Weekend in London Part I

This week is the reading week. A week where I am supposed to do some catching up. To collect and compile all those literatures on my so-called reading list for all six modules that I have for this semester. And this week also should be used to do some ground work for all six essays that I need to submit one before this term ends (second week of December) and another five more one month later.

Today is the first day of my reading week. What have I done so far? Nothing. Well, almost nothing. I just returned from a tiring weekend in London. I arrived at about 2.00 am this morning. By the way, Zao Shang Hao to all (so that I do not forget what Huanu Shi has taught me last Friday).

Wajah tidak puas hati diganggu oleh dengkuran penumpang lain!

Talking about my London trip, it was an unplanned one. I received a short notice "invitation" email from my cousin on Thursday. I quickly booked a one-way coach ticket online on Thursday night and by 1.00 pm, Saturday I met Kak Nor and her friends at the Victoria Coach Station, London.

There were seven of them - two pakciks (since they are around my dad's age), one makcik, one abang and two kakaks (including my cousin).

My first challenge was to bring them to the Malaysian Airlines office in Cromwell Road. Oh my God, I really do not know where that place is. A quick phone call to another cousin of mine, Nurul, I got to know that it is somewhere in Earl's Court. But unfortunately, I was blinded by the wrong information given by someone in Canterbury to Kak Nik (the one that I referred as makcik because I have a feeling she is around my mum's age too). What convinced me more about this piece of information is that it also has a map from Google attached to it. At the end of the day, the whole afternoon was all wasted by a journey to nowhere. Actually, we did find the Cromwell Road. It just that it was not the right Cromwell Road. The one that we went to was Cromwell Road in Hounslow Central. Somewhere in Zone 4!

Second task was to bring them to YHA Thameside. Ya Rabbi, why on earth they booked an accommodation in East London! Thank God, I did managed to google the place last night but after a mishap with the Cromwell thingy, I was a bit sceptical with information on Google. Alhamdulillah, at about 5.30 pm, we had safely arrived at the said hostel. After a quick check-in and an hour of re-charging, we went out to look for something to eat.

Without any hesitation, I confidently suggested the Malaysia Hall to my fellow tourists. For your information, I have never been to the new Malaysia Hall. I know it is in Bayswater, and once again, I bothered a couple of people to guide us there. I called Tok Din, Nurul and Maz.

We managed to be there around 9.00 pm but the canteen was closed to make way for a Raya open house, organised by the Malaysian Student Department. I felt so bad because I did not know how comfortable my "delegates" are with the idea of free food. Alhamdulillah, Malaysians are always a better host. They did make us comfy and I saw couple of similar faces like Auntie Zaharah, Uncle Hulaimi, Taufik, Farhan and his mother and sister, and Restu.

And Datuk Seri Shafiee Apdal was there too.

After an hour, we left Malaysia Hall after saying goodbye to Pak Ya (the warden) and Encik Ahmad Nazri (MSD Director). Since majority of my delegates were already tired and made a humble request for a ride on a bus instead of tube, I brought them on bus No. 23 to Traffagar Square so that they have a quick look at the infamous Edgware Road, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus. Since it was too early for N381 service, I convinced them for a quick tube ride to Waterloo before we boarded on a 381 bus, which went straight away to Salter Road in Rotherhithe. And we called it a day at about 12.30 am.