New Year Resolution

I know I am late to post this up.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! haha.

Okay. lame.

Anyway, as the title speaks for itself. I am gonna talk about New Year's Resolution.
Most of the people do not even have any. Some do, while others? - IDK.

Haha, some random snapshot.
I wanted to visit some places in Malaysia - I did.

I personally have a new year resolution. I started it two years back. And I proudly say that I have checked out 80% of the list of things I said I would do in last year's resolution. *Applause*

So, this year, I will continue the last 20% that I did not managed to complete in addition to some other stuff I plan to do.

Getting into Surrey was in the list too.
I did not target for A Levels much, just getting into the Uni. ;)

My resolution does not have a long list. Just some things that I need to do in order to improve myself and also some stuff that I thought it might be possible for me to do. It is more like a goal. Besides, life without a goal is pointless.

I have few sections in my resolution. Parts where I focus on education/career, physicality, mental or emotions, even leisure (such as where I want to go and what I want to do) and most importantly spiritual development.

Ya ya, I know, some people prefer to just live life as the way it is. However, I do believe that if you target on doing something, you will work harder to achieve it instead of just waiting for it to happen. A year, is a long period. You have 365 days to complete it.

I am not that stupid. I don't go listing down hundreds of resolution. Just 10-20 would do. ;)

One of my resolution - Hijrah.

You set a goal, not a plan. This is because you will never know what will happen in the future, but at least you know what you want. ;) It is just a way for me to keep track onto myself. Sometimes, in certain time of the year, you just feel lost. So, you can look back at your resolution and try to revive them.

Hey, you can also add or deduct anything from the list as you go by. As long as it is still under your capacity. Of course, do not list down anything like growing a pair of wings in order to fly. -_-"

Try it, you might be surprise of how much you can actually achieve by the end of the year. I know I did. ;) I was like - WOW - I crossed out those things on the list already? haha.

Good Luck!

Note to self : Lose weight and body fat! 

(I did it in 2012, gained weight again, shall lose it permanently)

Espana - Madrid

Hallo!

First of all, I must apologise for delaying my last post for 'Espana' edition. I have been too caught up with my final exam than I barely have time to sit and write.

This shall be a slightly shorter post compared to the other cities, because truthfully. Me and my friends were extremely exhausted by the time we reach Madrid. Thus, we did not go around anywhere that much.

Nope, no practices today on the field.

We arrived in Madrid by bus from Cordoba at around 6am, it was still dark, cold, and misty. I will make a statement here which will contradict every assumptions you have about spain. Madrid was extremely cold - colder than London. =_=" Yup, I said it alright. And it is true.

Welcome to Santiago Bernabeu!

We had to walk cluelessly to find our hotel. With no map, in the dark, we walk through the morning mist. We managed to find our hotel, leave our stuff (as we are unable to check in - it is still too early), had a buffet styled breakfast there and off we go to our first attractions (probably the only one) on the list.

Look at all the trophies they've won.

It took us to change train for 2 time before we reach Real Madrid's FC official stadium i.e. Santiago Bernabeu. Since I have a friend who are a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, thus we agreed to visit it. I do not remember exactly how much it cost per person but it should be less than 20 Euro.

The famous one.

I have never been into any Football stadium before, so I must say, it impressed me. The stadium itself is quite big. They seem to be using the latest technology for the exhibition and the information displayed was pretty much interesting. There were also some interactive attractions too for your pleasure. ;) After seeing the place, I really need to make sure that I will be able to set foot in Old Trafford soon. hehe...

That's us, getting a group picture.

On our way back to the hotel, unfortunately, one of my friends got picked-pocket. Is that how you spell it? haha. Well, we have been warn about it before, and I must warn you as well. Always look after your belongings like it was your life. Especially in a crowded area. You just never know when an extra hand might appear reaching for your bags/pockets. The tip is, avoid any places that involves pushing - if there is, something is definitely stolen. okay?

Halal Kebab for 5Euro.

We made our back to the hotel. Checked in, settled down, and after having lunch nearby the area, we were all soundly asleep for the rest of the day. haha. Each of us had our own journey in Madrid in our dreams! We were too tired to even go out. XD

Building behind us is a famous building -
have no idea what it is called.

However, during the night, we did force ourselves to explore some part of Madrid. We went stopped at the 'Opera' metro station and just walk around the area. Madrid is really a city with night life. There were foods everywhere. People selling fireworks, toys and you can also notice tons of people wearing costumes available for pictures. ;)

Journey back to London

We stroll around the area until almost midnight, then we make ourselves back to the hotel and off to bed. (Again?) Haha. I told you, we did nothing in Madrid. The next morning, we packed and checked out from the hotel. Drop by the Opera area again to do some last minute shopping (I did not managed to buy any proper souvenirs for anyone and certainly nothing at all for myself). Rushed our way to the airport and before you know it. We were already in London on the New Year's eve.

Haha, that is all I can tell you about my experiences in Madrid. Not much of a help. I do not regret it though. Because I have loads of funs in the last three cities and I did get to experience the life in Madrid. Maybe we did not visit the museums and other stuff, but we get to be in the crowd and live the Madrid's lifestyle. ;)

That marks the end of my post for Espana. ;)

Cannot wait for Spring Break. I have tons of other places that I want and perhaps will visit to share with you. Till next time people. And wish me luck for the rest of my papers. ;)

Espana - Cordoba

Assalamualaikum :)

The story then continues.....

Day 4 in Spain was spent in Cordoba. As we slept in Granada for 2 nights, thus after visiting La Al Hambra, we made our way to Cordoba very early on the day after. I mean, really early. We travel by a bus coach in a 2 hour journey. Before noon, we were already in a new state.

Once we reach the bus station which was surprisingly surprising to me because I just found out that in Europe, there are not many proper bus stations. No wonder the UK National Express bus only do pick ups at a normal bus stop and not a proper station. Yet, we Malaysian people have lots of bus stations everywhere! haha. Is it we love taking the bus so much or is that because we are not wealthy enough to afford trains and flights between cities? Something to think about over here. Don't get me wrong, our bus station facilities are awesome. You can travel between cities comfortably by bus and cheap too. ;)

Inside Mezquita

Anyway, let's go to the main story. Since we are not sleeping in Cordoba, we had to find a place to store our luggages. Thankfully, within the station, there is a locker room that provide the service that we needed. For 4 Euro per locker, you can fit in 3 hand luggages each sized no bigger than the standard allowed (55x40x25), we took 2 for 6 bags.

My first few impression of Cordoba were really good. We have not even move out from the area but I saw some good incidents that I could make an early conclusion that the people in Cordoba are definitely kind hearted. Why I say so? Well..... You might need to go there yourself to see it don't you? I mean, they are really kind, I am not being sarcastic, they certainly are kind. I could not say this clearer enough.

Mezquita from outside

We made our way to the "Mezquita de Cordoba" area. There are really a lot of attraction things going on around it. If you love horses, then you can hire a horse carriage ride to take you for a tour around the area. The starting price can be a bit (more like a lot) expensive, especially if they know you are a tourist, so get your bargaining skills up to work. However, I must warn you, if you want to bargain, bargain really good, and make sure to actually hire them. You don't want them chasing you. :P Oh, and they don't speak English very well, I doubt they even speak English, so you might need to learn spanish before going there. FYI, YOU REALLY NEED TO LEARN SPANISH IF YOU WANT TO GO TO SPAIN. Or at least, bring a dictionary or get to know some of the important vocabularies. At some places, it was just useless trying to communicate with them in English as they don't know any, so I just speak in my first language - Malay. Thankfully, I took up a Spanish Lesson in Surrey so, I was able to communicate with them in Spanish a little bit. ;)

Moving on, there were also a lot of beggars around Mezquita. So, my advise is just to ignore them. I know this is a bad idea. But if you really wanna help them, observe a few and only gives your alms to those who you truly think deserves them. Cause, once you started giving them money, more will come chasing for your kindness like hungry people and some will ask you for more. Some would also harass if you don't give money to them. =_=" (This is not why I say Cordoba people are kind okay-these are the exceptions).

Oranges everywhere!

As it was getting near to noon, it was already noon actually, we went for food hunting. There were various selections of Halal restaurants available nearby which excites us cause we have been eating seafood for the past few days. It would be really great to actually eat some meat. We happen to stop by at this Kebab shop (they do sell more items than just Kebab), which has an orange coloured setting (I don't remember the shop's name). We ordered some Bryani rice with beef and chicken dishes to accompany it and of course, our favourite drink - Agua (plain/tap water). hehe... Not long after we arrive, there were a few Indonesians and Malaysians family and people arriving to come dine at the shop. Apparently, while we were in Cordoba, we can see a lot of Malaysians. Probably it is just the time of the year where Malaysians love to travels to Andalusia huh? Feels like home a little bit. Just a little bit. ;) We were also given the opportunity to perform our Salah within the shop. Such a nice gesture by the shop owner. :)

Calahorra Tower

Next, we went sightseeing around the area. There is the Calahorra Tower just the opposite of the Mezquita. While walking on the bridge, you will be entertain by various streets (or shall I say, bridge) musician. You can tip them if you like because they really play good music. ;)

Alcazar's park

Other than that, you can also go to the "Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos" just within walking distance. The entry fee is below 5 Euro, I am not sure how much exactly, forgotten about it, but you'll get it cheaper if you have a student i.d. with you. Oh, and they also require any photo i.d such as passport to check whether the student card belongs to you. Paranoid much? The place is big, they even have a park within it and there are so many orange trees. You don't want to grab one because unfortunately I have friends who are always hungry and they actually went to grab one and it tasted bitter and sour (according to them). haihhhh....

La fountain I was talking about

There are many water fountains in the park. Have an excellent view for pictures and the fountain stops operating after 5pm. So, if you want to take pictures while the fountain is spraying water, you might want to do it before the stated time. ;)

As the day were getting darker, we purchased our tickets to finally enter the Mezquita. For 8 Euro each (no student discount), we were able to enter the Mezquita and see for ourselves the magnificent place. If you want to know, Mezquita used to be a mosque but are now transformed into a church not long ago due to certain historical events in the past. The name itself means mosque/masjid. At least, I think that is why they named it Mezquita. haha. Making my own history here? Sorry, I do not intend to. It is sad to see, as a muslim, that the place has been turned into a church. Even though, they transformed it, but you can still see some Islamic identity in it - characters and images. So, it looks as if it was co-related. There are a lot of Christians related paintings, items and other stuff within the Mezquita. Some of which was also really nice for me to get to know to. I love art. So, I really do fancy looking into these drawings and paintings as I can feel the story behind it. Some was really deep which somehow moved me. One thing I don't fancy about the place is that it was really dimmed. Can't they put a bit more lights in it to make it brighter? It was almost impossible to even snap a photo in it without turning it out to be faulty.

Special exhibition was held within it.

Some transcript left from an the previous mosque

This must be all the space was used back then for prayers.

I am not sure what they use this for, but it is really golden.

After the visit (fyi, the place closes at 6pm) we made our way to a nearby hangout place. We were lucky to have been able to spectator a LIVE sketch by the organizers within the crowd. They were literally presenting the story in the middle of a huge crowd. There was not even a proper stage for them to stand and act properly. They had to move about in the middle of 'us' to act. Magnificent. Oh, the story was about how Jesus was born. Mainly about Maria. It was a good play except that me and friends could not really understand them as they were reciting it in Spanish. However, it was such a good experience for us. As for me, I was really listening to them diligently because I wanted to try and understand them. My teacher said, if you want to try and understand what Spanish people are talking about, you should look at them (as they do body gesture while talking) and listen to them as if you know the meaning of each word they say even if you don't. Cause, you will come across eventually a word or two which you actually are familiar and you can combine them together to try and understand the whole sentence. ;) Good tip right? And so, that is what I did and I was able to understand the sketch for about 40%. hihihi...

Magnificent play

Cordoba city

Afterwards, we went to the city centre which was only 10 minutes by foot. Cordoba really have an awesome nightlife. People are everywhere in the streets. If in Guildford, the town would turn into a ghost town by 4pm but not in Cordoba. You can really experience nightlife over there. We were walking, sightseeing and end up going back to the Mezquita area for dinner. We dine in a Turkish restaurant. The menu are all written in Spanish, we could not understand anything, what more know what to order. haha. And the waiter can understand very little English. So, here comes me to the rescue.  I was only able to ask them for some of the things, not a very big help actually. (",) The food was really nice and VERY CHEAP! ;) Well, it can be expensive for some items. When they say, it is a small portion, it is a big portion for me. We then asked permission to pray in the shop. They were closing and there was no one else aside from us, so we were able to perform our prayers there. Such a relief. The toilets are so clean too. Just, thought I should mention it.

Paella (seems so famous in Spain) describe to us
 as mixed riced Malaysian/Indonesian loves to eat.

I ordered Shawarma (influenced by the Avengers)

The day was coming to an end. We made our way back to the bus station to catch our 12am bus. As requested by my friends, I am telling you this - I also had a little accident on our way back, I slipped down the stairs, ended up looking like a sitting frog at the end. =_=" Continue.... We got to the bus station an hour and thirty minutes earlier than departure time. Apparently, what we thought was a 12am bus turned out to be actually a 1am bus. Thus, we had to wait at the station. Worse, they did not turn on the heater and it was freezing cold. In fact, our whole Spain trip was a quite a chilly trip. We thought it would be warmer than UK, we were proven wrong. Spain was in fact colder in UK at the time we were there. haishh! Finally, it was time. We board our bus, and slept in it for a 5-6 hour journey to Madrid. Yup, the bus was our hotel for the night. It was a bit warm in it, but halfway the journey, the bus driver closed the heater and we were back, again, freezing. I literally felt as if I was trap in a freezer.

Okay, that is it. Till the next, final 2 days in Madrid people. I hope you enjoyed this post. I realised, I may have written a little bit longer for this one even though we didn't do much here compared to Barca and Granada. So caught up with it I guess. I am stressing for exams!

See ya! ;)

Espana - Granada

Hey hey,

Welcome back! haha.

Okay, we arrived in Granada almost midnight. We were all exhausted from the Barcelona trip and just wanted to go to bed. Like, instantly!!!

The hotel was okay. There was a shower in the room, but we can barely call it a shower at all actually. The toilet is separated from the room, which means we have to go out to take a pee. =_=" Considering the fact we will be sleeping there for two nights, does not excites me. Like seriously, the shower in the room is so transparent, if one of us take a shower, everyone can see. So, it called for us to improvise. We had to hang a duvet so that the shower is covered. Hey, we don't want to do a free show for everyone. XD

Enough about the hotel, let us fast forward to the next day.

Day 3 in Spain...

The visitor to La AlHambra

We woke up early to catch a mini bus up to AlHambra. The main reason why we were in Granada. :)
We went up to the place, it was literally still dark by the time we get there, there was a long Que for the ticket counter, and we were all FREEZING COLD! We waited patiently in the line, when suddenly one of us found a ticket machine just nearby. It seems that you can actually buy the tickets from a machine. We wasted our time, almost frozen to death, waiting in the line. =_="

There are a varieties of ticket types to choose from depending on which you prefer. To know the pricing and timing, you can visit their website. Just click this link > http://www.alhambra.org/.
For your information, you can also buy the tickets ahead via online. We did not because the tickets allocated for online purchase was sold out at the time. :) I do recommend you to buy it months earlier before your trip for safety.

How the ticket looks like

So, we went down again to the city centre to get out breakfast. Our ticket entry is at 2pm. Yeap, there is such a thing (go visit the website for more info). By the way, the fare for each trip on the mini bus to and from AlHambra is 1.40 Euro each. I think. Yada yada yada,

It is time! For our grand visit to the Al-Hambra. You guys must be wondering what is the AlHambra. Well, according to Wikipedia (I know this is not a good source, but it does explain this place quite well);

Not sure what this is call, but it is huge and round

Alhambra the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It was originally constructed as a fortress in 889, and was converted into a royal palace in 1333 byYusuf I, Sultan of Granada in 1333.

The Alhambra's Islamic palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista (reconquest) by the Reyes Católicos ("Catholic Monarchs") in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Berber Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the inspiration for many songs and stories.

First few photos in AlHambra

Got the picture yet? No? You can just turn to the link I posted if you want to know more about the place. I hope it helps. :)

As a Muslim, it is almost compulsory for me to at least visit this place while I am in Spain. It has such a great history behind it. The place itself is beautiful beyond words. If you love arts and architecture, again, you might want to visit this place while you are in Granada and feel the story behind it. It is a really good learning experiences for all of us and I am sure it will be for you too. ;)

Few of what is left

This is us, tired only at the beginning. haha.

Generalife

Maze looking site

We spent most of our afternoon sightseeing the Generalife, the Alcazaba, the Medina and many more. We saved the Nasrid Palace for night visits just to get that special effect everyone has been talking about. The visit was such a pleasure to us. The weather both, day and night, was welcoming. At night, there was a full moon during our visit which enhance the beauty of the palace. Though I must say, that by night time, the place was getting a little bit chilly but it was worth it. Not to mention, even though there were a lot of people visiting the place at one time (I do mean plenty), but it seems like there was barely anyone at all at once. ;) 

View from AlHambra

Just to play with it

What a such beauty isn't it?

Generalife park

Also, during the visit, I was touched seeing an old man on a wheel chair, I think probably in his 80s, visiting the palace. He was with his grand child I supposed. I feel so much respect towards this man. At such an age, he is still willing to travel and overcome the cold weather just to see Al-Hambra. I don't know, maybe it is just me. I have this soft spot seeing old people getting around. They have such energy and power to do what they want and yet we younger generations are just too lazy to even go out and experience life (or is it just me the lazy ones? haha). (",) Yet, I salute this man big time. ;D

There's a story behind this. ;)

Nasrid Palace at night.

One of many walls in Nasrid Palace

After our visit, we made our way down again for dinner. We found this wonderful restaurant that serve incredible food. Yup, we had a BIG MEAL. It is just sad that, even though we had a big meal, I can barely ate anything because I am too tired. The food was delicious, it is just that by the third course (Third???) I was already exhausted. Or you can call it full. =_="

We then made our back to our hotel to get the rest that we deserve as we have a whole new journey ahead of us the next day. 

Next stop, CORDOBA!! :D

This cat is so photogenic. fyi, there are lots of them there.

I am not sure whether I am still excited to tell you our story about Cordoba trip or not, but either way, just wait for it people! ;)

Till next post.

Pictures taken from SyahrulNizam's, Leela's & My FB. haha. :D

Espana - Barcelona

Hola!

Cuanto es? Seis personas, por favor. A que?
These are the list of my most used sentences in Spain. haha. (Not in Barcelona though, cause they do not really use Spanish as their means of communications)

As mention before, I went to a trip for winter break with my friends. We went to SPAIN!!

Viva la Espana!

Since I have a lot of things I want (need) to share about my Spain trip. Posting it in one entry will do you injustice. Therefore, I'll start with Barcelona first okay? :)

However, before that. If any one of you so curious about what happen to me and my friends before we landed on Barcelona, you can read it up all on my friend's blog at http://amienieya.blogspot.co.uk
Sorry to inform you that her blog is in mixed languages, both Malay and English (we call it Bahasa Rojak). Thus, for non-Malaysian, I HIGHYLY DOUBT you would understand it. haha. Unless you really, diligently, translating it with google translate. If not, I would recommend you to just continue reading this entry without clicking on it. Nevertheless, do read it though for those who understand Bahasa Malaysia. Because, it is a nice experience indeed. ;)

Slept in the airport before off to Spain

And the journey begins!

We arrived in Reus by RyanAir (never again will I hire RyanAir) around 1pm local time. Since Reus is a state next to Barcelona, we had to take a bus to Barcelona, cost us around 14.50 Euro each. The 2 hour journey paid off when we arrived in the city. Our hotel was within "Las Ramblas" street which are famous for its exquisite attractions and nightlife. Meet up with the other half of our Spain trip group and made our way to an early dinner. Everyone were starving okay. :D

Near the Harbour

We ate at this one halal Arabian like restaurant. The food was just okay. Nothing to brag about. By night time, we went down to the harbour, sightseeing. We can't really take pictures there since it is night time, but passing through the Placa Catalunya was worthwhile the view. Indeed beautiful. We also went to the so called Gothic Square next to Las Ramblas. Not on my top list of place to visit, but if you happen to be in the area, you should go visit it too. I have to mention this, my sense of direction in Barcelona was totally off the grid. I even read the map upside down. =_="
Well, that sum it up for day one.

La Padrera

Gothic Square?

The next day, we start off our day very early. We took the metro one day pass which cost us 7 Euro each. If you want a much more leisure approach, you can take the tour bus package which is 24 Euro each for the whole day. Since, we were in a hurry, we move around by metro instead. ;)

By 7am we were already taking pictures in front of La Padrera, one of Gaudi's work of art. For your information, Gaudi is an Architect or some sort, and he has his work all over Barcelona. Some people even describe Barca as Gaudi's Barcelona. ;)
Back to the story. We had our breakfast, a very expensive breakfast next to La Padrera. =_=" Wrong choice of restaurant. Because of that, we did not eat or even drink for the whole day until dinner. haha.

The man behind it all

La Sagrada Familia

Next, we went to La Sagrada Familia. Another art piece by Gaudi. However, he did not finished it as he died in the process of building it. Even until now, the place is still left incomplete despite numerous attempt to perfect it. If you have a student card with you, entry is only 11 Euro per person, 13 Euro if you do not have a student card with you. Once you enter, you will be amazed on how big and beautiful the place are. If you are a person who loves art or passionate about architecture, then this is a must go place whenever you are in Spain. ;)

Up hill to Park Guell

Landscaping in Park Guell

View from Park Guell!

Afterwards, we went to Park Guell, again, another work of art by Gaudi. It was a long journey within the park itself as it is so big. Once you are on top, you will be astonished by the view of the whole city. Every corner of the park are designed with its own unique identity. It took us more than 2 hours to just walk to every corner of the park and take pictures of it as memory. haha. We have this habit of spending more than 10 minutes on every pillar available in the park just to snap a photo.

CampNou!

On our way to Poble Espana

We then rush our way to Campnou, Barcelona FC stadium. Just for the sake of being there. haha. We did not sign up for the tour as we were running out of time, thus we then made our way to the Poble Espana. Entry is 7.50 Euro per person provided you have a student card with you. The place itself is huge, an hour would be insufficient to cover every inch of it. However, since we spent a lot of our time in the first few attractions so, we were only left with roughly an hour to visit the place. Hey, at least we have been there. haha. Seriously, it is a magnificent place. Just like a little village of Spain, it accommodates restaurants selling Spanish food, souvenirs shops and many more that gives you a taste of Spain. If you want to go to Barcelona, provide at least half a day for this attraction. Let the Spanish identity be in with you. ;)

Later the day, we made our way back to the hotel to pick up our things and off to Barcelona Airport we went. Finally! We had our second meal (dinner). haha.

Next on our diary is Granada!
Will tell you all about it on my next post okay?

See ya!

Photos are from: Fatin Daleela, SyahrulNizam and Me. :D