Night views

Now, here's part 2! (didn't read part 1?) After les Terreaux we went to St Nizier (a church), but it was nothing special (and what's more, we were awfully squeezed...not worth it!) The only thing worth watching there was that they projected parts of the church (the gargoyles, to be exact) onto the church and then moved the projections to the actual gargoyles so that you could see where they were.

Here's a pic taken by Joe (I didn't take any pics there); you can see the blurred gargoyle on the church.


Next we headed to Place Bellecour. This year there were projections on the ferris wheel itself.

something with historical significance, no doubt

A quote by Jean Monnet: "It is better to have a dispute at a table than on a battlefield."
They put several quotes like that.

At the end of the projection, they put the credits: "a creation of the city of Lyon"

"The Big Wheel", 10 years in Lyon

Then they started off again (or was the previous pic already the start of a new projection? It's hard to tell...)

a fireball

Oh, it's the Earth!

Actually we got tired of this one pretty fast, probably because of its French history stuff. (we're engineers, not historians lol) So we moved on to the next destination.

nothing special at the théâtre des Célestins this year
(Thanks to Joe again for this photo; mine had the theatre and the little plaques on 2 separate pics...)

Place des Jacobins also pales in comparison to last year.

They projected a love story on the walls and some screens put up for the occasion (the screen's at the bottom...ground level, ya know? :P )

and also on the base of the fountain itself

It started to rain a bit then (luckily it stopped a little later), so we kinda got tired of it all and headed to Fourvière.

Fourvière in the distance, with the cathédrale St Jean at the bottom
Note the words "merci Marie" (the reason for this festival), and the green man on the Eiffel tower (that's a first!)

Then Fourvière itself, after we got to the top. We took the funiculaire (cable car); it was the first time I'd gone up to Fourvière during the fête des lumières...usually I don't because there are so many people and no one wanted to brave the crowd. But Joe was really motivated to go up...so we joined the queue. I think we queued for at least half an hour...we were even going to walk down if there were as many people waiting at the top, but there were less people taking the funiculaire down, so we waited just a few minutes for that.

They had geometrical shapes of different colours coming to place themselves on different parts of the basilica.

more and more of them

Then a random placement in the middle.

This was projected on the ground...the sponsor, I guess.

the making of (this is just outside the funiculaire exit, opposite the basilica)

the green man, a little closer up (sorry, my camera can't zoom)

The back of the basilica (facing out to town)

changing colours (and see the silver "thread"?)

It shows the "terminus", which means "final destination". The final destination of what? Coming up in the next post on the fête des lumières ;)

And here I'm putting another 2 photos by Joe (my camera only managed to captured blurred images of the city view, which is such a pity...)

see the "pencil" building at the back?

You can see the ferris wheel on Bellecour...and the building close to us is the cathédrale St Jean...which will be our next stop!

(Don't forget, click to enlarge the photos!)

I see the light...

So finally, the fête des lumières! Mah was going to come with us, but he had too much work to do...and Wenshao was showing a friend around and we didn't get to meet him. So...I played guide for Joe, since this was his first fête des lumières in Lyon. Lucky I came out last year...or else I wouldn't know my way around! lol

First we went to Place Louis Pradel, where there were lovely artificial trees:

stupid traffic light in the way :P

Then we moved on to Place des Terreaux, where a show was put on...we were actually kinda lucky to arrive from where we did, because one side of the square was reserved for the exit. While we were leaving, we saw people arriving from that side (the exit) and they were asked to turn back and go to the "entrance" instead...

Okay, I tried putting the photos in the correct order to make up the whole story...but it's just way too difficult, since we were there for 3 shows in a row (it was the same thing, we just moved around to find a better location each time) So here you go...the first two "shows" are mixed together, but the photos from the third time are all at the bottom. Whatever, the "story" doesn't matter anyway, just enjoy the pics ;)

"breaking" the scene

rain...and people with umbrellas floating down

flowers...this was hard to capture since if you're a bit too late, you get the blurred pics of the flowers fading away...like the next photos :P

already fading away on this building

but not on the town hall...yet

some figure dancing

some figure running

bubbles

water flooding the place (the water level rises)

the clock rolling down

the end
This is shown while waiting for the animation to start again.

And on the other building they show us to the exit:

The title of the animation is "Jouons avec les temps" (Let's play with time)

sortie = exit

And these are the pics taken closer to the exit, which means further away from the town hall.

but a lot closer to the building with the clock animation on it

Ta-da! End of the Place Louis Pradel-Place des Terreaux episode. There will be more...

Impressions of Munich

Public transport is expensive

So they say that a ticket in Lyon costing 1.60€ makes the Lyon public transport network about the most expensive in France (after or with Paris, I'm not sure) But Munich is way more expensive. A single ticket costs 2.40€, unless if you're only going four stops, in which case you can get a "short trip" ticket for 1.20€. But the 1.20€ one is uncomparable to the ones in France because you've got to be able to change lines within the hour...

Munich's Wombat's is the best!

It is so, so central, you see. Just 5 minutes' walk from the central train station (Hauptbahnhof) And cleanliness is like their (Wombat's) motto, so no surprises there. But what made me really like it is that there's a sort of indoor/outdoor lounge where there are sofas, hammocks and those soft cushiony chairs around round tables (like those small café tables) I mean indoor/outdoor in the sense that it's actually in the middle of the building, but the roof is transparent so that sunlight gets through, and there are trees! Great way to be "outdoors" in winter :)

And also, in the hall there are also some soft long seats (I love soft seats; they are waaay more comfortable than hard ones, especially when you're tired!)

Lovely roommates

Although this has nothing to do with how Wombat's is run, this is the first time I've had really friendly roommates while staying in a hostel. Could it be the fact that 4 of them were Japanese?

The first night I went to sleep rather early (not really very early...about 10pm? There was only one other girl in the dorm (it was a six-bed girl's dorm), and I didn't see her that night...nor the next morning! The thing is, I woke up and used the bathroom...and while I was in the bathroom, she left the room. Then I went to have breakfast (I got a free breakfast since this is the 2nd Wombat's I've stayed at, the first being in Vienna) and when I got back she was in the bathroom. I then left to go join my tour (to Neuschwanstein castle, more about that another time), so I didn't see her at all. And when I got back to the room that evening, she had already left...

That was a "typical" roommate, I'd say...anyway, the 2nd night the room was filled up, with 4 Japanese girls (2 groups of 2 travelling together) and an Egyptian. Somehow everyone in this group was really friendly, asking all around "so what did you do", "what are you going to do tomorrow" and that kind of stuff.

Underground mazes

Each public transport station in the town centre is really big, with lots of exits...it's like an underground maze! Up till now I still don't quite know which way to go so that I come out at the exit closest to my hostel. After wandering around once, tiring myself out (determined to find THAT exit, and failing miserably) I decided to no longer do that, and come up to the main train station instead, where it's easier to find my way! Operating above-ground is definitely easier :P

Good beer

This will make some people happy. lol This is the first time I actually tried beer that I can say tasted good...of course, I'll write more about that another time...I haven't even uploaded my photos to the computer yet!

So...stay tuned for more info ;)

How to finish a roast chicken alone

You know, when you're staying alone it's sometimes hard to buy things in big quantities. It's because you'd take a really long time to finish it, and probably by the time you've finished half of it, you don't feel like eating that any more.

But some things are just not worth buying in small quantities. Like...roast chicken. Here we can find roast chicken really easily at the market or the supermarket, and it always smells so good. But one person can't finish the whole bird in one go (or at least I can't...or is it I shouldn't? :P ), and buying part of it (like just the thigh) is like double the price. So I would prefer buying the whole chicken.

And this is where my freezer comes in super-handy. I cut up the chicken and eat the best parts the first day (usually a thigh, drumstick, and the back, for your info), then freeze (or refrigerate) the rest for future use. Oh yeah, and my microwave comes in handy as well, 'cause otherwise I wouldn't know how to reheat the chicken well...

But the reason why I'm writing this post is because there are other ways of using the leftover chicken other than reheating and eating it. Otherwise I'd still get tired of it, which means I'd need to keep the chicken pieces for more than a month. Okay, I'll get to the point (to avoid being a long-winded old lady). Two weeks ago, I bought a whole roast chicken. This is how its consumption went (sorry if it's too detailed, it's for my future reference lol) :

Saturday:
-bought chicken
-put the breast, one thigh and one wing into the freezer (after cutting them up into "servable" portions
-refrigerated one thigh (plus drumstick, I mean)
-ate the rest

Monday:
ate the refrigerated parts

Tuesday:
made "roast chicken mac and cheese"

Really yummy I tell you...a bit on the dry side since I was using a microwave instead of an oven, but still yummy!

Sunday:
made porridge with shredded pieces of roast chicken

Monday:
made croissant chicken sandwiches (filled the croissants with roast chicken slices and cheese, microwaved them, then added cucumber and mayonnaise)
(it was too good I didn't have time to take a photo before I ate it, sorry :P )

Tuesday:
-reheated the chicken thigh for a "normal" roast chicken meal
-made roast chicken taboulé

Wednesday, Thursday:
ate leftover taboulé (it keeps for a while, so you can make a whole lot!)

Friday:
made roast chicken sandwiches (with cucumber and mayonnaise like the croissant ones)

Now I have only a chicken wing left, which I plan to stew with something...'cos it's a little on the dry side. And that will be the end of my roast chicken!

I probably won't be buying a roast chicken again anytime soon, though...I'd still get tired of repeating the same old cycle! lol Though if you have any other ideas for using leftover roast chicken, do tell and I might try it next time! ;)

PS: the post title suddenly sounds so greedy (hmm hmm... :P )

Oh yeah, and by the way I'm on holiday for two weeks (school holidays for Christmas and New Year). I'll be going to visit Munich for a few days, so watch out for my travel post in the next month or so (it'll probably be in a month 'cos before that, I still have the Lyon light festival to write about, and also a visit to the miniature museum in Lyon!) So, in short, come visit :P

Laughter, the best medicine

I just have to share this. It's "part two" of an older post, I guess you could say. I read these here; some are the same as the ones I've posted, so I'm not reposting them here.

"I started to slow down but the traffic was more stationary than I thought."

"I pulled into a lay-by with smoke coming from under the bonnet. I realised the car was on fire so took my dog and smothered it with a blanket."

Q: Could either driver have done anything to avoid the accident?
A: Travelled by bus?

A Norwich Union customer collided with a cow. The questions and answers on the claim form were:
Q - What warning was given by you?
A - Horn
Q - What warning was given by the other party?
A - Moo

"I had one eye on a parked car, another on approaching lorries, and another on the woman behind".

"I started to turn and it was at this point I noticed a camel and an elephant tethered at the verge. This distraction caused me to lose concentration and hit a bollard." (A bollard is a short vertical post)

"On the M6 I moved from the centre lane to the fast lane but the other car didn't give way."

"On approach to the traffic lights the car in front suddenly broke."

"I was going at about 70 or 80mph when my girlfriend on the pillion reached over and grabbed my testicles so I lost control."

"I didn't think the speed limit applied after midnight."

"While proceeding through 'Monkey Jungle', the vehicle was enveloped by small fat brown grinning monkeys. Number three fat brown monkey (with buck teeth) proceeded to swing in an anticlockwise direction on the radio aerial. Repeated requests to desist were ignored. Approximately 2 minutes and 43 seconds later, small fat brown monkey disappeared in 'Monkey Jungle' clutching radio aerial."

"Windscreen broken. Cause unknown. Probably voodoo."

"The car in front hit the pedestrian but he got up so I hit him again."

"To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front I struck the pedestrian."

"An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car and vanished."

I shall die of laughter... hohoho...

I am not like you

I do not make fun of people. If you think I did, you misunderstood.

It's amazing how often people interpret certain remarks I made as "making fun of them", whereas I didn't have the slightest intention whatsoever of doing so. Sometimes I would even say that it was meant to be a kind remark!!

I guess that people will see their point of view...that would mean, though, that I live in a world where everyone loves making fun of others, and which is why their first tendency is to see that in my words.

You know how I love puns...

...and this is one good one!



The plot sounds familiar, eh? :P

(from here)

Malay "Earth song"

Here's a song that a friend of mine shared on his blog:



Here are the lyrics from his post, with his translation below. I just modified his translation slightly to more suit my taste :P (thanks David!)

Lyrics:

Bumi yang tiada rimba
Seumpama hamba
Dia dicemar manusia
Yang jahil ketawa

Bumi yang tiada udara
Bagai tiada nyawa
Pasti hilang suatu hari
Tanpa disedari

Bumi tanpa lautan
Akan kehausan
Pasti lambat laun hilang
Duniaku yang malang

Chorus:
Dewasa ini kita saling merayakan
Kejayaan yang akhirnya membinasakan
Apalah gunanya kematangan fikiran
Bila di jiwa kita masih lagi muda
Dan mentah
Ku lihat hijau

Oh..anok-anok (Oh..anak-anak)
tokleh meghaso mandi laok (tak leh merasa mandi lauk (laut??) )
Besaing,maing ghama-ghama (bersaing, main ramai-ramai)
Ale lo ni tuo umurnyo bejuto (alah, kamu ni umurnya berjuta)
Kito usoho (kita usaha)
Jauhke dari malapetako (jauhkan daripada malapetaka)
Ozon lo ni koho nipih nak nak aghi (ozon ni nak nipis hampir nak habis)
Keno make asak (kena makan asap)
Hok biso wei,pasa maknusio (ia berbisa, pasal manusia)
Seghemo bendo-bendo di dunio (semua benda-benda di dunia)
Tokleh tehe (tak boleh tahan)
Sapa bilo-bilo (sampai bila-bila)

Bumiku yang kian pudar
Siapa yang melihat
Di kala kita tersedar
Mungkinkah terlewat

Chorus

Korupsi,opresi,obsesi diri
Polusi,depressi,di bumi,kini

-----------------------------------

Translation:

An Earth without forests,
is like a slave,
being trampled by humans,
who laugh in ignorance

An Earth without air,
is as if lifeless,
will be gone one day,
without being realized

An Earth without the sea,
will die of thirst,
will slowly but surely disappear
My pitiful planet Earth...

Chorus:
Lately we celebrate together,
our success which will later destroy,
what's the use of maturity of thought?
when inside we are still young,
and immature,
i see the green (in us?)

**in olden slang, Negeri Sembilan Kelantanese dialect:**

Oh, my children,
let's play and work together,
your age is a million (referring to earth i suppose),
We work together,
avoid causing disasters..
The ozone layer is getting thinner, going to disappear
Soon we'll have to eat smoke...
It is poisonous, because of man
everything in this world,
cannot last
forever

**end of Negeri Sembilan Kelantanese dialect**

My earth which is slowly fading,
who actually realizes it?
When we actually wake up,
will it be too late?

Chorus:

Corruption, oppression and self-obsession,
Pollution, depression on modern Earth

Served small, white, and round

Pretty busy this week. So here's a riddle, just to let you regular visitors something to read. ;)

I am served at a table
In gatherings of 2 or 4
Served small, white, and round
You’ll love some and thats part of the fun.

What am I?

Answer below.












ANSWER: A ping pong ball.

I can't believe I didn't think of that! :P