Knowing it

Sometimes, I just can't help it. My heart just sees through the real gem.

Colonial Traces

Just like my home town Penang(Malaysia), Popayan is a city of ex-colony. The common traits for all victims of Spanish conquistador era were slave trading and massive torturing, then leftover of some colonial buildings. I do not know if all of these happened in Popayan but I doubt it could escape the fate. That made me wonder if such madness happened in Penang as well when the Brits ruled the place.

There is lack of awareness from myself and my generation to understand the history and its influence on society. I tried and I failed. "Does it matter?" People generally think then shrug of the idea of learning about their past. In reflection on countries that cannot stop dwelling on what the colonist has done unto their countries, I'm glad my country has way moved on from that golden era and created an identity of its own. Despite the need, as long as the approach gives value to development ( money) and social identity (money), there goes the public opinion.

Anyway, in comparison to many other ex-colonial cities in Colombia, Popayan stood out to me as the most authentic one since the old colonial quarter has integrated to the civilian's daily life. Business activities took place here - commercial buildings in properly maintained old buildings, tonnes of universities in a small town, occasionally you would bump into eccentric looking hostel but they are not many ( surprisingly).

So no Cartagena, but Popayan.

Go Viral

I came across some creative vids in Mashable. So don't miss this - http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/



Then my favourite band OKGo's one of the many viral vids

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

Christmas, Season of Love

As my all time favourite plays,



I look back at the past 12 months and 3 weeks of my life, these quotes seem to resonate to me very much. Lucille Ball says, love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. Self-love and appreciation exudes confidence that transforms into charm and this magnet that attracts everything in the world to me. I cannot explain to my friend why you cannot crush my self esteem. Maybe it's as simple as I am in control of what I allow others to make me feel. No matter what, people around me make me proud of them and myself. Got to say that my Christmas dinner with the family was inspiring for sure :)

Joseph Addison (whoever he is) also thinks that three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. And hey, I have all these in my life, so full and so rich and I don't really cling on the the joyous days in the past. Something to do, check. Something to love, more than just something for sure, check. Something to hope for, yes check, I'm counting down to D-Day.

At the end of the day, life is but a brief moment. The years go by quickly and old age arrives suddenly before we have an inkling. People desire so many things and waste their days in vain. Some yearn for gold, others for power, yet others for glory and a higher station. But when death's moment nears and they look back at their lives they've lived, they realise they've been happy only during those moments when they've loved. I didn't write that, Borje Vahamaki did.

Even CS Lewis says, love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.

The more vulnerable I am, the stronger I will become. Nicely said that all I want is love and let loved. The rest will fall into place eventually. Yes, call me cheesy but love is my addiction and hobby.

And this is my belief,
A post from a woman in love.

what would happen if the camera was the fast-moving object?

Very cool :)
Read this

Moleskin

MINI PLANNERS from Moleskine ® on Vimeo.

Oh dear, the power of human minds sets the limitless creativity free.

Carve Out the Angel

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”


Michelangelo said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Every person is like that block of stone, there’s greatness inside, but it has to be carved out. It has to be carved out through hard work; it has to be carved out by the individual who can perceive their own greatness. To succeed, you must carve your greatness out of the block.

Excerpt from a PickTheBrain feed

Never Let Me Go

I always have this perception that Japanese authors possess extremely twisted minds, writing surreal stories, creating melancholic tones in each plot that kills all happiness in the imagination. They are good, I have no doubt about that. At times, I saw a Japanese name and I would prompt to assume," Yes, yet another Japanese writer."

Whatever that stereotype contains, it does not change the originality of some amazing works that even the western world could not help but copy. Err, I mean Ju-On and Ring. Of course they are more, you can quote me for that. I just need to spend some time to dig out some facts, which I know exist for sure.

Anyway, I just watched a film, adapted from original book "Never Let Me Go" by Japanese-born British writer, Kazuo Ishiguro. When I came across his books in the past, I always thought of them as one of the many translated Japanese books, not knowing that he writes in English all along. What a blasphemy. He's actually quite something.





The film has the usual flair of British drama, simple, melancholic and minimalist. It's just beautiful.

No spoiler here. But please do watch the film or the book - one of the two and not both. People tend to compare a book to adaptation film, vice versa. I've watched the film and have no intention to read the book. I suppose, a good story deserves singularity of respect and not being torn apart by multiple perspectives from different presentations.

One Day in Winter

When someone asked what happened on 4th December, I'll say - It snowed this heavy in The Hague :)

Paradox of choices

Every day I live the precious moments and reflect on my experience from time to time. There are so many things to share yet I am too greedy and selfish to stop and share them. Why? I´m greedy because time is gold with wings and could fly by. The being-in-the-moment idea seems more attractive than stop-login-and-blog activity. That in a way will make me appear selfish but what can you do about it.

Life is easier and simplier with less choices. Imagine you have a rack of cornflake with thousands of varieties. Would you still want to buy it? How long would you take to look and choose? Seriously, for the time it takes, it´s so much more worthwhile for me to skip the rack and just buy organic muesli. Freedom is Prada, nice to have but could be too much and burdening if not well utilized. So being constantly aware of my preference and consciously decision making process allows me to focus on what matters and what´ll make my time well spent. That prevents me from spending 30 minutes on deciding on a box of cornflakes.

Keeping life simple, do what matters, don´t get greedy and naively asking for everything in the world. Quoting a Dutch saying I just learned yesterday, that is like turning a mosquito into an elephant.

There goes the ranting while I patiently ( or not ) wait for Barry Schwartz´s youtube video load in full. What he talked about just resonates to me.

Happy Thanks Giving - like it matters to me¿

28th day in October

May today there be peace within.
May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.
May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content with yourself just the way you are.
Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Truly Muddy

Just when we stop watching Sesame Street, it becomes much more entertaining

The Art of Learning Dutch

After zero attempt of learning Dutch, my conclusion is that one can speak decent Dutch if good effort is made to pronounce the "r" "g" "sch" like a native speaker. Other than learning the vocabulary of course, I think that is the key to achieve breakthrough. Grammar wise - we all forgive and forget mistakes so that the learners will get there. Come on, be forgiving to non-natives! =)

Anyway, another key to master the language is also to be adventurous to explore new ways of expressing my thoughts in Dutch. I sound like a pro, huh? Not really, I'm the one that thought "floobedekking" is a curse word, while it actually means "floor cover" or "carpet". Martijn, I'll remember this word forever, thanks to you!

So, long way to go for me, once I ever register myself for Dutch language course. This is because learning Dutch is more of a winter activity for me when there is nothing more fun to do =) Until Winter, ciao~

Red head festival

Every year in this unknown, but cosy student city Almere, there is a huge redhead-festival :D Clueless? As the name explains, it's a weekend which is filled with a program and discounts only for red-heads. Where ever you look, you'll see people with -natural- red hair, an experience which I think, you don't want to miss.



Red head is not in my genes, and not in my people's genes either. So, tadah~

Here are some related websites:
Wikipedia
www.roodharigen.nl

Viva Hollandia ~

If you want to share the football craze in Netherlands, take this tip from me - Learn the lyrics of this song. I'm memorizing the lines the best I can despite the fact that I understand only 3 words out of 10 what it's saying.

This is one of the many epic football celebration songs that will be played whenever Dutch team scores a goal. Then you will see everybody in the pub dancing and spraying beer all over the place.

I was told that the origin of this song somewhat had to do with Germans. There was a parody German song about Dutch, so later on the Dutch composed another song just for themselves. Wait, that's a totally different song.


Old version


2010 Edit version


De Tijd Is Weer Gekomen, Tijd Voor Een Groot Feest,
Dat Wil Je Echt Niet Missen, Hier Moet Je Zijn Geweest,
Samen Heffen Wij Het Glas, Een Ode Aan Het Bier,
We Proosten Op Een Leven Vol Plezier, Feesten Doen We Hier

We Zijn Er Weer Bij En Dat Is Prima, Viva Hollandia,
We Houden Van Het Leven, De Liefde En De Lust,
We Feesten Door Tot 's Avonds Laat, Nog Lang Niet Uitgeblust

Geniet Van Alle Mensen, Ze Gaan Van Tent Naar Tent,
Iedereen Is Uitgelaten, De Stemming Is Ongekend,
De Kraan Die Stroomt Op Volle Kracht, We Drinken Er Nog Een,
Oktoberfest Dat Is Voor Iedereen, Niemand Alleeen

We Zijn Er Weer Bij En Dat Is Prima, Viva Hollandia,
We Houden Van Het Leven, De Liefde En De Lust,
We Feesten Door Tot 's Avonds Laat, Nog Lang Niet Uitgeblust

We Zijn Er Weer Bij En Dat Is Prima, Viva Hollandia,
We Houden Van Het Leven, De Liefde En De Lust,
We Feesten Door Tot 's Avonds Laat, Nog Lang Niet Uitgeblust

Gaan Staan En Laat Het Klinken, Ein Prosit Tot Het End,
We Zullen Samen Drinken, Je Bent Hier Wie Je Bent

En We Zingen Nog Een Keer

We Zijn Er Weer Bij En Dat Is Prima, Viva Hollandia,
We Houden Van Het Leven, De Liefde En De Lust,
We Feesten Door Tot 's Avonds Laat, Nog Lang Niet Uitgeblust

We Zijn Er Weer Bij En Dat Is Prima, Viva Hollandia,
We Houden Van Het Leven, De Liefde En De Lust,
We Feesten Door Tot 's Avonds Laat, Nog Lang Niet Uitgeblust

We Zijn Er Weer Bij En Dat Is Prima, Viva Hollandia,
We Houden Van Het Leven, De Liefde En De Lust,
We Feesten Door Tot 's Avonds Laat, Nog Lang Niet Uitgeblust

We Zijn Er Weer Bij

===========================

Now I found the German song about Dutch! It's Wir Sind Die Holländer by De Toppers. The song was commemorating FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany.

Correction: The song has a mix of German lyrics and Dutch lyrics. Mainly it's about teasing German stealing bikes ( wikipedia about this, German was claimed to steal Dutch's bikes to cycle back to Germany during WW2 ), and Dutch strikers with horny legs. Don't ask me. It's just funny!



There goes 2 songs that will rule my head in 2010.

It's the Dutch thing!

I came home early today, expecting the traffic to be clear on the road while everyone, literally EVERYONE will be in the pubs watching Netherlands-Brazil match. Of course, as we all agree, Brazil is the favourite and how on earth Netherlands claimed the victory was just amazing.

So, on my way back from the grocery shop nearby, I was put to deft by the 30 minutes continuous blazing celebration with honkings, screamings, vuvuzela-ing, bicycling-bling-bling and all other types of noise generating mechanisms you can think of. People were so happy in the streets, and shopkeepers were doing happy dance, or babbling to me in Dutch. Since I was dressed in Blue and not the national Orange, I supposed she asked if I was not a foodball fan. Of course, I picked an easy answer "Ja!"

Here's a sample of the loyal Orange fans. I'll hunt down the video from Dutch's victory against Brazil a few days later. That should be epic since it came unexpected!! Till then, people.

Squander

As Skunk Anansie sings,

Why take everything you see?
You have nothing left to squander
If you keep pushing me away
You have no one left to love

You throw it all away
those ties you went and suffered for
you cause disaster
and flouder flouder flouder flouder

Why take everything you see?
You have nothing left to squander
If you keep pushing me away
You have no one left to do love

your less than you should be
why run so hard to finish last
you caused contendement
and i wonder wonder wonder wonder

Why take everything you see?
You have nothing left to squander
If you keep pushing me away
You have no one left to looooove, looooove
Why squander squander squander squander

Why take everything you see?
You have nothing left to squander
If you keep pushing me away
You'll have no one left to, no one left to love

Greatest attempt ever

My colleagues told me about the cycling path that connects one end of Netherlands all the way up north to Amsterdam and maybe further. So, this piece of information has inspired me to cycle ( not to Amsterdam of course ) to Noordwijk. I also found a good excuse to drive me completing this mission, by visiting a friend that stays there currently. However, due to the weather ( yes, weather dictates a lot of activities in m life these days ), I have been postponing this trip and also conveniently replacing it with the many parties, weekend activities, excursions, picnics, beach walks, lazing in the many parks in The Hague.

Finally, I had this great weekend where I really wanted to commit to this trip despite my slumping fitness from too much vacation. Also, a colleague's invitation almost seduced me off the track. Come on, to learn pottery ?? How interesting is that! Thanks to me strong will, I disregarded the weather forecast this time, and headed straight to Scheveningen, Wassenar, Katwijk then finally to Noordwijk.

Given that the destination "sounds" very close by, I had my muesli and headed off without food and water supply. Silly idea. As I started cycling, I couldn't stop cursing for not doing it sooner because it could have built my endurance for so many things else that I wanted to do in near future. Let's say, kite-surfing, surfing, marathon running and many other things in my list! My assumption about the cycle path was wrong - I initially thought that Netherlands, being Les Pays-Bas, should be flat and ... easy to cycle. In reality, there were a good mix of slopes and winding roads passing through the dunes.

When I hit Wassenar and almost lost my way at the many cross junctions in the woods, the situation motivated me to keep on going instead. Then I reached Katwijk, which was 70% of the journey. The part from Katwijk to Noordwijk was a struggle for me given that my energy was well spent without hydration and my endurance was just lacking. No, I neither saw God, nor the guiding light. I was just merely enraged that I swore to myself to finish the whole trip since so many others ( even elderly folks! ) could have done it. I was not going to give up because I only had a lousy city bike with single speed gear to get past the slopes in the dunes.

At the end of the day, the amazing scenery was the best payback I could ever ask for. Then, there were also discoveries in Noordwijk when I visited my friend - beautiful garden flea markets, tiny towns with lighthouse and churces, bungalows and the mansion belonging to Heineken's owner. You do know Heineken, the green label beer that tastes horrible? Not mentioning, I was even in a Swimming Camp for kids. How did I end up there? Until next post.






Information:
Route Details
About Noordwijk

Shocking Wednesday

1. There is no pet shop in The Hague. You can only get dogs as pets through animal shelter or breeder service. Hah!

2. Car mechanic service is utterly exquisite here. Beware that you might need to go to another city just to get your 30 years old car fixed. Lesson learned from Steven.

Vlaggetjesdag a.k.a Flag Day

Just in case you did not click on the link in my previous post. Here is what the Flag Day is all about. Remember? The Herring thing.

I have never tried one yet. Perhaps, it should be my goal for the month of June.

Herring, the sushi of Holland

The passion for raw herring is one of the rare things that visitors to Holland (and, whisper it quietly, many Dutch people too) often fail to appreciate. Yet, while herring may lack the sophistication of sushi, it is similarly central to this country’s culture, and entwined with its history and custom. One ritual pertaining to herring is Vlaggetjesdag Scheveningen. Like so many other things in the Netherlands, the herring seems routine at first glance, with its indistinct size and shape and unceremonious manner of preparation and consumption. Scratch the surface, however, and you find a rich history and many exotic rituals connected to this fish. For instance, herring has traditionally been eaten salted in Holland; this includes a special gutting process which, according to tradition, was invented by Willem Beukelszoon in 1380. When herring is gutted, the pancreas is not removed, so that special pancreatic enzymes let the fish ripen. Yes, that sounds good doesn’t it!
The composition and taste of salted herring changes through the year, as the individual fish put on a layer of fat through the summer. Other traditional ways to prepare this Dutch staple food include pickling in vinegar and serving with pickles (in a so-called “rolmops”), and smoking. Smoked herring becomes red and was supposedly used to throw bloodhounds off the trail of fugitives in the old days; this is why a decoy from the main issue in a discussion, for example, is still called a red herring.

Vlaggetjesdag ScheveningenVlaggetjesdag (“flag day”) has celebrated the arrival of the first herring (“Hollandse Nieuwe”) in the southern coastal towns of Vlaardingen and Scheveningen for years. Hundreds of thousands of people gather in Scheveningen for the festivities, and the fishing boats are decorated especially for the occasion. In addition to the omnipresent herring, this day also features a number of activities unrelated to fish, for both young and old. In Scheveningen, the first barrel of herring is traditionally sold at an auction on the Thursday preceding the official Vlaggetjesdag Scheveningen, and the proceeds go to charity.

During Vlaggetjesdag Scheveningen, visitors are invited to watch spectacular demonstrations by rescue teams, participate in old Dutch children’s games, admire famous artists, watch the Royal Navy, tour boats and old fire engines, enjoy demonstrations of old crafts, watch famous chefs perform their magic, sing along with shanty choirs and enjoy the many colourful traditional costumes. Orchestras, bands, artists, artisans and old sailing luggers all contribute to the fun, which also includes miniature ships, sailing tours and sampling of all kinds of fish. And if visitors want a break from the action, they can always make a pit stop at one of the many sidewalk cafés or go exploring the historical Scheveningen village.

An ancient traditionVlaggetjesdag Scheveningen as such is not very old – it was only made official in 1947. The festive tradition around the beginning of herring season is much older, however. In the 18th century, the villages along the coast, including Scheveningen, were forbidden to gut the caught herring. Since herring was most appropriate for smoking around September, most fishing boats fished flatfish or round-bodied fish during a part of the summer so as to avoid a surplus of fresh herring. Only eight or ten boats fished for herring in those days.

A poem from Scheveningen commemorating the departure of fishing boats on 14 September 1781, for instance, notes that there were only ten boats present. Stadtholder William V was present during the departure, as was customary for him on this day of the year. The poem notes that the fishermen were very appreciative of their prince’s gesture, and emphasises a number of familiar aspects. For instance, the boats would fly their flags, and two of the vessels would come back after sailing out to pay homage to the prince – both elements recognisable to us today. Finally, the best herring caught was for the ruler, very similar to the ceremony of reserving a koninginneharing for the Queen. A tradition that unfortunately does not exist anymore today.

Herring in ScheveningenFishermen from Scheveningen did not fish for herring much until the middle of the 19th century, the monopoly of gutting and salting being reserved for the cities along the river Meuse. Various small-scale festivities around the beginning of the herring season were recorded in the first half of the 20th century. Although photos from this era show harbours full of different boats, usually flying their festive pennants, this was by no means Vlaggetjesdag yet.
On 10 May 1947, however, the press reported that “[…] the fleet [was] ready. Hundreds of flags fluttered from the rigging of the luggers in Scheveningen yesterday. It was ‘Vlaggetjesdag’ [...].” This is the first time this word was used by the press, still carefully between quotation marks, for the beginning of the herring season at Scheveningen. This ceremony would soon develop into the Vlaggetjesdag that we all know and love today.

Source: Yacht Valley Magazine

Another article for you if you're interested -> here