Singing her heart out

Attended Olivia Newton-John's concert in the Arena of Stars, Genting yesterday night, and was seated quite near the front with tickets costing literally "a bomb". Initially, was kind of apprehensive, as I was not a fan. Have heard her songs, some very catchy, and seen her in Grease. But after last night's performance, barring some initial minor sound system glitches, what can I say? A veteran performer singing her heart out for almost 2 whole hours, with good backing from the support musicians and crew. Simply amazing.

Given that she is just 1 year short of 60, the English-born Australian singer, songwriter and actress really shined. Honestly, her vocals were not the very best, but it was still very good. And yes, she shined at the country numbers. Clear voice, with sustained energy for over 2 continuous hours without a break, in the highlands' altitude, prancing around on stage as well as filling the air with breathtaking moments, especially with the slower numbers, was simply magic. She must be really fit to be able to perform like that. And the high notes! Wow, I think she hit at least a high C for some of the songs. She had fun on stage, and it came across very well.

I didn't expect to be entertained as such, and was very grateful for the experience to be able to hear her sing and watch a performer shine. She sang a couple of songs from her latest CD released, "Grace and Gratitude", and the slower numbers were simply magical. The words were so heartfelt, and she had the audience literally in the palm of her hands.

Hanoi Trip Day 5 – Free and Easy

Well, it was definitely a free day but not necessarily an easy day. Checkout time was noon before we made arrangements with our tour guide for additional excursions. In the morning, the other guy (nicknamed TC) and I decided to explore (whilst the girls had a re-excursion to the supermarket despite spending almost a million Vietnamese Dong the night before buying snacks).

We walked around a bit, got a map from the travel information centre, and decided to explore a Cathedral which was situated opposite the other side of the Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword – not sure of the story though). Incidentally, there are over 20 lakes in Hanoi, and we only walked the banks of 2 of them I think. Even to enjoying local Vietnamese ice-cream. Yummy! Nice scenery, seemingly reflecting a relaxed setting.

As we were walking looking for the Cathedral, we entered through the side entrance, and I met the priest who kindly directed us to the Cathedral and gave us permission to enter the premises. And it was like “Wow!”. The Cathedral was magnificent to me, with stained glass work surrounding the interior. Now this is what I call a proper church design! Named after St. Joseph, the cathedral opened its doors for the first time during Christmas Day in 1886.

Later, back at the hotel, we told our tour mates that we visited the Cathedral and about how beautiful it was. They subsequently requested from the tour guide for a trip to the cathedral, which he kindly obliged, with the rest laughing at us two guys who walked there earlier on. But seriously, you have free time in the morning, and you spend it shopping at the supermarket? Hmm.. different priorities for guys and girls I guess. Personally, I did not mind revisiting the Cathedral and would have loved to spend more time inside, but alas, upon reaching there, the front entrance was closed to the public. Probably getting ready for the daily masses to be held. Could only readmire from the exterior.

From there, we visited a few temples which I did not really appreciate, even to the Temple of Literature, which was Vietnam’s first national university. Also visited the external sights of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum which was closed on the day we went. As I was walking around trying to take pictures, I heard a loud “PEEEEEEP!!!” which was a guard trying to shoo me away from venturing too close to the restricted area. Strangely enough, there were signages being posted to “Keep Out”, but put too far apart that I didn’t see them at all. Really!!! And incidentally, I wasn’t the only one being “PEEEEEEPed!!!”. TC experienced a similar situation, and I almost laughed that it must be a Malaysian thingy for being ignorant about signs.

After all that, the girls requested a visit to the three-storey Dong Xuan Market, selling clothes and other what nots. I personally found it very stuffy inside, and had to walk outside for a bit to get some air. Whilst waiting around, encountered some local sights which was pretty interesting, where there was a van load of jam-packed people being transported as part of the local transportation. It’s amazing how they managed to packed so many people into that one van.

After that, it was a trip to the airport and onward back to home sweet home. Just some other interesting tidbits:

a. The first hotel we stayed in had free internet access and flat screen TV, with super-dooper shower gadget comprising multiple sprays.
b. Motorcyles abound. Crossing the road is extremely hazardous, with one risking limbs and life, even at the zebra crossings.
c. Water is a scarce commodity. Lunch / dinner provided, but not water. For the H2O, either Vietnamese Dong or US Dollar would serve just as well to compensate.
d. Names like Halong and Thanglong had mythological roots meaning descending and ascending dragons.
e. Vietnamese word for rice is “kum”, and ice is “Da”. Two words which I picked up, especially when it came to getting the two items as part of my meal.

To be continued...? :)

Hanoi Trip Day 4 – On to Tam Coc!

It was another 2-hour car ride to Tam Coc (Three Caves). Tam Coc is also called "The Halong Bay of the rice paddies," in reference to similiar karst formations that rise out of the South China Sea. The three caves are named Hang Ca, Hang Guia, and Hang Cuoi.

For me, the view itself was pretty nice enough, but more interestingly was the 2-hour boat ride under the hot sun, up and down the Ngo Dong River, paddled by the rowers of Tam Coc. Some even used their feet to row the boat! Simply amazing. Imagine how tough it was already to row endlessly on, and to use the feet! It was a hard life for these rowers, incidentally, they earn only US$1.25 per 2-hour trip (about RM4.30) – excluding tips, and relied on sales of T-shirts, drinks as well as other stuffs to make ends meet. No wonder most of them were skinny and tanned under the harsh rays of the sun.

Onwards back to Hanoi and more shopping in the evening at the night market. Getting back to the hotel after the shopping expedition proved to be a challenge with disagreement on the direction. I was pretty sure of my directions, but bowed down to the superior knowledge of females and their directional sense which technically couldn’t be faulted, just that it took a longer route.

Somehow, the trip so far has been part relaxing and part exhausting with all the walking. My poor aching feet!

Hanoi Trip Day 3 – Back to Hanoi and Shopping!

Woke up just before the rutterning of the engine could be heard, had a hearty breakfast and enjoyed the last vestige of the bay before docking. Saw and heard more sights and sounds of Halong city as they call it, but I think we were only in a small part of the place. The city as it was, did not appear that big from where I was at. Drizzled slightly too, so that put a dampener on to things.

Upon reaching Hanoi, we went for the water puppet show which lasted for about an hour, and cost about RM8. It was err, interesting initially as I was trying to figure out how it was done. But after a few minutes, managed to sushed about the technique, and was subsequently a little bored. I think I nodded off half way through. To pass the time, I was analyzing the musicians and came to the conclusion that they were “syok sendiri” with one or two looking absolutely bored. I couldn’t feel the rapport with the audience, which would have helped, and I wonder how many times they had to “perform” in a single day. Overall, it was pretty good had it lasted only about 15 minutes and no more.

With the onset of dusk, the night market came alive, and some of us shopped like nobody’s business, bargain hunting. I noticed one or two travel mates hardly buying anything but were eager to pit their bargaining skills with the locals. In any case, Malaysians can be quite loud, especially of the female species, and when it came to bargaining, the loudest tended to prevail in this case (which is a good thing – especially getting a bargain). But when I looked around, there were onlookers staring at us. Shy...

Hanoi Trip Day 2 – Halong Bay

Began with a 3-hour and 20 minutes car ride to Halong Bay, which was located about 165km east of Hanoi, in Quang Ninh Province. It took that long because the driver was careful not to go over the speed limit on the Japanese Joint-Ventured constructed highway given the frequent presence of police, ever ready to “book” a person, or to “get some free” coffee/tea.

On the journey, there were lots to see and absorb, be it the padi fields, or the narrow houses but compensated by length. Apparently, as I understand it, the design of the narrowness of the house or shop was due to taxation of land issue (i.e. the more land you have in front of your house, the more tax you have got to pay).

It started off well, with us taking a “Junk” with the intention of staying overnight on the junk. Half way through lunch, I sighted the first of the limestone thingies, and went “Wah! So nice…”, but the cruise took a couple of hours circling the bay, which covers (the bay) an area of over 1500 sq km and consists of thousands of limestone karsts and islands. After a while though, the view looked pretty much the same, but what amazed me was that these were pure natural formations. Most took the opportunity to nap, while I read and was lost in a fantasy world of sword fights and magic.

By about 4pm, we started exploring a cave which had three distinct chambers, each larger than the next. Now when I said explore, we did not go down on our knees and climb through minute holes and stuff, but the pavement was well laid. Very touristy I suppose. As we approached the top of the cave, a magnificent view of a section of the bay could be observed.

Of course, there is the obligatory climb, as one tour mate kindly termed it “Journey of a 1000 steps”. Yeah, for a 360 degrees' view of Halong Bay, had to climb up 500 steps (and down 500 steps), to enjoy the spectacular view from a particular observation point. I nearly gave up halfway during the climb, breathing heavily, short of water, and catching the various sore throat germs from my travel mates. Incidentally, some chickened out from the climb, but since we came all the way from another land, I persevered following kind words of encouragement from a few others. A personal sense of achievement I would say.

And I tell you, after being totally unfit for so many months, I almost collapsed on my bed and wanted to sleep the rest of the evening away upon reaching the Junk.

Hanoi Trip Day 1 – Hunting For Food

Recently came back from a much needed holiday. Courtesy of AirAsia’s free ticket promotion, a friend booked and did much of the planning for our Hanoi trip. Eight was supposed to go, but only seven went when one had to travel for work at the last minute. A real mixed bunch, comprising 5 girls, of which one can be considered as the alpha take charge female, and 2 guys who were pretty laid back.

First evening in Hanoi was spent hunting (on foot!) for an elusive beef noodle outlet which came highly recommended. After a series of misadventures and misdirection, we finally found it, much to my tour mates’ satisfaction. Taste and portion was just nice for me, but price was not that cheap. I think my other tour mates were slightly disappointed. Incidentally, beer was cheaper than soft drinks, not that I drank of course! :)

Tests

Came across this from a friend's blog, and thought I would try it out too:

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid Disorder:	High
Schizoid Disorder:	Very High
Schizotypal Disorder:	Moderate
Antisocial Disorder:	Low
Borderline Disorder:	Low
Histrionic Disorder:	Low
Narcissistic Disorder:	Moderate
Avoidant Disorder:	Low
Dependent Disorder:	Low
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:	Moderate
-- Personality Disorder Test - Take It! -- -- Personality Disorders --

Your score on this personality test was 49%

Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a longer time to get over if that trust is ever broken.

Personality Quiz
Take More Quizzes

What's Your Best Quality? Your Result: Intelligence Your best quality is intelligence! People like you because you are smart and always make the right decision. Your intelligence also helps you handle tough situations.
Ambitious
Personality
Loving
Out-Going
Sense of Humor
What's Your Best Quality? Take More Quizzes

HAHAHAAAAAA! So there, a little bit more about me then... :P

Logical Deducement

Was in the office pantry early this morning, and saw that a colleague, Coffee Kwan, had brought in a fresh bag of coffee powder. He would normally make a fresh pot for us to drink, sampling the various types of coffee available to help keep us awake, especially after heavy lunches.

Coffee Kwan: Got this coffee from my sister-in-law's mother.
Alex: You mean your mother-in-law? LOL.
Coffee Kwan: No! No! my brother's wife's mother!

But seriously, if your brother's wife is your sister-in-law, then technically, your sister-in-law's mother is your "mother-in-law"! After all, your sister's mother is your mother muh!!! Correct? :P

(sometimes, I give myself headaches for thinking too much ...)

The Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer

When I first heard that the movie was coming up, I almost hyperventilated. Not because of the Fantastic Four, but more because of the Silver Surfer. I grew up reading the graphic novels (was called comics back then) ranging from Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Legion of Super Heros, X-men, and essentially, the works. Have never really taken to the Fantastic Four though, but the movie version has a certain appeal. As far back as I can recall, having read so many comics since young, there were only a few superheros which made an impact on me:

a. X-men;
b. Spiderman; and
c. Silver Surfer

Both X-men and Spiderman have been brought to the big screen, and FINALLY!, the Silver Surfer. I remember being fascinated by the Silver Surfer because he had awesome cosmic powers and could soar through the cosmos. And although acting as Galactus (the devour of worlds)’s herald, the Silver Surfer retained a noble demeanor and ultimately strives for good.

The movie is slated to be shown sometime June 2007 I think, and my oh my, for once, I am really looking forward to the movie. Have not had such anticipation for a movie (not even for Lord of the Rings, and definitely not for Harry Porter), and I think I need to temper my expectations, just in case I get disappointed.

Did you know:

a. Norrin Radd sacrificed himself to act as Galactus’ herald to help locate other planets for Galactus to feed upon, to save his own beloved planet from being consumed.

b. Galactus atomically restructured Norrin Radd's body, leaving him covered with a flexible, impervious silvery material that could withstand the rigours of travel through outer space. His past, and his very soul were imprisoned behind mental barriers erected by his amoral master.

c. Galactus fashioned a unique star travel device out of the same silvery material (resembling a surfboard) for Norrin Radd, and granted his new herald a fraction of his cosmic power, enabling him to perform feats which would be necessary in the discharging of his duty, and was so named The Silver Surfer.

d. Although the Silver Surfer could utilise his vast cosmic power for unaided propulsion, he generally employs the surfboard to fly since it does not require any expenditure of his personal energy to operate.

e. The Silver Surfer can augment his strength to incalculable levels, and is almost totally indestructible. He can navigate space, hyperspace and dimensional barriers, and can fly at near-limitless speeds on his board, entering hyperspace when he exceeds light speed.

f. He does not require food, drink, air or sleep, sustained entirely by converting matter into energy. He is immune to temperature extremes and most radiation, and can survive in vacuum environments such as outer space and hyperspace. He can analyze and manipulate matter and energy, and restructure or animate matter at will, even transmuting elements.

g. He can heal living beings (though he cannot raise the dead), and has proven capable of revitalizing or evolving organic life on a planet wide scale. He can alter the size of himself or of other matter, cast illusions, fire energy blasts, form and manipulate energy constructs, manipulate gravity, absorb and discharge most forms of energy, and phase through solid matter.

h. His senses enable him to detect objects and energies light years away, and to perceive matter and energy in subatomic detail; he can even see through time, and with concentration can achieve limited perception of past and future events in his general vicinity. The Surfer has demonstrated limited telepathic ability on occasion, and has proven able to influence human emotion and sensation.


Was at Borders in Berjaya Times Square on Friday, and ploughed through the graphic novels section. Bought a few of the graphic novels, and my "pocket money" has been set back quite a fair bit this month. Still, at least it is tax deductable! :P

As for the coming movie, anybody wants to watch with me?

What's in a number

Have you wondered what's the fuss people make about numbers? Why are certain numbers good for some, and bad for others?

Chinese typically prefer the numbers "3" and "8" for the similar good fortune sound it has to the specific dialect, and tend to avoid "4" at all costs as it sounds like "die". Whereas Malays will go for "4" because it sounds like "dapat" which is "got". I have a friend who stays in a house No. 4, road number 44/4 or something like that. I would consider it "sui", but I guess unless one is not bothered, it is just a number, or can even be considered lucky to others.

Choosing numbers are not only limited to housebuyers (particularly the Chinese) but also for car registration numbers. My very first car had "only" three digits = 628, and is positive for the Chinese. Of course, a car registration number 238 or 823 would also be ideal for me eh? :P I personally like "13", but I guess if you are westernised and superstitious, it would be bad.

It is also interesting to note the telephone numbers people choose. Some are obviously not particular about their numbers, whilst others expressly go for the "nice" numbers:

***2859 ***1558 ***1714 ***6284 88889** ***6338 ***1938
***9993 ***2248 ***2628 ***5753 ***5849 ***7828 ***0958

When I first came to KL, my grasp of certain dialects was not that good (not that is has improved much now, but...), and I saw nothing wrong with the following numbers (amongst others), until one day a few years after, a chinese friend kindly "enlightened" me as to the different connotation behind the pronounciation:

6767 1967 4967 9967 6758 1167 9467 9767 3967 4867

I guess if you have these numbers and you are of the male gender, then one can either laugh with you or laugh at you. :P And if you are female, what can I say? ... LOL

One thing that has puzzled me though, sometimes I wonder if a Westernised Chinese or a Cina-AhPek would be more particular about numbers and its implied meaning. Hmm...

Church Funnies

A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination, looking at the old pages as he turned them. Then something fell out of the Bible and he picked it up and looked at it closely.

It was an old leaf from a tree that has been pressed in between the pages.

"Momma, look what I found," the boy called out.
"What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked.

With astonishment in the young boy's voice he answered, "It's Adam's suit!!"

A Gift of Love

"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked.

When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.

Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother's arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.

He blurted out the tragedy. "A boy, a big boy ... called me a freak."

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. "But you might mingle with other young people," his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.

The boy's father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done? "I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured," the doctor decided.

Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by.

Then, "You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it's a secret," said the father.

The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.

"But I must know!" He urged his father, "Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him."

"I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know ... not yet."

The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come ... one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother's casket.

Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears.

"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," he whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?"

*************************************************

Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen, but what that cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known.

By: Marge M.