First Attempts

Never faced a hung parliament before. The suspense is killing me. Who is going to be the PM? What does the government look like? Which parties will make up of this government?

My back ache the whole day. That’s not good.

I have been trying to learn this language for the longest of times. But fail miserably every time. But it is an ongoing process. I know the basic vocabulary like bonjour. aujourd’hui c’est Lundi. I think it is the appropriateness of the lessons. For example, how to order wine or beer. I am a muslim. I don’t see when I would ever do this. So learning what is the word for wine for beer in French is not a motivator. Just as an example. So what I have done these last year is to write in English but substitute words here and there that I know in French. Instead of saying ‘this word’ I would write c’est mot. Without any regard for grammar. I think practice is key, grammar and whatever other rules come later. Just usage. Focus on usage first. Correct the grammar later. That is my approach. People get scared and put off by the grammar. It is daunting. There are male and female words. Words change if there is one female in a crowd of males. Too complicated. Just write. Don’t bother about the grammar yet. That comes later.

Before we know it, it was time to leave Paris. One of the best places to buy cheap souvenirs in Paris is Montmartre and the streets across from Notre Dame Cathedral. Since Montmartre is close by, the night before leaving we took the bus to Montmartre and spent a few hours buying souvenirs. The usual routine every time we go out is to wait for everybody. While waiting, “snap”, “snap”, take selfies in front of the Gare du Nord station. Not sure how many picture we took of ourselves at the sidewalk of Gare du Nord. Since I was not interested in buying souvenirs, I baby sit. Went into one of the delis and watched Basil sleeping while munching a salad. I was quite sad sitting together at the usual kebab shop beside the restaurant for our last dinner before leaving for Zurich the next day. #Paris #Montmartre https://www.instagram.com/ajosh1960/p/CYLvZJ4JSF6/?utm_medium=tumblr

Near the Cathedral Notre-Dame there is a bridge famously named Love Lock Bridge ; officially it is the Pont des Arts. This is where people put locks on the railings of this bridge to ‘seal’ their love for each other. The city officials have decided to take these keys down because they are posing a danger to the property of the city. Together the keys weigh 45 tonnes and might bring the railings down one day. For now it still stands. #Paris #PontdesArts https://www.instagram.com/p/CYK8ggtJeP1/?utm_medium=tumblr

Once we finally got out, we took family photos with the famous Louvre pyramid as our background. #Paris #Lourve https://www.instagram.com/ajosh1960/p/CYKpGwFP3eo/?utm_medium=tumblr

More statues… https://www.instagram.com/p/CYIzCI-p1Av/?utm_medium=tumblr

I can see the sun is about to rise. Il est temps de se rendormir.

I love to transform my pictures into cartoons. Makes it more interesting. Fun.

Premiere chose. Nettoyer mon estomac. Baies.

Tempozan Harbor Village is an entertainment centre; it has one of the largest aquarium in the world. This is where you go if you are interested to take the Santa Maria ship cruise around Osaka. There’s a ferries wheel we can ride on and there are shops and restaurants. It has a sort of LEGOLAND attraction but I think it’s not the one we are used to. Noraini and I decided to go to Tempozan because that was the day we activated our Osaka Amazing Pass and the pass lets us ride on the ferries wheel for free. We did not visit the Kaiyukan Aquarium because it was rather expensive (entrance fee is 2300 Yen (RM84) per person); we were saving our money to go to Universal Studios. We should have used the pass to ride the Santa Maria cruise but we were too tired. Too much walking. #Japan #Osaka #Tempozan #tempozanferriswheel🎡 https://www.instagram.com/ajosh1960/p/CX9v2pdvjSC/?utm_medium=tumblr

To get into the grounds of the castle is free. However, to enjoy the Nishinomaru Garden will cost 200 Yen (RM7.30). To go up the main tower, the fee is 600 Yen (RM22). Noraini and I used our Osaka Amazing Pass we bought at AEON Shah Alam before coming here to get into the garden. Besides unlimited use of trains and buses, the Osaka Amazing Pass also gives you free entry into many attractions like the Umeda Sky Building, boat ride along the Dotombori canal and entrance into the beautiful Nishinomaru Garden. I was too tired to climb any tower, so after enjoying walking among the cherry blossoms in the Nishinomaru Garden, we headed to Tempozan Harbor Village. #Japan #Osaka #OsakaCastle #NishinomaruGarden #OsakaAmazingPass https://www.instagram.com/p/CX8i1UCJvMf/?utm_medium=tumblr