제주 (Jeju) - Day 2

The next dae, after a 超 scrumptious bf (refillable!!) of bean sprouts, 炒冬粉, 包, 紫菜, anchovies, scrambled egg, abalone porridge (although one cant really spot the abalone... :P) and kim chi radish, itz time to set off to 한라산 (Hallasan)!!
Arriving at the foot of 한라산 (Hallasan notice the 'ah' vowel symbol on the right for all 3 characters?)tourists and most visitors used the Eoseungsaengak Trail (?) which is on the east of the island (approx. 30 - 45 mins to the summit) The hike is not too diff; mostly stairs and steps, not those rough-it-out kinda trek in Msia. BTW, Hallasan is a shield volcano; itz slopes are shallow as opposed to stratovolcanoAlong the trail, Marpig chanced upon a rock tt looked so much (to Marpig at least) like a wise 猿猴 looking out at the sea...
When Marpig was bout 1/2 or 3/4 to the summit, one would see a paranomic view of 제주, although Marpig noe naught which part of 제주 :P
Most of the time, the route for descending a climb is not the same. Descending the summit (no pic of summit bcos tt dae was abit cloudy and grey) via another route, Marpig came ax a beach with crystal clear water and 高不可攀的 cliff (for Marpig at least!!) as well as a shop selling... .... eh... can any1 tell Marpig (if she/he recgonises) the above? They must belong to the Gastropods family just tt Marpig am not entirely sure if they are topshells or whelks... :P but itz edible though Marpig didnt try them... hmmm... do look delicious instead of eeewky (actually to Marpig, 什么都好吃除了 "seeharm"!!)

Next, Marpig went to the Teddy Bear Museum but bcos of the large amt of pics (of bears), Marpig shall dedicate a separate entry just for the Teddy Bear Museum!!

Meanwhile, letz go to Hallim Park; a major tourist attraction bcos it includes:

1) Seongeup Folk Village (one of 大长今z 拍摄地点!!)
Cant be mistaken on tt one since the sign is so 明显 :P Oh, in ancient Korean villages, therez meaning to the 三根木 (Jeongnang) at the entrance of 一户人家. When all 3 are down, it means the owner is at home; 2 down means owner is out and will be back shortly, 1 down means owner is out and will be back in the eveningIn this folk village, Marpig met her fren!! :D 黑猪~~!! 好可爱的小黑猪吔~~!! *beaming all over*

Oh, here comes smth ironic/contradictory/cruel/etc; in 제주, the black piggies are considered as traditional food. Famous for itz chewy texture, itz nutritious and does not have the smell of pork, hence, they are preferred over the other types of pork. The black piggies have black hair (duh), long faces and narrow snouts. Their ears don fold like the pink piggies. They are also known to have strong resistance to diseases. In the olden daes, they were reared for food (as if they are not now!!) and are mostly fed with a-hem, humanz excrement (which contains vege, proteins, etc ma!!)Hence, the toilets in the ancient Korean village houses were built adjacent to the STYlish stys of the black piggies (see pic above) so tt "food" for the black piggies were warm and "fresh" :P

Speaking bout the black piggies, lunch was 铁板黑猪 with fresh lettuce!! Really, Marpig am feeling 矛盾 bcos she loves piggies and yet, here she is commenting tt they taste nice?! 搞什么?!... one wrap the pork with fresh lettuce, garlic, chilies, anchovies, etc... Ok, (quickly skipped tt part)

2) Bonsai Garden

Marpig mentioned tt therez 2 distinct cultures in 제주 which are diff from mainland Korea and herez the 2nd oneWalking ard the Bonsai Garden, one came ax a few statues and a 돌 하르방 (Dol hareubang; literally, "stone grandfather") They are supposed to be gods offering both protection and fertility. In 제주, they are largely carved from porous basalt aka volcanic rock and can be as high as 3m!!

As seen from pic above, they are widely depicted grinning and with slight smile xpressions, bulging eyes but no pupils, long and broad noses and also hands on the bellies with 1 hand always higher than the other. Oh, they also wear hat tt look like mushrooms. Much like the myth circling the 笑佛, itz said tt if one wants to give birth to a baby boy, one should touch the 돌 하르방z nose

Itz in this village tt Marpig bought 1 beeg bottle of honey and 五味子 tt are contained in glass containers of a grandpa and grandma 돌 하르방s respectively!!

Other statues in the Bonsai Garden includes a mother who went to 挑水 (the container shez carrying was used to contain well water. 长今 used tt too!!) and her crying son A rock/statue tt looked like a very fat and short piggie/hog pouting... pretty subjective this is...
And therez also sm stacked stones which rep pple
Hallim Park also includes 4) Hyeopjae and Ssangyong Caves
Hyeopjae Cave is designated as Koreaz Natural Monument No. 236. Dont ask Marpig wat the other 235 are bcos shez as clueless. Gosh, so many UNESCO places and thingy to see!! Wherez the time and lollies?! This cave contained many stalagtites and stalagmites (Marpig am not so gd with this branch of Geography!! Hate it in fact... *yawns*) and is a actually a lava tube

Ssangyong Cave is also a lava tube and boasts another cave within, which makes it the only 2D cave (cave in cave) in the world. The word "Ssangyong" actually means "double dragon" 哦

BTW, therez quite a few Xmas decorations in Hallim Park and herez just one tt Marpig posed with :PReally, can use the pic to go 相亲!! hahahahahaha Aiyo!! Maybe should wear the cute sailormoon dress for better effect!! But oh well, itz cold (& Marpig only wear dresses for special occasions)!! :P

Finally, local guide brought every1 to 천지연폭포 (天帝淵瀑布, Cheonjaeyeon Waterfall), 1 of the 3 famous waterfalls in 제주. The other 2 being 정방폭포 (正房瀑布, Jeongbang Waterfall, 23m high) and 천제연폭포 (天地淵瀑布, Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, 22m high)

Noticed how close the Korean names for both Cheonjiyeon Waterfall and Cheonjaeyeon Waterfall are. All 3 waterfalls are located south of 제주, near the coast. Cheonjiyeon Waterfall is in the middle while Jeongbang Waterfall is to the right of it and Cheonjaeyeon Waterfall (the one Marpig went) is to the left and slightly north

Cheonjaeyeon Waterfall is a 3-tier waterfall with the 1st fall at 22m high to a 21m deep pond then falling 30m again. Pic below is the 3rd tier with itz 清澈的 pond. Reminded Marpig so much of tt time when she went Outward Bound in Pulau Ubin and had to quarry jump... kinda scary bcos although the water is clean and clear (itz rainwater collected over years in the quarry) but bcos of the depth, itz DARK... who noes watz lurking at the seemingly bottomless bottom?! Anyw, enjoy the lovely waterfall~~
From the waterfall and looking up, one would see the arch and red Seonimgyo Bridge aka 칠선녀교(Chilseonyeogyo, Seven Nymphs Bridge) As the name suggests, the bridge, with itz 100 guard rails and 34 stone lanterns (see pic below) has 7 nymphs carved on both sides. Each nymph being approx. 20m long (hence, the bridge will be bout 140m long) and shown playing their own unique musical instruments. Hmmm... think itz an idea similar to the 七仙女Coming up next will be Marpigz last dae in 제주 as well as the interesting Teddy Bear Museum which houses the worldz smallest bear at 4.5mm and the worldz most xpensive bear!! Find out why in the next entry!! :D

제주 (Jeju) - Day 1 continued

Below is a pic of the "mysterious road" in 제주. Local guide took us there and the driver switched off his engine. The next moment, the coach started to roll "uphill"!! The local guide asked every1 to alight and try walking "uphill". He said tt one would find walking "uphill" so much easier than walking "downhill"Marpig just dont feel it; guess itz bcos shez so used to walking long dist in the UK and backpacking... hmm anyw, being the ever curious Marpig, she knew itz not anyth supernatural so she looked around, specially at the tress and other objects away from the road for sm reference points. And indeed, Marpig realised, the "mysterious road" is not mysterious. Cars are indeed rolling down. Reason why cars seemed to roll "uphill" is bcos of optical illusion!! In fact, the world has many such roads and itz all bcos of optical illusion tt gave pple the 错觉!!
After the 玄机 was 识破, the tour continued on to Jeju Folklore and Natural Museum. 不说你不知, 제주 has 三无; beggars, thieves and locked gates & 三有; rocks, wind and women. Why women? Will tell u later!! Meanwhile, a brief tour of the museum!!Pic above was taken at the entrance of the museum. Itz not lettuce although it looked like it. In fact, itz actually sm kinda flower/plant. Marpig was feeling bored while Qing to get in so she just went ard, trying to find thingy to take sm 特写照One of the ancient chess set tt the Korean used to play. Wow, so 象棋 was also in Korea. Well, not surprising, since ancient Korea, Japan and China were frens AND enemies and they shared cultures, lang, food, philosophy, etc
Typical Korean greeting btw a typical woman and man in their typical Korean 한복 (hanbok; traditional Korean clothes)
Eh... think itz like a birthday or sm celebration 吧
Ancient Korean village. Very much like in 大长今!!
Marpigz fav room!! The kitchen!! The only time when Marpig cook in xactly the same setting and using wood was when she was in Cambodia!! So fun!! But itz really diff to cook since it takes skills to control the 火侯A scene of 清明 in ancient Korea
Ah~~ This is one of the 2 distinctive cultures of 제주!! 제주 has a matriarchal family structure and the 해녀 (haenyeo; aka 海女 or "sea women") are often the heads of the family who controlled the income. The 해녀s earned their living by free diving, as shown in pic above. They worked all year round even in winter for marine products such as abalones, etc. See tt abalone at the bottom of the pic?! :P

Anyw, after spending time at the museum, itz almost dinner and checking in!! Marpig was so hungry (cos of the cold too) tt she could eat a fish!!
Although tt stick was too teeny weeny :P
Dinner time!! Yeah!! As usual, therez the delicious 반찬 (ban chan; side dishes) and a hotpot!! Eh... think itz pork this time with vege!! The very gd thingy bout this tour was tt all the food (with the xception of xpensive seafood) were refillable cos itz buffet!! :D__ Throughout the entire trip, the 4 ladies would definitely refill at least once :D__ 好棒哦!!
On top of the hotpot, therez 비빔밥 (bibimbap) to go with it!! :D__

After dinner, itz checking in for the night. 所谓~吃饱饱, 睡得好!! :D

BTW, local tour guide recommended a must try milk (pic below)
Bcos itz supposed to be THE popular and well-liked milk in Korea!! Thought he also said tt these milk (tt he used to drink while he was a boy) were drank by Yoon Eun Hye in the Korean drama, Goong. Hahahahaha, at tt time, Marpig only heard bout tt drama but hadnt watched it. Still, Marpig went for the milk cos she loves dairy products!! Itz for BF too!! :D__

As night falls, every1 checked in at the 제주 Oriental Hotel (near airport & north of 제주)
Wow!! This hotel was good (5 star as stated in the tour package) and even had a casino!! Wondering ard b4 Marpigz bedtime, she saw smth in the enclosed space bhind the glass in the lobby...Going closer...Itz actually a man-made waterfall in the hotel!! Cool!!

제주 (Jeju) - Day 1

Notice tt Marpig has been using quite a few 한글 (Han-gul) here and there. Marpig got herself a Korean self-learning kit from Kino ages ago. Had been trying to learn the basics. At 1st, all were well but when it comes to the "Y" and "W" vowels, omg!! Marpig just cant rem!!

Korean isnt too diff since the "symbols" are much like chinese characters where the 字 are divided into 边s. There are 8 simple vowels, 9 consonants, 13 diphthongs (combi of the "Y" and "W" semi-vowels with vowels), 5 aspirated consonants & many double consonants. Eh... Marpig got stuck at the diphthongs bcos the "symbols" are more complicated to recognise!! If you look closely, for eg, 제 in 제주 (Jeju), it has 2 边s; the right side is the vowel while the left side is the consonant. The same applies for 주, just tt this time itz up and down. Get? :D

Anyw, therez always 1 or 2 phrases one would HAVE TO noe when one goes overseas. Wat is it?
Pronounced as "fah~ chang xi" Noticed tt the last word is not "shi" as it was written in chinese. Reason being, in Korean, tt vertical stroke (vowel) is pronounced as "ee"

Right, b4 Marpig board the domestic flight to 제주, she saw a couple of Korean air stewardesses!! So fascinated by their ribbon on the head. Hmm *trying to recall* did Marpig ask them whether they could give Marpig...? Vaguely thought Marpig did... :P
But they are really very fair!! Wow!! 好滑哦~~! Nay, Marpig didnt touch lah!! :P

Then, while Marpig was on the escalator, met a group of promoters for 제주 who gave out freebies including a cactus-flavoured toothpaste!! :D
Such a jolly and frenly lot they were!! :D
Oo~~!! A captain just walked by!! Suave!! And so Marpig took a pic of him!! So much like a promo pic for some airlines :P 超有型!!

Didnt noe how long it take but Marpig arrived at 제주 airport in the aftern!!
Xiting the airport, Marpig saw a real reindeer!! (was it, Ding?!) Wat a Xmasty feel!!
Anyw, itz lunchtime!! Right, throughout these Korea trip bloggie entries, Marpig will be showing lots of b4 and after pics of... FOOD :D__
The rest Marpig had lunch in...
Think itz a mushroom hotpot with chicken or pork or sm meat, cant rem too clearly now (itz been a yr!!) BUT, the 반찬 (ban chan = side dishes) and of cos the main hotpot were abs fantastica!! :D__
After... :P 清洁溜溜!!

B4 Marpig goes into the 风景 of 제주, just a leetle bit about this volcanic island. Itz South Koreaz largest island and is even one of the Natural World Heritage Sites ("Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes")!! 제주 is dominated by the Hallasan (한라산) aka Halla Mountain. For pple who had watched Kim Sam Soon, the mountain the 主角s went up was the Hallasan. The volcano itself is 1950m high (Pics of 한라산 will be in the next entry)

제주, being away from mainland Korea, had developed very distinct cultures on top of being well-known for itz tangerines. The Hallabong type (shown below) are normally from Nov to Dec while the Gamgyul type are often found during summer
So wat are the 2 distinctive cultures u asked? Marpig will reveal them as she ploughs tirelessly thru the bloggie entries!! Meanwhile, a trip to the west of 제주, one would see the Yongdu-am (Dragon Head Rock)
Eh... kinda looked like a dragonz head indeed. The waves against the rocks were quite nice despite itz winter with the chilly sea breeze. So wat did Marpig do? Of cos itz smth to do with food!! She bought sm hot 街头 Odeng (오뎅; in Japan, itz called Oden) & enjoyed it while resting and enjoying the sceneryFYI, Marpig isnt tt FAT!! Itz bcos of the many layers of clothes underneath!!
Just bhind where Marpig was sitting, therez a few 아주마 (ah ju ma = old lady) selling their catch of the dae while tourists climbed down the cliff to the seaside. 아주마s ticked (gently) Marpig off bcos they didnt want pics of them taken :( so Marpig looked the other way and spotted...
Another patient photographer who waited and took maybe a few dozen photos in order to capture the best wave on the rocks. Talk bout 艺术~
Oh yes, Marpig also saw a rock tt looked very much like a bear!! Hmm... kinda resemble Whinnie the Poo :P

Next up, Marpig will take u to the "Mysterious Road" where cars with engines switched off roll "uphill" as well as the Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum!!

한국 (Korea) - Day 1 (Incheon & Around)

Finally, itz almost a yr since Marpig last spent her Xmas in Korea (note tt itz South Korea Marpig am refering to :P) with Ding, her mom and her sis!!

Just for info, this yr, Marpigz gonna have a restful (hopefully) Xmas & New Yr in London while in 2010z pre-Xmas, Marpig will be in the Artic with Santa!! PS, don 放飞机 umk!! Weee~~ must make it!!!!!!! \(>_<)/

Anyw, itz time to crack on with Korea!! Therez still much to write bout!! As usual, this entry will be the appetiser with a leetle bit o info on Korea!!

Tog with HK, Singapore and Taiwan, Korea (South) are known famously as the 4 Asian Tigers bcos of their highly developed economies. HK and Singapore being international financial centres while Taiwan and Korea being international leaders in information technology. Indeed, Koreaz rapid development has been described as "the Miracle on the Han River"

Every1 will definitely noe bout 大长今 & the Korean Wave!! Itz precisely this tt Marpig decided to go Korea!! Oh, at tt time, Marpig noe nth at all bout "All In" nor "Winter Sonata" since shez never watched either one of them

The golden era for Korea (unified) was the Joseon Dynasty (大长今z era) and itz during this period tt 한글 (Hangul) was invented by Sejong the Great. For pple who had played AOE (Age of Empires, real-time strategy game), one would noe tt the Koreansz special unit is the Turtle Ship!! Oh well, guess no1 really noe/appreciate AOE... ho hum

A little interesting bit of info on why therez South and North Korea from Marpigz humble understanding. After WWII, the Allies decided to share the pie (or smth like tt) and so, Russia and China decided to take on Korea from the North and the US and UN decided to take on from the South. Eh... in effect, the communist north, being supported by Russia and China (the communism big family) wanted to take over the south using military means. US and the UN sent their support to the South and drove the offensive North back. And then there was this Korean War which lasts even until now, just tt both the North and South signed a cease-fire treaty; technically, they are still having war (u will noe tt occasionally the North "tests" their missiles towards the southerly direction...)

Right o, enough bout boring history, letz embark on the overnight flight to Incheon Airport!!First time on Korean Air!! Didnt really feel too scared, as long as itz not China Air!! Anyw, itz dinner (2nd dinner for Marpig actually, bcos she ate Nasi Padang at the airport prior to boarding) of 비빔밥 (Bibimbap)!!
Cool!! The bowl is actually real heavy china and not plastic!! Ah~ totally impressed!! The packet on the left is boiled rice while the packet on the right is the seaweed/miso soup!! The soup is slightly diff from the Jap miso soup but still itz piping hot!! 超棒!!

Then, arriving in the wee morning in Incheon Airport!! BTW, Incheon has been awarded 5 star by Skytrax, the only other 2 countries who had won this prestigious 5 star are none other than HK and Singapore!! :D
Got to noe from the local guide (therez 1 local and 1 guide from Singapore) tt Incheon had been snowing the previous night, hence the snow on the plane and ground!! Yeah!! 눈 (snow)!!Around the airport Marpig goes wondering...
The above resembles the lugg conveyor belt in HK. Hmmm... maybe itz the same elsewhere but definitely not Singapore
Although itz winter (average temp is 4 to -7), therez still the 春光风景!!
Nay, actually, those 风景 were from...
hahahahahahahahahaha

Now, this time itz real, Marpig & other tour travellers board the coach to get to the domestic airport in order to fly to 제주 (Jeju)!!
Riding in the coach, Marpig passed by the early morn Incheon...
Also went to a park smwhere which Marpig noe naught... but SNOW!! *step step step* & therez also a 艺术照!!
Right, this is just the beginning!! Next up, Marpig will be introducing 제주!!

隐藏的智慧!!

OMG. Was just talking bout 人生无常 in the previous bloggie entry being a Buddhist ideology and Marpig chanced upon smth she wrote back in 26th Feb 2009 titled, "永远不存在这世上" XT even commented on it!!

So!! Itz not the 1st time Marpig talked bout her thoughts and reasoning she came up herself which are almost as xactly as the teachings!!

Really, Marpig does have a leetle bit of 慧根!! :D Maybe she can start reading sutras soon... Any1 has any sutras to share?!

老了的幼稚和新鲜感

不知不觉, 毫无计划, Marpig had sort of practised to be a writer after all these yrs of blogging/writing/thinking. She started on an impulse and continued on interest/boredom :P Tried adopting diff styles but 来来去去不是 food, 就是 travel. 要不就是 bout current affairs & the world at large, reflections or feelings...

Oh well, here she goes again on sm 人生无常 (btw, 无常 is a Buddhist idealogy re therez nth in life ttz 4ever, right XT and Sansao?) ths:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8340141.stm

Article is bout "Why did Britain fall out of love with Sesame Street?" Needless to say, itz bout Marpigz fav, the Muppets & why the American childrenz show never got aired in the UK anymore. Itz a really interesting article, specially when it xplores diff cultures where the Americans pronounce Z as zee and the Brits, zed hahahaha Best, therez readers comments!! Always love to discover how other pple think bout the same issue since it takes all sorts to make a world :P

Ah~ after almost xx yrs, Marpig still likes to play with toys and read comics and occasionally still have tt bit o naive thinking/behaviour, like a curious pig... how? Is it a must to grow out of toys? Doesnt make sense since pple who are allergic to nuts don grow out of it and pple who don have allergies start having them later in life... 世事无绝对 umk!!

Another th bout pple in general is 追求新鲜的. It can be tangibles or intangibles. Guess itz pretty true tt pple, to a certain xtent, welcome changes/new ths in life. Otherwise, it will be so boring!! For Marpig, itz bout going to diff places, try diff food, meet diff pple as much as she likes to stay cosy at home, play games, read comics, cook and eat and nua. So therez 新鲜的 and 习惯的

Talking bout 新鲜的玩具, recently, Marpig am juggling btw 3 very diff mobiles

She has always love Sony Ericsson bcos of the camera functions, the sound quality and user interface. Then, Marpigz sis intro her to Nokia E71 which Marpig am not really into since itz camera functions arent not as gd as SE (partly also due to the fact tt Marpig am using a Sony camera, so shez biased!! :P) Marpig didnt buy it but who noes, Marpigz dad bought it for Marpig as a gift... have since used it although the SE is still a hand away. Then, recently, Marpigz mobile contract has just ended and so shez eligible for an upgrade. Since Marpig can get a new mobile for free with the upgrade, she choosed the Samsung Tocco bcos she thought it was cool and was inspired by those Korean dramas!! (Nope, she totally do not like anyth Apple)

And so, her opinion on the 3 very diff mobiles;

1) SE is still the best for taking photos and all other functions which includes watching movie clips. But bcos of itz processor, watching movies can be quite 咔

2) Nokia E71 is good too, much like SE. Itz movie watching is better bcos of better processor but batt life is compromised. Phototaking is kinda not as cool, mobile is bigger and bulkier

3) Tocco is great in terms of photo effects and user customisation. But input can be tricky for pple with long fingernails

Anyw, Marpig am using E71 now... but guess she will bring SE along with her smtime bcos of itz size and quick photo taking functions, unless Marpig stashes her Goldie with her all the time...

Anyw, shall leave all to read the BBC article while Marpig carry with her next bloggie entry on Korea (finally)!!

"... brought to you by the letters D, N, B, C and the numbers 2 and 7..." :P

4got What to Blog

Marpig is ageing... her short term memory power is failing although her long time memory still functions. However, not as vividly... hmmm... 不是老人痴呆症吧?!

Her stomach is aching again... don noe why... she did pass motions (not everydae but maybe every other dae?) and she will wake up at 7am and have bf and shower b4 going to work. She also have lunch but try not to have too much for dinner. Guess it can be due to stress at work although itz not as stressful as working back home?

Argh!! Why?! Really, the body starts wearing out... ho hum

Eh... cant really rem wat this entry was supposed to be bout but think itz bout 2 ths:

1) Had a user group meeting 2 weeks ago for the hospital Marpig am working on. One of the user was soft FM (facilities management) consultant. When Marpig asked him to advise the type of equipment tt they generally use/xpect to install, he bcame totally out of the norm and "attacked" the M&E consultant i.e., Marpig (cos Marpig went to the meeting alone and rep the company) by saying ths like itz "based on the ability of the M&E consultant to make reasonable assumptions" and blah blah blah

Marpig and every1 ard the table were taken aback bcos his response and reaction were totally unprovoked and unreasonable. Not only does he not ans Marpigz query (ttz wat user group meetings are bout; for the design team to ask users wat they want and their xperience on previous projects) hez just being rude. Of cos, Marpig smiled and xplained the design assumptions made but would still like his advise on the manufacturers tt he worked with to confirm the assumptions, just like other consultants such as the architect. But once again, without answering the question, he had a go at M&E again. Kao. And so, Marpig cant be bothered to ask or speak to such a rubbish man for the rest of the session. Later, one of the developerz representative told Marpig she was impressed at the way Marpig handled the situation, saying Marpig was very professional :P She also thought (as well as with her other colleagues) tt the "yob" was just being nasty. Fancy him calling himself a consultant who cant even ans a simple question. Really, Marpig thinks he doesnt noe the ans which was why he reacted the way he did, so tt others would not see him as 无能 Oh well. Therez always such pple isnt it? Pple who 先发制人

2) Itz nov again and Marpig is amused by her dad and sis; Marpigz dad asked her to buy Marpigz sis a bdae card while Marpigz sis asked her to get a bdae card for Marpigz dad with "from the 2 of us"... 搞什么?! hahahaha Anyw, Marpigz dad bought a camera for Marpigz sis (although both of them doesnt want him to spend lollies and so, Marpig wil reimburse him) Bcos of the recent weeks of Royal Mail strikes, the camera wil continue to sit at home in until when Marpig goes back in early Dec to hand carry back to the UK for Marpigz sis...

*sharp pain felt in the stomach, to the left* Think it must be Marpigz hiatus hernia... sigh~~