Friday, October 26, 2007

I know i haven't been that active in blogging. Sorry, busy with work and getting used to the life here. And of course, some travelling as well.




Friday, October 19, 2007

Ok, i am now at the airport Terminal 1 blogging bcos i am too bored. Cab fare to airport set me back by 30 pounds. Heartache. Took bcos i heard it takes a long time to clear the customs.

Well, just try to save up next week. Time's almost up. Anyway, hope to have time to do shopping in Istanbul.

Ciao

Will be away to Istanbul from tomorrow for a meeting. Oh no. Somehow, i dun look forward to it. Think i am going to get screwed cos i need to present :(

Will be back on Sunday evening!

Pray for me!



Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Blogging in the office right now. As you have guessed, I have no access to internet in my apartment. And the TV is non functioning. But i can't complain so much. It is very nice of my boss to put me up in this apartment that he owes.

Yes, so i have arrived in London. The place where many many of my peers would dream to go because every shit thing happens here. It is the place to be. Global financial hub.

It is a totally different experience that i get in London than in Vilnius. Over here in London, people walk 10x faster, with fastfood restaurants littered all over the streets.

Perhaps, spending more than 2 mths in a slower paced Vilnius, i have a tiny problem of adjusting back to the hectic and busy environment that surrrounds me.

Nevertheless, i treasure my time here. Beside working, I spent my time wisely as well.

Last Friday, met up with King Yaw and his friends for a musical, Chicago! A must-do when one comes to London. 24.50 pounds, expensive in singapore standard but heck, this is London!

Saturday was spent exploring the city. Went to the Big Ben, outside of Buckingham Palace. After that, i went to King Yaw's place for dinner. It is so nice to go to a good friend's place in a foreign land, to bitch about life in general. I guess, it is normal as lonely souls would want to gather together for some good fun.

Sunday was also spent walking around, breathing London's air. Cooked for the first time in London.

Monday was work as usual but went over to King Yaw's place for dinner again. I guess it would become more frequent as time goes by.

Things are pretty good over here. New life, new adjustments. But lonely soul remains. I definitely feel more solitude and lonely than i was in Vilnius. I left all my Lithuanian friends in Vilnius :(

I am not sure if i can find any friends here, beside King Yaw's friends. I just have to make do.



Friday, October 12, 2007

1st day in London...Lots of feelings

Feeling

tired
amazed
homesick from Vilnius cos all my friends are back there
thrilled at the same time being in London, an international financial hub

Will be busy settling down these few days and was busy preparing the past few days.

Will find time to blog about Berlin, London and my new life whenever i can



Wednesday, October 03, 2007

This entry is about my weekend trip to Riga, partly to celebrate my 1st month overseas( yah, right)



This is the hostel that i stayed in for my 2 nights in Riga. It costs 8 lats, which is 24 sgd a night. Whether it is expensive or not, not sure, but it is in the heart of the Old Town and just opposite the bus station where the bus terminated. I guess it is wise to find somewhere near as i reached Riga at 1030pm. Not sure if it is safe to be on the streets



The street near my hostel. Notice its cobblered road. A usual thing in the old towns in Europe




The Freedom Statute. It is really very tall and it is sure a tourist spot as many tourists are seen snapping their cameras. So i did the same thing. Quite cool, huh the statute.



Just took the picture of the building because i like it so much. The fact that it is bright yellow in colour. Notice that there is a stone cat on pointed end of the building. Unique



Another nice and unique building in the Center of the Dome



A meseum i think, not very sure.

At noon the next day, i went back to the hostel where they had this guided tour of Riga where they took the participants to parts of Riga usually seen by tourists. Paid 5 lats for that.

This is what i had in return



This building is called Stalin's Birthday Cake. The shape says it all and it is now a government building. This is beauty and sadness of the Baltic States. Charming and sad because of their Soviet past



One of the stop over where we had coffee. This place is grand one lor. But coffee is cheap. 0.8 lats ( 2.4 sgd)



This building is unique because of the flowery patterns and came from one designer from the early 1900s. Not sure of his name.



Not forgetting that Riga is a city by the sea. Its harbour



Skyscrapers have made their way to Riga as well



The guided tour ended at the harbour but i went back to the Old Town for more self-exploration



My favourite place in Riga Old Town. I totally adore the building on the right. It is called the House of the Black Heads



This maybe a reason why. Didn't managed to go in because it was closed at 5pm




I love it so much that i snapped so many picture of it





A spanky new shopping mall in Riga shows how wealthy Latvia has become today



A wet and cold Sunday morning where people are seen manning their stalls



A lady selling flowers on a rainy morning



Interesting bistro name. Yes, TGIF!!



A scene near the bus and train station. It is a pity that Riga has yet to fully exploit its water ways. Could be beautiful where boats could sail by the river. But now, the whole area seems and is seedy and chaotic

So, that's the highlights of my Riga trip. It was my first holiday travelling alone. Overall, it is good, because Riga, in the Old Town is safe. And Riga totally is different from what i expected. It has progressed so much economically and because they are also occupied by the Germans, just reminds me of a German city. I hope it shatters the perception of people. I would really recommend Singaporeans to visit Latvia or Riga if you want somewhere modern/rich but at the same time cheaper than other Western European cities

But it has become somewhat tourisy, highly due to the fact that budget airlines fly from London to Riga. So it is a trade off isn't it?



Monday, October 01, 2007

I felt homesick yesterday.

Maybe it is bcos the idea that i can't see my friends and family for 2 more months instead of 1 has finally sunk into my head

Maybe bcos Audrey text me early in the morning to encourage me

Maybe bcos I went to buy gifts for my friends and the sale girl was unfriendly. So i felt unwelcomed in this country

Maybe simply because i had no work to occupy myself with

Maybe bcos i saw a funfair yesterday, where i saw parents taking their kids to the fun fair and i felt like going back to my parents. Reminds me that i do miss everyone back home and want to go to the fun fair with my family

I know i should take things positively. Trust me i am