Home Sweet Home =)

Happy Bday Dad =)

2009-07-06T23:23:00.004+08:00

Celebrated my Dad's birthday @ the Rose Veranda,

Shangri-la hotel. Guess what? they were having a discount

based on the age of the "birthday boy" so it wasnt that ex

My 2 dear sisters, Grace & Gloria whom

i missed alot while in holland =)

Here they are acting cute/guai haha

Here's dad with his complimentary cake, we added

the funny candles so you can check out his age!

Grace & i got him the helium balloon and he was sporting

enough to pose for so many pictures hahaha

My parents (amazingly my mom's trying to blend

in with the couch lol)

Our family - 6 pple so its 6 times the fun, joy and laughter,

but also 6 times the trouble, nonsense and nasty stuff

All in all, thank God for seeing Dad thru 55 years, praying that

we'll remain a close knit family all the way =)

Cheers!

Daniel

Exploring Maastricht - 13th June

2009-06-22T20:35:00.006+08:00

Our exchange is coming to an end and i can't believe that

5 months have passed just like that! It seems just yesterday

when we bid everyone goodbye at changi airport...

You know, Maastricht is a really small town and theres practically

nothing much to do here except chill out at the many pubs and riverside

restaurants. Jay and I were pretty bored so we decided to check out

this restaurant called Chalet Bergust which was just beside St. Petersberg.

Here's the dutch rendition of Satay, its spelt as Sate here.

To describe how it tastes like... i would say its still far from

the usual satay we have in S'pore... this one tasted more like

peanut butter instead, but it was still nice

Jay's burger, this one costs an affordable 6 euros and

it came with fries as well

I snapped this picture really quick cos i didnt think it would be

nice to take it without their permission, but anyway it shows you

how the table would have looked like... plus the background scenery.

The place was quite crowded (it was a saturday) and the families

were enjoying their lunch, some even brought along their dogs along

Spent some time roaming around the place and exploring

the area... We came across many interesting sights for you to

check out below

There's something about green and blue that when put together,

just sets your heart at ease... a picture of tranquility

A view of the town from the hilltop, our hostel is somewhere

near that church which you can spot easily in the picture...

This cluster of wild flowers has been waiting patiently for

any strangers to stop by and snap a shot...

Here's my bike that's served me well these 5 months,

its a pity i'll have to sell it and once i'm back in S'pore

there'll be little opportunities to get around on a bike

since the distances between destinations are too far to cycle

We found the quarry, which actually hosts a vast network of

manmade tunnels dug deep within... guided tours are available

but there wasnt one in english that day so we couldnt join in.

Here u can see the machinery and plants which process the sandstone

which is mined from the quarry.

Further up we came to this tower, more info in

dutch if you google it...

Yup so its called Ruinetoren van Lichtenberg

which means "Tower of Ruin, Lichtenberg"

This tower is a remnant of the castle built in 1212 by a certain

bishop. The house beside it dates back to the 17th century.

Here's the view on top of the tower, its really beautiful

A panoramic photostitch (around 180 degrees)

This is the farmhouse beside the tower, its now used as a

chalet which you can book and enjoy the peace and quiet,

far away from the city area

Thou art My Rock and My Fortress

2009-05-27T21:15:00.008+08:00

Its been ages since i've last updated my blog...

The truth is that these few weeks have been really trying for me, it all started from a simple flu after i came back from Paris. Ok, it was quite bad - the type i get like once a year (cos i don't fall sick often but when i do its quite jialat), but anyway i knew it was coming because i felt very heaty, throat getting sore, etc...

Compound this with a bit of homesickness, a dash of travelling fatigue and a "conducive environment" to slack, i ended up wasting my time and becoming very lethargic. With a running nose and blocked nasal passages plus coughing and a whole lot of green phlegm and mucus, it gave me the perfect excuse to put everything aside. Well, at least one perk was that i was quarantined from cooking and doing dishes (we were all speculating it was swine flu, but the good thing was that nobody caught my bug). But because of this i started becoming more ill-disciplined than ever, sleeping really late (4-6am), waking up really late (1-3pm), feeling too sick and lazy to go for fellowship and procrastinating till the late minute to complete my assignments and projects, even skipping services for two weeks... It was also a time when there was zero motivation to do stuff, i couldnt be bothered to blog or call back much, really terrible... in fact there wasnt any motivation to travel and i was sort of glad we missed our flight to berlin because it would give me all the time in the world to do nothing and while away the days (more info on the missed berlin trip in the blogpost below)

But God is gracious, do you believe that? I could feel myself sliding, drifting away further and further as things got out of hand, and if you've tasted and enjoyed fellowship and walking close - it doesnt take much time for you to realise that you've settled for something less. But it takes a whole lot of struggling and effort to get back on track and i believe its something we can't do by ourselves, but thru the strength of the Lord.

Now why am I writing this now? I usually do not like to write such stuff openly because i have many friends who arent Christians and they might not understand what we go through, but for the sake of my family(whom i believe want to know more) and friends do bear with the verses and other stuff or skip right thru this blogpost to the nice photos k =)

It was Sunday and incidentally the morning's message was "do you believe that things will turn out ok?" Something happened the day before that was really bothering me and though i kept trying to put my trust in the Lord and believe that "All things work out for good", doubts too kept arising in my head, saying: "Why do things still fall apart even though i've committed them to the Lord?". It was not till the end of the day that i realised that His ways are higher than ours and even though sometimes we may commit things into His hand, the choices and paths that He directs us towards may be drastically different from what we previously envisioned - but all because it is His best and not what we thought was good.

Have you ever struggled with obedience and discipline? Have you ever tried kicing a habit that you really wanted to get rid of? The thorns in my flesh are procrastination and ill-discipline, which all those who know me well can easily testify to it. For those with an awareness of sin, you know when you've not been doing what you're supposed to and its a natural response to say "sorry", but what happens when the same thing repeats itself over and over again? I had trouble once again with this: "Why do i have to keep saying sorry but fail over and over again, no matter how hard i try? Does God take pleasure in this?" It was a feeling of being down, defeated and demoralised - to the point where you have the feeling that you know you're gonna fail even before you start trying. Have you ever felt this way before, or are you also now thinking along these lines? If so, you're on the right track and i encourage you to continue struggling and trashing things out within yourself and with the Lord.

Dad reminded me "These struggles/challenges/trials (cant remember exactly) come and become even stronger/worse when we're trying to obey" and its very very true. But one thing we musnt forget is that no matter how many times we fail, God is more than gracious to forgive and pick us up again. In fact it is always Him who draws us back - not the other way around, though we would very much like to perceive it so... But yeah, back to the prob, even strong and godly men struggled with this, like Paul who saw a warring in his flesh (romans 7) and even requested for the thorn in his flesh to be removed.

So take a good look at the people around you now, and take a good look at what I am. Store the characteristics, values and "the kind of person he/she is" at the back of your mind. Then look back later in years to come and observe the changes that take place in their lives. I can assure you that we'll be sanctified and grow stronger even as we fall time and again - that each time we refuse to give up and instead continue leaning on the Lord for strength and wisdom, somehow we are changed gradually. "for my strength is made perfect in weakness", this paradox exhibits itself when we are willing to acknowledge our inadequacies and rely on Someone bigger than us for help. At this point i'm sure that even my non-believing friends can bear testimony to the faithfulness of God, that even though i may be a procrastinator and someone who doesnt have lofty ambitions or big plans for the future - Somehow things just work out perfectly to their amazement(i'm sure it doesnt make sense to you sometimes right?). "Damn lucky la you", "heng xia" or "tyco", all these fail to grasp the concept that i believe in, but i just pray that even thru my weakness, my testimony will still be one that gives God the glory, because all these that i have and all i shall be are not via my own efforts but by my heavenly Father who blesses.

So i went to this nice place called Fort St. Petersburg immediately after service. I had lots of time and i wanted to spent it alone with God to get right with Him. It was a beautiful day, the sun was bright and the sky was cloudless + there was a slight breeze in the air, so i camped at the top of the hill overlooking the fort and read some passages which spoke to me.

Psa 71:3 "Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou has given commandment to save me; for Thou art my rock and my fortress"

Actually Christiana shared with me this verse several days ago, but it didnt seem so real then as it did now - as i was sitting just beside this magnificent fort that overlooks the entire city of Maastricht(you can see the other pictures below). A fortress that watches over the city - that provides it with security, assurance and peace. A fortress that sees beyond the horizon and beyond our own shallow perspectives - that knows what is ahead of us. A fortress where we can continually seek shelter, in times of storms or distress. It also reminded me of Psa 18.

Another passage that spoke to me was from Lamentations 3:21-24

"This i recall to mind, therefore have i hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will i hope in Him"

Read V 25-26 & 31-32 too if you have the time.

It was one of the best Sundays ever where i could just sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His still small voice. Busyness (& its opposite, lazyness/idleness) take their toll on all of us at times, but it is good to rest and spend some time alone with Him. It was also the 4th week and they were having holy communion for the evening service, so i was glad i didnt miss this one.

At the end of it all, i'll remember this verse from Psa 34:1

"I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth"

The reason for doing so is found in v4,6,8,17-19, do read them and i hope they come in handy when you are discouraged too...

Thanks Mom, Dad & all those who have been keeping me in your prayers - i really appreciate it and theres good news - prayers are being answered! Will tell you later but i've gtg, miss all of you guys back home =)

Man proposes, but God disposes

2009-05-27T21:12:00.002+08:00

Steamboat Party!! - May 15th

2009-05-27T21:07:00.001+08:00

Paris: Day Four - Versailles

2009-05-27T20:28:00.015+08:00

Paris: Day Three

2009-05-27T18:39:00.014+08:00

Paris: Day Two

2009-05-01T06:09:00.019+08:00

Paris: Day One - 29th Apr

2009-04-30T07:17:00.014+08:00

Keukenhof Flower Gardens, Amsterdam - 25th Apr

2009-04-26T18:46:00.025+08:00

Lake Districts, London - 15th to 17th Apr

2009-04-26T07:01:00.022+08:00

Visiting Elder Jack Ford - Apr 14th, London

2009-04-21T08:18:00.002+08:00

We paid a visit to Elder Jack Ford on tuesday, a day after

the Easter camp ended. I can only give a brief intro about him,

but what is really amazing is that he's 96 this year and is still full of

life! In fact he's able to walk and has a good sense of humor =)

We dropped by to visit Eld Jack and let him know about

our plans to celebrate his birthday on sat, where several

church members would be coming down to give him a bday

bash (of sorts haha)

Rev Lim and I travelled to heathrow station, where Uncle Peter

and Aunty Hazel picked us up in their car and we proceeded to

the retirement home a short drive away.

Here you see Eld Jack going: "I'm sorry i cant remember that well"

I could sense he had come to terms with old age, where pple forget

stuff and have difficulty recalling even recent events. He was also

somewhat embarrassed and kept apologizing for it, but we reassured

him that it was perfectly ok =)

Eld. Jack's very particular about being informed before a visit, so he can

be dressed in his best and do something (like play host) for his guests.

Its a really kind gesture, but since we popped in on him he wasnt prepared

so he was sorta "you should have called me earlier to inform me". Haha i guess we got his point and we told me we would definitely call again b4 visiting on sat.

Here's Eld. Jack with his walker,

he's pretty strong even though he's in his nineties!

We had a great chat, but soon it was time to say our goodbyes

After seeing him to the dining hall we parted ways, God willling

i'll be able to visit him again. I've learnt many things from interacting

with elderly people and thru serving in Ju Eng home, one of the most

important takeaways is that we all need some form of company, care or concern no matter what age we are. But even more so when we're lonely and alone. I'm glad that people still care, and people still bother about their welfare and even their birthdays; i hope that when the time comes i'd be able to do the same for my grandma, parents and those who are close to me.

Bidding Winter a Warm Goodbye

2009-04-21T07:37:00.004+08:00

You know it takes just a month or two of winter for you to

really appreciate the coming of spring...

Take a look at these two pictures & you'll understand how

different these two seasons are!

The once lifeless roundabout is now filled with colourful flowers

and the cherry blossoms bloom a beautiful rosy pink...

What better way to appreciate this than to look back just 2 months ago

when everything was dull, colourless and bleak?

What a contrast!

If only we were able to see e potential in these "dead" & "lifeless" trees...

And if only we had the patience to wait till the coming of spring...

To me personally, its a reminder that there is hope even in the bleakest

of seasons, when things seem dull & dreary and when there's nothing but

coldness. Let others mumble and grumble about how cold we are, and let

them complain about how "dead" we might be. But as for me, I'll continue

holding on to the blessed hope that once spring arrives, we'll be filled with

warmth & joy, when people start to sprout up and grow. Continue serving

and be strong, Aunty Lilian, Justin, Jun Hao, Christina, Charlene, Alissa;

and be encouraged by the little signs of "spring" that we're seeing =)

Even the seasons are a promise from God:

"While the earth remaineth,

seedtime and harvest,

and cold and heat,

and summer and winter,

and day and night shall not cease."

Genesis 8:22

Bidding this winter a warm goodbye...

NLBPC Manse + Easter Camp (10-13 Apr)

2009-04-21T06:55:00.006+08:00

I realised i havent shown you guys around the Manse

in the church (Manse means house inhabited by a minister)

This is room no.5, actually its sort of a study room, but there are

beds for people to rest too... Two of the rooms have an attached bathroom

and there's also one main bathroom.

Here's the kitchen, its well stocked with foodstuff (alot brought

over from singapore too haha)

I learnt how to make ba kut teh from Rev Lim the last time i came,

this trip we cooked chicken rice (but chopping the chicken after its done is

really tricky...)

here's the living room, theres also a CCTV for security,

you'll be able to see who's at the gate b4 u let them in

You can see the dining table from this angle

We had an easter church camp from the 10th to the 13th

The guys slept in a large room on the ground floor, whereas

the gals occupied the loft right at the top of the church building

The messages were taken from Matt 5, on the Beattitudes

Rev Lim was the speaker for our camp and it was a wonderful time

of feeding, fellowship, rest, fun & gd food =)

Here's Zachary, or Zac, in short..

He's the son of Joey, one of the church members who's

posted overseas and working for SIA

Zac's very cute, had to bribe him into calling me kor kor by

letting him play with my camera haha

That's his dad, Zac's taking pictures from his own

kiddy perspective...

Haha, still getting used to aiming properly so its inevitable

that some heads get cut off =)

Here's John, our camp commandant. He did a really

good job planning + organizing the camp! Helped us out

alot too for our trip to lake district later on + he was our

bbq chef for the bbq on the last day. (*thats 1/4 of Li wei btw...)

Its great to have this bunch of faithful members who help out

in New Life London, not forgetting Anthony, Johnathan, Sharon,

Uncle Daniel & Maureen Poh who practically do the ushering, chairing,

music and set-up every Sunday. Do pray for our London mission, esp that

things will go smoothly and that Rev Ki's visa will be approved so that he can take up the post of Resident pastor this coming July.

Rome - 7th to 9th Apr

2009-04-15T04:10:00.013+08:00

Woohoo~ We're in Rome!!

Arrived at Camping Tiber Village, our place of lodging.

Everything about this hostel is excellent except for its location...

As you can see in the first picture, its located in Prima Porta, somewhere

slightly out of town which makes transport a lil more inconvenient

However, the place more than makes up for its lack of

accessibility with its excellent customer service & facilities.

They upgraded us to these twin-sharing rooms with attached

bathrooms for free!

Here's the place outside the bar/restaurant

Looks pretty good huh!

The food was reasonably priced and this beef lasagne

was really really good!!

I really like taking such shots of greenery + the sky

Its no wonder windows took something similar as its

default wallpaper =)

The Colosseum! Remember Gladiator?

Its really a magnificent sight, you've gotta walk around

the place to get a feel of how huge this place is...

What made me wonder most was how pple built these structures

long long ago, even when they had no cranes and drills, etc

Sure, they had tons and tons of slaves... but still...

Really impressive, wish i could have been here to see it

in all its glory, back in the olden days...

Arch of constantine

Inside the colosseum, you can see the rows of columns.

In the middle is this oval shaped platform (its cut into half, to

show you what's below the platform, where they used to keep the

gladiators, wild beasts and what not...)

Trevi Fountain @ night

Really beautiful... again goes to show how much $$ and effort

they put into beautifying their city.. almost every roundabout in Rome

is decorated to such an extent. Imagine every junction in Singapore filled

with statue of raffles & other great men! haha

Colosseum @ night

I must say that the attractions here look really awesome

at night... it was also a good chance to test out the slow synchro

function of my camera + play with the shutter delay

Here's palatine hill

**Important tip!

Go to palatine hill to buy your tickets cos it'll save

you alot of time... the queue at the colosseum is super long!

Haha we had this crazy idea to ride around Rome,

so we rented scooters... at first we wanted to get Vespas,

but somehow ended up with these instead.

It was really a extreme experience scooting on the roads,

esp at night! Crazy traffic!! Haha i didnt have a scooter/bike license either,

but all you needed was a car driving license to rent one of these, so it was

still legal. It was really very fun (but dangerous), will definitely try it again

if i ever re-visit Rome haha

Vittorio Emmanuel (something...)

The Pantheon

Oculus of the Pantheon (the roof)

Castel Sant' Angelo during the daytime

Vatican City!

Really nice architecture

And nice fountains too!

St Peter's Basilica, Rome

As night falls, the pics look even nicer

Love taking pictures of the sky =)

The silhouette of vatican city looks pretty amazing as well

Castel Sant' Angelo @ night

Playing with the different shutter delays

Vatican City @ night, what can i say??

its really a sight to behold!

I learnt this from my sisters!

I'm still a level 2 camwhore, testing out slow synchro

that they taught me, haha its fun =)

Visit to the Ferrari Museum (Modena) 6th Apr

2009-04-15T01:21:00.007+08:00

Ok, here's our visit to the ferrari museum in Modena

Basically this is a place for car lovers, though not one myself

i still enjoyed looking at the many car designs throughout the years

Would you buy one of these if you could afford it?

Its crazy to think that one of these cost as much as or even

more than a house! talk about luxury & opulence...

Haha this car's probably happy you're forking out

your 6/7 digit sum to pay for it =)

Ferrari Enzo! The most l33t of the ferraris (for now)

Hey dudes i've got a pic taken just beside it muahahaha

but seriously, unless you're a car lover it doesnt really

mean much standing beside a car that costs millions...

Bet that logo cost like a few thousand $$$ itself

These babies come with scary price tags!

A Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

More Enzo shots...

Guowei drove one of the ferraris that day(its not this model though)

Cost him 100 euro for 20 mins, but it was worth every single cent

Venice, a.k.a Venezia St. Lucia

2009-04-06T09:35:00.017+08:00

Venice is a beautiful city! Its just 2 and a half hours away from Milan and the moment you get down you realise there's water, bridges & boats everywhere.

No time to write more, but check out the pictures haha awesome place...
Wish you were here to see it for yourself =)

Me, Dennis, Charmaine & Guowei on the train to Venice

Peter & William were sitting just beside us

Besides the fancy sights, Venice is really a shopping destination

with lots of stores selling masks, jewellery and so much more!

This photo was taken outside the train station, nothing much to

say about this, but the impressive stuff will come later =)

Taxis anyone? Apparently they go by boat here...

I wonder whether these cool boats have a taxi-meter...

Probably dont have to worry about speeding/wearing your

seat belt in one of these either haha

I have no idea what this building is, but basically just know

that we're in Venice and all the buildings have fancy carvings, statues

and stuff to make all their european neighbours jealous =)

Ooh a gondola... you have to fork out 100euros for a ride

in one of these (its daylight robbery man!) Haha don't ride one of these

unless your gf/spouse demands it... (j/k onli haha i'm not that cheapo)

then again you could bargain, we managed to get the price down to 80,

but still costs like $80/6 per person so we decided to save it for later instead.

Streets & restaurants, you'll pass by plenty of these

A view of one of the many channels in Venice

Ok so i was wrong and that building u see on the right does

indeed have a name... but right now its 10:40pm and i'm not gonna

take out my map of venice just to check it for you guys, so try

going to wikipedia instead k =)

Another gondola a.k.a loveboat

A 30 mins ride on one of these could buy you half a

Prada/LV/Coach handbag(and a pretty decent one too!)

Pls pardon this random crappy shot =)

And this one too!

The waterfront & some bridge

Passed thru a small park on our way to a church called

Chiesa di Santa Maria

You'll see these everywhere throughout europe (and

probably other parts of the world), they're always a pretty

sight and they add colour to the greenery

Notice any differences/similiarities between these houses

and those in holland/germany/europe?

Seriously after travelling to different spots, they all still

kinda look the same in general...

We use our handphones while driving,

dutch use them while cycling

venetians use them while paddling their boats*

Goodjob Nokia for producing something we cant live without =)

*at least they dun get summons, lucky punks...

Nice small bridge.. the bigger one's comin soon

Small alley + two ahmahs walking thru haha

This tap flows constantly, we were all wondering what it was for..

Was it for thirsty tourists?

To wash the dog poo off your shoe?

Maybe its a statement that venetians can afford to waste water since

they're surrounded by it...

Well if you know the answer pls enlighten me =)

Well here's Chiesa di Santa Maria, its supposed to be an

important place but theres nothing much to see here.

It was interesting cos we visited around easter and there were

people holding palm leaves and walking around, probably to celebrate

the festival or something...

Shops & masks & fancy dresses

Venice is a gelato heaven, heard of Venezia in singapore?

Well, venezia is just another name for venice and i cant believe

i didnt know that until i was there!

Btw, gelatos cost onli 1euro here!! tahts 2bucks in singapore

This day alone i had like 3-4 gelatos, it was awesome man haha

Here are the authentic flavours, i went crazy here cos back

home i always couldn't bear to pay 5bucks for a tiny scoop

Venice is well known for its glassware and other trinkets

Tiny glass animals like these cost around 5-10 euros,

they make cute decorations but are really fragile...

It was a pity i didnt have proper luggage to store them in

otherwise i would definitely have bought some back

Guess what Grace? I bought you one of these masks =)

haha and charmaine was kind enuff to agree to personally "DHL"

it back for you cos it would most certainly disintegrate if i packed it

inside my Deuter bag

We went inside one of the stores and saw a lady making one of

these masks by herself, it was quite interesting watching her spraypaint

it. It involves a substantial amount of work & skill so people pay quite alot

for those rare and exquisite designs.

Here's the biggest and most famous bridge in Venice

called Ponte di Rialto, its lined with stores - well, what else

can you do in venice besides SPEND MONEY?

The view from atop this bridge, its really beautiful and i know

this picture doesnt do the place any justice... but well just watching

the boats go by is a pretty good way to spend your afternoon/evening

Hi dudes back home =)

I was wishing i'd put on some weight but I don't seem to look

any different from when i was in S'pore... 3 more months to try!

Yup, the bridge from below, you can see all the tourists taking photos

on the bridge... the funny looking blue/green colour poles are gondola

pickup points

Gondolas in a small channel, it'll be a once-in-a-lifetime

experience riding one of these, and literally once-in-a-lifetime

(unless you've got no better way to spend your euros) and also

cos its novelty wears off after the first ride haha

Piazza San Marco - or Plaza San Marco

Its biggest plaza and one of the "must visit" places in venice

This is the Basilica di San Marco, really unique design & architecture

We didnt go inside though... it must have been quite spectacular as well

Dennis taking a wide-angle shot of Charmaine & whatever's behind her

This is the Palazzo Ducale, a palace of sorts...

Two columns, not sure what's the significance...

Will leave the history/culture part for later when i grow

old enough to appreciate it (and afford the tour guide) haha

I thought this pic looked kinda cool with the clock advertisement

in the foreground and the nice clocktower in the background,

wish i had a DSLR though... bah its $1k++

Another view of the piazza

Some food we ordered at a restaurant/cafe beside the sea

Really ex... i think that ham & cheese thingy cost like 5 euros

Just across the short stretch of water is the S.Maria della Salute

Pictures would have been beautiful at night, but we had to leave

early to catch the train back to Milan

Lol my hotel... i was just really boliaoz so i took the picture

and repositioned so that it cut off the extra I on the right of the L

Another shot of the basilica, this time u can see the murals and nice designs

Nice huh? well i just thank God for this opportunity to be

on exchange, plus my parents for being so supportive!

Thanks & Cya all soon =)

Italy - Milano

2009-04-06T08:27:00.013+08:00

Brussels Train station

Buying Tickets to get to Milan (Milano - in Italian)

Bus ride there... love the clouds & the blue sky

Milano Central Station

This is what their trains look like, btw Uscita means Exit

Interestingly, ZARA is an MRT stop & its where Dennis lives. We're currently staying over at his place until we fly off to Rome tomorow haha

The busiest place in Milan - thats a statue of the emperor who united Italy. his name is written on the arch in the picture below.. see if you can spot it

That arch leads you to the most extravagant shopping areas in Milan, with LV, Prada, etc.. lining the streets

Ferrari store

Yup, here's the shopping area in which the shops are far too Ex for us to buy anything...

Here's the Duomo, the most famous church in this area and its HUGE

Real Italian Gelato! Cheers =)
Its great to meet up with Dennis, now our proj group is finally complete

Night shots of the Plaza

A really colourful shot of the fruit stalls @ the market area

Testing out shooting photos in Sepia, cool huh?

Looks like something out of the Social Studies Textbook =)

Up on the Duomo, you have to pay 5euros but its worth every cent!

View from the top of the Duomo

The top of the Duomo with the golden statue of Mary

Sforza Castle

Duomo & the setting sun

Some Random Roman Column

Travel Schedule =)

2009-04-03T10:50:00.002+08:00

Alrighty! Here's our travel schedule for the next 2 weeks =)

Haha time for well deserved post-examination hols

We'll be meeting up with Dennis in Italy, he'll be our host and tour guide

Then on the 9th William and I will be travelling to London to attend an Easter camp.

3rd - 4th Italy (Milan, pizzas, italiano!)

5th Venice (nice gondolas and lots of water all around)

6th Modena (to see lamborghinis & ferraris)

7th - 8th Rome (colosseum, vatican city, haha the pope?)

9th - 13th London for NLBP Easter camp

14th - 17th Countryside (lake district, etc...)

18th Home Sweet Holland

I'll be back on the 18th, so till then...

What a Wondrous Time is Spring (Pass it on)

2009-04-03T09:01:00.010+08:00

It only takes a spark to get a fire going

And soon all those around, can warm up in its glowing

That's how it is with God's Love

Once you've experienced it,

You'll spread His love to everyone;

You'll want to pass it on

What a wondrous time is spring, when all the trees are budding

The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming

That's how it is with God's Love

Once you've experienced it,

You'll want to sing, "It's fresh like spring";

You'll want to pass it on

I wish for you my friends, this happiness that I've found

You can depend on Him, it matters not where you're bound

I'll shout it from the mountain top,

I want the world to know

The Lord of Love has come to me,

I want to pass it on

Hooray! Its the End of Exams and Start of the Hols!

2009-04-03T08:49:00.003+08:00

Exams Exams!!

Finally the moment we've all been waiting for arrived...

Took our IFM exam on tuesday, man the paper was really tough

but thank God i managed to scrape thru

Here's the exam hall where we took the IFM paper, its actually a sportshall located southeast of our town, had to take a bus there cos it was really far away and we would be too tired if we cycled there.

For our strategic management paper that we just finished on thurs, we had it in the MECC - or Maastricht Covention Centre. Its a huge place like the expo in s'pore, but our uni uses it to conduct the exams.

Well, now that the exams are over its time for a 2week HOLIDAY Woohoo~

I'll be leaving my laptop back in the hostel =( will be back on 18th April so cya then!

The Last Presentation of the Term =)

2009-03-29T09:32:00.004+08:00

Finally!! our last presentation was held on friday, when we
delivered a report based on Toyota for our strategic management class.
Using concepts learnt from the past weeks, we elaborated on how Toyota
managed to perform well and how it was able to push paradoxes and break boundaries to become a worldwide market leader.

Here are my two teammates, Benedikt(on the left) and Martin (on the right). They're from Germany and amazingly tall! But dont let their height and looks fool ya, they're actually 1/2years younger than me.

Glad to have them as groupmates, we make a good team and we're able to pull off workshop-based presentations instead of the normal hide-behind-the-podium-kind of boring presentations. I must say they've put up well with my last-min inspiration working style too =)

As you can see, the class isn't that big, just a square-shaped
formation of tables and onli around 10-12 students. Our tutor,
Martinez is the one seated at the bottom right of this picture.

Ladies, check out those boots, they're very very common
here (but i dont think you'd have the chance to wear them in s'pore)

That's me explaining how Toyota leverages its resources
by creating synergies between its different bases/divisions
throughout the globe. To "score points" here its basically
the same as back in Singapore:

1) Present confidently
2) Articulate your ideas well & elaborate when necessary
3) Don't spam huge "walls of text" on ur slides
4) Analogies/metaphors/Thought-provoking statements
5) Videos, Games, Discussions/Debates
(anything you can pull out of e bag)
6) Cater to the audience - the more interactive the better
7) Spoil the market by doing stuff outside the marking scheme
8) Make the other teams like your style/presentation
(cos it pays to have the competition on your side too!)

We had this impression that suits were required for overseas
presentations but in the end, everyone wore so casually that
wearing a suit would appear to be overly-formal. I guess its
also a good thing, because casual dressing makes the session
more lively and we definitely feel more comfortable presenting.

Overall we had alot of fun presenting during our strategic management
classes, some interesting things we did:

-Played a modified version of battleships (to illustrate command & control, centralization & decentralization)

-Played "Guess Who?" by sticking stuff on their heads (to show that our ability to process info is based on prior knowledge and circumstantial info... haha our tutor had to try and guess that she was a T-rex)

-Guided the class through a DISC Personality profile (to show that even our strengths can become our weaknesses & that everyone has a dominant trait - to illustrate that we have our core competencies which we rely on subconsciously)

-Had alot of probing questions/discussions that made them apply the concepts to their daily lives instead of just focusing on the textbook

Updates! Updates!

2009-03-23T22:20:00.002+08:00

Wow, i realised i haven't updated my blog in a really long time... But well, life has been abit more routine nowadays so i felt it wasn't too interesting to post daily. Here's a brief breakdown of the events for a normal week:

Mon Rest & Relaxation (unless Projs/Assignments are due)

Tues 2 x 2hr Lessons but it'll be over by 3.30pm

Potluck followed by biblestudies @ Nate's place

Wed More R&R, but it usually means prep for friday's stuff

Thu Thu's like wednesday, throw in some tennis, doing groceries, etc..

Fri Finally~ its Friday and lessons are over for e week!

Sat On Sats we plan to visit other countries but end up oversleeping =)

Been planning to go brussels for quite some time now, we'll get

there eventually, hope dennis manages to get cheap tickets!

Sun Church @ 10am or 5pm(two services), Prayer Mtg @ 8

That pretty much sums up an average week, on really good weeks i get a free friday off (because they'll have lectures which will be cancelled due to the unavailability of a guest lecturer), but on bad weeks we end up spending all the free "R&R days" meeting up to do projects.

The past two weeks have been hectic, with presentations or assignments nearly every tutorial/seminar. One thing about the 8 week modules here is that they give students very little breathing space in between lessons and i kinda dislike the fact that there are so many readings to cover. Feedback most students (including locals) have given is that the readings are way beyond our level, because they include some masters level readings inside our pre-requisites and we're forced to try and understand all the high-level statistics and models that they use. Its the extreme opposite of spoonfeeding, where the students cant focus on the key learning points because the subject matter is beyond our understanding. Fortunately for us, they're compenstating for this by making the exam MCQ-based... so at least we'll get 25% of the marks if we tikam tikam. (btw, all these bad comments were only about the International Financial Management module)

Meanwhile, back in the hostel...

The top few things we usually do

(!Important Disclaimer! They're not in order of priorities):

1. Cook

2. Wash clothes

3. "Relax in bunk" (Playing com/watching anime/dramas)

4. Watch TV (only during our meals)

5. Go walk walk or exercise

6. Buy groceries

7. Play tennis (more like picking balls though haha)

8. Chat with neighbours/fellow exchange students

9. Read books

10. Mug or invite groupmates over for projects

11. Skype/MSN/EMail

12. Check out www.ryanair.com for cheap air tix =)

13. Plan the next few travel destinations

14. Play piano using some cheapo software called Midipiano

15. Enjoy life

Living in a foreign land(or even in your own home back in Singapore) requires a great deal of discipline... And if you understand computer game lingo, you'll understand that i didn't pump much "stat points" into that really important trait. Its a constant struggle to get my priorities right and do the important stuff first, but i'm praying that it'll be one of the many take-aways at the end of this exchange.

Crap man... the IFM paper's on 31st March and Strategic Management's on 2nd April... gotta TRY to start mugging already

Schoolwork...

2009-03-15T22:09:00.006+08:00

I'm taking 2 courses this semester, International Financial Management

and Strategic Management. Of the two, IFM is the harder subject

because its more technical and you cant smoke your way out (which

is my preferred mode of answering questions haha)

This was just one of the presentations we had, its on Market integration

and Contagion. The idea behind Market integration is how prices to move

proportionally to each other even though they are in different markets.

Just take a look at the European Union its an integrated market with

common currencies, policies, etc... Basically it promotes trade and boosts

growth, but there are also other factors to weigh in deciding whether to

integrate or not.

One of the cons of integration is this concept of "Contagion", which is

how crises spread through the interconnectedness of financial markets.

Think about the recent credit crunch and stuff, it spread from the US all

the way to Singapore and throughout the globe.

So on one hand, integration might be good, pegging exchange rates to

the US dollar, relying heavily on imports/exports, free trade agreements

& blah blah blah...

In the end when a crisis strikes, it'll just cause it to spread faster.

Imagine a class full of students, if one sick guy comes in and sneezes,

all those around him will get "infected". No matter how strong your

immune system is, there is still a chance of catching the bug.

Similarly, no matter how strong a country's fundamentals are, it can

still be affected by crises in other countries halfway across the globe.

Below's a visual guide to the financial crisis, take a look and i hope you'll

get a clearer picture of how contagion works - through media, through

market sentiment, through irrational exuberance, etc... Its just that easy

to get caught. You'll see how greed and ignorance fuels all of it - and at

the end the very instruments we used to promote growth of the economy

and stuff backfires on us.

Somehow i get this feeling that the cyclical effects of depression to

boom are "pre-destined" and meant to happen every 10 years or so,

do exploit it while you have a chance =)

**its definitely not "once in a lifetime" though, we'll get hit harder next time

Introducing my kitchen companions =)

2009-03-07T22:52:00.002+08:00

Haha these will be keeping me company throughout

my stay here [hopefully they'll make me look a litttle

fatter too, so the next chinese new year my relatives will

have something more interesting to say instead of

"le jin san leh" (you look skinny) hahaha]

Roll of honor

Kung pao chicken

Pai2 Gu3 Wang2

Chicken Curry

Thai beef noodles

Emperor chicken

Chow Mien Hong Kong Style

Thai Tom Yum

Carbonara sauce

Peking style pork sauce

Pad Thai Noodles (stir fry)

Ba Kut Teh (haha this is ownage)

Salt & Pepper

Char siew sauce

Black bean & garlic sauce (for beef hor fun)

Chilli

Whisky cocktail (this is dutch salad dressing)

Kikkoman

Dark soy sauce

Teriyaki

Sukiyaki (for soups)

Marmite (for good beef stew/soup)

Knorr cubes

Sesame oil

Pasta & Pizza oil

Olive oil (for our normal food)

Oil (for deep frying our fries and stuff)

Corn starch (marinate + soup)

Kippen soup - chicken soup

Holland beef ball sauce from maggi

Coconut milk

Not forgetting our assortment of Noodles,

Spaghetti, bee hoon, choc digestive biscuits,

rice cooker in the background and all my other

buddies chilling out in the fridge =)

These are basically the items you need, not only

to stay alive, but to eat like a king lol

The best thing is that with a budget of 2bucks per meal,

we can cook up a storm cos we always cook for 4 pple

Meat costs around 3-4 euros for 500-600g, veg and

fruits are cheaper, so a good meal like carbonara with mushrooms,

ham, carrots and stuff will onli costs around 6-7 euros (and shared

among 4 people, that is really economical)

New Recipes!

2009-03-07T22:16:00.002+08:00

We found a large chinese provision shop across the

bridge, 15-20mins cycle away from our guesthouse.

There, we went crazy and stocked up on all sorts of food

and spices and sauces. I just wanted to buy everything

back because they looked so tempting!

Here's our Beef Tom Yum

And guess what, we even made Laksa! haha i was

craving for laksa ever since i left Singapore, so i bought

all the ingredients (like laksa paste, coconut milk, tao pok,

fishballs) and we cooked laksa on thursday. Its surprisingly

easy to cook (seriously man... you guys should try it at home)

This just shows how much "liao4" we put inside

our laksa, we had shredded chicken too (i steamed the

chicken before that and then shredded it). Of course,

some credit goes to my mom who gave some tips on how

to cook this local delight. But i want to encourage you pple

(esp the char bohs hahaha) to try your hand at cooking.

Its really fun and as you gain experience there's no limit

to what you can cook =)

Here's guowei's veggies, we added some jap sauce to

it so it tasted really good

Its been 1 month + 1 week and i would say we're really

getting the hang of staying overseas. From laundry to

cooking and washing up + room maintainence, they're

pretty simple disciplines which make our life so much

more comfortable if we abide by them. i'm glad my threshold

for untidyness is pretty moderate (so i do spring cleaning pretty

often once i reach my limit). The only thing that i procrastinate

doing is washing my jeans - which i've been wearing for 3 weeks

*but i've changed already la... so not that "la sup gwee" (hokkien for unhygienic)

Sunday, 1st March

2009-03-07T21:14:00.004+08:00

Been busy the whole of this week so i've not been

updating my blog regularly, anyway this post was

supposed to be on Sunday, 1st March

Here's one of the hymns we sang in church.

Its in dutch, but i recognized the melody and tried

my best to pronounce the words...

haha brings back memories trying to sing "muneru valiba"

in primary school during the national day periods =)

Here's the english version:

Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;
With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

William and I were invited to Pastor Jacob's house

after service along with some other members. We spent

the rest of the afternoon talking and snacking on bread &

mushroom soup and we really enjoyed the fellowship.

I didnt bring my camera out that day, if not i would

have taken more pictures of their home. The furnishings

are simple but cosy and there are lots of plants and flowers

in the house. They have a very nice garden as well, cos their

fav pasttime is doing gardening =)

Pastor Glas in in the middle of the picture, his wife Margerite

is on the extreme right and on her left is Marjanne, who does

the message translations for us during the service

Hyde's Park & Catching Up with Friends

2009-02-28T21:42:00.009+08:00

Hey 03S72 pple, here's Kong! haha visited him and crashed

his house for a night too, thanks for your hospitality dude =)

Here's LSE's sch gym and he's working here as a gym instructor,

its no surprise he's still as buff as ever lol

Hyde park - rose garden, but spring isnt here yet

so the flowers are still taking their own sweet time

to bud and bloom...

Fields of tulips line the park, and its not even the season

yet. April/May will be the best time to visit when the flowers

and trees are fully clothed and you can do away with your

thick jackets.

Songs fill the air as the birds sing their ballads

The scenery you see here is nothing short of those

you'll see on ur desktop wallpaper

Hope you'll take time to appreciate the following photos below:

Here's princess diana's memorial

Went to benedict's place and it was there we did up the

short video clip for the YF anniversary.

At night i went for OCF (overseas christian fellowship)

@ ULU (university of london union). It amazing to see

God work in the lives of my friends and hearing kong's

testimony while we had dinner together encouraged me

that He works in His own perfect timing.

"I believe those who cross our paths are blessed"

Keep praying for those who matter, and keep them close to your heart

A Day @ the Museums + Some Shopping =)

2009-02-28T21:16:00.006+08:00

We visited the Natural History museum and this

time i took the opportunity to view the dinosaur exhibit.

Sch hols over, so it was much less crowded and it was

a breeze taking photos without people's heads in the way

Below are just some of the funny comics speculating

how dinos may have died out:

Any1 remember watching jurassic park 1 when they were

young? haha i loved those velociraptors back then!

check out the shadow in this picture

Big headed, but small brained

Robotic T-rex working its magic amongst the small kids.

Haha it was so fun observing the little children getting scared

by its roars and sharp teeth, they would say "t-rex, t-rex"

and their parents would be busy telling them interesting facts

about it.

Baby dinos

Samurai armor @ the Victoria & Albert Museum

Benches - our favourite hangout to rest our tired legs,

we covered alot of ground each day and it was surprising

how tired you'll get after walking around for the whole day

Harrods! They say its one of the must-visit shopping

places in London. The stuff there are much too ex and

it'll seriously burst our budget. Wanted to buy a harrods

bag back for my mom but to pay 20-30 pounds for a small PVC

bag is abit daylight robbery. (then again i think i should have

bought it...)

Picadilly circus and its giant billboard that bathes

the area with its bright colours.

A tip for shoppers:

go to Lilywhites (for cheap clothes, sportswear and shoes)

and also Primark (for really cheap casual/smart wear)

Marks & Spencers here is also cheaper than in s'pore

Booked a youth hostel for a night, costs 20 pounds

per night, but its the cheapest accomodation you can get in

central london. that guy on the right is a tourist from Japan.

St James Park Revisited

2009-02-28T12:25:00.004+08:00

What makes the pidgeons and other animals here so

unafraid of people? hmm... we never get to do this at

the reservoirs or parks back in s'pore

See how comfy my hair is? It must be the organics

herbal essence shampoo working its magic =)

Tulips just started sprouting, signalling the coming

of spring...

Peter and his successful shot of him feeding a squirrel

We roamed around the place finding squirrels to "con"

into posing for these photos. One tip: use bread to tempt

the pidgeons and ducks, but squirrels are super choosy and

only go for nuts. All the squirrels merely took a sniff and a nibble

before turning their backs on us.

These flowers are very popular(and common) in britain,

i'm not sure what they're called though...

Parade @ Buckingham Palace

2009-02-28T11:12:00.005+08:00

We rushed down to buckingham palace to see the parade,

it was really crowded but we managed to squeeze thru to

get a so-so view of the parade

The marching band, i cant help but wonder how they

walk around and play instruments in their funny hats

That's a statue of the queen (victoria i think)

I attached a short video of the parade, so you all can

see and hear what its like. The band started playing different

musical scores like StarWars and Indiana Jones to a rousing

applause by the tourists gathered around

The Tower of London & other stuff - 24th Feb

2009-02-28T09:34:00.010+08:00

My friends arrived on monday night, so the next day we

went to visit all the landmarks in London, starting with the

tower of london.

Inside the castle walls, visitors start off by walking

thru a series of walls & towers that make up the main

perimeter of the fortress. Each tower is unique and serves

different purposes

This is what the King's bedroom might have looked like..

sure doesnt look like much (compared to the 5/6/7-star hotels

we have nowadays), but back then this was the best they

could come up with...

The Royal Throne, i'm guessing this place might

have been done up a tiny bit more during their days,

cos right now(sad to say) it seems a little too unimpressive

I'm up on the inner walls, as a defender you could easily

snipe the poor enemy soldiers trying to climb up the outer walls.

Walls were really the best defences during the olden days when

artillery and other siege weapons were not yet invented.

Oh well, times change and camping doesnt work that well nowadays.

Crossbows were the ranged weapons at that time,

bow and arrows werent that effective because of the

chainmail armor they wore so they invented something

nastier to punch thru it.

I'm thankful for our kevlar helmets, these iron ones are so

heavy i had difficulty balancing it on my head!

An iron crossbowman taking aim up on the parapet

Here's the entrance to view the crown jewels, sadly we weren't

allowed to take pictures inside (actually i took la, but better not

post...)

Change of duty parade - if you think doing guard duty

is tough, just imagine these guys getting their photos

taken and being put up for the public to scrutinize every

detail... plus their hats are hilarious lol

This tower(or actually its the basement) was used

for torture and interrogation... you can see this familiar

device used to yank the prisoner's limbs apart, pretty

gruesome eh?

A Knight on horseback - this was actually a souvenir

you could buy in the gift shop

A display showing the armor and a really long musket

that the king used... it measures nearly 1.5metres and

i still wonder how he's supposed to aim properly with

such a heavy weapon

Model of the Tower of London (its actually a castle

with walls & many towers for defence)

Suit of armor worn by one of the kings.

There were some exhibits where you try putting

your head thru this "helmet" and see whats it like wearing

one of those. I seriously couldnt see much through

that thin slit in the visor...

As time passed, more weapons such as cannons and guns

were used and some of them were preserved until now

The menu says it all!

Our lunch at hay's galleria - cost 9.50 pounds

Serving was quite huge so we shared among 3 people

Singapore flyer and fullerton hotel =)

Good job singapore for copy & pasting landmarks!

Hey look i'm taller than the big ben!

Theres a little lesson to learn here...

If you're able to see things from the right perspectives,

even huge problems look tiny if you Focus on what

really matters.

My pet lion (there are total of 4 of them surrounding

the column @ trafalgar square)

Theres a huge difference between a wish and a prayer...

It lies in the heart of the one Asking and the One Answering

Interesting questions to ask urself:

Why a coin?

What does the action of even tossing it represent?

What next after it "plonks" into the water?

Her Majesty's Theatre -

Here is the home of "The Phantom of the Opera"

Haha i nearly bought this for grace sim =)

eh 5-6pounds ok! more ex than pasar malam leh

Birthday cake with a "flamethrower" on top

Two of the students who attend the YAF @ newlife

london, Grace (on the left) celebrated her b'day with us

the night before Rev Lim left home for s'pore. thats her

roommate Joy on the right.

Here's something i'm collecting from each country i visit to

put up on my shelf at home (cos its filled with my mom's

animals instead) Could sell them off on ebay or donate it to

other people too so its multi-purpose

A Peek Inside the Church - 22 Feb

2009-02-28T09:12:00.006+08:00

I stayed in the church while Rev Lim was there and

i was glad to be able to join them for their young adults fellowship

as well as the service on Sunday.

Here's the sanctuary, theres enough room for 100-200

people. I guess most of the newlifers back in singapore have

never seen the london church so this will give you an idea of

what it's like.

Haha this is a real pipe organ =) I had so much fun playing

thru my fav hymns, it sure feels and sounds different from the

electronic organ we have in church.

Right in front is the pulpit, this shot was taken quite early

in the morning so people will still streaming in. I really like

the interior of the place, with the arches and ceiling made up of

wooden beams and the natural light from the windows.

Benedict joined us for the evening service, and it was great

seeing him again =) haha he needs a haircut though...

Rev Lim's sermon was on facing trials in our lives, message

was taken from Job and i felt that it was applicable not only

to what we're facing now, but also to events that might present

themselves in the future.

Some points i'd like to share with you:

1. God does allow suffering/trials, but the intent is for our own good,

and also that His Glory might be made evident in time to come.

2. He will not tempt us more than we can bear, but will make

a way so that we might be able to escape/endure (1 Cor 10:13)

3. Many are tempted to ask "why" and to know God's plan in advance,

but faith doesnt need the answers - it merely trusts that All things work

out for good to those who Love Him. (Rom 8:28)

The British Museum

2009-02-22T08:38:00.004+08:00

London Tower, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, The Monument & St Paul's Cathedral

2009-02-22T06:41:00.014+08:00

Tower Hill Station - to visit the famous Tower of london

and Tower Bridge. Here's just outside the station where i

took my first photo with the Tower in the background

Meet Antonio Peretti - he was taking photos by himself

so i said "why not help each other snap some pics" and we

ended up chatting and exchanging contacts. Its interesting

cos you dont usually do this in Singapore (as in walking up to

people and then suddenly striking up a conversation)

Park benches - you'll see plenty of these in london,

many nice parks too in the city area and even in the

suburbs. Singapore tries to squeeze in parks here and

there too during their urban planning, but not many

people appreciate it (or at least its not part of our culture

to hang out in the open, maybe because it's just too hot

and humid to have a picnic)

Trinity square gardens

Here's the ticketing station to get into the Tower of London

A view of the ramparts and walls

A Conker tree with the conker nuts but still missing

the leaves... A streak of smoke from a plane (you'll

notice that the london skies are very very busy as

planes zoom past the area frequently, maybe it'll be

familiar to the residents in changi haha)

See the catapult in the right hand side?

click on the picture to zoom in - you can read the

description.. pretty handy if you dun feel like going

in and paying 14 bucks(student price)

More shots of the tower gate that guarded the entrance

into the castle

Heres a landmark building along the thames river

Its the City Hall - where the Mayor of london and

his aides work...

If you're thinking this is london bridge... its not,

its actually tower bridge (london bridge looks really

crappy/normal but its the song that made it famous)

This shot was taken with the help of another tourist

My friends had not reached london yet so i spent these

few days touring by myself

One of the many riverside cafe/brasseries

Tower Bridge

The underpass

I couldn't help but buy an ice cream even in the freezing

weather cos it looked too tempting

A view from the opposite side of the river thames.

here you can see the "egg" which is actually called

St. Mary Axe Building or "the gherkin"

Here's another perspective of the City Hall,

now it looks kinda conical-shaped, its said that

the design helps in controlling the temperature

inside (and it saves $$$ on heating/cooling systems too!)

The lights were on at around 4-5+ cos it gets dark

really soon during the winter

HMS Belfast - a warship turned museum where you can

view the decks/armaments and the insides for a nifty sum

of 10 pounds... Didnt go inside though cos its was not worth

the $$$

Here's Hay's galleria - something like our version of

clarke quay with the glass roof shelter and the shops all

around

A signboard showing you all the places to visit in the vicinity

Ok heres London Bridge... doesnt seem impressive when

you compare it to Tower Bridge right? well, now you know...

Thames River & Tower bridge in the background,

Haha do you wish you were here to feel the soft breeze

and hear the squawks of the seagulls?

This structure is called The Monument,

read the description in the picture below...

Visitors can pay 3pounds to go up to the top

where they can snap photos of the view up there,

but the queue is pretty long, ~30mins or so...

They call these carvings on the wall/statues a "frieze"

just so that you know what it means when you visit the

museums here next time...

In summary:

This building was built to commemorate the great

fire of london in 1666 which devastated the city

St. Paul Cathedral (London), its interesting to note that

many cathedrals around europe/the world are named after

saints such as these. Whether protestant or catholic, they

built these magnificent places of worship as a symbol of God's

majesty and glory.

Photos are not allowed inside, but if you do venture inside

there is a place where you can just sit down, relax and listen

to the choir sing hymns. Like most cathedrals, the walls, windows,

ceilings and furnishings are grand and their inlays are all in gold

and precious materials.