My Easter Holidays
Hello there everyone! Holidays are always my favourite and the last time I had one was during Christmas when I went back to Malaysia. Easter break started on the 30th March, the first Saturday after my Dorset trip. Its been a very busy and productive holiday indeed and now I have exams in 1 week.
The first Saturday was also Priya's birthday so we had a birthday dinner for her on Friday night. The most amazing thing was that every single thing was home made, including sushi! And I even tried making sushi with egg/ chicken/ salmon inside. The next day we went to her place and baked brownies.
That Monday, I had to move out of my halls because there was electricity fixation. We moved temporarily to a hall for 3 days and the place was very near Imperial's gym and a garden. It was like a blessing in disguise because despite the packing up, we got free food vouchers!! The food vouchers were more than enough to spend for 3 days and we could only use it in Imperial food outlets. This was my first time actually exploring Imperial's food outlets and thinking how and where to spend my vouchers ;) As a student I'm very careful on how much I spend but this time Wan Ting and I spent almost all of them. The hall we stayed in was quite old and I prefer my current one of course but it was definitely an adventure and felt like a short holiday just across the road.
That Thurdsay, I got my yoga tshirt! And also had a Shell talk. Then Priya and I went to the gym. I worked out and lost 600g yaay. I'm actually gaining a little weight over here. That day we snapped photos all around my hall and near college, acting as if we were tourists in London enjoying the spring.
The following Monday, I had a one day event about Subsurface processes and it was so fun being exposed to the real working life as a geologist and even entering the labs.
That Tuesday I visited Adam and Sara. Priya and <3 came along and it was so fun! First the guys played football with Sara then we played pass the ball and monkey in the middle! Its been a very long time since I played the game and spending that evening in the park was so enjoyable. When we returned home, I babysat little Rosie for a while then helped my aunt make duck rolls, a Chinese dish which she referred to as the starter :) We had Mediterranean food for dinner and naan then chocolate cake for dessert. We were searching for Sara's Old Maid cards but since we couldn't find it, I helped make a set of cards for her. It was almost the same, then she played the viola for us and I played the piano. Felt reluctant to go home but since we haven't packed for our special trip, we said goodbye.
Finally the day of my long-awaited trip arrived. We took a bus and it took 6 hours plus to Newcastle. We left at 930 and reached at 4pm. My <3 checked in his place first then I met Nim! Its been ages since we met, well actually just last August hehe I've known her since my age only had 1 digit and at that time both of us didn't know we would be studying in UK :) That evening we went to Jesmond Dene Park which was very green and had many dogs and people jogging ;) There was also a river which was supposed to have otters. Then, we took a taxi and had dinner at a Malaysian restaurant, Rasa Nusantara. I had nasi goreng paprik and <3 had nasi pattaya, Nim and Del had nasi lemak ayam merah. Their chicken portion was like 2-3 small ones in a dish and for the price, 6-7 pounds that was very worth it. I also had tomyam chicken soup after dinner :)
Right after that , we headed to the famous Newcastle colourful bridge called the Millenium Bridge. It changed colours every once in awhile which was lovely. The place was windy and slightly chilly and then we went back to rest. I chatted with Nim till 12am before going to bed after a very beautiful day. The next morning, Nim and I had breakfast at her place while the guys had theirs together. The first destination on the next day was The Tynemouth Coast. That place looked good for geologists and had a ruined castle and some nice rocks and a sandy beach. I think Newcastle and Scotland are both generally colder than London. Omg..that neighbourhood around the coast was my favourite. There were a lot of elderly people and cottages and it looked like such a peaceful and homey area. Many people were walking with their family, sitting in shops having tea and coffee even though it was a weekday afternoon. We went back to have lunch in town at Dixie Chicken and thankfully it was halal. After lunch, I walked around town, bought extra big strawberries, tomatoes and refrigerator magnets. All the fruits and veggie looked like a size XXL and I was amazed indeed. Plus it was really cheap like 1 pound for a basket.
After that we went to grab my things and after prayers we still had time for the Farm. I petted a cute rabbit and saw sheep, pigs and chickens. Finally, it was 330pm and we headed to the bustop to go our next stop, Scotland :) The journey was only 3 hours from there and something I really like was the scenery. It amazing how the scenery is very interesting even on the highway. There was a lot of this yellow flowers, heaps and heaps of them in a never-ending valley which we then googled and discovered that it was for vegetable oil. Then there were so many farm animals and even a view of the North Sea as we almost reached Edinburgh. Upon reaching, we grabbed a taxi to the hotel and took a little rest. We discovered that they actually had female rooms more well-equipped than the room for males. I'm not sure if that was a coincidence but my room was even beautifully decorated with purple ribbons and flowers while the guys' room in the highest floor was pretty simple and smaller.
That night we had dinner at McD after exploring the place and even listening to man playing the bag pipe on the road. Scotland although much colder and windy, was spectacular. It looked like a city in the Disney movies where they would start the story saying 'Once upon a time in a faraway castle....' There was a castle at a distant from the main town and on our way there, the taxi driver told us that Edinburgh was divided into the Old and New town. And the really cool thing was that we could see the distinct line cutting across the city dividing the two different towns. They even looked different, the old town more ancient and the new one was full of lights and modern buildings. We took some pictures at St Andrews Square where there were these light bulbs that lit up at night and changed colours. It felt so soothing there as there was also some gentle music in St Andrews Square which melodiously filled the night complementing the changing colours of the cute light bulbs.
The next day was the bus tour! We had a student rate and got on the bus for 13 pounds. It took us all around the city in the new and old town. First, we visited the Scottish National Art Gallery and admired paintings that were larger than us. No pictures were allowed but it was really pretty and I learned some of the history just by looking and reading the descriptions. Then we stopped by the Edinburgh castle and spent 2 hours there. I wouldn't have understood what was going on much if it weren't for <3 who explained everything to me, his historical and general knowledge came in very handy on our trip :)
We saw many things including the Queen's crown, rooms and halls used for important ceremonies, a room for memorials and also the prison and towers. We bought souvenirs here for a good price. I have to say that I felt touched when I visited the prison..I saw some of the doors that the prisoners actually carved on and sketched a picture of a ship. I saw what they ate and where they slept and read some stories of people who got in there. It was really sad and made me feel very thankful. All of us should feel thankful for our life and the freedom we have now. Life may not be perfect as we expect it to be but it is definitely a blessing compared to life in the dark dungeon where they were trapped or even mistreated. It just made me silent for a little while thinking of those people, especially the innocent ones. May freedom and independence always be appreciated :)
After the castle tour, we were hungry so we had fish and chips and veggie burger. If you are going to Scotland, look our for student discounts. After lunch, we headed to the Dynamic Earth but it was closed so we walked around Palace of Holyroodhouse. It was very green and I took pictures with the dozens of pretty flowers. Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park is famous for Geology but I only looked at it from a distant. We saw some people climbing the top of the hill.
Then, we took the bus back to the main town and went home. After a rest, we tried walking in the park because now in Spring, it is only dark at 8pm onwards but it was just too cold. While walking around the area near the hotel, we found this nice restaurant, Bombay Spice. There wasn't any other people inside until we finished eating. I ordered chicken beriyani and he ordered butter chicken with rice. This was the last night of our trip and in Scotland and since there was a 9 hour journey back to London the next day, we decided to rest for the night instead of going back to town.
The last day was a Saturday and it was really quick. Before having breakfast in Mark and Spencers like the previous day, we bought more souvenirs then went to the bus station. It was time to say goodbye to our lovely and memorable trip. On the journey back home, 9 hours actually didn't feel too long because I slept and did many things including watching a movie on the laptop. We reached at 9 pm and stopped by M&S for some fruits, had dinner and I even did laundry and washed up. That was the end of a trip I will always remember and hope to go there again one day.
I felt so thankful to have the opportunity to go to Scotland especially since it is miles away from home and the bus ticket from London is only about 20 pounds plus. Holidays are great and give you a break form reality and work but when you need to go back home, it tends to make you feel reluctant and wish it lasted longer hehe. Well, I guess that I'll make that my motivation to study hard and go to more holidays in the future.
After the trip, I had one interview for a charity role and then its study time. Exams are very very close then I have a fieldtrip again for Geology.
Time is passing very fast and I can't believe its almost end of April already. I'm counting down the days to go back home for summer and be done with Year 1. After a long study week, we decided to make this yesterday; sate, kuah kacang, nasi impit and ayam merah, yummy :D
Have a productive and bright week ahead, till my next post ! :)
The first Saturday was also Priya's birthday so we had a birthday dinner for her on Friday night. The most amazing thing was that every single thing was home made, including sushi! And I even tried making sushi with egg/ chicken/ salmon inside. The next day we went to her place and baked brownies.
That Monday, I had to move out of my halls because there was electricity fixation. We moved temporarily to a hall for 3 days and the place was very near Imperial's gym and a garden. It was like a blessing in disguise because despite the packing up, we got free food vouchers!! The food vouchers were more than enough to spend for 3 days and we could only use it in Imperial food outlets. This was my first time actually exploring Imperial's food outlets and thinking how and where to spend my vouchers ;) As a student I'm very careful on how much I spend but this time Wan Ting and I spent almost all of them. The hall we stayed in was quite old and I prefer my current one of course but it was definitely an adventure and felt like a short holiday just across the road.
That Thurdsay, I got my yoga tshirt! And also had a Shell talk. Then Priya and I went to the gym. I worked out and lost 600g yaay. I'm actually gaining a little weight over here. That day we snapped photos all around my hall and near college, acting as if we were tourists in London enjoying the spring.
The following Monday, I had a one day event about Subsurface processes and it was so fun being exposed to the real working life as a geologist and even entering the labs.
That Tuesday I visited Adam and Sara. Priya and <3 came along and it was so fun! First the guys played football with Sara then we played pass the ball and monkey in the middle! Its been a very long time since I played the game and spending that evening in the park was so enjoyable. When we returned home, I babysat little Rosie for a while then helped my aunt make duck rolls, a Chinese dish which she referred to as the starter :) We had Mediterranean food for dinner and naan then chocolate cake for dessert. We were searching for Sara's Old Maid cards but since we couldn't find it, I helped make a set of cards for her. It was almost the same, then she played the viola for us and I played the piano. Felt reluctant to go home but since we haven't packed for our special trip, we said goodbye.
Finally the day of my long-awaited trip arrived. We took a bus and it took 6 hours plus to Newcastle. We left at 930 and reached at 4pm. My <3 checked in his place first then I met Nim! Its been ages since we met, well actually just last August hehe I've known her since my age only had 1 digit and at that time both of us didn't know we would be studying in UK :) That evening we went to Jesmond Dene Park which was very green and had many dogs and people jogging ;) There was also a river which was supposed to have otters. Then, we took a taxi and had dinner at a Malaysian restaurant, Rasa Nusantara. I had nasi goreng paprik and <3 had nasi pattaya, Nim and Del had nasi lemak ayam merah. Their chicken portion was like 2-3 small ones in a dish and for the price, 6-7 pounds that was very worth it. I also had tomyam chicken soup after dinner :)
Right after that , we headed to the famous Newcastle colourful bridge called the Millenium Bridge. It changed colours every once in awhile which was lovely. The place was windy and slightly chilly and then we went back to rest. I chatted with Nim till 12am before going to bed after a very beautiful day. The next morning, Nim and I had breakfast at her place while the guys had theirs together. The first destination on the next day was The Tynemouth Coast. That place looked good for geologists and had a ruined castle and some nice rocks and a sandy beach. I think Newcastle and Scotland are both generally colder than London. Omg..that neighbourhood around the coast was my favourite. There were a lot of elderly people and cottages and it looked like such a peaceful and homey area. Many people were walking with their family, sitting in shops having tea and coffee even though it was a weekday afternoon. We went back to have lunch in town at Dixie Chicken and thankfully it was halal. After lunch, I walked around town, bought extra big strawberries, tomatoes and refrigerator magnets. All the fruits and veggie looked like a size XXL and I was amazed indeed. Plus it was really cheap like 1 pound for a basket.
I found a ladybug! :)
After that we went to grab my things and after prayers we still had time for the Farm. I petted a cute rabbit and saw sheep, pigs and chickens. Finally, it was 330pm and we headed to the bustop to go our next stop, Scotland :) The journey was only 3 hours from there and something I really like was the scenery. It amazing how the scenery is very interesting even on the highway. There was a lot of this yellow flowers, heaps and heaps of them in a never-ending valley which we then googled and discovered that it was for vegetable oil. Then there were so many farm animals and even a view of the North Sea as we almost reached Edinburgh. Upon reaching, we grabbed a taxi to the hotel and took a little rest. We discovered that they actually had female rooms more well-equipped than the room for males. I'm not sure if that was a coincidence but my room was even beautifully decorated with purple ribbons and flowers while the guys' room in the highest floor was pretty simple and smaller.
That night we had dinner at McD after exploring the place and even listening to man playing the bag pipe on the road. Scotland although much colder and windy, was spectacular. It looked like a city in the Disney movies where they would start the story saying 'Once upon a time in a faraway castle....' There was a castle at a distant from the main town and on our way there, the taxi driver told us that Edinburgh was divided into the Old and New town. And the really cool thing was that we could see the distinct line cutting across the city dividing the two different towns. They even looked different, the old town more ancient and the new one was full of lights and modern buildings. We took some pictures at St Andrews Square where there were these light bulbs that lit up at night and changed colours. It felt so soothing there as there was also some gentle music in St Andrews Square which melodiously filled the night complementing the changing colours of the cute light bulbs.The next day was the bus tour! We had a student rate and got on the bus for 13 pounds. It took us all around the city in the new and old town. First, we visited the Scottish National Art Gallery and admired paintings that were larger than us. No pictures were allowed but it was really pretty and I learned some of the history just by looking and reading the descriptions. Then we stopped by the Edinburgh castle and spent 2 hours there. I wouldn't have understood what was going on much if it weren't for <3 who explained everything to me, his historical and general knowledge came in very handy on our trip :)
We saw many things including the Queen's crown, rooms and halls used for important ceremonies, a room for memorials and also the prison and towers. We bought souvenirs here for a good price. I have to say that I felt touched when I visited the prison..I saw some of the doors that the prisoners actually carved on and sketched a picture of a ship. I saw what they ate and where they slept and read some stories of people who got in there. It was really sad and made me feel very thankful. All of us should feel thankful for our life and the freedom we have now. Life may not be perfect as we expect it to be but it is definitely a blessing compared to life in the dark dungeon where they were trapped or even mistreated. It just made me silent for a little while thinking of those people, especially the innocent ones. May freedom and independence always be appreciated :)
After the castle tour, we were hungry so we had fish and chips and veggie burger. If you are going to Scotland, look our for student discounts. After lunch, we headed to the Dynamic Earth but it was closed so we walked around Palace of Holyroodhouse. It was very green and I took pictures with the dozens of pretty flowers. Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park is famous for Geology but I only looked at it from a distant. We saw some people climbing the top of the hill.
Then, we took the bus back to the main town and went home. After a rest, we tried walking in the park because now in Spring, it is only dark at 8pm onwards but it was just too cold. While walking around the area near the hotel, we found this nice restaurant, Bombay Spice. There wasn't any other people inside until we finished eating. I ordered chicken beriyani and he ordered butter chicken with rice. This was the last night of our trip and in Scotland and since there was a 9 hour journey back to London the next day, we decided to rest for the night instead of going back to town.
The last day was a Saturday and it was really quick. Before having breakfast in Mark and Spencers like the previous day, we bought more souvenirs then went to the bus station. It was time to say goodbye to our lovely and memorable trip. On the journey back home, 9 hours actually didn't feel too long because I slept and did many things including watching a movie on the laptop. We reached at 9 pm and stopped by M&S for some fruits, had dinner and I even did laundry and washed up. That was the end of a trip I will always remember and hope to go there again one day.
I felt so thankful to have the opportunity to go to Scotland especially since it is miles away from home and the bus ticket from London is only about 20 pounds plus. Holidays are great and give you a break form reality and work but when you need to go back home, it tends to make you feel reluctant and wish it lasted longer hehe. Well, I guess that I'll make that my motivation to study hard and go to more holidays in the future.
After the trip, I had one interview for a charity role and then its study time. Exams are very very close then I have a fieldtrip again for Geology.
Time is passing very fast and I can't believe its almost end of April already. I'm counting down the days to go back home for summer and be done with Year 1. After a long study week, we decided to make this yesterday; sate, kuah kacang, nasi impit and ayam merah, yummy :D
Have a productive and bright week ahead, till my next post ! :)
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