Kim's Life Gallery!!

My Footprints at Himalaya Moutain Range - Part 7

2007-05-05T22:04:00.000+08:00

After missing ABC(Annapurna Base Camp), we had been looking forwards to Poon Hill as we were told that it was the best view point to enjoy Annapurna Range. Hence, I insisted on continuing the journey though I was exhausted from the food poisoining!!

Well, bad things seemed to surround us along the journey. When we were heading to Ghodepali(a village to stay overnight before hiking Poon Hill), we met snow storm! Initially I was so exhilarant as it was the only few times I saw snow. However, things did not go as exciting as we thought. The snow got heavier while we walking. At times, wind blew fiercely and blocked our vision from the road in front. We had no choice but to squat down to wait for the wind to halt. We were once nearly blown away by the wind to the valley!!!

What a terrific yet precious experience. I will never forget it - my trace on the Himalayan snow !

Crossing bridge, passing by the white jungle..

Yeah, it started to snow, what a lovely scene!

A hot tea in the hostel while enjoying the snow scene out there. Superb!

Well, time to move on after the fabulous lunch..

Trees and leaves along the way were covered with white dressing...

Sorry to show such a sour face, I felt really uncomfortable in the rain coat :(

Hurray!!!! My scream was completely covered by the noice of the strong wind!!

Thanks god, the strong wind finally halted, we continued our journey on the white field..

Finally we were there - Ghodepali!!

Our first snow men - great artwork, right? :)

My Footprints at Himalayan Moutain Range - Part 6

2007-04-26T21:53:00.000+08:00

My journey from Chomrong to Tadapani was another memorable one. It was the third day after my terrible time with food poisoining. I was still quite weak and feeling tired along the trek. However, my mood was much better after meeting Babu (it means 'boy' in Nepali). He was such a chubby and playful boy. We had good time during the stay at Tadapani - a little guesthouse in the jungle!

Walk and walk and walk.... this road seemed to be no ending...

Anyway, I felt proud to be there.. a marvellous mountain view!

Let's stop for a while and enjoy the greenery of the paddy field.

We met a lot of local people busy with their living along the journey..

Relax guy, let's have a nap on the spacious field before your lunch...

This was my lunch - a teapot of hot lemon. Poor me!!

Me and my spanish friends!

Me and Babu!!

Another great series of sunrise shots at Annapurna Range.

A special meal experience with the wonder of nature!

And now.... we shall move on to another part of my Nepal journey - the most thrilling one in my travel life. We met a terrible snow storm on our journey!! Luckily we are still alive!

Share with you this preciuos moments soon...

My Footprints at Himalaya Moutain Range - Part 5

2007-04-16T21:00:00.000+08:00

My nightmare started on the fourth day of the trek. I was suffering from terrible food poisoining at Sinuwa. As Sinuwa is the last village before reaching the snow mountain, the temperature was extremely low during the night. I had a horribly sleepless night due to the tedious circumstances.

On the next morning, I was weak and exhausted. However, I decided to proceed to the snow mountain though I was advised by the tour guide that it might not be advisable to continue the journey due to my weakness. The journey seemed to be long and challegning to me. Every step of mine looked so heavy...

At last, my condition got worse. Could not really continue the journey anymore. Moreover, we were told that there was a heavy snow at Annarpurna Base Camp(ABC) on the previuos night. Most of the hostels at ABC were closed. Hence, due to all the unexpected cases, we decided to turned back.

Though we did not make it to ABC, our experience along the way was still an amazing one. Always heard from friend that : The destination is not important, most importantly is the journey along the way. I really buy it in this case. At least, I have given myself a good try!! *_*

Sinuwa - the last farming village before reaching ABC

With heavy and slow steps, I was heading to ABC....

A good view point to see the entire Annapurna Range

Few marvellous snap shots of the Annapurna Range!

Gosh, my stomach was struggling for 'second world war'...

Due to the uncertain weather, we had no choice but to reverse to other destinations..

I was badly dehydrated, had to take rest after each short trek...

What a dilenma - really feeling like giving up!!

Our way was long, steep and exhausting.... especially with my restless body..

Anway, at last we made it to the next checkpoint Tadapani. That was where I met Babu - a little boy who was lovely and adorable.

Share with you the video clip in the next chapter. See yeah..

My Footprints at Himalaya Mountain Range - Part 4

2007-04-04T21:07:00.000+08:00

After walking for more than 6 hours, we stayed overnight at Hiunchuli Lodge at New Bridge. It was a simple stone house with few rooms. As it was still the off peak season, we were the only guests in the hostel!!

The lodge's owner is a farming couple. This is the usual case in Himalaya. Most of the villagers earn living from farming. Those people who can afford to build a proper house will rent out the rooms for tourists to earn more extra income during the peak season of tourism.

We had a cozy dream after the exhausting day. I was so excited in the next morning as I saw snow mountain!!! It was the Annapurna South!! Marvellous!

And we had one of the most wonderful breakfast I have ever had before we started off for the more challenging journey!

A simple hut where we had our first dream in Himalaya...

Corn bread, prata, snow mountain... what a fantastic start of the day!

Here is the kitchen. Believe it not? It is also the bedroom for the family of three!

Jhinu- a village along the journey.

Chomrong - One of the biggest villages in Himalaya.

A good viewpoint to see Fish Tail snow mountain during the good weather.

Fire woods were piling up for cooking and heating purpose.

A primary school at Chomrong.

The sense of innocence that hardly be found in the city child.

A far shot of avalanche happened at the snow mountain area. Superb!!

After having a break at Chomrong, we headed to Sinuwa. It was the last farming village before reaching Annapurna snow mountain range. And..... our nightmare started there. Something happened and changed our original plan into another terrific experience that we did not expect for.....

My Footprints at Himalaya Mountain Range - Part 3

2007-03-28T21:18:00.000+08:00

From Pokhara to Nayapul, it took us for about one and half hour by cab. It was the point to begin the journey to Annapurna Range.

The first day trek was easy and relaxing. The trace was quite flat and not much of climbing required. We passed by the small villages and walked along the Modi Khola(Modi River). The entire view of the valley was magnificient. It was incredibily enlightening and refreshing. It is indeed the heaven on earth!!

Share with you this Himalayan Shangri-la!!

Ready? Go! Here is the starting point of our journey.

The 'sacred' water from Himalayan range.

Our footprints along the way...

Mother and son... opps.. she is a girl! :P

My hubby and his favourite flowers .. well, not a good match though.. haha. .

Namaste!! That is the way Nepali hold their hands while giving the warm greeting!

A small trace, a remote village, a simple life..

My first Himalayan meal - Dal rice(the typical Nepali meal) and fried rice.

The fascinating view of paddy fields on the mountain.

A perfect color combination!

Shangri la - heaven on earth....

Crossing the river, heading to the next check point..

The most challenging and adventurous part was yet to begin...

My Footprints at Himalaya Mountain Range - Part 2

2007-03-26T22:26:00.000+08:00

After getting off from the flight at Kathmandu, we headed to Pokhara directly. It took us about 7 hours to reach Pokhara.

Pokhara - the second largest city in Nepal. Though it is not as big as Kathmandu, I like this town better than the capital city. I found this town to be simple, clean and peaceful. These were the elements that Kathmandu is lacking of.

Our one night stay at Pokhara had refreshed us much before we started off for our 'back to the nature' adventure!!

Flight from Kuala Lumpur to Nepal - I was the only female passanger on the flight!!

This is the 'luxurious' bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara (quoted from the local people)

Plenty of flowers were found along the way. This is my hubby's favourite!

Kacang putih(the mixture of beans) - a typical indian food.

A commonly found food in the local market - the fried river fish. Dare to try?

Our 'bangalow' at Pokhara - a very cozy stay!

A 'funny' tree found on the main street of Pokhara.

The breathtaking morning view from Pokhara Lake!

Another masterpiece of mine! Superb!

Soon, we are starting our engines for the adventurous trekking trip. Are you ready??!!

My Footprints at Himalaya Mountain Range - Part 1

2007-03-24T18:05:00.001+08:00

My recent trip to Nepal was the fantastic one. It was a breakthrough in my travel life. Never believed that I could walk for more than 15km a day crossing the rivers, valleys and the moutain path. Along the journey, I have brought myself the closest to the nature. The feeling was indeed marvellous!

To share with you further on my trip, below was the actual route that we have been to in the 10 days trip:

Day 1: Arrive at Kathmandu . From Kathmandu to Pokhara.
Day 2 :Drive to Nayapol- New Bridge
Day 3: New Bridge - Chomrong
Day 4: Chomrong - Sinuwa
Day 5: Sinuwa - Chomrong
Day 6: Chomrong - Tadapani
Day 7: Tadapani to Ghodepani
Day 8: Ghodepani - Birethatri
Day 9: Drive back to Pokhara.
Day 10: Day trip at Kathmandu. Midnight flight.

Here is the map to illustrate the route better.

Though the actual route was different from the original plan (due to the bad weather condition), I still found that it was an inspiring trip. Those inspirations have left a great impact on my travel diaries.... and even my daily life....

HI, I AM BACK!!! _

2007-03-24T17:51:00.000+08:00

Halloooooo, my dear friends,
Namaste!! 你好吗??(Way to say hi in Nepalese and Chinese) How are you guys going on?? I have been away from my blogging life for about one month. Really miss you people!!

I am sorry if I have turned down some of our friends who used to visit my blog. Think I have not been posting my new journals for quite sometime. Anyway, I AM BACK NOW!!!

This time I have brought with me plenty of great sharings and photos from my recent trips to Nepal and Shanghai!!

So do stay tune with me please. More exciting sharings are beginning soon!! *_*

Insights of the luxury...

2007-03-06T21:22:00.000+08:00

Besides the luxurious and grand achitecture of the outlook, different hotel at Las Vegas applied various method or selling point to attract customers. Some of the ideas are creative and amazing ! Below are some of the examples that impressed me so much!!

A mini zoo for the 'king' of white tiger!!

A cozy reception with the warm welcome from aquatics!

A man-made volcano eruption in the desert!!

An exciting pilot show outside the hotel!!

A palace-liked hotel entrance...

Collection of ancient treasures!

One of the most breath-taking interior design at the hotel lobby!!

A world that is full of colors and imagination...

The most luxurious wash-room entrance that I have ever been!

A toilet that is full of pure marble granite!!

Las Vegas - Miracle in the desert!!

2007-02-15T23:04:00.000+08:00

Besides the wonderful moment that we had for the marriage registration, our Las Vegas trip was really an eye-opening one. It is the only place with such a huge collection of world class hotels. We had incredibly good time by visiting those hotels and casinoes. The settings and architecture of the hotels were magnificent and stunning!!! The town was so happening and sleepless throughout the night.

Las Vegas - The man-made miracle in desert. It is the most luxurious city that I have ever been!!

Share with you the 'must-visit' spots in Las Vegas!!

A scene of Las Vegas street!!

The colourful neon lightings were seen everywhere that lived up the city!!

Splendid and grand - Monte Carlo Hotel

Place with excitements - New York New York Hotel

The newly eponed hotel - Wynn Hotel

One of the oldest hotel in town - Circus Circus

Rebuild of Colosseum - The Caesars Palace !!

Sense of romance - The Effeil Tower

One of the richest hotel group in town - MGM!!

Oasis in desert - Mirage Hotel!!

More stunning photos to come next. Don't miss it!!*_*

Las Vegas - The place where we tied the knots...

2007-02-06T22:41:00.000+08:00

It was 1st Nov 2005 when I returned to America. It was my second time to such a wonderful country. This time we were in Las Vegas - The most memorable journey between 'me' and 'him'. With the remote blessings from my family and friends over the other corner of the world, we registered our marriage in this world wedding capital.

My friends asked me :'Why do you choose to get married in Las Vegas??'... I always replied:'It is easier to divorce next time'... haha, just kidding!! In fact, there is no specific reason on this. I just hope to make my life-time event to be more special and unforgettable. And it has proven that we have made a right choice. It is no doubt the most precious moment in my memory box, ever and forever.......

Share with you the piece and parcel of my life-time event...

Before we conducted the wedding ceremony, we were required to get the marriage license at the wedding bureau.

Then, we had to look for a local church for our wedding ceremony. This step is important to validate our marriage certificate. There were many chapels found around the area.

This is one of the white chapels that is big and prominent.

Most of the chapels open everday, from morning to midnight!!

We have been searching around for the chapel that fits the best to our 'criteria' .....

Finally we found this - The stained glass chapel, a simple and cozy place...

It was me, the bride on the wedding day....*_*

A macho groom waiting besides his 'limousine'...:P

We had our 'garden wedding' here....

We are '2 in 1' from now onwards....

Our love 'mark'....*_*

Found it interesting? Ever thought of having your wedding in Las Vegas as well? *_*... Do frop me a message if you wish to. I am more than happy to share with you the notes.

Well, my next chapter will be sharing on the other face of Las Vegas. Besides the romance that we had, Las Vegas is the most renown entertainment city in the world. The luxurios hotels and the exciting night activities along the street had fill up our nights with endless fun.

The game is going to begin soon. Stay tuned!! .....

Need more travel information on America? Visit my Life Gallery for the great books recommendation!!

My first attachment to America!!

2007-01-30T23:06:00.000+08:00

I could still remember clearly my first trip to the United State - the world economy's titan. It was the immersion program between NTU and MIT during my master degree course. We were in MIT for about a month. It was the most memorable period in my study life - full of stress(due to the piling homework!), excitement(first time seeing the Statue of Liberty), adventure(exploration to Niagara Fall!) and fun(duck tour around Boston).

Each moment during the trip was precious and unforgetable. Share with you my trails on such an incredible land!!

Boston - A city of intellectual. Here is where all the world-class universities namely MIT, Harvard and Stanford located at.

MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I was proud to be there.

This is the vehicle that we sat on for the ducktour around Boston city. It can move on the land and the water. Amazing!!

Oops, sorry to show you such a 'wet-look' after my ride into the Niagara Fall!

I was just at few more steps to cross the border of North America. The background is Canada!

A city view in New York.

Remember the movie of 'King Kong'??! That was my first impression on the State of Empire. *_*

Statue of Liberty - A symbol of peace!!

A far shot of New York City. Did you notice something over there?

The last masterpiece of twin towers!! I was there two months before the disaster of 911!!

Hope you have enjoyed the sharings so far. My diary on this continent will be continued in the next chapter. It is to mark down the most important moment of my life - my marriage registration and honeymoon.

Stay tuned!! *_*

Need more travel information on America? Visit my Life Gallery for the great books recommendation!!

Jewelry Collection from Korea... what do you think?

2007-01-25T21:58:00.000+08:00

I am always looking for business opportunity to earn some extra money for my next trip. *_*... This time, I have discovered some excellent jewelry which I believe to have good market demand. All these jewelry are made in Korea. The design is unique and elegant. It fits well to the modern ladies who love vintage and classic accessories. For this post, I am showing only the genuine fresh water pearl collection. More to come in the near future!!

JW01: Fair Lady

JW02: Long Island

JW03: Cozy Blossom

JW04: Flying Butterfly

JW05: Little Sweet Heart

So, what do you think about the collection? Interested in getting one? There will definitely be discounted price for all my friends in this little blog!!

HURRY TO GET ONE NOW! Your support will be my great motivation to move forwards!!

Do catch me at glessence@yahoo.com should you have further enquiries or comments.

Useful Checklist for Backpack Trip Preparation

2007-01-24T10:40:00.000+08:00

Couple of days ago, a friend of mine asked me for the items checklist for her backpack trip preparation to Cambodia. She was unsure about the way to manage it as that was her first backpack trip. So I passed her the list that I have been using for all my trips preparation so far. In this post, I would like to share with you this little piece of information too. Hopefully you will find it useful as well. *_* ...

Essentials
Passport
Airline Tickets
Some local currency
USD cash - for back up as it is acceptable at anywhere
Traveller's checks
Electricity convertor- for camera, laptop and mobile phone battery charger

Clothing
3 pants/jeans, 2 shorts - it is subjected to the period of travel.
Sweatshirt
Rain poncho
Hats or caps
Small umbrella - optional
Sunglasses
Sneakers
Sandals
5 short sleeve/long sleeve shirts - It is subjected to the season of travel
Socks
Underwear - Suggest to use the disposable type

Miscellaneous
Pens and candy (for village children)) - optional if you are going to third world countries
Garbage/cloth bag for dirty clothes
Nylon rope/wire fishing line- For tying up things, it is very useful *_*
Travel hooks - To hang any stuffs to your backpack bag, include your sneakers!!
Little camera, big camera, holders - A must to take down your memories
Small camera tripod
Notepads
Swiss Knife - Multipurpose tool
Immersion heater for heating water
Small needle and thread kit - For 'emergency case'

Travel Aids
Lonely Planet Guidebook
Blow up pilllow - For long distance bus/train travel
Sleeping bag pouch - For dirty hotel beds
Backpack for day trips - For the convenience when walking around
Map
Small calculator- for money conversion, especially important during price bargain!

Medicine-Health-Hygiene
First Aid kit
Doxycline - All purpose antiobiotic, especially good for 'traveller's diarrhea (important when you travel in the third world coutries)
Immodium-AD
Sunscreen/Sunblock - For ladies especially!
Melatonin - Natural sleeping and jet-lag agent
Kyolic - garlic medicine
Nutrobiotic - natural antibiotic made from grapefruit seeds
Vitamin B,C
Tissues: Small packages
Bactine-like products
Disinfectant liquid in hand-soap dispenser - Very useful
Towelettes for hands
Nail clippers - Or you will need to bite your nails!
Mylanta - indigestion medicine
Bandaids
Oscillococcinum- Homeopathic flu medicine
Pepto-Bismol tablets - very useful!
Chlorella tablets, spirulina
Throat Lozenges
"Green Ban" mosquito repellant
Hypodermic needles (in case you have to go to the hospital)
Body shower kit - Not all hotel/guest house provide shower sets

Security
Flashlights - It is important for night adventure!
Knives - Swiss/multi-purpose, other sharp knife
Cable lock - Useful in trains to lock suitcase to train, prevents walking away...
Small locks - Always keep all bags locked
Money belt and/or passport pouch - The safest way to protect your valuables!
Clock radio alarm device - If you don't want to miss any seconds along the journey!

Journalling
Laptop computer - optional
Extra memory cards
Extra camera battery - Use the lithium ion type as it is more lasting and weather-proof
Card reader - To transfer your photos to laptop
Some good pens - To jot down all the precious moments on the spot

Food
Instant noodle- If you want to save cost
Herbal teas
Turkey-jerky (for a quick protein pickup)
Energy bars
Comfort food
Chewing gum - To 'brush' your teeth when travel in the overnight bus

Hopefully you find this checklist useful. By the way, do feel free to add on anything that I have missed out. You are more than welcome to comment!!!!

Enjoy your trip planning ahead!!

Thinking of doing some shoppings for your coming trip??
Do enjoy the wide variety of travel products in my Life Gallery - Travel Shop! Enjoy your shopping!!

The incredible hiking mission of 2006!! - Part 5

2007-01-17T18:11:00.000+08:00

After staying overnight at Laban Rata resort, we woke up at 3am in the next morning to continue our journey to the summit. Though we did not sleep well last night, each of us looked fresh and excited. We could not wait to make our footprint at the peak!

The entire journey to the summit was tough and memorable. We went through all the obstacles in the dark (a powerful touchlight was our best companion at that moment). At times, we had to climb up the steep slope with the ropes. Some of the points were so narrow and we had to be very careful with each step. As the oxygen level was lower at the higher altitude, our breath was getting heavier while we were proceeding.

Nevertheless, we had conquered all the fears and difficulties along the journey. Our persistency had brought us to the victory - the victory of pride and self-achievement. *_*

A family photo at Laban Rata Resort - after the exhausting trek!

The stunning cloudscape outside the resort!

The moment of victory! Yes, we have made it!!

The warmest and closest touch with the sun ray!

Do you notice the blushing fairy far over there?

The summit temperature was almost at the freezing point. It could be noticed from our frozen smile. *_*

Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints!

A flying eagle in the blue sky. Want a ride?

The Donkey's ear - one of the major peaks at Kinabalu.

After staying at the peak for about an hour, we returned with heavy hearts.

Hold the rope, guys! The return journey was steep and challenging!

What a pose! The background was the entire view of Kundasang town.

It's the end of my chapter on Mt.Kinabalu hiking trip. Hopefully my little notes have been inspiring and useful to you. Seeing is believing, do explore the place by yourself if you like it! *_*

What's next? Well, it's my honeymoon trip to America - A journey that is full of romance, fun, excitement and relaxation. Most importantly, I have done my marriage registration there!

More to come soon, do stay tune!

Ciao.
Kim

Need more travel information on Mt.Kinabalu? Visit my Life Gallery for the great books recommendation!!

The incredible hiking mission of 2006!! - Part 4

2007-01-11T21:35:00.000+08:00

.....Continued chapter of my Mesilau trek to Mt.Kinabalu. As promised earlier on, more stunning photos to come. Enjoy! *_*

What a fascinating view!

Does this jungle view look familiar to you? Have you seen 'Lord of the Ring'?

Lot of Bonsai plants were found at the higher altitude.

This place is definitely the paradise for those bonsai lovers.

'Photo in photo?' Another artistic shot!

The Heaven on Earth!! Amazing!!

My trails on this heaven-like place!

It was so great that we both have been there!

Laban Rata - the check point before we continue our journey to the peak in the next morning!

Don't miss the next chapter - the summit of the highest mountain in SE Asia! We were so proud to be there! *_*

Need more travel information on Mt.Kinabalu? Visit my Life Gallery for the great books recommendation!!

Warren Buffett's investment principles

2007-01-08T22:43:00.000+08:00

I have been always looking for opportunities to multiply my income source. In fact, my target is to increase my passive income to prepare myself for earlier and better retirement. *_*... I am sure that it is the dream for many of you too. Thus, I would like to share with you some useful information on investment(one of the good vehicles to increase the money value)that I have learnt from one of the smartest person on earth - Warren Buffett.

Warren Buffett, the ‘Sage of Omaha', is generally considered to be the world’s most successful investor. His investment vehicle, Berkshire Hathaway, is legendary. The company, originally a textile company and an insurance company at the later stage, has become one of the world’s most successful investment stories through the investment wisdom and astute management of its managers.

I started knowing this big name couples of years back. Since then, I have been exploring different resources to know the secret of his success - to know how he became America’s second or third richest man, and a living legend.

According to Warren Buffett's investment principle, stock investments should be looked at in the same way as buying a business. The stock investor is really buying a tiny share or partnership and should apply the same principles that they would in buying a business.

There are few important factor this titan looks at before investing in a business. These can be summed up as below:

1. The company should be soundly managed. Tests of good management include:
- Share buybacks
- Good use of retained earnings
- Sticking to what you know

2. The company has demonstrated earning capacity with a likelihood that this will continue. Tests of earning capacity include:
- Company growth
- Dealing with inflation
- Capital expenditure
- Look through earnings
- Brand names

3. The company should have consistently high returns. Warren Buffett would look at both:
- Returns on equity
- Returns on capital

4. The company should have a prudent approach to debt.

5. The businesses of the company should be simple and the investor should have an understanding of the company.

6. Assuming that all these thresholds are satisfied, the investment should only be made at a reasonable price, with a margin of safety. This is always a matter for independent judgment by the investor but it is relevant to consider:
- Price/earnings ratios
- Earnings and Dividend yields
- Book value
- Comparative rates of return

7. Last but not the least, investors need to take a long term approach - value investing!

Hopefully this brief sharings is useful for you. For those who are interested in knowing more about Buffett principles in investment, recommend you this book - The book not only serves as a useful guide to understanding how Buffett invests, it's an excellent primer to investing in stocks too.

Where as for those who want to explore more on the general knowledge of money, finanace and investment, this is a great book for you - It illustrate concepts of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures and options, spotting trends and evaluating companies in a very interesting and lively approach!

If you have any better idea on investment and ways of earning passive income, do feel free to drop your comments here!! You are highly wanted! *_*

Thinking of getting other investment books? Do drop by my Life Gallery for the great collections!!

Malaysia Truly Asia, Visit Malaysia 2007!!

2007-01-07T23:56:00.000+08:00

2007 is the Visit Malaysia Year. There was a grand opening of the Visit Malaysia Campaign at Titiwangsa Lake Garden last night. The event was awesome with the fantastic firework show. I felt so proud to be part of witnesses for such a memorable moment.

Malaysia truly Asia - it's the slogan that has been highlighted on all the advertisement boards. It reflects how unique our country is where everybody is living in peace and harmony.

As a Malaysian, I would like to contribute my effort to urge our friends from different corners on earth to pay a visit to this little country located in South East Asia. Here is the amazing place where you can see the wide diversity of culture, lifesytle, sceneries and people.

Seeing is believing!! Selamat Datang ke Malaysia (Welcome to Malaysia)!! *_*

Share with you a video on the new landmark of Kuala Lumpur - Eye on Malaysia.

Eye on Malaysia!!

Planning to get more travel information of Malaysia? Visit my Life Gallery for the great books recommendation!!

The incredible hiking mission of 2006!! - Part 3

2007-01-01T22:53:00.000+08:00

As planned earlier on, we have started our journey through the Mesilau trail. This alternative of summit trail was opened only in October 1998. Before the departure, we have been told that this route takes longer time (about 5-6 hours to Layang-Layang from Mesilau, as compared to 2-3 hours on the standard route to Timpohon Gate), and many parts are steep and slippery, particularly in wet weather. However, we still insisted on going for it as it was said to be full of fascinating sceneries!!

It has proven that we had made a right choice! The entire journey through Mesilau trail was full of surprises, fun and eye-opening sceneries!!

Personally I highly recommend you to try it out! You will never regret! *_~

The wooden stick is my best companion along the journey
because..... see below...

I passed by the rocky trail...

I walked through the slippery road with tree roots everywhere.....

Well, sometime we were happy to see the well-facilitated ladders... *_*

What a stream to cool ourselves down after a long climb!

A good shot of waterfall by my friend, Greg.

Oops, thinking of taking back some 'sacred water' as souvenir?!

Let's take a photo of this 'super team' before we move on...

More stunning views and experience to be shared in the next chapter!
Check it out later! See ya...

Need more travel information on Mt.Kinabalu? Visit my bookstore for the great books recommendation!!

The incredible hiking mission of 2006!! - Part 2

2007-01-01T15:38:00.000+08:00

Before we started off for the climb of Mt.Kinabalu, we were firstly impressed by the scenery of Kinabalu National Park. Kinabalu National Park is located some 2 hours from Kota Kinabalu. Mount Kinabalu rises from the Kinabalu National Park at 4,092 metres above sea level (though previously thought to have an elevation of 4,101 metres). Mount Kinabalu is actually still growing by about a few centimetres every year.

In all, the Crocker Range is considered to be an active mountain system, although the possibility of earthquake or volcanic eruption is very remote.The journey takes on meandering mountain road with spectacular views of the Crocker Range.

One thing to highlight is - even if you are not climbing, there are definitely plenty of activities to do in Kinabalu National Park. The park headquarters boast quite a number of short hiking trails to enjoy the variety of plant species of the park. Besides, you can get to the charming highland town of Kundasang, some 5 minutes away from the park HQ(refer to the previuos map for the exact location). There are many roadside stalls selling fresh vegetables and fruits around the rolling hills of this cool mountain town.

Apart from that, you can get to Mesilau Nature Park, some 30 minutes away through partially paved roads. At 2,000 metres above sea level, Mesilau showcases a superb collection of mountain forest trees, wild ferns, etc.

As we took the Mesilau route to climb up to the mountain, we stayed overnight at Mesilau nature resort before the departure. The resort was so cozy and we wished to have more days to fully enjoy the atmosphere around it.

On the way to Mesilau Nature Park... spectacular view of Crocker Range!!

Some local fruits and vegetables stalls along the roadside

Mesilau Nature Park - a very cozy and relaxing stay!!

Ready?? Here we start our amazing journey to conquer the highest mountain in SE Asia!

Need more travel information on Mt.Kinabalu? Visit my bookstore for the great books recommendation!!

Happy New Year 2007!!

2007-01-01T15:07:00.000+08:00

To my beloved friends,
It is new year again!! On the fist day of this piggy year, I would like to present my sincere 'polar' blessings to you. (I received this greeting from my friend, Christine. I love it so much. Would like to share with you too! *_*)

May all your dreams come true in the coming year. Most importantly, wishing you a new year with

Lot of relaxation - don't worry, be happy!!

Lot of hugs with you love ones..

Sleep more, look more handsome and prettier, *_~

Enjoy a bit of adventure, life will never be boring! :)

Good health, do more exercise (I will try to... :p)

And last but not the least, behave yourselves!
Don't be too naughty to disturb people around you!! Hahaha...

Again, wishing you a prosperous new year! Let's share all the precious moments together in the coming days.

Life will be full of colours through sharings!! *_~

With cares anf loves,
Kim

My online bookstore is opened NOW!!

2006-12-28T22:01:00.000+08:00

Howdy folks! My online bookstore is finally on now! It is a good chance for me to share great books that I have gone through with people in the same interests. *_*

Basically there are two main sections in my book corner - business and travel. These are the topics that I have been sharing a lot in my weblog. In the business section, I would like to recommend some books that I have personally gained much insights from. The business topics are divided into four aspects:

1. Investment - some tricks on value investing, stocks trading and etc
2. General business concept - some creative business concepts that I have come across
3. Sales and marketing - great books on enhancing the marketing skills
4. Internet business - something about this fast-growing industry

As for the travel section, I have compiled all the great books that I used for my travel preparation in the past. These are the books that I found useful as the travel companions. *_*. The book range comprises all the countries that I have been to so far.

1. Malaysia - My home country!Malaysia truly Asia!! Visit Malaysia 2007!
2. Singapore - My second home - with lot of memories..
3. Thailand - My first backpacking destination!
4. Cambodia - A sacred visit to the lost empire!!
6. Vietnam - A simple town, a humble city!
7. Hong Kong - My first oversea Christmas. A city that never sleeps!!
8. China (Shangri La) - The heaven on earth!!
9. Taiwan - An oriental city with different 'taste'and 'colors'!!
10. Australia - Back to the nature!! A truly relaxing journey!
11. France - A journey full of romance and surprises!!
12. Italy - Here, I found the most delicious ice-cream that I have ever had! :P
13. Switzerland - The most fascinating land that I have ever seen!!
14. Vatican - The smallest country, the biggest content
15. New York - I was there one month before the disaster of 911!
16. Boston - A cozy place where most of the world-class intellectuals were born!!
17. Niagara Fall -An incredible touch with the natural wonder!
18. Los Angeles - My first Disney visit!! *_*
19. San Francisco - My honeymoon trip!! *_*
20. Las Vegas - The most luxurious city in the world!
21. Grand Canyon - A spectacular creation by God!!
22. India - A country of contrasts!!

Apart from the books recommendataion, all the related topics highlighted above will be elaborated through my blog sharings in the future. Do keep an eye closely on it!

Enjoy your reading!! *_~

The incredible hiking mission of 2006!! - Part 1

2006-12-24T15:35:00.000+08:00

I have been travelling to different places around the world. However, my journey to Mt.Kinabalu was one of the amazing breakthroughs in my personal travel history. I never expect myself to be there as I thought it will be too tough to reach the summit of the highest mountain in South East Asia!!.

Well, thing happened out of our expectation. We were so lucky to get the promotional tickets from Airasia(again?!). Initially we were a bit hesistative. Not sure if we could make it to the peak. Anyway, since everything seemed to be ready for us, we had conquered our fear and determined to take the challenge!!

There were some important preparation steps before the departure. Firstly, we had to determine the hiking route. Basically there were two alternatives for the summit trail.
1. Mesilau - Laban Rata - Summit or
2. Timpohon - Laban Rata - Summit

My friend advised us to take the Mesilau trek to go up and take the Timpohon trek when come down. With this, we can then enjoy scenery of both of the trails!! Well, I would say that we have made a right choice!! *_*

After deciding on the hike route, we booked the accommodation. This was important especially during the peak season (sometime in May, it is the best month to visit the mountain) as there were limited bed seats in Laban Rata resorts.

Below is the trail map for those who might be interested. More details of the journey will be elaborated in my coming chapters!!

Interested in knowing more about hiking? Let's meet the people with the same interests in this Hiking Forums

What do you think about this business??

2006-12-21T22:36:00.000+08:00

My hubby was just back from China. He has brought back some interesting products. In order to understand better the 'workability' of these products in the market, I would like to initiate a simple survey here. Would deeply appreciate if you can leave your preciuos comment.

By the way, just to highlight my 2 cents of suggestion on some questions to ease the thoughts:
1. What do you think about the product?
2. Is this product unique/having good selling point?
3. How much are you willing to pay for it?
4. Who do you think will be the potential customers?
5. What are the effective/good channels to market/sell the products?

Clocks with different unique 'background'

Necklace with vintage design

'Mini costume' for wine bottle

Trendy and portable ashtray

Your thoughts and feedback is important to live up the space !!*_~

Looking forwards to your ideas soon!!

Breathtaking steps at the ruins - Part 4

2006-12-17T15:56:00.000+08:00

After the historical exploration in Angkor Temples, we were recommended by our tour guide to visit a local floating village - Tonle Sap lake (also known as Great Lake). It is the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia.

For most of the year the lake is fairly small, around one meter deep and with an area of 2,700 square km. However, during the monsoon season(in May or early June), the Tonle Sap river which connects the lake with the Mekong river reverses its flow. Water is pushed up from the Mekong into the lake, increasing its area to 16,000 square km and its depth to up to 9 meters, flooding nearby fields and forests!! Thus, during the monsoon period, the entire lake area appears as a large sea right in the middle of Cambodia. It is impossible to see the end of the lake!!

When the river water rises during monsoon period, the people who live in simple shacks along the Causeway, dismantle their homes and move inland to take shelter from the monsoon Storms along the river banks. They re-build their small temporary community near Phnom Krom Hill.

As we were there in August, it was just the middle of the monsoon season. Hence, we managed to see the unique scene where villagers moved their shacks from a place to another in just motorcycles!! Besides, we were sitted in a boat and travelled along the river where all the drowned rice field and forest were underneath our boat(foot). Amazing!!

Apart from exploring the historical heritage, Tonle Sap Lake might be another highly recommended spot in the itinerary to understand the different living of Cambodian.

An amazing scene - moving the entire house(and people) in a motorcycle!!

Let's take a photo with our boat before the departure of the journey!

The floating community is well developed with different infrastructure. This is the basketball court on the water!!

The only church for the local people. Sweet and nice!!

The pictures above show the two different standard of houses that we found along the river bank - the reflection of social disparity in the community.

Traders on little boat move from house to house doing business.

The most luxurious hotel and restaurant in the village can be found on this giant ship!

A lot of little beggars can be found floating along the river. Most of them are the refuguees from the vietnam war.

The lake is as large as sea during the monsoon period!!

And with this, I shall make a full stop for my trip to Cambodia.

The next chapter will be my hiking journey to the highest mountain in SE Asia - Mt.Kinabalu in Sabah! A trip with lot of sweat, pain, surprises and excitements!!

Do stay tune with me!! See you!! *_~

20 Part-time Business Ideas

2006-12-14T00:36:00.000+08:00

Hi friends, I have just come across an inspiring article on '20 Part-time business ideas'by Carla Goodman . Would like to share with you some of the main points. For those who have been thinking of earning some extra cash in your spare time, hopefully you will get something useful from there. Enjoy! *_~

From the article, these are the 20 sure-fire ways to start a part-time business.

1)Antiques
Make new money from old treasures and have fun doing it! Scout garage sales, estate auctions and flea markets for great buys on antique furniture, toys, clothing and other treasures from the past. Rent space at antique cooperatives, or set up booths at weekend fairs to sell your antiques.

2)Computer Tutor
Whether you're an expert at Windows or Linux, desktop publishing or Web research, HTML or word processing, you can help anyone enhance their computer skills. Start promoting your computer-training services by teaching classes through organizations in your community which offer adult education courses.

3)Custom Jewelry and Accessories
Put your creative talents to work designing custom jewelry and accessories. Whether you work with sterling silver or recycled metals, clay or papier-mâché, there's a market for your custom earrings, pins, bracelets, necklaces and belt buckles at art shows, crafts fairs and holiday boutiques.

4)Espresso Cart
Brew up profits day after day! Specialty coffee drinks generate gross profits of 55.1 to 61.5 percent per cup, says the Specialty Coffee Association of America. So brush up on your coffee drinks, buy or rent an espresso cart, and head for sporting events, concerts and farmers' markets in your community.

5)Garage and Attic Cleaning/Hauling Service
Nobody likes to spend a weekend cleaning out the garage, attic or garden shed--it's dirty and time-consuming, and when it's done, there's still the task of hauling off all that discarded junk. But if you don't mind putting in the physical labor, a cleaning and hauling service can be a lot of fun. You can usually find a few treasures among the trash which most people are delighted to give away, and you can add to your income by recycling bottles, newspapers and metal castoffs. You'll need a pick-up truck or other vehicle capable of carrying everything from cast-iron sinks to old timbers.

6)Handyman
If it's broke, you can fix it. Your phone will ring off the hook with calls from homeowners, senior citizens and others who don't want to fix it themselves. Advertise in shopper publications and on bulletin boards, and drop off fliers at real estate offices. Then start repairing everything from leaky faucets to broken windows.

7)Home Inspection
Buyers need not beware when they hire a home inspector to conduct a complete physical checkup on their dream home. You'll inspect the house for structural problems and refer your clients to the contractors or handymen who can make the repairs. Knowledge of construction and your local building codes will get your business off the ground.

8)Medical Transcription
Work as an important member of a medical team without leaving your homebased office. There's big demand by hospitals, doctors, dentists, chiropractors and veterinarians who need outside help transcribing patient medical records. Training in medical terminology and linguistic skills will keep your business healthy.

9)Mobile Home-Entertainment Service
When it's dirty, disconnected or in need of repair, you'll save the day for homeowners who want their stereo, compact-disc player or videocassette recorder in working order. Brush up on your electrical and wiring know-how. Door-to-door fliers and calls to retail-store managers about your services will get your business off to a great start.

10)Mobile Window Tint
With some training and basic equipment, you'll be seeing plenty of green with your mobile window-tinting business. For best results, have a pager and van ready to help car, van and truck owners prevent heat damage to their vehicles' interiors. Other hot markets: homes, high-rise condominiums and office buildings.

11)Office and Home Organizer
Attention all neatniks: Help packrats, overworked executives, and other organizationally challenged individuals clean out messy closets, straighten files, and throw out the excess clutter. Putting your knack for neatness to part-time business use is bound to arrange some tidy profits for you.

12)Personal Chef
What's for dinner, honey? Great home-cooked meals for working parents and busy professionals who hire you as a personal chef. There's plenty of demand for this specialized service. So plan your menu, make out your shopping list, and go to work to satisfy your hungry clientele.

13)Personal Trainer
Pumping iron; pumping profits. Americans of all ages, sizes and shapes want to keep fit, trim and healthy, and they're willing to hire their own personal coach to exercise correctly. Spread the word about your physical-fitness expertise at health spas, running, swimming and biking clubs, and other athletic outlets.

14)Picture Framer
Get in the frame with a picture framing service. You can work with gallery owners, artists, portrait photographers and individuals who've purchased a print, painting or fine photo. If you aren't already a framing expert, read up, take classes at a local college or community center, then assemble your tools--including clamps, saws, miter boxes, glue, and a pneumatic or hand stapler. Establish relationships with local artists' groups, galleries, photographers and print shops that can give you their business or refer their customers to you.

15)Plant Leasing And Maintenance
Got a green thumb and a delivery van? You're all set to service corporations, home builders, health clubs and other businesses who want fresh greenery. Develop a steady clientele with a regular watering, pruning and fertilizing program and a full replacement guarantee.

16)Records Search
Using specialized databases, you'll search public records on your computer to help your clients find lost loves, check out questionable suitors, track down debtors, verify a contractor's track record, or dig up facts on a business opportunity. Clients include attorneys, businessowners and individuals.

17)Restaurant Delivery
Whether it's macaroni and cheese or a five-course gourmet meal, at-home meal replacement is fast becoming the newest way to dine. When customers want their restaurant orders "to go," you'll be "on the go" with your restaurant delivery service. A great way to make your late afternoons and weekends extra-profitable!

18)T-Shirt Design
If you're an artist in search of a medium, why not make T-shirts your canvas? Paint, draw, bead or appliqué your designs on plain T-shirts, and spend your weekends showcasing your art-to-wear at farmers' markets and crafts fairs.

19)Wallpaper Hanging
Help residential and commercial clients turn drab walls into works of art with your wallpaper-hanging skills. Build a growing business with great referrals and repeat customers. Drop off fliers at paint and wallpaper stores; also, advertise in shopper publications, in homeowner-association newsletters, and on bulletin boards at local supermarkets and malls.

20)Yoga and Tai Chi Instructor
In today's hectic, fast-paced world, parents, business owners and students alike can benefit from the deep-breathing, relaxation and centering techniques you can teach them. Get started by offering classes at health clubs, through your city's recreation and parks department, or on your own.

So, what do you think? Or you have even better idea for a part-time living? Do feel free to give your comments!! *_*

Cheers,
Kim
Sharing Makes Life Happening!!

Breathtaking steps at the ruins - Part 3

2006-12-09T16:30:00.000+08:00

While Angkor Wat was preserved by the continuous inhabitation of monks using machetes to keep the jungle at bay, or other structures undergoing restoration, the 12th century temple of Ta Phrom is in the same state as when it was first discovered by the 19th century explorers.

Personally, I think Ta Phrom is the most evokative of all the Angkor Temples. (Though initially I knew only this temple through the advertisement poster of 'Tomb Raider'!)The images of Ta Phrom are just as prominent as Angkor Wat and mostly centre around the massive trees seen growing all around the temple grounds and actually on the roofs of the temple itself. These trees are anywhere upto 500 years old now, around the time when the temples were abandoned. They have the consistency of sponge and therefore don't inflict any great damage on the structures.

The Conservation of Angkor saved the main monuments, but didn't clean' it. All the trees and the roots which had invaded and left the rights for the jungle, such as found him by the first discoverers. Roots look like snakes which disrupt and waste statues and walls, and huge trees beat the heads of stuppas. A forest which doesn't want to let escape his gods and which destroys them or protects them.... A place loaded with emotion and poetry for the meditation...

This is the only major temple not to have been comprehensively restored but yet offers a glimpse of what confronted the French explorers all those years ago, when the Angkor complex was rediscovered.

If you can only visit one temple, this is the one. Don't miss it when you are there!!

We feel like the well-protected kids in front of such a magnificent heritage!!

A Malaysian version of 'Tomb Raiders'!! How is it? :P

Guy, what are you doing over there?

The undescribable relationship between the nature and the man-made wonder!

What a cozy hug!!

Ever wonder how did the ancient people manage to build such an everlasting temples city? Here was where they got the adhesive from.

A 'grasshopper-like' insect that we found outside the temple. Any idea what is it called?

How to sell anything to anybody??

2006-12-04T23:36:00.000+08:00

I went for a seminar the other day on sales and marketing skills. The speaker recommended a book that he claimed to be the best reference for all the sales person in the world - 'How to sell anything to anybody??' by Joe Girard. Initially I bought the book just because that the title sounded interesting to me. However, after reading the entire content, I am sure that I have made a right choice and would like to share with you this good source of knowledge too!!

Well, you may ask - What's so great about the Author?? Let me share a bit on the background of Joe Girard. He was listed in the Guiness Book of World Records for 12 consecutive years as the world's top salesman for selling 1,425 cars in one year.Till now, he still holds the all time record for big ticket items, having sold an average six cars a day over his fifteen year career.

The main point was he didn't have a degree from an Ivy League school — instead, he learned by being in the trenches every day that nothing replaces old-fashioned salesmanship. He insists that by building on basic principles of trust and hard work, anyone can do what he did.

I especially like some of the bestselling classic quotes from him. Though he was not well educated, his excellent mindset has deeply inspired me on how important the positive attitude is to determine the success of someone.

Here are some of the amazing quotes from the world's greatest salesman:
1. TURN ONE SALE INTO 250 MORE
2. CREATE A WINNING GAME PLAN FROM LOSING SALES
3. KNOW THE FIVE WAYS TO TURN A PROSPECT INTO A BUYER
4. MOVE PAST THE CUSTOMER'S LAST HURDLE TO CLOSE THE SALE
5. SELL AT A LOSS AND MAKE A FURTUNE

AND "Salesmen are made, not born. If I did it, you can do it."

His book is quite well written, in an easy conversational tone. It gets his message across effectively. Despite holding a world record as a car salesman (a title which would make me suspicious at best), his policy is honesty. He even advocates knocking a few dollars off of a product price even if the customer doesn't request it, the goal of which is to perpetuate that "got a good deal" feeling in the customer.

Perhaps another most interesting point was Joe's take on the most useful tool for a salesman. A business card. Apparently, he leaves them everywhere he goes. For example, with the tip at a restaurant. He claims to go through a box of 500 cards in a single "good week"! Amazing. I wonder if he uses recycled paper for those?

Anyway, this is no doubt an easy read and useful information. If your work involves sales (which I believe everybody does - in any form in your daily life!! ), it would be a worthwhile book to add to your collection. Enjoy!! *_~

Breathtaking steps at the ruins - Part 2

2006-12-02T16:20:00.000+08:00

Within walking distance from Angkor Wat is the former city of Angkor Thom, which rivaled Ancient Rome in size and population. Angkor Thom, the “Great Walled City” and capital of Angkor, was built by Angkor’s greatest king, Jayavarman VII and covered some 10 square kilometers (almost 4 square miles)!Unlike Angkor Wat, which was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, Angkor Thom is a Buddhist monument

At its peak, the city was said to contain maybe 50,000 residents. Its crowning glory, the enigmatic heads of the Bayon, took 21 years to build. To complete them, Jayavarman took thousands of peasant from the rice fields, thereby unintentionally signaling the beginning of the kingdom’s end. Rice yields decreased, and without resources to support it, the empire began a gradual decline.

The city is surrounded by a moat and a wall. It can be entered via five roads leading to five gateways: two in the eastern city wall, and one in the northern, western and southern city walls. Four huge gates, each high enough to accommodate an elephant and riders, faced in each direction. Huge carvings of four-faced heads and three-headed elephants mounted watch in all directions.

The most fascinating section though is The Bayon, a temple built in the 12th century. Where Angkor Wat knocks you off your feet with its sheer size, the Bayon is eerily different. Its many towers feature more than 200 huge faces of the God-King Jayavarman rendered as Boddhisatva – the Buddha -- staring down through lidded eyes brimming with beatific confidence. It’s difficult not to be intimidated!!

Let's have a look on some of my great shots on this 'City of a Thousand Faces'. *_*

South gate of Angkor Thom - the best preserved gate!!

Angkor Thom is surrounded by moat - a way to protect the city from enemies' attack.

Oops, is this a modern way of praying to Buddha??!!

A symbolic smiling face sculpture in Angkor Thom.

Apsara, the sculpture of Cambodian lady that can be seen almost everywhere on the temple walls. It represents water and purity and the fluidity of the virtuous female.

A stone craving that describes the war during the ancient time.

What an artistic shot!!

The greatest shot!! A kiss with bodhisattva!!

Breathtaking steps at the ruins - Part 1

2006-11-29T01:07:00.000+08:00

On the first day, we have visited Angkor Wat - the most renowned temple in southwest Cambodia. It was built by the vanished Khmer empire. It was constructed during the reign of king Suryavarman II, who ruled from 1113 to at least 1145. The name Angkor Wat means "The city that is a temple."

The actual temple sits on a sandstone plinth a meter above the ground. Its perimeter is decorated with naga balustrades. The outer wall of the temple is called the "first enclosure," and sits on a plinth 3.3 meters high. A continuous gallery runs along the outside face of the wall. The inner face is decorated with 700 meters of continuous bas reliefs.

Just to the east of the west gate of the first enclosure is a series of four rooms arranged in a cruciform. Each room is surrounded by a continuous gallery and has a sunken floor where ponds used to be.

The inner enclosure rests on a two-tiered pyramid 11 meters tall. The stairs are extremely steep. The upper terrace has a continuous gallery that encloses an inner cruciform of four rooms. Five towers jut from the upper tier in a quincunx arrangement (like five dots on a pair of dice).

I was extremely amazed by the efforts behind to build this spectacular temple. The execution of such a structure would certainly have eaten up much of the Empire’s resources.Imagine the coordination of the massive workforce cutting huge blocks of stone from hillsides, dragging them into place, and then of course the logistics of assembling thousands of stone masons, persuading them to chip out identical carvings and then heaving them into place. What on earth were they thinking?

Nevertheless, it was still an incredible man-made miracle on earth!!

Magnificent view of the entire temple from the lake side!!

There are different meanings carried by the wrinkles on body of the sculpture. Wrinkles on the neck means the lady is married where as wrinkles on the stomach means the lady has given birth to baby.

A good shot with a great model!! :P

What a steep staircase before reaching the top of Angkor Wat!! I have made it!!

One of the most beautiful sunset that I have ever seen!!

A lot of kids were found around the area selling postcards, books and handicraft. They are active and multi-lingua!!

First glance at Angkor City

2006-11-28T22:16:00.000+08:00

Before I proceed further for my diary, let's have a brief look on the main information of Angkor Cities . Below is the map of the entire city.

In fact, Angkor City consists of more than one thousand temples in different sizes. It will be time consuming to finish visiting all the temples. Hence, I would recommend you the four most significant spots that I personally think worth paying a visit in that area :

1. Angkor Wat- The most famous main temple
2. Angkor Thom - The temple with biggest area occupied
3. Ta Prohm Temple - The most fascinating temple in the city where the Hollywood movie 'Tom Raider' was having the shots at.
4. Tonle Sap lake - The largest fresh water lake in South East Asia

Well, more detailed sharings to be elaborated in the next chapter... see you later... *_~

A visit to the Lost City of Angkor

2006-11-26T23:13:00.000+08:00

Last August, we managed to get the cheap flight tickets to Siem Reap through Airasia promotion. Our target was to visit one of the wonders of the world - Angkor Wat!!It was a journey with lot of surprises!! The first surprise started when we first stepped on the land of Siem Reap.

We were first impressed by the exclusive architeture of Siem Reap airport. According to the officer, it was just newly completed in July 2006. We were so lucky to be the few first batches of visitors to be in such an exotic building. The airport was built through the joint venture between a French company and the Cambodian government. The architecture of the building looked modern and homely. We have captured plenty of shots on almost every corners of the resort-like building.

After coming out from the Airport, we were fetched by a local tour guide that we have reserved before the departure. As the tour package that we have chosen was just the budget one(USD138/person inclusive of food, transport and entrance fee for the entire journey), we did not expect too much on the quality of the arrangement. However, out of our expectation, we were sitted in a Toyota Camry with a private driver and a well-mannered tour guide!! This was the first time we felt being treated like a king and a queen!! Haha!!

It was indeed a great starting for our journey to such a mysteric place. A lot more surprises and fun ahead!!

Stay tuned!! *_*

Some snap shots for you as the appertizer of the journey!! *_*

sUmsVaKmn¾ !!!(Meaning 'Welcome!'in Khmer language - an official Cambodian language)

A resort-like international airport!! Superb!!

The waiting hall is cozy and well facilitated. Do you notice the cool and slim LCD TV in the picture?

Do what competition is not willing to do!!

2006-11-22T23:15:00.000+08:00

Just came across a great video clip by the renowned business strategist Vince Poscente. He is an Olympian with business and academic accreditation. At age 26, he decided to take up speed skiing and pursue it competitively. Only 4 years later, he was vying for Gold in the Winter Olympics!!

In this video clip, Mr.Poscente has applied a playful and funny way to present his his 5C Strategy - clarity of vision, commitment, consistency, confidence and control. It is an important method that catapulted him from recreational skier to competing for the Olympic Gold medal in 4 years.The 5C Strategy for Peak performance has also brought out an innovative method to compete in today's marketplace. There is an amazing motto quoted from this incredible man : 'Do what competition is not willing to do!!

I was deeply impressed by his words.I believe that it is his incredible minsets that brings him to today's invincible success!!

Share with you this marvellous piece of work. Hopefully it will give you some inspirations in whatever things that you are doing too!!

Enjoy!! *_*

Vince Poscente: The need for speed

The revolution of business concept.. The Long Tail??

2006-11-20T23:55:00.000+08:00

Ever heard of The Long Tail concept before?? I have just finished reading this great article by Chris Anderson in Wired magazine from the year of 2004. It was terrific and amazing. It has changed my thoughts and inspired me to re-think of the business model that we used to understand. Just to share with you some of the main points of this concept.

The long tail is an economic concept that says the collective demand for less-popular items (in green) can exceed all the most popular added together (in red).The concept becomes even more prominent due to the fast developement of internet technology. Since the Internet reduces or removes the cost of distribution, the aggregation of sales of less popular items can be more profitable and successful than selling the most profitable items. In other words, if you can sell the exact right item to the exact right person you can make a lot of money if you don’t have to worry about storage and distribution of that item. Amazon is a great example of The Long Tail, as is eBay.

In a brick and mortar store there is a finite space for storing and showing merchandise, which leads to what Chris and others call lowest common denominator marketing. Chris uses movie theaters as an example — a movie has to attract 1500 people in a two week run to break even. This doesn’t sound like that many, but you need to remember that the average movie theater patron drives only a few miles to watch the movie. This means that in the movie market, like most others, the best product doesn’t necessarily make it to market — the one with the broadest appeal does.

The Internet destroys this model by removing the two obstacles that limit the market — overhead and geography. The removal of those obstacles creates the environment for the perfect market.

So here’s a question: what percentage of the top 100,000 titles at any online media store (Amazon, Netflix, iTunes for example) get sold or rented at least once a month?

You’ll probably guess the same number I did — between 20% and 25%. The real number is 99%. In other words, almost all of those top 100,000 titles will be bought or rented at least once per month.

Why do we guess so low? Because we’ve been conditioned to interchange the word hit with sale. Thanks to mass marketing, we believe that unless millions of something are sold they won’t make any money. This is generally true in the bricks world where there are production and distribution costs, which is why only 20 percent of major studio films are considered a hit. Same for TV shows, games, and mass-market books - 20 percent all. The odds are even worse for major-label CDs, where fewer than 10 percent are profitable, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

As an example, Chris quotes Robbie Vann-Adibé, the CEO of Ecast, a digital jukebox company whose barroom players offer combinations of more than 150,000 tracks. I’ve seen the insides of their jukebox — it’s a PC with a monster hard drive and a great sound card.

I bolded part of what he says, because it is the essence of the Long Tail — each month, thousands of people put in their dollars for songs that no traditional jukebox anywhere has ever carried.

What Ecast, Amazon, iTunes and others have discovered is that not only do you make money on the hits, but the misses are very profitable too, because you’re selling them in a perfect market. That’s what the Long Tail is all about.

Chris also cites Rhapsody, a RealNetworks company that sells 735,000 different individual music tracks. If you look at their sales chart, the first 40,000 or so titles looks like any other retailer’s in the world (40,000 titles is about what the average bricks-based retail store carries). There’s a top selling group and then sales trail off as you go down the list.

Where the Long Tail begins is after that initial 40,000. In the bricks world, sales are strong with the most popular titles, and trail to zero as you go down the list. Then the list ends. We run out of titles because they are constrained either by overhead (it’s cost-prohibitive to stock them) or geography (the local Wal*Mart patron isn’t interested in the genre or artist past a certain point, so Wal*Mart won’t stock it.)

The Rhapsody demand keeps going. According to Chris the top 100,000 tracks streamed at least once each month, the same is true for its top 200,000, top 300,000, and top 400,000. As fast as Rhapsody adds tracks to its library, those songs find an audience, even if it’s just a few people a month, somewhere in the country.

I find this tremendously exciting. Chris sees the brilliance and opportunity in monetizing the Tail. Ebay, iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon are examples of how it’s done.

Another great example is Google, the company that monetized the Long Tail by bringing advertising to smaller sites using AdSense and AdWords.

So what are the keys to monetizing the long tail? According to Chris they are:

1. Selection and availability - If you have no production or distribution costs then you can put together the most comprehensive catalog your niche has ever seen.

2. Low, low prices - I might have actually used the phrase perfect prices, because it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to lose money or sell at the barest minimum. It all depends on what you sell — I’ve seen items on eBay that were more expensive then I would pay at a bricks store. All that means is that in the market where they sold there was no bricks store. You just need to get to the right price for your items in your niche. In a commoditized market that will be the lowest price, though I would still pay a premium at Amazon to not have to drive twenty minutes to get to my nearest bookstore, where the selection is pretty lousy anyway.

3. Index it well - If you have a million different books or tools or car parts or chocolate covered insects you have to make it easy for people to find the one they’re looking for.This means you have to index them by name, category and whatever else people will use to find them. I also believe that suggestion selling using Collaborative Filtering (people who bought this also bought that) is a great addition to any website, provided it really works. Amazon’s can be marginal.

In short, Long Tail is where the money is !!!

Highly recommend you to read this marvellous book!!

What's fun in Bangalore??..

2006-11-16T23:15:00.000+08:00

Well, I have been talking too much of bad things about Bangalore since my first post. It is time to share on the good side now. *_*....What's fun in Bangalore??.. let's see....

Yeah, I managed to get my first sarees during my trip in Bangalore. In fact, sarees is very common in India. Almost every lady on the street wears sarees.It reflects that Indian are still very concerned about their tradition. Various type of saress could be found in Bangalore. The price is cheap and the quality is superb!! I have invited my colleagues to go for the sarees shopping with me for better price bargain!! (Well, this is always the shopping trick for a foreigner to get cheap and good stuffs!! ):P

Apart from the sarees shopping, I have visited some of the places of interested around Bangalore too, namely the parliment, some temples and palaces as well as the local river that the public used to spend their weekend at. And most importantly, I was so lucky to be invited to my colleague's house during the weekend. We had a tremendously wonderful time.

One of the Hindu temples that I have visited. Very similar to the ones that I have seen in Cambodia.

The local people like to spend their time at the river. They believe that taking shower with the sacred water will be blessed with good luck.

I was shocked when seeing the Parliment in Bangalore. It is so grand and magnificent!

Another great architectural creation in India!

Sarees fitting time!!"Eee... maybe this color is a bit too bright for me.."

Alrigth, it's time to make a full stop for my India trip for this moment.

Good bye, India!! I will be back soon!!

More interesting stuffs will be shared in the near future. See you soon..

Ciao,
Kim

How to survive in India??

2006-11-15T22:53:00.000+08:00

The most interesting experience of mine in India was the food over there. I have been hearing a lot of bad experience from my friends about the meals in India. Hence, I was ready for the worst case before my departure. I was worried whether I could survive in India for one week if I could not cope with the food over there.

Well, things turned up to be fine with me. In fact, I quite like some of the typical food like voda, dosa, samosa and their sambal. It is superb and delicious!! My India collegue is good at finding nice food. Hence, I had been fed with various fantastic Indian cuisine throughout my entire journey.

Though I enjoyed my meals much, there was still a case which I found really ridiculous. I once ordered a cup of lime juice that mixed with masala - mixture of different India spice! It was the most disgusting drink I have ever drunk in my life!! Surprisingly, it is a very common drink in India!!

Anyway, my eating experience in India is a memorable one. Through the understanding on the India cuisine, I have learnt much on the culture and life style of Indian people.

I believe I have fallen in love with the food there....yummy!! :P

The common snack in India - Samosa(curry puff), bean(kacang putih)with special gravy. They are truly hot and spicy!

Guess what is this??? Bingo, it is the masala lime juice!! Dare to taste?? :P

Gooshh, what an ugly way of eating!!

What a fabulous breakfast!! Rice cake, samosa with spicy sambal and a cup of exotic coffee.

First impression on India...Bangalore instead.. .

2006-11-15T00:09:00.000+08:00

Last week, I was on business trip to Bangalore - one of the most fast-growing city in India. It is informally called as the Silicon Valley of India as most of the IT services from US are outsourced to this miraculous place. I was expecting something advanced and different in the place before the departure. However, things ended up totally out of my expectation.

The most interesting part is the contrast of the city - the contrast between the modern and the traditional, the rich and the poor. As I was told that Bangalore will be fully covered with wireless service next year, the city is imagined to be well developed with modern infrastruture. However, while the city is advancing in such a high speed for the IT development, the basic facilities in town is still a big doubt!! I was so surprised to see the chaotic traffic in the city. Hornings can be heard almost every where at every second. It seemed to be a norm for the drivers to release stress on the road by horning. What a terrible noise pollution!

Due to the fast pace on IT developement, most of the youngster in India are making good money in the multinational IT firms. Thus, the disparity between the rich and the poverty is getting significant. When I was on my way to the office, I could clearly see the social gap from the buildings.

Here are some pictures that reflect the my points. Enjoy! *_*

Chaotic traffic with irritating noise pollution!!

Cows can be seen everywhere on the road!One of the main contributors to traffic jam!

Significant contrast between the new development and tradisional life within the same place!

Insufficiency in infrastruture!

Well, this is my first impression on Bangalore. A land of contrast that is full of surprises!!

More to share in the next chapter... stay tuned!!

Ciao,
Kim

It is India that brings me here... unbelievable..

2006-11-14T23:36:00.000+08:00

This is my first post to this blog. Have been thinking of the best name for my blog. Finally, I have decided to use 'saunf-kim'. Kim is my English name where as Saunf is a type of spice that India people use to consume after their meal to refresh their mouths. (and I love it so much!! *_*)

Well, I have taken a big step in starting my blog. Have been lazy to make the first move since half a year ago. Till when I was inspired by the things that I have seen in my recent trip to India. It was a great one. Just feel that I should jot down all the memorable moments and good things in life and share them with people. Life will be more meaningful through sharings.

Hence, this will become the little space for me to express my thoughts and discoveries in my two major interests - travel experience and business opportunity. By exploring for new business opportunities, I hope to be financially free soon!!By then, I can truly enjoy my travel journey to every corner of the world. Ultimately, I wish to be one of those to the space too!! *_*

Hopefully my sharings will be useful to you!!

Do feel free to join the chat!! Let's enlighten the space together!! *_~

Cheers,
Kim

One of my favourite photos - Babies from Bangalore city...