Growing up – a painful process

Sorry to all readers that I have not update my blog since the Paris post. I did not have any internet connection 4 the past few days as my housemates have decided to stop the old internet service with an internet company which costs more then the current one. The old service has been stopped but the new modem has not arrived. I was “deprived” of my “basic needs” during these few days.

Through this experience I have realized that I have been addicted to internet, despite refusing to accept this fact earlier on. Internet has been playing a huge role in my life after arriving in Germany. Reading of Emails, chatting thru MSN, blogging, finding out the latest football result and rumors, etc. I’m always online, unless I’m on holiday w/out my laptop. Slowly but surely, my dependence on the internet has grown. It’s now like electricity n water to me. W/out them, life would be miserable. When I was told that there would be no internet service 4 weeks, my heart sank. I did not know what shud I do. During these days I felt something missing in my life. I can’t chat with frens anymore. I can’t read about any football news ( I dint’t even know that Avram Grant, the Chelsea manager was sacked). My life was turned upside down.

My addiction to the internet brings me to the point that I would like to share to everyone today. Growing up. Since young, we have been dreaming of growing up. As a young child, I always thought of things that I can do when I become older. I always had the thought that being older means gaining more respect from others. Being older allows me to do things that I always wanted to do. Being older means having more freedom. Yes, those were the thoughts when we were a kid. But when we really did grew older, reality strikes.

I have read about a joke that says when we were 7 years old, we hoped that we can be 13, where we can be in a secondary school. When we were 13, we hoped that we can be 18, where we can get married legally. When we were 18, we hoped that we can be 21, where we r adults then by law n have the right to vote. When we were 21, we hoped that we can be 30, where we have a stable income n a happy family. When we were 30, we hoped that we r 60, where we can retire from our job. But when we r 60, we hope that we could be a child again. How ironic is that?

Days w/out internet has taught me something. It seems that God is telling me: Daniel, it’s time to grow up. Have u ever seen ur mom or dad struggling when the internet is down? Have u seen ur dad playing computer games all day long n being very depressed because he has just lost in a Dota game? No, I suppose. They have grown up. Grown from a boy or a girl to a man or a woman. Everyone gets older, but not everyone becomes a grown up. From the fact that I was clueless on what shud I do after knowing the fact that I cant use the internet 4 quite some time proves that I have not really grown up n became mature enough 4 me to call myself a man.

What defines a man? By law, being 21 years old makes one qualified enough to be called a man. Jia Jin, my senior, taught me stg important. From a book he read, a man shud be defined as a king, a warrior, a mentor and a friend. Take note, it’s AND, not OR. To be a successful man, one has to try to fulfill these 4 criteria.


A king. Our body belongs to us. We r the king of our bodies. A king shud be someone who provides 4 his people or subordinates. As the king of our own bodies, r we capable of providing good and useful elements to it? Or are we abusing it? The definition of King can be expanded when we r married. Are we capable of providing the needs of our spouses and children?

A warrior. Are we strong enough to protect ourselves from evil and temptations? Are we fit enough to protect our spouses and children from harm and danger? Are we capable enough to fight the evil and protect the good?

A mentor. Are we wise enough to teach? Are we equipped enough to pass on our knowledge to others? Are we capable to know what is right and what is wrong?

A friend. Are we good enough to be a pillar of support to others around us? Are we caring enough to attend to the needs of our friends around us?

Growing up is really a tough and painful process. Old and bad habits which do not benefit us have to be left behind. Immature actions and behaviours have to be eliminated. One has to be brave and decisive enough to make decisions by his or her own. One has to be totally responsible 4 his or her own actions. No more dependence on our parents anymore. One must be ready to take responsibilities.

But, God will always be with us in each and every growing up process. I’m very thankful to God that He has provided me with many wonderful examples that I can follow. My seniors: Jia Jin, Yong and Jia Uei are living examples that have grown up not only physically but also spiritually. The way God works in their lives is a living testimony. They are not only successful students but successful God’s children as well. The way they balance their studies and God is stg that I need to learn.

I want to grow up, do you?

Paris - the dirty city of love~

Without you, Eiffel tower is only of Mechanics, Forces and strength of materials to me...

Many people thinks that Paris is a wonderful city to live in. The so called "city of love" where couples meet and indulge themselves in the ambience of love. Walking hand in hand n kissing beside the river Seine under the sunset. A romantic scene to behold! I was one of them. That's the beautiful part of Paris, no doubt about that. However, if one thinks that Paris is perfect, be prepared to get shot by a dose of reality. Paris stinks!!

One shud be careful when taking a walk on the streets of Paris. Something unpleasant might greet u. The 3 P's : Pooh, pee n puke. Imagine trying to kiss ur galfren or boyfren n suddenly an unknown "aroma" passes by. Atmosphere GONE. The air in Paris smells bad as well from all sorts of pollutions. But luckily the situation is not dat bad near tourist attractions.

Those things apart, i do feel that Paris is still worth a visit, esp when u have a loved-one with u. Lying down on the grass together with ur sweetheart n gaze at the Eiffel tower together is an unforgettable experience. Trust me, u wont wan to get up n hope that the time comes to a stand-still. The atmosphere is awesome. Sadly 4 me, i was NOT with my sweetheart there but with Pau n Qi Hao. Arghhh....

Tourist attractions:


Paris will not be Paris without it - The Eiffel Tower. This pic was taken during sunset. People of various nationalities can be seen admiring this amazing structure, snapping pictures all the time. When there's tourists, there's souvenir shops n sellers. Black people walking around with Eiffel tower key chains approaching ppl around is a common sight here. Can bargain with them summore. So if u got a key chain from ur fren as souvenir, dun be too excited abt it n think dat it's expensive. One can get 6 key chains for 1 euro (RM5) easily. Soon Lee gave me one b4. such a cheap souvenir!!

Place De La Concorde. Nice fountain. It's located next to the obelisk.

The obelisk which had egyptian carvings on it. One of the sites mentioned in the Da Vinci Code i think.

Le Musee Du Louvre. One of the most famous museums in the world. The famous painting of Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is here in this museum. Thousand of paintings n sculptures can be found here as well. The Da Vinci Code is also another reason why this place is packed of ppl.

Les Champs Elysees. We climbed up this famous building n got a great bird eye's view of Paris. This is the point where the main roads in Paris come together.


La Basilique Du Sacre-Ceur. The Sacred Heart. Be alert while visiting this place. There will be a group of black people waiting near the entrance. One will approach u n try to tie a string on ur wrist. If u let them do so, say bye bye to 10 Euros. They will charge u 10 Euros 4 that string n u wont dare to say no cos there will be black people around that place who looks like gangster. It's either pay or die.



Le Moulin Rouge. Rmb the movie "Moulin Rouge"? Many ppl can be seen lining up to enter it. duno y.. This place is situated in the famous red-light district of Paris.


La Madeleine. Frankly, i duno wat's the significance of it.. :b



Notre-Dame De Paris. The huge church of Notre-Dame.

River Seine. The lover's river which flows thru the heart of Paris. Along the banks of it or the bridges over it were places where kisses took place. Muaks~

Food:

Good french delicacies cost a bomb in Paris. Most restaurants in Paris r nicely-decorated to create a romantic atmosphere to attract customers. The cost of such deco is then added to the price of food indirectly. But eating kebap or hotdog or McD in Paris would be a waste rite? haha.. so we tried as many french food as we could despite the fact dat we have to eat only water n bread after the trip. :b

The most expensive dessert i have ever eaten in my whole life. Mango Eclair. 9 Euros.

Foie Grae. Goose Liver in english. 22 Euros

Escagnot. French snails. Usually served as starters 4 a set meal. Taste quite nice oh~

Flowers:

Strange 4 me:

Bata is a brand which we normally associated with lousy shoes. We prefer shoe brands other than Bata. However, i have found a Bata shoe store in Paris, where brands like Gucci and Chanel can be found. Hmmm.... it seems dat Bata is BRANDED as well...

SSS ( super shiok sendiri ):

The other "me"...

Flying over Eiffel tower...

Flying over the obelisk...

Jumping over the Louvre ( my expression looks weird....)

Paris, i will be bek again... but that time, it will be with the one i love...

Cologne - My fav city so far

If u ask me wat's my fav city in Germany so far, then Koeln (Cologne) has to be my answer. The 3 of us: me, Qi Hao n Jia Jin our senior rented a car n drove all the way up to Koeln to spend our 4 days holiday. Koeln was our 1st destination. The car we rented is not any ordinary car but a BMW 3 series with a start-stop engine. Super fast n steady on the roads. Our average speed on the highway was like 160 km/h. Top speed 200 km/h. 4 ur info, highways in Germany doesn't have speed limit.

Koeln is huge n full of people. It has the highest density of population in Germany. The busiest street in Koeln - Hohe Strasse.

Walking on this street is like walking in a huge pasar malam in Msia- very crowded!! Many branded shops can be found here. Many foreigners as well.. n at least the people here doesnt speak dialect like people here in Stuttgart do.

The must-go-tourist attraction in Koeln- Dom. One of the tallest n largest church in Germany. Im rily amazed by how people could build such a church in the past where technology is not yet advance. We climbed up to the top of the building. 509 Steps w/out lift. Sort of like a workout session 4 me... Batu caves is ntg compared to this.

Interestingly, many people uses the Dom to earn money. Since it's a popular destination among tourists, creative people do many different things to attract the attention of the tourists n make extra money thru dat. They paint themselves to look like a statue n stand the whole day long motionless. When passer-bys throw a coin into their tin nearby, they will bow or make a certain motion to express their gratitude n then return to their "solid" form again.

Despite being a modern city, Koeln does not lack the touch of nature. Flowing thru this city is the famous Rhein. The longest river in Germany. Parks along the river bank r common gathering sites 4 people who wants to enjoy the cool breeze n fresh air.

We managed to visit the Chocolate Museum in Koeln as well. We were informed on how chocolates were made n their origins.

Looks irresistable huh? there r free chocolate samples 4 visitors as well... the chocolates there r so so nice.... eat until can make me 4got about my lab report n other stuff which r yet to be done..

When there's a museum, there's a souvenir shop. This time in a chocolate museum, the "souvenir" has to be chocolates la! ppl who adores chocolate shud be prohibited from going to such a place. U will get broke!! There r so many types of chocolates here dat i duno which to buy. The packaging n chocolates r made so nice n cute dat im sure no one would bear to eat them. By the way, i bought some chocolates here... who wan? must register 1st oh~ 1st come 1st serve basis. Stocks r limited =)

The best part of Koeln 4 me is the botanic garden. Duno hw to express in words the beauty of it. Pics below say it all:

If there's a chance, i rily would like to take my wedding-photos here... haha... the view here is breathless.. Flowers with diff colours n shapes eager to compete with each other to see who's the most beautiful..

Even the bird cant help it but to stop by to admire the beauty of it...