I just want to kill time

I should be doing some more productive, but I just cannot be bothered right now. I just hope everything will work out so that I can go back for holidays.

I just watched the results show of X factor, and although I know that Jedward will not win the show, but seriously Llyold should go home. He was horrible!!!


Lucie Jones - She was my very favourite from the start of the show. She is pretty and she can sing so well. I thought she was the one to watch in this competition, and she definitely is Dani's strongest girl. I like her voice a lot, she might not be able to hit the high notes as well as Leona Lewis, but there is just something which is so special about her.

Miss Frank - Another of my favourite. They are fun, they are different, they are unique. They brought life to the competition, especially when they rap. They are so cool and so original. They should not have gone home so early. They were one of the best girl group that the show ever had.


Rachel Adedeji - Another one of my pick. She is quirky, she is cool and she can sing. Just when she is turning into a sensation, Simon decided to send her home. Maybe she reminded the public too much of past season winners, i.e. Alexandra Burke, Leona Lewis. I thought she did really well in all the big ballad songs.

All my favourites have left one by one. What is wrong with you people? Send the right people home!! My only favourite act left is Joe. I hope he will do well in the rest of the competition.

I really thought that this year will be Danii's year. She had such strong mentees.

On another note, Llyold should not even be in the top 12. Cheryl should have picked Ethan instead. I used to like Jamie, but he is so boring now. Gosh, and I cannot stand Danyl. Someone please send him home already.

Right now, I think my ideal top 2 will be Joe VS Olly, but I do not mind Stacey either. As long as it is not Danyl, then I am happy.

Do you think there is an audition to be a judge on X factor? I think I will definitely make a good one.

There was once a boy, lost in the jungle, feeling hungry and tired. He walked and walked and walked until he finally stumbled across a loaf of meat right in the middle of the jungle. Many scavengers were surrounding the meat, and he did not intend to pick it up. He knew he would have no chance in fighting against the scavengers.

Instead, he chose to continue his journey. Not far from the loaf of meat stood several very inviting fruit trees. He was very tempted to climb up the tree to pick the fruit. He started climbing and when he was half way through climbing, he turned back and took a glimpse across the jungle.

He saw that the scavengers have left. The meat is still nicely lying on the floor. He hesitated, should he continue climbing or should he turned back and grab the meat. Finally, he told himself, why not try grabbing the meat, there will be no harm done. The fruits will always be waiting there on the tree.

So slowly he walked towards the meat. He was afraid that the scavengers might strike back anytime. He quickly sliced a tiny piece of the meat and ran towards the tree. He sat underneath the tree and stuffed the meat into his mouth. ‘This actually taste quite good’, he told himself.

He approached the meat again, and being very careful, he grabbed another tiny slice of the meat and ran towards the tree. He repeated the steps a couple of times and with each step he grew more confident. He let his guard down and finally, he stood bravely in front of the meat. He grabbed a slice and this time he did not run anymore. Instead he sat down and happily chewed onto the meat.

Suddenly, he felt the earth shaking. He was sinking into the ground. Only now did he realize that he was trapped in a quicksand. He was afraid, and he wanted to abandon the meat. But with each move he made, the more he tried to run away, the deeper he sank into the ground.

There is nothing that he can do. He felt very helpless. Why did he turn back to grab the meat when the fruits are almost in his hands? He did not understand. Now that he can’t run away, he just silently prayed that with time, he can slowly find a way out of the trap.

Fun Facts about Istanbul

In Istanbul, it is almost impossible to not notice their infamous Turkish delights. You can see them at shops along the streets or at the numerous bazaars Istanbul has. The Turkish delights come in different sizes and colors. Some of them are in white, some of them are green; some of them are indulged with nuts and so on. It is really hard to pick a favorite out of all the choices, but I can assure you that those with a sweet tooth will really love it.

can you resist this?

The other interesting thing that we did in Istanbul was a hamam, which is more commonly known as Turkish bath. I was quite skeptical about it at the first place because I do not know what the hamam has to offer. Somehow I thought that the hamam will be like those Japanese hot springs that we see it so often over the television. My guts was telling me that we are to shower, scrub each other’s back and then dip into a relaxing hot spring.

Well, I kind of got half of it correct. We have to undress ourselves with a piece of towel the only thing left. We have to shower ourselves with hot water. Then came the different parts, we have to walk in to a room which looks like a dome. It was very hot and stuffy, just like what you will get in a sauna. You can then shower with hot water and lie down on a piece of big platform right in the middle of the dome. You can relax and lie as long as you want on the platform. Once you find it too hot, you can then either shower yourself with more hot water or leave the stuffy dome for some fresh air.

Another interesting thing about the hamam is that there are a couple of workers who work in the dome to provide massage and shower service for you, but you have to pay more for these services. Being very unadventurous as I am, I opted for the safe choice, which is to shower by myself and no extra massages. The workers are big and hairy man, and judging by the strength that they used, I was somehow relieved that I did not choose to get these extra services.

Above: rooms for changing before entering the dome
Below: shop selling all kinds of showering essentials, soaps, towels, etc.

One interesting thing that we did in Istanbul was taking a cruise along the Bosphorus River. Along the river bank, many locals approached us to offer their cruise service. We were reluctant to accept the offer for the fear of being cheated. We tried looking for a booth that sell tickets but it was nowhere to be found. Finally after much hesitation and discussion, we took the offer of a 45 minutes cruise from a local.

It was a breathtaking view. The breeze was soothing; no make it too soothing that halfway through the ride, the wind got too chilly that we had to switch from being on the deck to the indoor room. We passed by many beautiful scenery and buildings, and one of them was the Bosphorus bridge, which connect both the Asian and European side. After some time on the cruise seeing repetitive sceneries, we got from excited to falling asleep in no time.

And one last thing, the locals like to fish. You can see them fishing on the bridge, well equipped with fishing rods and pails containing their catch, interesting isn’t it?

Istanbul

Istanbul is never in my list of countries that I want to visit. Yet somehow, I managed to convince myself to go over the Easter break.

Here is a little test for you. Is Istanbul the capital of Turkey? If your answer is yes, then you are wrong. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, but the capital of Turkey is actually Ankara. Many people will get this wrong because in almost every aspect, Istanbul is overshadowing Ankara. Istanbul is the more popular of the two, with more attractions and let us not forget the place where Liverpool came back magnificently from a 3 goals deficit to clinch the Champion League.

a panoramic view of Istanbul

Istanbul is unique because it connects both the European continent and Asian continent. It is uniquely located at the Bosphorus strait, which divided both the continents. We stayed at the old city of Istanbul, which is located on the European side. We never really crossed over to the Asian side because there are many attractions on the European side that are enough to keep us occupied.

There are many attractions that are worth paying a visit. The first one will definitely be Hagia Sophia. It was once a patriarchal basilica (a church) and was then converted into a mosque. It is now a museum open to the public. The fact that it was being converted into a mosque, yet it still keeps much of the remaining of the church made it so special. Inside Hagia Sophia, you will get to see both the influence of the two different religions, on one hand you get the see murals of Jesus and on the other hand you can see the carvings that worship Islam. Never in another place in the world will you get to see two religions under one roof.

Then we have the Blue Mosque. It is situated right opposite of Hagia Sophia. It is known as the blue mosque because of the blue tiles that adorn its interior. From far, it looks huge. However once we set foot on the mosque, it does not seem as big. It has a beautiful courtyard, but that is all about it. The interior just look like every other mosque. Maybe part of the reason is that I came from a Muslim country and I have seen many of the same things that might partially explain why I do not find it particularly amusing.

the courtyard and the interior of the Blue Mosque

We also visited the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world. The place looks like one huge maze with many entrance and exits. It houses many shops and most of them selling beautiful potteries, jewelries and spices. This place will be a heaven for bargain shoppers as you can haggle as much as you want. This is a place to put your bargaining skill to test and it makes me realized that I still have a lot of work to be done in this particular skill.

I saw a beautiful decoration and the shop owner was willing to sell it for 40 liras (approximately 20 pounds). I thought it was too expensive and I walked away. The shop owner reduced it to 30, but I was still not convinced to buy. He chased after me and he offered me a price of 20. I quickly jumped at the opportunity as mind you, it is a 50% reduction in price. Only after I bought it I realized that I can actually bought it at a cheaper price, a tiny box for 10 pounds, it is still too expensive. Lesson of the day, I learnt that when I am to do bargain shopping again, I will stick to my girl friends.

Then there is also Topkapi Palace. It was once the house of residence of the Sultans. There are a number of courtyards in the Palace, with each housing buildings that have its own specific functions. Most of the buildings now are used as a display of items used in those glory days of the Sultans. There is even a ‘sunat’ house, guess this is not only a tradition of the Chinese after all.

the courtyard of the palace

Istanbul might not be as advanced as the other European countries, but it holds a significant amount of irreplaceable cultures that are nowhere to be found. it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly made me fall in love with this beautiful city.

Barcelona & Gaudi

Barcelona, home of Barcelona FC which just won the Champion League. Or should I say, Barcelona, the place where we can see the masterpiece of Gaudi, an amazing architect which brought so much life to Barcelona. In case you do not know who he is, then you should check this out. *click* To be honest, I do not know who he is before I went to Barcelona, only after the trip I realized what an amazing architect he was.

There a couple of buildings that is inspired by Gaudi. One of the most recognized building is Sagrada Familia. It is meant to be a church and till date, it is still unfinished. Still, the place is packed with tourist every single day. What made it so special are the carvings that made the church, every single bit is so detailed and precise. We took an elevator to the top of the church, where we get to a bird eye view of the surroundings. The queue for the elevator alone took us more than half an hour.

the interior and exterior of Sagrada Familia, the view from the top and the very famous spiral staircase

Another notable building is Guell Park. It is situated on top on a hill so you can get a panoramic view of the city. There are many beautiful sculptures around the park. There are some which I thought look like a candy house. We took a stroll in the park and we were rewarded with many beautiful sceneries. It is a very nice place to spend an evening after a day of stressful work.

The last Gaudi building that we visited is the La Casa Batlló. To me, the most interesting part of this building lies on its roof. Its roof looks like a tiny maze, with many pillars and sculptures on an uneven surface. The remaining part of the building houses information of the history of the building and as well as Gaudi.

can you believe all the above are at the roof top of the building?

Barcelona is not confined only to Gaudi’s masterpieces. It also houses many other attractions and for me, it is one of the most beautiful place that I have ever been.

Bangkok

I did not hesitate to stop over at Bangkok for a short trip before heading back to Malaysia last summer. It was ages since I have been to Bangkok. My first impression of Bangkok: their drivers make Malaysian drivers look like amateur. Not only do they not signal when switching lanes, they do not even slow down while doing so. They will drive at the fastest ever possible speed and squeeze into any available space. My heart was pounding so fast and I really thought that we are going to crash on a few occasions.

Our hotel is situated in the city centre, it can actually be the worst ever location, depending on your priorities. The tourist attractions are all located at the suburb of Bangkok; take the floating market for instance, it is over a hundred kilometers away from the city centre. It is not easy to get around, provided you know the transportation system well. All left is the money sucking tour agents which will charge you a ridiculous amount for a trip which will be well done before afternoon.

We visited the Chatuchak market, where it is divided into many sections. I remembered vividly one of them is the pet section. Sadly, we did not get to visit the section as we arrived just hours before the market close. It is an open market concept, and basically you can get almost anything that you want, from food to clothes to decorations. The only thing that turns me off is the humid weather, plus the huge crowd; I can assure you that you will sweat in no time. A coconut will come in handy at this time.

We also did some Thai foot massage in the market, which eventually lead to many more over the next couple of days. A mini accident happened when the stall caught fire because the stall owner was overusing the electric plugs. People were screaming and running away and before you know what happen, they extinguish the fire and everything is resume as usual. Some customers were about to leave but they were convinced by the owner to stay on.

We also visited the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. The Grand Palace is where the royal family stay and it is amazingly huge. There are beautiful gardens and temples in the palace. Visitors that enter the palace need to show respect by wearing appropriate attire, no short pants, no spaghetti tops. Again, walking around under the hot weather with jeans is a killer blow. Wat Pho as you might have guessed with the name houses many temples, and it also consist of ‘statues’ that keep the ashes of the royal family.

We took a boat along the river and canals of Bangkok. This is one of my most enjoyable activities in Bangkok as we are sheltered from the hot weather while enjoying the breeze. We were told by the guide that the folks that live along the canals are still very much dependent on the canals. They still wash their clothes and bath in the canals. You can see that development is taking place along the canals as big mansions are slowly replacing the traditional wooden houses along the canals.

We did use their public transportation system, where we took SkyTrain to their shopping malls. To be honest, their SkyTrain reminds me so much of our monorail back home. Their very posh Siam Paragon is just like Pavilion, and then they have MBK, which is just like Sungai Wang. For a second I thought I was back home shopping in Malaysia.

One interesting thing in Bangkok is when you walk along the street on certain days, you can see Thai people all wearing yellow shirts and on another day, you can see them all clang in pink shirts. I was told that it is a way the Thai people showing respect to the royalties. Yellow is understandable, but what about pink? Again I was told by the money sucking guide that one day, the King wore a pink shirt and said something along the line, “dare to be different” and since then the Thai folks start wearing pink.

Bangkok to me has nothing to shout about. Apart from the delicious Thai food, I just feel it has nothing to offer. Maybe I’m being too skeptical, but Bangkok is so much like home. I will definitely visit Bangkok again, but not in the near future.

Vienna'08 - Day 5

The last day of my trip was spent visiting one of Vienna's stadium, where Euro'08 is going to take place and Austria is the co-host along with Switzerland. Sadly, the construction was still taking place and I did not get the chance to tour around the stadium.

Before I left to the airport, I went to visit another one of Vienna's beautiful palace. There was a Easter market in the courtyard of the palace. Stalls were seen selling Easter eggs at a price higher than those in Prague. Many local delicacies were on sale but I did not get the chance to try them.

All in, it was a fun trip.

Prague is romantic and beautiful. The food there is superb, pork knees, roasted duck, crepes, pancakes just to name a few.

Vienna is awesome too, with many museums and palaces, and the best thing, all the attractions are concentrated in one huge area.