MJ & Marpigz New Toy

Itz been an eventful dae. B4 Marpig gets too xxxcited over her new toy, she needs to blog a leetle bout another great loss in the music/entertainment industry

Woke up this morning and saw Marpigz sis leaving her a sms which read, "OMG!! Michael Jackson is dead!!" For a split moment, a very very teeny weeny bit of Marpig crushed. Marpig, blinking blankly at the sms and sitting on the bed, was thinking, "OMG!! MJ is dead?! Is this an April Foolsz joke? Nay, itz June. MJ is dead?! OMG!!"

And so, she wasted no time, got out of bed, washed and popped into the office an hr early (she needed to anyw) to read and verify the news herself and sure enough, itz true tt MJ had left us!! OMG!!

Sigh... so THIS is life... just the night b4, Marpig was thinking bout dying and death while trying to get to sleep (how 巧 right?!) And the thought of dying, black out, no memories, no such th as rebirth, heaven or hell but bcoming non-xistent sends powerful "try/do-everyth-in-this-life" and "watz-there-to-be-shy-about" ideas in Marpig. Really, 今天不知明日事, so be daring to try new ths (reasonable lah) and be thick-skinned!! Who cares bout wat u do unless u are as faymoss as MJ?

Anyw, adding onto the many meanings of wat life is, Marpig has this to add;

Life is bout xperiencing/seeing major events within a lifetime which one can looked back and talked bout. For Marpig, itz seeing the passing away of Marpigz fav singers, 梅艳芳, 张国荣 and MJ as well as a few economic crisis which the most recent one is the credit munch

Ah~~ Marpigz mom bought many cassettes for Marpig last time and one of the cassettes she bought for Marpig was MJz Dangerous Album!! Really love it!! MJ was Marpigz momz idol too!! After many yrs, Marpig upgraded the same album to a CD :) Ah~~ although Marpig am not a fanatic fan, still, MJ did 陪 Marpig 度过成长的岁月. Now tt he had gone, part of Marpigz childhood also went with him... *feeling melancholy again* He really was a great entertainer, singer, composer, dancer, etc etc etc. A genius is wat the world calls him. He even has a patent (for his anti-gravity slant stance) under his name

Anyw, todae also saw Marpig collected her new toy!! Gosh!! Just in the mth of June, Marpig spent all the mthz saving on Playmobil, EC comics & her new toy!! But really happy she got to get wat she has been yearning for all these yrs!! :D 好的东西是值得等的!!

So watz Marpigz new toy u asked?! Here is an obvious clue!!Shimano gears!! Wat else?! Itz smth which Marpig 有福同享有难同当 back in Singapore!!A bike!! Yeah!! So many a time Marpig 潇洒的 ride it out and xplore the central part of Singapore on her own!! And now!! She could do the same ard Bristol!! In fact, she will be riding to Bath with her team members soon!! :D

Why did Marpig chose a foldable bike? Well, space is a major concern since Cosy Barn 3 is on 1st floor and therez simply not enough space for a non-foldable bike. Plus, unlike a made-in-the-UK Brompton foldable bike which, despite the ability to fold into a smaller size, isnt a gd bicycle for riding. Marpigz new toy, with the Shimano gears and brakes, is better apt for cycling and not simply a vase!! Performance ya noe!!

Also, Marpig might sent it back to Singapore at a later date and a foldable bike will be lighter and easier to go into cargo. Though, Marpig got to put "FRAGILE" on it so tt strong lugg handlers will be kind to it (hopefuly?)

Marpig must admit previously, she never thought of nor think too highly of foldable bikes since there arent too many choices on the market in the past few yrs. But with a bit o' knowledge on bicycles and recent improvements, foldable bikes are bcoming more performance orientated as well as attractive to any urban dweller since itz highly "potable"

等吧, Marpig will definitely get a road bike aka racing bike when she is properly settled back in Singapore!! Until then, Marpig and her new toy will have many rendezvous times!! And the name (pretty fitting) of the new toy is~~
Foldie~~!! *beaming all over*

Amsterjam & Sm Interesting Sights

Armed with her trusty goldie, Marpigz went snap-snapping interesting sights ard Amsterjam!! On with the pics then!!
1st, letz visit sm of the 水上人家 (houseboats) and steal their snail mails!! hiak hiak hiak!! (usual pic prank)One of the many facades of buildings in Amsterjam...
Cant rem where and wat building it was, just thought tt the long tram route is pretty arty farty. In fact, should have realised tt Marpig lurves taking long and seemingly endless roads. Wat do they depict u asked? Well, smwat like life 吧... 漫漫长路 ya noe!! :P

Whilst Marpig was walking in search of a windmill in Amsterjam, East of the city, she noticed, along the roadside, a cute family of fungi!! OOO~~ Marpig couldnt help but bent down to take a pic of the fungi family!! *idea!!* Fungi family... right o!! Shall include them in Marpigz comic story, the Fungi Family!! (One day, Marpig will definitely introduce all the characters in Marpigz comic story!!)
Sooooooo cute!! hawhawhawhaw!!Tada!! This is "The Good Ear"!! Nay, itz called "De Gooyer" built prior to 1814. It used to be a mill but now itz got a beer brewery and cafe/pub for tourists and locals

Next is typical houses on the river bank in Amsterjam. According to TripAdvisor, houses in Amsterjam are priced based on width, not depth. Hence, although the houses look narrow, the interiors usually opened out into a big, well-tended back garden :)Notice the little thingy on the top of each house? Have a closer look...Itz a hook!! Itz not a decoration but in the gd o' daes, residents use them to pull large thingy up to whichever floors they want!! Cool right?! :D Offload thingy str from the boats!! Hmm... Rupunzel suddenly popped into Marpigz mind :)Was walking along the river and therez this stretch of shops tt sells flowers and such. Marpig also came ax a common thingy in these shops
Cannabis starter kit for only 3 euros!! For a Singaporean who noes tt anyth to do with drugs is the hangman for ya, itz a really surprising find!! Marpig had the urge to buy (though not for consumption) but heu, although one could sell and buy in Amsterjam, one would not be able to fly with it...Another one of the urinals... hmmm... why the hassle? Could just p** into the river :PAnd the usual pizzas and sandwiches!! Marpig was so hungry but she was on a mission to find THE fay-moss pancake bakery just a stonez throw away from Anne Frankz House!! She will endure for the best ths in the world are worth waiting for!!This is the Anne Frankz House. Itz really nth much bcos itz an office now. But of cos, therez the museum which (xpectedly) sells all ths related to Anne Frank (Marpig hasnt finished reading tt book!! Gosh!!) The Q was really long and both Marpig & fren didnt wanna go in anywTo make it more touristy, they actually put up a sign on this door to indicate Anne Frank House. But 1 would noe tt Anne Frank did not live in the house but more like hiding in a hole/secret compartment in the house. The wall/hole is no longer there. Hence, tourists arent looking at the reall th. Oh well, doesnt matter since Marpig and frenz main purpose was~~The Pancake Bakery!!Being Marpig, not only does she like to find interesting thingy bout the places she went, xperience the culture, meet new pple, she also lurves to try local fd!! Herez one; "Original Dutch Pea-Soup with Smoked Sausages" yum yum!!
B4 the fd comes, Marpig had 1/2 a pint of Heineken & an arty farty pic
And~~~ wala!! OMG!! The pancake was sooooooooooooo delicious (a fusion savory one, with chicken, bean sprouts, peanuts sauce, etc etc etc!! Cant rem!!) tt Marpig will go to Amsterjam again just for it!! OMG OMG!! :D_______

After lunch, itz strolling and sightseeing again!! Marpig spotted a toy shop tt sells Muppet figurines!! If only Marpig had more lollies and be more impulsive, she would have bought Miss Piggy (& Kermit) home!! But no!! 理智战胜一切!!Marpig & fren also passed by sm of the touristy restaurants and out of curiosity, Marpig had a peek at the prices of Malay dishes (dont 4get tt the Dutch used to occupy Indonesia) which one could easily find in Singapore for less than 4 or max, 7 dolla (depending on portion and no. of 料)Mad!! Nasi Goreng Speciaal at 16.50 euros?!?!?!?!?!?!?! *faints* Marpig wonders how "spare-cia" this Nasi Goreng is... *faints a 2nd time*

Anyw, after the shock, Marpig & fren went to the magnificent Magna Plaza!!
At 1st glance, one would never have guessed tt the building used to be a post office!! It was built in 1899 and is a wonder by itself bcos it sits on 4650 piles in muddy ground!! Not only are the exterior elaborate, the interior is equally detailed. Therez also crowned Gothic towers. Now, itz a shopping centre for upscale fashion and xpensive shops. Anyw, Marpig & fren bought the cheese and wooden clogs here!!

Finally, b4 Marpig rants on bout the kerks (churches) and museums of Amsterjam in the next entry, herez presenting the Koninklijk Paleis aka Royal Palace!!Standing in the middle of the road and waiting for pple to stop xing the road (patience is very impt in photography *in a matter-of-factly voice*) Marpig took this pic of the palace which looked brown. However, understand tt it was built using gleaming white stone long time ago!! Itz all due to weathering and of cos, pollution from the cars. Dont they wash it u asked? Well, from the look of it, NO!! Why u asked? Marpig has no idea... maybe it all boils down to who foot the bill at the end of the dae... tsk tsk. Anyw, itz now at the Queenz (Holland, not UK) disposal for state functions or ceremonies

EC Comics!!!!!!!

Yeah!! After so many yrs (since sec sch) of waiting, Marpig finally got the EC Archives!!They are supposed to be 5 hardbacks in a set (Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror and The Haunt of Fear) costing bout SGD230+ or SGD270+ (cant rem too clearly) for each set in the comic shop in Bugis (erm... is it Seiyu or Bugis? Marpig am confused really)

Just like the 聊斋志异 comics she read in the lib of STC amongst other comics such as Peanuts and Asterix, Marpig 1st set eyes on the EC comics at tt time, though not in STCz lib since Marpig wouldnt xpect a convent to have these horror comics. Though the comics appear gruesome (they are actually) but each story inside is a lesson learnt, utilising the notion of retribution for evil-doing

Itz was then, at the BM lib tt Marpig 1st read a tattered EC horror comic (mind u, itz printed in the 1950s!!) Subsequently, Marpig went to the lib any times in search of other volumes. Marpig felt in love with them ever since the 1st encounter!! 真是一见钟情!! And Marpig wanna get hold of them!! (Yeah yeah, although love is not to 占有!! But itz irresistible!!)

Heu, bcos itz so old and EC dont produce anym of such comics, itz really into the collection category :( Despite having so many comic shops ard Singapore then, Marpig could not even locate a shop tt carries it

Years passed and Marpig was in JC/Uni (?) It was during tt time tt Marpig, once again, 邂逅 one of the hardback volume in Orchard lib!! Therez a few but always being borrowed!! Luckily Marpig got hold of one!! At tt time, Marpig so wanted to have the rare comic tt the devil inside her even wanted to just keep the book and pay the lib for "losing it", no matter wat costs it may be!! But, nay, Marpig didnt do tt in the end. Being Marpig, her heart pains as she lets the book slips into the self-return-books-hole-in-the-wall...

Since, she has been trying so hard to find them online but in vain. Then, she chanced upon the comic shop in Seiyu (or Bugis?!) which held other EC comics (though not the ones Marpig wanted so badly!!) Hence, she requested the assistant to check and order it from the States & tt if they do locate it, Marpig would buy it at any costs. But, Marpig never heard from them... gosh... do they think Marpig am joking?!

Whilst Marpig was in Uni, she saw it online and tt a publisher was reprinting them!! Hence, Marpig immediately made contact (the publisher is in Arizona) with the publisher & tt she wanted to get them all. However, at tt time, they are still in the process of reprinting the volumes, hence, therez arent any complete sets. Marpig then thought to herself, she would wait until all have been reprinted b4 she buys them all at 1 go

Ah~~ 天意弄人, the credit munch came without warning and the publisher went bust, thank u very much. Once again, Marpig was devastated!! So many yrs of yearning and searching, in vain!! No way!! She got to noe from the x-secretary of the busted publishing company tt the owner bought the remaining inventory and is selling them on eBay!! Blimey!! The next day, Marpig asked her colleague to buy it online (cos he has an eBay account)!! Marpig has waited and searched for so long tt therez no way Marpig am going to 错过它 again!!

Oh, itz a total of GBP170 including shipping from Canada. Marpig am mad? Perhaps. But she sure is one 执着 & 长情 person!!

And so ends the 刻苦民心故事 bout Marpig & her yrs of searching for 1 of her many loves (Playmobil is another)!! *beaming*

XT!! So the 聊斋志异 comics collection set is defintely the ones Marpig showed u?! Marpig am afraid it might be sm other variants wor!! As for BNLZ, yes!! Please go ahead to ask them to check if Taiwan still carries them (the website Marpig showed u for BNLZ is a Taiwanese website) THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! *beaming*

Nieuwmarkt, Nieuwmarktbuurt & Chinatown in Amsterjam

The hostel which Marpig & fren stayed in was very near to Nieuwmarkt, a square in Chinatown and conveniently located near De Wallen!!Being in Chinatown, streets ard there including Nieuwmarkt has a chinese street name (just like in Londonz Chinatown) Obviously, bcos "Nieuw" has the meaning of "new" hence itz known as the 新广场Itz a nice chilly morning in Oct & the sun is just about to rise!! Marpig & fren went out early in order to soak in the morning Amsterjam air!! Pic above showed the Nieuwmarkt b4 vendors display their waresThe square is dominated by De Waag (above), originally a gate in Medieval city walls but later converted into a weighing house when the walls were demolished. A weighing house is, as the name suggested, a place where goods were brought to and weighed. A little bit o interesting knowledge, btw 1550 and 1690, pple accused of witchcraft were brought to a weigh house to be weighed against a set weight (a "witch test") If tt person was found to be lighter than the set weight, he/she will be condemned!! Hence, being fat was GOOD!! :P The Waag shown above has since been evolved into a restaurant/cafeOn the way from the hostel to the Nieuwmarkt, therez a shop selling freshly caught seafood!! Oh boy!! Marpigz fav!! 10 euros for a kilo for fresh 濑尿虾 aka Mantis Shrimps, is it cheap? BTW, another interesting knowledge; Mantis Shrimps arent shrimps nor mantids. They belong to the crustaceans sub-phylum!!
Anyw, b4 Marpig & fren continued looking at the vendors who had got their wares out, itz time to grab sm bf!! Cant rem wat Marpig & fren had but definitely not burger!!

Nieuwmarkt is just like the typical nice Europeans wkend markets (though itz also opened on wkdaes) where 1 could find many fresh thingy like...flowers,vegetables,cheeses,roots, squashes, turnips, etc as well as Marpigz fav~~MUSHROOMS!!

But therez always "smth rotten" (part of a quote from Shakesspearez "Hamlet") in every cities and itz inevitable to provide public open urinals for drunkards!! Should aim & piss into tt little hole in btw!!

After going ard Nieuwmarkt, Marpig continued with Amsterjamz Chinatown to see watz so different bout it with the one in LondonTherez a sizable temple to begin with and also dim sum buffet!!
Hmm... eat as much as 1 can within an hour... ok... Marpig wouldnt have any prob with tt!! :P)

Walking along 顺风里 (below)Marpig also came ax
a shop rental/selling TVB serials (Marpig watched them all already!!)as well as sushi and many other chinese restaurants. Streets are pretty deserted since itz still early in the morningSimilar to Soho, therez also kebabs and cafes/pubs selling more than just pints of beer and kopi... u noe wat Marpig means!! Itz Amsterjam afterall!!

Therez also the occasion grotesque decors such as this(watz with the skills and babies?!) and thisGosh... why would sm1 have such decor at the door?! Hmm...

Anyh, overall, the Chinatown in Amsterjam is slightly more interesting than the one in London. Or it might just be bcos Marpig am used to Londonz Chinatown. Still, Chinatown in Amsterjam is really 中西合并!! Herez the evidence!!

鸡脚

Was reading JMz blog bout the healing process of wounds and leaving scars. Has any1 asked u, "how long does it take to heal a heartache/4get a person/4get an bad xperience?" Of cos, it depends on the individual, the event, etc. Every1 will give a different answer

How long does it take to heal the pain? Itz been 8 yrs already since Marpigz mom passed on. Thinking back and looking at the scar left by her passing on, Marpig guessed therez 5 stages (?)

1st stage was when the whole world came crushing down and crying was all Marpig would do most of the time, when she was not pre-occupied. The heartache was indescribable. Itz a dangerous stage since 1 would be at his/her most vulnerable stage. 1 would need to chose to be brave and positive or cowardly and negative. With her love, Marpig managed to be brave and positive :)

2nd stage is a yearning and remorseful stage. Marpig will always think of her, all the times spent with her, all the times she could spend with her, all her words, her every gestures, her every smiles, 她的每个点点滴滴. Suddenly, all surrounding ths just reminded Marpig of her. Also, during this stage, Marpig would reflect all the times she was naughty and bad to her, all the times Marpig wouldnt listen to her, be kind and understanding to her, help her in the chores, lied to her, scolded her, etc. Marpig is angry at herself for not being better when she was alive and blames herself in an attempt to feel better. Marpig constantly hopes tt she will 4give her, tt Marpig loves and am grateful to her for all tt she had given to and sacrificed for Marpig. However, Marpig may have to keep hoping since Marpig would never have the chance to noe her answer...

Lifez biggest regret is encompassed in the 3rd stage as well as overwhelming heartache and self-blaming. Itz when Marpig still thinks of her every so often, still tears occasionally. Itz a period when Marpig was disillusioned and thought tt her wound has heal but it hasnt. Itz a period when Marpig feels tt she should have taken more pics of her, record her voice, take videos of her. Itz a period when Marpigz memory suffers from myopia; Marpig cannot rem her voice and she appears less and less clear to Marpigz mind... Marpig felt ashamed for not remembering... Marpig doesnt want to 4get her and doesnt want to let go. Itz like a terrible th to do to 4get

4th stage is abit of the 3rd stage but also when Marpig starts to think of her and smile... tears still roll but Marpig will smile a little smile whenever she thinks or speaks of her, whenever she sees the ths which reminded her of her, the setting sun, the places she visited and would love to take her there, flowers, blue skies, food she likes, etc

5th stage (final stage?) Really, itz impossible to 4get a person. Especially sm1 who had given Marpig everyth. *smiles* Although Marpig cannot rem her voice and the outline of her starts to get blurry, she remains 4ever in Marpigz big heart *smiles*

Epilogue.
Guess itz not bout 4getting. Itz bout realisation, acceptance, remembering xperiences (bad/good) with a smile and emerged tougher, just like a scar *smiles*

Oh, going back to the subject of this entry (wat?!) Marpig was watching 同事三分亲 and an episode reminded Marpig bout smth:

Marpigz mom llikes to eat 鸡脚 (as well as 鸡腿 & 鸡屁股, but letz stick to 鸡脚!!) However, Marpig starts to think... maybe she doesnt really like 鸡脚 but bcos she wants to let us have the meat, she choose to have 鸡脚 instead... When Marpig grew up, she really believes Marpigz mom likes to eat 鸡脚 specially those tt were used to cook soups. She would dip the 鸡脚 in soy sauce and eat them, since itz a waste to throw them away, she would say. Marpig did ask her, "is it really tt nice?" and she said yes. Hence, Marpig gave it a try and hey!! Simple 鸡脚 IS nice!!

Subsequently, both Marpigz mom and Marpig enjoy eating 鸡脚. *smiles* Think Marpigz mom really likes 鸡脚 and of cos, she also wanted us to have the chicken meat... ah~~~ mothers...

无条件地付出，不求任何的回报
这就是母亲的伟大。。。

(Therez no prove tt eating 鸡脚 is the cause for Marpigz infamous handwriting umk!! Dont even think bout it!!)

Amsterjam & River Cruise

Ah~~!! XT!! Don keep Marpig in suspense!! Howz the 百鸟丽子 search goin?! :D Marpig had also bought 170 quid worth of the EC comics which Marpig has been harping bout in her blog with the help of her colleague on eBay!! 170 quid!! OMG. Although itz not like the entire full sets (some are but not all) itz almost antique... the company doing the reprinting in the States had gone bust and the founder of the comic (must be quite old now) bought the stocks and is selling it online!! Marpig got to noe it via the companyz ex-secretary!!

Anyw, XT!! Hope itz gd news?!?!?! OH yes, do u noe tt MZ has a blog now?! Marpig stumbled upon it when she left a comment on Marpigz blog and realised she is a fellow blogger :) So went to her blog and read and wow!! :D Check it out smtime!!

MZ, Playmobil has limited buildability as compared to Lego and itz more like intricate display toys which is still made in Europe!! The way to play them is really to make use of onez imagination and imagination is boundless!! (Which is why Jules Vernez & H.G Wells's books are so xxxciting!!)

Continuing her 过期 Amsterjam trip, this entry is for the river cruise which Marpig and fren went on!!

Marpig always has mixed feelings for river cruises... generally, she doesnt like to take river cruises (no apparent reasons) For instance, she didnt take it in the River Thames or River Seine. Itz better to walk and soak in the atmosphere (plus, really, therez nth much on the Rivers) However, she does like driving the boat down in Singapore River (while she was volunteering) and also along the canals in Amsterjam since therez much on the rivers to see. And yes, she did tt short Gondola trip on the many canals in Venice!! But tt xperience was more like curiosity of the Gondolas more than anyth!!A chinese restaurant on the river!! So much like the one in London near the Docklands or the Jumbo Seafood Restaurant in HK. Still, Amsterjam is also a cultural melting pot!!
The "Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum" aka Netherlands Maritime Museum which used to be a former naval storehouse along the canal. It contains the usual bits and bolts such as maps, weapons, scales, etc associated with shipping and sailing. Marpig didnt go in, since itz just one of those can-be-missed museums. Plus, itz closed for major renovation until 2010 anywOne of the many towers along the canals!! *thinking hard* really have no idea which one this is!!This is the famous Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) in Amsterjam!! The bridge is named after the Mager sisters who lived opp each other. It was said tt they had the bridge built in order to make it easier to visit each other. The reason why it is called Skinny bridge is because it used to be very narrow and could only allow 1 person to xA shipyard showing a lifted ship in repair? Hmmm...Nice design!! Who says staircases must be internal? Doesnt look like a carpark... maybe is residential...Therez alot of such 水上屋 along Amstel!! So cool!! Marpig has also thought bout living in one of those, since she so lurves the sea & carefree life. Hmmm... do these pple still need to pay any council tax?

Next up is NEMO!!NEMO is not the cute clown fishy in the Disney movie with the same name but the largest science centre in the Netherlands. The NEMO is located right next to the Centraal Station and the Maritime Museum (see above). Therez a total of 5 levels which Marpig noe naught, since she did not visit the museum but just admired it from the boatGoing closer...
Round the other side of NEMO...Right, when 1 research bout Amsterdam, 1 might find a tourist "attraction" called the 7 Bridges (apparently, Marpig is 1 such tourist!!) Marpig was wondering wat is the 7 Bridges. Is it a series of famous Bridges (Like the Bridge of Sighs)? Well, wat Marpig found out later was tt 1stly, therez a B&B in Amsterjam called Seven Bridges. 2ndly, 7 Bridges (of Konigsberg) is a historical mathematical prob in which Euler had proven tt it has no solution (erm... ok). Finally, 7 bridges is also wat the captain of the river cruise showed us (see pic above) Bcos Amsterjam is a horseshoe shape with many outwrd spreading concentric canals, therez would be a viewpt smwhere where 1 would be able to see bridges lined up as in the pic above... so... ttz wat 7 bridges means... *camera snapping away*

As it is, Marpig has an eye (of cos, shez got 2) for spotting ths which others normally wont pay much attention to (minus the supernatural ones pls) While other tourists are admiring the BIG rows of houses and towers etc, Marpig spotted sm interesting sighs!!
No parking... with 2 doggies in a compromising positions... :P Don want to play gooseberries!!And!! Wat did we have here?! Pac-Man?! Nope!! Itz one of the ghosts hiding from Pac-Man!! Fancy seeing it here!!And with the pic above of the setting sun shining down on sm houses by the bank, ends Marpig cruise down Amstel!! Next up will be more pics of Amsterjam & itz museums as well as (how lucky) the Amsterjam marathon!!