Nothing prepared me for this but I enjoy it anyway
Have not been able to get internet access for the past few days but have been typing religiously into my lap top. For those who are interested, read on. But be prepared. It is ONE, LONG entry.
19th Sept
It’s Sunday here. I have a lot of time on my hands before I attend a briefing session at 5pm today. I fell asleep at about 7.30 yesterday and slept till about 7am today. Feel so rested but I’ve got sore, aching shoulders.
Yesterday was extremely exhausting. After my 12.5 hour flight, was told that we could not land. Seems that Heathrow airport has curfews. Planes cannot land between 11pm to 6am. This is to ensure that the occupants of the houses near the airport get a good night’s rest. Otherwise, the houses would shake and keep them awake all night long. So, we were circling for a good half an hour before we touched down. I was dead beat then. Understandably, there was a huge crowd at the customs. And it didn’t help that the customs officers were very strict. Perhaps it was my perception, but it did seem that they were extremely cautious with coloured people. By this, I mean anyone who was not white! I was lucky because I wasn’t really drilled and quizzed. Just the usual, like my duration of stay, my purpose of stay and the place I would put up at. For others, like people from the Middle East and the Africans, passports were held back and scrutinized. That took a long while.
However, because I was staying for longer than six months, I had to go to the health control room where I had to take an x-ray. Contrary to what I had thought, I did not find any Singaporeans there. I had this impression my plane would be full of Singaporean students because September is the month school begins again. Maybe Singaporeans are so kiasu that most of them had already arrived a long time ago! All around me were students from Ghana. So, I was a white spot in a sea of black and may I add, a SMALL white spot in a sea of black. They are huge... I wondered how long this would take. To my pleasant surprise, things ran rather smoothly. The ladies at the registration counter must have done this millions of times. Like many of the Ghana students there, I also had my x-ray taken in my home country, so that sped things up a lot too. However, while they carried huge x-ray films with them, I only carried a statement from SATA, stating that I was healthy. SATA has this filmless x-ray, so I didn’t need any huge but flimsy film showing my lungs. One up for Singapore ingenuity again.
With that done, I just wanted to get out of the airport as soon as possible. It was just too crowded -- a perfect time for any terrorist to strike, actually. When I checked for my baggage claim belt, horrors of horror, my flight was not indicated. My customs clearance took too long, I suppose. And other planes which were circling around before six had all landed too. So, the monitor only showed the flights which had just landed. But the people at BA had a list with them and they could easily tell me where to go – belt four. Yup, I saw my stuff within two minutes.
Finally, I found my way to the exit of the airport. Called my mum and brother, who were probably worried that I met with problems. Now came the tough part – how on earth do I get to my hostel? According to the lady at the information counter, a cab would set me back by at least £60. That would be a little over $180. Ok, that would be my last resort.
I could not possibly take the tube because of my luggage. My next option was the bus. I would take the bus to Euston which would bring me nearer to my college, then change to a cab. This bus is unlike our SBS buses. It is specially catered for travelers. Hence, there is a lot of space for your luggage. And all for £8 only!
A huge headache descended on me when I boarded the bus. Not that the bus was not comfortable; it was. I think it was brought on by this massive traffic jam, compounded by the fact that I was seated facing the back of the bus. I changed a seat after a while and discovered that I was actually still at the airport. The jam was from one terminal to another! Traffic certainly got better once we were out of the airport. By now, my headache eased a little but I was really tired.
I alighted at Euston and discovered that I was at this main road where the left-most lane was only for buses. I could not see a single cab in sight. But the bus driver told me one could come along soon. I acknowledged what he said but did not really trust him because I had no idea how the cab could stop since it was a bus-only lane. So, I dragged my luggage down to a side road. Thank goodness, one came in about 10 seconds. Perhaps the cabbies are well-trained or perhaps, I was just fortunate enough to meet him, he came out to help me load my luggage onto the cab and said, “just hop on!”
He was not too sure about where exactly I wanted to go but he knew the main street which runs past my college. So, we started the journey. I asked how long it would take and he replied 25-30mins. I was so, so tired. It was quiet most of the journey until he decided to talk about the weather. So, it IS true that the British like talking about the weather. But of course, how long can you talk about the weather? We stopped after a while and I could take a mental rest again. Perhaps he sensed my exhausation, he noted out loud, “We’re almost there. About 5 minutes more.” So kind of him.
When we hit Lewisham Way, which is the main road, we were lost. We could not find the accommodation office. He decided to take me to the main college building itself to ask someone there. Fortunately, there was a security on duty and he directed my driver to my hostel office. Along the way, my cab-driver must have apologized three times for not knowing the way. I once learnt that London cab-drivers know every single street by heart and their exams are pretty tough. There is a certain pride they have for their job. So, for this one, he must have felt that he hasn’t done his job well. Anyway, this nice man helped me unload my stuff and wished me luck. The cab ride was £23. I saved about £30 which would come in handy later.
I realized that my hostel block is about 300m away from the hostel office. For me to drag two suitcases 300m along an uneven pavement is no easy job. So, I decided to take a walk down to look at my room first. My block is along the main road. For security purposes, we need a code to enter the gate. Once inside the gate, we need a card to enter the building. Once inside the building, we need our key to enter the flat. Not too bad. I felt a little safer already.
My flat is on the top floor – fourth to be exact. To my flatmate whom I will introduce later, it is the “penthouse floor”. I thought of the two suitcases and I felt faint already. But my room is decent. Bigger than I thought it would be. Finally went back to the accommodation office and lugged my suitcases one by one back to my room. I dragged the heavier and bulkier of the two. If I could bring this one back, the other one would not be a problem. So, there was this little Chinese girl, rolling a huge suitcase along the pavement of a main road. In Singapore, this would look strange, but no one gave me any strange looks. No one turned at all as if this was the most common thing in the world to do. They must be already used to new students of Goldsmiths doing this every year.
The climb up my flat was a torture. I tried carrying it step by step. That took too long. So, I simply dragged it by the handle and pulled it up. The wheels just rolled reluctantly up hitting each step with a force so hard and loud I was sure the whole building could hear.
When the two suitcases finally reached their destination, I was amazed at my energy and strength. I also wondered if I would suffer a slipped disc earlier than I am supposed to.
The rest of the day was quite a blur to me because I was trying very hard to unpack and to stay awake at the same time. Made a trip down Sainburys supermarket about 600m down the road to check out the place. Really huge. Purchased an electric kettle because the kitchen just had a microwave. So, the money I saved from the cab trip went into this really useful investment. I don’t think the hostel allows electric kettles in the room. But who cares. I’ll wait till they tell me off.
This area isn’t the most reputable part of town. Many blacks here. And if you watch enough Hollywood movies, you’ll think that you’ll get robbed along the streets all the time. But so far, the experience has been fine. Many of them are just people trying to get on with life. So long as you mind your own business, they mind theirs. In fact, I find that Singaporeans are scarier. They stare at you while you walk or board the bus or whatever you’re doing. But here, nobody gives a damn (pardon the language) what you do. Having said that, it pays NOT to walk along deserted streets and be alone at night. Just common sense, really.
For those who are curious, here’s the layout of my flat. After walking four storeys, I’ll open a door which leads to a very short corridor to this door which says Flat 12. Once I unlock the door, I’ll see yet another corridor, this time with rooms on both sides – three on the left (A,B, C) and two on the right (D and E). My room is second on the left, 12B. At the end of the corridor on the right, after the rooms D and E would be the kitchen. This, the occupants of flat 12 will share. So, the only good place for the flatmates to meet would be in the kitchen because it’s big enough.
So far, I’ve only met one flatmate and she stays in 12C. Her name’s Sarah and she used to work as a speech therapist. Guess what’s she studying? MA in Screen Writing. Looks like I’m not the only person doing something totally new. Her accent takes a little getting used to and there are times I could not really understand her. She could understand me fine though. Well, she’s a speech therapist afterall. She’s supposed to make sense of garbled speech and all accents. She’s tall (to me, everyone’s tall), fairly well-built, has short hair and wears glasses. She’s got quite a pleasant face and seems the patient sort. Not over-friendly but cordial enough. In fact, we’re going to the briefing together later at 5pm.
Sarah’s from Birmingham and because she’s from UK, it’s so much easier for her to move here. She hired a delivery van and practically moved her whole house here. She’s moved her whole PC here. She’s even offered me some spare clothes hangers that she has got.
Came back from grocery shopping a while ago. Took a long time to shop for just a few items. I was comparing prices most of the time and in the end, most items were of the Sainbury brand – equivalent of the Fairprice brand in Singapore. In Singapore, I would never buy the fair price brand because being the snob that I am, I am suspicious of the quality of such cheap goods. How can cheap stuff be of high quality? So, in Singapore, I eat Gardenia bread, my tissue would most probably be Kleenex, my toilet cleaner would be Toilet Duck and my hand soap would be from Protex. Here, I buy the Sainbury brand for everything. Well, almost everything. My soy sauce is from Amoy and my chicken stock cubes are from Knorr. Sainsbury does not produce those, otherwise I would have bought the Sainsbury soy sauce too!
Well, it’s about to rain AGAIN. People say that weather is unpredictable here. Singapore’s weather is not too predictable too. It could suddenly pour when it was sunny a while ago. But I guess the difference is, here, there is warm and fair, fair and windy, rainy and windy. The wind makes all the difference. The sun could look deceptively warm and when you walk outside, you could feel the wind right through you. It is still bearable now. I feel cold at times but nothing too overpowering. Well, at least I have time to adapt slowly before winter sets in. Gotta go for my briefing session soon.
It’s 7pm here, still on Sunday. Yes, I have lots of time before school begins. Met another two flatmates, Gabrail and Giva (not sure of the spelling). Gabrail was in a hurry in go for his briefing session at 6.30, so we didn’t speak much, only about stuff we bought at Sainsbury. It seems that all of us bought some dishwashing liquid so we have three bottles of dishwashing liquid lying in the kitchen. So, we agreed to share for the time being, at least until all three bottles run out. We were warned during the briefing session that some electrical appliances will be confiscated if found in the room. This includes the electric kettle. So, my kettle is found in the kitchen now. Sarah already has hers in the kitchen. So, three bottles of dishwashing liquid and two electric kettles already. Gabrial seems to have a rice-cooker which he offered to share. Well, I have one too. So, looks like our kitchen’s gonna become quite well-equipped.
Think I’ll call it a day here. I’ll take a shower and read. Something I have not done in a long while. Reading, I mean. Not taking a shower. I bathe everyday, most of the time, twice. However, I was told people in cold countries don’t shower a lot. So, in the near future, I might tell you I haven’t showered in a while. But that would be in another long letter.
20th September
Might as well update you the last bit before I go to the internet café downstairs. All the occupants in Flat 12 met in the kitchen for breakfast this morning. Giva’s from North London. In fact, his home is just 1.5hrs away. He’s in the hostel because he does not want to travel the distance everyday. He’s doing the MA in Performance. So we belong to the same department. He’s done some work in theatre companies and I guess I could learn a lot from him.
Gabrail is from Mexico. Out of all the accents, his is the one most difficult to fathom. He’s doing International Studies and Intercultural communication (or something like that).
He seems full of curiosity and very eager to learn. When I told him I was from Singapore and tried to tell him where Singapore was, he looked a tad offended and said “I know where Singapore is” and proceeded to tell me how Singapore is an Asian miracle. Then he asked how I felt to be part of this miracle.
Being adventurous, he took a bus to Tesco’s to shop yesterday while Sarah and I are contented with Sainsburys. Being adventurous, he’s off to Central London today. I’m still waiting to be enrolled and registered so that I can get student travel discounts. ;) He’s also the one who is thinking of getting a TV set so that he can get updates of the US general elections.
All four of us wondered who the fifth occupant of the flat is.
Well, after breakfast, I went to the Medical Centre to register. All I did was wait in line to speak with the lady at the counter. Then, I had to fill in some forms. Afterwhich, I was given an appointment. When? Next Tuesday! When it comes to efficiency, I think Singapore would top most countries. Never mind. It’s not like I’m terribly occupied. Next Tuesday, it would be.
19th Sept
It’s Sunday here. I have a lot of time on my hands before I attend a briefing session at 5pm today. I fell asleep at about 7.30 yesterday and slept till about 7am today. Feel so rested but I’ve got sore, aching shoulders.
Yesterday was extremely exhausting. After my 12.5 hour flight, was told that we could not land. Seems that Heathrow airport has curfews. Planes cannot land between 11pm to 6am. This is to ensure that the occupants of the houses near the airport get a good night’s rest. Otherwise, the houses would shake and keep them awake all night long. So, we were circling for a good half an hour before we touched down. I was dead beat then. Understandably, there was a huge crowd at the customs. And it didn’t help that the customs officers were very strict. Perhaps it was my perception, but it did seem that they were extremely cautious with coloured people. By this, I mean anyone who was not white! I was lucky because I wasn’t really drilled and quizzed. Just the usual, like my duration of stay, my purpose of stay and the place I would put up at. For others, like people from the Middle East and the Africans, passports were held back and scrutinized. That took a long while.
However, because I was staying for longer than six months, I had to go to the health control room where I had to take an x-ray. Contrary to what I had thought, I did not find any Singaporeans there. I had this impression my plane would be full of Singaporean students because September is the month school begins again. Maybe Singaporeans are so kiasu that most of them had already arrived a long time ago! All around me were students from Ghana. So, I was a white spot in a sea of black and may I add, a SMALL white spot in a sea of black. They are huge... I wondered how long this would take. To my pleasant surprise, things ran rather smoothly. The ladies at the registration counter must have done this millions of times. Like many of the Ghana students there, I also had my x-ray taken in my home country, so that sped things up a lot too. However, while they carried huge x-ray films with them, I only carried a statement from SATA, stating that I was healthy. SATA has this filmless x-ray, so I didn’t need any huge but flimsy film showing my lungs. One up for Singapore ingenuity again.
With that done, I just wanted to get out of the airport as soon as possible. It was just too crowded -- a perfect time for any terrorist to strike, actually. When I checked for my baggage claim belt, horrors of horror, my flight was not indicated. My customs clearance took too long, I suppose. And other planes which were circling around before six had all landed too. So, the monitor only showed the flights which had just landed. But the people at BA had a list with them and they could easily tell me where to go – belt four. Yup, I saw my stuff within two minutes.
Finally, I found my way to the exit of the airport. Called my mum and brother, who were probably worried that I met with problems. Now came the tough part – how on earth do I get to my hostel? According to the lady at the information counter, a cab would set me back by at least £60. That would be a little over $180. Ok, that would be my last resort.
I could not possibly take the tube because of my luggage. My next option was the bus. I would take the bus to Euston which would bring me nearer to my college, then change to a cab. This bus is unlike our SBS buses. It is specially catered for travelers. Hence, there is a lot of space for your luggage. And all for £8 only!
A huge headache descended on me when I boarded the bus. Not that the bus was not comfortable; it was. I think it was brought on by this massive traffic jam, compounded by the fact that I was seated facing the back of the bus. I changed a seat after a while and discovered that I was actually still at the airport. The jam was from one terminal to another! Traffic certainly got better once we were out of the airport. By now, my headache eased a little but I was really tired.
I alighted at Euston and discovered that I was at this main road where the left-most lane was only for buses. I could not see a single cab in sight. But the bus driver told me one could come along soon. I acknowledged what he said but did not really trust him because I had no idea how the cab could stop since it was a bus-only lane. So, I dragged my luggage down to a side road. Thank goodness, one came in about 10 seconds. Perhaps the cabbies are well-trained or perhaps, I was just fortunate enough to meet him, he came out to help me load my luggage onto the cab and said, “just hop on!”
He was not too sure about where exactly I wanted to go but he knew the main street which runs past my college. So, we started the journey. I asked how long it would take and he replied 25-30mins. I was so, so tired. It was quiet most of the journey until he decided to talk about the weather. So, it IS true that the British like talking about the weather. But of course, how long can you talk about the weather? We stopped after a while and I could take a mental rest again. Perhaps he sensed my exhausation, he noted out loud, “We’re almost there. About 5 minutes more.” So kind of him.
When we hit Lewisham Way, which is the main road, we were lost. We could not find the accommodation office. He decided to take me to the main college building itself to ask someone there. Fortunately, there was a security on duty and he directed my driver to my hostel office. Along the way, my cab-driver must have apologized three times for not knowing the way. I once learnt that London cab-drivers know every single street by heart and their exams are pretty tough. There is a certain pride they have for their job. So, for this one, he must have felt that he hasn’t done his job well. Anyway, this nice man helped me unload my stuff and wished me luck. The cab ride was £23. I saved about £30 which would come in handy later.
I realized that my hostel block is about 300m away from the hostel office. For me to drag two suitcases 300m along an uneven pavement is no easy job. So, I decided to take a walk down to look at my room first. My block is along the main road. For security purposes, we need a code to enter the gate. Once inside the gate, we need a card to enter the building. Once inside the building, we need our key to enter the flat. Not too bad. I felt a little safer already.
My flat is on the top floor – fourth to be exact. To my flatmate whom I will introduce later, it is the “penthouse floor”. I thought of the two suitcases and I felt faint already. But my room is decent. Bigger than I thought it would be. Finally went back to the accommodation office and lugged my suitcases one by one back to my room. I dragged the heavier and bulkier of the two. If I could bring this one back, the other one would not be a problem. So, there was this little Chinese girl, rolling a huge suitcase along the pavement of a main road. In Singapore, this would look strange, but no one gave me any strange looks. No one turned at all as if this was the most common thing in the world to do. They must be already used to new students of Goldsmiths doing this every year.
The climb up my flat was a torture. I tried carrying it step by step. That took too long. So, I simply dragged it by the handle and pulled it up. The wheels just rolled reluctantly up hitting each step with a force so hard and loud I was sure the whole building could hear.
When the two suitcases finally reached their destination, I was amazed at my energy and strength. I also wondered if I would suffer a slipped disc earlier than I am supposed to.
The rest of the day was quite a blur to me because I was trying very hard to unpack and to stay awake at the same time. Made a trip down Sainburys supermarket about 600m down the road to check out the place. Really huge. Purchased an electric kettle because the kitchen just had a microwave. So, the money I saved from the cab trip went into this really useful investment. I don’t think the hostel allows electric kettles in the room. But who cares. I’ll wait till they tell me off.
This area isn’t the most reputable part of town. Many blacks here. And if you watch enough Hollywood movies, you’ll think that you’ll get robbed along the streets all the time. But so far, the experience has been fine. Many of them are just people trying to get on with life. So long as you mind your own business, they mind theirs. In fact, I find that Singaporeans are scarier. They stare at you while you walk or board the bus or whatever you’re doing. But here, nobody gives a damn (pardon the language) what you do. Having said that, it pays NOT to walk along deserted streets and be alone at night. Just common sense, really.
For those who are curious, here’s the layout of my flat. After walking four storeys, I’ll open a door which leads to a very short corridor to this door which says Flat 12. Once I unlock the door, I’ll see yet another corridor, this time with rooms on both sides – three on the left (A,B, C) and two on the right (D and E). My room is second on the left, 12B. At the end of the corridor on the right, after the rooms D and E would be the kitchen. This, the occupants of flat 12 will share. So, the only good place for the flatmates to meet would be in the kitchen because it’s big enough.
So far, I’ve only met one flatmate and she stays in 12C. Her name’s Sarah and she used to work as a speech therapist. Guess what’s she studying? MA in Screen Writing. Looks like I’m not the only person doing something totally new. Her accent takes a little getting used to and there are times I could not really understand her. She could understand me fine though. Well, she’s a speech therapist afterall. She’s supposed to make sense of garbled speech and all accents. She’s tall (to me, everyone’s tall), fairly well-built, has short hair and wears glasses. She’s got quite a pleasant face and seems the patient sort. Not over-friendly but cordial enough. In fact, we’re going to the briefing together later at 5pm.
Sarah’s from Birmingham and because she’s from UK, it’s so much easier for her to move here. She hired a delivery van and practically moved her whole house here. She’s moved her whole PC here. She’s even offered me some spare clothes hangers that she has got.
Came back from grocery shopping a while ago. Took a long time to shop for just a few items. I was comparing prices most of the time and in the end, most items were of the Sainbury brand – equivalent of the Fairprice brand in Singapore. In Singapore, I would never buy the fair price brand because being the snob that I am, I am suspicious of the quality of such cheap goods. How can cheap stuff be of high quality? So, in Singapore, I eat Gardenia bread, my tissue would most probably be Kleenex, my toilet cleaner would be Toilet Duck and my hand soap would be from Protex. Here, I buy the Sainbury brand for everything. Well, almost everything. My soy sauce is from Amoy and my chicken stock cubes are from Knorr. Sainsbury does not produce those, otherwise I would have bought the Sainsbury soy sauce too!
Well, it’s about to rain AGAIN. People say that weather is unpredictable here. Singapore’s weather is not too predictable too. It could suddenly pour when it was sunny a while ago. But I guess the difference is, here, there is warm and fair, fair and windy, rainy and windy. The wind makes all the difference. The sun could look deceptively warm and when you walk outside, you could feel the wind right through you. It is still bearable now. I feel cold at times but nothing too overpowering. Well, at least I have time to adapt slowly before winter sets in. Gotta go for my briefing session soon.
It’s 7pm here, still on Sunday. Yes, I have lots of time before school begins. Met another two flatmates, Gabrail and Giva (not sure of the spelling). Gabrail was in a hurry in go for his briefing session at 6.30, so we didn’t speak much, only about stuff we bought at Sainsbury. It seems that all of us bought some dishwashing liquid so we have three bottles of dishwashing liquid lying in the kitchen. So, we agreed to share for the time being, at least until all three bottles run out. We were warned during the briefing session that some electrical appliances will be confiscated if found in the room. This includes the electric kettle. So, my kettle is found in the kitchen now. Sarah already has hers in the kitchen. So, three bottles of dishwashing liquid and two electric kettles already. Gabrial seems to have a rice-cooker which he offered to share. Well, I have one too. So, looks like our kitchen’s gonna become quite well-equipped.
Think I’ll call it a day here. I’ll take a shower and read. Something I have not done in a long while. Reading, I mean. Not taking a shower. I bathe everyday, most of the time, twice. However, I was told people in cold countries don’t shower a lot. So, in the near future, I might tell you I haven’t showered in a while. But that would be in another long letter.
20th September
Might as well update you the last bit before I go to the internet café downstairs. All the occupants in Flat 12 met in the kitchen for breakfast this morning. Giva’s from North London. In fact, his home is just 1.5hrs away. He’s in the hostel because he does not want to travel the distance everyday. He’s doing the MA in Performance. So we belong to the same department. He’s done some work in theatre companies and I guess I could learn a lot from him.
Gabrail is from Mexico. Out of all the accents, his is the one most difficult to fathom. He’s doing International Studies and Intercultural communication (or something like that).
He seems full of curiosity and very eager to learn. When I told him I was from Singapore and tried to tell him where Singapore was, he looked a tad offended and said “I know where Singapore is” and proceeded to tell me how Singapore is an Asian miracle. Then he asked how I felt to be part of this miracle.
Being adventurous, he took a bus to Tesco’s to shop yesterday while Sarah and I are contented with Sainsburys. Being adventurous, he’s off to Central London today. I’m still waiting to be enrolled and registered so that I can get student travel discounts. ;) He’s also the one who is thinking of getting a TV set so that he can get updates of the US general elections.
All four of us wondered who the fifth occupant of the flat is.
Well, after breakfast, I went to the Medical Centre to register. All I did was wait in line to speak with the lady at the counter. Then, I had to fill in some forms. Afterwhich, I was given an appointment. When? Next Tuesday! When it comes to efficiency, I think Singapore would top most countries. Never mind. It’s not like I’m terribly occupied. Next Tuesday, it would be.
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