Day 108 - SEA Music goes to Cambridge

It's Singapore Day today! But I've decided not to go for it, as SEA Music is having a gig at Cambridge. Singapore Day happens every year, how often do you get to perform in Cambridge? Besides, I'll be back in Singapore in about 2 months time anyway. So yes, all the food I crave can wait.

We drove up to Cambridge and arrived at Jesus College early. We're suppose to perform during the lunch time of a conference on cultural exchanges in Southeast Asia during the 18th and 19th Century.

Most of the photos here are taken by Larry!

Preparing for a early run through.
Looking for my soles after our run through.

We had a quite a bit of free time before our performance, so we walked around a little.
In performance gear. It was pretty good, and I ching-chapped at the right places. Guess I'm more used to these pieces which were unfamiliar to me at the start. Perhaps I have the confidence to start playing these pieces on other instruments already. Anyway, the audience was fantastic. We thought we were just background music for their lunch, but they were really attentive and appreciative, even though given their background, they are clearly not ethnomusicologist. Was told that the organisers were very happy and impressed!
Our lunch from the organisers!

Wolfing down. Eating sandwiches never felt so shiok before.

The aftermath.

We continued to explore Cambridge
Camera shoot-out competition. Went to pay Keng Rui a surprise visit at his room before we meet for dinner in the evening with Royce.
Having a picnic at one of the few areas in Cambridge where you can walk on the grass. They bought drinks from the pub, but sorry I don't drink!

CRASSH - what an acronym for your research centre.

The rest of the gang returning to London first. I went on to Royce's place and talk cock with him till we met Keng Rui for dinner.

Saw this when I returned to Kings Cross.

The new location of Platform 9 3/4

Day 25 - Visiting Cambridge (II)

We woke up late on a Sunday morning for brunch at St Catherine college. Was brought to a sports shop by Keng Rui as I wanted to get cheap trekking shoes for future trips (refer to North Pennine posts about trying to survive on a pair of running shoes). Guess what I've spotted......

Maybe I should get these for Liverpool fans. hehe.

When we were walking out of the college, it snowed. It was the first time Nardev and I ever saw snow flakes dancing across the sky. Of course we were excited.

Attempt to take the photo of the snow that fell on my coat.

Well that snow was short lived. Met the other CUMSA members for their floorball game, where I had my experience of playing sports in cold winter outdoors. Had brain freeze at the beginning, but was much better subsequently. Half way through the game, it snowed intensively for a short moment, prompting comments that we were in some Chinese martial arts drama or something. It was also through the game that I got to know of Ivan, who is a cousin of Miss Tan Li Ling!

Well, that ended my trip to Cambridge. Had to catch an evening train back to London. On the way to the train station, it snowed again!

But it stopped as I was approaching the Cambridge Train Station. Yet, 10 minutes after I left Kings Cross station, I had sighting of my first snow in London!

It was like heavy rain, except that it floated around.

Street that led to my hall. As you can see, the street is deserted enough to accumulate snow in the middle of the road.

And that marks the end of my Cambridge trip. My thoughts on Cambridge? Frankly, I would rather live there than London. It is a lot friendlier and intimate, as compared to paranoia London. Besides, it's not like it's a ulu place with nothing - it has so much restaurants, book stores, all kinds of chains in a compact, friendly place.

Thank you my friends, especially Keng Rui for having me over! And Royce, stop anime, start simulation!

Picture of the day - spotted at the bottom of Castle Mound

Day 23-24: Visiting Cambridge (I)

Since our last trip together, I was egged to go up to Cambridge and visit them. So yeh, I did. Took an evening train up to Cambridge to visit the Machas. Keng Rui (also known as Mr Wee to some of you) was kind meet me at the train station to walk me to his room, where he would be hosting me. We met the other machas for a hearty dinner at an Indian restaurant, a long with an extended talking-cock session.

The next day, he took me around Cambridge......

University Library. Apparently, it holds all the books ever published in UK. Well, to go in, you can only carry things in an empty plastic bag. With security like this, who wants to go in in the first place. No wonder the books are so well-preserved.....

I forgot what's the name of this chapel. It is nice lah.

Castle Mound - highest point in Cambridge (no joke)

View from the top.

Steps to enlightenment

King's College Chapel. It's really grand. And when we entered, someone was playing the organ somemore. All we need is some vampires to jump out (in broad daylight??) to complete the Gothic experience

Cambridge's version of "Bridge of Sighs". The joke is that the sighs came not from crimanals to be executed (like the one in Venice), but from students who just gotten their results.

Cambridge River with the "Bridge of Sighs". Rumour has it that if you fall into the river, you will graduate with First Class! If NUS didn't operate by a CAP system, I would have jumped in already.

Notice that the clock tower doesn't have a clock? Rumour has it that this college was competing with another college, to see who can build the clock tower first. Well, clock tower mah. Didn't mention about the clock.

Senate House.

Trinity College, ala one of the richest college due to the amount of estates they own. Becaues of that, they were able to provide a lot of subsidies. Apparently Lee Hsien Loong was from here. Was telling Keng Rui, if they wanted more money, they could always mark the room door where PM Lee stayed and charge Singaporeans 3 times the rent if they request for that room.

St. Catherine's College, the one Keng Rui is in. If some miracles happen that I get to study in Cambridge, I would choose this college over the other richer and swankier ones. Why? Cause I like the vibe this college gives me - very humble, friendly and intimate, unlike the more famous ones that leaves a showy vibe in me.

The bar where the discovery of DNA structure was announced.

King's College Chapel.

In the evening, I was brought to the Asian Food Festival, which was organised by the Cambridge University Malaysian and Singaporean Association (CUMSA). Royce and Keng Rui paid for my dinner (blardy hell). Got to meet many fellow Singaporeans and Malaysians.

Lo Hei!

The food was all cooked by the members of CUMSA. So the quality varies, but there were more hits than misses. I never had so much rice and chicken in one sitting. Why? The Mains lor. It was Chicken Rice, then Nasi Lemak (with Fried chicken), Mee Siam, Pilau Rice with curry. Yes, it was CHICKEN curry.