costs and expenses

i think i spent maybe RM4000 in the UK, not including my airfare. this included food, overland transportation, souvenirs, entrance tickets, newspapers, bric-a-bracs, books, assorted snacks, some change for buskers, some tips for waiters, some handouts to beggars.

i think it was well-spent! i am a very happy man. but here are what i think are the best experiences for me (and their costs):

FREE:

1. walks around London.

2. playing football in Regents Park (and scoring 8 goals).

3. falling asleep on a park bench alongside the Thames, opposite Westminster, in the spring sunshine.

4. going to Parliament to watch the debates - especially during the whole expenses-claims saga.

70p:

1. unquestionably, The Guardian. almost every day. including Sundays, when it takes a small forest to produce the weekend editions (GBP2 weekends).

GBP2.50:

1. a jacket potato with liberal smearings of mayo and spicy beans - somewhere in Covent Garden.

GBP4.79:

1. The Guardian, a sandwich and a hot chocolate from Subway, a park bench and the spring sunshine.

GBP5:

1. ticket to Star Trek in Leicester Square, down from GBP13.50. i wandered aimlessly into the cinema looking for ticket prices, around 45 minutes before the show. a guy sees my aimlessness, makes for me and asks if i wanted to buy a ticket to Star Trek, that he doesn't mind selling to me for GBP5. so i buy it - and i had a wonderful show!

GBP7.99:

1. a three course Italian meal - minestrone, carbonara, icecream. i never knew Italian could be so delicious.

GBP8:

1. i bought a map of Canada for this price - from 1882. it's a new hobby - cartography!

GBP9:

1. KUNIYOSHI! the grand Japanese master of block painting had an exhibition in the Royal Academy of Arts - i struggled for 2 days to decide whether or not to pay to see his works, which i can see for free online. i'm glad something in me was spendthrift!

GBP16.50:

1. free travel on the Tube and buses for a whole week!!

**big gap here huh? some multiple-items receipts amount to somewhere between 16.50-35.00, but i have no single items in this range - i guess i'm either in the cheapskates section, or the upper crust**

GBP35:

1. Adam Duritz and the Counting Crows, with my sister. fantastic smashing concert - and i'm very glad for the company of someone i love very very very dearly.

GBP38:

1. tickets to the Guiness Premiership Rugby Finals between London Irish and Leicester Tigers, and sitting next to a Scot who supports the Irish, and told me the history of that team.

GBP65.50:

1. Seat 942, Row 12, Block 125, Upper Tier - Arsenal v Chelsea (sigh... why did they have to lose 1-4?)

GBP200 (or what may have been):

1. a guy stopped me while i was walking along Baker Street, and offered me a brand new Sony VAIO laptop worth GBP990 for GBP200. instantly i smelled a thief. stupidly (or bravely), i followed him to a side road where he showed me a brand new Sony VAIO laptop with Windows Vista. i made an excuse and said no - though i would have been severely tempted by a MacBook haha!

***

the last time i was in London, i was a (semi)impoverished student going for debate tournaments and sleeping in people's dorms.

this time, i'm a working professional with money enough to spend. ahh the wonders of purchasing power!