Hyderabad

Hyderabad landmark - it is only a few story high (i think abt 6). They forbid pple from going up, reason being in the olden days, young couples used to commit suicide when their families object to their marriage.
Charminar - squarish structure with four towers in the four corners of the square.

a bit misty...can you see Aishwarya Rai (she looks much slimmer in this coke advertisement). My friend said most likely there is some computer alteration....and we had puni poori as shown in pictures....

Happening Hyderabad

the most interesting immigration segregation I ever came across...hardly any security to speak about...
you come in on one way, go thru the immigration, U turn back to almost the same point that u queue for the immigration to get to the baggage area...there is no security barricade nor any segregation of the 2 areas...before and after immigration...
theoretically, a passenger can get out w/o going thru the immigration...incredible india!

the transport for airport transfer didn't turn up, we managed to get the hotel to arrange for transport...the ride is short, about 12 mins, roads are in much better condition than Mumbai, but the car A/C is terrible. hot air is churning out of the A/C, i felt hotter inside the car than outside...
taj residency...reminder me a bit of Novotel hotel in Wollongong...but still not as good...as the one at Wollongong has a balcony with seaview :)
everything is chargable...internet is chargable, breakfast is chargable...i wonder what else...

had dinner with an old friend of mine from india...we got to know each other in s'pore...when he was working for 6 yrs there...
first he drove us around to have a look - Indian School of Business/Microsoft/Wipro etc...huge buildings...then we had a great discussion over dinner...a very open discussion = (read equate to) freedom of speech
abt what was given up by us in return for progress...can't discuss more here
the gist is "are we thinking?"

Mindblogging Mumbai

Juz wanna say something about my exp in mumbai

1. BEST bus strike the day we arrived...ended on Sat 10:30pm
2. MBA can command a higher dowry
3. traffic is bad
4. Grand Hyatt is classy & out of place
5. # of staff at hotel more than guests..
6. generally clean at hotel and no smell but things are expensive
7. for a 15 mins ride...we are charge Rs300 for a A/C small (like a mini) taxi...we juz felt being koto (local slang used commonly is Sg meaning being cheated)...but what to do...
8. meal at hotel averages ard Rs700/pax - we have no time to venture outside
9. I used insect repellent as perfume :p

There are good things too...

• i discovered they have very good pens for writing...a good ball point pen will really lift my mood and make me write with better handwriting..given now that today technology makes us hardly use our hands to write...i still luv a good pen...anytime
• there is this driver who fetch me to the exhibition venue - he asked to wait for my return and surprising, trusted me so much that he left the payment til the return trip. is he too trusting or do i looked like i can be trusted?
• Bougainvillea - abundant and full of colors - remind me of singapore
• still searching...

View from Grand Hyatt 6137

what's so incredible

Can you read the words in yellow

women empowerment...can be seen on many tuktuk taxi....

wonder what that means?

very progressive society....

taxi...

at a traffic junction

Mumbai, India

time difference +5.5 GMT
Singapore +8 GMT...

i dunno is it lunch or teabreak now...
interesting place...diff from kathmandu...
temp is soaring...not really that dusty...and roads are mostly with proper pavement
traffic jam...a 3 lanes road can use for at least 5 vehicles...
progressive...saw this WOMEN EMPOWERMENT stencil on taxi...with a particular one very outstanding...taxi in pink...

i adjusted my watch to local time...
usually i dun...still live in s'pore time when i'm overseas..
guess i changed a bit recently...

time stamp : 12:40pm in mumbai
I think i'll juz go for lunch :)

Shanghai Xiang Yang Fashion & Gift Market

This will be gone in summer this year...took some snaps from my recent trip in april for keepsake...it was great fun bargaining inside...thou the things were not fantastic...




This is taken from across the road on a busy Sat early afternoon.
Weather was superb... to be walking on the street...







This is right in front...some touts are still loitering around looking for potential customers...heard that some stalls have vacant the place...but didn't go in to check it out...

Flight delay

Due to my frequent traveling in the past 5 yrs, i have mastered the ability to sleep on the aircraft even before it takes off.
However, nvr have i expected to encounter a full flight on my recent return trip from shanghai with a 2 hrs delay (inside the plane) due to heavy traffic condition in the airs of shanghai and hongkong.
I was seated beside this Taiwanese man & his lady colleague. He was talking non-stop to her the minute he sat down in between us. He is such a nuisance and all i can say is his voice in not lullaby quality.

Mumbai

taxi...s'pore used to have taxi of similar colors (black with yellow top)

Yummy

capture on the street of Huai Hai Road?

one day in shanghai

in s'pore, i'm the kuai kuai girl who obey the laws very well...sometimes speed a bit on the road...but that's abt it...but when i am overseas, i can really adapt well :)
today, i live like a shanghainese, i crossed the road (j-walk) like nobody business, juz like a local
i also catch a cab fairly easily...without a care for the queue...:p
but i will nvr get used to throwing litter as and when i like...'ll still look for dustbin...good habit dies hard :)

shopping therapy cont'...i bou $200 worth of things (4 items only) after finishing work ;p
excuse: i couldn't catch a cab at that time and so i juz walk along the street as it is near to the shopping belt...and man! how i spent in a short time...that's beside the point...
now is how Shanghai has become so expensive...

In Shanghai 2006 April

in s'pore, i'm the kuai kuai girl who obey the laws very well...sometimes speed a bit on the road...but that's abt it...but when i am overseas, i can really adapt well :)
today, i live like a shanghainese, i crossed the road like nobody business, juz like a locali also catch a cab fairly easily...without a care for the queue...:p
but i will nvr get used to throwing litter as and when i like...'ll still look for dustbin...good habit dies hard :)
shopping therapy cont'...i bou $200 worth of things (4 items only) after finishing work ;p
i couldn't catch a cab at that time and so i juz walk along as it is near to the shopping belt...the weather was excellent...around 12 degree...and man! how i spent in a short time...

13-16/04/06
photos to be uploaded later...forgot my usb cable

Tokyo Japan 2006, March

raining japan...view from hotel room

clean and super efficient...




















28-4/03/06

Japan 2006, March

raining japan...view from hotel room

clean and super efficient...




















28-4/03/06

My lovely place