LadyLights Artist

Legacy of Vinyl Records

2016-05-21T08:57:00.001-07:00

Amazing artistes of the past leaving us with a legacy of their beautiful voices where many or a few die hard fans renaissance with the scratchy effects from a vinyl records playing on a turntable.

Recently, I was surprised to discovered that my mother had a collection of vinyl record collectibles of Chinese artist, the one that I recognised immediately is a young-looking Teresa Teng on the covers.

She is an iconic singer and her songs is known world wide through so many generations till today.

Her melodious voice fills our hearts with love every time we hear her sing.

#teresateng #vinylrecordscollectibles #vintage

Merry Christmas

2015-12-24T08:19:00.001-08:00

Frank Sinatra - Strangers in the Night

2014-10-17T10:27:00.001-07:00

Frank Sinatra sings for Modern Strangers in the Night.

"Love was just a glance away - Strangers in the Night - Lovers at first sight!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF09jJlJCU0

Always a fan of the great Sinatra and will be for many years to come. Saw this vinyl record collectibles of him and felt compelled to write about this iconic singer. His voice spreads magic to anyone and everyone that hears him sing.

"I got you under my skin" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XCVnV5CGh0

Behind the cover of the vinyl record talks about him in New York - the Big Apple. Where he used to sing in this great hall of The Paramount Theater.

The theater may dilapidated and forgotten with times .... but not the great Sinatra. He isn't with time but he is the time.

"I practice everyday to find some clever lines to make the meaning come true.. but then I go and spoil it all by saying Something Stupid like I love You!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f48fpoSEPU

The except from Stan Cornyn; "When Sinatra sings to you, he doesn't look at you but 6 inches behind your eyes".

One of my best and all time favorite - Fly me to the Moon -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQR0bXO_yI8

Colorful City of Istanbul

2014-10-11T02:19:00.000-07:00

A journey through the ancient cities of Istanbul; a city divided by the Bosphorus Straits which connects to the Black Sea located in the southeast. Istanbul is uniquely the only city in the world that have both the western and asian influences. One part of the city lies in the
European continent while the other in the Middle East.
Just that fact alone is fascinating enough for any traveler to experience.

Istanbul the heart of Turkey is rich with cultural heritage of ancient empires and kingdoms.

It was called Byzantium, Constantinople and today Istanbul - have been the capital of three great empires - Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman. Each of these empires brings in new religions and traditions that makes up of Istanbul's architecture marvel today.

Arrived at Sabina International Airport after a quick flight transfer at Doha. We checked into an apartment located in Sultanahmet - the historical Asian side of Istanbul.

It's late but eager to be in Istanbul; its exploration time to check out the local convenience

store for food and water supply. Just a few doors away is a local grocery shop;

that also sells toasted sandwiches stuffed with cheese and ham. That's dinner for the night!

Next morning, awoken by the sounds of the morning prayers from the mosque.

It dawn on me that I would need to quickly get use to it.

Today, the exciting exploration awaits. Istanbul bears the past influences from the ancient

Byzantine , Roman and the Ottoman. A city exuding the charms of great emperors, sultans, kings and queens that once ruled this exotic land.

Topkapi Palace
At the beginning of the Ottoman Dynasty, Topkapi Palace was constructed by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the 1460. The palace was built across 700,000 sq meters of the peninsula from Sea of Marmara, Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. It served as the administrative, educational and art center of the empire over four hundred years. Protected for its importance, Topkapi Palace today is a museum where historical artifacts were on display.

As one of the 'must-see' places in Istanbul, the palace can be quite crowded at about noon. So our plan was to get to the queue line before opening time. However, if its your 1st morning in Istanbul and you plan to walk from Sultanahmet area then it is advisable to leave an hour of so earlier.
The many distractions or attractions along the way will compel you to stop
for a photo or two or three!

Topkapi palace is a spectacular place indeed and is the largest and oldest palace in the world.

Its a palace that bears the classical example of Turkish palace architecture.

The different tiles, woodwork and architectural styles displayed in Topkapı Palace reflects the development of Turkish art and the harmonious existence of differing styles over the centuries.

In one section of the palace is where you can visit the Harem; where the concubines,

consorts and queen mother lives together with their children.

The great conqueror and emperor of the Roman empire, Constantine during his Roman conquests ventured to this far-away land across the Mediterranean sea and created a new great empire that he named Constantinople. The great emperor brought the Roman influences by constructing Roman basilicas with design that resemble the St Peter's church in Vatican city.

During his ruling, the emperor found that water were scarce in this new land; he ordered the construction of a massive aqueduct system both overland and underground that begin from the source that is located in the inner parts of Turkey. Water were channeled to the city and stored in an underground reservoir called Basilica Cistern.

The Basilica Cistern is a large underwater reservoir that supply water to surrounding palaces

in the city. The Romans have demonstrated their amazing engineering skills to

built these enormous underground and overland aqueduct systems.

I am truly amaze to be in this aqueduct and looking through the ancient pillars that stretch as far as eyes can see. You would wonder how big the system is because the excavation works is ongoing today. Of course, the attraction of this cistern is the Medusa heads. No one knows exactly

how or why the stone heads were there; but there were beliefs that Medusa heads

sculpture were placed there to wart off any bad/evil influences.

The cistern with its inverted Medusa head pillar was featured in the climax of the new Dan Brown novel Inferno featuring Robert Langdon. That is one movie which I can't wait to see.

Our final destination is the great Sultanahmet Camii or Blue Mosque with its cascade of opulent domes and slender minarets looming majestically over the large Sultanahmet square;

is Istanbul's most striking images. It's like keeping the best for last on our 1st day in Istanbul;

but also that it's closing time is later.

It is indeed an amazing architecture with its shiny Blue Iznik tiles that dominate the interior, it has 250 windows where the sun shines through. The interior is stunning, from the vast central dome designed to lift all eyes heavenward to the latticework-covered Imperial Loge and

the mihrab (prayer niche) containing a piece of sacred black stone from Mecca.

As the day is late, we stroll through the Sultanahmet gardens leaving the great mosque. Pondering the mystifying architecture and history of the places we have just visited. You can truly

understand why this city can be a wonder of the world by only being here.

Our adventurous day must end with a search for food; and there is only one thing that

we must eat and this is the Turkish delights.

A Streetcar Named DESIRE

2014-08-09T01:54:00.002-07:00

LOOK AFTER MY HEART... I'VE LEFT IT WITH ........................

I interpret it as a desperate plea for help and attention to one's emotional state.

The opportunity to watch and capture a power packed dance performance that exudes a strong innuendo of sexuality, passion, hatred, lust and maybe in the end real love....

Blanche the main character is a beautiful but emotionally disturbed lady.

She found herself alone and in desperate need to re-connect with her sister, Stella.

Stella loved her sister and encourages her to stay with her while her sister sorts out her life.

Stella and her husband shared a very loving relationship that filled

with passionate sexual and brutish kind of love.

Stanley dislikes the intrusion and showed animosity towards Blanche.

Blanche in her emotional state of disarray; creates chaos in the lives of people around her.

Stella loves them both; in the end the decision to commit her sister into

an institution is the only solution to prevent her from ruining all their lives.

Commendable play by all the actors and dancers; a great director and producer

and of course amazing music; not to mention the spectacular stage and lighting set

at Pentas 1 of Kuala Lumpur Performance Arts Centre.

Day 16-18- Istanbul

2014-08-05T07:39:00.002-07:00

Istanbul again but this time in Beyoglu, the European side.

Beyoglu was a a fashionable city featuring the modern part of Istanbul, lined with cafe, restaurants and shops.

Good bye Istanbul!

Mystery of Stonehenge

2014-05-10T08:58:00.002-07:00

I have always been fascinated by Stonehenge, the mystery that surround this thousands year old monument situated in Wiltshire, England and about 2 miles west of Amesbury or 8 miles north of Salisbury. There were countless movies, stories and even television shows that were inspired by the mystery of this prehistoric monument; and also a cooking show that was filmed on this site.

Origin of Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument with huge circle of megalithic pillars, the bluestones boulders were moved many miles to this site (many believed from Southern Wales). The origin of Stonehenge remain a mystery today; as archaeologists continuously uncovered remains on this site that lead to new development and findings.

Stonehenge was originally believed to be a monument to the dead due to the discovery of human cremation burials around the brooding stones. It was used as a cemetery in 3000 BC. Read more on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge

Road Trip

Driving there is pretty easy with a rented car from the edge of London in order to avoid the congestion charge. Our journey began early on a cold Tuesday morning in mid January 2013; packed with sufficient snacks, lunch and a hot flask of coffee for the road-trip.

Most of the route on the motorways, especially the M3 is a breeze to drive on. Our first stop is the Windsor Castle; and we arrived just in time to see the Changing of Guards at the castle. After a quick tour inside the castle; we left for Stonehenge.

We arrived at Stonehenge in about 1 ½ hours; you can see the massive structure from the main road. The good thing about traveling in winter is the roads are not congested and arriving at about 12 noon; we have avoid the big crowd of tourist buses for the morning visits. But the downside is the bitter cold and gloomy weather which we may encounter. But fortunately for us, on this day it was sunny blue skies.

Visitor Centre

Stonehenge visitor center was situated just across the site. The car park was quite empty so we quickly parked the car and walked to get our ticket into the site. Today, there is a new visitor’s center that is located a distance away where a shuttle bus ferried visitors to site. The reviews were not very positive due to delays because of the massive crowd; hopefully they can resolve this problem quickly.

Once inside the site, you can do a full circular walk-about tour around the Stonehenge. Your entrance ticket comes with an audio guide. The only barrier between you and the stones is a short rope barrier.

We were not expecting to stay on longer than an hour but ended staying closer to 2 hours; just to catch the glimpse of the setting sun. Well, I can say that the spectacular views were truly worth the wait.

Sunset at Stonehenge

Its winter so the day is shorter, which we know but just fail to register in our heads. That was until we saw the setting sun at Stonehenge. It was truly a mesmerizing sight; with golden hues as the shadow falls longer creating the dramatic effect on the mysterious Stonehenge.

We were lucky to experience Stonehenge in midday with blue sunny skies filled and to catch the golden setting sun too!

HOGWARTS IS HERE

2014-04-20T09:24:00.002-07:00

Harry Potter - a young orphan boy destined for greatness in the wizardry world of Hogwarts.

The popularity of JK Rowling's tales of Harry Potter's perilous adventures captured

the hearts of people all over the world.

So much so that now there's a fan-made online wizardry school called

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

Thanks to the Wizengamot, the British and American Ministry of Magics and

a handful of tech-friendly professors from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry ,

a Hogwarts education has now become available online to all aspiring witches and wizards.

Anyone can enrol at Hogwarts to begin a 9-week online courses;

this online Hogwarts experience and education is entirely FREE!.

It is made possible with lots of passion from fans with extraordinary creativity.

There's a Facebook called HiH by fans for fans (Hogwarts is Here).

HiH is Hogwarts is Here and is a fan-made online Hogwarts experience for fans.

Their mission is to connect Harry Potter fans from around the world who know

the series more than just books and films.

Fans of Harry Potter can enroll at this wizardry school

at http://www.hogwartsishere.com/about/

Yes! the school's website link; with academic information, enrollment process,

student life, community career and FAQ.

Hogwarts School; just like in the Harry Potter's movie - student will be assigned to each house -

Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

The coolest things about this online school is that you will also get a personalized acceptance letter on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry' stationary with the school's seal.

Now just wait for the ride on the train to Hogwarts for an adventurous journey of wizardry education!

SINBAD The Musical

2014-04-19T10:39:00.003-07:00

Sinbad - one of my favorite childhood tale from Arabian Nights!

The 2014 world premiere at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre is produced and presented by the Actors Studio. The show runs from April 11 to 27; after that it's at the

Performing Arts Centre in Penang from May 2-11.

Everyone loves a hero in Sinbad and even more with one that's tall, dark,

handsome and can sing!

It will be an evening of unforgettable music and dance, spectacular sets,

amazing theatrical effects and glamorous costume.

Audience will be drawn into an exciting world full of adventure, valor and romance.

Synopsis of Story

Sinbad arrives in the city to find it under the spell of an evil vizier (or evil wizard) who has imprisoned the true king and enslaved his beautiful daughter Princess Yasmin.

Sinbad the master of prankster with his crew upon arrival into a new city and already in trouble.

Street urchin and orphan, Hajji is the leader of the kids that steals in the city. New in the city,

Sinbad is an easy target for Hajji in the busy market place.

Not to be fooled, Sinbad caught the thief and accidentally uncovered

Hajji's true identity as a girl.

In desperation to free herself, Hajji shared with Sinbad her sad tale of how she became an orphan and homeless roaming the streets as a result of the evil wizard's cruelty.

The magical Fatimah; believes Sinbad will fulfill the prophecy as the saviour of the city.

She hypnotize Sinbad into believing that he must save her beloved city and of course,

to fall in love with the beautiful Princess Yasmin. But does her magic works,

humorously some of her followers were skeptical especially her own mother!

Princess Yasmin, the beautiful daughter of the Caliph;

is beloved of the people and small furry animals (reminds of Snow White).

She is as delicate as a rose with the strength of a willow.

The Princess loves to visit the market place and enjoys to be with her people as her way of showing that she cares for them. As 'fated' (or more of a pre-arranged meeting);

she and Sinbad meets and falls in love (at first sight).

Meanwhile, the evil wizard is up to his many dirty tricks.

By now, he heard of the arrival of Sinbad and plans to trap Sinbad

by imprisoning him into a magic mirror.

The wicked and malicious Vizier cast a spell on Princess Yasmin;

turning the beautiful princess into one of the ugliest one.

An ugly pig's snout grew out of her once beautiful face.

The princess heart-broken and sad at her predicament.

Caliph, the deposed King of the city are in a constant state of depression;

and appears to be suicidal at one time.

Ezra, the Minder of Princess Yasmin is wise and caring.

She fears for her Princess and vows to keep her safe.

Fatimah also runs the local Kasbah; a very happening place which is also

the secret place for underground revolution.

Ex-General of the Caliphe's Army, Suliman has been kept a prisoner

in the dungeon under heavy guard.

Suliman is not a man that can be kept behind bars; he is planning and

waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Sinbad with Hajji's help breaks into the dungeon to free the General and his crew;

all have been imprisoned by the evil vizier.

Back at the Kasbah, Fatimah unveiled the magical weapon that can defeat the evil vizier and to save Princess Yasmin. The amazing magic carpet but the only problem is

no one knows the magic word that will make it fly.

Sinbad whispered to the magic carpet, "Fly carpet fly";

but it didn't fly to everyone's disappointment.

Sinbad and his crew defeated the evil vizier and freed the Genie, trapped in the magic mirror by the evil vizier. The wicked vizier in his haste to cast the magic spell on Sinbad;

had turned the spells upon himself.

Free at last; the King, his general and beloved Princess Yasmin

as they rejoices with the people in the city.

A very happy ending as in all fairy-tale.

Thaipusam Celebration at Batu Caves

2014-01-18T10:22:00.001-08:00

In Malaysia, the Thaipusam Festival is celebrated on the 17^th January 2014, a day of the full moon. So what is really the meaning of Thaipusam. A quick search revealed that Thaipusam is an important festival observed by the Hindus of southern India during the Tamil month of Thai (January-February).

Thaipusam is a day of celebration dedicated to the Hindu God Murugan, the son of Shiva and Parvati. It was believed that Goddess Parvati presented a golden spear to Lord Murugan to vanquish the demon army of Tarakasura and combat their evil deeds. So Thaipusam is actually a celebration of the victory of good over evil.

The attraction of this traditional festival has drawn in visitors both local and abroad. The photography community in Malaysia has been fascinated with this festival for many years.

Each year, we see a growing numbers of photographers from professionals, amateurs and newbies to this fascinating event. And of course, not forgetting that it is also a major tourist attraction.

For this year, it's another exciting year to capture the bustling activities of this religious congregation of devotees. Though the preparation of the festival began more than a month ago, it all culminate on this day of the full moon where the blessing from Lord Murugan is at it's peak.

So to mark this day of penance and thanksgivings, Hindu devotees will pierce their body with metal skewers and carry pots of milk on their heads as offering to Lord Murugan. During the ceremonial worship, some devotees will carry Kavadi that is decorated with flowers and peacock feathers. In preparation for the procession, devotees will shave their head bald and began a cleansing ritual or bath in the nearby river. Thereafter, the devotees will make their way to the Temple Cave and climb the 272-step stairway up to the temple.

The Kavadi is a form of ceremonial offering that emphasizes on the devotees’ debt bondage. So generally, Hindus take a vow to offer kavadi as a purpose of tiding over a great calamity.

The simplest kavadi is a semi-circular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders to the temple.

There are devotees that go to the extreme as to torture their bodies to appease the Lord. Therefore, the major attraction of Thaipusam is body piercing with hooks, skewers and small spears called 'vel'. Some will pull chariots with hooks stuck to their back and spear piercing through their tongue and cheek which prevent him from speaking and gives him great power of endurance.

Devotees will enter into a trance during such piercing rituals due to the incessant drumming and chanting of 'vel vel shakti vel' . They are blessed by the priests and there are no blood during these piercing rituals.

THROWBACK to 2011 Graduation Ceremony at Curtin University in Singapore

2014-01-08T09:57:00.001-08:00

Still in the early week of January 2014, I decided to do some past event posting

which I missed out, especially the one in Singapore.

Let's go back to the year 2011 and specifically on Friday, 21st October.

It was the day where we proudly witness the graduation ceremony

for all the amazing and brilliant students of Curtin University.

The Graduation Ceremony for the graduates of Curtin University

was held at the Singapore Hall.

It was indeed a happy moment for all at this grand event.

Happy New Year 2014

2013-12-31T03:52:00.000-08:00

Goodbye to 2013

as we welcome

the dawn of the new beginning!

Happy New Year 2014.

A Boxing Day of Sale & Sales!

2013-12-26T10:04:00.000-08:00

In London, thousand of shoppers braved the cold winter morning to queue in the dark at the pre-opening of the Boxing Day sale. The main area for the Boxing day bargain hunt is Oxford Street, the heart of shopping in London and home to major designer labels.

Like every year, Harrods kicks off its winter sale on the early hours of 26th December. This year, Harrods provided hot chocolate drinks, smoked salmon canapes and blankets to keep their customers in the queue warm in this cold, cold winter morning

The winter sales will intensive till January 2014, for those who missed the Boxing day sale there is hope still for bargain hunting so mark these dates in your shopping calendar!

London Winter Sale - December 2013 - January 2014

Most of London's department stores will start their 2014 winter sales on either 26 or 27 December, some of them having sales include:

Harrods - Starts 26 December

The iconic Knightsbridge store's winter sale are famous for big savings on luxury goods

Harvey Nichols - Starts 26 December

The chic department store offers shoppers impressive reductions

John Lewis - Starts 2 January 2014

The popular department store boasts it's "never knowingly undersold"

Liberty - Starts 26 December

Treat yourself to some Liberty luxury at discount prices

London Designer Outlets - Start 26 December

This brand new shopping destination offers up to 70% off all year round

Peter Jones - Start 27 December

Shop in comfort and style at the much-loved department store

Selfridges - TBC

Six floors of sale-packed shopping.

Westfield London - Start 26 December

Shepheard's Bush to snap up clothes, shoes, electronics at low prices

Westfirled Stratford City - Start 26 December

More than 200 stores under one roof

Fortnum & Mason - Starts 27 December

London's most luxurious food emporium offers up a hearty sale

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2014

2013-12-23T11:34:00.003-08:00

I wish you,

my family and friends

a very

Merry Christmas

and

a Happy New Year

2014

Happy Winter Solstice

2013-12-22T00:06:00.000-08:00

The winter solstice is a major festival celebrated in the West and East. The solstice marks the beginning of winter and has been celebrated for thousands of years.

In the UK, the winter solstice is a major pagan festival, with rituals of rebirth as revelers gather at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise. In ancient times, the winter solstice celebration is to mark the last day of the Mayan calendar, signaling the end of the world.

However, the world did not end so today is a celebration to mark the rebirth of a new year!

The question of whether the Stonehenge was built to celebrate the winter solstice remains a mystery till today. That is one expert’s theory, but there are several theories as to why the stone structure was built, include that it was a temple of worship to the Sun; an ancient royal burial ground; or as an astronomical observatory. But none of these theories has been proven true so the Stonehenge remains a mystery.

While in China, the winter solstice is celebrated in the Dongzhi Festival (the arrival of winter). This year the festival falls on Sunday, 22^nd December 2013.

Traditionally, the Chinese family will get together and one of the fun activities is the making and eating of tangyuan or glutinous rice balls, which symbolize reunion.

In Malaysia, the winter solstice festival is better known as the Tang Yuan festival. Tang Yuan are made of glutinous rice flour and mostly in bright colors of red, pink or yellow. They are served in an aromatic soup made of brown sugar, water and seasoned with pandan leaves and ginger.

A Walk on the Jubilee Promenade

2013-12-21T11:47:00.003-08:00

Enjoy a walk from the Millenium Bridge to the London Eye that takes you along the South Bank of the Thames River on the stretch of the Jubilee Promenade.

The walkway provides a pleasant walk with its many benches for resting and enjoying the serenity of the river view. Autumn trees lining the walkway with its golden leaves scattered along the walkway. Further downriver, the view of St Paul's Cathedral and the Millenium Bridge.

The walk will usually end at the Westminster's bridge as you approach the amazing London Eye.

Draw My Life

2013-12-19T23:27:00.001-08:00

"Draw My Life"

A special birthday dedication to her sister who's in London with a simple message of love!

Enjoy!

Imperial College London 2013 Commemoration Day

2013-12-05T02:29:00.000-08:00

The Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington in London, United Kingdom

Imperial College London’s

Commemoration Day Ceremonies held on

Wednesday 23 October 2013

at the Royal Albert Hall

at South Kensington London.

Congratulations to all the 2013 Graduates!

The Millennium Bridge, London

2013-12-04T06:10:00.000-08:00

Just across from St Paul's Cathedral is London's iconic bridge, The Millennium Bridge or 'Wobbly Bridge - which were later rectified'.

London's Millennium Bridge is the first pedestrian river crossing over the Thames in central London for more than a century. It links St Paul's Cathedral on the north bank to Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe in Southwark.

In 1996, London's Southwark Council sponsored a competition to choose designer of a new Millennium Footbridge. This would be London's first bridge built across the Thames River since the magnificent Tower Bridge in 1894 and it was part of the city's millennium celebration.

The winning entry, a suspension bridge which was tagged 'The Blade of Light' with it's 320 meter long structure was designed by architect Sir Norman Foster and sculptor Sir Anthony Caro with engineers Arup.

For fans of Harry Potter, this bridge was used to represent the 'Brockdate Bridge' in the 2009 movie, where it collapses following a dramatic attack by the Death Eaters.

Well, the bridge doesn't wobble anymore, and the view across the Thames River to the Tower Bridge is amazing!

St Paul's Cathedral, London

2013-12-04T05:17:00.000-08:00

In London on a sunny day, one of the best things to do is to stroll along the Embankment, Since I have not visited St Paul's Cathedral, my journey will begin from there.

St Paul's Cathedral was where late Princess Diana had her wedding to the Prince of Wales on 29 July 1981 and watched by millions of audience all over the world, me included!.

For anyone visiting London for the first time, St Paul's Cathedral is a must to see! The nearest tube is St Paul's station.

St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London.

Harry Potter at King's Cross Station

2013-11-01T09:58:00.001-07:00

Harry Potter's popularity have a huge impact for Kings Cross Station because some parts of the movie
were supposedly filmed there.

Exactly where, we would not know for sure. But there's a Harry Potter shop and a fake platform 9 3/4 where Harry enters to Hogwarts Station for train to Hogwarts - school for wizards!

Kids and adults were seen queing up for a photo opportunity at this platform with a fake trolley stuck halfway through the wall. They even offer a scarf for Griffindolf. A photographer offers to take a photo and if you want to buy it, the A4 size prints cost eight GBPounds at the shop.

All Harry Potter fans must visit this shop because everything on displays are exactly what you see in the movies. Harry's magic wand, scarf, sweater, magic typewriter & many more.

King's Cross Station is connected to St Pancreas Station that offer cross country train services to most Europe countries. The architecture of both buildings is stunningly overwhelming.

It's Halloween in London, many came dressed up as witches and vampires for a photo at the Harry Potter's platform. The pubs at King's Cross were packed with all the unearthly creatures of the night.

By morning the streets were quiet with another cold and gloomy day in London.

Becon Breacon-Road Trip in Wales

2013-11-01T05:21:00.001-07:00

Wales is an extremely beautiful place for a road trip. They have several national parks in North, South, West & East side.

The largest are Pembrokeshire, Snowdonia, Becon Breacon which are hikers' haven and paradise to outdoors enthusiasts. We only managed to fit in two in our road trip to Wales in early weeks of Autumn 2013 - the Snowdonia and Becon Breacon.

Yet, it's too short as you would want to spent more days at each location because it's simply so beautiful.

That is why we are always late in our travel timing, it's so hard to leave each place that we visit as the views were so stunning and exhilarating.

Becon town is the base to spend the night as they have many little and cozy B&B places to eat. We didn't have enough time to explore the town centre and its historical Dinas Castell Castle because of the rain.

The kind gentleman in the town's local diner told us the castle grounds is not conducive to visit on stormy day. Most of the locals wear heavy duty Paddington Boots for the wet grassy grounds, I was ill-equipped with my black velvet boots. In the rush, I forgot to change into a hiking boots .

So off we go heading our way back to Cardiff through the Becon Breacon National Parks. The drive through the valleys and lakes where we were tempted to stop many times throughout the journey.

The strong icy cold winds hit us hard everytime we stopped hoping for photo opportunity, some stops we failed due to the unpredictable showers that falls unexpectedly.

Relentless and braving the cold, we did somehow. When you are in such beautiful country you simply cannot resists.

I just feel so sad to leave the beautiful valley, the first signs of human inhabitants - industrial townships.
Arriving at the outskirts of Cardiff, with some time left, we decided to check out Fagan Natural History Museum. Entry is free and transportation are available from Cardiff city centre. It's a unique concepts for preservation of historical monuments, castles and artifacts.

If you do not have time to visit the whole of Wales, here you can see most of the historical architecture of Wales. Some of the buildings and artifacts were excavated and brought here for public display and also for preservation purposes.

It's an outdoor museum that spread over an area as huge as Disneyland amusement park. So I would recommend allocating half or a whole day here, provided weather permits.

It's most probably best to visit in summer time but some photos on display at the centre showed snow covered rooftop of these historical buildings that looked totally awesome. So brave the winter cold if you dare.

Overall, you can visit Wales in different time of the year as you still enjoys the beauty and serenity that this country offers with its countryside, valleys, lakes and endless terrain. Hikers should try doing a hike in summer or early Autumn.

Snowdonia, National Park of Mid Wales

2013-10-28T02:48:00.001-07:00

Our journey continue through Snowdonia to the picturesque town of Llangollen in mid Wales.

Leaving Caernafon on A4086 that lead towards Llanberis Pass, an exceptional scenic mountain route that unveils the stunning lakes and the Dolbadam Castle that is perched on the side road, hidden from view.

Just down the road from the Dolbadam castle parking is a secluded reservoir, the Llyn Peris Reservoir which has an amazing lake!

Onwards from Llanberis, the next stop is at Bets-y-Coed for an early dinner at a little diner. The village itself has a unique characteristic of old Victorian cottages along the busy main road.

It was another stormy evening, the sky grew dark and angry. Rain pouring down mercilessly as we make our way back to the car.

We drove along the A5 heading toward Berwyn at Llangolen for a night at the ChainBridge Hotel. The access to the hotel is through a secluded and dark narrow road across a narrow bridge through a narrow court yard surrounded by a raging river on one side and a canal on the other. Once again, we had arrived at a hotel in pitch dark. The lights from the hotel entrance was a welcoming sight in this cold and wet night.

Road Trip South to North Wales

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Our road trip to Wales start with arrival to Cardiff Central Station. It's a two hours train ride from London's Paddington Station.

We drove from Cardiff heading north on the motorway M4 towards Swansea for a quick stop to check out the lighthouse at the cove and continue onwards to Carreg Castle at Carmenthenshire.

As its autum, it's was dark when we arrive at the castle ground so unable to gain entry.

We continue our journey towards Caernafon, the roads were in complete darkness in this cold and wet autumn night. It's gets narrow and winding in certain stretches as we drove through several towns or villages that looks totally deserted. There were also many road works along the road which slowed down our journey.

Finally, in about three hours we were relieved to have reached our destination at Caernafon. The B&B owners were kind enough to wait up for us as they retired early for the night.

A quick walk around town in our search for food, we stumbles on the only place that's still open at such odd hours. The Bengal Spices, Indian delicacies. The food were amazingly tasty and good.
Exhausted, we slept like log for the night.

Next morning after an amazing traditional English breakfast at the B&B that is located within the Castle wall, we explored the famous castle ground.

Caernafon was also known as The Royal Town in North Wales. Due to its strategic location at a river mount, the port flourish as the main transport hub for North Wales. The Caernafon Castle was built by England's King Edward 1 after his successful conquest of the town from the Wales ruler. This castle symbolises England's initial invasion on Wales.

The castle falls to a state of ruins after a few decade of neglect.

Today the castle and the surrounding town is in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Olympic City in London

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The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park situated at the Westfield Stratford City is massive.

The Olympic Stadium is not accessible to the public. However, there are viewing towers near the Westfields shopping mall and also John Lewis Gallery.

At the gallery, you can see the Stadium, Aquatics Centre and a twisted-looking structure that turns out to be the Arcelormittal Orbit.

If you have spare time in London, it's worth a visit. If not for the stadium, you can shop your heart out.