“洋”的心情日记及生活点滴 Raynard's diary .......

The Great Barrier Reef - Cairns, Australia (18th-21st Aug 2010) - III

2010-08-28T12:53:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX103/CX102 (HKG-CNS-HKG)
Date: 18th - 21st August 2010
Flying Hours: 7 hours 5 mins
(GMT +1000)

Quicksilver Cruises to the Outer Great Barrier Reef
Quicksilver takes you to Agincourt Reef, at the very outer edge of the Barrier Reef. Here, special reefs known as ‘ribbons’ run parallel to the Continental Shelf. Adjacent to the Coral Sea trench, these ribbon reefs are recognised as the most pristine eco-systems in the reef’s environment.

Clear water provides the best possible underwater visibility, encourages rich coral growth and supports spectacular marine life. As the region’s outer reef pioneer, we chose the best location available to show you nature’s finest.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. This reef supports a wide diversity of life, and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.

A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating AU$ 1 billion per year. With my dear classmate, Macy Sip. This was my first time flying with her.
Seafood Buffet Lunch on the cruise, it was parked on the Agincourt Ribbon Reef, I enjoyed the spectacular view of it while enjoying my lunch. What a life~
Cairns Festival 2010

Snorkelling at one of the 7 Natural Wonders - "The Great Barrier Reef"
Click PLAY

Cairns, Australia (4th-7th Aug 2010) - II

2010-08-12T20:46:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX103/CX102 (HKG-CNS-HKG)
Date: 4th - 7th August 2010
Flying Hours: 7 hours 5 mins

(GMT +1000)

I swapped in this 4 days direct Cairns flight and a Bangkok overnight with my original 4 days Toronto, a good swap indeed. This time I flew with another 4 Malaysians, ISM (Annie Loo) and SP (Eileen) are Malaysian, and another 2 BC, Alan (my classmate) and Jessie. It was quite happy to fly with so many Malaysian crew, you can hardly see so many Malaysians in the flight, not mentioning the KUL and PEN flight.
I have planned for a road trip hiring a car before the flight and I have invited Alan to join me, invited Jessie too but she's having medical problems and she couldn't join. Alan invited ISM and SP along too, so there're 4 of us who went for a road trip all the way to the North from Cairns to Cape Tribulation.
It was my first time driving out of my country and it felt great and awesome, and I am gonna do this more often in different countries so that I can explore more places, especially the places that public transports can't be reached. Of course, we can enjoy the flexible time all on our own.

Our journey on the 6th Aug:
Cairns - Trinity Beach - Palm Cove - Daintree - Cape Tribulation - Port Douglas - Cairns

Alan and I organised a barbeque dinner on the day of arrival, every crew attended. Each one of us contributed AUD20 for the food and drinks. Here's the evidence that we stole the trolley again from Woolworth, and pushed all the way back to our hotel, Rydges Esplanade. I mentioned "again" as this was my 2nd time pushing the trolley illegally back to the hotel, I did it once during my first time to Cairns last month. I really need to apologise for not being thoughtful and I am really feeling sorry for the peoples who's helped in returning the trolley back to Woolworth.

Our first stop - Trinity Beach

2nd stop - Palm Cove3rd stop - Rex Lookout4th stop - Walu-Wugirriga5th stop - Cape TribulationLast stop - Port Douglas

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (27th-30th Jul 2010) - IV

2010-08-12T18:09:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX745/CX746 (HKG-DXB-HKG)
Date: 27th - 30th July 2010
Flying Hours: 8 hours 25 mins
(GMT +0400)

Burj Khalifa (Arabic: برج خليفة‎ "Khalifa Tower"), known as Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and the tallest man-made structure ever built, at 828 m (2,717 ft). Construction began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009. The building officially opened on 4 January 2010, and is part of the new 2 km2 (490-acre) flagship development called Downtown Dubai at the 'First Interchange' along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai's main business district.

The tower's architecture and engineering were performed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill of Chicago, with Adrian Smith (now at his own firm) as chief architect, and Bill Baker as chief structural engineer. The primary contractor was Samsung C&T of South Korea. In June 2010, Burj Khalifa was the recipient of the 2010 Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa award by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The total cost for the project was about US$1.5 billion; and for the entire "Downtown Dubai" development, US$20 billion. In March 2009, Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of the project's developer, Emaar Properties, said office space pricing at Burj Khalifa reached US$4,000 per sq ft (over US$43,000 per m2) and the Armani Residences, also in Burj Khalifa, sold for US$3,500 per sq ft (over US$37,500 per m2).

The project's completion coincided with the global financial crisis of 2007–2010, and with vast overbuilding in the country, led to high vacancies and foreclosures. With Dubai mired in debt from its huge ambitions, the government was forced to seek multi-billion dollar bailouts from its oil-rich neighbor Abu Dhabi. Subsequently, in a surprise move at its opening ceremony, the tower was renamed Burj Khalifa, said to honor the UAE President, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his crucial support.

Mahabalipuram & Chennai, India (21st-24th July 2010) - II

2010-07-25T11:53:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX631/CX632 (HKG-MAA-HKG)
Date: 21st - 24th July 2010
Flying Hours: 5 hours 10 mins
(GMT +0530)

Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet).

Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The name Mamallapuram is believed to have been given after the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, who took on the epithet Maha-malla (great wrestler), as the favourite sport of the Pallavas was wrestling. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th centuries, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The whole bunch of the Indian children waved their hands at me and greeted me, I felt very warmth-welcomed.Mr. IndiaI flew with my lovely classmate, Huan-Yin this time, thanks her for accompanying me to this amazing place.I have conquered another World Heritage Site, Well Done!!!People are not Useless, but they are USED LESS!
Strong waves on the Indian OceanGames stall on the beachThe Indian GOD!
The God and the GoddessThe hulk from IndiaWith my fans from India, this is the 4th picture that they requested to take together with me.To get more of life, Give more of yourselfArjuna's PenanceFive RathasThe Indian group from CalcuttaAnother group of Indian fansIndian Cuisince at Jaapar Restaurant

Cairns, Australia (14th-17th July 2010)

2010-07-19T08:05:00.000+08:00

Flight: CX103/CX102 (HKG-CNS-HKG)
Date: 14th - 17th July 2010
Flying Hours: 7 hours 5 mins
(GMT +1000)

Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns (the Governor of Queensland). It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland region.

The city is rapidly expanding, with a population of 122,731 at the 2006 census. Tourism is the largest income producer for the region, followed closely by the sugar industry. An intercensal estimate for the resident population the Local Government Area as of June 2008 was 158,700.

Cairns is located about 1,700 km (1,056 miles) from Brisbane, and about 2,420 km (1,504 miles) from Sydney by road. It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate and proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier Reef can be reached in less than an hour by boat. Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, about 130 km (81 miles) north of Cairns, are popular areas for experiencing a tropical rainforest. It also serves as a starting point for people wanting to explore Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula, and the Atherton Tableland.

Various parks and attractions take advantage of the city's natural surroundings. Among them are Rainforestation Nature Park, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, and Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, which extends for 7.5 km (4.7 miles) over World Heritage rainforest.

A notable feature of the Cairns esplanade is a swimming lagoon with adjoining barbecue areas. In May 2003, the then Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne declared that topless sunbathing is permitted here, as the area is a gathering point for people from around the world who may wish to do so. A boardwalk allows pedestrians and cyclists to move along the foreshore from the lagoon.

Charles and Kenny organised a BBQ dinner and invited all of us to join, so we went to Woolworth in the afternoon to buy foodstuff and the neccessary things. Each one of us contributed AUD20 and we bought fresh prawns, beef terderloin, lamb shank, chicken, pork, veal sausages, drinks, garlic & onion powder, vegetables, salad dressings, etc. We had too many things to carry and they're too heavy for us to carry back to our hotel, so we decided to steal the trolley to push all the way back to our hotel with all our foodstuff. Picture below are the evidence of stealing ... Shhhh!!!!!!
Rydges Esplanade Hotel, Cairns
Getting everything ready for BARBEQUE!
We have never failed to show our teamwork, even after flight.
Alicia from Korea, Kennis & Liana from HKG (from left to right) The Economy Class crew, lead by Mr CharlesAll the BCs ....Please enjoy the food, ladies and gentlemenThis is the view from my room #816 at 6am, see how fantastic the scenery is, purple skyat 7amItinerary of our tour to Fitzroy Island, we did not join the tour which costs us more than AUD150 each to the island with snorkelling, kayaking and a lunch box. We just purchased a ferry transfers at AUD58 each, then we will decide what to do on that island and rent for the equipments, this way we really saved a lot, at least more than half of the package price. With a sporty girl, Tin-Yan from Hong Kong, really thank her for joining me for the tour, as we've gotta wake up at 6am in the morning (HKG time 4am).
Fitzroy Island is a continental island out from Djujbirri (formally known as Cape Grafton), 29km south of Cairns, Queensland, Australia.Corals on the beachOur first activity on the island was hiking, since it was quite cloudy when we arrived, so we decided to hike to the top of the hill overlooking the island, while waiting for the sun to scatter before we go for water activities.View from the SummitCHEERSNext, KAYAKING ~the Beach HireLeaving Fitzroy Island With the family from SydneyPicture time inflight on the way back to Hong Kong, the Economy Class crew
The 5 BCs of CX103/CX102 in A33B
The luckiest man in the world
Click PLAY to view the video I've taken on our hiking & kayaking tour on Fitzroy Island:

Holiday Penang 5 days flight

2010-07-04T12:51:00.000+08:00

We're at Coffee Island for breakfast before driving them to the beach, and the smart guy is Sky, Nelson's son. The weather wasn't good, it was actually bad on the day I drove them around Penang. It was raining while we were at the Kek Lok Si temple.

I flew with Wilson again to Penang and promised him to drive him around during the stay, we planned for suntanning in the morning but it rained cats and dogs after we tanned for 10mins, we ended up hiding under the big umbrella by the beach watching the rain and the big waves on the sea, at the same time tolerating the cold wind blowing at us. What an experience!Dinner at Northam Beach cafe
Hong Kong peoples' favorite
Wilson's first visit to my house
He had problems driving my car, not used to drive a manual car

A visit to my Secondary School

2010-07-04T12:30:00.000+08:00

Gathered some of my former classmates, we paid a visit to our secondary school - Chung Ling Private High School on the 26th June 2010. I haven't met some of them for many years and it was indeed a good gathering for us to meet up and updating each others.It's been more than a decade since we left the school and there're so many changes that we can obviously see in ourselves, as well as in the school. We were still able to see some teachers walking around the premises who have taught us before, of course I can say 70% of the teachers are faces we haven't seen. The studying environment clearly improved so much than before, looking at our juniors in uniform walking in groups for activities reminded us our schooling times, and we are clearly adults now.This is what I loved the most when I was studying, I can't get the taste of this plate of fried vermicelli with unique delicious fried eggs elsewhere in the world, it's only available in Chung Ling canteen. The taste remained unchanged and it brought back a lot of good memories while I was enjoying it. It's as cheap as MYR2!4 out of our 10 school rules that all of us must obey

Had our last picture taken beside our class we used to study before leaving, it was great meeting all of you.

Los Angeles, California, USA (12th-16th June 2010)

2010-06-22T21:12:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX880/CX883 (HKG-LAX-HKG)
Date: 12th - 16th June 2010
Flying Hours: 14 hours 27 mins
(GMT -0700)

Our King of PopChange the World
Toy Story 3 World Premiere
With Leslie from KaoShiung, Taiwan

San Francisco, California, USA (2nd-6th June 2010) - II

2010-06-09T17:16:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX872/CX873 (HKG-SFO-HKG)
Date: 2nd - 6th June 2010
Flying Time: 14 hours 5 mins
(GMT -0700)

Pier 39 is a shopping center and popular tourist attraction built on a pier in San Francisco, California. At Pier 39, there are shops, restaurants, a video arcade, street performances, an interpretive center for the Marine Mammal Center, the Aquarium of the Bay, virtual 3D rides, and views of California sea lions hauled out on docks on Pier 39's marina. The marina is also home to the floating Forbes Island restaurant. A two-storey carousel is one of the pier's more dominant features, although it is not directly visible from the street and sits towards the end of the pier. The family-oriented entertainment and presence of marine mammals make this a popular tourist location for families with children.
The pier is located at the edge of the Fisherman's Wharf district and is close to North Beach, Chinatown, and the Embarcadero. The area is easily accessible via the historic F Market streetcars.
From the pier one can see Angel Island, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Bay Bridge. Blue & Gold Fleet's bay cruises leave from Pier 39.
Pier 39 was first developed by entrepreneur Warren Simmons and opened October 4, 1978.

Gary, Kevin, Kelly and I Lombard Street is an east-west street in San Francisco, California. It is famous for having a steep, one-block section that consists of tight hairpin turns.

Coit Tower was built in Pioneer Park atop Telegraph Hill in 1933 at the bequest of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the City of San Francisco; Lillie bequeathed one-third of her estate to the City of San Francisco "to be expended in an appropriate manner for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city which I have always loved".
The art deco tower,210 feet (64m) of unpainted reinforced concrete, was designed by architects Arthur Brown, Jr. and Henry Howard with murals by 26 different artists and numerous assistants.
The tower was not designed to resemble a fire hose nozzle, despite Lillie Hitchcock Coit's affinity with the San Francisco fire fighters of the day, in particular with Knickerbocker Engine Company Number 5.

Chinatown

Spending over USD100 for my favorite A&F

Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5miles (2.4km) offshore from San Francisco, California. Often referred to as The Rock, the small island early-on served as a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal Bureau of Prisons federal prison until 1963. Later, in 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and received landmarking designations in 1976 and 1986.
Today, the island is a historic site operated by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to tours. Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. In 2008 the nation's first hybrid propulsion ferry started serving the island. Alcatraz has been featured in many movies, TV shows, cartoons, books, comics and games.

Video taken during the tour to Alcatraz Island

19th May 2010 - Tragedy at Central World, Bangkok

2010-06-07T22:08:00.000+08:00

Central World, the largest lifestyle shopping destination in Bangkok; a one-stop destination for shopping, dining and entertainment. Located in the vibrant center of Bangkok, Thailand, the striking complex covers an expansive 550,000 square meters and is home to over 500 shops and boutiques, over 100 restaurants and dozens of first-class entertainment and recreational outlets. Be it fashion shows, concerts, travel and food fairs, product launches and art exhibitions, Central World is Bangkok's foremost location for the city's premier events and activities. The impressive Central World Square is host to talk-of-the-town events such as the largest New Year countdown in Bangkok, which attracts over 300,000 people each year; the inimitable Elle Fashion Week and concerts by leading artists. Regular art exhibitions and permanent sculptures by world-class artists demonstrate Central World's ongoing commitment to increase art exposure in Bangkok.

2009 Christmas at Central World (source from Youtube)

But on the 19th May 2010, tragedy had happened and this landmark of Bangkok had become an abandoned building, leaving only memories, memories which pinch the heart of everyone...

Below is my own video, I went there on the 31st May 2010, I couldn't believe that a place where I used to hangout for food and shopping has gone, it felt really sad to be there and saw it myself. 19th May 2010 has been marked as another historic day that people will remember.

Taipei, Taiwan (29th-30th May 2010) - III

2010-05-31T20:56:00.001+08:00

Flight No: CX450/CX505 (HKG-TPE-NRT-HKG)
Date: 29th - 30th May 2010
Flying Hours: 1 hour 45 mins (HKG-TPE)
3 hours 20 mins (TPE-NRT)
4 hours 40 mins (NRT-HKG)
(GMT +0800)

3rd time operating CX450, CX longest Taipei stay arriving in the afternoon and departing the next day at 11am, I swapped in this flight and my previous Bangkok-Colombo flight with my original 4 days San Francisco. First day of this flight pattern is really short & easy as we just operate a morning HKG-TPE, but the next day is gonna be a long & tiring day as we need to operate CX450 TPE-NRT, transitting 1 1/2 hours and then operate CX505 NRT-HKG, arriving HKG at 2230.
The good thing is that I am able to spend half day in Taipei enjoying the food and shopping, of course meeting my friends in Taipei. It's been 3 years plus since I knew Celia, a closed friend of mine whom I knew from the Star Search 2007 competition, and I am so glad that we managed to keep in touch and maintain our friendship ever since. We really treasure each other and it's been always excited to see her....
She's a tough girl who always fight for her dreams and life, that's truly inspiring if you know what had she been through these years. A talented girl who has never being arrogant but always strive for the best, seek for improvement and with an excellent attitude. I always motivate her, giving her mental support as I know sometimes she's really tired and in need of a push.Had coffee and chocolate cake at 85degree cafe

Celia with her babyHoliday KTV at Shilin Night Market

Kelun arrived in Taipei the same day as I did and we met up at Shilin Night Market
M9 - Kelun & M10 - Raynard

Sydney, Australia (30th Apr-3rd May 2010) -II

2010-05-06T10:05:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX139/CX138 (HKG-SYD-HKG)
Date: 30th Apr - 3rd May 2010
Flying Hours: 9 hours 10 mins
(GMT +1000)

2nd time to Sydney after over a year, it's really hard to believe that time flies and it felt like my first time to Sydney in Nov 2008 was just like a previous month's trip. My ex-secondary classmate Leyland has moved to Sydney from Melbourne, working with Australian Government at Sydney International Airport as a Customs Analyst. We've planned our trip to Blue Mountains and Bondi Beach which he will be driving me, it has been 13 years since we last met when we were both 15, studying in Chung Ling Private High School, Penang, and now we are nearly 30, can you believe that? Well, I choose to ignore the scaring numbers.
Beside meeting my old friend, I planned to meet with my cousin brother and sister too for a meal, since they are both there working after completing their studies. You know what, we've never gone out for a meal in Penang and this is the first time we purposely arranged to meet up, and that's in Australia, strange isn't it?
Here's the itinerary, I met up with Leyland at my hotel on 1st May at 0830 for buffet breakfast before meeting with 3 of my colleagues at 0930, they would like to join us to Blue Mountains too, of course they would be glad to since there's someone driving. Lucky girls~

This is the Bills Restaurant in Darlinghurst suburb, you can enjoy a very authentic western breakfast there with a cozy ambience, at an affordable price.

My 3 lady colleagues, Celine, Janice and KathyVery well presented, isn't it?

The Blue Mountains is a montainous region in New South Wales, Australia. It borders on Sydney's metropolitan area, its foothills starting approximately 50 kilometres west of the state capital. The area begins on the west side of the Nepean River and extends westward as far as Coxs River.
Consisting mainly of a sandstone plateau, the area is dissected by gorges up to 760 metres deep. The highest point of the range is 1190 metres above sea level. A large part of the Blue Mountains is incorporated into the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site, consisting of seven national park areas and a conservation reserve.
The Blue Mountains area includes the local government areas of the City of Blue Mountains, the City of Hawkesbury, the City of Lithgow and Oberon.The CX139 crew
When the sunlight starts scattering on Blue Mountains, I immediately take more shots as when we arrived there earlier, it was very cloudy and I can hardly take great photos.
With my 3 sisters
What an astonishing night view of the city of Sydney from Leyland's bedroom.
Dinner at the Pancakes on the Rocks in Darling Harbour
With my cousin brother & sister, Peyling and Song
A French style cafe in Darlinghurst suburb
Egg Benedicts with Ham, taste that I will never forget
Bondi Beach is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, Australia. Bondi Beach is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council, in the Eastern Suburbs. Bondi, North Bondi and Bondi Junction are neighbouring suburbs.
Surfers and Swimmers, please watch out for dangerous currents!
Look at his ass ....
Way to go, young surfer!
Watsons Bay is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Watsons Bay is located 11 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra.
Watsons Bay sits on the end of the South Head peninsula and takes its name from the sheltered bay and anchorage on its western side, in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour). It provides spectacular views across the harbour to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Gap is an ocean cliff on the eastern side with spectacular views to Manly at North Head and the Pacific Ocean. Vaucluse is the only adjacent suburb, to the south.
The Gap, view of the Pacific Ocean
Sydney Opera House

Juggling performance at the Darling Harbour on Sunday evening

Oxford & Stonehenge, UK (22nd-25th April 2010) - IV

2010-04-29T19:11:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX253/CX254 (HKG-LHR-HKG)
Date: 22nd - 25th April 2010
Flying Hours: 13 hours
(GMT +0100)

Oxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000 with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre. For a distance of some 10 miles (16km) along the river, in the vicinity of Oxford, the Thames is known as The Isis.
Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every British architectural period since the arrival of the Saxons, including the iconic, mid-18th century Radcliffe Camera. Oxford is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of Oxford's university buildings. The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

Renting a rowing boat is at GBP16 per hour

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 km west of Amesbury and 13 km north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. It is at the centre of the most densse complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.
Achaeologists had believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500BC, as described in the chronology below. One recent theory, however, has suggested that the first stones were not erected until 2400-2200BC, whilst another suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of Wolrd Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebuty Henge Monument. It is a national legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage, while surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.
Archaeological evidence found by the Stonehenge Riverside Project in 2008 indicates that Stonehenge served as a burial ground from its earlist beginnings. The dating of cremated remains found on the site indicate burials from as early as 3000BC, when the initial ditch and bank were first dug. Burials continued at Stonehenge for at least another 500 years.
One of my closed friends Renee drove me to Stonehenge, this was the 2nd time I met her in UK
Flying over the Himalayas, I was astonished when I looked at the view

New York, USA (12th-16th April 2010) - IV

2010-04-19T16:48:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX830/CX831 (HKG-JFK-HKG)
Date: 12th - 16th April 2010
Flying Hours: 15 hours 45 mins
(GMT -0400)

The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH), located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world. Located in park-like grounds, the Museum comprises 25 interconnected buildings that house 46 permanent exhibition halls, research laboratories, and its renowned library.
The collections contain over 32 million specimens, of which only a small fraction can be displayed at any given time. The Museum has a scientific staff of more than 200, and sponsors over 100 special field expeditions each year.Karrie and Sara from Hong Kong
This man's playing saxophone in the central park, concentrating fully in his own world of music, he's so cool!
Apple latest product - IPad, selling at USD499 for 16GB, USD599 for 32GB & USD699 for 64GBWith the Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) model, looking at his body really motivates me to train hard to be like him.
On the way back to HKG, we flew over Russia and happened to see this fantastic view

Click on PLAY to view, I took video on the white snowy mountains when the aircraft was flying over Russia.

Fukuoka, Japan (10th-11th April 2010)

2010-04-17T20:11:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX510/CX511 (HKG-TPE-FUK-TPE-HKG)
Date: 10th - 11th April 2010
Flying Hours: 1 hour 40 mins (HKG-TPE)
2 hours 25 mins (TPE-FUK)
(GMT +0900)

Fukuoka is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.
Voted number 16 in 2009's poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by Kitakyushu. It is the largest city and metropolitan area west of Osaka. The city was designated on April 1, 1972 by government ordinance. Greater Fukuoka with 2.5 million peoples (2005 census), is part of the heavily industrialized Fukuoka-Kitakyushu, as well as Northern Kyushu.

This bowl of delicious Ramen is sold at JPY690, taste it once and I can assure that you will go back again next time.With my set of lovely crewThese are what I bought in the supermarket

Big DickBig Pussy

This is my FIRST time in life enjoying the Sakura (Cherry Blossom Season) in Japan, this is such a beautiful scene.
Video to share, click PLAY

My CX People & Service Print Advertisement

2010-04-11T21:22:00.001+08:00

I want people to remember their trip with a SMILE

Perth, Australia (4th-6th April 2010)

2010-04-07T21:25:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX171/CX170 (HKG-PER-HKG)
Date: 4th - 6th April 2010
Flying Hours: 7 hours 45 mins
(GMT +0800)
The State War Memorial at King's Park
This tree looks exactly like a Ginseng

Some videos that I have taken during my dayout with Edgar, click PLAY to watch:

Happy Birthday my beloved GRANDPA

2010-04-03T22:09:00.000+08:00

Date: 2nd April 2010

Cathay Pacific Airways Safety Demo before 2006

2010-03-29T22:48:00.000+08:00

Cathay Pacific Airways Safety Demo before 2006

Pisa, Italy (20th-24th March 2010)

2010-03-25T21:34:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX293/CX292 (HKG-FCO-HKG)
Date: 20th - 24th March 2010
Flying Hours: 13 hours 55 mins
(GMT +0100)

This is my 3rd time flying to Rome, first time I went to the city of Rome spending time at every corner of this ancient historical city. The 2nd time I went to Vatican City & Florence, costing me EUR82 for the return train tickets from Rome to Florence, but it's all worth going as it's really a beautiful and peaceful little Italian town. And this time, I went to Pisa, to visit one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre Pendente di Pisa).
This time I had my Korean flight purser Chris accompanying me to Pisa, she told me she hasn't been to Pisa after flying for over 15 years, which surprised me. It happened that I was having the same crew rest period with Chris inflight from HKG to Rome and I mentioned about my trip this time, and I have inspired her with my travelling mission every flight, which made her to cancel her initial plan to stay only in the hotel room and followed me to Pisa, a day trip from Rome.
We woke up very early the next day after arriving Rome, meeting at the hotel lobby at 0700 and we started our trip. We took the hotel shuttle van from the Sheraton Building 2 to Building 1 and from there we walked for around 15 mins to the bus stop and wait for Bus #771 taking us to the Metro Magliana, and from there we took the metro to the Roma Termini (Main train station). You must be wondering why will it be so complicated to get to the train station. YES it's definitely not easy to travel from our hotel to Roma Termini as our hotel location (Sheraton Gold Resort) was located at a quite remote place out of Rome. There's a free shuttle taking us to the city of Rome but the earliest shuttle is 1000, I wanna get to Pisa earlier, spending more time there before heading back to Rome, again, to catch the latest shuttle(2145/2245) back to my hotel, that's why I need to take the public transport which is definitely inconvenient to the train station, as we were taking the 0946 train to Pisa arriving at 1255, that's the cheapest among the few schedules available. Just to share with you guys that taking train in Europe is very costly and there're fast train taking you non-stop straight to the destination, of course at an even higher price; and a slow train with stops at different stations which brings you to the destination at least 2-3 hours later than the fast train. So it's your choice to pay more, or to spend more time in the train. The Euro train website to check and plan for your schedules: http://www.raileurope.hk
The price of taking bus and metro in Rome are at a fixed price of 1EURO. A little travelling tips for you, you can purchase the time ticket from the ticketing machine or from the newspaper stall or tobacconist and the time you use the ticket, time will be printed on your ticket and within 75mins, you can use the same ticket to take any bus or metro in Rome without needing to buy another new ticket. It's good especially you are having connection from bus to metro. I learnt from my experience as I was stupid enough to purchase new ticket every time I take bus or metro. So, please don't repeat the silly mistakes that I did =))

Spring is around the corner and you can see beautiful flowers from the tree.

There are cabins in the train and we as the passenger can have our privacy.Arriving at Pisa Centrale after 3hours travelling in the train all the way from Rome.
First thing when we arrived at Pisa, was to hunt for food as both Chris and I didn't have our breakfast before leaving. Chris was very nice that she paid for the lunch, thanking me for the arrangement in return. She's a very sweet and lovely friend, and I really thank her for accompanying me to Pisa, at least I have someone to talk to all the way.The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre Pendente di Pisa) or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the Cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) after the Cathedral of the Baptistry.
Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower currently leans to the southwest.
The height of the tower is 55.86m (183.27ft) from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70m (186.02ft) on the highest side. The width of the walls at the base is 4.09m (13.42ft) and the top 2.48m (8.14ft). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 metri tons (16,000 short tons). The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has 2 fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees, but the tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is 3.9 metres (12ft 10in) from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.Lovely Chris from Bushan, Korea
The weather wasn't good that day, it began to rain after 40mins when we reached there. So I am not satisfied with the pictures this time and I will be visiting it again for sure in the near future. Most of my pictures were under-exposed, still learning to master the functions of my new camera.
This is cute & creative

Some short video to share, click PLAY:

I am officially on my company's web =))

2010-03-25T16:38:00.000+08:00

Finally, I am officially on my company's web started from 1st March 2010. It's really fun when I look at myself on the web, reading my own story with my pictures. I have gotta admit that CX Marketing team has done a very awesome job on the flash. I am loving the entire thing, very attractive. This is an amazing concept showing the "Peoples & Service" of Cathay Pacific. I have painted another colorful page to my life!

My Cathay Pacific People & Service Minisite link:
http://www.cathaypacific.aero/people/raynard_khor/en.html

AJL Studio Website: http://www.ajlphoto.com/

- Uniform Shoot -

- Casual Wear Shoot -

Devonport, New Zealand (6th-9th March 2010)

2010-03-11T12:08:00.004+08:00

Flight No: CX107/CX108 (HKG-AKL-HKG)
Date: 6th - 9th March 2010
Flying Hours: 11 hours 20 mins
(GMT +1300)

Devonport is a harbourside suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located at the North Shore, at the southern end of a peninsula that runs southeast from near Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour. East of Devonport lies North Head, the northern promontory guarding the mouth of the harbour.
The population of Devonport and the joining suburb of Cheltenham was 5,337 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 126 since 2001. With the additional suburb of Stanley Bay, Vauxhall and Narrow Neck, the 2006 population was 11,142.
The suburb hosts the Devonport Naval Base of the Royal New Zealand Navy, the main facility for the country's naval vessels, but is best known for its harbourside dining and drinking establishments and its heritage charm. In its scenery and setting, Devonport has been compared to Sausalito, California.This little town is very peaceful and of course, less crowded as compared to the capital, Auckland. The peoples and the entire surroundings are giving you a peace of mind, I was walking alone, accompanying by my IPod and feeling the place. I was totally rejuvenated and being charged with a lot of positive energies from the surroundings. I walked for hours without feeling any exhaustion. Travelling to me is the best way of throwing away whatever negativities in you, in exchange of positivities.
This is the 2nd time that I brought my Canon EOS 400D to outport, to know him better and to let him know me better. And so far, everything worked out quite well and he has helped me to deliver a lot of satisfactory pictures. Thank you "CAN" (his name)! I will be bringing him with me to explore the world.I personally like this shot so much. By having CAN with me, my skills has reached another higher level, a level that a digital camera will never be able to bring me to. I am getting more into a real world of photography now. After taking thousands of pictures, I seriously realised that I can blend so well in the natural scenery of blue sky, white cloud, blue sea, green field and the sun, this combination just make a perfect picture.I had my shirt off for an even tan.
View of Auckland city from Devonport, amazing!
After spending the whole day in Devonport, I went back to Auckland and had Korean dinner with my colleagues and went up to the Sky Tower. This was my 3rd time flying to Auckland, and it's only my first time going up to the Sky Tower for the fantastic view of the city. I took this shot at the Main Observatory Deck, there's another Upper Deck with binoculars and restaurants & cafe in the Lower Deck. It's totally free for CX crew to go up, one of our benefits.
Look at the transparent glass on the floor, they are as thick and as strong as the concrete, absolutely safe to stand on it, just the look-through glass giving you a fear of height to stand on it.

Chinese New Year 2010

2010-03-11T12:08:00.003+08:00

It's really excited that I am able to go back to Penang during CNY this time as my leave has been approved, had a wonderful 10days back in Penang with my friends and family.
Time flies and this has been the 29th CNY celebration for me, the excitement on the reunion dinner night looking forward for the first day of CNY was no longer there. The excitement of counting how much money I will be getting wasn't there anymore. I am now more concern of seeing the happiness of each and everyone of my family.As usual, my grandma was the chef preparing everything from waking up early to go to the market to buy whatever is needed for the steamboat, accompanied by my grandpa, to cooking the soup and preparing the ingredients. She will be busying the whole day, infact started few days before without asking anyone to help nor complaining that no one's helping her. My grandma has been the one who's always giving without asking, I love her so much, everyone of us do. Her soup for steamboat is simply the BEST, I couldn't have tasted it anywhere else.

My dad's tea set.My little sister is getting more feminine
My beloved grandparents
I love you so much, grandma!
My beloved ones
Grandma took out the old albums, having looked through the old pictures when grandparents were still young, my grandpa were a handsome charming guy when he was young, we were telling grandma how lucky she was to be chosen.
One of my dad's teenage pictures, I looked exactly like him, even my brother couldn't tell it's dad, thinking it's me.

CX People & Service Minisite Photoshoot

2010-02-12T09:19:00.000+08:00

Below are the pictures and video taken by my best friend Daphne during the photoshoot for my company's People & Service Minisite Campaign at Andrew's studio on 3rd Feb 2010. Million THANKS to Daphne for accompanying me that day and snapping the entire process, appreciate it. It was a fun and memorable experience during the entire shoot and it's nice to work with my photographer, Mr Andrew.

Casual wear shoot

Video on my entire photoshoot, click PLAY to view

Chennai, India (30th Jan-1st Feb 2010)

2010-02-01T16:47:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX631/CX632 (HKG-MAA-HKG)
Date: 30th Jan - 1st Feb 2010
Flying Hours: 5 hours 30 mins
(GMT +0530)

Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001 census within the area administered by the Corporation of Chennai. The urban agglomeration of metropolitan Chennai has an estimated population over 8 million people.
The city was established in the 17th century by the British, who developed it into a major urban centre and naval base. By the 20th century, it had become an important administrative centre, as the capital of the Madras Presidency.
Chennai's economy has a broad industrial base in the car, technology, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare industries. The city is India's second largest exporter of software, information technology (IT) and information-technology-enabled services (ITES). A major chunk of India's car manufacturing industry is based in and around the city. Chennai Zone contributes 39 per cent of the State's GDP. Chennai accounts for 60 per cent of the country's automotive exports and is referred to as the Detroit of South Asia.
Chennai hosts a large cultural event, the annual Madras Music Season, which includes performances by hundreds of artists. The city has a vibrant theatre scene and is an important centre for the Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form. The Tamil film industry, one of the largest film industries in India, is based in the city; the soundtracks of the films dominate its music scene.

I have taken video on my entire sightseeing tour in Chennai, click PLAY to have a look:

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria, Australia (23rd-26th Jan 2010)

2010-01-26T11:33:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX135/CX168 (HKG-MEL-HKG)
Date: 23rd Jan - 26th Jan 2010
Flying Hours: 9 hours 15 mins
(GMT +1100)

It was my short stay in Melbourne arriving 0830 at Sofitel Melbourne on 24th Jan and leaving on 25th Jan at 2325. I did some research at home before I flew there and there're few places that I wanted to go which includes the Twelve Apostles (my top priority), Rialto Towers Observation Deck, Melbourne Zoo, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Parliament House of Victoria, Phillip Island, Puffing Billy Steam Train and Skydeck 88.
I checked the Great Ocean Road Tour which includes the visit to the Twelve Apostles online costs AUD100 over and it's gonna take approximately 13 hours, departing Melbourne at 0700 and arriving at 2000, since my pickup time from the hotel will be 2325, I kept thinking whether I should go and worrying at the same time whether am I able to come back on time, knowing it's gonna be 4 hours drive from Melbourne, any possible delays or unexpectations will gonna cause me MISS my duty.
After sleeping for few hours until 1500, I woke up and decided to walk around the Melbourne downtown to hunt for food. After eating, I walked on the Chinatown area and passed by Extragreen Tour Agency and saw the poster of the Twelve Apostles, and the AUD45 caught my eyes. I went in to check for more information about the tour and the AUD45 special promotion rate is only for tour departing on every Saturday, sadly the day I wanna join will be a Monday and the price is AUD69, but it's still way cheaper than what I checked from the internet. After they told me the latest the van will drop us back in Melbourne at 1930, I decided to join the tour.
It was a sleepless night for me and I did not know why, I slept at 2230 and woke up at 0100, from then onwards I couldn't sleep at all only until 0430, then I fell asleep and my alarm clock rang at 0630 as I need to be at the entrance of Extragreen Tour Agency by 0745 for my tour pickup.

Extragreen Travel Agency Website: http://extragreen.com.au/index.htm

Apollo Bay is a coastal town in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It is situated on the eastern side of Cape Otway, along the edge of the Barham River and on the Great Ocean Road, in the Colac Otway Shire. The town has a population of 1777.
It now makes an income from tourism, though it is smaller and quieter than other tourist destinations such as Lorne. It is also host to the annual Apollo Bay Music Festival and the Great Ocean Sports Festival.

The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Originally the site was called the Sow and Piglets. Muttonbird Island near Loch And Gorge was the ‘Sow’ and the smaller rock stacks the 'Piglets'. The name was changed in the 1950s to present the name recalling the biblical The Twelve Apostles. This was done to lure more visitors to the state. Despite the name there are not twelve individual stacks visible in any one location.
The stacks have been formed by erosion, and are all different heights and thicknesses. A number have fallen over entirely as waves continually erode their bases.A 50-metre tall Apostle collapsed on July 3, 2005. Although it was initially thought that one of the Twelve Apostles fell on September 25, 2009 it was later revealed that it was one of the smaller stacks knowns as The Three Sisters. Other well-known features in Port Campbell National Park created by erosion are the London Arch, Loch Ard Gorge and the Island Archway. The rate of erosion at the base of the limestone pillars is approximately 2 cm per year. Unfortunately after years of erosion, it has only 7 apostles left when I visited this time. This is a heavenly beautiful place that one must visit before all the stacks collapse.

This is by far the most spectacular and facsinating view which I have ever seen in my entire life, I was blown away totally.A worthwhile 4 hours of tiring journey from MelbourneThe scenic lookout of The Amazing Twelve ApostlesA jump shot to show my excitement of reaching this place
If it's not of the extremely limited time given by my tour guide, I would have jumped into the water just like the 2 caucasians behind. Of course, I would love to tan for an hour or two. But those were just IF ....London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down ~~~

Some clips which I have recorded, click PLAY below:

TVB Actress 邵美琪 was on my flight

2010-01-21T00:20:00.001+08:00

It was my 2nd Kuala Lumpur(KUL) turnaround flight in the month, a long day for me as I operated CX725 HKG-KUL, and then operated CX724 KUL-HKG on the same day. This flight is wellknown to be a tough flight as passengers are mostly very demanding and we as the crew will be working crazily to satisfy them. It's too bad that I wasn't able to swap away this flight for other better one, but fortunately I was being positioned in business class for this flight and there're only 14 passengers on CX725 and 26 passengers on CX724, the loading was really nice for us to work comfortably without any rush, most importantly, they're all very well-educated and easy passengers. I felt sorry for the crew who worked in economy class, it's really tough for them with almost full loading.
I still remembered months ago when I did the same flight on the way back to Hong Kong, TVB actress 李司琪 was travelling on my flight but I didn't take any picture with her seeing her sitting on her seat quietly, she needed her privacy apparently. This morning before I went out for duty, I brought my camera which I don't usually bring for turnaround flight, I sensed that I might be using it, and this time on CX724 coming back to HKG, I saw another TVB actress 邵美琪 on my flight, she was very friendly and approachable, I was doing collection in business class and when I walked to door 2 galley, I saw her standing there and I recognised her right away. I went up to my door 1 galley and informed my colleagues asking does anyone wanna take picture with her. As a result, all of us including Inflight Service Manager, Senior Purser and Galley Purser rushed to door 2 to take turns taking picture with this beautiful celebrity, she's really gorgeous and not arrogant at all, we talked to her for quite a while and she talked a little bit about her new series asking us to watch.

Surprised call from the CX Marketing Department

2010-01-19T16:33:00.000+08:00

I was editing my pictures taken in New York and Facebook-ing as usual yesterday, my phone rang and I answered, it was a call from my company's marketing department. My colleague Yammi first of all congratulated me informing me that I have been chosen by them for the CX Minisite Campaign, they need to arrange time with me for both the interview session and photoshoot session.
I was shocked for seconds before I could make any response, she then explained a little bit more to me. They will first interview me to know more about me and my background and what I can share from my flying experience, and the photoshoot consists of 2 parts, first part they will shoot me in CX uniform which shows the proper and professional look & the second part will be shooting me in smart casual wear which shows my real personality. She asked me to bring my own casual wear and some props if needed.
This is really fun and exciting as I never expect to be able to involve in such event, I will be on the CX Web and magazine, am I dreaming??? But I truly believe that it's gonna be a great experience and I am grateful to be chosen. Finally, she has arranged me the interview session on the 29th Jan, 530pm at the HKIA Starbucks and photoshoot on the 17th Feb, 5pm at one of the studios in Chai-wan, Hong Kong Island. I am supposed to enjoy my leave period during CNY from 9th-19th Feb, and now I have to come back to HKG 2 days earlier for the photoshoot, and I am really looking forward to.
I better workout more before my photoshoot to make sure I am in good condition and take good photos. My 2010 kicked-off with a very good start, more better things coming ~
~ Keep the positive energy burning ~

New York, USA (12th-16th Jan 2010) - III

2010-01-19T12:28:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX840/CX841 (HKG-JFK-HKG)
Date: 12th Jan - 16th Jan 2010
Flying Hours: 15 hours 35 mins
(GMT -0500)

Manhattan is one of the boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York. It consists of Manhattan Island and several small adjacent islands: Roosevelt Island, Randall's Island, Ward's Island, Governors Island, Liberty Island, part of Ellis Island, and U Thant Island; as well as Marble Hill, a small section on the mainland adjacent to the Bronx. The original city of New York began at the southern end of Manhattan, and expanded in 1898 to include surrounding counties. It is the smallest yet most urbanized of the five boroughs.
The County of New York is the most densely populated county in the United States, and one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795 living in a land area of 22.96 square miles (59.47 km²), or 71,201 residents per square mile (27,485/km²). It is also one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, with a 2005 personal income per capita above $100,000. Manhattan is the third-largest of New York's five boroughs in population.
Manhattan is a major commercial, financial, and cultural center of both the United States and the world. Many major radio, television, and telecommunications companies in the United States are based here, as well as many news, magazine, book, and other media publishers. Manhattan has many famous landmarks, tourist attractions, museums, and universities. It is also home to the headquarters of the United Nations. Manhattan has the largest central business district in the United States, is the site of both the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, and is the home to the largest number of corporate headquarters in the country. It is the center of New York City and the New York metropolitan region, hosting the seat of city government and a large portion of the area's employment, business, and entertainment activities.

Liberty Island, formerly called Bedloe's Island, is a small uninhabited island in New York Harbor in the United States, best known as the location of the Statue of Liberty. The name Liberty Island has been in use since the early 20th century, although the name was not officially changed until 1956. Before the Statue of Liberty, Bedloe's Island was the home to Fort Wood, an eleven pointed star-shaped fortification made of granite. Because of this, its nickname was "Star Fort".
The island is the property of the federal government and is operated by the National Park Service. It is accessible to the public only by ferry, either from Battery Park in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is separated from nearby Ellis Island by approximately 1 mi (1.6 km). There is also ferry service between the two islands.
Liberty Island is 2000 feet (600 m) from Liberty State Park in Jersey City. By comparison it is 1-5/8 statute miles (2.6 kilometers) from Battery Park in Manhattan; this makes Liberty Island much closer to Jersey City than to the rest of New York City, of which it is a part. The island has a land area of 59,558 square meters, or 14.717 acres, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Since September 11, 2001, the waters surrounding the island are guarded by around-the-clock patrols of the United States Park Police Marine Patrol Unit.

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), located in the Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York, USA, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world. Located in park-like grounds, the Museum comprises 25 interconnected buildings that house 46 permanent exhibition halls, research laboratories, and its renowned library.
The collections contain over 32 million specimens, of which only a small fraction can be displayed at any given time. The Museum has a scientific staff of more than 200, and sponsors over 100 special field expeditions each year.My weight of 68KG on earth will be 3886pounds on the Sun, amazing!!!!
Central Park is a large public, urban park that occupies over a square mile (341 hectares) in the heart of Manhattan in New York City. It is host to approximately twenty-five million visitors each year. Central Park was opened in 1859, completed in 1873 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.
The park was designed by the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and the architect Calvert Vaux. While much of the park looks natural, it is in fact almost entirely landscaped. It contains several natural-looking lakes and ponds, extensive walking tracks, two ice-skating rinks (one of which is a swimming pool in July and August), the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, a wildlife sanctuary, a large area of natural woods, a reservoir with an encircling running track, and the outdoor Delacorte Theater which hosts the "Shakespeare in the Park" summer festivals. Eighty-five percent of the park's operating budget comes from private sources via the Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park pursuant to a contract with New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Rome, Vatican City & Florence - Italy (4th - 8th Dec 2009)

2009-12-20T12:32:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX293/CX292 (HKG-FCO-HKG)
Date: 4th Dec - 8th Dec 2009
Flying Hours: 13 hours 55 mins
(GMT +0100)

The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.
Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.
It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday and the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.Newly married couple at the church receiving wishes from their friends and familyReflection shot on car's mirror

Very talented artist doing spray art, selling his masterpiece at EUR10 eachThe Trevi Fountain (Italian: Fontana di Trevi) is a fountain in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy. Standing 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city.Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the capital city of Italy. At approximately 44 hectares (110 acres) (0.44 km2), and with a population of barely over 800, it is the smallest country in the world by both population and area.
Vatican City is a city-state that came into existence in 1929. It is distinct from the Holy See, which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.142 billion Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic adherents from around the globe. Ordinances of Vatican City are published in Italian; official documents of the Holy See are issued mainly in Latin. The two entities even have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, only issues diplomatic and service passports; the state of Vatican City issues normal passports. In both cases the passports issued are very few.
The Lateran Treaty in 1929, which brought the city-state into existence, spoke of it as a new creation (Preamble and Article III), not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756-1870) that had previously encompassed central Italy. Most of this territory was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, and the final portion, namely the city of Rome with a small area close to it, ten years later, in 1870.
Vatican City is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state, ruled by the bishop of Rome—the Pope. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergymen of various nationalities. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See (Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Pope's residence, referred to as the Apostolic Palace.
The Popes have resided in the area that in 1929 became Vatican City since the return from Avignon in 1377. Previously, they resided in the Lateran Palace on the Caelian Hill on the opposite side of Rome, which site Constantine gave to Pope Miltiades in 313. The signing of the agreements that established the new state took place in the latter building, giving rise to the name of Lateran Pacts, by which they are known.Florence (Italian: Firenze) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 367,569 inhabitants (1,500,000 in the metropolitan area)
The city lies on the River Arno and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the richest and wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and its artistic, historic and cultural heritage and impact in the world remains vast up to this day. The city has also a major European impact in music, architecture, education, cuisine, fashion, philosophy, science and religion. The historic centre of Florence contains numerous elegant piazzas, Renaissance palazzi, academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers. The city boasts a wide range of collections of art, especially those held in the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi, (which receives about 1.6 million tourists a year). Florence is arguably the last preserved Renaissance city in the world and is regarded by many as the art capital of Italy. It has been the birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures, such as Dante, Boccaccio, Botticelli, Niccolò Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo Galilei, Catherine de' Medici, Antonio Meucci, Guccio Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli and Emilio Pucci, to name but a few. Museum of the Serial KillersSee you Rome, I'll be back SOON!Ready to go to the aircraft and start working
Picture time in the galley after meal service, with Samantha Liew from Malaysia as well

Videos in the Euro Star & in the hotel restaurant, click PLAY to view:

Bangkok, Thailand (29th Nov - 1st Dec 2009)

2009-12-16T20:26:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX703/CX702 (HKG-BKK-HKG)
Date: 29th Nov - 1st Dec 2009
Flying Hours: 2 hours 55 mins
(GMT +0700)

Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) is a Buddhist temple (wat) in the Bangkok Yai district of Bangkok, Thailand, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The full name of the temple is Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahawihan (วัดอรุณราชวรารามราชวรมหาวิหาร).Phu Khao Thong (Golden mountain, ภูเขาทอง) is a steep hill inside the Wat Saket compound. It is not a natural outcrop, but an artificial hill.
During the reign of King Rama III (1787 – 1851) the decision was made to build a Chedi of huge dimensions to add to the Wat Saket temple. However, the large Chedi collapsed during the construction process because the soft soil beneath would not support it. The resulting mud-and-brick hillock was left alone for about half a century, taking the shape of a natural hill and becoming overgrown with weeds. Since then it looked like a natural small mountain it received its name of "Phu Khao" (ภูเขา) at that time.
Finally under King Rama IV, a small Chedi was built on the hilltop. This smaller structure was finished under King Rama V (1853– 1910), when a Buddha relic from India was housed in the Chedi. In the 1940s the surrounding concrete walls were built to prevent the hill from eroding.
There is an important festival at Wat Saket every November that includes a beautiful candlelight procession up Phu Khao Thong.
Phu Khao Thong has become a popular tourist attraction in Bangkok, but the rest of the Wat Saket temple area is much less visited.

Brisbane, Australia (24th-27th Nov 2009)

2009-11-29T09:52:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX103/CX102 (HKG-BNE-CNS-HKG)
Date: 24th - 27th Nov 2009
Flying Hours: 8 hours 45 mins (HKG-BNE)
2 hours 20 mins (BNE-CNS)
7 hours 5 mins (CNS-HKG)
(GMT +1000)

Brisbane is the state capital of the Australian state of Queensland and is the largest city in that state. The statistical division of Brisbane has an estimated population of approximately 2 million, along with its LGA registering a bit over a million, it is also the third most populous city in Australia.
The city is situated on the Brisbane River on a low-lying floodplain between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range in southeastern Queensland. The local indigenous people knew the area as Mian-jin, meaning 'place shaped as a spike'.
Brisbane is named after the river on which it sits which, in turn was named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. Brisbane's demonym is a Brisbanite.
The first European settlement in Queensland was a penal colony at Redcliffe, 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of the Brisbane central business district, in 1824. That settlement was soon abandoned and moved to North Quay in 1825. Free settlers were permitted from 1842. Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859.
At a municipal level, the city is governed by the Brisbane City Council. In 1925, the City of Brisbane Act was passed by the Queensland Government, abolishing 20 local government authorities in the city and forming the largest local authority in Australia.
The city played a central role in the Allied campaign during World War II as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur.
Brisbane is fast becoming a world city renowned for its culture, architecture and landscape. The metropolitan area is surrounded by many national parks, and contains many rivers, bays and inlets. The main airport serving Brisbane is Brisbane International Airport, located 14 km north-east of the CBD. In 2009, Brisbane passed Melbourne as Australia second major international airport on passenger volume.
Brisbane has hosted many large cultural and sporting events including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, World Expo '88 and the 2001 Goodwill Games. In 2008, Brisbane was classified as a gamma world city+ in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University.

With lovely Kemian, she operated Brisbane flight arriving a night before meWith my best friend's sister - YeanJoo, who's studying in Brisbane, it's so glad to have met Penang friend overseas.Kemian, YeanJoo, Jason and ITop of BrisbaneSuperheroesCX = Cathay PacificThanks YeanJoo for bringing us to this place, it's beautiful and I enjoy the fresh airThis is YeanJoo's doggyHad Japanese Food in Brisbane Chinatown1 and a half hour train + half an hour bus ride from Brisbane to Surfers Paradise Gold CoastSurfers Paradise (28°00′S 153°25′E / 28°S 153.417°E / -28; 153.417) is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Surfers Paradise had a population of 18,501.
Colloquially known as 'Surfers', the suburb has many high-rise apartment buildings and a wide surf beach. The feature of the central business district is Cavill Mall, which runs through the shopping precinct. Cavill Avenue, named after Jim Cavill, an early hotel owner, is one of the busiest shopping strips in Queensland, and the centre of activity for night life. It's the best known feature of the Gold Coast's skyline. Burleigh and Coolangatta also have skyscrapers, though shorter and fewer.At the beachBlack or WhiteTattoo MenBeach BoysBeach RayBack to Brisbane

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (18th-21st Nov 2009) - III

2009-11-22T10:21:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX745/CX746 (HKG-DXB-HKG)
Date: 18th - 21st Nov 2009
Flying Hours: 9 hours 5 mins
(GMT +0400)

Ski Dubai is the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East and offers an amazing snow setting to enjoy skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing, or just playing in the snow. Young or old, there is something for everyone, from the beginner to the snow sport enthusiast. Ski Dubai is a unique mountain-themed attraction that offers you the opportunity to enjoy real snow in Dubai all year round.
An amazing 22,500 square metres covered with real snow all year round. Ski Dubai has 5 runs that vary in difficulty, height and gradient, the longest run being 400 meters with a fall of over 60 meters. Test your skills on the world’s first indoor black run or practice your turns on the gentle beginner slopes. Skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels will enjoy these various slopes and snowboarders can also practice their stunts in the Freestyle Zone. Kids and parents alike will have fun in the huge interactive Snow Park, which at 3000 square meters is the largest indoor snow park in the world.
You don’t have to worry about ski clothing or equipment either. Ski Dubai has thought of it all and offers guests the use of winter clothing, ski and snowboard equipment. Your skis will carry you down the slope, and our quad-chairlift and tow lift will promptly carry you back to the top for another run.You will enjoy our themed restaurants; St Moritz Café at the entrance to Ski Dubai, and Avalanche Café at mid-station, with views of the slope. Our exclusive retail shop, Snow Pro, has expert staff to advise you on your equipment needs and our team of professional Snow School instructors will guide you through the simple, fun process of learning to ski or snowboard.

With Jessie, she has been undecisive of having fun skiing. However, we managed to convince her at the end.Here comes my outfit

with Mabel (Left) and Jessie (Right), WE ARE READY to ROCK on SNOW!!!A group photo of beginnersFirst time Skiing, my first slope

Some clips in Ski Dubai to share, press PLAY

Know more about Cathay Pacific 国泰航空

2009-11-16T16:21:00.000+08:00

Beijing, China (7th-9th Nov 2009) - II

2009-11-16T12:07:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX312/CX317 (HKG-PEK-HKG)
Date: 7th - 9th Nov 2009
Flying Hours: 3 hours 15 mins
(GMT +0800)

Beijing (Chinese: 北京) is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China. Governed as a municipality under direct administration of the central government, Beijing borders Hebei Province to the north, west, south, and for a small section in the east, and Tianjin Municipality to the southeast. Beijing is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.
Beijing is China's second largest city after Shanghai, with more than 17 million people in Beijing's area of jurisdiction. The city is divided into 16 urban and suburban districts and two rural counties; the city's urban area has about 13 million residents. Beijing is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and motorways passing through the city. It is also the destination of many international flights arriving in China. Beijing is recognized as the political, educational, and cultural center of the People's Republic of China, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields. The city hosted the 2008 Olympic Games.
Few cities in the world besides Beijing have served as the political and cultural centre of an area as immense as China for so long. The Encyclopædia Britannica describes it as "one of the world's great cities," and declares that the city has been an integral part of China’s history for centuries; there is scarcely a major building of any age in Beijing that doesn't have at least some national historical significance. Beijing is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, and huge stone walls and gates. Its art treasures and universities have long made the city a centre of culture and art in China.Renaissance Hotel, Beijing

To the bus station at DeShengMen to the Great WallThe Great Wall of China (長城 or 萬里長城) is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during various successive dynasties. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km (5,500.3 mi). This is made up of 6,259.6 km (3,889.5 mi) of sections of actual wall, 359.7 km (223.5 mi) of trenches and 2,232.5 km (1,387.2 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.With Carmen & JamesAmazing Great Wall
I am the MANNo Smoking on the Great Wall, PLEASE!A day to remember - 8th November 2009, the date I climbed the Great Wall.
How I wish I could be there on 11th Aug (my b'day) instead, will be even memorable!Terra Cotta WarriorsWaX Museum of Ming Dynasty
Tian An MenEeww .... you dare to eat?
Feeling of satisfaction after coming back from the Great Wall, I made it!!!!

Mumbai, India (2nd-5th Nov 2009)

2009-11-16T09:11:00.000+08:00

Flight No: CX685/CX684
(HKG-BOM-DXB-BOM-HKG)
Date: 2nd - 5th Nov 2009
Flying Hours: 6 hours 45 mins (HKG-BOM)
3 hous 20 mins (BOM-DXB)
(BOM:GMT +0530, DXB:GMT +0400)

Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई, Mumbaī) formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. As of 2009, Mumbai is the largest city in the world in terms of population, with the city proper having a population of approximately 14 million inhabitants, and along with the neighbouring cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it forms an urban agglomeration with around 19 million people. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. As of 2009, Mumbai was named an Alpha world city.
The seven islands that came to constitute Bombay were home to communities of fishing colonies. For centuries, the islands came under the control of successive kingdoms and indigenous empires before being ceded to Portuguese settlers and subsequently to the British East India Company. During the mid-18th century, Bombay emerged as a significant trading town. Economic and educational development characterised the city during the 19th century. It became a strong base for the Indian independence movement during the early 20th century. When India became independent in 1947, the city was incorporated into Bombay State. In 1960, following the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, a new state of Maharashtra was created with Bombay as the capital. It was renamed Mumbai in 1996.
Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment centre of India, generating 5% of India's GDP, and accounting for 25% of industrial output, 40% of maritime trade, and 70% of capital transactions to India's economy. Mumbai is home to important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock, the National Stock Exchange of India and the corporate headquarters of numerous Indian companies and multinational corporations. The city also houses India's Hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood. Mumbai's business opportunities, as well as its potential to offer a higher standard of living, attract migrants from all over India and, in turn, make the city a potpourri of many communities and cultures.

Poor side of India Heavy traffic in the city Dhobi Ghat is a well known washers' area in Mumbai. The washers known locally as Dhobis work in open to wash the cloths from Mumbai's hotels and hospitals. There are row upon row of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. Termed as the world's largest outdoor laundry Dhobi Ghat is a very popular attraction among foreign tourists.
It is located next to Mahalaxmi Station on Western Railway on Saat Rasta roundabout.It is can be easily seen from flyover bridge of Mahalaxmi station.

I paid the local USD4 and he toured me inside the Dhobi Ghat, that was an amazing experience as the entire place is awesome I am hoping to be there again next time and I'll try asking them to let me wash the clothes exactly like them, looks fun The Gateway of India, India. Located on the waterfront in Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai, the Gateway is a basalt arch 26 metres (85 ft) high. It was a crude jetty used by fisher folks and was later renovated and used as a landing place for British governors and other distinguished personages. In earlier times, the Gateway was the monument that visitors arriving by boat would have first seen in the city of Bombay.
Its design is a combination of both Hindu and Muslim architectural styles, the arch is in Muslim style while the decorations are in Hindu style. The Gateway is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete. The stone was locally obtained, and the perforated screens were brought from Gwalior.
The central dome is 15 metres (49 ft) in diameter and is 26 metres (85 ft) above ground at its highest point. The whole harbour front was realigned in order to come in line with a planned esplanade which would sweep down to the centre of the town. The cost of the construction was Rs. 21 lakhs (2,100,000), borne mainly by the Government of India. For lack of funds, the approach road was never built, and so the Gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.My room service - Roasted Chicken Burger before leaving Mumbai on duty back to Hong Kong