Graffiti everywhere.

But if one just tilt his/her head a little higher, and squint the eyes a little, one could see the exact opposite: grandiose buildings with ornate decorations from the baroque era imposing their weight around the surging forces of modernity and chaos. These charming old boutiques have stood witness to atrocities that would make a person shudder – the massive massacre of the Jews, the torture rampage of the Soviets – these buildings speak tales of destruction and birth once more.

The Grand Opera House: It’ll be coming here tomorrow for a show! =)

It is said that the Hungarians are a rebellious lot. History has casted them as the sacrificial lambs of greater human powers. Budapest has been sacked, rebuilt, sacked again, and rebuilt once more. Each time its fate faced the cruelties of different oppressors: the Hamburgs from Austria, the Ottomans from Turkey, the forced Partition after World War 1 that gave rise to countries like Romania etc., the unspeakable genocide of Hitler to the brutalities of the Soviet Union. But each time Hungary was beaten down, it fought back – bursting back to life like a flaming phoenix, refashioned with a new but more durable soul.

A Moment of Their Own

It is in Budapest that the first McDonalds opened beyond the Iron Curtain – the hallmark of Western capitalism – after the fall of the Soviet Union. It was here that Margaret Thatcher gave her famous speech about the open society that sent the hymns of freedom reverberating through the chords of the once-oppressed. Now the Soviets are no more; tourists flocking the streets ogling at the remnants of Budapest’s yesteryears; couples parading beside the river – basking in their love.

Refashioning one’s identity is a messy process. It doesn’t come without a steep price. Each time one adopts a new adaptable mask, though the probability of survival increases, he/she gives up a part of their pasts. And if done too often, one starts to forget between the real and the facade.

Sunset in Budapest.

Budapest had taken many hits and lived to tell the tale. Now it just has to look itself in the mirror, and ask whether it could still recognize the reflection that is staring back at them.

Don’t let the sun set on what you have so long stood for: your identity.

From Istanbul Europe looking at Istanbul Asia.

My body wasn’t enjoying the visible layer of sweat that has formed on the surface of my skin. After 2 days, the scorching heat had finally gotten to me, making me a very snappish person. Despite the teases from the clear blue sky and calls echoing from Istanbul Asia, the visual picture of me tucked nicely behind my velvet duvet in Magdalen College, University of Oxford, without the irritation of an unusually hot summer proved to be overwhelming. The multiple collisions with tourists and locals along our way to the Galata Bridge didn’t make the walk any easier.

Fishing on the Galata Bridge!

But fortunes started to change as we reached the bridge that we had to cross to Istanbul Asia or the New District of Istanbul. The Galata Bridge was busy; cars and heavy vehicles make their way on this bridge from both directions, emancipating the hustle and bustle feel of the bridge. However, this pursuit of economic gains failed to overshadow the throng of people fishing by the walkways of the bridge. I was always intrigued by fishing; though behind the simplicity of this activity lies a wealth of knowledge that is beyond my comprehension, the thing that has always puzzled was the level of patience that goes into this past time. I could NEVER have mustered the necessary amount of patience to be this idle. Fishing for hours beside a busy bridge under the scorching heat?

I prefer women in bikinis.

***

The New District proved very much unlike its predecessor, the Old Town. It neither had the historic baggage seeped into the facades of its buildings, nor did it bother hiding the fact that most of its buildings are modern, plain and similar. Huge white columns filled the steep hills, occasionally punctured by a building or two that bothered to put a little more effort than its counterparts. On top of that, there was another peculiar sight: satellite dishes certainly sprouted like mushrooms. I reckoned that most of the Turks stayed here as opposed to the Old Town.

Hilly paths and ubiquitous satellite dishes.

The hilly path exerted an early fatigue to an already grumpy person. I have always been a skeptic on splurging any money on running up any ‘sky-scrapper.’ Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, if even the KL Tower could hardly impress me, then I doubt any other of its peers could. Panoramic view had its perks, but its akin to a short fuse that fizzles out after a few minutes. A place is famed or revered because of its nuances – the micro-quirks that couldn’t be found in any other surface of the planet. The view from a sky scrapper smoothens these charms away; making the uniquely quaint distinctions of a space miniscule compared to the endless spread of the blue sky with its platoons of clouds.

But I went up anyway.

Because despite my grudging disapproval of these expenditures, there is just something thrilling to the sight of endless span of things. An excitement that is accentuated as we make a 360 degrees walk around the platform, with all of human’s inventions within the trappings of our visual cage. The heavy puffs of strong winds added further hype to moment.

We feel so big. We feel so powerful.

We are the masters of our universe.

]]> http://ourcoffeestops.com/2010/08/istanbul-day-3-to-heaven-and-back-again/feed/ 2 http://ourcoffeestops.com/2010/08/istanbul-at-night/ http://ourcoffeestops.com/2010/08/istanbul-at-night/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:15:55 +0000 Jian Wei http://ourcoffeestops.com/?p=5368 Its minarets pierced through the sky, standing gallantly against the silent night. A few birds circled those lonely sentinels unperturbed, knowing that once the sun rises, the Blue Mosque shall receive a throng of visitors whose footsteps and chatters would break the muted acoustics of the surroundings. Yellow lights radiated the Blue Mosque from below, imposing a golden touch to the surface of its weathered form. Its majesty ruled the night that no clusters of stars would dare compete to take its place.

The Blue Mosque at Night.

Among the maze of humble abodes, sat a boy on the open-air patio with the light from his Macbook dispelling the thick web of darkness away. From the patio he saw the Blue Mosque flashed its prowess and for a moment he forgotten about the uncomfortableness of his body. Perspiration from the hot and humid air gave way to the strong gushes of wind that brought with it band-aids of relieve.

There was hardly anything stirring the silence, except for the few drunken idiots who created a momentary ruckus when they knocked down a metal trash can. It was said that one could listen with their eyes. There was no need for any auditory extravaganza – not for a moment like this. Just an open heart, and an awed soul were enough to bring out the strands of melodies that swelled through the space, blocking out everything else except the adored object and the observer.

In this world, even silence is music.

]]> http://ourcoffeestops.com/2010/08/istanbul-at-night/feed/ 2 http://ourcoffeestops.com/2010/08/istanbul-putting-a-face-to-the-past/ http://ourcoffeestops.com/2010/08/istanbul-putting-a-face-to-the-past/#comments Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:05:45 +0000 Jian Wei http://ourcoffeestops.com/?p=5352 “It’s 32 degrees Celsius, just to let you know.” said Zhi Wei in a groggy tone that masked the excitement that he had. “Oh god,” I muttered under my breath. It has been 2 years since I last been under such warmth – the blazing heat from home seems so foreign to me right now; and I guess that worked pretty much to my disadvantage in Istanbul. The view from the plane’s window was enough to start me perspiring – long barren air strip with metallic glass infrastructures casted against a bright yellow backdrop.

But our transition into Istanbul was smooth. The people were very friendly here – sometimes too friendly for our liking. The train operator literally pinched my cheeks, while muttering some Turkish words in a tone that could only spell one thing: CUTE. But on a large scale, it really does make me wonder how society has shaped me. Both Zhi Wei and I were raised in an environment where generous gestures from strangers were viewed with immense suspicion; hinging on the solemn premise that there is no possible way in which someone could be so nice without having any perverse motives. It’s sad really – where the chords of our souls are tuned to view the worst in people and the only banner we have to hide behind is that of prudence: better be safe than sorry. Sometimes it really makes me wonder how many kind souls I have missed out in my life just because I was too caught up in the fictitious pursuit of my self-defense.

But in Istanbul, though still with immense reservations, we try to fathom the fact that there are such things as kind gestures: some people just strike up random conversations because they are genuinely interested in where we come from and are determined to make us feel welcomed in their motherland; some vendors would literally walk up to us when they sensed we were struggling with map that contained the labyrinth of roads, and they helped us: with only a smile and handshake in return.

Sure there are bad apples, but I rather put my faith in people than to hide away in the shadows of humanity.

“I can help you if you want!” muttered a local as we were fiddling with the ticketing machine at the train station. “You heading to Sultanahmed?” she enquired. “We are at the wrong side of the station!” as she gestured us to follow her. Well, we literally crossed the tracks to the other side of the station – a definite first for the both of us! The public transportation here is amazing: clean, and properly air-conditioned: something which the London Tube can learn from.

The modern tram snaked through the city – a jarring contrast if you asked me: an injection of modernity amidst a city that goes back all the way to the Roman Empire. As we approached the city center, Istanbul began to reveal its majesty. There is a thick scent of history in the air – a city that is well conscious of its status in the eyes of the world. Amidst the organic growth of rather modest homes, a few mammoth-like architecture that are well designed to SHOCK AND AWE stood out.

The majestic Hagia Sofia.

On the first day [we decided to take it easy], we decided to visit the first: Hagia Sofia. Constructed initially as a church by the Roman Emperor Justinian circa 500 A.D ++, it has been converted into a mosque when it fell into the hands of the Ottoman Empire somewhere circa 1500 A.D ++. As a result, the architecture paints remnants of a seamless convergence between Mohammedan and Christian cultures – a tacit reminder to the world today on what heights we could scale if only we start learning from one another, rather than trying to tear each other apart.

The entrance to Hagia Sofia.

In its own right, Hagia Sofia – whether as a church or as a mosque, was the greatest of its kind. It’s of no wonder that the construction of this magnificent icon nearly bankrupted both civilizations. Upon entering the Nave – the crux of the place, both Zhi Wei and I were just speechless.

The Nave – the bomb of the place! =)

In the midst of all the huge domes, there chandeliers that hang from the ceiling like the lamp of light dangled from heaven. The air buzzed with conversations of excited tourists. There were kids running around; mothers propping themselves against the huge marble pillars that support the upper floor; and there were just locals who sit down without any clear purpose or plan….just soaking it in. The space was so huge that there was enough space for everyone, irrespective of one’s intentions.

On a more personal note, I have always wanted to visit Istanbul. It stretches way back to the years of my high school when most of my peers would dread even the sight of our history textbook, what more the chapters were devoted to the rise of the Islamic Empire. But I’ve always taken a liking for those chapters – my heart starts to flutter a little with excitement as I started imagining the grand buildings and technological prowess of that empire. After all, weren’t they the civilization that invented algebra, ruled over seas, and made massive improvements to almost all facets of our lives?This fascination followed me all the way till the University of Michigan where I had always wanted to pick up Arabic. Alas, somethings had to give for other greater things to pass. If it weren’t for my stint in the University of Oxford, I would have been in the American University of Cairo, Egypt studying Arabic.

And till now I couldn’t believe that I am in Istanbul – the heart of the Ottoman Empire.

Once upon a time, Islamic calligraphy can exists side by side Christian influences.

It seems tragic to me as I witness the unfolding of antagonism between the West and Islam in general. 9/11 had altered the tunes of harmony to a pitch that grates the global community as a whole. Coming here keeps me grounded to my believes and adds credo to my stand that once upon a time there was a moment where cultures could blend so harmoniously – we learnt from each other and thus became stronger than we could ever have been if were just alone.

We would have to relearn the lessons of the past.

How easy we forget.

Anyway, I really really thank God for the opportunity to co-organize the College Camp with Ren Yau and Rachel. Truth to be told, Rachel and I were last minute additions. While I was informed briefly by Pastor Sue to assist Ren Yau in organising the camp, I didn’t know there was much work to be done as I thought it was similar to the Kampar camp 2 years back.

I remembered we were pretty backdated in the camp preparations when we had to think throughly about what theme to use for the College Camp this year. Ren Yau and I had to dig deep into our ‘thinking box’, and with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit we manage to stumble upon 1 Timothy 6:12, which talks about fighting the good fight of faith. Hence, we decided to adopt the verse and themed the camp Go The Distance.

It was pretty suitable, now that I think back. HAHA! Going the distance in food, hmm.

The venue was El Sanctuary, Alor Gajah. None of us had been to the place before, that includes the adults that went along. We had to rely on information from those who had been to the place before, and the reviews we got were all pretty good. Of course, they were proven to be true as we totally love the place!

We had a bungalow to ourselves. We were initially supposed to be taking the chalets located around, but some other bunch beat us to it and the people at El Sanctuary allocated the bungalow for us, of course for a higher fee. Thank God we were later than the previous bunch! Having the bungalow made life so much easier for the camp committee! I couldn’t have imagined how I could play my game on the 2nd night if we had no personal hall to use.

Awesome accomodation, it got the boys dorms and the girls dorms with 35 beds each. Superb! Hey its even better with only 15 of us staying in for 2 nights. Haha!

Planning the Rescue Mission on the 1st day, was a total last minute thing. Ren Yau was cracking his head as to how to do the ice breaker, since we have Melody whose from FGA KL joining us, and also the twins who were always very quiet. With no idea how El Sanctuary look like before the trip, we just had to cross our fingers hoping the terrain would suit the different stations we planned just that morning itself before leaving for Alor Gajah.

Eggs and flour, anyone? We drafted a story about how the 3 of us (camp committees) got separated and kidnapped while camping, and the campers need to solve 3 different tasks to unite us back together again. When the 3 of us got back together, we made each team ‘dig’ for treasures, which were actually mentos sweets from a bowl covered with flour. The catch? They didn’t know there was a 2nd layer. Hahaha, this was totally Ren Yau’s mischievious idea!

So what they saw were just flour on the top surface, while Rachel had previously mixed flour, eggs and some water and dumped in some mentos sweets at the bottom surface. Totally wicked!

The group picture above was the results of their quest!

We also brought along a guitar and a keyboard for Praise & Worship purposes.

The other best thing about this camp was that we actually get to watch the World Cup in HD! Haha, the owners have Astro B.yond over at the cafe area, so we decided to hit the place for the Brazil vs Portugal match.

It wasn’t an exciting match, many of them were doing everything else but watching football in the end. Ee Leen was busy with the iPad the whole night long!

We spent the whole of Saturday in Malacca town. If you had read my previous post, you would have been enlightened on our agenda for the day. Eat, eat, eat and eat! We did get to have some sight seeing around town of course.

The cruise tour near Quay Side.

The scenery around Quay Side.

Christ Church Melaka.

The one-handed statue up at A Famosa Fort.

The A Famosa Fort itself, or whats left of it.

We had also taken quite a bit of group pictures here and there, good thing Ren Yau was there to handle my camera or I would have definitely missed out on being part of the group shots!

Group photo infront of Christ Church Malacca.

Group photo in A Famosa Fort.

Group photo up at the A Famosa hill.

We even had some group shots over lunch and pork satays!

Table #1 at Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls.

Table #2 at Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls.

Yours truly, Kevin and Ji Ern in pork satay shop.

After a fulfilling (not so fulfilling as we were pressed for time!) trip in Malacca town, we headed back to El Sanctuary for shower and dinner. Did I mention the food prepared by El Sanctuary were awesome? I didn’t? Okay so now I’m telling you. Haha! Awesome homecooked food, too bad I didn’t manage to take photos of any of it.

The agenda for Saturday night was the game I had planned for weeks, with ideas sought from Lydia, and the game turned out to be quite successful. Hmm, it might get a replay over at one of IMPACT meetings as well. Ngek ngek!

Oh well, Ren Yau and I had to do a brief demo, and both of us ended up blushing like mad. Oh well, wheres the fun and laughters without some added spice? At least it cracked everyone up! Good times indeed.

Jonathan’s team was simply amazing, they could fit 3 persons into that tiny hula hoop! And I thought the hoop was small enough to not make them so greedy hahaha! I shall leave you readers to ponder about it without revealing too much information regarding the game, since it might be having a replay in IMPACT. Wouldn’t wanna spoil the surprise now, would I?

As usual, happy times passed by amazingly quick. After Sunday Service on the last day, we presented thank you gifts to Pastor Sue, Aunty Irin and Uncle Stephen for watching over us, not to mention driving us around. It gotta be really exhausting, but we were all glad they were willing to sacrifice for us.

The Camp committees with (From left) Uncle Stephen, Aunty Irin and Pastor Sue.

With heavy hearts, we ended the camp in prayers and close the session with a complete group photograph consisting of all the campers of IMPACT College Camp 2010.

IMPACT College Camp 2010 Group Photo #1.

IMPACT College Camp 2010 Group Photo #2.

You are probably wondering who took the picture. :p Don’t panic, there was certainly nothing supernatural, haha! We managed to make use of a stand to do a timed shot.

So it came to an end, the College Camp for 2010. We spent the afternoon in Malacca town again for some unfinished business, and then made our way to Seremban to meet up with Datuk Roland Wong for dinner. After that, it was a longgg and tiring journey back home to FGA USJ.

You know, the truth about camps is, they bond people together. Likewise, I strongly believed the ties between each college-going youths were strengthened throughout the course of the camp while we did activities together, eat together, watch the World Cup together and even slept together (I mean, in the same dorm!). It was definitely fun while it lasted. I personally had much memories to cherish and to keep for a lifetime!

That being said, I miss College Camp 2010 already. Lets all continue rocking on for Jesus!

P/S – You can view more photos of the camp here.

Not a good first impression.

I expected a more spring-like summer – the winds dancing gently on the tip of my skin, bringing the much needed coolness that shields me from the sharp rays of the sun; the leaves flutter gently at the tree ends, as if been slowly rocked by an invisible force that runs through them; the ragging eagerness to hit the London Streets, soaking in its majestic glare without any need to vent, “SHIT! This is freaking hot!”

But as soon as I excited the London tube at Greens Park Station, things started to change. – excitement. Euston Square station was just three stops south on the Victoria Blue Line. Soon it’ll be all the familiar scenes again – the long escalator ride up with its side walls covered with small frames of successful musicals; the same row of shops that peppered the corners of Euston Square station as I made way for the exit and into the street.

“Call me when you get here, ok? I’ll just need five minutes to pick you up.” remarked Zhi Wei.

I needed no five minutes.

The imagines were still fresh in my mind, as though I’ve never left this place. My feet swayed the streets, guided only by the tunes of my memories, as I made my way to his dorm. Soon, it was all coming back to me again. The old fashioned black cab – very Mazda looking – that roamed the streets of London, apparently with a very spacious back; the ubiquitous “Look to your right/left” at the beginning of every crossing that I encountered; the thick British accents that filled the empty spaces between the air as people hurriedly chew their sandwiches with a nice cup of Earl Grey Tea.

“YO!” bellowed at figure from a far. I gently carved out a smile.

For once in 6 months, I felt so at home.

***

Under the silent gaze of the starless sky, we head out for a walk along the streets of London. We went where our hearts and feet took us. First to Tesco to get some root beer, only to detour to King’s Cross Station to find the same when Tesco didn’t have them in stock, and only to head back to Tesco when King’s Cross didn’t have them too. We picked two different beverages.

We laughed. We shared stories. We ate supper at Chinatown. We drank our beverages.

He had an orange isotonic drink.

I had a milk bottle in one hand.

Hello London, and God Save the Queen.

]]> http://ourcoffeestops.com/2010/06/a-milk-bottle-in-one-hand/feed/ 6 http://ourcoffeestops.com/2009/09/purdue-university-no-more-kiamsiap/ http://ourcoffeestops.com/2009/09/purdue-university-no-more-kiamsiap/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:47:06 +0000 Jian Wei http://ourcoffeestops.com/?p=4161 I wish I can continue the Kiamsiap Road Trip after the one to Bloomington, but alas, the journey to Purdue University was very unadventurous, hick-up [this is for Liz to spot the spelling mistake] free and smooth sailing. No haggling with African taxi drivers; no walking around a huge city finding for a bus to board; just a nice hop on a American All-Star Shuttle (which cost us $15) to the airport and followed by a Purdue Limo Service to Purdue University!

Purdue University

Despite this whole Big Ten University rivalry going on, I had the quick urge to don on a Michigan shirt and see the reactions I get as I walk along the streets. But wth lah! I totally forgot about it! And ended up wearing a shirt about a Baseball team in which I have no clue about – to make things better: I bought it in Malaysia, 2 years ago!! Walking in the USA with such a shirt might attract interesting attention:

—

Scenario 1

Stranger: HEY! You’re a fan of blah blah blah (I practically stop listening here, cause I have freaking no clue on what they are talking about).

Jian Wei: [Control Macho tone] SURE!!! Let’s hope they have a great season this year! (I swear I don’t even know where the hell this team is from, what more their performance?)

—

But so far I have been very very lucky! Imagine if someone comes up to me and say this:

Scenario 2

Stranger: HEY! Who’s your favourite player?? Mine is blah blah blah! (While he is talking I would pee in my pants I would tap into my debate mode brains and figure something out! By the time he finishes, I would have the stunning counterpunch!)

Jian Wei: [Very professional tone] I from Singapore lah!!! We don’t watch all these things wan!!

Moral of the Story: If you are every in trouble, blame the Singaporeans. XD

—

Azfar, our AWESOME tour guide!

We spent the first day, touring the campus, by our awesome tour guide, Azfar and heading to the gym!! Yes! I do run! Or walk… But the point is, almost every god damn building we saw in Purdue that day belongs to the Engineering Department! Almost every thinkable subsection of engineering has their own big-ass building! From chemical engineering dept to mechanical to Moon-Space Fighting Dept (Aeronautical and Space Dept? Since Neil Armstrong is a Purdue Alumni, they aren’t shy to flaunt it!). They even have a MOON ROCK in their Neil Armstrong Building! Which is the size of my balls a tang yuan.

The size of the moon rock! Not my *ahem* OK!!!!

We also met up with Uma, Amy and Julius whom we have not met for more than a year! And that’s when Timothy prank called Uma as well. Eu Win got it on tape. HAHA! I’ll post it as soon as I have it from Eu Win.

That's after we pranked call Uma! =)

Since it was the optional orientation week, we had people at strategic corners of the campus handing out free hand drinks that tasted much like KeeKAAPOOOO. And when it came to our turn to pose in front of the Purdue sign, I felt the angels from Michigan summoning the spirit within me to answer my call of duty to flash out a “Tak BAGUS” sign. Here it goes….TADA!

WACHHHAAAA! Take that Purdue!!

The next day was pretty much a visiting friends day. It started off on a really wrong note when we had to wait for more than an hour for a bus that was supposed to take us to Uma’s place. WTH man! So being fed up of waiting, we just boarded any bus that will take us downtown (that’s where Uma is staying) and wth, it landed us 10 blocks away from the place where Uma is staying. What a way to start the day man!

Trying to mengecutkan the damn spagetthi!

And upon reaching Uma’s place we were greeted with a laboratory in kitchen. Their hypothesis: The spaghetti will shrink when soaked in cold water. This is to make it less soggy. Verdict? Well, it’s edible and it’s very nice of them to have cooked us lunch considering it was their very first few days. Of course, a mandatory group picture before we head of downtown to search for the main hunt of the trip: Ee-Jieh!

Ee-Jieh's place. But he wasn't there!!!!

Fond of body building and exotic comments, he is one of our main sources of entertainment back in INTEC, especially among the boys. He is the Distinguish Professor of Women Issues specializing in Women Anatomy. =) We literally, crossed over a river (on the bridge lah!) and walked blocks to find him in his apartment based on Uma’s memory, which wasn’t exactly a very efficient compass but it got us to our destination safely despite some hiccups. BUT HE WASN’T THERE!!! And he has no cell phone! OMG! This is just unbelievable! Feel like castrating him!!!

The team morale was crushed upon knowing the absence of our distinguish professor. *sobs* Knowing that time is running out, we headed for the Purdue Campus for dinner with Aida and Fareena. Since it was puasa, early dinner with them was a little tricky. They both needed to be on ABC (Allah Bagi Cuti) for an early dinner to materialize. So on our way to the Purdue Campus…

Jian Wei: Eh Uma! Ask Fareena if she has period or not.

Uma: *dumbstruck* Why you so kepo want to know whether she has her period???

Jian Wei: If she has her period, come let’s eat lah! (Malaysian spirit mah!!)

After dinner, we were both brought to their place to for Hari Raya COOKIES!!! I know it’s only Ramadan, but for a boy who hasn’t savoured keropok lekor and apam balik for a year, the sense of time between festivity and fasting has blurred tremendously. Due to fatigue and a loaded belly (as least for me LAH), we failed to muster the courage needed to sweep of those arsenals of cookies. Never mind, knowing Fareena, it’s still gonna be there a few months later. I can go ambush it later. NYEHEHE!

Arsenal of cookies. =P

Despite it all, Eu Win and I felt that the Purdue trip would never be complete without a yum cha with Ee-Jieh. So we decided to take a 30 minute walk to his place….again – at 10.30pm. This time we found him. =) We even decided to bunk at his place thinking that it is closer to walk from him place to the AmTrak station in which we will board a train back to the City of Chicago. I hogged his bed; Eu Win and Ee-Jieh chatted till it was time for us to go.

Us with Ee-Jieh at a place called XXX. Suit his demeanor! JJK!

Somehow it was quite sad for me to leave, knowing that it ultimately shows that my summer break is up. And that 5 hours of chat isn’t enough to catch up with 1 year worth of gossip. But oh well, as the train moved from the West Lafayette Station heading into the vicinity of Chicago, I chose to do something better than drowning in the miseries of parting…..

An End to an Awesome Road Trip!

I watched ‘PS I LOVE YOU’ instead. =)

Eu Win: Eh! When you wanna go back Michigan ah?

Jian Wei: *lying down on the inflatable mattress; feeling like wanna pang sai* Hopefully on the 21st!

Eu Win: Urghhhhh….Jian Wei, you know that today is the 18th right??

Jian Wei: WHAT???? SHIT! Where got time for road trips?

Eu Win: We leave tomorrow lah!

***

It was 9pm ++ at night, mind you! After some very last minute fb-stalking for friends who are so kind to allow us to gate crash their place for the night, we left Chicago the very next morning at 11am for our male-bonding spontaneous road trip to Indiana University Bloomington, which is an excellent American public university! A part of me was really excited as I would get a chance to meet most of my INTEC mates whom I have not met for more than a year!

We boarded the Megabus on a 3 hour ride to a place called Indianapolis. And speaking of road trips, which more often than not elucidates the aura of spontaneity, our trip to Bloomington was one hell of a road trip. We have no clue on how to get to Bloomington from Indianapolis, except whatever Hafidz told us the night before: take a taxi to the airport and get a shuttle from there. But being the epitome of kiamsap Malaysians, we thought we could cut corners by finding a direct public transportation from Indianapolis to Bloomington without having the need to fork out so much on cabs etc.

Bang balls!

Upon descending from the bus, we asked people ranging from the public, sheriff, Fed-Ex guys to employees in Arby’s. NONE OF THEM KNEW A SINGLE FREAKING WAY!!! What is this man! Heck! We even went to Greyhound for enquires! Our conclusion was: if Greyhound also tarak, we have no choice but to abandon our ‘Religion of Kiamsiapness’ and burn some cash.

At Greyhound Asking for Public Transportation

GREYHOUND PUN TARAK! DIE!!!

So we resorted to taking a cab to the airport for a shuttle straight to Bloomington; the shuttle would easily cost us $25 per person. Though the shuttle fares were fixed, the taxi fare was not….NYEHEHEHEHE! To paraphrase a little: “You can take a Malaysian out of Malaysia, but you cannot take the Kiamsiapness from a Malaysian!” *WTF??* So being a CHINESE MALAYSIAN (racist a little here), we started bargaining with the African taxi driver for the lowest fare to the airport! Poor guy! He tried to rip us off but sorry lah bruddddeeeeer! You where can fight with kiamsiap orang cina wan! We were haggling even as we were driving to the airport! Intense sial!

In the Cab Haggling - Kiamsiap Gila!

That fellow wanted to send us straight to Bloomington for an exorbitant figure, which of course we plainly refused and tried to haggle. When negotiations seem to hit a dead end, my dear Wharton best friend decided to deliver his Wharton-style ultimatum: “It all depends on you sir…whether you actually want to do business.” WAH LAU EH!! Sai ummm sai so keng ah? In the end, no deal. *So much for going to Wharton* =P

Indiana University Bloomington

We were lucky though! Upon arriving at the airport, the shuttle was already there waiting for their next scheduled pick off! Talk about the ‘Goddess of Kiamsiapness’ smiling upon us! It took us about an hour to get there and it was only during the journey we realized why no one knew of a public transportation to Bloomington – Because there were none. @_@ ”EH! Where is this ulu place lah?? Why so many trees wan??” I asked Eu Win. “EH! Why so isolated wan!” he chuckled in return.

Kiamsiap Journey to IUB!

After a hours of kiamsiap journey, we finally arrived at the Indiana Memorial Union! I have to tell you, Bloomington’s campus is just drop dead gorgeous. It’s surrounded by stunning verdant greens and lush gardens that can make any flora lover like me shudder in envy. I couldn’t help but to pose with a “BAGUS” sign to commemorate our crazy and under-planned journey. We basically spent the night at our INTEC mates’ place which felt really homey cause out of the 6, we have 2 sets of couples. So it’s like staying with a….*ahem* FAMILY. HAHAHA!

Two couples, One LDR, Three Singles = Happy Family!

***

The next day we just spent most of our time touring the awesome campus. Since we were on a very tight schedule, the initial plan was to hit the road at 8am in the morning, hoping to milk every second for what it’s worth. But aiyah! Malaysian timing mah! We woke up at 10am. FML! And being EuWin, that buffalo was complaining that his tangki (stomach) is very empty. So we had Bubble Tea for breakfast! It was one of the best bubble tea I have tasted here in America; which made the one in Ann Arbor taste like….shit.

Eu Win even decided to do some promotion for it. =P

Bubble Tea Promotion!

Alas, despite the gastronomical orgasm reaped from such a nice milky taro flavored bubble tea, cold drinks just don’t go well with me in the morning. I had to go “unload” while Eu Win waited outside for me. After the passionate ordeal, I concluded that IUB kids are spoilt brats as they are showered with various options to wipe their asses. You can’t blame me for being a jakun. In Umich we only have toilet papers. But in Indiana, they have toilet papers and also…..

Which should I use to wipe my ass? =P

I decided to use the napkins.I even decided to store some for future use! Damn cheap leh! 10 cents nia! Kiamsiap!! Just JOKING!!! =D I stuck with my conventional toilet paper. And no, I didn’t take the toilet paper home!

On Elizabeth’s recommendation, we even went to visit their preserved animals! It was comical mind you! Take a look at Eu Win’s expression:

OMFG!!! They look like me!!!!

The rest of the day was just filled with happy moments of touring the beautiful campus and catching up with friends. And thanks so much to Elizabeth, CJ, CK, Sandy, Alicia, Wei Lun and Hafidz for being awesom-est hosts! We had a great great time!

After 10 weeks of working in the airport, what more could I ask for?

[Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes] 

As I was browsing through the 1784 pictures that I took in Ecuador through the span of one month, hoping to find the ONE picture that would serve both as a summary of the entire trip in essence and as a catalyst for many stories ahead, this picture always made me smile. 

This picture was taken on our first official trip to the school in the small community called Pucara. As my eyes scanned the small compound for any exciting moments to capture, my attention was subtly drawn to the group of people that was walking towards me. At first it was the similar colour coordination of their T-shirts that caught my eye. Then, it was the gentle rhythmic swings of their locked hands; the smile on Adrianne’s face as she saw me raise my camera. SNAP! Perfect! Good photo-op! But it was only after I have taken the photo that my spider senses tingled – there was more in this photo than I could appreciate then. And in due time I would understand why. 

And I did. 

Amidst the chatters of fast paced Spanish and mischievous kids conquering the school compound, there was a degree of innocence and warmth that lingered in the air. I was surprised at how fast these kids accepted us into their existences; without any conspicuous hints of suspicions or hesitations. And once we placed a foot through the doors of their lives, there existed a gentle force that drew us further…deeper and deeper. It happened so surreptitiously that before we knew it, they had already annexed a permanent sphere in our hearts. The term ‘acquaintance’ had very little meaning in their lives.

In their eyes, everyone was a friend.

This is the essence of our trip to Ecuador. Not how well we milked cows, or what food we ate, or what souvenirs we bought back for our love ones, or even the places we visited – it’s a tale of how 18 different people from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, in a span of one month, gradually morph from acquaintances to friends. 

That…is our story in Ecuador. 

(Next: A week in Quito – A Marriage of WOWs and WTFs)

(Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this post regarding Ecuador is entirely mine. The terms: we, ours etc. should be regarded as broad generalizations that aren’t endorsed by any of the other 17 participants.)

More info click here

What is VGL

Video Games Live – the biggest and most popular video game concert in the world debuts in Singapore!

This is a concert event put on by the video game industry to help encourage and support the culture and art that video games have become. Video Games Live (VGL) bridges a gap for entertainment by exposing new generations of music lovers and fans to the symphonic orchestral experience while also providing a completely new and unique experience for families and/or non-gamers. The show is heralded and enjoyed by the entire family. It’s the power & emotion of a symphony orchestra mixed with the excitement and energy of a rock concert and the technology and interactivity of a video game all completely synchronized to amazing cutting edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special on-stage interactive segments with the audience.

VGL quickly became the biggest and most popular game concert in the world. The debut performance was launched on 6 July 2005 at the world famous Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles with the LA Philharmonic. Over 11,000 people attended making it the biggest video game concert in the world. Most of the game music played (Halo, Sonic, Metal Gear Solid, Mario, Zelda, Warcraft, Tomb Raider, Myst, Kingdom Hearts, Tron, God of War, EverQuest II, Medal of Honor, Headhunter, Beyond Good & Evil, Advent Rising, etc.) had never been performed live.

VGL is not just a concert, but a celebration of the entire video game industry that people of all ages will adore. Created and produced by Jack Wall and Tommy Tallarico, Guinness Record holder for prolificacy in video game composing, VGL is a tribute to video games culture over the last three decades. The concert will stage music and footage from the most popular video games from past to present, including Mario, Halo, Final Fantasy, WarCraft, Sonic, Metal Gear Solid, Interactive Space Invaders, Diablo III, Metroid, Pac-Man, Kingdom Hearts, Castlevania, Zelda and many more.

Whether it’s the power and passion of the more recent blockbusters or the excitement of remembering the sentimental classics you played growing up, VGL will truly be a special night to remember.

Video Games Live Main Site
Wikipedia Link VGL