Have you ever walked onto foreign land and felt like you walked into a home away from home?
I read this on a public figure’s blog before I departed on my “trip home”, and now I can totally relate to what he wrote…
“As i step out of Heathrow airport, memories invaded my somewhat vacant mind and as my eyes roamed the scenery in front of me, it felt as if i have come home.. Not that i have resided here before but, however, during my virgin trip there, i felt as though i was from there in my previous life, as much of the streets and buildings seemed extraordinarily familiar, i could almost tell whats at the next turn….“
It is my story too.
It is an unfinished story that is waiting for me to complete.
It is a story with no ending, because a home will always have its doors open, ready to welcome you back.
Holborn, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and most of all, Oxford Street – I can’t wait to see you again, very soon. :p
there’s something beautiful about travelling.
about leaving all your chains and inhibitions behind and just running out into the world, embracing whatever it throws at you.
there’s something beautiful about cultures and their practices. meeting people from different backgrounds and learning about their quirks and idiosyncrasies. it makes you marvel at how diverse God created the world and the universe to be.
there’s something beautiful about living and breathing with complete strangers, who gradually become your acquaintances and then friends. these stranger-turned-friends who live with you 24/7 and see you at your worst, yet when all you have is one another, you learn to love and depend on them and vice versa.
there’s something beautiful about venturing into the unknown. about not knowing what lies ahead yet going ahead to explore the vast expanse anyway.
there’s even something beautiful about the chaos in a foreign land. about excitement amidst the disorientation and the adrenalin rush from the flurry.
I wanna be a traveller! I wanna be an adventurer! I wanna see and live and experience the world at my feet!
and so here’s my take on the countries I’ve toured so far (which isn’t really a lot though it sounds like I’ve toured a lot of countries lol) Pictures of the trip are actually almost all up on my Facebook so just go there and see them.
Vienna, Austria
Hm where to begin. I personally found Vienna a tad bit boring. Sure, the architecture and the statues erected were really pretty and grand. But after some time, they really start to look the same till the extent that I sometimes have no idea what street I’m in because darn, all the buildings there look similar!
We visited museums there. 5 in fact. I did find some museums pretty interesting, such as the Sisi Museum. I guess I found it more engaging when I’m actually learning about actual human beings (Sisi is the queen/empress of Austria in some point in time and she’s reportedly damn chio so everyone’s very interested in her life) than say, looking at The Imperial Plate Collection.I still can’t believe I paid EUR20 to look at plates that I can easily see in those high class plate shops.
Other than the above, we also visited supermarkets. I know right, who the hell goes travelling and then ended up only noticing the supermarkets. But seriously, try living in Oslo. You’d find the urge to lug food back from Austria (or anywhere else in general since I doubt it’s hard to find food any more expensive than that in Norway) and where else to do it other than supermarkets? Food there in Vienna, so far, was the cheapest I’ve seen. We had a couple of good meals and though technically, they’re still expensive in terms of Sing dollars but really, when you’ve seen Oslo food prices, nothing is expensive anymore. That said, wait till I get to the part where I paid S$60 for a meal in Switzerland.
Our hostel in Vienna was alright I suppose. Other than having to climb up a hill everytime we go back to the hostel, that place was relatively clean. Except that insects like to, not only, fly into our room but also into the common toilet. It’s really disgusting. I hate insects. I think they should all die off like dinosaurs.
So.. this marks the end of the Vienna trip. I wish I could have done something more arty farty there, like attend a concert, since Vienna is like, the city of music or something. But we didn’t. No idea why we didn’t but I personally thought it was a bit wasted. Nonetheless, the company was good so I guess ultimately that’s what matters the most. =)
I’ll update about the Switzerland trip another day. I still need to go pack my room. =(
It has been awhile since I last wrote about my “adventures” in Europe, and it has been an even longer while since I returned to (harsh) reality in Singapore. But memories of those days are still very much fresh in my mind, despite the stale tropical weather here lol.
I think I would like to allow this entry to flow from the top of my head (to the bottom of my toes…). Very often I start writing with an agenda in mind and what comes out sounds too…polished, too manicured, and too good to be true. I add in cliches, embellish my sentences and rhyme my words. Look, I just did it again.
Upon return, I have been going through random bouts of reminiscing and daydreaming about those 30 days in a home away from home. Haha I say that because yes, “Lawndon” holds a special place in my ♥ heart ♥ For the first time I could imagine myself living in somewhere other than Singapore. For the first time I could actually imagine myself uprooting…albeit temporarily.
- In week 1, my experience with the undergrounds gave me a glimpse of the vibrant creative scene in London and I could imagine the possibilities of working there.
- In week 2, school began and the idea of doing my Year 3 internship there occurred to me.
- In week 3, I did up a customised resume for London only and started spamming companies with it.
- In week 4, with no luck on the application front, I started scheming 101 Ways To Obtain PR in London.
- And in week 5, with no luck and no permanent residency in sight, it was back to harsh reality in Sunny (and Sian) Singapore
And why the change?
I realised that while I was a narrow-minded Singaporean/Azn kid like everybody else when I first arrived in London, the subsequent 30 days have changed my perspective from the micro to the macro.
Previously, while the nitty gritty of life, e.g. questions like “omg what am I going to take next semester”, bothered me like every other kiasu Singaporean student, the me now is more willing to allow such anxiety to take a backseat. Not to say that I’m not kiasu anymore (you can’t take the Singapore out of the Singaporean), but I’m slowly learning to just ~chill~ and take it one step at a time. No point getting all worked up over screwed-up administration…
Just today, The Sunday Times reported that 3 Singaporean students came up tops at Oxford. Apart from that, we constantly pwn the locals there at their own (academic) game. We have an immense pool of young budding talents who are eager to make it, yet why do we not produce any Nobel Prize winners (and why do many great thinkers and philosophers come from the West)? That’s because our education system trains us to “return everything to the professors” at the exams. So yes, it’s back to Square One every time.
But of course, our education system is not without its merit (bolded for emphasis, lest I get mistaken for being anti-gahmen). While it required a sacrifice of my childhood and teen-hood, in return, I receive good training in several aspects. For one, although I’m still not used to speaking up in class (aha, another result of our rote-learning system), I’m happy to say that I am able to organise and pen my thoughts down more coherently than those who have been trained to speak up from young, no country or name mentioned…
And so my point is, I think our education system – especially from tertiary level and up – needs a good revamp.I’m no authority on education or societal issues, but I think I’ve lived through enough of this regime – and sacrificed enough of my prime – to offer my two cents’ worth on this.
After a somewhat quiet Friday at Portobello Market, Camden – another must-go market – was a shocking contrast!
Perhaps because we went on a weekend (Saturday), it was thronging with people and full of hustle and bustle.
Camden Market is actually the collective name for a host of eclectic markets in Camden Town. But if there is one common feature that unites these markets, it is the gothic feel characteristic of the entire town. It was like GOTHam City!
Truly a visual spectable to behold.
Gothic storefronts
Gothic salespeople?
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...
Loud, screaming colours!!!
Dark, eerie colours...
The most interesting market of the lot, in my humble opinion, is probably Stables Market.
No prizes for guessing how it earned its name..
Stables Market
(to be continued…)
a whole lotta backdated and long overdue entries.
STAY TUNED!
flames to dust…lovers to friends…
Haha forgive the emo-ing, which, by the way, I’m not doing.
It just feels a little surreal that everything is going to come to an end soon…when it barely seem to have begun.
It may sound cliche, but it feels like just yesterday when we touched down at Heathrow, all cranky while struggling with 30+kg of baggage up and down the Tube, and body clocks going awry in the first few days.
Then came our assimilation into the British way of life – which is very similar to Singapore’s in some ways (especially in London) but at the same time, very different in others. Our adventures kicked off with us as tourists, traipsing off to quaint towns and villages like Bath and Cotswolds and experiencing sights and sounds we can only imagine in storybooks. It was a comfortable transition and a refreshing change from the hectic city buzz we’ve grown accustomed to.
Then it was off to Central London, where the rest of our summer days as part-time students, full-time tourists beckons. Once again, we were thrown right into the heart of the hustle and bustle, which brings with it loads of convenience and, more importantly, a similar kind of difference. Systems and structures were uncannily similar, yet the kind of cosmopolitanism this city offers is drastically different.
London is a city where you truly witness diversity – where one can find a myriad of nationalities, races and, as Daniel Cheah described, at least 3 different langauges spoken at any one time on the streets.
If you thought Singapore was a multi-racial and diverse society, wait till you get here. The profiles of the types of of people you meet on the streets here reads like a United Nations portfolio, and this portfolio is one that opens your eyes to a world you’ll never get to see back home.
Now I know why one of London’s icons is called the London Eye - cause this city stands at a vantage point that allows you to see beyond your imagination. I never thought I would be able to come into contact with people from the Middle Eastern worlds, with international issues that plague the global society (not just the domestic nitty-gritties) and a mind-blowing kind of diversity that our tiny island-state would be unlikely to offer…at least for now.
I have to admit, London is truly the place to be if you want to be at the nexus of the world.
And with this, I hereby declare that London is a city that is “Queentissentally” me.
God really blessed us with good weather for our day trip to Oxford yesterday. I’ll blog about that, and my Bath/Cotswold trip, another time…soon. But meanwhile, more highlights from London!
Right after the first day of classes, we checked out Covent Garden with our new friend, Roxy. It is just on the way back from school!
It is a very lively marketplace with lots of hustle and bustle, and buskers and other interesting characters were aplenty!
And here’s London calling!
It’s Sunday and I’m going out for the day – sightsee & shop a bit then visit Hope London. I’ll continue later!
While awaiting my erratic updates on this post, feel free to entertain yourself with our London videos! (Pardon my konfuzed accents lololol)
In a blink of an eye (pardon the overused cliche), a week of classes have gone by.
However challenging the course – OR the fellow coursemates – may seem, I shall not be daunted! All I can say is that the Western education system really challenges us, the shy and meek Azns, to step out of our comfort zone and speak up…which we ought to, before the course ends lol.
It has been so far, so good. Despite initial thoughts about switching courses after an overwhelming seminar session, I guess it’s safer to remain in the familiar grounds of communications and such. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think the (education) standards are relaxed, relaxing or anything close (well perhaps because summer courses are a lot more intensive). In fact, I feel a lot more intellectually stimulated here than I would back home, being exposed to different perspectives from people from all over the world. Tiring and hard to catch up at times, but I guess it’s good training and exposure.
Abby and I hang out mostly with this Austrian-Chinese girl, an American who counts 2 Singaporeans as her best friends in her university back home, a Spaniard, and of course, the third fellow Singaporean, Antoinette! The course is, like most other humanities and communication courses, female-dominated. Haha so the HAMs are all of the wrong…kind! But it’s okay, cause thanks to our outgoing and bold friend, Lisa, we still befriended other AMs, including an Italian one who happens to be a count! Plus, this HAM learnt Mandarin for 2 years. How cool is that. /woo hahaha
Anyway, we have been pretty much chilling out this week, not because we have nothing to do – in fact we have lots of readings daily – but because we just can’t seem to stop playing and start studying! Haha this week alone, we’ve covered some of the sights near our hostel and even done the North to South Bank walk from St. Paul’s Cathedral, across Millennium Bridge and all the way down to Tower Bridge!
Okay I’m really tired so I’ll continue this entry when I return from Oxford tomorrow.
Meanwhile, check out the video we took while walking along Tower Bridge: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=98033856708. Just listen to how strong the wind was!
We finally moved into our hostel at Central London today.
It was regretful that we couldn’t stay with Laipeng’s uncle’s for longer. He is a fantastic host and has been very kind to me, cooking us meals and even treating us to Chinese food today! He doesn’t have to do this at all – at least not for me – since I’m just Laipeng’s friend. But yeah, staying at his place really gives us a feeling of home away from home.I’m glad we started this trip with our stay there. It really helps to ease us in into the lifestyle here.
We also met his older son, a.k.a Laipeng’s angmoh/ Eurasian cousin, Alexander, during our stay there. In fact, we took over his room! He had to stay in his younger brother’s room as a result (the younger brother is away at boarding school), but he was really cool about it. One thing I realised about these kids who grew up in western countries is that they are very mature and really do behave differently from those who grew up in sheltered environments like Singapore. The most significant difference would probably be their childhood experiences, as they do get a lot of freedom here and well, not a lot of pressure from school, exams and all. So they probably had a more normal childhood than most of us, who probably grew up with our nose stuck into a book most of the time. *envious* I would love to raise my kids in an environment like this, where their creativity could flourish and their talents better nurtured. They seem very much more socially-adept as well.
Okay, enough talk about raising kids haha. This is a travel journal after all.
The hall of residence we’re staying in is called High Holborn, and it’s just minutes away from Chinatown, Leicester Square, Piccadily Circus and other notable sites, and sights, in London…including THE shopping area, Oxford Street (yay!).
But the most important factor, of course, is that it’s about 10 minutes walk to LSE. So we could wake up late and run to school! Haha.
Here are some pictures of the twin ensuite that I share with Abby. The room is pretty spacious, but the toilet is tiny! The entrance is just like a hole in the wall lol.
My (neat) side of the room - well, before I took my things out and messed it up.
My bed in the corner, with a bright night light!
The tiny toilet
Doesn't it look tiny?
The sunset from our bedroom window, beautiful isn't it? Well, perhaps it's also due to my photography skill. *BHB*
After checking in, we went to LSE for registration and proceeded to Holy Trinity Brompton, where Laipeng’s uncle and sons attend. Holy Trinity Brompton, otherwise known as HTB, is the church that gave the world the Alpha course (which Hope Singapore used to do a couple of years back). Hence, I thought it would be worth a look-see before we actually meet up with the Hope Londoners – which we will, soon, once Daniel Cheah (Hope Singapore’s Youth DL) reaches London this week.
Where the Alpha Course all began
The smaller church building from the outside
Anyway, the style of worship at HTB is pretty similar to Hope’s, but the stark difference is that you actually get the original composer/singer of well-known Christian songs, like Here I Am To Worship and Consuming Fire, leading worship. Yes, the man I’m talking about is Tim Hughes, and the P&W he led was a ministering experience. The service was pretty short though, at 1.5 hours, but the HS was present and it was a good and refreshing experience. I hope to drop by a couple more churches if possible, to check out the different styles of worship in England – which, according to LP, is the centre of modern Christianity today.
Anyway, it is getting late and I need to sleep. School is starting tomorrow…I mean, later today. I just hope the course will be a breeze and there will be lots of time to be a tourist here. London has been good so far, praise the Lord for the great weather, and safety and good health. Pray that He’ll continue to bless the rest of our experiences here!
Hope everyone at home is doing well…if there’s anyone reading this at all, that is.
