Happy Halloween~

My flatmates proudly showed me their pumpkin after carving it out...

My first fish and chips in London

We all know London is famous for its Fish & Chips right? I know it as well, BUT, I haven't got to try it since I was here one and half months back.

Kylie, my flatmate, couldn't believe her ears, so we set a date for Fish & Chips just down the road.

I thought the vinegar that the guy put on the cod and fries (I wouldn't really call them chips) was really horrible. And boy, I do miss Maggi chilli sauce. It was a bad choice to ask for chilli. What came was red gravy over my fries, which apparently wasn't spicy at all. sheesh~ If there is a next time, I will pack it and eat it at home with Maggi chilli sauce.

Nevertheless, it was good fun with Kylie.

On our way back, just right in front of our hall, we saw the best sun rays ever~

Kylie was so nice to share some jasmine tea after the oily meal. Isn't she sweet? She gave me Wang Wang as well. Imagine how happy I was when I saw my 'childhood friend'...



A simple and happy Sunday evening~ Thank you Kylie~ (:

Sunday Roast

If you are in UK on a Sunday, then you must definitely try the Sunday Roast. Sunday Roast is a traditional meal that is served on Sundays (why, of course). It usually consists of meat (beef, chicken, lamb or sometimes even vegetarian), peas, carrots, potatoes and other stuffings with gravy.

Want to try out some Sunday Roast? I suggest looking at Wetherspoons (http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/). They serve decent meals at a reasonable price. Also, they have many outlets across the country so do check their website and you may find one near your place.

One last thing, Asian women might want to consider sharing a plate of Sunday Roast.

London Bridge

Previously I was posting about Borough Market and if you have the extra time, do drop by London Bridge.

Getting to London Bridge: London Bridge underground station (why, of course~) Jubilee and Northern Line

There isn't anything special about London Bridge, looks-wise. It looks like any other bridge. However, the current bridge isn't the first to be built at this spot. In fact, it was built in 1973.

Oh well, just get there, shoot a photo with it to show it off to everyone on your facebook you have been there. That's it. *sings nursery rhyme*

When you are standing on London Bridge, you will spot another bridge running parallel to London Bridge. That's Tower Bridge (above), which is way more magnificent and camera-worthy. Do remember not to confuse Tower Bridge with London Bridge.

If you came from London Bridge Station, you should be at the south of the bridge. Walk northwards to the other end of the bridge and you should arrive at the Monument (which should be on your right).

The monument is built to remember the lost lives in the Great Fire of London in 1666. If you have the time, you can get to the top of the Monument to have a good view of Thames river and everything around. You will have to pay though. http://www.themonument.info/

From there, you can walk to the Thames path, which is a path that follows London's Thames river for as long as the river is (though at some points the path is disjointed due to buildings or canals that the river split into).

You should pass by the Tower of London and then get to Tower Bridge. Tower of London is worth a day of stopover and more about Tower of London will be posted soon~

Borough Market

Getting to Borough Market: Take the Northern or Jubilee line and alight at London Bridge Underground Station (Central London Zone One)

Borough Market is really interesting. It sells food of all sorts that you can possible think of. In fact, the area is so large that you might spend lots of time there.

There are stalls selling meat, vege, cheese, fish, seafood (very very cheap, fresh and big oysters, I'm an oyster fan~), cakes and brownies, sausages, flowers, wine, and so much more...

Most of the food there are cheap or reasonably priced, and definitely fresh. If you are dropping by, do remember to go on an empty stomach~

In fact, I do suggest you go onto their website now http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/ to get your stomach growling. The website is very clear, concise and helpful.

Oh dear, just blogging about it makes me so hungry~~ (:

Odeon Kingston

 I have finally decided to check out Odeon Cinema in Rotunda as I have a voucher which is expiring tomorrow. The voucher is 40% off the standard price, which in my case is 40% off 5.95pounds for student's price. That equates to 3.57pounds, which is about SGD7.50.

After so much discounts, it is still considered expensive in Singapore's terms.

Nevertheless, it was a good experience. Although the main entrance looks small, the place is actually quite big. I still prefer Cathay's sound system though.

The waiting time was really bad. It was supposed to start at 3.10pm but it was advertisements all the way till 3.40pm. It did get on my nerves really bad, considering I am really used to Cathay's promptness.

I watched 'Life as we know it' and it was indeed a nice show. Some really touching moments here and there. Also, many hilarious scenes. Although it was rather predictable and some scenes didn't really link to the next, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Check out Odeon Kingston, just next to Kingston Rail Station.

Off the beaten track -Tooting Broadway

Getting to Tooting Broadway from Kingston: Take bus 57 or 131 from Cromwell bus station just beside the Kingston Rail Station. It takes about 40mins to an hour to arrive, depending on traffic. I personally feel 57 goes through a shorter route.

What is there and why you should go there: There are markets and rows of mini marts on each side of the main road selling fresh vegetables, fruits and spices from all over the world, but mainly on Indian and Carribean. Also, there is a whole range of Indian food, from cafes to restaurants. If you want an exotic meal, this is the place to go.

Broadway market is one of the two sheltered markets. There are many stalls selling things from food to clothes to bed linen to kitchen utensils. You name it. Eyebrow threading is cheap here. 2.50pounds compared to 6pounds in Kingston Town.

Tooting Market is located nearby (a few steps down) and it also sells goods from all over the world. I did manage to spot an Asian shop selling sauces and food from SE Asia. Pricing in these two markets are pretty reasonable.

Do be careful not to go on a Wednesday though. The stalls are closed on Wednesdays by 1pm. We went on a Wednesday morning and many stalls were not opened. ):

Of course, they do have the 'essential' shops here, eg: Primark, Boots and T.K.Maxx.

An example of one of the mini-marts:

Basically, Tooting is a stretch of roads with shops located on both sides. We crossed the road many times, because the grass is always greener on the other side.

Kastoori was once raved about in Tripadvisor but I have no idea if it is still good, so we decided to check it out.

The restaurant was totally empty and the boss was really freaked out when he saw my DSLR. Maybe he thought I was a reporter? Maybe?

Appetiser:

Our Main Courses:



I took the potato curry with parantha and I thought the meal was pretty good. My partner, on the other hand, thought otherwise. There were a few other restaurants which were packed. Maybe we should check another one out the next time we are there. Depending on what you order, the main course should cost slightly under 10pounds.

I manage to buy some Asian food and it was an interesting and fruitful day.

Meet Henry~

Henry isn't really a good boy. I had to drag him all the way into my room. He is really heavy. I have no idea where he is looking at all the time, but I do know he has a powerful nose.

I was actually looking for the button to 'auto-coil' the cable but to my horror, I found a knob and arrow pointing in the direction to wind the cable.

At least my room is clean now. (:



The messy truth - my life one month on

 My shelves, originally for books and accessories, have made way for food, spices and food, and more food. I can imagine that it will soon take over the whole territory. Not forgetting, I have even more food in my kitchen cabinet.

My noticeboard is full of events, reminders and schedules. I am proud that it is so messy. Kind of artistic in a way.

Hangers and more hangers... Hence more clothes~

















Bathroom is still decent looking, maybe because there isn't really any space to put more stuff.












The desk chair makes a good shelf...

This is the *erms* kitchen? If only I can post the smell of it too...

Top 5 Cheap (and good) places in Kingston town

After staying in Kingston for three weeks, I have decided that I know quite a bit about Kingston to consolidate 5 cheap places for students like me.

Wilkinson
146-152
Clarence Street
Kingston Upon Thames
KT1 1QP
Phone Number: +44 (0) 208 5491432



What they sell:

Almost everything from bed linen, kitchen utensils, toiletries, stationeries, car cleaning accessories to food (for humans and pets). http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/stry/172

Primark

Primark

76 Eden Street
Kingston-Upon-Thames

KT1 1DJ

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8549 7453

Of course, Primark is everywhere, but Kingston town is such a shopping heaven that we have it here as well. Yay~

What they sell:

Cheap ladies fashion from caps to boots (head to toe) and bed linen.

Kingston Market

Town Centre 

Kingston Upon Thames 

KT1 1JT

Located in the heart of history, Kingston Market is just in front of the Tourist Information Centre, which used to be the Town Hall. An 18th Century statue of Queen Anne can be seen on the building.

Not everything sold in the market is cheaper than in the supermarkets, but two things for sure, they are really fresh and you can buy loosely. Say you want to buy just a potato to make soup and you can buy just one. Unlike in some supermarkets where the potatoes are bagged in very huge packaging, which can only be finished if shared among a few friends or eaten daily for all 3 meals. Both are quite unlikely. Less wastage therefore also equates to more savings.

What they sell:

Fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat and bread. Occasionally there are booths set up for goods from other countries such as France and Italy.

Chic-O-Land

2A St James Rd

Kingston Upon Thames

KT1 2AA 

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8546 5662

A small shop which can be easily missed out if you are not looking hard.

What they sell:

99p for a chicken burger and add one pound to get chips. Good price for great tasting chicken burgers.

Finesse Oriental Buffet

The Rotunda

Clarence Street
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 1QJ

Tel: +44 (0) 208 549 2676

Located in Rotunda building, it can be a good meal just before a movie at Odeon. Also, it is located just opposite Kingston Rail and Fairfield bus station, so coming down for a cheap and delicious chinese food should not be a problem.

What they sell:

Buffet chinese dishes such as crispy duck, sweet-and-sour pork, five-spices beef, crispy seaweed, rice and soup. Also, it has dessert such as chin chow and jelly. For 5.90pounds (weekdays lunch), it is really a steal. Just a downside, the interior is sparsely decorated but that did not matter to me at all.