New Year 2009 Celebrations at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Malaysia has celebrated its 2009 new year practically early than any other place in the world. Why? Go open your high school’s geography book and find out yourself. :p These are some pictures of 2009 countdown at variety of places in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysians ushered in the new year by letting their hair down at several countdown parties. Anyway, as reported by local newspaper today, despite concerns over the turbulent state of the economy, many were intent on having fun ushering in 2009 which was greeted by some fearsome fireworks displays. At Dataran Merdeka here, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad and AmBank Group chairman Tan Sri Datuk Azman Hashim joined the crowd for the countdown organised by the bank. They were entertained by artistes such as M. Nasir, Mawi, popular bands Point Blanc, Hujan

, Estranged and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall orchestra as well as performances by various cultural troupes including the orang asli. As the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad clocktower struck twelve, there were shouts of “Happy New Year” and cheers. The crowd was then treated to a spectacular fireworks show. Parties were also held at KLCC and Bukit Bintang.

Meanwhile, In PETALING JAYA, the festivities centered on 1 Utama shopping complex with samba dancers, fire eaters and Brazilian percussionists adding colour before a line-up of artistes took to the stage. Deejays from the 988 radio station played games and gave away prizes to the partygoers. The highlight of the celebration was the special appearance of Hong Kong singer Justin Lo, who got the crowd going with his catchy pop tunes. A stone’s throw away at The Curve, artistes Juwita Suwito, Karen Kong, Faisal Tahir and Rynn Lim entertained the crowd at a street party.

Update from Oberoi/Trident Hotel, Mumbai India

This is another prestigious hotel in Mumbai for travellers to stay. In the middle of among the busiest city in the world, the hotel is indeed stand up its name. However, lately due to terror attack, all travellers are afraid to come, plus 24 deaths are coming from this hotel. The latest news from the hotel management as follows:

The evacuation of guests is complete. Guests have been rejoined with their families and friends or have been escorted to alternate accommodation that had been arranged for them. Guests who had travelled to Mumbai from other cities and from overseas are being offered all support for their return or onward journey.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the horrific act of terrorism. We are greatly saddened by the demise of some guests and members of our staff.

We are distressed that our guests had to undergo an extremely harrowing experience and some of our guests and staff suffered injuries – Our thoughts are with them.

We are very grateful to our guests for their complete cooperation and understanding.

The bravery of the police, security forces and firefighters has inspired us – We thank them immensely for their cooperation.

We salute our staff for their courageousness, tirelessness and dedication.

Highlight on Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai India

Recently world has been shocked with terrorist attack at Mumbai, India which killed almost 130 persons and injured many of others. Where the heck is actually Taj Mahal Hotel? Is it near the greatest Taj Mahal Wonder of the World? Nope. Actually, the Taj Mahal Palace is a prestigious hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai, India, next to the Gateway of India. Part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, this 105-year old heritage building retains its stature as the flagship property of the group.

What’s more? It boasts a distinguished list of guests including Mick Jagger, Jacques Chirac, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent & Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Harald V of Norway & Queen Sonja of Norway, Marianne Faithfull, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles, Prince of Wales, The Beatles, Bill Clinton and Jacqueline Onassis. The hotel indeed is very popular among famous people in the world.

From an historical and architectural point of view, The Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower are two distinct buildings, built at different times and in different architectural designs. The “Tower” refers to the Taj Intercontinental.

On November 26, 2008 the hotel was damaged in a series of attacks in the southern part of Mumbai. The roof of the hotel was destroyed by fire in the hours after the attack. What will happen next to this historical hotel? We just wait and see.

Blending with Culture of Rome, Italy on Your Trip

I know most of people have been travelling to Rome, Italy. It is kind of weird if you said you love travelling but you didn’t go to Rome yet. It’s just sound little awkward. Anyway, if you have been to Rome before, I suggest for your second trip that you become a part of the culture and lose yourself in the alleys of Rome. This is what most people miss during the trip to Rome, Italy.

For this second trip or travel, we decided to blend ourselves with the Rome itself. Guess what we found or at least experience? We’ve discovered famous artists, digs, scluptures, paintings, and world famous choirs in small churches. Sit and sip and engage the people. We now have lifetime friends in Rome. In today’s world travel and tight space on airplanes, I started about 15 years ago to use saline spray before boarding an airplane followed by generour portions of neosporin swabbed in my nostrils. I also wipe down all surfaces with antiseptic towels. Since then, I have never “caught” anything on a plane trip. Recommended by my oncologist. Best cappuccino in Rome….Cafe Farnese on the Piazza Farnese. Great people watching, lots of locals.

Places of Interest in Sydney

Have you ever visiting Australia ? Well i guess you should go and see for yourself. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, action, relaxation or want to discover Australia’s hidden treasures, Sydney has it all… Today I will tell you a bit on a few places of interest, attractions and event that happened around Sydney.

Sydney is a city of full of unique festivals and events, great scenery and yet one of the most fast-moving, becoming one of a great cities on the planet. So, what’s there in Sydney? First we are going to take a look at the Sydney Opera House, It’s an Australia’s most famous building. That’s why it has been listed as a “must-see” travel attraction. In other words, your travel is not perfect until you go and see this place. Among other attractions are Sydney Skywalk, Sydney Showboats and Sydney Harbour Cruises.

For Skywalk, it is a unique high-altitude adventure on top of Sydney Tower. At 268meters (879 feet) above Sydney, Skywalk takes you on an exhilarating outdoor walk at the roof of the city, double the height of Sydney Harbor Bridge.Dressed in protective clothing and safety-harnessed to external walkways, Skywalk guests experience a buzz unmatched by any other Sydney attraction. Step out onto the clouds as you venture across the glass-floored viewing platform for 360-degree views over glittering Sydney and beyond.

And for exclusive part, you might want to board Sydney Harbor Cruises. Join an evening of quality dining and entertainment featuring a program of the world’s most popular arias, performed by principal Australian opera singers. A unique dining and entertainment experience that will make your evening an event. You can choose either Comedy Dinner Cruises, Salsa Latin Floor Show Cruises, or Rock n Roll Lunch Cruises. Other beautiful places that you can visit is like King Cross, Sydney Markets, Watsons bay and for historic building you can go visit Elizabeth Bay House, Susannah Place and Vaucluse House.

Yellowstone Firehole Fish Parked at Bank

We watched these guys and gals sipping stuff in about 8″ of water for 10 minutes. Must have been midges – we saw nothing.

Sauntered back to the car, changed cameras, and rigged up. Returned and took one on a size 20, (all used up and ragged,) Hare’s Ear: well greased and floated. Didn’t get our sneakers or fanny wet. Returned to car and watched the wet fanny’s for a time.

Most fishers were up to their fanny in the Firehole River yesterday. We suspect that it’s cooler that way, but that’s where the fish like it too. Hmmm..

Gangtok the Unity in Diversity of India

Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim with a population of approximately 50,000 has emerged into the mainstream of the Tourism Industry, with more and more tourist visiting this little Himalayan state every year. Gangtok has developed into a cosmopolitan flavour where old-world charm and hospitality exist along with the Internet Age.

With different cultures and religion existing in perfect harmony, Gangtok has shown that “Unity in Diversity” exists in Sikkim. Sikkimese have strong bonding with their age-old traditions and customs. However, a quick survey of Gangtok

shows that the bubble of modernization has burst with a bang in the town. The capital is definitely not behind the rest of the world in terms of urbanization – Broad roads, flyovers, posh markets, state-of-art hospital, educational institutes, fast food outlets, discothèques, and all other modern amenities that the heart can desire for. One imposing manmade landmark of the town is the 200 ft-high TV tower which overlooks the town and is situated near the Enchey Monastry below Ganesh Tok. A stroll along the Mahatma Gandhi Marg is shopper’s delight- Hotels, restaurants, curios, footwear and almost everything is available. Be here to experience the magic.

Taxis are the most widely available public transport within Gangtok. Most of the residents stay within a few kilometres of the town centre and many have their own vehicles such as two-wheelers and cars.The share of personal vehicles and taxis combined is 98% of Gangtok’s total vehicles, a high percentage when compared to other Indian cities. City buses comprise less than one percent of vehicles. Those travelling longer distances generally make use of share-jeeps, a kind of public taxis. Four wheel drives are used to easily navigate the steep slopes of the roads. The 1 km (0.6 mi) long cable car with three stops connects lower Gangtok suburbs with Sikkim Legislative assembly in central Gangtok and the upper suburbs.

Gangtok is connected to the rest of India by an all-weather metalled highway, National Highway 31A, which links Gangtok to Siliguri, located 114 km (71 mi) away in the neighbouring state of West Bengal. The highway also provides a link to the neighbouring hill station towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, which are the nearest urban areas. Regular jeep, van, and bus services link these towns to Gangtok. Gangtok is a linear city that has developed along the arterial roads, especially National Highway 31A. Most of the road length in Gangtok, is of two lane undivided carriageway with footpath on one side of the road and drain on the other. The steep gradient of the different road stretches coupled with a spiral road configuration constrain the smooth flow of vehicular as well as pedestrian traffic. The nearest railhead connected to the rest of India is the station of New Jalpaiguri, a suburb of Siliguri, situated 124 km (77 mi) away from Gangtok. The closest airport is Bagdogra Airport, 16 km (10 mi) from Siliguri. Although Gangtok does not have an airport, it is linked to Bagdogra airport via a daily helicopter service.