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Hello All, Just a quick note to say that I haven't been blogging here for a while because Peter and I decided to get our own doma...
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Pub Tour London: A great night activity in London
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| Tower Bridge, London, UK |
So I was on a business trip in London and my colleagues had told me good luck when I had mentioned I'm going out on a pub tour. Why, I asked, and to which they said that almost everyone who goes out on a pub tour of the city gets on their hands and knees at some point in the night or the morning after - but it is a lot of fun.
Off I went, searching on the internet for a company to book until I found Pub Tour London. They had two tours: one for central, and one for shoreditch and I booked the central tour. It was 12 quid (GBP) if booked online on a weeknight - not too bad for someone to guide me to some of the best bars around town. Meeting place was at the Piccadilly Institute from 8 -9PM, which was a great time for me to grab dinner and get there right after work. I went alone, so it was quite daunting for me to go to a pub but whatever, this tour helps me meet new people anyway. Found the people who are the tour organizers of Pub Tour London who then connected me to new people that are also within my group. Not so bad.
After an hour in one pub, off we went to another, and another, and another. There was free shots, but I think what made me quite tipsy was the fact that I kept mixing drinks. Just so you know, if you are planning to visit London, some of these drinks can cost quite a bit of money. Try budgeting around 7 GBP for a pint of beer, more if you are planning to buy some of the mixed drinks (which can range form 9GBP up). It wasn't all about the pubs, as the night went on, I found myself in some clubs too, which charge exorbitant entry fees. Turns out that this tour I booked from Pub Tour London is in charge of paying for these cover charges. Excellent. So, a bit tipsy and trying my best to dance and talk to some of my new friends, I finally ended the night in the wee hours of the morning, with a few more Facebook contacts and trying my best to remember how the night had unfolded. Let me just say my Friday was really unproductive, as I went on a Thursday night. (Note: Thursday nights at work are more like our drinking night to give way to the people who have families and want to leave early on a Friday to go home to their respective towns). I would definitely recommend Pub Tour London to anyone who may want to go and have fun in a new town and meet new friends along the way! They upload group photos on their gallery - so try to grab it from their website when you can.
Travel, Me, and Variable Life Insurance Thoughts
My flat when I was living in Central London
Apologies, I know I have become a bad blogger recently. I have gone on a few trips here and there which took up a lot of my time, and watching a lot of shows in the middle. Thought I could make it up with a brand-new semi-travel and personal post! Hopefully the wait is worth it.
So two weeks ago, I was contacted by a previous next-door neighbor asking if he could meet with me to discuss some investment products that his company was offering. Out of courtesy, I agreed, and well, I am curious enough to know what investment product it was, but was just hoping it was not insurance-related as I definitely won't buy it.
Just my luck. It was an insurance-backed product. Ugh. I really hate those things: you save aside x amount of your money every month or year, and the company invests it in so and so and after x amount of years, you get a huge percentage of your money back as interest + your principal (that is, if the economy is up). Oh, what's more is that it is insurance-backed. Meaning if something happens to you (ie if your life conks out say, at this minute or so) - your beneficiaries get x amount of money as well. To be polite, I said I would think about it (but in reality, I already set my mind on saying no. I just needed another way to decline in a more polite way).
The sales pitch went like this: "You get x amount of money back as your savings/investment for the future, and your dependants will also get the money without bureaucracies if something does happen to you. I know you're still young, but if you invest while you are young, your premium is smaller compared to when you are comparitively older. Plus, shouldn't be saving up for your future family?"
Uhmm yeah, not interested. My reasons?
1) By the time that I do get my money back, its value would have been really depreciated. We all know about the time value of money right? Your $1 now is not worth $1 in say, 6 months time. So if I invest my money today and I get it back in say, 40 years time, my investment is basically worth half of it, I guess.
2) As traveler, I find that life is too short. Why would I want to invest a considerable amount of money for the future right now when I could use it to travel? I could go out and see the world instead of worrying about what I would leave my (future) kids and/or husband? I will cross that bridge when I get there. I love my life and the way I am living it now, so I'm sorry, you chose the wrong person to sell this product to.
3) I don't even have kids! The only family member I would want to take care of and/or leave money to is my mum! Not my cousins, nothing. Why would I pay for someone else's happiness? Other retirees out there forego their children's future inheritances, why can't I?
4) I am more interested in liquid assets. I need my cash now for my impromptu trips. I want to spend my hard earned cash the way I want to, which is travel (and books - and occasionally clothes and bags & shoes & concerts)
And so, when the time for me to decide was nearly up, I got a multitude of phone calls: I literally just arrived that morning from another out of town trip (Coron, Palawan) and was just warming up for another few days of work before another holiday (to Brunei). So yeah, forgive me if I did not have the extra time answering those calls. I got an email, which I then replied back to a few days after saying I would decline to take this offer.
I think he was a bit persistent because he was missing his quota for the year. Sorry, but still no.
Worked out the math and it went something like this:
*Save $1200 for a year for 20 years
That is $24000 for 20 years.
With that money, I could have gone around the world for a year (or more) if I saved that amount within a few years.
* I could invest that money in a fixed income account (ie bonds or savings accounts) and get a fixed rate of interest every month which I could also use on my incidentals or on travel.
* I could still be happy knowing that I had that amount of money ready to spend.
So sorry, but those are my two cents worth about Life insurance & variable life insurance.
I do not believe in it (at the moment) - I want to spend it more on my travels and trying to see what the world has to offer.
Then again, if you are selling me more time on planet earth and I am not going to age (which is impossible) then I might just consider your offer...
London 2012: Olympic Venues Part One
London 2012 is officially under way (did you get to watch it? I did!) and since not everyone can go there at the moment, I thought I could take you on a little tour what to see! This city has over 2,000 years of history, and is a cultural melting pot. It is a city where the old meets new, where high rise modern buildings can be seen within a few minutes walk from a castle!
First off, let's tour some Olympic venues within the London.
The Olympic Stadium, within the Olympic Village in Stratford, hosted the Opening Ceremonies last Friday. It would also host the Athletics & Closing Ceremony, definitely something to look out for. Have you seen the fireworks over this stadium during the Opening Ceremony?
Wimbledon is widely known for its yearly Tennis tournament, and this time, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club will also be the venue for the Tennis Olympic Event.
And on to some iconic views - if you've seen the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, David Beckham went through this steering a speedboat (of course there's fireworks as he went through too)- this is Tower Bridge. It currently has the Olympic rings at the top for the Olympics :)
Travel - The UK 2011 Diaries Part 1: Getting There
Facebook is being a pain and since I promised my friends to post photos and some brief narrative on what I did on my 3 1/2 month stint in the UK, here you go. A month and a half late. Or rather, a few months late.
One thing I ask though - I may not have any watermarks (because mainly I'm too lazy to do it) so please do not get any of my photos without my permission puh-lease!
Anyhoo, it all started with me moving on to a different team at work - and well, the chance to go to the UK for a few months was in the cards. I couldn't say no, I love the UK! :) So, last June, I embarked on a solo backpacking trip around Cebu and Bohol (more of that when I get more time to post) and on June 30th I find myself going to the airport to embark on this happy happy and exciting trip :)
I had a nightmare going through immigration - the immigration officer didn't know the visa I was holding and thought that I needed a POEA permit to continue! (Hello!!! I am not earning GBP and hence am not an OFW so why would I bloody need that stupid POEA permit??) - my head was literally steaming - good thing my friend and my boss helped out with the situation. Stupid, stupid, stupid - I'd rather not deal more about this subject because it would end up with a rant about the Philippines again.
The photo above is a plane model in the business class lounge that's on the windowsill where you could see the planes parked in NAIA1, waiting for the passengers to board!
Back to the trip -I called up HSBC from the lounge. One thing when you're travelling out of the country - you need to call up your credit card company and let them know that you are going out of the country so they won't block any of your purchases when you charge something from abroad.
Then our flight was called - we are gonna board!! :)
One thing I ask though - I may not have any watermarks (because mainly I'm too lazy to do it) so please do not get any of my photos without my permission puh-lease!
Anyhoo, it all started with me moving on to a different team at work - and well, the chance to go to the UK for a few months was in the cards. I couldn't say no, I love the UK! :) So, last June, I embarked on a solo backpacking trip around Cebu and Bohol (more of that when I get more time to post) and on June 30th I find myself going to the airport to embark on this happy happy and exciting trip :)
I had a nightmare going through immigration - the immigration officer didn't know the visa I was holding and thought that I needed a POEA permit to continue! (Hello!!! I am not earning GBP and hence am not an OFW so why would I bloody need that stupid POEA permit??) - my head was literally steaming - good thing my friend and my boss helped out with the situation. Stupid, stupid, stupid - I'd rather not deal more about this subject because it would end up with a rant about the Philippines again.
Anyhoo, I checked in to the NAIA 1 Lounge for Business class passengers. Oh, I failed to mention - I flew via Etihad business class for this trip. Yaaaaayyyyyy. The lounge was okay - although it was a tiny place and it was like a maze. Not a fancy thing though - more like a place for you to rest and relax in before the flight (plus the food + beverage is free)
Back to the trip -I called up HSBC from the lounge. One thing when you're travelling out of the country - you need to call up your credit card company and let them know that you are going out of the country so they won't block any of your purchases when you charge something from abroad.
Then our flight was called - we are gonna board!! :)
So, this is what it looks like from the business class section of Etihad - I have my glass of champagne with a video of places to go to in Abu Dhabi on the screen. (where we're going to have a brief stopover before changing planes to get to London Heathrow). I have a flat bed and lots of leg space - only problem is its a bit of a tight squeeze width-wise. Anyway, I can't complain ;) I love that I also have a window seat.
They gave away goody bags as well containing socks, eye blinders, Aigner lip balm & lotion and a toothbrush with toothpaste on it. Coolies.
Me looking fat on my seat before takeoff. Whee. Trying to prepare myself for a marathon 7/8 hour flight to Abu Dhabi. So, what did I do the whole time? Well, I just watched a few movies - I saw Rango, which is a cute children's movie, also saw Narnia: Prince Caspian. I never really got to watch these movies while I was in Manila - mainly because I was too much of a stingy head and refused to go out to movies unless they're really worth watching.
I also read a book while the plane was taking off and landing.. and slept, a lot. I wanted to have all my strength when I land in the UK to get ready for a LOT of sightseeing and walking after I land. Whoopdeedoo.
So, finally arriving in Abu Dhabi, we headed straight for their business class lounge. Hmmm.... Took loads of photos as the sun was rising. The airport was literally in the desert - all you could see are other planes, sand, and well, the sun. It was a huge terminal and there were also lots of branded stuff that were available on duty free. We also ate a lot of food while waiting for our plane from AUH to LHR.
One thing I like about flying business class: you can board the plane either first or last. Amazing. So, once we got the Final Boarding Call for our flight, off we went to the plane and prepared for yet another long fight (and sleep) ahead!
Think that's it for now - watch out for Part two where I will blog more about the Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge and well, London Day One :)
I think I'll blog about getting a UK visa too, that's informative as well!
Still in London
Jolly old London town - the place I now call my home :)
I know I havent updated in the past few months- mainly because I didnt get to finish any books yet!! Yes, I know, I'm really slowin reading here but really, I'm having the time of my life!
After work, there's always a billion things to do - watch a play or a musical, go out for drinks or dinner with friends and colleagues, learn how to cook, or just hang around with friends. Then when I do get home, there's household chores to do: ironing, washing clothes, sleeping.. Or just chilling out in front of the telly.
My reading time has now been confined to journeys in the tube, a coach, or the train.
Weekends are spent sightseeing within London or within the UK. Now can yoi guys understand why I have no updates much? Ha ha
back to boring old Manila in 2 weeks. Perhaps i'll have more reviews then - i dont have much to do there anyway :(
I know I havent updated in the past few months- mainly because I didnt get to finish any books yet!! Yes, I know, I'm really slowin reading here but really, I'm having the time of my life!
After work, there's always a billion things to do - watch a play or a musical, go out for drinks or dinner with friends and colleagues, learn how to cook, or just hang around with friends. Then when I do get home, there's household chores to do: ironing, washing clothes, sleeping.. Or just chilling out in front of the telly.
My reading time has now been confined to journeys in the tube, a coach, or the train.
Weekends are spent sightseeing within London or within the UK. Now can yoi guys understand why I have no updates much? Ha ha
back to boring old Manila in 2 weeks. Perhaps i'll have more reviews then - i dont have much to do there anyway :(
Leaving Manila for London
I guess it's time to explain why I haven't been updating much: Iwas busy trying to collate and pass all my papers to the UK embassy because I'm going to London :)
I'm flying off this Friday - a very early morning flight [1AM] so please don't expect any regular updates to the blog. I'm only bringing two books with me in my luggage - although I don't know if I'll be able to read a word or a sentence in any of them while I'm out.
This is a business trip,so on weekdays I'll most probably be busy with work, and on weekends busy with sightseeing and trying to explore everything that I can within the area and out of town as well. Might as well make the most of the opportunity.
Hopefully I get a chance to go to soe bookish evens whilst in London, but I'm not really sure where to find them so here! :)
If I get a chance to blog about my adventures/places I've visited, I'll probably share some of them here, but mostly will share them in my travel blog, so please follow if you're interested:
http://projectglobetrotter.blogspot.com
Ps-> The books I brought are "Ribblestrop" by Andy Mulligan and "Madame Tussaud" by Michelle Moran. Sure they're not connected at all to London or England, for that matter, but I've got excellent travel guides that I'll bring along with me!
I'm flying off this Friday - a very early morning flight [1AM] so please don't expect any regular updates to the blog. I'm only bringing two books with me in my luggage - although I don't know if I'll be able to read a word or a sentence in any of them while I'm out.
This is a business trip,so on weekdays I'll most probably be busy with work, and on weekends busy with sightseeing and trying to explore everything that I can within the area and out of town as well. Might as well make the most of the opportunity.
Hopefully I get a chance to go to soe bookish evens whilst in London, but I'm not really sure where to find them so here! :)
If I get a chance to blog about my adventures/places I've visited, I'll probably share some of them here, but mostly will share them in my travel blog, so please follow if you're interested:
http://projectglobetrotter.blogspot.com
Ps-> The books I brought are "Ribblestrop" by Andy Mulligan and "Madame Tussaud" by Michelle Moran. Sure they're not connected at all to London or England, for that matter, but I've got excellent travel guides that I'll bring along with me!
RIP Stephen Gately [1976-2009]
Not a book nor a travel related post. This is something more personal and maybe, music related. I just need an outlet to post my thoughts and feelings about this issue so bear with me.
I got a text from one of my closest friends last Sunday, saying that Stephen Gately of Boyzone just died.
At first I was doubtful that this was true. Boyzone's manager was undeniably the greatest tabloid story maker of all time, going to lengths of exaggerating stories about the artists he manages.
But this time, the stories were true. He did indeed die tragically whilst on holiday in Majorca, Spain. Cause of death was still unknown.
London: North Greenwich O2 Arena
Since I don't have any bookish related things to share, and since a friend of mine wanted me to blog about some of my travels, I might as well start off with a long overdue post from a trip to the UK last June-July 2008.
After a long plane ride from Manila to Dubai and finally to London, I landed on June 1st, Saturday, around 8AM.
[More info in another blog post]
After resting in my apartment in Smithfield, unpacking and cooking my lunch, it was time to go sightseeing with my friends!
First up was North Greenwich.
After a long plane ride from Manila to Dubai and finally to London, I landed on June 1st, Saturday, around 8AM.
[More info in another blog post]
After resting in my apartment in Smithfield, unpacking and cooking my lunch, it was time to go sightseeing with my friends!
First up was North Greenwich.
London, how I miss thee....
I love the smells, the sights, the sounds.
I loved ye ever since I was a tot.
I love the events and acts that graze your presence.
They would never miss a trip without going to your graces.
I will definitely come back, oh yes I will.
Wait for me, I'll find a way.
I loved ye ever since I was a tot.
I love the events and acts that graze your presence.
They would never miss a trip without going to your graces.
I will definitely come back, oh yes I will.
Wait for me, I'll find a way.
Tag :
london,