Euro Travel & More

It’s funny how some of us .. who had been to Brooklyn Bridge still go for a visit every time we are in New York – Manhattan City.  Well, for me . .. it’s almost every single time.  Why..?? because i’m always there for work.. and always there with a new co-worker.  Like the other time, i was there for a life insurance comparison for the company i worked for  – opening a rep office, and had to go set up office and payroll and you know the legal work for them plus taxes for the staff and company, i had to tag along with this new co-worker of mine to show her around.

So what so great about the Brooklyn Bridge.. ?? well, my best g/f  took her wedding pictures on the Brooklyn Bridge. .and she wasn’t even staying in New York City at that time, she was in San Frans.   Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is a must-do if you want a great view of Manhattan – hot but definitely worthwhile telling everyone you walked across the bridge.  Of course, take lots of pictures.. like we do and while you are there, don’t forget the   magnificent views of the Manhattan skyline at the Promenade,  this 1/3-mile-long sliver of green overlooks Brooklyn’s busy industrial waterfront.  Enjoy!

In Thailand, or should i say the whole of Thailand, you will see reclining Buddhas of all sizes.  It’s amazing to me anyway, how Thailand who is seemingly one of the poorer country amongst the neighbouring countries, seems to have the money to paste on gold sleeves for their Buddhas yet have no money to help the poorer population in the country and almost all the gals i know of is a working girl at one point of their life.   But that’s another story for another time.

This reclining Buddha is found in Ayutthaya, Thailand.  Gone are the days, whereby one have to spend hours on the road to get to Ayutthaya.  Now one can travel from Bangkok to Ayutthaya in less than an hour, thanks to the new toll way and the divided highway. Ayuthaya is the old capital of Thailand and it used to be one of the richest cities in Asia i heard – exporting rice, animal skins and ivory even in the 1600s.  The city was completely burned down during the war in 1767.  Visit all the temples and palaces while you are there.. and be amazed at the architectural details of all the temples.  It is really a beautiful place with lots of history… listen to the wind blow secrets while you enjoy the elephant herds.

The entrance of Hyatt Hotel, Bangkok

Hyatt Regency was definitely the place to stay .. when one is in Bangkok. It is in the middle of the city.. and you can just go about anywhere you want from the Hyatt, there is also the train station nearby, so you can even hop on the train instead of the tuk tuk.  The hotel was awesome.. with concierge services.. and even office supplies in the rooms that we were in.

And yes.. the receptionists all does speak in English… and they do have a great concierge department. Talk to them.. for any kind of tours you want to go to. They don’t have their own private arrangements.. like some smaller hotels and everything is very professional.

The courtyard, where you can have a evening drinks.. and some snacks. Internet access, business centers, convention rooms or meeting rooms for smaller business meetings. They also have 6 restaurants.. and had done extensive renovation since i was last there. Overall, i found the Hyatt in Bangkok a really good choice for the money.

Their rooms are pretty huge.. and they have very nice and comfy beds too.

When ppl talk about San Fransisco, they think about the hilly streets and tram cars.. but there is more in San Frans than just tram cars and hilly streets. Yes.. in San Fransisco .. they do have a Union Square too. Union Square is also one of San Frans’s main shopping area and cultural centers. Loads of restaurants and lots of retail therapy here.

Of course, i can’t let you go without seeing a real picture of the famous tram/cable car line and transportation in San Fransisco… right..?

Saks Fifth Avenue & Tiffany at Union Square..!! woohoo..!! retail therapy here I come..!!

A definite must to visit when one is in London – the Millennium Bridge.  This bridge links from the City of London at St Paul’s with the Tate Modern Gallery at Bankside – the bridge is at 330m long.  Although  Myrtle beach golf packages was very tempting  …  i had no regrets going to London too.  I had a very nice walk across the bridge.. although it was nicknamed the Wobbly bridge .. because of the swaying motion .. when the bridge was first opened.. and was closed down.. by those embarrassed engineers.. and after modification .. it was reopened in 2002.  And yes.. the bridge didn’t wobble this time round.. hahha!!

This is the famous Penang food street that they also called the Hawker Center there. Penang food is cheap and good.. it is not only one of its kind .. but at this hawker center.. you can find any kind of delicacies here. I haven’t been to Penang for alot of times.. but the times.. i was there.. you can be sure i would be visiting these Hawker.

Penang’s Fried Kway Teow is so famous .. that everyone knows this special sisters. with cooking hats.. who are said to be quite cocky. But there is a line up everytime i am there.. and it is a good half hour before i can get my fried kway teow.

Freshwater Beach, Sydney is in Harbord about 15 minutes over the Sydney Harbour Bridge next to Manly. The location is absolutely beautiful, more so than Balmoral Beach. The whole suburb feels like you are on a holiday up the Central Coast because of the laid back casual feel of this place.  If I could be there everyday, I won’t need the best wrinkle cream .  As of now.. i still have to use them.. hahahha!!  But it’s great to remininse.

It’s not summer yet in Sydney.. and still a bit chilly .. but as you can see . .the water is blue.. and the sun is out.  One can eat at the fine dining restaurant called Pilu or you can eat at the kiosk there.. whichever makes you feel good.

I had an awesome lunch at Pilu..  join me sometimes.

The airline failed to set aside the special meal you requested. The dry cleaner didn’t press your suit on time. The online retailer bungled delivery of a gift that really mattered to you.

When confronted with such situations, do you sometimes think it will end up being too much hassle to speak up about it? Or do you swing in the opposite direction, getting so overheated and going so ballistic that you can never do business with the erring company again?

Here’s the problem with those approaches: They frequently result in unpleasant consequences for you, either in the short term or in the long term. Take heart, though: There is another way to proceed. The following tips can help you lodge complaints in an effective — rather than a futile — way.

. Stay calm. Make a genuine effort not to get emotional. Doing so could damage your argument and your credibility. Behave as professionally as possible, and always remember this: You’re talking to a fellow human being. In many cases, the person on the receiving end of your complaint may not have had anything to do with what went wrong.

2. Don’t dally. If you want a quick resolution to your problem, don’t wait weeks and weeks to complain about it. Immediate action can get the ball rolling and help the customer service representatives in question take your situation more seriously.

3. Seek special treatment if warranted. Do you do lots of business with the company in question? If so, be sure to mention that in all of your conversations and correspondence about the complaint. It really should count for something.

4. Try the easiest approach first. Call, e-mail or visit the company’s customer service department. Explain your situation clearly, and say how you would like to see it resolved. This step alone could make the problem evaporate. If the first customer service representative you reach turns out to be unhelpful, ask to speak with that person’s manager.

5. Keep good records. If none of that works, start writing down notes about each encounter you’ve had with people at the company. Your documentation will demonstrate your efforts to resolve the problem.

6. Write to the right person. Draft a concise letter to the president or chief executive officer of the company. You can get that person’s name by calling the company, visiting the company’s Web site or going through Hoover’s or Vault. In some cases you’ll be able to e-mail the person directly; in others you might have to mail your letter to the person’s attention at corporate headquarters.

7. Be polite. Whether you e-mail it or snail-mail it, your letter should open with a sentence that captures your reader’s attention, perhaps by saying you are dismayed or shocked. But be courteous throughout the letter, thanking the person in advance for what he or she is going to do for you.

source :msnbc

Breath-taking..?? this is not the first that i’ve seen .. and in Nunavut… you get to see a lot of northern light up there. Nunavut is so far..and so remote..  you don’t even wanna begin to think about it.  Winter is harsh.. and it takes a local or someone very brave.. to be up there.

Although it is the largest province in the country..  fitting 2 Onatarios.. i heard..  Nunavut’s capital is in Iqaluit. Nunavut has Canada’s coldest weather. If you are station up in Nunavut.. you can afford just about everything..  from LCD HDTV to the latest and finest gadgets you can find in the world, for i hear they pay really well.

According to Inuit mythology, the Northern Lights are the souls of those who died through blood loss. In the green swirling sky, their spirits play a gruesome game of soccer with a human skull or walrus head. Traditionally, Inuit healers also made “spirit journeys” into the lights to seek advice and save souls from death. And some say whistling at the lights makes them draw closer. According to science, the lights are actually caused by glowing molecular gases set off by charged particles from the sun. The lights have been around since Earth formed an atmosphere -the dinosaurs saw it, early humans saw it and our descendants will se it. The scientific name for the phenomenon is “Aurora Borealis”, aurora for short.

The best time to view the aurora borealis in Nunavut is around midnight during the fall and early spring. Light displays continue in mid-winter, but bone-chilling temperatures can make aurora-watching somewhat challenging. The aurora aren’t visible during summer due to extended hours of daylight.