~***~~paradise found.~~***~

Been a while since I updated... Been away, you see. But first up and most importantly, a trip report on my latest flight. This time with Easyjet.

I have only taken 1 budget carrier so far, and it was with Ryan-bloody-air. This is my 2nd, with Easyjet. Easyjet's website was easy to use, though they try to add in optional extras, which you have to opt out off other than opt in, hence have to be careful with that. I opted for the online check-in which means that you actually bypass check-in and print ur own boarding pass and proceed straight to security. Fantastic. I love the fact that I do not have to pick up a boarding pass at the airport. I reached Gatwick at 0930 and was through security check into duty free shopping by 0940. V. V. Good!! More time for shopping!! Hahah, there is a duty-free Next in Gatwick Airport! How cool is that?! And also a duty free Body Shop!! How come they don't have this in Heathrow?? But did not get anything though.

One thing about Easyjet is that there is no allocated seats and you are assigned a boarding group. I find it a little irritating that those that printed their own boarding passes are allocated the last boarding group, which is group D! Why?? It doesn't make sense, because by printing our own boarding pass, we are actually carrying out some of the service provision ourselves rather than making use of the service providers! This helps to save and optimise the use of Easyjet's resources and there should be an incentive for doing that!! None at all. Definitely not an incentive when you are made to board last, just because you printed your own boarding pass. If I am allocated group D again next time when i try to print off my own boarding pass, I rather go to the airport and check in to get an earlier boarding group.

The aircraft was extremely clean, and looks absolutely new, unlike Ryan-bloody-air. I went ALL the way to the back, and was rewarded with an entire row to myself. Service was good and prompt and the cabin crew, though "are here primarily for your safety", provided very very good service. They looked passionate, rather than just going through the motions. I can say, they are even better than BMI!! Thumbs up for that. Food is payable on board, of course I did not buy any, but they do not allow you to consume your own food on board either. Hence either eat before you board, or buy the extremely overpriced food.

Flight departed late, but landed on time. Good. I was out of the airport within 10 minutes of landing. Throughout the outboard trip I only spent 1 hour in the airport terminal!!

Return flight I think was not as good and the outbound. The flight was completely full, and there was no space to put my bag. The cabin crew was just sitting behind reading trashy gossip magazines (same thing with BA the last time back from Dublin), and was reluctant to help, though she did stow my bag for me in the end. For some reason, they had one more person on the flight than the number of boarding passes collected, so there was a problem and they had to sort that out. They ended up reading all the names of one particular boarding group, and asked ppl to press the cabin crew button to identify themselves! Almost the entire aircraft had blinking lights, like Christmas fairy lights! hahaha, quite funny.

Service was still prompt, though not as friendly and no smiley faces. There was this particular cabin crew, I just kept on looking at her though, just something about her, that make me look at her you know. She's not strikingly beautiful or anything like that. Oh, she totally reminds me of Jennifer Garner, the Mrs Ben Affleck, or Sydney in Alias. That's who she reminds me of, especially the dimples and the face shape and the hair colour!! Yes. She just have this such approachable look, and among the 4 cabin crew, i thought she was the only one that was smiling and "into the job" if you know what i mean.

Flight arrived in Gatwick on time, and this time, as I was disembarking, the pilot came out to say thanks and everything, and OMG, he is so cute! He must be at least 1.80m. Also with dimples, and looked totally buffed up and suave in his pilot's uniform!! haha, I sound mad. But he is cute.

New rules in UK airports mean that your photos will be taken at the security gates and checked at the boarding gate and at arrival and at customs, following US' initiatives. This is to ensure that no identities are swapped within the airport, but would delay your arrival as such, rather than departure, but it wasnt that long to be honest. I was out of the airport within half an hour of arriving. Now if only I did not have to wait 45 minutes for the 45-minute train back to Guildford.

Easyjet is good, their aircrafts look new and clean. They have a friendly and professional service, and most of all, I think their tickets are cheap. I paid about 45quid for my tickets to Edinburgh. Wouldn't mind flying with them again in future.

GOOD MORNING WORLD!!!

I wondered if I have ever posted at such an early hour before.

Yesterday and Today mark two important milestones in my student life.

Yesterday I have just handed in the last assignement of my degree. It feels weird you know? I wasn't as motivated in this assignment, I was working slower, I was working all the way till 4am in the morning, 8 hours before the assignment is due. And I never do that. In Michelle's words, come to think of it, it's as though you are trying to prolong it for as long as possible. But once I've handed it in, I just thought, this is it isn't it? This is my last assignment, and then after 2 exams come 26th April, I really would have be done with university life... I have always been a sentimental person and I have separation anxiety, so it just feels so hard to let go. This entire year, I have had a deadline hanging over my head since Day 1. Since Autumn semester day 1 week 1. Started with the project registration form, then various assignments, and of course, final year project. Yesterday really marks the day in this entire year that I have no deadline. Hmm... feels weird. Maybe I am such a nerd and I spent so much time on my studies that I suddenly feel at a loss about what to do...

Maybe I should start studying for my exams....

Kidding... :)

I guess this semester I've really concentrated on work. No relationships, no distraction. Just work. That might be why...

Oh well... Time to get ready for my next milestone. Last lesson of my degree.... 9 am, 22nd March 2006. Lecture: eTourism Futures. How appropriate a name. The Future. :)

It's a wonderful day today. Enjoy the beautiful weather. :)

The Rock Version of One of my Favourite Classical Pieces. Amazing. I really like it.

Coffee and Cereal at 4am in the morning? I must be mad.

Why is the last assignment of my degree SO difficult. Been trying to do it for whole day now and so far I have only written about 100 words. Yes, nearly 12 hours and this is the output. I really really hate this assignment. But then again, I also tell myself that since this is my last assignment, all the more I must put in all the effort that i can muster into it. It's the last after all, it's NOW or NEVER.

Sigh... but i really really hate this assignment. I wan to cry. I dun even know what I have written so far is correct or relevant! :(

Come April 26th, I am but one step away from the big bad dog-eat-dog world that is out there awaiting my arrival...

A phone call at midnight yesterday was one of the best news I have had in ages.... The news was imminent, but to hear it straight from the person involved, to hear it out loud is one of the nicest feelings!! Maybe something that is gonna keep me occupied, if I am allowed to be involved! :) I really hope everything works out for me on the other front, because I really want to be part of this wonderful thing! :)

OMG? This is the budget terminal??? It is.... erm... really budget. It actually looks like some community centre in one of the housing estates from some pictures!!! haha... I've never actually been to a budget terminal before. Maybe this is how it is supposed to look like. Maybe Singapore will win the best budget terminal award!!! hahah....

In other news,
Singapore is famous, for the wrong reasons.

Isn't it just the most wonderful feeling when you see the project that you have been slaving over, fully printed, fully bound, ready for submission?? :)

Isn't it just the most wonderful feeling when you get an email from a friend that you have not seen for ages?? :)

Isn't it the most wonderful feeling when you not only received one, but TWO emails from two different friends?? :)

I have been checking ticket prices to NYC as I have been wanting to travel there for ages, and then just when I have bought my tickets to Edinburgh, every other airline I know start offering cheap tickets starting from GBP135++ (ard GBP250 inc taxes) for travel in the week I am going to Edinburgh, and even my favourite trusted airline consolidator started doing that too! :( And the valid dates of travel are not really favourable for me, other than the week I am going to Edinburgh!!! *Wails*

She*sis... Don't tell Mummy okay?

I finally decided that I should have my last mince pie which had been sitting in the fridge for quite a while already (not expired yet). So I left it in the oven at 200C and went back to my room to drink my soup. Then guessed what? I forgot about it. And when I finally remembered and went to check. The top crust was burnt!!! and burnt beyond edibility!!! *WAIL* And the crust is my favourite bit! *Wails even more*

And then after that, went to get some LongJing Chinese tea. I didn't want to put my hands into the tea canister, hence tipped it to pour the leaves into my cup. And then, I tipped it too much. Way too much. But I can't put them back either! :( Ended up with really bitter tea... but such a waste u know?? I reckon that was enough leaves for at least two cups. :(

Went to TGIFridays yesterday night for a very good and filling dinner. I had a chargrilled salmon with Jack Daniel's Sweet and Smokey Glaze, served with cheesy mash and sauteed vegetables. It was wow, great great, but it's been a long while since I had salmon, so it wasn't too bad. And then Yun found a piece of plastic in the dessert we had, so they took that off, and together with the vouchers that we had, we paid a pretty good price for everything. And then we went to Tesco after that. Not before, so that we wouldn't anyhow spend, as we usually do if we go before dinner. Good night out. :)

I realise that there is something about eating out and having a really good meal that just make me wanna snack more when i go home. I don't understand why, but yeah, i always feel like eating more when i just reach home after a full meal out, compared to a normal meal at home.

I love my parents for how they surprise me sometimes in the most unlikely of ways, in the most unlikely of gestures. :)

A full pickle and cheese salad toastie at 12.30am is not advisable.

Croissant at 5pm, Biscuit at 8pm, Diet Coke at 10pm, Dinner at 12.30am

Naughty me for eating at such odd times. And now with the toastie in my stomach, I think I can forget about sleeping till 3am.

Yay me.

Current Craving for some or all of the following...
Kueh lapis (layer cake) is a rich kuih consisting of thin alternating layers made of butter, eggs and sugar, piled on topi of each other. Each layer is laid down and baked separately, making the creation of a kueh lapis an extremely laborious and time-consuming process.

Kueh talam (tray cake) is a kueh consisting of two layers. The top white layer is made from rice flour and coconut milk, while the bottom green layer is made from green pea flour and extract of pandan leaf.

Kueh serimuka is a two-layered dessert with steamed glutinous rice forming the bottom half and a green custard layer made with pandan juice (hence the green colour). Coconut milk is a key ingredient in making this kuih. It is used as a substitute for water when cooking the glutinous rice and making the custard layer.

Ban Jian Kway, or Peanut Pancake - As the name suggest. The traditional version is very thick. Thin varieties with various fillings are now popular

Kueh Ambon – slices of honeycombed pandan cake. (I personally call it durian cake, even though I know there is no trace of durian - my personal favourite!!!)

Kueh Tutu - Small, flat, white steamed cakes filled with orange-coloured sweetened shredded coconut or other ingredients, made using a mould with a scalloped pattern.

Ang Ku Kueh - A sticky flat oval Chinese cake, usu. red in colour, filled with green bean paste.

Seriously, been feeling ravenous since yesterday... Dunno what's wrong with me... I wanna eat these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have very cleverly, for some reason, changed all my song titles in my music folder all to the same name!!!!!!

How Smart!!!! Luckily my songs are all stored elsewhere currently, if not can u imagine the amount of time needed to change everything back??

I have gone and done it. I have filled up the first job application for my life as a graduate.

Reality Check! I am graduating in three months!