I was surprised to see two senior para-police guards outside the CEA office as there were none two weeks ago. "We are protecting the CEA directors inside the offices. Many housing agents had their licences revoked and we have much experience handling such riotous people."
The CEA is set up to regulate the housing agents and started in Nov 2010. "There is a Chinese syndicate conning the people," the guard told me. I was surprised to know that. The world has changed and there may be more cunning scam and con men and women who want to make fast bucks without having to work.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
279. The man who loved 3 stray cats
Yesterday, Dec 28, 2010 was my first day back to work, after a 14-day packaged tour to Europe (Italy, Switzerland and France) and a subsidised stay in Dubai from Emirates Air and the Tourism Board.
It was extremely tiring as the tour leader had to rush us from one place to another. There was a group of 49 Singaporeans and a few would not be punctual throughout this packaged tour as they took their time to take photographs and eat their meals belatedly, making the majority wait for them.
Surprisingly, the Divine Powers had been kind to us as there were no major traffic jams from Rome to Turin to Switzerland and Paris. Nor were there delays in flights back from Paris to Singapore. Yet the the heavy snow falls affected road traffic and flights in London, the US and Europe at around this time (Dec 13 - 27, 2010). One Singapore Tour Group had to spend the night inside the coach from Milan to Rome as snowfall had caused traffic slowdown. We were clear all the way.
The only thing we missed was seeing The Colosseum in Rome. The students protested violently against Prime Minister's Belusconi's decision to cut funding for University research and expenditure and increased fees. So they burnt cars and caused closure of the Colosseum. The Eiffel Tower in Paris was closed before we arrived as there was strong winds or something but when we arrived, we could visit the 2nd floor. Strong winds did close the railway service to the top of Europe - the Jungfrau mountain or Matterhorn in Lake Interlaken, Switzerland. We went snow sledging. I did not want to risk my life as any mistake in rounding corners on the right could fling me down the ravine. I was no spring chicken and wanted to back out as the younger ones and some older folks took the risk of sitting on the snow sledge downhill.
I was the last one left holding the snow sledge as the others who did not want to do snow sledging were holed up in a cafe. Well, I took the risk. It could be death if I fell into the steep slope on the right and knocked my head.
The snow sledge's downhill slide was to be stopped by putting two heels down onto the snow as if braking a car. My heels were not deep into the snow and so the snow sledge continued to slip downhill increasing momentum as the gradient was steep, at around 45 degrees. I banged into the left side (of the hill) and slightly bruised my left shin. I did crash onto the right edge and quickly hopped off to avoid falling into the ravine below as my sledge could not turn left for two times. Midway down, I nearly crashed into a group standing around. There, the tour leader was phoning for ski patrol for help. A Singaporean was really flung down a bit of the ravine. A tree stopped his tumble further down and he received 4 stitches above his right eye-brow. That was the main excitement of the packaged tour. Fresh snow had just fallen a few days ago.
After snowsledging, we went to Lucerne for the night. The tour guide took the group there from Lucerne the next day and it was clear. I did not bother to take another 1.5-hour coach ride and explored the Lucerne town and its inhabitants and tourists. The two sons went skiing nearby.
Back to my first day at work. A family was too early and was waiting for Dr Vanessa to do dental scaling. An old client came with two stray cats. "The vet would only sterilise them at 6 months of age," he said. "However, these two cats were meowing and behaving like adults at 5 months of age. I want to sterilise them. There is a 3rd cat somewhere. I will get him later."
I examined the cats. The male was 2.8 kg. The female was 2.4 kg. Both could be sterilised and so I booked them in. I am teaching my veterinary staff to be efficient and not to waste material unnecessarily. I pointed out to them that the new $7,000 surgical operating table of two weeks had more than 30 scratches. "So, at the end of two months, the whole surface would be all scratched," I said. "This should not be the case. You need to put a tower on the table to protect it until the dog is under anaesthesia and surgery." The seller had delivered the table without informing me when I was on holiday. Sometimes it is common sense. Stainless steel surfaces should not be clawed by dogs as the scratches would rust later. So, use towels to protect the surface when a dog is awake and not fully sedated.
The examination table of over 10 years and sourced from the same U.S. manufacturer was hardier and did not suffer any serious scratches.
"Gauze?" my assistant got the gauze ready. "There is no need to use gauze," I said to him again. "There is little bleeding during a cat spay." That is the situation I encounter when I spay a cat.
"The start and end of the surgery must be recorded," I told my assistant. This will enable me to audit my surgery as well as those of my associates and learn from the situations needing unusual lengthy surgeries. An animal has a better survival rate if the surgery is as short as possible.
ANAESTHESIA
2.4 kg stray cat. Xylazine 0.1 ml and ketamine 0.4 ml in one syringe IM. Effective. There was no need for an assistant to hang around. I took around 25 minutes for the surgery doing it at a leisuredly pace. It could be done in 15 minutes.
VET-HOPPING
This is common in Singapore. Proximity and pricing would be the attracting factors. 6 months of age is the common recommendation for spay of dogs and cats. In this female cat, at 5 months, the ovaries and uterine bodies were enlarged with thick red blood vessles. Therefore the cat was on heat at 5 months.
2nd VACCINATION AND EAR CLIPPING. The gentleman in his late 50s said: "Clip the left ear so that the AVA would not grab the cat and kill it. My family is attached to these stray cats and that is why I want to sterilise them." He wanted to hospitalise them for a few days although I said it would not be necessary.
It was extremely tiring as the tour leader had to rush us from one place to another. There was a group of 49 Singaporeans and a few would not be punctual throughout this packaged tour as they took their time to take photographs and eat their meals belatedly, making the majority wait for them.
Surprisingly, the Divine Powers had been kind to us as there were no major traffic jams from Rome to Turin to Switzerland and Paris. Nor were there delays in flights back from Paris to Singapore. Yet the the heavy snow falls affected road traffic and flights in London, the US and Europe at around this time (Dec 13 - 27, 2010). One Singapore Tour Group had to spend the night inside the coach from Milan to Rome as snowfall had caused traffic slowdown. We were clear all the way.
The only thing we missed was seeing The Colosseum in Rome. The students protested violently against Prime Minister's Belusconi's decision to cut funding for University research and expenditure and increased fees. So they burnt cars and caused closure of the Colosseum. The Eiffel Tower in Paris was closed before we arrived as there was strong winds or something but when we arrived, we could visit the 2nd floor. Strong winds did close the railway service to the top of Europe - the Jungfrau mountain or Matterhorn in Lake Interlaken, Switzerland. We went snow sledging. I did not want to risk my life as any mistake in rounding corners on the right could fling me down the ravine. I was no spring chicken and wanted to back out as the younger ones and some older folks took the risk of sitting on the snow sledge downhill.
I was the last one left holding the snow sledge as the others who did not want to do snow sledging were holed up in a cafe. Well, I took the risk. It could be death if I fell into the steep slope on the right and knocked my head.
The snow sledge's downhill slide was to be stopped by putting two heels down onto the snow as if braking a car. My heels were not deep into the snow and so the snow sledge continued to slip downhill increasing momentum as the gradient was steep, at around 45 degrees. I banged into the left side (of the hill) and slightly bruised my left shin. I did crash onto the right edge and quickly hopped off to avoid falling into the ravine below as my sledge could not turn left for two times. Midway down, I nearly crashed into a group standing around. There, the tour leader was phoning for ski patrol for help. A Singaporean was really flung down a bit of the ravine. A tree stopped his tumble further down and he received 4 stitches above his right eye-brow. That was the main excitement of the packaged tour. Fresh snow had just fallen a few days ago.
After snowsledging, we went to Lucerne for the night. The tour guide took the group there from Lucerne the next day and it was clear. I did not bother to take another 1.5-hour coach ride and explored the Lucerne town and its inhabitants and tourists. The two sons went skiing nearby.
Back to my first day at work. A family was too early and was waiting for Dr Vanessa to do dental scaling. An old client came with two stray cats. "The vet would only sterilise them at 6 months of age," he said. "However, these two cats were meowing and behaving like adults at 5 months of age. I want to sterilise them. There is a 3rd cat somewhere. I will get him later."
I examined the cats. The male was 2.8 kg. The female was 2.4 kg. Both could be sterilised and so I booked them in. I am teaching my veterinary staff to be efficient and not to waste material unnecessarily. I pointed out to them that the new $7,000 surgical operating table of two weeks had more than 30 scratches. "So, at the end of two months, the whole surface would be all scratched," I said. "This should not be the case. You need to put a tower on the table to protect it until the dog is under anaesthesia and surgery." The seller had delivered the table without informing me when I was on holiday. Sometimes it is common sense. Stainless steel surfaces should not be clawed by dogs as the scratches would rust later. So, use towels to protect the surface when a dog is awake and not fully sedated.
The examination table of over 10 years and sourced from the same U.S. manufacturer was hardier and did not suffer any serious scratches.
"Gauze?" my assistant got the gauze ready. "There is no need to use gauze," I said to him again. "There is little bleeding during a cat spay." That is the situation I encounter when I spay a cat.
"The start and end of the surgery must be recorded," I told my assistant. This will enable me to audit my surgery as well as those of my associates and learn from the situations needing unusual lengthy surgeries. An animal has a better survival rate if the surgery is as short as possible.
ANAESTHESIA
2.4 kg stray cat. Xylazine 0.1 ml and ketamine 0.4 ml in one syringe IM. Effective. There was no need for an assistant to hang around. I took around 25 minutes for the surgery doing it at a leisuredly pace. It could be done in 15 minutes.
VET-HOPPING
This is common in Singapore. Proximity and pricing would be the attracting factors. 6 months of age is the common recommendation for spay of dogs and cats. In this female cat, at 5 months, the ovaries and uterine bodies were enlarged with thick red blood vessles. Therefore the cat was on heat at 5 months.
2nd VACCINATION AND EAR CLIPPING. The gentleman in his late 50s said: "Clip the left ear so that the AVA would not grab the cat and kill it. My family is attached to these stray cats and that is why I want to sterilise them." He wanted to hospitalise them for a few days although I said it would not be necessary.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
278. Myanmar travel and tour travel agency
In December 2010, I have started Design Travel Pte Ltd, a travel agency focused on Myanamar travel and tours. The previous licence from the Singapore Tourism Board was for Asia USA Realty (S) asiahomes.com Pte Ltd in 2009. This was returned to the STB and replaced by a new licence for Design Travel Pte Ltd which is more appropriately named as a travel agency whereas the previous licence was part of a real estate agency.
My blog on my 2008 tours are at:
http://myanmar-singapore.blogspot.com/2009/03/asiahomes-start-up-travel-agency.html
My blog on my 2008 tours are at:
http://myanmar-singapore.blogspot.com/2009/03/asiahomes-start-up-travel-agency.html
Friday, December 24, 2010
277. KINDLE STORIES - Travel Stories. Christmas in North Myanmar
Thursday, December 23, 2010.
KINDLE STORIES - Christmas in North Myanmar
"Is it safe to tour Myanmar?" many Singaporean friends thought I was insane when I made arrangements to visit Central and North Myanmar in late 2008. The local newspapers seldom market or advertise tours to Myanmar in the past 10 years and so most Singaporeans do not visit this country of 50 million people.
"The planes there are not safe," one veterinarian's wife surprised me with her comment on air safety. Yet there have been no news of airplane crashing in Myanmar for at least 10 years. When a bomb exploded in a tour bus in Israel some 15 years ago, a few of the Singaporean pilgrims backed out of the Bible Land tour organised by my ex-National Service officer who became a pastor.
I was a non-believer but I toured with him to visit Bethlehem's Church of Nativity where Jesus was said to be born in a stable surrounded by farm animals and related Christian sites, making my Sunday School lessons of some 50 years ago alive.
So, should I go to Myanmar with my family during the Christmas holidays and endanger the safety of everyone? Fools rush in where angels fear to tread? An old Myanmarese friend assured me: "Myanmar is a safe country for tourists. The government prohibits tourists from visiting certain regions which are deemed not safe for foreigners."
After talking to other Myanmar nationals, I decided that there was no concern and embarked on an unforgettable journey whom I got to know more about my family members as well as the culture of the Myanmar nationals, one of whom was my veterinary assistant.
BEST SEASON TO VISIT MYANMAR & TOURIST ATTRACTIONS October to April is considered the best period of time to tour Myanmar as it is the dry season and the tourist does not get drenched and travel on muddy track roads in visiting rural areas.
TWO TOURS IN 2008
From Singapore, we boarded a Silk Air plane to Yangon in September for an 8-day travel to Central Myanmar. A tour guide met us at Yangon and we toured using local airplanes and a tour bus to visit Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin, Lake Inle and Kyaikhtiyo before going back to Singapore via Yangon.
In December for 14 days, from Yangon, a tour guide went with us. We took internal flights to North Myanmar's city of Myitkyina. Then we took two cars to travel over 7 hours on bumpy roads and broken bridges to Lake Indawygyi. Then we drove back to Myitkyina and took a plane to Bagan, by coach to Mount Poppa and then Pyin Oo Lwin before going back to Singapore.
LUXURY ACCOMMODATION.
The Racing Manager must be corrupted. He and his family stayed in Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok for their holidays," one strictly religious Turf Club Security Manager remarked to me when I was a racehorse veterinarian some 30 years ago.
Staying in a 5-star hotel in Singapore is still very expensive but the rates would be much lower in Bangkok, Thailand and affordable for many Singaporeans. In Myanmar, we could afford to stay one night each at the luxurious Strand Hotel, Myanmar and the Governor's House (rebuilt) in Pyin Oo Lwin to experience the ambience and the history of the British colonialists who designed and built both buildings.
KILL ALL SPIDERS AT GOLDEN ISLAND COTTAGES HOTELS, INLE LAKE
On checking in at the Golden Island Cottages villa built of bamboos over the Inle Lake, spider cobwebs lined the walls and several spiders scattered on top of the mosquito nets over the beds. My wife was not happy. The hotel staff rushed in with Bayon spray cans. "No need to kill the spiders," I stopped the staff from blasting the rooms with insecticide spray. "Just catch the spiders and put them outside. Sweep away the cobwebs with a brush and broom." Arachnophobia from a veterinarian's wife?
Well, one James Bond's movies had shown a tarantula crawling onto a sleeping person and killing him with painful bites and this could have caused arachnophobia in city dwellers like my wife. Now, I had a problem. How to resolve this? The tour guide had already booked the hotel. Yet, the fear of spiders should not be dismissed away.
We went on the boat ride to visit a hut where local women weaved lotus fabric and on the way, I saw Myanmar Treasure Resort Hotel and got the guide to book the rooms for us. It was a luxury hotel type. There was not a cobweb in sight in the bedroom. This solved my problem!
EXPOSURE TO LIGHTNING, THUNDER AND STRONG WINDS, KYAIKHTIYO
"I don't want to be electrocuted by lightning," I said to myself as four men carried me on a palanquin 11 km up the steep hill from Kinpun base camp to the mountain top where the Golden Rock Pagoda and Hotel were located.
Heavy showers erupted just as we reached Kyaikhtiyp by coach. I remembered that a golfer was killed by lightning in a Singapore golf course and the advice was to stay away from open areas during thunderstorms.
Here I was, fully vulnerable, damp and exposed to the elements. The four men on each end of the pole walked in tandem, switched positions of the pole swishing their slippers as they carried the tourists past boulders, shrubs and trees.
Black skies flashed yellow as if I was in a air bombing battlefield. It was too risky to drive up the mountain and the accommodation was booked at the top. So all of us had to pay to be carried uphill like what British officers were during the colonial period. It seemed like an eternity.
I was more worried that my camera and shoes would get wet as I wrapped them with plastic bags. It must be one of those unforgettable moments for my family as the fear of being killed by an act of God was too real and time to reach our destination was an eternity.
At the hotel, we had no dry clothes as the guide had left our luggage at the bottom of the Mountain. So we purchased some sarong. I thought it was fun. But not for the others. The manager told us that electricity would be switched off after midnight as there was this thunderstorm.
At 4 am, the bedroom was as dark as hell. I could not even see my finger. Where was the bathroom? "Grope the bedside," I said to my wife. "Feel the wall edges and then slowly glide your hand towards the direction of the bathroom door." This was worse than my national service military exercise past midnight. At least I could see the starlight then. Here, I was blind as a bat.
The next morning, I discovered that the hotel had torch-lights hanging on the wall. Well, the manager or hotel notices did not inform inexperienced travellers like us about the presence of torches in hotel rooms.
HARDSHIP ACCOMMODATION AT LAKE INDAWGYI
Cracked WCs, no hot water at the Lakeside Guest House in Lake Indawgyi in North Myanmar. "This is acceptable to the backpacker," my wife declared to me two years later as she recalled the visit to Lake Indawgyi. She was no more the young spirit who would sacrifice comfort to see the world. No electricity at dinner too? This was upsetting.
Candle-light for dinner at Lake Indawgyi's small restaurant was romantic, I thought. This was hardship dinner. I appreciated the boat tour of this clear and beautiful lake and the pagoda where pilgrims walked to pray during the season when there was no water.
"The fish was good," my second son recalled. "As for the rough bathroom amenities, the national service training had accustomed us to such situations."
TOILETS BEHIND THE BUSHES ON THE WAY FROM MYITKYINA TO LAKE INDAWGYI The 7-hour car ride from Myitkyina to Lake Indawgyi was hard on the backside of city dwellers. It was worse when it came to bathroom facilities. Once my wife had to go behind some low shrubs while her sons stood guard as she had to pee.
On the visit to the gold-mining area 2 hours's drive from Myitkyina, she could not stand the stench of the public toilets. My guide had the brains to persuade a monk to let her use the bathroom of the monastery. Well, no more Myanmar rural tours for her if there are no good bathrooms with fresh air.
COMMUNITY TOURISM
I would like to see the how the six bigger groups of ethinic minorities live in their communities. These are the Shan, the Karen, the Kachin, the Mon, the Rakhine and the Chin. Tourism revenue helps to improve the standards of living of a community and my travel may make a very small difference to the local people as it provides some employment for the hospitality staff.
Bagan with its archealogical and historical heritage was busy with Caucasian and Asian tourists during my visit there. There were worries that the pagoda floors would be worn out by the footsteps of such large numbers of tourists.
ECONOMICS Stunning beauty of the interior, cultural heritage, gentle people Oil, minerals and natural gas resources are abundant. Myanmar is of vital strategic value for its rich resources. Between two emerging giants, China and India. I would like to visit the jade mining areas of North Myanmar but my guide said it was not possible at that time.
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY, MILITARY & PROVINCIAL CHECK POINT BACK-UP CAMERA, CAMERA SHAKE AND RAIN CULTURE Novice monks and nuns, ear boring.
FESTIVALS WET MARKET ART AND THE FLOWER GIRL POLITICS AND TOURISM INDEPENDENCE HERO, General Aung San founded the Burmese army. His daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi (pronounced as "Awn Sun Sue Chee") was under house arrest in 2008 and was released in late 2010. Now she is said to support tourism. 1962 coup by army. Burma is called the Union of Myanmar. 1988 Demonstrators fought the military. 1990 NLD won national elections. Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for 15 out of past 21 years in Rangoon (Yangon). 1990s Western government imposed economic sanctions on Burma. Suu Kyi supported the sanctions by discouraging tourism. 2007 Saffron revolution by monks. 2009 An American Vietnam War veteran said he was on a mission from God swam to her lakeside home, thereby extending her house arrest 2010 Elections held and Aung San Suu Kyi is free from house arrest after the elections.
BUDDHISM Over 85% of the population are Buddhists. Philosophy of nonviolence.
INTERNET ACCESS in hotels - None or poor connections in 2008 except for top hotels in Yangon. BROWN OUTS. Power failures do happen in shops and small hotels in bigger towns and cities but generators are available to restore the electricity in 2008.
ART - Art galleries yes. I bought a painting at the Bagoyoke market for my surgery.
VET HOSPITAL - none in Yangon in 2008.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Travel stories - Dog catches snowball?
Dec 23, 2010
Yesterday morning, while waiting to leave the Postillon Hotel in Lucern (Day 2 of 2-night stay), an elderly couple in a car let out two cross-bred dogs. Slim and active. One went towards the 2 single ladies in our group. They shrank in fear. So I presume these two Singapore ladies do not have experience with dogs. On the other hand, the 9-year-old Chinese girl who has a Maltese and rabbit at home, could not resist patting dogs she met.
The elderly gentleman made a snowball and threw it further away into the snowed field. The dog rushed forward but the snowball split and so it was a waste of time as the dog could not find it. It was a futile task for the canine companion but he barked for the owner to throw another ball. The other dog could not be bothered.
Paris today is 0 degrees C. Wake up call at 6 am automated. Will stop now to get ready to eat the bacon as I expect it to be of highest quality as in the Novotel hotel in Venice. I have stopped eating bacon for many years as it is not part of breakfast for the Singaporean Chinese family.
Yesterday morning, while waiting to leave the Postillon Hotel in Lucern (Day 2 of 2-night stay), an elderly couple in a car let out two cross-bred dogs. Slim and active. One went towards the 2 single ladies in our group. They shrank in fear. So I presume these two Singapore ladies do not have experience with dogs. On the other hand, the 9-year-old Chinese girl who has a Maltese and rabbit at home, could not resist patting dogs she met.
The elderly gentleman made a snowball and threw it further away into the snowed field. The dog rushed forward but the snowball split and so it was a waste of time as the dog could not find it. It was a futile task for the canine companion but he barked for the owner to throw another ball. The other dog could not be bothered.
Paris today is 0 degrees C. Wake up call at 6 am automated. Will stop now to get ready to eat the bacon as I expect it to be of highest quality as in the Novotel hotel in Venice. I have stopped eating bacon for many years as it is not part of breakfast for the Singaporean Chinese family.
275. Travel stories - Paris
Thurs, Dec 23, 2010
Novotel Paris Est
6.34am (Paris), 1.22 pm (Singapore)
I left Singapore on Dec 14, 2010 on a 13-day Switzerland-Italy-France tour. Stayed in hotels in Rome, Milan, Turin, Interlaken, Lucerne (2 nights) and now Paris (lst of 2 nights).
COACH.
1. Leg space practically nil for most seats in European coaches provided by a European company. Stop-over at 2-3 hours enables one to walk stiffly. Free and easy tours will be better but will cost more. Less hectic and see more.
HOTEL QUALITY. Mainly 4-stars but quality of heating and bathroom vary considerably.
Novotel Hotel chain sets a very high standard. So far, stayed in two of the Novotel chain. Excellent variety and quality of breakfast in the first Novotel in Venice. Now in Novotel Paris, the hotel provides a long writing table.
KETTLE
On the table, you get a kettle, tea and coffee bags, and two convenient power points in the two Novotel chain I stayed. A kettle is much appreciated by guests. According to the tour manager, some tourists boil their socks in the kettle. This should not be done.
COMPUTER KEYBOARD
In Paris and Switzerland, the computer keyboard of Apple does not use the same letter layout as those in Singapore and UK. This means you waste several minutes correcting your typing and soon your time is up. It costs 5 Euros or S$6.30 for 30 minutes in Italy. So, you have to be fast.
FREE INTERNET ACCESS FOR 6 HOURS. This is really generous of Novotel Paris. The one in Venice gives free access for 20 minutes. It will be difficult for the other hotels to match this offer and also provides a variety and good breakfast, a kettle and warmth in the room when the guest opens the door.
BACON
As I had studied bacon production as a vet student in Glasgow Univ and stayed there for 5 years, the quality of bacon is defined as less fat. This will be more expensive. So far, only the Novotel chain in Venice passed my test. I expect Novotel Paris Est when I go down for breakfast at 7 am will pass the test too. Fatty oily bacon strips indicate that the hotel management is cutting down costs by buying the fatty streaky ones. I asked a Chinese student what "bacon" is in Mandarin Language. His mum who is a Chinese National says it is "the 3-layered pork belly meat." Bacon is essentially part of British breakfast. Maybe the French, Italians and Swiss do not eat it?
CLEANLINESS APPEARANCE.
Both Novotel chains in Venice and Paris are around 4 years old and have the high standards of cleanliness and pastel colours of curtains and white wall paint.
EAT
It is risky for health to travel in a packaged tour in Europe. I tend to eat more hamburgers, sausages, scrambled egg and fatty bacon. Sphaggeti in tomato sauce is my choice as I deem it less high-cholesterol filling. Salad and fruits. It seems most Singaporean tourists in my 50-person tour group shun them. They dislike eating European cornflakes, bread, milk and the same scrambled eggs, canned fruits and salami for breakfast every morning.
Novotel Paris Est
6.34am (Paris), 1.22 pm (Singapore)
I left Singapore on Dec 14, 2010 on a 13-day Switzerland-Italy-France tour. Stayed in hotels in Rome, Milan, Turin, Interlaken, Lucerne (2 nights) and now Paris (lst of 2 nights).
COACH.
1. Leg space practically nil for most seats in European coaches provided by a European company. Stop-over at 2-3 hours enables one to walk stiffly. Free and easy tours will be better but will cost more. Less hectic and see more.
HOTEL QUALITY. Mainly 4-stars but quality of heating and bathroom vary considerably.
Novotel Hotel chain sets a very high standard. So far, stayed in two of the Novotel chain. Excellent variety and quality of breakfast in the first Novotel in Venice. Now in Novotel Paris, the hotel provides a long writing table.
KETTLE
On the table, you get a kettle, tea and coffee bags, and two convenient power points in the two Novotel chain I stayed. A kettle is much appreciated by guests. According to the tour manager, some tourists boil their socks in the kettle. This should not be done.
COMPUTER KEYBOARD
In Paris and Switzerland, the computer keyboard of Apple does not use the same letter layout as those in Singapore and UK. This means you waste several minutes correcting your typing and soon your time is up. It costs 5 Euros or S$6.30 for 30 minutes in Italy. So, you have to be fast.
FREE INTERNET ACCESS FOR 6 HOURS. This is really generous of Novotel Paris. The one in Venice gives free access for 20 minutes. It will be difficult for the other hotels to match this offer and also provides a variety and good breakfast, a kettle and warmth in the room when the guest opens the door.
BACON
As I had studied bacon production as a vet student in Glasgow Univ and stayed there for 5 years, the quality of bacon is defined as less fat. This will be more expensive. So far, only the Novotel chain in Venice passed my test. I expect Novotel Paris Est when I go down for breakfast at 7 am will pass the test too. Fatty oily bacon strips indicate that the hotel management is cutting down costs by buying the fatty streaky ones. I asked a Chinese student what "bacon" is in Mandarin Language. His mum who is a Chinese National says it is "the 3-layered pork belly meat." Bacon is essentially part of British breakfast. Maybe the French, Italians and Swiss do not eat it?
CLEANLINESS APPEARANCE.
Both Novotel chains in Venice and Paris are around 4 years old and have the high standards of cleanliness and pastel colours of curtains and white wall paint.
EAT
It is risky for health to travel in a packaged tour in Europe. I tend to eat more hamburgers, sausages, scrambled egg and fatty bacon. Sphaggeti in tomato sauce is my choice as I deem it less high-cholesterol filling. Salad and fruits. It seems most Singaporean tourists in my 50-person tour group shun them. They dislike eating European cornflakes, bread, milk and the same scrambled eggs, canned fruits and salami for breakfast every morning.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
273. Travel Tips: Europe & Winter
Dec 14, 2010
Hotel Papillo, Rome
11.56am
7 hours' difference from Singapore as it is 4.56 am. Tour group of around 49 people from Singapore are sleeping. Left Singapore's messy renovating and dark Terminal 3 Changi Airport, Dec 14, 2010 at 2am. Reached Dubai at 4am (Dubai time), said to be 6 hours' of travel by plane. Waited >4 hours. Boarded Emirates Air again to Rome for another 6 hours. 3 pm bright and sunny blue skies at an old dark airport at Rome (could be a minor airport as there were 2 or 3 small Alitalia planes?).
I took a vacation break from Singapore from Dec 13 to 27, 2010 to refresh my mind and gain a different perspective in my veterinary practice and life. Travel does broaden your mind if you are receptive and alert to differences in people and places seen.
For some Singapore ladies, it is the inexpensive branded handbag and fashion shopping. Nothing matters. "I bought an LV handbag at $1,800," the single office girl in her late 20s declared: "It is cheap compared to Singapore where it sells for $2,400."
Here are some travellers' tips applicable to veterinary practice business and life.
1. TRAFFIC COUNTS
Dubai Airport Terminal 3, at 4 - 6 am is a very busy place unlike Singapore's Changi Airport at this time (I was at Terminal 3 on Dec 13). Planeloads of tourists or people keep the shops very busy. With high traffic, money is generated. More profits are ploughed to renovate and beat the competition by upgrading and providing more vendors and shops. In veterinary practice, this traffic does matter too.
2. NEW ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN IMPRESS CLIENTS. Both Terminal 3 airports can compete in architectural impression as both were big, bright and newer. Rome's airport where I landed looks dated and gloomy. The circular design of the celing lights on arrival are attractive and brightens the place (see picture later).
3. FREE BREAKFAST FOR TRANSIT PASSENGERS OVER 4 HOURS. I discovered this by accident when I asked a lady who was soliciting breakfast clients for her restaurant as to why there was a long queue opposite her restaurant. My family had filled their stomachs with deep fried chips and onion rings and burgers at this Cosy and Burger Restaurant just below this free breakfast. Our transit was more than 4 hours. I went up to inspect as I try to refrain from fried fast food or eat little. The queue was due to one man verifying the 4-hour rule. His lady colleague just stamp and issue receipts with no verification to reduce the long waiting time.
Breakfast menu: Fruit juices, canned drinks, sausages, fried rice, canned beans, hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, buns, apples, bannanas. Certainly healthier than fried chips and onion rings which the young adults of Singapore are prone to eat.
4. PORTABLE HARD DISC (IOMEGA). In Singapore, I rushed to Harvey Norman at Yishun's Northpoint at the last minute to buy Toshiba hard disc. Since it does not sell Toshiba which I like for its design, I bought the Iomega 500GB. I thought its cable to transfer my pic from camera to hard disc was the same as Toshiba and so did not bring the Iomega's cable. I bought a different cable which could not fit into IOMEGA's input as it was much smaller in size. Always bring the same cable from the hard disc supplier. Fortunately I had one cable for the Canon camera but this meant that I had to download pic to computer hard disc from camera using this sole cable. Then disconnect the camera, take out the camera and connect the Iomega drive to computer to download the folder now saved in the laptop.
5. TWO-PIN mulitple plug for Europe. I bought one. So, now I connect to the laptop but cannot charge my handphone since I don't have another. Always bring 2 or 3.
6. ACCESS CODE FOR INTERNET CONNECT AT HOTEL PAPILLO. I went down to see the young man at 11 am to get the code to exercise a bit. Wet cold outside the hotel which is clean and white (marbled flooring is white) and carpets are pale brown green colours making the hotel look clean and bigger.
He gave me in CAPITAL letter of 6 alphabets. I keyed in the first two codes as instructed. No connection. Then I phoned him to get another code. CAPITAL LETTERS AGAIN from him over the phone. Can't connect. "Is it in capital letters?" Julia asked. "Yes," I said. I thought maybe, should use non-capital letters. It connected me.
7. ENQUIRE INTERNET COSTS. According to the receptionist, it is free for 10 hours of operating time. High speed broadband laptop connection is available in this hotel.
8. SPILLAGE OF ORANGE JUICE onto my camera. I sat on the aisle seat of 3. The Emirates Airplane has 3-4-3 seating arrangement. Very cramped. I like the touch-screen viewing. As I handed the drinks to Julia and Jason from the stewardess holding a tray of drinks in cups, I accidentally knocked one. Orange juice spilled out onto my trousers and camera. Only one SLR which I depend on for its sharpness and zoon and now, wet with sweet orange juice. My pants wetted but I was worried that the camera was disabled by orange juice. Nothing happened.
9. STANDBY SMALL CAMERA. Unlike my Myanmar trip, this time I am wise enough to carry a small Limux camera. It is not great in taking close ups and its auto features are ok in daylight. I should have another SLR back up. Hope this SLR Camera EOS 550 does not malfunction as the previous Camera EOS 50D I bought to Mynamar tour in 2008 failed me at the crucial last 3 days of the trip.
10. STUDENTS' POWER. On arrival at Rome yesterday, the tour guide said the students blocked downtown and therefore the Colosseum and downtown would be risky for tourists. The Italian tour guide took us to the Vatican which had no student demonstrations. "The students demonstrated against the Prime Minister, some 50,000 of them," the guide said to me. "But the Prime Minister won. By two votes." Political power is still the controlling factor.
11. BROADEN YOUR MIND BY KNOWING MORE ABOUT THE VATICAN CITY AND CHRISTIAN EMPERORS AND WARS. We had more time at the Vatican and I would say that it takes more than 3 hours to appreciate the beauty of Mary and Christ on her lap sculpture by Michaelangelo, the various mosaic altars of Christianity. The tour group was not that keen into Catholcisim and the Pope and so the guide was not keen to talk much as the group scattered to take pictures.
If you watch movies (I can't remember the thriller name), you would see as the guide pointed out, the central of 3 balconies where the Pope would stand out to bless the crowd on Christmas Day. Also the second room from the right of a building near the St Peterburg's church which is the Pope's office. Took some pictures. I don't think my tour companions care two hoots about catholicism and the history of Christianity.
Probably more interested in fashion and shopping in Milan. Since the colesseum was closed, the tour leader took us there at night when the students had left. It was very cold and we could view the outside only. The tour leader said we could see the colosseum at Verona where Juliet lived and where she declared her love for Romeo. "Must pay to see the inside of the house," he said. "Outside, see the balcony, it is free." I doubt there are any romantics in the tour group although we have two newly married. I used to see Shakespeare's house and bedroom at Stratford upon Avon when I was an undergraduate in Glasgow some 50 years ago. I really paid to see the room and the short bed he slept on. Shakespeare was taught in literature in Singapore schools. Now, the schools have thrown out literature for most junior college students. So, Romeo and Juliet's play and Verona means nothing to the younger Singaporeans. "Anybody watch the 'LETTERS TO JULIET' movie in the Emirates Airplane?" the guide asked. Julia did. I did not. Guess I am not a romantic. I enjoyed watching "THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY" Western which I watched some 40 years ago. The plot is still riveting. I also watched "ROMANCING THE STONE" which has young Mike Douglas as an adventurer. It is a sob romantic story with rapid action scenes of life in Colombia. The young Singaporeans will never watch such movies in my opinion. It is a pity as they are "evergreens". What are evergreens? They are interesting good movies for all generations to come as they have excellent plots, pacing and character. But Avatar and new movies beat them in design and impressive visuals on the younger generation.
12. NO AIR COND. VERY HOT INSIDE BUS. One complaint from a big-sized Singaporean lady. The outside air is 10 degrees C. The driver switched on the ventilator or something.
Hotel Papillo, Rome
11.56am
7 hours' difference from Singapore as it is 4.56 am. Tour group of around 49 people from Singapore are sleeping. Left Singapore's messy renovating and dark Terminal 3 Changi Airport, Dec 14, 2010 at 2am. Reached Dubai at 4am (Dubai time), said to be 6 hours' of travel by plane. Waited >4 hours. Boarded Emirates Air again to Rome for another 6 hours. 3 pm bright and sunny blue skies at an old dark airport at Rome (could be a minor airport as there were 2 or 3 small Alitalia planes?).
I took a vacation break from Singapore from Dec 13 to 27, 2010 to refresh my mind and gain a different perspective in my veterinary practice and life. Travel does broaden your mind if you are receptive and alert to differences in people and places seen.
For some Singapore ladies, it is the inexpensive branded handbag and fashion shopping. Nothing matters. "I bought an LV handbag at $1,800," the single office girl in her late 20s declared: "It is cheap compared to Singapore where it sells for $2,400."
Here are some travellers' tips applicable to veterinary practice business and life.
1. TRAFFIC COUNTS
Dubai Airport Terminal 3, at 4 - 6 am is a very busy place unlike Singapore's Changi Airport at this time (I was at Terminal 3 on Dec 13). Planeloads of tourists or people keep the shops very busy. With high traffic, money is generated. More profits are ploughed to renovate and beat the competition by upgrading and providing more vendors and shops. In veterinary practice, this traffic does matter too.
2. NEW ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN IMPRESS CLIENTS. Both Terminal 3 airports can compete in architectural impression as both were big, bright and newer. Rome's airport where I landed looks dated and gloomy. The circular design of the celing lights on arrival are attractive and brightens the place (see picture later).
3. FREE BREAKFAST FOR TRANSIT PASSENGERS OVER 4 HOURS. I discovered this by accident when I asked a lady who was soliciting breakfast clients for her restaurant as to why there was a long queue opposite her restaurant. My family had filled their stomachs with deep fried chips and onion rings and burgers at this Cosy and Burger Restaurant just below this free breakfast. Our transit was more than 4 hours. I went up to inspect as I try to refrain from fried fast food or eat little. The queue was due to one man verifying the 4-hour rule. His lady colleague just stamp and issue receipts with no verification to reduce the long waiting time.
Breakfast menu: Fruit juices, canned drinks, sausages, fried rice, canned beans, hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, buns, apples, bannanas. Certainly healthier than fried chips and onion rings which the young adults of Singapore are prone to eat.
4. PORTABLE HARD DISC (IOMEGA). In Singapore, I rushed to Harvey Norman at Yishun's Northpoint at the last minute to buy Toshiba hard disc. Since it does not sell Toshiba which I like for its design, I bought the Iomega 500GB. I thought its cable to transfer my pic from camera to hard disc was the same as Toshiba and so did not bring the Iomega's cable. I bought a different cable which could not fit into IOMEGA's input as it was much smaller in size. Always bring the same cable from the hard disc supplier. Fortunately I had one cable for the Canon camera but this meant that I had to download pic to computer hard disc from camera using this sole cable. Then disconnect the camera, take out the camera and connect the Iomega drive to computer to download the folder now saved in the laptop.
5. TWO-PIN mulitple plug for Europe. I bought one. So, now I connect to the laptop but cannot charge my handphone since I don't have another. Always bring 2 or 3.
6. ACCESS CODE FOR INTERNET CONNECT AT HOTEL PAPILLO. I went down to see the young man at 11 am to get the code to exercise a bit. Wet cold outside the hotel which is clean and white (marbled flooring is white) and carpets are pale brown green colours making the hotel look clean and bigger.
He gave me in CAPITAL letter of 6 alphabets. I keyed in the first two codes as instructed. No connection. Then I phoned him to get another code. CAPITAL LETTERS AGAIN from him over the phone. Can't connect. "Is it in capital letters?" Julia asked. "Yes," I said. I thought maybe, should use non-capital letters. It connected me.
7. ENQUIRE INTERNET COSTS. According to the receptionist, it is free for 10 hours of operating time. High speed broadband laptop connection is available in this hotel.
8. SPILLAGE OF ORANGE JUICE onto my camera. I sat on the aisle seat of 3. The Emirates Airplane has 3-4-3 seating arrangement. Very cramped. I like the touch-screen viewing. As I handed the drinks to Julia and Jason from the stewardess holding a tray of drinks in cups, I accidentally knocked one. Orange juice spilled out onto my trousers and camera. Only one SLR which I depend on for its sharpness and zoon and now, wet with sweet orange juice. My pants wetted but I was worried that the camera was disabled by orange juice. Nothing happened.
9. STANDBY SMALL CAMERA. Unlike my Myanmar trip, this time I am wise enough to carry a small Limux camera. It is not great in taking close ups and its auto features are ok in daylight. I should have another SLR back up. Hope this SLR Camera EOS 550 does not malfunction as the previous Camera EOS 50D I bought to Mynamar tour in 2008 failed me at the crucial last 3 days of the trip.
10. STUDENTS' POWER. On arrival at Rome yesterday, the tour guide said the students blocked downtown and therefore the Colosseum and downtown would be risky for tourists. The Italian tour guide took us to the Vatican which had no student demonstrations. "The students demonstrated against the Prime Minister, some 50,000 of them," the guide said to me. "But the Prime Minister won. By two votes." Political power is still the controlling factor.
11. BROADEN YOUR MIND BY KNOWING MORE ABOUT THE VATICAN CITY AND CHRISTIAN EMPERORS AND WARS. We had more time at the Vatican and I would say that it takes more than 3 hours to appreciate the beauty of Mary and Christ on her lap sculpture by Michaelangelo, the various mosaic altars of Christianity. The tour group was not that keen into Catholcisim and the Pope and so the guide was not keen to talk much as the group scattered to take pictures.
If you watch movies (I can't remember the thriller name), you would see as the guide pointed out, the central of 3 balconies where the Pope would stand out to bless the crowd on Christmas Day. Also the second room from the right of a building near the St Peterburg's church which is the Pope's office. Took some pictures. I don't think my tour companions care two hoots about catholicism and the history of Christianity.
Probably more interested in fashion and shopping in Milan. Since the colesseum was closed, the tour leader took us there at night when the students had left. It was very cold and we could view the outside only. The tour leader said we could see the colosseum at Verona where Juliet lived and where she declared her love for Romeo. "Must pay to see the inside of the house," he said. "Outside, see the balcony, it is free." I doubt there are any romantics in the tour group although we have two newly married. I used to see Shakespeare's house and bedroom at Stratford upon Avon when I was an undergraduate in Glasgow some 50 years ago. I really paid to see the room and the short bed he slept on. Shakespeare was taught in literature in Singapore schools. Now, the schools have thrown out literature for most junior college students. So, Romeo and Juliet's play and Verona means nothing to the younger Singaporeans. "Anybody watch the 'LETTERS TO JULIET' movie in the Emirates Airplane?" the guide asked. Julia did. I did not. Guess I am not a romantic. I enjoyed watching "THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY" Western which I watched some 40 years ago. The plot is still riveting. I also watched "ROMANCING THE STONE" which has young Mike Douglas as an adventurer. It is a sob romantic story with rapid action scenes of life in Colombia. The young Singaporeans will never watch such movies in my opinion. It is a pity as they are "evergreens". What are evergreens? They are interesting good movies for all generations to come as they have excellent plots, pacing and character. But Avatar and new movies beat them in design and impressive visuals on the younger generation.
12. NO AIR COND. VERY HOT INSIDE BUS. One complaint from a big-sized Singaporean lady. The outside air is 10 degrees C. The driver switched on the ventilator or something.
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