i've always been saying that the only thing that makes a travel interesting, it's the story from all these different people that you crosspath with...

everyone has a different story, every single person...

so i was sharing a bottle of red wine and coke (Kalimotxo) with roomie Szabi, when he told me how he got about living in London...

the dude took up electrical engineering back home in Hungary, where he studied for two years, and got offered a scholarship to be trained as an athlete in the states. So without much hesitation, he quickly signed up, eager for a change of environment.

So what do you do when you have zero literacy of the language in an english-speaking country? you adapt.

He got his friend to sit for the TOEFL test for him (fake ID and everything), where he passed the test with flying colour and have his scholarship granted, and before he knew it, he was on his way to memphis.

So long story short, he only stayed in the states for one and a half years, and got expelled from the uni in his sophomore year when they found out he faked his toefl test (that part was interesting, he slept with some bloke's girlfriend, the dude found out, got pissed off, went to the authority and rat him out).

with only two grand in his pocket, he bought a car for one grand, and started a cross-country trip to LA, california, where dreams can come true. it did for him, he got himself a rich girlfriend, spent his remaining money in vegas, and flew off to hawaii, all expense paid for...

and then when family affair called for, he flew back to europe, and on returning to the states, he found that he has been deported, they discovered that he has been staying there illegally after his student visa became void, and decided that he shall never step foot in the land of america in his lifetime.

so instead of flying into the land of dreams, he took a detour and ended up in Mexico. and while he enjoyed the lifestyle there and lived there for a bit, he soon realized he's getting no where and hence came to london to earn the pounds.

and now he's just stuck here, like everyone else...the thing about london is that, people easily get complacent and fall into the comfortable zone, and as time goes by, it just gets harder to get out of it...

i have been invited to Hungary for white Christmas, but im gonna pass for now, as ive already made plans for Christmas in London, will hafta wait till next year for my first white christmas...

will just be contented with a Gray one this year...

you know it's cold when you breathe and your breath is visible in the air...Grrrrr...i mean, seriously...


***

So Suya came to visit me in town and we went out to a really cozy restaurant in Angel, along with her sister, brother-in-law, and cutie pie Casper...

we got to talking and before long, her ever cant-sit-still syndrome got the better of her, and she started coming up with all these traveling plans and all these incredible deals her company (she works for airlines) is offering...

and as im infected by the travel bug as much as she is, i quickly became interested in the places that she's mentioned, and we both decided that croatia it is next...

i will hafta look at the map again and draw out the would-be travel route, and a feasible one...i made a huge mistake last time flying from spain to germany and missing out everything in between, aint gonna happen this time...

Eurostar international station was shifted from Waterloo to St.Pancras two days ago, and they are offering a return ticket to Paris for only 60 quid, tempted as i am to have a weekend getaway to the city of romance, i really have to wait for the proper time to go, i.e., when i have the means to splurge...

right now just wanna concentrate in raking in the money and have a fantastic Christmas, oh, and a happy new year too...

now im really getting in the spirit...

it was altogether a very sad and disturbing occasion, and such a blow too, after two weekends of dual celebration of Halloween and GuyFawkes, when we are feeling so highly spirited, it's like a slap in the face, and my dislike for London has since sky-rocketed...

our house was BURGLED!

and if you are starting to wonder if i do indeed stay at some kinda scum area that spells 'danger', think again...

fine, i wont exactly call it a posh area like NottingHill or Mayfair or Lancaster Gate, but hey, Hoxton is located in central london in ZONE ONE, and only four tube stops away from West End, can i ask for a more secure precinct? well, apparently yes...

So i got home on tuesday to find tomas leaning against the banister at the balcony, smoking a fag and looking somewhat subdued, upon seeing me, he gave me a grin and announced (a little too cheerfully) that we have been burgled...

i was taken by surprise for a minute, quickly inspect the state of the house, not to check on my belongings, because i simply have nothing valuable lying around, but just to collect bits of evidence that a crime has indeed taken place there...

i got nothing...the room was as MESSY as before, clothes and undies were everywhere (they still are), CDs, DVDs, magazines, food, were scattered literally in any available space that you can find in our crib...but wait a second, something is missing, yeah, the laptops were gone...

all in all, three laptops were being taken away, and i learned that the house was empty for only a period of 40 minutes, the thieves were watching our movement the entire time! how creepy is that?

when asked how they feel about the tragedy, szabi merely shrugged and said nonchalantly: Shit happens...

now i really like that attitude, because one thing that i loathe, is people who cry things over spilt milk, they just drive me up the wall...

Needless to say i was a happy person when he bought a new laptop the next day (it's that cheap, around one week's wages), not only because i get to use the internet again (:p), but simply because these are the kind of people i want to hang around with, the cool ones...

that doesnt mean i want to hang around in London longer than it is necessary...