嗨大家好，
Hey everyone,
回应史蒂芬的帖"Why can’t we get more people to host discussions"，我想开一个新贴。没有什么特别的题目我想讨论的，只是想聊聊天。。。我会谈一谈我最近的旅行和现在的气候。
Response to Steve’s trend on “Why can’t we get more people to host discussions”, I would like to start a new topic/trend. Nothing much to talk about, just chat… I will talk about my recent trips and weather here.
我上周刚刚从阿姆斯特丹回来。行程表是：新加坡-伊斯坦丁堡-堵塞多（乱翻一通的:p, 德国）-Maastricht（完全不会翻译，荷兰）-阿姆斯特丹-新加坡。我也明白这有些古怪，但是我需要与在南欧自助旅行的朋友会合，要拜访在荷兰的好友，又想参与嘉年华会。。。这就是包括以上一切的结果。
I just came back from Amsterdam last week. The itenary is Singapore-Istanbul-Dusserdolf (in Germany)-Maastricht (in Holland)-Amsterdam-Singapore.This is kind of weird I know, but I have to meet my friend who was backpacking in Southern Europe, visit my best friend in Holland, yet want to join the Carnival… here is the result to include everything in.
伊斯坦丁堡是回教文化的一颗明珠。我在回教历史课上读了好多（我在马来西亚念中学），终于，所有在课本里念过的都在眼前重现。在伊斯坦丁堡的四、五天，我参观的同样的回教堂许多次，每天都和宿舍的主人聊天。回教堂宏伟壮丽这不在话下，穆斯林也相当的开通，而我自己也有一些以前不曾有过得想法。
Istanbul is a germ of Islamic culture. I had read so much about them in the Islamic history class (I studied my secondary school in Malaysia) and finally, everything in the books popped up in front of me. During my stay in Istanbul for 4-5 days, I visited the same mosque many times and chatted everyday with the friendly hostel owner. The mosques are of course specticular, the muslims are rather open-minded, and I also thought of many things that I never have before.
在堵塞多的时候我基本上都在血拼-实在是太冷了。当我抵达堵塞多机长报告当地气温为负三度的时候，我只想赖在机上不下机。我也和朋友去了科隆大教堂；科隆还有科隆大教堂大教堂对我来说都是疯狂的，因为那几天都是嘉年华会。
At Dusserdolf I was basicly shopping - it was indeed too cold. When I arrived (at airport) and the chief pilot reported that the local temperature was minus three, I simply didn’t feel like get off from the plane. My friend and I also wented to Kölner Dom, which, together with Cologne, is a sheer craziness to me, as the few days (when I was there) was the Carnival period.
我在荷兰南部的几个地方和老友过嘉年华会。在负摄氏度的气温里，我们从中午到午夜以后都在街头看表演，哼哼歌跳跳舞，还有喝啤酒或柳橙汁（我患上了食物中毒，在朋友的家中，安娣不许我碰果汁，我只好在酒吧里喝。每换一间酒吧朋友和一碑我也就喝一杯，结果最后几天腹泻不止。）但是很好玩。
I was at a few places in Holland for the Carnival. Under the minus degree temperature, from afternoon to mid-night, we were on the street, watching performances, singing and dancing; and drinking beer or orange juice (I had food poison, so during my stay at my friend’s house, aunty did not allow me to touch any juices, so I had to drink in the bars. At every bar my friends ordered a new round of beer whilst I also drank a glass of orange juice, so I ended up with diarrhea in the last few days.) … but it was great fun.
十多个小时以后我回到了温暖的新加坡，听见机长报告说气温为二十八度时我忽然感动的想哭。虽然这几个欧洲城市都不是欧洲最昂贵的，但是一般生活水平还在马来西亚/一些新加坡地区之上。但是在这两周我又再一次地感受到冬季里生活是如此的不便利；诚然，人们发明了暖炉，懂得穿戴皮袄，懂得在酒廊里喝啤酒吃比萨（甚至用药）取乐，但是当整个大环境在改变的时候，不管你是富人还是穷人，你都不能改变气候变化的事实。人的力量是这么的微不足道-我们只能被动接受。就好像这次的嘉年华会是几十年来最寒冷的嘉年华会，大伙准备了一年的车子都排不上用场了。。。所谓尽人事、听天命大概就是这个意思吧。话说回来，有时候，生活在热带的国家是值得感恩的，至少，在适宜的气温下，人们即使贫苦也不会冻死在街头，要是在生活水平较低落的马来西亚，说不准不少人的因为漫长的严冬而遭殃呢。
After ten plus hours I was back to the warm Singapore. When the pilot reported that the local temperature was 28 degree celcius, I was so touched I nearly cry. Although these few European cities are not the most expensive ones, but the general living standard is well above Malaysia/partial area of Singapore. However once again in these two weeks, I feel the inconvenience living in winter. Truly enough that people innovate warming system, learn to make use of animal skin, and lead a good life partying with friends; however when the whole environment is changed, may you be rich or poor, you can’t possibly change the fact that the weather is altered. The power of human being is weak, we can only passively accept things as they are. For example in this Carnival is the coldest in the past decades, Carnival cars which had been prepared for the whole year were not in used… We had done the best we could, the rest is subject to God/fate (apologies, poor translation!) Go back to where I was just now, sometimes, living in a tropical country is a bless, at least, with the temperature, no matter how poor the people are, there won’t be anyone freezing to death on the street. Who knows, if there were a prolonged winter in Malaysia, many people might suffer because of this!
所以现在这个时候，即使气候炎热，我也不投诉。。。下周因为工作的关系我可能会去芝加哥。一想到寒冷的风和负摄氏度的城市，我那来到新的城市的兴奋感就一扫而空。老天保佑气温可以比预计的要来的好！
So now, even the weather is hot, I am not complaining… I may go to Chicago next week because of work. The thought of being in a windy, minus degree city instantly swept off all my excitement to be in a new city. Fingers crossed that the weather will be better-than-expected there！
