Next day after the Notting Hill Carnival (Part 1 & Part 2), I went straightly to Croydon, which is the south of London. As it was out of the tube network, I need to either take a train or tram from Wimbledon to get there. I never tried the tram before, so I decided to get to Wimbledon to catch a tram. That's the outer view of the Wimbledon train station where I drop off from tube to continue my journey by tram from the same station. Journey took around 30 minutes from Wimbledon to Croydon. This is the tram on the street of Croydon. What's the difference between train and tram? train doesn't go into the streets, while tram does. Train has higher ground clearance, but when you sit in the tram, you feel like cruising just above the ground. Trams are electric buses.
So why did I went to Croydon? Well... I went to the Home Office. The Home Office building is called Lunar House. I went there for my appointment of changing my visa.
My appointment was at 11.30a.m. but I need to be there by 11a.m. I arrived and queued up starting 10.30a.m. Got my number at 11.35a.m. then went upstairs for further process. It was a long wait at the counters... At around 12.30p.m. my number was called and the process went on quite smoothly. They informed me that I'll need to wait for 2 hours to get my documents back. So I went for lunch!!
I had buffet lunch as it was quite cheap. £4.50 for around 20 types of food to choose. Bargain!! and it tasted like home cooking. As usual, I was too hungry and enjoying the food too much then I forgot to took photos of what I ate.
After that I walked around Croydon town centre as I still got plenty of time. As I browse through the products in a computer shop, I saw this unusually huge universal remote control for TV and etc. You can estimate its size by using the batteries to the left. Those who use this remote must have swollen fingers... Went to Whitgift Shopping Centre after that. It's the largest shopping complex in Croydon. Centrale which is opposite to Whitgift. Didn't manage to go as I ran out of time. As I went back to Lunar House, a lad asked me if I could speak mandarin. I was asked to help a crying girl who stood there with a luggage. I spoke mandarin, she looked at me, I spoke English, she looked at me as well.. She only told me she come from Mongolia. No wonder she doesn't understand either Mandarin or English. She gave me 2 pieces of paper in her hands showing some handwritings of "She need to immigrate, please help her" and another piece written "Home Office". Then the guard came out then brought her into the building and found out that she is only 16 years old. The guards asked for help from the minor section then I went into the office as I was in a hurry.
I arrived just in time to collect my documents and my passport. Before I went on my journey back to London, I took a short walk again to the next tram station. This market reminds me of pasar malam... In the end of the day trip... I got myself this.... A visa which wrote Residence Permit under the participation of International Graduates Scheme... which I can work full time for a year. The one upside down is my student visa which is actually still valid.
There are not really too many people around the carnival route but it was enough to clog up tubes and walkways. We were lucky to get a place beside the route. It started around 12p.m.. The First electric car came up as the sponsor and the huge truck came after it with big ass sound system which can blow your head off. You can see from the video below. The sound system was so huge that the sound pumped by the sound system can affect your digest system. My camera can't even get the sound nicely.
As the parade passed by, this costume caught my attention. What does that look like? Some bird right? Imagine more.... what are you thinking.... Does that look like huge erected testicles with huge balls hanging.... especially it's at that position... =.=" That guy who wears it must be happy... and whoever designed this costume must be gay...
More photos are in the video clip at the end of this post.
27 August 2007 Adults' Day
Due to some delays, we arrived quite late that day. Didn't really manage to catch some special photos in the parade, but caught some photos on the street. Millions of Londoners, party-goers, tourists and etc were clogging up streets in Notting Hill area. All you can see is people, huge sound system, tonnes of booze (alcohol drinks), sexy hot chicks, police... and of course... tonnes of rubbish around. I didn't try the food as I'm broke already. sad. Too much to try also.
Anyway, this testicle with 2 balls bird outfit appeared again next day... gee.... with different guy wearing it... and with a reflective vest!! What's going on!?!?!? What are the Chinese girls doing in the Caribbean carnival? Here is the video, but before that, just wanna inform that the quality of the video is worst of worst as I can't get the original video uploaded. The uploaded video is a compressed version so the quality is quite bad. Anyway, enjoy...
*Finally come up with my carnival trip as I was too lazy to edit the pictures and videos. Sorry about that*
I arrived London at 25th August in longer time than I thought. It was unexpected that there is engineering works happening half way of the rail track. I was forced to change bus at Billericay to Laindon to continue my journey. Damn the train delayed 20 minutes then forced to change train again at Upminster due to some faults. I continued my journey by tube as I was fed up. I arrived around 2 hours later than usual time. Went for a nice meal after that with my mate and off to the carnival!!
It was around 4.30pm when we arrived Hyde Park where the first day's event took place. The weather was fine and many people were there enjoying the sun and holiday and of course, the carnival!!
First day of the carnival is the National Panorama Championship which Steel Bands take part to compete against each other. Wondering what is steel bands? Basically, steel music is a type of Carribean music which their instruments were mostly made of steel. Thinking of pots and pans and those big steel oil barrels? Well, not pots and pans of course... they are professionals though. How were they sound like then? Watch the video below. First part of the video is the practice session of one of the bands and second part is another band in the competition. There were altogether 7 groups competing that day as it was the finals.
That's the end of Nottinghill Carnival Day 1, National Panorama Championship. This photo was taken at around 6.30p.m. Love it.
It's the final day of August and it's the official Malaysian Independence Day. Happy Birthday to Malaysia, my beloved country. Apart from Malaysia, there are 2 more out there whose Birthday is around the same day.
First of all, my beloved brother. 30th August. and second, Maple a.k.a. Liwan a.k.a. Panpan, my 'niece'. She has a Merdeka Birthday which is on 31st August. Happy Birthday to you all!!
I lived alone during my final 2 weeks before moving out from Sunderland. I can do whatever I want that nobody cares. I can go out whenever I want. I can do my own stuff whenever I want.
My life now is better. Aunt taking care of my dinner. Having proper food. Got nice place to shower. Got internet for free. Got TV to watch. Spending nil for all those while getting cash to spend if going out. but, I just can't take it easy on myself when I stay here. I feel pressured sometimes as I'm living in someone's place. My lifestyle is different. I have my own ways in some daily chores, tasks, habits and etc. I felt that I can't do anything wrong as I felt that if I did, I'll be in trouble. I'm thinking that, am I sitting in front of my laptop everyday making them saying stuff about me? I just have no motive and bored that's all. There's not really anything that I can do here really interest me. Those that I'm interested in, I don't dare to do it. Maybe others in the house are thinking why I don't wanna sleep earlier, staying up till late and sleep till nearly noon every morning... one reason: I feel more free to do things when everyone went to bed. At least I don't feel someone is looking at me doing things.
I felt lonely as well. I can't tell anyone how I really felt. I have nobody to talk about my feelings in my life. Relationships... myself... my future... my plans... my dreams... and nobody who comes online in MSN everyday can fully understand my feelings. I'm independent, but at times, I need someone to talk to. All my friends who has same interest as mine doesn't come online anymore nowadays. I don't know where are they, what are they doing. Maybe I really need to transform myself into lone ranger after all... like Dr. Suresh in Heroes... pursuing his own dreams alone while nobody listens to him...
Some of the things... I can't let go even I already tried... Others are telling me that I'm too bored, I'm lonely and etc. and that's why I think too much. Since I graduated, I achieved nothing useful. Only some toys like that roller coaster... I failed to complete the second one with my own plans.
I never really felt happy since I moved out from Sunderland. Maybe few times... like, when I helped my friend to solve some computer problems... when I done the roller coaster and compiled the video... I got some positive feedbacks from my interview... when granny says that the food that I cooked is nice... when my blog traffic increased a bit... when I finally changed the sidebar colour of my blog that I tried for 2 days... when I get great comments from readers...
Seems like I got happy times too since moved out huh... There are important things that makes me happy as well... seeing someone's smile... seeing the special someone come struggling me with troublesome problems... Opening an envelope and see someone writing to me that they know me quite well...
After all those babbling and moaning.. I feel better. I'm just bored and lonely thats all. Ready to face new challenges anytime!!
Leaving for London again this Saturday to see my friend, to join a festival, and most importantly, get my misc things done, and my visa done next Tuesday.
****Someone please help me to stop the video from auto playing!! Tried various codes like "autostart" value="false" but I also failed to stop it!!****
Have you seen knife proof school uniforms? Britain is now so dangerous that parents need to invest into some Kevlar uniforms to protect their children from getting stabbed.
For the past 6 months blogging here, I'd post around 140 posts. Wondering why am I blogging, what is the purpose of blogging.
Before starting my blog here, I write some posts in Friendster blog to share my life experiences with my friends, then after I read more and more blogs, I decide to change to Blogger for more functions. Using the same title, I started blogging here since end of February.
At first, only friends were reading what I posted, then since I attached a counter in my blog, I realized that the numbers were growing at snail pace. I decided to spread more words about my blog, then learn online on how to attract more readers and so on. Numbers of readers increased bit by bit, then I tried put on advertisements, like other blogs. After some weeks, I just realized that the advertisements are just for decorations as it generates me nothing.
At times I feel like I got so much to say as I experienced a lot, but I felt quite lazy to write more than one post, but sometimes, like today, I just don't have anything to write about, as I'm stuck at home and achieved nothing!! Not even making the new roller coaster functioning!! *sob*
Anyway, thanks for reading my crapping if you manage to read until this point. I don't know what am i writing up there.. -.-"
For the past 2 days I was building this to make use of my free time. K'Nex Rippin' Rocket Roller Coaster. 2 days ago when I just started building, before dinner, it came out like in the picture below. Yesterday at around 3p.m., I completed it. It took me 333 minutes to finish it. 2 launching motors to launch the car around the track. The highest point is around 160cm. The facts wrote that if it is in life size, the highest point will be around 15 storeys and the loop will be 3 storeys high. The speed of the car will be around 190km/h. As it is a used unit, the launcher is not that powerful due to used batteries. I didn't manage to get new ones, so I need to modify the track so it can go around without stopping. I modified a bit at the lower part as you can see. The original is above and the modified one is below. I detached the track from the structure and the lowest part was lifted a bit higher so the car can go pass it by the limited momentum. I tried to take some photos when the car is moving. Manage to catch this one without flash. Can you see the purple lines going up above the orange launcher motor? I tried again last night with flash and managed to catch it when passing through the launcher. Anyway, I edited a video which I took when the coaster is in action.
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I had been watching Big Brother 8 for 2 weeks now, and it's nearly the end of this season. Among all the house mates, the twins Sam & Amanda are the most appealing among all.
The twins are from Newcastle-under-Lyme, 18 years old and studying social work in Manchester Metropolitan University. They call themselves "Twincredible". Bubbly is the perfect word to describe them. Never seen them argue with anyone, cheering everyone up... The house would never be as lively if they are not around. Just love to see them. People say they are the nation's most favourite twins!!
Left: Sam - Right: Amanda
Sam
Amanda
Overall, I love Amanda more, only one reason - - She's more pretty!! LOL~~~ and more gorgeous eyes...
This is a slideshow that I found online which featuring few more pictures of them. Click for latest pictures of Amanda HERE and Sam HERE.
What do you think about them? Which one looks more pretty? Give your comments...
Click HERE for more about Sam & Amanda. Click HERE to know more about Big Brother.
Yesterday was a very important day for me as I went for my first interview since I graduated. I went to Magna Park at Leicestershire which is quite a journey from where I live. As there is no trains passing by, I need to stop at a place call Rugby which has the nearest train station to Magna Park. This is my first time using Virgin Trains. The interior of the train is quite modern and they did a good job decorating it. It's something like in a spaceship in some parts. Due to that I travelled too early in the morning, I was too sleepy to think of taking photos. Rugby, a small town which can be finished walk within an hour. The station's location is quite strange as it is not that near to the town centre. It is like in the middle of no where. 15 minutes walk to the town though. Luckily I met 2 Canadian travellers, Danny and Simon who stopped by to visit Danny's granny and waiting for Danny's mom who came earlier, to pick them up. I get a free ride with them to town. It's great to know that they went to Thailand, Laos and China before coming to England. It's been few months since they start travelling from Canada. After I get myself a bacon and mushroom burger, which I forgotten to take photo of it again, I walked back to the train station to wait for my job agent to fetch me up. This is the warehouse I went for my interview. It's a logistic company. After around an hour and half of the interview, including showing me around the warehouse, everything ended by getting a free ride back to the train station by one of the employee there. She's from Poland.
Well, now I can only pray that I get the job as I feel that I like this job role a lot. It's the manager's decision now between me and another guy from China. Looking forward to the agent's phone call already.
What does this song remind of you...? Familiar with this song??
For me, it's been quite a long time since I heard and sing this song. Thanks to LydiaBubla who inspired me with this song in her post. A funny and interesting one.
So I started to browse in Imeem and get a few version of it which I quite like it.
This is the original English version and the following is the mandarin version which I also sang during my young age...
This one is one of the re-sing version which I found out quite nice as well.
Nice? Either yes or no, you MUST listen to this following version!!!!
How was it? This is the one LydiaBubla attached in her post... I laughed for quite a while after listening though. (Pardon me, I'm not racist, just feel funny)
Browsing through a forum and I came up with this new movie showing in Japan at 25/8, that is around 10 days from now. The movie is called Speed Master. When I clicked the website, I can't understand most of it as it is written in Japanese.
It is a story about 4 main characters, and featuring 2 legendary Nissan models and 2 Mazda legendary models. Nissan Fairlady Z 300ZX. Driven by the only female racer in the movie. Nissan Silvia 180SX Mazda RX7 FD3S Mazda RX7 FC3S
This is the movie trailer.
The movie seems quite interesting for someone who loves cars though. When will global movie goers get some Mandarin or English subtitles for it...
It is a boring Sunday morning that I didn't really enjoyed much. At around 2p.m., the clouds suddenly covered the sky and made me sleepy suddenly...
But then, there was a gathering of my uncle and aunt's friends in late afternoon. I hid in the room until uncle and aunt came back from the 4 year old girl's birthday party. When I went out... Holy crap!!! Why all the upmarket cars!!!!! As you can see, this is an Audi A4 Convertible which is cool enough for me to have one. That 'botak' man, Daze, owns it and as I asked him, he said that he would change his car to new Audi A5 coupe when he gets back from holiday next week. It's only a 3 years old car!!! These are some of the food on the table. We got burgers, drumsticks which is extremely tender and just nice, with juice pouring out from the meat when bitten, lamb, steak, pasta which I don't really fancy, boiled new potatoes, fried rice which I didn't taste and sausages. Sorry that I didn't took photo of all those yummy food as I was really enjoying the food that I forgotten to take photo. Usual me though.
As you can see from the background above, the kids are all playing golf... all under age of 12 and were all playing golf!!! What a life they have...
So what do they drive? Apart from the Audi A4.... Chris drives the Mercedes CLK230 sports convertible while another lady whom I forgot the name drives a Bimmer (BMW), that's the silver one at the back. The front firey red one is my uncle's TT. BMW 530!!!! model code:E39!!! My favourite BMW 5 series!!!
A gathering turning out to be a gathering of fine upmarket German cars: Audi, BMW, Mercedes.
Last Saturday I went to Basildon, the heart of Essex. The weather is extra fine that I felt like eaten by the sun. This is the Westgate Shopping Park that my aunt and I went. It's quite a huge place that it has an Eastgate Shopping Park that connected to it, but we didn't go due to lack of time. This tower here, I don't know what it is. It just have huge bells at the top of the transparent building and you can see it functioning. I was lucky enough to hear those huge bells ding-donging. Surprised that it doesn't sound nice at all.. no melody at all and it's just disturbing and noisy. Damn it. Even the bells that the monks hit in the temple sounds better. And how the hell is it for? It's not a clock tower as well!! It's just simply annoying. I'll go nuts if I live nearby. Anyway, we're back to the complex and the bells still ding-donging... That Toni & Guy building is an individual building which I found quite special. Behind it is Costa Coffee, also an individual building. As we can see from the blue banners, there is a motorshow happening this coming weekend. Not sure will I be able to get there or not as I depend on other people's transport.. Hope I can get there to have a walk this coming weekend.
Well, we walk straight to Primark, choose and there I go... a set of suit. Sorry about the picture though. Of all the photos I took in the changing room, this one is the best one to show even though it's still lousy. I look totally like a jerk in other pictures. £25 for the suit and £10 for the pants. I grab myself a bargain!! We went to Woolsworth to get some birthday presents for a 4 year old kid after that. I get myself a bar of Guylian Chocolate!!!! Costing only around more than £1 but less than £1.50. I just tried it yesterday. It tasted marvelous. Melted in mouth but not sticking on teeth, leaving the fragrant and taste of cocoa in mouth... MmmMmMmmMm.....
That's the outer view of the Wimbledon train station where I drop off from tube to continue my journey by tram from the same station. Journey took around 30 minutes from Wimbledon to Croydon.
This is the tram on the street of Croydon. What's the difference between train and tram? train doesn't go into the streets, while tram does. Train has higher ground clearance, but when you sit in the tram, you feel like cruising just above the ground. Trams are electric buses.
Well... I went to the Home Office. The Home Office building is called Lunar House. I went there for my appointment of changing my visa.
Went to Whitgift Shopping Centre after that. It's the largest shopping complex in Croydon.
Centrale which is opposite to Whitgift. Didn't manage to go as I ran out of time.
As I went back to Lunar House, a lad asked me if I could speak mandarin. I was asked to help a crying girl who stood there with a luggage. I spoke mandarin, she looked at me, I spoke English, she looked at me as well.. She only told me she come from Mongolia. No wonder she doesn't understand either Mandarin or English. She gave me 2 pieces of paper in her hands showing some handwritings of "She need to immigrate, please help her" and another piece written "Home Office". Then the guard came out then brought her into the building and found out that she is only 16 years old. The guards asked for help from the minor section then I went into the office as I was in a hurry.
In the end of the day trip... I got myself this....
A visa which wrote Residence Permit under the participation of International Graduates Scheme... which I can work full time for a year. The one upside down is my student visa which is actually still valid.
