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 loss as I said goodbye to my twenties. Enter a threshold of a new era and a new phase of “Uncle Hood” which I needed sometime to come to terms to. It was always fun ... read more

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. Set over a thousand years ago, the Dover Castle had witnessed centuries of wars and peace, of victories and defeats. Of particular interests to me were the visits to the secret war-time tunnels which housed the underground hospital and the ... read more

"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 clearly signposted to their final destination. Before long, the landscapes outside my window changed from the urban monolitic structures to the green mellows of the English countryside. The weather in late May was soothing and certainly ideal for sightseeing. I was glad I came ... read more

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 exception of the food. Too much sandwiches and salads just didn't go well with my stomach. London's Chinatown is tiny, with only two streets of shops and restaurants. But it was nice to soak up ... read more

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 over here. In a way, this entry 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 body had grown tired today. Friday, 22nd May 2009 ~ 5.30am The British Airways Flight (BA12) landed 20 minutes behind schedule at the London Heathrow Terminal 4 after cruising through the skies for more than ... read more