It's going to be 1am now and I'm just 2.5 hours from bidding a permanent goodbye to London and London Hall-most probably for good. It is a strange feeling which entails a sense of loss, a tinge of sadness and a large dose of self-denial. Is this real? Have I spent 4 months, 16 weeks and 112 days in this suite? It seemed just last month that I first arrived in this suite and met Orla. Now almost everyone has left and we are leaving in just a few hours' time. Will I miss this place? I definitely will. What would be my memories of London Hall? Orla, Elian, Carlet, Stefy, Hina and Anne-Sofie. This place has been my home for the past 4 months and how can leave such a place without fighting back some surging emotions? It is difficult to pinpoint my feelings now. I still think self-denial and delusion forms a large part of it now.
Written four cards and feel so much better after expressing my feelings for the people I know. It also has a settling effect on my departure.
Going over to Elian's and Stefy's now for a last brooding cosy talk. Be right back!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Straits Times: "S'pore readies for swine flu"
"Temperature screening at hospitals; all SGH staff wearing N95 masks.
...Added Dr Asok Kurup, an infectious diseases consultant at SGH: 'That means it is spread without any symptoms, making it 10 times worse than Sars. Can you imagine the global implications if it should be transmitted?' Another big question mark is the level of potency of the virus. While more than 100 people have died in Mexico, the victims in the US have recovered. 'We are only beginning to understand the situation in Mexico and the US, so we don't really know the impact on the individual or in the clinical context,' said Dr Asok."
Oh my, it is amazing how a quick turn of events could have such widespread impact. JD and I had just booked our tickets to San Diego two weeks ago and here comes the swine flu, which is "10 times worse then SARS"!!! To think that we were also on the verge of booking a day trip to Mexico! It is fortuitous that we had not rushed into booking the mexico trip. We have to keep our fingers crossed that the situation does not go down the slope, otherwise I have no idea what to do with our SD trip!
I was also talking to Joey about whether I would get into trouble with the health authorities when I return to SG because I have been in both US and Canada during this period. I don't want to be quarantined! Looking at how the Changi Airport has set up its machinery of thermal scanner and what not, it is very likely that I would be let off that easily. Thermometers stuck into my ears for countless times and all...I just hope my body temperature is normal when I touch down.
N95 mask will be my best friend in the next week. And now where should I get one from here? Hmm.
...Added Dr Asok Kurup, an infectious diseases consultant at SGH: 'That means it is spread without any symptoms, making it 10 times worse than Sars. Can you imagine the global implications if it should be transmitted?' Another big question mark is the level of potency of the virus. While more than 100 people have died in Mexico, the victims in the US have recovered. 'We are only beginning to understand the situation in Mexico and the US, so we don't really know the impact on the individual or in the clinical context,' said Dr Asok."
Oh my, it is amazing how a quick turn of events could have such widespread impact. JD and I had just booked our tickets to San Diego two weeks ago and here comes the swine flu, which is "10 times worse then SARS"!!! To think that we were also on the verge of booking a day trip to Mexico! It is fortuitous that we had not rushed into booking the mexico trip. We have to keep our fingers crossed that the situation does not go down the slope, otherwise I have no idea what to do with our SD trip!
I was also talking to Joey about whether I would get into trouble with the health authorities when I return to SG because I have been in both US and Canada during this period. I don't want to be quarantined! Looking at how the Changi Airport has set up its machinery of thermal scanner and what not, it is very likely that I would be let off that easily. Thermometers stuck into my ears for countless times and all...I just hope my body temperature is normal when I touch down.
N95 mask will be my best friend in the next week. And now where should I get one from here? Hmm.
Back to UWO
Back to UWO for the last 4 days of my stint in London. Sounds like I'd leave very soon but it doesn't feel that soon, probably because I do not have much time to appreciate this fact, given that I still have to study for corp finance in these last few days!
Routine
After an eventful and unexpectedly prolonged journey back to London, I feel at home once more: settled and eager to go back to my routine here- study, talk to friends here and exercise. Going back to a routine lifestyle can have a very good orientating effect on the mind.
I decided that library is a more conducive place for more focused studying (but I may have to swallow these words because I'm blogging now, ha!) so I left for the library with Elian this morning. After lunch, I went to do groceries at Valuemart as I have close to no groceries at home now. Even though it's only a few days more, it is still more cost effective to buy groceries that would last me this number of days than eating out. Valuemart started charging 5 cents for every plastic bag!!! Luckily I planned ahead and brought my big recycling bag along!
Then went for a swim- such a nice feeling to be back to the pool again. What a fantastic swim after all the travelling, waiting, exhausting walks and sitting on buses/planes. It also weighed on my mind that it would be one of the last times that I would use the indoor pool in the Thompson Recreation and Athletic Centre.
And now I'm back in the library! I think at the bottom, all I need is determination to finish what I should and get a good grasp of the subject (which I have yet to) as far as possible.
Routine
After an eventful and unexpectedly prolonged journey back to London, I feel at home once more: settled and eager to go back to my routine here- study, talk to friends here and exercise. Going back to a routine lifestyle can have a very good orientating effect on the mind.
I decided that library is a more conducive place for more focused studying (but I may have to swallow these words because I'm blogging now, ha!) so I left for the library with Elian this morning. After lunch, I went to do groceries at Valuemart as I have close to no groceries at home now. Even though it's only a few days more, it is still more cost effective to buy groceries that would last me this number of days than eating out. Valuemart started charging 5 cents for every plastic bag!!! Luckily I planned ahead and brought my big recycling bag along!
Then went for a swim- such a nice feeling to be back to the pool again. What a fantastic swim after all the travelling, waiting, exhausting walks and sitting on buses/planes. It also weighed on my mind that it would be one of the last times that I would use the indoor pool in the Thompson Recreation and Athletic Centre.
And now I'm back in the library! I think at the bottom, all I need is determination to finish what I should and get a good grasp of the subject (which I have yet to) as far as possible.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Vancouver
After a long day, finally in vancouver 3 hours ago, Yay! Paula is making me feel sooo at home :) Nick is as expected an excellent plan-everything host.
Tired now, going to sleep. I will start my first day in vancouver tmr :D
Tired now, going to sleep. I will start my first day in vancouver tmr :D
Sunday, April 19, 2009
"Trainee lawyer bags $8,500 monthly pay"
2009 18th April BT:
"Firms may be trimming costs and easing up on new hires, but a freshly minted young lawyer has just snared a record starting salary. She starts her working life on a pay of $8,500 a month.
Ince & Co, an English firm which has been in Singapore since 1992, has hired its first trainee, a 23-year-old woman who is in the process of completing her pupillage in a leading local law firm. The firm specialises in marine casualty practice and the energy sector."
WHO IS THIS PERSON????????
"Firms may be trimming costs and easing up on new hires, but a freshly minted young lawyer has just snared a record starting salary. She starts her working life on a pay of $8,500 a month.
Ince & Co, an English firm which has been in Singapore since 1992, has hired its first trainee, a 23-year-old woman who is in the process of completing her pupillage in a leading local law firm. The firm specialises in marine casualty practice and the energy sector."
WHO IS THIS PERSON????????
Chicago Day 3- Rain!
Sabine was right- it's a rainy day today! Been raining non-stop since morning and it's still raining now. I'm sitting in the dining area, beside the celing-to-floor window and the rail track just about less than 100 m away from where I'm sitting. I really like watching the train pass why and it feels kind of strange that the train is running so close to the buildings. I was just thinking...if the MRT in Singapore were to run so close to the residential buildings, the residents sure will complain to the authorities. But it's just simply special here to have trains running above ground in between buildings. It gives me the feeling of like being in a giant roller coaster theme park (something to that extent).
Today is the last full day that I'll be in Chicago. It lived up to its name to be a "windy city" today. The rain and the wind made walking on the streets so unpleasant. I had to run into buildings once in a while to get a break.
Went to Navy Pier, Millennium Park and the Green Mill club for Jazz on Friday. Went to the Art Insititute of Chicago, Millennium (again) and Grant Park with Mica yesteday. I decided that there will be no more museums for me for the rest of my time here today (after visiting art museums in DC, NY and Chicago, I'm pretty sure that there is only so many things that they can display in museums). Since I have the day pass, I thought I'd make good use of it by taking the bus and rail to explore the city a little more. Took the green line to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Should have taken bus 151 instead of the subway because it was such a long walk from Sedgwick station! (But one good thing was that I got to see how a regular neighbouhodd in Sedgwick looks like. Found it surprising that the neighbourhood is so quiet on a Sunday though)
I finally found the park, after a miserable time struggling in the rain with a limp and almost totally destroyed umbrella. It was just so inconvenient that the umbrella finally chose to give up on me on the day that I needed it badly!! In the end I decided that I'd be a laughing stock carrying that limp umbrella around so I popped into a CVS store to buy a new umbrella and chucked mine into a rubbish bin outside the store. R.I.P my dear blue umbrella- after at least 2 years of hard work it has finally succumbed in a foreign land.
Lincoln Park Zoo wasn't bad. Saw leopards, lions, monkeys and gibbons in their indoor enclosures. It's good that it's free too :) I realised that not having visited the zoo in at least 12 years, I'm not used at all to looking at animals and observing their activities. They are such different creatures...they look at you with that look in their eyes, as if they totally comprehend what's happening in your world but you on the other hand, have no idea what they are thinking nor how they function. Anyways, the zoo was quite deserted today, probably because of the poor weather and also I guess because the zoo is rather derelict from age and is not exactly an 'attraction; here.
After the zoo, I went to Chicago Chinatown!! I was looking for a small chinese cafe to rest my feet and have some affordable hot chinese fare for lunch. I found the perfect fit in a hong-kong style-cafe. They even have bo luo bao and all. I immediately thought of Elian and Stefy (I made a mental note to ask the two of them whether 'die tou fan' is common in HK)! ahaha...it was getting a taste of what their 'territory', albeit transplanted. There was a plastered wall with a collage of pictures depicting scenes from quintessential Hongkong -neon lights, people, traffic...and hawker glistening with sweat in front of a cooing wok. They even had a TV running HK drama serials from cable TV. The people running the small cafe were cordial and I felt good after the meal :)
After that, took the subway and wanted to go to see the U of Chicago and the Garfield Park Conversatory, none of which I managed to see though, cos I decided not to see the uni and the conservatory was closed. Taking the train to area outide the 'Loop' really opens the eye to the suburbs- away from the tall magificent densely populated buildings (what i call the concrete jungles). There is so much more space everywhere and of course, everything is so spread out. But that doesn't necessarily mean the area is nicer. There is so little sign of the presence of people that it gets kind of depressing.
Tmr
I'm toying with the idea of going to Grant Park to catch the sunrise tomorrow morning at Lake Michigan.
Anyways, leaving for Vancouver tmr-- Woohoo~~. Look forward to catching up with Nick, Paula and Vince!!!
Post-script
Noticed that my entries are alot longer (and long-winded)? That's because I have, or I think I have, lots of time now as compared to before April 16. Corp Finance on 30 April had seemed a piece of cake at the beginning of the term, but now it is a huge piece of cake which I think I'd have huge trouble shoving down my throat. I brought notes to study! But hasn't touched anything today. It's okie. I will be fine (I hope).
Today is the last full day that I'll be in Chicago. It lived up to its name to be a "windy city" today. The rain and the wind made walking on the streets so unpleasant. I had to run into buildings once in a while to get a break.
Went to Navy Pier, Millennium Park and the Green Mill club for Jazz on Friday. Went to the Art Insititute of Chicago, Millennium (again) and Grant Park with Mica yesteday. I decided that there will be no more museums for me for the rest of my time here today (after visiting art museums in DC, NY and Chicago, I'm pretty sure that there is only so many things that they can display in museums). Since I have the day pass, I thought I'd make good use of it by taking the bus and rail to explore the city a little more. Took the green line to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Should have taken bus 151 instead of the subway because it was such a long walk from Sedgwick station! (But one good thing was that I got to see how a regular neighbouhodd in Sedgwick looks like. Found it surprising that the neighbourhood is so quiet on a Sunday though)
I finally found the park, after a miserable time struggling in the rain with a limp and almost totally destroyed umbrella. It was just so inconvenient that the umbrella finally chose to give up on me on the day that I needed it badly!! In the end I decided that I'd be a laughing stock carrying that limp umbrella around so I popped into a CVS store to buy a new umbrella and chucked mine into a rubbish bin outside the store. R.I.P my dear blue umbrella- after at least 2 years of hard work it has finally succumbed in a foreign land.
Lincoln Park Zoo wasn't bad. Saw leopards, lions, monkeys and gibbons in their indoor enclosures. It's good that it's free too :) I realised that not having visited the zoo in at least 12 years, I'm not used at all to looking at animals and observing their activities. They are such different creatures...they look at you with that look in their eyes, as if they totally comprehend what's happening in your world but you on the other hand, have no idea what they are thinking nor how they function. Anyways, the zoo was quite deserted today, probably because of the poor weather and also I guess because the zoo is rather derelict from age and is not exactly an 'attraction; here.
After the zoo, I went to Chicago Chinatown!! I was looking for a small chinese cafe to rest my feet and have some affordable hot chinese fare for lunch. I found the perfect fit in a hong-kong style-cafe. They even have bo luo bao and all. I immediately thought of Elian and Stefy (I made a mental note to ask the two of them whether 'die tou fan' is common in HK)! ahaha...it was getting a taste of what their 'territory', albeit transplanted. There was a plastered wall with a collage of pictures depicting scenes from quintessential Hongkong -neon lights, people, traffic...and hawker glistening with sweat in front of a cooing wok. They even had a TV running HK drama serials from cable TV. The people running the small cafe were cordial and I felt good after the meal :)
After that, took the subway and wanted to go to see the U of Chicago and the Garfield Park Conversatory, none of which I managed to see though, cos I decided not to see the uni and the conservatory was closed. Taking the train to area outide the 'Loop' really opens the eye to the suburbs- away from the tall magificent densely populated buildings (what i call the concrete jungles). There is so much more space everywhere and of course, everything is so spread out. But that doesn't necessarily mean the area is nicer. There is so little sign of the presence of people that it gets kind of depressing.
Tmr
I'm toying with the idea of going to Grant Park to catch the sunrise tomorrow morning at Lake Michigan.
Anyways, leaving for Vancouver tmr-- Woohoo~~. Look forward to catching up with Nick, Paula and Vince!!!
Post-script
Noticed that my entries are alot longer (and long-winded)? That's because I have, or I think I have, lots of time now as compared to before April 16. Corp Finance on 30 April had seemed a piece of cake at the beginning of the term, but now it is a huge piece of cake which I think I'd have huge trouble shoving down my throat. I brought notes to study! But hasn't touched anything today. It's okie. I will be fine (I hope).
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Chicago- HI, Navy Pier, Green Mill, Bean....
It's 12.55am now, exactly 48 hours after I wrote my last entry! And about 48 hours since I left London Hall to hop onto the Abouttown taxi to the Abouttown station. I'm sitting in the HI library now- really glad that the hostel has a working spot like this.
It's been a rather thrilling-and-strange-and-surreal experience so far. Again, as in any other travels, I know I am going to leave this place 36 hours later and find myself wondering if everything had happened after all.
London to Detroit: Sonia
Where should I start? To recount my the whole journey fully, I'd have to start Abouttown. Met a Chinese girl xinyue at the station who came into the station 10 minutes after me. We struck a conversation and I learnt that she is doing her second degree with King's College in some sort of alliance programme between Western and her home university in Liaoning. She was going to go back to Liaoning just three days to attend an interview as part of her applications for a post-grad research position. I couldn't believe how competitive it is- flying all the way back just to attend an interview? I asked her why a phone interview would not suffice and she told me because there's a strong competition for the positions. Huh?! But I still find it hard to justify requiring someone who is in canada to fly all the way back for just for a 30min interview...
Anyway, it was not the most bizarre thing that night. There was another lady, by the name of Sonia, who travelled with me on the same bus to Detroit. She was going to Phoenix (I later found that it is in Arizona) to join her husband who is there golfing. She is a nice but kind of strange lady. She began telling me about London, the fact that she has stayed in London for the past 26 years, asked me about Singapore, asked me for my telephone number and email address and gave me the same of hers and even invited me to her house party on 16th May if I could make it. We began talking about the places I'd like to travel to and seems like she'd been to those places too. The first strange thing about her surfaced when she put pressure on the driver (who is a very nice man) to drive faster because she though her flight was at 5.40am and if the journey were to take three hours, she would reach the airport at 5.15am. It turned out that her flight was at 6.40am. She implied that she would have been on time had the bus not left the station 15 late, which did not make sense because even then she'd reach the airport only 15 minutes earlier and she may still not make it in time. The second strange thing was that one moment, she was talking to me in very friendly terms and when it came for us to get down the bus for me to do the security checkpoint paper work (which took only about 10min), she was palpably unhappy with the 'delay'. Well whatever. Strange encounter. I don't even know whether I'd send her an email from her info she has given me.
Arrived Chicago: BARBARA!
I met Barbara and Lucie at the O'Hare Airport!!!! Can anyone believe was a coincidence it was?! I was walking to the baggage claim area when I heard my name being called and there she was, the sweet sweet Barbara! Haha, she was in transit at ORD with Lucie for three hours and they were heading towards San Diego. Both of us were simply exhilarated at seeing each other :) A story to tell when I go back!! We finally parted ways after chattig and I took the subway to Laselle.
Mica
The first thing when I emerged from the subway station was the Chicago Stock Exchange...Not exactly a most magnifcent building and doesn't really look like a stock exchange to me with its re-brick weathered facade. Found HI Chicago after going past it the first time (it was named differently on the sign, except for the triangle symbol). I was pretty pleased with the room because it has high ceilings and adequate space and ventilation. Then and there I met Mica, my walking buddy today. She is from Canberra and such a rare breed- strong, seasoned, seems to be someone -who-has been-through-it-all and yet there is an incredibly soft-hearted and sentient side of her that makes her guilty-conscious when she doesn't have loose change to give to beggars on the street. We told each other a great deal about where we come from and our lives so far-or rather she told me more than I told her because she has experienced much more than me. Grew up in a farm near Canberra, has taken her time to finish her degree in 5 years instead of three, travelled widely, works with disabled children and adults and was involved in a playing card scam where she had to make a dramatic harrowing emergency esacape...
Anyway we got along really well, probably because she is such an easy person to connect with-open, cheery and chatty. She was saying we may have a chance to meet in SF and she'd ask me to join in her dance workshop if I happen to be there. Not sure if it'd happen, but wonder if we'd ever meet again. I have a feeling that we may, as Canberra is really not far from Singapore. But anyways, one more friend it is.
Sabine, Green Mill
Sabine is an Austrian girl whom we met on the trip to the Jazz club. Talking about the Jazz Club, watched the first Jazz performance in my life but wasn't impressed because I was feeling absolutely exhausted. The lead singer has lots of 'jazz flair' though. I think I was the only one who did not enjoy the music totally- probably due to reasons to do with cultural gap ba...I was so tired that Mica felt sorry for me and told me to put my head on her shoulders and sleep and I did!
Sabine also has an interesting background: did tourism studies, worked and travelled in US for 8 months (part of the time working for a wealthy family) and is now studying microbiology. I had to tell her I am sorry that the only thing I know about Austria is the Austrian 'monster father' incest case and the kidnapping and dungeon imprisonment bad press (of course she wasn't by that...) Sabine is a nice lady too...very sensitive and serious about friendship. Perhaps just one thing is that she seems so intense when she doesn't smile that I feel kinda of intimidated.
We also met three other guys at the Green Mill Jazz, Marco, Daniel and Jason who are so different.
Anyways, 6 of us took a photo otuside Green Mill, took the subway back together at 12.3oam and they left again for drinks!!! I couldn't believe their stamina. I asked Sabine (after having her stand beside me for about 1hr to listen to the performance) whether she was tired after a long day and still standing at that hour and she said very resolutely, 'no'. I almost fainted.
Goodnight
It's really late now and I'm super sleepy. Thinking of going on a rail and bus trail tmr to explore other parts, like chinatown and lincoln park zoo (so that I can sort of get my rail and bus day pass's money's worth) Tmr will be the last day in Chicago and it should be good!
It's been a rather thrilling-and-strange-and-surreal experience so far. Again, as in any other travels, I know I am going to leave this place 36 hours later and find myself wondering if everything had happened after all.
London to Detroit: Sonia
Where should I start? To recount my the whole journey fully, I'd have to start Abouttown. Met a Chinese girl xinyue at the station who came into the station 10 minutes after me. We struck a conversation and I learnt that she is doing her second degree with King's College in some sort of alliance programme between Western and her home university in Liaoning. She was going to go back to Liaoning just three days to attend an interview as part of her applications for a post-grad research position. I couldn't believe how competitive it is- flying all the way back just to attend an interview? I asked her why a phone interview would not suffice and she told me because there's a strong competition for the positions. Huh?! But I still find it hard to justify requiring someone who is in canada to fly all the way back for just for a 30min interview...
Anyway, it was not the most bizarre thing that night. There was another lady, by the name of Sonia, who travelled with me on the same bus to Detroit. She was going to Phoenix (I later found that it is in Arizona) to join her husband who is there golfing. She is a nice but kind of strange lady. She began telling me about London, the fact that she has stayed in London for the past 26 years, asked me about Singapore, asked me for my telephone number and email address and gave me the same of hers and even invited me to her house party on 16th May if I could make it. We began talking about the places I'd like to travel to and seems like she'd been to those places too. The first strange thing about her surfaced when she put pressure on the driver (who is a very nice man) to drive faster because she though her flight was at 5.40am and if the journey were to take three hours, she would reach the airport at 5.15am. It turned out that her flight was at 6.40am. She implied that she would have been on time had the bus not left the station 15 late, which did not make sense because even then she'd reach the airport only 15 minutes earlier and she may still not make it in time. The second strange thing was that one moment, she was talking to me in very friendly terms and when it came for us to get down the bus for me to do the security checkpoint paper work (which took only about 10min), she was palpably unhappy with the 'delay'. Well whatever. Strange encounter. I don't even know whether I'd send her an email from her info she has given me.
Arrived Chicago: BARBARA!
I met Barbara and Lucie at the O'Hare Airport!!!! Can anyone believe was a coincidence it was?! I was walking to the baggage claim area when I heard my name being called and there she was, the sweet sweet Barbara! Haha, she was in transit at ORD with Lucie for three hours and they were heading towards San Diego. Both of us were simply exhilarated at seeing each other :) A story to tell when I go back!! We finally parted ways after chattig and I took the subway to Laselle.
Mica
The first thing when I emerged from the subway station was the Chicago Stock Exchange...Not exactly a most magnifcent building and doesn't really look like a stock exchange to me with its re-brick weathered facade. Found HI Chicago after going past it the first time (it was named differently on the sign, except for the triangle symbol). I was pretty pleased with the room because it has high ceilings and adequate space and ventilation. Then and there I met Mica, my walking buddy today. She is from Canberra and such a rare breed- strong, seasoned, seems to be someone -who-has been-through-it-all and yet there is an incredibly soft-hearted and sentient side of her that makes her guilty-conscious when she doesn't have loose change to give to beggars on the street. We told each other a great deal about where we come from and our lives so far-or rather she told me more than I told her because she has experienced much more than me. Grew up in a farm near Canberra, has taken her time to finish her degree in 5 years instead of three, travelled widely, works with disabled children and adults and was involved in a playing card scam where she had to make a dramatic harrowing emergency esacape...
Anyway we got along really well, probably because she is such an easy person to connect with-open, cheery and chatty. She was saying we may have a chance to meet in SF and she'd ask me to join in her dance workshop if I happen to be there. Not sure if it'd happen, but wonder if we'd ever meet again. I have a feeling that we may, as Canberra is really not far from Singapore. But anyways, one more friend it is.
Sabine, Green Mill
Sabine is an Austrian girl whom we met on the trip to the Jazz club. Talking about the Jazz Club, watched the first Jazz performance in my life but wasn't impressed because I was feeling absolutely exhausted. The lead singer has lots of 'jazz flair' though. I think I was the only one who did not enjoy the music totally- probably due to reasons to do with cultural gap ba...I was so tired that Mica felt sorry for me and told me to put my head on her shoulders and sleep and I did!
Sabine also has an interesting background: did tourism studies, worked and travelled in US for 8 months (part of the time working for a wealthy family) and is now studying microbiology. I had to tell her I am sorry that the only thing I know about Austria is the Austrian 'monster father' incest case and the kidnapping and dungeon imprisonment bad press (of course she wasn't by that...) Sabine is a nice lady too...very sensitive and serious about friendship. Perhaps just one thing is that she seems so intense when she doesn't smile that I feel kinda of intimidated.
We also met three other guys at the Green Mill Jazz, Marco, Daniel and Jason who are so different.
Anyways, 6 of us took a photo otuside Green Mill, took the subway back together at 12.3oam and they left again for drinks!!! I couldn't believe their stamina. I asked Sabine (after having her stand beside me for about 1hr to listen to the performance) whether she was tired after a long day and still standing at that hour and she said very resolutely, 'no'. I almost fainted.
Goodnight
It's really late now and I'm super sleepy. Thinking of going on a rail and bus trail tmr to explore other parts, like chinatown and lincoln park zoo (so that I can sort of get my rail and bus day pass's money's worth) Tmr will be the last day in Chicago and it should be good!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
12.55am
Finally finished all assignments today.
I'm going to leave for the bus depot in about 1/2 an hour! Taking a bus to detroit and from detroit to Chicago. Not so excited about the trip now though....perhaps it's the usual pre-departure syndrome: reluctance to leave the present conditions.
Looking forward to Vancouver- Big THANKS to Nick- for planning an itinerary for me (though I did not expect it) :D Big THANKS to Paula- for putting me up in her room! :D
Okie, be back here soon!
I'm going to leave for the bus depot in about 1/2 an hour! Taking a bus to detroit and from detroit to Chicago. Not so excited about the trip now though....perhaps it's the usual pre-departure syndrome: reluctance to leave the present conditions.
Looking forward to Vancouver- Big THANKS to Nick- for planning an itinerary for me (though I did not expect it) :D Big THANKS to Paula- for putting me up in her room! :D
Okie, be back here soon!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Dinner at 满江红and In-house KTV
Made a new friend today at dinner- Jane! Jane is a graduate student in Biology from Beijing and is a really nice, down-to-earth and genuine girl.
After having dinner, we wanted to got to to Bubble King for KTV but it was full-house, so we had an in-house KTV session in London Hall instead :). We played all the old songs on Youtube, like huan zhu ge ge, bao qing tian....haha, realised we all shared the favourite childhood dramas! Such good quality time spent together with people who shared the same sentiments and even had the same childhood memories shaped by the same entertainment culture.
Today was a good day.
After having dinner, we wanted to got to to Bubble King for KTV but it was full-house, so we had an in-house KTV session in London Hall instead :). We played all the old songs on Youtube, like huan zhu ge ge, bao qing tian....haha, realised we all shared the favourite childhood dramas! Such good quality time spent together with people who shared the same sentiments and even had the same childhood memories shaped by the same entertainment culture.
Today was a good day.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Sunset and the Road
I am sitting on the sofa in the living area and watching the sun set now. The orange and yellow hues in sky makes me think of the evening sunset at home- viewed from the open kitchen window towards the direction of punggol park. The sun has set really quickly. To think that it is 7.55pm now! It feels like 6.30pm on a normal evening back home.
From this view, there is also a road, flanked by a bush of trees one one side and a sloping grass patch on the other. I think this view is getting more and more beautiful as the spring approaches.
The flow of traffic on this stretch of road is fairly constant, which is quite surprising to me because the road seems to be branch from the main road and seemingly leads to nowhere. It is also for this reason that I am remotely fascinated by this stretch of road. Staring aimlessly at this road is strangely therapeutic, probably because of the motion and the feeling that there is going to be a destination for the cars, wherever that is. Where does it lead to and where are the cars in the opposite direction going? Could this road bring me home? Haha...
Anyways, I really hope to finish my PLT paper before the deadline (which is in 11 days' time). Court date on Tues and meeting on wed. I 'm wondering how I should prep for Tues.
The sun has completely disappeared behind the foliage now and what is left is a faint orange and turquoise colour in the sky. Another night has fallen.
From this view, there is also a road, flanked by a bush of trees one one side and a sloping grass patch on the other. I think this view is getting more and more beautiful as the spring approaches.
The flow of traffic on this stretch of road is fairly constant, which is quite surprising to me because the road seems to be branch from the main road and seemingly leads to nowhere. It is also for this reason that I am remotely fascinated by this stretch of road. Staring aimlessly at this road is strangely therapeutic, probably because of the motion and the feeling that there is going to be a destination for the cars, wherever that is. Where does it lead to and where are the cars in the opposite direction going? Could this road bring me home? Haha...
Anyways, I really hope to finish my PLT paper before the deadline (which is in 11 days' time). Court date on Tues and meeting on wed. I 'm wondering how I should prep for Tues.
The sun has completely disappeared behind the foliage now and what is left is a faint orange and turquoise colour in the sky. Another night has fallen.
So Bad at following Rules
I hate myself for being so bad at following rules. I just breached one of the CLS email policies. It is so destructive to one's self-esteem to realise that you are really bad at something so simple.
I think I still have a long way to go to kick the habit of assuming too much. I had thought before that I am close to defeating that bad habit but apparently I haven't.
Looking forward to change to a fresh new me, with all the infelicities ironed out and overcome.
Side Note
Went for a haircut yesterday at UCC, the fraying ends and drooping fringe was getting on my nerves. spent $16, but nobody could notice the difference! Haiz, but at least I could feel the difference myself.
Went for an Indian Dinner at Massey's yesterday night with the other exchange friends plus a few others. It was a nice dinner, although I had hoped the fish was a little less salty and a little more flavourful. Then we went to marble slab for ice-cream but I didn't get one cos I didn't want to feel bloated and sick again, just like the previous time that I had hotpot.
We are starting to appreciate how little time we have together before the end of this month, when everyone would be parting ways, perhaps for good.
I think I still have a long way to go to kick the habit of assuming too much. I had thought before that I am close to defeating that bad habit but apparently I haven't.
Looking forward to change to a fresh new me, with all the infelicities ironed out and overcome.
Side Note
Went for a haircut yesterday at UCC, the fraying ends and drooping fringe was getting on my nerves. spent $16, but nobody could notice the difference! Haiz, but at least I could feel the difference myself.
Went for an Indian Dinner at Massey's yesterday night with the other exchange friends plus a few others. It was a nice dinner, although I had hoped the fish was a little less salty and a little more flavourful. Then we went to marble slab for ice-cream but I didn't get one cos I didn't want to feel bloated and sick again, just like the previous time that I had hotpot.
We are starting to appreciate how little time we have together before the end of this month, when everyone would be parting ways, perhaps for good.
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