Free internet access???

The stupid hotel did not have my booking, and therefore had no room for me. So, I had to come back "later" for a room. Finally i got a room, a nice room- top floor... yeah!!).Alright, it is a disabled person room with no bath tub, no minibar, no drinking water. Fine. Then i realised that the ironing board did not work, one of the light bulbs was not working, and that made the room dim and difficult for me to do my work, except when I sit at the table. No reading on sofa, or bed. Nvm.. the best thing was the water began to flow out of the shower because the bloody drain hole was choked, despite the low water pressure (that was another annoyance, it took me a long time to shower!). I called the housekeeping many times, but did not even get through. the reception then asked me to call later. I did as instructed and some dim wit told me that it is too late already. Maintenance & housekeeping no longer operate, why didn't I call earlier???!!!

I then asked about my internet access, only to have them tell me that my room has no access. I can use the business centre, go to the lounge on 2nd floor(which was full) or pay for the wired broadband! I was going to scream! My boss booked this hotel because she thought that will give me free internet access, in my room! Doesn't this sounds free?

"Complimentary High Speed Internet Access
Benefit from complimentary high-speed Internet access during your stay at The Xurlington Hotel. Wired broadband access is available in every bedroom and wireless access is available to guests using public areas including the lobby and business centre "

Then the smart aleck offered me a solution, asked me to change rooms. Bloody idiot, changed me to a lousy room, and internet access worked for a while. Then, it all stopped. I feel so cheated. I feel like this was revenge for my complaints. Now I sit at the executive lounge, because they give me a "nice room" (which has many broken things, including a shaky table). I will get all my water supply from this lounge, since this stupid hotel charge so much for a bottle of distilled water from the minibar, since for some unknown reasons, I started to have diarrhoea a few hours after I boiled some water with old looking kettle and drank it... Hotels in Europe and US often irritate me. May be I am too demanding, but they really suck compared to Asian hotels. Forget about sending people here to train for hospitality management. Asian countries can start offering courses about how to give good services to these block heads.

Wo Zhen De Shou Shang Le / I've Really Been Hurt
Jacky Cheung

Chuang wai yin tian le　yin yue di sheng le
Outside the window it's cloudy, the music is hushed
Wo de xin kai shi xiang ni le
My heart begins to think of you

Deng guang ye an le　yin yue di sheng le
The lighting is lowered too, the music is hushed
Kou zhong de mian hua tang ye yong hua le
The cotton candy in the mouth has melted too

Chuang wai yin tian le　ren shi wu liao le
Outside the window it's cloudy, I am bored
Wo de xin kai shi xiang ni le
My heart begins to think of you

Dian hua xiang qi lai　ni yao shuo hua le
The phone rings, you want to speak
Hai yi wei ni xin li dui wo you xiang nian le
And I had thought that your heart was missing me again
Zen me ni sheng yin bian de leng dan le
How is it your voice has become indifferent
Shi ni bian le　shi ni bian le
You have changed, you have changed

Deng guang shi mie le　yin yue jing zhi le
The lighting has extinguished, the music has been stilled
Di xia de yan lei yi ting bu zhu le
The dropping tear cannot be held back either

Tian xia qi yu le　ren shi bu kuai le
The skies begin to rain, I am unhappy
Wo de xin zhen de shou shang le
My heart has really been hurt

Wo de xin zhen de shou shang le
My heart has really been hurt

Party and food

Yesterday was the Hari Raya, so we went out to get some free food. Hmmm food always seems better when it was the Hari Raya, as opposed to CNY. No questions as to why.

I made my niang Yorkshire pudding again (hubby was hinting so much), and as there was too much left over stuffing, i stuff them into tau fu pok, just like niang dou fu. Not to bad. got to make a note that I was too heavy handed with teh Sage yesterday. The Sage from Asda is more powerful from that from Tesco, and I must use it sparingly! Pity I did not take a photo! I made so much! Oh yeah, I should not say I made it. Hubby told everyone he did it. Hahaha.. but not sure why they come to me for recipe instead. I should ask them to go to him.

Another note.. not to buy the Yorkshire pudding from Tesco value- they are so out of shape! The sainsbury and Asda versions as much better.

I will make it again in 2 weeks time when we do the steamboat thingy! I wonder how I can find teh proper fish meat for a real niang dou fu...

The Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum: Age

I think I am old. I actually Google to find out more about The Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum..after reading about it in Bisoumoi's blog. I actually can read about religion without rationalising, and use my "scientific thinking" to break them down into mere common sense or philosophy, or worse still-utterances of a schizophrenic.

I was first taught this chant by my uncle, probably when I was in early teenage years- I was told me to chant it if I feel those things around me. Yeah, those were the freaky times- I heard a woman singing at the back lane of my house - a known "dirty" place and I also could tell "something happened"- when I went to a friend's place and went to the toilet. Yeah, something happened. It was a murder scene, and her family soon had to move out. Freakish. And so, I was taught this chant. I was not interested, and had to remember it as "Oh money buy me home"- and thought how could you chant for money? Young as I was , I knew money could buy only a house, not a home. That was it. I did not bother to learn more. Yeah, there were a couple of times I had to chant it...but that was it.

	Purifies	Samsaric Realm
Om	bliss / pride	gods
Ma	jealousy / lust for entertainment	jealous gods
Ni	passion / desire	human
Pe	stupidity / prejudice	animal
Me	poverty / possessiveness	hungry ghost
Hung	aggression / hatred	hell

Hong Kong 2007 July

The "Central"- totally colonised by Filipino maids on a Sunday!


The world's longest escalator, at central. It brings you to mid levels, and to the Tai Cheong bakery for yummy egg tarts... and loads of other good food!
This building looks really interesting, and I wonder if it is a mafia den. Hahaha too imaginative.
Apparently, the wan tan mee store next to it is really really good. Photo taken to remind myself to try the Wan tan mee. With such an eye catching neighbour, it is impossible to miss when you take the mid levels escalator.
The skyline....
Hui Lau Shan- the place for mango desserts, and bird nest too!

With great reluctance....

... I will have to bring the chocolates I bought to the office for my colleagues! {cry!!!}

Damn thief-stole my wallet and my credit cards... I could have bought a lot more chocolates! Now I only have enough to give away, and have nothing for myself :(. I only ate 1 praline. That is all. Sigh! Once i got the energy and time to download my photos, i will upload my chocolate photos. At least, i can look at them

Do it like a European - Adult rated- kids go away

Since I am now an old woman (birthday coming again- soon...woah!!!), I think I am entitled to post rude things on my blog. Why not? I am old enough to be your grandma soon!

of all the information about Europe which flashed in front of my eyes, this one caught my eyes in Brussels. And I am sure I am not the only one who liked it, since they sold out the post card sizes ones! Buying the big poster back just won't do! Imagine my colleagues ask me - what is it, show us! ...

Unfortunately the poster do not turn up that well in my blog. you can see a clearer image at http://www.paulhitz.com/college/european.html

This world do have thieves- and the travel insurance was useless

I was not feeling very well that day, but decided to go for a walk anyway. I did not have much choices- since I have already checked out of the hotel. Somehow, I felt that I better split my wallet into 2. I think that if you feel not well or look tired, thieves will spot you from a mile! These were sharks after your blood!

I think I must have lost my small wallet within 1-2 hours of leaving the hotel most-likely while taking the tube or while I went to the toilet. No one else had been in contact or near me. I was walking around in the park opposite the palace and at the Royale square. I called hubby immediately. Luckily it was a relatively small "loss". Imagine if my real wallet was taken! Just a couple of credit cards, my name cards some cash and the metro ticket. The leather wallet was probably the most expensive thing. Tried to walk around following the "politie" sign, which are obvious in all tourist areas, but the signs seemed to lead me nowhere. So, I gave up and rested in at the small park at Sablon square-wasnt feeling well again, but did not dare to let my guard down.

At last, found a police station at the Midi station- the eurostar terminal. There was a big group of Thai students. Someone lost a laptop, and a policeman was busy telling them the do's and don't in Brussels. Apparently, at least 10 laptops will be reported lost each day, on average, just in that station alone! The thieves are really efficient and employ many tactics to get hold of these things. The group of kids were going "wow", as they were told not to answer anyone who ask them questions, not to stop or look at interesting things, like people fighting, quarelling etc etc etc etc...

Then, my turn to file the report. Both the policeman and I agreed that I was quite "lucky" in that sense- could have lost more. Brussels have lots of problems with petty crimes in the past couple of years. I was asked to recall what I did between when i last use the wallet and when i found it missing. It narrowed now to two suspects- the pregnant woman with 2 kids- 1 in a pram who needed more "space" as she squeezed past me when i got out of the toilet at the metro station, and the woman sitting next to me at the metro. Those were the only two places where someone could have been near me. The police man was quite sure it was the pregnant woman! Pregnant woman with pram and kids are frequently the culprits!!! Wow!!! He reminded me to claim back from my travel insurance...

My moods were lifted.. but when I return home, and read the "schedule"... TMD... full of "excess" conditions! cash-£50, travel documents £50, purse/wallet £50... blah blah blah.. every single item has at least £50 excess. Grrrrr..... This travel insurance from the company have not given me a single compensation yet- whether it is my flight delay (it did not qualify, as this package only give you £20 for every 12 hour of delay) of lost of stuff. From the terms and condition, my biggest hope is when I am dead, where I will receive £10,000 or when I permanently lose all my limbs £20,000. I am starting to think that this insurance package is an insult to my value as an individual. Am I so worthless??? After these incidences, I think we should all go back and read about how our value to the company should we die while traveling, and then decide whether we need a separate travel insurance!

Brussels- more than just sprouts

Brussels is a pleasantly small but interesting city. If you only have 1/2 hour, you just need to go to Grand Place, and take a dash to see the pissing boy. That is all you need to see to take in the city.

For a start, this is a very very multicultural city.... there is a wide variety of good food.

Food to try: Chocolates!!!! Belgian waffles, traditional belgian food, Belgian beer, French food (apparently, the standards here are really high!), seafood!

But if you have more time, then you could go to one of those touristy alleys teeming with seafood restaurants. Yes, these are tourist traps, but they make severely seafood deprived Londoners happy, especially when there is someone else to pick up the bill. Every shop essentially have the same menu. The Brusselians (is this how you call them??) tell me that there are only two good restaurants in that alley... so you have to choose your restaurant carefully, and go where the locals go!

For some authentic Belgian food, hit the In't Spinnekopke-which means spider's web at 1, Place du Jardin aux Fleurs-1000Bruxelles ( www.spinnekopke.be). You really must make a reservation for this one! There were still huge queues when we left at about 10 pm. The menu was literally huge and in French! However, the waiters speak good english, and you basically have 4 choices if you want something authentically belgian. Chicken, beef, or salmon cooked in creamy sauce, or just mussels in white wine! All are really good! Of course, you have to take these with one of those Belgian beer. They dont call brussels beer city for nothing. This is a beer city, and the stench of urine which greets you at some Metro stations will confirm that is indeed an alcoholic city.

However, my most satisfying meal was at a Chinese la mien restaurant! It was an accidental find. I just say this pregnant woman doing her la mien at a glass window, and i thought she looked really serious, although not too experienced. The la mien did not disappoint me. Really good! Yummy! The soup was really tasty, and i could taste beef stock in it. I finished every drop of it, but did not get any Chinese restaurant syndrome. That was a miracle for someone who is so sensitive to msg! I will usually start to flush and feel nauseous after just a few mouthfuls of soups when eating out. The duck meat turn out really good too, although i was disappointed that it was fried, not roasted. The name of the restaurant is Au Bon Bol, at 9 rue pau devauxstraat, at a street opposite the La Bourse. I was really impressed with these chinese women who spoke excellent French, English, and yes, you can still tell the distinct china accent in their mandarin!


Food pictures to come soon. And by the way, I actually bought souvenirs and presents- and finished spending all my money on my first day here!