Friday, March 24, 2006

My Excursions




* Oslo, Norway 13-16 April 2006 (4 Days)

* Gorgeous Italy: Rome, Firenze, Pisa, Siena, Venice, Milan, 26 March 2006 – 2 April 2006 (1 week)

* Düsseldorf, Germany, 17-19 Feb 2006 (3 Days)

* Tranquil Switzerland: Basel, Zurich, Lucern, 24 Dec 2004 – 1 Jan 2006 (9 Days)

* Scuba Diving & Windsurfing in Dahab, Egypt, 06-13 Nov 2005 (7 Days)

* Sailing to the Isle of Wight, 28-30 Oct 2005 (3 Days)

* Fresh Arrival in the U.K.: London, Cambridge, Essex, Oxford, Kent, 8 March 2005 onwards…

* Macau, Hong Kong & Zhuhai, China, 18 Feb – 22 Feb 2005 (4 Days)

* Fabulous trip in Japan: Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Tokyo, Chiba, Nagano, 25 Dec 2004 – Jan 2005 (18 Days)

* Scuba Diving in Sipadan, Mabul & Kapalai islands, 25 April - 5 May 2004 (11 Days)

* Scuba Diving in Aur Island, March 2004 (4 Days)

* Backpacking in Cambodia & Vietnam, Dec 2003 – Jan 2004 (18 Days)

* Homestay in Sadowara, Miyazaki, Japan, April 2002 (14 Days)

* Backpacking in Thailand, 8 Feb - 19 Feb 2002 (11 Days)

Spring Forward, Fall Backward






The clock in England will be brought an hour forward this Sunday - 26 March 2006.

It means 6 a.m. will be 7 a.m. from next Monday onwards and everyone can lie on bed an hour more.

Anyway, I don't use alarm clock. Instead, my body alarm clock wakes me up every morning. It is strange, I would have restless night and face difficulty in waking up if I were to use an alarm clock. But I would have no problem waking up on time when I rely on my God-given natural timer! \(^0^)/


***
Dear All

Just to remind you British Summer Time begins from Sunday 26 March @ midnight.
You need to put your clocks forward one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night.
Kind Regards

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Sincerity ~ It's what kind of life you want you to live in?

In responding to the discussion on “sincerity”, first of all, we have to ask ourselves: What kind of life we want to live in?

Trickiness? Or a secured life, not only materialistically, but also emotionally?

Will we be able to feel secured if we are always haunted by the feeling that we may be betrayed, especially by those whom we genuinely trust?

If it is not the life we want, then, we have no choice, but to live honestly, because that is how you can attract people with the same decent quality and we can surrounded by a peaceful environment. It is absolutely impossible a fox can live among fowl.

Once we are aware of the core issue, we are able to develop a strong inner peace to deal with foxes. I have learnt that it is us whom we can only expect. I have learnt that we should treat people kindly and sincerely, and should not have any expectation on others.

End of the way, it is us, ourselves, feel good about the good deeds we have been doing, and therefore, we feel good and in peace.

Anyway (Purported to have been written by Mother Teresa)

People are often unreasonable, Illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
You will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
Someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
They may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
People will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
And it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
It is between you and God;
It never was between you and them anyway.

****

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Divings in Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai Islands, May 2004














Date: Thu, 6 May 2004, 11:31:02 +0800

Ha, ha my friends, I just came back from Sipadan Island. I had exotic, memorable and fantastic dives in Mabul, Kapalai and Sipadan Islands.

I had my first wonderful night dive at 11 p.m. During my dives there, I saw sharks, turtles, flamboyant macro marine lives, sea slags, butterfly fish, lion fish, eels that hide themselves onto the sand, and many of others that I have yet to find out their names. (I have to buy books and do some studies on marine lives). It was really fun when big groups of fishes swimming around me. However, since these few months are mating season for trigger fish, so, watch up the aggressive trigger fish while diving. Unfortunately, as I paid too much attention on macro fishes, I missed the signs of my buddies on trigger fish which I have yet to recognize their shape, colours, and looks. If anyone who knows about trigger fish, it would be appreciated if you tell me more about trigger fish. I am really afraid of them during my dives as I did not want to get hurt. I have been hearing about the trigger fish¡¦s attacks during my dives in Aur Island (near Tioman Island) and Sipadan Island.

Not used to the city life after coming back to KL and resumed work today. The people on Mabul Island are really friendly and sincere. The villagers love to give warm welcome greetings and cheerful smile whenever they saw strangers. In fact, some of the villagers are in fact Filipinos who are sick of and would like to keep away from the political instability and violent crimes in their own country. I am totally infatuated with the natural and simple lifestyle there. I was totally got away about date and time (except time to go divings) and unnecessary trivial matters.

I spent a few nights sleeping on the open-air jetty. I realized for the first time of my life that there was a satellite moving clockwisely around the moon. It was no star at that particular night and only sole moon on the dark sky. The moon was actually on top of me when I was lying on the jetty. The moon was circled by its own bright light. It liked a round door to the heaven. :- )

Cheers,
2004.06.06, 11.39 a.m. (Malaysian time)



Share with you some of the beauty of the underwater world and my thrill of being so close to those spices that are exactly exit but we have been so ignorant to know.

from Sukhothai, Thailand, Feb 2002

Wrote: Saturday, February 16, 2002 1:31 PM

I'm in Sukhothai, Thailand now. Sukhothai was the capital of Thailand for approximately 120 years. Sukhothai literally means "Dawn of Happiness". It is about 427 kms north of Bangkok and near to ChiengMai.

With coming to Sukhothai, I had visited the total three capitals of Thailand, which are Sukhothai, Ayuttaya and Bangkok. I was impressed by the Grand Palace in Bangkok, whose arhitectures are rich with Thai's arts. From the buildings, i can see Thai people's patience because the arts of the arhitecture need a lot of patience on designing and creation. The Thai government does a plenty good work on keeping its historical sites. Even though it is difficult to communicate with Thai because they can't speak or understand English at all, there are many tourism police standing by to offer help to tourists. Besides that, Thailand has managable train transport system. Therefore, it is not difficult to move from one place to another place in Thailand. No doubt that tourism is the major resource for Thailand. Beside train, Thailand has many kinds of transportation. There are local buses, travel buses, tut-tut, bisycle, motorbisycle-taxi, motorbyle-taxi and taxi. However, except train, the transportation fare for tourists is different from the locals. Perhaps they thought all tourists are rich and their currency is lower than other countries.

Buying things are not cheap for Malaysians in Thailand, as after convention, the price in fact is higher than in Malaysia. I prefer going to isolated areas than the popular tourism points such as Bangkok and ChiangMai. We can just see the original living style and food of Thai in the isolated areas. However, the place of staying is not so clean in the isolated places. Yesterday afternoon, while ireached Sukhothai and found a guesthouse to stay. I felt really disgusting while I found a lot of Monquisto's babies in the water of the bathroom that i should take shower. I was thinking that: My Godness, How am i going to travel to other countries that are more backward than here.

After visiting the two ancient capital of Thailand - Ayuttaya and Sukhothai and the current capital - Bangkok, i strong feel the need of studying Thailand's history after going back to KL. While visiting the historical sites in Ayuttaya and Sukhothai, i am really impress by the ancient grand buildings and big compound with a very nice views. I was trying very hard to imagize the ancient times.

I took many pictures. There are about 8 films of 36 photos i had taken. I'm going to Phitsanulok this afternoon from Sukhothai. I'm going to take train at Phitsanulok at 9 p.m. to Bangkok. I will reach Bangkok tomorrow morning at around 6a.m. I will make a visit to the Weekend Market in Mat-Chi, near Bangkok with carrying my back-pack. I can't imagize how tiring i will be with carrying my back-pack to visit the Weekend Market which equivalent to 7 football fields. After visiting the Weekend Market, I will stay in Khao-san Road again for a night. The next day, i'm going to take train in Bangkok train station on Feb 18(Monday) afternoon at 2.30 p.m. to Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia. I should reach Butterworth on Feb 19 at around 2.30 p.m. From Butterworth, if i could get a sit of the bus, I will take bus going back to Kuala Lumpur and resume work on Feb 20. If not, i will stay one night in Penang and try to get a bus ticket to go back to KL.

I hope the pictures i had been taken are in good condition afterdeveloping. It's a nice trip.

Last night, when i went to Sukhotai Historical Park, the ancient King's Palace of Sukhothai Dynasty, i met four monks from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Loas and Myanmar. I had the pleasure to meet with them because it was going dark at that moment. As i was alone visiting the wats, i followed at their back. We started our conversation after they noticed that i was following them. We exchanged our view in Buddhism Philosophy. They come to Thailand under a International Studying Master Programme. They are doing their two-year master degree in Thailand on Buddhism Philosophy. They speak English to each other. In fact, the languages that they can speak are more than me, one of them can speak 7 languages. We exchanged our contact for future opinion exchange. For me, it's really a pleasure and lucky to meet them in Thailand.

Best Regards,Hui Mei

Incidents in the bus

That were total two incidents in the morning.

First, a bus broke down just right at the traffic light at the only one line for both bus and car before King's Street. As a result, four buses couldn't over take and merely waited for the bus to be removed.

I walked to the nearby junction to take my bus 9.

When i was going into the bus, a girl with short black hair, whom i guess an Eastern European, paid the bus fare with a five-pound note. She didn't realize no change would be given. She asked for change from three gentlemen who were waiting to get into the bus. Three of them responded quick that NO.

The bus driver was impatient and questioned the girl: How many buses have you taken here?

The bus driver asked her to get down from the bus.

The girl was jumping. She said she needed to reach Shinfield Park on time.

I assumed today was her first day report work in Foster Wheeler.

I checked my purse, i didn't have sufficient change for five-pound. Nevertheless, i volunteered to pay for a single trip for her.

What's a one pound and thirty pences meant?

I am sorry to use the word that the young girl was uncivilized. She scolded the bus driver: STUPID.

Of course, the bus driver was not truly kind either.

The bus was full with people. None bothered.

I wonder what would be your reaction if you were there?

I recalled another incident on the way back fm work. When the bus was picking up passengers at the hospital, it was long queue of the elderly. A very old man was on the last of the queue. He was struggling to move from a stone chair and rely on a wheelchair to support him while he was walking. He was trembling stepping into the bus.

I had been observing people. I stood up from the back of the bus and gave an extra hand to him. I supported him to get a seat and held on his wheelchair. I was not dare to look at anyone because i didn't want to react to any compliment.

At the town centre, a stop after the old man got down from the bus, an old couple went down from the bus. When the old couple passing me by, the man held my right arm and said: God bless you.

Three years ago, when i was lying on the operation bed going into an operation, there were pictures reflecting in my mind. At that time, it was glad that i didn't do any terribly wrong deed.

For me, God means the mobilizing energy of the universe. Nevertheless, i want to feel good and be proud about myself when i am still breathing. I wish to go at peace at my last breath.