GARGANTUAN steps
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Độc lập - Tự do - Hạnh phúc
Independence - Freedom - Happiness
Good morning, Vietnam! The first thing that strikes you about Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), is the swarm of motorcycles that buzz about on the streets, and it's amazing that they don't literally strike you (down) or the vehicle that you are in. The next thing that you notice is how polluted the air is, with a thinly veiled blanket of smog that smothers the city. I blame that for the nauseating headache that I got on the second day of my holiday, which prematurely ended my day's activity, but more of that to come.
Vietnam is another country which has been strickened by war in the not so distant past. However, unlike Berlin in Germany, the Vietnamese don't seem to dwell on it too much, with Saigon bustling with bright lights, shopping malls and many residential areas still undergoing construction. Any reminders of the wars fought are restricted to various museums and selected sites. This trip to Ho Chi Minh City and its surrounding sites was organised by Chan Brothers, and perhaps wisely so that we went on an organised tour, considering that crossing any junction or road can be extremely hazardous, with the law of the road being 'who dares wins'. We were definitely not daring enough. Traffic lights were few and far between, and any road junction had vehicles cutting across the road in the most absurd manner. It's amazing that there were probably only two accidents, both minor, that we witnessed during our entire four and a half days stay there. I guess there is some truth that a junction without traffic lights is safer than one with.
Meanwhile, enough of my thoughts about this country and city for the time being, and on to the usual daily accounts of my trip, with pictures all inclusive!
Day 1 - Ho Chi Minh City: War Remnants Museum, various other sites, Coffee, and Kinky Dancer
I had my trepidations taking Vietnam Airlines to Ho Chi Minh, and my fears weren't particularly allayed with the flimsy take-off and the extremely bumpy landing. Thankfully the flight back home was much smoother. We caught up with our tour guide, Mr Trieu, at the airport, and he spoke a slur of Vietnamese/Cantonese/Mandarin, all of which I understood little. It was just after lunch that we touched down and we immediately made our way to the War Remnants Museum. It was an educational insight (propaganda) into the Vietnam war and the devastations as well as the triumphs that the country experienced. The first exhibits to greet you (if you ignore the massive military vehicles, left behind by the US Army, stationed outside the building) are the stories and pictures of the devastating effects of Agent Orange on the innocent. Grotesque pictures of deformed human beings, and even preserved deformed fetuses kept in formalin jars, were there to play up the sympathy card. Various pictures throughout the building depicted the effects of napalm bombing, various torture techniques employed by the American soldiers, and other inhumane things that the Americans did. A very one sided view I must say, and I'm sure the Viet Congs didn't exactly abide by the Geneva Convention either. Anyway, the final question asked is always whether it was a war for America to have fought in in the first place (just like many of its other wars to follow).
The 'Tiger Cages' exhibit was quite spine-tingling, in my opinion. These showed the prison cells that the Vietnamese prisoners-of-war were kept in, which were dark, cramp and even had life-like prisoners within them. The most despicable of devices were the Tiger Cages themselves, which are cages (1.8 m x 0.75m x 0.4 m) weaved by interlacing barbed wires around and on the top of it, and prisoners kept within them could only lie under them or risk getting lacerated. Only really sick people could have made such a torturous device to imprison people.
After spending about an hour at the museum, which is definitely one of the highlights of the trip, we then went off to other sights in the city, including the Reunification Palace (where a tank once crashed through the gates to reunite the North and the South), the Notre-Dame Cathedral (a 130 year old church), and the colonial Post Office just adjacent to it. We checked in to our hotel (Chancery Saigon Hotel), and we headed off to have some food at a nearby coffee-shop, and it was the first of many coffees that we had on this trip. In particular, my uncle Francis who hunted for coffee to drink with a vengeance. Almost every where we went, he was searching for Vietnamese coffee to drink, and admittedly, the coffee there was excellent. I even took to drinking coffee as opposed to tea on this trip, which says a lot for those who know me!
The evening ended with dinner on a boat-cruise on the Saigon River, and there was some wild entertainment in store for us on board.
Vietnamese Airlines
War Remnants Museum
The Tiger Cages
Dad, Mom, Aunty Teresa and Uncle Francis at the Reunification Palace
The Notre-Dame Cathedral
Coffee
Don't leave Vietnam without trying this
Our tour group
Kinky fire eater
Photoshoot at the resort
Mom and Aunty Teresa on the Cyclo
Dad, Mom, Aunty Teresa and Uncle Francis and the Jesus Statue
Jesus
Me and Jesus
We next headed off to the White Palace, which was a colonial building which the French used to occupy, followed by the King of Vietnam. It was indeed a very beautifully sited building with nice architecture and furniture. We made a stop at the Guanyin Temple as well as the Whale Temple before we made our way back to Ho Chi Minh. The myth behind the Whale Temple and its construction is very similar to that of Jonah, where two Vietnamese fisherman were capsized at sea and then saved by a whale who brought them ashore. This whale subsequently died and its remains are now stored in the temple itself.
Interior of the White Palace
Remains of the whale in the Whale Temple
Drinking chendol at the Ben Thanh Market
Chuc Mung Nam Moi and the Vietnamese Traffic
Good morning, Vietnam! The first thing that strikes you about Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), is the swarm of motorcycles that buzz about on the streets, and it's amazing that they don't literally strike you (down) or the vehicle that you are in. The next thing that you notice is how polluted the air is, with a thinly veiled blanket of smog that smothers the city. I blame that for the nauseating headache that I got on the second day of my holiday, which prematurely ended my day's activity, but more of that to come.
Vietnam is another country which has been strickened by war in the not so distant past. However, unlike Berlin in Germany, the Vietnamese don't seem to dwell on it too much, with Saigon bustling with bright lights, shopping malls and many residential areas still undergoing construction. Any reminders of the wars fought are restricted to various museums and selected sites. This trip to Ho Chi Minh City and its surrounding sites was organised by Chan Brothers, and perhaps wisely so that we went on an organised tour, considering that crossing any junction or road can be extremely hazardous, with the law of the road being 'who dares wins'. We were definitely not daring enough. Traffic lights were few and far between, and any road junction had vehicles cutting across the road in the most absurd manner. It's amazing that there were probably only two accidents, both minor, that we witnessed during our entire four and a half days stay there. I guess there is some truth that a junction without traffic lights is safer than one with.
Meanwhile, enough of my thoughts about this country and city for the time being, and on to the usual daily accounts of my trip, with pictures all inclusive!
Day 1 - Ho Chi Minh City: War Remnants Museum, various other sites, Coffee, and Kinky Dancer
I had my trepidations taking Vietnam Airlines to Ho Chi Minh, and my fears weren't particularly allayed with the flimsy take-off and the extremely bumpy landing. Thankfully the flight back home was much smoother. We caught up with our tour guide, Mr Trieu, at the airport, and he spoke a slur of Vietnamese/Cantonese/Mandarin, all of which I understood little. It was just after lunch that we touched down and we immediately made our way to the War Remnants Museum. It was an educational insight (propaganda) into the Vietnam war and the devastations as well as the triumphs that the country experienced. The first exhibits to greet you (if you ignore the massive military vehicles, left behind by the US Army, stationed outside the building) are the stories and pictures of the devastating effects of Agent Orange on the innocent. Grotesque pictures of deformed human beings, and even preserved deformed fetuses kept in formalin jars, were there to play up the sympathy card. Various pictures throughout the building depicted the effects of napalm bombing, various torture techniques employed by the American soldiers, and other inhumane things that the Americans did. A very one sided view I must say, and I'm sure the Viet Congs didn't exactly abide by the Geneva Convention either. Anyway, the final question asked is always whether it was a war for America to have fought in in the first place (just like many of its other wars to follow).
The 'Tiger Cages' exhibit was quite spine-tingling, in my opinion. These showed the prison cells that the Vietnamese prisoners-of-war were kept in, which were dark, cramp and even had life-like prisoners within them. The most despicable of devices were the Tiger Cages themselves, which are cages (1.8 m x 0.75m x 0.4 m) weaved by interlacing barbed wires around and on the top of it, and prisoners kept within them could only lie under them or risk getting lacerated. Only really sick people could have made such a torturous device to imprison people.
After spending about an hour at the museum, which is definitely one of the highlights of the trip, we then went off to other sights in the city, including the Reunification Palace (where a tank once crashed through the gates to reunite the North and the South), the Notre-Dame Cathedral (a 130 year old church), and the colonial Post Office just adjacent to it. We checked in to our hotel (Chancery Saigon Hotel), and we headed off to have some food at a nearby coffee-shop, and it was the first of many coffees that we had on this trip. In particular, my uncle Francis who hunted for coffee to drink with a vengeance. Almost every where we went, he was searching for Vietnamese coffee to drink, and admittedly, the coffee there was excellent. I even took to drinking coffee as opposed to tea on this trip, which says a lot for those who know me!
The evening ended with dinner on a boat-cruise on the Saigon River, and there was some wild entertainment in store for us on board.
Vietnamese Airlines
War Remnants Museum
The Tiger Cages
Dad, Mom, Aunty Teresa and Uncle Francis at the Reunification Palace
The Notre-Dame Cathedral
Coffee
Don't leave Vietnam without trying this
Our tour group
Kinky fire eater
Day 2 - Mekong Delta and the Thoi Son Island: Fruits Galore
The second morning we went to this temple, which on our itinerary states as the Goddess Temple. After much research, I've found out that it's actually the Thien Hau Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City. The temple itself held no significance for me, but apparently people who are on long trips abroad come here to pray. I however did like the intricate reliefs atop the surrounding temple walls though they were particularly grotesque looking.
We then travelled on to the Mekong Delta, which is apparently the 'rice basket' of Vietnam. We then took a boat ride to one of the islands on the Mekong River, the Thoi Son Island (Unicorn Island), where we had a walk in the touristy natural reserve area, with peddlers selling everything from fruits and sweets to bags and souvenirs. Along the way we saw various fruit trees which were growing in the wild, including pomelos, jackfruits, bananas and even longans! We stopped to try out the durian, though it was devoured too quickly before my camera was even out of its case! The island tour ended with a sampan ride back to our boat which transported us back to the mainland. We visited the Vinh Trang Pagoda on the way back to Ho Chi Minh City, which had two huge statues about 30 metres tall of Buddha and the Laughing Buddha.
We stopped at Chinatown for a while, where everyone was just rushing around and pushing about, and I felt like I had a huge sign on my forehead that said 'Come rob me, I'm a tourist'. Thankfully, nothing untoward happened. By the end of the day, the amount of dust inhaled during the day, together with the poorly tarred roads between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, I was suffering from a terrible headache and had to miss out on this apparently splendid water puppet performance. Perhaps I'll catch it the next time I'm back in Saigon.
The second morning we went to this temple, which on our itinerary states as the Goddess Temple. After much research, I've found out that it's actually the Thien Hau Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City. The temple itself held no significance for me, but apparently people who are on long trips abroad come here to pray. I however did like the intricate reliefs atop the surrounding temple walls though they were particularly grotesque looking.
We then travelled on to the Mekong Delta, which is apparently the 'rice basket' of Vietnam. We then took a boat ride to one of the islands on the Mekong River, the Thoi Son Island (Unicorn Island), where we had a walk in the touristy natural reserve area, with peddlers selling everything from fruits and sweets to bags and souvenirs. Along the way we saw various fruit trees which were growing in the wild, including pomelos, jackfruits, bananas and even longans! We stopped to try out the durian, though it was devoured too quickly before my camera was even out of its case! The island tour ended with a sampan ride back to our boat which transported us back to the mainland. We visited the Vinh Trang Pagoda on the way back to Ho Chi Minh City, which had two huge statues about 30 metres tall of Buddha and the Laughing Buddha.
We stopped at Chinatown for a while, where everyone was just rushing around and pushing about, and I felt like I had a huge sign on my forehead that said 'Come rob me, I'm a tourist'. Thankfully, nothing untoward happened. By the end of the day, the amount of dust inhaled during the day, together with the poorly tarred roads between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, I was suffering from a terrible headache and had to miss out on this apparently splendid water puppet performance. Perhaps I'll catch it the next time I'm back in Saigon.
Thien Hau Pagoda
Me on the boat ride to Thoi Son Island
A Sea Coconut
Wild Longans
Sampan ride
Dad, Mom and me
Vinh Trang Pagoda
Family jackfruit party back at the hotel
Tunnel entrance
Me fitting in to the tunnel entrance
Family with Viet Congs
The Clipping Armpit Trap
Uncle Francis and the AK-47
Mom and me in a B-52 bomb crater
Dad in one of the Cu Chi Tunnels
Me on the boat ride to Thoi Son Island
A Sea Coconut
Wild Longans
Sampan ride
Dad, Mom and me
Vinh Trang Pagoda
Family jackfruit party back at the hotel
Day 3 - Cu Chi: The Fabled Cu Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels to me was the best site that we went to on this entire trip. These were a stretch of man-made tunnels that were dug by the Viet Cong when Vietnam was under French occupation, and was essential also in their victory over the Americans in the Vietnam War following that. These were a network of tunnels that were up to 250 km long, apparently able to link between the border between Cambodia and Saigon, and at various spots, there were up to three levels underground! These tunnels, though having an extremely crude appearance, and only allowing one to duck-walk or crawl, aided the Viet Cong in their resistance against foreign invaders. The Viet Cong were able to live underground and conduct their guerrilla war-fare at night. The Americans even built a base on top a nest of tunnels and weren't able to understand why they were being shot at in their tents during the night, not until a few months later.
Things to do at the Cu Chi Tunnels include - going down into a man-hole which leads to a tunnel; seeing the traps used by the Viet Cong (these looked really nasty, and had equally nasty-sounding names to accompany them); shooting various weapons, including M-16s and AK-47s (which my uncle and I had a go at); and a real duck-walk or crawl in one of the tunnels! These tunnels were so small, dark, claustrophobic and humid that it made me admire the Viet Congs who managed to live in them for months. I only duck-walked a short distance of about 50 metres and that was enough to put me off and surface for daylight as quickly as possible. The amazing thing about these tunnels were that people lived in them, and even had kitchens in them with vents that blew smoke out a few metres away from the actual site, and there were entrances that people could enter through by the river as well!
The Cu Chi Tunnels to me was the best site that we went to on this entire trip. These were a stretch of man-made tunnels that were dug by the Viet Cong when Vietnam was under French occupation, and was essential also in their victory over the Americans in the Vietnam War following that. These were a network of tunnels that were up to 250 km long, apparently able to link between the border between Cambodia and Saigon, and at various spots, there were up to three levels underground! These tunnels, though having an extremely crude appearance, and only allowing one to duck-walk or crawl, aided the Viet Cong in their resistance against foreign invaders. The Viet Cong were able to live underground and conduct their guerrilla war-fare at night. The Americans even built a base on top a nest of tunnels and weren't able to understand why they were being shot at in their tents during the night, not until a few months later.
Things to do at the Cu Chi Tunnels include - going down into a man-hole which leads to a tunnel; seeing the traps used by the Viet Cong (these looked really nasty, and had equally nasty-sounding names to accompany them); shooting various weapons, including M-16s and AK-47s (which my uncle and I had a go at); and a real duck-walk or crawl in one of the tunnels! These tunnels were so small, dark, claustrophobic and humid that it made me admire the Viet Congs who managed to live in them for months. I only duck-walked a short distance of about 50 metres and that was enough to put me off and surface for daylight as quickly as possible. The amazing thing about these tunnels were that people lived in them, and even had kitchens in them with vents that blew smoke out a few metres away from the actual site, and there were entrances that people could enter through by the river as well!
Tunnel entrance
Me fitting in to the tunnel entrance
Family with Viet Congs
The Clipping Armpit Trap
Uncle Francis and the AK-47
Mom and me in a B-52 bomb crater
Dad in one of the Cu Chi Tunnels
We went off to this resort for lunch, which was where a lot of couples went to for their wedding photo shoot! The food wasn't that spectacular as the setting though. Following that, we made a four hour trip down to Vung Tau which is a sea-side beach resort where people came down for a weekend away from the city. A breath of fresh air awaited us, but not before a bumpy, nauseating ride and a massive traffic jam had been cleared. By the time we reached Vung Tau, it was time for dinner, but before that, we had a ride on a cyclo, which is actually rickshaw with a bicycle at the back instead of the side or front, and it could only carry one person at a time. I had a cheeky cyclo rider who wanted Singaporean dollars as a souvenir, though how true that was, I am not too sure. It was New Year's eve as well, and though the people were lining the streets and the beach, they didn't in particular seemed to be celebrating the New Year, but rather just enjoying the weekend. Reminded me a bit like how Beijing was like when we were there over the New Year's as well, many years back.
Photoshoot at the resort
Mom and Aunty Teresa on the Cyclo
Day 4 - Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City: Jesus Statue, various assorted Temples, and the Ben Thanh Market
The morning in Vung Tau was spent climbing up the hill where the Jesus Statue stood astride. It was apparently a climb of about 800 steps, which we all took to with aplomb, especially the mother of the mother-daughter couple on this trip together with us. She was probably the first to reach the top, not bad for someone above the age of sixty! The Jesus Statue was quite a welcome change from all the temples and pagodas that we have been visiting and the splendid views of the city from above was well worth the climb.
The morning in Vung Tau was spent climbing up the hill where the Jesus Statue stood astride. It was apparently a climb of about 800 steps, which we all took to with aplomb, especially the mother of the mother-daughter couple on this trip together with us. She was probably the first to reach the top, not bad for someone above the age of sixty! The Jesus Statue was quite a welcome change from all the temples and pagodas that we have been visiting and the splendid views of the city from above was well worth the climb.
Dad, Mom, Aunty Teresa and Uncle Francis and the Jesus Statue
Jesus
Me and Jesus
We next headed off to the White Palace, which was a colonial building which the French used to occupy, followed by the King of Vietnam. It was indeed a very beautifully sited building with nice architecture and furniture. We made a stop at the Guanyin Temple as well as the Whale Temple before we made our way back to Ho Chi Minh. The myth behind the Whale Temple and its construction is very similar to that of Jonah, where two Vietnamese fisherman were capsized at sea and then saved by a whale who brought them ashore. This whale subsequently died and its remains are now stored in the temple itself.
Interior of the White Palace
Remains of the whale in the Whale Temple
We were then deposited at the Ben Thanh Market for some last minute shopping and we duly obliged ourselves with a cup of chendol. This market was less hectic than Chinatown, but we didn't get much for ourselves. We then had our final taste of Saigon traffic at its best before we headed back to the hotel. A journey of about 300 metres was covered in an admirable 30-40 minutes. It was still quite an experience though, Vietnamese traffic!
Drinking chendol at the Ben Thanh Market
Chuc Mung Nam Moi and the Vietnamese Traffic
Our final morning in Vietnam (day 5) was spent getting to the airport to catch our flight back to Singapore. The interesting thing about the airport is that only passengers are allowed in to the airport terminal, whilst people sending off or receiving these passengers amass outside the airport. It was a hugely enjoyable trip for me and I think I'll be back some day, to visit Hanoi as well as Halong Bay. Soon, it'll be time for me to head back to London again. Just one more Christmas and one more New Year's left before I'll be back home in Singapore permanently! Just can't wait! Meanwhile, may all your hopes and dreams and wishes come true for the year 2011! It's going to be a busy year ahead for me and it's time to channel my efforts into finishing my 5th academic year in Medicine.
Labels: Asia, History, Ho Chi Minh City, Travel, Vietnam, War
Monday, January 03, 2011
today more than yesterday, less than tomorrow
27th November 2010
the day that I was looking forward to more than any other in 2010
My brother, sister and Mikki
Bobs
Gabriel and Gared
Family
The Gian family
Godparents and family
The Choir
A toast
Best man's speech
today more than yesterday, less than tomorrow
Sunday, January 02, 2011
cymru am byth and graduation
Wales forever
Happy New Year to one and all! I've neglected this blog for quite a long period of time and it's now time to give some rapid-fire updates on what has been happening in the past few months! I might as well throw in a year's review if I feel up to it.
Meanwhile, this goes way back to just around mid-October, when my parents came up to London to attend my graduation! Yes, I've finally graduated (for the first time) and though it's not the big one, hopefully it's the first of many to come! The time to start working hasn't arrived yet, but it'll be soon. There's the big debate about whether working is better or studying is better. Guess a mixture of both is the best answer! I feel kind of left out when all my friends (non-medical ones at least) are working and drawing a salary but I'm still thick in the action of my books! Or worse still, 'working' in the hospital but not being paid. But the time will come and I'm almost sure that I'll long for the days that I was studying when I'm doing my housemanship! But that will be another post for another day!
Back to the not so distant past, my parents and I went off to the land of the sheep, also known as Wales. Not that we particularly saw a lot of sheep on this trip, but that's just what my English friends said when I told them I was headed to Wales for a weekend. ' To see sheep?' was the fondest reply I got from them. So I booked a tour with the company International Friends to see 'Wales Coast and Mountains'. Personally, it was quite a lackluster trip with few memorable sights. Some of the scenary was quite beautiful admittedly, but I wouldn't call it breath-taking. I think our guide, who was our bus-driver as well, was the highlight of the trip, with his highly informational tour about all things English and Welsh. A few of the many interesting topics covered included why Prince Charles would probably not assume the throne, as well as why he's only the Heir Apparent (and not the heir to the throne), because succession to the throne can be regulated by Parliament and it is not a birth right!
The first day of our trip was spent travelling to Wales, which was quite a long journey, and we stopped by the quaint town of Chester for a short visit. It seemed to me like just a typical English town with the usual cathedral and shopping streets, but with an added miniature Big Ben clock (though I must once again emphasise that Big Ben refers to the bell in the tower and not the clock-face at Parliament House in Westminster). We then proceeded to the Welsh town of Conwy which housed the smallest house in Great Britain, and it is also known as the Quay. It really is extremely small, but within its tiny confines lies a small stove, a small bench, and an extremely small upper quarters which lies a bed. I think it is just about slightly larger than my room in London! We then made our way up the Great Orme which is along the coast of Wales, our first scenic sight.
Day two consisted of pockets of sights around Wales, some scenic, one legendary, and it ended off with a train ride on a steam engine followed by a trip to an aqueduct - the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (not built by the Romans). Our guide was even kind enough to drop each and everyone of us at our favoured destination, and that meant Ealing Broadway for us! It really spared us the journey back home from central London at night. One of the funny things I learnt was that many of the rivers in Wales are called the River Avon, mainly cause the Romans, after conquering parts of Britain, went about with a Welshman asking for names of various landmarks and rivers, and every time the Roman leader pointed to a river and asked for its name (in Roman of course), the Welshman replied that it was called Avon (which just means 'river' in Welsh), but the Romans thought they were all the same river. How true this myth is I do not know, but it seemed a funny enough anecdote! Another funny story was about how an Englishman went about putting up road signs in Wales. And at a particular road in Swansea, he wanted to put up a sign 'No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only'. In Wales, all road signs have both English as well as Welsh languages on them. However, he did not know Welsh and thus he emailed a company for a translation, but he got an out-of-office hours reply in Welsh saying 'I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated' which he took be the direct translation for his original sign in English and put it up on the road! Particularly hilarious I must say! Unfortunately I did not have the fortune of seeing this sign myself.
And the legendary part of the trip? One of the longest names for a village I've ever come across, and possibly the longest I might ever come across (there are still a few other villages/cities/towns with longer names though!). Pronounce it if you dare, it's Welsh - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
The smallest house in Great Britain - the Quay
Dad, Mom and myself at the Great Orme
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Lyn Gwynant
Steam train ride
Dad and Mom at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
My peers at Medical School
Me at the Royal Albert Hall
Happy New Year to one and all! I've neglected this blog for quite a long period of time and it's now time to give some rapid-fire updates on what has been happening in the past few months! I might as well throw in a year's review if I feel up to it.
Meanwhile, this goes way back to just around mid-October, when my parents came up to London to attend my graduation! Yes, I've finally graduated (for the first time) and though it's not the big one, hopefully it's the first of many to come! The time to start working hasn't arrived yet, but it'll be soon. There's the big debate about whether working is better or studying is better. Guess a mixture of both is the best answer! I feel kind of left out when all my friends (non-medical ones at least) are working and drawing a salary but I'm still thick in the action of my books! Or worse still, 'working' in the hospital but not being paid. But the time will come and I'm almost sure that I'll long for the days that I was studying when I'm doing my housemanship! But that will be another post for another day!
Back to the not so distant past, my parents and I went off to the land of the sheep, also known as Wales. Not that we particularly saw a lot of sheep on this trip, but that's just what my English friends said when I told them I was headed to Wales for a weekend. ' To see sheep?' was the fondest reply I got from them. So I booked a tour with the company International Friends to see 'Wales Coast and Mountains'. Personally, it was quite a lackluster trip with few memorable sights. Some of the scenary was quite beautiful admittedly, but I wouldn't call it breath-taking. I think our guide, who was our bus-driver as well, was the highlight of the trip, with his highly informational tour about all things English and Welsh. A few of the many interesting topics covered included why Prince Charles would probably not assume the throne, as well as why he's only the Heir Apparent (and not the heir to the throne), because succession to the throne can be regulated by Parliament and it is not a birth right!
The first day of our trip was spent travelling to Wales, which was quite a long journey, and we stopped by the quaint town of Chester for a short visit. It seemed to me like just a typical English town with the usual cathedral and shopping streets, but with an added miniature Big Ben clock (though I must once again emphasise that Big Ben refers to the bell in the tower and not the clock-face at Parliament House in Westminster). We then proceeded to the Welsh town of Conwy which housed the smallest house in Great Britain, and it is also known as the Quay. It really is extremely small, but within its tiny confines lies a small stove, a small bench, and an extremely small upper quarters which lies a bed. I think it is just about slightly larger than my room in London! We then made our way up the Great Orme which is along the coast of Wales, our first scenic sight.
Day two consisted of pockets of sights around Wales, some scenic, one legendary, and it ended off with a train ride on a steam engine followed by a trip to an aqueduct - the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (not built by the Romans). Our guide was even kind enough to drop each and everyone of us at our favoured destination, and that meant Ealing Broadway for us! It really spared us the journey back home from central London at night. One of the funny things I learnt was that many of the rivers in Wales are called the River Avon, mainly cause the Romans, after conquering parts of Britain, went about with a Welshman asking for names of various landmarks and rivers, and every time the Roman leader pointed to a river and asked for its name (in Roman of course), the Welshman replied that it was called Avon (which just means 'river' in Welsh), but the Romans thought they were all the same river. How true this myth is I do not know, but it seemed a funny enough anecdote! Another funny story was about how an Englishman went about putting up road signs in Wales. And at a particular road in Swansea, he wanted to put up a sign 'No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only'. In Wales, all road signs have both English as well as Welsh languages on them. However, he did not know Welsh and thus he emailed a company for a translation, but he got an out-of-office hours reply in Welsh saying 'I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated' which he took be the direct translation for his original sign in English and put it up on the road! Particularly hilarious I must say! Unfortunately I did not have the fortune of seeing this sign myself.
And the legendary part of the trip? One of the longest names for a village I've ever come across, and possibly the longest I might ever come across (there are still a few other villages/cities/towns with longer names though!). Pronounce it if you dare, it's Welsh - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
The smallest house in Great Britain - the Quay
Dad, Mom and myself at the Great Orme
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Lyn Gwynant
Steam train ride
Dad and Mom at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
My parents' trip to the UK ended with them attending my BSc graduation, which to me was four hours of pain for twenty seconds of fame! And I've already received my certificate back home in Singapore, and it was all a matter of going up on stage to shake hands with the rector. Anyway, it's still a small achievement and a small step in hopefully a long career in Science and Medicine! Now to finish up the rest of my MBBS!
My peers at Medical School
Me at the Royal Albert Hall
Labels: Europe, Family, Friends, Graduation, Scenery, Travel, Wales
