And it’s goodbye Amsterdam.
Flew off on the morning of 28th June. And reached SG after 13 hours on 29th June 6am. K came to fetch me from Changi…it’s always nice knowing you have a special person waiting for you.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
27 June 2010 Sunday
Windmills
It was like a school excursion. A 15-minute train ride to the suburbs of Amsterdam city, to this place called Zaanse Schans. They had windmills there! Something I wanted see…they also had a small cheese-making factory, a woodenshoe-making workshop, souvenir shops, a small museum, a clock museum, etc.
The place was pretty. Long, green and lush fields. Bright blue skies, white fluffy clouds. Crisp cool air. The only thing that spoiled it was the number of tourists there haha…
I was inside two windmills. Saw the inner workings of the huge wheel clogs and big big wooden pegs. Climbed steep staircases within the mill to get up to the highest possible level…and felt wobbly while doing so haha. Stepped outside the windmill too to enjoy the scenery, looked down and felt like I was gonna faint. The wooden flooring had 1inch gaps between them..I could see the ground below, and I was 2 stories up.
Trains
The train network is quite confusing. Not to mention the unfamiliar names and Dutch words are hugely confusing. Alkmaar, Koog-Zaandeijk, Koog-Zaans, Zaans de Vans Mars, etc…gosh. And the station names are not prominently displayed too.
It was like a school excursion. A 15-minute train ride to the suburbs of Amsterdam city, to this place called Zaanse Schans. They had windmills there! Something I wanted see…they also had a small cheese-making factory, a woodenshoe-making workshop, souvenir shops, a small museum, a clock museum, etc.
The place was pretty. Long, green and lush fields. Bright blue skies, white fluffy clouds. Crisp cool air. The only thing that spoiled it was the number of tourists there haha…
I was inside two windmills. Saw the inner workings of the huge wheel clogs and big big wooden pegs. Climbed steep staircases within the mill to get up to the highest possible level…and felt wobbly while doing so haha. Stepped outside the windmill too to enjoy the scenery, looked down and felt like I was gonna faint. The wooden flooring had 1inch gaps between them..I could see the ground below, and I was 2 stories up.
Trains
The train network is quite confusing. Not to mention the unfamiliar names and Dutch words are hugely confusing. Alkmaar, Koog-Zaandeijk, Koog-Zaans, Zaans de Vans Mars, etc…gosh. And the station names are not prominently displayed too.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
26 June 2010 Saturday
Van Gogh Museum
Spent quite awhile in the museum this morning. Took a tram there and found at least 60-70 people in the queue. Thank goodness I’d already bought my ticket at the hotel reception. Received a few dagger stares from the people in the queue when I waltzed past them into the museum. :)
I met a Taiwanese friend there at the museum. Such a coincidence haha.
Overdose
As much as I love H&M, I am having an overdose of it already. There was only 1 H&M store in the whole of the Brussels city centre. I have already seen at least 5-6 H&M stores within the main shopping street. And this shopping street is only about 5km long or less.
Red Light District
I went to the area again tonight. And tonight was different from yesterday. Maybe it’s the weekend. The girls standing in the little window spaces were much prettier and slimmer than those I saw yesterday. I found out more today. The average going rate is about $50 euros for a 15-20 minute session. Though what the session entails I don’t know for sure. Probably the full works.
Saw a few deals taking place. Saw some other deals falling through. Saw young punks trying their luck. Saw older men striking deals with the ladies. Aw guys leaving the little cubicle spaces after having a good time. Saw some really young looking ladies plying their trade. My guess was that they were probably only 20 or 21?
Tomorrow
It will be windmills day! Looking forward to it. I’ll need to catch a 20-minute train ride to some place on the outskirts of Amsterdam and then walk about 10-minutes to the area. There’s an oil mill, a cheese mill, a clog workshop, etc. I have this feeling I’ll be buying cheese and other craft items from there. :)
Spent quite awhile in the museum this morning. Took a tram there and found at least 60-70 people in the queue. Thank goodness I’d already bought my ticket at the hotel reception. Received a few dagger stares from the people in the queue when I waltzed past them into the museum. :)
I met a Taiwanese friend there at the museum. Such a coincidence haha.
Overdose
As much as I love H&M, I am having an overdose of it already. There was only 1 H&M store in the whole of the Brussels city centre. I have already seen at least 5-6 H&M stores within the main shopping street. And this shopping street is only about 5km long or less.
Red Light District
I went to the area again tonight. And tonight was different from yesterday. Maybe it’s the weekend. The girls standing in the little window spaces were much prettier and slimmer than those I saw yesterday. I found out more today. The average going rate is about $50 euros for a 15-20 minute session. Though what the session entails I don’t know for sure. Probably the full works.
Saw a few deals taking place. Saw some other deals falling through. Saw young punks trying their luck. Saw older men striking deals with the ladies. Aw guys leaving the little cubicle spaces after having a good time. Saw some really young looking ladies plying their trade. My guess was that they were probably only 20 or 21?
Tomorrow
It will be windmills day! Looking forward to it. I’ll need to catch a 20-minute train ride to some place on the outskirts of Amsterdam and then walk about 10-minutes to the area. There’s an oil mill, a cheese mill, a clog workshop, etc. I have this feeling I’ll be buying cheese and other craft items from there. :)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
25 June 2010 Friday
Brussels to Amsterdam
I reached Amsterdam’s Schipol airport around 9-plus in the morning and caught a train ride into centre of town. It was quite confusing. Almost everything was written in Dutch. Looking for directions was a challenging affair. And the darn train had split levels. I had to climb the stairs of the train carrying a big luggage which weighed 18kg, my laptop bag and my handbag. Had to drag all these bags around while going from the train station to my hotel. I can feel my biceps growing already.
Anne Frank Museum
I went to the Anne Frank Museum today. Visited the house that she and her family stayed in during their 2 years of hiding from Hitler’s military people. Saw many artifacts left behind from those days of the Holocaust. It was quite a touching hour and a half for me, seeing those black and white photos and seeing the actual sinks, bathroom, photos, walls, stairs that the Frank family used all those years ago.
Shopping
H&M again. Mango again. Hmm…I hope I have enough euros. This trip will cost me a lot man…
Red Light District
I was curious about Amsterdam’s famous red light district. Haha…it really is a “red light” area. There are windows lined up all along the streets, some windows have curtains drawn on them, some don’t. Those which are uncovered will sometimes have a girl standing on the other side of the glass pane dressed in scanty bikinis and waiting for guys to come to them. I did see several guys knocking on their doors and negotiating prices. I heard one going for $80 euro but I wasn’t sure what her services included. Ahem.
BUT. Out of all the white, black, brown girls that I saw, almost 95% of them are fat. Some are just pudgy. Some have a lot of cellulite. Some have fats that jiggle with every movement they make. And yet some others are really gorillas who could crush a man flat by sitting on him. No kidding. They’re probably 2-3 times my size. Maybe European guys just prefer meaty fat girls.
There were many live shows too. Much like what you would get on Patpong street on Phuket. They have their own “Tiger” shows here in Amsterdam. And they have porn cinemas screening hardcore films the whole night through. I wonder how um…clean the seats are inside these cinemas. Hmm.
Weed
Shops are selling cannabis, marijuana and coke. I saw a shop where all sorts of drug paraphernalia was sold. Coke and weed grinding tools. Glass bottles and different types of pipes for smoking. Jars with tubes running out of them. Test tubes. Syringes. Gosh. The whole works. That particular shop looked like it was a chemistry lab. It even sold plant kits and seeds for people who wanted to grow their own weed. I also saw cannabis incense sticks, much like those used for aromatheraphy.
Food
The way my colleague is eating is scaring me. And he is the one with high cholesterol and who needs to watch his diet. Hmm, no wonder he grew a big pot belly in the 2.5 years that I’ve known him. Alcohol, meats, seafood, etc. I was having a light sandwich for lunch and he was wolfing down meatballs and chips, although he said that he didn’t feel like eating much. I think I’m gonna eat light tomorrow again.
p/s: Before coming to Amsterdam, I spoke to several Dutch people as well as some others whom I know stayed for awhile in Amsterdam. I asked them what type of food are the Dutch famous for. They said, nothing.
And when I walked around just now. It was quite true. There’s no special Dutch dish which I had to try. In fact, what was available were different types of international cuisines. Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian, English, American, Irish, Japanese, Spanish, etc.
World Cup
The streets were filled with WC supporters from various countries. I saw a whole bunch of Brazillian supports in yellow and green, chanting away. I saw a group of Spanish supporters dancing in the streets and another group of Dutch supporters drinking beer together. Bars and pubs everywhere were showing live matches. Flags of various countries in the WC were strung up along the streets.
Brussels pales in comparison
From the moment I stepped out of the train station, I felt Amsterdam buzzing with life. So different from Brussels. If Amsterdam were Orchard Road on a weekend night, then Brussels would be almost like our CBD area on a weekend night. Locals and tourists are aplenty in Amsterdam!! And I saw a lot of Asians here as well. Japanese and Chinese. Have not seen any Koreans yet.
K
I managed to speak to K a few times today! :)
I reached Amsterdam’s Schipol airport around 9-plus in the morning and caught a train ride into centre of town. It was quite confusing. Almost everything was written in Dutch. Looking for directions was a challenging affair. And the darn train had split levels. I had to climb the stairs of the train carrying a big luggage which weighed 18kg, my laptop bag and my handbag. Had to drag all these bags around while going from the train station to my hotel. I can feel my biceps growing already.
Anne Frank Museum
I went to the Anne Frank Museum today. Visited the house that she and her family stayed in during their 2 years of hiding from Hitler’s military people. Saw many artifacts left behind from those days of the Holocaust. It was quite a touching hour and a half for me, seeing those black and white photos and seeing the actual sinks, bathroom, photos, walls, stairs that the Frank family used all those years ago.
Shopping
H&M again. Mango again. Hmm…I hope I have enough euros. This trip will cost me a lot man…
Red Light District
I was curious about Amsterdam’s famous red light district. Haha…it really is a “red light” area. There are windows lined up all along the streets, some windows have curtains drawn on them, some don’t. Those which are uncovered will sometimes have a girl standing on the other side of the glass pane dressed in scanty bikinis and waiting for guys to come to them. I did see several guys knocking on their doors and negotiating prices. I heard one going for $80 euro but I wasn’t sure what her services included. Ahem.
BUT. Out of all the white, black, brown girls that I saw, almost 95% of them are fat. Some are just pudgy. Some have a lot of cellulite. Some have fats that jiggle with every movement they make. And yet some others are really gorillas who could crush a man flat by sitting on him. No kidding. They’re probably 2-3 times my size. Maybe European guys just prefer meaty fat girls.
There were many live shows too. Much like what you would get on Patpong street on Phuket. They have their own “Tiger” shows here in Amsterdam. And they have porn cinemas screening hardcore films the whole night through. I wonder how um…clean the seats are inside these cinemas. Hmm.
Weed
Shops are selling cannabis, marijuana and coke. I saw a shop where all sorts of drug paraphernalia was sold. Coke and weed grinding tools. Glass bottles and different types of pipes for smoking. Jars with tubes running out of them. Test tubes. Syringes. Gosh. The whole works. That particular shop looked like it was a chemistry lab. It even sold plant kits and seeds for people who wanted to grow their own weed. I also saw cannabis incense sticks, much like those used for aromatheraphy.
Food
The way my colleague is eating is scaring me. And he is the one with high cholesterol and who needs to watch his diet. Hmm, no wonder he grew a big pot belly in the 2.5 years that I’ve known him. Alcohol, meats, seafood, etc. I was having a light sandwich for lunch and he was wolfing down meatballs and chips, although he said that he didn’t feel like eating much. I think I’m gonna eat light tomorrow again.
p/s: Before coming to Amsterdam, I spoke to several Dutch people as well as some others whom I know stayed for awhile in Amsterdam. I asked them what type of food are the Dutch famous for. They said, nothing.
And when I walked around just now. It was quite true. There’s no special Dutch dish which I had to try. In fact, what was available were different types of international cuisines. Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian, English, American, Irish, Japanese, Spanish, etc.
World Cup
The streets were filled with WC supporters from various countries. I saw a whole bunch of Brazillian supports in yellow and green, chanting away. I saw a group of Spanish supporters dancing in the streets and another group of Dutch supporters drinking beer together. Bars and pubs everywhere were showing live matches. Flags of various countries in the WC were strung up along the streets.
Brussels pales in comparison
From the moment I stepped out of the train station, I felt Amsterdam buzzing with life. So different from Brussels. If Amsterdam were Orchard Road on a weekend night, then Brussels would be almost like our CBD area on a weekend night. Locals and tourists are aplenty in Amsterdam!! And I saw a lot of Asians here as well. Japanese and Chinese. Have not seen any Koreans yet.
K
I managed to speak to K a few times today! :)
Friday, June 25, 2010
24 June 2010 Thursday
Fatigue
Felt quite tired today. Sleepiness followed me the whole day through.
Shopping
Managed to do a bit of walking around. As usual, things that I like do not have my size. It really is sometimes quite difficult for me to buy clothes in Europe. They don’t have my size!!
Stopped for a quick snack at McDonald’s and got myself a small little hamburger for $1 euro. :) A small hamburger is even cheaper than a small cup of iced lemon tea. The latter costs $1.60 euro!
Quarrel
Hahahha…each time I travel to Europe, I am sure to witness two people quarrelling. Transcribed here…
Woman 1: Arrete! Ca suffit!
Woman 2: *continues shouting*
Woman 1: Je vous dit ARRETE! CA SUFFIT!
Woman 2: Demener! Demener! Putain! Baisser-vous! *shouts more stuff which I can’t pick out*
Woman 1: Quelle impolitesse!!!
Woman 2: SALOPE! SA CHIEN! Depece-vous!
In English…as far as I can translate:
Woman 1: Stop! It’s enough1
Woman 2: *continues shouting*
Woman 1: I told you to stop! It’s enough!
Woman 2: Off with you! Off with you! Whore! Fuck you!
Woman 1: What rudeness!
Woman 2: Bitch! Dog! Tear yourself up!
Bear in mind, Woman 2 was carrying a young child. Wonder if the child spends each day listening to his mother shout vulgarities.
Dinner
A kind soul gave me a voucher to one of the restaurants at the meeting venue. 3-course dinner for two with drinks. The meal was lovely. Salad with prawns and truffles. Lobster bisque. Terrine of crab, sea urchin and fish. Risotto with truffles. Rositto with prawns and champagne.
If you don’t know that many people. It helps to know someone who knows many people. :) A Malaysian friend passed me the voucher because he couldn’t make it.
Land of weed? Window-shopping?
Heading to Amsterdam on Friday morning. I’d better get a good sleep tonight. Was trying to squeeze everything back into my luggage. Seemed to be working out well. Till I realized I still have two bags of toiletries to throw in. Uh oh. If I buy more stuff in Amsterdam I’ll need to activate my extra luggage bag.
Felt quite tired today. Sleepiness followed me the whole day through.
Shopping
Managed to do a bit of walking around. As usual, things that I like do not have my size. It really is sometimes quite difficult for me to buy clothes in Europe. They don’t have my size!!
Stopped for a quick snack at McDonald’s and got myself a small little hamburger for $1 euro. :) A small hamburger is even cheaper than a small cup of iced lemon tea. The latter costs $1.60 euro!
Quarrel
Hahahha…each time I travel to Europe, I am sure to witness two people quarrelling. Transcribed here…
Woman 1: Arrete! Ca suffit!
Woman 2: *continues shouting*
Woman 1: Je vous dit ARRETE! CA SUFFIT!
Woman 2: Demener! Demener! Putain! Baisser-vous! *shouts more stuff which I can’t pick out*
Woman 1: Quelle impolitesse!!!
Woman 2: SALOPE! SA CHIEN! Depece-vous!
In English…as far as I can translate:
Woman 1: Stop! It’s enough1
Woman 2: *continues shouting*
Woman 1: I told you to stop! It’s enough!
Woman 2: Off with you! Off with you! Whore! Fuck you!
Woman 1: What rudeness!
Woman 2: Bitch! Dog! Tear yourself up!
Bear in mind, Woman 2 was carrying a young child. Wonder if the child spends each day listening to his mother shout vulgarities.
Dinner
A kind soul gave me a voucher to one of the restaurants at the meeting venue. 3-course dinner for two with drinks. The meal was lovely. Salad with prawns and truffles. Lobster bisque. Terrine of crab, sea urchin and fish. Risotto with truffles. Rositto with prawns and champagne.
If you don’t know that many people. It helps to know someone who knows many people. :) A Malaysian friend passed me the voucher because he couldn’t make it.
Land of weed? Window-shopping?
Heading to Amsterdam on Friday morning. I’d better get a good sleep tonight. Was trying to squeeze everything back into my luggage. Seemed to be working out well. Till I realized I still have two bags of toiletries to throw in. Uh oh. If I buy more stuff in Amsterdam I’ll need to activate my extra luggage bag.
23 June 2010 Wednesday
Meetings
It was a day of one-to-one chats with many different people. Started my morning with a meeting with two German folks, one of them was born in India but migrated to Germany since young. Rushed off to a conference session and then snuck out of it halfway to meet up with a French guy. Quite cute actually haha. Had lunch with a Dutch and two Belgians. Spent the rest of the afternoon in another conference session and before I found myself at dinner sitting with some Taiwanese, a Chinese, a Laotian, a Filipino, a Dane, a Greek and a Czech.
I love the international crowd at these ICANN meetings.
Gala Dinner
Voila, the gala dinner this time round was held in a chateau. Castle in French.
Le Chateau de Grand-Bigard. We were ferried in coaches and it took about 30-40 minutes to reach the place from the meeting venue. About 800 of us all were there.
We were greeted by men dressed in court jester suits of red, yellow and black, Belgium’s colours. Some were on stilts walking around, some were playing drums, some were on trumpets. Some were flame-throwers, some were with eagles perched on their shoulders. And all of them were there to greet us.
It was a lovely place. An old castle and its towers made of red brick and wooden beams, surrounded by a big lake. Within its compounds were smaller lakes with small rose gardens surrounding them.
We had dinner in a specially built marquee which had transparent see-through plastic ceiling and walls. Because it does not get dark till 1030pm at this time of the year in Belgium, we were eating dinner in broad daylight.
Sole with sautéed vegetables, cream of sea urchin and artichokes, grilled heart of turbotin, chocolate fondant with vanilla ice-cream and fresh mint tea. And of couse, red wine, white wine, still water, sparkling water.
There was a live band there and they sang oldies like “Peggy Sue”, “The Twist”, etc. But my favourite moment came when they slowed it down and sang Ray Charles’ “Georgia”. God that made me immediately wish K were there with me in that tranquil setting.
One of the best ICANN gala dinners I’ve been to.
It was a day of one-to-one chats with many different people. Started my morning with a meeting with two German folks, one of them was born in India but migrated to Germany since young. Rushed off to a conference session and then snuck out of it halfway to meet up with a French guy. Quite cute actually haha. Had lunch with a Dutch and two Belgians. Spent the rest of the afternoon in another conference session and before I found myself at dinner sitting with some Taiwanese, a Chinese, a Laotian, a Filipino, a Dane, a Greek and a Czech.
I love the international crowd at these ICANN meetings.
Gala Dinner
Voila, the gala dinner this time round was held in a chateau. Castle in French.
Le Chateau de Grand-Bigard. We were ferried in coaches and it took about 30-40 minutes to reach the place from the meeting venue. About 800 of us all were there.
We were greeted by men dressed in court jester suits of red, yellow and black, Belgium’s colours. Some were on stilts walking around, some were playing drums, some were on trumpets. Some were flame-throwers, some were with eagles perched on their shoulders. And all of them were there to greet us.
It was a lovely place. An old castle and its towers made of red brick and wooden beams, surrounded by a big lake. Within its compounds were smaller lakes with small rose gardens surrounding them.
We had dinner in a specially built marquee which had transparent see-through plastic ceiling and walls. Because it does not get dark till 1030pm at this time of the year in Belgium, we were eating dinner in broad daylight.
Sole with sautéed vegetables, cream of sea urchin and artichokes, grilled heart of turbotin, chocolate fondant with vanilla ice-cream and fresh mint tea. And of couse, red wine, white wine, still water, sparkling water.
There was a live band there and they sang oldies like “Peggy Sue”, “The Twist”, etc. But my favourite moment came when they slowed it down and sang Ray Charles’ “Georgia”. God that made me immediately wish K were there with me in that tranquil setting.
One of the best ICANN gala dinners I’ve been to.
22 June 2010 Tuesday
Shower
My shower is schizophrenic and literally goes from hot to cold in 2 seconds. I thought I was the only one who was fighting with the shower on a daily basis. Turned out that some others I spoke to who stayed elsewhere also had the same experience. Hmm…are all showers in Belgium schizo?
Faces
It is interesting how Caucasians can recognize me and remember my name after only one short encounter. Sometimes I can’t tell them apart and only remember who they are after taking a quick discreet glance at their name badges. Think I need to buck up on my “face recognition” skills. ;p
European Men
European men are cute...:) The younger ones at least. Brunettes are the cutest.
And European men hold doors open for you, let you go into the lift first, let you get out of the lift first, let you pay at the cashier first, let you take the food first at a buffet line, let you get on the escalator first, etc.
European Women
The women are beautiful. Great features and great figures for some of them. Others look good from the neck upwards but the body proportions below the neck are way too....um, big. I love the way their noses are sharp, their eyes are large, their mouths are large and their necks are long and graceful.
My shower is schizophrenic and literally goes from hot to cold in 2 seconds. I thought I was the only one who was fighting with the shower on a daily basis. Turned out that some others I spoke to who stayed elsewhere also had the same experience. Hmm…are all showers in Belgium schizo?
Faces
It is interesting how Caucasians can recognize me and remember my name after only one short encounter. Sometimes I can’t tell them apart and only remember who they are after taking a quick discreet glance at their name badges. Think I need to buck up on my “face recognition” skills. ;p
European Men
European men are cute...:) The younger ones at least. Brunettes are the cutest.
And European men hold doors open for you, let you go into the lift first, let you get out of the lift first, let you pay at the cashier first, let you take the food first at a buffet line, let you get on the escalator first, etc.
European Women
The women are beautiful. Great features and great figures for some of them. Others look good from the neck upwards but the body proportions below the neck are way too....um, big. I love the way their noses are sharp, their eyes are large, their mouths are large and their necks are long and graceful.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
21 June 2010 Monday
Meeting
It is always nice to see a familiar face. Met up with some people whom I’ve not seen for quite awhile. Met some other new people, including a Frenchman whom I managed to have a few sentences of French with haha. And I’ve arranged a number of meetings with yet some others.
Food
Breakfast was usual. Nothing special. Lunch was cup noodles. But in the evening, I had a cocktail reception and managed to grab some finger food. These included beef carpaccio, beef tartare, some salmon thing served on a Chinese spoon, some other fish paste served on small round biscuits and of course the famous Belgian fries. Dinner was a treat from a Taiwanese uncle. And I had a beef patty with alfalfa salad.
Cobblestone Paths
I used to love cobblestone paths. That 17th century feel that they add to the environment. The character that they add to the roads and streets. My love for these paths is decreasing quite rapidly though.
Try walking 7-8 minutes from the hotel to the meeting venue and struggling to walk on these paths on heels. ARGH!!!
Chocolates
An ubiquitous snack. Abundant. I think I’ve eaten more chocolate in these 2-3 days than for the whole of the past 3 months.
K
I wish K was here with me. :( I see chocolates and I think of him. I walk back to my hotel wishing he was there to hold my hand. And whenever I take pictures, I wish he was right there to see what I am seeing, to experience what I am feeling.
Service Staff
If the common idea is that service staff in France have horrible and snobbish service, then those in Brussels are much worse. Yesterday’s waiter cleared our plates without asking us if we still wanted our food. And the plates were clanking noisily against each other. Some food crumbs spilled out onto the table.
And then this evening there was an interesting exchange between the head waiter of the restaurant we went to and the Taiwanese uncle (TW) we had dinner with.
Waiter: Good Evening.
TW: For 3 people please.
Waiter: Good Evening. *Gives an attitude face*
TW: Um, for 3 people.
Waiter: Good Evening.
Me: Bon soir. (good evening in French)
Waiter: *nods and acknowledges me with a smile*
TW: Err.
Waiter: I said good evening to you. You need to say good evening to me!!! Before I will find a table for you!!!
TW: Oh, good evening.
Waiter: Ok.
TW: 3 people please.
Waiter: You need to wait an hour.
TW: *looks at me*
I stepped into the conversation with my broken French and managed to get us a table for 3. Outside the restaurant that is. Out in the open in a temperature of about 12degrees. Oh well, at least we had a table haha.
It is always nice to see a familiar face. Met up with some people whom I’ve not seen for quite awhile. Met some other new people, including a Frenchman whom I managed to have a few sentences of French with haha. And I’ve arranged a number of meetings with yet some others.
Food
Breakfast was usual. Nothing special. Lunch was cup noodles. But in the evening, I had a cocktail reception and managed to grab some finger food. These included beef carpaccio, beef tartare, some salmon thing served on a Chinese spoon, some other fish paste served on small round biscuits and of course the famous Belgian fries. Dinner was a treat from a Taiwanese uncle. And I had a beef patty with alfalfa salad.
Cobblestone Paths
I used to love cobblestone paths. That 17th century feel that they add to the environment. The character that they add to the roads and streets. My love for these paths is decreasing quite rapidly though.
Try walking 7-8 minutes from the hotel to the meeting venue and struggling to walk on these paths on heels. ARGH!!!
Chocolates
An ubiquitous snack. Abundant. I think I’ve eaten more chocolate in these 2-3 days than for the whole of the past 3 months.
K
I wish K was here with me. :( I see chocolates and I think of him. I walk back to my hotel wishing he was there to hold my hand. And whenever I take pictures, I wish he was right there to see what I am seeing, to experience what I am feeling.
Service Staff
If the common idea is that service staff in France have horrible and snobbish service, then those in Brussels are much worse. Yesterday’s waiter cleared our plates without asking us if we still wanted our food. And the plates were clanking noisily against each other. Some food crumbs spilled out onto the table.
And then this evening there was an interesting exchange between the head waiter of the restaurant we went to and the Taiwanese uncle (TW) we had dinner with.
Waiter: Good Evening.
TW: For 3 people please.
Waiter: Good Evening. *Gives an attitude face*
TW: Um, for 3 people.
Waiter: Good Evening.
Me: Bon soir. (good evening in French)
Waiter: *nods and acknowledges me with a smile*
TW: Err.
Waiter: I said good evening to you. You need to say good evening to me!!! Before I will find a table for you!!!
TW: Oh, good evening.
Waiter: Ok.
TW: 3 people please.
Waiter: You need to wait an hour.
TW: *looks at me*
I stepped into the conversation with my broken French and managed to get us a table for 3. Outside the restaurant that is. Out in the open in a temperature of about 12degrees. Oh well, at least we had a table haha.
20 June 2010 Sunday
Breakfast
I was amazed by the different types of cheeses, butter and sauces they had. They were all in little convenient packages. Whether wrapped in foil or housed in a plastic container, all the sauces, butter and cheeses looked very good and I was tempted to grab a handful of each type to bring home to SG. Hmmmm…maybe I’ll do that on another morning when no waiter is looking hehe….
They had a whole spread of lovely breads as usual…and butter croissants and my favourite chocolate brioche! Whee!
Weather
Cold. Cloudy. Rainy. Windy. Chilly.
12 degrees at 5pm in the afternoon and about 10 degrees or less in the night.
BRRRRR….
Shower
Nothing beats having a lovely hot shower after having spent hours out in the cold. :)
Sights
I went to see the Manneken Pis today. It’s a small bronze statue of a little curly haired boy who is taking a piss. Cute. Really cute. And it was really amusing to see throngs of people elbowing each other to get a chance to take a picture of this little bronze boy. :) I was one of them. Ahem. Hehe.
I was amazed by the different types of cheeses, butter and sauces they had. They were all in little convenient packages. Whether wrapped in foil or housed in a plastic container, all the sauces, butter and cheeses looked very good and I was tempted to grab a handful of each type to bring home to SG. Hmmmm…maybe I’ll do that on another morning when no waiter is looking hehe….
They had a whole spread of lovely breads as usual…and butter croissants and my favourite chocolate brioche! Whee!
Weather
Cold. Cloudy. Rainy. Windy. Chilly.
12 degrees at 5pm in the afternoon and about 10 degrees or less in the night.
BRRRRR….
Shower
Nothing beats having a lovely hot shower after having spent hours out in the cold. :)
Sights
I went to see the Manneken Pis today. It’s a small bronze statue of a little curly haired boy who is taking a piss. Cute. Really cute. And it was really amusing to see throngs of people elbowing each other to get a chance to take a picture of this little bronze boy. :) I was one of them. Ahem. Hehe.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
19 June 1100pm Brussels time, 500pm SG time
Wingtips
It took me a grand total of 17 hours to reach Brussels. Including transit time.
I watched three shows on the plane:
- How to Train Your Dragon (love it)
- From Paris With Love (zzz, wonder how come John Travolta accepted this role)
- 14 Blades (I love Donnie Yen!!!)
First Impression
Brussels is not exactly a bustling place. Compared to some other cities I’ve been to, I think Brussels lacks character. But anyway, this is just the first day. Hope I’ll be able to see more of what Brussels has to offer. :)
Food
So far, I’ve tried the mussels and fries, omelette and meatballs in tomato sauce. Not too bad.
Weather
Horrid. Cloudy, windy, rainy. I forgot to bring my gloves and my umbrella.
Anecdotes
Waiter: Bon soir! Where are you from?
Me: Singapore
Waiter: Oh! Malaysia? No?
Me: No, we’re next to Malaysia.
Waiter: Oh! Your capital is Taipei. No?
Me: No. We’re a small country. In fact, we’re so small we don’t have a capital city. The whole country is the city itself.
Waiter: Oh! Ok. Enjoy your meal sil vous plait!
Shopping
Found my favourite H&M store. Managed to grab some stuff...:)
Will go back again to the same street. I saw Pimkie, Jennyfer and Bershka..Can't wait to go to these stores...
It took me a grand total of 17 hours to reach Brussels. Including transit time.
I watched three shows on the plane:
- How to Train Your Dragon (love it)
- From Paris With Love (zzz, wonder how come John Travolta accepted this role)
- 14 Blades (I love Donnie Yen!!!)
First Impression
Brussels is not exactly a bustling place. Compared to some other cities I’ve been to, I think Brussels lacks character. But anyway, this is just the first day. Hope I’ll be able to see more of what Brussels has to offer. :)
Food
So far, I’ve tried the mussels and fries, omelette and meatballs in tomato sauce. Not too bad.
Weather
Horrid. Cloudy, windy, rainy. I forgot to bring my gloves and my umbrella.
Anecdotes
Waiter: Bon soir! Where are you from?
Me: Singapore
Waiter: Oh! Malaysia? No?
Me: No, we’re next to Malaysia.
Waiter: Oh! Your capital is Taipei. No?
Me: No. We’re a small country. In fact, we’re so small we don’t have a capital city. The whole country is the city itself.
Waiter: Oh! Ok. Enjoy your meal sil vous plait!
Shopping
Found my favourite H&M store. Managed to grab some stuff...:)
Will go back again to the same street. I saw Pimkie, Jennyfer and Bershka..Can't wait to go to these stores...
18 June 1145pm SG time
Changi Terminal 3
Even before I left home for the airport, I was already missing K although he was still right next to me. When I went past the immigration counters and looked back to wave at him, I really felt quite sad.
Even before I left home for the airport, I was already missing K although he was still right next to me. When I went past the immigration counters and looked back to wave at him, I really felt quite sad.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Vandalism
And so, a 33-yr-old Swiss national has been detained for allegedly vandalizing an SMRT train. The graffiti spanned the length of an entire train carriage.
Micheal Fay suddenly popped into my mind. His much publicised case happened back in 1994 and I found it amusing that wikipedia actually had a whole entry on the case.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_P._Fay
Micheal Fay suddenly popped into my mind. His much publicised case happened back in 1994 and I found it amusing that wikipedia actually had a whole entry on the case.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_P._Fay
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
for-ren-ners
Just a few nights ago, K was sharing with me a somewhat heated discussion he had with a friend of his. It was on a sensitive topic. One that has been on the minds of many Singaporeans in recent months and maybe even the last year or two.
The issue of foreigners living and working in Singapore.
K asked me what my take was on the subject.
I remember replying him and saying that I am fine with these foreigners coming to Singapore.
That is, provided they don’t bring with them their bad habits, bad attitudes, and vices. I am fine with them living and working in Singapore, everyone is just trying to make a living. But when on our soil, they should respect our country, our culture and our ways of doing things.
I read with horror the recent Kallang slash-and-rob cases. A group of Sarawakians killed a man, left 2 in ICU and one young man with half his hand sliced off. All for the grand amount of $400 and 3 mobile phones. What seemed like petty robbery crimes turned into malicious violent bloody attacks in the hands of this group of men. The attackers were young men too. 19, 22, 30 and so on...
What the hell? What were in their minds? What made them go on such a rampage?
And now we even need to be aware of domestic workers either turning violent or doing strange things or morphing into sexual predators. What with the recent cases of a 29-yr-old Indonesian maid holding a scissors to a baby and forcing its mother to buy her a ticket home, the 27-yr-old Indonesian maid sexually abusing a 12-yr-old boy, a 30-something Fillipino maid putting detergent into the milk formulas of the two babies under her charge...and the list might just go on.
There have been increasing reports of foreigners being involved in crimes here. Some are victims, some are perpetrators. Some cases probably never even reach the news-stands.
You take the public transport and you'll hear the Chinese, Fillipinos and Koreans talking loudly, the Indians jostling with you, the Caucasians leaning on the railings, yada yada yada.
I'll admit it. I do view foreigners here with a wary, exasperated eye at times.
But even with all that said, I maintain, I am not writing all of them off just because of some bad apples.
I do know some of them on a personal basis and they are nice folks. Some speak now with a slight Singlish lilt, some sit at kopitiams reading newspapers and drinking kopi-o just like any of us, some buy groceries with us at NTUC, some buy 4D and toto....Englishmen still holding doors open for ladies and letting them go out of the elevators first. Domestic helpers who guard their charges as if they were their own children.
Others have chosen to make Singapore their home, some have married here, some have left but still come back to visit often because they thoroughly enjoyed their stay here.
I think it's great that these people have assimilated so well within our culture and get along with the locals well.
It's just those who don't bother to observe or understand our laws and ways who irk me.
The issue of foreigners living and working in Singapore.
K asked me what my take was on the subject.
I remember replying him and saying that I am fine with these foreigners coming to Singapore.
That is, provided they don’t bring with them their bad habits, bad attitudes, and vices. I am fine with them living and working in Singapore, everyone is just trying to make a living. But when on our soil, they should respect our country, our culture and our ways of doing things.
I read with horror the recent Kallang slash-and-rob cases. A group of Sarawakians killed a man, left 2 in ICU and one young man with half his hand sliced off. All for the grand amount of $400 and 3 mobile phones. What seemed like petty robbery crimes turned into malicious violent bloody attacks in the hands of this group of men. The attackers were young men too. 19, 22, 30 and so on...
What the hell? What were in their minds? What made them go on such a rampage?
And now we even need to be aware of domestic workers either turning violent or doing strange things or morphing into sexual predators. What with the recent cases of a 29-yr-old Indonesian maid holding a scissors to a baby and forcing its mother to buy her a ticket home, the 27-yr-old Indonesian maid sexually abusing a 12-yr-old boy, a 30-something Fillipino maid putting detergent into the milk formulas of the two babies under her charge...and the list might just go on.
There have been increasing reports of foreigners being involved in crimes here. Some are victims, some are perpetrators. Some cases probably never even reach the news-stands.
You take the public transport and you'll hear the Chinese, Fillipinos and Koreans talking loudly, the Indians jostling with you, the Caucasians leaning on the railings, yada yada yada.
I'll admit it. I do view foreigners here with a wary, exasperated eye at times.
But even with all that said, I maintain, I am not writing all of them off just because of some bad apples.
I do know some of them on a personal basis and they are nice folks. Some speak now with a slight Singlish lilt, some sit at kopitiams reading newspapers and drinking kopi-o just like any of us, some buy groceries with us at NTUC, some buy 4D and toto....Englishmen still holding doors open for ladies and letting them go out of the elevators first. Domestic helpers who guard their charges as if they were their own children.
Others have chosen to make Singapore their home, some have married here, some have left but still come back to visit often because they thoroughly enjoyed their stay here.
I think it's great that these people have assimilated so well within our culture and get along with the locals well.
It's just those who don't bother to observe or understand our laws and ways who irk me.
Good Ol' Milo
I had a milo craze last year. It’s back again and I’ve been having a cup of Milo each morning for the last one to two weeks.
Think I need to stop drinking too much of it before it adds more kilos on my frame…
Think I need to stop drinking too much of it before it adds more kilos on my frame…
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