Theres so much to write about that I dont know how to really type it down. I feel myself not being able to concentrate much lately, is it just me? I somehow cant study with music on, not even type/blog about anything.


Probably most of you guys know; I've just got back from Germany on the 23rd of January. To sum most of the stuff up, it have been such a wonderful time, pretty hard to describe in words, how excited, happy, lucky I was being able to visit Germany. Well, I did not go to any other major cities except Munich, Germany and some small towns around Bavaria. Namely Kochel, Starnberg in particular.


Lotsa meaty, pork in particular and land of beer. Bought a really really big mug - One Litre in size, just imagine. I was told that they have it during the Oktoberfest or beer festival where the minimum serving is like one litre of beer straight. woooh.


Day 1:


Landed around 2:15pm at Franz Josef Strauss International Airport . Pretty frustrated since I bought the Financial Times at the airport NOT KNOWING Lufthansa provide them for free together with good business magazines. BAH. Picked up by Jun, and the weather was just amazzzing, so sunny, nice and warm. Its really weird cause in the UK, it can be equally sunny but somehow you wont feel the warmth from the sunray whilst its different in Germany where u actually feel the HEAT. Went up to Olympics Tower having a 360 deg view around Munich especially was amazing while getting a small glance of the alps further south.

Stayed over at Juns house, thanks to his parents, Uncle Ingo and Aunt Yumiko and sister Sayuri which made the stay enjoyable and funny especially during meals.


Day 2:

I was brought around the city, churchs, council buildings and public squares. It was amazing and somehow a really modern, developed country dont actually have a set of tall, offices etc which I use to think most modern countries have them. The buildings were rather nice, better architecture compared to most countries I'd say. Had some pickled/preserved food in olive oil and tasted really good. I took the "spicy" stuff and somehow felt cheated. Not even spicy when they call it spicy, perhaps having alot of spice sounds right. Had a small picnic on the stairs- was good.





Packed pickled/perserved food on the stairs. Getting ready.



Day 3:


Wow, amazing day I have to say, imagine cycyling for perhaps 15km to the city and BACK. hahahah, it was so much fun to do it although tiring but ah well was well worth it especially cycling around the river up the city. Watching people walking their dogs, swans lazing around on a sunny day. Somehow spectacular. Cycled to this lake which was semi frozen, the sides were still not frozen fully but Jun suggested we go ice skating in shoes. WAS HELL FUN, great experience since u actually hear ice cracking. hahahahha, imagine the excitement and the risk. Oh yeah, Im really light so who cares :P. Jun being his usual crazy self tried cycling on ice when the wheels did submerge a lil and I called him to get out. lol.


Jun on the frozen lake.

And meeee :D

Poser Jun. Typical.


Just fooling around near the river. Cycling pitstop.






Outside the governments office.



The bikes we took to the city.



I love this picture. Taken at the park.



Another GOOD picture.



The park behind us. Massive and nice.



The day I fell in love with Leberkäse and given the chance to try the famous Bratwurst. Hung out around the park situated right in the city centre. life.

The some sort of fast food u get in Germany. The menu.


This is the Leberkäse or Leberkäs the germans call.

Outside a greek/german museum



The last few days were spent pretty relaxingly, was seriously tired after each night. Frequently falling asleep in cars and on the couch after all the going around. Visit to Kochel which is a small town near the Alps as mentioned. Starnbergs famous for the huge lake and its amazing as well. Relaxing place where one can seek serenity.


Struggling up to the peak.



Amazing view.

Damn poser. hahaha

Lake Starnberg.




Sunny boys

Feeling at peace.



Not forgetting a really fun day at the Pinakothek Museum of Modern Art. Mixed feelings and emotions potrayed by paintings. They had an exhibition on Alex Beckmann's work - a german who got exiled during Hitler's time.




Find my name (Johnson) and Sayuri's. ps: its based on height.

Find Jun and Ingo!

All around the wall. really cool.




:o

Foooling around. Funn.

I truly did enjoy the trip to Germany tho a really short one. Thanks to the Rentschlers.


The End



Tribute to Buddy

I think back really often, would it make a difference if I've gone back? Would it make me feel much better and would it even be any different if I did not come to the UK this early? So much happened since I got here, everything felt different, what would it be like to go back and truly realise the loss of my loved ones.



Today Buddy left my family and I; hopefully hes gone somewhere better. 24th January 2008



The one I've not taken as a dog nor a pet but a true friend; to speak or communicate seemed redundant but just mere body language and understanding. So much love that hes part of the family, so much for his patience and doings that brought joy to the family. The attention he sought from us, abudant love to give and receive which gives a true reflection of life I guess - Give and Take.



Sleeping on Buddy while thinking, gazing at stars will not happen anymore. Losing a friend who will listen and occasionally respond to acknowledge. No longer being able to wrestle and play around with, no more toss and fetch, no more being able to place bread in front of him while he patiently waits for the sign "go".



We did quite alot together for perhaps the past 10 years at least and I guess the impact would be greater on my dad since Buddy was quite his favorite as well. Anyway, I will stay strong, good things must all come to an end I guess. Sweet good memories are meant to be kept while bad ones will be left behind as a lesson to learn. Time to move forward.


Love you Buddy. Rest in Peace.

Ohhh München!

After some good food, Leberkäse and some Bratwurst its time for a small update. Not being able to upload lotsa pictures due to the connection. However, I've gone to the alps and it was simply amazing, the sceneries - WOOW. We took a cable car up in the area of Kochel. GUT!

Pictures pictures. =)


The view from the very most top

Awesome innit.

Was about to throw a huge snowball at Paul and Kat. hehehe


Paul, Kat and I


Jun and I at Schloss Nymphenburg

Joyous!!!

There you go, a small update! Guten Nacht!

Small Peek

Bwahaa, I'm now in München, Germany having a gut time now, had such great food; tho very often too meaty but taste really good. Just to keep you guys in a suspense of whats happening, I'll upload a picture. Everythings been great here, no worries mum and no, your son is not missing.


Outside the BMW Welt (BMW world) near Olympiapark.

5 Working Days Later

I QUIT! :D I told the guy that I wont be working anymore BECAUSE:

1) Brandon and Joshua will be coming to Oxford tomorrow and I wont want to be all drenched when I go out.
2) I'll be going to Germany on Tuesday and I dont intend to work anymore!
3) I can at least concentrate on some reading up and also the ML challenge.

I've reached my target of £200.00 and yes, all in 5 days. It just sorta came to my mind that UK cost of living is so low through this: 1 days work I can pay my phone bill for a month! £35 for 750 minutes and 250 text and also a free phone on a 18 months contract. Low cost of living lah u call this! Malaysia has a really high cost of living in comparison, and with the government's fake statement of 2-3% inflation a year is bollocks!

After all, I realized my £200.00 is around 260 Euros compared to 300 Euros which I would have gotten just 1-2 months ago =(. shucks! Nevertheless, its cheaper to study in the UK now! One of the lowest I've seen in a long time really. £1 = RM6.40, I can sorta imagine the expression ure giving now. AND no, Malaysia's economy did not improve that made the sterling fall but Im guessing its because of the interest rates and business confidence level in the UK at the moment.

Nevertheless, I shall look forward to this weekend, forsee something good and as usual happy times when close friends are around. I'm proud of myself being able to paint the room in 4 days, having the walls and ceilings, doors and wooden railings, coat of paint after another. Cycling to work in 8minutes downhill straight, cycling back uphill after work which I guess had some strain on my "ass" if u think I have where most people claim I dont. Been walking up the stairs to my flat with a tight ass. Wahaha, sick it may sound but oh well. The owner- Adrian was pretty reluctant to sorta let me go, he was like wont u be coming tomorrow? I told him I might be busy hence no, and he was replied: I thought you'll be going to Germany only next week, and in turn i said yeah, but I might want to get something done tomorrow. He even suggested that I call him back when I'm free to work or something, stating that he has a few more rooms that can be worked on. Furthermore he said I have 6 people who wants this job, probably implying something. hehe, but I dont really care now.

Super efficient ok, sometimes I bring an apple there, or few muffins or cookies to eat while working. In fact I hardly stop for a break, at most it would be 15minutes in a 6 hour period. Pure work non stop! K lah, enough of self praising; an often used quote by my dear sister - "Self Praise is No Praise" ahhahahah. She comes up with weird stuff lah once in a blue moon.

Tired now after work and shares/futures monitoring. I need a shower and some good rest.


Love,
Johnson

Poooof!

Another day at work which means more money coming in. To Keat Boon, I plan to work for till Friday and I've calculated that I will get more money than u get in a month! Wahahhaha, IF i do work till Friday, I'd have worked for 35 hours in total. Tiring shit I tell you but its all worth it!


Yo Queen Elizabeth II. Some how you look like a guy here. More and more money!!!



Got back from work, went on ML today and realised Oil went up again, its good news nevertheless but Im not very satisfied with the other counters' performance. BAH, oh well, I'll just give it a shot! :) More plans coming up.

Work again tomorrow, 9 30am. Bish! Getting sick of the job really, painting alone sucks.

Uneasy

Ahhh, I've removed the picture cause I felt uneasy about it. ahhahaha, and also to let ppl feel more comfortable around the blog.

Anyway, today the Merrill Lynch Challenge have just started and so far the progress is bad for a start. I accidentally made a few mistakes of buying too much futures on Crude Oil and I thought I paid a low price for it till it further fell another $1.00 which costed me £ 200k of losses. Bahhh, I forgot to take into account that margin and now its baddd. Hopefully it will go back up again as I have high faith in the oil prices - demand and supply while if America goes more into a recession and with its US Dollars depreciating, the oil price will definately shoot up. I just gotta wait now :)

Best of luck to all taking part in the challenge! Its not gonna be easy, 372 teams in total. Booh while I personally know 2 out of 371 of them.

I have to work tomorrow as well, 9:30am. pah! Its good to work early but I hate getting up early. Nevertheless its money day tomorrow and I'll try to work as long as possible. Cant wait to go to Munich, Germany too, in a week!

Missing home, the weather and the people.





Random stare, just being random



Love love love love,

Johnson TEH

Wonderful Kick Start for 2008

A days work makes everything look tough except spending money which we most of just get from our parents without any gratitude from them. We spend them without guilt most of the time, even if you might feel guilty I'm sure it wont even last a few days; hence the creation of this post! One of the resolution for Year 2008 came by and I'm glad that I seized it. Few days ago I saw a job published online, hiring students to paint and decorate rooms, instantly I emailed the person and yes! I went for the "try out" today and YES again I got the job. Fuhh, it wasnt as easy as I thought, yes, I've painted walls before, here and there, back in WMS too during community service work if anyone remembered!

I have to admit I'm pretty skilled and all the hardwork I've put in it. The pay for that job was pretty good £6.5 per hour, the house owner was rather flexible with me and the time that I come to work. The owner, being an antique book auctioneer in his 30s made the whole house seemed pretty cool. Fine art, statues and lotsa nice books in well preserved wood bookshelves well placed all around the house.

My first task: sand paper rough surfaces on the wall and ceiling, a rather easy job with the electric sander but being sensitive to dust and fine particles made it rather annoying. I was later on told to cover the window panels, doors with newspaper which took up roughly 1.5hours. I was thinking to myself later on, do I get paid on a try out? Almost 2 hours man and what if I dont get paid? Being blunt, I asked whether Im confirmed for the job in which he said yes! :D Painted the ceiling, had paint splattered all over my hair, face and arms but ah, was expecting that sooner or later anyway. My achievement alone in a room for 6 hours, painted the wall with 1 coat, wooden panels a coat of primer and gloss and a door with gloss! Im expecting to work on this for at least 50 hours at least. heheh, as long as I dont quit, the job remains mine! :) I have to work again tomorrow, ahh, made £39 today while I felt it was really tiring however I did utilize my time well, waking up at 8am, cycled to work reaching at 9 30 was good exercise.




The money I recieved!




Some paint on hair. Luckily its water based.


I was in London for quite some time till yesterday, countdown on new years eve at embankment was simply amazing, the fireworks were much better than what Malaysia have to offer. Having their fireworks set off from the London Eye was insane enough and Im serious, can u imagine setting off fireworks from the Malaysian Eye? NO WAY MAN. Some what amazed me was the tube service, free tube services after 12am till 4:30am just for the sake of providing a service. You dont see Malaysia doing any of those do you? FREE tube service which would normally cost minimum £1.50. Drunk people were everywhere, singing, dancing, laughing ; alcohol bottles scattered on the roads leading to the tube and even on the tube.



Thereee.


The big display showing the timeleft to New Year / 57 Seconds left.


The crowd but not too crowded since they restrict the number of people in.


And the allll of you who were there!

The video on the fireworks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbb5NTtcmhE


And OH, I did some shopping at Bicester Village near Oxford together with Sue Bee, Nigel, Yvonne and I got myself a pair of boots and sweater from Timberland, a shirt from Polo RL. The boots was such a good buy for only £30+ from £130.


Timberland boooots!





And I've nearly forgotten one more new year resolution!


-Build my muscle definition / mass gain before June!


I'm hungry for more!


p.s.: Im sorry about this ding shyong, its the total opposite of your getting fit post! :P