8 nov, sun
Sometimes this phrase is overused. But it really means a lot more than just the most common way to show concern for your friends. Especially when old friends I know from YV ask me how am I, I always feel very happy and blessed to have friends who really care.
7 nov, Sat
Still thankful that it happened. Cos I took away so much more (:
6 nov, Fri
Miss facilitating. Haven’t been doing it for so long that I forgot I’m able to do it and I should do it everywhere and anywhere. It’s a life skill that I gained from volunteering that I should spread it to the rest of my life and friends. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel disappointed with myself that I didn’t think about it from the start. Instead, it was very refreshing to get in touch with this habit after a long long time (: Makes me feel really good about myself, because I know that every moment, I’m making a difference, for the better. Not just for myself, but for others. I guess now I’m more stable and settled with my life here, have more energy to resume other things that I usually do back at home. (: A really really pleasant re-discovery of myself.
4 November, Wednesday
Why did I see so much emptiness in the mess of chaos? I felt so so disgusted at that sight. Is that what I wanted to learn from this trip? Fly 8000 miles, to where I thought I could learn more about life, about myself, but instead to see all the ugliness on earth?
04 Nov, Wed
This was a delightful find (: Most people hate our uniform but I am proud of it still. Cos I think it’s the most recognisable uniform, looks straight and smart. Kudos to Li Lao Shi and all those active alumni actually. Hmm, honestly I’m not that enthu about alumni stuff, cos just have this impression that I will meet a lot of very senior seniors there. Haha. I’m fine with just meeting up with my batch and catching up. But doesn’t seem the same to have like our Alumni Gala dinners and stuff. For example, I prefer Hwa Chong MAF cos we are still free to have our informal gatherings. Like the class will meet up for a dinner or something before that.. Stay at our class bench, mingle with the juniors.. Dance all the mass dances that we never mastered.. Have supper and hang out… Despite my preferences, I still respect like those RV seniors who try to keep the spirit alive amongst the alumni. It was a total right choice to go to RV, cos it shaped me into who I am today and the friends that I made there had a great impact on my life…
03 Nov, Tue
4 of us got a very pleasant shock at how much money we have spent on travelling. Haha, it wasn’t that bad for me cos I calculated before on my own. I guess the very valuable lesson I took away from this is that I should never ever be lazy about such things ever again. I never allowed myself give up control over things that I get to do before this. I’m not someone who can swallow all sorts of surprises and uncertainty. I need full control of my life. Won’t allow anything or anyone gain rights over my plans without sane, proper consideration again. It’s just too absurd.
2 Nov, Mon
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…
1 Nov, Sun
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…
30 Oct, Fri
Cleared quite a bit of my food on that day cos I was going to Amsterdam for a few days. Forced myself to swallow my maize and tomatoes. Haha, there were like 6 tomatoes. Sliced them up and baked on top of white bread. It was yummyyy. Baked tomatoes taste really nice. No more charring. (:
I learned that trains are freaking long -.- We walked past about 10 carriages to get to ours at Kobenhavn H station -.- It was freaking far. I think we spent almost 10 minutes getting there -.-