All Set for Christmas!

Once again, George Square in Glasgow is fully transformed for Christmas celebration, illuminated with stunning Christmas lights and the Christmas tree, ice skating, funfair etc are back! Click here for more winter programmes in Glasgow.

Christmas tree at Glasgow George Square 2007
Reindeer snow sledge at Glasgow George Square 2007
Christmas decoration at George Square, Glasgow (20/12/2007)

Video clips (24/11/2007):
Picture 7 Picture 8

Rudolph Quiz

Which of the following pairs are Rudolph's parents?
A. Dasher and Dancer
B. Prancer and Vixen
C. Comet and Cupid
D. Donner and Blitzen

Click here for answer

Reindeers in Skansen
Reindeers grazing in the Skansen zoo, Stockholm (04/2006)

Oct & Nov 07 Updates

Hi, updates in the past two months are:


Thanks Danke Takk

Radiance-More

More on Radiance 2007 to complement the earlier blog on the event. Shown here are artworks by other artists, as seen by Kiat's eyes...through a lens.

Radiance Glasgow 2007
Top-left: Glasgow Cathedral precinct, Top-right: Fibre optic dress by Kim Tae Gon, Middle-left: Bough 2 by Simon Cordor, Middle-right: New Moon by Claire Morgan, Bottom-left: Glasgow history projected on screen at 93 High Street by Glasgow City Council, Bottom-right: SNO-lite by Collective Architecture and WK McMillan Steel Fabricators (11/2007)

Related Link:
Radiance, Glasgow International Festival of Light
Pics by the pros at Flickr

Radiance-Tale of Tree City

Glasgow Cathedral fully transformed into an animated light mural during Radiance, Glasgow's biennial International Festival of Light, returned to the city 23-25 Nov this year. The light artwork, "Tale of Tree City", was by French artist Xavier de Richemont.


Radiance Glasgow Cathedral


Radiance Glasgow Cathedral 2


Radiance Glasgow Cathedral 3


Related Link:
Radiance, Glasgow International Festival of Light
Pics by the pros at Flickr

Small Town Charm

The main shopping street (Storgata) of Lillehammer has a fine collection of characteristic old buildings, contrary to their stereotypical modern counterpart in big cities. Small town charm or big city sophistication? You choose!

Lillehammer
Storgata of Lillehammer, Norway (11/2007)

In Search of Ice

A cold day at Lillehammer when liquid turned solid, cool!

Lillehammer Maihaugen
Maihaugen of Lillehammer, Norway (11/2007)

Then and Now

Changing view of High Street, from my former apartment.

Glasgow High Street 2004 Glasgow High Street 2007
Ingram Street junction of High Street, Glasgow (left: 2004; right: 2007)

What Animal Are You?

I got this interesting question the other day, "What animal are you?". Eagle, the king of the sky , always sounds like a good answer...but at the moment, I think something else fits me better :-P

slug in forest
A slug, Isle of Mull, Scotland (04/2007)

Two More Animal Facts Learnt

A brown bear can climb a tree and a grey squirrel can climb a wall!!!

Bears in Skansen
Brown bears in the Skansen zoo, Stockholm (04/2006)


Video: Grey squirrel outside the SIBS building, Glasgow (10/2006)

Shades of Autumn at Strathclyde

It's that time of the year again when the campus is decorated with colours of autumn...time to abandon my usual tropical outfit :-P

Strathclyde Library
Library, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (24/10/2007)

Click HERE for more images from the university

Moo~~~

Hmm...wonder if we get yarn from hairy coo?

Highland Cattle
A fold of highland cattle, Isle of Mull (04/2007)

Related Link:
Highland Cattle World

A Wee Dose of Historical Combat

Brutal combats from the past brought to live at Linlithgow in AD 2007!

Combat reenactment
The Battle of Stirling Bridge, reenacted at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland (07/2007)



Video: Jousting event at Linlithgow Palace (07/2007)

La paellera

Get a paellera (paella pan) for your paella! (Note: the "ll" is pronounced as a "y")

paella pan
Pots and pans for sale at a stall beside the central market of Valencia, Spain (03/2007)

Related Link
About.com: Paella
Wikipedia: Valencia, Spain

Sep 07 Updates

Hi, another monthly sum-up. Updates in Sep 07 are:


Thanks 谢谢 Terima kasih

Time for a Snack!

It's always a treat to have some inexpensive and good street stall foods to sample when travelling. Shown here are snacks that kept me refreshed in Valencia, some of them look surprisingly familiar!

horchata churros frutas orxata
Clockwise from top left: horchata, churros, orxata (=horchata) and local fruits (03/2007)

Related links:
About.com: Horchata (Orxata) in Valencia

EASD 2007

Specially for those who are interested, some snapshots taken at the EASD (European Association for the Study of Diabetes) meeting took place recently (17-21/09/07) in Amsterdam.

EASD2007
EASD 2007 at RAI, Amsterdam (09/07)

Related link:
EASD

Las frutas

Do you eat at least five portions of fruits or vegetables per day? (find out more with 5 A Day brochure and webpage)

Las frutas
A fruit stall at the central market of Valencia, Spain (03/2007)

Birds and Ampelmann

Two birds and Ampelmännchen's new niche in the capitalist world.

Ampelmann
Somewhere in Berlin (07/2006)

Related link:
Ampelmann website

Ampelmännchen

Not merely a quirky variant of his austere counterparts, the little traffic light man is also a witness to history and has affecting story of his own to tell.

Ampelmaennchen
A pedestrian traffic light in Berlin featuring Ampelmännchen (07/2006)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES OF BERLIN

Related links:
Wikipedia: Ampelmännchen
Expatica: Striding forward
Why the Ampelmännchen?

The Other Side of the Fence

Is the grass greener on the other side of the fence?

Isle of Mull 2
A hill, somewhere on the Isle of Mull, Scotland (04/2007)

Apple Store Came to Scotland

Reporting from Scotland specially for Mac fans out there, the first Apple Store here was officially open on 25/08/07 (9 am) in Glasgow. The store address is 147, Buchanan Street, previously housed "The Pier".

AppleStoreGlasgow
Mac fans queued up for the grand opening of Apple Store in Glasgow (25/08/07)

Related links:
Apple Store (Buchanan Street)
BBC news online
BBC Reporting Scotland video news clip

Aug 07 Updates

Hi, a sum-up of last month updates. I hope you've enjoyed your visit, more to come soon!

Sunrise

Sunrise delights me and it's even more so when performed live by Norah Jones :-)

sunrise
Sunrise, as seen en route from LHR to PEN (01/2006)

Outside the Castle Wall

Gazing out from the castle, I saw a medieval trebuchet and a Decepticon in disguise (or was that just a huge lawn mower?).

Picture 6
The front lawn of Urquhart Castle, as viewed from the castle (04/2007)

Recharging...a Car

I suppose an electric vehicle (EV) is not alien to most people but seeing one, being recharged in a neighborhood, is something new to me. This is taken in Norway, where electric car owner gets incentives like tax and toll exemptions, free parking and use of bus lane.

(28/08/07: I've been informed that Kewet Buddy, the one in the picture, is legally classified as a "four-wheel motorcycle" in Norway and thus does not get the incentives enjoyed by electric cars like Think, hence the recent demonstration, video news clip.)

Kewet Buddy in Norway
A Kewet Buddy electric car (EV) being recharged in Oslo, Norway (2007)

Related links:
European Voice- Norwegian initiative to promote cleanner cars
Kewet Buddy: Company website, Electrifying Times, EV Guide

Marine Botany

Never knew that a seemingly lifeless rocky beach could offer such a myriad of colours and diversity of lives, therefore, I have to agree that nature is the best classroom to learn...marine botany (+ zoology, to include the red stuff between rocks)!

Picture 4
Snapshots taken at a beach on Isle of Mull, Scotland (04/2007)

Man's Best Friend

The place referred to earlier as "Land of Tartan and Kilt" is actually better known as Scotland (as you might have guessed :-P). This statue in the capital tells the story of a faithful dog, known as Bobby.

Picture 2
The Statue of Greyfriars Bobby in Edinburgh (2006)

Tartan and Kilt

Away from the tropics, Kiat is currently in the Land of Tartan and Kilt, pursuing knowledge, broadening his horizons and learning about haggis, whisky and Irn-Bru. No, he still has not learnt how to play a bagpipe :-P

Picture 1
Participants posing at George Square, Glasgow for the Glasgow International Piping Festival (10/08/07)

Penang

I think no other picture is more appropriate than a snapshot of Penang, Malaysia to begin with. Penang is definitely the first place Kiat visited and remains one of his favourite cities. Penang asam laksa is the best!

Picture 3
Georgetown of Penang, from the Penang Bridge (2006)

Welcome - 欢迎光临 - Selamat datang

Hi, thanks for dropping by! As what the title tells, this website is mainly about Kiat's experience exploring the planet and his sharing of stories via digital documentation etc.

Picture 2

While you are here, feel free to explore around and do have a look at:


Album - photos and travel notes.

Clips - favourite video clips.

Links - friends' website etc.

Email - to leave me a message.