Tuesday, January 15

Happy New Year, folks. I trust u've had a good one so far? 2007 has came and whizzed by, and I haven't been blogging for too long. Well, I'll put up some stuff right now, but as for my super recent trip to Espana, that has to hang on for awhile more while I get cracking on organising my photos.

Anyhow, here're some brief highlights from Nov til the end of the year.

I had my mini birthday celebration: Jacky and Rachel cooked dinner--Jacky bought tons of seafood: Mussels & Fish. Daniyal, Sarmad, Khalid, Rachel, Jacky and me tucked into some yummy grilled fish and 2 types of mussels; a la cream soup and in japanese miso soup. Oishii!

Trudy and Rachel baked me my very own Victorian Birthday cake---1st time having a home-baked birthday cake! Was really really good, with icing and sliced kiwi on top.

To top off the start of my birthday, when it hit Nov 9 midnight, my floormates came around, knocked on my door and sang a birthday song for me. It was really sweet of them! (and to Jacky and rachel for all their hard work)

The Singaporean dudettes and dude (Mel, Soo Ling, Cheryl, Jonathon and Fiona!--HK dudette) wanted to celebrate Wan Fang and my birthday with a dinner in town, but I bombed a test that morning and was feeling sick as well.. hence they improvised very quickly and celebrated for me with a delicious chocolate Maison Blanc cake in the evening. Unfortunately, Wan Fang was out with a friend for dinner and we couldn't do it together. Still, it was really sweet and dear of them to do that. Although it was brief, their gesture brightened up my day so much. (:
PS: they gave me a scarf which I have been using ever since~

During the weekend (10 Nov) Jacky treated me to dinner as he promised, and we would partake in my choice of fare for the night. Due to lack of variety (and a thought for his wallet) I picked kebabs at top of the town. Still, we over-ordered and had way too much food. We couldn't even manage any dessert or coffee!


























I remembered having olives, pickled chillies, pate and pitta bread for starters; adana kebabs for mains..and simply no room left, even for baklawa.

Straight after exams, Jacky and I popped over to Newcastle (14-16 December).





























Left: Newcastle's castle. The name that gave it the place, but surprisingly puny and nonedescript!

Right: Millenium Bridge.

Question: Why were my hands sticking up in this photo? Simply because we visited Newcastle during a really cold spell (think -4 deg to 6 deg celcius) I swear, my fingers were so numb, they hurt if I bump it the slightest. Hence, I borrowed and stuck Jacky's gloves over mine..and it was so chunky, I couldn't tuck my hands into my coat pocket :X

This trip was largely a relaxing sight-seeing one, and we mostly hung out with the other Singaporeans there, introduced to us by Jacky's friend--Keith. Kudos to him, we had free acommodation and first-rate hospitality. ( :

Visiting the Christmas market, having Fried Hokkien Mee (authentic style, with prawns, squids, etc, just missing out on the belachan with lime!)

Left: Monument erected for Lord Earl Grey--> Earl Grey Tea! This was taken at the Christmas market
Right: The pony at the market was just so irresistibly lovely! Jacky donated some change and I quitely whipped my gloves off to carress its soft mane while he took the photo.

Jacky looks pleased as punch, simply because Newcastle is his favourite football team!

I'm not a fan of football myself, but why not? I've been to Old Trafford, so why not here~























The very hospitable bunch of Singaporeans studying in University of Newcastle upon Tyne, with the exception of 1, who reads in University of Northumbria. oh, plus the girl who's name I forgot, is an exchange student.

From Left: Me, Erica, forgot-her-name, Winston, Erik, Keith, Eric. (Photo taken by Jacky)

hahaa.. if you read the names, u'll realise there are 3 'eric/eriks' within.


Went over to their place for dinner during 1 of the nights, and we had authentic home-cooked fried hokkien mee, complete with prawns, squids, even the prawn mee sauce cooked with the shells. (alas, we lacked belachan and a touch of lime juice) but still really good!


The photos below are taken at University of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Well, I almost did go there to study instead of in Surrey.. accommodation and food is much cheaper there, but while I could have quite abit of fun there, I'm still glad I came to Surrey.

The University school grounds

Labels: Birthday 2007, Newcastle, St James' Park, Victorian Cake