i remember telling my dad that commuting to school would not be that much of a problem. prior to my departure to uk (when i still attended lessons in school), it took me 1hr 40 min to get to NUS, so compared to that a 25-minute walk would be nothing. though it is tiring (especially if you have to do a jog/walk if you're late for classes), the daily commute to school is bearable, almost enjoyable. unlike singapore, the weather in london (when it's not raining) is extremely conducive for walking.
the scenery of my journey to school can be best described as half a period of a sine curve. it starts off pretty low because when i wake up and look out of my window, i get a stunning view of the kitchen and a wall. it kind of reminds me of what a prison cell with windows will look like.
the woodwork across the window pane is reminiscent of jailbars
nice view of the basement
then upon exiting my room, like a high security prison, i am faced with an infinite hallway of doors (in the words of the MTV matrix spoof).
it's not really infinite, but it's a heck lot of doors
the external view of wilson house when you finally get out
the streets of london however are actually rather picturesque. unlike the angular concrete HDB flats that tower over the streets of singapore, most of the buildings here are low-rise and have rather traditional facade (akin to that of singapore's chinatown).
welcome to sussex gardens
then comes hyde park. this place is truly beautiful. i can never get tired by the vibrancy of this place. there will always be people walking their dogs (of all breeds, from the siberian husky to the mop-like pekinese), which will sometimes chase after the numerous squirrels that inhabit the park. in addition there are pigeons, swans, ducks and even the occasional horse.
the fountain that greets visitors entering marlborough gate
pathway leading to the physical energy statue (weird name though)
random shots of hyde park
the albert memorial marks the end of the hyde park portion of the journey. the statue reminds me of that of buddha though, and seems more at home in thailand instead of london. must be the gold colour. occasionally, the steps of and fields beside the albert memorial will be filled with school kids on a school trip or something.
my name is albert
however, it is suitably located opposite the royal albert hall, where a majority of major acts are held. hopefully something nice will be held there during my exchange period.
royal albert hall
following that is the royal college of music (RCM), the imperial equivalent of yong siew toh consevatory of music (YSTCM). like YSTCM, it is rather exclusive, and guests (i.e. non-staff and non-students) have to register with security with a purpose of their visit. however, while YSTCM is modern, RCM's architecture is more traditional and feels like it has more heritage. if YSTCM could be liken to the esplanade, RCM would be victoria concert hall. interestingly, sometimes their music can be heard from chem eng LT 2 at the ACE extension. nothing like some good old opera singing to punctuate a boring lecture.
source of relief from dreary chem eng lectures
remember how i likened the journey to half a period of a sine wave (for the mathematically non-inclined it is essentially the shape of a hump). the journey to school ends with school itself, which looks almost as splendid as the view of room.
doesn't look very imperial
well a world class institution need not look world class. just like the old RJC campus at ghim moh. it looked dem cui, and if you squirt sulphuric acid on the wooden (yes wooden) lab bench top you'll see effervescence of some unknown gas. yet it still managed to do decently well at the A levels.
hopefully i'll get world class education at imperial. wait what am i saying? i'm on exchange. shit.
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