THE JOURNEY IS THE REWARD 受益就在征途中

THINKING OF YOU

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:21:00 +0000

I keep thinking of you
You're on my mind
For the fifty-seven thousandth time this morning
I keep seeing you in sheets of white
I can't change anything
I can't change
Anything - Anything

I was out on my own
For the first time
It was here all alone, that I cracked
Now it won't happen again
Til the next time
Now I think I can do this all by myself

I've been thinking of you a lot this morning
For the fifty-seven thousandth time today
I will see you in pictures
Dressed as I am
I can't change anything
I can change
Anything - Anything

I would like to tell you
Where I'm going to
I've seen it before
I've seen it before
I would like to tell you
This is not about you
I've seen it before
I've seen it before

I've been thinking of you
You're on my mind

(Thinking of You - Pete Yorn)

IKEA

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:12:00 +0000

It has been a long while since I last visited an IKEA store. Went to one 2 weekends ago to look for a simple dining set and this was what I ended up with:

At only $125, I think it is hard to beat in terms of value and practicality.

Where else but IKEA that one could look at the item, pick it up from the racks, pay at the counter, brings it home and have a dining set fully assembled in an instant and ended up a totally satisfied customer?

IKEA thinks about the customer experience in its product design as its starting point, that I think is their forte all these years.

The dining set above took me less than half an hour to fix it all up and I ended up feeling so great to have a dining set that is nice to sit on and easy to clean (it's a tempered glass top) and could also be used as a working table!

I do not think there is any kind of mega store that could engage a customer to walk through its entire store and not feel bored. That is the IKEA experience that sets it apart from the rest. The layout of the store and the flow from one theme to the next is seamless and kinda inspires the customer with ideas to re-decorate one's home!

IKEA to me represents IDEAS and INSPIRATION.

"IKEA : INSPIRING IDEAS" - that would be quite some tagline!

GOSH! WAS IT REALLY 20 YEARS AGO?

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Caught the Pixies on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien over the weekend on CNBC where they were in the midst of their "Doolittle Live 2009" sellout tour of the USA celebrating the 20th anniversary of their classic "Doolittle" album.
Was it really 20 years ago? How time flies but the music remains the same.

What I remember about "Here Comes Your Man" will always be the numerous mention of "box car"....may be referring to a tiny small car or may be the old classic Mini or maybe something kids made with a wooden box with rollers???

Here it is on The Tonight Show, brings back so much memories.......

They have also released a free live E.P. for download:

Doolittle 20th Anniversary Live E.P.
1. Dancing the Manta Ray
2. Monkey Gone To Heaven
3. Crackity Jones
4. Gouge Away

5.12 REDUX - A passing glimpse.......

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:45:00 +0000

.....bad roads that narrowed to single lanes and traffic jams.

........houses submerged in water.

.....torn bridges, roads blocked by avalanches rendered unpassable.

....temporary housing stll being used.

....on-going road repairs, seems never-ending.

......a slalom of a ride!

......boulders all around.....a reminder.

成都 - The one thing that I will missed the most......

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 07:24:00 +0000

..........will be these fellas!

,,,,enjoying their pet food.

.....playful as kids!

.....being comfortable, come what may!

Do Not DIsturb!.......Panda in zzzerious meditation.

Probably the most carefree creatures in the whole universe and a pleasure to watch from such close proximity. Never fails to amuse visitors with their playfulness and clumsiness, and it all comes naturally for them without even trying!
I lost my beloved HTC Touch 3G on the bus returning from Jiuzhaigou and was a wee bit down but these fellas cheered me up almost instantly!
It was not so much about the physical phone but more importantly the data inside and the contacts of new friends I made on this trip! I blame myself for my over-reliance on modern tech and not having the discipline to backup my data, so I have to live with and learn from this episode.
One thing is for sure, it made me realise that material things are just what they are and there is no need for any attachment to them. Instead what one should treasure are the intangibles which could not be easily replaced, replicated and easily lost forever.

FROM BICYCLES TO BYE-CYCLES.

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:57:00 +0000

The tricycle was used by my youngest one and the one with the training wheels was used by my eldest. The child seat used to be mounted on the back of the bike which I used.
All these were left unused for a long period of time and I even had 2 notices (from the town council)to remove them from the common area.
How time flies indeed and barely noticing how the kids have all grown out of these bikes!
Today I managed to locate the long-lost key to the locks that chained up the bikes. A rag-and-bone man weighed these bikes (and the chain and locks too!) according to scrap metal value and I ended with about 7 bucks for the lot! The man mentioned that currently metals have more value than newspapers in terms of recycling.
In the end it was a win-win situation for both of us - me disposing of the bikes that were supposed to be removed from the common area and the rag-and-bone man having the metals for recycling. Rarely do win-win situation exists in business but this is as close as it gets! In business it is not really win-win but how far each party wanted to compromise, the same applies to any dispute/arguments/disagreements etc.
Ironically, I swore that the rag-and-bone man looked awfully familiar.... like we were from the same secondary school or something like that.

The Great Spy Experiment - Wasted

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:47:00 +0000

A preview of The Great Spy Experiment's album-in-the-works. With Electrico's gradual disintegration from a 5 piece to a 3 piece, GSE may well become Singapore's foremost band. They had the best potential among the current batch of bands.

I think there is still a chronic problem with the local English music scene, after so many years, primarily the lack of local support and bands running out of time trying to make a decent success for being original. I salute those bands which keep perservering despite the odds. I do not think they will ever get the kind of recognition remaining in this place, the only way to make a breakthrough may be beyond these shores............if that day ever arrives, the biggest loss ironically may be this country, for not having an environment that nurtures local music.

While waiting for that day to come.........enjoy while we can, such little gems:

from "Saving Charmaine – Live Your Life 2009" Concert 26 July 2009 @Zouk

IN THE MORNING.........

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:24:00 +0000

........at the KLCC

Finally, FINALLY made it up to the Petronas Twin Towers' skybridge after so many years trippin' this city. In truth nothing spectacular other than the scale of the construction and the techonologies used. The view looks far better from the ground upwards than from the bridge downwards.

44th National Day Pix

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Above shots taken with 18x zoom!!

9 Aug 2009 - 8:22 pm Pledge Moment?

What is the point in saying a pledge that had long lost its identity and relevance? Does it still mean anything? What significance is there to put your clenched fist on your chest? Nothing but a show, that's all.

They must be fast running out of ideas so why not stop wasting people's time and resources and stick to a simple march past - short and simple! It don't mean a thing and stop risking small children drenched and walking under lightning and thunder a long distance just to locate their buses during rehearsals on heavy raining days. Where is the provision of safety first cover?? This is peace time, cannot imagine what it will be like in non-peace time? Can anyone expect to be shielded from safety and harm? very unlikely!

An alternate pledge by ex-citizens of Singapore:

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:08:00 +0000

I like the diagonal placements at opposite angles - concrete and tree - covered by a sky, blue with clouds. Perfect framing.

Speckle from a tiny sun, enhanced by the darkness of the surroundings - A real spectacle!

It got me thinking about always to look to a ray of light at the end of a deep and dark tunnel, in life and in almost every obstacle that we come face to face with. It may be just a speckle but as you bravely walk towards that tiny speckle, it will become an ever growing ray of light every step of the way. Don't Give Up, Never Give Up!

Thank you, you know who you are!

L.O.V.E. is?

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:23:00 +0000

Love is a fragile thing
Like a plant, it must be watered and cultivated
or it will wither and die.

The notion that love will continue
to grow naturally through the years is misguided

The truth is that love must be maintained and protected
if it's going to survive

Love can perish when work consume seven days a week or
when spouses don't communicate regularly
The keen edge of a loving relationship
may be dulled through the routine pressures of living.

Realised what this busy life was doing to your relationship
We may still loved each other
but it had been too long since
we'd felt the spirit of warmth and closeness.

Where does your marriage rank?
Does it get the leftovers from your busy
schedule or is it something of worth
to be supported and replenished?

Let there be no misunderstanding.
If left unattended, your relationship could die a slow death
and no career goal is worth that price.

extracted from article "Value Your Marriage"
by Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family)

25.07.09 - IT'S ONLY WORDS..........

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 07:10:00 +0000

People slimming down is commonplace but buildings too?

Water sprouting:

Who needs a back scratcher when you have arms that could reach your back?

The following 5 pictures are focused on the same ferris wheel but from different angles and different settings, each one looks different from the other.
It's the same with human beings, everyone's perception of people, objects and things are different and everyone is trying to get others to see it from his or her own perspectives.
That in essence may be the core of one's existence. In the end does all these really matter?
A life is well-lived if one lives it being true to yourself and follow where your heart leads you. Never you mind what others think or say, just go your own way. It is perfectly alright to make mistakes or wrong decisions along the way, everyone does.
When confronted with a situation, pause for a moment and take a step back. Things tend to look very different with just that single step backwards. Just like taking a photo with a camera, by taking a step back you could see much more wider to frame that perfect shot.

孤独与单独的分别 Between Loneliness and Aloneness

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:51:00 +0000

I am not sure how I had come across Urban Monk, it was probably fate or coincidence while browsing through other Buddhism-inspired websites. The site contains loads of great articles related to Self Awareness and I had gained lots of insights reading through them. This particular article: Loneliness – The Beginning of Romance was like a wake-up call that I ended up sharing these few insights (in Chinese) with a friend online:

开始悟道孤独和单独的分别了！
孤独表示妳需要人做伴，单独就是和你的内在为伴！
看大树是不是单独的？也在成长啊!

要学往内看才能往外看，才能向前看！
要爱内在的你才能真正的知道怎麽爱外的别人。
..........好像走对了方向！

The reply from the friend was short and sweet:
漂亮

I was surprised I could condensed everything in just these few lines.
Translated to English it reads like this:

Beginning to understand the difference between Loneliness and Being Alone.
Loneliness meant you need another person as a companion.
Being Alone meant being in the company of your true inner Self.
Look at a big tree, isn't it Alone? Yet it still grew by itself, being alone.

One must learn to look Inward into your own Self before one could look Outward.
It is then that One could truly look Forward.
One must first learn to love your own Inner Self before being able to know how to love others.

...........seems like heading in the right path.

True Love Will Find You In The End

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:01:00 +0000

True love will find you in the end
You'll find out just who was your friend
Don’t be sad, I know you will,
But don’t give up until
True love finds you in the end.

This is a promise with a catch
Only if you're looking will it find you
'Cause true love is searching too
But how can it recognize you
Unless you step out into the light?

Don’t be sad, I know you will
But don’t give up until
True love finds you in the end.

LISTEN!

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:55:00 +0000

This is from Pete Yorn's latest release, his fourth to date and according to early reviews, looks like a classic in the making. Been a fan of Pete Yorn since coming across his music in the movie , "Me, Myself and Irene". The song in that movie was "Strange Condition". I like his melancholic singer-songwriter style.

Don’t wanna cry for u
but there's nothing left to lose
If it can make me feel better
Then I'm gonna cry cry for you

Don’t wanna cry for u
there’s nothing left to do
If it can make me feel better
Then I'm gonna cry cry for you

I know a man not supposed to act this way
But things they got too real, I couldn't stay
(Now) I know one day...we will both feel good
If I could be with u, u know I would

...........from "Don't Wanna Cry"

Every now and then words do not come as easily to express what you actually feel inside. Then you come across words like those above that does so perfectly.

BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY 14 JUNE 2009

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:45:00 +0000

(1) DAY OUT WITH MY TWO BEAUTIFUL KIDS:

..........starting with the legs and flip-flops!

.........my eldest.

.......my little one.

........now who took it when I was unprepared, huh?

.........now ready with my pose!

......the Flyer from Marina Barrage.

..........photos with the pair of Rolls Royces of Fullerton Hotel.
..........my eldest is nearly as tall as me!

.............these photos were taken by my eldest and this is the first time he played with a DSLR! Amazing!
And on manual mode too! Maybe he has that X-factor with photography??

.......maybe it's just me, I think symmetry makes most shots interestingly balanced

or maybe it's just because of my star sign??

.................................A Beautiful Sunday

I had wriiten a passage for this piece but discarded it as it was too personal that did not sit in well with the theme "A Beautiful Sunday", so I have written this instead:

From the moment you popped out from your mother's womb

in the delivery room

You had given me Unknown Pleasures, Joy and Wonder

Which will stay with me forever and ever

I may not have said or expressed it often enough

That I love you

I just hope you know it from within

That this love will be there forever and

Through time, will never wither

(2) ROCK AND ROLL IS ALIVE AND WELL..................WITH THESE GUYS:

The OHBROTHERS from South Korea.

These five guys are proof that Rock N Roll music transcends time and space. Smartly dressed in suits, tight pants and pointed shoes, covering standard classics like Tutti Fruitti and Johnny B. Goode to Rock N Roll numbers in Korean, these guys really kick ass and kept the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre humming all night long. Everyone in the packed crowd could easily identify with the universality of the music.

I even got a photo shot with the gang after the show!

IF....YOU WERE LISTENING...........

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Lately I've been thinking
Lately I've been dreaming with you
I'm so resistant to this type of thinking
Oh, now it's shining through

I was alone for the last time
Before my night's vacation with you
Alive from the first
Now I'm denied by the ghost of you

Oh….You take yourself a photograph and laugh at me
Please

I know there's little use in crying
It's more wide awake and dying then I'm used to
I thought we'd walk these streets together
Now I'm hoping that I'll never have to meet you

Step aside from all this anger
And somewhere in between I can feel you

Ask me should we try again
I'm thinking no
Y'know, it's not what I believe in
It's not what I believe in

Oh, just
You take yourself a photograph and laugh at me
Please
You make yourself a photograph and laugh at me
Please

No I, wanna taste your love
No I...no I
No I, just wanna taste your love
No, no I

Standing in your shoes
I turn and now
You're standing bare in my doorway
I only wish that I had been prepared
I'm gonna have to go along with your way

Just take the plastic camera out
It's in the pants you borrowed in the driveway

Alive from the first
Now I'm denied by the ghost of you

Make yourself a photograph and laugh at me
Please
You make yourself a photograph and laugh at me
Please

No I, wanna taste of love
No I...

I was alive from the first
Now I'm denied by the ghost of you
(.....................from Howie Day's "Ghost")
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heartbreak is never easy to overcome.
The pain is proportionate to the length of the relationship, i.e. the longer it is the more deeper the pain gets. This is the workings of nature and the One up above.

The menu of feelings that one goes through is quite possibly as long as the ends of the world. Deep inside we yearn for the party to be able to read our minds and understand but the truth is that we ourselves could not even read our own minds or straighten things out within ourselves. Quite possibly the same with the other party.

Anger is a driver without any GPS guidance and runs your mind amok beyond any logic. We start asking the 5W2H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How and How Much) to make sense of the problem and locate the differences, typically from only our own perspective and never from the other's point of view. As you go through the 5W2H, your anger starts to build up again and again each time.

Anger is the biggest obstacle to having a clear view of the whole situation. If only we could pause "Anger" for a moment or cast it aside for the time being, things will surely become as clear as the big blue sky.

In any dispute, there will never be a Win-Win situation. The same with business or just about anything. The people who speak it did not tell the full story - it is not Win-Win per se, but in essence a matter of degrees of compromise by each party.

We can forgive but we will never forget, that is nature too! But if we could dig real deep down into the bosom of our hearts and find that tiny piece of our "SELF" to forgive (never mind about forget), I think we are already on the right path.
What I have found through my own long path to this "Self" discovery in regard to my own situation was to acknowledge the fact that EVERYTHING STARTS AND ENDS WITH YOU, AND ONLY YOU.
Never mind the other party, you could not possibly force a change in the other party but you sure could start a change in yourself. Cast aside the notion about losing or winning because at the end of the day, everyone loses something in any disputes. The difference is only in magnitude and whether each one had managed to find one's own true "Self".

If we start to see life as a series of waves as Einstein said, we could realise the non-permanance of all things. You came into the world stark naked and some even needed a smack up the backside before awakening to make your first sound in this world. When your time is up to leave you also leave naked, nevermind the clothes your dead body will be clothed in, you leave taking nothing from this world. So what is the point of fighting over this or that is this brief lifetime? Think about it.

It's not about worldly possessions but the experiences we gather through this journey called a lifetime that really matters. Yes, you will make mistakes, live with regrets or lose your directions at many many crossroads where decisions need to be made, but in truth we are all really here to experience all these, isn't it? If life is given on a silver platter what is the point of being here in the first place?

In any argument, the moment anger kicks in, we are no longer striving for the truth but instead striving for our selfish "Self". That is probably why things tend to drag on with no ends. Something had to give. To give something you have is easy, to give something which you do not have and thereby gaining it in the process is the true giving which I had previously commented in piece 2 of this earlier post in reference to this article by Urban Monk. We are here in this existence to gain the intangibles, not the tangibles.

The only true equality in life is this:
You came into the world with nothing and you will still have most of it at all stages of your lives and this "nothing" you will take it with you in death to the next.

This is not a perfect world, the moment when man is left to their own devices selfishness will kick in and there is only each man for himself. There is no such thing as equality when we are all governed by your fellow man including not only the government, the laws and the Court Judges as these are all your fellow men. How can they know what puritant justice is? Only the One above will be the ultimate judge. Those on this earth appointed to judge are nothing more than listeners and then giving what they think is the best based on the evidence and non-evidence given. They do not know what is truly right or wrong, they are merely making a decision where decision had to be made. It may not be the right decisions.

Just remember, in any disputes or arguments to:

"Step aside from all this anger And somewhere in between I can feel you"

as Howie Day wrote in his song "Ghost"................you are probably on the right path.

In closing, I leave with this quote from Charles Schulz :

"My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I`m happy. I can`t figure it out. What am I doing right?"

.......................that would be as close as it gets to attaining "nirvana" and completeness in this lifetime!!

REFLECTIONS OF BUDDHA

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:30:00 +0000

All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.

Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.

Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.

He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.

In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.

It is better to travel well than to arrive.

Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.

On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.

There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.

There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.

Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.

What is the appropriate behavior for a man or a woman in the midst of this world, where each person is clinging to his piece of debris? What's the proper salutation between people as they pass each other in this flood?

What we think, we become.

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.

。。。。。in celebration of Vesak Day 9 May 2009

算命 DIVINATION

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:25:00 +0000

On 2 March 2009, went to partake a session of divination at a place recommended by a colleague who had gone there just last Friday. More curiosity than anything else, I went for the appointment, nearly an hour late because it needed my time of birth and I was scrambling all over the flat looking for a piece of yellowish paper called the birth certificate which I had not glanced at for many many many years!

I must admit that I went there with a lot of apprehension and in truth not expecting much in return. I even started on the wrong footing when the "master" asked me to pick a card from the stack he had just shuffled - I took 2 cards instead of one! Luckily my fingers were holding on to one card only, so the other card that was "revealed" was cast aside. The "master" then placed my chosen card at the centre and formed the Eight Trigrams for divination with sequential cards drawn from the stack. He was shaking his head most of the time, which means things are not looking up! I was there to hear what he could foretell about my past and my current state of things without me saying anything, not so much about my immediate and near distant future. I have been at rock bottom for many years so I could take anything he was about to toss at me.

(1) There is no saviour or saviours (贵人) in sight for me.
(2) This year is not a good year for my chinese zodiac sign and my year of birth.
(3) Luck? Very little.
(4) Problems/Disputes? Many.
(5) True Love? Bitter, then sweet (先苦后甜). - This one is way off-track man! I had absolutely nothing in sight, having just lost the big one in 2008.
(6) Work/Job/Career/Human Relationship? Career-wise, refer to (1) & (2)...in a word, near hopeless! I was told it is no good to wear my heart on my sleeves, that I was too "straight", too "direct", too "one-way street" that people tend to take advantage of this fact and "use and then forget" about me.

As you can see, things are, in a word - HOPELESS!

OK, I went along with whatever "remedies" to sort of improve the situation that he "prescribed"...........including being told to pray to the Chinese God of War, Guan Yu (關羽) to improve my lot. I then recalled that I WAS actually at the site of the former Kingdom of Wu - Chengdu, Szechuan and also visited the Temple of Marquis Wu and paid my respects to two Heroes of the Three Kindgom period - Kong Ming (a.k.a. Zhugeliang) and the honourable Guan Yu (Guan Yunchang)! So in a way, I had actually "Pay It Forward", so to speak. (Does it mean I would be OK for the year then???)

Hope for the Best, Expect the Worse................under the current economic woes, this may be the wisest approach, really.

TRIP IN RETROSPECT

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:50:00 +0000

The Unforgettables of the 3rd China trip (in no particular order):

(1) A Walk On The Wild Side - The Great Wall Hike. Undoubtedly the best way to see the Great Wall is to see the wild and unrestored parts in its full splendour and glory. No crowds to jostle with, the wall in full view, take as many photos as you want without framing in other people, see the wall stretches out into the distance etc. What more can anyone ask for? A marvel that survived the modern times that no one should miss in this lifetime.

(2) Meeting Baby Miracle from the Szechuan Earthquake. I could still recall the excitement in me during the nearly 2 hours long journey to Mianyang to visit Song Xinyi. I think she and her family, unknowingly, taught me lessons in life which I could never have learned any other way.

(3) Nightswimming - The Night Climb up Mount Huashan. With torch lights, faint lightings and moonlight, we literally "feel" our way up the mountain in the dark of the night.....and we were the only group going up that night!

(4) Starry Starry Night - Viewing the picturesque night skies up on Huashan full of stars and constellations that looked so near and yet so far....all in freeze frame mode too! For your eyes only as the available cameras at that moment could not capture it. Vaguely we consigned it all to memory however faint the memories were at that point in time with fatigue setting in.

(5) Catching the daybreak and sunrise atop Huashan. One of those things that makes the climb up so worthwhile. A great way to start a brand new day after all the legwork getting up there.

(6) The plank walk on the cliff of Huashan. The best way to describe this was best echoed by one of the co-climbers - "No hesitation doing it a second time after coming back from the first one". It was that exciting and memorable. I was having serious second thoughts after seeing the conditions descending down to the starting point but it only took a split second to change my mind considering the difficult climb up here and also I might never get to return to this place. So it was "here goes nothing" and "just do it". Anyone afraid of heights will forever banish the fear after completing this walk.

(7) Reaching the highest peak of Huashan. It would not be complete without reaching the highest peak of any mountains. The views, the sigh of relief, the sense of achievement.....makes the way down a mere stroll in the park.

(8) Dinner overlooking the Bell Tower in Xi'an, the company, the food, the wine, the occasion(s) - everything was perfect! On New Year's Eve too!

(9) The Szechuan Earthquake DVD. The closest thing to actually being there. We all tend to forget about the disaster after a while, this trip made by those brave souls show the aftermath of the quake and the life of living in the disaster areas after the quake. I salute these brave souls as well as those affected by the quake who are still in the midst of returning back to normal life. Death is easy, living is the hardest part.

(10) Muslim Quarters, 清真寺 The Great Mosque (Xi'an). A unique convergence of cultures between things Muslim and things Chinese.

(11) 灌汤包 (Xi'an). I still drools thinking about these!

(12) Cycling round on top the City Walls of Xi'an. Seeing the old and the new in one round trip. Not many places in this world that you could see almost an entire city in less than 2 hours on a bicycle.

(13) Big Wild Goose Pagoda & the water fountain show. Mounting a pagoda and seeing the narrowing pathways upwards is quite an experience in itself. Along the way - the Buddha relics, the scriptures, works of art on the walls and the panoramic views. The water fountain show in the night is a sight to behold too!

Add in between Nos. (3) thru' (13) --> Dathy, Dathy and more Dathy!!!

LIFE REFLECTIONS.......IN BRONZE (XI'AN)

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:31:00 +0000

DAY FOURTEEN: XI'AN-BEIJING (7 JAN 2009) - HOMEWARD BOUND

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:24:00 +0000

Left the hotel really early (before 6 am) to catch the first Airport Bus out from in front of Melody Hotel. There were actually 2 buses, both leaving at almost the same time. I supposed they had factored in the fact that there would be more people taking the early flights. The time taken to reach the Airport was about 40+ minutes only because the roads were almost empty!
Took the 7-plus A.M. Shanghai Airlines flight to Beijing Capital.
Upon reaching Beijing Capital Airport, it was too early to check in the luggage for my onward SQ flight. It would be too rush to go downtown Beijing and return back to the Airport in time for the flight home. Instead chose to visit the closer computer mart where there was a direct Airport Bus to-and-fro. Drop off all my luggage at the deposit counter of the Airport and headed off to catch the Airport Bus.
The computer market was massive, several buildings in the area with floors after floors of shops. I spent less than 2 hours there including lunch at a chinese fast food joint before heading back to the Airport. Managed to get about 10+ Wii games including Wii Sports.
Along the way, caught sight of the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube from the bus. The Water Cube looked spectacular too under daylight, reflecting the sun rays!

Some skyviews of Beijing taken from the flight Xi'an-Beijing:

The flight home was on a spanking new airbus with large LCD screens and even power sockets for charging your devices or to plug in your notebooks. I had the entire row of 3 seats to myself which I fully used all of them for a good night's sleep!

Some photos taken from the SQ flight during and after take-off:

DAY THIRTEEN: XI'AN (6 JAN 2009) - WINDING DOWN

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:41:00 +0000

No specific plans today except to get a set of Wii from the computer mart which I went to enroute to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Took my own sweet time savouring the breakfast spread of the hotel which were more than adequate yet not too lavish and wasteful like those at 5-star hotels. A nice spread of chinese and western stuffs, only thing lacking was toast bread.
A must-do today was the 灌汤包 at 老海家, having missed it two days in a row. Today 110% cannot miss out anymore...........'cause going there in the morning, no chance that it will be sold out or closed this time 'round!!

My chinese breakfast spread, the plain porridge was extremely fine and smooth.

The alleyway leading to the hotel entrance on the left side.

This particular Starbucks - most memorable for me!

The street adjacent to the main street of the Muslim Quarters with lots more good food!

These were Persimmon Cakes with different stuffings, freshly made, freshly cooked.
There was a shop along the main street that sold these in vacuum-packed which could last a week to 10 days.

Having tried both 贾三's shops and now this 老海家, must say this last one is the best of them all. Here you could actually see them making the dumplings at close range and the helpers were all females that do multi-tasking such as serving, making the dumplings and cooking noodle dishes etc. This place was definitely very "yin" (阴) or feminine. The 8-treasures porridge (八宝粥) was by far, the best of them all! The prices were also lower than at 贾三. This shop is more family-like while 贾三 veered towards commercialised fast food type of operations. The essence of 灌汤包 is all about the insides - the meat fillings and the right amount of steam retention in the dumplings that translate into 汤 (soup) that make these little things so lovable. 老海家's dumpling skins were thicker, some may like this, some may not. So just let your own taste buds decide.

After that dumpling sampling treat, was trying to check out the local CD stores for Bibi's records but no luck, also could not locate the music shop near the university area mentioned on some city guide which was said to carry imported western CDs. Eventually wanted to head to the computer mart for the Wii when along the way, a phone call came which had me scrambling to find a shop to top up the depleted SIM card value and to do an about-turn heading back to the hotel as my dear local friend had just finished the first part of the driving test and meeting up back at the hotel. I was late rushing back to the hotel, she was already waiting at the lobby for quite a while! We headed out for a lunch at the basement eatery just round the corner of the hotel which serve great value steaks. Thereafter she accompanied me to the computer mart to pick up the Wii. Prior to that was trying to locate a bank that would do foreign exchange of SGD to RMB. I was quite surprised that only Bank of China would take SGD, even ICBC could not do it and they were like the 2nd or 3rd largest bank in China! The procedure to do the exchange was very tedious, not only forms to fill which had to state reasons for exchange but also they were doing some checks on my passport as well. Finally a manager had to endorse the form before the counter staff could proceed. Lesson learnt: Do all your forex before you come here, use credit cards whenever possible because most places can only take Unionpay card or local credit cards only. I am not so sure if Visa card cash advance will work here using a foreign-issued card. My suspicion: it may not.

I was rather apologetic to my dear friend for having to wait so long while I was doing this.

After happily getting the Wii (minus the Sports disc which was the only game I wanted), arranged with her friends to go to Partyworld KTV for a singing session which I had no plan to sing anything but ended up breaking my long-standing fear of doing karaoke and belted out a couple of English ones that must be quite a torturous earful for those in the room. The rest of them were all well-seasoned K-singers, including 2 who were like professionals who had been vocal-trained who unbelievably belted out Faye's "Bored" amazingly well!

Brent and Dathy

This is Sophia, equally "crazy" fella but.........surely a friend indeed!

How can I put it? If you had to select a person to fight a war, you will not go wrong taking this fella with you.

These two were the vocal-trained singers!

Brent is from New Jersey, here on a 6-months teaching assignment which he had chosen instead of a well-paying job back home. His peers were rather baffled by his choice but I believed he had chosen wisely. I mean how could you give up an opportunity to immerse in the local life of the most populous country on this planet? The experience alone is truly priceless.

After the K-session, parted ways initially with them and the two of us were heading to Muslim Quarters for dinner when Sophia called to say that Brent would be joining us instead. Met Brent at the front of the Drum Tower and headed to 老海家 again for the same which I had in the morning. This time ordered different meat stuffings. It was Dathy's treat!

After dinner, she helped Brent flag for a taxi with the destination written in Chinese and informed to the driver. We then headed back to the Muslim Quarters where she picked up a packet of vacuum-packed Persimmon cakes and packets of Prune Juice powder for her secondary school classmate 李海, who is currently working in SG. That was to be my last night in Xi'an before saying au revoir very early next morning. I had grown to like this place very much, definitely THE CITY which had left me with the most impressions.

DAY TWELVE: XI'AN (5 JAN 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 05:26:00 +0000

In the late morning went to check out Walmart across the street from the hotel. This had been a habit of mine for many years - checking out hypermarkets such as Walmart, Carrefour, Makro etc. in places where I visited where any of these existed. Just like checking out McDonald's in every city is a very good guide to the rough cost of living in different cities, checking out the hypermart is also a good gauge on the general standard of living and purchasing power of different places. It is very interesting to see the merchandising mix of these hypermarts in different countries. The Walmart that I visited in Xi'an was rather small in size as compared to the typical size of a hypermarket. The most interesting thing I saw was the price of a bottle of beer (on speciall offer) was cheaper than a 1.5 litre mineral water!

After that Walmart "tour", went over to the computer market area via local public bus. This was yet another "bad" habit of mine accumulated over the years. Again it was to see the merchandising mix as well as the price parity between different places. Heading further southwards was the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. I was there previously to watch the night musical fountain but this time around I wanted to mount the pagoda itself and also to see the temple (Famenshi 法門寺) as well. Lucky I made the decision to re-visit Xi'an a 2nd time, otherwise I would have missed out this place totally. Definitely worth visiting, for the great views atop the pagoda and the buddha relics inside the pagoda which I managed to take some very good detailed shots of the relics. I also spent quite a period of time at the highest level, alone with no one else around (it was near closing time). The feeling of peace and tranquility was unspeakable. I even laid flat on my back quietly taking in the view of the ceiling of the pagoda roof.

Statue of Tripitaka at the entrance to the temple.

The entrance to the pagoda.

Buddha relics (舍利子)

Buddha's footprint in stone tablet.

Views from the pagoda:

This was on the ceiling at the uppermost level of the pagoda. I took this while lying flat on my back on the wooden floor. The words were commemorating Tripitaka who went to the West to obtain the buddhist scriptures.

The pagoda at dusk.

For dinner I went (yet again) back to the Muslim Quarters hoping to check out 老海家灌汤包子店 which was closed the night before. Could not believe it, it was closed early again! Really frustrating. Ended up checking out the main 贾三shop instead. It was a bit different at this main shop, no need to place your order at the cashier's counter. Order was placed with the waiter or waitress. Also there was some disparity in taste between this main shop and the branch which I ate last night. The main shop's dumplings, although smaller and not as much meat fillings as that at the branch, they did taste better. The 8-treasure porridge was much much better than the branch - thicker and sweeter. Of course accompanied by the standard fare of prune juice drink 酸梅汤.

After that was attracted by the Hot and Sour soup in another small shop. However this was a big mistake in judgement - I asked for chilli! The soup was already pepper-hot (very) and so the chilli made it burnt my taste bud like a volcanic explosion! My lips were dancing after finishing the small bowl of soup. I did like the pepper-hot taste of the soup though. I recovered by drinking hot tea to "kill" the burning sensation in mouth.

Was curiously attracted by the long queues at this shop and the shop name "South East Asia steam cakes". Did not knew anything like this ever existed in South East Asia hence simply joined the queue and bought a pack to find out what it was.

It was steamed glutinous rice with red bean paste, sweet stuff. Probably adapted from Thai, Burmese or Vietnamese.

The Drum Tower in night-glo.

DAY ELEVEN: CHENGDU, BACK INTO XI'AN (AGAIN!!) (4 JAN 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (P.C.) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:47:00 +0000

The place which I did not managed to visit last March in Chengdu was the Wuhou Temple (Ancestral Temple of Marquis Wu) 武侯祠. Visiting hours were over when I made it there last time. I had to visit this place having been entrigued by the Chinese classic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三国 ever since I read the first dual language copy of the book. Coupled with the captivating Made in China TV series (not even Hongkong or Hollywood could have made this into celluloid by any commercially-viable means!) ,I have been forever an admirer of this classic. One could learn a lot from this book, why it was never essential reading in schools here is a big mystery to me.

My favourite hero of the Three Kingdoms was Guan Yu - an epitome of honour, loyalty, bravery and righteousness. There were stone slabs carvings of some of Guan Yu's heroics worth checking out in this place.

The brains of the Three Kingdom was undoubtably Zhuge Liang (孔明), this temple was built in his memory.

The carriage and fan that were synonymous with Kong Ming.

Life-sized bonsai.

Jinli street, adjacent to the Wuhou temple.

The last time I was here was it was in the evening, not as crowded in the morning-early afternoon. Just as colourful without the neon lights though. Re-visited the one and only book stall inside this street and picked up a couple of books. The food street still as delectable as ever.

Amazingly, I booked the air ticket Chengdu back to Xi'an through mobile phone and the ticket was delivered to Wuhou Temple main entrance while I was breezing through the place. It was for the late afternoon flight on the same day! Orginally was contemplating on the idea of taking the train to Xi'an but it was more feasible by air as the costs were nearly the same and it was difficult to get a decent priced train ticket departing in the same day in this country!

And so I headed back to Xi'an enroute to Beijing for the heading-home leg of this trip. I was unable to make any headway with the original plan to get into Inner Mongolia to visit the grassland in winter hence I took the easy route back into familiar territory, which is Xi'an. The reasons remained mostly the same as in this earlier post.

Checked into the same City Hotel in Xi'an and immediately headed straight to my beloved food street in the Muslim Quarters. This time to check out the mouth-watering 灌汤包 at 老海家 which was recommended by the Huashan guy from Shenzhen. It was before 8 pm but the place was already closed! Business was that good!

No choice went over to another one called 贾三. There were apparently 2 shops, I went to the newer branch instead of the main shop. Ordering was fast-food like - stood in line at the cashier's counter, select from the menu on the walls, pay and take your seat. The service was really fast. I ordered 1 serving of mutton-filled dumplings and a bowl of the incredibly delicious 8-treasures porridge. Just look at the pictures below, no need to say any more about what I thought about this treat!

Also took a serving of their irresistable version of shashlik (Russian)/satay (Singapore/Malaysia) - 烤肉串at a nearby street stall downed with cold sour prune juice drink (酸梅汤) - Heavenly!