Step 2: Outbound
The entire British empire was built on cups of tea, and if you think I'm going to war without one, mate, you're mistaken
I quit my job on the Wednesday, packed my bags, settle some last minute responsibilities I owe to my old company and boarded an international outward-bound flight the following Saturday morning. My destination?
A little hint: This country successfully branded their underground public transportation system into a household name. I'll give you 10 seconds to guess.
As you can see, my sister lives in zone 4 which is the other end of outer London which requires me to change to the northern line. It took me like almost an hour just to get to her place. I had to take the Piccadilly line to Leicester Square to make the switch. What a bitch -_-' That basically sums up my first day there, besides the dinner I had with relatives residing there. The adventure starts the next day when I'm fully charged up and raring to go.
What can I say?London is a fantastic city. A cosmopolitan city offering a number of diverse neighbourhoods and pubs, impressive architecture, efficient public transportation (only at times mind you), picturesque parks and theaters playing to full houses. It is a city of separate areas, often famous in their own right and with distinctive characteristics.
English people have been stereotyped as cold and unfriendly, but the truth is that London is a busy, fast city. Through my observation, I believe that some English people are a little reserved and private but somehow I realised that most people I see during the day are busy travelling, shopping or working, not in the mood for socialising!When night falls, try heading down to the local pub for happy hour. With a little bit of effort, you're bound to meet a few nice, chatty, easy going and jovial blokes.
London, as everyone knows, is an expensive place to live and visit. What not so many people seem to realise however, is that the city does offer a wonderful range of things to do for people who doesn’t even have a penny in their pocket....ME!Surprise huh?Well it depends on what your interests are. I know mine is to savour the so-called London culture and experience. All that is required is a sense of adventure and a trusty up to date London guide book.Trust me, nothing beats the satisfaction of finding it.
Things I did for free:
Well, I've attempted to decipher the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum without any luck (I'll pay top dollar to anyone who can do it), gazed at the original Apollo 10 Command module in the Science Museum (my rocket scientist brother would love it), and marveled at the work of the world’s greatest artists, from Monet's 'Bathers at La Grenouillère' to Picasso's Child with a Dove, and even Damien Hirst, at the National Gallery and the Tate Modern.
That alone wasn't enough to satisfy my cultural needs. Next in line was the Victoria and Albert Museum in Knightsbridge which houses collections of almost every man made object you can imagine (From a 15th-century Minbar to a Tipu's Tiger made around 1795 to a Mazarin Chest made around 1640) and the National Maritime Museum, in the centre of the spectacular Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.
When I had enough culture for one day and was simply looking to relax, then one of London’s picturesque parks makes for an ideal location. The views on a clear day from Alexandra Palace or the Royal Observatory hill in Greenwich Park are possibly the finest in London I must say.
A visit to London’s markets are simply fantastic and probably the best way to soak up the atmosphere of the capital’s various districts. The Chrisp Street and Spitalfields Markets in the East End hold regular free events, including seasonal festivals and displays of local artists. Another market not to be missed, Camden Market, especially on a Sunday, is hard to beat. Weird and wonderful rhythms, fashions, tastes, and smells all competing for my attention, while the market itself is so big that I couldn't cover it all in an afternoon.
*Disclaimer: The term "free" does not include tube, buses and railway fares
London is also a city filled with vibrant musical theatre scenes all thanks to big budget West End theatre productions. It is a MUST watch even if it'll cost you 30 pounds! Well for what it's worth, there were claims that the West End theatre scene is much bigger than Broadway. After watching a few, I was an instant believer craving for more only to be disappointed for my wallet wasn't allowing me to do so. Sadly I couldn't manage to get them on DVD. Don't think they are even available in stores!
Well besides being a traveller (an extremely thirsty one I might add), I've also taken the liberty to contact and catch up with some old mates. Some I've not seen in years!
Jess:
Sis, thanks for taking time off your busy schedule to show me around. Thanks for taking me for spicy Korean food that left me with a fiery belly. Thanks for taking me for a night out of fun with your London based NZ crew in Tiger Tiger and the other club I can't seem to remember. I had a great time (except for that little incident involving that cunt of an Englishman). Send my regards to them the next time you all meet up ya?
Hsern Wei:
The man who really took the effort and time to show me a great time. Thanks for taking me out for a pint or two (sometimes more) during happy hour, introducing me to cidars (not forgetting, teaching me the method to drink them while I keep insisting that it's all a marketing propaganda) and accompanying me for all the London walks especially the Ghost by gaslight - The Spooky London Pub Crawl (where we discovered a piece of history called Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese) and the Jack the Ripper walk. Will never forget your random phrases during the walk like a "Oh Lord!12 more pubs to cover and this is my second pint already" and will definitely cherish the "Jack the Ripper walk that wasn't meant to be all thanks to a failing HP batt" experience. Please find me a nice normal pretty English girl that I can marry so that I can go back to London on a longer term basis ok?And 1 more thing. Please LOCATE that pikey video for my viewing pleasure.
Nikki:
Thanks for the "Sorry for not getting back to you earlier. BTW, it's Guy Fawkes Night...let's shoot some crackers!". Oh yeah!Before I forget happy belated b'day (it's 4.18am, 20th March 2007 here in Malaysia). Hope to meet the Mister the next time we meet ya?
Nic:
Thanks for the "Sorry dude can't meet up...caught up with work". At least we did a little catching up over the phone. Don't be a stranger when you come back ok?
Carl:
Was great to finally have met you. Thanks for adding up to the pool of fun during our Korean and Vietnamese themed dinners. Will definitely remember that button badge businesses are a force to be reckon with. But on a different note, I'm really jealous of you. A civil engineer who gets paid shitload just to erect traffic lights. So when is our next session for drinks?
Well, there's so much to tell and so much to show bout London. I had the best time there plus a few other major European cities as well. The country; captivating, the culture; distinctive, the company; enchanting and the experience; extraordinary. If opportunity arises, without a doubt, without thinking twice, I would jump the wagon for sure. Well maybe for a couple of years. London is definitely not for the old, retired and the weak hearted. It's a good place to experience while we're still young. To sum up what London is like, I would say:
You either love it or hate it..just like Marmite.
When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford
I quit my job on the Wednesday, packed my bags, settle some last minute responsibilities I owe to my old company and boarded an international outward-bound flight the following Saturday morning. My destination?
A little hint: This country successfully branded their underground public transportation system into a household name. I'll give you 10 seconds to guess.
One!
Two!!
Three!!!
Four!!!!
Five!!!!!
Six!!!!!!
Seven!!!!!!!
Eight!!!!!!!!
Nine!!!!!!!!!
Ten!!!!!!!!!!
Time's up!!!!
Still don't quite get the clue?ok ok fine. Then how about this one below?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Big Ben?London Eye?Bangers and mash?Cup 'o tea?'orrible food?Periwinkle blue caravans?Dags?Mary fucking Poppins
You should have know it by now. Yes London: The capital of the country that proudly parades its union jack high up in the sky.
My journey:
The journey there via MAS was just sheer hell. Service was horrendous and the food servings were as much as those in soup kitchens (2 meals for a 13 hour flight?!?!?!). The stewardesses?3 words:
- Grotesque
- Distasteful
- Repugnant
I can go on and on but I shall not waste my time as time and tide waits for no man. Anyway I don't even know what I'm paying premium price for. Other air carriers (as much as I hate to admit it, SIA provides better services) are better at an even more affordable price.
Sleepless for almost 2 days due to the time difference, I was welcomed by what seemed like a mile long queue as soon as I touched down Heathrow Airport. After 45-50 minutes, I realised what was holding the queue. The culprits?Non-English speaking Pakistanis and sand niggers. I pity the translator, running from one counter to another as if his life depended on it. As soon as everything was sorted out, I thought that my anguish ended there since there was a tube station in the airport itself but nNnNooOo...after thoroughtly analysing the tube map, I realised I'm still in it for more:
As you can see, my sister lives in zone 4 which is the other end of outer London which requires me to change to the northern line. It took me like almost an hour just to get to her place. I had to take the Piccadilly line to Leicester Square to make the switch. What a bitch -_-' That basically sums up my first day there, besides the dinner I had with relatives residing there. The adventure starts the next day when I'm fully charged up and raring to go.
What can I say?London is a fantastic city. A cosmopolitan city offering a number of diverse neighbourhoods and pubs, impressive architecture, efficient public transportation (only at times mind you), picturesque parks and theaters playing to full houses. It is a city of separate areas, often famous in their own right and with distinctive characteristics.
English people have been stereotyped as cold and unfriendly, but the truth is that London is a busy, fast city. Through my observation, I believe that some English people are a little reserved and private but somehow I realised that most people I see during the day are busy travelling, shopping or working, not in the mood for socialising!When night falls, try heading down to the local pub for happy hour. With a little bit of effort, you're bound to meet a few nice, chatty, easy going and jovial blokes.
London, as everyone knows, is an expensive place to live and visit. What not so many people seem to realise however, is that the city does offer a wonderful range of things to do for people who doesn’t even have a penny in their pocket....ME!Surprise huh?Well it depends on what your interests are. I know mine is to savour the so-called London culture and experience. All that is required is a sense of adventure and a trusty up to date London guide book.Trust me, nothing beats the satisfaction of finding it.
Things I did for free:
Well, I've attempted to decipher the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum without any luck (I'll pay top dollar to anyone who can do it), gazed at the original Apollo 10 Command module in the Science Museum (my rocket scientist brother would love it), and marveled at the work of the world’s greatest artists, from Monet's 'Bathers at La Grenouillère' to Picasso's Child with a Dove, and even Damien Hirst, at the National Gallery and the Tate Modern.
That alone wasn't enough to satisfy my cultural needs. Next in line was the Victoria and Albert Museum in Knightsbridge which houses collections of almost every man made object you can imagine (From a 15th-century Minbar to a Tipu's Tiger made around 1795 to a Mazarin Chest made around 1640) and the National Maritime Museum, in the centre of the spectacular Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.
When I had enough culture for one day and was simply looking to relax, then one of London’s picturesque parks makes for an ideal location. The views on a clear day from Alexandra Palace or the Royal Observatory hill in Greenwich Park are possibly the finest in London I must say.
A visit to London’s markets are simply fantastic and probably the best way to soak up the atmosphere of the capital’s various districts. The Chrisp Street and Spitalfields Markets in the East End hold regular free events, including seasonal festivals and displays of local artists. Another market not to be missed, Camden Market, especially on a Sunday, is hard to beat. Weird and wonderful rhythms, fashions, tastes, and smells all competing for my attention, while the market itself is so big that I couldn't cover it all in an afternoon.
*Disclaimer: The term "free" does not include tube, buses and railway fares
London is also a city filled with vibrant musical theatre scenes all thanks to big budget West End theatre productions. It is a MUST watch even if it'll cost you 30 pounds! Well for what it's worth, there were claims that the West End theatre scene is much bigger than Broadway. After watching a few, I was an instant believer craving for more only to be disappointed for my wallet wasn't allowing me to do so. Sadly I couldn't manage to get them on DVD. Don't think they are even available in stores!
Well besides being a traveller (an extremely thirsty one I might add), I've also taken the liberty to contact and catch up with some old mates. Some I've not seen in years!
Jess:
Sis, thanks for taking time off your busy schedule to show me around. Thanks for taking me for spicy Korean food that left me with a fiery belly. Thanks for taking me for a night out of fun with your London based NZ crew in Tiger Tiger and the other club I can't seem to remember. I had a great time (except for that little incident involving that cunt of an Englishman). Send my regards to them the next time you all meet up ya?
Hsern Wei:
The man who really took the effort and time to show me a great time. Thanks for taking me out for a pint or two (sometimes more) during happy hour, introducing me to cidars (not forgetting, teaching me the method to drink them while I keep insisting that it's all a marketing propaganda) and accompanying me for all the London walks especially the Ghost by gaslight - The Spooky London Pub Crawl (where we discovered a piece of history called Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese) and the Jack the Ripper walk. Will never forget your random phrases during the walk like a "Oh Lord!12 more pubs to cover and this is my second pint already" and will definitely cherish the "Jack the Ripper walk that wasn't meant to be all thanks to a failing HP batt" experience. Please find me a nice normal pretty English girl that I can marry so that I can go back to London on a longer term basis ok?And 1 more thing. Please LOCATE that pikey video for my viewing pleasure.
Nikki:
Thanks for the "Sorry for not getting back to you earlier. BTW, it's Guy Fawkes Night...let's shoot some crackers!". Oh yeah!Before I forget happy belated b'day (it's 4.18am, 20th March 2007 here in Malaysia). Hope to meet the Mister the next time we meet ya?
Nic:
Thanks for the "Sorry dude can't meet up...caught up with work". At least we did a little catching up over the phone. Don't be a stranger when you come back ok?
Carl:
Was great to finally have met you. Thanks for adding up to the pool of fun during our Korean and Vietnamese themed dinners. Will definitely remember that button badge businesses are a force to be reckon with. But on a different note, I'm really jealous of you. A civil engineer who gets paid shitload just to erect traffic lights. So when is our next session for drinks?
Well, there's so much to tell and so much to show bout London. I had the best time there plus a few other major European cities as well. The country; captivating, the culture; distinctive, the company; enchanting and the experience; extraordinary. If opportunity arises, without a doubt, without thinking twice, I would jump the wagon for sure. Well maybe for a couple of years. London is definitely not for the old, retired and the weak hearted. It's a good place to experience while we're still young. To sum up what London is like, I would say:
You either love it or hate it..just like Marmite.
When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford
depression hits supa_jock at 4:37 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home