Indelible memories with Nottingham 2015 graduates (Malaysia campus)

Graduation ceremony, 2015
(L to R: Tim, Ting Wei, Der Haur, Rohini, Kavita, Me, Wing Leong, Peter, Kar Man, Si Xin, Joe Yee, Herman and Hasri)  

Dinner with Tingwei, Peter, Kavita, Rushil, Keshni, Rohini, Joyee and Si Xin

Labour Economics nite out

The Star-Studded UNMC Nite, 2015

(click below for photos)
Star-Studded UNMC Nite, 2015

Farewell Lunch with my colleagues at IDE-JETRO!

Many thanks Atsuko-san for organizing this event and Abu, Kenmei, Kang, Kazushi, Tomohiro, Sulaiman, Keola, Yuya and Manda-san for joining - hope to see you all again soon in the future!

The group

Could not escape the farewell speech - thanks guys for everything!

 

Samba Festival in Tokyo - A slice of Brazil in Japan

Unforgettable Kyoto!

Visited again recently, this city arguably offers the best slice of Japan - from exquisite cuisine, Zen, numerous UNESCO sites to catching a glimpse of Geisha at a tea ceremony! Here are some pictures from Tokyo Imperial Palace and Fushimi Inari Shrine. It was good to see Christie, a good friend and co-researcher, after a long time.

Seminar at the Institute of Economic Research (IER), Hitotsubashi University

Recently gave a seminar at the Hitotsubashi University. Established in 1875, one of the prestigious institutions in Japan to study social sciences. 

The Great Buddha @ Kamakura

The Great Buddha @ Kotoku-in Temple, Kamakura

Monks @ Hasedara Temple, Kamakura   

   

Oishi !!        

An amazing blend of cuteness and efficiency !

Within 2 hours of my arrival at Narita, Tokyo, I

(1) managed to open a bank account with Tintin and Snowy on it

(2) got my train / bus pass (and guess what with a penguin on it)

and (3) went to the local municipal office to register my arrival!

So nice to be in Japan again!

My temporary workstation this summer at the Institute of Development Economies (IDE-JETRO), Tokyo:

 

and the vending machine at IDE-JETRO actually has more choices than starbucks. I got a cappuccino and it took exactly 32 seconds to prepare it; well, the only slight downside... it took me about 10 minutes to find out which one to press for cappuccino :)

Happy Independence Day, proud to be an Indian!

And Bengali, too!

Magnificent Prague, Czech Republic

(click above for slide show)

Berlin, Germany

Mannheim, Germany

(click above for photo album)

Ladenburg, Germany

(click above for photo album)

Heidelberg, Germany

(Click above for photo album)

A history-soaked stroll around the city of Malacca

Malacca is one of the avidly sought-after destinations in Malaysia. If you like a holiday where you can walk comfortably from attraction to attraction and soak up centuries' worth of history then Malacca has it all. This historic port city offers a rich seam of cultural heritage - it has been a UNESCO site since 2008.

Under the Melacca sultanates (until the European colonization started with the Portuguese occupation in 1511) the city of Malacca became an important centre for trade due to its strategic position on the Strait of Malacca.The Portuguese dominance over Malacca ended when Malacca fell to the Dutch in 1641. One of popular historical attractions is St. Peter's Church, which was constructed under the Dutch administration.

Passing by St. Peter’s Church in Malacca, you would notice the numerals on the left side of the facade of the church ‘1710’ indicating the date the building was erected. This church is the oldest Catholic church in Malaysia. Its facade and decorative embellishment is a mix of both eastern and western architecture. Its bell was delivered from Goa, India in 1608. Not to miss, the chapel houses a casket-like structure, made of wood and glass. It carries a life-size statue of Jesus lying inside.

  

Other attractions in Malacca

Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple is the oldest Hindu Temple in Malaysia. It was built in 1781 on land given by the Dutch to the Chitty community (a distinctive group of Tamil people from India).

Kampung Kling Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia. It was built around 1784 with the influence of Sumatran architecture.

Decorated bircycle rickshaw for Malacca tour









             

                  Fort a Famosa was constructed by the Portuguese in 1511

  Christ Church was constructed by the Dutch in 1753