On a long, long night

Thunder rumbled. The familiar sound of rainwater hitting the clay roof tiles and the polycarbonate skylight soon started to reach my ears. It’s been a long time since I last heard that sound. I remember only one thunderstorm in Europe; that was last year, in Ghent, and the smell of the damp wood in Johannes’ [...]

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A year of Glasgows and Londons

On an extremely hectic day in late July 2008, we rushed to Glasgow Central train station late at night and took the Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston. We arrived in the morning, dazed, tired, and with too many suitcases and bags. Fogged with sleep, we made our way to Nicholas’ place in Belsize Park where [...]

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Leaving #3 Badminton

When I was in Belgium, I used to sample Ghent’s nightlife quite a fair bit, mainly due to the influence of my housemates and classmates. With the help of alcohol, meeting people was easy. Because of the massive language barrier, conversation in badly-broken English rarely went beyond who I was, where I was from, what [...]

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Capoeira in St. Albans

Now that the academic year has ended, the capoeira classes of the University of Hertfordshire’s Hatfield campuses has closed for the summer. Some weeks ago I went for the more adultish class at St Albans, which is even further away.
St Albans is an old, old city, complete with Roman baths and stuff. It was once [...]

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Discussing the Divine Comedy

This is  “Discussing the Divine Comedy with Dante”, an 2006 oil painting by Dai Dudu, Li Tiezi, and Zhang An. The title is lifted from Dante’s opus magnum The Divine Comedy, or divina commedia in its original language.
If you have ever shown a passing interest in literature or the arts, it’s almost impossible not to [...]

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London Design Museum

Last weekend me and Flora went to the London Design Museum by the Thames. It’s a small-ish private museum with “just” two exhibition spaces and no permanent galleries, as far as I could discern. However, it was enough to keep me occupied for almost two hours. Before I even entered the exhibitions me and Flora [...]

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Summery musings

It’s almost June, and the arrival of summer also heralds the end of the academic year. Part-time students in the firm where I work, of which they are many, have been busying about in the office on their college days for some weeks now, preparing their presentations and portfolios. Former classmates on the other side [...]

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Un croissant, sil vous plait

Yesterday night I returned from my week-long break in France, in Lille and Paris to be exact. It was blisteringly hot (by European standards) and my skin acquired a slightly more recognisable Malaysian tone as opposed to the pasty hues it has taken on in the past year.
I have been extremely lucky to have had [...]

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Vienna – Pyongyang

For the past couple days I was distracted by this fascinating blog chronicling the journey of an Austrian trains/railways enthusiast from Vienna to Pyongyang via Russia, by train naturally, and his subsequent adventures in DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, otherwise known as North Korea). It was a special trip because firstly, it’s one heck [...]

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On Fighting Procrastination

Depending on your way of doing it and your personal preferences, traveling or going on trips causes a temporary break in the order and structure of your daily life. I suppose that’s the whole point of a holiday – to have some relief from the clockwork order of your lives, assuming you wish for that [...]

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Decisions

The post today is more for people in my age bracket. Have you ever wondered about how your parents got where they are today? As I begin to assume more and more responsibility for my own life that has somehow achieved a new relevance; deciding what happens next, and then after that, and then after [...]

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Confucius is traveling to Europe, but 2500 years later

Two weeks ago, I read that after a visit to China, England’s schools minister Jim Knight wants to implement the teachings of Confucius in English Schools, saying that they would be useful as Confucian teachings ”respect and value the family and very strongly respect education”. The article went on to mention that this could possibly foster knowledge of mandarin and Chinese [...]

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Summer + Farewell

As early as May, people start thronging the banks of the Graslei, singly, or in groups and in droves. Drinking, smoking weed and stoning  (Netherlands is but a short trip away), playing music, talking, snacking, hugging, kissing, anything… In waves they come, from early in the morning till late at night.
At midnight the lights of [...]

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Complicated Stories

After I returned to the UK from Belgium I was quite the anti-social hermit, but recently I’ve stepped out of my shell, and as a result I’ve had to answer the question that always comes up: where are you from, and what are you doing in a town in Hertfordshire?
It can get rather complicated at [...]

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More George Carlins!

Last weekend was a quiet one with no plans and no money to make any plans. What to do? With the internet, it’s never too hard to think of something, of course – with the help of Youtube and Google Video (another sign of Google taking over my world) , I eventually ended up listening [...]

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Blah blah everyone’s talking about the snow

So I will as well. It’s strange how perception messes with your mind; on Monday I woke up to a world of white, and I decided that it was normal and pleasing to my eye. (after all, weather repots have been harping about it for some days before that, and snow was falling pretty heavily [...]

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So, apologies for disappearing for almost 3 weeks – I’ve been busy uprooting myself from the 2 month stay in Camden and moving elsewhere. Already Camden seems so distant away
The entire Internet registration thingy took about 30 hours from stepping into the store – efficient? I’d just like to think we got lucky.
Anyhow regular updates [...]

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new Header

So, I changed the blog theme, as well as the header. The picture was taken in the Jewish Museum in Berlin, sometimes more well known for its architect (Daniel Libeskind) than for the actual function it serves.
I blogged about the picture’s context and background in the kinkystudio blog. Take a look here.

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Socks

Socks are strange. They are mysterious and disappear inexplicably without any sort of formula or pattern. When I left KL last year i brought 10 pairs of socks with me to Glasgow. They’ll be enough, I told myself. In February when i was packing for Belgium I found that the socks have somehow dwindled to [...]

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Movin’ On…

So I’m officially not studying for the coming 13 months. It’s back to the books September 2009, but for now.. it’s a pretty great feeling to have something else to look forward to for a change. I enjoy studyin; I enjoy university, but a year out is definitely a welcome break after the past 4 [...]

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I should do this

http://www.careerconsultants.co.uk/advice/interviews/cover_letter.asp

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Oil

quote
“It’s a race against time” whether the global economy ends up in a recession, Gilles Moëc, an economist at Bank of America in London, said
“Everything depends on oil,” Mr. Moëc added.
unquote
yes even my chances of getting a job!! am feeling the effects of economic recession even though I haven’t even become a member of the workforce.

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It’s hard to believe that a butterfly flapping its wings somewhere can cause a tornado somewhere else, but that’s the butterfly effect for you and one should not ignore the obvious consequences. There’s no use crying over split milk, but it’s stupid to buy more milk and spill them too.

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Stuttgart

I’m in Stuttgart now, the birthplace of Mercedes Benz, Porsche and the guy who made lots of hot-air balloons for traveling.
Last night we spent the night at a friend’s place where 3 out of 4 guys were named Alex. Alex Tee, Alex Schumm, Alex Lang. Talk about originality..
Wanted to post some photos again, but was [...]

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Guten tag

About two years ago I was doing some research on the Commerzbank tower in Frankfurt by Norman Foster. Well, two days ago I finally saw it in real life. That’s one wish achieved…. I was gonna post some pictures of Germany, but in the end I couldn’t. Complicated story.
Anyway, tomorrow we leave Mannheim, where Alex [...]

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George Carlin

George Carlin died. He was 71. The first time i heard of him was a few years ago when i came across one of his quotes. A few years it might be, but when i first read that he died the quote immediately surfaced… and i suppose it is my duty to share it with [...]

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About Me

I added an about page, just for the heck of it. Link is on upper top right corner! May change if my mood changes..

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That’s history for you

The last Hindu monarchy, in Nepal has been abolished and Nepal is now a republic.
It’s the first time in a few thousand years that there’s no more Hindu monarch reigning anywhere in the world.
Think of that!
Other than that, world (and local) news remains mostly grim.
good news, where art thou?
I often wonder if journalists just stay [...]

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General notice

I suspect the router next door is broken. So, i have no internet at home for awhile. This means,
for friends & general readers: limited updates
for some friends: no email replies
for family: no email replies or updated travel plans
for me: incredible annoyance because i need it so much to do research
it’s worse than streamyx because they [...]

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Sneak Preview

Yes it’s really a sneak preview for something that’s coming soon. I can say so with utmost conviction because I’ve actually finished the set already (i know, wonders never cease). But, i will save my precious internet quota and upload it the next time I’m in school, either friday or monday. To Khaiyong: i will [...]

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