Saturday, May 17, 2008

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...

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

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...

Friday, April 25, 2008

The effect of stress on me...

First of all, wan to clarify dat i have no intention of showing off in this post... Dun have the intention of being 自恋.. just wan to show how stressful is my life here... Give a closer look to my hair, not my face... =)


Dat's me on the day i left Msia (4 months ago): Stress level = minimal ; Hair = spiky n cool!!


2 weeks later: Stress level = still minimal ; Hair= as spiky n cool like before!

3 months later: Stress level = on the rise ; Hair= long, starting to turn white


Today: Stress level = maximum ; Hair = longer, whiter.. c how old i am now!! it's like 杨过 's hair after 16 years without the chance to see his beloved 小龙女... Wrinkles start to pop out.. sigh... cham leh... After entering uni, it's like 小龙女 jumped from the cliff ( if im 杨过 )... Ntg 4 me to look 4ward to... everyday go to lectures with a blur expression, go bek home with a blurrer expression... Reports, assignments, projects, tutorials etc robbed me of my happiness... During this depressive period i think i could master 黯然销魂掌 ady...


Until my hair become like this...

Haih.... Coming weeks: mechanics mid term, Strength of materials mid term...

When will my "16 years" come?? can i live until dat day??

Saturday, April 19, 2008

broke the law... :b

Traffic lights... a common sight in law-abiding Germany... Traffic lights here r a little diff from those in Malaysia...

Malaysia: green, yellow, red, green.....

Germany: green, yellow, red, yellow, green,....

Notice the difference? The yellow light will appear just before the green to tell the drivers to prepare to go... if u take 2 long to go after the light turns green, be prepared to get "hoink!"

From my bus stop to my uni-- 10 mins walking dist. 3 traffic lights for pedestrians separate me from my uni. The urge for me to break the law is always there. Lectures starts in 5 mins, red light, no car, no policeman waiting... wat to do?

Cross la... wait 4 wad?? i have been doing this 4 the past few weeks... ntg happened... not until last nite...

Came bek from steamboat dinner with frens n seniors in Stuttgart. It's ady 1150pm.. Bus leaving from bus stop soon. Between me n bus stop-- traffic light again... red summore... cross la!! bus leaving soon ar!

As i took my 1st step forward, stg tells me dat things r not rite at all... i heard a vivid "oi!" from behind, dun care... mayb sum drunkards.... walk straight n everythg will be alright..

Naive thought... As i was about to board my bus, i received a pat on my bek, upon turning my head, a huge, green word greeted me...

"POLIZEI"

" Do noe dat u have crossed a red light?" in german... "errr..." " Do u noe dat such an act is illegal??"... " err... i dint c la.. sorry.." " Show me ur passport please!"

Cham lah... from dat point, i tot sure kena saman ady.. here saman not cheap ar... n then i dint bring out my passport summore... cham.. he might think dat im a illegal immigrant n send me to my 1st visit to lock-ups in Germany... wah!!! i still got labtest on tues one leh... dun like dat ar....

Unwillingly, i took out my Malaysian I.C n showed it to him. Dun have other identification stuffs on me to prove dat im legal here.

" R u from Malaysia?" asked the policeman. " uh huh..."

The following conversation is totally unbelievable:

" Ok, i will let u off this time since u r having ur vacation here.. u r lucky today.." " err... " ( still cant believe wat's happening.. blur )

" Dun do this again ok? Im sure in Malaysia there r traffic lights as well.. " " err... ok... thanks..."

Pheww... No saman... haha... Thank God 4 dat... =)

Btw, do i look like a tourist? weird... haha... =)



Maybe i look like puss in boots... cute n innocent until the policeman dun feel like saman-ing me.. =)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Happy bday to me...


My 1st bday w/out my family celebrating it with me. My 1st bday in a foreign country. My 1st bday where everything i tink about is how to prevent myself from sleeping in lectures and labs. My 1st bday where i hv to wake up so early in the morning. My 1st bday where ppl start to wish me happy bday when it's not my bday yet (haha).
Anyway, thx to everyone 4 ur happy bday msg... made my a day a lot more special.. enjoy this day ya... the day when i was borned.. =)

Saturday, April 12, 2008

D.I.Y day

I have mentioned in my previous post dat i have spent more in IKEA compared to Metzingen. Around 200 euros in one go... muahaha... 200 x 5 = RM 1000 onli mah... :b

After weeks of "not free", "lazy" n "i wan to sleep more lah..", i have finally summoned enuf determination in me to start making my room a better place to live in. The stuffs dat i have bought from IKEA were lying motionlessly till today. So do the screwdrivers, screws, drill machine etc have to be awakened from their slumber, not to mention my neighbours as well...

Task 1: Table and drawers


Task 2: Wall-shelf (lotsa drilling involved, @#$%^&* from neighbours :b )


Task 3: Curtain-rod (need drilling as well, more @#$%%^^& from neighbours)
All D.I.Y... nt easy at times... Result of my 汗,泪,血:
My new-look room!!! wait a minute....
This stupid light bulb is the onli blemish in my room. My onli source of light from a lightbulb... haiz...

Btw, if u wonder how germany's toilet n kitchen looks like:



Preview of my next post:


Muahaha... anyway, my new number in Germany is +4917662219193

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Sad day 4 Arsenal fans...

haiz... lazy to write abt wat happened... so copied the following post from my fren's blog...

Flamini受伤倒地的那一刻已经注定了Arsenal的败局。
Wenger好用不用,换了懒惰天王Gilberto上场。
局势马上180度转变,Liverpool控制了节奏。
Arsenal找不到那种默契,传球频频失误。
中场Fabregas独撑大梁,求助无门。
其中有一幕更是凄凉。
Fabregas前场获球转身想找人短传,却看到Gilberto在后场散步。
他一个人就这样从原本充满机会的前场落魄地带球到中场。
事后那一副抱头失望的表情,看了真令人心寒。
情势一直到Wenger把Walcott换上后才稍有起色。
Wenger把最后的希望,寄托在他和受伤康复后一直没有作为的Van Persie身上。
Arsenal要赢,真的还需要点运气。
八十三分钟,Walcott在后场获球,忽然神一般地连切四个人。
一个人从后场禁区外带到前场禁区!
我和智燊已经拉紧了神经,准备为Arsenal领军欧冠四强欢呼。
就在Adebayor扫进Walcott传中的那一刻,我们相拥而抱,大吹胜利的喇叭!
Walcott绝对是我们的英雄!我们呼喊着,狂喜着,这绝对是一个奇迹!
但就在我们庆祝完毕,坐下来的那一霎那,Toure在禁区内大动作却又没什么碰触地绊倒Babel。哨子响起,裁判亮了张黄卡给Toure。
全世界的Arsenal球迷沉默了。
这一声哨子吹灭了Walcott一分钟前的奇迹,吹灭了所有球迷的希望。
Gerrard不负众望地射进了点球。
Liverpool 3 - 2 Arsenal。
Arsenal才刚刚因为Walcott的奇迹恢复了状态,马上就被Referee小事当大事的哨子彻底地打垮。一撇不振。
最后一分钟Babel再下一城,给Arsenal球迷判了死刑。
而喜欢在后场散步的Gilberto这一会儿却不见人影,反到是Fabrecas苦苦地追赶已经突破的Babel。
这一个赛季真的踢得很不幸。
Rocisky, Eduardo, Sagna受伤。
Van Persie也处于低靡状态,害到大家只能眼睁睁地看“全能性前锋”Adebayor做戏。

Thanks to wee howe 4 the post... interestingly written...

Sunday, April 6, 2008

On a lighter note...

Juz realised dat my past few posts contained elements like sadness, stress, anger, frustration, etc... Making others think dat life in Germany is like hell... like evrything can onli be associated with stress n hardship. Erm... no la... things r nt dat bad la actually.... haha... Thx 4 being concerned abt me, wishing me well, telling me to take care, etc... haha... Thanks to all frens n relatives out there who constantly visit my blog... =) im touched...

Im sure many of u r curious abt hw did i fare in my last labtest... Thanks to all ur well-wishes n good lucks i tink i shud b able to pass it. Despite nt revising much, the questions dat came out were those dat i have studied n memorised, much to my relieve. Thank God 4 guiding me throughout the whole test as well...

I shud be going bek to Msia this summer. Probably around early August after my german language course in Heilbronn. B4 dat i will make a small trip around Europe, probably Italy or Spain or Holland. Haven't plan anything concrete yet. Shud be going to Paris during my 1 week holiday in mid-May. Some might ask wat about Korea n Australia... haha... Korea? well, i have to ask Michelle whether she's free or not 1st? Michelle, r u? =) Trip to Korea shud be in summer 2009 or earliest winter 2008. Australia? hmmm.... depends on whether i still got money left onot after those trips... wahaha.... =)

Went to Konstanz yday. A so called mission trip planned by our church in Stuttgart where we reach out to malaysian students around the whole Baden-Wuerttemberg. Met seniors from Konstanz n played football with them, watched Arsenal vs Liverpool with them ( 1-1 zzz) n most importantly, had my 1st steamboat dinner in Germany!!


The room where we had our steamboat. Many lightbulbs over the dining table...

Malaysian-style steamboat using rice cooker.

Mee-hoon

Crab-sticks n duno wad...

Prawns...

sliced meat n cheese...

Chicken meat n sausages...

Bacon n fishballs? Fishballs r rare in Germany...

The food was fantastic! It was quite a long time since i last had steamboat. Everyone enjoyed the time spent in Konstanz. Im sure God has stg great planned thru us...

To gals who wan to c pics of german guys... exclusively 4 u all. haha... This is Steffen, our church leader... leng zai leh? haven married yet oh.... haha... The thing he's sitting on is a beatbox. The sound from it is similar to the sound from a drumset... a very creative invention to replace the bulky drumsets... dun have the "chiang" sound onli...

But the leng zai of all leng zais has to be the one above la... :b agree rite?