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A visit to the Land “Down Under”
Australia is one of the countries that I longed to someday visit and see for myself. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I had to decide the best point of entry knowing its massive land area. I thought that there was no better way to start my exploration than at its largest city – Sydney. From Dubai, it took 14 hours flight to reach Sydney. It was an exhausting flight which meant that as soon as I reached the accommodation I had to rest the whole night to recharge myself and make sure that I would be fully fit to start my exploits for the following day. There were so…
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Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness. – Mark Twain
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Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Discover, Explore, Fashion, Food, Nature, Religion, Sightseeing, Travel
Indulge in Turkish Delight
It was a freezing December when I set foot in Turkey. Istanbul is the country’s largest city, the financial, cultural, and historical centre. It is the only city in the world located between two continents: Asia and Europe. Istanbul is a fascinating city that houses various compelling attractions. Luckily, most of the sites are in close proximity to the hotel where I stayed. Many well-known sites such as the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, which is popularly known as the Blue Mosque, are amongst the most visited. One of the activities not to be missed when in Istanbul is a boat ride and I…
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A Prayer – Michel Quoist
I have fallen, Lord, Once more. I can’t go on, I’ll never succeed. I am ashamed, I don’t dare look at You. And yet I struggled, Lord, for I knew You were right near me, bending over me, watching. But temptation blew like a hurricane And instead of looking at You I turned my head away, I stepped aside While You stood, silent and sorrowful, Like the spurned fiancé who sees his loved one carried off by his rival. When the wind died down as suddenly as it had arisen, When the lightning ceased after proudly streaking the darkness, All of a sudden I found myself alone, ashamed, disgusted,…
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A moment with the selfie king
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands: One of the joys of travelling is to be able to see up close and personal the works of famous people who are well known in their respective chosen fields. If I remember it well, it was during my high school days that I learnt and came across the names of some famous Dutch artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt. Another one is Johannes Vermeer, the artist who painted the Girl with a Pearl Earring. In the world of drawing and painting, undoubtedly one of the well-known artists is Vincent Willem van Gogh. Many of his works are on display in Van…
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Kuala Lumpur
Selamat pagi, Malaysia is the second country I visited after I finally had the courage to travel on my own. It was the time when the Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur was the tallest building in the world (from 1998 to 2004) as defined by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). As a result, many people were curious to see the iconic towers up close and personal. Fortunately, I was one of them to do so. I took the lift to the higher bridge linking the two towers. It has a public sky bridge and observation deck that gives the thrill of viewing the beautiful vistas…
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A short getaway in Tbilisi
Georgia is a country in Eurasia located on the crossroads of Eastern Europe and West Asia. Its neighboring countries are Russia to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south, and Azerbaijan to the south-east. It is a land with a magnificent history and unparalleled natural beauty. According to Planet Doc, ‘although as small as Switzerland, Georgia is big in all aspects; a progressive nation, European in attitude and Western in spirit; a real Caucasian country with the joy of the Mediterranean’. Georgia is a mix of modern and ancient, with numerous and significant ancient churches and monasteries to visit. It is a Christian country where the majority of the population practices Orthodox Christianity, primarily the Georgian Orthodox Church.…
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“Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you. You must travel it by yourself.” – Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
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A visit to Vienna Austria
Is it true that there are no kangaroos in Austria? One night when I was walking in one of the busy shopping streets called Kärntner Straße in Vienna, I was a bit surprised to see the signs ‘No kangaroos in Austria’. This phrase caught my attention. For a while I was confused why these signs are everywhere especially in the souvenir shops. Then I realized and I remember what our tour guide said that this is to remind the tourists that they are actually in Central Europe, in a landlocked country called Austria, and not in Australia. I had a wonderful time during my visit to this land of the…
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Sightseeing day in Brussels
During my first odyssey to Europe, I chose Belgium as one of the countries to visit. I stayed in the country’s capital city – Brussels. Although it is relatively small when it comes to land area, it is of great power and significance in world affairs. Brussels is a cosmopolitan city that hosts several of the EU’s official seats and is the headquarters of many major international organizations such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and WCO (World Customs Organization), among others. Plus, it is also the birthplace of one of my personal favourite actresses, Audrey Hepburn, who starred in films such as Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, and Breakfast…
