Monday, June 18, 2007
A week early
I'm back in school, a week earlier that I should. Tiring on its first day. Probably because I have been holidaying for quite a bit that a little bit of work tires me. Did Science to prepare the kids for PSLE (not my own students). Lecturing a class of 40 can be pretty tiring. Also because I don't know most of the kids. I only know a handful of them. But it went pretty well. I hope the kids were able to grasp of the process skills that were taught. Tomorrow will be supplementary lesson for my own students. Hopefully, they will not give me problems in the next six months. Hoopefully, it will be fruitful and nice teaching them the last few months before their PSLE. Above all, I hope they will do well...will promise some rewards for those who do well....bribery... nope...they are incentives...:)
Thursday, June 14, 2007
A message that shouldn't be
A text sent,
Hoping for a reply,
From the one that's missed
A sincere reply
Seeking by you
Expects nothing else
Many received
None from the one you wait
The distance makes the bridge harder to cross
So a wish made,
Knew truth isnt what you seek
But its what you deserve
Gone are the smiles
Coz the truth is out
New adventure seeks
No more of the dream
Pursuing the ordinary
Hoping for a reply,
From the one that's missed
A sincere reply
Seeking by you
Expects nothing else
Many received
None from the one you wait
The distance makes the bridge harder to cross
So a wish made,
Knew truth isnt what you seek
But its what you deserve
Gone are the smiles
Coz the truth is out
New adventure seeks
No more of the dream
Pursuing the ordinary
Black
Absence
Black Tie
Cultures
Dress and death
Elegant
Funeral
Gemstone
Hats
Inconspicuous
Lack of light
Mysterious
Night
Onyx
Polarities
Restful emptiness
Solemnity
Threat
Uncertainty
Vanity
White
Black Tie
Cultures
Dress and death
Elegant
Funeral
Gemstone
Hats
Inconspicuous
Lack of light
Mysterious
Night
Onyx
Polarities
Restful emptiness
Solemnity
Threat
Uncertainty
Vanity
White
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Travelogue: Turkey
Destination: Turkey aka Turkiye by the Turks
Time Frame: 10 Days
Cost: $2160 (plus Insurance)
Important information: 5 hours behind Singapore
Important Information: Bargain is a must in Turkey (@ least 50% off the price)
Day 1
At the airport at 9 pm. Set off at 11.10 pm (SG time) to Turkey on Flight TK67.
Day 2
Arrived in Turkey at about 6.30 am (TK time). Changed some US currency to Turkish Lira. First place of visit was the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii). Magnificent sight which looks heavenly. Then next to it was a memorial place for the Earthquake's victims in 1999. Then proceeded to Aya Sofya (St Sofia Museum). Unique, with features of Islamic and Christian beliefs, bounded by many histories. Next was the Topkapi Palace ("Palace of the Cannon Gate"). It was home of the Ottoman (Osman) sultans for nearly 400 years. Then went onboard a ship with the bus on it to Bursa which is the 4th largest city in Turkey. On board, drank Turkish tea, really bitter. Also had a taste of the pita bread which was super hard and difficult to swallow. Then proceeded to the first hotel at Bursa, Kervansaray. The hotel is nicely decored and looks beautiful. Rested for the night there.
Day 3
Set off at 730 am. First place visited was the Grand mosque (Süleymaniye Mosque). It was the oldest and the largest mosque in the city. Then we went to Green Mosque (Yesil Mosque). It is an elaborate and significant building in the new Turkish style. Got its title "Green" from its gardens and parks, and of course from its being in the middle of an important fruit growing region. Then we went straight to Koza Han (Silk Market). A covered bazaar with many beautiful scarfs and shawls. After lamb kebabs for lunch, we had a treat to Turkish delight. Bought quite a number, rather expensive in US dollars. Then was a long journey to Kusadesi. Rested at Grand Ozcelik Hotel. Sea view. From the balcony, you can see a beautiful sight of the sea. Took several pictures of sunset and sunrise.
Day 4
After breakfast, went to leather factory. Watched fashion show. All the stuff were super ex, so didnt get anything from there. But the models, at least one of them was gorgeous. Then after that, went to the House of Virgin Mary. Located in located in a nature park between Ephesus and Seljuk. Then went to the Ephesus (Efes). Believed to be under the Roman empire. What was left was its ruins. It would definitely be a beautiful place. It was located at Izmir. After lunch, headed to Pamukkale, which was about 2 and half hour drive. Stayed at Pamukkale Lycus River. They had a thermal pool. We didnt go in though.
Day 5
The morning started with a long journey to Capadocia. The first pitt stop was after 1.5 hour jouney, the first one before lunch. After another 1.15 hour, we had our lunch, another Turkish lunch. The food served was good. After that we continued the journey for yet another 1.5 hour before we had another pitt stop. The next stop was Traders' Hotel. There we met a cute two-year-old boy named Yahya. If you were to see him, you may not guess he is 2 years old, look like 4 to 5 years old. During our jourey, the guide also pointed out about the significance of huge cola kinda can on the roof of some houses in an Anatolian area. The purpose of the cans is to signify that there are virgin ladies who are ready for marriage in the house. Interesting right, can't imagine that in Singapore. We continued our journey and eventually reached the Dinler hotel, where we stayed for 2 nights. It was big and nice. It was pretty cosy and was located at Shihir town.
Day 6
The day started with a carpet factory. We saw a lot of beautiful carpets with magnificent designs. It was however super duper expensive. Next was Gerome museum. There are many churches in between the museum. The kitchen area is spacious yet constricted. You should be there to witness it. Words can't describe it. Food was served in a cave restaurant in Capadocia. Then we went to the Jems store called Pyramid.It sells gold, silver, onyx and stones. It is well-known for its stones and I found out that turqoise is actually known as Turkish blue and a popular and expensive stone in Turkey. Interesting to watch how the stone suddenly becomes translucent and shiny after polishing. After that, we went to Underground city. It was stuffy. We had to bent and the pathway was small and narrow. We were told that there are still a small group of people living in such caves. The temperature was 15 degrees celcius so it was rather cold. We went back to Dinler Hotel at 4.30 pm. We didn't managed to go on hot-air balloon as it was super expensive, priced at US$180.
Day 7
I woke up at 5 am though the wake up call was 5.30 am. After breakfast at 6.30 am, we set off at 7.30am. The first stop was Pottery store. It was underground. There, I was picked to try out pottery. My end product looked terribly ugly. We bought a clock at 45 Lira in the store. On the way to Ankara, we were stopped by the police for random check. The officer was super good-looking...ahaha. At the pitt stop, I had a back massage using the massage machine. It only cost 1 Lira. The things there are super bloody expensive. We had lunch at Uchisar. We were told that the restaurant is popular amongst Ministers. The food served was Iskender kebabs and lentil soup. Desert was a turkish dish, a vermicelli like sweet with cheesy....it was cheesily sweet. We reached Ankara about 2 hours after lunch. Ankara, the capital of Turkey is a business district. However, Istanbul is seen as the commercial capital. We then visited Ataturk Mausoleum. Atarturk was seen as the Father of Turkey. His name was Mustafa Kemal. He brought independence to Turkey from the Greek empire. He was the first president of Turkey. According to the guide, he was a women's man but he never got married. The Mausoleum is adorned with statues, relief's and embellishments created by many of Turkey's artists. Then we went to Yadoer Otel. The hotel was well-decorated. It has a beautiful tree-top at its garden. Dinner was a 3-course dinner. However, the breakfast was one of the worst one. During our journey back to Istanbul, we had a stop over for photos. We also paid for the Bosphorus Cruise which cost US$55. We also had XXL meal at Burger King. It cost 10 plus Lira, shared between the two of us. At night, we went for a belly dancing show at Kansaray Club. There we met a superb singer. An old man who could sing songs from many different languages. He was very entertaining. Though I wasn't entertained by the belly dancing, I think their Anatolian dance was fun and interesting.
Day 9
The final day in Turkey was a free day. However, having taken the cruise, the guide first brought us to the Spice bazaar. Unfortunately, it was closed. We only got stuff outside the bazaar area. Things were pretty cheap there. Then we went ahead to the Bosphorus cruise. The cruise was an hour long. We took lots of photos during the cruise. After that, we went to a place like Clarke Quay. We didn't buy anything much as nothing there interest me. We spent some time at burger king. We noticed that the service people there are all men. After that, we went shopping at the biggest shopping centre in Europe. It looks like our Takashimaya. Stores like Zara, Topshop and a few known brands are there. It was however a bit more expensive that Singapore. After two hours, we headed to the airport. It was parting time for Sibel (our guide) and us. After hugging sessions, we checked-in. We took TK66 home at 11.45 pm.
Day 10
At 33o pm, we reached Singapore. Home sweet home at last.
Some Turkish words we learnt there:
Yavash yavash: slowly slowly (often said by our guide)
Gooniden (Good Morning)
Fine (Iem)
Giris (Entry)
Cikis (Exit)
Kach para (How much)
Choke para (Very expensive)
Yo para (No money)
Indrem (Discount)
Teasyukur Enderum (Thank you)
Monduer (candle)
Time Frame: 10 Days
Cost: $2160 (plus Insurance)
Important information: 5 hours behind Singapore
Important Information: Bargain is a must in Turkey (@ least 50% off the price)
Day 1
At the airport at 9 pm. Set off at 11.10 pm (SG time) to Turkey on Flight TK67.
Day 2
Arrived in Turkey at about 6.30 am (TK time). Changed some US currency to Turkish Lira. First place of visit was the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii). Magnificent sight which looks heavenly. Then next to it was a memorial place for the Earthquake's victims in 1999. Then proceeded to Aya Sofya (St Sofia Museum). Unique, with features of Islamic and Christian beliefs, bounded by many histories. Next was the Topkapi Palace ("Palace of the Cannon Gate"). It was home of the Ottoman (Osman) sultans for nearly 400 years. Then went onboard a ship with the bus on it to Bursa which is the 4th largest city in Turkey. On board, drank Turkish tea, really bitter. Also had a taste of the pita bread which was super hard and difficult to swallow. Then proceeded to the first hotel at Bursa, Kervansaray. The hotel is nicely decored and looks beautiful. Rested for the night there.
Day 3
Set off at 730 am. First place visited was the Grand mosque (Süleymaniye Mosque). It was the oldest and the largest mosque in the city. Then we went to Green Mosque (Yesil Mosque). It is an elaborate and significant building in the new Turkish style. Got its title "Green" from its gardens and parks, and of course from its being in the middle of an important fruit growing region. Then we went straight to Koza Han (Silk Market). A covered bazaar with many beautiful scarfs and shawls. After lamb kebabs for lunch, we had a treat to Turkish delight. Bought quite a number, rather expensive in US dollars. Then was a long journey to Kusadesi. Rested at Grand Ozcelik Hotel. Sea view. From the balcony, you can see a beautiful sight of the sea. Took several pictures of sunset and sunrise.
Day 4
After breakfast, went to leather factory. Watched fashion show. All the stuff were super ex, so didnt get anything from there. But the models, at least one of them was gorgeous. Then after that, went to the House of Virgin Mary. Located in located in a nature park between Ephesus and Seljuk. Then went to the Ephesus (Efes). Believed to be under the Roman empire. What was left was its ruins. It would definitely be a beautiful place. It was located at Izmir. After lunch, headed to Pamukkale, which was about 2 and half hour drive. Stayed at Pamukkale Lycus River. They had a thermal pool. We didnt go in though.
Day 5
The morning started with a long journey to Capadocia. The first pitt stop was after 1.5 hour jouney, the first one before lunch. After another 1.15 hour, we had our lunch, another Turkish lunch. The food served was good. After that we continued the journey for yet another 1.5 hour before we had another pitt stop. The next stop was Traders' Hotel. There we met a cute two-year-old boy named Yahya. If you were to see him, you may not guess he is 2 years old, look like 4 to 5 years old. During our jourey, the guide also pointed out about the significance of huge cola kinda can on the roof of some houses in an Anatolian area. The purpose of the cans is to signify that there are virgin ladies who are ready for marriage in the house. Interesting right, can't imagine that in Singapore. We continued our journey and eventually reached the Dinler hotel, where we stayed for 2 nights. It was big and nice. It was pretty cosy and was located at Shihir town.
Day 6
The day started with a carpet factory. We saw a lot of beautiful carpets with magnificent designs. It was however super duper expensive. Next was Gerome museum. There are many churches in between the museum. The kitchen area is spacious yet constricted. You should be there to witness it. Words can't describe it. Food was served in a cave restaurant in Capadocia. Then we went to the Jems store called Pyramid.It sells gold, silver, onyx and stones. It is well-known for its stones and I found out that turqoise is actually known as Turkish blue and a popular and expensive stone in Turkey. Interesting to watch how the stone suddenly becomes translucent and shiny after polishing. After that, we went to Underground city. It was stuffy. We had to bent and the pathway was small and narrow. We were told that there are still a small group of people living in such caves. The temperature was 15 degrees celcius so it was rather cold. We went back to Dinler Hotel at 4.30 pm. We didn't managed to go on hot-air balloon as it was super expensive, priced at US$180.
Day 7
I woke up at 5 am though the wake up call was 5.30 am. After breakfast at 6.30 am, we set off at 7.30am. The first stop was Pottery store. It was underground. There, I was picked to try out pottery. My end product looked terribly ugly. We bought a clock at 45 Lira in the store. On the way to Ankara, we were stopped by the police for random check. The officer was super good-looking...ahaha. At the pitt stop, I had a back massage using the massage machine. It only cost 1 Lira. The things there are super bloody expensive. We had lunch at Uchisar. We were told that the restaurant is popular amongst Ministers. The food served was Iskender kebabs and lentil soup. Desert was a turkish dish, a vermicelli like sweet with cheesy....it was cheesily sweet. We reached Ankara about 2 hours after lunch. Ankara, the capital of Turkey is a business district. However, Istanbul is seen as the commercial capital. We then visited Ataturk Mausoleum. Atarturk was seen as the Father of Turkey. His name was Mustafa Kemal. He brought independence to Turkey from the Greek empire. He was the first president of Turkey. According to the guide, he was a women's man but he never got married. The Mausoleum is adorned with statues, relief's and embellishments created by many of Turkey's artists. Then we went to Yadoer Otel. The hotel was well-decorated. It has a beautiful tree-top at its garden. Dinner was a 3-course dinner. However, the breakfast was one of the worst one. During our journey back to Istanbul, we had a stop over for photos. We also paid for the Bosphorus Cruise which cost US$55. We also had XXL meal at Burger King. It cost 10 plus Lira, shared between the two of us. At night, we went for a belly dancing show at Kansaray Club. There we met a superb singer. An old man who could sing songs from many different languages. He was very entertaining. Though I wasn't entertained by the belly dancing, I think their Anatolian dance was fun and interesting.
Day 9
The final day in Turkey was a free day. However, having taken the cruise, the guide first brought us to the Spice bazaar. Unfortunately, it was closed. We only got stuff outside the bazaar area. Things were pretty cheap there. Then we went ahead to the Bosphorus cruise. The cruise was an hour long. We took lots of photos during the cruise. After that, we went to a place like Clarke Quay. We didn't buy anything much as nothing there interest me. We spent some time at burger king. We noticed that the service people there are all men. After that, we went shopping at the biggest shopping centre in Europe. It looks like our Takashimaya. Stores like Zara, Topshop and a few known brands are there. It was however a bit more expensive that Singapore. After two hours, we headed to the airport. It was parting time for Sibel (our guide) and us. After hugging sessions, we checked-in. We took TK66 home at 11.45 pm.
Day 10
At 33o pm, we reached Singapore. Home sweet home at last.
Some Turkish words we learnt there:
Yavash yavash: slowly slowly (often said by our guide)
Gooniden (Good Morning)
Fine (Iem)
Giris (Entry)
Cikis (Exit)
Kach para (How much)
Choke para (Very expensive)
Yo para (No money)
Indrem (Discount)
Teasyukur Enderum (Thank you)
Monduer (candle)
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