Based on my mother’s experience in 80s, cheap things are not necessarily less beautiful, expensive things are not necessarily more beautiful.

Her engagement make-up and hair do was cheap and done by a nearby lady (Amplas), but she looks so elegant. I love her pictures here. Her make-up was not so thick and her hair was nicely done.

Her wedding make-up and hair do was by a big bridal, but the make-up was overly done.

Some destinations to consider:

@ Luang Prabang, Laos (a Unesco Heritage Site), entry from Thailand or Cambodia.

@ Angkor Wat in Siem Reap (1x is enough). Be careful if you decide to cross the Cambodia border to Thailand from Sihanoukville as there are widespread scams that victimize tourists.

@ If you consider backpacking in India, imagine yourself without a bath for a week while travel endless nights and days on Darjeeling express. By Jofelle P. Tesorio, Asia News Network.

@ Philippine has the best dive sites and beaches in the world. Knowing how to dive is an avenue to appreciate God’s creation. Please add this to the things-to-learn list.

@ Palawan, Philippine. Coral reefs. Feed the fish by hand.

@ The Maldives. Expensive. If you have been here once, better spend your $ on some other destinations that are cheaper and better.

@ Bangkok. River taxi – be careful not to fall into the heavily polluted klongs (canal). See orchid at Chatuchak weekend market. Madame Tussaud: pose with the Obama couples.

@ Beijing. I have been to Beijing twice, yet I still want to come back, to visit, study, or work if I have any good opportunity. It hardly snows in Beijing, can we still see the Forbidden Palace covered with snow? Huaibei Ski Resort (www.hbski.com) – surrounded by mountains that are topped with the iconic Great Wall of China. Mutianyu Greatwall. Don’t expect to buy real antique things unless you are with an art expert. Shopping at Zoo Market – must bargain (9am-4.30pm). Eat Beijing copper hot-pot e.g. www.donglaishun.com.

@ Nanjing. Plum blossom festival (mid Mar – early Apr). adjacent Plum Blossom Garden (inclusive of Zhongshan Plum Bonsai Garden), Red Chamber Garden. Purple mountain. Plum = symbol of birth and perseverance in the face of adversity.

@ Taipei. Beitou – Taipei’s hotspring district. Taipei 101 new year eve fireworks.

@ Tokyo. You can find the world’s highest standards in food, fashion, and toilets. SPECIALISATION is part of their culture as skills are handed down through generations from master to apprentice. No tipping.

@ Shanghai. An international assessment of students showed that as China’s economic power has risen, so has its educational prowess. The survey, which rated the aptitude of 15-year-olds in 65 countries, shows teens in Shanghai far outscoring international peers in reading, math, and science. Yet, Shanghai is a magnet for China’s best students and does not represent the entire nation. For its part, the US lags behind countries like Finland and South Korea. Time. Dec 20, 2010. Would you consider sending your offspring to learn in Shanghai?
Metersbonwe Costume Museum @ Shanghai.

@ Jiuzhaigou, China 九寨沟. Reminds me on the beautiful memory of Plitvice.

@ Guilin. Beguiling Guilin. Elephant Trunk Hill (Universal Benevolence Pagoda from Ming Dynasty). Folded Brocade Hill. Reed Flute Cave. Lijiang (Li River). Must watch: Zhang Yimou co-directed Liu San Jie.
Must eat: Li Pu yu kou rou (braised pork). Guilin rice vermicelli.
Must buy: San Hua Liquor, thick pepper sauce from Chaotian and Niujiao peppers.

@ Chengdu: Are panda safe to volunteers?

@  Tibet in China. 青藏高原 by 雪莲三姐妹 Qinghai Tibet Plateau by Three Snow Lotus Sisters does represent the spirit of Tibet.

@ Moganshan, China where Chiang Kai-shek once honeymooned

@ Haikou, Hainan. Watch the Impression Hainan, directed by Zhang Yimou. Sun. Sea. Sand. Seafood.

@ Brunei
Do you want a royal free lunch?
For 3 days each year, at the culmination of Ramadan, the Sultan of Brunei opens the Istana Nurul Iman Palace to meet and feed his public.

@ Rangoon. Eat MOHINGYA: a fish soup touted as Burma’s national dish.

@ Pulau Macan, 90 min from Jakarta. Recommended by TIME.

@ Bali: Ubud www.ibahbali.com hillside, www.amanresorts.com padi fields
Komodo National Park: are komodo dangerous to humans? Are domestic flight from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo safe?

References: AsiaNews, Time, CNN Traveller, Picasa, Flickr, JetStar magazines.

FOOD
@ gado2 : vegetable, egg, potatoes, rice cake, tofu with peanut sacue.

@ Penang laksa: sour and spicy

@ Yangon shan noodle: tasty broth, lots of egg noodles, interesting spices.

@ Khao neow ma muang: mango + sticky rice.

@ Crabs in black pepper / Padang sauce.

What I do when time and money are insufficient to fulfill my travel dreams?
Read or watch National Geographic or other travel magazines.
Daydream

Kuala Lumpur
Thean Ho Temple

Jakata

Free Location :
Legenda Wisata Cibubur, Pantai Indah Kapuk, Kota Tua, Gedung Arsip, Kebun Raya Bogor, Raja Kuring, Cilember, Banten
Must pay :
Pulau Bidadari, Putri Duyung, Sapu Lidi, Kota Bunga, Kawah Putih, Anyer

Miscommunication -> poor performance, resentment

The Beheading of St John

This is one of the memorable paintings that I have seen. I thought it was scary, then yesterday I realize how mighty St John is, he has to suffer such a humiliating death.

The painting is large, very large, hang 1-storey high.
Venue: St. John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta. The Cathedral with the most beautiful marble floor that I have been.

When I was 6 years old, I stayed up late and my busy parents were too busy earning a living to take care of me. I watched a scary scene in TV where the entire family members were beheaded. I wondered how human beings can be so cruel to another. Now, I do not remember the story, but that scene. I have to keep telling myself that it is fake, but movies are based on lives.

Lesson 1: Roderick MacKinnon is right. TV is bad for you, even news. Many news are about disasters and wars.
Do not watch or read about news the 1st thing in the morning and the last thing at night before you sleep.
Dramas with personal (at smaller scale) to national (at larger scale) conflicts are bad for you, you pick up how women quarrel with each other, how men fight over money and women, how countries grow greedy wanting other resources belonging to others.
Do not let your children watch shocking scenes without proper parental guides.

Lesson 2: Life must go on. We can do nothing about the past, people who have gone and we cannot help. Focus on the present and work for the future. We can promote peace and harmony. We can empower our future generation.

Besides cleaning our room, I also clean my blog (at least once in a while). Hope it is more useful and personal to you, my dear friends. Thank you so much for supporting me.

September 2, 2008: I like Yade chocolate very much, very tasty =p Bought it when visiting Norway.
November 22, 2008: Do what you love. Love what you do.
November 18, 2008: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.” Darling shared that with me at the beginning of my turbulent PhD study.

bean curd (tofu) x spinach
Bean curd (tofu) x green onion
milk x choco
milk x pomelo
ham / bacon x yoghurt (CANCER causing!)
soy milk x egg

durian x alcohol
mutton x vinegar (harm the heart)
mutton x watermelon
beef x chestnut

white radish x carrot
persimmon x sweet potato (cause gastric)

References:

http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com/en/121Kaleidoscope6962.html

http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/DietandLifestyle/Food_combining.htm (so many rules!)

Things to do:
buy a pan for Mum (I got it from e-mart)
listen to Arirang. May peace prevails in Korea Peninsula. God bless!
listen to talented guitarist Sungha Jung (Seongha Jeong / 정성하 / 鄭成河). There is a sense of tranquility listening to him playing the guitar. Thank you and love you! Keep on playing your guitar.

Useful URLs:
www.koreagrandsale.or.kr (for coupon)
Yahoo finance for currency converter

Interesting:
Watched 4D Hall and wrote our names in Hangul (Hangeul) calligraphy @ The Story of Admiral Yi Sunshin.
Hangeul, developed under King Sejong, is the Korean alphabet that opened up a new world.

We were fortunate that our application to visit the Blue House (청와대 or 靑瓦臺) was accepted.
Blue House is added to the list of palaces or VVIP sites visited:
Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂)
Forbidden City (紫禁城, where Blueroselady fell in love with love and photography), today is Palace Museum
Summer Palace (颐和园)
The Old Summer Palace (圆明园 – sadly only the ruins)
White House (outside, in future we will become among the guests)
Blue House, Seoul
Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁 or 景福宮)
Changdeokgung Palace (창덕궁 or 昌德宮)
Buckingham Palace (outside, Queen’s gallery)
Kensington Palace
Windsor Castle
Blenheim Palace (birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill), Oxfordshire
Istana Merdeka
Presidential Palace, Nicosia

At -10 degree C in Gyeongbokgung, my sweetheart remarked that the Kings had to endure cold winter without modern days heater.

Favorites from our trip:
Romantic snowing at Suwon Fortress (imagine that we were a warrior and a beauty of the old ages).
Snow sledding (1. impromptu at Children’s Grand Park because the sledding facility was closed by the time we reached there, 2. Songdo Resort – I saw piglet, rabbit, and Hachiko-alike puppies. Welcome to Rabbit Seolla)
Korean food (hot pot, grilled pork at Jonggak)
Stroll along Cheonggyecheon (청계천) stream admiring the Seoul night neon light, the side of the waterfall became ice like ice carving.

Blessings:
We visited 2 UNESCO sites: Suwon Fortress and Changdeokgung. Though we are not crazy about branded goods (Channel, LV, Porsche). We do love world-class branded destinations.
Our hotel was closed to the station so we did not have to spend too long in the cold at night to reach our hotel. I like our hotel room toilet bowl with seat warmer, butt (2 holes) washers.
Korean people are very kind and helpful, they go out their way to help us. Those who walked back to help us get the right bus outside Songdo Resort. The hotel staff who ran to help us catch the shuttle bus.
Korean people are respectful to the elders and loving to the young. I am so touched. I desire to have this kind of service-heart to others.
We bought winter coat each at KRW 10,000 – KRW 15,000.
Added Suwon and Incheon to my tripAdvisor map.
We were among the last people to visit the Biwon (secret garden) of Changdeokgung (昌德宮) on the day, thanks to the kindness of the friendly staff.

Places to visit for future Korea trip:
Seoraksan National Park (fall / autumn)
Samcheong-dong Bukchon, Seoul
Gyeongju (former Silla capital)
Busan to Japan

How to bulk rename files from the terminal:
rename -n ‘s/\.png$/\_26Nov09.png/’ all_*.png # to check
rename -v ‘s/\.png$/\_26Nov09.png/’ all_*.png # to run