IMO BT SUCKS.

I haven't really been journalling because I don't have an active internet service right now. So frustrated with British Telecoms, they're completely incompetent. After moving out of my rental and into the apartment my parents bought for me, I've placed my order for broadband and landlines three times already. The first time they said they would call me back with an appointment date. They didn't. I had to call back four times until I was finally told there was no order record at all. Annoyed as I was, there was nothing I could do but place a new order. They gave me a new order number and told me that an engineer would come down on the 25th of March. On the 25th, NO. ONE. CAME. Finally, I rang them up, and was informed that the engineer would come the following day between 8am to 1pm. I even called to check at 10am and was assured that they were on they're way. Surprise surprise, by 2pm, still no one had appeared. I called them up again, waited on hold for a good forty minutes before finally being connected to an agent. They transferred me from one person to another, each time I was transferred, I had to wait another at least 15 minutes… only to have to repeat my entire story to someone who would transfer me yet again!!!!!!!

Finally, someone came up with the explanation. THERE WAS STILL NO BLOODY ORDER. And they had the audacity of accusing me of making up my order number. Honestly, with a order number format such as VOL 011-30376835328, do you think I could make something like that up accurately?! Then they told me it would take another 11 days before I could get any internet. In the midst of placing another order, they CUT ME OFF. PUT ME BACK TO THE MAIN MENU. AND NO ONE BOTHERED TO CALL BACK. WIN.

As much as I need internet in my life, there's no way I'm supporting businesses with appalling service like that so I've decided to apply for O2 broadband instead. If all goes well, I should be connected by this Thursday. I'm crossing my fingers and harboring high hopes even though everything I've learnt about British service and efficiency in the past two years screams otherwise.

In the meantime, I'm still at http://kimberlykristen.tumblr.com and on twitter. You know where to find me.

When we're apart, I find it very hard to Smile

I'm loving the sunshine! It's still a bit cold, especially when the winds are strong, but the fact that the sun is shining everyday means Spring is definitely on it's way :)


Another happy fact: My parents, Godma & Grandma are visiting me from Singapore :) We went shopping in Covent Garden yesterday and bought up a storm.


One of my biggest weaknesses: American Apparel. Everytime I walk into AA, my wallet comes out thinner and sadder, but I'm much happier :)


I really love AA though it's kinda overpriced in the UK, but I just really love the basics, the quality (organic), the solid colours, the ethics of the brand. I actually did one of my final year projects based on AA last term :)


Covent Garden Buskers




Mama


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Last week, I brought my godma & grandma to Southbank and we went up the London Eye. Unfortunately, I forgot to charge my camera so my battery died halfway.

London Eye 4-D Experience




Southbank


My grandmother, who was adorably afraid of getting onto the London Eye because she thought it would be really really fast. Too cute!


土豆丝


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Last week, the boys cooked me a "welcome home to London" dinner at their place.

That's Jason.


He cooked before disappearing to find his girlfriend, and the rest of us ate the Honey BBQ ribs he cooked with Heinekens.


And that's Kar Meng, our resident klutz :)


MMM, we finished half of Kar Meng's beef dish in the kitchen itself while the other dishes were still in the process!


And I don't have a picture of Zach, but he cooks up a mean Tom Yum stew, with salmon cheek, mussels and prawns!


--

Today, we racked up a 4digit sum (SGD) in Topshop. I think I'll be living on sandwiches and public transport for the next month. Poo.

After topshop, we had lunch Le Pain Quotidien


Daddy dearest.


And then went to kill our wallets some more at Carnaby Street.




Finally ended our day at Liberty's.






I love Liberty's and it's quirky eclectic range of designer wear.




Heheh, and to end off... I'm using the lipbalm Marc got me for Christmas :)

HAPPY SAINT PATRICKS DAY

Here’s to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one
A pretty girl and an honest one
A cold beer – and another one!

London celebrated St. Patrick's Day on Sunday (14th March) and I brought my Godma to join in the festivities at Trafalgar Square. For once, the weather in London was lovely so we basked in the sunshine, enjoying the live bands and beer, watching the world go by.



Why not celebrate being Irish every week?


The magic juice.









My Godma


The Parade was pretty amazing. Everyone was really just letting loose and having fun. Rather unlike the chingay or NDP we have annually in Singapore where everyone has to either be marching in tune or dancing in sync. None of that rigidity. We even saw a Mother pushing her baby in the stroller and walking with the parade.






Grass cars with funny faces!


Headed over to Covent Garden after the parade

Busker juggling a sword and a chain saw! cRaaazy.




This group of pretty hot girls were walking around in just a bralette and tights. Now, whilst I did say the weather was amazing, it was STILL cold, like 10 degrees with strong winds?! How they do it is beyond me. Hot all the same though ;)


Fred Perry 3D Logo.




Superdry.


Diesel


Doc Martens back in fashion! I really want the gold & silver pairs!


Virgin Active has a really bad attitude. There's a branch right next to my apartment building and a friend and I enquired about membership, they were really flippant and never called back. I guess they think we won't be good enough clients cos we're merely students as opposed to the corporate crowd they cater to. Guess I'll be little miss tubs for awhile longer. Oh well.


Here I am, with an Irish Superman (read:green underpants), wishing everyone a Happy Saint Patties Day! May it be filled with four leaf clover luck and lots of beer!

Snow, and mistletoe, and presents under the Tree

I know I'm late, but MERRY CHRISTMAS! (This is a super long post, which will hopefully make up for my almost-month long absence?) Anyway, I spent my christmas the way it should be spent- with snow and carols, indulgent foods and loved ones! ♥

Let it snow!


I am a complete glutton, if you look really close, I actually have a spot of mustard on my nose!


Festive yummies! We had nice hot mulled wine, gourmet burgers, bratswursts and sweet treats!


<3


I absolutely adore carousels & ferris wheels!


And then the boy bought tickets for us to slide down the Helter-Skelter, which was a wee bit scary because it's higher than it looks, so so cold, and with no seatbelts or safety precautions but it was also a ball of fun feeling like a child again and looking down at the whole of Hyde Park Winter-wonderland from up there!!


Me coming down the slide, and the darling boy still smiling after I unintentionally injured(cut) his fingers on the railings of helter skelter, gah, sorry bee! ):


A life-sized snow globe!!




Daddy looks like he really wants to roast us alive, heheh, probably because I forced him into the picture and he generally likes to avoid cameras!


We had a yummy Hog Roast Sandwich (:








And with that, we wish you a Merry Christmas (:


No, I'm actually kidding. That's not how I really spent my Christmas. I did have christmas carols, and an amazing buffet spread and all my loved ones around, but it was definitely not a White Christmas! Winterwonderland in London was just the lead up to my actual Christmas, but more on that in my next entry. For now, here's how snippets of the weeks in London before coming home.

Sem's Birthday: Chez Gerard for dinner, and clubbing at Boujis.



Sneaking in some photos, cameras not actually allowed because Boujis is rather a celebrity-spot (footballers, actresses etc).. What's left of oriental girls without their cameras when they club, huh!! ):


Backstreet Boys live at the London O2



Madcon opened with a DJ set. Bloody awesome. (Youtube Madcon, Beggin! They did a remix of an original Frankie Valli piece which I already love- both amazing.)


BSB are exactly the same as when I was a teeny bopping pre teen- they've certainly aged and um, put on weight but they still brought it with all the same cheesy dance moves and crooning love songs.


Crowd still went wild whenever they played their "classics" (if I can loosely call it that) like Quit Playing Games with my heart, As Long As You Love Me, Backstreet's Back.... Aww if you're anywhere between 18 and 30 I'm sure you get the drift.. or even if you have a kid between those ages haha! The majority of the crowd was surprisingly older than my age, I think.


Pizzas & Beers


Melia & Sem swooning!!




The ridiculous human jam trying to get into the tube station post-concert. Fortunately we had the foresight to call a cab (and I had an amazing boyfriend who insisted I call a cab before he went to sleep, time difference).


Steamboat at the boys'

D, Jason, Sem & I.


KM & Jason being retards!


Harrods



Alaskan King Crab Legs at Caviar House & Prunier, my favourite!


Second meal at the Harrods rotisserie


Giant sparkly red heels outside Harrods


Mum & I with Daddy & Daren


SouthBank

The boy won me a smaller stuffed porcupine we named pudding, very cute (:




took in some buskers & the dali exhibition


superman needed money too.. he was busking! i presume he needs a day job?




Ripley's "Believe it or Not" Museum

A mini cooper completely covered in more than 1 million swarovski crystals!


Giant rocking chair and a Beatles sculpture made out of GUM.


Gumball Art


Built out of matchsticks!




Punishment for Women who talk to much (blah), chastity belt and whale foreskin, eewww!






MIRROR MAZE, so fun! (without flash, so this is what it actually looked like!)


With flash.


The turning tunnel!



Drinks at Mine

Jason, Daren, Karmeng




"Pissed" Zach & Lin


Zach: "STFU noob", "I got disciprine!!!";;; Daren and I with Lovely James who helped me to clear up, get me water when I was tipsy, wake me up the next morning etc.






And we had ASSA for lunch the next day, which was also our final meal in London before leaving for the airport (and it started snowing!)


Randoms

Random Shopping Day


Cute kid who had her face painted! and reaps from shopping.


Breakfast with the girls, and then Mum smoking that giant cigarette!


Portobello Road Market- I was freeeezing so Daddy lent me his coat and the poor thing was walking around in just a shirt + vest when the weather was fluctuating between 0 and 2 degrees gahhhhh!


Cheng came down to London for a holiday so we met up (with James) for dinner at Covent Garden followed by drinks at Jewel Box!


The regent Street christmas light up, which actually looks identical to the way it did last year!!


Shopping at liberties, our shoes!




James cycled over


Touristy shot in Regent Street, IT SNOWED, Dinner with Hamdi





Did some last minute shopping the last two days in london!


And finally, you know you go to an Art college when the changing faces of the hallways are but another art installation.


How's that for a catch up entry? I still have so much to post and I really do want to post as much of 2009 as I can IN 2009, but time is fast on my tails! So much to do, so little time. It's 4:27 am now and I really should go to sleep (the boy's been asleep for three hours now) but I just want to write that I had the perfect lazy sunday today! Stayed over at the boy's house last night (cos we slept here the previous 7 nights in a row), woke up and had lunch with his family at Pow Sing (chicken rice, assam curry fish head, otah, fried tofu, bakwan soup, sweet potato leaves with belachan...) followed by coffee/root-beer floats and Happy Daze. Bong called so we drove down to Cluny Park and spent a lazy afternoon with him, snacking of ciabatta rolls & peach teas, talking about cars & families & futures, watching the world just pass us by and basking in the much missed sunny weather. Took a drive house hunting around Bukit Timah and then drove back home where D & I promptly fell asleep watching Black Adder. Napped till about half 10 and then the maids prepared us our super late dinner, we watched a bit of the notebook, and he fell back asleep. I could spend the rest of my life just like this. Bliss.