Jay Chou's concert '08

Jay Chou's concert was disappointing. I've been to 3 I think and the latest one (which was so darn hard to get tickets for) was the lousiest of all that I've seen.

There was definitely something wrong, to my ears, that is.

Nana was saying he 'minus-ed' a few keys, completely avoiding the higher ranges. I knew it was wrong but once she pointed that out. Yeah.. it seemed like he was singing at least 2 keys lower. That is like at least 4 semitones?! For 'Ju Hua Tai' he had trouble holding the notes. He sounded breathless and lyrics came out staggered.

Then of course, I have to admit that I am no trained professional. But let's say even if his pitch, tone and key was perfect, his voice wasn't pretty. The funny thing was...his older songs were ok. Perhaps he tweaked his later compositions to a more appealing key and found himself unable to maintain quality at the higher range.

A segment of the concert...and 'live' was better of course because I didn't get the most expensive tickets and so wasn't sitting at the front when I was recording this. Still....taking into account the poorer audio quality, the flaws were evident. The parts where the notes were down by a semitone...flatter....(>.<)

Updated: I compared this video with the MTV on Youtube....the concert one sounds lower...

Pitch, tone, even the key seemed understated. Nana was of the opinion that he couldn't make it 'live' as in he couldn't hit the high notes 'live' so to be safe, keys of some songs were lowered. Of course the consequence of that is the characteristics of the song will be lost. Somehow this concert paled in comparison to his previous concerts despite the large amount of fireworks, laser lights and fanciful dancers.

It was a good show but ultimately the point to his concert, (which was his voice !!!) lacked lustre. I guess I will still support his CDs as there are clearly not much fault with them. However as to his concerts, I will have to think twice after being so disillusioned. At least if I am ever going again to see if there is any redeeming factors, I will be purchasing the cheapest ticket available.

Of course, the general opinion that I've gotten so far was that his concert was fabulous. Definitely.....the glamour and 'seh' was there what.. plus all the gimicks and fireworks and colourful ribbons floating down....

I suppose that it is unsurprising that his talent as a singer did not impress. After all, nobody is expected to have it all. Well...either he was not feeling on form that day or he bit off more than he could chew with his later compositions.

Ok..I just thought of one redeeming factor... there didn't seem to be a problem with his tempo..rhythmic sense was ok...

Status: disillusioned...

Readings on Indochina

A while back, I spent relatively less time online until a friend commented that she didn't see me online anymore. I got sick of myself being unproductive. I mean I hardly do anything when I am online except maybe to 'stone' or to engage in MSN conversations that I have no recollections when I go offline.

And so with the number of books I have lining up to be read, I've been reading.

I've finished 1 so far and on my way to finishing another. The first book I started with proved to be too dry and abstract for me to persist on. It is almost impossible to read without a good grounding in the political, historical and social environment of the era and so I left it aside for the time being.

The third one I am reading now, 'Voices of S-21' is a relatively easier read. I've gone from knowing almost nothing to knowing a little, enough to start a little critical thinking.

I read the heavy stuff for around an hour before I go to bed and I've realised that as I drift off to sleep, the same questions keep floating back to me. As someone who has traversed the path of education, and still walking it now, perhaps even playing the role of the occasional guide, I've always thought that knowledge is a good thing.

Education is something to be lauded. However a little knowledge in the hands of the ignorant is so deadly. The Khmer Rouge took that to new heights. I kept wondering how it was possible to have such a good idea fail. Was communism doomed to fail? The utopian society not possible at all?

Or was there just not enough time for it to develop?

I was reading a paragraph whereby the Khmer Rouge believed that dedication to the state was of utmost importance and they undermined family ties as well as ties of any other sort. They failed of course. If they have persisted, would they finally achieve what they had imagined?

Of course there were many layerings and discrete bubbles of ideas in various colours and degrees of vividness floating and swirling around my head. Bubbles too big for me to hug, like the political system and their respective ideologies where I was trying to make sense of what they were actually thinking. The different sometimes contradictory aspects and approaches of the party is still quite formless to me. In the whole phantasmagorical state of my surrealist mind, they form and disappear.

Scenes from the movie, The Matrix, appear. Soldiers in their drab uniforms march sternly with their loyalty, confidence and dedication almost forming a visible aura surrounding them. Even 'Animal Farm' made an appearance.

People were imprisoned on suspicions of treason. I mean realistically, which government wouldn't? Taking into account the newly-formed government, the whole global political climate back then of communism versus capitalism and the desire to be strong, independent and to create a society of equality, I drift into sleep almost every night wondering if the whole genocide thing is worth its weight in hype.

The only spectacular difference was that the massive number of people who died were Cambodians and Khmers. When I first started accumulating knowledge on Cambodia, I was affected and I felt so deeply for those who had died that even mere words on a plaque at the Killing Fields could move me profoundly.

However the motivation to learn more and the gradual acccumulation of knowledge sparked me to look at things clinically and I realised that one reason why I was so affected was because I had instinctively valued life of a individual human being at its highest and had perhaps also unconsciously assumed that all those who died were innocent.

If not all were innocent, in the bigger scheme of things, where uncertainty abound and decisions have to be made, what will you have done?

I wouldn't dare say that they were right but perhaps under certain circumstances, its understandable that certain things would happen in a certain way. Where before I would find revolt and disgust at the ugliness of humanity, somehow now I manage to find a little compassion for them.

Communism appeared because of the inequality in society. The people who led were not compassionate visionaries. The ravages of a previous unequal society had remained too embedded in their minds such that they reject all who were deemed 'better' using the previous scale.

They lost, they failed and in the course of history, hardly anyone will paint the losers in a better light. And perhaps because I have also seen the deplorable usage of human rights in the hands of the ignorant and maybe because a part of the Asian mentality consists of the group or community spirit, I can understand a little where the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK)came from.

For a while, I stopped at where the Cambodians were finally liberated by the Vietnamese army. Having asked the father about Camodia and him talking about China, Korea, events about the Cold war and the Vietnam war (everything but Cambodia instead), I was forced to take the relatively easy way out by googling. (-_-")

Then I realised that Vietnam invaded Cambodia because of border disputes. It kind of took me by surprise because having read a book where Cambodians relate their personal stories with most of it ending with things like, "the dark times ended when the Vietnamese army arrived", it struck me that because of reading things like these over and over again, I was unconsciously under the impression that the Vietnamese army was a saviour of some sort, saving them from the nightmare of CPK. I slapped myself awake... Yah right...came to invade them not to save them. (-_-")

I wasn't blind. But because the whole darn elephant was so huge, I could only see its tail. I supposed I was too focused on Cambodia, things just get cut off at the stage where the Vietnamese entered. It had also slipped my mind that I was reading books written by everybody except the staunch CPK people, what more in the language of the capitalist conqueror.

I also realised that modern political history of Indo-china where countless of riots, wars and invasions took place is very complicated.

It also struck me that US has been fighting a lot of wars indeed.

There was also a part where South Vietnam cited US failure to follow through on a promise to provide military aid should North Vietnam invade. Somehow it reminded me of the Kyoto Protocol but that's irrelevant.

Anyway I started thinking of the various countries as roles in a production and arranging the webs....let's see...

US aided Vietnam because it was the only capitalist foothold it had in that region (DUH). China had strong ties with Cambodia because it was the only outlet it had in the Soviet-dominated neighbourhood.

The question I am wondering about is if capitalist US failed to aid South Vietnam (which they backed) because they already knew beforehand that there was a possibility that communist China would step in to deal with the communist North Vietnam so that communist China wouldn't be closed in a communist Soviet-dominated neighbourhood.

I never was very interested in modern history, especially the Cold War and all. Ancient histories and civilisations always seemed more interesting but they are beginning to seem fairly interesting.

Very very intricate delicate stuff.....the best thing is.................it makes you wonder about the mysteries of present-day politics. Mind games and strategies..

But I think I have to get back to my lesson plans..and I still haven't blogged about the last day in Cambodia.

Today is exactly a month since I came back from the trip...

An '08 concert (Jacky Cheung World Tour '07)

I am still left with Day 1 of Cambodia but I guess I really need to update with the more recent news.

I went for Jacky Cheung's concert on Sunday. I paid $200 for the ticket and believe me, I was waiting to see if he was worth the price. Indeed he did deserve that much...however I think that if there is a next time, I wouldn't mind the cheaper seats..it's enough to just hear him (though there were talks about the acoustics not being good at the back, due to the echos).

So why did I end up with the most expensive ticket? It is because nobody would go with me except for.....Nana (and only the best is good enough for her). Besides, well, forking that amount to see him that close, once in a lifetime was in my opinion, worth it.

His voice broke a few times and I'm not sure if anybody other than me, Nana and her 'laoshi' noticed the little imperfections...however it's not suprising given that it was his 93rd concert of his 2007 world tour, with 3 hours of almost non-stop singing and with all the screaming he had done that night...

In fact at one point he was screaming just for the sake of it...like...

Jacky: *screams...
Crowd: *screams
Jacky: *screams...
Crowd: *screams..
Jacky: *screams...
Crowd: *screams..
.
.
.

You get the idea...however the magnetic quality of his voice pulls you back immediately and you forget about all the minor imperfections...and I supposed I could really go on about how great he was but everybody can imagine how good he really is.. I figured it would probably be an overkill on my side.

So here's pictures...

We sat just 6 rows from the front.

What will I do when they have all stopped singing and I am still here?

Guess there will always be that day where I will listen to all the deemed 'oldies' and remembering how being young felt like.

This wasn't taken by me... I found it while surfing Youtube....

On the way back on cab...I finally truly felt that there was a closure to my 2007.

The year 2007....has came to an end.

Somehow I've closed a gap that I wasn't even aware was present.

I've crossed a chasm to 2008.

God, I hope he continues to sing for as long as possible...

A back-dated entry of a quiet December afternoon

This entry is quite very back-dated but seeing how I have taken all those pictures, I just have to post them I guess. I did this in December 2007 one day when I was to tag after Gan to work. It turned out that a problem cropped up and so after rushing to lunch with her at AMK, she turned back to work and I spent the day roaming around the city area.

I didn't quite know where to go and initially thought of just hanging around the river or Chinatown to take some pictures. However I passed by SMU and thought that maybe going to the museum wouldn't be such a bad thing either.

When I reached the Singapore Art Museum (SAM), it turned out that there is free entry from 12 pm to 2 pm on weekdays and thus I decided to just save it for another boring day.

In the end, I went to Chijmes.

Walking around was quaint. Nobody was there except for a sprinkling of tourists. After having explored every nook and cranny of the area, I walked around and ended up at Raffles Hotel.

I walked around the hotel too and took pictures here, there, anywhere that caught my interest.

It so happened that they were holding an exhibition. So, I went in to have a look. You can click here to look at her paintings. Although the paintings do not involve much depth and perspectives as do Renaissance paintings which I am fond of, their simplicity and patterns they possess provides the visual texture needed to make them vastly appealing (at least to me). She seemed to have combined the soft approaches together with a flat perspective to create a special environment for me to weave in and out of my reality and the imaginary landscape of the painting's.

Anyway I was quite happy with that afternoon, where I just clicked away and also sat down to have coffee and read. I met up with Gan after and on a whim we decided to catch 'The Golden Compass'.

A quiet day. Every holiday should have at least one. There was also time for me to learn how to do this.

Well... holiday is almost over. Met up with some old friends like Syl and Ah Meng. I did not see them at all in 2007.

There may be certain aspects in my life where I have no say in but I am thankful for the ownership over others, to be able to choose how I want to shape my life even if they do seem rather insignificant......

I am indeed thankful for that.

Life's good right...A time to work, a time to travel, a time to read, a time to meet friends. A time to learn the lessons I have no interest in and a time to learn the things I want to. A time to dream quiet little dreams.

To have time for music, to have time to read, to learn, to contemplate, to see the world.....all these satisfy the larger parts that make up me.

I'm here, I'm sane. That's all that matters. =)

Cambodia 2007 - Day 7

Cambodia 2007

Day 7: - Kampot (Bokor Hill)

I awoke in pitch darkness. I felt around as cautiously as possible for my handphone or watch. I cringed at every little sound I made because they resonated so loudly in complete silence. The flash of light that the handphone gave out was so bright that I rushed to cover it with my hand.

I used the handphone as a torchlight and felt about for my toiletries. Because the generator is switched off after 9.30 a.m, I was freaking proud of being able to put my contact lens in without a mirror, in pitch darkness. I found the bicycle torchlight that Gan uses and trying to make as little sound as possible, I slipped out of bed and felt my way around. I didn't even dare to use the torchlight lest I wake the other occupants of the room.

However once I succeeded in getting out of the room, I had to return back for my towel which I had forgotten and had to somehow cover my stuff so that they weren't so exposed though I doubt anybody would bother to rummage them in complete darkness and stillness.

To keep the noise level down, I chose the toilet outside instead of the one inside the building because with the stillness of the surroundings, they definitely would be able to hear the water splashing, sloshing and the running of the pipes.

Bathing at 6 a.m. in an enclosed area with only a torchlight for solace was quite an experience. The toilet bowl was 90 degrees to the sink and mirror, opposite to the crude shower facilities. I placed the torchlight on the cistern and I was startled everytime I caught sight of myself in the cracked mirror. However gradually I got used to it. Initially, I was half-expecting a face to appear in the mirror beside me or something and I was actually looking out for it so I can grab my clothes and run out. I gradually got amused at the pathetic state of my mind and decided that it was a nice little toilet after all albeit with only a torchlight to throw eerie shadows around.

There was no hot water. (-_-")

Once again, I was glad for my rashes that allowed me to brave the cold water in the cold hilly air.

As I brushed my teeth, I kept my gaze on the mirror and scrutinised my surroundings, taking note of the dreary surroundings, while wondering if a face is yet to pop out.

However I finished my washing up without much fanfare and had to tip-toe back into the dormitory again. So I put my stuff down and tip-toed out with only a towel hanging around my neck. I walked around for a while and it got light enough to see.........the mists was coming....

And so I tried to tip-toe back in to rummage for my camera. Gan said that I woke everybody. I think it was all the coming in and going out of the dormitory. I couldn't help it. I tried to be quiet but the door squeaks and even the slightest shuffle of my flip-flops bounces off one wall to the next to explode beside their ears.

... and hey.. they should be glad that I woke them..the view was fantastic lor...

*not contrite at all !!

I took a few pictures outside of the ranger station and I was about to head off for the casino when I decided that I probably should let Gan know that I was going off. I mean if I get trapped by the ghouls there she will have to mount a search party because I don't think she will step foot in there to rescue me.

I thus tried my best to tip-toe back in but I think by then she was already awake. I whispered that the mist is outside and asked if she wanted to go. She wanted to wash up so I headed back out and took in the surroundings while glancing at where she was to appear....impatiently.

I mean...how long does it take to wash up?!!

I went some distance, not too far, so she could still see follow when she is out. And then.. we set off. Gan lumbered.....(-_-")

Her excuse reason was that she cannot walk very well in flip-flops on rocky terrain. And so I was mostly ahead of her. I think I can walk three times faster than her but she would lose track of me in the mist. And so I went..."walk faster...just pick up your feet and walk firmly..." I think I sounded like a drill sergeant.

And Gan whined....possibly because I was so impatient and mean.

We took lots of photos along the way and most of them were after the sky has already brightened. The skies brighten pretty fast after dawn and washing up plus walking (I think we took the long route too...) allowed for only pictures of daytime mist. That's sad because the scenery in shadows and mists were really something.. really special. Ah well.. not as if my camera was good enough to capture them anyway...BOO !!

As you can see, the day has considerably brightened. This picture was taken after we had set off.

Gan perched on the cliff and knowing that she will refuse to set foot in the old casino, I went in alone. As the cover of the mist was so heavy, I didn't know when I will be back and told her to head back herself if I do not return in half an hour at 7.30 a.m. She said that it would be impossible for me not to return in time as the casino was but a short distance away.

It was good that the rock space she chose to perch on was opposite this derelict structure beside the path so I could easily find her again. Leaving her behind, I set forth and within a few steps, it got impossible to spot her. I couldn't see anything except the path and visibility was down to 3 metres at most I think.

As I plodded along, I was acutely aware of how alone I was on the path. I couldn't see much except for the soft glow of the morning sun and a little of the path. I turned back to look and the path disappeared as if the mists were eager to hide all traces of has-been.

I wondered when I would reach the casino until its faint outline appeared from the depths of the mists. Having been around the whole area the day before, I knew that everything was within proximity of each other but the mists made everything appear individual. Logically, one could not get lost but in the mists, it was as though I had stepped into another dimension and everything near was made out of reach.

It sounds weird but I was relieved when I saw the casino.

I went in.

I know it sounds crazy but I went in there alone, mists and all.

I have no idea why and how I have the guts to do it. When the mists came, the only thought that occured was I should go to that place. Perhaps it was the notion of taking otherworldly pictures. perhaps it was just plain spite because maybe deep down the place gives the creeps. I don't quite know.

All I know is, when I went in, I felt quite all right in the place. I even sat on a ledge for a while. After that I possessed a one-track mind to take pictures from the roof and headed there. Of course I took pictures of the interior along the way but I did not know why I didn't take more if I was so obsessed with that place. Thinking back, I realised I should have because the pictures I've taken, I realise that the pictures I've taken are hardly enough to reveal the character of the place.

It must be because my mind focused so much on taking pictures from the roof that I didn't think to take other pictures.

While trying to capture good pictures of the sun (it was difficult because the mist would swirl around it relegating it to a mere pin-prick), I became aware of my surroundings. Much like how crickets in the forest suddenly get louder or like how when I am in half-slumber and I know that I was closer to being awake than asleep, something within me just awakened and I was suddenly very much aware of the silence, of the shifting glow of the sun, of the fact that I was alone right there and then.

I decided to head back down.

And then when I got disoriented in the maze of the corridors, a little panic arose. I laughed silently at my silliness when the thought that the house didn't want me to go pop up in my head and there and then, the way out became evident.

I suspect, as always, I have to do something to prove that I am the master of my fear and despite my uneasiness of being unable to walk out immediately, I took pictures and a short video of what is to be my last encounter with the casino.

However I think I was still startled at being disoriented in the casino and with the mist hiding almost everything, I mistakenly thought that Gan's perch was after the derelict house and walked past her. She must have been keeping an eye out for me though because she called out and lost in my one-track mind scouring for her, it gave me a little jolt.

She skipped from the rocks and cheerily said that I was going to walk past her. Yeah.. I didn't see her at all and it didn't help that she had on a black jacket.

We set for the ranger station. Gan plodded and took pictures and videos which she wasn't even concentrating on because she was trying too hard to make sure of her footing. Half-way, exasperated, I walked back to her and checked out the shaky footages. I shrieked at her when I thought she was taking such a long time because she was taking shaky footages that she wasn't even looking at. She shrieked at me when I said it looked like the 'Blair Witch Project'. We made a good pair. Haha !!

And it was good when we finally arrived back at the ranger station. V.Dad cooked breakfast. He also had this thing about putting food on my plate which is exasperating because I will finish it. Nobody does it except for my father or to a lesser extent my mother and my brother which I will just throw it back to them if I don't like it. However it is a bit harder to fling food back at people I am not very close with because passing food around is not a game. I have a feeling that he thinks that it is amusing that I will clean my plate and so after yesterday's dinner and after the second time omelette had been placed on my place after I've cleaned it. I've had it and food went back and forth.

Nobody ate it of course.

We then set off for Kampot. The pace was slow and it is scarier downhill than uphill though in a certain sense more exciting too.

We thought we had a lot of time because it was only 11+ a.m and the bus to Phnom Penh leaves at 1.30 p.m. And then halfway...his motorcycle ran out of petrol. V.Dad asked for the time and then suddenly said that we have to hurry. The bus leaves at 1 p.m, not 1.30 p.m.

All that came out of me was...."WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Somehow he retrieve a bottle of petrol from his friend's bike and nearing the base of the hill, suddenly everybody sped off. I lost my cap and it was lucky this time Gan and V.Dad's friend was behind us because I have grown quite affectionate of my wide-brim hat.

We made it in time.

We also settled the rest of the payment. V.Dad forgot to factor in the day trip to Kep but being honest Singaporeans we did not cheat him out of his money. Being blur, Gan also quoted more. (-_-")

Then the tuk-tuk arrived to shuttle us to the bus deport for a 5 hour ride back to Phnom Penh. It was only when I was on the tuk-tuk when I realised that my guide still hadn't taught me how to ride a motorbike. ARGH !!!

Ah well....

The ride back was quite uneventful except for the part where I had an agitated Gan almost willing to strangle me for saying how alike the oil palms and the 'whatchamacallit' ornamental palms were, in a belittling sort of way.

Lesson learnt: Never tell Gan that two species look the same.

She scared me more than the house did.......ok.. that's not really true..none of them managed to put the fear in me. Bleah.

We arrived in Phnom Penh, haggled with drivers of every type of transport imaginable and managed to settle for 2USD for one of them to bring us to a guesthouse.

Forgetting to continue to be smart, we forgot to haggle with him when we book his tuk-tuk for the next day. I suppose he thought that we would drive a hard bargain and outrightly quoted 20USD which we agreed to. (>.<)

Sigh... ah well...

Our room was just 8 USD. Smaller than the one in Kampot, not comparable to the one in Siem Reap. The toilet light flickered and after showing us to our room and saying he will come back and fix the light, the guy never appeared.

Gan also plopped down in front of the television to watch some old movie, 'Waterworld'. Once again, her reason was that she doesn't watch television in Singapore. (-_-")

If anybody can see the logic in flying to another country to watch television... please enlightened me. I am still trying my best to grapse that. (-_-")

Since we only reached Phnom Penh at 6 + p.m and we only ate after her show, we did not explore Phnom Penh at all, which is fine because I don't think there is anything much to do there.

But we did cross the road to get toothpaste...*beams...

Most of the shops were closed plus she needed to bathe too....so we went back to our rooms however I suspect I was either slightly annoyed about her wanting to watch old movies abroad, or slightly cranky after being on the bus for 5 hours or perhaps I wasn't quite over my Bokor casino.....or maybe I was just bored (which I strongly suspect to be the reason).....

.......and so I started making wisecracks about flickering lights which made her extremely edgy....oopsie !!....=P

We finally got down to writing postcards in front of the television before sleeping. I remembered thinking....seven days with only each other for sanity....and we were still alive and the miraculous thing was I wouldn't mind going on holiday with her again....

I mean the fact is if you can spend seven whole days abroad vacationing, with only one person for company, any future trip is possible. *beams

Cambodia - Day 6

Cambodia 2007

Day 6:

- Kampot (Bokor Hill)....One of my favourite places in the world.

Gan was still ill but she felt good enough to make the trip up. We had breakfast at the guesthouse. I asked for omelette I think but a plate of fried noodles was delivered to me. Cambodian food is greasy. I didn't finish it.

They came and we left to do marketing.

The market was not very different from the wet markets here in Singapore except that they are dirtier. Vegetables would just be laid out on wet and dirty floors. I guess that is ok for marketers because they will wash their stuff before they cook it anyway.

There were live chickens and ducks all trussed up. Live fishes and a lot of other animals for culinary purposes. We just paid the money while V.Dad negotiated the purchasing. There was also one occasion where I saw a block of pig's blood. We don't have that in Singapore anymore. The last time I ate pig's blood in porridge was when I was in primary school.

I also saw a dog who had such a wide and deep gash on one of its teats that part of it was just hanging off and I saw the flesh it exposed beneath the fur gleaming like the meat that was hung up for sale. The dog probably had just been in a fight but strangely enough there was no blood and it seemed to be walking normally albeit slowly as though it had just finished a run.

Strange bustling noises and bright puddles of sunlight alternating with corners of wet dirt floor, meat strung up for sale, water dripping off corners, eyes that appear to not blink (probably because my mind captures them like a Polaroid camera and that dog was what I remembered most from the market trip.

They fit everything into the space under the seat, we stop again to buy packed lunch and water and then sped off for the hills.

It was hot. Scorching hot. I had a big cap and the breeze from being on the bike was deceiving because I could still tan horribly.

We stopped at the entrance to Bokor where Gan paid for the admission and I took the opportunity to hide from the sun while viewing the noticeboard on the conservation efforts in the park.

It was a rocky trip up. Scary on occasions. I keep envisioning the wheel slipping on a loose rock or stone which it did at times but we didn't fall because V.Dad's legs were super long and he landed on his feet before I could fall off. And so all I have to do is to make sure I sit tight on the bike and grab hold of him so I would never fall off.

We made a few stops because it was so hot. There was a look-out point after travelling up a little where settlements can be seen. And then.... V.Dad had a punctured tyre....

Our broken bike...

We had to get out and walk while Gan and his friend went to the ranger station and come back with equipments to 'rescue' us. And so he pushed his bike while I plodded along with him until we were too tired to venture anymore. There would be cars coming down and he would asked them if they had saw his friend. The answer was always affirmative but I have no idea why his friend took so long to arrive.

We ate a few fruits on occasion. There was this weird looking fruit that he called, "milk". It looked like a Pong Pong fruit and had wet white flesh with dark black seeds much like a soursop. It was sweet and its juice was white and sticky. I didn't feel like having food and so all I had was a little bit to try.

Because we were bored, he also tried juggling with two stones with one hand and twirling a stick to and fro with only the back of his thumb. Speaking of which, I think his thumb curves backward so he could take advantage of the momentum because I have no idea how he did that. I tried juggling with two stones like what he did and my stones became a weapon. Not suprisingly, I got laughed at.

His friend finally arrived with crude materials. Rubber patches and superglue along with wrenches and screwdrivers. They tried to patch it thrice. And then I was thinking about the $2 tyre patches in Daiso with dismay. I think it would be a good idea to pack it along with travel essentials next time along with my Swiss Army knife. A lighter would be a good idea too because if they only had a lighter to melt the rubber patches so it would stick firmly to the tyre, perhaps we wouldn't have taken such a long time. I think we were held back by at least 2 hours.

By the time we reached the ranger station, it was about 3 plus. Gan was napping in the bed. After confirming Gan's presence in the ranger station, I allowed myself to take in the scenery. It was incredible. There was hardly anybody there. It was quiet. Even though the sun was shining brightly, it was cool.

We had lunch, rested for a while before we took off to trek to the buildings. They look really far from the guesthouse but we reached there faster than expected.

We reached the abandoned French casino in no time. V.Dad was telling us about some grisly story on how people would jump to their death at the cliff behind the casino after they had lost a lot of money. I forgot why he told us that but to me, his tale actually added character and life to the structure.

All photos are not photo-shopped. In fact with blogging and searching though thousands of pictures for uploading, blogging about the trip has been very slow indeed. However look at the next picture of the French casino, I mean it sounds silly but I think it really calls out to me. Tell me if it does the same for you, that is if the patterns on the wall connects like those abstract art pieces...

I like this picture of Gan. As most of you can probably tell by now, I like to take pictures with backlight especially if they have rays of sun strutting across them. Not exactly shadows but enough texture and minimal colours to retain the mysterious elements without appearing too flat.

Oh and V.Dad cracked some joke about me being stupid. The moment he said that, Gan and I turned to stare at him in disbelief. Then we stared at each other in disbelief. "That sounds freaking familiar..." I said. Gan went..."YAH !!! How come every guy says that to you?!!"

Ok it's not every guy but Gan has witnessed me being verbally jabbed at before. Both of us were equally incredulous that across countries, across borders, V.Dad could say something similar to what someone around me would say....

That's V.Dad and his friend. I realise that the picture is not very flattering. I think I laid on the grass and was just trigger happy when I snapped this one. I would have deleted it except that it was one of the few pictures I have of them. I forgot to even take a picture with him... and I think I only snap him twice..both which aren't good pictures... Hah !

Ok.. I think it's just me lah.. huh.. Gan....that makes guys feel that they have to say something degrading to me.

Gan took this picture of me hugging my knees and staring off into what is supposed to be the sea but its not possible to tell because of the light. I was pretty much this way in Cambodia. If I have a chance I would just hug my knees and stare at stuff.

And of course Gan didn't want to step foot into that place. I have no idea why. I mean I am not trying to jibe at her but seriously I cannot understand because that place just looked like a place out of a movie set to me, it wasn't scary at all. I mean look at the window, I guess some people would find it eerie. All I wondered was who broke it and when, under what circumstances?

Was it because of a storm? Fighting? Did the window finally shatter as lead character in a cast of silence at the top of the hill where no one heard it go?

I didn't take much pictures in the house. I wonder if V.Dad was nervous to be in the house too. I was ushered up to the roof where I could take in the scenery and so I realised that I hardly explored the house at all. I did not explore the house at leisure and that explained the few pictures I have from within the house.

There were cracked mosiac tiles and remmants of what should have been a finely decorated establishment. The place has obviously been left on its own for a long long time. There was nobody in the place except for a Caucasian couple reading on the roof.

The red stuff that either looked like paint if you are practical or blood if you are grisly were actually red-coloured lichens. I touched them and they were soft and dry, much like a furry coating on the house. They came off fairly easily too.

This is the view from the roof. I actually captured angel rays and once again the pictures did not do the place justice because the angel rays were clearer and the colours more vibrant.... looking at that was like looking at bliss itself.

V.Dad mentioned that the basement used to be a prison during the Khmer Rouge period. I wanted to have a look. He said that there was nothing there. We went after I suggested again.

It was darker than above. I didn't dare venture in too far into the rooms. I couldn't take any pictures either as I knew that they wouldn't turn out well. In some areas, the windows were boarded up, possibly to cut off the access of sunlight for the prisoners. There didn't seem to be anything that hinted of its last use as a prison. There was an opening near the ceiling and I wondered who had made that hole. Was it made during that time?

And so... the French casino again....sitting at the edge of the cliff where one can see the drop down until the land flattens out to the ocean...

Because the sun was setting, we left it behind...

That's us... =)We passed by an interestingly-shaped tree...

We were originally supposed to go to the temple but we didn't have enough time and so we chose the sunset. We had to pass by a church which I would have love to explore too but there simply wasn't enough time. And I realise that this picture sucks.

Sunset was incredible. We sat right at the edge of the cliff with the wind blowing. We could see an island in the distance. Supposedly it was part of Cambodia but Vietnam claimed it for their own. At least that was what V.Dad purported. I mean looking at the map it seems logical that the island should be part of Cambodia. V.Dad informs that it is only 30 mins to the island but they cannot step foot on it and have to go through Vietnam when one cannot even see the island from Vietnam.

I guess it is just a case of stronger country versus weaker country. V.Dad also says that Cambodia is too weak and so Vietnam and Thailand takes their land. I have no idea how true that is and would probably have to read up more on that area before I can comment.

V.Dad also asked if we don't get to see sunsets in Singapore. Gan and I looked at each other and then turned to him and shook our heads. It was only then I realise that sunrise and sunsets in Cambodia was a big thing for us. We hardly get to see sunsets in Singapore because of all the buildings. Another reason was because we are so busy over here. I hardly notice it. People say that they do..*shrugs.. probably.. when they are heading in the correct direction at the correct time and notices for once or twice in the entire year how beautiful the world is and gets lost in the moment. Yeah...I experienced that.

I was transfixed every moment over there. Sunrise and sunsets were precious to me. I did not merely notice the sky lightening or darkening...I was acutely aware of the passing of time and the massive significance in the start and ending of a beautiful day.

JY was saying that I could go to the beach or somewhere to watch the sunrises and sunsets but...that makes everything too deliberate. Not to mention I probably have to do a lot of planning and pencil in to my schedule, which seems funny when you consider how small Singapore is. Of course going to Cambodia to watch them is too deliberate also. However I didn't planned to go there and watch them. It just happened that I enjoyed many beautiful sunrises and sunsets over there and that's it I guess.

Why do we have to go to such trouble to enjoy the magnificence and beauty of nature? The effort put in to enjoy sunrise and sunsets in Singapore is more than what should be required. Most of the time, I am thinking or working or catching up on rest to just bask in beauty, which says a lot about life here and over there. Over there.....hardly anything distracts you..no movies, no theatres...no internet connection....no bustle.

The French must have had a wonderful time there. It was cool like springtime in France with glorious sunsets, a great view of the ocean and beautiful haunting mists...

We left before it got too dark and it was dinner with the guys cooking and we chopping a bit but we basically watched. It was awfully cold. It was weird that we had a cooked meal while the rest of the Caucasians had instant noodles and bread.

After dinner, I felt that I had to see more of Bokor hill and so V.Dad brought me near to the cliff again so I could see the lights from the Vietnamese island. It was quite an experience, navigating the rocky roads in the dark, in slippers. However we had a torchlight with us and being quite a sam-seng girl running around the neighbourhood when I was young as well as walking the past few days in rough terrains in slippers, walking on them in the dark wasn't that tough.

We came back and lights were out at 9.30 p.m. Everbody was in bed by then. I think there was only 12 people in the ranger station out of which our group made up 4 people.

It was so quiet that music crackled from my ear phones despite that my Mp3 was at 'volume 1'. And so I gave it up.

With thoughts on how much I loved the place.... I went to sleep.