So Cold!!

Outside our apartment @ Addison

Stonehenge

Circle of Friends

Sandra, Me, Kak Ju, Sheila & Niza

Sandra moved into the opposite room in our apartment. we became close friends. she's Indonesian and also one of the Brunei High Commission officer's new girlfriend. ;) she comes over to our apartment daily. we'd talk and go out alot. we visit Sheila and Niza's apartment at times too. they are law students from Malaysia. another one of their room mate is Zennifa, another law student from Singapore.

Kak Ju comes to visit her sister who lives in London. we had so much fun going out and laughing our heads off doing all the silly stuff together. like one time, someone bought cigarettes and puffed just to take a picture of smoke coming out of their mouth, assuming it's smoke from the cold winter air!!! hahaha...

we wanted to take a short trip to Paris but went against it as Kak Ju is afraid we might not be able to get back into London. sigh...it's the UK immigration, they ask too many questions!!!

My Travel Pass :)

i haven't been doing anything much since i quit waitressing. the fee to journalism school was way too high! there's rent to pay and of course, food and thrift shop shopping..hehe.

one day, the phone rang outside. that, being the main public telephone for all tenants, anyone can pick up to answer. and so that morning i picked up the phone.

Man: hello..is _____ there? she lives in apartment so and so.

Me: oh, let me check. hold on please. (went to knock on her door, no answer) sorry, she's not in.

Man: ok. how old are you? you live in the same apartment with her? would you like to earn some money?

Me: huh? doing what?

Man: why don't you come to my office. you have to take pictures with some girls and i pay you 1500 pounds.

Me: err..no thanks!

i admit, that offer sounds really good considering the money i could get. but taking pictures with some girls? i'm assuming nude pictures???

Back To London

Halim & Hairun

we stayed at John's place for a few days. we cooked dinner for everyone and it was really nice of John to take sometime out of his busy schedule to take us sight~seeing and around Devon. and the it was time to return back to London.

by this time, i've already quit my job at Angus Steak House. a month is enough for me. 12hrs each day, 6 days a week! well, i wasn't poorly paid and the tips are good but the tired arms and legs and the aching body! but surprisingly the Manager called me at the apartment asking me to come back to work. apparently i'm one of the "good" staff who could speak good English..hehe. i fibbed saying i got another job..or something like that. he was quite nice to me. sometimes he'd let me off 2hrs early when the restaurant wasn't so busy. that made some of the staff err...unhappy???

i remember Maya. she's Polish, she's such a sweetie! we work together and her boyfriend is one of the chefs. i wish i had taken pictures with them. too bad though. i just didn't want to bring my camera to work. he makes delicious Hungarian Goulash! we were fed well at the restaurant but not well treated. the supervisor was a jerk!

Stonehenge

Me and John @ Stonehenge

met John when he was in Singapore. he's a friend of William Barrett and they are coin collectors and dealers. anyway, John brought me, Hairun and Halim around Devon. he took us to his office where i did some paper "work". drove us to the town where his Mum lives. we met his nephew and nieces and stayed there for some scones and tea. :)

Stonehenge is a really magnificent place. something you see in the magazines and hear about on the news and now, finally seeing it first hand! even though it's just pieces of stones it's still amazing. when we were there, there was an interview going on by someone doing a report. Halim and John said a few words and then we hung around for abit going, Uhh... and Ahh... and we left.

Happy Birthday In London :)

November 29th 1990, my 21st Birthday :)
Hairun and i celebrate the same birth date and we got each other gifts. haha..i remember we're still staying at Elephant's and Castle then! i received gifts from back home, in a big box. some friends working as flight attendants on SIA came to deliver the goods at the restaurant where i was working.

we opened up our presents and of course, this is the best part about birthdays. seeing what we get and our eyes lighting up and going WoW! hehe...

*by the way, that picture was not taken in London* ;)

Happy Birthday To Me Today! :)

A Weekend In Devon

Devon 

John invited us to spend the weekend in Devon where he lives. i went first and Hairun and her boyfriend would join me later in the week. John picked me up at the station. it was a foggy night i remember. we drove in the dark but very slowly. John took me to a local pub where we had supper. the best on the menu, fried potato wedges with creamy dip! sinful..who cares, i was putting on weight anyways. the weather is so cold, i'm always hungry! ;)

More on Life In London :)

Holland Road Apartment

this is the final resting place for us. it's a 3 storey apartment with a basement. there were tenants in every room and the landlord is quite an ok person. we lived on the 1st level and the coin phone is just outside our door. it's very cosy. we have a big window that looks out to the street. in the morning sometimes we see the constable on horseback going past. that's so neat!

the neighbourhood is pretty quiet and most importantly, it looks safe! haha...

Life In London

Outside 1st Apartment

can't even remember where we first lived. but it wasn't for long so..it doesn't matter. London's a really terrific place to be. i love the parks, the thrift stores, the weekend markets(Portobello is my top favourite). :) Camden town is another one. and the shopping malls. always want to go to the shopping malls.

Harrods. that's the best shopping place to visit! it's so huge and so airy and so expensive!!! in fact, almost everything is expensive in London. isn't it?

Apartment To Apartment

Stonehenge

we finally couldn't take living at Elephant & Castle!!! the bathroom was the killer! Hairun saw a big rat and there were gaps and holes...we had to move. and the journey from there to work is a drag, for all of us.

we finally found a really nice, clean and great neighbourhood apartment. Holland Road. ahh..what a great change from the previous place! :) although the rent was much more than what we paid before, between the 3 of us, we could afford it. Z slept in the living room, where they(the landlord) already set up a bed. we had our own bathroom! thank goodness for that. Hairun and I slept in the bedroom at the back. we also had our own kitchen..no more take outs! :)))

Here I Am in London

Autumn in London

when we first arrived, we rented an apartment. it was really tiny, more like living in a closet! just the 2 of us, one slept on the bed, one on the floor. then Hairun(Z's cousin) told us she too needed to look for an apartment and we decided to go apartment hunting.

we found one in Elephant & Castle. it was drabby and dark..but liveable! we moved in immediately. there was a Fish & Chips place downstairs. we usually get ours from there. waitressed at Aberdeen Steak House, just to pay rent and buy food and shopping of course. didn't get to the Journalism School as intended. too busy enjoying London on a budget!

London

London 1990 ~ 1991

*photo taken at Tower Bridge*

first trip to London in September 1990. went with 2 friends, but unfortunately, one of them had to be sent home. what's wrong with the UK immigration? they asked so many questions, they were suspicious of our friend and sent him home. :(