Lund

Sunrise above Moscow

In case some of you have just realised that i've disappeared from Singapore, i'm currently now an exchange student over at Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

So I arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark after a gruelling 10hours overnight flight....

Copenhagen International Airport

Trained over to Lund C station, Sweden. Cost me 101 DKK for a 30mins ride....

And finally arrived in Lund city...

School of Biology

Compare this building with the Biological Sciences block in NTU, which do you prefer?

P/S: I shall be blogging/photoblogging on my life in Lund University over at this new blog space.

Something Random

I suppose many of us here have experienced this particular feeling of looking at your parents' greying hair and realising how much they've aged. (P/S: If you haven't, just take some time off and take a good look at them).

The first time I saw this scene, my heart sank. 23 years have since passed and they're no longer adults in their prime. Their bodies embattled just to keep things going for these kids requiring an education.

The other day I was at the barber's when the first bunch of hair fell victim to the blade. As it came into view, what struck me stumped was the sight of a significant amount of greying hair on me. A young lad with once thick black growth is now blooming with white.

I felt sad.

How would you feel?

Cambodia Trip: Phnom Penh

Sunset View of The Royal Palace

Phnom Penh, Capital of Cambodia (02 August - 05 August 2008)

The decision to Phnom Penh was a rather subtle one. I was contemplating between Bangkok (again) and Phnom Penh. The difference in airfares helped me decide the destination for a short getaway. Bangkok is too expensive for a revisit.

There's no longer anything fresh about shopping in Bangkok, nor freezing it out in Genting...just for a brief moment, look out further to the forgotten nations.

Asked why I chose to holiday in a 'backward' country, my reply would be: "Have you been there?"

Day 1: Arrival in Phnom Penh (02 August 2005)

We were kept pretty much awake on the (dreaded) 1.5hours flight from Singapore to Phnom Penh by this lovely baby here. Everyone say hi to baby Joshua!

Baby Joshua

And so we arrived in Phnom Penh at an unearthly hour:

Pochentong International Airport, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Here's my transport from the airport to hotel:

Toyota Camry L.E. as Taxi Service

We made reservations for this hotel: Hotel Cara which I shall elaborate in a bit more detail as i'm greatly satisfied with the quality of service provided.

Nicely Decorated Reception

Cosy Waiting Area

The Room (Overview)

The warm ambience and deco

The Washroom (Overview)

Neatly-packed necessities

A nice mini balcony to sum things up

HOTEL CARA
A: No. 18 Street 47 & 84
Sangkat Srass Chork
Khanh Doun Penh
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
E: stay@hotelcara.com
T:+855 23 430 066

Rates: SGD44/room/night
Remarks: Daily breakfast provided. Free Wifi available.

First Stop: Wat Phnom

I know nuts about Cambodian or Phnom Penh history in particular. History lessons in school though interesting did not cover enough of everything. According to the receptionist at Hotel Cara, long ago there was this Lady Penh who built what we know as Phnom Penh today. Phnom Penh is obviously named after this great lady.

Wat Phnom is the temple built to commemorate her. There's a legend to this temple too. Hearing from the receptionist again, he told us that Lady Penh did not manage to enjoy marital bliss with her loved one even until she passed on.

And it's a strong Cambodian belief that couples who are not married must never enter this temple for their relation shall bear no fruit!

Entrance to Wat Phnom (plenty of steps)

Shrine on top of Wat Phnom

Shot taken at the back of Wat Phnom

Elephant rides around the temple were available too!!

Another shot at the entrance of Wat Phnom

Wat Phnom
Entrance fee: USD$1 (foreigners)

Second Stop: Central Market (PHSAR THMEI)

No doubt the largest and most organised market in Phnom Penh, the Central Market sells a variety of stuff from (pirated) bags and shirts to delicious roadside Khmer food. As we can see from the map below, the central market consists of a main building and 4 wings.

Map of Central Market

Central Market Building (under renovation)

Tissot Clock Tower right in the middle of the dome

The main building consists of stalls selling more upmarket stuffs like silver, jade, watches etc

The exterior is like our local pasar malam selling things like flowers, shirts, paintings and food.

Khmer-style roadside kebabs. (1000Riels/stick = ~S$0.34)
From left: Charcoal-grilled cow liver, beef, pork and chicken wings

From same stall, their local dish which is like our local 'popiah'. (4000Riels = ~S$1.36)

The yellow dough skin, beansprouts, crunchy peanuts, cabbage, minced meat and made fragrant with a douse of lime.

Third Stop: Soriya Shopping Centre

Soriya Shopping Centre, which is just located opposite the Central Market, is the largest shopping mall in Phnom Penh. There's another newer Sovanna Shopping Centre which we didn't have time to visit.

Soriya houses the really upscale brand names like Sasa, Swensen's, Osim etc. It is a 7-storeys building with an in-lin skating ring at the top floor.

Soriya as seen from the top floor

An interesting trade discovered inside the mall: Wrapping electronics (e.g. handphones, laptops, cameras) with a clear plastic protection film. (USD2-3 per equipment)

Last Stop: Dinner @ Restaurant Tell

The rattan lamp radiating a rosy glow

Restaurant Tell is well-recommended on many online forums for their soothing ambience and great food. Following in the gourmet-seekers' footsteps, we found ourselves in a relaxing environment, the sort of environment we can expect for fine dining in Singapore. A very nice laidback dinner indeed.

Interior of Restaurant Tell

Interior of Restaurant Tell

Exterior of Restaurant Tell

Interior seat layout

Their famous Swiss Cheese Fondue

Swiss Veal Sausage w/ Potato

Dessert: Apple Strudel!

Restaurant Tell
A: #13, Street 90
Sangkat Wat Phnom
Daun Penh
T: +855 023 430 650
E: RESTAURANT@tellphnompenh.com

Remarks: USD34 for the above dishes + 2 glasses of Edinburg beer

Quiz

Today's a tad boring so I did a little quiz inferred from Sy's blog...

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:

Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.

Your views on education

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.

The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of having no one to rely on in times of trouble. You don't ever want to be unable to take care of yourself. Independence is important to you.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.