Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki

Visited Helsinki after the Spain leg. Checked in one of their hotel in the city. They had placed a bust of some joker right across my bed. I had to hide it in the closet since it kept on staring at me while I was lying on my side. Next day after the official visit to their Telcos, we did some shopping and flew back to London for our next stop.

Reached London late evening and since we had not eaten rice for several days, visited the Pakistani Briyani.

San Francisco USA

My third visit to US is in 2001. It was an annual gathering for software customer held in San Francisco itself. Over the weekend we rented a car and travel south to the famous Gilroy Outlet Center  .

 

Hotel where the Conference was held

Toronto-Canada

Niagara Falls

During the stay in New Jersey USA, we used to travel to place of interest. We normally stayed in camp grounds since we cant afford hotels for the 7 of us. Among the places we went to is the Niagara Falls. Falls scenery from US side is not as beautiful as the Canadian side. We drove over to cross the border to Canada. We spent the day taking photos and visiting places within the vicinity. We spent the night at the camping ground. I had bought a two room tent which could be folded & fit nicely in our Ford car bought for US2,500. We also brought cooking utensils to warm the food. Normally it had been prepared at home and heated up once we were at the camp ground. Power point is always available for the power.

Photo above are with office mate Rohaizah doing her Master Degree in Rochester University. We stayed 2 nights in their place and drove to Niagara next day.

NewJersey, NewYork, NewEngland, Tennessee, Virginia, WashingtonDC, Florida-USA

My second visit to USA was in 1996 when I was posted to New Jersey for a one year training at AT&T Office.

It was the first time for the family. We left Malaysia on one Friday afternoon and reach New Jersay Sunday, some 36 hours later. It was very tiring even thouh we took business class for the journey. Me and my family of 5 children lived in Red Bank exit 109 of Garden State Parkway.

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The house was a double storey townhouse in the countryside in New Jersey. It is one hour drive to New York City.
     
Three of our kids go to the local school. The yellow bus and food served at school are free in US. Bought a second hand Ford for US2,500. It was still in good condition until we sold it at the end of our stay. I only had to change the battery once.

Our weekly routine was garage sale souvenoir hunting. We bought used but still good items for souvenoirs. Most household items and toys are at bargain prices. At the end of our stay, we brought home to Malaysia a container (20 footer) full of these stuffs.

During the stay we normally spent weekend with friends from the embassy, bankers in New York City. Sometime they come over to stay the weekend at our house. In summer, they used to organize overnight camping trip. We spend camping in New England, Hershey and New York upstate.

While in US we took opportunity to travel to Disneyland Florida, Niagara Falls in Canada, Boston in New England, Delaware, Washington DC, Virginia, Tennessee and New York City. In most of the trip, we put up tent at the camping ground so that the kids can run around.

In one of a separate trip in Dec, we rented a van and drove all the way south to Tennessee to meet up with friends and then convoy to Disneyland Florida. Spent 3 days there visiting all the 3 theme park of Disneyland.

Washington DC

Niagara Falls

Makkah, Madinah Umrah

Did my umrah in 1995. It was unplanned. One fine day my brother in-law (bro) requested me to accompany him for a jab in a clinic in Selayang. He had planned to go for umrah with some ustaz. I accompany him and asked myself why not I also have a jab.

Upon getting home I asked wifey if I can join the group for umrah. trip Since I still have some money claim from my US trip last month, use the xtra fund to buy air ticket on MAS. We did not use the agent. The trip was done during Ramadan. My bro took Saudi air and the ustaz use another airline. I arrive early and had to wait for bro. While the ustaz will arrive the following day. We took a cab to Medinah. Checed into a guest house and later visited Masjid Nabawi. The next day we met the ustaz.

After couple of days, we went to Mekah. Stopover for Mikat and don the white robe. Upon reaching Mekah, we performed the umrah ritual ie Saie and Tawaf. Once done I put back my standard clothing and conduct the standard ritual for the rest of the stay. Being Ramadan, the Arabs are very generous giving away food for breakfasting. Occasionally I would join them in the mosque.

After spending 10 days, I decided to come back early for Hari Raya celebration. My bro and the ustaz stayed until Eid. My earlier plan was to stay in Mekah until Raya.

Rome, Genoa, Venice-Italy

Spanish Steps

Piazza Navona

Visit Marconi R&D office in Genoa, Italy in 1995. We took the train from Rome to Genoa. Genoa is in the north west part of Italy close to the border of Switzerland.

On the way back to Rome, we stopover at the famous city of Venice. It is a 2 hours drive to this watery town. After a night stay and a ride in its gondola, we flew back to Rome.

In Rome we visited the famous site of the Coleseum, the Vatican City and other place of interest. There are lots of fountain here. We took home some smoked cheese which I dispose after some period of time. Cheese untuk tikus saja.

Istanbul, Turkey

Bosphorous ferry ride

While I was with R&D department, I had the opportunity to visit Turkey R&D in Istanbul. Me and Dr Rahman was assigned to scout for talent and new research prospective from an R&D Institute in Istanbul. Over the weekend, our host took us to visit the famous Instanbul. We visited the famous Bosphorous. We took a river cruise along the river Bosphorous which link the Red Sea and Sea of Masmara.
Istanbul is full of historical and interesting places to visit. We also went to Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque and the Bazaar and Haga Sopia Museum. The Grand Bazaar has thousands of shops and miles of covered passageways.

Food is a luxury since Briyani is plentiful.

Kristiensen-Norway

Kristansen Cafe

Had a seminar in Norway. It was a small fisherman town called Kristiensen. From Malaysia, had to stopover in Copenhagen for the connecting flight to Kristeinsen. The connecting flight was served by a propellor plane since the trip was only half an hour and there are not many passengers on this sector. Had seafood for dinner. Nothing to venture here. Next day we spend whole day in the seminar. Left for Copenhagen next day. Bought a Bodumn tea set for the wife at Copenhagen airport.

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.