Beautiful Hanoi

Was in Hanoi between 17-19 November. During my short stay, I managed to capture the beauty of this bustling city...

Minus the dust and noise, this place could be just as beautiful as any European country, as most of the building are "slim","tall" and colorful with French influential.

 The city is highly densed

Not to mentioned the noise polution from the below traffic. It can be heard from the top building. Imagine you can still hear those vehicles honking all day long from your office @ 14th floor! 

At the end of the day, u just wanna scream "i want some peace!!!"

 Bylooking at the picture alone, it can misled us that this place is peaceful and quiet...but in fact, it is otherwise!

Luckily , the place that i m staying is facing a lake, else i couldn't escape from the bustling noise of the traffic below...

Amazing view outside my room @ Sheraton 15th floor

the lake...

 My two-day short trip is not enuff for me to enjoy and venture around the city, and explorin' the variety of buildings...

will i be back again?

Working...

At this hour, this moment in time, i m still in the office...

am i workaholic?

Bolognaise Spaghetti

Here is something that we whipped up on a peaceful Sunday noon! 

yes, it's my fav bolognaise spaghetti! can't get enuff of it! 

and if that doesn't brighten up my day, here is a bunch of flowers to soothe the eyes...after a long tiring week of facing the PC!

Flight Meal - Istanbul to KL

Continuation from my previous post on Flight Meal, this is what I had on my return flight.

Appetizer: Saksuka (fried eggplant, green pepper, tomato cubes in yoghurt sauce, topped with red pepper flakes)

Main: Grilled chicked brochette

Dessert: Vanilla pudding, bun, biscuit...

Appetizer: Fruit salad

Main: Fried rice

Dessert: Croissant, bun, biscuit...

These pictures may look good, but tastewise I felt that Emirates Airlines can further improve by reducing the flavorings. Personally, everything served were strongly flavored till it numbs my tastebud!

From the Airport

Some shots captured from the airport:

@ Dubai International Airport boarding gate, it's nice to have a lazy armchair with a place to rest your tired legs!

and this kid-friendly airport has a mini play area in the boarding area too!

the dim surrounding, luv the atmosphere here at 3am...

delicacies i bought for 20 Turkish Lira in Ataturk International Airport, jst for the sake of spending-off all my Lira...

Anyhow the sandwich dun taste good at all :-(

Well, looks can be deceiving!

Blue Mosque - Sultanahmet Mosque

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul is one of the rare ones with 6 minarets. A typical mosque will have 4 minarets...

 the interior, visitors are only allowed to capture pictures at a distance from the prayer area..

the awesome ceiling!

Kapalıçarşı (The Grand Bazaar), Istanbul

On my final day before departing home, I managed to spend some time strolling @ the bazaar. Took a cab to this place where the bazaar is located. The weather was superbly cold for the October month. It was around 6 degree then.

Apart from Hong Kong, this is my second time seeing other type of transportation mode sharing the same road surface that are used for vehicles. I was confused on how the motorist could adjust into sharing the road with city tram...

the city tram station....or should i say the light rail transit station? 

 this transportation mode is popular among locals due to its reasonable fare

 however, I did not hop into one, coz i prefer walking and sight-seeing...

this wonderful scene was taken outside the university gate, with pigeons scattered all around...seems like typical "european" spot

 and the Grand Bazaar entrance is just nearby the university...

 this is one of the largest covered bazaar in the world...

 for me, it is jst another place for tourism shopping...

 one cool thing about this place is the pattern on the ceiling....

 and some lamps that make it looks....ermmm....classic?

 also famous for carpets, woven handbags...all sort of souvenirs

 more lamps...

more and more lamps...but i was looking for a genie lamp...

they were all nice, i wish i could bring back home...but too bad, my luggage doesn't have protection against such fragile item...
Maybe next time ;-)

İstiklal Avenue (Independence Avenue), Taksim

Went strolling @ İstiklal Avenue (Independence Avenue) on a fine evening after completing our task.

Known as the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, this place is visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends. Located in the historic Beyoğlu district, it is an elegant pedestrian street, approximately three kilometers long, which houses exquisite boutiques, music stores, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theaters, libraries, cafés, pubs, night clubs with live music, historical patisseries, chocolateries and restaurants.

 I was mesmerized by the neo-classical architecture!

 trolley cart stall that sells roasted nuts...

the building surface looks 'golden', resulting from the evening sun reflection

i can't get enuff of these old buildings, it sort of bringing me back to the victorian era.  

apart from the main avenue, it branches out into small alleys, with more stalls and shops 

 in one of the alleys, i discovered a shop that sells the famous Turkish delights...sort of sweet Turkish delicacy

 here u will find plenty of souvenirs ranging from fridge magnets to porcelains and scarfs

 also found in one of the alleys...some veggie stalls

 cum fruit stall

 is like a market here!

 and throughout the main avenue u will spot the tram rail, make sure to avoid stepping onto its zone whenever a tram passes by, else....

 the mini police car that caught my attention...

not to mention, this mini couper can be used to chase thief in narrow alley!