Wednesday, July 06, 2005
MindYourBody: You are only young once, so...
Harold De Castro: Travel the world and absorb the different cultures.
This reply given by the former Mr Singapore made me think of my standing on his comment. I am truly grateful for having had the blessing of travelling the world to a wider extent than most people, a privilege that I do not take lightly nor want to be boastful about. It has been all His grace and favour.
Places I have travelled so far:-
North America
USA: Orlando, Florida; Seattle, Washington
Canada: Vancouver, Whistler, Victoria Island, the Rockies
South America
NIL :(
Europe
Sweden: Lund, Malmo, Krichanstad, Stockholm, Trelliborg
Denmark: Copenhagen
Norway: Oslo
Germany: Berlin, Rostock
Holland: Amsterdam, Rotterdam
Italy: Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa
Austria: Graz, Vienna
Czech Republic: Prague
Hungary: Budapest
Finland: Helsinki
Russia: Moscow, St Petersburg
Israel: Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, the Judean Desert, Galilee
Turkey: Istanbul
I pause here to recall a quick experience I had in Turkey that made me fall in love with its people. An excerpt from a journal entry dated 24 June of this year:
Kor and I were passing through a small, humble neighbourhood, and my attention was caught by a bakery of pita, a flat bread often eaten with kebab. A stone oven is still used, and I think the bakery supplies such pitas in bulk to kebab shops, rather than sell them individually. But as we passed by, the little boys in the bakery said hello and were so 'smiley', so we popped in to take a few shots of them. I, forever the breadlover, then asked the baker if I could buy one of the pitas to try, and he immediately just gave me the one freshly taken from the oven (it was on the shovel-like utencil he was holding to take out pitas from the oven - it was THAT freshly baked!), and for FREE, even though I tried to pay for it! What a touching gesture... So I asked one of the little boys to come pose with me and the piping-hot pita, and the little boy took the opportunity to kiss me on my cheeks :P
And of course, a picture speaks a thousand words, what more 2:
No he wasn't ripping my hair off for stealing a pita :P
A kiss for a photo.
Asia
South Korea: Seoul, Yongpyong
China: Kunming, Yunnan
India: Calcutta
Nagaland
Thailand: Phuket
Philippines: Manila
Indonesia: Jakarta, Batam Island
Malaysia: Johor Bahru, Port Dickson, Kelantan, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands
Australia: Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, Tasmania, Blue Mountains
New Zealand: Auckland, Queenstown, Christchurch
Africa
NIL :(
Places I hope to travel to in future, God willing (in no order of preference):-
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps...
Brain teaser results: Only one brave soul attempted it (and yes, the answer does seem logical) (or maybe, only one brave - and poor- soul actually reads this blog ;)) So yes Darren, the prize is yours to claim! Now for the small matter of determining the prize - up for negotiation :)