So, well. I did make it there eventually, and it was a really interesting experience. In fact, I'm relatively glad I had an extra day of rest, cos Hanoi was so darn hot. More about my experience some other time. :)
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
I am having a lousy day today, cos of idiotic members of public. I hate to deal with them.
It doesn't help tt I have something which I need to complete by today, (which I haven't even been able to start on), and there is no one ard who can soothe my frustrated heart right now.
tis a lonely existence...
Monday, July 10, 2006
I've finally got down to doing the photos for my trip. This will be a long long post man!
First, the beautiful Paris
And my first stop was to the
Opera Garnier
Apparently, this is where the story of the "Phantom of the Opera" was based. It was a little spooky la, some parts. But mostly just breathtaking and amazing architecture.
One Facade of the Opera Garnier
Its grand staircase. Of cos my photos don't give the place enough credit since I'm not a fantastic photographer, and my mom was 10 times worse (i had to take this photo 3 times), and the structures are juz so damn huge! You just had to be there to really experience it.
Inside one of the many rooms
Close up of ceiling
Montmartre
This is the place where lotsa artists gather. It's aparently like the place where lots of famous artists went to get their inspiration and hone their crafts...Picasso was one of them.
The famous and very beautiful Sacre Coeur Church at the top of the hill. The Benedictine nuns who are based there sing like angels...u feel like you've really reached heaven when you go in there during mass.
A Cafe at Montmartre. I just had to take this photo. The French love to do this altho I have absolutely no idea why. They just like to face out and look onto the street while eating. Maybe they just like to watch the pple go by.... since they quite eng also...heh.
Display of classic graphics/prints..very pretty ne...
Eiffel Tower
And of cos, which trip to Paris wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Eiffel tower. The view was amazing, and so was the bloody wind!
The Trocadero Esplanade
Champ de Mars
River Seine
Then there's the famous Notre Dame and the River Seine (another side of it). In this pic u can only see a little bit of it la...cos I felt the river looked nicer, and my mom cldn't get the whole church into the pic anyway.
Latin Quarters
The life of nuaing at a cafe. Since there were tons of cafes everywhere, it looks as if the French have nothing to do but to yum cha all day....how I wish I were French too!!
Church of St Eustache...just a pic of their lovely structures. And again, the pic doesn't do the architecture justice.
Jardin de Tuileries. Gardens leading to the Louvre. An art class was being conducted... this is how shiok right! Like, having lessons in the garden, when the weather is cool....and u have actual sculptures to observe and learn frm! I wish I were an art student in France!!
Ahh...the famous Louvre! This was the most amazing place ever! Think I've alreayd raved enuff abt it in one of my previous posts...
Food
Seafood!
But check out this (Pathetic) Haybee , where my finger is pointing - can compare for size. It was so damned small and took me so long juz to peel one... it amused me all thruout dinner.
More (Pathetic) Haybee. Took me at least 10 mins to get it on tt tiny piece of bread ok. :
Interesting Menu at quaint restaurant which served fantastic food and had very good service!
The lovely food
Random Photos
Funky facade of a Macs along the street. Piangz, even their Mackers got style!
Instruments along Rue de Rome (a street near my hotel)
View from Hotel room
Size of hotel lift (damn small!)
Barcelona 
An a capella gp singing in the square! This square was the only reason why I loved Barca. U have buskers performing every half hour, or every hour, and this gp was amazing! The amount of energy, plus the volume! Have a video, which I'm trying to learn to upload...will try to put it up soon. Heh.
Huge-ass vending machine in the Metro!
Streets of Barcelona. Le Ramblas...(equivalent of our Orchard Rd) Our service apartment is actually not far from here. This street is actually in the middle of the 'road'. On both sides of the street is a tiny 1 way lane.. for vehicles. I think they give more priority to their pedestrains. Hmm...
Tram!
Sagrada Familia
Temple of the Holy Family. Tis actually a church of gargantuan proportions, tt has been in construction for the past 100 over years. Still has another perhaps 50-80 to go? The original architect is already dead and gone, but he was a real visionary, and this structure is the most amazing tt I have ever soon. Very beautiful too. It has 3 facades, and I only managed to capture 2. Once again, my photographic skills are not fantastic, so if ur really interested, maybe you can search on the web for more pro photos.
A small portion of the Nativity Facade
The Passion Facade. I liked this side best. It has a very interesting modern feel to it. Very 'clean' design too...
Close up of the Passion Facade
Skylights. These things are one of the coolest I've ever seen! They let in natural light from the sun... and they have been contructed with beautiful designs on the rims. Of cos u can't really see frm here... so you'll juz hafta take my word for it. :)
My parents and I relished the challenge of climbing a tower tt was 60m.... so we made our way up...with all our barang.
And it was a long long way back down man...
So yeah, tts the end of it! Congrats to all to have persevered to the end! Haha... at least I've finally managed to put all the nicer pix up.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
And so, I've changed my blog template. Ain't quite satisfied with the whole look, cos it still needs tweaking here and there, but it's helped immensely with the loading of the darned page! Think most of you who have been trying to read my blog have been stopped by this annoying long pause tt prevents my page frm loading.
Cldn't find the cause, but juz decided tt it's time for a change of look anyway. Not perfect but it'll hafta do until I have more time to look for better skins (which means like, this'll be here for damn long, heh).
Friday, July 07, 2006
It feels like I've lost the ability to blog.
Or maybe it's not so much the ability, it's the need?
I kinda miss the way words used to flow a little more freely, expressing myself used to come a little easier. There used to be the little thrill of being able to share certain thoughts with my wonderful audience (tho I'm not sure they do come here tt often - if at all- anymore). What little 'eloquence' of expression I used to have seems to have totally left me. Words are awkward... and dull. I guess the problem could be that I hardly do any proper reading anymore...guess when I was in TS I still had to read plays, and supplementary material. Nowsadays even newspaper also I dunch really read. :\ Perhaps it's time to do sthg abt tt.
But anyways, was juz thinking abt one of the issues we talked abt in the media class (2 years ago! the horror!) on how blogging is performance. Really man. Can't quite explain cos of self censorship, but ask me on LJ and I'll tell u. Haha. Don't know why, but such performances present themselves as somewhat annoying to me. Yet! Dramatic irony right! Cos I myself am putting on quite a gd show I think. hahahaha. Oh, look at the time! Tts y am spouting such rubbish.
Had a nice time on the bus with my dear today. Let him listen to some of the songs from Corrine May's 2nd album. She's got such lovely lyrics... they just make me smile... so I share wif u all la. :D
If I kissed you - Corrine May
If I kissed you
Would fireworks fly
Woud angels sing with lollipops
Would dinosaurs cry
Would babies all gurgle in laughter and surprise
If I kissed you.
If I kissed you
What would Michaelangelo say
Would he still have sculpted David
Would we be immortalized in clay
Would the poets write of love like ours
Would John Donne have his say
If I kissed you
You could be one in a million
You could be the one for me
But l guess I'll never know if I never try
I guess I'll just have to grab you in my arms and kiss you.
If I kissed you
Would you lose track of time
Would you feel a surge of happiness
Running up your spine
Would you run naked in the street
with a tattoo of my name on your behind
If I kissed you.
Oh, if I kissed you
Yeah, if I kissed you.
