europe 01092006-17092006 part 1...

1st Sept - 17th Sept 2006

i flew on e 1st...rc london on 2nd early morn ard 5+...took e tube 2 king's cross, den e train 2 york...cab 2 hotel, dumped our luggage & walked ard...

i was @ e york minister most o e time...& walked ard a little...got bk 2 hotel 2 chk in..showered..rest...dinner...most o e places close @ 5...so bored...bj serious jet-lag...she said she was gg 2 faint...my god...(shake head)...she didnt really make an effort 2 get rid o e jet-lag..i feel...

after dinner..went bk hotel, slpt...

3rd
early morn...had master class...lost our way...had 2 walked wif heels...argh...

we left after lunch cos it was so boring...bj still jet-lag...she was slping most o e time during e master class...

we walked ard e city centre...bj was hungry again...s 1ed 2 put her conquest in her rm..while ct was mtg his prof...rh was long gone..half way thro' e master class he went off...he went 2 meet his friends...& got wasted there...

so i went alone walking ard e castle walls...took pics...when i got bk bj was in e shower...i went out 2 've dinner wif s, bj 1ed 2 rehearse her presentation so we left...


when i came bk, bj was sound aslp...she was really not making an effort 2 "cure" her jet-lag...

4th

1st day o congress official...went 4 e early morning session which starts @ 730am!!!!!!who e hell tot o putting tis time slot???anyway, both speakers were v gd...1 talked abt e reliability o a child's memory, e other talked abt sexual abuse by staff in institutions...

1ed 2 go 4 a talk on child homicide..but e place was quite far...dunno y e organisations put e talks in all e different places...how m i supposed 2 walk >500m in my heels???? & w/n 15mins or less...so stupid...anyway, i went 2 listen 2 1 which was related 2 my study...young pple's view on a "good childhood"...i was really comforted after hearing e study...cos i realise i'm not e only person having problems measuring "well-being"...& i tink i'm doing a pretty fine job...hahha...

had a short coffee break...btw english coffee really dun taste v well...they r 2 bland 4 my taste...their expresso taste like a mild version o our kopi-o, juz imagine their daily brew...it's coffee-flavored hot water...& we only had cookies & coffee 4 e break...

den i attended another few presentations on internet child abuse...quite interesting..& i'm rather surprised tt e indians & pakistan talked so readily abt e problems they face...

e lunch workshop was really gd...but 1 o e presentation, on post traumatic disorder 4 children, they played an actual call made by a 7 or 8 yr old child 2 911...my hair was on their ends all e time when i was listening...my god...it was so nerve-racking...i was pretty disturbed hearing tt...i juz cannot imagine e trauma e child had 2 go thro'...i'm only listening & i felt so much fear...imagine e child...witness her father violently attacking her mother...

e rest o e sessions were really boring...& i was so tired...met rh & we decided 2 go bk 2 e hotel earlier 2 wash up, cos there was a congress dinner, & it was pretty near e hotel...

dinner was @ e rail museum... i was almost dying o thirst, & guess wat, they charge 2.50 pound 4 a bottle o water!!!!!!!!! @ e congress dinner leh!!!! they dun serve plain water!!!!!either u have orange juice or wine...damn stupid...

anyway, i took loads o pic o e trains & had a look @ e royal carriages...e dinner ended v late...11pm...so we decided 2 skip e breakfast session presentation e nx morn...

5th
attened a session on how 2 handle toddler tantrums..quite funny..wonder if it really works...got e dvd (4 free) will pass 2 my sis c if e technique works...

den i rushed off 2 attend my poster presentation...there was hardly any1 who looked @ e posters...i spent damned fucking how many nites trying 2 get e poster out...there were less den 10 pple who looked @ e poster while i was standing there...& only 3 who asked any qns...

anyway, cos i stayed later...i went 2 e nearest rm 4 e nx session..e rm was full!!!! no chairs...& e rm was so stuffy...1 o e presentation was fr spore...& fr tt ministry...my god...i really felt like digging a hole & hide my face...she was like selling s'pore...telling e whole world how gd a job spore had done...but she never tell us wat she had done...duh...stupid...waste o my time..

i went 4 1 o e lunch workshop again...& again it was a v gd presentation...both talked abt how doctors shld b aware o e signs o child sexual abuse...& how e doctors cld aid in e diagnosis o CSA...

2 lazy 2 move...i sat in e same rm...& i was glad i was tt lazy...e 1st presentation was by a lady who survived CSA...it was a really powerful presentation...it clearly illustrates e gap btw victims & those who r helping...y victims do not disclose...& e vicious cycle tt follows...it was a gd presentation..

again i skipped e other sessions...cos i haven really toured york & i wld b leaving tmr...so i took down my poster & went bk...put my things down & changed into my comfortable trainers...bj came bk wif me...she said she 1ed 2 practise cos her presentation was e nx morn...

i walked ard e city...walked across e musuem gardens...walked...walked walked...went 2 e shambles...e shops there were closed but i had a look thro' their windows...& they were all so nice...i basically covered e whole o york city centre on feet...

went bk 2 hotel 2 meet bj 2 go 2 e castle museum where we a reception....

walked ard...& spent at least 2 hrs there...picked up a few gifts...den we left 2 get dinner...most shops were closed & we had subway...

6th
last day o conf...both rh & bj were presenting in e 730 slot...we had 2 get up @ 530...

there was a pathetic no o pple who turned up...there was only bj, rh, s, ct, me, & e other 2 presentors...rh went 1st...his presentation was kind o boring...i expected more fr him...bj was nx 2 present, & there were more pple turning up...surprisingly bj presented really well...i wld say i was really proud o her & o cos myself...cos i prepared e presentation...

i went 2 e nx session on fabricated & induced illness...again i was smacked wif a horrific video clip...a father was smothering a baby...e baby's legs were fratically kicking...it was really hard 2 swallow...really scary...

i decided 2 go off after tis session as there was an accident @ e train stn & there were delays...i was supposed 2 go 2 paris 2 meet e rest...so i took a cab wif sme other delegates who were also leaving...

thk gdness e train 2 london was not affected...rc in time 4 eurostar 2 paris...

& by tis time, e weather was starting 2 turn rather warm...it was freezing when i 1st got in london...

rc paris ard 7+pm...met tcc, swing & cl...went bk 2 e hostel...e shower was e most interesting..will post it when tcc comes bk wif her camera...

e rm was so noisy...cos juz outside e window was a cross jn...e other 3 were wasted...cos they had a 16hr flight all e way fr spore...my nite was long....