1. Largest Country: Russia (I'm sure you know that)
2. Smallest Country: Vatican City (Size:0.44 sq km, perfect for cross-country races)
3. Shortest National Anthem: Uganda (only 9 bars)
4. Longest National Anthem: Greece (158 stanzas, Singapore has only 2)
5. Longest Name for a Country: Libya (Full name: Al-Jamāhīriyyah al-ʿArabiyyah al-Lībiyyah aš-Šaʿbiyyah al-Ištirākiyyah al-ʿUẓmā)
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Bucket of Photos...
Abraham's Tomb, Israel
A very nice rock, Jordan
On the way to the Dead Sea, Jordan
The ugliest rose in the world (if you ask me), Jericho, Israel
Nice camel, Jericho, Israel
People come to David's tomb to be solemn and serious...until they saw this sign, Israel
A sight Malaysians will never see-a sign completely in Hebrew, Wailing Wall, Israel
Cool sundial, Israel
The journey to Bethlehem, Israel
Tomb of Jonah, Israel
Everywhere in the world people avoid parking tickets...but not Jerusalem
The street where the crucifixion took place, Via Dolorosa, Israel
Dome of the Rock (there's a floating rock inside I swear...), Israel
People used to climb Mount Zion by foot...now they have the cable car, Mount Zion, Israel
The Dead Sea beach, Israel
Ruins of Petra, Jordan
As-Siq, the desert canyon, Jordan
Desert Highway, Jordan
Herculean temple, Jordan
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
What can you learn from Jordan and Israel
1. NEVER to taste Dead Sea salt...it's downright yucky.
2. That Isreali customs are really strict...there's no escaping them!
3. It's really hot.
4. VERY hot.
5. Drink a lot of water, we are lucky people.
6. Did I say it was hot?
7. Never get caught in a sandstorm, your eyes will hurt.
8. You never see Malaysians in Israel, and they are missing out a lot!
9. Jordan can also be a person's name.
10. You get a lot of discounted items if you are a Muslim shopping in Jerusalem.
(This is 100 shekels. What, you are Muslim? I give this to you 30 shekels...)
11. As a birthplace of religion, people tend to be open. Very open.
(I am Christian. You are Muslim? We worship same god! Peace, peace (and a hug)...)
12. Hugging is a fact of life there.
13. Wear shoes, the sand from a sandstorm can never get off your sandals.
14. Your money can halve if you are changing money to Jordanian dinar. (SGD$1 = JD 0.490)
15. The dinar has 1000 fils, not 100 (that means three d.p. for money)
16. Never look too affluent, there are a lot of sneaky pickpockets in Hebron.
17. Appreciate the artwork on the Bethlehem wall.
18. Learn to tolerate endless meals of flat bread and/or salad and/or meat and/or kebab.
19. That Middle Easterners can be like a desert pear, sharp and stinging on the outside and sweet on the inside.
and finally...
20. Learn how to run wildly out there in the wilderness, and have fun doing so.
2. That Isreali customs are really strict...there's no escaping them!
3. It's really hot.
4. VERY hot.
5. Drink a lot of water, we are lucky people.
6. Did I say it was hot?
7. Never get caught in a sandstorm, your eyes will hurt.
8. You never see Malaysians in Israel, and they are missing out a lot!
9. Jordan can also be a person's name.
10. You get a lot of discounted items if you are a Muslim shopping in Jerusalem.
(This is 100 shekels. What, you are Muslim? I give this to you 30 shekels...)
11. As a birthplace of religion, people tend to be open. Very open.
(I am Christian. You are Muslim? We worship same god! Peace, peace (and a hug)...)
12. Hugging is a fact of life there.
13. Wear shoes, the sand from a sandstorm can never get off your sandals.
14. Your money can halve if you are changing money to Jordanian dinar. (SGD$1 = JD 0.490)
15. The dinar has 1000 fils, not 100 (that means three d.p. for money)
16. Never look too affluent, there are a lot of sneaky pickpockets in Hebron.
17. Appreciate the artwork on the Bethlehem wall.
18. Learn to tolerate endless meals of flat bread and/or salad and/or meat and/or kebab.
19. That Middle Easterners can be like a desert pear, sharp and stinging on the outside and sweet on the inside.
and finally...
20. Learn how to run wildly out there in the wilderness, and have fun doing so.
Friday, June 13, 2008
My last few days...
Jerusalem (pron. YE-ru-sha-LA-yim)
Hi! I've been in Jerusalem for 3 days now. You can see the old city from my hotel, and the view is dramatic.
Jerusalem is divided into 2 areas, the old city and the new city. The old city is surrounded by a really ancient wall with 11 gates, where 4 are not in use. The gate nearest to my hotel is Herod's gate, but the walk through Damascus Gate is better because it is the shortest distance to all the sites of interest in Jerusalem. To get from the old city to the city center, take Bus No. 35 outside the Dung Gate or Moroccan Gate.
Here are some sites of interest in Jerusalem.
Old City
1. Church of the Holy Sepulchre (where, in Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified)
2. Dome of the Rock (where Jesus was resurrected and where Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, the place where God took the soil to make Adam, the first human being, and the site of the floating rock) NOTE: You cannot enter the Dome of the Rock unless you are Muslim.
3. The well of souls (again only Muslims are permitted to enter here)
4. Al-Aqsa compound/Temple Mount (you cannot enter here if you are a Jew due to Jewish religious law)
5. The Wailing (Western) Wall
New City
1. Mount of Olives (the view here is fantastic, although the climb is tiring)
2. Mount Zion (another fantastic view)
3. Mount Scopus (a fabulous view...of the university blocking the view)
4. City of David (is not a city actually, it's David's Tomb)
5. Site of the Last Supper
6. Holocaust museum (how cliché)
7. and many many more
I will post photos soon! Meanwhile, I will be on my way to the Dead Sea, so watch out for that post!
(PS. To people who the government does not permit entry to Israel, you are missing out so much!)
Hi! I've been in Jerusalem for 3 days now. You can see the old city from my hotel, and the view is dramatic.
Jerusalem is divided into 2 areas, the old city and the new city. The old city is surrounded by a really ancient wall with 11 gates, where 4 are not in use. The gate nearest to my hotel is Herod's gate, but the walk through Damascus Gate is better because it is the shortest distance to all the sites of interest in Jerusalem. To get from the old city to the city center, take Bus No. 35 outside the Dung Gate or Moroccan Gate.
Here are some sites of interest in Jerusalem.
Old City
1. Church of the Holy Sepulchre (where, in Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified)
2. Dome of the Rock (where Jesus was resurrected and where Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, the place where God took the soil to make Adam, the first human being, and the site of the floating rock) NOTE: You cannot enter the Dome of the Rock unless you are Muslim.
3. The well of souls (again only Muslims are permitted to enter here)
4. Al-Aqsa compound/Temple Mount (you cannot enter here if you are a Jew due to Jewish religious law)
5. The Wailing (Western) Wall
New City
1. Mount of Olives (the view here is fantastic, although the climb is tiring)
2. Mount Zion (another fantastic view)
3. Mount Scopus (a fabulous view...of the university blocking the view)
4. City of David (is not a city actually, it's David's Tomb)
5. Site of the Last Supper
6. Holocaust museum (how cliché)
7. and many many more
I will post photos soon! Meanwhile, I will be on my way to the Dead Sea, so watch out for that post!
(PS. To people who the government does not permit entry to Israel, you are missing out so much!)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Merrily to Bethlehem...
Ever heard of this carol? Well, if you went to Bethlehem, it won't be merry. Just came back from there and guess what, the Israeli government has built a 10 meter high wall around Bethlehem and the Muslims and Christians cannot get out of the city unless given permission from the Isreali Authorities. Rather unnerving, you may find.
The Bethlehem 'ghetto' is also neighbouring to two neighbouring villages, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Beit Jala is instead surrounded by an electrified fence.
However, the residents are optimistic that the wall will come down one day when the Israelis completely pull out of West Bank.
Anyway, Bethlehem is an otherwise charming town. About 67% of its residents are Muslim and the rest are Christians. Top must-see sites include the Church of Nativity, the site of the birth of Jesus, the souqs along the street, and being the centre of Palestinian culture, you can indulge in Palestinian art and food culture such as Baklava. Go see the mother-of-pearl carvings, they are simply charming.
To get to Bethlehem, take a sherut from the Jordan-Israeli border, or take bus number 21 from East Jerusalem at Damascus Gate and the bus will take you to Beit Jala before terminating at Bethlehem bus station, about an exhausting uphill walk to the Church of the Nativity. The cost of the trip is 6 shekels (about S$2.40)
Here are some pictures taken in Bethlehem
The walls around Bethlehem
One of the many graffiti on the wall
Bethlehem Media Centre
The Bethlehem 'ghetto' is also neighbouring to two neighbouring villages, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Beit Jala is instead surrounded by an electrified fence.
However, the residents are optimistic that the wall will come down one day when the Israelis completely pull out of West Bank.
Anyway, Bethlehem is an otherwise charming town. About 67% of its residents are Muslim and the rest are Christians. Top must-see sites include the Church of Nativity, the site of the birth of Jesus, the souqs along the street, and being the centre of Palestinian culture, you can indulge in Palestinian art and food culture such as Baklava. Go see the mother-of-pearl carvings, they are simply charming.
To get to Bethlehem, take a sherut from the Jordan-Israeli border, or take bus number 21 from East Jerusalem at Damascus Gate and the bus will take you to Beit Jala before terminating at Bethlehem bus station, about an exhausting uphill walk to the Church of the Nativity. The cost of the trip is 6 shekels (about S$2.40)
Here are some pictures taken in Bethlehem
The walls around Bethlehem
One of the many graffiti on the wall
Bethlehem Media Centre
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Only in Jordan...
1. ...is where you see the King's face every 1 or 2 km in the town, streets, highways, ticket booths, shops, homes, airports ...
2. ... is where you can see Petra
The Siq
Al-Khazneh Farun (Pharoah's treasury)
3. ...is where serial smokers are on the loose and the smell of cigarettes can even be detected at a fully air-conditioned building
4. ...is where people talk on the phone at ear-splitting decibles
5. ...is where soccer commentators can spur the event of WW3
6. ...is where you can immerse in Bedouin culture
7. ...is where you can see bottles of consecrated holy water from the Jordan River at every shop whose owners are Christian
8. ...is where strong herbal coffee with no sugar or milk is served (tastes like all the bitter medicines in the world put together)
9. ... is where you can get caught in a desert sand storm
Here she comes!
2. ... is where you can see Petra
The Siq
Al-Khazneh Farun (Pharoah's treasury)
3. ...is where serial smokers are on the loose and the smell of cigarettes can even be detected at a fully air-conditioned building
4. ...is where people talk on the phone at ear-splitting decibles
5. ...is where soccer commentators can spur the event of WW3
6. ...is where you can immerse in Bedouin culture
7. ...is where you can see bottles of consecrated holy water from the Jordan River at every shop whose owners are Christian
8. ...is where strong herbal coffee with no sugar or milk is served (tastes like all the bitter medicines in the world put together)
9. ... is where you can get caught in a desert sand storm
Here she comes!
10. ...is where brusque mannerisms can delight you
11. ...is where people's tempers are thinner than your hair12. ...is where pushing someone aside if you're in the way is okay
13. ...is where people smile a lot14. ...finally, is where escalators have traffic lights
You just have to laugh, right?
Monday, June 2, 2008
Travelogue: Day 1
Hi! Currently at Changi Airport waiting for my flight to Bangkok at 6.15. Guess what -- the value of the Antarctican dollar dropped to 12 bucks plus :( Anyways, I'll try to find free internet access later at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport (see the previous posts below on a word on Suvarnabhumi airport) where I'll have about five hours before taking Royal Jordanian.
Since I'm at an internet outpost, I thought I'll share a bit on the intended topic of discussion, which is about ethics.
You may have well heard say me a lot of times "It's against my ethics". Should we in the developing world care about traditional and religious ethics? Maybe it's better to do away with ethics, as knowledge is far more important (as regularly stressed in school). However, we must still be mindful that certain things we do may be unorthodox and ethical to the sensible individual. Let's look back to the Korean scientist who lied his way through stem-cell research. Yes, initially, everyone thought that it was a miraculous breakthrough, but when his lies were unearthed, I daresay his reputation will take forever to recover.
This brings to the Asian attitude of "saving face". This concept may be alien to the Western world, but it makes sure that we don't embarrass ourselves in front of people (worse if you don't realise that you have.) This results in customs and concepts such as eating with the mouth closed or not looking at someone directly, rather unusual to thw Western culture.
To conclude, I suggest that we practise the Asian attitude of "saving face", to avoid embarrassing ourselves in front of others. Please leave a comment1
Since I'm at an internet outpost, I thought I'll share a bit on the intended topic of discussion, which is about ethics.
You may have well heard say me a lot of times "It's against my ethics". Should we in the developing world care about traditional and religious ethics? Maybe it's better to do away with ethics, as knowledge is far more important (as regularly stressed in school). However, we must still be mindful that certain things we do may be unorthodox and ethical to the sensible individual. Let's look back to the Korean scientist who lied his way through stem-cell research. Yes, initially, everyone thought that it was a miraculous breakthrough, but when his lies were unearthed, I daresay his reputation will take forever to recover.
This brings to the Asian attitude of "saving face". This concept may be alien to the Western world, but it makes sure that we don't embarrass ourselves in front of people (worse if you don't realise that you have.) This results in customs and concepts such as eating with the mouth closed or not looking at someone directly, rather unusual to thw Western culture.
To conclude, I suggest that we practise the Asian attitude of "saving face", to avoid embarrassing ourselves in front of others. Please leave a comment1
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