Sat and Sun (3 & 4 Nov 07) - We were in Budapest for a weekend and really liked it. I can see why people refer to it as "the Paris of the East". It is a really pretty place with lots of nice old buildings and has a UNESCO protected boulevard called "Andrassy ut" which is modelled on Paris' Champs-Elysee. Budapest is a great value for money city. Food and souvenir are relatively cheap as compared to other European cities. The Hungarians are also really good with their cakes. If you are ever in Budapest, you've got to try the cakes at Ruszworm in Buda and Gerbeaud in Pest.
Budapest used to be made up of two cities, Buda and Pest, which joined together in the 19th century and are still kept apart by the Danube. On our first day, we strolled along the Andrassy in Pest and made a stop at St Stephen's Basilica (Budapest's largest church) where we saw St Stephen's mummified arm. If you drop a coin into a slot, the glass case with the arm in it will light up for you to see the arm clearly. After climbing up the Basilica to get a panoramic view of Budapest, we strolled along the Danube towards the Hungarian Parliament (third largest in the world). Then we walked across the Chain Bridge to the Buda side and explored the historical Castle District, where we saw the Royal Palace, the Fisherman's Bastion, Matyas Church.
Budapest is especially pretty at night with its buildings and streets all lit-up. The Chain Bridge looks awesome at night too. Sunday was spent exploring Heroes Square, Szechenyi Spa, Gellert Hill, Gellert Spa and the Cave Church nearby.
One of the highlights for me was listening to a choir and orchestra rehearse at the Basilica. Maybe cause the acoustics of the Basilica were really good (or the fact that it was free) , but the choir just sounded amazing. You can hear it on the YouTube below (thanks to Garry).
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Guanabara 3rd Birthday Celebrations
Tues (30 Oct 07) - We went to Guanabara (a Brazilian Club in Holborn) to celebrate its 3rd birthday. Trung was also in London that week and it was Valerie's last week in London, so it was a good opportunity to catch up with them. There was an interesting fashion show at the start (my first time seeing wedding bikinis complete with veil and bridal bouquet), followed by a group of dancers who did amazing stunts.
The night ended with a great Brazilian band and us on the dancefloor (yes, I can just see Deb laughing away & thinking back to the time when she took me clubbing in Madrid, according to her, I dance like a block (ie. feet glued to one spot and one hand holding a glass of coke...hehehe...I think I totally stunned the Spanish barman when I ordered a glass of coke. He kept saying: "Are you sure?! Just coke?! uh...okay, that would be 6Euros thanks.") *SIGH* Yes, I know, most expensive glass of coke. I am such a nerd, but hey, still got asked to dance by a French dude (despite me being in sneakers, bobby socks and skirt below my knees & flashing my wedding ring around, obviously the rock is not big enough to be noticed, Garry, I think it's time for an upgrade!!). On reflection, I think I only got asked cause French dude's Spanish friend ("Pedro") wanted to dance with Deb so needed to get rid of the daggy sister!
Anyway, a lot tamer at Guanabara. I was trying to copy Tom's dance moves..he was pretty good...but hmmm...I wasn't too sure about those boxing-like moves!! Still it was great fun. Garry video-ed the band so you can listen to it (click on YouTube).
Max, Tom, Val and Trung on the dancefloor
With Max and Trung
With Tom & Max
No can of coke this time but Tom got us a nice Brazilian softie...tasted a lot like Kickapoo (a Singaporean fizzy drink). Hey Deb, how's my "block-dancing"?!
The night ended with a great Brazilian band and us on the dancefloor (yes, I can just see Deb laughing away & thinking back to the time when she took me clubbing in Madrid, according to her, I dance like a block (ie. feet glued to one spot and one hand holding a glass of coke...hehehe...I think I totally stunned the Spanish barman when I ordered a glass of coke. He kept saying: "Are you sure?! Just coke?! uh...okay, that would be 6Euros thanks.") *SIGH* Yes, I know, most expensive glass of coke. I am such a nerd, but hey, still got asked to dance by a French dude (despite me being in sneakers, bobby socks and skirt below my knees & flashing my wedding ring around, obviously the rock is not big enough to be noticed, Garry, I think it's time for an upgrade!!). On reflection, I think I only got asked cause French dude's Spanish friend ("Pedro") wanted to dance with Deb so needed to get rid of the daggy sister!
Anyway, a lot tamer at Guanabara. I was trying to copy Tom's dance moves..he was pretty good...but hmmm...I wasn't too sure about those boxing-like moves!! Still it was great fun. Garry video-ed the band so you can listen to it (click on YouTube).
Max, Tom, Val and Trung on the dancefloor
With Max and Trung
With Tom & Max
No can of coke this time but Tom got us a nice Brazilian softie...tasted a lot like Kickapoo (a Singaporean fizzy drink). Hey Deb, how's my "block-dancing"?!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Brighton seaside town
Sat 27 Oct 07 - We took a train to Brighton to see two of its most famous landmarks, the Royal Pavilion and the Palace Pier. The Royal Pavilion was the seaside residence of the Prince of Wales in the mid-eighteenth Century before he became King George IV and it was where he spent a lot of time with his long-time mistress. He commissioned John Nash, architect of London's Regent St, to convert the buildings into an Oriental-Gothic villa. A lot of the Pavilion's rooms are decorated with Oriental furnishings.
Brighton was a nice change from London. The seaside air was fresh and it had been a while since we saw the sea. The weather was surprisingly nice when we got there in the morning, so we strolled along the seaside promenade towards the Palace Pier (or Brighton Pier) completed in 1899 and which is now used as a fairground. We saw another Pier called the West Pier along the coast which was damaged in WWII and fell into disrepair. We also visited St Bartholomew's Church in Brighton which is apparently the biggest brick church in Europe.
Credit must go to my brainy sis for coming up with this slideshow format to upload photos on the blog, though I wish she had figured this out ten months ago and not only now when we're about to 'kill' the blog and head home!! (hehe) Thanks Deb, uploading photos is not such a chore now!
Brighton was a nice change from London. The seaside air was fresh and it had been a while since we saw the sea. The weather was surprisingly nice when we got there in the morning, so we strolled along the seaside promenade towards the Palace Pier (or Brighton Pier) completed in 1899 and which is now used as a fairground. We saw another Pier called the West Pier along the coast which was damaged in WWII and fell into disrepair. We also visited St Bartholomew's Church in Brighton which is apparently the biggest brick church in Europe.
Credit must go to my brainy sis for coming up with this slideshow format to upload photos on the blog, though I wish she had figured this out ten months ago and not only now when we're about to 'kill' the blog and head home!! (hehe) Thanks Deb, uploading photos is not such a chore now!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Cotswold Day Trip
Sun (14 Oct 07) - We visited three towns in Cotswold - Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water. Cotswolds refers to a region of gentle hill country in south central England where you can see the typical English countryside - stone-built houses and lush greens.
High Street in Burford - a quaint small village town.
Church in Burford
Quaint shops on the High Street
High Street in Burford - a quaint small village town.
Church in Burford
Quaint shops on the High Street
Huffins - famous bakery in Burford, established in 1890
We tried their raspberry & white choc muffins and almond macaroons. The almond macaroons were fantastic.
Jars of traditional English lollies
Jars of traditional English lollies
Cotswold Arms - a famous pub in Burford
Stow-on-the-Wold - the highest point in the Cotswold region
Stow-on-the-Wold - the highest point in the Cotswold region
Stow-on-the-Wold town centre
Town hall in Stow-on-the-Wold
Town hall in Stow-on-the-Wold
The Royalist Hotel - the oldest inn in England, built in 947AD
A pretty guesthouse in Stow
A pretty guesthouse in Stow
This was how the town used to punish naughty little kids by locking them up to this wooden mechanism.
Stow Lodge and its funny looking tree.
Bourton-on-the-Water - the water level in the canal was pretty shallow, even the duckies could stand in the water.
This town has been referred to as the Venice of the North because of the numerous stone-built bridges and canal.
Green green grass
Every English town seems to have its own Christmas shop which operates all year round like this one here in Bourton. I like the one in Bath called "25th of December".
We ended our trip with cream tea at a small tearoom which makes fantastic clotted cream.
We ended our trip with cream tea at a small tearoom which makes fantastic clotted cream.
Mary Poppins & Mozart
Fri (12 Oct 07) - We went to watch Mary Poppins. I love the scene where Mary Poppins took the kids to the magic shop which sold words and Mary Poppins came up with the word "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (even Garry was singing along). Also enjoyed the chimney sweeps' tap dancing.
Outside the Prince Edward Theatre in Soho
In the theatre
Stall and dress circle seats (on the upper level)
No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane
(Sat 13 Oct 07) - We watched a Mozart Four Seasons concert by candlelight at the Royal Albert Hall. The musicians were all dressed in Viennese costimes. The Royal Albert Hall was an amazing concert venue.
Prince Albert Memorial
Outside the Prince Edward Theatre in Soho
In the theatre
Stall and dress circle seats (on the upper level)
No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane
(Sat 13 Oct 07) - We watched a Mozart Four Seasons concert by candlelight at the Royal Albert Hall. The musicians were all dressed in Viennese costimes. The Royal Albert Hall was an amazing concert venue.
Prince Albert Memorial
Houses of Parliament
Sat (29 Sep 07) - We went for a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament on the last day of its summer opening and learnt some of the quirky parliamentary traditions - one being that no member of the royal family has stepped into the House of Commons since King Charles I entered the Commons in an attempt to arrest five of its members. Not even the Queen has entered the Commons before. This is because members of the House of Commons are elected by the people and to preserve the independence of the Commons, the Sovereign is not allowed to enter the Commons except for the Sovereign's messengers.
On the State Opening of Parliament which happens once a year, the Queen attends Parliament and takes her seat in the House of Lords. She will then signal her messenger, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, to summon the House of Commons. As she cannot enter the Commons, the Usher will make his way to the Commons. As he approaches, the door of the Commons will be slammed in his face to symoblise the independence of the House of Commons. The Usher will then knock the door three times with his mace before allowing to enter and to summon the House of Commons to listen to the Queen's speech in the House of Lords. The Queen's speech usually sets out the Government's programme for the parliamentary session, the laws they wish to pass, and the changes that they plan to make.
We went into the House of Lords (red-themed decor) and the House of Commons (green-themed). The business of Parliament takes place in the two Houses. Their work is similar: making laws, checking the work of the government and debating current issues. Generally, the decisions made in one House have to be approved by the other. Members of the House of Commons are publicly elected whilst members of the House of Lords are mostly appointed by the Queen, a fixed number are elected internally and a limited number of Church of England archbishops and bishops sit in the House of Lords.
A large part of the Parliament buildings was destroyed by fire. The only original part that survived the fire was the Westminster Hall (above). The Royal Courts of Justice sat here until 1882, when they were moved to the Strand. Several state trials took place in the hall, including those of Sir William Wallace (Mel Gibson played William Wallace in Braveheart), the Gunpowder Plot conspirators and King Charles I.
Stained glass in Westminster Hall
Westminster Hall is over one thousand years old and has the largest medieval roof in Northern Europe.
On the State Opening of Parliament which happens once a year, the Queen attends Parliament and takes her seat in the House of Lords. She will then signal her messenger, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, to summon the House of Commons. As she cannot enter the Commons, the Usher will make his way to the Commons. As he approaches, the door of the Commons will be slammed in his face to symoblise the independence of the House of Commons. The Usher will then knock the door three times with his mace before allowing to enter and to summon the House of Commons to listen to the Queen's speech in the House of Lords. The Queen's speech usually sets out the Government's programme for the parliamentary session, the laws they wish to pass, and the changes that they plan to make.
We went into the House of Lords (red-themed decor) and the House of Commons (green-themed). The business of Parliament takes place in the two Houses. Their work is similar: making laws, checking the work of the government and debating current issues. Generally, the decisions made in one House have to be approved by the other. Members of the House of Commons are publicly elected whilst members of the House of Lords are mostly appointed by the Queen, a fixed number are elected internally and a limited number of Church of England archbishops and bishops sit in the House of Lords.
A large part of the Parliament buildings was destroyed by fire. The only original part that survived the fire was the Westminster Hall (above). The Royal Courts of Justice sat here until 1882, when they were moved to the Strand. Several state trials took place in the hall, including those of Sir William Wallace (Mel Gibson played William Wallace in Braveheart), the Gunpowder Plot conspirators and King Charles I.
Stained glass in Westminster Hall
Westminster Hall is over one thousand years old and has the largest medieval roof in Northern Europe.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Sharon's Birthday in London!!
Sat (6 Oct 07) - Shaz's birthday party was great fun!! We had dinner at the Club Bar & Dining at Picadilly first and the boys joined us for drinks afterwards. A handful were left after drinks and decided to move on to another spot. Being one of the oldest left (well, at least still younger than Galv & Garry), I was ready to hit my bed but surprisingly, "Uncle Garry" (that's what Sharon calls Garry) insisted on partying with the rest. We hit the O Bar in Soho and had a really fun time. It was my first time seeing Galv on the dancefloor (quite a sight...hehehe) and also my first time being the last to get out of a club!
"The inseparable twins" - Shaz and Rose
Me & the birthday girl
"The inseparable twins" - Shaz and Rose
Galv, my hubby and the birthday girl looking gorgeous in her stunning black number. Rose secretly told us not to wear black on the night so that Shaz would be the only one in black. Unfortunately, my wardrobe was reduced by half (thanks to my hubby who insisted that I cart all my junk home on our last trip back to Perth) and so my very weak attempt at not wearing black.
Me & the birthday girl
Someone thought I was Galv's younger sister (noooooooooo...please tell me we look different :-)
Me, Galv and Rose
Garry, me & Carol
Galv dancing the night away
Galv dancing the night away
Grandma's 80th Birthday
Sat (22 Sep 07) - For my non-Facebook friends and family, here are a few pics of my grandma's 80th birthday party (the rest are on FB). Grandma (aka Ah-Mah) and all the rest of us were up at 7am ready for the tea ceremony where my uncles and aunties served her tea and all the younger ones received red packets from Ah-Mah.
Uncle Lin was up early in the morning to prepare this feast for us.
Receiving our red packets from Ah-Mah
Mum, Dad and brother, Daniel
Daniel gave Ah-Mah a birthday present. We thought it was a mini cake but it was actually a face towel shaped into a peach cake.
I asked the two lovebirds (my cousin, Shaz and her bf, Jon) to strike a "Garry & May" pose!! People have been complaining that Garry and I look boring in photos and always in the same pose (thanks guys)!
Ah-Mah's birthday banquet was at the Burswood Botanical Ballroom. I love her sarong kebaya outfit.
My family - Dad went for pre-dinner drinks with Uncle Joe. You can tell cause his face is all red in the picture. Unfortunately, I am like Dad too, I go all red and look sunburnt when I start drinking.
Uncle Lin, Aunty Jenny, Chris and Chelz - When I moved from Singapore to Perth to start Year 8, I stayed with Uncle Lin and Aunty Jenny and continued staying with them until I finished uni - more than 1o years in total (how did they put up with me all these years, I have no idea)!! I started seeing Garry even before Chelz was born. Still remember Chelz commenting that she didn't remember a day without Garry in her life...how sweet!
Garry with Yau and Jon - the three wannabes!
Me & my cousins - Angie, Shaz, Alison, Hillary (aka Hobbo) and Theresa
Hobbo the centre of attention 
My bro loving it all!
Uncle Lin was up early in the morning to prepare this feast for us.
Receiving our red packets from Ah-Mah
Mum, Dad and brother, Daniel
Daniel gave Ah-Mah a birthday present. We thought it was a mini cake but it was actually a face towel shaped into a peach cake.
I asked the two lovebirds (my cousin, Shaz and her bf, Jon) to strike a "Garry & May" pose!! People have been complaining that Garry and I look boring in photos and always in the same pose (thanks guys)!
Ah-Mah's birthday banquet was at the Burswood Botanical Ballroom. I love her sarong kebaya outfit.
My family - Dad went for pre-dinner drinks with Uncle Joe. You can tell cause his face is all red in the picture. Unfortunately, I am like Dad too, I go all red and look sunburnt when I start drinking.
Uncle Lin, Aunty Jenny, Chris and Chelz - When I moved from Singapore to Perth to start Year 8, I stayed with Uncle Lin and Aunty Jenny and continued staying with them until I finished uni - more than 1o years in total (how did they put up with me all these years, I have no idea)!! I started seeing Garry even before Chelz was born. Still remember Chelz commenting that she didn't remember a day without Garry in her life...how sweet!
Garry with Yau and Jon - the three wannabes!
Me & my cousins - Angie, Shaz, Alison, Hillary (aka Hobbo) and Theresa
My bro-in-law (Jason), sis-in-law (Kah-Yee), my bro (Daniel), Garry's parents, my parents, me and Garry
Us with Jason & Kah-Yee
Us with Jason & Kah-Yee
Us with Elisa & Den
We had to perform two Chinese songs for Ah-Mah (with actions too). The first was a Beyond song and the other was a Sally Yeh song. The older ones like us had to use palm cards cause we couldn't remember the words. But I was so proud of my younger cousins (most of them grew up in Perth and couldn't read any Chinese) who managed to memorise every single word (or at least the hanyu pinyin).
We also performed a skit which was about the love story of my grandparents and how they ended up having six sons and one daughter. Thanks to Aunty Jenny for writing a great script. Chris played Ah-Mah (he is the one in the pink sarong kebaya) really well. I love the wig and the rest of his costume.
From left to right (back row) - my fifth uncle (Yoke), my first uncle (John), my second uncle (Norman), my dad (no. 3 in the family), my fourth uncle (Fatt) and front row: Aunty Mary (no. 6 in the family) and Uncle Lin (the youngest in the family). All wearing bibs with their names!
We had to perform two Chinese songs for Ah-Mah (with actions too). The first was a Beyond song and the other was a Sally Yeh song. The older ones like us had to use palm cards cause we couldn't remember the words. But I was so proud of my younger cousins (most of them grew up in Perth and couldn't read any Chinese) who managed to memorise every single word (or at least the hanyu pinyin).
My brother and Chelz performing Emil Chow's song called "Friends" to thank everyone on the night for their friendship and love.
Family shot - we had a really great night. Thanks to Aunty Jenny for taking the time out to organise the whole event and to come up with all the entertainment. Hey Aunty Jenny, Jon said you (being the Chan events co-ordinator) will be organising our big homecoming party next March!!
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