Heya, sorry to dissapoint but i havent got any new photos of pretty places. I'm on reserve this month, it means i cant really plan my trips well as i didnt know where i'll be going till the day before. It kinda zapped my enthusiasm for pictures too. Moreover the places i went to this month had bad weather; overcast and rainy, not too good for pictures.=(

This month's duty had landed me in Frankfurt, Hongkong, Kuala Lumpur and Birmingham so far. I didnt do much sightseeing this month, x'ept for frankfurt, all these places i went, i prefered to take it easy. For hongkong my main interest was shopping and eating. Took the subway to many places but it was rainy and i had to buy an umbrella. Missed the asian palette so much i ate like crazy bought pineapple tarts like crazy, bought toiletries, and shopped at the famous women's street, like crazy. (Nu ren jie) and enjoyed the hotel, like crazy.
The hotel was situated at mongkok, an area near the women's street. It was one of the best hotels i had stayed in so far, the bath had see-through glass for walls so from the tub you can enjoy watching the plasma wall mounted TV while taking a shower. Pure luxury. For Malaysia it was the same. Taking me to KL is like bringing me halfway back to singapore. almost, but not quite. So near yet so far. Loaded my cart with clothes, shoes and groceries. ate nasi goreng, chicken rice and mee soto. How i miss the asian fanfare! =~(

At Birmingham, for the first time i took to the gym and did the whole steam bath and sauna thing. A good gym regime for me is not complete without the relaxation after the workout
After sweating it out on cardio machines, i like to scrub myself clean, sweat the toxins out of my pores, steamed the moisture back into my skin - If you think about it in cooking terms it means roasting myself in the sauna then steaming myself in the steam bath. hmmm yummy. I felt a little healthy already. First time in six months! Really must do it a little more often.

In the hotel i saw a documentary on Josephine Baker before bedtime, she was a famous black singer who played quite a major part in the emancipation of blacks in the entertainment world.
Since she was famous and lived before my time, i had never heard about her. But the documentary had me glued to the TV. She was a dancer, basking in the street performances, then she moved on to the stage as a chorus girl, ( a minor part in dance) , then to a dancer then to a singer and became an actress. Her story was that of a break-through, a heroic fight to gain acceptance, not just for herself but for her race. She was relentless in her constant struggled, determined and strong willed and very very daring.

In the documentary it was mentioned that she recalled one incident of one white woman who went up to her and when josephine baker wanted to say hello, the woman spitted at her. Tears rolled down her cheeks, she wept greviously. When asked how she felt then, she said that she was angry, and upset, not at the woman but at the fact that the woman was taught and brought up to think this way. Even in her stardom, she continued this fight against racial discrimination.
It even saw her adopting 12 children she calls her rainbow tribe. These 12 childern are from all over the world with different skin color and she worked hard to support them. She loved and cared for these children wanting to prove to the world that people of different skin color and races, no matter the ethnicity or creed, can live happily together and function as a family.
Her spirit is highly inspirational. Very modern day angelina jolie?