kuala lumpur: goodbye alice in wonderland ...

so, this is my final posting for the 2007./2008 adventure. this is gonna be my sadder than sad post.

kuala lumpur

sunday 12th February- 22nd February

day 152 - 162

the house that i spent my childhood days in, which my great grandfather built in the 40s is unfortunately being ripped apart. no one seems to hold any sentiments to it apart from me. to my parents is simply 'good riddance'. the house was very well detailed. the vivid red and green colored walls, hand rails, swing windows, marble floor, wooden doors, classic keyholes and locks, grandfather clock, cupboards, light switches .... all destroyed. i'll let the pics speak for themselves ...

(before and now - level 1 room)


(before and now - living room)


(before and now - stair to level 1)



(before and now - kitchen)



(before and now - atrium)

and moving on .... after 162 days of unemployment.

xxx. j.

putian - back to the future ...

so, i have never put a period to my 2007/2008 adventure. i guess i owe it to myself to finish it prior to starting another big adventure. lets see where i last left off ....

putian, china

thursday 7th febuary - tuesday 12th feb 2008

day 147 - 152

when mom asked if i wanted to go with all me uncles and aunties back to my grandfathers village, i immediately said YES ! there's no better way to learn about my family history than to visit the place of origin. apparently grandfather came from a little village not far from 'xia men' called 'pu tian'.

(putian: dawn of a new age)

'xia men' is a typical china city with everything. however, an hour drive away, 'pu tian' is still a village but on the verge of becoming a town. apparently, most people from this village has found wealth in other parts of china and it is customary to come back to the village and build 5-6 storey horrible looking houses, just to show off their wealth and success, eventhough, no one will ever live in it. it's like a daisy chain, someone would first build a 5 storey house next to a hut, and the next door neighbor sees it and goes, "i want one of that too but i will build a 6 storey house with more expensive (not necessarily better looking) materials".

(putian: me @ public toilet, plateless cars, sidewalk farming)

we stayed in one of those. there are a total of 12 of is on this trip and we only took up all the rooms in 2 levels. the other 3 were deserted. the house were not environmentally designed at all. we were there in winter but even though it was only about 8 - 12 degress C, it felt like walking the brooklyn bridge all over again but this time for 5 continuous days. there were no heating or air conditioning. the warmest place, also the best hang out is in the kitchen because they cook using firewood !

(putian: the old vs the new, the homes are as unkept as the streets)

again, all of them don't live there anymore. they are back only once every year to celebrate the new year. we had exceptionally great hospitality. our relatives were really kind. there were hundreds of them. we were constantly being introduced to one another and even after 5 days, most of us were still very confused. what's even more funny was occasionally, i would ask this 'relative' who this 'other relative is' and the most common answer i got was 'i don't know but he or she is related to us some how'. hah.

(putian: great selection of seafood cooked the traditional way)

we had 5 days of high quality selection of home cooked seafood. anything from fish to snails. everything was steamed. nothing was fried. very healthy diet. everyone had a huge backyard with endless plantations. all greens we ate were freshly picked from the backyard of sometime front yard. literally, anywhere u find dirt, u find some kind of plantation.

(putian: town center 30 minutes from the village)

(putian: boat ride to mazu)

(mazu: apparently one can see across to taiwan on a clear day'

i thought europe opened my senses to a whole new world but this trip definitely defies all possible senses. i probably won't post any details because even if i do, no one would believe me but there were cousins being matched make and also the paranormal. i learned alot about my past and immediate uncles and aunties.

definitely a trip to remember. it is still so vivid even though i am posting this a year later ...

xxx. j.

prague: is this the end ?

dear whoever who are still reading this.

so, i think i have 3 more posts left after this and that will be the end of my 4 continents tour. 540 hits over the last 4.5 months is really something for me to be proud of. i guess the hits were the one driving force that kept me posting, although secretly, i was hoping more around 500,000 hits. but anyway ...

prague
tuesday 22nd January - saturday 26th January 2008
day 131 - 135

(prague: at first glance)

ok. coming to prague is definitely my favorite mistake. now its only gonna be harder for me to go back and i know i will be in depression when i leave.


(prague: highly ornamented facade)

i do believe in love at first sight. i fell in love with prague the moment i arrived. great vibe. beautiful city. great people. felt so welcoming. to my surprised , most people here speak english and are very friendly. i kept dissing meself for not coming here earlier and spend more time here. dammit. least now i know i have to come back and do a proper eastern european tour. there is something about an ex communist country that is so charming. i just love the whole monumental feel to the city.


(prague: astronomical clock)


(prague: the square)

eventhough prague is nowhere as huge as london or paris, it has so much to offer. i can spend a whole day just walking down one street and be amazed by what i can find. be they, a detail on the window, a painting on the wall, a sculture, an antique shop etc. its just so magical.


(prague: interesting window detailing)

i feel it has everything europe (as far as the europe that i have seen and experienced) has to offer, all in one city. love the river. and every bridge that crosses the river is a different experience.


(prague: riverwide)


(prague: charles bridge)

there are so many little pocket parks with many vintage points from high above looking down into the city. i could just sit and gazed, and feel as if i am the king of prague, i own the whole city and i can command everyone as if they are all puppets.


(prague: the giant tick tock piano thingy)

sitting at the top of a hill is the prague castle, an icon that can be seen from all over the city. an amazing site worth definitely worth visiting. so many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.


(prague: the prague castle)


(prague: the palace grounds)

located within the castle grounds is the golden lane house no. 22 where franz kafka whote the famous 'a country doctor'. i had to enter the house and get meself a copy of that book.


(prague: the golden road house no 22)



(prague: interesting elements)

when i was in london, i thought the modern contemporary buildings were well integrated with the classical buildings but the modern contemporary buildings here way surpass london. i cant say enough how fucking amazing this city is. how much it has to offer !


(prague: highly successful modern contemporary integration)

every corner you turn, u find something even more exciting on the other end.


(prague: interesting bits and pieces)


(prague: love it when architects sign their names on their buildings)

i caught a symphony at the prague concert hall.

the czech philharmonic orchestra.
the main violist - F.P.Zimmermann
conductor - M.Honeck
playing -
L.Van Beethovan: Concerto in D major for violin & orchestra
A.Duorak: Symphony No. 8 in G major

i now has an appreciation for symphony.


(prague: sculptural elements)

i cant say enough about how much i am in love in this city. so much to say about this place but maybe this time, saying less is more. the pix will speak for itself.

of all the places i have visited, this is by far my favorite city. now, how can i transform myself into a czech ? maybe i should consult michael jackson regarding facial and skin therapy. until then, let me sink into depression ...

xxx. j.

country england: postcard villages ...

dear england,

so, i am leaving you because have sheltered the sun from me. i assume its only because you are sad to see me leave. its ok. i will be back !

birmingham
saturday 19th january - tuesday 22nd January 2008
day 128 - 131

ok, was supposed to leave europe on the 19th of jan. yup. thats the end of my european trip but couldnt bear that thought. so i decided to extend my trip for one more week to see abit more of country england. so the plan was to head back to birmingham and then make my way up to scotland. but after doing some extensive research, it was more economical and nicer to fly to prague. so prague here i come.

before i flew, i did a bit of country england still. decided to go salisburg to see some the rocks aka stonehenge and drove through 2 pretty postcard towns. had to stop and take pictures and also for some english tea and scorn. i m sooo english !


(Moreton-in-Marsh: pretty postcard town)


(forgotten the name: another postcard town)


(forgotten the name: another postcard town)


(stonehenge: the so called rock)

xxx. j.

london: i am in paradise ....

dear juliet,

so, we finally met in my trip. thanx letting me crash in your west end pad ! you are always accommodating with my last minuteness ! it was great to catch up eventhough i felt my back itching when i was in nyc. have a great 2008 !

london
tuesday 15th January - saturday 19th January 2008
day 124 - 128

ok. the one thing i came down to london for and the very first thing i did, was to gaze on the waterloo sunset. and what she said was right. i gazed on the waterloo sunset, with my ipod plugged in, listening to ms. dennis sing with her incredible soulful voice, and i was in paradise. not only i was in paradise, i finally can cross that one out of the list of my '10 things i have to do before i die' list. this is the moment i have been waiting for. lets relive this moment ...


(london: waterloo sunset -
dirty old river, must you keep rolling
flowing into the night)


(london: waterloo sunset -
people so busy, makes me feel dizzy
taxi light shines so bright)


(london: waterloo sunset -
but i don't need no friends
as long as i gaze on, waterloo sunset
i am in paradise

everyday i look at the world from my window
but chilly, chilly the evening time
waterloo sunsets fine)


(london: waterloo sunset -
terry meets julie, waterloo station
every friday night
but i am so lazy, dont want to wonder
i stay home that night
but i dont feel afraid
as long as i gaze on, waterloo sunset
i am in paradise

everyday i look at the world from my window
but chilly, chilly the evening time
waterloo sunsets fine)


(london: waterloo sunset -
millions of people, swarming like flies round
waterloo underground
but terry and julie, cross over the river
where they can feel safe and sound
and they dont need no friends
as long as they gaze on, waterloo sunset
i am in paradise

everyday i look at the world from my window
but chilly, chilly the evening time
waterloo sunsets fine)

ok i went back to waterloo station on friday because terry meets julie, waterloo station, every friday night. gawd terry is charming and julie is hot !
a fantastic song written my ray davis from the kinks, a version performed by ms dennis which brought life and meaning to this song making it one of my all time favorite record. this is london !

the waterloo sunset aside, everyone i know from london was curiously asking me what is my first impression on london. well my respond was ... "its annoyingly wet but quite charming !"


(london: wet and grey)

to me london feels very much like paris, surrounded by very old classical architecture which are both charming and appealing. i guess i enjoy london very much more than paris is because i understand the language.


(london: the tate gallery)

also london has really good integration of the old and new. met up with anne and her sister here and anne showed me around london by foot.


(london: british museum - fantastic integration of the old and new)



(london: the ballerina bridge and trafalgar square)

met up with chris and we went to watch a english gig. reminiscent of nyc except the band wasn't poppy enough. oh well. still i got my live music fix.


(london: a gig at the monkey chews)

london has alot of nice mysterious looking tunnels. lots of character. great setting for horror flicks and music videos.


(london: weston street tunnel)

of all the places i have visited, i think london by far has the best modern contemporary architecture. it seems like the quality control is extremely high to maintain the integrity of the city. charming darling.


(london: cool modern contemporary building)

my favorite part of london has to be the riverside. its really pleasant to walk along the river even though the sky was grey. again, the beautifully crafted architecture adds to the pleasantness.


(london: more cool modern contemporary building along the thames river)

met up with juliet and andrew. they took me the whole of london by car. was definitely great to catch up with old friends and the kinda bonding you get when you get trapped in traffic and literally spent the whole day together in the car. 'niff said !


(london: greenwich)

ok. 8 days in the uk, and i still haven't seen the sun. is this the english life ?

xxx. j.

birmingham: into england ...

dear spain,

so, you cried and cried and cried, moaning for my departure and thus, i got the rain, the rain and more rain. sigh. i feel for you too. not to worry. i promise you i will return.

birmingham
friday 11th January - wednesday 16th January 2008
day 120 - 125

(birmingham: the older look ...)

ok i dont really know why it feel so weird. is it because i am not in a country where i understand nobody or i am in a foreign country where i actually understand everybody. it seriously feels weird, being anywhere, at the bus stiop, at the restaurant, at the mall etc, listening in on the mumbles around me and then suddenly realize that i can actually understand everything. it took me a while to adjust. again, i cant decide if its a good feeling or not.

but anyway, birmingham is a good place to relax and unwind for a bit. slow english city with nothing much to do. i guess the biggest surprise is that things here are not that expensive. at least not the things that i am interested in. the music cds and dvds are way cheaper than anywhere in the world that i've ever been to. even food is comparable to sydney. if anything at all, i have learned not to listen to people going on to anything but to go and see for yourself. i could still remember people going on about how expensive japan is etc but when i arrived in tokyo i was surprised that sydney is a much more expensive city. and how people go on about how cheap spain is .... i am still so gonna kick some asses when i get back !

back to birmingham. again, despite what most people say, the city is actually quite charming. the older and more classical architecture feels and looks like the ones around europe and the newer buildings are ugly ass, reminiscent of what u get in atlanta. i think in this case its a good thing because one needs to know what ugly is to appreciate and treasure the beautiful that is in this city. its like how i explain to people why i have to find and look into the mirror whenever i go out walking in the city.


(birmingham: the older look .. lets forget about the new)

similarly to madrid, birmingham is so centralized that everywhere else in england is at most 4 hours drive away, making it a good base to see the rest of england. met up with an old friend who i have not seen for 10 years here. show was an old school friend who now works in sheffield. it is very nice of her to drive all the way here to hang and catch up where we last left off.

warwick
monday 14th January 2008
day 123

(warwick: random shots)

did a day trip to see, as advertised, england's greatest medieval experience ... the warwick castle. warwick is quite a nice picturesque town with the castle being the main attraction to the city. almost like the castle feeds the city.


(warwick: the entry)

interesting place and quite well maintained. some parts of the castle is closed due to bad weather - so they say.


(warwick: waxworks inside)

i say its because its low season and due to the fact that there are so few visitors. but anyway, they still charge full entry fees. damn brits.


(warwick: the outer walls)

ok. 6 days here, 6 days of rain. what the fuck ! haven't seen the sun for 8 days now !

xxx. j.