A Great Month of August!

My official last day in Starbucks was in July. So, I took the month of August to travel...it was quite a journey...even though I did it in 4 blocks. It wasn't the type of trip where I do as many in as short a period of time possible. In fact, I would say it's quite luxurious..haha..other than the fact, we walked alot, stayed in hostels and have bread/salami for almost every meal....for
one month!!!! YEAH...I think I have had enough bread, salami and cheese breakfast which would last me for a year!

So, where did I go..chronologically..Budapest, Vienna, Czech Republic, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich/Blackforest and last stop Turkey. Kinda like 3 days in each city. For some, 3 days were a little too long...we sort of finished most of the cities in one n a half day. Of all the cities, I didn't enjoy Budapest and Vienna. Cappadocia in Turkey was really interesting! Istanbul would be memorable as I celebrated my birthday there with 5 other friends..I mean..how often can that happen? It was a good one!! :) That aside, Istanbul felt like home..the weather and people...

I came back to London on the 1st of September...had a holiday withdrawal. sigh...well, it was just money going out.. tho...

My other aspects of life..been thinking alot lately, trying to make the best of my time here. I have just signed up for a french course..Hopefully it will turn out to be a good decision...as it costs me some money..

I have also recently taking chances...one example would be I actually replied to an ad on a website..under the heading looking for friends..LOL...to be honest, I didn't intend to find a friend through a website, I mean there are a lot of weird people out there. I replied to one because of the heading..it was out of pure curiosity and feeling cheeky ..but the reply from the person sounded sane..so I decided to keep in touch...who knows..there are still goodness n nice people out there..will see how this goes..

I am also currently thinking of getting my masters..just for paper qualification sake..but have to do more research in terms of funding...

Autumn is beautiful now in London..temperature is good..enjoy the sun while I can..hehe

The clock is ticking..time if flying ...do my best n hope for the best!

UNTITLED

Across the dark blue sky,
A flash of light so bright,
Like a fallen star,
You came into my life.

From the bottom of my heart...I smile,
Thinking of you I so adore,
Wishing that we'd met earlier,
When there's a chance of something more.

Hiding under a cupid's spell,
I can't help but to wonder,
Because we get along so well,
Could there be a chance of us together?



For you whom I can only dream,
Because of you I am inspired...
At heart I wish you knew.

1 year, 1 month and 3 days....

Yup...It has been that long...since I reached London Heathrow last year with just two luggages...I must admit that this venture must be one of the bravest decisions which I have made in my life for myself...and now I can say, I don't regret it...

I am currently in between jobs, in a less refined phrase..well, m jobless....:( Yups..no income, just outcome...It is a good break from all the different kind of jobs I have been taking on...and FINALLY I am about the enjoy the fruits....:) As much as I am looking forward to it, I am also quite scared of it..looking at my schedules..haha...but it's all good. I haven't really have a day of nothing-to-do day ever since I stopped work, which in a way it's a good thing..I truly enjoy keeping myself occupied and feeling "important"...

So, I am going to travel quite a bit in August which is one of the main reasons I came over to England. After August, one of my resolutions for this year will be accomplished!! woo hoooo....at least 6 countries..:p I am going to be broke too,..this must be the most expensive birthday gift to myself so far in my life!

Nothing really much have happened since my last update..really. I cut my hair just 3 days ago...A haircut in London generally costs about GBP30 to GBP50. I certainly can't afford it...so I went for the GBP5 student cut by the Vidal Sassoon Academy..it has been recommended by quite a few ppl..so I decided to go for it. It is truly just GBP5, but I spent about 3 hours plus sitting on the chair, just for a simple trim n reshape..sigh...well, I guess when you don't pay the price, you pay with your patience. It was good though, I am happy with it.

On other aspects of my life, hmm...well, I went for lunch with a new friend...it's worth mentioning because I had a great lunch company. :) oh well...yeah..I am smitten..I must admit..but I hope it passes....sighhhhhhhhhhhhh....

Recently too, I got a text from a friend saying that a very adored director, Yasmin Ahmad has left us..I was truly shocked by the news..and still is. It is a BIG loss to the film industry in Malaysia and to us who has known her as a friend, we will certainly miss her. Life is way too unexpected...You will never know what comes next...so, cherish today and live your best!! For those whom I have met along the way so far, we met for a reason...you have made a mark in my life..thank you! :)

This pic is taken after two days...the haircut looks much better when I walked out of the place..hehe

Almost A Year...:)

It's HOT!! Yes, I can't believe it myself..saying that in London...although if I say that outloud in a park I would probably screamed at...:p

The days are getting longer..weather getting hotter...it's SUMMER! that also marks my one year in London...it truly flew by, but if I were to sit down and write all the things I did in the last one year, it would make me smile..I had travelled quite a bit and met a lot of nice people..some I believe would be a friend for a long time...

The recent loss of my aunt made me realise that we will leave this world one day! So, while we are still here, make the best out of everyday. I have been working really hard, juggling a few jobs..trying to make as much as I can so that I can see and do more before leaving this country. Some of the things I did in the last two weeks or so include going for "Wicked" the musical which I truly enjoyed, made a road trip to Lake District and a one day trip to Bath, Salisbury and Stonehenge. I have also actively met up with group of strangers and trying to make new friends...

So, what else is keeping me alive or should I say...smiling...:p I wish I can say I met someone special...but unfortunately NO!! But I do meet an almost perfect man...which make me believe that there are still hope out there..!! Lets see...he is hardworking, quite good looking, non-smoker/clubber, wanna build a family, friendly, good dressing sense, loving father...sighhh....

And she has left...for good...

It has been weird the last few days...I tried preparing myself mentally, and yet I couldn't...Everytime my phone receives an sms, I was worried that it's a msg from my mum telling me the bad news..but up to this morning, I never receive any msg from my mum.

I knew they are bringing her home today, Thursday morning in Penang. When I went to bed last night, I was mentally prepared to receive a sms when I wake up this morning. But I did not. So, on the bus to work, I called home to ask. I heard my mum's voice on the other side, "Lu ei 3-ee bo liou"....I didn't know what to say..but just asked if she made it home before leaving us..and mum said, "Yes, she did".."She passed away after about 10 minutes.."

I wrote a poem for her..as I really can't think of anything else which I could do. This poem would be "given" to her by my cousin on my behalf.

My dearest 3-ee,
Am really sad that you've left us,
That I couldn't bid farewell,
That I couldn't remember the last we spoke,
Or the last time I held you close.

I would truly like you to know,
That you will always be remembered,
As the aunt who brought me up,
Whom I shared my secrets with,
Whom I laughed and cried with,
Whom I've loved and will always do.

You will be missed dearly,
Today and every day to come,
In my heart, I will always love you,
For you are my one and only 3-ee.

Rest in peace.

With love, Ah Na.

I can't exactly describe the feeling I am feeling right now..it's a mixture of everything..:( I hope she is in a better place..a place where she is not hurting or in pain anymore...

The sunshine..the blooming flowers..O so pretty..

A month has passed by once again...One month and lots had happened, so I can't really complain...

I attended a very good friend's wedding in a land they call Down Under..:p It's a trip planned since many months ago...and is finally over. I spent 2 weeks with my very good friends in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth...just being us..driving around..and catching up...It's not an easy trip, very exhausting..but fulfilling...

So, about the wedding...Yeah, primarily the trip is for Deanna, the bride. She asked me to be her bridesmaid even before I have the idea of coming to London and I kept my promise. It was quite an adventure for all of us to plan the bridesmaids' gowns and etc because the 3 of us are at 3 different continent! The bride, myself and the other bridesmaid..but we made it!! The wedding would be the first wedding of a very close friend which I have attended so far. It's was very touching..she had hers very personal, only with those who truly care...from the ceremony to the reception, everything was well planned and pretty. ooo...I have to share these 2 quotes which I learnt from my trip.

1. "LOVE IS A DECISION."

2. From the groom's dad to the groom. "When you are wrong, just admit it. When you are right,
just shut up."

After the Australia trip, I came back to London. WOW...What a change in 2 weeks..the day is so much longer now.., weather is good despite the rain and the blooming flowers! It's good to be home. :) After about 9 days, I left again to Amsterdam. Amsterdam is very eye-opening. I managed to visit the House of Anne Frank, Keukenhof garden and well the famous red light district. The coffee shops and the sex toys are ..just totally in a category on its own. And yeah..I had a "vanilla muffin" which didn't quite give me anything else other than blood shot eyes. Out of my 3 days trip, I managed to go to Leiden and also Rotterdam for a day. Leiden is boring while Rotterdam is just another city with skyscrapers.

Oh well, back to work. Times are really bad here..every sector are affected by the credit crunch. I also kinda lost my chinese takeaway job cos they are having very quiet times and don't really need an extra hand. sighhhh...

Anyway, here are some pics..I have uploaded more in my facebook.

At Keukenhof...

The red light district..

With the bride and groom...

At Cottlestoe sunset..supposed to be one of the best in the world..

At the 12 Apostles...

Since last update...

It's been tougher and tougher for me to find the time to write, to rest or just being...I guess that's cos I have to juggle 3 to 4 jobs in a week...which could sometimes means waking up at 4.40am and work till 10.30pm. Yeah..I work hard...but I also intend to play hard..I deserve every single penny that I earn...Every week must do "something"..anything really..whether it's a theatre, a movie or a trip or even clubbing...

Since my last update, lots have happened. I went to Eastbourne for a day trip with 4 other friends. It was my first road trip and my first visit to the English Channel. Eastbourne is like one of my friends said, "It's like a town stucked in time!" She is right...everything seems extra slow there..people walk at a slower pace..nothing seems to be in rush..which is really good for me. It really reminded me of the joy of simple living...almost 360 degree as compared to life in London. There is nothing much in Eastbourne, but the visit to Beachy Head for the Seven Sisters is well worth the journey! I was truly amazed by the wonders of nature when I was standing there, feeling the chilly breeze brushing my cheeks with the towering white cliffs and sound of the wave hitting the endless stoney beach...I felt so small as a human and humbled by the grandeur of the natural world. Neither the highest building nor the biggest man-made pool can ever give u the same feeling...

So, I also finally made a trip to Richmond..It's just about 30 minutes from London zone 1 but it's soooo different..in a good way. I wished it didn't rain that day though, which has certainly made my trip much shorter than intended. Liked what I saw for the brief few hours I was there, just walking with Chew Ping and Eow..so, will definitely make another trip there ..hopefully better luck in weather next time.

I also had my first big screen cinematic experience for the 1st time in London in the last 8 months. There was a double bill promotion in Riverside Studios for "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Kite Runner" for gbp7.50. I decided to go for it because I truly wanted to watch Slumdog Millionaire. It was a nice small independent theatre and I am glad I treated myself for the movie night. Although I have seen "Kite Runner", I still teared...almost from beginning to end...lol....as for "Slumdog Millionaire", I really enjoyed it...

Life's short...work hard, play hard..:)