In the SP2

In the train from Lao Cai, heading to Hanoi, an Italian young lady said in Italian, "How come there isn't any Italian guy?"

A Vietnamese young man replied her, also in Italian, "There isn't any Italian guy but there's a Vietnamese guy who can speak fluent Italian."

The lady was surprise and shock, running back to her berth, she explained to her friend, "OMG, OMG, there's this Vietnamese who speaks fluent Italian!"

Ok... the first two sentence, I have totally no clue about it... cos I don't understand Italian at all to save my life. The third sentence was in English and when I heard it before knowing the whole story, I was wondering why is it that she was so embarassed.

And now, you would question, then how did I get to know the whole story? Reason is simple. My sis and I got to know this talented young people on our journey to Sapa. And this Italian speaking Vietnamese young man is one of them. :)


Side note: I was just packing my things and saw the half written "story" above. Decided to complete it. Just an excerpt from my memory

First post Vietnam 2008

Pen turning

Are you guilty of turning your pen or pencil when working on your homework? :P

Oh well, I was chatting with a friend over YM and I have this vivid memory of him sitting next to me in Physics tuition class during Form 6 and turning his pen effordlessly. I casually asked him if he still turns his pen. He still does... and me? I'm still trying hard to learn that.

Opps... now you know why I did badly in my Physics back then... got distracted. Haha... just joking lar. Another friend said I just don't have the gene for pen turning :P


Side note: So little time, so much to think...

The tree it is named after...

Ok... I don't remember seeing the tree itself the few times I've been to Ipoh. Anyway, from Wikipedia it says...

The name Ipoh derives from a local tree, pohon epu or now more commonly known as
pokok ipoh. The sap of this plant is poisonous and was used by Orang Asli
(indigenous people) to coat the tips of the darts of their blowpipes.

So, here's the tree itself. One in front of the railway station and there's another one at D. R. Seenivasagam Park (if I don't remember wrongly).

And since I took a picture of the tree, might as well snap a few pictures of the flowers & leaves nearby so the Ipoh tree picture got some "friends". Haha. Nay... just crapping.

Side note: Ahhh.. I'm just crapping... it's way too hot tonight...

The advertisement said "The Land of Grace"

Ever since I moved to where I've stayed now, that was only the 3rd time I took a local public bus. To be more exact, I have not taken a bus from the nearby bus stop near the apartment I stayed since I moved in about 3 years back. Anyway, after toying with the idea of following Little P back to her hometown for awhile, the "mist" in the brain cleared in a sudden. I gave her a call, telling her I'll take a bus to Ipoh and follow her back on Sunday.

Took a local public bus to Pasar Seni, from there walked to Puduraya and bought the ticket for the next available bus to Ipoh. 3 hours later, I got down at the "new" bus station in Ipoh. Hmm.. but it said Gopeng... shrug.

As Little P got "wahyu" to resume her daily jogging in the park back at hometown, I loitered a bit at the bus station. Taking numerous pictures of the cars, setting sun, taxis, lamp posts... u know the usual non-living things.

I was really in Perak

Then Little P came to pick me with her little aqua colour kancil.

Sunset are beautiful everywhere

And of course Ipoh has good food. I quote from Little P, her favourite phrase, "Ipoh's superior _____." You can fill the blanks with heong peng, dim sum, kuih kapit, yim kuk kai (salted steam chicken)... But I was hungry, besides everybody would have intro about the food in Ipoh. So I shall skip it in this post. :P

The next day, after a late breakfast, Little P brought me to Ipoh's old railway station to take pictures.

Anyways, it's good to have spontaneous trip :)


Side note: Have you heard the story where the little boy tried to curb his anger and spitefulness by hammering a nail to a door? As time passes and his anger is much controlled, he removed the nails one by one. However, the nails will always leave a mark. Just as how when you hurt someone, it will leave a scar...