D + 8

It has been one week i m in my NMDP. reunited with my wife after parting for quite a long time. adjusting myself to the environment, culture, weather and ppl here. my wife has been a great help in making sure i m comfortably adjusting although she made me do lots of house chores, but it's ok, being a domestic engineer is not an easy task but it's something to start with. hahahahahha. my journey here was not a pleasant one but it's bearable. the airasia flight D72008 on 25th June 2009 (msia time) was very generous that it gave all onboard an hour of free sauna at normal pressure. Now everyone can Spa and Fly, i think that's their new motto.

Free sauna, their jacuzzi and steam bath are still under construction i guess.

Sunny and hot, i think the pilot or technician forgot that they r in msia n it's summer in the west too....or wanna save energy? we never know as the captain nor the air crews ever announce anything bout the heat, guess it's the SOP of this airline.

All these seats come with free 1 hr sauna prior to liftoff.... humidity, heat + H1N1.... nice environment to cultivate gems, if i m not mistaken

This is the inflight meal which i managed to ordered online (RM38 for 2 set of meal). Set 1 as per displayed.... chicken lasagna served warm with free spritzel mineral water.

Set 2, BBQ chicken with potato dipped in 2mm of cooking oil and some very oily mix vege, comes with spritzel mineral water too. (note: if this meal is purchased inflight, it will cost rm25 per meal, they have other menu as well, nasi briyani kinda stuff. who says oil/fuel is expensive?)

1st thing to do when arrive at a new ground is to conduct close reccee to the most populated area and learn bout their culture. basically ppl here love to walk n ride the tube. walked through regent's park, chinatown, london bridge, st paul cathedral, etc. Nice that here has lots of old churches with nice structures too. wait till ming is here then can have a nice photosession of these structures.

On-surface tube station, typical wallpaper finish... cablestile.

Underground tube station, typical wallpaper finishing

One of the old churches in Hampstead

Rugby time! imported Kamela-jin

Typical building structure, Hampstead

In South London - Tooting Broadway

Next, is to establish a good communication system. so my wife and I recceed a few mobile telcos and we ended up with 3. it's a nice package of unlimited text, internet, free calls within the same network, 200mins of free calls to the others and a free phone. besides that, internet at home is already well establish.

Gon and babi now got their own phone

Then, it's time to visit all the local elders to get guidance and all the do's n don'ts. Auntie Ann, Aunt Lianny, Uncle Bryan, Aunt Dilys and Uncle Alex. good to meet all of them as they helped my wife alot during her journey in this foreign land. Uncle Alex and Aunt Dilys will be going down to portland soon and hope to meet them again there too. We had a nice oriental dinner with U Bryan, A Lianny and Aunty Ann in chinatown. they also brought us leisure walking within Leicester Square and the Seven Dials.

With U Alex, A Dilys.

This is the meal that they cooked for me and my wife that day. Aunty Maylia cooked kch style curry chicken!

A Dilys, Popo Maylia aka Chief Cook and Desmond

Posing with mahjong warrior (the one with cigar)

Typical english tea, mamak corner

U Bryan, A Ann, A Lianny

The gals infront of Ivy, a celebrity hang-out (pictures blurry, wrong focus point, too dark)

Typical mamak stores in london. place where ppl have their teh tarik session

Night view

For the ration part, i have a very good encounter with it. Food here is just so nice that i can keep on eating hahahahahaha. Aunt Ann is a very good cook and she cooks systematically, not much of massive ingredients needed, just simple preparations, into the oven n over the table! but they taste so nice. i think later on, she's going to cook roasted beef! hahahahahah. aunt Dillys and popo M also can cook very well. they r good in desserts too! i think my wife should learn to cook from them soon, of course, wait till i can give her time off hahahahaaha.

Roast chicken

Oven baked mix vege, mix urself-style

Baked salmon with cheese and bread crumps

Cheese cream cauliflower

Strawberries everywhere!! arggh... where's durian?

Strawberry+orange tart.

Our 1st self prepared meal

Stir fried cajun chicken with brocoli and carrot

Oh ya, not to forget, finally i have the chance to meet peppy, one of monster's husband candidates. hahahahah he has the craziness as her!

Peppy: Welcome to Englandddd