Trip to Angkor Wat, Cambodia (8)

Personally, I have no idea on "how to go about being a tourist". Seems funny doesn't it. Going all the way to Angkor and saying that! Yes, laugh all you want. But I really mean it. I mean some people do or I think they do know how to go about it. You know, some strut, some explore meticulously, some romance through or look for it in places. Some looked bored or exhausted. Some try to interact with the locals. Some try to have the wildest hedonistic times of their lives. Some pretend they are Audrey Hepburn and (forgot his name) waltzing thru the Cambodian forest on a tuk-tuk (in lieu of a Vespa). OK, OK, I trudge through places, I guess that's my style. Anyways, then came the question of how the local people of the "tourist places " in Asia identify me as a tourist from a thousand paces. Me, I am as brown as any of them. Not particularly sophisticatedly dressed either. I am in cheap Chinese made togs like the locals too. Same haircut and etc. But then the answer strikes me. My looking at ordinary everyday stuff for them with interest, my furtive glances in all directions at a crossroads and hesitation before choosing a direction, my very presence at places where no locals go except shopkeepers go and then the big one: THE LOCALS HAVE NEVER SEEN ME BEFORE!. They (Asian locals) may not be able to differentiate the subtle (or not so subtle) differences in Caucasians, blacks etc but they do know whether my Asian mug is one they've seen before, whether it's one that grew up in that town or not. And there must be more signs that rule me out from being one of their own.
Now in Siem Reap, lots of eating places, that any tourist sheet can tell you. But what I ate was more local. And cheap. Forgot how much but was cheap. It was some instant noodles done up in a soup and with pork and veggies. In other Asian countries it will be locally freshly made noodles but there in Siem Reap, the noodles came from a packet. That I did not like. Taste-wise I dunno cos was so laced with MSG and got me thirsting for the next 3 hours. After the whole day trudge. My feet were killing me. Like walking of nails or raw bone. I soaked my feet in hot wate, I kneaded them myself. I poured myself a gin-medicine-painkiller and rushed it down my gullet. And then another one. And then, only then, I realized the significance of all those " FOOT MASSAGE AVAILABLE" signs.

Written by Mr. Soe Lwin, Principle of BEST Language School in Mandalay. He is my brother, he took a trip to Cambodia and Thailand with our mom last December and these are the records of his travels.

Trip to Angkor Wat, Cambodia (7)

Next day at dawn there we were at the mythical Angkor. From the car approaching we could see the enormous moat surrounding the temple complex. Our guide started to explain about the place. My mum tramped off on her own leaving him with me. The day was a bit cloudy, you know murky, so there was not a grand hit-you-in-the-face first view of the Angkor. But it was good enough, the first sight of the place. Beckoning one forward to the mysteries of its interior and history. Actually Ihad not read up much on the place at all. Some people like to read in advance about everything about a place. Some like to read 'n look. I like to read everything afterwards. That way I get to kind of like, visit the place twice. Match the scenes and views in my mind with the opinions and information of the books. I leave the names and places of the various temples for your perusal of guide books, in the information on the internet and expert analysis for the… the..experts. I will just tell you that we took the "Mini-tour" the first day which means all the "must see places". But I tell you the temples, murals, art, architecture was fabulous. The names I remember: Angkor Thom, Bayon, Terraces of the Leper King and Elephants and the Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider temple and whole lot more. All with their own large compounds, heaps of fallen stones to negotiate and crannies to explore and photograph. And take photographs we did. Of ourselves, in turn. Me and my mum's photos snapped by otherpeople. Other people by us. It was eerie, strangers from many foreign lands exchanging modern cameras in ancient temples, and capturing their souls and those of the temples to take home with them for display on screens if anyone would look at them photos. Sharp photos, murky outta focus ones, pics showing sweat smears on the lenses, all were taken back as booty from our own personal tomb raids. Cameras of all shapes, lengths, and sizes were out of their holsters and "shooting" away. We needed to record our journeys to one of the wonders of the world and record we did. That digital archive by all of us will remain until the end of time or until digital records are destroyed by some computer virus.

Jigging in Myanmar

Got back yesterday.
Great trip!
Now I am full of confidence for the next few weeks.

Just a little jig to show how happy I was during some stages of the trip.

Enjoy!

Business Trip to Myanmar & My First Trip back Home for 2009

Yes, I am happy that I will will be going back home to Myanmar.
It will be the first trip of 2009, and as everyone has been telling I am looking forward to see my wee little daughter and wife, also to see my mom and bro and sis and their families too.
Something that I don't have in Singapore - family.
But the staff at the school I work at are really great, throwing me a surprise birthday party, that was truely, a pleasent surprise.
It is also the first business trip to Myanmar
And I have a chock full schedule of appointments and follow-ups, and events to hold and attend.
The Year of the Ox states that we have to really work hard for progress, and though the stars shine favourably on my sign, earth monkey, they serves as only a motivation for me to push harder, knowing that I have some celestial help on my side.
Yes, I intend to make things happen, working in the smarter manner.

2008 was a year of change for me. In the early months, I could not have envisioned or dreamed that it would end like this, in a new job, in a overseas country, in a direction wenching career change. (At least the culture chock has been minimal! And friends that have been in Singapore for a while, ensure that I navigate myself around with minimal mishaps, they have been totally great, school friendships do last a lifetime)

I will be off the blogshere for approxiamtely 2 weeks.
And will promise to come back with a rainbow of stories, of my travels to Yangon and Mandalay.

Some Photos of Mandalay

Somewhere along the way to Sagaing (I suppose, I got to guess by looking at the photo)

Sunset from the Ayerrawaddy (from the Manadalay side of the river)

January 2009 morning in Manadalay (around 7:00am?)

The pagoda beside the Maha Muni Pagoda.

On top of the staircase on the Yankin Hill

The U Min Thonze Pagodas at dusk, on the Sagaing Hills (a real magical place to visit, make sure you hve time to sit there and let the place take you in!)

Ever since my brother has gotten his camera he has been popping away.

A few more of his work.

Mr. Barack Obama, President of The United States

Mr. Barack Obama with become the 44th President of the United States.
The first african-american to become President.
The change is extremely significant, the change with become more so as history is further recorded.
Together with the americans, the world waits with great anticipation.
How much of a grace period, a teething period will grant?
What will be the defining moment of his presidency?
Will the world become a better place?
What technology will his adminstration oversee?
How will others preceive him? Naive? Weak? Strong? Wise?
Will there be ups and downs in his care?
Will there be first contact?
Would fate give him opportunites for him to prove himself?
How and who will test him? And tested he will be!

But as he becomes the president at noon, at this point, together with the world, we wish him well!

Top Ten Fonts of 2008

MyFonts has observed a continued increase in font quality. Our foundries haven’t disappointed: old friends have continued to deliver excellent stuff; and several well-respected foundries, as well as many promising new ones, have joined MyFonts to enlarge our choice of excellent typefaces.

1. Metroscript
2. Museo & Museo Sans
3. Floralissimo
4. Breuer Text
5. Corinthia
6. Bree
7. Darling Monograms
8. Marat
9. HandMade
10. Aviano Serif

http://www.myfonts.com/newsletters/sp/200901.html

My personal favorites are

• Marat
• Corinthia
• Breuer Text

try them they are real cool

Beijing welcomes you - Great Video

I know that I am probably a million years late. But when the world saw these videos I was in Myanmar, and missed all the good stuff.

And must say the sub-titles are very very well done.



Enjoy! I surely did.
China did amaze me.

Trip to Angkor Wat, Cambodia (6)

The car from the hotel was there to pick us up at the airport and on the way there we saw hotels of all sorts. Most of them looking very similar. Big blocks of pale brown all with signs with the word, "Angkor" in them. Angkor Central Hotel, Angkor Millennium Hotel, Royal Angkor this, Royal Angkor that. There were LOTS of hotels, the whole town seemed to be full of hotels. Our hotel was not on the main road but on a quieter side street.
After checking in, arranging a guide and transportation for the next day, we went off on foot to see the town. The guide offered to take us around and show us the sights of Siem Reap, but we declined. We wanted to see, explore and feel out the place ourselves. The back streets of the town seemed pretty much like Myanmar in many ways except for the numerous phone card and handset selling shops. I noticed that the motorcycles and tuks tuks went SLOWLY! Can you believe that ? Slowly, gently, not a lot of honking at all. This must be what the traffic is like in heaven . LOL. We strolled along the main boulevard, dropping into replica antique shops, handicrafts shops. But why were there so many "foot massage" places? I was to know on the morrow.
The Cambodian currency is the "Riel" but dollars are accepted too. The problem is if you pay with dollars there no change. A Coke is "a dollar" whether it is really 50 cents in Riel or at a supermarket. So change some money into Riel (the rate was 4000 Riel to a dollar then) if you ever happen to be there. Yes, you can use the US dollar everywhere but it is good to have some riel on you too. Much cheaper!
On the main road to the main "Old Market" area we stumbled into a comparatively dimly lit market with tourist knick knacks and lots of stuff. I wanted a T-shirt with the word "Angkor" on it and got what I wanted: an "Angkor Beer" T-shirt and another one saying, "Danger! Landmines ". But that was after some hard haggling. Those XXL size ones for me cost 2 bucks apiece, that whittled down from an initial 5 dollar asking price.
My mum got 3 small T- shirts for 4 dollars, a good price but only after checking out the quality of them. They come in so many types and qualities that you must be careful.
After a so-so meal of noodles and a warm "Angkor Beer", we went back to the hotel with our plunder. Around 9 my mum said she was a bit hungry again and out I went for some bread. I took a tuk tuk to look for a bakery with some fresh bread and found a marvelous French bakery called the "Purple Pumpkin". They had great ice-creams too. But the tuk tuk driver was a bit of a nuisance offering to take me to night clubs and asking if I wanted companionship of the female or boy-female kind.
I politely declined.
Anyway the next day at dawn, we were to be at the famed Angkor Wat and after some late grub we dropped off to sleep.

Mr. Soe Lwin is the principle and teacher of the most respected English Language School in Mandalay.
He took our mother, on a trip of her dreams (her latest dreams) in the last week of 2008.
Please read previous posts for a full account of the trip.

Trip to Angkor Wat, Cambodia (5)

By Soe Lwin, Yangon

Please accept my apologies for not posting in the last 2 weeks. Since returning from Cambodia, tons of work was awaiting me. A backlog of truly epic proportions that dragged me down and ate all of my time, like a monster from the deep.
But yesterday I managed to get that beast of work under control and now happily will continue my posts of our travels. The trip to Mrauk U, I will fill you in on later.
We jump to the Angkor episode first.
Well we were ready to go and frankly speaking, a bit apprehensive.
What if…. this or that happened… would we … could we … be able to …..?
All that stuff goin through our minds. At the same time we had an "OK, we'll get there when get kinda acceptance". So away we were at 8 am on the 26th of December to the Yangon airport which is about 10 minutes from my mum's house on my brother's car, a small Suzuki 4 wheeler, me at the back with the bags when I heard a shrieking scraping noise from under me, from the rear suspension.
Here we go again. Another obstacle! But one of course that could be surmounted with ease. “Taxi!", I shouted and that was that. The flight to Bangkok was good. Thai Airways is pricier than a lot of other airlines but sure does serve good grub in card board boxes. I loved the touch where they offer you wine in the morning although I didn't have any. My mum remarked male cabin attendants had a thin layer of makeup on their faces and looked a bit girlish.
Suvarnabhumi airport, to me at least looked like a flat cake with big triangles painted in tidy patterns on it. So modernistic and futuristic it was that it looked "un-Thai” to me. If you don't use the moving walk-ways, getting about the place is hard on the feet too.
No need to visit the gym after going around that place. It looked half-finished and cold. Must have been a jollier place during the demos of last month, I thought.
We identified some Burmese military attaches and their families and introduced ourselves to them. They were going to their first postings in Hanoi and Phnom Penh and my mum proceeded to give them some advice about living abroad and to save and not spend on frivolous things etc.
I guess she was nostalgic when seeing them as our family had been like them 40 years ago. A bit out of our element she said as she was then and they must have been like that too.
The restaurants at the airport were all a bit pricey but a friend had told me there was a small cheap shop on which floor I had forgotten that was quite alright.
Then after a few hours we caught the Bangkok Airways plane to Siem Reap. The airline calls itself a "Boutique Airline". I am still scratching my head about what that means and how it is different from other airlines. The turkey sandwich in the paper lunch box was good. Out the window we could see the Cambodian lakes and marshes and after about 40 minutes we landed at Siem Reap Airport.

Mr. Soe Lwin is the principle and teacher of the most respected English Language School in Mandalay.

He took our mother, on a trip of her dreams (her latest dreams) in the last week of 2008.

Please read previous posts for a full account of the trip.

Seth Godin's Blog Post -"Don't get sued"

I have subscribed to Seth Godin's Blog for some while now.
And received posts by email.
It is something that that caught me.
Short and straight to the point. A style that I find myself admiring.
And the posts do keep coming.

One of his posts "Don't get sued" has really caught me.
Follow the link below to read it. Its something that bloggers like us really read!

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/01/dont-get-sued.html
(I am not really sure on how to do the trackback thing. Hope someone will help me.)

Vicks VapoRub can harm children under 2

I saw this in the news this morning.

It kind of shook me, because I have used the product for years.

But it almost sounds like common sense not to use it products designed for adults on kids that young.

"Vicks VapoRub, a common cold remedy, can cause respiratory distress in children under 2 when inappropriately applied directly under the nose, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
They said using the Procter & Gamble Co product in this way can cause a young child's tiny airways to swell and fill with mucus, triggering severe breathing problems."

Samsung U600 : user friendly or not?

Samsung U600 : user friendly or not?

Posted using ShareThis

Make a mistake sometimes - its good for you

The other day, on my way to meet a couple of friends, I took the No. 14 bus the wrong way. So instead of going about six stops to the bedok interchange (where I would switch to the MRT and get to the place I was going in 45 minutes) I went on a 2 hours cross Singapore bus ride that was very pleasant.

Oh what a small place Singapore is! Everything seemed to be just next to the other place.

I realized that I was not that far away from the Suntec City, and I little distance away from Orchard Road. I lot of places that I thought were isolated turned out to be almost right next to each other.

That was a few weeks ago.

I was asked if I knew the way to Bedok interchange and the bus station the other day. As I answered all their questions, I was surprised at myself for seeming to know the way, the right and the wrong to get there. I even knew how long (14 minutes) it would take the bus to drive.

So all this this information was there in me.

So you just don't know what events may transpire just to help you tremendously in the future.

So take the risk, make a mistake sometimes.

Maybe you'll enjoy it!

The Law of Over-Compensation

This has been one of the guiding principles of my mindset at work.
Most people think that they do way more than they are expected.
Their bosses think and presume that the work put in is far less than the work amount needed to justify the remuneration that they are receiving.

For me, I try to work to a level that exceeds the requirement that the contribution of my part is expected in the organization.
That is making sure that my contributions result in expectations that exceed the normal benchmarks. Not just working extra hours, getting extra results is what that really matters!
That is the reason why some people are promoted so quickly. Not because of the hours but because of the results.
It the reason that that I work so hard to get results.
And I believe that life will reimburse me, even if this organization does not.
In the form of a better paying job, better benefits and so on.
But I believe and have seen that life does pay you back.
But you have to give first, that's the catch.

Trip to Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Photos

Yes, YES, My Mom and Brother have reached and returned from Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

The stories will be posted, but here are some pictures (as proof) of their visit.

More to come!

Darth Vader’s “Management” Secrets

Today we offer you a special treat by a very special guest contributor. Darth Vader is a modern-day success story, having risen from humble orphan roots to the second-highest position in the largest corporate body this galaxy has ever seen. Although better-known for his visionary work in the realm of law enforcement, he is also responsible for the day-to-day operation of many of his organization’s most crucial assets. Here, he shares with us some of the lessons he’s picked up along the way as he rose to Galactic prominence. Join us as we welcome Lord Darth Vader to our humble website.

Also, feel free to leave any positive responses in our comment section. Negative views are also welcome, of course, and will be individually… responded to.
Operating a truly effective organization can be daunting. It requires skill, dedication, a willingness and ability to rebound from failure, bloodlust, and a notable absence of mercy. Mastery of the Dark Side of the Force is also useful. You’re probably asking “how did the empire become The Galactic Empire?”

This article gives you a few of my favorite management secrets, some of which I have passed on to my brother, Chad, who manages the Day Shift at Empire Market. In the spirit of Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, here are what we might call “Nine Habits of Highly Sith-cessful People.”

Use Fear. Yoda once said that “fear is the path to the Dark Side.” He couldn’t have been more right; however, his conclusions were wildly off base. Fear can be a great motivator, both for you and for those around you. Fear can help you overcome moral ambiguities by clouding them with the need for action, now. Also, fear is the way to motivate people. You may find their lack of faith disturbing, so you may need to demonstrate your superiority. If someone disagrees with you, Force-choke them until they see things your way.
Don’t Tolerate Dissent. Destroy it. Make sure everyone knows that your word is the last word. Demand unwavering faith in your abilities from your inferiors, and if they display a disturbing lack of faith, choke them.
Punish Incompetence. Many of your subordinates will be as clumsy as they are stupid. If someone has failed you for the last time, Force-choke them to death and promote someone who knows what they are doing. Keep Force-choking people until someone finally learns his or her lesson.
Deal Exclusively On Your Terms. Periodically, you will have to make deals. Alter them at your discretion, and don’t worry about any consequences. I recently had to do this with a mining entrepreneur in the Cloud City of Bespin, who expected to be treated with equanimity. Needless to say, I got what I wanted.
Use Loyalty Judiciously. Only submit to a stronger hand, and then try to destroy it once you are powerful enough. Stop at nothing to get to the top.
Always Look for Talent. Periodically, you will come across a real gem like my wayward son, Luke. Realize that they can be your key to double-crossing your superiors. If they don’t play along, kill them.
Know that Power is what matters. Your ability to assert yourself in a difficult situation depends on your power. If you have power, you can have anything you want. Stop at nothing to get it.
Get Out There and Lead. While Grand Moff Tarkin was prematurely celebrating victory over the Rebel Alliance, I was out there shooting at X-wings. Which one of us survived the Death Star attack? That’s right, me.
Finally, always remember that an elaborate, far-reaching plan, which relies on people reacting exactly how you plan for them to react, is always better than a simple plan. Nothing illustrates your genius quite like a meticulous, detailed, super-plan which will go horribly awry if people don’t react exactly the way you think they will. Just know who to blame when things don’t go the way you expect them to.

Those are a few brief pointers that I have used to make my climb, from defeated Jedi pulling his mangled corpse out of a volcano to Dark Lord of the Sith overseeing the construction of the ultimate power in the universe. With the right effort, you can, too.
Darth Vader is a Dark Lord of the Sith and second-in-command in the Galactic Empire, where he is the pupil of Emperor Palpatine. He studied the Jedi arts under Obi-Wan Kenobi and serves a Sith apprenticeship with Darth Sidious. Darth’s brother, Chad, is the Day-Shift Manager at Empire Market. This article was co-authored with Mike Hammock.

I got this story from this link and i loved it so much;

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/darth-vaders-management-secrets.html

I really need someone to buy me a book

The new year has come.
And then there are the resolutions that I will make to improve myself for this year.

2009 will be a year of major change for me.
It will be the year, that my family starts our life in Singapore.
And that is as major as it can get.

I will excel at my job - another resolution that benefits all.
but then 2009 is expected to be a tough year in which to accomplish this.
But then as I always told others - smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.
I will apply what I preach.
And things will come out alright.
And this blog will record that story and all the insights along the way.
As an observer of the human experience.

And by the way, couldn't anyone scroll down and buy me a book for this year? 12.50$ Sing only!

Valuation of your blog or website

I was surfing the net and came upon this application.
It suppose to tell you how much your site is worth. You can see how much this blog is worth. Truly amazing isn't it, 78 million dollars! I'll sell it for a mite cheaper.
the site is the;
"Interesting metrics about your website - measure your websites progress and potential value.."
follow the link below and then put your URL into the line and click the button.

Try it out, it is fun. and somewhat satisfying.


http://www.professionallinkbuilding.com/(X(1)S(pjkjxz45rtuojh45muqm0l45))/websitevaluation.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Some Feng Shui Prediction for 2009

General Prediction for 2009, the year of Ox.

1. It should be a turbulence year with difficulties in terms of the economy, diseases and terrorism.
2. We can only see a slight better outlook after Sept 2009.
3. It is a bad year particularly for those who were born in the year of Ox and Goat. Those who are born on those years should rather stay cool and avoid all unnecessary investment, purchases, job transfer and argument. They should look for stability in life instead. Keep their money in their pocket.
4. It is an excellent year for those who were born in the year of monkey. Take whatever opportunity you have to shine. For those who were born in the year of pig, this is your ‘run-about’ year whereby you have to travel a lot.
5. Romance year for horse.
6. Study year for rooster.

In order to stay good luck, we have to:-

1. Be a kind-hearted man always. Willingness to help others is most crucial to enhance ones luck. Do more charity and you will feel that your luck will become better.
2. Always say something nice to others and your luck will be better than before.
3. Put water features at the right locations i.e. the southwest and east of your house or office for period 8 (2004 – 2023). The water should flow to the direction of your house as water symbolizes wealth.
4. Circulate the auspicious qi at South-East by putting an aquarium, water feature, fan or clock there. South-East is the best location for 2009. If the main door of your house is located at the South-East, open the door wide enough to welcome the auspicious qi. Nevertheless, do not put any rubbish bin at the South-East. Always keep the South-East sector clean.
5. Cleanliness is a must. Do an entire clear-up in your house and you will enjoy better luck right away.
6. The worst sector is the North. Place a metal wind chime there.
7. Avoid any renovation at the North and East sectors of your house.

8. Keep money in your pocket.


And there will be more to come!