asiancarinaineurope
I think the Tower Hill is probably one of the most touristy place in London. The Tower Hill tube station exit is always teeming with people, and visitors scurry to the Tower of London to see the field of poppies, following that, they typically head for the tower of London and attempt a #selfie.
Poppies that hold such significance in the hearts of not just the british but many around the world.
A constant reminder to us to be thankful for having the luxury of living in peace.
It should also remind us that there are other people in other parts of the world that don't have that luxury, and are facing torment and hell everyday. For that, we ought to be kind, we ought to count our blessings, and we should help as much as we can, in whatever way we can, because every little effort counts.
The sun is starting to set really early in London, and the rain keeps coming. From my pictures, London looks kind of grey and sad doesn't it?
Nevertheless, I still think it's beautiful. There is something special and attractive, about the melancholy it exudes at dusk, with it's overcast skies and light drizzles of rain.
After a nice evening walk, we headed to Burgers and Lobsters, near Green Park, for dinner. Honestly, I think the food is overhyped. Its nice - fresh, juicy lobster that comes right out of its shell, but it is not a "must visit".
That being said, the service was FANTASTIC. Fungyee and I got a lobster to share, because we're small eaters (and we wanted dessert). Instead of serving one portion on a platter, the waiters got the cook to separate it into two portions for us, serving one with salad and and another with fries. And of course they were nice enough to check back to see if the food was to our liking, despite us ordering a lot lesser than an average customer.
Nice to know they do care about their patrons and that the restaurant places an importance on good service.
Poppies that hold such significance in the hearts of not just the british but many around the world.
A constant reminder to us to be thankful for having the luxury of living in peace.
It should also remind us that there are other people in other parts of the world that don't have that luxury, and are facing torment and hell everyday. For that, we ought to be kind, we ought to count our blessings, and we should help as much as we can, in whatever way we can, because every little effort counts.
In the previous post, I mentioned about my friends visiting in London.
Knowing that Fungyee loves flowers, I suggested that we should visit Tower Hill whilst she was here. We had a nice walk along the River Thames as well, and whilst wandering around tower hill, we found a nice secluded spot for photos with the Tower Bridge.The sun is starting to set really early in London, and the rain keeps coming. From my pictures, London looks kind of grey and sad doesn't it?
Nevertheless, I still think it's beautiful. There is something special and attractive, about the melancholy it exudes at dusk, with it's overcast skies and light drizzles of rain.
It is nice to be able to see London right before it gets dark. Definitely a good way to unwind after a day in school.
Talking about school, having to spend more time in school on exchange than what I usually do at home, does have a way of driving you insane! I'm so going to take advantage of every chance I get to leave South Kensington to explore London/rest of England/Europe, and do things that typical exchange students to when their grades don't affect their GPA ;)
That being said, the service was FANTASTIC. Fungyee and I got a lobster to share, because we're small eaters (and we wanted dessert). Instead of serving one portion on a platter, the waiters got the cook to separate it into two portions for us, serving one with salad and and another with fries. And of course they were nice enough to check back to see if the food was to our liking, despite us ordering a lot lesser than an average customer.
Nice to know they do care about their patrons and that the restaurant places an importance on good service.
If you happen to be in the area, and are craving burgers or lobster, go ahead and pop in.
I must say, eating out (and shopping!!) is not something I do often in London, since I rather much save the money to fund my traveling escapades, but the full portion in Burgers and Lobsters is huge it is worth the price.
An Evening in London - Tower Hill and Lobsters
10 November 2014 London, UK
The Palau de la Música Catalana was built in the early 1900s, restored/remodelled in the 80s and named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. This concert hall has seen the best choirs and musicians. Ranked 1st on the list of attractions in Barcelona by Tripadvisor, it was definitely a place I had to visit.
I know an opera house and a concert hall is slightly different, but after not having the opportunity to enter the gorgeous opera house. Palais Garnier, in Paris, I was all the more determine to not let this chance slip by.
In order to visit the Música Catalana, we had to purchase tickets for the guided tour. The tour guide talked about how the money we paid for the tour was part of the funding to maintain the building, and how its maintenance is largely funded by the society/wealthy people who have an interest in the cultural art scene.
The architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner designed everything from the exterior, to the interior, down to the statues and carvings on the stage and on the outside of the building. To be able to design something like that in the early 1900s and have it built, just blows my mind.
On the stage, there were individual statues each playing a different instrument, and this represented that the concert hall welcomed all types of musical artist. Looking at how intricate the structures were, you know how much effort and detail was put in to designing this concert hall.
The tour guide also mentioned that the architect infused elements of nature into his design, as well as designed the windows and ceiling such that there would be a maximum amount of natural light pouring into the concert hall. It was like a garden that would never sleep.
Most of the time, concerts are held at night, so the people who would benefit from the special way the room was lighted up, would be the performers and artistes during their rehearsals. Anyone who has done performances would know that the days for bump-in and venue rehearsals are always... somehow intimidating. That is because you would be rehearsing to an empty hall - sometimes pitch black, and that is just somehow cold, and uninviting.
I could just imagine how beautiful it would be being on stage rehearsing while facing such a gloriously designed concert hall. Our tour guide said: "The statues here have seen the greatest artistes of time." Performing in a place like this, or just rehearsing in the day, will definitely instil in the performers so much warmth, pride and joy. Its would be so surreal.
Ok, back to earth. This post really made me miss performing on stage and working hard for a performance. (Actually, just dancing itself in general!)
The Concert Hall is indeed a work of art. It was amazing just being able to be in it and to have let my imagination run wild - I imagined I was actually watching a concert whilst a short piece was played from the organs, so as to let the visitors have a mock experience of what an actual performance would sound like.
There is no denying the beauty of this place!
There is no denying the beauty of this place!
Música Catalana, Barcelona - A Concert Hall Masterpiece
28 October 2014
I've always had a thing for street art. Graffiti is just fascinating. Some people may think its vandalism/unsightly/destroys the facade of buildings. But i think to be able to produce something so macroscopic with just a spray can and a few colours, is art, is talent.
Unlike the streets of Paris, its not common to find graffiti on walls of buildings and street artist painting on floors in London.
While we were walking around Central London, Daryl said "I know of a place nearby called the Graffiti Tunnel." Imagine my excitement when I heard it. And of course, we made our way to the tunnel.
Outside the tunnel there were hipster kids having a photoshoot, whilst punk rock teenagers attempt to shoot a music video with the graffiti as their background.
We even got the privilege of observing someone spray paint, and another guy being more impressive with the use of markers!
They dont have prelimenary sketches, or outlines, they just start painting and drawing. Its incredible how these street artists have such a macroscopic perspective. Respectful indeed.
Photos taken on my iphone 4S of Graffiti Tunnel, London.
Street Art in London
19 October 2014 Leake Street, Lambeth, London SE1 7NN, UK
I've always thought coming to London would feel very much like academic liberation. For the past 2 years i've been telling myself, semester after semester: hang on a little tighter, just one more semester, work a little harder, stay up for another hour, pull your GPA up so it freezes at a decent level for exchange, one semester closer to exchange etc. It seemed as though every moment I spent working hard to do well in school, was for this one year of liberation, this ONE exchange.
I've heard stories from seniors about how their one semester exchange has been the best time of their life, how some visited up to 40 cities in half a year, how they travelled and didn't have to go to school because it was a pass/fail system. And I thought to myself, hey, i'm going to be there for a whole year, wouldn't that be double the fun?
Couple of my friends are currently on exchange programmes and started their semesters before I did. I saw pictures of them touring, and going for weekend trips; basically having SO MUCH FUN. I was confused and asked "what about school?" and the general consensus seemed to be - you study less when you're on an exchange.
Imperial College is a wonderful school. I chose Imperial over Berkeley because I believe that it would be a better transition for me into Chemical Engineering, and i'd be able to learn a lot more without the stress of keeping up my GPA.
Unfortunately, complications set in, and the curriculum seems to be way more intense than I expected because of certain "rules". Several uncertainties came along with this exchange, and it feels as though I'm fighting an academic war all over again.
I had a meeting with my personal tutor in Imperial (THEY ARE SO NICE TO THEIR STUDENTS!) the other day, and he asked me, "What do you want to get out of your exchange? And how are you going to measure your level of success in that?" Obviously he meant academic wise. I told him I had to think about it. Sure I had some academic goals for myself, but nothing was moderately related to any form of self-assessment. Assessment is what I was ESCAPING from this year.
But, he said that there is no use of setting goals when I had no way to measure my success of them, and that my time in Imperial would be more meaningful if I had a way of assessing myself in terms of these academic goals.
Truth be told, I don't have quantifiable academic goals. My goal, is to learn for the sake of learning, not for the examinations. Through learning french in France (and I'm utterly disappointed my jam-packed timetable means I don't have the ability to continue with that here!) I experienced what it felt like to learn because I wanted to, not because I had to.
I think the reason why I could not think of a way to assess myself - and still have no idea how I'm going to assess any form of academic achievement - during my time here is because I don't want to. I wanted to take this year to break away from all assessment, school, struggling to understand lectures, having 4 hours of sleep a day just to keep my grades up, and feeling like crap if I scored less than what people would expect of me. I wanted NOTHING to do with the pressures from grades and university education.
I want this academic year to be about learning outside of class. Seeing a different side of the world. Travelling, learning through people you meet in different countries/cities, exploring, and learning all the life lessons I would not get in school. Thats what a year abroad is suppose to be isn't it? If I wanted to have the stress of keeping my grades up, worrying if my credits will be accrued, trying to make sure I'm well-versed in certain subjects so that I don't struggle when I go back after this academic year, I might as well have stayed back in Singapore and studied my ass off.
Then again, my past experiences have very well taught me, that things don't always go the way you want them to. Working hard doesn't guarantee you success, and that if things go well for you, be thankful because you're one of the lucky ones.
I guess its never good to build up your expectations and have a preconceived notion about something, because when things don't go the way you expect them to, you're left disappointed.
That being said, I'm trying to stay positive, and improve my current situation as much as I can. I'm trying to learn to put less pressure on myself, and I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that i'm not doing something I love or even like - even though I think it seems to be the most legitimate way for me to have the career that I believed I desire in the future.
Im still carrying the hope that things will turn around, that I will have the adventure of my lifetime this year. London is such a beautiful city. Having the time to explore the city alone would be amazing! But I'm still hoping that I will have the ability to travel and see different parts of the UK, experience different European cultures, and make the best of my time here.
Going to Barcelona in a few days - definitely a good time for me to get my mind off school.
Hopefully I am able to keep up with the curriculum when I get back. I'm feeling quite guilty for taking time off school, but since I'm stuck in school from 9am-5pm with only an hour break for lunch on my 21st birthday, and no form of a celebration, I feel this short trip is a warranted one.
There you have it. A little snippet of my life.
Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity to be in London, because its something I never expected myself to have. Just thought i'd share something a little more . I really do hope (and I still believe) this year of exchange will turn out to be a good one.
Pictures from an afternoon out and about in the area around Trafalgar Square, London.
As students living on a budget, £2.20 to take the tube from South Kensington to Oxford Circus costs too much. So instead of taking the tube, we decided to take a nice little stroll across Hyde Park to get to Oxford Street to kill sometime before an international student mixer last week. 
The cool weather in London makes walking around really enjoyable. It was a nice having a slow late afternoon stroll through hyde park, watching ducks and swans bathe themselves and little children running around playing with bubbles and chasing pigeons.
I get it now why people say London is grey. Everything, including the sky just seems to be a little greyer over in London. Did not have much trouble with the weather initially when I first arrived last week, but as of late, its been getting a lot colder, windier, and raining a lot more. Nevertheless, I'm still enjoying the life here in London.
Also, living 5 mins away from school is always a good thing. Longer sleeping hours, I will not complain!
Walking out of Hyde Park, we saw the Marble Arch. Looked like a Minature Arc de Triomphe, though I'm not sure if it has the same significance to London as the Arc de Triomphe has to France. After passing the Marble Arch, we could finally say "Hello Oxford Street!"
Ending off with the typical bright red London double-decked bus that everyone knows about. Hope you enjoyed the pictures, I can't wait to visit more places in London (and perhaps - sooner than later - other parts of the UK as well!)
Stay tune for more visits/pictures taken from running around town!
From South Kensington to Oxford Circus
9 October 2014 Hyde Park, London
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
