i have smelly feet. i also grow green things on my toes.

Joanna'>http://www.transbuddha.com/mediaHolder.php?id=1743">Joanna Newsom - Peach Plum Pear on Transbuddha

Well. Its really been some time since i last blogged.

1stly.. im bored of blogging
2ndly.. it costs a min of €5 an hour .. which is ridiculous...so when i go online, i jus read the straits times, check email, book hostels,, msn, n of course soccer news.

Its been a great last leg. my beloved azzuri won the World CUp!! N i witnessed it in the heart of Rome @ Circus Maximus.. one of the most historic gathering places in roman times... with more then ten thousand Italian fans on big screens.. n i celebrated jus like one of them. I coudlnt get back to hostel as the streets were jammed with crazy italians celebrating... it was anarchy.. gang fights.. free alcohol everywhere... hugging everyone u meet.. shouting forza Italiano!.. all public transportation was at a hault.. car n bike horns resounded into the next morning.. where the fever still didnt die out..it was hell.. but paradise to all italian fans.. the police were useless in the anarchy.. as they were celebrating too.. so in the end.. i made friends with 2 strangers.. an American n Swiss.. n headed to their apartment to crash for a few hours.. b4 i headed straight to Assisi via a total of 6 hours of train ride.

Assisi was lovely. The churches there were stylish in its Tuscan tradition. Visited my patron saint. St Francis Of Assisi n saw his sacrophagi.. it was b.asically a town on a whole top.. so u can see the lovely countryside.. but packed full of tourist ..but neverhteless.. austere n tranquil


I fell in love with the vatican.. celebrated a mass there.. n was jus so peaceful n absorbed into the sanctity of the church n by the glory of the Lord. N the best part was.. i bumped into 4 medicine friends in the vatican.. wat a small world.. had a few great meals together..!!

Not to mention, i rented a scooter Piaggio for one whole day.. n rode ard the city of rome.. traffic was chaotic.. but it was surely the best way to experience rome.. a dream fulfilled.. to travel rome on a scooter..

Well, i ve been travelling Italy all by myself.. n also swiss, n france b4 heading back to london.


Places ive been to since i last blogged:

Vienna: Watched a ballet.. lovely architecture..l truely worthy of the capital of thegreat Autro-Hungarian empire. Queued 1 hours for Opera Rigoletto by Verdi. but tix were sold out.. damn

Munich: Great day trip.. visited the 1st concentration camp in Dachun which brought me on a roller coaster ride of emotions . Not to mention the vast beer gardens, where i drank 4 litres ofgreat german beer @ Augustinos.. which is definitely the best german beer.. at least in the bavarian region... wat a trip with alex n alan.

Venice: It was lovely. but overhyped.. the piazzas were definitely grand n ideal for lovers on honeymoon.. but completed it in a day.. too much hyped n overly expensive..

N not to mention Assisi, rome n florence.. where i am now..!! I love the Tuscany region aka Florence, assisi.. gothic n renaissance architecture.. relaxing region.. great local flare

Anwyay.. gotta go.. cause internet is costly.. but to keep u guys updated.. will be in Interlaken tmr.. nice n paris 4 days later.. where ill catch the final leg of Tour de France.. another dream come true.. go Basso.. for yellow jersey!!

Ciaoz

Wat else would u expect from fomer communist countries? Brown square communist buldings decorating the entire city, melancholy n depression repent, dirty n stuffy streets that bakes every pedestrain into crispy stuff turkeys, n the resevered ppl, fearng that speaking out would incite punishment, well breed communist citizens.

Having stayed in a 80 bed communist gymnasum hall in prague, residing in a 6 bed communist "condominium" aint that bad. the ammenities r really old school, fire-stoved bathing water, lack of power sockets, n fire stoves, it sheer brought me back 5 decades to the time of the world war. Probably its in the water, that causes the melancholy. But i thoroughly pity those who lived in the 30 yr reign of the communist.!

Despite the sad, dirty streets, they sure did boast some brlliant archtecture. A caved in church - literally a church built n a cave, the splendor of the citadel that overlooks both the cty of Buda n Pest, n the royal palace, which now houses museums n government buldings. It would have been more splendid if the streets weren't roasting @ 39 degrees. Its also 34 degrees @ night that u r like sleeping n a suana, not to mention there r no fans etc.

But salvation always comes in the best possible way. thermal bathes!! this complex boasts of more then 20 pools, having water of different chemical compositions, temperature ranging from 10-40 degrees, outdoor pools n jacuzzi, suanas n steam bathes, n also mud bathes, one whole day for only less then 9 euros. SO great that i spend lke 7 hours jus chilling out n feeling refreshed!

That more or less summarises budaoest. Dirt cheap, hot n communistcally depressing!

Prague-in all its splendor

Definitely one of the loveliest cites n eastern europe. Everythng in its authentc state, yet flourished with the bustling tourism sector- which to me is its biggest drawback. Most ppl speak english as they have been indoctrinated to embrace the tourists. Yet, with its many splendor of castles, palaces, n unique churches, one need not travel far to witness wat eatern europe can bring forth.

The most memorable part of prague was definitely the Prague Castle. the great Kings of the Bohemian n Roman Empires furnished the castle that overlooks the cty of prague. the vew was splendid, having the vast architecture of communist n medieval buildings laid out b4 ur very eyes, with the magnificant Dunabee River splicing into the very heart of it all.

Not to mention a day trip out to Krjstaiv castle ( however u spell it), n the funniest part was that the 30 min train ride cost abt 40 euro cents only, so much cheaper then their tram rides. but not to mention, most trams eastern europe r free, due to the lack of jurisdiction, even the locals dun pay, only honest (dumb) tourists.. the exchange rate being to our favour, prague is definitely cheap, n western european terms, but daylight robbery in the eastern part.

Watching soccer in the old town square, amidst thousands of depressed czech fans was definitely memorable. Italy won Czech 2-0, n i was cheering inside, frantically trying to control my excitment, n putting on a depressed facade, or risk being castrated by passionate Czech fans. I also managed to catch the Argentina vs Mexico game, whose mexican fans won me over with their singing, n enthusiasm n their sheer numbers, despite them losing. Imagine, the backdrop of the Grandeur Astronomical clock, old church, n concerts hall surrounding the square, set n the mysticism of the enchanting sunset, n lots of great czech beer n hot eastern european gals. Yup, definitely Eastern european gals!! A must see for all, n the most affordable place for a stag night with ur great guy friends b4 the dreadful commitment of marriage.

Stag night in prague here come!! in the near future!! N get enchanted by the lovely green ferry, aka Absinthe!!!

where are you from? the ghosts of barcelona are asking...

Its been a while since i logged unto the internet. No more free internet around, so time on the computer had to be prioritized. Here are my thoughts on the places i visited thus far:

Brugge
One of the msot beautiful towns around. Was told by my friends that Belgium can be missed en route, b ut i have never once regretted stepping into the Flemish region. Belgium is split into 2 regions, the northern Flemish, n the southern Woontans. The south speak mainly french n the north Flemish. But hate one another as their history went way back. N the funniest part was that the Belgians were so easily defeated during the world war as the Commanders mainly gave orders in french, while the soldiers were mostly Flemish. Thus having a communication barrier.

The town is titled the 'Venice of the North' n'Land Of Mary'. Both of which suites it perfectly well. The town is a maye of canals n lovely flemish n renaissance architecture, set in a backdrop of clear blue skies , bright sunshine n swans parading gracefully in the waters. It is really a dream of a place, wonderful n cheap food, filled with extremely friendly ppl. It is thus the best town ive been to so far. More pictures to show when i return to singapore. There is jus so much history to share, alas i have little time.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam

Drugs, booze n sex, Thats how i summarise the country of The Netherlands. I had a great time drinking beer n celebrating with the Dutch in Rotterdam after their victory against Ivory Coast in the World Cup which i witnessed in the company of The locals. N i sure had an interesting time chatting with a South African, n a lovely Jewish Israeli, of whom i promise to visit within the next 2 years. Hell of a party place n definitely more modern compared to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam, on the contrart, was older nmore densely populated. N it didnt help that my hostel was in the red light district itself. There were many ' coffeeshops' which is licensed to sell weed n hash. N the space cakes was sweeter than it was 'druggy'. The red light district was filled with many Brits hvaing a fun time enjoying the festivities n making fun of passer-bys in the drunkerdness of daylight. The red-light district was surely an eye-opener, however no photography was allowed. But gals dressed skimpily danced to nice music inside a glass window. The prono shows drew big crowds but with the hefty €30 price tag, i decided to give it a miss.

On another day, we rented a bicycle, which dosent have brakes, n i had to pedal in the oppostie direction to halt the bloody thing. it cause me to crash into the sewer in my moment of awkwardness. I was trying to take photographs while navigating n i decided to halt on the grass patch so that the gravel portion would be available for my other friends to halt, little did i realise that the grass patch was but dense undergrowth covering a drain. Thankfully the vegetation broke the impact of the fall. But my impression of the countryside was perfect. The dutch lived beside the big streams, n many owned boats, thus wasting away their lazy sundaes by the river, fishing, tanning or feasting on their boats, n cycling. I would love to cycle there as the grounds r flat n they have cycling lanes, the the fields n fields of colourful agriculture n flowers jus make it so beautiful n enjoyable. I will conquer Amsterdam with my road-bike some day!! Not to mention the famous windmills, clog shoes n cheese of Holland. It was a thoroughly enriching experience. N owing to the herring harvest season, the dutch love to eat raw herrings with onions.

Ok. More to come later, as the England match has started. Hope england loses!! Cause they suck!

As i travelled on an overnight train from Barcelona to Brussels, I jus couldnt get to sleep, not that it wasnt comfortable.. in fact, it zas the most comfortable ride i had.. it was jus that my mind was in deep contemplation, n i simply reflected on my live thus far..

I embarked on thus journey to europe, with a few goals.
1. To see n experience europe, appreciate their culture, n get to know their history.
2. To make friends from all over the globe, n to get perspectives from ppl of diff cultures n values.
3. To reflect upon my life thus far, appreciating wat i have n those that care for me, n to plan ahead for my future, this having to be my crossroad in life.
4. To miss all my love ones back home -cause i was getting bored of u ppl in spore.

N reflecting was wat i did on the train. After completeing the last 50 pages of Guns, Germs n Steel, my mind stood restless thinking abt wat the author was trying to put forward, of which i recommend to one n all to read.

Guns, Germs, n Steel
In summary, this book seeks to address history n the progress of civilisation from a uniaue perspective, of which i was thoroughly enlightened. Y did europe colonize Africa instead of the other way around, why the Chinese being one of the 1st civilization, made possible by the Fertile Crescent n the lack of barriers of diffusion of technology due to the porous east west axis of Eurasia, not upheald its advantage but declined in retrospect. This books thoroughly explains the growth of human civilisation structure from the most important perspective, that of natural endozment with respect to food, be it hunting, or agriculture. N that of technology epitomised by steel, made into guns for conquest, navigation abilities, n writing . N lastly that of genetic predisposition, relating to Germs killing some but advantageous to others. I highly recommend this bk, n it sure was thoroughly enjoyable n applicable to my travels, leaving my in a reflective n fascinating mood.

Moons crater
one thing that i observed while a glared outta window to take in the lovely scenary of the French coast was that something was observing me in return. It was the moon, so round n proud, engraved into the star-lit sky of the mediterranean. Lovely aint it. Sometimes i stared directly into my, as though it was speaking to me, among all the bnillions of ppl in the world that it had to watch over, Mr Moon gone outta its way to communicate with me. Othertimes, it is hidden behind trees or mountains, or buildings as the train travels along. But one thing is for sure, it was rite there looking over me.. be it on the right window, or on the opposite side. é2 things came to mind;
1. The moon is sent by someone to guard n watch over me, be it Christ, or archangels, or Allah, or my beloved Grandmother.. This reminds me of the love n affection, concern n care showered to me by all who care, n even from religious ppl, who keep one n all in faithfulprayers; I wld like to thank one n all who r praying for me, who have prayed for me, n who r gonna pray for me. It sure works!! Everything u pray for somebody, or jus the thought of a person, a sign of care or concern, God listens to it, n send ppl or objects to watch over. Thqt is jus one wonderful abt mankind, no matter how cruel or evil one light be, there was once an incident where he/she did whisper a prayer for someonelse.. that is wat i wanna embrace n believe in it from now on.
2. Ppl in different parts of the world the moon from different angles, be it brighter, more dirty yellow, in differnet shapes;... yet the moon is one being n it will always remain the same.. this reminds me of the many facades i put on in life, yet in essence, its wats inside of me to matters, my believes, principles, values, experiences. That is wat dictates ur inner being, n jus like the moon, it is fundamentally wat u r as a being. So we all should worry more abt improving our inner being than to beautify one's facade, which will always change as we age, but the inner one stays with us 4ever.

People
As i observed,ppl around me sleeping, i can't help to feel that we r crossing each other's path in life. Each individual in the train carraige has his own dreams n values, his own love ones, lives, hates n dislikes, cares n concerns. I feel so privileged to have met them once, jus like all the friends i have, or had, ppl i got to noe during this backpacking trip, n whom i will meet in future, jus noe that im grateful to have known u. Its jus so amawing to find out that some coslic occurance, or fate, or destiny , or God's invisble hand that bring us together. So i extend a moment of prayer to one n all who have known me n or helped me in one way or another, n who chqnged my life through the expreinces u gave me, n whose life i changed. I sought to make everyone who meets me in future, to take away something positive, n moumd them into zordly n compassionate ppl.

Nostalgia n freedom
There was this french fella i met, sitting opposite me. He is tall, well-built, n shaves a crew cut. He was taking a long train ride from home back to camp. Observing him fidgeting to sleep, reminds me of my army exêrience 3 yrs ago. How i always dreaded gg back to camp, having to drag my duffle bag, n reutrn to regimentation. Looking in zealous anticipation the next time where i can see my family n friends once again, worrying abt the period of confinement n its undertakings. Im sure many guys can attest to wat i experience. 2.5 yrs was kinda long, n draggy, but looking back, it sure flew by in a jiffy, n i never regretted a single bit, having gain so many insights to life, meeting ppl from the extremes of socio environment, n respecting n appreciating the value of peace n freedom, n all that it symbolises. I came to understand the need for peace, n y ppl would be willing to sacrifice their lives for their freedom, their own homeland, the right to live as human beings, for the,selves, their love ones, n the future generations. I respect all who fight for their own idealogy, be it the Human Palestinians, the Israelis, ppl of Timor islands, north Korea n the catalunyans. Do know that i said a prayed for all u freedom fighters, n of those who died to protect wats rightfully theirs.

In that aspect, i really do respect the Catalunyans. They r proud of their heritage, their language, their roots, n have fought bravely for the land of their forefathers. N despite not having their own sovereign state, they still believe n fight peacefully for one, for the benefits of the future generations. I came to realise the need to retains one's heritage n roots (thus im gonna improve my chinese n be better versed in its culture) , n the need to have a land for themselves ( therefore i sympathise for both the israelis during the Yon Kuppah War n the Palestinians now). All those sounds like patriotic bullshit n national education, esp that of the PAP. All who knoe me can attest to me being pro-workers party n rebellious to authority. But i m enlighted not by nqtionql educqtion which was forced upon by the PQP, but by my experiences in NS, from reading history n current affairs, n from the ppl i spoke with, who orginiate from communist nations; I m thoroughly grateful to the Mr lee Kuan Yew n his government for giving me a homeland, n those who protect the peace, so that i need not suffer for my freedom. N do noe that when im call upon to defend my idealogy n freedom, i wld gladly fight for all i believe in with my life.

Corinne May - My best travelling companion
Having borrowed Alan's Ipod, i had my 1st taste of my fav music since the day i left home. It sure felt cosy n comforting to have a taste of home thousands of miles away, thanks to the advancement of technology for that latter. N i heard 23 or Corrine May's songs, n listen attentively to her lyrics, which was very meaningful, n surprisingly applicable to my situation. Such as 'Journey', 'Angel in disguise' ' 'Mr Beaseley'. I wondered if she wrote her songs while travelling? Do listen to her songs while on ur travels, esp during backpacking trips, as it sure accentuates the total travelling expereince n encourages a contemplative atmosphere.

I do miss home terribly n hope to return home earlier, but I would never trade this opportunity to see Europe for anything in this world. The experiences n the friends n the insights i gain from this is invaluable n wld mould me to be a better n wiser person.

Goals
1. To see the rest of the world backpacking; south america, north amercia on a rd trip, asia on foot or bicycle, Africa for overseas attachments in year 4, Israel n the holy ground of Palestine, n oceania for surfing n extreme sports like sky diving n bungey jumping in & yrs time.

2. To work overseas for a few years, either in USA or europe.

3. To serve in the organistation 'Doctors without boarders' , in order to see wars &st hand n help the most needy ppl, giving them abit of comfort in their plight.

4. To set up a business in China

5. To marry a hot Czech of Hungarian gal!

Goodbyes
I rather sae see u again.

Wats does a home away from home mean to u? I guess i jus discovered wat it means to me. Chanced upon this accomodation in barcelona, kinda like a last resort as we had no more accomodation in the city. So we took the cheapest accomodation along the mountains of western barcelona. N my goosh. wat a pleasent surprise. Guess everyone wld have seen movies set in mountains, where the lodge is wooden in foundation, wooden beds, giving u the cosy comforts of home. Being engulfed in a dynasty of trees, peeking out into the city, which shimmers like minute objects in the distance. Wat a retreat, only nature to accompany u through the isolated night, the the clearest n brighteest moon watching over u, n the stars of heaven twinkling a lullaby to lull u to bed. wat a refreshing change, one that swings u into solitude, that inspires n regenerates oneś exhausted spirit . To top it off, im awaken my the majestic sun in its full glory, shepard into a brand new morning by the pleasing n sweet melodies of birds. As i observed the splendid moon, i started to wonder how the moon over in singapore wld look like that night, continents n oceans apart. How often have i really sat down n appreciated the moon n star-lit skies in spore. Probably seldom, except in Pulau Tekong, where the darkenss was consuming everything, leaving the ambient light of the city defenceless. Only then that i saw the moon n cloudless skies. It definitely is so beautiful, jus to appreciate the simple things in life, that we as city dwellers take for granted, caught up in our mundane hustle n bustle. Amidst things so natural n splendid, thats when ur soul n body r in unison, in contact with the basic forms of life, that mother nature so painstakingly provided for us, only to have the proud n arrogant homosapiens defamed her flowers. I implore one n all to take a step back in life, a breather, to jus worship the wonders of creation, n to seek solidtude, tranquility n strength form this fountain of life.

Home away from home.

Do check out this lodging that i resided in:
http://inoutalberg.com/