My Adventures Underwater and On Land

Moved on

2010-11-19T03:44:00.000+08:00

to a new platform. http://l33ming.tumblr.com.
Hoping i'll blog more often.

Perhaps this is what you call love...

2010-03-04T18:03:00.002+08:00

I believe most of us, young or old, married or not, sparkle and tear at a tale of a great love story. I believe that we too would want a love story of our own. No matter how your story begins, no matter how many times you've tore off those pages, i hope and wish you find a character who fills the gaps in your life and to journey through an adventure larger than you've ever dreamed of. You can paint your own happy ending. :)

The Lesser Town

2010-01-21T16:36:00.041+08:00

On our 2nd day, we awoke to heavy snowfall. It was cold and damp when we started our walk. We were kissed by snowflakes. And again, i felt that smile forming, that smile when i first saw snow. Just for a while, i'm truly happy.

Today, our mission is to cover the other side of town, the Lesser Town. To get there, we had to cross the Vltava River over Charles Bridge (Karluv Most).

On the day we were here, we saw artists displaying and selling their creations and aspiring musicians who gave life to the bridge with music befitting the weather. It would have been more of an atmospheric walk had we not been busy dodging other tourists.

The key attraction on this bridge has to be the 30 statues from the 18th century and the view of the castle on the hill above. There was one particular statue that had the attention of many. Amidst whispers, people started reaching for the golden shine at the bottom of this statue. There has to be a reason why everyone is doing this, even the Japanese, though i half-suspect some of them have no idea what is the mystery behind it. So, being predictable tourists, we touched it for good measure.

When i finally googled it when we returned, word has it that touching that particular statue will bring you good luck, ensure your return to Prague and grant you a wish. It is the Statue of St.John of Nepomuk, the 8th statue on your right (heading from Old Town Square). John of Nepomuk was a priest in Prague under King Wenceslas IV. The priest received the confessions of the Queen and unfortunately for the priest, the King was a very suspicious man. He wanted to know the Queen's confessions which Nepomuk would not reveal, not even to the King, because it would be against his commitment of confidentiality. Nepomuk was therefore exectued by being thrown into the Vltava River from the bridge and drowned.

Some metres before the actual statue is a small golden cross marking the spot where the saint's body was thrown. Touch the cross and make a wish, it is said to come true within a year and one day!

At the end of Charles Bridge, is the ancient gate to the Lesser Town. This is such a lovely quarter at the base of the Prague castle, crowded with charming buildings, boutique shops, Czech bars and restaurants, churches and quaint side streets that i cant get enough of. At the centre of the square, you will find the primary landmark of Lesser Town - St. Nicholas Church, probably a meeting place for many.

We stopped for a cuppa hot chocolate at a cafe that so happened belongs to one of the owners of Ferrari. And obviously, the waitresses are - hot.

As you head towards Prague Castle, be warned, you will have to climb Nerudova Street, something similar to one of the hill in Tasek - I was totally not prepared for the bloody exhaustive hike. This street was named after a poet and journalist, Jan Neruda, who lived in the House of Suns (No.47). Here, you will find houses that are identified by 'house signs' above their main door instead of house numbers. This street has more painted house signs that any other street in Prague. This one below is the House of Three Little Fiddles, home to a family of violin makers in the 1700s.

The Prague Castle is reputedly the largest medieval castle in Europe, and one of the biggest castles in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. There were just too many students queuing for the castle tour so we spent time instead admiring the splendid view of the city, in and out of St.Vitus Cathedral, wandering about Golden Lane and then getting abit lost.

.Night view of Prague Castle.

St.George's Basilica - the oldest church building within the Prague Castle complex. It now serves as a concert hall.

After a long and tiring day, we treated ourselves to Czech cuisine at Mustek restaurant in Wenceslas Square. Boon got adventurous and went for one of their specialty - the Sword of Charles IV.

If you're a meat person and up for a challenge, I absolutely recommend you to go for the Beefsteak for free Competition. You stand to win a 2.2 pound beef steak for FREE provided you eat according to their rules! If you're gung-ho enough, give the waiter your name, pay a deposit of CZK 3,200 roughly BND$200 (that is the cost of the beef!), beef is cooked to your liking, and you have 30 mins to clean it up. Dont even attempt to cheat because you will be under the watchful eyes of the waiters. By the 40th minute, if you have nothing left in your mouth, you WIN! Free meal but pay for your own drinks.

Here's a list of items that would disqualify you:

You`ll break the rules if

1. you don`t manage to eat your beef steak within 30 minutes
2. you leave your table during the competition
3. your beef steak or any part of it is eaten by a third person
4. you die

This brave American dude took the challenge. We were all cheering him on, but by the time he got to the 3rd piece, he surrendered.

Prague... ahhhh...

A New Year, A New Start

2010-01-13T00:36:00.001+08:00

I'm home!

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year

2009-12-26T16:36:00.002+08:00

Dear Readers,

I'm off to Phuket and Phi Phi Islands today. I have been slacking alot this year, but when i return, i will fill up the rest of my European excapade - Venice and Paris, Macau, HongKong and most definitely the sights of beautiful beaches and people of Thailand.

Here's wishing all of you a blessed New Year!
Happy Holidays!

The 14-hour ride to Prague

2009-09-04T12:54:00.038+08:00

When writing these travelogues, i get another chance to reflect on the times and places i've traveled to. Whilst it is a huge challenge to accurately describe the adventures that we've had, I attempt at my very best to put my thoughts into words, so it remains something we can always look back and smile at.

Our journey to Prague, the capital of Czech Republic, was breathtaking! A 14-hour ride from Amsterdam saw us passing through the gorgeous snow-covered peaks and sleepy towns in Germany. I can literally sit and gaze out the window for hours.

We were bunk mates with a Korean, whose name i am unable to recall. He is the epitome of a traveller. His travel buddy pulled out from the trip at the very last minute but he chose to continue his european excapade, covering a new place as and when he's soaked up enough from one. No time restriction, no money constraints, just plain free-and-easy. One day, i say =)

We found this perfect little apartment called Hotel Apartments Wenceslas Square on Vodickova Road. For 50 euro per night, we had a homely unit which will most definitely remind you of colleage days, a fully-equipped kitchen and only walking distance away from the main attractions.

And our intensive walkaton begins.

.Food first.

This restaurant is directly opposite our apartment and serves the BOMB of a pancake, blue cheese + gorgonzola cheese topped with bacon. The other mouth-watering dish we ordered is chicken fillet with basmati rice + more of the blue and gorgonzola goodness. I cannot emphasize how much i enjoyed my creamy rice. mmMMmm.

And now, off to the Old Town Square...

The Powder Tower was built in 1475 and said to be one of the original 13 city entrances to the Old Town. It is said to have gotten its name because it used to house gunpowders.

The Old Town is probably one of my favourite area in Prague. This is the core of Prague's historical centre and is the place where many cultural and political events took place.
The main attraction for most people here is definitely medieval Astronomical Clock, which also has a chronometer and zodiac below it.

As it nears the hour, literally hundreds of people would shuffle and gather infront of the clock waiting for the procession of the 12 apostles. At the strike of the hour, the clock starts to chime bringing even more ambience to the already lively town. Then you will notice two doors above the astronomical dial open. First one out is St.Paul who holds a sword in one hand and a book in another, followed by the rest of the apostles who make their appearance one at a time. There's a legend that the town council gouged out the eyes of the clock-maker after the completion to prevent him from ever producing anything as grand for another city. And he, the only one who understood the mechanics of the clock damaged it before he died. But ofcourse, the real history of this clock is not half as exciting.

Dont be expecting a magical display but instead be ready to be marveled by the square's amazing architecture every step you take.

As we look around us, we realized that the square is circled by cafes, restaurants and shops. And what i really enjoyed here is the many lanes that surrounds it. With Boon's 'amazing' sense of direction, we had quite an adventure weaving our way through the maze.

The Havel Market is one of the oldest markets in the city, dating back to 1232. If you're looking for souvenirs, this is the place to be. You will be able to find anything you could possibly want to buy for anyone back home, under one roof... horrid looking witch puppets, paintings, Czech crystals, wooden toys, Czech honey... and dont ask me why, but we ended up buying these Russian dolls on Karlova street.

The black light theatre is probably something you will want to check out although unfortunately we didnt have time to fit it in. It is unique and said to be invented in Prague. It features a mixture of mime, ballet, modern dance, puppets and light effects that Jess raves about.

This is Wenceslas Square, where we stayed. It actually resembles a shorter version of Champs Elysees in Paris. Around this area, you will find sausage fests on almost every corner.

A 180 view of Old Town Square. I absolutely love the look and feel of this place at night.

Cesky Krumlov's State Castle

2009-08-25T16:16:00.013+08:00

The state castle of Cesky Krumlov is about 15minutes walk away from the town hall centre. This castle is by far the most picturesque and colourful castle i've seen. It is grounded on top of a 'peninsula' which has been sculpted by the Vltava river. Once you walked towards the Castle Park, you will come across a splendid view of a part of the town.

There are hair-raising tales and legends of the castle grounds that i'm glad i do not know of, and come to think of it, i really wouldnt have the guts to walk that side of town at night.

Breathtaking view from the castle grounds

In 1992, the entire castle complex was included in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage monuments.

.Resident bears.

Once we've entered the castle complex, i went berserk. I was deliriously happy from the pure sight of SNOW! even after a few snowball attacks.

Coming into my late late twenties, i've finally had the chance to build a snowman. It's a he, and he's a hunk.

Food in Cesky Krumlov

2009-08-23T13:09:00.009+08:00

All things quiet except for the clopping of our shoes on the cobbled streets, we stumbled upon this quaint restaurant called Svejk, at Latran.

Josef Svejk is a character of a novel, The Good Soldier Svejk, by Jaroslav Hasek. It is a novel inspired by the author's participation in the 91st Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. It is said that this novel depicts comical episodes of anti-war messages; illustrating the pointlessness and futility of conflict in which fifteen million people died.

Fully ignorant of what history rested on this restaurant then, we were more interested with the menu. We loved the potato with mushrooms and bacon so much, we actually attempted our own version when we returned home.

Another interesting and popular dessert in Czech is Trdelnik, which we didnt have room left in our tummy to try. It's a sweet pastry made from rolled dough, wrapped around a wooden stick, baked over open fire and topped with sugar and walnut mix.

Cesky Krumlov

2009-08-10T15:31:00.016+08:00

Here's a whimsical town we covered in our Europe stint: Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic.

We had a boo-boo moment traveling to this town. On arrival in Amsterdam at the beginning of our trip, we purchased what we thought were bus tickets to Cesky. And much to our horror when we arrived at the bus station, we were told the tickets we have on hand are train tickets. The stress is utterly damning esp. when you're luggin' a giant suitcase in the snow. Alas, we bought tickets from a blind guy ... just in time.

As we got closer to the town, it got whiter and whiter..

Cesky Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. When we were choosing among the many places in Europe, Boonboon set his mind on Cesky when i told him it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Amazingly, it was also ranked 16th of the top 100 historic destination around the world in 2008.

Also, "UNESCO rated it so highly that it featured second in importance on their World Heritage list behind Venice, and with good reason. Cesky Krumlov was badly damaged by the floods a few years ago, but it is now largely back to its best. This sleepy town curls around the Vltava river in a swish of churches, old town houses and a picture-postcard-perfect castle, which hangs high above the scene."

This place is one of the highlights of our trip. The architecture of the old town and castle dates from the 14th through 17th centuries, mostly in Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. It is so so beautiful, and unbelievably magical. It looks like a town out of a cartoony fairytale. You just have to see for yourself =)

The town was very deserted except for a handful of tourists, probably due to the fact that it's winter or simply because it happened to be a Sunday! Most shops were closed, but it's quite an experience browsing their shop fronts. Their door flaps and window sills are all decorated to wow the young at heart.

By night, the town is extremely spooky and almost pitch black, barely lit up by old-fashioned street lamps every few metres.

.The brave ones on a ghost trail tour.

I would definitely recommend making a stop at Cesky Krumlov for a day, if it is in the path of your destinations. And especially during winter. =)

Madurodam, Hague

2009-07-24T01:29:00.012+08:00

This is where you will find all the famous sites in The Netherlands! Hang on! In miniatures sizes, all scaled to 1:25 =). I have for a very looooooong time been dreaming of the day i'll be here myself.
.2 decades ago.
I was flippin' through my aunt's photo album. They've just returned from the UK for my cousin's graduation and had then took a trip to this miniature city. Those pictures 20 years ago took me on a fantasy ride, just like any other child's disney dream. I thought to myself, "I want to go there someday."

Here's my someday, with a very special person ;)

For roughly 12euro, you get to see models of Netherland's windmills, ferries, drawbridges, trains, dam square, dom tower, gouda cheese market, cathedrals, castles dutch quarters, street scenes. The windmills are turning, trains are running to and from stations, boats are sailing the canals, I bet this place is quite a wonder at night.

Den Haag

2009-07-22T19:39:00.011+08:00

It's nearly 3 months since i last blogged. It's insane how time slips by me. In the last 3 months, I've been caught up in work, and taking care of some naggin' health problems. Now that i can breathe and feel like a 'normal' human being again, i'm errrr.. looking forward to another fantastical holiday?

Catching up on our Europe stint, here's a lil' something from Den Haag.

I can still remember the night we arrived in Den Haag Centraal Station. We were rather confused by the tram ticketing system, and my soles were crushed and bruised from all the walking in Amsterdam. 20mins later, we were dropped off at a bus stop next to the Shell headquarters, in Rijswijk. We dragged our luggages up and down the street in the harsh wind and icy rain... we couldnt find our hotel. I was in the verge of tears because every single step hurts like hell.. I wanted to punch Boon in the stomach. Then a kind soul offered to drive us to our hotel.

While Boon was attending his 3-day course at the headquarters, I was booking flights, trains, and hotels. In the midst of it, i managed to tip-toe and limped my way around Den Haag for food and sights.

Although Den Haag is not the capital of The Netherlands, it is home to all foreign embassies and government ministries. And quite the contrary to the sex and pot hub that Amsterdam is known for, the Hague is known as the world's epicentre for international law. It is home to the International Court of Justice, the United Nation's official judicial arm, the International Criminal Court and Europol - the EU's international police force. It does sound like a boring place, doesnt it. People seemed more reserved and laid-back. The city centre is quiet. I particularly hate the cobblestones, it didnt make things better for me. Infact when walking alone, i found myself feeling the seokness only when i saw i) Mcdees, ii) found a supermarket hidden in the basement, and iii) having a stick in the freezing cold while waiting for my tram back to Rijswijk.

Flourescent Lights and Coffee Shops

2009-04-28T22:18:00.027+08:00

You cant miss the Red Light District in Amsterdam. It is one of the biggest tourist attraction and sits proudly in the centre of the city, 10 minutes walk from the Amsterdam Centraal Station. As we traipsed along the district, the sun was starting to set, and the darker it got, the street started to glow... in red. You will find a looooong street lined with sex shops, brothels, weed museum, erotic musuem, cinemas showing live-sex shows, and windows and windows of women dressed close to nothing, of all ages and sizes!
Despite the sleazy nature of this area, the buildings are actually gorgeous. I just cant get enough of the buildings in Amsterdam that are like unique dollhouses. The entire Red Light District surrounds Amsterdam's oldest church, and is spread along Amsterdam's first canal. It's almost impossible to believe that some of the buildings are 300 years old, expensive, and houses doctors, lawyers and families who have, for centuries, co-existed with the world of prostitutes and drug addicts.

On our 1st night in Amsterdam, we didnt see much action, i.e. we hardly saw any women displays on the main street. So we thought maybe the prostitution scene had died down. Only when we took another tour on our last night did we find the secret passageway. What Boon2 had initially brushed off as an aisle to toilets is actually an alley leading to a sensational window shopping experience. There were rows after rows of glass-fronted cubicles so small it fits one single bed with just enough room for a basin. In these tiny rooms, the prostitutes lounged, primped, danced and gestured after customers. However intriguing the experience is, it's not an easy walk for a woman to see other women patronizing themselves. Or are we even in a position to judge?

It is said that very rarely will you find an Amsterdam woman working as a prostitute in the Red Light District. Most of them come from abroad and even a good percentage of them are illegal immigrants.

Caryn told me that we're not allowed to take pictures in the Red Light District, but i couldnt resist. We resorted to so many silly behaviors to take a few shots. When we saw this empty room, our thoughts instantly clicked, Boon went "bah quick..!" and i fumbled for the camera, and prayed we were fast enough. JUST when i attempted another shot in case the first one didnt turn out right, a monstrous voice towered over us. "YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE BROTHEL! YOU 'blablabalbala' ". At this point, i screamed 'sorry sorry' and we took off as fast as our feet can take us gracefully without sprinting. I was soooo afraid some hulk hogan lookalike would come and smash our camera. But there were no one around us.
So ya, they have cameras everywhere.. if you try something funny like taking pictures of their girls, or even their empty rooms, they will press a button and send their message across hidden speakers SO LOUD that people around you will stare like you're some kind of sick pervert.

The girls here are mostly dressed in bikinis, some uniforms and killer heels. We even spotted some who are obviously "he-she". Boon2 overheard a bargaining conversation; 50euro for a session. Men who were successful in their bargains, walked in, and the curtains are drawn.

I, once saw on America's or Australian's next top model a "Go-See" in the Red Light District. And indeed, there is Red Light Fashion in this district. Sex on ground floor, fashion on 1st floor. Amazing. It is one of the council's clean-up program to eradicate brothels or drug stores that are suspected to be fronts for money laundering. Licenses are revoked if they are suspected to have criminal ties, and some of the brothel-owners have been bought out by the city council and their cubicles are in turn handed over to fashion designers. Some of their clothes on display will make you drool.

So apart from prostitution, drugs are also legal. Boon2 told me that in Amsterdam, there is a difference between "cafes" and "coffeeshops". Cafe is where you sit down to have a real cuppa coffee or tea. Coffeeshop is a place where marijuana is sold over the counter and smoked openly. They even have a menu to choose your "weed" and "hash".

Late at night, on the streets, you will see people who are spaced-out, in their own psychedelic world which can in fact be quite dangerous.

Amsterdam is really a sin-city. You will not find or come across so many "Sex" and "Cannabis" signs anywhere else in the world.

Amsterdam's China Town

2009-04-24T16:14:00.010+08:00

I was very much alone on our journey to Amsterdam. I was struggling with my impatient body and fighting for legroom, whilst Boon is 'aaah-ing' over the delicacies he is served in Business Class. Hmp.

So, I heard Amsterdam is the Sin-City of Europe and probably the only 'living' museum of sex and drugs. I've also heard about severe memory loss cases due to excessive 'magic mushroom' intake and a good serving of 'space cakes'. Yea well, we stuck to the mundane tourist alternatives.

We arrived at 7am in the morning, spent a fair bit of time figuring out how to use 'em damn lockers in the train station, and the walking mission begins.

Zeedijk - Chinatown

I'm usually more coordinated; i would look at the map and mark my every step from start to end (I think its an obsession or fear of missing something out). Boon2's more free-spirited than I am; by the 10th time i unfold the map to check our bearings, he'd fold it back up and say "Lets just walk okay?, we'll find our way =)".
Sometimes, i tend forget the meaning of 'surprise yourself!'.

We stumbled on to Zeedijk Street, the mainstreet of Amsterdam's Chinatown. The street was totally deserted except for the occassional *tzings-tzings* from incoming cyclists.

As i was cursing the un-even cobblestones, i was equally aah-ing over the quaint buildings that instantly transports you back to an old world. You'll find a mixture of Japanese, Malaysian, CHINEES (this is how it's actually spelt), Indonesian, Vietnamese and even THAISE restaurants nestled in between massage parlours, oriental stores, chinese acupuncture, and beauty salons with faded portraits of pale-faced, red-lipped women donning cheongsams. It feels like we're in those old Shanghai-tang movie, except once in a while, i'd remember to hold my handbag closer to my chest. That's because I overheard a couple of guys saying "the robbers here are so good, they can literally take your shoes off your feet without you realising." Well, exaggeration or not, my bag's not going anywhere!

We wandered, peeped into windows, and I even attempted sniffing out noodle soups but it was just too early. No luck with Chineeeeees food.

On the same street, we saw the Fo Guang Shan He Hua temple. It's roof tiles and ornaments were flown in from China, and it's said to be the largest traditional palace-styled temple build in Europe.

Word also has it that the actual Chinatown where most of the Chinese lived is southeast of Nieuwmarkt (which is really just a street away).

Ok, i will not order more than i can eat ever again...

2009-04-16T20:37:00.001+08:00

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

The Europe-France stint

2009-03-11T01:03:00.002+08:00

15 Feb-1 Mar 2009

...took a heavy toll on my feet.

This is one trip where we were not in total control, nor did we come to an agreement or conclusion of where we intend to cover in Europe prior to our trip. Boon's course in Amsterdam came as a surprise, and was not wholly confirmed until 2 days before departure. We were pretty much in a frenzied, 'i wanna go here, i wanna go there' state.

After a loooooong discussion, we settled on being practical, practical being taking $ + time into consideration, and not do the impossible, i.e. cover 2 countries in a day? =P.

At the end of this 2 weeks of good fun and scares, we've covered Rijswijk, Den Haag, Amsterdam, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Vienna, and Paris. We also had a good glimpse of Germany, passing through Hannover, Berlin and Dresden on our 14-hour train ride from Amsterdam to Prague. All in all, we're happy with our choice.

For those we've not been to these places, I've got a couple of pictures to share and stories to tell =)

A Quick Escape

2009-02-03T23:20:00.007+08:00

from the routines of everyday life can be priceless. At times, I'm thankful that the laziness in me gets the better of me, before i'm left with no weekends to spare. Lost times are almost impossible to redeem.

So, i managed to steal more than a couple of days off work; no laptop, no outlook, no thoughts whatsoever of what's outstanding... just simply eat, visit, gamble and sleep. What an absolute bliss! I could do with a few more weeks of this, whilst the payroll continue rolling in. I'm a dreamer =)

This Chinese New Year is indeed different. I was home, instead of somewhere else under the sea. I have not visited so many houses since ... I cant even remember when. There definitely is an essence of CNY that i thought i've long lost to feel. It felt good, even just for a moment.

Here are some gorgeous shots of fireworks by Jo-Lim. The 12am synchronisation of firecrackers and fireworks around the kampong was downright amazing and exciting! We were a lucky bunch to be entertained with 50 minutes worth of fireworks in Kebangsaan Lama.

When all this ends, I'm dreaming of a holiday far far away. =)

*Gong Xi Fa Cai!*

Life Crunch

2009-01-11T17:51:00.002+08:00

Wow, it has been a month since i last signed in to my blog or read any blogs. I guess there comes a time when we all have to choose, and prioritize our time. My time has come where it is physically impossible for me to juggle between work, life, holidays and blogging. Work has engulfed a big portion of my time for the past month and will continue to do so this month. I must have easily lost a size or two and aged years and more in the past few months. I hope all these sacrifices are worthwhile.

So until i get to have more than 5 hours of decent sleep a day, HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone.

London bells a'ringing

2008-12-12T08:33:00.006+08:00

Cambodia aside, I am now in London! The last time i stepped foot in this place was 8 years ago. Eventhough i stayed here for a couple of months then, i cant say i remember much. What has not changed though...is I still love this place, even in this unforgiving bone chilling weather.

.Lis and I at Capital FM. 2000.

Back at paddington, Rozana and I after 17 hours of excruciating flight.

While there is much to do, we're trying to get our shopping done chup chup... It is pure madness, the fitting room and counter queue has made me forsake my to-be purchases. I'll beat the crowd tomorrow! Even Santa! Hmppp!

Tonle Sap

2008-12-05T18:04:00.012+08:00

.The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, and declared a Unesco Biosphere.

I had initially thought of Tonle Sap as a version similar to Kampong Ayer back home. A floating village with the full works; floating schools, mosques, churches, hospitals, convenient stores, restaurants, etc. However, there are several unique differences between the two. One obvious distinction is the term "floating", while some houses are mounted on stilts, most are assembled on floats or flatboats allowing them to change location according to the seasons. Where they live in October may be kilometers away from where they live in March. Imagine a wooden house powered by motor cruising down the river!

Boat tickets cost USD6 per person. When we arrived, i was surprised to see a little girl dodging among crowds snapping pictures of us with her digital camera. Talk about technological advancement in the rural zones. I thought nothing about it until after we returned from our tour, she ran towards us and surprised us with an individual/couple shots on us stuck on a marble plate marked Cambodia. What brains! You cant exactly say "No", isnt it, falling for the souvenir gimmick, we gave her USD5 for 3 of those plates.

During the boat ride, you will notice it appears that fields and mangroves are blossoming amidst the river. In actual fact, these fields and mangroves thrived on dry land. It being the rainy season allowed us to witness the phenomenal reversal flow of the Mekong River, another trait that sets it apart. The Mekong River starts its seaward journey in the Himalayas, through China, Laos and Cambodia before discharging into the sea in South Vietnam. Unable to contain all the runoff from monsoon rain during the wet season, it reverses its normal flow back up the Tonle Sap river. It then stretches the Tonle Sap lake from 2500km2 to an amazing 12,000km2.

These colour on B&W seems befitting for those moments.

I was really hoping to see kids paddling in plastic buckets, congregating in the middle of the river in their buckets for chatters but it seems most of them have boats now.

Most of the residents here are emmigrant Vietnamese, illegal i heard.

Now listen to this, our boatman was very friendly in the beginning until after he tried to con us into buying a stack of 20 thin exercise books for 20USD for a school in the village. Alot of other tourists were already leaving the floating store with bags of books, and i refused to make the purchase. I just dont like the idea of being taken for a ride, eventhough it's not much. And the fact that he spent more than 5 mins engaging in a private talk with the vendor before we could enter, persumably cooking up some sort of profit division deal, did not help. I was adamant with my decision, and when we got back on the boat, he pulled a long face and ignored us for very much of the ride! Even after i tapped him on the shoulder!

He drove out to the open river, and stopped the engine. I freaked out. We whispered amongst ourselves "why are we stopping here, what does he wanna do?" He casually moved to the front of the boat, leaned back and stared at us. With a lousy grin, he said "Just wait here." "Why??"
"You relax, enjoy." @_@! It felt abit weird, we were too worried he's gonna flip the boat to enjoy whatever tranquility one is supposed to feel. Thank god another boat came hawking drinks, and we bought his favour back with a can of coke.

.Crocodiles caught from the Mekong river.

.A bee scare with Boon2 got us worried for a while, but all is good.

At the end of our boat ride, our tour guide asked for Boon's cap and 20USD. We gave him the cap and 5USD. That should have made his day, i think. My rating: Do consider Tonle Sap as part of your itenary.

Almost every turn you make, there is someone trying to make money, or begging for money, little kids signifying 1 dolla with their index finger.. begging merely for their family. It is hard to escape that sight. Here's a beautiful poem i found on the web titled:

A Cambodian Child
by Marja

He smiles but a riverbed
of silenced tears end on his face
where hope has died
where trust has depart
The hand of the begging child is empty
as is his heart

A child living in the shadow of live
where demons of poverty and exploitation
try to get him in his grip so tight
till he stops fighting and loses control
The hand of the begging child is empty
as is his soul

The beautiful mind of a Cambodian child
won’t be nourished by food and education
no pathways grow towards a fruitful future
his cleverness declined
The hand of the begging child is empty
as is his mind

A boy, a landmine victim
like a tree cut from live lost his limb
and a living he sits down,
the one called outcast
His troubled eyes looked at me however
The hand of the begging child is empty
Is it Forever?

The Videos

2008-12-05T14:16:00.004+08:00

The boys distributing notes

Chee Ting's students for an hour =)

A day in Savong's School

2008-11-17T23:09:00.013+08:00

I couldnt help being wary and extremely conscious in scrutinising Savong and his counterparts' demeanour when they came to our hotel the day we arrived in Siem Reap. I wondered "why did he not come alone?" "who are these 3 other guys with him?". Savong, was nothing like i had initially imagined; tall, distinctive, and charismatic. He was none of those. Instead, almost immediately, i decided i cannot hand over a thousand US dollars for his keepsake this instant. Perhaps, it's my instinct or perhaps i dont feel i could trust him with this much money. My excitement took a plunge, and i wondered what i got myself into.

________________

Over dinner, Savong shared some stories about his school with us. I felt i belittled this man and his friends, who were part-time teachers. i was quick to judge the book by its covers. Savong's command of English was good for decent conversations and at times bowled us over with hints of American accent. He was well-spoken and extremely polite. And so, we set a date to do some shopping and a visit to his school.

This is probably the best book store in Siem Reap, adjacent to the end of Pub Street. We stacked as many books at the counter as we thought relevant for the students.

Computer hunting was quite an adventure. Savong led our driver to a make-shift PC store that supposedly has a good deal on a 2nd hand laptop. It was more like a gaming-cum-repair centre. Bits and pieces of what makes up a computer were scattered everywhere leaving very little room for us to move, which i wasnt very keen on anyways because the place was friggin' dusty! After exchanging some words with Savong, in a language we couldnt understand, a half-naked man showed us a 2nd-hand NEC laptop that is going for 400USD. Eric's inspection unfolded crap specifications, and unwilling to reduce the price any lower than 380USD, we decided the money is better spent buying a brand new desktop.

This is where we finally secured two desktop PCs for 700 USD, bargained to the last drop of sweat from Eric's forehead. Even after scoring a good price by Cambodia's standards, he wanted to make sure Savong was covered for after-sales service, "Sekali, the PC breaks down . . ."

SEKALI! Short of being white with an english last name, Eric is the most British-Chinese i've known. SEKALI is the last thing i expect out of him. I nearly broke down in tears, from laughing.

And 30mins away from town...

The size of the school is pretty much what i expected. There were 3 classrooms, each can sit up to 30-40 students depending how they squeeze themselves onto the benches. Two languages are taught in Savong's school, which is by default the must-know language to keep up with the tourism industry; English and Japanese. We were pretty impressed with the methods used to teach English . We saw evidence of grammar based syllabus in use, vocabulary building, dialogues, and usage of pictures and illustrations. What was far more impressive was the student's ability to comprehend, and their level of spoken English. Dare i say, some of them speak better English than some of our poorer kids back home.

.(L): Some of the older students, one we asked was 22 years old, attending the advanced level of English classes. (R): Pointing out where we're from in the world map.

.Their favourite past time sports are Hula-Hooping and Volleyball. (L):I shrilled when i had a closer look at the girl's t-shirt - fancy finding an F4 (Meteor Garden's cast) t-shirt in Cambodia!. (R): Savong.

.Their resident pup.

During the 1 hour break, Savong showed us to the newly raised library. He explained his dream to us, attempting to cast away any doubts we had in us. He also prompted us to ask him questions, which he was quick to answer. But i realised his school does not follow a strict curriculum. Students were free to attend classes whenever they want. He does not want to force the children and make learning a language a chore. "It's supposed to be fun, i want them to enjoy themselves". Eric gave him some good pointers on raising awareness for the school.

By 4pm, more students appeared through the gates in their bicycles. As soon as it was announced our presence today is to conduct a Chinese class, everyone started flocking to our classroom. Some of them even lulled benches from the next room. I am amazed at those sheer determination, the enthusiasm on their faces makes it all worthwhile. This is probably their zest for life - an escape route from poverty.

.I'm so proud of our Chee Ting!.

Chee Ting was our appointed teacher of Mandarin 101, given she is a qualified teacher =P. The men were in charged of handing out notes courtesy of Eric's Mandarin lessons in UBD. CT taught basic conversational mandarin, e.g. My name is; hello, how are you; i am fine; thank you; goodbye; gdmorning teacher; etc. 2 teachers were present to provide translation assistance, and not long into the class we could pinpoint who the teacher's pets are. =)

The class was fun, we called upon the 2 teacher's pet and got them to demonstrate a conversation infront of everyone. Although shy, they pulled it off...

.This boy's keen interest put a big smile on my face. As we progress, he diligently pen down translations in Khmer.

With this many students packed in a classroom, the heat and thickness of the air is almost unbearable. The fans were not working. And the mercy of sunset lit up their notes. The lights were not working either. I began to wonder if this place is even powered up at all. Nevertheless, these children hold tight to the opportunity given to them. Perhaps being poor has its advantage, it instills the drive and determination in you, it makes you take charge of your destiny, it gives you the power to strive to change your life. These individuals' initiative to walk & cycle miles to learn a new language is in itself worthy of praise.

.We 'stole' the kids' bikes and fulfilled our cycling wish. Hee hee.

.The unfinished 2nd storey.

Before we called it a day, Savong insisted we visit his new endeavour - an orphanage. He wants to give the orphans he's met hope and a new life. One story he related was orphaned girls fall in love, and when deserted they become devastated. With no explanation, no one to guide them, they start selling their bodies for sex in exchange for money. His arguments were they will cheat and they will steal; and he hopes education will make a difference.

.(L): 4-bedroom bungalow, each big enough for 3-4 person.

Mel D gave me something to think about when she asked about the Savong-experience. She said "So is he authentic?? I was getting worried about what you're getting yourself into". True enough, we might be in for a big disappointment. I guess the difference between Savong's school and other International NGOs are that NGOs runs on a proper governing and financial system, and are transparent in their actions and the resources they use. Savong, on the other hand is the sole operator, money-raiser, treasurer, etc... so you can never really know if the money you've donated is indeed pumped into the betterment of the school or to the new handphone he bought himself. That we have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

.Thank you guys.

For those that supported Savong, you know who you are, all in all we gave him 2 new desktops, books, and money for internet access. If you decide to visit Siem Reap one day, you should drop by Savong's school =).

.Next up - Tonle Sap Cruise.

And the nomad takes off again...

2008-11-06T10:12:00.011+08:00

A break from my Cambodia t-logs to bid my cousin, Zing, a safe and meaningful journey to South Africa. Amazing as it is, we share the same birth date and ironic as it is, we celebrated our birthday together for the 1st time only when we were in college, away from home. Ask any of our family members, and the common derivative is we're One Heaven, One Hell. One well-behaved-one mischievous, One studious-one playful, you get my drift.. we're not exactly two peas in a pod.

Although i'd like to believe we're similar in subtle and funny ways, our nature of independence will never match. 3 years ago, she left Singapore with a backpack for South America. On her own, for 3 whole months. She spent her time whisking from:

(.All Photos by Zing.)

Rio de Janeiro to

Natal, Brazil to

Fernando de Norohona, Brazil to

Iguazu Falls, Brazil & Igussu Falls, Argentina to

Bueno Aires, Argentina to

Bariloche, Argentina to

Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile to

Fitz Roy, Argentina to

Perito Moreno, Argentina to

Easter Island, Chile to

Santiago de Chile to

Iquique, North Chile to

Colca Canyon, Peru to

Lake Titicaca, Bolivia to

Inca Trail, Manchu Picchu, Peru to

Cuzco, Peru to

Nazca Lines, Peru to

Ecuador

.Photos by Zing.

2 years ago, she took off to India, and yet again... alone. Read this.

This time, she left her position in Ernst & Young, enough she said. Not sure what the future holds at this moment, she left for Kenya yesterday. 3 weeks of Safari and then she's on to Uganda for a life-changing experience. She will be volunteering at a non-profit organisation on a malaria project. Firstly, to improve their accounting internal control system, provide training and later to rural areas to dispense medicine.

Zing, you're an inspiration and my window to the world.
Take care, dont stay there too long!
I cant wait for your posts and send me many, many postcards!

.Much love to you.

P.S: Make sure you're back in Brunei next year to strike diving off your to-do list.

SJ's post for Zing here. More of Zing's adventures here.

Siemreaping

2008-11-03T23:10:00.005+08:00

.Red: Walking route

Yellow: start/end point
Green: Stops.

This is the one-pager street map of Siem Reap town. We wanted to cycle but it seems the bikes here were all too big for the ladies' comfort. Starting from dot yellow, we passed the Old Market and crossed the Siem Reap river looking for that hidden Singing Tree Cafe to have lunch in. It is impossible to believe there are cafes/restaurants down this street. It looks so abandoned and when we found it, there stuck a note reading they were closed for the P'chum Ben festival until 4th of October. My stomach sank. Just our luck ok! So we detoured to Butterfly Garden that came recommended in many online reviews.

As we enter the gate, it becomes obvious that the entire open area is screened off to prevent the "1000-over" butterflies from escaping. Speaking of which, I didnt see close to a handful of butterflies fluttering around, of those i saw, most were dead =\. It would have been a pretty tranquil area to sit and chill if not for the heat and the 4USD INSTANT beef noodle soup!

Tim casually asked if they served beef noodle soup. It wasnt in the menu but the waiter said "yes". So Chee Ting and I quickly cancelled our order and ordered the same. Tim took a walk around the place, passing the kitchen, came back and said, "Ehhh, auntie, i think they are using packet noodles... you go have a look". I didnt think it could be possible. But one taste of the soup and bite of the noodles, it is indeed instant noodles! What a rip-off!! Loven, too agreed that their food do not match the prices they charge.

We took off to the Royal Palace and the Royal Independence Gardens. Poor Boon was down with a bad flu and was feverish but did not wish to miss out on anything. We passed by many guesthouses, pointing out those we've read about, considered and thankful we did not end up picking. There's plenty of eateries here at Wat Bo Road; Chinese, Thai, Khmer, and it's a surprise most eateries are tastefully decorated and cosy.

Across the Royal Residence on National Road No.6, we saw 2 shrines. One of which is a shrine home to two Buddhas, Preah Ang Chek and Preah Ang Chorm. It is said to provide protection for the town and is considered a place of good fortune. As we approached this shrine, we were alarmed by an overwhelming screeching noise. There were hundreds of bats hanging on the branches above us. I still have no idea what is the link between the bats and the shrine. In the middle of the road, and opposite of this shrine, is the Ya-Tep shrine. The local believes Ya-Tep to be a 'patron saint' with the power to protect travellers and gives lottery ticket numbers >_<".

.You can pay to release these pigeons from captivity. Another gimmick although with an intention to free a 'life'.

I guess most of us at some point, when travelling to 3rd world countries, have a prenotion of a messed-up country, conjures up images of taunting beggars and pickpockets, scheming peddlers, poor transportation, poor hygiene and for whatever reason lead us to strike it off our travel list. While it was not a journey of great comfort, we felt safe... pretty safe honestly. People are generally friendly and do not hesitate to reply with a big smile when approached, children as young as 4 are multilingual, they can speak conversational English, Chinese and even Japanese!

It is also funny to see at one instance wooden hand carts packed with goods, overloaded trucks jammed with people with all sorts of belongings, merchandise and even chickens, and at another instance see brand new Lexus and Landcruisers cruising on the roads! We've also noticed that they have no drainage systems in place; no drains can be found on either side of the road causing the stench in certain areas. And what may or may not be surprising is, i've counted less than 10 traffic lights in my entire 5 days in Siem Reap.

.(R) Crocodile skin lovers will love this shop on Sivatha Boulevard. I, for one, cannot tolerate the smell of it, it is plain blearghhh.

Hotel De La Paix was one of our luxurious choice but at close to 400USD per night, it was way over our budget. I almost keeled over when Loven said if informed earlier, he could have gotten us the rooms for less than half its price. This was our pit stop; to catch a breath and take a crap. Oh, and this hotel smells heavenly.

These paintings were hanging on the walls of the Arts Lounge of De La Paix. Call it a coincidence or six degrees of separation, we later discovered over dinner that the art curator of this lounge is Loven's mate. He roams around galleries and by instinct and feel picks pieces and illustrations of art for exhibit at the lounge. With no artsy background, he has a pair of fine eyes for outstanding art and a taste for the world of fashion. .Based on Toul Sleng prison photographs.
.You can read more about him her e and here.

Navigating the streets of this town on foot is probably one of the most rewarding ways to discover its pain and secrets. Timmy basically conducted a mental survey of the ubiquitous foot-massage parlours he will eventually visit one by one. We bought a chunk of our souvenirs and gifts at the Center Market, though i still prefer the Night Market for its variety and atmosphere and the Old Market for authentic stones.

It is obvious that Siem Reap has plenty of room to grow. With budget hotels mushrooming at every other corner, and expensive hotels catering to the high-flyers, this town has an endless choice of places to stay and dine whatever your budget calls. What seemed damn obvious to me is, despite the wealth that development has brought to some, it is at the cost of the poor living around the developed town. Affirmed by Savong and our drivers, local wages have not kept up with the inflated prices. With an average wage of $2 a day, it is quite impossible to dream further than surviving.

Siem Reap today is said to be barely recognisable from the Siem Reap back in 2000. I like the way it is now, safe and pleasant with hints of French colonial and Chinese-style architecture. We're glad we have seen Cambodia now as opposed to what it may become a few years down the road. What will it become?

.Exercise for the day: 15km.

.A day with Savong coming up... =).

More temples

2008-10-22T14:33:00.023+08:00

Right after Bayon, our driver Borat (another name we made up for none of us could decipher the actual pronunciation of his name) took us through the east gate of Angkor Thom and then left us to take the path on foot to Ta Phrom.

Our only knowledge of Ta Phrom sums up to Massive Trees and the Tomb Raider set. Honestly, i dont know what to expect, but at the same time my hopes of being swept off my feet was backed by Jasmain's verbal expressions of its awesomeness. Yes, i was amazed, but not by the temple, but by the power and force of the jungle. Ta Phrom is very much in the process of being engulfed by nature. The poem that attaches itself to this ruin is "with humans first conquering nature to rapidly create, and nature once again conquering humans to slowly destroy."

.This temple was built from 1186 and was a Buddhist temple dedicated to Jayavarman VII's mother.

It was quite annoying that many a path were closed off due to restoration works, and some corridors were clogged with piles of stone blocks crumbled by roots of giant trees. However, the aftermath beauty of this strangulation process has ironically created an atmospheric affair. Where walls are displaced, the tree roots form an archway, where buildings are tilting on the verge of collapse, the strangler vines are holding them together.

Most of the walls of this temple and stones are heavily carpeted in lichen and moss, so becareful if you're thinking of attempting any kind of stunts.

. (Above) That famous Tomb Raider tree.

.(L): Crocodile Dundee wannabes.

Overall, it was good that we came, we saw the temple, we saw the tree and that was that. Although amazing for withstanding the enormity and weight of merciless trees seeking to retrieve its territory, it did not cast any long lasting effect on me.

On the way out, Tim Chin was approached by a little boy who wanted to sell him a "Gu-Zheng", a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. We egged him on because he has been crazy over these instruments every where we go. The starting price was an outrageous "twenty-fai dollaaa" USD. While he was haggling, a soft little voice was following Uncle Teo. Whilst flipping her postcards, she counted "ee, er, sa, si, wu, liu" (numbers in Mandarin), "mai-la.. ni mai la, ee kwai" (buy, will you buy, one dollar). This girl, barely 7 i think, has the most pitiful, hair-raising voice. When we bought 2 and was about to close the doors of our van, she tiptoed outside the window, handing Timmy a wristband and me a postcard.. "For you" she said. We learned that the Gu-Zheng went down to $4 dollaaa, crazy huh! He regrets not buying it now.

Bakheng Mountain

After filling our stomach and a short rest back at our hotel, we returned to catch sunset at the Bakheng Mountain. And guess what!??! Look at me shoes... First the back, now the front. Huuhuu.On arrival, we saw elephants! For $10 USD, you can let an elephant take you up the mountain to Phnom Bakheng. We wanted to! but the queue was just too long, so trekked we did. The climb up was rather steep, pretty much like climbing Shahbandar. I couldnt believe my stamina, i broke out in heavy sweat and was huffing for dear life a few minutes into the hike. Boon's dad, in total opposite, was calm and collected. I should be so ashamed. The picture below is a corroded stairway leading up to the mountains, almost entirely covered with grass and creeping plants. It was cordoned off for the obvious risk. And ofcourse it is not purplish in colour, but a splash of my imagination. =)20mins later, we reached the summit of the mountain. The temple was shaped like a pyramid, mounted in terraces. The steps leading to the top was crazily narrow and steep. So narrow that it fits only half the size of my feet. See how the guy below is using his hands to aid his climb, and the dude above him has one baby in hand. My heart pounded so bad just watching him descend. A couple of us tried climbing up sideways, holding on to the side walls and realised it proved too steep and dangerous for Uncle Teo. Boon decided against letting his dad up so he waited for us on ground. It was pretty crowded by the time we arrived and we thought we were early! It seems like every tourist in Siem Reap watches sunset here. Most people have marked their spots with a tripod and picked out the best seat. This really is a popular destination for sunset undoubtedly because of its enviable position with 360 degrees view of the landscape. It's breathtaking and a good place to sit and reflect.

.Built on the hill where the 1st city of Angkor was established, this is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Work started at the end of the 9th century.

Chee Ting and Eric went about taking photos, and us too, except I was taking shots for a vain poser... "here here", "ooh, here nice too", waitaminute i meant to say natural poser ;)

When the rays of sunset began breaking through, it was disappointing to see lots of clouds. Ugh...We also did not stay for the entire length of sunset 'cos we have one elderly waiting for us =P

As we descend, my legs caved to a trembling mess. It's a scary feat and one wrong step can send you free falling. I'm only a size 5, what about people who are size 8, size 11? I read that in the olden days, Angkor people do not climb the stairs with their whole foot and instead they tiptoed barefooted. They must have some kind of elixir for lactic acid. Here's one horrendous picture of me drenched in cold sweat and breathing relief when i reach the bottom.

.Dont ever wear skirts to temples, I almost tripped and cracked my head several times.

As it turns out, when we heading downhill close to 6pm, the real crowd has only begun their trip. We passed hundreds and hundreds of people, most of which were the Japanese and Chinese . What was funny was a group of Chinese screaming "It's getting late" and made a turn up the restricted stairways. Running, in fact! And what does the sign say? Trumping that was a lady in a black dress supported by a pair of black stilettos running along. Stilettos!

Did you happen to realise someone was missing in our Phnom Bakheng photos? Mr.TimChin! He surrendered and went on his Siem Reap massage parlours expedition.

Achievements for the day: 13km or kilomeet (in Cambodian slang)

One full day of temple visit really knocked us out, so we decided to take a break and tour Siem Reap town the next day.

Bayon, the first of our temple fest

2008-10-14T18:13:00.038+08:00

In the beginning, we have this misconception that the temples are situated far away from town. I guess distances varies depending on which of the countless temples do you wish to see. Savong actually helped us draw up a plan on the must-see temples and from there we started our 2-day temple mission.

Our 1st temple on our 2nd day in Siem Reap is the Bayon Temple, the spiritual centre of Angkor Thom, which is roughly 20-30mins away from the city centre. We entered through the south gate of Angkor Thom (known as the Great City). I absolutely love this entrance (yellow star on map). As we reach the causeway towards this gate, we saw giant faces standing to the left and to the right of the causeway. It's a "wow" sight passing them as they stand tall with that cold smile and that picturesque moat as a background. I love love love the simplicity and the surreal emptiness about it. I couldnt get a decent shot in a moving car and soon gave up thinking i will exit through this gate, but we did not so no pics =\ I also conveniently left Jasmain's lonely planet guidebook in Brunei so i didnt know what they signify at that time. There are actually 54 statues on each side of the causeway, 54 gods to the left and 54 demons to the right taken from a story illustrated in the Angkor Wat.

.At the visitor's entrance.

.(R): I love TimChin's pose.

As we enter this temple, i have this overwhelming feeling of being on an archeological exploration. I wonder how the boys felt that instance especially with those hats on. This temple holds ground to 54 towers, each with 4 faces of the Avalokiteshavra, gazing in 4 cardinal directions and smiling down at you. You will feel like you're surrounded by a supreme being of power, of peace, and of great compassion. Avalokiteshvara is the Buddha of Compassion, better known as Quan Yin to the Chinese. But there's also another theory that the faces are made to resemble the King himself, Jayavarman VII, which is also said to be credible because he was a devoted Buddhist that shares similiarity with the Buddha in the depth of his compassion for his subjects.

My favourites here are no doubts the faces, the apsara carvings, the doorways and towers for stunning pictures. Ultimately what is amazing about this temple and the others we've seen are the crazy stackings, shapings and carvings of gigantic stones one on top of another making up every single bit of the temple. Just how on earth did they manage that in the 12th century?

By mid noon, we were nearly fried crispy. It was HOT HOT HOT, and i cannot be any more grateful for purchasing a mini-fan despite Boon2's mocking. That battery-powered wind and the purring of its plastic flaps is like magic,... however you can always settle for dettol wipes... give it a wipe on your face, on your neck, and perhaps under your shirt too, to cool down.

.(C) Boon2 lugging our tripod around which helps if you want group photos without bothering others, though setting it up can be quite a pain. And Steven, i am still upset my WA and Zoom lens didnt arrive on time~! ='(. (R) Insanely steep stairs that we had to buttcrawl down.
If you have the time and interest, you can let a lonely planet guide take you through the stories of the 1.2 km bas-reliefs found around the temple. To me instead, the beauty of Bayon lies on the mystical smile of the Buddha's face.

.Group photo usually involves me setting up the timer and running to the scene, but it was physically impossible for me to run and climb that stairs in 10 secs! Huuhuuhuu. What we thought was a cool tree house turned out to be platform for you to get onto an elephant. Duuhh.

.The Bayon is currently being restored by a Japanese team.
.One of my favourite shot of Bayon Temple.

Our next stop, Ta Phrom, in search for that Tomb Raider tree.

The Adventures of Tim Chin

2008-10-13T12:20:00.011+08:00

One night, the 5 siemreapers congregated at my hotel room's living area... sipping Angkor beer, crunching honey mustard chips, and watching European league reruns... and suddenly I burst out in laughter, slapping my thighs and continued laughing hysterically.

I told the guys we have our own version of TinTin! i.e. Tim Chin from Brunei, and we started recounting all the various 'adventures' of Tim in this short span of time in Cambodia. Eventhough TinTin's adventures are usually harrowing and ends with him escaping danger with a piece of endearing story, which our Tim Chin will hardly match but i think our Tim Chin had one helluva odd jobs experience in Cambodia.

"TimChin in Cambodia"

1. This was actually his 1st job in Kuala Lumpur before Cambodia. We found an unsuspecting TimChin ironing work clothes.

2. Bouncer to Waiter - Not only did he had a Heart Of Darkness' uniform on, he had a name tag and order slips. Service: Very good.

3. Drinks vendor - After a couple of hours under the scorching sun in the Silver Pagoda, you'd crave for a fizzy can of coke even if it cost 1USD, and this is the only stall you will find. Smart bloke.

4. Laundry Service - We found him topless in a rooftop restaurant putting out the table linens and napkins to dry.

5. Indiana Jones - Wonder what treasure is he after...6. Library inspector - Why no fan? Why no proper shelving?6. Mentor - Promise me you will go to school!?6. Musician - This piece of instrument is his obsession. There seems to be one in every other place we go and he makes good random music.

And last but not least....
7. Tuk-tuk driver - TimChin's favourite line, "Lady, you want a tuk-tuk? I bring you go see temple."

Road Trip to Siem Reap

2008-10-09T18:20:00.021+08:00

180USD and a Mercedes van took us on a whirlwind, scenic but sometimes bumpy road (what our driver deemed will feel like a massage) to Siem Reap. Prices again were hiked up because of the holidays (eventhough this is the low season). I was told on normal days it would only set you back about 100USD. And if you dont mind travelling with a large group, a bus ride will only cost you 6-12USD pp.

However, you can always opt for a cheaper ride such as below =P

My intention was to stop at a town called Skuon, 55 miles north of Phnom Penh, or famously known as the Spider City. I've read about the delicacies of this town, like Pasta is to the Italians, Sushi to the Japanese, Nasi Katok to the Bruneians, fried tarantulas are caviars to the people of Skuon.

I began taunting everyone, and teasing their guts "You do it, i'll do it", "C'mon... dont be a p*$$y". Boon2 said he would given it's deep fried, Eric admitted that his mind was juggling with eat-or-not the entire 55 miles to Skuon. We knew we've arrived in the spider city when our driver pulled to the side of the road and to our left women were thronging up their seats with their prized mountains of black mass.

.Aka A-ping: Fresh out of the woods - tarantulas fried with garlic and salt. These tarantulas were originally used by Cambodians in traditional medicine, which was thought to be good for the heart, throat and lungs - but later served as the basis of survival during the Pol Pot's regime. They survived by feeding on insects, water beetles, and these spiders which they found to be deeelicious!

Taste description by others: Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, white meat in body is like a cross between chicken and cod. For real???

The boys immediately shook their head when what they saw did not fit what they had imagined. Thinking it might have been deep fried in nice crispy golden batter, instead it looked soggy and gahhhh... alive despite furless. I can almost feel them crawling up my throat. Gahhhh.. and prickling my skin. Nope, i wasnt gonna eat it, i suck... so does everyone else!

We also did not try the stuffed frogs. Whyyyy??

.Viket, our driver that we mistakenly named Reeechard, says "mmmMMmm''.

And just like all trips, i return wishing i had stretched my limits, perhaps next time with an Angkor beer on standby.

The first few hours into our ride was easy, we were distracted by beautiful paddy fields, and the deterioration of scenery as we drove deeper into the villages. Reeechard became our ad-hoc tour guide, filling us with information of each instrumental monument/architecture we passed. As we bumped our way into Kampong Thom, we passed by a small Muslim village - a village belonging to the Chams - the minority ethnic group. There is a sad story to them that whilst they taught the Vietnamese improved rice-farming and silk-production techniques, they taught the Khmer gold work, designed boats and developed significant ports... while today the Vietnamese are thriving and Khmer have a state, the Chams are said to be losing their history and numbers. When we asked if the Muslims here can drink, Reeechard said No, when we asked if the Muslims here take pork, Reeechard said No, and when we asked if the Muslims here can take 4 wives, Reeechard's eyes sparkled "I want to be a Muslim". Hahaha, although we very much convinced him he will have to work 4 times as hard to afford that.

Uncle Teo said the village reminds him of his younger days, where he too lived in stilt wooden houses. Unlike modern cities, where one is distinguished by the house you live in, the car you drive, the job you have, I think the people in these villages are distinguished by the number of cows they owned; for almost every other house has a cow grazing on gigantic stacks of hay!

Reeechard starting sharing his story. Pointing out to us where he used to live in Kampong Thom, he recalled the days he woke up at 4am to walk 20 kilometers to attend school. He would return home and perform household chores, from washing his father's clothes to cooking, although there are days when he would go to sleep without dinner. "I feel pain in my body, I feel pain in my heart" he said, as he walked us through bits and pieces of his life. Now he is making 80USD a month, and i said "GOOD!" thinking it is indeed good for their standards, but he calculated out loud his expenses which amounted to 180USD a month. He chose to put his children in private school to learn languages so that they get the education he didnt. His only reliance is on tourists such as us for tips. This is an example of how knowing a foreign language is of upmost importance to Cambodians.

.Phnom Penh Mafia.

By the 4th hour, i was going crazy. "ARE WE NEAR?!?!" Boon2 realised that he has been driving at a speed of 50km/hr. GAWD! A sign said we were 98 km away from Siem Reap, at this rate we wont reach in another 2 hours... this got pretty agonising when the sun sets, 'cos there was nothing to distract us anymore. HuuHuu. And especially when someone keep sitting up and saying "OOOhh, i see modern houses, i think we're near" only to pass kampongs and more kampongs.

At the 5th hour, Reeechard played us a Cambodian comedy (there's a tv in the van, Boon said we should have bought a Tomb Raider dvd to get us in the mood)... and eventhough we understood nuts, it kept us from annoying him with "ARE WE ALMOST THERE?" for abit.

After 6 long hours on the road, we finally reached our hotel, atop an Irish Bar. I just wanted to collapse and sleeeeeeeeeep!

__________________
It was the pits to know those who came by bus took only 4 hours, obviously for we were overtaken by countless bus! But i guess better safe than sorry, Reechard did mention he'd rather drive slow because it being the festive season, there are alot of drunk motorbikers, and it doesnt help that there are no street lights and no clear division between a right/left lane! =\
__________________

A day in Phnom Penh

2008-10-06T20:54:00.017+08:00

I'm back home now after a fruitful but tiring trip... my body feels like pounded meat. There's too many pictures, moments and stories i'd like to pen before it drains from my memory. This one is on the one and only half a day we have in Phnom Penh, quick on our feet to cover as much as we can.

.Roadside Steamboat!.
This is rather interesting to watch. A few people were parked by the roadside pavement, seemingly plonked their unsuspecting boxes that opened up to little woks powered by gas and starts frying garlic and meat. I have no idea whether if it was for sale or for their own enjoyment while having a good view of the park. The box looks handy to me and i reasoned if they were chased by police, it would be damn easy to pack-and-run.
The smell was ..ooO.. heavenly~
.A lil' bit of dirt fun.
One will soon realise it's a common sight in Cambodia to see children flocking about naked or without underwears. This, however, was one of the first few we saw and judgmentally we gasped at her mother's ignorance to her playing with dirt and sweeping her bum on dirty pavements.

Our first destination was the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, which was a few minutes walk from our villa... which also led to our 1st disappointment of the day. The Royal Palace was closed for the king and his household was busy preparing for P'chum Ben Festival?

.A glimpse of the Royal Palace.

.Preparations for the festival.
The Royal Temple, aka Wat Preah Keo Morokat that translates to 'The Temple of the Emerald Buddha'.
This temple was later known as the Silver Pagoda for the 5,329 silver tiles that cover the floor. This is where the King meets with monks to listen to their sermons. The pagoda is surrounded by other interesting stupas and shrines but we dare not risk admiring each and every one of them under the flaming hot sun. Even the mini fan i had brought me little comfort.
.One of the late Kings' stupa.

Becareful not to wear tank tops and shorts when you visit this place, Chee Ting was refused entry and had to go back to change.

.A sweet face.

Not long after i strolled away from the murals, we were reunited with Chee Ting and Eric. And suddenly, a loud drilling sound tailed me, buzzing like a crazy shaver... WTH? I turned around to find Eric swaying his super-duper mini fan that works like an industrial machine. Huuhuuhuu.

Unbeknown to us what this shrine represents, we simply follow suit what others were doing. Some washed their face with the water trickling down from the buddha, some washed their hand whilst Boon2 dapped his head, for higher wisdom maybe? =P Right beside this shrine stood a tree, where hundreds and hundreds of hopes, dreams and wishes were penned on its leaves.

.This is one hilarious moment - Chee Ting's hair got all tangled up in her mini-fan, only made worst by Eric's attempt to 'rescue' her. I laughed like a nut only to have karma befall me.

Can you tell from the looks of it that my dear friend on the left is stupefied with hunger? He turned pale and cried "I neeeeed to eat man...!". Hahaha..

Down the street and left of the Royal Palace, you will find Phnom Penh's National Museum that houses the world's largest collection of Khmer art during the Khmer and Angkor era. To me, their paintings have immaculate resemblance to those i saw in India.

The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
Although we had our reservations in visiting the killing fields, we braced ourselves for it. True to the words of many that has been there, it's not a pleasant sight.

Upon entering, you will be greeted by a stupa layered with 8000 human skulls exhumed from mass graves, and arranged according to gender and age groups. It's a chilling sight and you will really feel it in your bones when you read the history of it.

.Click to enlarge if you want to read about the sadistic genocidal regime.
The gist of Pol Pot's regime was to create an agricultural utopia - an extreme form of peasant Communism. There would be no money, no televisions, no bicycles, no foreigners, no education, no healthcare... shutting off Cambodia from the rest of the world. People are to slave in his "killing fields" living on only the fruits and rice they harvested. He declared 17 April 1975 the "Day 1 - Year Zero" telling the people that 2,000 years of Cambodian history is now meaningless. If you were educated, wore glasses, spoke a different language, or even appeared intimidating, you will be shot, tortured in unimaginable ways and left to die. It is so grim that Vietnam called Cambodia the "Hell on Earth".

It was impossible to comprehend. Impossible to ever imagine living in that period. And it is possible to bump into one of the survivors ever willing to share stories of the worst days of their lives. .An unknowing child bearing a genuine smile in the midst of remnants of mass graves.

Thinking there might not be time for another site, we were surprised to find that all these places were comfortably 10-15 mins away by car. The maps were pretty misleading but considering how small this place is, we should have known better.

The Russian Market, reportedly famous for brandnames made in Cambodia for cheap cheap prices. It's like the Bangkok Chatuchak market, except nowhere near that size. More than half of the shops were closed, so we did some price-checking and practice haggling before we go full-steam in Siem Reap. Huu huu huu. You will practically find everything here, local designer tshirts, shoes, watches, dvds (Simpsons box set is the cheapest here! Do buy it here if you're a Simpsons fan, unlike Eric who thought he could get a better deal in Siem Reap but no.. prices were double or triple that), handbags, beautiful paintings of Angkor temples, and you can even get a HAIRCUT! (see right below)

.Mucking around on the rooftop of a restaurant.

And that is about all we covered in Phnom Penh in half a day. 13km for the good ol' feet and we're off on our road trip to Siem Reap.
.Crossing the Mekong River.

My trainers died on me even before Angkor Wat!!

The beginning in Phnom Penh

2008-09-30T00:12:00.031+08:00

So our trip to the land of Cambodia began after a night stay at Concorde Inn, KL. My very first impression of Phnom Penh was through the cabin windows up in the skies. The outskirts of Phnom Penh is a bed of paddy fields, divided by the Mekong River that runs through the horizon and houses parked mostly by the river side. As we flew nearer inland, more developments were visible. Lands are almost completely flat throughout and we could see puddles of flood, here and there. It must have been raining the past few days. Darn…!

Guess what we found tucked in front of our seats in this month’s Travel 360’ issue. How appropriate :D

We made a mistake of not taking pictures of the Phnom Penh airport, for being such a poor country, it was physically much more appealing to the eyes than Brunei’s =\

.The Pavilion.

Our home for a night in Phnom Penh was built in the 1930s for King Sihanouk’s mother Queen Kossamak who wanted to be near Wat Botum. Through a small gate, we were led past a lap pool to a beautiful villa surrounded by cushioned wooden lounge chairs. Nassiba was there to receive us, her French accent made us curious and to our disbelief she’s from Tajistan. She’s now working on a new eco-resort project in Koh Rong, south of Cambodia, building solar panels and all, "making compulsory the use of renewable energy sources, the waste management, the used-water treatment and the offset of greenhouse gases emissions) and forbidding polluting equipments (diesel power generation, cars, motorcycles)". Whilst I was busy checking us in, and sorting out our transport to Siem Reap the next day, the boys found it most vital to find internet access. The need to change their player formation for the Fantasy Football game is far more important than anything else. I tried to understand. . .Huuhuuhuu.

Pavilion lives up to its past lodgers’ description, it is unique and homey. You can really picture this place as your own house.

I’ve always liked to believe, a balcony with a nice view is the perfect ending to a room no matter how big/small.

Our plan was to get Russian Market out of the way today and focus on visiting palaces and monuments tomorrow, but it’s just our luck that tomorrow is the beginning of a very important public holiday and a number of shops are closed as people are busy preparing for it. It is the Ancestor Worship day, the Cambodian P'chum Ben Festival (what i'd like to believe is similar to the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival), where people pay respects to and remember the people who are roots of their existence. So we took a couple of tuk-tuks down to the river front and explored on foot. By 6pm, the sun has completed its shift.

.Makeshift tuk-tuk drivers.

We stumbled upon Happy Herb Pizza! This place supposedly drizzle happy herbs, or better known as marijuana, on your pizza. They are said to come in dosages of ‘happy’, ‘very happy’ or ‘ecstatic. Sounds interesting but ya, we gave it a miss.

Our first stop: Riverside Bistro
This is a fine establishment dazzled with neon lights shaped in palm trees, seafood, martini glasses and importantly decked with comfortable looking rattan chairs. We gotto eat and this is it! We tried the famous Cambodian Fish Amok and it tasted like otak-otak cooked in green curry. Yums.In the midst of feeding our stomachs and enjoying our 1st taste of Angkor Beer, we were repeatedly approached by whiny begs from a tiny lil’girl. We tried hard to ignore her presence but she was so persistent that we eventually caved in, and handed her a dollar (USD). Her eyes instantly lit up with a grin so wide. She quickly folded the dollar, clasped tightly amid her tiny fingers, said thank you, posed for me and skipped happily round the corner of the restaurant. We suspected that must have been her day’s worth, and now to report back to her guardian. But whoever her guardian was obviously didn’t think it was enough, for she reappeared to the scene just as fast as she scurried off. Only when I review the picture I took of her that I really had a good look at her. She’s such a pretty lil’ girl but like all street kids she had dirty patches on her skin, pasty face and look at those worn-out eyes.

It is at this time, I wish there were more people like Savong out there.

Did I mention it rained again!? We weathered the rain and explored the rest of the restaurants and bars down the road, just when I caught sight of a cowboy hat. It’s the same hat Boon saw and wore for a picture in India and Kuching! He did say if he chanced upon the same hat again in Cambodia, he’s gonna buy it! The highlight for him today is ‘finding’ that hat.

Phnom Penh’s night market. Nothing interesting really, except maybe for children – paying to burst a balloon in return for a soft toy.

Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC). Nice 3-storey restaurant/bar/hotel with a beautiful view of the rainbow-lit cruise boats in the Tonle Sap river. The patriotic Americans had a discussion cum debate scheduled on the 3rd floor following the McCain-Obama debate. By 9.30pm, people started to amass and the band took charge. I highly recommend this place if you just want to enjoy live band, enjoy the river breeze, a good pizza and your beer.

.Street adjacent to FCC.

Our next hop was to Love Orange club, just because it’s round the block from our villa. The security was tight, and everyone was body checked. The moment the music resonated to my ears, I cried dear lord… This place is like a Miri feng-tao joint, stuffy and jam packed with local youngsters borne in the 90s’ (according to Timmy’s observation). We left almost immediately and headed to the Heart of Darkness, the most popular bar/club in Phnom Penh. This bar suited us better; it was tastefully decorated, less rowdy and DJs spun to the likes of Shakira. You’ll find a good mix of Europeans, Japanese, Cambodians, and towering Boyz II Men lookalikes here.
Our final hop was in search for Zeppelin Bar that was said to have the largest collection of classic rock. No one in town seemed to have heard of it let alone know its where abouts, hence we tried out luck at the Memphis Bar. This bar has a small dais to a band that got us singing along to the Summer of 69, Dire Straits, U2's One, Eric hailing to Pink Floyd. Good joint if you don’t like the heavy shuffling and if you have a voice to share with everyone. You can literally take over the mic if they hit your favourite number.

.Midnight rendezvous.

It was a pretty good start in Phnom Penh. As i publish this post, I'm at my 4th night in Siem Reap and i am loving it so much. I have met up with Savong and Loven on our 1st night here. All i can tell you right now is, Savong is not much of what i expected when i saw him for the 1st time, but he far exceeded my initial perception of him. Just simply through a short night of conversation with him, i can feel his passion, his kindness, the bigger dreams he has. My heart ached for him, for i can see he is a very smart man that can probably save the world from poverty and ignorance, had he afford education and have the money to do so.

I will keep posting when i find the time to do so. =)
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all my muslim friends and colleagues!

Dining with Gods and Kings

2008-09-25T23:25:00.005+08:00

OMG, i know i said my adios.. but i just have to blog about this. I was reading Loven's blog today and i saw this. A dinner with the gods and kings, a full spread at the world heritage temples in Siem Reap.

He started with "So if you are probably someone who has some scandalously big cash to burn and have a couple of nights in Cambodia, try these out for a change..."

And my eyes just POPPED!

Image from: the spool artist

"Then the intricate set-up is laid: from candle-lit tables, wine bars, Michelin-star chefs at your beck and call and all that jazz... this is a full dinner setting at the Prasat Kravan temple"

Will someone pinch me pls....

Image from: the spool artist
"A courtyard dinner at the Thommanon temple where you are blanketed by the jungle..."

"Rental prices for temples range from $2,500 for smaller, far flung temples while Angkor Wat can cost as much as $20,000 for a 3-hour dinner schedule! And that doesn't even include your dinner yet! Dinners usually start at around $300 per person. For most Cambodians earning an average of $2 a day, dinner alone is equivalent to their life savings. Rental price in Angkor Wat can actually build you a house here..."

For more pictures, see here.

I, without a doubt, do not have scandalous money to burn, but Loven... how can we get to experience a night like that??

Adiós

2008-09-25T16:57:00.009+08:00

.If you are interested - here, here and here are some of my past correspondences with Savong.

"There's a piece of advice that says if you want to help somebody in your own country, give time. If you want to help somebody in another country, then give money."

Here is another compelling story about someone who helped Savong achieve his dreams.

My name is Duncan Stuart, I live in Auckland New Zealand. My own involvement with the school began in late 2004 after a visit to Angkor Wat. I met Savong when he was running a small school at his father's house, near Siem Reap town. He asked if I'd volunteer teach for a few afternoons, and during that week we became friends, and I learned of his dream to open up a school further out in the countryside where children are less advantaged. (And I thought these town kids looked less advantaged!) It was a moment in my life when I thought, well, why not help?

That photo of Savong on the boat was taken the afternoon he told me about his plans – and I think it sums up his gentle way of thinking about the future, literally looking at the horizon.

Three other supporters were also contributing to Savong. Yoshikazu and Makoto in Japan, as well as a guy from San Francisco – Malcolm – and between us, and from other New Zealand supporters too, we helped Savong take the current school from being a dream to becoming a reality. Yoshikazu and Makoto were quite inspiring.
What appealed to me was the fundamental simplicity of the story here. Local children are going to enter working age without many prospects. Languages will give them an opportunity to get work in the burgeoning tourist industry. Education, as always, can help give people a future.

When Savong first told me of his plans, my immediate reference point was Ed Hillary, who really set us a great example. For a middle aged Kiwi guy like me, the idea of helping build schools in less advantaged countries is just something we've grown up with – a practical thing we can help do.

At all stages of the project, Savong sent progress photos and emails and there has never been any doubt that this has been a worthwhile project on a personal level. Visiting the school in March 2006 was one of the best moments in my life.

.Secretly, i hope Savong wouldnt trump Angkor Wat. That will really be something.

One Happy Day

2008-09-24T19:56:00.003+08:00

Today, our baby went "live"!
After 3 months of precious sweat and toil, we went "live" on time and under budget.
Thanks to all the MOFIC warriors... keke.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee..........

I can now go on holiday stress-free! =D

Claudie

2008-09-22T20:19:00.004+08:00

.This little pumpkin is the highlight of my weekends.

Breatheeee

2008-09-22T10:37:00.001+08:00

.Almost collapsed at work last Saturday after a morning scare.
But all is good!

4 more days till i roam the streets of Cambodia. Huu huu huu. . .

Stock Market Panic!

2008-09-16T20:49:00.014+08:00

While i have been having a stressful affair with work, my other half has been keeping me up-to-date with the rest of the world. When i saw this, i just "WHATTA???"

One of the most sought-after employer and must have been one of the dream jobs of every investment finance students has gone Kapooooot?!

Source of Picture: The Sun

Source of Picture: The Sun

Lehman Brothers, the world's fourth biggest investment firm filed for bankruptcy, a victim of the US mortgage markets.
With losses of $613bn, it is thought to be the biggest bankruptcy in history.
Workers said one department of 500 people was bluntly told: “The company no longer exists.”

Many has called this the worst financial crisis since or worst than the 1929 Wall Street crash. If some of you can recall, the Wall Street crash literally gave way to the Great Depression. I, personally pray this is nothing of the like.

Source of Picture: Daily News

Other big hits:

- AIG (Manchester United supporter) shares have nearly halved: "Last night AIG was thrown a lifeline when it won permission to borrow £11.2billion from subsidiaries".

- Merill Lynch (Lehman's rival) - Fished out of the death row by agreeing to a $50bn takeover by Bank of America

- Bank of England and European Central Bank has been pumping billion of dollars into the money markets to control the tide.

The story of the 3 siblings

2008-09-11T10:42:00.013+08:00

This is a story about 3 siblings (16, 10 and 9 year olds) who were abandoned by their parents and are struggling to make ends meet.

Their plight was covered by Iskandar and Liza yesterday and it has already received overwhelming response from Bruneians home and abroad. I believe some of us, and undeniably myself, at first instance would not hesitate to judge their parents for abandoning them. What i cannot understand is, from a woman's point of view... from a mother's point of view, how can a mother leave her young to the hands of fate. However, true to Reeda's words, more need to be known before they are labelled.

.Some facts about the 3 siblings.

Information extracted from Liza's site.

"Their home: The siblings are staying remotely within the squatter's area of Kampong Jabang Seria. I am sure you know make-shift houses are built illegally on the concession land so they are no proper numbering system there, which is a reason why i could not furnish you with the home address.

Their background: Their parents are jobless and his father is an ex-cop while their mother used to operate a food stall in Seria until few months ago, when they decided to move on Kampong Bangtajuh in Ulu Belait and start a new life as fishermen without their children. They do not leave behind proper food supplies or some cash for groceries. So the children survive on fishes they catch from the river and only drink rainwater.

Source:Liza

The eldest among the siblings is Bobby, and he has a 10-year-old younger sister, Maullena and 9-year-old brother Bonny, the youngest. But according to Bobby, his parents do drop by twice monthly and bring their catch home. They are not fully aware that they are being abandoned which leaves Bobby to be the breadwinner for his young siblings.

Source:Liza

Their suffering: During heavy downpour, these siblings are splattered with rain waters as a result of the broken ceilings and missing window panes. Messy and dirty kitchen utensils as they have no water supply; moldy mattresses and bed sheets.

They walk back and forth every day to school. And their school uniforms and bags are all worn out. They had to skip breakfast and lunch in school cuz they just have no pocket money. They are flat broke."

Source:Iskandar

The good thing that came out from this is not only bringing public awareness to their woeful condition, and rather than just a massive once-off donation, Liza and team has considered long-term support for these children. They are in the midst of discussion with a school to open a joint savings account for the children.

"This is to ensure that the funds will not be mismanage or misuse and utilized wisely. And furthermore it will allow people overseas to transfer or wire monies straight to their account. Once it is open, we will reveal the numbers in our blog.."

How you can help:

They have organised a date where the public can meet and offer their contributions to the children personally @

Venue: Anthony Abell College, Seria

Date: Tuesday, 16 September

Time: 1.30pm

If you are not travelling to Seria on that day, contact Liza babelizcious_78@yahoo.com to make other arrangements.

Please visit their site, Iskandar and Liza, for detailed information on the siblings and follow-up on their acts of love.

One for my babies

2008-09-10T16:58:00.016+08:00

This post is dedicated to my babies at work. Eventhough the stress level of our team has surpassed the acceptable range, most of us are still maintaining our cool.

This post is for a good laugh.

The 1st day of training. Jerry may look terrified but he aced it.

The multi-purpose PM.
The bloody photocopier wouldnt cooperate with Afshah, so i went on my knees.

.I hate copiers. Papers and photocopiers have a life of their own! They are both vengeful!

.Afshah, the amazing trainer.
.Fely and Boon are supposedly friggin' stressed but why do i see a smile on Boon's face??.
Note to Nonnie: this is the area where your Bobby sits, and where he gets influenced.

.And an even wider grin on Siaw Wei's face. I heard from Fely that she has been giggling by herself when building new pages.

And one day, when i wanted to check her progress, guess what she showed me...

So this is why...

2 more weeks of these madness, or shall i say fun.

Creatures on Black

2008-09-10T12:37:00.015+08:00

Underwater images on black is my favourite type of shoots of all time. These on-black portraits shots are some I've captured at night in Brunei waters as well as during daylight, which can be achieved with correct settings.

I thought i've seen them all, until I saw Joshua Lambus ' portfolio. I am completely in awe with the creatures he shot. So much so i want to go where he went so i can see them for myself! Or in greedier tones, i want an aquarium filled with these out-of-the-world aliens glowing in the midst of complete darkness. Huu huu huu.

.With his permission, these are what he found off the coast of Kona Hawaii (one of the most remote land mass in the world).
Facts: Depth of water - 2000-7000 ft deep (700-2500 meters)
Migration path of creatures: Live at bottom by day and travel to surface by night.
Creature size: Most are no larger than a postage stamp.

Check out more of his works on flickr. They're remarkable!

The inhumane death sentence

2008-09-08T09:04:00.017+08:00

In my previous post, i wanted so much to tell people that dogs do not deserve the kind of death sentenced upon them. But i fell short of that by just venting, rather than really educating people of what they can do to avoid these gruesome acts.

I lost my Milo the same way too. Day in day out what we fed him came back out in seconds, day in day out we tried to make him comfortable, day in day out we have to watch him writhe in agony. No one could help and you cant resist but curse the real murderer who is probably smirking and boasting how he poisoned the dog that wouldnt stop barking at him. He resorted to poisoning my dog within the gates of our home.

The wretched pain is not just watching him die slowly and painfully before our eyes and in my dad's arms , but watching the helplessness of our family, flashbacks of his growth, the anger of losing him to jerks,... losing a loyal and protective companion....

The poo and i also lost Garfield, a pup we adopted 2 years back to poisoning. And just 2 weeks ago, my other half's Scooby Doo got poisoned right outside their house and they are left with nothing but unanswered "Why.s??" A dog that lives at the interest of his owners, a dog that protects his owners. Why would anyone resort to these measures? The thought of that person buying the poison, the thought of that person planning the whole process, the thought of that person wishing death upon these dogs.. sickens me! There is simply no justification for taking away the life of other people's loved ones purposefully, there is simply no justification great enough for punishing them this way.

I cant put these in words louder than this man can. I hope this video of his can put some right to the wrongs that some are committing.

A Dog's Life By David Cheok

View in HD Download 360p Version Visit David Cheok's ExposureRoom Videos Page

No doubt, there are strays in our neighbourhoods. Some may grow up to be fierce and most probably can be attributed to the abuse they received from passerbys. Can you blame them for their basic survival instincts? I think there are some things which is still within our control.

If you chance upon stray puppies, send them to the local animal shelter. Call Kirsteen on 8830556 or email Kirsteen@a-font.com. I'm sure she can help. They have put in great effort to setup this shelter. And authorities can DEFINITELY do their part to help reduce the population of street dogs responsibly, i.e. if they care enough!

Simply because dogs are not pest, and above and beyond what they offer in return to their masters for love, food and care, dogs has helped the blind, dogs are companions to the aged, dogs can teach humans a thing or two about loyalty and perseverance!

She, who resonates in my room

2008-09-04T23:22:00.021+08:00

Perhaps you will fall in love with her voice as much as i do.

The Best Mistake I've Ever Made
By Joanna Wang

One step too far
All at once i'm falling
Just like a start, i'm burning for you
Thought i could keep myself from feeling this way
I guess that was my first mistake

Cause suddenly i'm walking
Down a dark street to your door
Wanting you is driving' me insane
And now my feet are standing
Where they've never stood before
Guarded by a twist of fate

If i lose myself with you tonight
Fall apart or hold on tight
Wrong or right i wont be afraid
Cause even if my heart should break
You'd be the best mistake i ever made

I'm in your room
Now there's no denying what's in your eyes
When i look at u
Two shadows talking but they don't make a sound
Words have lost their meaning now
And the air has turned electric
Now i know the time is right
To put myself into your hands
And suddenly i'm shaking
As your fingers touch my skin
I dont need to understand

But if i lose myself with you tonight
Fall apart or hold on tight
Wrong or right i wont be afraid
Cause even if my heart should break
You'd be the best mistake i ever made

And if tomorrow proves me wrong
I swear i don't belong
I know i'll carry on
So i will lose myself and bare my soul
Take this chance cause heaven knows
I'm so far gone, my choice is made
And even if my heart should break

When i lose myself with you tonight
Fall apart or hold on tight
Wrong or right i always say
You're the best mistake i ever made
You're the best mistake i ever made
You're the best mistake i ever made
_______________________________________

This song is from the melody of one of my old-time favourite - I Love You, originally in Mandarin by David Tao. Though, not a direct translation, she has her way of making this version her own.

I Love You
By Joanna Wang

Say we're together baby
You and me

I can only give my life
And show you all i am
In the breath i breathe
I will promise you my heart
And give all you need
If it takes some time

If you tell me you don't need me anymore
That our love wont last forever
I will ask you for a chance to try again
To make our love a little better

I love you
Say we're together baby
Say we're together, woo
I need you
I need you forever baby
You and me

Say you hardly know
Exactly who i am
So hard to understand
I knew right from the start
The way i felt inside, if you read my mind
If you tell me you don't need me anymore
That our love wont last forever
I will ask you for a chance to try again
To make our love a little better

I love you
Say we're together baby
Say we're together, wooo
I need you
I need you forever baby
You and me

Remember when you used to hold me
Remember when you made me cry
You said you loved me
Oh, you did
Yes, you do

I love you
Say we're together baby
Say we're together, wooo
I need you
I need you forever baby
You and me

_______________________________________

Cant get past the similarity to Norah Jones or Corrine Bailey Rae huh. And she's only 19, Taiwanese, who can sweep your feet off with both her English and Chinese songs. I'm not sure if her album is in town already, but if you're looking.. it's called "Start From Here", which is in itself another great song.

All of her own rendition of other people's cover and her originals were removed off her youtube site, but some hardcore fan managed to save some of them here. Enjoy.

Savong - 3rd exchange

2008-09-03T17:11:00.009+08:00

In our last email exchange, Savong has opened up to what he really wanted from us. He had expressed that many students in his school have requested to be computer-literate, however he did not ask for much, he merely wanted the link to the cyber world, i.e. the once-off internet access fee.

On 8/26/08, Lee Ming <bubbles_222@hotmail.com> wrote:

Dear Savong,
I've received your email. As the date gets nearer, we will inform you on the exact date and time and what activities/class we wish to conduct.

As for your request for story/comic books, is English language ok with you? If so, we can purchase some books from Brunei. If it is in another language, can you tell us where in Cambodia can we obtain these books.

I am more than happy to contribute towards obtaining internet access for your school. However, do you have a common computer that can be accessed by everyone in your school? Is $300 in US dollars? Can you provide me with information of your application for internet access, e.g. paperworks.

Looking forward to hear from you.

Best regards,
Lee Ming

_____________________________________________________

Almost immediately, Savong replied to my mail.

From:	savong svay (svaysavong@gmail.com)
Sent:	Tue 8/26/08 12:51 PM
To:	Lee Ming (bubbles_222@hotmail.com)

Dear Lee Ming.

Thank you very much for writing me back.And I am happy to get your email and read it .

If you can purchase comic and story book here It will be good. And when you are here I will take you to books shop.

Yes,I have a simple computer at school and it can connect internet. Main thing is: If I have budget $300 dollars I can go to internet company to connect it. So I hope that you will donate this finance for connection internet at the school I hope.When I already connected it I will copy bill to you.

How do you think what I said?

Hoping to hear from you

Savong

_____________________________________________________

The amazing thing about this entire exchange with Savong is - what is initially a simple offer from us that is travelling to Cambodia, has in turn touched a few hearts.

On the 26th of August, i received a message from Jennifer C. She expressed that she wanted to contribute to Savong's school and after explaining to her what we're planning to do, she immediately transferred the money to me.

I think it takes a big step to be able to:

- No.1: willing to help, ask and find out how you can help
- No.2: put trust in the integrity of the person who set up this opportunity
- No.3: entrust your money to this person

So Jenn, you may be thankful to me for creating this opportunity for you, but i am in return thankful to you for putting your trust in me.

On the 2nd of September, another friend Han Peng told me he is very supportive of this idea of ours and he will try his very best to raise some funds for Savong. His tactic is for them to sacrifice a night out and donate the money they could have spent on coffee or other entertainment. Good luck Han Peng and thank you so much for the cheer!

After all these feedback from friends, it got us thinking. Maybe, just maybe we can offer more than just internet access. Maybe, we can get them a few computers as well! This gesture from you guys have pushed us to do more. We will target and find ways to raise more money.

If any of you feel you want to contribute in any ways, even in the most minute offering, make the first move to email me. I think eventually the person to thank is Savong, it takes more than anything to ASK for help, seizing that chance for all his students. He is a great example of someone with the audacity to dream, and will do anything for his dreams to come true.

.Image obtained and modified from Harley Angels.

Here's a story from Duncan Stuart when he first met Savong in 2004.

Again out of a visit to Angkor Wat. In my own case I met a young teacher Svay Savong who is committed to teaching languages in order that students get employment opportunities in Siem Reap. When I met him in 2004, he was teaching classes in a small room, really a lean-to, on the side of his father's house near the Killing Fields Monastery half way between Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. Much as I was amazed by Angkor Wat, upon my return home the subject on my lips was Savong's School.

Savong grew up in the poverty years immediately after Pol Pot, when Cambodia languished; cut off from the West. He has seen how language skills are a key to giving young people employment opportunities, but he also knows that local schools don't offer adequate language education in English, Japanese or Thai. In fact many teachers have left the state school system in order to operate as tutors - taking their teaching salary from the standard $50 per month to something much higher. Relatively speaking, only the wealthy families can afford their $25 month tuition charges. Certainly, very few in the countryside can afford this, so that is why Savong had plans to build a school in a rural area 25 minutes East of Siem Reap.

In March 2005, having kept in constant email contact with myself and a group of other supporters Yoshikazu Tsuji and Makoto Kimura in Japan, and Malcolm, in San Francisco, Savong announced that land had been located. The project had the green light.

Over the next 7 months Savong taught by day and then travelled each night to the building site where his three classroom school was being constructed. By October it was completed and opened, and now 350 children attend - some each day, others on some days only as they still go to a local state school not far away. This is additional education, and I'm amazed at how eager they are to do this. (I reflect on my own desultory efforts as a 14 year old in French classes, and how I used to wish I was anywhere else.)

The school has five teachers now, ongoing commitments for salaries, running costs, books, petrol for the noisy Chinese generator - not to mention upcoming projects - rooms and offices upstairs (the stairs are built) and, in time, three computers in order to teach computer literacy. Savong has built up a good team of teachers, and his long-term goal is to make the school more self-sufficient funding-wise. To do this he is working crazy hours, co-managing a guest house in Siem Reap www.angkorvilla.com and from here he is inviting a steady stream of young tourists to visit the school, teach a few lessons (the kids love it) and to experience a bit of the reality of Cambodia. Many are blown away by the experience. The hope is to build a wider support base for the school. D&D Angkor Villa also contributes some of its profits back to the school.

All these efforts are drops in a much bigger bucket of course. But for the tourist to Cambodia the opportunities do exist for an experience that goes well beyond mere tourism. We all hope that a journey will be somehow life-changing (why else do we travel?) but for the luckier travellers the experience goes beyond that of reflection (gee, thatch huts, no electricity, I'm glad I don't live like that...) to something more useful and profound.

Love and Humanity

2008-09-01T13:34:00.003+08:00

A simple example of how kindness, love and humanity between individuals will never be forgotten, even the bond between humans and animals.

This simply stirs the anger in me when people or authorities find it their every right to poison dogs for being a nuisance. I dont want to start a heated debate on this topic, but i do think if that's the way to rid nuisance, i wonder if one should also poison the real menaces to our society today.

Weekend in KB

2008-08-31T21:53:00.015+08:00

.Weekends in Kuala Belait is as laid back as one can imagine.

Everything here seems to move in slow motion...

Until Elisa brought a new board game over, Time's Up, where you pick a card and depending where on the board you are, you will either draw, explain or act the clue. We were hooked for 5 whole hours screaming in heavy laughter and suffering from stitches.

Elisa's masterpiece
The line depicts 1 word with 3 syllables.
She started with a moon, followed by a bee hive. Hung solved this in no time.
Answer: Honeymoon

My piece of crap
It didnt hit me that my drawing is worst than a first-grader.
2 words; 1st word has 2 syllables.
I started with a butterfly which my partner eventually got it as "moth", then went on to draw an ugly mathingie that looks nothing like a horse, a caravan with a lady in it. Time was ticking and he still couldnt get the geist of it, so i drew a lady and a crystal ball. He was drowning in confusion! You cannot imagine the words that came out of their mouth, amazingly they could tell it's a horse, "lawyer", "caravan", "bus", "prison", "fortune teller". Muhuuhuu.
Answer: Gypsy moth

Boon's classic interpretation
I should have been able to guess this straight on BUT!
2 words, 2 syllables each.

He started with something that looks like a manhood, and then the female anatomy. I said "vagina", he nodded and went on to draw a cat. "Cat", "kitten" he nodded but it still wasnt the right answer. He kept pointing at the cat and then the vagina.
I was like "WHAT??? vagina?? Cat?? kitten??"
He gave up and moved on to the 2nd word, sounds like pillow. And time was up.

Answer: Pussy Willow
We almost laughed the roof off when we knew the answer. How did i not comprehend??

That was just the drawing. The acting was insane.
This is one good Saturday.

Team spirit

2008-08-30T13:03:00.007+08:00

The past 2 months at work has been nerve-wrecking and has put some of our competence to test. I'm the mudder hen clucking workshops, briefings, documentations, deadlines and my little ones has all either met or exceeded my expectations. Even our intern from ITB, Yana, is churning work like a natural.

We have 3 weeks left till we hit the 'big-gong' and i smell success. It's near.
This project is our baby, its excellent performance is not due to any one person, but seriously right down to ownership, commitment and team spirit which no doubt is something every company seeks but lacks.

So we went to Takara for dinner to pat ourselves on the back.

.Some of my pride and joy.

Other lil' ones not in picture are: Peter B, Rosnani, and Afshah.

.This is the mudder of another nest that came to freeload dinner.

I'm a beaming mumma. ;)

Patience

2008-08-28T17:14:00.003+08:00

This is me now.

This will be me in 29 days...

I just have to be patient, i.e. if i dont go insane between now and then.

Feeding Frenzy!

2008-08-27T12:41:00.023+08:00

Day: Friday, 22 August 2008- Day Dive
DiveCrew: Me, Caryn, Edward, Ann, Ching Ching, Dave, Chris, Vee, Rozie, Cik Azli, Uwais and Hj Kula
Dive Site: Champion Reef, Harun's Wreck, Hornet's Reef
Viz: Super
Max Depth: 20+m
Dive Time: As long as our air holds.

As usual, i woke up late and had to rummage through the store room for my dive gears. But that doesnt compare to the classic 'prawn-head-of-a-me" case.

Thursday evening, Steven was kind enough to help me get dive tanks and weights from Cik Azli and deliver it to my office carpark. I swear, Steven, i was going on and on about what's missing, something's missing, didnt i!

When i was at Jerudong, gleefully attaching my BCD to the dive tank, my damned memory came back, "#&*$! REGULATOR! I forgot my regulator!!" Sigh... luckily Azli had a spare one otherwise this is one damned day.

.(L-R):Kimchee face, taking advantage of the human sunshield.

.Hj Kula loves his paaaruuut.
.Vee, one interesting lady i met and the 1st Bruneian marine biologist that i know of, though working in the UK. Her take on diving in UK is "boooring, crap viz and we dive to take mud samples".

Champion Reef

This reef lends its name to its close proximity to the offshore Champion rigs. I've always heard stories from friends that being in Champion is like being in a steel-up resort, the water's clear and fish are aplenty. True enough, even a distance away from Champion, i can see right to the bottom of the reef from our boat. Muhuuhuu, at this time of the year, this is pure bonus.

The first thing that caught my attention as i was descending was this bumphead parrot fish chipping corals in circles. Seeing 1 bumphead parrot fish in Brunei is definitely of no comparison to that in Sipadan, where they are of a bigger size and comes in a larger scale, however seeing 1 bumphead parrot fish in Brunei is somewhat exciting because this is not a common sight here.

.This site is like a mysterious ground of tangled reefs. I like it.
.Waters in Brunei are not exactly flattering for reef profiles and without big-ass strobes, i cant compensate for the lacklustre portraits. That is why i still prefer macro shots.
.This bicolor blenny is the most common variation of the blenny family. Hide-n-seek is probably their favourite past-time. Very often they can be tricked out of hiding by you hovering perfectly still. They are one of the cutest thing underwater. I have yet shot any that literally looks like that have makeup on.
.Somehow reminds me of enokis.

.It was eyeballing my every move.

.One monstrous looking thing puts an end to our 1st dive.

Arun's Wreck

Typical of the names of other wrecks here in Brunei, we usually name it after the person who located it. But i dont know who Arun is or whether Arun is actually a person =P The atmosphere at this wreck is what i would depict as a lunch break rush hour!. It's a frenzied state of mess.

The wreck was swarmed by a massive school of cardinalfish and fusiliers. Some are parked still, some are darting for preys, some are darting for dear life. It's like watching a blahdy symphony in action.

.Chris said when up close, the fluffy corals reminds him of Narnia.
.The lionfish' unfaltering sulk.
.Spot the flounder.
Caryn spotted this flounder by the sandbed and signalled that it was feeding. But i had no idea whatsoever she was signalling at that time, so i swam pretty near to this flatbread. Almost instantaneously, i felt nudges. There were fish darting straight at me; whamming my stomach, my hands, my knees. It's neither funny nor cute if you're not prepared for it. I was cursing the life of these fish and swaying my hands like a nut so they'd avoid my face. Then, a sudden leapt, drizzles of sand later, one of them was gobbled by the flatbread. HOLY! What's left of the fish was its tail flipping and hanging from the flounder's crooked mouth. And in a matter of seconds, it effortlessly swallowed the bugger. If you look closely, you can see a bulge below its gills.
.The trapped sweetlips and puffers that Chris, Rozie and Vee tried to save, but to no avail.
.Nudibum.
.OMG i want a tank filled with these jellyfish!.

This dive is superb, so good that even after constant banging of calls to ascend, people still lingered on at the bottom. The anchor man freeing us from this spot to the next dive site.

Hornet's Reef

My first question was "is this reef named hornet's reef because it was infested with bees??" Rozie related a tale told by fishermen that when they were hauling their traps, a swarm of bees/wasps/hornets burst out of the waters. Whatta! But apparently that's how it got its name.

This reef is one of a kind. We dropped off to a depth of 6m, then the reef starts plunging to 9m and 13m and then 16m like a cliff face. It is so unique! It's quite unimaginable that 20mins away from shore, the bottom of the sea is only 5 metres from the surface. You can practically snorkel here!

.Gobies, another interesting species in the same family group as blennies.
.Parrot Trace's favourite underwater 'plant' - Oh, for crying out loud!'

.Underwater Cranium. The navel village.

.If only i can landscape this into my backyard.
.Last shot before my camera kapooot.

I took over the wheels from Hj Kula on the way back to Jerudong. I must say the captain's seat needs to be cushioned. I suffered from bruised back and bones for 3 whole days.

After this dive, i wonder if i ever can and will be a dive fanatic again. I doubt i can repeat the every weekend-underwater routine anymore. But i think the one thing that remains unchanged is; the sea is still my comfort zone and is the one place with no boundaries.

Loven Ramos

2008-08-26T18:06:00.005+08:00

Random clicks landed us on this page - the House of Joyce - in his blog. This house is that of an American author who has written several books about Angkor's world heritage temples, snapped so eloquently that we thought "wow, we should go have a look".

So i exchanged mails with Loven, sadly it is not open to public viewing... but Loven offered to show us other interesting spots in Cambodia when we arrive.

I have just made my first friend in Cambodia.

Savong - 2nd exchange

2008-08-21T23:02:00.007+08:00

When Savong replied to my mail, he posed me a few questions, to which i replied:

On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 12:29 PM, Lee Ming <bubbles_222@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi Savong,

Thank you for your reply and sorry for taking so long to reply you. I'm shocked to know that you're only 27 because I am 27 too! And you have already achieved something so great, you should be very proud of your endeavors.

To answer your questions:

1.Why do you want to donate the people in my country ?

There is no specific agenda or reason for choosing to donate to the Cambodians. It is by chance that we want to do something meaningful and memorable for the place we are visiting. And research led us to your school.

2.Is it very main and useful to you in helping the people ?

I think I speak for all 8 of us when I say it is definitely rewarding to be able to help anyone in need in any possible ways. Though we are unable to help you to the extent of running your school or in any long term arrangements, we are able to offer once-off donations, to each person's discretion. We are also keen to share some knowledge, perhaps a new language? or coordinate some activities with the kids during this short visit.

3.If you already helped them after what do you need from them ?

At this point in time, we have no reservations as to the way you manage the school and we do not expect anything in return. Our gifts and time are unconditional. The only thing we expect out of these children is to be able to enjoy their time with us.

We are planning to visit your school either on the 1st or 2nd of October for half a day. Some of the questions i have for you is:

1) In what currency do you prefer donations to be in?
2) What time does school start and end, and on what days of the week?
3) Will we be spending time solely with just 1 class?
4) Are there any specific stationeries/books we can offer to you?
5) Do the children speak basic english?
6) Can you suggest some activities that you think will be appropriate for the children?
7) These children are generally of what age?

Thanks Savong!

__________________________________________________

Tonight, i received an email from him:

From:	savong svay (svaysavong@gmail.com)
Sent:	Thu 8/21/08 2:51 PM
To:	Lee Ming (bubbles_222@hotmail.com)

Dear Lee Ming,

Thank you for emailing me back and have some questions to ask me and I am happy to let you know what you want to know.

The school starts opening from 1:00 to 7:00pm and I also have teaching from 5:30am to 7:30am only one English class. And opening from Monday to Friday.

We have teaching two languages is: English and Japanese .And I have 6 teachers and 377 students .You can teach from 1:00pm to 7:00pm if you want.And when you are teaching I have teachers to accompany you .Main things are : I need comic books short and long for the library .Anyway,if you have any friends who can help out me computers for the school It will be good for the students because there are too many students want to study computers .

The students can speak basic Englisht some of students.If you want to offer stationaries to children I think that it is not enough because I have many students .and if you can offer comic books for the library it will be useful very much because the comic books are always in the library all the time and it is possible for each teacher if they want to read books.

The students are 9-25 years old .

Finally I have a thing to do for the school .Could you help out me to connect internet at the school .In connectiong will pay $300 in arrangement first and when internet company already connected it I will must pay $45 monthly.so I need you to help out me this .It is very main for me.Anyway,It will be better if we have internet at the school and the students can use it .

And how do you think about my idea ? please you let me know if you have any questions .

I hope that you will can help out me and the school here.

Hoping to get an email from you soon.

Kindest regards

Savong

_________________________________________________

What do we feel about giving them access to a priceless bank of knowledge, and a heap pile of rubbish out there in the cyber world . . . .

Rush hour....

2008-08-21T13:10:00.007+08:00

Ok, i know i havent been blogging much.

I am doing the balancing act.

I'm up to my neck with weddings, crunch-time at work and planning for my next adventure. I've stood up my schoolgirls twice in a week! Please switch to your understanding mode and do not threaten to keeeeeeeeeel me.

Above is the link to our Cambodian adventure. It's all about planning, planning and planning. It is rather raw at this point in time and seeing that we have one more month to go, it will be filled with information about food, drinks and places to visit in Cambodia. It might be useful for you when you decide to go to Cambodia someday. ;)

I am diving tomorrow after 6 long months away from salty water! I am scared, i am excited,
i wish i dont get sea-sick! ....balance....

Thought for the day

2008-08-20T22:32:00.004+08:00

.Tutong Beach, Brunei.

"A bell's not a bell 'til you ring it,

A song's not a song 'til you sing it,
Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay,
Love isnt love 'til you give it away~"
Oscar Hammerstein ii

Nag........ nag......... tag.........

2008-08-15T14:41:00.005+08:00

I've been nagged... i mean Tagged!

Before Jess puts a hole on me with her new *bling*. Thank you for nominating me as a Kreativ Blogger, eventhough my kreativity doesnt come on full dosages. I'd pong it back to you because your scrapbooking skills is hitting the roof, but i think we should pong others for moral support!

So, here we go:

The Nomad: Zing, you're the one and only nomad in the family. Sometimes, seeing the world through your eyes or a place through your experience seems good enough. I think the planet can do with more alienzincs like you!

Noooonnie: NoooOOnnie, not only does your blog make me laugh, so does your man! He can be sooooo blur but smart, ok wait, maybe only you can call him blur =P

Limubear: No, i refuse to be the BEST MAN for your wedding! What the hell are you thinking!?!? Please dont stop drawing, your drawings are the only reason why i kept my internet access. . . . . .

Tomyamface: Eventhough you're not as kreativ as me, *kwakwakwa* your babblings in India kept you close to home and enough to make me go to that godforsaken country. I love those amazing underwater eye and mug shots!

Mister and Missus: Just because your food makes me drool all the time.

My Honey Ma

2008-08-14T21:02:00.008+08:00

"Honey, y w dinner at home?"

"My swtht, y w dinner 2nyt?"
"Sweet head, y w dinner?"

Sweet what??? Sweet heeeeeaaaaaaaad???
After a few attempts, she got it right...

"Sweetheart, y w dinner?"

That's my sweethead mum, almost without fail at 4-5ish every afternoon.
.Old man's somewhat best shot after xth number of time. Who's the munkey!!.

Sweethead ma, wo ai ni pao pao...~

Teaching classes? =P

2008-08-07T22:21:00.005+08:00

We're close to purchasing our airfares and finalising our accomodation in Cambodia. The more we research, the more things it seems we can do and places we can cover. Among which, we're planning to spend a day doing charity work. I've emailed a couple of organisations, one of which that has gotten back to me is:

Savong's School
"To give rural students a chance to find employment, Svay Savong is a young man who has established a school to teach languages to children who cannot afford paid tuition. His school, a modest three classroom building built in 2005 in a small village East of Siem Reap, has met immediate success. Students don't have to attend here – they already go to the State School . But the State system doesn't teach languages such as English or Japanese, and so 330 children willingly attend Savong's School. These students in the photos currently attend Savong's School."
This seems like a big act by one young man, so i emailed him:

_____________________________________________________

From: Lee Ming [mailto:bubbles_222@hotmail.com]

Sent: 07 August 2008 14:51
To: svaysavong@gmail.com

Hi Savong,

I've read about your initiation with the Savong School and am deeply moved by your commitment to helping the people in your country. My friends and I are visiting Siem Reap from the 28th Sept - 3Oct 2008. Besides doing all the touristy stuff, we'd like to offer our hands to the local community in some way or another, and we wonder if there is any way we can help Savong School.

We can only spare a day to do this and would like your advice on this. Can we visit the school and make donations? Are there any gifts that the students might like or stationery materials that we can offer? Are there any activities for you to interact with them? Can we conduct a class to teach them some basic foreign language? I look forward to your reply.

Best regards, Lee Ming

_____________________________________________________

And the same night, he replied:

Re: Donations for Savong School‏
From:	savong svay (svaysavong@gmail.com)
Sent:	Thu 8/07/08 12:13 PM
To:	Lee Ming (bubbles_222@hotmail.com)

Dear Lee Ming, Thank you for emailing me and want to donate for Savong School and also offer stationary for students it sounds very main and wonderful for my school if it could happen It will delight very much.

Before I talk to you I want to conduct my work.

My name is Savong, 27 years old and I am a director of Savong School and the school was built in 2005. I am a simple person.

I now have 377 students and 6 teachers and give free education to poor children and once year I always arrange programme giving gifts to poor people but this year I can not do that again because I don't have fund anyway,the enconomic is quite high and make me and most citicens get hard to earn money. And now I am getting worried very much about economic. And If have you to support my school I will be happy.

Yes, you can visit my school here and donate what you want to anyway, if you can teach my students too it sounds very good .

In fact, I would like to talk to you about school and what i need for the school if you let me talk . I want to know from you before and then I will tell you. And I have any questions to ask you too.

1.Why do you want to donate the people in my country ?

2.Is it very main and useful to you in helping the people ?

3.If you already helped them after what do you need from them ?

Please you give me answers and if you have any questions to ask me and I am happy to tell you . Hoping to get an email from you soon. Kindest regards Savong Director Phone:(855)12 531 037/92 666 675

_____________________________________________________

.This should be rewarding, both to the giver and the recipient.

Cambodia fever

2008-08-04T22:26:00.014+08:00

We've been talking about going to Vietnam and Cambodia for a couple of months now. It has been at the tip of our tongues with nothing beyond firm travel dates until we finally sat down last week and put our heads together to find a route that will not burn a hole in our pockets.

As always, we try too hard to fit in everything into our trips. Alang-alang right..? We wanted to take the Saigon-SiemReap-Hanoi-HalongBay-Sapa-Saigon route, i.e. kiasu and try to cover key places of interest in Cambodia, North and South Vietnam, all in 7 days which adds up close to 2k for flights and accomodation. Most feedback we got were 'expensive, overly ambitious, you wont see much' but the most outrageous of them all is being called an "IDIOT" by Mr.Jasmain T. "You are an idiottttt!" he emphasized.

Being rather firm and happy with my choice of destinations and quite unwilling to forego a lil' of North Vietnam, i told him he's the basketfool!

But over a cuppa tea on Sunday, he and his soul-refreshing and spiritual experience managed to convince us that we need at least a minimum of 5 days to truly absorb the grandeur and surprises of Angkor Wat, in a slow and laid-back manner instead of the India-manic race we did last year.

Jas said the temples will overwhelm me, and lonely planet says its genius is matched only by a few select spots on earth such as Mancchu Picchu or the Taj Mahal. I've been to the Taj Mahal and believe me no words can give justice to its beauty nor describe the emotional dance it creates within you. That comparison alone, i think, is enough to convince me to go beyond the tourist, drop-snap-and go.

So we'll definitely focus on Cambodia this time round. 6 more weeks to go and i'm already on a crazy high. Likewise boon2, i wanna go Siem Reap-ing too! Huu huu huu.

Now to figure out how to get there and all the other interesting hair-ripping bits. Nice... i love planning.

A night with feimao

2008-08-03T19:01:00.013+08:00

Last month, parrot Trace was out on her usual routine, with a faint hope, of bumping into her dog that ran away from home years ago. Instead she turned out to be the saviour of 5 very lucky puppies, whom were on the brink of being eaten alive by red ants, termites and basturdy bugs.

I brought one of them home with me one night thinking i could psycho the old man into letting me keep him, but i woke up the next morning half-going crazy and still got a no from the ol'man.

He took a potful of my sanity.

.Without much persuasion, he chose the most comfortable spot.

He was this precious little thing curled up on the rug...twitchy but fast asleep.

I was staring down at him from my bed, googooing over his cuteness.

I turned the lights off, and all is well...

Until i hrd faint puppy cries, the lil' furball was staring at me, whimpering then started sniffing around my bookshelf, my wardrobes, my rugs whilst i stared in confusion. Suddenly, i lost sight of him, there were no response to my calls, i crawled to the edge of my bed and there he was .. taking a piss next to my bedroom door. *$#&$! He tried his very best to mark every corner as his territory, and i was dutifully cleaning up after him.

From 1am onwards, the nightmare began, recurring like contractions.. every hour thereafter.

.Debbie giving him some loving and attention at 2 in the morning.

3.30 am he was chewing at anything and everything within his reach. I had to eyeball his every move, watching for that sign to lift him over to the newspapers i've spread for his leaks. It got to the point where i tried locking him up in the bathroom, what's a tired person got to do huhhhh. But he cried his way out eventually.

4.30am, he's gotten alot smarter over the last hour. He knows where to pee! He headed straight for the papers, took a whiff and peed! So smart!! Just when the thought of throwing him into the kitchen crossed my mind. I laid in bed like a rock, and he'd come towards me, make little hops and whine, seemingly wanting to hop up to my bed. That was utterly cute but seriously I begged out loud for him to sleep through the night. Pleaaasseeeeeee, pleaaaassseeee go to sleep.

6am. He woke up bloooooody hyper. He was running and skipping around my room, dragging my rugs from one corner to the another, he tried to kill the ff bear, he was shuffling around the papers making bloooooody annoying noises, he was driving me nuts!!!

Then it wore him off.
I texted Trace: "Babe, call me when you're awake, i need to send him home". No reply.

7.30am. I woke up and saw him in a funny position. He was doing circles, and started to squat >_