tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-189856932024-03-05T13:48:13.418+08:00Vincent's Travel JournalUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-51943207546266005512017-04-30T15:19:00.002+08:002017-05-16T22:23:32.743+08:00Central Fish Market Tour by Hai Sia Seafood [29/04]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In end-April, I have the opportunity to visit the Central Fish Market with a group of young people to study the operations of the Central Fish Market. The public can freely visit the Central Fish Market as long as they exchange their identification card for an entry pass. Through a recommendation from a friend, she mentioned there's a distributor company - <a href="http://haisia.com.sg/">Hai Sia Seafood</a> that conducts <a href="http://haisia.com.sg/our-tour/">tours</a> around the Central Fish Market for the public. I signed up for it on their website and the application was responded by a friendly staff of Hai Sia Seafood. The tours are so popular that I noticed all visits are fully booked till end of the year. The official starting time is 1.30am and will end around 3am. </div>
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On the 28 April night, I rendezvous with the rest at Boon Lay MRT at 11.30pm. From there, it's a 15mins taxi ride to the Central Fish Market. Some taxi drivers may not know the exact location that well, so it will be necessary to direct them to turn into Jalan Tepong (as shown in the map below) and thereafter into the Fishery Port Road. The taxi is not able to enter directly into the Central Fish Market and we have to alight from there (usually in front of the Jurong Ice Works building). The ride cost S$9. A strong smell of fishes greeted us the moment we alighted from the taxi. </div>
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We have to join in the queue to exchange our IC for entry pass. The security will ask the number of people, and it will be a single pass for the group. Once pass the security, straight ahead is the Central Fish Market. The map below is from Street Directory. Do note the Central Fish Market is the large building in there, next to the sea. </div>
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The Central Fish Market are opened daily (including Chinese New Year holidays), but they are closed once a week on Mondays. </div>
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Beyond the security, we walked towards the port area. Do note that photography and video recording are not allowed around the port area. Ensure the camera is pointing towards the fish market and not towards the harbor or the sea. If not, an angry security personnel will come over and request you delete all photos and videos taken.</div>
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The Central Fish Market was bustling with activity and we just walk around the area till we saw the Hai Sia Seafood Building (located at 35A Fishery Port Road). We got there a bit early at 12.30pm. </div>
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At the second floor of Hai Sia Seafood, there is a good view of the Central Fish Market with all its activity. Forklifts were constantly going around, carrying buckets of ice, loading and unloading of seafood products. </div>
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As there is an hour more to go, we decided to continue exploring the place. There is actually a coffeeshop to chill at the 'C' shape building on the map. It is just directly on the right hand side past the security area.<br />
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Overthere, you can get drinks and food for supper. <br />
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It is 1.30pm and we rendezvous in front of Hai Sia Seafood. Our guides for the day is Jun Ting and Melvin. There are around 30 visitors today. At the background in the picture, is the shop by Hai Sia Seafood that operate till 6am in the morning. It is here that visitors are able to purchase smaller packs of seafood and fishes after the visit to the Central Fish Market.<br />
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One of the staff brought us into a cold room which is at -18 degree celsius. It is a cold freezer where seafood products are kept. <br />
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We walked towards the unloading area where seafood products arrive from the port. Most fishes are unloaded from the ships, but a few are air-flown in. The air flown ones are usually salmon. <br />
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We thereafter went into the fish market to look at the typical lot size of a stall. <br />
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We were shown a box with 4 salmons, imported from Norway. <br />
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The entire market is a hive of activity. We have to watch where we stand as there are trolleys full of fishes going around. <br />
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There is a second floor area where we can catch a good overhead view of the market. <br />
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There is also a viewing gallery bridge connecting from one end of the market to another end. <br />
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The supply chain of the fishes are as below:<br />
Fisherman - Central Wet Market - Hawkers - Consumers.<br />
Fisherman - Central Wet Market - Distributors - Restaurants. <br />
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A lot of transaction in the market are relationship-based. There are no fixed price for the fishes and it is how well the relationship between the central wet market stalls and the buyers that determine the price. The seafood products in the central wet market are sold in bulk, making it difficult for consumers to buy from them. Hai Sia will purchase it from the central wet market and thereafter sell it to customers and consumers.<br />
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The people working in the central fish market are mainly elderly in their 50s or 60s. The processes are manual and all transactions are done in cash. As the guide shared with us, it has worked fine for them for decades, where they have brought up their family based on what they have done. From the visit, it is very clear that the younger generation will not want to be involved in this trade due to the timing (permanent night shift), tough work environment (smell, physique work, etc). But the demand for seafood products are always high in Singapore due to our country affluence. <br />
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There were news that the central fish market is going to be upgraded soon with air conditioning. So it is good to visit this market before any changes. There's another fish market to the north which is located at Senoko. <br />
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We are grateful to the guided tour provided by Hai Sia Seafood. The guides that brought us around looked quite young, which is a rarity in the fishery industry in Singapore. I salute to the good efforts provided by the people who work tirelessly through the night in providing us with fresh seafood products during the day.<br />
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Below is our group photo taken by Hai Sia Seafood.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-58800286986614133112016-07-23T11:48:00.001+08:002016-07-24T07:08:43.934+08:00Dharma Drum Mountain [07/07 - 22/07]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is my first time visiting the Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education. I will be spending 2 weeks there with the first week in a Zen retreat and the second week doing volunteer service. </div>
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The Center occupies quite a large area and is nested between mountain ranges with 2 river stream flowing through it. Below is the map with the main sights in the thumbnails to the right. </div>
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Transport will come right in from the south up the mountain. There is a Guo Guang (国光) bus service 1815 that ply between Taipei West Bus Station (the bus station is just a 3mins walk west of the Taipei Train Station) and Dharma Drum Mountain. The buses depart on average every hour and the journey is around 1hr 50mins. Google search "国光 法鼓山" for the bus schedule timing and bus fares. The bus will go directly to Building II Level 1. </div>
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At the main parking entrance , there is the Welcoming Guan Yin Park. The Guan Yin statue is 8m in height and is cast in bronze. It is based on the Sui-Tang dynasty design. She seems to be descending from the heavens to our world to welcome everyone. Before entering the Buddha halls, all visitors will have felt Guanyin Bodhisattva's compassionate and warm welcome. <br />
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As we walk further in, we arrived at the Main Entrance Gate to the mountain. <br />
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<b>Week 1 - Zen Retreat</b> <br />
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I signed up for the retreat online. Application for the retreat can also be made with the local Dharma Drum branch. This is a 7 Days English Retreat at Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM). DDM host retreats regularly, but English Retreat are typically held once a year. <br />
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In the first week, I will be staying at the Chan Center which is located at the top of the map. In the photo below we have the main hall as well as connecting accommodation and dining areas to the side. Basically everything is self-contained in these two buildings, which is perfect for zen retreat. <br />
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We started the retreat at 4pm on 7th July after we have finished all the registration, safe-keep of all electronic devices and valuables. There are 106 participants who signed up for this English retreat. Half of them come from overseas - US, Europe, Southeast Asia and so on. (16 different countries)<br />
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Noble silence is to be observed throughout the retreat up until when we leave the Chan Center. A summary of a full day schedule is below:<br />
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4am - 4.30am: Rise and wash-up<br />
4.30am - 5am: Exercise<br />
5am - 5.30am: Meditation<br />
5.45am - 6.30am: Morning Prayer Session <br />
6.45am - 7.15am: Breakfast<br />
7.15am - 7.45am: Area cleaning<br />
7.45am - 8.10am: REST <br />
8.10am - 11.30am: Meditation / Dharma Talks / Exercise<br />
11.30am - 12pm: Lunch<br />
12pm - 12.30pm: Area cleaning<br />
12.45pm - 1.20pm: REST<br />
1.20pm - 4.30pm: Meditation / Dharma Talks / Exercise<br />
4.30pm - 5pm: Dinner<br />
5pm - 6.25pm: REST<br />
6.40pm - 10pm: Evening Prayer Session / Dharma Talks / Meditation<br />
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The first day is usually the most difficult part of the retreat. We have to adjust our body clock to the retreat clock. My body clock is used to waking up at 7am daily, and now I have to wake at 4am. By the time we have reached the second day, we are more or less adjusted and started to be aware of the meditation method.<br />
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Some of the common occurrences during the subsequent days of meditation sitting include: body getting tense, too many wandering thoughts or body ache. The teacher, Ven Guo Yuan taught us techniques to alleviate these occurrences.<br />
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As indoor photography is not allowed, I shared the meditation photos taken by the retreat professional photographer (obtained from 法鼓山禅堂 Facebook).<br />
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Below are all of us in deep meditation (or sometimes deep sleep). <br />
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There were regular talks by Ven Guo Yuan on the meditation method. One of the key learning points I got from this retreat is to relax the body. Ven Guo Yuan mentioned to take it as if we are on vacation. This thought greatly relaxed the body and I sat down on the meditation cushion as if I'm resting on it, and just put my awareness on the breath. <br />
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Twice a day, we will be involved in area cleaning. This work activity is also a type of mindfulness meditation. No talking is allowed while we are working. It's amazing how we get things down rapidly and easily without any conversations. <br />
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Besides sitting meditation, there are also many other types of mindfulness meditation techniques. It include prostration (as seen below), walking meditation, running meditation, yoga stretching exercises. The principle is as follow - wherever your body is, your mind should be aware of it. <br />
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Two of the mornings, we went outdoor and walked through the hilly area behind the Chan Center. It is a 30mins walk. We have to walk barefooted to fully experience the sensation of walking. <br />
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Halfway in the retreat, a thought came to my mind. In our life, our first 20 years of our education are planned by our parents. We can seek advice from career counselors on the the next 30 years of our career. Financial advisors helped us plan for our retirement in the next 60 years of our life. But what goes beyond the 80 - 100 years. What happen at our death bed and after our death? People usually do short-term planning up to the next 60 years. But they do not plan the 80 - 100 years or beyond. And this is usually the most important. By participating in meditation retreat, by learning Buddhism, we are getting ready for the 80 - 100 years and beyond. (life-time after life-time)<br />
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It was an amazing retreat experience. Though we are not able to speak with each other, but the communal living experience brought us really close to one another. At the last day when the retreat noble silence restriction is lifted, it felt like a close reunion with all fellow practitioners.<br />
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Here is our group photo (courtesy of Venerable Chang Xiang). Click on the photo for a larger image.<br />
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The retreat ended at 9.30am on the last day (14 July). Most of the participants left within a day or two. But I commence my next activity in DDM, which is the volunteer service. I made my way from the Chan Center to the main building where the volunteer office is located.<br />
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<b>Week 2 - Volunteer Service</b> <br />
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I signed up for the volunteer service with the local Dharma Drum center. In my case, I registered with Dharma Drum Singapore where I filled in an application form. A friend told me I could either be attached to a department or be with the general affairs volunteers team. As it is my first time in Dharma Drum, I decided to join the general affairs volunteers team so they will assign me to different areas depending on the demand for the day. <br />
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There are several unique experiences in this week of community service. I have learned there are many good processes and practices in place which is the culmination of their years of feedback and learning. In the kitchen, all utensils and tools are properly labelled and there are clear process stations between them. In the placement of meditation cushions in the main hall, there's very systematic measurement and techniques used to place them.<br />
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The volunteer activities which I have involved in over the 7 days and the learning points are listed below:<br />
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1) Drying of kitchen utensils (only 1 time)<br />
- Washing process flow<br />
- Labeling of utensils<br />
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2) Main Hall (Twice Daily)<br />
- Meticulous in measurement and placing of cushions<br />
- Recycling water from the dehumidifier machines<br />
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3) Compassion Hall (Once Daily)<br />
- Technique to mop the floor easily<br />
- Techniques to clean the rags thoroughly<br />
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4) Sweeping the Road (only 2 times)<br />
- Using the leaves blower<br />
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5) Dormitory cleaning (only on weekend)<br />
- Method to dismantle and clean fans<br />
- Using of different tools to clean different areas of the dormitory<br />
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6) Industrial washing (only 1 time)<br />
- Pre-washing check<br />
- Use of industrial washing machines<br />
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7) Bento preparation and delivery (only 1 time)<br />
- Process to prepare bento box<br />
- Delivery of bento boxes<br />
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I was taught to recite Amitabha Buddha name while working. This will ensure mindfulness are maintained at every step and at every activity.<br />
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Some personal insight over the 7 days of work. While I was cleaning the Main Hall and Great Compassion Hall for the 5th time, I started to feel a bit tired. I reflected and found it similar to the nature of life. We need to have 3 meals a day to sustain this body. Why do we find it a hassle to sweep the hall daily but we do not find it a hassle to have 3 meals a day? The things that we take it as natural prevented us from recognizing it as Dukkha in life.<br />
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While I was sweeping the leaves from the road, I found out that leaves have began to fall on the area where I finished sweeping. The leaves need to be constantly swept. This is akin to our wandering thoughts which constantly arise and we need mindfulness to keep it in check. Only when the root of ignorance (tree) is removed, only will wandering thoughts (fallen leaves) cease. <br />
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The most unforgettable part of the volunteer service are the people - the teachers and volunteers. Everyone elucidate positive enthusiasm and there's mindful meditation practice in all activity. They give gratitude and thanks to everyone. All activities are a learning activities.<br />
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The daily schedule for volunteer is as below:<br />
5am - 5.30am: Rise and wash-up<br />
6am - 6.40am: Morning Prayer Session <br />
6.45am - 7.15am: Breakfast (Official breakfast hours 7am - 7.30am)<br />
7.15am - 8.15am: REST <br />
8.30am - 9am: Talk by Venerable<br />
9am - 11am: Morning Volunteer Work<br />
11.30am - 12pm: Universal Door recitation and Talk by Venerable <br />
12pm - 12.30pm: Lunch (Official lunch hours 12pm - 12.40pm weekdays, 11.30am - 1.20pm weekends)<br />
12.30pm - 2.30pm: REST<br />
2.30pm - 4.30pm: Afternoon Volunteer Work<br />
5pm - 5.30pm: Dinner (Official dinner hours 5pm - 5.40pm)<br />
5.30pm - 7.30pm: REST<br />
8pm - 8.40pm: Evening Prayer Session <br />
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This is a rough time schedule, but sometimes there are some pre or post lunch work to be done. On special days such as the 1st and 15th of the lunar month or Guan Yin birthday, the morning prayer session will start at 5.30am instead. On Saturday, the evening prayer session takes place at 4.30pm instead as there is a Buddha's Name Recitation practice at 7pm - 9pm. On Wednesday evening 6.30pm - 8.30pm, there is a meditation group practice.<br />
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Some points to note for volunteers:<br />
- Upon arrival at the volunteer office, they can draw keys to personal lockers for use<br />
- Check in timing to the volunteer dormitory is 12.30pm - 1.30pm or 5.40pm - 7pm daily <br />
- It's good to bring own bowl and chopsticks. Volunteers with own personal bowls can collect the meals 30mins before official start time and dine elsewhere.<br />
- I heard there's a rest day for every 5-6 days of volunteer work. <br />
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In between the volunteer activities, there are plenty of time to slowly explore the sights around Dharma Drum Mountain. Let's take a look at some photos here.<br />
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Every morning, I will walk from the dormitory which is located mid-mountain up the mountain to the main hall below. The first few days, I took the route along the road which leads directly up to the main hall. In the last 3 days, I discovered another route which is via Building II elevator (Level 2 > Level 5) and thereafter transiting to Building I elevator (Level 5 > Level 6). <br />
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The hall oversee the great valley and the town beyond. This is my favorite sight each morning. I heard from a fellow volunteer that drums in the main hall will be sounded from 4am to 5am each morning. Early risers can sit outside the main hall and meditate to the sound of drums. <br />
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Here is a view at full moon. <br />
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In front of the Great Compassion Hall, there is a great view. It has a still pool of water and the mountain scenery beyond. <br />
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Behind the Great Compassion Hall and Dining Hall, there is a waterfall. <br />
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There is a large bell (Lotus Bell Tower) at mid-mountain. I heard from fellow volunteers that during the Chinese New Year at midnight, the bell will be rang 108 times. <br />
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And just next to the Chan Center is the Founding Guanyin Park. The Founding Guanyin is based on Ming-Qing dynasty design. (contrast it with the Welcoming Guanyin Sui-Tang design) Visitors walk clockwise around Guanyin and chant her name. <br />
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There's also the Medicine Buddha. While on my way to explore this park, I met two of my friends who are also exploring the area and we walked together. <br />
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There is a Life Memorial Garden to the southwest area. Ashes of deceased are scattered around the trees so they are given back to nature. <br />
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There is an Institute of Liberal Arts to the northeast of the Dharma Drum Mountain area. It is not shown in the map. <br />
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There are two great streams of river in the Dharma Drum Mountain. Below is one of the stream before reaching the main campus of Institute of Liberal Arts. <br />
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At the northeast corner of the institute, there is a tunnel that leads to the other side of the mountain. It offers great view of the sea. The original photo I took was cloudy. So I shared a great sunny photo taken by a fellow friend.<br />
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There is also a vast collection of books in the library at Building III. I spent half a day here reading through books on my last day there. <br />
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Below is a photo of the volunteers dormitory which is located mid-mountain. It is located in between the Main Entrance and Building II. There are both hot and cold water showers in the volunteers dormitory and Chan Center. Water dispensers can be found easily throughout Dharma Drum Mountain. <br />
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Volunteers who would like to have free WiFi access can either access it at Smiling Photo Room (Building II Level 3), Library at Building III or Volunteers Dormitory. It's quite difficult to get mobile data access indoor at the volunteer rest area. A good place to sit in air condition area and access mobile data are the tables in front of Building II Level 2 visitor counters. But this period is quite a good opportunity to detach away from mobile phone distractions. I will advise minimal use.<br />
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Another strongly recommended indoor hangout place is the Cafeteria at Building II Level 2. This is a must visit place for light snacks, coffee and tea.<br />
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On the way up to the Main Hall one morning, I came upon this lotus flower at a small pond. And took a photo of it. <br />
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In just 2 weeks, I have lost 4kg. I felt myself feeling healthier - from the fresh mountain air, the constant exercises of helping out and climbing mountain tracks, and healthy vegetarian meals. As the founder Venerable Sheng Yen has mentioned "The busy make the most of time; the diligent enjoy the best of health." This is very true indeed. I'm now back to my healthy BMI range.<br />
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There's also an indescribable happiness that come with volunteer service. In doing volunteer work, we began to put down our self-centeredness and started to put others before oneself more. This is really the great Mahayana path in action. I definitely look forward to visiting Dharma Drum Mountain more regularly in the future. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-77860810329606501852016-07-06T20:33:00.000+08:002016-07-25T20:42:06.655+08:00Nongchan Monastery [06/07]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After visiting the National Palace Museum in the morning, I decided to go along my plan of visiting the 2 Dharma Drum monasteries to the north at Beitou area. They are located at Qiyan station. The 2 monasteries are: Nongchan Monastery (农禅寺) and Yunlai Monastery (云来寺). Yunlai Monastery is more of an administrative building than an actual monastery. I shall share more photos and the route to Nongchan Monastery below. </div>
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It is just a 5-10mins walk (depends on how fast you walk) from Qiyan Station to Nongchan Monastery. </div>
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When I arrived at the monastery gate, I'm greeted by the Dharma Drum Bookstore and Cafeteria. <br />
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There is a tropical paradise feel to this place. <br />
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It has great views of the mountains beyond. <br />
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And the monastery is also famous for a large still pond in front of the main hall. <br />
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The entire compound are carefully designed with a strong zen feel. <br />
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While in the monastery, there is a special exhibition showcasing the life of the founding Master Shengyen. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-3830317261985644562016-05-14T10:43:00.000+08:002016-06-26T10:47:00.857+08:00Lakeside [13/05]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been working in the west for about 8 months now. I feel it is a great opportunity to visit some of the sights in this area while I'm still here.<br />
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On the Friday evening at 4.30pm, I departed from my office and started walking down Yung Ho Road and it passes by the Sheng Siong Jurong Superbowl area as seen below. There were talks of this area being sold off to other developers, but there has not been any news so far.<br />
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There's a food court which serves very good stewed soup, bowling alley, supermarket, gym and several restaurants in this area. <br />
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At the end of Yung Ho Road, I turned northwards towards Yuan Ching Road. The apartments in this area have the full lakeside view. There's a very peaceful and beachfront feel to this place. <br />
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As there are construction works going on in Lakeside these few years, some parts of the lake has been closed off. But there are still roads leading from Yuan Ching Road into the gardens. The first garden I dropped by is the Japanese Garden as seen below. <br />
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The lake surrounds the gardens. <br />
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There are many stone bridges and traditional red bridges across the Japanese garden. <br />
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As I approached the north-end of the Japanese garden, there is a long bridge linking to the Chinese garden. <br />
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Before crossing over, I visited the visitors lodge area in the Japanese garden which oversee some good landscaped garden. <br />
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And here we have the Japanese stone garden. <br />
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Making my way across to the Chinese garden, there are several sights here. But the most notable of which is the twin pagoda below. <br />
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As well as the main pagoda with statues of scholars from China. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-86131126245713505202016-03-27T10:07:00.001+08:002016-04-08T03:06:17.987+08:00OH Open House Potong Pasir [26/03]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is the OH! Open House time of the year again. They seems to have it every year now compared to every two years when it first started. This time round it is at Potong Pasir. We booked the ticket online and it cost around S$27 per person (including the $2 booking fee). The rendezvous point is at Potong Pasir community center and our tour depart at 2.30pm.</div>
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At the community center is a map showing the different places we will be visiting. </div>
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Directly at the community center is where NTUC Fairprice and POSB is located. It is said prior to 2011, before PAP won the constituency from Chiam See Tong, there were no NTUC Fairprice supermarket and no POSB branches here. <br />
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There is also the one and only one bus service 142 that ply along the entire estate.<br />
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The first stop of the day is St Andrew Village, where we made our way to the bridge that connects the St Andrew Junior School with the Junior College across the Kallang River. It is called the Jacob Ballas Bridge. <br />
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In the middle of the bridge is an exhibit that show case artistic kinetics - shifting sands pattern with wind blowing and shifting sand pattern with the flow of water. From the bridge, there is a good view of Potong Pasir estate. It is a nice breezy day. <br />
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Next, we proceed to one of the housing board flat at the second floor where the artist showcase the use of construction sheet and colors in a house. Typically when we see these colors, it means off-limits as the area is under construction. But the artist try to blend it with the house which has a inviting feeling to visitors. On the walls are two pictures of the artist with residents who accepted the makeover. <br />
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Below is a letter of gratitude written by one of the resident who received a makeover. <br />
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On the way to the next stop, we came upon poster of the 'Meet the people session'. <br />
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The next stop is visiting a Penthouse in Potong Pasir. <br />
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After the penthouse visit, we came upon two stone lions which lead to one of the coffeeshop street in Potong Pasir. Initially the PAP planned to remove the stone lions after they came in, but the residents petitioned against it. So it was 'upgraded' with metal fences around. <br />
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In the next two pictures, it showcase the Chinese characters "来玩", which depicts the games children play at the void decks. <br />
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The second last stop of the day is a visit to one of the black-white bungalow of Woodleigh. It has a treetop house. <br />
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The final stop is Bidadari. The cemetery in this area has been cleared, to make way for residential estates. <br />
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In the distance we see the Mount Vernon pagoda, those too will make way for development. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-12701357562784268142015-11-29T09:38:00.002+08:002015-11-29T09:40:27.821+08:00Punggol Promenade, Lorong Halus and Coney Island [28/11]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The visit to Coney island with FP has been in the plans for 1 month since it was officially opened. From Google Map, it appears there are two ways to get to Coney island - either from Lorong Halus or from Punggol Settlement. NParks recommend visitors to take a bus 84 from Punggol Interchange to Punggol Settement and walk 500m to the Coney Island West entrance. Street Directory map shows there are 3 connections from the mainland with the 3rd bridge connecting from the Punggol Promenade. It was later verified that this 3rd bridge is actually not in existence. </div>
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Our focus is to have a one way walk from one point to another and not do a back track. Secondly, besides exploring Coney Island, we can also check out Punggol Promenade and Lorong Halus at the same time since it's only next to each other. The best way is to come in from Lorong Halus and exit at Punggol Settlement. We decided to take a cab to Lorong Halus from Joo Chiat, which cost around $15.</div>
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It is 1.15pm when we arrived at the Lorong Halus wetland reserved. There is an exhibit and rest area explaining about the wetlands. </div>
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It is an absolute nature getaway. <br />
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Behind the main entrance, is a crossroad. One path will lead to Coney Island, and another to Punggol Promenade. Since we would like to visit Punggol Promenade at the same time, we decided to cross the bridge. <br />
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The weather is perfect for photography. Here is the steel bridge connecting Lorong Halus to Punggol. <br />
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Towards south on the left, is a great view of Punggol new town. <br />
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And to the north on the right, is a view of Serangoon Reservoir Dam. <br />
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Past the bridge are the lalang fields. Before Lorong Halus was developed, this area were filled with lalang fields. Now only a small part of it is left. <br />
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A short walk away are some rest pavilions and benches. <br />
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There is a curve walkway linking to the bridge that links to the opposite side of the shore. <br />
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Here is a vantage view of the bridges and pathway. <br />
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From the bridge at the other side, we can see the Punggol waterway. It looks very impressive. <br />
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We walked further down slightly to get a feel of the Punggol Promenade. Here is a scene of Coney island and the dam from the opposite shore. <br />
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We made our way back to Lorong Halus to where the crossroad is and proceed down the path towards Coney Island. This side of the road is not yet paved. There are workers clearing the path and I believed the road should be ready in a few months time. <br />
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Past the dirt track, is the dam linking our Singapore mainland to the east entrance of Coney island. From this bridge, we can catch a view of Changi Point and Pulau Ubin. <br />
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Here I am at the east gate of Coney island. <br />
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Here is the map of Coney island below. It is an approximate 3km walk from one end of Coney island to another end. From the east gate, there are the East Promenade, several beaches and well-walked side dirt roads to the southern parts of the island. <br />
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We explored the East Promenade first. It is just better paved roads with some benches. </div>
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The main road is basically a dirt track that stretches all the way. There is not much sight except for greenery. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnC2zTy9Ad2RazE76lFsXGapf5TG7Xfp2CKxulwZGhknffCOIpVyL0i5dY40_SsfTPuH8t4J9LE2h8kHgf8sI3ZQ1PPehnGmvZa5eE-dcFbgODiOvAHoicOMOQr6t3Utis7Kt/s1600/17_ConeyRoute.JPG" /> <br />
There are 5 beaches where visitors can hang around. <br />
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It took us around 2 hours to cover the Punggol Promenade, Lorong Halus and Coney Island before we reached the Punggol Settlement.<br />
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Another good method to explore Coney island is on bicycle. Visitors can rent bicycle from the Punggol Settlement. But as most of the track are dirt track, it will be quite tough to also cycle on those roads. <br />
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While waiting for the bus, the Punggol ranch is just next to the final stop. We walked around and take a look at it. <br />
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From there we took a bus 84 back to Punggol Interchange. It is just a 10mins ride away</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-26656008301024055442015-06-13T15:16:00.000+08:002017-04-30T15:21:27.049+08:00Legoland Malaysia [11/06 - 12/06]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On this day we are going to Legoland Malaysia. I have been to the entrance of Legoland a few months back with my BDS friends, but had not stayed at the hotel or went into the theme park itself. This time round, with AJ, we will be staying overnight at the hotel and going to both theme park. We bought two return bus-tickets from WTS Travel online which cost around S$50. And also booked online Legoland Hotel with 2 sets of 2 days combo tickets, coming up to RM1260 (S$500). </div>
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We rendezvous at the Singapore Flyer at 8am, and received the boarding pass to the bus. It departed at 8.30am sharp. As we were there early, we walked around the Singapore Flyer and was captivated by the quiet morning scene of the Singapore river.</div>
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The journey is quite fast, taking around 1 hour. But custom clearance is an additional 1 hour at the Singapore end. First thing first is to check into Legoland Hotel. Below is a picture of the reception. <br />
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There are lots of lego bricks for people to play with. <br />
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After we have done our check-in and deposit our luggage at the concierge, we walked along Medini Mall, which is just besides legoland. We saw artists drawing images of people and it cost RM10 per person. So we decided to have our portrait drawn. It cost RM10 for my single black and white portrait and RM40 for our couple colour portrait. <br />
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Below is the colour couple portrait.<br />
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Here is the bird's eye view of legoland. <br />
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As we approached the entrance, we were captivated by figures below.<br />
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One of the first ride we took is the train ride. <br />
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We continue to try out the different rides and went for different lego workshop experiences. Our favorite ride is the laser shooting ride and the car-making workshop is one of the two memorable experience. (seen below)<br />
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We made our own car and race with others. Below is a video of the race. We have been winning every round. <br />
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It is 4pm, time to bunk into our room. Legoland hotel elevator has different theme music in it. <br />
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Our hotel room is the castle-theme room. <br />
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It is large and could easily accommodate 5 people. <br />
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Here is the castle-theme corridor.<br />
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One of the floor has access to the swimming pool. <br />
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We went back to Medini Mall for our dinner. And we had Thai food. It is quite affordable after conversion to Singapore dollars. A sumptuous dinner for two is around S$40. <br />
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There is a secret safe in our room which have free lego souvenirs. It will ask you the number of snails, the number of shields, the number of dice and so on. If you could not decipher it, the secret number is 3335. You can also ask the reception for help.<br />
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Breakfast is provided but it gets real crowded in the morning. <br />
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On the second day, we decided to visit the water theme park. <br />
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This is one of our favorite attraction in the water park, when the big pail of water come splashing down. <br />
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There is also a pseudo-beach wave area. <br />
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We also went for the inflatable boat ride below.<br />
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In the afternoon, we joined in a tour of the lego miniland with customer experience manager below. It is a 30mins tour where he brought us around the different sites. Below he is explaining to us the different kampong houses. <br />
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Here is our Singapore scene.<br />
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Before the end of the day, we went for the technics lab. This is the second of the most fun lego experience in the park. If you would like to sign up for it, be sure to do it after you have arrived at the park to book your time. We have the lab technician explaining to us briefly on the 4 objectives we have to complete in 20mins:<br />
1) Control the robot to perform injection<br />
2) Remove bad cells<br />
3) Cut one of the veins<br />
4) Add in vitamins<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFKo5UEffCb1mpCYY3V1wHkjQcWgZHH1N61g05Gq9cW4e2EgmfH66tFrZcxO04pPt0rS0QqJV33TJOm23QKIhyqPGSXIUKzV6VIaiqoHsj0hbMqLphuixUYkyhXeH3-6Va3nr/s1600/24_Play.JPG" title="" /></div>
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We successfully completed all the tasks in 20mins. Below is a video of the first task - injection.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='532' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzYlBKCpoRtmtQyeGkKeUJVVOuZTBWdn-T98Y9NoptIV0-_qWcP137V9g60z0SODQZrHH_ou8Re6gY' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-73400700105369751532015-04-26T13:25:00.002+08:002015-04-26T14:21:16.620+08:00Sydney [18/04 - 25/04]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This will be my first time visiting to Sydney. It's also the first time visiting to a major Australian city. The last time I visited Australia was back in my secondary school days when we visited the desert and iron ore facilities in Pilbara - Western Australia as part of an educational tour. </div>
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I booked the flight out on Saturday morning as I was planning to do some work on Sunday before the start of a week long programme there. As I arrived at the gate, I was pleasantly surprised to be given a free upgrade to business class. And I am also granted express lane at customs control upon arrival.</div>
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Past the airline experience, I took a cab from the airport to Parkroyal Darling Harbor, which is 30mins away and the ride cost A$60. According to my colleague, the hotel room has a cosy feel which I find to be very true. <br />
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<b>19th April 2015 (Sunday)</b><br />
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Sunday is the only day where I have the most free time available. After consulting with Lonely Planet Sydney and a few other travel guides, I came up with a walking tour of the below route. In all, it took us 6 hours (starting at 9.30am and ending at 3.30pm). The landmarks at each point are listed below:<br />
1) City Hall and Queen Victoria Building<br />
2) Sydney Observatory<br />
3) The Rocks<br />
4) Sydney Opera House<br />
5) Royal Botanical Gardens<br />
6) Art Gallery of New South Wales<br />
7) Martin Place<br />
8) St Mary Cathedral<br />
9) Memorial at Hyde Park<br />
A) Shopping at Pitt Street<br />
B) Central Station<br />
C) Market City Shopping Center<br />
D) Chinatown and the Gardens<br />
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We left our hotel and began our uphill walk towards the City Hall and Queen Victoria Building (QVB) area. QVB is actually a shopping mall. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlgJyPm4owjdMYSmF9_2etThr3KHu6Oqa4oE8D9Mt0zCpJ3Uo0sKt8eQ2pfN8x-egaXAwSSpZb0oW2Jy_4FbOGvy6NwUvumdv2jKQaMB3hQBc7JywV3mR373dSYTyc3zTSEWg/s1600/03_QVB.JPG" /></div>
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And we proceed along George Street, which is the main street of the central business district where there is a mix of old and modern buildings along the way. In the picture below, we have an old office building with shopping centers around it and the tall Sydney Tower behind.<br />
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After an hour of walking, we arrived at Sydney Observatory. There are showcases of telescopes and astronomy in there.<br />
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From there, we have good vantage view of the residential area and the river beyond.<br />
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As well as a very good view of Sydney Bridge.<br />
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We walked along the winding road from there towards the Rock, beneath the bridge.<br />
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And there is a large outdoor market with pubs around the Rock.<br />
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At last we arrived at the Sydney Harbor which provides great view of the Opera House and a large cruise ship besides.<br />
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Here is another perspective of the Sydney Bridge.<br />
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A view of central Sydney Harbor bustling with people.<br />
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And a closer view of Sydney Opera House.<br />
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We walked through the Royal Botanical Gardens next.<br />
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On the grounds of the Royal Botanical Gardens is the old parliament house. They offer free tours every 30mins. We did not sign up for it as we just missed it.<br />
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As it is around lunch time (12.30pm), we decided to stop here for lunch.<br />
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After lunch at 1.30pm, we proceed down towards the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It is at the corner of the Royal Botanical Gardens. This gallery has been mentioned by the travel guides a few times, so we decided to pop in and take a look. Entry is free.<br />
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There are European and Australian arts being showcased in there.<br />
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And we made our way towards Martin Place, there are several museums lining along the street.<br />
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Here is the majestic St Mary Cathedral. I will recommend a visit to the cathedral to have a quiet moment and reflection on life.<br />
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Outside the cathedral, we have a statue of a little boy using the iPad (according to my friend Perry).<br />
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We arrived at the quiet waters of the memorial ground in Hyde Park.<br />
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Just next to Hyde park, are the shopping streets of Pitt and George Street. We arrived at the City Market shopping center. At the first floor, there are hundreds of shops selling souvenirs trinkets. <br />
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We spent 3 of our nights in our hotel for dinner as it was raining heavily in Sydney. For the other nights, it's at Darling Harbour. We have the day scene and night scene below.<br />
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And here are the meals we have in Darling Harbour. The first is My Angus with their great entrees below.<br />
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And also Blue Fish seafood below.<br />
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And we are back to My Angus for their steak and ribs below.<br />
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Here is our dinner group photo.<br />
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On Thursday and Friday evenings when the sky start to clear up, we started to do shopping. Here are some interesting shopping stuff. There are Kangaroo, Ostrich and Crocodile Jerky.<br />
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The famous local Australia Vegemite.<br />
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And lots of Manuka Honey.<br />
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We departed from Sydney to Singapore on the 25th April. Below is picture of the lounge.<br />
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As our plane depart from the terminal, it will travel over the bridge to the runway as seen below.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-4042431565399421322015-04-12T13:31:00.001+08:002015-04-12T22:31:48.760+08:00Pengerang Korean Zen Retreat [31/03 - 05/04] 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I came upon a Straits Times advertisement on a Korean Zen Retreat in early March. As I needed to clear my leaves towards the end of March and the retreat happen to fall during this period, I decided to sign up for it. The full 7-day retreat costs S$120. </div>
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Unfortunately I could not depart for retreat on the 29th March (Sunday) as planned due to work commitments. I booked the ferry tickets myself from Limbongan Maju Ferry Service online and departed on the 31st March.</div>
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The ferry tickets cost S$25. Besides paying for the ferry ticket, it is also important to book the ferry through a booking form which they will email over to you. As there are very few passengers leaving for Desaru, the ferry may not operate at all. When I took the ferry, there is another 2 more elderly couple leaving for vacation in Desaru.</div>
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Do note how empty the Changi Ferry Terminal is below.</div>
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It is also important to request the zen center to make taxi booking as there is no taxi plying from the Ferry Terminal in Johore. It took me 30mins to travel from the Ferry Terminal to the International Zen Center and it cost RM$50. I alighted at the entrance and walked towards the zen center, appreciating the plants and flowers along the way in.<br>
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There is a beautiful landscape pond next to the path in.<br>
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Here is the daily schedule. You will notice there are two main routines, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. It consist of 3 sets of sitting meditation and 2 sets of walking meditation.<br>
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In the evening, we have Dharma talks by the zen masters.<br>
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Here is Zen master Dae Kwang enlightening us with his speech.<br>
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Three times a day, we will need to do chantings.<br>
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And there is an elaborate procedure on how we go about having our meals.<br>
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On the Wednesday (1st April), is a fasting day. I also joined in the fast. It's the first time I abstain from meals the whole day. By the Thursday (2nd April), we have a special breakfast to get us ready to have our meals again.<br>
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Our seniors explaining to us on the process of getting our stomach ready for the meal.<br>
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At the end of the retreat, there is a short and simple sharing from everyone. <br>
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And a group photo is taken. <br>
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We departed from the zen center at 1.40pm by taxi and arrived at the Pengerang Ferry Terminal at 2pm. Along the way, we noticed the massive construction work going on at both sides of the road. Many animals were displaced because of the construction work. <br>
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And we board the ferry back to Singapore. After departing Pengerang shortly, we came upon a huge piece of reclaim land. This is under Pulau Tekong. It is very impressive. Compare to 4-5 years ago, there is nothing except for barriers. Now the reclaim land are up - it is indeed long-term planning by Singapore government. <br>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-60851145796712015672015-03-21T22:40:00.000+08:002016-03-27T09:40:43.911+08:00OH! Open House Joo Chiat [21/03]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is the time of the year again for OH! Open House. It is held on average once every 1-2 years. And this time I found out about it from FP. It will be at Joo Chiat, our regular hangout. Getting the tickets is quite difficult as we thought, as with the previous years, we can only get it at the entrance. But this time round, the tickets are sold online and it was all sold out when we tried to get it a week before! Lucky for us, the organizers were allocating additional slots and FP manage to get 2 tickets for the 3.45pm slot on the 21st March (Saturday).</div>
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I met up with FP for tea at Dunman Food Center at 3.10pm and we left the Food Center for our rendezvous point at <b>No Man's Land</b>. It's actually an open field just next to the Haig Girls School, opposite 136 Tembeling Road. There is this vintage sign that greeted us when we arrived. </div>
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Registration is simple. FP just indicated his name at the 3.45pm timeslot and we received the tour pass. <br />
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The crowds are starting to gather. There are 20 people in each tour group. And the tour groups leave every 15mins. There is an average of 3 guides per group and they are all dress in the blue t-shirt below, with OH! Open House Joo Chiat words printed on it. <br />
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While waiting for the tour to start, we cross over to the opposite where we can see lots of pictures and painting on display. This is the 'Love Letters to Joo Chiat'. There is a local guide taking charge of this area and she enthusiastically explain to us on what this is about. <br />
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Our first stop point is Boon's Boat. This is a 8-metre long boat, where the artists evoke Noah's Ark, a place of rescue, refuge and salvation. <br />
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As we go into the boat, there are artifacts taken from residences around the area. These different objects evoke memories behind them. <br />
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As we walk to the back of Boon's Boat is a series of scaffolding with letters slot randomly into the pigeon holes. We can open up the letter and read the different aspirations of people. From there, we can see and read the many voices of people that is hidden from us, and being kept away like a scroll. <br />
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The passage leads to the backyard of Mr and Mrs Tan house. We walked in from the kitchen area where we were greeted by plastic flowers on the floor, and leading all the way to the way to the front of the house. According to the guide, this depicts the unhealthy obsession with all things fake and plastic. Singapore itself consist of many artificial buildings and structures. In itself, it become a type of nostalgia and uniqueness to Singapore. <br />
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We are at the front of the house. <br />
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Let's take a full picture view of the house. These houses are conserved by the Preservation of Monuments Board. <br />
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The next house is shared with us by Andrzej and Evie, who live at the Sandalwood Condominium. Here we see the many pictures of people in Joo Chiat. <br />
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There is also a unique Tall Bike in the middle of the room. <br />
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We are invited to write our thoughts on the bike. <br />
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The famous artist Ng Eng Teng used to live and have his workshop at 106 Joo Chiat Place. But all that is left is a small area, and Golden Sultan of Pahang is being exhibited here. <br />
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While walking to the next stop, our guide told us we are passing by the famous Everitt Road where disputes between neighbours drag on for more than 10 years. And the North Korean embassy is also around the area.<br />
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The next house belong to Jason and Gigi. It shows a very beautiful interior bamboo garden. The artist is Alecia Neo, where we can see her below. She combine sounds and sights of the many religious places of worship that can be found in Joo Chiat - the chinese temples, mosques, churches, hindu temples as an exhibit in this house. <br />
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Here, she is explaining on the moon cycles and the bodhi tree.<br />
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Our next stop is Fragrance Hotel, where we visited 2 rooms in the hotel. There artists depict the rooms as disconnecting from the external world and in each room, a different space exist where people interact with people of different nationalities differently. The rooms are exactly the same, but it's different living spaces to different people.<br />
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Our final stop of the day is visiting the house of Wei Chun. Below is a space with a history behind. The guide told us when the owner move in many years ago, a Thai lady crash landed from above into this open courtyard. She is actually escaping from a raid upstairs. The numbers in the exhibit depict the date at which the population white paper is passed. It raises the question whether with 6.9million people will Singapore be a comfortable place for everyone to live together. <br />
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The artist who decorated the room is Sean Lee. It shows himself dressing up as a ladyboy persona working in the red light district of Siem Reap. <br />
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And the many photos pin up on the windows and the wall.<br />
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At the end of the 2-hour tour, we have a group photo.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-6615858903368672232015-02-18T16:01:00.000+08:002015-03-21T12:59:14.549+08:00Tokyo Shinjuku [01/02 - 17/02]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm back to Hilton Shinjuku Tokyo hotel and will be here for the next 2.5 weeks.</div>
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My fellow colleague Thomas, recommended to me this sushi joint by the name of Kiraku. It is a 15mins walk from hotel to the sushi place, located in the Honmachi area of Shibuya district. <br />
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Here is the sushi chef and his wife.<br />
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This is my standard ordering fare in each visit. It cost around 4200 JPY per meal. The soup is also splendid. One of my favorite is actually the sweet shrimp head soup.<br />
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On one of the night, I have dinner with my colleague from Singapore, Phil at a local Yakitori place. <br />
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The menu are all in Japanese. <br />
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My staple drink is the Japanese green tea. <br />
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Prior to visiting Japan, I heard about Lotteria Kobe Beef burger. On a Saturday while walking past Omotesanto, I stumble upon the Lotteria joint and in I went. It cost 1,500 JPY for the set meal below.<br />
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In one of my visit to Shibuya, I stumble upon girls giving away free chocolates to "guys who will not be getting chocolates for valentine's day".<br />
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I also dropped by Akihabara, but only just a walk along the street and I went back to the train station.<br />
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My colleague wanted to visit DisneyLand. And we heard that evening tickets are much cheaper at 5,000 JPY. So we went to DisneyLand in the evening.<br />
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There are still many people around in DisneyLand at this time. <br />
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Here I am in the Loony Toons area.<br />
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It started to drizzle a bit in the evening and every took refuge in a shelter area. The night shows still continue and I am able to catch a glimpse of it. <br />
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Here is one of my favorite ramen joints - Ippudo at Shinjuku Nishi station. <br />
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One of the night, my fellow colleague decided to bring us to a very local place - standing yakitori bar. It is really very local where the tables are all make-shift. <br />
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I am trying to find a large supermarket to do all my shopping. I stumble upon the Ito Yokado supermarket at Oomachi. I still find the supermarket to be quite small. <br />
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At the top floor, they have pretty good Oyster fried and Crab fried meals. <br />
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I went back to Ueno shopping street, where they sell lots of local produce. <br />
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And here is the result of my shopping. I will be buying even more from the airport. <br />
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Towards the final two evenings, I found out about Kani Doraku (かに道楽). It is a famous chain store started from Osaka which serve crab cuisine. There are two branches around the Shinjuku station area. I went to both branches over the two evenings. <br />
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On the first night, I have a mixture of crab dishes. <br />
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And on the second night, it is steamboat crab. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-69823874673684399952015-02-15T15:53:00.000+08:002015-03-21T12:58:49.033+08:00Shinjuku Gyoen [14/02]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A fellow colleague recommended us to visit Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑), a garden just slightly to the east of Shinjuku station. There is an entrance fee to this garden, which cost 200JPY.</div>
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I decided to visit the garden on the 14th Feb, by taking a shuttle bus from my hotel to Shinjuku station and taking a 15mins walk from there. </div>
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The entrance tickets are dispensed out from a vending machine. Entry to garden is also via ticket gates similar to those seen in train stations </div>
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It is still winter season, but spring should be coming soon. A number of trees are bare. </div>
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There is a large open space area in the garden which has very good view of buildings around.<br />
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I read online that plum trees will start to blossom at this time. There are a few trees where the flowers are starting to bloom as seen below. <br />
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The garden is quite visitor friendly with maps around the place. <br />
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At one corner of the garden is a Greenhouse. <br />
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The greenhouse is temperature and humidity controlled. Most of the plants grown in the greenhouse are similar to what I would find back in Southeast Asia. I quickly zip through the pathway and back out to the gardens. <br />
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There is a circular bench area where visitors can sit and enjoy the flowers.<br />
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There are more plum trees in this area.<br />
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I approach a zen-like stone bridge and garden.<br />
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This area has a number of small lakes where ducks can be seen floating by.<br />
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Comparatively, today is much warmer compare to the rest of the days. It is a great day for picnic. <br />
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I walked one round around the garden and I'm back to where I came in from. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-72378855810303305032015-01-30T15:31:00.000+08:002015-03-15T15:36:37.762+08:00Gurgaon [19/01 - 29/01]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is my first visit to New Delhi, and my second visit to India. This will be my longest stay in India, spanning 10 days. I arrived at New Delhi airport and breeze through the customs. My driver waited for me past the gates and I proceed to my hotel - Trident Gurgaon. </div>
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As I walked past the security gates, I am amazed by the palace-like design of the hotel. </div>
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There are fires burning on the water. <br />
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The hotel reception is spacious.<br />
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And here is my room.<br />
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I walked around the hotel and noticed the pool is one floor below. At both sides of the stairs are lamps. <br />
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Let's contrast it with the morning scene.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NEKDmwAgC9g9EG2M-O9VczEvh_hyqpf3ZXUinLWNAxRkL7O864eBk1F6KGw21VGrBilfWhv-V5q0NNRxdDqqjto6gIiXYvgmfT9jcWFDwqZ39Dn4iLqRSmlF59jkabPFKaOy/s1600/DSC_3131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NEKDmwAgC9g9EG2M-O9VczEvh_hyqpf3ZXUinLWNAxRkL7O864eBk1F6KGw21VGrBilfWhv-V5q0NNRxdDqqjto6gIiXYvgmfT9jcWFDwqZ39Dn4iLqRSmlF59jkabPFKaOy/s1600/DSC_3131.JPG" /></a></div>
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This is the breakfast dining area.<br />
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Besides having dinner in hotel, we can either visit DLF Cybercity, a commercial district with ample restaurants. It is a short 3mins drive from our hotel.<br />
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This is part of my regular Indian cuisine diet. <br />
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The other area where I can hang out is the large Ambience Mall. Depending on the traffic condition, getting here can be as quick as 10mins to as long as 30mins.<br />
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A short distance from my office is the Kingdom of Dreams. It has a theme-park style design. But there are two main highlights here.<br />
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The first highlight is the food street. It features cuisines from all over India. <br />
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One of the afternoon, we had Indian Muslim cuisine.<br />
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And on a separate day, I visited the Kingdom of Dreams to check out the other highlight - musical.<br />
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They have a few musical shows throughout the week. I bought the 2999 INR Zangoora - The Gypsy Prince show. They have an English audio set which cost 250 INR. The translation is a bit out of sync with what's happening on stage. But the dance and performance is worth the money.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-57573510697767758942015-01-26T15:44:00.000+08:002015-03-15T11:40:03.553+08:00Old Delhi Bike Tour [25/01]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My good friend John recommended us to sign up for the Old Delhi Bike Tour. A quick search online return with the one and only Old Delhi Bike Tour (www.delhibycycle.com). They have a few packages but we went for the original Shah Jahan tour (Old Delhi). It cost 25 Euros per person and we registered for it a few days before the trip. As we approach to the actual date, we were concerned that Obama visit will have some parts of the city being curfew off. But the tour organizers told us not to worry about it. The rendezvous time is at 6.30am around the Old Delite cinema. </div>
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We left our hotel at 5.45am and arrived at the Old Delite cinema by 6.20am. It was darkness around the Old Delite cinema. There were a large number of tricycles parked in front of the cinema. I recce around the area first, trying to figure out the exact rendezvous location. The website gave very detail description on how we can walk from Delite cinema to the carpark area. </div>
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And below is our gathering point. I noticed all the participants are ladies except for me. </div>
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We began our journey into the Old Delhi streets. We zipped past the Delite Cinema, past Turkman Gate and arrived at Chawri Bazar. The route takes us through small winding and uneven paths. You will need pretty good bicycle skill to manoeuvre your way through. The Chawri Bazar is like a circular town square right in the heart of old Delhi. <br />
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People were still fast asleep at this time and it's quite quiet. <br />
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We continued our journey and arrived at the residential area of the Spice market. We parked our bikes along the road and climbed up 4 flights of stairs to the top of the building. It gave us an astonishing view of the surroundings.<br />
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Our guide told us this is also a member of the Old Delhi Bike Tour group.<br />
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After we made our way down, the Spice market is starting to come alive with hawkers pushing their wares to the shops.<br />
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We continue our cycle through the busy roads and arrived at the Civil Lines. They wanted to show us the contrast between the Old Delhi district where people live in poverty to luxurious mansions just across the main street. We had a short chai break at this time.<br />
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Here I am with my bike.<br />
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Finally, we arrived at the Jama Masjid and is dazzled by the majestic architecture of the mosque. The guide told us people who could not visit Mecca, will visit the Jama Masjid.<br />
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It is lunch time and it is Indian food at the Karim. They told us this is one of the original chain restaurant that serves very good Prata with Mutton curries.<br />
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Here is our brunch spread.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKFH3d5kQTjyZ2JIJ36BsrT5SBS0snvvImDdPPlaP1LcwGsuiIhddNIauwcdPverCnNihtIew5-PGRx5mHRy8y6KJIqaW6iBHxvRs8ZTxNtFQZGwPp1cJyCH5TCNcKTzNAtxf/s1600/DSC_3304.JPG" /><br />
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I walked back to the main street to have a quick snap of the Jama Masjid.<br />
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And we continue our journey down the busy market street.<br />
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As the Delite Cinema is quite a distance from the subway, I decided to hop on a tricycle to bring us over to the nearest subway line. It cost 60 rupee for the 10mins ride.</div>
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Thank you to our driver.<br />
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The Delhi metro is remarkably clean and advanced.<br />
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Prior to returning back to our hotel, we visited Delhi Haat which sells a variety of handicrafts.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-83871609146569736182015-01-25T15:35:00.000+08:002015-03-08T18:17:55.860+08:00Taj Mahal [24/01]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A visit to New Delhi is never complete without a visit to the legendary Taj Mahal. Coincidentally the weekend we were there, there was also a planned schedule visit by President Obama. We did all the necessary checks to ensure the Taj is not closed on the Saturday which we planned to visit. </div>
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The entire journey from Gurgaon to Taj Mahal plus the entrance tickets and guide cost me 10,000 INR (S$222). We departed from our hotel at 7am and begin our 3 hours journey towards Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located. </div>
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As luck would have it, the car we were in has its tyre pressure running out. The journey was delayed by an hour to 2 hours. By the time we arrived in Agra, it's lunch time. So we have lunch at the Oberoi hotel which is by the Taj below.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXvLXsFT1JcNG4NSGyH33QjhTWZq-Mt35DklbVHeOBcazjRzJoJA25FOd3vbm6y3pYtuKtSQe3K17VYukmgzO8SS7pGFhMw_l91SWWl1cj62I3p_ZEqBP3gZciC340FnEvg-6/s1600/DSC_3145.JPG" /></div>
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The restaurant has quite good view of the Taj.<br />
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From the hotel, we took an electric car to the entrance. We have our tour guide to the right below.<br />
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Here is the main doorway leading to the Taj.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4WEW4aw8rXXzRfpimBrelyvmxHgMIS2OGTVaVJzBwX9aYBy5CU9YFTCPpYyRXsQRubrM1knnoQ1X_Pvxu3ZasCSXvCUCygpk70kRB-jzA31PlPdnfAVvdjByBDoyibSD1FMY/s1600/DSC_3163.JPG" /></div>
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And viola! Check out the majestic Taj Mahal.<br />
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Here is our group photo.<br />
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The tour guide told us to take a photo of the Taj from this perspective, and so we did.<br />
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Here is another photo close as we walk by the side gardens.<br />
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We will either have to remove our shoes or wear shoe protective covers as we go into the Taj Mahal.<br />
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There are two mosques by the side of the Taj Mahal.<br />
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Behind the Taj, is a long beautiful river. <br />
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Let's take a closer look at the elaborate design and inscription on the walls.<br />
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There are still endless stream of people coming to visit the Taj as we left the area around 3pm.<br />
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From there, we made our journey back to hotel (skipping the Agar Fort) and got back to the hotel at 9pm.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-53655234020295517132014-12-08T08:51:00.000+08:002015-03-08T17:59:38.196+08:00Anime Festival Asia [07/12]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's the time of the year again - the Anime Festival Asia. I recalled coming to AFA for the first time in 2008, and watched how it has grown these 7 years. We have cosplayers around the entrance area as we proceed to buy tickets.</div>
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I bought the exhibition and stage access pass.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9P7Bik7XjmnD1gu0IggKURhOdKthsjWAGh0TAPczJSH0cPj8Mw0YdlR4wyH3xyGZGLLIJfLlDKuazH6_ba1lUzo3NvxSXooF_b6ZMF8icLvXvR0Y_4GkCSpaBVjDAVsTXwAXC/s1600/DSC_2784.JPG" /> <br />
There are many more international exhibitors in the AFA now.<br />
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With continuous live stage entertainment below.<br />
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And also real-time gaming competition with players from another country.<br />
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Next we have the special AFA stage where anime singers are invited up to perform.<br />
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And not forgetting domo-kun below.<br />
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The ticket I bought allow me access to the day stage area where there are short performances by anime singers and singers-wannabe.<br />
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There is a section where visitors can try the training that cadets go through in Attack of the Titan.<br /><br />
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There are also some special games showcase.<br />
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And here is the performance by a singer who is giving us a preview of Death Note the musical.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-29153519143429034922014-11-30T08:45:00.000+08:002015-03-08T17:52:54.890+08:00River Safari [29/11]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My brother passed me a free entry ticket to River Safari that can be used during the month of November only. Using this as an opportunity, AJ and myself plan a visit to the River Safari on the 29th November.</div>
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We took a taxi from Balestier to Choa Chu Kang as the way is faster and more direct. We arrived in around 20mins and begin our journey to the River Safari. </div>
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Pass the gates, we were greeted by the river and the equatorial rainforests.<br />
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The River Safari are grouped into different river themes such as the Ganges, the Yangtze River, the Amazon and so on. And in each theme house the different aquatic creatures behind the glass.<br />
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We continue walking to an indoor enclose area and noticed this furry creature (Red Panda) walking around the branches. It can get really close to us (1-metre away) from the branches to the visitors below.<br />
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And here we have the two pandas. Here is the more outgoing panda (Kaikai).<br />
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And here is the more introvert panda (Jiajia).<br />
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It is coming close to lunch time. We decide to have lunch at the Mama Panda Kitchen. <br />
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We ordered wanton noodles bamboo rice and two panda buns.<br />
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From the cafe, there is quite a good view of the river that discharges out into the reservoir. There is also the bridge linking the other side of the river.<br />
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It's going to rain soon. And it did. It rained for the next 2 hours. We just sat at the entrance dimsum restaurant, while waiting the rain to go off.<br />
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As it started to rain, we explored the Amazon theme area, with the piranhas below.<br />
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At this place, there is a large aquatic showcase.<br />
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After the rain has slowed to a drizzle, we tried the $5, 10mins Amazon River Quest.<br />
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The front of the boat can get a bit wet as it plunge into the river beyond.<br />
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Here we have flamingos.<br />
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Next we went for the $5, 20mins River Safari cruise. It is a journey around the reservoir, where we can have good views of the animals living by the river in the zoo.<br />
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Here is the tour guide explaining to us the habitats living around. She went around letting us feel the texture of the tail of a giraffe.<br />
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The quiet boat ride.<br />
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With elephants up on the hill...<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-84968396913268557282014-11-06T14:50:00.000+08:002015-02-22T08:39:04.084+08:00Shanghai [20/10 - 05/11]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm returning back to Shanghai again. The evening sun greeted me as I journeyed from Pudong airport towards Shanghai city center. </div>
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Over the course of the next 2 weeks, I will be staying at the Westin Bund. The hotel looks nice and spacious.<br />
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Here is the bathroom.<br />
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I rendezvous with my colleague for dinner at the hotel restaurant. We are having seafood buffet.<br />
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Teppanyaki dish prepared by the local staff.<br />
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As the hotel is a short distance walk from the Nanjing East Road. We visited the street to take a look at the hustle and bustle of city life.<br />
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On another day, we visited the Bund.<br />
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And took some photos of the great view across the river.<br />
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<b>24th October 2014 (Friday) </b><br />
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One of my colleague would like to tailor-make suits. After asking around, we arrived at Lu Jia Bang Road textile market. There are lots of tailors here. <br />
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For dinner, we checked out the famous Xiao Long Bao shop at Yu Yuan.<br />
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<b>25th October 2014 (Saturday)</b><br />
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I like to do supermarket shopping over the weekend. It is also the hairy crab season. Here are the actual prices of the crabs as sold in supermarket.<br />
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I visited my good friend DK's house over the weekend. His house has very good view of the city skyline.<br />
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He brought me to Renmin Garden where they have matchmaking activities going on every weekend. I blur out the photos deliberately below. Most of the people are parents who put their children profile for prospectors to look at.</div>
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Most of them are ladies. But there are also men.<br />
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One of my favorite restaurant in Shanghai this time round is Xi Bei below. It serves very affordable modern style spicy dining.<br />
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After dinner, we took a walk around the city area and came upon Jingan temple.<br />
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<b>26th October 2014 (Sunday) </b><br />
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On Sunday, I brought my colleague to a western cuisine style hangout at Xintiandi.<br />
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Here is Xintiandi during the day.<br />
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In the evening, I catch up with my good friend DK again for steamboat dinner. <br />
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<b>31st October (Friday)</b><br />
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This evening, I decided to have Japanese dinner.<br />
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<b>2nd November 2014 (Sunday)</b><br />
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It is back to steamboat again this evening.<br />
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When I got back to my hotel, I am greeted by a Birthday cake from the hotel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBE5zGMdWsCfv2mNPVRgdVyw91EnJWYYvzA9chVhkUWexshlOuynK_LP9qj7bEg5npt8lo_1LQv3IHjUgBaiowGvwqjsxXER1nF0uqCdS_X8GItCTwAKDYzHgXyt39JHVundNJ/s1600/DSC_2426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBE5zGMdWsCfv2mNPVRgdVyw91EnJWYYvzA9chVhkUWexshlOuynK_LP9qj7bEg5npt8lo_1LQv3IHjUgBaiowGvwqjsxXER1nF0uqCdS_X8GItCTwAKDYzHgXyt39JHVundNJ/s1600/DSC_2426.JPG" /></a><b>3rd November 2014 (Monday)</b></div>
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My boss bought for me birthday cake on Monday. </div>
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In the evening, we went for Xinjiang cuisine.<br />
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We visited to Han City along Nanjing East road. It sells a variety of goods and I'm fascinated by this USB drive below. Is there a 1TB flash memory the size of a thumb?<br />
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<b>4th November 2014 (Tuesday)</b><br />
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It is the final night in Shanghai and I caught up with DK again for supper. This has to be one of the best barbeque I have tried so far. The mutton skewers are prepared by 2 girls from Xinjiang by the side of the road.<br />
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DK and myself booked a 2-day tour package to Putuoshan (普陀山) online (via ctrip) a week before. It cost 510RMB (S$110) which covers entrance tickets, transport and accommodation. If purchase separately, the transport cost is 138RMB x 2, fast craft cost is 22RMB x 2, entrance fee is 160RMB, which comes up to a total of 480RMB. The remaining costs go to the cost of guide and accommodation, which definitely cost more than the total price.</div>
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I have been wanting to visit Putuoshan since 2006. But it was quite a long distance from Wuxi, where I was based back then. </div>
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From Shanghai, it is just 4-hours journey away. Back in 2007, there was no direct link between Shanghai and Ningbo. With the completion of the direct link a few years back, the journey is reduced by an hour.</div>
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We rendezvous at Renmin Square at 7.30am. This is the bus we were supposed to board. </div>
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The bus was fully packed. As we went around in search of breakfast, we were one of the last few to board the bus, and have to occupy the back seats.<br />
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After arrival, we were greeted by the local guide. This single guide need to manage 70 tourists. It is indeed a super budget tour package.<br />
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The first activity for the day is lunch at the ferry terminal area. It cost 35 RMB per person and the coupon was sold while we were on the bus. It feels like military style where we bring metal trays along the counter and select 3 dishes and a soup. After lunch, we realized there is quite a wide selection of food places we can go for around the ferry terminal. There are also many shops that sell local produces (<i>but they ain't that good</i>).<br />
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The building leading to the ferry terminal looks like Potala Palace of Tibet (as seen in the photo below).<br />
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And we proceed to board the ferry. The ferry runs regularly. And there are lots of people taking it over the weekend.<br />
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It is just a short 10min ride away and we arrived at the main entrance of Mt Putuo.<br />
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Mt Putuo is one of the 4 Buddhist mountain in China. I have visited Mt Jiuhua in 2007 (documented in my blog), which is dedicated to Dizhan Pusha, the bodhisattva of Great Vow. Mt Putuo is dedicated to the bodhisattva of Great Compassion, Guanyin. I believe most people are familiar with Guanyin. As Mt Putuo is an island located off the Yangtze River, it has a Buddhist Kingdom of the Sea name as seen below.<br />
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We took an internal shuttle bus to our first stop, which is also pretty close to our accommodation. After listening to the introduction by our tour guide, we decided not to follow her. Her explanation has some mystical and folklore to the sights, which is not what we wanted to hear. As practicing Buddhists, we seek the truth of practicing the Dharma in our life, and not deluding us further. So we parted ways from the tour guide and proceed directly to check in.<br />
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Our accommodation is very simple. A simple 2-bed single room next to each other with an attached shower facility. <br />
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We begin our climb up a hill. First stop is Guanyin Cave.<br />
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Many devotees are armed with incense. Each temple they visit, they will light the incense and pray for good fortune.<br />
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There is a temple building next to the cave.<br />
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We continue on our journey. Halfway through the mountain trek, we came upon this splendid view of the island. We can see our accommodation from here (notice the lower right hand side).<br />
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We proceeded to the next temple along the way, Enlightenment Vihara (圆通禅林).<br />
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A close-up look at the temple.<br />
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There is a Japanese bronze style temple at a long flight of stairs next to the main temple building.<br />
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The next sight is the Thousand-year Camphor. This place has less people and it's more peaceful.<br />
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We arrived at one of the 3 main temple in Mt Putuo, the Puji temple (普济寺). There is a large lake in front of the temple grounds.<br />
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Here is the main temple building. The main hall has a very majestic Buddha representation in it which is very impressive.<br />
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There is a lotus pond next to the lake in front of the temple. The lotus are not blooming at this time.<br />
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There is a quiet and new temple in the area. <br />
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It has very unique-looking guardian protectors.<br />
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Next to the main bus terminal at Puji temple is the beach. <br />
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This rock formation is called Shishi rock (师石). It is said the teacher will sit on the rock and give instructions to the students.<br />
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Surprisingly, there is a pathway that links directly to Nanhai Guanyin (南海观音). We walked along the path and arrived at Nanhai Guanyin in 15mins. It was around 6pm in the evening and the site only stop selling tickets at 6.30pm. So we can still make a final run for it.<br />
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This is the largest Guanyin statue on the island.<br />
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From another perspective as the sun is setting.<br />
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We completed our visit and made our way back to our accommodation, while intending to find dinner places around. I read online that Mt Putuo is famous for seafood and it is true. It is such a big contrast, with people visiting temples and making offerings during the day. At night, they feast upon seafood. There is this area a short 5-mins walk from the ferry terminal (to the left after exit), which has lots of restaurants. We ordered a few simple dishes of vegetables. <br />
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The next day, we decided to take the cable car up. It is a mistake. We spent 1 hour 30mins just to queue before taking the cable car. <br />
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Here is our group photo.<br />
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There are lots of shops along the way leading to the main temple. At the top is Huiji temple (慧济禅寺). It is the second of the 3 main Buddhist temple in Mt. Putuo.<br />
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We made our way down and came upon pilgrims doing the 3 steps one bow up the temple steps.<br />
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At the base of the hill is Fayu temple (法雨寺). There is a bridge leading to the temple gates.<br />
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And here is the main temple building.<br />
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Take a look at the huge crowd of devotees.<br />
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As we walk further in, the temple architecture changes slightly.<br />
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Devotees making prayers to the Jade Buddha.<br />
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Lunch time is coming and one of the monks knock on the wooden fish to signal the time.<br />
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Our brunch at Mt. Putuo(around the vicinity of the ferry terminal), a simple vegetarian fare.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-59575704361143160972014-10-13T13:28:00.000+08:002015-04-12T13:45:59.856+08:00Dharma Drum 7-Day Zen Retreat [06/10 - 12/10] 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is the time of the year again for meditation retreat. And this time I have signed up for the zen retreat with Dharma Drum Singapore. It is to be held in Bright Hill Temple in Bishan again. And we will be living and having our activities at the Ten Thousand Buddha pagoda at the back of the monastery. </div>
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During registration, all of us need to deposit our mobile devices and valuables with the front desk. We are required to be disconnected from the outside world.<br />
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And here is the main hall where all our activities will be held. It ranges from daily prayers, meditation, prostration, yoga and walking/running meditation.<br />
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In the morning and evening, we will have to do the daily chanting.<br />
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We have 3 meals a day. And for each meal, we have to walk in two straight lines with awareness and silently towards the dining hall. <br />
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Here we are having our meals with complete mindfulness.<br />
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There is regular yoga exercises throughout the day.<br />
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As well as frequent sitting meditation.<br />
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There is also a daily walking and running meditation exercise in the afternoon.<br />
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On the last day, we have the opportunity to experience outdoor zen. We went out to the temple garden.<br />
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And sit amidst the greenery and beautiful pond by the side.<br />
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Here is our group photo. There are 80 people in all.<br />
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At the end of the retreat, we have group discussions. There are 10 groups with 8 people each.<br />
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Our two masters who led the retreat.<br />
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And it is check-out time. Everyone is queuing up to retrieve their valuables. They also gave us lots of snacks and goodies to enjoy our journey back home.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-26187489523352430372014-10-04T12:41:00.000+08:002015-02-18T13:40:51.094+08:00Milwaukee II [29/09 - 03/10]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It will be my second trip to Milwaukee this time round. I'm flying by a different airline - Cathay Pacific, instead of the ANA/United combination. I departed in the morning at 7am from Singapore Changi airport. Here is a snapshot of the clouds.</div>
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I have heard a lot of good things about Cathay Pacific. But
nevertheless, I still prefer ANA for their Japanese green tea and
Japanese cuisine. For Cathay, they have shrimp congee, hong kong milk tea as well as wanton noodles. <br />
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I had a chance to use the Marco Polo First Class lounge in Hong Kong as my colleague has member card to it. The selection of drinks and food are different from the Business Class lounge.<br />
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And I continue my journey towards Chicago, where I witness sunset, follow by sunrise.<br />
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This time round, I will be doing car-rental. There is no direct car rental parking in the airport. They have the car rental companies shuttle bus going around where they will make regular stops to pick up customers to the respective car rental parking areas. <br />
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There's a wide selection of cars to choose from.<br />
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We choose a Ford.<br />
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This car looks very advanced with GPS and other features. I drive for most part of the journey and clock close to 8 hours of driving in this trip.<br />
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We visited the first outlet site - Pleasant Prairie. I heard that the tax in Wisconsin is lower than in Chicago / Illinois. I bought quite a number of stuff before continuing my journey towards Milwaukee.<br />
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Tonight, we are having seafood lobster dinner (as can be seen from the sign below, it cost US$13.95)<br />
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Check out the size of the lobster below! It will be the last time I'm having it. I'm a bit bothered by the size of the lobster. It's so huge!<br />
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Next, I checked into Hyatt Regency Milwaukee. This is definitely a much better hotel than the one I stayed at previously. <br />
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Let's have a peek into the room.<br />
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Daily, I drive to office. It is autumn time and the leaves are turning yellow.<br />
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On the last day, We visited a supermarket to do some shopping for tea, coffee, etc.<br />
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And also visited the outlet mall at Chicago. This is just a close distance to Chicago international airport. I find the variety in this mall to be much more and will definitely visit it again in the future.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-78381886387972251862014-09-27T23:19:00.001+08:002015-02-20T09:56:04.670+08:00Keppel Hill Reservoir [27/09]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I flipped through the local newspapers on the 18 Sep 2014 (Thursday), I noticed the highlight for the day is the discovery of an abandoned reservoir near Telok Blangah road by a group of NHB researchers. From some older reports, this reservoir is actually known as Keppel Hill Reservoir. I did a few screen shots of the local publications reporting on the discovery of the abandoned reservoir below. After reading about it, I contacted FP and started organizing a trip to explore this abandoned reservoir. <br />
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As I was overseas the last weekend, the first possible weekend available is the 27 Sep. The rough location we have was actually from Today's newspaper which has a big red dot near to Wishart Road and Keppel Hill Road.<br />
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From Vivocity (Harborfront MRT), it is 3 bus stops away. There are several buses plying along the road. If you are coming in from Vivocity, please alight at the 'opp Chr Community Chapel' bus stop. After alighting, we will need to cross 2 pedestrian traffic lights and we will come upon the bus stop that is along Telok Blangah Road (leading towards Vivocity).<br />
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(A) Bus stop along Telok Blangah Road (bef Chr Community Chap) <br />
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You can take a look at the buses that ply along this area. There are also shophouses and a 7-11 in the area. <br />
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We made a turn into Morse Road which runs perpendicular to Wishart Road. Wishart Road is the road which will directly lead you to Keppel Hill Reservoir.<br />
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(B) The junction of Morse Road and Wishart Road <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAxlGIfHKdr7aD9tM1YPWNSfEkDruZmSlG0TBrE1vxgYSvi8Hf3P4Q0BCrQiPExoheivdlzBfqBFivREZFCm-Gw_MllmKRkhE-0Nlh2ETDqRf73UkXf3xPcXBNnG9-2DIMPh0/s1600/DSC_1767.JPG" /></div>
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We made a right turn from there and walk along Wishart Road. This is a landed residential area with shophouses at one side of the road.<br />
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There is quite a good indian restaurant at Wishart Road. We took a break here and have some drinks. The can drinks are going for $1 each. I could not find this price in most of the coffeeshops around Singapore.<br />
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(C) Wishart Road Indian restaurant<br />
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We continued our journey along Wishart Road. Do not make a left turn as it will lead to some construction sites. We actually explored the area but the route did not lead us to anywhere. We continued walking straight along the road and we came to a Joaquim Garden and Landscape Pte Ltd. The reservoir is not here and we continue walking along the road.<br />
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We finally arrive at the end of the road. Though there is a small gate in front, this is actually to prevent vehicles from proceeding forward. For pedestrians, you can continue walking straight in.<br />
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(D) Gate at Wishart Road <br />
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We continue walking straight up the road. And came into a junction as seen below. We made a left turn. The route to the right road is gated and there is no thru-access. (After we have explored the reservoir, I heard from FP that the mansion to the right is actually abandoned)<br />
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(E) Junction - Turn left to the reservoir <br />
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We made a curve turn to the left and came upon a large open area where construction trucks can be seen. Occasionally workers are seen unloading steel sheets in this area.<br />
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(F) Open area<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdORJeVUuo9uIglkStfg2o5CkOhs9w3npwvH5rURRhV_dAaw24bNN_66YlJZS03Pa13ceITifrZy_wJqz7nT7hXSFEnp2KET4aJHeu-d3QtYpuOYETkdWik4ORNu8dMAMjXPap/s1600/DSC_1775.JPG" /></div>
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The workers look back at us and we just wave and said hi to them. And we continue going straight towards the end of the open area.<br />
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As we continue walking straight, we will come to an area with some wooden planks to the right and an altar as seen below.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdnKIuFNTHph9hwrpnhNQp-SXkxFtV3W6qkj7ucT-2QyHRN-Y2ZeH8OKTdwdCi5KKlJHaEt1ZLfkwbJXE-qqHrthwRHVkTZ47TZvpZtpIQLDSjA2dCoxRAESAyS3KbleGchlB/s1600/DSC_1782.JPG" /></div>
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We turned right and slowly walked along the plank. Along the way, we also put our palms together and give thanks to the local deity for protecting this area. From the altar, we made a left turn as seen below.<br />
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There is actually a pathway where we can continue walking. The pathway is quite people friendly and it is not the forest type of pathway.As the Chinese saying goes "路是人走出来的"<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3ezSUQSBfsMZVb-w6UClYuUyk20EoSN39GP263gYpkxaM5oE67FREFMHDznpoBKDuM4grFlXQIC_sFJ7xIA-wpRXz40H6tNW0PdaMULFg5w62FBvslgU5WNvNJNfdsWGQ8l2/s1600/DSC_1789.JPG" /></div>
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There is a small bridge which we have to cross over. As I approach the bridge, I heard a small pop sound. Seems like some animal submerged themselves into the water below as we approached.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigblDRxstXqNm98UNG3I8IVZbuU-H6kl1_VRM94qSZeGvdSBcALZaG3Y_P5263aOC3wdw5Fw47RvpaFsI3jz9Yy0Ex6jw1xb8jTVGEa3fcLexwt5oyeGpEZ_wxHMI-ZTkvyM8U/s1600/DSC_1788.JPG" /></div>
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And viola! Here is the reservoir. From the open area to the reservoir, it is a comfortable 1min walk in.<br />
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It is a very quiet and peaceful place. There are some stairs leading down to the reservoir.<br />
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The full view of the reservoir.<br />
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There are some old pipes leading to the reservoir. But it seems they are no longer working.<br />
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The route we have shared above is actually the direct route leading to the reservoir from the main street. FP and myself spent over an hour searching the vicinity for the location of the reservoir. We tried walking into a forest path a few times but could not locate it.<br />
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I hope this guide will help people who are interested to visit an important heritage of Singapore. Please keep the place clean and orderly. I have also created a map below for easy reference (with the alphabets referencing to the photos above). The best attire for this journey are track shoes and perhaps long pants. I was dressed in my regular berms and casual shoes today.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6PheetXfO7ol2PIkdQ8iuAGPo_GEmahHJf21k6N_xfKeF_rKzqiVxGJoILc54v6RxhzqfCIYtyACyc55LArJsvUfquUHvNP4-6gmkgM3NXWdtYDzgvkj8HQPn7vvuJGZPTnd/s1600/02_Actual+Map.jpg" /></div>
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Update (28 Sept 2014): There is a very good YouTube video of the journey from the Open Area to Keppel Hill Reservoir and around the reservoir by Foosoomin. Please search on YouTube "Keppel Hill reservoir" and the first one to appear is his. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-81036145706902308842014-09-22T14:24:00.000+08:002015-02-20T10:04:34.667+08:00Bali Exquisite Living [18/09 - 21/09]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is the fourth time we are back to Bali. In our previous trips, we had flown by Air Asia. For this trip, we are flying to Bali by Singapore Airlines. I have lots of flying miles which I can tap on, so I only paid $227 for both of us in taxes. As I have a Krisflyer Gold card, we can enjoy the use of the lounge for free. We got to the airport early to have breakfast. </div>
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And we are back to Bali after a 3 hour flight. <br />
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As with all the previous Bali trips, we will be doing hotel/villa hopping. This time round, the hotels we have booked are mainly in the S$300 range per night (with Eden around S$500+). The first hotel is Eden Residence by the Sea at Seminyak. From the airport, it costs around S$30 to get to the villa. It is only a 30mins ride away. <br />
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The villa is extremely huge. The size is suitable for 3 families. Here is the living area below which has good views of the swimming pool. <br />
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We can just laze there overlooking the pool. <br />
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And there are 3 rooms similar to the one below. The first room is located at the first floor and the other 2 rooms are located at the second floor. <br />
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The bath area also looks big. There is also a jacuzzi at the rooftop. <br />
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This is the kitchen and dining area which is just next to the living hall. The kitchen is well-equipped with drinks: water and coconuts.<br />
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As we have passed out lunch time, we asked our hotel to packet-out lunch for us. It was fabulous. Initially we thought it was Nuri's Pork Ribs, but this is actually Warung Sobat (Chinese Indonesian) Ribs, which cost S$16 (160,000 IDR).<br />
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We took a walk around the villa. It is just next to the sea as the name says. <br />
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There is a naughty nuri's warung in this area. <br />
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For dinner, we catered to BBQ seafood set which is US$30 per person. We have one of the chef preparing soup below. <br />
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And also another chef preparing the barbeque for us. Notice that she uses an electric fan to accelerate the barbeque process.<br />
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And our dinner is ready!<br />
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The next day, we went in search of a Bali local products warehouse. It's called Geneva Handicraft (JL. Raya Kerobokan no. 100). The opening hours are 9am to 8pm daily. It is located at the second floor of an industrial looking building around Seminyak area (along the main road).<br />
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It is an extremely huge shop. We spent an hour here going through the different wares.<br />
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Thereafter we made our way to Ubud. For lunch, we have it at the famous Cafe Wayan and Bakery. <br />
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And tonight, we are staying over at Alaya Resort Ubud. This hotel has a very cosy feel to it. The bath tub is also fabulous. <br />
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It has great views of the padi fields.<br />
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Here is the view of the padi fields.<br />
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And a beautiful pool in the resort.<br />
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There is a supermarket just next to the resort. Walking from where we stay to the main road is a journey pass rows of padi fields.<br />
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Before dinner, we decided to go for spa massage. A visit to Bali is never complete without a spa visit. We found a Jelatik Spa (along Monkey Forest Road) which is a short walk away. I went for the 90mins Balinese Massage which cost S$20 (180,000 IDR).<br />
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For dinner, we went back to Dirty Duck Diner and have pork ribs and satay.<br />
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The next day, we signed up for a cooking class with Bali Happy Bike Tour. Here we have our guide Made bringing us around the Ubud market. <br />
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He introduces to us the different produces being sold in the market. <br />
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As well as the spices below.<br />
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Thereafter, it is a 15mins ride to his house where he handed to us the recipes and the dishes we will be preparing. <br />
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The main chef is his wife. <br />
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And I help out a bit as well as the barbeque of the Satay.<br />
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And viola! After 2.5 hours, the food are ready.<br />
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Here we are enjoying the efforts of the day.<br />
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That evening, we went down to Mara River Safari. We will be staying in the Lodge Hotel. <br />
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It is quite a simple wooden design.<br />
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There are several shows in the safari throughout the day. And one of which is the elephant show.<br />
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From our room, there is good vantage view of the safari. We can throw carrots towards the safari and animals can dine on it.<br />
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At night, there is a fire performance. <br />
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The next day, we have breakfast at the animal viewing gallery. <br />
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In the afternoon, we went to Putri Spa in Ubud. I went for the four hand massage, four reflexology massage and cream bath. While AJ went for the four hand massage tool, with the sensation of Java Lulur. The total cost is around S$40 (IDR 360,000) each. They are 2 hours 45mins long. <br />
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After spa, we decided to drop by the Naughty Nuri which is just a short walk away. <br />
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We were amazed by the good quality of pork ribs. We thought we had Naughty Nuri ribs on the first day, but this is the real stuff!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAutyJ4hH7QR5yiWDoVrElZiXlT4yL7gE39s6zGJlMuPkpjM4gR3j1DWOoeCi-0K2Tpv1rvl-OuDeVjeZjK89tbWsNX3wsJhyphenhyphen8g0f2r2BjnIKALxMy_oUZ6WJlLvlv5MJRS1b/s1600/DSC_1723.JPG" /></div>
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We made our way to the airport. While boarding the plane, we were amused to see the airport staff singing farewell to the visitors. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwY7b37fqw8TMCAEnCs_g4omBPKXNfdHltH-Vs88qToZuChF1MUDPNw4m5tjj-hbpuhWFJbYBInfLGsLfaD-k61Ccs4vtUJPWeMcomnW2X0gUMAejN0G7v65-xy5jT_o7xgsFY/s1600/DSC_1739.JPG" /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-10439384828541687152014-08-09T22:57:00.000+08:002014-08-24T10:34:51.582+08:00Shinjuku Tokyo [03/08 - 09/08]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>20th July 2014 (Sunday)</b><br />
I departed from Singapore in the morning of 20th July. It will be a long journey for me with 2 transits, one in Tokyo and another in Chicago. I used to spend my time at the KrisFlyer Gold Class lounge. But on this day, I have the opportunity to use the Business and First Class lounge. This is how it looks like below. <br />
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I am taking ANA business class flight out of Singapore towards Tokyo. The meals they serve are also quite exquisite. Here are the different dishes. First are the appetizer. </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRRx7Yot4WNc7oeBrjUHOTr-cWqdGAiCCx0nKuh-j1trgpMRLyukIjezJSj0GoXfedQpDGhEU-2ApqkRhzJ8pkgHo_RlPQiiWOOlxLPkGg30h_zJJKjEXydlB7DRDb9X5MS9U/s1600/DSC_0215.JPG" /></div>
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Next are the starters.</div>
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Here are the main course.<br />
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And finally the dessert. <br />
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<b>3rd August (Sunday)</b><br />
I arrived in Tokyo Narita Airport at 2pm. From there, I purchase the Airport Limousine bus to Hilton Tokyo hotel. Each time the buses arrive, the baggage assistants will bow towards it. (as seen below)<br />
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I arrived at Hilton Tokyo hotel. It has a good mix of Western and Japanese elements in the design of the hotel room.<br />
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<b>4th - 8th August 2014 </b><br />
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Every morning, I will go to this 24-hour dining place at Shinjuku East.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygfjrBt6-ZEwoyRfVKgzReX-Wa5xLtuPLgAuGJoinWIhiEutjfks5XnW_tgyUGdcdqupDFFDjngCQEdSS_CuVJ_E-W0VKGgPXcPPquxmDvvXQrJD4eJKnqJmNivWDDdnjGFIU/s1600/DSC_0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygfjrBt6-ZEwoyRfVKgzReX-Wa5xLtuPLgAuGJoinWIhiEutjfks5XnW_tgyUGdcdqupDFFDjngCQEdSS_CuVJ_E-W0VKGgPXcPPquxmDvvXQrJD4eJKnqJmNivWDDdnjGFIU/s1600/DSC_0953.JPG" /></a></div>
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The meal serving style is similar to what you will find in company canteens. The typical breakfast size is seen below.<br />
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In Japan, sushi is a must try. So one of the evening, I went for conveyor belt sushi. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIzBW9PlBwxVMSuOgdu1VYvsXdHVMOT9-MhcOj9DuqXQUqRVLXq_tJKtoXgvLzRgM3W9QFg-IiY7p8hP0I6uUq8PfuZOYc7jyOpha6a_XC-NMm35ywZUZbAJpi10WDKmzkFNj/s1600/DSC_0871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIzBW9PlBwxVMSuOgdu1VYvsXdHVMOT9-MhcOj9DuqXQUqRVLXq_tJKtoXgvLzRgM3W9QFg-IiY7p8hP0I6uUq8PfuZOYc7jyOpha6a_XC-NMm35ywZUZbAJpi10WDKmzkFNj/s1600/DSC_0871.JPG" /></a></div>
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It has quite a very good selection of sushi choices from the menu. Not all can be found on the conveyor belt, we will have to lift the menu and shout the dish we want to the chef. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6paTwkMuoVF0UeBvE0hhC61DzFSINSErO6qKu_qijNkGZeDzV0jPhveWbBGtmPVqA1-ZBMW0OYSSqiyuBXF2j-EX3HYIQcU0KLaw2_d43C8oo0WxDNT4x52lkb4hNY16JcGor/s1600/DSC_0870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6paTwkMuoVF0UeBvE0hhC61DzFSINSErO6qKu_qijNkGZeDzV0jPhveWbBGtmPVqA1-ZBMW0OYSSqiyuBXF2j-EX3HYIQcU0KLaw2_d43C8oo0WxDNT4x52lkb4hNY16JcGor/s1600/DSC_0870.JPG" /></a></div>
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My workplace is close to Square Enix office. There is a Final Fantasy cafe theme place just next to the building. I visited it one afternoon to take a look. Below is the crystal room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyml5DlJ1pneTFbXc5Sijz9a7E4-qI2DHx2qk5HngeuVLtVS0I0rGWxiNkxEc-Bx3ZzcOH_zqhfA5BvFFqMMvDmDaqpR74Vnh7QaiVq3vDDVTLYmJKVAoyhYdCMf5126SE-r7/s1600/DSC_0888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyml5DlJ1pneTFbXc5Sijz9a7E4-qI2DHx2qk5HngeuVLtVS0I0rGWxiNkxEc-Bx3ZzcOH_zqhfA5BvFFqMMvDmDaqpR74Vnh7QaiVq3vDDVTLYmJKVAoyhYdCMf5126SE-r7/s1600/DSC_0888.JPG" /></a></div>
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<b>5th August 2014 (Tuesday)</b><br />
I did a search through the Japanese websites and found there is a fireworks festival at Arakawasunamachi on Tuesday. It is the only fireworks festival in Tokyo during my stay here. So I decided to go for it.<br />
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There is an estimated 300,000 people attending this festival. <br />
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The fireworks were amazing!<br />
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Below is a short 2-mins clip of the fireworks.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Ck7_oE1-l6I" width="640"></iframe>
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I left the venue 10mins before the end of the festival. I have a teleconference at night, so I better get going soon. </div>
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There are lots of people along the 15mins pathway from Minamisunamachi station to Arakawasunmachi. <br />
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<b>6th August 2014 (Wednesday)</b><br />
On this day, I decided to visit a very local yakitori restaurant where the entire menu is in Japanese.<br />
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I ordered many dishes and really enjoy it. Coming up to 2,800 JPY in all. <br />
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<b>7th August 2014 (Thursday)</b><br />
I had late lunch due to meeting. Just beneath my office is a high-tech sushi place. We will place our order via tablet and the sushi will come to us via shinkansen. <br />
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In the evening, we head down to a small and cosy family restaurant for dinner.<br />
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<br />
<b>8th August 2014 (Friday)</b><br />
On Friday morning, I decided to have a change on breakfast style from Japanese to western style. There is this coffee chain that is very popular in Japan - Tully's coffee. It feels like Starbucks, except it's a local Japanese brand.<br />
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In the evening, I need to get some gifts for my friends and colleagues. So I drop by Ueno park for shopping. There is a shop there that sells lots of snacks. <br />
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And a shopping street. <br />
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My final destination for this trip is the Tokyo National Museum (seen below). The museum opens late on Friday evenings when there is special exhibitions. I check online and it seems to be open 70% of the time in the year. <br />
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It has a vast collections of Buddhist artifacts. <br />
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This is scene depicting Manjushri Bodhisattva crossing the sea from China towards Japan. It symbolizes the arrival of Buddhism from mainland Asia towards Japan.<br />
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There are also plenty of Japanese paintings.<br />
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Another building house the Asia collections.<br />
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The building seems to be much newer.<br />
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There is a temple museum in the compound too.<br />
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I left the museum and proceed for dinner. As it is my final night here in Tokyo, I decided to go for something good - Watami at Shinjuku. <br />
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<b>9th August 2014 (Saturday)</b><br />
There are 2 important food that can be widely found in Japanese convenience stores. They are onigiri (rice balls) - see below. <br />
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And also Japanese green tea (seen below) </div>
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I call these 2 to be something of a staple diet. Your day will never be complete without a cup or bottle of green tea in Japan. And when you are on the move travelling from one place to another, the onigiri will be your best friend. It comes in so many different choices now that it is as good as having a full 'don' meal. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985693.post-31884757366016614912014-08-02T20:52:00.000+08:002014-08-29T20:59:24.670+08:00Milwaukee [27/07 - 02/08]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>27th July (Sunday)</b><br />
<br />
I arrived to Milwaukee Amtrak station after a 1hr 45mins ride from Chicago. It actually arrived ahead of schedule by 5mins. From the train station, it is a 5mins walk to Doubletree hotel where I will be staying for the next one week.<br />
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Milwaukee downtown is actually quite a hilly place. But the streets are wide and is great for walking. Below is the view of the Doubletree hotel after a 5mins walk.<br />
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I check in to my room and here is how it looks like below. They actually gave me a great cookie on arrival. <br />
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<br />
After putting my things down, I'm out of the hotel in 5mins. In one
of my MBA class, we did a case study on Benihana. Since there, I have
quite a bit of fascination with Benihana. I read that there is a
Benihana restaurant just a 10mins walk from Doubletree. So I
walked there just in time to join in a table for dinner.<br />
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We have the chef below performing to the guests. <br />
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<b>28th July (Monday)</b><br />
Milwaukee
is home to the international headquarters of several fortune 500
companies, they are Johnson Controls, Rockwell Automation,
Harley-Davidson and so on. Today I had the opportunity to visit
Harley-Davidson. It looks very impressive with the gigantic American
flag. <br />
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There is a wide range of Harley motorcycles park in front of the buildings. <br />
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<b>31st July (Thursday)</b><br />
There
is the Bike Night event at the Harley-Davidson museum every Thursday
these few month. At the same time, the museum is also opened till late
evening thanks to the Bike Night. I have the opportunity to visit the
museum and understanding on the history of the Harley-Davidson
motorcycles. <br />
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They have a vast collection of motorcycles with many kept in storage. <br />
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This is one of the newest release. It is called Live Wire - Harley-Davidson electric motorcycle. <br />
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There are several bikes where visitors can have a feel on how sitting on a Harley feels like. Below is me and a Harley.<br />
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<br />
It is 6.30pm and the Bike Night has started in full swing. <br />
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There are possibly more than 400 motorcycles in the whole event. <br />
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I also managed to hop on a live Harley and hear the engine roar!! (thanks to much guidance)<br />
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<br />
<b>1st August (Friday)</b><br />
Coincidentally
during my stay in Milwaukee, there is a one week annual Wisconsin state
fair going on. I decided to visit it. The entrance ticket cost US$10.
There are lots of animals around and there is a milking demonstration
and explanation when I arrived. I decided to join in and observe. <br />
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In this fair, there are also many competitions going on. <br />
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And not forgetting the shops, beer and food. <br />
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Wisconsin is famous for cheese. So I grabbed 2 sets of bread (US$5) from this stall. <br />
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