…that one day I will go back to Plymouth, England.
I was sent there on a three-month course in 1994 (September – December) with some fourteen or fifteen other participants – basically, there was one from each state and I was the one selected to go from Sarawak…
The lady, second from right, is Norizan Bapoo, now Datuk Hajjah and if I’m not mistaken, holding the post of the Assistant or Director-General of Education, Malaysia.
It was not a big place then…but it was a city by virtue of the fact that it had a cathedral. This photograph was taken at the Plymouth Hoe with my friend, Rohimmi. The last I heard he was lecturing at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and I guess he is still there right now.
Among my fondest memories would, of course, be the karaoke nights at the pubs in the city. They had this mobile karaoke whereby the dj and his equipment would move from one pub to another – a different one each night. It was so much fun and I certainly made a lot of friends there. There was this guy, Tony, who would sing “Mandy” every time; I wonder if he’s the same guy as the one in this video clip…
Don’t tell me he’s still singing that same song after all these years. LOL!!!
My final night in Plymouth was at this pub called The Good Companions. The dj said some nice things like it would probably be a very long time before someone like me would pass their way again, how I never sang the same song twice unlike the locals who would “sing the same f**king songs every night”…and when I sang my last song in Plymouth, “The Rose”, everybody lit their lighters and waved their arms in the air like it was some rock concert or something like that. That certainly was a moment to cherish for a lifetime.
Well, I left a pair of shoes there and somebody was telling me that there is this belief that when you go away from a place and you leave your shoes behind, you will return to that place sometime in the future. Let’s hope that this is true…
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
FC after so long… chup first.. now i go brush teeth!!! hahahahaa… crazy woman here! comment later on post!
Hahahahaha!!!! Sounds so desperate! But hey! It’s 6.30! The others are late! Dunno what they have been up to last night – now sleeping like logs, I bet. π
Plymouth is no longer as you remember it my friend. Life moves on and so do changes. Was the hotel on the Hoe that you are standing outside of the Mayflower Hotel? I stayed there in the 80’s.
Yup…Mayflower’s a common name there. The Good Companions is on Mayflower Street too. Not the same anymore? Oh no!!! I guess I will just have to live in my memories then… Sobs!!!
Well you can make it anytime if you want to – you have the time, that extra money, not much financial commitment, I believe. And most of all, it’s your dream, way to go, STP, run to get your shoes back!
Time – not really, no real financial commitment but I have other commitments…and if I can get away right now, I’d probably go to Wellington. Priorities! Priorities! SIGH!!!
War…you look…so “young” back then huh! :p
Wei!!! Now I also look very young…no change! More or less the same! Muahahahahaha!!!!
Yes, i guess much has changed since u left your shoes behind in Plymouth. Do go once again, change the belief to reality… western country, I am in anytime… but do not ask me to follow tour, i prefer a nice relaxing holiday while there, like in Toronto, I spent only 3 weeks and it was not enough actually.. I would like to step in London once again… anyone can provide me lodging??? anyone?? LOL.. desperado..
STP, U look very cute la…. but of course, now cuter (before u say it, I better do it first) LOL…
Hahahaha!!! So clever you tripod hor! π Well, I certainly hope to be able to drop by again…but I guess we can’t have everything we want. Life’s like that. π¦
Oooo.. so, the next time if I wanna go back to the place, I should leave my shoes behind..
thanks for sharing π
That’s what they told me…but I’ve yet to go back to Plymouth so it doesn’t look like there’s much truth in it. π¦
Wow, you really had such a good time there ! It would certainly be cool to go back there and see how much has changed ( or not ) in the last decade… Interesting bit about leaving the shoes behind. I’m gonna keep that in mind ! hehehe.
You haven’t told me which country you’ll be heading to. …..LOL!!! I can imagine a whole lot of left-over shoes everywhere from now on! π
Go grab an air tix and fly over there with your wife for a holidays. Make it happen. haha…and left another pair of shoes behind so you can visit that place again and again in the future. haha
But am sure you will prefer to visit your daughter instead in NZ.
Ya…I hope to hop over to NZ later this year – it will be summer then, just nice!
You sure that was 1994 kah? Not much different from now leh… π LOL!!! Ok lah, a bit different, now the tummy double in size only. A sign of prosperity, not bad π
Sigh! So envious! The only ‘oversea’ I’ve been too was Hatyai and Songkhla, Thailand and that was not even oversea, literally speaking. Anyway, won’t be planning to go Thailand anytime soon. Takut.
Did you manage to get zero fare to London? Should try… Frankly, I wouldn’t want to any Asian country – we’ve got it all here. Some say the shopping’s good in Thailand or Hongkong or even China – but I’m not into shopping. I wouldn’t mind going to the Philippines though – love the music there – 1st class, nothing like those that come over to Sibu!
I did. Very cheap – hotel + accommodation. But the expenses there and exchange rate delayed our plan. π
Exchange rate – quite good now. Dropping like a stone – RM4 something already! Not much to buy there anyway, just spend on food (eat cheap – buns and rolls from supermarts), lodging (B&B last time was 10-12 pounds, dunno now…)…or make/contact friends there – that can save you a bundle!
I love England, hope to visit this nice country again, one day……
When? When?…Maybe I can tag along – nice to have good company when travelling! π
hope ur dream will come true…i also wish to go back to UK again…but difficult now with the ash cloud…
Yes, that’s really terrible…and before this, the snow was bad during the winter. Sigh!!! What is this world coming to? π¦
Wow… you were a lot ‘slimmer’ back then!!( Still maintain your cheerful smile though, like it to bits!);)
happy weekend to you!
Well, I’m always happy…or I always try to be. What is life if one is not happy? π Wasn’t all that slim by then actually…and that was 16 years ago! π¦
STP = like Sumo Hung, like kung fu star in England! :p
Hahahahaha!!! That’s what my Kiwi nephew & niece called me once – Samo Hung! Of course they pronounced it differently – Same-mo Hang! π
I’m sure you have enough in your retirement fund!
hahaha~~
Sure I have, not going to lie about that! It’s just that I have “commitments” here – can’t get away. See how most of my trips have been very short ones – just for a weekend… π¦
Oh my! You haven’t changed since then! The looks! It’s still the same!
Thank you! Thank you! Wait a minute! What do you mean…just “the looks”??? Hahahaha!!!!
Hey, talking about another coincidence. I will be going to Taranaki next week, guess what the capital is called? “New” Plymouth. Hahaha.
I’m sure plymouth,England is and was better than New Plymouth, NZ. Nice moments you’ve had there huh?
That’s far…the other end of North Island. Bet it’s nice there – everywhere in NZ is nice…the breathtaking scenic beauty. Just heard from my daughter that GST had gone up from 12.5% to 15%!!! π¦ And the currency is going down – if it goes down any further, I think I’ll start buying and hoarding…for when I go over – sure will go up again! π
Actually you very “key-si” one hor? Remember your Jules EDT? We knew you were in the house, even before seeing you…and sometimes, you’d already left!
Memang key-si…now still key-si bah! Hahahaha!!! I don’t use Jules anymore…and as a matter of fact, I don’t need to buy anymore as that’s all I get year in, year out on my birthday, Christmas, Father’s Day…from my missus and friends. Not complaining though! π
Wahah… Jules. yeah, the bedroom you stayed in still had the scent a week after u left. hehe.
Going London in September… and am keeping my fingers crossed the Pound and Euro drops further. Havent seen the exchange rate for the pound starting with a 4…. since 1997? How i wish it can go back to 3.9 like in the early 90’s. hehe.
When I was there, it was RM3.50…. Was lucky the rate was pretty low then. Oh? In September? Must be for your honeymoon then – so the idea of me tagging along is out of the question. Don’t wanna be a torchlight/lamp post…whatever! Hahahahaha!!!!
I also had a dream. That is to visit England even just once in my life. Hope that your dream materialize my friend.
And yours too! I really loved the place…
At 1st glance on the 3rd photo i thot that was u with Eddie Murphy or perhaps a scene from Rush Hour! LOL! Interesting abt the shoes, next time when i go to different countries, maybe that is what i will do, leave a pair of shoes behind, shoes a bit expensive to leave behind, ‘jepun aetua’ count or not? :)!
Hahahaha!!! Bet you would not leave behind your Pradas and what-have-you! “Jepun aetua” may work – you must have left a few in Sibu and that’s why you keep coming back! LOL!!!
Buy a lottery and maybe you can have a trip back there again with the whole family!
Money isn’t the problem…just that I’m tied down here in Sibu…just can’t get away – except on short weekend trips…and those too, must be for some good reason! And I thought that once I retired, I could laze around, take life easy…travel!!! Definitely nothing like that, unfortunately! Man proposes, God disposes! π¦
It is a small world indeed. Rohimi was my lecturer
Oh? Ah yes…you were in UPM with Cibol. Well, I’m sure you would agree that he has expanded…like me! LOL!!!
Wow…looking back then the pics..really brings back lot of memory ya..
Ya…sweet memories to cherish!π
So u have not gone back since 1994?
No. π¦
*sigh* Plymouth, eh? hope your dreams will come true. I wanna go back England too… go back to Warwick or Coventry. Nice place.
Coventry? Lady Godiva? Hahahahaha!!!! That friend of mine, Rohimmi’s a Warwick grad – we visited the uni when we were there. You too?
alamak…my hubi looked a bit like you ler…kakaka…long lost relative ah
Oh? He also king-size or heavyweight like me? Geng lah! Hehehehehe!!!! π
Wow, that some amazing memories indeed! People holding their lighters while you sing The Rose. Heh!
Come to think of it I’ve never heard you sing!
Ya….we must go croaking…I mean, karaoke-ing sometime or better still, you can give me the special honour of singing at your wedding. LOL!!! π
every photos you took u look damn happy.
3 months course – it is enjoyable life in England.
Yes, 3 months of fun…so of course, I looked so happy lor! π
i wanna leave my shoe in Japan!!! π
You like Japan? Are you there now, by any chance?