James's Bits

 

Because of this song by Gwen Stefani I fell in love with the beauty of Lake Como and purposely made a day trip there when I was in Milan.

The place is full of character. Picturesque Italian town by the lake with the Alps as its backdrop.

In early spring, you can see the snow capped Alps peaking out from the back of the smaller green hills, blanket under a clear blue sky.

The perfect place for dreams and love stories.

 

This is by all means the best onsen experience I have had in the Fuji Kawaguchico (富士山 河口湖) area.

Since there are many interested in onsen, I feel like sharing it here.

The reason of why it's one of the best can be clearly seen from the following pictures taken by the onsen hotel themselves.

Basically you bask in the majestic and mesmerizing view of the Mount Fuji, a crazy feast of heavily experience for your body and mind.

More pictures of fuji - kawaguchico area in photo album.

 

 

 

map to Kogetsu Onsen (河口湖 湖月).

Toyota Prius (pronounce "Pre-Us") is the hotter than Brangelina in the states.

They just couldn't make enough of them to satisfy the demands for people in the states.

After, checking out the availability and weighing on the rental price, I jumped in for the rental of this car for my one week trip in the East Coast.

And with the soaring oil price, at the end of the trip, I had to give myself a pad because it turn out to be saving us a lot of money on the petrol cost, as my few friends were driving thousand over miles around East Coast cities.

It is especially obvious when I compare it with the petrol I spent on a day trip to Boston driving a Cobalt (Chevelet).

The entire journey using Prius from Beacon (NY) -> Niagara Falls (NY) -> Washington D.C -> Philadelphia -> Beacon total up to around US$190. Where as my day trip of Beacon -> Rhode Island -> Boston -> Beacon total up to US$150. Price of gas per gallon at that time is US$3 - US$3.3.

Apart from an amazingly gas efficient engine, the car is a gem to look at and move like a breeze. I love the driving experience so much.

 

 
Sporty and Charming

 

 

Very spacious boot. 5 of us travel together and we managed to pull all the luggages inside.

Mercedes Benz's type of "hand brake" system.

 

Keyless ignition. Press a On button to start the car, like starting a PC.

  

Integrated controls on the steering, not only control volume but also air conditioning and etc. Gear is so small and easy to control.

  

Super cool dashboard with lots of info. Overwhelming at first glance but really is very userfriendly. The Energy Monitor is animated to show what is powering the car at the moment. Also the current MPG.

 

For more photos of the car, check out my photo gallery.

 

I feel so impelled to blog today. As yesterday, on July 8, 2008, Penang Georgetown and Melaka cities have been granted the title of World Heritage Cities.

 

After visiting many heritage cities in Japan, I feel so privilege to be living in one right now.

 

I believe this is only the beginning. Penang has so much more good things to offer.

But there are still plenty of work to be done, to bring Penang to a greater state of readiness for foreign visitors and also to preserve the various treasures and charms hidden in the midst of the pre-war buildings.

 

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1223 

 

Niagara Falls is simply awesome!

Soaking in the mist, breathing in the air and taking in the magnificent view is already enough to leave a lasting impression. 

But there is more to do at the falls than meets the eye. The Maiden of the Mist ride and Cave of the Winds are 2 attractions that let you get up close and experience the falls. A couples of hours is required for these 2 attractions but they are sure worth the time. If you didn't bring any slippers, you should go for the Cave of the Winds first as they give you free sandals, in addition to rain coat.

 

While on the Maiden of the Mist get you close the largest falls - Horseshoe Falls, the Cave of the Winds let you "touch" the American Falls.

I still remember on the Maiden of the Mist, you can "taste" the Falls as the boat move closer and closer to the Horseshoe Falls. The sound of the falls grew louder and louder as the mist grew thicker and thicker. I felt like I caught a glimpse of God's magnificence right there when the Maiden was drifting only a few hundred feet from the Horseshoe falls. Surrounding the boat is thick white mist and the thunderous sound of falls. Really an amazing experience.

 

The Falls is especially enjoyable when you go at a hot summer day.

 

  

   

Walking down the hall of MIT or Harvard has been dreams of many people. And for me, I always wonder how it feels like. And today I get to experience this charming place in the Boston city area called Cambridge, where it is home to 2 of the world most renown universities.

I found out that, indeed they have wonderful campuses. The universities and the surrounding area blend together without any visible boundaries. And that makes the residential area, restaurants, pubs and etc has a elegant and scholarly feel to it.

In addition to all these, the campus have a really good view over Boston city.

Even if you don't like school, this place will make you fall in love with books again. Definitely a must visit place if you are in Boston.

 

 

The minute I arrive at the vicinity of Boston I was stuck in a horrible traffic jam. One that could rival that of New York. The traffic report on the radio says that there are a couple of accidents. So I guess on a normal day it should be like this. They have lesser tolls and that's already better than New York.

Having arrived late in the evening has some privileges. For one, finding a parking spot is much easier. Within the city, some road side parking is open up to the public after working hour. Since I arrive on the hour (6pm) I have plenty of fresh parking spaces waiting for me :). In the end, I park my fuel hungry 10 year old Chevy Cobalt by the road beside Hard Rock hotel, and for FREE (6pm - 2am). Otherwise will have to pay around 20 if were to park in a parking garage.

It's nice to walk in Boston. As if the city has been built or designed for that. Pedestrian stroll along many of it beautiful and history rich district. Everywhere you go, you see people strolling leisurely. Even on a weekday you can feel that there's calmness in the air. The weather is terrific and the views are great.