Seoul, Soul of my Asia

I'm back to reality.

Seoul is always my favorite place in the globe, because it means so much to me. It is the place where I got some certificates from the local uni (Yonsei, Hanyang & PaiChai) 9 years back, and also the place where our love bloomed in the autumn that year.

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Missing California

Spring is here... And I miss California so... Some great memories back last year.

The Lonely Cypress, 17 Mile Drive.




Cannery Row, Monterey.




And Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa Valley.

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Lovers Point Park, Pacific Grove in Monterey County

Lovers Point Park. The name itself oozes the promise of romance isn't it? After having brunch nearby Cannery Row at First Awakenings, we drove towards Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach for that scenic 17-Mile Drive. On the way along the coastline, we stopped by at Lovers Point Park.The view was simply breathtaking... and I'd really hope that baby was there with me at that moment...

According to local legend, this park was originally called "Lovers of Jesus Point," back in the era when Pacific Grove was a Methodist retreat camp. Since the late 1800s, the beach at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove has been a popular spot for boating and swimming, and over recent decades surfers have joined the mix. Lovers Point Park has above all become Pacific Grove's best-loved spot for picnics, plein air painting, and scenic photography. Because of its unique east-facing location, it is also one of the only spots on the West Coast where you can watch the sun rise over the water.

It's also a popular spot for plein air painting.

Away from the bustle of Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row, this stretch of coastal lookout points is where you can explore the seaside charm and natural landscape of Monterey Bay. I'm definitely in love with it!!!

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Why I love to transit in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a shopping paradise to me. When I travel and have a chance to transit through Hong Kong, I'll always end up coming home with the most haul from Hong Kong instead of the original destination. Heheh... with really stuffed and bulging hand luggage full of clothes and accessories from Hong Kong~

What to do... it's too convenient to be in town from the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). In Penang, taking a cab from the airport to my house to and fro can easily cost a RM40 - RM50 and it's only within 10 minutes drive! In Kuala Lumpur, to get from KLIA to KL town by KLIA Express, it's not that cheap either, RM35 one way. BUT in Hong Kong, it's only HKD100 for returning trip within 24 hours! So how could I resist it... 一卡在手，钱包穿洞。。。

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Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Welcome to Egypt!



Hahah... gotcha!

I was in fact... in the USA.
This museum, I included it as one of my preferred place of interest list in San Jose.

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, architecturally inspired by the Temple of Amon at Karnak, it houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in western North America.




Cool isn't it!

Egyptian artifacts in San Jose. The exhibits there include objects from pre dynastic times through Egypt's early Islamic era.

Including MUMMIES!

See? Real mummies!




There's one place in the museum which I like the most, similar movie scene that of The Mummy/The Mummy Returns. But it's kind of eerie if you go in alone. The photo was with flash, the actual brightness in that cave is very low, so if you have weak nerves, you might not want to go in. Probably you'll scare yourself if somebody is coming from the other direction.



The entrance/exit of the cave. Go in for some adventure.



I really felt like been to Egypt for that 2 hrs inside the museum. Actually 2 hrs for a museum visit is pretty rush for me.. Especially when this museum provides such a comprehensive audio tour! Yes, you can actually download the audio clips into your portable MP3 device before visiting. The narration will guide you through the 4 galleries and load you with bunch of informations on the artifacts. Taking an audio tour in the museum is some kind of fun, and for this museum it's FOC, unlike some other museums where you need to rent or buy. You can download the audio tour here.


Some of the artifacts that I like. I think they're cute.










And oh, the miniature building of Abu Simbel, Temple of Rameses the Great, 19th Dynasty 1250 B.C.




The famous Nefertiti Bust.



Who is Nefertiti?
She's the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Due to the bust, Nefertiti has become one of the most famous women from the ancient world as well as an icon of female beauty. I came to know this name after watching The Mummy Returns, where there's one plot that Rachel Weisz played the role of Princess Nefertiri (similar but not Nefertiti).

I've always been awestrucked by Egyptology since small, and this museum visit at least fulfilled a little part of my dream to see a real mummy. Finally I've seen one, and was so close to it.

Due to limited time, I only manage to take a quick walk around the garden surrounding the museum and planetarium. What a waste... Here's a snapshot on the Egyptian game called SENET. Nice place.




Now, the information you should have before visiting:
Museum Location
1660 Park Avenue
San Jose CA 95191

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我的孤单北半球 - Massive 8.9 quake in Japan, Tsunami Alert in California

March 11th 2011, sunny day

I though I was not going to write any diary until I go back home next week due to tireness after work, but today marks a massive disaster in history that trembled my soul as soon as I woke up. The news, the emails, the messages in FB... all about Japan's massive 8.9 quake and Tsunami happened when I was already in dreamland last night.

It's the very first time that I'm away from home, away from my loved ones that I receive such shocking news about natural disaster hitting Asia. Though it's not affecting my homeland, but still it hit Asia.. I don't feel good anyway, my soul was kinda get strolled away at the hotel cafe in the morning, where I use to watch the news while eating breakfast before going to work. Worst earthquake in Japan's history, breaking a record in this 300 years... What's worse, many other areas around the world received Tsunami alert, including where I am right now.. *sigh*

The National Weather Service list includes Japan, Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and the United States.

Yes, the USA, apparently the Pacific coastline, including California's bay area. Aawww... some areas near the coasts had started evacuation in the morning. The latest update that I received was Hawaii observed waves as high as 7 feet or so... The port in Santa Cruz had been affected, boats and people gone missing into the Pacific Ocean... =(

I'm safe, no worries. I just feel really bad today. That's why I think I should keep this page in my diary.

Last saturday I dipped my hands into the Pacific Ocean, and I'll never forget how excited I was the first time to touch an icy cold ocean!!! Today it takes away life...



Perhaps this is the start of 2012... I pray...



I pray that the ocean water will always be this clear, and it will always be this calm... so that years or decades later, I can still come back here and recall the memories as it was just like yesterday.



God bless..


Princess Cheryl
@ San Jose

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我的孤单北半球 - Hong Kong Transit

Never expect that the sky is so gloomy in Hong Kong.
Like haze everywhere...?? Or is it fog?
Waiting at the transit area now. And a lady beside me is crying because she couldn't get a ticket to Nanchang from HK. Lots of China residents around, it feels like I'm in China more than in HK.
The world has changed a lot.
Now HKD has lost its value, RMB is well ahead, it was still just like yesterday when it's the other way round.
Same as USD... so does it indicate that I should do more shopping this round?

Stomach growling.. logging off to search for Hui Lau Shan dessert Mc Cafe.
Charging up, it's brunch time!
Heck.. another 12 hours flight to San Jose...
Arrgghhh....
So bored to fly alone.

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我的孤单北半球 - prologue

即将启程 孤单的北半球
一个人十万八千里之外的公干+旅行
每天以晚安的问候送我吃早餐
还有三餐都是汉堡、薯条、起司的半个月
我会想念 在这里温热的一切
现在 又懒 又期待 复杂的心情
很快 又要飞过地平线
到世界的另一个角落 应验自我价值
然后 烙下脚印 寻找两年前的回忆
但愿 这次 我有机会 感觉到雪
还有 可以每晚睡前记载 当天的点点滴滴
喜欢创出浪迹天涯的感觉 就是可以边走边写
至少 还有单眼相机

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Palais de la Bahia (Bahia Palace)

The Bahia Palace is a palace and a set of gardens located in Marrakech, Morocco. It was built in the late 19th century, intended to be the greatest palace of its time. The name means "brilliance". As in other buildings of the period in other countries, it was intended to capture the essence of the Islamic and Moroccan style. There is a 2 acre (8,000 m²) garden with rooms opening onto courtyards.

Set up at the end of 19th century by Si Moussa, grand vizier of the sultan, for his personal use, this palace would bear the name of one of his wives. Here, the harem, which includes a vast court decorated with a central basin and surrounded by rooms intended for the concubines. As the black slave Abu Ahmed rose to power and wealth towards the end of the 19th century, he had the Bahia palace built by bringing in craftsmen from Fez. The structures tell a lot about the taste of the nouveau-riche of its time, and can appear vulgar to modern tastes. It was intended to become the greatest palace of its time, but it is really dominated by hasty planning as well as uninspired detail work.

Additional information from the guide:
The king had 24 concubines, and they had to share rooms instead of having a room each. The concubines never get the chance to leave the room unless permitted. And that's why there's a special made wardrobe in the rooms for them to put their dirty clothes which will be collected from the outside through another opening of wardrobe...




This is how I look if I dress up like a typical Muslim, with a tudung/selendang over my head.
I think I look funny... >.<"












The courtyard.






Very huge windows.







... to be continued...

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Djemaa el Fna (Medina of Marrakech)

Djemaa el Fna (Arabic: جامع الفناء jâmiʻ al-fanâʼ), a square and market place in Marrakesh's medina quarter (old city). This Medina of Marrakech has been listed as one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The place remains the main square of Marrakesh, used equally by locals and tourists. During the day it is predominantly occupied by orange juice stalls, youths with chained Barbary apes, water sellers in colourful costumes with traditional leather water-bags and brass cups, and snake charmers who will pose for photographs for tourists. As the day progresses the entertainments on offer change: the snake charmers depart, and in the afternoon and evening the square becomes more crowded, with Chleuh dancing-boys (it would be against custom for girls to provide such an entertainment), story-tellers (telling their tales in Berber or Arabic, to an audience of appreciative locals), magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines. As dark descends the square fills with dozens of food-stalls, and the crowds are at their height.

I miss the most the alleys around  Medina Square, the narrow, old alleys. All the buildings in Marrakech is painted red, or more precisely, persimmon color. The whole town has only one color. So it's really hard for non-locals to tell where they're heading to..








Surprisingly they grow grapes!
























Carpets for sale. But no space in my luggage to fit in any of these...






A donkey or a mule?




Lots of shopping you can do here. Remember to bargain. These people can spend time for bargaining. As the locals said, women usually stay indoor and the only time they spend outside is during shopping (including buying food and groceries). So they like to spend time bargaining, and enjoying it too.

Steam rises from food stalls. The square is edged along one side by the Marrakesh souk, the traditional North African markets which service both the common daily needs of the people of the city, and the tourist trade. On other sides are cafe terraces to escape from the noise and confusion down in the square, and on yet other sides are hotels and gardens. Narrow streets lead into the alleys of the medina quarter, the old city. The photograph illustrating this article shows the entrance to the souk at the left, cafes in the centre, and the entrance to the medina via the Street of the Olive (derb al zitoun) on the right.

Medina Square at night. Went back to Medina Square on the last night in Marrakech. There's basically only one place to go at night... besides clubbing. And we had the most expensive fried rice in my life somewhere here!




























Don't forget to drink orange juice. Freshly squeezed super sweet juicy orange! It's cheap too.





...to be continued...

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