Of Latin Mass and Temple Churches...

Meant to blog this on Sunday, but I was too busy. Been busy the whole week, so I've only found the time to write this now.

It all started with me oversleeping last Sunday morning. I woke up at 1010, too late to make it to Newman House, so I whipped out my laptop and goggled for masses in my area. As it were, there was a 11am service at St Etheldreda's Church, a 15 minute walk from my hall. In my haste, I ignored 2 words in brackets, that would later come to haunt me - (Sung Latin).

I raced across the Blackfriars towards church and was pleased to arrive in good time. The church looked really old and apparently it is the oldest church in all of England. I was awed in particular, by the magnificent stained glass windows that adorned the walls of the main chapel. This picture should give you a better idea of the beauty of the church.


My awe turned to horror as the priest started the mass in Latin. Only then did it occur to me what 'Sung Latin" meant. It meant the WHOLE mass was sung in Latin. With the exception of the readings, gospel and homily, I was pretty much flabbergasted at the utterances of the congregation, as I moved my lips, hoping that some divine intervention would allow me to join in the chorus of voices.

To be honest, it was not really all that bad. The choir was lovely and the mass was really beautiful (save for the fact that I didn't understand half of it.

On Wednesday, I had lunch with J Fok in Temple, a short 5 minute walk away for the LSE. Basically, what it is is one of the four inns of Court, sort of like a guild house for lawyers. Thanks to J Fok being a lawyer in training, I had the pleasure of being his guest for lunch in the Banquet Room of Middle Temple.

It looked like a scene out of Harry Potter, with long tables stretching the length of the hall and a long table in the front for the Temple's members of the Bench. Everything, from the plates, to the chairs to the tables were adorned with the crest of Middle Temple - a lamb carrying a standard. The walls were filled with the numerous crests, presumably that of the Knights Templar, who used to occupy these buildings. Its a pity I couldn't take pictures, but the interior of the hall was truly beautiful.

The food was as good or even better than the decor. The roasted pork loin melted in my mouth and the crackling that accompanied it sent shivers down my spine. Jon's soup tasted so rich and fresh, even though it was just chicken and vegetable soup. (we nearly gave it a miss thanks to its unassuming name)

We adjourned to Temple Church for a quick visit. For the uninitiated, this was the location of one of the climatic scenes in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. The architecture was nice, though it didn't really stir up too strong emotions in me. Might come back soon though. Apparently a pretty good choir comes to sing here every Sunday.

'Wicked' is Wicked

I watched my second musical in London today - Wicked. On Jon Fok's recommendation, I caught it with him and a few of his friends. The show lived up and even surpassed expectations (which were really high, considering I was paying 45 pounds for it), and I am more than happy to part with my money.

Basically, the show is adapted from the Wizard of Oz and proposes that the Wicked Witch of the West is not wicked, but actually the victim of societal prejudices and a 'smear campaign' orchestrated by none other than the 'wonderful' Wizard of Oz.

From Tony Award winner, Idina Menzel (Elphaba aka the Wicked Witch) to the rest of the supporting cast, the vocals were fantastic, with many a number leaving my skin tingling with delight. The satire and wit woven into the storyline were thoroughly enjoyable and easily appreciated by anyone with prior knowledge of the Wizard of Oz story. Coupled with the fact that we got pretty good seats, it made the whole musical experience absolutely fantastic.

All that being said, this performance really set the bar for musicals really high. I doubt I be able to say another musical is good for a long time to come.

This show is a definite must watch, though preferably before Idina Menzel, who was originally cast in the Chicago production of the show, ends her run at the end of October. I'm sure you'll think the show is pure Wicked too.

Yawn....

I'm so sleepy... Having a 6 hour break between my History and Economics classes. It's no point walking back to hall because it'll take me an hour both ways, so I'm stoning in the library. Really should be doing some reading at least. But, my brain doesn't want to work. Zzzzzzz....

3 Day Week!!!!

Just got a new time-table today, because I made a change to my choice of course. I now have a 3 day week, with school on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. I'm loving it!!! Except of course the inevitable crush of lessons on Tuesday. I have 5 out of my 9 hours of lessons per week on this day, with only a one hour break in between. Thankfully, it's at lunch time, so no major disruptions to my gastro-clock will be required. Bet you are all jealous of me.... :)

Hello Singapore, This is London....

After a very, very long time, I have finally decided to return to the world of blogging. Casting aside my fear of being discovered by people I hardly even know, I will try my best to update this blog as often as I can.

It's been a great first 2 weeks here in London so far. If you've spoken to me, you've probably heard me gushing about the weather. It's been nice and cool (around 16 degrees) and apart from the frequent rain, it's a very welcome change from Singapore. Most people think I'm crazy walking around in the clothes I usually wear in Singapore ( jeans and t-shirts), while they are in their jackets and coats. But, I'm just relishing the cool air on my skin, before it gets too cold to enjoy a simple pleasure like that.

To cut a long story short, I've been settling down in London pretty well. Got the whole infrastructure (ie. toileteries, groceries, cutlery) up, with a few exceptions, and trying to get into a reading/studying mood. There's a whole load of texts to read for my International Relations, History and Politcial Theory courses, and I'm just too slow a reader. Ah well, I better get used to it quickly, though it's still early days.

Today was a pretty good day. Went for my first run in London, down the Thames, up Millenium Bridge, up the Thames and back to hall via Blackfriars. A pretty short run, but I'm getting used to the cold air here. Also cooked my first meal solo - an egg mayo and ham sandwich. Pretty easy stuff, but hey, it's a start. I ran for PR Officer of the SingSoc and got elected. Pretty happy about it, though Ian Cheng said I gave a horrible speech because I was too aggressive. On hindsight, I quite agree with him. I can't do 'fierce'. I'm too much of a nice guy. Don't you agree? :p To cap off a wonderful day, we had a 19th gathering at Andrea's place. Our lovely host made chicken rice, curry chicken and red bean soup. All were fantastic! I can't wait to be invited back again. *hint hint* The company of Zhong, Max and Cheng was also fantastic. I'm really glad I have such a fantastic bunch of friends even in such a far away land.

Got so much to say, but so little time. Will post some of the beautiful pictures I've taken in London and Brighton (yes, I've already been on a day trip and had a wonderful Saturday by the sea) as soon as I find the time.

AFK.... (away from keyboard)

Back from a long hiatus. Been busy at work and play. Have a whole load of articles to do now, that are keeping me on my toes. Got an article for tomorrow's Urban and two for Sunday's Lifestyle. Going off to Joo Chiat to chase two story soon, so decided to blog while waiting.

I've made a decision on my future at last. Won't say exactly what my plans are here, but if you ask me, I'll be more than willing to tell.

Don't feel safe saying sensitive stuff here. Was just checking statcounter.com and found out someone accessed my blog by googling: SMU scholarship interview. So a bit more wary of what I am writing here.

1st Article Tomorrow!!!

At last, my first article will be coming out tomorrow... So happy that it is coming out after 2 long weeks at Life! It'll be on Life! page 2, so check it out yah...

Resuming Normal Service

Back at last. Finally got over my spell of 'depression'. Feeling alot better. Thanks everyone, for you concern. Really appreciate it.

Started getting work this week. 2 articles, one on Singaporean buses and the other on penis size, both equally eventul.

Let's start with the bus story. Was supposed to do a straw poll with 5 questions, so I headed down to Boon Lay bus interchange to carry out my survey. In the 3 hours I spent there, I only managed to get 19 people to fill it up. That was uber-depressing. My morale was sooooooo low. The feeling of being ignored or waved away by 9 out of 10 people I approached was a real blow to my ego. I think it was a really humbling experience. I can't count the number of times I have ignored people giving out flyers or conducting surveys in town, so I guess this was a real reality check for me. A wake-up call to be more sensitive to the needs of people around me, even those who I don't know personally.

Next was the penis size story. Got it on Wednesday, after the news report of a JC student killing himself after feeling his penis was too small. Found that it was quite a weird topic to work on. For starters, penis is not a word we use very liberally in our social context. In the 3 days I worked on it, I probably said the word 'penis' more times than the rest of my life put together. Also wasn't too sure where to draw the line between being informative and being obscene. Angle was also a little vague especially with the further reports on Thursday that he was suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Anyway, both stories were scheduled to be published today, but on Friday they decided to postpone the bus one to next Sunday and the penis size story indefinitely. On my part, I hope the article never sees the light of day. Not too proud of it, in terms of both writing style and content. Looking forward to writing articles of a more 'normal' nature.