So here's getting it out of me system.
Day One - 22 December 2006
3.00pm, I was at Bath Spa railway station. Fumbled my way up on my £9 tix from Bath Spa to London Paddington (Yes, for those uninitiated, Paddington Bear was named after London Paddington station cos he was found there). Upon reaching Paddington, saw salvation - Krispy Kreme outlet, to which I bought 3 doughnuts, and also a pack of Walker's Sensations as sort of a welcome to England initiation pack.
I trodded to Norfolk Square where Janet had booked the hotel room. The gals, amazingly lugged stuff which my mom asked them to carry, plus my tennis racquet up 6 flights of stairs to our hotel room. The gals chomped down the doughnuts and decided we ought to get out of the B&B.
We didn't do much, except to run by to Oxford Street, started shopping at H&M, Topshop and I was furiously hunting for Marks & Spencer's stollens, which were to die for. We wanted to go by Chinatown for food. By by the time we were done shopping, jetlagged for the gals and achy foot for me, we started our first road trip meal with Burger King. But it was nice to be reminded that it's Christmas with the street decor, which Janet told me that this year's Orchard Road X'mas decor are way way better than any in the past. Sigh... to be home.
Day Two - 23 December 2006
Rise and shine to a full English breakfast of bacon, fried eggs, baked beans, toasts and museli. We covered a lot of territory that day. First was a trip to Camden Market - where they had tons of stuff for Goths. But we found our salvation at Aldo, which had a discount shop at Camden. I got meself a pair of funky sequinned dark pink shoes, Janet - a pair of black track shoes, and Bons bought a dinner bag, earrings and funky white belt.
Then it was off to the Tower of London. I was all keyed up about heads that were chopped off at the Tower of London. But at £15 for entrance, we all decided - let's just let history lay where it should be - in the past. We just furiously took pictures of Tower Bridge and traitor's gate.
We had lunch at the infamous Wagamama, which I thought wasn't that good really. But it was really cold that day, and so it was nice to have a nice bowl of piping hot spicy noodles with soup. We took the river cruise down River Thames, just because I rememebered how much my mom liked the river cruise, plus you get to see quite a bit of London from the river ride. But none of us were brave enough to venture on the upper deck. We all chose to sit in the heated enclosed lower decks. Then was a trip to Buckingham Palace, which to be honest, wasn't that impressive.
After that was a trip to Harrod's. Which was really funny, cos they had demonstraters outside, who were demonstrating against Harrod's selling fur. Personally, unless the creature is endangered, if some bugger really wanted to pay ££££ for fur, let the idiots do it. Why not? Of cos no one bothered with the protesters, and they were there for a good long period of 1 odd hour shouting. Cui bought Leonidas chocolates from Harrods - damn atas taste man. I survive on Cadbury fruit and nut.
By then my right leg was hurting quite a bit. So thankfully the gals rested at Starbucks for a cuppa, which Cui tan tio, and got a Grande Gingernut latte even though she paid for a tall. Then was a pilgrmage to Zara, where I got a work dress, in case I get called for an interview. The stuff that my sis was supposed to pack came with bikini bottoms no top, no winter scarves and my pencil Zara skirt was replaced by another casual one. So... sigh. Sparked off a buying frenzy for me.
Then we had dinner at Covent Garden, where we had the world's most expensive fish & chips - £11. But it was a freeeee meal thanks to Bons, who decided to treat us. We met her colleague Hilton (not related to Paris) who happened to have studied in London. But by the time we were done, we were all knackered and just wanted to go back to zzz. For the next day, we were supposed to set off to Bath.
Day Three - 24 December 2006
Hertz's never lost - always makes us lost
Janet wanted to see St. Paul's Cathedral, so I accompanied her there, while Bons went for a church session at Hillsong. Supposedly award-winning sermons, didn't know they had those sort of awards, but from the tracks I hear, quite happening.
We finally got our car, which was a Fiat Sidici or Sedici can't remember the spelling. But anyway this car was quite a nightmare for us, which I will elaborate further later. London roads are a nightmare. So we had a navigation system which was utter crap. Every time we start it up, it'll reboot itself for the first 20km. ie, about half an hour sometimes. Which rendered us always lost. Funny thing is, the tagline for the machine was Hertz never lost.
For like 50km I was driving without headlights, while getting to Bath. It was getting dark at 3pm. So I guess I can add that onto my driving CV. We finally figured out how the lights worked. Another time was while I was driving down from M6 into the A roads to Windermere, with no streetlights, I had to highbeam, and accidentally switched off lights, going at 70miles/hour. Freaked the gals out. hahah, but I knew it was a straightroad, so just had to turn lights on.
When we reached Bath, it was all dark, so I showed the gals their hotel and wanted to go Sainsbury's to stock up, but it was 6 by the time we reached Sainsbury's, and everything was closed. And was to be so for the next 2 days. Which was miserable.
S. called me to find out if I was going over to show my gfs the invisible supposed "boyfriend" that I was with last year. So since we had no food, and nothing much to do, we went. Something happened along the way from the week before I met S and on x'mas day eve. We were acting all coupley and missing each other. Hmmmm I wonder if it's just hormonal surges or real missing each other. And it went so for the rest of the trip. Must be hormones. Anyway we ended up playing playstation at his place cos his son was there. The gals were bored after I had to be in duel with S on playstation for 20 minutes. But it was sweet to see S try really hard to entertain the gals.
By the time we got back to the B&B we were all zonked. I was back in my hole-in-the-wall at Thornbank for the next 2 nites, which kinda felt weird. Cos my life at Bath has always been so separate from Singapore, so it was weird that my friends were coming in to see Bath. What was disappointing was that everything was closed and I couldn't really show them what Bath was actually like.
I called the rascals that night so that they could open their presents from me. After they opened it, it was a goner, none of them wanted to speak with me. Should have known!
Rascals watching TV
Family at Christmas
Christmas dinner which I missed - goddammit! Check out the honey baked ham!
Photo credits of Rascals and Christmas dinner by Raena Leoh
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