Castles in the sand

Playing tour guide @ merlion

Shot of F1 circuit

day 1 Zurich

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day 1 Zurich
reached Zurich ard 730am-company booked Ascot hotel as 5 mins away
from office & 15mins from airport. Ascot Hotel is just in front of
train station "Bahnhof Enge". the hotel reminded me of London's hotel-
a bit old, a bit quaint)

After unpacking & a shower, I took a 20 walk down to waterfront of
Zurich lake - partly cos unfamiliar with the roads. a bit confusing
which is pedestrian & which is for cars & trams. whilst walking,
stumbled across this little garden in between building in the middle
of the courtyard. it was a nice breathing space from all the
architecture around - found out later that the location is
"Paradeplatz" (heart of Bahnofstrasse (main shopping street that's
comparable to London's Bond Street) . I managed to make my way down to
Fraubmunster (originally Benedictine abbey church now Reformist/
Protestant). Couldn't go in cos Sunday mass was underway. Took some
photos before walking across to Grossmunster/Great church whose twin
towers are the most recognized landmark in Zurich. Nearby is a
touristy shop where you can get souvenirs starting from chf 2 (bath
soap on offer) to as much as chf 400-500 for hand crafted coo-coo
clocks.

I backtracked down to see some parts of the Old Town/oberdorf where
cobbled streets line from 16th century onwards.

tip- don't expect to see any of the shops open on Sunday. they close
the entire day so it's best for window shopping at best. I Like this
idea cos you see kids out cycling, boating, swimming, sightseeing with
their parents instead of hitting the shops all weekend. the shops that
are open are the restaurants & eateries so you see many people just
doing people watching or listening to the band while taking in the
Sunday. as it was a lovely day out today, girls in bikinis lined the
shores as well as part of their recreational activity.

after some shopping walked down to the main bridge called
Quaibru~cke. from there, you can feed the swans, ducks & fish while
taking in the sights. the weather was excellent -25c without the
humidity. that means you can actually escape from the heat of the sun
by simply going to the shade. had a hot dog chf5 & bratwurst chf7 for
a bite. get from the stall next to the Bellevueplatz & you get a hard
bread as part of the meal. As the bread was too hard for me I fed it
to the birds instead :) talk about killing 2 birds with 1 stone!

after a satisfying leisurely lunch, I made my way down to get a ride
up the ferris wheel nearby. I know it's touristy but it really gives
one a birds eye view of the place - quite reasonable for chf8 (4
rounds of spinning).

tip: get coins ready if you want to use the public toilets (near main
bus station at Bellevue) cos it costs chf1 & they only take chf1 or 2
chf50c. the toilets are clean & well stocked with essentials so no
complaints spending around s$1.40 to use it.

after swan feeding, I bought the daily ticket that covers the bus,
tram & see-thru boats that runs down Zu lake. quite a good deal for
boat trip cos u can hop on & off as many times & wherever you want (as
long as it's within that 24hr period stated in the ticket) this is
definitely a good way to see the city. you can either get it at the
main bus/tram station or from the conductor when you board the boat).
they also have a 1hr ticket for chf3 I think but I would get the daily
ticket if you intend to travel around Zurich for the day).

the boat ride was fantabulous! it goes down all the way to
schiffla~nde Casino before coming back all the way to Schweiz
Landesmuseum (Swiss national museum). so I dropped off at one of the
in-between stops to take a breather of 30mins before hopping back on
to continue my day trip to see the museum. the museum was fairly
interesting -it has quite some items dedicated to religious artefacts
& also showcased the skill of Swiss (clock making, glass blowing,
religious stained art etc). oh! another tip-Sunday is free museum so
do take advantage of that!!

I took a slow walk down the lake side & found myself in quaint little
streets with lovely shop displays. there was this lovely chocolate
shop called "teascher confise" near main shopping area. I got the most
excellent tiramisu ice cream for chf5.50.

ended the walking day by walking along Bahnhofstrass before taking a
tram back to the hotel.

decided to get Macs which was next to hotel before a final hot choc
from Starbucks. I know I should be taking Swiss food but I was too
tired to find / walk around. think the jet lag is finally hitting.

Macs here suits me fine as they got cheeseburger with salad &
instead of usual fries & coke. wonder why they don't have similar
options back home. costs a bomb though - chf 11 for a meal.

the sun just set down at 8pm. hitting the sack now cos hopefully will
be able to wake up fresh tomorrow.

Magdalene

day 2 (mon), 3 (tues) & 4 (wed) in Zurich

day 2 (mon), 3 (tues) & 4 (wed)
after work, Susann was kind enough to take me on an excursion to
"Uetliberg", a mountain about 20mins by train from Zurich town centre.
it offered a spectacular view of town, lake , mountains & region. not
exactly easy to go but should be ok if you depart from the main
station at Bahnhofstrass.

at the end of the 2nd day, the legal team went down to the river to
have a drink. it's an interesting scene as we are the ones in suits &
the others already there are in their bathing suits. it's actually
open during lunchtime for people to have a swim or bath. women area
are separated from men but the men's area are now mixed. took some
salad for dinner before hitting back to the hotel.

on the afternonn of the 3rd day , went down to Schann office
(Liechtenstein) before meeting the authorities. the place was a drive
by at best but understand that it was pretty rural in any event. it
took about 1.5-2hrs from Zurich to Schann.

was at the majnstation early so had time to purchase some dinner at
the market (right inside the station). reminded me so much of London
markets which I so dearly missed).

had a bit of difficulty finding the place at the Bahnhofstras (main
station) to stamp my Swiss pass. but actually on reflection, just
follow the tourist "I" sign & it's done. the Swiss pass is a very
important document as it can make the difference between ypu staying
ob the train, bus or cruise & you bejng kicked out as it covers mainly
every mode of public transport throughout Switzerland. recommend 1st
class as less crowded & more seat choices (proved useful when you
want to be touristy & take pictures)

took the 6pm train to Interlarken - reached there around 730pm. the
backpackers hotel at interlarken was a pleasent surprise. clean,
modern & extremely friendly. all for around chf200 for 2 nights (paid
for 2pax even though stayed by myself). I chickened out of the 6
bedded room & opted to stay by myself instead with shower included.
thankfully they had rooms available as I couldn't get the room booked
over Internet. they gave out clean sheets & towel & 2 tokens/day (each
chf 3.50) for hot drinks. the bus stopped just outside the hostel & as
usual worked like clockwork according to the schedule displayed at
each bus stop. one thing I will surely miss is the efficiency of the
public transport. basically all the timings are displayed & when it
states 0832 departure, the bus or train will depart from that station
at that exact same time!!! amazing! definately addictive cos I found
myself checking my watch whenever i need to take public transport -
which I will be doing for the next few days of self-travel.

Magdalene

On way to Montreal from interlarken

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View from hostel at interlarken switzerland

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terrarium workshop at hortpark

found out about this really interesting workshop done by nparks via
their newsletter. as I remembered that someone told me that this
workshop is always packed (30 per lesson), I decided to email nparks
to confirm my slot before turning up for the workshop. good memory
served me well as it was FULLLY booked.

had an interesting session with Wilson wong (head, Hort outreach) -
he's also the guy that writes on the plant column in straits times on
sat.

after an interesting short PowerPoint, he got his hands dirty doing
the demo on how to actually create a small indoor self sufficient
terrarium (small version of a green house is my best description)

my 1st personal terrarium is actually quite easy to do as all suitable
materials are available for your use. I even get to keep my terrarium
after use!! what a great deal for spending 1.5hrs of your time & $25!!

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Self-centred posting

Recently had to deal with people who think the whole world (rolls eyes) revolves around them....they have problems/issues & EVERYONE has to accommodate what they feel, what they want, the date & timings of things/events etc.

So imagine the shock (& despair & injustice they feel) when I put my foot down to say "No. I am exercising my right NOT to agree with what you want me to do."

These people then think "Wow! Why can't you think of me, what I feel, how I feel, what I want?"........I think they should actually be asking themselves "Wow! What am I asking her to do?", "Does what I ask her to do hurt anyone she loves?", "Should I even be asking her to do this?", "Why am I asking her to do this when this is not about me but about someone else?"

Hmmm.....asking the right questions is important I guess & given the propensity of the people I know, all these questions will never arise in their minds in a million years *wry smile*

Why do I think this way? I an no expert so this is just my personal take.....Me thinks that it's because the mind of a self absorbed person is such that no one else matters & every event should be accommodated, felt & resolved according to what he/she wants.

I find such persons interesting (sad nonetheless but interesting) cos I bet my last dollar they don't know themselves any better in terms of wants & needs yet somehow, someone else always has to accommodate them.

Hey! I am definitely no angel myself & I am not saying that I am not self-absorbed person as well...it's a constant fight for me as well. But I think having kids has been a wake up call & constant reminder for me that others (like my children) matters more than me in the many decisions I have to make every day cos every decision I make affects them (sometimes in small & sometimes in really big ways).....Constant struggle to battle this enemy within.

http://www.wikihow.com/Tell-if-You-Are-Self-Absorbed has a mini test to see if you fight this enemy as well

Cartoons from www.cartoonstock.com.

My 1st attempt at online scrapbooking :) Hope you like it!

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Michael Josephson Commentary: Five Birds and Good Intentions 625.4

Five birds are sitting on a telephone wire. Two decide to fly south. How many are left? Most people would say three. Actually, all five are left. You see, deciding to fly isn’t the same as doing it.

If a bird really wants to go somewhere, it’s got to point itself in the right direction, jump off the wire, flap its wings, and keep flapping until it gets there.

So it is with most things. Good intentions aren't enough. It’s not what we want, say, or think that makes things happen; it’s what we do.

I frequently think of writing thank-you, birthday, and congratulatory notes. Unfortunately, only a sad few of these good sentiments ever make it to paper. Still, if I don’t look too closely, I can delude myself into thinking that based on my good thoughts I’m a gracious and grateful person. A truer and less admirable picture of my character is drawn by my actions.

In the end, we either do or don’t do. We either make the time to do the things we want to and should do or we make excuses. As Alfred Adler said, “Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement.”

What do you want to do? Do you want to take a course, change your job, lose weight, make new friends, or spend more time with and appreciate more the ones you have?

What’s stopping you from jumping off the wire and flapping your wings?

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Michael Josephson Commentary: Five Birds and Good Intentions 625.4

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Interesting thoughts......Words about kindness by Michael Josephson

"If you were arrested for kindness, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Some people cheer up a room by entering it, others by leaving it. What do you bring to your interactions with workmates, friends, and family? Is it encouragement, optimism, or kind words? Or is it pessimism, criticism, or cynicism?

People often forget what we say and usually what we do, but as Maya Angelou said, “They always remember how we made them feel.”

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.”
– Theodore Isaac Rubin, M.D.

“Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.”
– Robert Brault

interesting thought....optional suffering

just read this... according to yoga sutras, suffering is caused by
change, unfulfilled longing, habits, and fluctuations in energy. not
even the most enlightened is immune. we can "prevent" the suffering
yet to come. the teacher says we can have pain yet not suffer. if we
accept the inevitability of life's twists & turns & find the
opportunity for growth in the struggles we face, we can prevent the
unnecessary self-inflicted suffering that comes from feelings as
guilt, blame & regret.

have a happy day ahead- in spite of the pain

watching Transformers-Revenge of the fallen tomorrow!!

new eatery found!! ilumo @ bugis ( empire state)

A quote....

good read on Sunday times Pg 29

do find the time to read the full article-here's an excerpt of the
ending paragraphs:

Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosoher who lived in
the first century, put it very eloquently thus: "I must die. but must
I die groaning? I must be imprisoned. but must I whine as well? I must
suffer exile. can anyone hinder me from going with a smile, and a good
courage, and at peace?"

in short, it's not what happens to you but how you react to it that
matters. people are not disturbed by particular events as such, but by
the view they take of them."

Magdalene

Let the Butterfly Struggle....gentle reminder

Michael Josephson Commentary: Let the Butterfly Struggle 618.2  http://charactercounts.org/michael/2009/05/let_the_butterfly_strugg... There’s a parable about a mother who discovered a butterfly struggling mightily to escape its cocoon through a tiny opening at the top. She became concerned when the creature seemed to give up after making no progress. Certain that the butterfly wouldn’t make it out without help, she enlarged the hole. On its next try, the butterfly wriggled out easily. But the young woman’s joy turned to horror when she saw its wings were shriveled and useless. Her well-intentioned intervention had interrupted a natural process. Forcing the butterfly to squeeze though a small opening is nature’s way of assuring that blood from the creature’s body is pushed into the wings. By making it easier, she deprived the butterfly of strong wings. Childhood, too, is a sort of cocoon. If a healthy adult is to emerge, parents must allow, even encourage, their children to struggle, make mistakes, learn from them, and pay the price for bad judgments and conduct. Of course, good parents should protect their children from serious harm, but being overprotective can itself inflict damage. Adversity is not always an enemy. Teaching can help a young person develop wings strengthened by self-confidence and self-reliance. Helen Keller once said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

AWARE saga spoofs - check out these You Tubes (hilarious!!!)

[latest: the Rambo video got pulled out....sigh...it's a shame cos it was great!]

wedding anniversary

today's my wedding anniversary - got reminded of the time past when we
found travel documents of our stay at turi beach at batam back in
1997..the last trip before the wedding.

was thinking of how fast time flies & what has happened since then &
definately counting my blessings :)