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Sometimes I enjoy being sad

I enjoy the sinking feeling of my heart,
that feels as if it would collapse at any moment

I enjoy crying in my room,
where my sadness is mine and only mine to feel

I enjoy the salty taste of my tears,
that inevitably smudges my hastily-done makeup

I enjoy the horrible thoughts that surface,
those that usually stay at the back of my mind at any and every time of the day

I enjoy the feeling after sadness,
and realising how such little things could possibly make me feel so much

I enjoy in hurting over the little things,
because it is only then that I am so appreciative of everything else

I enjoy the pain,
because in that moment - I am alive

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It's hard to believe that I've been in the UK for almost six months now, which is also six months since I've stepped foot in my home country Singapore. But these six months have forced me to grow so much more independent than I already am, and I am infinitely thankful for that. It has also allowed me to view the world in a greater perspective and to become so much more appreciative of the country I was born into and grew up in.

As long as I can remember, I've always wanted to leave Singapore.

But now that I've gotten the chance to, all I want to do is go back.

Perhaps the next two years spent studying in the UK will further teach me to cope with leaving the people I love behind, and getting used to people leaving in general. Everyone's growing up and going after their chosen paths. I couldn't be happier for them, but at the same time I can't help looking back at the past and constantly wishing to go back in time.

In other news, it's one week to Easter break!

Which is also one week till two of my essays are due.
One week till I'm back in Singapore. (yay!)
Two weeks till I'm in Bangkok with my sister.
Three weeks till I'm in Cambodia with my family.

The next one month is going to be jam-packed with activities and excited would be an understatement right now!

Travel: Budapest & Prague in Pictures

Over the winter break, Sarah and I decided to visit both Budapest and Prague despite not knowing much or anything about these two cities at all. We were also both really busy with schoolwork and adjusting to our new lives to do much planning, but we managed to pull it off anyway. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised with these two places, but I preferred Budapest over Prague a lot more. Call me crazy, but I actually can't wait to plan another trip back to Budapest!

Fisherman's Bastion was located on the Buda side of the city, and it was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. The first time we went up there, the sky was already dark and it was a foggy night so we couldn't see much, let alone to take pictures. So we went back another day, with the blazing orange rays of the setting sun lighting the city on fire for us to see. We spent a couple of hours up there just appreciating the beauty of the city, and attempting to translate that into pictures. Safe to say, these pictures definitely did not do the place justice in the least bit.

The Széchenyi Thermal Baths were something we couldn't simply pass up on. After all, Budapest wasn't called the 'City of Baths' for nothing. Whilst I don't know how 'medicinal' or 'healing' the baths really are, it was a relaxing afternoon soaking in a heated pool in the middle of winter. It reminded me of the time Sarah and I visited the onsen together in Japan, which was hilarious because we saw each other naked and couldn't stop giggling.

Before this trip, I had no idea what Hungarian cuisine was all about, the only thing I knew was probably goulash. But after this trip, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that Hungarian food is unassumingly delicious. Their food is terrible for photo-taking purposes, but it sure as well taste bloody amazing, just like the one pictured above (left). I mean, honey pork knuckles with potato wedges? Yes sir I'll have two of that thank you very much.

We ended off our Budapest trip with a cheeky little treat - the Danube River Cruise which includes a buffet consisting of traditional Hungarian dishes and too much alcohol. Seeing the sights along the river under the moonlit sky was another experience altogether. There's a certain beauty in looking at things at night; because when the surroundings are so dark, that's when you focus solely on what is in front of you - you stop looking, and you start seeing.

Upon reaching Prague, we were told that the Charles Bridge is probably the most famous bridge which links the two sides of the city together, the Old Town and the Lesser Town. I'm not sure I see the appeal of the bridge, but that's probably because it's constantly overwhelmed with tourists and street stalls at all hours of the day. Also, it might be because I've left my heart back in Budapest, that's why it was so hard for me to love Prague as much as I had wanted to. I mean c'mon, it's so crowded you can barely take a proper photo of it even if you wanted to.

The John Lennon Wall, famed for its graffiti dedicated to the Beatles member, was unfortunately painted over just a few days before we were there. But in that short time span, graffiti filled the walls once again. Even though it wasn't the same as it were before, I think there was the symbolism of being reborn with it, to start anew. And in all that graffiti that some would call a mess, there was beauty in it, there was art. We missed the opportunity to leave our mark there, so if you do visit this wall, remember to bring a sharpie.

We finished off Prague by hiking up Petrin Hill, which we were told was a 'leisurely walk in the park', or maybe it's just me being incredibly unfit. But the paranomic view that we were awarded with when we reached the peak was stunning. And in that moment, I thought, "Prague's not so bad after all." This park is incredibly underrated, and if you're a fan of paranomic places like I am, Petrin Hill is definitely worth the visit. It's free, so why not?

Food: Quay Ingredient

Finally done with my first round of essay submissions (I have 3 per module wtf, who knew uni would be this difficult) so I thought I'd put up a short post.

Visited this cafe a couple of weeks ago for brunch with Jiaxin, Jessie and Jean for their eggs benedict because we've all heard such good things about it! I don't usually care for eggs benedict especially back in Singapore where it's completely overrated but, being here makes me miss all the cafe food back home, so here I am! It is pretty good especially the generous hollandaise sauce which went well with the parma ham. We also ordered some cinnamon pancakes (aka crepes because British people don't know what true pancakes are) to share, which were absolutely delish! You can't really go wrong with anything sweet and cinnamon-y at the same time. Thinking about it, I might have to go back for more soon :)

Note: 37 days till Christmas!

Where did all the time go to?!

Quay Ingredient
No. 4 Queen Street, Quayside
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 3UG
Tel: 0191 447 2327

Travel: Durham

So a couple of days ago, I headed to Durham for a little day trip with some of the International Society ladies. It was a beautiful quaint little town just fifteen minutes away from Newcastle, hence so incredibly convenient to just swing by for a peek. The city was a lot smaller than I'd expected, and the pace of life was so much slower compared to that of Newcastle. Maybe I'm too used to the life in Newcastle that trying to picture myself studying and living in Durham is just......boring.

From the top of the Durham Cathedral Tower

We visited the Durham Cathedral which was a UNESCO world heritage site but I wasn't exactly wowed by it because I'm not good at appreciating architectural beauty. But what blew me away was the view from the top of the cathedral tower. Seeing the entire city enshrouded in trees and lakes and acres and acres of land in its autumn glory was just amazing. Maybe I'm just a big picture kinda person, hah.

Cod Fish & Chips from Bells

And of course, we ended our trip with what is probably the best fish & chips I've had in this country so far at Bells Fish Restaurant. The fish wasn't swimming in oil like most restaurants' and the layer of batter coating the fish was just enough to give it a little crunch and not overpowering the taste of the cod. The chips were also nice and crisp without being too starchy. Ughhhhhh even talking about it now is making me crave for it.

Bells Fish Restaurant and Takeaways
Market Square, Durham City
11 Market Place, Durham
DH1 3NE
Tel: 0191 384 8974

Wow two posts in a week?! Watch out guys, I'm on a roll here.