I might follow you on Twitter one day; once you’re done with your obsession.
No guarantees though.
I remember I was supposed to blog on my trip to Cameron Highlands… which I have forgotten about somewhat due to the many memories made in the British Isles…
However, when I suddenly woke up just now, I remembered telling my mother when she was shocked I saw daffodils there that “the daffodils speak in a thick Scottish brogue here, pretty much like one of my professors. They were shouting “we’re he-ah!!”
Her accent is similar to Amy Macdonald’s. Similar but not quite.
Actually, I am not sure if what I typed sound right… but I think it might be.
Haha.
PS: I am on a writing binge. Or should I say, typing… and with no structure whatsoever. Could anything like that be considered “writing”? I don’t know… Though I think I better do laundry before the helper comes… Hmmm…
I just can’t, for the life of me, imagine how people could just drive aimlessly. I just… can’t. Even when I was starting to drive again, to practice my driving, it was so difficult for me to drive for the sake of driving.
After all, I hate driving.
It was a blessing that I “practiced” driving while I was trying to find the National Archive… Getting lost in KL. Rather aimless, but I was searching for something!! Gosh, I absolutely hate driving around KL, searching for something, what with all the one way street. Urgh. Annoying!!
To drive aimlessly… just to floor the accelerator and feel the speed… That just doesn’t attract me.
Especially since I drive that way anyway.
Speeding, to me, is a neccessity. Oh, not because I enjoy speeding.
It is because, speeding would cut the driving time shorter, even if it is just by a minute, it is still less time spend behind the wheels. I have absolutely no problem spending time in a car. Just so long as I am not navigating the way.
Several weeks ago, I was sending my mother to KLIA, and she freaked out when she realize I was going at 150km per hour. Sometimes I hate that the speedometer is in the middle now. Maybe if it was in front of me, I might realize that I’ve gone above 130km/h; the absolute maximum my mother would tolerate on the 110km/h highway. She usually says not to go more than 10 above the speed limit.
I thank God that we have not received a speeding ticket. I would soooo die if we did.
It took me about half an hour to come back home; what would usually take about 40-50 minutes. See… it counts!!
Though I don’t speed when there’re a lot of bends on the road.
I feel that my steering is still not that good, though much better than I was before. Well, rather sad if it is worse.
It is rather insane to speed when there’s a lot of bends on the road, come to think of it. I might hate driving, but I am not insane. Or at least, I may not mind scratches on the car (bumper actually; both front and back. I freak out quite a bit if I scratch the main body, which thank goodness is not much), but I would freak out if it resembles an accordion!!
A friend, when I was in England, asked me to describe the Vios. Being boob lovers instead of ass lovers (according to Fatin anyway; and it might be disputed if one watches Episode 2 of the 3rd series of Rab C Nesbitt titled Touch [the one with the tranny barmaid]), there are mostly hatchbacks in Britain. And, I suppose, being rather posh, it was rather difficult for me to hunt down for a Yaris, which would be the easiest to describe; “that, but with an ass,” and some description of the ass… which I would tell later. The nearest was a Prius (which, after reading that you don’t change gears but use buttons to drive it… puts me off somewhat. Though it would still be amusing to own it just to put an Apple sticker on it and be one of the “white people” 
), which was a lil bit harder… “that, but with more lights, and with softer angles. And an ass. If you’re a driver with a Vios in front of you, you would think that the trunk looks like a fat bald happy Chinese Buddha, because the curve of the boot gives the impression that it is a bald person, and the curve of the lights make it look like a squinty eyed person laughing.”
My mother is not able to see this elusive Buddha at the rear of our car. She thinks it is my imagination run wild. I do like the way I describe it, if I say so myself. Guarantee to send people into fits of laughter. Buddha at the rear of your car. Yeah right, Nani. You’re insane.
Oh, reading the wiki article for Toyota Vios, apparently only J grade has manual transmission. Since when we got it, there was only G and S, and we ended up picking G because I thought the extra crap on S was tacky instead of “sporty”, it was a lost argument to want a shift stick. Still, since it is a semi-automatic–though with only 4 gears–I would still be changing gears, though the dropping of the speed is not as obvious as a manual. Only I use the other 3 gears; both my mother and cousin just use the D gear. I feel the engine feels a bit “loose” if I start on D immediately… Like when you’re supposed to drive on the 3rd gear, but you’re on the 4th gear and you’re too lazy to drop it… something like that.
I still think that the difficulty of driving a shift stick is overrated, even though I refuse to drive my cousin’s car; though my refusal of driving her car is more due to the fact that the reflection on her mirrors–sides and rear–are impossible to see if you’re not used to it. Yes, her clutch is a bit tight, and the engine died on me several times while I was getting a hang of it when I was moving the car, but once I got out of the house compound, the driving was alright… until I had to turn. I could hardly see if there was a car coming towards me from my left!! Freaked me out quite a bit.
You should only be scared of something happening when you’re in the first gear, I find. What could happen when you’re in other gears anyway? The engine would die only when the engine doesn’t have enough power, and you would have been pressing the accelerator for quite some time before you can move on from the first gear.
The balancing thingy could be a pain in the ass, I suppose. I would admit I wouldn’t want to be driving a manual if I lived or worked in Glasgow or Edinburgh… or Bristol… Where else… Err… Though I think especially Glasgow. I do remember they do like putting traffic lights at the hills. It is ridiculous. I don’t mind, but I wouldn’t want to, you know what I mean? If I lived in those cities, I think I might love automatics. Hahaha. Yes, I prefer driving a manual because I feel more in power, but not being confident about your ability to navigate around your home/work area but totally confident on the motorway, which you might see only occassionally unless you live quite far from your workplace (which I think is silly if you’re not staying with your parents)??? Kinda dumb to still insist on a manual, right? But, yes, only in those places, I think… Even in London with the jams I would prefer a manual; London is relatively flat.
Is there anyone thinking like I am about the semi-automatic transmission… That it would be more complicated to drive an automatic one day than a manual, what with some of them having 5-speed gear on an automatic transmission; same as a manual!! And a manual only has one extra; reverse. An automatic has another 2; park and neutral. Seriously, man.
My cousin was telling me that soon, there might be seperate manual and automatic licence. We wonder what will they be testing students on. Though, it might be that they would have to learn how to change gears on a semi-automatic car then. Hahaha. I find it sometimes it is harder to shift gears on the Vios than a manual car. Oh, there’s no clutch to press and release, I know. However, the gear is in a straight like. Well, almost; there are slight bends, but it is easy to sometimes accidentally push it too much, and instead of going to a higher gear, you put your car on neutral. And if you’re not used to the engine… you might not realize that your car is not in a driving mode!!
Hahaha. I so don’t envy the kids. Good thing that I have my licence already. I very much doubt they’ll make the test that easy. If they keep the structure, it’ll be one less thing to do; there wouldn’t be any use to have the hill test to make sure you know how to balance the car properly. Or doing the U-turn, which I heard they really do like doing it at quite a sloppy area regardless where you take the test; balancing again.
And really; is checking the side and rearview mirror that time consuming and troublesome that it would put you off driving??? I hate driving, but I don’t think it is that difficult to just glance a bit. Okay, I admit, I hardly glance at the mirror if I am not turning. It is likely that it is me that is in front of you if you’ve been flashing me and I have yet to move to the left lane. A better confirmation is if I actually slow down a bit. Hahaha. Especially if there would be people to the side, making it rather difficult for you to cut me.
Oh, I don’t flash or do anything to make people speed up though. I prefer just cutting them. I find it utterly annoying and stupid when someone tailgates me. How dumb is it to speed up and break, and speed up and break some more. Don’t you know that you’re wasting your petrol and ruining the environment? Because you’re in a “hurry”??? I’m all for driving fast, but in an environmentally friendly manner, please. Not in such stupid and dangerous way.
It does tickles me when someone told me they thought that one foot is put on the accelerator and another is put on the break. Te hee. So cute!! Hahaha. So, manual drivers are actually aliens who could hide their third leg. Like that president of the universe dude in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, though his were arms rather than legs. Still. Oohh!! Like Stitch from Lilo & Stitch. Oh, those were arms as well. Oh well. Something like that, you know?
Edit:
Okay, not so much editing as I realize that what I intended should be in was forgotten to be included.
Kinda surprising that someone who hates driving passed her driver’s licence test on her first try? My uncle who took me to practice thought there was no hope for me passing (it was the weekend before I sat for the test, which was on a Thursday) after I crashed into a neighbor’s bush at the village. Hehehe. I just had to put my mark on the car!! All my cousins, except for the one born the same year as me, who has Down syndrome, had (or have, since they still have the car and I have younger cousins. Just the last one, who is turning 7 this year, haven’t driven the car. Doubt she would ever though. Haha. Oh yes, it is the one that I don’t like driving now due to the mirrors. It wasn’t so bad back in 2005… No, not have; will and have since. Okay, I give up. I’m not sure now what should be used…). However, to my defence, it is not easy to get back to our house!! From the main road, you would have to slow down, and turn at the slope, and it is quite a sharp turn at that!! Didn’t help my steering was horrid, so I crashed into the bush in front of the house. Hahaha. Only one broken branch alright!! Not so bad!! Still, he wasn’t confident about it. Didn’t help I was so bloody impatient!! Haha.
My two instructors were saints. Seriously. I was the one scolding them instead of the other way round. I absolutely hated the sessions. They found it odd that a 17-18 year old hated driving so much; I should be excited over it!! They found it amusing that I was learning because my mother was forcing me to (it took me a year to actually learn the actual driving after passing my theory test. I used A-levels as an excuse, but it only worked for the first sem. However, there was a 6 months period between the first and second lesson 
). Once, I almost burst into tears because I was so frustrated. And would be pissed with my mistakes. They were great men and great teachers, I have to say. Oh, I had two instructors mainly because I did the bulk of my lessons after my A-levels finals; 3 months before I was going to England. And quite intensive after I had a minor-which-unintentionally-became-major surgery. Makes me wonder how I did it, and passed.
Sometimes, maybe because I had this “oh, fuck it, I don’t care if I passed this stupid test even though I will be going to the UK next week and not be able to resit for it” attitude on that day that I passed. I really couldn’t be bothered if I passed. I didn’t feel nervous. I remember while waiting for my turn for the tests I was actually reading a novel. I was the epitome of calm, and impatience. I just wanted it to be over and done with. And when the uncle who ran the branch of the driving school near my house told me I passed, I was like “whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttt???” Hahahaha. I didn’t even know I passed; I didn’t even check. Told my family, and they were like “whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattt???” too. Hahaha. Especially my mother, after the car crashed into the bush.
It would amuse you to know that, after I got the physical licence in December 2005 (I came back for Christmas), I went back to our hometown. My aunt told me to drive to town with her, just to practice. I refused. She asked “so what is the licence for? Just to be framed and showed to all?” I told her, “yes”. When I got back to PJ, I went hunting for a nice frame, and told my mother I want to go back for a day trip (since I was back for only 3 weeks), taking the bus, but in the end we went back again on my last weekend back. And I put my licence in the frame and put it on the family display for guests to see. One of my cousins made sure that it was on the display when the guests came visiting at Eid. Hehehe. I only took the licence back when I came back for good.
So, one day before I left for the UK in March, she wanted to use the internet and used my laptop. My firefox was open to my amazon.co.uk page. One of the recommendations was a BBC show, Learners. Can’t remember why they recommended it to me that day. Apparently, one of the characters failed her test nine times. Being someone who passed on her first try, I was thinking, how daft can one be? I know; how snobbish. Hahaha. My mother’s so amused at that plot of the story that she wants to see it. Still does. Just too bad I was only left with 100 quid by the time I was going to Glasgow, and I had almost a month still before I went back to Malaysia.
She still wants to watch it. I’m too lazy to search for it online if it is available.
Sometimes I feel like it too; but really. Would I want to?
I find it weird that a friend of mine has no qualms about using designer make up, but frowns at the amount of money I spend on my shampoo and conditioner.
Seriously man.
Oh, and the amount I spend on my shampoo? Not that much since I use lugged John Frieda from England. Plus, it doesn’t cost that much; 5 quid a bottle!! Not as much as her makeup anyway!!
Urgh. Seriously!!
Looking down at drugstore brand makeup and all. Like it is so horrible. If it comes anywhere near you, you would suddenly break out or something.
I suppose it is dificult now that you have an expensive taste. I don’t envy you, but seriously, a lot of your money goes into paying for the advertisement than the greatness of the product. Fine, say that I sound like a sour grape; not that I care anyway, since I am bitching. Plenty of people get by with drugstore brands anyway, and have certain pieces of designer makeup. You’re not the only person who has a 9-5 job, you know.
Gahh!!
Anyway, putting that ridiculous person aside, even without using designer brands and concentrating on drugstore brands…
Why are foundations just ridiculously expensive? And considering that it is the fastest finishing item!!
Find, it goes onto a larger surface ladida… And amountwise it is more…
However, my blusher is only about 5g less than my foundation, but it is aboyt RM15 less than the foundation on discounted price when the blusher is at normal price!!
Just how insane is that?
(A sick part of me thinks, “probably the price of all foundation increased thanks to the amount the cast of Twilight and New Moon used.” OMG, if this is true… it’ll be hell till they finish Breaking Dawn. The amount of vampires. Dieeee)
Especially considering there’s no glitter in it… Or complicated double color… I don’t know. It is just so annoying that it is so expensive!!
And I know I did get more tanned while I was in London. Damn the stronger sun there!! Arrgghhh!! Trust me to get darker when I go to a cooler climate country. Though my foundation doesn’t look gray; that’s superb news. Hahaha.
I find it weird that another friend prefers those powder mineral foundation when she doesn’t like the two-way cake because she feels like the cake is “too light”. I find the powder so… urgh, I’m not sure how to explain. But I have problems when it comes to the eye area. It’s like… suddenly, my skintone becomes more uneven because I can’t apply the foundation properly at the eye area.
I abhor liquid foundation. I really do!! I find it quite troublesome to apply, even with a foundation sponge. Using fingers is an absolute nightmare. It amazes me how some of my friends think they got away with it, not realizing that I can see clearly the finger streaks on their faces. The thing is, we’re not so close that I could point it out to them. And most of those that make this mistake are so big headed that they think their application is superb that they would feel absolutely insulted if I point it out. A big help is to not apply your foundation in yellow light; you can’t see yourself clearly. Seriously, yellow light makes gray look rosy, and you do not want to look gray and streaky.
And if you do use liquid foundation, please use powder to set the foundation, and so that you would have a more matte finish. With just liquid foundation, you look like you just had botox, with all that shine.
I absolutely adore two-way cakes. For a better coverage, wet the sponge before tapping it to the cake. I find the coverage equals to the liquid, but with less hassle. And if you choose not to powder, you could get away with it. However, sometimes even when applied with a dry sponge I would set it with loose powder. It just, stays better, you know?
Still… arrggghhhh!!! Why so expensive?????? I’m down to my last refill. And I got rid of all my other types of foundation. Heck, I don’t even have concealer. Dumped most things since I realize I had them since my first year of university.
Ewwww!!!!
So now, being extremely broke, I need to stock up on essential make up; foundation and concealer.
How frinkin’ perfect. Thank goodness I still have base and loose powder.
Since I started using a brush to apply powder, I can’t imagine using compact powder anymore. I’m thinking it is likely I’ll be lugging around that pot of loose powder around once I start working.
And my facial masque is also finishing. Oh, not everything, thank God. I think that might be about it. Still, I don’t know what brand of masque would I use next!! I’m currently using Crabtree & Evelyn which I got when they were discontinuing a line, so I very much doubt that I would be able to get it. Anyway, it is not as fantastic as their La Source masque, so I doubt I would be getting it anyway. I just can’t think what masque would I be getting next…
Hmmm…
Amni is back in Malaysia!!
Yeay!!
Now my credit will be finishing. Hehe.
Though she uses Maxis as well… Oh well. I’ll be able to use up the free texts I got from the points I receive.
I do wonder how they calculate the points they award us. Hmmm…
I’ve finished Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl.
I was reading it in between Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.
It is slightly thicker than Catcher in the Rye, but I take only a fraction of the time I spend with Catcher.
It is ridiculous.
I remember not having started with New Moon when I started with Catcher. I haven’t bought Eclipse as well.
And I have finished the whole Twilight saga and the Harry Potter series, even with wanting to wait for the latter’s price to fall (wonder will it fall with the movie coming out in Malaysia very soon).
And JD Salinger’s masterpiece?
I just don’t get why I would fall asleep about a page and a half after I read it. I sleep waaaaaaayyyyy too much when I read Catcher. It is absolutely ridiculous!!
Makes me wonder why people actually like it.
I don’t know if New York kids are like that, but I just can’t imagine any teenager being that bad even during their rebelious period. I don’t know… Probably priviledged kids, perhaps?
Somehow I feel like it is very likely that I would finish Middlesex before I finish Catcher.
I wonder if I would actually ever finish that book!!
Maybe for my next appointment, I would bring the book… Then I wouldn’t fall asleep. But there’s so few pages… I might finish before I get to see the doctor… Oh man… Sigh.
Fine. I will read the book every night when I am supposed to go to bed.
At night.
I really shouldn’t be awake at this time. Sigh.
Oh… my… God…
How could anyone think of ruining any of Muse’s songs???
Apparently there’s an album called “string tribute” to Twilight OST, and they just had to ruin Carter Burwell’s masterpieces (though some of it doesn’t sound too bad, but Bella’s Lullaby sounds so bloody wrong somehow)…
And Muse’s too!!
OMG!!
Die!!
It’s blasphemy!!!
Arrggghhhh!!!!
And no, I am not going to be watching New Moon. However, if the same lady mixes the OST, I might go and listen to it, though unlikely. I’m hoping that I would have a job by then, and wouldn’t have time to do anything so stupid.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
Hehehe
Is the current book I’m reading.
It’s by Tracy Quan, and apparently it is like a semi-biography, but writen fictitiously.
Okay, does that sentence make sense? Whatever.
It is just so bloody funny!! How snobbish she is about living in the Upper East Side. I think she calls it neighborhood caste system or something. Hahaha. Looking down at Tribeca… Hating Carnegie Hill.
Hahahaha. Just tickles me so much!!
Faliq, I’m pretty sure you’re like that if you do live in Manhattan, right?
Not knowing anything about the Bronx as well…
Heee.
Just so silly. Hahaha.
My mother had a party done last Sunday, so she decided that I must get rid of the crap I’ve been keeping to be recycled since it was all over the house, making it look like a dump. (I do realize that I have a tendency to write with long sentences. No idea why. Short, simple sentences just don’t cut it for me. Hmmm…)
She couldn’t get her usual guy that comes and take the stuff away… So, I thought, alright, we’ll send to a recycling centre.
I found online that nearby for every Sunday at a certain time, there would be people who would pick up recyclables. However, when I drove there, there wasn’t anyone.
So, the car was full of recyclables, and my mother’s friends asked why in the world for.
They thought I couldn’t find a place to keep them during the party, so I put it in the car, and after the party, I would take it out.
Seriously!! How ridiculous can they be? Sheesh.
Every time I see the car for the next two days, I couldn’t stop laughing. Imagine if it was a hybrid car… Oh what a freak I would be.
At last, with the help of google, I found out that the Ikano Power Centre has a recycling centre now!! Since the first of June. Awesomeness. Not needing to lug the stuff out of the car was a happy event for me, so I made my way to send the stuff off.
The amount of stuff totalled up to more than 150 kgs!!! 135 for paper and the rest was various items… Not to mention the stuff that they didn’t pay for!!
Yes, they do pay for it!! Albeit not much, but what the heck!! It pays for the petrol that was spent to get there anyway!!
Ladida…
Hahaha.
Wonder if I should even add the Twitter widget to my blog, considering I do update both of them. Rather redundant, no? Hmmmmm…
Keep telling myself, “this is the last time I’ll listen to the song before I go to bed.”
Hah!!
The count is now reaching 25.
Just so…. shout worthy!! Hahahaha
Yes, I do realize there seem to be an over-representation of Scots in my iTunes and My Music folder now.
Have to keep Amy Macdonald and KT Tunstall company
Yeay!!!!
I am no longer hung up on McFly’s All About You!!
Woopeeee!!!
The new song that is playing repeatedly on my iTunes is Kellie Pickler’s Best Days of Your Life.
Awesome song!! 
I lerp the song.
*edit*
Woopppsss!!
Oh er… Taken over by Franz Ferdinand’s No You Girls.
Hehehehe.
I found the title fascinating.
1000 books everyone must read.
I have emphasized on the everyone and must.
Oh, here’s the link to the article, and here’s the list. I linked the “main page” of the article, so that you could browse through all of them.
It was written by the Guardian, a British newspaper.
Basically, the formula is that you read a book a month, and then maybe another extra one during holiday season… Maybe you would be able to read a thousand books in your lifetime. I say, Londoners have no reason to avoid this. Every time I get on the tube, I get so angry with the people who just stare into space, doing nothing. Seriously man, start bring a book around with you and don’t waste time!! I thought to myself once, if there’s one reason to live in London, it is the Underground; so that I would be able to read while commuting to work, instead of in KL, where you would have to drive. Though when I was taking the LRT during my short stint near KLCC, I read while I was commuting, much to the annoyance of other people since I would need slightly more extra space.
Anyway, on the formula. So, the aim is 1000 books… with 13 books per year.
How many years would that take?
1000 divide by 13 would equal to 76.923077; aprrox 77 years.
That is, of course, assuming that you could read from the day you were born. The overall life expectancy in the UK is about 78.7 and79.4… depending on the list you see; I gave you both figures that is listed out in wikipedia. I know; don’t trust wiki too much ladida. I’m not writing a paper here!! For this purposes, lets assume the figure is correct.
Taking the bigger figure, you would only have about 2 years to learn how to read, if you don’t start reading immediately.
Really…
Though, to be honest, I am not really on a mission to mock the figures in the article. Oh no; someone who is horrid in maths and hate the subject shouldn’t be doing that.
I found the list when I was trying to figure out what books should I get before I arrive in London. The Londoner in me see that I would be bored out of my mind there; I haven’t experienced being a tourist in London. Like all “Londoners”, the Londoner in me takes the touristy things for granted. Hence feeling bored out of my mind every time I am there. I usually feel like going to the theatre and just rot at home before that. How exciting!!
I showed to another friend, and we laughed our head offs. These are the books everyone must read?
Okay, fine.
However, quite a number of the books are actually out of print. Which makes me wonder… how are we to read the books if they’re out of print, then? There are quite a lot there are still in print, of course… but… they say must read all 1000 books!!
Of course, there is absolutely no way would I read sci-fi books. Yes, I do read fantasy, and there’s quite a thin line to it, but still!! It is an important line nonetheless.
I am trying to see just how many of the books I’ve read, and how many I do own but have yet find the time to read it. However, it is quite difficult to do, so I’m going to ask my mother to print it out. Oh, the printer at home broke down. Annoyingly, she wants to get an iPhone, which she soooo doesn’t need, but is reluctant to get a printer. Seriously man!!
We’ll see how tomorrow.
I definitely have read at least one of the books… and own at least 10. Oh well… at least. Hehehe.
edit:
OMG they don’t have Life of Pi by Yann Martel!! That book is an absolute must read by everyone!! Tsk tsk tsk.
I absolutely adore Thomas Joseph’s creations… The drawings of the Whimsical World of Thomas Joseph. Of course I would; they’re mostly sheep themed drawing. Hehehe. However, I didn’t get any of his stuff, sadly. I regret to this day. *sigh*
And I definitely didn’t follow the instructions of one of his drawings:
Admittedly, my plushie, Gemuk McGrumpy is not from Thomas Joseph’s Whimsical World. Still, he’s a sheep!!
After following me around for 10 weeks (okay, I did leave him at times, especially in London since my bag was tiny), he got ridiculously dirty, though thank God not as bad as my white jacket, which I think I have no hope in having it turn white anymore. Still, I put it to good use while I was in London, so no problem.
I dumped him into the washing machine. Hahaha. Though I made sure he was in a pillow case. Hehehe. And now he is as clean as on the day I got him in Edinburgh. And he didn’t shrink. Hehehe. Thank God. Haha.
They say that you need to drive before you know the roads well.
However, I feel like the city I know the roads best is Glasgow.
Yes, that city which I dislike that is on the West of Scotland.
And I definitely did not drive there. Wouldn’t have had the money to rent a car.
I, however, walked around there.
Heck, I could still tell you how to get to Glasgow Queen Street from Glasgow Central. Walk along the road, turn left, and then second right, and when you get to George Square, turn left and cross the roads, and voila!! Glasgow Queen Street. Apparently, Edinburgher call it the best building in Glasgow, since it gets them to Edinburgh. Hehe. I don’t particularly like that train station; prefer Glasgow Central. For some reason, every time I get lost in Glasgow, I would try find my way to Glasgow Central. I found it comforting, somehow.
I did walk around quite a lot in Glasgow. Of course I was broke, but I hated taking the bus in an unfamiliar city even more. And I underestimated Glasgow’s size quite a bit. Of course, that would be acceptable on your first day… but what the heck were you doing walking around the place for 3 whole days?
Seriously, Nani, you must be insane!!
I, of course, made sure I avoided all the hills in Glasgow. It was impossible to avoid them in Edinburgh, but very possible in Glasgow.
I did walk from Glasgow’s west end to merchant city, which my friend thought insane, especially in the rain. I was soaking wet most of the time I was in Glasgow. You would have thought I was swimming all the time there. I also walked to the east end (which really was like the east end of London), though not on the same day as I tackled the west.
It also helps that I had a map of Glasgow, as compared to a map of PJ.
I was feeling quite panicky last Monday when I was sending the car for servicing. I didn’t recognize the area. Yes, I’ve been there… but… I don’t know. Wasn’t sure. I couldn’t remember the way. I just hoped Google Map was right… but still I panicked, until I saw the big Toyota sign.
I’ve lost count on the amount of times I got lost in KL, regardless of how many times I’ve been there and how detailed the instructions my cousin gave me.
The only places that I am confident enough to drive on my own would be places that I’ve walked around before, or those places that I’ve helped navigate by giving directions.
And even then, sometimes even when I’ve driven there… I still doubt where I am going.
I do find it frustrating, that I know Glasgow, which I was there for only 3 days, better than I know a city which I’ve been living for over 20 years. It is ridiculous. However, I now believe that you need to walk around first before you know the place well.
Pity that the crime rate here is higher than Glasgow. Or maybe not; it’s just that I feel less safe here than in Glasgow. No bloody idea why. Maybe because I felt so much hatred at the place that if someone did approach me there, I would have just bit their head off.
It was as if the dark clouds in the sky wasn’t enough; I had to bring my own.
Probably why it was so rainy when I was in Glasgow. Hmmm…
Sorry, Sumi!!
Oh, wait… I think I know the area around Leicester Square better. Hmmm. However, that area is tiny compared to Glasgow… So, I suppose it doesn’t count. Who the heck would drive around that area anyway? Chinatown there? Hmmm… Ah well…
It is horrible.
I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and it took me about 2 days. It took me one and a half days to read Twilight, and about 2 days to read the other books in the series; and even then I was doing some other stuff. Fine, these books are thick, but they do use simple words and sentences, I find.
Took me about 5 days to read The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, minusing the days that I didn’t open it while I was in England and got back to Malaysia, nursing my jet lag. For some reason, I was more interested in reading lighthearted books.
I thought I hated David… but in the end, I hated Norah more. Bitch. Hrmph.
Anyway… Okay, there was the 10 week gap for this book as well… but seriously!!!
I started reading The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger about the same time I started driving again. And that was like, when? December 2008?
It is already bloody June!!
Oh yes, and I have still not finished reading the 200-odd pages!!
Admittedly, I was reading it mostly while I was caught in the jam…
And also, I haven’t opened the book since the 26th of March.
Still, it is horrifying that I still haven’t brought myself to finish the less than 30 pages of the book.
I don’t know why, but I find the book rather… bland. Makes me wonder why people like it so much. I don’t know. Oh well.
I am writing this in the hopes that the possibility of people reading this woule embarrass me enough to finish reading the book instead of starting a new one.
Hopefully.
We’ll see what happens…
I got myself a copy of CLEO a few days back, and was flipping through it when I saw the seen & heard collumn… And saw “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” amongst the Watch it movies.
I was like… it’s coming out already? But I haven’t read the 6th book!!
I only bought it a few months ago, mainly because I had vouchers from MPH. Was hoping the reduction of pounds would make the book to cost like… I don’t know. RM25, maybe? Though I think I ended up paying less than that… I’m not sure.
I refused to buy the hard cover editions. I bought the 5th book as hardcover, but I ended up regretting it. Admittedly, I got it for less than the price of the paperback now. Still… Anyone who wants a hard cover copy of the adult’s cover of the book, do contact me. Maybe we could come to an agreement about it. Anyway, so yeah, I decided, fine, I would wait for the paperbacks to come out. In the mean time, if I want to read it, I could read the pdf version someone sent me. I have all of the 7 books in soft copies. However, I haven’t read any of them. And since I like books, I would buy them anyway. I would kill trees for this.
So, I thought, fine, I’ll start reading the 6th book. Started reading today.
Funny, that I didn’t feel like reading it when I was in Edinburgh. Well, not really a big fan of Harry Potter (reading it more because everyone reads it. I just like reading what everyone’s reading, so in a way I am one step above them; I’ve read what they’ve read, and I read what I want to read), but most people would want to know about it, right? After all, JK Rowling started writing the books there. During the walking tour, we were shown the birth place of the series; The Elephant House. Apparently, during term time, they have a sign below the “Birthplace of Harry Potter” sign saying “now serving beer” or something along those lines; the best sign amongst all the signs in front of the shop, to the tour guide anyway.
On my last evening in Edinburgh, after coming back from Linlithgow, I got hungry. Was walking along George IV Bridge after going to get a picture of Greyfriars Bobby without a lot of people there, when I saw a cafe with an even better sign than “Birthplace of Harry Potter.”
The sign? Something along the lines of “after 3pm, the cakes (and possibly pastries, I can’t remember) is half priced”. Sweeeeettt!! And it is somewhat just across the road from The Elephant House; nearer to the Royal Mile. So, if you’re from Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar, it is further down. Its name is Caffe Lucano. And the chocolate fudge cake is awesome. Hahaha. Admittedly, I didn’t enter the Elephant House. I was too full with the cake. It was quite a big slice, though I can’t remember the price. So what? It’s half price!! Awesomeness. I love stuff like that. Hehehe.
On the subject of Harry Potter movies… I absolutely don’t get why my cousin and my nieces absolutely love watching the 4th movie. They seem to loathe the 5th one, alright with the 4th, indifferent to the first two. I like the second one, because it has St Pancras there. If I miss the train station, I would watch it for a while; the scenes where they were starting to drive the car. And yes! I did take pictures of King’s Cross and St Pancras to show that the movie did use St Pancras. How dare you say that I lie!! That I do not know that I get off from St Pancras!! Time and again the train ticket states that it is “London St Pancras”, or “St Pancras International” (since now, Eurostar trains leave from St Pancras instead of Waterloo). King’s Cross is an embarrassment of a place; ridiculously ugly and plain and blah. Okay, it is not as bad as the National Theatre on South Bank, but compared to the gorgeous gothic revival building of St Pancras, it is horrid. Functional, maybe. Not something I would be proud of. Anyway, I didn’t study on the East Coast of Britain or Scotland; I studied in East Midlands. Served by St Pancras, unless I am willing to change trains. Even though I love NXEC and their free WiFi service, the change is just too troublesome. I rather just sit down in the same train for one and 3 quarters of an hour reading a book than needing to change and get WiFi connection.
I’ll try include the pictures of King’s Cross and St Pancras at the end of this entry. Show you just how ugly King’s Cross is, and why, rightly, WB didn’t want to use the real building for the movie. On the numbering of the platform, though… I just don’t get how Rowling could make a mistake in it. It is always an even lower number and an odd higher number would be on the same stretch of platform before being seperated by train tracks. Platform one is always alone. Though, of course, there are exceptions, especially if there is an extra platform in between two platforms, which usually only happens when the train station is not the final terminus of trains. Oh well. And even better, apparently, the train tracks that go up north is from platform 1-8 only; not the ones not in the main terminal (was trying to get in there so that I could go to St Pancras, but there were barriers. So, basically, King’s Cross only has one exit and entry. Sucks!!). Still, if you’re interested–I only found the place because I was too lazy to go back, and thought, maybe the station would be like its superior (in my opinion anyway) neighbor–and is a Harry Potter freak, walk to the end of platform 8… After the place of entry to the actual platform 9-11… I think it is the next turning, which you can’t actually enter… It is the exit, if I’m not mistaken… There you would find them labelling it Platform 9 3/4, complete with a trolley halfway into the wall.
Anyway!! Fourth movie. You know that you’re so bloody jaded of the scenes, that instead of what is showing, you see instead:
- Barty Crouch, Jr doing things really unsuitable for children’s eyes (I suppose, at least not having some random phonebox in it… though it would have been more kid friendly);
- Wormtail chasing Prince Edward and being besotted with Queen Narissa, and have “True Love’s Kiss” played somewhere in the background;
- Barty Crouch, Sr kissing a vicar with a “magnificent bosom”, who brought out a bacon that’s been lodge in between his teeth for a very long time, and keeps giving graphic description of gruesome things to do with animals, instead of constantly fearing something; (Oh wow!! Like father, like son; trying to get God’s servants… tho’ worse in the “son’s” case…);
- Seeing a robot who is a thoroughly pessimistic when you hear Snape speaking (this could have kept the phonebox company, though I absolutely refuse to watch the show where the phonebox is involved, so unlikely will I ever see it in the movie. Or at least, hopefully it is unlikely…);
- And, for some reason, at the end of the movie, seeing Cedric Diggory and Moaning Myrtle walking hand in hand, together, and looking thoroughly happy with each other’s company, with Diggory having bronze hair and golden eyes…
with Bella Swan looking thoroughly pissed.
I have to admit, I like the last one best; so ridiculously random. Hahaha. Cedric Diggory, returning to life as a vampire, but instead of going after Bella Swan, he lives happily ever after with the peeping Moaning Myrtle. I suppose since his character was still Diggory–just with the facial features of Edward Cullen–he would stay with a character from the same series, surely?
Though makes me wonder what Cho Chang thinks about that? Would she be crying so much in the 5th movie if that was the case?
Hehehe.
Maybe I do watch quite a lot of shows. Hmmm…
Anyway, the red bricked building is St Pancras. It is quite long, and I couldn’t get an angle that had its name. Actually, there is a picture with “St Pancras International” sign on it, but it is from a part of it made from glass and not really the best part of it. And all my 3 years plus the 10 weeks I was there… so, in a way, 4 years that I’ve seen St Pancras… I’ve never actually seen it without any construction site. It is like it would never end.
And the other picture… I made sure that you could see the name King’s Cross. So dull and boring, right? How could it survive being beside such a magnificent building day in and out. Though, I suppose, would be more saddening if it was the National Theatre next to the Gherkin or something. Hahaha.
Edit: Somehow I find it weird and easier to understand some of the goings on in Harry Potter after living in the UK for i3 years. The last time I read it, I was still in school. Though, really… I keep laughing and feel the need to say it out loud and make it sound ridiculously chavvy when I see any of the characters say “innit”. Absolutely no idea why.
And I keep hearing my Criminal tutor’s voice reading it to me…
Well, at least not my Criminal Justice tutor, I suppose.
Maybe I shouldn’t be angry that people think I am much younger due to my hairstyle.
Especially considering now I’m listening to mostly boybands… poppish songs, that kind, you know? And reading fantasies and teenage books. Like when I was in MPH, I actually prefer going upstairs to the fantasy for kids section instead of downstairs. Probably because it is just next to Sci-Fi books, but what the heck. I prefer those kind of fantasies; aimed at teenagers, more than adults.
I went to bring the car for servicing on Monday, and the guy asked me what was I doing now, since it was a weekday. I was saying I am searching for a job. He had a surprised look and said that he saw a receptionist job advertised somewhere nearby. Shocked, I was like, “but I already have a degree!!”
His turn to look shocked. He thought I looked sixteen, but thought again since I was driving. He wondered why I didn’t have P stickers on the car. Told him I was 23.
“You don’t look like you’re even 20.”
This coming when I finally gave up and admit, I am getting older; no longer a teenager but in my twenties. An adult.
And this, I was wearing make up. When I was in Scotland, people thought I was 16 as well… Just finished O-levels or something. However, I don’t think they were sitting for O-levels yet when I was in Scotland, since I was there about the end of April, early May. Some of them felt obliged to keep an eye on me. Sometimes, when I climb some wall so as to get somewhere faster, once I get off, someone would feel obliged to scold me, and usually include “you teenagers don’t know if it is too dangerous for you to do things,” to which I would reply, “but I’m 23; I checked whether I could climb it properly before I did!!”
Weirdly, they were usually Americans. Do Americans treat their 16 year olds like kids?
Pity they found it difficult to believe in Dublin… If not it would have been easier when I was going for the Guinness Storehouse, where I refused to pay the extra 2 Euros since I don’t plan to taste Guinness; it sounds bitter.
On music… Arrgggghhhh!!! I can’t stop listening to McFly’s All About You. It is quite old… I mean, it was on their Wonderland album and was the official Comic Relief song in 2005. That is quite old; I was doing my A-levels still when it came out as a single. I tried playing other songs, put my iTunes on shuffle… But still I go back to that catchy song. I’ve no bloody idea why!! It is a sweet song though. And it was played at the Make Poverty History campaign as well. Knew the song but wasn’t really addicted to it. Like, oh, it’s a sweet song. Didn’t really know McFly then as well. Some people might know them from the Just My Luck movie. However, I didn’t watch it. I knew McFly due to the 2007 Comic Relief show. They wrote the awesome Sofa, Hyundai, Administration song on the “special” episode of Top Gear. A ridiculously funny and catchy song. Hahaha.
Arrggghhhh!!! It is almost hitting 600 now. Oh shit!!
If only there was a studio version of Amy Macdonald’s Next Big Thing… Might take over McFly’s song. Hmmm…
OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MACBOOK PRO HAS REDUCED PRICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Admittedly by about RM800 only (okay I’m keeping track of the 17th inch one only), but still, something to be excited about!!!
Ahh… Ogling MacBook Pro while listening to Amy Macdonald. Makes me happy everytime.
Yeah, I am liking her a bit too obsessively now. Hmmmm.
But she’s so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Her accent!! OMG!!
When she speaks, she has this breathless way of speaking with that adorable accent, and so soft spoken. However, when she starts singing; such a powerful voice!!
OMG!!!
I’ve been back for about 3 days now… But OMG; the last 7 days in London is really hitting me. So bloody tired. And my mother thinks I’m just lazing around instead of getting my energy back. Oh well. And I am decluttering my things, starting with my laptop… Though it is likely I would stop halfway and continue with my wardrobe. My iTunes is giving me a headache, though at least it would save it to the file, unlike RealPlayer. Going to reformat my laptop yet again. Gosh, really need a job; can’t stop dreaming of the awesome MacBook Pro and how I need a new laptop. Yes, need. Can’t take this crazy laptop much anymore. Still, I suppose that’s what happens when you don’t use the original installer. Oh well…
Still, I would have to make do till I get my 4th month’s pay. That is assuming that I don’t eat and walk all the way to the office. So, logically, I would only be able to get it next year. Sigh. My current laptop is almost 2 years old already…
Anyway!! So, the last time I made a sane entry was on the NXEC train when I was going down to Durham and hating Glasgow so much. Hahaha. I have to admit, I suppose at that period I was just so jaded with everything, I just felt like bombing the whole place or something. And that I didn’t want to leave Edinburgh but had to. Sigh. When I was in Bristol, I was back to being awed by architecture. I suppose if I had a break before I went to Glasgow, I might have not felt that way. I felt like… I was kicked out of Edinburgh somehow. Oh well…
I decided to write out my experience. Or at least, I plan to. There are scribblings here and there during the tour and stuff. However, there’s no way I will be able to type it all out after I’m finished. So, what I have finished doing is doing like a timeline of what I did on what dates. Some might be simple, one liners that I don’t feel like elaborating (because it might include a lot of bitching that I don’t want to hurt the bitched person’s feelings. Not that I know most of them anyway. Hahaha. Still…)
So, here it goes…
March
27th – last minute packing. Had 2 appointments the day before. Super long wait in the hospital, as usual. Flight at 23.55 from KLIA. Had 2 seats to myself. The guy next to me did not have to wake me up when he wanted to go to the toilet.
28th – arrived in LHR at 4am – long interview at the immigration. Asked about everyone at Beda’s flat and everyone that I will be staying with. Seriously man!! Shopped for toiletries and PJs. Tried to find a handbag but couldn’t; so ended up using Beda’s for the trip. Saw Amni before her dinner at Bayswater before she flew back to Malaysia the next day. Basically a super exhausted day, with only 3 hours sleep on the plane.
29th – Career’s Fair @ UCL. Was so near to Jeremy Bentham’s body, but was just too tired to even bother trying.
30th – saw St Pancras International again. Miss it sooooo much. Went to Leicester Square to see Victoria and Leanne – walked around Convent Garden. Found cauliflower near the market – took quite a bit of it. Hahaha. Found handbag to use for interview
31st – Shopped again; for PJs because the one I got on Saturday didn’t fit. Cooked fried spagetti for Vic. As usual, the girl overate and couldn’t control herself. Sigh.
April
1st – Got a pair of Oxfords at Clarks – saw Kay again.
2nd – BNM “interview”, if you could even call it that.
3rd – went up to East Midlands (I’m still obsessively refusing to use the name; no idea why) – lazed around and ordered pizza (pizzaman thought I was Korean. WTF?) – woke Shan up because of duvet. Sorry!!! But with polar bear Faliq, it was super cold sleeping with a single duvet. Sniff sniff. Sometimes I felt like my lungs were going to collapse!!!
4th – Groceries!! Sainsbury’s!! **e**o*!!
5th – Supposed to go to East Midlands McArthur Glen, but the bus was only hourly on Sunday; so went back.
6th – Went to McArthur Glen – took over 2 hours – Faliq got carsick but happy when he got to Jaeger. Hahaha.
7th – Went down to London for SPA interview at Bayswater – didn’t get but what the hey!! Stayed in London for a night (less than 24 hours in total)
8th – went to SOAS to drop off some stuff with 5 bags with me – God knows how I managed it. And made my way to St Pancras to catch a train to East Midlands again. Lazed around there till the 14th. And for the first time in my life, I had to fight over something (in this case, laptop), so that I could plan my trips.
14th – flew for Dublin at night – saw the big pin and Fatin!! Yeay!!
15th – woke up late – walked around Dublin city before realized that had a lot of time to kill before Fatin or Nadia got back to let me in, so decided to get on the bus for the tour. Wanted to go as late as possible so that the next day I could do the actual drop on and off (24 hour ticket) – kept getting live commentors, for some reason. Fascinating, nonetheless. Can’t remember the arrangement, but one couldn’t stop singing, one was very politically opiniated, one was… his comments needed parental guidance, shall we say.
16th:
- Guinness storehouse – must have been the first time in their experience that someone tried to convince them that she’s below 17 and not above 18. I absolutely refused to pay that 2 euros extra for the pint of Guinness. Seriously, it is not complimentary; you pay for it!! Do realize the differences in price!!! Let me draw your attention to the fact that there’s a difference in price for students below and above 18. Liaaaarrrssss!!! Or good marketing strategy.
- Writer’s Museum – absolutely awesome!!! I like it!! Never knew most of the authors I like are actually Irish. Hahahahahaha.
- Statue hunting in the rain with a courting couple after lunch at a Japanese restaurant. The food there was brilliant!! And the statue hunting was absolutely fun. Amazing that I walked so much that day; we walked–definitely–from the Molly Malone statue to Fatin’s home!! Really far but so fun!! Hahaha. In the rain!! Hahahahahahahaha.
17th – Book of Kells (have to say, the pages that they show weren’t impressive. Rather disappointed 
), Christ Church and St Patrick’s Cathedral. Saw the hospital where Fatin was doing her Ob-Gyn; met Azlan, who was worried that I might get stranded in a desert on the Emerald Isle, and Ku made dinner
18th – left for Killarney. The driver of the bus from Dublin to Limerick looked like a cross between Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke, and the driver from Limerick to Killarney looked like a tougher version of Jack McFarland (Will & Grace).
19th – Ring of Kerry tour. Really beautiful. Saw the Atlantic for the first time.The tour guide had his dog with him, but it stayed still in front of the bus most of the time. Actually, most people on the tour who sat at the back didn’t know the dog was with the tour with us. Across the aisle from me was a Northern Irish woman who was more interested in reading her gossip magazine than looking at the views. Why did she bother wasting her money, seriously?
20th – left for Galway – saw the Atlantic again and fell in love with it – saw ridiculously short River Corrib (only 6km long), and fell in love with it as well. Hahaha.
21st – Cliffs of Moher tour. Awesome lesson of Irish history. Hahaha. Saw the place for the matchmaking festival at Lisdoonvarna, and had the most awesome seafood chowder in Doolin. Can’t remember which shop; but it was amazing!!! OMG!!! North coast of Co Clare is just beautiful. Cliffs of Moher was out of the world!! Absolutely amazing and beautiful! Highly recommended!!
22nd – Connemara tour. Absolutely love the killer sheep story. Hahahaha. So bloody funny. Couldn’t see the Twelve Bens due to the mists, sadly. Another place of fascinating Irish history. Even by that day, I was steadily hating Oliver Cromwell. Cursed that bastard once got to Roslynn Chappel. Would you believe that that idiot stabled his horses in the beautiful abbey??? Urgh!! Thought he was much worse than Charles I that he executed.
23rd – left Galway for Belfast via Dublin. Super tiring trip, and was super hungry too, since there wasn’t any place to eat at the Busaras that wasn’t serving sandwiches. Though was so relieved when was back to spending pounds. Hahaha.
24th – woke up late but had a tour of Belfast. Fascinating, but so so. I have to say, if I did get into Queen’s, I would be so proud. The main building is just so gorgeous!! Amazing!!
25th – Carrick-a-rede and Giant’s Causeway tour. Never thought I would walk so much during a tour, but it had the most amazing view. Giant’s causeway is absolutely amazing!! And I got a sheep calender at the Giant’s Causeway giftshop!! Hahaha.
26th – took a bloody early ferry from Belfast to Stranraer… and made my way to Dundee. Oh, I have typed an entry on using the ferry (Stena Line) if you have a railcard while I was waiting for the train to Glasgow at Stranraer. Will copy and paste after this. I think I was planning to write about my trip in Ireland, but in the end, I failed. Hehehe. The train from Glasgow Queen Street had no place to put luggage, and it was a bloody full train with most ppl having luggages. It was crazy!! Met a psychotic old man who was absolutely obsessed over Doctor Who, it was disturbing. Had the most absolutely biggest kebab in the whole world there. Seriously!! Ate till I was full, and again in the morning, and still had to throw away half of it!! Oh, and my jeans tore on the ferry, so had to shop for a pair of jeans in Dundee. Sigh.
27th – Walked around Dundee – couldn’t find the tourism office and was seriously questioning my decision of not going straight to Edinburgh. However, after walking aimlessly and deciding to go to the coast, finally found the tourism office (the signs showed the way to the old place, which was relocated to that ridiculous place), and asked them for a place for me to kill time before my ridiculously late train (was seriously considering getting a new ticket to go down to Edin early already by that time). Was recommended to go to Verdant Works; a museum which used to be a jute rope making factory. Had so much fun there!! Was absolutely fascinating!! Highly recommended!!
And when finally, the time came to board the train southwards to Edinburgh (crossed two firths on amazing bridges!!), got to Waverley… And had to make my way to Cockburn Street to the hostel… I couldn’t believe I forgot just how hilly the bloody place is!! Arrggghhhh!!!! Still, I prefer Edinburgh over Glasgow. Well, there are spots in Glasgow where it is ridiculously hilly anyway.
28th – Roslynn Chapel, Borders and Hadrian Wall tour. Roslynn’s absolutely fascinating. Don’t have to be a the Da Vinci Code fan to enjoy the place. I didn’t even remember the things they said in the book; was just walking aimlessly. Yes, there’s a canopy above the roof, but like the tour guide said, you have to look at the bright side of things; you get to see the roof!!! Though some of the restoration workers were rather bitchy about the tourists around. Seriously, if it wasn’t for us, you wouldn’t be able to work and restore the building!! Gahh!! Though, to be honest, the tour guide got on my nerve quite a bit towards the end with his over optimism. Gahh. However, due to his playing Amy Macdonald a few times thru’out the roadtrip, it was bearable. Hahahaha. I absolutely love her!!
29th – St Andrews and the Kingdom of Fife. St Andrews is absolutely gorgeous!! The beach!! The sea!! OMG!! The blue water!!!! Hahaha. Still, I prefer the Atlantic over the North Sea Also passed by Andrew Carnegie’s birthplace and town. Quite amazing really, since I wanted to go to Carnegie-Mellon (no, my mother did not go there; I chose it myself). He thought it was embarrassing for a rich man to die rich. Hah!! I doubt any Malays would agree with this.
30th – Walking tour of Edinburgh with the New Edinburgh tour (under the Sandeman’s New Europe tour). Absolutely amazing!! It is a free tour, where the guides are paid on a tip basis; it is up to you how much you pay them. Awesome, eh? Highly recommended, especially since I do agree with them, that Edinburgh is best seen on foot, and being small anyway; you might as well. Though I would highly recommend you see Dean’s Village as well. Very quaint place; amazing. Saw it on the bus on the way to St Andrews, so was too lazy to go there again. Hehehe. Nonetheless, highly recommended Also on that night was the Beltane Fire Festival. Was interesting… Oh, it is a pagan festival celebrating the summer solstice.
May
1st – Decided that I would go to West Lothian, and ended up going to Linlithgow and it’s palace, where Mary Queen of Scots was born. The palace’s really beautiful even in ruins, and the view from the palace to the loch was stunning!! It is said that the fountain in the middle of the palace, wine used to flow there instead of water. Wow, right? Got back to Edinburgh and walked about aimlessly. Oh, went to the Writer’s Museum there, but not as fascinating as Dublin’s, I’m afraid, since they dedicated it to only 3 authors; Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns. Got my handmade sheep that I have wanted since last year (mother’s pissed about the price but what the heck; I’ve been wanting it for over a year and thought of nothing else since I got to Edinburgh). Oh, I would highly recommend entering White Horse Close. It is at the end of the Royal Mile, towards Holyrood Palace/ Scottish Parliament. It’ll be the last close on the left. Hah!! Could still remember!! Hehehe. I was told by one of the tour guides; it does feel like entering into another time.
2nd – 3rd – West Highlands Tour. Was absolutely AWESOME!! Didn’t find Loch Ness impressive, but… okay I can’t remember the name, but as might expected, it is a sea/ saltwater loch facing the Atlantic that I found impressive. Hahahaha. Even though the guide found it absolutely annoying for the traffic jam, I thought it was a God sent. Hehehe. Oh, the tour guide looked like Perry Cox from Scrubs. Hahahahahaha. So on the first day, I was rather scared of him, in case he started bullying us or something. Hahaha. I know I know; totally unfair. He’s really nice.
It was during this tour that I met two “Whovians” (who would have thought that they had an actual term for people who like Doctor Who. Didn’t want to be beaten by Star Trek, I suppose…) who are absolutely insane. One’s American and another’s Northern Irish. The American has to be the saner of the two. The Northern Irish… I think she’s a bit disturbed; I don’t know. She wants to rape John Barrowman and David Tennant; it is not enough if they’re willing to have sex with her. She wants to rape them. I have absolutely no idea the rape law outside of England, but I would have thought Sexual Offences Act 2003 apply the same way in England and Wales as to Scotland and Northern Ireland, what with it being a Westminster Act… Okay I’ve no idea; I may have had a Scottish magistrate tutoring me Criminal Law, but he made sure he taught me only English law!! Bless him. Still, for their sakes, I hope they remain in Wales forever and ever more. Hahaha. I would think she would be guilty with the assault by penetration crap instead. Oh well. But seriously, specifically want to rape them? Mindless, passionate sex wouldn’t be enough. Hmmmm… Utterly disturbing, but funny as well. Oh, and there’s this loch that looks exactly like Scotland. It’s like a mini Scotland in Scotland. Too lazy to google it. Hahaha. And yes, too lazy to describe the tour; but it was fun!!
3rd – left for Glasgow at the end of the day as I couldn’t find an accommodation in Edinburgh for that night. Oh well… Arrived in horrid Glasgow… And spend 3 days there. There was a bloody Doctor Who exhib at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Which was so bloody annoying, as I have described in my last entry. So I’ll not blab about Glasgow again here. I bloody hate Doctor Who. Argh. However, would you believe it, I know someone who has been in England for 3 years and have never heard about it? Seriously!! Unbelievable!! Like… what the hell? I don’t like it, yes, but to not hear about it? Like Dee said, he’s everywhere!! (And his posters are very rude for not responding to her )
6th – People’s Palace – quite cool tho. And made my way down to Durham and cooked for most of the time I was there. Not that I minded, Amni!! Really!!!
9th – made my way to York… And did absolutely nothing except watching Samantha Who?. I love Cecelia Ahern
10th – went to Howard Castle. Highly recommended as well. Went with my mother the year before. This time just went to the glass blowing place, which is awesome!!
11th – Blackpool – boring and too bright and sunny (my feet got tanned there. Seriously!!) but beautiful nonetheless. However, they have a Doctor Who museum. What the hell. Everywhere and permeating museums. Sigh…
13th – Came back to East Midlands. Did nothing but bum around. Was ill as well; sorry for not meeting many people while I was there…
16th – Faliq’s birthday. Dinner at dodgy place
20th – Off to Bristol to see Brenda
21st till the 25th – Devon for Sangeeta
25th – arrived in London. Went to Vic’s.
26th – stayed in; grocery shopped and cooked. Well, more like didn’t use my Oyster card.
27th – got kicked out from Beda’s and went to Kay’s. Went to Vic’s. Met her interesting father.
28th – Walking tour of London; same as the one in Edinburgh; part of Sandeman’s New Europe tours. Fascinating. Went to the National Gallery after that, and watch Les Miserables. Fantine was rather disappointing, but Eponine… She was absolutely amazing. I loved it when she sang “On My Own.”
29th – Took a bus tour, which added on to the info from the walking tour, which basically concentrated on Westminster. Also had free Thames river cruise, which was cool as well, with the crew giving a tour. Awesomeness. Too lazy to describe it here; incentive for you all to get on the bus and go for it!! Highly recommended, especially for those who are actually living in London; you just don’t know the history that is around you!!
30th – Portobello Market and Southall. Wanted to watch Oliver but it was too bloody expensive!!
31st – Greenwich – the Royal Observatory and the market. OMG I love Greenwich market!!! The coffee and tea there!! Awesomeness!! And I got to take the DLR. Hahahaha. Something like our LRTs. Also went to the Museum of London. Fascinating!!
June
1st – Tower of London (lots of walking), Jack the Ripper tour at the East of London (even more walking), St James’s Park (some more walking), took the tube to Monument for the Great Fire of London Monument, then walked to St Paul’s, and continued walking to the Old Bailey, Royal Palace of Justice and Temple. And if I suddenly decide to do the BVC, I would sooooo put myself into one of the Temples instead. Gorgeous!! Then took the bus from Aldwych to St Pancras. Took picture of St Pancras and a picture of King’s Cross with the name clearly on it, to show my lousy Malaysian friends that the train station I take is not King’s Cross. Damn WarnerBros the liars; I know that King’s Cross is boring, but seriously, that is the train station that goes to Scotland!! An even bigger irony is that platform 9 doesn’t even go northwards, apparently. Though, I suppose, one could say, since St Pancras and King’s Cross is actually next to each other, and the car was parked near St Pancras instead of King’s Cross… so they shot St Pancras instead. But still!! How dare they say I lie!! Hrmph!! Now I have proof that King’s Cross is a boring and ugly lump of a building. Hmph. Stayed at St Pancras for quite some time, and cried for quite some time, knowing clearly that that would be the very last time I would be there. It was the gateway to independence, in a way, to me, since it was the place leading to East Midlands from London. Somehow, I felt like London was still connected to the MAS plane in some ways, hence Malaysia. Weird, I know. Only at St Pancras did I feel, yes, I am going to that place which is mine.
2nd – Last full day in the UK. Kew Gardens. Then Victoria and Albert Museum (omg I love the place. Now, if the clip of Look Back in Anger wasn’t there, it would have been perfect. ) and Natural Science Museum (aka Westminster Abbey for animals). Walked to Kensington Gardens and to Albert Memorial, with Prince Albert looking at the Royal Albert Hall. Walked to Bayswater and took the Circle line to Embankment. Walked across the Thames on the Golden/ Jubilee Bridge towards London Eye. Went on the London Eye, which was the grand finale of my trip. Or at least, the exciting one. At first, I jokingly told my friend it would be stalking Jude Law after he performed Hamlet at one of the Leicester Sq theatres; can’t remember which one now. Then was too tired; decided will just change from Northern Line to Piccadilly Line at Leicester Square station. However, by force of habit, once I got off the train at Leicester Square, I made my way out. Still, I just hung out at Vic’s again for one last time, and didn’t bother “stalking” Mr Law since I was too bloody tired anyway. Hahaha. Not that I was a fan. Just thought it would be funny. Went back and somewhat started packing. However, I fell asleep till morning.
3rd – Hurriedly packed and tried to get VAT. The admin cost for the VAT is absolutely ridiculous. Seriouslsy, man. Urgh. So annoying!! Some last minute shopping for cheese and food… and made my way to the airport for the VAT reclaim. Manage to finish my credit on my mobile phone. Boarded the flight, which was rather empty. Moved seats and got 3 seats to myself (picked window side), even though that whole row, all 10 seats of it, were empty, though after dinner, all was occupied–a very tall man slept on those 4 chairs. Watched Coraline and Inkheart. Flight was uneventful except for the normal area of turbulence when crossing the Bay of Bengal. However, the first time where the pilot actually told the stewards/esses to return to their seats and stop serving breakfast. When entered Malaysian air, one of the pilot was like a tourguide, telling us what could be seen from the sky, since the weather was good, with no clouds obscuring our view. Fascinating.
4th – Back home.
8th – Awake at 7.15am, only just finished with this entry, which I started typing at about midnight. Blah. Need to make new glasses due to power increase.
I’m shit scared of them.
Even my really sweet, soft spoken tutor whom I used as a referee when I was applying to Queen’s Belfast.
I have no problems during tutorials, but when I see them afterwards for any questions or whatsoever… I get scared.
I was shit scared when I was walking to the Law School today, when I was going to pass my thank you gifts to them. Was so bloody relieved that none of them were in their room, but at the same time panicky that I wouldn’t be able to see two of them that I would like to ask to be my referee. I don’t know how to put it in words, to explain why I have been keeping quiet. But at the same time, I don’t want to bother them unless I need them. Feel bad for not contacting them and wanting to update them. What the hell… I don’t know what is wrong with me; why I have such complicated feelings towards academics.
You would think having a mother who’s an academic and see them at a social level would make me feel comfortable with them, but noooo!!! I feel awkward and don’t want to bother them at all.
But at the same time, I feel guilty for just going up to them and ask for a favour just like that.
Oh, I don’t know. Sigh. Oh well…
With WiFi!! So cool!! I love National Express East Coast (NXEC) I knew that it had internet since last year, when I was taking the train from York to Edinburgh. Currently at Edinburgh Waverley… I sooooooooo feel like getting out of the train instead of going downsouth. I love Edinburgh, even though, apparently, I have a Glaswegian accent when I respond to the Scottish. I blame watching Rab C Nesbitt for that. Hahaha.
Sigh… The train is moving now… Trying to get the last glimpses of Edinburgh. God knows when will I be coming here again. It saddens me that when I was leaving Edinburgh for Glasgow, I did it in such in a rush, with no ceremony whatsoever. I suppose… Oh, no use of blaming the tour guide; he didn’t want me to arrive in Glasgow too late, which was why he dropped me off at the hostel where I left my things. Still… Like… I don’t know. Ah well. I’m leaving Scotland now; no point of thinking so much about it. Note to self: Things that you didn’t do in Edinburgh, you wouldn’t be able to do it anyway if you stayed on or went back while you were in Glasgow; the cost money and it is something you don’t have much left. And you did look around Edinburgh the night before you went for the Highlands tour. Just, don’t think about it. Yes, Glasgow suck; and those who has lived in both Glasgow and Cardiff are big lunatics. Sorry, Sumitra. I know you’re barely surviving… but. Oh, I don’t know.
Okay, how about this; those that voluntarily choose to work in Cardiff; like aim to get a job in either Cardiff or Glasgow when they’ve lived in the other city before. Seriously!!!
East end of Glasgow? Dodgy like hell!! It’s like London on a smaller scale. Seriously!! And since I am not a big fan of London… no surprise I don’t exactly like Glasgow, right? And it doesn’t help that their parks are nothing like London’s. I definitely prefer London over Glasgow. Bleh.
Though, to be fair to the Glaswegian and Glasgow city itself… It is beautiful if you like architecture. It is really something; to see so many details on the building. Of course they’re no Rosslyn Chapel. Still!! Do look up when you’re in Glasgow to appreciate the city better. Of course, that’ll be quite difficult when you wear glasses and it rains constantly… Still, it is nice in that way. And there’s so many museums and art galleries there; you’ll definitely like it if arts is your thing. And it you like Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s work… there’s planty of those there. The Willow Tea Rooms that he designed… people say that it is not the cheapest place to have a cuppa. True. However, I found the prices were just about the same as the chain coffeehouse–Starbucks, Costa, etc–prices. So if you are willing to pay those kind of prices already, why not enjoy it at some pretty place? I didn’t go in because it was already late; arrived at about 4.30 and it closes at 5pm. So I just looked at the prices. Hahaha.
But overall… I don’t like Glasgow. It also didn’t help that at the Kelvingrove Art Museum and Gallery, they had a Doctor Who exhibition (no idea how much I’ve mentioned on this blog on how much I hate that show; and I admit I don’t watch it. But just wait… I’ll blab about it. Oh, and Nina; not sure if I blogged about this, but the elusive “Dr ?” wasn’t even a doctor!! Well, he is, but he no longer goes by the title Dr anymore; he’s a surgeon. Should have been “Mr ?”. Or maybe it is a sign that I will be getting lower ranked ENT later on. Hmmm…) and people, for some weird reason, kept asking me for the direction to the exhibition. I don’t get it; does any of the character wear a bright turquoise coat, a skirt with somewhat crocheted pattern, flower-patterned tights with flats and a barret-like hat? Seriously man. Because I so didn’t look like those people who worked in the museum, who mostly wore black slacks and black shirt. It was so bloody annoying!! When I was downstairs, I wanted to have a sign stating “I look lost because I do NOT want to go into the Doctor Who exhibition; I am here just to kill time while I wait for a friend to finish her classes.”
Seriously man…
And shouldn’t they not ask someone who looks lost? The worst kind of person to ask directions from!!
I felt like God was trying to ask me to get out of the museum by the time this old man asked me “aren’t you going for the Doctor Who exhibition, love?”
Seriously!!!
I so felt like skinning the guy alive.
Nonetheless, I got the message and got out of the museum; into the rain.
Sigh.
In conclussion; if you’re not a big fan of architecture, arts and Doctor Who, avoid Glasgow like a plague!!!!! There’s nothing there!!!!!
And now, I am going to pack my laptop, go to the washroom and read the wonderful book by Kate Morton titled The Forgotten Garden. Quite dark but I quite like it. I would recommend it.
Would be typing the entries on Microsoft Words and post it from Amni’s laptop when she’s not using the internet.
xoxo
My dear blog,
I am sorry that I have had a super duper long hiatus, and will continue to do so. I’ve been extremely tired every night and when I am on the computer, there’s always something to do. Probably when I am down south–though I’ll be north of England–when I am lazing about, I might be typing the entries, though I would probably end up sleeping all the time in Amni’s room, apart from making for her karipaps. Going to practice till I can be snobbish about it when I return to Malaysia. Hahaha.
I will be going to the Scottish Highlands tomorrow.
God, I’ve been to so many tours, things are starting to just blend in together.
Though I somewhat enjoy the Irish tours more than the Scottish. I don’t know why. Hmmm… Probably because it is more scenary than buildings? I don’t know. And Ireland’s just more beautiful, I guess? Hahaha. Of course, they’re equally beautiful. I loved the tour to the Kingdom of Fife though. Oh, that’s in Scotland. Haha. The first tour I went to–the Ring of Kerry–was just so and so. I absolutely loved Galway and the two tours I took from there. Cliffs of Moher was amazing, and so was Connemara, though I prefer the Cliffs more. Probably because I could see the Atlantic. OMG I love the Atlantic. Just so beautiful!!! If I were to throw myself into a body of water, I would love to do that on the West Coast of Ireland. Connemara was awesome too; so many sheep!!!! Hahahaha. God, if I was off the bus, I would have tried to catch one of the spring lambs. They’re so adorable!!
And I find, somehow, spring lambs from different region walk differently. I can’t remember the English and Scottish difference, but I do remember the Irish spring lambs run as if they don’t know that they own knees. They look like wooden toys when they run. The British ones know that they own those joins we call knees, but one of them move the left or right legs together, while the other move the front or back legs together. Found it weird.
Oh, and Irish cows? They’re super disciplined!!!!!! Seriously!! I saw God knows how many farms when I was on the bus to move from city to city where the cows would line up in a single file. I’ve no idea what for; but the line would be really straight.
Amazing!!
And to think that when I was in school, my classmates and I couldn’t do that.
Shame on us!!
Though I don’t see the British cows acting the same way. Hahaha =P
Enough bullshitting; I’m going to bed now. Long day tomorrow and I have to repack some of my stuff. Going to be leaving my backpack and my luggage. I bought 3 sheep. Hahaha. One of them’s quite big and cost me 35 quid. Hahaha. Fully handmade though. I absolutely love her.
Due to the daily duty of emailing my mother everyday while I am in Ireland, I am afraid that I wouldn’t be able to update my blog till I cross the RoIreland-UK border. Sorry for those who have been bugging me for it. I know I haven’t updated on my going ons since I arrived in London. Sooooo sorry!!
When I was free, it was the first time in my life I ever had to fight for the internet connection. Actually, laptop as well since my computer reufse to connect to the LAN at Faliq’s. Quite annoying. And I was too lazy to type out the entries, so instead I cooked and cleaned and sleep most of the time. Hahaha.
Though I will try my best when I arrive in Connacht tomorrow.
I draw the line at telling which city I will be… too specific to my taste. Instead, I will use the area instead. Currently am in Munster, was in Leinster, and will be in Ulster after Connacht. Those who know me should be able to figure out where these places are. When in England and Scotland… I’ll figure out later.
Though will update my timeline later after I leave the places. Control freak? Obsessive? Paranoid?
All of the above, probably. However, I just think it is my right to keep things private, and those I want to know already know about my whereabouts…
God, the babies in the advertisement now is so bloody cute!! Bank of Ireland advert. Hahaha.
So I made a promise to myself that I will blog today yesterday… Am half dead; totally. Got back after 10pm… Was walking in the rain, going statue hunting with my twin-in-name after our lunch/dinner…
Took quite a number of silly pictures. However, I have to say that my enthusiasm over taking pictures has diminished drastically. Probably because in Malaysia there’s hardly anything I find fascinating to take picture of. Okay, maybe not Malaysia; I’m being unfair. Kuala Lumpur, more like it. Curse the fact that I live in the city… Okay more like a suburb… but still, near enough. Blah.
Still… on cameras… I think I might have left my charger at the East Midlands airport; had to repack my luggage because it was overweight. I don’t know… Sigh. I hope it is still at my friend’s place in East Midlands… But I’m pretty sure that I did pack it with me… Sigh.
There is an interim plan, but still… Oh, I don’t know.
Arrggghhhh!!! Too sleepy and tired.
Toodles!!
