East.Side.Back.Street: Paris 28

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Paris 28

UK has been amazing. The photos I took earlier of Loughborough are not with me as my SD card is damaged. But overall Loughborough is a peaceful and calm countryside with vast scenery. More of a rural landscape with hills and cows and pastures rather than urban shopping and architectures. A nice place for retirement really. I am very glad to see that Blackie and Ivy have settled in there so well. Blackie has a car and is living with 3 other girls in a safe neighbourhood. He mixes very well with the people over there and I can tell that he is happy. I am very happy for him. Ivy was a great host to us, preparing all sorts of meals for us, like pastas and hotpots, and acceding to our requests without complaints. We had fireworks during New Year's Eve, as they are legal there. But the ones we had were kind of 'budget' haha unlike our neighbours' ones which were pretty solid. After we left, we saw that one of the Chinese student's car's window got smashed, and it was not the first time. I think some UK gangsters were hanging around the neighbourhood and were always trying to pick trouble with the Chinese, which explains Blackie's choice for moving into a safer neighbourhood, although slightly more expensive. Anyway Blackie, time for your studies! Concentrate and do well man! You can do it!

At Blackie's fren's house

The low-budget fireworks

Eating the breakfast Ivy prepared for us

At Nottingham

An open door ice skating ring

At the caves of Nottingham. These man-made caves are spread all over Nottingham where people used to stay in to seek refuge from air raids during WW2. Lola is helping out down here

Chelsea won Newcastle 2-1. The Newcastle fans, called Jordies, were very enthusiastic in their support but were really fierce as well. They were standing and singing throughout the match and the guy standing behind Laura looked and sounded as if he was going to kill someone. "Go get them Boys!!" No Terry, Ashley Cole, Lampard, Drogba, Shevchenko, Carvalho and Cech missing either due to suspension or injury, but we saw some big names like Ballack who captained Chelsea for the first time, Joe Cole, SWR, Wayne Bridge who played well, and on the Newcastle side Alan Smith, Duff, Given, Owen and Viduka. The most important thing, of course, was that Chelsea got their 3 points.

Shay Given doing his funny warm up

Angry fans

Lola, a true blue fan too :), with her idol Drogba

We visited the Emirates Stadium too, but the tour was sold out. The tours in England were more expensive and commercialized than the ones in Spain

At London, Laura and I stayed at the place of Laura’s uncles’ friend, Uncle Foo. Uncle Foo and his wife were around 60 years old, and they were very kind and hospitable people. They made sure that we felt like we were at home, and also prepared nice dim sums for us and dishes which we have not tasted for a long time, like chicken curry, lotus/peanut soup and roasted duck for us. Uncle Foo is a knowledgeable man who has lived in London since 1969, and all of us spent many hours around the dining table talking about past and current affairs. We had a very good time there as well. 3 days in London is not enough, and probably I'll be heading back again in late January. Sis, please tell mama I'm trying to arrange my tickets to go back earlier, but probably not THAT early.

Uncle Foo and Aunt Maria, preparing a feast for us

Lola and her fren, Pui San, in front of the London Eye. PS is on scholarship, and with her massive allowance, I think people really do get rewarded very well for studying well

In front of the Tower Bridge

Big Ben

At the Chinatown. There's a saying that if you want to experience English life, do not go to London, as there are many Chinese there. London's Chinatown is massive. It was where we bought our 4 seasons duck and egg tarts for Blackie's New Year gathering

At Hyde Park, where Singapore's Speaker's Corner concept was adapted. We did not see anyone giving speeches there though. Maybe because it was New Year's Eve

London Bridge

Back in Loughborough. On our way to Bradgate Park. Saw cows, horses and sheeps grazing. Very misty day. Saw no reindeers. Only reindeers' shit everywhere