Monday, June 28, 2010

Beijing

Tian An Men Square

Beijing – a capital with several thousand years of history. I am enjoying the city not only by the historical value but also the cultural and art. Over here, you can find a lot of youngster who are active in drama, creating their own handcraft product, selling their own music album, designing their own cloth, accessory. People are talking about art, fashion, politic, music. It is something that we lack at Malaysia especially among Chinese who only concern about how much we earn per month.

Forbidden city

This palace is attractive due to the history behind it. If you walk into the Forbidden City without the explanation and understand the story behind it, every building that left behind nowadays is just an empty body without soul. I got myself a narrator machine when I was there. Forbidden city just give me a uneasy feeling while I was listening to all the ancient story. A well that Empress was being push down and drowned, a hall to rest all the Emperor’s coffin before bury, a tree that an Emperor hang himself when his dynasty was ended. Nic used to say before that the blood during war is cannot blame on any party since it is a war, no right and wrong. However, when you are stepping on the floors which full of blood, recall all the fighting far behind few thousand years ago among human for the sake of fame, status, money…

Amidst all the building inside The Forbidden City, I love the Imperial garden the most!! No wonder lots of the HK’s drama, those Empresses like to go “Hao Fa Yun” to enjoy the flowers and garden. Not forget to mention about all the collections inside the palace those jade, craving and ceramic are really astonish.

Great Wall

Don’t ask me why but it doesn’t hit me hard. It doesn’t give me a strong impact compare to the Colosseum which is much smaller in scale. When I saw Colosseum for the firs time, I can imagine how spectacular it is when the building is standing still….everyone in the city is flocking into Colosseum for the Gladiator games. The image is so clear in my mind as if I was there to see it with my own eye. Somehow The Great Wall just didn’t able to give me such feeling. Is it because of the crowd? My friend, Theresa leave comment on my FB’s picture said that I should go to “Wild” Great Wall - Jinshanling instead of those tourist orientated section of The Great Wall. I might have stronger bond with this one of Seven Wonders of the World more from there. But, who knows? I heard from one of my ex-coll who visited Taj-Mahal said that Taj-Mahal looks magnificent from a distance too ( I saw his picture even with a normal DC it looks wow...). Wish that I am able to visit Machu Picchu one day then I shall see which one can connect to my heart more.

In the end, The Great Wall is still great of course. When you look at it, you just can’t find the end of the wall as if it is going to the end of the world. It is hard to imagine how much blood had been sacrificed to stack up this pile of bricks and stones. (why am I keep on mentioning about blood in this post?)

Yi He Yuan/Summer Palace


The over-rated Peking Duck – Quan Ju de. I know that many people advice it is not necessary to visit this particular restaurant although it is there since 1864 and famed among all Beijing’s delicacy. Nevertheless I feel that I only there for once in a life time then why not have the most classic restaurant? Ya ya ya…typical Asian tourist mentality. Hehehe…And it is pricey!! RM55 per single person meal with that little plate of roasted duck! One of the missed out in this trip is I don’t have the chance to drink tea at Lao She Tea House)



End the post with a picture. I am kinda lazy to blog nowadays because it is really troublesome to do so at China. So the sustainability of this blog have to depend back on it’s real owner in near future. =)

Saturday, June 12, 2010

fight or flight?

it's an overused phrase. with so many other versions to it. but it's one of those phrases which haunts me. over decisions made. over decisions about to be made. am i a fighter or am i a runner? wish i was a fighter but i've taken flight before.

there were moments when the challenge i faced before me was so frightening. so unnerving, so very intimidating that i did not even consider any other option. i turned and i ran.

i ran once when i was 15. once more when i was 17.

these moments made me feel small. i made up reasons. trying to convince the people around me that i wasn’t running away from the challenge. i just had something else that needed my attention. but i could not deceive myself. could not even convince those around me. i know they knew. and that just made it worse i think. and every time i ran, the journey back was tough. never easy to face the demons of the past.

throughout my childhood and teenage life, i tried doing what i wanted to do. what i thought was right. it’s not always unchartered territories. but i would like to think that i’ve had my share of adventures. not exactly the road less travelled by. not the common highway too. in the end, a few years from now, who will i see in the mirror?

i don't expect to see the giant i want to be.

i hope i don't see the dwarf i've been avoiding as well.

a view inside the big white mosque in abu dhabi - reminds me of elvish carvings. pic has nothing to do with the post though... =)

Saturday, June 05, 2010

...

choices. decisions.

work. life.

balance.

hopes. dreams.