~CoLoUrS oF oUr LiFe~: nottingham

Showing posts with label nottingham. Show all posts

Friday, 26 June 2009

~ :) ~

My home is eerily quiet. Usually I’m spending most of weekday’s time in the office (exception on the lazy day of mine, when I’m feeling that sleep is the best thing to do and don’t want it to let go away :) ).

I’m usually back at home around 6-7 pm. It’s returning to an empty house and there is no one to greet, complain or ask something as soon as I’m taking off the shoes. Then, I’ll have dinner in living room, watching another re-run of Simpsons on Sky1. I’ll let the idiot box run while I’m doing something else, either continuing the office’s works or surfing the internet. I’ve already get used to having all of my time to myself....I cook whenever I want to cook of whatever I want to eat (which usually ended up with either ayam goreng or ayam masak kicap), having the sight of undisturbed house (I'm very particular (or fussy?) about arrangement of things in the house) and I don’t have to share the TV with anyone. I love the peace and quiet. However, I’d also love to cook for someone else other than just myself. Not really means that I can prepare the best meals, but there is nothing sadder than a meal for one.

But this will pass in the next few weeks when my lovely wife & Fatihah (OMG...she has grown almost 8 months without me) together with the in-laws come to UK. And will be followed by a half month visit from my parents, brother & sisters. Can’t wait to have family gathering somewhere far away from Malaysia. Not really planning for a fancy Euro-trip (it’s summer & everyone is taking their day off, so ££ is really matters for a trip), but sure we’ll having a good time then.

~London Trip~

Last Saturday (13th June), I'm finally able to go out from Notts after 4 months being stuck preparing my first year assessment (which has already been done on 2oth May). London, I'm going to. I've never been to London before, although almost 2 years being here. Just been there on transit during my trip to Paris.

The trip was planned about 2 months ago, together with Pok Lah. We have decided to take a coach and planned for a day trip. Shouldn't be a problem to go around London within a day due to the long days of summer. Our coach departed around 7.30 am and scheduled to arrive back in Notts at 11.30 pm.

Arrived at Victoria Bus Station at around 10.30 am, and our first place-of-interest was Malaysian Hall...we were going for the food. Bought a 1-day ticket of £5.60 (which allows for travelling within Zone 1 and 2), and we were headed to the Bayswater Station (the nearest station to the Malaysian Hall). Having our lunch and prayer over there. The food just so-so, but can be said to be worth having since we are in UK. Bila lagi nak merasa makan sambal udang petai, pajeri terung, ikan keli etc. kat sini.

Pok Lah buying some souvenir on the way back to Bayswater Station. Luckily, it was cheaper to buy here compared to other places around London which we have been for

Next place was the Tower Bridge. I've noticed that almost every weekend (Saturday & Sunday), there were service disruption for the underground stations, which also occurred on our day trip. So, we have to take 3 trains to arrive at the London Bridge Station (termasuklah 1 train yang tersilap naik).

We spent most of the time walking along the River Thames, taking pictures and cuci mata. Banyak tempat & permandangan menarik along the river. Tower Bridge and also London Bridge.

London Bride

Tower Bridge

Our next destination was London Eye, House of Paliament & Big Ben. From London Bridge Station, we took the Northern Line tube towards Waterloo Station. Waterloo Station is nearby the London Eye. Another places of great scenery for pictures.

House of Parliament

London Eye-Have to book the ticket earlier due to the long queue

House of Parliament & Big Ben

Big Ben

A demonstration being held in front of the Churchill Monument nearby House of Parliament. Protest towards Sri Lanka on human right issues

Last place for the trip was Buckingham Palace. Since it was almost 5.00 pm and most tube services was already closed due to the maintanence works, we decided to talk a walk to Buckingham Palace, which took us for about 15 minutes to reach there. Main attraction at Buckingham Palace is the Queen's Guard (polis baju merah & topi tinggi) which I thought boleh bergambar sama2. But the guards were about 100 metre inside the palace which visitors can't allowed to enter. So, dapat snapped pictures through the fence je. Sempat la jugak tengok the guards changing shift, at 7.00 pm.

Tugu depan Buckingham Palace

Queen's guard in front of Buckingham Palace

After that we headed back to Victoria Coach Station to catch our coach at 8.30 pm. Having our dinner there, before boarding off onto the coach and arrived at Notts at 11.30 pm.

~Half Way to Go!~

Alhamdullillah. After almost 1 & half year being here as PhD candidate, on 20th may I'm finally able to confirm my status as PhD student. It was not before I’m passing the assessment.

My presentation was done quite smoothly (although having “errr” & “aaa” here & there), and the assessment went well. Really paid off after all the hard work that had been done before. All praise to Allah whom I always seek help to at the time when I feel like on giving up. Also thanks for the support from my beloved Nani & Fatihah, family & friends (chewahh…dah macam finishing my study je, padahal baru 1st year assessment. But it was really tough when u’re doing at NTEC). Now I can lay off enjoying the summer :)

~Snow in Nottingham 2009~

It has been quite a long time since the last update I'd made on this blog. Been really busy lately...trying to finish up some reports (which I've already managed to submit), planning up my future works, read tonnes of journal papers, etc....Few things had happened back then which includes heavy snowfalls in Notts. Although I've experienced the snowing in Notts last year, this time is the heaviest and longest snowfall ever happened in the past 18 years.

Firstly I thought it was fun for having snow to fall everyday and carpeting the ground in white. But after 2-3 days of the heavy snowfall, I started to feel quite difficult to move around. Nak jalan pun dah macam orang baru lepas bersunat....it was very slippery. Public transportation schedule have been badly distrupted (I've to take a taxi for going home from my school after 1 hour waiting for the last bus which didn't come) and most schools and shops have been closed due to snow. Even the early predictions and warnings about the snowfall, people were not expected to have such a heavy snowfall as this time. But everybody seems to be enjoying their snowy days, including me. Gone for picture snapping and snow sledging at the Wollaton Hall, but just for about 1 hours. Really felt cold escpecially after wetting my gloves with snow during sledging.

Here's some pictures taken during the snowy days-the first weeks of the February 2009.

My backyard is carpeting with snow

Wollaton Hall & Park

Good place for snow sledging due to high slope area

Me & Pok Lah

Naim, Me, Shah & Pok Lah

~Card That Cheer Up My Day~

Got a birthday card from my lovely wife and cute little Fatihah. Thanks a lot for the wishes...miss both of u very much. Fatihah now seems to be more like Nani...chubby and her chin is 100% copied of Nani's. The only things that seem to be more like me is on the upper part of her face...dahi luas and her hair line. She's so cute with her hairband...trying to cover dahi jendul ek?

Love and miss both of u very much. Thanks for the cards.

~Middlesbrough-Arsenal~

Pictures update on my trip to Middlesbrough to watch football match between Middlesbrough and Arsenal. This was on 13 December, tapi baru je nak upload gambar. Middlesbrough is located on the north east of England, about 2 and half hour of journey from Nottingham. The city is located on the south bank of the River Tees (based on Wikipedia la) and has oceanic climate. No wonder it is really windy and cold. The stadium, Riverside Stadium memang betul2 bersebelahan dengan River Tees, yang memang menjadi port kapal berlabuh.

It was rainy all day, from the Nottingham to Middlesbrough and until we got back in Nottingham. Stadium was about 3/4 full, maybe because of the rainy day...and ticket for the match were still selling at the counter on that day. We sat on the Arsenal side and on the fourth row from the front. But it was exactly behind the goal post...so not really a good location for taking pictures (most of my pictures akan berlatarbelakangkan jaring gol). And because the weather was really really cold and wet, jadi tak banyak gambar pon yang dapat diambik waktu game tu (malas nak kuarkan tangan dari poket dan bukak sarung tangan). Game ended with 1-1 draw (nape asal pergi tengok game je, sure seri...1-1 plak tu). After the game, we go to find mosque before heading to Nando's for our dinner. They got halal's Nando's over here. Middlesbrough is really a nice place and worth for the visit. Sempat berjalan2 kejap je masa mula-mula sampai, before the game start. Maybe next time will come again.

~From Nottingham to Malaysia~

~Manchester United vs Newcastle United~

Although I'm a Spurs fan, but my dreams is to watch football match at either Old Trafford or Emirates (two of the top and well known stadium . And my dream comes true on the 17 August. Me, Shah, Naim & Pok Lah were able to buy tickets for visitors on the opening game at Old Trafford (Manchester United vs Newcastle United). So, we have to pretend to be Newcastle United fan. But the experience is really worth. The game ended with a 1-1 draw. It's so enjoyable to be among small grous of Newcastle fans which is quite happening as compared to the Manchester United fan. We stand for all the times during the game, cause everybody was too, keep chanting and singing for Newcastle players....only do some miming just to show and pretend that we also supports the teams. Otherwise we will be kick off from the stand since we are the only outsiders among the Newcastle fan (all others was local people which I can't find any Pakistani or Chinese).