hello england!

good morning, london! :)

how i wish i was back there. that buzzing, amazingly, awesomely magnificent city! i know a number of people who don't quite fancy london, but i honestly do quite like it. so much of life every minute of the day as compared to edinburgh. really. the first time i went to london was when i had to go to the malaysian embassy for you-know-why, so obviously the beauty of that place initially, were all masked by my desperation to get my things sorted out and my impenetrable urge to leave this god forsaken country.

so my proper visit to london was with mum when she arrived in the uk. the train ride was good. trains here are NOTHING like those at home. seats are comfortable (or at least a lot better than our poor ktm) and the scenery is just awesome. the countryside is such a tranquil and beautiful place to live in. those sheeps, cows and goats and fields of wheat, green grass, flowers everywhere! i don't think i can ever get that picture out of my memory even though i do have short term memory loss. but nothing, beats that kind of beauty :)

one of the things that i really like about uk is how efficient the public transport system is. ok, apart from the whole NHS system. it's just amazing how buses operate so frequently, with exceptionally perfect timing, no delays (maybe a few seconds or a minute or so, but who the heck cares?!) and it's just so disable friendly! i like :D and of course, needless to say, the underground tube stations are ze best although they can get quite jam packed at certain times of the day (or maybe like everyday haha)!

shopping in london is MADNESS! oxford street and regent street is psychotically money sucking. massive topshop buildings, banana republic the price of our padini (it's almost RIDICULOUS!), zara, next, clarks, H&M, dorothy perkins, bershka, urban outfitters, sportsdirect.com - it's insanity at its max! i mean the amount of things that i could buy if i were a millionaire! even after conversion, it's a lottttt cheaper than the exact same ones here at home. i, proudly, bought myself everything that i can wear from my head, down to my feet. hairbands, cosmetics, tops, belts, jeans, shoes and shoes. oh, and a handbag. haha. afterall, i'm only a girl - with, hopefully, a bit of fashion sense. haha. :)

but of course, my favourite moments here in london, would have to be watching the Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and the Bolshoi Ballet at the Royal Opera House. there is no musical production in the world that  beats my beloved phantom. it's just stunning. and wicked, went in with absolute zero expectations, came out feeling exceptionally pleased and satisfied. makes me feel like defying gravity as well! :) and oh my god, the bolshoi ballet was in 3 acts - petrushka, russian seasons and paquita. those pointes, that graceful poise with flawless technique and perfect expression and pretty little costumes and tutus. it was exceptionally breath taking and very, very impressive. i could spend all my life watching musicals i swear.

 me and mum stayed for a brief 3 nights at the malaysian hall. cheap, and i'm not complaining because what you give is what you get really. and waking up to the smell of nasi lemak, mmmmm :) then again, some certain malaysians ought to learn to be a tad more polite and courteous. and be nice. and friendly. and a lot more approachable. seriously, the guy at the malaysian high commissioner needs to stop facebooking and checking some girl out, plus smoking in an air-conditioned room. and just because i'm not malay, or just because your ranks are higher than mine and that you drive a super duper uber macho sports car and live in london luxuriously, doesn't mean you can be rude and intimidating. now that ain't very nice. whoever says malaysians are friendly. bite my ass.

apart from london, mum and i went to bath, oxford, stratford upon avon and windermere. he and i went to nottingham and manchester. bath is just really beautiful. it's almost like rome literally. so old, yet so bold. we went to oxford only to see christchurch college where harry potter was filmed and to the university of oxford. i swear i felt daniel radcliffe on where i stood in the picture. hahaha! and stratford upon avon is where shakespeare was born. windermere is a must go! the clear waters of the lake and those little ducklings, swans, and birds all over. it's just phenomenal. thank god for a perfectly fine weather! nottingham was merely to visit our friends. teck jian, danis, edwina. and others. nottingham hospitality service (NHS) at its best! missing your cupcakes edwina :) and your early morning breakfast teck jian! and your car, danis the menace! manchester was awesome! thank you swee leen for bringing me around in such a short time. and for a really good thai food!! :D old trafford is just crazy! i can definitely feel the players all around me. oh, how ecstatic!!! 

 and i must say, my stay in london wouldn't have been planned more perfectly if not for my aunt and peter. aww, i love you both :) although your house at this very moment, really, literally, looks like a dump site (ok, it's a renovation site haha), but i enjoyed every minute at your place. i'm sure mum did too. don't we all just love the fact that her legs tremble when she goes up that ladder? haha. it's hilarious. thank you for those dinners (oh lord that steak and noodles and fried rice and truffleeeeeeee!), late night rides to see the city, free audio guided tours (haha did i mention that a lot of the tourist spots here offer audio guided tours?) and information on how to get some of the best deals. and those chocolates you bought me, nuts, hobnobsss! thank you sei yi for everything. EVERYTHING. i promise we'll have our dessert when you come home. can't wait to see you again!

 sigh. i miss london even more now. i miss the uk. i've been back for 6 days. but the excitement still hasn't quite settle down. i want to be there. everything in malaysia suddenly doesn't seem quite right. except for the food, yes :) oh wells, i'll work on that. pictures?

it's time to try defying gravity. i think i'll try defying gravity, kiss me goodbye, i'm defying gravity, and you won't bring me down!

i lived a dream

sorry for this long hiatus, people :) you know i missed you.

it's been more than 1 month, coming to 2 now, since i last posted in here. and of course, so many things happened in that short period (or long) that i don't find it easy putting them into words. it literally felt like the longest dream ever. i never want to wake up from it. wished i hadn't. wished i could.

oh yes, UK has been the best dream ever to come true for me. never in my wildest of dreams would i think that it would actually materialise. you know when you're a kid, you dream of settling down in some beautiful country, in that small little cottage by the countryside (or if you want a posh apartment in the middle of that buzzing metropolitan city), i mean that was me (i'm a girl afterall, and if you don't already know, girls like fantasizing - in an APPROPRIATE, RIGHTEOUS manner, unlike boys if you get what i mean). and there i was! mum couldn't afford to send me to study abroad, so this was something to make up for that. sorta.

i do have one word to describe edinburgh really. it's brown. haha. it really is! its history dates back to thousands of years, or centuries ago, so you can't obviously be expecting buildings with rainbow colours or skyscrapers. it really is a beautiful, gorgeous place.so ancient, yet so bold and regal. oh, those blooming flowers everywhere! people sunbathing in the sun, sitting out in the parks and gardens, on benches or on those extremely healthy looking green grass, reading a book, playing football, having picnics, cycling, bringing out their dogs for a poop, playing the guitar, singing, and oh those summer romance! :)

the weather in Scotland is obviously a lot colder than in England. but cho kept telling me how hot it is, and so i only brought 1 jacket which was probably only 5mm thick. growls. its cold even in summer, especially when the wind blows. its uber chilly! :( and i look like a stupid eskimo walking around princes street while the girls were all dressed in boots with heels, sleeveless tops, mini skirts and shorts or dresses. how unfashionable can i get. tsk. and then, imagine coming out of the shower, even though it was a hot shower! most of the time i'd be having chills and rigors. i probably look like i'm having a bout of epileptic fits as well. tonic clonic jerk. rolls eyes.

not all food were good. i mean i do like eating burgers and sandwiches and sausages, bacon, etc etc. but FRIESSSSS! GOOD LORD. i'm not surprised at how common cardiovascular diseases are here. and to have to eat them everyday for a month, i think i'd rather turn vegetarian. and oh, the tesco here is a million times better than the ones we have at home. i love my hobnobs! yes yes, the strawberries - so huge and tasty! and those cherries! :) loved the ice cream too. ahh, the thought of it :D

now i know i'm supposed to be on a medical elective. haha. but then again, what's an elective without a bit of traveling and sightseeing? :) our private hospitals are nothing compared to the great royal infirmary of edinburgh. i'm just completely amazed and awed by how the whole NHS system works. makes us feel pretty small really. consultants, interns, nurses and the hospital staff here are all really nice people. they don't snap at you like how ours do if you can't answer a question. back here, you hear things like 'you stupid', 'like that also don't know?' or 'go and study more' kinda thing. and really, i think not only is that very insulting and mean, it only discourages the student more, or at least for me. i'd love to hear more of 'that's not quite it, but you're getting there' or 'that's good!' or 'don't worry, you're doing fine' or 'excellent!!!' and the thing that i really like about the whole place here is how well the doctors treat their patients. good communication skills, no jargons, no snapping at them. i like that. patients here are also very well aware of their disease and condition. i once asked this patient, 'hi mrs. so and so, do you know what medications you're on?' (with absolutely no expectations at all) and she replied 'oh yes! i'm on glibenclamide 500mg bd, aspirin 75mg on, lovastatin 50mg on, vit b complex, metoprolol 100mg bd, folic acid, vit c, calcium tabs....' and the list goes on. and then i just stoned, with my eyes and mouth wide opened. compare THAT to our very own patients. sigh.

i forgot to mention that i've never walked so much in my life! goodness. the longest of time that i've ever walked was for 45 mins. of course the cool air made it all a little more bearable for my poor feet :)  no sweat!

we visited other places in scotland as well. dundee, st andrews, aberdeen, stonehaven, inverness, lochness and glasgow :) my favourite would have to be st andrews + stonehaven + lochness. lochness is the most beautiful lake ever. stonehaven has the best cliffs with such picturesque view and st andrews' beach is just breath taking! thank you to all those who hosted us - michelle, ben, mervin, kien wei, teddy bear, kevin, swee leen, teck jian, danis and edwina! those early morning breakfasts, a place to live in and bringing us around within such a short period of time, you guys are amazing!

phew. its been a long one. i'm gonna retire and let my pictures do the talking. well this is only on scotland. check in soon for more :)

don't ask me about the not so happy thing that happened. i've decided that my mind be blocked from it. and if it isn't painful enough for me, stop rubbing it in at my face at every point that i make a small, little, silly mistake. thank you. 

Ps: re-edited - special thanks also to ng cho ee, for bringing me, him and mum around. all the times spent being the best tour guide ever, i've never seen any malaysian more well versed in scottish history good lord. told you you're a nerd, didn't i cho? lol. and for finding me izzy's place to stay, introducing me to mussels inn, giving me your whole room to sleep in (haha i'm sorry meryl and i threw you out of your own room), making me the best dinner ever and for just making my time in edinburgh a real blast and for being there whenever i needed you :) you know you love me :) xoxo. haha.

and also to ken and yee wei, for being there. and for chocolate soup! ahh, the thought of it :)