My exam result!

I just received the mail from Cambridge ESOL exam office which I have taken on July this year. I am quite happy with the result had came out. I have passed all of 2 subjects. The speaking was very good on the comments which they had gave me. The listen and respond was exceptional, engage in disccusion was good and speak to communicate was my borderline. I don't have any weaks problem at all. I knew that my listening was good and of course I had a little bit problme with what I have to think before I going to open my mouth. I found I got stubbled as well. I will think more carefully next time.
over all, I am happy with it and I wish I could do the writing exam but because my teacher won't allowed me??

Laser night at the Shad

taken from the Tower Bridge

Its time for me to write about things on my blog again, Gosh!! This month and the previous month had been raining a lot in England. This is summer time for us and we seem doesn’t have any sunshine for the whole day yet. Oh! Well what can we do with our weather we just have to get on with it, in March this year the government was talking about save water because we’re going to get drought for this summer. The water company also told us not to use water for watering your garden and so on. Now what do we get too much rain and it doesn’t seem going to stop until August. We have too much water at the moment and far too much actually. I hope next month the weather will be better for us.

me looking up to the lights

Today I am going to write about the Shad building which, I have been watching during the opening night. There were so many people around The Tower Bridge waiting to get a gimps of the events. I have read from the evening new standard newspaper about it but I don’t know about the exact time. Anyway, we walked up to the Tower Bridge to get a better view from the top. There were so many people about 9.00pm. An hour later more and more tourist as well as the local coming to joined to join us.

The laser lights staring at 10.15pm. The lights were liked a disco lights flashing around the building. I took some photos and well as a video recording for you tube. It was flashing lights for more than 30 minutes. I was sleepy at the end of the night because it was nearly 11pm.

The shad building going to open in January next year and will open for the public to go up to the top but you have to pay about £ 24.90 per person which is very expensive price to pay. I might go up there one day but will see because if the weather is good and again the Shad building is the tallest building in Europe. I am scare of the high to get up there. I might do when I am 50 year old.

Anyway, I hope my next blog is going to be a better than this one as today I don’t have much thing to write about it.

How do I spend 2 weeks holiday in London?

 What did I do on the first week of my holiday? Well, I started off with a day trip to the National History Museum and Victoria and Albert, which is not far for walking distance.

The National History Museum is situated on Cromwell Road in SW7 postcode area. I have never been there before. The museum is free entrance so I don’t have to pay to get in.

I caught the bus from where I live to get to West London. On the day the weather was very nice. We stopped for a cup of coffee and got some things to eat for our lunch before we entrance to the building. There was a lot of young student mostly first school and middle school also parents came in with their children.

As we entrance to the main hall. I saw a few stuffed animals in front of the hall way. There is the big staircase in the middle leading to the left and the right wings, I saw a big white statue of Charles Darwin sitting in the middle. I took some picture with him for my memoir.

Distance

At the National History Museum, you will find difference sections divided in colours depending on what are you interested in. This place is huge. I can spend all day in there. There was so much to see and knowledge to gain.

We stopped and had something to eat after a very long walked. The café inside the museum is serving food and drinks but be aware the cost is quite expensive.

I had an hour left so we stopped by the Victoria & Albert museum for a little bit before they close for the day. The V & A building is a beautiful and I felt like I was in Rome for a day. We found a courtyard in the middle between the buildings. There were a lot of people sitting and chatting to each other as well as socialising with friends and their love one. At the end I have to get back before the actual closing hour.

On Tuesday morning, I have to get ready for my reading exam at 10 am. I have to be there before 10 as the staff are checking the student documents example the letter and the passport before I can get in to the hall. I found the exam was quite easy but I don’t know how many score I have made though. I am currently learning English on level 1 (ESOL) please don’t expecting me to write this blog in a very good grammar and good words. Actually my English teacher told me that my English writing wasn’t good enough for writing exam, so she didn’t give me a chance to have a try. This was also the reason that has made me decided to write more journal online and do more practise as much as I can to improve my writing skill. I hope one day I can write better blog.

On Thursday, I did some house cleaning for the lady whose I have been working for her for the past 5 years on and off. She has emailed me the week in advance. I went there in the morning and finished in the afternoon. She lives in Barking, which is on the out skirt of London. I can get there only by tube for about 30 minutes by the Jubilee line and changed at West Ham station. That was my Thursday.

beautiful at night

Very nice

Tower Bridge

On Monday evening, I went out for a walked by the River Thames. I have been doing this since I have been living here. The weather was o.k. it should be better for the summer. I walked from the Tower Bridge to the London Eye and walked back. I made about 4 miles approximately. I was thinking I should bring the camera with me to take a picture. I went back there again 2 days later and this time I bought a camera with me.

The London Tower Bridge at night was very beautiful and there were so many tourists around as well as the local. The mayor of London has spent a lot of money to changes the lights in difference colour. I took some pictures of the Tower Bridge. I came back home about 10.30pm.

Ready to get on

view from the top

The following day, I read the news from the evening standard that the cable car is going to open today. My partner and I are going to try out about it. We got there about 7.30pm. We want to get a new sunset of London in the evening. Travel by car to get there is quite easy but not for the parking. We can’t park on the street and there is only one parking space and cost £5 for up to 2 hours. Anyway, we were thinking once in the lifetime that we have to do this. We may not be able to do it again later on because there will be a lot of tourists and the local coming to use. Anyway, there weren’t many people so we can have a private cable for ourselves. That day was a windy day. I was feeling scary too. When I was sitting inside the cable car and looking around from the top, it was very beautiful to see from the top in the late evening sunset. The sky is blue in the horizon. 

The price of the ride was £ 3.20 each way by oyster card. I think everybody should get on once.

The rest the week, I study online either from you tube for my speaking exam in next Tuesday. I hope I will do well. I will do my learning from the Internet from now on as I had found the resources for my improving of either pronunciation, speaking, listening and writing. I hope in the next few month, I will get better and better. I am trying to write as much as I can on my blog to improve my writing skill and hoping one day I can get an excellent mark from either my colleagues at work or even my friends.

Corfu and Meteora, Greece 2008

Corfu old fortress

ouzo souvinir shop

My first trip to Corfu, Greece, was in 2008 which was the year that the first banking system went burst. The Goldman Sachs and The airline (XL airlines) that bought us over there had also gone out of business. I have never been to Corfu before. I found rather excitement in my mind during that time, until we had received the news from our airline the week before we’re going home.

I spent 2 weeks in Corfu and I also went to the main land for a few days.

Corfu town centre

In Corfu, my partner has 2 properties which is his parents has left for him before they passed away. Unfortunately, He doesn’t like living over there. He has a younger sister who is also lives next to the properties. She is looking after them while the brother is living London. She came over last year for visited.

Greece manikin

In Corfu, We were there from 1^st September until 15^th September. The weather was very hot and humid. There were also a lot of mosquitos as well. I went to Corfu town centre by bus, which took only 15 minutes. The bus stopped in front of the house. I found very convenient to stay there.

Meteora Monasteries

breathtaking scenery.

Add caption

Absolutely beautiful

We went out for a walked after the sun has gone down. In the town centre at night, there were so many tourists especially the English. I supposed the townies people are spoken a very good English. The British in the history have occupied the island. I don’t feel stranger in the island as the local are very friendly and helpful.

Amazingly beautiful

A few days later we set up a trip to the mainland. We had to catch the ferry to Igoumenitsa. We had a car hire to go to the Meteora, which is in the north of Greece. The distance from Igoumenitsa to Meteora is about 2 hours drive or approximately 176 Kilometres.  I was amazed with the scenery of the main land Greece is so beautiful with a lot of mountains and the road was very narrow which is quite dangerous to drive. While on the road I have noticed that there was a lot of a small house made with the light candle inside with delicates to memory to people who has accident and die at this spot. We have to be more precautions and very concentration on the road. There were so many lorries on the very small and narrow road, sometimes, I found myself like being in the thriller flim.We were heading to the place called Meteora. This place was extraordinary place to me and also to a lot of people as well. 

peacefully town

As soon as we arrived there, I was like “ WOW” this is amazing place on earth. I have never see anything like this before. The monasteries on each rocks has it own strange and beautiful landscape. I found absolutely amazing place on earth. I also would love to go back over there again. We stayed over night at the hotel not far from it. In the morning we went trekking up to the monasteries. The weather was very hot and humidity also very high. The tourist bus is coming to visit the place as the Greece Orthodox monk lives there. I found very challenging to claimed to the top of each monastery. I have read all about the history of it place but I can’t write everything in this blog. Anyway, I had a wonderful time with the place and I found Greece is amazing place on earth. I would like to go back again or other place likes Delphi in the future. 

In 2011, we went back to Corfu again but this time, we had speedy boat hire in the Paxi Island. I was fantastic as well as scary. I found myself in James Bond film. I can drive a boat in the Ionian Sea is far too big to hit other boat. 

The Queen Jubilee celebrations 2-5/6/12

at Trafalgar Square.

Boris Johnson

The Queen passing by but couldn't get in. I better get this shot in stead. 

The best shot was from a big screen. 

The're passing behide us at Trafalgar Square.

Went for a walked before the actual day.

it was wet and empty.

night night.

The next morning 3 hours before the Thames  Pageant starting.

Still raining since last night.

Tuesday 5/6/12 still celebration for the Queen Jubilee.

Dungeness, Kent

I went to Dungeness a month a go. I love it here.  I have been there 3 times in the past. The scenery is unique from other past of the UK.
In my opinion the photos can tell everythings. I don't need to explain it. it is a beautiful place and unusual place.

My weekend in Greenwich

 

This weekend I went to Greenwich for a walk. I haven’t been there since last year. I remembered that at beginning of this year Greenwich was given a new name on the 3rd of February this year by the Queen. it is now known as the Royal borough of Greenwich.
Greenwich is also a world of heritage site. I like going there because the location offers; a museum, green spaces, a market, the river Thames and so much more.

Located in south east of London, Greenwich has many attractions. with interesting stories from the past which I will examine in this blog.

Sir Christopher Wrens’ old Royal navy College has the painted hall has described as the most beautiful dinning hall in Europe. The hall designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor was originally intended as eating space for Naval veterans who lived there at the Royal hospital for seaman. The painted hall is free of charge to get in.

Over the hill there is Greenwich Park, which also has the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Mean Time on the top, over looking across the river is Poplar in East London. You may have heard that how important the place is.

In the summer season, there will be a lot of activities for both tourist and local people are enjoy scenery of London from the top of the hill.

Every Sunday at Greenwich market, you will find a variety of internationality food. Tourist and local people come out to enjoy the fun in town.

Greenwich university is situated by the River Thames across from the Canary wharf on the north of the river.

Meridion

on the roof

The painted Hall

When I went there on Sunday, the weather wasn’t good at all. I thought we are still in winter season. It was cold and cloudy all day and still there were a lot of people in town. I went to the market bought some food and then walked along the river Thames. I stopped at the Cutty Sark which just been re-opened to the public on 26 April this year, after six years of restoration.  The ship was destroyed by fire in 2007 and the cause was unknown by the met police but some said the fire was caused by the builders or careless workers.

The Cutty Sark is open daily now.

The Cutty Sark was the world famous clipper ship of all kinds, was built in 1869 by a Scottish man and he named it after the witch in Robert Burns 1791 poem. The aim is to make the ship sail faster to the east. During that time the tea trade was very famous for the ship. The first round trip voyage began in 1870 carrying wine, spirits and beers to Shanghai and on the way back with 1450 tons of tea. The ship completed eight round tripped annually. I found quite amazed with the history of the ship, which I found on the Wikipedia on the Internet resources. The price to get in to see inside the ship will cost £ 12 per person.

This year, the Olympic and Paralympic are going to taking part in Greenwich, which mean that there will be a lot more people around and Greenwich will be very busy with all tourist plus local.

You can get to Greenwich from central London only 20 minutes by tube, train, boat and buses.

My weekend has ended after my lunch. It was time to go home after a long walked up to the hill from Greenwich town. The hill was quite high from the bottom to the top