THE PIANO MAN!!!!

Photos taken from the Billy Joel concert in Perth. He is always the best - even though he was a bit drunk during the concert, and was saying too much 'fuck's!

秋天雪山行

从雪山公路(SNOWY MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY)到THREDBO的途中有许多值得停留的景点，BLOWERING 水坝便是其中一个。

科修斯科国家公园是此行的主要目的地。科修斯科山乃澳洲最高峰，海拔2228米，比咱们的神山矮差不多一半。

登山的路程经过当局的安排下变得一点也不艰难，让任何人都可以轻松地征服最高峰。

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虽然是秋天，山上也已盖了雪。

滑雪圣地THREDBO在秋天里显得格外冷清。

JINDABYNE湖的黄昏

神山行

三年前的一次神山行，令自己对人生的看法也改观了。

从小时候一只被气喘病纠缠着，所以在求学时与一切登山露营的活动绝缘，总觉得自己的体力不可能勝任﹐但卻在后来却被本地摄影人KIM TEOH的‘神灵的故居’感动了，再加上之前爬了金山(GUNUNG LEDANG)牛刀小试后有了点信心，觉得如果错过了当时朋友所组织的登山团自己将会后悔，最后也就毅然参加了。

登山时除了体力不支，也因为高山反应而很容易头痛晕厥，所以病夫如我就比常人停步休息多，但又死爱脸不认输，所以就以停下来拍照为借口，不过也不失为一个转移自己视线的好方法，让自己不用一只想着体力和高山反应的困扰，反而更加注意路上的景物。再加上第一天的行程并不太赶，所以我也抱着不必急着要在一定时间内到达的态度如乌龟般慢慢地前进。

未登山前的几个周末与队友们相约了到黑风洞的梯级跑步练气，- 到了真正攀登着那无尽头的梯级时，才知道自己平时少运动 ，临时抱佛脚也无补于事。 队友里只有三位男生，却有八位女生，而且个个巾帼不让须眉，反观我这病夫，上山下山都包尾，真瞎衰。

牺牲了早睡的机会，就为了等日落 - 没有想象中的浪漫，但却认识了来自世界各地的爬山客，才知道我们西马人不太热衷的神山，原来是许多旅客来马来西亚的主要目的地。

总觉得在半天内从山下的到达半山3300米的宿舍，然后又在半夜三更里启程攻顶4100米,根本就象在向高山症挑战 - 我在晚上小睡后竟头痛得不能起床，还差点想放弃攻顶。后来响导告诉我不要放弃，只要到开始攀登后头痛就会消失了，我也将信将疑地不管三七二十一跟随队友出发了 - 后来也渐渐忘了头痛，反而陶醉在美丽的夜色里。之前准备的电筒不到半小时内就报销了，但离开头顶仿佛只有几米而已的月亮却成了照亮整个行程中最好的路灯。

虽然登山过程艰辛，但也让我发现自己一只一来低估了自己的能力。只从这次经验后才发现登山不是什么遥不可及的活动，也开始留意了其它国家的著名的登山名地，那些太艰难而需要攀岩技术的对我来说当然不在考虑里面，不过尼泊尔的ANNAPURNA国家公园就成了我的梦幻旅程，希望在这两年内可以实现梦想。之前在非洲工作时也曾考虑过要攀登坦桑尼亚的乞力马扎罗山（Kilimanjaro）, 但后来却因为太昂贵而却步了 (单单登山费用就需要整两千美元)。

站在峰顶的感觉，是非笔墨所能形容的。

为了这次登山，我买了一双不太便宜的登山鞋，以为到时会事半功倍，健步如飞 - 谁知我就因而犯了登山的大忌，就是在还未完全适应这双新鞋时就穿了上路，结果下山后十根脚趾痛得寸步难行，一到了终站脱了鞋子后，十根脚趾的指甲都破裂脱落了，令人惨不忍睹。

下山每每比上山困难 - 步步为营的踏着每一步，生怕一时错脚会滑到，所以也比同团的队友们慢很多，也发现象我这样慢慢下山，滑倒的机会反而更大 - 也蛮象我做人的态度，往往做每样事情都会顾虑太多，到头来竟错失了许多机会。。。

当时背着自己的背包，喘气如牛地一步一步慢慢地向上走，自此就知道有些东西是勉强不来的，下山时我就心甘情愿地花钱请了挑夫帮我背背包。

下山后许多登山客都到温泉去休息，所以那儿都是登山时遇见的熟悉面孔。

除了登山，在沙巴也乘船到了离市区不远的一个海岛去流连了一天。

京那巴鲁市区内的一角。

My first taste of Chile....

 

Lonely Planet has summarized that “the most lasting impressions you’ll take away of Chileans is undoubtedly of their renowned hospitality, helpfulness, genuine curiosity and heartfelt eagerness to make travelers feel at home”, maybe this does not apply to Arica…..

I have had the opportunity to visit this northern most city of Chile during the last Semana Santa weekend. It’s a port city and also a stopover for tourists who are border crossing to Peru.

Arica is quite a nice place to spend a weekend despites those unfriendly locals and tasteless food. El Morro de Arica, the commercial area at 21 Mayo Street, beaches, the fish market near the Arica Port, Iglesia San Marcos, Isla de Alcran etc are a few interesting places worth visiting.

 

Iglesia San Macros is designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the same engineer who got his fame on designing the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I think this is the only attraction of the iglesia because from the look of the iglesia, you can't tell it was actually designed by some engineering-celebrity. He has also designed another building, the ex-Arica Aduana, where both buildings were actually precast pieces manufactured in France and then shipped to Arica to be erected.

I have intended to visit Lauca National Park, where we can find snow-topping volcanoes and sparkling lake. Too bad the tour operators did not organize any trip to the park during the Semana Santa. Not sure it’s worth going back to Arica just for visiting the national park; hopefully the trip to Huaraz can compensate what I’ve missed in Lauca……

Also had taken a boat trip for seabird-watching, and the ride was about 45minutes for 1000pesos. We have had a brief encounter with some families of sea lions having sunbath at the sea. It seems like they were also having a break during the Easter Day.

The fish market nearby the Arica port was my favorite place where people were selling fresh catches from sea and also vegetables and fruits. With the sea breeze and friendly birds that were waiting for free lunch, it was quite a nice place to spend the morning just to enjoy the sea lions gig with the local children. The market at Maipu street also a nice place to shop for cheaper souvenirs as compared to those souvenir stalls at 21 de Mayo which are a lot more expensive. The market is like 10blocks long and surprisingly the street food sold here are more delicious then those in the restaurants.

 

Another thing surprised me is Blockbuster still doing well there, which happened to be a disaster and already closed down all branches in Peru due to pirated DVDs which scattered all around the countries with only 3soles per no (about RM3)….

Before entering the country, I’ve been told by my Peruvian friends that Chileans are unfriendly. Initially I thought they said it because both countries claim to be the origin of pisco, which happens to be both countries’ national drink. Peruvians have also been defeated by Chileans back to their battles in Arica, and I thought what they told me might not be true.

However, after my third kind of encounter with them, well, at least the Chileans in Arica, there is not single friendly person I’ve met throughout the five days I’ve spent in Arica! All the Latino hospitality that I’ve found on Peruvian has gone without a trace on Chileans! To name a few: the waitress in restaurant (who reminded me I have to pay the 10% tips upon presenting the receipt), the waiter who pretended to be so naïve to order all the three dishes for only one person (I only asked him to explain what were those on the menu does not mean I have to order all of them, and this happened in the Lonely Planet recommended chifa Ching Huang Tao, plus I am confident that my Spanish is good enough to tell him what I really wanted), the cashier in the botica who is being so impolite when asked her where can I find mineral water, and another cashier in McDonalds who insisted that Two Muffins Menu is different from Menu de Two Muffins and taught me how to order McDonalds combo etc.

 

(Sorry for being such a drama king) And there were these occasions which happened in different places where the cashiers changed the money with always short of 1000 or 500pesos. Well, maybe they have to improve their mathematics or perhaps, their business ethic. I was very surprised that Arica being a touristy city but the locals are not tourist-friendly at all!

Another thing to complain (sorry, I know what I am bullshitting here should go directly to Arica Tourism Board) is the local food. After a few months in Peru, I thought Chileans will have something good to offer as well. Too bad the two neighbors have a huge difference in their taste buds. Perhaps the only food that I was not swallowing (in order to finish my meal as soon as possible) are the popular empanadas and Big Mac from the giant M. No wander most the Chileanas I met were slim (not bad at all huh!)

Hopefully my idea that Chileans are not tourist-friendly can be proven wrong during my future trip to Santiago. If it doesn’t, at least I have already had my mind prepared and would not be pissed off easily….

熟悉又陌生的中华

回去吉兰丹的一个星期里，抽空到了昔日的母校里走一趟。母校这名词，想当年以为只有在校长还是家教协会等里头的大人物致词时才会用到的，不过当天遇到一位年轻的女教师问我是谁时，我就竟然脱口而出就说我是中华校友，回来母校走走。。。

置身在新旧校舍当中，感觉又熟悉，又陌生。

曾几何时在这五层楼的课室里渡过了三个年头。

新盖好的办公楼。 

 宏愿楼里的新礼堂。

当年念预备班到中二的课室，在学校不断翻新与建造新的办公楼的当儿，好像被遗忘了，还是我们当年念下午班时的那个模样，只不过更残旧了。

念中三到中午的科学大厦，依然如往昔，但从前四楼的图书馆，却变成了普通的教室了。

 

从科学大厦第五楼望去的哥打巴鲁市。

学校里的体育馆。

办公室里，展示着当下在中华执教的教师们的相片 - 骤然一看，原来当年教过我们的许多老师都还在为学校服务。。。

 

中四与中五时的华文老师刘老师和黄老师也都还在学校执教，想来当今的中学生们应该会比我们更让她们头痛吧。。。

还有当年教我们科学与数学的老师们也都还在中华执教。。。

我们念中学时好像还没有这个部门吧！不过里头也有几位是我们蛮熟悉的老师。

 

现任的学校最高领导人。左边的友族老师，应该是我们毕业后才来执教的吧？

当天穿着短裤拖鞋的我，碰巧遇见现任的中学校长 - 还来不及向他问安，竟被他白了一眼。这也不能怪校长，谁叫我犯了校内衣着指南里的第三和第四条项目。

教室外的海报。

 

 熟悉的小学，陌生的教室。

这小学篮球场的篮球板感觉上应该是我们那时候的同一个吧！

 

 从学校一只走到市内的菜市场去 - 肮脏杂乱的外表，里头却是井井有条的摊子。

大概上了中学后都没陪伴过母亲到菜市场了，至少也应该差不多二十年没踏足此地了。。。

菜市场对面的友族商场。

依然繁忙的德孟公街。

 

住家附近的广场。