我的世界地图: August 2009

At London Heathrow Airport

The airport immigration and customs offices are not friendly and sometime very rude. This is the nature of their job to be very strict for everyone who wanted to enter UK. You are coming for the right purpose and do not have to be nervous. What you have to do is:

- not too funny, don’t laugh, don't be playful
- not too rude and ego
- be very professional, polite and steady. You will have problem listening to their British accent. Ask them to repeat the question. Do not guess the questions and simply answer. Make sure you give the correct answers.

Typical questions:

Is this your first time to UK?
Yes.

Why are you here?
For holiday. I plan to visit London and a few country sides near London e.g. Bath, Stonehenge, Cambridge and Greenwich.

How long will you stay?
1 week. I have my Malaysia Airlines business class ticket back to Kuala Lumpur on 28 July. (You can show him the ticket is necessary)

Where are you staying?
Marlin Service Apartment as address is stated in the entry card. (MAS will give you the boarding card in flight. Filled in all the information correctly including your address in London)

Marlin Queen Street
30 Queen Street
London
EC4R 1BR
Phone: +44 (0)207 378 4840
Fax: +44 (0)207 378 4841
Reservation Reference: WJTEWSJ

Are you traveling alone?
Yes. I’m traveling alone from Malaysia. But I will meet up with my friend in London.

I love serviced apartment

I stayed at hotel or serviced apartment when I was on business trips. Personally, I prefer serviced apartment than any hotel, especially the Marlin Serviced Apartment London. Marlin Serviced Apartment London owns over 570 luxury serviced apartments and I was staying in Marlin Empire Square and Marlin Queen Street which were both top quality accommodation, ideal for business and family.

Marlin Empire Square

What I love Marlin Serviced Apartment the most is the best use of space. The living room is perfectly sized with most up-to-date technology including broadband, wide screen television and the fully equipped kitchen comes with microwave, oven, fridge, dishwasher and complete cooking facilities.
Comfortable bedroom

Modern, stylish and secure, it’s absolutely perfect in every possible way.

Let me refresh my daily route to the office. From Marlin Empire Square (34 Long Lane), few minutes walk to Borough Station, which service Northern Line. Change to Circle Line or District Line at Monument Station and get down four stations later at Temple Station.

When I was staying at Marlin Queen Street, Big Dar visited me. Marlin Queen Street is ideally located next to Mansion House Station and within a 5 minuted walk of Central London’s most famous attraction such as St.Paul’s Cathedral, Tate Modern, fine restaurants and supermarket. Although that was Big Dar first time in London, where we stayed has easy access to everywhere in London and he enjoyed his sight seeing holiday while I went to work.

If you are going to London, live in Marlin.

Another wonderful serviced apartment that I highly recommended is the New Amsterdam Serviced Apartment in The Netherlands.

Musical in London

My first musical theatre experience was at Queen’s Theatre, London watching the Les Miserables, the longest running musical in history based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo. The show combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance was simply amazing.

One show is never enough. When I was on my second business trip to London, my colleague and I decided to watch The Phantom of the Opera after work. The Phantom of the Opera is a musical based on the French novel. The major character Phantom is a genius composer, musician and magician who hides behind a white mask and is known as the Opera Ghost.

The Phantom of the Opera opened at Her majesty’s Theatre in 1986, and lucky me, in its 21st year, I had the opportunity to watch the London’s greatest love story live in the same theatre. I am yet to watch the film nor read the novel, may be I should.

2008 summer, I was at London with Big Dar. We were looking for something sweet, light and easy. Of course The Sound of Music playing at London Palladium Theatre became of our choice.

Our seating location was at Royal section, row H, seats 32-31 with total charge approximately RM 400. We sang along many songs - The Sound of Music, My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, So Long, Farewell, Edelweiss… that reminded us about our childhood and wonderful time together. This is the best musical theatre experience ever!

By defination, Broadway Theatre represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world. Next on my list are :

1. Mamma Mia
2. Cats
3. Miss Saigon
4. Marry Poppins / The Lion King
5. Sister Act / The King and I / Evita

Stonehenge, United Kingdom

I have been to Stonehenge two times.

It located in the English country of Wiltshire, about 120 kilometers from London.

One of the UNESCO World Heritage site, Stonehenge age estimated at 3100 BC with speculation on the reason it was built range from human sacrifice to alien.

This stone monument contains a circular setting of large standing stones.

Four UNESCO World Heritage sites in Malaysia, I have been to　Mulu National Park, Melaka and George Town! The Kinabalu Park will continue to be my dream, don’t think I am fit enough to conquer the Malaysia and Southeast Asia's highest moutain.

Big Dar, we go together, ok?

柏林的宿舍旅馆／背包旅馆

我第一次到德国，不是为了公干，而是和一位朋友一起背包旅行．我从英国伦敦出发，搭上了廉价航空RYAN AIR, 和他在德国的汉堡会合，第二天才乘巴士到首都柏林．

因为自费，没有星级的酒店或公寓，我们就住在很简单的宿舍旅馆／背包旅馆　－AO Hostel.

我们准备登记，住宿率还挺高的．

在一旁的小小会客室，还有上网设备．

经过长长的走廊，就是我们的房间啦！

我最喜欢大大的窗，所以选了靠窗的单人床．

窗外

还有一个高高在上的电视机．

只是房里的厕所和冲凉间小了一点，不过还算麻雀虽小，五脏俱全！

住宿费也包括了自由餐式早餐

和我最喜欢的果汁!!!　一天的旅程要开始了！！！　

除了工作开会，我在日本东京还做了什么？

日本东京的那一次公干，从接到通知，申请签证，接洽到出发，只有短短的两个星期。一个星期准备，另一个星期则在老早就安排好的浮罗交怡公司部门旅行。还记得我从浮罗交怡回来的那个傍晚，随手把行李放一旁，匆匆地收拾另一个行李，一些秋天的衣服和体面的上班套装，就捉紧时间睡觉。因为隔天一早，我就要飞日本东京。

由于没有时间做功课，我不知道空闲的时间可以到哪里走走逛逛。以前看过的日剧，漫画，卡通一直在我脑海里浮现。

上天待我真好，在吉隆坡往日本成田国际机场的商务舱里，坐在我隔壁的是一位看起来应该是很专业很亲切的中年日本人。自我介绍和交换名片过后，原来他是一家天然气运输船务公司总经理！可是在那七个多小时的旅程，他成为了我的东京观光大使。

我在东京的一个星期，除了工作开会，游遍他所推荐的景点。

东京铁塔。记得柴门文漫画改编的"东京爱情故事"吗？经典日本偶像剧，有好几个情节，发生在这座红白相间的铁塔下．