take it to the max.
Frankfurt simply was such a nice dream... And it's sad to wake up from it.
Sunday.Woke up at about 950 to do some last minute packing. So I was kept busy until about 1030, when I finally felt prepared enough, and went down to the hall to wait for Dad to come down. In the end, due to some packing problems and the trigger effect, we left house about 20 minutes later than planned.
Went to cut my hair after some minor problems with Dad 's passport. Then we went to check in at the staff travel counter. Marcus and us parted at the glass gate, bidding me and them 2 different kinds of goodbye. Mine seemed to be quite like "good riddance". When he was out of sight, Mum was all tears-welled-up-in-eyes mode. But I pretended not to notice.
We were on subload, so we had to rush to board. I sat with mum, 'cause I wanted the window seat, and mum sat beside this angmoh, who, in my opinion, is friendly when there's conversation, but weird when there isn't: almost as if he was trying to get our attention, or at least from my mum. All the while he regularly leant so close he could see my mum's screen. Luckily he was old and even more luckily he looked like James Watson, or I'd long attacked.
On board I watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Closer, Dodgeball, a little of Unleashed and a few others. Then I tried taking out my Biology notes to study, but in vain. Barely halfway through the electron transport chain, I started playing Kirby's DreamWorld... It was the first game I came to when I flipped through the Nintendos...
10 hours of the clouds were over, the plane touched down, and I got a look at Frankfurt Airport. At least it didn't look similar to Singapore's, or I'd have wasted. The hotel room was nice, cosy. So we did the personal admin, and went to the pillows.
Monday. Dad went down to make full use of the free-breakfast-for-one. I needed to get hot water, So I went down- to the restaurant to get it- that's what they told me. Of course I met dad. So naturally it became a free- breakfast-for-one-cheapskate-for-the-next. But you can't change it. We're true blue Singaporeans.
At first we had a bit of a problem buying the tickets from the machine at the stop, somewhat similar to our Standard Ticket machine. Then a kind soul gave us a hand, teaching us how to get tickets to Römer. To town we went, by Rapid Transit Train, which moves alongside vehicles on the road, to Römer. The town scenery really rules. I'll put up a link for the photos soon. Their tilings and rooftops and walls and window sills are really all one of a kind, unique and creative in a way. It was mainly sightseeing: their products were not really worth their price tags. All that was worth buying was chocolates.
Mum's könferenz introduction began at 7pm, so we were back by 530. Me and my dad went to swim. The pool was quite class but it would've been classier if the pool was heated. Dad went out after half an hour (half an hour?!); I stayed till 7pm. I think hardly any females come to swim 'cause the sauna and bath area is shared, and the men treat the area like the male changing room. So after the swim and bath, I returned to the room and slacked. About an hour later, mum came back. She was basically a ponner. So she didn't break ice with the rest. A while more of the room, then I left for Neverland.
Tuesday was another affair with Römer after a little walk from Hauptbahnhof. I visited the Jüdisches (Jewish) Museum near Hauptbahnhof. Saw quite a lot of objects: books, sculptures and illustrations, but they were all captionated by German text. So I resorted to reading the English translation. Then went Römer-ing again, then back to hotel 'cause mum was receiving us to go with the Lufthansa Systems Netline&Advance Forum people for their evening event. TAKE IT TO THE MAX. Quite heartwarming to see them use this catchphrase all the time... It was so similar to Victorians using Nil Sine Labore...
Anyway we gathered in the lobby, and it really looked like there was 200. Dad and I managed to squeeze into seats, and we were off for Rheingau, the countryside village- no, resort actually. The atmosphere in the bus was totally unlike what I thought it'd be. Those probably mid-20s people were shouting and mocking the tour guide in jest.
We soon reached the carpark.
On top of the what-seemed-like-599-metres-high hill.
Getting down the bus, we were greeted warmly and settled into groups. Then we winded our way, around the hilltop, to the vineyards.
The view there was really breathtaking, overlooking a large lake, and large coloured squares of cultivated land, beside a large clump of little houses. From where we gathered, it was rows and rows of the vines downhill. We grouped accordingly, each group around a huge barrel, with many wine glasses on its top. Each member took at least one glass. Then there was a welcome speech, then the game started. Each team was to bottoms-up the glasses on their barrel, then roll the barrel down along the path to the village. My group, 2, started off quite late, about the 5th to go. We were given gloves; at first it was quite difficult but soon we got faster and faster, taking shortcuts and overtaking one after the other, soon becoming 2nd. It was really damn fun, perhaps because I'd never in my life rolled a huge wooden barrel down a meandering hillpath with a group of 4 other angmohs. We rolled it all the way down to the village, along its narrow lamposted street, coming to rest outside a restaurant and bistro area. This nice restaurant, packed in the midest of Rheingau was called Breuer's Rüdesheimer Schloss, according to the card. Or rather, miniature pamphlet.
We were to have dinner there. What an apt pre-dinner programme! Walking in, everyone took seats at the tables. The serving ladies were all dressed cowboy-bar-waitress like, and they were all very jovial and fun-loving, all the while dancing to the country music coming from the 3-piece band. How nice the countryside is... Wine there was in an overabundance (obviously: Rheingau's known for its wine- they cultivate the vines); much like the tea or coffee in the city. Smoked trout from the nearby Lake Wisper came first. Then some of the ladies from my table called mum, dad and me to play a game of build-the-tallest-tower using wine bottle corks. There was also a quiz on the Rheingau, and a drawing competition which involved the different national flags of the table people. All these built up to a inter table competition. They also had this thin wooden plank with 5 little cups stuck onto it which the waitresses would carry around and call people up to drink. Once there was five, they would stand in a row holding the plank while the waitresses filled the cups. With wine. Then the waitresses would shout something like "one, two, three", then they had to empty their cups together, after which the plank would be upturned to see if all the wine was downed. So this was the mood at that restaurant all through the night, partying, laughing, cheering, shouting, singing, dancing. Other people passing by the place stood there and watched, taking a bite of the night partylife.
Finally and sadly, the end came. The announcement came that my table had won. Each of us was given a prize- obviously, wine. A huge bottle of it. Then we set off for the bus. Many of them were still burning with the fun, so they continued with it all the way to the bus.
Take it to the max.
I'm so happy I tagged along to Frankfurt.
So back to the hotel. Mum started packing. Everything was ending so fast. It’s really sad to leave, even only after 4 days. Especially leave that countryside resort. I must live there sometime.
Wednesday came- even more sadly, for it was check-out day. I hung around in the room, blogging on the pda: in the writing sense. What I wrote would be then posted when I get home. Imagine the bill for connecting to wireless Internet. In the hotel. In terms of Euros. Crazy.
So Mum went down for her work, or maybe it was the closing ceremony of Lufthansa Systems NetLine & Advanced Forum 2005. I forgot. Dad went down for breakfast. I was left in the hotel room, with the tv switched to MTV channel and sitting in the armchair blogging. Soon Dad came back and we did the remaining pack-ups, preparing to check out. Mum came back at 1155, and in 5 minutes, they cleared the room with the bags and checked out, i.e. returned the keys and the usual admin. But I still stayed in the room, thinking of how I missed and would miss Germany and this high class hotel. The vacations I go on nowadays are less high class than the ones when I was young.
Soon Dad returned and I knew I had to leave. Sad. So went down to the lobby, and I hung around bored. I blogged the pda battery out, handphone wasn't so interesting and there was no tv. Then at 3 plus Mum came out of the Könferenz Raume and asked me to join the Frame Moments, presentation of the photos taken by this photographing company for the event. A replaying of the memories. Although the presentation was humurous, I felt quite nostalgic, seeing those scenes of Rheingau again. I'll never forget that. The photos being in black-and-white didn't help. Soon farewell came, and they said that next year's forum would be in Berlin. I want to go.
So after the event, and after the sad byes, a coach came for the airport. In my mind I was desperate to find a way to stop every clock from ticking, but the earth just kept turning and the world just kept moving on. Soon I was back at the airport, which I seemed to be at just the day before. So we shopped and checked-in and waited for the flight to open. At 11, SQ 325 announced now boarding, and everyone queued to board. I gave the man my ticket, took one last look at the airport, at Germany, and went through the aerobridge.
We were the 3 seats right at the front of the economy class, but it didn't help much of my ECS.
The clouds rushed past, and I was back in Changi Airport.
Frankfurt was really a nice dream... And it's sad to wake up from it.
Sunday.Woke up at about 950 to do some last minute packing. So I was kept busy until about 1030, when I finally felt prepared enough, and went down to the hall to wait for Dad to come down. In the end, due to some packing problems and the trigger effect, we left house about 20 minutes later than planned.
Went to cut my hair after some minor problems with Dad 's passport. Then we went to check in at the staff travel counter. Marcus and us parted at the glass gate, bidding me and them 2 different kinds of goodbye. Mine seemed to be quite like "good riddance". When he was out of sight, Mum was all tears-welled-up-in-eyes mode. But I pretended not to notice.
We were on subload, so we had to rush to board. I sat with mum, 'cause I wanted the window seat, and mum sat beside this angmoh, who, in my opinion, is friendly when there's conversation, but weird when there isn't: almost as if he was trying to get our attention, or at least from my mum. All the while he regularly leant so close he could see my mum's screen. Luckily he was old and even more luckily he looked like James Watson, or I'd long attacked.
On board I watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Closer, Dodgeball, a little of Unleashed and a few others. Then I tried taking out my Biology notes to study, but in vain. Barely halfway through the electron transport chain, I started playing Kirby's DreamWorld... It was the first game I came to when I flipped through the Nintendos...
10 hours of the clouds were over, the plane touched down, and I got a look at Frankfurt Airport. At least it didn't look similar to Singapore's, or I'd have wasted. The hotel room was nice, cosy. So we did the personal admin, and went to the pillows.
Monday. Dad went down to make full use of the free-breakfast-for-one. I needed to get hot water, So I went down- to the restaurant to get it- that's what they told me. Of course I met dad. So naturally it became a free- breakfast-for-one-cheapskate-for-the-next. But you can't change it. We're true blue Singaporeans.
At first we had a bit of a problem buying the tickets from the machine at the stop, somewhat similar to our Standard Ticket machine. Then a kind soul gave us a hand, teaching us how to get tickets to Römer. To town we went, by Rapid Transit Train, which moves alongside vehicles on the road, to Römer. The town scenery really rules. I'll put up a link for the photos soon. Their tilings and rooftops and walls and window sills are really all one of a kind, unique and creative in a way. It was mainly sightseeing: their products were not really worth their price tags. All that was worth buying was chocolates.
Mum's könferenz introduction began at 7pm, so we were back by 530. Me and my dad went to swim. The pool was quite class but it would've been classier if the pool was heated. Dad went out after half an hour (half an hour?!); I stayed till 7pm. I think hardly any females come to swim 'cause the sauna and bath area is shared, and the men treat the area like the male changing room. So after the swim and bath, I returned to the room and slacked. About an hour later, mum came back. She was basically a ponner. So she didn't break ice with the rest. A while more of the room, then I left for Neverland.
Tuesday was another affair with Römer after a little walk from Hauptbahnhof. I visited the Jüdisches (Jewish) Museum near Hauptbahnhof. Saw quite a lot of objects: books, sculptures and illustrations, but they were all captionated by German text. So I resorted to reading the English translation. Then went Römer-ing again, then back to hotel 'cause mum was receiving us to go with the Lufthansa Systems Netline&Advance Forum people for their evening event. TAKE IT TO THE MAX. Quite heartwarming to see them use this catchphrase all the time... It was so similar to Victorians using Nil Sine Labore...
Anyway we gathered in the lobby, and it really looked like there was 200. Dad and I managed to squeeze into seats, and we were off for Rheingau, the countryside village- no, resort actually. The atmosphere in the bus was totally unlike what I thought it'd be. Those probably mid-20s people were shouting and mocking the tour guide in jest.
We soon reached the carpark.
On top of the what-seemed-like-599-metres-high hill.
Getting down the bus, we were greeted warmly and settled into groups. Then we winded our way, around the hilltop, to the vineyards.
The view there was really breathtaking, overlooking a large lake, and large coloured squares of cultivated land, beside a large clump of little houses. From where we gathered, it was rows and rows of the vines downhill. We grouped accordingly, each group around a huge barrel, with many wine glasses on its top. Each member took at least one glass. Then there was a welcome speech, then the game started. Each team was to bottoms-up the glasses on their barrel, then roll the barrel down along the path to the village. My group, 2, started off quite late, about the 5th to go. We were given gloves; at first it was quite difficult but soon we got faster and faster, taking shortcuts and overtaking one after the other, soon becoming 2nd. It was really damn fun, perhaps because I'd never in my life rolled a huge wooden barrel down a meandering hillpath with a group of 4 other angmohs. We rolled it all the way down to the village, along its narrow lamposted street, coming to rest outside a restaurant and bistro area. This nice restaurant, packed in the midest of Rheingau was called Breuer's Rüdesheimer Schloss, according to the card. Or rather, miniature pamphlet.
We were to have dinner there. What an apt pre-dinner programme! Walking in, everyone took seats at the tables. The serving ladies were all dressed cowboy-bar-waitress like, and they were all very jovial and fun-loving, all the while dancing to the country music coming from the 3-piece band. How nice the countryside is... Wine there was in an overabundance (obviously: Rheingau's known for its wine- they cultivate the vines); much like the tea or coffee in the city. Smoked trout from the nearby Lake Wisper came first. Then some of the ladies from my table called mum, dad and me to play a game of build-the-tallest-tower using wine bottle corks. There was also a quiz on the Rheingau, and a drawing competition which involved the different national flags of the table people. All these built up to a inter table competition. They also had this thin wooden plank with 5 little cups stuck onto it which the waitresses would carry around and call people up to drink. Once there was five, they would stand in a row holding the plank while the waitresses filled the cups. With wine. Then the waitresses would shout something like "one, two, three", then they had to empty their cups together, after which the plank would be upturned to see if all the wine was downed. So this was the mood at that restaurant all through the night, partying, laughing, cheering, shouting, singing, dancing. Other people passing by the place stood there and watched, taking a bite of the night partylife.
Finally and sadly, the end came. The announcement came that my table had won. Each of us was given a prize- obviously, wine. A huge bottle of it. Then we set off for the bus. Many of them were still burning with the fun, so they continued with it all the way to the bus.
Take it to the max.
I'm so happy I tagged along to Frankfurt.
So back to the hotel. Mum started packing. Everything was ending so fast. It’s really sad to leave, even only after 4 days. Especially leave that countryside resort. I must live there sometime.
Wednesday came- even more sadly, for it was check-out day. I hung around in the room, blogging on the pda: in the writing sense. What I wrote would be then posted when I get home. Imagine the bill for connecting to wireless Internet. In the hotel. In terms of Euros. Crazy.
So Mum went down for her work, or maybe it was the closing ceremony of Lufthansa Systems NetLine & Advanced Forum 2005. I forgot. Dad went down for breakfast. I was left in the hotel room, with the tv switched to MTV channel and sitting in the armchair blogging. Soon Dad came back and we did the remaining pack-ups, preparing to check out. Mum came back at 1155, and in 5 minutes, they cleared the room with the bags and checked out, i.e. returned the keys and the usual admin. But I still stayed in the room, thinking of how I missed and would miss Germany and this high class hotel. The vacations I go on nowadays are less high class than the ones when I was young.
Soon Dad returned and I knew I had to leave. Sad. So went down to the lobby, and I hung around bored. I blogged the pda battery out, handphone wasn't so interesting and there was no tv. Then at 3 plus Mum came out of the Könferenz Raume and asked me to join the Frame Moments, presentation of the photos taken by this photographing company for the event. A replaying of the memories. Although the presentation was humurous, I felt quite nostalgic, seeing those scenes of Rheingau again. I'll never forget that. The photos being in black-and-white didn't help. Soon farewell came, and they said that next year's forum would be in Berlin. I want to go.
So after the event, and after the sad byes, a coach came for the airport. In my mind I was desperate to find a way to stop every clock from ticking, but the earth just kept turning and the world just kept moving on. Soon I was back at the airport, which I seemed to be at just the day before. So we shopped and checked-in and waited for the flight to open. At 11, SQ 325 announced now boarding, and everyone queued to board. I gave the man my ticket, took one last look at the airport, at Germany, and went through the aerobridge.
We were the 3 seats right at the front of the economy class, but it didn't help much of my ECS.
The clouds rushed past, and I was back in Changi Airport.
Frankfurt was really a nice dream... And it's sad to wake up from it.
carved from shit by bryan at
2:23 AM
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