Castle of Dream - Disneyland Paris

Castle of Dream, originally uploaded by algenta101.

This photos was taken during the early spring in year 2008 at Disneyland Paris. The photos was inserted into www.schmap.com, a very good website for travel lovers to do their homework before venturing into travelling at any part of the world. The site provide very useful insights and travelling guidelines including downloading the digimaps into their iPhone and Nokia phones for free, well at least for the time being.

The photos insertion in the Schmap website can be viewed here.

Enjoy the word! The world is awesome!

Be Insured When Travelling

What this Michael Moore's SiCKO got to do with travelling? Well, I am not going to tell the world what is SiCKO is all about as you may find it here www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/checkup.

What I want to share is it is essential for you to have your own healthcare insurance coverage from your own country before you start to travel, especially if you are bound to go the States.

To know more, please look for this documovie from your local store.

500,000 Reasons To Travel!

Airasia Berhad, one of the Malaysia's leading low cost carrier had announced that they to remove the fuel surcharge from today onwards, a move that will cost the about USD63millions yearly. On top of that, they are going to put 500,000 free airlines seats to all AirAsia (excluding AirAsia X) destinations.
The offer will start from today's midnight and it is open to all people.
So folks, still looking for a reason not to travel?

AirAsia removes fuel surcharge, offers free seats

By VIJAY JOSHI, Associated Press Writer

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia's AirAsia on Tuesday abolished fuel surcharges on all its flights and said it will give away half a million free tickets next year in an attempt to lure travelers amid the global slowdown.

AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes said the region's biggest budget carrier will offer 500,000 free seats for travel between June 22 and Oct. 24, 2009, on all its domestic and international destinations.

"It will be completely free. Passengers will only have to pay airport tax," Fernandes told a news conference.

He said the recent steep drop in fuel prices has allowed AirAsia to adopt the bold strategy, adding that the loss of revenue should be offset by higher ticket sales, which will also be bolstered by new marketing strategies.

Fernandes said AirAsia is the first carrier in the world to abolish fuel surcharges, which became a standard industry practice a few years ago as oil prices rose on their way to peaking at nearly $150 a barrel in mid-July. But since then, crude prices have tumbled because expectations that slower global growth will mean less demand.

"We want to do is get rid of these surcharges," Fernandes said. "The best way to do it is aggressive marketing and low fares."
Eliminating the surcharges is expected to cost AirAsia about 940 million ringgit ($63 million) a year.

Fernandes said the move will boost Malaysia's economy as well as domestic and regional tourism by encouraging travel.

When AirAsia started in December 2001, it focused on flying within Malaysia. It has since expanded to Southeast Asia and China, and is scheduled to launch flights to India next month.
Malaysian Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Samad praised the decision.

"Anything that reduces costs to consumers and keeps money in their pocket gets my support," he told reporters after the announcement. "What we need now is optimism instead of grumbling and quarreling."

Fernandes added that he could not guarantee that the removal of fuel surcharges would not hit AirAsia's profits, but said the company does not anticipate that would happen. He refused to say what the possible losses might be.

He noted AirAsia does not hedge its fuel purchases like other airlines do. To protect against the possibility of prices going up, some carriers make advance orders at current prices.

Fernandes said AirAsia will not implement a corresponding increase in base ticket prices with the removal of fuel surcharges, but said he could not guarantee that the surcharge would not be re-imposed if oil prices surge again.

"It would be foolish of me to say that fuel surcharges will not be imposed again but we will resist it for as long as possible," Fernandes said.

Beethoven, the Bonn's protege

Beethoven, the Bonn's protege, originally uploaded by algenta101.

In 1996, the Dusseldorf based sculpture Klaus Kammerichs created "Beethon" a visually stunning concrete bust based on the best known portrait of Beethoven, painted in 1819 by karl Josef Stieler (the name of the bust is a play on the German word "Beethon", which mean concrete). The sculpture has been synonymous not only with Beethoven Hall but also with the city of Bonn itself

Wok in Europe

Wok in Europe, originally uploaded by algenta101.

A Chinese restaurant at downtown Amsterdam. The action is a regular sight in my town of Kuala Lumpur, but to the European, it is totally a new revelation to them.

The photo shows the chef is cooking fried noodle with flashy fire. In less than 5 minutes, the noodle is ready to be served.

Prawn aquaculture

My traveling diary brought me to the northern part of Malaysia where I happened to visit once the most controversial aqua project in Malaysia's history. The project, approved in May 1993 and involving acquisition of some 400 ha of paddy land and more than 700 landowners, may be the most controversial development project in Kedah. The project was a joint venture between the state government and an Arab company, the Ben Laden group.


The project was initially used to culture tiger prawns since it fetch a good market price. The project is considered as a mega project where the are 220 ponds available and each pond can cultured of more than 70,000 matured prawns. A matured prawn is about 10grams in weight and each kilos can fetch to about Rm40 to Rm50 ex-farm. With that, you can do the maths on the projected profits. Pakcik kayo!


However, tiger prawn is prone to catch a viral disease called "red tide disease", a disease that come in during monsoon season. And this lead to the mass failure of the project (apart from the political unrest shrouding the whole project since the beginning). When the project failed the Arabs pulled out and the project was bailed out by the federal government via MOF.


Currently, only a few of the ponds are used to breed the white prawns and they no longer sees prawn tiger can bring the big bucks to them.


I do hope the new state government can revive the project and bring back the hope to the investors and previous landowners who shed their tears when heavy machinery bulldozed their paddy fields and transformed it into ponds. There is a saying that the prawns were actually swimming in the pool of tears of Kerpan people. If the prawn breeding is a failure, then a new alternative must be sought. Perhaps, the place can be turn into a resort where people can came and spend their time to fish the prawns at the the largest prawn fishing village, who knows.

But, knowing that this property belonged to state government with federal government interest, that is still a long way to go.

Beautiful BALI!

Definition of Kecak Dance from wikipedia.org

Kecak, a form of Balinese music drama, originated in the 1930s and is performed primarily by men. Also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant, the piece, performed by a circle of 100 or more performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and throwing up their arms, depicts a battle from the Ramayana where the monkey-like Vanara helped Prince Ravana fight the evil King Ravana. However, Kecak has roots in sanghyang, a trance-inducing exorcism dance.

I watched the Kecak Dance at the Uluvatu Temple which is also known as the Monkey Temple. Located just about half an hour drive from Kuta town, passing through an arid and yet heavily habitable piece of land making me appreciate how people will do anything for survival.

Monkeys are everywhere in this temple and the Balinese people believe that they are a reincarnation of Prince Ravana, one of their revered Gods. The monkeys are a constant pests in this temple and I believe "they" are trained by local guides to harass visitors. One of the monkeys took me by surprise by climbing from my back and took my spectacles and I have to pay 5 thousands rupiah to one of the local guide for the monkey to "return" it back to me. Other visitors had even bad experience when his spectacles were grabbed by the monkeys and it throw it to the cliffs.

This is where the Kecak dance will be carry out at 1800 hours sharp.

Japanese Tunnel, Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra

Japanese Tunnel, Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra, originally uploaded by algenta101.

This the first underground tunnel that i have entered it my life and the feeling is mainly unpleasant. Being in Indonesia where tremors are quite a common earth's activities, feeling of it going to collapse never escaped my mind. In addition, the cave was reportedly claims thousand of Indonesian forced labours' lives where nobody knew where the Japs dumped the bodies contributed to my uneasiness. But due to satisfiy my curiosity, I braved myself to enter it.

I entered the caves together with my better half and and her cousin's families accompanied by a local guide. Actually, you can enter it on your own but it is better to have a guide so he can explain the cave's history. As my time were more occupied in taking photos, most of his explanation fall to my deaf ears.

However, I still could recall the gist of his explanation. The caves was just recently open to public, I believe in 2007, and there are 3 similar caves exist in Indonesia. One in Bandung and another in Irian Jaya, and only in Bukit Tinggi it is open as a tourist attraction (the locals call it as objek wisata, a loose dialect for visitor object).

The cave was constructed by the Japanese during the WWII in secrecy. Even the locals do not know of its existence. Bukit Tinggi was previously used by the Japs as their main headquarters. The Japs used forced labours collected throughout the Indonesia but reportedly none from Bukit Tinggi. No one really know where the Japs dumped the earth they digged nor how many lives it claimed during its construction. But based on their other grand design such as the Death Railway on the River Kwai, thousands may have lost their lives till its completion. May God have mercy on their souls.

Rumah Gadang, Padang Panjang, West Sumatera

Rumah Gadang, Padang Panjang, originally uploaded by algenta101.

The last standing of Rumah Gadang (Big House) or some say Rumah Godang according to local dialect as tourist object after the famous similar house in Pagar Ruyong burnt down due to lightning strike. The four huts in front of the house is called "rangkiang", a hut to store harvested paddy.

If you are to visit Bukit Tinggi via Padang, you would not miss this place as this is located on the way up to Bukit Tinggi.

According to our local guide, it is called Rumah Gadang because it will housed all of the family members including one who is married. But the individual rooms are so small, an indication by the head of familes to politely or implied for them to move to their own house.

Tasik Maninjau, West Sumatera

Tasik Maninjau, West Sumatera, originally uploaded by algenta101.

I went to Padang Sumatera as the 2008 curtain raiser. We flew using Airasia together with other 16 entourage mainly consists of family members of my better half. The flight just took about 45 minutes from KLIA but I just loved the nasi lemak menu served by Airasia. Tasty!

Here is the the photo I took at Lekok 34 of Lekok 44 with the famous Tasik Maninjau as backdrop. I like this photo, the blend of colors are so perfect.

Indonesia is famous for its Lake Toba but that is not the only lake located on top of the mountain available in Indonesia. This lake is just like Lake Toba but I'm not sure whether its it was created from a supervolcano as what volcano scientists said it so.

Songkram, water festival in Phuket, Thailand

I went to Phuket Island during the Songkram festival. In Thailand, it is one-day festival no one should give a miss. People, whether they are native Thais or tourists take part in the event by lining on the road shoulders with hand either equipped with water pistols, bucket or even a nozzles with readily running water. They just shoot you with the water and no one should not be offended or angry at them as the act is actually a shower of blessings.


Morning view at a marina bay waiting to be despatched to the Phi Phi Islands.


Me standing at the beach of Phi Phi Lay Islands. The heat is unbearable and you can have a nice tan.


Me and my wife still at Phi phi Lay Island.

The Phuket Fantasea Theme Park located to the north of Patong town but before reaching the Kamala Beach. Only open at night.

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Tea plantation, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

This is the first place I went after I bought the legendary Nikon D50 DSLR camera. Still giggle a bit and most of my photos didn't turn to what I expected. The first photos is using the Nikkor telelense 70-300mm at full expand and below just using my kit lense 18-55mm.

Cameron Highlands is a quiet farming village and is the famous temperate agricultural domain in West Malaysia.

U2 - Stuck In The Moment

I am not a big fan of Irish rock band U2 until I heard this beautiful song. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cww89NK1Yao

Stuck In A Moment Lyrics
Artist(Band):U2

I'm not afraid
Of anything in this world
There's nothing you can throw at me
That I haven't already heard
I'm just trying to find
A decent melody
A song that I can sing
In my own company

I never thought you were a fool
But darling, look at you. Ooh.
You gotta stand up straight, carry your own weight
'Cause tears are going nowhere baby

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And now you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

I will not forsake
The colors that you bring
The nights you filled with fireworks
They left you with nothing
I am still enchanted
By the light you brought to me
I listen through your ears
Through your eyes I can see

You are such a fool
To worry like you do.. Oh
I know it's tough
And you can never get enough
Of what you don't really need now
My, oh my

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Oh love, look at you now
You've got yourself stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Oh lord look at you now
You've got yourself stuck in a moment
And you cant gt out of it

I was unconscious, half asleep
The water is warm 'til you discover how deep
I wasn't jumping, for me it was a fall
It's a long way down to nothing at all

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

And if the night runs over
And if the day won't last
And if your way should falter
Along this stony pass

It's just a moment
This time will pass