Happenings for the week

Well it has been a week since my last posting. I could see that there are many regular visitors to my blog, maybe they would have been disappointed since I have done any new posting for the past week. When I was in Shanghai, I have been regularly posting photos and my encounters there.

The week surely past by very fast. When I came back home there were many chores that required my attention. Being absence from home for a month, there bound to be some loose end that a man need to do at home. Overall, it was very "re-freshing" after being couped up in a hotel room in Shanghai for the past one month.

My son is the happiest to see that I am back home. Since he was born, I was always with him and have been away from him for a long duration of time (the previous longest duration was when I was in Chennai for 1 week). He told me he missed me alot and the same goes for me. Being the only guy in the house when I am away in Shanghai, he could find company to take him out for food or shopping. When I was with him he also mentioned that he has not been doing this or that for the past one month and he was happy to do it with me. However, when I told him that I will be going back to Shanghai soon, he was not too pleased about it. I have to coax him to say that I will be back really soon.

At the same time, back in office, I am kept busy supporting my staff who are on assignment in Chennai. I was also busy making arrangements for my return trip back to Shanghai.. yeah I am going back there since my assignment is still in progress and would probably end by July.

This week and the coming week will be very short since there were a total of 3 public holidays. By the next following week I would be back in Shanghai to continue on my assignment and will not be back home for the next 3 weeks. Let's hope that I can come back home soon. Being away from home overseas working is totally different from when you are on holidays or on tour.

OK, that for now.

Flying back home

I took the liberty to choose a window seat during my flight from Shanghai back to Kuala Lumpur. Usually I enjoyed sitting at the aisle since it is easier to go to the toilet or when disembarking from the plane. Since my seat is in the Business Class there is ample space to more around to take some photos from the window of the place.

The view of the plane out to the skies on the flight back was spectacular. The clouds looks like a clean white blanket of cotton. Using my circular polarizer filter, various type of colours were generated when at different angle. Here are some of the spectacular photos taken from the window of the plane on my journey home.

My bottle of Evian Mineral water courtesy of MAS

Finally back home

After being in Shanghai for the past 30 days I was back home. The plane touched down at KLIA at 9.53 p.m. last night and by the time I reached home, it was already 10.30 p.m. For the first time after 30 days I was sweating due the the high humidity of the KL air.

The family was happy to see me. Once I entered the house, I started to unpack my luggage to bring out all the gifts and souvenirs that I have bought in Shanghai.

I was disappointed when I heard that half of my goldfishes were dead due to white spot infection. All the surviving goldfishes now have to be placed into a much small aquarium. Since it was late, I did not the time to see how I can rectify the situation of the bigger tank so then it will be get rid of the white spot virus and the current goldfishes can be placed back in the bigger tank.

Woke up this morning at 6.00 a.m. to send my children to school. I have not driven for one month and my car was parked very closed to my gate. It was dark and I could not judge the distance and accidentally knocked the car's door guard against the gate. The door guard was dented and would require a replacement.

Huh, another dent to my pocket!!!

People's Square

At the end of Nanjing Road, there's a place called People's Square. This is crowded with people. I found out why today when I made a trip there:

1. It is the interchange for the busiest Metro Line 1 and Line 2.
2. It is where the most of the shopping area are located apart from the other stores that are located at Nanjing Road.
3. Located not far from People's Square are two big exhibition and cultural halls. There are events happening through out the year.
4. The Shanghai Museum is located there.
5. There is actually a park in People's Square.

What surprises me today is that not only that the crowd is located on the ground but there are alot more people located underground. There is big shopping mall underground. This the place where you can get all the latest fashions, ladies accessories, shoes and whatever you can wear outside and inside there.

At the park, I saw many elderly people crowding around. I went over there and I was caught by surprise by what was the event was about. It was a gathering of elderly people who were on the looking her their lost friends, relative or children. The people there will display who there are looking for by providing information such as date of birth, height, weight and a brief story of the person that they are looking for. Most of them will place the description of who they are looking for in front of them siting down and hoping that the person that they are looking for would also be walking around the park.

In search for lost love ones, these people will sit at the park's bench placing a notice of who they are looking for and hoping that the person would turn up.

Many more of the search notices that were placed on the grounds of the park

See how many people are there looking out for their lost relatives or love ones

At the park outside the Shanghai Museum, there were many people strolling around enjoying the weather with their children. There are many couples there too, some of them are very bold. These couples would hug each other passionately and at time you may catch them kissing too. Yeah right in front of everyone , broad daylight!!

Love birds at work in broad daylight

More photos are available at my Picasa Web Album or my Flickr Album.

Don't take my photo.. I am ugly and poor!!

Boring Sunday

I was awaken by the sound of my door bell. I look at my watch and it was 8.30 a.m. Damm, who the hell was it? It turned out to be the chambermaid who asked me for permission to make up my room. I agreed since they normally would come to make up the room at about noon where I would want to be in my room.

Today is the Malaysian Grand Prix and I would want to watch the live telecast. But the race will start at 3.00 p.m. I decided not to go any where but to be in my room resting, waiting for the telecast and the same time be at online at my notebook.

The weather was not too kind to me. The temperature today is about 15 degree.. that's cold. I have to wear my sweater and at the same time wear my track pants. The room heater was not too much of help to keep the temperature in my room warmer.

So the Formula 1 race started. Felipe Massa had pole position and Kimi was on the 3rd grid position. But both the Ferrari drivers blew their chance to win the race away as both the McLaren driver went pass them at the first corner at the start of the race. I was not too pleased that at the end of the race, the Alonso lead home with a McLaren one-two.

In the evening, I decided to go out, the weather was still very cold and I was shivering and hungry. I decided to go to the Lujuiazui area where the Super Branch Mall and the Oriental Pearl Tower is located. I wanted to have a photo shoot of the place at night. After my meal at Burger King (yes, Burger King is here) which was a Whopper set which cost me RMBY23-00, I went for a photo shoot and here are the photos.

Do check out my Picasa Web album and turn on the slide show option where you can see an animation of the light show up close at the Aurora and Citibank towers.

I was sitting in front of a mirror when I was having my Whopper. Since I have never shot myself with a camera, I thought to myself what the heck, I need that type of photos too. So here it is.

Hooters have two outlets in China. This Hooter is located at Super Brand Mall. I did not go inside to shoot the waitresses there, I managed to shoot two of them from outside. Look at the orange hot pants!!

The Beijing Olympic Games logo displayed on the Citibank Tower

The rolls of red lanterns that are displayed at the entrance of the Oriental Pearl Tower

A view of Puxi from Pudong. Notice the spotlight shooting from the roof the building

A day at the Century Park

The front page of today's new paper mentioned about the lovely flowers that were blooming at the Shanghai Botanical Garden. The photo in The Shanghai Daily that featured the story of the flower exhibition at the Shanghai Botanical Garden

I was looking at the map of the location of the botanical gardens, hoping to go there for a photo shoot. I found out that it is located quite far away from my hotel where the place does not have the Metro service.

So, I decided to take a trip to Century Park which is easily reached the Metro. There are so many people at the park since today's weather was cooling and sunny. I have to buy a RMB10 ticket to get into the park.

There were many families having fun at the park. The main activities are cycling, boating and kite flying. There are many families who had picnics there too. Need not to say, there are many couples there holding hands and strolling along the paths of the park.

I managed to take some photos during my short stay at the park. I have to rush back to the hotel to catch the live telecast of the Formula One qualification session of the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Here are some shoots I have taken. More photos at my Picasa Web Album.

Spring is coming

A loving old couple at the park

Mind your language 5

The sign said that the elevator is "disabled". Actually, it should read as "Elevator for the Disabled".
(Poor quality of photo, taken using my handphone)

Mind your language 4

I wondered what it means by "DESERTED" batteries

The sign read "To maintenance the benefits of your company staff and yourself, please keep a close eye on your front door".. huh? I think they mean to tell the tenant of the building to ensure the security of their office for the benefit of their staff.

A night at The Bund

The skies of Shanghai was clear. I took the opportunity to take a trip to The Bund in the evening for a photo shoot. It was been 2 weeks since I can a really clear sky in Shanghai to to allow me to have a clear shoot of the great scenery. Here are some shoots that I have taken. You can see more photos at my Flickr web album.

The Peace Hotel

The Oriental Pearl Tower