Wenn Stephan eine Reise tut, dann meistens weit und lang! :) Und da er ja auf keinen Fall den Kontakt zu seinen lieben Freunden verlieren möchte, wird er seine Erfahrungen in diesem Blog mit den Daheimgebliebenen teilen...

7.28.2005

Additional Entry ...

[mood:smile]
[location:about to leave work/SIN]

Just had a really nice phone conversation with a friend back home in Germany. Only a few people are aware of my new mobile phone number here in Singapore and so it was a total unexpected call from her - I didn't even know who was at the other end of the line! *lol*
Anyway ... it was a very, very pleasant surprise for me and it made me feel like being home. I got some new gossips, heard the latest stories and got the confirmation, that everything is still in the same good - old - fashion ... *happy* ...

See y all in Sept ...
Ste[ph]an

Time is flying ...

[mood:tired&sad]
[location:@work/SIN]

Here I am ... back again.
Unfortunately @ work, but nevertheless I am taking some time now to update my blog.

As you can see from my pictures (http://stephan.innovite.net - please send me an email if PWD is required), I've been to Kuala Lumpur last weekend, to catch up with 'old' friends of mine from VFKK & of course to see that amazing city.

So I got a bus ticket to KL, which turns out to be really cheap (around 16 Ringit - one way ~ 4 USD). I was sitting on this bus, when I was running out of battery with my laptop. Hm, I was just about to switch it off, as I saw the plugs for the power supply. Hehe ... Watching DVD & playing games the whole 4 hours. *Amazing* ...

Arrived at KL at about 10:30 pm and recognized, that I am somewhere in the city, without money and no clue where to go. The only 'white' guy, surrounded by 2000 asian people, all starring at my suitcase. Let's better hurry up and leave. Went inside Petronas towers - hell ... such a nice building - but it always looks much higher on TV?! - found an ATM, took a cab and drove to Thao's place. That damned cab driver charged me 15 Ringit - almost as much as I paid for the bus ride! *bastard* ... Anyway I was happy to be at my friends place.

Her friend Pilar, originally from Spain, but now working in Manila, was there as well. So we first got my sleeping place set up - we had to get the mattress from a friends place using a cab. Face of the cab driver was quite funny, as he saw me coming down with the mattress. *lol* ...

After all this hard work, we finally went out and discovered the nightlife of KL. Went dancing, tried to finish a whole bottle of Vodka, but emptied it the night afterwards ;) ...

Saturday was sightseeing ... Chinatown, Monorail, Courthouse etc.
As Thao was organising a pool party that night, we had to get some stuff and prepare food as well. Said - done ... 7 pm: the first guests arrived and we drank the delicious SanGria at the pool, enjoyed satay with peanut sauce and were just very happy.

It was really a VFKK re-united party, Nobu from Japan, Wesley - our local guide -, Jeje (I hope this name is spelled correctly!) & Joane, both from the Philippines, Darian from Thailand ... We've all been to VFKK in Manila / Tokyo. Half a year later - met again in Malaysia. Amazing. Was really good to catch up with them again. *fun*

On sunday, we drove down to Melaka, which is supposed to be 'the city to be' in Malaysia. *lol* ... Nice little city with a highly visible dutch influence.
In the afternoon, I took the bus back home, which was a real hell ride. I was the only 'not asian' person in there. There was not even one person speaking english!!!! *lost* ... They tried to translate everything using hand and feet, so we finally arrived at the border of Singapore. Traffic jam ... Customs ... Another traffic jam ... 1 hr waiting to get my luggage through SIN customs ... that is sooo ridicolous ... Not only, that they are searching every f****** bag, also you have to tell them the full life cycle story of every item in your suitcase. What the hell do I know, where and when I got my *tiger* underwear from?! *g* ...
I also heard, that they are tracking your petrol consumption. You are not allowed to come back into Singapore, with more petrol than you've left with. *weird*

Got to bed at around 1 am and slept like a baby until a real heavy storm kicked me out of bed. I've just moved apartments to the 20st floor and - holy - it was sooo loud. Lightnings / thunders ... and a waterfall coming down on SIN.
Next morning, the whole starbucks was flooded, but I was still able to get a cappuccino - as you might have recognized, I've changed from espresso to cap ... just to have the milk topping *g* ...

This week is kinda quiet. Work is normal - currently re-developing internal systems for a large australian bank. Quite interesting, especially as I am not from the financial area. Running from one meeting to another, solving problems (most of the time it turns out to create new probs!!) ... and as usual looking forward to the end of the day.

The next couple of weeks will be a lot of travelling.
This weekend I will go for a day trip to Bintan (small island close to Singapore). Next weekend - the looooong awaited flight to Bali, to meet Rene (aka Che) and his new girl friend. I am soooo much looking forward to that, as I haven't seen him for a very long time now. I spoke to him on the phone the other day - he is doing good and we will have a lot of things to talk about!

Other items on my agenda: Koh Samui (Kho Phangan) - to meet Manuel (friend from Munich) with his girlie there. It is also a good chance to discover the famous 'Full-Moon-Party' ... Thailand - the germans are coming!!
After that, I have to fly back to Sydney for a couple of days, to re-new my health insurrance (it is only valid for 60 days per trip!). And of course to attend to the famous long party-nights.

That's not all yet - Mid of Sept, I will finally come back to Germany!!!! *yippie* ... 14 - 20st of Sept!! Need to get my flights soon, but shouldn't be a problem. I am currently really missing my friends back home. Also Xen & James & Matt will come over to Germany to attend the Oktoberfest.

Hey .. *** stop *** stop *** stop *** .... yes ... beside of that I am also working! It is not 'just' leisure!! *g*

Friends ... Hmm ... Sandra ...
Most of you will already know, that finally Sandra and me, we had to make a decision, how to go on with our life & relationship. It turned out to be very, very difficult not to see each other for more than 4 months now.
We finally broke up - in peace! Makes me very sad, to lose someone after such a long time (~ 5 years), but I assume it is the better solution for the both of us.
Please - for all the "sapient" people out there: Keep your damned comments for your own. We both knew that it will be very hard to life in such a relationship. It finally didn't work out. The last thing we need right now are people telling us: "I always told you ..." blablablablabla ...
Beside of losing Sandra, I also lose a lot of people I met through her with whom I really had a great time. Thanks again for everything!! I really appreciated the time & I am already looking forward to see you all again: then propably in a different surrounding, but still I hope we all stay in contact.
I am always happy to receive Emails / Messages etc. from people back home - also if it takes me quite a while to answer sometimes, I am all the time willing to answer all of them.

How do I feel about it?! Hmm ... Difficult to describe: Sad - very sad indeed. Lonely ... Time is passing by and something is missing in my life. I don't even know, when I had a proper conversation with a friend the last time. All the smalltalk ... all the new people ... it is really getting too much now. All these 'surface-related-conversations" ... *aaaaargghhhh*
I am so not interested in meeting women right now, but to find good male-friends over here is very difficult, as it takes time - which I really don't have. Whenever I get closer to some people, I am leaving again. Leaves me with the question: "Where do I belong to?!" ... Sydney? Not really ... Singapore?! *lol - no* and Germany? Not any more.
Holy s*** - life is getting more & more complicated now. When I was sitting in Germany I always wanted to leave it and discover the whole wide world. Now I am doing it and I am slowly recognizing that it is harder than I've expected. Nevertheless ... no reason for me to give up, what I've started. Time will solve all issues! I am still believing in that! I just need to figure some things out ...

Anyway ... I am looking forward for tonight, as a friend from Dubai is flying in. Will be good to see her again.

Ttys (Talk to you soon) ...
Ste[ph]an

7.26.2005

VFKK - Reunited ... Pool party at Thao's place in Kuala Lumpur: Darian (Thailand), Wesley (Malaysia), me (Germany), Nobu (Japan), Thao (France), Joanne & JJ(Philippines) ... Posted by Picasa

7.17.2005

A picture of 'Clarke Quay' ... Right next to my appartment ...  Posted by Picasa

7.16.2005

Fooooood ...

[mood:really happy]

Hey hey ... me again!
A lot of people will wonder know, why I am writing so soon again, but I just feel like writing now.
I went out last night with Ed / John (both from London) and we had again an awesome night ... Dancing, drinking and meeting new people. Can't really remember, when I've met so many people before ;) ...
So I woke up this morning with a bad hang-over and I decided not to go for cultural things today and stay back home in front of the TV / computer. As I got hungry, I had to force myself out of the apartment to get some food. I found this really nice market around the corner and went inside.
*Yummy* ... I bought almost the whole shop and went back to my place to enjoy that delicious food. *hmm* ... So I ended up eating:
Italian mozarella with tomatoes and fresh herbs (aged Balsamico and olive oil made it taste much better!!) - FRESH french white bread (I missed that soooo much in Australia!) topped with slightly salted french butter and Milano salami & italian prosciutto. To finish this highlight, a glass of 2001 Cabernet Shiraz Australian red wine.
Honestly ... I AM SOOO HAPPY NOW! It tasted so well - so delicious ... It was indeed a highlight in my asian food cycle. I am still melting away, by just thinking about it!

Once again I realized what I was missing so often.

Anyway ... Have to run now! Will meet two friends from Germany today. They arrived last night and will go on a big asian tour the next weeks. Sure will be lots of fun!

See y a - take care!

Ste[ph]an

7.11.2005

Welcome to Singapore ...

Hi @ all,

Long time since I've posted my last blog. But a lot of things have happened in the meanwhile.
Was in a big hurry the past two weeks, as I was leaving Sydney, to go to a new abroad assignment in Singapore. How cool is that: Been in Sydney for not even 4 months and now discovering the sights of Asia again!
Got rid of my apartment in Sydney, moved all the stuff to a friends place and finally left Sydney.

Flight:
Got the chance to fly the first time with Gulf Air ... Plane was quite old and it was totally booked out. So i got my seat and was sitting beside of a 'middle-aged woman' from Sydney. I am really a kind of a 'speaking' person, but nothing compared to her ... She was not even stopping to talk when I switched on my IPOD! But funny ... We had several glasses of wine and some pretty interesting conversations.
Food ... Hmm ... delicious ... Think I've never had such good food on a plane before. *yummy* ...

Welcome to Singapore ...

What a nice nice nice place!! Living at Clarke Quay, close to the city and in walking distance to my work (I am usually walking home from work, which turns out to be a sweat walk. It is sooo hot here. Around 30 - 35 degress every day! (James: Celsius not Fahrenheit *g*)

-cut-

James & Xen ... That bringes me to my next point: Both of them were in London while the bombs went off there. That is sooo scary. Both told me they are alright, but it just reminds us again and again, that it could happen to everyone of us.

-jump back-

How is Singapore?! Hmm it is a good mixture of Asia and the western civilistation. So many nice places you can go; clean and quite interesting ...
I was in an exhibition yesterday, called 'Images of Singapore' - which is an multimedia presentation about Singapore and all the past. Really, really interesting - check out the pictures: During the introduction they were projecting the speaker using hologram technologies ... *very_impressive* ...

I've met two guys from UK here in the apartment-building. Went out on Friday night to party a bit: Fun night ;) ... Sitting opposite of us was Prince Albert from Monaco: I had to say hello to him ... Finished my glass of alcohol (to feel better and stronger!!) and went up to him ... Curious about the 3 bodyguards around him, which were looking at me like a little cockroach. Stood in front of him and could not even say one word... HOW EMBARASSING!!! He just gave me his hand and said: "Hi, I am Albert. What is your name?!" ... So the ice was broken and I was able to tell him who I am, but then took this chance to go on to the toilets, as he was very 'busy' ... Lesson learned today: I should stay away from celebrities ... *g*

My good friend Michael is living here, so we are now - again - able to do a lot of things together. Went out to Santosa Beach on the weekend, went shopping and enjoyed the really delicious food.

Miss all my friends & family back home right now! Will soon come back home for a short visit (End of Sept) to catch up with all of you.

Congratulations to my sister finishing very, very successful her diploma two weeks ago - What I've just heard from the "Lauingen Herald" my cousin has also successful finished his final degree. CONGRATTTTTTS!

Will go to bed now ... Have fun & talk 2 u soon!!!!!

Ste[ph]an




*LOL* ... That is so ridiculous ... Welcome to the world of computers & internet ... For all the ones trying to get rid of the long queue inside the bank ;)  Posted by Picasa