When class is boring...

Make full use of the Haribo 
(in Banana's flavour)  

[Winter 2009] Manchester

'Paiseh' for this dragged cum outdated trip to Manchester post. Wait a sec! This doesn't sound right as I'm already in Manchester so it shouldn't be trip 'to' Manchester but trip 'around' Manchester -.- Talking about living in Manchester, I'm surviving pretty well right now and OMG: 6 months are how long I've been here. And horh, if it wasn't this trip to/around Manchester, I wouldn't have so much to say about Manchester. 

Just a quick recap: My mom and bro were here to visit my sister and I so our itinerary was Newcastle (without me) > Edinburgh> Manchester> Paris> London. So from the itenerary, you can see that I have NOT talk about Paris and London yet. I'll try to get through it by next week (I'm not promising because I'll break it anyway. If you have been following, I've mentioned that I WILL BLOG ABOUT in several occasions but I did not so yeah...FML)

 Albert Square during X'mas

Christmas Market at Albert Square

When we were there in the afternoon and heading somewhere else, which I can't remember where anymore. When we returned there on the next day, at night, the whole thing was over. Damn suey.

End of Christmas Market. 

And we wanted to try German sausage and other stuffs -.-

Oh. I remembered where we were heading to: Chinatown: to take photo with the huge Chinatown sign/gate and then to buy tofu (because I'm going to cook for my family *proud of myself*)

Picadilly Garden #1

Picadilly Garden #2

The reason why there weren't many photos is because: WE WERE SO HUNGRY AND CAN'T WAIT TO EAT.......

INDIAN BUFFET!

Omg. I am craving for roti canai with dhal and kari ikan, magee goreng, chapati, kari kambing..... so friends: remember to bring me for a (or many) date(s) at mamak when I'm home! I only manage to eat kari kambing. No roti canai ;(

Me with a happy + not-so-proud-of chubby face

Happy and Very Full Family: Dionn, Mama, ME, Benny

Minus dad, abang, ah shou, Ryann and Haowern...and FURBY!

Oh when my family here, the snow was pretty heavy which was not a good news. We planned to go to Old Trafford Stadium early but the weather did not permit it...

Note to Sabine and Stefan: See our D31's TV!

View from my room's window

So we couldn't get to the stadium early.... but we managed to get there later anyway :) 

Question: Do I look like my mom or not?

All of us :) 

We went for both the stadium tour and museum and since Jon is working there, we managed to get staff price for our tix. Instead of the normal £10 plus entrance tix, we paid £4.25 for each ticket only :) Super duper dai!

PHOTOS FROM THE TOUR + MUSEUM

 

In the plastic bag: Man U Monopoly

So basically that's all for Manchester. Hahaha. Now Manchester is boring to everyone. Thanks to me :)
PS. I've NOT been to Manchester Museum which was omg-so-near-to-where-i-lived yet; have NOT been to the strip club yet, 3647364 things not done/seen in Manchester. FML -.-

Homecooked meal for mama, bro and sis and also Angela

Baby snowman, Medium snowman and Big snowman

Built by friends (so geng right?)

I am currently working at another MMU's campus and it looks like it's almost time go finish what I'm doing since 9am and go home :)

Busy, busy, busy

Presentation #1

Presentation #2

Well said through pictures. Off to bed now.

Happy Chinese New Year

Aloha. HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR. I hope it's not too late although it almost comes to an end...it's the 14th day of CNY wtf but still, it's the thought that counts, right?

I have had quite a blast on my cny celebration. Spent too much money too. Now I really need to keep myself grounded -.- Oh, not quite yet. I'm now in Newcastle and just got back from York. So, SPEND SPEND & SPEND.....

So basically, for the 'family reunion dinner' the night before cny, we have the Malaysian gang + 2 China girls for steamboat (aka hotpot to the British/Europeans).

 Preparation:

Guys can be so..... *shakes head*

The menu (part of the menu only actually... )

Jon and I


And when food was ready.....

We've used this special soup called 'Xiao Fei Yang' (roughly translates as Fat Little Sheep?) and omg it tasted so good (if you can take the spiciness). After food, we were drinking and we played different types of games. One of it was pretty kiddish but still fun: 'PING PONG PIANG'. Err... I won't explained how the game is played but who ever loses has to make ugly face....

And as you can see, I'm one of the *coughcough* ultimate winner as I am not in the hall of ugly face's picture  *sticking out tongue*

As simple and kiddish as our celebration sounded, we managed to hang on until about 6a.m. in the morning. When Jon and I woke up, it was already noon (on first day of CNY). I've never woke up so late on my first day of CNY before. Always very early but in Manchester, there's not much celebrations or CNY atmosphere going on so it just looks like another ordinary day to me which was pretty sad. I don't get to eat ba gua (dried meat), pineapple tarts, kuih kapit, etc. 

So, Jon and I die die want to do something more special. So although it was late, we still  head our way to Albert Square and Chinatown because friends told me there were CNY celebrations going on.

When we arrived Albert Square at about 4, nothing much had left :( HOWEVER.....

I was given a big pack of Soya Bean drink from one of the vendor. Haha

Better than nothing :)

So out of nothing, we took some photos before we left for Chinatown

Yeah that's me being very Chinese: wearing RED on the first day of CNY.

Jon was also wearing a red/white checkers top.

Thank god we made the efforts to Chinatown despite my boots hurt my feet to hell (£5 only what). It was so happening over there with lion dances, fire crackers, etc...

The 'angmohs' so happy to see the artificial firecrackers.

Lion Dance!

err....Dragon Dance!

I didn't find them very fascinating because in Malaysia, 2 person will handle one lion dance. The one in Chinatown was like a mini version only but of course, I have to consider where I was at the moment. I was really shocked when I heard the red firecracker though and more surprisingly....

As soon as the red firecrackers finished, fireman was there to put off the fire -.-

Lame or what -.-

When I walked closer to the scene, I realized that they light the red firecracker inside this 'cage':

After the whole lion dancing action, both of us actually waited for more than an hour for the grand finale: FIREWORKS display....

While waiting....

I am not camwhoring. Jon was testing his camera...

The fireworks was 'so so' only. There were few times where there were failure and they didn't shoot up as they should. They just fired on the ground, super scary. And the countdown by the host was like shit -.- After counting 3, 2, 1.... everyone got their camera ready on the sky but we had to wait for like another 30 secs for the fireworks to work...... seriously FML..... FOL (our)!

Now I really feel like 'balik kampung' to experience the REAL THING (though it's illegal but I can assured you everyone enjoyed them especially fireworks!)

First day of CNY would never end just like that. We continued our steamboat (we bought too much ingredients, that's why).

Our style of 'yee sang'

Me with prawns -.-

Oh when I arrived, my friends who watched Chinese Zodiac's show told me thatt as a Rabbit, I should not wear RED in the year of the tiger The 'ong' (lucky) colours for rabbit are grey and green -.-  First day of CNY already so 'suey' -.- FML.

After dinner: Games!

We have: football, poker, snooker.....apa pun ada ;)

Doesn't look like accommodation hall for university students right? Hahaha

Off to bed now. Goodnight