It's Here!

Quite cool eh. =p

Last Month's Today, I Just Reached London.

Gosh, 光阴似箭, 日月如梭, can't believe how time zooms. Happened to look at the calendar then I realised I touched down at London exactly a month ago. Flashing back, my whole holiday seemed like a dream...

Still cannot get my frozen engine started. And am still trying to upload the remaining of my 3000s photos onto facebook.

Talk about recapping my trip here haha... Don't know how long it's gonna take!

1st Day Back @ Work

Last nite got informed of S&M Division meeting at 8.45am today.

Droning ended at 11am.

Then got informed again of meeting later at 3pm at my Gallery.

351 emails and counting.

Sat nite (the day I came back), slept like a log from 1+am till 2+pm.

Sun 'nite', could only sleep at 6am.

Last nite, forced myself to sleep at 11+, tossed and turned till 2+am, and that's it.

Headache setting in. How nice.

Sleep and Mood adjustment in (Indefinable) Progress.

Home Sweet Home

I'm Bacccccccck!!!!! Touched down at 1705hrs on 15 Aug. Though I felt 舍不得 to come back initially, I was real real happy to plonk my feet on my homeland. I kept saying "Welcome to Singapore" to no one in particular when I was really happily making the announcement to all the ang mohs around us (???) haha! Easy-breezy-peasy to get through our customs via the self-auto-clearance machines.

My mum and sibs came to fetch me, came home to put my stuff and went out again to replace my SIM card. Please sms me your numbers can? I can't remember everybody's =p. Had Ya Kun French toast set which came with 2 half-boiled eggs, french toast (???) and a cup of tea, and hokkien mee and tao suan straight after that haha... SOOoooo craving for local food!!! I want to eat chicken rice, zi char, bbq stingray, fishball, ba chor and watever noodles, etc.!!! NO pasta, pizza, FRENCH FRIES, GREEN PEAS, Mac and all things western for at least a month!

Lots to update for the rest of the cities and have to slowly upload the 1000s of pictures too. Due to certain reasons, no internet access for moi towards the later part of my trip. Might take a while to slowly recap hee.

Hope to see all of you soon!!!! =)

Switz!

28 July:

I lurrrrrve the weather here in Zurich! Sunny yet cool in the day (but not so cold as London) and temperature was just nice at night.

Journey from London to Zurich entailed an earliest bus from the apartment we stayed, then an earliest train to Luton Airport, the 1hr20mins flight to Zurich and then a tram ride to our hotel. Took us about 10 hours... Reached our hostel at about 12pm but check-in time was 2pm. So we left our bags at the recep and went round to explore.

Took the tram again to the town area and roamed around. The tram lines are pretty well-connected and convenient. Earlier, we bought the day-pass at the airport. However, we noticed there's like no machine for us to swipe the card or anything. It was only later when a local told us conductors will come onboard to check the passes on n off. So it's almost like based on good faith that people had actually purchased tickets. Interesting. Imagine such a system in SG. Where got possible.

At Old Town, cafes and restaurants are everywhere. And strip clubs too haha. Had lunch at a chinese restaurant and we were served by this cute young hongkie who was there for internship. Food was not bad but super ex! A simple set lunch consisting of a plate of fried noodles and a drink cost us about 18francs EACH. A bottle of coke costs 2.90francs. Gosh. The other side of the town was the New Town where all the luxury shops and expensive restaurants are.

Went back to our hostel and checked in at 2+. Our room was FANTASTIC! It's comparable to a boutique hotel's room! We were given an attic room, with sunroofs and a nice toilet and bed... heavenly! Took a nap after settling in. Went back to the New Town for dinner at this popular restaurant for Swiss food. Warm ambience and food, beer and dessert was great. Had sausages with a very nice potato salad and chocolate mousse. Bill came up t0 74francs. That's like SGD99.90. But worth it for the experience and great food and service. I think. Hee.

Ok really gonna crash already. Going to Interlaken tomorrow morning. Nite!

Days in London

25-27 July:

Damn slow. Daytime was damn long, people moved at their own sweet time, the whole beat of the city was just crawling. The only thing that was moving non-stop was the cold wind. Shops close damn early at 5pm. Racism is evident.

Days 2-4 were spent roaming around:

Day2 ~ Took a 4-hr drive to the Stone Henge. Ain't as majestic as I imagined (prob coz there was a boundary to our proximity to the stones) but there was still this air of mystery around it. Spent 6.60pounds for the entrance fee but less than an hour in there. Take-away is just like been there, done that. Then explored the town of Salisbury a bit and had dinner there.

Day 3 ~ Went to Chinatown for lunch and then took a walk to Westminster, where most of the tourist spots are. Checked out the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace (Place was huge but I was very disappointed that I don't get to di siao the guard coz we couldn't reach them), Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Madame Tussauds. The architecture was really very erm, English, but colonial and different. Statues in tribute or memory of people everywhere in the scores of gardens and parks. Shops here are not in malls but it's like a one-level shopping district. Place was so big that a same brand can just appear again just a few streets away. Madame Tussauds was not bad. Compared to Hong Kong's, it's much bigger and more 'effects' here and there. Saw some of the 'same people' there though. Queued for almost an hour to get in too.

Day 4 ~ Had English breakfast again. V nice, I like. The pub we went to quite a big and warm, homely and nice place. Then visited Stamford Bridge. Yes, don't fall off your seat - I really went. What to do, Chelsea fan in tow. Took the tour with a young but humourous guide - checked out the press room, changing rooms for both home and away teams (very very big differences by the way. And as explained by the guide, the rationale behind certain things are just so funny and yet make sense!), and the spectator area as well. WHY didn't I go to Old Trafford? Coz no time when I reached London. Manchester is a good 3hr train ride away... and someone die die dun wana go. BUT. If I don't go when I'm back in London in a couple of weeks' time, someone's 50POUNDS [which I am keeping at the moment =)] are gona be forfeited. See if I don't. Ha.

Reached the apartment at 10+pm and then started packing up for our journey to Zurich. Then slept for 1 hr and then set off.

London 之旅, 暂时告一段落.

Cold Cold London

24 July:

London Day 1 is coming to an end soon.. now the local time is 8.15pm (London is 7 hours behind SG) but the it is still as bright as machiam 6pm in SG..

Took the 13hr flight from SG-London Heathrow last nite. Walau, heng I checked in at the airport early, near 10pm. I couldn't check in online coz it's a co-share flight (I bought BA tix but the flight I was on was Qantas operated). I was told at the counter that my flight was delayed till duno wat time and so they'll put me in for the earlier flight at 11.05pm, which means I have to go in immediately. There goes my dinner with my mum. So chop chop checked in luggage and off I went.

I was given the centre aisle row which was a 4-seater and mine was the 2nd from the right. 3 ang moh guys took the rest of the seats. None of them was cute. The 2 on the left were young boys while the one on my right dun seem to speak English and was kindda grumpy. Food was ok, watched Sunshine Cleaning (nice show) and bits of 'He just not into you' (though I've watched it before).. I did sleep but it was quite fitful as I would wake up whenever either side moved.

Landed at T4, the whole place was undergoing 'upgrading' and everywhere was construction. Looked kindda rundown. Then came the fucked up customs. I was served by this non-chinese/muslim/eurasian/angmoh guy who basically went all out to terkan (not sure how to spell) me. Passed him the white card which I did not fill up the address coz I did not know what it was. He returned to me pointed at that field and asked why I did not fill it up and do I understand what it meant by 'FULL' address. Our 'conversation' continues below:

Me: Oh, I'm gonna stay with my bf's cousin whom I've never met before. Could I call her now to ask?
F.U.C.O: You should have asked before coming and filled this up.
M: I wasn't aware I have to fill this up and I couldn't call from the plane.
F: Look, you are a visitor. You have to abide by our rules, you know that? You want me to detain you or send you back to Singapore?
M: Like I said, I didnt' know. Could I call her now?
F: No. You should have found out about it before you came. Where is your boyfriend? Now the question is why isn't he here and why did you not come together?

*Walau, what has this got anything to do with him?! Then i explained and he asked many many other questions like what is the cousin doing here, how long already, what am I working as in SG, what company, how many credit cards and $$$ I brought, where am I going after London...

M: Zurich by plane.
F: Show me your ticket for the plane to Zurich
M: It's in my checked in luggage.
F: You should have brought it with you. You are really reaching my borderline. So you have no proof that you are leaving London for Zurich by plane.

*FOR WHAT??! Then again he threatened to detain me or send me back. Nabei the whole ordeal went on for 15-20mins. So finally when he's finished he still asked me again like i'm a kid - so, what do you have to do next time and what should you bring along with you. After he finally allowed me to pass, I went to collect my luggage. And I found it lying on the ground - everyone had collected theirs and left, and even the conveyor belt had stopped. What the fuck, anyone could have just took it and go! This is an experience I'm never gonna forget. With service like this, wana be top airport? PUI.

Bought tix and took the train to WoodGreen station to meet No.10's cousin. Whole journey took about 1hr and 15mins, reached about 7.30am local time. Then met her and we walked to her place. I have to keep telling myself I'm in London, coz it's just so unreal haha. Weather is pretty chilly and it rained on and off. Took a short nap and then we went for lunch - Chinese food, and then shopped a bit. Streets are hard and cold, many different types of people and shops around.

Time now is 8.40pm and the sky still didn't darkened a bit. Gona wait for No.10 at the station tomorrow morning and start our London tour. Should be hitting the bed soon. Still quite tired. Till then, cya!

UK-Europe Here We Come!!!

Just in case I couldn't log on at the airport tonite hee...

FINALLY!! After days of counting down, my long-needed-and-awaited break-and-our-first-holiday is finally here! Will be leaving tonite at 2359hrs, machiam booking in hee... Gona be gone till 15 Aug. Meeting No.10 in London... 1st time takin plane alone for so damn long (13 hours)...

Countries we'll be footprinting on are London-Zurich-Interlaken-Venice-Rome-Florence-Nice-Paris and the back to London to take plane home.

Will see if i can do updates wherever I am.

Till then, be good and see ya in 3 weeks! =)

P.S. Can't believe the thick-skinness of some people. Well, maybe it's their calling.

=(

I am so freaking busy, coupled with lack of sleep, I am really gona die of fatigue!!!! And pimples. Kena attack again. Haiz.

Soooo many things popping up/to clear right before my trip. Sigh.

7 more days! Hope it will come really quick and go super slow!

CG Amazing Race @ Pulau Ubin for teambuilding next week. Once again, I kena rescheduled from my fun group to a boring one. Nice.

Looking forward to Shou Zhe's party this Sat!

Wake Me Up (Not Just) When September Ends..

I have a very bad habit of 赖床-ing. Alarm went off once, Snooze many many times. It's especially difficult to wake up on work days (of course). It's worse when my friend Insomia is always around for me. But I admit at times lethargy is not the main culprit but reluctance is. Good thing is I do not need my mum or whoever to scream at me coz I will still drag myself up eventually.

I need wake up calls for other matters though. Well, we all do. Be it an incident, a story or simply upon a tell-off, a scolding, a heart-to-heart chat or a gentle reminder - Mirrors what I've done wrong, where and what requires improvement, how I feel/think/should have handled certain issues/matters/people. Unfortunately, more often than not, people only jolt awake when the bad scenarios occur. At the end of the day, I guess what really matters is not your regrets or 遗憾, afterall what is done cannot be undone, but what you learn from it and put it into practice and not repeat the same mistakes again.

I do hear what you say. Thing is, like I said, I can't see myself all the time. While I might have reasons for doing what I did and I might not be wrong at times, or there might even be times where situations call for my actions, I will still listen and rationalise. After the wake up call, give me time to get up. How long I need, I can't tell and it depends on your expectations too.. but I assure you I will do it. At the end of the day, all I want is very much for all to be happy and well.

This pic is cute. Looks like my someone. =)

p.s. Wake Me Up When September Ends is a song by Green Day, just in case.