Mike's Travels

Finally

2006-09-06T08:45:00.000+07:00

So, just in case anybody was curious (namely Mike), I'm now living in Ottawa and learning French for a position with the federal government. So far so good, but I probably won't be finished until 2007 some time. It's tough to learn a language - who would have thought?

Home for the Holidays

2005-12-29T05:49:00.000+07:00

If anybody is still checking this - I am impressed.

So, as you can tell I have been home for a while now. In all honesty, things have not been that busy, but it is hard to update a blog when you are not doing anything all that interesting.

What I can tell you is that my family celebrated Christmas in London, Ontario with my sister Allison and her husband Jeremy. It was a nice time with lots of snow, lights, and cold weather. On boxing day Jeremy had to work, but the rest of us went bowling. I am pleased to write that I won all three games that we played.

I am currently going through the pictures that I took during my trip. Hopefully, I will find a few more good ones to share. Unfortunately, I have been posting the best ones as I have gone along, so I don't have anything striking to post. We shall see.

All the best to everyone. 2006 is just around the corner.

Remember . . .

2005-11-11T22:37:00.000+07:00

Today is a day for remembering.
These are a few pictures from Northern France that capture the emotions stirred while I visited the landing beaches. These scenes I will always remember on this day.

Back in Canada

2005-11-11T22:36:00.000+07:00

I am now officially back in Canada.
I am currenmtly in Toronto visiting my good friends Ryan and Brandon. I will be here for another week or so before visiting some more people in the East.

Happy Birthday Maizie

2005-11-11T22:35:00.000+07:00

Just a quick message to say Happy Birthday to Maizie Monroe - have a great one!

From Tuscany with Love

2005-10-26T20:15:00.000+07:00

Hello everybody.

Once again, sorry for the lack of updates. I have limited internet access - too busy with food and wine, oh and work too.

For those of you who do not know, I am spending October living at a farm near Sinalunga, Tuscany, Italy. It is a gorgeous area and I have very much enjoyed my last few weeks here. Food is a major part of the Italian lifestyle and I have enjoyed the most amazing meals since I have been here. I think I will go into withdrawal from lack of olive oil upon my return to Canada.

My hosts, Barbara and Ugo, are fantastic. They run a small-scale farm that harvest olives, grapes, and some wheat. Each of these is primarily for personal consumption and the farm is more of a personal passion than a commercial enterprise. As such, there are many jobs to be done, but they are more varied than they are intence. We have been working on everything from harvesting grapes to setting in drainage pipe to planting trees. The variability makes the work enjoyable and the beautiful weather has made the outdoor work very pleasant.

While here, I have been fortunate enough to travel a little around the area. I have seen the following:
Siena - great small city with a wonderful feel to it. I only spend a morning here, but the views were great and the city is full of life.

Firenze - full of art, history, and museums. I spent about 4 days in Florence and really enjoyed the city. Everywhere you walk there are shoe stores, leather stores, and (of course) restaurants. The buildings are beautiful and each of them could feature in a post-card. I had the opportunity to visit the Uffizi gallery, saw Michelangelo's sculpture of David and visited many of the city's great cathedrals and piazas.

Pienza - Pienza is a great town that was built by a pope after ascending to his glorious position. The old town is nestled among old walls that provide a great view of rolling scenery of various fields of crops criss-crossing along the horizon. The view is gorgeous. The valley below Pienza is where the wheat field scenes of Gladiator were filmed.

Cortona - Cortona is another gorgeous town with great views. Once again, its protective location high on a hill provides amazing sunset views and wonderful visions of small fields is a geometrically complex pattern. Near by, there is the chapel where St. Francis came to pray to the Madonna. It is built into grey stone and presents an impressive facade along a great hill.

Lucca - Although a much greater town exists, I only spent a day within the old town walls. That said, the walls themseleves are one of the most impressive sights in this great city. There are chapels steeped with myth (such as a executioner's blade that spared an innocent man's life, and a bottomless pit which swallowed a blasphemer etc.) but the walls are great. They combine all the goals of modern active living. There is fresh air, great historical sites, beautiful trees and plants, and plenty of room for biking, running, walking, and just enjoying the scenery. The fact that you are 50 feet up and on top of ancient city walls is just a great bonus.

Take care,

Mike

Hello From Italy

2005-10-12T20:08:00.000+07:00

First of all Happy Thanksgiving to everybody. That said, I have to admit that Thanksgiving is not one of the holidays that I find to be very important. I agree with the sentiment - being thankful for everything one has, but I have to admit that I tend to focus more on the turkey and potatoes. This year, more than ever, I realize how much I have to be thankful for, but if not reminded by others, I probably would have completely forgotten about this holiday.

Sorry no pictures for now. Perhaps later on - perhaps in November (I only have access to dial-up internet for now).

So, back to my ramblings from before. I, once again have limited time, but I will provide a brief look at a few of the cities and towns I visited in Zambia.

Pashane Village - Pashane village is where Paul has made his home for about 9 months. His home is a simple hut with hard mud walls and a thatch roof. It has no electricity, nor running water, but I did cheat and use a flashlight occasionally. Paul refuses to do this.

The village itself is a collection of these huts. The size of the hut depends on the size of the family, their wealth, and their status within the village (or so I gather). Paul and I were lucky to have a two room hut - one room big enough for a double mattress, and the other as space for cooking, entertaining, and everything else. Paul also has a few other ammentities. A storage place outside the hut - to store grain, grounnuts (evil peanuts), and maize; a grass enclosure behind which to have luxurious bucket showers; and a latrine - hole in the ground for . . .

One of my greatest pleasures is that most of the people in the village do not use latrines, but at least one the kids has used Paul's shower area as a a urinal. It was quite funny to watch.

Chipata Town:
Chipata is a mid-size town and will likely officially be a city within a few years. It has grown a lot in recent years, but being far from the capital and in support of the political opposition - has received little attention. The city itself has two tarmac roads - one leading to Malawi and the other just recently paved. This is a vast improvement over the bright red dirt that typically makes up most of the roads. Within the city, there are several small markets, many bicycle repair stands, and plenty of restaurants. Most of the restaurants are unpainted concrete structures, that have a few bare wooden tables and serve lunch to the people who work in the city. Chipata has all the essential services - a police station - a hospital - internet - a ministry of agriculture. Each of these is not the same as in Europe or Canada but generally is called the same and strives towards the same goals (peace, health, connectivity, and food).

Lusaka:
Lusaka is a large city with a great potential to be a beautiful city. However, it is ruined by crime, walls, and fear. Raizerwire, broken glass, and concrete serves to separate most homes and offices from those people that don't belong to those areas. The natural beauty is seen with these gorgeous trees lining many of the avenues. They are giant majestic trees with bright purple flowers. The flowers are small, but seen at distance they give the impression that the tree's leaves are gentle purple. This combined with blue sky and read roads really is quite striking. And then there's the walls again.

Lusaka is interesting because it has the bustle of a European city, and is full of advertising, but it is still very different. The people there are dressed very well - the vast majority of men are wearing suits of some sort and women are dressed equally fashionable. That said, it's too bad that Zambia has very few examples of traditional African dress.

Lusaka is also interesting because you see the presence of all the international organizations - offices for NGOs, AIDS awareness signs, embassies, the UN, etc. You also see advertising that you would never find anywhere else - "A roof without Harvey tiles puts your mind at ease like having sex with a baby cures HIV/AIDS". The pure shock value of this is enough to knock over - but it is because so many organizations are disseminating information about HIV etc. that its only natural for private companies to adopt this in their advertising.

Livingstone
Livingstone is not a normal Zambian town. It caters to tourists and survives on tourism. This gives a very pleasant town, but loses some authenticity. You see tourists everywhere and the vehicles, homes, accommodation, and everything is greared towards attracting foreign money.

OK OUT OF TIME - SORRY

It's about time . . .

2005-10-06T18:19:00.000+07:00

Ok, so this post has been a long time coming. Also, much like boxing day, it may be a lot of build up only for a big disappointment. If that is the case, I apologize.

So, where have I been and what have I been up to. This is the brief version:

September 1
- Arrive in Lilongwe airport, Malawi
- Meet up with Paul Slomp and get a ride with his Aunt into the city (He randomly met his Aunt at the airport in Lilongwe, how strange is that?)
- Mini-bus to Malawi/Zambia Border
- Taxi through "no person's land"
- Taxi into Chipata, Zambia
- Bicycle ride to Pashane village
- Nshima and relish for dinner
- Sleep in the hut

September 2
- Bicycle to Chipata
- Day in Chipata
- Overnight in tent in the Ministry of Agriculture compound

September 3
- Motorcycle ride to Ptoeke
- 2 Hour walk to Kaloko Village
- Overnight in tent in middle of village

September 4
- Treadle pump demonstration
- 2 Hour walk to middle of road
- Motorcycle ride back to Chipata

Ok, so I am going to get a lot less detailed now, as I am running out of time.

- Time spent in Chipata and at Pshane Village
- 5 Day safari to South Luangwa National Park
- Chipata again
- Lusaka
- Livingstone
- Lusaka
- Lilongwe
- Nairobi
- London
- Here now, soon Italy.

Perhaps that was a big too brief.

Anyhow, I have a lot to say about life in Zambia and about the things that I saw and experienced. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to share all of this right now. I can just provide the overall feeling: excellent.

It was a great experience to visit Zambia, to see my good friend Paul, to have stimulating conversations about development, quality of life, and world problems, to get a brief experience of living in a village, to play with kids that are so happy to have your attention, to eat a lot of nshima, and to realize how fortunate I am to have all the above experiences and more. Zambia was a great learning experience. It was challenging, interesting, stimulating, and even gave me food poisoning - not once but twice. Good thing I didn't get the food poisoning/malaria that Paul had. That didn't look like much fun.

Anyhow, that's all for now.

I'm off to Tuscany - no more nshima for a while.

Cause I'm leavin on a jet plane

2005-08-31T23:06:00.000+07:00

I am heading off in a short while. If I get the chance, I will send an update from Zambia.

and pictures

2005-08-27T02:32:00.000+07:00

Cliche but hey . . .

Bern

Interlaken - Lake

Parasailing is popular in the area

House on a hill

Cow - Moooo

Best hostel so far . . .

Monte Carlo Parking Lot

First car I saw in Monaco

Nice is well you know

My little dingy

A sin . . .

Cannes by night

International Pyrotechniques Comp

Marseille

Bayeux

A word is a thousand pictures

2005-08-26T19:34:00.000+07:00

Ok, so this is a much needed update.

Warning - there is no spell check available and the keyboard is a French keyboard that types as a North American one.

So, my travels since Venice have been Swiss and French:
I left Venice, took the train through Milan to Luzern, then up to Bern. The train trip was great - providing great views through the Alps. There is even one place where you circle a town and see it three times as you go through the mountain. It is a great. You get three different perspectives of a gorgeous little Swiss town. All from different heights and angles. The trip was quite long, but the scenery made it worthwhile.

Upone arrival in Bern I got my place to stay and began thinking about what I would do in Switzerland. Being notoriously expensive, I only planned to stay a day or two and then get out of there. While spending the night I talked to some people who recommended I visit Interlaken - a small town between two lakes and in the heart of the Alps. It sounded great to me.

So, I slept well, got up and explored Bern. It is a great capital and the town itself is a UNESCO heritage sight. It has a great glacial river flowing through town and everything is clean and fresh (although I understand this same river caused a lot of damage due to the horrible rains in the past few days). I took a tour of the Swiss parliament and learned a little about their system of governance. Very relaxed. Basically people with regular jobs who decided to govern a few select times a year.

The parliament building has a great statue of the three founding Cantons of Switzerland. They are putting their hands together and the inscription says "All for one and one for all". Seems a little familiar. I was the only one who seemed to find this funny though.

I also got a chance to take a look at the bear pits in Bern. Bears adorn many things because the city founder shot and killed a bear at the sight of the settlement. Nowadays three bears live in a concrete pit on the edge of the city. It is really sad to see such noble beasts in such a sterile and harsh confinement. It seems to contrast the rest of the city which is so warm and pleasant.

Later that afternoon I boarded the train and headed to Interlaken. Upon arrival I wandered around like a Zombie looking for accommodation. I found the best hostel I have stayed at so far. The backpacker's villa. It was wonderful. Upon check in they gave me sheets, a map, pen, great service, locker etc. Also, the villa itself is super clean and overlooks a beautiful view of the alps. I described it as a healthy hostel - which a lonely planet writer seemed to like and said she would suggest be used in their next edition - we'll see.

So, Interlaken is much like the Banff or Canmore of Switzerland. It has a lot of tourists (on the downside) but it has so much freshness and nature that you can easily escape them. While there, I took a 5 hour bike ride climbing 400M and then a cable car up to a remote farming community high in the alps. Then I did a long 5 hour hike around the side of the mountain and along the North face of the eiger pass. Both were great and wonderful to be out in the fresh air and doing something physical.

Also, while in Interlaken I tried a tandem hang-glide. It was great. I hopped on the back of a motorcycle, got a ride up to the top of mountian, strapped in, ran, and then all of a sudden realized that I just hooked myself into a kite and jumped off a mountain. I would love to do it again. The views were fantastic and when you dive you get a lot of speed and it is a great rush. Landing was the scariest part. It was like landing in a plane except you're only inches from the ground. That said, I was surpised how smooth it was - despite landing in a field.

Another interesting experience in Interlaken was the pool and spa that I got a free pass to with my hostel - it really was a great place. The pool was pretty standard with a diving board, lengths and kids area. Actually, I thought the kids pool was a supposed to be a hot tub - it seemed a little warm - so I sat in there for a while. So, post sitting in kids urine, I figured I would check out the wellness centre. I thought it would be just a work out area. HOwever, i discovered this whole spa area. It was fantastic. There was a hot tub with water fall that looked out at the alps, a foot bath area, and a number of different spa, steam, and shower rooms. I did a little exploring they were as follows:

1. Dry Suana - pretty standard
2. Wet Sauna - standard as well
3. Strange shower place - complete with buttons on the wall:
- message - a painful stream of water that felt more like a laser cutter
- Red button with German name - Light mist - very nice
- Blue button with German name - oscillating hot and cold water
- Green button with German name - cold water and lots of it
- my favorite - 1001 Nacht - I dont know what it did but it's name is so great I couldn't care less.
4. Shower with a giant steel bucket. You push a button and the bucket fills with water. You pull the handle and the bucket turns over and you discover that the water temperature is just above absolute zero. It hits you like a ton of bricks - surprisingly refreshing.
5. Bio Sauna.

Now, just before I went to explore the bio-suana, as I was sitting out of the way in the hot tub a couple of people enter the wellness centre. It was a couple in their mid 50s. They drop their robs and I am shocked to discover they had no other clothes. Nothing. I sat there extremely silently hoping they wouldn't look over. As soon as they went into one of the saunas I went looking for some kind of sign that I was lost in some nudest land. I found it. A small sign at the entrance indicating that the bio sauna and the wet sauna were to be used Naket (yes with a t).

As I hastened to make my exit, curiousity got the better of me. I had to see what was behind door number - bio sauna. So, I slowly snuck up and tried to peer in to see if I would disturb any naket people. I couldn't see anything. So, raping my towel around my waste, I opened the door and tried to look confident. Thankfully nobody was inside. However, I was glad I took a look. It was similar to the wet sauna, but dark. All along the ceiling were colored lights and one wall had a waterfall of green light that flowed down the wall. A barely audible babbling brook filled the air. Except the for naketness, and the risk that that 50 something couple would show up and take away my towel, I thought to myself - what a great idea!

Onwards - to Nice via a great meal in Milan.

Nice is a city of money, scenery, and water. I was staying at a great hostel that was an old converted monestary and had a bar in the chapel.

Probably one of the greatest things about Nice is that Monaco is right next door. This allowed me, and a bunch of French language students who stay at the hostel, to go and visit Monte Carlo without selling our souls in order to stay there. Monte Carlo was a car lovers dream. It was great. The exotics became ordinary and I found myself taking pictures of regular cars, just because you never get to see them. Amazing the amount of money that is present in that city. There was even a yacht in the port with a helicopter on the back. Amazing.

SO, I am running out of time and you are running out of patience. I will begin to summarize. I pandered the time away on the French riviera for quite some time. I spent days exploring the old town of Nice, wandering Antibe looking for the place I booked to stay - it turns out is in Juan Le-Pin - because it was August 15th and there were no buses running (public holiday). Then I moved on to Marseille where I once again explored old city and enjoyed the sea and everything it brings.

Then, I headed up to Northern France and stayed a few days in a town called Bayeux. Bayeux itself is a beautiful town with many old buildings and is not ruined by the architectural atrocities of the 60s and 70s. The town in Normandy features a lot of apples and calvados - an apple brandy - is hard to keep out of any meal.

Bayeux is also the closest town to the D-day beaches. I spent a couple of days seeing some the sights and walkign along the cliffs that overlook the landing beaches. The most moving experience was seeing the commonwealth cemetary. It is filled primarily with Canadian soldiers but a few Australians, and even a couple of Germans, are also buried there. It was a beautiful and peaceful testament to a conflict of war and hatred. I was on a tour and traveled with a Canadian family who accompanied their father back to France. It was his first return trip since serving in the war. At the cemetary he found the grave of his classmate. I can't imagine how awful it must have been to be a part of the war. I hope the peace and tranquility that now infuses the area is what we will take into the future.

In France

2005-08-19T23:45:00.000+07:00

More to come later.

Photos and Update

2005-08-06T03:22:00.000+07:00

So, I am currently in Venice, Italy - after spending one night in Trieste.

It has been quite a while since my last update so I will try and brief you a little on my activities.

I have been very fortunate in my travels. Croatia was amazingly beautiful with perfect weather - if a little hot at times. The adriatic sea is a beautiful blue and it is lined with white rock cliffs. There is no sand, or very little, on the beaches, but the rocky shores mean the water is nice and clear.

The old town of Dubrovnik is amazingly beautiful. It is surrounded by high city walls that you can walk along. I did this between 5 and 7pm (it is a long walk) and it is uninterupted views of the old town on one side, and the adriatic beyond. Out in the bay there are many sailboats and yachts cruising around.

From Dubrovnik I took a 22 hour ferry ride up the coast to Rijeka. The ride itself was very nice with beatiful sea views and wonderful stops at little islands along the way. It was a great trip.

Rijeka itself is nothing super special. It is an industrial town, but sports a nice castle and has a nice central square. I passed the day touring around with an Australian girl I met on the Ferry.

Following Rijeka I took a train into Ljubljana, Slovenia. Here I prompltly got a cold and the weather turned to rain. It was rather unpleasant for 2 days, but I got a good feel for Ljubljana - a nice small town feel in a city of about 200,000. It has a much more simple European feal to it. I had an excellent meal at a cafe that involved goulash and potatoe - traditional mountain fair.

After 3 days in Ljubljana I signed up for an adventure tour. This took me though Lake Bled - a clear lake with a castle on a central island. Following that we went through the highest pass in Slovenia - 1600M above sea level. This lies in the Julian alps which are right on the border of Austria. The views coming into the valley were amazing.

Now comes the adventure part - canyoning. This is where you follow a stream basically from its source down a mountain. We started by putting on wet suits and helmets and climbing up the mountain for about 45 minutes. Then we got into the stream. We learned the basic techniques of descent - jumping and sliding. The stream forms a sort of natural waterslide that you can go down most of the way. At first, there were a few small slides and then they gradually got bigger. We got to a 4M jump and it took some courage. Next was a the deapest canyon pool and rocks on the side that you can jump off of. I started with a 9M jump, did that 2 more times, then tried the 12M jump. It was super scary because you had to jump out as far as you can in order to ensure you clear the rocks below. I was one of only 3 people (out of 12) who did it, but it was awesome.

Following that, a few more small jumps (7M seems easy after doing a 12M jump). Then the final part was a 15M waterfall. You basically get in the path of the water fall and launch off the edge. It was amazing. It was the only jump where the guide said that safety was not guarenteed - but he assured us that hundreds of people have done it. It was awesome. I went first and it was quite scary but an amazing rush at the end.

I am running out of internet time, so I will keep the rest of this short.

I then spent a day in the amazing caves in SouthWestern Slovenia then moved on to Trieste Italy - great pasta. I am now in Venice.

I had a good first day - up until somebody slipped some walnut into my pizza slice - who's ever heard of walnut in a pizza slice. I coudn't find my antihistamine and the pharmacys were closed so a made a treck to the hospital - fun stuff. Here I had an injection and saw a doctor, then a specialist - I think they were a little bored. The specialist decided to keep me for the night because I had had the peanut reaction in January. So, it was a not so fun night and the morning was filled with the beuarocracy of Italian paper work and the language barrier - not so much fun time, but hey it was a great cultural experience.

I just had excellent linguini with clam sauce and I am feeling much more human again.

Until later, (PS: there would have been more pics but time ran out)

Here are some photos of where I have been in the last little while.

Dubrovnik - Old Town

New Town

Internet in the park

22 Hour Ferry Ride up the Coast

Wien Pictures

2005-07-25T22:43:00.000+07:00

Town Hall with Film Festival

Food Stalls

Opera House

Inside St. Stephan's Church

Dance lessons in the Streets

Street 'Dance Exhibit'
This was a blown up bubble and inside was the layout of a typical apartment. Inside the dancers would perform strange movements. It was called 'the apartment'.

Skateboarding

Downtown

Brno Pictures

2005-07-25T22:34:00.000+07:00

Brno Skyline

Hostel

Dead guys

2nd Hand

Statue - Darn Lamborghini is in the way

Prague

2005-07-25T22:20:00.000+07:00

The Charles Bridge - Pragues famous landmark

St. Joseph's Bacillica - where I saw a great classical music performance

Prague Castle Gardens

Castle Guards

Cubism

Iron Men Art

Even Superheros have bad days

More random art

Stonehaven Pictures

2005-07-25T21:38:00.000+07:00

War Memorial: 1914 A tribute to their dead.
One by one death challenged them
then one by one they smiled in
his grim visage and
refused to be dismayed

Approaching Dunnottar Castle

The Castle ruins

View from the cliffs

Dee, Laura, and I

Rescue boat trip over the North Sea (a great excursion on a fabulous evening. The sea was smooth with occassional big swells. The sights of the cliffs and the castle were amazing. One of my favorite experiences in Scotland.

St. Mary's Kirk (Church) and golf course (The church is right next to a green)

John teaches how to taste whisky

The fabulous Burns supper at the Cruickshanks. This was a special meal complete with haggis, nips and taties (?). Although typically held in January, we broke from tradition and had a beautiful outdoor supper. It was great with John making a toast to the haggis, William piping, Jane entertaining (as usual), Tom giving a toast to the memomy of Burns, me a toast to the lassies, Dee a response, and then a few random poetry readings etc. We were all a little green from previous whisky tastings and such that the whisky did not a play all that big a role in our dinner, but it was a great time and I had a lot of fun.

Much Needed Update

2005-07-25T21:15:00.000+07:00

So, I'm finally getting around to uploading some more pictures and updating you on my activities.
Following London, my itinerary has been as follows:

London: Departed on July 14th
Prague: July 14 to 20st
Brno: July 21st, 22nd
Vienna: July 22nd to 26th
Next: Bus trip to Croatia

Prague was a gorgeous city, but strewn with random tourists. Most were living, but I swear that few had caught that horrible disease that was featured in 'Sean of the Dead'. They traveled in large, lumberous groups, and seem to have a dazed distant look on their faces. They drooled and breathed heavily. It was a little disconcerting.

Prague castle is a sight to be seen. Wading through the tourists you get a fabulous view of the main cathedral. Insight, you realize just how big it is (very). I was amazed. What's also amazing about Pragues is that there is beautiful architecture at every turn. I walked the streets for hours, just to get lost. I found myself in areas where nobody was around and there were still picture perfect streets with little marble square stone sidewalks, and quaint restaurants and lights. It has a very warm and magical feeling - like a summers day that blows in a pleasant smell of fresh bread.

After visiting Prague for a week, I headed to the smaller city of Brno - to get away from the crowds. Brno is very nice and is in the SE part of the Czech Republic - the former Moravian capital. While there I visited the local castle. Its history dates back to the 1200s and includes various uses such as a residence, a stronghold, a prison, a torture prison, a nazi prison, and now a museum. The most amazing part was seeing the prison cells in the deep confines of the castle.

Following the castle I went to the crypt. I saw about 50 skeletons of various notable figures that are held in a church in the middle of Brno. They all are from the 1700s and it has an eary feeling to it.

I then headed on the train for Vienna. The trip was quick (two and half hours) and I had no problems, once I figured out how to communicate my need to buy a ticket and get on the right train.

Vienna is also a beautiful city with amazing cultural events and rich architectures. In the central core, there are muscial perforamances all around. At any one time you can be within a few minutes walk of a Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, or other classical performance. Last night I attended free film festival outside the Rauthaus - an amazing city hall. There, we saw a film of a classical concert in Berlin. What's great is that therew were probably 1200 people crammed in to watch a DVD of a classical music performance. Nearby there were international food stalls selling a fine assortment of meals, wines, and other great gastronimic treats.

London Bombs

2005-07-15T20:39:00.000+07:00

I'm currently in Prague - the weather is gorgeous and so is the city. I spent the day at Prague castle and now I'm exploring more of the city. I'm looking forward to getting off the tourist train, but I am enjoying the beer - it's also the cheapest beverage on the menu.

So, I visited London four days after the bombs went off. I made a journey to King's Cross. On the way I came across the site of the explosion on the bus. First of all, I was hit by the volume and presence of the news media. There were cameras constantly trained on the memorials - waiting for something to happen. Second, the memorials themselves were very moving. They were full of flowers, messages, and statements of support. What was most moving was the posters of the, then, still missing.

Ït brought tears to my eyes to see pictures of happy smiling people and then see in the background a memorial or signs of their violent demise. There are no words that can explain how it felt. It's something I hope to never feel again, but it's something I'll never forget.

Here are a few photos:

Still in Scotland

2005-07-08T21:26:00.000+07:00

Thanks to those of you who have e-mailed me to see if I was in London during the bomb attacks. I'm still in Scotland, in a town called Stonehaven. I will be traveling to London on Monday, and then on to Prague on Wednesday.

It is a horrific tragedy that innocent people have been injured or killed while going about their everday business.

Photos

2005-07-05T17:35:00.000+07:00

London

Dad at a memorial for Canadian soldiers

Scotland
Tour of an anchor handler in Aberdeen

Statue at the Aberdeen art gallery which I thought encapsulated what the G8 protests should be about. The statue has a "make poverty history" banner around its neck and is a peaceful icon of an alternative ideal.

Aberdeen - the granite city

One of the most interesting things about Aberdeen is that it is an area steeped with historical figures like William Wallance (shown here) and Robert the Bruce.

At Aberdeen University

Countryside

Glen Taner Hike - Featuring the Talisman Family (Jack, Laurie, John, Scot, Carol, Nick, Alex, Mike, Nancy, Caitlin, Madeline, and me)

Castle

Bike/Horse Ride (I was on the bike) to Drum Castle

Caitlin Weedle and Flame

A horse of course

Drum Castle and gardens

Asia Review

2005-07-05T17:26:00.000+07:00

I figure after almost five months in South East Asia, I should try and give a quick and incomplete review of the experience.

First of all, the good things. There were far too many great experiences during my trip for me to recount here. However, a few of my favorite things about my travels in Asia were the selfless kindness of people, the genuine openness and willingness of people to invite me into their homes and lives, and the high value placed on people. What was great is that even among great poverty there was still great humanity. On average, people in the areas I traveled tended to be very happy. Their quality of life was more dependent on the people in their lives rather than access to goods and services. Throughout my previous posts, I tried to highlight some of the more outstanding experiences, but there is a lot of great people and a lot of great places in this special part of the world.

Unfortunately, I also saw some ugly things while I was traveling. Although a good portion of my time was spent in Singapore, the places with less infrastructure and less development had more of an impact. I found that people many people were living happy lives with very little possessions. This is not a bad thing. However because these people are living so close to the poverty line any disruption to their lifestyle puts their basic ability to survive in jeopardy. This could come in the form of natural disaster - as with the tsunami -, economic downturn, job loss, sickness, or even the far reaching consequences of a few madmen - if tourism is hurt in Cambodia due to the incident in the international school. Life in these countries can be pretty precarious and can be a delicate balance between living and dieing.

One of the saddest truths is that sex tourism and the sex trade - trafficking of human beings - is flourishing in South East Asia. I've made casual references to this in the past, but to this point I have limited my commentary to the offers I have received.

Throughout my journey I have spoken to many travelers and heard many different viewpoints with regards to prostitution, sex tourism, and the trade of money for physical pleasure. Among the more disturbing things I've heard was the statement that "every woman in Asia is a prostitute, you just have to have the right price". While I strongly disagree with this, both in fact and in feeling, I have been overwhelmed with the number of people that act as "go betweens". These pimps can be taxi drivers, street vendors, "friends", or virtually any other occupation. They exploit desperate young females and males, often children, in order to make money. What's most disturbing is that people get trapped in a devastating lifestyle. Drugs and alcohol are often the only means of escape. These short-term solutions only create more desperation and further subject people to the abuses of others.

One of the saddest things to contemplate is the basic laws of supply and demand. If there was no demand, there would be no supply. The fact that I've been propositioned so frequently, and in so many countries, is testament to an abundant supply. This also indicates that that there is a demand from many Western travelers. It sickness me to think that people would come to countries half way around the world and emotional and physically abuse their residents. What's worse is that people think money is fair trade for somebody's dignity. Anybody who engages in this kind of dehumanizing activity treats these victims as objects that can be bought and sold. It's sad and it's wrong, but it's still prominent.

Overdue Thank You

2005-07-05T17:19:00.000+07:00

So, this is a long overdue post, but a huge thank you goes out to Cheryl and Curt Satre as well as Kelsey Wagner.

It was great to have the opportunity to feel at home in the most foreign of places. I appreciate your great hospitality and I had a great time in the Middle East.

Thanks a ton!

Oman Pictures

2005-06-26T20:26:00.000+07:00

Muscat:

Border Stop:

Shopping:

Ibra Landscape:

Graveyard:

Old Town:

Dubai - United Arab Emirates

2005-06-21T17:22:00.000+07:00

So, I'm now in Dubai, one of the Emirates.
Prior to Dubai I spent 14 hours in the Bangkok airport - waiting for my 3:30am flight. I decided to tdo this because it would be a big hassle to pay for a cab and take all my stuff around with me. In hind sight, sitting at the airport was no "day at the beach".
After a quick 6 hour flight, I arrived in Dubai - a thriving city of just over 1 million people.

Here are some photos:

Ko Phi Phi

2005-06-21T16:42:00.001+07:00

So, Phi Phi island was a really interesting experience. A few key insights (or at least that's how I view them).

1. The Tsunami wiped out virtually everything on Phi Phi. The destruction is very evident and the town suffered great loss, both in life and in property.
2. Phi Phi is moving on. Since the disaster the island has rebuilt with amazing speed and determination. There are now many new buildings, businesses are open, and accommodation is plentiful. People should visit.
3. Nature has a way of absorbing things. What's interesting is that the natural splendor of Phi Phi, or any of the other islands, has not been hurt at all. While I never visited the area before the tsunami, there is no obvious signs of its disaster. The natural growth of trees seems to have absorbed the shock and rebounded with amazing resilience. If I didn't know better, it would be impossible to tell that the tsunami had hit anything besides man made buildings.
4. A community exists. Phi Phi has a great community. Since the disaster, volunteers have come to the island. Many have stayed weeks or months. The whole town has pulled together and, with the support of good willed visitors, put in a great effort to improve and recover. Now, everybody knows each other and is united in a common goal.

Bottom line - go and visit. It's an amazing place and still extremely beautiful. Plus, if you have some time (even 2 hours like I did) volunteering is always great fun.

Pictures:

Rai Lay Bay - Thailand

2005-06-21T16:42:00.000+07:00

Notice that this boat (along with about 5 others) is "from" Canmore, Canada. This was part of the tsunami relief effort.

Hoi An - Vietnam

2005-06-21T16:21:00.000+07:00

Railay to Ko Phi Phi

2005-06-17T18:07:00.000+07:00

So, since my last post I have done some traveling and some relaxing.

Upon returning to Bangkok from Vietnam I cought a quick flight to Krabi town - a small town on the SouthEast coast of Thailand. From there, I made my way via longtail boat to the beaches of Railay Bay. Railay is similar to an island (in that it has amazing beaches and can only be reached via boat) but is actually part of the mainland.

I spent a few days on Railay relaxing and enjoying the sun. On my final day I took a half day of rock climbing. It was lots of fun and my first time climbing on real rocks. My arms are still tired.

Railay itself is very beautiful (pictures to come soon) and features dramatic limestone cliffs plunging into azure blue waters. The scenery is breath taking and there are many different inlets that create wonderful beaches that are kept secluded by the cliffs.

Following Railay, I made my way (via longtail again) to the ferry in Krabi town. Here I transferred directly onto the ferry as my little wooden boat docked right with the ferry. It was an experience hauling myself up the 4 feet and climbing over the railing. I felt like I was some sort of VIP shipped in at the last minute.

I'm now in Ko Phi Phi. This is a picturesque island with world class beaches and heavenly views. It is also one of the areas in Thailand hit hardest by the tsunami. I'm amazed by the visible destruction that is still evident and the amount of work that has been done to clean things, rebuild, and re-establish the town.

One of the most impressive things is the community that exists here. I wish I could stay longer. The volunteering is very open and everybody is welcome to join even if they here only for a day. Many people come for a day and stay for weeks or months. I would have been volunteering today, but I arrived on the day off. Every Friday is a break day. Unfortunately, tomorrow I must leave (so I can head back to Bangkok and head to Dubai) so I may miss out on the volunteering.

So, that's about all for now. I'll upload pictures when I can get to a computer with the required capabilities.

Tragedy in Cambodia

2005-06-17T17:59:00.000+07:00

I have heard that there has been violence in Cambodia that has resulted in a child (from Canada) being killed. It's especially sad because this act of a few people will have a negative effect on so many.

The CNN Link:
href="http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/06/16/cambodia.hostages/">

Quickly

2005-06-10T12:42:00.000+07:00

I'm in Hoi An Vietnam right now.
So far it's a very nice town. A few of the highlights are:

- Cooking class (learning to make fish in Banana leaf, spring rolls, lemongrass and chili squid, deep fried wontons)
- Tailor shops (ordered a suit, shirt, and shoes)
- Tour of the village (just a five minute walk from the town there exists another face of Hoi An - the poor area where families are living in tiny shacks and struggling to make ends meet)
- Randomly meeting up with a friend from Edmonton.

More later,

Mekong Delta

2005-06-05T11:49:00.000+07:00

So, I just returned from a 4 day trip through the Mekong Delta. This is an area of Southern Vietnam (the far South tip bordering Cambodia) where the Saigon river meets up with the mighty Mekond and there are numous giant waterways and rivers. Surprisingly, there is also a lot of people, cities, and traffic. It seems that everywhere you go there is people living along the river.

Often, the homes are not much more than wood, corrugated steel, and a boat. However, people are using the river for almost everything. It really is their life blood. They transport everything, fish, bathe, and even drink the river. It's quite impressive and you see just how important water is to their everyday life.

I've taken a random selection of photos (this computer doesn't really let me see the pictures that well (too dark)) so hopefully some good ones are here.

PS: There are a couple from Bangkok too.
Bangkok:

Vietnam:

Ho Chi Minh City

2005-06-04T23:04:00.000+07:00

So, here are a few quick photos of the city of Ho Chi Minh (or Saigon). Ok, so maybe these focus on major elements of the city - 5 parts traffic, one part communist revolution.

Ho Chi Minh - Saigon

2005-05-31T11:27:00.000+07:00

So, I'm now here in Vietnam. I've just been touring around Ho Chi Minh for the past couple of days. I have to say that the first thing I learned is that I don't know how to cross the street.

The cars now drive on the right (correct) side of the road, at least most of the time. However, cars are a vast minority. The motorcycles are taking over. At every stop light (if you can find the stop light) there are hundreds lined up. They all move out 100M in a mass wave and then spread out in every direction. I've heard the term wading through traffic, but never have I experienced it before. The best advice is to begin walking and move at a slow and constant rate. The sea of motorcycles parts like water around a rock and bikes go whizzing past on either side of the pedestrian traveler. The temptation is to make a run for it, but only a slow and patient walk will see you through to the other side. Oh, and the traffic lights are set so you can't see them at the crosswalks. So, you have to kind of guess when the light will change and choose when to begin the trek across.

Tomorrow I head to the Mekong Delta (hopefully) for 4 days.

Bangkok

2005-05-27T17:50:00.000+07:00

So, I have spent the last few days in Bangkok. It's been a good time and I'm looking forward to heading off tomorrow.

First, the food situation is probably not too bad, however I can't communicate well enough to figure that out. The thaws use peanuts frequently and their English is the worst I've come across so far. So, McDonald's, salad (when I can), and fruit is the good food for me.

Yesterday and today was a day of sight seeing. I went and saw a three different temples yesterday and then the Grand Palace today. All of them were impressive with the Grand Palace being the best. The architecture is very beautiful and awe inspiring. I also got to see the changing of the (2) guards.

Last night I went and saw a Thai boxing match. I have to admit it was quite entertaining but far from my favorite sport. It seems strange to watch people kicking and punching one another. I doubt I'll be watching any boxing in the near future but it was an interesting cultural experience.

I was sitting behind a large fenced off area in the cheap seats. It felt as though I were in some kind of prison or cage. The lighting was dim and the seats were just flat surfaces of poured concrete. At the start it was sporadically filled with foreigners. Soon, however, the Thais came pouring in. They swarmed the cages and were frantically switching seats to try and get a better view. The reason for the cage is that, in theory, betting of a certain type is only supposed to go on in the cheap seats. Having paid only the equivalent of $12 for our tickets, we got to watch the Thai men aggressively place bets and then cheer their chosen fighter. It was interesting to watch these passive Buddhist people (something like 90% of placing bets on two men who are intent on knocking each other out Thais are Buddhist) placing bets on two men who are intent on knocking each other out.

The evening entertainment served as a strong contrast to the opulent palace and temples. It also was a reminder that reality often differs from ideals ,and religious generalizations don't hold true when you examine the daily lives of people.

Almost Missed Saigon

2005-05-25T20:14:00.000+07:00

So, I'm now in Bangkok. Slowly, I'm making progress towards Vietnam and I will actually fly there on Saturday, May 28th. Until then, I'll be hanging out in Bangkok and playing the game of "avoid the peanuts". So far, so good.

Oh, my interesting comment of the day is about the Bangkok International Airport. What's interesting is that you fly in right over a golf course. This isn't so unusual in itself, but the fact that the players actually have to cross the runway at one point and some of the holes are only about 50 yards away from landing planes is a little strange. If I played that course, there could be a major international disaster.

Pictures

2005-05-22T10:56:00.000+07:00

I'm hanging out in Kuala Lumpur for a couple of days. As such, I have access to a computer and a reasonably good internet connection. So, here are some pictures:

I tried to upload more picture from Langkawi but for some reason it didn't work. So, I'll do that sometime in the future (maybe).

Monkey in Langkawi:

Bali Pictures:

House on rice paddies in Ubud(sideways)

More Rice

Monkeys in Ubud's Monkey Forest

Ubud Art Store (one of hundreds)

Street Commerce

Ubud Rice Terraces

More Pictures

2005-05-22T10:30:00.000+07:00

Lovina Beach - Sunrise

Dolphin Watching at Sunrise

Road Scenery

Kuta Beach Sunset

1 Week in a little island called Bali

2005-05-17T19:39:00.000+07:00

Transport? Lady? Man? Mushroom? Charlie? Massage? Marijuana?
You name it, you can get it in Bali. Every ten feet or so somebody will offer transport, and if you don't need that you will be updated with a serious of other products and services that can be purchased for a price. The Bali people are all very friendly, kind, and entrepreneurial. Everybody is willing to offer driving service and it seems that everybody has a side business or a friend who can get you "anything you need". That said, everybody is also very relaxed and easy going.

I've been here for almost a week now. Our trip has taken us from Kuta (think California surf town that was carried to Asia on a giant wave), Ubud (think some time where it's still the 1960's and everybody enjoys producing and selling their crafts (wood carvings, paintings, stone carvings, glass, etc.) on streets nested amongst rice paddies in the mountains) to Lovina beach (think quiet beach where the water is extremely calm and the people even more calm) and back to Kuta.

So far it's been great. I'm surprised by the number of people in Bali. There's 3 million people on the island and they seem to have about 3 million different restaurants - most of them with the same menu (oh and good news, I can eat the food because Balinese oil = coconut oil). The traffic is horrible on the South side of the island, but as you come north the mountains are amazing (although nothing like the rockies) and there's several lakes in amongst the rice terraces.

So, to be brief a few highlights:

Ubud - Amazing bungalows for rent where you get your own room, a loft, a balcony, and a view of the rice terraces all for C$5 per person.
Snorkling - We went for a snorkeling trip to Deer island (I forget the Indonesian name) that's on the North tip of Bali between it and Java. The reef is awesome. I could be easily impressed buy I've never seen tropical fish besides in an aquarium. The coral spreads out over about 50 meters and then drops off in a huge cliff to an unknown depth that looks exactly like something out of finding nemo. There were thousands of fish of all sizes and colors. Apparently, they get black and white tipped sharks and whale-sharks in that area, but we didn't see either of them.
Dolphins - We were up at 5:30 this morning and out in the Java sea to try and catch a glimpse of some dolphins. We saw a few and chased them around until around 9:00am. All in all, it was not that wonderful, the boat ride was better ( this super narrow boat - just wide enough for your hips) that's supported with wooded pontoons).
Kuta - Waves. The waves in Kuta are huge right now. The beach lifesaving squad said they are particularly high right now and nobody can go surfing because of it. It was fun to do a little body surfing but you really see how strong the Ocean is. I hope I will be able to take some pictures because they are impressive.

Anyhow, that's all for now.

Pictures may be coming.

Tamen Negara

2005-05-09T16:30:00.000+07:00

May 7th, 2005.
So, Taman Negara (Malaysia's National Park and home to a 150 million year old rain forest) took its toll on the family. When we arrived all 5 of us were healthy, energetic and ready to take on the world, or at least the rain forest. Things were different when we left; Mom got a touch of asthma but was otherwise well, Jeremy had a cold, Allison had a cold, innumerable mosquito bites and one wasp sting, Dad had a cold and an eye infection, and I had fun. I think everybody else had fun too, so I feel as though I got ripped off.
Our time in the park was quick, but enjoyable. The trip began with a 3 hour bus trip from Kuala Lumpur followed by a trip up the river. To go up river, the family jumped in a wooden long boat and all the luggage went up front. The boat itself is very simple with about six rows that accommodate two people each. At the back the "captain" works the motor, steering the boat along the river and puling the prop up when the water gets too shallow. The river was extremely low because the rain forest hadn't seen rain in about 8 weeks. Our boat driver was impressive and obviously knew the river well. He would weave in and around rocks, sunken trees, and shallow areas. Only twice did we get high centred. On those occations everybody jumps out of the boat and pushes. It was quite fun and since we were being splashed anyway, getting wet wasn't a problem.

Once we arrived we were a little disappointed to see the village across the river complete with vehicles of all sorts. The romantic notion of being deep in the rain forest somehow isn't the same when a Proton (Malaysia's car brand) is parked across the river. Anyhow, the trees were great and there were monkeys out and about. That was great. So, we got our room keys, dropped off our stuff, and had some food.

Soon after dinner we met out guide, Hamzah. He's a nice guy and was excited to take us out on a jungle walk. By this time the sun was down, so it's a night jungle walk. He opted to take us on the quite path that few people go on. I was happy with this because there was a greater chance of seeing animals and lesser chance of seeing people. As it turns out both were pretty scarce. While we saw no other people we only saw a couple of mule deers, a procupine, and a few different insects. However, the sound of the jungle was a amazing and teeming with life. At one point we shut off the flashlights and were enveloped in a darkness that can't be described. I was within an arms length of Jeremy but suddenly I couldn't distinguish the difference between eyes opened and eyes clothed. At the same time, our ears were treated to a symphony of insects, leaves rustling, and far off animals. It was a spectacular feeling. When we emerged from the jungle we were treated to a blanket of stars that was absolutely breathtaking.

The next morning, we were up early, met Hamzah and headed out on a hike up the hill. The hike was only about a 5 KM loop but gained 340M of elevation and was in intense heat and humidity. This nearly killed half the family and I think was the source of the later malaise. The view from the top was not exactly spectacular but I enjoyed the walk. On the way down we went along the world's longest canopy walk. This is a series of walkways that are about 20M in the air. It's great to walk along the treetops and see the rainforest for above. Very cool.

We then returned for lunch, put Dad to bed, and the rest of us headed out to the swimming hole. This involved a 40 minute boat ride up the river. The boats were slightly smaller and this time the river was a gorgeous panorama of Amazonian proportions. The scenery was that of lush green jungle along a clear rocky river that would be twist and turn along the dense foliage. The smells in the air were very pure and the wind was just the right temperature. Once we arrived at our spot, we hopped out of the boat, walked a little ways and then jumped into the river. The swimming hole is a part of the river just after a cascade along a few rocks. The water was cool and refreshing. It also had a strange deep reddish tan colour. It was like swimming in tea. After the hot and humid hike, the dip in the river was perfect. The only drawback was that there were hundreds of bees/wasps waiting for us upon pulling ourselves out of the water. I would say that at least 50 were landing on my sandals. A quick dunk in the water cured that. A few different boats came up to the swimming hole and of the 15 people that were there only one person was stung. Of course, that happened to be Allison. Any form of biting or stinging insect managed to find her and leave a nice red welt along her skin. In another life she must have done something very bad to a lot of powerful insects.

After the river trip we returned back, had a bite to eat and made an early trip to bed. The next morning, we reversed our trip in. This time however, me decided to make it interesting. Along with the boat ride and the bus trip we threw in an eye infection for Dad, a trip to the doctor to get drops in KL, a taxi ride to the airport, a plane ride to Langkawi, and finally a taxi ride to our hotel. When we were given some fresh pineapple/something else juice upon check-in it was a welcome welcome to Langkawi.

More later.

Family in Singapore

2005-04-30T22:31:00.000+07:00

So, the family has arrived.
We have spent the last 3 days in Singapore and have now checked into our hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Hotel life is great!
Here's a few photos from the past couple of days:

Allison "What? Don't do that. I say hi to everybody in London" (It took her a little while to figure out that I would type what she said.
Jeremy (Pensive look) "Life is good"

Yes I know it's sideways.

Sad but true

2005-04-26T14:27:00.000+07:00

So, I just had to make a comment on this.

I got my final pay cheque about 30 minutes ago and went to the bank to cash it. While I was there I saw an advertisement encouraging people to sign up for accounts. It promised a free value meal at McDonald's in exchange for opening an account.

If Michael Moore had a great time with the bank that gave out guns, imagine how much for Morgan Spurlock could have with this.

Last Day of Work

2005-04-26T09:20:00.000+07:00

Today is my last day at work.
I can't believe it has been three and half months already. It's amazing how quickly time passes. I have to say that I am rather glad to be finishing work and I'm looking forward to the coming months of travel. My rough itinerary:

Tomorrow: Mom, Dad, Allison and Jeremy arrive
Our trip: Singapore --> Kuala Lumpur --> Taman Negara (National Park - Rain forest) --> Langkawi (island off the West coast of Malaysia) --> Singapore
- Family flies home.

May 12 - 19
Visiting Bali with my friend Shawn.

May 20 - June 20
Unknown parts of Southeast Asia - likely Laos, Cambodia, Thailand.

June 20 - 27th
Dubai

June 28th - Late August, Early September
Europe - somewhere

Late August, Early September - 30 days
Zambia

October/Early November
Zambia

November 10th
Fly to Toronto

I'll post more pictures as in the near future. Sorry for the text only updates.

Mike

Batey

2005-04-21T14:14:00.000+07:00

The way I see it, the purpose of an internship is learning. With this in mind, about two weeks ago I asked if I could have an hour of Ian Batey’s time. Before I begin, I suppose I should give you a brief on Mr. Batey’s background.

Mr. Batey is the founder and Chairman of Batey Pte Ltd, the Asian branding/advertising company I currently work for. Although he hasn’t played a managerial role with the agency for about five years, about twice a year he comes back for a couple of weeks, terrorizes the office, and energizes the whole group. Mr. Batey’s demanding personality is only matched by exuberant energy.

Today, on his last day in Singapore, I sat down for an hour with Mr. Batey and talked to him about his experiences starting a successful company in Singapore. Here is what he had to say:

Business success is largely to do with circumstances, luck, and the ability to adapt. Sometimes success, or a promotion, is as simple as being in the right place at the right time; there are no magic formulas or rules that you can follow – despite what Trump may try and sell you. However, sometimes you have to be able to look around and realize that you may not always find the opportunities you’re seeking, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any options. You have to be able to work with what you have and make the best of it. Often, it’s better than what you originally had in mind.

As far as running a business, there are three elements that are vital for success. One person can be two of these elements, but most commonly they are three different people.
1. The administrator – The person who can setup systems and promote efficiencies.
2. The aggravator – The negative force that will be the voice of caution, reality, and the devil’s advocate (most often, but not always, the accountant).
3. The Entrepreneur – The creative dreamer who charges forward with reckless abandon.
The absence of any one of these three forces will doom a company to failure. The three must balance each other out, each taking a lead at a different point, but all three must co-exist.

The second lesson is that you need world class people to produce world class products. Many people and organizations say this, but it is another thing entirely to actually put the time and resources forward to recruit people who may be reluctant to leave their home cities. Mr. Batey did this by attracting top people as freelancers for short periods of time. He brought people in from New York, Milan, Paris etc., set high demands, and expected the permanent staff to challenge and learn from the freelances. Often he couldn’t convince top talent to live in Singapore forever, but a few months or a year was doable.

Finally, if you want to differentiate yourself you must be fast and deliver more than you promise. Delivering something that’s top quality but late is of no value. Consistently exceeding your promises keeps clients gives the work more meaning for the people producing it.

Random Paper

2005-04-15T10:14:00.000+07:00

Publish Your Own Paper
I read an article today about three M.I.T. students that created a website to randomly generate an academic appearing paper. I figure I would give you all the opportunity to try this out. My paper was titled "A Refinement of Redundancy".

Enjoy

A tale of two tastes

2005-04-13T09:35:00.000+07:00

I realize it's been a while since I've updated you on the Singapore going ons. To be honest, not too much out of the ordinary has been happening. So, instead of boring you with my weekend at the pool (surprise surprise), I figure I will tell you about my meals over the last couple of days. Dinner is supper. Supper is dinner. Let's not get too caught up in the details.

Sunday, April 10th
Dinner: Two delicious flour tortillas wrapped around succulent beef and chicken roasted on an open spit. The flavours are enhanced by melted cheese and a sweet, but spicy, chili sauce.

Monday:
Breakfast: Fresh selections of mango, dragon fruit and papaya.
Lunch: Fried Kway Teow with chili. This is a fine rice noodle stir fried together with tender morsels mixed bits of egg. The meal is fried in a spicy chili sauce and sprinkled with lime prior to eating.
Dinner: Salmon sashimi with gyoza dumplings and tuna rolls.

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Fresh selections of papaya and dragon fruit.
Lunch: Wanton mee noodle. This noodle dish is served with thin noodles, small wantons, and comes with a spicy chili sauce that is added for flavour. Almost every meal from the Hawker centers come with complimentary fish or chicken broth soup.
Dinner: Japanese all you can eat buffet. This three hour meal consisted of the following: baby octopus in a sweet red sauce, salmon and tuna sashimi, shrimp, salmon, and tuna sushi, salmon belly, barbequed eel, soft shelled crab, shrimp tempura, fried chicken, beef and chicken teppanyacki, chicken yakatori, baked lobster tail, and ice cream.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Fresh selections of papaya, pineapple, and mangostene.

This week has been heavy on the Japanese food, which is actually quite rare in Singapore.

Until later,

Water Aid & The Red Party

2005-04-04T21:28:00.000+07:00

First, my good friend Ryan Sanders, who works for ICLEI, sent me a link for raising money to a clean water project in Ethiopia. You click on the link and the European plastics industry will donate 10 cents to the project. It seems pretty fair to me.
http://www.aquaplastics.org

Second, this past weekend was pretty quiet. I spent most of my time at the pool or hanging around campus. The only exception to this was a trip to the Staff Club. This is the on-campus bar, of sorts, that the international students take over. We had a big "red party" where everybody had to wear something with read in it. There were red filters in all the lights etc. It was quite fun.

Here are a few photos courtesy of Shawn:

Cambodia Pictures

2005-03-30T08:36:00.000+07:00

Poi Pet - Cambodia's Rough Border Town:

No Spare Tire:

Gas Station:

Roadside Home:

Roadside Pottery:

The Streets of Siem Reap:

Monk at Ankor Wat Sunset:

Ankor Wat Sunset:

Ankor Wat:

Ankor Bands:

Me at Ankor Wat:

Cambodia's Children of the Temples:

Andrea and Me at a Temple:

All 13 of us:

Kids at the "Swimming Pool":

Ankor Statue:

Cambodia River:

Smile:

Cambodia - Really Long (Sorry)

2005-03-29T20:24:00.000+07:00

Although I may try, I cannot possibly describe how different everything is in Cambodia. However, I will try to give you a glimpse into my brief account with the country.
First, the quick overview of my journey is as follows (times are approximate):
Day 1 - 1.5From Thailand into Cambodia (Wednesday, March 23th, - Thursday, March 24th)
1. 8PM - Take the Singapore MRT to the Changi airport.
2. 11PM - 2.5 hour Air Asia flight to Bangkok
3. 12AM - Taxi ride to the bus station
4. 3:30AM - Purchase bus tickets to Araynaya Prathet (Thai border town)
5. 4:00AM - 4.5 hour bus ride
6. 8:30AM - Take tuk tuks to the border
7. 9:00AM - Purchase VISA
8. 9:45AM - Clear Border on Cambodian Side
9. 10:30AM - Get in Toyota Camry Taxi headed for Siem Reap
10. 1:40PM - Arrive at hostel
11. Shower and change
12. Purchase temple pass and visit Ankor Wat
Day 2 - Up at 7AM and visiting temples until dusk (Friday, March 25th)
Day 3 - Up at sunrise and visiting temples until sunset (Saturday, March 26th)
Day 4 - Traveling from Cambodia back to Bangkok (Sunday, March 27th)
Day 5 - Returning from Bangkok to Singapore (Monday, March 27th)

The journey from Singapore to Cambodia was probably the most significant portion of my trip, both emotionally and physically. Transitioning from a very developed and modern country like Singapore to Cambodia, which is ranked 130th of 175 on the UN's Human Development index, truly accented how incredible a disparity exists in our world. Even between Thailand and Cambodia, there is a significant and easily observable difference in development and resources.

The Thai/Cambodian border is a remotely safe area, but there is a constant threat of theft and throngs of people hang around the border looking to make money from travelers, particularly easily identifiable foreigners. Beggars are frequent and include children looking after babies and people left limbless by land mines. Beyond the initial layer of people looking for money are a group of aggressive locals that insist on arranging for taxis and providing advice on travel. Despite our best attempts to avoid these “helpers” they followed us closely and even walked behind for a kilometer as we tried to arrange our own taxi. Eventually, we found a taxi, but these people still managed to get their cut from the taxi driver. Not speaking the language means that we were pretty much at there mercy.

Once in the taxi, we thought we were set to go. Our driver spoke no English at all, but we soon ascertained that we were delayed because our Camry (90% of the taxis in Cambodia are Toyota Camrys) did not have a spare tire. We stayed at the side of the road for a about 10 minutes then made a quick trip to the Camry depot, where our driver picked up a white ticket - which we later learned is required by the taxi drivers to pay off “officials” when they take passengers out from Poi Pet (the border town) - and our spare tire.

Once on the road, we quickly discovered the reason that the 200KM drive from Poi Pet to Siem Reap takes three to four hours. The road, although initially paved, is in such poor condition that vehicles have to swerve into oncoming travel, slow to almost a stop, drive off the road, and weave in and out of traffic on a regular basis. It's amazing how much abuse those Camrys can take. The only driving rule that is somewhat adhered to is that you must yield to larger vehicles. The taxi drivers, drive quickly and aggressively. We frequently passed other vehicles by swerving the opposite direction around holes in the road and taking on oncoming traffic, sometimes passing cars on the right, other times on the left. At least twice, we ran motorcycles off the road because we were driving in their “lane”. It was scary and a little unnerving how quickly it became routine to brace for bumps and prepare to be in a head on collision.

On the way to Siem Reap we also experienced a Cambodian gas station. This is a small hut at the side of the road where old pop bottles are lined up and filled with gasoline. The workers, two young girls, took a tube and a funnel and filled our car with gasoline one bottle at a time.

Although it is possible to fly to into Cambodia, visiting overland provides a much more in-depth look at the Cambodian people and their lifestyle. We passed hundreds of houses that were nothing more than bare wood and a thatched roof. Also, Cambodia is in its dry season and everything is extremely barren and desolate. The fields appear in severe drought and the road kicks up a fine red dust that coats everything from the houses to the people. It becomes readily apparent that many Cambodians have few possessions and spend the majority of their days transporting to and from small towns or tending to their homes and families.

Those Cambodians that do visit other towns do so by any means possible. Along the way we saw hundreds of people, and nearly hit about half of them, riding bicycles along the red dirt road. The standard practice is for the Camry to just honk whenever passing a vehicle, be it a person, a bicycle, or a semi-truck. As a result, the horn was used every two minutes or so.

The vehicles in Cambodia include everything from carts pulled by people, to motorcycles with six or more locals, to tuk tuks, to a mix between a motorcycle a tractor and a flatbed trailer (motorcycle handlebars, tractor engine, and big flat surface for people or goods). If it has wheels and it moves, people will drive it. We even saw a motorcycle (without a trailer) carrying three kings size bed mattresses. It's impressive.

About an hour into the journey the road turns into a deep red gravel. It continues to be bumpy but the gravel makes the holes in the road less severe and it's easier to drive along the shoulder. Unfortunately, this also meant that there would be bridges over waterways. The word bridge is a relative term. I was a little unnerved when we approached the first bridge and the metal on each of the supports was warped into a wave pattern. The bottom of the bridge is made of wood and covered by loose metal sheets. It turns out this was one of the best bridges we crossed. Further ahead we crossed bridges that had large holes in between the wood, metal floor that were bent up at a 30 degree angle, and then finally a bridge that collapsed all together. Luckily enough, it's the dry season so it wasn't a major problem to take a quick route through a dry riverbed and up the other side.

Nearing the end of the journey the landscape began to change dramatically. The countryside began to turn to jungle and about half an hour outside Siem Reap the road turned into a nicely paved highway. We were entering tourist land. It was a amazing how different this part of the country was from the dry fields that stretched from the border to the edge of the jungle.

In Siem Reap we had a pleasant hostel with clean safe rooms, a restaurant that used vegatable (no peanut oil), and free bananas. It was really good and a nice break from the road.

Soon after arriving we took off in a rented van and got our $40 (US) three day temple passes. We then made our way to Ankor Wat - the most famous temple. As soon as we drove up to the large expanse we were all very impressed. The temple area is huge and the lake in front provides a grand entrance. We spent the next hour and half exploring this ancient temple. It was amazing the size of the area that the temple covered. As well, each of the pillars had, albeit well worn, intricate carvings. I can't imagine how long it would have taken to build.

Upon returning from Ankor Wat, we went out for dinner and enjoyed the town of Siem Reap. The town itself is far better than Poi Pet and it was very nice to walk around at night. The restaurants advertise happy herb pizza - a pizza with marijuana in it. I was quite surprised at this, I guess Cambodia doesn't share Thailand and Singapore's view on drugs.

After dinner we all went to bed early, as we planned on getting up the next day at 4:30AM to see the sunrise at Ankor Wat. Unfortunately, it began to pour around 3:00AM so we delayed our departure until around 7:00AM. We spent all of Friday walking around different temple sights within the Siem Reap area. The Ankor temples stretch out over 200 square kilometers and it seems as though there are an endless number of temples. We saw only a small fraction of the temples and they all were unique in their own way. About half the temples are Hindu based and the other half Buddhist. Some are extremely tall with super short stairs, and other stretch out almost a kilometer in length. My favorite site was one where the trees have taken over the temple area. They grow on top of the ruins and it's amazing mixture of nature, architecture, and history. At this temple we saw the man that's on the front of the Lonely Planet Cambodia book in a similar pose to the cover shot.

Saturday was another day of temple watching, but this time we watched the sun rise as we took our van out to the farthest out site - about an hours drive away. When we arrived, 6:00AM, we were told we had to wait until 8:00AM so the police could open the site. At this site we had to hike about 35 minutes to see a dry river bed with some carvings in it. It wasn't worth it, but the hike was nice. It's also an area that has only been free of land mines since 1998, so we had to be very careful to stick to the path. We ended the day with a trip to the world's largest swimming pool - actually a man made lake that is 8KM by 2KM. I'm not sure why they call it a pool, but it's a popular hang out for the locals.

I won't comment too much further on the temples. They were visually impressive and I can't imagine how they could have been built 1000 years ago. I can't imagine how they could be built now, especially considering that we saw no source of rock and Cambodia seems to struggle to build houses, never mind giant temples. I will however talk about the people because that's what made this trip have such an impact.

Cambodia is a country with a violent history and struggles with one of the world's highest populations of land mines. Their effect is profound even today. It's common to see people missing limbs and looking to tourists for their sole source of income. Cambodia is trying to put its violent history behind it and the people are very focused on peace and trying to move on to their future. Throughout all the temples everywhere you go there are groups of children that will come up and sell you small crafts. These kids speak very good English, but their entire vocabulary is based around bargaining for goods. It's sad to see that the kids are not in school and instead have been trained to try and get money from tourist. However, it's also wonderful to see the kids because they are still so innocent and smile when you talk to them or they see you coming. These kids broke my heart a thousand times. I wish I could go back and buy everything that they had to sell. Unfortunately, the kids are everywhere and it would be impossible to buy something from all of them. Also, when you do buy something quite frequently more and more come and try to compete for your attention and your money.

There was one little girl that really broke my heart. She was selling little bracelets but nobody in our group was interested in buying any. We had been plied and solicited for two straight days and we were tired of being “sold to”. Then she came up individually to a couple of people gave them a bracelet, said they were free, and ran away. About half an hour later we were waiting for our bus at a different location when we saw her again. She came up to me and put a bracelet on my camera - which was a round my neck. She said “free for you” giggled and ran away. I didn't want to take the bracelet, just in case she wanted it back, but about 2 minutes later she came up and took it off my camera and put around my wrist. She was about 5 years old and the cutest kid I've ever seen. She then giggled again and ran away. Every time we would look at her she would smile and run behind the kids. The van then arrived and we packed in to go. She offered to sell me 20 bracelets for $1, but instead I gave her the dollar and thanked her for her gifts. When we were leaving she watched us go, waved goodbye and told us she loved us. It's amazing how this little kid that's covered from head to toe in dust was able to make us all feel special. Perhaps I'm just a sucker for a good routine, but I couldn't help but want to see her smile and be happy.

I realize that only a few of you would have read this entire passage, but I hope that you enjoyed it if you did. There's so much I could say about Cambodia, but I'll never been able to fully describe what I experienced.

Bangkok - March 27th - 28th

2005-03-29T20:23:00.000+07:00

After our return from Cambodia we had a night in Bangkok. This is an extremely vibrant city with lot going on and everybody trying to sell you something - for really cheap. We stayed at a hostel off Koh San road - a tourist haven in the middle of the city. Our evening was spent wandering the streets, having a beer or two, and looking at everything Bangkok had to offer. My favorite unappealing site was the fried scorpions for sale (in Cambodia you can eat fried Cockroaches) and my least favorite was the offers of “massage then funky” or “boom-boom lady”. Bangkok is an interesting place and has a lot of interesting site that I'm looking forward to checking out later on.

Concert at the Esplanade - Youssou N'Dour and the Super Etoile

2005-03-19T12:26:00.000+07:00

This concert was absolutely fabulous. First, the concert hall is beautiful. Although not as large as I imagined the smaller size gave it an intimate feel that was accented by the warm hard woods and the luxurious seating. I was sitting with my Finnish friend, Minna, and we were located in “student” seats on the first balcony. What's interesting is that these seats were lined up in a circle all sitting front to back, not side to side. However, the seats were not fixed in place so we angled our chairs nicely and had the opportunity to talk and have a perfect view of the concert. Luckily enough, our seats were not needed very much.

The concert began with Susheela Raman, BBC World Music Award winner for Best Newcomer. An English born, Australian raised, Indian she sang most of her songs in Tamil and mixed traditional songs from Tamil Nadu with new songs written by members of her band. She has a rich deep voice with the range of a talented opera singer but a style reeking of soul and jazz. Her music has a rich spiritual nature to it and an ethereal style.

As good as Susheela was, Youssou and the Super Etoile were on a whole other level. All in all, there were 11 performers on stage all night long. Youssou, an African tenor, provided the lead vocals with backup from his band and a solo female vocalist. The musicians consisted of two fellows on lambe drums (similar to bongos) and backup vocals, one playing the talking drum (tama drum), another on a typical western drum set, two guys playing keyboards, two lead guitars, and a bass. Each of the musicians were good enough to have a concert of their own, but their ability to match rhythms and complement the other instruments was amazing. During certain songs there was a dancer who would come on stage and gyrate as I have never before. I swear she doesn't have a solid bone in her body. Every member of the group was dressed in beautiful African robes adorned with bright colors and eye-catching patterns.

The performance was phenomenal. Several songs would blend together and the African rhythm driven by the strong percussion melded with Youssou's powerful voice. Within a short time the high energy performance had the audience out of our seats, dancing in the aisles, and clapping along. Few songs were observed from a seated position. Once again, the majority of the music was based in a different language, but it was powerful message that transcended this barrier.

One of my favorite songs was called Africa and Youssou commented that too often people focus on AIDS, poverty, and disparity and forget about the joy and happiness that exists throughout the continent. Youssou is a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations, and an Ambassador to UNICEF. He has been involved with concerts that range from celebrating Nelson Mandela's freedom to raising money for children living with AIDS. Youssou is able to celebrate the best qualities of African culture while helping to address endemic problems that plague the continent.

I can't remember a concert that I've enjoyed as much as this one. It was a truly spectacular and uplifting experience.The crowd gave long standing ovations and the group played 3 encores.

For more information on Youssou go to www.youssou.com.

March 17th, St. Patrick's Day

2005-03-19T12:25:00.000+07:00

Despite what you'd think, St. Patrick's Day is not a big holiday here in Singapore. However, myself and few other international students managed to make a good day of it. After visiting the travel clinic in the morning and getting a rabies and cholera vaccination installment, I headed to work for a long day. At 7pm I gladly hit the pavement for home. I arrived back at NTU by about 8PM and went straight to the staff club (a bar on campus for staff AND students) to meet up with the other internationals. We had a good time drinking beer and sharing stories, with a few people enthusiastically sharing their beer bong. Having had two vaccinations and no dinner, I chose to skip the bong and stick to my glass. By about 10:30 the group was organized enough to get 6 cabs, and head out to Muddy Murphy's Irish pub. The bong came along to the pub.

As you can imagine, as one of Singapore's few Irish pubs Muddy's was packed full and blaring live music. Guiness hats and green wigs were everywhere. It was a good time and nice to hear some Irish music. Probably the best part of the night was when they began giving out free bowls of Irish stew. I was famished and it was the best tasting stew I've had in a long time. By about 2AM we made it back home and I headed for bed - still wearing the green afro that I had forgotten I was wearing.

I GOT PAID

2005-03-19T12:17:00.000+07:00

After working for two months, I finally received my first pay cheque this past Friday. Apparently the paperwork was filed incorrectly and then they had a personnel switch in HR, so I was lucky enough to experience a “slight” delay in getting my cheque. However, now I have it and I'm happy to receive my little sum.

One of the idiosyncrasies of daily life is how banking is done here. At most of the banks there is are phones so people can stop in a do “phone banking” at the bank. Strange. Another difference is how cheques are deposited to your account. Unlike Canada where you just put the envelope in the machine, in Singapore you put your name, account number, and phone number on the back of the cheque and deposit it in a giant bin in one of the banks. Considering it took me two months to get, I was more than a little wary to just drop it in a slot and walk away. It seems to me as though it would be too easy to just lose a cheque or decide not to update the account for a while. I've since checked my balance and discovered that I have one “pending” deposit. I don't know why they don't just add the money to my account, but I hope it's in there soon.

Singapore Science Centre - Two Stars

2005-03-19T11:58:00.000+07:00

So, I haven't updated things in a little while. Here's what's been going on.
Last Saturday, March 12th I went to the Singapore Science Centre. The centre itself was directed at an age group of about 6 - 12. Shawn and I wandered about for an hour or so while killing time before our iMax movie. We quickly found that we didn't know how to use many of the exhibits and rather than read the detailed instructions, we would label it “broken” and move along. We then killed some time at Science Center's food establishment - McDonalds. Here I had the pleasure of realizing just how easy I am to pick out from a crowd. I ordered a “sandwich” and they promised to deliver it to my table. When they brought the burger written on the receipt was “White” (Me) and “Eurasian” (Shawn). Shawn's actually of Indian decent but in Singapore he has been frequently labeled Eurasian (one parent European, the other Asian).
We then watched “Mystical India” on Singapore's omnidome. This was really cool. The theater itself is shaped like a beehive dome and the screen is giant 360 degree panorama. When they project the movie, it really feels like you're traveling to India. The storyline itself was a little weak, but the visuals were amazing.

Pictures from Random Events

2005-03-19T11:41:00.000+07:00

Me and a Lotus - only 4 in Singapore and all are owned by the same person. This car isn't street legal in North America, so you'll never see one in Canada.

Me and a Lamborghini or two

Random Picture of Me

Chinese New Year - Me and the Germans - Dan and Dirk

Cristel (Sand Diego) and Raj (Edmonton)

Me Cristel and Shawn (Edmonton) - on St. John's Island

Singapore at Night

2005-03-15T21:44:00.000+07:00

I went out on Sunday night and took some pictures of Singapore after dark. Here are the fruits of my labour:
Raffles Place at Night

Bridge

Singapore's Famous Merlion

The Esplanade at Night

The Fullerton Hotel - Occupies Singapore's Colonial Post-Office

Fullerton Inside

SteamBoat

2005-03-11T20:07:00.000+07:00

First, I'm sorry I've been slacking on the picture taking. I'll remedy that sometime soon. Until then, enjoy the pure text bliss of my stories.

Now, I'll tell you about a really good supper that I had on Thursday. My Canadian friend Shawn invited me, Leslie, his friend from Edmonton, and Silvia, an Indonesian we met at New Asia two weeks earlier, out for a nice Indonesian dinner. I knew that there was the risk of peanuts so I e-mailed the restaurant and asked about peanuts/peanut oil. Shawn, being very considerate, phoned and asked as well. I got a response indicating I should stay away form the salad and the Satay. Shawn was told they use vegetable oil.

However, upon arriving at the restaurant, we quickly realized that reality differed slightly. They had a lot of Satay on the menu and they had random things that had peanuts on it. The kicker was that they brought out peanuts as the free “snack” item while people waited to order. I decided the restaurant wasn't safe so we relocated to the Chinese restaurant about 6 feet away. I hope we didn't insult the Indonesians.

The Chinese restaurant we went to was a buffet restaurant. However, this is nothing like buffet in Canada. Buffet simply means that you pay a set price and get as much as you want. However, they still serve it to you. It was also my first experience with “SteamBoat”.

To start a giant bowl of soup is placed in a hollow in the middle of the table - with a burner beneath it. We had two different types of soup - a chicken base and a ludicrously spicy chili soup. Then, they bring you all kinds of raw vegetable, meats, and other delights. You pour the them into the soup and wait for them to cook. It's similar to fondue but you put everything in at once and everybody just fishes out whatever they want. We ate for over 2 hours! People arrived and left before we were even half-way done. In fact, we closed the restaurant. SteamBoat is really good, but it's all about picking the right mix of veggies, meats, and sauces. The spicy chili was good at the start, but after several tears and losing two litres of sweat, we all decided that it was to only receive about a fifth of the food.

That's all for now.

I think I'll be going to Cambodia in the near future. More on that later.

Sunday - Race Day

2005-03-06T22:44:00.000+07:00

So, for anybody who read my recent posts, you will know that today was race day. Myself, Maria (Sweden), Andre (Germany), and Dre (United States) headed out at 6:30am bound for the national stadium. I'll be brief in recounting the events:

1. Sprint to the Puzzles - fun I lead the pack and was first to arrive at the puzzle station.
2. Puzzles - the first three were fairly simple, involving word searches, simples quizzes etc. The third one took us, and a few other teams, until the end of the allotted 10 minutes. It was a number sequence, and we missed the fact that the portion below was the clues and not another puzzle, as was the case in the previous puzzles.
3. Sprint to the bridge - once again good, with our team gaining a position.
4. Bridge Jump - The jump was about 20 feet, but it was very much a matter of not thinking about the jump. I know that about 15 feet from the water my eyes nearly bulged out of my head. Dre and Maria said it looked funny, like I was taking an extra step. However, ton's of fun.
5. Swim - the swim was fairly good, but the water was quite gross, and extremely salty.
6. Run to the cycling/kayak point - this was definitely the low point of the race for me. All we had for breakfast were sardine buns (yes with sardines in them). I felt a wee bit nauseous and the 2KM run was not that much fun.
7. Kayaking - it took me a few minutes to get into the rhythm of the kayaking and I was steered us in a strange looping pattern, but Maria and I made it to the shore just as Andre and Dre arrived with the bikes
8. Biking - this was good, but a bit too short. We arrived well in advance of the kayakers because they had a much longer route. I had the chance to drink some water and ring out my socks.
9. Run to the G-Max tower – this was good, another short sprint.
10. G-Max tower – upon our arrival sky opened up and began pouring. This was welcome relief from the hot sun, but it meant that the race was put on delay and we couldn’t climb the 200M ladder that was at the G-Max. It was too bad that we had to miss this part of the race because it looked like fun.
11. Run to Fort Canning Park – ok, I’m really not much of a runner. Time to stop with the running.
12. Fort Canning Park – here we had to fill in 5 different questions that were on answers on signboards throughout the park. We ran around like chickens without heads looking at every sign to try and find the answers to questions such as “the other place that has one too”. This task took a lot of time and was a challenge because we didn’t know the layout of Fort Canning and didn’t really know what exactly we were supposed to be doing.
13. Run to the Finish – more running. We crossed the finish line at 11:13am, just over 2 hours past our start time of 9:07am.
14. Climb – the final part of the event was a short climb that Andre did for our team. He climbed about 10M up one side of a wall, and abseiled down the other side.

Synopsis: I’m tired, but it was a great event. It was really well organized and a lot of fun. I wish there was less running and more biking, but that’s just my personal preference. I think we ended up finishing around 17th place, but Maria is convinced we should have been top 10 based on our time. The good part is that we were only about 20 minutes behind the top team, which I think is pretty good for a 2 hour race.

Anyhow, that’s all. I’m off to bed.

Goodnight!

Weekend Writing

2005-03-05T16:10:00.000+07:00

My original plans for Friday were a little derailed, but in a most pleasant way. After work, I arrived home with the plan oh heading to bed early and just relaxing for the evening. However, I remembered that a friend, Andres, was having some people over for his birthday and he invited me. Although his Hall is across campus and a 30-minute walk, I decided I would bite the bullet and go visit.

On my way to Hall 13, I stopped by the grocery store at the canteen, bought myself a tall Tiger beer and headed off on my walk. This was my first Tiger beer since arriving in Singapore; I have to say it's quite good. Tiger also enjoys the most prominent marketing presence of any brand in Asia. Virtually every restaurant will have at least one Tiger insignia prominently displayed for all to see. Tiger beer is almost synonymous with food and in a country obsessed with eating this means Tiger beer is everywhere.

The NTU campus is the perfect place for an evening walk. There is a lot of greenery, and when Singapore gets dark, usually around 7:30pm, the sky opens up to reveal a blanket of stars. With the evening comes a nice breeze off the sea and the temperature is just about perfect. It's very relaxing to walk along, sip a beer, and enjoy the scenery.

Once at Hall 13, we played beer pong for a while, put Andres to bed at about 11, and then headed out to a nightclub by the Singapore River. The night was actually lots of fun and I got to talk to a lot of people I rarely see because they are on the opposite side of campus.

Today, I'm doing absolutely nothing. I'm just taking it easy before the competition tomorrow. Our plan is to meet up at 6am to head to the national stadium. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm praying for rain.

Alberta Government & Post-Secondary Education

2005-03-03T09:31:00.000+07:00

Bill 1 - Alberta Government's Post-Secondary Plan
http://www.gov.ab.ca/home/index.cfm?page=1016
The Alberta government has once again, miraculously, put a smile on my face. Although I have not read all the details, on the face of it $3 billion for a PSE endowment, $1 billion for scholarships, and $500 million for the ingenuity fund looks good.
Check out the details if you're interested (and I know you all are).

Mike

Weekend Update

2005-02-27T18:08:00.000+07:00

Saturday - February 26th
I started off Saturday by attending an information session for a race I will be attending next weekend. I’m on a team with 3 other international students. The race looks like lots of fun.
The rough details are:
1. Complete 4 puzzles.
2. Jump off a bridge into the Kalang River
3. Swim around a buoy and then back to the riverbank.
4. Split up, two people go biking, two people go kayaking.
5. Meet up, and switch
6. Meet up again, and proceed to Fort Canning Park for a mystery task.
7. Run
8. Arrive at the G-Force tower for a mystery task.
9. Run
10. Arrive at climbing wall
a. One member of the team climbs over a short wall and then abseils down the other side.
11. Complete race.

After the information session, I met up with two of the other Canadian interns – Shawn and Raj. We went to a travel agent exhibition in Singapore’s biggest shopping mall. We were told that there would be good discounts. Unfortunately, we arrived 1 day early. On the up side, we got to see the Fountain of Wealth – the world’s largest fountain.

Post, mission to the mall, we had some dinner and arrived back at home in time for a spectacular thunder shower – the first real rain since I’ve been in Singapore. My hall was hit by lightening, temporarily knocking out the power to all of our electrical outlets. Luckily, this was the only problem.

Later in the evening, Shawn and I went out with his German room-mate Dan to celebrate Dan’s soon departure for Germany. We went to the Swiss Hotel – The Stamford – for the beautiful scenery of New Asia, the bar on the 70th floor. We arrived just before 9:00pm and avoided the $20 cover charge. Unfortunately, the happy hour price for beer was $7.50 a bottle, and doubled to it’s ordinary price of $15.00 after 9. That said, it was a good evening and I enjoyed my first real “club” experience in Singapore.

Sunday – February 27th
Sunday morning, I got up at 9:00am and, along with Cristel, Raj and Shawn, headed out on a trip to one of Singapore’s outlying islands – St. John island. We took a bus, the MRT, another bus (this one to Sentosa island) and then finally a ferry. However, it was worth and the two and a half hours it took.

St. John’s island is quite small and has a rather unpleasant history, being used as a quarantine centre for Chinese immigrants with cholera, the world’s largest quarantine centre for leprosy, a deportation holding centre, and a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts. The infrastructure left behind is many a few small building all surrounded by high fences with large quantities of barbed wire. Not an inviting scene. However, the island is also furnished with a nice swimming lagoon and sitting areas that overlook the ocean.

St. John’s island is also an area for marine biology research. There are two private facilities and a government centre. The government centre, much like the former quarantine area, is outlined with barbed wire and high fences. They don’t want any visitors. However, the two private facilities were quite receptive. We met a security guard at one of the places. He informed us the facility was closed for the weekend but referred us to his counterpart across the way. At the other facility we encountered Yaz Ong. He’s the security guard for the facility, but extremely friendly. We asked if we could look around. He put his lunch aside and began leading us on a tour. He took us through a few of the bio labs, to look at the water pumping facility, and to the area where the have some marine samples. He then took us on a trip around the facility in a golf cart and informed us if we were to return on a weekday we could go visit the dolphin training facility. He even said he would talk to his boss to see if we could join a scuba diving trip for samples. We were amazed by his openness and eagerness to help. We left with a few post-cards, and Yaz’s contact number – in case we could return on a weekday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLISON!

2005-02-22T21:22:00.000+07:00

Today is my sister's birthday!
Much like my mom's birthday, I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. However, I have found that there are celebrations that go on worldwide. Obviously, there will be much happiness in Canada and Singapore, but check this out:

Abu Simbel Festival
(Twice every year, in February and October)

Ramses II, in a fit of precision and despotic architectural egotism, carefully angled his temple at Abu Simbel so that the inner sanctum would light up twice a year: once on the anniversary of his rise to the throne, and once on his birthday. The combination of human endeavour and natural phenomena provides what must be one of the most spectacular sights in the world.

Crowds pack in to the temple before sunrise and watch the shafts of light slowly creeping through the stone. Eventually, statues of Ramses, Ra and Amun are illuminated in the inner sanctum (the statute of Ptah - the god of darkness - remains in the shadows). When they have recovered their breath, spectators can join celebrations outside, including a fair and music demonstrations. However, nothing can really impress you immediately after witnessing such a sight.

The Abu Simbel temple was built by Ramses II (1279-1213 BC) to demonstrate his political clout and divine backing to the ancient Nubians. On each side of the temple, which was carved into a sandstone cliff overlooking the Second Cataract of the Nile, sit a pair of colossal statues of him, more than 65 feet tall. Though the statues have been damaged in earthquakes since their construction, they remain an awe-inspiring, tremendous sight. The temple is aligned to face the east, and above the entrance sits a niche with a representation of Re-Horakhty, an aspect of the sun-god.

In the early 1960s the entire temple was moved to higher ground, a task requiring considerable international engineering resources, when the Aswan Dam caused the Nasser lake to rise and inundate the area. For this reason, the sun now strikes a day later than Ramses had originally planned, though the event itself is no less stunning.

Happy Birthday Allison!

love you

Mike

Weekend Update - Plus

2005-02-22T19:30:00.000+07:00

This weekend was rather slow. Kind of a nice change of pace from how busy Penang was.

On Friday I went and saw Singapore's famous Chingay parade. It is the national parade and features huge floats that promote everything from Coca Cola to multi-cultural tolerance and diversity. It was a great night with lots of colors and exciting costumes. Unfortunately, we were standing a ways away so it was a little difficult to see. The best part was at the end when two giant dragon floats came through. One was made entirely of Chinese lanterns, the other a 4 story high pole with people all the way up, holding the body of the dragon.

Saturday, I went out with a Canadian friend, Shawn, and saw the Lamborghini dealership. Being a car lover, this was awesome. We saw 5 different Lamborghinis. All of them were sold. I also got to see four different Lotus' and three Ferraris. We talked with one of the salesman who is a driver with Lotus and does the promotional driving for the Lotus and Lamborghini. I want his job. He told us that the Lamborghini cost $1.3 Million (Murcielago convertible with paddle shifters). Later on, we stopped by the Raffles Hotel and I saw a Maybach. Very impressive! It was a good day for car sight seeing.

Sunday was a fairly quiet day. I did nothing in the morning, then went to the pool around 2pm. I swam a little then met up with a fellow from France who asked if I wanted to play squash. We went and played squash for about 2 hours. The courts were sheltered and had fans but there was no air conditioning and they were open to the air. It was so hot and humid. We were all completely soaked with sweat by the end of the match.

Monday, which is technically not the weekend but I'll include in anyhow, I went to work. However, after work we had a company dinner. Everybody went to a nice restaurant at that overlooks the Singapore river. After consulting with the waiter and then somebody from the kitchen, I learned that I could eat 8 of the 10 courses that would be served. I was ecstatic.

Unfortunately, the first course had peanuts. It's also a special course where everybody around the table (there were about 9 people to a table) picks up the food with their chopsticks and drops it back on the plate. It's a thing of good luck and everybody makes a lot of noise while the “salad” (a mix of vegetables, noodles, salmon, and peanuts) gets mixed up. It was great to see, and I got to watch everybody since I was not participating. Later on the meal there were lucky draws. A total of 66 prizes were given out, enough for about 1 in every 3 people. The top prizes were: 1) S$888 HongBao (Red packet filled with money (8 is good luck)) 2) A S$600 travel voucher 3) A 20GB iPod. The cheapest prize was a $50 gift certificate.

Food that we had (that I can remember)
1) Salmon Salad - with noodles, vegetables and peanuts (I abstained).
2) Shark Fin Soup - very good, has pieces of seafood in it.
3) Braised Abalone and Sea cucumber - Very slimy, but good.
4) Sea Oysters with black stringy stuff- Average at best.
5) Roast Chicken with Spicy Sesame Sauce - Chilies are served with every meal.
6) Some Kind of Fish - in Superior Sauce - Very Bland, good thing it was the superior sauce.
7) Steamed Rice with Seafood on a Lotus Leaf - Not bad.
8) Garlic Prawns - So good.
9) White Fungis with Red Date and Lotus Seed - very sweet broth and the white fungus had an interesting texture. Nothing like mushrooms.
10) Sweet Glutinous Rice Cake - I was told I shouldn't eat this, but it looked good.

Chinese New Year Holiday - Pictures Fixed

2005-02-20T00:27:00.000+07:00

February 9th – 14th, 2005
I’ll try and keep this as brief as possible as I can go on for days and days, but that would be boring for everybody except my mom. ?

Penang
Penang is a province of Malaysia, and the part that I went to is an island off the West coast. The island actually had a feel very similar to Vancouver Island. It is located within sight of the mainland and has a nice mix of small villages, a medium size city, and lush green growth throughout the centre of the island.

Georgetown
Georgetown is the island’s biggest and hosts the majority of the islands almost 1 million people. I spent the last 2 nights of my trip here. It’s a splendid mix of the old and the new.

Batu Ferenghi
Batu Ferenghi is the popular beach spot to the North of Georgetown. There is a long strip of beach and it is popular with tourists. I saw a remarkable number of septuagenarians spending their vacations in this area. I spent the first 3 nights of my trip here.

Day 1 – Wednesday, February 9th
I crossed the border in Johor Bahru, which took a lot longer than expected. There was a high volume of travelers because it was Chinese New Year’s day. I then awaited at the airport and took my Air Asia flight to Penang. The flight was 1 hour long and the wheels of the plane left the ground within 4 second of the departure time (I counted it down on my watch).
I arrived in Penang and shared a taxi with a nice pair from India. It was about 8pm and the island was already dark. I arrived at the Baba guesthouse, signed in, and got settled into my room. The room was hardly pretty. It’s very basic with a bed, desk and dresser. I will say that things were very clean, but it was a big step down from the Rainforest hostel in KL.

The Baba Guest House

Day 2 – Thursday, February 10th
I awoke early and decided to go checkout the island. I was informed that transportation might not be working that regularly due to the Chinese New Year holiday. So, instead, I rented a small little motorcycle that was more of a result of the breeding of a Toyota Tercel and a scooter – hardly a motorcycle but hardly a scooter.
I took off on my trusty stead and decided to explore the island. I took off on the back roads. I had no intention on heading to the city. In Asia, motorcycles don’t drive in lanes. The painted lines along the pavement are, generally, the path that motorcycles follow, with cars passing them on either side. At every stoplight all the motorcycles go through the middle and lead off at the light. It’s quite different and a little unsettling when a car comes by and is in ‘your’ lane.
My route took me along the West side of the island. The scenery was incredible. The road winded its way along large hills and amongst the lush rainforest. Eventually, I found the tropical fruit farm and stopped in. Although I was hesitant I paid for the tour of the farm. It was well worth it. I tried about 10 or 15 different types of fresh tropical fruit straight from the tree, or bush. I had my own guide who informed me of interesting facts about each of the fruits he would pass to me. Did you know that only one pineapple and only one bunch of bananas come from each tree, then you need to replant? My favorite fruit was this mix between an apple and a coconut. I forget the name, but it was delicious.
After the fruit farm, I went into a few different villages along the coast. These were small villages and they hadn’t seen a tourist in a long time. Here is where I first saw the effect of the tsunami. I followed a small road and came across houses that were close by the water. There was a huge build up of debris and many of the homes looked as though they were ready to collapse at any time. However, I didn’t see any people suffering. Instead, everybody seemed to be living life as normal as possible and going about their daily routine. I’m really glad that I took the tour down the less popular side of the island.

My Hog:

Remote Fishing Village:

Open Road:

Penang in a Nutshell – Restaurant and Scenery:

Monkeys in a Cage on the Side of the Road:
I found this to be very sad and I hate to see wild animals confined to such a small space.

Bridge Over Dry Creek:
I was told that before the tsunami this creek used to be flowing with water.

Day 3 – Friday, February 11th
This was my beach day. I had brought a book with me and I spent the good majority of the day out in the sun, sitting on the beach and reading. I went to the Shangri la’s beach resort and staked claim to one of the beach chairs. I figured they owed me for trying to kill me with the peanut. I must say very relaxing. Much better than snow.

Sunset on the Water:

Dusk at Batu Ferenghi Beach

Debris Along the Beach:
Although Penang has beautiful beaches, there are many areas where the natural beauty is contrasted by the debris and garbage of humans.

Day 4 – Saturday, February 12th
This was my day to head into Georgetown to experience some of the island’s renowned culture. Georgetown is a lovely city with many old buildings but also the modern bustle and busyness of most cities twice its size.
The first place I went was to the hostel that I had booked. I splurged and spend about $80 to stay in an 1800s mansion. The mansion, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, was recently restored and won a UNESCO Conservation Award in 2000. I must say, it was worth the additional expense. As a guest, I was free to explore and take pictures at my pleasure. I checked in and joined a tour to learn more about the mansion. Each of the rooms were meticulously detailed and decorated by an artist using antique furniture that would suit the period. My favorite feature about the mansion is that it is designed to fit with Feng Shui. It is perfectly aligned between the highest point on the island and the sea, it has a central courtyard with the very centre at the point of the greatest chi, there are 8 pillars that surround the courtyard and have gold buried beneath them, and water is an intricate part of the house. There are 3 courtyards in total and they are open to the sky. It is designed such that when it rains, water flows through the house and forms smalls pools in the courtyards. If you want more details on the mansion, let me know.
Following my time in my mansion I headed out to check out the sights of Georgetown. I walked around, found a place to eat and then came across this square where a performance was taking place. It was a celebration for Chinese New Year and it was very interesting. It was somehow a mix between a rave, karaoke, and traditional Chinese dance. I think it was one of those things you need to see to believe. At the performance I ran into a nice Irish couple that I rode the bus into Georgetown with. They told me about Ireland and strongly suggested that I visit there.

Following the performance in the square I stopped in at a small pub, had a pint of beer and watched some football on TV. I have to admit this was quite fun and I could see how one could get into European football.

Chong Tse Fatt Mansion:

Rooms and a Courtyard:

Me in the Mansion:

Flowers at the Centre Point of the Mansion:

Day 5 – Sunday, February 13th
I was up bright and early on Sunday. I had breakfast at the mansion then checked into a cheap hotel across the street ($20/night). I then went for a walk and found the Koo Kongsi clan house. This is a hoose that was build for family to come and worship in and have a place to stay at. The building is amazing and every inch is covered with elaborate carvings, and gold. In one of the rooms they had a whole wall with golden plaques painted with each clan member and their designations. For the modern clan members, it showed their degrees, their important positions etc. The clanhouse was quite impressive, but I couldn’t imagine living there.

After leaving the clan house, I ran into a British tourist who was looking for the post office. I walked with her for a bit and had some fresh fruit for lunch. We then parted ways and I headed to the huge Buddhist temple.

Kek Lok Si is an amazing temple and I was so glad I went to visit it. It is built into the hillside and covers an amazing amount of territory with many different buildings. There are three different highlights to the temple. The first is the Pagoda. It is about six stories tall and overlooks the entire temple complex and the city of Georgetown. The view stretches all the way out to the water. Across the complex, and even higher still, sits a giant Buddhist statue. The temple was selling tiles to create a 200 foot tall roof to cover the statue that peacefully overlooks the city. I bought one to commemorate my mom’s birthday. Finally, in the middle of the two high points sits the main prayer hall. A massive cavernous building filled with Buddhist statues and idols. Everywhere you go there is beautiful landscaping and incense burning.

Following the temple visit, I went to the Penang Hill railway station. A great deal, for only $1 you save yourself the 3KM hike up the hill. Unfortunately, it was too good a deal, I would have had to wait 2 hours if I wanted to go up. The walking path was about a $20 cab ride away, so I decided to pack things in and head back to the hostel for the night.

I went out for a walk in the evening and came upon the Thai Buddhist complex, which has a giant reclining Buddha (rumored to be the 3rd largest in the world). I must say, it was very impressive. Most interesting was that behind the Buddha there were hundred of urns in little spaces in the wall. Each had a picture of the deceased and a brief write-up. The bright colors of the Buddha gave a strange effect; it had a very happy feel for what was essentially a graveyard.

Koo Kongsi Clan House:

Kek Lok Si Temple:

A Mix of the Old and the New:

Day 6 – February 14th
I got up early and went out for a short walk. I decided to visit Fort Cornwallis, Penang’s oldest Fort. The most interesting sight here was the fertility cannon. On the top of the fort wall sits a cannon where infertile females come and place flowers. Miraculously, they are then able to bear children. I saw nothing more than a giant phallic symbol, but if it works . . .

After that, I was headed to the airport where I sat and waited for seven hours, due to a four and a half hour delay. When I hit my pillow in Singapore it was about 3:30AM and I definitely was not eager for work in a few short hours.

Ok, so that was hardly brief.

Kindness Experienced

2005-02-17T21:47:00.000+07:00

Throughout my month here I have been the beneficiary of various kindness from all sorts of people. Whether it be international students befriending me or locals giving me directions, the vast majority of people have been kind and considerate. During my trip to Penang this trend continued. However, I have to make mention of two wonderful experiences.

My first experience was while staying at an old mansion in the city of Georgetown. I was asking one of the hotel/hostel employees if there was a restaurant near by that would be safe to eat at. Although his english was rough at best, he directed me to a small restaurant. I asked him about the good sights to see in Georgetown and he answered me with a question. He asked me if I was staying alone or if I had family or a significant other with me. Upon hearing I was alone, he began probing how long I was staying for. I thought this was a little strange and I had the feeling he was trying to determine if I was a customer that was worth a lot of money and his time. I couldn’t be more wrong. What he was offering was to come by on his days off and show me the various sights of Penang. He offered to come by in his car, or on his motorcycle, and take me to all the places and give provide a local’s perspective. I was blown away. Unfortunately, I was flying out the day before he had any time off, but I was none the less impressed with his willingness to make sure I had a good time in Penang.

My second experience occurred on my trip home from the island. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed four and half hours at the airport. This meant that my arrival time went from around 8:30 to 1:00am. Unfortunately, the consequences were beyond just time. At 1am there is no public transportation running. As a result, I was forced to take a cab across the border from Johor Bahru (the Malaysian city just across from Singapore) and then another cab to my residence. The cost escalated from a reasonable $10 to an astounding $150.

Luckily, I was the beneficiary of some very kind people. I was sitting next to Anita, a mother of two small children, on the plane. When I asked her about the cab that would take me into Singapore she mentioned that she was flying with her brother and a friend so they would have to take two cabs and there would be room for me. I eagerly accepted her offer. The total for the two cabs came to about RM450, around $120. I paid RM100 and felt lucky to safe the other RM125. However, this only got me into central Singapore. Once we arrived in Singapore, Anita brother insisted on driving me to my residence in NTU, about half an hour away. They invited me into their home while they put the kids to bed and dropped off their bags and offered me food and water. I was then whisked home in a car. I was so thankful for this and I arrived at my residence at around 3AM. When I was about to leave I offered to pay some more money for the cab because I felt they were very kind and I was getting off easy. Instead, he insisted on giving me RM50 back and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I was astounded how these people made a long and arduous journey so much better. Thank you!

Chinese New Year Pictures

2005-02-17T08:36:00.000+07:00

Where does one go to celebrate Chinese New Year's eve?
Chinatown of course.

Surrounding the centre square, and throughout all the side streets, were small shops selling everything from hand carvings to coconuts. The night markets were full of throngs of people - each buying small treasures to share with family and friends.

There was a stage setup with celebrations, performances and the final midnight countdown. The lion dance is very important and brings good luck and prosperity for the new year.

One of the best parts of the evening was seeing ChinaTown decorated with dragons and roosters (it's the year of the rooster). All of the storefronts were lit up eagerly awaiting the masses.

Pre-midnight we also wondered around and visited a Hindu temple and a Buddhist temple.

Hindu Temple

Buddhist Temple

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

2005-02-14T19:28:00.000+07:00

February 14th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
I realized that for many people this is a special day of the year – Valentine’s Day. However, I must tell anybody who doesn’t already know, it’s a really special day – my Mom’s birthday. This means that it’s an extra special day for me too!
Mom, I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. I hope that you have a wonderful birthday and know that I’m thinking of you.

Love you,

Mike

2005-06 tuition costs to remain stable - Government of Alberta

2005-02-09T10:15:00.000+07:00

2005-06 tuition costs to remain stable

- Government of Alberta

The Alberta Government has announced they will be funding next year's tuition increase, essentially creating a tuition freeze for all Alberta post-secondary students.
This is great news and I send out a big congratulations to everybody at the Students' Union who worked so hard to try and convince the government that this is the correct path to take. Way to go!

I'm off to Penang, later.

Chinese New Year!

2005-02-09T10:14:00.000+07:00

Chinese New Year
Tuesday, February 8, 2005
Today was Chinese New Year. To celebrate, I went out with another Canadian and 2 Germans. We went downtown to China Town and perused the night markets, had some food, and watched the celebrations. Part of our tour was a visit to the Hindu and Buddhist temples in the area. All in all, it was a great cultural evening and wonderful way to celebrat the ringing in of the new year.

Weekend Trip to Kuala Lumpur

2005-02-08T16:25:00.000+07:00

Sunday, February 6, 2005
Weekend Trip to Kuala Lumpur
This past weekend was a busy, tiring, and rewarding weekend. I took off with 6 other exchange students (Pascal from France, Heli and Minna from Finand, Cecil from the U.S., and Tatjana from Germany) and went to KL. We left Friday evening at 8pm and took a bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru (the Malaysian city immediately across the water from Singapore) and then through to KL. With the stop at the border (where you go through the two separate checkpoints) we finally arrived in KL at around 6 in the morning.

My first impression of KL was that the city is hot and humid. Despite being early in the morning with no sunlight, the heat was immediately apparent and probably magnified by the long trip in an air-conditioned bus. The humidity, however, was there to stay. What I also noticed was the air pollution. In all fairness to KL, we were dropped from the bus across from the bus station in the middle of China town and there was lot of dust and exhaust from waiting cabs and buses moving in and out.

Kuala Lumpur, at a base level, is very different from Singapore. The cleanthiness, and especially in the bus station part of China town, is not nearly the same. I was told by a cab driver that it is common practice to just throw garbage anywhere, out the window, on the street etc. He seemed to give me the impression that this practice is infinitely superior to Singapore’s anal requirement of using garbage cans.

Once we got our belonging together we scoped out the and found ourselves a nice place to sit down and eat. Being nervous about nuts, I opted to wait out the food and eat later on.

First item of the day was to get tickets to the twin towers. We arrived around 7am and waited around until 8:30, got tickets, then went up the to the bridge of the twin towers. Despite being only half way up the towers, the view was impressive and gave us a good feel for the architecture of the buildings and the layout of the city.

Next, we got some more food at an immaculately clean food court and headed out on walking adventure to find the municipal bus that would take us to the Batu caves – huge caves on the outskirts of the city that have been converted into a Hindu temple.

Finding the correct bus was quite an adventure. We quickly found that navigating KL is very easy. After asking several people for directions to different places, we always got the same answer. To get anywhere in KL simply go straight, take a left, then take a right. After that, take a right then take a left. Voila, you will be anywhere you need to be. Unfortunately, this didn’t work quite as smoothly in practice, but we eventually found the correct bus after stopping at no more than 3 bus stations.

The Batu caves were an amazing experience. Never in one place, have I seen the raw beauty of nature blended so finely with the purest spiritual and the ugliest exploitive elements of mankind. The caves themselves are awe inspiring and breathtaking in their sheer size and magnitude. Throughout the vast caverns people have erected various idols and the Hindu Gods bring a magical element to the amazing backdrop. However, the caves are filled with stinking garbage and littered with graffiti on anything below 8 feet high. It disgusts me that such a sacred place would be subject to the ugliness of mankind. That said, the caves were extremely unique and I would recommend seeing them.

After our trip to the caves, we opted for a quicker return trip via taxi. We were whisked away to our little comfort zone in the city – the Rainforest Hostel. This hostel was great. The entire place was furnished with carved woods, hard wood floors, and small crafts. It was also a quiet haven amongst the rush and bustle of the city. Most importantly, it had air conditioning.

After showering and changing we headed out for an evening trip to see the KL tower, a similar structure to the Calgary tower, but about twice as tall. For dinner, the majority of the group had Indian food, while I settled for the local Pizza Hut. I felt foolish eating pizza while everybody else was trying generous helpings of curries, rice, chicken, and breads. I was more than little embarrassed bringing in a the Pizza Hut box and sitting with my friends in the restaurant.

The KL tower itself provided a 360 degree view of the city and gave us a nice night shot of the city and its millions of lights. As nice as the view was, I think many of us were ready to head back to the hostel and get a good nights rest. Let me tell you, after sleeping in a room without air condition, having a hard uncomfortable bed, and a cool breeze was close to heavenly.

The next morning we were up early, ate breakfast at the hostel, and went to visit the National Mosque. Here, the best part of the trip was a friendly Islamic lady who explained the fundamentals of the religion, answered all of our questions (and we had many) and dispelled many of the myths surrounding Islam. The best part was her friendly smile and her calm nature.

Post Mosque, we made a quick to the mall for any last minute shopping and got on the bus to head home. Wow, this was quite a long post. If you’ve read this far (and everything above) then buy yourself a lollipop and pretend it’s from me.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy Chinese New Year to everybody (Today, Tuesday, is CNY)!

Dear NTU Drumming Team;

2005-02-02T19:17:00.000+07:00

I am not exaggerating when I say that I might possibly be your biggest fan. Since arriving in Singapore, I have yet to miss a single practice. Your ability to practice everyday for hours at a time is not only a testament to your endurance also but also to your dedication; it brings tears to my eyes.

I could be mistaken, but I do believe that you have had great success in your recruiting campaign. When I first arrived, you were but a loud noise in the background. Now, however, it seems as though the cacophony of many new drummers fills the air. I am amazed at how you all seem to keep own beat and are not deterred by the other drummers. Perhaps even more drummers could join if you were to arrange practice from noon until 6.

Now, what I’m really writing about is a great opportunity for you. I am willing to dedicate my time to arranging and planning road trips for the ENTIRE drumming team. Although this may mean weeks or months away from NTU, I’m sure the experience will be rewarding and people will be touched by your performance.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Michael Horler

Delivery bike

2005-01-31T21:23:00.000+07:00

20050128_Zoo_0002
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

notice the Hot Wheels helmet! Awesome!

Canadian Pizza

2005-01-31T21:22:00.000+07:00

20050128_Zoo_0001
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

White Tiger - Part 2

2005-01-31T21:21:00.000+07:00

20050128_Zoo_0044
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

Here tiger tiger

White Tiger

2005-01-31T21:14:00.000+07:00

20050128_Zoo_0024
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

I arrived just after feeding time, but I got to see this tiger stalk and attack some meat that was floating in the water and being devoured by the fish.

Orangutan

2005-01-31T21:13:00.000+07:00

20050129_Zoo_0128
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

The MRT

2005-01-31T21:11:00.000+07:00

20050129_Sentosa_0002
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

Mass Rapid Transit - Singapore's efficient people moving system. Over 2 million commuters take the MRT each day. It's incredibly efficient, not even requiring drivers on the North-East line.

You'll notice there are glass doors that prevent anybody from entering the track area unless a train has arrived at the platform.

This is where all my money is going.

Chinese New Year Quickly Approaches

2005-01-31T21:09:00.000+07:00

20050130_Sentosa_0024
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

Displays like these are rapidly popping up throughout the city.

Sentosa Beach

2005-01-31T21:08:00.000+07:00

20050130_Sentosa_0132
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

Notice how close the ships are in the backround. Not the most ideal scenery, but somehow nice still.
This was the site of my first swim in the Indian Ocean.

Sentosa Scenery

2005-01-31T21:05:00.000+07:00

20050130_Sentosa_0071
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

One of the fake, but pretty, waterfalls.

Lake at the Zoo

2005-01-31T21:04:00.000+07:00

20050129_Zoo_0220
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

Singapore has an insane population density, but it also has tranquil pockets of lush natural environment. This lake next to the zoo is a perfect example.

Another Week Finished!

2005-01-31T19:30:00.000+07:00

Weekend Update – Monday, January 31st, 2005
This weekend was a pretty “touristy” weekend; I visited three of Singapore’s main tourist attractions - Orchard Road, the Zoo and Sentosa island.

Friday, January 28th, 2005
This past Friday, I worked all day and then decided to make an impromptu trip to visit to Singapore’s tribute to commercialism - Orchard Road. Orchard Road is an amazingly modern place with large hotels, stores of every kind, and large trees that are the only remaining tributes to the orchards that used to line central Singapore.

I walked the length of the road and was treated to the signs of success and excess. You can buy pretty much anything here, as long as you can afford it. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, BOSS, Ralph Lauren, Rolex, Mont Blanc were a few of the brands that I saw. I looked at at pen that cost S$32,000 (Approx. C$25,000). The Rolexes didn’t have price tags, and I didn’t bother to ask. While browsing around, I saw one of my favorite symbols of the rich and famous – the Lamborghini. Considering that a car that normally costs $30-$40,000 in Canada costs about $140-$160,000 here, it’s no surprise to hear that the Lamborghini (a Mercielago for those who care) costs around C$1,000,000.

While I have mentioned a few of the brands that are well known to North America, perhaps a little closer to my heart are the brands that have brought a smile to my face. A few of my favorites are:
S S – Sporty look (a knock off of Calvin Klein)
Long Stroke jeans
124 Eating Place (restaurant)
Kill Fire (fire extinguisher)
and . . . my most favorite of all – Canadian 2 for 1 Pizza

Saturday, January 29th, 2005
Saturday morning I slept until around 11am and then decided I should go see the Zoo before my triple park pass expired. I got on the bus and then the train. After seeing the Lamborghini yesterday I decided I wanted to see if I could find the dealership. I knew that it was at the train transfer point so I alighted (they never say exit) the train and took off on a walking journey to look for the Alfa/Lamborghini dealership. About an hour and a half and 3 MRT stations later, I realized that not only was I not going to find the dealership but also my plan to walk to the nearest MRT station was not that well thought through. I eventually caught the train again and eventually transferred to the final bus that would bring me to the zoo.

The Zoo itself was a great time. The exhibits are really well designed and it has a very natural feel – easy to accomplish in the tropical climate. My favorite animals were the tigers, followed closely by these HUGE crocodiles that float delicately in the water. Probably the best part was the lake that was next to the Zoo. It was such calm and peaceful scenery and a nice escape from the city.

After taking the bus, the train, the train, and the bus, I arrived back at NTU, met up with some friends and got back on the bus, and then back on the train. We went out to Holland Village to celebrate one of the exchange student’s, Serena’s, birthdays. Interestingly enough, we ate at a Mexican restaurant and it was way better than the Mexican food in Edmonton or Calgary.

Sunday, January 30th, 2005
Sunday morning I slept in again, got some food, and headed off to the bus and the train. This time my destination was Singapore’s resort island – Sentosa. Sentosa is a unique blend between the natural and the artificial. The main portion of the island is real, but the beaches, and small outlying islands, are completely artificial. The government has turned the island into a resort area with hotels, a golf course, ornate gardens, an underwater theme park, and other small attractions. I was there to watch the NTU sports competitions where students competed in beach volleyball, beach soccer, and a hunk and babe competition. I have to say the “hunk and babe” competition was quite funny because Singaporeans are so shy by nature. The people participating didn’t even speak loud enough in the microphone to be heard. Once again, it was very much a contrast between the shy participants and the loud host.

Following the competitions a few of us stayed around for the magic fountain and light show. This free attraction was quite entertaining with music, a laser light show, and an animated monkey. The show is very much a family show and I think I would have appreciated it a lot more had I been about 10.

After that, I headed for home, ate some food on the way and was in bed by midnight. All in all, a good weekend.

Check out the pictures below (or above, depending on how quickly this post loaded).

Thaipusam

2005-01-25T22:28:00.000+07:00

Tuesday - January 25th, 2005
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival that commemorates the devotion of Idumban, a devotee of Lord Subramniam, who received great blessing by scaling a hill with heavy burden of offerings.

In modern day Singapore, Hindu's celebrate this festival by a parade where devotees pierce themselves and carry heavy objects between two temples. The 3KM route may not seem all that long, but when you see the elaborate kavadis and the numerous piercing, it quickly becomes obvious that this journey is not easy.

I must say that this was by far one of the most unique visual displays I have ever seen. It was as though it were a parade route that stretched across 3KM, but the whole way was filled with Hindu observers. I joined in at about midway point and actually followed the path of the devotees where I quickly found myself in a line of thousands of people all waiting to get into the temple. As quickly as I had entered, I was surrounded by hundreds more behind me. It was quite a strange feeling, being an obvious foreigner in this homogenous mass. However, everybody was very peaceful and orderly and it was strange to be almost comfortable and claustrophobic at the same time. Below are a few of the pictures I took of the event.

PS: I also went up to the 70th floor of the Swiss Hotel. It's an awesome view and it was worth the effort.

Weekend Update!

2005-01-23T20:48:00.000+07:00

January 23, 2005 – Weekend Update
This weekend was a long one because of Hari Raya Haji – the “festival or the pilgrimage” or the “festival of the sacrifice”. During this holiday people of the Islamic faith celebrate the day of pilgrimage to Mecca by sacrificing a cow or goat and offering the food to the poor. Although I was out and out about I did not see any sacrifices but I did see many Muslim families dressed in their finest clothes.

Friday, January 21st, 2005
Friday, I took a train to Singapore’s downtown area with the mission of going up the Suisse Hotel to the 70th floor. Unfortunately for me, I was dressed in “short-pants” and did not meet the “long-pants and covered shoes” dress-code. The day was not a total loss because I took some pictures around the neighboring Raffles Hotel, and then toured the waterfront – including Singapore’s signature Esplanade theatres. The Esplanade theatres are architecturally unique and look much like durian – a local fruit that smells like rotting sewage.

Saturday, January 22nd, 2005 - East Coast Park
This past Saturday Cristel, another intern/student, and I ventured across the island to one of Singapore’s only beach areas – East Coast Park. East Coast Park is not the easiest place to get to (two hours trip including a bus, a train, and a taxi), but once we were there we didn’t see another tourist.

East Coast Park is actually reclaimed land and is in the process of becoming a beautiful beach. It has the classic East Asia water with light blue hues and welcoming temperature. What East Coast Park also has is a tremendous view of Singapore’s shipping traffic. As your eye travels from the beach to the horizon, you are rewarded with sand, water, swimmers, wind-surfers, sailboats, tug-boats, and container ships. What’s even more shocking is how all these elements interplay with each other, save the sand and the swimmers. These huge ships are never far away and there are tons of them. I counted 50 before I got tired of counting. It was quite the sight to see. I didn’t bring my camera because I wasn’t sure if it was a swimming trip or not. Next time . . .

Sunday, January 23, 2005 – Jurong Bird Park
Today I got up early (9:00AM on a Sunday) and went to the Jurong Bird Park with a group of other exchange students. Singapore has a climate such that they can host hundreds of species of birds without a problem. I would tell you the impressive species that I saw, but in truth there were far too many for me to take note of their names. What I can tell you is that we were presented with a lot of tropical birds with bright coloring, a few birds of prey (including the world’s largest bird of pray – the Andean Condor), penguins, and flamingos. Similar to the Night Safari, a lot of the birds are not in cages, but in big enclosures that you walk through. This gives you an up close look at a lot of really unique birds.

Raffles Hotel

2005-01-21T18:52:00.000+07:00

Raffles Hotel
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

As mentioned before, the Raffles hotel is famous in Singapore and throughout the world. The facade is very impressive.

Peanuts are bad!

2005-01-21T12:10:00.000+07:00

This past Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending “Singapore Perspectives 2005” a high level conference that was directed at Singapore’s top business people. The conference covered topics ranging from Singapore’s political and social outlook to its foreign policy and relations with surrounding countries. The conference took place at Singapore’s 5 star Shangri-La hotel and was in a beautiful conference room with glass chandeliers and rich wood (see lobby picture). Needless to say, the conference was a great introduction to the Singapore business world. Unfortunately, it was also an introduction to a few proteins I had wished to avoid.

As part of the conference we were served lunch. I had dutifully informed the organizers of my severe allergy to nuts and the meal should have been safe. Ironically enough, this is my first meal in a hotel and my first “western” meal since arriving in Singapore. It also was my first meal to bring about an allergic reaction.

I first noticed that I was a bit itchy after lunch, but I wasn’t sure what was causing it (I actually thought it might be because I had just bought some local shampoo and used it for the first time earlier that morning). However, I began to get more itchy, I drank some water, but soon I realized that I must have come in contact with nuts. I excused myself from the conference and took a cab to the nearest pharmacy. I got a fast acting liquid anti-histamine, but by this time my arms were beginning to form rashes and I could tell that I was swelling up. I took a gulp of the anti-histamine, jumped the queue for a taxi and asked the driver to take me to the nearest hospital.

On the way to the hospital there was a medical clinic so I got dropped off there instead. It was the hyperbaric medical clinic but the doctor saw me immediately and gave me two needles – one a strong anti-histamine and the other a steroid to prevent asthma from occurring. Luckily, this took effect immediately and the itchiness began to subside within 5 minutes.

Both anti-histamines I had taken were “drowsy” forms and I quickly began to be extremely tired. I can only compare it to being quite drunk because I had a little trouble walking (I had to concentrate not to stumble) and I found if I stood still I would start to almost fall asleep. So, I hailed a taxi from as far from the road as possible (so I wouldn’t accidentally step into traffic) and headed home to my dorm room. My room-mate must have thought I was crazy because I came in and went right to sleep. However, also by the time I got home my rashes were gone and I was no longer feeling any effects of the allergy (except when I threw up about 15 minutes later on).

So, moral of the story – don’t trust hotels – they’re evil.
PS: I had my epipen with me, but I didn’t get into the stages of shock, so I didn’t have to use it.

Chinatown Street Market

2005-01-21T01:19:00.000+07:00

20050120_China town_0019
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

This market is only a couple of blocks from my work and has that stereotypic busy Asian street market feel to it.

My humble desk

2005-01-21T01:17:00.000+07:00

20050119_China town_0004
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

What's nice is that I have a skylight right above me. I get to see how bright it is or if it is raining.

35 Ann Siang Road

2005-01-21T01:13:00.000+07:00

20050120_China town_0008
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

The home of my office.

Batey Buildings

2005-01-21T01:08:00.000+07:00

20050120_China town_0007
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

This is one of the Batey buildings in the area I work in. It's right across the street from the Batey Research and Intelligence Centre.

My uber religious alter ego

2005-01-20T23:57:00.000+07:00

A special thanks to Tyler Botten for alerting me to "horler.blogpsot.com" (switch the p and the s).

I don't know how this happened but obviously I have a twin out there somewhere that strongly believes in the bible, or something.

So, if you need to pick a church, get an audio bible, or looking into salvation for a loved one, head on down to the "other Horler"'s site. Be sure to listen to the voice of Satan - a must for every visitor.

Working at Batey/Redcell

2005-01-20T23:49:00.000+07:00

So, I have begun my work at Batey/Redcell (for more information on the company go to www.bateyredcell.com.sg). The project I'm working on is to answer the question "What does it mean to be ethnic Chinese in Asia today? So far, I have done some research into cultural research, but over the next few weeks, I hope to define further the project as well as its intended goals.

Batey is an interesting place to work. It does some very high profile advertising and I would love to see a shoot for a Mercedes commercial - although we'll see if that will pan out or not.

On that note, I got the opportunity to meet Mr. Ian Batey - the founder of the agency. He seems like quite the gregarious fellow and a person with high expectations for his employees. I hear he has homes throughout the world as has done quite well for himself with his ad agency.

Anyhow, more news on the work front later on.

Dumplings for Breakfast

2005-01-15T15:47:00.000+07:00

In order to prevent the verbal diarrhea that was the descriptions of my flights, I'll give you a brief run-down of what I have been up to so far:

Day 1 - starting 6PM local time
1. Arrived in Airport
2. Took a taxi to Nanyang Technological University - my home for the next 3.5 months
The taxi ride was gorgeous and I got to see how diverse the city is. Interestingly, there is very little grass, it's all deep green lush growth on the ground.
3. Met up with student representatives - received my keys and that was it
4. Tried to clean up some of the area is my room (was very dirty when I arrived)
5. Unpacked a little
6. Shower (it's so hot and humid, you sweat like crazy) and Sleep

Day 2 - starting 7AM local time (I am now an early riser)
1. Shower
2. Walk around campus, get relevant forms, stop and eat dumplings for breakfast
3. Illegally rode the bus (maybe, I paid $1.20 but I have no idea if that was enough. I tried to ask the bus driver but he didn't speak english and just motioned to the pay device and the back of the bus).
4. Rode the train
5. Went to the immigration building, got a number, waited for 2 hours, left without my passport, but with instructions to return tomorrow at 9AM
6. Searched for the site of the office I'm working at (35 Ann Siang Road)
7. Walked around the area
8. Took train and bus back to NTU (total time approx. 1.5hr)
9. Went to computer
10. Met American exchange student
11. Met a bunch more exchange students
12. Went on a night safari (9PM - 12AM) - really cool, you get to see all the animals up close because there are no cages. Also, you see all the nocturnal animals awake and roaming around. They have small pits that keep the dangerous animals away (Tiger, Lions) but other than that only some vegetation separates you from the animals. When you go through the flying squirrel and bat area there is no separation and we were very close to them. Bats are scary.

Day 2 - Started about 8AM (perhaps I'm slowly going to lose my early morning rising)
1. Went back downtown
2. Got in line at immigration office
3. Got a number
4. Went up to counter
5. Had to go get money on my transit card to pay to get my passport back
6. Got in line
7. Got my passport - now with student pass secured to it
8. Walked around Raffles hotel
9. Had a Singapore Sling at the long bar - very cool, but definitely not worth the $18.65
10. Walked around the water front
11. Ate a peppered crab - soooo good, but soooo messy
12. Took transit back home
13. e-mailed and updated blog

Wildlife seen so far (aside from the night safari):
- Small black birds with yellow beak
- Loud bright yellow birds
- Crane of some sort
- Cats (without tails)
- Lizard - gecko of some sort
- Big birds that make noise but don't let you see them because they fly away into the bright sun light

PS: It's hot and humid!

NTU Campus - Outline

2005-01-15T15:19:00.000+07:00

20050114_Day 1_0018
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

Can you tell where the campus begins?

View from my window

2005-01-15T15:18:00.000+07:00

20050114_Day 1_0003
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

Dubai Airport

2005-01-15T15:17:00.000+07:00

Dubai Airport - Wide
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

The Dubai airport is amazing! It's like visit a huge palace with palm trees, a hotel, luxury lounges, glass pedways, etc.

The Irish Village - Dubai

2005-01-15T15:15:00.000+07:00

20050112_Flight_0021
Originally uploaded by Mike Horler.

Where else would the Irish Village be?

Flights to Singapore

2005-01-15T13:27:00.000+07:00

So, here is the brief outline of my flights to Singapore.
Firstly, here is the itinerary:
Calgary --> London, Heathrow
London --> Dubai
Dubai --> Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka --> Singapore

So, to follow up on the Air Canada post, no they would not let me use my upgrade and no they would not offer me an upgrade (nor would anybody else at any point of my journey). Too bad, but I didn't really think it would work out.

In addition to the seat upgrade my dad also gave me a pass for the Air Canada lounge. I got to the Calgary airport nice and early (around 4:15 for my 8pm flight) so, I figured that once I was through security I would be able to hang out in the lounge for a bit. However, I was in terminal B - which has no lounge. So I stuck it out for a while and read my book.

Once on the flight I offered to change seats with a lady that was looking to sit with her friends whom were seated behind me. I ended up sitting with a Norman, a British fellow who has houses in London and Calgary. We chattered for a while and I found him to be quite interesting. Most notably he rally races Porches in Europe and had spent 4 years in Singapore openining an office of a manufacturing firm he works for.

The flight was pretty good and nothing too exciting. Coming into Heathrow we were put in que and it was interesting to see the other planes flying in a circle above and below us. I've never seen another plane that close before. Kind of interesting.

Once in Heathrow I had to dash for my connecting flight. I sat in the huge security line-up and made it out just in time to board my flight, which sat on the ground for a while.

The Air Emirates plane I just got on was nicer than the Air Canada plane and included the personal screens in the back of the headrest. All in alll, this flight too was pretty good and nothign too exciting. Air Emirates has good airplane food.

Getting into the Dubai airport was like entering a whole other world. As it is called, Dubai is the city of contrasts. It was amazing to see the traditional Arab clothing, the mosque in the airport and the Irish pub. Yep, a good old Irish pub in the middle of this opulent gorgeous airport. The airport itself was extremely intereseitng with a whole concourse for duty free shopping where you could buy everything from books, to cameras, to computers, and even a Jaguar.

When I can, I will attach a picture of the airport, which looks more like a Las Vegas casino.

The flight to Sri Lanka was also good on the best plane so far. We stopped there, but did not de-plane.

Finally, after x number of hours of flying (arriving a total of 35 hours after I began my journey (I think)) I finally arrived in Singapore. I got my temporary pass and came into the airport.

The taxi ride to NTU was amazing. I got to see a lot of the city and really appreciate how different everything is. From people riding in the backs of trucks to driving on the left hand side of the road. Everything was very different.

Anyhow, that's it for the journey. My next post will be shorter.

Oh (Air) Canada

2005-01-11T06:35:00.000+07:00

So, Air Canada, in keeping with its reputation, is going out of its way to prevent me from using a free executive class upgrade that was given to me by my dad. Now, I do realize that the upgrade says right on it that you can't transfer it unless the person who earned it is flying with you. However, I'm thinking that policy stinks and that they should rescind it as soon as possilbe.

If they really wanted the member to use the reward then they would just put it on their aeroplan account and automatically offer the upgrade on any flights booked for the future. Instead, I think they provide a paper document because they actually want their "elite" and "super-elite" member to give the upgrade as a gift, as was done in this situation, only so they have the pleasure of turning up their noses and saying, oh you're not "elite", well then you don't qualify for this. Go back to your Q class and be Quiet.

I'm still going to try again at the airport tomorrow, but I think I'll be riding with the bags.

Welcome to 2005

2005-01-03T03:46:00.000+07:00

New Year's Eve for me was spent in Canmore, Alberta. We spent the evening with family friends and played scategories and then watched fireworks. It was a nice time and great to be with family and friends.

Unfortunately, my pleasant and safe evening was a complete contrast to the New Year's experienced by the people of South-East Asia. I hope 2005 will bring recovery, reflection and relief for the people suffering in Asia. Unfortunately, the tragedy is likely to continue for some time and the death toll will never be known.

May 2005 be a better year for everybody.