boon's log 0505.06: Video Maut

We were driving across the Germany-Austrian border and we saw this sign. It's interesting what the same word means something in one language and something else in another. In this case, it is basically an automated video-control barrier that lifts the barrier once it recognizes the vehicle registration plate correctly - the advantages of this system is no more tailbacks at the toll stations, and useful telemetry data for traffic regulation. This is pretty similar to what we have in Malaysia, exceptt that ours are a little old-tech - as we are still using infra-red to read out the information from our Touch and Go card through a bulky device called the SmartTag...


Video Maut

boon out...

boon's log 0505.05: Sleighless Santa...

We were in the Inner City Square in Innsbruck, Austria when we bumped into St. Nick while having our lunch - kaserrahmspatzln-spinatspatzln-schupfnudeln combo (woah, that's a mouthful!) with a fruit-punch with rum.


Sleighless Santa

boon out...

boon's log 0505.04 supplementary A: Encounter with the...

... streetwalker (literally).

IL and I were at Gurney Plaza, with her sister on Thaipusam day. The ladies had an appointment with Dermalogica. It was ~10:45 AM. So, I was left wandering around the plaza as I was waiting for the Photo shop to open, to send some of my photos to be developed.

So, there I was, on the 3rd floor walking towards the Hot Market area. There was a bench in front of the Hot Market (near the ascending escalator), and there sat 3 ladies in their early 40s, I guess. As I approached the bench, one of them started staring at my legs! I found it a little odd but it did not really bother me. What happened afterwards did...

As I was passing the bench, the lady sitting on the left-most (with deep and dark eye-rings, and looked really fatigued), half-whispered to me...

"Halo, satu jam, lima puluh lima ringgit?"
("Hello, one hour, fifty five ringgits?")

It did not strike me immediately at that point of time, but as I walked further, and went up the escalator, it hit me...

"WHAT the...?!"

It was Thaipusam, it was 11AM in the morning, I'm in Gurney Plaza - Penang's most acclaimed shopping mall... I could not believe my ears. I was dumbfounded, flabbergasted

Anyway I proceeded to SenQ as I needed to check out some prices. The thought about the encounter was still ringing in the mind...

So, taking my chances of being perceived as an interested customer, I decided to go down again to that same spot to determine whether what I heard was... indeed what I heard. So, after a few moments, I went down to that same bench again, but the three ladies were no longer there anymore. Left to a new location? Or "serving" customers?

Told some friends about it. Here are some of their "caring" feedback...

"Should have bargained with her-lah! Lima puluh boleh ka?""
("Should have bargained with her-lah! Can you make it fifty ringgit?")

"Lima puluh lima untuk kesemua tiga orang kah?"
("Is fifty five ringgit for all the three of you?")

"Tempat you atau tempat I?"
("Your place or mine?")

Such "Caring" friends I have... Anyways, this will definitely go into the record books for the "Most Awkward question asked in a Family Mall"

boon out...

boon's log 0505.04: German Autobahn

At a German Autobahn Rest area

All the while, we thought (from the stories/myths we've been hearing from our friends) that the German autobahn is actually THE highway in Germany where there are no speed limits and drivers can just speed off in their Porsches and Beamers like nobody's business. It's almost like a "Car-Heaven".

In actual fact, the autobahn is just simply Germany's national highway system that stretches over 6,800 miles with a maximum speed limit of 130km/h (though it is just a suggested speed limit). But when we were there, we do still see Porsches and BMWs speeding off at very high speeds - which I, personally think, is much higher than the speed limit of 130km/h.

So myth or no myth, the speed limit signs are clearly posted alongside the highways, but the Germans are kinda ignoring them and just having a good time on the road - after all, why drive a Beamer when you cannot experience its power, right?


Scenic view along the German Autobahn...

boon out...

boon's log 0505.01: Snowcapped tree

Snowcapped tree outside our hotel room in Ulm, Germany

boonout ...

boon's log 0405.03 supplementary A: German Sunrise

Rasthaus Lichtenbusch, Germany - motorway rest area

boon out...

boon's log 0405.03: Funny signs in Boppard, Germany

We had like a good one and a half hours before we boarded our Rhine river cruise, so we walked around Boppard to grab some grub and also a little shopping and also exercise my right forefinger a little... with the camera. We came upon some funny signs...


(A) No hold hands zone or (B) No Mother and Child Zone or (C) Parental Guidance not needed


As oppose to the above picture...

More funny signs...


Severus Church, Boppard - there is that sign creeping up again...

boon out...

boon's log 0405.01 supplementary A: A night in Brussels

Market Place, Brussels. Seen here decorated with beautiful lights, "painted" against the walls of the town hall. On the front, they've set up the manger (for the Christmas celebrations) and also a Christmas tree. The most famous events that takes place in this square are the annual Ommegang (traditional procession) and the flower carpet.


Brussels by night...

boon out...

boon's log 0405.01: Do not use ladder

We were on board the P&O Ferries, top deck, catching some air before the ferry left the Dover port and we bumped into this sign. Possibly, ladders were used in a very different way in the UK.


Do not use ladder.

boon out...

boon's log 0305.04: Happy New Year...

Yeah, it is kinda late, but hey, better late then never (as they always say). IL and I just for back from our long honeymoon. Yeah, we spent ~20 days in Europe (mostly spent in Italy) over Christmas and New Year 2005. It was a fantastic trip, with so much to do but so little time - as with all trips, we try to make use of the available time as much as possible, trying to see as much as we can, since we've flew our bottoms thousands of miles across continents to see the other side of the globe, right? Well, we had a great time, as I said. We covered a lot, but there are still so many things/places that we planned to see and visit but did not manage to cover them due to time constraint and also the holiday season... (also gives us an excuse to go back, time&pocket permitting, that is...). And we took a whole lot of phothgraphs. Will share some of the stories along with the images that passed our way during our time there...


Here was where we were waiting outside Odeon West End at Leicester Square for the Aviator Premiere in London. We were waiting to catch a glimpse of Leonardo DiCaprio. This was after when we first touched down in London Heathrow. We were cold and hungry. If you look hard enough,you may be able to see him...


Big Ben seen from Trafalgar's Square


Trafalgar's Square

boon out...