Actors' Studio is staging the "Pygmalion" at KLpac in Sentul next month. This show follows the thread of My Fair Lady/Pygmalion of George Bernard Shaw in which a common flower seller is miraculously transformed to pass herself off as upper class. Manglist would be a common feature in this production!! The music will be totally original, composed especially for this production. Starring Harith Iskander as the irascible Professor Higgins, Indi Nadarajah as his bumbling friend from India, and introducing Michelle Quah as the flower girl Lisa who speaks like a market girl and sings like an angel.
This brings to mind ... my own little show of My Fair Lady in which I was the Fair Lady in question - Eliza Doolittle- staged during my 6th Form in Malacca High School. My leading man Prof Higgins was one of the boys I greatly admired for his literary strength.... Lee Ooi Kok and Simon Chen was Colonel Pickering. Sanjay Nadarajah played my spineless father whilst the gorgeous Preety Shah played Prof Higgin's mother. And not forgetting the adorable Jeffrey Low played Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Those people above in their current lives: Ooi Kok is a pilot with SIA and married to a lovely woman who works in Merrill Lynch, Simon Chen was last known to be on board the Doulos, Sanjay has disappeared from the face of the earth, Preety married a German guy and got disowned by her parents in the process (but she has 2 cute sons...), And Jeffrey (whom all the girls were swooning about...) married and settled in Melaka.
I loved being on stage. I loved singing and entertaining the audience. I felt such a thrill when the curtains opened to present me. Maybe I am an exhibitionist at heart. It was addictive... and for the next 4 years after that.. I was on stage.. portraying either an angel, a demon or the devil himself! It was really exhilarating... sometimes I wonder what I am doing now... staying away from the stage... maybe I think that I am over the hill or not good enough anymore.
Maybe someday, I might go back... some day....
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Mature Student
My uni (NUM)had an opening ceremony on Monday 26th Sept where our Prime Minister was supposed to officiate the ceremony.
Little info about PM : Dato’ Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi became the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia on 31st October 2003. Born on 26 November 1939 in Kampung Perlis, Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, Dato’ Seri Abdullah received his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pematang Bertam. He later attended Bukit Mertajam High School, Penang Methodist Boys’ School and a religious school started by his family. Dato’ Seri Abdullah pursued his tertiary education at the University of Malaya where he graduated with B.A.(Hons) in Islamic studies in 1964. (more can be read at http://www.pmo.gov.my/website/webdb.nsf/vf_Front_PM?OpenForm
Unfortunately, PM did not come but he sent our Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak instead. But perhaps DPM wanted to come... he actually graduated from Nottingham Uni 30 years ago... so it's also quite an honour.
NUM had beautiful tentage with flowing white cloth and plenty of fans with water sprinklers that greatly cooled the already overcast day. The men staff was wearing batik shirts and the women in batik shirt and skirts but all the important people were trying their best not to perspire underneath the coats and ties. Gamelan music and students' voices filled the air lending it a Malaysian festive cheer. I was sitting solo amongst all the young and fresh looking students .. I felt old and aloof. Thankfully Choon Lai (a friend from my old uni days who is now a foundation lecturer here) who was in doing his student control rounds could chat with me intermittently.
When the ceremony was over, I rushed with the other students to the Administrative building for my free meal. When I got there and saw all the people round the small table..I thought to myself "what am I doing... go home or go to the library ... do not join the horde!"
I drove out of Uni and proceeded to queue for 10 mins at an intersection along with all the datuks and datins. I believe at some point.. one of the datuks called the police to complain and immediately, 2 police bikes were in front of us stopping traffic for us to allow us to turn right. Impressed! By the time I got to KL for dinner with Marido.. it was an hour and a half since I drove out the gates of NUM. Sigh! I must try to stay in campus!
Little info about PM : Dato’ Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi became the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia on 31st October 2003. Born on 26 November 1939 in Kampung Perlis, Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, Dato’ Seri Abdullah received his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pematang Bertam. He later attended Bukit Mertajam High School, Penang Methodist Boys’ School and a religious school started by his family. Dato’ Seri Abdullah pursued his tertiary education at the University of Malaya where he graduated with B.A.(Hons) in Islamic studies in 1964. (more can be read at http://www.pmo.gov.my/website/webdb.nsf/vf_Front_PM?OpenForm
Unfortunately, PM did not come but he sent our Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak instead. But perhaps DPM wanted to come... he actually graduated from Nottingham Uni 30 years ago... so it's also quite an honour.
NUM had beautiful tentage with flowing white cloth and plenty of fans with water sprinklers that greatly cooled the already overcast day. The men staff was wearing batik shirts and the women in batik shirt and skirts but all the important people were trying their best not to perspire underneath the coats and ties. Gamelan music and students' voices filled the air lending it a Malaysian festive cheer. I was sitting solo amongst all the young and fresh looking students .. I felt old and aloof. Thankfully Choon Lai (a friend from my old uni days who is now a foundation lecturer here) who was in doing his student control rounds could chat with me intermittently.
When the ceremony was over, I rushed with the other students to the Administrative building for my free meal. When I got there and saw all the people round the small table..I thought to myself "what am I doing... go home or go to the library ... do not join the horde!"
I drove out of Uni and proceeded to queue for 10 mins at an intersection along with all the datuks and datins. I believe at some point.. one of the datuks called the police to complain and immediately, 2 police bikes were in front of us stopping traffic for us to allow us to turn right. Impressed! By the time I got to KL for dinner with Marido.. it was an hour and a half since I drove out the gates of NUM. Sigh! I must try to stay in campus!
Friday, September 23, 2005
RM75 for 5 mins
I had to see Dr Lee (he's Sieg's doctor for her pains and body trauma). I was having knee pain since climbing Franz Josef's glacier last year. And my wrists have been clicking and shout to me to stop when I twist them to wash my back during bathing.
According to the doc, my problem in the knee is not too bad but I should stop or minimise motions that cause pain.. ie climbing Mt Kinabalu... dang! I was gonna climb it next year.
My wrist pain is not RSI (repetitive stress injury).. at least not yet as there is no swelling. However, he recommends that I wear a wrist brace when I type or use the computer. Apparently this degeneration of cartilage of the knees and wrist is very common among women especially so among the working white collar ones with the high heels and computer usage.
Ok.. I have to be careful with my body these days. Not as young anymore
According to the doc, my problem in the knee is not too bad but I should stop or minimise motions that cause pain.. ie climbing Mt Kinabalu... dang! I was gonna climb it next year.
My wrist pain is not RSI (repetitive stress injury).. at least not yet as there is no swelling. However, he recommends that I wear a wrist brace when I type or use the computer. Apparently this degeneration of cartilage of the knees and wrist is very common among women especially so among the working white collar ones with the high heels and computer usage.
Ok.. I have to be careful with my body these days. Not as young anymore
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
University of Nottingham, Semenyih
My mind kept of thinking of Semen... Yeh!! I have a Sad existence huh??
Semenyih is the new campus site of the Uni of Nottingham. When I enrolled in Uni Nottingham for my MBA, they told me that I would be studying in the KL campus due to the fact that the part timers will find it hard to commute to Semenyih. However, just one week before my classes start, they tell me that it will be in Semenyih. Semenyih is located on the eastern side of the Klang Valley.
I decided to drive there for a look see. It took me 50 freaking kilometres and 60 minutes just to get there. And that is only one way and minimum time. What if there is a jam... I believe my journey could stretch to 2 hours one way. It is much further than my old Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi. Sigh! I wonder what I am supposed to do. Driving there everyday for one year is going to greatly increase my traffic accident potential.
Marido suggested moving closer to campus. I tried renting the Halls of Residences (hostel) but those were already fully booked from ages ago. Since we are renting our current place... moving is no big deal ... but move to where? Marido needs to be near the train station as we only have one car. We are looking around now... but how do I move away from something I am so familiar with. All my makan stalls are here, my doctors are here, my exercise classes are here, my church is here, my cell is here.... I have grown roots and sunk them far down the earth ...and it's hard to uproot! Sigh!
Semenyih is the new campus site of the Uni of Nottingham. When I enrolled in Uni Nottingham for my MBA, they told me that I would be studying in the KL campus due to the fact that the part timers will find it hard to commute to Semenyih. However, just one week before my classes start, they tell me that it will be in Semenyih. Semenyih is located on the eastern side of the Klang Valley.
I decided to drive there for a look see. It took me 50 freaking kilometres and 60 minutes just to get there. And that is only one way and minimum time. What if there is a jam... I believe my journey could stretch to 2 hours one way. It is much further than my old Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi. Sigh! I wonder what I am supposed to do. Driving there everyday for one year is going to greatly increase my traffic accident potential.
Marido suggested moving closer to campus. I tried renting the Halls of Residences (hostel) but those were already fully booked from ages ago. Since we are renting our current place... moving is no big deal ... but move to where? Marido needs to be near the train station as we only have one car. We are looking around now... but how do I move away from something I am so familiar with. All my makan stalls are here, my doctors are here, my exercise classes are here, my church is here, my cell is here.... I have grown roots and sunk them far down the earth ...and it's hard to uproot! Sigh!
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Better to be in the house of mourning....
Golden Moon told me about her going for a casual friend's wake a week ago. This girl Jackie was killed in a freak accident in New York. Apparently she fell down the subway and was crushed by the on coming train. Police ruled out foul play or suicide. That investigation has no conclusion yet.
The body was flown home a week after her death. She was laid out in the coffin in FGA where people peering at her commented how 'barbie' like the US embalmers have done her up. She was beautiful even in her death.
Everyone who was 'doing' the service of the wake knew her. Even in such a big church, they knew her. And what moved Golden Moon much was that she has never been in a wake where everyone attending were wanting to go on stage to say their eulogies. Jacky was only in New York for one year and yet her church in NY sent their eulogies too -- words that show how much she has shared in their lives. She was posted to StanChart NY and before that she was attached to StanCHart here. Her former employers and colleagues from StanChart went up to say that they have renamed the Kuala Lumpur room in their office as "Kuala Lumpur Room in memory of Jackie X X X "
There was a powerpoint show about her life and her achievements. All this brought so much tears to Golden Moon's eyes. She was glad that she sat alone .. able to sob and feel the pain and loss of the people whose lives have been touched by Jackie.
We wondered about our own wakes.. would we have even touched anyone's life let alone have many people care if we died.... we are still wondering. Family does not count... if they have not even felt the pain of our death... we might as well die now.. we have not been much use on this earth! Here is to thinking how our lives may have impacted others!
The body was flown home a week after her death. She was laid out in the coffin in FGA where people peering at her commented how 'barbie' like the US embalmers have done her up. She was beautiful even in her death.
Everyone who was 'doing' the service of the wake knew her. Even in such a big church, they knew her. And what moved Golden Moon much was that she has never been in a wake where everyone attending were wanting to go on stage to say their eulogies. Jacky was only in New York for one year and yet her church in NY sent their eulogies too -- words that show how much she has shared in their lives. She was posted to StanChart NY and before that she was attached to StanCHart here. Her former employers and colleagues from StanChart went up to say that they have renamed the Kuala Lumpur room in their office as "Kuala Lumpur Room in memory of Jackie X X X "
There was a powerpoint show about her life and her achievements. All this brought so much tears to Golden Moon's eyes. She was glad that she sat alone .. able to sob and feel the pain and loss of the people whose lives have been touched by Jackie.
We wondered about our own wakes.. would we have even touched anyone's life let alone have many people care if we died.... we are still wondering. Family does not count... if they have not even felt the pain of our death... we might as well die now.. we have not been much use on this earth! Here is to thinking how our lives may have impacted others!
Monday, September 19, 2005
Finally becoming a man
Axel is getting married! He called me just last week to tell me. I was away in Europe before that and so he waited until I returned to tell me.
I was thrilled. Axel was finally taking this brave step into the unknown (at least unknown to him). I was strangely happy. Here is one person whom I had become firm friends with when we were still in our school uniforms. He was worshipping my best friend then (Willow really was a gorgeous girl with unbelievably straight, flowy hair, porcelain complexion with sexy moles that accentuate her beauty and endless legs). And while he was admiring her.... and confiding in me ..I was doing what girls my age (even now they do) do when a guy spends a lot of time with them even though they were talking about someone else.... I fell for him!
He was the cutest thing then. Tall and gangly... uncertain about himself and what it all means - hormones raging and people hating. He used to proudly proclaimed that he 'killed' a cat by drowning it. I was very upset with him and refused to talk to him for days. But he would not give up yakking to me. I guess he found a safe friend whom he could confide in about stuff.... his love for heavy metal music, his scary parents, his too handsome younger brother that the girls his peer admire instead of him, his decision to study in another country... all this without the fear of me falling in love with him.
I was a thin, colourless looking kid then. Not to mention that I had a huge blob of greeny blue birthmark on the left of my face that span from the tip of my eye (at the bottom) to the apple of my cheeks and finally ending on the side of the forehead near the slit of my cat like eye. In the words of one of my friends over last weekend "Who would want her?". I guess when you talk to a person like that you would think that she does not have feelings or rather you conveniently forget that she does have those sort of feelings.
Axel left at 16 to continue his high school at another country. We still corresponded but since he did not really enjoy writing, the letters dwindled to nil and we lost track of each other. Sometimes he would call when he came home to visit his family but the fast friendship was lost. He furthered his studies to yet another country. And in the midst of that, he managed to snare the affection of Willow.. I had no idea how he managed to do that but Willow confided that he really was so sweet that she just relented.. ah! Sweet love.
Axel finally returned home to work and one Chinese New Year, we bumped into each other at a mutual friend's place. We just hit it off again like old times. We talked about the gaps in between then and now and laughed about how he went away across the globe and yet ended here picking up where we left off.
We both sat next to each other at Willow's wedding. She did not end up marrying him! He said that it was a great loss but the relationship was not meant to be. And so the friendship went thru his hook up and break up with his girlfriend, my break up with my previous boyfriend and the hook up of Novio. When Novio proposed, I was thrilled to inform Axel.
Axel then ruminated about US. I guess when the friendship is so good.. we think about "could it be more?" He thought about that and told me in an email confessing how he fell for me all those years when we were walking back from the crocodile farm, walking back from tuition classes, when we were quarrelling about his 'diseased mind', his silly obsession with the dark side..... He said that the time was never right to tell me. AND I never showed any inclination to have him as more than a friend, never closer than a brother.
I wondered why he told me... I think that again, he was hiding in the safety of my impending marriage. Here is a man who did not want to risk it. Or maybe he just wanted me to know... to make me feel good?? But I did feel good. I felt glad that the friendship has grown beyond a certain level. And yet I know that in that day, it died a little death. We would never speak of this matter again. Never to bring up the past or the young/childish unrequited love.
I was the only one that he invited amongst the people of our hometown. And I think that he added another girlfriend to accompany me..so that I would not be lonesome. As a joke.. I threatened to bring Willow... he was so horrified!!
And so.. Axel.. is finally becoming a man.
I was thrilled. Axel was finally taking this brave step into the unknown (at least unknown to him). I was strangely happy. Here is one person whom I had become firm friends with when we were still in our school uniforms. He was worshipping my best friend then (Willow really was a gorgeous girl with unbelievably straight, flowy hair, porcelain complexion with sexy moles that accentuate her beauty and endless legs). And while he was admiring her.... and confiding in me ..I was doing what girls my age (even now they do) do when a guy spends a lot of time with them even though they were talking about someone else.... I fell for him!
He was the cutest thing then. Tall and gangly... uncertain about himself and what it all means - hormones raging and people hating. He used to proudly proclaimed that he 'killed' a cat by drowning it. I was very upset with him and refused to talk to him for days. But he would not give up yakking to me. I guess he found a safe friend whom he could confide in about stuff.... his love for heavy metal music, his scary parents, his too handsome younger brother that the girls his peer admire instead of him, his decision to study in another country... all this without the fear of me falling in love with him.
I was a thin, colourless looking kid then. Not to mention that I had a huge blob of greeny blue birthmark on the left of my face that span from the tip of my eye (at the bottom) to the apple of my cheeks and finally ending on the side of the forehead near the slit of my cat like eye. In the words of one of my friends over last weekend "Who would want her?". I guess when you talk to a person like that you would think that she does not have feelings or rather you conveniently forget that she does have those sort of feelings.
Axel left at 16 to continue his high school at another country. We still corresponded but since he did not really enjoy writing, the letters dwindled to nil and we lost track of each other. Sometimes he would call when he came home to visit his family but the fast friendship was lost. He furthered his studies to yet another country. And in the midst of that, he managed to snare the affection of Willow.. I had no idea how he managed to do that but Willow confided that he really was so sweet that she just relented.. ah! Sweet love.
Axel finally returned home to work and one Chinese New Year, we bumped into each other at a mutual friend's place. We just hit it off again like old times. We talked about the gaps in between then and now and laughed about how he went away across the globe and yet ended here picking up where we left off.
We both sat next to each other at Willow's wedding. She did not end up marrying him! He said that it was a great loss but the relationship was not meant to be. And so the friendship went thru his hook up and break up with his girlfriend, my break up with my previous boyfriend and the hook up of Novio. When Novio proposed, I was thrilled to inform Axel.
Axel then ruminated about US. I guess when the friendship is so good.. we think about "could it be more?" He thought about that and told me in an email confessing how he fell for me all those years when we were walking back from the crocodile farm, walking back from tuition classes, when we were quarrelling about his 'diseased mind', his silly obsession with the dark side..... He said that the time was never right to tell me. AND I never showed any inclination to have him as more than a friend, never closer than a brother.
I wondered why he told me... I think that again, he was hiding in the safety of my impending marriage. Here is a man who did not want to risk it. Or maybe he just wanted me to know... to make me feel good?? But I did feel good. I felt glad that the friendship has grown beyond a certain level. And yet I know that in that day, it died a little death. We would never speak of this matter again. Never to bring up the past or the young/childish unrequited love.
I was the only one that he invited amongst the people of our hometown. And I think that he added another girlfriend to accompany me..so that I would not be lonesome. As a joke.. I threatened to bring Willow... he was so horrified!!
And so.. Axel.. is finally becoming a man.
Cirque du Soleil
Quidam was the name of the most recent Cirque du Soleil production. I went to watch it in Spore together with Marido. He was planning to surprise me but I was not surprised.. much to his disappointment.
For the uninitiated, in the early 1980s, a group of young street performers, dreamers and self-taught entrepreneurs had the vision and drive to create Cirque du Soleil. Long before the days when they would stimulate the imaginations of audiences, the first Cirque du Soleil Artists performed their shows in the street. If their dream eventually came true—a dream built on boldness, risk and imagination—it was partly because there were older people who believed in them, regardless of their age, image or status as street performers.
Quidam: a nameless passer-by, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past. It could be anyone, anybody. Someone coming, going, living in our anonymous society. A member of the crowd, one of the silent majority. The one who cries out, sings and dreams within us all. This is the "quidam" that Cirque du Soleil is celebrating. A young girl fumes; she has already seen everything there is to see, and her world has lost all meaning. Her anger shatters her little world, and she finds herself in the universe of Quidam. She is joined by a joyful companion as well as another character, more mysterious, who will attempt to seduce her with the marvelous, the unsettling, and the terrifying.
The movements of the performers were reverting! I could not take my eyes of them and yet I feel somewhat uneasy watching the manipulations of the body and the different contortions that seems so unachievable. And the wonderful synergy between circus and theatre.
There were a few highlights:
1) A man spinning in a large wheel making it go faster and faster
2) 4 little asian women doing the spinning gasing like things and acrobatics whilst at it
3) A woman lifting a rather large man by him holding on to her ankle while she was supported only by her waist on a thin rod. Brrr... so scary
4) a man and a woman doing the most incredible contortions and yet making it look so graceful and looking like plants growing...
For the uninitiated, in the early 1980s, a group of young street performers, dreamers and self-taught entrepreneurs had the vision and drive to create Cirque du Soleil. Long before the days when they would stimulate the imaginations of audiences, the first Cirque du Soleil Artists performed their shows in the street. If their dream eventually came true—a dream built on boldness, risk and imagination—it was partly because there were older people who believed in them, regardless of their age, image or status as street performers.
Quidam: a nameless passer-by, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past. It could be anyone, anybody. Someone coming, going, living in our anonymous society. A member of the crowd, one of the silent majority. The one who cries out, sings and dreams within us all. This is the "quidam" that Cirque du Soleil is celebrating. A young girl fumes; she has already seen everything there is to see, and her world has lost all meaning. Her anger shatters her little world, and she finds herself in the universe of Quidam. She is joined by a joyful companion as well as another character, more mysterious, who will attempt to seduce her with the marvelous, the unsettling, and the terrifying.
The movements of the performers were reverting! I could not take my eyes of them and yet I feel somewhat uneasy watching the manipulations of the body and the different contortions that seems so unachievable. And the wonderful synergy between circus and theatre.
There were a few highlights:
1) A man spinning in a large wheel making it go faster and faster
2) 4 little asian women doing the spinning gasing like things and acrobatics whilst at it
3) A woman lifting a rather large man by him holding on to her ankle while she was supported only by her waist on a thin rod. Brrr... so scary
4) a man and a woman doing the most incredible contortions and yet making it look so graceful and looking like plants growing...
Monday, September 12, 2005
My Detox programme
Marido was looking sluggish.. and stressed and sooo not interested in anything. We both thought that we ought to try a detox-- been talking about it for a year. And so I called up Pure Health in Plaza Damas (had the address in my palm for 2 years- saw their editorial in The Star that long ago). We booked 5 days of colon hydrotherapy starting from Wednesday.
We had to have 2 days of pre-detox where we ate only vegetables and NO meat. Then the diet was thereafter liquid (made up of half glass of water with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, half glass of water with 2 tablespoon of wheat grass powder, 2 tablespoon of Psyllium husk, 2 tablespoon of UDO's Essential fatty Acid oil, 2 capsules of Pro biotics - friendly bacteria and a glass of vege and fruit juices for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Strangely I felt not much hunger pangs.
Then it was the colon hydrotherapy done in the facility. They give you a small tube-smaller than your pinky- where you stick that in your anus (by yourself) and cover your front with a cloth. They will then come to check on your and assist you to feel comfortable and start the water flow. Water will go into your colon and clean up the garbage that has been accumulating for years. You will be very satisfied to note that gunk actually come out.
Actually, I thought it was a breeze... oklah.. not that breezy but it was not terrible at all. And messy it is not. It's so well done that I was thanking the staff for making it so comfortable for me. Leak.. leak out where.. on to the floor? Nope... if you keep your bum where it is supposed to be.. you will be fine. Everything is done by you! When the water bathes the colon and detaches the fecal matter from the walls.. you will feel like poo pooing and then you push... voila... 45 mins of this and you are done for the day. Very easy if Marido .. who faints at the sight of blood can tahan this, I am sure that anyone can. We both lost weight and felt good. I actually feel the same cos I think that I am already rather 'healthy' from my fussy eating. But all the gunk that come out... wow! Amazing. And they are not the usual poo. The tummy is a tad flatter.. And my complexion cleared up a little too... still have loads of oil on my face but that sud keep wrinkles at bay.
If you are relatively unhealthy before the detox, you will suffer what we call Healing Crisis.. headache, nausea, dizziness... etc.. Marido had it quite bad.
We also did a skin caretonoid test where the machine scans the skin for level of antioxidants. it measures your skin activity for 30 days past. There are 5 zones, starting from the worse..to better - red, orange, yellow, green and blue. I scored in the green section with 45K and Marido a poor 16K in the red. The results is a combination of diet (not enough leafy greens and fruits), stress and body fat. Marido was not happy with his scores and is now taking Life Pak to supplement his diet (but only took a little at first like 2 tablets (not packets) a day as the body will react to the overload of nutrients by making you feel sick.
3 of my friends are signing up for this programme already.. a testament to the new me!
We had to have 2 days of pre-detox where we ate only vegetables and NO meat. Then the diet was thereafter liquid (made up of half glass of water with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, half glass of water with 2 tablespoon of wheat grass powder, 2 tablespoon of Psyllium husk, 2 tablespoon of UDO's Essential fatty Acid oil, 2 capsules of Pro biotics - friendly bacteria and a glass of vege and fruit juices for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Strangely I felt not much hunger pangs.
Then it was the colon hydrotherapy done in the facility. They give you a small tube-smaller than your pinky- where you stick that in your anus (by yourself) and cover your front with a cloth. They will then come to check on your and assist you to feel comfortable and start the water flow. Water will go into your colon and clean up the garbage that has been accumulating for years. You will be very satisfied to note that gunk actually come out.
Actually, I thought it was a breeze... oklah.. not that breezy but it was not terrible at all. And messy it is not. It's so well done that I was thanking the staff for making it so comfortable for me. Leak.. leak out where.. on to the floor? Nope... if you keep your bum where it is supposed to be.. you will be fine. Everything is done by you! When the water bathes the colon and detaches the fecal matter from the walls.. you will feel like poo pooing and then you push... voila... 45 mins of this and you are done for the day. Very easy if Marido .. who faints at the sight of blood can tahan this, I am sure that anyone can. We both lost weight and felt good. I actually feel the same cos I think that I am already rather 'healthy' from my fussy eating. But all the gunk that come out... wow! Amazing. And they are not the usual poo. The tummy is a tad flatter.. And my complexion cleared up a little too... still have loads of oil on my face but that sud keep wrinkles at bay.
If you are relatively unhealthy before the detox, you will suffer what we call Healing Crisis.. headache, nausea, dizziness... etc.. Marido had it quite bad.
We also did a skin caretonoid test where the machine scans the skin for level of antioxidants. it measures your skin activity for 30 days past. There are 5 zones, starting from the worse..to better - red, orange, yellow, green and blue. I scored in the green section with 45K and Marido a poor 16K in the red. The results is a combination of diet (not enough leafy greens and fruits), stress and body fat. Marido was not happy with his scores and is now taking Life Pak to supplement his diet (but only took a little at first like 2 tablets (not packets) a day as the body will react to the overload of nutrients by making you feel sick.
3 of my friends are signing up for this programme already.. a testament to the new me!
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Parigi, Paree or Simply Paris
The City of Love somehow did not inspire me to feel amorous at all. Then again I was not with a sexy man...
We took the horrible night train from Venice to Paris that took an excruciating 10 hours. 6 people occupied one cabin and the beds were like triple bunk beds. It was stuffy and yet cold and the noise of the doors outside clanging shut everytime the train departed from the stations irritated me. Imagine.. I who slept with ear plugs found the noise unbearable.. and not to mention the shaking of the train.
An officer on the train wanted to take our passports with him "For immigrations purposes" he said but I adamantly told him that I would not hand over my passport. He got a bit upset and threatened that the police will come for me. "Tell me to see me," I said coolly. When he went off to the next cabins, I enquired in the other cabins if the occupants had passed their passports to him. They all nodded in affirmative. I still thought that it was a strange procedure and so when the officer returned to collect the other passenger's (who got on board later) passports, I still refused to give mine to him. I needn't have worried because he returned everyone's passport about an hour before they got off the train.
We got off at Gare du Nord.. most convenient as our Hotel Grand Magenta (with a name like that I was really thinking that it would be crawling with prostitutues). It was a tiny hotel with a tinier lift (it could barely fit Shirrene and I together with our luggages. However, the good thing was, we had TV with CNN and we watched it every night we were in Paris.
We went to the Louvre on the 1st day. Spent 6 hours there and it was seriously NOT ENOUGH! What an impressive collection they had. We were at the Egyptian section for the longest time. Then we were off to see The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. You could only wave at Mona from a distance of 20 feet. There were so many people jostling each other to take a picture. So much for being captivated for hours by her enigmatic smile.
2nd day.. we spent it at Versailles (Parisians say "Ver sai" - sounds like shit in Hokkien). We took a train straight to Chateau Versailles and wandered in the magnificient grounds and the summer palace of King Louis XIV. It was opulent with rooms 'drenched' in gold or pink fabrics or yellow furniture and chandeliers (I had thought that Mark's impressive house by the Palace in Melaka would look a little like this). As far as the eye can see from the windows of the palace were the garden grounds. The gardens would take your breath away. Especially after you had to walk 3 hours to visit the length and breath of the gardens. There was the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon and others which Shirrene refused to visit due to the xtreme walking that was needed.
3rd day - Eiffel Tower... my knees started knocking when I thought about climbing the tower....A strange feeling came over me when I was admiring Eiffel. Maybe the combination of the height and the thought that Tom Cruise proposed to his current girlfriend here made me a little sick. Visited Pompidou Centre -only viewed the frontage (it houses modern art - like huge LCD TV screens and fantastic new do-interesting-poses chairs). Also walked in Rue du Martin for the arty things like postcards, paintings and creative inventions. Trudged along Champ Elysee to see the Arc de Triomphe. We had to stop by Louis Vuitton after so many Chinese from China begged us to buy the bags for them. Apparently they were only limited to one bag a person. As if I was going to buy for them to make money!! What did I get in return?? LV was PACKED!! Were they that cheap? I had no idea as I was not familiar with the prices back home. We had a scare in LV.. Shirrene grabbed me and said that her money pouch and passport was not with her... we rushed back to the hotel in hopes that it was safe.. thankfully it was!
Definitely think that Paris was charming.. even the people were friendlier than the Romans. Always start the sentence with "S'il vous plait...Parlez-vous anglaise?" They warm up to hear you try to speak their language. And 4 days is also not sufficient to enjoy Paris.
We took the horrible night train from Venice to Paris that took an excruciating 10 hours. 6 people occupied one cabin and the beds were like triple bunk beds. It was stuffy and yet cold and the noise of the doors outside clanging shut everytime the train departed from the stations irritated me. Imagine.. I who slept with ear plugs found the noise unbearable.. and not to mention the shaking of the train.
An officer on the train wanted to take our passports with him "For immigrations purposes" he said but I adamantly told him that I would not hand over my passport. He got a bit upset and threatened that the police will come for me. "Tell me to see me," I said coolly. When he went off to the next cabins, I enquired in the other cabins if the occupants had passed their passports to him. They all nodded in affirmative. I still thought that it was a strange procedure and so when the officer returned to collect the other passenger's (who got on board later) passports, I still refused to give mine to him. I needn't have worried because he returned everyone's passport about an hour before they got off the train.
We got off at Gare du Nord.. most convenient as our Hotel Grand Magenta (with a name like that I was really thinking that it would be crawling with prostitutues). It was a tiny hotel with a tinier lift (it could barely fit Shirrene and I together with our luggages. However, the good thing was, we had TV with CNN and we watched it every night we were in Paris.
We went to the Louvre on the 1st day. Spent 6 hours there and it was seriously NOT ENOUGH! What an impressive collection they had. We were at the Egyptian section for the longest time. Then we were off to see The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. You could only wave at Mona from a distance of 20 feet. There were so many people jostling each other to take a picture. So much for being captivated for hours by her enigmatic smile.
2nd day.. we spent it at Versailles (Parisians say "Ver sai" - sounds like shit in Hokkien). We took a train straight to Chateau Versailles and wandered in the magnificient grounds and the summer palace of King Louis XIV. It was opulent with rooms 'drenched' in gold or pink fabrics or yellow furniture and chandeliers (I had thought that Mark's impressive house by the Palace in Melaka would look a little like this). As far as the eye can see from the windows of the palace were the garden grounds. The gardens would take your breath away. Especially after you had to walk 3 hours to visit the length and breath of the gardens. There was the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon and others which Shirrene refused to visit due to the xtreme walking that was needed.
3rd day - Eiffel Tower... my knees started knocking when I thought about climbing the tower....A strange feeling came over me when I was admiring Eiffel. Maybe the combination of the height and the thought that Tom Cruise proposed to his current girlfriend here made me a little sick. Visited Pompidou Centre -only viewed the frontage (it houses modern art - like huge LCD TV screens and fantastic new do-interesting-poses chairs). Also walked in Rue du Martin for the arty things like postcards, paintings and creative inventions. Trudged along Champ Elysee to see the Arc de Triomphe. We had to stop by Louis Vuitton after so many Chinese from China begged us to buy the bags for them. Apparently they were only limited to one bag a person. As if I was going to buy for them to make money!! What did I get in return?? LV was PACKED!! Were they that cheap? I had no idea as I was not familiar with the prices back home. We had a scare in LV.. Shirrene grabbed me and said that her money pouch and passport was not with her... we rushed back to the hotel in hopes that it was safe.. thankfully it was!
Definitely think that Paris was charming.. even the people were friendlier than the Romans. Always start the sentence with "S'il vous plait...Parlez-vous anglaise?" They warm up to hear you try to speak their language. And 4 days is also not sufficient to enjoy Paris.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Lido, Murano, Burano, Torchello and Verona
Lido : The beach on the island Lido was THE BEACH for the Venetians. It was an ok beach.. you can give it a miss. Nothing really spectacular. But the hot chocolate there was the best that I have ever tasted in Italy. I was so inspired that I bought 3 boxes. (better to feed Spot and anyone else who comes to visit me!)
Murano : The place where glass making originated. We took the vaparetto there and promptly went into the glass making 'factory' where a man was making a vase and a fish - quite impressive. The man who was explaining the process whose name is Leno started talking to Shirrene and I. Shirrene insisted that he was checking me out.. who are you kidding?? Anyway, he was so impressed with us cos we bought a set of froggies (me) and octopuses (Shirrene) that he 'decided' to show us the GALLERIA.... where the beautiful pieces of art that never loses its value were sitting. It was impressive but the price tags were even more impressive...into the thousands and ten thousands of Euros.
Leno kept on saying that if we ever need him, we have only to whisper and he will be there.... charming or what... I think he reminds me of a very oily man. If you ever go there, do not buy anything... too expensive (we found that out much later!)
Burano : Such an enchanting little island where the houses are painted in bright happy colours ie fireman red, sunflower yellow, naranja orange, ultramarine blue.. etc. Burano is famous for lace but I was not impressed by the collection I saw and sadly most of the lace are made from China as it is just too expensive to make by hand in Italy now.
Torchello : Small fishing village with a very ancient tower in the middle and a fat carnivorous like cat basking in the sun but virtually uninhabited. You could still find an odd bed and breakfast place or boutique hotel and a few decent restaurants but go only if you wish for utter serenity with minimal activities.
Verona : A 2 hour ride into the west of the Veneto (supposed to be only 1.5 hours but it took us 2 to get there), it is the background of which Romeo and Juliet (Giuletta)'s tragic romance took place. Went to visit Juliet's house and watch countless people molesting her right breast in hopes of returning to Verona again. Her right breast looked so worn out and shiny.. I must say that is seems flatter than her left which Juliet cleverly covered with her own hand.
Surprisingly, Verona looks like a fancy shopping place.. with designer goods in shops along the streets. It also houses one of the best operas 'stadium' where there are shows almost every night - in Italian - of course.. or we would have watched it. When we were there, it was showing Turandot by Puccini - so interesting... if I could only understand it.. dang!
Murano : The place where glass making originated. We took the vaparetto there and promptly went into the glass making 'factory' where a man was making a vase and a fish - quite impressive. The man who was explaining the process whose name is Leno started talking to Shirrene and I. Shirrene insisted that he was checking me out.. who are you kidding?? Anyway, he was so impressed with us cos we bought a set of froggies (me) and octopuses (Shirrene) that he 'decided' to show us the GALLERIA.... where the beautiful pieces of art that never loses its value were sitting. It was impressive but the price tags were even more impressive...into the thousands and ten thousands of Euros.
Leno kept on saying that if we ever need him, we have only to whisper and he will be there.... charming or what... I think he reminds me of a very oily man. If you ever go there, do not buy anything... too expensive (we found that out much later!)
Burano : Such an enchanting little island where the houses are painted in bright happy colours ie fireman red, sunflower yellow, naranja orange, ultramarine blue.. etc. Burano is famous for lace but I was not impressed by the collection I saw and sadly most of the lace are made from China as it is just too expensive to make by hand in Italy now.
Torchello : Small fishing village with a very ancient tower in the middle and a fat carnivorous like cat basking in the sun but virtually uninhabited. You could still find an odd bed and breakfast place or boutique hotel and a few decent restaurants but go only if you wish for utter serenity with minimal activities.
Verona : A 2 hour ride into the west of the Veneto (supposed to be only 1.5 hours but it took us 2 to get there), it is the background of which Romeo and Juliet (Giuletta)'s tragic romance took place. Went to visit Juliet's house and watch countless people molesting her right breast in hopes of returning to Verona again. Her right breast looked so worn out and shiny.. I must say that is seems flatter than her left which Juliet cleverly covered with her own hand.
Surprisingly, Verona looks like a fancy shopping place.. with designer goods in shops along the streets. It also houses one of the best operas 'stadium' where there are shows almost every night - in Italian - of course.. or we would have watched it. When we were there, it was showing Turandot by Puccini - so interesting... if I could only understand it.. dang!
Thursday, August 11, 2005
La Serenissima Venezia
We landed at the Santa Lucia train station at 9pm... the night has just begun and we dragged our luggages and bagpacks across half a km of steps, stair and cobbled stones and got lost in the process of finding the Santa Fosca Hostel. The road signages in Venice was appalling.. but we finally found our hostel after asking around. Our hostel is actually a university dorm which they rent out during the summer months.
What struck us as we walked along the streets was that the atmosphere was gay and pleasant without the harshness of city life. There were happy people eating and drinking with beautiful shops dotting the roads and gleaming waters of the canals. No cars or motorised vehicles throng the roads and you only hear the patter of footsteps around and lively chatter.
It was cold that morning.. so cold I had to get up at 4am to wear 2 layers of sweater as the blankets were thin- just a piece of cotton sheet. However, when we went out the next morning, the air was crisp and there was a tinge of grey in the clouds but that was quickly disappearing in the rising of the sun high in the sky. We pottered around Cannaregio to look at the elaborately beautiful but strangely eerie Venetian masks that pop from almost every shop and corner. They range from the size of a fifty sen coin to the size of your torso (that huge esp those with plume of feathers on them). There were also endless gelato shops.. did I mention that my favourite flavour is WATERMELON.. taste as though you were eating iced watermelons.... yummmm. Shirrene was thinking that she could lose weight while travelling and walking so much but hey.. with eating a gelato/i everyday and eating 3 full meals of pasta, pizza and panini...there is no way anyone is going to lose weight.
Venice had this special Spaghetti ala Nero (or in any pasta) a dish with squid ink... it looks gross and smells hardly any better but it tasted quite ok but I would not eat it again! Shirrene stayed far away from that the moment she got a sniff of it.
Gondola... aah! The romance of it.. NOT! It looks like a regular boat shaped like Aladdin's shoe and would topple over when anyone gets in it! Ok ok.. it does look quite nice.. the seats look like they were meant for the Queen but I did not want to take the ride... a) It was too expensive.. 60-80€ for a ride (depending day or night) and b)I was with Shirrene. Hmmm... I did not mean that in a bad way. What we did instead was to take the vaparetto (a ferry) over to the many different islands that make up Venice. Did I even know that Venice is a cluster of island so close together that the bridges make them seem like they are part of the same piece of land!
What struck us as we walked along the streets was that the atmosphere was gay and pleasant without the harshness of city life. There were happy people eating and drinking with beautiful shops dotting the roads and gleaming waters of the canals. No cars or motorised vehicles throng the roads and you only hear the patter of footsteps around and lively chatter.
It was cold that morning.. so cold I had to get up at 4am to wear 2 layers of sweater as the blankets were thin- just a piece of cotton sheet. However, when we went out the next morning, the air was crisp and there was a tinge of grey in the clouds but that was quickly disappearing in the rising of the sun high in the sky. We pottered around Cannaregio to look at the elaborately beautiful but strangely eerie Venetian masks that pop from almost every shop and corner. They range from the size of a fifty sen coin to the size of your torso (that huge esp those with plume of feathers on them). There were also endless gelato shops.. did I mention that my favourite flavour is WATERMELON.. taste as though you were eating iced watermelons.... yummmm. Shirrene was thinking that she could lose weight while travelling and walking so much but hey.. with eating a gelato/i everyday and eating 3 full meals of pasta, pizza and panini...there is no way anyone is going to lose weight.
Venice had this special Spaghetti ala Nero (or in any pasta) a dish with squid ink... it looks gross and smells hardly any better but it tasted quite ok but I would not eat it again! Shirrene stayed far away from that the moment she got a sniff of it.
Gondola... aah! The romance of it.. NOT! It looks like a regular boat shaped like Aladdin's shoe and would topple over when anyone gets in it! Ok ok.. it does look quite nice.. the seats look like they were meant for the Queen but I did not want to take the ride... a) It was too expensive.. 60-80€ for a ride (depending day or night) and b)I was with Shirrene. Hmmm... I did not mean that in a bad way. What we did instead was to take the vaparetto (a ferry) over to the many different islands that make up Venice. Did I even know that Venice is a cluster of island so close together that the bridges make them seem like they are part of the same piece of land!
Monday, August 08, 2005
Waiting for Uffizi
Uffizi Gallery was last on our list for Florence/Firenze. We sauntered to the gallery on Tuesday morning thinking that at 9am we had ample time to finish the gallery and catch our train to Venice at 3.14pm. When we got there, (we already knew that the queue wud be long and we did not call early enough to book nor did we want to spend an additional €10 for booking with the agent), we were horrified to see the queue snaking around the gallery twice. We queued with our bladder that was already asking to be released. 5 and the half hours later, you bet that our bladder was bursting and to think that we still had to pay €6.50 for that stupid wait!!
But the Uffzi (Offices) gallery was a charming museum with works by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli's famous Venus, Rafeallo, Perugino etc
You could deduce that we missed our train but then again.. what can you say about 2 idiots who want to save money but end up wasting 5 hours of their lives....??
But the Uffzi (Offices) gallery was a charming museum with works by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli's famous Venus, Rafeallo, Perugino etc
You could deduce that we missed our train but then again.. what can you say about 2 idiots who want to save money but end up wasting 5 hours of their lives....??
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Under the Tuscan Sun
We took a bus to Siena yesterday... it was a Sunday and the bus queue was incredibly long. And to make matters worse.. the crowd did not exactly queue and the bus driver was yelling in vain for all of us to queue. We were like the people of the Malaysian bus stops.. all shoving and pushing so that we get to go in. We had to take the 12.10pm bus as we missed the 10.10 am earlier.. do not go on weekends.. the buses are few.
Siena was normal.. not really that spectacular after the beauty that we experienced in Assisi *definitely must put Assisi on your list if you want to go to Italy*. It is a medieval city that supposedly delightful but as we walked on foot around the place, we noticed that only Piazza Del Campo was anything to shout about. Used as a horse racing ground during the summer called Palio Di Siena, it is however filled with locals and tourist just basking in the glory of the ancient buildings surrounding them. And a tall tower.. not unlike the tower out of Harry Potter rises like a graceful phoenix in the dark forbidding sky.
Everything was brown but I was a bit disappointed after having such great expectations of the Tuscan region. However it was ok but I should think that Siena could be given a miss.
We took the bus to San Gimignano today. We had to take the bus to Poggibonsi and change to San Gimignano. What we did not know was that we needed to take the bus to Siena. Since there was a bus to Poggibonsi stated on the tv screen at the bus station, we thought it was that and missed the actual bus instead. How terribly confusing.
San Gimignano rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its 13 towers. From the Torre Grosso, a tower which had me in fear and trembling as I climbed the seemingly endless flight of unprotected steps which metal steps that had holes in it so that you can see how far down you will fall if you are careless, I managed to see the beauty of the rolling hills and green plains. Climbing down was another ball shrinking exercise. I was suitably exhausted after the climb..not from the physical exertion but the mental torture of acrophobia.
I bought a lovely apple green box bag which I could not resist at €50 and met a charming shopkeeper in the process. He said that I was the first person that he has met who asked if I could touch the merchandise first. He actually only became charming after I asked for permission to handle the goods. He then went on and on about how inconsiderate tourists are about fingering merchandise and how the kids with sticker fingers due to eating gelati would ruin his goods.
We had vernaccia wine gelati which can only be found in SG. I had a glass of lovely SG wine whilst basking in the warm sun rays seated in a chair overlooking the hills and plains of the gorgeous region.
Then it was back to dirty Florence.. and I don't mean Foong Sim
Siena was normal.. not really that spectacular after the beauty that we experienced in Assisi *definitely must put Assisi on your list if you want to go to Italy*. It is a medieval city that supposedly delightful but as we walked on foot around the place, we noticed that only Piazza Del Campo was anything to shout about. Used as a horse racing ground during the summer called Palio Di Siena, it is however filled with locals and tourist just basking in the glory of the ancient buildings surrounding them. And a tall tower.. not unlike the tower out of Harry Potter rises like a graceful phoenix in the dark forbidding sky.
Everything was brown but I was a bit disappointed after having such great expectations of the Tuscan region. However it was ok but I should think that Siena could be given a miss.
We took the bus to San Gimignano today. We had to take the bus to Poggibonsi and change to San Gimignano. What we did not know was that we needed to take the bus to Siena. Since there was a bus to Poggibonsi stated on the tv screen at the bus station, we thought it was that and missed the actual bus instead. How terribly confusing.
San Gimignano rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its 13 towers. From the Torre Grosso, a tower which had me in fear and trembling as I climbed the seemingly endless flight of unprotected steps which metal steps that had holes in it so that you can see how far down you will fall if you are careless, I managed to see the beauty of the rolling hills and green plains. Climbing down was another ball shrinking exercise. I was suitably exhausted after the climb..not from the physical exertion but the mental torture of acrophobia.
I bought a lovely apple green box bag which I could not resist at €50 and met a charming shopkeeper in the process. He said that I was the first person that he has met who asked if I could touch the merchandise first. He actually only became charming after I asked for permission to handle the goods. He then went on and on about how inconsiderate tourists are about fingering merchandise and how the kids with sticker fingers due to eating gelati would ruin his goods.
We had vernaccia wine gelati which can only be found in SG. I had a glass of lovely SG wine whilst basking in the warm sun rays seated in a chair overlooking the hills and plains of the gorgeous region.
Then it was back to dirty Florence.. and I don't mean Foong Sim
Firenze
Florence's beauty comes from the sunsets at Ponte Vecchio where the river background with the bridges and golden rippling waters makes the city seem less formidable. It adds a serenity and beauty that softens the harsh skyline of the ancient city. Not that I am complaining about being in a city that is hundreds of years old where the facade is not allowed to be changed but I guess the water does it for me. Sitting by the bridge and chatting to strange men is most interesting. A Barcelonian offered to take my picture after he found out that I was trying to take a picture of myself with the sunset at the back (Shirrene was several metres away settled in her spot to take her shots). Pablo was such a nice young man with pasty white face and lotsa black stubs. We conversed in my smattering of Spanish. He came with his mum.. and he is an amateur photographer.. much like the hordes of people here with incredibly heavy equipment..estas loco!
Just got up and it's abt 9am now.. slept in a bit cos we were so tired and I had a little headache from sleeping with my head wet.
Finally got that jacket.. at 150€ but did not get a receipt for it.. I think that Ali (Iranian) the shop man at Myriam near the huge Duomo wanted to get away with tax... there were other shops that we went to that charged 240€ for the same piece and he wanted cash too!! Anyway, I am now a proud owner of a magnificient copy of Chanel's black leather jacket in lamb skin. How cool is that!
Hope to tackle Siena today (a lovely medieval city) and Gimignano tomorrow. The weather here has been less hot then in Rome. Not sure how much but it's nicer.
Just got up and it's abt 9am now.. slept in a bit cos we were so tired and I had a little headache from sleeping with my head wet.
Finally got that jacket.. at 150€ but did not get a receipt for it.. I think that Ali (Iranian) the shop man at Myriam near the huge Duomo wanted to get away with tax... there were other shops that we went to that charged 240€ for the same piece and he wanted cash too!! Anyway, I am now a proud owner of a magnificient copy of Chanel's black leather jacket in lamb skin. How cool is that!
Hope to tackle Siena today (a lovely medieval city) and Gimignano tomorrow. The weather here has been less hot then in Rome. Not sure how much but it's nicer.
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