When you get to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, ask anyone over there if they know Da Mo Cho Si (Da Mo Patriarch or Bodhidharma). Most of them knew him. In Guangzhou, there is a big temple built just for him. In 1998, I was there and saw a statue of him in a single shrine just for him. Last year I revisited Guangzhou, I almost could not find him, because Guangzhou has change tremendously, a city so modern, from two lane roads, has become four, lots of new buildings, mainly shopping complexes and office lots. The old China is hidden behind the modern city like the giants over shadowed them. Those days, all Jade vendors displayed their jades all over the pavements or five foot path in every corner I went through, jade shops were then ... read more

It was a busy morning for me, as I had to attend to my guests at the breakfast terrace Pangkor Island Hornbill Restaurant, Pangkor Island Beach Resort, Perak. Good breakfast served. The crowd had a marvelous time and was very surprised and attentive especially for the children when we have the some unexpected guests arrived at our table. It was the Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris). Some guests even questioned the waiters, “Do you rear these birds? ". On YouTube, they were described as “brought in" from the Borneo Islands. To my knowledge, there are 10 species of Hornbills in the state of Perak as compared to the state of Sarawak, whereby Sarawak claimed the slogan as “The Land of The Hornbills” in which Sarawak state has only 4 species in its name. So I don't think it ... read more

Walking back from the restaurant, after a hefty meal, decided to take a walk down the streets of a small Indian vicinity, where I could see many shops, busy with people at the last minute shopping for groceries, getting their SIM cards, having a treat of Pani Puri by the five foot path whereby I have no guts to try, banana and corn sellers, and the rattan mat makers which I found it most interesting and unusual because this is supposed to be a cottage industry product. I thought BIG when product like this comes with skill involved. They have a canvas over their heads on the five foot path, making money with no rental incurred, working from morning till night, through rain and shine, having all three meals at the same place, just simply marvelous ... read more

Whenever I have an assignment bringing tourist to Batu Caves, I tried to elaborate more when I gave commentaries on Hinduism and Batu Caves as a whole story which gives me pleasure to do so. After I have learnt from tourism school , my own research from the internet, visited Batu Caves frequently to ask around the Indians about Batu Caves and Hinduism which somehow has thicken my knowledge and making my story more interesting when I gave my commentary. There is this part about Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati decided to test their two sons, Lord Ganesha (Elephant God) and his younger brother Lord Murugan (The God with his peacock). Lord Shiva held a Golden Mango of Wisdom in his hand and told his sons whoever circles the world and return first to his ... read more

From Kochi city to Fort Kochi was quite a distance for us. My driver lost the way to Fort Kochi. We had to make some stops, asking directions and it took us some two hours to finally get into Fort Kochi. We started with St. Francis Xavier Church which I found it was actually built in year 1503 AD. It was built with wood and later it was rebuilt using stones and roofed with tiles in 1516 AD. Vasco da Gama the Portuguese navigator with his colleagues, Pedro Alvares Cabral and Alfonso de Alberquerque came to Kochi in the year 1498 AD making Kochi an important trading port in India. Vasco got the piece of land from the Rajah of Kerala thus naming the neighborhood, Fort Kochi. He built this church in dedication to St. Anthony; ... read more