Eurotrip: 2nd stop: Belgium (Brussels & Antwerp) ; 3rd Stop: Netherlands (Amsterdam & Rotterdam)

Paid 10 Euro to get a visit and 3 Heineken fresh from the tab huh...quite good!




















Bridge in Rotterdam (dunno the name)
















Cubic Houses in Rotterdam.




















Red Light District in Amsterdam (and NO I did NOT try!!!)
















Wohohoh, so many chocs yummy...n yes I ate em and my throat soars a bit now!




2 months into UK, the gateway to Europe, and traversing unknown terrains,places where I used to yearn to go, observe its cultures, learn from the ppl, broaden my horizons, an experience of a lifetime!....gets abit boring sometimes really and tiring.....zzzzz.......


In honesty, this is by far the most HAPPENING trip, u know why?
1st off, after the UK terror alert abt 2 wks ago, airport security check was really tight....n they make u take off shoes etc etc....so mafan....then we happily fly to our destination....n when one of my travel mates was being questioned by the immigration officer (cos they think he might b a terrorist????hmmmmm) No, not really....the main prob is we were supposed to b there for the weekends n fly back on the 28 AUG but somehow my fren booked the wrong month!!! 28 of Sept instead...so when he told the immigration officer that he'd b in Belgium for only the weekend really sounds fishy.....hmmmm.....

Then yea we proceeded to luggage collection....due to terror alert again...everyone was forced to check in their luggages in London...so we hav to wait for the luggages to come out...we waited...n waited....n waited....n waited...n waited.....crap......another fren's luggage was missing.....apparently 20,000 luggages were held back in London....security reasons again?sighz.....wat a waste of time.....so we had to go settle for lugggage missing report n also to change our flight dates

But those bummers from the airlines would actually charge u like hell if u change the tix at the counter n a 30 pound penalty for changing tix.....as if i'm dumb enuf to pay them for the stupid penalty charge....i mean come on...buyin a new tix is evn cheaper lar.......heh.....airlines these days r hopeless......

Ok back to the actual trip...Belgium I guess is mostly abt chocolate as most of u will know....n yes of course i eat them n that is why i am suffering from soar throat now....from ice cream,drinks,pancake to a gazallion thingys...its all filled with chocolate n they really tatse good leh.....n oh apparently the Belgians cook some of their dishes with BEER as te sauce?hmmm....

So much for the food.....we went to Amsterdam...wohooo...party city....n NO i did NOT try any of those stuff in the Red Light Distrcit!!!!U c the chics( erm not really...some r quite...not so nice to c) n half-chics (u know wat i mean rite?the fake ones)....but the Green Light District....hmmm... Brownies actually taste pretty good....I mean the muffin itself n not the drugs!

Geez,this trip is really tiring and on the last day I hav almost nothin left in my wallet....and I only manage to get anythin down my stomach at abt 2300.....n b4 that i only had breakky at 10...geez starved like hell.....oh btw ....I had diarrhoea on my 1st day...dunno why....seems like everyone was havin some bad luck on the 1st day....n yes we got the luggage back n we bought new tix to fly back to UK....no one is so dumb to pay the penalty to change date lar...if the airlines insist to earn money like that then i can tell them...that they r not much better than no frills airlines with all the delays n errors that happen

Anyway,I only posted a few pics not that interesting really...cos most of da pics r with another guy but yea guess that'll do for now....ah....3 down....n haps more to go....man feel a bit sick now...wana rest...zzzz.........zzzz.....

The sakabatō

The sakabatō , a special weapon used by the Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu master, Himura Kenshin, a.k.a Rurouni Kenshin or the Former Hitokiri Battousai . Unlike a normal japanese katana, the sakabatō has its sharp cutting edge curved inwards while the blunt edge is out. So basically he attacks with the blunt edge an not the sharp one. This forms part of his vows to not kill anyone ever again.


One might judge the uselessness of a reverse edge sword bcos u cant really cut anythin. But it is also true that if u posses real strength u can cut through anything. It is the heart that counts, it is the spirit of ur fight (ken-ki) that counts,it is the feeling that u put into the sword that counts. It is these intense feelings and emotions that u entrust u sword with brings u great strength. The will to believe and still think of the next step although beaten, the will to believe in urself will become the strength to overcome fate. If u dun believe in anythin, u might as well dun do anythin at all.

Everyone has their own potential, regardless of how limited it is. Thus, not everyone who wields the same sword posses the same level of power. It depends on how much talent one has & how much one puts in effort and heart in practising. But if u juz stand there and do nothing at all, ur level of skills would not juz b stagnant but also dropping. It is often bcos of this that many ppl struggle against the flow of life...to work hard...to improve...juz for that specific magical moment...watever that is...to hit a buzzer beater or score a golden goal when the clock winds down...all for the second of glory and fame...where history witnesses ur seccess...temporarily...

The sakabatō is not juz a mere fighting tool, but also a tool that has been entrusted to fight for the sake of humans (well, at least in the story). It is not meant to kill, but to protect the happiness of people who need help, whom u can c as well. Afterall, we ain't God nor a saint, but juz a mere human being like anyone else. That's why, even as strong as this sword is, it still needs a sheath, to make it complete. The sheath is a cover for the sword.Something that protects it, from the wind,dust,rain,snow etc etc. Cos no matter how strong a sword is, its a metal and it can slowly corrode and waste away if not proper care or attention is given. Even the mightiest of all swords can't defeat that.That's why every sword needs a sheath.

In his hands holds one of the strongest sword, cutting thru countless enemies without killing them to atone for his sins.To protect the happiness of ppl whom he can see in this new ere.And regardless of how cold the weather might be outside, he'll continue fighting,no matter how hard it is.For wats sake one might ask...perhaps to protect the his happiness and the ppl who r dear to him...or mayb it's this:

John Steinbeck once wrote, ‘It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world.’

And I suppose it makes perfect sense...while not juz our death is unbearable, seeing some other ppl suffering and die is also unbearable too.

So, if this sakabatō of mine can protect the happiness of other ppl, the wielder should try his best to cut open a road and breakaway...for the sake of the people...if one that wields the strength understands the pain of loss and sorrow...one should hav good reasons to try to protect the happiness of others who r drowining in this world filled with endless cycles of suffering and chaos.


Sometimes its really pointless struggling to fight through, fighting endless battles and find urself severely wounded and exhausted. But no matter how tiring it is, if u dun move on, u can never find the sheath u r lookin for, if u juz stay and stand there 4ever...saying that i'll start fighting after I find the sheath...then I'll start my journey.

Life is a process of search and discovery...pretty much like mavigating in the seemingly endless ocean with sharks,waves and thunderstorms awaiting for u...even if u c a land from afar...it is no guarantee that the inhabitants and natives would b frenly or hostile towards u...but until u reach a land where u find wat u wan...u pretty much hav no choice but to move on...

Today,I'll wield this sakabatō of mine in search for the answer and for the sheath I'm looking for...and cut through any obstructions and hindrance along the way...to clear a path that leads to light...

For every journey is a beginning and not an end

For today is the beginning of always...

When the going gets tough......

When the going gets tough......it usually gets worse...and it feels as of u r getting cursed...but one thing is for sure...make sure u urself dun make it worse!

Life is always full of adversity adn challenges.Every single day we struggle to survive, we try our best to overcome the adversities and more often than not we cope fairly with it while others rise to the top.That's how we define those as success or failure...winners or losers.But life is certainly not always fair as different people posses different capabilites and potential. Of course the encounters and experiences differs between different individuals.On top of that, the way a person copes with a problem varies too, depending on the past experience and exposure of the person, whether it's restricted to the surroundings or as broad as the world.Because these are the few important factors that would determine the resources or attitude which one would use to face the situation.

When u think of those super heroes in those comics like Superman or in manga/anime like Naruto or Dragon Ball....it's usually very unrealisitic. Although these ppl were put in dire situations, they somehow manage to overcome it with some humongous and indredible strength...n u'll go like...wat the hell??!?! Where did he get all that strength from?

I'm not a big fan of Spiderman but I think it is far more realistic. For once, a hero is depicted as someone who is kinda poor (unlike our Batman), not an alien (where u hav some genetically more superior trait than our humble humans). Yes, spiderman's power is so much more limited compared to the rest. They always say in the show, with great powers comes great responsibility. And np matter how harsh the situation is he'd still have to try his utmost best to fight watever enemies he's facing...be it some monster,his best fren or even he himself (go watch Spiderman 3 when it comes out this yer). Things are never easy, and no matter what critical situation u r facing....no matter how much support u r lacking... u still need to do it.But for what sake?Afterall, u r juz a mere human.

There are times in life when u hav to stand up by urself when u fall down.U might try to climb up and realise that u've juz made urself roll down the staircase.Big deal and u start crying and whining that why GOD won't make life easier for u?Isit bcos there's no GOD in this world or bcos GOD gave this task to test u.That I dunno, and I suppose no one would hav a DEFINITE answer to that.But 1 thing is for sure, if u dun help urself no one will b able to help u...if u dun love urself no one would luv u...if u dun beliv in urself no one would beliv in u......but it is also true that when the going gets tough n one still continues to go down hill...it really pisses ppl off...it ripps them of their hopes and shadows them in the darkness. Ppl lost faith in this world and get stuck in eternal darkness.

There are times in life where u need to learn how to stand up once again, even if no one is giving u a helping hand, no one is there to pull u up...to giv u a lolly pop if u r crying from the pain due to the fall.Sometimes u juz gota pick urself up n start walking once again.Hopefully,someday somewhere,somehow u'll find ur way out again.One day u'll reach the path when the sun shines gently upon u n the wind breezes upon ur face.And if that never happens, then I really dunno how to answer u...cos it does happen sometimes but I suppose if u can read this blog u should b at least so much more well off compared to alot ppl who dun even hav internet access or r still probably starving in poverty.

A tarnslated line from the song from the series reads:

"Why does the past destroy even the wornout heart that shines...melancholically fleeting thoughts on this tragedy night"

Sometimes I believe that there r times in our life when seriously shit ass happens on us...to the extent where we can never 4get about it...it's when it's so painful that one starts to regret things that they did in the past and start saying "I wish I had/hadn't done this or that"...or "when I think of the past It feels like I wana stay here forever" (Hatake Kakashi, Naruto Eps 80)

But really wats the whole point of residing in the past...u start wondering...why r u alive???

Why is life so difficult?What is wrong with me?What the hell am I doin?Why?Why?

But I do know that at present when the going gets tough make sure u dun make it any worse for urself, dun torture urself with unnecessary negative thoughts that would even kill ur life....at least the quality of it...whether u r goin to heaven or hell or whether u hav an afterlife doesn't really matter at all really bcos there's 1 thing u know for sure...that is...

YOU ARE ALIVE NOW AT THIS VERY MOMENT...SO LIVE THE BEST OUT OF IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE...IT'S NOW OR NEVER!!!

No Pain no gain

And

No regrets in life

The journey continues......

Eurotrip: 1st stop: Ireland (Dublin)

Poser in front of Trinity College Dublin

Keats & I standing at xxxxxx river??

Kevin & I Acting Cute in Christchurch


Destination Europe here I come!!!

Honestly, I got bored with London after a while...things r quite repetitive and routined and I've pretty much been to most of the "touristy" attractions in good old London so even it's only been a month since I got here, I think it's not really too early to start travelling.

I was really looking forward to this trip bcos I'll be meeting 2 of my high school frens from Penang whom I havent seen them for at least 2 yers! My fren Kevin from Edinburgh flew to meet me and Keats (the guy who stays in Dublin)....by the time we met each other in the airport its already 12am midnite.....phew thats wat u get for taking cheap airlines!

Well Ireland is juzzz alrite really...the most distinctive landmark they have there is smth called Spire...juz like bar/tiang(malay) in the middle of the city ....its really nothin great...n wat else...hmm they hav smth called "Luas" which is like trams in Melb...n the word is pronounced as "Loo Wee" ok? Dun pronounce in malay n no it doesn't mean "surface area"!!!!

Of course the most important and distinctive thing in Ireland is ALCOHOL...if u r in Melb n u havent heard of St Patrick's day then mayb u should ....hmmm...get out of ur room n go out more ofen?? Anyway, Ireland is juz famous for its alcohol/pub culture...its really crazy..the nly thing that they do is Drink Drink n more Drink....the hang out places r all pubs clubs etc etc....u can even order Irish coffee(which contains alcohol duh!) in the bars but NOT the cafes! Of course, Guinness is an Irish company.We visited the storehouse n its really awesome....we even got a pint of Guinness Draught each...ermmm but we had to pay for the entrance fee eheheh.

Well Irelands like that...nothing spectacular really though there were some festivals goin on but they aint that great.

But the best par of the trip is definitely being able to spend time with frens whom I haven't seen for ages n its really nice to b able to chat with them n also realise how time realy flies n how each of us hav changed in our respective ways....there's 1 thing in common....we all hav pretty good/nice/decent sense of fashion....well juz in case u disagree with wat I said....

Well, this is the 1st but defnitely not the last stop! Whats the next stop?Hmmm back to work tomorrow!!!

Welcome to the Real World - Part 1

So much for the simplicity last weekend...this week is really hectic...so many stuff to do...but it also reminds me of how the real world works

As a student, we r constantly indulge in our comfort zone...thus ignoring & ignorant of the things that happen outside our zone of presence...so if the things dun concern me... i dun think i'll know abt it...u'll probably say:"like I giv a damn to smth that does not concern me"...or "u think I'm very free izit??"

Honestly, if u r still in uni, u r probably unaware of alot of things...ignorant that is...well even if we r aware of the existnce of certain things...if w dun experience them ourselves we won't know exactly how its like....

Well today was really a killer day...had to wake up early in the morning n attend a last minute scheduled part time work...doin some translation thing in hospitals for patients...well 1st time doin smth like that sure is scary...once i walk into the wards...I c how its like in this community....though I've been doin med for the last 2.5 yers...I guess I haven't seen places that are severely in need of help...not to mention how things r much worst in places where poverty r much more prevalent...juz imagine how horrible things would look....well back to my translation thing...it reminds me of things like legal responsibility...it reminds u of how important ur job is...if u r careless in wat u say or do...who knows wat kinda trouble u'll get into...dun play a fool with LAW!!!U juz cant afford to b careless even for a while...u might kill urself!

Life is definitely not as simple as u think it would b...thats why the older u get the more u wana shout out loud :"I wish I was a kid again!".....Well,everybody wants to b a baby...free of worries and being taken care of!

Oh btw, there will b more of the "Welcome to the Real World" series comin up...whenever I encounter smth REALISTIC as an ADULT in this society and world we live in.