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  • Very Short While At The British Musuem

    Very Short While At The British Musuem

    London // Very Short While At The British Musuem – After meeting up with the friend, we head over to some crowded street in London to get a glimpse of Londener’s lifestyle and activity – to Oxford Street and surrounding. While on the way, we passed by the British Museum, with a very interesting Greek Revival exterior and a modern interior.
    The best thing about this place is free. Free as in free of entrance which you could just hardly find elsewhere, but what you are seeing is not British history but artefacts from all over the world. Yes, story, history, artefacts of everywhere, from Roman to Egyptian to Asian to everywhere. No idea how did the British got them but it’s one huge historic museum which I spent less than half an hour in there! They steal? They borrow? They snatch? They discovered? They’ve got it as diplomatic gifts? I am not sure, I don’t know.
    Since it’s free to enter, so it’s not bad to take a very short walk. Perhaps I’ll come back again and do a longer walk!
    Greek Revival Architecture of British Museum. Interesting or not?
    The modern roof covering the open public space in the museum.
    Here is me and the roof.
    Egyptian hall.
    Greek hall.
  • Good Morning Buckingham Palace & London

    Good Morning Buckingham Palace & London

    London // Good Morning Buckingham Palace & London – Oh hello people, I am back, finally, after a long hiatus from the social network as I was so so so busy with travelling, and school’s assignment. Luckily, I was not killed by the deadlines and submissions. Thank god that I am so alive and sounding well right now.
    Oh London! I am missing the great city so much right now as I am flipping through the photos that I’ve taken. This series of photos were from the London weekend trip that I had back in November, more to come as London is getting to be my second home in the UK, since it’s so easy to get there and cheap! A return ticket of Newcastle – London costs at about £20-25 via Megabus. Although the journey is darn long at 7-hours per way, but it’s still cheap when comparing to Aeroline that I used to connect KL – Penang back in Malaysia.
    7-hours of journey was not that bad in a warm and stuffy bus, I slept all the way! Waking up in London was just so exciting and looking around just gave me a super different experience as compare to Newcastle. It’s a huge city, it’s metropolitan urban city!
    Without knowing where to go from Victoria Coach Station, I just tried to walk around to see if any attractions nearby while waiting a London friend to ring me and tell me where to go. Followed the Google Maps and the information board, and me and Alvin were leaded to the Buckingham Palace.
    Snap shot of the palace, couldn’t see any sign of Her Majesty Queen, or Prince, guard were just standing there, and cold, we walked away. Heading to some direction we didn’t know about, and ended at Piccadilly Circus! Phone rang and headed to my friend’s place at Euston and he was just shocked about how we made it to Piccadilly from Victoria. Quite a random walk, but the sunny morning did bring a good feeling to that morning. Too much to talk about London, in just simple word, good morning great London and let’s the pictures speak for now.
    London’s specialty, cab.
    Mounted police, or police who patrol on horseback, roaming the street nearby Buckingham Palace. Be prepared to smell some poo-poo.
    Good morning precious sunny London, where sun is so rare in the UK.
    A temporary bus stop.
    Reminds me of my childhood where I lived on a street named Buckingham Street in Penang, Malaysia.
    Selfy.
    Guard, not changing.
    Buckingham Palace. Where’s the queen now?
    Me and the Palace.
    Statue of I’ve-no-idea.
    Victoria Memorial.
    The Mall, which attracted me to go this way after checking out the palace.
    Dedicated bicycle lane which I always hope that Penang can have a network of it too.
    Sunny!
    Good morning.
    Some monument structure.
    Road construction.
    Wayfinding board. Very helpful for exploring London.
    Underground Tube entrance.
    On a very quiet Saturday morning. It’s just so not-London in this picture where the street is empty. I was too early!
    Interchanging at Leicester Square to Euston Station.
    Euston Railway & Tube Station.
    Passfield Hall, where the Londoner friend stays.
  • Trip To Penang: Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion & Penang Road Chendul

    Trip To Penang: Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion & Penang Road Chendul

    Trip To Penang: Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion & Penang Road Chendul – After spending about an hour or less at the Peranakan Mansion, the next and also the last place to go with the PHT’s tour guide is the Blue Mansion, real name – Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. A very blue mansion that is rated top 10 mansion in the world by Yahoo! Travel.
    So, what’s so special about it? The special thing is you can take photos of it outside but inside, you are not allow to take any photos. So, sucks. The real special and cool thing is that the mansion was own by Cheong Fatt Tze, a super duper rich businessman from China. Then the mansion was built with a almost perfect feng shui setup which I don’t know how to explain, so you have to go there for a little tour to get the clue about it.
    Right now, it’s like a musuem, nothing much to see in there except listening to the tour guide explain about the place and it’s a hotel inside for tourist.

    Outside is fascinating, inside the feng shui explanation is cool, other than that, that’s it. It’s an OKOK-place for me, if I can snap pictures inside, it could be even awesome-er.
    Then,  it’s time to bid good bye to the Mr Tour Guide from PHT and it’s a very hot noon, I brought the same bunch of friends to some special treatment and that’s – Chendul! They all only know about Malacca’s Chendul, now they get to know another awesome Chendul in Malaysia – Penang Road Teochew Chendul! It’s so refreshing eating chendul under the hot weather.

    Do you like Penang’s Chendul?

  • Eastern Europe Trip: A Very Short Update

    Eastern Europe Trip: A Very Short Update

    Eastern Europe Trip: A Very Short Update – Just a short update on my blog as it’s been a few weeks since I’ve written something here. The previous posts were adverts so you can just ignore it. Well, I am having my winter term break right now and I am on a 2 weeks getaway to Eastern Europe. I have done Warsaw and Krakow of Poland and currently in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, which is also a very weird and boring city. I have no idea why I am here now. Haha. I am more likely to look forward to my next stop, guess where it would be? 😀

    Not a perfect relaxing getaway as there’s many work to do after the holiday, but for the time being, let’s just put the mind of the assignment stress right now.
    Gonna share everything when I am back to the UK. Cheers! Follow me on Instagram for more updates! 🙂 @nicholaschan
  • Pacific West Capital Group Life Settlements Are An Improvement Over Viaticals

    Pacific West Capital Group Life Settlements Are An Improvement Over Viaticals

    Pacific West Capital Group reminds investors that the owners of life insurance have always enjoyed the right to offer their policies for sale provided they could find an investor willing to purchase it. The transactions were largely unregulated by the states or the federal government. The only thing holding back the sale of life insurance policies was the limited market for this form of investment vehicle.
    The 1980s saw the emergence of a secondary market for life insurance policies offered by owners suffering from terminal illnesses. Investors offered policy owners substantially more for their life insurance than the insurance companies were offering as cash surrender values. Investors buying the policies could reap significant returns on their investment dollars when the insurance companies paid out on the death of the insured.
    Unlike life settlements of today, such as those offered by Pacific West Capital Group, the problem with the viatical settlements of the 1980s and later was that they were predicated upon a diagnosis of a terminal illness. If the person died, the investor received the death benefit payment as the beneficiary, but if the insured recovered and went on to live for many years, the investor was forced to keep the money invested tied up in an insurance policy that paid not annual return on investment.
    Viatical settlements were plagued by problems such as fraud and misdiagnosis. Policy owners misrepresented their medical conditions and backed it up with phony medical reports. Even in the absence of fraud, a misdiagnosis or the development of a breakthrough cure could extend the life of the insured beyond the life expectancy anticipated by the investor at the time of entering into the investment.
    Another problem with viatical settlements is that insurance companies were quick to challenge the right of a beneficiary to collect on the policies after the death of the insured. The failure of an insured to disclose existing medical conditions at the time of application for the policy could provide grounds for the insurance company to contest paying out the proceeds of the policy.
    Taking a lesson from the mistakes made by investors in viatical settlements, the life settlement industry grew in the 1990s by offering elderly policy owners the opportunity to sell their life insurance. No longer relying on the existence of a terminal illness, life settlements focused on life expectancy of an insured based on the person’s age, the existence of chronic or degenerative conditions and lifestyle.
    Companies such as Pacific West Capital Group know that the time between investment and payout is narrower in a life settlement than with viaticals because death from old age can be predicted with more accuracy than a death from an illness.
  • Adding A New Deck Helped Our House Stand Out In The Market

    Adding A New Deck Helped Our House Stand Out In The Market

    My wife and I decided to sell our house because I received a new job offer in another state. Unfortunately, there were many homes for sale in our neighborhood already. Our real estate agent suggested we make some improvements to our home in an effort to make it stand out  and attract buyers.
    We considered many types of projects to improve our home on the outside. However, we determined that the project that would most alter the looks of our home for the better was updating our back deck.
    Our back deck was constructed of real wood and had been stained and painted numerous times over the years. There were various boards sagging and others that were completely gone due to rot. The whole contraption was so flimsy that we didn’t even use the deck any longer.
    Once we decided that a new deck was the project we wanted to invest in, we began looking for types of decking. We heard about Rhino Deck products, which are made out of a composite material that comes in many natural-looking colors. Our realtor agreed that this was the best way to go.
    Since I am not gifted when it comes to using tools and constructing anything, we called in a professional. Once the deck was constructed, we bought some patio furniture and decorated the deck. Thankfully, this improvement seemed to help: Our home got its first offer the very next showing. I am so thankful the deck was the improvement we decided to make.
  • Guard Your Renewable Energy Business With Jim Mcaluney

    Guard Your Renewable Energy Business With Jim Mcaluney

    As the nation sets its sights on greener, more eco-friendly power sources, the demand for renewable energy businesses has surged. Due to the nature of these businesses, they are especially vulnerable to natural disasters. Jim McAluney, one of Hawaii’s premier insurance brokers, can help you guard your renewable energy business from the harmful effects of Mother Nature.
    Here are some types of insurance that Jim McAluney may recommend for your business:
    • Flood, Earthquake & Hurricane Insurance. In the renewable energy field, your business relies heavily on the elements as a power source. When these give way to extremes, your equipment may be at stake. Flood, earthquake and hurricane insurance allows you to ensure that you are able to replace this equipment if it becomes damaged by natural disaster.
    Since 1996, Jim McAluney has been helping top Hawaiian businesses manage their risks.  Jim worked for an environmental contractor before 1996, making him especially equipped to handle the needs of your business.
  • My Hostel Room In Newcastle @ Lovaine Flats

    My Hostel Room In Newcastle @ Lovaine Flats

    My Hostel Room In Newcastle @ Lovaine Flats – In Malaysia, flat is like low-cost flat where you it’s a place to stay with a small living room and perhaps 1/2 room. Sounds, low cost, but in the UK, flat actually means apartment and the hostel I am living right now is call the Lovaine Flats. Yeah. Guess what, it’s actually the cheapest hostel in Northumbria University at £85/week and I don’t get my own bathroom.
    Befre. Empty room, with no bedding.
    Room is quite OK, location-wise is very good too which is very near to the city, the library and the gym, what’s not OK is there’s only one shower, and one WC! Oh my god, there’s 5-7 rooms in a flat and imagine you are having a stomachache and he/she is having a stomachache at the same time. Die lo.
    Kitchen for 5.
    OK, that’s me, in a room with stuff now.
    My workstation in the UK. I miss my big monitor screen and an awesome sound system back home.
    I don’t mind the room being small, because it’s bigger than the one I stayed in Taylor’s University, I don’t mind the room is not beautifully decorated because I have my own way to make it comfortable. Kitchen is OK, just lack of a good common area. Well, the dining chairs and table are definitely the place for me and the rest of the flatmate to chill. I’ve seen nicer one here but they are way more than mine at over £100/week. So I was thinking, since it’s just a place to sleep, why not save the extra pounds for something else, travel, perhaps?
  • A Good Day To Durham

    A Good Day To Durham

    Durham // A Good Day To Durham – Durham is a small town located just 45km from Newcastle upon Tyne and it’s a lovely place to visit as there’s a very beautiful Roman-style cathedral. The Durham Cathedral was also part of the film location for the first two Harry Potter films, so it’s a place must not be missed if you are visiting Newcastle, moreover the entrance to the cathedral is free!
    Last week, I’ve visited the Lumiere Festival at Durham, but this visit happened like 2 months ago when it was a very good day with beautiful clear blue sky and warm weather. We went to the bus station at Eldon Square to board the Angel 21 bus to Durham, it cost about £6.30 for a unlimited day trip ticket to Durham and back, so in between you can choose to stop by Angel Of The North for a little photoshoot, but we did after visiting Durham. Bus ride took about 45 minutes and it was pretty pleasant.
    I was like sticking my head out at the window, curiously looking out along the way as that time I was still very fresh to England, UK. 😀 Durham is small, everything is in walking distance, the town is small too, with a few retails outlet, and some eatery restaurants. There’s nothing much to do except chill walking in the peaceful UNESCO World Heritage Site, looking around and just relax. 🙂 It was really a good day, and I was so grateful for the sunshine. Well, it seems like visiting Durham during the winter might be interesting too, when there’s snow and the river Wear freezes. I shall plan another trip again, when it snows.
    On the bus Angel 21, heading to Durham..
    Wayne.
    Durham Cathedral and University of Durham on top.
    A group photo with Jon, Eunice, Yee Hua, Ling, Wayne & Alvin.
    Add caption
    Market Place, Durham.
    Sun bathing, embracing the sun.
    Standing by the grave.
    Harry Potter had his Quidditch practice here!
  • Angel of the North – A Huge Piece Of Steel Structure By A1 Road

    Angel of the North – A Huge Piece Of Steel Structure By A1 Road

    Angel of the North – A Huge Piece Of Steel Structure By A1 Road – Sometimes, my friend would ask me what to see in Newcastle, or is there anything that represent the Newcastle? Anything as in Big Ben, Tower Bridge for London, Petronas Twin Towers for Malaysia, and Newcastle? I would say the Angel of the North, and the Millennium Bridge. 😀
    Funny that my friend who went there and back told me, “It’s just a piece of useless steel standing by the major A1 road”. Haha. No matter it’s useful or useless, I still insisted to visit it to check it out. Indeed, it’s a huge piece of steel, doesn’t look like an angel (I don’t really know how an angel looks like, perhaps with a ring floating on top of the head, with feather wings.), I don’t really know the purpose, but it’s just an art installation to me, and I find it interesting!
    JUMP!
    It’s not easy to stick a huge piece of steel in the ground at North East where it often windy here. It’d been here for a long time since 1998, designed by artist Antony Gormley. It was a good, clear blue sky day and I just glad I visited it. Heading there is pretty easy, hop on the Angel 21 bus from Elton Square Bus Station or Durham and just alight when you see the angel. You can visit the angel when you are visiting Durham, it’s just in between the route from Newcastle to Durham. Cheers!
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