Pre-Departure Sketch

In a few hours, I will be boarding the bus from London Islington to London Heathrow, from which I will board the aircraft to New York Newark Airport, transiting via Toronto Pearson. From there, I will meet Yizhuan, who will pick me up in his car, and we will travel down to Cornell, where I will spend the next 6 days in. Within this time, we will drive down to Toronto and visit the Niagara Falls as well. Time permitting, I might make a trip down to Philedelphia to meet Gaurav, and maybe Yexiang and Junhao. I hope to tour New York too. On the 9th of April, I will leave Cornell from Syracuse Airport and fly to Chicago Midway, where Chin Siong will pick me up in his car and head back to the University of Chicago. His room which is situated next to Lake Michigan, will be where I live from the 9th to the 13th. On the 13th, I will depart Chicago and fly to Calgary, Canada, where my granduncle Hong Chiang will pick my up, and spend the next 5 days with me, possibly, making a trip to the Canadian Rockies. On the 19th, I shall take a plane from Calgary back to New York Newark, from which I will take another plane back to London Heathrow, arriving at 0625hrs on the morning of 20th April. Thereafter, I will take the tube down to London Paddington, where I will meet Jieming (my RI Interact Club junior), and we will take the rail up to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where we will spend the next 3 days in. The highlight of the trip being the Chelsea-Newcastle match at St James Park. On the 22nd, we will take the rail back to Cardiff, thereby culminating my 3 week vacation.

That is the outline of my plans, and as I go along, the details of each stop, each meeting, each delight, each disappointment, I hope to describe and share in this blog. While discovering North America with close friends I have not met in a year is a big reason for this trip, I also hope to have nice conditions in which I can revise for my exams in May, as well, as research for the Neighbourood Masterplan we have in Newport.

The last 3 days were very idyllic. Starting on Friday, where I went down to Queen Street, Cardiff, walked into the WHSmith Bookstore, picked a book, and went to the 2nd storey Coffeeshop to read the book. "Interpretation of Murder" is a crime thriller incorporating Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, with their key ideas discussed therein. This must be the first fiction book I have read since my literature text in Junior College. I remember when I was much younger in Primary School, I loved reading, and my mum and aunt would buy book after book. I normally fiished a book in a day, and would not sleep till I finished. But ever since Secondary School, I lost the patience to read even a single book. That is why I was so happy with myself on Friday, when I actually sat at that coffeeshop for 3 hours, sipping my cappuchino, looking out to the people walking down Queen Street occasionally, but thoroughly engrossed in the book. Somehow, its such a peacful and graceful way to spend my afternoon, and let time past without me knowing. Perhaps, this will be the start of the second reading wave in my life!

Saturday will today was spent in London. I met my HC Arts Junior in London for lunch and dinner on Saturday. We ate at a pub in London Covent Garden, and watched the Arsenal-Liverpool, and Manchester Utd-Blackburn matches. Admist lots of British supporters, the atmosphere was rather good. Thereafter, I brought him to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. Somehow, I have developed a real love for museums and galleries. Pictures of our trip and some quotes from me can be found on Ziqian's blog : www.whereischang.photoblog.com

Sunday lunch was spent with Bjorn, Shining & Bryan at a Chinese restaurant where Bjorn has made excellent patronage of, and we shared the blessings with free dessert and a heavily discounted tim sum buffett. The rest of the time I spent sleeping or plaing poker with Andre and his wonderful housemates, who also cooked up 2 really good dinners! I ended up washing the dishes on both nights, as I was the loser at poker. (I would like to believe I subconsciously lost so I would wash the dishes as I felt guilty for not participating in the cooking. =p)

It's time for a short nap now, before I wake up at 330am and make my way to the bus stop.

Till America, ciaoz!