Spring Summer Trip and Conquest of Europe, Kelana Convoy 2: Bath and Cambridge

So this is the 2nd post about my trip last spring/summer.

After two days of running around London, that evening we head to Bath for Stonehenge tour.

What I remember most about this two places (Bath and Cambridge) is the hospitality we received while we were there.

Did you know that Bath has one of the most expensive properties, and I totally understand why. Their neighbourhood is really nice, giving a 'old age' feeling... and romantic.

So in Bath we stayed at a friend's house, oh I don't who she is, and while we were there, she wasn't there. But her housemates were, and they are Bruneians.

How very nice of them to still let us stay at their home. We arrive late night and straight heading to bed, have to get ready for tomorrow tour to the Stonehenge.

Although, I couldn't deny I was distracted by some matter... however, thank God it does not ruin my mood the next day.

Bath Abbey

*Forgot the pictures of the Roman Bath

It was really nice walking around Bath and everything is 'classic' looking and there's no contemporary architecture. We took a look *just look* at the Bath Abbey, the Roman Bath and took a whole lot of pictures at the Royal Crescent.... Too bad, I don't use my camera and the people with the pictures haven't email me mine yet... until now... '-.-

*it's not like I would upload their pics... at least give me my pics... huh!

The Royal Crescent has a very nice background, totally worth picture taking.

There are other places that you should visit at Bath, but I didn't get a chance

- The Roman Bath - I didn't enter it, it was suppose your must see if in Bath

- Jane Austin Centre - especially if you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice

Well, at least we went to Stonehenge

The tour we join is called Scarper Tours, 14.00 pounds for student.

The tour bus picked us near the Bath Tourist Information Centre.

The journey to Stonehenge took about *I can't remember,

but I swear it was more than an hour.

Throughout the journey, we went up and down hill, with the tour guide explaining to us how expensive are these houses on hills, how Johnny Depp used to live there.

Then there's talk about crop circle and that most of the lands belong to the Ministry of Defence.

So there's many army barracks and if you're lucky, you get to see tanks around in the field.

*we were lucky to spot a few*

Then, we arrived at the Stonehedge... it was MAGNIFICENT seeing it closer... as nice as we see it on the postcards and in internet.

There is of course many legends surround the Stonehenge, about Merlin and Giants... there is even about alien stuff *crop circle?

The main point is, it looks magnificent!

not pretty but magnificent.

*running out of adjectives here*

If you're notice the cloud, yes, it was raining... heavily!

I believe I took a pretty good shot of this... hehe :p

Let just skip the night and straight on to how we were in Cambridge.

We visit the Campus... we can't enter some of the public places due to exams...

To me, there wasn't really anything interesting in Cambridge

except a bunch of HOT *I'm serious when I say HOT* guys promoting punting. I guess it is popular there...

one of the punting promoter HOT guy been to Indonesia and he suddenly talks Malay/Indonesia to us... but thank God for my bad Malay slang and accent due to my Kuala Lumpur/Ampang upbringing, that guys didn't notice that we talk about him behind his back... Talk about KL, I remember how he said he hate KL because he can't really understand what we were saying, eventhough he understand Malay, he's annoyed...

*hmmm... am I suppose to be offended? haha!*

but to be positive, he said he love Zouk, because the drinks cost less,

ok,

To make most of my time, K Peepot and I joined this Ghost Tour just for the fun of it, walking around in the 'dark' listening to ghost stories...

how silly of us to forget, that during that time, the sun set at about twenty to nine.... and the tour was at 7, I think... hahaha!

How awkward was it, trying to feel fear, listening to ghost story in the broad DAYLIGHT... funny... but you know how tour guide have the knack to make everything seem fun.

Again it was raining...

worst... we don't have a place to stay for the night... and there are no close by Bed and Breakfast... and we thought about crashing the bus station, but the bus station is just an outdoor stand... there's no indoor... haaaaaa....

Then, we went to the Mosque... we changed into dry clothes... and later we were informed that there is a talk that night... *Something like Kuliah Wahyu here* Prior to that, we get to know there is a nearby Chicken Cottage... I was HAPPY...

*of course I braze into the rain and still got the chicken, nyum nyum!*

We get to meet the muslim community there, we told them our situation that we are on a 3 weeks trip and that tomorrow we joining a European tour,

and tonight we can't find a place to stay

I remember this one sister said "You are CRAZY!!!"

unconsciously, I reply, "I know we are"...

then one of the sister talk to her husband to talk to the Mosque Administration about our situation. We were lighten up by hope of staying in the mosque for the night.

Then it is known to us that actually the mosque is combine with a school... and that they let us stay in the classroom... *Only Allah knows how grateful we were that time*

Not only that, they offer us heating and hot shower, and even offer food... All praises to Allah that lead us to meet these people.

We parted that night, and get ready to sleep... the next morning we catch the bus back to London to join Kelana Convoy's Conquest Of Europe...

Ps: Like I said, I was pissed and annoyed that I didn't really get to see much in Bath and Cambridge, but the fact we get these hospitality from strangers, it is really a nice memory.

Simple Regeneration Age Resisting ~ Antioxidant

I'm not sure since when, but somewhere around two years ago *I was in KMB, I suddenly realize the need of antioxidant skincare. Prior to that, I am very strict about sun protection (it has to be at least SPF 30+ and most important PA+++) and this was due to UVA danger and increase chances of getting premature aging on skin or worse cancer *but I most worried about the former.

So this is not just the fear of becoming dark and tanned, I'm already dark anyway by genes.

At that time I was using Simple Light Moisturizer which I choose because I just want a simple light moisturizer to balance my skin with benzoyl peroxide (Acne topical treatment), and I was not interested of added benefits such as brightening or shine-control. However, as usual, I was too absorb looking into skincare articles, I felt as if it was a calling, to get moisturizer with antioxidants.

So antioxidant is very recommended to combat premature ageing. Antioxidant inhibit oxidation, the process that naturally occur within our body while ageing but oxidation can speed up (pre-mature ageing). Of course we still get antioxidant from our diets *fruits and veggies however experts claims that less that 10% of the antioxidant we eat reach the surface of our skin and that topical antioxidant is more potent on skin surface.

One of the popular good antioxidant ingredients in skincare would be GREEN TEA. So if you see green tea in your skin care, that's good. Other normal ingredient that provide antioxidant as well are Vitamin C and E, Co-enzyme Q-10 (popular in antiageing product). However as science advances, so is ingredient with potent antioxidant, such as White Tea or they would come up with antioxidant complex such as one in Clinique Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Cream or the Even Better Dark Spot Corrector *I can't remember the name, it was long time ago.

ok, I am very sorry about the long post on antioxidant, so I should get to the review.

Sadly, at that time I can't afford Clinique stuff or other high end product.

Fortunately, Simple come up with this range Regeneration Age Resisting that targets pre-mature ageing. And guess their active ingredient? GREEN TEA.

From Simple :

SKIN LOVING NUTRIENTS
GREEN TEA EXTRACT fights premature ageing
MUSHROOM EXTRACT & GINKO BILOBA refines and regenerates
SHEA BUTTER & BORAGE SEED nurtures and replenishes
OAT-BETA GLUCAN & CHAMOMILE reduces sensitivity and soothes
VITAL VITAMINS
PRO VITAMIN B5 and VITAMIN E to soften, smooth, and improve skin condition

Other than having the GREEN TEA extract, I also like that it has refines and regenerates properties, which are very important for me, especially when I always get acne. Although I was worried about the shea butter since it can aggravate acne-prone skin. At first I bought the Night Cream, which was about RM 30-40 *I can't remember exact price. So this is definitely a steal compare to high end product that would cost RM 100-200 or more.

During use: It is so much better than using the Light Hydrating Moisturizer, which does nothing other than moisturize. The Age Resisting done a better job at moisturizing actually. I wore at night with my benzoyl peroxide routinebefore sleep and wake up with fresh face the next morning, no flakiness. Little product goes a long way, doesn't need to load my skin. Plus, my skin react well to it, no flare up or sudden outbreak *shea butter in it did not bother my skin. The texture is not lotion-like but more of butter-balm like but my skin still felt comfortable. It has no strange smell and the packaging pump is good.

Satisfy with the Night Cream, after I finish my Light Hydrating Moisturizer, I went to get the Age Resisting Day Cream, which was good as well. Active ingredient are the same although they put some SPF in it. I guess good for those who don't wear sunblock. This one, the texture is more cream-like, and it does give a bit of 'white cast' due to the sun protection properties. Again, I was happy, it does not aggravate my skin. Alright, I can't actually see the process of antioxidant in both cream on skin, but it was better. Even the feel is much more comfortable and it doesn't give funny reaction when I wore it with my benzoyl peroxide.

verdict: 4/5

There's definitely no significant changes in my skin , but there was subtle improvement *more smoother.

I would very much recommend to individuals that want to step up their regular moisturizer but does not wish to spend too much . Note that this product does not combat lines and wrinkles. Simple products as usual has no fragrance, no smell, no 'unnecessary and affordable. Well, this one is quite expensive for a drugstore brand but it is still affordable.

PS: As you all know, I had converted to Origins skincare a few months ago. I just want to have a try on high end product and there was nothing wrong with Simple Age Resisting. l definitely post a review Origins in the future as well.

Spring Summer Trip and Conquest of Europe, Kelana Convoy: London

OK, I've be missing in action all this while and it's not because of fasting, it is because I want to focus on my studies. I had some fails from last exam and I have to resit it. As much as I want to blog about stuff, I was pretty nervous about m resits... so it's the same like when I kept blogging away during exam season last May. However I just finish this morning and practically faint at the sight of bed. I just realize it's past the last 10 days of Ramadhan yesterday when I go for taddarus. I have to try my best in these last days. Finally I will be going back to Malaysia, Ampang this Saturday. Am I excited? to be honest, not really... sorry mama.

Alright I though I would just pass blogging about the trip I had about 2 months ago, but I can't. There's a lot of happening and the fact that I practically become poor when I'm back from the trip, I just could not give this trip a miss. This is my 3 weeks spring summer trip.

So Conquest of Europe is a budget package from Kelana Convoy. It covers a lot of place. I joined this tour, to be honest on impulse. So I was quite unprepared financially. That's not good.

Of course I just brave myself throughout the tour, I guess it's better to spend more and experience things than just burning the few hundreds I had spend on.

We went to London a few days before the tour start. I thought about checking out London, since I never had a chance to step of Heathrow before. Being on the bus on the way to Victoria, I just realize how much I miss the sight of city *note that I am from Ampang and Kuala Lumpur is like 5 minits from home. I had notice that Belfast is not actually a city *metropolitan and I am not

bothered, it is just, it is so apparent when I visit bigger city like London. The same thing happen when I visit Dublin last time. Just looking out of the window of bus, I was thinking, 'maybe, I do miss home?' ... haha! The fact it was blazing hot summer makes it feel more like KL, despite the Big Ben.

We check in to the Malaysian Hall at Bayswater, well, I am not sure if there are other cheaper accomodation. But Malaysian Hall cost about 10gbp per night for undergraduate. The room is nice I guess, I never stayed in a budget hotel or hostel in UK so I can't really compare. I did notice some roaches in the toilet *it's been a while since I see one.

Another thing I was introduced to is the London Underground. COOL! You know, for a daughter of one of KTMB engineer, I do appreciate an efficient train system and Underground is one of it.

By underground only we can get to almost all places, Arsenal, Heathrow and Greenwich and many others. Did I mention that all the interesting site *tourist site have a station, so it is very convenient and cheaper for tourist. Of course it could not defeat the atmosphere if we're a bus.

At first, in Victoria Station actually, with the crowd and complicated map, I was nervous, and I wasn't really paying attention to what station we were at. But 1 single day all it takes to get the hang of the the underground system *actually less than that... I mean for me who wasn't that enthusiastic about the underground. It just show how much we went on and off the train. I would like to provide what station for what interesting site, but it's been a while and I am tooo lazy just to search it, I did save the map and brochure of places we went to... but I think I throw it when I moved.

After checking in to Malaysia Hall it's straight to sight seeing.

(now I can't really remember what we went to first so I just put pics randomly)

Big Ben and House of Parliment or Westminster Palace.

Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park

Mind me for not having a camera and the fact that I forgot to bring my charger make picture taking very minimal.

We also went to check out Imperial College Campus, Science Museum, Trafalgar Square and National Gallery, Harrods, Madame Tussauds, Ripley's Museum, Shaftesbury Avenue and Oxford Street.

Science History - Listening Post (Art project)

We pretty much visiting as in 'touch and go'. We barely go in to these places. *we enter the Science Museum and Ripley's. So this fact kind of annoy me... but I just calm myself thinking there's always a next time. Oh not to forget the Buckingham Palace. Even in the scorching sun rays, I did enjoyed walking around even if in the hot. As you all know my skin is relatively dark and tanned and I an avid sunblock wearer so standing in the sun wouldn't ruin my day.

Trafalgar Square and National Gallery

Ok, so it does take a while before my post reach Kelana Convoy Tour... but this is a start. hehe.