Football frenzy!!!!!

The 22nd of September 2007 was a special day for us Aussies.
Our day started with a trip to a little town about 40mins from central London called New Malden. This place is also known as Little Korea...we took full advantage and we ate till we were rolling out of New Malden. Its actually abit of a hole really...nothing like Strathfield and really not that many Koreans out and about. For lunch we had jjajang myun which was pretty nice and then we headed off to our first football match!

We were so excited on our way there....the anticipation of going to an actual English Premier League game....I was beside myself. The match fixture was Fulham vs Manchester City. We of course were supporting Fulham because of the new recruitment of our fellow Korean Seol Ki Hyun. It was love at first sight for me....he is so HOT!!!! I always thought he was unattractive on TV but seeing him the flesh was amazing. His height, physique....absolute perfection. He only came on in the second-half of the game but we were lucky enough to see him live in the action. The game ended 3-3 but he was the most highly rated player for that match. He was unbelievable.....I lost my voice screaming so hard. The atmosphere of the stadium and the fans yelling their chants will be a memory I will not forget. It was a total adrenaline rush!!!
After the game we hung around until the thousands of people left the stadium. Lucky enough Seol Ki Hyun came out onto the field again to cool down. I dragged Boris oppa and hubby down to the front of the stadium so I could attempt to talk to him. I told hubby to yell out but he was too shy so Boris oppa yelled out "Seol Ki Hyun Fighting!" and then he turned around and waved to us and I nearly passed out!
So that was our exciting English weekend.....one I will never ever forget!

Our first road trip!

This weekend having Boris oppa in town, we took the opportunity to hire a car and take a road trip to see the south-east of the UK. We left London at 6.30am which was quite a miracle for Boris oppa, but we forced him to get up and off we went. The regional parts of the UK were a stark contrast from the busy streets of London. Everything was cleaner and fresher with lots of greenery....typically English green green countryside.

Day 1 - First stop: Leeds Castle. The most famous resident of this castle was King Henry VIII, this castle was passed down something like 8 generations. It is now part of the National Trust of the UK and it was quite a sight to see. We got to see the inside of the castle, where most of the rooms and interior had been well retained. The castle was also surrounded by a small lake and a huge expanse of gardens galore. There was also a typically English maze in which we got lost....I think it took us almost an hour to get out. Two accountants and a scientist could not figure this problem out very easily!

Day 1- Second stop: White Cliffs, Dover. This place is World Heritage listed...again very impressive. White Cliffs is the very south-eastern coast of the UK, where all the ships leave to go to the nearby European countries. BUT nothing beats Australian waters. Australia wins hands-down.

Day 2: Bayham Old Abbey. We got lost getting here and I got carsick but we eventually did make it. This is another slice of history, being one of the largest and oldest existing abbeys in the UK. It was just the remains of what used to be an abbey but you could still visualise how large it once was.

Day 2 ended at a designer shopping outlet. I scored a bargain-price Ted Baker top and Boris oppa 2 Ralph Lauren Polo shirts.....hubby typically not interested in shopping.

First road trip....fantastic.
Next trip: Oxford!

Thanksgiving

My first two manuscripts from my PhD work have been accepted for publication, in two prestigious journals:
1, The American Journal of Pathology
2. Neurobiology of Disease

I thank the Lord for His strength and blessings in getting me through this. This would have not been possible without prayer and encouragement from my loved ones, believing I could acheive this. I thank everyone that prayed for me and encouraged me, it has given me immense strength. In our field of work, where it is about prestige and about academic output it is so easy to become proud and arrogrant. There are times I become so foolish and try to credit myself believing that its all about me me me. Thankfully, God makes me realise that He is the potter and I am merely the clay.

Now in my final year, the end is near... I can see the end of this journey getting closer and closer. I thank God that I made it this far without going crazy, although hubby may disagree^^??. I realise that all this has been possible through my one and only Father. I realise that perserverance and confidence in Him truly makes all things possible in Christ.

Welcome to our hood!

London is becoming home....our hood is Russell Square. The history of Russell Square is famous for its home to the literary greats Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf and TS Eliot. Our hood is becoming very much home and we are settling in very well. We are conveniently located around 3 underground tube stations and have a shopping mall called the Brunswick Centre....full of lots fashionable shops and restaurants...most of which we cannot afford...but still the atmosphere is very modern and chic.

Today we introduced our only friend in London, Mr Boris Lee to Russell Square. It was so lovely to see a familiar face, a face that reminded of us all the loved ones back in OZ. Hubby and I realised it was nice to talk to someone other that eachother...kekeke. Due to the loss of luggage and staying all night at the airport Boris oppa looked a little gaunt. We fed him some Korean food and caught up on all that we had missed out on. It is a nice to have an old friend in our new hood:)