Beijing Rendezvous

A majestic city, rich in human history and witnessed some nation-changing revolutions, Beijing came as an unexpected visit to me. In my travelling vehicle, again, in the cloudy winter, the road seemed so long and never-ending. What made an impression on me was there always a bicycle lane along those highways and roads. Framing my front view, were trees on the left and ride side of the road, which, I believe to be plum blossoms (minus the flower, because of winter). I can already imagine how beautiful a view it can be during spring time.

I began my walk in the evening to look for food. I ventured not too far away as the temperature already hit less than five degrees Celsius. I saw a row of shops on each side of the road, and decided to stick to the side I was walking in. Crossing to the other side seems impossible with the menacing traffic. I was almost knocked down by bicycle as I could not learn fast enough how to step off the dedicated bicycle lane!

Ironically, I had Japanese for dinner, although the food along the sidewalks looks tempting ranging from Dim Sum, steamy hot dumplings and steamed sweet potatoes. My full dinner set cost me only RMB20. It was a mixed feeling, eating Japanese food in this fast-food restaurant look-alike and with Cantonese music of the 80s, playing in the background. Suddenly, my Beijing rendezvous was quite interesting after all.

As curious as I can get, I gathered enough courage to cross the road. Thank God for the pedestrian crossing but the traffic of South Korean sedans, European compacts and occasionally, local Cherry and Japanese Hondas were not too friendly. Nevertheless, having been living in KL, the raise of an arm to stop the traffic seems like a natural thing to do. This universal language of crossing, should only be used sparingly, when out of desperation, as I think it’s quite safe to think that major cities today are well-equipped with traffic-lighted pedestrians.

The comrade-y feeling and communism worshipping somehow was still quite easily-sensed in today’s Beijing, compared to Shanghainese who look more colourful and in-trend, the people of Beijing seem proud to dress in one colour and most commonly, black. I love the sight of locals riding their bicycle as somehow, it feels very re-assuring to know that, an economy advancing so fast, is also humbled by the usage of pure human energy, just like centuries ago…

After a long evening out in the winter, I craved for a glass of wine to warm me up,
Here’s a shot to share and a sight to remember too. Thank you Zeta Bar of Beijing!

Garden City

I am seated in the middle of the Cathedral Square, the very central district of Christchurch, feeling uninspired. Facing the famous church building built in 1881, in the late spring with bright sunny sky and chilly air, my day (afternoon to be exact) is far from perfect. I am looking for an interesting encounter in this peaceful place, almost too tranquil compared to my much constant- bombardment of city chaos-ness. Relying almost heavily on tourism (judging from the availability of tourist brochure and cartoon-ish city maps), this place is flocked by many Japanese, Chinese and I would guess, Europeans too. Christchurch was firstly settled by the English while Akaroa by the French,

In the street, I can see many Asian students, some in uniforms while others in their everyday clothing, and not to mention, the older folks relaxing their tired bodies. This place reminds me of the quieter side of some Australian cities and the laid-back-ness is almost driving me nuts. I thought it must be nice for a change but my mood is just not co-operating. My most significant encounter was purchasing a bottle of white made from kiwifruit. What a highlight I thought, to purchase something local. I wanted the Manuka Honey but the price was not too pleasing. Also, I made a trip down to the New Regent Street which consist of a row of shops and cafes with some historical significance to its Spanish architecture. It is similar to the one in California, said the Visitor TV.

A cup of hot chocolate in the local café later, my mood is starting to alter to the brighter side. I begin to look forward to a good dinner. I am feeling foreign here and people tend to be slightly “colder” at first greeting but will warm up to you once you strike a conversation with them. Well, it's only natural!

I have been having Asians (with rice!) as my previous meals and I certainly crave for a nice piece of steak if not lamb which here is famous for. Bon apetit!

The Beginning of A Dusty Winter : Shanghai

Arriving late in the afternoon, I was taken to a long journey ride from Pudong to the city centre. I was hoping to take a peep of the Oriental Pearl Tower along the hour-long journey, which is such a symbolic icon of Shanghai's race to catch up with the rest of the world's financial capitals. Massive highways and vastness of land utilised for industrials, I began to feel the similarity to Kuala Lumpur. I stared at the window of my travelling vehicle and I observed a number of SUVs (mostly Japanese brand) and Sedans (also Japanese) and what a lovely sight to catch the Cherry sharing the road.

The air was misty and cloudy although the weather forecasted was sunny. My first breath of air, alighting from the vehicle was not so pleasant one. At once, I thought I was inhaling smoke, air which I was quite used to for about a month ago when the haze in the South East Asia region was such a pain. My first encounter of Shanghai almost began with an unpleasant one. Another thing to note is the traffic mannerism of Shanghainese which, I dare not comment as it is equitable to the one at home.

Venturing out alone in the street in the cold evening has always been a must-do for me. I could not bear being in a city and risk not knowing something about it. I need encounters, experiences, and moments which can be used as the ingredients for my story-telling. I walked and walked and I saw peddlers selling things like from cigarettes, DVDs to imitations (a form of flattery, really!). Shanghainese were in suits, if not trendy autumn-winter wears with their fancy boots. Sometimes, I wonder what is so bad about communism...

My legs and eyes brought me to the familiar Golden Archers where a row of trendy restaurants follow suit. I can even find Japanese desserts joints (run by Japanese), Italians and of course, Shanghai-HK cuisines. After a few walk-throughs of the menus displayed outside of each restaurant, I decided I should enter based of the crowd size. As it's quite early for Shanghainese to have dinner (judging from the crowd, that only built up once I left), it's quite difficult to choose. I braved myself to this restaurant as it had a reception with an usher to greet me. I told her I was alone and quickly I was directed to go upstairs. I opened the menu and it took me quite awhile to decide. I ordered braised beef noddles with seasoned vegetable and a simple Choy Sum blanched with black soy souce. I also brought my Off The Edge magazine (Nov issue) and read my way through the waiting time. What a lovely moment, reading an article about a Malay communist in Kelantan and being in a communist country (itself) by idealogy (but beginning to adopt free-market economically)!

Interestingly, I noticed there were metal or bronze sculptures around the vicinity. I began to wonder why it is so. One sculpture depicts a heterosexual couple with their child in hand holding a string of three baloons, the second one is a female comrade pulling a trishaw with an elderly man and another male by his side. And the third one is a male and female dressed in corporate attires in the most recognisable poses found in Wall Street. All these three sculptures represent what I decipher as a social engineering tool by the government, reinforcing the values like family, respect for elders and moving forward (towards free-market prosperity?) On this very day, George W. Bush is in Singapore and joining President Hu JinTao in Vietnam's APEC in two days time.

The very next day, I woke up with a thought of experiencing the Shanghai rush in the morning. The early day was a wet one but it did not damper me from venturing out. At 9.20am, I must say, the traffic looks quite okay and I would have expected more crowd in the street. Maybe Shanghainese are punctual people who loves showing up in the office early. I went into Wagas, a very contemporary cafe, judging from the very post-modernist interiors and artworks, coupled with chic and sleek ambience and not to mention the chill-out urban beat filling the air. With Wi-Fi facility and tonnes of city magazine to browse through, I wish I could have more time there. The cafe was quite quiet with only four tables occupied. I was greeted by an English-speaking waitress who told me that a muffin and coffee set was only 25yuan before 10am. What a perfect timing for me! I brought my Off The Edge but I diverted my attention to reading Shanghai Daily newspaper. I was very impressed by the quality of the write-ups and I fell in love with Shanghai intellectual advancement when I found Joseph Stiglitz's article got published in Shanghai Daily!

Braving the drizzle once again, I must get a copy of Shanghai Daily which costs only 2yuan for a tabloid-size newspaper. My desire was crushed when I only managed to get an expired copy. Hmm... I told myself, why is it so hard to find a newstand? Was the reading culture here still underestablished? I wonder...

My impression of Shanghai is incomplete and I wish for a time to stroll along the pier where the famous Shanghai Bund stood proudly for a time when the Venice of the East was a reality. I believe it is still is now...

Standing Joint

Early winter in Osaka was a pleasantly well atmosphere. The hustle and bustle of Namba Walk and all the train stations seemed to be filled with familiar air. Braving through the cold wind, my cheeks got frozen. Walking around, I was being bombarded by colourful neon lights and billboards with distinguishingly cute Japanese characters. In my mind, it was all I would had imagined...

As the cold temperature penetrates my flesh and bone, my body began to fight hard by burning more fats. In seconds, my eyes quickly decides what I should have. Shopping for food in Osaka and in Japan (in general) has always been a breeze even though I do not speak the language. Tonnes of pictures are utilised for attraction, if not fake mock-ups of the dishes (which sometimes looks way better than the actuals). I suppose, based on the economic culture of Japan, food has become a competitive commodity where every effort made to entice patrons will at least enhance the chances of walking-ins. For a change, I picked a small corner shop selling udon and ramien, without a single fancy advertisement, except the billboard as the name of the shop. The shop was filled with Japanese men in suits, standing up and slurping away. I glanced through what they were having and I ordered my ramien with vegetarian omelette in soup at a very reasonable 250yen. The chilly temperature and the boiling hot soup was the most perfect contrast! Sometimes I wonder, marketing and advertising dollars are spent quite unnecessarily which always the customer who pay the price.

The friendliest and astonishing retailers are a norm here. Although, I would qualify as a GaiJin (foreigner), I felt I was treated like a queen. Was it my dollars that they are interested? Well, I remembered studying the Japanese Economic System and in that topic, it touches on Japanese culture. Giving their best is seen as the most honourary thing to do and I suppose, great customer service is the manifestation of that. Actually, Japanese has always been known for possessing such desire and no doubt, their determination had transformed an agrarian economy to a fully industrialised one in such a short period of time! Another miracle is the South Koreans but I have yet to pay Seoul a visit...hopefully soon.

Sydney Tower

My decision to pay the highest point in Sydney a visit was an impulsive one. Slightly-motivated by the sheer greed of student discount entitlement, I am certainly not going to somewhere that I am eager to step my feet into. I rather consider it as a rational decision looking at Sydney Tower located just steps away from where I was put up. My intention to visit has never been there as I was constantly being confronted by this towering image whenever I peep through my window. My desire just drained or remained neutral each moment I look up, which I attribute to my lack of interest in general.

The fateful day, I saw a tiny billboard, by my standard in Pitt Street but good enough to catch my attention as the gateway to the peak. What a good reason to at least have a view of Sydney from the top! I was not particularly excited while queueing for the ticket but I could not resist the thought of grasping the geographical area of this major city. I heard about the bush fire in 2002 and how it could have destroyed the city. With that thought, I would have a perfect objective to grant myself, this sudden diversion.

My journey was an easy one. Three escalators and I was already in a queue for my ticket. A$18 was how much I paid for my trip which includes OzTrek, a 3-D motion ride, just like the ones we normally have in indoor theme parks. I was not that interested and would prefer to pay a lower ticket price as my objective was clear enough. Anyway, after the security check, just like the ones at the airport or any entry points, I was in a queue again. This time, it was for the lifts. I waited patiently and was greeted by a fellow visitor from The Phillipines. We exchanged greetings and brief introductions. Not long after that, it was our turn to enter the lift. I must say that the lift was packed and not a single space was spared for comfort.

Almost a minute or two later, the doors opened and the bright blue sky greeted me generously. I was convinced that Sydney looks very different from there. At 250m above street level, I could see the vastness of the land and the bush land till the end of the horizon. Looking closer, I suddenly felt familiar as I was looking at the window where I was at moments ago. I walked slowly, took pictures and looking for familiar landmarks of the city. I even used the binoculars to zoom in to where I wished for a closer look. I was quite amazed by being able to tell the people on the streets and their attires even in Darling Harbour. I saw many houses, thousands of them surrounding the city. Opera House was hiding with its back facing me and Sydney Bridge just add on to the familiar view of the water. 25 minutes and 40 seconds was about the length of time I spent in Sydney Tower. I was quite satisfied even having to repeat the torment ride down inside the elevator.

When I finally had a good look of the tower again from my window, I could feel better now by knowing that I had at least been up there...

Sometimes, we just have to have a little diversion, allowing ourselves a view from a different perspective...But to me, I am still quite fixed to my own and I hope my view from the top will make a difference one day.

Getting Started...

Well, this is only a reality because of my very special friend's suggestion. I always thought that writing is private, something that I do for my own consumption and of course as a special communication tool between two individuals. But somehow at this age, privacy could be interpreted differently. Privacy and sharing. Can privacy be expanded from keeping it to yourself to sharing it with your closed ones, more than one person for that matter? Well, I think it has to do with how society has evolved in this IT-savvy era where a person's individuality can be expressed via blogging. I'm curious to find out by experiencing it myself as a late adopter. Read on if you like, for I plan to post whatever I am encountering, just to share or expand my privacy limit, just a little...