Seven Sisters Cliffs

Assalamualaikum...

stamina is important for a PhD student...believe me, I have experienced it. therefore, I have planned for the next 4 years to go for a country sidewalk fortnightly starting this month! 💪

the first destination was to Seven Sisters Cliff at Seaford...I went there with few of my friends last week on the 9th of August...one of the comrades is already a member of a walking club here in London, so she invited us to go for a walk at Seven Sisters last weekend...more info on the club can be found here...the main walk is actually 22.3km (13.8 miles) away but since no strenuous activity have been done in such a long time, we decided to start with a shorter walk that consist of only 6.2km...

we took a Southern train from Victoria Station to Lewes and from Lewes to Seaford which took us around 1 hour and the half

once we arrived at Lewes station, we saw people dressing up as they were going to the beach and some of them were heading to the same direction as we are =D the chirping sound of the seagulls indicating that we are very near to the venue that we are heading for

  

the beach!!! this beach is very near to Seaford station...as you can see, this is how the people here enjoying their summer! just love the refreshing breeze of the sea~ I have been longing to go to the beach since I came to UK...and now here I was!

near the beach, you can find these cute colourful hut to serve the purpose for those that want to picnic or surfing or any activity at the beach...I guess you can rent it...I am not sure about that...sorry -_-"

the Mortello Tower with the red arrow indicates the start of our journey :)

  

we walked along the edge of the cliff

  

and we climbed this steep edgy cliff

until....

  

we can view this spectacular scenery...Subhanallah...its so beautiful

  

we made it!! group photo with the Seven Sisters Hump as the background!

  

while walking, we stumble upon the bushes with blackberries...we taste it and its so sour! haha...I got the sour one and my comrades get to taste the sweet berries...fine! -_-"

  

The place we were standing is called Hope Gap...there were many people went down the beach to find mud crabs...

familiar with this picture??? this is one of Windows Wallpaper view!!! have a look at your lappy/desktop wallpaper (if you are using Windows)

how cool is it??? hahaha...Alhamdulillah I have been here

this is the area where people search for the mud crabs...once I saw this, I have this crazy idea to walk along this slippery-full-of-seaweed to go to the beach of where we were going to have our lunch...and I drag my bestie with me...hahaha...and there is one point where she fell...sorry bestie~

finally we reached the beach side after a looong walk on the slippery rocks! haha

me and my bestie would have to cross this river that connects to the sea...I thought its not that deep and I dont have to take off my shoes...but its quite deep tho! and my other team members who were on the other side of the stream advice me to take off my shoes and cross the river...but when I did that, I cant even walk...its so painful to walk on the rocks under the stream...I gave up and walk with my shoes on

we had our lunch, enjoy the breeze of the sea and me, my bestie and the other girl of the team members went into the sea for a while...its so refreshing! love it

    

  

we then continue our walk for another 2.5km to the bus stop since its almost Asr...along the way there is one field where I can see how they make hay...and then we found a pen of sheep...the boys in the team were busy chasing the sheep...we were just watching them from a far...not only us, but other people were watching them as well! boys~ :)

I was yearning to have tea and scones since the beginning of the walk just like when I had a walk to Kent last year...since its too late to have that since we were late for Asr, so we couldn't stop and have that along our walk...so at the station while waiting for the train for 40 minutes, we waited at a cafe that serve fresh Lavender Homamade Sorbet...delicious and taste like perfumes...haha...at least I could have something difference =D sorbet check! >.<

since we didn't finish the whole journey this time, we gonna have another walk from the other end of the walk and finish it! jyeah!

till then~bye ^_^v

p/s: total cost of the journey: GBP 17.70 for the train ticket-return...since we bought the ticket in a group, we get 10% discount

Master Graduation at Royal Albert Hall!!!

Assalamualaikum...

As I mentioned in the previous post that my mom came to London to visit me the reason behind it is because my Graduation was on 6th of May!!! *happy2*

the graduation ceremony was for my Master which I have successfully completed it in 2014 with the grace and blessings from Allah S.W.T :D

since the day of my graduation falls on weekdays which is on the Wednesday, believe me or not, I still have to go to the lab...haha...told you I was busy that week :(

but I am just so lucky when our session was at 5.30pm which was the last session for that day...ample time for me to go to the lab, finish what I need to do and hurry up home and get ready for my graduation ceremony~

first let took a picture in front of the house~ >.<

we start our journey around 4pm to Royal Albert Hall of where the ceremony will be held..yeah I know its already late!! wuhuuu...

once we reached there, me and my bestie run towards the gown collection area...since we are not from the main campus, so we were not familiar with the buildings there and where it is situated...fyi, Imperial College London main campus is at South Kensington which is just infront of Royal Albert Hall :D 

so we keep asking people whom just finish their session and busy taking photos...haha...right after we reached the area, we just need to give the staff on duty our gown code since we need to hire the gown for GBP55.00 yes we need to pay!!! and thats not a deposit as in Malaysia! pfftt~ -_-" apart from the rent that we need to pay for, if we want to include the graduation hat, we need to buy the hat!! aigooo..so we just went with ONLY the gown...so please dont ask why we didn't wear any graduation hat/mortar board! :D

photos with the Graduation Gown is a must! hehe...

  

after photo session with our family, we enter the hall as we need to be seated first...we enter the hall around 5pm...that is my seat...4 seats towards my left is where my bestie were seated :D

sharp at 5.30pm the session starts...after 2 hours of waiting, then it is our time!!!

yeah!! my name is already resonates in Royal Albert Hall~~alhamdulillah >.<

inside the hall with our friend :D

  

after the ceremony, I met a few of my friends...

me and my bestie with Lisia whom I known during my master and apparently lives in the same building with me last year at Gradpad Wood Lane Studio...she is already in Malaysia working and we are here struggling with our PhD...sometimes I just miss the moment that we were together having fun -_-"

Lauren, our classmate during master...please do come to London often so that we can hang out! :D

K. Baya and K. Zada who came during our convocation and brought us two lovely Tulips for me and my bestie...tq guys!! you guys are the best! :-* muahciket...haha

big group photo with my bestie's family!~ love this photo ^_^

just wana say thanks to my family, my siblings who gave endless support to me during my master and my sister-my partner in crime who make all these possible, love you to the moon and back!! muahhhh!! 

my bestie who is alwayz there beside during my master and now PhD, may our friendship last until Jannah, love you to bestie!! 

and last but not least to all my friends out there who pray for me...tq guys!! :)

Bye~^_^v

Billingsgate Fish Market

Assalamualaikum...

when I came to London in 2013, I realise one thing....the seafood here is very very very expensive! thus I seldom buy fish not to mention others such as crab, prawn, squid etc...

but after almost 2 years in London, I came to know the existence of a fish market situated at Trafalgar Way, Poplar, E14 5ST

this fish market was mentioned to me by one of my friend and she asks me and my bestie to join her to go there...since its a "pasar borong" same thing like we have in Malaysia, so you need to be there very very early in the morning...

last Saturday, after Sahr, at 3am, we depart as with the aim that we arrive there early and so we can have the early catch of every seafood that we are aiming for ...since there is no direct bus from our house, we need to change 3 times to go there...end up, we reached there around 5.30am -_-" plus with so many roadwork along the way and the bus need to divert, we need to walk quite far from where we hop off

see the big blue Billingsgate Market? thats the main entrance...thats how far we walk...pfftt~

actually there is another friend of mine told me that her husband usually went out quite early because there are not enough space to park a car if you came late...but surprisingly when we arrived at 5.30am, there were loads of free space for car to park...

with the friend of mine that requested that we join her to come here =D tq k.zada!! sooooo worth it!!!!!

  

this is how it looks inside the market...so sorry there were not so many photos that we manage to capture since we were very busy looking around and comparing price as its just 5.30am in the morning but quite a few of the stalls already closed! and some of the seller already started clearing up their stock! note to oneself that we need to come earlier than that next time..huhu

and thats what me and my bestie were looking for when we decided to come here!! Mr. CRAB!! nyummy~

after an hour in the market, thats how much we manage to grab...some were actually on my possession while I was capturing this pix...and yes most of the seller will put in that big black plastic bag (the trash plastic) of your purchases...so thats what my bestie is holding...we did brought our very own IKEA blue rag bag and the big SPORTS DIRECT rag bag as well...and both are full with seafood!!

  

see how big the salmon is??? compare it with the mug beside it! its just GBP12 wohoooaaaa

  

so thats what we manage to catch! actually there is squid as well but it was with k.zada..huhu...we saw lobster at just GBP8 the same size as I ate at Burgers & Lobster!!! I was just about to grab that as well but my freezer is very very small...next time for sure!!!!!

so here are few tips if you are planning to go here:

1. they dont sell below 1kg, so make sure you have a very big freezer if you want to come here...haha just kidding...so what other people will do is they share it with other people...as in my case, I share it with k.zada...so for example, we bought the small fish for 1kg, but we divide it into 2: between k.zada and me + my bestie

2. the market is very big...so there are sooo many stalls inside...make sure you survey the price...for example the salmon fish, most of the stalls sell it at GBP18 and there are few stalls higher than that, but there are 2 stalls selling it at GBP12...

3. I can say that its soooo worth of your money! dont worry, you will have so much stock in your freezer for a month!

its so easier to go back from here than to come here...because the nearest tube station is Canary Wharf overground station...take 277 bus from the station just infront of the market to the overground station...from the station it just took us 30 minutes to reach our house...

I am sooo gonna come here again next time...but obviously not during winter with 2 main reasons:

1. its so dark when we went out at 3am and since its summer, so the daytime is longer so around 4am its already quite bright...but if its winter, even its already 6am, it will still be dark

2. eventhough its summer, but its quite cold early in the morning...so can you imagine if its winter??? hahah...I cant imagine myself...

Hope the tips help!

Bye~^_^

p/s: gonna restock again maybe in autumn...hehe...so that it can last until winter :D