United Kingdom

England was always one of my destination country that I wanted to visit. It is one well known country. It is a bit harder that I needed to apply for a visa to get there, even I already a schengen visa that based in Czech Republic. So I have to apply a visa via British embassy in Czech Republic. I need to have an invitation from my friend that live in England, the application form, my passport, the address of a person that I am going to stay with or an address of hostel, also my boarding pass plus the application fee was 95 Euro. I had to wait for 3 weeks to know the result. It was at the time that my friend who study in Oxford had invited me to join the conference, so it was easy to get a visa. Sometimes, I feel like I do not want to take an airplane because it require more time to be waiting at the airport before take off, on the other hand it is also faster once it takes off. I needed to take bus to Prague and then took another bus to the airport, I needed to wait for the check in

I went to England in February 2012. I never expect that I would have visited one of the most famous university, Oxford. Once I landed on the land of England, I feel so strange. When I could understand what they are talking about. Different when I was in the Czech environment, I was hardly to understand what they were talking about. England is expensive. It is really true that it is expensive. Only the bus from the Airport to Oxford return ticket it cost me already 45 pound, which is equal to one year of my bus in a town where I lived anhttp://procambodia.com/d study. Is it is funny? Even a country that is close to each other like Czech Republic and England and the economic is so different. There is not need to compare with Cambodia.

This time I do not need to stay in the hostel, as I stayed with my friend in Oxford. I arrived to Oxford around 11:30 pm, was late, and I was so tired from the travel. I had a warm welcome from Daniela. When I arrived she cooked some food for me. And I was so glad to have it . On the next day, She took me to visit London, the famous city in the world. I was surprised about the transportation, from Oxford to London one way it cost already 22 pound. That is crazy expensive. A long the way to London, I looked outside of the window, while the train was moving and that full of people in there. The view of the country side, the different style of the English houses. I love watching the view through the window while I am traveling. When I first arrived to London, and took another metro to go to London eyes. I felt so excited be in London. When I came out of the subway, I was right in front of Big Ben, and I told myself”Yes, you are in London now”. Most people would have known already about Big Ben, it is the world’s famous clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, and the clock tower is named Elizabeth tower. I was trying to take the picture of Big Ben as I used to see only in the picture and studied a little bit about it. I was standing in front of Big Ben, and was impressed. The goal was to take the London eyes. I was so excited, I walked pass through the bridge and direction to London eyes entrance. The entrance cost 18 pound. It was very nice view from London eyes. It went slowly up and I could see the view from near to far when I reached to the top of London eyes. I am so glad that I have been experienced this exciting moment in my life. I could not stay longer in London as I had to go back to Oxford. So I took a train back to Oxford.

I went back to my friend’s home, and went shopping. I went to East Asian shop where I could get some Asian food. Oxford is small, but it has everything. It is where the international community is. You could find anything you want. Next day, I was the day I join the conference at Said Business school of Oxford university. The conference was quite interesting for most part, and the other part was a little bit boring. The conference held for two days and half. I had another extra two more day to explore Oxford. When I was in Oxford, I felt like it is the world of learning, there are students, and the faculties everywhere. I felt more peaceful than in London. I like both cities, but London is too crowed. I went explore Oxford for the first day of exploring in Oxford, I met one new friend, and he showed me around by walking. For the rest of the other day, I went explore on my own.

It is really quite small city, so I was all the time by walking. At the evening after I have finished my sigh seeing, my friend took me to the concert. My first time that I have seen English concert. For the last day of being in Oxford, she took me to Cambodian restaurant. I was very excited about that. We went by bike, as it was far from where she lives. I was so excited when I first came in and met a Cambodian lady who is a cook there. We talked and share in Khmer language. She seem excited to talk in Khmer with me too. During my stayed in Oxford, I have tried the middle east foods, Thai foods, and Cambodian foods. I was wishing to have such a community in the Czech Republic. I have enjoyed my journey very much and at the same time I could have a chance to get involved in one of a conference.