Assalamualaikum w.b.t...
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim..
Continuing my UK Trip from Cardiff, London and now Birmingham! :)
28 December 2013 (DAY 1)
It took about 3 hours journey by bus from London Victoria Coach Station to Birmingham, Hill Street.
My host friend, Fatimah Hana (Bimo) waited at the train station nearby Hill Street bus stop.
Currently she's studying in Aston University, Birmingham. Since her student hall is in the middle of the city, it would be easier for me to visit places of attraction which located mainly in the Birmingham city. Most of the infrastructures here have modern design, different from Cork and even London. There's also quite a number of Muslims here. Alhamdulillah, to find halal food is not that difficult after all.
Okay, now let the pictures do the talking :D
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| Birmingham street market |
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Met new friends from University College Dublin. Kecuali Aini la sebab dah kenal kat KMB. ;p |
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| Museam and Art Gallery Birmingham |
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| On our way to Central Library |
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| KMBIANS! From left : Bimo, Yasmin, Hawa, Aini |
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| First time try ice-skating. Outdoor pulak. Tak reti T_T |
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| Sisters. The background is the ground level of Birmingham Central Library |
Among Malaysian students in UK and Ireland, Birmingham is well-known for the unlimited sushi buffet.
Yes. First thing that came across my mind when people talk about Birmingham is...SUSHI!
Right after ice-skating, we went to Woktastic Noodle & Sushi Bar located in Paradise Place. The restaurant doesn't only serve sushi but also offers unlimited Japanese fusion buffet like tempura, soba noodle, rice etc. The most important thing is the unlimited food is HALAL and you can eat as much as you want. Woahhh
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| Chef in action! |
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| My third dish |
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| Bimo dah kenyang sangat. Hehh |
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| Moving UFOs ;P |
To be honest, makan sushi 2 mangkuk pun dah cukup kenyang. Selebihnya makan benda lain macam tempura, popiah and ayam goreng. Ada dessert jugak, such as cakes. Considering the price yang quite expensive which is GBP 13.99 per buffet on weekend, orang yang jenis makan sikit akan rasa rugi sikit kot. But still, it is a must-try thing to do if you come to Birm! :)
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| View from Bimo's apartment |
29 DECEMBER 2013 (DAY 2)
After having a discussion with Bimo on where should we go today, we decided to go to Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum. The museum is located in Millennium Point and took about 10 minutes walk from my friend's apartment.
Initially, we planned to go to Cadbury World but since both of us need to save money and the location is outside the city, we changed our plan to museum hopping.
The weather was pretty bad. Rain and windy. We were completely soaked upon reaching the museum. :(
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| Millennium Point |
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Ala-ala Project Runway gitu
There are 4 levels of exhibition. Amazing displays and very interactive.
A good way to nurture interest on science in children.
Full of fun facts and interesting information for adults too.
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| The levels of exhibition. The Past, The Balcony, The Present, The Future |
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| Recycling machine |
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| Crocodile |
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| Analyzing fingerprints in vacuum condition |
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| Be a DJ cuz you got the gene mixer over here! |
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| Jarvik 2000 |
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The FIRST PERSON to receive permanent mechanical heart was a Birmingham man in June 2000. |
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| Very tough questions. What should I do? |
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| How long did this tree live? |
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| At Level 0 |
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| At Level 1 |
After having a good time in Thinktank Museum, we made our way to Birmingham City Park, only 3 minutes walk from the museum.
Later that day, we made our way to Bull Ring which is the major commercial area of Birmingham.
It is a shopping complex which has remarkable design and infrastructure.
But before that, we had our lunch in a restaurant that offers halal buffet for only 5 pound!
Not bad at all. Fully satisfied :)
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| First round ;p |
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| Bullring |
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| Forever 21. Bull ring. |
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The shopping complex is packed with people. BIG SALE |
Next, we continued our museum hopping to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
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| Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
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| Work of art from all across Europe |
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| Let's discover the history of Birmingham! |
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Birmingham is an Anglo-Saxon name, meaning 'the settlement of Beorma's people'. |
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At early times, Birmingham depends on industrial sector as the main source of economy |
Birmingham. 1945-TODAY
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| Aston Villa |
The museum is very big and has many sections of impressive exhibitions. Since the day is getting dark, we didn't spend so much time in the museum.
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| Eye on Birmingham |
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| The ICC |
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| The Canal |
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| Canal at Brindley Place |
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| National Sea Life Birmingham |
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National Indoor Arena. Venue for Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships |
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| Dinner at Cafe' Zaytuna |
To conclude my two days in Birmingham, the experience is great. Muslims community growing fast including Malaysians. I would love to come again next time because I haven't been to Cadbury World! *bucket-list*. :)
Jazakillahu khair to Fatimah Hana (Bimo) for willing to sacrifice your time bawak kawan jalan2 when your exam is around the corner. Bimo, jasamu dikenang! :*
After Birmingham, I went to my favourite part of the UK.
It's Manchester!!
Well, see you in the next post. Wasalam. :)