive. In the US, "You can be anything you want!"
#4 Discovery Days
The days without work and fixed schedule. Consulted business ideas from business adviser and also went to inspiring conferences such as Global Entrepreneurship Forum and Youth Economic Forum. Days without job cooled down your mind, and give you opportunities try out new things.
Forward in 2017 Expectations
Learning: Soft skills, critical thinking skills and knowledge
Settlement: Patience, slow and steady
Career: Crossroad junction, be prepared to try, do and pivot
Priorities
1) Pass ACCA with flying colours
2) Create a foundation for Unit Trust
3) Piano
4) Business inspiration
5) Keep travelling minimum yet quality
San Jose, CA
San Jose is where Silicon Valley is located at. We are really lucky to know friends who are willing to host us and they are working in Google! We visited the HQs of Apple, Google and Facebook. To our surprise, there arent any high rise buildings. Those big techs company offices are no difference of the normal shops from their outlook in the middle of a residential area. The prestigious Stanford University is also a few miles away from the big tech offices, and the campus is so big and beautiful.
Apple HQ
Googleplex
Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University
Church in the campus, a Spanish architectural campus
Point Lobos, CA
Point Lobos State Park is 1.5 hours away from San Jose. It offers a beautiful coastline of California and different sceneries in different seasons. Back then in 1800s & 1900s, it was a famous hunting spot for whales, sharks, abalone, shark fin and similar products. It has museums showcasing the story of the state reserve. It's definitely a good hike there while enjoying the beauty of nature. :)
Santa Cruz, CA
If you are looking for a visit to one of the most hipster beaches and boardwalks in California, Santa Cruz is definitely the one on list besides those in LA. The boardwalk has a lot to offer, from skateboarding, arcades, theme parks, food, sun, bikini and more. Sea lions and seals also love the beach so much, where you can see tons of them lying under the walkway, on the platform next to the wharf. One of the Hawaiian drinks you can find here is Pineapple Doles, and you should try one if you happen to come across any!
Walkway to the Ocean
Sea lions <3
San Francisco, CA
If you're a Hollywood movie fan, the city is no stranger to you. From the Golden Gate Bridge, Union Square, this picturesque city has come a long way from a ghost town, California Gold Rush to a global city. It's a hilly city, with a lot of walking up and down hills. As the city is relatively compact, it is one of the most expensive cities to live. So, Airbnb transport everything is higher than other cities.
Golden Gate Bridge ;)
Walt Disney Museum @ SF
Pier 39's boardwalk is incredible. You can find sea lions here too, while admiring the smoothing view of the ocean. The shops are interesting, where you can find exquisite, delicate souvenirs or arts everywhere. Overall, fhe food in San Fran is pretty good, with the beautiful scenery. My favourites in town are Mochi @ Benkyodo Japantown, Ghirardelli Chocolate and Acme Bread @ Ferry Building Marketplace ❤
Pier 39 Boardwalk
Ice Cream Sandwich @ Ferry Building Marketplace :D
We were also fortunate to visit one of the most notorious criminal jails in the States, Alcatraz Island. It's unusually interesting to know the prisoner's life back then, especially in this infamous jail. As there are limited spots for cruise rides, you have to book at least 3 days or one week in advance to get a ticket.
If you break the country's rule, you go to jail. And if you break the jail's rule, you go to Alcatraz.
Sacramento & Napa Valley, CA
Sacramento is the capital of California, which is 2 hours away from San Francisco. It's a much peaceful town for living not tourism. We came here to visit my childhood friend who has migrated to America two years ago. We were lucky to have them as our tour guide, as they brought us to Napa Village, and universities such as Sacramento City College, CSU Sacramento and U.C Davis. The interesting part of the stay is that our host sister has a YouTube channel, and we unexpectedly became her guests in one video, haha! The video is attached as below ;)
Napa Valley: Robert Mondavi Winery
Home cooked steamboat :)
YouTube Video about Work and Travel USA!
Grand Canyon, AZ
Scrolling through the list of national parks in the States, you wouldn't miss this one! Grand Canyon is famous for its nature beauty, and it's huge. You need to rent a car or take tour buses to the State Park and camp here for a few weeks to complete all the hiking trails. Because of time constraint, we only managed to hike for half a day, for one trail. Nonetheless, it was worth the trip.
Thousand years of geological activities forming this majestic mountain scenery
Different seasons offer different Canyon sceneries, and this is Summer's.
Las Vegas, NV
The sinful city of all. Vegas is all about entertainment. I personally admire the architecture of the city. All hotels, shopping malls and everything are so attractive and exciting. It's not my city as I dont gamble, but still worth visiting to know how it feels to be in Vegas!
The queue to take photos with this entrance sign is long...
*Paris*
You dont need to visit all these places in NYC, because Vegas has it all...
Los Angelos, CA
Here comes the last stop of our US travelling - LA! The city has too much to offer and it's cool to live a LA lifestyle to be honest. We went to Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Anaheim - Pirates' Dinner Adventure, Disneyland, Hollywood - Universal Studio, Walk of Fame and Downtown - The Broad. We were lucky and grateful to stay at Waze's place, having a local tour guide taking care of us, arigatou :) And food in LA farmers markets - The Original &Grand Central Market taste so gooddd! Thrift shops such as Goodwill are also everywhere for you to shop at a lower price while being environmental friendly. It's always happening in the city, not to forget about shopping and food as well!
Cycling around Venice Beach & Santa Monica to witness this beautiful sunset
Santa Monica Shopping District
Disneyland
Castle on the Halloween Night
The Halloween Night @ Universal Studio was pretty scary and exciting!
Hollywood Star @ Hollywood Walk of Fame!
The Broad
Grand Central Market
And the journey comes to an end. :( Below are some tips if you are travelling to the US. USA Travel tips: #1 To dine in a restaurant, you have to give 10-20% tips for the servers Tips on food are unavoidable in the US, unless it's a fast food stall such as McD, street food and more. So, here's a handy tips: To save up, take away your food & eat at somewhere else (gardens, streets etc.). Trust me, it really saves a lot as you travel and not to forget, it's USD! #2 Travel with Southwest Airline Having trouble to book domestic flights? Southwest is one of the most affordable airlines, and the good thing is you can check in 2*23kg baggage. Save your time using Skyscanner and focus on the itinerary instead caz at the end of day, most prices shown are without checked-in baggage. #3 Plan your foodie trip, especially to the local farmers market In the US, reviews are highly trustworthy, with the help of Google & Yelp! Every big city definitely has their own local farmers markets. Visit them, and you'll be surprised at the freshness of food and farmers' unique homemade recipes. Make your stomach as happy as you're travelling. Yum Yum ;)
#4 For shopaholics, visit premium outlets instead of purchasing from the usual shopping outlets To get US brand items - Nike, Kate Spade, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger and more, get them from premium outlets. Unless you are getting items of handmade from independent artists that are nowhere found, prices of branded items in normal shopping malls in the US are no lesser of what you get in Malaysia. Premium outlets that easily found in urban areas give 70-90% discount, and the choices are good as well. Spend half a day to the outlet to satisfy your shopping cravings. :) This is a video made by Eugene to sum up our travelling. :))
Thank you for reading such long trilogy of WAT USA. Hope it gives you inspiration and ideas on what Work And Travel in the US offers. Have a great year ahead! :)
