Los Angeles & New York

Prior to developing IVR System for our office projects, we were on technology shopping for voice cards. We visited the parent company developing the technology in the Silicon Valley USA. Later we were brought to visit their customer and developer using the voice card in LA and New York.

It was my first visit to USA and was in 1994. The trip took us to San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles and New York City. Being the first visit to US, we took the opportunity to visit places of interest. While we were in LA, we spend whole day in Universal Studio. In San Diego, we went to the zoo and sea world. 

Then we flew East to New York to visit a customer in New Jersey. Over the weekend we visited Statue of Liberty and Central Park in Manhattan.

Universal Studio

Johannesburg-South Africa

Apologize since no photo is available. We were supposed to catch a flight back to Malaysia from Malawi in the morning. However due to the late flight of Malaysia Airline during its leg from Brazil to Johannesburg, we were provided accomodation in a hotel in downtown Johannesburg. Friends told us Johannesburg is quite famous for its muggers. Upon boarding the bus, announcement was made to the hotel guest not to wander the streets since they were unsafe. We spent the whole day in the hotel. The next day we were on our way to Malaysia.

Lilongwe Malawi

Took Malaysia Airlines to Malawi right after the visit to SriLanka. We were there to survey to develop a billing system for our subsidiary. Malawi is in South Central Africa. 

The flight took almost 12 hours. Need to transit in Johannesburg and catch a flight to Malawi. Majority of the population are Muslims. The office were sited in Linglongwe. The weather was mild. There were not much to see here. We stayed only for 3 days.

 

Malawi

Colombo-Sri Lanka

Visited Colombo, SriLanka to study for the development of a billing system in 1994. Colombo is a developed city by the sea. The place was on high security due to constant attack of Tamil Tiger on public places. We met some Colombian Malays. Plenty of tasty food here. 

Bought lots of tea since they are famous for it. Three days after I left Colombo, the hotel which we stayed were bombed by the rebellions.

SriLanka is popular with its natural sea beaches. It is famous for its blended tea of various flavour and eye-catching packaging.

Colombo

Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Madras, Hyderabad-India

New Delhi

Visited Usha Group of Companies. The first leg of visit is New Delhi which sited their main office. Took the flight from KL via Bangkok using Thai Airlines since Malaysia airline does not have KL-New Delhi flight back in 1993. Had dinner with their chairman that night. 

Next day we flew to Bombay to visit one of the College there. Did not manage to get to see any of the Hindi filmstar here although India film industry is based in Bombay. 

Later we flew to Hyderabad where we visited their manufacturing office. Hyderabad in further south on a highland. 

Then, over to Bangalore, India Silicon Valley. We flew back to KL via Madras.

In another occasion, I had a second visit to India where we stayed in Calcutta for one month attending a short course. We were housed in Usha resident apartment. We cooked our own food throughout the month long stay.

In a rare occasion, the night we arrived was Diwali or Deepavali celebration. Over here, they fire, fire crackers from mignight until early dawn to celebrate Divali. In the first week, everyone of us were down with diarhoe. A lady participant had to be warded due to its seriousness. Since we had consumed the local bacteria, we had build the antibodies then. Our stomach is able to consume local food without any further problem right after that. During the one month stay, we shopped and eat. Bought a lot of sarees and Hindi CD movies and songs. 

Samarkand, Tashkent - Uzbekistan

Went to Uzbekistan in 1994 to visit their R&D department in Tashkent the state capital of Uzbek. Dr Najem and Izhan join the trip. Our intention is to scout for talents to work in our R&D office. Stayed there for a week. The R&D center were not that fully equipped unlike ours in Malaysia, but they produces lots of research papers.

Dr Adham host took us to visit their ski mountain resort. We took the cable car right to the mountain top. Since it was summer, there are not many people around. Our host Dr Adham took us around. During one night, he took us to see the famous Russian ballet.

We were lucky to had visited the country when they were celebrating their 100 years of their scientist . It was held in another city called Samarkand. In Samarkand, we had the opportunity to visit the famous Imam Bukhari Mosque & Moseuleum. However they Center were short of reading materials especially the Quran since they were not allowed to practice Islam freely during the communist period. On my return trip to Malaysia later, I organized to collect the Quran from office mates and had them shipped to Tashkent.

Their mosque were of high architecture value but not fully utilized for prayers.

We later recruited Dr Azham to work in our office. He worked in our R&D for almost 7 years. During his stay in Malaysia, I played host to him on several occasion. Took him back to my hometown in Kedah and brought him to places like PD and Penang. During fasting month I used to invite him for break-fasting in my home and took him for the Terawih prayers.

Samarkand

Fruit Market Tashkent

Dr Adham & Hazim in Penang

Paris-France

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I took a bullet train from Schipoll Airport. Reached Paris 2.5 hours later. Check into a modest hotel or a motel in fact. Things are very expensive here. I just live on bread and coffee. Next day I bought the day fare ticket for Paris underground train. The first place I went to visit was the Eifel Tower. Later walked to the Etoile and visited Notre Dame and other famous sites. Later that night I took a night train to Frankfurt. I had to share the sleeping berth with 5 other passengers. Reached Frankfurt 7 hours later. Check in to the airport business lounge, cleaned myself, took a bath and enjoy breakfast while waiting for the flight back to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Amsterdam-Holland

Right after visiting Berlin,Germany, I took a flight to Amsterdam. Earlier I had called a local Dutch friend working in Malaysia to pick me up. I put up in a hotel away from the city center. 

Next day we visited places of interest namely the windmills & flower gardens. Visited one of those Photo Studio in Volendam to dress in the native Dutch attire. In the night, we visited the famous night spots. 

The following day my host send me off to the train station. I took the bullet train to Paris.

 

Volendam

Windmill in Zann Schanns

Bohn, Berlin-Germany

Berlin

One fine day a company based in Malaysia approched me if we were interested to visit their company in Germany. Of course I obliged and we were on our way to Germany. Landed in Franfurt and took another flight to Bohn. Visited their office next day. 

The following evening, we took a flight to Berlin to visit Deushe Telekom.  Later over theweekend, our host took us to Japanese Palace outside Berlin. The tour guide took us the whole morning visiting all the luxury rooms used during the reign. Later we visited the vast gardens. 

In the night, we had dinner in the Pakistani restaurant and visited some famous night spots. 

After visiting the host company and Deusch Telecom, we flew back to Frankfurt. I did not however took the flight back home to Malaysia. I had other plans. I send my belongings back home via my colleague. I bought a back pack a night before, planning to travel to Amsterdam and Paris. Visit my other site for story of Amsterdam and Paris.