25 degrees today! that's as warm as KL!

it wouldnt do the good weather any justice if we didnt at least spend few hours out in the sun, and really, with the erratic london weather, you dont wanna take it for granted, so out to the park we went...

and gosh, if that's not what life is about, i dont know what is, lying on the grass with beers within reach, and our macbook tuned in to our kinda music, and logged on to the network so that you're still with the world although you feel as if you're not...it's pure relaxation...cant get any less complicated than that...

Life isnt about dining out at Mayfair and getting a £200 an hour massage, it isnt about earning a 5 figure salary and spending holidays in Cancun, it could be as cheap as getting just Stella and Kebab and nothing else, it isnt that hard to figure out if you get right down to it. Simplicity.

Or maybe it's just simply because it's summer...

***


It's been a month since i got back, and ive long settled down to the mundane life again. I'm not complaining really, i needed the rest and now im getting it, i have all the time in the world to do my own thing, to read my books and to hangout with all the friends here.

The weather is also getting quite promising, apart from the occasional hail shower and the ever-present english storms, we also have been getting a fair bit of sunny spell, and picnic sessions are definitely in order; the temperature has risen and the lush parks are beckoning.

of course London has been buzzling as usual, and the current hots are focused on the London mayoral elections. It has very little to do with me but it's good to see people getting all excited bout it.

Just the other day the Olympic torch relay took place here and we have heaps of Free-tibet protesters on the road, you have no idea how funny it looked when the torch bearer ran by, surrounded by a dozen chinese security guards, anxious to keep the flame from the protesters, who were equipped with water guns!

that's london, people are free to do whatever they want, yeah, even to criticize the queen. Dont see that ever happening back home.

I've bought a flight ticket to Belfast at zero cost. I'm really getting quite good at finding travel deal like this, if i may say so myself. The idea is to visit Ireland and Scotland and then to join Suya on her two-week camping trip in England and Wales, thus a full travel of the UK in a month.

Time is running out and i have a million places to be at the same time, i wanna go back to germany and spain and i also want to explore scandinavia and the baltic countries.

will have to start prioritizing from now on...

Whenever im feeling uncertain with life, i always think of Forrest Gump...

Happier times in Poland...

Weird, weird weather...It snowed yesterday, heavily, in London, in April...

So i got back to the metropolis after a two-month getaway, visited six countries, and made some really incredible friendship. Upon coming back here, Fabi came to visit me along with his brother, Ivan, who is my new roomie, and who is desperately trying to get away from Spain and it's spanish-speaking citizens and learn English, with me!

Now im not sure if i make a good tutor, so earlier when we were at the college trying to get Ivan enrolled in some English courses, i got myself consulted as well, to enrol for Celta or Tesol...

The fee is a little bit steep but the certificate is recognized worldwide and enables me to travel to different countries to take up teaching position. That is really enticing considering how i want to visit south america and the far east and would love to spend some few months in each and every countries that i visit. Will seriously considering taking up the course though my priority right now is to top up my bank account again.

Managed to find an affordable room to rent earlier last week and im right now staying with two spanish and two italian blokes, it doesnt do too good to my future travel prospect as ive been to both countries already, but everyone's really cool and friendly, and sober...a total contrast to my previous hungarian roomies. It'll definitely be quieter and it'll be good for a change somehow.

gonna lay low for a coupla months now before i start making plans...

oh wait, ive already got plans already, we're going to Alton Tower this weekend, the theme park that boasts some of the more extreme rides in the UK...

All's well...

Happy Easter...

Gdansk, Poland

Such a happening weekend, food and drinks and eggs aplenty, and yeah, ive had my fair share of attending Polish mass in different churches...albeit not understanding a word the priest had to say, i really did enjoy the presentation, and being in the temple of God, all the understandings that you ever need is between you and God...enough said.

so i met up with Marek in Sopot and was welcomed into his household. Brilliant God-loving family, i had one of the best Easter in my life, not only experiencing Polish Easter and rituals, but also first rate polish hospitality.

Just got back from the village of Prabuty in the countryside, and cant stop thinking of the warmth and love that was shown to me. I've always been deprived of grandparents, and was totally spoilt to bits earlier by Marek's. Being seated conveniently between grandma and grandpa, my plate was constantly kept full with food by grandma on my right hand side and my shooter glass with polish vodka by grandpa on my left hand side, they really did adore me!

there were also water fight (they throw water at each other on Easter Monday, yeah even when it's freezing ) and egg fight with the cousins, talk about Easter fun!

We will be heading to Lodz tomorrow where Marek studies and will meet up with Rafa for some reunion, and drinking is definitely in order.

I'm loving Poland!

Oh so Beautiful...

Woke up today to a brilliant change of setting, everything and everywhere is blanketed with snow, such a breathtaking transformation overnight into a winter wonderland, and it always has to be my last day in that particular location...the best part is, it's not even freezing cold!

something about the color white that just seems to beautify everything it touches, it was as though a magical spell has been cast and all of a sudden you appreciate everything around you, things that you have taken granted for before...

I can still remember the very first snow flake that had flew upon me and kissed my cheek, it was in prague, and it was totally unexpected...i recalled feeling the sudden excitement, the exuberance in me growing by the second, as more and more flakes followed suit, and then the sky was filled with a million puffy flakes, flying energetically everywhere, anxious to meet the earthlings, and to paint the surface it laid on into a white canvas, totally magical.

Snow takes away worries, regrets, guilts, despairs, depression, and just about anything negative, and believe or not, it does brighten your day, and nothing matters anymore, you feel like you have got the whole world under control, it's incredible like that...if only it lasts though...

im heading to Hamburg today, fingers crossed, hopefully there will be snow there too...but right now, im gonna go play with the snow...

Hildeshime, Germany


Alright, it's about time to pick up that backpack and be on the road again. This past week had been completely relaxing, good food and good company, and it's getting warmer too!

Chloe gave me a much needed haircut yesterday and now im ready to face the world without looking like that dude in 'castaway'.

Been thinking of going back home alot lately, everyone's giving me the pressure, everyone's getting married, having housewarming party, promotion, and all that goingons. And knowing that i probably need a job once i get back, friends are telling me that they can bring me into their company easily and i get to become an engineer, just like what ive studied to become from the very beginning. I dont know if that sounds exciting or not.

have i had enough travel? i dunno if i'll ever be...but i really needa start doing something the world requires me to do...

if only time stops when you wanted it to...

"Suddenly the world seem such a perfect place..."

just how stupid can i be?

i was messing around with my templates earlier, editing and adding some links and deleting redundant stuffs in Html, and then i proceeded to click on Save Changes (without checking what changes ive made)...

and voila....everything is gone, ive deleted most of the Html...

this is just soooooo typical of me...

watcha gonna do?

oh gawd, i am feeling so completely worn out, my foot's been hurting for days now and im walking with a limp, but you know what, it's OK...I've arrived at my 'rest house'.

So i traveled from Prague with eurolines up north, crossed the border, through some snow-patched area and mountains, and got in to the german city of Dresden. Great city, a capital of Saxony, lotsa nice sights, and altogether a very proper and well-planned township. Spent the night at Quentin's, a french scientist, and we chilled out at a local diner, relaxing ambience and captivating music.

from then on i decided to boycott germanrail if i could help it, the fare is unreasonably high and spending money aint exactly a priority in my list just now. So i hooked up with some locals and we shared a ride to leipzig, a sister city of dresden.

i met up with friedemann and sebastian in this city and we had some good nights of partying and attending local musicians' jamming session. I also visited ThomasKirche, the church J.S. Bach was reciding during his time and we sat in for a Motette. Powerful repertoires by the choirs and sopranos with accompaniment by pipe organs, it was beautiful.

We also went on cycing trip through woods and lakes and wild parks, a breath of fresh air and to take in the subtle Spring smell. It's starting to turn green and buds are blossoming. 'It's a good sign', i told Ondra back in Brno. 'Hardly', he replied. ' Winter aint over yet and there shouldnt be signs of life at all!'. Good point. How nice of that guy who came up with the term 'global warming' so that we can all point fingers to.

moving on, i stopped by in Magdeburg and got another ride to my current pitstop in Hildeshime, giving a pleasant surprise to Chloe in the middle of the night, who wasnt expecting my visit at all. A good surprise. I think.

I should be resting here and try to rejuvenate for at least a week, and thereon Hamburg and to Poland where ive been invited to to spend Easter there. It should be nice spending easter in the village.

Been on FRIENDS marathon for few hours now, just taking a break to update my current location and wellbeing. I look forward to catching up with some favourite TV series for the next few days, damn, i miss American TV.

It's all good...



thanks Kristof, for making me fall in love with this song, hope it can be an inspiration to everyone out there.

and then it snowed...

just when im about to board the bus to germany...wouldnt i love to see snow-capped prague? oh so much...

good thing is, the storm is over, or so it seems, and just might as well be too...ive had some lousy bitchy weather for the past few days, it had rained on me started on my last day in Vienna and followed me through to Prague, and then the cloud cleared and temperature dropped sickeningly low, winter is coming back...

Prague, such an amazing city, unique in every ways and have so much to offer, i was completely charmed at first sight, this is definitely one of the capital cities that i can call home to.

unlike other cities, prague is ideally sized in that you dont feel overwhelmed upon arrival, you dont get slapped with a hundred underground and tram lines and with a million people walking past you, on the contrary, you feel completely at ease and comfortable.

what i like most about this city is that, such a vast area is devoted to being the city´s green lung on the other side of the river, it´s like you can have city life during the week and escape to the wilderness on the weekends, talk about a balance lifestyle...

as it´s customary, i like to begin exploring the city from the highest point of view, literally. So i took a hike up the mountain, admiring fancy-swanky-pants houses along the way, and was rewarded with a glorious view of the city when i got to the top. It really is beautiful, and no doubt why they say prague rivals other european cities to be amongst the handsomest.

Thanks to Bohdana, i have my own apartment in the middle of prague, i did feel blend-in with the society so quickly, finding the location of the apartment with the right tram, getting off at the right stop, and getting in the house with the right key (there were a bunch of them).

at night, i savoured some reputable czech beers with the girls, who dont seem to stop once they´ve started, and it was good times, good beer, good company...

im loving prague...



What would i give to live where you are?

Brastilava, Slovakia


Traveling to the eastern side of europe isnt as daunting as i first thought it'd be, sure ive heard stories about them being less wealthy and everything, but at the end of the day, they are still part of europe, the same medieval town, adorned with castles and churches and gigantic cathedrals, monuments and fountains and obelisks and parks, and yeah, the obligatory river that cuts the city in half, one side more developed than the other, and in our case here, the magnificent Danube...it makes me hum Strauss' everytime i sees it...

there are certain changes nevertheless, let's just say traveling from Vienna to Brastilava is alot like traveling from Singapore to Johor Bharu, for those who's done that route, you know what im talking about...it's really a rude surprise though, all of a sudden things just arent so pretty anymore, everything is everywhere, rubbish strewn across the countriside, and the train station was madness...

but looking past all that, you will see a beautiful country before you. The slovakians are such friendly creature, always eager to help, and the fact that their english literacy is higher means they dont struggle during conversations, and oh, they are so cute...

Currency exchange works to my favour as well, and probably why im falling in love with east europe...we were at the bar yesternight and Half a litre of beer costs less than a euro...talk bout being in heaven...

will leave the beautiful people and head for czech next...