Listening to emotional English/Chinese/Cantonese songs and spending time walking slowly in the very cool air around my new hostel as well as walking circles to ascend this “mount” at the centre of my hostel, freezing myself in the midst! So why am I doing all these as some may wonder… maybe think I’m crazy or I’m just plain bored… well the story unfolds below.
The night was one of emotional ambivalence, having a nice time with my family, sipping our cups of coffee together for 1 last moment before I would enter the gates that would barred me from seeing my family for a year. Until the arrival of my floorball mate, who painstaking delivered a very splendid card which was solely designed by him (don’t worry, he isn’t gay, just damn metro sexual!), my night turned into one of smiles despite the time to bid farewell creeping closer in the shadows. Looking at my watch, I was barely left with 15 minutes to enter the departure gate, when the arrival of my Tudorians really brought all the emotions I contained within me to the surface of my heart. I couldn’t stop smiling, not just because they were there but also because of the gifts they made as well as some other gifts made by others who couldn’t make it to the airport. I didn’t expect their arrival, much less the gifts that were made specially for me. Is it a good or bad thing, for my heart to be stirred so much just before I left? I only knew that my heart got a whole lot heavier…
My parents were right in asking me to hurry into the departure gate, as I was just on time in submitting my boarding pass. The Tudor girls said I have to read it while I’m inside the departure lounge, but I couldn’t as there wasn’t enough time to do so… I really wanted to read all the beautifully decorated cards. And so, into the plane I went while throwing my haversack into the overhead compartment. All the events just before I entered the departure gate dazed me, not sparing my heart the least bit, engulfing me deep in thought and emotions. Finally, I plucked up the courage and stop running, sending a few texts which were long overdue. Perhaps it was futile sending them, but humans are never rational all the time. The announcements came, the plane taxied on the runway and lifted off into the darkness. The flight was one clouded in darkness, never ever being able to see the sun and the only source of light came from the stars, and the occasional lights from the lands far below. I was desperately awaiting for the plane to land, this being one of my most uncomfortable flights, but the hours and minutes just trickle by slowly but certainly.
At 5.15am (GMT+0), I was in Heathrow airport. I had approximately 2 hours for my transit to Newcastle. I thought I had more than enough time but alas, I was mistaken. The staff were too few in comparison to the crowd, too few to effectively conduct the various security checks which includes checking our shoes for athlete’s feet and seriously scanning my laptop for some micro-bomb and bringing it for further testing to see if my laptop could transform into a killer machine! When all these security measures were finally done with, I thought it would be a breeze thereafter, with enough time for me to spend my 1st English note on a cup of coffee. It turned out that there was another immigration/custom checkpoint. Gosh, I thought to myself, how troublesome! The queue was short, but the people in the queue were non-Singaporeans. Travel tip: please avoid queuing behind people of nationalities where standard of health care is not comparable to English standards. Those entering UK for more than 6 months have to register for some dumb health thing at the airport (I don’t see a point when I have to register with a GP in my university). It was already 6+ in the morning, but the staff handling the health checkpoint was still a lone ranger. And goodness, these people from other countries can’t just prepare their health documents right, and they all had their x-rays submitted. Every time they submitted an x-ray, the lady would take like 5 minutes or longer to go somewhere else to get it verified/certified. This might not seem like a lot, but it really pisses the shit out of you when the time gets nearer and nearer to the time your boarding gate closes (6.55am). At long last, it was my turn and it was already 6.50+am. Preparing all my documents beforehand to reduce the wastage of time, as I couldn’t afforded any, I passed everything to her. She asked for my chest x-ray but I told her it was in my check-in luggage but I had the written report of it. Taking a glance at it and looking at my passport, she asked “you’re from Singapore?” and with that she didn’t bother to look through the other health documents and cleared me. This is one of the few times I’m glad to be a Singaporean! As the English are so “efficient” in their service, it was already 6.55am and I did what any trained soldier would do! Carry my haversack and ran all the way to the boarding gate. I was thinking, “thankfully I had army training! F*** those people who took so long to clear the immigration checkpoint!”. I know I should be more tolerant but missing a flight is no joke, having missed a plane in Europe before!
On the flight to Newcastle, I had my first English meal, Ciabatta with cheese, mushroom and ham, not too bad for airline food. When I landed, I spoke with this British cop who was really friendly, despite his accent. Mind you, the British may not be as efficient as Singaporeans, but they’re really helpful and courteous from what I’ve seen so far. Seems like they aren’t any coaches to Durham and I’m stuck with taking the metro (aka train) and then transiting to the National Rail (also another train). Taking the metro was simple, but the National Rail, goodness, so many different routes, destinations, companies etc. Upon reaching Durham station, I was proud of my little achievement, traveling so far away (2 planes, 2 trains) all alone. Now, I just had to take a taxi but guess what, I had to roll my luggage for around 100m or more before I finally hailed one. Could have died man! The people in UK are all just so friendly, so chatty, I think I have English blood in me as well…
Tada… I reached my hostel and was brought to my room. Had to carry my 22.5kg luggage plus my haversack up 2 levels I think. Thankfully I’m strong, so you Kentridgeans better be thankful there’re lifts as well as many helpful seniors to carry your shitload for you peeps! The door to my room opened, “wow” it’s carpeted, my bed’s made with a nice pillow and comforter, my toilet’s clean and geez, it was great but short-lived. I couldn’t connect to the internet and I found out that I had to be matriculated first to receive my userid and password. I’m like bloody 2-3 weeks earlier in UK before matriculation and I’m stuck without internet! How lame can that be, but I refuse to let my spirits be dampened and ventured into town. The staff at the bus station was so ever friendly and helpful. All the bus drivers would greet you when you board and when you alight, so everyone returned the greeting! How cool is that man, semi-utopia? Went to several banks, couldn’t open any account because they needed a stupid letter from my university due to some new UK government regulation. This is one of the rare times when the bank doesn’t want to accept your cash. Even the lady at the bank said it was silly but gahmen said so, so they have no choice. So I went in search of a mobile prepaid card but I couldn’t find anything suitable. By then, it was already 2+pm and I was famished. My last meal before that was at 8+am. Now you people might wonder what the big deal about it right? Add 8 hours to those timings and they’re pretty similar to our meal timings in Singapore. Haha, my body was still eating meals following my SG bio-clock! I bought 4 cans of pepsi and 2 bottles of water for 1.50 pounds. I never felt so poor in my life and I bought 2 pastries for 1.60 pounds. Haiz, everything is so expensive that I have to scrimp and save. I kind of regretted coming here, with the need to live like I’m so poor. What a sharp contrast to being in Singapore… Making my way back to the hostel, I got a little lost trying to find the correct bus stop.
“Hello”, my first friend in Durham greeted me and she’s a postgraduate student from PRC! I saw a number of PRCs in town, looks like even Durham isn’t spared from the grip of China. Oh ya, I saw a few pretty Asians also, hope I will know them soon! After talking to her and another slightly sexy but taller PRC, I decided to head to town again. They thought I was mad and asked me how come I wasn’t tired. I decided to bring some documents and went to even more banks but all of them couldn’t open an account for me. This is like how retarded… well, I went prepaid card hunting again and this time it was successful! Am glad that I could finally contact my best friend in UK and I bitched about UK to him. He told me “now you know what I’ve put up with for the past 5 years”. After getting the pay-as-you-use/pay-as-you-go card (UK calls prepaid card by these terms), I wandered around a little to try to find dinner but it was all bread. Didn’t want to pay so much for roti again so I decided to go back to the hostel. I went to the convenience shop and there was this Chinese girl, she’s pretty sweet and nice, tell you all why later. There was this guy talking to her so I walked around the store a while, and it seriously isn’t a big store before I finally settled on my dinner. At the cashier, I took some time giving her the coins because I couldn’t recognize the different shapes yet UK coins are thicker than SG ones. I told her I was new and she helped me out by telling me she could change my coins for me. I didn’t really understand her then, but she took the coins from my palm and then changed it into a 50p so I’m left with a 1 pound coin and 50pence coin. She told me I can use it for laundry (the washing machines requires an exact 1 pound coin and 50p coin), see… she’s so sweet right!
I left the shop, went back to my room, and later did what I mentioned in the introduction. I took my dinner, it was pathetic, eating those meals you will find at 7-11 except this costs me 1.69 pounds or something like that. It was some yellow rice with curry chicken, haiz, the lack of friends, the need to scrimp and save, living such a life do make me wonder if I made the right choice in going abroad… All in all, spent 13.30 pounds on transport, 1.50 pounds on drinks, around 3.20 pounds on food, totaling 18 pounds. I feel so lost and cut off from the world, hence I’m typing down whatever that’s being recalled for my 1st day in UK, which isn’t a very good one… but people say, you can’t expect Singapore standard when you travel, so I’ll take it as a cultural experience, it’s just the way they work here...
The night was one of emotional ambivalence, having a nice time with my family, sipping our cups of coffee together for 1 last moment before I would enter the gates that would barred me from seeing my family for a year. Until the arrival of my floorball mate, who painstaking delivered a very splendid card which was solely designed by him (don’t worry, he isn’t gay, just damn metro sexual!), my night turned into one of smiles despite the time to bid farewell creeping closer in the shadows. Looking at my watch, I was barely left with 15 minutes to enter the departure gate, when the arrival of my Tudorians really brought all the emotions I contained within me to the surface of my heart. I couldn’t stop smiling, not just because they were there but also because of the gifts they made as well as some other gifts made by others who couldn’t make it to the airport. I didn’t expect their arrival, much less the gifts that were made specially for me. Is it a good or bad thing, for my heart to be stirred so much just before I left? I only knew that my heart got a whole lot heavier…
My parents were right in asking me to hurry into the departure gate, as I was just on time in submitting my boarding pass. The Tudor girls said I have to read it while I’m inside the departure lounge, but I couldn’t as there wasn’t enough time to do so… I really wanted to read all the beautifully decorated cards. And so, into the plane I went while throwing my haversack into the overhead compartment. All the events just before I entered the departure gate dazed me, not sparing my heart the least bit, engulfing me deep in thought and emotions. Finally, I plucked up the courage and stop running, sending a few texts which were long overdue. Perhaps it was futile sending them, but humans are never rational all the time. The announcements came, the plane taxied on the runway and lifted off into the darkness. The flight was one clouded in darkness, never ever being able to see the sun and the only source of light came from the stars, and the occasional lights from the lands far below. I was desperately awaiting for the plane to land, this being one of my most uncomfortable flights, but the hours and minutes just trickle by slowly but certainly.
At 5.15am (GMT+0), I was in Heathrow airport. I had approximately 2 hours for my transit to Newcastle. I thought I had more than enough time but alas, I was mistaken. The staff were too few in comparison to the crowd, too few to effectively conduct the various security checks which includes checking our shoes for athlete’s feet and seriously scanning my laptop for some micro-bomb and bringing it for further testing to see if my laptop could transform into a killer machine! When all these security measures were finally done with, I thought it would be a breeze thereafter, with enough time for me to spend my 1st English note on a cup of coffee. It turned out that there was another immigration/custom checkpoint. Gosh, I thought to myself, how troublesome! The queue was short, but the people in the queue were non-Singaporeans. Travel tip: please avoid queuing behind people of nationalities where standard of health care is not comparable to English standards. Those entering UK for more than 6 months have to register for some dumb health thing at the airport (I don’t see a point when I have to register with a GP in my university). It was already 6+ in the morning, but the staff handling the health checkpoint was still a lone ranger. And goodness, these people from other countries can’t just prepare their health documents right, and they all had their x-rays submitted. Every time they submitted an x-ray, the lady would take like 5 minutes or longer to go somewhere else to get it verified/certified. This might not seem like a lot, but it really pisses the shit out of you when the time gets nearer and nearer to the time your boarding gate closes (6.55am). At long last, it was my turn and it was already 6.50+am. Preparing all my documents beforehand to reduce the wastage of time, as I couldn’t afforded any, I passed everything to her. She asked for my chest x-ray but I told her it was in my check-in luggage but I had the written report of it. Taking a glance at it and looking at my passport, she asked “you’re from Singapore?” and with that she didn’t bother to look through the other health documents and cleared me. This is one of the few times I’m glad to be a Singaporean! As the English are so “efficient” in their service, it was already 6.55am and I did what any trained soldier would do! Carry my haversack and ran all the way to the boarding gate. I was thinking, “thankfully I had army training! F*** those people who took so long to clear the immigration checkpoint!”. I know I should be more tolerant but missing a flight is no joke, having missed a plane in Europe before!
On the flight to Newcastle, I had my first English meal, Ciabatta with cheese, mushroom and ham, not too bad for airline food. When I landed, I spoke with this British cop who was really friendly, despite his accent. Mind you, the British may not be as efficient as Singaporeans, but they’re really helpful and courteous from what I’ve seen so far. Seems like they aren’t any coaches to Durham and I’m stuck with taking the metro (aka train) and then transiting to the National Rail (also another train). Taking the metro was simple, but the National Rail, goodness, so many different routes, destinations, companies etc. Upon reaching Durham station, I was proud of my little achievement, traveling so far away (2 planes, 2 trains) all alone. Now, I just had to take a taxi but guess what, I had to roll my luggage for around 100m or more before I finally hailed one. Could have died man! The people in UK are all just so friendly, so chatty, I think I have English blood in me as well…
Tada… I reached my hostel and was brought to my room. Had to carry my 22.5kg luggage plus my haversack up 2 levels I think. Thankfully I’m strong, so you Kentridgeans better be thankful there’re lifts as well as many helpful seniors to carry your shitload for you peeps! The door to my room opened, “wow” it’s carpeted, my bed’s made with a nice pillow and comforter, my toilet’s clean and geez, it was great but short-lived. I couldn’t connect to the internet and I found out that I had to be matriculated first to receive my userid and password. I’m like bloody 2-3 weeks earlier in UK before matriculation and I’m stuck without internet! How lame can that be, but I refuse to let my spirits be dampened and ventured into town. The staff at the bus station was so ever friendly and helpful. All the bus drivers would greet you when you board and when you alight, so everyone returned the greeting! How cool is that man, semi-utopia? Went to several banks, couldn’t open any account because they needed a stupid letter from my university due to some new UK government regulation. This is one of the rare times when the bank doesn’t want to accept your cash. Even the lady at the bank said it was silly but gahmen said so, so they have no choice. So I went in search of a mobile prepaid card but I couldn’t find anything suitable. By then, it was already 2+pm and I was famished. My last meal before that was at 8+am. Now you people might wonder what the big deal about it right? Add 8 hours to those timings and they’re pretty similar to our meal timings in Singapore. Haha, my body was still eating meals following my SG bio-clock! I bought 4 cans of pepsi and 2 bottles of water for 1.50 pounds. I never felt so poor in my life and I bought 2 pastries for 1.60 pounds. Haiz, everything is so expensive that I have to scrimp and save. I kind of regretted coming here, with the need to live like I’m so poor. What a sharp contrast to being in Singapore… Making my way back to the hostel, I got a little lost trying to find the correct bus stop.
“Hello”, my first friend in Durham greeted me and she’s a postgraduate student from PRC! I saw a number of PRCs in town, looks like even Durham isn’t spared from the grip of China. Oh ya, I saw a few pretty Asians also, hope I will know them soon! After talking to her and another slightly sexy but taller PRC, I decided to head to town again. They thought I was mad and asked me how come I wasn’t tired. I decided to bring some documents and went to even more banks but all of them couldn’t open an account for me. This is like how retarded… well, I went prepaid card hunting again and this time it was successful! Am glad that I could finally contact my best friend in UK and I bitched about UK to him. He told me “now you know what I’ve put up with for the past 5 years”. After getting the pay-as-you-use/pay-as-you-go card (UK calls prepaid card by these terms), I wandered around a little to try to find dinner but it was all bread. Didn’t want to pay so much for roti again so I decided to go back to the hostel. I went to the convenience shop and there was this Chinese girl, she’s pretty sweet and nice, tell you all why later. There was this guy talking to her so I walked around the store a while, and it seriously isn’t a big store before I finally settled on my dinner. At the cashier, I took some time giving her the coins because I couldn’t recognize the different shapes yet UK coins are thicker than SG ones. I told her I was new and she helped me out by telling me she could change my coins for me. I didn’t really understand her then, but she took the coins from my palm and then changed it into a 50p so I’m left with a 1 pound coin and 50pence coin. She told me I can use it for laundry (the washing machines requires an exact 1 pound coin and 50p coin), see… she’s so sweet right!
I left the shop, went back to my room, and later did what I mentioned in the introduction. I took my dinner, it was pathetic, eating those meals you will find at 7-11 except this costs me 1.69 pounds or something like that. It was some yellow rice with curry chicken, haiz, the lack of friends, the need to scrimp and save, living such a life do make me wonder if I made the right choice in going abroad… All in all, spent 13.30 pounds on transport, 1.50 pounds on drinks, around 3.20 pounds on food, totaling 18 pounds. I feel so lost and cut off from the world, hence I’m typing down whatever that’s being recalled for my 1st day in UK, which isn’t a very good one… but people say, you can’t expect Singapore standard when you travel, so I’ll take it as a cultural experience, it’s just the way they work here...
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