A Huffalump Travels

[ITE] Campus Game Fest 2014

2014-06-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

This is an event that I wanted to go

from 27th to 29th June at ITE college!!!

Valentine's Day at Chua Chu Kang Cemetery

2014-02-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

Its the 14th of February 2014.

Most people, well couples at least would go out together I guess. I am single so I should be moping I guess =)

Still. I wanted to visit my paternal grandfather's tombstone. My dad wanted to go too. Its been a while I guess.

So off we went!

First we were on a bit of a hunt. We actually haven't been there for a long time. We only know the tomb number. Its not something I am proud of, but I am happy that today we made the trip down and essentially commited to visting the tomb. Too many times we have planned but not gone down. We only have the tomb number unfortunately. My dad vaguely remembers the way. I am not sure I have ever been there ?!?! I only vaguely remember my granddad's portrait.

A few things I learnt.

If you are looking for Lim Chu Kang Cemetery. There is no such place. I think. Apparently my dad remembers the cemetery as Lim Chu Kang cemetery. But it is really Chua Chu Kang cemetery, but along Lim Chu Kang road. Its not exactly wrong to refer it as Lim Chu Kang (it is partially at Lim Chu Kang), but just know that the cemetery is named Chua Chu Kang cemetery and a good portion of it is along Lim Chu Kang road.

So we went to Chua Chu Kang mrt and took a bus

In the end we were actually quite lost. We ended up asking the bus uncle where we should drop. We are looking for the "chinese cemetery". If you look at the pic above. Its not there =P. The bus uncle asked if we are looking for urns or graves. We said graves. He was'nt sure, but he told us where we probably should get off (before we are definitely off course). it turned out to be exactly correct, where we should stop. Which is before Lim Chu Kang road.

This was the bus stop we stopped at. We continued walking until we get to the T-junction intersecting our current road (I think its "Old Chua Chu Kang road") and Lim Chu Kang road.

After crossing diagonally, we turned right and this is the path to the cemetery (along Lim Chu Kang road).

If you take the bus, by the time you see SCDF, you are off by about 2 stops I think.

It is quite peaceful. I actually like cemeteries. It is always quiet and breezy.

A goat farm! I should visit that one day, but at that moment I was more concern about finding the grave.

We actually went to look for the main office, from the path (the goat farm signage one), turn left at the first turning and walk straight. You should see the main office. It is quite nice and there is a toilet.

Oh and it is quite nice and peaceful. There are actually alot of graves around, but I think it is somewhat inappropriate to take pictures of them, so thats why the pics are mostly skyline and trees =)

This maps were extremely important to finding the grave. We went to the main office, told them the tomb number and got the main area. Then, using the map we went to the rough whereabouts of the grave. It still took some hunting, but at least we narrowed the search space. Eventually we did find it.

Visiting granddad was nice. We offered incense, waited for the candles and joss sticks to burn out. It was rather windy, but otherwise the weather was very good.

We exited via this path. It is really called Chinese Cemetery path =) there are many paths btw (you can see from the map).

It was a long way back. We did not walk through the cemetery, as we wanted to see what were the buses available along the road.

The muslim cemetery is actually near the chinese cemetery. Some malay vendors sold flowers to visitors for prayers. It was actually quite colourful.

you see, there is actually no path... tho... closer to intersection with old chua chu kang road a path emerges.

This is one of many bus stops we went by.

So this is another way to come to the cemetery! But you need to know where to stop. It is also more risky, because from Boon Lay, you will actually be on the other side of the road. Although the road is not busy. It is very wide.

A path emerges!

I think this is near the entrance or half way through. I'm not sure =) In there end i think the best bus to take from Chua Chu Kang is 975 as it makes the turn. However I think 975 does not originate from the Chua Chu Kang interchange. I need to double check that.

It was good visiting Grand Dad's grave. Dad was visibly happy too. We also informed my aunts. So maybe next round (Qing Ming?) we'll make the trip together. The main purpose of this exercise was really to ascertain the location of the grave as well as to gauge the accessibility (since my dad and my aunts are getting on in age). We actually required a few lucky breaks to not get lost. Remember we don't have a car and are completely reliant on public transport, so getting the way right was crucial. We could get a cab, but the cab would likely only take us to the entrance of the cemetery. The path to the grave itself is also important enough that we want to know prior to visits (at least if we have more elderly relatives).

All in all I think it was a fulfilling valentines =)

[20140308 22:50]

This came to mind for some reason. Someone once told me that in her culture; visiting the cemetery is a peaceful, loving period. A time to remember fondly of those that have passed. I agree. Although in my culture, there is a lot of instilled fear and superstition, but seeing my dad and being close to my grandfather whom I have never met, I felt a sense of kinship and fulfilment. Would that the dead were closer, but in Singapore we can hardly afford the space. So visitations from the living will have to do. We cannot help for those that have died. We cannot help but die ourselves eventually. But what we can do; is to live our lives fully and honourably, and do our best to ensure the same for those we care for.

Samy's Curry Restaurant

2013-03-24T09:07:00.002-07:00

Sammy's Curry sells Indian Curry Cuisine

Its pretty good. Mag and Lucas brought us to this place. It was previously at some Civil Service building but moved to Dempsey Road. It was pretty nice. There is Long Beach (Seafood) as well as La Salon or Fondue? something like that. I think they all serve beer =)

So this is the entrance. I did'nt take the surrounding view but I probably should have. Its nice and deserted *cozy* ;) well its where the posh people live and hang out. So its cool. There are actually alot of customers, so for such an ulu place, it must be quite well known. But you really need a car or at least a taxi.

The chilli mutton pictured at the extreme right corner is rather fierce =) But nice. Recommended if you like spicy and enjoy a good challenge =) Its yummy too of course. I like it with rice, the rice helps to tone it down somewhat, but you still get the taste. Without rice it is quite fierce =)

The chicken is sweetish actually. So its kinda weird. Not bad, but a little weird =)

The mushy vegetables are actually quite good. Its Dhal.

And this is the counter. They have actually been around for quite a while. Don't be fooled by the lack of people, this was early evening, by 7 the place is actually fully seated.

Pictured here is dish Lucas and Mag wanted us to try. The curry fish head!! It was fresh and the taste was pretty good. So its not too bad really. The type of fish used could be better, but in terms of taste and cooking it is pretty good =) Actually for curry fish head the key is to use fresh fish and not to over cook it, and the fish's taste will win the bulk of the points ;)

And this is Teh Halia. Or milk tea with ginger. Its pretty nice!

Overall the place was pretty nice, i like the environment and if I drove or if I wanted to go somewhere a little different but safe, this place fits the bill =)

So there you have it Samy's Curry Restaurant

Curry Chicken in AMK

2012-07-30T09:58:00.004-07:00

Okay I think the name of the stall is Tisu or Tisa. I'm not really sure. It is a malay stall and the food variety is alright (not great but alright).

The fried chicken wings are okay. So everything is really generic, so what's the point you might think? =P

This.

Okay...

it don't look like much.

The picture is arguably badly taken. Angle's bad, lighting is so so , state of the chicken is terrible and the rice looks mauled... (por por rice, I ended its misery real quick).

BUT.

The taste

is

heavenly.

...

Alright my sis would say its a little thin. But it is pretty close to the same dish at Rendevous at Clark Quay (it is really Loy Fatt or something like that but my dad keeps calling it Rendevous as it was at Rendevous Hotel for the longest time). So I can get my kicks here... Hooray.

There goes the diet.

Some other stuff. This is found in one of the foodpark coffeeshops. The previous owner, from parental lore, is someone called Ah Huang. The Hair Bee Hiang is pretty good, but has gotten a little worse over the years... Have fun looking for this stall =) Oh and the auntie does not call it curry chicken (and rightly so, it has a name y'know).

But! If you are as ignorant as me, just point. Else she will say they don't have curry chicken =)

True Story.

Roast Duck ... and National Day !

2012-07-28T09:14:00.001-07:00

So the picture you see below is where I consider the BEST roast duck to be sold =)

Its at Sin Ming Drive Blk 22.

Oh you see lots of flags? its near to National Day for Singapore, thats why. 9th August . =)

Oh yah the duck. The Roast Duck was originally from Ang Mo Kio , somewhere near the swimming complex (tho it was originally from somewhere else)

The Duck seller tried to sell at Ang Mo Kio, but the coffeeshop eventually closed. (and then reopened and then closed and then reopened... now foodpark =) )

During the coffeeshop days my family would eat from him almost every week. We'd order half a duck. He would have salted vegetables stewed with duck wings, it was pretty cool. The meat from the soup was very light, which is strange for meats =) The duck itself was roasted with charcoal and was stuffed with garlic. His roasting was impeccable. the meat is oozing and the oil had the taste imbued within it. the skin of the duck was similar to that of a roasted suckling pig. It was that good. at that time at least. He had two batches only. 2 pm and 4pm. Those were good times. The duck seller was familar with my family and he even offered to apprentice me or sell me the recipe, I'm not sure which. I think his son is'nt too interested which is a pity.

During the second closing (the period when it was "Shop and Save" briefly), the duck seller tried to open his own small shop. Alas he did not do his homework enough. The problem was his shop was converted from a provision shop, so it required licensing from the NEA (I think thats the department), and that took about 6 mths (bearing in mind that during this time he had taken over tenancy and is paying rent). And after he got his shop up and running, the bird flu hit. It was a bad time to sell duck. So his duck had to go for cheap and eventually he closed down.

I met him sometime before he open the stall in Blk 22. it was on a double decker and I asked him how he was. he looked terrible at that time, he told me he had lost about 70K during that time and is still looking for a place to sell his duck.

I got his number and so on. Eventually he opened for business in Blk 22 and never looked back. Blk 22 is a food paradise of sorts. The funny thing is the place is actually a poor area with alot of studio flats.

I once sat on a taxi and the uncle asked me what his form wanted. The uncle is a single and had to live with a room mate. But he still has to apply for the flat. It is a studio flat. He was driving to earn his keep. To pay rent for this studio flat. He is lucky to get this flat. He is "chosen" (by HDB I presume) to have the chance to rent. I wonder what happen when he is too old to work. I also wonder why the form was in english. Ah! The marvels of this land eh? So that was how I learnt of poor uncles (and later more uncles and aunties who are... not so well known and not so well to do) and studio flats.

Anyways back to the hedonism of ducks and the love of its meat no?

So any ways the food in blk 22? The place is already famous for its Bak Kut Teh and Braised Duck. And mind you the Braised duck is pretty strong. It is a herbal kind of braised duck with the taste permeating through the meat throughly. Not the sweetish kind (which I am more accustomed to). So the competition is pretty strong. Luckily, we are talking about the BEST roast duck in Singapore here ;) (well to me anyways and I have NEVER tasted better yet, true story.) So he is doing pretty well.

When is the place open? For the roast duck its weekdays only. Try to go early (like 11 am to avoid disappointment, 1-2pm is the main crowd). Whatever you find from 2pm onwards is what you have, there is no second batch. The crowd is mainly the workers I guess, and people who drive to get their cars serviced. Taxi drivers, Bus drivers, and people who know the place.

I sincerely hope he does well, and if he does offer me an apprenticeship again? I think I might take it up. I hope his son would take up the mantle though. Cooking is an art form and is something that can/must/should be passed on to the next generation. And more and more importantly, our local foods are what defines us. You ask me what is Singapore? I'm not sure. Its a loaded question. But I can tell you this: This duck, this dish, our local foods are a friggin' part of Singapore. Don't believe me? Our local foods are already changing to suit the newcomers taste. We are losing our culture in our backyards. Don't get me wrong. I am all for integration. But I repeat. INTEGRATION. Not EROSION. Not embracing economy at the EXPENSE of what we are, what we have. Who are we Singapore? What are we Singapore? These are the questions that will make or break us in the coming years. For the duck seller, I wish him well, and hope I will be able to eat from him for years to come.

AMK Hub Balloon Fiesta !

2012-07-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ang Mo Kio HUB usually has a few things going on (actually most malls in Singapore do... come to think of it =))

Anyways today it was some balloon thing...

AMK-Bishan Park

2012-07-28T06:40:00.001-07:00

So today me and my sis decided to see what up at Ang Mo Kio - Bishan park and some water thing was built recently (also the "part II" of the bishan park renovations had not been completed for some time). In fact. Many times when a friend gave me a ride home, one of the questions was whether the park renovations had completed.... So it was something of some amount of interest to me ... and I guess a few other people =P

Below you see.... *drum roll* the sign board

Well to be honest it was'nt all that exciting. (Well now, is a park supposed to be exciting... ah well... we got spoilt by the part I of the park renovations I think). They essentially shifted the soccer fields from the first half to the second half. The second half looked somewhat levelled, which was a pity since part of its charm in the past was that it sported a quiet path which you could walk through to a pavilllion. Now it is just leveled ground until you reach the water playground (pictured below) and something of a pavillion. Its not as pretty as the old one I feel. But I am a sucker for old stuff so I am biased =P

The skies were pretty. Speaking of which thee was a cold breeze today. So it was strange. I hope its not due to the recent breakaway glaciers.

And here we have the water playground. Which does'nt really look like much here (we did'nt think it looks like much either but on closer look, it was'nt too bad). The water playground actually sports a few mini water slides and a bath thingy. The only gross thing was that one kid was on a higher level playing in a small pool thing. But the water cascades down and.... you know what, two kids were drinking the water. *sighz* other than that i thnk it looked like great fun for the kids. The slides and pools are too small for adults. So its really a place for parent to meet, chat and let the kids have fun. The water only runs on weekends. Week days, the water runneth dry baby doll. Have fun =)

So we did'nt get to see no piggies. You know. The one in the news where wild boars terrorized por por Singaporeans. Sighz, when will people learn to just stay away from nature and just admire WITH respect. Seriously, I liked the park better when it was closed as the birds came back to the newly feral lands. That was lost tho when the park opened (but its not so bad... so far the birds still stayed - some cool).

With that we headed back. But I'm pretty sure there is a park connector some where =) So stay tuned!

Because the King says you can.....

2011-12-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

Now at AMK Hub!!!

Fireworks in Singapore!!! Vivo City

2009-12-09T05:25:00.000-08:00

By some stroke of luck me and my fren Kevin got a centre stage kinda view...

Lucky because it was actually rather crowed and we were lucky just to have standing space =P (that would be my fault)

The whole thing lasted 9 mins +

location vivo city !! Apparently it is yearly!

Farmstay in Singapore =) oh and Ginza is open

2008-11-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

This should be rather fun.

My previous company had a trip to a farm as well. I believe it was bollywood veggies =)

The land is leased by the way, but the terms are'nt too bad as they are encouraging farms.

What I remembered of the place was that it was rustic and I believe there is a tour of the place. You were also allowed at some points to actually pick some of the vegetation.

Other interesting things at that time included the use of plants naturally to ward of mosquitoes =)

The other thing "of note" is that Ginza is open!~!!! Star Bucks is serving, not that i drink starbucks coffee, but I know of colleagues who describe mac coffee as swill who would drive down faithfully every morning for their daily juice =)

Oh and its no longer called Ginza / Ginza Plaza, but the name is now West Coast Plaza ... it being in West Coast and not Japan and all.... lol

Barcelona Dreams

2008-07-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

K just got married recently and had her honeymoon in Spain! wow =)

Her honeymoon was about a week... I do wonder about Barcelona holiday apartments where one could get Barcelona apartments

Barcelona is Spain's second largest city and hails as the capital of Catalonia, one of the 17 regions that encompass Spain.

There are many old architectures that make a charming place to vist!! I do love old buildings with a historical vantage point and would love to get Catalonia apartments in Spain =) A must see for someone visiting Europe!

My sis wants to go to Spain as well and actually we have been learning Spanish, unfortunately, we only only still speak smidgits of espanol =(

Imagine us saying "my cool apartment in Barcelona", how cool that'd be!!

Actually it would be wonderful to plan food holidays in Catalonia, you know a week or two stint in with holiday apartments in Catalonia and having a Mediterranian diet of fish and seafood, snails, soups and so on =) The cost is about roughly 1-2K euros for a week for Family friendly apartments in Spain thats a real steal in sunny Barcelona.

Perhaps I will make plans to go this year and get Spanish apartments or rent a holiday flat in Spain =)

Business Conferences in London

2007-07-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

The Queen Elizabeth II Conference centre is the winner of "Best UK Venue" at the International Confex 2007! It is located in the heart of Westminster in the heart of
London, defnitely central! The Conference Hall is very well connected and is accessible via road, rail, bus, tube or by air. Hotels in London are abundant so do look around.

The facilities proffered by the centre are cool sophisticated amenities. There is
Mount Batten lounge, where you can cater food and allow your delegates to mingle.
For a midsized crowd, you can get the Westminster suite. For long tables and
corporate style meeting you can book places the Henry Moore Room. For your delegates' stay you might want to book a hotel in London for them.

For larger crowds there are auditoriums you can book the Churchil Auditorium. Alternatively you can book larger rooms like the Fleming's room where you can arrange for tables so that your delegates can break up into groups and break up into team discussions. London Hotels come in many varieties so do look around for more bang for your buck.

Mallorca, or Majorca

2007-07-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

Majorca, also known as Mallorca is Spain's largest island. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and is part of the Balearic Islands Archipelago. Like the other islands in the archipelago, Mallorca is a popular destination for the holidays!

The capital of the island is Palma. Palma also happens to be the capital of the community on the Balearic Islands.

Mallorca has a long history, all the way from the times of the Romans, Palma itself was founded as a Roman camp!Only in the 18th century did it become part of Spain.

When arriving a Palma (if you go through there), you would probably do so through the Son Sant Joan Airport. Hotels in Palma can be found quite cheaply. Cheap Mallorca Hotels are a must in your plans due to the relative high value of the Euro.

Given its position in the Mediterranean, it's summers are hot and winters wet; with markedly higher precipitation in the Serra de Tramuntana, a mountain range stretching along the north-west coast of Mallorca. Winters are colder in the mountain range so brief episodes of snow during the winter in the mountain ranges are not unusual.

There are literally thousands of restaurants in Mallorca, but for cuisine truly Mallorcian, you gotta try sobrassada, arros brut (a version of paella which is generally saffron rice cooked with chicken, pork and vegetables) and, the sweetish ensaïmada.

For the night life, there is a wide variety of bars, restaurants and nightlife in Palma. And of course some of the beach resorts do have night parties and revelry. Note not all beaches are like that some are more peaceful and on an island this wide, you can find one that suits your holiday plans!

Mallorca offers some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean region can offer ranging from large sandy ones in the primary resorts to tiny coves hidden off in the rocky areas, some only accessible by foot or boat, more than 70 beaches to choose from!. Go there during summer to have a sunny vacation or a relaxing breezy stay in the cool winters, cheap Hotels in Mallorca can be found dotting the island, so be sure to find one in an accessible place!

Gold Coast Australia!!

2007-07-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Watching the cinemas in the past usually involves some advert about Gold Coast Australia, and really there is a lot to see and do!

The gold coast itself is a vast expanse of beach (57 km of coastline!!!) and you can click here to see a picture of it =) From this view you can see the length as well as the imposing skyline behind it =) Oh you do notice the waves no? ;) Yup its surfers paradise there! For a Surfer's Paradise accomodation look no further than here. Surfer's Paradise Beach is an actual beach by the way =) Where to surf you say? Coolangatta is good place I hear. It is the southern end of Queensland's world famous Gold Coast, its not all surf of course, but Coolangatta does provide the Gold Coast's only North facing beaches providing sheltered conditions for swimming at Greenmount Beach and Rainbow Bay. So if you have surfed enough you can still go for a sunny relaxing time there!

And you can surf easy, knowing that the lifeguard are always on the watch for you well, at least there best there is =)
Gold Coast has Australia’s largest professional surf lifesaving service to protect beach revellers. For Gold Coast Accomodations you probably want to watch your budget and try to find cheap Gold Coast hotels.

After a hot day at the beach you will need a place to stay. There are some places such as this for Surfers Paradise Accomodation where you can get accomodation, or for Coolangatta Accomodation.

Well obviously in the morning you want your tan, but what about the night? Well the Gold Coast has no lack of nightlife and just about every beach will have some form of it! Conrad Jupiters at Broadbeach is one such example! it is a one-stop entertainment complex. It's casino is runs 24/7, with more than 1,100 gaming machines and 90 table games. One could also catch a giltzy live stage show in it's Vegas-styled showroom. Or revel away the night at Fortunes Nightclub if you are into clubbing.You can dine is any of their six restaurants, the fare ranges from casual café dining to an international cuisine! This is just for one beach! Imagine running up and down the coast! You may need to book serviced apartments or hotels at the last minute!

If you are looking for a vacation package, why not try the Gold Coast?

The NEW Seven Wonders of the World.. + one!

2007-07-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

So it has been announced, the new seven wonders are as follows:

Chichén Itzá, Mexico
Christ Redeemer, Brazil
The Great Wall, China
Machu Picchu, Peru
Petra, Jordan
The Roman Colloseum, Italy
The Taj Mahal, India

Not in the order of their votes =)

Ermmm the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt is the only surviving member of the previous Seven Wonders of the World, so now we have the EIGHT Wonders of the world. There is a nice summary of what they look like here.

And you thought Magic with its Power Nine is silly =)

Manchester

2007-07-06T09:26:00.001-07:00

After dropping off from Manchester Airport it is time to visit the city. Though should you want to explore the airport premises and facilities, here is a good place to start. Though if you are tired and all already, there are hotels near/at Manchester Airport. Depending on the length of your stay you definitely want to find cheap hotels in Manchester.

Manchester is a place rich in culture and flavour. It had city status since 1853, and has a populace of about 441K, together with the Greater Manchester Urban Area, the population is about 2M so yes thats a lot of people =)

The climate in Manchester is a little dampy, but that is due to its low precipitation, resulting in light prolonged rainfalls, giving the illusion that it is rainy, even though it actually receives less rainfall than many other places. Although the areas bordering Manchester do have snow, snowfall in the city itself is not a common sight due to urban warming.

It has an industrial past and the city itself has vestiges of that past with the canals and rails and waterways. Take some time to explore the city, it might be worthwhile to book a room in some of the hotels in Manchester.

Today it is the hub of the arts, media education and commerce. It is a vibrant city with most of the urban entertainment spotlights. It is second next to London in terms of most attractive place to start a business and is the 3rd most visited place in the UK.

Entertainment in the city is definitely vibrant, there is shopping, where one can go bargain hunting or go for chic. The shopping consists of High fashion as well as Bohemien style. With all this shopping you will need a place to rest your feet and of course store your booty, what better place than Manchester Hotels in the area.

Manchester has a very rich heritage of music. With live music running in the 19,500 capacity MEN Arena; the largest of its kind in Europe. More cosy areas include The Roadhouse in the Northern Quarter, also available is the The Manchester Academy. Many famous bands had had their early days in the local live scene, and even now it is a great place to catch the latest gig. Other places to hear the local bands would be the various clubs, of which Manchester has no lack of =)

As a thrust into the world of arts, The Manchester International Festival is launched this year on the 28th of June and will run till the 15th of July. The festival is created by leading artists from across the spectrum of popular culture, innovation and the arts, hoping to promote new and original works! The festival will continue every 2 years.

Also in Manchester (this coming 17th to 27th August) is an annual dynamic lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender festival provides a programme of music, arts, entertainment, films and partying. All in all the atmosphere is friendly.

No one can miss the obvious links this city has to sports and that is the 2 premiership teams Manchester City and Manchester United. Man City's home ground is in the City of Manchester Stadium, will the more successful MU is at Old Trafford. Manchester also hosted the 2002 Commonwealth games, hence there are many first class facilities there, such as the National Squash Centre, the Manchester Velodrome,the Manchester Aquatics Centre, and the City of Manchester Stadium. Did I mention Bolton Wanderers are also from Manchester? Thats a soccer concentrate right there!

Have a good time there! Manchester Accommodation ranges from the budget to the chic and you can find the one that fits your plans best here =)

Sydney - Darling Harbour

2007-07-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

Sydney is the capital of the state of New South Wales in Australia with over 4.2M people living there!

Darling Harbour.

One of the fun places to visit when going to Sydney is Darling Harbour. It has fun fun fun for the family, with many things to do, places to explore and wide expanses of land to just release yourself!

Situated on the western edge of the Sydney central business district, there are also many Central Sydney Hotels available for booking.

At Sydney Harbor, you can relax and really just enjoy yourself and take a walk along the bay, if you wish to, you can take a boat out and peddle in the sun. Or if thats not your style, the monorail allows you to take a panaromic view of the place

Find out more about Australia's wildlife at Sydney's latest attraction Sydney Wildlife World!With Australia's 9 unique habitats, this is a unique opportunity to learn more about marsupials and other strange animals from Down Under! (Oh you will
have no lack, there are about 6000 showcases!!)

At the Sydney Aquarium, you will get up close and personal with Australia's exotic undersea creatures, the Australian Maritime Museum is also located there, learn about the history of Australia's seas (hey its a harbour =))

At the heart of the city go to the park; Chinese Garden of Friendship. With its pavilions, lakes and waterfalls. Take a walk through the heart of serenity and discover your inner self. (or it could be just a great getaway from the day's hectic activities ;))

With all this action, you best plan to have some accomodation at Darling Harbour Hotels, there are bound to be some good deals, you just need to keep a look out for it!

For the nightlife, there is the Star City Casino, casino games like Blackjack, Craps, Baccarat, Sic Bo, Big Wheel, Roulette and Two Up are available at Star City Casino. So well before the Integrated Resort in Singapore is up, this might be a good place to get lucky!

After all the action, it might be time to get a little closer to culture! Time to visit The Lyric Theatre, located at the eastern end of the Star City complex, has an enormous stage and orchestra pit, attracts some of the best international entertainers!

If you need help getting around visit the Sydney Visitor Centre. You will find maps, brochures, tour booking facilities, gifts and mementos. For more Sydney Accomodation click here.

Vienna - Land of gardens!

2007-06-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Vienna is the capital of Austria. One of the nine states of Austria. Its population is about 2.2 million, less than Singapore at the moment (> 4M), but it is definitely alot larger =) In 2001,Vienna's city centre was assigned as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is of no surprise with Vienna being the a place of very rich history!

Vienna was originally a Celtic settlement, before it became a Roman city, guarding the Roman Empire agains tribes to the north.

One figure of history, Adolf Hitler lived in Vienna between 1907-1913. He was an artist then and was rejected as a student.In WWI Vienna became the capital of Austria. In 1938 Hitler spoke to the Austrian people from the balcony of the Neue Burg a part of the Hofburg at the Heldenplatz.

By 1945 Vienna fell to the Soviets (at this time Berlin was the capital), after 1945, Vienna was once again the capital of Austria. Today Vienna is the financial, political, and population center of Austria.

Vienna is not just a focal point in history, but also a land of parks and culture! So it is an ideal place to go for an idylic and relaxed holiday. To get cheap hotels in Vienna, this site provides a good start!

Vienna has alot of parks where you can spend you leisurely time and enjoy the fresh air. These inlcude the Stadtpark, the Burggarten, the Volksgarten (part of the Hofburg), the Schloßpark at Schloss Belvedere (home to the Vienna Botanic Gardens), the Donaupark and many many more! Even within the city's inner areas there are parks, known locally as Beserlparks. One of the parks (Schönbrunner Schlosspark) is an 18th century park which houses the world's oldest zoo (1752)!

Another place dedicated to leisure activities is the Donauinsel, part of Vienna's flood defences. It is an artificial island between the Danube and Neue Donau. It has bars, restaurants and nightclubs, very much urban activities. Oh and there is a relatively large free nude beach at the southern end of the island ;)

There are also many museums, the more popular ones are Belvedere, Leopold Museum in the Museumsquartier, Albertina, KunstHausWien, and BA-CA Kunstforum.Some of these were previously palaces, for instance the Belvedere, it has a massive garden and the building is currently being restored(due for completion in 2008).

With so many places to visit, it might be a good idea to know what are the Vienna Accomodation available. Vienna Hotels as always come in many stars categories. So do a good search and you will probably find a good deal! whether you are looking for places to stay at the last minute or year round, this site has those functions! Definitely a handy link to know!

Xiamen

2007-06-23T23:58:00.000-07:00

I find this site to be quite comprehensive, though heaven knows I have'nt done enough research =)

The Bahamas!

2007-06-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

The Bahamas is a place with many destinations! Not surprising since the nation consists of 700 islands! Technically it is an archipelago. Much like Borneo I guess.

The capital of Bahamas is Nassau and it is an english speaking country. Which is a good thing since the English language is currently (well still =)) the lingua fraca.

Bahamian culture is a hybrid of African and European influences. There are also many native forms of music =)

A cruise is probably the best way to start your trip to the Bahamas. And whats more if you are having your birthday on the day of the cruise, some cruises will have special packages for you! (In fact one of them is having a promotional period, where if it is your birthday month you get to sail FREE! Though someone will have to pay a full priced ticket, that the caveat ;) But it does give you an excuse to go on a cruise with that loved one of yours ;))

Have fun!

Hawaii Condos

2007-06-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Well I hope to have the money to go to Hawaii for a vacation someday =) Well Hawaii is a state in the US, and it is the 50th state! It is found in the North Pacific Ocean and is quite far from the main continent, almost 4000 km.

Hawaii's climate is tropical and it has some very nice beaches, due to the fact that they are leeward. Hence many condos for tourists can actually be found there.

During your stay there you would probably want to stay in a Hawaii beach condo, Hawaii has six islands Kauai, Oahu, Molokai,Lanai,Maui, and Hawaii's Big Island =) Travelling between this islands in the day, you will definitely want to stay in a cosy condo after the vibrant nightlife!

Discount Accommodation News

2007-04-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Whenever you go abroad, you need to plan. What you really need to do is to look for Discount Accommodation News, this would help you to budget better and get better value out of your dollar!

It is imperative that you get a good hotel that will cater to what it is that you actually want.

Are you a backpacker or are you following a tour group? Keeping within the tourist belt or planning to explore? Do you need to have a cosy place to stay at the end of a fun filled day or are you alright with a simple bed?

What you need to do is to map your route out and then check out Discount Accommodation News,using this site you can look for either hotels that lie within your route or budget.This would save you money based on your expectations and perhaps just as importantly save time as you save transport time (as well as cost).

Whether it be Asia or continental Europe, Discount Accommodation News is bound to provide you with a hotel that suits your plans!

Have fun!

Visiting New Jersey Anytime Soon?

2007-04-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

Planning a trip to the US?

How about New Jersey?!

If you do plan to go there, the site Destination: Jersey City provides a good strategy for your plans.

Destination: Jersey City provides maps which use AJAX technology to allow maximum interactivity!! Okay that was an overstatement =) But if you have used yahoo or Google Maps, you will find the map tool quite useful. =)

You can actually click on the map for a particular district and zoom in on the places of interest. The maps also has legends to tell you what the location is for, dining, entertainment or accomodation and so on. Pretty neat. Below is a screenshot:

Destination: Jersey City also introduces New Jersey to you =) With highlights like the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and many more. Point is: it is a rather good write up and you really should go check Destination: Jersey City out and use it as a reference if you are planning to check out NJ.

Oh and one of the nice things about this site is that it is really ALIVE =)

As in it is actually active, for example, check out the calendar function and you can see the upcoming events in the city. Not too bad I would say. It has current events up to the month. And you can even search for the events via category or the date/time of the event!

Best of all Destination: Jersey City actually incorporates the fact that you my dear traveller are actually going to have to make plans. (Hey you spend good money to get there, you better plan!)

The planning function can be found on the top navigation bar, and it give you a sequential list of places you can visit depending on what you are interested in, so that you do not have to go round in circles =) Essentially it gives you a dynamic itinerary.

Well, enough here already, go check Destination: Jersey City out!

2007-03-27T01:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/

http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/Learn_chisim/Thai.asp

http://www.metanoiac.com/archives/2005/01/cheating_and_ch.html

Understanding Spanish Addresses

2007-02-25T15:58:00.000-08:00

This is interesting, I actually looked it up only because I sold something on ebay and the address looked funny and I was'nt sure if it was some format error =P

Given that Spain and Italy 's postal systems have a bit of a rep (thats my observation from other ebayers, myself I have'nt had problems - I had an American who tried to pull a fast one so if a person says it will take some time blah blah, its usually him, not the system or the nation or his nationality), I thought this my help others who might be sending to Spain =)

Understanding Spanish addresses

This other link is just something cute I found along the way