满天的星星

Was a late and chilly night when Marpig was walking home after having dinner with colleagues and new frens... itz one of those socialising nights

Hasnt had this feeling for quite smtime... guess itz bcos Marpig has been so focused on work, resting @ home tt she didnt have the time to go smwhere with nature, be it dae or night (although she did went to Snowdonia)

As it was, the sky was clear and there was sooooo many stars!! Itz usually like this:

When 1 1st looked into the clear night sky, bcos the eyes must get adjusted to low lights, 1 would see just a few stars... then, when the eyes are accustomed to the low light levels of the night sky, 1 would see more stars and think, "wow, more stars had come out!!" :)

Marpig stood in the middle of the road outside the flat and spent a few minutes smiling into the star-filled night sky... :) Wat a soothing and peaceful feeling~~

Cant wait till the next time Marpig could lie out in the nature & just gaze into the night sky full of stars... one of the best ways to let time slip by...

Writing Chinese on Vista!!

没想到 Marpig 这么厉害，居然能找得出怎么在 Vista 用汉语拼音写中文！！

其实也不难，就好像 Windows, 只要找得到 the language bar, 然后再加 Chinese (Simplified) Keyboard 就可以了！！ 哈哈哈哈哈哈哈！！

不止能写中文，就连逗号和句号都可以是这样的。。。

真是太棒了！！

Chapter 2: Day Trip to Verona (Part 2: Buildings in Verona)

The time has come for Marpig to be hardworking like she used to be. Nowsadaes, she works really hard @ work, then ciao home for a relaxed night. But recent changes pushes her 4wrd on many ths

1st, she needs to buck up on her training records if she so desire her CEng. No more procrastinations/xcuses. She needs to work harder & smarter to earn more to buy a cosy barn back home too!! ... need to really be hardworking like she used to!!

Letz quickly fin this Italy trip!!

This entry is gonna be "short" & sweet!! Having bout 10 hrs or less in Verona, therez only so many churches and buildings tt Marpig could visit. Plus, she cant rem all the places she went!! :S

Nonetheless, herez Santa Anastasia!! It is a Gothic styled church (rem the difference btw Gothic & Baroque? Notice the pointed arch at the entrance. Pictures of ribbed vault will follow!!) Being completed in 1400, it is located in the most ancient part of Verona near Ponte Pietra (one of the bridges)On the entrance, one of the facade panels depicts St. Peter of VeronaBeside the church, is the oldest tomb in Verona, the Tomb (Arca) of Guglielmo de Castlelbarco (supposedly to be a high-ranking official or smth like tt in Verona)
There are more famous tombs such as the Scaliger Tombs in Verona which Marpig went & saw but don have the picture of... duh!! Therefore, a lesson!! Need to read up alot b4 backpacking or make notes!! Otherwise, one noe naught wat one is seeing!! (Marpig shall start by keeping a small notebook now!! Though she needs to go get it, if shez not lazy... argh!!)

Next are sm pics of the nave and altar...Looking from amongst the candles...An arty farty pic of the altar with lilies!!Walking ard the church and taking in the tranquility...
Smtimes in life, we see tts tt are prominent & obvious while missing out subtle thingies... The pic above shows Jesus on the Cross but if Marpig did not mention anyth, would any1 notice the small portrait of Him on top?
Sculpture on the wall showing Jesus being laid in the tomb...Another common depiction from the Bible...Despite the church being restored (sm parts are yet to be restored), there still remains the very old paintings and decor on the columns...And everyth is so elaborate!! Paintings, altars, statues on the wall & all the way up to the ceiling!! Wah~~

Then, saw a statue of Mother Mary which, from the angle Marpig took the pic, can be a little... hmmm...
Herez another statue of Mother Mary with the Christ Child/Angel?From another angle...
Herez an interesting oneOn one of the stoups (a stone "basin" normally in church tt hold the holy water), is The Hunchback, a sculpture work by Gabriele Caliari (Marpig don noe naught bout him)

Anyh, ttz all for Santa Anastasia and next up is~ the Duomo in Verona!!
Looking at the Duomo of Verona "Through the Looking Glass" Notice it is the bell tower, which was left unfinished though one could see the bellWala!! Abit silly isnt it? Cant help it, when Marpig was there, itz under restoration... But at least the considerate Veronians did put up wat it looks like for poor Marpig who went all da way to just have a glimpse of it :)

Actually, therez alot of Duomos (if all of u follow Marpigz blog ard Europe, though not entire Europe!!) Therez the Duomo in Venice, etc. To distinguish this one in Verona, herez a little description of it

In English, itz the Verona Cathedral. In Italian itz Cattedrale di Santa Maria Matricolare aka Duomo di Verona. It is a church built in 1117 although after renovations, itz decor & looks are dated from 15th century
The nave & the altar...An arty farty pic. Nope, the Bible (Marpig assumes) is not held by Marpig but was on a stand near the entrance
As with many other churches Marpig visited (& shown in the blog) therez always other smaller altars by the sides of the nave & the above is just one of them"Peeping" @ an altar from among the roses...
Another altar with (seemingly) gold sculpture... wah~~Close up!! Is it really gold?
Closer up!! Hmm... not surprised if it is... afterall, many cups, furnitures in churches are gold (at least, plated gold) just like many temples. Don noe why but guess whether or not if itz western or eastern, it totally fits the saying, "人要衣装，佛要金装"

Now folks!! Marpig finished the day trip to Verona!! But... therez still the day trip to Padua as well as Florence & Pisa!! OMG!!

Watz There to Worry? Itz Only Going Through History in Our Time

As it is, world markets are tumbling down the stairs, banks and companies are gone like the huffs in the puffs

Inflation, depletion of resources, natural disasters, world hunger & poverty, diseases & more new diseases... really... the number 8 should not be associated with gd luck anymore. Itz rubbish

Pple are talking bout interest rates, currency xchanges, salaries not enough to cover effects of inflation, etc. Lollies are not enough

Come to think of it, like a baby who comes into the world with nth, the world started without lollies as well

"菩提本无树，明镜亦非台，本来无一物，何处惹尘埃"

So y are every1 still feel unhappy bout nth and over nth?

Afterall, interest rates, currencies high and lows, share prices, they are the makes of Man. Pple demand, prices go up, pple don demand, prices go down. However, the volumes & all else remain the same. If one could trace a coin, it will travel the entire globe and end up from where it started. Like wat Marpig already mentioned long long time ago, life & everyth else are all but a circle

Too abstract to understand? Well, for pple who doesnt have enough 慧根, the whole event of this credit munch, inflation, markets falling, companies crushing, etc will go down the future editions of economics textbooks as one of the many case studies. Get?

Just an interesting note for deeper knowledge, before "菩提本无树，明镜亦非台，本来无一物，何处惹尘埃" was written , this was written: "身是菩提树，心为明镜台。时时勤拂拭，勿使惹尘埃"

The difference is tt the latter is 入世 while the former is 出世. Of cos, Nirvana is bout 出世

To help pple to 领悟 herez sm xplanation:

"身是菩提树，心为明镜台。时时勤拂拭，勿使惹尘埃" means 要时时刻刻的去照顾自己的心灵和心境，通过不断的修行来抗拒外面的诱惑，和种种邪魔

But "菩提本无树，明镜亦非台，本来无一物，何处惹尘埃" means 世上本来就是空的，看世间万物无不是一个空字，心本来就是空的话，就无所谓抗拒外面的诱惑，任何事物从心而过，不留痕迹

Get? Gosh... really... Marpig would make a very gd nun & preacher

Realisations

Therez no plural form for realisation but bcos itz Marpig, she doesnt follow the norms

Marpigz blog is really outdated & she cant seem to catch up with all the ths ttz happening in her seemingly wols life (but in reality, itz eventful)

To say the least, she hasnt quite fin her May Italy trip. She hasnt blog her xperience when she went for her Gastroscopy (aka Endoscopy). She also hasnt blog bout her trip up the highest mountain in England & Wales. To add on to the list, she just went on an AHU (air handling unit) factory visit in Gothenburg, Sweden with 10 guys (oooo~~). And, TT.

In the very near future, she will need to also blog bout her trip to Amsterdam & Prague... tsk. And all her 2 yrs' worth of IMechE records... fishburger...

All in all, 2008 is not a gd yr for Marpig & definitely so for every1 else (maybe?) However, Marpig am not shaken by the credit munch, since she doesnt have any debts or mortgages to begin with

Job wise, itz fine despite not 102% red & rosy but, hey, one needs to count the blessings and be contended

Over so many yrs, so many ths happened to Marpig. The choices she made, the ths she did, the frens she made, kept, lost, the pple who she loves and loved, her working life, her social xperiences. Together with her xtremely high level of 领悟能力, life is afterall, at the end of the Day, serene (much like wat Buddha taught bout achieving Nirvana) And Marpig 领悟 & feels it when she was looking out of the window in the office todae:

The calmness and happiness of lying on a vast pasture of green under the gentle sun & looking at the smallest dust or such teeny weeny particles floating ylwols & joyously with the invisible wind...

笑红尘 ---- 陈淑桦

(红尘多可笑 痴情最无聊 目空一切也好
此生未了 心却已无所扰 只想换得半世逍遥

醒时对人笑 梦中全忘掉 叹天黑得太早
来生难料 爱恨一笔勾销 对酒当歌我只愿开心到老

风再冷不想逃 花再美也不想要 任我飘摇
天越高心越小 不问因果有多少 独自醉倒

今天哭明天笑 不求有人能明了 一身骄傲
歌在唱舞在跳 长夜漫漫不觉晓将快乐寻找) x 2

(风再冷不想逃 花再美也不想要 任我飘摇
天越高心越小 不问因果有多少 独自醉倒
今天哭明天笑 不求有人能明了 一身骄傲
歌在唱舞在跳 长夜漫漫不觉晓将快乐寻找) x repeat until fade

Smth bad, ugly, sad, devastating happened. May not blog for such time until Marpig sorts ths out and feel better.

女人花 ---- 梅艷芳

Marpig simply loves 梅艷芳!! Was watching her interviews, MTVs, movies on U-Tube & Tudou.com... Such a strong, talented and ill-fated personality... Marpig will get her albums when she goes home!!

我有花一朵，种在我心中，含苞待放意幽幽。
朝朝与暮暮，我切切的等候，有心的人来入梦。

女人花，摇曳在红尘中；女人花，随风轻轻摆动。
只盼望有一双温柔手，能抚慰我内心的寂寞。

我有花一朵，花香满枝头，谁来真心寻芳纵？
花开不多时啊，堪折直须折，女人如花花似梦。

我有花一朵，长在我心中，真情真爱无人懂。
遍地的野草，已占满了山坡，孤芳自赏最心痛。

女人花，摇曳在红尘中；女人花，随风轻轻摆动。
只盼望有一双温柔手，能抚慰我内心的寂寞。
女人花，摇曳在红尘中；女人花，随风轻轻摆动。
若是你闻过了花香浓，别问我花儿是为谁红？

爱过知情重，醉过知酒浓，花开花谢终是空。
缘份不停留，像春风来又走，女人如花花似梦。

People with the Same Frequency

A random event and Marpig was thinking again (as if she ever stops thinking too much)

Shared an e-voucher for Burger King to colleagues & one came back and said he doenst understand a joke...

Joke was when Marpig mentioned smth bout "credit munch"...

Marpig cant be bothered to xplain a joke (joke is not a joke if 1 has to xplain it ya noe)

Asked the Scottish guy & he totally spotted on wat Marpig meant!! Brilliant!! We need pple like ourselves!! :P Kinda have a gd impression of him...

He asked if Marpig wanted to take a short walk during lunch & Marpig agrees. Was drizzling & he opened & holds an umbrella for Marpig (though he closed it after sm colleagues saw us & the drizzling died down) hahahahahaha

Hez got a Canon SLR & likes photography too!!

OMG, is Marpig getting into a crush & fling?! Hopefully not!! Too bad, 1/2 the time Marpig really cant quite catch wat he says bcos of his heavy Scottish accent... hmm... A pic of him? Well... maybe not on bloggie

He is xtremely tall; taller than Beenie!! OMG. TTZ TALL

Oh, smth the male colleagues taught Marpig (to think guys are so gossipy & they do have their fair share of old "wives" tales!!)

They said the length of a manz p**** is his feetz length... ahahahahahaha Who noes... any1 to verify? Mr Calendar!! Do a "rough measurement"!! :P

Chapter 2: Day Trip to Verona (Part 1: Around Verona)

Chop chilli chop chilli chop chop chop!! Marpig need to quickly get up to speed & fin her bloggie entries for Italy!! Itz already going to be Sept!! Gosh!!

B4 Marpig "takes the train to Verona", Balachan sent an email to Marpig saying she read Marpigz blog (shez so lazy, she only read top down & may be only 1 or 2 at most) :D Received a compliment from her!! She said the photos tt Marpig posted are so nice tt she was thinking those are actually postcards!!

Balachan!! Nope nope nope!! The photos of places tt Marpig trotted are TRULY (madly) taken by Marpig!! No fanciful digicams too!! Itz either on her old orange W800i or her new K850i!! :D Brilliant leh!! :D

Okokok, enough of self-praising (Beenie will scold :P)

With Venice as a base, Marpig & fren took the train & went to Verona aka Veronia (ancient name) for a day!!As usual, Marpig just cannot refrain herself from taking such "reflective" pic!! But... notice tt bloke bhind Marpig who just purposely gets in the way & being nosy!! "Watcha staring at, dude!!"
After roughly bout 2 hrs, Marpig reached Verona!! At the train station, Marpig saw them!! Without their knowing, Marpig quickly took a pic of them!! Just so reminds Marpig of Sister Act!!Verona is in Northern Italy and is near Lake Garda (which Marpig didnt go to!! Darn!! Will definitely go 1 dae!!) Together with Venice, Padua, Vicenza, Rovigo, Belluno & Treviso, Verona is in Veneto aka Venetia, 1 of the 20 regions in Italy, with Venice as the capital of Veneto. (Understand tt the Veneto is divided into 7 provinces as named above)

Bcos therez so many historical buildings, Verona is a World Heritage Site and itz famous for its Roman amphitheatre, the Arena built in 30 AD. The Arena is the 3rd largest in Italy, after Romez Colosseum & the Arena in Capua. Veronaz Arena measures 139m long & 110m wide with 44 tiers of marble seats!! (BTW, the marble seats are so weathered & smooth tt one could slide off while sitting!!) It can seat bout 25k pple!!Bcos Marpigz mobile camera dieded on her, the interior of the Arena arent shown (Marpigz fren has got them though, hadnt get from her) It really looked xactly like those shown in the old movies!! One could see where the lion would come out, where the prisoners come out, where gladiators march in, where Casear was seated!!

Anyw, from the train station, Marpig walked to centre of Verona from the south, along Porta Nuova & came to Piazza Bra where the Main Gates of the Bra (nope, there arent any bras in sight) & the 1300 Pentagon Tower greeted Marpig & frenWalking along the streets of Verona...Marpig & fren came to the River Adige!! Standing along the river on via Sottoriva, one would see the Castle of St. Pietro on the top as well as other buildings like the Archaeological Museum of Verona, Teatro Romano (a roman theatre), the church of St. Stefano & the church of St. Giogio. Heu, due to limited time, Marpig did not x the bridge to go to the above placesA close up ax the River Adige
Further down along the river, Ponte di Pietra aka Ponte Pietra (Italian for "stone bridge") is in sight!! The bridge was completed in 100 BC & was also once known in the very old daes as "Pons Marmoreus" If one looked closer, one would discover tt the bridge looks new for one tt was completed in 100 BC. TT was bcos the German blasted the bridge (destroyed 4 out of 5 arches) during WWII when they retreat. But, the bridge was reconstructed using the original materialsXing to the other side of the river, Marpig cant resist taking this!!There was also another famous bridge called Ponte di Castelvecchio aka Ponte Scaligero. It is 1 of the oldest segmental arch bridges in Europe (as if Marpig noes the rest) But nope, Marpig did not go to tt bridge bcos she was trying to cover more featured churches littered ard Verona!!

However!! This Part 1 of Verona will not be covering the churches Marpig had managed to visit in less than 10 hrs in Verona!!

Continuing (this lengthy bloggie entry), will be more sights around Verona (as the title suggested anyw)

Back in Singapore, many of you would have seen this either in Clarke Quay or Orchard Road (?)The paintings/art pcs are really so beautiful tt if Marpig has a home of her own, shez gonna get them to hang on the walls!! :DAbove is a residential building & the facade looks so oriental!! Majiam like Chinatown in the 50s!! ... Suddenly Marpig thought of the times (when she was in kindergarden) when Marpigz dad would bring Marpigz sis and Marpig to yum cha at a popular dim sum rest (very old kind) where waitresses (or more like aunties) pushing dim sum trolleys & selling dim sum!! As usual, ths of the old just so capture Marpigz heart~

Next up is Piazza dei Signori, supposedly to be Veronaz most aristocratic & courtly place. Think on the right is the Town HallAnd on the left is Loggia del Consiglio (meaning council) which was built btw 1476 & 1493. Despite not looking like it, itz the greatest of Veronaz Renaissance building. Notice those statues on top? They are famous Latin poets (though Marpig noe naught any!!)

Drawing attention back to the pic above the pic above (if ya noe wat Marpig means), notice a white statue in the middle of Piazza dei Signori? Marpig took pics of the statue(s) from the back & front!! (so many statues!!)Don noe who he is? Has any1 heard the epic poem, "The Divine Comedy"? Itz 1 of the greatest world literature & talks bout the Christian afterlife. (Marpig has an electronic copy should any1 wants to have a read. Nope, Marpig hadnt read it so not sure if itz a comedy... :P)

Bingo!! The statue is Dante Alighieri, the author of "The Divine Comedy"!!Therez 2 towers in Verona & one of them is Torre dei Lamberti, shown above!! Itz 83 or is it 84 m tall & itz the highest in Verona. Travel guide will tell u tt it gives a "splendid panorama" view of Verona (they always say tt for ALL towers... duh) but, after Marpig went up the even higher tower back in Venice, St. Marco Square, shez not too keen in going up this one (shez going to go up the Leaning Tower of Pisa!! :D)The front of Torre dei Lamberti as seen from Piazza Erbe. The bell on top of the tower is "El Rengo" which means itz used as a storm warning.

Referring to the pic above, spot tt teeny weeny thingy hanging on the arch btw the 2 Piazzas in the middle... see it? Nope? Herez the close up!!Walking underneath it...
Wat is it u ask & watz it for? Itz a large whale bone!! Namez Arco della Costa aka Arch of the Rib. Therez 2 legends bout it. 1st, legend said it will fall on a just person who walks underneath it. 2nd, legend said it will fall on a virgin. Guess wat? Even though Marpig satisfies both criteria, the whale bone doesnt fall on Marpig... hmmm... 怎么办?! hahahahahaha

Anyw, Marpig mentioned bout Piazza Erbe & therez 1 more tower to be introduced. But 1st, Piazza ErbeItz quite a nice little piazza to sit ard & pple watch. The fountain, as shown in front of Veronaz shopping street, via Mazzini, is the Madonna Verona, built in 1383. Everyday, in this piazza, is a fruit & vege markets as well as shops for tourists like the one belowThe 2nd tower is Torre del Gardello, just bside Veronaz shopping street (pic below), via MazziniBeside the tower is Palazzo Maffei, built in 1668. The interesting th bout this building is tt it has 6 Roman divinity statues on top; Hercules, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Apollo and Minerva... & Diana is looking at them (subtle joke for pple who are clever enough!! :P)

Finally... b4 Marpig ends this 102% lengthy bloggie entry, moves onto Part 2 for Verona, herez smth which will perk pple up!!OMG, looks like sm sort of terrible graffiti?! Erm... actually, they are love messages!! Verona? Cant u think of it? Itz the setting for Shakespearez Romeo & Juliet!! How can sm1 go to Verona without visiting this balcony in Villa Capuleti?!Although itz a play, don noe why this balcony is so famous... guess in the play, this is the place where Shakespeare had Romeo meeting Juliet. Therez also a place where itz the "tomb of Juliet" with the garden. Marpig went to the place but at tt time, mobile is out of batt, hence, pic are all with fren :( NVM, will put them up once fren come back from Egypt!!

Not captured in the pic above is actually a bronze (?) statue of Juliet. Poor Juliet, not only did she died cos of a broken heart (all: oooowwww~~~) her right breast is in a VERY BAD SHAPE. Reason being tourists from all over the world rubbed her right breast. Why?! Not bcos all are perverts (though we never noe if there might be) but bcos therez a legend (again?!) tt says rubbing her right breast will bring gd luck in love

... ...

Marpig wonders... y the right breast & not the left? Hmmm... Anyw, Marpig did not participate in the herd behaviour bcos Marpig had no idea her statue was there!! Too many pple whilst Marpig was there just to look @ a normal balcony (other balconies littered along the streets are so much nicer) & a statue of Juliet with worn right breast due to over-rubbing!! Only th tt Marpig did was to dodge into the courtyard, quickly took the pic above & ciao!!