Visited yet another awesome place – Heineken Experience. Did you know that Heineken is STILL a family business? And the CEO is now a lady of the fourth generation? It’s so amazing. There’s a Chinese saying on family business not being about to survive past 3 generations. That applies even to the Dynasty empires. But for Heineken, it’s so not. Each generation improves the business in a different way, each having their own expertise. The first dude, Adriaan Heineken, was amazing in the sense that he knew shit nothing about brewing but it was the pure guts and entrepreneurship spirit that led him to start up something that lived on after him. His successor read chemistry in great depths, further improved their formula, made his father’s life work literally live on. The last CEO, was a genius. He made Heineken marketing strategy so impressive. It never occurred to me that their marketing is super impressive but I definitely remember their freaking funny adverts, like the one with men screaming all over a fridge of Heineken. Although I didn’t like Amsterdam, I still got quite a lot of inspiration from the visits and history of these awesome century brands. It’s never easy, really not easy. Amazing, the enormity of human strength…

My cranberry cocktail!

Visited the cocktail place – House of Bols. It showcased the history of the company – Bols – producing fine liquor for cocktail, especially well liked by bartenders.

Was really amazed and wowed by the history of the company. I admit I do not know much about drinking and liquor. However, to learn that a brand, a well-known brand can have so much history, I’m really in awe. It’s really not easy, to live through time, to endure through difficult times. Even to set up is tough. To get the money, to get the recipes, to improve them… And then to manage your employees, find the best way to keep the recipe secret… Refine even the bottle shape to appeal to bartenders who help evolve this entire trade.. Imagine if bartending didn’t become an art… It’s so wow. Like how humans make things become a skill, an art, something the entire world knows about and have a pool of people who enjoy your products or service… Just amazing, how Man changed himself and changed the world…

See them lean to the side

The house freaking protrude towards the atttic!

The narrowest house in town! Just 1.8 metres wide!

31 Oct, Sat

It was amusing to see so many crooked buildings around in Amsterdam. Some of them seemed like they were falling onto the streets, haha. People build their houses so narrowly and protruding outwards because land taxes were based on the width of their houses. A rather shwerd way of saving money. Just like how the Dutch always are. Able to close three eyes about rule baending as long as it berings in money, That’s how you have all the famous “coffeshops” around that well weet/ mariwanna. That’s not my proudest find of the day though. I thought it was quite horrible to sell drugs (thought they are so called soft drugs). Was quite uncomfortable with all the kinds of smells around on the street. Either pee, smoke or some strange scent which i never smelt before. The fishtanks or rather the windows at the Red Light District were an eye opener, but then again, I think it’s really sad that it ended up as a tourist attraction. Either tourist seeking to see how they do it in Amsterdam, or tourist seeking to try out all these vices frowned upon at other places…

it was freaking snowing that morning in vienna. i was like what the hell? why is there snowww?? it looked like a light shower. but what fell was seriously ice.

after the rest left for budapest and were juts 10mins away from being late for the train, i hopped on the bus to the airport. felt shiok holding the business class ticket. explored the business lounge in the airport. it was damn freaking cool. i was damn amazed that the stuff inside were freeeeeeeeee. i even went to ask the staff if the things were free. haha.

the biz seats a disappointing tho. they use 3 econ seats to make 2 biz seats. but the meal was cool. and i loved the window seat (:

spent a day at the prague train station cos of my gged leg. knew i shouldnt be walking anymore. i used the toilet at the station. had to pay 10 CZK (~80cent SGD) for the entrance. i thought i might as well take my time in there, can treat my knee with counter pain slowly. guess what? i got chased out of the toilet! some male cleaner opened my cubicle with a coin and chased me out of the toilet! haha imba. lucky i was dressed and just nursing my knee. one of the most ridiculous thing that i’ve encountered.

saw a group of kids gathering in BK, and fooling around, without buying any food. reminds me of what students do in singapore. we leech on fast food seats to chit chat, for meetings… actually, it seems like kids are the same everywhere…

tried this potato chicken pancake, Bramborák. should be a speciality of czech. gonna find the recipe and try experimenting ((:

actually the whole day i was weeping quite a bit. felt really lost. not sure about that to do with my leg. especially when papa called. had the strong urge to just run home and run away from all the tough times. it feels shit awful when you deal with shit away from home.

Prague was really pretty as my Czech friend told me. The unique part, i feel is that the top of the buildings. Those sharp dorms but they are design with this special prague style.

we went on a free tour with new europe. the guide was awesome (: really entertaining. was a v enjoyable tour. those going around europe should consider joining their tours.

before evening, my knee gged. had this sharp pain in my knee cap while walking. at the end of the day, i realised i just had my greatest regret in this trip. to go on this trip despite knowing that i can’t make it. i knew i dont have that kind of stamina and strength to go on a 17 day budget trip. especially in the cold. yet, for the sake of doing that i seem to want and think i should – to travel to as many countries as i can while i’m in europe, i went ahead. one of the silliest decision i’ve made. in all the eagerness… and lack of opinion from my family and closer friends, i made the most clouded judgement ever in recent years. it’s really hard to make decisions when you are away from your usual environment. makes you feel so strange doing what you usually do…

We rushed to the train station in the morning for a train which we got the timing wrong. The good thing was, that we were early. Got to know that Poles like to make random talks.

Took a train to Krakow and it was a damn amusing ride. Cos the trains really resembled those in Harry Potter, I was so amused. the train is really quite cool. there’s a bar there and it was all pinkish haha.

omg, that dude looks abit like ronald weasley! haha

deposited our stuff in the lockers before taking a bus to the saddest place on earth… Auschwitz… Where the Nazis used as the major concentration camp and also extermination camp. It was so creepy to see how they planned the organised and systematic way of killing the people. It felt really surreal to me that I was stepping onto grounds of horrible ugly history. It was so scary that lives can be so fragile that one man can easily take away another’s life… while everyday, we take for granted that we can breathe, live on in the current peace…

took my first overnight train to prague. pretty interesting to see how we could transform seats into beds on the train (: