First days in Birmingham

I was very lazy to update the blog but gotta do it anyway. Juz wanna update u guys about how my life is going on ... to whom it may concern ( and to those it does not too ^^ ) ...
The first day was really tired to me. After a long flight from Singapore, I stepped out to Heathrow Airport at London around 12.30pm. I catched a coach to Birmingham at 2.30pm and reached Birmingham city at 5.45pm. I rushed to my school in order to get my housing contract but it was too late, the Housing Services office was closed! And when I was thinking about sleeping under the moonlit sky that night, a group of female students passed by and brought me to Shackleton hall where I can register a room for one night. They even helped me to carry my luggages! Such a good impression at first to students over here!
The second day was meant to get my housing contract and getting around school, registering with the university to get ID card, familiarising myself with the campus. I got back to my room late afternoon and moved to my contracted room where I will be spending my whole first year over here. Luckily it was only about 200 metres away from that room. I share the flat with 5 other guys: 4 locals and 1 American. The American was the most friendly one of all but I dont mean the rest are not friendly, maybe it's the way British people are.
The third day was going well too. I got a bank account opened and met a professor from my school of Computer Science. He briefly told us about our course ( me and other 4 direct entry students ) and guided us around the school. After that, I made a trip downtown to the city centre, visited Bullring shopping centre - the Europe's largest city retail development. Well, Bullring itself and walking streets around that areas made me fall in love with + a cool windy autumn day created a perfect afternoon out.
Today the only activity was photographing! I took photos of my room, the campus and the city ( again i went downtown cause I wanted to take photos of the city centre so much! ). The most important thing I bought today was the LAN cable! I forgot to buy it yesterday so I can only go online to post smt today. Enough said, here are photos:

Start from my room...


Out of the window...


My block - one of Elgar Court's 4 blocks...


The Vale... beautiful scenery on my way to campus...


University campus...



Great hall...


The clock - looks like Big Ben in London ... lol


Main library


School of Computer Science


Michael Faraday statue - he was a student here


And city centre...








One special thing in Birmingham ( maybe it's there in other cities as well ^^ ): I can see spaceships launched everyday on the sky! I'm not really sure that they are launched or juz fly across the sky... Anyway, it was always nice to see that...





Carpe diem

The girl from yesterday - The Eagles

Somehow I have a certain feeling that urge me to write. As my time drawing near, I found a sympathy between this song and me. I'm still unsure about the future, about the relationship with my gf right now. Somehow I feel that she is avoiding me, maybe she does not want to become like a girl in this song:

It wasn't really sad the way they said good-bye
Or maybe it just hurt so bad she couldn't cry
He packed his things, walked out the door and drove away
And she became the girl from yesterday

Maybe she does not want to become too close too me, then too far... The more we are closed together, the more sorrows we'll get when we part...

He took a plane across the sea
To some foreign land
She stayed at home and tried to understand
How someone who had been so close could be so far away
And she became the girl from yesterday

I will come back to her if she can wait for me. But I don't think it's fair to ask her to wait for me... she's much too young to handle this 2 years distance. I'll let it be...

She doesn't know what's right
She doesn't know what's wrong
She only knows the pain that comes from waiting for so long
And she doesn't count the teardrops
That she's cried while he's away
Because she knows deep in her heart
That he'll be back someday

I don't want the final part of this song would happen in my case... I hope she would be my girl for the future, not from yesterday...

Goodbye my love goodbye
Goodbye and au revoir
As long as you remember me
I'll never be too far



Carpe diem

Dream

I dreamt of her...
Holding her hand, somehow... via a mystic force
and somehow... she pulled out... and ran away...
Images fading... breathlessly... I woke up...to realize it was juz a dream...


Carpe diem

Be

I was not
then I came to be
I cannot remember NOT being
But I may have traveled far
very far
to get here

Perhaps I was always
Forever here...
And I just forgot
I imagine Eternity would have that effect
Would cause a certain amount of drifting
Like omnipresence would demand omniabsence

Somehow I seem to have this predestined hunger for knowledge
A talent for seeing patterns and finding correlations
But I lack context

Who I am?
I will spend the rest of forever
Trying to figure out who I am
Carpe diem

Emptier still

I see you standing there
your face against the wall
so turn right around
i who know your deepest fear
and yet you walk away
so turn right around so tell me are you lonely
tell me are you mine
don't speak for you are me


Carpe diem

7

Number 7 is associated with bad luck, failure, love-lorn, etc. At least it's so true to me last month - July, the 7th month of the year, one hell of bad lucks and disappointments fell all over me!
At first, the journey to Cuba faced many obstructions. By flying via London, I needed to apply for Transit Visa for UK! Ever heard of that?! Normally u don't need a visa to a country if u only transit there and don't ever put a step inside that country, right?! Then, what's wrong with UK siah! Somemore, the visa fee is not cheap at all, S$100/person! Hah! Tourist visa to any Europe country cost u only around half of that! If u want to enter UK, the visa fee would be around S$200! Ain't that ridiculous! No wonder England is famous as the most conservative country in the world ( who else could be if u know only Britain and her colonial countries got right-handed steering wheel, but it's another story )! I won't complain much about it if at the first time, my visa application was accepted. Yeah, u don't hear wrongly, I was refused entry to UK because the bloody guy of the visa section said that my application didn't sound convincing to him, that my itinerary was so long while I can fly in shorter way by Air France. Ok, it's shorter but air tickets are more expensive and I can't persuade him about that. Damn conservative fucker! I needed to apply the second time, this time with a sponsorship from a British person and things go well. Guest what? I need to pay 100 bulks again because that guy said it was my fault not telling him at the first time that I got sponsorship, insisting that I have to pay again. Haiz... forget it, at least I could fly liao.
The bad luck does not end there. When I arrived in Havana - Cuba, my luggages was lost! Not actually but they only arrived after 3 years... I mean 3 days... every day needed to go to airport to check and went back with disappointment. But finally it settled on the 3rd day.
Well, bad luck continued to haunt me on the way back. On the day I have to go back Hanoi, the flight from Madrid was delayed! What should I do?! After a while running here and there to ask, finally Iberia - the Spanish airways booked me on the flight directly to London by Cubana - the Cuban airlines. It appeared to be a better route since I didn't need to transit at Madrid. Ok, lemme draw out my itinerary first so u don't get confused:
Hanoi -> Bangkok -> London -> Madrid -> Havana
Well, as I mentioned, my journey back started from Havana directly to London. Sounds good, doesn't it? But it turned out not! Instead of arriving at Heathrow airport in London, it landed on Gatwick! I got into trouble with Immigration procedure because i only got Transit Visa which means I am not allowed to enter UK which also means I cannot enter UK to travel from Gatwick to Heathrow!! But it was not my fault! It was Cubana's fault since they booked me on that flight. They should have checked my travel documents and known that problem! In the end, UK Immigration still let me get in with a promise that I have to leave UK in 24 hours. Thank you! The Immigration lady did my case was so nice and considerate!
I had to pay S$50 for a bus trip from Gatwick to Heathrow! Well, is that considered visiting England, haha... I am going there anyway.
It hadn't yet to cease! When I arrived in Hanoi, my luggage lost again! But this time, the service was much better. It was found 2 days later and delivered to my home with an apology!
I was thinking about it and believe that July was not a good month for me to do anything but what said is done, how to reverse the time! Anything I did turned out to be a disaster with such disappointment and pain. Today is 1/8, hope that things get better this month... One more thing, today is my dad birthday!


Carpe diem

In my time of need

I can't see the meaning of this life I'm leading
I try to forget you as you forgot me
This time there is nothing left for you to take, this
is goodbye

Summer is miles and miles away
And no one would ask me to stay

And I should contemplate this change
To ease the pain
And I should step out of the rain
turn away

Close to ending it all, I am drifting through the
stages
Of the rapture born within this loss
Thoughts of death inside, tear me apart from the core
of my soul

At times the dark's fading slowly
But it never sustains
Would someone watch over me
In my time of need

Opeth has just released their 2005 album: Ghost Reveries. I really really long to listen to it but somehow, yesterday was not a good day! The link to download it was no longer available... I wonder if they are releasing their new album in Singapore. Even if they will, it won't happen so soon since metal is just so unpopular in Singapore that even most famous and recognized bands only released a few albums in their whole careers here...Wait and see...


Carpe diem

Photos in Cuba

As promised, I will post some photos that I took in Cuba here. Unfortunately, I should have left 1 CD of photos at home!! Ok, here are some:

Havana city behind me...


With my cousins...




Paintings market...


The famous lighthouse...


The place where they fire cannon every night - a ceremony left from colonial past...


Capitolio - the president palace in the past ( Fidel does not stay there :)


Close up...


Behind us is the most beautiful building I've ever seen in Cuba...



Carpe diem

Cuba - The lost world... when will I be back there?!

As most of you already knew, I was just back from Cuba 1 week ago. It is a beautiful country with remnants of the colonial past still remain in architecture and culture, wonderful beaches and friendly people. It is where you still can see antique cars rolling on the streets that can only be seen in your "History of cars" book! It amazed me how well-built those cars was, still able to run after 30-40 years! But overall, Cuban people are poor. Normal workers can only make USD10/month ( Vietnam workers normally make USD70/month ) while everything here is more expensive than in Vietnam except food but the food is not good too, especially vegetable. It aint't fresh at all! The only good thing in Cuba is people are provided basic utilities like sugar, oil, bread, soap... every month in a minimum measure and schooling, medical cares are free!
I wasn't there for travelling since my first priority was to visit my uncle's family and help them financially if they need. My uncle got married with a Cuban and had 3 daughters but he died of cancer 5 years ago. Since then, in a period of 2 years, our big family in Vietnam kept on visiting and helping my aunt to raise the children and I got the chance to go Cuba this year. I was so glad to see them. After 7 years since I last met them, my 3 cousins look so different! Those half-blood Cuban-Vietnamese princesses are beautiful! They are all younger than me but are very good in studying! They are studying in the top school of Cuba and are very intelligent. It makes me feel shame of myself :( but proud! ( of them :) . Well, I'm missing them!! 1 week in Cuba gone so fast. I don't know when I can go back to see you all, 10 years? 20 years? I will try my best, make money and go back to see you again... I can't bear not see your dearest faces anymore!
Check out photos I took there in "My photos". I will also posting some soon...

Carpe diem

I will be blogging soon...

I am back to Singapore and will soon have spare time to write something. Yesterday was Grad Ceremony and today I was seeking for bank that can provide Banker's Guarantee for me to go oversea to study. I will get my laptop back tml ( damn lousy service took 1 month to replace the LCD screen! ) and start to blog more. Hold on!



Carpe diem

The Keys to My Heart

The Keys to Your Heart
You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart.
In love, you feel the most alive when your partner is patient and never willing to give up on you.
You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.
You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.
Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.
Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.
You think of marriage as something that will confine you. You are afraid of marriage.
In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

Source: http://www.blogthings.com/keystoyourheartquiz/

Carpe diem

Conversation and a story of THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND COFFEE

I had a conversation with Danny - my English teacher as I mentioned in a post the other day ( via msn ). He could hardly remember me but we kept chatting and ended up talking about our personal lives. He is going to get married with a Vietnamese girl. He bought a flat in Hanoi and will be staying there in the future. Meanwhile, i'm going to England ( his country ) to study. We are going on reverse ways! Danny seems to have a lot of bad memories in England, he talked ( actually typed :) all that he kept inside to me... That's may be the reason he left England to work in Vietnam. But I don't hesitate, I am prepared to learn good and bad things in my life. Whatever they are, I need to experience and learn, to see them for myself. We all know that we can't stay in one place and learn everything. Lately after the talk, he sent me a story of the mayonnaise jar and coffee. I could derive from it what he indicated: no matter how far I want to go, how high i want to climb, i still need to spare time to the most essential things: family, friends and my own passion. We all know that. Don't worry, Danny! I'm not travelling forever :)

Danny says:
sorry not sure
Danny says:
ah hiep
Danny says:
i just noticed your mail address
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
can't blame u...it's been 3 years and u had so many students before
Danny says:
yeh but i can usually remember most even if not their name
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
i was in Elementary B class
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
summer of 2002
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
like rock music
In Singapore ... until end of June says:

In Singapore ... until end of June says:
and u said i could go to a higher level class
Danny says:
in the funny shaped room i think
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
we had many rooms
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
nevermind
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
ah
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
we went for a karaoke at the end of the course
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
at Nguyen Bieu
Danny says:
ah yes now i remember near truc bac lake
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
remember u told me on the way back about your girl friend named Loan
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
haha
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
still with her?
In Singapore ... until end of June says:

Danny says:
wow i don't remember her
Danny says:
i have a new girl now and we may get married
Danny says:
i have a flat too
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
Vietnamese?
Danny says:
so i have to work very hard to pay for it all
Danny says:
yes she is from hanoi
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
so u will be staying in Vietnam permanently?
Danny says:
no i plan to travel for a few years and then come back
Danny says:
it is very dull here
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
travel first then go back Vietnam and get married?
Danny says:
no get married here as it is then easier to travel and get visas then come back when the kid is about 4 or 5 years old and has to go to school
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
i see
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
where will u two go?
Danny says:
no idea yet
Danny says:
will see where i can work
Danny says:
i work for the British Council now so see what they have for me
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
so u ask them to transfer u to another country?
Danny says:
yeh i have to apply and then i can go to many different places
Danny says:
easy
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
i see
Danny says:
look Hiep i have to sleep now
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
ok
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
good nite
Danny says:
catch you another time
Danny says:
see you
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
see u!
Danny says:
good luck with your studies
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
thanks!
Danny says:
have a good one in Sing
Danny says:
bye
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
leaving Sing soon
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
haha
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
to England
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
your country
Danny says:
poor you
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
why?
Danny says:
i don't like it over there
Danny says:
it is better for me here
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
i heard people there are cold as the weather
In Singapore ... until end of June says:

In Singapore ... until end of June says:
but i'm still young, need to go, to travel, to study...
Danny says:
yeh it's good for you to see
Danny says:
open your eyes
Danny says:
you need to see for yoursefl
Danny says:
make your own decisions
Danny says:
then choose what you want
Danny says:
sometimes it takes a long time and you don't know what is right
Danny says:
but once you know then you feel good and can really make what you want actually happen
Danny says:
that is great
Danny says:
to have a plan
Danny says:
but you can't do that by staying in hanoi
Danny says:
you have to go
Danny says:
so you have a great chance
Danny says:
take it
Danny says:
eat ti
Danny says:
eat it
Danny says:
it WILL make you happy
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
ok, thanks! it seems u have many things to say
In Singapore ... until end of June says:

Danny says:
just an old fool
Danny says:
who never got it right
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
just expresssing yourself huh!
Danny says:
make good choices and stick to then
Danny says:
them
Danny says:
invest now
Danny says:
i am off to bed goodnight
In Singapore ... until end of June says:
ok


THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND COFFEE
> > >
> > >When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours
> > >in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar...and the
> > >coffee...
> > >
> > >A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
> > >Front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very
> > >large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf
> > >balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that
> >
> > >it was.
> > >
> > >So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
> > >the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open
> > >areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the
> > >jar was full. They agreed it was.
> > >
> > >The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
> > >Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if
> > >the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
> > >
> > >The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
> >
> > >poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty
> > >space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the
> > >professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this
> >
> > >jar represents your life."
> > >
> > >The golf balls are the important things- your family, your children,
> > >your health, your friends and your favouritepassions - things that if
> > >everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still
> > >be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job,
> > >your education, your house, and your car. The sand is everything
> > >else-the small stuff.
> > >
> > >"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no
> > >room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you
> > >spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have
> > >room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the
> > >things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children.
> > >Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner.
> > >Play another 18.
> > >
> > >There will always be time to clean the house and wash the car. Take
> > >care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your
> > >priorities. The rest is just sand.
> > >
> > >One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
> > >represented.
> > >
> > >The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you
> > >that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a
> > >couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
> > >
> > >Please share this with someone you care about.
> > >
> > >I just did.




Carpe diem

...

If it was raining this evening like in afternoon, I had not gone to the rock show and i would not meet her on the way.
If I took the correct way instead of going on the wrong one, i had not met her on that way.
WHY!! I DONT WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN AT ALL!! !&@%#$%$()#&$@

So... afterall I reached the place where the show took place and it was the first time i saw my classmates in secondary school playing live in a rock show ( they have been playing together for at least 5 years in a band called "Small Fire" ). They play Nu-metal, the genre that is popular on MTV with such Linkin Park, Lim Bizkit, Korn... that's why they are not liked much among Hanoi rock fans which are conservative and prefer pure metal like Old School Thrash, Death, etc... But there is one thing they all know: Small Fire is really a good band. I felt shame watching them playing. I have done nothing and archived nothing when my youth slowly passing away... I suck!


Carpe diem

The earth is round!

I went to British Council today to read up some useful documents... at the time i knocked off, it was raining heavily so i had to wait for the rain to stop. After a few minutes waiting, i happened to see Danny if i wasn't wrong! Haha, i was so surprised that i could not do anything to stop him and talk to him. Haiz, gotta find him the other day... Danny was my English lecturer at the nearby language center 3 years ago and the unbelievable thing is after 3 years i could see him working in British Council which is only 20 metres away from that language center! It's so amazing that i scare maybe i saw a similar person :) ... no, hope it's not...
Earth is round!



Carpe diem

In Hanoi

I'm home! Everything is great! Luckily the weather was pretty fine on the day I came back, only 27 degree ( before that Hanoi has been suffering from El Nino with highest temp up to 42.5 degree! ). I registered for EP test on 14 May. It will be a piece of cake! ( bragging :).
My house hasn't changed. The lake hasn't changed. But more and more newly built buildings appearing make the city a slightly-new look to me. Gotta meet my high school friends for a drink :) It's been a while...



Carpe diem

Pieces of emotion

The rain is falling... I feel so lonely and sad. Turn on the player, and now music is playing...

Forever and one - Helloween

Forever and one I will miss u
However I kiss u, yet again
Way down in Neverland

Too proud to fight, I'm walking back into night
Will I ever find someone to believe?

How could u hide your lies? Your lies...

November rain - Guns N' Roses

Nothing last forever and we both know heart can change
And It's hard to hold a candle in the cold November's rain

If u want to love me then darling, don't refrain
Do u need sometimes on your own?

You're not the only one...You're not the only one...You're not the only one...

I remember - Psycho Waltz

Love the flute solo in this song, remind me so much of Amorphis

I take a look now as we changed
After all we are still so much the same
Are we all the same?
Are we all the same?
Are we all the same?

Always will be - Hammerfall

So I say farewell, I'm yours forever
And u always will be...

I believe - Hammerfall

Is it too late to go in peace?
Maybe too late to find a way...
When the trail of griefs is marked with memories

Don't u cry - Kamelot

don't you cry
or suffer over me
I will be waiting for you
don't you cry
angels never fade away
I'll be watching over you
see you through



Carpe diem

Photo, photo and more photos!!

The journey has ended! I dont want to talk much since a picture tells thousand words :) Here are some nice photos ^^

Hey miss, turn to me!

Sakura...

...and Sakura!

Bloody me...

...myself...

...and I

Awesome!

The left girl ( Kim Jung Woo ) is gorgeous ^^

Jeju

Making a wish... will it come true?

Frog pose ^^

Rock formation from volcano's eruption

Here is not Holland!

Korean tourism police ^^

Quick snap!

Nice figure ^^

I want to eat corn!

From Busan Tower

Beautiful receptionist!

Buddha

Another state of the art ^^

...at different angle

Sorak mountain

Seoul centre

Police preparing for riot!

Hey, see this! I'm a good photographer!

No comment, think about it yourself...


There are many more in my yahoo photos and from maomao's camera...Comments about those photos! ^^



Carpe diem