North to Alaska

Click picture of Rotary Snow Plow in action (in YouTube)

One of the best ways to go North to Alaska is to take an Alaskan Cruise. When we were there in summer of 2007, we didn’t quite know what the big machine (above) is about until we came home and view some YouTube video.

During the curise tour, we landed on four towns/cities, namely Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Whittier in Anchorage (Alaska).

We also had a train ride on the White Pass & Yukon Route in Skagway. Click here to see The White Pass – Yukon Railway amazing route.

Voyage of the Glaciers

Glacier Bay in Alaska

In summer of 2007, my wife and I went for an Alaskan Cruise. The cruise ship started from Vancouver (Canada Place) and northbound to Whittier in Anchorage. The cruise is wonderful. You can eat as much as you can, 24-hours a day. The ship is very steady – big ship and not crossing any ocean. You don’t even know you are on board the ship if you don’t look out of the balcony. You jog three rounds around the ship, you have covered a mile. The ship has 18 levels, four night clubs, one theatre, five swimming pools (one heated and enclosed), number of jacuzzi whirlpools, five restaurants and one buffet restaurant, shopping areas, photo studio, etc. Activity rooms available for the very young to seniors, even for those on wheelchairs. This ship has a capacity for 2000 passengers.

This cruise to Alaska has given me an opportunity to Reflect on Life. It reminds me of the Five Elements. I found some notes in the Internet on the Five Elements…

The Five Elements, according to eastern philosophy, are the fundamental components of the Universe. The Five Elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

Going to remote areas, where population is zero in the Glacier Bay and Fjords, you have to respect the Five Elements around you – though the obvious around us in the Alaska bays & Fjords are the Wood (the forest), Earth (the mountain) and Water (the Fjords, Bays Rivers, Streams, Ocean, etc). Beneath – Metal (especially Gold) and Fire (Plate Tectonics), the causes of earthquakes.

Within the Bay and Fjord proper, you have the tranquility, calmness, peacefulness and serenity – mother nature in its total equilibrium – the Five Elemental energies in balance. You can also called it, God’s creation. 

Read more …Wikipedia – The Five Elements

More pictures on Alaskan Cruise, click here.

Pike Place Market in Seattle

July 21st, 2007

Click picture to see more

July 21st, 2007… In summer of 2007, Pike Place Market is celebrating 100 years since it was opened in August 1907. One of the things the organiser has done is to “place” pig icons, 100 of them, I think, all over the downtown Seattle including in shopping centres. Click picture to see some of the pig icons.

It is a place for small businesses with stalls selling fishes around the region (including salmon), home made crafts and other items like dungeness crabs, flowers, fruits of the season, honey, etc.

If you are in Seattle, Pike Place Market is within walking distance in the tourist area of downtown Seattle, a place worth paying a visit and have a seafood buffet lunch in the variety of restaurants and coffee outlets. Short boat rides are also available along the Elliott Bay waterfront.

Butchart Gardens

April 7th, 2007

See Movie in RealPlayer

Butchart Gardens in Victoria – the British Columbia’s provincial capital. It lies at the southeast end of Vancouver Island, 90km southwest of Vancouver. One of the ways to reach Butchart Gardens is from Seattle, purchasing a Victoria City and Butchart Gardens Tour on the Victoria Clipper. Butchart Gardens has an area of approx. 20ha/50 acres. This Garden was started in 1904 by Jennie Butchart to beautify the quarry pit resulting from her husband’s cement business. Still operated by the family, the grounds are maintained year-round by a team of gardeners. The floral attraction is the beautiful sunken garden with its green lawns, trees and exquisite flower arrangements that create a whirl of colour. The other Gardens include, the Rose Fountain, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden and the Italian Garden. An average visit is about 1 and half hours, in time to catch the 7.00 PM boat trip (about 3 hours) back to Seattle – on a day trip ticket.

How to Re-activate an Expired Driver’s License in Singapore

March 31st, 2007 Perk Harn wrote … Coincidentally I have a question about expired Driver’s License and did not know where to find the answers overseas. This might be the best forum to air my question and invite some helpful responses.

Does anyone know the procedure for re-activating an expired Driver’s license at Singapore. Is a driving test required (although I hold a valid driver’s license overseas) or does procedure just involved submitting renewal-papers and paying the necessary fees. Will anybody be able to shed some light on this? Also, what is the jurisdiction in charge of Drivers’ License at Singapore – the Traffic Officer? Somehow, I had expected the name to be something more high-sounding.

Grateful for any advice or information I can garner, and thanks.