Wednesday, May 24, 2006  6:30 AM
London spree
I am officially suffering from major jet lag. It is 6:28am and I have not slept. It is now 11:28pm in London, where my body is screaming I should be. And I thought after that deep 13 hour sleep I got last night causing me to be almost an hour late in meeting Jan, Fel and Luqs (am so sorry, my dears), I would have recovered totally. After all, I didn't really suffer from any when I arrived in London, so I don't understand why I'm going through this now. So I've been watching all the episodes my all important and efficient and favourite Denise (thank you, sweetie!) has taped for me while I was away, and the next thing I thought of doing was to cook breakfast for my family. But we all know that I'd probably burn the kitchen down first, so I did the next best thing. I rang MacDonalds delivery and ordered some breakfast! :)
So as I'm waiting for my Big Breakfast to arrive, let me backtrack a little to my last few days in London. Was spent mostly with my eleven-year childhood best friend, and also had a lovely time with my best piggy pal. Ling (the piggy pal) and I went down to Camden Town on Friday, which is a really cool punk and rock place, where they have flea markets like those in Hong Kong, albeit way overpriced. The scenery's really pretty though, a little bit like Venice with those little boats and canals and overhanging trees. Also visited Ling's university at Holborn, the highly-ranked London School of Economics where I met her (rather) cute Singaporean guy friend and also bought a funky shirt from the gift shop! I am super impressed by LSE, by the way. It's right smack in the middle of town, near Oxford Circus and Covent Garden, looks like a shopping street and has two pubs in school itself. Then April arrived from York and we had this fantastic dinner at a Chinese restaurant famous for its roast duck. We ate like starving animals, and because white rice there is so expensive (£1.60 for a single person's portion, which is S$4.80), we ended up eating white rice with the yummy sauce even when there was no more duck left. It was so good meeting up with my SALA girls once again, the only regret was that Rah wasn't there to make the picture complete.
The next two days with April was reminiscent of our Genting trip in 1995, where we slept together in a double bed (the bed definitely seemed bigger when we were nine!), talkedtalkedtalked, did more shopping at Oxford Circus, Harrods, Selfridges and Covent Garden and went to All Souls Church at Langham Place on Sunday where there was this awfully cute drummer who was sitting just two rows away from me playing the drums. I was paying attention to the sermon, mind you, it was about the "Spirit of Truth", but that drummer was cute. In case you're that cute drummer playing at All Souls at the 11:30am service on 21st May, feel free to buy me a ticket back to London to see you, and your drums. :)
I miss London, and Bo, April and Ling already.
I've decided to do an inventory of my purchases in London, like how Becky Bloomwood did in the first Shopaholic book, just to keep track of my deficit balance of accounts. This does not include stuff I bought for my friends, or whatever my mom kindly decided to buy for me, or food or transport but just things that I bought for myself with the money I changed and that wonderful thing called the debit card.
Amelia's London Spree
H&M greenish-grey top - £3.99
H&M pale peach top - £4.99
H&M black top - £5.99
H&M faded red top - £9.99
H&M charm bracelet - £1.99
H&M white bracelet - £2.99
H&M gold necklace - £3.99
H&M mustard yellow bag - £12.99
Topshop belt - £7.00
Topshop shoes - £13.50
Dorothy Perkins bracelet - £1.00
River Island blue top - £5.99
River Island denim shorts - £25.00
LSE top - £11.95
Gold bag from Camden Market - £9.00
Teenage Millionaire top from Camden Market - £6.00
Aldo belt - £2.50
Lush lip balm - £3.95
Boots lip salve - 79 p
BikBok top - £8.50
Claire's Accessories ring - £2.00
Claire's Accessories mesh bag - £1.00
Superdrug earrings - £1.99
Harvey Nichols chocolate praline biscuits - £1.95
Gap top - £4.99
Wimbledon Martina Hingis poster - £3.99
Wimbledon postcards - £2.00
Vintage earrings from flea market - £2.00
Marks & Spencer Honey Roast Wiltshire Ham potato crisps - £1.00
Marks & Spencer Four Cheese and Red Onion potato crisps - £1.00
Marks & Spencer Dutch Shortcake - £1.00
Hershey's Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (x2) - £2.00
Krispy Kremes - £7.95
Selfridges chocolate - £1.99
Glamour magazine - £2.00
Sugar magazine - £2.20
Cosmopolitan magazine - £3.20
LK Bennett gold pouch - £19.00
This list is getting too long. I cannot remember what else, and add about £30 more to that list for stuff I got for my friends as souvenirs which I'm not getting money back for. And another £10 to things I bought for my mom and dad. So that is £203.36 just on myself, which is about S$610.08, plus that £30 on souvenirs, and £10 on gifts for my parents which I refuse to add. So that's more than S$600 spent just on myself. And that warrants enough reason not to shop for anything in the next month, or maybe two.
And also enough reason never to do my accounts again. It's depressing.
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Thursday, May 18, 2006 2:02 AM
Money for fashion
My love for fashion has finally earned me some money today. As Beverly and I were walking along Oxford Street this afternoon decked out in our scarves and sunglasses (yes, although there's no sun, the British find every reason to wear sunglasses, so what the heck, so do I), this lady approached us and asked us if we could do a survey and we would be paid £5! We half think it's because of the way we dress, and also because we are the minority race here in London and they need to meet their race quota. Back home, I try to apply for these stupid surveys just to earn money and no one wants me. Naturally, we said yes, and it was the most fun survey ever. It was all about fashion and brands - and ohmygosh, I talked for ages on what I thought about DKNY, Ted Baker, Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss. I actually had fun doing it because it is my favourite topic to speak about, and plus, an extra £5 in my pocket! And I was just saying I needed to find a wad of cash on the ground. This is ALMOST free money. I knew my useless knowledge would one day come in handy!
Bo went back to Southampton today after a good five days, and we've moved from the Bayswater area to Earl's Court just for a change of scenery. It has been such a wonderful time with her, and I am going to miss her so much till she gets back home. We ended our time together with a bang as well with two of our lifelong dreams fulfilled- getting Chinese takeaway and eating it out of the carton, and drinking Starbucks in the cold weather with the warm liquid warming you up immediately. But I can't wait for the second part of my trip - April's coming down to London on Friday and from there we're going to meet up with Ling. :) Might go down to Greenwich tomorrow as well, where that stupid time meridian thing is. I remember Pearl Mao going on and on about that in secondary school. So that's pretty cool.
I realised I'm blogging more in London then I ever do back home.
Dinner calls now though. :)
Much love from London. xoxo
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Wednesday, May 17, 2006 5:01 AM
Go figure - London Version 2.0
Sitting in an Internet cafe in Bayswater, London with the distinct scent of shisha smoke in the air and energetic Indian music blasting from the speakers. It's been a great four days so far though - the weather's been absolutely perfect and cold, despite that slight drizzle today that ruined my suede shoes a little, but nonetheless, I'm enjoying putting on my layers and putting together outrageous colours and materials that I could never do back home. Bo's been staying with us over the last four days and it's been nothing but pure unadulterated fun. It's a little surreal that we're hanging out so much in London together - almost like a dream we talked about in secondary school that we knew would never come true, but it did. And I've never felt so relaxed, so carefree and so happy.
I guess I'll blog more about it when I get back home because the clock is ticking and my 50 pence will not last that long, but here's just some random figures about this whole London trip:
No. of times I've stepped into H&M in four days - 10
How long we spend in H&M each time - 1 hour
No. of minutes we waited for the stupid bus to take us to the Wimbledon lawn tennis museum -30
No. of minutes spent inside the Wimbledon lawn tennis museum because the bus took so long that it was almost going to close - 40
No. of times Bo and I got picked up by random weird guys - 4
How much I've spent so far just on shopping - £100 (I am really dead)
No. of garments I bring into the changing room on average - 6
No. of trips I make to the changing room each time because of the limit - 3
No. of English magazines I've bought so far - 4
No. of times we've stepped into a Chinese restaurant and tried to impress with our lousy Cantonese - 5
Outfit changes a day - 3
No. of Krispy Kremes I've had in four days - 3
No. of photos I've taken in four days - 238
Days left before I reach home - 6
I really need to find a wad of cash on the ground soon.
I'm out of here.
Much love from London. :)
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Thursday, May 11, 2006 5:03 PM
270486
Thank you for the most wonderful 20th birthday this year. :) It will certainly go down into that place in my heart where I keep all my treasured memories. Somehow, I'm able to remember those better than my 'A' level economics, so you people know how important you are.
The lovely dinner at Spizza with Jan, Jings, Fel, Mel, Luqs - As I was walking down the dark, inconspicuous Killiney Road clutching on to Mel, I never expected that oasis of yummy pizza and lasagne to spring out of nowhere. I enjoyed every single part of it, from following a not-so-directions savvy person all around Orchard Road, to the wonderful delicious dinner itself to the tonnes of photo-taking (thank you for accomodating me and my nonsense - you guys did a great job of the 51 pictures in total! haha) to the cake where the plates appeared first to all the laughter, cease in conversation when the food appeared to finishing the food in fifteen minutes in typical fashion to the thoughtful and pretty gift and to lasting friendships.
The 'adventurous' dinner at Vansh with Shuhui, Nick, Sharon, Julienne, Mae and Feng Cai - Who knew that Sharon's sms led to dinner at Vansh when Shuhui and I chose 'adventurous'?! It should have been hot or glam (glam being that place at Four Seasons Hotel). But whatever it was - Vansh is absolutely gorgeous! The ambience and decor just sets you in a trigger-happy mood immediately, and the food, despite it being spicy as hell - it was yummmmmm! I love naan. :) And of course, amazing company whom I love with all my heart and one of my bestest friends aka the roommate celebrating my birthday with me for the tenth year in a row.
The Korean dinner at an authentic Korean BBQ restaurant with Cheryl, Denise and Qi. Definitely interesting and I've learnt to appreciate so much more when it comes to kimchi and all those weird vegetables. Of course, the photo whore I discovered in Qi also ensured that the night didn't go without a collection of photos. Also, finding out that kimchi soup really tastes like a spicier version of minestrone was an enlightenment factor. The drive up to Mount Faber to the Altivo bar is going to be my favourite haunts from now on (when I go with people who drive!). It's such a perfect spot where the cool gentle breeze ruffles your hair ever so slightly and you sit down with a drink in hand overlooking the panoramic night view of Singapore's skyscrapers. Absolutely gorgeous. :)
So thank you -
Allison: For the first sms I got on my birthday, because you're three hours ahead in Sydney. I'm really happy you remembered, and I super duper miss you tonnes. You must let me know when you're coming back okay. And a big nice gift from Down Under would be gooooooood too! :)
April: For the princess birthday card and the words I hold so dear, for never forgetting to write me a card year after year even when you're now so far away in UK. Also for that touching post on your blog - your friendship is one I really think is a gift from God because we could so be enemies right now after that Cold War in primary school. But for eleven years of friendship I'm thankful for and you have all my love. :)
Beverly aka Bo: I am SO proud of you this year! You sent a card and a gift that actually arrived a day or two before my birthday! :) And! For once, you didn't mix my birthday up with Shuhui's. Thank you for the pretty silver and gold belt, like I always say - I think you know my taste best. I wear it all the time now! Love you from all the way over here, my son! Haha.
Cheryl: Even though you hate shopping, you're always willing to fork out the money. And I appreciate that! Also am surprised that you remembered my comment about the boxsies. Haha. Thank you for being one of my best friends for the last 5 years, and I still love you for the qualities that I loved you for when I first met you - your generosity, humour and ingenious ideas. So thank you for the present and for driving us all around on my birthday. :) Mwahh.
Denise: My newfound treasure! :) I really really really appreciate all that you've done for me in this short time that we've seriously been friends, even though we've known that we each existed since primary school. Thank you for the car rides, for being a listening ear and for remembering what kind of perfume I like! You're such a gem. I love you!
Felicia: Thank you, my dear, for the choice of restaurant for my birthday dinner - for being so perceptive and really listening to what I say. Thank you also for what you wrote on my birthday heart because I really appreciate the words you said and I'll always hold them close to me. For being a wonderful friend to me and for always being so thoughtful and also for always knowing the right words to say - I love youuuu. :)
Feng Cai: Thank you for the star wand! It's really lovely. And also for being there at Vansh and for being a really thoughful friend. I really do appreciate your friendship. :)
Janissa: You share some of my looks, my laughter and my dress sense. Those are definitely some of the reasons why I love you. :) Other than that, I love you just being you. Meeting me for long chats when I super need them and for the thoughtful little message here and there. Thank you for the card and I do know now that I'll always have you to count on. So thank you for that lifetime promise - you're not escaping! :)
Jing Li: You really are the lost sibling that I never knew existed with the extensive list of similarities that we share. It's quite amazing actually. Thank you for the card and the story you came up with - I was laughing like crazy when I read it. :) Thank you also for being the first to spend my birthday with me with that 4 hour chat we had over never-ending orders of food. I really appreciate the talks, the tennis sessions and the sudden singing. Love you! :)
Julienne: Thank you, glam girl, for the birthday sms and for being there at Vansh. For our longlonglong talks on 'reassurance for the future' and for understanding my need for photos, fashion and bimbo talk. Really glad to have grown much closer to you over the last few years because I'd be really missing out on something special if not. :)
Ling: Dunno if you're ever gonna see this, but I'm really grateful and thankful for you as a friend. You're the only one who went through secondary school for four years in the same class as me, and probably know every stupid thing I said and did in class. Thank you for the lovely card as well! :) Never would have expected the scatterbrained you to remember, but I was really touched when I received. Love you truckloads piggy pal. :)
Luqman: You're the evil one who cannot stop taking evil, ugly photographs of me. You're also the mean one who can't stop criticising my room. Haha. But why do I still love you? Cos you're funny and thoughtful and sweet and sometimes you do take nice photos of me. :) Thank you for the gorgeous photo-shopped photographs on my birthday and also for the message! I'll treasure them forever and ever. :)
Mae: Although you wished me one day early, and you're one of those who also can't differentiate mine and Shu's birthday, I still love you so much because we've grown so much in our friendship together over the years, and a conversation with you is worth more than a chest of gold. I love how we can talk about anything and everything under the sun, and remain powerpuffy. :) Loveee you. Mwah. :)
Melissa: Thank you for putting so much heart and soul into my birthday and the present, and for always organising stuff and coordinating everything. Although we got lost along Orchard Road, I still love you! :) You're also the one that understands my need for shoes with that lovely 'hunting for shoes' card (it's sooo shopaholic) and I really do treasure your friendship for everything that we've done and said in the last ten months. Gonna miss you so much in the next month. Remember to come online, and email! :)
Nick: Hey you. :) You've been such an awesome friend over the last year - I never did expect it. Haha. Thank you for sharing the birthday gift with Shu, and for always being so willing to drive us around, even though we do almost get killed in the process. Thank you for also being there at Vansh and for being such a good friend to me, and enthusiastic about so many stupid girly things that Shu and I do. Love you! :)
Sarah: Hey sweetie, you never fail to forget my birthday year after year, and I'm so thankful for you that you're here in Singapore with me while Ling and April are don't know doing what in the UK. Without a familiar face like yours that I can count on in Mass Comm, I don't think I would have been able to survive. Thank you for the six years of friendship that I hold so dear to my heart, and in alot of ways, we are really similar as well. :) We are so going out when I get back okays? Love you! :)
Sharon: Thank you for organising the dinner at Vansh and for sending random sms-es to my friends just so that I might have all my friends together on my birthday. That's typically you, and it's your thoughtful nature that I really am so thankful to God for. Thank you for your friendship over the last seven years, because we really have had alot of treasured moments that I'll never ever forget. You never forget my birthday year after year as well, and you have no idea how much I appreciate you. I love you, glam girl! :)
Shuhui: You're my bimbotic roommate and my seung gong, part of the glam girls and also someone whom I grew up with over the years with people never being able to differentiate who was born first. I'm so glad that I got to celebrate my birthday with you this year, and also for the decade of friendship. :) We are gonna celebrate our anniversary when I get back from London okay? Promise! :) To me, you're truly someone that I cannot afford to lose and how God has sustained the friendship for ten years is such a blessing. I love you, babe! :)
Qi: Even though I got to know you in Sec 2, I wonder why I never realised what a funny and enthusiastic friend you were till today! I'm so grateful and thankful to have regained back this friendship with you because it would really be something that I would have regretted if I didn't. Thank you for being the photo whore that you are, because it's so fun to take photos with you! :) And also for the present, introducing me to kimchi and agreeing with me that kimchi soup tastes like Minestrone! :) Love you!
Ying: Some people may not understand how our friendship works, but I really really do! :) Thank you for always being so sweet and remembering my birthday, my exams and everything else and those short emails and birthday cards just make my day so much happier. :) I promise - you are SO gonna get a lovely present from me in London. Check that mailbox everyday - Love you, little sister. :)
Off to London in just a few hours - Can't wait to see Bo, April and Ling again - it's been FOREVER, I swear. And hopefully I'll get to meet up with Ruth too. I'm also looking forward to Harrods, Krispy Kremes, Harvey Nichols, Debenhams, LK Bennett, Gap, H&M, Lush, the London eye, the London tube, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Covent Garden, watching musicals and the (hopefully) cooler weather.
And, maybe, I'll get to bump into Prince William too. :)
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