November 12, 2008
Friends
5 Comments
This conversation took place during my course this morning!
Me : Hey, V (my Italian speaking Swiss named Valentino (!)), I went to the gym yesterday. Going to try and get fit!
V: Really - yeah. Looks like you might need it.
Me: -_-
V: Just kidding. Seriously.. how did it go?
Me: Well, since it has been awhile, and the fact that I hate running. I did 18 mins.
V: Wow - that’s good to warm-up.
Me: No, that was the whole exercise. (Knowing this conversation is heading into a joke!)
V: Yeah, but you sure have done at least 3km!
Me: Ermm.. (regretting it as I said it), no, more like 1.2km?
V: WHAT? Did you walk or something?
Me: -_-
Thanks for the support! 
November 11, 2008
Friends
1 Comment
Not updating is terrible but I’m on a course for the next couple of days. Which means I’m not at work (weee…). Which also means I’m not anywhere near a computer. Which means that I’m not having enough internet time to update my website.
On top of that, I gave in. After 2 years of fighting it, I lost. I have just sold my soul to Facebook. And I’m not going down without bringing a few company along (Sorry Dr Bokinsky!). I never thought friends from my past were keen to re-ignite our friendships. I have friends I haven’t seen for the last decade and some even more. It is so lovely to see them doing well! Maybe it is not that ‘evil’ afterall. The amount of “comments” I get for resenting it for almost 2 years just filled up the wall.
I’m learning my way around but maybe not too keen to give away too much of my personal information on it. Who knows who might be lurking around? My potential employer(s)?
Anyhow, the autumn in London has turned for the worst in the last couple of days. Just rain, rain and more rain. But I was lucky to have managed to take this picture when I woke up late one weekend by myself (Yeah, one of those self-indulging weeks when I had the apartment to myself!) couple of weeks ago.
Hope the autumn wherever you are is looking just as fine. And not being snowed-in. Yet! :O
November 8, 2008
Life
No Comments
I know the American election has passed for a few days now. And even though I am not an American, I have lived in America for 2 years (two of the best years in my life - I’ll explain why later) and I feel a certain ‘attachment’ to the States. Recently, I have been reading a lot about America and about Barack Obama. I have to agree with my American friends when they said that for once, they feel like they can stand tall and be proud to be an American. I can totally understand why.
Back when I lived in Massachussetts, John Kerry (so it was Democratic all the way) might not have the right stuffs to win it then but Obama, he’s something different. Like every newspaper has written, it is not the fact that he’s half black but him, as a person, is such an inspirational being. It might be the fact that he’s a great rhetorician but personally, he seems connected. Like many of my American friends, I never hide the fact that I never like Bush nor believe in him, in fact, I lose interest in America while he is in the White House. Most Americans I know in Europe moved over here because they can’t stand Bush’s administration and their policies. I don’t blame them either.
(Photo by Mark Lyons/Getty Images North America)
But Obama, he does give people a sense of hope and belonging. I like to see him proving everyone who has doubted him wrong and I want him to succeed. I just want him to be. I’m certainly not a big fan of politics but for once in my life, I believe in a politician (:O), someone with the power to make a difference in our lives, whether directly or indirectly. People had goosebumps hearing his winning speech because it was amazing but it was this he said that I’m stuck in awe: “And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.”. He didn’t forget them that have lost this political race.
I watched a BBC documentary programme yesterday about America and learning how much this new nation has achieved in just a little over 200 years. No wonder they can be proud. I didn’t particularly want to watch it but when the programme began with “What is America?” and then quoted the founding father(s) of America and definition from back in the 1800s, “America is a nation of everyone - everyone who wants to have an opportunity to achieve something. A nation without race or religion. It doesn’t matter where they came from, what were their background or history, because once they reached the soil of America, they are Americans.” Won’t you be stuck to the TV too after hearing that?
My family is Buddhist (I personally believe that Buddhism is a teaching and not a religion, I hate being preached to) but I am an atheist. I like being in a country where I don’t have to tick what religion I am or what race I am in some stupid forms. My sweet never answer the questionnaire where it says, white or black or mixed race or caucasian or Asian (he ticked that sometimes because he thinks he’s Asian or he left his brain at home - and which he’s not!). He doesn’t believe in it but then again, he’s a Scientist. And I greatly support that. I don’t know how I get from writing about America to race and religion but to all my American friends, I am proud for you too!
November 4, 2008
Travel
2 Comments
My September went and gone and before I know it, it is November (what happen to October?). Unbelievable. Both my work and social lives have decided to take over my life. Don’t even get me started with my studying. There are simply just too little time for too many events in life. Although I wish time just stand still with everything else in my life, even for just a day, I don’t think it would be sufficient. I guess I just have to learn to say no and spend some “me” time.
You won’t believe it even I say its true but I honestly only spent 10 days at work in the whole of September. In some ways, that’s pretty cool because before I know it, I’ve gotten my salary. Now, THAT you can’t complain. The whole month have been travelling, courses, family visits and more travelling and more family! And now, it is almost the end of October and I am still playing catch-up with my life. wtf.
Worst of all, I haven’t had the chance to properly update my site when I really really want to and especially when I read other blogs and they are constantly filled with fun stories to share and knowing that I have that too, only I don’t have the time to put it up.
If anyone interested, Greece is beautiful if you intend to laze around the islands and do bikini-clad stuffs (that’s not very me), so my god, Athen is boring. Like after 5 hours. And we were stuck in Athens for like 5 days! wtf! I know. We did everything S-L-O-W-L-Y but in the end, we decided to just sleep in, forget breakfast and go out when the sun was almost set. It was way too hot at 35 degrees to be walking around the boring city. So anyone who is ‘thinking’ about going to Greece, make sure it is for the fun-filled islands. Tons of pictures ahead! 
Here’s us on our first day ready to explore!
Of course we went to the Acropolis - it was hot! I mean the weather and yeah, the architectures were pretty hot too, especially since it lasted so many centuries.
Look at the two guys - one looked like he’s asking “Where is the BLOODY Acropolis?” and the other one pointing and said “There! Are you blind?!”. Hahaha… obviously, my imagination ran wild again!
The columns are huge. Apparently, they might not be there for long since it is deteriorating fast. I mean, for goodness sake, it’s stone! They are not going anywhere!
My sweet thought he do his part to save the Acropolis - he’s holding it up. Until it got too boring and he came home with me.
And these is how theatre should be! It is so funny how many tourists asked where the Colleseum is - that’s in ROME! Silly! It reminded of me gorgeous Russell Crowe fighting lions in the Gladiator. Oh! It’s true! Everyone walks around in gladiator sandals!
We stopped a lot to get drinks in Athens. It was too hot (I know I said it before, but it was really really hot!)! That’s me looking at the camera suspiciously as I try to figure where we should go next! Man is no help when it comes to reading map - so he messed around taking pictures of random stuffs.
You know what’s interesting! We took a detour from the normal tourist route and walked the random streets of Athens and see what we saw!
A jail made for George Bush / A free Bed and Breakfast!
This is kinda funny and since America is voting furiously as I’m writing this, it just seems too good not to put it up!
If you love your mamma, vote Obama! How funny is that?
In Athens, where the weather is hot and you have eaten way too much Greek salad (which is yummy by the way, couldn’t get enough of those feta cheese!), all you have to do is check out the museum. Just to stay somewhere with reasonable temperature.
We discover the first smilyface!
The first grinder!
I swear that was what was written on the description. It’s true - what are thinking of? Tsk! Honestly! finger wagging!
Oh and here’s another I just thought was pretty cool. Here’ s a statute of a Greek goddess (I can’t remember what’s her name) and it has a pretty good story to it.
Apparently, this naughty goat/human is trying to take advantage of the goddess sexually, only the goddess has a slipper ready to slap him with it and an angel protecting the goddess shooing the dirty bastard away!
Cool right? The only thing that I’m super happy about my trip to Greece is this quilted bag I brought! I have been getting compliments for it ever since I got home. I will take pictures and post it soon! 
November 4, 2008
Living in London
1 Comment
This is so backdated that I feel that I should not even bother but it has been forever since I last posted anything. Plus I really want to write about this because it was one of the coolest (also very scary) way to re-discover the city I’ve lived in half my life.
By cycling. Yes, you heard me right. After my frightening experience of cycling in central London, we took my new-ish bike closer to where we live at the moment, Greenwich and east. It is a slightly less frightening ride plus I get to discover more along the Thames. Like the Thames Barrier! We rode and rode and rode - for like a couple of hours - about 2km worth of riding. We went close to the Millennium Dome otherwise known as O2 and the Beckham Football Academy (which all the little Beckham wannabe go!).
We went along further the Thames until we came to Woolwich. Do you know that there is a ferry crossing from South of the river to the North of the river at Woolwich! It is such a fun thing to see - knowing that there are several bridges connecting North London and South London - all the cars being parked onto the ferry and people walking onto it. Also, the planes taking off and coming in at the City Airport - just across the Thames.
It was such a lovely day! We came into Woolwich, into town and saw some pretty bronzed ‘people’ standing around and couldn’t help monkeying around.
I was less rude than my sweetie - no respect for art! Tsk tsk tsk…
For anyone interested, here’s the easy route we did….
Anyhow. I have so much to write about. Life is going too fast at the moment. I will be back - with tons of pictures from Greece!