MIA : End of Semester

So, I have'nt been posting up anything lately since my last post on my magical tooth. It's healing quite better now. I went for a check up at the dentist yesterday. Turns out that he had platered my gums with somthing I'm not really sure of. Looks like glue paste which tasted quite bitter. Swelling is still visable, he said that it would take longer to heal because of the size of the tooth taken out. Anyway, I'm fine. Praise God.

Anyways, I've been quite busy lately due to exams. Obviously shown by the picture above. That's the only availabe space for me to step on. Yeap. That fast. I think time is starting to race against the speed of light. In 2 weeks time, it'S the end of the Winter Semester. Than a Winter break for a month.

Starting Thursday : Automotive Technology

Next week : Physics, Electronics, Production Technology, Metrology

The week after : Engineering Business and Machine Elements.

All right.

Viel Glück!!

Tooth Story

I've been having a terrible toothache since last weekend. The result of eating snails, which I mistakenly thought was oysters. I could'nt sleep peacefully for a few nights, and all I did was swollow Paracetamols to ease the pain. Than a friend of mine suggested that I gargled salt water. It helped a lot. Pain free for the next few days.

On Monday morning I woke up with a throbing jaw. Not easy on the last week of the semester. I could'nt take it any longer. The pain was overpowering my mental ability. So I searched on Google Maps for the nearest Dentist. I called up and steeled for an appoinment on Thursday, which was yesterday. They did'nt have any earlier slots since most of the days were already booked.

I thought my teeth were fine because the pain went away. Damn, I was so wrong. It was my first visit to the Dentist as long as my stay here is. I only went in for a check up. I did'nt have to pay the 10€ fee.

The nurse brought me 2 the x-ray room for an x-ray of my teeth. Then I seated at the dentist chair waiting for him. The nurse came in and put the x-ray of my teeth on the screen in front of me. Happily i was proud of my healthy set of teeth, which still has no sign of imperfection. Than I saw something. Something alien. It looks like this. This was taken from Google ok.

Mine was on the right side. The victim that made my life miserable for the last two years. I have a horizontal wisdom tooth impact. Not good kids.Stupid tooth.

I asked the dentist if I could have it out immediately. He told me to come back the next day, which is today. Appointment at 10pm. I went with a beating heart. I thought to myself a few times that I needed to go to the toilet. I have a nervous toilet syndrom.

So today, I had my wisdom teeth out. Two of them since the one above is not needed too. It seems kind of hard for the dentist to work on my stubborn tooth.

At 20minutes :
Dentist : bin gleich fertig. (will be done in a minute)

At 23 minutes : (saying to the assisting nurse)
Dentist : ahh.. das geht nicht. (does'nt work) *gets the grill again*

He was struggling and digging my tooth just to get it out, moving my head for side to side. I cried in pain a few times and he had to inject me with anesthetic twice during the extraction.

Honestly, I have high respect for the dentist. He was really struggling with my demented tooth. You want to know how he did it? He cut the tooth into three pieces just to take it out. Ouch! Horrofiying!! My eyes were close the whole time.

Stupidly I was calculating rotational speed as I was listening to the drill. Reminds me of the Milling and Turning machine. Pfftt.. WTH. Than I turned my distraction to Justin Bieber while singing Eeenie Meenie in my head. Thank You JB. =P

Moral of the story : Visit your Dentist often. If there's pain, ask for an x-ray.

Venezia : Mystical Romance

When people think about Venice, it's always a about love and romance.

Do you? I know I did. I've always wanted Venice to be on the top of my honeymoon list. But than again, that was before I visited it. I didn't really have to wait for my honeymoon. Now I'll have to search elsewhere.

One thing about Venice is, there's actually not much to do there. It's a massive lybrinth of small shops and designer outlets and going places would be like getting lost like Alice in Wonderland. Try your luck. You just might end up in a street leading directly into the waters. No bridge?? Again? *gostan2*  

It's a mystical place. Something very magical yet soft on the inside. There's no other place on earth like Venice. The city is built on low mud banks and floods regularly. Though it still manage to attract 14 million visitors yearly.

The main transportation in Venice is the water bus. Cars are not to be found in Venice. Gondola rides are mainly for tourists and are extremely expensive. It usually starts at 80€ for 40minutes. And additional minutes are charged at a sky shooting rate. You can book gondolas online, but in Venice itself, there are sure to be cheaper ones if the Gondoliers are willing to give you a discount. We did not go on a gondola ride because it was 2°c and windy.

Gondolas have been a symbol of Venice and its romantic landscape. Its shape and size is crafted specially to go through its narrow canals.

Hotels are absolutely expensive. No doubt it's a real pretty place. But I really don't know what to do there. It's more of a place for art museums and church visits. Getting lost in its tiny streets. The Grand Canal, from Rialto to San Marco is known as the most beautiful street in the world.

If I ever return to Venice, I'll make sure it'll be during the Masquerade Carnival. Now that makes Venice even more mysterious.

One day I'll return. When it's not winter.

Roma : A penny for a hope to return

This first time I saw the Fontana Trevi was in Lizzie McGuire The Movie. Since than, me and my sister knew we had to step those same steps Lizzie McGuire did. Our wish to find our Italiano Signore. So we would never miss this romantic and amazing wishing well during our visit to Rome. (Actually, it was our main reason to go to Rome since young)


It was crowded by tourists and also people who demand pay for them to take your pictures using their Poloroid cameras. It was impossible to put up a tripod in d midst of the crowd. Some pictures were taken by my sisters compact camera and they look awsome. So awsome pictures in this post are from her camera.

Fontana di Trevi

25.9 meters high and 19.8 meters wide

The Trevi Fountain was designed by Nicolo Salvi and completed in 1762. The carved, marble centrepiece is a large shell pulled by two sea-horses and driven by two tritons, from which a majestic statue representing the ocean emerges

Why do people throw coins in the Fontana Trevi?

A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome.

This fountain earns Rome 3000€ daily. Coins are collected at night and is used to subside a supermarket for the needy people in Rome. Now we know our wishes helps people right?

Looking at the size and structure of this fountain, we know that no artist of today could make a masterpiece like that.

Italia : The Holy Sea

After a visit to the Colosseum, we took the Metro Line A to Ottaviano San Pietro. The Metro Station which leads us to the Vatican City. The sky was already turning grey and rain started to pour. It was really cold and pictures looked quite dull due to lack of sunlight. So much for a dull grey Sunday.

Nevertheless, here we are at the worlds smallest state. The Holy Vatican, the world capital of Catholicism. Also a UNESCO World Heritage.

It's a city consisting of only 826 (as of July 2009) people living here.

St Peters Basillica

It also holds the largest religious building in the world, the basilica of St Peter, which is erected over the tomb of St Peter the Apostle. The Basilica was not filled with sculptures for a reason that the Christians worship idols. Blessing the house of God with your gifts was what Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini and Maderna did. They were great artists, painters and sculpturers. Thus, the great artwork in the basilica.

 The ceiling of the basilica entrance

Even their basin for the Holy water is glamorous!!

Far left is the Baldacchino which stands below Michelangelo's huge dome.

It stands above St Peter's tomb.

The St Peters basillica overlooks the Piazza San Pietro, which was laid out between 1656 and 1667.

Piazza San Pietro

Due to weather and time constraint, we did'nt pay a visit to the Vatican Museum which houses the Sistine Chapel (which is used when electing a new Pope), Rapheal Rooms and not forgetting the worlds most important art collection.

The Vatican Museum is truly known also for its long ques which could extend, surrounding the city. A tip from Max, our apartment host, is to pay a visit to the museum at 2pm because that's when there would be less people lining up.

Roma : The Colosseum

The greatest amphitheater ever built in the Roman Empire. Who doesn't know about the Colesseum. It is a world renoun icon of Rome. A must for all visitors to Rome.

Three tier of columns. Conrinthian, Ionic and Doric.

The Colesseum was constructed between the 70 to 72 AD by emperors of the Flavian Dynasty. It took two emperors and eight years to design and build it.

This place was more or less a war zone stadium. Shown only the best players and those who can't go on, will meet thier destiny. The light at the end of the road. The usual entertainment was combat between gladiators,  the killing of prisoners by animals, and even battle between ships.

The Colosseum could seat up to 55,000 people and they would be seated according to their social status. In those times, it was impossible to ever change your social status. The emperor and his family would sit on the lowest level, the upper classes on the next level up and the commoners and women at the very top levels
Admissions to the Colosseum was free but everyone must a ticket. It is because the arena has a seating chart for each of its spectators. Each ticket was marked with a seat number, a tier number and a sector number which indicated the correct entrance gate.

Public entrances were numbered providing easy access to the allocated seats, while entrances for the higher authorities did not have numbers.

The emperor could also access the Colosseum through a special tunnel which is connected to the Imperial Palace.

 I warn you, no climbing.

The best seats in the Colosseum are on the Podium. They were reserved for the most elite Romans which includes the emperor and royal family, nobles, senators, important priests or visiting dignitaries. The Emperor had his own special seat in the Arena, named The Imperial box was raised above the podium.

The Arena floor is usually covered with sand, presumably to soak bloodshed and make it easier to clean away during and after battle.

The maze looking structured walls below the arena floor (half shown on the picture above) was used as holding cells for gladiators or animals.



Ok, you must be bored looking at pictures of buildings and sceneries.

So here's a family picture after a kind lady helped us took one because somebody doesn't know how to operate the camera.

Roma : What a sight your Majesty

This ground once was a place of residance of emperors and aristocrats. The Palatine Hill. The famous of the seven hills of Rome.

According to legends, it was on this hill that the twins Romulus and Remus were found in the Lupercal Cave by their four-legged shepherd mother. Ultimately, this is where Romulus decided to build the city. It was also on this hill that the Roman Empire began.

And how great it was to watch over your kingdom upon this sight. I would too build my empire here.

One of my favourite shots.

Reading overlooking Rome.

Augustus, Cicero, and Marc Antony (Marcus Antonius) all had homes on this hill and at one point, the entire hill was filled with imperial palaces.
It was like the Beverly Hills of the past.

Now, in ruins, it looks like a place where terrorists and counter terrorists have their fun time.

*Counter terrorist wins!*

 Of course no palace would miss a garden. Some withstood time.

And in my kingdom, they'll be trees of oranges. Which makes the place neturally smell of citrus.

Off with their heads!! Stealing my oranges you tourists.

And I wonder what would I be if I was born hundreds of years ago..

Roma : Pick up a shovel

It's time to be an archeologist. We all know how blessed the soil of Rome is. For centuries it has be walked on by millions of people who have made it into history books (which also results in a thick one).

It's not time that I go into the Colleseum. In fact, it's not only the Colleseum that's important. The whole place is a part of history.

For those planning to visit Rome and do all stuff that a Roman has done, do think about getting a Roma Pass (at 27€). A pass valid for three days which allows free entries to two historical places (museums, ancient sites, Colleseum etc) and also rides on major public transports. It can be bought online or at any newspaper kiosk or tourist info counter.

So where was I? Owh, the Roman Forum also known as Foro Romano.
Reminds me so much of the Agora market place in Athens. A business district, also a civic center. It was later expanded to house temples, a senate house and law courts. All things an empire needs.

During the time of Caesar, Rome was the heart of the empire. That was the time evenmore things happened in the Forum. A place for celebrations and important events. In the Imperial era, it became the symbol of the great empire.

Temple ruins

A place that once upon a time had its glory days.