Kuala Lumpur II

After I finished my coffee, I went to the biggest shopping mall of Malaysia, the Suria KLCC, which is located just behind the Petronas Towers. I strolled around the huge building and bought the novel "Tender is the Night" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. When I walked out of the mall to make some pictures of the towers, I was approached by some girls that wanted to know here I'm from. Soon I was involved in a lively conversation about traveling the world and I couldn't turn down the offer of joining them for dinner. Actually they invited me to their place somewhere in the suburbs of KL. They cooked fish, rice and different kinds of vegetables, some of whom I've never seen before. When I now think of that experience I feel like being a little adventurer, because in Switzerland at least, I would never join some strangers for dinner.

Actually I wanted to go to the restaurant Frangipani (25 Changkat Bukit Bintang) for dinner, but that was obsolete now. At the hotel I slept a little bit because I spent the night before at the airport and sleeping there is not so recreative. Then I took a taxi to one of the best rooftop bars I've ever been: the Skybar at the Traders Hotel, which is run by the famous Shangri-La group. There is a huge swimming pool in the center of the bar and at the large window front you have cozy lounge chairs to enjoy the stunning views at the bright Petronas Towers. That was just fantastic! After that I checked out the Zouk Club (113 Jalan Ampang), the pendant to the one we were at Singapore. But as it was a Monday there was not a lot going on, so I went back to the hotel. The next morning I already had to go back to Singapore which meant: Good-bye Malaysia, good-bye Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur I

When we came back from Vietnam we landed in Singapore at around 1AM. Sophie didn't feel well and Silvan never intended to go to Kuala Lumpur, so I was the only one who had to wait for the flight with Tiger Airways at 6AM. There was no use going to the city, so I waited at the airport, which was rather boring, as I was not at the main terminal but at the budget which doesn't house a lot of stores. However, I found a boostore and looked through the Lonely Planet for KL and wrote down some places to visit. Among these, the Luna Bar seemed very promising, but also the Sultan Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental. At least I had some ideas where to go in the evening. The flight was short and I arrived pretty early at the airport in KL. However, it takes some time to get into the city. There is a free bus run by Asia Airlines that brings you to the center, but it takes almost an hour (which is about the time you need by plane from Singapore to KL). Fortunately, I could already check in at the hotel in the Indian district which is called Masjid Jamek. As I only had one day to spend in KL, I immediately took a taxi to the Menara KL, a 421m tall TV tower. It's the worlds fifth tallest TV tower and one had some stunning views from its top.

Then I went right to the Petronas Towers, which were the highest buidlings in the world from 1998-2004. Actually I wanted to go up to the Skybridge that connects the two towers. However, I wasn't so lucky this time, because it was closed that day.
I then decided to walk to the Hotel Maya, which is included in the Wallpaper* guide and famous for its interior design. As it was pretty hot outside, I had a coffee at the bar and enjoyed the atmosphere in the hotel lobby. If I ever return to KL this is the hotel of choice!

Vietnam V

In Hanoi a young driver waited for us at the airport and we started for a 45 minute ride to the city center, where our hotel was located. However, we only stayed one night in the city, as we were about to leave early in the morning to get to the world famous Halong Bay. The large bay consists of more than 1900 small islands. The Halong Bay was first listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, in recognition of its outstanding, universal aesthetic value. In 2009 it was included on a list of nominations as one the World's 7 Natural Wonders.

Again, we had a private driver for the 3.5 hours journey. Before we boarded our cruise, we eat the best croissants ever! Unbelievable, as we all had been in France before. Anyway, the Paradise Cruise was pure luxury! The rooms were quite spacious, the bathroom very modern, so was the whole cruise, and the details also contributed to the perfect impression. The welcome buffet was great and offered a wide variety of vietnamese specialities. The cruise had a sun deck with nice sun loungers and so we could soak up the majestic panorama of the bay! It's really a wonderful piece of the Earth! The night we spent on the boat, which also had a bar with drinks. We had nice talks during dinner and enjoyed our time on the cruise. The next morning we returned back to the dock where our driver already waited to bring us back to the hotel in Hanoi. We spent another two days in the capital, strolling around, eating street food, and checking out some nice bars. As Sophie didn't feel too good one evening, Silvan and I went to a Jazz Club were we watched the band perform for less than 30 minutes, before they closed. As we had to leave, we went to a bar called Funky Buddha with a nice DJ and nice folks. The next day was, sadly, the last one we could spend in Vietnam, before returning to Singapore with Tiger Airways.

Vietnam IV

In Hue it was markedly chillier than in Hoi An. We also had some rain showers during the car ride. The hotel we had booked in advance was cheap but still of good quality. That day I didn't feel so good, or better, my stomach didn't feel so good. However, it was not severe and the next day I already felt better. Unfortunately Sophie got also sick later, when we were in Hanoi. That night we walked to a small hidden Café called Café On Thu Wheels. We ordered fresh spring rolls and some more dishes, and actually spent half the evening there. Eventually, we even booked an individual city tour for the next day. It was supposed to be on motorbikes, but as it was cold and rainy, we opted for a private car. Silvan even managed to include an airport transfer in the price. Well done.

The next day we got up at 10AM, and actually breakfast time was already over. But the old lady at the reception felt sorry for us and we still got our breakfast. Then the driver picked us up at the hotel and we went to see the Thien Mu Pagoda which lies directly at the bank of the parfume river. We strolled around the vast park and made some pictures. The next stop was a hill where we had a beautiful view of the river. At the same place we could gaze at some bunker remnants of the Vietnam War. The next sightseeing spot was the tomb of Tu Duc, which belongs to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It consists of a pretty large park with old buildings all over. I really liked that place, as it was a bit frowning and obscure, with moss on all stone walls. After this visit we were hungry and stopped for a pho soup. We then drove along rice fields to a Japanese bridge, which was very old, but not soo impressive. The very last stop was already the small airport of Hue, where we got on a Vietnam Airline flight to Hanoi.

Vietnam III

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel Silvan got a motorbike and Sophie and I hired two bicycles. So we were much faster in town and were able to discover the beach further down. One resort is located a bit north towards Da Nang, called The Nam Hai. Click on the link to see some pictures, it's just an awesome place. For most readers Vietnam most sound rather poor, but there you have pure luxury. The infinity pool is just a masterpiece!
Soon we were a bit tired of the beach at our hotel, so we made a little beach walk to the Golden Sand Resort & Spa. There we enjoyed the whirl pool, relaxed at the infinity pool and had a club sandwich for lunch. Actually we spent the rest of the day there, until the sun disappeared and left the sky in a beautiful afterglow. Then we had a short ride back to our resort and enjoyed a good book on the patio right at the river. Just brilliant!

The next day we again took the bikes and drove along the sea, which was pretty rough that day. We stoped at a little spot for a coffee and soon later we had to return as we had organized a driver that should bring us to Hue in the north. We payed him 50 US-Dollar for the five hours ride in a private car. On the way north we had to go over the Hai Van Pass. The twisting road on the pass has long been a challenge for many Vietnamese drivers. However, since the completion of Hai Van Tunnel, traffic flow and safety have improved. We could have used the tunnel as well, but we went for the beautiful views you was supposed to have. Unfortunately we had slight rain und the visibility was not that good.

Vietnam II

The next day we took a taxi to the airport in fromer Saigon. We booked our flight to Da Nang with Vietnam Airlines and got into the Business Class. This was great, as we didn't had to queue for Check-In and could use the wireless internet in the Business Class Lounge. Besides, we got coffee and food for free, and could enjoy the flight as much as possible, even though it took not much more than one hour. In Da Nang we again had a driver that brought us to our hotel, the Hoi An Beach Resort. The resort was right at the beach, we had a spacious room, the weather could not have been better, everything was perfect!
Hoi An is a rather small city, however, in 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, with buildings that display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.

We walked across the old town and found a very nice lounge just at the edge of the river, no wonder it's called River Lounge (35 Nguyen Phuc Chu). The owners, two young Austrian brothers, created a marvellous mix of european and asian elements in their menu card, which was done in collaboration with Michael Schwarzmann, an Austrian star chef. We had some fresh spring rolls as starter. I then chose a crab salad and a tuna filet with teriyaki sauce. Everything was delicious and bloody cheap!

Vietnam I

We landed in Ho Chi Minh City with a delay of more than an hour, but the driver who was supposed to pick us up and bring to the hotel was still waiting. When we looked out of the car window we saw hundreds of motorbikes with up to four passengers on it. Actually whole families, with all children. What a contrast to the well-regulated traffic in Singapore! There were no rules, our driver just drove where he though was enough space. Remarkably we never saw an accident, even though I learned that Vietnam has a very high traffic mortality rate. When we arrived at the hotel, the next challenge was crossing the street. The driver told us to just walk slowly without looking at all the motorbikes that were coming towards us like a swarm of bees. If you run, what you naturally would, they would not be able to judge your position, but if you walk very slowly they just pass beside you. But you have to be aware, that they never slow down or even break for you.

As we were hungry we wandered around the neighborhood and then found a food stall where we had a pho soup. This is a Vietnamese beef and rice noodle soup, which is often served with basil, lime, bean sprouts and peppers that you can add by yourself. After dinner we went to the Sheraton Hotel and took the elevator to the Wine bar at the 23rd floor. From there we could see the Chinese New Year parade down on the streets, where millions of people were celebrating. The next day we strolled around the city, tried different kinds of food, had coffee now and then in a street café and enjoyed the warmth. In the evening we had dinner in a thai restaurant, because most locals had closed due to the public holiday, and ultimately we ended up at Gossip Club (79 Tran Hung Dao Street). I never saw a security as tight as there, which can be a bit daunting. You're not even aloud to take pictures with your iPhone. Apart from that the club was pretty good!

Singapore III

The next day we took a taxi to Chinatown and visited all the markets there. It's again another face of Singapore, quite a contrast to all the shopping malls at Orchard Road, that we've seen so far. In Chinatown you'll find hundreds of exotic fruits and foods, and the characteristic smell, that you can find also in the Chinatwon in New York or elsewhere. We eat at a nearby food stall and got rice, chicken and some chinese vegetables. Again it was bloody cheap. In the afternoon we soon had to be ready to go to the Airport as our flight to Ho Chi Minh CIty with Tiger Airways was scheduled at around 4PM. Unfortunately, we were at the Budget Terminal, where there's not much to do. And even worse, our flight was more than an hour late.

After the trip to Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur, we came back to Singapore for a day. This is now not in chronolocial order anymore, but it perfectly fits into this post. As I went to Kuala Lumpur only by myself, I took the MRT from Changi to the Harbour Front station. From there I took the Sentosa Monorail to get to the island Sentosa. We agreed on meeting at the beach, at Cafe del Mar, upon my return. I left my luggage at the airport, but I had my shorts with me. As we all were hungry we went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. As it was a rather expensive one, we changed clothes in a toilet, so that we at least were wearing trousers. The sashimi was delicious, so was the miso soup. As it was our last evening before returning to Switzerland, we went to rooftop bar Loof (331 North Bridge Road) for a farewell drink. This appealingly eccentric rooftop bar is a playful space. The people who gather there and the mood manage to be achingly hip without being overly pretentious. As we had a direct view on the Raffles Hotel, probably the most famous hotel in Singapore, we thought about going there as well. However, the bar was crowded with tourists, so we left immediately.

Now, the next post is about the trip to Vietnam!

Singapore II

The next morning we got up early, had breakfast and set out for the university. Silvan first showed us the ample food court where we immediately grabbed a delicious mango juice and a seat in the sun. That's how days should start! After a short walk to the lecture building, Silvan introduced us to the professor and we could attend a lecture about nutrition and cancer. As the students had presentations afterwards Sophie and I left and went on a bus tour around the extensive campus. We then waited for Silvan lying in the gras under a palm tree, getting suntanned. For lunch we decided to go to a nearby a food court, which was bigger than the one in the morning. I had green thai curry with chicken and a fresh made kiwi juice, for as much as nothing! However, we went to eat chilli crab in the evening which was fairly expensive. But cracking the crab with your hands made up for the price, and was pretty funny!

Back to the afternoon: As Silvan had to write a lab report Sophie and I went to Orchard Road, which is the major shopping and entertainment street in Singapore. There are innumerable shopping malls where you could spend whole days strolling around. As we took the MRT from the uni campus we got off at Orchard Station and hence we were already in the middle of the ION Orchard shopping mall. It's probably the newest one, opened in July 2009 and houses six double-storey flagship stores of close to 9,000 square feet each, including Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Cartier. Its signature glass façade doubles up as a giant media screen as well. Then we walked along the road to Wisma Atria, and further on to the largest mall, called the Ngee Ann City. It houses the Japanese department store Takashimaya as well as it is home to Southeast Asia's second largest book store Kinokuniya.
This all-afternoon shopping session made us tired and so we decided to walk home. At sunset we went to the Esplanade for a drink on the top of the theatres with a stunning view on Singapore's skyline (see pictures of the last post). We actually watched the sun go down until it was well dark, when a nice firework started, to celebrate the beginning of the Chinese New Year. After that we were hungry and ready for crab. We tried not to get too dirty hands as we intended to go to Zouk afterwards. Best club ever in Asia!

Singapore I

Actually I've already been at Singapore once when I had a stopover at Changi Airport on my way to New Zealand. The flight with Emirates was good, although we had quite a few turbulences on the way from Zurich to Dubai. At the Airport in Singapore we took a taxi to the citycenter to the Ibis on Bencoolen, where we were supposed to meet Silvan. It was already 10PM but we had still over 30 degrees celcius, which was a slight contrast to the freezing temperature back in Switzerland. As we all were hungry, we walked into nearby Little India to have dinner. While walking through this ethnic neighbourhood I hardly had the feeling of being in Singapore. This place wasn't clean and tidy as Singapore is claimed to be. However, that made it fairly special and appealing. We found a restaurant called Sakunthala's where we enjoyed different Indian meals.

After strolling around a bit in Little India, we took a taxi, which by the way are pretty cheap, to the New Asia Bar on the 71th level of the Swissôtel The Stamford. It's a great location with stunning views on the sea of lights below! The music was good, but nothing compared to that played at Zouk, the late evening location of the next day. Actually we thought about going to Zouk or Attica the very same evening, but as we were tired of the long flight and wanted to attend a lecture at the National University of Singapore the next morning, we decided against and went home.

Final Semester X

This is the last post with Final Semester as title. I had my final exam yesterday, in Applied Statistical Regression. Then I went to the brand new gym at Hönggerberg for a workout to get my mind free. By the way, the picture in this post is shot in the gym, which is held entirely in white. Actually I was supposed to work in the afternoon, but I had some discussions with my supervisor about the contract with Givaudan, so I had to call that off. As ETH doesn't accept the contract, I'm not even sure if I can start with my thesis after my holidays. At least my supervising professor said that I should not worry...
Then I applied for another consulting event with Booz & Company. It's a three-day strategy conference about sustainability held in Venice in March. It would be a good opportunity to get to know the company in more detail. Such events are also great to enlargen the personal network and to compare oneself with other aspiring students. Furthermore, I can further benefit by solving strategic problems and practice my presentation skills. However I guess it's rather difficult to get a place in Venice, as it's an event open for students from Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Nevertheless, I'm optimistic, even though I just read that in 2009 Booz got 1200 applications, of which 35 were selected to take part at the event, that was held in Istanbul last year.