Haven't updated for a long time....

SO
I'm back in Brunei on 5 JULY.... What a relief...after 10 months abroad.

About my blog, I haven't updated it for 4 months. I was really busy and the school restricts access to blogs. So let me make an update on what I have done in the past 4 months apart from preparing for my exams which I think I have done alright.

21 June 2009
My trip to St. Andrews.

For those who don't know where St. Andrews is, ask the golfers. It's the birthplace of golf. The beaches and the University of St. Andrews are equally famous as well.


The church in St. Andrews. (It doesn't just look old... It was burned down many century ago.)


The beach in St. Andrews (with icy water)


One of the lawns at the University of St. Andrews.

Besides that, I also made a trip to University of Edinburgh, London School of Economics... I didn't bring a camera with me, so no photos.

I think the new building in CHMS is up and running already. I will make one trip there to have a look at the classrooms and the labs. I will also have to write a personal statement for my UCAS application form.

Will update again when I am back in Brunei.

Fire!!!

FIRE this morning in my hostel. 7am... and it's NOT a drill. All of us were chased out of the hostel. And I found myself outside, in sub-zero temperature, wearing only a short-sleeved T-shirt, long pants and a slipper. WTH?! I almost became the tallest ice pole in Glasgow. After spending 15 freezing minutes outside, we were asked to go in, with my body numb and painful from the cold. Then, back to my bed and Zzzzz....


3 fire engines here to help.

Not sure if there's really a fire. I neither see smoke nor feel any abnormal heat. We were not told where the fire has occurred and no one asked. I think it should be the kitchen. Who would be so boring to set a fire up at dawn?? Unless that person has lost all his sanity and feels happy to see us all awake and freezing at 7am in the morning...

My first non-drill fire experience,
Kuo Hong...

Life in Glasgow

Some pictures from Glasgow:


Just behind my hostel... McDonald's and Chopstix (chinese fast food restaurant)


Opposite, Pizza Hut and KFC



Not to forget the Subway!!!
Now, some pictures from my living quarter:

Entrance to the hostel.

Bunk bed. I don't like stairs so I sleep on the lower bed.

Boring....!! the toilet.

Boring.....!! the bathroom

The only table in the room... The 3 of us have to share. Hence this.

I have one extra bed here. and I'm hoping someone to come and accompany me....hehe...

6th Form Ball

Last Saturday... We have a ball in the school... These are some of the pictures I took:

Jean

Bokhari

me, Derek, David

Nadia

Fina

Isaac, me, Anthony

Ina

(Picture removed because no authorisation was given for the personal use of the picture!!!)

Shirley

PS: Shirley,你是最美的...

Ivy

Peng

Sunny

Ken, Jayco, Newton, me

Currently in Glasgow... 10 days half-term. Damn, I am going to be so bored!

Boring...

So, what did you do during Christmas? Sleep, eat and watch TV.

I hate staying in. And that sounds all my frustration. What else can I do? ALL the shops are closed and the streets look as if they are deserted. If anyone thinks Christmas is supposed to joyous, think again. Maybe it is to you... but not to me... not to foreigners living here. Even McDonald's is shut. You know what? I get angry very easily when there's not enough food...

Ok. Now that's enough words from me today. Back to bed. Oh yea, and the TV keeps showing all those Christmas programs. Crap lah.

Manchester

Manchester, the city made famous by cotton in the Victorian times. Mills and factories emerged rapidly, turning the city into an industrial stronghold. Their owners became rich and wealthy in a very short time. People flock into the city from the countryside, hoping for a better life. Together with the cities in northern England, their advances during the Industrial Revolution made England the richest nation in the world. Such was the fame of Manchester that cities like Osaka in Japan are dubbed the “Manchester of the East” due to its textile industry that rivaled the scale of Manchester.

The millionaires in Manchester started to build grand structure as their residence and as shopping complexes. The face of Manchester is transformed completely. However, the city council of Manchester faced a problem. Unlike London, they do not have a landmark that symbolizes the city. Hence, they came to a decision – to build a town hall that even amidst all the grand structure can be regarded as unique and even greater. The result is a castle-like structure whose floor and windows are decorated with patterns of cotton. This shows how important cotton means to the people of Manchester.

The cotton industry faced a decline after the wars, and now, what makes Manchester famous all over the world is no longer its industry, but the two very famous stadiums – Old Trafford and the City of Manchester Stadium. The former is the world champions and the latter is the richest football club in the world.

On public transport, Manchester does not have the convenience of the underground in London. Instead, it has metrolink, a network of trams that links the city and its suburbs. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I won’t consider using it. The speed is incredibly slow.

There is also a Chinatown in Manchester. It’s not quite big. It’s very very small if you compared it to that in London. The arc in front of the Chinatown reads, “曼彻斯特中国城” or “Manchester’s China Town”.

Edinburgh Christmas Shopping...

Or so it's called for the outing on the last Sunday of the term.

Edinburgh,
The colourful and vibrant Scottish capital.

Actually I took all the pictures along the same street - Princes Street. It's where all the shops are located. Didn't manage to get to Edinburgh Castle...

Just look at the weather - dull and gloomy. Typical British weather. No wonder they get skin cancer so easily when exposed to strong sunlight.