Holiday Part I

After an incredibly hectic 2 weeks, I'm back. Back in Aberdeen, back to Uni, back to assignments and back to blogging. I was away on holiday! I thought that much was clear from my last post but people kept asking me why I've stopped blogging. I've not stopped. I merely took a break.

Cui, my absolute best-est friend, came over for 2 weeks (she says it's to tour UK, I say she misses me!). Our friendship is one of those that does not require much time and contact (how lucky!). We're perfectly happy to meet up once a month and we rarely chat on the phone. Online chatting is kindda out as well because she's slightly techno-phobic (and now, I will get whacked for revealing that). But after 6 months, I was really glad to see her!

It's a little bit scary after a while though... We're pretty similar and after about 3 days (time taken to re-adjust to each other), we started saying the same things at the same time... started to complete each other's sentences... instinctively understand a glance or a look... anticipate each other's response... so much so that Steph said we were like "twins". And when we started "bickering" (I prefer the word "debating", actually) over small little things, Steph said we were behaving like "an old couple". Hahaha...

Anyway, she brought MORE FOOD for me!!! I've now got Khong Guan Lemon Puffs. How Singaporean is that?! Khong Guan leh... The last time I had Khong Guan biscuits (affectionately known as KGB) must have been 2 years ago during National Day rehearsals? More "oh-my-goodness" than the KGB is this small container of greenish paste... KAYA! Unbelievable!!! But yes, very much appreciated. =)

The next few blog posts will be on various stages of our "backpacking adventure" (I really never thought I would be a backpacker. Ever. Oh well, the mysteries of life). It will start sounding a bit like a travelogue but more than just describing the places, I will tell you about the ups and the downs (it's not all glamourous) of the trip, the people we met - some strange, some really nice *wink* and all (ok, maybe not all - some are not suitable to be told here) the fun we had!

Day 1:
Cui arrives in Aberdeen. I meet her practically as soon as she gets off the plane. It's such a small airport and there's really no "arrival" or "departure" hall etc and as soon as she gets her luggage, we sneak off. Sneaking is compulsory because the customs officers like to pick on Asians and at that point of time, I had no idea what contraband she brought in. I vaguely remember her talking about a pandan cake...

Spent the day unpacking and orientating her to my hostel. Ended the day with dinner with all my flatmates (she's very lucky because we're hardly all here at the same time!). It felt very strange to have an extra person in my room - I kindly told her that she takes up space, she very unkindly glared at me. Heh...

Day 2:
Gave Cui a map of Aberdeen and told her where the main shopping area was. Left her to her own devices for the rest of the day while I attended class (classes that were re-scheduled due to snow 2 weeks ago). Pretty much left her alone the whole day and whole night as I was rushing my assignment that was still not completed!

Day 3:
Travelling begins! Went to Glasgow on megabus...

Adventure began almost immediately as we realised on the way to the bus station that we forgot the bus ticket! Classic mistake! Equivalent to forgetting passport/air ticket! Panicked for a while, took 5 mins to get our act together, alighted from the bus we were on, waited for a bus to get back to the hostel, panicked some more when the bus took ages to come, arrived at hostel, grabbed tickets, took bus back to bus station again, arrived with 5 mins to spare.

The bus was late in setting off... but for once, we didn't complain and we were glad that the bus was running behind schedule.

Travelling on a budget.

3 hr 15min journey on megabus = £1

vs

2hr 45min journey on train = about £20

Arrived at the hostel that Steph has kindly booked for both of us. Steph and her friend, Keith, arrived later in the evening (they were there on a school trip). Steph's another careless one! She booked train tickets for the WRONG DAY!! Haha... Amazingly, she worked her charm and was allowed onto the train...

Our hostel...

Pretty impressive.

4 to a room.

Inclusive of linen, soap, lockers, en-suite shower and toilet.

And inclusive of breakfast.

£1 per person per night.

*Thanks Steph for sussing out this promo.*

Keith decided he needed some exercise...

And so he began performing...

As per animal-training protocol in the circus,

performers must be rewarded after a good session.

Banana for you, Keith!

Day 4:

Breakfast!

Continental spread.

2 types of cereal, 3 types of fruit juices, 2 types of yoghurts,

toast with butter and jam, coffee and tea.

Spent the morning visiting museums and galleries. I loved it. Cui was bored to tears. *I said we were pretty similar, I didn't say we were photocopies of each other*

My favourite art piece in the gallery!

KNITTED CACTUS!

I have no idea how the artist meant for it to be interpreted

but I enjoyed the irony of such a hard, prickly plant

being made with such soft cuddly material.

I went on to visit another museum (in the countryside! Had to take a bus and then walk half an hour from the bus stop!) in the afternoon while Cui stayed in the city to do some shopping. Took loads of pictures in the museum but my favourite photo is one that was taken outside the museum, when I was trekking back out to the bus stop again... I stopped for about 10mins just to enjoy the countryside *I think I really love the countryside! I'm remembering how much I enjoyed living next to the cows while I was on placement*.

It's spring (albeit a gloomy spring day)

and the daffodils were in bloom!

There was silence all around...

The road and the cars were far away...

Can you feel the serenity?

Had dinner in a Chinese restaurant. £10 for a set dinner. I had lemon chicken and yes, S$30 for lemon chicken is quite duh but hey, I haven't had a chinese dinner here for a long time... Cui obviously didn't enjoy the dinner as much as the 3 of us did... She remembers that as "the stupid Chinese dinner". Oh yah! Another good thing about eating in Chinese restaurants here is I get to practise speaking Cantonese! Spoke to my Grandma that day via Skype and she says my Cantonese going down the drain, need more practise. I'm perfectly happy to keep doing that at Chinese restaurants.

Keith learning to use chopsticks.

First time and doing it so well already!

He wasn't really sure what to do with the chopsticks,
the plate, the tea etc etc so he just watched
very carefully what Cui and I did and just followed.

Very clever!

Day 5:

Went on a guided tour around the City Chambers in Glasgow. Posh government office...

We were half-listening to the guided tour

and half-busy trying to discuss how our

future homes were going to be decorated.

100% marble stairs and pillars...

Gold-leaf surfaces...

I think there is a fine line between classy and vulgar.

The chambers balanced that really well and was

Posh, posh, posh!

Left Glasgow in the afternoon and arrived back in Aberdeen in the evening. Scrambled to the supermarket to buy some fresh food to cook dinner... Satisfied our grumbling stomachs with a simple home-cooked meal and promptly fell into bed. *Thanks Elli for lending us the extra bed!*

Day 6:

Slacked around Aberdeen - went to tour the beach but it wasn't Aberdeen at its best. Wet, gloomy day... At least it wasn't snowing. Rested and packed for the next leg of our adventure!

Told you she misses me!

She practically jumped on me and squashed me!