Angus@London

Cheers mate

2009-06-23T04:30:00.000-07:00

All things good and bad come to an end, someday.
As much as I hate to bring this blog to a close, I can be secured for the openings of the experiences, lessons, friendships and memories that I have had these 6 months. They remain open to me, and I hope, to you as well.

There are far too many 'Thank you-s' to say, too many people to thank,
but it is still a thank you to one and all (this is the part where we are suppose to have a group hug)

Thanks for staying by Angus for the past 6 months, and sharing in his moments of joy,
sorrow, pain and comfort
It has been a joy sharing my life with you, and also talking to everyone at
that little corner at the right side which made this little history of mine special.

I hope you be well, and you continue to be well.
Here's a little uk culture for you, Cheers!

Day 186 Goodbye London

2009-05-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

London did not feel like London, portobello market looks different, the streets start to look unfamiliar once again for some reason, but yes it's London, I could recognise the sky, the London sky, that somehow remain unchanged.

In a few hours time, i'll be leaving this little 'paradise' that I have been in, for the past 6 months. In actual fact, I have already 'left' ever since I was 'displaced' from my hall and when the school term came to an end. My normal day to day routine has ever since been 'disrupted.' And to a certain extent, that sense of place (that is rooted to Oxford street- Goldsmid house) has been contested. That's perhaps how normads feel? A wandering fella in a place where he doesn't own anything, but one thing i own- the memories.

After 'dumping' our 'barang barang' (trying to socialise back to Singlish here) at Summer's place in the morning, Meng Kiat went to visit the London zoo at Camden (He wants to see gorillas from different parts of the world) while I stayed behind at Summer's place to just spend my last few hours chilling out instead.

Summer cooked me lunch, and boy was it as good as her Mum's cooking! I remember I used to devour her mum's cooking back when I was that little fat boy (Now still fat la!)

The last 'supper' ??

I decided to walk down Portobello market (which is only a few metres away) after lunch to do some last minute 'walk walk.'

Bought this street sign which I will not only hang on my wall in Singapore, but i'll engrave them in my brain and heart too!

The clock strikes 1pm, and the time has come for the final good-bye

Summer sent us to the tube station, this picture of her carrying my guitar makes her look like a Indie rocker babe man!

Good-bye Summer, I'm going home to embrace a hotter, wetter and more humind summer

My luggage exceeded by far more than the given weightage. The girl at the counter insisted that I need to pay £120 worth of fine to get my baggage up on board.. for a moment, I was devastated! I was about to reach out for my barclays card to accept the fine, but MengKiat suggested that I try appealing through the customs officer from SQ. The counter girl heard our conversation and said 'There's no point in appealing, you have exceeded our baggage allowance and you have to pay no matter what..' My heart has sanked to the bottom of the sea on hearing that...

'But thanks be to God who always lead us into victory....'

Despite the circumstance, I walked to the customs office and approached the first officer I saw.

Her name I remember was 'Joe Chan,' probably a HongKong national. I explained to her my problem and the next thing she did, she walked to my check in counter and told the counter girl 'Let him pass...' and that was it... the £120 remained in my wallet. Thank God!

13 hours later......... (The first time I set foot on Terminal 3 Changi Airport)

I'm Home

Day 185- Last day in London

2009-05-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

My last official FULL day in London, feels kind of weird. Somehow the places you've been to and the things you usually see don't appear to look like what they normally should. The university feels like somewhere else, Oxford street which i walk on everyday looks different for some reason. Perhaps it's the play of my own feelings, and through that certain emotion, it played with the 'lens' which I begin to see London today.

Meng Kiat went for the university tour in Oxford, while I had my own university tour back in UCL to settle some final administrative stuff

The Geography department's computer lab

Met up with Summer and Peggy for lunch before waving the last goodbyes

After which I went to Camden town to have my last dose of marijuana (Nah I'm kidding) or rather... to be stopped by the regular raggae boys who ask me 'Would you like some wheat inside the house? what about some 'apples'? '

And the time has finally come... and is here, to bring my whole London experience to a high 'closure.' Catching my FAVOURITE musician/guitarist play live! JOHN MAYER!!!!!!! I would have left much earlier back for Singapore if not for this concert. I was like rationing on bread and water the past few days because everything is running low on reserves. All for the LOVE of Mayer! But I guess it's a once in a life time thing, he probably will not come down to Singapore given the minute market we have... and it is sad that his style of music don't really cater to the Singaporean crowd. Back home, it seems like the Mat rockers get more attention then my Johnny May.

Brixton Academy. They even have the name John Mayer engraved BIG BIG at the front of the theatre.

When we arrived, there was already a LONG queue. It was like the old Nokia snake game which goes round and round the corners of the building. The ticket I bought was free-standing... both Meng Kiat and I were like... 'Shyzer.. with so many people infront of us, we gonna be way behind and blocked by the tall Ang-mos'

And an unfortunate accident occured in front of us while we were queuing to get in.. Well.. at least some entertainment.. (*hint, London should widen their roads, it's so narrow!)

It was SHOCKING when we entered the theatre. The front was not packed at all! BECAUSE EVERYONE WENT TO BUY BEER! Meng Kiat and I (being Singaporeans, correction, half) quickly dashed to the front and secured a space very near to the stage. SHIOKS! Man... this is a culture shock for us... if it was Singapore, i think people would have packed the front and reserved the spaces with their pathetic tissue paper packets for their friends who came late

Some local brit band opened for Mayer. Never heard of them before though. But boy was their music GOOD! I enjoyed every song .

Just some thoughts here... if this local (brit) band is already so good but sort of 'unknown,' how is it possible that back home (in Singapore) our local bands would aspire to tour the world by competing with these Ang-Mos??? Not trying to put down local musicians here, but think about it, English music came from the Ang-mos, how are we gonna re-package it and sell Ang Mo music back to the 'originals?' So my point is... if you're chinese, sing Chinese song... unless you're just happy staying comfortable in the local scene that is..

ANYWAY! Enough talk about that, looks who's here!

Mayer was just so so so so so GOOD... I have never ever attended a concert gig as kickass before. You MUST catch this guy live if he ever comes. I'll sponsor you half the tickets if you would. He's the best musician/guitarist ever. It was worth every single moment catching him, even if I had to eat worms and drink longkang water for the rest of the month in buying his tickets. The stage lights, the dynamics of the band, the 'feel' of his fingers on the fretboard and the way he pick the strings was just unbelieveable!!!

Mayer with his Gibson ES-335

This was the part where the 'Climax' came. Mayer was playing through his continuum album initially, while he was doing the final solo for 'slow dancing in a burning room,' the lights went off with his last note ringing in the background, once the light came on again, Mayer came in at the chorus of 'Why Georgia' with his acoustic guitar from his 'room for squares' album and the whole crowd went SO CRAZILY HIGH!!!

Not forgetting the signature Spastic face of Mayer

'Gravity... stay the hell away from me...'

And the whole world did change after the concert. Look at the aftermath.

And so will my world be reverted back to the old world once day breaks. Yes, this is my last night in London.And Meng kiat says, 'Hey I'm sure you'll be back someday.'

I sure will, someday, somehow. But I guess the feeling's gonna be different. These 6 months, I came as a 'citizen' and student who lives in London. I experience the bi-weekly fluctuation in prices of the meat and vegetables, gets interrupted by the rain or snow for my usual runs, open the windows when it is getting warmer- I do the 'everyday' thing. The next time I come, I'm just a mere tourist having a 'getaway' These are times I will cherish, and it's really coming to an end

Day 184 - Last 3rd day

2009-05-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

The first thing we did in the morning was to return our rented car.
Thank God there were no scratches, dings or anything that was spotted though
i met up with a 'small accident' on one of the roundabouts from Liverpool to London.
I bet many angels must have been crushed in between the 2 cars then

After that, we headed to somewhere around Russell square (which is near my school) and grab some really cheap lunch... Valentia style

The rest of the day had no agenda... as you can see, we're just travelling from place to place and look at how tired they were..

And for the 101th time, I became the tour guide who brings people around the Westminister area to see the London eye, Big Ben... and yeah you have heard it the 102nd time too

And I brought them shopping along Oxford street, the place where 99.999% of my London times were spent.

This probably is the last and very final picture I have with my beloved hall

And it was time to say a temporal goodbye to my dubious brothers before meeting them back in Singapore 2 days later... (What a goodbye) Thanks for spending so much $ to come and look for me and accompany me travel europe. Good times... yeah

Meng Kiat and I decided to stay for 2 more nights because we're catching John Mayer Live the following night!!!! SO eggcited!!! Both of us had dinner @ Chinatown together with Hansen. After which we went down to a nearby arcade to have some fun (This marks the last time I'll be in Chinatown)

And also a last and final 'lomantic' walk along the waterloo bridge.. ah, everything's coming to an end. My London experience.

Day 183- Anfield + Back to LONDON!

2008-12-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

The first thing in the morning, at 0845hrs, the 4 of us reported punctually at Anfield.

Hey man... it is 'Crouch' not 'Crotch'

The 'Manchester United' Liverpool manager

The non-chalant soccer manager

Guess why PRC Jon is giving that 'Niao' face behind?

Need more clues?

Get it now?

Sarong Party boys in the making...

At the Museum... Jonathan tried to set the Liverpool bird on fire...

Not only the bird...

Anything to do with liverpool in the Museum

Spot the difference

If you can't beat them, join them

The 'Burning' of the Liverpool bird

After burning of the bird, it was a 4-hr drive back to central London.
Caught 'The phantom of the opera' at Majestic theatre together with Kellie, Daphne and Summer.

PRC, Hailer and Kellie

Daphne and I, as well as an Ang Mo who saw a Phantom during the intermission

As usual, everyone was so nicely dressed except me...

The singing was awesome, but somehow... I didn't really enjoy the musical. Man.. but it's my last few nights in London.. must try to enjoy everything I can while I'm still here

Like... Chinatown's roast duck rice

Cassanova Chua

While we still had the rented car with us, we drove around central London. Passing by some of the places i hang out during these 5 months. In a few days time, these places gonna be in my memory bank. The thought of it kind of threw me into an emotional trance...

The University College London @ Night

Day 181- 182 Lake district (VERY BEAUTIFUL) + Liverpool

2008-11-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

4 of us woke up wrapped like a caccoon... Lake district is so COLD! and Hey, isn't it supposed to be Summer in the Northern hemisphere in June?!!!

But well, the English breakfast buffet was AWESOME!!

After checking out our rooms, we headed down Ullswater again to get a clearer view of the lake in daylight this time round. BOOTIFUL ISN'T IT???

Come to think of it... Pierce resevoir also look abit like this... just that you don't get
'lup sup' bengs and lians smoking along the pavements and making noises.

The whole lake district area is just so beautiful. Can't even afford to close your eyes to doze off even for a second.. you won't want to anyway. For those of you visiting UK, you MUST MUST MUST MUST MUST visit LAKE DISTRICT.

This picture might look ordinary. But just imagine standing there and looking right through the valley to the very end of the picture. Ok... yes... I am getting overly excited. I AM!

Check out the 'Meandering River' (Geography lesson by MR. Sham)
and look out for 'Hailer Chong' in the picture? (Used as a scale to show how big the area is)

Headed down to Buttermere lake towards the late morning. Another lake that you could just spend the evening sitting there, throwing and skipping stones, talk about life... and just chill. I wished we have had more time to do that.

PO-FAT-sional FOTOgrapher in the making

Still in the making...

The product of the photographer... tsk tsk... Hailer.. this picture look abit wrong leh

This picture looks super nice, not because of the person. But look at the stratified layered clouds!

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the cold chasing sheeps (Eastlife 2008)

Meng kiat is the big culprit that chases any moving object he sees. He even cornered a sheep till it started to PEE because the poor little thing had no where else to run. S.P.C.A would have arrested him long ago if they witness his act.

Last lake before our departure 'Lake Windermere'

Windermere is the largest natural lake in England. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since 1847
Bought some sandwhich from a nearby town, as well as my favourite 'Sensation' Thai chilli flavoured chips from the petrol kiosk. And we decided to have a little picnic by the lake

A Swan joins the company

I really wished we had allocated more time for lake district. 2 days 1 night is definitely not enough to enjoy the beautiful 'Serene' If we had more time, we could sit by the lake, skip more stones, go for hike through the forest in the morning when the mist and fog are just clearing up. Some even reported that they see mouse-deers occasionally in these hikes! I'll be back.

And so its Good-bye to lake district as Hailer Chong raced us to the city of Liverpool. With the sole purpose of visiting 'Anfield'- The Liverpool football club base

After 4.5 hours of drive!!!!!!!!!

What is 'The KOP'???? King Of Pang-sai???

Alas! We missed the last stadium tour for the day!
'Its too late.....'
And Yes, the 2 liverpool birds Hailer and Meng Kiat were DEVASTATED
Jonathan - Sad because he can't see the rival's field
Angus- doesn't seem to have any effect since he knows nuts about soccer.. apart from the ball being black and white and round.

After much discussion among the panel. We decided to stay for the night in the city of Liverpool. We consulted our GPS and looked for the most 'happening place' in town - 'The Albert dock'

The Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool, England. Designed by Jesse Hartley and Phillip Hardwick, it was opened in 1846, and was the first structure in Britain to built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result it was the first non-combustable warehouse system in the world.

Besides being globally known for 'Liverpool football club'
The Beatles came from Liverpool!

In fact, you see more of beatles than LFC everywhere you go!

And 'The Beatles' museum is right where we were, 'The Albert dock'

The t-shirt that Hailer Chong so regretted not buying.. But hey... its 25pounds ok.. that's like $75 SGD for a t-shirt? No way for me..
After loitering around Albert Dock for a awhile, we decided to focus on the problem at hand.. 'Where are we going to sleep tonight?' We did not plan to stay over at Liverpool, we have no accomodation! Are we gonna sleep 'where the streets have no name?' (U2 1989)

And we went on a mission searching for accommodation.

Team 1- Meng Kiat and Jonathan Prawn Tay

Team 2- Hailer Chong + Angus Sham

After 45minutes, team 1 succeeded in finding the cheapest and best accomodation around opposite Albert Dock- Youth Hostel Association (UK)

And Like I said, its all about Beatles here! (Picture taken along hostel corridor)

As a tribute to the all hailed 'Beatles,' we decided to all comb our hair the 'beatles' way

Sorry Jon... you look more like Mao Zedong

After settling down our stuff, we went hunting for the best deal of a dinner in town. And landed up in a real expensive truly authentic English Restaurant. And the reason why it was the best deal was because everyone gets a bottle of white/red wine (your choice) for free.

Spare me please..

So what's up after dinner? Hailer got so high that he started doing crazy stuff The 'Beatles' hairstyle kind of make Hailer look like 'Seth' ... Oh.. but a Evil version of Seth

Shot dedicated to our Arty Farty TY... Tate Liverpool
And more crazy stuff...
BEST PICTURE AWARD - 'The Big Hailer'

And the day ended with us at the casiNO again...

But hey... this is the Biggest CasiNO so far.. and one thing I noticed.. the CasiNO is FULL of Chinese people

Day 179 -180 Manchester + Lake district (BEAUTIFUL!!!)

2008-10-28T03:15:00.000-07:00

And so it's goodbye to the beautiful city of Prague,
and also goodbye to our Europe tour :(
And it's heading back to the U.K... this time by plane (At last)

I tried to cheat the air-stewardess because the belt around my waist look so similar to their safety belt.. and I passed with flying colours!

Negative:

Positive:

Once we landed on Luton airport (U.K)

We headed down to the car rental company and off we go on the wheels towards

the city of Manchester

Wah... Meng kiat sleep until so shiok....

1. He is a good sleeper

2. I am a good driver

Take your pick man

Here I am again.. at Old tratford (Manchester)
How exciting for a second time visit, all the more for a soccer non-chalant goon like me!

Well, at least I did something different this visit, I paid 10-quid to attend the soccer stadium and joined the stadium tour! Though I was not very interested, it would be a BIG shame if I leave UK without visiting any stadium

Man... What is this Liverpool fan doing here? Running out of the players den somemore

The ONLY Manchester United Fan in the group.. Jonathan Prawn Tay

Player's changing room

Think if i return to Singapore and hang some MAN-U jersey's in the sauna of some condominium... It will look the same lor...

After the very educating stadium tour, we flew 'ride' straight up to Northern England, just slightly below Edinburgh (Scotland) to stay with 'Serene.' I mean... nature. It was a 4 hour road journey, backside almost tore.

Took this picture while we were 10 minutes away from Lake district, our destination. Man... we might look all rock steady in this picture, but we were freezing to our bones!

Finally... some warmth in the Youth Hostel

After checking in our belongings, we headed to a nearby 'pub' to get some solid food.

I don't think I need to explain how yummy this is

After dinner, we took a short drive down 'Ullswater' - one of the lakes in the lake district area.

The still water, contrasting with the highlands behind was just breath-taking.

I'm very glad that after about 2 weeks of city hopping, its finally back to the heart of Geography. Touring the greenery!

Well.. I guess there was not much to do in such a area when night falls.. so much so that we have to resort to playing Jenga and laugh at each other's stupidity.

Day 176- 178- Prague (Czech Republic)

2008-09-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Day 01

It was great to be greeted by the nice gentle Austrian sunshine ")
The 4 of us having missed Chinese food for several weeks walked into
a Chinese restaurant... of all places.. in Vienna.
But boy was the food good!

And it was racing ourselves towards Prague once we gulp down our last piece of lemon chicken

It was our last train-ride for the trip. After 4 hours of buttocks enhancement (Not bottocks) We finally arrived at Prague- Eastern europe, Czech Republic... The name of the place itself sounds exotic... I can't believe that I have the opportunity to touch down on the soil on this part of the globe. For that, I'm eternally grateful to all taxpayers... thanks for sponsoring my trip! Ooops..

This is the place where we put up for our stay in Prague. Beautiful ain't it? The owner of the house has such a unique name. Dr. Irene Automatika.... not only is she BIG, her words were BIGGER

Meng kiat at his Sethish corner thinking of 'Darling'

Headed down the streets to hunt for a place to have dinner after settling down. It was only about 8pm in the evening.. and the whole street was dead.

Walked in a few restaurants... and found a decent one finally
Hailer and I wanted to head down to check out the Czech casino... but the buttocks enhancement was way too draining in the day..

Day 02

Early birds catch the worms

The early me caught 2 pigs

After waiting yons for Mr Handsome Hilarious Hailer Chong to get handsome in the toilet, we headed to a nearby bar to get some food.

Beer for lunch??

I guess for all the cities I have visited so far, I would rate Prague as my favourite!

Barcelona looked abit different from what I expected.. pickpockets were rampant! Food sucked...

Paris was alright... but resembled too much like London.. not much different... only visited Museums and Cathedrals...things were expensive and ATAS

Switzerland was pretty, very pretty... but abit too boring for the 'happening' me

Enjoyed both Munich and Austria alot though, but I guess what stood out for Prague was that.. it looked as if the whole city was 'frozen in time' It gives you the 'Old school' 'Vintage' feel that none of the other cities left me with. Brown buildings... faded streets and alleys...old towns, railways and motor vehicles. Love it!

Ser-di-yah...Diam!!!

Dear Mr (NS) Policeman demonstrating body search on the streets of Praha

Hey you 2 respect the police please...

Shameless Chong attempting shameless business again

What can I say???... 'Kgg Seh'

The kind of back alley that I was mentioning... sweet

For a moment, we were so shocked to see a pair of hands sticking out from one of the pubs..

On a closer look.. we realised it was a fake figure

City of Prague (Czech Republic)

Seems like my geographical imagination (Massey) of Barcelona was found in Prague instead.

Will the day come when I own 4 Ferrarri(s) ??

Jonathan found this entertaining and bugged me to snap a picture.. A nun on the mobile phone I guess Jon expected her to take out a piece of paper and tie it on the legs of a dove?

One of the main tourist destination in Praha. 'Charles Bridge'

Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of 15th century. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau), the Charles Bridge used to be the most important connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle and adjacent areas until 1841

Shot dedicated to our good friend Mr Joshua and George Lau.. (Eh... never ever realise that you guys have the same surname) We would have definately gone for the tour if you were here with us. Next time ok?

On the streets, I saw Seth..

Hey Seth... don't be sad... smile at the camera..

The Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj
The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

Anyboy here wants to play Punk???

Ok... I lost... I admit defeat

The all famous 'Dancing house'

The design is "weird' Guess ppl like TY, Kellie and Seth would know how to appreciate it yah?

How can we say 'NO' to Mr Sandlers in Prague? I guess we can soon start our own 'the KFC tour'

Later in the evening, we decided to head down to the Prague fan-zone to join in the Euro 2008 fever

Not only did Prague stood out as one of the unique cities.. I guess the Czech people definitely stood out among the rest. One cut above the rest man! I wonder what happens if I give this guy one pull between the two

Man.. is this considered bravery or stupidity? If this guy were to be Joshua Chong's friend... i guess it would tear a long time ago

Euro 2008 soccer fever

I don't understand why these 3 couples have to 'make out' in front of me during the half time

Night shot on Charlie bird's bridge

Our last few moments in this beautiful old city

Man, love Prague so much! I will definitely very much want to visit again. Spend more time here the next time here so that I can have so much of it until I Praaaaahhhhhh....

Day 173-175 Vienna (Austria)

2008-07-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

Lunch was good! 'No more KFC' -Says Meng Kiat

At 1300hrs, we went to a bicycle shop and rented 4 bikes.

Ready to tour the streets of Vienna

Destination #1- Schonbrunn Palace

Man... Jon looks ultra P.R.C Due to the Euro fever, there was a 'Soccer activity' right outside the palace entrance. Soccer 2 on 2 challenge, and the winning team gets 2 free entrance tickets into the palace. Unfortunately, we were grouped to play against each other.

Hailer + Mengkiat Vs PRC + Angus
Jon and I got thrash 4-0
To make sure 4 of us get into the palace at zero monetary cost, Meng Kiat and Joshua requested to play with the South Korean friends that were sitting around.
Watch the match

Thank you Joshua and Meng Kiat for your hard work. Look how much we saved!

I stood far away not because I am scared of Horses... but few seconds before the picture was taken, the horse bit my right arm, real hard! I have visited so many palaces in Europe that I feel almost everything look the same to me... nothing spectacular in my opinion
Yes... cycle and cycle till your bottoms tear apart

Match of the night- Turkey vs Croatia

The match was held right here in Vienna itself. We decided to cycle to the stadium to be in the 'atmosphere' of the Euro fever. And so we cycled...

And cycled....

Look at the signboard just below the '70miles/hr speed limit'
It reads 'Wien = Vienna' and a cross across the word..
Meaning we actually cycled out of the Vienna borders!!!!!

Finally... after many hours of hard work on the thunder thighs and calfs

Soak in the soccer atmosphere man!

Meng kiat says 'I can't believe we cycle all the way only to see the stadium and not the match'

One thing good about renting a bicycle. You get to travel through the 'heartlands' of the foreign land which might be inaccesible by foot or 'not worth a trip' by public transport

Shot dedicated to Janelle Mak. Do you happen to own this?

Its an irony. We cycled all the way to the main kick off ground. But at the end of the day, we land up watching the match at a 'Fan-zone' miles away from the stadium

Not only was there a big screen for you to watch the match. One of the main sponsors 'Nike' actually loan out soccer boots for fans to try out and test by participating in some of the games.

After a long day... it's still back to cycling

Our very late dinner at burger king (Man, we're broke)

Guess who won?

Time to rest our thunder thighs

Our very happy 'Forever friends' teddy bear (Toffee colour) Vienna is known to be 'The city of Music'
But looks like we experience it as 'The land of Soccer' instead...

Day 173 - 5 hours in Salzburg (Austria)

2008-07-30T03:19:00.001-07:00

And so we were on the train down to Vienna (Austria)

On the journey map in the train, something interesting stirred up an interesting thought:
Muchen---> Salzberg (Austria) ---> Vienna (Austria)

Wouldn't it be nice to just drop by Salzberg for a few hours!???
It was famous for being known as home of 'The Sound of Music' and 'Mozart's home'

But 2 big CONCERNS surfaced

#1 Can we board another train later in the evening with the same ticket w/o $$ top-up
#2 Are there lockers at the train station to lock up our luggage while we travel Salzberg

The train that we were on stops over at Salzberg for 7 minutes before continuing the journey towards Vienna. In that 7 minutes, we have to get the answers to our 2 big CONCERNS

So this was the ultimatica plan within the 7 minutes

1. Hailer Chong to sprint to the train reception to check if we could board a later train to Vienna
2. Meng Kiat to fly to the information counter to ask if there are lockers available
3. Jonathan and I to stay behind to unload all our luggages

And the exciting operation gave birth to our 5-hr stopover at Salzberg (Austria)!!

Somehow, the landscape outside Salzberg train station resemble so much like Toa-payoh heartlands back home

Mozart University

And we saw some students queuing up for their entrance examination to this music school

Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Salzburg's "Old Town" with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centres in the German-speaking world

Love the very 'Feeling' style of cafe

And boy, we tasted the sweetest and freshest strawberries around

Fortress Hohensalzburg- Castle on a hill

The City of Salzburg

The Beautiful beautiful Alps

Puppet show - Achmed 'I'll kill you!'

Shot dedicated to the torture-lovers George and Spy-Lau

The time has come to Cheong-Sua

And we entered a room full of medals, weapons and military stuff. So much so that Jonathan went 'If your Dad was here he'll just faint.. he might even break the glass and steal the things' Well, I think if he were to be here, we will definately miss our train to Vienna in the evening.

It took almost the full-effort of the MDC + Commando tag-team to carry this Iron-man looking shield

Hey guys... behave yourselves overseas ok..

Mozart's house

*Honored* I get to stand at the staircase inside Mozart's house!!

Yupz! And so that was our little tour to Salzberg within that short time. Super-thankful because the weather was so good. It would be a BIG pity if we spend 5 hours in the train instead

Back to our longest journey to Vienna

Totally Kong-ed out after the long train ride. Butt tear man
But our Best friend will always be around to provide the best food (Vienna KFC)

Once again, Hailer Chong and I headed for some Casino fun. But because our dressing was abit too 'La-sup' We were made to rent a coat for entry into some restricted areas.

Day 170-172 Munich (Germany)

2008-07-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

Day 1

Hailer Chong and I agreed to wake up @ 4.30am to take a Sun-rise
shot at 7000 feet... only to find it to be super bright.. sigh.. we missed it!

Breakfast at the Mount Pilatus restaurant - Hams of the world unite
1030hrs - Descend Mt.Pilatus by cable car

1230hrs - 1730hrs Train ride to Munich (Germany)

1800hrs- Arrival at Munich!!!

Marienplatz- City Hall of Munich Germany. Consisting of a gothic council hall, ballroom and watch tower. Containing 900 years of rich history

Shot dedicated to Fishcake

2100hrs- Dinner by the roadside (very feel!) Pizza was fabulously mouth watering with a Big flat screen TV showing live Italy V.S France (Euro cup 2008)

Day 2

Weather wasn't too good for a start.. the Umbrellas are out.. eh.. ehh... ella.. ella..ella.. eh... Where is Hebe then? 4 of us joined the Free Europe tour which we enjoyed so much. At first, we were kind of apprehensive of it for being 'free' and even doubt the quality of the tour. Half the time we were wondering if there is any 'catch' to it. And also, how exactly do these compaines earn $$$ if the tour is free??

Our very knowledgable and engaging tour guide. Before we begin the tour, he said 'My job here is not just to educate you about Muchen's history, though I really wish you would walk away learning something and appreciating the rich culture of Muchen, but more than that, it is my hope that I could entertain you. At the end of the tour, depending on how entertained you are..... $ $ $ $.... So thats how it works, the company's earnings are from the tips from the tourists
Beer Garden

Need a drink in the streets of Munich?

Behind the trios was the stretch of road where Hilter's personal bodyguard took 12 bullets for him in a gunfire. Without this loyal bodyguard, I bet history would very much be different from what we learn today

Lunch: Chicken stew and Beer

We took some time to roam around by ourselves in the afternoon. Meng Kiat's favourite tour itinerary- Visiting universities around the world (University of Munich)

The BMW headquarters Munich Olympiapark

The 1972 Summer Olympics games were held right here. West Germany, Munich

A nice place to chill as well

Climbing the gate into the main stadium arena seems slightly challenging for our MDC friend
Kind of a breeze for the Commandos eh?
So there was a tour for 'walking along the roof-top of the stadium.' A safety harness was required to be worn. But being 'smugglers of ourselves,' no such facility was made available to us... Nevertheless...

PRC's MDC Challenge + Hailer Chong, The Ultimatica Shameless

Trains in Munich

At 1630hrs, we headed to Allianz Arena stadium

The Allianz Arena, also frequently known as FIFA World cup stadium is a football stadium north of Munich, opened since 30th May 2005 with a capacity size of 69,901. Cost of construction =€ 340 million

Shot dedicated to Hitachin, Cho cho, Black-maine, fishcake, Soapie, Xiao Wan Zi, Spy Lau and Prince white At 1900hrs, we decided to experience 'Uniquely Munich' and headed to Hofbrauhaus for dinner..

The Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München (literally state court-brewery in Munich, also Hofbräu München) is a brewry in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, owned by the state government. The Hof (court) comes from the brewery's history as a royal brewery in the Kingdom of Bavaria.

And the very warm Germans were enthusiastic in showing us the 'Must trys' in Hofbrauhaus to ensure our Munich experience.

I got rather freaked out by the massive mug size of the 1-litre alcohol which to me seemed pretty 'hard-core.' But when I attempted to order coke, the waiter playfully and intentionally ignored my request and returned with 4 mugs of beer., grinning as he served. The waiter's 'service excellence' amused Hailer Chong which explains his crocodile mouth in the picture below

Gripped with fear, I stand helpess. 'Sure gone case' Hailer and Jon seemed strong and season-ed when it comes to this
Well... seems like not really

The beer maids in Hofbrauhaus
Meng Kiat's new found American friend (Woo Hoo!)
After that night, I confirmed once again and pledge my HATRED for beer. Though I was no where close to being drunk, my head felt as if a 1000N of mass was pressing on my head. I felt like puking and the feeling was just CRAP.. GROSS...

The 2 pictures taken above show us resting on a grass-field. Not because we were tired... but because I couldn't move an inch anymore because I felt so so terrible. Away from me disgusting bitter piece of liquid!

Day 167- 169 Lucerne + Mt.Pilatus (Switzerland)

2008-07-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

Day 01

Departed for Switzerland early in the morning, almost missed our train.

Reached Zurich city (Northern Switzerland) at 1300hrs

Largest city in Switzerland and main commercial and cultural centre. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zürich was named the city with the "best quality of life" in the world.

Our first meal at Zurich…

After being Americanized after lunch, took another 1.5hr ride by rail towards Lucerne (City south of Zurich)

Finally…. After many hours

The first thing that Joshua Chong did upon arrival at the Hotel..
Taking pictures of himself… which was kind of amusing when there were
3 pairs of hands to help him with the job..

Soon, I got roped into modeling for him as well..

Chapel bridge- The icon of Lucerne

Hailer’s attempt in hunting for dinner
Lorong Halus roast goose meat

Ignore the person in the fore-ground, enjoy the Alps mountains behind

Swiss dinner

And the day ended with Hailer Chong bringing me into a Casino
My first time into one!

And Hailer Chong won 20 Euros! Pro star man

Day 02

Waking up by the river

The weather was cold, and we’re heading up Mount Pilatus in the early afternoon.
Meng Kiat was well prepared

His inventory: 1 layer Long Johns+ 2 layers of cotton top + 1 Jacket
1 layer of underwear + 1 layer of Long John pants + 1 layer of track pants + Jeans +
3 layers of socks

Lunch

Look at the big tube of Mayonnaise! Machiam toothpaste

Will I die after posting my postcard?

Mandarin roast duck anyone?

Mirrors to entertain

Forever friends teddy bear

Back to our primary school days…

Okay… this is the real deal

Moving-pigs in Movenpick

After lunch syndrome after a good dessert

Here we come Mount Pilatus!

At the foot of the Mountain

Up the tram

My Love for Geography

Up the mounts!

(Video Dedicated to Joshua Lau)

There was nothing much to do on the mountain. The weather was pretty bad on the 7000 feet crust, cold… moist.. and the clouds covered the view of the city below.
All we could see was a white screen

But a good dinner cheered us up nevertheless

Orhh… the teddy must be tired

Day 164-166 Paris (France)

2008-06-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

Day 01

Visited a cathedral on a hill behind our hotel

The city of Paris at a glance

After 5 months of separation, Mr Shameless Hailer Chong
is still as thick skinned as ever

Not only did he request to wear the fireman helmet and
take a picture with the fire squadron

he even wanted to join in their 'rescue mission'

Arc de Triomphe

Shameless act #2

All hail the all famous icon of Paris- Eiffel Tower

For lunch, we literally took 2 hrs hunting for KFC
as it was the 'safest'

Safest meaning it will never disappoint you
and definitely value for money

I can't believe we did crazy things like

1. Ask the beautiful French people 'Where is the nearest KFC'
2. Spent 2hrs walking and finally taking the metro to hunt for
KFC in France

Victory chant after the 2hrs of intensive hunting

But worth every single moment

Anyone needs a rat trap in the house?

Kiss kiss

In the afternoon, we headed to Louvre Museum,
where the Original Mona Lisa potrait was kept

I dare say that this Museum is the BIGGEST museum I have
ever visited in my life thus far

Entry to the museum was free of charge for the 26yrs<
The singaporeans went to 'Relac one corner' at the park nearby
to wait for 'The Deal'

The 'Venus De milo' should be familiar to you
Many replicas could be seen around the world,
even in games like Resident Evil!!!

Athena- Goddess of heroic endeavour (background)

Hailer Chong- King of heroic Shameless endeavour

Whats with the crowd!??!

I see Mona Lisa (The Real deal)

We left the museum at 2115hrs and walk passed a park

Father and Son in Paris

The sun was setting and there were 4 chairs by the fountain,
we decided to just sit down to appreciate the beautiful gift from
the creator

My Air-force 1 flying by the sun

Somehow, we saw MANY policeman, police cars and motorcycles.
Many roads have also been barricaded

And so I asked one of the policeman, 'What's happening?'

'Do you not know? President bush is in town'

I would love to have this car behind my garage someday

And maybe this 'Hybrid' car after the Camry

Ended the day with a nice little supper
'Cruzcoose' (Not sure if it's spelled this way)
Very fine grain wheat rice stuff
Look like Chicken Briyani frm Prata house

Day 02

man.. they look really drained

La Defense, the Central Business District of Paris

After staying in Europe for the past 5 months of so,
somehow, these architecture buildings kind of look the same to me
everywhere I go and I kind of feel a bit 'numb'

Shameless act #3

Headed to the 'Longchamp' boutique to get a handbag for Mum
I found the model she wanted, but sadly, it wasn't 'Made in France'
as how she would like it to be Here is hard evidence that I have tried!

At 2230hrs, we headed to Eiffel tower once again to see
the tower blink blink* in the dark

Beautiful ain't it?

A glance from the bottom of the Eiffel tower

Night view of Paris on level 2 of the Eiffel tower

Before heading back to the hotel, we walked past
'Moulin Rouge'

My geographical imagination of Paris

- Very Clean
- Super Romantic!
- People dress up really well
- Arrogant and rude locals (as heard from others)

What it really was to me (subjective)

- The subway stinks of Ammonia (Urine lah!)
- Eiffel tower is Beautiful, but romantic?!... (Not so much leh!)
- Its the same kind of dressing as everywhere else
- Polite and helpful locals

So things and experiences could very much be different yah!
Experience it first hand and try it for yourself ;)

It's until you try that you know something is Good
In the same way, try my Boss. He's good too :P

The next stop would be Zurich + Luzern + Mt. Pilatus (Switzerland)

Day 164-166 Paris (France)

2008-06-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

After being away for > 5months from this bunch of Bananas,
we finally met up in Paris on the 12.06.08, 2356hrs shortly after I
touched down @ Beauvais airport

Pardon the 30-40s of darkness
(I was groping in the dark searching for the room!)

My phone doesn't have roaming and there's no way I could be contacted
That means I might be in dire straits if I can't locate them
But thank God I was able to find them at the correct place!

grâce à Dieu

Day 161-163 Barcelona (Spain)

2008-06-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

All the way till the 25th June,
I'm gonna be on the road... the thought of it
makes me worry if I could last that long

Saw this on the way to the coach station
You can't turn left, right nor U-turn...
what to do?.. Move forward lah..

Day 01

I was surprise to see plentiful of highlands in Barcelona,
always thought of it as very flat

The weather wasn't too good when we first arrive,
was drizzling and made us all feel a little moody and grumpy

My travelling buddies Leonard and Chiu

Chiu is this big friendly giant that reminds me alot of
Alex Tok somehow... just the way he carry himself.. walk
and how BIG a joker he was

Our first stop was to Picasso Mueseum..

which totally bore the Banana out of me...
it was ultra mega boring for me, but thats just me..
and it cost 6 Euros!

Cathedral of Santa Eulalia

Met 2 of Leonard's 'girl-friends' who were already in
Barcelona for dinner

Dinner was S.A.D... Sux And Depressing
small portion and tasted like crap and to complete the
package.. it cost 16 euros per person!!!
A very disappointing for a first meal

To rectify the situation, I had no choice but
to seek refuge at Colonel Sandler's House

KFC!!!!

My crispy thigh saved the day
Barcelona's KFC rocks man! Can fight with Singapore

Day 02

The night spent in the 8-bunk hostel was very interesting
When I was lying on bed, I could hear a symphony in the background,
the sounds of beautiful harmony of snoring. It was a 3 piece band..
I made up for the 4th piece

Breakfast at Hostel- My favourite Kellorgs Tiger corn flakes

The hostel is beautiful eh?

Destination #1 Park Guell

Park Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of el Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built in the years 1900 to 1914

The steep slopes up

From here, you can have a bird's eye view of the city

The emergent building is Sagrada Familia
The most famous building designed by Antoni Gaudí

Parl Guell is beautiful, Gaudi is a real genius architect

Gaudi Museum

This was the bed where the architect slept on.
Small and longish... weird designs

The famous lizard of Gaudi

This was one of the place where 'Dao Ming si' was looking
for 'Shancai' in Meteor Garden 2

Spanish lunch
Taste like crap + Minute portion + Expensive (12 Euros) = Very sad

Spanish wine- Sangrai

Sagrada Familia- The most famous design by Antoni Gaudí

The Kiss of Judas

Entrance door

The interior

Due to its complex design and 'no-rush deadline'
This famous cathedral is not yet completed and work is still
in progress since 1882 when it first started. Amazing!

La Rambla

La Rambla is an iconic and busy street in central Barcelona, popular amongst both tourists and locals alike.

Font de les Canaletes fountain
Folk tradition has it that anyone who drinks from this fountain will subsequently keep returning to Barcelona

Casa Batllo- Another master piece by Gaudi

Port Vell

Day 03

The Mercat de la Boqueria, or simply La Boqueria, is a large public market, with an entrance from La Rambla in Barcelona

The proceeding images contain explicit gore and bloodshed
Scroll down at your own risk!!

Whats that?!!? - Cow's tongue

Eh.. I think this is the lamb/sheep's head..
with the eyeball still inside

Even small piglet ain't spared

We had lunch at one of the stalls in the market

Beside us sat this Singaporean family that recommended
us almost everything on the menu

This old school Pizza Hut logo is long gone
in our land. Looking at it brought back memories

Alrighta, thats all for Barcelona.

Be heading to Paris next to meet up with Hailer, Jonathan and Meng kiat
Guess the journey there will be exciting since I'll be travelling
and finding my way there alone

Muchísimas Gracias!

Day 160

2008-06-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

Spent 3/4 of the day
packing for the Europe trip as well as
planning for the route of advancement for lake district

Messy mess Massey

In the evening, I went to visit Aunty Irene
and Uncle Nam Sing for the last time :(

I will definitely miss this 'family' that
I have in London, and I thank God that he has divinely
placed these beautiful people along my path

'He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed' Proverbs 11:25

As how Uncle Nam sing and Aunty Irene have blessed
and refreshed me, I pray and claim the promise that God will refresh them
exceedingly abundantly and beyond too

Probably one of my last bus rides..
Lets take a kuku shot to commemerate

I think I now understand why I love the London skies
Because unlike Singapore, the sky is clear most of the time
(Shot is taken at 2215hrs)

Later in the evening, Summer and I headed down a
bar along Portobello road for a drink

As I was snapping this picture...

2 Black guys came in front of me and wanted me
to take a picture of them...

Later, one of them grab me to take one with him
and taught me the way the Blacks greet...
Interesting eh?

I'll be heading to Barcelona and other parts of Europe
for the next 2 weeks. Be meeting Hailer Chong, Meng Kiat and
Jonathan in Paris

This blog gotta freeze for a few days, or many days
until I can find a laptop to update again
Till then... Adios Amigos... Au Revoir!

Day 159

2008-06-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

Our very kind warden approved Gordon's
request in extending his stay at Goldsmid for one more night.
Hence, I bunked in with him last night and we were entitled
the 'last survivors' of Goldsmid

As it was a Sunday today and no warden is at work
I could actually stay for one more night in his room
after he leaves for Singapore today
But the thought of being alone in that whole building
is kind of sad... It's like being the character in
'28 weeks later' or rather 'I am Legend'

The landscape remains the same, but the sounds, familiar
faces and voices are no longer around..
Or rather being a vampire whereby all your friends ain't
around anymore but the buildings still remain...
Dah.. think i have been watching too much shows lately

And so, this is the real final Goodbye of Goldsmid house
After we exit from the building, Gordon left for the airport,
and I headed to Summer House

Gordon's parting gift for me (So sweet right?)
A Topman voucher!! I don't have any shirts
from Topman, guess I shall get a few pieces and start looking
like TY and Seth

As the weather was superb, Summer and I decided to head down
Hyde park to just laze in the sun

Some moments later....

I took some time to plan the coming road-trip
and route of advance to Lake district(Northern England)

But soon...

It is kind of common to see people sun-tanning, sleeping
on the grass. And no one gives you weird stares
because 'everybody does it'
But I guess if I were to do this in Singapore, they
might mistook me for our Bangladesh friends

One of the clock towers in Hyde Park given the
name 'Time flies'

How true, how true

At 2100hrs, we headed to the cinemas to catch 'Indiana Jones'
The Cinema was machiam empty man

I fell asleep halfway during the show...
felt that it was kind of boring and absurd...

Summer lives near Portobello market, and it is
indeed very interesting to walk through the streets in the night

In the day time, it's a street that is so packed such that
you have difficulty passing through
But at night, it is just like any other street

These streets are jam-packed with stores in the day time

'The end is high'

I truly wish so man

Day 158

2008-06-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

My watch read 1000hrs
Its time to check out of Goldsmid house

The Aitches decided to check out together
Seems like Peggy and I were the most punctual..
While waiting, we started shooting each other
across the corridor

Our last shot as a group before going on our separate ways

Sophie Mckay, the British girl that stays just beside me (H8)
Among ourselves, we nicknamed her 'Ghost' because we never
ever see her around. But I do hear her from my room every morning
at 4am changing her power adaptors

Finally, the moment still came for us to say Goodbye

After helping me shift my belongs and luggage to Summer's house,
Gordon and I headed to Hyde park for a walk when we walked into
a friendly Squirrel that was outrightly posing for us

It even attempted to climb onto my camera!

Gordon the Squirrel magnet

At 1700hrs, the Jeep requested SOS help in shifting her
belongings to her 'holding area'

And so the coolies went over to help

Charles Dicken's house

Gordon the ultimate Coolie for the day

Charity and Gordon will be flying back home tomorrow
It's our last night together in London

Besides Thank you to these 2 closest friend in London,
its still a million thank you-s for being there and doing
things together with me, helping assimilate into the life here

Day 157- One Last breath

2008-06-06T19:42:00.001-07:00

Today is our last day at Goldsmid house
All of us got to clear out of hall by 1000hrs tomorrow :(

Maura- Our Grandma-like hall warden

Packing pack pack... I hate this

My pinboard is empty once again

At 1800hrs, the 'H corridor' met for their
last meal together

Why is the German guy ordering kids meal!??!!

Lucy left (For good) after dinner.. man so fast
and we're one man down again

And we headed to a pub just beside our hall for our
last dessert

The Last chat

And all of us returned to our individual rooms to
enjoy our personal last moment with our little space

The view that I'll miss so much (though there is nothing spectecular)

My 'Holy ground' where I meet up with my Boss

Knowing that the next moment when I open my eyes
all is over, I wish tomorrow never comes

Time continues to tick and the globe continues to
spin the next moment irregardless of my existence
I will only be a fool if I stay stuck in reminisence
of sweet memories and not enjoy the sweeter next moment

If He has made all things beautiful the last moment,
I can expect in confidence that my next moment would be
even greater than this. There's nothing my God cannot do

Day 156

2008-06-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

My 3rd Roadtrip to the outskirts!

We booked a Ford Fiesta(Manual) initially but when
we attempted to request for an Auto car,
the car company was superbly nice to give us a FREE
upgrade to a Volkswagen Golf Auto!!!(Blessing #1)

Man... I miss driving auto so much...
the past 2 road-trips was super stressful having to
juggle between gear changes, clutch control
as well as the unfamiliar traffic rules of the complicated UK

Destination 1: Windsor Castle

Thank God for the Sunny weather finally after the past gloomy week
(Blessing #2)

Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world. Queen Elizabeth II spends many weekends of the year at the castle, using it for both state and private entertaining.

We were there at the right time to witness the
Changing of guard at the castle! (Blessing #3)

Shots are specially dedicated to the Old Man

I realise that alot of our foot and armsdrill are the
exact replica of the British army. Just that our commands
are delivered in Bahasa Melayu

Man.. i can't imagine standing under the sun in that outfit
Especially the head-dress, it looks so HOT

Video dedicated specially for Dad. Start drooling now

Inside the castle vacinty, beside the parade square
stood St George Chapel

It is both a royal peculiar and the chapel of the Order of the Garter

The interior design of the chapel was magnificient
Pictures and photos just couldn't do justice to how grand it was
It's amazing how the olden time designers took such pains to go into
every little detail of the design. Beautiful... compared to the
modern flat top and grey concrete urban heat island designs

Just look at the design of the flags and coat of arms
Beautiful ain't it?

If you are interested in Knights
Windsor castle would be the place for you when you visit England
We saw the place where knights were being knighted as well as
the armors and weapons used by knights and warriors of the past
I guess there is a time when most boys were fascinated by knights
and royal priesthoods. Well... at least I was

It seems like the Royal family love to give names like
'$Edward$' 'Henry' 'William' 'George' 'Anne' 'Elizabeth' 'Victoria'

The paintings and portraits of these royal people, their dressing
as well as custom make me want to be one of them. It's like so cool

Destination 1.5: Eton College

On the opposite side of the river thames stood Eton College
Eton College was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI
as a charity school to provide free education to seventy
poor boys who would then go on to King's College, Cambridge
Today, it is often described as the most famous public school in the world

Prince William attended Eton college in Yr 1999

Destinaton 2: Stratford (Shakesphere's land)

We took a 2hr drive and headed for Stratford
(99 miles from central London)

Stratford is the birth-place of William Shakesphere,
also the place where he spent his time writing, and the
very place where he was buried
Man, he pierced his ears too!

Shakesphere's birth place (Henley Street)

This was the very house where Shakesphere was born
April 1564. The house is 444 years old this year!!!

The interior was rather humble... diliapated and run
down to be exact.. too bad we aren't allowed to take
photos inside

.... We seem to be more concerned about ourselves
then Shakesphere's house eh? ...

When Shakesphere returned to Stratford after working
in London for a few years, he bought a new apartment

The Garden in Shakesphere's new house

I love the town layout of stratford
Gives you a real English feel somehow

Shot dedicated to Mr B.Y Cheong

Shot dedicated to Ms Cui Ru

Harvard House- The house of John Harvard,
the founder of Harvard University in United States

Holy Trinity Church

This is the place where Shakesphere was buried

Inscription on Shakespeare’s grave

Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare,
To digg the dvst encloased heare.
Blest be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And cvrst be he yt moves my bones.

Slacking along Avon River (Beside the church)

This place really made use of Shakesphere's life to earn money
Even his wife's former house was opened to public visitations

Is it ethical to commodify other people's life experiences?
Are these 'exhibitions' accurate representation of the
writer's life, or are they mere modified facts to cater to
the Palate of tourists?

Day 155

2008-06-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

My Mayer tickets are finally here!!

I was so afraid that someone would steal it
from my pigeon hole. The concert shall be the last
highlight before I leave for home

Day 154

2008-06-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

I stayed in Hall for the whole day but never did I feel
bored for one moment. Perhaps because time in hall is running
out and I just wish to enjoy being 'Home' for as long as I could

Shot dedicated to Spy Lau- Vandetta and his Permed hair

Finally I got for you what you wanted balls

It was really nice of Kaisin to make us
bubble tea and some cute looking biscuits for tea

Just look at the designs of the biscuit

Every biscuit is uniquely designed by her magical fingers
Think she should start a bakery after finishing her bond

The creative baker

Gordon and I prepared some Solid Powerpack good food for dinner

Black pepper steak

Butter mushroom Codfish

All to the glory of our faithful Sponsors next door

Goldsmid house is getting quieter day by day
as more return to their home country
Nevertheless, the 'Dead silence' is traded for cleaner toilets

One more will be gone tomorrow
Jian Ping (the tallest) would be leaving for Malaysia

And the rest of the night was spent drinking (abit)
and chatting along the 'H' corridors

Somehow Sharon kind of resembles Edward white.. just that she's darker

Wireless provision by who? Our sponsors again!

I forgot what time we slept, but i remember seeing
the sun when i turned in

Day 151- 153

2008-06-03T04:18:00.000-07:00

So it was our last days together
The 'H' Corridor decided to storm Cambridge - The University town

Cambridge is about 2 hours away from Central London by bus
The smooth journey + the cold weather gave me no excuse
to refuse knocking out on the coach

The fields of Cambridge seem to be greener than elsewhere
Perhaps because of rules like this? 'No Football'

So, this is the very place where our 'O' & 'A'level papers
originated from and are marked

'Pirated Cambridge students'

I always thought that University Of Cambridge is just ONE Single University

But Boy was I wrong

University of Cambridge is made up of 31 different colleges
of which the 3 most famous are:

King's College, Cambridge

Trinity College, Cambridge

St John's College, Cambridge

i.e. to say, there is no such thing as a single 'University of Cambridge'

One of the 'must try' activities in Cambridge would
be the tour on the river Cam which surrounds the univeristy town

Meet the German guy

Please come real $Loaded$ if you plan to visit
all, or if not a few universities in Cambridge

We paid £2.40 to enter into Trinity College. Other colleges like King's College Cambridge charges £3.50

Entrance of Trinity College, 'The Great Gate'

The Court yard

The dining hall

We also visited the Library of Trinity college and saw
the actual transcipts and work of:

A.A Milne- Author of 'Winnie the Pooh'

Issac Newton- The Apple man
(Even his hair was left behind as an exhibit!)

One of the many exhibits outside the library

Exploring the town

A piece of 'Asia' in this English space

Charle's Darwin's house, probably where he stayed
when he was a student at Christ College Cambridge

The highlight Above All- River Punting (Without guide this time!)

Gordon our first brave 'punt-er'

Kaisin trying hard to hold her screams and wails

Peggy and I looking very steady and calm...
but actually wet our pants already

The bridge in the background 'Mathematics Bridge'
constructed by Sir Issac Newton (Built without bolts and screws)

The conscientious steering when we were about to collide
into a wall or with other boats.. aka 'Cheating'

Ok.. Change shift!

Tom Sawyer and Huckleburry Finn

The girls looked apprehensive of my punting?!

Taiwan Power

German gas turbine power deluxe pro

Kaisin's screams and wails could move the boat alone! Hahah

Expressions from the Aitches

O Happy Day!

Day 150

2008-05-30T16:47:00.001-07:00

Did my long accumulated laundry today

Guess whats my favorite color for a top?

Anyone wants to buy 2nd hand lingerie?

Took a nice little nap (on the floor) and was awaken
by the gentle afternoon sun

Man.. the chill out days in this little comfy room
of mine is gonna 'expire' soon.. very soon

Headed down to the Last Session of OCF for the term

Introducing my beloved small group

Since it was the last gathering,
we're to share about our thanksgivings and learnings
for the first 6 months of 2008

It was very depressing for me when I first arrived
The sun sets at 4pm and all was cold and gloomy
I practically knew no one here and it can be very lonely at times
But I thank God for this small group of mine that gave me
genuine love and support during my time in London
They're a great bunch of people that I'll definitely miss. Alot.

Tamara Our Lady-Boss

Leonard the Cold Joke King

Faith the faithful little one

Jacqueline the Ah Lian

Sam the Mr Cool boxers

The Year 2 Geography Majors of OCF - Angus and Joyce

Not forgetting these 2 buddies that have brought
me so so much joy over the past few months

And thanks for the gift from Ms Zhang (My future boss in MOE)

After OCF, we deaded down for a Charity + Birthday gig
nearby Waterloo area organised by one of the fellow OCFers

Su Wen, the Birthday girl

En qi did a number of covers + Originals which was rock solid

Mr Clarence Taylor's 5 finger picking techique was
face melting as usual

Took a double-deck bus home after the event
The streets of London was beautiful on this friday evening
The thought of parting with this city is sad

Man.. I think I have fallen in love with London

Day 149

2008-05-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

I met Hansen for dinner tonight in Chinatown
Hansen was my classmate in Secondary school
Upon graduation from KaChang Putih Secondary, he came to
U.K for his studies. Currently doing his Masters.
.... Man.. we're the same age and I'm still doing my basic degree

Secondary school days talk always brings us smiles without fail
Probably because it was the best times of my life, B.E.S.T
We talked about how our classmates have changed (inwardly and outwardly)
Talked about some of them who have already entered the workforce
And real soon, it will be my turn... and the thought of it is kind of scary

Sometimes I wish time could turn back to 'the moment'
when you could just play, enjoy, study without expectations and not much to think about
Man... I don't wish to grow up...(Bu Xiang Zhang da- S.H.E)

Cheers... Forever Young (Can you spot Hansen and I?)

Headed for a game of pool after dinner

It's interesting..
Instead of our familiar 'Solid and Stripes' for balls
It was 'Red and Yellow' balls for a change...

Balls to you understand?

£1 per game. Thats SGD$3 for a game !!
Equivalent to 1hr of playtime in Singapore!!

Nevertheless... we played 6 games.. Score- 5 : 1

Yes... I lost 5 and Win 1

Day 148

2008-05-29T05:22:00.000-07:00

Met up with Leonard for tea to discuss
our trip to Spain (Barcelona)

I went to watch Meteor Garden 2 to do my
little 'Research' because many of their scenes
were shot in Barcelona

Sponsored lunch is getting better!

Shot dedicated to Spy Lau

Apparently, this company provides services
for personal body guards, spys, private investigator,
body armour, night vision goggles..

Never knew such a company exist behind my hall

I also had a very interesting conversation with Dad over MSN

Dad: Do you understand me more now , after staying in London for six months?
at least on my craze on military and British stuff?
and why I decorated our house like that?

Angus Sham: ....eh.. No... ahhaHHAhah!

Well! Maybe I would after visiting Scotland :P

Day 147

2008-05-28T02:34:00.000-07:00

After a Psychology test in the morning,
Headed down to Heathrow airport for the arrival
of Bugs bunny and Catfish with Philip and Christina

Finally, the 2 arrived in 1 piece + peace

Christina and Philip's place was real beautiful and posh..
The toilets are of one-fullerton standard

The 2 beautiful cats

#1 One Yr old 'Missy'

Man... I think She is more Emo than Seth in these 2 shots

#2 Black Beauty 'Matrix'

Headed down to Blues-water,
a mega mall in zone6 that is highly similar to Vivo-city back home

See the resemblance?

Dinner was Powerpacked

But KFC for the first meal in London?
I wonder what this 2 have to say...
Nevertheless.. It tasted Finger Licking Good

Day 146

2008-05-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Headed to the Cinema with Sam and Wenling to catch 'Iron-Man'
Movie tix was at £6 = SGD$18 (ouch!!)

Wenrox struck lottery tonight and decided to give us a treat
Think I shall buy her a wheelchair in return... (Coz she's lame, very lame)

The theatre we went to was real interesting
It was free seating... and we had a hard time hunting
in the dark for seats for 3

Somehow, I felt that the theatre resembled alot like the one in Lido. For a moment, I thought I might walk out to be greeted by the tropical weather and the Skyscrapers along Orchard Road

Headed to 'Wagamama' for dinner after the movie

The noodle I ordered was pathetic, and it was £7!!!

My 25p instant noodle from Chinatown could trash it
upside down or downside up.. whichever way that makes you happy

Smarty Sam's food looks much better though

'Awkward silence?'
Nah... guess the 2 were just worn-out after a day of Basketball and 'limping'

It was raining most of the time today and it was
great to be back in hall for the warmth.

One of the things I will miss about Hall life
Chatting along the 'H' corridor

Day 145

2008-05-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

Went to test out the Taylor 514 series today

After drilling if for about half an hour,
I decided perhaps this is not the axe for me
Sounds brilliant, but the neck is too fat for my personal comfort preference

So, I was telling the staff about it
and he went 'You will get used to it, I can give you a good deal.'
Yeah tell me about it... the cost price was 2741 pounds...

Headed down to Hillsongs London.
As usual, the music was awesome

Mr. Gordon Chua is back from Malta finally
And of course, our Sponsor supplied us good food for a good reunion

Day 144

2008-05-24T20:01:00.001-07:00

Except for the run around central London tonight,

I was busy on a date...

On a date with a Vampire

Kathy changed her profile pic on facebook

How can she take picture with My Vampire King!!!

Simon Yam is the coolest 'Old Man' in the HK entertainment circle man.

I wish I could be half as cool as him when I'm his age next time

I also browsed through many of
the cartoons I watched when I was very very young,
before I migrated. I'm so blown away to be able to find
them on the cyberspace...

And so, there was Voltron
Super Old school. I think it was the 'Pioneers'
for Power ranger

Somehow, as I streamed them online, I was asking myself..
'Oh man, how could I be so intrigued by such a boring cartoon?'

The Jeep suggested an answer, 'Perhaps you're a boring kid.'

I remember how sky high happy I was when Dad bought me
the Voltron toy in my 2nd year in Kindergarten
It must have been the happiest day of my life

And also.. there was 'Daddy long legs'

A heartwarming cartoon about an orphan girl
and her life story of studying in high school
after being sponsored by the 'Rich people = Edward'

Somehow... I feel that the cartoons and animes last time
were much more meaningful then those on the market nowadays

But of course there are some new ones that are really good too

Next, I want to hunt down another of my
all time favourites

Saint Seiya

I used to watch them all in Cantonese,
Wonder If I can find them the Canto version

Day 143

2008-05-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

The 'H' corridor decided to head for a Pizza Hut buffet
as a post exam celebration. My dear Mr Gordon Chua must be
enjoying his share of Pizza at Malta

Food aside, we had a long discussion
on 'What's the best animal to have as a pet'

After much cross benefit analysis and pragmatic considerations,
we arrived at the conclusion that a turtle is the best pet to have

#1 It is super low maintainance (You can chill for 3 mths during its hibernation)

#2 It is cheap to buy

#3 It has a loooonnnngggg lifespan

#4 Even if it escapes, it can't run far away

Something's wrong with my body today

1. I wanted very much to sleep in till later to recuperate from the
prolonged mental exhaustion. But I woke up at 9.30am and couldn't get
back to sleep anymore

2. I used to be able to wipe out a cow when it comes to buffet...
But I only managed to survive through 2 salad servings + 3 slices of Pizzas

Salad (2 plates)

Pizza (3 slices)

Headed down to Camden market to 'Look see look see'
On my way, I saw this 'serious looking' building
But it has cat designs on the exterior.. weird yah?

Saw this guy doing beat-boxing + Rapping with
the use of 2 electric guitar mutli-effects

Along Camden road, a black guy kept smiling at me
and freaked me out by walking towards me...

'Any Marijuana for you?'

And I'm not sure if it was because of him..
At the tube station, the police officers requested for me
to step aside to be sniffed by the dog because it was
sniffing one of my pockets... Dead skin cells maybe?

Day 142

2008-05-22T17:13:00.001-07:00

So it was the final battle
My exam venue was at 'The English folk dance and song society'
How cool is that man?

The Last browse

My Buddy for the course, Mr. Tim Reid

I started off the first question well, but didn't end it on a 'high' I realise after going through 4 terms of University exams that my stamina for writing a good essay could only last for ONE question..

Towards the last question, my mind was exhausted,
stressed by time and the urge to 'P'
Couldn't link the arguments well and all else went haywire

Thus, although loud cheers were heard in the hall when
'Pens down' was announced, I didn't felt that sensation of
'freedom' that I was expecting for.

It's interesting, before the exam, I was so so looking forward
to that 'feeling' of release, of freedom.

But when all is done, it was just like... 'Ok... and so?'
Perhaps things might be different if I ended off the last question well. But still, all is done and I'm happy. It's time to play!

In celebration of my final paper, 'SUB' for lunch

and turned myself into a 'Lab Rat' right-away

Today's test was ultra interesting, I was shut in this room
with electrodes on my forehead, nose and raised into
the machine. For once, I felt what 'Lincoln burrows' felt
when he was put on the electric chair

I was then made to play 'photo-hunt'

The electrodes were used to measure electrical activity by my brain when it processes

At the end of the test, I asked the reseacher

'So what did you find out about my brain?'

He replied 'I found nothing inside'

And we both burst out laughing...

In the evening, I headed down to
'Oriental City' together with Leonard, Faith and Summer

On days which I look unkempt, unshaven and 'Lup Sup'
Burglar Tay, my fellow buddy in Singapore always say to me
'Hey The stock market crashed yesterday ah?'

Well, guess I shall shave tomorrow since my
period of 'mourning' is finally over!!

Oriental City is a mall in Zone 4, Suburbs of London

When I reached there I was like... 'Oh My...'
It was as if I was teleported to Asia

The Food Court

And we headed down to the 'Arcade' to play 'Digital D'

To congratulate CPT Lee Teck Horng for his
New opportunity to influence more lives, I have specially
picked a Black Subaru WRX to run the race in the game

Dance dance revolution used to be an 'Ah Lian and Beng game' - Social construction
It's interesting and refreshing to see 'Ang Mo Lian' playing

I took alot of time and energy searching for
Mr.Ed, Spy Lau and Hailer Chong in this supermarket..
But I can't find them

To conclude my 'Freedom' and 'release from the prison cell'

To my Play-mate since young Mr Hailer Chong

'HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY!!!!!!'

Make sure you SHOUT LOUDER and LOUDER
the Goodness of Boss so that all your friends and relatives could hear and taste of it as well

Make sure you SHOUT so loud that you yourself become deaf and cease to hear
the voice of the 'Mouse with the microphone'

Keep Shouting my friend!

Day 141

2008-05-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

So it was the final day of mugging for me
Like I mentioned earlier on, all things come to an end someday.
And I really do cherish these times of intensive revision
although it can be tough and enduring at times

Something that amused me on the way to school

Hey.. is that referring to us Chinese?
Oh wait a minute... we are supposed to be yellow right?

So here goes our mugging routine:

1300hrs - Angus Sham & Gordon Chua supplies lunch from Sponsor

1340hrs- 1900hrs: Intensive brain cracker mugging
(Not so much for me since my mind is always wandering)

Our sense of place (Massey 1993)
Psychology computer cluster

1900hrs- Head to International Hall (I.H) to 'free-ride' dinner

The 'Constantly' delicious mouth watering dinner of I.H
and my favourite Hot Chocolate drink (Fly to the sky nice)

On days when we are richer (i.e. extra earnings from being a Lab rat)
We will all share another extra dish from a Chinese restaurant nearby I.H

On days when we are less loaded,
Hall dinner is 'Spiced-up' with Potato chips

An example of a 'richer' 'more loaded' day

Dinner MUST be accompanied by entertainment=Crunchyroll.com
'1 litre of tears' 'meteor garden' 'Type-moon' 'Yakitate'...

And after dinner... its back to brain cracking again

Looks like the London moon is adding oil for me as well

And hey mugger toads, thanks for staying with me,
making mugging time meaningful, productive, enjoyable
and definitely memorable! These are the things I treasure

Day 140

2008-05-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

While we were studying in the Psychology
department today, a handsome Ang mo approached us

'I'm conducting a study for 30 minutes which pays
£3, are you guys interested?'

Man.. instead of us searching for experiments to do..
Now the experiment comes to find us, Steady lah!

This is a serious Knock-Out there

Just when I have forgotten how prawn taste like..
My sponsors heard the far cry across the road..

Item #1: Mediocre Prawns

Item #2: Madagascar de-shelled Tiger Prawns

Man.. when I took the first bite..
I felt the sea-waves piling on me and I started swimming in the ocean

Day 139 Where's my Sun?

2008-05-19T17:59:00.001-07:00

The weather in London is really eccentric
It was 24'C last week.. and it dropped to 8'C this morning
So peeps visiting London, be sure to at least bring something
to keep yourself warm

Where exactly did my Sun go???

Oh here it is...

Dah... It's just a sun-flower

Even the sunflower on the window latch is withering...

'Even if you wither and turn into an ugly thing, I still love you the same as yesterday' Awwww.... So sweet... sweet until going to get Diabetes liao

Day 138

2008-05-18T20:13:00.001-07:00

Man.. last night my sponsors were
extra extra generous with what they gave
Mega extreme Pop-in Sushi

Looks like this brother beside me has fought
hard with the ZzZz-monster

Was it Nathan east at Kensington Temple?

Man the standard of the bassist here is sky high for some reason

My last few weeks here in UK,
better snap a few shots to keep them in memory lane

And of course, not forgetting my weekly
strolls back home along Hyde Park

A squirrel popped into my path,
not fearful of my presence at all

Too bad I don't have nuts to feed it

Run, run, run with it! For the Sake of 'Pink' I will run!

The Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park
You can talk about anything.. Religion, politics, gossips, skin disease, In-grown toe nail, constipation.. anything goes

I look forward to chilling out like this people after the exams

This guy has been chilling out since last Wednesday
Any further chilling will result in the formation of ice-cores

Lunch (By our beloved Sponsors) in my room while the 3 of us roll on the crunch

So its left with the Psychologist and Geographer fighting
the final battle

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