Manchester
Well, when I said Manchester was okay, I meant the city itself is okay. The city was flattened about 10 years ago due to the IRA bombing so the buildings there look very modern. Especially the Hilton. Travelling around the city is amazingly easy, there are free metroshuttles that go around the city. Places are connected up by buses, trams and trains. What's most important, I didn't lost my way when I went to the hotel! Hahahaha! The hotel is nice as well. The room is huge - 2 queen size beds, a lounge area and a spacious bathroom. Right smack in the middle of city centre among all the shops. Selfridges and Harvey Nichols to the left, no wonder Ting almost went crazy.
Ting's company is priceless! Whenever we are together, we cannot help but think back the times when we were in Melbourne and Sydney. The stupid things we did together with Ade. Using boots as guns (yes, we did that!), laughing at people right in their faces, wearing PJs out to the Yarra River on a winter night, walking 2 hours to the city from our accommodation in Sydney. I think no one in the right mind will ever think of doing such things. :) I miss my friends!
We nua-ed a bit in the room before making our way out to the one and only Primark in Manchester. Big. And Ting loves it. I bought myself a turqoise autumn swing coat from there. It has Peter Pan collars. Looks a bit like Audrey Hepburn kind.
Our first meal in Manchester. Both of us were feeling peckish so we ordered this before making our way to Chinatown for dinner.
The Chinatown arch.
I don't find the Chinatown in Manchester interesting. Yes, it is big. But I didn't see any boundary other than the arch that just sticks out of nowhere. Seriously, London's Chinatown is more buzzy, more "feel". The one in Manchester is so... quiet. Maybe we went to the wrong part. I don't know. Even the popular restaurant, Yang Sing, looks secluded too.
The Wheel of Manchester. We wanted to ride on the wheel but didn't have time. Afternoons are bad because it gets very warm inside the capsules. I know.
Ting's colleagues suggested to rent a car to drive to Edinburgh or Wales but changed their mind so 6 of us drove into Lake District instead. Spent 2 days 1 night there. It was fun but have to watch what we say since the industry they are in has a naturally bitchy environment. But I still slipped my tongue by asking the leading stewardess whether she has any children when she.is.not.married. I almost wanted to drown myself in the lake then. But all went well, they are fun people to talk rubbish with and the chief steward is such an "uncle". Everyone, anyhow-anyhow. So turned out quite well! There was quite a lot of driving, thank goodness both Ting and I were stuck right at the back of the car so we were both spared from driving and consulting the maps and making decisions. We stayed at the back for the whole trip, finishing off the food supply and being silly all the time.
They all wanted to see a lot in 2 days so we popped out of the car for maybe an hour or two and then went back to driving. Stopping at the lakes, or places worth stopping to take pictures. I don't even know most of the places we stopped at. Only remember Windemere for lunch, Kendal, Hilltop, Keswick for the night I think.
Lunch at Windemere.
Aira Force. We did a mini-trek up there and had our dinner by the stream! The uncle was trying to be "innovative" by having dinner there. Haha!
From the top of Aira Force.
My "trekking shoes". My poor feet.
Some river or canal or lake.
Lunch by the river.
Chocolates.
A badly taken picture of all of us.
On the way back to Manchester, they wanted to make a stop at Lancaster.
Some beach in Lancaster.
QUICKSAND!
This looks like some advertisement for an insurance company.
We were so glad to be back in Manchester after all the driving and hopping in and out of the car. The next day, we decided to be hardworking and not sleep-in and went to...
Old Trafford.
Both of us have cock-eyes. The stadium is so big, we can miss it and walked towards the other direction. Haha! We mistook it as a futuristic shopping centre!!!
We had an hour to spent before the tour start so walked around the museum.
The Treble gallery.
Treble trophies.
My hero.
My hero again. My grandmother hates him and blames him for my bad taste in men. She was in a strange paranoia that I will end up with a guy that looks like him (seriously, I don't really mind), that time I had a life size poster of him in my bedroom. Whenever she walks into my room, she will comment on my taste in men when she sees the poster.
This is a board!!! Looks like me standing by the window looking over the grounds right??? HAHAHAH!
Our guide for the tour was very good and knowledgeable. He was able to answer a lot of questions and personally met a few of the players and Alex Ferguson himself. He told us a few personal experiences like AF's infamous temper, Paul Scholes being shy and don't know where is Man U cafe, a lot of interesting facts about the players. He also told us who he thinks will be the next captain for Man Utd after Gary Neville. I am impressed!
I wonder whether do they repaint the seats or change the seats when the sponsors change.
The players' lounge where the players hang out before and after the matches. During the match, WAGs are in there, that's why the female toilets.
I should have sat on Rio Ferdinand's seat. What was I thinking??!?!?
I like Wes Brown. I like brown guys. As in, skin colour brown.
Uncle WS told me to watch out just in case I get pregnant by sitting there. I don't mind, man. He is Cristiano Ronaldo!
Paul Scholes has his seat right opposite the players, together with the substitutes. The guide said that he is an incredibly shy person and when he first joined Man Utd, imagine how he felt when he walked into the changing room. He is short, and there was Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel etc. I would go to a corner too.
The famous red tent.
View from the tent. They even have sound effects when we walked through the tent!!!
Me, short of the cameras and mics for match interviews. LOL!
Stadium again.
Spot the difference.
Damn. I have fat legs. I need to lose weight.
Ting's company is priceless! Whenever we are together, we cannot help but think back the times when we were in Melbourne and Sydney. The stupid things we did together with Ade. Using boots as guns (yes, we did that!), laughing at people right in their faces, wearing PJs out to the Yarra River on a winter night, walking 2 hours to the city from our accommodation in Sydney. I think no one in the right mind will ever think of doing such things. :) I miss my friends!
We nua-ed a bit in the room before making our way out to the one and only Primark in Manchester. Big. And Ting loves it. I bought myself a turqoise autumn swing coat from there. It has Peter Pan collars. Looks a bit like Audrey Hepburn kind.
Our first meal in Manchester. Both of us were feeling peckish so we ordered this before making our way to Chinatown for dinner.
The Chinatown arch.
I don't find the Chinatown in Manchester interesting. Yes, it is big. But I didn't see any boundary other than the arch that just sticks out of nowhere. Seriously, London's Chinatown is more buzzy, more "feel". The one in Manchester is so... quiet. Maybe we went to the wrong part. I don't know. Even the popular restaurant, Yang Sing, looks secluded too.
The Wheel of Manchester. We wanted to ride on the wheel but didn't have time. Afternoons are bad because it gets very warm inside the capsules. I know.
Ting's colleagues suggested to rent a car to drive to Edinburgh or Wales but changed their mind so 6 of us drove into Lake District instead. Spent 2 days 1 night there. It was fun but have to watch what we say since the industry they are in has a naturally bitchy environment. But I still slipped my tongue by asking the leading stewardess whether she has any children when she.is.not.married. I almost wanted to drown myself in the lake then. But all went well, they are fun people to talk rubbish with and the chief steward is such an "uncle". Everyone, anyhow-anyhow. So turned out quite well! There was quite a lot of driving, thank goodness both Ting and I were stuck right at the back of the car so we were both spared from driving and consulting the maps and making decisions. We stayed at the back for the whole trip, finishing off the food supply and being silly all the time.
They all wanted to see a lot in 2 days so we popped out of the car for maybe an hour or two and then went back to driving. Stopping at the lakes, or places worth stopping to take pictures. I don't even know most of the places we stopped at. Only remember Windemere for lunch, Kendal, Hilltop, Keswick for the night I think.
Lunch at Windemere.
Aira Force. We did a mini-trek up there and had our dinner by the stream! The uncle was trying to be "innovative" by having dinner there. Haha!
From the top of Aira Force.
My "trekking shoes". My poor feet.
Some river or canal or lake.
Lunch by the river.
Chocolates.
A badly taken picture of all of us.
On the way back to Manchester, they wanted to make a stop at Lancaster.
Some beach in Lancaster.
QUICKSAND!
This looks like some advertisement for an insurance company.
We were so glad to be back in Manchester after all the driving and hopping in and out of the car. The next day, we decided to be hardworking and not sleep-in and went to...
Old Trafford.
Both of us have cock-eyes. The stadium is so big, we can miss it and walked towards the other direction. Haha! We mistook it as a futuristic shopping centre!!!
We had an hour to spent before the tour start so walked around the museum.
The Treble gallery.
Treble trophies.
My hero.
My hero again. My grandmother hates him and blames him for my bad taste in men. She was in a strange paranoia that I will end up with a guy that looks like him (seriously, I don't really mind), that time I had a life size poster of him in my bedroom. Whenever she walks into my room, she will comment on my taste in men when she sees the poster.
This is a board!!! Looks like me standing by the window looking over the grounds right??? HAHAHAH!
Our guide for the tour was very good and knowledgeable. He was able to answer a lot of questions and personally met a few of the players and Alex Ferguson himself. He told us a few personal experiences like AF's infamous temper, Paul Scholes being shy and don't know where is Man U cafe, a lot of interesting facts about the players. He also told us who he thinks will be the next captain for Man Utd after Gary Neville. I am impressed!
I wonder whether do they repaint the seats or change the seats when the sponsors change.
The players' lounge where the players hang out before and after the matches. During the match, WAGs are in there, that's why the female toilets.
I should have sat on Rio Ferdinand's seat. What was I thinking??!?!?
I like Wes Brown. I like brown guys. As in, skin colour brown.
Uncle WS told me to watch out just in case I get pregnant by sitting there. I don't mind, man. He is Cristiano Ronaldo!
Paul Scholes has his seat right opposite the players, together with the substitutes. The guide said that he is an incredibly shy person and when he first joined Man Utd, imagine how he felt when he walked into the changing room. He is short, and there was Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel etc. I would go to a corner too.
The famous red tent.
View from the tent. They even have sound effects when we walked through the tent!!!
Me, short of the cameras and mics for match interviews. LOL!
Stadium again.
Spot the difference.
Damn. I have fat legs. I need to lose weight.