Author: bennyong

las vegas, united states of america, night

Jimmy Ray – Goin To Vegas

Well, I hope to be able to be in Vegas the end of this year but let me take you back to the time when I was in the early stages of high school in Malaysia. I managed with a long lost friend, a weekly music chart of top hits similar to Rick Dees US […]

pantheon, building, architecture

A Timeless Marvel: Exploring The Pantheon in Paris

Another First Sunday of the month, another free entry museum. This time it is to visit The Pantheon which is free during the low season. You don’t have to book your tickets upfront, just show up and join the queue if any. As usual, I recommend to come early. Paris, the city of lights, boasts […]

woman, man, water

Howie Day – Collide

It’s finally Friday and I can’t believe this song is 20 years old now! Howie Day, an American singer-songwriter, gained widespread recognition with his heartfelt ballad “Collide.” Released in 2004 as part of his album “Stop All the World Now,” the song resonated with listeners through its emotive lyrics and Day’s soulful vocals. “Collide” beautifully […]

topkapi palace museum, topkapi palace, istanbul

Topkapi Palace Istanbul

As we had no plans, we decided to visit one of the top spots in Istanbul. The center of the Ottoman Empire. I grew up learning a lot about western civilisations but evidently not enough about the Ottoman and how vast they were. We arrived here an hour later than initially planned due to the […]

sylvester, happy new year, sparkling wine

MØ – Final Song

I have selected this song to end the year. In reflection, it has been an amazing year, we have celebrated a year of being in Paris. We travelled to USA & Turkiye as a family. The kids are happy in school and work is treating me well. Now, back to the artist! MØ, born Karen […]

hagia sofia, istanbul, turkey

Hagia Sofia

We decided to visit one of the key sites of Istanbul on Christmas day. We traveled there by Taxi early in the morning to avoid the crowds and returned via public transport. Hagia Sophia, officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, is a mosque and a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last […]

galata, tower, galata tower

The Four Lads – Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

I knew of the song that kept repeating the word Istanbul and tracked it down to this song by the four lads. It could not be more fitting as a tribute for my time in Istanbul. The largest city in Turkiye. I also finally read the lyrics and never knew that Istanbul was formerly known […]

asterix, obelix, getafix

Parc Asterix

Parc Astérix is a theme park in France based on the comic book series Asterix by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny. In 2023, the park welcomed over 2.8 million visitors, making it the 2nd most visited park in France behind Disneyland Paris and the 8th most visited park in Europe. Thanks to Danone’s CSE, we […]

trees, moss, forest

Yael Naim – New Soul

Happy Friday folks… In the vibrant world of music, certain melodies possess an ethereal quality that transcends boundaries, captivating listeners across generations and continents. Yael Naim, an artist whose mellifluous voice and soul-stirring compositions effortlessly encapsulate this enchantment, found herself in the limelight when her mesmerizing track “New Soul” became the anthem of an iconic […]

Christmas Gift from Work

It will be our Christmas Dinner this evening and was surprised to hear that there will be a tower of treats. This is my third Christmas with the company and I remember receiving a hamper sent to home as we were exiting CoVid and an Amazon voucher last year. This is usually reserved for the […]