Copy one..

The following para is lifted off my good ole pal wei's blog..a rather 'un-wei' entry..& in her own words..quite the 'rou ma'..haha..enjoy!

Friendships are truest and purest when a person has yet to be corrupted by the evil world we live in... and as blur students, we were fairly uncorrupted. Between "cai-mama" and "li cheng zong" I believe we have shared memories of our teenage lives and O levels.... and this friendship that we had built up, from the "life" camp (or something from serimbun [can't spell]), these are memories that we have for life


Moving on to careers, relationships and even families, the trust and belief in all of us from the same class/school back then, can nv be replaced..


And I realise that when we're having gatherings, we relate back to the self that we were back in Sec school days. and the gathering with friends, who already all the sordid details of your teenage life (so no need to hide)... becomes comfortable... it doesn't even matter that we were not from the same gang, etc... cuz you realise that these don't matter anymore. The people you're joking with over the table already know your past, machiam childhood friends like that... so come lah... for the next gathering... you will be surprised... the feeling we all have with each other, is so familiar... it's almost like we never graduated... We have all changed, but we're still the self we were back in sec school days, and that is enough for our friendship to continue...

Damn..it must be the tea again..

..if not, how do u explain why i'm sitting in front of my pc & typing wat i had for dinner..at the unearthly hour of 245am?

Met up with ex-sec classmates over xiao long bao tonight..had tried to limit my intake of chinese tea but think i still drank about 2 or more rather large glasses(not the chinese teacup size lah)..

& despite my claims to be 'on a diet' & my '70% full' principle..i still ended up wolfing down one whole bowl of la mian..putting away the many different kinds of baos..& clearing the last bit of fried rice tat nobody else could take in anymore..when dear wei had only managed to finish half of her la mian & some baos before announcing she's 110% full..hmm..maybe tat no-carbs diet did help huh?

Meanwhile, attempts to bring 'new faces' to each gathering have not seen much of a success..pretty much the usual suspects each time..it's not easy though..been some 10 years since we graduated..apparently, some classmates are aware of such on-going gatherings but are quite reluctant to 'appear' for fear of awkwardness..this problem can easily be overcome if only she takes the first step to join one gathering..since the core group of 7 or 8 wasn't exactly from the same clique back in our sch days..

But i suspect there might be another reason for such 'no-show'..when someone feels that a friendship is approaching its natural death & not worth your efforts anymore..I really dunno if there are any who feel this way..if so, so be it..i dun suppose i can do anything about it..i guess it's just the way life is..

Yes, this is the 'gan xing' zxl at work again..someone had recently expressed surprise tat i'll actually blog about 'sunsets'..saying it was rather 'un-zxl'..hmm..

Oh well, strange things happen when u have too much time(when i was in uk) or when u have too much tea(like now)..

Christmas pressies..

My friends are an interesting bunch of people..how do i know? From the Xmas presents i received from them..some of the (more bizzare) presents are :

My Melody clips
Disposable XXX (Hint : it's handy for travel..tat's all i'm gonna say)
Shower cap
Saucepan

But i must also give credit to them lah..these are actually very thoughtful gifts..like the MM clips..they were given to me by mama who had been faithfully following my travel photos & thus, came to the conclusion i must have liked MM a lot ^o^ (She got so stressed over the whole Xmas presents thingy she actually smsed me 2 days after giving them to me to make sure she hasn't bought Twinkle Star by mistake..)

And the shower cap was actually from the McMug series..to go with my McMug slippers..& as for the saucepan, i was shopping for one..so there..

Well..wat i can say..thanks folks!

1 year on..

It's Xmas..everywhere & everything is in red & green..

..& red & green reminds me of strawberries...

And of cos, for the past few months(& i suspect for the next few months to come)..everytime i see strawberries, i'll be reminded of my strawberry picking days..

Here're some of the strawberry wisdoms i gathered :

There is no such thing as a perfect strawberry
Tat's cos everybody's idea of a perfect strawberry differs..some like it big, some like it small
Life is like a punnet of strawberries, u never know wat u're gonna get
Never judge a strawberry by its look. The good-looking ones often taste no-good while the ugly ones, more often than not, taste much sweeter

Continuing on the looks..the good looking ones & the ugly ones can usually be found on the same plant..seems like life isn't fair to strawberries either

U need to work ur ass off to find the good strawberries..cos they're usually hidden under the leaves..as they grow better when sheltered

Oh, wat the heck..it's Christmas..so Merry Xmas to u!

Opps..she did it again..(Version 1)

Yes..dearest Ms Organics had sent a sms to my house line..again..

She has did it once before..when the rest was so worried about her sms-ing me by mistake(they were just as secretive about their movements as i was about mine before i left for uk), they actually deleted my mobile number from her handset..but despite it (or precisely cos of it), she managed to send to send me a sms..to my house no...(for those who are unaware, if u sms to a fixed line, it will come out as a voice message)

& history just repeated itself two days ago..when she smsed me about some xmas pressies..

Seems like some things never change : )

Opps..she did it again..(Version 2)

I've become the courier service for my dear ex-everton neighbour..again..it was quite common when we were living in neighouring blocks..hmm..think she must have forgotten i haven't moved together wif her..

Had met her yesterday in her new neighbourhood..when she dumped me this big bag of xmas presents..for me to despatch to the rest in ssc..

Some things really dun change..

why my frens call me xiao pang these days..

In the 2 or 3 weeks ever since i returned to Sg..i have yet to meet someone who did not mention about my new-found roundness(even the lady at the photo-developing shop couldn't help but comment 'ur face looks rounder hor?')

I had given all sorts of excuses..opps, i mean explanations, for my gain in weight..ranging from weather to my lapse of of 'white diet'(refer to previous previous blog)..but i came across an article in the papers today tat had me raising my (somewat chubby) arms & legs in total agreement..

Here's an extract of the 'main points'..perhaps it can explain my xiao pang status..

What's the point of going to Italy and not eating pasta?

..I often travel. When i do, i ignore my need to constantly diet and instead freely indulge in the pleasures of the table. What would the point, i ask u, of going to Italy and not eating pasta? Or turning away from a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam in England? You may as well visit Paris without seeing Eiffel Tower..

..A traveller also needs plenty of fuel for wandering and sightseeing. But when u're on the move, it's often hard to find non-fattening foods that satisfy and sustain..

..when i suddenly realised that my jeans felt tight in the middle..I looked down and discovered, to my dismay, that i was working on a stomach(urs truly had made the same discovery towards the end of the summer..when i put on my jeans for the first time in weeks of wearing shorts)

..I loved the way a cheese sandwich and an apple can taste better than white truffles and foie gras while i'm sitting in purple clover on the Emerald Coast of Normandy, where i once took a solo walking trip..I took a seat at one of the seafood restaurants on the waterfront, all offering the same special : half a dozen oysters, bread and a glass of Muscadet. When i finished the last oyster and drained my wine glass, i sat watching the dusk steal over the wide, flat bay, resting after my efforts. Then, without thinking, i told the waiter to bring me the special again..

..That decision - taken so instinctively, at a time and place so right - was one of the best i've ever made. It is, i think, almost as hard to know how to indulge as to exercise self-discipline..
I rest my case..

Today would have been...

..the 7th month anniversary if i had not made the somewat-sudden decision to return to Sg..

No doubt..i'm still very 'fresh' from my trip..actually, should it even be called a 'trip'? How about 'journey'? Or 'experience'? Watever it is..these few months have definitely left me with many many memories..In fact i tried to sort out all my notes & photos over the past 2 weeks or so..but everytime i gave up..cos too much of them..duno where to start from..

Logged in to my blog..realised there're quite a few 'unpublished' entries..& while in the process of consolidating all my thoughts over the past half a year..i'll take the shortcut & 'release' such 'never-published-before' notes..

I scribbled this in my notebook while sitting in the carpark the evening before i flew back :

The sunset was exceptionally beautiful today..

..or perhaps it's all in the state of mind..

It was only 4-ish pm..but the sky was already filled wif all these glorious shades of red, orange & yellow..colours tat only Mother Nature is capable of producing..

It's one of the scenes tat i've fell in love with over here..on days when the weather is good & the sky is clear..& u can see this big piece of sky right in front of u..the sunrise & sunsets are simply picture-perfect..the feeling is undescribable..u can't help but be overwhelmed by the marvels of nature..

I was driving back to my place from the town centre..a route which i've become so familiar wif during these 6 months..it was a freezing 4 degrees outside but it was comfortably warm inside the car with the heater on..20 mins later, i reached my house's carpark..

I did not get out of the car immediately..i simply sat in the car and stared out of the windscreen..quite reluctant to let this sunset go away so soon..i started the car again & drove back the same way i came home..guess this particular sunset is especially precious to me cos it's gonna be the last one i'll see in a while..

My fave CD was playing in the background..add the sundown scenery flashing by outside..it's moments like these which make me believe tat watever hardship & misery i've gone thru over this half a year had been worth it..



More photos of sunsets at http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=tthjh81.76p36jmh&x=0&y=8ogejc

*.* -> ^o^

Had something in mind to blog about today..about an encounter this afternoon..but something much more blog-worthy took place 30 mins ago..so..STOP THE PRESS!

(Sms conversation)

Ex-evertoner : u home or busy now?

ZXL : reaching home in 10 mins..wats up?

Ex-evertoner : Want to pass u something i owe u..

ZXL : Oh, u in the area?

(Mobile rings)

ZXL : elo?

Ex-evertoner : u listen to this ah..

Organ music starts playing in the background..

Hohoho(no lah, it's not some xmas carols lah..as tone-deaf as i may be)..it's the birthday song(though i couldn't make out there were 3 different versions..heh :Þ) It's the bd present ex-evertoner promised me when i was back in uk : D Terima kasih..

The morale of this story : It's still not too late to give me my bd present :Þ

Diet..diet..& more diets..

Seems like i'm surrounded by pple on diets these days..from the 2 pax i was sharing a room wif back in London..to the 2 dozens of pple i've met up wif over these 2 weeks..going on a diet is apparently the 'in' thing now..

Detox diet..juice diet..fruits diet..no-carb-no-protein diet..3k diet(lose 3kg by running 3km every other day to win a $3k bet)..anything-goes-i'll start-my-diet-tmr diet(subscribed by urs truly)..u name it, i've seen it all..

Met up with Meng over the weekend..once my ever-reliable supper kaki..she has a new mantra these days - 'kan kan jiu hao'..as she scanned the menus & photo displays outside the many restaurants & food outlets tat we passed by..she almost made me feel guilty tucking into my salmon fillet while she's poking away at her caesar salad..but kudos to her, her once '3 mths pregnant-tummy' has disappeared & her chubby face is now seriously rivaled by my bloated mien..the one thing about her tat didn't changed? She was 1 hour late for our appointment..

Speaking of diets..i was once rumoured to be on a 'white diet'(not too sure wat it is either..ask those who coined this term)..i had since defected to a brown diet(which i blame for my expansion) during my time in uk..

Was checking out a few supermarkets in town the other day..granted they're the classier supermarkets..still, i couldn't help but gasped when i spotted one of my fave bread in uk costing S$8 when it costs only 80p(S2.40) back in uk..it's the same culture shock i got when i found out tat 3 stalks of xiao bai cai in uk can set u back by 1.50pounds(S$4.50)..seems like it's gonna be hard on my pockets maintaining my brown diet..just as well..i might not need a change of wardrobe afterall..

All this typing has made me hungry..now, wat's for supper?

Too much tea..

..is tat why i can't get to sleep?

I did have quite a cuppa(or maybe more)of green tea during dinner just now..dinner was courtesy of the marathon runners..an appreciation dinner by the runners for the runspirators..heh..thanks ah..din think i did tat much..afterall, i wasn't even in the runspirators list..mainly cos my appearance was supposed to be a 'surprise' one :Þ All i did was to hold some meaningless/annoying(& corny, so they said) monologue while running alongside some of them during the last stretch..& oh, appearing in the photos too..heh, paiseh ah..

Surely it couldn't be jetlag..it's been almost 2 weeks liao..

Hmm..it must be weather then (gotten used to blaming everything on the weather) Despite wat many of my frens have been telling me..it's the 'cooler' season in Sg now..(yes, i know tat..i haven been away for tat long lah)..i'm finding it very very hot here..almost unbearable at times..but then again, i'd always found it hot mah..

Met ys for lunch at maxwell today..my first taste of the 'shenton lunch crowd' since i came back..couldn't help but smile at the packets of tissue left on the seats to 'chope place'..how 'uniquely singapore' : Þ Again, i marvel at those who can wear their power suit while eating 'ktt' (for the benefit of my non-colleague frens, it's kway teow teng) at the aircon-less hawker centre..then there are those poor guys in their (sweat-soaked) shirt & tie..ahh, i really cannot picture myself lunching with the shenton crowd everyday..too stressful..

I suddenly recalled this conversation i had wif Wei at Bugis(another lunch hotspot)the other day..one really does dress a lot smarter in temperate countries..but i dun blame sporeans lah..not when it's 24-33/365..i'm not trying to defend myself..but i also dress smarter(ok, maybe 'less lok' is more like it) when i was in uk..afterall, how lok can u be when the minimum u have to put on when u're going out is a jacket..wif long pants..wif covered shoes(though i persisted on my 'berms + sandals' get up till the very end of autumn)

Besides the hot weather..there's also another very, if not more, important reason why i'm mostly in shorts ever since i came back..i cant fit into my pants anymore >o<

Think i'm like 120% of the zxl 6 mths ago..but tat's another topic altogether..need more blogspace for tat..a lot more..

The cat's almost out of the bag liao..

Flashback : 13th Nov's blog - Some changes are taking place in my life..

..I had called the airline company today to change my return flight..it wasn't exactly smooth sailing i must say..got ding-donged back & forth between the Sg agent & the UK agent a few times..in fact, i only managed to secure a flight after a few days..& was placed on waiting list for 3 other flights..

************************************************************************************************

So yes..urs truly is back in Sg already..didn't want to announce my coming back cos first of all, it was sorta last min, my actual flight was only confirmed 4 days before my actual departure ..& din think it was really tat big a deal..

Sure, i could have stayed on in UK somemore..it was not like i was down to my last penny..& despite complaining about the food, i have no problems surviving on roti & kantang for a few more months..in any case, just like i couldn't ans the qn 'how long for?' when i first went over..i still can't ans it this time i'm back..afterall, my bank acc & NHS status is still open & there're tax issues to settle end of FY05..

Well, as luck would have it, Ms Privacy actually saw me within hours of my touching down..she was in this cab tat went past my house..this 2-sec sighting was enough for her to conclude i'm back..compare this to 0.5..who needed 3 smses & a call from my ST mobile line to convince her tat i was actually standing below her block..even then, it took several mins of conversation & a threat to go up to her place before she believed i'm really back..it must be the cough medicine tat she took..

So..why am i back? Several reasons..

Winter..i dun mind the cold as much as i dislike the short days..don't really fancy spending 3 months in a place which has only 5 hours of (rather weak)sunlight each day(& this is on a good day)..

Fulfilled my personal KPIs..sort of lah..they included going thru the changing of seasons(from late spring to early winter)..being a fruit picker(strawberry picking lor)..experiencing a different culture(the work stint in the TP where i was the only chinese..i spotted another 2 chinese but judging from their accent, they're probably british-bred)..& of cos, travelling around the region..

(my name tag in TP..)

My ear..it's giving me hell lots of problems..never had it so bad before..but it was the hearing test tat really freaked me out & triggered the alarm in me tat i should really start taking care of it..the doc recommended 'lots of sun'..which is obviously more readily available in sunny Sg than gloomy dark London..

(the 5 bottles of eardrops i've gone thru..)

A reason.. which will remain only known to me..

It's MARATHON DAY..tmr..4th Dec..is a big day for a lot of my ex-colleagues ..they spent hours & hours training for it & i know how much this meant to them..i had missed it last year..& i really³ feel tat i shouldn't miss it again this time round..not when they were so forthcoming with their support when i embarked on my working holiday journey earlier this year..it's my turn to do something for them..i might not be able to do anything to make their run any easier..but at least i'll be there supporting them all the way..& to share their joy(or pain)..

So run, my frens, run for all u are worth..be it 10km, 21.1km or 42.195km..i'll see u at the finish line..

Well done folks!

Despite the cramps..pain..distance(?)..hot weather(& it's my fault again?!) & several threats by me to sing..everyone completed their race..& tat's all tat mattered..

photos at http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=tthjh81.3qijuxqp&x=0&y=hqmijf

TAR - ZXL Version

Well..since today is Wednesday aka TAR day whenever the season is on..i shall attempt to blog in TAR fashion..(Sad to say, they do not have TAR on UK tv..but thanks to my frens back in Sg..i've been pretty much updated on the series..it's a Family edition this season..is it not..?)

*TAR music comes on*

Some of you have been wondering..wat have i been doing since my work at TP ended after they'd closed for the winter..well..besides nuahing (& getting even fatter)..i've been doing a bit of travelling as well..

And so, for some 2 weeks in Nov..i was travelling around England..with 2 other pple..no, not fish..nor her sis..

Anyway, what many of u do not know is tat my parents were in UK recently..I would be the first to admit tat we're not exactly the happy-family-poster-material..without going into details..all i will say is..we'll make good reality tv show.. *.*

I had rented a car for the duration they were here..& I have new-found respect for TAR contestants who can arrive in a totally foreign country & start driving around..

Armed with a trusty road atlas(the one i used previously when i drove up to Rye but ended in Reading, which is in the opp direction) & my good ole LP..i began the ambitious plan of a driving holiday in UK with my parents in tow..with my dad refusing to drive (he says he's not familiar with UK roads) & both parents declaring the wordings on the atlas too small for their 'lao hua yan'..i ended up being the driver AND the navigator..imagine trying to figure out which exit to take on the motorway..while driving at 140km/h..definitely not recommended..

There were also a few driving firsts for me this time round..driving thru heavy fog(finally used the fog lamps for wat they're meant for - fog, & not for 'high-beaming' pple)..wiping frost away from the windscreen after a 30min road break(not quite cold enuf for snow yet..so u end up getting frost instead)..driving into central london..

& i must say it's was quite daunting for me to drive in central london..while i can navigate fairly alright on foot among the main shopping belt, ie. Piccadilly Circus..Oxford Street..Bond Street..driving is a totally different matter..with the one-way streets & dead ends tat seemed to appear at every other corner..and traffice jams even at 10pm(yes, Xmas shopping has started)..it's the same reason why u would not recommend a tourist in Sg to drive to Orchard Road..

anyway, i think i can declare myself to be 'quite a competent' driver after all these..can jio me for road trips next time..(bee, u reading this?)

One major 'roadblock' tat my parents have been facing throughout their whole trip is the weather..they're not used to the bitter cold(i warned them about 10,000x before they flew over)..the ave day temp was in the single digits..dropping to minus on a few nites..it's worse when we're in some confined areas, eg. in the car..where both of them will be wrapped up in layers & layers of winter clothing & asking for the heater to be turned up somemore..& i'll be wearing a single layer & be on the verge of perspiring..(i've always had a better-than-normal tolerance towards cold & i reckon these months had upped my tolerance further more)

And then, there're the mealtimes.. where every meal became a detour..Chinese or Western? It's more comforting to eat Chinese food but they are hard to find(esp out of london) & typically more expensive(with no guarantee they'll taste authentic)..while Western food is abundant & relatively cheaper..my parents cannot accept the idea of eating a chicken caesar tortilla wrap for dinner..@_@

& of cos..there's no Phil standing at the pitstop welcoming us & telling us tat we've won a vacation to XXX, courtesy of XX airlines..only me heading off to the nearest internet station for my dose of ZXL Times..

Run London

With THE running event just less than a week away..this blog is dedicated to all those participating in the Singapore Marathon 2005..



15th October 2005

Reached Hyde Park at 230pm to attend a briefing for the Run London event..it's sorta the equivalent of the Nike Real Run in Sg (think it's no more? become NB Run?)

I saw the publicity posters sometime back & went to surf the website..was debating if i should actually participate in the event(pay 35 pounds) or be a helper(be paid 60 pounds).. eventually decided to try my luck & register as a helper .. & if i didn't get recruited, i'll just turn around & sign up as a participant..

In the end, i did get selected..so here i am at Hyde Park..waiting for the briefing..

I reckoned there were no more than 80 pple there..quite few, given the scale of the event..the briefing took less than 5 mins..the intro was done by some rep from Nike...'I have only 2 points - it's "Ni-key", not "Nike" and it's not a "tick" but a "Swoosh"' Short & sweet.

Then we were briefed by our section leaders..i was in the water station unit..for most of u, u would know wat it's all about..so i shan't go into lorsor details..

We were then told to collect our event t-shirt..& the OIC was blur enuf to distribute bottoms to us(only road marshalls needed to wear the track pants)..so i'm now the happy owner of a pair of Nike track pants :)

Anyway, i realised the reporting time was 730am..& it was quite impossible for me to reach on time cos the earliest tube from my place is 645am on Sundays(yes, i can memorise all the tube timings heart ever since i started working at TP) & it takes me at least an hour to get to the venue..contemplating if i should bunk in a nite with JM, an ex-sec schmate staying in the vicinity..turned out she's in New York on business but her bf was taking part in the run..so qiao..in any case, i spoke to my section leader & he was cool about me reporting at 7.45am..problem settled.



16th October 2005

Took the first tube out to central london today..the weather seems quite good today..as usual, i can see the sunrise on my tube journey..this is the main reason why i dun hate getting up early here..nothing beats a splendid sunrise to start ur day..

Reported at my designated area..then went to collect my breakfast..sounds familiar to some of u? Yeah..breakfast is packed for us just like the way it's done back in Sg..the only diff? Instead of cha bee hoon, it's tuna mayo baguette : ) Oh, there's an apple as well..hmm..why is it tat we never gave out fruits at mass events? Do Sporeans not like fruits?

Together with the rest of my unit pple, we walked over to the drinks station which is at the 5km mark..there's only 1 drink pt since it's only a 10km run..soon after, we started work..opening bottles & bottles & bottles of mineral water..& lining them up on the tables..we were given gloves to wear to prevent RSI..but despite wearing them, i actually still got blisters from opening the bottle caps : /

According to the organisers, we're expecting some 20,000 runners this morning..there were 3 run waves for the day..9.30, 10.30 & 11.30..tat's the good thing about running in temperate countries..imagine running at 11.30am in Sg..i won't be surprised if there's more pple at the medical tent than the souvenir tent..

The sun was shining down gently..& i could just feel slightest hint of a breeze..the grass was 'green oil oil'(lu you you)& u could see squirrels running freely on the field..every now & then, the birds can also be heard chirping in the background..quite niao yu hua xiang..this is almost the perfect condition to run in..pity my SSC folks are not here..they would have enjoyed it..

Baaaee...there's the first wave..first to run past us was Paula Radcliffe(she's the regining world marathon champion)..apparently, she's going for the world record(but failed lah)..then came EVERYONE else..i may have done countless sports events before but this is my first time actually handling out drinks for runners..my section leader was also encouraging us to encourage the runners..machiam 'runspirators'..was soaked at the end of it by all the splashing but it's quite fun lah..heh..

By 12-ish noon..the event was almost over..helped to clear the area a bit..then went to sign out..& since i'm there, i just strolled about in the park..huge park(it has to be, if u can have a 10km run inside the park)..found a nice spot & had a little picnic(yes, i packed my lunch before i came out..i pack my lunch everywhere these days)

Maybe it's the nice weather..or the pay(at 60pounds for 5 hours, it's more than double of wat i earn in TP) or maybe it's simply the feeling of being involved in sports..my mood was pretty good tat day..




more pics of Run London can be found at http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=tthjh81.ac7tjp9t&x=0&y=-nqiqkc

6th Months' Anniversary

Hmm..dunno, dun feel..6mths liao..quite a milestone..

6 mths = Half a year = 365/2 = 182.5 days

6 mths = 24 weeks = 168 days

So is 182.5 = 168?! Think i'm going mad..

Brrr....

Getting really cold these few days..dropping to minus at night..instead of dew, can see frost liao...bbbrrrr......

A review of my 2 months in TP

Things I liked about working in the park


The colleagues
Or at least most of them lah..met quite a diverse group of people..some of my closer frens are from Jamaica, Zimbawe & South Africa, to name a few..


The working hours
Minus the travelling time tat is..the park generally opens from 10am – 5pm..which means we report to work about 930am & finishes about 5-ish..tat’s really not too bad..if I didn’t have to spend 3 hrs getting there & back..


The free rides
Yes, u do get free rides on & off..esp on quiet days when there can be no guests for 20 mins..wat better way to wake u up when u’re getting sleepy..but it’s a pity I din get to try all the rides before I left..


The work atmosphere
Generally..afterall, it’s a theme park..there are some crazy days when we would pretend to have all gone home by switching off all the lights & hiding after we sent the last train off the platform..then the poor riders would be locked in their seats when they’re back(the operator has to unlock the seats manually thru the controls) or we would get the whole train to sing happy birthday(to anyone &/or no one in particular)



The brainless work
Haha..bimbo or not(if I qualify to be one)..it’s really quite a brainless job..& cos I dun really feel any responsibility for it, i can simply bochap & not turn up for for the day..like wat I did when I went for a 4 days trip to u-know-where..



Things I disliked about the park


The pay
£5 per hour is peanuts..with 20% going to taxes & another 5% to National Income..i’m left with..peanut shells..


The corked up system
Dunno how they sort out the staff stuff..there can be days when we’re terribly shorthanded..and there can be days when we have 10 pple on a ride(when u need only a min of 3 to operate)..& the ‘extras’ will be sent to clean the park..or even sent home..



Stupid/irritating guests
How do u answer when a guest ask u ‘Is this ride scary?’ or ‘Am I going to die on this ride?’


Also, the ride tat I work on..the seats are such tat ur legs are suspended in the air & when u go round checking their safety straps, chances tat u’ll get kicked by one of the guests are 3 out of 5 times..



The (very short)breaks
We have 2 breaks each day..the first is a 30 mins lunch break(which can be as early as 1030am) & the second is usually 3 hrs after the first one(about 2ish pm) is a 15mins tea break..we’re also given 5 mins ‘walking time’ to get to the canteen from our ride area..


Most of u would know I survive on a 2hr feed..which means I need to eat every break..most of u would also know tat I’m not a fast walker..in fact, it takes me 8 mins to walk to the canteen(1 way) from the furthest ride..effectively, tat leaves me wif 12 mins left of my break..so I always end up gobbling down my sandwich(wat else)..no good for my digestive system..


The reason why the ang mohs can survive on such short breaks is they have chips for lunch & choc bars for tea..u dun need much time for tat, do u?

Some changes are taking place in my life..

Wat are they? Yi yan nan jing..i'll blog about them in time to come..

PC Down again..

: (

School Hols+Halloween Weekend=Disaster

It was another day of mayhem in the park today.. One of my colleagues actually got punched by one of the guests..i didn’t actually witness the incident but heard she(yes, it’s a ‘she’) got punched by ‘ah beng’ for asking him to queue up..hmm..reminds me of a granny-slapping incident..*o*

Aiyo..these ang mohs..they are really in the mood for halloween..imagine walking around the park after dark & someone appears in front of you wearing one of those scary masks..ren xia ren, xia si ren..

And the mess left behind 20,000 guests is no joke..imagine an event site after a mass event..multiply tat by 3(ang mohs are generally dirtier) & u’ll get the idea..think I’ve cleaned more litter in this week than I’ve ever cleaned in my house in the past 20 years..

For the past 10 days or so, I’ve been having all my meals outside..breakfast on the train there, lunch & afternoon tea in the park & dinner on the train back..& I usually pack my meals..so u can imagine the amount of food I bring with me each day..4 meals..i’m essentially carrying a picnic basket around..

This also means to say I haven’t had hot food for these 10 days..cos all I’ve been having are sandwiches(sandwiches are cold, toasts are hot)..it’s not so much tat I mind eating sandwiches..they’ve quite a bit of sandwich fillings here..from the usual egg mayo to coronation chicken(chicken bits + raisins + peaches in curry)..but for those who know me well enuf..i’m always very particular about my diet..& I just dun think sandwiches alone can provide a balanced diet..

I usually catch the same train as a few of my colleagues..so I’ll be like seeing them from 8 in the morning when we catch the train till 9-ish at night when we go our separate ways at the train station..hmm..kinda reminds me of the ‘good ole days’ of mass events..



P.S. A string of emails from some ex-classmates reminded me tat it’s Deepavali(Divali in London) & Hari Raya(‘Id in London) back in Sg..totally forgot about these occasions..this week to me, is Halloween week..from the many pumpkins hanging all over the place & people walking around in funny costumes..apparently, some people really came trick or treating at our door the other nite but I wasn’t back yet..still at work..sigh..

I wish i could turn back the clock..

In case u dun realise it..i was (trying to)sing the song by Johnny Hates Jazz n years ago.. :Þ

Anyway, wat I’m trying to say is..time was literally turned back when UK summer time officially ended on Sunday..this means tat UK is back on GMT again..this is actually my first experience at ‘adjusting the clock’..basically at 12midnite on Sun, the clock goes back 1 hr to be 11pm Sat nite..

Actually I prefer the old time..cos now it means the sky starts getting dark at 5-ish pm, instead of 6-ish pm..although it also means I need not scramble for my oyster card(aka ezlink in Sg) in the dark when I take the tube in the morning..i dun really mind it cos I get to see the sunrise at about 730am when I’m on the way to work..

Come to think of it..UK also damn one kind one..the rest of western europe are all on GMT+1 time, only UK is on GMT..& while everyone else on this side of the continent drives on the right, the Brits drive on the left..

*****************************************************************

As for my ear..a visit to the hospital today(realised I spent all my off days visiting clinics/hospitals or rather.. I plan my off days according to my doc appts *.*) revealed tat it’s starting to heal(yay!)..& guess wat was the doctor’s advice to me? Try to get more sunshine..it would be easy as pie if it’s Sg he was talking about..but we’re looking at London wor..& getting ‘some sun’ is no easy feat, given the tempermental weather..



P.S. As I’m blogging away..there’re fireworks outside now..apparently, there’re a few designated days for people to ‘put’ fireworks(wat is the correct verb ah? display?) Quite pretty..

Sooo tired..

Worked 11 hrs today..from 930am - 830pm..so tired..tat i fell asleep on the tube..first time i did so ever since i started work..despite having a 1.5 - 2 hrs journey one-way..i dun usually sleep on the tube/train cos the journey's broken into 3 half-hour sections..so quite hard to sleep..

And the crowds at the park today was unbelievable..i think there were 20,000 guests in the park today? Cos the average number for a weekend is about 15K & it definitely appeared more crowded than a usual weekend..maybe it's the weather? Just when i complained about the weather..it turned out to be unusually good today..hot in fact(by UK standard lah)..a high of 21degrees..i guess tat's british weather for u..

Rojak Blog

Haven blogged for quite some time liao..so dunno where to start..should i backtrack & blogged about stuff tat happened 2 weeks ago tat seemed so 'must-blog' then or minor things tat happened yesterday which aren't really tat interesting?


Was thinking about wat to blog when i talked to twink..the first person to finish up all the credit in my mobile..but despite tat(& prob tat's why)..made me listen to her call waiting..AND asked me to hold so tat she can wash her clothes..

Ah yes, i know wat i should blog about..THE video clip..i finally managed to view it liao..gan dong..chu le gan dong hai shi gan dong..to know tat your frens are thinking about u on your birthday despite being miles away is really heartwarming..esp at a time when ur ear insists on giving u problems..when you are working 10hr shifts in addition to a 4 - 5 hrs journey..when the weather is getting more & more hostile by the day..okok..i'm starting to kaobei again..stopstop..

On a lighter note(though it wasn't tat amusing at the time it happened)..i was on the bus to work last sunday & i missed the connecting bus by like 3 secs & was late for work by 30 mins(i shall not comment anymore about the bus services on Sundays)..& do u know why? Cos the bus was stuck behind a horse carriage! Yes, a horse carriage on the road..& since it was a one lane road, the bus couldn't overtake the horse & crawled behind it for wat seems like eternity..

Imagine how ridiculous i would sound back in Sg if i told my boss tat i was late cos of a horse carriage or an airplane crossing my path(refer to previous³ blog)..

Hmm..say dunno wat to blog also blogged quite a bit liao..till i find the time(& mood) to blog again..

P.S. To whoever(i dun recognise the number leh.. 81212xxx)sent me a MMS sometime last week..sorry i wasn't able to retrieve it on time since the pc was down then.. @~@

happy(belated) 5th month anniversary & happy(belated) birthday..

..to myself..haha..

The pc at home had died-ed..tat's why there were no publications of ZXL Times for the past week or so..

Anyway, thanks to everyone who remembered my birthday & sent me wishes from all over the world..of cos special mention to the ssc folks who celebrated my birthday with lionel as my rep(?!) & for producing a video clip for me(though i've yet to view it yet)

XIE XIE DA JIA..

Pek Chek Shi Jian - Part III

As visitor has left his/her comment(who are u huh??)..this is my blog & i'm allowed to rant..& so i shall rant..somemore..

Why was i so insistent on seeing a doc the other day leh? Besides the fact tat my ear problem is irritating the hell out of me..another just as important reason is..i just received my first paycheck from the Park..tat's good news, u might say..yes, indeed it is..but when u open up the payslip & realise a whopping 30% went to taxes..u'll be just as inclined to scold somebody's mother..

My first week of wageslip goes like this :

42.5 hrs worked@ £5/hr £202.50

Tax £44.44)

National Income Contribution (£11.93)

Nett Pay £143.13



Therefore, i concluded tat if i'm paying taxes here..i should be entitled to their (free) healthcare services..which was why i was so determined to get registered with NHS..a f***king 30%..to think i dun even pay tat much taxes in Sg..

Pek Chek Shi Jian - Part II

The other thing I was so frustrated over the other day was to visit a doctor. You know over here, you can’t just walk in to a clinic and ask to see a doctor(unless u go to a private clinic, which obviously charges some exorbitant prices..but more on that later)


The way the system here works is..you need to register with a GP in your residential area(you cannot suka suka register, it must be within 3 miles of your address)..and then, you make an appointment to see the GP u registered with..this appointment date can be on the day itself(which u should really go buy toto) or a week later whereby you might have already recovered from whatever u were suffering from(if u’re lucky) or fainted from the pain(if u’re not)


I always have problems with my ear..somehow it always start with it being itchy/blocked(too much earwax maybe)..& then I will itchy hand go disturb it until it gets inflamed. It happened to me again recently and the problem came on & off for a couple of weeks until I was so irritated by it, I decided to go see a doctor.

I went to a health centre about 10 mins walk from my place..after negotiating thru a series of receptions(there were 4 clinics in the centre and an average of 3 docs in each clinic..i was to pick one and then get myself registered) I went up to the receptionist and told her I want to register myself with Dr XX..

‘I need a photocopy of your passport’

‘I have my passport with me now’

‘No, I need a photocopy of your passport’

‘Can’t u do it for me here?’

‘No, u need to do all the paperwork yourself’

‘Ok, so if I bring you a photocopy of my passport later, can I see the doctor today?’

‘No, the earliest will be next week’


‘…………………………’

Of cos, I gave up the thought of registering with the doc..but I was so damn fed up(the just-as-frustrating bank account thingy just took place 30mins before) tat day..i actually spent 5 pounds and 1 hour to travel out to central London & went to a walk-in clinic at Victoria train station(I saw it during one of my journeys thru there). I did manage to see a doctor within 10 mins but she said she couldn’t do much about my ear cos it was badly inflamed and I need to administer ear drops to it for at least 3 days before she can syringe my ear for me.

Guess how much this 5 mins consultation cost me? A whopping 40 pounds. And the best part was, I needed to get the ear drops myself (doctors here only provide prescriptions, patients need to get their own medicine from the pharmacy)


So please dun blame me for being so ‘kao bei kao bu’ for the past few days.. ‘yi4 xiang1 you2 zi3 de4 xin1 ku3 you2 shui3 zhi1’

And lastly, you would have thought that NHS would have better things to do than to make registration with a GP so tedious for a foreigner..



Extracted from a local newspaper :


Cooing over babies banned

Hospitals visitors have been banned from cooing at newborn babies – to protect the infants’ human rights..visitors in hospitals are greeted by posters featuring a doll in a cot with the slogan ‘What makes you think I want to be looked at?’

..‘We know most people cannot resist cooing over new babies but we need to respect the child’..

..Hospital staff say they have acted to protect the human rights of ‘little people’ who did not deserve to be ‘prodded like tins in a supermarket’..

****************************************************************************************



P.S. I got the flu today..but decided to stick to the age-old method of ‘drink more water, get more rest’ than to attempt to see a doc again..

My happiness level is down again..

I blame it on

#1. I had forgotten to buy bread last nite(i reached home at 7.30pm & ALL the shops were closed) so i couldn't prepare my breakfast & lunch today..ended up eating some unappetising sandwich from the canteen for 3 pounds..

#2. The tube - it was down this morning again & i had to take the bus..resulting in being 45 mins late for work..opportunity cost of money + bad impression

#3. The weather - it's sooo cold & wet today..wearing 2 sweaters & i was still freezing..add the rain & it's a totally miserable day..it's really no fun at all to be emptying garbage bins in the rain..

#4. I realised the park is closed from next mon - thurs..& i just bought a weekly travel card starting today..it costs me a f***ing 50pounds & it's not gonna be worth it..not to mention, i'll have no income for tat 4 days..

#5. I thought i had left my locker key at home but despite turning the house upside down, i still can't find it..which means it must be lost..which means i need to pay for a replacement one..

At times like this, cant help but think 'zi gei lor lei sui' (read in cantonese)

1 down

Today is a slightly better day : ) Mainly cos i managed to solve some of the problems which caused my pekchek-ness last week..

I dun wan to be too whiney..so i shall first talk about problem #1 - Opening of Bank Account

If u had friend/relative living in UK before..go ask them how they managed to open a bank account here..it's damn f***ing tedious..at least for a foreigner(who's neither working nor studying fulltime)..

They need a prove of residence in UK..which means i need to prove when/why i came into UK..& the most headache of all, bills to prove my address..which i obviously do not have..& despite a letter from my employee, the stupid H bank(this bank exists in Sg too, so go figure) near my place refuses to open an acc for me..& the lady who attended to me spoke to me as if i'm an illegal immigrant..'if u cannot prove u're staying at this add, we will not open an acc for u'

Why i need a bank acc so urgently is cos my current employer credits the pay directly into employee's bank acc..& despite knowing tat i have yet to open a bank acc here, my employer was stupid enough to pay me my first week's wages in cheque..a crossed cheque somemore..now, how am i supposed to bank the cheque without a bank acc leh??

In any case, after i got rejected by H bank, i went to B bank..same thing, i can't open an acc if i dun have any document to prove my add..but the lady was nice enough to add that if i can produce a bank stmt from my home country, she can try & do something for me..

And so today, armed wif a bank stmt summoned from home..i went to B bank again today..the same lady told me everything i needed to know about opening a bank acc here & did it for me straightaway..which means i'm finally the proud owner of a bank acc here in UK : )

Problem #1 solved ; case closed

Of cos, not forgetting the 'good lucks' & 'jia yous' i got from u folks..u provided me wif all the support when i needed them..with friends like this, wat more can i ask for?

Caution - Aircraft crossing!

We dun really get to see this so often in Sg..where u, whether as a pedestrain or a driver, have to wait at a railway junction to let the train pass..but i'm sure most of u have seen this scene on tv before..

But today on my way to work, it wasn't just vehicles or trains crossing at the junction..but i saw an aeroplane(BA megatop somemore) 'crossing' the road..yup, the whole big damn plane just went right past about 100m in front of my bus..i dunno whether to be amused or pek chek(cos i'm in a hurry, as always..& it took like forever for the plane to cross)

What is even more amusing was..the same thing happened to me on my return trip(this time it's Southern Africa Airlines) Maybe this is a common occurence on this bus route..this is the first time i took the bus to work cos there's no tube service from my woods to central london today..tat's one thing i really hate about going out on sundays here..the tubelines always get disrupted & the buses come once in an hour..

Btw, u can always see planes in the skies here..& u can really see them 'upclose & personal'..u'll see them flying really close to the ground..as though they're just above ur head..

Anyway, tomorrow i shall attempt(again) some of the stuff which left me so fustrated last fri..not feeling too positive about it..am in fact anticipating another round of pek chekness..so wish me luck my friends..

Pek Chek pek chek pek chek!!

It has been an ultimate day of fustrations for me today..and i'm feeling too drained to type out all my pek chek-ness..the stupid miserable weather isn't helping things either..& so i shall just cyber-sulk..

:( :( :( :( :( :(:( :( :( :( :( :(

Day off..

Had the day off today..nothing really interesting took place..dun think anyone will wanna read about my supermarket trip again..so i will just share an interesting article i came across in the papers..

'As the woman crossed the street in front of me, a wind-blown carrier bag rustled around her feet. Hardly pausing in her stride she picked it up and carried it to the nearest bin, then continued on her way.

She obviously hadn't said to herself 'It isn't mine' or 'The street sweeper will get it' or 'Who cares?' Instead, she spotted a quick & easy chance to make the world a little nicer, and took it.

In these days when people are judged by the labels they wear, the cars they drive or the money they earn, I have to wonder - don't you learn more about a person by watching what they do when they don't have to do anything at all?'

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Chua!

Gong xi gong xi! Bai tou xie lao! Zao sheng gui zi!

Wai Guo de yue liang bi jiao yuan..?

Happy mooncake festival to one & all! Thank u all for the sms greetings & even an attempt to send mooncakes over to me..appreciate all these thoughts..xie xie..

And since it's mid-autumn festival today..it means i've been thru 3 seasons since i came over..or somewat 3 seasons..

It was late spring when i first arrived in May..then came summer(late jun – early sep)..& now..autumn..the season of falling leaves(do u know they’re actually a hazard to tube/railway tracks? apparently they form a Teflon-like coating when the fallen leaves are baked on the track)

I’m starting to notice the change too..besides lower temp these days(some of u might have been on the receiving end of my ‘complaint smses' about the weather), the daylight hours are getting shorter too..sunrise used to be 4-ish..but nowadays when I get out of bed for work at 6ish, it’s still dark outside..& when I'm on the train back from work at 7-ish, it’s already dark..compared to the days when I would have to wait till after 930pm to catch a glimpse of sunset..

This may sound silly..but it’s one of the reasons why I wanted to come UK..besides to ‘see the world’ ie.. I wanted to experience the different seasons in a year(tat’s another item to strike off in my to-do/experience list)

Alright..getting tired liao..it's been another long day at work today(today's sunday, rem?)

ZZzzzzxl signing off..

P.S. The moon really looks a lot nearer(& therefore much bigger) over here..

Wai Guo de yue liang bi jiao yuan..?

Happy 4th month anniversary

Duno-dun feel(bu zhi bu jue)..it's been 4 mths since the 'dramatic' farewell at Changi..

Say long not long, say short not short..4 mths is 1/3 of a year..bringing the working folks nearer to bonus time..

From the days of nuahing to the life of a strawberry picker to working in a theme park..i daresay they've not been a waste of time..there are lessons to be learnt everywhere..from everybody..lessons tat would most certainly be brushed aside back in Sg..

Is it cos i've more time here or i've less stress here? Or maybe it's the fact tat i'm more conscious of how i live my life over here? i'm not saying i'm a saint but i certainly hope i'll be a better person for all these..

How have the past 4 mths been for u?

The good and the bad ('chinese' version)

As you are reading my blog..u would soon realise tat i'm got sent home really early today..& tat gives me a whole afternoon of free time..

Wat i usually do when i have time on my hand is to go jogging(the best exercise since it's free & there are some nice views on my jogging route)..however, remember i'm in UK now..& remember wat i said about the weather here? Like a woman's temper..unpredictable..unreliable..& err..unfrenly(can't think of anymore 'un' words so has to settle wif 'unfrenly' to make it a threesome)

Anyway, it's the kind of miserable weather tat makes me think that 24-31 weather is the best asset Sg has - basically, cold & wet..

After 3 whole para of fei hua..wat i really wanna say is..i can't jog today & so i went to the gym..wif fish's membership card..cos i realised my earnings for today is not even enuf to cover my travel costs, not to mention afford a 10pound entry to the gym..

Most of u should know tat the two of us look as different as..zxl & fish..but the counter lady took a look at me, took a look at the card & waved me in..

Now this is the 'good' thing i'm referring to in the blog's title..ang mohs simply cannot recognise chinese faces(ok, i'm guilty of tat too, remembering ang moh faces ie. not chinese faces lah of cos)

The bad thing? I can run but i can't hide..i'm usually the only asian/chinese in a lot of places..so i'm easily recognisable..for eg. when late for work..during roll call in the morning..it's damn obvious if i'm not around..

Yes, tat's all i wanna talk about in this blog..the good & bad..now tat i've done it..i'm going to sleep..need to wake up early for work(& hopefully not get sent back again)..

Oh gawd..think this is one of my most nonsensical blog to date..

The good and the bad (Thorpe park version)

..points about working in a theme park..

The reason why i'm free to be blogging now(it's 2.30pm) is i got sent home from work..yes, i'd reported for work as per usual at 9.30am..it was raining then and there were really quite few guests in the park..so at 11am, they sent most of us home..saying they're overstaffed & so, i clocked out of work..

Which means to say after spending 2 hrs & 10 pounds travelling to the park, i had only worked 1.5hrs & earned a grand total of 7.50pounds..it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out tat i had made a loss..lugi..kui ben..output>input(i wish this applied to my calories though)

Time for me to spew expletives again (Under 18s should turn their heads away) ¬"£$%^&*()_+!!!!

Nike run anybody?

10k run on 16th Oct , interested?

I'll sponsor the reg fee of 32 pounds for anybody who's willing to fly here : )

www.runlondon.com

Working on Weekends...again....

Sunday, 11th September 2005

I dunno why i always end up wif jobs requiring me to work on weekends..AND having me to wake up much earlier on sundays..it used to be 'some' jalan/lari thingy which gets me up at some unearthly hours every other sunday..& now, thorpe park - it opens an hour earlier on weekends..

This being UK..meaning public transport run at much much much reduced frequency on sundays..meaning i really had to plan my journey down to the last second to ensure getting to work on time..

Anyway, i ended up catching the first tube out at 6.45am(compared to 7.27am on a normal weekday)..& even then, i was still late for work..sigh..

It's not much of a surprise tat the park is lot busier on weekends..i ended up doing the q-line today..supposed to make sure they meet all the ride restrictions..such as height limit..chest limits(yes, there's such a thing) for this specific roller coaster ride, pple with >51 inches chest(both male & female) are not allowed since the harness wun be big enuf & trust me..they are really quite a no of pple out there who fail this requirement..etc etc..basically kinda like a bouncer if u wish to call it so..haha

For those who have done crowd controlling before & think it's tough work..try crowd controlling with a crowd made up of predominantly ang mohs..imagine trying to shout & slang at the same time..not easy..

And there was this big black guy who came up & insisted tat his son be allowed on the ride..his son is way below the required height (1.2m vs 1.4m) I told him no & he got really furious and started to raise his voice & demanding to be thrown out of the park & stuff..in fact, at one pt in time, i was quite sure he's gonna start punching me in the face..one of my colleagues heard the commotion & came to help me out..after several more mins of 'no, we really can't let ur son on for safety reasons'..the guy walked away wif a totally disgusted look on his face..

After about 30 mins later, this guy reappeared & i was so afraid he's here to 'seek revenge'..he was like 'are u the person whom i argued with just now?' 'err..yes' 'i'm here to apologise to you cos i realised it was my mistake..i had checked with the info counter and they re-confirmed about the height restrictions..sorry about just earlier on'..i think my expression must have changed immediately from tat of fear to relief..

Oh well..i guess this is just another day of work for me..

Tube - Train - Bus

Saturday, 10th September 2005

I was 45mins late for work today..all cos the stupid tube was delayed for a whole of 7mins..this is wat i hate about travelling with connections..anyway, this is wat my typical journey looks like :

7.24am - Depart from house on foot

7.27am - Tube out to Waterloo

8.13am - Mad rush for the 8.20 train

8.53am - Arrive in Staines for another mad rush to catch the 9.00 bus into the park

9.12am - Arrive in Thorpe Park

(Total travelling time : 1 hr 48mins)

So this means if the first part(or any part) of my journey is delayed by even 5 mins, it throws my whole journey into disarray..which was wat happened today v_v

Dun forget i'm paid by the hour..which means my opportunity cost is 5 pounds/hr..& of cos, it's not very nice to be late 3 days into the job..

Imagine if i repeat the above travelling process in Sg, i would be like halfway to Kuala Lumpur liao..

1001 rules at Thorpe Park

I had reported for work at Thorpe Park last thurs..had induction with 4 other guys..& mind u, it's a proper induction..with pple from HR showing us pwrpt presentation & stuff..lasted from 9-4..din think they had such things for seasonal stuff(yup, tat's wat i am..not temp, not part-time but seasonal..autumn season actually)

Aiyo..i din expect they have soooo many rules for their staff..from appearances to uniform to behaviour..u know wat i think is the most 'amazing' rule? Staff must not be seen carrying food from their lockers to the canteen..all food must be put into the company's lunch box & then brought to the canteen..i wouldn't have mind it so much if not for the fact i had to pay 1 pound for the stupid lunchbox..-.-

Yes, i do da bao my lunch to work..since they only have like sandwiches(& of cos, fish & chips) in the canteen(staff are also not allowed to purchase food from the outlets while on duty) i reckon i might as well prepare my own sandwiches..a sandwich costs an ave of 2 pounds here leh(as if one sandwich is enuf for me) & like i mentioned in 53 other previous blogs, i'm turning into a sour olive here..poor egg i am..wat to do..sigh..

While we're on the topic on food..staff are to drink out of the company's water bottle on the park premises(which most of the staff happily ignored, thank goodness)

Anyway, yes..i do have a uniform..it's a blue polo(not unlike the one my ex-colleagues would be so familiar wif) wif black cargo pants/berms..not too bad lah huh?

Shoes must be all black if long pants are worn or all white if berms are worn..i have neither, so i ended up buying a pair of all-black trainers from them for 15pounds..& guess wat brand is it? Hi-tech.. -.-

To be continued...

The terminal

As most of you would know, airports are always the first & last point of contact for fish & I..still, it felt a little strange sending her off today..reason being it was always her sending me off at Heathrow ..never the other way round..

Airports can be interesting places..where a wide array of emotions are on display..there’s sadness(sending a dear fren off)..there’s joy(seeing a fren after a period of time), there’s also surprise(seeing a fren returning with ‘extra baggage’ on her – no, I’m not talking about myself)

I think arrival hall is the ‘happy’ hall whereas the departure hall is the ‘sad’ hall..for the very simple fact that arrival hall is where people reunite & the latter is where people part..

Something needs to be done..

..about my weight..

Yea yea..i know i've been blogging about my ever-increasing weight ever since i came over to UK..but this time i'm serious..VERY serious..as serious as Bush is about sending aid to New Orleans..

There've been 2 moments in time over the past 2 days which made me determined more than ever to go on a diet..

zxlworld-shattering moment 1 - i walked past a shop the other day & caught a glance of my side view..gasp!! did i just see a small tummy staring back from the reflection?? yes, i know for a fact tat my waistline has been expanding..since my jeans & shorts were getting tighter..but a tummy??!!!

i dun claim to have a 6-pack when i was back in Sg..but my abs or rather, abdominal area, was still acceptably flat..no way this offending protuding piece of flesh(or fats) is gonna gain PR status on my body..1 mth visitor's visa at the very most..after which, it must disappear from my sight..forever..

zxlworld-shattering moment 2 - i paid 10 pounds(!) to go to the gym today..it was usually 8 pounds cos i always went wif fish, who's a member..but today i went alone & it was 10 pounds!! shocking enuf for me to spew ¬!"£$%^&* but tat's still not the earth shattering news for the day..

In fact, it was the final 5 secs of this gym visit tat jolted the life out of me..it goes like this :

countdown 5 sec - press button

4 sec - remove shoes

3 sec - take a step

2 sec - beep

1 sec - 3 digits flashed on the monitor..this is followed by a loud thud *zxl fainted*

Wat do u know? I've gained a grand total of 5kg(!!!) over these 3 months..whoever betted i've put on 5 kg..well well, congrats to u(reminder to self : find out if such a pax exists & then, sever all ties wif her) It may not seem like a lot but hey, it's almost 10% of my total(original) weight..



Extra extra!

Some of u might have already known by now(thanks to the multiplier effect)..i've just gotten a new image..cheapo me was shopping for the cheapest hairdresser & found one whose signage says '7.50 - 12 pounds for a haircut'..& so i went in..

I was immediately ushered to a chair by this italian guy, towel wrapped round me..& this conversation ensued :

(spore accent) : 'erm..just a trim..same pattern please'

(italian accent): 'how short u want'

'just take an inch off'

'oh, u want ur hair to be one inch long'

'nono! just trim one inch'

'okok, no problemo'

& then the shaver went to work..

Since i dun wear my glasses when i cut my hair, i can't really see wat was going on.. the 'zzz' sound went on for quite some time & i was getting a tad worried..not once did he change to using the scissorss & this usually means bad news..

Next thing i know, he led me to wash my hair(& i dun usually do tat)..it wun be so bad if it was those 'spa-kind' of treatment..no lor, it was more of like 'splash-scrub-splatter'..& i ended up with soapy water all over my face..

As if the shaver is not enuf, he actually used a blade(those for ah peks leh) to 'scrape' my sideburns clean..dun like >.< i like some hair on my sideburn one..

When he's finally done, i put on my glasses.. @_@! Definitely shorter than wat i bargained for..& the back of my head..really left with one inch of hair..

'Tat will be 9.50 pounds please'

'Isn't it 7.50'

'7.50 without wash, with wash 9.50'

'....................'

Oh well..at least this hair cut should be able to last me more than a month..

Gong xi gong xi gong xi ni!

Congrats to 0.5 who has just came in first in a karaoke competition..so proud of her..this is esp true when urs truly's singing can best be described as 'dual-toned' - nan ting & fei chang nan ting..

And of cos, special thanks to Ms Privacy who called me on my UK mobile so tat i can listen to 0.5's 'live performance'..

~喜欢听歌 感人的歌 它让我觉得 爱是对的~

Last bank holiday for the year..

It was a bank holiday on Mon..a bank holiday in UK = public holiday in Sg..& it's always on a monday..meaning long weekends..not tat it made a diff to me..but it makes a diff to those working..

Anyway, together with 2 of fish's colleagues, we drove up to Stratford-Upon-Avon on Fri..visited the Shakespeare-related houses(actually only one was his birthplace..the rest belonged to his mother, wife, daughter, etc).

We spent the nite in the town..& the next morning, we drove further up north for about 40 mins to reach Warwick..of cos the main attraction here is the castle & i must admit it's one of the better castles i've been to in UK..even though the admission was a bit on the hefty side(16 pounds per pax?!)..but there were quite a few performances to see & the castle grounds were quite big..we actually spent about 5 hours exploring the castle..

Another night in a B&B in town..a stopover for lunch in Coventry the next day & we're back in London by Sunday evening..

Monday was the Nottinghill Carnival..& me went to zou re nao..it's a bit like our Chingay procession..fanciful costumes(some of them i would say, outrageous)..colourful floats..& most important of all...interesting food! :Þ

Hmm..a weekend trip like this had burnt quite a hole in my already-not-very-deep pocket..guess it's time for some financial planning...

Gone fishing..

ZXL Times will be back Monday, 29 August 2005

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(back-dated) 9 & 10 August 2005 - Thank you, soon-to-be-Dr Wong

This morning, i checked out of my messy hostel & checked into Dr Wong's place..heh..yours truly had thick-skinned-ly bunked in with Dr Wong..

After some chitchatting over breakfast & upon Dr Wong's suggestion, I decided to make a day trip to Berwick-Upon-Tweed..I had originally planned to go to some Scottish towns..but then, i think³..most of the scottish towns look alike to me anyway..

So, wat's so unique about Berwick-Upon-Tweed leh? Well, it lies on the England-Scotland border..yes, such a border does exist..so i spent the rest of the day exploring the place..quite a nice little town(though the weather could be nicer ~.~)

Dr Wong was nice enough to lend me her student pass..which means i can get student rates on train fares..^.^ Not only tat, she also borrowed a sleeping bag from her neighbour so i can be spared from sleeping on the floor(i left mine in london)

I must admit we weren't exactly the closest of colleagues back then..but we're definitely on friendly terms ..just like everybody in the division is with everybody(tat's wat i loved about my job..the people) She wasn't obligated to do anything for me but the fact tat she did & i'm most grateful for it..

There were a few funny moments when we spotted some familiar items(read : 'SFL' brand) among each other's possessions..like t-shirt lah..shoe bag lah..fork & spoon lah..hehheh.. :Þ

Spent the next day hanging around Edinburgh city..din feel like going too far since i'm catching the night coach back to london..

Dinner tonight was quite 'sumptous' (by the poor student's & poor backpacker's standard anyway) We had roast chicken(!)..as in really one whole chicken leh..from (where else) Tesco..realised i very long never eat such chicken liao..all my chicken are in the form of chicken mayo in sandwiches..haha..

About 930-ish..i bade farewell to Dr Wong..i'll see u around in UK again..i'm sure..or am i?

Dun tell me summer is coming to an end liao..

I woke up with frozen toes today..somehow my blanket din cover them last nite..and it's bloody cold this morning..it still is cold right now at this moment..fingers feeling a bit stiff as i'm typing..according to the weather forecast..it's a 'high' of 15 degrees today..sigh..

Ever since the rare spell of good weather on Sunday, it's been mostly rainy & cold for the past 1 week or so..my fren was just wondering aloud last night..'seems like summer is giving way to autumn liao..' Nooooo....

Okok, enuf about weather..shall continue about my Scotland trip..

Monday, 8 August 2005

I woke up with a mission in mind today – to lay my hands on one of those coveted Military Tattoo tickets. The MT has some historical background to it..but to me, it as a military band performance fiesta..it features performances from various countries (though mainly European)..and the main selling point is..it’s held in the Edinburgh Castle grounds..i first found out about it when I was in Edinburgh 4 years ago..but I din manage to get tics then..so I was quite determined to catch it this time round..tickets are so hot tat they’re usually sold out in the December preceding the event..there are usually loose tickets being refunded from time to time so it’s really a matter of luck..

Soon-to-be-Dr Wong had shown me the ticket office last evening..it’s just 2 mins from my hostel..so I strolled over at 9.50am..thinking I should have quite a good chance..oh..how wrong I am..there are must be at least 50 pple in the queue already..machiam waiting for the Oakley sale to begin.. @_@

I joined the q and a few minutes later..the staff came round and announced ‘there’re only 12 tickets left for now..’ Undeterred, I asked if there’re any chance of tickets being refunded in the afternoon..he said there might be & I could try coming again later..

Ok..since there’s nothing I could do about it now..i decided to go ‘climb’ Arthur’s Seat first..though it’s not exactly very high at 251m..it’s actually an extinct volcano at the end of the royal mile..

Hmm..it’s not a physically demanding trek but there is no one main path..& there’re some parts u have to literally ‘climb’ using hands and legs..not too sure if I reached the actual summit cos there’s supposed to be a monument but I couldn’t find it..in any case, it offers a great view of Edinburgh city from up there..& I’m quite happy liao..

Felt a little hungry after the exercise so I began making my way down..grabbed a sandwich & then I headed to the MT office again..

There was no queue this time..and I was quite sure there’re no more tickets..i went in & asked ‘Are there any tickets left for tonight’s show?’ ‘We have 4 left’ Yippee! Went to the counter and was shown the available seats…2 were at the 18pounds & 2 were for 30pounds..needless to say, I went for the former..haha! finally..i got the tickets..so happy! ^o^

After tat, I just wandered about the royal mile..catching some of the buskers in action(understudying them, some of u might say)..

Oh, guess wat I had for dinner tonight? Pork floss bun! I found a pack of pork floss in the kitchen hostel..they must have been left behind by this group of Singaporeans..i noticed them last night but din get round to talking to them..it’s actually on the ‘common shelf’..meaning it’s meant for all hostelites..but I decided to ‘gope’ it all for myself since I dun think any of the ang mohs will know wat it is..least appreciate it..haha..qiong ren de ri zi jiu shi zhe yang de..

Focus..

Before i get too carried away blogging about my mundane life and risk losing my readers out there..i think i should blog about something more interesting..like my highlands trip..so here we go..

Sunday, 7 August 2005

We continued our tour of the highlands today..din really catch the names of some of the places we passed by..was too busy admiring the views to pay attention to the guide..he was telling us about the history about the Scotland & stuff..in any case, 2 days of listening to the guides is enough to make me realise that there’s this animosity between the Scottish & the English..(btw, for those of u who are still not aware, Scotland & England, & Wales for tat purpose, are 3 separate countries..they have their individual national flags & anthems)

Wat I do know is tat we stopped at Kingussie for lunch..but being a Sunday(& more places are shut on Sundays in the highlands than in the major cities)..the few places tat were open were the pubs & a few high-class restaurants..& me being the ‘sour olive’ went for the cheapest option..sandwiches from the local grocer..bought my tuna mayo & banana & sat outside a church to munch lunch..qiong ren de ri zi..sigh..

After lunch, we drove on..visited Fort Augustus..more of the bitter battle tales between Scotland & England..

Then it’s time to head back to Edinburgh..Ewan tried to liven things up on the journey & saboed a few of them..he’s good..really entertaining & funny..he even managed to convince this american guy take off his shirt & perform a dance on the coach..

Oh, did I also mention our group pooled money & bought some Scottish whisky to share? We paid £2 each & Ewan managed to get us 3 bottles with the sum collected..with some 30 pax among us, we only got about a sip each but it was enuf..the whisky was really strong..din really enjoy it tat much..

We arrived back in Edinburgh at about 545pm..there was some delay cos it’s the first weekend of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival & some roads were closed..Edinburgh has 101 festivals going on in Aug & the city is at its vibran-nest (think it should be most vibrant?)..personally, I think it’s the best time to visit even though it means squeezing with 2000 other tourists for tat glimpse of the castle..

Checked in at my hostel..superb location but I can’t say the same for my roommates..i actually got a shock when I entered the room cos it’s by far the messiest room I’ve ever came across..it’s a 12-bed dorm and to be fair, it could have been quite a spacious dorm if not for the fact tat there were 5 or 6 ang mohs sprawled on the floor with piles of papers & packets of food all around them..

They threw me a look & went back to their own stuff..think they’re performing in the festival..they seemed to be rehearsing for some play..

Put down my stuff & zipped off..meeting my ex-colleague, soon-to-be-Dr Wong..she’s here in Edinburgh studying..yes, u got it..her PhD..

Ah..there she is..still looks the same..maybe a little rounder the face..but more or less still the same..& since she’s not eating, I just popped into a takeaway shop & bought a jacket potato for dinner..

Then she orientated me around the city a bit..the high street is also known as the royal mile..cos it’s..well..a mile long..beginning from the castle to the parliament house..

Since I’ll be hanging ard Edinburgh for a few days, I also asked her to show me where Tesco is..(yes, I’m a loyal Tesco fan)..she even offered her kitchen to me(after I complained about how miserable the hostel kitchen is) should I prefer to cook my meals(cheaper mah..i'm a poor backpacker & she's a poor student)..

After tat we walked back to her hall..oh my, it’s like 2 mins away from the castle..or like wat she put it, she’s staying in the ‘prime district’ or the orchard road of Edinburgh..hee..tat gives me an idea…

Today i cried..

And it’s all the stupid shallots’(a kind of onion, not the shallot shallots u get in Sg) fault..dunno why this shallot so potent..i teared all the way from cutting to cooking it.. sniff sniff..
But in fact, I’m feeling quite happy today..blissful kind of happy..nothing special took place..just an ordinary day..

Woke up at 10-ish..cooked my oatmeal for breakfast..read the papers..surfed the net..then it’s time for lunch..turkey ham sandwich & some cherries..

Then about 3-ish..i peeped into the fridge and realised there’s nothing to cook for dinner..so we decided to pop down to Waitrose (the supermarket 2 mins away)..

It has been wet & cold for the past 2 days..so it was quite a pleasant surprise when we stepped out..quite lovely the weather..a bit of sun..not the sweltering kind..more of the balmy kind..throw in a few gentle breezes..ah..this is the perfect weather..never thought the weather in UK can be this perfect..haha

Think I mentioned before..Tesco is the NTUC and Waitrose is the Cold Storage equivalent? Well, the nearest Tesco(& it’s a huge one..about the floor space of Carrefour’s one level) is a 8mins bus ride away..but since today is Sunday(meaning the bus only comes round every half hour) and we felt tat it would be a shame to waste this weather..we decided to walk there instead..

Took us about 30mins to get to Tesco..spent some 40 mins grocery shopping..aiya, it’s my one & only hobby here mah..besides I liked grocery shopping even before I came over..& the supermarts here are so much more exciting..ha..

Buy 1 get 1 free for Ben & Jerry’s! So we bought 1(& got the free one of cos) and sat outside Tesco and started eating our B&J.. ^o^

Done with our ice-cream, we started to stroll back..aiya..this time round carrying bags of groceries, so walk slower lor..

It was 5-ish when we got back..relaxed a bit then started preparing dinner..just a simple meal..pan-fried salmon wif asparagus(& the offending shallots) & toufu soup..

Watched ‘As Good As It Gets’ on tv..caught it in the cinema last time round..but I liked it enuf to watch a second time..

And now here I am..sitting in front of the pc screen..typing away on the keyboard..telling half the world wat boring things I did for the day & how much I enjoyed them..like tat also can blog one pg..heh..

Ye xu zhe jiu shi jian dan de kuai le?

Opps..sorry twink..*.*

Yes, I made a mistake..a BIG mistake..

I was looking at a photo the other day..one of my ex-colleagues..& i recognised all of them..except one..& i made an even bigger mistake of asking around 'who's tat girl?'

Now this girl...she's no 'ordinary' colleague..she's my 'twinky colleague'..

I blame it on the poor resolution of the photo..so i decided to put the photo to the test..

I got fish to take a look at the accused photo & try to identify the said person from another montage photo..& she took a grand total of 2 secs to pick her out from the 16 faces..'it was quite easy..'

Ok, wo zhi cuo le..

p.s. Twink, ur compensation is in ur inbox..

It's raining again..which means i can't go jogging..which means i will get even fatter..

Just got off the phone with my ex-colleagues..they were out celebrating Ms Nike's(opps, nike's the name of her dog actually)3xth birthday..judging from all the noises in the background, they're definitely enjoying themselves..as they always have..though i'm not present, it feels good to know tat they're having a good time : )

Back to my highlands adventure..& in case any of u readers out there are as blur as Mrs Chua, i came back from Scotland last week liao..i'm just back-dating my blogs now since i din have the chance to log in then..

Saturday, 6 August 2005

Had a simple breakfast of instant oatmeal(realised the non-instant ones really tast a lot better) then it's time to set off again..

Hmm..today we had one more guide..Ewan..dunno how come he suddenly appeared today..was he supposed to be ard yest too? Anyway, he's just as good as Tony..very entertaining..can tok kok non-stop..i like..haha..

Off we go..more majestic highlands..more dramatic coastlines..it's a bit over-whelming actually..being right smacked in the middle of nature..

We stopped at this town called Portree & was told to pick up some food so tat we can enjoy a picnic lunch in this castle..& so i did..bought some pancakes(they're on offer mah) & grabbed an apple from the supermarket..

And about 12-ish, we reached the castle..actually 'ruins' is more like it, wif 70% of the structure gone.. picked a spot & started eating my pancakes..made some small talk to the 3 taiwan girls sitting nearby..one thing about this tour is..i can't really 'click' with the pple..other than the aunties & uncles..the rest of the ang mohs are mainly aussies & americans & they tend to stick among themselves..not tat i mind lah..but just thot it'd be nicer if everyone can click..like the hostel mates i met in Wales(oh..i think i forgot to blog about them..must really rem to do so..really great bunch of pple)

After lunch..we were given a choice..to stop at Loch Ness or to go for a seal/dolphin cruise. Most of us went for the latter option cos we're gonna to pass by Loch Ness on the way back to Edinburgh the next day anyway..

The cruise cost 5pounds each & lasted for about 1 hr..we did see a lot of seals but no luck in spotting dolphins(sorry, 0.5..i was all ready to take the photos for u)

Tonight, we stayed over in Inverness..it looks like quite a happening town but i wasn't too keen to venture out..was quite tired & beside, only the pubs will be opened at night..

One good thing about sharing a room with these ang mohs is..they will ALWAYS be out partying on friday/saturday nights..which mean i can almost have the room to myself at night while they're out painting the town red..

Another day has passed..one more day of highland remains..

Highlands here i come..

Time to clear my backlog..

Friday, 5th Aug 2005

After eight and a half hours sitting next to this jap lady who kept nodding off on my shoulder on the overnight coach, i arrived in Edinburgh.

Stepped out of the bus station..wooh..the crisp cold air reminded me tat i'm now in scotland..a couple of degrees colder than in London..the streets were still quiet at 7.15am..

I had joined a tour to the Highlands..yes, it's a package tour..a bit touristy but i figured it's the best way to see the highlands by myself..not economical to drive and too ulu to risk getting lost/stranded in the mountains(me kiasi mah)..

Check-in time for the tour is 8.30am so i roamed about a bit..not tat there's much to see since the shops are not opened yet..spied a O'Briens & went in for some juice..

Strolled over to the Haggis office at 815am & was greeted wif this looong queue of pple..settled the admin stuff then went out to wait for my coach # to be called..

'Bus #3 pple follow me pls' shouted this guy in kilts..we were led to this big yellow coach..after dumping our luggage at the back, we climbed aboard..this group is bigger than i expected..38 pax..i was kinda expecting those small van kind..a quick scan..hmm..a couple of aunties & uncles..2 china-looking men..3 chinese girls(couldn't tell where they're from..must wait till they open their mouths then i can guess)..& the rest are all ang mohs..

The guy in kilt introed himself, 'I'm Tony & i'll be your guide cum slave over the next 3 days'

When everybody's settled down in their seats..off we go..

This tony guy quite good..can drive & talk at the same time..all the while, he'll be pointing out the places as we pass them..telling us some stories & jokes..basically tok cork lah..some of his jokes quite corny one..sample joke : Wat did van gogh say when offered a sweet? No thanks, i've got one 'here' (one ear) Geddit?

We sort of entered into the highlands after 2 hours of driving..and i began to snap furiously away on my camera..after about 30 mins, i gave up cos i realised i am AMONG the highlands..which means everywhere i turn my head also soooo beautiful..no point taking so many shots..besides dun think my amateur skills can capture the magnificence of the highlands..

We had a couple of stops along the way..some were tea break stops..yea, there were coffee/tea & biscuits provided..others were for us to take pics. According to Tony, scotland accounts for >50% of the coastline in UK despite occupying only about 1/3 of the land area..which means u're never >5miles away from the coastline when u're in the highlands..well, for those interested, can check out the UK map..scotland really does have a very jagged outline..

That nite, we stayed in this town called Kyle of Lochalsh, which is at the tip of Isle of Skye..with not much of choice for dinner..i went for fish & chips..but it was a good choice cos the fish was really fresh & the chips were chunky good..

After dinner, it was a quick shower & then it was off to dreamland..

Third Month Anniversary

After spending 90 days in UK..there're things i'm still getting used to..

1. The way time is read here..how would u tell the time in the following case :

a) 5.15 b) 9.50 c) 12.30

The correct answers(over here anyway) :

a) quarter past five (not 'five-fifteen')

b) ten to ten (not 'nine-fifty')

c) half past twelve (not twelve-thirty)


2. There are very few dustbins in London..even fewer after the July bombings(for fear of bombs being dropped in them). Which means if u're out on the streets & u have finished a packet of drink & u want to throw it, u'll probably need to carry it for 27 mins & 4.8 miles before u spot a dustbin..


3. Plastic bags here have holes punched in them..u know those kind of NTUC 'zua long' back in Sg? 9 out of 10 bags used by retailers here have holes in them(scared children suffocate wor)..this is esp irritating when u use them for trash bags..& u kinda forget & u happily pour away ur leftover gravy..this action is usually followed by a string of expletives while mopping the floor..


4. There IS a need to slang..sometimes. The other day, i was having lunch at a cafe & the waitress came over for my order..i wasn't quite ready & so i said in my typical sporean accent(some of u would call it monotone) 'could u give me another minute please?'..only to have the waitress stare back blankly at me & say 'sorry, i can't speak ur language' @.@


5. Summer in the UK is still cold..at least to someone from the tropics..esp at night when the temp drops to about 12-14 degrees..i always go to bed feeling nice & warm(ie. kicking the blanket to one side)only to wake up in the middle of the night grappling in the dark for the blanket..


6. Travelling alone means if i buy a loaf of bread/pack of biscuits, i will have to eat it for breakfast, lunch & dinner so tat i can finish them before the expiry date..not tat i can't finish them lah..but sometimes u just feel like having variety in ur meals mah..


7. Roundabouts. There are at least a gazillion roundabouts on UK roads..& i hate them all..i must have driven past 100 roundabouts in my 3 days of driving here(& gone on full circles on at least 10 of them cos i got confused abt my exit) The most ultimate roundabouts are those double roundabouts..where u exit from one only to find yourself right smacked in another roundabout..


8. Related to driving here..the people here really drive a lot faster..i can be cruising along on the motorways(or wat we call highways) at 80mph(130km/h) & i will still be overtaken by vans/motorcycles/coaches...


9. My diet/lifestyle. I dunno if i'm really eating a lot more..or cos of the fact i'm exercising less..but i do know tat i'm putting on A LOT of weight..so much so tat i can barely squeeze into the jeans i brought over..& most of u would know..my jeans were never tight..& i could fit into them perfectly when i first came over..fastforward to 2 mths later..i have to hold my breath just to zip them up..


10. The cost of living here is DAMN high..i know i blogged about this before but tat doesn't mean i've gotten used to it..i still cannot get over the fact tat i have to pay 60penny for a packet of Ribena..& i'm toking about one packet, not one pack of 6 packets..


Case closed.

Quick Summary

Received some feedback..'demanding' to know why there were no publications of the ZXL Times over the past week or so..tat's cos yours truly was on holiday..ok, so i'm pertually on holiday..but this time it's more of a holiday holiday than my usual backpack holiday..u get wat i mean??

Many would have realised..coming back to reality(ie. work for most of out there) after a holiday means u have a lot of backlog to clear..well, i'm no exception..i need to catch up on the past few issues of ZT(ZXL Times lah) too..

A quick preview of wat's to come..

5 - 7 Aug : Skye High Adventure

8 - 10 Aug : Edinburgh & Ard

11 - 13 Aug : Driving to Rye (but ending in Reading instead)

14 Aug : Day out at Thorpe Park

Watch out for this space!

Back in the woods..

It had been a very packed one and a half weeks..going to the highlands..meeting up with ex-colleague..driving away for a weekend getaway..celebrating birthday..screaming my head off at the amusement park..

All the above have made me a very tired zxl..at the risk of sounding 'qian4 bian3'..me long time never feel so tired liao..

K, let me catch up on my sleep first & then..i will be back..

Off to scotland..

Be back to celebrate my 3rd month anniversary..


P.S. Is Adidas really buying over Reebok??

Multiplier effect?

I was chatting online to ONE pax the other day..as u would expect from an online chat..it's about some wu-ah-boh-eh stuff..like wat i'm having for breakfast & how i 'destroyed' a door..

Fastforward to the next day : Another pax commented on my breakfast menu..

Fastforward to next next day : Yet another pax asked me about my door...

Hmm..is this wat they call the multiplier effect??

Smoking to be allowed in limited areas at hawker centres ..??

Did i read the news right? Tat smoking is gonna be allowed at hawker centres from July 06? Why why why? Why are we taking a step back towards eradicating smoking??

Here in UK, they're already moving towards smoke-free pubs(which is where the british hang out) & we're doing the opp for our hawker centres(where singaporeans hang out?!)..

Why like tat..

Eureka!

Was toking to MsK just now..then suddenly, *ting! light bulb appears* I think i know why i'm always feeling hungry ever since i came over to UK liao..

For those who have not had meals wif me often enough..i'm known to have a hearty appetite even when i was in Sg..& when i eat with frens..more often than not, there'll almost always be someone who cannot finishes her food..which means i get to benefit from it :Þ

It might sound gross to some..feeding on other's leftovers..but i choose to call it 'not wasting food'..

And since i'm spending quite a bit of my time on my own here..i've no 'leftovers' to feed on..& tat explains why i'm always feeling hungry after finishing my own portion..(oh twinky twinky little star, where are u when i need u in times like this?)

There u have..my appetite hasn't really increased tat much..but then..how do i explain the 2kg gain in weight leh..??

so much value in small kindnesses

A newspaper article tat i would like to share wif everyone :

How many times have u found urself wishing u could give more? More time to friends & family, more money to charity, more support to those who need it..

Joan had hoped to do so many things to help others. She went shopping for less mobile neighbours, went with them to hospital appts or even popped in for a chat. Sometimes she felt guilty at how much she enjoyed the friendship & company she received from these people while only doing little things in return.

But, one day, the church minister produced 2 clear plastic bags. One had $1 coins in it - this represented one big act of kindess. The other bag contained $1 made up of smaller coins, each of which symbolised a small act of kindness.

Although there was the same amount of money in each bag, he pointed out how much more the 'small kindnesses' weighed.

Suddenly, Joan realised tat her approach to life was like tat bag of coins. Although the things she did for her neighbouts were small, together they added up to something weighty and of real value.

And you, my fren? How does your bag look like?

Coldest July Day in 25 years

Just heard from the news tat yesterday was the coldest day in London for the month of July for the past 25 years..no wonder lah..why i always so heng one?

And there was a tornado in Birmingham this afternoon..

The weather has really gone mad..

My Mini Achievement

Brr...it's cold today..so cold tat i got goosepimples when i sat on the toilet bowl this morning..

Had planned to blog about my trek up Snowdon & complain how hot it was the few days i was in Wales..& now? I'm wearing my xiao hong as i'm typing..english weather..@.@

K..before i blab on about the weather..yes, my trek up Snowdon..why is this trek so 'significant' for me?

I guess there're several reasons..cos it was the first 'serious' trek i had since my Nepal trip..it was the third trek/hike i had in UK(i got a bit lost on the first two..so i was a little nervous) cos it's the highest(one of the most famous) mountain in England & Wales.. & mostly, cos it was my first solo trek..

I always had the luxury of having frens/& guides wif me on trekking trips..where u know u won't die cos u took a wrong turn or if u slipped & fell..but this time, i was on my own..

Wednesday, 13 July 2005

0730 - Rise & shine..took my breakfast..4 slices of bread & 2 bowls of cereal(this is a typical breakfast for me..see how much my appetite increased?) then waited for the bus..

0904 - The frenly bus driver arrived at my stop on schedule..i like this driver! Hopped on & i'm off to 'Pen-y-pass' where i will begin my trek..

0940 - Reached the start point of the Pyg(yes, pronounced as pig) Trail..i had asked the pple in the hostel the nite before & read up my LP..this is supposed to be one of the more popular treks up..it's medium grade..takes about 5 hrs up & down..i had checked my bus timetable & had hoped to catch the 1445 bus back or the next bus would be 1745..

0945 - Off i go..it's a hot day today..but i'd rather have it hot than cold..

1045 - 1 hr later(i timed myself), i had a quick break of banana & flapjack(some ang moh snack)..so far so good..terrain not too difficult..a bit of rocks at first so there was some scrambling here & there..i missed my ACG though(i was wearing my asics)

1145 - Starting to pant a little..could see the summit liao..jia you zxl..

1230 - Ta da! Deng shan cheng gong! I did it! Self-indulge in this success for a min..heh

1231 - Take photos..arrange my 'prop'..take more photos..The summit was actually very crowded cos there's another easier way of coming up - taking the train. Every other 30 mins, a train would huff & puff its way up & unload some 50 visitors..making the top of the mountain seem like a busy sunday bazaar..

1240 - Celebration lunch - sandwich topped with some mountain dust(the wind was quite strong up there)

1250 - Decided to make my way back..scrambled down is more like it(i had a bus to catch rem?)

1400 - Reached the bottom..was quite surprised i took only about 70 mins to come down (goes to show i was really scrambling).

1445 - It was the same bus driver again..chitchatted a bit wif him on the way back..he offered to drop me off at this point along the way where i can see ospreys but i declined..had enuf 'adventure' for the day liao..besides i dun wanna wait 3 hrs for the next bus back..

1530 - Back at my hostel..took a nice shower & went down to the lounge & R&R..

1800 - We had BBQ dinner at the hostel backyard..my hostel mates 'xin xie lai chao' decided to have a BBQ..this bunch of hostel mates is the best i ever had..shall talk about them on a separate blog lah..getting too long this one..wait the website crash again..haha

Ah...BBQ under the clear blue sky..gentle breeze(for once, the weather very cooperative)..cold beer..idle chit chat..wat a perfect end to a perfect day! : )

Idle..

Tat's been my lifestyle for the past week or so..not too much a lifestyle i'd say..anyway, before i get rotten eggs hurled at me(or your pc screen)..let me remind u, this lifestyle comes at a hefty price(in british pounds, to be exact)

Not much to do these few days..not too eager to venture out to central london..(see? i do take everyone's advice & concern very seriously)..so just rot away in the 'woods' lor..

My daily routine goes something like tat :

9-ish AM : Wake up (though after 2+ mths, i still keep waking up at the wrong time in the middle of the night, courtesy of the early daybreak at 4-ish)

930-ish AM : Cook my oatmeal (yes, cook using the stove, not the instant kind & they really taste a lot better)

10-ish AM : Read the papers (they're slowly burning a hole in my pocket at 50, 60p everyday..but i can't stand the feeling of not knowing wat goes on ard me)

11-ish AM : Check my email/surf the net (& occasionally, morning tea : Þ)

12-ish PM : Prepare lunch (more often than not, it's some microwaveable meal)

1-ish PM : Lunch while watching some TV gameshow tat comes on at 1 (i can almost memorise the TV listings liao..haha)

2 - 5-ish PM : Run some errands/do housework/shopping for groceries (my fave of the 3 activities) & of cos, the obligatory afternoon tea (contributing factor to my expanding waistline)

6-ish PM : Prepare dinner or if it's not my turn..i usually rotate with the sis for this task, go for a jog(weather permitting..this is london rem?)

7-ish PM : Dinner

8 - 11-ish PM : TV time

1130-ish PM : Lights out

So, wat do u think? Rather boring hor..

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