St. Nicolas (Brussels) in mosaics

Aachen with sunset

How do you like it?

How do you like it?
It's from the window display of one of my fave shops in Aachen, Germany.

I like it 'cos every single time I pass it, they always have new decoration with very interesting window display. And it's not boring :D

Del Negro

If you come to Aachen, Germany, you should try the ice cream from Del Negro. It has the best ice cream in Aachen.

In winter, the shop is closed, but normally it opens from 10 am until 10 pm.

If you don't try it, you miss the best thing in your life :D

AKV video

Aachener Karneval 2008

These are the pics from Aachener Karneval Verein in Aachen. We were all at the backstage, so no chance to see you guys :(
As you can see there were Paris Hilton (of course fake one), Camilla and Charles and so on.
The showed finished at 11:30 pm, then party yuppieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee yeah yeah! Lots of drink and finger food......yummey!!!

Heath Ledger is dead :(

When my friend, Christian told me that Heath Ledger died today, I was thinking who was that???
Then he told me that it was the guy from Brokeback Mountain, and suddenly I knew this guy. He was so young, wasn't he? That was my first question to him. Yeah, he said so.
He told me that they found some pills next to his bed. (What kinda magic pills are they?)

I, personally don't really know this guy cos I never watch Brokeback Mountain (what a shame hehehe), but for you who are the biggest fans of him. I'd like to say so sorry for your lost. May Heath rest in peace.......

Heath was born in Perth, Australia on 4 April 1979 (OMG he was born as the same year I was). Heath had a relationship with Naomi Watts, whom he met in 2002 during the filming of Ned Kelly. They started dating in August 2002. The couple ended their relationship in April 2004. Previously, he had dated actresses Lisa Zane and Heather Graham. (He seemed to date famous and pretty women).

Ledger was engaged to actress Michelle Williams, whom he met on the set of Brokeback Mountain. And they have a daughter named Matilda Rose. But Michelle and Heath later split up.
In early 2008, Ledger was reported to be seeing model Gemma Ward after media articles linked the two together at end of 2007 holiday celebrations.

Ledger died in his apartment in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York on January 22, 2008. Ledger's body was found shortly after 3:30pm by his housekeeper and masseuse, who entered the bedroom to find him unconscious in bed, surrounded by pills. Police do not suspect foul play.

Chiang Fang Liang (Faina Ipat'evna Vakhreva)

Born as Faina Ipat'evna Vakhreva to a Belarusian family on May 15th, 1916, she was also known as Chiang Fang Liang in Taiwan/China. She was the president of Chiang Ching Kuo (son of Chiang Kai Shek). But then she moved to Rusia during WW I. She was raised by her sister in an orphanage.

She met Chiang Ching Kuo when she was 16, and got married 2 years later. They had 3 sons and a daughter. But too bad, all the sons died shortly after the death of Chiang Ching Kuo (her husband).

She never returned to Russia, and traveled abroad only three times in the last 50 years her life. In 1992, she received a visit from a delegation including the mayor of Minsk, the capital of Belarus. It was the first and only time that she made contact with anyone from her homeland.

She died on Dec 27th, 2004 and cremated, her ashes were taken and buried next to her husband.

Soong May Ling (Madame Chiang Kai Shek)

Soong May-ling is known as the Madame Chiang Kai-shek (ca 1897 – October 23, 2003) was the youngest of the three Soong sisters (Ai Ling, Ching Ling & May Ling).

She started college at her sisters' alma mater, Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, but transferred to Wellesley College and graduated with honors in 1917 with a major in English literature and minor in philosophy. She spoke great English with Georgia accent.

She later married to Chiang Kai Shek (was a Buddhist and still married to his first wife), but her mother was not very satisfied with the marriage until he got divorced with his previous wife and converted to Christianity. They never had any children.

As the wife of President Chiang Kai-shek, she played a prominent role in the politics of the Republic of China.

Madame Soong May-Ling is one of women that I adore. I think she was a very powerful woman (money, beauty and political power).
(Img: taken from here)

Pilates

Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates (1880-1967 Germany) in the early 20th century. Pilates called his method Contrology, because he believed his method uses the mind to control the muscles. The program focuses on the core postural muscles which help keep the body balanced and which are essential to providing support for the spine. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aim to strengthen the deep torso muscles.

Last nite was my first pilates course at Selection Fitness Aachen. If you ask me how was it, I'd answer you with one word. "Awesome!" I could feel that in my thighs and all muscles were working. At the beginning it was a little difficult for me, but then it got better and better.

Back to pilates, Joseph Pilates created this method for the veterans of WW II in order to improve the rehabilitation programs. Pilates sessions claim to help increase strength and flexibility, lengthen the body, and align the spine.

In my opinion, pilates is all about mind, controlling, breath, concentration and centering.

(Img taken from here)

What is "mennonite" ?

Do you know that Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons and Futurama grew up in a mennonite family?

Don't get confused with maronites :D

What is Mennonite then?
Mennonite is a group of Christian Anabaptist (Radical Reformation) denominations after the name of Menno Simons. There are about 1.5 million Mennonites in the world (data from 2006).

The early history of the Mennonites begins with the Anabaptists in the German and Dutch-speaking parts of central Europe. The German term is "Täufer" (that is, Baptists). These forerunners of modern Mennonites were part of the broad reaction against the practices and theology of the Catholic Church known as the Protestant Reformation.

Its most distinguishing feature is the rejection of infant baptism, an act that had both religious and political meaning since almost every infant born in Western Europe was baptized into the Catholic Church. Other significant theological views of the Mennonites developed in opposition to Catholic views or to the views of other Protestant reformers like Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli.

Some of the followers of Zwingli's Reformed church felt that requiring church membership beginning at birth was inconsistent with the New Testament example. They felt that the church should be completely removed from government (the proto-free church tradition), and that people should join only once they were willing to publicly acknowledge that they believed in Jesus and wanted to live in accordance with his teachings.

movement. In the spirit of the times, many radical groups followed, preaching any number of ideas about hierarchy, the state, At a small meeting on January 21, 1525, Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, and George Blaurock, along with twelve others, baptized each other. This meeting marks the beginning of the Anabaptisteschatology, and sexual license, running from utter abandon to extreme chastity. These movements are together referred to as the Radical Reformation.

(source : Wikipedia)

Alek Wek

Alek Wek is one of my fave supermodels. I personally think she is so unique.
Recently she has written a book entitled "Alek Wek : From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel"

In her book, Wek provides honest insight into the politics of identity, race, and beauty. She writes:

"Whether I like it or not, my skin defines me. The first thing many people notice about me is how dark my skin is. Not just in America and Europe but also, to a lesser extent, in Sudan. In Khartoum, my skin marked me as a southerner, probably a Dinka, and many lighter-skinned residents of the city looked down on me. Racism exists everywhere."

"I've noticed that journalists often liked to say that I'd been discovered in "the bush," in Africa. As if I had been a primeval innocent afoot in the forest when the great model agent plucked me from the muck and tamed me, without destroying my savage beauty."

"Beauty is such a subjective notion. When I was growing up, I never saw myself as beautiful. I looked like my sisters, and like most of the other Dinka girls. We were all dark, tall, and lithe. I had the added problem of psoriasis: the few times I took a look at myself in the mirror, I wasn't pleased."
What do you think?
(Img taken from here)

How to clean blood stain?

I had never known that we could clean blood stain from clothes with cold water.
I always thought that hot water is better to clean it, cos hot temperature will melt the blood and make it clean

But I was wrong!

Blood contains proteins and if you put hot water on your blood stain, it will solidify the blood. And it's harder to clean.

(Image taken from here)

Pissed

What would you do when your good friend's husband pissed you off?

It sounds a little hard. I normally don't like to take it personally, but when it kicks under the belt, then I'd think about it.

A friend of my friend, Clara was pissed by her good friend's (Monica) husband. Clara has thought about to talk to Monica, but she doesn't know how to start. Monica is a very sweet and nice person, but her husband is not like her.

What would you do if you were Clara?

a. Talk to Monica, and clarify everything with her.
b. Talk to Monica's husband cos he is the one who is responsible for the whole things.
c. Talk to other friends and ask for advice.
d. Don't want to talk to Monica anymore cos she'll be in her husband's side anyway.
e. No idea!

(Pic taken from here)

Christyhann

Hi there,

Happy belated Christmas and New Year!

Welcome to my world!