The last leg of my Spanish-Portuguese adventure took me to Lisbon, the land of egg tarts. They were seriously selling Portuguese egg tarts on every corner in the city centre. I had 3 egg tarts while I was there for a 2.5 days visit and the best one has to be in Belem where the lines for the store was constantly stretching outside the shop.
Lisbon's traditional centre was rather old as expected and you can tell that Portugal is probably not as rich as it used to be. The place itself is actually very cheap by Europe standard. I probably should have guessed since the flight over from Madrid only cost me £15 including taxes. Since the temperature was pretty much in the mid 30s when I was there, I decided to get a bottle of water from the supermarket. I also wanted some change for the tram ride later so I thought I would go to the supermarket and break my tenner. When I walked in and found what I wanted I had to check the price twice because they were selling 500ml of still water for 10 cent. I had 10cent in my pocket and since I don't like carrying coins I decided not to break my 10 euro and ended up walking up to the castle instead of taking the tram. To this day I am still amazed that I can get a bottle of water for 10 cent in Europe.
Apart from the tarts, the rest of Portuguese food was pretty ordinary. I wasn't very impressed with what I sampled but at least it was cheap. I think overall it is definitely worth visiting. A day trip out to Sintra was also very nice and the warm weather was definitely a welcomed escape from the crappy cold condition in the UK!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Lack of Updates
Have been busy with work and recently out of action due to illness.
Tried to register with a GP, filled in the form then they asked me to go in to show them my passport and other details. She specifically told me they open on Saturday morning and I even checked their website. I got there this morning and no one was there. How stupid is that.
Tried to register with a GP, filled in the form then they asked me to go in to show them my passport and other details. She specifically told me they open on Saturday morning and I even checked their website. I got there this morning and no one was there. How stupid is that.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Madrid
Ah Madrid, what can I say. What an amazingly BORING place! Lucky I only spent a day here because seriously, apart from some decent food, there really is not a lot that interest me. I even went to the Santiago Bernabeu for a visit but after Camp Nou, it really didn't do much for me.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Barcelona Day 2
After a night of excitement at the Camp Nou I decided to take it easy the next morning. Since it was such a nice day I thought I would roam around in Park Güell. Getting there itself was a bit of a hike and I had pretty good instruction from the guide book I was carrying. It warned me of the steep hill to climb and I was so not looking forward to it as I jumped off the metro. As I was getting off, I noticed that there were other tourists that stayed on the metro and I wondered where they were going. The walk up the hill was hard enough and the increasing temperature didn't help one bit, but when I finally made it there I think it was worth it. While I was admiring the design of the park, I saw some of the other tourists who didn't get off the metro where I got off, I think they got off at the next stop and perhaps avoided the steep climb to the park. I don't know for sure but they did get there before me.
After walking through Gaudi's creation, I decided to hit the beach and have lunch there. It was relatively hot so there were quite a few beach goers. I have never seen beach tennis before and didn't know such a game existed but there is a first for everything. After lunch I walked back towards La Rambla and decided to head towards the waterfront. I didn't know it was a shopping centre but if I had known I probably would've given it a miss. When I got near it the weather started to change and it started pouring down. I almost bought an umbrella from the FC Barcelona store but decided not to as the rain started to ease. I took the opportunity to head back towards town and when it started pouring again I ducked into one of the restaurants to have an early dinner. It claimed to have the best sangria in town so I had to have one. It was quite nice and it was massive but they all taste the same after a while. I did want to take some night shots of some of the Gaudi buildings that night but unfortunately it was raining too heavily so I decided to head back and call it a night.
After walking through Gaudi's creation, I decided to hit the beach and have lunch there. It was relatively hot so there were quite a few beach goers. I have never seen beach tennis before and didn't know such a game existed but there is a first for everything. After lunch I walked back towards La Rambla and decided to head towards the waterfront. I didn't know it was a shopping centre but if I had known I probably would've given it a miss. When I got near it the weather started to change and it started pouring down. I almost bought an umbrella from the FC Barcelona store but decided not to as the rain started to ease. I took the opportunity to head back towards town and when it started pouring again I ducked into one of the restaurants to have an early dinner. It claimed to have the best sangria in town so I had to have one. It was quite nice and it was massive but they all taste the same after a while. I did want to take some night shots of some of the Gaudi buildings that night but unfortunately it was raining too heavily so I decided to head back and call it a night.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Visit to the Camp Nou
One of the highlights of my trip to Barcelona has to be the vist to Camp Nou for the Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid game. I got my ticket through the Barcelona FC website and I must say I got quite a decent seat in one of the corners on the second tier second row from the front. After dinner that night I did walk past one of the official Barcelona FC store and you can actually get tickets from there but I think they were all on the top tier so visibility would be quite low in a 100,000 seat stadium.
I got there pretty early because I wanted to take a few photos but at the same time, I didn't realise how quickly and easily you can get to the stadium. Although it wasn't far from the city centre, my experience of getting to a game in London kind of made me think I should try to get there in advance. Well how wrong was I, I got to the game in less than 30 minutes and the gate wasn't even open so I had to stand outside with the crowd for a while. With a 10pm kick off, the gate only opened at 9pm and when it opened I made my way into an empty stadium when half the lights weren't even on yet so I spent some time looking around a bit.
After a while, the players came out to warm up. It was interesting to see the difference the relationship is between the players and the fans. When the players came out, the people chanted the player's names and the players would wave back to the crowd. I don't think I have seen that in England.
When the game finally started, it was action packed from the start. Mr Henry didn't have a great game but in the first 2 minutes, he turned his marker and took a shot that came off the crossbar. It didn't take Barca long though to get on the scoreboard when new boy Ibrahimovic flicked the ball past the keeper. No wonder why they have a massive billboard with his face on it in the middle of the city. They made it 4-0 after 42 minutes and the visitor did pull one back after a stupid mistake by no 16 Sergio Busquets. With each goal, the fans chanted the goal scorer's name and you can understand and almost feel the passion the fans and players have for the club and the game.
The pace of the game dropped a little in the second half and although Barca did come close a few times it was the visitor who got on the scoresheet with Diego Forlan getting a late goal. It wasn't done though as Messi, who was by far the best player on the pitch made it 5-2 in injury time.
It was an awesome experience and if you love football, you should try to see a game if you visit Barcelona.
Score: 5-2
Best Player: Lionel Messi
Worse Player: Sergio Busquets, seriously, this guy made so many mistakes
Funny moment: I notice the away fans were sat at the top of the stadium where no one can hear them
Ugly moment: Dani Alves' goal celebration
I got there pretty early because I wanted to take a few photos but at the same time, I didn't realise how quickly and easily you can get to the stadium. Although it wasn't far from the city centre, my experience of getting to a game in London kind of made me think I should try to get there in advance. Well how wrong was I, I got to the game in less than 30 minutes and the gate wasn't even open so I had to stand outside with the crowd for a while. With a 10pm kick off, the gate only opened at 9pm and when it opened I made my way into an empty stadium when half the lights weren't even on yet so I spent some time looking around a bit.
After a while, the players came out to warm up. It was interesting to see the difference the relationship is between the players and the fans. When the players came out, the people chanted the player's names and the players would wave back to the crowd. I don't think I have seen that in England.
When the game finally started, it was action packed from the start. Mr Henry didn't have a great game but in the first 2 minutes, he turned his marker and took a shot that came off the crossbar. It didn't take Barca long though to get on the scoreboard when new boy Ibrahimovic flicked the ball past the keeper. No wonder why they have a massive billboard with his face on it in the middle of the city. They made it 4-0 after 42 minutes and the visitor did pull one back after a stupid mistake by no 16 Sergio Busquets. With each goal, the fans chanted the goal scorer's name and you can understand and almost feel the passion the fans and players have for the club and the game.
The pace of the game dropped a little in the second half and although Barca did come close a few times it was the visitor who got on the scoresheet with Diego Forlan getting a late goal. It wasn't done though as Messi, who was by far the best player on the pitch made it 5-2 in injury time.
It was an awesome experience and if you love football, you should try to see a game if you visit Barcelona.
Score: 5-2
Best Player: Lionel Messi
Worse Player: Sergio Busquets, seriously, this guy made so many mistakes
Funny moment: I notice the away fans were sat at the top of the stadium where no one can hear them
Ugly moment: Dani Alves' goal celebration
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Barcelona Day 1
On my first scheduled week long holiday I went to visit Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon. It started off pretty damn early since I had to catch a 7:15am Easyjet flight at Luton Airport. I took 24hr bus from Paddington to Baker Street and from there, the Easybus to Luton. I actually got to Baker St a bit early and the Easybus man was nice enough to let me get on the early one. The ride took slightly less than an hour and I had this grand plan to sleep on the bus except my fellow passengers had other ideas and talked (loudly) all the way to the airport. It's fricken 5am people, go back to sleep! Maybe I really should get some noise canceling headphones. I did however managed some sleep on the flight to Barcelona, and surprisingly there was no delay and we even managed to park at the bridge so we didn't have to take the bus to the terminal.
I got through immigration quite quickly and proceeded to look for first the information desk before heading to the Aerobus. The Tourist information desk was probably one of the smallest I have seen but they were quite helpful and I got one of those 2 days unlimited travel tickets on the public transport system. No issues taking the Aerobus downtown to Plaça de Catalunya and from there, I took the Metro to the BnB I was staying at. When I got to my destination, since I walked the wrong direction, it did took me a little while to find the place but I got there in the end. It turned out to be directly in front of the Metro exit but on the other side of a 8 lanes road. I must mention that the BnB (Ana's Guesthouse) is really nice and if you ever go to Barcelona you should definitely check it out as an option. When I was there, there was another group of 3 people staying there and I pretty much had the whole place to myself so even though I was suppose to share the (massive) bathroom, it wasn't an issue in the end.
After checking in, I made my way around town. Firstly down the Passeig de Gràcia and looked at some of the Gaudi buildings before heading to the Montjuic Castle. At the Montjuic Castle, I took the cable car ride up because after a 4am start, I wasn't too keen on climbing that hill. The view on top was pretty good and since it was a nice clear day, I was able to see most of the city from there.
It was late afternoon by the time I headed back towards the city and since I have some time left I went to see the Sagrada Família. It's an odd looking church and the tour guide said they estimate the entire building to be finished by 2030. Since it is funded by donations and they still have not worked out the design to parts of the structure yet this estimate is subject to change.
I ate dinner near Sagrada Família and it was OK. I headed back to the BnB first to rest a little before going to the game at Camp Nou!
I got through immigration quite quickly and proceeded to look for first the information desk before heading to the Aerobus. The Tourist information desk was probably one of the smallest I have seen but they were quite helpful and I got one of those 2 days unlimited travel tickets on the public transport system. No issues taking the Aerobus downtown to Plaça de Catalunya and from there, I took the Metro to the BnB I was staying at. When I got to my destination, since I walked the wrong direction, it did took me a little while to find the place but I got there in the end. It turned out to be directly in front of the Metro exit but on the other side of a 8 lanes road. I must mention that the BnB (Ana's Guesthouse) is really nice and if you ever go to Barcelona you should definitely check it out as an option. When I was there, there was another group of 3 people staying there and I pretty much had the whole place to myself so even though I was suppose to share the (massive) bathroom, it wasn't an issue in the end.
After checking in, I made my way around town. Firstly down the Passeig de Gràcia and looked at some of the Gaudi buildings before heading to the Montjuic Castle. At the Montjuic Castle, I took the cable car ride up because after a 4am start, I wasn't too keen on climbing that hill. The view on top was pretty good and since it was a nice clear day, I was able to see most of the city from there.
It was late afternoon by the time I headed back towards the city and since I have some time left I went to see the Sagrada Família. It's an odd looking church and the tour guide said they estimate the entire building to be finished by 2030. Since it is funded by donations and they still have not worked out the design to parts of the structure yet this estimate is subject to change.
I ate dinner near Sagrada Família and it was OK. I headed back to the BnB first to rest a little before going to the game at Camp Nou!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Quiz result
So here it is!
Your Top Strength
Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness
You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.
Your Second Strength
Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.
Your Third Strength
Industry, diligence, and perseverance
You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you "get it out the door" in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.
Your Fourth Strength
Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty
You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.
Your Fifth Strength
Perspective (wisdom)
Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.
Your Top Strength
Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness
You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.
Your Second Strength
Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.
Your Third Strength
Industry, diligence, and perseverance
You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you "get it out the door" in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.
Your Fourth Strength
Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty
You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.
Your Fifth Strength
Perspective (wisdom)
Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.
Friday, September 11, 2009
16GB SDHC
Bought a new SDHC card from Amazon last week and it finally arrived today. Was getting a bit worried but at least it got here. Tried it out and it worked fine on the camera, but when I tried to plug it into the laptop's SD Card reader, the fricken card reader broke! Tried to update the driver and reinstalled it and it still stuffed. Luckily I can plug the camera directly into the computer.
What I found strange though was hen I first opened the box of my package I found the usual things... SDHC Card (my product), invoice type document... then I found a third item, a piece of paper with an ad for guess what? Nothing electronic related, not the company's specials, but an ad for Scottish beef? WTF is that about? I understand times are tough and you should diversify to minimise your risk... but memory card and fillet steak? That is a strange combination. The pictures looked pretty good though and they are individually packaged. Perhaps that is the only way to get decent meat in this country?
What I found strange though was hen I first opened the box of my package I found the usual things... SDHC Card (my product), invoice type document... then I found a third item, a piece of paper with an ad for guess what? Nothing electronic related, not the company's specials, but an ad for Scottish beef? WTF is that about? I understand times are tough and you should diversify to minimise your risk... but memory card and fillet steak? That is a strange combination. The pictures looked pretty good though and they are individually packaged. Perhaps that is the only way to get decent meat in this country?
Thursday, September 10, 2009
What is Arborio Rice?
Was asked to get arborio rice for dinner tonight so I decided to go to a small local "supermarket" nearby since it was probably the closest store from where I was when I received the call up. I got there and proceeded to the pasta/rice section. I couldn't see any arborio rice so I decided to ask the dude stocking the shelf. So I did and he had no fricken idea what I was talking about. So I asked him for rice to make risotto and he kinda panicked and looked for someone else to help. I assume this other guy is like a manager or something so I asked him the same questions. He had no fricken idea what was going on and tried to sell me jasmine rice or something. In the end they decided that they don't have what I wanted so I walked out and went to Sainsbury's. Probably should've in the first place but it was a lot further from where I was. Seriously, if you work at a supermarket you should at least know something about food. Maybe they don't have it in stock because they don't actually know what it is and the fact it exist?
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Quarter Pounder with Cheese
Had another successful run today without hurting myself so just maybe after a year of on and off injuries my body is going to be OK. This morning's run was full of promise, a crew of 5 but I ended up running with JC and a new running buddy Debbo because the other 2 (JL and Eee) were too soft and perhaps suffering from hangover. Ran down the length of Hyde Park to Hyde Park Corner then made our way back around Kensington Garden to return to Lancaster Gate. It was a nice day with a cool breeze so even though we started at 12 it wasn't too bad.
Afterward I felt like something nasty so after the shower I made my way outside and since there were chicken nuggets request I decided I would just go to the golden arches. They are currently finishing off their Coke Glass promotion and they were doing a buy 1 get 1 free. I decided I might as well since they are probably better than the crappy glasses we have at home and they ended up giving me 3 glasses because he couldn't be bothered pulling them apart (they come in packs of 3s). 3 glasses for £1 what a bargain.
I went home with my food and new glasses and I must be hungry from exercise because my burger was BEAUTIFUL!!!! As usual, I packed my burger with chips before eating and WOW... best... burger... ever... I can't say the same for their chicken nuggets and chips but I must be really hungry and thirsty because the watered down coke tasted so good too! :D
Afterward I felt like something nasty so after the shower I made my way outside and since there were chicken nuggets request I decided I would just go to the golden arches. They are currently finishing off their Coke Glass promotion and they were doing a buy 1 get 1 free. I decided I might as well since they are probably better than the crappy glasses we have at home and they ended up giving me 3 glasses because he couldn't be bothered pulling them apart (they come in packs of 3s). 3 glasses for £1 what a bargain.
I went home with my food and new glasses and I must be hungry from exercise because my burger was BEAUTIFUL!!!! As usual, I packed my burger with chips before eating and WOW... best... burger... ever... I can't say the same for their chicken nuggets and chips but I must be really hungry and thirsty because the watered down coke tasted so good too! :D
Friday, September 4, 2009
Emotional Blog Post
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG :D
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG :D
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trip to Bavaria
The final Bank Holiday for the year signifies the end of Summer in London. We chose to escape by venturing to Munich. Moving to Paddington has its perks and flying in and out of Heathrow can be counted as one of them making the early Saturday morning flight not so painful any more (unless you have to go to Stansted or Luton).
The flight over wasn't too bad, my many flights for work paid off a little with access to a "fast lane" to clear security and the BA lounge for breakfast. It took around and hour and a bit to get over to Germany and by the time we took the train to the hotel it was pretty much lunch time. We got a decent deal at the Hilton Munich City and it only cost us £108 total for 2 nights including buffet breakfast.
After we dropped our bags off we decided the first site to visit was Dachau, the first concentration camp and a model for others during WWII. It was a good educational experience and we were lucky enough to just make it for the last English guided tour of the day. It was disgusting to see how evil humans can be and the video clip we watched at the end was one of the most disturbing I have ever seen.
Day 2 was a much more cheerful and happier affair. We got up early for breakfast and took the train out to Fussen. Despite the hotel giving us the wrong instruction (giving us a Monday to Friday train time rather than weekend), we were able to find our way easily printing out the required train schedule from one of the machines at the station. This is a fantastic service and should be copied in other parts of the world especially when you have to change 2-3 trains to reach your final destination. The train ride took around 2.5 hours, we then hopped onto a local bus to take us to Hohenschwangu, the town below the Schloss Neuschwanstein. It is the castle that the Disney Sleeping Beauty castle was modeled on and the sight was pure fantasy. Beautiful day with clear blue sky and a fantasy land castle sitting on a mountain overlooking its land. The most disappointing part though was the view from Marienbrucke. It would have been such a breathtaking view if it wasn't for the bloody scaffolding on that side of the castle! If you ever visit Munich and you have a day to spare, I definitely recommend going there for a visit.
Day 3 was our final day in Munich and having not seen much of the city (besides Bavarian food and beer) we decided to go on a free walking tour with Sandeman Walking Tour. They operate quite a few tours around Europe and it was a very entertaining experience. Our tour guide was a hyperactive Canadian girl who was quite knowledgeable providing some insights into the history of the city with some amusing stories to tell. I heard their Berlin tour is better so if I ever get the chance to go, I will definitely try to get onto one of their tours.
Overall, I think it was a good trip with a mix of experiences. I definitely learnt a lot about the city and managed to see some amazing scenery (both good and bad). I look forward to my next trip in a couple of week's time to Spain and Portugal.
The flight over wasn't too bad, my many flights for work paid off a little with access to a "fast lane" to clear security and the BA lounge for breakfast. It took around and hour and a bit to get over to Germany and by the time we took the train to the hotel it was pretty much lunch time. We got a decent deal at the Hilton Munich City and it only cost us £108 total for 2 nights including buffet breakfast.
After we dropped our bags off we decided the first site to visit was Dachau, the first concentration camp and a model for others during WWII. It was a good educational experience and we were lucky enough to just make it for the last English guided tour of the day. It was disgusting to see how evil humans can be and the video clip we watched at the end was one of the most disturbing I have ever seen.
Day 2 was a much more cheerful and happier affair. We got up early for breakfast and took the train out to Fussen. Despite the hotel giving us the wrong instruction (giving us a Monday to Friday train time rather than weekend), we were able to find our way easily printing out the required train schedule from one of the machines at the station. This is a fantastic service and should be copied in other parts of the world especially when you have to change 2-3 trains to reach your final destination. The train ride took around 2.5 hours, we then hopped onto a local bus to take us to Hohenschwangu, the town below the Schloss Neuschwanstein. It is the castle that the Disney Sleeping Beauty castle was modeled on and the sight was pure fantasy. Beautiful day with clear blue sky and a fantasy land castle sitting on a mountain overlooking its land. The most disappointing part though was the view from Marienbrucke. It would have been such a breathtaking view if it wasn't for the bloody scaffolding on that side of the castle! If you ever visit Munich and you have a day to spare, I definitely recommend going there for a visit.
Day 3 was our final day in Munich and having not seen much of the city (besides Bavarian food and beer) we decided to go on a free walking tour with Sandeman Walking Tour. They operate quite a few tours around Europe and it was a very entertaining experience. Our tour guide was a hyperactive Canadian girl who was quite knowledgeable providing some insights into the history of the city with some amusing stories to tell. I heard their Berlin tour is better so if I ever get the chance to go, I will definitely try to get onto one of their tours.
Overall, I think it was a good trip with a mix of experiences. I definitely learnt a lot about the city and managed to see some amazing scenery (both good and bad). I look forward to my next trip in a couple of week's time to Spain and Portugal.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Back and plans ahead
After going away for a month due to our move to Paddington, finally, everything is back in order. We have electricity, gas, phone, and now the internet. Thanks to our neighbour we were able to borrow his connection while we waited for everything to get setup and although it was frustrating at times, we thank him for his generosity.
I will try to catch up and make a few postings in the coming weeks as I have just returned from Munich and will soon be going to Spain which will include going to the Camp Nou to watch Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid (not quite el clasico). If I have time, I wouldn't mind visiting the Santiago Bernabeu but since I will only be there for 1 day, I'm not sure whether I can fit it in.
Since I have to use up all my leave for the year, in October I will be going to Switzerland and Italy for 2 weeks so that should be exciting as well. For now, you will just have to wait until i make a new posting!
I will try to catch up and make a few postings in the coming weeks as I have just returned from Munich and will soon be going to Spain which will include going to the Camp Nou to watch Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid (not quite el clasico). If I have time, I wouldn't mind visiting the Santiago Bernabeu but since I will only be there for 1 day, I'm not sure whether I can fit it in.
Since I have to use up all my leave for the year, in October I will be going to Switzerland and Italy for 2 weeks so that should be exciting as well. For now, you will just have to wait until i make a new posting!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Legoland
Went to Legoland with my sister and her friend. It took way too long to get there because of stupid train delays. 2 defective trains in front of us and then the train decided it will no longer go to Windsor means it took us 2 hours to get to Windsor. Another 30 minute wait and 15 minute bus ride meant we did not get there until way after lunch.
Once we got there it was fine, nice weather, and not very crowded. 6 hours of walking around without going on any rides resulted in a lot of photos taken and some useless stuff bought (not by me). Photos as usual are on FB. I would recommend going there to relive your childhood since Lego is for everyone!
Once we got there it was fine, nice weather, and not very crowded. 6 hours of walking around without going on any rides resulted in a lot of photos taken and some useless stuff bought (not by me). Photos as usual are on FB. I would recommend going there to relive your childhood since Lego is for everyone!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
FA Charity Shield
Will be going to Wembley next week for the Man U v Chelsea match for the FA Charity Shield. Have to sit in the Man U area because that is where we got our ticket from. It was so stupid though, when I logged in it gave me row 41, thinking that that is the best I could get I just paid for it. A friend said he lost his session so while I was still in I went to get allocation for additional tickets and it gave me row 13! Bloody hell! Stupid Man U website! It probably knew I am an Arsenal supporter!
Edit: To avoid getting beat up I will not wear my Arsenal shirt.
Edit: To avoid getting beat up I will not wear my Arsenal shirt.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
No longer a Mexican
Moving north of the river to Paddington at the start of August. Trying to organise everything right now.
So may no longer be a Mexican, although I'm still traveling to Oink Oink flu central in Dusseldorf where there was a new case in the office on the same floor as me this week.
Edit: South of the border = Mexican
So may no longer be a Mexican, although I'm still traveling to Oink Oink flu central in Dusseldorf where there was a new case in the office on the same floor as me this week.
Edit: South of the border = Mexican
September Holiday
Booked to go to Barcelona -> Madrid -> Lisbon. Have pretty much organised everything apart from accommodation in Lisbon. The plan is to try to see if I can get tickets to see a Barcelona game at the Nou Camp. That weekend they are scheduled to play Athletico Madrid. I know it's not quite El Classico but it's good enough. Either way, even if I don't get tickets I want to do the stadium tour anyway.
I still have 21 days of leave left in total and taking 5 into next year meaning I still have to take 16 days off by the end of the year. I can probably get a week off per month until end of the year!
I still have 21 days of leave left in total and taking 5 into next year meaning I still have to take 16 days off by the end of the year. I can probably get a week off per month until end of the year!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Oink Oink flu central
2 weeks ago someone I worked with in Dusseldorf had contact with another person in the office who had swine flu. Today I found out that there was another swine flu outbreak at the client office on Tuesday and they sent a bunch of people home! I should get like danger pay or something. Hopefully I will be fine.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Why so hard?
Have been trying to book accommodation for the World Cup 2010 from 1 July to 3 July in Johannesburg and 3 times we have paid deposit and then for them to tell us oh sorry, we are actually booked out, I thought you meant 2009. Fair enough, despite the fact that I specifically asked for 2010, people make mistakes. That however does not explain the latest episode when they contacted us saying we have availability and the message came AFTER 1 July 2009.
Tomorrow I will try to book flights at the BA ticketing desks at the airport. See what happens then.
So far, got tickets, booked safari trip, however, still no accommodation or flights.
Tomorrow I will try to book flights at the BA ticketing desks at the airport. See what happens then.
So far, got tickets, booked safari trip, however, still no accommodation or flights.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Experiment
Working away from home for a while now and at Dusseldorf I have been staying at the Hilton Hotel. Nothing really wrong about the place and it is actually quite nice. In fact, they even know my name now which is pretty sad indeed (although this week could be the last week). One thing that I notice though is that each night I get back to my room and I have to brush my teeth, something is just not right. Then one day, I realised what it is... They like to turn my toothbrush upside down. When I finish brushing my teeth I like to put my toothbrush with the bristles end down inside the glass (unless it has a holder like my cup at home). Each night I get back it gets turned upside down. Why do they do that? Am I doing something wrong? Why can't I have my toothbrush that way?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
No time
Was going to post some stuff earlier but couldn't access this when I was in Dusseldorf.
Was going to post tonight but my flight was an hour delayed so just got home.
Going to post another day, if I still remember what I was going to write.
Was going to post tonight but my flight was an hour delayed so just got home.
Going to post another day, if I still remember what I was going to write.
Seems like something is broken
Get into blogger, sign in, then clicked on new post, just gave me a blank screen. Had to click on edit post and then new post to get to the screen that I am currently typing this message on.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Signs of old age?
When I was young I was running around outside the house on a wet day. I was going around the corner and I slipped... falling flat on my face and chipped my front tooth. Had to go to the dentist for a filling and it was all good... for a long time.
This morning at breakfast I was eating and suddenly I felt something weird... when I used my tongue to check my teeth I felt a crack... wtf the filling came off! I have booked a dental appointment on Friday so hopefully I can get it fixed... SIGH
This morning at breakfast I was eating and suddenly I felt something weird... when I used my tongue to check my teeth I felt a crack... wtf the filling came off! I have booked a dental appointment on Friday so hopefully I can get it fixed... SIGH
Monday, June 1, 2009
Getting older, probably not any wiser
Another year, and will no longer in the 20's. What a scary thought... Game on!
Flooding at OKR
Upstair's water valve controlling the water going into their boiler was broken and ended up flooding their apartment and water came through the floor and into our place. Luckily for us, apart from no electricity, phone, and internet for the day, no serious damage was caused. The below is a rough idea of what happened throughout the day...
5:30am - Woke up by the smoke alarm. The first thing that came to mind was 'Who is making toasts this morning?'. Got up to reach for the smoke alarm button... didn't stop. Turned to look at the clock... what the... 5:30?!?!?!?! Is it really a fire? Lets walk out and see.
5:32am - Went outside, no smoke, good sign. Went to the living room, the entire house's smoke alarm was going nuts. Looked upstairs and saw PT walk out of the room and saw what was in her room. Kind of shocked... water came flooding down from the ceiling through her smoke alarm.
5:33am - Went for the toolbox to get the screw driver so I can stop the smoke alarm, knowing the button won't work I have to just knock it out totally.
5:40am - Knocked out all the smoke alarms apart from 1 in KT's room. The girls were knocking on her door trying to get her to open. Apparently she didn't notice the entire house was going nuts.
6:00am - Trying to contain the situation, buckets, bowls, and towels everywhere. Water seeping through and now lines of water running down the walls in my room.
6:30am - After calling emergency, plumber, and landlord, there really isn't a lot we could do. PT hungry.
7:00am - Decided to look for people upstairs, he came down to assess the situation. After mentioning many times, PT decided to go to Sainsbury's to get breakfast.
7:30am - Emptied 2 buckets of water from upstairs. PT back so OKR had breakfast in front of the newly installed water features.
7:45am - Landlord arrives, had put on a lot of weight. Probably a bit shocked of the situation and thinking WTF. Apart from his huge pot he didn't show any emotion and declined breakfast offer.
8:30am - Landlord finished using his carpet drying machine and left. OKR exhausted and slept on couch, have photos. SMS FLy to tell her to keep sleeping, run canceled.
9:30am - J called FLy, half asleep. Then PT and J slept on couch, KT went back to bed, KH playing DS.
10:00am - PT and J still won't get up to go out. KH struggling with Puyo Pop Fever. KT sleeping.
10:30 to 11:30am - PT, J, and KH all left the house to do various stuff. KT sleeping.
1:30pm - KH returned home. KT sleeping.
3:30pm - KT woke up. KH about to go sleep.
6:00pm - KH got up, PT home, KT went back to sleep.
6:30pm - Everyone awake in OKR and prepared to go out for the night.
5:30am - Woke up by the smoke alarm. The first thing that came to mind was 'Who is making toasts this morning?'. Got up to reach for the smoke alarm button... didn't stop. Turned to look at the clock... what the... 5:30?!?!?!?! Is it really a fire? Lets walk out and see.
5:32am - Went outside, no smoke, good sign. Went to the living room, the entire house's smoke alarm was going nuts. Looked upstairs and saw PT walk out of the room and saw what was in her room. Kind of shocked... water came flooding down from the ceiling through her smoke alarm.
5:33am - Went for the toolbox to get the screw driver so I can stop the smoke alarm, knowing the button won't work I have to just knock it out totally.
5:40am - Knocked out all the smoke alarms apart from 1 in KT's room. The girls were knocking on her door trying to get her to open. Apparently she didn't notice the entire house was going nuts.
6:00am - Trying to contain the situation, buckets, bowls, and towels everywhere. Water seeping through and now lines of water running down the walls in my room.
6:30am - After calling emergency, plumber, and landlord, there really isn't a lot we could do. PT hungry.
7:00am - Decided to look for people upstairs, he came down to assess the situation. After mentioning many times, PT decided to go to Sainsbury's to get breakfast.
7:30am - Emptied 2 buckets of water from upstairs. PT back so OKR had breakfast in front of the newly installed water features.
7:45am - Landlord arrives, had put on a lot of weight. Probably a bit shocked of the situation and thinking WTF. Apart from his huge pot he didn't show any emotion and declined breakfast offer.
8:30am - Landlord finished using his carpet drying machine and left. OKR exhausted and slept on couch, have photos. SMS FLy to tell her to keep sleeping, run canceled.
9:30am - J called FLy, half asleep. Then PT and J slept on couch, KT went back to bed, KH playing DS.
10:00am - PT and J still won't get up to go out. KH struggling with Puyo Pop Fever. KT sleeping.
10:30 to 11:30am - PT, J, and KH all left the house to do various stuff. KT sleeping.
1:30pm - KH returned home. KT sleeping.
3:30pm - KT woke up. KH about to go sleep.
6:00pm - KH got up, PT home, KT went back to sleep.
6:30pm - Everyone awake in OKR and prepared to go out for the night.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Xiao Long Bao Wars
Xiao Long Bao originated in Shanghai is one of my favorite dumpling. My extended stay in HK had allowed me to try some decent restaurants in the city and I managed to sample xiao long bao from 3 of the places I went to.
Din Tai Fung
Visited the Hong Kong branch of this Taiwanese 'chain' with restaurants around the world. They are famous for their dumplings and it didn't really disappoint. Picking up the dumpling with chopsticks was an ease and the skin didn't break. The soup was nice and it generally tasted pretty good but I think it was too hyped up by others and while it was good it wasn't that amazingly great. The place itself was nice though with really good service. Probably worth going to to impress your visitors.
Lung King Heen
Went here for a pre-Mother's Day yum cha. This it the only restaurant in Hong Kong to receive three Michelin stars and the only Chinese chef ever to receive this prestigious accolade, but I seriously question his ability to make xiao long bao. Sure this may not be his specialty and he probably didn't make it himself but i must say it was pretty poor. We ordered a variety of dishes and this was the first thing that came out. The presentation was excellent and it had the dumpling sat in a little basket so you can easily pick it up. When I went to grab mine in anticipation I noticed a slight resistant. To my shock my dumpling was stuck to the side of the bamboo steamer! When I pulled it out it broke and the soup came pouring out *cry*. The taste was alright but I couldn't truly appreciate it. SIGH... However, the overall meal here was very good and at around $1200HKD for 4 people at a Michelin 3 star restaurant it is pretty good value for lunch.
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
My sister rated this place highly and said to be the best in HK. Having gone there twice in just under 2 months I think I have to agree! The skin was quite thin and the dumpling didn't break. The soup was very tasty and the pork inside also tasted very fresh! Went to the branch in Ocean Terminal TST and they gave us a nice window view looking out to Victoria Harbor. If you love xiao long bao and you are visiting HK you probably should pay these guys a visit! Much better than both Din Tai Fung and Lung King Heen and probably a lot cheaper too.
Din Tai Fung
Visited the Hong Kong branch of this Taiwanese 'chain' with restaurants around the world. They are famous for their dumplings and it didn't really disappoint. Picking up the dumpling with chopsticks was an ease and the skin didn't break. The soup was nice and it generally tasted pretty good but I think it was too hyped up by others and while it was good it wasn't that amazingly great. The place itself was nice though with really good service. Probably worth going to to impress your visitors.
Lung King Heen
Went here for a pre-Mother's Day yum cha. This it the only restaurant in Hong Kong to receive three Michelin stars and the only Chinese chef ever to receive this prestigious accolade, but I seriously question his ability to make xiao long bao. Sure this may not be his specialty and he probably didn't make it himself but i must say it was pretty poor. We ordered a variety of dishes and this was the first thing that came out. The presentation was excellent and it had the dumpling sat in a little basket so you can easily pick it up. When I went to grab mine in anticipation I noticed a slight resistant. To my shock my dumpling was stuck to the side of the bamboo steamer! When I pulled it out it broke and the soup came pouring out *cry*. The taste was alright but I couldn't truly appreciate it. SIGH... However, the overall meal here was very good and at around $1200HKD for 4 people at a Michelin 3 star restaurant it is pretty good value for lunch.
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
My sister rated this place highly and said to be the best in HK. Having gone there twice in just under 2 months I think I have to agree! The skin was quite thin and the dumpling didn't break. The soup was very tasty and the pork inside also tasted very fresh! Went to the branch in Ocean Terminal TST and they gave us a nice window view looking out to Victoria Harbor. If you love xiao long bao and you are visiting HK you probably should pay these guys a visit! Much better than both Din Tai Fung and Lung King Heen and probably a lot cheaper too.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Back to London
Returning Thursday morning. Next stop Amsterdam for late May Bank holiday. Also submitted request for World Cup tickets, see if anything comes through for South Africa 2010!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Approved!
According to my phone call. Will have to go in next week to pick up my documents since tomorrow is a holiday here in HK.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Changed my flight
To 8th March 2010, this way I will hopefully just have to make 1 more change whenever I find out what is going to happen.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Still waiting
Yup, as much as I *heart* HK and its food I really hope I can get my visa soon so I can get out of here and get some money so I can spend some more.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
FA Cup Semi
Stayed up last night to watch the Arsenal v Chelsea FA Cup semi final. The Gunners made a fantastic start with Walcott scoring early on in the first half. He knocked home a volley but it did take a deflection off Ashley Cole's hand to get past Petr Cech. Not long after that though Chelsea decided to pick up their game and soon equalised through Malouda. It was a half hearted defending effort from Eboue who seriously should have closed him down a lot better.
Throughout the game I was feeling nerves every time Denilson and Diaby had the ball in midfield because they were making far too many mistakes. They are still very young as players and perhaps the big occasion is just a bit too much for them to handle. Diaby though should really wake up because he kept giving away the ball too easily and being too casual about every touch he took.
There were a couple of moments in the game that could have turned it either way. Malouda is such a dirty player, he shoved Cesc down a couple of times and once in the penalty area and then claim that he was diving when replay had shown a clear push by him. Silvestre clearly handballed in the penalty area but got away with it, I still question why Mr Wenger bought him, surely there are better options out there.
The defining moments though belonged to the birthday boy, Gunners keeper, Lukasz Fabianski. What were you thinking? You made the mistake against Wigan the other day by rushing out and they nearly scored when we were 1-0 down. You did it again here with Drogba and lost again, luckily Gibbs was able to get back and hacked it off the line. With 6 minutes to go you decided to rush out again and this time got rounded and lost the game. Sure, Silvestre should probably have done better defending in the first place but there was no need to rush out of the penalty box. He didn't even have control of the ball at the time and with Toure and Silvestre rushing back you would've had a better chance coming out later. Game finished 2-1 Chelsea. With the current injury crisis the Gunners are a bit thin at the back and another trophy-less season is likely to happen and I hope Mr Wenger can keep his side together next year.
Throughout the game I was feeling nerves every time Denilson and Diaby had the ball in midfield because they were making far too many mistakes. They are still very young as players and perhaps the big occasion is just a bit too much for them to handle. Diaby though should really wake up because he kept giving away the ball too easily and being too casual about every touch he took.
There were a couple of moments in the game that could have turned it either way. Malouda is such a dirty player, he shoved Cesc down a couple of times and once in the penalty area and then claim that he was diving when replay had shown a clear push by him. Silvestre clearly handballed in the penalty area but got away with it, I still question why Mr Wenger bought him, surely there are better options out there.
The defining moments though belonged to the birthday boy, Gunners keeper, Lukasz Fabianski. What were you thinking? You made the mistake against Wigan the other day by rushing out and they nearly scored when we were 1-0 down. You did it again here with Drogba and lost again, luckily Gibbs was able to get back and hacked it off the line. With 6 minutes to go you decided to rush out again and this time got rounded and lost the game. Sure, Silvestre should probably have done better defending in the first place but there was no need to rush out of the penalty box. He didn't even have control of the ball at the time and with Toure and Silvestre rushing back you would've had a better chance coming out later. Game finished 2-1 Chelsea. With the current injury crisis the Gunners are a bit thin at the back and another trophy-less season is likely to happen and I hope Mr Wenger can keep his side together next year.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
NJ_La surprise
Well I kinda guessed it after thinking about her story. I wasn't 100% sure so didn't have my hopes up and just waited at the agreed spot outside Lane Crawford at CWB. Here's the story:
- She told me she was going to be out early with KT and won't be online so in total she disappeared for like 2 days
- Her sister called me early on Monday morning (holiday in HK) to get her keys back even though I was suppose to pass it on to NJ_La later in the week
- On my way there I realised that it was Monday and just enough time for NJ_La to take the Sunday flight back
- After thinking about it, there is no way KT would be awake so early to go out on a holiday plus I would be at home anyway so she would at least hop online for a bit before going out anyway
At 12:30, I see NJ_La at CWB. I'm smart. :D
- She told me she was going to be out early with KT and won't be online so in total she disappeared for like 2 days
- Her sister called me early on Monday morning (holiday in HK) to get her keys back even though I was suppose to pass it on to NJ_La later in the week
- On my way there I realised that it was Monday and just enough time for NJ_La to take the Sunday flight back
- After thinking about it, there is no way KT would be awake so early to go out on a holiday plus I would be at home anyway so she would at least hop online for a bit before going out anyway
At 12:30, I see NJ_La at CWB. I'm smart. :D
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Now watching...
Watching
24
Heroes
Full Metal Alchemist
Finished
Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou
Gundam 00
PoT
BSG
The bad thing is they all come out Monday/Tuesday, leaving me nothing for the rest of the week.
*Edit*
I did watch Sengoku Basara and it is like watching Dynasty Warriors anime. I'm not sure whether I can get into it though but will give the second episode a go next week. Also watched Cross Game, it's pretty much like Touch and/or H2 but since it is by the same guy I'm not surprised. I did enjoy watching it so might continue with that one too.
24
Heroes
Full Metal Alchemist
Finished
Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou
Gundam 00
PoT
BSG
The bad thing is they all come out Monday/Tuesday, leaving me nothing for the rest of the week.
*Edit*
I did watch Sengoku Basara and it is like watching Dynasty Warriors anime. I'm not sure whether I can get into it though but will give the second episode a go next week. Also watched Cross Game, it's pretty much like Touch and/or H2 but since it is by the same guy I'm not surprised. I did enjoy watching it so might continue with that one too.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
PoT
Finished watching PoT, including the finals. Echizen can release GN particles and can TRANS-AM!!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
TRANS-AM
Or lack of... Gundam 00 just finished its second season (1 less thing to watch) and I am not too satisfied with the ending. I expected a more spectacular finish with some kick @rse robot action but the fighting finished half way and spent the rest of the show explaining what is happening with every other character. Lets hope the movie in 2010 will be worth the wait.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
World's strongest man?
Managed to rip the handle off the front gate today at our apartment block. Put in the PIN and pulled the handle like always, except today the handle came off. Ended up pulling the screws to open the gate and gave the handle to the guard.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Involuntary Burping
I don't actually know how to burp so whenever it happens it happens naturally. It has been happening a lot lately.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Battlestar Galactica - finally done
I started watching this back in 2004 and 5 years later it finally finished (even though there is only 4 seasons). I thought it was pretty good when I first started watching this but when I moved back to Melbourne I stopped watching and only picked this up a couple of years back. Watched it from the start again and I was really into it. The show caused so much anger and rage out in the community because they liked to leave massive cliffhangers as season finales and there was almost a 1 year wait for the new season. Some episodes were hit and miss but the action was always there to keep people interested. I have to say I am satisfied with the ending and they did tie most things up but there are a few questions...
- What happened to the 20+ cylon base ships guarding the mothership when the Galactica arrived?
- How did Galactica manage to jump out after taking heavy bombardment and with holes everywhere?
- Where did Starbuck go? She just disappeared... some suggested she was Jesus when she died and got rez (the show does have strong ties to religion)
What am I going to watch now that it is finished? 24 is still going but the animes I am watching is ending too...
- What happened to the 20+ cylon base ships guarding the mothership when the Galactica arrived?
- How did Galactica manage to jump out after taking heavy bombardment and with holes everywhere?
- Where did Starbuck go? She just disappeared... some suggested she was Jesus when she died and got rez (the show does have strong ties to religion)
What am I going to watch now that it is finished? 24 is still going but the animes I am watching is ending too...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Asian nail care places
Now that I have been to a few more countries one thing that I have noticed is that there are a lot of nail care places around and the common factor is that they are always run by Asians! Doesn't matter where you go, Australia, England... even Malmo, Sweden I have seen Asian nail care places. Is that something Asians specialise in? Whenever I see nail care places in any country I always want to look inside to see if it is run by Asians and so far they have always been the case!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Playing the waiting game
Submitted yesterday so nothing I can do now. Have to wait and see *fingers crossed*
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Slow Week
Relatively slow week this week. On Tuesday I had a It's Only F'ing Tuesday (OFT) moment at around 11am. But who knows maybe next Tuesday I won't be working! They are waiting for the client and are having a meeting on Monday, which is stupid because I wouldn't know if I have to go to work on Tuesday until then. It also mean I cannot book my flight to HK to get my visa done.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Ultimate Force
Growing up in Asia when I was young had allowed me to experience a lot of things. Living in a shoe box sized home, enjoy an efficient public transport system, and working bloody hard at school, just to name a few. One of the most memorable moments though has to be getting spanked by the feather duster. Anyone who grew up in Asia in the 80s and 90s had to have experienced this at some stage and I am totally convinced this item existed in every home and would have seen more flesh than dust. My question though is the feather duster the ultimate weapon or are there anything else (item or technique) more vicious and inflicts more pain and suffering? I have heard of the cane, ruler, getting things thrown at you, and chili in the eye... I must say chili is pretty bad... it sounds like something you would do in concentration camps... Thanks for the contributions so far and you will remain nameless...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Brazil vs Italy - The Game
As I walked up the starts to the upper tier where we were sitting I thought to myself this game better be worth it! I managed to grab a hot dog and drink before going to the stands, I was so hungry, I think I downed that in less than a minute.
The game started just as we sat down and said hi to he rest of the group. There were still people streaming into the stadium (no doubt due to the delays) and with the seats barely warm Italy scored!!!!! The crowd went wild as I was reaching for my camera but the flag was up for offside. Apparently it was a beautiful volley but I just missed it but saw the ball fly into the net from the left side.
As the first half went on we could see Brazil slowly dominating the game. Even a lazy Ronaldiho with his wayward passes managed to outshine anyone in a blue shirt. Brazil managed to score twice in the first half and damn they were nice goals. A mixture of good team link ups and sublime individual skills and commitment allowed the Brazilians to go into the break 2-nil up. We thought the teams were going to do a mass substitution at half time as Cannavaro and Robinho exchanged shirts (with a half naked Cannavaro slowly strolling off the field... sorry ladies, when I realised and got my 200mm zoom lens out he was on the other side of the field).
A short break in between and Italy was first out onto the field with a couple of substitutions. Brazil came out after and to my surprise the original team came back out. The second half though was not as entertaining as Brazil seemed to be satisfied with the lead and Italy as they were in the first half, lacked imagination. They did find the net though with Luca Toni controlling the ball with his arm but he was unable to fool the ref or the crowd. Toni came close again later on but Julio César pulled off a point blank save to deny him. The game pretty much finished shortly after that with Robinho (who was absolutely outstanding) receiving the player of the match award.
In the end, the pain to get there was forgotten with the night's memory replaced by silky skills and champagne football.
The game started just as we sat down and said hi to he rest of the group. There were still people streaming into the stadium (no doubt due to the delays) and with the seats barely warm Italy scored!!!!! The crowd went wild as I was reaching for my camera but the flag was up for offside. Apparently it was a beautiful volley but I just missed it but saw the ball fly into the net from the left side.
As the first half went on we could see Brazil slowly dominating the game. Even a lazy Ronaldiho with his wayward passes managed to outshine anyone in a blue shirt. Brazil managed to score twice in the first half and damn they were nice goals. A mixture of good team link ups and sublime individual skills and commitment allowed the Brazilians to go into the break 2-nil up. We thought the teams were going to do a mass substitution at half time as Cannavaro and Robinho exchanged shirts (with a half naked Cannavaro slowly strolling off the field... sorry ladies, when I realised and got my 200mm zoom lens out he was on the other side of the field).
A short break in between and Italy was first out onto the field with a couple of substitutions. Brazil came out after and to my surprise the original team came back out. The second half though was not as entertaining as Brazil seemed to be satisfied with the lead and Italy as they were in the first half, lacked imagination. They did find the net though with Luca Toni controlling the ball with his arm but he was unable to fool the ref or the crowd. Toni came close again later on but Julio César pulled off a point blank save to deny him. The game pretty much finished shortly after that with Robinho (who was absolutely outstanding) receiving the player of the match award.
In the end, the pain to get there was forgotten with the night's memory replaced by silky skills and champagne football.
Brazil vs Italy - The Journey
I wanted to blog about the awesome football game I went to last night at the Emirates but I thought I should split it up into 2 parts. The reason is because I believe the journey there was just as eventful as the match itself.
I left work at approximately 5:40pm to meet up with some friends for dinner near the stadium at 6:15pm. Since the TFL website thinks the bus would take maximum 40 minutes from where I was I decided to take the tube which was suppose to get me there in around 20-30 minutes. All was well as I took the Northern line from Moorgate to change at Kings Cross but one stop before the change the driver announced that someone fell ill at Euston station and we would be stopping at the current station for a while. I waited patiently and not long after we started moving again. I looked at my watch and it was just before 6pm so I would still be able to arrive on time. Half way to Kings Cross the driver announced that due to an incident and overcrowding we were no longer stopping at Kings Cross and the next stop will be Euston. I thought excellent... that is exactly what I needed. When we got to Euston I walked across to the Victoria line to try to go back the other way. However, nothing was stopping at the next station and since I was going to be late I decided to go up to the street level first to give my friends a call to let them know.
After the call I attempted to go back down to the tube and by then the platform was packed and the tubes were still not moving. They then announced that Kings Cross is open again and I went on a tube to go 1 stop up so I could get on the tube going back the other way. All was fine and my tube was empty, what a clever idea I thought. When I got back to Kings Cross station the door opened and everyone got off. When I was heading for the other platform, they made an announcement to tell everyone to get out of the station because of an incident. OMFG, why didn't you tell me that before I got off the tube at the fricken station?!!?!!? I got up to the top and asked one of the staff how am I suppose to get to the Emirates? Her reply was you have to wait until the station reopens but she didn't know how long.
I then decided to walk to Euston station which is 10 minutes away on foot and take the Victoria line up to Finsbury Park and perhaps walk to the stadium from there. Luckily for me I managed to get on a tube straight away and FINALLY on my way to the game. I got off at Finsbury Park and thought about taking the tube back to Arsenal station but decided against it. I looked at my watch as I climbed the starts towards the Emirates and made it there at 7:30pm. Waited for the rest of the gang and walked through the gates just before kick off... What was suppose to be a 20 minutes journey took almost 2 hours... Longer than the game itself... @#$% London public transport system...
I left work at approximately 5:40pm to meet up with some friends for dinner near the stadium at 6:15pm. Since the TFL website thinks the bus would take maximum 40 minutes from where I was I decided to take the tube which was suppose to get me there in around 20-30 minutes. All was well as I took the Northern line from Moorgate to change at Kings Cross but one stop before the change the driver announced that someone fell ill at Euston station and we would be stopping at the current station for a while. I waited patiently and not long after we started moving again. I looked at my watch and it was just before 6pm so I would still be able to arrive on time. Half way to Kings Cross the driver announced that due to an incident and overcrowding we were no longer stopping at Kings Cross and the next stop will be Euston. I thought excellent... that is exactly what I needed. When we got to Euston I walked across to the Victoria line to try to go back the other way. However, nothing was stopping at the next station and since I was going to be late I decided to go up to the street level first to give my friends a call to let them know.
After the call I attempted to go back down to the tube and by then the platform was packed and the tubes were still not moving. They then announced that Kings Cross is open again and I went on a tube to go 1 stop up so I could get on the tube going back the other way. All was fine and my tube was empty, what a clever idea I thought. When I got back to Kings Cross station the door opened and everyone got off. When I was heading for the other platform, they made an announcement to tell everyone to get out of the station because of an incident. OMFG, why didn't you tell me that before I got off the tube at the fricken station?!!?!!? I got up to the top and asked one of the staff how am I suppose to get to the Emirates? Her reply was you have to wait until the station reopens but she didn't know how long.
I then decided to walk to Euston station which is 10 minutes away on foot and take the Victoria line up to Finsbury Park and perhaps walk to the stadium from there. Luckily for me I managed to get on a tube straight away and FINALLY on my way to the game. I got off at Finsbury Park and thought about taking the tube back to Arsenal station but decided against it. I looked at my watch as I climbed the starts towards the Emirates and made it there at 7:30pm. Waited for the rest of the gang and walked through the gates just before kick off... What was suppose to be a 20 minutes journey took almost 2 hours... Longer than the game itself... @#$% London public transport system...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Snowed In
Heavy snow fall in London in the past 24 hours, which isn't too bad except for the crappy transport network and there are no buses and limited tube services today. Called in to say I was working from home but my manager insisted on me being on client site. What is he thinking? Luckily common sense kicked in and with little persuasion I decided not to go. Called up the PM and he said there is no urgent issue so that was that. First you want me to take leave from end of month and now you want me to fight heavy snow to get to work? What is the chances of that?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Still thinking but have to decide soon
Work wants me to get my visa early and now wants me to take leave of absence from end of Feb. This is unexpected because I have plans to do it in April. Now I have to work out what I need for my visa and whether I can do it earlier instead. If not then I'll have to bum around until April and then a further however long to get the visa back home. Very annoying indeed.
Disappointing
Will Federer ever get number 14 to equal Sampras? It's so frustrating to see him come so close but yet not close enough. Watching the speech now and he is pretty much heart broken... He has had so much support from the Australian crowd... just hope he can find that spark again and get the idea of him not being able to beat Nadal out of his head!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
When CASE matters
With a programming background I understand that sometimes things are case sensitive and it matters. What I came across today was really beyond me. We had to install a third party tool and the process involves setting an environment variable in Windows. Simple enough we set one up and since we did so successfully in the past the client decided to start it off before I got there. It took pretty much the entire morning and a few emails to support for them to tell us that we had specified our path in UPPER case (eg. D:\DUMB\PATH) and it has to be in lower case (eg. D:\dumb\path). That was the cause of the error we saw when the code decided to turn the path into D:\D:\DUMB\PATH\.. when it saw our specified path in UPPER case. WTF?!?!?! Why would you hard code things like that? Mind you the path name cannot be changed and it has to be a certain name otherwise it will just not work.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Top 10 things I hate about London buses
- Bus drivers drive too fast and you end up falling if you don't hang on to anything.
- People who get on for 1 fricken stop, it's not that far, in fact you can sometimes see the next stop. Just walk dammit!
- Fat people, please see 9, it may help. Should they pay double or is it discrimination?
- Buses that don't stop even when there are heaps of space.
- Possibly due to the fact that some people don't move into the middle of the bus.
- People who insist on sitting next to you on the inside when there are heaps of other seats on the bus.
- Fat people who may crush you when the bus suddenly breaks and they could potentially fall on you.
- Buses that don't stop even when you press the stop button and you end up having to walk back from the next stop.
- Buses that don't come and when it does, 2-3 of them come at the same time. Thanks guys, stick to the timetable next time.
- Bus drivers changing shift mid way through the route, wtf is with that? They stop on the side of the road for 10min cos the new driver has to get ready. Can't you do that at the end stop?
Feel free to suggest more!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
2009!
After an eventful end to 2008 and start of 2009 (Paris -> NYC -> Dusseldorf) things are pretty much back to normal. No more flying for me for a while and now back in London for don't know how long. Work has been pretty boring lately, not much going on at client, in fact I need to find a new project soon so hopefully something will come up. Will be discussing with work regarding my visa renewal this year, potential meeting setup to talk about it next week so will decide on my plans for the year when I work out what's going to happen with work. So 2009 has started off just like the rest of the world, with a bit of uncertainty, but hopefully things will clear up and sort themselves up!
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