Life - Heart Vs Mind

1st Night in Norway

2007-10-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

2nd day in Frankfurt

2007-09-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

For our 2nd day in Frankfurt, we decided to go visit the zoo since most of the shops are closed on Sun. Zoo opens at 9am so after our cheesy breakfast in our hotel room, we went walking around the town before heading towards it.

When we walked about 50m from our hotel, an old man greeted us warmly and even gave us a surprise peck on our cheeks. I was culturally shocked and frozen for a moment. After returning back from shock state, we continued walking around the seemingly deserted town. Maybe it is too early in the morning so not many people were out. After walking for a while, far away from our hotel, we saw the old man again. He was across the street. When he saw us, he walked towards our direction. Feeling a bit awkward from meeting a stranger twice, I just waved slightly at him while Nani sped up her pace in another direction. I, too, tried to catch up with Nani to avoid that old man. In my mind, I was thinking, "Pls don't approach us!" If he had not gave us a peck, I think I would not have been so afraid of bumping into him again. Then just as we thought we had avoided him, he appeared on another street just opposite our direction. So again, we decided to turn back to hotel, instead of walking towards the Main River, in order to avoid this old man. Anyway, it was about time to go zoo.

We checked out of the hotel and then take the train to the Zoo Station. Rain drops started to fall from the sky when we reached. It was very funny then. Imagine 2 backpackers visiting Zoo in the rain with an umberella. A weird combination. The tickets are under S$10 for adults, cheaper than Singapore Zoo. Frankfurt Zoo is small but it seems to have a lot of animals, common and some exotic. We saw baboons hugging each other in groups under a cave-in rock to give warmth to each other. There is a rhinoceros, trying to knock down the gate but its efforts are futile. On another side of its enclosure, there is a sad and lonely rhinoceros lying on the grounds. We went to a outdoor cafe and ordered curry bratwurst and pomme frites. After filling our stomachs, we proceeded to Hauptbahnhof, the main train interchange station, where regional trains stop. From there, we walked to a street, where we took a bus to a small airport for budget airlines. Taking a Ryanair flight, we set off for Oslo Sandefjord airport in Norway.

A castle-like building.

Say cheese!

1st day in Frankfurt

2007-08-19T01:40:00.000-07:00

Konstablerwache is the place where our hotel, City Hotel, is located.

Their weekend market. We were there on a Sat. It is just above the Konstablerwache train station. Just like Singapore's Pasar Malam but in the day. Almost all their shops closed on Sundays.

Main River. Opposite side of the river is where most of the students lived and shops catering for their needs because it is where most universities are resided.

One of the historical buildings.

Sankt Katharinenkirche - a Protestant Parish Church
The women coming out of the service were wearing scarves over their heads and body almost covered up, which amazed me as I thought christians are not so conservative in their practice.

Frankfurt is the financial and transportation hub of Germany. Its full name is Frankfurt am Main, which means Frankfurt by the Main River. A network of railroads and highways links the city with all parts of Western Europe. It has one of the largest airports in Europe. It is also an important centre of German intellectual and cultural life. The city is the birthplace of famous German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whose home is now a museum.

We did not make full use of the Frankfurt card that we bought as we were walking from one place to the other most of the time. Also, there is no sight of train conductors, who are supposed to check passengers' tickets. So there is actually no need to buy train tickets at all! Just hop on and ride! Maybe for short distances. Better not try for long distance rides! =P

28/7 - London to Frankfurt

2007-08-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Upon reaching Frankfurt Airport's runway, a shuttle bus drove us to the airport.

We went to the train information centre and have our Eurail pass validated. Our pass is Select 4 category and for 5 travel days. Select 4 means we can travel in any 4 countries that are adjoining to each other. We will be travelling on trains in Germany, Norway, Denmark, Belgium and Netherlands. The last 2 countries are counted as 1 country with Luxembourg and named as Benelux. Then we wasted a lot of time searching high and low for the counter to purchase Frankfurt card, which is a pass for unlimited bus and train rides.

27/7 - Singapore to London

2007-07-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Setting off on Qantas Airline, a 13 hrs journey.

Europe Travel

2007-07-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

An intention to visit Kim, who is training in Norway, slowly evolved into an amazing race across 5 european countries. Starting off from Singapore, Nani and I have travelled to Frankfurt via transit at London Heathrow airport. We will be setting off to Oslo Sandefjord. From there, we will take a Torp Express Bus to Oslo bus station. Crossing a bridge from bus station to train station, we will have to rush for our last train to Kongsberg using our Eurail pass. If unable to catch it, off we go on a bus to Kongsberg and the need to pay 150NOK. After a day in Kim's territory, we will travel to Oslo and tour around before heading back to Kongsberg for a night's rest. The next morning, we will set off to Flam by train and then to Bergen.

The highlight of the whole trip is the ship ride from Bergen to Denmark and navigating ourselves from Denmark to Amsterdam, passing by Germany and Belgium on trains.

Look out for more photos here.

Liebe aus Frankfurt!

Decision

2006-12-31T23:55:00.000-08:00

[Exited Xango but still maintains my outlook in life here]

After asking tons of questions about MLM and Xango in particular, I've finally decided to join Xango and experience doing MLM. Glad to know Edmund, my sponsor, who has took the patience to answer all my doubts and guiding me.

I've resisted in going into a MLM when I was first introduced to it by my friend in NTU because at that time, I'm still studying and do not have a stable income to invest in it. The need to fork out $15000 to have a better start in that MLM company scared me off. Now that I've an income, I can plan where to invest my money in. To get started in Xango, I just have to fork out few hundred dollars, which is a very low start-up cost. Just like any other investments, we have to open up our eyes and ears to see and hear, in order for us to choose the right MLM company, which will bring us more benefits than harm. Xango has a completely unique compensation plan, which I'm very impressed with it. It also has an online marketing system, which saves me a lot of time.

There is a saying, "Money don't fall from sky." I agree with this. We have to invest some time and effort in everything that we started out to do before we can savour the fruits of our labour. Even if money do fall from sky, we also have to stretch out and grab it because I believe others will also be eyeing on it. Am I right to say this?

Another decision I've been trying to make is whether I should create another blog for Xango alone because this blog has been my private blog. Only one friend knows the existence of this blog. I'm going to keep it private because I have a website for building business now.

To know more about Xango, their compensation plan or you have any queries, leave a comment with your contact here and I will get back to you.

Open up your mind. That's when you can see the opportunities around you. Opening up your mind doesn't mean you have to accept all the things people said. It means allowing the information in so that you can analyse it yourself and make the right decision that would lead you to the results you want.

Dongguan, China

2006-12-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

Gained 3kg during my 2 weeks work trip to Dongguan, China, in Nov. I have shed all that weight since returning back home. Now going back again this coming Sun for 1 week. Think this time I will gain 1.5kg. Haha.. Eating all the good food there. Love to gain more weight!

Matchmaker cum Counsellor in the making

2006-12-24T11:25:00.000-08:00

Recently, I find myself counselling some of my friends in their studies, jobs and all kinds of relationships. It comes to me very naturally in this area. At the same time, I'm also counselling myself. Maybe I should become a counsellor or publish a book for the soul. LoL.. As I counselled one of my friend, he asked me what criterias I'm looking for in a guy to be my potential husband.

Here's what I told him:
1) ultra positive
2) humourous (nt those flirting types)
3) humble
4) enjoy the simple pleasures in life
5) supportive in every ways
6) not manipulative
7) respect and trust others who are worthy
8) embrace life itself

There may be more to come, which I have not yet discover myself.

Happiness

2006-12-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

"Happiness is something that you have to strive for. You can't sit and wait for that special someone to come into your life. Even if you have gone through a failed relationship, move on. Failing once doesn't mean you fail forever."

After the first trauma, it is really hard to find myself and the courage to move on. I'm still trying to muster that courage to face people. A lot of "What ifs" arises whenever someone say they like me. Running away is the only path for me to take, but I can't run forever. It creates misunderstandings and I've become a heartless person. So be it.

Far East

2006-10-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Coming 16 Nov, I'll be leaving on a jet plane to the Far East. Alone.

RC Kites

2006-10-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Recently, I discovered something very interesting near Clarke Quay. On Fri and Sat night, if you stand on the bridge from merchant court hotel to Clarke Quay and look towards the open field, you'll see colours flying in the sky. Out of curiosity, my depressed friend and I decided to check it out. And wow, those colours are coming from LEDs on Remote-controlled kites. With loud blasting music playing from a car, the kites soar to the sky like a high speed glider, doing amazing stunts. Initially, I wanted to take this up as my new hobby. But it costs $610 for a kite package. It would not be fun playing alone. If any of my friends want to take it up, I'll surely go for it.

Piano

2006-07-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

At $6 per hour, you get the sun, sea, and no sand but two pianos and a couple of audiences. Not trying to advertise, but the Practice room in Library@Esplanade is really the place to be to get your senses sort out with music flowing from your fingers, and a splendid seaview to boot. Nevermind if you don't play well, the audiences cannot complain.=D

Dance

2006-07-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this year, my friend and I enrolled to a dance class. Initially, we decided to go for social dance. After attending the first lesson, we realised that it was not suitable for us because the dance seems to be meant for middle-ageds and elderly. And I think old guys really should not attempt social dancing. They'll look not charming, but rather girly, especially the cha-cha moves. I cannot help but covered my mouth with my hands to prevent myself from bursting into laughter in front of my dance instructor when he danced. And so my friend and I got out of the class, in order to prevent a forced suppression of laughters, which might lead to our eventual outburst and cause him embarrassment. It was not a waste of money because we had not paid the fees as the class was not confirmed. In the end, we took up hiphop. We had a whale of a time whenever we started dancing. It was very fun and enjoyable, dancing to the tunes of BoA's songs. Now I missed those days and am thinking of taking it up again when my friend is not that busy. I've found another passion and that is Irish and English folk dances. However, it is a pity that these dances are not taught in Singapore. For now, I can only watch them on the internet.

Upcoming: Infidelity

2006-07-01T23:25:00.000-07:00

This post is right now stored in my brain. Will find some time to upload it here. Hahaa..

Geography

2006-07-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Earn $100 in this geography quiz. Difficult but interesting.

http://worldatlas.com/geoquiz/current.htm

Funny moments

2006-06-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Want to put down some of my funny encounters before my memory fades away.

Starving chipmunk
This happened while I was working in Grand Canyon, North Rim, as a housekeeper. There are different types of log cabins for visitors to stay in. And I was in charge of Western Cabin, which is the largest type. For some reasons, the chipmunks at North Rim are fond of scavaging through rubbish bags for 'highly unhealthy' food, instead of their usual meals of acorn nuts and etc. Usually, I would pack my lunch in a paper bag and put it on the cart, which was used to put the linens and other housekeeping stuff. Even though I had my packed lunch, I would go starving without lunch. Why? Because before I could get my mouth on my sandwich, the bandit chipmunks will cart-jack and steal a few bites on it. Though cute as they are, do not be fooled by their appearance! But they were kind enough to leave me the bananas. And so, I became a 'monkey'. There is one particular chipmunk, which played innocence and nearly got me into trouble. It looked as if it has been starving for months. It actually stuffed its mouth full of tissues from tissue boxes that I had thrown into a rubbish bag. I was abhorred by what I saw and so afraid that it might choke itself. And if you were there, you would have seen a crazy girl trying frantically to catch and pull the tissues out of its mouth. I was wondering to myself, "Aren't chipmunks suppose to be clever? Sheesh.." Then to my horror, some visitors passed by about 3 metres away from us and saw what's going on. One guy shouted, "Hey, she's feeding the chipmunks with tissues!" with an expression, which I couldn't make out what was it. I was stunned. Speechless, I tried to explain to them with hand signs and a few words that could barely come out of my mouth. The man broke out into laughter and walked away. It seemed as if I was a clown in a circus. And I continued my chase until I finally raised my white flag, "You pesky little munks."

The Car
Still remember during our off days, we will head down to towns and places below the Grand Canyon. Before we could do that, we had to borrow a car and recruit a driver. Not many people will lend us their cars so sometimes, we can only go hiking the trails near our vicinity. There was one time when Doreen, Jay and I wanted to go Lake Powell, we had such a hard time persuading people to lend us their cars. Finally, a lady who works in the Laundry room lent us her car. It is the most interesting car I had ever seen. Filled with mildews on the ceiling and sides of the car, it was also covered in dirts and dust on the outside. There were also lots of chewing gums, chewed or unchewed, in all pockets of the car you can find. In a pocket on the front panel of the car, dirty water filled it up to its brim. When we saw the car's condition, we were abhorred. We dared not sit into the car. It took us ages to clear away the litter and clean away the mildews, and was like another housekeeping job. At the end of the cleaning, I felt a great satisfaction though. At long last, we could set off on our journey. When I wanted to lower down the windows, as the aircon was not working well, I could not find the handles for some windows. Hence, I lowered one of those that has a handle. Suddenly, it gave way and nearly fell out of its frame. Shocked, I put it back to its original position. Gosh! Wonder if this car could last the trip. The funny and most interesting part was that it nearly broke down halfway in our drive because of overheating. Doreen was at the wheel and we were all breaking out in sweat, afraid that if it really breaks down, it would really be difficult to seek help there unless we flag for a passing car. Thus, we began to go very slow to prevent overheating of the car. Imagine 12 cars passing us by. We actually counted the number of cars overtaking us, finding enjoyment in such a desperate and helpless situation. I felt like getting out of the car and walk! It might even be faster than our car. Once we saw a place where there is houses, we decided to stop for a while under a tree until the engine cooled down. In a place like a desert, I really wondered how much it can cool down. When it finally was 'out of danger', we carried on with our journey and going slow, stopping a few times. At the end of our trip, before heading on back to Grand Canyon, we went to a Carwash station in Kanab. We vacuumed the inside and washed the outside of the car. With pride, we presented the spritely clean car back to its lady owner. Hope she will be grateful enough to treat her car kindly in future.

Barbequed Andrew
It was at Lake Powell where Andrew was barbequed by the unforgiving sun. Jay, him and I went kayaking across the shimmering lake to the other side. There was a cave in a distant over that side of the lake. Jay and I wanted to walk to the cave but Andrew preferred staying near the waters. The walk was a torturing and difficult one. With no clear path to the cave, we had to get through thorny bushes. Many times, we had to pluck out the spikes that got through our skins. Luckily, the height of most bushes was below waist level. Otherwise, I will scream for help. The cave seems near but in actual fact, it is very far away from the shores. We did not bring any water with us and the sun nearly got me. When we reached the cave, I was surprised that there were many scribbles of names on the rocks. We are not one of the few that actually went there. Needless to say, coming such a long way, we left our names and footprints there. When we got back to the shores, 2 hours had passed and Andrew was well-cooked. He did not realised that he had been barbequed because he fell asleep while tanning. My goodness.. His whole body was red like lobster. Hahaa...

Disappearing Gemstone
Believe me. I can be fooled easily, like a 3 years old kid. While doing my housekeeping stint in Grand Canyon, Jay and I chanced upon a big shiny rectangular stone with texture like an emerald. Jay let me had the stone, and I was so excited because I thought I had just picked up a precious gemstone. After work, I went back to my dorm and placed it in a basin of water to wash away the dirts. Half an hour later, I was shocked. The gemstone had disappeared into thin air. Although it was obvious that the stone was not in the water, I still tried to feel for it in the water. Then it dawned on me that the stone could have dissolved into the water. Could it be rock sugar or rock salt? If you were me, you might have mistooked it for a gemstone too because its shape really does not resemble the rock salt or sugar I have seen before. Ok, ok I am easily fooled.

Month of Food Surprises
Around March, perhaps, I became wary of the food I put into my mouth. It is not because of dieting. And hey, if I go on a diet, I do not think I would be here typing this out, would I? I would be saving my energy to chew my food in hospital. Imagine those bony fingers of mine tapping on the keyboard. How scary. I recently saw a walking skeleton in Marina Square, trying out some clothes in a shop. I think she is a victim of either Anorexia or Bulimia. There was a sudden notion that came to my head. I wanted to take a stretcher, put her onto it, and send her directly to a hospital. It is saddening to see a woman falling victim to such illnesses, all because of the want to become slim and beautiful. I don't see that there is any link between being slim and pretty. Being healthy and cheerful makes one look beautiful on the outside. It does not matter if we are plump or skinny. All that matters is that we have the energy to do our work everyday, have a sound and healthy mind, and a healthy body.

Coming back to my topic of the day, I was wary because almost whatever I eat, I found some surprises. Not diamond or gold, but things that you would never want to find in your food. Here goes, I was out eating with my mum and brothers at Soup Restaurant in Suntec City. Their samsui chicken is very delicious and we really enjoyed our dinner until the spoiler dish came. I ordered Ginseng Herbal Chicken Soup. It smelt really good. Taking in the first gulp, it tasted slightly bitter and not sweet unlike what my mum made at home. I thought to myself it might be the different ingredients they used that makes it taste so different. And so I continued to drink it. Looking at the herbals inside, I found that all ingredients, except one, are the same as what my mum used. My mum took in a sip when I commented that it tasted weird. Then I lifted up a supposed herbal ingredient and asked my mum what it is. The moment she took it over, she exclaimed in disbelief that it is a charred steel! We were all dumbfounded. My stomach began to churn in protest. My mum asked for the manager to explain for the extra ingredient found in our soup. The manager was also shocked by it and quickly offered us a replacement of soup. But we declined it and requested it to be removed from our bill. He offered us a 15% discount and even said if anything happened to me, they will pay for my medical fees. This is what I call service recovery. However, for a metal, we could have asked for more discount or even a free meal. We did not as we did not want to make things difficult for the poor manager, who has proven to be sincere and handled the situation well. As to how the steel ended up in my soup, he explained to us that it is actually a chip off their boiler. Well, I was so 'lucky'. Lucky that I did not sink my teeth into it, or else my teeth will chip too.

During the rest of the month, I found foreign materials embedded in my food, such as hair in a bun and rice, etc. It was a month full of surprises for me. Recently, at Outback Steakhouse in Millenia Walk, I discovered a dead worm on my broccoli. My mum and I thought that we should not create any hooha with such a tiny worm so we decided not to complain. However, when the waiter came to clear the plates, my mum just made a comment that there is a worm on my broccoli. The waiter immediately asked if I want a replacement. I wondered for a while if it is just a replacement of the broccoli or the whole dish, which I had finished 90% of it. Politely, I declined it because I was very full. We reassured him that it is ok with us because comparing to the previous charred steel incident, this worm is nothing. At the end of our meal, we were surprised with a brownie topped with sundae ice-cream, complimentary from the restaurant. This service recovery is superb. And hey, if you are ever going to Suntec to eat, bring me along and my bad luck will bring you free discounts or free desserts! Maybe I should go change my luck at the Fountain of Wealth!

Frank Abagnale

2006-06-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Who's he? You might ask. Well, for those who have watched the movie "Catch me if you can", it is a true life story of this amazing and clever guy. His story proves that how you use your skills and talents determines how your life will turn out to be and where you will land yourself.

Below is the link to an interview with him:
http://anlimara.tripod.com/abagnaleintervw.html

Enjoy and learn something from him.

Lovely Poetry

2006-06-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

"Beauty and love are all my dream;
They change not with the changing day;
Love stays forever like a stream
That flows but never flows away;
And beauty is the bright sun-bow
That blossoms on the sprays that showers,
Where the loud water falls below,
Making a wind among the flowers." - by Andrew Young

2006-05-25T22:02:00.003-07:00

Below are quotes that pop into my head. Some are taken from articles I read. It is funny how philosophical (not sure if this is the right word) I can get after a breakup. Actually, that relationship has never really started.

"If you love someone, you have to accept not one side, but every side of him/her, good and bad."

"Couples who play with each other stay together."

"If you love something, set it free.
If it comes back to you, it is yours.
If it doesn't, it was never meant to be (yours)."

"Love is all about give and take."

"Mature and sensible love last longer than a childish one."

"Love is not enough. Tolerance, respect and understanding are needed too."

"Love is never far away. You just have to open your heart."

"Love with all your heart, mind and soul, not half-heartedly."

"Love is not a show for others to see. It is from within."

"见一个爱一个。寻寻觅觅，到头来一场空。两个人好好地去经营一段恋情，将来才能够得到终生幸福。"

"爱情是酸甜苦辣的。要是能够接受这四种味道，就不怕爱情的到来。"

"Don’t always wait for the better one to come. There will always be another better one coming along after you thought you had already found the best. Take your own sweet time and you will surely miss the angel of your life. Then you will have to live with regret and don’t expect pitiness from the rest of us when you start grumbling true love doesn’t exist in this world."

"An unselfish love is not forsaking you at times of trials/sufferings."

"If you never love someone wholeheartedly, don't expect him/her to love you in the same way."

When paths are crossed...

2006-05-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

When frenz=>acquaintances=>strangers...we once cross paths with each other. If paths r straight, our paths'll never cross again.

If ever our paths are crossed, we became friends at the cross point. When we continue on our journeys, we will have to let go of each other and bringing only memories with us. Soon, we will treat each other as acquaintance. Slowly, when memories fade, we become strangers. Without that little effort to curve our paths, we may never meet again.

Stop Dwelling n Move On

2006-05-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

"To dwell on the past is to become stagnant...then turn mouldy."

人需要往前看, 才能前进. 把时间浪费在过去是不值得的. 回想过去反省反省是必然的, 而徘徊在过去不面对事实是不健康的. 多了一些白头发, 又得到了什么呢? 从中学习到了什么教训, 记住, 站起来, 向前走.

First Post

2006-05-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

"Contentment is not the fulfilment of what you want, it is the realization of how much you already have."

This i realised is the most important statement in life. With contentment, comes happiness. To fulfill what we want, we pursue it relentlessly. In the end, if we can't get it, we become upset and causing others around us to be unhappy too. It's just not worthwhile. I'll treasure the things that i hav and the people around me before i lose them.