Year End Review - 2015

It is again that time of the year to wrap up all sentiments to conclude, to count the blessings, to review the bucket list and to plan the next step.

Blissful Moments
- Visited numerous overseas places (Brussels, Bruges, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Vatican City, San Marino, Phuket, Copenhagen and Siem Reap).
- Visited several local cities in the UK (Oxford, Bath, Salisbury and Manchester).
- Getting to know a few great friends who are always there to cheer my days.
- Surprises received during Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day and on my Birthday.
- My pleasure to attend 2 wedding dinners in Malaysia.
- Watched 2 Musical shows at the London Theatre: Wicked and the Phantom of the Opera.
- Have had some good meals in London.
- Thanks to my colleague’s invitation for me to experience a western wedding banquet.

Achievements
- Accomplishing my goal of back-packing alone + trying the backpackers' style of staying in shared dome.
- Taken a step forward to start a small business in Penang with friends (https://www.facebook.com/housedemente)
- Received compliments from bosses and colleagues on the great job that I’ve done.
- Visited San Marino - my dreamed destination (and I should start making other destinations my dream now and plan to achieve them in the coming days).

Things Not Accomplished
- Have been lazy and failed on my workout plans (wondering when I could achieve my six-packs? Hmmp…)
- Not much of a progress as in personal development through readings.
- Had not lived my life to the fullest.
- Feel sorry to have missed and turned down some wedding invites.

Lessons Learned
- Most people will only look at what I have accomplished without giving any credit to the efforts and hardships behind the scenes.
- Not every creature in the name of human understands the art of gratitude, appreciation, consideration and responsibility hence do not expect these values from those deficient souls.
- Identifying and categorizing passer-by, friends, real friends and fake friends in my life.

Challenges
- The less preferred work destination - Keighley and Bristol has always been a nightmare for me. The far North city of Keighley is cold and remote; while the far West city of Bristol is inaccessible and often caused me hours of waiting for the public transportation to get home.
- To have survived another year in UK despite:

• Living with sandwiches (Other than sandwiches are still sandwiches...)
• Enduring an absolutely annoying housemate who is always on the phone loudly and inconsiderately.
• Tolerating the untidy people who always mess up the kitchen no matter how many times I have cleaned it.
• Dealing with colleagues who often cause me high-blood pressure and stroke.
• Traveling on public transportation with various inconveniences.

Year 2016

2016 will be a challenging year ahead with manifold turbulences to overcome and it is as well the time to refill and replenish what has been depleted overtime as the cycle of life reruns. Every decision is a challenge, and every move is a risk. Most aspects in life have been trying to bring me down repeatedly hence I will need to pick up the broken pieces and strive to move on.

Having failed the previous resolutions, maybe I should make myself a simple one this time - just to be easy going and be happier in 2016. Cheers~  :)

Cambodia (Siem Reap) - December 2015

Awarded as one of the Ten Man-Made Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat has always been listed in my must-visit target. After years of hunting for traveling mates and matching on time, I could finally check this destination off my list.

Setting off early in the morning at 4.30am, we were shocked by the crowd in KLIA 2 flooding all check-in counters and the queue took us long before we could dash to McDonalds to pack our breakfast and begin our journey to the land of the ancient temples.

*Note: This post is purely on personal experiences hence any further interests in the history of Siem Reap please refer to other online resources.

10th December 2015 - Thursday

Touching down at the Siem Reap International Airport at 7.50am (GMT+7), we were welcomed by the courteous and pretty hotel staff who was already waiting at the arrival hall. It took us approximately 30 minutes to arrive at the Khmer Mansion Boutique Hotel and the complimentary welcome drink (fruit punch) and chocolate were served once we step into the lobby. Since the official check-in hour is at 2.00pm, we therefore relaxed ourselves at the foyer while waiting for the tour representative to pick us up. Our tour guide - Mr.Sarak met us at the hotel lobby on time and here we go kicking start our 4 days 3 nights vacation.

The first destination in the itinerary was to visit Tonle Sap - the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. The 2 hours boat ride (USD$15 each) carried us through the river alongside fishing villages and towards the border of the lake. I miss the sun so much and had enjoyed catching some rays despite the fact that I am afraid of getting tanned! While returning to the port, the four of us have been taking turn falling asleep (and snap shooting unsightly photographs of each other) as we haven’t had enough rest at all the night before. The villages we passes-by were literally a simple and happier world without the trace of technology. The kids were running around and about barefooted and enjoying the nature happily despite the poverty they’re living in. This again reminded us of how fortunate we are holding the power of choices in most events of our day to day living.

We get the chance to try the Bamboo Rice and as well being offered the local drink – the smoky herbal tea which we find it absolutely difficult down the throat. We took our lunch in one of the local restaurant along the way and the food was surprisingly tasty but with the downside of having the dust sprinkled all over our dishes since we were sitting close to the street.

The hidden gem in the jungle - Beng Melea (Entrance Fee: USD$5.00) is a ruined temple built by king Suryavarman II during early 12th century by primary deity to Vishnu with architecture of Angkor Wat. Today, the ruin was left to be reclaimed by nature and it is not restored. 

Returning to the Khmer Mansion Boutique Hotel after a long day, we recognized that the staffs were extremely welcoming and we were being well-served during our stay. They even planned a birthday surprise by having all the staffs knocking on the door with a small colourful cake and singing the birthday song to our star of the day - Ms. J.O. junior.

Before calling it a day, we decided to go for full body and foot massage but disappointingly the service wasn’t good as we waited for almost 25 minutes despite being informed a waiting time of 5 minutes, and the surrounding wasn’t clean and hygiene.

11th December 2015 - Friday

Mr. Sarak wasn’t available on this second day hence we were being assigned another tour guide – Mr. Thom (Name: Buo Sophea (Thom) / Language: English / Tel: (855) 9297535) for the next 2 days. We were absolutely satisfy with his service because he was experienced enough to get us off the common tracks and towards the less crowded ways at the right time to observe the city and he told good stories and exciting history with his fluent English along the way.

The 3 days permit - the Angkor Pass at USD$40.00 is definitely worth obtaining as you behold the wonders of this ancient city. There were checkpoints at every entrance of the historical sites hence it is important to safe keep this pass for the frequent validation. Strict dress code is applied in Angkor Wat should you be interested to climb the third level of the tower. We queued for almost 45 minutes and here we encountered the ill-mannered westerner’s couple who tries to jump the queue and pushing others impolitely. But luckily there were nice Japanese and Chinese tourists who worked together getting rid of these uncivilized people back into the queue (what a shame).

The famous Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones temple- Ta Prohm was a site largely conquered by the great trees of the jungle. Constructed on the late 12th and early 13th centuries, Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of King Jayavarman VII.

Built by King Jayavarman VII at the end of the 12th century, the Terraces for Elephants that stretches out over a length of more than 300 meters were used as an audience hall and for public ceremonies.

Prasat Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple which is built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII.

After taking a short break in the hotel, a tuk-tuk was arranged for us to have our buffet dinner at the Amazon Angkor Restaurant enjoying the traditional dance performance whereby this place is seemingly built for the tourists. The choices of foods were quite satisfying and some of the dishes were excellent.

We took a walk along the pub street and sat down for a drink and here comes the drama of a lizard, a cat, a cockroach and a terrified human being. (For more information, please contact one of the participant...lol)

12th December 2015 – Saturday

With the advice from Mr. Thom, we departed from the hotel early at 6.45am to visit Banteay Srei trying to avoid the crowd. This is a 10th-century miniature Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva built largely of red sandstone with decorative wall carvings. While leaving the temple at 8.30am, we could see batches of tourists and tour buses flooding into the area and we were glad to have arrived before the troop. 

Preah Khan is built as a monastery and a center for learning by King Jayavarman VII.

Due to the constantly high weather temperature and heat, our energy was drained rapidly to the extent that we were too exhausted to hold up our camera or phone for photography. 

Neak Pean is a unique feature of an artificial island with a Buddhist temple on a circular island in Preah Khan Baray built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. The central pond is a replica of Lake Anavatapta in the Himalayas, situated at the top of the universe.

Last but not least, Pre Rup consists of a pyramid-shaped temple-mountain with the uppermost of the three tiers carrying five lotus towers. Pre Rup means ‘Turning the Body’ and refers to a traditional method of cremation in which a corpse’s outline is traced in the cinders: this suggests that the temple may have served as an early royal crematorium. Coming closer to an end of the trip, we dragged ourselves to the top of the terrace to have the final view of the wonderful architectures. 

After a simple lunch, we returned to the hotel for a shower to feel our skin on us once again. While gathering together and surfing online for dinner suggestion, we desired to try-out the award winning Damnak Lounge Fine Dining which is highly rated and recommended in the web but unfortunately this famous dining place was fully booked hence we opted for another well-known Khmer restaurant - Marum for a feast. On the menu, our eyes were captured by few of the exotic dishes featuring Red Tree Ants, Creamy Silk Worms and Duck Embryo but none of us have the courage or appetite to take on this challenge.

Never would I forget the ice-cream even when I am in a foreign land. Other than enjoying the fruit ice-cream sticks on the second night, we as well try-out the Blue Pumpkin dessert (4 spices, Khmer Fruit and I fail to remember the 3rd one!)

While strolling along the streets, we passed by the Fish Spa and were being offered an attractive package at USD$1 to enjoy the unlimited experience! Overcoming the tickling discomfort, I enjoyed very much my time with the fishes (but just hoping that they will still survive afterwards…)



13th December 2015 - Sunday

Crawling up early once again, we had our breakfast at 6.00am before departing to the airport. Cheers to the wonderful traveling mates making this trip a success and enjoyable + memorable one.

Some tips and advices:

• Never consider Cambodia as an inexpensive travelling destination.
• Be ready with small notes because almost everything and everywhere requires a minimum tips of USD$1.
• Most of the restaurants and massage centers comes with free wifi, hence it might not be necessary to purchase a local sim package unless if you are an extreme netizen. (The sim data package we bought at $5.00 for 5.5GB at the airport lasted only for one day and we felt cheated as we’ve seen the package promoting a 30 days validity period during the purchase)
• Do not expect anything luxury there as their highly rated 5 stars might turn out to be slighter than what you might have imagined.
• Think twice before you accept the task of becoming the treasurer in a group as it is not fun having the kids running after you during when you pulled out your wallet or purse to make any form of payment.
• Get yourself some salt & lemon candy as it helps you through the scorching days :)

Wonders of the World

Taking them into my bucket list... :)

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
1. Pyramids of Egypt
2. Colossus of Rhodes
3. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
4. Mauseoleum at Halicanassus
5. Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria
6. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
7. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Seven Wonders of the Natural World
1. Mount Everest
2. Victoria Falls
3. Grand Canyon
4. Great Barrier Reef
5. Prehistoric Caves in France and Spain
6. Paricutin Volcano, Mexico
7. Harbor at Rio de Janeiro

Seven Wonders of the Medieval World
1. Colosseum of Rome
2. Catacombs of Alexandria
3. Great Wall of China
4. Stonehenge
5. Leaning Tower of Pisa
6. Porcelain Tower of Nanking
7. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (sometimes called the Church of Saint Sophia)

Seven Wonders of the Modern World
1. Eiffel Tower
2. Empire State Building
3. Suez Canal
4. Golden Gate Bridge
5. Dneproges Dam on the Dnepr River in Russia
6. Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell, England
7. Alaska (Alcan) Highway

Ultimate Ten Man-Made Wonders of the World
1. Great Wall of China
2. Pyramids
3. Angkor Wat
4. Panama Canal
5. Sydney Opera House
6. Taj Mahal
7. Mount Rushmore
8. Trans-Siberian Railroad
9. Machu Picchu
10. Golden Gate Bridge

Nowhere I Belong

Years after years, I have tried and I have strived, but still I’m yet to be any closer to the coast of my simplest dream.

Simplicity is never simple and sometimes it is not even a choice.

There’s no room for perfect decision in this imperfect world.

A Long Way For A Long Day

A 2.5 hours journey to Bristol isn’t far but having the office located distant from town, the inconveniences are sometimes worse than the distance itself.

After a long 7 hours’ workshop for the new project launching, I thought I could finally be on my way home. However the taxi did not turn up at 5.15pm as booked hence I’ve got to make another reservation. There was no direct taxi service in this remote zone and therefore the booking has to be done through a company in another town whereby the next available service was 1.5 hours away and I ended up waiting in the cold while shivering in hunger. I have even decided for the worst case that if the next taxi did not turn up eventually, I would rather walk that 8.3km than to linger around the business buldings area, but thankfully the taxi arrived on time.

Reaching at the Bristol Temple Mead station and grabbing a pack of Chicken Wrap in haste, I board on the South West train towards Reading. As beers are sold openly and legally in the train, this resulted in 2 drunken kids nearby my seat who were shouting and laughing inconsiderately and have been walking to and fro many times in the coaches trying to get more beers from the counter.

Finally surviving the boisterous moments, I thought the next service in Reading will be a smoother one. After passing the Ascot station where I am in a pleasant mood getting closer to home, we heard a sudden long honk signal and followed by a loud “bang”. Instantly almost everyone could guess what has happened but this was further confirmed after witnessing the depressed expression of the guard returning from the control room – it is confirmed that the train has hit someone. Sitting in the first coach of the train, we could clearly hear the sound when that person was knocked down.

We were stuck on the same spot for 2 hours waiting for the police and medical personnel to arrive because we were unfortunate to be on that part of the railway surrounded by bushes while heading to Sunningdale. Having notice many times these incidences, but never did I expect to experience this by myself. Everyone in the coach waited patiently for the instruction and looks like this happens really often as no one is over-surprised or over-reacting to the situation. While waiting in the train, I was eavesdropping on the sharing of some spooky experiences by two passengers sitting in front of me. Listening to the European version vs the Asian version of ghost stories is truly a different feeling and this could probably be ascribed to the movies production which has successfully embedded the stereotype in our mind.

Finally, it was decided that the train has to travel back to the Ascot station and many police officers were already waiting at the exit. Some of them were distributing mineral waters to all the passengers and the Railway Coordinator is arranging shared taxi services to bring each and every one of us to our possible destination.

11th November 2015 was indeed a long day where I started my journey at 5.30am boarding on the first train service but only managed to get home after 12.30am. The next day is as well a tough one having a meeting starting at 9.00am…zzzzz

Another Birthday to Remember - 2015

I’m so blessed to be surrounded by a bunch of wonderful people who tried their best to cheer me up on my Birthday:

1. Thanks for the bouquet of beautiful Carnations delivered to my doorstep!
2. Thanks for the card and the surprising photo booklet all the way from US!
3. Thanks to the one who called and sang me a birthday song!
4. Thanks for the Mooncakes, Icelandic Chocolate Souvenir and Spicy Steamboat Dinner Treat!
5. Thanks for the pending decorative gift in Malaysia!
6. Thanks for all the birthday wishes through WhatsApp and Facebook!
7. Thanks for the card flying 9000 miles from Malaysia!

For the birthday weekend, I pampered myself with a lunch treat in the Four Season Chinese Restaurant and the luxury gift to watch the famous Phantom of the Opera Musical in Her Majesty's Theatre even though I’m enjoying these alone. Appreciatively a friend was there to join the second half of the day trying out the Indian cuisine together and participating in the spooky night walk – the Jack the Ripper Tour. I visited London once more on the next day and had spent the second afternoon shopping and strolling in the Wellcome Collection Museum. This birthday was wonderfully spent knowing that I am not alone here as there are so many people who do actually care. ^^

寻之.空 9

二度空间的记忆，只有在梦里特别清晰。也许我曾经在那异空间遇过你，也遇见自己。

Denmark (Copenhagen) - August 2015

21st August 2015 - Friday 

Denmark has never been listed as one of my prioritized travelling destination nonetheless I have once again gone on a spontaneous trip to Copenhagen for a short weekend getaway. Summer being the finest travelling season of the year made this a perfect trip accompanied by a clear blue sky, warm sunshine and timely sunset hours. 

Arriving at the Main Train Station - Köbenhavn H at 8.35pm, the hotel was just 1km walking distance away. The check-in was rather smooth and the room view from the 8th Floor was not a bad one. After unloading our baggage, the holiday begins with visiting the nearby Tivoli Gardens & Amusements Park. The one and only ride on the Dæmonen Roller Coaster with the height of 92 feet and1850.4 feet long was a great experience even though I almost got a heart attack (undeniably I am getting older now!). Fairly common in Europe, most kitchens and restaurants were closed before 12.00am thus making Burger King the first meal of the night. 

Being listed as No.1 in the “20 Most Bike-Friendly Cities on the Planet 2015 Index”, cycling is definitely a prudent option to travel around Copenhagen. With the bicycle rental at DKK115 (RM75.50) per day, almost every tourist destinations are conveniently reachable. Riding a bicycle is similar to driving a car where most of the driving regulations apply. There are mini versions of the traffic lights on the bicycle pathway and the most challenging part is getting used to the opposite driving/riding direction on the right-hand traffic. It is very convenient because bicycle can be easily converted to move between the footways and the bicycle pathway and at the same time saving plenty amount of time. 

Taking a bicycle ride around the city during midnight is absolutely wonderful and I am in love with the tranquillity, cool breeze and the least traffic condition at this odd hour having the chance of a closer look at the bronze statue of The Little Mermaid and wandering around the Amalienborg Palace Square. Merely the pub street is filled with party-goers and drinkers but other than that, major part of the streets were dead silence. 

22nd August 2015 - Saturday 

Having read the review in TripAdvisor, I thought the breakfast in Wakeup Copenhagen Hotel would be disappointing but surprisingly it turns out to be a satisfying one catering cereal, bread with cheese, ham, butter and jam, boiled eggs, fruit juice, yoghurt and etc. The meal sufficiently provides enough energy for us to cycle round the city and headed towards the famous Little Mermaid sculpture once more for a morning view. That morning was filled with an early crowd having batches of tour busses but luckily we visited this same attraction a night before. 

Arriving at the National Gallery of Denmark, I couldn’t believe that I would be so absent minded to have left behind my Copenhagen Card in the hotel room hence having to cycle all the way back again! Arriving at Strøget in the afternoon, we witness the crowd in this shopping street and the Round Tower Rundetårn is a perfect place to oversee the city. The afternoon was spent having an absolutely relaxing lunch at Le President blending into the western lifestyle sitting along the happening street of Strøget enjoying a bottle of white wine, pasta and grill salmon, as well as strolling in the Garden of Rosenborg Castle. This would be my first time getting drunk in the afternoon with my head spinning plus the experience of “drink and drive (cycle)”…lol 

Nyhavn is a perfect place to hang-out during weekends for gatherings and drinks. Never will I forget my craving for ice-creams wherever I go. But due to the crowd and failing to locate a shady seat, we only managed to enjoy the ice-cream at the bank of the river overlooking the crowd. 

It is my first time watching a movie in the cinema of Europe (Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation) and looks like this is not a favourite entertainment option because the cinema was rather empty even on Saturday night. It cost DKK107 (RM70) for a show and tickets could be purchase conveniently at the self-service kiosk (but often not everything is in English). 

23rd August 2015 - Sunday 

The Freetown of Christiania – a hippie commune is worth visiting but unfortunately Sunday morning is not exactly the right time as almost everything was closed whereby the party has either ended or is just yet to begin. The trading of cannabis and hash is rather common but not altogether legal; hence it is important to note that photography is absolutely forbidden in and near the Pusher Street since the pushers will not want to be identified in anyway. It is always recommended to take extra precaution but this place isn’t as dangerous if you maintain a low profile and pay everyone the due respect. 

Visiting the originating place of Carlsberg took us around 3km ride from the hotel. The entrance ticket comes with 2 glasses of free beer having a range of beer choices available for selection, while food can as well be purchased from the restaurant. Travelling with excellent drinker seems to be a plus point else I will be K.O. once more during daylight. 

While waiting to depart to the airport, a final stop at the main street for shopping is needed in order to complete my collection of key-chains. The remaining hours were then spent sitting outside a café enjoying the ice chocolate-blend and coffee. Every trip is a new experience to me but most importantly is the companionship that counts towards a pleasant journey.