Life in Korea:

My West End Experience

While in London, I was fortunate enough to watch two contemporary musical plays -- WE WILL ROCK YOU and CHICAGO. I had always dreamed of this. I never thought this would happen, ever. God  granted my childhood fantasy.

This is the billboard outside the theatre. That's the picture of Tony Hadlein, ex-Spandau Ballet lead vocalist who plays the role of the smooth-talking lawyer.

Hubby and I got good seats. We were seated at an angle close to the stage that we could see the tini-tiniest movement on stage.

This is the box office that sells tickets at discounted prices to desperate folks ....(like us hehehe)

Hubby watched MAMA MIA alone cause I had to fly back to Seoul.

Next time I'm in London I would definitely watch my all-time favorite classics... ^^

Malta: A Medieval Experience

Malta is the smallest country in the European Union but it is not without charm. A visit to Malta is a journey back in time to the medieval past.

The Island's attractions: the neolithic & megalithic temples in Malta & Gozo, Mdina--the Silent City, the unique rock formations in Dwejra Point, the Blue Grotto, Valetta -- the Fortress City, Marxalokk Village, and many more but these are among the sights I saw during my visit to Malta.

VALLETTA: MALTA'S CAPITAL

Valletta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Everything within the city is preserved from the time it was built. Valletta is a heavily fortified city. Thick, high walls were erected around the city perimeter in 1565 after the siege of Malta. This was done so to avoid destructive attacks from the Ottoman Turks.

1. This is the aerial view of Valletta.

2. The Walls of Valetta

3. Streets of Valletta

NATURAL ROCK FORMATIONS

1. The Azure Window at Dwejra Point

2. The Blue Groto

3. Inland Sea at Dwejra Point

4. Mushroom Rock

NEOLITHIC TEMPLES

1. Hagar Qim: megalithic temple that is older than the pyramids in   

    Egypt. It predates the pyramids by a millenium.

5-star Shangrila Tanjung Aru Resort

I loved my stay at Kota Kinabalu. There is no dull moment in this place for there are various activities that the guests can enjoy. If you are the outdoor type of person you'll enjoy trekking and climbling the World Heritage Mt. Kinabalu. Mt. Kinabalu's rainforest is home to some monkeys and other endangered animals. We were lucky to see an iguana.

There is also the exciting rafting course. We couldn't join the rafting trip because it isn't safe for very young children so we opted for an island hopping tour and snorkeling.

The beach is a gentle slope. It is ideal for swimming and schools of fish come close to the beach to feed on bread crumbs. My son screamed gleefully when the fish swam around him.

The island hopping tour includes a stop at a lagoon for fish feeding. This is a fishing lagoon so the water in this part is deep. But the small docking bay has a board walk where people can feed the fish with crumbs.

Bandar Seri Begawan

Bandar Seri Begawan is Brunei's capital city. The capital city is the seat of power and culture. Here one finds the Royal Palace (Istana Nurul Iman), the Grand Mosque, the national museum, the water village and the world-famous 6-star Empire Hotel.

Istana Nurul Iman houses several structures which includes a mosque. It is the world's largest residential palace. The golden domes of the mosque inside the Royal Palace was designed by a Filipino architect. (I wish I knew his/her name.)

The Empire Hotel is indeed grandiose in all aspects. It has gold inlays in the ceilings and railings. It may be glittering in gold but there's not much to do at the resort. Guests can only swim and enjoy the sunset. The place is just serene. (Brunei, being strict and all, no one dare disturb the peace with frolic & fun.)

Our next stop was the Grand Mosque. This is more grand than that of the Empire Hotel for everything yellow you see in and outside the mosque is 21K gold. The great staircase that leads to the praying rooms are made of Italian white marble. The inside of the main dome is made of stained glass imported from England.

Taking photographs is not allowed inside the mosque. We could only take pictures of the exterior archs and entrance halls. The 3rd pic is a shot of the ceiling of the exterior arch. The yellow parts you see are all gold inlays and even the chandelier is made of gold.

We visited the national museum in Bandar Seri Begawan. This museum houses the Sultan's throne, crown jewels and his coronation chariot. Again photograph taking is not allowed inside the museum. The only souvenier that guests can take is the memory of the grandeur and riches of the Sultan of Brunei. At the museum lobby is a miniature chariot on display, guests are allowed to take pictures of this.

Anyway, when I think about Brunei, two things come to mind: oil and gold.

Brunei earns $6 million USD a day from its oil industry alone so there is really no need for them to develop their tourism industry. And indeed according to L'ong, our Bruneian guide, the Sultan's subjects do not pay tax of any sort. Education, medical and even housing are subsidized by the government. Treatment for all kinds of illness costs only $1 USD. Free education from primary to tertiary level. College students even get a stipend of $300 USD from the government.  For a country with a small population, a mere 372,000, the Sultan has more than enough to give away. This monarch takes good care of his subjects. An honorable duty worthy of praise. (When will the Philippines see this kind of leadership?)

The virtues of righteousness and piety are universal. If the leaders of a country are righteous then the people would have the blessings of a good life.

The Philippines is a Christian country.  If God favors the Christians, then why is Philippines not receiving His grace?  This is a question we should take very seriously. God is telling us something.

At a glance: Kota Kinabalu & Brunei

Kota Kinabalu or K.K. to locals is a melting pot of Asian tribes. The population is a mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and of course native Filipinos who have been there for a long time. I am not sure if the Filipinos at K.K. are citizens or migrant workers.  60% of the population is Muslim, 40% are Hindus and Christians. Surprisingly, they live in harmony.

On the way to Mt. Kinabalu for a rainforest trekking, we drove by a river village. These are a large group of houses on stilts. According to our Indo guide, Rama, the residents of the water village is locally known as the Badjaos...and to my surprise, most of them are Filipinos. Rama said that they've been inhabitants there for a long, long time.

I remember learning about the Bajaos in my history class in high school. They must have been from the same tribe and was just separated geographically.

My heart sank for the Filipinos are not only poor in their home country but they are also the mediocre class in Malaysia. But they choose to stay there for they earn well enough in K.K.

Along the banks of the Brunei river is another water village similar to that of K.K. It seemed like a slum but it isn't and a tour of Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan actually includes a short visit to the water village. According to our Brunei guide, L'ong (a Bruneian of Chinese-Malay descent), the water village is a part of Brunei culture. Brunei is not ashamed of it at all. This village is complete with the necessities of a town. We saw among others a floating mosque, a floating primary school and a floating police station. Residents of the water village are ferried by boat taxis.