The Moroccan Dream

One of my classmates is from Tangier, Morocco, born & bred. She's actually a Berber, and can speak several languages (jeles nya!). Eversince I've known her for 5 years now we have talked about lots of things, especially about our cultures, our homes and our families.

You see, I am an explorer at heart. I love getting to know about all these different cultures and their way of life, especially one that is so foreign from my own. I told her that one of my dreams is to go there for a visit, so that I can see the culture with my very own eyes and experience it, sample their cuisines while breathing the Moroccan air.
Sigh, that would be so lovely, wouldn't it?

Btw, I already have a standing invitation to go there. Tempat tinggal makan minum tak payah nak pikir dah, cuma kena beli sendiri tiket kapalterbang nakgi sana je. Bestnya kalau leh pegi.....


Disclaimer: All the piccas above are not mine. Click at the images to go to the original sites. Thank you.

7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD

Have always wondered which are the new ones. Someone sent this last year, but typical me just opened, read, and closed it with very minimal attention. So, as I was cleaning my inbox I found this again and might as well post it here for my personal future reference. ^_^

The New 7 Wonders of the World announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon , Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 07.07.07.

1. THE TAJ MAHAL, INDIA

2. THE ROMAN COLLOSEUM, ITALY

3. PETRA, JORDAN

4. MACHU PICHU, PERU

5. THE GREAT WALL, CHINA

6. CHRIST REDEEMER, BRAZIL

7. CHICHEN ITZA, MEXICO

I've only been to one of the wonders of the world. And my dream is to visit all these places before I kick the bucket (after completing my Haj, of course)...

So, anyone kind enough to sponsor a trip? ;P

The Cranky Traveller

Have you ever been on a long-haul flight where you were practically stuck in your seat on a plane a few thousand kilometers high up in the skies for hours and hours? Well if you have, maybe some of the things below would struck a cord...

1. Crappy seats

Really, I think this is the major grouse that any frequent flyer would complain of. Some of the planes that I've been on have seats that are too small, with minimal leg room. If you're traveling domestic or short distance then it wouldn't really matter but long distance? Urghh...this is one of the times that I really rejoice in being short. Can you imagine someone who's over 6ft tall having to accomodate his body to the oh so cute seats?...
Another thing that I noticed is that some Asian carriers provide bigger seats compared to European carriers. How do I know? Well, depending on the airline sometimes we had to transit in a neighbouring country before taking the next flight (operated by an Asian airline) back home. Correct me if I'm wrong, but after several observations I don't really believe that my butt had suddenly shrunk after 12 hours of sitting. Seriously. Try and see it for yourself.
Oh, and another thing. Where you sit is also VERY IMPORTANT. Personally I find that seating by the window are warm, though you can have a good sleep sans interruptions. A note to snorers, please choose a window seat and do cover your face with a pillow or at least supply ear plugs for your neighbors to avoid your musical stylings from 'rocking their world' . Choose a seat next to the aisle if you can't seem to hold your bladder for easier access to answer the call of nature.
And the other thing that I can't stand are auto reclining mechanism seats. It''s bad when the person in the seat behind you is fidgety and/or just kept pushing and pushing at your seat until suddenly you wake up from your partial slumber to find yourself in an upright sitting position! Oh god, it happened to me recently and it really really pissed me off royally. And no guesses why I was cranky throughout the whole flight...


2. Bad service, bad planes, bad landings

Cabin crews that are just plain rude or ignorant. Was really shocked when I encountered these individuals because have never experienced anything like it with our local airlines.
Planes that are really bad that the interior of the plane practically groaned, squeeked and rocked especially during takeoffs and/or landings. I've been on one and let me tell you everyone onboard were covering their heads and some had even turned blue!
Bad landings -- self-explanatory. Never experienced those before though. But a friend told of a landing where the plane skidded off the runway and jumped a few feet into the air before touching the ground again. Scary...


3. Sleep amount prior to your flight

Enough sleep and rest before you fly might work for some people but not me!! Why? Because I can't sleep on the plane if I'm too well rested.
But if you do not get enough sleep and can't even get a shut eye in-flight = Cranky+Furious+Extreme jetlag
Pros vs. Contra of enough sleep and rest prior to flights. Verdict is still out.


4. Special meals

Whenever I fly I would request for special meals. It's really convenient, but I have one question though - why serve them early? Generally it's a good idea, but there were a couple of instances where I felt bad especially when an unknown person next to you started to get impatient waiting for his food and starts bugging you about yours (yeah it really does happen ok!)...


5. Last but not least...

Dehydrate, dehydrate, dehydrate…but do stay away from diuretics to avoid the hassle of visiting the lavatory for a time longer than you've been in your seat (for me it is tea!)...


So, anyone else have your own grouses about travelling by air? Do share!