Away from the hustle and bustle

A weekend spent in Nottingham, catching up with friends, running into primary schoolmates and playing my favourite sport - yes, it was another one of those good, good weekends. The Malaysian student community descends upon Nottingham once a year for the annual Nottingham Games and for most of us, the sports bit is just a bonus. It's a picturesque place - rolling hills, calm lakes and leaves turning colour. I can't imagine a prettier setting for one of the biggest Malaysian student events.

After a day spent at the tennis courts, to say that we were hungry would be quite the understatement. We headed to the city in search of food and went into the first pub that didn't look like zombie-central (It was Halloween). The thing about pubs is that they're the cheaper option when it comes to food and one is almost always guaranteed a hearty meal.

I was told, when I first arrived in London, that fish pie (along with Sunday roasts and a variety of other pies) was one of those traditional British meals. For some reason, I'd never seen fish pie on a menu until this particular weekend. Smoked haddock, salmon and king prawns cooked in a creamy sauce and baked in a gruyere crust served with minted vegetables - it was a warm, melty, smokey comfort of a meal.

As always, the boys were immediately attracted to the barbecued ribs, and for good reason. The ribs were meaty - soft, succulent and cooked in a delicious marinade. Let's just say that the contented faces were worth more than words.

There's really nothing like capping off a long day with a good meal. No matter where you are.

Photos courtesy of Wei Juin