The London Eye

The London Eye, originally called The Millennium Wheel, was created to celebrate the dawn of the year 2000. Why a Ferris wheel? The turning of the wheel was meant to represent the turning of the century.

The London Eye is a giant 135-metre (443 ft) tall Ferris wheel located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Lambeth in England, between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge.

It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kindom. It has 32 capsules and carries around 10,000 visitors every day. Each rotation takes about 30 minutes and you can see up to 40 kilometers away in all directions from each capsule.

Since 1 January 2005, the Eye has been the focal point of London's New Year celebrations.

Aboriginal man with a Didgeridoo

Australian Aborigines are those people regarded as indigenous to the Australian continent and they have been specifically identified as a group of people who share, in common, biological ancestry back to the original occupants of Australia.

This Aborinal man is holding a didgeridoo in his left hand. The didgeridoo, known as Yidaki or thambaljig in aborignal languages, is a musical instrument that comes from the North Eastern parts of Australia. It is oftenly made from a hollow eucalyptus log, with no side holes. It is believed that every yidaki has a spirit inside. A spirit will wake up when someone rightly breathes into the dij.

Yidakis have been played by Aboriginal men for at least 2000 years and have been part of social and ritual gatherings in aboriginal society for hundreds of years. Didgeridoos are ‘men’s business’ and so have not been traditionally played by women. However, some aboriginal societies are no longer so strict about this now.


A magnet bought by my younger daughter.

The Saviour's (Spasskaya) Tower

The Gothic-spired Spasskaya (Savior's) Tower is considered the most beautiful tower of the Kremlin. It was built in 1491 under the supervision of the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solario. The Tower stands on the north-eastern side of the citadel, bordering Red Square.

The gate of the Spasskaya Tower has been the official entrance to the Kremlin for centuries. Until the 17th century the tower was known as the Frolovskaya, due to its location not far from the St. Frol church and monastery. In 1658 an Icon of the Saviour was mounted above the gate facing Red Square, and the tower's name was changed to Spasskaya by decree of the Tsar.

During the 16th and 17th centuries the Spasskaya Tower was used for ceremonial processions made by the Tsar and the Patriarch and for greeting important Moscow foreign visitors.

The tower is crowned by an illuminated ruby-red star, which replaced the double-headed Russian eagle in 1937, raising the tower's height to 71 metres.
One of the collectibles from Moscow bought by my eldest daughter.

London Symbols

Here's another magnet from my colleague, Duangrat.

All three symbols of London, England in one magnet:-
The Big Ben; Red Double Decker Bus; Black Cab.

Anyone, anywhere in the world, will immediately think of London if they see an image of any of these iconic symbols.

Pedestal Tray

As a confirmation to my previous post on camel, this is another collectible which shows UAE's attachment to camels. A pedestal tray inscribed with camel and palm tree in the dessert.

One of pedestal trays I brought back from my trips to Dubai. I visited Dubai three or four times during the years 2002 - 2005. Searching through the internet, things and places have changed a lot during the past five years. Wishing that I could visit Dubai again for new collectibles.

Epidaurus Theater

Epidaurus Theater is one of the most important ancient sites in Greece. It was built 2500 years ago. It was ruined, discovered, excavated and then restoration work has been carried out so that the theatre can still be used safely. It is still hosting Greek dramas today.

The theater was considered to have great acoustics. The audience can perfectly hear the actors without the sound having to be amplified. The limestone rows filter the low-frequency sounds but amplify the sounds from the stage.

Collectible of the ancient site from my eldest daughter from her flight to Greece.