Mai, Oh My!

I just booked my lodging whilst my stay in London this July. I decided to stay at the SMART RUSSELL SQUARE HOSTEL – it’s a tad further away from Hyde Park than my original choice (Smart Hyde Park Inn Hostel) and also a tad cheaper plus it’s got POD BEDS.. SCORE! May not be your choice if your tall but I’m not and I like my privacy so double score!

I feel more at ease now I know I have something booked. Rooms/beds are selling out like Green Day ! (oh no I didn’t)

Also, check out this AWESOME photoshop of the rooms (and people).

Maybe the theme of the hostel is “so unbelievably great it’s like you’re not really there!” ha ha haha ha

It’s official! I’m going to see BLUR this July @ Hyde Park (2nd & 3rd) – It’s like a dream come true and I don’t say that to be cliche – I really did dream about it!

Get this – a day or two before Blur officially announced they were re-uniting with Graham Coxon I dreamt I was at the concert. When I actually received word of their announcement a few days later I impulsively bought tickets for the first announced July 3rd Hyde Park concert. Tickets sold out in 2 minutes when they were officially on sale but I was lucky and had presale codes. Obviously at the time I didn’t really think much about how I was actually getting to London. Around the same time AirAsia launched their long haul flights to London for cheap but I had already booked tix to London for my October trip enroute to the US for Rosie’s wedding. Long story short – even though one of my favourite things about travelling are the airports and the frills you get on the flight like free wine and postcards – it’s a wonderful thing to know that getting to London has become more realistic for many people (sans frills) – myself included and here I am, a little under 2 months away to actually see Blur in the flesh – albeit them (and me) being older, heavier and more cynical

My tickets are all booked and I have at least 2 projects revolved around this trip. Leaving July 1st and guess what??? I bought 2 tickets for their July 3rd show and with that extra ticket I’ve traded for their July 2nd show too. Why yes, yes I can.

Not the most exciting of photos but some photos nonetheless of my eventful business trip to Brunei. Here’s a collage consisting of horsies, a scenic view of the seaside from the Empire hotel, panoramic view of the Empire, one of the many mosques, a 1/2 eaten ‘Nasi Penyet’ meal i had, an Unagi sushi roll that was ordered (and eaten) as an excuse to use the loo and… well that’s about it really (click photo below to enlarge)

At the airport now waiting to board my flight back to KL. My check-in bag lost weight while I on the other hand probably gained a lot! Seminars are just another excuse to drink lots of coffee and tea and eat lots of snacks. In between, you also have breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner and supper!

I did get to see a bit of Brunei which was nice. It’s a very small quiet place.

Some Observations and Factoids I picked up:

• A traffic jam here is comparable to a good driving day in KL.
• From the airport, you’re about an hour – hour 1/2 away from Sarawak (Miri & Limbang) – 6 hours away from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
• It’s a good place for a recovering alcoholic because alcohol is completely probibited here. Even the big hotels don’t serve alcohol but there are stories of secret drinking holes – few, probably 1.
• A few years ago, “THE” only McDonalds in the country ran into some problems with the beef. Apparently it wasn’t considered ‘Halal’ and therefore probably the only McDonalds in Southeast Asia to not have BigMacs.
• The happening and indulgent hotel to be at is the Empire hotel. It’s beautiful and surprisingly for a posh hotel like that, the staff is really nice to you – even though they know you’re only there to admire the scenery.
• The Sultan of Brunei apparently has a special stable for his horse(s) – equipped with airconditioning per stable!

My laptop is about to lose juice so I will write more later! With pictures! Looking forward to be back home though!