This is the 3rd time I am typing this because the power keeps tripping. Decided not to waste the effort again. Haven't been blogging cos I don't have the luxury to sit and blog all the time, neither is there cheap internet everywhere also. But don't worry, I will be back in just over a week and I will put up the pics and have my blog alive and kicking again. Expect heavy picture loads. I have already taken about 600+ pics... I think. And that's just my camera alone. There are 5 other cameras. Heh.
Its bloody hot here and its tiring me out quickly each day. I kinda miss the cold I had up north. This trip has been better than I expected it to be. Its been really fun and I think 6 people is really the ideal number to have on a trip. No more, no less. 6 people cos there will be enough people to keep up the entertainment and conversations. Its an even number so in buses and trains we can sit in pairs if we have to. In addition, many hostel rooms come in 6s or 8s, so we can have a whole room to ourselves. Even if we don't, we practically own the whole room. Now that Peishan and Huijing have left for home, its less noisy. Or maybe its because Huijing is the noisy one and the source of entertainment for us guys. Ha. Tomorrow, its gonna be just me and Alex gaying for the next week. But of course, it will be fun nevertheless.
We have all agreed that this trip has been an all-rounded one. We practically done everything there is to do on a holiday. Normally, coming to Europe would probably just involve cathedrals and castles and more cathedrals. But, we covered more aspects than just seeing such architecture and stuff.
We had outdoor stuff like climbing a mountain, and sitting by a stream at the foot of a waterfall. We had cultural stuff like watching a ballet and visiting art works of Picasso or architecture of Gaudi etc. We also had historical stuff like all the World War history of Germany and the monarchy of the Austrian empire etc. We had relaxing time in the parks where we had picnics, or at the beach. We had boundless scenery, some of which are the best I've seen so far. We also had some naughty stuff like porn and checking out the red light districts. Can't remember what else already but then the only thing we lack is partying! Too bad I don't think we will be doing that. Ibiza has been ruled out of our itinerary because its too expensive to go there for just a day. But anyway I not very gian to club either. Old already, clubbing not much kick.
Alright...will be back in 10 days or so. Blog when I get back. Adios.
Finally found a place with cheap internet. Since the last time I blogged, I have been to Brussels, Amsterdam and now I´m on the last day in Berlin. Its been bloody cold at times here when the wind blows. Its the wind that´s the killer here, otherwise its not that cold, just like aircon. Unfortunately, I was more prepared for summer and thinking of the hot weather in Spain I will be getting, I didn´t bring much warm clothing. Nevertheless, I am still alive. Huijing still can wear miniskirt out in the cold, but only because she had a reason. Will come back to that if I have time. Have 20 mins left on the computer.
Brussels Really small city. Can practically walk to all the attractions within a day. Fortunately we didn´t stay longer than 1 night there. Otherwise it would be a little boring. Nothing famous to see in Brussels, but just the chocolates and ate the mussels there which are quite cheap and popular.
Amsterdam The city of sex, drugs and booze. We stayed just 2 streets from the redlight district. Took a walk through it one night and checked out the ´fish tanks´. Got approached to buy coccaine too. Of course I declined. Went to the sex museum which is depicts the history of sex and pornography. The gals seemed to take it quite well, especially with the porno pics all around, some of which are seriously hardcore. Gross at times too. There was this picture of this famous porn actor called ´Long Dong Silver´ who was famous for his 47cm schlong. The people there are quite funky, especially the junkies. Saw an Ah Ma who had a mohawk which was red in colour. Power. There was a strike on one of the days too. No buses and trams and trains. Kaoz. Apparently strikes are quite common place there. We took a break in the countryside for an afternoon though. Took a nap a river and the windmills. Quite therapeutic.
Berlin Berlin is more of the historical heritage than scenic sights and stuff. Learnt quite a bit about the history of Germany and the wars. Just went to a concentration camp today. Interesting thing here is that the beer is cheaper than mineral water. So obviously, I get the beers instead. Another wierd pricing paradox is that small stuff are more expensive than big ones. For example, a 1.5 litre bottle of water would cost more than a 0.5 litre bottle of water. Totally wierd. I understand economies of scale but this is just bizarre. Will be taking a night train to Munich tonight. Oh, the wursts (German sausages) here are excellent. Been having it for every meal. Shiok!
Time is running out and I can only squeeze in a short post. Unfortunately, I can´t put in any pictures since they don´t allow downloads in public computers. Wait till I get home in a month then.
In other news, I am being raped at mahjong here as well. Seems like the wind and water here don´t favour me as well. Sigh. Mingmong _ c r a p p e d _ @ 12:24 AM |
Europe Part 3
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Now at Heathrow waiting for my flight to Brussels to meet the others. The past few days have been quite good. The last 2 days in Scotland were nice. Apart from the dreadful exam, I managed to get some good sights and pictures.
The exam was a snore. While everyone else was busy on their paper, I was stoning, wondering what to do. Well, I guess I don't expect to pass it considering how much effort I put in. But then again, maybe I will be lucky for once? Ha. How unlikely will that be. 240 MCQ questions. What are the chances that I will pass with guess work. Nil. On the other hand, if my surrounding neighbours did actually study hard for their exam and know their stuff, maybe I will pass. Ha. I wish I had better eyesight.
Went to Edinburgh to take the paper. Spent a night there. Its a much nicer city than Glasgow in terms of the touristy stuff. The old architectural buildings and the Edinburgh Castle are probably the main things to see. Glasgow on the other hand is more modern. Anyway 1 day was more than enough for me in Edinburgh.
The last day in Scotland was spent on the road. A Scottish guy I got to know through my friends there brought us around the area in his car. He is the most reckless driver I've ever met. More reckless than me even. He hit speeds of 150km/h on the highways. It could have been more even. Anyway, we went around Glasgow to the nearby towns. Went to Falkirk, Dundee, Stirling, and St Andrews.
Falkirk was for the Falkirk wheel. Some engineering wonder that connects 2 canals at different heights and carries boats from the lower canal to the higher one, and vice versa.
Stirling is the place made famous by Braveheart, where William Wallace defeated the strongest English army of his time with a small army of his own. Went to check out the William Wallace monument and realised that he must be the Scottish version of China's Guan Yu. He was supposedly bigger than the average person and wields a bloody long and heavy broadsword.
Dundee is a dump as my Scottish friend Gareth puts it. So nothing much there.
St Andrews is known prolly because Prince William studies there. Nothing much of the place since I am not a fan of Prince William, but its by the coast so the sea views were nice. I like scenery by the way, especially water and mountains and greenery. Did the stupidest thing ever. Went to swim in the freezing waters of the North Sea. What started out as noticing 2 gals and a guy stripping to jump into the water, ended up with me in the water too, in underwear. Gareth didn't wanna get in because he claimed he didn't have the 'right' underwear on. Wonder what that means. What kinda underwear do you need to swim in the sea?! Zhi Hui didn't want to either, cos he was chicken. Heh. Anyway, the water felt like zero degrees. In addition to that, it was already quite cold outside with the chilly sea breeze blowing and all. Lasted only 1 minute in the water. One of the girls was happily frolicking in the water, swimming around in her bikini top and panties (ah ma panties. Ha.). Must be cold blooded.
Whipped up a home cooked meal at Gareth's place for the last dinner. I cooked fried rice. Not bad for a first try at it, and it was good. At least to me and him only.
Got up early the next morning to take a plane back to London for the day. Didn't really know what to do there since I've already seen all the stuff there before just 2 years ago. So the only thing I wanted to do was catch a musical. And Les Mis was at the top of the list. Fortunately, I managed to get seats. Even better, I got front row seats for half price (student price). Which is about 20 pounds. Cheap. First time sitting soooo close to the stage. I was just behind the conductor. Initially I thought I got cheated cos it felt like I was in the front row of the cinema. But then when it started, I think it was good cos I could see the expressions on the actors. Normally, I sit somewhere in the middle of the stall for musicals and don't get to have such an upclose view. Think next time, nearer the stage the better. But, prolly not right in front. Sometimes can't see the action right at the back of the stage. Les Mis is excellent by the way. Probabaly the best musical I've seen so far. Nice songs, touching story.
Other than watching that at night, I just fast marched through London during the day to revisit some of the places again. No change since the last time. I actually typed an entry yesterday but the bloody computer shut down on me before I posted it. Highly pissed off.
London is probably the most cosmopolitan city in the world, since I've never been to the Big Apple yet, nor seen any other place that just reminds me of a United Colours of Benetton advertisement. One would think that racism in such a place would be minimal. As I was walking around, I walked past 2 guys. One of the guys pointed at me as he walked past me and said outloud, "hey! isn't that Bruce Lee?!" Na Bayyyy...What Bruce Lee. At least say Edison or Takeshi ma. Bruce Lee so ugly! Makes funny noises also. Heh. But anyway, that's not racism la. Just some moron trying to be funny.
Anyway, after walking for like 2 hours through London, I realised something.... My zip was open. Shit.
Alright, better stop. Internet at the airport is bloody ex. Just using up my loose change.
To end off, here's more Scottish lingo, courtesy of the nicest Scottish guy I know, Gareth. Actually, he is the only Scot I know.
Ming: Smelly. If you "ming", you stink.
Minger: Ugly. If you're a "minger", you're fugly. This I already knew because I have a T-shirt that says Minger in huge letters across the chest. Obviously my friends who bought it for me because its MINGer and might not have known what it meant. But then again, they might have known it described me.
Mong: Stupid. If you are a "mong", you're a dumbass.
Therefore,
Mingmong = Stupid, ugly and dumb.
Now Gareth doesn't seem so nice anymore. Btw, somehow I think he has a slight resemblance to the Smallville Clark Kent. Maybe its the hair. Mingmong _ c r a p p e d _ @ 4:39 PM |
Europe Part 2
Friday, June 03, 2005
Firstly, I need to do this shout out....WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why? That's because I just checked my email and I got the offer for that job I've been gunning for. Finally, a load off my mind! Haven't been able to sleep properly for the past 2 nights because I keep anticipating them to call me, so I keep waking up to check my hp for any miss calls (I'm 7 hours behind Singapore). Now at least I look forward to going home even though it means starting work earlier than I would have in KP.
Anyway, I've decided to record down whatever I've done here cause I forgot to bring a note book to note down where I've been and what I've done etc. Too bad if its boring. Ha.
After I finished the short post yesterday, I realised I forgot to mention some interesting events I encountered. Firstly, I saw a catfight. As in a gang of girls fighting. In the open on the main shopping street of Glasgow. Not the typical Lians but they were more like young punks. Guess the gals were probably at most 15/16 years old, but it was a bunch of them. This girl was screaming hysterically at this other girl. The hysterical girl was trying to punch/hit/whack/kick the 'victim' who stupidly stood there and let her lash at her. The other girls in the group were kinda like extras. Some were trying to separate the 2 girls or restrain the hysterical one (note that I could not make out WTF she was screaming. I dunno if its the heavy Scottish accent or she just sounded like a mad woman). The other gals in the group were just standing around, using eye power. I wanted to take a picture of the catfight, but I decided that it might not be wise, even though they are small gals, but then 10 on 1, I think I might lose still. ha. As I walked on, the screaming never stopped. A bunch of guys walking in the opposite direction, heard the screams and immediately knew it was a catfight (sounds like its common here), and they rushed down to watch. Ha. I looked back down the street. This time, the hysterical gal pulled the dumb 'victim' to a tree and started pulling her against it. Like trying to bang her against a tree (thin little stemmed tree which prolly could only hurt a girl), though it looked more like a feeble attempt which lacked any strength. Anyway, it was highly amusing. 500 metres away, I could still hear her screaming. I think at the end of the day, the one 'injured' would be the hysterical one, nursing her sore throat at home. Ha.
Next thing I was highly amused by is the Scottish accent. I think the Scots by far have the heaviest English accent. I can barely catch what they say at times. It just sounds like they're mumbling. But anyway, I've always loved the Scottish accent ever since Braveheart, and hearing Alex Ferguson talk. Interestingly, their conversations (those that I hear in eating places, bars, on the street or on the hp) are laced with numerous Focks. They don't pronounce it as Fuck, but Fock. What's funnier is how they say 'shit', which they pronounce as 'shite' (shy-te).
Just a thought that came to my mind...my friend Fock Ee Ling from JC is getting married. Same age as me and getting married already. Makes me feel old...what the fock.
Glasgow is unlike cities like Paris and Rome and London where its very touristy, with loads of famous tourist attractions and all. Somehow, this is the first time I find myself having nothing to see when I'm in a foreign land. But nevertheless, I'm enjoying the weather, walking around, eating, sleeping and just relaxing. No hussle and bustle of the usual travelling which I am anticipating once I meet up with the FAGs and the BAG, since the places we're headed for probably have loads to see. Although not a great place for tourists, I hear its great for students. My other friend, Zhi Hui, who's here on exchange tells me its super relaxed, exams are a piece of cake, discounts galore for students at many pubs and restaurants, and great nightlife. So, if you're into Medicine, Glasgow University is quite reknown, otherwise, Strathclyde Uni is also known for its Naval Architectural course. Both are city unis and the hostels are all in the city. Good international community of students as well.
Observation note: Haven't seen any hot Asian chicks here. Downside for us Asian guys coming here to study. Not too many hot Scottish chicks seen as well, yet. Downside for guys staying here.
Had a tea at a Scottish tea house today. I think I am not a tea person. Tried Cammomile tea and I didn't like it. I thought that since its one of the more popular ones, I couldn't go wrong. But somehow, I didn't seem to like it. Maybe its one of those acquired tastes. Tried Earl Grey before at Coffee Club and didn't take to it either. In contrast, the English love their English tea with scones and all. Think I shall just stick to my 'teh ping', green tea and bubble tea. I tried ginger bread too, just for the sake of getting into the English tea time mood. I'll show you my ginger bread pics when I can up load it. For now, I can't upload any since I didn't bring the cable along with me. Anyway I don't think public terminals allow pple to install hardware or save stuff on the harddisk either. Wait till I finish my memory cards, then I go burn into a CD, then can upload. For now, be patient 'hahaha'. Btw, do I know you hahaha?
Finished checking out most of the places of interests here already. Tomorrow I will be headed to Edinburgh for 2 days, of which 1 day will be spent in the exam hall with my dreaded CFA paper.
Random fact: My friend's Spanish flatmate is called Blanca. When I first heard the name, I only thought of the green creature in Street Fighter. When I saw Blanca, well, somehow I seemed to see some resemblance, especially with the frizzy hair. However, she's nice. She got me a mattress to save my back from the floor.
Random fact 2: Scottish slang for sleeping with someone, is Bonk. Eg. Alex went to a pub, met a chick, and bonked her that night.
Shall stop here. Guess its easier to write when you have pics to show. But then again, nothing exciting is happening yet. Feeling really laid back over here. I spend alot of time nua-ing as well. Mingmong _ c r a p p e d _ @ 5:11 AM |
Europe
Thursday, June 02, 2005
This is the Mingmongster reporting live from Glasgow.
Day 1 of my trip was a gruelling 25 hour trip from Singapore to Glasgow. 13 hour flight to Heathrow, then I had to wait 10 hours for my domestic flight into Glasgow. There was an earlier flight but I decided not to risk missing the flight in case there was a jam on route to Stansted airport from Heathrow.
Anyway, the flight to Heathrow was surprisingly fast. I slept through most of it. Watched a movie too. Survived the whole ride without any puking though, which is most important. However, I had these 2 passengers beside me across the aisle who took off their shoes onboard. Bloody hell their feet smelt bad. In contrast, the 2 gals beside me were quiet gals who slept most of the way. Didn't disturb my sleep by going to the toilet either. Anyway, I also discovered this time that the other reason why I puke is because of the change in air pressure which somehow causes my stomach to produce alot of gas.
Spent my first pound once I stepped out of the immigration. 20 pounds for the bus to Stansted airport. Bloody hell. Got to Stansted at 930 am. Flight was at 450pm. Tried to change to an earlier flight but then it would have cost me a bomb. Decided to stick it out in the airport. Bought myself a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, beans and toast for 6 pounds. Sigh. Everything in Britain is irritatingly expensive. Each time, the price looks reasonable. But then, you remember that you need to multiply it by 3.
Rotted the time away in the airport by trying to study for CFA. Disgustingly boring. Got hungry and went looking for the cheapest food I could get. Settled for a sandwich for 1.65 pounds and got a super deal of 2 bottles of coke for 1.29 pounds. ha. Had to get myself into the mood of the budget traveller. Anyhow, I finally reached Glasgow safely.
Today the weather is freezing, and on top of that, its raining. To make it worse, my friend decides to take me on a walk down Glasgow to West End, in the rain. As I am more prepared for the summer weather I am expecting as I go further south later on in the month, the thickest clothing I have with me is my windbreaker. Therefore, I had to battle the blistering cold as we walked in the rain. Best of all, she 'holland' while looking for this cheap and good italian place to have our lunch. Cold, hungry, wet and worst of all, wet in the shoes, we walked and walked. No map, and she decides to walk by instinct. Next time, I think I will have to bring a map and do the navigation.
Nothing much happening yet. Surprisingly not jet lagged. Sleeping on the hard floor last night seemed to be good enough to recover from that long journey here.
Anyhow, just signing in since I have the chance to. Will be back again. Mingmong _ c r a p p e d _ @ 12:02 AM |
This is the 3rd time I am typing this because the power keeps tripping. Decided not to waste the effort again. Haven't been blogging cos I don't have the luxury to sit and blog all the time, neither is there cheap internet everywhere also. But don't worry, I will be back in just over a week and I will put up the pics and have my blog alive and kicking again. Expect heavy picture loads. I have already taken about 600+ pics... I think. And that's just my camera alone. There are 5 other cameras. Heh.
Its bloody hot here and its tiring me out quickly each day. I kinda miss the cold I had up north. This trip has been better than I expected it to be. Its been really fun and I think 6 people is really the ideal number to have on a trip. No more, no less. 6 people cos there will be enough people to keep up the entertainment and conversations. Its an even number so in buses and trains we can sit in pairs if we have to. In addition, many hostel rooms come in 6s or 8s, so we can have a whole room to ourselves. Even if we don't, we practically own the whole room. Now that Peishan and Huijing have left for home, its less noisy. Or maybe its because Huijing is the noisy one and the source of entertainment for us guys. Ha. Tomorrow, its gonna be just me and Alex gaying for the next week. But of course, it will be fun nevertheless.
We have all agreed that this trip has been an all-rounded one. We practically done everything there is to do on a holiday. Normally, coming to Europe would probably just involve cathedrals and castles and more cathedrals. But, we covered more aspects than just seeing such architecture and stuff.
We had outdoor stuff like climbing a mountain, and sitting by a stream at the foot of a waterfall. We had cultural stuff like watching a ballet and visiting art works of Picasso or architecture of Gaudi etc. We also had historical stuff like all the World War history of Germany and the monarchy of the Austrian empire etc. We had relaxing time in the parks where we had picnics, or at the beach. We had boundless scenery, some of which are the best I've seen so far. We also had some naughty stuff like porn and checking out the red light districts. Can't remember what else already but then the only thing we lack is partying! Too bad I don't think we will be doing that. Ibiza has been ruled out of our itinerary because its too expensive to go there for just a day. But anyway I not very gian to club either. Old already, clubbing not much kick.
Alright...will be back in 10 days or so. Blog when I get back. Adios.
Finally found a place with cheap internet. Since the last time I blogged, I have been to Brussels, Amsterdam and now I´m on the last day in Berlin. Its been bloody cold at times here when the wind blows. Its the wind that´s the killer here, otherwise its not that cold, just like aircon. Unfortunately, I was more prepared for summer and thinking of the hot weather in Spain I will be getting, I didn´t bring much warm clothing. Nevertheless, I am still alive. Huijing still can wear miniskirt out in the cold, but only because she had a reason. Will come back to that if I have time. Have 20 mins left on the computer.
Brussels Really small city. Can practically walk to all the attractions within a day. Fortunately we didn´t stay longer than 1 night there. Otherwise it would be a little boring. Nothing famous to see in Brussels, but just the chocolates and ate the mussels there which are quite cheap and popular.
Amsterdam The city of sex, drugs and booze. We stayed just 2 streets from the redlight district. Took a walk through it one night and checked out the ´fish tanks´. Got approached to buy coccaine too. Of course I declined. Went to the sex museum which is depicts the history of sex and pornography. The gals seemed to take it quite well, especially with the porno pics all around, some of which are seriously hardcore. Gross at times too. There was this picture of this famous porn actor called ´Long Dong Silver´ who was famous for his 47cm schlong. The people there are quite funky, especially the junkies. Saw an Ah Ma who had a mohawk which was red in colour. Power. There was a strike on one of the days too. No buses and trams and trains. Kaoz. Apparently strikes are quite common place there. We took a break in the countryside for an afternoon though. Took a nap a river and the windmills. Quite therapeutic.
Berlin Berlin is more of the historical heritage than scenic sights and stuff. Learnt quite a bit about the history of Germany and the wars. Just went to a concentration camp today. Interesting thing here is that the beer is cheaper than mineral water. So obviously, I get the beers instead. Another wierd pricing paradox is that small stuff are more expensive than big ones. For example, a 1.5 litre bottle of water would cost more than a 0.5 litre bottle of water. Totally wierd. I understand economies of scale but this is just bizarre. Will be taking a night train to Munich tonight. Oh, the wursts (German sausages) here are excellent. Been having it for every meal. Shiok!
Time is running out and I can only squeeze in a short post. Unfortunately, I can´t put in any pictures since they don´t allow downloads in public computers. Wait till I get home in a month then.
In other news, I am being raped at mahjong here as well. Seems like the wind and water here don´t favour me as well. Sigh. Mingmong _ c r a p p e d _ @ 12:24 AM |
Europe Part 3
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Now at Heathrow waiting for my flight to Brussels to meet the others. The past few days have been quite good. The last 2 days in Scotland were nice. Apart from the dreadful exam, I managed to get some good sights and pictures.
The exam was a snore. While everyone else was busy on their paper, I was stoning, wondering what to do. Well, I guess I don't expect to pass it considering how much effort I put in. But then again, maybe I will be lucky for once? Ha. How unlikely will that be. 240 MCQ questions. What are the chances that I will pass with guess work. Nil. On the other hand, if my surrounding neighbours did actually study hard for their exam and know their stuff, maybe I will pass. Ha. I wish I had better eyesight.
Went to Edinburgh to take the paper. Spent a night there. Its a much nicer city than Glasgow in terms of the touristy stuff. The old architectural buildings and the Edinburgh Castle are probably the main things to see. Glasgow on the other hand is more modern. Anyway 1 day was more than enough for me in Edinburgh.
The last day in Scotland was spent on the road. A Scottish guy I got to know through my friends there brought us around the area in his car. He is the most reckless driver I've ever met. More reckless than me even. He hit speeds of 150km/h on the highways. It could have been more even. Anyway, we went around Glasgow to the nearby towns. Went to Falkirk, Dundee, Stirling, and St Andrews.
Falkirk was for the Falkirk wheel. Some engineering wonder that connects 2 canals at different heights and carries boats from the lower canal to the higher one, and vice versa.
Stirling is the place made famous by Braveheart, where William Wallace defeated the strongest English army of his time with a small army of his own. Went to check out the William Wallace monument and realised that he must be the Scottish version of China's Guan Yu. He was supposedly bigger than the average person and wields a bloody long and heavy broadsword.
Dundee is a dump as my Scottish friend Gareth puts it. So nothing much there.
St Andrews is known prolly because Prince William studies there. Nothing much of the place since I am not a fan of Prince William, but its by the coast so the sea views were nice. I like scenery by the way, especially water and mountains and greenery. Did the stupidest thing ever. Went to swim in the freezing waters of the North Sea. What started out as noticing 2 gals and a guy stripping to jump into the water, ended up with me in the water too, in underwear. Gareth didn't wanna get in because he claimed he didn't have the 'right' underwear on. Wonder what that means. What kinda underwear do you need to swim in the sea?! Zhi Hui didn't want to either, cos he was chicken. Heh. Anyway, the water felt like zero degrees. In addition to that, it was already quite cold outside with the chilly sea breeze blowing and all. Lasted only 1 minute in the water. One of the girls was happily frolicking in the water, swimming around in her bikini top and panties (ah ma panties. Ha.). Must be cold blooded.
Whipped up a home cooked meal at Gareth's place for the last dinner. I cooked fried rice. Not bad for a first try at it, and it was good. At least to me and him only.
Got up early the next morning to take a plane back to London for the day. Didn't really know what to do there since I've already seen all the stuff there before just 2 years ago. So the only thing I wanted to do was catch a musical. And Les Mis was at the top of the list. Fortunately, I managed to get seats. Even better, I got front row seats for half price (student price). Which is about 20 pounds. Cheap. First time sitting soooo close to the stage. I was just behind the conductor. Initially I thought I got cheated cos it felt like I was in the front row of the cinema. But then when it started, I think it was good cos I could see the expressions on the actors. Normally, I sit somewhere in the middle of the stall for musicals and don't get to have such an upclose view. Think next time, nearer the stage the better. But, prolly not right in front. Sometimes can't see the action right at the back of the stage. Les Mis is excellent by the way. Probabaly the best musical I've seen so far. Nice songs, touching story.
Other than watching that at night, I just fast marched through London during the day to revisit some of the places again. No change since the last time. I actually typed an entry yesterday but the bloody computer shut down on me before I posted it. Highly pissed off.
London is probably the most cosmopolitan city in the world, since I've never been to the Big Apple yet, nor seen any other place that just reminds me of a United Colours of Benetton advertisement. One would think that racism in such a place would be minimal. As I was walking around, I walked past 2 guys. One of the guys pointed at me as he walked past me and said outloud, "hey! isn't that Bruce Lee?!" Na Bayyyy...What Bruce Lee. At least say Edison or Takeshi ma. Bruce Lee so ugly! Makes funny noises also. Heh. But anyway, that's not racism la. Just some moron trying to be funny.
Anyway, after walking for like 2 hours through London, I realised something.... My zip was open. Shit.
Alright, better stop. Internet at the airport is bloody ex. Just using up my loose change.
To end off, here's more Scottish lingo, courtesy of the nicest Scottish guy I know, Gareth. Actually, he is the only Scot I know.
Ming: Smelly. If you "ming", you stink.
Minger: Ugly. If you're a "minger", you're fugly. This I already knew because I have a T-shirt that says Minger in huge letters across the chest. Obviously my friends who bought it for me because its MINGer and might not have known what it meant. But then again, they might have known it described me.
Mong: Stupid. If you are a "mong", you're a dumbass.
Therefore,
Mingmong = Stupid, ugly and dumb.
Now Gareth doesn't seem so nice anymore. Btw, somehow I think he has a slight resemblance to the Smallville Clark Kent. Maybe its the hair. Mingmong _ c r a p p e d _ @ 4:39 PM |
Europe Part 2
Friday, June 03, 2005
Firstly, I need to do this shout out....WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why? That's because I just checked my email and I got the offer for that job I've been gunning for. Finally, a load off my mind! Haven't been able to sleep properly for the past 2 nights because I keep anticipating them to call me, so I keep waking up to check my hp for any miss calls (I'm 7 hours behind Singapore). Now at least I look forward to going home even though it means starting work earlier than I would have in KP.
Anyway, I've decided to record down whatever I've done here cause I forgot to bring a note book to note down where I've been and what I've done etc. Too bad if its boring. Ha.
After I finished the short post yesterday, I realised I forgot to mention some interesting events I encountered. Firstly, I saw a catfight. As in a gang of girls fighting. In the open on the main shopping street of Glasgow. Not the typical Lians but they were more like young punks. Guess the gals were probably at most 15/16 years old, but it was a bunch of them. This girl was screaming hysterically at this other girl. The hysterical girl was trying to punch/hit/whack/kick the 'victim' who stupidly stood there and let her lash at her. The other girls in the group were kinda like extras. Some were trying to separate the 2 girls or restrain the hysterical one (note that I could not make out WTF she was screaming. I dunno if its the heavy Scottish accent or she just sounded like a mad woman). The other gals in the group were just standing around, using eye power. I wanted to take a picture of the catfight, but I decided that it might not be wise, even though they are small gals, but then 10 on 1, I think I might lose still. ha. As I walked on, the screaming never stopped. A bunch of guys walking in the opposite direction, heard the screams and immediately knew it was a catfight (sounds like its common here), and they rushed down to watch. Ha. I looked back down the street. This time, the hysterical gal pulled the dumb 'victim' to a tree and started pulling her against it. Like trying to bang her against a tree (thin little stemmed tree which prolly could only hurt a girl), though it looked more like a feeble attempt which lacked any strength. Anyway, it was highly amusing. 500 metres away, I could still hear her screaming. I think at the end of the day, the one 'injured' would be the hysterical one, nursing her sore throat at home. Ha.
Next thing I was highly amused by is the Scottish accent. I think the Scots by far have the heaviest English accent. I can barely catch what they say at times. It just sounds like they're mumbling. But anyway, I've always loved the Scottish accent ever since Braveheart, and hearing Alex Ferguson talk. Interestingly, their conversations (those that I hear in eating places, bars, on the street or on the hp) are laced with numerous Focks. They don't pronounce it as Fuck, but Fock. What's funnier is how they say 'shit', which they pronounce as 'shite' (shy-te).
Just a thought that came to my mind...my friend Fock Ee Ling from JC is getting married. Same age as me and getting married already. Makes me feel old...what the fock.
Glasgow is unlike cities like Paris and Rome and London where its very touristy, with loads of famous tourist attractions and all. Somehow, this is the first time I find myself having nothing to see when I'm in a foreign land. But nevertheless, I'm enjoying the weather, walking around, eating, sleeping and just relaxing. No hussle and bustle of the usual travelling which I am anticipating once I meet up with the FAGs and the BAG, since the places we're headed for probably have loads to see. Although not a great place for tourists, I hear its great for students. My other friend, Zhi Hui, who's here on exchange tells me its super relaxed, exams are a piece of cake, discounts galore for students at many pubs and restaurants, and great nightlife. So, if you're into Medicine, Glasgow University is quite reknown, otherwise, Strathclyde Uni is also known for its Naval Architectural course. Both are city unis and the hostels are all in the city. Good international community of students as well.
Observation note: Haven't seen any hot Asian chicks here. Downside for us Asian guys coming here to study. Not too many hot Scottish chicks seen as well, yet. Downside for guys staying here.
Had a tea at a Scottish tea house today. I think I am not a tea person. Tried Cammomile tea and I didn't like it. I thought that since its one of the more popular ones, I couldn't go wrong. But somehow, I didn't seem to like it. Maybe its one of those acquired tastes. Tried Earl Grey before at Coffee Club and didn't take to it either. In contrast, the English love their English tea with scones and all. Think I shall just stick to my 'teh ping', green tea and bubble tea. I tried ginger bread too, just for the sake of getting into the English tea time mood. I'll show you my ginger bread pics when I can up load it. For now, I can't upload any since I didn't bring the cable along with me. Anyway I don't think public terminals allow pple to install hardware or save stuff on the harddisk either. Wait till I finish my memory cards, then I go burn into a CD, then can upload. For now, be patient 'hahaha'. Btw, do I know you hahaha?
Finished checking out most of the places of interests here already. Tomorrow I will be headed to Edinburgh for 2 days, of which 1 day will be spent in the exam hall with my dreaded CFA paper.
Random fact: My friend's Spanish flatmate is called Blanca. When I first heard the name, I only thought of the green creature in Street Fighter. When I saw Blanca, well, somehow I seemed to see some resemblance, especially with the frizzy hair. However, she's nice. She got me a mattress to save my back from the floor.
Random fact 2: Scottish slang for sleeping with someone, is Bonk. Eg. Alex went to a pub, met a chick, and bonked her that night.
Shall stop here. Guess its easier to write when you have pics to show. But then again, nothing exciting is happening yet. Feeling really laid back over here. I spend alot of time nua-ing as well. Mingmong _ c r a p p e d _ @ 5:11 AM |
Europe
Thursday, June 02, 2005
This is the Mingmongster reporting live from Glasgow.
Day 1 of my trip was a gruelling 25 hour trip from Singapore to Glasgow. 13 hour flight to Heathrow, then I had to wait 10 hours for my domestic flight into Glasgow. There was an earlier flight but I decided not to risk missing the flight in case there was a jam on route to Stansted airport from Heathrow.
Anyway, the flight to Heathrow was surprisingly fast. I slept through most of it. Watched a movie too. Survived the whole ride without any puking though, which is most important. However, I had these 2 passengers beside me across the aisle who took off their shoes onboard. Bloody hell their feet smelt bad. In contrast, the 2 gals beside me were quiet gals who slept most of the way. Didn't disturb my sleep by going to the toilet either. Anyway, I also discovered this time that the other reason why I puke is because of the change in air pressure which somehow causes my stomach to produce alot of gas.
Spent my first pound once I stepped out of the immigration. 20 pounds for the bus to Stansted airport. Bloody hell. Got to Stansted at 930 am. Flight was at 450pm. Tried to change to an earlier flight but then it would have cost me a bomb. Decided to stick it out in the airport. Bought myself a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, beans and toast for 6 pounds. Sigh. Everything in Britain is irritatingly expensive. Each time, the price looks reasonable. But then, you remember that you need to multiply it by 3.
Rotted the time away in the airport by trying to study for CFA. Disgustingly boring. Got hungry and went looking for the cheapest food I could get. Settled for a sandwich for 1.65 pounds and got a super deal of 2 bottles of coke for 1.29 pounds. ha. Had to get myself into the mood of the budget traveller. Anyhow, I finally reached Glasgow safely.
Today the weather is freezing, and on top of that, its raining. To make it worse, my friend decides to take me on a walk down Glasgow to West End, in the rain. As I am more prepared for the summer weather I am expecting as I go further south later on in the month, the thickest clothing I have with me is my windbreaker. Therefore, I had to battle the blistering cold as we walked in the rain. Best of all, she 'holland' while looking for this cheap and good italian place to have our lunch. Cold, hungry, wet and worst of all, wet in the shoes, we walked and walked. No map, and she decides to walk by instinct. Next time, I think I will have to bring a map and do the navigation.
Nothing much happening yet. Surprisingly not jet lagged. Sleeping on the hard floor last night seemed to be good enough to recover from that long journey here.
Anyhow, just signing in since I have the chance to. Will be back again. Mingmong _ c r a p p e d _ @ 12:02 AM |
