Brussels Capital of Belgium: Part 1

Previously, I spent 2 days in the Medieval city of Bruges, and left for Brussels on a 10.45pm train:

https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/12/venice-of-north-canal-city-of-bruges-in.html

Brussels is my last stop before flying back to Glasgow. 

Thus complete my journey through Flanders

Brussels is the capital and largest city in Belgium, and the de facto capital of the European Union. It was September 2017, and Brexit discussions had started, and a deal was to be made in another year (by July 2018). In hindsight, writing this post on Christmas Day 2020, the interminably tedious UK-EU Brexit arrangement is at last, coming to an end. News came up that a deal has been struck today. Hopefully, some amicable consensus is reached, the countries involved would strive for peace and order. I think the world today is a gravely different place, having seen Trump, trade wars, Covid-19 and etc. 

~~~

I arrived at Brussels Midi-Zuid Station at midday, after about 1 hour and 15 minutes on the train. I would stay at Midi Station Hotel for 2 nights. After having a quick lunch and storing my luggage at the hotel, I joined the 1.30pm walking tour. 

One of the hottest debate in this region is about who invented French Fries, yes the fried potatoes you eat at McDonald's. Apparently, French fries are not invented by the French, but Spanish Netherlands (present day Belgium) in the 1600's. The people here mostly speak French (85%) and Dutch (15%). It is possible that foreign armies during WWI mistook them as French, and it is easier to say "French Fries" rather than "Spanish Netherland fries". 

Tourist queueing for fries

There is a fantastic write-up on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries#Belgium_and_the_Netherlands

Anyway, I think McD's fries with chilly source are still the best. 

In Brussels, you need to visit Julien. The Manneken Pis is a statue of a boy (Julien) peeing into a fountain. This bronze sculpture has been standing and peeing in Brussels since 1619! It describes the humour and independent thinking of the people of Brussels. 

Different outfits are designed for different occasions, for Julien

It was 17th of September, and being a Sunday, the whole city seems to be having a carnival in a party-mood. 

Chill and stay calm. Why so serious?

Venice of the North - The Canal City of Bruges in Belgium

Previously, I travelled to Bruges from The Hague, a grueling 9-hour bus ride:

https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-hague-part-2-journey-to-bruges.html

~~~

Similar to Venice and Amsterdam, Bruges is a city with canals, but calmer, quieter and more relaxed.

I have to admit that I hadn't heard of Bruges before. (They do not have a famous football team). However, while planning for my journey of Holland-Belgium, I decided spend 2 nights in Bruges. This UNESCO World Heritage site oozed a specialty that other nearby cities such as Antwerp, Ghent, Lille didn't have - Bruges had remained virtually the same since the 16th century. It was not damaged during the world wars at all. So it was like traveling back time in Europe. 

I had allocate 1 full day for Bruges, and will head to Brussels the next day. I booked a 2-night stay at Europa Hostel. This hostel was really comfortable, while the breakfast was superb. 

It was July 2017, but the weather in Flanders was no better than the British weather. From the hostel, I took a pleasant morning walk to the 'Markt' or Market Place in the city center.

The Market Place, as the name implies, is the busiest part in town (Car-free)

Legends of Bruges walking tour at 9.45am

The weather was not ideal for a walking tour... 

But Igor, our guide was superb throughout 2 hours. Bruges is unique in the sense that it has been the same since the 16th century. King Maximilian made the city extremely poor, and modernization didn't take place. During the two world wars, Bruges was deemed not significant to be bombed. So, it was quite a lucky escape. Bruges seems to be a happy-go-lucky city. 

Roman Emperor Maximilian may have come clubbing in Bruges

In contrast, Bruges is where the College of Europe is located - Center for European Studies

Road to Nationhood - Malaysia

 I must say, this is one of the best documentaries on the history of Malaysia. 

Stories of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Lee Kuan Yew, Donald Stephen, David Marshal, Sukarno, AM Azahari and co. did the "grand design".

The Hague: Part 2 & The Journey to Bruges

Previously on Part 1, I visited the Peace Palace (International Court of Justice), and had a sumptuous Indonesian lunch (you could call it nasi campur):

https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-hague-part-1.html

It was a wet day, and I called it quits by 3pm. I spent the rest of the day at The Golden Stork Hostel reading.

~~~

On day 2, I woke up to find the sun shining brightly, and some clouds on the horizon. I would need to leave for Bruges (in Belgium) after lunch. In the interest of time, I decided to skip the walking tour, and head to the seaside - Scheveningen, which faces the North Sea. 

I took the City Tram to Scheveningen, and by 9.30am, I found myself walking along a pleasant seaside village.

Always been a fan of the sea

Beach front

July is not a summer month in the Netherlands?

The Hague: Part 1

I was in Amsterdam for 4 pleasant days: 

https://weesertan.blogspot.com/search/label/Travel%3A%20Amsterdam

From Amsterdam, I took the 8am bus from Sloterdijk Station to The Hague. Flixbus is the continent's budget bus company. After an hour, I reached Den Haag Central, the central station of The Hague.

Situated by the North Sea, facing England, The Hague is where the central government of the Netherlands is located. It also houses the International Court of Justice (ICJ) located. In 2017, it was a time where China was brought to the ICJ for the dispute in the South China Sea. I felt it was interesting to visit The Hague.

The Hague is an important and impartial European city. 

Golden Stock Hostel, where I stayed had numerous books, and I enjoyed one of them

The first stop, after leaving my luggage in the hostel, was none other than the ICJ. 

The Peace Palace hosts the ICJ and Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)

Amsterdam Part 3

Previously in Amsterdam Part 2, I visited several historical sites that witnessed the Dutch Republic becoming a global super power in the 1600's. After gaining independence from the Spanish (after the Eighty Years War), and turning Protestant, the Dutch sailed the world, and rivalled the Portuguese and Spanish. Most notably, the Dutch took Melaka (Malacca) and modern Indonesia, thus stamping their name on global trade. Check it out at:

https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/11/amsterdam-part-2.html 

~~~

Ajax Amsterdam is a famous football club in Europe. They are best known for producing football talents (who are unfortunately sold to big clubs). It is definitely not very desirable being a feeder club, but I suppose the balance sheet would always be super healthy. We read about the glory days and famous names such as Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard passing through their ranks, and they have won a few European Cups. 

Since I started watching football (in 2000), former Ajax players that I keenly watched were Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Ryan Babel, Nwankwo Kanu, Jari Litmanen, Wesley Sneijder, Edwin Van Der Sar, Clarence Seedorf, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Luiz Suarez, Christian Eriksen and the list goes on. 

Any football fan can confirm that world football is a better place because of all these graduates from Ajax. Barcelona's playing style is still influenced by Johan Cruyff, their coach in the 70's. 

The question is, how are you able to spot and nurture world class talents, consistently for a century?

To learn more, on my 3rd full day in Amsterdam, I got up the city train to Bijmer Amsterdam Arena. 

55,0000-person capacity stadium (you could see the weather wasn't great)

I paid 16 euros for the stadium tour at noon. 

We were firstly introduced the away team dressing room, which was uninspiring and dull. 

Interestingly, there are only 10 shower rooms, which means one of the away players would need to share the same shower.... or wait for his turn. Not very hospitable, and definitely not my cup of tea. 

Meanwhile, the home team dressing room was sparkling and modern. It has 12 shower rooms!

Amsterdam Part 2

Previously in Amsterdam Part 1 (https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/11/amsterdam-part-1.html#more) I travelled from Eindhoven to Amsterdam after a student competition, and joined a local walking tour. 

First impression was actually quote positive

~~~

To know more about the Netherlands, we need to learn some history, and about the father of the nation - William of Orange. Also known as Prince William 1 and William the Silent, William of Orange led the 8-year war revolution against the Spanish king in the 1500's. 

Before we start to wonder why is there a colour or fruit in his name, let me clear your queries. We do know that the Dutch football team also wear orange jersey.

Actually, there is a place call County of Orange, or Principality of Orange in Southern France. Wikipedia gives a good account of this place: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Orange 

The the prince has his roots from there

Prince William of Orange did not like how Protestants were prosecuted by the Spanish King, and felt that the Dutch states should fight for freedom, against the Spanish colonizers

Since then, orange colour became a symbol for Protestantism, and Dutch heritage, Shades of orange can be found in the flags of the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, New York City and etc. Prince William of Orange declared independence in 1581, denouncing the Spanish crown, and formed the Dutch Republic, a union of states in the Netherlands. It also kicked-started the Dutch Golden Age for the next 100 years, where the Dutch Republic was the world's no.1 superpower.  

The Dutch sailed the world spreading art, culture and science. Military might saw them arriving in South East Asia, and defeated the Portuguese to take Malacca (modern day Melaka in Malaysia) in 1641. The Dutch Square (Red House) still stands in Melaka today, as one of the most famous tourist attraction. The Dutch is the longest colonial power that ruled Melaka - 183 years, until 1825. However, they preferred Batavia (modern day Jakarta, Indonesia) to Melaka, and had a land swap with the British. 

Amsterdam Part 1

In September 2017, I was in Holland and Belgium, and spent a few hours in the French city of Lille. The 2-week travel around Flanders territory was actually an interesting experience.  

~~~

It was one of my last 'assignments' as a student at Glasgow University. I was part of the university team that competed in SensUs Competition at Technical University of Eindhoven, the Netherlands. We were tasked to build a biosensor to detect heart attack. It took 6 months to prepare. 

Amsterdam Schiphol, one of the busiest in Europe, was an hours flight from Glasgow. From Amsterdam, we took a 1.5-hour train ride to the city of Eindhoven. 

Nowadays, I wonder if our technology could do something to assist the fight against COVID-19

 

Technical University of Eindhoven (TuE) campus was green and really pleasant. 

Introduction by the organizers

In the Netherlands, there are 2 types of universities - Technical, and non-technical

Rome - The eternal city

We were touring central Italy's Renaissance city of Florence in: 

https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/09/florence-where-leonardo-da-vinci-was.html. 

The next and final stop in Italy saw us traveled down south to Rome - The eternal city. 

Football fans will know the club AS Roma, and legendary captain Francesco Totti. 

Rome is the capital of Italy, and according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome, was the 11th most visited country in the world, and 3rd most visited in the European Union. No trip to Italy could be completed without Rome on the itinerary. 

As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day. It was founded in 753BC by King Romulus (Roman Kingdom). Then, Rome became a Republic, and then an empire. In Malaysia, we studied about Rome in Form 4 history text book - Emperors like Julius and Augustus Caesar. It was one of the 4 great world civilizations, along with Greek, Chinese and Indian civilizations.  

"Marcus Agrippa, the son of Lucius, three times consul, built this." (2000 years ago)

~~~

We took the Italo train from Florence to Rome, and reached our AirBnb around 5.30pm on 14th December 2018. Stayed at 30 Via Pavia, a spacious and comfortable place by Andrea. We allocated 4 days (3 nights) in Rome. 

Being a 2700 year-old city, Rome is a fantastic city to walk in. Every corner on the street seems to have important landmarks and attractions.

Walking tours would normally start at the Spanish Steps, the iconic 135 steps that connects the Spanish Plaza to a church on top of the Pincio Hill. 

The Spanish Steps (left) and Trevi Fountain (right)

Walking tours would normally start at the Spanish Steps. The walking tour we joined was the biggest I have seen - 45 participants! As predicted, the stories, historical facts and myths went on and on. 

The Roman Forums were a place of political debates, speeches and intellectual sparring. 

The Roman Forum

The most famous ruins of course, is the Colosseum. Built in 75 AD, it is still the biggest 'stadium' in the world, and still standing! 

I felt that there were too many sites to cover (slowly), and decided to just walk around the perimeter and marvel at this engineering marvel 

In hindsight, maybe we should have entered, but as the saying goes "有遗憾，才会回来" (Leave it for next time)

How I survived the 14-day quarantine period

I finally understood how Thomas Edison might have invented the light bulb (and other inventions) after 1000 times of failed attempts. It takes relentless focus and religious-like effort doing a single task over and over again. 

I could inform dad to keep the clothes

For the past 14 days, I was confined inside a 350 square-feet room. It was a unique experience. 

I kept myself focused on work, glad to schedule night meetings, and even conducted some live-witness testing in USA (obviously during their working hours, which is 12 hours difference). I worked and ate on the same table.

However, it was equally important that I manage the screen time. There was a high tendency to get glued to the computer most of the time. This would be highly detrimental to health and mental wellbeing. So, I am thankful that radios are online nowadays. BusinessFM, MoneyFM and FlyFM would take sequential turns to fill the otherwise soulless room. 

I can truly say that this is the longest period in my life staying in a confined room. Even during the Circuit Breaker in Singapore, I had jogs once in 3 days, and busied myself cooking and shopping for groceries at the supermarket. 

Exercise was essential. It was important for stress management and to keep my limps functioning (before they degrade). Everyday, I did stretching in the morning for around 20 minutes before breakfast and work.  After work, I would do around an hour of (amateur) exercise, which include 60 pushups and sit ups, 200 swings of the racket (forehand and backhand), 100 calf raises and aerobic jumps. I increased the sets slowly, and by the end of 2 weeks, I almost doubled the initial workout regime. 

Florence - Where Leonardo da Vinci was based

Previously, we had a pleasant experience in Venice:

https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/08/venice-city-of-canals-and-bridges.html

Khokan, the AirBnb host allowed us for a late checkout around 1pm. 

~~~

My first understanding of Florence is via their football club - Florentina, with David Ginola being their star player. Their distinct purple-white jersey was striking. 

Florence is located almost in the middle of Italy, and is suitable as a mid-stop to Rome (in the south).

We took the 2.12pm Italo train from Venice Mestre station to Florence's Santa Maria Novella (SMN) station. The train ride took around 2 hours, with a top speed of 240km/hr. Our AirBnb was around 700m away from the train station, so it was convenient. The only challenge was that the room was on the 4th floor, via a narrow staircase. The facilities was good though, and we spent some time trying to work out the dishwasher. Giacomo was a friendly and helpful host. 

La Bussulo walking tour guide - Nora (was knowledgeable) - Like most Medieval cities, a river strikes through

Florence, like Venice, was the center of Medieval Europe. The city was established by Julius Caeser in 59 BC. To read more, Wikipedia provides a comprehensive overview: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence  

In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII said that Aristotle was wrong, the universe was made out of five elements, not four: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Florentines. (Ref: https://wikitravel.org/en/Florence)

This city is believed to have the highest concentration of art pieces. 

Nicollo Machiavelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Michelangelo, Raphael and the Medici family all called Florence home. Unsurprising, the San Croce church contains the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs of their time. 

 

Arno River - The 241km river is the most important in central Italy

Happy Malaysia Day, from Malaysia

When the Prime Minister announced Movement Control Order  (MCO) on 16th March 2020, that Malaysia will shut its borders on 18th March 2020, I scrambled my things and head into Singapore. I had 2 major projects in April and August. Like thousands of Malaysians, there was a mad rush into the Republic on 17th March, and many hadn't come home since. There are still many that are still stuck (including my brother), between a rock and a hard place. 

I consider myself fortunate, and after completing my projects, I decided to come back. The flip-flops in immigration policies did not help. Those who have work permits could do home quarantine (PCA and RGL), while those who lost their jobs / do not have work permits need to serve compulsory 14-day hotel quarantine. Paying RM 2100 (hotel stay) + RM 150 (swap test) + RM 30 (Blood test) was the ticket to go home. 

The barrage of online reviews of not very appetizing meals and not very clean rooms (no housekeeping for 14 days) set the expectations right. I told myself to treat this like a camping trip, and had packed some snacks and food myself. In hindsight, to quarantine is for the benefit of the people around us. The last thing we want is to go home and infect our loved ones. 

~~~

It was a cloudy Saturday morning and I left my place around 9.15am. I quickly cleared Singapore customs. 

Crossing the Causeway for JB, while a crow flies towards Singapore

For the Causeway, which is probably the world's busiest international land-border crossing (some 250,000 people cross daily), it has been a quiet 6 months. Built by British Malaya and opened in 1923, this historical causeway has been the most important travel mode between both countries. 

In 1942, the Japanese Imperial Army had crossed into Singapore in 1942 via the Causeway, after taking Malaya. 

Got shoved into the bus, and took the last seat (only 21 person per bus)

By 9.45am (in just 30 minutes after leaving Jurong West), I was already standing at JB Customs

Little did I know, it would be until 9pm before I check-in my hotel. I wasn't in a hurry, and prepared for the long haul. As usual, the system was not the most efficient, and we had lots of waiting, which was expected. I estimate that there were around 130 people who crossed the border. I was at no. 86. 

Venice - The city of canals and bridges

In December 2018, we were in Italy for a week for a family holiday. Italy has to be the choice, being the 'hottest' country in Europe in December. We are from the equator.  

The Swiss Alps - Quite magnificent 

Flying in from London via Ryan Air on a midday flight, we were treated to some spectacular bird's eye views. 

After the alpine planes (far upper left) I knew we were in Italy

Venice is probably the top tourist destination in Europe, but I was more attracted to the history and tradition. Venice was Europe's center of commerce, trade, arts, literature, architecture. In short, Venice was the richest city in Europe (and probably the world) in the 13th century. I would never forget my history text books, where I studied the Renaissance Period. Venice, was the at the heart of the Renaissance. 

Anyway, I was also aware that horrible floods will render the city inaccessible. There are no cars or taxis. But you would have guessed - there are water taxis. 

There was a horrible flood in November 2019:

https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2019/11/16/st-marks-closed-after-fresh-flood-hits-venice/1810372

~~~ 

I booked AirBnb on the mainland, near the Venezia-Mestre Railway station. Venice central (old town) is a host of islands, and lagoons, with cobbled streets. It was not ideal to drag luggage bags and was not the easiest place to navigate. The simplest way is to stay on the mainland, and take a bus across the Ponte della Liberta into Venice for the day. The bus ride was pleasant, and we got off the bus at Roma Main Terminal on the island. 

The perks of visiting during off-season can never be understated, and is something I prefer. 

Winter in Venice, though having shorter day-time, you still get blue skies

The City of Shenzhen

In July 2019, I was working in Guangzhou, or Dongguan to be exact. During the weekend, I visited Shenzhen, the city at the door of Hong Kong. 

Shenzhen used to be a sleepy town, as compared to Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient. 

The commercial hub of modern China in a glance

Taking the renowned High-speed rail, I travelled from Dongguan Station to Shenzhen Station in 50 minutes. The distance is around 100km. This means, the average speed was around 200km/hr. We haven't considered the stops and deceleration along the way. 

Comfortable and orderly - My only comment is that some English signs could help

I suppose you don't find English signs in France too. 

Checked-in to a hotel called Idea Jar (青年锦囊) Hotel, which was full of books

With a China Simcard, you could register to become a member via WeChat, and your room price gets deducted from RMB 206 (USD 30) to RMB 170 (USD 24) per night. It was a small windowless room, with a bed, and PC (with a huge monitor and an expensive looking headphone). I reckon young people may rent a room to play computer games the whole night, without being monitored by their parents. Anyway, I stopped planning computer games since I went to college. I felt that there are more interesting out there. 

If you plan to travel around China, having a China simcard is truly useful, and yields lots of discounts. However, a foreigner can only purchase a 'tourist' simcard at the airport. Normal phone shops won't sell you a simcard if you are a foreigner. The downside is, you can't access all banned applications (e.g. Whatsapp) and websites (e.g. Gmail, Facebook). You could use these apps or websites if you are on data roaming. 

Visiting Bangalore, India

India was on my wishlist for a very long time. I jumped on the opportunity for a working trip in May 2019. It's true that visiting India in the middle of summer is an adventure itself. 

Flew through Chennai - The plains were flat and you could feel the heat

Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka state, in South India. It is famed for being a techie, young and vibrant cosmopolitan. Known as the Silicon Valley of India, it is at an elevation of 900m above sea-level. As I spoke to a few local staffs at the hotel balcony, they explained the implications of development. The weather has changed due to deforestation and global warming. Anyway, Bangalore is still one of the greenest, and has one of the mildest climate in South India. This was where the British first made camp and chose as a summer vacation spot.

 Today, it attracts people from all over the country

MNCs set up their headquarters in 'campuses' 

Xiamen Family Home-coming Trip (Part 2 of 2)

In Part 1, we visited the ancestorial village of Zhan Chu, and met up with our relatives:
https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/07/xiamen-family-home-coming-trip-part-1.html

~~~

We continued our vacation by visiting one of the (must see) major tourist attraction in Xiamen - the romantic, classical and car-less island of Gulangyu (鼓浪屿). It was Day 3, we left early and took the ferry, with 美珍表姐, one of my cousins who took a day's off to be our local guide.

Studying the map on the ferry

Gulangyu is a UNESCO World Culture Heritage site since 2017 with strong western influence. Xiamen became a treaty port after the First Opium War in the 1800s. The international settlers came - British, French, Dutch, Japanese... Today Gulangyu, and has several nicknames - such as piano island, island of music, and has one of the 'cleanest air index' in China.

                                         Highest point on the island - 日光岩 (Sunlight Rock)

View of downtown Xiamen from Gulangyu's 日光岩 (Sunlight Rock)

A former mansion of a tycoon

To be back in your birthplace definitely motivates

Back on land, we visited the Nan Pu Tuo Temple (南普陀寺) and Xiamen University. Xiamen University though, is no longer free to the public, as it was back in 2012. I think it became too touristy and security was a concern.

Famous landmarks of Xiamen

Nothing better to end a long/tiring day with steamboat - Haidilao (海底捞) of course

Haidilao is arguably the most famous steamboat / hotpot of our time

Supper was 月华沙茶面 (literally means 'satay noodle') - A favourite of mine

Xiamen's main shopping street - Zhongsan Road (中山路)

The few days in Xiamen was really pleasant, and packed with action. I hope the kinship will continue for generations to come. My grandparents would be proud. It's a shame Grandma didn't see me become who I am today. I think she'd be proud of me.

~~~

For the second leg of the vacation, I planned the itinerary to include Guangzhou (the capital of Guangdong province), a 5-hour high-speed train away. My maternal grandmother was from Guangdong province, so I suppose mom would also be happy to go to somewhere Cantonese-speaking. I split the 8-day trip into half. I reckon taking the high-speed rail would also be an interesting experience for everyone.

Off to Guangzhou

My work saw me going to Guangzhou, or more famously known as Canton three times in the past 2 years. Guangzhou airport has direct flight to Senai, an airport 20 minutes from home, so it was a convenient destination for the family.

Ah Feng, 姑姑 's grandson is currently based in Guangzhou. His mom (姑姑 's eldest daughter) and dad were there to help him manage his Alibaba online business

We had a pleasant stroll around Guangzhou city center. The city lived up to it's reputation as one of the trading capitals of the world. The skyline was quite spectacular. Guangzhou has always been the center of trade for China, having close proximity to Hong Kong. Politically, it was also the base for Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and revolutions were initiated there.

It was pleasant evening. The weather was perfect

Ah Feng has started making his mark, as compared to 8 years ago when I first met him. Like millions of Chinese youths, he rides the internet wave, and conducts online business/trading on clothes and apparels, leveraging on Alibaba's platform. It's a a potential rag-to-riches story in the making.

Today he rents this studio in the middle of town - We enjoyed the view

I was really pleased. He once told me his dream of traveling outside China. Hopefully, he will get his chance.

Guangzhou is nevertheless famed for its cuisine. Cantonese cuisine has influenced generations of chefs globally, especially in South East Asia. In fact, Cantonese is the official working language in the biggest Chinese restaurants kitchens in Malaysia. China is basically culturally divided into the North and South, with the Yang Tze (长江）as the marker. Cantonese normally embodies the best of Southern Chinese cuisine.

吴财记 Wantan noodles - One of the best I tasted

Unlike eating in Hong Kong, where there is a sense of urgency and stress to free up your seats for the next customer, we could enjoy our meals in Guangzhou.

A shop that sells herbal-chicken (We found chicken rather expensive in the city)

~~~

I think the most meaningful trips are the ones with the family. As the parents age, and the children become more occupied with work / their own lives, times like these make life meaningful.

Looking at some 'printed' paintings (more of taking a rest)

COVID-19 will likely change the world of travel forever. I am not sure how many airlines could survice, with AirAsia 'qualified' as a PN17 status company. I am glad we made those wonderful trips. I suppose, when you feel like doing something, you should just do it, before it's too late. 

It's good to count our blessings, especially during trying times. 

PS: 3rd Great-uncle (小叔公), grandfather's youngest brother passed away a few days ago in Melaka, at a great age of 100. Ever since I could remember, without fail, we would visit him during Chinese New Year at his house in Bukit Baru, and then (in recent years) Malim Jaya. Being really fit, sharp and healthy even into his 90's, he would brew tea and treat us homemade cookies everytime we came. This year though, was different, as he fell ill and was bedridden. His demise marks an end of an era filled with history and tradition. It feels like the final chapter of this group of forefathers that left warring China for Malaya, in search of a better life. There isn't many who had witnessed WW2 and seen how the world has changed in the last century. It must have been a tiring yet fascinating adventure, having overcame all the hardships and struggles. He was a testament of the good/simple old days, and represented no-nonsense family values, hard work and frugality. I will always remember his nonchalant look, oozing class and confidence.