Belfast

After celebrating the arrival of 2008, I left to Belfast with my brother and cousin.

City Hall with the Belfast Wheel.

Not too unlike Edinburgh right?

The Ferris Wheel at Edinburgh's Christmas Market

Having spent almost 4 years of my life in this country, I have only ever been to 4 cities - London, Glasgow, Cambridge and Oxford, with the latter 2 being more like suburbia rather than large, flashy cities.

So, this is UK city No. 5.

The top tourist attraction in Belfast is the Giant Causeway. Like how the one thing to do in Scotland is to go to Loch Ness to find the Nessie, the Loch Ness monster.

In 2008, a movie called 'The Water Horse' will be released featuring none other than Nessie, called Crichow or something in the film. However, if you visit Scotland and buy their souvenirs of this legendary creature, they call it Nessie. So I'll stick to Nessie.

If you have always wondered what the Scottish accent was like, watch the film.

Back to the Giant Causeway. Tammy and I took a one day trip to the place which is by the sea, about 2 hours bus ride out of Belfast.

Apparently from the Irish coast, one can see Scotland. Even touch them both. Almost. We nearly froze our fingers off in the few seconds trying to take the picture, it was that cold.

It is fabled that the Giant Finn McCool of Ireland saw a beautiful girl at the beach of Scotland named Oonagh. He then crossed over and claimed her as his bride when she is actually the princess of Scottish Giant Benandonner. Of course, Benandonner then had to cross the straits to whoop Finn McCool's ass for stealing his princess. Finn McCool seeing the size of Benandonner (10:1) lost all his guts and Oonagh being the wily one placed him in the cot, pretending that he is her baby. When Benandonner saw the size of Finn McCool and Oonagh's baby, he hastened back to Scotland thinking that the father must be massive (giants are really not very bright, bless them). Finn McCool not only being humsap, was also a coward and threw a piece of earth at Benandonner, causing him to fall and thus creating the Giant Causeway. The piece of earth became the Isle of Man, perfect as another tourist spot for the people of this generation.

Upon arrival at this UNESCO site, we had to go down the Shepherd Steps:

Dem scary ok, steep and narrow..

to reach the site of where Giant Benandonner once tread.

And then again, what is a famous giant without a few toys of his own. We have the Giant's Organ:

Really, really big lor

the Giant's Gates:
and even a piece of his private stash: The Giant's Boot.
Ok, enough about large rocks which is really all that it is.

We were then brought to Derry, the most 'dangerous' town in Nothern Ireland in regards to its strong resistance to the British forces.

Yes, Northern Ireland is still under the British Occupation now when Malaysia was liberated 50 years ago.

Derry, also known as Londonderry (because some Londoners came and stayed) was and still is- site of the most resistance towards the oppression of British troops. There are clearly defined boundaries of the Protestants (British) and Catholics (Irish):

Red, blue and white depicting the Union Jack, ie British grounds

and murals depicting the war and firm opposition towards the invaders:

Sigh.

The Irish are hoping for independence in the next 30 years or so and it had only just regained peace as according to the guide, it is the first time in the last decade that there were no soldiers roaming the streets.

The next day, a blizzard attacked the city.

We left the house looking like this:

and soon:
snowed in.

Look alike ma, person on left and middle share 50% genes and 25% with person on right

The final day was spent shopping at Junction One, a factory outlet store where I got a pair of Ralph Lauren jeans for 6.97 pounds.

Yup, eat your heart out.

Muahahahahhaaha.