Sunday Serenade: a better girl

This week yet another song from Best Coast.. I really like the lyric of this song... :) Enjoy!


Better girl

And it's no fun when I'm freaking out
And it's no fun when I'm always down
And it's no fun what I'm putting inside of me is making me crazier

And it's no fun when I'm always alone
And it's no fun when I'm always at home
And it's no fun when you're laughing at me, always laughing at me

You gotta keep me away from what they say about me
You gotta keep me away from what they say about me, say about me
Cause I want to be a better girl

And it's no fun when I'm staying up late
And it's no fun when you're breaking the date
And it's no fun what I'm putting inside of me is making me crazier

And it's no fun when I'm always alone
And it's no fun when I'm always at home
And it's no fun when you're sitting without me, always sitting without me

You gotta keep me away from what they say about me
You gotta keep me away from what they say about me, say about me
Cause I want to be a better girl,
Yeah I want to be a better girl, a better girl
A better girl, a better girl
A better girl, a better girl
A better girl, a better girl  

Again, no real music video.. just a good audio from YouTube.



Be productive in the week ahead! Stay healthy!

Europe 2014: markets

Went to several different markets while in Amsterdam : book market in Spui, Albert Cuypmarkt, the Flower Market, and a local organic market.

I stumbled upon the book market in Spui while walking back to my host, Merijn's place. Spent more than a hour walking and browsing through the stalls. The stalls have some really interesting stuffs, other than books. There are lots of old and obscure books. Most of the books are in Dutch so it was good as I would be tempted to buy them if they are in English. :) Wanted to get some old posters but decided against it as I don't have a proper case for them and this was just my first destination of my trip. I don't want to carry them all over only to get them crumpled and/or torn. There are also some very nice old wooden/metal signage from the 1960s and 1970s which would make very nice home deco items. Again, had to resist my urge to buy them due to my already heavy luggage. :(

For me, it is so refreshing to see people being (still) so passionate about books in this electronic age. Although I bought a Kindle 2 years ago, I still prefer to read actual physical books. Reading is still very much a pastime that many in Europe engaged in. All of my CS hosts have at least 1 shelf filled with books. In fact, a few of them have wall-to-wall shelves that are lined with books of at least 2 different languages!

My 2nd host, Amy, lives near Albert Cuymarkt so she took me there after I reached her place. It was like a mixture of 'pasar pagi' and farmers' market. Lots of stores selling clothes & accessories, cheese, fresh produces, flowers, traditional Dutch food, etc. The weather was good, so the place was pretty crowded. Again, I didn't buy anything. Just browsing and taking in the sights, sounds and smells. 

After Albert Cuypmarkt, we went to the flower market. We took a slow walk there, since you can practically walk to anywhere within Amsterdam city. The stores there are selling lots of seeds, seedlings and grown plants. Lots of tulips and other types of flowers which as a non-flower person I don't really recognize much less name them, but they sure are very nice to look at. :) 

The local organic market was also another pleasant place I stumbled upon while wandering around Amsterdam. It was a small market with just a few stalls selling fresh agriculture produces and a few more selling snacks and drinks.

Really love visiting these open-air markets.. ^.^

Europe 2014: bicycle and rembrandt

Borrowed jacket & scarf cos of the drizzle

How could I have stayed in Amsterdam for 6 days and NOT cycled? So my 2nd host in Amsterdam, Amy, took me riding along Amstel River, all the way to one of the many Rembrandt statues within Amsterdam and a nice windmill (actually, this is outside Amsterdam 'city').

It was drizzling and we almost didn't want to do it. But in the end, I decided 'what the heck!' cos how often do you get to have a local willing to take you bicycling, right? We avoided the city area because the bike I'm on was high, even for me. It belonged to a family friend of my host. I've always thought of myself as being tall, but being in The Netherlands, I'm short! The bike seat is higher than my waist! For the first time, I can't reach the ground with my foot/feet while seated on a bike. I tried to lower the seat but it was already at the lowest. Anyway, since I need to 'jump off' every time I stop, we decided to take the bikes to the outskirts and avoid the crowds. I've seen several bike crashes and accidents involving tourists in the city center, so I'm not going to be one of the statistics.

statue of Rembrandt & windmill

It was a fun and leisure ride, we chatted during the ride as the roads we took were pretty deserted. We were the only ones on most of them. Nice scenery along the way, with trees, farms, canals and wide fields lining the sides in intervals. Along the way, we talked about lots of things, from religion to education to relationships to FB 'friends' to everyday stuffs.. Think it took us more than an hour to get there. There was a tourist bus there but left just as we were reaching. So we kinda had the entire place to ourselves.

The place is nice and quiet.. no place to actually sit down and chat, so I just took some photos and we left. We then took another route back, going through all the neighborhoods and small roads.. it was really fun cycling in the rain. This is definitely something you'll never get to do if you're staying in a hotel/hostel! ^.^

Sunday Serenade: how they want me to be

First I must admit that I was attracted by the song title before everything else. Then comes the lyrics which did not disappoint. :) Hope you will enjoy this song by Best Coast and NOT be what people want you to be. :) :)

How they want me to be
All of my friends stick up their noses
They ask me where my money is
And where does it go once I've spent it?

But I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be x3

Even my own mother asks me a lot of questions
I tell her I don't wanna talk
But she doesn't stop, she's just wondering

But I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be x3

I want you, you, you, you
I want you, you, you, you

Cause when I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
I wonder who's there, and what they've said
Yeah, when I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
I wonder who's there, and what they've said
But when I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
I look at you and I know it's alright
I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
I look at you and I know it's alright

Cause you don't want me to be
How they want me to be
You don't want me to be
How they want me to be

And I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
You don't want me to be how they want me to be
I don't want me to be how they want me to be


Sorry, no official music video, just real good audio from Youtube.




Have a productive week ahead! Health first!

Poetry Solace: of life (part II)

The next few Poetry Solace entries will feature poems taken from Series Two of  'Poems by Emily Dickinson'. Hope you will like them as much as I do..

I.
I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us - don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog! 


XVI.
Surgeons must be very careful
When they take the knife!
Underneath their fine incisions
Stirs the culprit, - Life!


XXX.
Faith is a fine invention
For gentlemen who see;
But microscopes are prudent
In an emergency! 


XXXI.
Except the heaven had come so near,
So seemed to choose my door,
The distance would not haunt me so;
I had not hoped before.

But just hear the grace depart
I never thought to see,
Afflicts me with a double loss;
'T is lost, and lost to me.



Have a fun summer weekend! Stay safe!

Europe 2014: stations

With my plans to visit 8 cities in total, there was no way for me to avoid stations of any sort. And with Europe being a continent big on rail transport, I was more than happy to rely on them as a mean of travelling between cities, especially with my big suitcase..

Rotterdam Centraal Station

Amsterdam Centraal Station

Gent St-Peters Station

Brugge Centraal Station

Most train stations are also trams and buses stations so it was very convenient to change between these three types of transportation. Big or small, all stations are unique. Some are easy to navigate while some are kinda mazes. Some are modern while others are majestic architecture wonders - case in point: Antwerp Centraal Station. 

All counters staff speaks English, so no worries about communication. But one thing is for sure, you need to do your own homework first before approaching them. Most of the stations are crowded and queues are long, so always go early and allow time for queues. 

Overall, I can say that it's not difficult travelling between cities but you need to make sure you know the exact name of the station you need to reach as they tend to be fairly long.

Also, do not forget to verify your ticket before boarding. I made this oversight on my way to Schipol Airport from Utrecht and it cost me very very dearly.

Europe 2014: heineken

One of the 'have-to-visit' places while in Amsterdam is the Heineken Brewery and so I did. Truth be told, I was never a beer person, I'll drink it when everyone is having one or when the alternative is wine. Anyway, I went for the Heineken Experience during one of my days in Amsterdam. Here are some photos that I've taken.

Entrance

Also at the entrance

It was a Sunday afternoon and I was surprised that there weren't any queues. Most of those there were adults (of course) and mostly non-Asians. The only other Asians there, beside me, were some Indian couples, although I did see some Koreans and Chinese at the souvenir shops at the end of the tour.

After paying for entrance, I was given a rubber bracelet with 3 different plastic pins.

The two 'enjoy responsibly' pins can be used to redeem 2 glasses of cold beer or 1 glasses of extra-cold beer. The other white pin is for a nice souvenir Heineken glass, redeemable at the Heineken Store about 1.2km away.

show & tell - intro to making Heineken beer

Before everything else, we need to know the beer-making process, and the lovely lady shown in the picture above explained to us the ingredients and processes needed to make the world famous Dutch beer. Then it was all the historic part of the tour, showcasing all the tools and equipment used in the beer-making. Didn't really took much photos of those because of all the people whom were hanging around and kinda blocking the shots.

nice barrels

Heineken logos thru the years

Then we came to the old factory floor where the beer was manufactured.

We then came to a place where there are interactive games and Heineken memorabilia on display. Again, lots of 'kids' (aka young people) hogging those so I didn't really try many of them. There were also a fun ride and a demo session at the tasting bar on how to enjoy your Heineken beer where everyone gets a 'small' glass of beer.

Before we end the tour at the souvenir shop, there is the bar where we redeem our pins for beer(s). People were just hanging out, chilling and chugging beer. I chose the 1-glass extra-cold beer option cos I don't think I would be able to finish 2 glasses as I wanted to move on with my exploration of the city.

Overall, it was an interesting tour even if you are not a real beer lover. :) And it is definitely worth the entrance fee. Who can say no to ice-cold beers on a hot summer day?

Sunday Serenade: the only place

Another band that I was introduced to while couchsurfing is Best Coast, an American indie band. I like the simplicity of their songs and their lo-fi recordings. Hope you will enjoy this song that I've chosen to share. :)

The Only Place
We were born with sun in our teeth and in our hair
When we get bored we like to sit around, sit around and stare
At the mountains, at the birds, at the ocean, at the trees
We have fun, we have fun, we have fun when we please

We wake up with the sun in our eyes
It's no surprise that we get so much done
But we always, yes we always, we always have fun
Yes we always, yes we always, we always have fun

Why would you live anywhere else?
Why would you live anywhere else?
We've got the ocean, got the babes
Got the sun, we've got the waves
This is the only place for me

So leave your cold behind
We're gonna make it to the beach on time
Yeah leave the cold behind
We're gonna make it to the beach on time

Why would you live anywhere else?
Why would you live anywhere else?
We've got the ocean, got the babes
Got the sun, we've got the waves
This is the only place
This is the only place
This is the only place
This is the only place for me 





Have a smooth work week ahead! Take care!

Europe 2014: museums

Among the many things I love about Europe, museums and churches are my favorite. I love history and I love art, more specifically paintings and sculptures from the 13th centuries to19th centuries. Thus, no surprise that most of the museums I've visited during my 23+ days were art museums with a few history museums and other misc type of museums. 

After much research, I decided to get the Museumkaart (  €54,90 ) in addition to the Amsterdam Holland Pass ( Pass 5 at €52 ) for my time in The Netherlands. With the Museumkaart, I can visit more than 400 museums in The Netherlands, although in the end, I've just visited 12 major ones. Below is the list of museums that I've been to, in the order of my visits:

1. Amsterdam (History) Museum
2. Rijksmuseum 
3. Van Gogh Museum
4. Stedelijk Museum
5. Hermitage Museum Amsterdam
6. FOAM Photography Museum
7. Mauritshuis 
8. Museum Meermanno
9. Gemeentemuseum
10. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
11. Maritime Museum Rotterdam
12. Universiteitsmuseum

Museums No. 7 - 9 are in Den Haag, 10 & 11 are in Rotterdam and 12 is in Utrecht. The rest are in Amsterdam. I've been to Museum Boijmans twice because of its vast collections and interesting exhibitions. Also, there are a few more museums that I would like to visit, especially Museum Catharijneconvent and Centraal Museum in Utrecht, but due to my timing oversight and time constraint I had to give them a miss. I did not realize that museums are generally closed on Mondays so my timing was off. 

In Belgium, I didn't visit as many museums as I did in The Netherlands maybe because the Belgian churches are far more majestic than those in The Netherlands. The reason? You can read here. Belgium did not have a card similar to Museumkaart so I had to pay for entry for each of them which came up to almost €80. Anyway, the list of museums for Belgium is much shorter, as shown below:

1. Rubenhuis (Antwerp)
2. Plantin-Moretus Museum (Antwerp)
3. Museum of Fine Arts (Ghent)
4. Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (Ghent)
5. Museum Dr Guslain (Ghent)
6. Groeningemuseum (Brugge)
7. Cinquantenaire Museum (Brussels)
8. Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels (BOZAR)

From the lists above, you can see that most of my time were spend visiting these world-class museums. I must say that I am quite impressed with myself for visiting 20 museums in those 23+ days. These were time well-spent as their collections are extensive, invaluable and unique. Compared to the museums I've visited in Italy, Dutch and Belgian museums are so much more enjoyable as their lighting and layout are optimized for viewing and appreciation. 

I shall write about some of the museums, either because they are my favorites and/or because they are really memorable. So if you wanna see some nice art pieces and sculptures, watch these pages! :)   

Sunday Serenade: why does it always rain on me

One of the many things I've gained while staying with my CS hosts is that I am exposed to different music that may/may not be mainstream. They do not limit themselves to the usual US-centric music/artists/bands. Through them I discover some European and indie bands that I really like. So I will be sharing some of their songs here every Sunday, starting with Travis, a British alternative rock band.

This song kinda described my trip in Europe. It kinda rained almost everywhere and every other day after I left Rotterdam.. :P Anyway, hope you'll enjoy the song!

Why does it always rain on me
I can't sleep tonight
Everybody saying everything's alright
Still I can't close my eyes
I'm seeing a tunnel at the end of all these lights

[chorus]
Sunny days
Where have you gone?
I get the strangest feeling you belong
Why does it always rain on me?
Is it because I lied when I was seventeen?
Why does it always rain on me?
Even when the sun is shining
I can't avoid the lightning 
[end of chorus]

I can't stand myself
I'm being held up by an invisible man
Still life on a shelf when
I got my mind on something else

[chorus]

Oh, where did the blue skies go?
And why is it raining so?
It's so cold
I can't sleep tonight
Everybody's saying everything's all right
Still I can't close my eyes
I'm seeing a tunnel at the end of the lights

Sunny days
Where have you gone?
I get the strangest feeling you belong
Why does it always rain on me?
Is it because I lied when I was seventeen?
Even when the sun is shining
I can't avoid the lightning
Oh, where did the blue skies go?
And why is it raining so?
It's so cold
Why does it always rain on me?
Why does it always rain on.... 








Have a productive week ahead! Stay healthy!

Europe 2014: flight

As I've managed to get my flight tickets and the conference registration fees subsidized by the Taiwanese government, I was required to take 'local' airlines. This means that I need to take either EVA Air or China Airlines. Through a contact from my dept, I managed to get a return ticket to/fro Amsterdam for less than NT$35,000 (around €880).

arriving at Schipol in the morning

Transiting in Bangkok, my flight departed from Taoyuan Airport at around 11pm after a delay of more than 30 minutes. It was a code-sharing flight with KLM. First a 3-hour flight to Bangkok, followed by a 12-hour flight to Amsterdam Schipol Airport. The transit (waiting) time was supposed to be around 2 hours, but because of the delay in departure, that time was shortened to about 45 minutes. I was surprised that the plane was almost full. After talking to the guy sitting next to me, I found out that some of the passengers, like him, are going to the East Coast of the United States, while many were part of tour group(s). Didn't get much sleep during the flight maybe because I was too excited, but other than that, it was an unexciting journey.

The trip back to Taipei 23 days later was much more eventful. I was seated next to a Thai mum with her 15 month-old baby girl in the bassinet seats. She was traveling back to Thailand to meet her parents with her Dutch-Thai baby girl. I shall write about this in another entry later. :)

My plane left Schipol Airport at 2pm on Jul 16, and arrived at Taoyuan Airport same time the next day. Within a week, three planes (MH17, GE222 and AH5017) have crashed in different parts of the world, either due to human intervention or natural interference, in which almost 350 people perished. One of the planes even departed from the same airport as my flight less than 24 hours later! Although I found out (much) later that my plane avoided the conflict zone unlike the ill-fated flight, I still couldn't help but feel shaken. Life is short and so unpredictable.. Thank goodness I don't plan to fly anywhere else this year. My next flight will be my annual trip home for CNY this coming Jan/Feb.

Europe 2014: CS hosts

I can't write about my trip without first mentioning how grateful I am to all the wonderful couchsurfing hosts who are so generous in welcoming me into their homes. They made my trip exceptionally memorable with the time we spent together, talking and exchanging views/thoughts/insights about everything and anything.

Many of those around me are quite astonished when I tell them that I'll be sleeping on 6 strangers' couches instead of staying in hotels/hostels in 5 different cities. They just can't wrap their heads around the idea that there are (many) people in the world whom are willing to allow 'stranger(s)' to sleep on their 'couch' without getting any monetary returns. As someone who can sleep (almost) anywhere, I don't really care if I'm sleeping on a couch/sofa bed/ mattress/real bed in their spare/living/dining room/kitchen. I want to interact with the local people. I want to know about their daily lives. And I get to do that through couchsurfing.

Stairways up to M's house

Almost two months before the trip, I started writing requests to hosts in the 5 cities that I planned to visit. Diligently, I read through profiles and references of potential hosts as I wanted to make sure we have things in common and can talk about things that we like/love. I would send one request at a time for each city. I then waited for at least 5 days for responses before sending out another one. And all my requests are personalized and tailored because I genuinely wanted to meet them and talk. Maybe because of my sincerity, my 'acceptance-rate' was pretty good. For the 6 couches I needed in 5 different cities, I sent out a total of 23 requests. Some of the hosts didn't respond, while some were kind enough to let me know that they can't take me in. So 6 out of 23 isn't such a bad statistics after all! :)

Also, I kept my plans flexible because I knew I would need to adjust and adapt to my hosts' plans/schedule. All of them gave me suggestions and recommendations about the places I can visit that may/may not be listed in guide books. Some of them took me around to get me familiarized with the city and showed me how the public transport there works. One of them even took me to a castle in her car! Truthfully speaking I enjoyed my stay so much more when I was staying with a CS host, which maybe why I don't like Rotterdam because I stayed in the conference hotel when I was there.

To Merijn, Rob, James, Pierre, Phillips, Olaf, Amy, Ester, Inge, Nadya, Sharon, Wendy, Geert, Sara, Jelle, Maud and Dana, thank you for your hospitality and kindness from the bottom of my heart. I am really glad that out paths crossed through CS and hope to keep in touch for many years to come. :)

Sunday Serenade: gimme some truth

After more than 2 weeks, not much details has surfaced pertaining the shooting down of MH17.. who gave the order? who selected the target? who pressed the button? No facts or truth, just accusations and denials..

So today, I'm gonna share a protest song sang by John Lennon called 'Gimme some truth' which I think aptly expresses what most of us feel..




Have a good week! Be safe!