WeLcOmE tO My pErSoNaL GLiMpSe...

My Last Entry..

2010-02-19T23:51:00.012+01:00

Setiap yang bermula pasti ada pengakhirannya..begitu jugalah dengan pengalamanku selama berada di luar negera..pengalaman yg tak mungkin aku lupakan..got to know new people from all walks of life..various cultures and attitudes..tapi dalam masa yang sama aku tetap tidak melupakan apa yang berlaku di tanah airku..

Weddings that I missed for the last almost four months..

1)Nuri's wedding
2)Mai's wedding
3)Izan's wedding
4)Liza's wedding
5)Mazat's wedding
6)Fida's wedding
7)Adha's wedding
8)Ayun's wedding
9)Maman's engagement
10)Yan's engagement

Thank you for all of your invitations and congratulations!! I am very happy for all of you guys.. =D

Happy occasions that I missed for the last almost four months..

1)Hari Raya Aidiladha..
2)Awal Muharram..
3)My father's birthday..
4)The delivery of Noi's baby!! To Mikael Farish..welcome into the family..to Noi and Kerol, I am very happy for both of you..semoga kehadiran Mikael menambah keceriaan hidup kalian berdua.. =D
5)The delivery of Lydia's second child..
6)The delivery of Wantie's first baby girl! Congrats to Noi, Lydia & Wantie
7)Last but never least..the development stages of my beloved nephew, Adam Muhammad! Mak Ngah miss you soooooo much!! Can't wait to see you!

Sad and depressing events that I missed for the last almost 4 months..

1)Chu Limah was admitted..couldn't get up and walk for nearly a month I think..but now Alhamdulillah dah beransur pulih..

2)The death of my servant's mother...felt realllyyy sorryyyy for her...apa yg menyedihkan ialah she just got back from indon one week..apa yg lebih menyedihkan ialah she cried out loud for no reason the day before her mother passed away..as if she already knew her mother was going to leave her forever..apa yg lebih menyedihkan lagi ialah dia mendapat berita kematian ibunya melalui telefon bimbitnya sewaktu dia tengah webcam dengan aku! memang aku terasa sangat.. =( ..Al-Fatihah..

My conclusion for European people:

French people? They are helpful..even if they don't speak English at all, you can still managed to get their help..same goes to Italian, German and Swiss..

Dutch people? They are helpful AND they speak English AND they are friendly..even when you are about to cross a road, they can still tegur u nicely while riding on a motorbike..

British people? Their hospitalities are the BEST!!! =D

orang kata..hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri..lebih baik negeri sendiri..

aku kata..hujan salji di negeri orang, hujan lebat di negeri sendiri..lebih baiklaaa hujan saljiiiii..lagi besttt..boleh maenn snowballlll..hahaaaaaa..

I suppose this is my last entry for this blog..the blog which I created to tell people about my experience..people who care about me back in Malaysia..

I do not have a FB account..yeahh I know..memang mundur..but I have no intention of having one anytime soon..so chill peeps~

whether I want to continue blogging or not?hmmm....we'll see.........

See you in the next chapter of my life.................................

Oxford..

2010-02-12T00:53:00.041+01:00

We arrived in Oxford last Friday..went to the city the next day..very beautiful city..but the weather is still cold and windy and snowy..

Well, my short stay here in Oxford is just an informal visit..just grabbing the opportunity to find some references here in Oxford University Library..got to know new people here around Oxford..

High Street, Oxford..

Broad Street, Oxford..

Oxford Central Mosque..besarkan?

My house in Oxford is just 10 minutes away to the city centre by bus..I live with 3 Malaysian students from Oxford Brookes University..very nice girls I must say..It is a double-storey house with 5 rooms in it..Alhamdulillah quite comfortable for me & my mom..

Headington, Oxford..

Street towards my house..

This is my street..

This is my house in Oxford..

Obtained my Bodleian card on my second day..

Oxford University comprises nearly 40 libraries, located in departments, faculties and colleges. Its main research library consists of 3 buildings..

The Old Bodleian..

The New Bodleian..

The Radcliffe Camera..bila masuk library ni rasa macam masuk library Harry Potter..

But I spend most of my time here in the Radcliffe Science Library..here is where I found my references most..

The libraries sangat canggih..especially the Bodleian Library..aku sangat kagum..ingatkan Paris dgn Leiden punya dah canggih dah..rupanya tidak..adib, if u think Paris punya dah canggeyyy..come and see Oxford library..

The tower..

The oldest coffee house in Europe..the drink is very nice..

Oxford city is surrounded by university colleges..these colleges are actually yg membangunkan city oxford ni dan menjadikan ia tourist attraction..visitors may have to pay to see the inside of these colleges..a very unique way of developing a city..

Magdalen College..they have a park in it..

Keble College..this college is open for public..most of the colleges aren't..

Christchurch College..where Harry Potter movie shooting took place..

One fine day I walked alone in the city centre..from far I could recognize a Malaysian was walking from the opposite way..bila dah dekat suddenly we both stopped..eh macam kenal..she said, madiha ehhh??and I was like...aliah ehhh??hahaaaaa...it was my long lost friend!!we were schoolmates back in seaport..classmates actually during form 4..both terkejut..kat k.j tak jumpa tetibe kat oxford leh jumpa!haha what a small world..had lunch with her the next day and the next next next day.. =D

Both of us do our research in Oxford University..tapi amik gambar kat Oxford Brookes..hahaaa..kelaka...

hmmmmm..banggakan jadi anak Malaysia? =D

All of my housemates..except yg kiri sekali n the one on my left..just visiting oxford for a while...

Selingan: my mum went to Bath while we are in Oxford..haii sempat lagi berjalan..tapi aku tak ikut.. ;)

My Trip to the United Kingdom..

2010-02-08T21:38:00.060+01:00

We took Eurostar to London..

Arrived at St. Pancras International..

Macam biasa terus cari kereta untuk disewa..my father asked for a medium size car..We didn't know what kind of car they were going to give us..tup tup..

hahaaaaaaaa..my dream car again!!serius tak expect dia akan bagi the same car as in Europe!cuma warna je lain..blue!..sukanya hatiiii..aku rasa aku memang ditakdirkan untuk drive kereta ni..hahaha.. =D but tetiba nak tukar right-hand drive kat UK dah kekok balik..baru dapat adjust left-hand drive..haihhh..

Tanpa membuang masa we headed straight away to Durham, New Castle, meeting my cousin studying there..

My younger brother, my mother & I in front of her house in Bowburn, Durham..

The Angel of the North..

New Castle City..sangat cantik..

Durham Castle..they claimed that Harry Potter movie shooting was taken from this castle..I don't know how true it is..but I think the Cristchurch in Oxford are more likely to be the shooting place..

After New Castle, we went to Lake District..sangatlah besar lake dia..the lake can be seen from 9 different places; west, east, central, mid-west so on and so forth..

After that we went to Kent, stayed for a while at Hever Golf & Country Club..

Few places we went before going to Central London..

The famous Oxford Street..

This is where I lived when I was in London in 1992..Ivor Court near Baker's Street..still looks the same..

The Buckingham Palace..

My official meeting with the Queen and Barack & Michelle Obama.. ;)

They were looking at their official photographer and I was looking at mine.. ;p

Change of Guard at Buckingham Palace..

Hard Rock..

The Big Ben..

The London Eye..

Part of Houses of Parliament/Palace of Westminster..

Tower Hill Station..

Tower of London..

Tower Bridge..

Me with Tom Cruise..Katie Holmes jangan marah yerrr.. ;)

Zac Efron..

Shrek!!!!!!!!!!!!!

George Clooneyyyy..

Brad Piiiiitttttttttttttt!!!!!

Sherlock Holmes..

Camden Town..

Malaysia Hall London..

The Trafalgar Square..dulu banyak burung2..boleh kasik makan..skang dah takde..sedih.. =(

Spot the Malaysian flag? That's the Ministry of Tourism..

Marble Arch..

Portobello Market..

Regent's Park..

Harrods..

huhhhh..tetibe rasa panjang la pulak entry nih..*sigh*..enjoy peeps!~ ;)

My Trip To Europe..

2010-02-07T01:07:00.026+01:00

I have 3 more weeks to go before going back to KL..My university sponsorship covers 2 weeks in Oxford, so I got 1 week left on my own expense..well..when i say my own expense,what i mean is my father’s expense..heheh..so I took this opportunity wisely by jalan2!! =D ohh by the way my father and my younger brother came on the last 2 days I’m in Paris..we began our journey by renting a car..

This is my first dream car and I have succeeded in persuading my father to rent it for our Europe trip..Volkswagen Passat..muahahahahah..

The 3 of us except my mum took turn driving around europe..sangat kekok handling a left-hand drive vehicle..Our next country after France is Italy..to get to Italian border we have to pass through Mont Blanc tunnel..Mont Blanc sangat cantikkkkkkkkk..rumah2 dan hotel2 dibina di kawasan bukit-bukau diliputi salji menjadikan ia sebuah tempat peranginan yg sgt cantik..anyway our first stop in Italy is Milan (Milano)..

A town in Milan called Lambrate..

Passed by some factories such as mozarella cheese factory..a lot of names of Italian food were taken from places in Italy, for example there are places named Carbonara, Piezza, Bologna..I was wondering if places in K.L such as Sentul, Kerinchi, Damansara, were actually foooodddd..hehehe...

After Milan, we headed to Venice (Venezia)..i have dreamt to go to this place all my life..Alhamdulillah tercapai jugak hajat aku.. =D

When we reached Venice, it was snowing heavily!!

This is the nicest Italian I met..

Most of the gondolas are not in use during winter/heavy snow..

Florence (Firenze), Italy..

Menara condong Pisa!

Entering Switzerland..pemandangan dia sangat cantik sebenarnya..a lot of cottages are built di lereng-lereng bukit..

Lucerne (Luzerne), Switzerland..

The landmark..

In the city of Zurich, Switzerland..

Stuttgart, Germany..famous for its Mercedez & BMW antique museum..

The Black Forest, Germany..

After Black Forest, we stopped at other few places such as Baden-Baden, Wissembourg & Strasbourg......the trip was enjoyable!! =D

For the last three months..

2010-01-22T21:25:00.032+01:00

Sedar tak sedar dah 3 bulan aku kat Paris ni..time passes by very quickly without me realizing it..perasaan aku memang bercampur baur nak tinggalkan Paris ni..banyak sgt kenangan yg tak mungkin aku lupa..so here we go..

My new experience in life began here..

For the last 3 months, inilah pemandangan sekitar kawasan rumah aku di Paris..sceneries that caught my eyes when I first stepped into the area..

For the last 3 months, this is the first thing that I see everytime I get out of my house..one of Parisians' creative innovation..I really like it..

This is the nearest bus-stop and train station to my house..buses and trains that got me to my destination..my ride almost everyday for the last 3 months..

Regular places that I have been to for the last 3 months..

My department..

My university library..

The National Library..walking distance from my house..

Research Library..

My favourite bookshop..

My mother & I favourite flourist..also walking distance from my house..

Beautiful people I have been mingling around for the last 3 months..

Mary, Jeremy & Malia, hope to see you guys in Malaysia this coming October.. =)

Emeritus Professor Dr. Roshdi Rashed..the one and only..nuff said..

Director Pascal Crozet..thank you very much for all the hospitalities you have given me for the last 3 months..

Sorrylah ter'sentimental' sikit sejak akhir-akhir nihhh..

A few words to conclude Paris..if you love history, music, art & fashion, Paris is a perfect place for you..

And my experience continues..England, here I come! =)

My trip to Holland..

2010-01-15T23:28:00.024+01:00

Our journey began here..

Paris/Gare du Nord, the busiest railway station in Europe, the third busiest in the world after Shinjuku & Ikebukuro station in Tokyo, or so they've said. I have been to Shinjuku station, yes it was a very busy place, but tak rasa sesak pun..you know why? Because Japanese walk very fast yet tersusun, as if time is really precious to them, but Parisians? They walk very fast but kelam-kabuuuuuuttt!! as if macam dah terlambaaaaaaaat sangat2 nak pegi ke satu2 tempat! Anyway the 3-hour journey from Paris by train stopped at Brussel, Antwerpen (they did the dance clip at this station!-akmal, take note, *wink*), Rotterdam & Schiphol Airport, before stopping at Amsterdam Centraal..

Amsterdam is the largest city of the Netherlands situated in North Holland, bicycle-friendly city & driving a car here is discouraged. When we arrived, we went to its central square, riding the tram (they have their trams built all over Amsterdam), tak banyak jalan2 utk kete..aku mmg tak reti nak lintas jalan kat situ..trams, bicycles, cars, sume dalam satu jalan..

The Dam Square..

Floating flower market..

Holland's, or shall I say The Netherlands' trademark..

Holland's traditional waffles..I luv 'em!!

cuba teka ni apa..i bought the small one.. =)

Lepas jln2 kat Amsterdam kami pun bertolak ke Leiden, a city situated in South Holland..took only half an hour by train to Leiden Centraal..

Leiden main street..

View from our hotel..

One of the good facilities for cyclists..

Leiden University..well, actually inilah tujuan sebenar aku datang ke sini..thehihihihi..

The Library..met a Dutch who speaks Indonesian! aku mcm blur kejap bila mat saleh tinggi lampai tu dtg kat aku ckp indon..hahaaa..well..he's married to an Indonesian no wonder..

See the Indonesian word? memang banyak perkataan Indon di sini yg digunapakai oleh orang2 Belanda..tapi aku rasa Indon yg cedok dari dia, sbb dia yg jajah indon..ntahlaaa..yg penting my trip to Leiden reminds me of my home summore!!a lot of Asian restaurants..keluar2 hotel restoran indon sebelah tu je..jumpa tempe, sambal petai..nyammmyyy..

Inilah sungai2 yg membeku yg aku lalu untuk sampai ke library..thanks to Dr. Fauzi for showing me around the city & thanks to Dr. Wan & family for inviting me to their place.. =)

Before going back to Paris, we went for a canal cruise in Amsterdam..snapped few photos..sungai agak beku actually but sonok tengok boat tu pecahkan ais..but I don't know which canal cruise is better, Amsterdam or Venice..sbb tak penah naik yg Venice punya..but plan to!!heheeee..

All aboard!!masa ni aku pakai 8 lapis sbb Amsterdam jauhhhh laggiiii sejuuuuuukkkkkk dari Paris!bukan aku dah gemok okayyy... =p

Masa ni dah nak balik Paris..the temperature was -8!!aku memang tak tahan masa ni..muka dah merah2..kaki dah beku..tangan dah kering sampai luka2..tapi sempat lagi bergambar heheh..

ingatkan balik Paris panaslah sikit, rupa2nya tidak sama sekali, malahan salji telah turun sekali lagi...anyway our train was delayed about one hour and a half but we received compensation in cash!!berbaloi rasanya hihi..

Well..that's all for my trip to Holland..enjoy peeps~

memories..

2010-01-10T22:38:00.016+01:00

These are few photos left in my collection..Few places that we went before leaving Paris..sob sob..

La Défense..modern architecture of Paris..aku suka tengok dua gambar nih..sebab aku yg tangkap..hahaaa..poyo nyer adik..

nampak tak bangunan sekeping tu?

Château de Versailles..palace dia dalam tu tak best..versaille dulu lagi lawa..bak kata mak aku - versaille dulu berpuluh2 kali ganda lagi lawa..hahaaa..

Parisians' ice skating rink..

Häagen-Dazs, Avenue des Champs- Élysées

Eiffel at night..

2010-01-09T22:52:00.012+01:00

When you talk about Paris, it's all about the Eiffel.. =D

I have a video recorded masa dia tukar2 lampu ni..but the size is too big to upload here.. ;)

Disneyland Resort Paris..

2010-01-06T23:27:00.012+01:00

Went to Disneyland Paris..disneyland dia tak lawa!! disneyland tempat2 lain yg aku dah pegi jauh lagi lawa dari paris punya..hehe..anyway adala jugak snap few photos walaupun tak berapa nak lawa...haihhhh..

Disneyland Park..

Walt Disney Studio..

Disney Village..

inside the village..

candies!!

tetibe aku rasa muka aku mcm muka jepun pakai tudung..hahaaaaaa

aku nak beli satu teko pink nihh!!tapi dah sebok2 tengok barang lain sampai terlupa nak beli!!dah balik rumah baru teringat..sedih tak dapat teko ni.. =(

Christmas & New Year in Paris..

2010-01-01T23:33:00.006+01:00

Christmas in Paris was beautiful..tapi taklah semeriah kat L.A or London..UK & US sambut krismas lagi giler2..wayyy too beautiful..sangat lawa decoration diorang..anyway we went out that night..lawa la jugak tapi biasa2 je..diorang sambut new year lagi meriah dari krismas..meletup sana sini meriam..cheers sana sini..aku pun tak tau kenapa diorang lagi suke new year..hmmmm..

biasa2 je kan christmas tree diorang? ;)

Christmas present for me!! tak sangka aku pun dapat hadiah! hahaaaa.. =D

Bonne Année to everybody! May the year ahead be better for all of us..insyaAllah..

Musée du Louvre..

2009-12-23T11:42:00.007+01:00

This entry was supposed to be posted before my last 2 entries, but since dah terexcited snow turun terus terlupa nak publish this entry. sampai makcik aku dah balik baru teringat. hehe. anyway enjoy the pics!

Louvre Museum, gosh I love the place!! nanti nak masuk lagi sekali!! =)

Entering the Napoleon III apartments..

aku pun taktau apa motif aku amik gambar patung2 ni..ni semua si akmal la punya hal..gara-gara Montesquieu dan doktrin nya..aku dgn adib dikerah oleh mak mencari dol tu..kelamkabut..hahaaa..

under the pyramid bersama si kecil.. =)

from left: my aunty, me, my cousins, my mum and my brother..

Original painting of Mona Lisa..perhaps the most famous and iconic painting in the world..dapat amik dari tepi je..terlalulah ramai manusia..tak dapat nak amik betul2 kat tengah2..this portrait depicts a woman whose facial expression is often described as mysterious..if you guys notice kalau snap gambar minah ni dari angle mana pun dia tetap akan pandang kita..or in other words described as "her gaze is fixed on the observer and seems to welcome them to this silent communication"..sebab tu ada orang kata Monalisa ni berhantu..hahaha..ntah ye ntah tidak taktaulah aku..perasan tak dia takde eyebrows and eyelashes? Leonardo da Vinci was just a spectacular artist.. =)

Lawa kan painting ni..tapi semua tengok kat Monalisa jugak, wanita yg tak pernah wujud itu..haihh..tapi aku pun admire gak sebenarnya dgn lukisan monalisa ni..hihi..she is just amazing..

take a break!

2,000 trapped as Eurostar trains break down..

2009-12-20T11:56:00.005+01:00

LONDON – More than 2,000 people were stranded beneath the English Channel for up to 16 hours when their Eurostar trains came to a halt in a tunnel, leaving many of them without food, water — or any idea of what was happening.

In the end, they all emerged safe on Friday night, but some suffered claustrophobia or panic attacks, and many passengers complained that Eurostar staff members had done little to help them through the ordeal, which forced some to walk part of the dark tunnel, 24 miles (38 kilometers) of which is under water.

Eurostar's executives have offered apologies, refunds, free travel and more, but the company has canceled all passenger services through the Channel Tunnel until Monday in a bid to figure out what happened.

"It was just pandemonium," said Lee Godfrey, who was returning to London from Disneyland Paris with his family when it was caught in the tunnel. He said people suffered asthma attacks and fainted after the train's power went out, cutting off light and air vents.

"People were very, very panicky," he told BBC radio, complaining of poor communication and saying that some passengers had to open the emergency doors themselves.

Godfrey's was one of four trains that were stuck in the tunnel Friday evening for reasons that remain unclear.

Eurostar officials have speculated that the quick transition from the icy cold of France, which is suffering some of its worst winter weather in years, to the relative warmth of the tunnel could have interfered with the trains' electrical systems. But the company's chief operating officer, Nicolas Petrovic, said Eurostar will have to investigate why the trains broke down.

"We've never seen anything like that at Eurostar," Petrovic told France-Info radio on Saturday.

The company has canceled regularly scheduled services until Monday for test runs.

"We don't want a repeat of last night," Eurostar spokesman Paul Gorman said.

Some passengers were evacuated by being taken through the darkened train tunnel onto shuttles. Others were left aboard two trains that were linked together and pushed to London by smaller diesel trains.

Parisian Gregoire Sentilhes described confusion as authorities struggled to evacuate passengers.

"We spent the night inside the tunnel," he said. "At 6 a.m. we were taken out of the train by firefighters. We walked for around a mile (1.6 kilometers) with our luggage. We went into another Eurostar train and we were trapped on it, going back and forth inside the tunnel."

He said passengers were suffering panic attacks, lacked anything to drink and didn't know what was happening. Some also complained about chaotic and poorly-organized efforts to get them home.

That confusion extended into Saturday evening.

Early Saturday Eurostar announced it was sending stranded passengers home from London in three special trains — only to cancel the service a few hours later. Two trains dispatched from Paris also canceled — one broke down shortly after leaving the tunnel, while another was stopped at Lille in northern France.

Chief Executive Richard Brown said the company was "very, very sorry that so many passengers were inconvenienced last night and this morning due to weather conditions in northern France. We are working hard to get passengers home. We will give them full refunds and another ticket."

Eurostar provides train service linking London to Paris and Brussels. It is usually thronged with holiday travelers this time of year.

The train service's reputation for safe operation suffered a setback in September, 2008, after a fire broke out as one of the trains entered the 50 kilometer (30 mile) tunnel. Service was cut back for five months as extensive damage was repaired.

On Saturday, travel for motorists hoping to cross the English Channel on ferries and via the Channel Tunnel was also badly disrupted. Police in Kent, England, warned drivers not to travel to the port of Dover except in emergencies because of massive traffic snarls caused by problems in the tunnel and in the French port of Calais.

Police put in motion a contingency plan to allow up to 2,300 trucks hoping to cross the English Channel to park on highways until the situation improves. Red Cross workers provided hot drinks and water to motorists trapped in their cars for up to 12 hours.

___

Associated Press Writer Cecile Brisson in Paris contributed to this report

Eurostar services remain suspended

LONDON (AFP) – The executive director of Eurostar Richard Brown between England and France confirmed Sunday that passenger train services remained suspended for the day and was unable to say when they would resume.

"I can't guarantee our services will be working because we've suspended the service again today until we get to the bottom of what happened on Friday night," he told BBC television on Sunday morning.

More than 2,000 passengers spent the night trapped in the Channel Tunnel, some without anything to eat or drink, after five Eurostar trains broke down in freezing weather.

The breakdowns were blamed on trains being unable to cope with the change in temperature as they moved from the bitter cold of northern France into the warm air of the tunnel.

"We did run two or three trains yesterday, they all got through the tunnel OK, but one or two of them showed symptoms of the problem that happened on Friday night.

"We will not start services again until we're sure that we can get them through safely," he emphasised.

Eurostar estimated that around 24,000 passengers were waiting to cross the Channel on Sunday after two days of disrupted services, the company's deputy director Nicolas Petrovic said Saturday.

Similar news on Mingguan Malaysia (20/12/09): http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=1220&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_04.htm

My brother took a plane from Charles de Gaulle Airport to London on the 19th. We nearly bought Eurostar ticket for him. If we did so, he'd be one of the 24,000 passengers waiting to get across, lebih mengerikan if he'd be the one stranded among the 2000 passengers. Not only that, only planes from Charles de Gaulle and Orly Airport managed to fly in and out due to bad weather. Alhamdulillah my brother arrived safely. Allah The Almighty. Praying for him to get back here safely in Paris..

17.12.2009

2009-12-17T23:47:00.008+01:00

Paris dah snow!! yeayy!! dari pagi sampai malam hujan snow. Lebat pulak tu.. =)

Views from our house..

We keep throwing BIG snowballs at each other..kureng nyer adik..

Various places..

2009-12-13T00:17:00.012+01:00

Paris' famous Arc de Triomphe..

Paris at night..

Paris' largest chinatown...see the fruit shop behind us? buah yg best aku jumpa ialah rambutan, duku, manggis, dragon fruit, barli, etc etc, you name it..dan yg paling best ialah durian!!haha macam kelakar la pulak ada bau durian kat paris..and finally found my cilipadi!!sekali lagi hatiku riang gumbira.. =D

Embassy of Malaysia in France..

LaFayette II..

Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle

T-rex on my left..

Nasib baik ni telur dinasour..kalau telur ayam, aku bawak balik umah cukup untuk stok 3 bulan..hahah!

p/s ifa: I found TATI..I went into that shop before..before you told me about it, only I did not realize that shop was TATI..hehe..second time pegi baru perasan..hehe..very huge shop..3 blocks along the road! =)

Recent Updates..

2009-12-10T19:28:00.026+01:00

Bonjour!! Sorry for the long pause..been busy entertaining my aunty and her daughters who came last week..and my brother is here too! fetched him at the airport the other day..big thanks to them kerana sudi membawa belacan, sambal tempe, roti canai, kicap, cili sos (kicap dgn cili sos kat paris tak sedap!) dan yang paling penting cili padiku!! gumbiranya hatiku heee..=D

Anyway as usual we tour paris throughout the whole week..here are some photos!

Around the area of Opéra National de Paris..

Noticed the two identical building? Actually all the buildings surrounding them are identical, but my camera screen only fits two buildings.. =)

Eiffel Tower II..

On my third visit I finally managed to get to the top of the tower! yeayy!

Going Up!

One side from Eiffel..

Second side from Eiffel..

Another side from Eiffel..

Yet another side from Eiffel..see the sunlight spot?

All of us..

Gustave Eiffel..

Gustave's daughter Claire and his famous guest, the American inventor Thomas Edison..

My mother with her daughter and son.. =)

Flag of Malaysia on the highest level of Eiffel Tower..

Later guys! ;)

Eid Al-Adha 2009/1430H

2009-11-27T20:55:00.004+01:00

The beginning of the month of Zulhijjah 1430 have been confirmed on Wednesday, November 18, 2009. Assembly of Arafa, will be on Thursday, 9 Zulhijjah 1430 corresponding to November 26, 2009.

Therefore, the feast of Eid Al Adha will be celebrated on:
Friday, November 27, 2009 corresponding to 10 Zulhijjah 1430.

Prayer of Eid Al-Adha will be held at the Mosque of Paris at 9 am sharp.

On this occasion, Dr. Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Muslim Institute of the Great Mosque of Paris extends his best wishes to the entire Muslim community of France.

So we went to Grande Mosquée de Paris for the prayer this morning. Salam Aidiladha to all my beloved family and friends...

Bonjour!!

2009-11-25T09:05:00.005+01:00

Last night was my first French class!! Omigod it was fun!! I never thought that the class would be in so much fun!! Seriously I really enjoyed the class!! Best class ever in my entire life!! Hahahah sorrylah ter’excited’ sikit..but I am not exaggerating..mmg best..seumur hidop aku, aku tak penah masuk class yg best mcm ni..2 jam tak rasa apa..tau2 lagi 5 minit class dah nak habes..kalau kat m’sia 2 jam aku dah terngantuk2 dlm class..hahah! yg ni aku balik umah tersenyum riang, gumbira, happy, rasa nak melompat2, sume ada! =D

I gain new experience through this class. Now only I know what it feels like to study abroad. I may not know entirely and technically, but at least I get the picture. I have seen in movies/television/documentaries/conferences on how the system works, but when I experience it myself, I know the real feeling.

Let me tell you my theory. People in general normally learn various languages, including their mother tongue. People in Malaysia in particular customarily learn three languages; Bahasa, English and Arabic. I have been to classes of those three languages before myself, be it formally at school, or leisurely at a language centre, or even privately at home. We used to learn a theory first, then only the practice/application/implementation/training, whatever you like call it, comes (if and only if it does come! Sometimes it does not come at all!).

If we look into Arabic for instance, we keep learning muannath, muzakkar from kindergarden until we finished high school. We keep memorising fi’il mudhori’, fi’il madhi, fi’il ammar until we graduated. Same thing as in English, we keep being taught with past tense, present tense, future past tense, which one is singular, which one is plural. Lots and lots of theories along the way, leaving practical things behind. Last night, I learned the opposite way. Exercise comes first, then only the theory. You learn how to talk first, just talk as much as you like, any way you like, tunggang terbalik pun tak apa, then only you learn where were you wrong. For example, when you say a sentence, say “I am a Chinese”, if the teacher spots the grammatical error, then only will the teacher say okay, there is a mistake, and he corrects it; how to say the same sentence if you are a Chinese girl, or if you are a Chinese boy. That way I learn faster, because I practice. What I learned back in Malaysia, we have to make sure the grammatical sentence is correct, then only we have the guts to say it out loud. That way we never learn from our mistake and we do not remember things. Get me?

When I say we practice, I really do mean practice. Whatever form of practical things you may like; conversations, dialogue, games etc. In 2 hours I could sit at three different places in that small class. At first I was sitting at one corner of the classroom, and then I moved to the other side, next thing I know I was in front of the class playing games tulis kat papan kapur! Memang tak duduk diam, that is why 2 jam tak rasa apa. The class was very active and fast, which means I have to catch things up real quick! nak menulis pun tak sempat. But that way I learn fast. I won the competition in the games, twice! haha Malaysian beat up Thailandese..hahah!

Cikgu aku sgt best. He has characters; funny, jovial, relax, not to mention young and handsome! Lagi handsome dari Brad Pitt! Hahah. But seriously, I think a teacher plays very crucial role in delivering something. In this class, the teacher will never speak in English, apatah lagi Bahasa Melayu, hahah! When he teaches, he will try to explain it in French as much as he could. If we come across a word that none of us know, he will never give the word in English, he will try to explain it in French instead, paling-paling tidak dia akan bagi signal..rupa-rupanya yg dia dok cakap tu ialah nurse!!hahah..Bahasa Inggeris diharamkan di dalam kelas. Sape2 dia dengar cakap English memang kena..hahaha..To me it is the exact method because I understand and remember quickly. They do not need to use high tech equipment to teach, enough with the precise methodology. Just imagine I can remember all my classmates, their names, nationalities, professions, etc..memanglah tak ramai, 9 orang je..but in two hours I can explain their brief biography in French! Siap boleh suruh eja nama kalau tak paham..hahah..by the way I am the only Malaysian, others are from the United States, Thailand, China, Mexico, Oman, Saudi Arabia etc. In two hours I learned a lot, does not feel like a burden, like I said, it is not like what I expected. I wish these kind of methods can be applied in Malaysia. I am thinking of doing the same thing in my tutorial class. So my future students beware! You may experience new things with me!hahah!

Something else to share - I have few little nephews and niece who went to international schools. If you look at them you can see how different they are. I am not saying that those who went to ordinary school tak baik, I went there myself. All I am saying is that you can see the difference in their personalities, the way they communicate with people, their confidence and friendliness. At international school, they really enjoy going to school..yg tadika pun tak takot gi sekolah. They really love their teachers. Wherever they see their teachers they run and hug them! Every morning they go to school, the headmaster/mistress will wait at the doorstep to greet them! And like I said before, more exercises and presentations; bring your most favourite thing, bring your pet, and talk about it, anything that you like. If the child macam terdiam, yelah budak2 tadika, the teacher will assist them, asking why is this thing is your most favourite thing, who bought it for you, do you like the colour, so on and so forth. Ask questions so that they respond and talk..kalau budak2 yg dah besar sikit, tell the class your hobbies, if you collect football player cards, baseball cards, bring them to class and show your friends, and once in a while the teachers will bring them out, go to the post office for instance, teach them how to write a letter, send a letter to your parents, how to glue stamps, how to put it in the post-box..tak ke seronok budak2. They really enjoy going to school..aku yg dah tua bangka masuk class ni pun seronok..hehehe..balik mesia my niece terkejot, culture shock..masuk class sekolah biasa darjah 2 cikgu garang nak mampus..”sape tak bawak homework datang sekolah esok cikgu rotan!!”..tak ke tekejot berok budak tuh..haihhh..

Can’t wait to go to my second class! =)

Disclaimer: All statements and opinion given are in writer’s personal capacity and without prejudice. They have no relation with any individual or organisation. Those who study abroad feel free to share with me your experience. I love to learn new things!!

Champs-Élysées..

2009-11-21T19:46:00.012+01:00

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, one of the most famous streets in the world..

Disney Store, Champs Élysées, Paris..she's beautiful, isn't she? =)

Louis Vuitton in Paris' prestigious avenue..aku pening masuk dalam tu..bangunan dia bertingkat-tingkat dan bulat tapi berliku-liku..dan lagi sekali aku menyampah, geraamm, sakit ati sume ada tgk diorang beli mcm beli dengan daun kering..hahah..

af...

2009-11-19T13:57:00.012+01:00

Registered my French class today. The fees is quite expensive! I am taking the evening classes. That way it would not affect my schedule during the day; going to the university, the libraries and meetings with my professor.

Alliance Française Paris Ile-de-France

It has been a long time since I went for classes..haha rasa macam dah beku otak ni nak masuk class balik..all this while was just research..last time I went for formal classes was the research methodology class back in UM..itupun dlm class main2 je dgn wahidah..haha..kan kak dah kan..

An Acquaintance..

2009-11-18T18:42:00.005+01:00

My youngest brother is coming! yeayy!! senanglah nak teman aku ke sana ke mari..hhehe..he bought his ticket today..well, actually I was the one who bought the airline ticket for him.. =) Following 3 days after his arrival is my aunty with her 2 daughters. Can't wait!

Today I met new people at my centre, who happen to be in the same room with me. Each and everyone of them has their own field of research. One is a Belgian. His expertise is in psychology, more or less, teaching in Switzerland, living in Belgium, working in France. Kind of hectic don't you think? Well, he admits it. The other one is a French, who is an expert in philosophy of logic, teaching in Université de Paris 10. Eric, the one I told you before is in ethno-mathematics, Nadine is in physics philosophy and Sylvia is in Jewish studies/Hebrew manuscipt, also teaches in Italy. Very nice people though. They already have their PhD but I tell ya they look very young! Not to mention handsome and stylish too..ahakss..

P/s: hoping for my father and my younger brother to come soon!

Later!

Versailles & Giverny..

2009-11-15T10:00:00.008+01:00

We went to Versailles yesterday..the weather was cold and windy there..

Next, we headed to Claude Monet, Giverny..

See the apple tree?..but sangatlah rugi pegi time skang coz of the autumn/winter..sume layu..suasana sangatlah menyedihkan..very gloomy..lavenders were supposed to fill all over the ground..

Dinner time..

Motivational Quotes..

2009-11-12T12:15:00.004+01:00

Last Monday I visited an emeritus professor whom I will be working with while I am in Paris. Former Director and the Founder of the centre I am in right now. He's aged, yet strong and very humble man. Wrote few series of encyclopedias, countless books and journals, currently working on last volume of one of his encyclopedias. His treatises are all over Paris bookshops, not to mention worldwide. He has his office where he does his research everyday, next to his house. We had a discussion at his office for about one hour and a half, I feel very tiny sitting in front of big names like him. Two things I remember him saying until now, and I will bear in mind until the end of my life..

If you help yourself, I will help you. If you guide yourself, I will guide you.

You have to work really hard. You and your professor (my supervisor) must work very hard.

These two things may seem as simple as it can be but when the words come from brilliant scholar like him, who devoted his life to write things that will last forever, even if he dies, that really touches my heart. Sangat menusuk kalbuku.. May Allah bless him and his family.

The Garden..

2009-11-11T19:26:00.007+01:00

Jardin de Luxembourg..

Aku tak suka amik gambar dgn mak aku..nampak aku sgt besar..yg sebenarnya bukan aku yg besar, coat tu yg besar..bukan saiz aku..agagagagaga..

Last night we went to get some kebab..very nice kebab but tak habis makan..banyak sangat..anyway I can have almost everything in Malaysia, here in Paris, like beras, santan, susu cair, except for one thing, cili padi..punyalah penat aku carik cili padi, kat pasar, kat supermarket, kat kedai jepun, heheh..tapi tak jumpa..taktaulah..maybe aku yg tak habis round lagi bandar paris ni.. =)

p/s: ifa, u know how angry I am without cili padi in my food.. *wink*

Special Wish to Bekteryofudge..

2009-11-11T19:06:00.005+01:00

I would like to dedicate this entry to my special friend, Diana Haliza. Happy Birthday babe! Hope you have a blast on your birthday. Wishing you every happiness in the world and may all your dreams come true.

Dude, I tried to call you many times but u did not pick up..i guess maybe u tengah kena baling telur..hehehe..anyway sorry gua cilok gamba lu..hehehe..i learn from u girl..plus i like the picture very much..*wink2*

Happy Burst Day!!!!!!!!!!!!

p/s: Thank you very much for the special entry dude..i feel honoured..really appreciate it!!muaxxx!!

Open Market..

2009-11-10T16:39:00.003+01:00

Last Sunday we went to an open market. It is said that this is the largest open market in Paris. Variety of things are sold here. Clothes, shoes, women/men accesories, souvenirs, leather goods, antiques, f&b, car boot sale at one angle. Aku rasa sume benda ada kat situ, belacan je takde. Kawasan dia sangatlah besar, memang tak terjalan. Kalau setakat uptown cheras tu celah gigi dia je..hehehe..anyway I did not get anything for myself..entah..takde yg berkenan..punyalah banyak barang kat situ, aku boleh tak beli apa2..sampai kena cop cerewet dgn dr.fauzi,hehehe..dia shopping banyak..heheh..hmm anyways my mum got herself a pair of boots, and a very nice green winter jacket..

sedar tak sedar dari pagi sampai petang habis masa kat market tu je..sorry no photo for you guys..the place is too crowded to snap photos..maybe next time.. =)

The Most Awaited Eiffil Tower...

2009-11-07T19:43:00.007+01:00

A view from the Eiffel Tower on one side..

A view from the Eiffel Tower on the other side..matahari direct masa ni..tapi still sejuk..

My apartment..

Sightseeing II

2009-11-06T19:34:00.013+01:00

Today..more sightseeing, but on books. We visited as much bookshops as we could. Found a few books for me but tak beli dulu. Nak survey sume dulu. We took a bus from our house to Panthéon area.

The Panthéon.. Pardon my mum amik gambar senget..hehe

Universite de Paris, Faculte de Droit

I am not praying, it is just the cold weather.. =)

See the Eiffel? =)

Kacau daun betul mamat sebelah ni..haihh..

One of the bookshops..

The Grande Mosquée de Paris..Alhamdulillah dapat visit masjid..

French people are very stylish, fashionable, trendy dan yg sewaktu dengannya. Yelah, kata pun world class fashion datang dari sini.. Aku sangat suka tengok style diorang. Even the old ones are stylish. Another thing I notice is the cars. If in Germany they use Mercedes as taxi, here they use Peugeot. Lots and lots of Peugeot. Almost all of Peugeot models jadik taxi je kat sini. Remember the "Taxi" movie? They used white Peugeot 407 in that film. Lots of Volkswagen & Toyota too, but as private cars.

Later..

Sightseeing..

2009-11-04T12:33:00.012+01:00

This is a picture of me at my university..

Last time I was in Paris in 1992. I was in Standard 2 at that time. I remember visiting the Eiffel Tower with my family. At that time we just managed to go up until Level 2 because they closed the last level due to mist.

Today we took only half day at the centre and decided to go sightseeing. After having our lunch the five of us went to The Sacré-Coeur. Well, basically it is a church. It is surrounded by big town, like in Malaysia we have Chow Kit. Here the winter clothes are very cheap! And a wide selection of souvenirs, key-chain, glasses, t-shirts, you name it.

aku rasa badan aku sama besar dgn church tu..hahaha..

Next we headed to LaFayette. If in London they have Harrods, here they have LaFayette. They even have a bus-stop named after this dude. Busy and expensive place. A lot of people shopping. And let me repeat - shopping - not just window shopping. Diorang beli bag LV and all these branded things macam beli baju kat pasar malam. And then beli bag LV sume paperbag besar macam mesin basuh, mesin basuh aku pun lagi kecik. Gila. Swipe credit card kat Gucci macam tak payah bayar credit card tu. Sakit ati aku tengok. Nyampah. Hehe. But seriously, not just a few of them, plenty!

Then we visited Louvre, the famous museum, but only from the outside. It is still open but we decided to enter Louvre during the weekend as there will be plenty of time for us to walk around the whole building. From here also we can see the Eiffel Tower, sangat begemerlapan. Tapi aku tak amik gambar, amik gambar Louvre je.

This is the five of us..

Then hari pun dah malam kami pun baliklah..

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7

2009-11-03T16:00:00.002+01:00

2nd November was my first day to my university (2nd day of arrival)..Early in the morning my supervisor teach me how to ride a bus to my centre..it is easier to take a bus than metro coz you have to change the train twice...with a bus i can reach my centre in 10 minutes time..at the centre i was introduced to some people..my room is a room of 4 researchers..i get to know Sylvia, Nadine and Eric..everyone here at the centre speaks English whether they are French or Italian so there is not much problem with the language..but I am planning to learn some French also..Later in the afternoon I get to meet and have a discussion with the Director of the centre, Pascal Crozet..very charismatic yet simple kind of guy..In the evening the four of us plan to walk back home..the centre and my house is within walking distance so it is not that far to walk..plus the scenery is just breathtaking as I walk along the Seine River..

I go to the centre to work on my research almost everyday except for the weekend..I come to the centre around 9.30am and I go back before dark..Maghrib is around 5.30pm..I plan to take my mother tour Paris during the weekend..

1st day in Paris...

2009-11-03T12:08:00.003+01:00

My plane landed at Charles de Gaulle International Airport on 1st November 2009 (Sunday) at 7.00am (2.00pm Malaysia time)..Alhamdulillah everything went smoothly..Our flight had no problem and transit at Abu Dhabi for 2 hours was just nice..not too long and not too short.. when we arrived at Paris Airport there was no problem with the immigration and custom check.. Alhamdulillah..airport dia sangat kokak..heheh..do not expect very high-tech building and all..our KLIA is way too modern..anyway their immigration and custom check were very simple..no hassle..just show them your passport and they will stamp it..that’s all..no embarkation card, visa whatsoever..coz Malaysian citizen do not require visa to enter France (not more than 90 days)..they do not ask you your purpose of entering france, where to stay, for how long, exact date of going back.. no red lane or green lane..no such thing..unlike japan...

We (my mother and I) were fetched by my supervisor..We took a cab to our house..it takes about 30 minutes to reach Paris 13 by car..I was told that it is about the same time if we ride the train (metro)..we have a very small but nice house..the owner is nice as well..imagine like a hotel room with a double bed and a desk with a bathroom in it..plus a small kitchen...although it is small (studio type) but it is newly renovated in a very modern building with security and all..not that classical french building..there is also a gymnasium and washing machine area..so while waiting for my laundry I can ride on the treadmill since I need to burn a lot of fat due to cold weather..hehe..internet is no problem..it is accessible almost everywhere..be it plug-in or wireless..my house is near to a supermarket, gas station, metro station and a surau owned by Muslim African if I am not mistaken..

After settling the rental agreement with the owner and getting to know the area, my supervisor invited us to his house for breakfast where these 3 gentlemen (including his housemates) cooked very nice nasi lemak..(when you are in Paris nasi lemak tastes very delicious!)..it was very nice of them to have our breakfast ready..after that we went to a fresh market nearby where my mother bought some vegetables, fish and prawns..i got myself some fresh strawberries..it is not that expensive if you are local..when you think of its conversion then only it becomes expensive..but not necessarily..there are some things even after you convert you can have just about the same price as in Malaysia, such as beras, cooking oil, kacang buncis..fresh meat yes..they are expensive..but since we buy in small quantity it does not cost us that much..there is a shopping complex at the end of the market but we did not get a chance to go in..we were tired..perhaps next time..after that we went to get some halal meat at a shop nearby..my mother bought some chicken and meat..there is also lamb and burung merpati..hehehe..

Most of the shops here close on Monday..so it is not very pleasant to go around on Mondays..when we arrived the weather was not that cold..if you put on a sweater it should be enough..but it is getting colder nowadays as it is towards the end of autumn and winter is coming up..it rains almost everyday..public transports are very efficient..i managed to get monthly pass for metro and bus with the help of my supervisor..i can ride the metro or the buses unlimited..plus eiffel tower and my house are in the same line of metro..

When we went back home that evening we started unpacking our clothes..we went to bed quite early as we are still adapting the 7hour-time-difference..

Well, that’s all for my first day in Paris.. =)