FLOWERS AROUND CANLEY, COVENTRY

Summer time in Canley, Coventry, UK. Colourful flowers blooming everywhere. I see, I feel, I appreciate. Enjoy!

Song of The Flower

BY:KHALIL GIBRAN

I am a kind word uttered and repeated
By the voice of Nature;
I am a star fallen from the
Blue tent upon the green carpet.
I am the daughter of the elements
With whom Winter conceived;
To whom Spring gave birth; I was
Reared in the lap of Summer and I
Slept in the bed of Autumn.

At dawn I unite with the breeze
To announce the coming of light;
At eventide I join the birds
In bidding the light farewell.

The plains are decorated with
My beautiful colors, and the air
Is scented with my fragrance.

As I embrace Slumber the eyes of
Night watch over me, and as I
Awaken I stare at the sun, which is
The only eye of the day.

I drink dew for wine, and hearken to
The voices of the birds, and dance
To the rhythmic swaying of the grass.

I am the lover's gift; I am the wedding wreath;
I am the memory of a moment of happiness;
I am the last gift of the living to the dead;
I am a part of joy and a part of sorrow.

But I look up high to see only the light,
And never look down to see my shadow.
This is wisdom which man must learn.

15TH JUNE - A SHORT TRIP TO WARWICK, BEFORE LEAVING COVENTRY

The last day in Coventry before leaving for London on my own. Nevertheless, as my bus would only come at 12:40 p.m. Puan Hayati took me for a short trip to the city of Warwick.

There was another place which was decorated with castles and beautiful buildings, we had about an hour to walk around and enjoy the surrounding.

had a short stop in the traditional tea house for a morning cup of coffee and carrot cake

waiting for my bus to London in Canley

I had a wonderful time in Coventry but it was time to say "goodbye". Thanks to Puan Hayati and Mr. Faizam, and all the family members for everything. I could not thank you enough.

So, after this, my travelogue will be on what I saw and did during my my 3-day stay in London. This has been a really really long posting.

SUNDAY IS CAR BOOTS' SALE DAY

After the intense socializing and eating on Saturday, it was now time to lose some calories and fat by walking around the field during car boots' sales. Another favourite pastime for the people here, you would be surprised by the variety of items put on sale at very very reasonable prices. Literally speaking, the items were put on display right from the car boots of the owners and they were used items or second hand goods which were still worth buying. The field was filled with people (and dogs) hunting for good bargain. We went to three places where the sales were held.

VENUE 1: LEAMINGTON

VENUE 2: FURNACE END

VENUE 3: TILE HILL

I had to remind myself time and time again that I could not go beyond the limit for my luggage for the flight home. On one hand, it is definitely a good place to shop and on the other hand, it is also a good way to let go of things you do not need anymore, rather than throwing them away. Perhaps we should start doing this kind of thing in Malaysia.


After the long hours, I bought these three items from there (which were originally made in the UK) and they cost me less than GBP10.

WHAT DID POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS IN COVENTRY DO ON SATURDAY?

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, let's sample the activities carried out by a post-graduate student in Coventry on a Saturday afternoon.

ACTIVITY 1 - FAMILY GATHERING

This should actually be some sort of religious class for the young ones but may be they have potluck sessions once in a while or on a regular basis. The Malay families gathered here in this Muslim Community Centre and it seemed there was a birthday celebration for three kids going on. The atmosphere was joyous and the aroma of food filled the space. After singing the birthday song and prayer recitation, everybody was ready to eat. It was a good chance for everyone to meet up - birds of a feather flock together.

in the corridor with the "ustazah" (religious teacher)
eat all you can (there' s another food-filled table in the room)

the young and the old, socializing

ACTIVITY 2 - HOUSE VISIT

In the evening, I went to the house of Mr. Raja Mazuir and Pn. Putri Ira for a visit. Another eating session was held, and another socializing event was about to take place.

home made "keropok lekor", curry puffs and "mee kicap"

the kids were playing

the men were discussing serious issues

... and the ladies gossiping in the kitchen

An afternoon well spent and staying abroad is not that bad after all. You can never miss local food, and good friends around.

12TH JUNE - EXPLORING THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK CAMPUS

Welcome everyone to the University of Warwick (pronounced as /worrik/), the place where Pn. Hayati is doing her PhD in child's development or language acquisition, or both - hope I get these facts correct.


The campus is large and beautifully landscaped and structured, with a lot of trees and big spaces for walking and cycling. I had the chance to visit a few places and just by doing that, I went back feeling intellectually sated.

the academia and one excited visitor

with Mr. Faizam, Puan Hayati's husband

rebranding of a red mini van

the auditorium

the bookshop

Hopefully, one day, one of my students will be studying in the University of Warwick, and then, I will have the chance to walk down the memory lane. Any taker?

9th JUNE - STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

A must visit for students who had done Shakespeare, willingly or unwillingly, is the birth place of William Shakespeare which is situated at Stratford-upon-Avon. So we made a pilgrimage to this place where the father of English Literature was born.

Shakespeare's characters came alive

These were three characters from Shakespeare's plays welcoming visitors to the venue. At first glance, they looked just like statues. Just put a coin into the basket for photgraph sessions, and the characters would come alive. They were actually people in costumes and the Shakespeare's ghost would even try to scare you.

We had a great time posing around the area but had to hurry as the limit for the car parked was only for an hour.

And to make our literary excursion more complete, Puan Hayati took us to Anne Hathaway's place. Anne Hathaway was the lady he married when she was 26 and he himself was only 18. Again, there was no free entry, so to get the opportunity to get myself photographed outside Shakespeare's wife's house was an achievement of a lifetime.

Wait for more exciting stories coming soon!

BLOGGING FROM COVENTRY, UNITED KINGDOM

8th JUNE- 1st DAY COVENRTY

After sitting for 13 long hours in AirAsia, I safely landed in Stansted Airport, London at about 8:00 a.m. and it was unexpectedly cold (13 degrees celcius) as I thought summer should be warmer. Then, went straight to the bus station that would take me to Coventry.

the bus terminal at Stansted Airport

I managed to catch the 9:15 trip and was quite sleepy throughout the journey and luckily I did not miss the stop. One interesting thing, it is mandatory to fasten your seat belts when you are on the bus.

Pool Meadow bus station

After 3 1/2 hours, the bus reached Pool Meadow and I waited for Mr. Faizam in his Mercedez to fetch me home for the next few days.

Puan Hayati Ismail and three of her five kids

So, here I am now, in Coventry, UK, at last for about two weeks to enjoy myself enjoying a bit of UK. Too early (and a bit tired) due to the long journey to write more. But do expect more soon.