london.

It always happens when you come back from a faraway land, and an unforgettable trip.

Yes, post-trip withdrawal symptoms - i'm sure you all feel it right now. Well, for me, i define it as feeling dazed, walking around the house with the memories floating in your head, counting back 8 hours (almost subconsciously) to find out what the time is in london. At least that's what i've been doing since i got back...been doing alot of sleeping too. I try to get back to work, but i can't. Just seems impossible now, doesnt it.

All i can do now is sigh.

Okay anyway, i'll try to recall the few things that i found significant about the trip :)

1. Peppa pig: its a british children's cartoon that features a family of pigs that have the habit of snorting before every sentence they utter. They're really cute, and the bigger they get, the louder they snort i.e. papa pig snorts the loudest. During our stay in london, that became the cartoon of the day - we always watched it after breakfast.

2. The pub: when we went to west sussex, we stopped by sevenoaks and mr wong brought a bunch of us into this pub for lunch. There was a rather conspicuous sign outside that said only over eighteens are allowed, but i was given no time to hesitate as fraser almost pushed me in. No regrets though; the food was beyond delicious. I ordered sausage and mash for just 4.95 pounds, and with portions so huge, i wondered who needs 3 meals a day. The hot chocolate was luxurious; on top of the marshmellows swimming in chocolate milk was a generous serving of cream that swirled very nicely, with a sharp tip at the end, like ice-cream. I'm getting hungry as i describe this.

3. The people: the brits are, by nature, friendly people. I wish i could be like them. There was once where we were sitting at the hotel lobby, closing our eyes and praying, and the stranger sitting across asked if we were all right. I thought it was very nice of him to ask. I was standing outside someone's room and another stranger also asked if i was okay. It does feel good to know that someone does care, even if he's a stranger. Maybe we should adopt this habit in spore too, just that we might get a nasty stare in return most of the time.

4. The weather & nature: what would the trip be without this? The green, green grass is to die for. Its a pity no one is allowed to step or roll on it. Then again, i guess thats how they keep the grass so healthy - no human intrusion. The orange-red leaves on the trees was a beautiful sight, and they were everywhere. At west sussex, we saw grazing sheep and roaming cows (the black and white ones!). All this gave me a peace and calm; you know, the feeling u get when u watch docile animals stroll on endless pasture? Yes...its a timeless feeling, as if you're one with nature.

5. The tube: London's subway is very very complicated. When i first saw the map, i took more than a minute to locate the station that we were in. There are so many intersections, so many different lines that there's a large possibility of getting lost. But we got the hang of it anyway. After all, its the oldest underground subway in the world, so maybe we should give it a chance.

6. The West End: A really cool place for theatre. Its just a street in london with an endless row of theatres, showing the Phantom of the Opera, Lion King, Les Miserables, etc etc. All the fantastic shows rolled into one street! What more can u ask for? I must go there again someday and watch a show there. Its a great arty place; something that puts our local arts scene to shame. Well, maybe we'll get there some day. Just look towards the West End, and then embark on the journey to the West. haha. Then we may get there in 50, 60 years or more?

7. Trinity College: A really picturesque and historical place to study; great professors there too. Its a place that breathe music - when you walk through one of the halls where the windows all face in on direction, you can hear anything from a trumpet to a saxophone to someone singing or playing the violin. The people are friendly, and the professors all have a sense of humour. There was something speical about their teaching too; i noticed a sense of timelessness in the way they teach. Maybe not in the entire essence of the word, but they take their time explaining things to you, and u don't feel any rush at all. This was something i admired alot, because you will never feel it in spore. They play their music as if they have all the time in the world, and that everyone is listening to them. They take their time. And thats something i would want to learn (it cannot be learnt in spore). Hmm a place i'll consider studying in.

8. Friends: I've come to know alot of you guys more, and some of you are really really funny! Thanks for making the trip so comical and amusing. Special mention goes to phay, rayner, ee ming, austin, walter loo mingjie (lol!). I think they deserve an award for this! Thanks to joash and fraser for diligently keeping the camera rolling and their socialising escapades. Really fun to watch, and join in as well. You people are amazing, every one of you, even if ur name isn't mentioned. I will come to miss this alot.

Okay, now to list the things that i've missed in spore:

1. Chilli! haha i know western food is nice, but asian chilli rocks and its something i would not live without. So you can imagine what i was dipping my chicken and beef in during yesterday's steamboat dinner. Sambal chilli.

2. iPod's john mayer songs: I didnt realise how attached i am to my music pod till i lived 8 days with its absence. I regret not bringing it, because many moments of the trip reminded me of at least one song in my iPod, esp. john mayer's.

3. Piano: Yes i know i had a masterclass with the most famous pianist philip fowke, but i only played one piece and its hard to survive on 5 minutes of piano for 8 days! So i'm glad i'm home, me and my piano.

4. Kobe: of course i miss kobe. He's my darling! He's grown even fluffier now than before. I look out at the hall and i see him sleeping again. That lil lazy, loveable dog.

5. people: i am an ungrateful one; i didnt really miss my family, or anyone at all, in particular. But i did think about some of you guys, and i guess that counts as missing u? Well, i thought about cheryl, sze, xin, cherie, auggie, deb (who sent us off, thank you very much), ali's prayer group, joshhoe, church, amos, and i cant remember...oh well i am indeed an ungrateful one. i apologize x.x

Okay, thats basically it. Now back to stoning.