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!