TRAVELLING, PART 4

Another year went by since my last blog entry. Time to update where I have travelled this past year:

2015/09 (P) - Austria
2015/06 (B) - Stuttgart, Germany
2015/05 (P) - Northern Kyushu, Japan
2015/04 (B) - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2014/11 (B) - Singapore
2014/09 (P) - Greece

Just have to share two photos from the trips to Greece and Austria. I don't mind visiting those two countries again in the future.

I love the "Blue" in Greece!

Paradise on Earth in Hallstatt, Austria

 

P.S. Very excited about the upcoming trip in February 2016 to Israel + Jordan.

TRAVELLING, PART 3

Can't believe my blog entry for "TRAVELLING, PART 2" was posted in December 2010. Maybe it's about time to think back where I have visited during the past three and half years:

2014/07 (B) - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2013/11 (B) - Ho Chi Ming City, Vietnam
2013/09 (P) - England + Scotland, UK
2013/06 (B) - Stuttgart, Germany
2013/05 (P) - Hokkaido, Japan
2012/06 (P) - Kyoto + Osaka + Kobe, Japan
2012/03 (B) - Beijing, China (that time I actually landed)
2011/12 (B) - Beijing, China (didn't land but flew back in the same plane!)
2011/09 (B) - Singapore

A photo taken from the boat ride at the Lake District in UK. During the ride, "C" and I met two very interesting and energetic ladies (already in their 80s) from San Diego, USA. We had such a blast just chatting about anything. It makes you think how everything works in a mysterious way.

Less than one month away from my next trip~

GREECE  - here I come!!!

TRAVELLING, PART 2

In my very first blog entry in June 2008 (gosh, that's two and half years ago!), I mentioned that I love to travel, and I have the good fortune to continue doing so when my schedule allowed.

Update on places I have been during the past 2+ years -

2010/11 - Beijing, China
2009/09 - Northern France
2008/11 - Beijing, China
2008/10 - Southern Germany

One of my favorite photos from the Northern France trip - that of Mont St. Michel. Simply breathtaking!


Looking very much forward to the next trip, to wherever it may be...

WHEN EAST MEETS WEST

Travelled to Beijing for the 2nd time in late November - both times for business. While I didn't get to do any sightseeing during my first visit two years ago, I managed to do a little this time around. I had the good fortune of travelling with a colleague who had lived in Beijing for two years - he became our "tour guide" for half a day.

So we visited the Palace Museum and was surprised to see Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe dian), the biggest building in the Forbidden City, not under renovation. Our "tour guide" said he has been there four times and this is the first time he gets to see the building in its entirety.

What I want to mention, however, is the clash of eastern and western cultures in Beijing. Once a Communist society, China has gradually been influenced by capitalism. The Swatch and Starbucks stores located in a very Chinese looking commercial area is definitely a sight to see.

Also got to taste some good food. Have to thank our "tour guide" again for that. Nothing fancy, but food which I usually ate in Taiwan but prepared differently gave me a pleasant experience.



However, despite what nice things I might have said about Beijing, I won't want to pay another visit any time soon because it is just too damn cold...

YOU ARE GOING WHERE?

My very close friend "C" has been making annual business trip every May with a group of about ten colleagues for the past five years to various places around the world. She always agonizes herself with the thought of travelling not for pleasure. Who can blame her - always the most junior person in the group (meaning she has to "take care" of her boss) and the only person to fly economy no matter how long the flight is.

Places "C" had travelled to for the previous four years:

2006 - Bariloche, Argentina
50-hour door-to-door travel for her return trip to Taiwan, ouch!

2007 - Kyoto, Japan
Got sick staying up really late to write business report

2008 - Madrid, Spain
Got many chances to practice her Spanish with the taxi drivers - "El recibo, por favor!"

2009 - Bali, Indonisia
Had her very first full-body massage, and very cheap too - 2 hours for US$18, tips included!

I myself have been to Kyoto and Madrid; never been to Bali yet (by choice) or Argentina, which might be "exotic" enough but at least I know someones (else) who have been there. HOWEVER... Are you ready???

Anyone who has been to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, please raise your hand!

For this trip, lots of money already spent before "C" left Taiwan - the single-entry visa to costs NT$9,900 (about US$300), and the economy round-trip plane ticket fare is NT$130K (or US$4,000). Ouch, feels like the Uzbekistan government is trying to discourage visitors... Of course, "C" did not return empty-handed. She brought back some very beautiful artworks:

Until her next trip, Uzbekistan will remain as No. 1 on the list of "You are going WHERE?".

THE WORLD OF ROMERO BRITTO

Article by Cecilia

Photos by Sue

It happened so fast that Sue and I can only blame the October’s dusk of the evening in Germany, which highlighted Romero Britto’s art works under the bright illuminating rays of the Mensing Gallery, Baden Baden, enchanting us with this artist’s world glowing with childlike essence and sincereness in our first met.

And we had no one to blame but blame on our extremely good luck that our tour leader just asked us to meet in front of the luxury Mensing Gallery after the two-hour free time for random stroll, as well as the perfect timing that we arrived at the meeting place 10 minutes earlier than expected, which was used as the excuse to “take a quick look” at the gallery’s display for killing time. Therefore, when the “take a quick look” turned out to be 40 minutes lingering upon Britto’s brilliant creations, especially the adorable silver based “Good Girl” in the gallery, then what happened next - throwing lots of fortune, delay for dinner, and carrying a cumbersome yellow carton encased with “Good girl” for the rest of the itinerary - were not surprising to us. Now, the “Good Girl” has safely flown with us from Germany to our house, standing on the side table in the living room to watch over the two stray sheep occupied the single-person sofa for eight years.

To laypersons of art like Sue and me, it is the feeling of the first sight to an art work determines that we like it or not, and those with vivid colors and simple strokes can always catch our eyes most. That’s why we were so addicted to the “Good Girl”. In addition to the extraordinary features of colors and strokes, the reason Britto’s works engrossing audience is the ingenuous significance implied in his works, which seems all the flows and troubles in the world have been sifted, only hopes and happiness left.

Through appreciating Britto’s simple and unadorned portrait of daily life, it is like walking into a Utopia without any disturbance, experiencing Britto’s wonderful caring for socio-cultural environment, and all the restraint deeply hidden inside subconscious can easily get its way out. Still don’t believe in it? Go around Britto’s official website: http://www.britto.com/ for a visual and spiritual tour and then, verify.

TRAVELLING

I love to travel

Let me count the places so far...

2008/03 (P) - Jeju, South Korea (photo)
2007/10 (P) - The Czech Republic
2007/05 (P) - Tokyo, Japan
2006/09 (P) - Northern Italy
2006/09 (B) - Tokyo, Japan
2006/07 (B) - Detroit, USA
2005/10 (P) - Southern France
2005/06 (B) - Beijing, China
2002/09 (P) - Switzerland
2001/09 (P) - New Zealand
2000/10 (P) - Las Vegas, USA + Izu Peninsula, Japan
2000/08/30 - 09/02 (B?) -
2000/06 (B) - Seoul, South Korea
2000/03/28-31 (B?) -
1999/07 (P) - Singapore
1999/06 (P) - California, USA
1999/04/19-22 (B?) -
1998/10 (B/P) - Detroit/Mountain View, USA
1998/09 (P) - Kyushu, Japan
1998/03 (P) - Hong Kong
1997/06 (P) - Hannover, Germany
1996/07 (P) - Rome + Napoli + Ischia, Italy
1995/12 (P) - Spain
1995/09 ~ 1997/07 - London, UK


May the list grows a thousand times longer...