Gem of Travel

I checked out of my hostel and went across the street with my luggage for breakfast. I tried something called Traditional Kaya Toast Set, which came with a toast sandwich with butter and a thick fruit spread, some soup, milk tea, and 2 soft boiled eggs. I’d never had such soft boiled eggs before…they were interesting, but I didn’t love the texture. I had never eaten a breakfast quite like this before, it felt very British-influenced. Throughout my trip, I saw a lot of influence from when Britain occupied the country.

I hopped on the bus to get to my new hotel. I moved locations because I had a concert the next two nights. I decided it would be smarter for me to be closer to the location, so I didn’t have to worry about dealing with public transportation or a cab at night. I settled into my room and spent the day exploring the neighborhood. I found some delicious omelet rice curry, a combination I had never had before. I went back to my hotel fairly early to get ready for the concert. I had never attended a concert in a foreign country and I was a bit nervous.

I did a full spa treatment and beauty routine. I accessorized. I did a full on photoshoot. And then I headed to the concert. Literally nothing could have prepared me for this crowd. The venue was located within a mall. The day before, barely anyone had been there. Today? It was PACKED. The entire floor was transformed. Fans had decked out the space with posters, fan art, picture ops. There was a merch booth with a mile long line (yes I did indulge). People were dressed in so many ways, from cosplay to full glam. Most people brought homemade fan merch and came with groups. I did feel pretty out of place, but it was a cool experience. I was thankful I had come the day before to pick up my tickets. The line was very long.

I had bought soundcheck tickets. I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve never seen soundcheck tickets in the US, unless you knew the artist or it was part of the VIP package. There ended up being at least one hundred, maybe more, of us lined up for soundcheck. The group came on the stage, dressed casually, hyped us up and sang a few songs. Then, there was a chunk of time before the main act, so I went back to my hotel to drop my merch off. The actual concert ended up being nearly three hours. Luckily, I met some great people who helped translate for me. I still keep in touch with some of them! After the concert, I went back to the hotel and spent a little time planning before going to bed.