The gathering was at the homely Hachi Tei Restaurant located at Tanjong Pagar. Tucked away along the quiet street of Telok Ayer, the family restaurant boasts a relatively comprehensive menu @ modest prices. From bento sets to soba to sashimi, there was a bit of everything for everybody. Eight of us gathered (AL & Ms C, EK & XMM, Mr K, Mr KFC and JC) for my 29 years 363 days and XMM 2x years 361 days celebration. As I welcomed (or should I say dread) the Big Three reality to hit me hard tomorrow, there was a general sense of [View Full Entry]

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The English Heritage Series Presents ..... Thursday, 28th May 2009 to Saturday 30th May 2009 Coming close to my last few days in the United Kingdom and possibly my final entry in this series. I decided to devote my remaining time in UK to the appreciation of the English Heritage. 1) The historic Dover Castle and the White Cliffs along the south eastern coast of UK..... Dover Castle was never part of my travel plans. It was fortunate that I managed to devote one full day after dropping my Cambridge itinerary and visit this historical relic. S [View Full Entry]

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Day 7: Wednesday, 27th May 2009 A day return trip to Shakespeare's hometown, Stratford-Upon-Avon did not come in cheap. I had to slice $66 from my travel budget for the transportation. Another $24 was spent for the admissions to the three houses of the Shakespeare's family. Straford was highly recommended by my great pal B who believed that I would fall in love with this charming town for its tudor style houses. True enough, the town did not disappoint as I devoted my entire day taking in the details of Stratford. Armed with my Shakespeare's Explorer Ticket, I was at th [View Full Entry]

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The hometowns of William Shakespeare (Stratford-Upon-Avon) and Roald Dahl (Great Missenden) are well within striking distance by rail from Central London. After staying committed in London for the past few days, it was time for a change, to embark on a series of day-tripping excursions to complete my UK campaign. Day 6: Tuesday, 26th May 2009 London Marylebone Station was where my love affair for the townships started. This was a small station managed by the Chiltern Railways Group. Finding the correct train to my destination was easy as the trains were [View Full Entry]

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11 Days the Best of London & Beyond * Most comprehensive coverage of all central London attractions * Historic ride on the London Eye * Mamma Mia and Sister Act the musicals @ London's West End* Discover the best of English Heritage @ Dover Castle & the Stonehenge * Shopping spree @ Regent Street, Oxford Circus, Camden & Spitafield Markets * Explore the hometowns of William Shakespeare and Roald Dahl by rail * Be a King & Queen for the day @ Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle Day 1: Thursday, 21st May 2009 10.50pm - Overnig [View Full Entry]

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Day 4 ~ Monday, 25th May 2009 Small is beautiful as I checked into Easy Hotel Earls Court for my next 5 nights after bidding farewell to R this morning. R took time from his busy schedule to prepare what my final meal at his place. Pork spaghetti with plenty of veggies. Yummy I've a room to call my own even though this would be the smallest room I've stayed. The toilet was barely the size of a cubicle. The plus side was the room was kept impeccably clean and bright with its orange finishing. Earls Court neighbourhood boasted plenty of [View Full Entry]

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I'm glad to be here today From the time I arrived till the day I left, I still rate catching Mamma Mia, the musical @ London's West End as one of the highlights of my stay. My seat may not be the best in the house, I still enjoyed the experience. The audiences were up from their seats towards the final curtain call and gave the production an overwhelming response. Something which I have not yet seen in Singapore. We ate at a Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown for dinner. It's finally rice time today! I enjoyed the travel experience with the [View Full Entry]

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Start: Friday, 22nd May 2009, 5.10am End: Saturday, 30th May 2009, 9.25pm I spent my first four days in London doing what an average visitor would comprehend. Absorbing the sights and smells of this sprawling capital, home to 7.6 million Britons. The city of London is served by 12 Underground Lines dating back from 1863. At one glance, the network seemed like a complicated plate of colourful spagetti. After a day or two, it was relatively easy to navigate through the mazes of tunnels and exits at major stations. At its best, the Underground was efficient to beat the traff [View Full Entry]

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Sunday, 24th May 2009 ~ 5.44pm Location: Clayponds, West London (25 minutes by train from Central London) 3 days into London, I'm still trying to recover from the ill-effects of the 7 hour jet-lag. Pardon me if I do not sound logical in this entry. In a way, this served to reassure my folks at home that I'm still doing well in a foreign land. With 7 more days to go, I am now sitting in the comfort of R's room trying to pen out my thoughts before my memory starts failing me. No more sightseeing for me as my whole [View Full Entry]

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Happy C’s 2Xth Birthday We gotten a nice birthday card for C’s birthday 2 days ago. As a staunch doggie lover, we’re so sure that she’s going to love it. The setting was perfect - nice food, nice company. Until we realized that we have given her exactly the same card on her birthday 2 years ago. Boy, is our memory failing us? And she lamented later, she’s going to remember us for life. And of course, we didn’t mind. I’m glad we’ve been great friends all these while.... [View Full Entry]

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