High up somewhere... somehow... there happens to be a castle there for everyone.... one that u might have thought about when u are in school
daydreaming... one that u might have pretended while u were playing in kindergarten.. one that along the way u woke up... growing up you
somehow forgotten... but when u close ur eyes it starts again... thinking of it... living it... fulfilling it... building that castle even
if
its jus in the Clouds...
Saturday, April 12, 2008
London (8th - 12th April)
Jen says: Red double decker buses, red phone booth, red mailbox, the Underground, London cabs.. these are things you see in London which tell you hey you are in London! A city with diversity of colors - the Whites, the Blacks & Asians. This is the easiest leg of the trip I must say with everything in English and Londeners are a friendly bunch. Familiar brands like Marks & Spencer, TopShop, Zara just to name a few and NO the only thing I bought was groceries. I must say it is a struggle. Marks & Spencer is a favourite of ours. Not only a place to warm ourselves but an eye opener. They have everything ranging from ready-to-eat, fruits & vegetables, meats & fish, cakes & pastries, juices and even Cola under their branding. I did bought an indulgence of Yogurt & Museli to add a tinge of excitement to my lunch.
The first day was a 22 hours marathon (7 hours behind Singapore). We are staying with a friend in Northern London in a 3 storey house with other 8 housemates (5 Polish, 1 Greek, 1 Japanese & herself). A nice neighbourhood with supermarkets accessible within walking distance. Journey to central takes about 1 hour. Bus is a cheaper alternative £0.90 per trip regardless the distance. The weather is chilly at about 4 - 7°c.
First stop in London - Hyde Park. I love the trees in London as they are bare after winter and the buds are flowering. Sitting on the grass looking at the lake with ducks lazing around is mm Life and of course it comes with a price. (We were questioned by the immigration officer for 5 mins regarding our employment status. Haha) There is a Diana Memorial Fountain in the park in a modern design. The design aims to reflect Diana's life, water flows from the highest point in two directions as it cascades, swirls and bubbles before meeting in a calm pool at the bottom.
Harrods is a playground with 5 storey of different departments and sections. Luxury brands of clothing, shoes, handbags & cosmetics all under 1 roof. The food hall is WOW! Chocolates, cakes, tea, fresh cuts, cheese, you name it you have it. We had a hard time resisting the temptation but the price tag is enough to say No thank you. Can you imagine how festive it is going to be during Christmas? Oh yeah, I ate Krispy Kreme donuts, 2 of them to be exact DELICIOUS! It melts in your mouth (Karen, it is so good!)
Starbucks is everywhere like Singapore and most importantly it costs relatively the same. We resorted to buying coffee and taking a nap on the couch as I was so tired staying awake. Our friend went on a day trip and will only be back at 10pm. McDonald's was another indulgence. It cost SGD$10 for a meal.
Breakfast is mainly bread. I have managed to talk my way into buying EGGS & HAM from only tomatoes & lettuce! I am not the one holding onto the purse string. It is a suggest - discuss - negotiate situation. We had pasta with chicken last night and today's menu is Rivioli with Salmon & Dill. It was so cold yesterday that a cone of French Fries look so tempting. It cost £1.70 which is SGD$4.70. Negotiation didn't work out so we left. In the end, Alvin wants to SURPRISE me with the french fries but the shop was close. Can you imagine someone surprising you with a packet of french fries? It works here.
London Eye and the Big Ben is a MUST SEE! Totally gorgeous and breath-taking. Check out the pictures in Flickr. While we were around the area, we were invited to sign a petition for Equal Rights & benefits for the other coloured Londoners. That's the cause of walking towards a big crowd out of curiousity and we got a green ribbon.
Yesterday, it rained the first time in London and the wind was so strong that I was almost blown away. In the rain, we saw London Bridge and it was disappointing. The tower bridge right ahead stole the show and all of us assumed it is the famous London Bridge. The interesting thing about walking around is you discover beautiful finds like small alleys. One of the finds: Amazing shops like Habitat selling furniture & Paperchase selling beautiful stationeries, papers and art supplies around Tottenham Court Road.
Shufenie, this is so YOU! I wanted to buy but £25. So I can only secretly take a picture of her and share it with you virtually.
Borough Market is London’s oldest food market. Totally fascinated with the fresh cheese, olives, breads, meat, fish, vegetables and fruit & HARES. The interesting thing is the traders. If you’re not familiar with the products on the stalls, or you’re not sure how to cook it, just ask: the traders will be delighted to tell you about their specialities, where they come from and how to make the most of them. Some of them grow or rear what they are selling and they are all FRESH.
I am suffering from frost bite and my delicate skin is red and patchy. Staying in on a Saturday to stay out of the cold and rest my skin with lots of moisturiser. This entry is long due and I have to keep you guys updated. The blog skin wasn't the initial idea but this was cute and it went hand in hand with our title. Why this title? I will leave it to my baby to explain if he intends to. I am going to eat my mee goreng lunch, supermarketing and maybe laundry later.
Behold the king and queen of this castle... kneel and be knighted... and join into the leagues of the dreamers...
please do leave a tag at the board. plenty of loves, have fun at the rainbow!
