The Trip I Remember: London

Hey! The Trip I Remember: London will always be the one that feels closest to my heart. Even though I visited a few other countries when I was young, London is the first place I wanted to write about. It is my favourite destination and it carries the most memories. My father studied in Manchester, and he brought the whole family along. My mother was already pregnant with me while they were there, so in a way, my story began in England long before I understood anything about life. I still remember the smell of London. It is difficult to explain and it sounds strange to say it out loud, but it was cold, clean and slightly foggy, something very different from home. The scent of the city stayed with me even after all these years.

Little Moments I Still Remember

• We usually stayed at Elliot House, a warm and cosy guest house. And, whenever we wanted halal Malaysian food, we would go to Mawar Restaurant. It felt comforting to see familiar dishes so far from home. Both have closed down now, and that makes the memory feel even more precious.

• I remember the one-pound ice cream. It was only vanilla with a Cadbury Flake, but somehow it tasted perfect in that London weather. I had it almost every day while I was there. Thankfully, I survived the routine without ending up with diabetes. LOL.

The People And Their Kindness

• I also remember how courteous the people were. A gentleman held the door and asked me to go first, even though I was just a little girl. On the bus, locals stood up and offered seats to my parents. These simple acts of kindness stayed with me.
• Whenever we mentioned that we were from Malaysia, the locals would smile and say, “Oh, Mahathir?” I still remember their tone, friendly and amused. Maybe that is one of the reasons I admired him growing up and felt proud to call myself Malaysian even as a child far away from home.

Small Adventures As A Child

• I remember watching a James Bond movie even though I was under the minimum age. There were two tall, intimidating men checking tickets at the entrance. They looked like security guards from a movie scene. Somehow, I still managed to enter the cinema, and it felt like a small victory.
• I had my cheeky moments too. Once, while my parents were busy browsing other things, I wandered off to get my ears pierced. The lady asked whether my parents knew, and with full childhood confidence, I said yes. left with newly pierced ears, and got scolded by my parents once they found out. HAHAHAHA.

• And of course, it was the era of the Spice Girls. They had just released their movie “Spice World” and I was completely obsessed. I remember seeing Spice Girls Cadbury chocolate (packaging dia je pun), Spice Girls T-shirts and even Spice Girls dolls. Mel C’s doll was the hardest to find, but I eventually got it after a long search. I lost the doll later because I did not appreciate it well enough at that age. The T-shirt stayed with me for many years, and I only let it go recently when it had too many holes. Damn it.

• Jangan terkejut…I was a ballerina when I was a child, and London was where I got my first ballerina pointe shoes and a ballet bag. I have no idea how much they cost at that time, but I was the only little girl in the family, so I received things that felt extra special. I still have the pointe shoes today. They are worn and faded, but they hold a memory that feels gentle and irreplaceable.

How London Seems Today

When I look at London today through YouTube walking tours and online posts, I realise how much the city has changed. Some areas appear far busier than I remember. The crowds seem larger, with many visitors and a mix of people from everywhere. There are more roadside stalls as well, almost like the pasar malam we see in Malaysia. The streets move at a faster rhythm now, and some places feel a little too crowded compared to the London I knew as a child.

Yet some parts of the city remain beautifully familiar. The architecture still stands proudly. The parks remain calm. The cold morning air still exists on certain days. The red buses, the simple Underground stations and the overall character of the city are still recognisable. Even with so many changes, London still carries the same atmosphere I remember deep inside.

Looking at how London is today makes me appreciate my childhood memories even more. I feel grateful that I was able to experience it during a quieter time when life felt simpler and I had no reason to rush anywhere.

Why This Chapter Matters

The Trip I Remember: London is the perfect beginning for this series. It represents the softest parts of my childhood, the places that shaped me and the gentle memories that stayed with me even when everything else faded. Writing about it makes me grateful for the experiences I had, even if I did not fully understand their value back then. And even though London looks much more crowded now, I still wish to return one day, to stand (with my husband) in the same place I once stood with my family.

If you would like to support the next chapter of this series or contribute to my dream of travelling again someday, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/nlymr. Thanks for reading!