London town
I think its time i posted. Was supposed to do it yesterday but i was too tired (excuses). Haha. Its been 4 days since i've gotten back from my trip and i'm still feeling jet-lagged (kind of) and my body clock has gone all wonky on me. Imagine if i went to the US, i would be dead for a week at least. Anyway, this post is supposed to be about my trip to London, so here goes!
"What's London like?" People have been asking me that ever since i've gotten back. How do i start to describe the place. It's the first time i've been to Europe and i must say that i can vaguely understand why the Brits used to own almost half the world. It really is a beautiful city. Ok fine, the weather sucked and the place looked gloomy half the time. But underneath all the grime, the grey skies and persistent drizzles of rain, it really is quite a nice place to live. The weather was mostly agreeable with me and the food is good. History abounds in the city which is not surprising considering the long history of the city. Unlike Singapore with its towering office blocks and stacked up living spaces, the city of London manages to blend the old and the new (for example 30 St. Mary Axe which my brother refers to as the 'dildo'), the historically important and modern conveniences all into a rather compact space. The seemingly haphazard city planning gives it a sort of romantic feel which you'll never find in Singapore. Yes, the streets may be dirty and the Sun may be non-existent. Its no Singapore that's for sure, but then again, it offers so much more.
So let's talk about food. The British national dish is Fish and Chips. And i love it. Even though many professional chefs may diss it as being boring, Fish and Chips are actually really good. They taste better than anything you can get in Singapore that's for sure. The fish is usually haddock (cod is hard to come by), but even then it still taste great. The flesh falls apart on your fork and the taste is subtle and sometimes even sweet. And the chips. Doused in malt vinegar and a liberal amount of salt (who cares about blood pressure), they taste absolutely divine. And then there are the Kebabs. The mystery meat which comes in huge chunks and lightly roasted on standing rotisseries actually taste quite good (though your kind of put off thinking about what goes in the meat). With fries, they taste even better. Ok, i may have been to better places to eat than that (i went to Fifteen, Jaime Oliver's restaurant in London), but those 2 dishes really left an impression on me. If ever you go to London, you absolutely must eat those 2 things.
Now on to the sights. Huge Gothic looking churches, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament (where we used to be governed from), Greenwich, the museums, Oxford and Regent streets, the Thames and not forgetting the tower of London. I won't write about them here, because words can't do justice to them. Pictures. When my brother gets back from London in 2 weeks with his camera, i'll upload them on Facebook then. All i can say is that they are unlike anything Singapore can provide. Hands down, London wins.
The only thing that Singapore does beat London in is public transport. Actually, truth is, London is easier to get around than Singapore. Its just that traffic there is horrendous. You can actually freeze to death while waiting for the bus to move about 100m. Then there is the Tube. I was actually quite afraid to use it when i first arrived. I had heard stories about it. Here, 'Mind the Gap' takes on a whole new meaning. Its not a gap really. Its a bloody step. And even when there are gaps, they are bloody huge. Kids could fall into them even when the train has pulled into the station. And since there are no doors at Underground stations, as the train approaches the platform, you can actually see rats scurrying away from the tracks. Its kinda cool actually, just don't get freaked out when you see it.
Actually, that's really all i have to say about my trip. Weird, considering that i spent 12 days there. Photos are so much easier to describe my trip. Words wouldn't be able to describe it fully. I had loads of fun there even though i was alone most of the time. The weather wasn't as bad as i made it sound, just that i'm not really used to it. I did a hell load of walking (because i was afraid of public transport until near the end of my trip) but i didn't sweat much. I really enjoyed myself and am looking forward to the next time i head back out there (most probably next year for my brother's graduation).
So wait out for the photos. I'll figure out a way to upload them. My computer is starting to commit suicide so i don't know if i'll be successful. A word of advice. Everyone should visit London once. Whether its for the shopping (Oxford Street kinda rocks), the history (the museums and churches) or if its just to chill out (Greenwich and the royal parks), London has it all.
"What's London like?" People have been asking me that ever since i've gotten back. How do i start to describe the place. It's the first time i've been to Europe and i must say that i can vaguely understand why the Brits used to own almost half the world. It really is a beautiful city. Ok fine, the weather sucked and the place looked gloomy half the time. But underneath all the grime, the grey skies and persistent drizzles of rain, it really is quite a nice place to live. The weather was mostly agreeable with me and the food is good. History abounds in the city which is not surprising considering the long history of the city. Unlike Singapore with its towering office blocks and stacked up living spaces, the city of London manages to blend the old and the new (for example 30 St. Mary Axe which my brother refers to as the 'dildo'), the historically important and modern conveniences all into a rather compact space. The seemingly haphazard city planning gives it a sort of romantic feel which you'll never find in Singapore. Yes, the streets may be dirty and the Sun may be non-existent. Its no Singapore that's for sure, but then again, it offers so much more.
So let's talk about food. The British national dish is Fish and Chips. And i love it. Even though many professional chefs may diss it as being boring, Fish and Chips are actually really good. They taste better than anything you can get in Singapore that's for sure. The fish is usually haddock (cod is hard to come by), but even then it still taste great. The flesh falls apart on your fork and the taste is subtle and sometimes even sweet. And the chips. Doused in malt vinegar and a liberal amount of salt (who cares about blood pressure), they taste absolutely divine. And then there are the Kebabs. The mystery meat which comes in huge chunks and lightly roasted on standing rotisseries actually taste quite good (though your kind of put off thinking about what goes in the meat). With fries, they taste even better. Ok, i may have been to better places to eat than that (i went to Fifteen, Jaime Oliver's restaurant in London), but those 2 dishes really left an impression on me. If ever you go to London, you absolutely must eat those 2 things.
Now on to the sights. Huge Gothic looking churches, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament (where we used to be governed from), Greenwich, the museums, Oxford and Regent streets, the Thames and not forgetting the tower of London. I won't write about them here, because words can't do justice to them. Pictures. When my brother gets back from London in 2 weeks with his camera, i'll upload them on Facebook then. All i can say is that they are unlike anything Singapore can provide. Hands down, London wins.
The only thing that Singapore does beat London in is public transport. Actually, truth is, London is easier to get around than Singapore. Its just that traffic there is horrendous. You can actually freeze to death while waiting for the bus to move about 100m. Then there is the Tube. I was actually quite afraid to use it when i first arrived. I had heard stories about it. Here, 'Mind the Gap' takes on a whole new meaning. Its not a gap really. Its a bloody step. And even when there are gaps, they are bloody huge. Kids could fall into them even when the train has pulled into the station. And since there are no doors at Underground stations, as the train approaches the platform, you can actually see rats scurrying away from the tracks. Its kinda cool actually, just don't get freaked out when you see it.
Actually, that's really all i have to say about my trip. Weird, considering that i spent 12 days there. Photos are so much easier to describe my trip. Words wouldn't be able to describe it fully. I had loads of fun there even though i was alone most of the time. The weather wasn't as bad as i made it sound, just that i'm not really used to it. I did a hell load of walking (because i was afraid of public transport until near the end of my trip) but i didn't sweat much. I really enjoyed myself and am looking forward to the next time i head back out there (most probably next year for my brother's graduation).
So wait out for the photos. I'll figure out a way to upload them. My computer is starting to commit suicide so i don't know if i'll be successful. A word of advice. Everyone should visit London once. Whether its for the shopping (Oxford Street kinda rocks), the history (the museums and churches) or if its just to chill out (Greenwich and the royal parks), London has it all.
posted by ivan at
3/07/2008 09:28:00 am
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