Malaysian Astronaut 'crash-landed' in Istanbul

Okay..he didn't actually crashed-landed but landed he did...today. A few years ago, Malaysia bought a few dozens Sukhoi fighter planes from Russia. As a gesture of goodwill (and gratitude), the  Russian government offered to send one Malaysian off to space. To the International Space Station, to be exact! 400 km away from Mother Earth.

Subsequently, Malaysian citizens were offered and invited to apply for the chance to be the country's Astronaut. Out of a few thousand applicants, only one man managed to pass all the required physical, mental, intelligence,aptitude and attitude test.

The talk "12 Days In Space" was organised by TurkSat and The Istanbul Technical University. TurkSat is a service provider company and is very popular for satellite TV. 

The Organizers of the talk. Cok Tessekur Ederim.....

Dr. Shiekh Muszaphar, Malaysian very own Astronaut... Sorry girls, he's spoken for. This dishy 39 year old Orthopedic Surgeon just got married 2 years ago, where many Astronauts from all over the world attended the wedding. He claims that he was never satisfied with whatever he has...and always looking for something new. He also claims to sleep only 4 or 5 hours a day because there are too many thing to do......really?? Doesn't the Mrs. mind?

Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor is an Orthopedic surgeon, a mercenary, a part-time model and a restaurant-er. The world was never enough for him. So, he decided to see and own the outer-space as well. And that was how I found myself seated in the "Earthquake and Disaster Management Engineering" Lecture theater of the Istanbul Technical University today. My embassy invited me to go and my friends prodded me to go though I was not interested initially. Hey..I'm an engineer, I prefer to have my two feet rooted and firm on ground earth. Besides..I didn't even know how to spell "astronaut", really!! Ok..ok....go take photos, shake his hand and go home and Blog about it.  Besides...he's quite good-looking, eh? Simple enough, right? 

Except that his presentation was quite good actually and it gets my attention. As so was the rest of the audience. The room was packed with students,lecturers , media people and of course...commoners like me. I think he was the right choice to be sent off to space. Apart from the technical and physique requirement, he also possess a certain enthusiasm, drive and charm and before long, you could see that he had the audience eating out of his hands. The audience were mesmerized by his 30 minute presentation. Another 30 mins. for the overwhelming Q&A. Followed by the packed photography session with the eager audiences. I had to take the photo with him, how else to prove to my friends and the Embassy that I went...ha ha. 

All Astronauts have to go through vigorous and challenging routine, exercises and tests every day for almost 2 years. This include being subjected to near-zero oxygen condition whereby your body would have the tendency to black out. They were trained to breathe through their abdomen, just like how the singers did it. And he mentioned of the side effect of having his capillaries  in his body bursting trying to compensate and to divert the blood and oxygen to the head. 

An astronaut is also subjected to a spinning chair (centrifuge effect) such that the body would be subjected to massive gravitational push which would go as high as 9Gs. Meaning...its like having 9 times of your weight crushing on your chest! A roller-coaster would impact a 1.5G, whereas an F1 racing car driver would have a 3Gs effect. One can sustain up to 16Gs so far..but who wants to know and find out?  

No....he's not crooning to this lady....he's delivering his talk. See what I meant about being charismatic? I can understand now why he was chosen. I believe its because he also has that X-Factor.....that would draw and attract the crowds to his presence. On top of that, he had to be physically fit. The eyes must be a perfect 6/6, the hearing is perfect and according to him "no fillings in the teeth and no scars or prior operations, no matter how minor". Why?? Because the fillings would rupture and the scars would also rupture under such extreme situation in space or in their capsule. Not to mention that their internal organs must be able to withstand all those extreme routines, exercises and actual space conditions. Hmm....at least we do know now that Dr. Muszaphar does not have any scar, wounds or fillings in his teeth. What kind of a man is he? Is he human at all? Why does God load up all the good thing into this one man? Aren't you curious? I am !!

Unknown to many (outside Malaysia) he lost his brother while undergoing the training. But he never talked about it in the talk though he did touched a little on his family background. He also mentioned that the radiation in space is about 5 x of that of a chest X-Ray and hence, you will age very fast if you stayed in space. I think he has a point there because I saw that he was youthful in the videos taken during his space trip, almost boyish though he was 35 years old at that time. Ahh...see...I know there's a reason why I didn't like Space travel and all.  

With his fellow astronauts, the names of whom I can't recall anymore....

Do you know that while in space, your spinal ligament will stretch and lengthen by about 10cm (4 ins) or even 6 ins.?? Why ? Because there is no gravity to push you down and your ligament will be pulled to that effect. And most astronauts will experience back-pain since there is no support for your body. there are many more effects on the body and the body could deteriorate very fast if you did not work out and move your body,so they had to work out at least 2 hours a day.Unfortunately, your 'increase' in height will revert back to normal once you touch good old Mother earth.

It started with a DREAM. He had always wanted to go to outer space ever since he was a young boy. Now..what's the odds of that happening, huh? Dreams are possible. But in order to achieve your dream, you must first have a dream...got it? 

He claims that he heard the Azan (Muslim's call for prayers) when he was about to leave the ISS and has become a better Muslim now as he felt that God chosed him for the mission for a purpose. He feels closer to God and has since started researching the Quran for his better understanding of God. From the 500+ Astronauts (in the world), there were 9 Muslims and he had intended his presentation to be a reference for other Muslims to follow when/if they went to space.  Of course, few modifications had to be done. Like sticking to praying 5 times a day instead of 80 times due to their location.....

Q&A session.....with simultaneous translation during the talk and Q&A.  I could see that Turkey is ready for an Astronaut of their own. They already have their own satellites....what's sending a man to the space? I am sure that it will be just very soon!

Qs : Would you go again, if given the chance?
Ans. : Yes, definitely...especially to Planet Mars...even if they gave me a one-way ticket.
Hmm....careful Doc, going by your luck, you might get what you asked for. Be careful with what you wished  for, ok ?

I had planned for a short interview with him after the talk but looking at the audience swarming around him, I took 5 and waited for my turn. It was a good day, it had been forecasted to snow or rain but neither happened. The turnout  for the talk was very good and the Lecture Theater was full and over-spilled to the steps. Good thing I arrived early and got a vantage seat at the front. 

Finally got him to ourselves. Me and several Malaysian students who have come all the way from Bursa (2.5 hours away) to attend to the talk. I can now post this photo to my Embassy as proof that " I was there" he he...Its interesting to note that the students were actually under scholarship....from the Turkish Government!!!  Thank you Mr Erdogan....these students are so lucky and I hope that they know it already. 

Yes....we Malaysian are a cheerful and happy lots....
What a great way to end a great day....Mr. Angkasawan, Hos Cakalin....Seni cok seviyorum !!!

Frankly, I am proud that he is our Angkasawan (Astronaut) and he didn't fail to impress, even on foreign soil...Bravo Doc, Malaysia chosed a right Astronaut in you. I concur absolutely!!!! Now, let me write the salient points of the presentation, else I might forget the interesting facts and stories. I betcha...if your children had listened in to the presentation, they too...would wanna be an Astronaut. It's really that impressive except...aha....there's always a "but", yes? I wish he had used a different singer for his "Intro"....Ella is soo yesterday news...and the second song was just as 'distracting'. My 2-cents-worth, Doc.

As an added plus, I met 5 students from my country and 3 others each from Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. It's good to talk to these students and I kinda miss lecturing those Engineering students when I was back in my country. In fact, when I entered the Univ. ground, I felt so excited and never realised how much I actually missed the academic life. Ohh...such noble profession.....

Come...let's explore the space with the good Doc, he was in space for 12 days but what a lifetime journey it was for him. He even mentioned during Q&A that he doesn't mind being sent to Planet Mars.....on a one-way ticket ! Oohhh....is the world still not enough for you, Doc ?? 

Çöp (Hande Yener)

3388..We Have Touched 3388 !!

Thank you...today, we touched 3388 (actually its 3396 now) viewers and I want to give you readers and followers a little something to commemorate this achievement. But why this number? Well....I always believe that number 3 and 8 hold special significance to me,especially since I was born on 3rd. August. So, thank you for making this number special again today.

Thank You .....muah muah !!!

As my gratitude for all your support I would like to present here a Turkish singer who actually caught my eyes the first time I arrived here. Its true that I haven't a clue as to what she was singing about but it still is beautiful to my ears. Watch her perform and see if you agreed with me....I know..she's a bit too sexy but nonetheless...is creative and captivating....Enjoy!!

VIEW MORE ON HANDE YENER

READ MORE ON HANDE YENER

Well...you have seen and heard her sang the song Cop. Actually, that was the first song that haunted  us when we first arrived in Istanbul. A year ago...that song could be heard everywhere...in the park, in the shopping centre, even while you were dining. It was only months later when we could eventually get the name of the singer and the title of the song.

Hande is a great singer and is beautiful and attractive and I'm sure that she'll be on top of the chart for years to come. Move over Beyonce.......finally, we have someone who should be seen and heard at the same time !!! Sorry guys...Beyonce can't sing...period !!

News Just In!

Whitney Houston has died! Its really a great loss to the world and such a shame that drugs could destroy someone so talented.

It was always a challenge when we went for karaoke to see who could sing Whitney's "I run to you" song the best. I can assure you...not many could achieve the high note. What great, powerful and beautiful vocal she had. What a crying shame !!

Rest In Peace, Whitney...you deserve a good rest.

HAPPY VALENTINE DAY....may everything beautiful happen to you on this Valentine.

Winter wonderland in Istanbul

Istanbul is normally linked to the beautiful historical and unique buildings, the invigorating hamam, the vibrant and friendly people, the rosary carrying men and to a certain degree, the elegant and colorful scarved women and fezes (tarboosh) hats. Now, throw away your perceptions and try to picture instead Istanbul gone all white, covered with snow! Aha...not that easy,huh?

Istanbul (or rather Turkey) is now experiencing the coldest weather in 35 years! At its lowest, the temperature dipped to -7C degree but elsewhere in Turkey has recorded a biting -25C degree! To some, this might be a norm and i had a friend in Canada who went camping in the forest at -40C degrees, but even at zero degree, i think i'm already having a brain freeze!!

The beauty of winter in Istanbul is that, the temp. do not remain the same everyday. Last Saturday, it recorded a warm 15C degree while the day before,it was -3C degree!Yeah..how could the temp. changed so drastically? Compared to the British weather, it's a bit better. Why? In England, you can have four (4) seasons in a day. The temp. will change drastically within the same day. However,in Istanbul, its pretty consistent. If the day started as raining, trust me...it will be raining the whole day. And if it's sunshine, it will remain that way for the rest of the day. 

And..the weather forecast is accurate,too. You can bet your life on it...at least for the 3 day forecast. 

Thanks to the wonder of technology. I remember when we were students in England, we used to make fun of the British weather forecast. It has an accuracy of maybe 10%. And how we mocked at Terry Wogan (of BBC 2 then) by saying that he just went out of his office, put out his finger to feel the air and made his weather forecast...he he. Good ole Terry,we love you,though.

Istanbul is not affected too much with the freezing sub zero, thanks to the Bosphorus. The cold wind and fronts coming from Russia is normally 'neutralized' by the Bosphorus and hence that explains why Istanbul and the areas closed to Bosphorus is warmer compared to other places. Aha..I know, we blame Russia for everything! 

I was curious to see how the grand Dame Hagia Sophia would look like covered with snow and went to take some photos. I was mistaken in thinking that the place would be tourist-free (in this weather). The tren (train) was jam-packed with tourist though I haven't a clue as to where they were going. I noticed that they are many Arab tourists here now and you can tell them by the dozens of shopping bags that they carry. I think they are here for the shopping as its still a Sales season. They don't seem to mind the cold weather ....maybe they have mink coats underneath their shawl???

Istanbul's traffic was brought to a gridlock during the blizzard. Many people were stranded and schools were closed for a few days. Those who managed to reach their office did so by walking as the cars, busses and trains were not able to continue with their journey. (Photo from HurriyetDailyNews)

Waiting for the buses to take them to work, home or shops. Even then, there is no guarantee that they can reach the destination  on time, if at all. Moments like this, you feel like giving a bouquet of flowers to the bus driver! (Photo from HurriyetDailyNews)

An aerial view of Istanbul (new city) in white. (Photo from HurriyetDailyNews)

My village (Tarabya) is still white and cold, despite being so near to the Bosphorus.  Its eerily quiet,too.

Acibadem ( Bitter Almond) Hospital. It is now owned (majority) by a government-linked company from my country. Been there couple of times and this is one (private) hospital where I don't see many patients or activities going around. When you step into the building, you can't help noticing how 'deserted' and quiet the hospital is. Maybe because its charges are relatively high, starting at TL250 for normal consultation. Oh...and IBO (Ibrahim Tatlises) was treated here before being sent to Germany.

Along the Bosphorus. You'll be surprised to know that there are still anglers doing their favorite pastime, fishing !!

Bosphorus at its quietest.  I had waited for the snow to melt first before making this trip. In doing so, I lost the chance to take the photo when the area was really covered in thick snow..sigh.. 

Modern Museum. Normally a busy venue for many tourists.

Going towards the Old City. Can you see the Topkapi Palace on top of the hill? Its a different scenario now, almost everything is in white. and the sun is sadly missing.....

The Grand Dame Haghia Sophia in winter. It is still majestic, even from any angle or condition she is subjected to. Actually, I now see the rationale behind the quarter dome. It is more efficient compared to pitched roofs. And more beautiful in winter.

The park fronting the Hagia Sophia. The tourists were not many here but they were many in the train. I wonder where did they go during this cold weather? Maybe they all went to the Grand Bazaar.....aha, that makes sense. 

Yeah..I know, she does looks lonely and deserted....for NOW! When the sun comes out and the snow has melted, she'll be the envy of many again.

The Sultan Ahmet Mosque also cuts a lonely figure now. There are no more admirers on the bench to soak in the beauty of this masterpiece. I wish I had come here sooner during the heavy snow so that the view would be whiter and nicer. I had waited for the snow to melt before coming here, for an obvious reason! I could see that it must have been prettier when the snow was thicker.....my loss...opportunity like this don't come often. Will try again when its snows.

The Sultan Ahmet Mosque....still is beautiful, isn't she?

Too cold to stop and admire the beauty.....gotta go to the kebab shop and eat that shish kebab beside the Grand Bazaar...oohh..best in the world !!

Times like this, we must not forget our feline friends...how are they surviving in this weather?

Hagia Sophia...she is still beautiful, yes?

Another take of the Grand Dame, Hagia Sophia. Cool...

More people are beginning to arrive....

This year snow and blizzard has caused lots of havoc in the Eastern Europe region with Ukraine being the worst hit. More than 200 people have died in Ukraine and the temp. is still at -35C degree! Even Spain is not spared. I just find it strange to see palm trees covered in snow...

I still think she's beautiful...even when covered with snow and with the sun missing....but then again, maybe I'm biased.

My neighbor putting on final touch on the Snowman. That's one lovely and cheerful snowman.....Bravo !!

and here goes the hand.....she's good...don't you think?

My son's version of a Snowman (indoor) !!

Frozen garden and frozen swimming pool. wait a little while and I can ice-skate on it..yipee...

the snowman snowed over.....

I'm not sure how long the cold snap will be but as I write this, its has started snowing again. And I could hear the strong wind (35 kph) rattling at my doors and windows. Maybe I'll hibernate for a while till the snow thicken again and go take photos of the Hagia Sophia again. Or..Plan B, I can just hibernate and thaw my brain out of the brain freeze. Err...now, where was I..... 

Footnote :

On a warmer topic, we had steamboat for Chinesse New Year lunch over the weekend and it was great fun. Its so much fun eating steamboat when the temp. is dipping. For those who do not know what steamboat is....its a meal where you dip and cook your own ingredients in the chicken or other flavoured broth which is put in a big pot for you to cook. Its similar to the Japanesse Shabu-shabu but with more and varied ingredients. Its delicious...especially when had among friends....

Keeping warm with Steamboat with homemade fish balls and Rendang and Curry..Afiyet Olsun! 

Sweet Sensation at The Four Seasons @Bosphorus in Istanbul

How time flies...we are almost entering the second month for the year and it felt only yesterday when we welcomed 2012 with a bang! Well...plenty of bangs,actually!! And what do you know...I have already broken my resolution for 2012....to live healthily and stay fit at all time! In fact...gosh,I am soo embarrassed to admit this, I broke it a few hours after going into the new year...sob sob, I am soooo NOT making another one next year!

So..you may ask, what made me let go of my resolution so early and so easily? Well....what would you do if it happened to you (rhyme with the song "It's my party"). Rule # 1, you should never ever celebrate New Year with a Brunch. Rule # 2, Celebration and Resolution involving food must never mix.

Ok ok..enough suspense already....I lost to the "most sinful and most tempting" deserts at the Four Seasons@Bosphorus Hotel in Istanbul. I shall demonstrate  to you the artistic display of the  magnificent, tasteful and obviously sinful feast to the eyes as well as the palate....and you'd be the judge to it.   Perhaps you would then understand how I could lose my control so shamelessly. Ah hah!

This hotel is sitting right on the Bosphorus and is next to the Dolmabahce Palace and the Kempinski Ciragan Hotel. I have mentioned the Dolmabahce Palace,yes? Now..Ciragan (pronounced Jira'an) is the Rolls Royce of all hotels in Istanbul and the cheapest room rate is about Euro600, the last I checked. Why? Its in the furnishings, as it maintains most of the rooms based on the splendid Ottoman palaces...you get my drift?  That..and other things, remember, Turks are very warm and hospitable people and these would be reflected in the services. So...you would not complain of the thousands of Euros that you would have to pay for such wonderful stay.

Now, when I had my Brunch there, services at the Four Seasons was fantastic! I could swear that not less than five (5) waitresses and chefs served us at our table. Someone even went to our friend's parked car to retrieve a stroller when one of the babies fell asleep! And no request was too much to any of them. It felt almost like as if we were dining at home among friends and family members. The line between patrons and hosts very quickly dissolved and ohh...boy......I must admit, I've never seen such friendly staffs and such great services before! Not even from my vast travel from all over the world. One must really make it a point to go and stay or dine at this hotel, at least....once in your lifetime!

The view of Four Seasons from the Bosphorus. It looks deserted and not so appealing because it has just stopped raining. But you can actually feel the tranquility and the magic of staying in this centuries old building. It would even look better in summer when the trees are green and the flowers are blooming! 

Its almost sunset at 4.30pm and garden looks very peaceful indeed. Can you imagine having a wedding reception here, especially during summer? Yes...many such weddings took place here and the scenery would be breathtaking......have you booked with your "wedding planner" already?

How cool can it be? Waiting for the boat to take you to your destination.....to the Anatolian (Asian side), to Eminonu for more shopping at the Old City or simply leisure cruise and if you are up to it...with dinner on the cruise as well, right from the doorstep of your hotel. No traffic jam, no hassle and NO worries !!

Its just like being in Venice...you jump into a boat to go places. What a lovely way to spend your holiday. Can you see the Bosphorus Bridge in the background? It would be more interesting at night when this bridge (and its twin, The FSM koprusu) is lighted up in different colors. 

I forgot to ask if these tiles ( on the floor) are centuries old or recently added to the building but it certainly is an interesting piece. I think I know now what to put in my house when I start to re-furbish it..hmmmm

I noticed that the porcelain items here are even more eye-catching than the pieces you can get from The Grand Bazaar. They are really exquisite and beautiful pieces but I didn't check the prices. A good piece could set you off for more than TL1000. It depends on the color, the quartz used and of course....where it originate from. If its from Iznik...then you are getting top pieces and would cost considerably more...but you'll be most definitely be buying a piece of history as Iznik almost don't produce anymore. Most items are now made in Khutahya.

Other beautiful collections that caught my eyes....you really need to scrutinize and zoom in on the details of each and every one of them to see the real beauty of it. Even the colors could tell you the date when it was made. Centuries ago, the Ottoman empire sent many of their craftmen to China to learn the art of porcelain making. Compared to the Chinesse porcelains, Turkish collections are normally unglazed and have the  distinct blue and/or turquoise which is due to the clay used in Iznik and its near regions.  And each motif tells a story and its age. Ha ha..you'd never thought a humble plate or bowl could tell you so much,huh? Go raid your grandma's cabinet to hunt for those priceless antique bowls....who knows, you can buy a mansion by Batu Feringhi in Penang after selling it!!

Of course, my highlight today is the "sweet indulgence". Desserts were conspicuously absent on the buffet table and we were wondering why was it not in the spread. And...you guessed it, nobody wanted to go and ask why! Until we saw the table next to us...brimmed to the full with those colorful "object of desire" and staring at us....OMG! So we eventually asked how to get those beauties. Aha..turned out that they were waiting for us to finish our meal before they make the "grand entree" with those exquisite tiny pieces of "heaven-sent". They came in different sizes, shapes, taste and indulgence. So....would you still blame me for being sooo weak ??? Huh....I thought not!

Now...this is what I meant ......The Sin !! Afiyet Olsun !

All the colors....shapes...and temptations...each temptations are a heaven-sent that melt in your mouth and will melt any "broken heart"......if you had any..ha ha.... see the colorful candle holder? These guys were just stunned and could not decide on which pieces to jump into. Did somebody said calories? What calories ...... ?

To top up our day, the shushi chef turned out to be from Bali Island and he obliged us with 'Nasi Goreng' and 'Mee Goreng'...out of the normal spread and "on the house". That would translate to free "Fried Rice and Fried Noodle". And..wait for it, you may think that I'm biased but I can easily vouch that its the tastiest Nasi Goreng that I've ever had! And my fellow countryman agreed,too. Thank you Sumerta, it was great to meet someone who could understand our gourmet preferences.. Serefe !!

Sumerta, the "shushi" chef from Bali Island who disappeared into the kitchen and came out with the delicious Nasi Goreng and Mee Goreng for us! How nice......I now have someone to teach me how to make tempe (fermented soya cake)...something that I've been meaning to learn. Terima kasih Sumerta.....

With the rest of the guests...before the "dig-in".....

Sophie (in white) and Melanie seems oblivious to the display....but then again, Steve Jobs did a good job of distracting our children from the world, with his iPad and all. Noticed the concoction in the "glass tube" in the foreground? he..he..those aren't poison or chemicals, those are pure fruit juices! they lined the glass tubes at the entrance and I initially thought we were having chemistry lesson afterwards. They looked so "lab-type" that it took me a while to realise that they were actually juices. 

Macaron with a twist,or should I say..fruit tart. Sophie couldn't decide what to make of it. should she eat it or just look at it? When I first met 5 year old Sophie last year, she was telling me about the Tsunami in Japan and its nuclear reactor catastrophies. I thought that was a heavy subject for such a young girl but then it hit me. All natural or man-made disasters in the world will have an effect on our children and their children, of course they need to know about it! We are responsible in handing over a GOOD earth to them. All of us have a part to play. So dear readers...please teach others to make this earth a better and safer place for the NEXT generations...that would be my APPEAL to you for this year.   

Ahh..did I say candles? No...they are actually dondurma ( ice-cream) in a tea-light candle stand. How original can that be? The Turks are really creative people. You just need to watch their advertisement (printed or on TV) to realise this. Most advertisements are really creative and out-of-the box creations. 

To all Chinese of the world .... Gong Xi Fa Cai...Happy New Year ! May this "water dragon" year bring us everything wonderful, vibrant and full of prosperity. May these vibrant RED flowers bring in all the LUCK in the world that we wish and hope for. Do have a great 2012 !!!

It was a good New Year celebration....even though we knew that we had all packed a few extra kilos by the time we left...but hey......who's complaining ??!!

Actually, I didn't intend to write this piece but during the recent Chinese New Year meeting here, I met with a GM of a 5 Star hotel that's going to open its door late this year! Also on the Bosphorus. Talking to him made me realised that it would be another great hotel and his planning and ideas for the hotel is very interesting and exciting but I can't tell you yet till I have his consent. Maybe when it opens its door, i shall make a review on it. Meanwhile, this is my piece on The Four Seasons. Its a great a hotel to stay at whenever you're in Istanbul......enjoy !!!!!

Footnote :

Desserts of a different kind. We were having 'high-tea" in my country when we were told that the buffet spread was closing in 5 mins. So...that explains the 'massive and big spread' that we had. Ahh...that's what these ladies want you to believe he he. Phew..I hope I explained that well..Kak Shahid and Rita, you owed me one !!!