Shanghai Xin Tian Di

Narrow alley

Shanghai Xin Tian Di is a pedestrian tourist area located at the center of Shanghai. Some of the old Shikumen buildings which were the residential homes for the locals were torn down and some were restored with modern interior renovations. A byproduct of the economic reform pursued by the communist government some twenty to thirty years back, the area is mainly occupied by shops and restaurants. Entertainment, local and imported goods and cuisine from different countries can be found in this tourist spot. Activities are minimal in the day and it becomes lively only after nightfall. One of the characteristics of the old Shikumen region is the narrow alleys which is retained in the rebuilt town.

a popular tourist attraction,
tourists were seen everywhere in
this region even during the day
when there were not much activities

outdoor restaurant

posters of some of the popular
Hong Kong film stars

Michael Owen joins Manchester United

When the transfer window opened for the European football clubs this summer, some deals struck, mainly by the Spanish giant Real Madrid, have been at crazy and exorbitant prices. The collection of galacticos at Real Madrid next season may not guarantee the club any particular trophy out for grabs let alone the total sweep of all trophies available ( that should be what is on the mind of their new president Florentino Perez).

As star players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema preferred the La Liga over the premier league, Manchester United lost the best player of the world and failed to attract the latter to England. And in the aftermath of all these tussles Man Utd ended up with Michael Owen whom some believe is some footballer who is in the sunset zone. Some writer even described Michael Owen as a cracked porcelain teapot with a broken lid and those that are snapped up by Real Madrid as fancy designer goods.

Michael Owen may have lost the pace that he once possessed in his earlier days but his instinct of sticking the ball to the back of the net should be in tact if he is fit. He is only 29 and that is the golden age of a footballer. He was at a mediocre club in Newcastle; the openings created by his teammates can hardly be compared to those which were set up by the likes of Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney in Man Utd. Ferguson has always been able to motivate a lesser player ( if we regard him as some second rate player which he is not ) and blend him into his star-studded outfit successfully. Michael Owen himself would have everything to play for, a place in the national squad and most important of all, his lost pride and respect as a forward most feared by defenders of opposing teams. So it would be unwise to rule him out of a successful run with the champion.

Whether Michael Owen will regain his striking efficiency or not, he does not cost the red devils an astronomical fee, in fact, he costs nothing in terms of transfer fees. Financially the risk is minimal. The chance that he will find back his predatory instinct depends much on his fitness and that is why he had to go through a rigorous medical checkup before the deal was finally sealed.

As for Alex ferguson this will be a chance for him to show the world that he is such a magnificient manager if he can instill confidence back into Michael Owen and make him a lethal predator in front of goal again.

Dry spell

Only dried leaves and a few
shrunken durian left on the tree

The weather in recent weeks has been just dry and hot. On certain days, the temperature is well above 35 degrees Celsius which was a rare phenomenon in this part of the world even though it is near the equator. Fortunately it has been raining everyday, or rather every night, for the past three days but the temperature remains high after the rain.

My neighbor's durian tree died due to the heat and dryness. They have always watered their plants twice a day and during this dry season they do it for a longer duration. Yet one morning they found that the leaves on the durian tree started dropping and the tree is almost without any green leaf on it now.

It was flood in various places in the country last year and now it is a prolonged dry spell. The weather has mutated into something unpredictable and unrecognizable.

The papaya tree next to the durian tree
is more resilient

New printer

My new Canon MP145
All-in-one

My printer of almost 5 years old stopped functioning a few days ago. Did not bother to check out what was wrong with it because it had been repaired once a few months ago and i guessed it was time's up for it and it was high time i got a replacement.
I got my friend LH to install a new Canon MP145 All-in-one printer this morning This new set comes with a printer, a scanner anda photocopier.
Tried out my new ' toy ' to print a family photo in A4 size on glossy paper and it turned out to be as good as those photos i used to get from a photo shop.
Very happy and satisfied with this new investment.

My old Canon i255 printer

Barcelona ( part 3 )

One of the statues at one end
of La Rambla

La Rambla is the famous pedestrian boulevard in Barcelona. It is about 1.2 km long and it cuts through the very heart of the city. A popular and must-not-miss tourist destination, it is always bustling with tourists and locals throughout the day and night, especially during the peak tourist season.
We hardly felt the distance when we walked along the boulevard. All kinds of shops intertwine at buildings of various beautiful and interesting architecture. The sides of parts of the boulevard are lined with tall green shady trees and the food market right in the center of the boulevard is one of the main attractions of the area. Besides the great variety of commodities one can find here, there is no lack of entertainment. Entertainment provided by some of the bars and pubs was complemented adequately by the many street performers who made their earnings from donations of passers-by by displaying their different forms of unique talents.

Sitting on high stools
directly in front of the food stalls
savouring the delicious servings is
an unforgettable experience

Entrance to market is one of the busiest area

A stall selling bird feeds, bird cage,
bird nest and all sorts of accessory
for bird rearing

Underground metro station

Meats and sausages

Groceries

At one of the stalls in the market
we ordered some varieties of
seafood on offer
The prawns were fresh and delicious

Fresh seafood aplenty on sale in the market

The market in the midst of shops in la Rambla

Flower stalls lining the middle of La Rambla

Open square at one end of La Rambla

Street performers 1
They stayed so still that
at first glance one may not notice
that they are
real people

street performer 2

Street performer 3

Barcelona ( part 2 )

Sagrada Familia is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Spain. It is a Roman Catholic church which is still under construction. It was designed by the renowned architect Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi spent over 40 years on this project but he could not see to its completion in his lifetime.
Work of construction of this master piece of Gaudi was started in 1882 and it is still being constructed. It will not be completed until 2026.
After Gaudi's death in 1926, the responsibility of continuing the job was given to other architects.








When we were in Barcelona, there was a football match in La Liga between Barcelona FC and Seville on the Saturday night. We went to the stadium half an hour before the kick-off and we managed to get three tickets for the match. The atmosphere inside the stadium was electrifying though it was not one of those crucial matches as Seville was a few rungs down the league table from Barcelona. However, we got a good glimpse of those big names like Ronaldinho, Samuel I'to and others and we can now proudly announce that we have been to the famous Nou Camp.

One of the entrance at the side of the stadium

Field stewards getting the filed ready

We were among these fans

Game in play

Barcelona ( part 1)

Casa Mila, Barcelona

We visited Barcelona in 2005. We stayed in the city for three days and two nights. We moved around by taking the underground tube or by bus and we did quite a bit of walking as well. It was a leisurely trip. My younger daughter, son-in-law and my son were doing all the planning of the daily itinerary and my wife and me just followed, a reversal of the roles we played when they were small. We always enjoy free and easy tour like this one better than guided tours though we may not be able to visit more places. It was a real holiday as there was no rush and we could walk in to any restaurant at any time to have a meal. We were even able to go to the Nou Camp to see Barcelona played Seville on a Saturday evening.

Casa Mila, better known as La Pedrera locally, was built by the famous architect and artist Antoni Gaudi. When it was built during the years 1906 - 1910, it attracted objections from the local authority as it was not built according to usual building codes. Not many people appreciated this piece of art except the owners, a rich couple of that time. It only became famous when Unesco declared it a World Heritage in 1984.

Aesthetically beautiful

Mirrors are positioned
at strategic positions to reflect the beauty
of the aesthetically unique
and interesting structures

The interior is airy as there is plenty
of open space in the building

Some of the huge sculptures atop the building

Interior of Casa Mila