Can one be faith filled and curious at the same time?

Budapest

The Best - themal bath outdoor on a sunny winter morning
The funnest - Chinese 80 style kongfu movie in Hungarian; slighted topping the similar production of Japanese carton on tv

that really speaks for my heart

Singapore as a future home?

Is probably not a crazy idea at all...
It is relatively close to canton (4 hours flight) so my family can visit easily but not so easy (I.e. 4 hours drive) to visit all too often ;)
It is modern and easy to work, both for Chinese and non Chinese speakers - sounds like a perfect place for couples like us
It has even quite good museums and other cultural elements - new discovery this trip - the natonal
museum of Singapore is probably one of the best history museum and the SAM is also up and coming!
Activity vice, tried the night safari first night upon arrival - of course this is more a tourist spot than a standard outing for residents, but I'm impressed by the effort of Singaporeans to entertain. Also did kayaking and if I would be living there, water sports would be my first choice to stay active.
And in longer term, working in Singapore for a period of time will also provide me the opportunity to obtain a Singapore pass, which is way practical than a Chinese one and emotionally more acceptable than a german one for example, thinking personally.

Sounds all good, what's stopping me then?!

Things work so well there, probably even too well - so called 'too controlled', well for someone enjoys living in Germany, that's unlikely a real issue;)
It is too established, where's the exciting new opportunity?!

All in all, it's simplily not crazy enough to move to Singapore...it's too normal & easy to call it a new adventure.

So it can wait, there's still so much to explore elsewhere:)

The myth of malay

Seed of thought from yersterday's visit to national museum of singapore - Malay sounds like Swahili?! Of course it feels strange first look, but let's dig deeper...

Malay, I was told halfly based on Sanskrit.

Swahili on the other hand, spoken locally by the people in the coastal area - coast of the Indian ocean.

Any other thoughts?

Another interesting piece of realization, the tools local used for grading coconut are more or less the same as those I've seen in lamu or Kenyan coastal region in general...

Lasak is a word origin from Persian language, who would have thought?!

Well a lot to think about... I love the national museum of Singapore!

Venice 2

Had amazing dinner in one of the very small restaurants on one of the back lanes not far away from where I stay. Was not suprised that bar tender can just explain almost the whole menu into English for me when I asked, but was excited to see during the course of my early dinner, a whole bunch of people came in and had appetizer... All seems to be knowing the bar tender for as long as they remember. I forgot there are actually venetions living so close by. No, Venice is not an open museum, still. I had the safe option of mix plate of bar starters and ventured for squid - well at least didn't know that when I ordered! It came out to be squid that cooked in their own ink, it was blacker than black I've seen. Wearing the only semi decent dress that I brought to Venice for a vivladi concert afterwards, I was literatuly watching every single bite. If there's any thing more eveil for closing than tomato saurce, it could only be squid ink! It was very delicious though, intense and slightly bit too salty for my liking.

In venice

Arrived at 9pm, it reminds of Singapore - the coating heat that sticks!
The water in light looks wonderful, yes it's true that it smells a bit but it's not comparable to the river in foshan, even Rhein sometimes gives out this distinguished smell of mix of sea and river...
Sofarsogood, I'm happily surprised. And will join the biggest crowd of tourists tomorrow.

Went to San Marco at 1030pm, who said that the place is diserted once the sun set, he must have come to see Venice in november or feburary... Music was still playing, of course instead of the 20 euro capuccino, now we are sipping 20 euro coke. Hmmm, how sweet;)

When I became rich one day

I want to have a swimming pool, or a house next to the lake or sea - basucally a place where I can jump into the beatiful deep blue as free as possible.
Love being in water!

When I (can not) sleep

I'll try again to write. Keep trying and keep failing is still better than giving up straight away, right? Right?!
I realized tonight that, usually when I could not fall asleep at night, ideas will just flood in. These ideas tend to be more couragous.. For example last night I was turning around in bed and completely toasted by the thought of hosting a dinner party on Sunday night inviting my colleagues despite the fact that in a few hours it was already Friday early morning and this beautiful idea was still immature in my stomach... When I finally reach the office though, I started to hestitate:
... mmm, what if none are in Bonn...
... what if only a few would come....
... isn't it just all too random for Germany anyway???

So in the end, the plan was dead in my stomach...

there is a second me in those half awake half sleep moments

the 'thousand-island' country goes to vote

If Indonesia can, why not China?

Indonesians vote in key elections

what a new consultant hate the most...

it is not when she has to stay up till 11:30 in the night to finish up;
nor when she needs to hold on and not run to the bathroom in order not to interrupt the flow of thoughts in the mid of high pressure presentation-making;
and definitely not in any feedback round or meeting with clients...

...but waiting waiting waiting in the office for feedback to continue working... :<<<

for the first time...

after whole 6 weeks - I have not much to do at work in one go of 1 whole hour. And how bored am I...

I am not used to being lazy anymore, oh my god.

no time to write down

the yellow mzungu is now back to cold old continent and working as a consultant to keep herself fed and warm (and all the rest of luxury...). She loves her job so far though 12 hours a day and dinner at 11pm is probably not the sustainable way of living.

she has been struggling to write down her little stories from this magical place called Kenya. She tried, even flied a plane to Berlin thinking that this culture capital will inspire her writing cry. But still no word, even worse, felt sick. She's back to work and this weekend will be Paris - assuming there are so many museums and markets to wander about, she's not trusting that it will be a more reflective weekend than Berlin.

but she's confident, or determined that eventually she will find time and nerve to put down her thoughts, probably not in a grand symphony but rather bits and pieces, every now and then. Still better than 0, she says it loud.

also she want to scribble down a few notes of her life as corporate consultant. who knows - there might be exciting pieces as well, at least potentially...