Gaelic rumblings

Another cooking session with Creative Cookery today and we made naan that accompanied a potato and veg stew and some toffee pudding.

Naan bread that I made!

Vegetable all the way!!!

Caramelized sensations!!!

After which I went to this introduction to Gaelic session held by the school's Celtic Society that introduce to us this ancient and national language of the Scottish. Apparently its still being spoken today and in certain places in Scotland like Aberdeen you can use Gaelic as a method of instruction in schools. It uses this sort of nasal sound like German to speak and makes u feel like an elf.

Legolas?

Anyway we sang some songs in Gaelic (or tried to) and we learnt about the efforts they are making to bring back the language to the Scots. And of course we learnt some basic greetings in Gaelic. ( I probably will not remember anything haha) It was great to know more about the culture and how it developed in Scotland. At least now I know what the other language on the signs in Scotland is.

TGIF tomorrow! :)

Week 1 of School

Half of Week 1 of School has just whizzed by. We went for our lectures (max one hour per lecture only) and tutorials. It was a pretty slack week as the labs/practicals have not started yet and 2 modules hasn't started lessons yet too. We were quite frantic about our Engineering modules as they kind of clashed with other modules and we didn't know if it would be possible to work it out and also they was also some issues about taking year 3 engineering modules as there was very limited slots in the class. But oh wells I'm sure we will be able to work something out in the end :)

Me and edwin tried to join as many refresher events (what they call their events on the first week of the second sem while first week of sem 1 is fresher week)

Our favourite was definitely the CREATIVE COOKERY class that we joined on Tuesday (and will certainly be joining more in the future). Basically you just had to help out in the kitchen and you get to share the food that everyone cooked! and its FREE!

My bloody hands from skinning and grating these beetroots!

We had salad of apple, carrot and beetroot together with Leek and butternut squash cannelloni and finished it off with a cherry cheesecake!

Today was a free day and we went to the Union Street to get some stuff. I realise that there are not much luxury products over at union street and more of shops like Poundland, Poundstretcher, Poundshop, Primarks, and other cheaper clothing or groceries shops and banks around. I love these shops especially when I see lots of cheap stuff!

I spotted the sign pointing to the maritime museum in Aberdeen which has a strong history in maritime industry and went in to have a look! Its FREE! (I think i shall have a contest to guess how many times I will say 'free' in the blog by the time I return to Singapore.) Anyway it was a really nice museum that shows how the harbour developed over the years with a focus of fishing initially and then oil and gas in more recent years. It was really nice to see the detailed model of ships and also other exhibits.

Newt Suit which doesn't face decompression problems

A 2 storey tall model of a rig!

There were many models of ships like this!

For the rest of the time we spent our days either grocery shopping, cooking, and researching for places to travel to in our weekends and easter breaks! We are going to Stonehaven to see the Dunnottar Castle! More pictures soon!

Orientation to University of Aberdeen!

Here is a brief of what happened as I reached Aberdeen that I missed out in the previous post!

Day 1: Arrival

Lidl (pronounced lidle) - We went to this nearest supermarket that is a 15 min walk from my room to buy some groceries for breakfast the next day and also in the future we also bought all our groceries from cooking there as it is cheap! For example the bread here cost 40 pence whereas the convenience store nearer our place cost 1.60 pounds. 4 times cheaper!!!

Union Street - We went to this place which is the practically the only street for shopping or as some people exclaim the only street in Aberdeen that you can go to. But it is a mile long so that makes quite a good shopping area! It was really hard to build this place as they had to level a hill to build it! I bought 2 pair of shoes (10 pound and 17 pound) that fits my feet better than yongjun's Timbaland (note to self: never wear a shoe that does not belong to you for the first time as you travel overseas) and 2 pairs of gloves (2 pound) and a slipper (3pound)

The beginning of Union Street! 

1 + 2 more shoes on my first day! How am I gonna bring them home????

Dinner at TGIF at Union Square and Movie at the Vue - We met the Singapore Society people in Aberdeen which is made up year 1 and year 3 medical students studying in University of Aberdeen and had a dinner at TGIF. There was an offer for students (the second meal at 2.50 pounds which is practically nothing compared to the other meals at TGIF). Then we had desserts at another TGIF again which was opposite the one we ate dinner at. They played a birthday joke on Edwin and Me and got us to stand up on our chair like in Fish & Co in Singapore even though it wasn't our birthday....we got a huge slice of cake though haha. Then we went to watch DJANGO at the Vue (3.90 pounds CHEAP!) where I almost fell asleep in the beginning. Good movie though! The action was excellent! Then me and edwin returned back to Hector Boece.

Cheapest movie in town at 3.90 pound!

There was a party at my flat as the exams had just finished (and the new sem starts immediately the next week) and the exchange students were also leaving the next day. But I was really pooped and went to sleep straightaway. Bummer....

Day 2: Orientation

I luv Aberdeen!!!

We went for the orientation talk in the morning and then to meet our advisor for module registration and to get our timetable. Me and edwin then walked super far to another supermarket to buy our pillows (2 for 6 pounds SUPER CHEAP!!!) and some sandwiches. 

We cooked our first dinner that night and it was a disaster! haha thats why no pictures :P 

Burnt brocoli and tasteless fusilli. But it was our first time and it is a time to experiment and learn haha.

That night after edwin went back, I went with my flatmates that I have just met, Isaac (an American majoring in English and Music) and Victor (a Slovakian who studies law), to the Union Bar that is in my residence where we had a couple of drinks and participated in some games like BINGO and the game where u have to constantly bend lower to cross the line and the other game where you had to pick up a box on the floor with your mouth. It was great fun!

Day 3: Taste of Scotland and Ceilidh

We went on the free Aberdeen bus tour in the afternoon then at 7pm we went to the main event of the day which was Taste of Scotland and the Burns Supper Céilidh.

Taste of Scotland was to let us taste the most famous food of Scotland which are: 

1)Whisky, the national drink and 

2)Haggis, the national dish (which according to wikipedia is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal's stomach and simmered for approximately three hours.) It was quite nice and tasted like minced meat.

Haggis with neeps(turnips) and tatties(potatos)!

Burns Supper Ceilidh or any other Ceilidh is a social gathering where they play traditional Gaelic music and dance scottish folk dance. I remember dancing them during PE in Secondary School and liked it abit even though  I would have rather played basketball then. Now it felt more fun to dance these folk dances that they teaches us on the spot and we just try to wing it haha. And I swear this german girl I was dancing with (Edna) looks like Robin Scherbatsky from How I Met Your Mother.

(not the whisky talking!)

Everyone joining in the fun!!!

And School started the next day and you know school... nothing much to blog about haha :P

Welcome to the Silver City!

Well I finally found some time to update this blog! It has been quite busy as I try to settle into Aberdeen, my place of exchange. Continuing from the previous post, I was on a train coming from London into Aberdeen and I arrived in the morning at 0734am!

The train station at aberdeen!

My friend Edwin wanted to take the cab (about 10 pound) but me being the scrooge that I am, insisted on taking the bus (only 2 pound each) despite my complaining feet!

Marischal College as seen from the bus - it was built in the 19th century!

Well as we made our way to my accomodation, it started snowing (the last time i saw it snow in Aberdeen!) So by the time i reached my accomodation, everything had turned WHITE!!!

Hector Boece  a.k.a the Ghetto as its the cheapest in all the residences around

Just unpacked!

Still snowing!

I really wanted to take a photo that was like the very first photo of this blog, but I really was too cold and tired and my feet didn't allow me to stop until I reached my room!!! But anyway let me bring you around Aberdeen!!!

Warm sunshine amid the white snow!

Seaton park which is where I walk through or pass everyday on the way to school is covered entirely with snow!!!

Walking through Seaton Park!

Slippery Slope - literally!

The old/ex town hall to the city that sits at the entrance to my school campus!

I would prefer to call this Gringotts!

King's College - I feel like I am in Harry Potter Land!

All the different houses!

I can really understand why this dude sits here all day in this cold and wet weather...the campus is really too beautiful!

Looks kinda like MRB back in NUS....but...

The inside is so much more awesome!!!! over here with Isaac my flatmate!

Everywhere looks so scenic! 

We went on a Aberdeen tour which brought us to the outskirts, the coast and the harbour to see more of Aberdeen! and its FREE!!!

The beach!

The harbour where all the oil and fisheries stuff are at! (Basically the economy of Aberdeen depends on these!)

Right now I am feeling more accustomed to the cold but maybe one day I will be able to run like these guys!

I will post more contents on what I am doing in the next post!!!

LONDON!!!

After an 18 hour Qatar airlines flight from Singapore which includes an hour of transit at Doha, 4 movies (Rurouni Kenshin, Perks of Wallflower, Pitch Perfect and Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter) and a couple hours of sleep, the plane finally touched down at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4.

At the beginning of our 18 hours flight on Qatar Airlines!

Experience on Qatar: Singapore to Doha flight is pretty empty with many rows of empty seats where people just lie down on like a bed haha! first class seat hehe! The entertainment system was better with touchscreen and a better interface. Leg room was also better than on the next flight. Drank some red wine on the flight but nearly puke later when I tried to sleep LOL.

Descending into LONDON!!!

Stop 1: London

We arrived at 730am in London and it was unexpectedly fast at the customs and we had time to spare before we could take the off peak underground tube to Euston train station where we left our luggage and will be taking another train at night to Aberdeen.

Arrival at terminal 4!!!

But first its time to explore the city!!!

Taking the free terminal transfer to another terminal 1 because we were too early.

We took the train back to Hyde Park Corner station where we join the free walking tour. Up till then we were mostly indoors but it was bloody cold outside! Me and Edwin met up with my bro Farhan who is staying in London for a while before his sem starts in Holland. Free Tour Guide!!!

Free walking tour! Highly recommended!!

First we started by going over to Buckingham palace which looks really pretty with all the gold ornaments on the gates to see the Changing of the Guards. The amount of people clamouring to see those men with tall and bushy hair play some music and march around is crazy haha. Couldn't really get a good spot to take videos as I'm quite short compared to Europeans.

All the people outside BKH palace!

The band playing some pop music haha!

Marching off at the end of the changing of the guards. Not synchronous at all haha. Army boys can do better!

Next we went over to the next palace: St James Palace which looks just like an ordinary house except for the many chimneys that it has as at that time it was not economical to build a house short and wide as many fireplaces were required to be fired up to heat up the entire place. It has actually more historical value than BKH palace as which was quite new comparatively.

Notice the many chimneys on top of St James Palace.

After that we went on to the usual touristy areas: Trafalgar Square, Queen Elizabeth tower (commonly called Big Ben which was actually the name of the bell inside) and Westminister Abbey where the tour ended. The tour guide was quite funny and cracked plenty of jokes (always said he was there when the historical events occurred). You can give tips to him afterwards if you want but its not compulsory.

Trafalgar Square with the National Gallery behind!

10 Downing Street ( the black building) where the PM stays.

Farhan brought us next to Oxford Street which is the main shopping street. We went into Mark and Spencers where I think I drop a glove which wasn't keeping my hands warm anyway. Lunch at Subway (foot long sandwich for 5 pounds! comparable to Singapore! and I ate it over lunch and dinner hehe)

My poor lonely glove that has no more partner!

With our strength and some warmth recovered after our meal, we journey on to tower of London, tower bridge, monument and St Paul Cathedral where Farhan parted with us. We then made our way towards Euston on the underground tube.

Big Ben in the distance!

Westminster Abbey! A really beautiful church where Prince William got married!

Tower of London!

Tower Bridge which is so much better looking than London bridge.

The River Thames!

All the nice buildings you can see from the above view!

The PAUL Cafe at St Paul's Cathedral!  

The White House St Paul Cathedral

PEAK HOUR!!! The tube proved to be as crowded as MRT in Singapore with oversized Giants in them and the stupid door is curved lol. We went to Camden Town which was just nearby to walk abit before heading to Euston to wait to board our train.

Euston Train Station waiting for our train to Aberdeen to arrive.

 Gives a new meaning to walking till my feet bleeds haha.

ZZZZZ!!!

Next Stop: ABERDEEN!!!!!