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Showing posts from October, 2013

How they live on Tonlé Sap, Cambodia

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{ June 2008 - Siem Reap, Cambodia } Seeing the houses on the Tonlé Sap lake was an eye-opener, and while the boat that we were in slowly move further down, I kept looking around, trying to get a glimpse of their daily lives. Some were taking a nap on hammock, saw some stoves on the small little boat hut, there were boats going around selling vegetable and fruits, a small restaurant (which looks like it is for tourists), and kids playing on the water. There was even a school with basketball court! If you take away the fact that all these are happening on the huge lake, this is just a village where the people live their day to day lives. Plus the girl with the snake, who smiled so sweetly and innocently that I could not help but snap a photo, and she turned to me to ask for a dollar after that!

Temples, ruins and tree roots in Siem Reap, Cambodia

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{ June 2008 - Siem Reap, Cambodia } I think it is safe to say that the trip to Siem Reap back in June 2008 was the trip that started my travel bug. With numerous budget airlines that started sprouting in Asia, travels became cheaper and as I started to have more savings from my career, travelling became something that I really wanted to do -  seeing the world, experiencing culture and enjoying the journey. Siem Reap was a great starting point of this adventure of a lifetime, and Angkor Wat was the main star together with countless other temples such as Bagan and Angkor Thom. It was interesting walking among the temples, gigantic tree trunks and roots, climbing the steep stairs and hiking up the hills. Of course, the food and the people made the experience so much better.         

Charismatic Greece

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{ October 2013 - Greece } Greece is a charismatic country - the beauty, the history, the weather, the people. Here are some photos taken with my mobile and posted on Instagram . 

I made a huge difference to that one!

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It is a story that I have heard many times. The story about the thousands of starfish that had been washed up on the beach. A boy picked up the starfish and one at a time, he threw the starfish back into the water. Someone asked the boy why he is doing so, when he can't possibly save them all. "You can't possibly make a difference". The boy looked down, bent down to pick up another starfish, and threw it back into the sea. He replied, "I made a huge difference to that one!" Today, someone shared this story, and shared a heartfelt story about his life, his family and how he has not lost hope in his wife. And he shared, how insurance has helped to make a difference to his life and his family. As he shared his story, I reflected and thought - all the hard work and effort that I have put in to launch the product made a difference to his life and his family. In a way, I made a huge difference to him. The months that I have spent on the product is wort

Hairspray the Musical

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Caught the musical Hairspray at the Singapore's Esplanade Theatre. It is such an enjoyable musical with catchy tunes and groovy dance moves. After the show, I tried to catch some snippets from Hairspray the movie, and I cannot believe that John Travolta - the one and only from Saturday Night Live and Grease - played the mother! Got to watch the movie one of these days!

Scrapbook: over the weekend

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Spent the weekend working, and realised how empty the streets are in the central business district on weekends. However, I was able to have a slow breakfast outdoor with the cool rainy breeze. Enjoyed eating local breakfast while watching many tourists having traditional local breakfast. Saw a family of Caucasians who ordered the breakfast set but wanted to eat it the western way - with salt and pepper. Of course, the uncle tried to explain the local way of eating with soya sauce and pepper, but they don't seem convinced. Wonder if that is how I am when I travel! Queued for around an hour and a half to have dim sum in the Michelin starred Tim Ho Wan in Singapore. The wait is still shorter than the original tiny shop with 20 seats in Hong Kong. While I am not usually one to queue for food, I have to say that I do not mind queuing up again! Watched the movie Rush with the amazing Chris Hemsworth (who looks so much older than he actually is). It is amazing how much zea