Cuti-cuti Malaysia

Wahaha. Gua dah balik Malaysia. Nampak gayanya blog ni akan berabuk la untuk 2 3 minggu lagi. Baru 2 malam sampai, dah makan tosai, roti canai, roti sardin, lasagna dan macam-macam lagi. Gilerlah. Nak habiskan 3 minggu ni mesti makan banyak. Naik baliklah berat.

menghitung hari, membilang jam, mengira minit, menggigit jari

I think i'll take a sabbatical leave for a week. So i won't (that word just seems so weird. why can it be? did i spell it right? was i right to put the apostrophe?) be updating my blog by 21/22 July.

Lalalala~ ;)

Melancon ke Malaysia

This morning we went to the Unterlinden Museum with Rosy. Usually the class starts at 8, but she came only at 9. That doensn't change anything since the museum opens only at 9. But first we read a description in a guide book that she brought in class. It took us almost 45 minutes just to finish the most important art piece in the museum; le retable d'Issenheim. Musee d'Unterlinden is the second most visited museum in France after le Louvre. It's funny how I've lived in Colmar for over a year, and I always take a bus at the bus terminal next to the museum, but I've never visited the museum. Anyway, le Retable d'Issenheim to Musee d'Unterlinden is like Mona Lisa to le Louvre in Paris. The museum was quite interesting especially for those who're interested in gospel paintings. Le Retable d'Issenheim is a sculpture with 2 layers of door which shows different pictures when it's closed, when it's opened a layer, and when both layers are opened. Of course it shows pictures from the Bible. And it's the first painting to have Jesus looking suffering from the cruxifiction. Other paintings before that showed Jesus 'tres beau et tres bien coiffe' like Rosy told us.

We left the Museum at noon, and in the afternoon we had a tour of Colmar with Nicole. But we did it in the small green tourist train. Personally i would say that it's not the best way to discover Colmar. But if you wanna hear how Giovanna sounds like, listen to Channel 4 of the tourguide, and you can listen to her speaking in Italian, recorded 15 years ago. But at 5.50 per head, I'd say go for the tour boat in Strasbourg instead. After that we went for ice cream, and we went for a drink.

Tomorrow it's 14 Juillet. The french independence day. 215th anniversary of the French Revolution. So we went to the ceremony in centre ville. Worse than last year. Urrghh. The marching was shorter, not as many as last year, and the concert was worse, which was already bad last year.

Aihh bilalah nak melancong gi Malaysia ni...

Hijau-hijau rumput

The old home town looks the same
As I step down from the plane
And there to greet me are my mama and my papa
Down the road I look, and there runs (insert a name here)
Hair of gold, lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

Yes, they'll all come to meet me
Arms a-reachin', smilin' sweetly
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

The old house is still standin
Though the paint is cracked and dry
And there's that old oak tree
That I used to play in
Down the lane I'll walk with my sweet (insert name here)
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

Then I awake and look around me
At the four white walls that surround me
And I realize that I was only dreaming
For there's a guard and a sad old padre
Arm in arm we'll walk at daybreak
And at last I'll touch the green green grass of home.

Ahhh. Nak balik.... bilalah nak balik nih? Tak sabar-sabar rasanya. Budak JPA dah balik. Tadi 2 lagi dah balik. Cepatlah. Bila aku balik? Tanak cakap. Rahsia besar. Rahsia Seri Paduka Baginda. Dah siap packing barang dah. Ahahaha. Coklat-coklat pun dah masuk bag. Orang siap cakap lagi 'weh, kimi. lambat lagilah nak balik.'. Bukannya apa. Nak testing berapa kilo beg tu. Huh, belum masuk pinggan-pinggan yang nak bawak balik aja dah 25 kilo. Daripada 25 kilo tuh, 3 kilo adalah coklat semata-mata. Tu kira sikit tu. Ada orang tu sampai 10 kilo. Lagipun nak test daya tahan coklat tuh. Ni dah 3 malam aku biarkan kat dalam beg. Tak cair pun. So kira nanti 3 malam kat Paris tak cair la kot? Insyaallah. Kalau tak banjir coklatlah nanti. 3 kilo aku, 10 kilo orang tu, dah coklat orang lain yang berkelo-kelo. Sure kastam kat airport ingat kitorang nak seludup.

Nak baliiiiikkkkkk. Cepat aaaa.....

pas de titre

We went to visit Strasbourg today with our French professors. It'll be the last activity together before 'le grand au revoir'. Rosy couldn't make it, so we were only 14. We took the 9 am train from Colmar and we got there at around 10. In the train, we took 2 compartments. I sat with Ustat, Taufiq, Dinie, Sylvianne and Patricia.

After a short visit to the i, we went straight to the bateau mouche (fly boat). Ahaha. It's a cruise ship actually. The ones that you always see floating in the Seine in Paris. I sat with Nicole in the last row. Through out the cruise we laughed at the people in front of us. Heads turning left and right, following the guide's voice from their headphones. And you can actually choose you prefered language. There was French, English, German, and Italian and many others. Me and Nicole, we tried each language until we came across a funny language. She said what language is this. It was really unidentifiable. We laughed and laughed at what the guide was saying because it was totally incoprehensible. Then we told those who were in front of us, including Patricia. Then Pat said it was Alsacien. Ahahaha. Nicole and I exchanged looks and we laughed. 'Ah, so that's Alsacien'.

The bateau mouche was great and we got to see almost all the interesting places in Strasbourg. We went from Petite France until the European Parliament quarter. After 1H30 of boat ride, we went to lunch in an Italian restaurant. After ordering our food, we gave them our picture in the form of a puzzle to each of them in return for their CD and calendar the other day. After a session of exchanging 'bisoux', whcih was not easy since the restaurant was 'etroit', Giovanna began to cry. Everyone tried to comfort her and said it's not yet 'le grand au revoir'. She tried to stop but she couldn't. Tears are contagious. Seeing her crying makes you fell like crying as well. So everyone looked away and start talking about other things before the restaurant started to flood with tears. Nicole asked us to write some simple sentences in Malay. She already knew 'Eee tak malu' and 'giler'. She passed around a piece of paper for us to write. And i wrote 'berhenti merokok'.

After lunch we went to the Museum of Interrior Design. The museum was great, but not the people who work there. They were all 'con'. They were a bunch of racist and insensitive people. I strictly suggest not to go there to anyone who visit Strasbourg. Then we had ice cream after the museum. After that, we went looking for somewhere to sit since Giovanna said she had something to say. We found a place near the river. Then Giovanna gave a speech that touched especially me. She said 'Like i said in the train; expressing one's feeling is not a weakness, but the opposite'. I don't know what she said in the train since i was not with her, but i was really touched by what she said. She said a lot of things that, she didn't say it but, i felt that she was referring to me. Or she might not, but whatever it was, i was on the verge of tears, but luckily Nicole's joke saved me.

Oh, happy birthday to Pyan who turned 24 yesterday.

Cathedrale de Strasbourg

Bateau Mouche

Tout le Bonheur du Monde

Remember that i wrote a few days ago that the professors gave us a CD titled 'Tout le Bonheur du Monde'? I've heard the song even before they gave us the CD. Well, I've never really cared for the song. But when i read through once again the lyrics, I really understood what they were trying to tell us by offering the CD. It's what all the teachers try to say to their students before their graduation day, and it's what all parents wish to their children before they leave the house to live on their own.

Tout le Bonheur du Monde ~ Sinsemilia

On vous souhaite tout le bonheur du monde
Et que quelqu'un vous tende la main
Que votre chemin évite les bombes
Qu'il mène vers de calmes jardins.

On vous souhaite tout le bonheur du monde
Pour aujourd'hui comme pour demain
Que votre soleil éclaircisse l'ombre
Qu'il brille d'amour au quotidien.

Puisque l'avenir vous appartient
Puisqu'on n'contrôle pas votre destin
Que votre envol est pour demain
Comme tout c'qu'on a à vous offrir
Ne saurait toujours vous suffir
Dans cette liberté à venir
Puisque on sera pas toujours là
Comme on le fut aux premiers pas.

Toute une vie s'offre devant vous
Tant de rêves a vivre jusqu'au bout
Surement plein de joie au rendez-vous
Libre de faire vos propres choix
De choisir qu'elle sera votre voie
Et où celle-ci vous emmenera
J'espère juste que vous prendrez le temps
De profiter de chaque instant.

Ché pas quel monde on vous laissera
On fait d'notre mieux, seulement parfois,
J'ose espérer que c'la suffira
Pas à sauver votre insouciance
Mais à apaiser notre conscience
Aurais-je le droit de vous faire confiance...

We wish you all the luck in the world
And that someone will hold your hand
That your life avoids the dangers
That it'll lead you to a calm garden

We wish you all the luck in the world
For today as well as tomorrow
That the sun brightens the shadows
That it shines love to you everyday

Because your future is yours
Because we don't control your destiny
Because you will be leaving tomorrow
Since all that we have to offer to you
Might not always sufficient
In the coming freedom
Because we won't always be there
Like we had been when you started walking

All your life opens up in front of you
So many dreams to live until the end
And may you be happy when you get there
Free to make your own choices
Of choosing which path will lead your way
And where does it leads you to
But I do hope that you'll take your time
To take profit from each moment.

I don't know what world we will leave to you
We did our best, most of the time,
I dare to hope that it'll be enough
Not to make you worry
But to make you aware
Was I right to trust in you?

I'm not good in tranlating. But i tried my best not to translate things word for word, but rather phrase by phrase. The best would be to understand the song in French.

Another reason for the French to hate the English

At 13H45, 19H45 in Singapore, London was announced as the host of the 2012 Olympic Games, defeating Paris with 54 votes, against 50 votes.

I do support Paris 2012, but since the very beginning, I know that Paris will not host it. First, there was New York. It's the US. So no need to elaborate the point. But they were out by the 2nd round anyways. Then there was Moscow. It's Russia. Certainly they'll gain support from the Ex-Soviets, China and their other political allies. But they were out in the 1st round. Then there was London. I bet, almost all, and by that i mean all, commonwealth country would vote for London. Plus, London has the largest budget for the game, among all 5 cities. And after all, Paris is the only candidate city that has already hosted 2 times the games. So i really think that Paris should give the others a chance. Failed for 1992, for 2008 and 2012, doesn't mean Paris will fail for 2016.

Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrive,

I feel sorry for Bertrand Delanoe, mayor of Paris, for not getting the rights to host the games after all that he did. He's the one who's really into it. Even Chirac didn't seem to be really interested in hosting the games. Even if he did, it was certainly for his political interests.

Jadi mari kita perhatikan reaksi orang ramai:

Puan Valentine, Surirumah, Paris;
Bagus jugak Paris tak dapat, kalau tak nanti, mesti harga barang naik

Encik Wan Ke Long, pemborong barangan dari China, Colmar;
Waaa. Palit talak lapat host itu game kaaa? Tapa, tapa. Janji Lua Libu Lapan, wa musti mau pigi Beijing tengok itu game.

Saudara Syazwan, pelajar Malaysia, Lille;
Alaa, 2012 aku dah balik Malaysia dah. So takde effect pun.

Saudara Guillaume, pelajar, Chateauroux;
Laa, Paris bid untuk Olimpik 2012 ke? Tak tau pun. Tempat terpencil macam ni, susah nak tahu perkembangan dunia luar.

Encik Raffarin, bekas Perdana Menteri, Poitou;
Tu la, suruh saya letak jawatan lagi. Kan dah tak dapat. Win ze yes need ze no, to win againz ze no.

Lorie, penyanyi, Paris;
Sayangnya, Paris tak dapat menganjurkan acara kesukanan yang amat berprestij seperti Olimpik. Saya memang suka menonton acara sukan, terutamanya catur. Sebab tu saya kecewa bila mendapat tahu yang Paris tidak berjaya. Nampaknya terpaksalah saya ke Itali untuk menyaksikan Sukan Olimpik 2012 di London

*Segala reaksi adalah rekaan semata-mata. Nama-nama yang disebut mungkin wujud, mungkin tidak.

I don't know what dows the ribbon represents, but i guess it's the Thames

Out of all 5 candidate cities, i personally love Paris' logo 

I like this picture 

Katak oh Katak

This evening we had a dinner with the professors (again?). But this time, it's not in Colmar but in Herrlisheim pres Colmar, Giovanna's village. We were late for our train, so we ran to the gare. When we arrived, the train had just arrived. Due to technical problems, Ustat were not able to take the train. He took a taxi instead.

We ate at La Grenouille, a pizzeria, which if translated directly means 'The Frog'. That's the thing about Herrlisheim pres Colmar. Everyone is obsessed with frogs. There were frogs everywhere. Artificial of course. In the garden, in the cars, near the windows, in front of the doors, everywhere.

While we were eating, the professors were talking about their secret plan. In Italian. So there it was impossible to guess. But somehow, when Patricia talked, i could feel that it has something to do with singing or songs. So i guessed we were going to a Karaoke bar after that. Giovanna told us to finish up eating, pay,and we'll go somewhere else.

And the secret surprise was Giovanna's house. Finally we got to see the famous green house. It was very green. And i thought her house was the most brightly painted house. Her neighbour's was worse. Bright blue. And of course, her house was full of frogs.

First we had some ice cream outside on the terrace. We were so noisy that some neighbours even peeked us from behind their curtains. Heh, something that i know so well. Then we had some coffee, but it was getting cold. We moved inside after that. Oh i can't describe the interior. Even my mom would take notes on the interior decorations. Then there was the kitchen. Oh, it's just too much. Complete with Plat d'Induction (the one that uses electric to heat up, but when you touch you won't feel a thing).

And then we stayed inside. The professors gave each of us a present. A calendar with their faces on it, along with a CD 'Tout le bonheur du monde' (All the happiness in the world). Then we sang. From one song to another. The neighbours must've thought that we were celebrating a birthday or some sort. We sang until 11h30. And that was because Rosy was tired, if not, I'm sure that we would sing until the next morning.

Then, the professors took us home in their cars. Goodluck to Nicole. She's moving tomorrow.

Avec les filles. Ahahaha

In front of La Grenouille