Wednesday, July 28, 2010

葡萄牙之旅 11 - 遊 Alcobaça

繼續葡萄牙之旅


今日嘅旅程, 繼續係一日行走兩個城市 - 早上我先由根據地Lisbon (里斯本)搭巴士去 Alcobaça作半日遊 (下午就會係去Nazaré)。


本來想在網上找有Alcobaça呢個 location 嘅map, 但係實在太難搵, 搵來搵去都搵唔到, 以下呢個lonely planet嘅葡萄牙地圖裡, 左手邊沿岸有個城市叫做Nazaré, Alcobaça就係在Nazaré 附近, 而我呢一日去完Alcobaça之後, 就繼續坐巴士過Nazaré 玩下半日的。


Map of Portugal


 


今朝早又要晨咁早出發!  我真係懷疑葡萄牙巴士公司係痴線架!  唔知點解要將d巴士班次安排得咁奇怪!  攪到我放假去旅行, 每日仲早過我平時返工好多!!


今朝出發時, 天氣似乎幾ok, 但係架coach bus行左唔夠15分鐘, 就開始見到遠處有黑雲蒲頭喇, 真係好驚兼極度掃興!!



 


黑雲當道.....嘩, 不過我突然間被遠處嘅另一些物件吸引住.......唔知大家見唔見山頭上好多野呢??



 


就係風力發電嘅.....嘅乜鬼, 我唔識叫佢地個名, 同南丫島那些一樣的東西, 呢度成個山頭都係呀, 好壯觀呀!!!!!!!!! ....個天黑得好嚇鬼, 我真係驚去到Alcobaça時係落大雨, 咁就慘!



 


搭左一個幾鐘頭巴士, 終於到達Alcobaça喇, 雖然仍然黑天黑地, 不過好彩冇落雨, 算好喇, 因為葡萄牙嘅冬天經常落大雨, 我每天都懷著不安嘅心情出發去玩, 個種滋味真係難以形容! (哈哈哈)


由於去到Alcobaça, 都未到10am, 太早舖頭 & 景點仍未開門, 我又好肚餓, 所以先去食個早餐先。


以下兩個葡萄牙甜品及一杯 capuccino. 左手邊那個甜品如果冇錯的話, 係叫 "sonho", 右手邊那件我唔記得叫乜名, 但呢件甜品真係甜到嘔!!  痴線, 真係太甜, 甜到離晒譜!  我唔用capuccino沖淡下的話, 會更難頂!  我印象中呢件件係我在葡萄牙食咁多野食以來最最最甜嘅食物!!!  



 


本來我想去Alcobaça呢個地方之餘, 再去埋另一個小城Batalha, 但時間實在有限, 而呢兩個小城都係各有一個好出名的大教堂, 為免太重複, 又參考過幾本旅遊書嘅意見, 最後唯有取Alcobaça而捨Batalha, 下次再去葡萄牙的話, 一定去Batalha玩的


食左早餐之後, 就慢慢搵路行入市中心嘅大教堂 & 修道院。只係數分鐘嘅路程, 加上天氣算ok, 冇落雨, 所以唔辛苦。



 


Alcobaça嘅大教堂 (Cistercian Monastery of Santa Maria)係全葡萄牙最大嘅教堂, 擁有巴洛克式嘅正面外觀, 但內裡就係哥德式嘅建築。



 


葡萄牙嘅第一位國王Afonso Henriques, 在摩爾人 (The Moors)嘅手中奪回附近嘅城市Santarém 之後, 就在1178年開始在Alcobaça建造呢座大教堂。


裡面除左有不少雕塑外, 當然唔少得葡萄牙嘅azulejos (磁磚)啦, 如果你都同我一樣咁迷戀azulejos的話, 呢度你應該會好鐘意, 因為呢度有好多由美麗嘅azulejos砌成嘅圖。通常好多呢d大圖係有意思的, 例如係刻畫打仗時嘅情景, 相當迫真。



 


左圖係修道院裡嘅大教堂, 教堂非常深長寬闊, 兩邊有巨大嘅柱廊 , 氣勢迫人!  教堂內部少了華麗嘅裝飾, 卻有柔和嘅燈光, 配以白色嘅牆身, 令人感覺舒服和諧。 


右圖係修道院裡嘅迴廊, 印象中呢間修道院裡面好多類似嘅迴廊。



 


下面右圖係修道院裡嘅大厨房, 個厨房最出名之處在於呢個超級無比大嘅煙囪!!



 


修道院裡有一個Refectory (飯廳)。



 


修道院裡另一個重點要去欣賞嘅地方係: Tombs of Dom Pedro and Ines嘅靈柩。呢兩個靈柩雕刻得極之繁複細緻, 個人極度欣賞當年工匠們嘅精美手工。呢兩個靈柩背後埋藏着一個悲傷嘅愛情故事, 詳細請去睇Alcobaça Monastery 。



 


我影嘅相, 唔知吸唔吸引到各位去Alcobaça呢?  如果想更清楚欣賞Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça, 可以去以下嘅網頁睇睇, 網主放在好多張教堂嘅相, 影得非常美麗的。


http://www.paradoxplace.com/Photo%20Pages/Portugal/Alcobaca/Alcobaca.htm


 


另外, youtube都有一個video clip, 簡單介紹呢個修道院, 奈何youtube唔准我放條片上blog, 所以唯有放條link在此, 有興趣嘅話可以去看看, 可以動態地欣賞一下呢間在1989年已經被聯合國UNESCO定為世界遺產地方 (World Heritage Site)嘅美麗修道院 & 大教堂。


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1eRnfodf-g&feature=channel


 


下回將會講嘅係另一葡萄牙小城Nazaré !!


穿梭葡萄牙2009-2010 - 待續  


Friday, July 23, 2010

New job...

想同大家分享一個消息, 就係, 我8月開始, 就重返職場, 因為我已經搵到一份新工了....


其實正確些來講, 我並冇搵過工, 呢份工係自己來搵我的, 何解呢?  因為呢份工係一年零四個月前將我 laid off 嘅公司嘅工!! 


記得舊年四月頭某一日, 一朝早返到公司, 我阿頭即刻關門, 同我講呢一個裁員嘅消息, 雖然我從來未試過被裁員, 但因為集團在之前幾個月已經出現左第一round裁員, 所以大家有心理準備, 隨時有一刻來個第二round, 任何一個人都有呢個機會。當日被laid off雖然唔開心, 但唔知何解, 心情在幾日之內已經平服。今時今日, lay off呢樣野並不樣衰, 被 lay off又如何, 世界咁大, 總有我生存嘅空間, 東家唔打, 打西家啦。


經過呢1年零4個月嘅補習生涯, 睇盡人生百態, 好彩, 並唔係話讚自己, 本人都算好有責任心, 所以補習工作, 基本上家長係對我有好大需求。可是, 有工作做並唔代表搵到錢。


回想番過去呢16個月嘅生活, 我好喜歡能夠教育小朋友, 能夠見證佢地大部分, 都在學業上有不少嘅進步, 有好大嘅滿足感。但.....在報酬上, 根本係吃力不討好, 每日在短時間內, 奔波於不同嘅學生家中, 體力嚴重透支, 身心非常疲乏, 賺不多太多錢之餘, 花於影印、紙張、交通上嘅開支亦很多, 而且有很多次, 因為一日內講太長時間說話, 喉嚨好痛。收入又唔穩定, 考試期間好多家長想你勁加堂;但考試完畢就放個長假, 我嘅收入極之唔穩定, 而我嘅情緒亦都長期處於擔心嘅狀態。


由於舊公司有人走, 佢地想搵人來救命, 所以搵番我。我考慮左一輪, 應唔應該同錢作對?  好快我就決定唔會同錢作對!!  laid off我嘅人遠在總部London, 但我每日合作嘅人並非佢地;雖然佢地開出嘅條件並不特別吸引, 但肯定比起我現在嘅工作情況好好多。


我想自己開補習社嘅理想並冇改變, 返回舊公司後, 應該可以比我有更多時間去好好計劃和籌備。呢份工並非一份我會做到退休嘅工作, 睇過呢個世界最真實嘅一面後, 我已經學得更懂未雨籌謀, 為錢, 為將來, 我希望用最短時間賺多個錢在身;然後再去實現自己嘅夢想。


說到底, 有好好計劃同籌謀, 才有更大的成功的機會。我唔想做一個只有一個勇字在心口的人......


多謝大家又聽我講左一番廢話, 哈哈哈!  祝大家都生活愉快, 工作順利


 


****** I'm trying to translate what I have written above into English, haha **********


I'd like to share some news with you all - that is, I have found a new job and will be returning to work full time again in early August.


I haven't been looking for any jobs for such a long time already.  I simply had no motivation at all to look for a full time job.  I don't know why.  Probably it's because of my laziness, or I was being too busy with tutorials, or simply, I have been discouraged too much during the job searching and interview process in the past one year or so that I totally have given up on searching for any jobs in this so-called job market.   


This new job that I have just got is exactly the same one which I lost a year and four months ago.  How ridiculous!  16 months ago, I was laid off by them - it had nothing to do with my job performance; it wasn't because the company was losing money or encountering a huge drop in benefits.  It was simply because those fxxxing management people wanted a nice book in their accounting.  They cut me off in order to cut cost and made the company accounting looked good. But now, I'm returning.... because a veteran colleague has gone for some other better opportunities and they badly need someone to replace him.


Talking back, my supervisor and me had been well prepared for a lay off to take place at any time.  In fact, it's the "second round" of so-called "global layoff" which took place in my ex-compnay (and now my company again).  When the "first round" took place a few months earlier, some veteran colleague who had worked for about 15 years were laid off.  When this happened, one could imagine anything could happen to any staff members like myself - although I was only a small potato.


I still remember very well what happened on that day in early April last year.  Honestly, I was pretty sad on the day when I was laid off.  I have never been laid off in my work life but I don't know why.  I thought I handled it quite well.  I was already feeling quite ok about three days later.  Layoff isn't such a big thing NOW - and so what if it happens to me.  This isn't the end of the world.  The world is big, and there must be somewhere in which I can live and survive.


I have considered for a few days whether to take this job offer.  I love tutoring kids, but the reality is - being a private tutor is after all only a freelance job.  Yes, it gives me lots of freedom and I have more free time to do whatever I want when I don't tutor.  But at the same time, I'm earning much less money than before.  This job is very insecure and has no protection at all.  When I'm sick and can't tutor, I'll have to cancel class and that means I won't earn any money at all.  Also, technically speaking, I don't have any holiday at all.  I tutor seven days a week, although I don't tutor many hours a day. And when exams are approaching, parents of my students want me to tutor more; but once the exams are over, they'll not have classes for me for maybe two or three weeks.  This is so terrible for me.


To make it short, I'm returning to the old company simply for money and good benefits.  Apart from money, there are also the fringe benefits and the paid annual leaves.  How wonderful now that I can have some paid annual leaves ---- and I can have them in low season, hahaha!!!  Well, I'm already thinking when to travel again....


Thinking it in a more positive way, I have learned a large deal in the past 16 months.  I haven't given up my dream of opening up a tutorial center.  Returning to the old firm allows me to save more money, to have more time for myself, and to plan better for my future.  It helps me to settle down a bit now, as I really have worn out a lot - both physically and mentally - in the past 16 months from running around tutoring different kids in different areas.  There have been sooooo many times that so many friends asked what has happened to me - why I am looking so slim, or too slim. 


I don't know for how long I will and I can work for this company this time.  But so what?  I'll never know what will happen tomorrow anyway, so I don't wanna bother myself with so many UNKNOWNS.  What I can only do is to do my work as well as I can, and save as much money as I can. 


Haha, thanks guys and gals for having listened so much rubbish that I have said here.  I wish all of you a happy life and a successful career.  Enjoy your life in your ups and downs, no matter what.  Take care


Monday, July 19, 2010

香港的德國菜

我唔係發左達, 哈哈!  呢排成日出去食野, 正如之前所講, 只因為生日關係, 有朋友邀約出來見面食飯。今次朋友叫我提議去邊, 咁我就揀左赤柱那間德國餐廳...好多人都談論呢間餐廳, 話幾好食, 所以就趁呢個機會試一試!!


 


星期六中午嘅赤柱, 唔太多人, 比較清靜, 幾好!!  在town center行左一陣, 就沿沙灘旁走, 去美利樓 (美利樓嘅建築歷史, 參考呢度嘅wikipedia page --> Murray House), 。雖然去過唔少次赤柱, 但我係第一次行去美利樓那邊咋!!



 


就係呢間德國餐廳 - King Lugwig Beerhall...



 


餐廳內部裝修得好靚, 真係好有德國feel!!  好肯定, 呢間餐廳嘅老闆們, 真係好花心機同心思, 將全間餐廳設計、裝飾、營造出極之德國嘅氣氛, 德國老外來到呢度, 應該好有歸屬感, 覺得好warm, 嘻嘻!!


可惜係本人對德國呢個國家以至德國文化都係 "零興趣"!!! 



 


本來想book 1:00pm食呢個 lunch buffet, 但早幾日打電話來made booking時, 接電話的小姐叫我改做12:30pm得唔得, 佢話因為1:00pm bookings已經頗為爆滿, 咁無辦法啦, 早半個鐘都好嘅, 早d開始食好野!!  嘻嘻嘻!


 


餐廳呢個bar table就係放buffet食物嘅主要地方, 嘩, 好多麵包呀, d野都幾吸引咁喎!  不過我一舊都冇食過!



 


又有lobsters呀!! 但我又係好白痴, 都冇食到!  反而今次食左一些salmon。講開salmon, 好彩我地12:30pm來吃 (當時間餐廳數埋冇10個人), 原來那些salmon被取晒就算, 並冇refilled (我朋友話嘅, 因為佢之後想再取已經冇晒囉...)!



 


唔記得講, 我地坐低冇耐, 侍應就端來一碟有鹹豬手 + 薯仔嘅菜 (免費的), 個鹹豬手幾好食呀, 唔係話好鹹, 加埋mustard sauce一齊食特別啱本人口味...



 


餐廳有一個露台, 都擺放左好多枱, 秋天坐呢度食野應該幾爽, 但大熱天時氣溫咁高, 並且唔知會唔會落大雨, 所以今次我地選左坐裡面。露台位好有泰國feel呀!!



 


完全想象唔到呢到係 Stanley!! 哈哈, 唔講以為呢度係: 泰國、馬來西亞....



 


露台有厨師在燒烤德國腸和雞腿, 我取左幾件來吃試下好唔好吃....



 


答案係: 全無味道可言!  我要加鹽、加胡椒粉、再加mustard來食。



 


乜原來德國蛋糕、甜品咁厲害的?? 



 


攪到我一開始唔敢食咁多野, 因為想留個肚來食甜品, 我先後選左好多款以上嘅甜品來吃, 包括呢d:



 


不過全部都令我異常失望, 全部都 --- 唔好食嘅!!  係個黑森林蛋糕ok, 其餘完全冇特別!  我諗德國嘅甜品, 比起意大利、法國甚至葡萄牙嘅甜品, 實在差太遠喇 (定係呢間整得唔好食呢?)。


或許我太鐘意意大利 & 葡萄牙嘅食物, 所以德國餐比我感覺係較為普通嘅食物。講出來並非誇耀, 查實我以前在奧地利旅遊時亦食過德國餐, 同樣....冇乜特別, 只係: 豬牛扒、豬手、腸等等, 一大堆肉, 同南歐 (意大利、葡萄牙、西斑牙、法國)嘅食物, 質素似乎有段距離......


同行嘅朋友都有類似嘅意見.....