La Bloggie de La Dana

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2011-07-31T09:15:00.001+08:00

Have not posted for a while, maybe will be able to post more often since have an App on the phone now...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Excellent Ballet and Acrobat Performance

2010-09-10T00:37:00.003+08:00

Jewel - Model of my new Nikon D5000

2010-05-28T01:52:00.003+08:00

Like a Jewel, she has shine my life with her love...

职场宝典——任何时候都适用的职场建议

2010-05-14T01:29:00.002+08:00

1，没有十全十美的工作：无论在那里工作，你都会遇到这样或那样的实际问题。心态要务实。在入职前，尽可能多了解未来岗位的情况，找一份可以克服其缺点的工作。

2，任何时候对职场建议都别盲从：探讨职业话题的文章和书集可看，从中汲取自己需要的营养，但绝不要把它们当作应当记在心的教条。并非所有建议都适用于任何人。

3，永远从工作中获得乐趣：即便最令人厌烦的工作也会给人带来不少乐趣：并肓作战的同事、已经解决的那些问题、积累的经验。假如某一天你无法从工作中找到任何一件让你高兴的事，那就另某高就吧。

4，制作几份不同的简历：尽管它们实际上内容一样，但理应根据不同的场合和职位，设计不同的版面，突出不同的重点。

5，拒绝只有薪水令你心动的职位：过两三个月，高薪的吸引力就会渐渐褪色。倘若没有其他动力，这份工作就会变成折魔。你也许会为了弥补自己而大肆消费，连高薪都挥霍一空，届时你就什么也没有了。

6，面试时积极讨价还价：面式官尊重勇敢而独立的应聘者。况且签了劳动合同之后，你就没什么谈判余地了。但别忘记，谈判是游戏，不是争执，要注意态度，谈得宾主尽欢才好。

7，做成功者：有些人寻找解决问题的方法，有些人寻找不解决问题的借口。你属于第一类还是第二类？别指望等到天时、地利、人和再行动，那种情况永远不会出现。

8，像成功人士一样自信：举手投足、风度、气质等外在特征不只影响他人，也会影响自己。模仿成功人士，不知不觉间，你的事业越来越顺利。

9，与同事保持友好融洽：这有助于解决很多工作问题。

10，各退一步，海阔天空：假如你和同事的观点存在重大分歧，最好商定都作出一些让步，然后继续前进，这比在僵持不下、争执不休中丢掉时间和面子好多了。

11，按时完工比尽善尽美重要：在期限不允许时，通常宁肯稍微牺牲质量也要按时完成工作。

12，提出改进意见：不要老等到上司提出要求时，才发表对公司情况的改进建议。但也别越权事事插嘴，管好自己的一亩三分地。

13，对集体游戏规则要宽容：虽然主管慷慨激昂的鼓劲讲话让你昏昏欲睡，个别规章制度繁杂琐碎，你还是打起精神，严格遵守吧。公司的某些管理手段固然无益，但也无害。

14，关注职业发展：在工作生涯中，自始至终都要做到这一点。这是你个人的需要，别等别人催促，主动阅读专业书籍，了解业内发展动向，否则没准那天你的位子就会被别人抢去。

15，教育是手段不是目标：别以搜集各种证书为乐。尽快学会岗位所需的知识比考取五花八门的证书有用。如果光是纸上谈兵，不付出实践，拿得证书再多也不过是摆设。

16三人行必有我师：主管、同事每个人身上都有可学之处。办公室里最笨的同事也能当你的老师：以他为鉴，你至少能学会怎样才能少犯错误、少走弯路。

17，向专家求教：工作上的事，公司的总裁也不见得万事都懂。应当打造自己的“非正式专家团队”，多向身边懂行的人请教。

18，倾听业绩优秀者的建议：躲开理论家的高谈阔论，聆听实践家的观点。如果一个人在事业上毫无建树，那么无论他看起来多么睿智他的建议也一文不值。相反，事业有成者的建议可谓一字千金。

19犯错不可怕，可怕的是一再重蹈覆辙：没犯过一次错的雇员未必是优秀员工，通常只是逃避任何风险的平庸执行者。但倘若有人一次又一次地出同样的纰漏，那就说明他不称职。

20，制定未来几年的职业规划：即使目前还没考虑清楚未来的职业发展目标，也要不断前进，随便朝哪个方向都行。方向随后可以调整，糟糕的计划也比没有任何计划好。

21，不会休息就不会工作：选择积极的休息方式。躺在沙发上看电视不是好选择，要多活动、多见识新事物。周未休息得越好，下周的工作热情和效率就越高。

22，只评论自己懂的事情：对自己一无所知的事评头论足，难免会说出让内行人笑掉大牙的傻话。

23，通过工作质量赢得威信：靠拼工作量来搏得赞赏，并不是好战术。过不了几个月，你就会疲惫不堪，忙中出错。上司可不会因为你做得多，就忽视你犯的错。

24，抛弃嫉妒心：你工作能力很强却末受赏识，不如你的人反而步步高升？这种情况也许会出现，但与其疾妒他们，不如反思一下：能从他们身上学到些什么？

25，先找到新工作再提出辞职：倘若你不这样做，新雇主开出的条件会比较差，因为他们觉得你无处可去，没法讨价还价。要是他们还认为，你是个在原公司呆不下去的“麻烦”角色，那就更糟了。

Phuket trip

2010-04-18T17:47:00.001+08:00

Mark was back at KL for a holiday, and we decided to spend few days in Phuket, Thailand. Really not much going on, it was meant as a quiet relax laid back kind of holiday.

Stayed at Asialoop G-hotel (not sure why this name), opened by an Italian that probably has a Thai girl friend or sort. Never really see much of him, think he is not sober half the time anyways.

Not much place to eat around the hotel, and Patong beach is like a 15min walk under the hot sun.

We Asians are like a minority here, westerners roam around this place like Key west in their rented motorbike, mopads, whatever you call it. I think it is really scary for them to ride these bikes around here, as the road are narrow and they are used to driving on the right side of the road in their home country.

Had to fill the stomach, so ended up eating Fuji at Jungceylon Mall in Patong Beach, which was really not that great compare to our Sushi King and Sakae Sushi while cost more. (Bento + Yakiniku + Garlic fried rice + 2 drinks = 650baht)

It is really hot like KL, ate DQ at the end in the same mall.

We spend quite a bit of our time wandering in the small 7-eleven next door, replenishing our water supplies, get our nata de coco yoghurt, hot ham cheese and egg toast for breakfast.

Rented a Suzuki 4x4 that is very bad shape for 1000 baht and drove around the whole of Phuket, took nice pictures at Cape Panwa (about 10km from Phuket town)

We then ate Sizzler (our favorite joint in Thailand) at Central Festival Phuket, which is like a 13km drive from Patong Beach.

The mall offer free parking, so it is good.

Sizzler is really big with the westerners and locals! Order your main course, and the salad bar is eat all you want!

I had my ever favorite BBQ glazed smoked pork ribs, which really is great everytime I eat it. Two person eating here spent 1200baht

Next day, while we still have the Suzuki 4x4, we drove to the sourthern most point, passby a lookout point at Karon - Kathu Beach.

And took more photos at the Cape Promthep. As usual, VERY HOT!

Next day, had enough of feeding the Suzuki 4x4 more than 1000bath worth of petrol for a mere 250km drive, we decided to take the Toyota Yaris for 1100baht.

Drove a scenic drive from Phuket to Krabi, it was really awesome!

Had a tough time finding for food in Ao Nang Beach, Krabi coz Mark can't decide what he wants. Ended up eating The Pizza Company, that was not cheap. (Medium Pizza + Bread stick + 2 drinks = 600Baht).

Anyways, we had a great massage at a rather professional looking place named Sophie (owner had her cert on the shop window front!) for 200baht/hour. So it was good.

Drove around a bit more, went to a spooky lookout point that has all the looking spot covered by trees, and return to Ao Nang for dessert at Tante's before driving 3hours back to Patong, Phuket.

Lucky have filled up the car with petrol (This time spent 1000baht for 600km drive) at Krabi, as after 9pm all the petrol kiosk are close all along our drive back to Phuket!

Arrived Patong at 12 midnight, only to realize that we still haven't had dinner. Was upset cannot find a cheap road side thai food that is authentic, we start roaming around a little until we found this roadside place at rat-u-thit road. Had 3 dish + very tasty tomyam seafood for 310baht, a price that I am finally familiar with?

We spent our last day in Phuket at the Central Phuket Festival again, had Swensen, and another even better thai massage in the mall. There are two cheaper massage place right under the 3 floor food court and we tried one of them for 200baht/hour, it was better than the one we had in Ao Nang.

My thought about Phuket? Over priced food / lodging that is meant to slaughter the westerners. I think next time I will just plainly go Bangkok to get my massage fix. Heh.

It was my birthday - Alexis Bistro, BSC

2010-02-14T13:16:00.003+08:00

It was my birthday, 11th February that is.

Age? Undisclosed.

I was really busy this week as CNY was around the corner. So I was really not in the mood of celebrating at all.

At the end got dragged by my colleagues to Sushi King near my office, and had this pic...

Thanks Choong for giving us a treat.

So... didn't manage to go to gym, therefore decided to go home. My brother then insist that we should go celebrate even though it was already 10pm. Thus I decided to bring them to my favorite hang out -- Alexis Bistro in Bangsar Shopping Center.

Decided to bring our new Nikon D5000 for the night..

Had a very very good warm pecan pie (RM16.00), crunchy with good caramel on top.

Had a very very good tiramisu (RM15.00) with real sponge finger, decided next time I don't want it to come with Strawberry sauce next time.

Ice cappuccino (RM11.00) was good as well.

Oh well, but we are really getting sleepy nonetheless, :D

Scandinavia Galore - Autumn 2008

2009-12-21T00:18:00.003+08:00

Here's the compilation of my writings on this trip again.

The pics are all located here at Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danachow/sets/72157607645674767/

Legoland Billund, Denmark (plus HC Anderson Museum)

2009-12-20T01:13:00.002+08:00

24th September 2008 - Cloudy

After seeing the city two days in a row, it is time for us to see the beautiful countryside of Denmark, laden with gentle rolling hills, dotted with cozy looking wooden house, just like from the fairytale.

We first drove to Odense, where Hans Christian Anderson was born, just to visit a museum of him to pay tribute to the melodramatic pessimistic stories he have written.

Wikipedia:

Hans Christian Andersen Museum - A museum dedicated to the city's most famous son, author and poet Hans Christian Andersen, most famous for his fairy tales and in particular The Ugly Duckling and the Little Mermaid. Part of the museum is located in the house where Andersen was supposedly born (though he would never confirm it). The impressive collection is mainly documents from his life and times, period furniture, and many drawings and paper clippings he is famous for at home.

There wasn't really much there, so we continue further, crossing another main bridge and came to Billund - Where LEGOLAND is at!!

This is much more fun than HC Anderson Museum

Ticket booth

Entrance

Was lucky that by the same we arrived around 4pm, we waited for about an hour, and went into the park for free! No time for rides (not that it is suitable for adults anyways), we just charge inside and snap too much photos!

Our dear friend working quietly at one corner... kih kih kih

Shaking leg at Nyhavn...

Legoland looks even better in Autumn with red and yellow colored trees

Miniature Amalienborg, all made up of Lego blocks

That's the end of our trip to Denmark really... there are just so many things to see and do here, which I am sure if I were to see everything in details that will take at least a month!! For that I can say that I definitely will come back again to see more of Denmark in the future!

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This concludes my 16 days trip to Scandinavia. I am relief to have finally blog this trip here, which actually took me more than a year to do this. I have been very busy the past whole year, and was not really in a mood to do this. But now that I have finished blogging here, I will try to updates on my trip to Dubai and Oman coming Christmas. Do tune in!

Copenhagen, multicultural metropolitan city - Day 2

2009-12-19T22:38:00.004+08:00

24th September 2008 - Sunny, again~

So many things to see, so little time. And the uncle and aunties take their own sweet time to head out!

By the time we reach Copenhagen city center again, it was already around 11am...

Since there were so many things to see, we don't even know which one to begin with. We quickly rush to the Rosenborg as our first stop.

Rosenborg Castle and Treasury, Copenhagen Denmark

Rosenborg Castle is not only a beautiful historic renaissance palace, it is also a fascinating museum of cultural history, which houses some of Denmark’s greatest cultural treasures, not least the Crown Jewels and the Danish Crown Regalia. And exibits about the Danish monarchy through 300 years.

The beautiful garden right next to the palace

No photos within the palace, as bringing camera in must pay extra. Knowingly museums like this always cost a bomb (remember how a can or tuna cost me RM15?). After visiting the place, we decided make ourselves comfortable by starting to dig into the food bag for lunch sandwiches. Hehe... the sun was warm today, what more can we ask for?

Surrounding Rosenborg is a beautiful park.

After that, we started wandering through the Latin Quarters. One of the oldest areas in the city, it is full of 17th-century buildings that were built by the architect king, Christian IV. Although there have been dwellings here since medieval times, most of them were destroyed in the disastrous fire that spread across Copenhagen in 1728 . Today, the Latin Quarter is a lively and bustling student area brimming with shops and cafés.

The Latin Quarter is also home to Copenhagen’s university, where Latin used to be the spoken language.

Past by an ice cream kiosk, bought two with much enthusiasm, only to find it was own by an Italian *roll eyes*

We eventually came back to Strøget again from Latin Quarter.

Then walk out to the main area where the city hall is at

By this time, we wasn't sure what else to do. So we wanted to see few more museums with our Copenhagen 1-day pass before it expires.

Was looking forward to see the famour Ny Carlsberg Glypotek.

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek houses over 10,000 works, divided into two principal collections. One is of works from the Mediterranean cradle of Western culture, including classical Egyptian, Roman and Greek antiquities and Romanticist sculptures. The other of Danish and French art from the 19th and 20th centuries, which includes paintings by Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Cézanne and van Gogh, as well as several bronze sculptures by Degas. The building, completed in 1897, is quite impressive - it is an attraction in its own right, especially the sub-tropical winter garden.

But it was close early! SIGH!!

Then we decided to see the free Nationalmuseet (The National Museum), which was very good actually and close later at 6pm.

This museum that portraits the national history of the country, is regarded as one of the best in Europe. Apart from a huge, well laid out and informative collection of national artifacts, the most impressive being the ones from the Viking age. It also holds a collection of classical and oriental artifacts - including an Egyptian mummy

Good thing is we can actually bring our camera in!

Was very tire with all the walking throughout the whole day. So by the time we reach the Copenhagen central train station to take a train home to Hilleroed, we were reluctant to walk nearer to the other end where to main building is at.

Stock photos from Virtual Tourist

As the train came, we realize we were too far away from where the train stopped. Alas! The train actually left without us. Luckily as I've say, there's a train every 30min, so we just have to wait for the next one with patience. But that just show you how big and busy the train station is!

Copenhagen, multicultural metropolitan city - Day 1

2009-12-19T22:26:00.003+08:00

23rd September 2008 - Sunny

As I woke up to a Sunny Morning, I realize it was going to be a great day with loads to see.

We quickly had breakfast, officially check ourselves into this apartment with the front desk. The guy in front was great in helping us to decide on how to get into Copenhagen city center. He told us that we should go to Hilleroed Station where there is a direct train to get into the city center.

From Wikitravel:

Indre By is the downtown area of Copenhagen, bounded by the lakes circling the inner city and the habour, it reflects the entire city’s extent during the reign of King Christian IV, when the town was fortified. As the historical center, it is the home of most of Copenhagens attractions, nightlife options, and hotels.

We were advised not to drive into Copenhagen since like most of the European countries, parking is really a headache in the city center.

Decided to get the car fueled up before heading out.

Was wondering why petrol kiosk would sell carrot in big bags like this. Apparently it was for the horse!

Then drove to Hilleroed, was a headache even to find parking there (coz it was free). We quickly board the train that leaves every 30min.

Not surprise, the train are actually are in great tip top condition, looking so modern and clean. There were automatic doors between compartment, and some compartment require passanger to be quiet and no handphone allowed.

Some people came up to the train with the bicycle, and they were only allowed to stay in front of the entrance, between to compartments.

As we alight from the main train station, we were tad bit lost. Tivoli Park was just right next to the train station, but it was closed during winter times. I figure we didn't loose much, coz it just look so small from outside!

Walked past the Christianborg Palace that was under renovation.

Not sure where to go at first, so decided to go under the Christianborg, apparently the palace was build on top of the old one. Was quite interesting to see the old walls and wooden pipping + sewage left to rot underneath unknown to many.

This Neo-baroque palace, completed in 1928, after 11 years of construction - is unique in the world, housing both the executive power, the legislative power, and the judicial power of Denmark, in a single building. It is the 5th construction at the sight, and the ruins of the original castle dating back to the 12th century - was excavated during the construction of the current palace, is open to the public, along with the halls of the parliament itself.

Since we came by to the dock where the DFSF canal tour was operating, we decided to see the city by boat.

Børsen, the former stock exchange from 1640

Nyhavn, once a poor loaded port, and where Christian Anderson used to do stay while searching for his breakthrough in theater play.

Was this the new convention center, or theater again?

Having enough with the boat tour, we got out and started walking around. We eventually reached Strøget, which claimed to be the biggest outdoor pedestrian shopping area in the world, regardless of whether this is true or not, it is a shoppers paradise, and the historic buildings as far as the eye can see, makes it a welcome alternative to any shopping center.

The Danes love their bicycle, especially that city parking is hard to come by.

We came out from Strøget, and started walking more, passed by the Det Kongelige Teater (The Royal Theatre)

Passed by the Amalienborg

Amalienborg is the the Royal residence, and consists of four identical classical mansions, facing an octagonal courtyard. At the Queens birthday at the 14th of January, and at other highlights in the lives on the royal family, the square is jam packed with people waiving Danish flag, and greeting the Queen.

Real crystal or what?

It is interesting at here, people are welcome to wander around palace ground. Guess that's why the Danes love their "people-friendly" royal family so much.

Behind the Amalienborg is the Marble Church

My mom thought she was in England, can go disturb the guard. SIGH!

And finally, we end the day by saying Hi to the little mermaid, a story by Christian Anderson.

To Copenhagen, Denmark via Gotenbörg

2009-12-17T15:59:00.002+08:00

22nd September 2008 Sunny, Warm

We have agreed that today, we will drive down to Copenhagen via Gotenberg. Originally we wanted to cross over to Denmark via the long bridge, which cost around USD90 per way. Then we decided that through Helsingor and Helsingborg, it will be way much nearer to where we gonna stay.

Half way through, we stopped by at Gotenberg for lunch.

Passed by a local Asian grocery shop, to our surprise, we met someone from Malaysia that came to Sweden and have a Malaysian restaurant here. He was very enthusiastic to meet someone from Malaysia there, and offered to show us around Gotenberg. We politely thank him but told him we had to rush down to Copenhagen before night sets in. He seemed a little disappointed, but still showed us quickly to a nearby market where we can have lunch there.

Since we have been cooking our way throughout Scandinavia, we didn't have much chance to eat out really.

This is our first time eating stromming... which really translated to deep fried fish with mash.

Also, we have order pan fried beef (with lingonberry, just like the one for their kottbullar), and a chicken chop. Somewhat remind me of a typical cheap fast food, hmmm...

We then quickly continued our journey, passed by some wind farm, looking majestic from afar.

Soon we reach the ferry terminal, and quickly board on it to cross over from Helsingborg to Helsingor (erm, was it the other way round?)

Helsingor

Then it was another 30min or so to get from where we alight to Feriecentret Rågeleje Klit - the place where we will put up for the next few days.

Sigh... what a relieve to know that we won't have to pack every night to move from one hostel to another. Dad managed to book this place through RCI timeshare exchange, pretty much in a very tight time frame.

This RCI timeshare is located right next to the seaside, and at a very quiet neighborhood. There are some wild birds very big in size. My mom was very daring to feed them some rice on one of the day.

By the time we reach here, the guys that maintain this place has long gone home. Since it was a long day for us, we decided to cook something easy then retire early for another long day tomorrow.

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It has been a while since I last update on this trip. I guess it is about time I finish off on this trip, and perhaps I will write a little about Dubai as we will be going there coming Christmas.

当猪开始独立的时候

2009-12-17T10:15:00.001+08:00

来源： 作者：洛克菲勒

亲爱的约翰：

我已经注意到那条指责我吝啬，说我捐款不够多的新闻了，这没什么。我被那些不明就里的记者骂得够多了，我已经习惯了他们的无知与刻薄。我回应他们的方式只有一个：无任他们如何口诛笔伐，我都保持沉默、不加辩解。因为我清楚自己的想法，我坚信自己站在正确的一边。
每个人都需要走自己的路，重要的是要问心无愧。有一个故事或许能够解释，为什么我很少理会那些乞求我出钱来解决他们个人问题的人，更能解释让我出钱比让我赚钱更令我紧张的原因了。这个故事是这样的。

有一家农夫，圈养了几头猪。一天，主人忘记关圈门，便给了那几头猪逃跑的机会。经过几代以后，这些猪变得越来越凶悍，以至于开始威胁经过那里的行人。几位经验丰富的猎人闻听此事，很想为民除害。但是，这些猪却很狡猾，从不上当。

约翰，当猪开始独立的时候，就会变得强悍和聪明了。

有一天，一个老人赶着一头拖着两轮车的驴子，车上拉着许多木材和粮食，走进了野猪出没的村庄。当地居民很好奇，就走上前问那个老人：“你从哪里来，要干什么去？”老人告诉他们：“我来帮助你们抓野猪啊！”众乡民一听就嘲笑他：“别逗了，连出色的猎人都做不到的事你怎么可能做到？”但是，两个月以后，野猪已被猎人关在山顶上的围栏里了。

村民们再次惊讶，追问那个老人：“是吗？真不可思议，你怎么抓住它们的？”

老人解释说：“首先，就是去找野猪经常出来吃东西的地方。然后我就在空地中间放一些食物做陷阱的诱饵。那些猪起初吓了一跳，最后还是好奇地跑过来，闻食物的味道。很快一头老野猪吃了第一口，其它野猪也跟着吃起来。这时我知道，我肯定能抓住它们了。

“第二天，我多加了一点食物，并在几尺远的地方竖起一块木板。那块木板像幽灵般暂时吓退了它们，但是那白吃的午餐很有诱惑力，所以不久它们又跑回来继续大吃起来。此后我要做的只是每天在食物周围多竖起几块木板，直到我的陷阱完成为止。

“然后，我挖了一个坑立起了第一根角桩。每次我加进一些东西，它们就会远离一段时间，但最后都会再来吃免费的午餐。围栏造好了，陷阱的门也准备好了，而不劳而获的习惯使它们毫无顾虑地走进围栏。这时我就收起陷阱，那些白吃午餐的猪就被我轻而易举地抓到了。

这个故事的寓意很简单，动物要靠人类供给食物时，它的机智就会被取走，接着它就有麻烦了。同样的情形也适用于人类，如果你想使一个人残废，只要给他一对拐杖再等上几个月就能达到目的。换句话说。如果在一定时间内你给一个人免费的午餐，他就会养成不劳而获的习惯。别忘了，每个人在娘胎里就有被“照顾”的需求了。

在很久很久以前，一位聪明的老国王，想编写一本智慧录，以飨后世子孙。一天，老国王将他聪明的臣子召集来，说：“没有智慧的头脑，就像没有蜡烛的灯笼。我要你们编写一本各个时代的智慧录，去照亮子孙的前程。”

这些聪明人领命离去后，工作很长一段时间，最后完成了一本十二卷的巨作，并骄傲地宣称：“陛下，这是各个时代的智慧录。”

老国王看了看，说：“各位先生，我确信这是各个时代的智慧结晶。但是，它太厚了，我担心人们读它会不得要领。把它浓缩一下吧！”这些聪明人费去很多时间，几经删简，成了一卷书。但是，老国王还是认为太长了，又命令他们再次浓缩。

这些聪明人把一本书浓缩为一章，然后减为一页，再变为一段，最后则变成一句话。老国王看到这句话时，显得很满意。“各位先生，”他说，“这真是各个时代的智慧结晶，而且各地的人一旦知道这个真理，我们大部分的问题就可以解决了。”这句话就是：“天下没有白吃的午餐。”

智慧之书的第一章，也是最后一章是：“天下没有白吃的午餐。”如果人们知道出人头地要以努力工作为代价，大部分人就会有所成就，同时这个世界将变得更美好。而白吃午餐的人，迟早会连本带利付出代价。字串4

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一个人活着，必须为自身与外界创造足以使生命和死亡有点尊严的东西。

爱你的父亲

Unlocking Lokatoo GPS to use Garmin Mobile XT

2009-10-05T20:20:00.004+08:00

Screw Malsingmap, I will post my own findings in my own blog here.

Recently my brother bought his brand new Proton Persona and was given one very crappy GPS named Lokatoo.

Not convince with the crappy map that have, I spent over the weekend trying to break into the system and eventually prove my thoughts that this is on a WinCE platform.

The whole GPS software was set to run on this Guider.exe at first start, so that is why you won't see the WinCE desktop. In order to break open to that, you will need to:

Step 1. Insert your SD card into the card reader and find this file: GpsRunfile.txt
Step 2. Open this file in using notepad, then change from:

//this file is set path of the file of navigator
"\SDMMC\Guider\Guider.exe"

to

//this file is set path of the file of navigator
"\SDMMC\CECMD.EXE"

This tells the WinCE to run CECMD instead of Guider (which is the original GPS crappy software)

Step 3. So, where to we get the CECMD then? What I did was I went to this website Navigo Hack and found the hacking method is similar to lokatoo.

http://navigo.wikispaces.com/Navigo+WinCE+Hack

Note :

I have followed the old method, which was said to be very tricky but it works for Lokatoo.
Also, I did not do an ActiveSync prior breaking into the Lokatoo because I can't find how to work it. It has something to do with the baud rate setting.

So Please be very careful as you might be very well turning your GPS into a brick, then I don't know how to help you after this.

Step 4. So, by now after you have play with the registry, you will already be starting your WinCE everytime your turn on your GPS.

Step 5. I've then proceed installing the Garmin Mobile XT (warez from torrent site) and never look back since then!

Step 6. Where to get free maps? Where else by Malfreemaps?? Screw Malsing again. Heh...

Still not sure how to do it? I will offer to crack for your for RM50/unit. PM me, thanks.

=====

Edited*

Looks like a lot of people are interested to crack their Lokatoo and use Garmin Mobile XT instead.

I have found another site that this guy is doing similar approach like me, he also has done the part to adjust the screen size as well. So, do have look!

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1160071/+200

动物结婚

2009-06-07T21:00:00.003+08:00

来源:青年文摘·绿版作者:王庆纲

蚂蚁和大象准备结婚，大象跟蚂蚁商量：“咱们是不是就不办酒席了？”蚂蚁问道：“为什么？”大象看了看厚厚一本书的客人名单道：“你们家的亲戚实在太多了啊!”蚂蚁哼了一声道：“我们家的亲戚多怎么了，我们家这么多亲戚加起来，还不顶你们家一个亲戚吃得多呢。”

驴和骡子结婚了，过了好几个月，驴对骡子道：“你是不是应该去医院看看啊？”骡子问：“怎么啦？”驴道：“我怀疑你有不孕不育症。”

蛇和蜈蚣相亲，蛇看了一眼蜈蚣道：“哎呀妈呀!你咋这么多腿呢？这得花多少钱买鞋啊!”蜈蚣一听不高兴了，“哼，小样，还嫌我腿多，我没嫌你四肢不全就不错了!”

白头翁和猫头鹰结了婚，猫头鹰整天唉声叹气道：“唉，我真倒霉，竟然嫁给了一个头发花白的糟老头子。”白头翁也气哼哼地道：“你倒霉？我还倒霉呢!你白天睡觉，晚上是整夜整夜地不睡觉，还咕咕地叫，弄得我每晚都失眠，搞得我神经衰弱，你说我的头发能不白吗？”

癞蛤蟆先生娶了蚊子小姐，晚上睡觉，蚊子抚摸着癞蛤蟆身上坑坑洼洼的皮肤道：“你得赶紧去做皮肤美容整形了，你看你身上一个包一个包的，让外人看到还以为是我叮的呢。”

鹅和大雁结了婚，大雁对鹅道：“你看你胖的，该减减肥了，不然有翅膀也飞不起来。”鹅听了把眼一瞪道：“都结了婚了，你还想飞到哪去啊？给我在家好好待着吧。”

寄居蟹和蜘蛛新婚之夜，寄居蟹害羞地问蜘蛛道：“告诉我，你娶我不是看上了我的房吧？”蜘蛛也问道：“那你告诉我，你嫁给我不是因为我们家能上网吧？”

长颈鹿和猴子结婚了，晚上洞房里面，猴子性急地规划起他们孩子的未来了。猴子对长颈鹿道：“你说我们的孩子将来干什么好呢？”长颈鹿害羞地一笑道：“傻样，看你急的，我早想好了，将来我们的孩子可以去打篮球。”猴子道：“哦！为什么？”长颈鹿道：“这都不明白，我的身高加上你的弹跳，这孩子将来肯定是个姚明二世。”

苍蝇和蝴蝶订的是娃娃亲，他们从小就认识。新婚之夜两人坐在窗前一边赏月一边回忆小时候的事。苍蝇对蝴蝶说：“没想到一下子我们都长大了，还记得小的时候，你是一条小青虫，没想到现在变得这么漂亮了，真是女大十八变啊。”蝴蝶幽幽地叹了一口气看了一眼苍蝇道：“是啊，你小时候倒是白白胖胖的挺讨人喜欢，没想到长大竟然变得这么黑了。”

山羊和猪准备结婚，山羊对猪道：“你看你该减减肥了吧？我怕你这么胖婚纱都套不进去。”猪小姐听了老大不高兴，也不甘示弱地教训山羊道：“还说我，你看你整天邋里邋遢的，不讲究个人卫生，一点也不注意个人小节。胡子都这么长了也不知道刮一刮。”

Around Oslo : Museums, Akenhus Fort, Shopping

2009-05-27T22:10:00.001+08:00

21st Sept 2009 Sunny

Came to Oslo finally and we checked back into the guesthouse we use to stay when we first arrived.

Decided we should at least walk around in Norway before we move down south to Denmark.

Took advantage of the Oslo Pass (around NOK240) where we gain access to few museums.

First went to the Viking Museums

Passed by a supermarket nearby and decided to buy take away lunch.

SPAR is very common here. The cashier has no access to the money because notes and coins get slot in like a vendor machine

Quickly head towards The Fram (Forward Museum)

Fram ("Forward") is a ship that was used in expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912.

After that, we walked across the parking area to the Kon-Tiki Museum

Kon-Tiki is the raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. It was named after the Inca sun god, Viracocha, for whom "Kon-Tiki" was said to be an old name. Kon-Tiki is also the name of the popular book that Heyerdahl wrote about his adventures.

Heyerdahl believed that people from South America could have settled Polynesia in pre-Columbian times. His aim in mounting the Kon-Tiki expedition was to show, by using only the materials and technologies available to those people at the time, that there were no technical reasons to prevent them from having done so.

Then was the Norsk Folkemuseum, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History.

More relics building are seen here. Most of these were relocated from all part of Norway in effort to preserve the old world architectural heritage.

There's a Stave Church and this time it is free to look around side. It looks very small from outside but inside it is quite spacious, can probably sit 50 people or more.

Traditional sauna, a bit hard to see here.

Arove out then went hang around in Vigeland Sculpture Park

Vigeland Sculpture Park - Treasure hunting, kih kih

Poked around the Akershus Festning (Fort) just like what Lonely Planet says.

Then went to buy souvinirs at Karl Johans Gate, again found that souvinirs shop in everywhere is usually run by foreigners who might be just like you and I, asians, indians...

Bought some food at the supermarket then went straight home to make dinner.

We had good pre-packed shrimp salad, pan fried salmon and marinated chicken wing.

Took us a long time to figure out how come we don't see the salmon at the open cold display area when Norwegian Salmon is well known around the world. Apparently all the while you can only find them at the Frozen section, where the Ice cream are placed. Ha!

That concludes our beautiful and expensive Norway trip. Tomorrow we will head down to Copenhagen, let see what awaits us there.

Farmstay : Strind Gard, Lom

2009-05-13T21:56:00.001+08:00

20th September Rainy

Yet we arrived to our bed late again after what happened in Bergen! This time it was worse as we only manage to reach the dark front gate at about 11.30pm!

Perhaps we should thank the GPS leading us to this rather isolated place at this ungodly hours? Perhaps we should actually leave the GPS under the wheels and be crushed over in a satisfying cracking sound, when that it actually leads us high up the mountain on with the bright waxy moon on the background, instead of showing us the original route was the correct road to take???

ARG!!!!! I am going nuts with this "gadget".

We left the Briksdalbreen at about 6pm was anticipating to arrive in Lom at 9pm or so. Things start to go very wrong when the GPS pointed us to an offroad going up hill. I talked with confident telling my mom and aunt saying this is exactly the route to take. DUH! Should've consulted the Michellin Map as well!!!

And so we drive and drive, with tar road turning more and more narrow, deep revine looking from the left, eventually the road disappeared into pebble road! Drove over some very narrow bridge with rather deep ditch underneath as well, and there were wild hare hopping alongside. My aunt said she saw some very majestic snow mountain not too far away under the moonlight. It was even better than those we saw in Aurland.

I tried not to look everywhere coz I was very very very very terrified really. I felt my leg trembling and tried not to let my mom know as she was already making remarks like "Oh dear, what if the wolves attacked us!" LoL

My dad just insist that we continue drive ahead. Luckily the tar road started appearing again. It just feel very weird you know on this isolated part of the world. When you think you are almost alone on this moon-like surface, and suddenly you saw some dimly lit light from camp not so far away. The wind blew so strong here that it must be very very cold for those hardcore outdoor addict to stay overnight here.

Finally we reach Lom and quickly found the farm stay place. As we drove into the parking, the porch suddenly lit up and the owner came hurried down to say Hi to us. Mr. Trond Dalsegg whose in his early 60's looking smile to us warmly saying he had thought we are not arriving since it was so late of the night.

We were quickly shown to our apartment, which is situated at the main building underneath where the owner stay. Looks very cozy and comfortable, very clean too for NOK700/night. As we were all cold so we turned up the heater around the house to full force, that caused the fused box to drop down. For that we have to cook and eat our maggie mee in dark, no one really in the mood to shower. We all tugged in quickly after dinner (supper?) that night.

But the next morning was really a blessing! The murmur of the waterfall next door, the clanging sound of the bells hanged on the sheeps, the view of tall green mountain right in front of us. As we open all the windows, crisp clean breeze filling the whole house, it really feels great to be around here. No one is rushing to go anywhere, as the road right outside the farm remain quiet half the time.

Sulpture or Kitchen Ware?

We quickly showered and have breakfast so that we can go walk around the farm.

But this farm, as told by Trond, has only Sheep. Doesn't even have chicken at all... but he say opposite farm has horses and pigs as well.

Took loads of pictures around this petite yet nicely kept farm. There are few other cabins got rental as well surrounding the main building. Took a peek inside one of them and found it is equipped with modern appliances looking very comfy too.

There's a tool shed that seemed very old, with heavy equipments. Must've existed since ages ago.

Came to the small running waterfall here, I can imagine the water must be freezing as was told the water comes from melted ice from the top of the mountain.

Anne, the lady of the farm says she take a quick dipped in the waterfall every morning before she starts her work. My mom shaking her head cannot believe this. Anne is also in late 60's told my mom it feels great after quick cold treatment and she can quickly warm up with wool clothes made from sheep in their farm.

Since Anne enjoyed outdoor, it is not surprising she and the husband goes on trekking to look for their sheep during end of autumn. It can take up to 5 days just to look for their sheep, which by that time newborn baby sheep will be seen tagging along as well.

When winter comes, then they will go out skiing nonstop, just outside the house the snow would built up to be 1 meter deep or even higher. There will also be time when the moon is full, that snow is reflecting bright light so much so the night is no longer dark, Anne and her family will then do a midnight cross country skiing trip with her family members for few days. My mom again shake in disbelieve, I sort of think she would faint if we make her stand outside with snow for 10min.

It was great talking to Anne, she showed us many photos she took around the farm and outing. She makes me feel that she genuinely love this place she is staying. The house upstair that they are in, are filled with so many relics past down from their ancestors. Looms, spindles, cooking stove, and few large framed pictures detailing their ancestral line.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Strind Gard, and we must come back again for few days the next time when we are in Norway again.

Strind Gard

Anne Jorunn og Trond Dalsegg

2686 LOM

Telefon: +47 61 21 12 37

E-post: post@strind-gard.no

http://www.strind-gard.no/

Company Team Building - Cope Adventure

2009-04-26T14:50:00.003+08:00

Seriously... I hate Jungle very much, and I don't understand how a 2 day 1 night event can help improve team spirit between colleagues. I believe if the spirit is never there at the beginning, it cannot be forced into it.

But I did enjoyed myself at the Cope Adventure last weekend. It was fun, especially we get to know all our colleagues better since all of us are in the office at random times, sometime there just isn't enough time to get to know each other better.

Think the charges was at RM170 including a nite stay at the air-conditioned camp (?!)

With lunch, dinner, morning tea, afternoon tea

Loads of games, both outdoor or indoor

Used to hate the Jungle tracking like hell, but this round think I actually enjoy it a lot more, albeit with loads of sore muscle the next few days (Hate the stairs too, and going to toilet!).

So much for spraying too much Bygone on the track suit to prevent leeches adhering. First thing first made us track inside the river.

First time came out from the Forest at night, feel like ages since we last see civilization. Many of us have to dump our wet and trashed sport shoe after the jungle ordeal. Some of these shoes were just bought anew!

Night arrive with more laughter as we play the passing-the-massage game, and short script play cross dressing. Haha...

I was knocked out almost immediately after that, but some people just don't sleep.

Playing cards, a must during company outing everytime.

What, midnight slam dunk?

Ah, Karaoke is an old favourite

Some ran up to the viewing tower nearby at Lookout Point and take picture

Awaken next day with silly but fun Banghra Dance (Hindustan style, woo-hoo!)

Be disturbed by a flasher monkey, :P

And play more games

Including miniature Amazing Race, which I was made to eat a whole lime raw, a whole egg raw, raw green chili and worst was the bitter gourd eaten as whole! Almost puke on the spot.

But as I've said, I am glad I came as I really did enjoy myself, still don't think the team spirit has improve -- that is because it was all the while exisiting there already mah!

投资大师对女儿的忠告

2009-04-12T01:35:00.003+08:00

投资大师对女儿的忠告
转贴：《投资大师罗杰斯给宝贝女儿的１２封信》

永远不要问别人赚多少钱，也不要告诉别人你有多少钱。

永远不要问别人这个东西多少钱买的，也不要告诉别人你的东西是多少钱买的。

渐渐长大后，你得处理男孩子的问题。要记住的基本原则是：他们需要你远大于你需要他们。

狂热追求时，男孩会告诉你上百万个故事，但你不要理会那些故事。

听到无稽的诺言、奉承的话语时，要保持清醒。不要追随一个男孩子到其他学校、城市，或其他场所。

任何“必试”“必读”的东西能免则免，尤其是流行的东西。记住，有一半人口的智商在中位数之下。

直到至少年满28岁，对自己和世界有更多认识前，不要结婚。

小心所有的政客。在学生时代，他最出众的是在课后休息时间；毕业后，他就很少能做出卓越的事情了。

那些看起来可以做你父亲或祖父的男人，其实并不会把你当女儿或孙女看待。

在单身酒吧你得不到任何东西，只有调酒师会比你学到更多经验、赚到更多小费。

下班后，不要每天晚上跟你的死党出去喝酒。老板们不会这样做，这正是为什么他是老板的原因。

几乎没有什么理由要你跟老板单独出去喝一杯，更不要说出去与他一起用晚餐。工作和生活要泾渭分明。

避免办公室恋情，这对双方的个人和职业发展都是灾难。

参加公务午餐时，不要喝酒。

准时还钱，尽可能一有钱就还掉借款。好信用很重要，坏信用如鬼魅，会经年纠缠着你。

购物之前，一定要先填饱肚子，才不会买过头了。

永远买高质量的东西，它们经久耐用，更能保持价值。

长时间驾车或在公共场合出现前，一定要先上洗手间。

学会打字和缝纫。

精通算术和数字，这样你会比其他人更有优势，更能注意到其他人忽视的异常之处。

照顾好自己！没有健康的身体和充沛的精力，你要想成功那就太难了。

Briksdal Glacier (Briskdalbreen) - en route to Lom

2009-04-05T17:08:00.002+08:00

20th September - Sunny & Nice

After we got off from the Aurland snow road, it was already near 1pm. We hurried to continue our journey up north to Lom, our plan for the rest of the day was to see the Briskdalbreen (Briskdal Glacier) in Stryn before we arrive at Lom for the night.

We had to drive back that longest tunnel again back to Laerdal, before we board another ferry (again!)from there to cross over to Sognefjord.

On the way to Lom

Quite lucky as there was a ferry just in nick of leaving. Otherwise would've to wait for 30min I think.

Then we have to drive the mountain pass, along a privately constructed road and pay a toll like USD30. I was like eh?! Private Road?!

And eventually saw the sign to Briskdalbreen, located within the Josteldalbreen National Park. Everyone was getting very excited to see the Glacier, except my Aunt that has no concept of what Glacier is.

Drove along some farms, came to a crystal, erm more like turquise colored lake with people fishing there. We stop and ask what did one of them caught, and this norwegian guy spoke with great American accent says "Trout!" Haha!

By this time, we could see a Glacier right in front of us from afar.

To distant from where we turn in at Stryn center till Jostledalbreen National Part was not exactly a short drive. When we reach there, it was already at around 5pm. At this time of the season, usually things close at 6pm due to low tourist turn out, as well as the sun set sooner.

Further to that was that the Glacier we saw from afar was not the Briksdal glacier but instead the Melkevoll Glacier. we were tricked! My dad suspected that was not the real real Briskdal Glacier as we read somewhere that the real Briskdal Glacier could be view from a very near distance.

So we keh poh chee (busy body) and drove up to the Briskdal Glacier Centre to see what's there to see and viola! We found that this is the start point to go up to the real Briskdal Glacier. It requires a good 1 hour of uphill walk (look very steep to me, I swear!)

My mom and dad was struggling on if we should pay NOK200 to take the Troll car to go up since the real Briksdal Glacier was hidden from a hill right in front of us. I was pacing left and right at the entrance to see if there was anyway that I could get a glimpse of it, perhaps in hoping I could be done just with that.

Oh well, eventually the NOK200/person was paid, and we had this old retired uncle that seemed very happy with his job and drove us up. He look so old that his face hand neck all wrinkled too much.

We begin to climb uphill on the Troll Car, as we go up we crawl into the revine that was hidden from us at the main entrance. The view changes.

Up up to the edge of the glacier! Jostedal Glacier National Park

Waterfall formed from melted glacier, look blushish actually

We continue to climb and it was quite a while before we took another right turn and the Briskdal Glacier finally come into view! All of us was like sigh in its magnificant standing...

The final 1km walk up to the end of path has to be done on foot. It is perhaps a measure to reduce pollution near the glacier itself I think.

Briksdalsbreen (The Briksdal glacier) is one of the most accessible and best known arms of the Jostedalsbreen glacier.

The Briksdal glacier lies in the Jostedalsbreen National Park. Briksdalsbreen terminates in a small glacial lake, Briksdalsbrevatnet, which lies 346 meters above sea level.

Taking a closer look at the Glacier, it is not as clean as you might want it to be. Pollution, exhaust from vehicles, you name it and they all contribute to the grime formed on glacier.

As the glacier melts, a pool form right in front of it, with the same mystifying turquise color.

A piece of small Glacier floating on the pool, issit too much if I ask for Ais Kacang ABC here?

My mom looking so small compare to creation of mother nature

Being around at higher latitude is actually very cold, not to mention the constant wind blowing to our face. As the sun begin to set, we too return back to the base saying good bye to such beautiful scenery.

Aurland - Snow Road

2009-03-23T22:06:00.000+08:00

20th September - Sunny & Nice

As we parted with Sanden Pensjonat the next day, our journey for another day begins.

Life during travel is so simple. Wake up, eat, see as much as we can, then rest. I wonder if I would've done this for 3 months, what would I turn into. Someone with wisdom? Or nothing but a brainless idiots that doesn't even exercise a single brain cell...

Anyways, while I was thinking we should quickly cross over with the ferry, my dad thought we should try again with the Aurland snow road. This time round we start from the other side of the road.

Surprisingly it was nothing terrible as what we saw yesterday from the other side.

The scenery, it is different from what we saw yesterday and look just as gorgeous.

Aurlandsvegen

While we are still on our way up, there are some sheep still munching here.

Their owner will come search for them on a 3 day hike before winter returns. I ask the question why don't the owner just put gps tagging on the sheeps, especially these sheep are so vulnerable to predators like wolves, so the owner can find for them sooner, but I guess it is just the way how Norwegian love doing things just like their ancestors did. Tradition, in many ways, is a thing they tried to adhere as much I felt.

Snow road as its name depicted, this area has snow the whole year round as it is on the highland. But at the end of Autumn before Winter returns, there was very little snow left. I can imagine how high the ice must be to be able to supply snow the whole year round throughout hot warm summer even.

As our car climb higher, the scenery changes too. From lush greenery, surrounding gradually change to small short shrubs, wind blow very strong here. Eventually we reach plateau with large pieces of stone, with lakes made up of melted snow in between.

It feel like we are no on earth anymore, more like on moon as if...I feel so small in the universe after being in the Norwegian fjord.

I feel so insignificant, like I am nobody here compare to great mother nature. It is like paradise on earth really, like a place you'd never know it would exist at all, then you are here and when you see them everywhere you just sigh with the creation of mother nature...

Soon we started to decent, the view from top to down in the car is magnificent...

We then reached the At Stegastein, dramatically located with a spectacular view over Aurlandsfjorden, is the award winning viewpoint, designed by architects Todd Saunders and Tommie Wilhelmsen.

Took many pics here, then we decided to have a picnic here. Live like the westerners you see.

It is really not a choice as food is expensive, nearby no restaurants nor cafe, we are always on the go so it is no time for finding restaurant for lunch.

Notice that we are well equipped here with a large thermo flask as well. My mom initially detest the idea on me carrying so many things in my luggage, and she made sarcastic remarks if she could offer her fridge and microwave to tagged along as well.

Look here at the end who was the smarter one? :P

Later we continued downhill back to town, stopped by at the supermarket to refill on food supply. Still nice scenery, even just outside the supermarket. SIGH!!! People here must be living a long life!

Sanden Pensjonat, Lærdal

2009-03-14T16:54:00.000+08:00

19th September - Cloudy

After the exhilarating experience at Norway in a Nutshell, we continued our journey towards the east side. We were wanting to get there through the Snow Road which was said to be very nice with views from high atop of the Aurlandsfjorden. Coming from Aurland side, we try and try to search for the road and our GPS keep pointing us on some off road through some people's backyard which is kinda scary since it look totally inaccessible by our car. I thought that road must be like a 4x4 experience.

So... as the end we had to cross that longest tunnel in the world, like 45km or so, and not see anything but a pitch dark cave all the way to Lærdal.

With such a small population of 500 people, it didn't take us too long to find Sanden Pensjonat in this small village. It is located just right next to the tourist office. And the whole small old touristy Lærdalsøyri area is empty with us.

Though the our lodging looks very petite from inside, but this old wooden building was very well preserved and stayed by a couple doing some artistic work. The rooms are very very cozy, fit for a smurfs! Not forgetting the bathroom, all revamped with nice hot shower and heated floors too.

We had very early dinner, as there was another couple waiting to use the kitchen too. I think they were amused with the amount of cooking we were doing. Can see their eyes rolling wide as I saw they were only planning to have only pizza and wine that they've got from the supermarket nearby. My mom on the other hand was just dishing out the yummy beef rending she prep the night before.

View from 2nd Floor

There are not much to do here at night. We just took a walk to the nearby river and took some pictures. Loud Malaysian like us spoke like thousand horses roaring over, and I thought we did startled some old folks that still stay around here. Haha...

We had some great time spent up in the attic throughout the night, with my mom gulping beer away and my dad cannot be parted with his free wifi access. I was just doing nothing scanning through pics that I've taken today.

Sick

2009-03-05T23:27:00.003+08:00

In actual fact, I feel fine most of the time. But neither do the doctor (2 of them) nor I can pin point exactly what when wrong with my head. I feel very very very dizzy when I start to lay down on the bed.

Maybe god is trying to tell me that I rest too much, therefore it is time for me to be awake more often, so that I can get more work done.

But anyways, I am getting a day off tomorrow under doctor's recommendation so I am all ready to rest and was told to relax. :P

Guang Zhou Food Hunt - 广州银记肠粉店

2009-02-22T15:14:00.007+08:00

Rachel's friend came meet us up while we were walking around the Beijing walking street mall 北京路步行街.

She then lead us to this shop which I won't have any idea how to get there unless someone tells us where it is. There were like thousands of shops around and I could have miss this shop easily.

银记肠粉店 (Yin Ji Chang Fen Dian, directly translate as Yin Ji steamed cheong fun shop) is where she led us to. It is just behind the Beijing streetmall.

The shop was filled with people for breakfast, lunch and dinner selling on few things.

Hand made steamed chee cheong fun, with cabbage and stirr fried beef inside. The cabbage and beef combination is gives really surprising good flavoring, coupled with thin but stretchable steamed rice skin. I have not tasted good Canton style steam cheong fun for very long and I really like this.

The Canton porride is known for their savory tasting and has combination on century egg + mince pork, or just fish, or plain chicken. The main character of a good cantonese porridge would be the finely boiled rice till a point you don't see the grain. This shop has very good porridge that is hardly too salty, very healthy.

Of course, Cantonese porridge won't be complete without the deep fried You Tiao 油条.

We had a very good appetizer as well - Stewed beef brisket in secret sauce (I named it myself, heh)

Even the HK food critic Choy Lan, 蔡澜 came here before. This place has won many awards and they decided to hang it all up. Heh...

A must go I'd say when you are ever around this part of the town.

Posting from Guang Zhou China

2009-02-22T13:55:00.003+08:00

Came to here for a week as we were having a Gene Expression instrument training. I was already knowing this is not gonna be easy when I search the Wikimapia and found the training location is at a distance from the main Guang Zhou city...

It is lcoated at this University City 广州大学城, which is like an Island between the river, with like few universities all moved into this new place. Rather spacious, rather isolated.

Very quiet here, since students have yet to return from holiday.

I don't think anyone cares if I decide in the middle of the road, no cars, no taxi, bus comes irregularly...

To my surprise, the hotel is actually decently built. But still the breakfast is bad... imagine for chinese breakfast you are given watery rice porridge, as well as a plate of noodle fried noodle (.i.e. mee goreng kosong?)

To walk to class, it is 15min.

Mango Tree

To walk to nearest store, is 10min

To walk to nearest eatery, is 20min

To walk to nearest subway, is 30min.

My leg aches on the last day I am here.

We hurried to town on Wednesday, by first walking 30min to subway station, then change train 2 times, and then took a 10min cab to find civilization. Came to this famous Cantonese restaurant 彩衣酒楼 at 天润路.

Think Anthony (orange shirt) and Tony feel great relieve with decent palatable Cantonese cuisine is served. Anthony is quick to snatch the menu to order great food. I think he deserve a credit for that.

But the food didn't come cheap, we paid like RMB 600 for such few dishes... but Anthony thinks it is normal...

Cantonese style mushroom soup

Guangdong pride fish - Guai Fah Fish 桂花鱼

Stewed Chinese Bun

Strange food serve here again, crocodile meat for soup...

But class was fun. Managed to learn many important yet new things. Met some nice people from here, like Tony from Taiwan, and few China base staffs, and customers

Almost like having a Chinese cultural crash course. Finding Malaysia mandarin are so rojak that I must always translate the word in english to chinese so they can understand me. Learn many new chinese science terms too, haha...

Since this place is out of no where, pretty much have to get lunch delivered to us. Though isolated, there's a fairly big shopping malls for the student about 5km away that has fast food restaraunts.

Some days we had this Chinese fast food call Zhen Kung Fu 真功夫. It emphasize on their food nutrient is maintain as they are all steam. Set usually comes one meat dish, veg, rice and a bowl of double boiled soup. Taste good actually.

This month promotion, mushroom abalone sauce as appetizer

Some days we ended up with KFC. I think China people actually like to eat fast food as I have a feeling that these junk foods are a luxury around here.

KFC here doesn't taste good at all, the coating taste nothing but bland. But the chicken taste better without the chicky taste. Thus I like their zinger burger actually.

We went to town again on our last day here. Managed to walk around and shop too.

At Beijing Walking Streetmall 北京路步行街

Rachel's favorite, double-skinned steamed milk custard 顺的双皮奶

I was happy to get some chinese novels. Book price in China is really hard to beat. I'd load my whole suitcase with them if there wasn't this 20kg weight limit from Airasia. Apart from that, I've also bought a lot of tidbits and instant mee. I know I know, don't start me with the China made goods are dangerous okay... :P

Rachel's routine grocery shopping in China ?!

We went for foot massage on our last night as well in town.

Foot massage center here are very different from Malaysia, it is more like a health club.

Blame its bad quality on the incapability of Nokia N73, grr...

Its front is a tea selling counter, and behind they have foot massage room, mahjong room, card game place room which can also be a discussion place while sipping tea. I suspected gambling is a known activity around here... heh.

Wandering in Xiamen Morning Market 廈門逛菜市

2009-02-15T02:25:00.006+08:00

I came to Xiamen for a short meeting few days ago. My colleague and I found ourselves rather unsatisfied as we spent most of our time in the Sofitel. It might have been the best hotel within Xiamen for the last two years, but most of us would agree that international chain hotel generally have very little local flavors offered. It is not surprising that we were actually fed poorly by the hotel cafe, be it the morning buffet breakfast or the lunch and gala dinner later on.

We had a whole morning free on our last day prior our flight back to KL. Lew, my colleague suggested that we could take a peek at the local life and the best place for that would be at the local market!

Clever him too, that he thought about asking the tour guide on our city tour where we could find a wet market that is full of local flavor. The guide told us to go to Area No.8 market （第八區菜市場）. It is actually just nearby the Zhongshan Road shopping strip as well as the jetty to Gulang Island.

The next day, we quickly had simple breakfast in hope we could find something nice to eat at the market. Got on to the taxi and told him that we need to get to this market. He didn't seem too please why tourist like us would want to go to dirty wet smelly market.

When he dropped us off at this old looking area, the outer open air part of the market was already hustling and bustling from afar.

So many things on sale here. This market is very very well known for its live seafood trading. We caught glimpse of many unknown fishes, clams, shrimps, and even worm... Lew said he saw on tv before that these worms were actually made into seafood salad and taste like chicken feed kerabu. Hmmm... I don't know if I would eat that really.

Selling fresh seaweed. Lew says soup made with this taste pretty good

There are specialty stalls too...

Just selling bamboo shoots

And concentrade on mushrooms and nothing else.

Vegetables here are so cheap, pricing lingering on RMB 0.50 for like 1kg or so.

Lew and Kong ended up finding great quality dried scallops at RMB80/500g, they quickly bought some while I just continue lurking around like a genuine tourist.

Rare food source are found here for sure, sigh. Which includes Pigeon, frogs, rabbits, peasants, quils.

I like my duck meat, but not enough to see it killed right in front of my eye since it look beautiful like this. Hypocrite me... want the whole cake and not eat it.

Ok, these birds are not for food but for hobby use...

The main market was not that large, but it gets extend to the open air area right till alleys where local stays.

We wander all of this market trying to look for a decent place for seafood-on-the-spot but there is just none around. Even the steamed dimsums and roast duck was for take away. Nonetheless we really enjoyed our visit here, and that makes us remember Xiamen in its unique way rather than sterile tall buildings that looks the same everywhere in metropolitan China.

Norway In A Nutshell - Life Time Experience

2009-02-09T17:43:00.001+08:00

19th September - Cloudy

Wake up early in the morning is something usual when you are in Bergen. Everyone wakes up early because we all have the same destination to be at by 10am.... that is the Train station in Voss. This is where the Norway in the Nutshell trip starts.

Very rush this morning, woke up like 6 am, way before the sun was up. I was still worry about our car parking illegally outside the building on the roadside.

Hmm... no ticket so far, so all is good for now.

Simply grab some breakfast made by my mom and aunt, think we had something like a fried fish cake that we ate with bread. It is a strange feelings to be able to find Chinese fish cakes here in the middle of Bergen (we saw that later in Oslo again too).

Then begin the rush. Had to drive like 15km on a windy road to Voss so that we can be in time to catch the bus that depart from the train station at 10.15am. We were not afraid to be late, but more like fear that the bus gets full before we even grab the ticket.

Was great to be able to find the tourist office when just get to Voss. Even better was the lady was just opening up the office and we are the first one to grab the Norway in a Nutshell ticket.

According to Wikitravel:

A great introduction to Norway is the one-day Norway in a Nutshell package on a single ticket from Oslo or Bergen into the mountains, with a boat trip through the fjords. You can break the trip at several interesting huts for walking or just admiring the view, and even hire a mountain bike for part of the journey. One of the highlights of the 'Norway in a Nutshell' package is Flåmsbana, a 20km railway that's one of the steepest in the world. Along the way you'll see beautiful mountains, rivers, valleys, waterfalls, and other beautiful sights on your way to the town of Flåm.

So we are all set... all of us were very very excited about this much hype about excursion, you know, first buss, then ferry, then train...

I ran out of words to describe the beauty of this country.... let my picture taking skill mesmerize you instead.

Voss train station - We choose to start out Norway in a Nutshell tour here.

NIN first leg - On bus from Voss to Gudvangen

Another Caravan park with nice view

NIN first leg - On bus from Voss to Gudvangen

Sognefjord (Sognefjorden)

Boarding the Fjord1 at Gudvangen

Small farm on the hill, with his boat dock right below

The Flåmbana awaits

In the Flåmbana carriage

NIN - Flåm - Myrdal on Flåmbana

From Flåm, the Flåm Railway climbs 864 meters up to Myrdal in only 20 km—the steepest unassisted railway climb in the world

Crystal clear water running from mountain top to down

Paradise on earth

Arrived at the Myrdal Station

Boarding the normal train back to Voss where our car's parked at.

NIN - going down to Voss

As we arrived back at Voss about 3pm. We quickly continue our journey again. Our plan was to stay a night at Laerdal as mid point before we headed further up north.

Arriving Bergen very late

2009-01-28T13:05:00.005+08:00

18th September 08 - Rainy

However much the people talk about the beauty of this town, it doesn't really matter because we arrived at Bergen so late.

Our GPS, yet again, pointed us to off-the-map road. Although so, we were very glad to be greeted with rolling hills full with farmlands, non stop photographing the strange looking farm house, poking around the stave churches. That really took a large part of our time away from our journey there.

Hills after hills, moutain after mountains, never ending tunnels, bridges after bridges... Eventually I have lost count and totally awed by the beauty of this country.

One of the many Glaciers seen from afar

Things started to get rainy when we finally made it to Bergen. Kinda cold too. As usual we must stop by at the supermarket for supplies. Supplies is a must because otherwise we only have our canned food for dinner!

By the time we checked into Marken Gjesthouse, the sky was already dark. I can vaguely make out the surrounding buildings at this old area to be somewhat historical.

Parking around Bergen itself is frustrating for us. Scandiavian, so obsessed with rules and regulation, yet still talk on the phone without handsfree, HMM! Eventually we decided to park illegally since we are leaving so early the next day. Sigh.

Hmm... even the elevator here looks too old too, say... around 1890's or so?

I sort of think my mom and the aunt enjoyed their stay here, judging by how they compliment how things are nicely equipped in the kitchens, and how clean things are. They even make friend with these bunch of exchange students from Hong Kong while my mom was busy prepping rendang beef for our next days journey.

Whatever it is, apparently we are not the last person to check in. After the reception girl has left, a Japanese middle aged man came wandering at the door front. He said it was very hard for him to locate this place and he was lost until then. I was wanting to offer him a pack of maggie mee, but my dad decided that we should just mind our own business. Later my mom said she caught him cooking one in the kitchen.

As he didn't have a room, this guy decided decided that he will move around from dinning area, couch place, toilets, corridors, kitchen... until my dad say someone actually let him in to sleep in one of the dorm rooms. Then the next morning this jap guy left as early as us too, before the front desk people arrive. So I guess he managed to get a free stay after all, combine with free hot showers among other things!

Older Posts from My Scandinavia Trip

Oslo, Norway, next stop - Bergen

2009-01-28T12:05:00.003+08:00

17th September 2009 - Clear

Today is a rather challenging day for us. We have planned in our itinerary to rent a Volvo S40 to go around places. For me, when I am in foreign place, the thought of driving actually gives me fear what more that the whole of Europe (except UK & few other place) are all left hand driven.

So, we went to pick up our car. I continued with many worries, and topped up with new ones such as how to fit so many bags into one medium sedan like S40, erm, and also where to park when most place we going are short of parking spaces, etc. As soon as we were at Hertz in Vasagatan, we realize the baggage is not longer and issue because they've upgraded us to a S40 wagon with no charge.

So far so good, :P. And so, we started our first long journey crossing border and continue driving to Oslo Norway.

First time being greeted by endless stretch of farmlands. Along the way with many lakes too. Found a cable car system running among farms only to discover is used to transport produce from one place to another!

Was quite stressful when we came across our first Toll Booth that is fully electronic. Not a single soul here. We were suppose to throw the coins into the basket but coming Stockholm we didn't had a chance to grab any coins at all. Then I tried with the credit card method, and it didn't work as well. Kinda depressing when all other cars are zooming pass us when we seemed stucked here.

Eventually my dad had enough and he said just go and decided where to pay later. In my mind I was already imagining hundreds of summon tickets already their way back to KL waiting for us when we get home. Duh. I tried to check on the internet about this much later, and was relieve to find that there was an unwritten rule that foreign cars does not have to pay any tolls (PHEW!).

How the toll system work is that if a car didn't pay, the number plate will be captured on the camera ahead. Then the traffic department will actually send a bill (Note : Bill/Invoice, no ticket) to the car owner's house in about two weeks time comprising of toll charges + handling fee. Then the owner can one lump sum paid it off. Pro-long delay of settling the bill will undoubtedly resulting a ticket for real after that. So, as you ca see, it is impossible to bill a foreign car isn't it? Hence we travel for free. Think of it this way, we as a tourist are bringing them foreign money and spend you know, what's this small petite amount $$ compare with other stuffs that we will be spending there ain't it.

Even when we arrive in town it was no better. Whole of Oslo looking so old and kinda depressing as well. Black people wandering around, shouting about. We don't see many people walking around at night, gives me a creep when looking down from the hostel from above.

It is a hush hush situation.

Everything cost a bomb here in Oslo, even to park our car for a night with the hostel, we've got to pay a extra USD30. I thought I didn't like Oslo so much after all.

Hopefully tomorrow when we are on our way to Bergen, it will be a better day ahead. I am keeping my fingers crossed for that.

Older Posts from My Scandinavia Trip

Temerloh-Mentakab-Teriang (Triang) Food Hunt

2008-12-30T21:32:00.006+08:00

Last weekend, coupled with Awal Muharram was a 3-day long weekend. The dad initially though of going to places like Penang or Malacca but common sense told us those would be the first place to avoid during Malaysia public holidays these days. The last time I was in Cameron Highlands when it was Deepavali, gosh! It was a 1-hour bumper to bumper crawl from Brinchang back to Tanah Rata during 3pm in the afternoon. Imagine traffic jam in Cameron Highland, ok, what's new since these days Cameron Highland can flood like low land... :P

And so, my dad decided to go Temerloh to eat Patin Pauh for dinner. I wonder what's patin pauh, since that it is not patin sangkar (caged patin) nor Patin liar (wild patin)... Erm... anyway, our journey eventually turned into a 2 day 1 night trip around Temerloh, then Mentakab and lunch at Teriang (Triang).

We started off our journey on the east coast highway, stopped for lunch at Bentong. My dad's idea of good food would be a place where everyone congregates. I guess that is true to a certain extend *roll eyes*

For that we had to do rounding around the whole Bentong, eventually stumbled at this hawker place in this Chinese Town Hall building. Had good wantan here, and the home made beef ball soup is very good too. Curry mee so so... got the stale coconut milk taste. Wantan mee, erm... had better ones in KL but I guess it is fair since we dunno where are the better ones here in Bentong.

We then continue our journey on the east coast highway, and stop over at this one-and-only fruit stall. My advice : DON'T BOTHER! Definitely cut throat because the price is not cheap.

Was like wanting to eat the nangka, opened two different fruit and both are infected with fungus inside. My dad decided not to pay, but still the uncle say must pay RM2 as we ate one piece. Duh...

As we approach Temerloh, we branched off right before the toll. Town center was not so far from the toll. Too bad we arrive quite late on the Sunday. I was surfing around the net and found that Sunday in Temerloh is hustling and bustling with the weekend market known as Pasar Sehari. Loads and loads of uncommon goods were sold here at this longest weekend market in Pahang!

Again, it is my dad decision that we should be adventurous in our life, therefore we pick to stay at the Temerloh Rest House instead of the spanking new Green Park not too far away.

When we inspect the room, my mom sniggered over the worn carpet and grey looking sheets. I was like, it is just a night for RM85 for 5 people in a room, what do you expect. :P Not only that, we get to steal the next door Seri Malaysia's wifi, since the rest house wifi didn't work at the first place.

So then the night came, and we started hunting around for fresh water fish. Initially thought of eating at Wee Kee recommended by few people, but the thought of being cut throat sort of drive us away looking at other restaurant. My dad motto is : eat at the place where it is crowded with people. My motto is : when you are hungry, food are always out of reach!

Eventually few block up the main street, we past the centrepoint hotel and saw this Restoran Delight. Its at the same row with Hotel Jelai.

Order a very very tasty 白须公, Bak Sou Goong, also known as tropical bagrid catfish, Asian Green Catfish or ikan baung, which suppose to look like this:

and when cook, turn succulent looking like this. Slurrp...

Also ordered tapioca leaves, and this smoked ribs. I warn you not to order this unless you like ribs that comes with sweetened cinnamon sauce.

After that, went to Mentakab (About 8km away). Was told that there's a daily night market right next to The Store supermarket. Not much there as it was raining that night. Bought some pau at RM1 each, still home made, maybe even handmade. Taste quite good.

Came back to the Temerloh Rest House and found that the whole parking lot is all full! Everyone was puzzled why the commotion at this unassuming hotel at the first place, eventually I remember read somewhere on the net that this place is famous among the malay people with their patin (巴甸, silver catfish) cooked with tempoyak (durian rubbed with salt and left fermented for 3 months). Decided to order the wild patin at RM70/kg. Came this small little bowl that smell strange.

I was the one that dipped my spoon in as the lab rat. Hmm... taste like sourish curry fish with hint of durian. It is really very good and creamy to perfection. Didn't take us too long before we finished it and longing for more.

So the mom took initiatives and order the Patin cook with assam gravy.

This too taste very very good. The assam sauce is thick in gravy, fully loaded with a lot of bunga kantan and assam jawa. Both dishes together cost RM85, quite a lot considering portion was moderate.

By the time we finish both the dishes, we found ourselves too full to walk. Went back to the room and take turn to use the shower. Slowly everyone dozed off while watching Astro in the room.

Next day woke up, was very hopeful in find good breakfast around town. Then only realize that it is Awal Muharram, most of the Malay stalls are closed! Was wanting to have a very good plate of laksam to start the day, but after rounding around, found one mediocre nasi lemak stalls. Better than nothing I guess.

We then hang around the Esplanade Temerloh. Essentially this so called Esplanade is a white elephant project beautifying the river bank of the Pahang river. Looks very run down... sigh. Wild grass are growing everywhere, and rubbish littered here and there.

Initially wanted to take a small boat to cruise the river. Guess it must be holiday, because no sight of any of the transport boat around. There was this guy looking a little nosy came warning us that the river can be dangerous to cruise around as there were news on Japanese tourist get robbed earlier this year.

That kinda make me a bit worried. Luckily the dad decided that we should stop waiting for it. Instead we then took a short drive on the road along the river bank, passing through kampung houses.

Was very glad to be on the drive about. Saw local selling the caged Patin along the way, like RM14/kg. I probably won't buy it if I were you, as the fishes are all reared from the river bank just right next to the house. That river, is very very filthy, with discharge from known and unknown source.

Then saw a guy training the monkey to pick on coconuts. Had a lot of fun seeing how he told the monkey to only pick the fully ripe coconut. After that these ripe coconut will be chop open to extract out the coconut milk from its flesh.

For lunch, we decided to travel down to Teriang (Triang) and eat at this Lee Keng Sang restaurant recommended by my dad's close friend.

The phone number of restaurant is here

Some of the more "famous" dish in Lee Keng Sang

What came dishing out was a very huge wild patin like 1.5kg! All steamed with the Siew Heng Hua Diao Chinese Wine. Very fresh for the fish, I feel the meat cooked just right to perfection. My mom somehow didn't think it was anything special.

Came next was the One Bucket Rice (一桶饭). What they did was a fried rice with small bits of yam, mince meat, then topped with fresh scallops and small canned abalone. Then dishes out on a claypot that settle on the wooden bucket for prosperity good will blah blah blah. Tasted ok too. Liked the mince meat and scallop actually. But slightly oily.

Then we order a strong recommended claypot kangkung fried Petai and dried shrimps. We all thought it didn't taste anything special at all. Petai itself didn't leash its fully potential tasting when cooked with kangkung. The whole claypot was filled with oil beneath!

As for dessert, we had this stewed pumpkin. Not good also, very bland like baby food.

Luckily for so much food, the bill only came like RM160. So I guess you can't complaint much.

After lunch, we then continued our journey down south, driving through the scenic drive passing Kuala Kelawang and eventually ended our trip by stopping by in Seremban at my aunt's place. Was invited to eat the famous Seremban BBQ marmide crab by her, but all of us were just too full from lunch in Teriang. So we just hang around a bit more then drove back to KL.

Tiny - In Loving Memory

2008-12-25T02:51:00.003+08:00

Tiny pass away around 9pm tonight. He was in great suffering for the past whole week, the doc said that his cold coupled with his old age, and heart pumping insufficiency rendering his health deteriorate faster than we could imagine.

I can't stop crying, after all these years he came to our house since he was a puppy 13 years ago. I still remember bathing him in a small miniature play bucket that he was so curious in it. He was so small then, with my palm fitting his whole butt just right. Still can remember him calling for his mom every night when he first came, was feeling so sorry for him then.

I really miss him, even though I know he has gone to a better place. I miss him so much that I thought I hear him throttle around when my mom walked pass just now.

My mom and dad didn't want me to feel sad so they buried him in hurry before I came home. They even hid the cage and all the feeding utensils too.

Sigh... everytime a dog dies in our house, it take a part of me together with it to heaven.

Nadeje - Mille Crepe

2008-12-11T11:01:00.003+08:00

Was in Malacca yesterday for work, decided to head to Dataran Pahlawan to find for Mille Crepe at Nadeje. I was surprise of not knowing this cafe despite how often I come to Malacca at one time few years back.

Despite what Jason Mumbles say about Nadeje (The Downfall Of Nadeje Patisserie), I have come to Nadeje to sample their version of Mille Crepe, despite Amos has left to set up his new company continue baking the mille crepe he enjoys since start - Humble Beginning.

I've own share of eating Mille Crepe in KL, at this place called Food Foundry. It is really a neighbourhood setting kind of cafe, trying to look chic and they serve the crepe that everyone's talkin about. Being a vanilla kind of person, I thought I would enjoy their Mille Crepe but it didn't really put any memorable impression after eating there 3 times all together. Just plain pancake loaded with vague tasting whip cream and fruit jam seemed to come in big bulk tasting too sweet I felt.

So, I was very willing to try the Mille Crepe again at Nadeje. Took us a very long long time to locate the place in Dataran Pahlawan, especially when this mall have very few direction map and the building is too confusing. Hidden nearby the open air Old Town cafe, it stood very lonely and quiet without much patrons.

Surrounding within seemed to wear off as well, though one still can get a glimpse how the owner would want setting to be at the first place.

Perhaps business is really bad, Nadeje was doing a promotion of either coffee or tea at RM3 when customer order a piece of crepe for RM7.50. Mark and I was surprise that the price is reasonable.

Mark ordered an ice tea to go with his chocolate banana crepe, while I settled in with Vanilla crepe with ice coffee. The vanilla crepe came looking really well, and the taste to it definitely is better than those we had in Food Foundry without a doubt. The cream between layers taste more flavorful with lightly burn sugar layer on top. It taste heavenly as a whole.

Bill came to about RM25, which we thought it wasn't bad at all. There are other simple jap-western fusion cuisine here as well, like the Japanese curry rice, and vinegar drink. Not my main interest though really.

I guess I will drop by to the other brand next time and see how different thing there compare to here. Perhaps I will be told that I have to order a drink with crepe at that time??

Helsinki - The home of Nokia

2008-09-16T21:35:00.004+08:00

The home of Nokia it is, but I won't know if everyone uses Nokia here or if there way anyone that switch over to dark side (i.e. Samsung, LG, Kyocera).

But one thing I do notice, is that everyone here in Helsinki loves to use their mobile phone very much.

They talk on mobile phone when walking the dog, they sms while in the tram, figiting keypad driving single handedly in a car. I am overwhelmed by how much mobile phones play a part in the people's life here! I never felt that way when I was in US nor did it feels the same way when I was back in Melbourne. American's are really no so much into mobiles in reality when compare to Finns. Actually come to think of it, it was the same back in Stockholm and later Oslo and Copenhagen as well.

We quickly checked into the nearby Eurohostel after we came out from the Mariella cruise ship. Location of Eurohostel is really good, whereby it is a 5 min walk from port to there. There is also a tram station right at the corner junction next to the hostel. Trams depart every 10 minutes, straight all the way down to city center (10min). So everything is really convinient here. Didn't take any pics of Eurohostel, but if you are there, you should really check that bomb-shelter-cum-fridge like looking elevator. Open your door like how you'd open the fridge and get it. It's weird!

We have only stayed here for 1 night. But I guess for
newcomers like us, 1 night is really enough to see the town center. Just walk walk and take pictures here and there. We bought ourselves the HKL Tourist Ticket (matkailijalippu) (1 day €6, 3 days €12 or 5 days €22) which was fair deal, and not as expensive as the Helsinki Pass. The Helsinki pass is really not suitable as we don't have time to use the Helsinki museum entry that comes with it.

Stopped by at the Russian Orthodox Uspensky Cathedral. Its visible even from far with its golden domes. Nicer to look is the interior deco, looking small inside but painfully decorated with patterns, flowers gold trimmings all over the place.

Walked around at the open market near the primer minister's office, pretty lame with few stores just there to earn tourist $$. We bought a few fruits and veg here, not so fresh after all. Not recommended if you wanted to see local people buy stuffs. Heard there's another really big indoor market quite worthwhile on the other hand but didn't really bother checking that out.

Mom stopped by at a boat selling salmon's delight. At first I was expecting just another trader selling smoke and cured dried fish. A girl that came on a bicycle then introduce my mom to the pan friend salmon fish patties which was surprisingly quite savory and tasty. Lightly peppered and packed wit loads of salmon tasting.

Then was just walking around the city center, comprising the Esplanade, Aleksi shopping street, etc.

Also past by was the Helsinki Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko) on the Senaatintori Square (Senate Square), apparently a Lutheran church. Didn't go in, cause did not know it is a church. Thought was a parlimen some kind of serious formal set up since the prime minister office was just a around the corner somewhere.

Was wondering what's another Da Vinci Code doing here really. Anyone to enlighten me?

Next day, we went to The Church in the Rock (Temppeliaukion kirkko, literally Temple Square Church).

Perhaps for stirring attention, the found this piece of big rock, and then the carved the whole church into it. This place even have pipe organ too, though it look a little too modern setting around. I would say the acoustic sounding must be very good as the shape of the church is circular.

I wanted to go to the Sibelius park to take some pics with that organ-like monument. But time was really running out as we were to catch a flight back to Stockholm later in the evening. Perhaps next time, in the many years to come I will complete this.

Older Posts from My Scandinavia Trip

Viking Cruise - Over night to Helsinki from Stockholm

2008-09-14T23:35:00.001+08:00

As we started dragging down the bags into that old elevator, I was wanting to tell the folks to call for a taxi and get us to the ferry terminal. From what we see just now near the royal palace, where the ship's docked seemed very far away.

Alas, my dad think the weather is good and decided that we should really stretch our feet a little. You know, that exercise do you a lot of good theory.

That small little exercise turns out to be more like a 35min long drag, with so much cars and buses, truck passing us by stirring so much dust from the nearby construction. *Cough*

Anyways, we quickly went redeemed our ticket from the terminal counters. There were already many people hanging around the lobby waiting to get into the Viking ship. Apart from Viking, there were few others ship docked here too, going places like Turku, Mariehem, Estonia or so.

Getting to Helsinki via the overnight ferry is really more like an excuse to buy booze. Seeing in both Norway and Stockholm both have heavy taxes on alcoholic drink, cruise operators like Viking strikes the idea to sell tax free liquors on board to attract people to come travel with them. It is not just here, more like a whole Europe thing really.

But we had fun here really, from listening people singing their type of Russian tune in the Karaoke, be fed with local popular fare, admiring the islands that pass our window non stop whole night, up till figuring out how to lower down the upper bunk bed in our room. Not so different with our Star Cruise, but packed with loads more local flavor definitely!

Roast Pork, Pan fried salmon, very good sausages, Spanish seafood paella (taste strange, my mom say its Chinese fried rice), Smoke salmon hiding behind, some creamy potatoes

Boiled rice (how odd!), Smoke salmon, cold meat cuts, stirr fry veg, shrimp salad, and that thing with inside the bread is liver pate.

More cold cuts - Comprises of mostly raw fish, smoke salmon, vinaigrette mackerels, small mussel salad

The next day, I woke up to a really old looking light house. This straight away took my thoughts far far away, remembering there was this tale that a light house caretaker struggle the great storm to make sure the light house's fire was not put off, as there was a ship carrying someone sick and needed to dock urgently. The light house must've look like this : small, with bright lights in the night, together with its caretaker living a lonely isolated life... alas!

We quickly ate breakfast, and this morning again our breakfast was taken cared off. Large variety of breakfast to choose from, various bacon streaks, hams, cheese, salmon again, bread, smörg bread (cracker looking biscuit). Knowing ourselves being surrounded with more expensive spending ahead, my mom even decided to pack sandwiches for lunch, erm, and the cheese, and sausages, as well as uncountable number of Swedish meatballs. Yum!

Breakfast at Mariella - Very good variety of bread loafs, with smoke salmon and cold cut again.

Typical Scandinavian breakfast? Or issit Finnish breakfast? Swedish meatballs, sausage, pan friend cubed ham, egg salad, savory bland pancakes. That thing in the middle is a badly flatten potato that is bake till too dry.

Finally we docked, ran up to the upper deck took few pictures of the surrounding.

Then we packed our stuffs and left the Mariella with a gloomy day ahead of us... but hey, Welcome to Helsinki!

Older Posts from My Scandinavia Trip

Stockholm Day-2 : Gamla Stan during day time

2008-09-14T22:32:00.003+08:00

It is surprisingly not so cold at all in Stockholm in the early month of September! Sun seemed rise at normal hours of, hmm, 7am or so. Last night sunset was like 7pm also!

Was dead tire last night ended up sleeping like 9pm or so, then found everyone to have woke up at 6am with me. Mom and Aunt tip-toed outside trying to cook up some maggie mee for breakfast, only ended up making too much noise and be told off by one Gothic looking girl (what, wearing dark eyeliner to sleep?! Only on European countries).

It is hard for first timer like my mom, my dad and my aunt to stay in a backpacker place. They are finding it very amusing that we must rent our bedsheets and tower apart from paying for the room. We ended up bringing our own.

So from now on, daily duty rooster goes like : my dad and I in charge with bedsheet, route planning and driving. Mom and Aunt do the cooking, grocery shopping (of course, I shop for myself when comes to tidbits).

Regular quotes heard during stay in hotel from these uncle and aunties includes : why here don't have can opener one ah? Why at night no one "jaga" (take care)? Wah, our food looks better than the table next door, like they only eat pizza and wine only. Must put our own bedsheets again issit? etc etc

Finally after having breakfast and packed for lunch, then we decided to head outside and see the Gamla Stan during day time. Ended up taking photo shots non stop!

Everywhere is a postcard perfect location. Hehe.

Noble Museum

Not sure why but for a while dad was very obsessed about phone card, wanting to call back office for some work related stuffs. Mom and I ended up wandering off to the nearby Stockholm Cathedral that is right next to the Swedish Royal Palace.

To our delightful surprise, there was a beautiful choir practice going on with a full orchestra playing side by side. I think they were practicing for the 11am session seeing that today is Sunday.

The inside of the Stockholm Cathedral look fantastic too, all ornamented with gold trimmings everywhere. Beautiful sculptures half hidden all over peeking from the top and I am all taken away looking at this.

Old pipe organ from the second floor. Wonder if it sound eerie if played on stormy nights?

Da Vinci Code?

Since we are already at the Royal Palace, we've decided to buy tickets and go for it.

Was on luck as managed to squeezed into the only English guided tour for the day. Things seemed so much clearer after being taken around and show stuffs with, while being explained on stories behind all these old relics in the palace.

I mean, I didn't agree at first to go for it as it was like USD50 or so just to get in and must pay another USD7 to snap pictures. Anyways, was glad to go for it because the interior of the palace looks great with loads and loads of ceiling painting (albeit some were political incorrect at current times), sophisticated mechanical clocks with delicate dragon slaying sculptures on them (wish I take some pictures!), hundreds of artwork like paintings, woven tapestries, sculptures, and mirrors!

One of the Swedish king decided that he fancy the French king Louie's decoration at the Versailles palace, so much so that he decided that he will have the same fancy corridors with loads of mirror decors, which eventually now it is the regular place where the yearly Noble price dinner are held.

Outside the Palace was a nice little slope, with nice view. We found ourselves a nice little bench to eat our packed sandwiches. Weather is nice, not too hot so everything is really good.

Skeppsbron, a pompous quay passing along the eastern waterfront of the old town

Skeppsbron and the statue of Gustav III

We then walk down to the canal side and take more pictures of course. September is like the end of travel season before the harsh winter comes, but to me the numbers of tourists here are still quite a lot.

While walking then saw our cruise to Helsinki already arrived with smokes flying all around. Yeah, we are planning to go Helsinki tomorrow and this evening we shall board the Viking cruise line for an overnight cruise, through the beautiful archipelago. And that, we decided to quickly head back to get our stuffs from Castenea and get to the ferry terminal.

Older Posts from My Scandinavia Trip

Welcome to Gamla Stan, Stockholm Sweden

2008-09-13T17:29:00.004+08:00

Took a morning 8.50am flight this morning with MAS Airline. Was at the airport as early as 6am. you've got to give it to my dad for saying "It is never bad to be earlier and more careful". Since there were sometime before boarding, the dad decided to give us a treat at the Eden Restaurant for nice dim sum breakfast. Somehow halal dim sum just don't taste right after all.

But you know what, after this meal, it then turned up to be that we have not eaten a long long time out in a nice restaurant during our trip here. I was foreseeing that coming, where by loads and loads of "homecooked" food in the hostel every night you know.

And then yada yada yada for 12 hours flight, mostly just past with me sleeping like a log in the plane, waking up occassionally for in flight food that I no longer able to recall, then we finally see something interesting through the plane window outside!

Aww... Good morning Stockholm!

For this trip, my father and I was like preparing almost every details, up till practicing Swedish language on a CD and printing regularly used phrases. I was quite afraid that we might eventually get into trouble since we cannot understand the language here.

I guess that was just us worrying too much, as the moment we touched down at Arlanda airport we found everyone speak fluent American English almost everywhere! We never had to worry for once how to ask for direction, information since our first encounter with the helpful staffs at the information counter.

Before we came here, I did an extensive search around on the net where to stay around in Stockholm. Eventually we managed to check ourselves into this nice cozy little hostel right smack in the middle of Gamla Stan (Old Town), known as Castenea Old Town Hostel. What's better than this when the Swedish Royal Palace is your neighbour? Har har har!

Everything is too small in European countries, eventhough their people seemed to be so big size with loads of cheese feeding. That is why it becomes a headache when we to travel with so many bags and be squeezed into small lifts (since the 1900 era), tiny staircase, rooms.

But it is all fine, because for the beautiful Gamla Stan, I am willing to put up with all sort of inconviniences for now.

This small little courtyard right outside our window seemed to be one of those romantic spots, always seeing a lot of lovey durvey couples here.

Dinner was quite pathetic, as we didn't have enough time to prepare. Castenea really look like a IKEA showroom, everything here has clean sleek lines, therefore even the kitchen are all stuffs with pots pans cutlery from IKEA too.

Even the double bed bunkers are from IKEA, which brought the attention that after sleeping too many nights on IKEA beds at various hostels throughout our trip, I have decided that IKEA's furniture is really too flimsy and hideous to my taste. Eventually I started to miss my bed of, hmm... 10 years back in SS2 after many days being away from it.

Coming back to the dinner, we managed to look around at the Coop round the corner for supplies, GOSH! Two bananas for USD2, bags of chips for USD3.50, a can of sardine for USD4. And for that, we decided to buy neccessities like bread and milk while we continue to survey a bit more.

It was nice to walk around the Gamla Stan a night too! Located on a small island, all the old buildings are well perserved here and away from the hectic business district.

Also a lot here are fancy dining restaurant. Consist of cramped tables and stool like chair, with people purposefully dress up to get pushed around at the corner, with warm candelights and wines, then they eat up a fortune (litterally, try USD100 for a piece of steak, wine and appetizer, and GST not included yet)

Phew... I am going to get some rest after this long long day. Forget bad beds, just gonna rest.

Older Posts from My Scandinavia Trip

Back from Scandiavia Trip

2008-09-12T14:15:00.003+08:00

Gosh, came back like 7am in the morning yesterday. Good thing that I took half day leave so I can sleep through till around 1 before start going to work. If not I would've easily turn up zombie-like. I decided not to sleep throughout the flight but instead immersing myself watching 4 in-flight movies back to back :P

There are lots and lots of pictures to be sorted out. Still not recovering from being awed all over by beautiful Norway Fjordlands. I don't think I can easily forget the scenery in Norway even for the many years to come. The snow, the highlands, turquoise crystal clear water melted from the glacier high on the Jotunheim moutain range...

But I guess nice thing in life always come hard to get. Whatever we used to enjoy back in Malaysia seemed so hard to come by here($$ wise, availability too). I won't dare to even step my foot into the Thai massage parlour that we happened to pass by in Gotebörg after imagining what it would've cost me for a simply aching relieve pressing. Looking at Danes munching happily at a Japanese restaurant next to Tivoli, I tried to convince myself the sandwich we packed for the day taste better but that did take a lot of effort! No coke for 16 days as well, as a bottle of coke of 275ml cost USD4! Crossing a bridge for USD40, but it is not cheaper for crossing with ferries too (think about USD40 or MORE). I can confidently say my diet was much healthier during this 16-days, no eating outside, all home cook, fruits, no sweet drink, no ice cream... haha.

One event that we cannot stop remembering was during one night in Norway fjords, we need to drove quickly from the Briskdal glacier to Lom where we booked to spend a night in a family run farm.

Our GPS, sigh, decided of all the route pointed us high up on the mountain to a scenic drive.

Yeah, it must be very spectacular in the day time with all snow mountain surrounding, but I call it eerie wandering alone in the car with no one around you, what more on an unpaved 40km long road!!! It does take much guessing that my mom was all hysterical on what if our car broke down and wolves come preying on us! Scary it might be, but not that I recall back, I actually find this whole scenario rather hilarious and stupid. SIGH!

Will stop here now. Gonna try blogging about the trip in details bit by bit. Perhaps can start during next 2 days holiday I think!

Scandinavia - Almost Packed

2008-09-07T13:19:00.005+08:00

Yeah... I will be away again for two weeks. Gonna head to Scandinavia Europe for two weeks soon. I just took a look at my beg, WOW, it is still a mess. But I guess things will be quite ready when the time comes (I HOPE!)

Our trip...erm...something similar to this, got from Globus Tour

Our trip will span from Sweden, Finland, Norway then to Denmark before heading back to Stockholm to fly home. Along the way, we have planned our trip to see as much as possible within this 16 days. It is of course crucial to do so because being there in Scandinavian countries is nothing but expensive. Therefore, it is impossible we gain maximum sight seeing with little time as possible. :P

Talk about things getting expensive, I am still very skeptical thinking the fact my parents is going to stay in backpacker's inn together with me. That is real first considering they always been lodging at nice hotels on their previous travel. I wonder what will my mom think when she realize the toilet does not come with toilet roll. Already she was nagging about hostel in Stockholm not providing pillow case, bedsheets, etc. Heh...

Anyways, the best highlight in this trip, in my opinion would be the Norway magnificent Fjord (pronounced as Fyord?). I can't wait to go see them soon!

We gonna stay in the Farm stay as well during one of the night when we are here.

Also is the Stockholm Gamla Stan old town.

As we arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, apparently the famous Tivoli Park will be closed by then during Autumn that is. So, I guess that left us with Legoland Theme park as well as Christian Anderson's Museum (the guy that wrote little mermaid)

As you can see, there are too many places to cover in such short time. We've already a car from Hertz in Stockholm. They've promised us a Volvo S40 for around €500 for two weeks (which we thought is okay.) Also ready is a Garmin Nuvi 200 that I asked my sister to bring back from Michigan for us. So things are good so far...

Hopefully I shall be able to write a thing or two during this trip, otherwise you can certainly guess that I must be all stressed up trying to fumble my way around this trip. Will keep you all updated!

林宥嘉 - 那首歌 mv

2008-08-16T10:51:00.002+08:00

Lately really like listening to his song. Thanks Chor Wan to introducing him to me. He still so young, but I guess you don't need a reason to like someone that sings to your heart isn't it?

Room renovation

2008-06-08T16:43:00.003+08:00

While I was away few weeks ago... just like Discovery Living Channel "While You Were Away" hehe...

Mark came around and did few things to my bedroom.

This is how it looks like before

And this is how's looking now!

This is the boring before...

And this is what it is like now!

Also fixed was more power sockets into the room, so as to prevent wires running all over the floor. That is just plain dangerous.

Now I can really call this rooms a cozy one. Still have this light now installed. Thinking of positioning them as a down light right above the computer monitor.

Thanks for Dinner... SMOOCH

2008-06-08T16:19:00.003+08:00

After our disastrous pasta night out at Pasta de Gohan, it is not hard to imagine we've got to make things right.

Mark invited me to come around for a nice spaghetti last night. I always know he cooks very well, right from when we first met, he use to cook the Swedish meat ball with a family traditional recipe he got from a close Swedish friends many many years ago (gosh, I just miss that mashed potatoes with Edam cheese and fried chopped garlic), right till sometime ago when he cooked with stuffs we got from Cameron Highlands

When I was in Hobart Tasmania disturbing him, he cooked me a nice piece of steak Diane that till now I am finding that lovely taste so hard to forget

Sometimes he will spoil me with this Pina Colada (Mark's recipe of course)

So, this was what he cook for me this round...

Grilled chicken salad with mustard seed vinegar olive oil dressing. YUM!

Seafood marinara with cream sauce spaghetti, also loaded in with fresh sliced mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes

What more can I ask for, they are just so tasty and satisfying. We finished them off while watching final few episodes of Desperate Housewives season 4. I call this a nice good time spent together as a couple. I just feel such lousy cook myself really, but who cares, I will continue to look forward for more his pasta, stews, cookies, cakes, mash, meatballs... :P

Pasta de Gohan - Sunway Pyramid - BIG DISAPPOINMENT

2008-06-08T16:00:00.006+08:00

After reading a few rather encouraging blog, Mark and I decided that we should have a try at this place.

Looking good from outside, we straight away feel rather hungry with so many types of pasta models fitted on the store window...

After we sat down, we were presented with this menu that seemed too many choices!!!

And more of the menu are here at their website:
http://www.waraku.com.sg/pastamenu-grandmenu.html

So Mark decided to order himself this cream salmon with spinach in fettuccine while I settled in with tomato cream chicken mushroom with fettuccine as well. On top of that we see the portion seemed quite small and decided to have a sausage and egg plant pizza regular size.

Our meal came and looking terribly pathetic, both in quality and quantity, as relative to the price that they are charging!!

I mean, the portion is so small for the price they are charging! It took us less than 5 minute before we finished everything but still finding ourselves terribly hungry. It is not only that... the salmon in Mark's order, are cubed cutely, but tasting so so fishy. That usually means the fish is not fresh at all! Sigh... My chicken is no better as well... not well marinated and tasted like put together only when ordered... instead of having cook when ordered!

Our pizza... being charged at a price of RM24.80.

I expected something more than just a 2mm thick crust with miserable SPAM-like pork topping, surplus with that aubergine that looks like was a reject from the morning market.

For a disappointing meal, we pay RM83.25 and after that we went to Old Town coffee shop for nasi lemak to make things up.

No thanks, but I will never go to Pasta de Gohan again. Pizzahut~ I will never leave you again, erm and Dominos too!!!

《伤心咖啡店之歌》10(4)

2008-06-03T09:42:00.003+08:00

连载:伤心咖啡店之歌作者：(台湾)朱少麟出版社:作家出版社

夜已深，一路车行无阻，他们来到台北最南端，面向着一片寂静山峦的河湾。河湾之畔是一道水泥堤防，他们爬上堤防，这一晚有月亮，静静的河面在夜色中映照着粼粼光芒，海安和马蒂并肩在堤上坐下，之后是长久的沉默。
　　“好安静，真难想象这里还是台北市。”马蒂说。

　　“嗯，尤其是这空旷。”海安说。
　　“我常常想，就是我们生活的环境太局促，才让人人都变得这样你争我夺，尔虞我诈。人真是奇怪的社会动物，互相需要，又互相压迫，就像哲人说的，一群拥聚取暖的刺猬。”
　　“不是吗？”
　　“我从来没有出过国，海安，不过我猜台北是全世界最拥挤的城市。”
　　“人口密度各有不同，不过在拥挤的程度上，每个城市都一样。”海安折了一枝小草叶，衔在嘴上，傍着河堤的斜度躺了下来。
　　“真可怜。我要的真的不多，至少只要眼前能看到这一片没有人的荒地。唉，为什么人看到空旷的景致就会这么觉得舒畅安详呢？”
　　“那是因为人永远脱不了领域动物的野性。”
　　“领域动物？”
　　“对，领域动物。像豹子撕抓树干，像狼群遗留体味，用原始的方法标示出它们的领土。领土之内，惟我独尊，不容外物入侵，领土之外，在领域动物的知觉中，一片杀机，一片荒凉。人就是领域动物，可惜社会化了以后的人，必须依赖群聚的生活，那占有领域的冲动，只有转而在其他的方向去满足。”
　　“你是指社会地位，财富？”
　　“你看看台北人，忙了一辈子，追求的是什么？不过是闯出一片属于自己的地盘。人太多，土地太少，领域的度量衡变成了钱。大家穷其一生赚取金钱，好划下在社会中的地盘。财富多的，领域充裕，志得意满不怕进退失所；财富少的，仰人鼻息仓仓皇皇，如同无地自容的孤兽。人群越拥挤的地方，追求财富的欲望越明显，只因为那求取地盘的欲望越迫切。赚钱机器，人最后变成了赚钱机器，被自己的领域欲望所驱动，身不由己。看到了这片空旷宽裕，勾起了人心底最原始的记忆，在一片可以伸展野性的土地上，不必被侵犯，不劳去争夺，所以非常安详，停止了生活，开始了存在。谁不需要这种感受？”
　　“这么说台北人真可悲了？”
　　“可悲的是，人既是社会动物，又是领域动物。”
　　“所以你去马达加斯加旅行？”
　　海安侧过脸看马蒂，他的面庞奢侈地展示在马蒂眼前。马蒂喜欢他鞭子一样的双眉，还有他褶痕深秀的明朗眼眸。拥有深邃明眸的男人总让人觉得失之美丽，不够男性化与刚强，但海安的眉眼是这么地放肆舒展，恰到好处，兼具阴性美与阳刚，还有他髭须微现的匀称下颔，线条美好的唇。马蒂想，海安面容之美好，狂妄得不似人间。
　　“我也好想去马达加斯加。”马蒂轻声说，她抱着双膝看河面上的月光。
　　“颓丧的渴望。”海安说，他撇嘴吐掉草叶。
　　“怎么这么说？”
　　“不是吗？”
　　“……高中的时候上地理课，讲到非洲南部有个外岛，地理老师摊开世界地图，告诉我们马达加斯加和台湾的雷同关系。突然之间我有一股激情，我在笔记本上画下了这座岛，告诉自己，有一天我要到那里去，住下来，一辈子住那里。很好笑吧？”
　　“并不难理解。因为马达加斯加的外在太像台湾却又不是台湾。那只不过是你恋家与弃家的复杂情绪的投射，人渴望的是空间。”
　　“那么你不是吗？”
　　“我去过很多地方，马达加斯加不过是我的行脚中的一站。”
　　“我情愿终老在那么原始又荒凉的地方，就算死在那里，我也愿意。”
　　“在我看这个愿望并不难达成。”
　　“难哪。”马蒂叹息一样说，她抱紧了双膝默想着。
　　“你想说什么却说不出口？你抛不开这里的生活？你想说我们从小被教养成社会机器中的一环，一个螺丝钉，脱离这个生命体你就失去了所有依据？你想说从读书开始到大学毕业你已经融入台北，在台北落地生根是条不归路，结果变成了放弃台北也是条渺茫的不归路？你害怕一旦放手，万一后悔了却回不了头？你不想跟旁人比赛，可是整个生活本来就是一场疯狂的竞跑，你不跑了又不甘心做个落队的人？”
　　“我不晓得……也许是吧？”
　　“你太在乎别人对你的认同了。”
　　“是吗？如果是这样，我就不会像今天一样颓废了。你根本就不认识我。”
　　“好，那么我给你一分钟，告诉我你是谁。”
　　马蒂一愣，之后她流利地答道：“我叫马蒂，今年二十九岁。台北人，不，江苏人，台北出生。辅大外文系毕业，主修英语。已婚……现在分居。我在一家电脑公司上班，担任秘书，血型Ａ型……现在住木栅……”她的速度缓了下来。
　　“这就是你？”
　　“是啊。”
　　“我所听到的，都是社会阶级或团体的标签，是从一般社会认同的角度下去描写的你，那是别人眼中的马蒂。试着不要用纵向的时间来丈量你的生命，还要横向去探测你生命中的深度，然后抛开社会符号，再告诉我你是什么人。”
　　“我，马蒂……今年二十九岁，没有一年过的是我想要的生活，我花了目前生命的三分之二在读教科书，我很孤独，那是因为我从小没有家，个性又内向，我很爱幻想，可是又好像太懒，我有满腔的柔情，可是不知道该去爱谁。我现在又上班了，可是上班好像让我更茫然，我害怕做一个作息刻板的上班族做到退休，我想找机会脱离这种生活。我要什么生活呢？我要的也不太多，就是自由吧？比如说，今天天气这么好，有阳光，我就想去指南山上走走，不用去向别人请假，得到准假后才去自由走走。对，不用向别人请假的生活。我很想做

一个我行我素的人，不用向别人交代我，不用跟别人一窝蜂地去追求那种典型的人生，我渴望长出翅膀，自由自在飞翔。这样的说明，及格了吗？”
　　“很好。你没有理由不自由。”
　　“在这个世界上，谁自由了？”
　　“问题还是一样，你太在乎别人的认同了。当你说你不自由时，不是指你失去了做什么的自由，而是你想做的事得不到别人足够的认同，那带给你精神上或道德上的压力，于是你觉得被压迫，被妨碍，被剥夺。马蒂，翅膀长在你的肩上，太在乎别人对于飞行姿势的批评，所以你飞不起来。”
　　“你所说的是不顾任何道德规范，全然放纵的自由？”马蒂问。
　　“有何不可？”
　　“难道那就自由了？难道挣脱了一切社会规范枷锁，就不会变成‘不受拘束的激情’的奴隶？”
　　“很好，你读了些书了。在这个世界上，有政治上的奴隶，有法律上的奴隶，也有价值观或道德上的奴隶，看你要做哪一种。没有真正完全的自由，除非你不存在于社会，可是没有社会就不会有现在的你。我所说的放纵的自由，主要是从你被灌注的价值观、人生观上的解放，这是你的生命，社会滋养你，现在够了，开始切断社会对你的脐带，专心尽情地做你自己。”
　　“像吉儿说的，太自我主义了吧？人人都这么想，社会就垮了。”
　　“又是价值观问题。你被你所学到的价值观困住了。要从价值观中自由，自由到连没有价值观了也不在乎。”
　　“那很需要勇气吧。至少需要……需要……”
　　“知识与智慧，还有钱。”
　　“我不像你那么幸运。老天爷对人并不公平。”
　　“本来就不公平。但又何足遗憾？要知道大自然厌恶的就是平等。公平来自比较的概念，一比较你就陷于尺度上的束缚。”
　　“那么你很自由了？”马蒂问。
　　“我是。”
　　“你什么也不在乎？”
　　“我只在乎我在乎的。”
　　“那你在乎什么？”
　　“伤心咖啡店。”

==========

新浪独家连载
More : http://book.sina.com.cn/nzt/lit/shangxinkafeidian/index.shtml

China Sichuan Earthquake * 因为爱

2008-05-25T15:16:00.002+08:00

[00:15.60]演唱:天中公司所有艺人
[00:26.21]因为船才到达彼岸
[00:32.82]因为冷候鸟才飞向南
[00:40.40]因为有瞬间阴霾阳光才更灿烂
[00:47.62]因为寒冬春天才回暖
[00:54.72]因为你眉头才放宽
[01:01.29]因为我跌倒了有人搀
[01:09.03]因为所有的付出总会得到偿还
[01:16.11]因为我们笑着过难关
[01:22.64]就因为爱希望绽放华彩
[01:29.64]就因为爱能拨云见日未来永值得期待
[01:36.78]就因为爱就因为爱
[01:44.77]所有的生命才收获了圆满
[01:51.20]就因为爱彼此无声依赖
[01:58.25]就因为爱至少还有一个信念不会更改
[02:05.42]就因为爱就因为爱
[02:13.41]奇迹正在赶过来
[02:24.20]因为天海才特别蓝
[02:30.90]因为灯黑夜从不暗淡
[02:38.46]因为同携手作伴不会感觉孤单
[02:45.75]因为心疼才要更勇敢
[02:52.82]因为你努力有何难
[02:59.52]因为我将会为你承担
[03:07.13]因为面对着风雨从不袖手旁观
[03:14.27]因为我们共撑一把伞
[03:20.87]就因为爱希望绽放华彩
[03:27.95]就因为爱能拨云见日未来永值得期待
[03:34.89]就因为爱就因为爱
[03:42.88]所有的生命才收获了圆满
[03:49.38]就因为爱彼此无声依赖
[03:56.41]就因为爱至少还有一个信念不会更改
[04:03.59]就因为爱就因为爱
[04:11.61]奇迹正在赶过来
[04:18.23]就因为爱希望绽放华彩
[04:25.03]就因为爱能拨云见日未来永值得期待
[04:32.11]就因为爱就因为爱
[04:40.23]所有的生命才收获了圆满
[04:46.79]就因为爱彼此无声依赖
[04:53.74]就因为爱至少还有一个信念不会更改
[05:00.76]就因为爱就因为爱
[05:08.93]奇迹正在赶过来
[05:16.03]就因为爱就因为爱
[05:23.41]奇迹正在赶过来

Finally... 2007 Dec Korea Trip Updates

2008-05-01T17:45:00.001+08:00

We came to Seoul as part of the annual incentive trip, partly sponsored by our company. As for me, I have never been to Seoul before personally. Prior arriving here, my opinion about Korean are that they are more fun than the Japanese (i.e. not bound by social order), and that Korea is much lack behind than Japan.

But I guess I was wrong! Though Malaysia and Korea start from the same point prior after global economy downturn in the 90's, but after merely 15 years they have already surpass us so much so that Seoul itself was recently voted to be one of the most expensive city to stay in! Not even Tokyo can beat it, nor New York itself.

Read about my short 6 days 4 nights trip (yes, u got it right) here with my colleagues to Korea, and perhaps you might have a better perspective what Korea is like these days!

All the pitures of my Korea trip have been uploaded to :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danachow/sets/72157603673554754/

Stuffs that we eat here in Korea

2008-05-01T17:07:00.003+08:00

We tend to think we have great experience eating Korea cuisine before we came on this trip. Why do I say that? Well, it is the fact that our office is near the so called Little Korea, where many Korean's hang around (due to the Korean Embassy at the vicinity) at this Ampang Point area.

Therefore, even before we came to Korea, we have some good idea what Korean food is all about. We know what we get when we order things like Bibimbab - Hot stone bowl veg mixed rice, Kimchi stew soup, Korea BBQ. And we even frequent the Korean grocery stores dotted the neighbourhood!

But it turns into a somewhat disappointment during around stay here in Korean. While some day we get fairly good food, but mostly they just taste so so. I tend to think this is the case as things are so expensive around Korea, it is rather impossible to dish out something lavish because of the costing involved.

While the Korean royalties gets food like this many decades ago...

Model at Jewel of the Palace

Model at the Korean Culture Museum

Are daily meal pretty much comprises of Steamboats...

Beef steamboat

Mixed steamboat

Veg steamboat

And side dishes... comprises of salad seaweed, Kimchis, anchovies and pickled radish.

And it gets a little worse when you are in the middle of the city

And the place goes underground, a little too close for comfort.

And since man power means $$, you will always need to cook your own food.

Korean stirr fried rice cake

So, you can't blame us for wanting to splurge a little trying other food outside.

Ice cream moulded into pearl like shape, very good.

Thank goodness there was tid bits and Korean ramen

The fried chicken stalls few blocks away from the Novotel was a savior on our night playing card.
There are stalls on the street all over as well. But it gets a bit repetitive if you walk around long enough.

BBQ sausages

Boilt stuffs - sausages, bean curd, fish balls.

Deep fried stuffs.

Last Day Korea : Around Korea, Buh Byee~!

2008-05-01T11:56:00.000+08:00

So, it is our last day here.

Really it wasn't much. Early in the morning went to the Korea Hallyu pop museum, situated under the Korea Tourism Organization right smack in the middle of downtown.

Took pictures with some of our favorite singer, star, in cardboard of course. Me think they ain't even awake at that time on a Sunday!

Went to their toilet. Just like Japan, heated seat all complete with in-built bidet (They must be wondering why it took me so long in the toilet.

Also comes with this weewee silencer thingy that sounds like the thunderous river rushing through when pressed.

Bad breath? Help urself with a cuppa mouth rinse on this dispenser. Heh...

Right outside the Tourism Organization building, is a central business district separated by this wonderful stream--Cheonggyecheon that the previous mayor took much effort to restore it till what it was long ago. I thought it was marvelous to have such clean river running through the busy downtown district like here.

According to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheonggyecheon

During the presidency of Syngman Rhee, Cheonggyecheon was covered over with concrete for roads and, in 1968, an elevated highway was built over it. In July 2003, then Seoul mayor (now President) Lee Myung-bak initiated a project to uncover and restore the stream. It was a major undertaking as not only did the highway have to be removed, but years of neglect and development had left the stream nearly totally dry and 120,000 tons of water had to be pumped in daily. The stream was opened to the public in September of 2005 and lauded as a major success in urban renewal and beautification. However, there was considerable opposition from the previous mayoral administration of Goh Kun, which feared gentrification of the adjacent areas that housed many shops and small businesses in the machine trades.

The restoration helped Lee become a nationally renowned figure, making him a serious contender for the presidency, but did not come without controversy. In May 2005, just a few months before the project was to finish, Seoul vice-mayor Yang Yun-jae and local politician Kim Il-ju were arrested on bribery charges related to the project.

So, there you go, an oasis in the middle of a busy city center. Should go again at night during Christmas season, coz apparently they've beautifully lit up the area with light bulbs.

Anyways, after lunch, we then toured the Yeouido Park shortly before we arrived at the airport. Not much here really, some funfair with sleazy looking food stalls. Then we boarded a short car ferry cruising around.

And of course, you can't possibly leave Korea without buying the Korean groceries can't you. We were sent to the tourism shopping place, and just selling the daily Korean grocery.

One thing for sure, although most people won't have half the clue on their language, Korean people have been very good promoting their lifestyle, food culinary fare, and even exporting movies and dramas. This is till a point that rival Japanese culture these days. I mean, who would've thought of selling daily bibimbab chilli paste to tourists per se, but the Korean did it, and have a place to teach the customer how to use their food as well.

The same thing just goes with the expensive ginseng powder. Expensive it might be, but as the tour guide made unassuming marketing strategy by letting us try her yogurt ginseng mark therapy, everyone just buy without even asking more questions. That itself is a very good marketing strategy lesson to learn.

Anyway, this really concludes my brief trip here to Korea. My next trip in line will be the most recent trip to Jiang Nan, China. That itself comprises Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. Thanks for dropping by on a off to read about my humble ventures around the world all these days. Your frequest visit really has been a motivation for me to keep on writing. :-)

Day 4 Korea : Around Seoul... Tourist Must Do ?!

2008-05-01T11:30:00.000+08:00

On our fourth day here in Korea, we finally make it back to Seoul for a proper city tour.

And first thing first, they starts all the shopping tour that anyone thought wouldn't come by since we assumed ourselves on this more expensive tour with Mayflower. But alas, the first thing our guide brought us to was the Korean ginseng shop, where you truly burn a hole in her pocket buying RM700 worth of powder and pills (still in the fridge now if you want to know).

I am sure the stuffs are good but it ain't good if you not eating them. Right?

So they claim lah, the powder were made from at least 6 year old ginseng root, thus doesn't have the heat effect after consume it. Whilst the American ginseng is too cold while the China one too hot, this is at the medium range, i.e. not too cold nor too heaty. I myself get confused later on what's really good or bad!

Anyways, after milking us at the most expensive place, it did not ended, we were chauffeured to more shopping places...

e.g. the so called KimChi school, where they dress you up like a Korean doll, then teach you about the variety of KimChis (more than 20 that is known now), and make you do the dirty job preping one!

Then to buy a 1kg bag, it cost something like USD16. Hmm... imaging paying USD16 for a bag of smelly cabbage, take that~! My colleague and I both bought a bag but it somehow doesn't taste quite right after we open them back in KL. We have had a lot better ones in Korea and in Malaysia. I somewhat reluctant to think that we were conned.

After lunch, we then came to the Gyeongbokgung Palace. In within Seoul, there are too many palace. So here we are at one of the many ones.

It seems that this whole place was burn down once, no wonder still much empty land around here. The palace guide says their government is slowly building them back one by one.

Dunno, I think it is not very important to built it back because no matter how much you try, it will never be the same. I mean, can you replace the finely crafted furnitures and delicately molded porcelain that gone together into ash? That's why I say, then the time comes, we should move on instead of dwelling into the past.

Dana says "Walking forward but looking back only trip yourself to the ground." Kih kih...

Anyway, we too went to the Korea cultural museum. Not too bad with nicely laid exhibitions that gives tourist a fast forward on Korea culture, both past and present.

Our days continued with going to a building's basement somewhere in Seoul where they purposely build a sub-zero bar out of it. I don't particularly find myself too chill to be there for long!

My god, even the glass is a big piece of ice.

Our night ended when we were let loose near Ewha Women's University shopping area. Nothing much for me at least, as everything seemed more expensive than I could probably afford.

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

2008-05-01T04:11:00.002+08:00

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

心情低潮

2008-04-16T17:28:00.003+08:00

可是我又能怎样呢？

世界第二大战并不是应为刺杀了那位无聊的王子而开始的。所有的前因后果，长期一波又一波并引来这有如排山倒海，世界末日的一战。

既然如此，那我又能怎样呢？

Day 3 Korea : More SNOW !!! enroute Everland

2008-04-13T10:45:00.000+08:00

Woke up much later this morning, finding all the youngsters are already all geared up ready to ski and snow board more! Not much different on the surrounding, still with much snow.

After brief breakfast quickly run outside to take more pictures as most of the one we had was night scene.

Snow at day time seemed too bright for my eyes. Perhaps that is why Everest conquerers insist on wearing sunglasses otherwise they can go blind with the snow blind.

How cold would it be? Not much, but a mere -6deg.

I would say anything below the temperature of 0 deg C has every little different, coz it is still as cold. Inccidently my sister was chatting with me about this, she thinks there are differences between a temperature of -10 to 0, coz people will think of 0 deg is too hot a temperature during winter times. Hmmm...

Anyways, we also take chances to take pictures with the paperboard depicting actor and actresses who filmed the Autumn Love here at the Vivaldi Ski Resort.

We then depart to Everland, one of the few famous themepark in the country. Originally the plan was to Lotte World, however two of our colleagues been to both the park before and they both think Everland seemed newer, bigger with more new ideas as compare to Lotte world.

Our ticket were included this thingy called big 5, which that we can have 5 rides in the park for free. After all you are all on your own.

Well... the chair lift is free...

As well as this snow sliding... some of went 4 times for it... safe and fun, totally awesome... You can't get this anywhere in Malaysia for sure!

Though we get 5 rides for free but with 3 hours here, we hardly have enough time to finish the rides. Most of the time, the que to the rides were just too long for us to wait.

We qued for this Safari bus ride, so much so we missed the daily parade.

The highlight for the safari was to see the Liger. Where by these animals were inhumanly reproduced between tiger and Lion. The whole ride was being introduced by a Korean bus uncle that seemed very humorous. Actually everyone in Korea, including this Park are very professional when comes to work. They always look enthusiastic, politely greeting everyone.

Anyways, since that everything was in Korean, We all ended up wondering which of the animals we seen is the mythical Liger... even after we got out of the bus much later. SIGH!

Is this the Liger??

Ligers??? Ligeress???

Maybe this is the Liger??

Liger??? Or Liger's food?? Kakakaka
Currently the whole of Korea are into buying this winter warming accessories. Till I got very tempted as well... not just Everland's selling it, in the street of Dongdaemon within Korea, they are having it cheaper with handwarmer all build into one as well.

Animal hats for US15

Gloved for US8 or so

Took some pics here, quite a well kept place, doesn't look old and worn out.

If not mistaken, Everland is owned by Samsung corporation currently. Oh well, Korea is famous for big corporation owning almost every kind of business. I mean, the guide was even recommending us to try out the Face mask made by Samsung cosmetics, which claims to be one of best deal around.

That night itself, we finally gone back to Seoul. It was a very very very long ride, like 3 to 4 hours or so. The traffic on the 3 lanes highway towards the city direction was notorious that evening. Partly due to upcoming weekends and Christmas celebration as well. All of us ended having big time urge to go to the toilet, worsen by such cold weather as well!

Went to Dondaemon where fashion is the business here. Clothes here are cheap actually as I think the people here follows the fashion trend closely. Think they throwing out of season clothes away religiously!

天上有天堂，地上有苏杭

2008-03-30T18:42:00.005+08:00

"On sky there is heaven; On earth there is Hangzhou & Suzhou"

Been awhile since I last posted anything here. A lot been happening, both work and life. When away to China around end of February, where our journey included Hangzhou - Suzhou - Shanghai. Was very worried that the snow storm won't stopped in time for our trip here, but it was quite warm throughout our stay around the Jiangnan 江南.

While I am still not done with the Korea trip, I ill update my trip to China gradually, for now I shall leave you some beautiful memories I captured with my old faithful -- Panansonic Lumix DMC FZ-5

More pics are uploaded at Flickr
Click here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/danachow/sets/72157604307291060/

離家出走 by Janice 卫兰

2008-02-28T23:45:00.001+08:00

豁出去漫游不通知亲友
那快感少有哪管想去多久
抱得你未够于这里闷透
才誓死跟你逛尽地球
何必每件壮举都需要理由
伴你去出走快活而内疚
不管举世追究愿扣上你双手
自繁华浪处到沙丘
恋爱能有幸这样放肆至足够

别再管谁咒你
曾经荒谬闯荡异地
亦未枉相恋超出烦恼的禁忌
视世上人不理想早晚能见你
曾经反叛也是我运气天与地
连老了不再飞无那份勇气

怕一世未能沙砾中拥吻
有了你先有这最凄美质感
纵使有地震不因我犯禁
谁话你坏人不减吸引
明知我做错过的总要奉还
但我爱一眼有自由浩叹
都深刻过不散
让你我似走犯在穷途入教堂进谏
上帝求你让我共爱侣过更多晚

代价高仍爱你
曾经荒谬闯荡异地
亦未枉相恋超出烦恼的禁忌
视世上人不理想早晚能见你
曾经反叛也是我运气
天与地逃过约束抛开生死
这样也许了不起
但有一日轰烈乏味
就让彼此都别恋他人也不忘记
别个再没法比疯过后能放弃
回家安乐过亦有运气不顾忌
才了解喜与悲能以后铭记

人有天总怕死才注定别离

一人一半

2008-02-28T01:01:00.002+08:00

歌手：欧得洋专辑：北半球有欧得洋

安静会吵醒旧的事情悲伤一步步正逼近
耳边又响起我爱你那么清晰那么锐利
翻箱倒柜试图忙一点想赶走思念
汗水泪水原来一样咸像对错最后难以分辨
说好了痛苦一人一半转身各自解散
我左边肩膀上的天堂
仍是你专属的游乐场
(再不是你想来的地方)
说好了甜蜜一人一半让分手不那么酸
我帮你装上一双翅膀
却用回忆把自己捆绑
失去的原因没有道理我常和自己吵不停
再多的书籍劝不醒分而不离离而不弃
爱像底片曝光后毁灭抓不住从前
今天明天原来同一天因为日历撕不掉从前
我不是你缺的那一半你却永远是我另一半