LIFE

Stumbled upon a blog today.
One that belonged to Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielson aka Nie.
A survivor who returned "from a almost fatal plane crash [and] happy to be blogging again".

Had taken some time to read through her blog.
And perhaps, instead of calling it a blog, it's a better fit to call it a reminder of LIFE - to treasure and appreciate every single living moment. To be grateful for every breath that we take. And to learn to lean on family.

Through the pictures that she took, and through the words that she'd shared, it's not hard to be touched.

Perhaps, just perhaps, it's time to re-look at how we live our 1st life... 'coz a 2nd life may not come again.

Travelogue (Scotland/ London) - Part 5 (FINAL)

Day 8 – 2nd May (Sat)
6.45am

Finally reached Victoria Coach Station, London. BREATHEeeeeeeee!!!

Decided that I was too “traumatized” for the day and resigned to taking things slowly for a while – this meant that I did almost nothing except to laze around in Uma’s home.


Day 9 – 3rd May (Sun)

Hooray! Got my energy level back up and joined Uma and Joe for their trip to the Columbia Road Flower Market.



Followed by a trip to the nearby Brick Lane market…



And the Sunday Up market...



And lastly, the Old Spitalfields Market.



We popped by Petticoat Lane Market too. But unfortunately, we were there too late and all the stalls were gone :(

Having walked around the whole day, we then decided to head back to Uma’s to prepare for dinner. Just as we were about to get started, their friends popped by so we ended up going to the nearby pub for a drink whilst playing boules at a nearby park. Just in case you were confused, we ordered drinks from the pub and brought them to the park.

It was cold and it took me a while to get accustomed to the game. But it was great fun.

After a while, we went back to Uma’s and they started preparing two versions of Sheppard’s pie on one tray – one based on the original recipe and the other non-veggie (for me)! Once we had a hearty dinner, we settled down for a game of MOODS - a board game where you were supposed to pick a mood card to dictate the tone and manner in which you read out the sentence from another card. The sentences were random so you could find yourself saying things like “I want to puke” in a flirty manner or etc. Well, let’s just say that you could end up in really awkward and/or funny scenarios whilst playing the game. Haha.


Day 9 – 4th May (Mon)
Around 9.30am

Uma and I woke up darn early to get to Madame Tussauds. We had bought tickets the night before via lastminute.com at a cheaper rate and it was stated that we needed to be there before 10am for collection and entry. We thought we were early but we were so wrong. There were already loads of people queuing in front of us even before the museum opened. Nevertheless, we got into the museum and started taking silly pictures with the famous at once…



As we were the first to step into Zach’s display area, two staff promptly ambushed us with four pompoms and cajoled us to stand near Zach for a picture. We were very surprised by the sudden attention and wanted to decline initially as it was kinda embarrassing. But soon, people began pouring into the room and the two staff looked at us with the “please do it” kind of eyes… so we did it in the end…

Ta-da!




12 noon

Bade Uma goodbye and went off to Victoria station to meet Xiao Xu, PC’s Taiwanese web mate. After which, we headed on to Chinatown to have steamboat for lunch. Along the way, we bumped into a peaceful protest being carried out at Chinatown.




2pm

Bade Xiao Xu goodbye and went on alone to O2 to catch Body Worlds!



People had warned me about going to Body Worlds as most probably I would walk out feeling disgusted and uncomfortable. But it turned out to be quite ok for me though I did “hallucinate” for a while when I was walking through the exhibits thinking that some of the bodies hanging from the top would fell on me. If that really happened, then I would be really disturbed.

I even bought the book for reading (though I have yet to get started on it).


7pm

My hallucinations came back when Uma offered meat for dinner. So I decided to become non-carnivore for the day – i.e.: although I wasn’t going to take meat, I wasn’t about to start taking veggies either. I’d settled for something starchy instead. I turned to Maggie Curry Mee for comfort.

In fact, if I remembered correctly, I was literally pestering and ‘begging’ Uma to give me that pack of mee. I was badly craving for it since I returned from Scotland. I kinda regretted stuffing too much calorie bars and not having enough space to carry some spicy Korean instant noodles or cup noodles over. Darn!


Day 10 – 5th May (Tues)
8am

Almost missed my coach to Bath Spa by a mere minute or so. Had paid £16 for the return trip and was looking forward to seeing the small town.


11.20am

Finally reached Bath Spa! While I was there, I visited the Roman Baths Museum (admission cost £11)…



The Pulteney Bridge (below’s the view from the bridge)…



The Guildhall Market and The Royal Crescent. I wasn’t a spa kind of person so I gave the spa institutions a miss. All in all, Bath Spa is a beautiful and peaceful place. But it could get a little boring for people who weren’t into spa treatments. So if you were like me, perhaps a half day tour would be good enough.

Some other intesting sights that I had chanced upon…




9.30pm

Went back to Uma’s but she was down with flu. So I popped by a nearby Chinese eatery, bought some food and went back up again to have dinner together.


Day 11 – 6th May (Wed)

Took my own sweet time to wake up late that morning, before heading down to Queens Theatre to catch the musical, Les Miserables. Had gotten the ticket at half price (£18.10) via lastminute.com the night before. It turned out to be a really good musical that made me shed quite a few tears. But I still preferred the voice behind Corset a few years back though. :P



After the musical had ended, Adeline and I met up for Korean dinner near Chinatown and caught up on the good old days.



We even spent some time exploring Top Shop, H&M and etc along Oxford Street and Regent Street! Too bad Uma was still down with the flu bug then and couldn’t join us.


Day 12 – 7th May (Thurs)

It was drizzling when I reached the Buckingham Palace in the morning (around 10 or 11am). But that didn’t stop the crowd that had gathered way in advanced to see the changing of guards. I too, found a space to squeeze in and waited for the excitement to start.



What surprised me was that the changing of guards included a musical ritual where two royal bands took turns to perform a series of songs from classical to classic pop (i.e.: star wars and one other pop tune that I couldn’t recall now). It was pretty entertaining actually and could be quite funny as well when you noticed one of the band members was trying hard not to groove to the tune while playing his instrument.


Around 12 noon

Decided to leave the changing of guards ceremony that was still in progress for shopping along Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.


Around 5.30pm

Popped by Chinatown again for a quick dinner at a small Japanese restaurant tucked in one of the back lanes.


7pm

Found my way to the Apollo Victoria Theatre with my barang barang and got ready to watch Wicked, the musical!



The set was amazing and the musical was really great.



You could tell that all the performers had put in their 101% effort and their vocals just simply blew me away! After the musical had ended, I rushed to the counter and wanted to get a copy of the soundtrack. But soon I realized that it was recorded by the US cast and not the London cast that I had just watched. So I decided not to buy the soundtrack and went back to Uma’s. After all, I hadn’t seen the performance of the US cast and it was the London cast that had wowed me. So I really couldn’t think of any other reason why I should buy it. Sigh. Hopefully there would be a London cast’s version soon.


Day 13 – 8th May (Fri)

It was drizzling again that morning as I made my way down to Westminster. Somehow, the weather kinda made me lose my interest to really explore The Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben…



And the Westminster Abbey (a UNESCO site). Just the queue alone freaked me out. And what you see in the picture below was just a fraction of the actual queue length.



As I walked on, I noticed another protest taking place opposite The Houses of Parliament. Hmmm… wondered if protests were a usual sight in London…



I continued my walk down to Nelson’s Column and on with my last minute shopping to get presents for my family.




Around 5.30pm

Bought dinner from McDonald's (around Piccadilly Circus area) and went back to Uma’s to rest for a while before my departure back to Singapore. Strangely, the food was a lot less oily than in Singapore's. It actually was very juicy. But Singapore's version of fries tasted better and crisper. If only I could have the best of both worlds back in Singapore.


Around 7.15pm

Met up with Uma halfway through to Heathrow airport. Throughout the journey, I was trying hard not to laugh out loud or to strangle her as she went on and on about Fruits Basket (a manga series turned anime) and how the rat would turn into human and etc, which didn’t make any sense to me at all. I bet the other passengers on board must have been thinking what these two mad Asian girls were talking about.

Once we reached Heathrow, we grabbed ourselves some snacks over at Starbucks and chatted away until it was time for me to board my plane.

London to me, was a place that I would dread staying for long as it kinda sucked up my energy and left me feeling down and a little lethargic for some strange reason which I couldn’t really put a finger to. Perhaps it was the weather. Or perhaps it was the way things were done or looked.

Scotland on the other hand, though not a shopper’s heaven like London, was a peaceful place where I could perhaps stay on for a longer period (but not indefinitely). I especially liked the Highlands as it gave me a sense of peace. The air was fresh and the people were friendly and passionate about nature. But I don’t know how to drive, which is a huge barrier to wanting to live on the highlands as there were no other popular forms of transport.

I guess I’m best suited for Singapore after all. Hmmm…

Travelogue (Scotland/ London) - Part 4

Day 5 – 29th April (Wed)
9am

It was time for us to leave Portree and head back to Edinburgh. En route, we made a brief stop at Eilean Donan castle (admission costs £4), where it was used as one of the sets on “Highlander”. I was only able to take photos of the exterior as photography within the premise was prohibited.



Following which, Karen drove us to a higher ground to have a better view of the castle.



After a while, we proceeded past the 5 Sisters of Kintail and made a lunch break stop at Fort Augustus - one of the popular towns that sat along Loch Ness.

The weather was chilly but Emily, Emma and I decided to bring our food outdoors, beside the Caledonian Canal and enjoy the scenery before us. As they had already prepared their lunch before our departure from the backpackers’ inn, I went in search of my lunch alone and chanced upon the shop below that sold very fresh and crispy fish n chips. Yummy!



We also made a brief stop at Pitlochry, a small Victorian-styled town, for a cup of hot chocolate. But since it was past 5pm and most of the shops were closed, I didn’t manage to really shop or explore around.



Nearing Edinburgh...



When we finally reached Edinburgh, I felt kinda sad as the wonderful tour had come to an end and it was time for all of us to say goodbye. We gave each other a hug, a wave and finally a smile before we each went away on our separate ways. I was really glad that I had joined the tour as I had made so many fond memories. Perhaps one day, we will meet again…


Day 6 – 30th April (Thurs)

Started the day by looking around for an Internet café to book and print out my ticket to London. But after searching high and low, I realized that most of the Internet cafes in Edinburgh did not have printers. Thus, I decided to try my luck at the local library. And viola! I struck gold. As I was a cheapo traveler who wanted to save as much money as possible, I checked myself into the cheapest fare, and the earliest travel date was on 1st May.

After finalizing my ticket, I made my way to The Elephant House – the café which was said to have given J.K. Rowling the inspiration on Harry Potter. It was situated close to a university and had a steady stream of students and young working adults. The food’s ok but cost a little bit more when compared to nearby eateries which were targeted at the school crowd.


Location: 21 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EN

Having filled my stomach, I went on to explore…

The Museum of Childhood (free admission but donation was much appreciated) along High Street…



Past the shop that sold X’mas-related items whole year round...



Bought fudge and Scottish traditional butter tablet from the most established fudge-maker in edinburgh (which I kinda forgot I had them in my luggage until it went stale by the time I recalled having bought them)...



And headed back to St Christopher’s inn (the backpacker hostel that I had checked into) for a short rest before heading out to the annual Beltane Fire Festival (online booking cost £5) held on Calton Hill in the evening.



I was there on the hill from around 8pm but the festival begun only at 10.30pm. By then, I was freezing on the hill and trying very hard to stay agile (standing on a boulder and balancing myself for a better view whilst holding my camera and making sure that others nearby don’t come bumping into me). What followed after the opening ceremony was that the performers broke into smaller groups, spaced themselves out on the different parts of the hills so that the crowd could break into smaller groups to view the respective performances. However, the performances took quite a while to get started and the crowd was simply too big for me to get a really good view. In the end, I decided to ‘abandon’ the festival and made my way down the hill, along with many others who were freezing like I was.

All in all, I didn’t quite enjoy the festival as I thought I would. Perhaps it would have been a better experience if there were lots more performers and better scheduling of the performances. But for those who like to have a beer in hand and chat away with friends on the hill, it may still be an event to look forward to.


Day 7 – 1st May (Fri)
9.45am

Turned up at the steps of Rabbies again. This time round, it was for the one-day Da Vinci Code and the Scottish borders tour (which cost £23).

First stop – A look at Scott’s View from a higher ground; where you could easily spot the Tweed Valley and the Eildon Hills…



Followed by a visit to the Wallace Monument...



And a stopover at Melrose for lunch.

As I had a bit of time to spare during our stopover at Melrose, I took the chance to visit the Melrose Abbey remains (admission cost £4.68 after special tour group discount). According to Wikipedia (yes, I’m quoting again as I’m too lazy to type out every single note I took :P):

“Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, on the request of King David I of Scotland. It was headed by the Abbo or Commendator of Melrose. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Scotland (open all year; entrance charge). The ruins of Melrose are widely considered among the most beautiful of religious houses in the United Kingdom, being especially notable for a wealth of well-preserved figure-sculpture, and its architecture is considered to be some of the finest in Scotland.

The east end of the abbey was completed in 1146. Other buildings in the complex were added over the next 50 years. The abbey was built in the form of a St. John's cross. A considerable portion of the abbey is now in ruins, though a structure dating from 1590 is maintained as a museum open to the public.

Alexander II and other Scottish kings and nobles are buried at the abbey. The embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce is also said to rest on the abbey's grounds, while the rest of his body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey. In 1812, a stone coffin that some speculated was that of Michael Scot the philosopher and "wizard", was found in an aisle in the abbey's south chancel.

It is known for its many carved decorative details, including likenesses of saints, dragons, gargoyles and plants. On one of the abbey's stairways is an inscription by John Morow, a master mason, that says: "Be halde to ye hende" (Keep in mind, the end, your salvation), which has become the motto of the town of Melrose.”



Next stop - Rosslyn Chapel (admission cost £7.50)...



Photography within the premise was forbidden so I ended up taking photos of only the facade. If you noticed, there was a steel canopy and repair structure on the exterior. Apparently, these were already in place in 1997, before “The Da Vinci Code” movie was made. So what Hollywood did was to construct a replica of the façade and placed it right in front of the actual building when they did the shoot.

Aside from this interesting anecdote told by the chapel guide, she also mentioned that the only unaltered location scene was the part where Tom Hanks walked into the chapel and towards the entry of the stairway. Anything beyond the entry to the stairway, including the chamber underneath, was actually in-studio shoot.

And the mark (or the clue to the Holy Grail) that Tom Hanks supposedly found on the wall of the stairway, was actually a piece of sticker stuck onto the actual building walls within prior permission from the chapel owner. Although they had since took the sticker down, it still left a faint mark which the chapel guide now called it the “Hollywood mark”.

Apart from Hollywood fiction, there were other actual pre-existing myths about the chapel that added a layer of mystic to it. For instance, it was revealed during one of the underground scan that an underground chamber as tall as the chapel did exist directly beneath it. Some of the stories circulated included the burial place for several generations of the Sinclairs, the hiding place for mummified head of Jesus Christ, the Holy Grail and even the treasure of the Templars. But no one knew what actually lies beneath as the Sinclairs family (who owns the chapel) had disallowed any execution of the site.

And not to mention the story behind the apprentice pillar that stood within the chapel. According to Wikipedia:

“The "Apprentice Pillar", or "Prentice Pillar", gets its name from an 18th century legend involving the master mason in charge of the stonework in the chapel and his young apprentice. According to the legend, the master mason did not believe that the apprentice could perform the complicated task of carving the column, without seeing the original which formed the inspiration for the design. The master mason travelled to see the original himself, but upon his return was enraged to find that the upstart apprentice had completed the column anyway. In a fit of jealous anger the mason took up his mallet and struck the apprentice on the head, killing him As punishment for his crime the master mason's face was carved into the opposite corner to forever gaze upon his apprentice's pillar.”

There were many other stories and explanations told by the chapel guide on the carvings, but it kinda slipped my mind for now. Perhaps it’s best for you to make a trip down to see and hear it for yourself.


Around 4pm

Back onto the streets of Edinburgh. But carrying my luggage around could be a real chore. So I ran into the Edinburgh bus station and parked my luggage in the lockers. Of course, it wasn’t for free. You need to pay a fee and it varied depending on the size of your luggage.

Having making sure that my luggage was safely secured; I went off to do some last minute shopping and to grab a bite. Along the way, I bumped into Nanna and we talked for a while before we parted ways again.


10pm

Finally boarded the National Express coach (which cost me £29) bound for London. Thank goodness I had two seats to myself and there was a toilet on board. But somehow or rather, I kinda had this feeling that the driver didn’t clean the toilet properly as there was a stench that filled the coach throughout the entire trip. I sat as far from the toilet as I could but believe me, it was pretty unbearable and I had to kinda hypnotize myself into thinking that everything was ok.


1am

Darn! There was no avoiding it. Had to use the toilet. But hey! The door refused to open no matter what! The kind Samaritan (aka the unfortunate soul) who was sitting beside the toilet tried to open it for me as well, but it just simply refused to barge. Apparently, the previous user had unwittingly locked the door when she came out. Arrrrrrrrrrrgghhhhhhh!!!!! Could things have gotten any worse?


2.30am

Controlling…


3.30am

Finally it was time to make a half-hour stopover where the drivers could change shifts and the passengers could stretch their legs, head to the toilet and off to grab some food or drinks. As expected, I made a mad rush for the toilet. Followed by a trip to the nearby convenient store for a cup of thick, hot chocolate to keep myself warm.


4am

Back onto the stinky coach and continued my ride to London… zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ