2007 - Filed!

2007 was a blast, an eventful year maybe a better way to phrase it.

Coming from a conservative borneo continent (Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia) - where filthy coffee shops, dodgy hang-outs and triad populated discotheques are the kill-time hangouts, a teaser of the different tastes of the world was quite replenishing This was the best indulgence in a vast variety of cultures within a brisk of time

Well, this was also an extension to my inaugural taste of the world when i pursued my education in Australia. Where i also extended my experience to the great australian deserts with the aboriginals, bush camping with OZ farm boys, life in rural Albury & Wodanga, travels with my gf to Gold Coast, Auckland and the north island of NZ and travels with my family to Camberra & Sydney. Shall blog about this soon!

Anyway, back to 2007 - News Years was spent in Istanbul, Turkey.

This was an Istanbul city cruise we went onto. We have in the picture Juliana on the left, followed by Enddee, Farah Fauzana and myself

Our trip was also topped up with an extravagant display of fireworks on new years eve 07 at Thaksim Square of Istanbul

Nights before, we had many Turkish Beers including the locally produced Efes. How wicked - a country with a 99% Muslim population produces their own beer!

In Istanbul, we also had the opportunity to visit the Blue Mosque aka Sultan Ahmed Mosque and the Hagia Sophia - a former partriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a musuem in Istanbul

This is our tour group in front of the Sultan Ahmed Mosuqe

Subsequently travelled to Bangkok in January

February was spent in Kuching, Sarawak (East Malaysia).

Attended an interactive advertising conference in Beijing later in the year.

This picture is taken in front of the forbidden city (tian an men), Beijing China. The potrait in front of the building is of president Mao tse-tung's, the founder of the Chinese Communist Party

This picture is taken at the back alleys of Wang Fu Jing Street, the city Centre of Beijing, hosting a series of shopping malls and restaurants. The walls on the alleys were quite interesting with Chinese graffiti.

2007 was adjourned by a year end trip to Genting Highlands, Penang, Rome, Florence, Pisa & the Vatican City

This is the colloseum in Rome, Italy. This is a day before new years eve 08 and picture is taken with Sasi The Don, a local raggae artist who has flown off to amsterdam for a couple of marijuana joints before heading to sweden to record a song with Dr Alban (according to Sasi the Don)

This picture was taken in front of the St Peters Basilica in the Vatican City. We missed Pope Benedict by an hour.

Nevertheless, air in St Peters Basilica was mind blowing. This church took 200 years to built. I wasnt surprised when i saw the amount of artwork in marble they had- the whole church was actually covered with it. This was topped up with a Latin conducted Mass - even the feeling of being in the church was sacred. Most amazing of all, the body of St Peter the Rock (a disciple of Jesus Christ) is buried under the main altar of the church

Also had the opportunity to feed pigeons in front of the San Marco Basilica, Venice

I will, when i have more time, break down all the trips and blog more about them.