Sunday, April 20, 2008

Back to the Roman

Man.... our flight was delayed for 3 hours. We were wary and so do the passengers. But hey... what can I do except to make their journey as pleasant as possible?

We were supposed to arrive at 7am, but eventually we reached the hotel around 11am. Tired? definitely. But this did not hinder us from venturing the city as soon as possible.

ROME....there I was again!

Our day 1 was filled with lunch in the city (shuttle bus at 12.45noon). Hm... not a good lunch tho -__-'' I was so-called the guide for the crew as many of them were first-timer in Rome and hey.. I just visited it in February. We went to Arco di Tito, Colosseum and Vatican City on Day 1.



Madelaine, Cher Wei, Diana @ St.Peter Basilica

Before the flight, I planned to venture out of Rome and so I digged out some research. Florence? hm... a bit too far. Tivoli? Sounds great!!

So, Cher Wei was my very first company. He agreed to go out of Rome, and so we did a little extra research. How to get there? Take the subway/Metro to Ponte Mammolo (blue line, rowards Rebibbia). Take the cotral bus from the station after buying the ticket at the counter or tobacconist. Ask the driver for where to stop as Villa Adriana is also a whole small town *hehe. The bus takes around 40mins from Ponte Mammolo station.

The hotel actually has a tour package to Tivoli too. It costs 56euro (incl Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este). Hahaha... how much did we spend?
subway: 1euro
cotral bus: 4euro for return tix
entrance to Villa Adriana: 6.5euro (same price for Villa d'Este)

Lotsa money saved!!!

A nice lady helped showing us the way to the place. She even invited us to go to her house should we need anything :)

Hadrian's villa was a complex of over 30 buildings, covering an area of at least 1 square kilometre (c. 250 acres) of which much is still unexcavated. The villa was the greatest Roman example of an Alexandrian garden, recreating a sacred landscape. The complex included palaces, several thermae, theatre, temples, libraries, state rooms and quarters for courtiers, praetorians and slaves. The Villa shows echoes of many different architectural orders, mostly Greek and Egyptian.

Hadrian's Villa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and important cultural and archaeological site. It is also a major tourist destination along with the nearby Villa d'Este and the town of Tivoli. The Academy of the villa was placed on the 100 Most Endangered Sites 2006 list of the World Monuments Watch because of the rapid deterioration of the ruins.
- Copied from Wikipedia


WELCOME TO VILLA ADRIANA!!


With my gorgeous and nice Leading Stewardess :)

oh my..... she's so sweet!


I wanna have this pool too.....


The most-wanted girls *huhauhaua
LS Jasmine, FSS Madelaine, FSS Diana, FSS Diah, FSS Joyce, FSS Katrina


Peek-a-boo


The ruins


It's just a small part of Villa Adrian


Aye...what did I do?


The scenic view from Villa Adrian


Another one...


And one...


At Trevi Fountain... wishin upon


Hi, that's my new friend...Dinokio!


And he's papa Dinokio


Colosseum at night... much nicer and sophisticated than in the day


Don't let me go... NO, I don't wanna leave!!


At Piazza Barberini with Diah


Hahaha...they have boy-scouts too :)


Dead chix on the street??
nah...dat's just a dummie


Piazza Navona... slurrppp


Die die must take pic with the 5-kg pasta...muahaha


Finally...some decent meal for the trip


Gelato is a MUST


Another mango gelato before I left *hiks hiks
See you again! Ciao...

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Posted by Ddee at 3:15 PM

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i have had enough

No, seriously you don't have to do that...

Please stop asking for my time...

You're not the only one on earth.

Thanks!

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Posted by Ddee at 3:12 PM

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Monday, April 14, 2008

food galore

Last weekend was full of FOOD, FOOD and FOOD~

Nick from @Taiwan was in town with his sister who looks seriously much younger than her age *oh my haha...what's the secret?
They tried Katong Laksa, Curry Seafood in bread, Satay, Peranakan food and black pepper crab.

Awh... diet ruined but much enjoyment. What a sweet 'sinful' pleasure... :)


First stop: Katong Laksa


That's curry seafood in bread


Satay satay and teh tarik at Lau Pa Sat


Intermezzo... bikini ads


Bring out the crabs
Phew.... am off to Rome then. Cya latz

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Posted by Ddee at 12:11 PM

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it must have been karma

Dinner on Saturday night was WOW!

Peranakan style dinner at Tanjung Katong:
Beef rendang
Kangkong belacan
Prawn gulai
Spicy and sour sauce fish fillet

followed by desserts:
chendol
yam paste
almond jelly

accompanied by:
Nick from Taiwan *great to have you in Singapore, dude... come more often ya!
Theresa from Taiwan *Nick's sis :)
and my dear sis

After which, we went to East Coast Park *man...my 2nd time there hahaha
and we savoured two black pepper crabs at Long Beach Restaurant *expensive hiks hiks

Resulting in...
GUM SWELLS!

Arghhhh.....

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Posted by Ddee at 1:53 AM

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

laugh when it happens

It's time to go out and make someone's day :)

In the cab:
cabbie: You have eyes that speak.
adding: in the future you don't have to talk to your husband, he can just look into your eyes and know it alrd *muahahahaha...

At the control centre:
colleague of highest rank shouted from the entrance: nice hair.
adding: am I making your day?

On the plane:
ddee: We're serving meal, Sir! What would you like to have....
pax: lobster! *in a friendly funny way :)
ddee: huahuahuahua... I am sorry we don't have lobster but it'd be my pleasure to serve you that in the future *grin...lol

ddee: Just wait for a moment, Sir. The ground staff will come with the wheelchair in a while.
pax: So, will you be serving us champagne while waiting?
ddee: muahahaha... I wish I could. I myself never tried it before *hahaha
pax: No way. You look like you drink lots of that.
ddee: hm...what does that mean?
pax: You have the 'fu qi' lar...
ddee: wah...thank you hahaha

What random encounters.... but I was seriously laughing and smiling when they happened.

Man, you look good today! Cheerios...

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Posted by Ddee at 12:39 PM

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Friday, April 11, 2008

inspiration for the night

"God had given us two hands, one to receive with and the other one to give with"

- Billy Graham



right onto the bull's head

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Posted by Ddee at 12:04 AM

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

and the book award goes to....

Haven't been updating on my reading material for quite some time. No, I haven't stopped reading. Just that it takes more time to finish 'coz I only read when I feel like reading and when I have the time (aside from the tonnes of things to do).

So, here they are:

Marley and Me by John Grogan
From Publishers Weekly:
Labrador retrievers are generally considered even-tempered, calm and reliable;and then there's Marley, the subject of this delightful tribute to one Lab who doesn't fit the mold. Grogan, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and his wife, Jenny, were newly married and living in West Palm Beach when they decided that owning a dog would give them a foretaste of the parenthood they anticipated. Marley was a sweet, affectionate puppy who grew into a lovably naughty, hyperactive dog. With a light touch, the author details how Marley was kicked out of obedience school after humiliating his instructor (whom Grogan calls Miss Dominatrix) and swallowed an 18-karat solid gold necklace (Grogan describes his gross but hilarious "recovery operation"). With the arrival of children in the family, Marley became so incorrigible that Jenny, stressed out by a new baby, ordered her husband to get rid of him; she eventually recovered her equilibrium and relented. Grogan's chronicle of the adventures parents and children (eventually three) enjoyed with the overly energetic but endearing dog is delivered with great humor. Dog lovers will love this account of Grogan's much loved canine.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

There is going to be a movie based on this true-story starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. How great is that! Am sure the shooting is full of fun, thrills and 'Marley's naughtiness'. This book is so honest and easy to read. I mean... you don't have to think that much (reading is supposed to be a form of entertainment too, isn't it?) and just enjoy what it has to offer. I laughed, I smiled, I cringed and I cried. Dang... a good book! even more for the dog's lovers out there :)

Yuhuu...there's a blog by John.. how interesting!



Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

From School Library Journal:
Adult/High School–In 2002, just months after the Taliban had been driven out of Afghanistan, Rodriguez, a hairdresser from Holland, MI, joined a small nongovernmental aid organization on a mission to the war-torn nation. That visit changed her life. In Kabul, she chronicles her efforts to help establish the country's first modern beauty school and training salon; along with music and kite-flying, hairdressing had been banned under the previous regime. This memoir offers a glimpse into a world Westerners seldom see–life behind the veil. Rodriguez was entranced with the delightful personalities that emerged when her students removed their burqas behind closed doors, but her book is also a tale of empowerment–both for her and the women. In a city with no mail service, she went door-to-door to recruit students from clandestine beauty shops, and there were constant efforts to shut her down. She had to convince Afghan men to work side by side with her to unpack cartons of supplies donated from the U.S. The students, however, are the heroines of this memoir. Women denied education and seldom allowed to leave their homes found they were able to support themselves and their families. Rodriguez's experiences will delight readers as she recounts such tales as two friends acting as parents and negotiating a dowry for her marriage to an Afghan man or her students puzzling over a donation of a carton of thongs. Most of all, they will share her admiration for Afghan women's survival and triumph in chaotic times.
–Pat Bangs, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

I finished this book in less than I week, I think. It was just addictive and totally inspiring. My hotel-stay in Cairo was spent reading this book, on my bed, in the toilet, while watching TV, etc *haha. I am so much in love with true stories... and this one holds true. Seriously, simply irresistible and you get to know more about Kabul :)


Eat, Pray and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
From The New Yorker:
At the age of thirty-one, Gilbert moved with her husband to the suburbs of New York and began trying to get pregnant, only to realize that she wanted neither a child nor a husband. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato); an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching; and Bali, for "balancing." These destinations are all on the beaten track, but Gilbert's exuberance and her self-deprecating humor enliven the proceedings: recalling the first time she attempted to speak directly to God, she says, "It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work.'"
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

I was introduced to this book by Oprah *woohoo. To add to that, Hillary Clinton makes this on her list as well. Hm...there should be something about this book that hooks everybody, no? I am half-way reading this book... and so far, I like it. She started with Rome, a place that I've just visited and am going to visit again soon, so I can relate to its charms and uniqueness. Gonna bring this to Rome and finish it there, hopefully!

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
From Publishers Weekly:
Readers with an eye on European politics will recognize Ali as the Somali-born member of the Dutch parliament who faced death threats after collaborating on a film about domestic violence against Muslim women with controversial director Theo van Gogh (who was himself assassinated). Even before then, her attacks on Islamic culture as "brutal, bigoted, [and] fixated on controlling women" had generated much controversy. In this suspenseful account of her life and her internal struggle with her Muslim faith, she discusses how these views were shaped by her experiences amid the political chaos of Somalia and other African nations, where she was subjected to genital mutilation and later forced into an unwanted marriage. While in transit to her husband in Canada, she decided to seek asylum in the Netherlands, where she marveled at the polite policemen and government bureaucrats. Ali is up-front about having lied about her background in order to obtain her citizenship, which led to further controversy in early 2006, when an immigration official sought to deport her and triggered the collapse of the Dutch coalition government. Apart from feelings of guilt over van Gogh's death, her voice is forceful and unbowed—like Irshad Manji, she delivers a powerful feminist critique of Islam informed by a genuine understanding of the religion. 8-page photo insert. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Have yet to start on this book. But expecting it to be good. All true-stories ARE good, aren't they??

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Posted by Ddee at 2:48 PM

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Monday, April 07, 2008

the rich who isn't that 'rich'

This post from Ms.Ste inspire me to write on this incident.

Boarding period (CGK-SIN)
CGK = Cengkareng, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia
SIN = Singapore lar *adoiii

Stewardess #1: Mam, please put your bag under the seat in front of you or on the overheard compartment
Mam #1: *nod nod, pretending to be busy with her immigration card* Yea, I understand

Mam #1 and family were trying to 'buy' time and thought the stewardess wouldn't come back and check.

Stewardess #2: Mam, you have to put your bag under the seat in front of you for take-off and landing.
Mam #1 #2: *opened the K***world magazines, threw them on the floor and put their Prada bags on top*

Muahaha...talk about how 'rich' people behave.
Adding on, some even refuse to stow their expensive cabin bags on the overhead compartment together with the 'quoted: cheap bags'.

Gosh... the stewardess who carry those LV cabin bags don't even care if they put it in the closet whatsoever...haha apparently the 'rich' ladies aren't that 'rich' huh!

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Posted by Ddee at 10:45 PM

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for entertainment only

CREATIVE HUH!!!



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Posted by Ddee at 10:26 PM

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Not my company for sure hehe

MEMO: TO ALL EMPLOYEES Effective Immediately


DRESS CODE

1. It is advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing Prada shoes, a Giorgio Armani suit or carrying a Gucci bag, we assume you are doing well financially, and therefore do not need a pay rise.

2. If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a pay raise.

3. If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a pay raise.



SICK DAYS

We will no longer accept a doctor's certificate as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.



HOLIDAY DAYS

Each employee will receive 52 personal days a year of holidays. They are called Sunday.



COMPASSIONATE LEAVE

This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead relatives, friends or co-workers.. Every effort should be made to have non-employee involvement attend the arrangements. In rare cases where the employee's involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.



TOILET USE

1. Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minutes limit in the cubicles.

2. At the end of the three-minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the cubicle door will open, and your picture will be taken.

3. After your second offence, your picture will be posted on the company's notice board under the 'chronic offenders' category.

4. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sanctioned under the company's mental health policy.



LUNCH BREAK

1. Skinny employees get 30 minutes break for lunch, as they need to eat more so that they will look healthy.

2. Normal size employees get 15 minutes break for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.

3. Chubby employees get 5 minutes break for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a 'slim-fast.'



Thank you for your loyalty to our company. Remember, we are an employer of choice and we are here to provide positive employment experience.



Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternations and input should be directed elsewhere.





ps: Thanks huh! I shall refrain myself from applying to your company hahaha *pizz jk lar.

Thanks for the email Ven :)

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Posted by Ddee at 10:13 PM

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Saturday, April 05, 2008

Just for fun







LAUGH 'EM OFF!

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Posted by Ddee at 11:08 AM

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Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Pyramid, Sphinx and lovely companions

I was full of excitement and anticipation when I knew I was about to go to Cairo, Egypt.

A whole new place to explore... and a chance to visit one of the world's wonder :)

Tareek, our guide and driver, has been waiting for us at the hotel when we arrived. After some arrangements, we decided that we'd head out the next morning (we reached the hotel at 12midnite haha).

Our first day tour included The Pyramids in Giza, Sphinx, Bazaar and the Sound and Light show.

He dropped us off at the Egyptian Papyrus Museum on our way to the magical Pyramids. The staff showed us how to make paper from papyrus plant and he declared that Egypt was the original country to produce paper (our of Papyrus I suppose). The word 'paper' comes from Papyrus plant too... the same goes for papier in French/Dutch/Polish/Slovak, papel in Spanish or Portuguese or popierius in Lithuanian and so on.


Paper in the making!
After this, we headed straight to Giza. We took the camel/horse ride to travel around the desert. We paid L.E50 for entrance to the pyramid area, L.E40 to visit the tombs, L.E40 for the ride excluding tips. In total, we spent L.E160 (ard USD32,-) for the pyramid.

Nice of us in action (4 pilots, 4 cabin crew and a wife)


We were still far away from the pyramids. It was not even 1/3 of the journey -__-''


Trust me... this camel ride would be my first and LAST one.
Scary like bomb! esp. when it's going up and down *ughhhhh


Finally... we reached the smaller pyramid.
In total there are 9 pyramids in Giza, and these are not the first pyramid built.

R.U.I.N.S


The pyramids were built with different stones


Girls in action :)


The camel ride was an experience...
but once is enough, for me!
Supposedly, the tombs are not open for visitors.
So, we 'trespassed' hee....
Aye...


To get into the tomb, we have to pass through the space behind the two rocks
Love e rocks!


That's the coffin. It's empty already.
The mummy has been transferred to the Egyptian Museum
Next stop: the Sphinx
Can you find it?


This time round, we have had enough of going ups and downs with the camel.
We were freaked out...so we decided just to take pics on the camel still


The whole desert-trip took us 2.5hours *phew. We were treated to a cold drink when we reached the stop. The staff again introduced us to their '100% essence perfume collection'. From lotus flower to Secret of the Night (which the girls put it on 7 parts of the body...and he claimed the men will be as wild as a tiger *muahahaha
Haven't had a proper lunch, we all went berserck for food. Tareek later dropped us at the Bazaar and we had a taste of local food.

Al Azhar mosque :)

They say pigeon stuffed with rice is a MUST try.
So, Eunice and I shared this one.
A bit tasteless for our tongue

Hookah...sisha...anyone?


More souvenirs
The trick is to bargain 80% of the price *hooo* or so we claim

After the Bazaar, we went back to the pyramid to catch the Sound and Light show where there is nice lighting show on the pyramids while they explain the history. The night was quite chilly and I did not bring my jacket at all. So, I could not concentrate much on the whole thing... I only wished it'd end soon.
Tix price: L.E75 for Sound and Light show. Otherwise, you can go to the KFC/Pizza Hut roof-top, order a pizza and watch it for free :)

It was indeed a tiring day for all of us. But the four of us braced the next day with a trip to The Village where they present us with the life of an Egyptian, museums and the history.

Unfortunately, IMHO, I think the place is not too well-oraganized and maintained. We didn't really feel the enthusiasm and motivation of the staff there in introducing us to their 'culture and lifestyle'. So... we got bored and soon we started counting down to the time when we could go back to the hotel. Sad huh!
Tix price: L.E158 for a package (excl yacht ride and lunch).
Aphy, Dee and Darren as lizards on the wall

The King's possessions


A replica of the gold coffin


The mummification process


The 'heart' of a body is kept inside this chamber and will be guided by the 'head'


A giant choco bar.... yummy


Are you twins?


Yeah... we were invited by a Life PPS passenger for a dinner at a Japanese Fusion restaurant.
The chef in action (salmon, chix, beef, prawn, calamari and delicious fried banana & ice cream dessert)

Some of us were here....
Some of them went for a dinner cruise cum belly-dancing performance *wooo


It was our In-Flight Supervisor's last flight. He's retiring and we all had a great bonding and farewell party too. I love this team...from the cabin crew to the tech crew... they're crazy and fun to be with. Dang... I can even tease my Chief hahaha
Hopefully all my flights could just be like this... superb crew! 10-hr flight seems like a couple hours only hahaha

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Posted by Ddee at 11:50 PM

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