Barcelona, A City Full of Unexpected Surprises

Frankly, I was really paranoid about the trip at first.

A decision made within a night, without much deep thorough thoughts, we booked the flight to Barcelona.

Soon after, other friends who visited the place shared many tall tales of thieveries and syndicates roaming the city and got me really worry as the inattentive person that I am may end up having an unpleasant time on my first European adventure.

I surfed the net for more stories and got even more anxious doing so but was well-armed with really helpful safety tips from other travellers online.

Day 1

With a light travel handbag (so to avoid ill-fitting problems with the small cabin of EasyJet and getting charged for having to check-in my bag), I got on the plane and anticipated the approximate 3-hours journey from Newcastle Airport to El Prat Airport.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by solemn custom officers and unfriendly tourist information counter staff who wasn't interested in helping a bunch of lost kids to the train station. We managed to work out directions from a security personnel who guided us with signs and safely got on our bus heading for our destination. 

The sight of busy narrow streets surrounded by multi-levelled buildings and the multi-racial crowd on the bus reminded me a lot of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. 

At one of the many alleys of the City Centre.

This place is a maze!

Barcelona Lettings Office found after walking in many circles around the City Centre. 

 Our sanctuary for the next few tiring days. 

 The monument of a famous general with the lights effect to create a big shadow.

 The festively decorated alleys with lots of graffiti on the shutters

 

 The tasty alcoholic fruit punch, Sangria!

 The savoury appetizer, fried potatoes and pepper with this yummy spicy dressing

 One of the restaurant's famous roast. 

The chicken taste good but the skin was a little too salty for my liking though.

 The authentic Spanish dish, seafood Paella with meat (chicken and rabbit meat to be precise!).

Paella, for me, is like rice drench with non-spicy curry.

They said it's overrated. Well, not for me! I loved every bite of it! 

Day 2

 By the docks of Port Vell

 By the seaside overlooking a famous building, which I am not sure what it is.

 The fountain behind is right above the famous Gaudi Lizard

Entrance of Park Guell.

 Surrounded by the interesting inclining columns at the footpaths.

I took a snapshot of this cute miniature nativity scene set-up in a garden of a house near Park Guell. 

 The high-end street of Pg. de Gracia which houses big names such as Chanel, Michael Kors, and many more designer labels not just limited to clothes.

The signature flat multi-window balconies. 

 The fancy restaurant where we had a delicious 3 course meal at a reasonable price!

 A fancy appetizer with twin rolls of meat covered in creamy cheesy dressing

Salad with Mozzarella cheese

 The starter - Deep-fried Hake (which was pronounced interestingly as "egg" by the locals) coated lightly with a flavorful savory juice. 

The desert - Catalan Cream (similar to the likes of Creme Brulee)

Finally, we set foot on the much popular Sagrada Familia

Story of Christ is illustrated as little statues on the walls.

Red cross capping the tips of the structure

 Inside the cone-shaped Nativity tower and walking down its spiral stairs.

The majestic interior of the main hall of Sagrada Familia.

The tree-like pillars and the amazing geometrical ceiling 

The night view of the ever under construction church and the replica of the complete Sagrada Familia.

 

More of Gaudi's Masterpieces - Casa Milla and Casa Batllo 

Gaudi, all I can say about him is an out-of-this-world architect.

The intriguing shape and design of Sagrada Familia was inspired mainly by the works of nature as the little museum explains. But it amazed me how he would have thought of incorporating all of his inspirations to create this insanely wonderful masterpiece.

I wonder what other interesting thought he had in mind as he designs his other creative works. 

Manipulations of shapes and illusions of spaces made this master of Catalan Modernism a truly inspiring figure. 

 We ended the day in a restaurant by Port Vell which serve traditional dishes of Tapas and of course, a jug of Sangria to go with the good food.

Day 3

 Barcelona FC Stadium

Not a footie so, sorry I didn't treasure this supposedly 'historical' moment.

 A random artsy sculpture near the National Catalan Art Museum

 The National Catalan Art Museum is a jaw dropping sight with its grand building and fountains along the main entrance and a large one in the compound plus more fountains on the way. 

The entrance of the Motjuic Castle 

 Romantic footpaths of Montjuic and a stadium under construction

Trying to 'eat' the Torre de Calatrava and the scene of its surroundings

 Not sure where is this but it's on the hill top of the Montjuic area which overlooks the city astoundingly. 

 Part of the city centre as I walked back to the apartment with the help of kind strangers who guided me with a mixture of English, Spanish and loads of sign languages. 

 Beggars are quite a common sight in this city as in every metropolitan cities. 

This one in particular is sleeping peacefully as her sleeping, obese cat guards her, or is it the other way round? 

Pg. Colom 

 Our informative tour guide for our free 3 hours Orange tour. 

This tour was really an eye opener as our friendly guide bought us around the city with houses many historic structures in hidden corners which a regular tourist would never learn about.

The revolutions, colonization and war left footprints in the city which stands till today as a symbol of how the city has developed over the centuries to be the ancient cultural city it is. 

The pictures below show historical constructions which we saw as part of the tour.

 Mouth-watering pastries which are a must-trys!

 Little pooping figurines, known as Caganer, which "poops" presents for Christmas!

A piece of art by an artist to symbolize her move to Barcelona

Another piece of interesting art 

Had afternoon tea in a little tea house with pastries made by nuns from a nunnery 

 Inside the Barcelona Catedral

Random art in the square 

 Spectating an intense Flamenco performance

Day 4

 The ancient post office where we post postcards back home as souvenirs from our trip.

And so heavy-heartedly, we left for the magnificient city for the Airport.

Barcelona, it a city truly rich in history and also very artistic with the Gothic architectures with fine details.

I would say my trip is too short for me to have a whole sighting of the city.

Also, I forgot to mention about the beautiful weather with sunshine and light breeze which makes travelling a lot easier and comfortable.

And yeah, I didn't lose anything! Haha, guess being vigilant helps.

Falling for London

Initially, London wasn't part of my itinerary.

I received a sudden invitation for a pre-reg interview at Kent (my first interview invite!), which is the south east of London and so, I thought why not? 

It was my first time travelling alone in my whole life! 

Plus, it was quite a long journey from Sunderland to Kent and I would only be reaching by 10pm. 

The feeling I had at that moment was a mixture of excitement and anxiety, the whole solo adventure idea was really cool but scary... But with the lucks of the gods on my side, I am glad I had a safe and wonderful experience. 

Day 2

 All prepared for the interview, which did not turn out so good :( 

Hence, the hunt for pre-reg continues...

I headed for London via the Southeast rail (which only take about 1 hour) immediately after.

 King Charles' Hotel, Gilingham where I put up a night upon arrival.

 Waiting for the bus at the bus stop by the secluded street. 

I was really lucky to be offered a ride here by a kind stranger upon asking for directions. 

Coincidentally, the gentleman was a pharmacist too! My biggest regret was not getting his name and contact. I owe him a kindness which I may never return...

 Waiting for the underground train to arrive. 

In London again, I got an amazing underground fee-saving tip from a customer service attendant! 

Apparently, you can save more with Rail Card by incorporating its details with an Oyster Card (to be done at the underground service counter)! 

I saved almost 30% on underground tickets on my trip and so, my travelling budget can be used for more good food and shopping! :D

I love how convenient is the underground train, and had fun exploring how to change lines effectively to reach my destination!

 On my daring, aimless stroll around the streets of Kensington and Chelsea area, I ended up landing in Fulham. 

 The bridge which was on the way to Fulham from Earl's Court.

A garden in Earl's Court

 A pretty florist in Earl Court area with a spectacularly innovative"Christmas Tree"!

 Streets of Earl's Court area

 Streets of Earl's Court area

Day 3

 My travel buddy who join me for the night much later on Day 2.

Visited Camden Lock Market which reminds me a lot of Malaysia's Petaling Street!

Other then having quirky little bits and pieces sold here and there, there was also a variety of street food!

There was a random Aldo outlet in the area in which we got really good bargains from (explains our flashy Aldo shopping bags)! 

 The memorial of Nelson Mandela at the Trafalgar's Square.

I was brought around centre London by an ex-colleague and I had quite a wonderful tour.

Am really marveled and awed by the cheerful festive aura in the city as well as the lively happenings! 

 Giant Christmas tree at the square!

The Household Cavalry Museum. 

I missed the horse guards parade as I was too late.  

The one and only, Big Ben. 

 The scene at River Thames.

Before entering the spiral library of LSE. 

The festive atmosphere at Covent Garden. 

The premier of Anchorman 2 live in the biggest cinema in Leicester Square! 

Sadly, I didn't manage to witness anything with the crowds and the barricades...   

A lively funfair opposite the premier. 

 Street dancing at Piccadilly Circus 

 A shop at Reagent Street, London

 Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park

Day 4

 Chinatown, Leicester Square

Our day of return to sweet countryside, Sunderland and so, we decided to hang out nearby.

Met up with a Sunderland buddy for lunch who would be spending his break in London. 

He bought us to Misato for the most economical, yet tasty Japanese food and got us to the shop which sells the best egg tarts in Chinatown.

Still, time is up and we left heavy heartedly on the train back to Sunderland.

I had a bad impression of London on my previous trip years back (all I remembered about London is being packed, Harrods and traffic penalties!), this trip opened my eyes to the "Real" London! 

Growing up in the city may have attributed to my attachment of the vivacious historical city.

I will be back again one day to explore the parts that I missed out!

See you again, London!

  

Running for my Life

Run! Don't stop!

Just few months more to the next checkpoint!

This would then again promise a better future!

This is how I have motivated myself over the years.

From primary school, the most important paper in my life after this life will be good! 

Yay! Secondary school! Wait, who says that's all? Freedom means completing the next most important paper and wait, there's more important papers to come! College, University, Pre-Reg and some more?

Never ending marathon of exams!

So, yes, my whole life was about finishing all the most-important-papers to the extent that I forgot the real reason behind trying to finish them and got motivated on the thought the faster I finish, the less left!

In reality, the first to reach the end wins the race, but in life, what is the end other than your grave?

After meeting people like me, the people I might be in years to come, only then I realized. 

We have all gotten used to running to the next stop and so there's no reason to stop.

The thing is, what is the reason for our crawl to evolve to shaky steps then bursting into adrenaline-filled sprints? 

Whatever fantasy amazing picture it was, it led us to this crazy endless run which made us neglect the present.

Time ticks, everything moves, nothing stays.

The present will be a past, the past may be a regret.

With this in mind, I stopped my footsteps and turned back.

The chances, the experiences, the life I missed.

These were the things I left on hold as I kept running.

One day, I promised, I will do it, I will get back to it.

But the day never comes, and even when it does, the meaning it had to me, had changed.

I am still young, they say. 

But, youth for long either.

While I am young, I should live to the fullest, so I don't look back to the past with regrets ever as I have lived my life to the fullest. 

I want to be ... Free. To live my life. To feel. To enjoy. To experience. To live. 

It isn't how much you run, it's about how you enjoyed the run.  

Back to Uni...

It's been awhile....

Well, I had a rewarding summer - completed my 3 months internship with GSK; had fun and crazy catching up with my BFFs; visited the busy city of Hong Kong; went for my first ever concert; and of course spent quality time back at my cosy home in the arms of my sweet loving family!

At a snap of a finger, summers over and back to the chilly land of royalty and castles.

First thing, first. I moved from university hostel to a private accommodation with 4 other mates. The house is small by Malaysian standards but they have big rooms! I love my room, so much space and the best part is I get to sleep on a double bed!!! But its quite cold as heating and electricity is on ourselves now, we are living on only hot water until the magical time of 8 - 10pm when the heater turns on.

Class starts on the third day of my arrival. The lecture hall was surprisingly full-house, a rare occasion but its always full house from then on.... ya, it's the final year now... No more Ding Dong -ing nonsense... Got a terribly serious lecture on the super tough outlook for the year and the climax of getting our final year project titles.... I was somewhat lucky to get my choice of module but was extremely disappointed when I found out it will be theory-based instead of lab-based as I have anticipated... Then first community placement starts on the second week of the semester (namely week 10) and thank god all classes are cancelled for the week so we can breath a bit while trying to crack our head on assignment number one due in week 12!

Other then setting up my new room and uni work, I do have a little bit of social life. On the second day of touchdown, I enjoyed my first intense game of paintball! It was so bizarre! Paintballs coming in all direction and you have nothing robust on you other than the tight and annoying face mask and yield with big, heavy gun! I didn't really care what the tasks are for each game as long as I don't get shot! The main key to survival is to take out as many enemies as possible and so the chances of getting shot would be lesser!

Went for a bowling night, but didn't get a strike or anything sadly.

And the highlight of this week is my first time spectating a LIVE football match - Sunderland vs Liverpool! I always find it sad that on the other side of the world we had to stay up till the wee hours of dawn to catch a live game. And trust me seeing the tiny ball chased by about 20 men on the field don't look very interesting, to me at least. But, but, but!!! Seeing a live game is totally different!! The huge crowd are so respondent to every action on the field! A close strike, the crowd applauded; A penalty strike from the enemy, the crowd booed; A goal scored, the crowd goes mad! You would really wanna be there for the drama not the game! The Mackems love their team indeed! It was a great game although we had a tight score of 3 - 1, fair game though!

I had a pretty interesting week but weeks ahead, who knows really? It's the last year of my life, probably, as a student. I hope to enjoy it to the fullest possible without flunking my papers (God, please let me pass!). Working, would be very different and I may never get to do and experience things the way a uni student does. And who knows, this may be my last year in the United Kingdom, am sad to said due to my incompetence to get a pre-reg but apparently this is happening now. So yeah, as long as I am still here as a student, YOLO!

Cheers!

That Spring

That spring,
the wind blew,
In a quiet town,
To the north of England,
There I sat,
In a room to myself,
Waiting as the clock ticks,
For the time to pass,
For the day to come,
I am coming home.

2013

Happy New Year!

It's a miracle that we survived Doomsday! Anyhow, life goes on.

This is another happening year for me!

This is the year I would complete my Year 3 and proceed to my final Year of my degree!

As usual, more assignments to kick start my new year.

Lectures commenced as usual with more lectures on medicinal chemistry and practical sessions for pharmaceutic would begin soon.

Term time is expected to end by March and then the not very long Easter break till finals in May!

With everything settled, hopefully I can return safely and happily home during the summer! Hooray! 

Its been a long journey, indeed. 

Tiring but fascinating though I really can't wait to get over all these never ending studying!

Chinese New Year is around the corner! 

To help me lessen my feeling of homesickness during this festive season, I am grateful that my family would be visiting me here!

Before then, 2 more assignments to complete then I can truly enjoy my 'Holiday' with my family in Scotland.

Going to strive hard this week!

Wish me well!

Cheers!