Whatever-lahno: July 2013

28 Jul 2013

Berbuka Puasa bersama Kelana Convoy

Salam all, so today maybe my topic will be deviated little bit. We just have a wonderful break fast with alumni Kelana Convoy just now. We having it at Wadi Hadramawt (http://www.wadihadramawt.com/), Jalan Ampang and around 42 alumni coming for the ceremony.

It was great to meet familiar people and to reminiscence our memory in Europe and what happen next after we left the group. A lot of worries on baggage and shopping at Primark, and we all agree Swiss was a great memory by far and still want to go to Paris again.

So, I heard that Kelana Convoy wanted to do a tour to Scandinavia countries, I'm quite interested on it as I always want to go there, to vist Copenhagen and the biggest Ikea in the world in Sweden. So we will see...hehe.

If you want to know more about Kelana Convoy, you can always go to their website at http://www.kelanaconvoy.co.uk/ and I would really recommended their service to all. It is not only suitable to youngster but also seniors, I get to know cool uncles and aunties and learn their experience on life and religion. So check them out.

I will be going outstation and only coming back next month. So, please be patience for another update.

We all hungry...

Look at all the food...yum yum...

Us with one of the crew...

25 Jul 2013

Europe Trip Part 10: Eiffel Tower and La Vallee Village-Day 1

So, how are you guys? How is your fasting month going? Why I'm asking all this questions?

So, after breakfast, we were split into two groups, the ones to Disneyland Paris and the ones who don't. I belong to the second group as I already been to Tokyo Disneyland.

So we took Metro train to downtown. The whole day ticket is around 16 euro and you can go from Zone 1 to Zone 5. Zone 1 is around Paris town and Zone 5 is up to Disneyland Paris. So, first the crew bring us to Galleries Lafayette, a luxury departmental store (think of Pavillion) near Boulevard Haussmann. The store has several department for men, living and of course women. So of course we went to women galleries and you can see all the branded luxury items there, seriously.

First we went to Longchamp of course and there are a lot of people there, mostly for China I guess, even to ask question about the bag, we need to queue in line. My accompany is one of nurses from Tabuk and med student from Galway. Both of them bought Longchamp bag which cost around 73 Euro, which is not bad compare to the price in Malaysia. I want to buy but I still have not decided whether I should buy here or at the La Vallee factory outlet, which I'm not sure whether to go or not.

Then, our plan is to go to Eiffel Tower, so again we took Metro train to the nearest station to the tower which I can't remember because one of the crew bring us there. During the transit, one of my friend ticket cannot got through and the passenger behind him, a big man manage to push her through the ticket door. after that we arrive at Eiffel Tower. It was a big magnificent statue and we were awe of it. Then we decided to have brunch near the tower. During that time, there is a group look like Arabs but actually Romanian/Gypsy that we come and ask are you to sign a petition or something and then asked for many. As we know their tactics already so when they asked "Are you Malaysian" we just say "tak tak" and they just walkaway. If they know what "tak" (No) mean than they should know we are Malaysians. There are soldiers, yes soldiers not police who went around and chased them out. Good looking soldiers indeed (^_^)

We saw the line to go up the tower is quite long but I'm so determine to go up there to post my postcard. I saw in "Samantha Brown's Europe show where we can get the official Eiffel Tower stamp on the first floor so when I saw that, I tell myself, I want it too so here I am to fulfill my dream. As none of my group want to go up because we hear it will take more than 3 hours to wait in line and besides they wanted to go to the big palace, that I can't pronounce it which is around 40 minutes in train ride. So, we just split which again, I'm alone and so determined to do it.

So, I just wait in line, to take stairs because the line is much more shorter and it will be much faster and cheaper. The cost is around 5 euro up to the second floor. If you take lift to second floor would be around 8.5 Euro and all the way up is 14.5 Euro. So here I am, feeling I should have build up stamina before the journey and feeling, that I might pass out on the stairs but I just want to do it. So, I wait in line around one hour, and just trying to psycho myself that I can do this.

So, I started walking up and see the steel around me and look up and it just so far away. As I start walking I just said to myself, just take your time, there is no need to hurry and try to take as many photos as I can because at each level they will put photos on how they come to build the monument. So, finally, I reach the first floor and I thought I was already there. There is no post office but only a restaurant and more showrooms for Eiffel Tower itself. Then I thought, maybe the post office on the second floor, so I just dragged my feet to the stairs again.

As it becomes higher, the scenery becomes more enchanting, went I reach the second floor, I do proud of myself and feel sense of achievement.However, somehow I feel shy to ask people there to take my photos there so I just do a lot of selfies. So walked around and there is no post office and feel disappointing a little bit and try to cheer up by buying wedding gift for my friend whom I miss the wedding because of this trip and bought some postcards. Then after sometime I decided to go down and make a decision that I want to go to La Vallee factory outlet.

So, when I reach down, and there is the post office. I went up stairs for nothing. I need to put herb oil on my feet tonight. So, after posted some postcards, when back to train station and try to find my way to La Valle Station, which is one station before Disneyland stop. So, the Metro line is quite confusing for the first timer but I just need to find the connected stations to go to the next train line. Alhamdulillah, manage to do it and manage to get seat. The journey will take around 40 minutes. I manage to a seat and it is the first time that I saw a two tier subway. Quite cool actually. The train move from city to the unfamiliar places.

When I arrived, I do feel lost a little bit as I don't know where to go, so I just follow the crowd, where they go to this mall and I saw the sign on how to go to the village. So it took more than 15 minutes for me to walk through the mall. When I reach there of course, the first thing to do is to found where is Longchamp, it is quite far behind and when I arrived there it just feel so good. So. the price is much more cheaper than Galleries Lafayyette and I grab as many as my purse can handle hehe.

So after walking around a little bit, I can see Burberry, Lacoste and even Michael Kors. So, my next stop is Disneyland as the bus will pick us there back to the camp. It was an exhausting day and we did left some tour because there a little bit late. They do have fun in the Disneyland and I do have fun on my own. But I do regret though not going all the way up at Eiffel Tower. Maybe next time!

Next story, still we are in Paris and walking along the famous avenue in the world and LV. Wait and see.

On the way to Metro Station

How to buy the ticket

We are here!

They are drawing Disney characters using chalks...

On the way to Eiffel Tower

Here is the monument and symbol of love...

Yap, I walking up the stairs until the second floor, how many steps? didn't count

Picnic near to tower...

So many people...

Awesome view from first floor...

More awesome view from second floor...

Paris....

Long way up to go to the top...

My ticket...

Reine River...

Opening times, for reference...

My favourite shop....

Just a quick snap at Disneyland...

Eiffel Tower Post Stamp

Cost of the day:

Food and beverage: 15 Euro
Eiffel Tower ticket: 5 Euro
Metro ticket: 16 euro
Souvenirs : 25 euro

21 Jul 2013

Europe Trip Update Part 9: Off to Paris in karaoke bus

So, we have been fasting for 12 days now. Everything so good so far and loving it.

So, it is time for 10 hours bus ride to Paris so in order to fill in the time, the crews had loaded karaoke songs in bus and offered anybody would take the challenge. One of my tent mates did sang some of the song and even one of the crew amused us with his version of Siti Nurhaliza's song, "Purnama Merindu". A lot of people enjoy them, one of the med girls from Galway sang Sixth Sense song and the young couple who is in their third honeymoon sang duet song, I think "Ombak Rindu".

While enjoying that, I opened up a chocolate boxes that I bought from Brussels, it is berry covered chocolate and I offered one to my bus buddy, then I eat the whole up and pulled the stalk and suddenly, i felt this sour weird thing in my mouth I and I was not sure, then I looked at the box, it's written fill in Brandy and I just throw it up in the box, and poor my bus buddy, she also feel it and throw in the box also. I swear, I didn't see the brandy word when I bought it and all the way, I kept apologizing on my bus buddy because offered her a brandy chocolate. It doesn't taste good at all. so, that is my experience of eating alcohol chocolate., I need to really read carefully for every food that I will buy here.

Then, after that we were showing movies, one is Perfume: The Story of Murderer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfume:_The_Story_of_a_Murderer_(film)) , which is quite interesting. Apart from some nudity and orgy (I do close eyes at some part), it is about how the perfume industry was begun and how perfume is made. Then we saw, The Dictator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dictator_(2012_film)) yeah Sasha Sasha Cohen movie and it was so dirty but funny. It less dirty than Borat though. Everyone in the bus is asleep except for a few of us in front of the bus, and in this one part, the Dictator is about to do the flying fox to another building and suddenly he just smack the windows and something happen (I'm not going to tell) and we all scream and woke the the whole bus. It just so funny and yet dirty.

So, in the late evening we arrived at our base camp and were brief on tomorrow's agenda where most of us will go to Disneyland and some of us who are not going, me and others will visit Paris. Yeah, I already went to Disneyland Tokyo, I guess it will be the same. Disneyland Florida, that I will go.

So, the next story will continue on how I walk up stairs in Eiffel Tower and shopping alone at La Vallee Village. Determination!

Cost of the day:

Food and beverage = 20 Euro (yeah, eat a lot cos in the bus)

Karaokeing time...

A long way to go...

14 Jul 2013

Europe Trip Update Part 8: Sledge and Snow in Top of Europe

I have completed my final paper today so merdeka wohooooooo! Just another semester and I will be a degree graduate. Well, better late than never!

I always want to go to Swiss, after watching films ( especially Hindi's) and always want to see snow. I achieved all of them on 8 May 2013. So in the morning, after having breakfast we walk to the beautiful Lauterbrunnen village. Our train is around 10.30am. Before that I manage to go to the post office to post my postcards. I did that for every country that I've been. I will do my postcard entry later.

We where given ticket and passport, it is quite unique passport and you can see the photo later. The train cost around 195 CHF (~RM 600), yes one of the most expensive train ever. It will takes us from Lauterbrunnen to Jungfrau, Top of Europe which is 3454 metres height. Yap, the train will go all the way up to the mountain, how cool is that.

So when the train arrived, there is Kelana Convoy written at the digital display, how great, we got the train by ourselves. So the journey begin. At first it was slow and we can see more clearly on the valley and see a little bit snow here and there because it started to melt already and suddenly bang, full white of mountain staring at us. It was just so big and we just so awe. We just take turn to take photo and the train was design for us to enjoy the panorama as the window is big clear classed that we can open if we want to.

Then we have to change our train at Kleine Scheidegg and then continue around one hour journey after that. Then it started becomes white as we reach in near the top and the crew already warned us to use shade or rayban as it will hurt your eyes seeing the white snow. even with all the white scenery, me and one of my tent mate did fall asleep. Actually it was not good to fall asleep as we reaching the high up on the mountain because it will cause us to death in the sleep because of low oxygen level. But, I don't know perhaps because of that we fall to sleep. But we manage to wake up around 30 minutes before we reach the top.

During the train ride, we manage to plan where to go first, of cause to find where is the snow. They have this facilities inside the mountain around 7 (rooms?) or places to go. After we arrive, one of my mates, has quick faint because of low oxygen level. I did feel hard to breath and has to pace myself so I won't faint also. First we went to see the three tops of Jungfrau, Eiger and Monk and it was so beautiful and could blind your eyes if didn't wearing any shades at all. We try to take some time there to familiarize with the oxygen level there.

Then we went to outside, we we can play the snow. From the tunnel, we can see this white sandy snow and for the first time in my life I touch snow. I still can't believe myself that I was here. They got a lot of activity here like skiing, flying fox, and sledging. The crew has warned us not to do anything that Insurance won't cover such as skiing because it will cost us a lot if we injured during skiing and especially the person who can save us is using helicopter. So, we decided to hang out where they got like a soft pillow and shade like at the beach where we can see people doing flying fox and sledging. My tent mates decided to lay down on snow and me and my bus mates decided to do something else. As my bus mate it is quite adventures, so she wants to do flying fox and I help her to take her photo doing it. I was just scare to do flying fox.

Then she decided to do sledging which I said to myself, when and where else can you do sledging, so I decided to join her. It cost me around 20 or 30 CHF (I can't remember) but you can do repeatably before it closed. So she went first and I took her photo and when it is my time, I do feel nervous and because it just so fast....so I did it, and scream all the way down...the Indian kid who do faster than me asked why do I put my feet in front ( to slow down the sledge), he said I should let go, I just said to him that I just scared. To go up we can use the escalator. Cool, right. Then we went to the Ice Castle and it was so cool. everything was made in ice,, even the pathway, but it was not so slippery.

Believe or not we only has chocolate for our lunch to make sure we have energy. I don't thing we can eat anything there because we feel to tired and sometimes just laying against the wall and on the floor and looking at people around us. I try to shop there but it just too expensive. The Swiss t-shirt can cause you 30 CHF (~RM90) and the fridge magnet is around 10 CHF. So, I didn't get anything.

On the way back, we found out that we need to do take another train route to Lauterbrunnen which is using Grinderwald. I do watch The Amazing Race when they covered Jungfrau and do all the task. Grinderwald is small valley and also beautiful. During the train ride, I just wonder how do the people the live, I wish I can live one day at their home. What they do for living?

When we arrive, my mate want to buy watch for her mother and there is one shop open so all Malaysian is in that shop except for me and 2 other friends. We just hanging out at one of the chair and see the beautiful scenery of in the valley. I still can hear the cow bell and the church bell ringing in my ear. However, I also still remember the smell, yep, the smell of the cow, I don't know perhaps we are seated near the farm or something. At dinner we are having the spiciest nasi lemak ever but with the cols weather, it just also become the delicious nasi lemak ever.

In our dorm, we just can't stop sharing our experience and how it just one of the best experience ever for me. I really wish I can go Swiss again and to stay at one of beautiful village there.

Next is about our 10 hour rides to Paris and the city of love itself. Stay tuned!