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2023 April-May - London, UK (Day 10)
Last day in London... Well. My Boss also went to London while I was there. He set up a meeting for some other side project that I'm normally not involved (it's part of another company he handles) but he asked if I had time to join him. I figured..... I was sick and tired of my friend already, so I said yes, as long as I get to leave in time for the airport (I had booked a 14.30 taxi ride to the airport because my friend complained "her bag is very heavy and she's not lugging the bag from station to station for interchange and such"). I didn't have formal wear though, he said it's fine, that he's going to show up in a cap anyway. okayyyyy.....????
So my friend said she didn't have enough time to explore The British Museum? Fine. I walked her to the door of the Museum, then I made my way to find my Boss.
Tried to find a post office along the way. Geez. It's so expensive! If I send a postcard from Macau to the UK, it would cost me like, MOP $5, that's like... just under 50p (GBP 0.49) but gawdammit, sending a postcard from the UK to Macau was GBP 2.2????? MOP$23? I wonder if it's because I didn't go to a proper post-office-post-office. The lady said anywhere in the world as long as it's outside of the UK then it's 2.2. I wonder if this is a standard international postage so people don't have to think about where and where, like, the maximum amount someone has to pay to send anywhere. But anyway. Postcards are coming!
So, he asked me to ring the bell, so I did. He said the bell is very loud and it will wake him up. (Yes, he wanted me there to wake him up for the meeting haha). Meanwhile, as I was waiting, the building caretaker came over and asked "how can i help you?" and I was like, I wasn't sure if this was indeed a private apartment, or a timeshare kind of deal, that one had to inform the management that you're going there, and I knew that this wasn't my boss' own apartment (I think it was a friend's), so I didn't want to divulge too much. He asked a few questions, started thinking about who lives in which flat, and all that, and asked me if it's Mr. XXXXXX (i have no idea what his friend's dad's name is) so, I just nodded LOL. He then asks "from Hong Kong right?" and yeah, that saved me. Yesssssssss..... then "But I didn't know he was coming?" and I was like oh shit (i thought again, time share deal, not his turn yet shit shit shit)
Turns out the caretaker was only thinking out loud. He wanted to let me in, but I said "it's better I stay out, I don't have a key to go in the apartment anyway. I'll just wait for him to buzz me in. Better this way, both for you and me." Coz, I don't know if there are visitor rules or whatnot with regards to security. Soon enough he awakens! And buzzes me in. I walked up, not knowing there was an elevator LOL. Saw him in his jammies. Wanted to say there are holes in his jammies. But. yeah. I dunno. Not my place, I suppose. He gets dressed and off we go!
Ah, the difference of walking with someone who doesn't walk behind you! I just needed him to show me which way to go and we went our merry way. I also wasn't sure what he really wanted me to do with the meeting, so I jotted down notes and such. Lucky I had some spare business cards in my card case, as he requested the other party to send some reports to me as well. (Feelin' so prepared with my cards on me LOL) I think after the meeting he wanted to invite me for lunch, but I said I had to go fetch a severely directionally challenged friend from the British Museum, so we walked togther towards Holborn. Then he went on his way, and I went on mine. Bye Boss! Safe trip back! I'm going home first!
Got my friend, then we went back to our area.
Was still early so we hunted for lunch. Then I thought to walk through Selfridges for some last minute souvenirs, got some Coronation chocolate (yes, I know, it's just a packaging gimmick) and then received a call from the ride at 13.30. I asked, "but I booked for 14:30?" and he said, yeah but coronation so lots of roads closed. Okay. So we headed back.
I didn't notice any major disruption from the coronation, but there were a lot of works in the streets. In fact, most of the places we visited throughout the trip had part of the facade or building under works! We arrived 3 hours early, but lucky because the bag drop counter was open right at 3 hours before the flight. Dropped the bags, went through immigration, and had too much time. Friend continued to go shopping, so I used my card to go into the Lounge (my credit card gives me 10 visits per calendar year to visit the lounge). Isn't really all that exciting, as it seems everyone and their moms have the card too, but I got myself a small reading nook, and had some cake and water. Soon we boarded. I watched a movie, Violent Night. But, there should be so much more! I mean, I was rather appalled by the casual and blase-ness of people dying, but there should be more backstory. How did he become Santa Clause?
After the movie, I took out my laptop and typed up the notes from that meeting I had earlier. Then I slept. Actually managed to sleep most of the flight. When I woke up properly, it was just time for breakfast. But service was abysmal this time. We got served our food, then when it was drinks, either they ran out of stuff, and said to the row in front of us "I'll be back with your drinks," drinks never came. Then when almost landing, the pilot announced "If you have any trash, the crew is collecting them now," crew came to give our the immigration papers, but nobody came to collect the trash.
And this concludes my trip to London. Ah. Next planned holiday is end of October. Hm... can't wait :-)
So my friend said she didn't have enough time to explore The British Museum? Fine. I walked her to the door of the Museum, then I made my way to find my Boss.
Tried to find a post office along the way. Geez. It's so expensive! If I send a postcard from Macau to the UK, it would cost me like, MOP $5, that's like... just under 50p (GBP 0.49) but gawdammit, sending a postcard from the UK to Macau was GBP 2.2????? MOP$23? I wonder if it's because I didn't go to a proper post-office-post-office. The lady said anywhere in the world as long as it's outside of the UK then it's 2.2. I wonder if this is a standard international postage so people don't have to think about where and where, like, the maximum amount someone has to pay to send anywhere. But anyway. Postcards are coming!
So, he asked me to ring the bell, so I did. He said the bell is very loud and it will wake him up. (Yes, he wanted me there to wake him up for the meeting haha). Meanwhile, as I was waiting, the building caretaker came over and asked "how can i help you?" and I was like, I wasn't sure if this was indeed a private apartment, or a timeshare kind of deal, that one had to inform the management that you're going there, and I knew that this wasn't my boss' own apartment (I think it was a friend's), so I didn't want to divulge too much. He asked a few questions, started thinking about who lives in which flat, and all that, and asked me if it's Mr. XXXXXX (i have no idea what his friend's dad's name is) so, I just nodded LOL. He then asks "from Hong Kong right?" and yeah, that saved me. Yesssssssss..... then "But I didn't know he was coming?" and I was like oh shit (i thought again, time share deal, not his turn yet shit shit shit)
Turns out the caretaker was only thinking out loud. He wanted to let me in, but I said "it's better I stay out, I don't have a key to go in the apartment anyway. I'll just wait for him to buzz me in. Better this way, both for you and me." Coz, I don't know if there are visitor rules or whatnot with regards to security. Soon enough he awakens! And buzzes me in. I walked up, not knowing there was an elevator LOL. Saw him in his jammies. Wanted to say there are holes in his jammies. But. yeah. I dunno. Not my place, I suppose. He gets dressed and off we go!
Ah, the difference of walking with someone who doesn't walk behind you! I just needed him to show me which way to go and we went our merry way. I also wasn't sure what he really wanted me to do with the meeting, so I jotted down notes and such. Lucky I had some spare business cards in my card case, as he requested the other party to send some reports to me as well. (Feelin' so prepared with my cards on me LOL) I think after the meeting he wanted to invite me for lunch, but I said I had to go fetch a severely directionally challenged friend from the British Museum, so we walked togther towards Holborn. Then he went on his way, and I went on mine. Bye Boss! Safe trip back! I'm going home first!
Got my friend, then we went back to our area.
Was still early so we hunted for lunch. Then I thought to walk through Selfridges for some last minute souvenirs, got some Coronation chocolate (yes, I know, it's just a packaging gimmick) and then received a call from the ride at 13.30. I asked, "but I booked for 14:30?" and he said, yeah but coronation so lots of roads closed. Okay. So we headed back.
I didn't notice any major disruption from the coronation, but there were a lot of works in the streets. In fact, most of the places we visited throughout the trip had part of the facade or building under works! We arrived 3 hours early, but lucky because the bag drop counter was open right at 3 hours before the flight. Dropped the bags, went through immigration, and had too much time. Friend continued to go shopping, so I used my card to go into the Lounge (my credit card gives me 10 visits per calendar year to visit the lounge). Isn't really all that exciting, as it seems everyone and their moms have the card too, but I got myself a small reading nook, and had some cake and water. Soon we boarded. I watched a movie, Violent Night. But, there should be so much more! I mean, I was rather appalled by the casual and blase-ness of people dying, but there should be more backstory. How did he become Santa Clause?
After the movie, I took out my laptop and typed up the notes from that meeting I had earlier. Then I slept. Actually managed to sleep most of the flight. When I woke up properly, it was just time for breakfast. But service was abysmal this time. We got served our food, then when it was drinks, either they ran out of stuff, and said to the row in front of us "I'll be back with your drinks," drinks never came. Then when almost landing, the pilot announced "If you have any trash, the crew is collecting them now," crew came to give our the immigration papers, but nobody came to collect the trash.
And this concludes my trip to London. Ah. Next planned holiday is end of October. Hm... can't wait :-)