Brussels (Part 1)

Right... Brussels... wat is so special bout the Belgians? Choc?

Nay!! ahahahaha

Marpig shall list down all she noes and the (must go) places!! (for the benefit of JM!!)

Quick JM!! Praise Marpig!! Treat Marpig to makan!! :D__ Well, actually, homecooked soups will be equally gd :D__

Actually, travelling is xciting, however, to share travelling tots and stories will make it more like roller coaster!! (Really, Marpig could be a story teller :D)

1st of all, warm up!!

B4 Marpig goes into other interesting bits and morsels, letz get familarised with the most basic; the flag. Every1 (almost) noes tt the flag of Germany consists of black, yellow and red. Identically, the flag of Belgium is the same!! but rotated 90 deg (think itz clockwise)!! Hence, don mixed them up!! (Nay, don think Belgium is an ally of the Nazis, no)Many pple often associate Brussels with Brussel Sprouts and choc. But does any1 noes why is it called Brussel Sprouts and actually, the Belgium choc is from Switzerland?

Choc was 1st brought into Belgium by a Switz immigrant in 1857 called Jean Neuhaus. Cant rem wat he did but he set up factories to make choc and ever since, Belgium is famous for choc made by Neuhaus.

However, therez so many choc so wat is THE type of Belgium choc? Look for praline choc from Belgium. :)Brussels Sprouts!! In the UK, pple normally have them during xmas (itz also around tt time tt supermarkets sell them) Most children (& alot of adults) hated Brussels Sprouts... Marpig dont so she doesnt noe watz the prob... but heard from ang moh frens tt pple don like the sprouts bcos 1, they are hard (if u do not noe the proper way of preparing them) 2, pple who don like them said the sprouts have a funny taste/smell... hmmm... Marpig likes them wor... totally compliment the thick gravy of turkey, xmas stuffings, etc!! *slurps*

But why is it called Brussel sprouts? (BTW, Brussel Sprouts are countable) :P According to Brusselians, there was once a very very poor town in Brussels. Pple had limited land to grow enough food for themselves since land is scarce & hence, xpensive. Pple wanted to grow cabbages (why cabbages? Cos poor pple could only afford tt) but cabbages take up alot of land. But one fine dae, sm1 discover a funny type of vege on their land!! They saw a long thick stalk with teeny weeny cabbages like bells on a stick!! Bcos these teeny weeny cabbages grow upwards, they don take up alot of space :P Yup, tt was how the Brussel spouts came about!! Sounds like Marpig am telling porky? Well, ttz wat the books in the hostel in Brussels said!! :P

Other ths bout Brussels are the fantastica "moules",

sweet "gauffre",

cheesy frites,& (Marpigz fav) ESCARGOES!!

These are escargoes from a great restaurant named Chez Leon. JM, if u wanna try the moules and snails, enquire from reception from where u stay in Brussels for Chez Leon and they will direct u!!

Yeah!! Street stall selling de-shelled snails!! But the snails are teeny weeny... but still all right

The snails are cooked together with celery and pepper... (feedback from Marpigz trusty taste buds)

Well, the snails are more associated with the French (who are also well-known to eat frogz legs just like the Chinese do) but actually, it can be found & smtimes cheaper to get it in Brussels. Oh man!! One cant say tt one had been to Brussels if one didnt try all those fabulous and scrumptious food!!

Oh!! And hot red wine (taste so much nicer than just red wine!!) but guess one can only have tt in wintery winter...

In terms of buildings and monuments, here is a (inxhaustive) list:

EU head1/4s
Basilica of the Sacred Heart (a tat too far out from the city centre)
The Atomium
Mini Europe (Darn!! Itz not open in winter; Marpig missed it!!)
Grand Place aka Grote Market (Itz an UNESCO place)
Comic Museum (Marpigz fav!!)
Mannekin Pis (& his less well-known sister, Jeannekin Pis)
Parc du Cinquantenaire (French)/Jubelpark (Dutch)/Jubilee Park (English)
St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral

A carpark on high level to take skyline of Brussels. Cant rem where but could take the maps from hostels cos ttz where they give really useful tips to tourists!!

So ends Brussels Part 1 and moving on, shall be Part 2 on the comic(al) side of Brussels!!

Songs to Share

Argh... just came back from Italy!! Been really tired cos travelling the entire week and visited all places in the Italian cities on foot!! For eg, just in Pisa, Mappig walked bout 10km and more in just a dae!! OMG

Had alot of backlogs to catch up on!! Looking back, Marpig hasnt fin with the Dec trip last yr (Need to write up on Brussels & Antwerp) Neither had she done her trip back home in Feb!! Worse, Marpig had been doing so many travelling here and there during wkends as well as work tt she felt time passes too quickly!! Itz already end of May!!

Anyw, the backgrd music is dedicated to Beenie, for going to Patti Austinz concert with Marpig like... 3 yrs ago?! hahahahaha Haven heard from Beenie so guess she must be busy paktor-ing :P

Right, just to drop a few hints here & there, (no, not bout bgr) Marpig sent out a few postcards to a couple of frens whilst she was in the famous Uffuzi museum in Florence (one of the place where TVB filmed 冲上云霄) hopefully the snails get the postcards to frens in Sunny Cramped Island 1/2 a globe away...

B4 Marpig whizzes off to blog Part 1 of the Brussels trip, shez gonna upload music to the bloggie every now & then. Will generally leave the same music for a week or so... hopefully itz not too distracting ya?

Cos normally Marpig does her thinking and writing in the dead of the night over the usual cuppa white tea kosong with wols jazz or smooth rock playing... guess softer musics (as in not too heavy if ya noe wat Marpig means) tends to relax a person... *uncomfy stomach & aching shoulders*

Finally, any1 with nice music pls share!! Oh yes, Sexy Lady, is it possible to help Marpig dl the duet by George Michael & Mutya Buena titled, "This is Not Real Love"? Bestest, pls help Marpig lookout for his limited edition 3CD album (there is a 2 CD version) titled, "25" cos it contained tt song!! Marpig am trying to check out the prices to see if itz better to get it in the UK!! :D

... ... Suddenly Marpig am thinking of eating zhok with century eggies and otak otak... wants to have fried gyoza too... ... :( Just to end off with a light-hearted note, Marpigz ang moh colleagues (2 of them) don like dao pok!! They actually gave dao pok a nice nick aka "Spongebobs"!! hahahahaha Quite true... yellow and squarish... oh boy... Marpig am thinking of Laksa!! :D__

Obsessive!!

Marpig has been obsessive... she was so hooked onto "Biscuit Teacher and Sugar Candy" tt she watch the drama on U-Tube until she finished her 3GB internet allowance since dae 2 of the month!! Wat is horrible is tt she hasnt fin the drama!! Gosh. So, she stayed back a little while (~3hrs :P) in the office just to try to fin the rest of the episode!! Stil have the last 2 episodes!! oh boy oh boy!!

Must really watch it!! Oh boy!!

Anyw, Marpig really have an affinity to Korean as of now... was just over at Boots to get sm empty bottles (for backpacking due to the 100ml law at the security; Marpig not checking in any lugg) and gosh, in UK, in Bristo, in a little bus terminal, Marpig met sm1 who was sitting bside Marpig and who is a korean!! OMG!! Hearing him talking on the mobile in Korean!! Gosh. Marpig really needs to start utilising tt 80 bucks Learn Korean Kit b4 Dec comes!! Sharks!!

Pah boh ya?!

Meanwhile, itz almost June and Marpig really need to get on with her bloggie entry on Brussels for JM!!

Hello My Teacher!!

Okokok!! Marpig had been really busy until she is so tired tt she is getting thinner everydae.

Anyh, Marpig am really hooked onto Korean dramas... sharks... so much so tt the NDS is now number 2!!

Yong, Ill, EE, Sam, Sa, O, Yoke, Chill, Pal, Ku, Sip!! (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 in korean!!) hahahhahahaha This is REALLY getting out of hand!! Sexy Lady, dec must definitely go korea!! If not... Marpig am not going to commit crimes with u ard all the makan places in Singapore!! Yak-so? (promise?) :D

Meanwhile, Marpig had internet at home (finally!!) and she is now watching "Hello My Teacher" online!! Oh boy!! Such a nice show!! Go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2KaUbUsaBE

Who acted in it? :D Gong Hyo Jin (Sang Doo, Letz Go to Sch) & Gong Yoo (Coffee Prince)!! Ah~~~!! Must watch!! Marpig am gonna get the DVD!! Therez another show called "Thank You" by Gong Hyo Jin too. Read reviews and itz gonna be a soaper... just wat Marpig loves!!

:D Ok, knew tt itz Labour Day todae (itz not a PH in the UK) and bcos Marpig will be going away smwhere during the wkend as well as writing up the appraisal thingy, Marpig shall wrapped up Paris b4 she continues to Brussels (specially dedicated to JM since she will be going there in June!! MAYBE able to meet hor to celebrate Marpig bdae in Amsterdam!! Hopefully...)

Itz not going to be much... just a few more pics which Marpig didnt managed to upload previously...The street beside where Marpig stays (Hotel is on the left)Rem Marpig said he also wanted take sm pics of the nightclubs but too wols and sm1 came out to shoo us away? Marpig took this pic b4 tt man saw us taking pics... hahahahahaha
Entrance to Sacre CoeurClose up of the door... think tt is the last supper on the right... ?
One of Marpigz fav pic!! Nope, not bcos of the lights... hmmm partly bcos of the empty chairs (yeah, Marpig likes ths with a pinch of sadness yet the lights gives hope? sanctuary? peace?) guess itz the kinda feeling tt a pic gives... just like loving a person, smtimes, therez no need for a reason :)So artistic!! :P
Itz not everydae tt one gets to stroll and relax ya noe... :P Was visiting Sacre Coeur and saw Mr Pigeon so quickly took a pic of him having his evening walk
Funny tt the streets of Paris has got lotsa such seafd stores... hmmm... guess pple tot tourists likes escargoes (water snails, not garden snails) then they started to intro other seafd like urchins, clams, scallops, prawns, etc... Marpig didn eat from these stores bcos they are abs xpensive. Instead, Marpig tried the escargoes in quite a famous restaurant called Chez Leon (must try!!)
:P The dashing guy doing a crepe order for Marpig... ooolala!! :P Looks like his bod is great, ya?French pastries!! Bought smth to munch on the morning train to Brussels for the next dae... but Marpig already downed 2 of the 3 pcs at night!! hahahahahah The choc pcs was 102% abs S.I.N.F.U.L. So rich, so slick, so everyth it tickles Marpig throat when she swallows it... oooooooo!! The pinkish one was all right, not too sweet, not too rich (the one Marpig likes best) The yellow one looks like Marpigz fav custard w choc chips. But... turned out to be the worst among the 3 bcos itz sooooooooooooooooo sweet tt itz like eating a block of concentrated sugar!! OMG
Finally, not only does Marpig likes to reflect, she likes her reflection too... :P

谁是最魁禍首?!

Who was the 1st person to intro Korean dramas to Marpig?! Kao.

Which was the 1st Korean drama Marpig watched?!

Marpig am now toooooooooo into Korean culture tt she is eating garlic like rice, having rice with soup every meal and listening to korean songs at work!! Even bought a 80 bucks Learn Korean kit from Kino!! How crazy is tt?!

Right... 1st korean drama Marpig watched is... (Interactive question No. 1)

Who intro tt show to Marpig? ... ... cant rem... was it... XT? No... It might have been Sexy Lady...

!! OMG!! Cant believe the person who intro the show to Marpig doesnt watch korean drama!! (ttz cos the show was given to her by another fren & tt fren told her itz nice)

Who?

Marpigz sis!! When was it?... well... tt was 3 yrs ago when Marpig was in Cosy Barn 1 doing her masters

Still cant guess which korean drama? All right. For those who faithfully 追 Marpigz bloggie will be given a clue... this drama Marpig watched at least 6 times...

Pls give ans!!

Meanwhile, just sm brainless tok b4 round up this bloggie entry

2 ths happened in the office todae; a secretary said Marpigz hair looks smashing and it shines!! Wow!!

Next, a colleague who went US and got Marpig a postcard was chatting to Marpig during lunchtime and actually asked Marpig why female don like casual sex... duh So, being the matter-of-factly Marpig, she xplained to colleague the reason y

Don think ttz any underlying meaning for him to ask lah... so don think too much all right pple?!

Right, itz getting late and Marpig has been "operating in the theatre" for 2 consecutive late nights, hence, she gotta go grab sm wing(k)s!!

Final Day in Paris (Part 2)

Wah Kao. Marpig am so disorgnised this time!! Was looking through the bloggie entries she wrote for Munich & Burghausen & Salzburg and there was even a summary of all "chapters" Biangz.

Guess itz bcos following on from the dec trip, Marpig got to fin as much work as she can b4 she goes home in Feb... then so many ths to blog as well for Feb but she got much more work piled up when she came back... Will do better for Italy trip!!

Meanwhile, Marpig need to quickly settle the dec trip bloggies!!

Right, w/o further ado (as if therez much ado to do :P hahahahaha) Eiffel Tower!!Wanted to take the entire tower with Marpig in the pic and in the end... Marpig gave up. Companion is a gd guy but he 102% doesnt have the artistic eyes... either the tower is not in, or itz rotated... gosh... then again... itz really diff to take this pic; with the person and the entire tower... then again, Marpig bet Dingko Nut and PS will be able to make it but PS might not be willing to bend down all the way to do it... :PWho else but the engr himself!!*Looking up* Wah~~~The elevators tt brings tourists up the tower. Of cos, it isnt free. One could pay to climb the stairs or pay to take the elevatorsTok bout trusses and stresses, mullions and transoms. See tt bit with glass windows? tt is the restaurant on top of the tower!! But of cos, Marpig didnt went up bcos there was too many pple and... yeah... companionz enthusiasm was too teeny weeny to rub orf on Marpig...

Anyw, rem Marpig said she went to Notre Dame? She woke up real early and went to Notre Dame to beat the crowd!!See?! Therez no tourists (well, only a few) ard!! Notre Dame!! Hmmm... had always thought (imagined from the novel) Notre Dame is a wide church rather slim and tall...The details of the main facadeQuite... sinister? Was there ever a St. tt holds the head like tt?! *puzzledWow... everyth is sooooo amazing!! Bell tower? yeah, there is but once again, Marpig didnt go up and from the look of it, it doesnt look 1/2 as we the novel describes it. Anyh, the carvings are already masterpcs in their own right :D Gargoyles? Hmm... didnt notice them... saw them at Sacre Coeur (Chuch of Jesus Christ up the hill behind where Marpig was staying)

Oh yeah, does any1 noe wat do the Gargoyles do? Don noe why pple use Gargoyles instead of other creatures (tell Marpig if any1 noes) Gargoyles actually work like the roof rain gullies tt drain the churches' roof when it rains. What happen is tt the rain will be drained through the mouth of the Gargoyles (which xplains y their mouths are never shut)

In the novel, Quasimodo melted lead and pour it through the Gargoylesz mouth onto the crowd below during the final scene (if Marpig did not rem wrongly)

FYI, Marpig wanted to bloggie all places in chronological sequence but after smtime, seems like everyth starts to jumbled up!! Tsk tsk. Well, main th is tt Marpig shares the photos!!

Right, wat next? All of us definitely noe bout the Statue of Liberty in the States. But does any1 noe where it originated? :P France gave the Statue to USA and they do have a "copy" of it in Paris!! Although it is pretty far, but Marpig walked all the way, from east to west along River Seine just to take a photo of tt Statue in Paris!!It is in front of the Radio France!! :D Itz like a feat to walk tt distance just to catch a glimpse of tt statue!! Kao. Only Marpig will do such a th (& yeah, only a gd boring companion will do tt with Marpig... poor guy afterall :D)
Like wat Marpig said, itz has bcome Marpigz occupational habit of admiring buildings... gosh. Seems like the buildings resemble those in Singapore as well... Anyw, ard the statue are actually posh hotels and Marpig went into Novotel. Why? Urgent lah. Therez no public loos or more precisely, FREE loos in Paris. After walking such a long dist, Marpig & co are urgent!! So, as usual, pretend to be staying in the hotel & went in for a relieve :P Saw JAL stewardess... guess it must be 1 of those hotels for the airline crewsAt night, Marpig went to the Panthoeon!! Wow... a very nice place. Too bad it was closed as itz pretty late then. The Pantheon is actually directly outside the University of Paris. Was really nice to see so many xmas trees!! Much like the saying, " 牡丹 还 需 绿 叶 扶持"!!
To fin up this bloggie entry, Marpig gave smth interactive for readers to do; spot Marpig!! (Of cos, itz also another chance for XT to xplode the pic :P)

Spring/Summer? My Trotters!!

There was once when Marpig went out on Grocery Dae and engaged in an idle chat with an old lady sitting bside Marpig on the bus. She said, "My grandmother once told me, if you can survive the British weather, you can survive anywhere"

Indeed, it is true. Gosh, itz already May and temp is still lingering ard 5 to 13 deg... worse, it rains!! Kao.

Anyw, went home slightly early todae since Marpig left office early to see doc bout tt subtle lump. Guess wat, docs here are really...

Anyh, once again, doc print smth out bout Tietze's Syndrome and 打发 Marpig home... Once again, no conclusion, no remedy, no nth. Sigh...

BTW, XT, there was a very old bloggie entry tt Marpig wrote bout chinese medicine (not really) and how our emotions link to the bile juice, etc of our body tt affect our health. Guess u might have 4gotten? :P Marpig have been randomly reading old bloggie entries and cant believe Marpig wrote so many (intelligent) ths!! :P hahahahahahaha

Don noe leh... last time study also xiong... but don feel so tired and tt lumpy thingy... old liao Marpig guesses

There are chinese medicine in the UK and of cos, Bristol. The shops do acupuncture or shops in shopping centres selling TCM or health food but they don look as convincing

Sigh... on the way back home from the clinc, Marpig was thinking... IF smth really happens to her.... guess she will keep it to herself and continue as life are as normal as it is now... might try to do treatments and if it doesnt help, she will quit her job, go on sabbatical trip, go back home and wait for her time to come... yup

In another 2 wks' time, Marpig will go Italy!! Fren was xxxcited too!! hahahaha always like to go on trips to xplore... shall take lotsa pics again... too bad... Marpig already knew wat pic she will not take...

Marpig will be travelling alone in Florence and Pisa!! Marpig wanted to take a pic where Marpig am "pushing" the leaning tower!! but no camera stand nor companion!! Tsk. Nvm.

Watever, Marpig will see if therez anyth unique to get for frens back home!!