New York trip

嗨…前天我们从纽约回来，六天五夜的行程，让我们去了不少的纽约景点，每天都走得很累耶！好，让我来提供你一些资料﹕从St. Louis飞抵LaGuardia机场，我的朋友Y来机场接我们，她也帮我们订了在Queens区, Flushing镇的Farrington Hotel双人房每晚US$90，须付现钱。LGA机场 – Flushing Main Street，公共巴士每成人US$2（只接受银币若你没交通卡），而的士费约US$12（要加给小费）。

Flushing虽然不比在Manhattan区的Chinatown大，但我们感觉这有如小香港，大多是亞洲人聚住，华人店及小食店居多，而且是做现钱交易不付税，因有些店不收信用卡，所以须准备现钱住食。这里每天人潮多，生活步伐快，尤其上下班，快铁都很拥挤。每次快铁入口卡是US$2，可买通行一天卡是US$7.50，我们买七天卡是US$25，这Metro交通卡也可用来坐公共巴士。在快铁站拿一张各快铁行程的路线，了解那一快铁去那一景点。

我们参加华人团一日遊每人US$35，7.30am起程坐在van内遊市区，只小停世贸中心9/11被毁的Twin Towers、股市交易中心的铜牛像、联合国总部。我们另须加付三项景点费每人US$69，即90分钟的船遊Hudson河观看有名的建筑文物及桥、Madame Tussauds 蜡像馆及自行午餐、The Top of Rock上高楼观市景。5pm送你回酒店前，司机也是‘导遊’说明要每人给他小费 US$6。不建议参加这一日团，因这些景点都可自行去观遊，自行去以上三项景点的票价还便宜过这旅团的。

我们自己坐快铁去的景点如﹕

Chinatown，这孔子像是早期华人移居到这儿后建立的，大多华人跳飞机来这里时，孔子像是最容易做为与朋友聚合的地点。

Little Italy，小意大利夜市。

Grand Central，古老的火车站。

Broadway，有著名的百老汇歌剧，星期三、六、日的下午场有优惠价，10.45am开始售下午场的票，我们9am就到TKTS 售票处，希望可买到较好的座位，只接受现钱购票。这时我们在街上看到骑马的警察！Y与她的朋友排队买票，我们和另一朋友AB走走Time Square，Radio City，Rockefeller Center 的GE Building，St. Patrick教堂，著名企业家的Trump Tower，还有很多有特色的建筑，站在高楼大厦的街头，故且感受一下大城市的繁华… 3pm的‘Hair Spray’半价是US$59，很棒的歌声演剧，歌剧完时，我们走出剧院已是傍晚。

Greenwich Village，据说是艺术者聚合的地区，有时他们会在街头艺术表演，但我们却没看到任何表演者。

Little India，我们是傍晚去，在那儿吃印度晚餐后，有些店已关了。

Bowling Green，这里有个Battery Park，也是码头，船票全程US$12，去自由女神像岛，进入女神像须經過保安，检查严格，不可携背包食水，若有须自行收进租箱格。遊客只能上到石台，2000年起已不让遊客登上女神的皇冠。观遊后，从这岛乘船到Ellis 岛，这是以前移民到美国须进入纽约的关站。過后，从Ellis岛乘船回Bowling Green码头。

Empire State Building，美国最高楼，可上高楼观景US$19，我们没上去。

Metropolitan Museum of Art，每成人票US$20，很大的傅物馆，我们在里面约六小时。

Hi…we got back from New York two days ago; it was a 6 day/5 night trip. We went to several attractions and our legs were so tired from all that walking! Let me give you a little info: we flew from St. Louis to LaGuardia airport, where my friend, Y, met us. She booked a room with a double bed in the Farrington Hotel in Flushing (in Queens) for US$90 per night in cash. The public bus fare is US$2 per adult (they only accept coins if you don’t have a Metro card); the taxi fare is around US$12 (plus a tip) from Main Street in Flushing to the airport.

The part of Flushing where we stayed was a small Chinatown. Flushing’s Chinatown is not big compared with the Chinatown in Manhattan, but we felt it was a bit like a little Hong Kong. There are many Asians, with a lot of Chinese shops and foods. Be prepared to pay cash, because most places didn’t accept credit cards and most charged no tax. Everyday, crowds of people were moving quickly, especially at peak hours; the subway’s trains were packed. Like the bus fare, the subway is also US$2 per entrance. You can buy a one day Metro card for US$7.50, but we bought the 7 day card for US$25. The Metro card can also be used for the buses. Take one of the free maps from the subway station to find your way around.

We joined a one day tour from a Chinese company for US$35 per adult. At 7:30a.m., they picked us up by van to go around the city. We stopped for a few minutes at the World Trade Center site, where the Twin Towers were destroyed on 9/11. Near the New York Stock Exchange is the famous statue of a Charging Bull. We also stopped at the United Nations Headquarters. (Tours are available, but by the time our group arrived, all tours were full.) In addition to the US$35, we also had to pay US$69 per person for a package of three tickets for: a 90 minute sightseeing cruise on the Hudson River, tickets to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, and admission to “The Top of Rock” at Rockefeller Center. Lunch was not included in the tour package. The driver, who is also a ‘tour guide’, mentioned everyone needed to tip him US$6 before he sent us back to our hotel around 5p.m. I do not recommend you join this tour because you can go those places yourself, and purchased individually the tickets cost a little less than was charged by the tour company.

We went to the following places by subway:

Chinatown: the Chinese people who came here built a statue of Confucius, which has become an easy landmark for meeting point of those Chinese to meet someone when they first time arrive in New York.

Little Italy is a busy night market, full of restaurants.

Grand Central Station is the old train terminal, which is still used today.

Broadway has many shows. The TKTS booth sells tickets to Broadway shows for up to 50% off the normal price. The booth opens at 10:45 a.m., and for night shows the booth opens at 2:45 p.m. for ticket by cash only. So if you line up early maybe you can get a good seat. We arrived there around 9a.m., and there was already a line forming. We saw a policeman on a horse on the street! Y and her friend lined up for tickets, while Steve and I went to walk around with a friend, AB.

We passed by Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trump Tower, and many other beautiful buildings. Standing on the street under those many storied and high buildings, lets us feel the prosperity of this big city…. We had a half price (US$59) ticket for the Broadway show ‘Hair Spray’ at 3p.m.; it was a wonderful performance. By the time the show ended, it was evening.

Greenwich Village, it is a residential area with some distinct characteristics. Sometimes, there are street performers, but we didn’t see any of them.

Little India, we arrived there in the evening. After we came out from an Indian dinner, most of the shops were closed.

Bowling Green, there is Battery Park. Also there is the harbor for the ferry (US$12 per adult round trips) that goes to the Statue of Liberty. You need to go through the security check with no drink or food, and no backpack if you go into the statue area. If you have those things, you need to rent a locker to store them. Visitors are only allowed up to the observation deck at the base of the statue; since 2000, visitors are no longer allowed to go up to the crown of the statue. After visiting, the ferry goes from this island to Ellis Island, which is a heritage site that used to be the entry station for immigrants entering the USA through New York. After that, the cruise returns to the Bowling Green harbor.

Empire State Building, it is currently the tallest building in New York. They have an observation deck - the ticket is US$19 per adult, but we didn’t go up.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, the ticket is US$20 per adult. It is huge and we spent around six hours in there.

One world, different...

上星期得知奥运的马来西亞羽球男单李宗伟进入决赛，喜欢羽球的我，更欣喜的很想观现场影播，可美国电视却不播这不热门的项目，我skype询问槟城朋友，那一电视台做直播，他不确定但提议我上各台纲站查查看，Steve灵机一动，就上美国NBC电视台纲站，果然什么项目的纲上直播都有！

虽然看了李宗伟赛情没让我感到很大的激动，没金有银，为马来西亞12年来才再获得奖牌，也算是一大功。因此，政府给予他30万令吉的现金奖励以及终身津贴每月3000令吉。

美国的游泳飞鱼Michael Phelps以八面金牌的成績打破了馬克·施皮茨在1972年慕尼黑奧運所創出的七金紀錄，成為这一屆奧林匹克運動會中獲得最多金牌的運動員！我很惊讶他如此的成就，问Steve，“美国政府可有给他什么奖励吗？” Steve说，“No, 他们不会这么做。”

Last week when I knew that Malaysia’s LEE Chong Wei would go to the finals in the badminton men’s singles in the Olympics, I like badminton game and I was anxious to watch the live match. But this game is not popular in the USA, so it wouldn’t be shown live on TV here. I was on Skype with a friend in Penang, and asked him which TV channel would show it live there. He was not sure, but suggested I search for the Malaysia TV channels on the internet. Steve had a bright idea; he searched the NBC site, which is one of the TV networks in the USA, it has all of the live games on the internet!

Even though the match played by LEE Chong Wei was not so exciting to me, he got a silver medal. Malaysia hadn’t won an Olympic medal for 12 years. He did an extraordinary service, so the government rewarded him RM300,000 and a monthly pension of RM3,000.

An American swimmer, Michael Phelps, now holds the record for the most gold medals won at a single Olympics; a total of eight, surpassing Mark Spitz, a swimmer in the 1972 Munich Olympics. I was amazed by his record and asked Steve, “Will the USA government reward him?” Steve said, “No, they don’t do that.”

A little Info about Macau & Hong Kong

亞洲航空（AirAsia）提供了廉价的机票，所以人人都可以飞！Steve和我就曾坐亞航去了东马来西亞的美里，泰国的曼谷，越南的河内，澳门。我们是以自助方式旅行，即自己找当地的住宿、景点旅遊等，我记录了一些资料，如你欲前往，可给你一点参考。

先说澳门及香港23-31/1/2007之遊，请记以下都是当时的资料，那时AirAsia还没香港的航线，所以我们是从吉隆坡抵澳门机场，在http://www.asiatravel.com/纲上订了皇庭海景酒店双人房每晚MOP400（澳门币）包自助早餐。抵达澳门机场，备示皇庭海景酒店的中文名让的士司机送你到酒店，以妨他们不识英文。没记录的士去酒店费用，不過从该酒店至澳门机场的的士费是MOP29。酒店位於Taipa，设免费巴士载送至澳门总车站或码头（同一地点），有时间班次来回，很多酒店都有各自的巴士，停在同一地点，须留意上对巴士回酒店，也注意最后一班的时间。从车站乘各号公共巴士至各景点（免费旅遊资讯册可在机场或酒店取得），准备零钱，每趟巴士费每人是MOP2.50。如要买当地饼食品，建议在大山巴的店购买，可尝试吃到刚出炉的杏仁饼。

从澳门到香港尖沙咀码头，渡轮费每大人MOP140包离境税。

抵尖沙咀码头，取地图资料或示酒店街名问人方向走路至上纲已订在尖沙咀的仕德福山景酒店，双人房每晚HK$565。若要廉宜的住宿，上纲http://www.hb-247.com/aff/timothytye/hong-kong/ 先订酒店。

可乘MTR快铁至各景点，有些景点的每大人收费﹕海洋公园HK$185，迪士尼园HK$295，香港山顶观夜景览车HK$22，大屿山吊览车从Tung Chung站来回程HK$88（可买单程的，参观天坛大佛寺、宝莲禅寺后可坐公共巴士去其它地方，我们没用回程票，浪费了！）。

住大屿山梅窝的银铲湾酒店双人房每晚HK$644（可不必要住在大屿山，有巴士、MTR或渡轮到各景点），梅窝渡轮至中环码头，渡轮费每大人HK$11.30，速度比梅窝 – Tung Chung站的巴士快。住九龙维景酒店双人房每晚HK$794.40及住尖沙咀的皇悦酒店双人房两晚加洗衣费HK$2006。（如要省换酒店的时间，建议只住同一酒店，香港多区都有快铁或巴士，很方便去各区景点。）

尖沙咀渡轮至澳门码头，渡轮费每大人HK$137包离境税。

AirAsia is providing cheap flights, so everyone can fly! Steve and I had flown to a few places by AirAsia, like Miri in East Malaysia, Bangkok in Thailand, Hanoi in Vietnam and Macau. We traveled by ourselves and booked our own accommodations, sightseeing, etc. I recorded a little information for your reference if you decide to go.

Let’s talk about Macau and Hong Kong. We went on Jan 23-28, 2007 and the info given is based on that time. AirAsia didn’t have a Hong Kong flight at that time, so we flew from Kuala Lumpur to Macau. I booked hotels in Macau and Hong Kong online at http://www.asiatravel.com/. We stayed at the Pousada Marina Infante Hotel in Taipa, Macau for MOP400/night, which included a buffet breakfast. If you book a hotel, please print the Chinese name of the hotel to show to taxi driver, since many of them don't understand English. I don’t remember how much the taxi fare was from Macau airport to our hotel, but the fare was MOP29 from the hotel back to airport. The hotel is in Taipa, but has a free shuttle that makes scheduled trips to and from the ferry terminal and main bus station. You need to remember which bus because many hotel buses are at the station. Don’t get on the wrong bus, and remember the when the last shuttle returns to the hotel. Take a public bus (prepare coins, it was MOP2.50 each time you get on the bus) to go to the attractions. You can get a tourist guide at the airport, ferry terminal, or the hotel counter. If you want buy local cookies & snacks, I recommend you buy at the shops near the Ruins of St. Paul's; you might get free samples of almond cookies that were just baked.

The ferry fee from Macau to TsimShaTsui, Hong Kong was MOP140 per adult, which included embarkation tax. We took a free tourist guide & map and asked someone for directions to walk to the Stanford Hillview Hotel in TsimShaTsui - it was HK565/night. (If you want budget hotels, here is a web site - http://www.hb-247.com/aff/timothytye/hong-kong/)

To take the MTR (rail transport) to attraction, the adult ticket fee for some places: Ocean Park was HK$185, Disneyland was HK$295, The Peak (Victoria Peak) Tram was HK$22, and the Lantau Island sky rail (near the Tung Chung station) round trip ticket to visit the world’s tallest Buddha at Po Lin Monastery was HK$88. (You can buy a one way ticket and then go take a bus from Po Lin Monastery. We wasted the return sky rail ticket!)

We stayed in the Silvermine Beach Hotel at Mui Wo, Lantau Island, it was HK$644/night. It is not necessary to stay on Lantau Island since it is more convenient to get to attractions by bus or MTR or ferry. The ferry fee from Mui Wo to Central was HK11.30/per adult, and was much faster than taking the bus between Mui Wo and Tung Chung. When we stayed in Metropark Hotel at Kowloon, it was HK$794.40/night. When we stayed in The Empire Hotel at TsimShaTsui, it was HK$2006 for two nights and laundry. (If you want to save some time, just stay in one hotel. It is very convenient to go anywhere in Hong Kong by MTR or bus.)

The ferry fee from TsimShaTsui, HK back to Macau was HK$137 per adult, which included embarkation tax.

Roti Paratha

话说那次Steve在Chicago吃了roti canai，走出餐馆，他還是说着，“太好吃了，我希望可買roti canai回去，冷凍它。”

Steve公司的新加坡客戶來了一群新加坡人在他的工作部門訓鍊，Steve跟他們談起…roti canai，他們告訴Steve說，新加坡叫它着roti paratha。

我們不知道原來roti canai 也是roti paratha，所以從没去留意我們常去的華人商店有没有roti paratha。這天再去時，Steve很高興找到它！

这是冷冻未熟的，我们必须煎熟它才能吃。

As I mentioned before, Steve had roti canai when we visited in Chicago. After we walked out from the restaurant, he was still saying, “It was so good, I wish I could have brought back a bunch of roti canai and frozen them.”

Steve’s company has a group of Singaporean customers who came for training. And Steve talked about… roti canai; they said it is called roti paratha in Singapore.

We didn’t know roti canai was the same as roti paratha, and we have often been to a Chinese grocery, so we never looked for roti paratha there. One day, we were there again, Steve was glad that he found it!

This is raw and frozen; we need to heat it in a pan until cooked.

Beijing Olympics show

我們很有福氣…可以從電視看到花費400億美元（驚人的數字報導）的北京奧運！無可否認的這由著名導演張藝謀精心持制的開幕設計，切實震撼人心。中國似乎就是為了展現其超強國力，但另一方面我卻不敢苟同對待其貧民的政方…北京為了奧運開幕 ‘整容’ ，之前我閱光华日報的言論版 – 歐宗敏一文﹕‘…北京人的日常生活都必须随着奥运的需要，或者“以大局为重”，不得不做出重大的改变，例如不计成本的停止正在施工的工地、有一半的汽车不准行驶、关闭大量娱乐场所、强迫农民工回乡、媒体必须减少负面报道，甚至拒绝发放签证给外国游客等。…’

BBC也報導﹕‘…中國一直在人權、言論自由、空氣污染等問題上受到多方面的關注與批評。…’

我們2006年旅遊北京時，天空灰灰的，看不到太陽，街頭流浪乞丐蠻多的，我想現時如你在北京，乞丐可能已被逐离北京街頭，不過天空是否依然很灰或更灰？

We were so lucky…to see the Beijing Olympics on the TV, which has spent over US$40bn (huge amount reported)! We couldn’t deny that the opening ceremony, directed by Zhang Yimou (a famed Chinese film maker), was so amazing to everyone. China seemed to show superb strength to all people in the world. However, I didn’t agree with the way the government treats their poor people…Beijing was ‘plastic surgery’ before opening. I read a Chinese article by 歐宗敏 (I translated from Chinese): “…because of the importance of the Olympics, perhaps they need to put the interests of the whole above everything else. The people living in Beijing couldn’t avoid having to make big changes, like stopping all works that are still under construction without regard for the cost, only allowing half the cars out on any given day, shutting down a lot of night clubs, forcing farmers and workers to go back to their hometowns, requiring the media to reduce reporting negative news, and rejecting visa applications for some foreign travelers, and etc…”

Also, from the BBC news (I translated from Chinese): “… others are still concerned and criticize China about the issues of human rights, lack of freedom of speech, air pollution, etc…”

We traveled to Beijing in 2006 – the sky was hazy and we couldn’t see the sun. Many beggars were on the walk ways. I think if you are in Beijing now, the beggars might be pushed out from Beijing. But, is the sky still hazy or is there even more haze?

Good guy or bad guy?

安华（Anwar）的事件在美國的國際新聞有報導，我雖然是馬來西亞人，對馬來西亞可說是‘認識’，但當一位不是很了解馬來西亞國家歷史、文化、政治等的台灣裔美國人Mark問我，“Anwar是好人嗎？” 是好人還是壞人？這種問法，是不是很熟悉？咧…看戲时，不是常與同伴談論這是好人、那是壞人嗎？我很無奈的回答他，“我不知道！”

嘿…馬來西亞的朋友，你們能帮我回答或有何想说嗎？

Anwar Ibrahim issues have been reported in the news in the USA. As I am a Malaysian, I would say I ‘know’ about Malaysia. However, when a Taiwanese-American, Mark, who doesn’t know much about Malaysia’s history, culture, politics, etc, asked, “Is Anwar a good guy?” Good guy or bad guy? Does this question sound familiar to you? Err…when you are watching a movie with someone, don’t you guys always discuss, this guy is good and that guy is bad? I was helpless and answered him, “I don’t know!”

Hey…Malaysia’s friends, can you help me to reply or do you have any thoughts to tell?

Wat Tan Hor

‘炒河粉’ 在幾個國家如泰國、中國、香港、越南都有，但材料煮法卻不盡相同。我當然喜歡檳城的炒河粉（char hor fun），淋汁若要加蛋的，那就叫‘滑蛋河’（wat tan hor），那都是廣東話。我在這没看到有賣如檳城的大片河粉，只有像粿條的，我只好用干米粉片（如粿汁的）和米粉…
‘炒河粉’ is a type of fried rice noodles you can get in a few countries like Thailand, China, Hong Kong or Vietnam, but their ingredients are different. Of course, I like炒河粉 (char hor fun) from Penang. Char hor fun has gravy; if you want an egg added, then it is called wat tan hor. Both pronunciations are in Cantonese. I couldn’t find the big flat fresh rice noodles like in Penang, but the Chinese grocery has rice noodles like ‘kway teow’. So instead, I soaked dry rice flakes (like koay chap) and rice vermicelli for it…

Part of 'Pouring soda in the backseat'

我想分享＜The Last Lecture＞作者Dr. Randy Pausch的其中一段内容（我翻譯自英文）﹕

‘…我姐姐的两個孩子，…那時Chris七歲和Laura九歲，我駕着嶄新的Volkswagen Cabrio折篷車去載他們。“小心Randy叔叔的新車，” 我的姐姐告诉他们。“上車前擦擦腳。不要弄亂任何東西。不要弄肮脏它。”

我聽了她說的話后，像單身叔叔的我只是如此想﹕“那只會令孩子失敗的一類訓誡。當然他們最終會弄肮脏我的車。孩子不能帮上忙。” 所以我將事情簡單化。我姐姐講了規則后，我故意及慢慢的打開一罐汽水，倒轉它，將它倒在我折篷車的布織后座上。我的信息是﹕人比較重要過物件。一輛車，即使我的新折篷車像珍寶般，它只是一個物件。

當我倒了那可樂，我看到Chris 和Laura開着咀，眼睛張大。這疯狂的Randy叔叔完全不理大人的規則。

我最終還是高興我倒出那汽水。因為之后的一個週末，小Chris得了感冒及嘔吐在后座上。他很放鬆﹔他已見我洗礼過車。他知道那是OK的。…’

我讀了此段，回想起很多年前，還小的侄兒、侄女弄斷我的胭脂及其它等，我很生氣，害他們被他們的母親打罵。我不知道我的侄兒、侄女是否還記得，總之我是很過意不去，趁此向他們說sorry。

I would like to share some of the contents from ‘The Last Lecture’ by Dr. Randy Pausch:

‘…my sister’s two children, …when Chris was seven years old and Laura was nine, I picked them up in my brand-new Volkswagen Cabrio convertible. “Be careful in Uncle Randy’s new car,” my sister told them. “Wipe your feet before you get in it. Don’t mess anything up. Don’t get it dirty.”

‘I listened to her, and thought, as only a bachelor uncle can: “That’s just the sort of admonition that sets kids up for failure. Of course they’d eventually get my car dirty. Kids can’t help it.” So I made things easy. While my sister was outlining the rules, I slowly and deliberately opened a can of soda, turned it over, and poured it on the cloth seats in the back of the convertible. My message: People are more important than things. A car, even a pristine gem like my new convertible, was just a thing.

‘As I poured out that Coke, I watched Chris and Laura, mouths open, eyes widening. Here was crazy Uncle Randy completely rejecting adult rules.

‘I ended up being so glad I’d spilled that soda. Because later in the weekend, little Chris got the flu and threw up all over the backseat. He didn’t feel guilty. He was relieved; he had already watched me christen the car. He knew it would be OK. …’

After I read that, I remembered many years ago, when my niece and nephew were kids they messed up my lipstick and some other things. I was so mad and in the end they were scolded or hit by their mom. I am not sure if my niece and nephew still remember it, but I felt guilty. As I share the above, I also want to say sorry to them.

A 14 hour drive for a 2 hour visit Space & Rocket Center, Alabama

Steve的姐姐Sue的女兒Elizabeth在暑假參加六天的Space Camp（太空營），地点是Alabama州的Huntsville城市，Sue計劃駕車去接女兒回家，她就從家駕三小時半到我們家過夜，並邀我們與她一起去，因為從我們家去Huntsville是七小時，她準備约4am起程，中午她女兒的结營禮后又七小時駕回程再到我們家過夜，Steve念及可減輕只Sue一人駕駛，他可承擔替換駕車，我們決定與她同往。

這趟旅程讓我們參觀了真實的火箭！

太空站内太空人的居所示範，這是狹小的廁所。

太空博物館外旁有一位很cool的作畫者…

A 14 hours drive for a 2 hours visit Steve’s sister, Sue’s daughter, Elizabeth attended a six day Space Camp during the summer break. The camp is in Huntsville, Alabama. Sue planned to drive to pick her daughter up, she drove three and a half hours from their house and stopped over night at our house. She also invited us to accompany her to Huntsville, as it requires seven hours to get there from our place. She planned to leave here around 4 a.m., to arrive there to see her daughter’s camp graduation at noon, and then drive seven hours back on the same day, staying overnight again in our house. Steve understood that it would be very tough for her if she drove by herself. We decided to go with her; at least he could drive part of the trip.

This trip we visited the center and we saw a real rocket! In a display of the inside of the Space Station is a very narrow toilet. An artist doing his cool art outside the museum…