Utter Inefficiency

After a bombardment of photos for the last few posts. I won't be featuring any on this one. It's also partially due to my laziness to edit them. So anyways, I just really wanted to comment on the absolute inefficiency of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). So, why have they flared up my anger you ask? Well let me review all the incidences:

1. The timing is totaly off! Sometimes I end up waiting 40 minutes for the damn train.

2. Since the timing is off, then why the hell should they even display the departure time (at the station) of the next train? What's the reason? To get people on the edge of their seats?!

3. Sometimes when you're in the train, they don't even announce which station is next. Especially at night. So you don't know which station you've arrived at unless you crane your neck around to look for some pathetic sign.

4. Touch n' Go...MY ASS. I usually use the Touch n' Go card at the KTM. The other day, when I scanned my card as I was exiting the station, the display unit show that my card had RM0.00 CREDIT LEFT!!! WHAT THE F***!!! I have like MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED RINGGIT IN THERE, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE FREAKIN' MONEY!!! That really pissed me off. Their system sucks...it UBER-SUCKS! But i've managed to reclaim my money back. I tell you i'm sooo never going to use my card on the KTM anymore.

5. (This reason is only partially the KTM's fault) There are no lines or cues when boarding the KTM, so it's not really fair if someone who came after you manage to get in before you. Also, damn all the people who push and shove when boarding the train to the extent that other passengers are unable to alight the train. I swear, if someone shoves me again, i'll shove and elbow back...maybe even throw a sucker punch...kidding


So, for the past week, i've basically been wriggling myself back into the college timetable. Upcoming assignments include my English presentation on 'Green Buildings', A model making project to show shapes and forms for Introduction to Design, A two-point-perspective drawing for my Design Communications class and also updating my journal and sketchbook. Phew, that's alot!

My finals are in Mid-November. To be exact, it starts on the 14th and ends on the 21st, so after that, I assume I should be free. But I plan to stay on for a week before returning to Penang. It depends though. But i'm sure i'll be in Penang for the month of December.

And last but not least...there's a Mid-season SALE at TOPMAN!!!



+ EXTRA

*LISTEN TO THIS*

"Groovejet" (If this ain't love)
by Spiller feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor

I love this song. It's the type of song you can hear and dance to in a club but it's also a good 'chill-out' song. It's got a great beat and rhythm you can groove to, hence the title I guess. The music's by DJ Spiller who by the way, is 6 feet 9. Vocals feature Sophie Ellis-Bextor's lovely voice. So listen up, and listen to this song! Check out the remixed version too!

PS: I think the video was shot in Thailand.

*WATCH THIS*

I know Halloween isn't a big thing in Malaysia, but just the idea of dressing up in costumes is so cool. I was thinking about wearing something different for classes this coming Wednesday.

Halloweeny Wednesdays: How to make a Mummy Costume
by Threadbanger

Halloweeny Wednesdays: Warlocks, Witches & Ghouls
by Threadbanger

One Hundreth

So i'm finally posting up something. Phew...it's been a really hectic month for me with many assignments due one after another. I had no time what-so-ever. Plus, I took a week off classes for my China trip with my family(pictures are posted below), so I had to complete and hand in some assignments earlier. Most of my classes are now rushing towards the end with bigger and bigger assignments being allocated. And the finals are just around the corner. Talk about stress. But other than that, i'm still looking for time to enjoy myself, although I have a feeling I shouldn't be doing so with so many things going on.

I was planning to post up something before going to China, but I just didn't have the time. Plus this is my hundredth post and I didn't really want to waste it on some boring rant like i've been doing so for the past few times. But all that aside, i'm back now.




So, about China. It was great. Seriously.

What? Do I not sound convincing enough? Fine, just look at all the pictures and judge for yourself. Apparently, we took just over 900 pictures over a period of 8 days. That's about a hundred over each day! So, since I can't post them all up (I really wish I could), I'll just post up a few pictures from each location I liked.

>WARNING!: There are A LOT of pictures up ahead!<

The following pictures from the trip are in no particular order. Here goes:

-Tian'an Men Square was very spacious. This was the first site we visited.


-From the Tian'an Men Square, we took a brisk walk and crossed a wide road and arrived at the majestic Forbidden City. That's Golden Water (which is a stream) behind me. The plan of the Forbidden City is very much symetrical.


-I don't think a lot of people sit down to take pictures there...(that's me mum and sis by the way)


-The ming tombs were interesting. You get to climb down like several stories below ground to witness the location where one of the emperor's coffin was found.


-The Summer Palace was huge, but sadly, we only explored a tiny portion of it. The architecture and designs were really ornate though.


-These flowers were planted around the courtyards and outdoors and were really fragrant.


-In the Summer Palace, there is the longest corridor in the world! We didn't walk it all though.


-Willow trees reflected on the water makes a great backdrop. You see a lot of willow trees in Beijing.


-At the Great Wall of China.


-Just look at the amount of people there! There were so many! But nevertheless, the winding wall never fails to astonish. It was very windy there too and cold. But after walking a bit, you kinda generate heat and the cold goes away.


-Some parts of the wall is kinda steep. The tour guide asked us only walk up to the second station...but we walked up to five...hehe.


-The famous Peking Duck. So oily...SO GOOD


-Look what we passed by! It's the new olympic stadium! The Bird's Nest.


-Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan) is where the emperor would make sacrifices and pray to heaven during the winter solstice. The architecture has a lot of symbolism involved.


-That's the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. It's circular and has three tiers. You can't go inside, but you can elbow your way through the crowds to view the inside from one of the three door openings.


-The Round Altar, also situated in Tian Tan, is where the emperor would stand during the religious ceremonies. You have to take turns to stand on it and we all did it! Great feeling.


-We stayed overnight in Chengde (a mountain resort north of Beijing). The hotel there kinda sucks but the temperature there was much cooler! The picture is of Putuozongcheng Zhi Miao. A building built to resemble Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.


-Spinning prayer wheels at Puning Si, a temple with both Chinese and Tibetan influence.


-Wangfujing Street is the shopping district and it really comes alive at night. There are department stores with expensive brands, food and clothing outlets along the street and also there are stalls selling foods from sugar dipped fruits to deep fried scorpion on a stick (which my sister tried and I took a small bite of...it tastes like deep fried chicken skin)


-The city of Beijing. Very modernized indeed. But I think there are way too many people living there.


-At the Beijing International Airport. That's how we carried our bags, mind you.

Yeah, I hope that's enough to prove how great the China trip was. All those places, all the history. I think if anyone really wants to go there and soak it all in, they have to spend more than just a week. I think our trip there was too short. We literally swept past from location to location since time was very limited. Also, some of the food we had there was kinda insipid. Should've tried food from other restaurants and outlets. But that aside, China is really worth the visit.

The hotels we stayed at we only okay. The first one was good though. We stayed there for 4 nights. I liked that one coz the rooms were huge! And the breakfast at the coffeehouse was also pretty good. Then there was also a hotel we stayed at for only one night which was the hot springs hotel where each room is equipped with a jacuzzi in which it's water source is from the hot springs, which is bloody HOT I might add! Took me half an hour to get into the damn thing. The hotels other than those two were absolutely abysmal.

1. The Great Wall of China : Hands down, the greatest wall I've ever seen.

2. The Forbidden City : It's just so awesome!

3. Wangfujing Street : Shopping...can I say more?

4. Temple of Heaven : It's overwhelming to stand on the round altar where the emperor once stood

5. Summer Palace : Large and stunning

If you wanna see more of the pictures from my trip, just ask me!

So I arrived back in Penang on the 19th which is last Friday which happens to be the vegetarian diet day. So on the flight back from Beijing, we had to order the vege meal...and they gave us cup noodles...blek. Then because of the turbulence or for some unknown reason, I felt nauseous. Terrible. But I felt okay after touching down in Penang.

I didn't do a lot of shopping during the trip. The only thing I bought for myself was some foodstuff and a shirt...that's it! I didn't even get souvenirs. So don't expect any. But my mum and sis bought a couple of things. They could've bought more stuff but bargaining can really take it's toll on people.

I'm gonna be super-stressed out over the next few weeks seeing that the finals are approaching and assignments are dropping left and right all over me. I wish I was still on holiday...