The Netherlands 荷兰

Posted on July 4, 2013 by The Traveller

The Netherlands is informally known as Holland. The capital of The Netherlands is Amsterdam. When I reached Amsterdam, I realized that was the day of the Pride Parade.

Germany 德国 – Berlin 柏林

Posted on July 1, 2013 by The Traveller

The Brandenburg Gate is one of Berlin’s most important monuments for more than two hundred years. However, this landmark is in East Berlin and have been separated from the West by the wall for more than 50 years.

There are many old buildings in Berlin, especially in the eastern side. When I arrived in East Berlin in 1989, I was not allowed to wonder around in the airport and was escorted to the west by the coach. Coincidentally the Berlin wall collapsed one month after I left Germany.

20 years later, I visited Berlin again and this time I could walk from the West to the East freely. Now I could be a tour guide to Berlin.

The story of the bear and Berlin

I took the city tour bus to get familiar with the city

This is one of the best known pieces of Berlin wall graffiti art. The painting depicts the Russian leader Leonid Brezhnev and East Germany’s SED Party Chairman Erich Honecker in a socialist fraternal kiss during the 30th anniversary celebration of the foundation of the German Democratic Republic.

There was a cycling event when I was in Berlin.

This is the way to the nude beach

Rais is Singaporean working in Berlin and he arranged for me to stay in one of this friend’s house while I was in Berlin. I slept on a sofa that can turned into a bed.

Zhuhai 珠海

Posted on June 28, 2013 by The Traveller

I got to know a IT Professor in Beijing Insititute of Technology in Zhuhai 北京理工大学珠海学院. Followed his instructions, I took a bus (S$7) from Zhenshen to the University and stayed in the campus for 2 nights.

I took the bus (20 cents per trip) and visited a few places while I was in Zhuhai. The new Yuan Ming Yuan 圓明新園 is a place that I would recommmend you to visit if you are in Zhuhai

From Zhuhai, I crossed the border to Macau.

Auckland 奥克兰

Posted on June 26, 2013 by The Traveller

The days in Auckland was full of fun and excitement. I met up with people from the United States, Vietnam, Malaysia, India and the locals. We gathered together and had a day trip to the Upper Nihotupu Dam. This is one of the five reservoirs in the Waitākere Ranges that supply water in Auckland. We also walked along the soft sand beaches to have a view of the beautiful late afternoon scenery to end the day. A few of us had another day of cooking in one of the members’ house. Besides, I went alone to tour around the city, parks, habour and visited the Auckland Museum. The entrance to the museum is free but there is a mandatory 5 dollar donation we have to pay. From Auckland, I took the morning train to capital city of New Zealand, Wellington.

Taichung 台中

Posted on June 23, 2013 by The Traveller

Taiwan Taichung.32 Taiwan Taichung.90 Taiwan Taichung.33 Taiwan Taichung.56 Taiwan Taichung.30 Taiwan Taichung.8 Taiwan Taichung.64 Taiwan Taichung.7 Taiwan Taichung.63 Taiwan Taichung.109 Taiwan Taichung.66 Taiwan Taichung.52 Taiwan Taichung.59 Taiwan Taichung.92 Taiwan Taichung.12 Taiwan Taichung.28 Taiwan Taichung.58 Taiwan Taichung.51 Taiwan Taichung.36 Taiwan Taichung.35 Taiwan Taichung.39 Taiwan Taichung.37 Taiwan Taichung.34 Taiwan Taichung.46 Taiwan Taichung.47 Taiwan Taichung.48 Taiwan Taichung.87 Taiwan Taichung.18 Taiwan Taichung.25 Taiwan Taichung.93 Taiwan Taichung.72 Taiwan Taichung.79 Taiwan Taichung.70 Taiwan Taichung.43 Taiwan Taichung.68 Taiwan Taichung.44 Taiwan Taichung.76 Taiwan Taichung.101 Taiwan Taichung.103 Taiwan Taichung.102 Taiwan Taichung.108 Taiwan Taichung.107 Taiwan Taichung.98 Taiwan Taichung.100 Taiwan Taichung.99 Taiwan Taichung.104 Taiwan Taichung.85 Taiwan Taichung.96 Taiwan Taichung.114 Taiwan Taichung.115 Taiwan Taichung.117 Taiwan Taichung.118 Taiwan Taichung.71 Taiwan Taichung.112 Taiwan Taichung.110 Taiwan Taichung.111 Taiwan Taichung.81 Taiwan Taichung.105 Taiwan Taichung.3 Taiwan Taichung.5 Taiwan Taichung.4 20150410_170001.1 phpUoZQcmAM Taiwan Taichung.106

Hualien 花蓮

Posted on June 23, 2013 by The Traveller

Taiwan. Hualien.55 Taiwan. Hualien.49 Taiwan. Hualien.41 Taiwan. Hualien.57 Taiwan. Hualien.48 Taiwan. Hualien.8 Taiwan. Hualien.51 Taiwan. Hualien.42 Taiwan. Hualien.50 Taiwan. Hualien.26 Taiwan. Hualien.6 Taiwan. Hualien.24 Taiwan. Hualien.54 Taiwan. Hualien.25 Taiwan. Hualien.27 Taiwan. Hualien.22 Taiwan. Hualien.28 Taiwan. Hualien.3 Taiwan. Hualien.46 Taiwan. Hualien.7 Taiwan. Hualien.45 Taiwan. Hualien.47 Taiwan. Hualien.23 Taiwan. Hualien.40 Taiwan. Hualien.52 Taiwan. Hualien.53

Ziqiang Night Market (自强夜市)

Chishingtan Beach (七星潭)

Taiwan. Hualien.58 Taiwan. Hualien.60 Taiwan. Hualien.61 Taiwan. Hualien.59 Taiwan. Hualien.62 Taiwan. Hualien.63 Taiwan. Hualien.66 Taiwan. Hualien.67 Taiwan. Hualien.65 Taiwan. Hualien.64 Taiwan. Hualien.117 Taiwan. Hualien.118 Taiwan. Hualien.119 Taiwan. Hualien.120

Taroko National Park (太鲁阁国家公园)

Yilan 宜蘭

Posted on June 23, 2013 by The Traveller

Taipei 台北

Posted on June 23, 2013 by The Traveller

I have visited many places in Taipei. Here are some of them : National Palace Museum National 國立故宮博物院 / Maokong Gondola 貓空纜車

Taiwan Taipei.139 Taiwan Taipei.70 Taiwan Taipei.38 Taiwan Taipei.52 Taiwan Taipei.56 Taiwan Taipei.42 Taiwan Taipei.155 Taiwan Taipei.128 Taiwan Taipei.130 Taiwan Taipei.129 Taiwan Taipei.72 Taiwan Taipei.69 Taiwan Taipei.136 Taiwan Taipei.112 Taiwan Taipei.76 Taiwan Taipei.85 Taiwan Taipei.87 Taiwan Taipei.79 Taiwan Taipei.22 Taiwan Taipei.137 Taiwan Taipei.125 Taiwan Taipei.140 Taiwan Taipei.124 Taiwan Taipei.94 Taiwan Taipei.51 Taiwan Taipei.46 Taiwan Taipei.74 Taiwan Taipei.198 Taiwan Taipei.205 Taiwan Taipei.201 Taiwan Taipei.197 Taiwan Taipei.207 Taiwan Taipei.200 Taiwan Taipei.202 Taiwan Taipei.184 Taiwan Taipei.147 Taiwan Taipei.183

Jiufen (九份)

Taiwan Taipei.162 Taiwan Taipei.190 Taiwan Taipei.189 Taiwan Taipei.186 Taiwan Taipei.191 Taiwan Taipei.187 Taiwan Taipei.160 Taiwan Taipei.193 Taiwan Taipei.164

Ximending 西門町 / LongShen Temple (龍山寺)

Taiwan Taipei.174 Taiwan Taipei.121 Taiwan Taipei.173 Taiwan Taipei.45 Taiwan Taipei.43 Taiwan Taipei.120 Taiwan Taipei.118 Taiwan Taipei.114 Taiwan Taipei.116 Taiwan Taipei.58 Taiwan Taipei.48 Taiwan Taipei.123 Taiwan Taipei.172 Taiwan Taipei.170 Taiwan Taipei.49 Taiwan Taipei.50 Taiwan Taipei.166

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall 國父紀念館 / Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall (中正纪念堂)

Taiwan Taipei.35 Taiwan Taipei.177 Taiwan Taipei.28 Taiwan Taipei.37 Taiwan Taipei.27 Taiwan Taipei.31 Taiwan Taipei.32 Taiwan Taipei.33 Taiwan Taipei.182 Taiwan Taipei.176 Taiwan Taipei.15 Taiwan Taipei.29 Taiwan Taipei.23 Taiwan Taipei.181 Taiwan Taipei.20 Taiwan Taipei.16

Danshui (淡水)

Taiwan Danshi.1 Taiwan Danshi.6 Taiwan Danshi.7 Taiwan Danshi.14 Taiwan Danshi.25 Taiwan Danshi.19 Taiwan Danshi.23 Taiwan Danshi.26 Taiwan Danshi.21 Taiwan Danshi.24

Hot Spring (溫泉)

Taiwan Taipei.142 Taiwan Taipei.5 Taiwan Taipei.146 Taiwan Taipei.8 Taiwan Taipei.7 Taiwan Taipei.144 Taiwan Taipei.194 Taiwan Taipei.198 Taiwan Taipei.195 Taiwan Taipei.10

The Bridge of Anguished English

Posted on June 22, 2013 by The Traveller

We do see signs almost everywhere. Here are some interesting signs Lederer has found during his travel, taken from his book “The Bridge of Anguished English”.

In a Winston-Salem, North Carolina restaurant – Shoes are required to eat inside.
Outside a Cardiff, California restaurant – Help keep the birds healthy. Don’t feed them restaurant food.
In a Brooklyn barbershop window – During construction we will shave you in the rear.
On a newspaper rack in Melville, New York – Please pay for newspapers before being taken.
Outside a Grand Rapids furniture store – We promise you the lowest prices and workmanship.
Sign outside Phoenix racecourse – Live Horse Racing Today.
Outside a Van Nuys, California gift shop – Live Artificial Trees.
In a Detroit restaurant – Toilet out of order. Please use the floor below.
In a Bar Harbor, Maine, restaurant – Open seven days a week and weekends.
In an Orlando Safari park – Elephants Please Stay in Your Car.
On the wall of a Vancouver cleaning service – Able to do the worst possible job.
Attached to a chair in a Toronto hardware store – Are your bottoms sagging? We provide a caning service.
In a British Laundromat – Automatic washing machines. Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.
On many WCs in London – Ladies, Gentlemen & Disabled Toilets.
Outside a secondhand shop in Bath – We exchange anything – bicycles, washing machines, etc. Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain.
In a health food shop window – Closed due to illness.
In a dry cleaner’s window – Anyone leaving their garments here for more than 30 days will be disposed of.
In a London dance hall – Smarts is the most exclusive disco in town, Everyone welcome.
On the fence of a rural farm – The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.
In a Manchester shop – Customers should note that any complaints of incivility on the part of our staff will be severely deal with.
A sign in Cairo, Egypt, advertises a donkey ride for tourists – Would you like to ride on your own ass?

Finally, here is a is a response to inquiries for accommodations abroad- Dear Madam, I am honorable to accept your impossible request. Unhappy it is I have not bedroom with bath. A bathroom with bed I have. I can though give you a washing, with pleasure, in a most clean spring with on one to see. I insist that you will like this.

Source : “The Bridge of Anguished English” by Richard Lederer. Published by St. Mattin’s Press. N.Y. USA.