Borlänge

DSC01399c, originally uploaded by cloudberrie.

Borlänge, a sleeping little town approximately 200km west of Stockholm. This was where pek went 2 weeks ago for his individual project site visit. (NOTE: a site visit here involves a 10hr over night train, folled by a 4hr morning train...no 30min SBS or MRT)

Being stuck in a studio course designed for the conservation of history, it is not surprising that again, this projects is about conservation of a old building. At least its not an old dilapitated blood stained slaughter house. This time, the building in question is the Swedish equivalent of Paxton's Crystal Palace. A 10000 meter square exhibition hall built during the 1897 Stockholm Exposition of Arts and Industry by Architect Fredinand Boberg, and a listed World Monument Site. Whats left of the original building is its huge steel trusses with movable joints, and thats is the ONLY thing peks planning to keep and use.

apparently, the Municipal of Borlänge is really excited about restoring this significant building. they were even generous enough to pay for our train trip there and back. What was more unsettling is that it felt like a publicity program as there were reporters invited. Never has pek been on the newpaper in his entire 8yrs in Singapore, and 1 month in Sweden he's already on 2....stress stress...

Adorning the current Peks Room

Untitled-4 copy, originally uploaded by cloudberrie.
Canoeing Days

Untitled-3 copy, originally uploaded by cloudberrie.
Archi Life

Untitled-1 copy, originally uploaded by cloudberrie.
HAC in Kuala Lumpur

Untitled-2 copy, originally uploaded by cloudberrie.
Capoeiristas in Tioman

This is Pek's room...at least until 2nd January. let me tell you a little about Pek's Room

- its the biggest room of all previous Pek's Rooms
- it has sort of a walk-in closet connected to a toilet(not seen in the photo as its behind the camera), and Pek has never had those...to himself at least.
- it has 3 different kinds of chair in one room, an office, a normal, and a lounge chair...Pek has never had more then 2 kinds of chair in previous Pek's Rooms
- it has 2 different kinds of curtains, a bamboo blind and the blanket courtesy of British Airways...Pek has never had more then 1 kind of curtains in previous Pek's Rooms
- it has 2 photo walls, complete with stick-ups, pin-ups and clip-ups...normally Pek only has 1 photo board.
- it has no fan, it has what Pek calls, 'window-aircon'...leaving it ajar cools the room, leaving open freezes Pek's *beep*...go figure
- it has 2 other occupants, a little potted plant call 'The Plant' and a little teddy named 'Name-less'.
- it has the more lights then all previous Pek's Room, 2 ceiling bulb with shades, 1 toilet bulb in a bowl, 1 wall mounted spot lamp, and one standing spot lamp...
- it has a wall mounted radiator...Pek has never ever...ever ever ever ever ever had one of those before, though Pek doesn't know if its working.

yup, thats some facts of the current Pek's Room...=] some closed up shots below...

the Archi. photo wall ...a stick-up A3 poster with multiple clip-on photos(thanks guys!!!=])
The Plant!!! it doesn't need water, it thrives on music..more specifically, swedish music!!!
Nameless sitting on her stamp-covered, Singpost parcel box bench, on the headboard of Pek's Room just Sunday nights dinner....

Just A Nice Guy - Part 3 - Wong Fu Productions

Once again, a fantastic short clip by WongFu Productions with a sweet and down to earth story that many might find familiar. enjoy..

Just A Nice Guy - Part 2 - Wong Fu Productions

Just A Nice Guy - Part 1 - Wong Fu Productions

With a non existence night life here in Lund, many student turn to evening get-togethers to seek solace. however, unique to all evening gathering here, its normally a pre-party to a corridor party or nation party somewhere else. as social gathering like this usual ends up with great amount of alcohol and people going crazy...it is always advice that u come prepared. but mind you, this ia all part and parcel of life here as a student...and i'm not complaining.....hee=D

Case 1,Dinner invitations
"hey Tiw wanna come over for dinner tonight, i'm cooking thai!!!" a simple unsuspicious dinner gathering to some, but here, its more like " hey Tiw, come over for thai food and maybe a drink or 100 later. we can even have a drunken Karaoke match after that. and we guarantee that you will still be able to return home in one piece but whether consciously or not is a different thing." yes, they have karaoke on Xbox here...
Patt....an excellent thai cook...btw, his name is pronouced 'pa-at' with a chinese no. 3 intonation...hahaha pronouced any differently, it means someone else.
cool rocker dude Slash and crazy funky karaoke Swede Veronica
a little booze goes a long way in making singers out of non-singers...
we the RED TEAM Stood victorious after a gruelling Karaoke face out
Swedish Victor trying out his tap dancing skill to each extra points.
here with his pet goose whos name i do not know
dun let his gay looks fool U...Mr Awi(like Tatto artist Awi James) is a heavy metal rocker dude for sure.


Case 2, corridor parties.
Unlike clubbing where its dark, smoky and difficult to oriented within, with bad music and unfriendly people, these are held in the hostels and are more of a get a drink, let loose and get to know people kind. here, the atmosphere are normally more friendly, and people are usually more approachable. you can chit chat with a beer along the corridors, or join in and dance the night away at the various rooms(peoples bed rooms normally) where different genres of music are blasting through computer speakers.

recognize the shirt back there anyone=)
Thats Roderick aka Vanilla, a fellow capoeirista for Holland
Mr 'Rocker' Slash and Miss Lai
fellow corridor Swedes which i've just met

IKEA....some pronounce it 'ai-kay-ya' but now let it be known, the proper swedish pronouciation is..."eee-kay-a"...hahaha!!!!! over here in sweden, the IKEA is considered the cheapest place if you wanted to get home furnishings and deco. unlike back home where its consider middle to upper class, here its for the common. almost every student gets their stuff for their rooms from IKEA. and just for your information IKEA stands for Ingvar Kampar Elmtaryd Agunnaryd(Ingvar Kampar Home Furnishing retailer) and dear Mr Ingvar Kampar even donated money for the whole ID building(Ingvar Kampar Design Centrum) on our campus which covers the Architure House behind it in its shadow....though they have delicious lunch buffet there daily=)
the most windy day since we arrived in Lund. In front of Block K of another international corridor as we set out of our IKEA Quest. left, Sir Ivan 'Tan' of Copenhagen Business Sch, and Lady Ling of Lund Faculty of Business...hahawaiting for the bus at Malmo...Sir Ivan 'Tan' having a break with his KIT KAT
MEEEAAAAATTTTTBAAALLLLLLSSSS!!!!!! evenly oven baked meatball,crisp and firm on the outside bursting with mouthfuls of breadly and meatly insides with a every slight but noticeble scent of nutmeg, complemented perfectly with hot creamy sauce and sweet cold jam. together with the freshly boiled baby potatoes, every bite was a savoury, and blissful piece of heaven....ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
mission accomplished!!
Sir Ivan 'Tan' reenacting the role of the mothers of his home land, the SamSui women....this is the Sweden's Sam Sui Man!!!!

Two saturdays ago, we were bumming around in Copenhagen...after much deliberation, we decided to try and get a picture with the castle guard....these guys just march continuously in front of the entrance the whole day...and they have a dun-mess-with-me-face always, but it was just too tempting!!! haha!1
Florian and i almost got SHOT!!! really, we were trying to get as close to the palace guys as possible the he just suddenly snapped his rifle and growled: "1.5 m away!!!"....phew....on top of some tower...note...both center guys are has the same name.....FLORIAN though they know nuts bout construction....haha
Group Pic(note there is another Florians in this pic, guys with cap looking in wrong direction, is also a Florian)
YAR YAR!!! Diego, a Swiss German, and Ole a German German....the Jokers in my swedish class.
Ann-Sophie...my fellow photo crazy french friend...don't mess with the girls!!!thats the worlds tallest man....oh man, i feel so short...

fresh food market
city hall?
note the person cracking the whip, its a LADY!!!

copenhagen opera house....no durians here..haha!


a random flower!!!

outer space bubbles in the middle of town square??


kings castle.....this guy has a garden the size of 8 soccer fields i thinkhe even has a tree casted into concrete and put on a wagon...funny, i think Mr Fong did say he patented this...hahaha
what??
all tired after the whole day of walking...



2 really crazy street bashers....they were screaming more then singing...haha
the best showcase of the crazy swedish wind!!
wow wow and WOW!!!! a definate project runway winner...and the second runner up...they even make there own shoes.....funky hippy-flowerpower colours...haha
a person i noe back home?? maybe that how she would look if she was a he...haha


another familiar name...comes with a matching set square too...how appropriate
ohhhhh!!!! lets worship the golden cow..NOT!!!...i sure ain't want cow dung over me....haha