`frenFOReva

2011-08-01T23:36:00.005+08:00

studying for BQC test right now.

into the last lap of studing already.

"SHIYI, GAMBATTE!"

But i really think that i should put off getting into a university for the time being.

maybe i should work first, earn some money and experience before i decide what to do with my life.

It seriously sucks to be poor, ya know?

2011-05-12T23:01:00.000+08:00

I'm not in the mood to do anything.
there's too much on my mind already.

whoever said that its easy being a poly student should go fuck himself/ herself and die.

seriously, year 3 is not fun.

NOT AT ALL.

Jacq's marina barrage surprise

2010-11-12T01:11:00.003+08:00

Went to Marina Barrage earlier for Jacq's Birthday Surprise. :D
Happy Happy 18th Birthday girl!
it was great to see all those familiar faces again.
once again, they make me miss studying in wrs. :(

We ate and played some games.
Birthday cake was a Cheesecake from i believe, Breadtalk.
i ate a mouthful. :D
not bad leis.

she was so touched and happy that we were there.
hopefully she enjoyed herself.
then we can call this surprise Successful. :D

other than that, School work.
another report-of-the-week.
boooo.... i havent started on it yet, :(

make up lesson tomorrow.
so there's 4 hours of the same old boring lecture again.
congratulations to me.
i sure am gonna fall asleep.
heheheees.

2010-11-08T22:18:00.003+08:00

RANDOM:

what's with cbox?!
zzz. i guess i'll have to change my tagboard again.
please tag alrights! :)

Co-ed School the new korean group is not bad. :D
it's a mixed gender group btw.
the girls were great, but the boys need more practice.
that's what i think. :)

-editted-
i've changed back to my old flashbox.
ignore the tags there. they are super old once.
if you look at the dates, you'll know. :)

2010-11-08T00:09:00.001+08:00

if this is what i have to do all the time in the Biopharma stream,

then what shall i do?!

2010-11-07T02:27:00.002+08:00

had a Girls' Day out with Yvonne today.
mainly because we both had nothing to do. :D

we went to quite a few places today actually.
home>cwp>chongpang>thomson plaza>sunplaza>cwp>northpoint>cwp>home
cute eh? :D
but since we both have bus concessions, thus we took a whole day of buses.

didnt manage to get the violin strings i wanted to buy. :(
Yamaha didnt sell what i was looking for, neither did the music shop in cwp.
have to go search for them another day at some other places.

in the morning, i made some chocolates.
using the kit Raphael bought.
but erm, i thought that they tasted abit weird. :(
i'll try again another day. :D

dinner at Clarke Quay

2010-11-01T01:39:00.003+08:00

Last night wek out with the NPS peeps.
Raphael, Alvin, Iris, Ken, Yvonne, Yongzu, Kairen and Weiling.
We went to Brewerkz at Clarke Quay to have dinner.

The food was delicious in my opinion.
I really like it and would have ordered alot more if not for the prices.
It was my first time trying a cocktail.
The one i ordered, Cosmopolitian, is quite to my liking. :)
Whereas Yvonne was complaining how bitter her Naiquiri tasted. LOL.

In the same restaurant, we saw groups of mostly angmohs celebrating Halloween in all sorts of costumes.
there's like Wolverine, Wonderwoman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and quite and lot of cosplayers. and also people off the streets dressed up as some ghost or monster to scare others.
quite cool actually. :)

The night was caught up in squeezing through crowds and staying together throughout.
Yongzu was busy snapping pictures and even stayed behind after we left to do just that.
around 9 plus, we took the train and left Clarke Quay for home.

friday updates.

2010-10-30T02:28:00.004+08:00

Finally, Friday is here.

I actually forgot to call up my I&E teacher to update him about my group's current progress. :P
when i remembered, it was already nearing midnight.

About halfway through my lab report.
currently stuck abit here and there.
I hope to finish it during the weekends. :)

OCCHE lecturer was really funny.
he's the standard Singaporean-chinese-with-annoying-american-accent type of uncle.
but we couldnt stop laughing when he mispronounced other people's names. :D
especially, chinese names. LOL.

Went to visit Iris's flea stall at the FMS block after lessons with Yanling.
She was selling accessories and clothing at quite cheap prices.
There wasn't alot of people there, so she said she was making quite little money.

Went to Vivocity for dinner with Raphael and the Gang.
had Carl's Jr.
Was really dizzy the whole time.
even at the mention of the word, i'm getting dizzy again. =.=
Anyways, dinner was funny and yummy. :)

Tomorrow heading to town!
hope it will be another wonderful and enjoyable day!
please please i hope the dizziness will stop soon. :(

third day into the start of Semester 4

2010-10-27T23:04:00.004+08:00

so far so good. :)
everyone's been catching up with everyone else on the recent happenings they've missed.
and everyone's also trying to reverse their body clocks so that they will not be labelled as nocturnal animals.
sadly, that includes myself. :(

3rd day of the new week.
i've already have 1 pending report due next week, and 1 assignment due tomorrow.
i'm halfway through the assignment, that's y i took a little break to facebook and blog. :)
yeah yeah. a little break that's a little over 20 minutes.

Wednesday.
a super duper long day for me, with lessons from 9am till 6pm.
that is literally working hours.
early in the morning squeeze with all the adult strangers to school.
after school still have to squeeze in with them back home.

Today.
I had fun during Practical. :)
seriously, the people from the other semester will find CEL crazy as hell.
because that's what i felt then, with the teacher breathing down ur neck.

LOL.
time to go back to my assignment.
cya everyone! :)

2010-10-23T23:09:00.003+08:00

OMGOSH.
so long didn't update my blog alr.
everyone miss me right? :DD

according to statistics, even though i havent updated in more than a month, i still have visitors coming into my blog everyday.
so for that...
THANKS to all my dear readers, thanks for all your love. :D
in future i shall try my best to update more often. :)

I'm FINALLY 18! :D
can 光明正大 (in the open; dont have to hide) watch M18 movies, drink alcoholic drinks, smoke and go clubbing alr.
But dun worry, i wont start smoking.
everyday at home take in 2nd hand smoke, not enough meh?
that's even more 'shiok' than the 1st hand cigarette smoke.

Exam results are not fantastic, neither marvelous, nor great.
that would have been lying.
Exam results are also not lousy, neither pathetic, nor bad.
that would have been too demoralising.
All they are are signals to show that i havent been putting enough effort into my studies the previous semester.
not much happiness or sadness felt when i first saw my results.
just felt relieved, that i didn't fail any modules.
so must work harder already.
like i promised myself i would.

School is starting on Monday.
I'm really looking forward to being the same class as the same crazy bunch of people again. :)
it'll be another fun semester! :)

Music Camp from the 14th to 18th was enjoyable.
the freshies (campers) had a BLAST!
whereas for us, we had fun. but not exactly a blast.
they really bonded, which was the best part.
which was why less than a week after the camp, we've alr had 2 gatherings.
cool huh? :DD

so, that's all for this post.
do come back to check out the next one! :)

2010-08-30T21:18:00.002+08:00

22nd August
Went to Yvonne's house to surprise her at midnight.
and it was a SUCCESS! :))
with much thanks to her sister.
more pics and video in fb.

23rd August
went to clarke quay with yanling, chuyi, lingyu and yvonne.
aftwe which we split up.
yvonne and i went shopping for awhile.
but of course, we came bak empty handed.
i went to her house to slack and played monopoly deal.
say i suaku, whatever. but that was my first time playing it.
very fun. :D

27th August
mummy admitted into the hospital for her operation.
i realised, that it was the first time i see my mum without her dentures.
since she had to remove them prior to her surgery.
seriously, take good care of ur teeth.
cause you wouldn't wanna end up like my mum.
but anyways, she's alright now. :)

31st August
mummy's birthday tomorrow! :)

2010-08-20T04:37:00.003+08:00

strings performance soon. :)
11th Sept @ Suntec.

i'm both excited and nervous. :D
but but, the piece we're playing are really omg for people my standard.
jialat. practice more lo.

anyways, YOG left with about a week. exams in 2 weeks.
not yet studying.
constantly playing.
life, should live to the fullest what. :)
play till i'm sick of playing first ba. :DDD

loft with the girls

2010-08-11T23:01:00.002+08:00

currently in the loft with Joyce, Kate, Chuyi and Lingyu.
we're waiting for Yanling to come.
and i dunno what we're gonna do after that.

joyce and i went out this afternoon and came back with bags of food and drinks.
total costing up to $36.70
not a too huge amount considering the amount of stuff we bought. :)

well, i hope tomorrow will be fun. :)

2010-07-26T17:09:00.002+08:00

yesterday was a damn fked up day at work.
make me so angry only. zzz.

tomorrow's the TPFF test.
wah lao, haven study.
now watching tv and youtube only.
siao liao lorh.

getting really absentminded recently. :(
and i dunno why.
probably cause there's a sudden increase in the amount of things i have to remember.

2010-07-15T00:10:00.003+08:00

to everyone ot there who is currently feeling hungry in the middle of the night,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ME TOO! :(((

2010-07-05T13:04:00.003+08:00

I am so proud to say,

"my pay(s) are coming in soon!"

:DDDDDD

1st week into the new term

2010-07-04T18:15:00.004+08:00

PBL 2
status: started already. if i'm not wrong, most of us are already halfway through our work.
due: presentation on this coming week. =.=

TPFF 'toilet project'
status: haven even contact the person-in-charge.
due: i have no idea when.

BPP Practical reports
status: both undone. haven even read the questions. LOL.
due: thursday. :'(

EM3 Tutorials
status: 3A done. halfway through 3B. haven started 4.
due: 3A and 3B was due last week. 4 i guess is this week.

jialat liao.
you tell me la.
who said poly is very relaxing one?
WHO SAY ONE!?

first day of school

2010-06-30T00:08:00.002+08:00

after 6 consecutive days of working, school finally resumed today.
first day of school was received by a terrible traffic jam.
was on 961, which almost began to make it's way in the jam as soon as it left the Kranji Station, all the way till i reach the busstop opposite of NP.
took me close to 2 hours just to reach school today. :(

anyways, heard from the others that BKE was jammed up too.
due to a couple of traffic accidents, which clogged up the lanes.
so the only way to school that wasn't affected is by the MRT.
but that, would be very crowded. >.<

after Mr Yap's departure, 2 of our modules were left 'lecture-less'.
BPP was taken over by Mr Yun, while TPFF was taken over by this aerospace lecturer, Mr Yeoh.
Mr Yun is a familiar face, VERY familiar.
Mr Yeoh is a newcomer, who i think is also quite new to having a third of the lecturer hall being female students. Because he kept calling us 'gentlemen'. =.=

well, so other than those changes, i think school will still be pretty much the same as last term. except shorter and much more fast-paced. :((
this is horrific news, especially when all i wanna do is to snuggle up in bed and sleep.
hais.

first day of work

2010-06-23T03:00:00.003+08:00

1st day or work today at Itacho Sushi.
time passed really quickly, because the crowd kept coming in.
my work is quite simple. No. Damn simple.
clear table, set table, refill drinks.
like shiok only. :DDDD

1 bad thing i must say,
uniform is ugly. >.<

ate supper at Xin Wang Cafe.
den cabbed back, cause missed the last train alr.

NPS Orientation Camp

2010-06-18T23:01:00.002+08:00

The 2D1N camp was damn fun! :DD

bonded and made loads of new friends.
of course, not forgetting the usual clique. :)

Sharini and I were in charge of all the freshies in Group 1.
they weren't quiet and shy and inactive.
that's why they made the camp AWESOME for me. :D
our group also emerged winner in the overall camp games, whereby the points were collated together.
:DDDDDD WELL DONE everyone!

anyways, camp have ended.
so yea, back to the holidays.
1 more week to go. :(
2 papers to come.
sian. have to start studying~

2010-06-13T11:33:00.002+08:00

Wow, 2 weeks have passed since i last updated.

anyways, friday officially marked the end of the common test week.
i've had 2 papers over the week.
both which, i'm hoping to pass. :)

after the paper on friday, we went to Miss Tuti's condo for a class bbq.
she mentioned this early the start of this term, and it became a reality by the end of the term.
also present were Miss Ong and Mr Eric, the TSO.
2 cakes were bought to celebrate the June babies' birthdays together.
namely Henry, Kenelm and Kangrong.

Just like last year, when we were still year 1, the whole class also celebrated their birthdays for them. Then, we only went for a meal during a long break in between lessons.

We all had fun during the bbq.
i hope we have more outings like this. :)

camp in a few more days.
haven't started packing yet.
but it's just a 2D1N camp, so i can just do last minute packing la. :DD

maple.

2010-05-30T21:04:00.002+08:00

GUESS WHAT?

i'm mapling, AGAIN.
lol. it's fun ok, when u're not bored of it. :D

must control already.
common tests comming. :((

alex's surprise

2010-05-23T19:18:00.003+08:00

YONG MING HOU's birthday today. :)

went to surprise him in the morning, at a park near his house.
ok la, afternoon.
armed with cake and presents, we waited for him to come.
lingjie later appeared with a lighter, cause apparently, nobody brought one.
but it was too windy that the candles couldn't be lit.
so only the big one was lit for him to blow out.

then we ate the cake.
blackforest. yum. :D
yvonne, lingjie and I walked back to cwp.
the others went i-dunno-whr.
had lunch and returned back home.

Happy 18th Birthday! :))

ISPE AGM

2010-05-22T00:05:00.002+08:00

today went for the ISPE AGM.
if you dunno what's ISPE, den here's the site. :)
click here!

so well, there's this student chapter in singapore run by students in pharmaceutical related courses in the different tertiary institutions here.
and i'm elected as Vice President in the executive commitee of this student chapter.
while Lingyu's the President. lol.

i'm looking forward to working with the newly elected commitee.
hope an interesting experience awaits. :D

damn printer

2010-05-17T23:33:00.002+08:00

i damn hate my printer right now.
have got to buy new ink cartriges tomorrow. =.=
made me so fed up awhile ago, that i almost had the urge to smash the whole machine into smitterins.
but of course, the gentle and loving shiyi couldnt bear to do that. :DDD

and i have to remember NOT TO BE LATE for the first lesson tomorrow.
it's BPP lecture at 10 in the morning, not 11.
i dun wanna get the whole lecture full of people to wait for my grand arrival again. :P

ok la. nights people.
tag ya? :DDD

New Skin

2010-05-16T14:57:00.003+08:00

just changed a new blogskin.
i like simple designs. :)

life's been mundane.
nothing really big happened to me.
ok la, other than my mum's operation, nothing else.

quizzes and common tests are coming right up.
its time to study!
but i wanna play and have fun and not use my brains so much. :(

oh ya, please tag people. :(
my tagboard is really quiet.
thanks ah. :D

2010-05-12T13:23:00.002+08:00

my mummy is going home today! :DDD

2 big days

2010-05-09T23:27:00.002+08:00

Yesterday: Joyce's Birthday Celebration.

Had fun with the girls. :)
Joyce booked a function room at her condo, where we spent a couple of hours at.
Chuyi mistook the day and thought the celebration was the next day so didnt come.
She was the one who went to order the cookies, so we didnt had any since they were to be collected the next day. =.=
Had pizza hut for late lunch, early dinner.
Shopped.

Happy 19th Birthday, JOYCE. :)

Today: Singapore Flyer.

Went to the Singapore Flyer with Raphael.
experiencing the ride during the day is quite different from when at night.
can see much more, and overlook the construction of the IR.
Then we went to cross the double helix bridge.
Personally, i think the structure is pretty, just not very practical since Singapore has a tropical climate with loads of sun and rain.
Then is Swensen's for dinner. :)

Dialogue in the Dark

2010-05-08T23:46:00.001+08:00

was AN EYE-OPENER.

went thr with Yvonne and Sean.
got to know a Year 1 girl thr because we went into the galleries together. :)
our guide, Wesley, is pretty nice too. :))

Inside the rooms are TOTAL DARKNESS.
occasionally, alitle bit of light may leak in.
but for the rest of the time, there's no difference between opening and closing your eyes.
Really, the visually impaired are strongly independent people who can do many many things as though they can really see. I'm impressed and will forever look at the visually impaired from a different light. They are brave souls who dare to wonder on the streets in total darkness.

Kudos to them!

2010-05-06T00:35:00.002+08:00

went to watch Ironman 2 earlier today.
the movie was really nice.
i especially love the action scenes, and the lead's house in the movie.
the house is damn cool!

anyways, nowadays quite occupied with many different things.
so it's kinda rare to say that i'm bored. :)
its a good thing, really.

weather is getting ~~warmer~~ hotter.
please takecare everybody.
if not everyone will start falling sick all over again.

first day of work

2010-05-02T02:30:00.003+08:00

well, it was rather fun. :)

as expected, there was a rather significant crowd of people buying and anyhow throwing items they decided not to get.
Anyways, i was sent to the apparels department. this hasnt been the first time that i was sent to work with clothing. so, work hadn't been too tough.

time past really quickly. there wasn't a moment i could rest because we have to constantly be putting back clothes to where they belong, due to the constant crowd. this is a good thing, cause i didnt feel tired during the whole course of 9 hours.

made some new friends too. :)
had a nice time chatting with my new colleagues. :D
and as usual, Sean and Kelvin were a great laugh together.

overall, i had a great time and i really look forward to the next 2 days i'm gonna spend there. :D

weekends!

2010-05-01T00:32:00.003+08:00

my favourite time of the week. :)
because it'll be spent mostly doing the things i like. :D

this weekends will be spent earning $$.
hahahas. miss me alrights?
i'll be back soon to blog la.
i hope. :P

Eclipse

2010-04-26T22:08:00.001+08:00

01 July 2010

I WANNA WATCH THIS TOO!

Toy Story 3

2010-04-25T01:23:00.002+08:00

coming 17th June

I WANNA WATCH IT. :D

first week of school

2010-04-24T11:46:00.003+08:00

i realised i havent blogged in awhile. hees.

well.... school have started.
end of holidays.
first week of school was well... horrible.

Not mentioning the ENV paper on Thur.
everywhere was crowded, bombed by the year1s.
makan place, shuttle bus, lifts, everywhere!
a lot of bengs and lians around.
omg. sian.

my timetable isnt the best.
breaks all during the 12-1 peak hour.
means, even more 'fighting for space' with the year1s.
wth.

i'm really exhausted la. i hope this sem quickly ends. :(

Day 44

2010-04-14T15:52:00.002+08:00

14APR10

"Welcome to Singapore"

It was 30 degrees Celsius when we landed. We were all complaining about the heat! But nonetheless, everyone was glad and cheered when we heard the above broadcast from inside the plane. Indeed, everyone missed home. And surely, we were all dying to see our loved ones then.

In this whole trip, there are a 2 groups of people I want to thank.
Thanks to all the lecturers who have took care of us for such a long period of time, and
Thanks to all my coursemates who have made this trip much more enjoyable.

So that shall be so much for the trip.

Day 41

2010-04-11T11:34:00.005+08:00

11APR10

A few days back, we were playing with fireworks at a place nearby school that overlooks a water body. It was fun and I really enjoyed myself very much. The beautiful sparks and brightened the sky always seemed to disappear so quickly, making the joy very short lived. Somehow, this feeling of sorrow overwhelmed whenever the sparks died out. And then, another wave of joy would come in when another bunch of the fireworks are lit. They weren't as nice as those we see during National Day or during New Year Countdowns, and rather mundane as all the patterns were the same.

Today is our last full day left in Wuhan, for tomorrow morning we'll embark on our journey back home. Our 6 weeks here, are much like those beautiful fireworks we played with. The sadness I felt when i bid goodbye to my loved ones and the excitement I felt when the plane finally landed in the Wuhan Airport. But right now it's different, very different. The reluctance to leave this country is undeniable. 42 days is not a long duration, neither a short period of time. During these days, I have unknowingly grown to like the sights and sounds of this foreign land.

I admit though, the utterly cold weather on our first week here was unbearable. It was warlike every time we had to leave our room. Just to go out for dinner, we had to brave the strong winds and occasional rain. During the little snowfall we experienced, the weather was even colder. Then, I felt really homesick. I yearned for the warm comfort of home. Even if Singapore were to be of a burning hot 35 degrees Celsius then, I also wouldn't mind a bit.

Gradually, the weather got warmer, and so did our friendships with each other. I became friends with the coursemates from the other semester, while got to know more and became even better friends with the mates in my semester. Ironically, it is those little little moments that make us bond magically.

Every new experience I have, every new obstacle I face, I share them with these people here. It them who have also made this period enjoyable and special. I will miss the times here very much. Goodbye, Wuhan Science and Technology University.

Day 34

2010-04-05T15:15:00.002+08:00

04APR10

Still at Lu Lin Mountain, as we stayed there for the night. Today went to 2 more tourism spots on the mountain.

First was the Beauty Valley (美人谷). It was a valley with a few waterfalls and rapids. I guess the name came from a beauty pageant once held there.Though it was nice, but much of it was man-made. Like the stepping stones, some of it was made from cement or some other material. We also saw the people at work, making cements and building this rock wall. I don't mind if the original natural view is not as nice, but at least it's natural. It's kind of sad actually, to see pretty things that are so artificially real. But still, the beauty is undeniable.
Next, was a cave.It's very big and wet. According to the tour guide, the water dripping form the ceilings of the cave were actually clean spring water. But i felt that the cave is not as interesting as it seems. Because again, the whole thing looks quite unnatural.

So after the cave, we came back to our hostels.

Day 33

2010-04-05T12:32:00.006+08:00

03APR10

Out on tour again, to Lu Lin Mountain (绿林山). It is a very beautiful place, with breathtaking views consisting of lush greenery and shallow rivers that is so clear, one can see what is on the river bed.I was glad i came on this trip, because i can get to see even more nice places in China, which normally tour packages would not bring the tourists to, since it is not very famous.

What was most memorable on this day, i felt, was this suspension bridge right behind our lodging place, though it wasn't the main highlight of the trip itself.It looks like an old bridge built for the purpose that the local villagers living on the other side of the bridge could gather their crops to be sold in town centers.It was an everyday tool for them, but a very rare thing to us. I was delighted and excited like a little child, and spent some time on the bridge.
We went to visit 2 places on the mountain, and they were nice as well. But after all, tourists spots were made nice to attract tourists. Thus making them a little 'unnatural'.

Day 32

2010-04-05T11:45:00.003+08:00

02APR10

A little fast forward here, since the last few days of march weren't spent doing much exciting stuff.

Spent the day in the hostel, doing work. When i decided to start on my IS Report.Called Yu Min, a local student i befriended at the prize-giving ceremony last week. She came over and I asked her some questions, sort of like an interview, for my report. Weili also took the chance to interview her for her own report. She was great help, and I was very grateful. She gladly answered our questions and after we're done, she stayed behind and chatted with us for quite awhile. This allowed me to gain some more understanding about their lives here.

After she left, we continued on our reports.

Day 27

2010-03-29T18:24:00.003+08:00

28MAR10

Today, we all headed to 汉口 (Han Kou), the most developed part of Wuhan. It is sort of like Singapore, which the whole of it is a city.

We alighted near at a park, which is right next to the Yangtze River. It is a very big and beautiful place which is also covered with people. Just like the previous day, many locals go there with their loved ones to enjoy the day out in the sun. Plus with such a nice weather, it would be a pity not to go out and fly a kite.
Then we went to a near by shopping area, which is a rough 10mins walk away. According to the guide, it is like our Orchard Road. And indeed, the prices were slightly more expensive than of that in Guang Gu Bu Xing Jie. Hence after spending a few hours there, I didn't buy anything. But we did have lunch at Pizza Hut.We were delighted by the sight of Pizza Hut as we haven't seen one in a few weeks. So we had our lunch there.The internal of the Restaurant is quite nice. The restaurant is not Halal, as it serves pizza flavours like minced pork and bacon which is totally impossible to find in Singapore since the same place in Singapore is certified Halal.

We passed by this roadside stall selling very cute pets like hamsters and rabbits. They are not a rare sight in Singapore, but are much much cuter as they are literally round and furry. But too bad, we couldn't bring them back home.

Reached back the hostel in the afternoon, felt really tired from all the outings.

Day 26

2010-03-29T18:23:00.001+08:00

27MAR10

Our first stop of the day: Yellow Crane Tower.It’s really a quite magnificent building which we can overlook the whole city from.Perhaps due to the weekends, the place is very crowded. We had to squeeze our way though the main entrance, then again through the entrance to the main building. In the tower itself, we also had to squeeze our way up and down the stairs.Truly, the huge population of China is not something to be reckoned with.

Next, we went to this food street which is a 5 mins walk away from the tower. The street sells all of the delicious food from Wuhan, and also some others from other parts of China. I went to try the few that the guide specially recommended, and indeed, they were really delicious. Pity we didn’t have more time for lunch, if not we’ll be able to try more food items unable to be found in Singapore. When we were at the table, 2 Chinese women came and sat next to us despite already saying that the seat has been taken up. They also ignored us and continued to occupy the seat. So we felt that they were rather rude and made us feel uncomfortable. To this, I felt that this is probably due to a difference in our practices. In Singapore, we would most probably feel uncomfortable sitting next to a stranger, whereas to them, it is sort of a norm.

Our second stop: The Hubei Museum. The total land it covers is roughly about all the museums in Singapore added together. We didn’t have enough time, hence we only visited 2 exhibits which showcased items from excavations from archaeological sites. Along the way, I saw 2 girls drawing and a older woman guiding them. It’s probably their art lesson, and at the same time, their history lesson. This is rather interesting to me as I’ve never seen a similar sight before.

Our last stop: East Lake Park.It is sort of like our East Coast Park that is next to a lake instead of the sea.We rented bikes, which i shared a double bike with Mr Yun. The water level is really high, which I felt is quite dangerous, especially for small children.In the park, there is only 1 main road which is used by everyone regardless whether you're walking, riding a bike or driving a car. So again, very dangerous. But many many locals still go there with their loved ones to spend the day together, as well as couples going there for their wedding photoshoot. There is a roller coaster ride, boat rides and many more other sources of entertainment in the park. Which explains why many people like to visit it, because of it's many forms of entertainment that caters to all age groups.

Day 25

2010-03-29T15:23:00.001+08:00

26MAR10

Had our first lesson with Mr Yun in Wuhan. which was a rather long one, starting from the morning till afternoon. But at least, we managed to finish 1 chapter and got started on the next.

Then Mr Yun, Weili and I went to collect the cake we ordered the day before. Which turned out quite nicely. We requested for some candles too. And they were different from those we have in Singapore. In Singapore, when we said that the person is 18 years old, they'd most probably give us a big candle and 8 small candles. Whereas here, they provided us with a candle shaped as "1" and another candle shaped as "8". Very interesting and nice candles with more than 1 colours on them.

In the late afternoon, we surprised Jialin with the cake as a form of celebration for her birthday. I felt that she was really surprised and had enjoyed herself, which was good news. We sang her a birthday song and cut the cake. The candles weren't of a good quality, hence the flame wasn't very lasting.

Jiaen decided to play with the cream and 'attacked' Jialin.Even Mr Yun wasn't spared.But they didn't seemed to be angry at her. Hence, it was great that everyone enjoy themselves and had a great time.

In the evening, we attended a prize-giving ceremony organized by the university.It was considered a rather grand event as the emcees were all dressed up formally and there were notices around the school to encourage their own students to attend it.

The performances were entertaining, and I especially loved the "相声" a sort of stage comedy put up by normally only 2 people. And of course, the performance put up by our own people from NP. The same performance as last week, but with more audience and a better ambience. They enjoyed performing on stage, and we enjoyed their performance.

I also made a new friend, who is a local. She approached Huiling and I, who were then watching the performance, and we soon got chatting. From her, I got to know more about their student life and she even promised to bring us around to explore the area. She told us that our spoken english is very good, and by listening to us, she felt that her efforts spent in learning english have been wasted. This made me feel that she has very little confidence in her english. I heard her say a few phrases in english and it wasn't as bad as she said it would be. In fact, it was actually much better than I thought it would be. It was probably due to their lack of practice and exposure to the language. Which is also why, their standard of english could not catch up with ours.

In all, it was a great day.

Day 24

2010-03-28T21:03:00.005+08:00

25MAR10

Went shopping with Jiaen, Jialin, Huiling, Weili, Junjie, Yanlinand Mr Yun at Guang Gu Bu Xing Jie. We first went for lunch before splitting up into smaller groups. I ended up with Jiaen and Huiling.
I realised, the shopkeepers here refer to their shops as their homes. They would say things like "do come to our home often!" This is rather hilarious in a way, since nobody in Singapore would say that unless refering to their own homes. Hence, I really found it funny.

After we were done shopping, we went to have dinner before heading back. By the time we finished dinner it was already 9 plus and most of the shops were already closed. I realised, the locals are really different people who start and end their day early. Whereas we start and end our day late.

We reached back to school at about 10. Then Mr Yun and I went to order a cake for Jialin's Birthday. We couldn't make a decision at first. But after discussion, we decided to get a orange flavoured fruit cake, hoping that it would turn out to be nice as like in the photograph in the catalog. I really hope that she'll like the cake as well as ou surprise.

Day 23

2010-03-24T17:45:00.004+08:00

24MAR10

Today is the day of the Common Test. Everyone had been studying the night before, hoping for good results. Well, so did I. The paper was manageable, though there were questions which took me a longer time to solve. I know i made a mistake, because Mr Wong said so. But it doesn't matter. In the end, i got 30/40 for the paper. I'm happy enough.

Had lunch with Mr Yun, Jialin, Weili, Junjie, Eugene, Yanlin and Jethro. The food was nice and filling. Overall, I enjoyed lunch together with them.

Farewell dinner for Mr Wong, as he would be returning to Singapore on Friday. We'll all miss him though we'll be seeing him soon anyway. It was a rather filling dinner, which Mr Wong treated us all to it. Though the dishes were all rather spicy, which i think Mr Wong also couldnt really take the heat himself. Really enjoyed the rare gathering of ours. I really hope we have more meals just as this one together.

Day 22

2010-03-24T17:07:00.004+08:00

23MAR10

After lunch, went to the teachers' dorm to study/consult Mr Wong with the others.
Huiling, Weili, Jialin, Eugene, Junjie, Yanlin and Jethro.
It was fun, studying together, though not very productive. The consultation ended at around 4, because Mr Wong had his own things to do. And so we left.

Came back and went to re-do the tutorials. I hope I can manage tomorrow's paper. It will be very different i guess, to sit for a paper in this foreign land. Tomorrow will be a cold day, with temperatures dropping to below 10 degrees Celsius. Makes me really wonder how tomorrow will be like.

Day 21

2010-03-24T15:06:00.002+08:00

22MAR10

Today marks our third week in China, and also means, we're 3 weeks closer to going home!

Spent the whole day in the hostel blogging about last week. I bet everyone was doing the same thing as me. In the morning, there was this buzz outside that woke everyone up. It was something like that the director of the school would come and check on everyone, to see how we're doing. But he/she didnt come in the end. So i really don't know how all that came about.

2 more days to Common test!

Day 20

2010-03-22T16:25:00.006+08:00

21MAR10

Our main purpose for visiting the Wudang Mountain is the climb to the peak, which happened today.

Breakfast at 6am was horrible. I'm not a morning person myself, coupled with not-so-nice food. But I had to eat, so that I have the energy for later. Around 7, we started our climb towards the peak. It wasn't a hike, because the path we took were man made steps, which we only had to climb like climbing staircases.The whole journey was about 14km, according to Dr Tan HK. Before reaching the peak, we had to wait near the entrance to the peak, which was 0.3km away. Because to enter that entrance, we had to have a ticket. Hence we had to wait for the others before we can get entrance to the rest of the journey to the peak.

Along the way, i saw some interesting sights.The words meant "A safe journey". The words were carved onto a step, hence it made me wonder if other people would notice it too. This is how they transport goods uphill.Using manpower. In this picture however, the rope snapped.
Chickens!We could hear and see roosters on top of a mountain. who would have thought of that?!
Also, along the way nearing the peak, we saw lots of these chains fastened with locks.These locks had no keyhole, which means once fastened, you couldn't unlock there again. They had meanings of prosperity and good well-being. I bought 1 too, for my family.But i didn't fasten it on the chains. Instead, i decided to bring it home as a souvenir.

During the climb, i made 2 mistakes.
Mistake1. I forgot my inhaler in my luggage. I had difficulty breathing halfway up and down, but I managed.
Mistake2. I left my water bottle with Weili. At least half of the time, she wasn't with me, so i couldn't hydrate myself.

But nonetheless, i reached the peak, and is very proud of myself for being the first girl to reach the waiting area. Before me, about 10 others had already reached. I took about 2hours to ascend.And another about 1hr 15 mins to descend. There were people who gave up halfway, some who didn't even went for the climb. I thought that it was a very wasted trip for them.

The view from the mountain was great.
After descending, everyone gathered together and had lunch. Lunch was especially delicious, as i wan hungry from the strenuous exercise. Then we took the same 6hour bus ride back to our hostel.

Day 19

2010-03-22T14:23:00.006+08:00

20MAR10

The start of our trip to the Wudang Mountain, a very famous Taoist Mountain in China. Everyone hd to be at the school gate by 7am, even earlier than last week's trip. This time, the bus ride to the mountain took around 6 hours. After which, we changed to shuttle buses on the mountains which brought us to our touring destinations.
Since it is a Taoist Mountain, hence the whole mountain is filled with Taoist Temples. Therefore, all of our 3 destinations are temples.
There were loads of smoke from the burning of incense, and the temples were crowded from touring tourists like us, and the taoist worshippers who have came to pray. I noticed that most of the worshippers wore yellow aprons like this.I guess it is for easier identification, to show that they are a taoists.

There were many shops selling swords.On one of them i saw "Ward Off Evil Sword". So i guess the purpose of all those swords in for the taoists to ward off all evil. I don't know how they do that, but the swords were real and looked very sharp.

At 1 of our destinations, we were offered tea to drink. After drinking about 3 cups of the tea, the mineral water tasted sweet, like what the person had said.I guess this was due to the the minerals in the mineral water reacting with some components in the tea to form that sweet taste. And it surprised me as i didn't really believed her at first.

In the evening, we went to have dinner and checked into the hotel. We had a different hotel from the other LSCT guys because there weren't enough rooms in their hotel. So we shared a hotel with the ICT people. We were surprised at how nicely furnished the hotel room was.But sadly, we were only staying there for the night.

Day 18

2010-03-22T12:46:00.004+08:00

19MAR10

We had this Interaction night with the local students. Well, it was actually a sort of a performance night where both sides put up performances to captivate the audiences. The local students went for a more 'traditional' performance, like martial arts, calligraphy and the dizi (flute). Whereas for us, the guys went for a more modern approach, with pop songs and instruments like guitars and a drum set. As for the rest of us, we were the audiences. The whole thing lasted for about 2 hours.

It wasn't quite like how I imagined it would be. I thought that there would be personal interaction time like chatting with the local students, instead of just watching performances and clapping for them. So, I was a little disappointed. But nonetheless, the performances put up by everyone was great.

Day 17

2010-03-22T10:49:00.006+08:00

18MAR10

Today was Mr Wong's last lesson with us. From the next lesson onwards, our teacher would become Mr Yun. As for Mr Wong, he would be returning to Singapore soon.

After lessons, we went to visit the Coca Cola Factory, which was about a half an hour ride away from school. We were first shown this video about the history of the Coca Cola company. We were also given a free drink during the video.Next, we were brought around to look at their factory, to see how they produce the world famous drink as of we know it.Lastly, we were brought to this gallery, where we can take pictures with the many different products with the Coca Cola logo.
Coca Cola Barbieand some other products on showcaseCoca Cola bottle caps with many different languages
The whole thing lasted for about an hour plus. After which, we returned to our hostels. It was interesting to see how the factory operates, but also quite boring and found it a little time wasting. We could have better spent the afternoon doing other things, rather then spending it at the factory. So if i were to put it, it wasn't a very fruitful trip.

Day 16

2010-03-19T00:19:00.002+08:00

17MAR10

Recently kept eating icecream. Because the weather became warmer, its about 20plus degrees outside already. They have a lot of choices here, much more than in Singapore. So i'm pretty spoilt for choices.

Started on Chapter 5 for ENV, the last Chapter that Mr Wong is going to cover. This lecture has 109 slides. This made all of our jaws drop. But we still endured through the lecture, which ended 3/4 through the chapter. I guess Mr Wong saw fatigue in our eyes and decided to continue another day. That was a good decision.

After lessons, Huiling and I went out to shop by the row of shophouses we always pass by. The things there are quite cheap, and there was this salesgirl who asked which country we came from. She said that she was amazed by the fluency in our english, though she couldn't really understand what we were saying. I guess, locals who speak fluent english must be really rare because she knew we weren't from China.

Day 15

2010-03-18T22:59:00.004+08:00

16MAR10

lessons resumed today.

after lessons ended, we went to print notes.
Jialin, Weili, Huiling, Benedict, Mr Wong and I.
we printed 5 chapters of slides, 6 tutorials, and 1 sheet of the project info.
and 18 sets of those, turned out to be a huge stack of papers.

The thing about this photocopying / printing service is that we have to staple the papers ourselves. Whereas in NP, the aunties working there helped us to nicely staple everything. And i could fully underdstand how they felt whenever they look at the stacks and stacks of papers waiting to be sorted out, everyday.

Anyway, 18 sets of paper were finally sorted out and were distributed amongst our other coursemates. 15cents yuan for a piece of paper. total cost was about 100yuan i think. Imagine how much paper we used. Saving the Earth shall have to wait for some other day.

Day 14

2010-03-16T01:34:00.003+08:00

15MAR10

Stayed in the hostel room all day, blogging.
The weather has really gotten warmer. Today, I tried going out to eat dinner with Benedict in slippers, and my feet weren't freezing cold. Which means, I can start wearing lesser. If not 3-4 tops everyday is not very convenient to wear, especially when in a rush for time. I realised, I was the only one crazy enough to wear slippers. Other people, even locals, were seen in covered shoes.

I'm waiting for the boutiques to launch their spring collection, so that i can start getting clothes to bring back to Singapore.

Day 13

2010-03-16T00:16:00.002+08:00

14MAR10

Today marks the end of this excursion.
Our original plans were pushed back for hours due to the thick fog that caused the cruise to have to anchor. In the end, we alighted the cruise at a small jetty and took the local bus to Yi Chang to board our buses back to Wuhan.

Over the course of the 3D2N trip, i've looked at much of China's breathtaking sceneries. It is definitely a worthwhile experience that no camera can fully capture.
These are just a few of the many I took. (pictures taken at different places) If you've noticed, there seemed to be 2 layers, a layer of green and a layer of brown, on the hills. That if not wrong, would be caused by the tides. And just happened, we were experiencing low tide, hence the bottom most of the green layer would be the height of water during high tide.

I especially enjoy looking out to the waters on the ferry/cruise. Because it has a very nice calming effect which is also pleasant to the eye. This will be something I'll miss since Singapore is a concrete jungle with no much natural landscapes. I would love to experience a river cruise on Yangtze River again.

Returned to the hostel at night, was very tired from the long bus rides.

Day 12

2010-03-15T20:40:00.004+08:00

13MAR10

Woke up early in the morning for breakfast at 6am. If that wasn’t enough, breakfast wasn’t nice or rather, it didn’t really satisfy our taste buds. Hence, most of us were whining and complaining.

We went to Shen Nong Xi, this stream which flows into the Yangtze River from the hilly regions of Shen Nong Jia. There, we experienced the famous Qian Fu La Qian. Qian is a small wooden boat, much like our sampan. Qian fu is the person who controls this small boat. Hnece Qian Fu La Qian would mean a person pulling a boat. Literally, the person would use a rope that is tied onto the boat to pull it from shore. In the past when the water is pretty shallow, they would use the stones grab onto the stones on the ground in the stream to pull themselves forward, hence the boat as well. Now that the water is actually pretty deep, they don’t have to get wet anymore since they can only pull from a distance on shore. Also in the past, the locals who pull these boats were all naked men. But nowadays, they wear modern clothes.
An example, a dark blue sweater.
From where we alighted from the main ferry, the locals, mainly men over 40s, had to row the boats for about an hour, where we’ll reach the shallower waters.Then, they can run onto shore with the rope and pull for awhile, and come back to row us back. The pulling only lasted for about, 5 minutes. So that part is really quite 'extra'. Can see the 2 people with the rope?
Then the tour guide started selling us souvenirs and she was rather pushy. Because it's not very often that they get to have tourists, hence she wanted to earn as much as she can from us. But her behaviour was rather offending.

After that, we left the place and out cruise carried on, bringing us to our next stop, Bai Di Cheng, directly translated as White Emperor City.

It's a pretty old structure built on top of a hill, with very nice scenery over looking mountains and the Yangtze River.To reach there, we have to climb this flight of stairs that has close to 400 steps. If you look from the bottom, it looks quite intimidating.But after you've conquered it, it looks rather small and harmless.This thought makes even more looking forward to the Wudang Hill trip. :)

The place is made made tourist-friendly, which means the environment is specially reconstructed beautifully to attract the eyes of tourists. This make the place look too new to be a historical building.
After gaining entryOverlooking the bridgeThe city gate. This is an added detail, not built together with the original buildingThis is an old structure

After decending the mountain, we took the bus to the jetty and returned to the cruise.

Day 11

2010-03-15T12:46:00.004+08:00

12MAR10

Today is the start of our excursion to the 3 gorges.
Reluctantly, everyone had to be up and at the school gate at around 730am.

First, took this about 4 hr road trip to Yi Chang, a small town near the 3 gorges. There, we alighted and took another hr's ride to visit the 3 gorges dam. During both rides, we passed by hills and mountains, one after another. Also, there were lots of farmland and all that made beautiful sceneries, something we would not be able to experience back in Singapore due to limitations of our physical landscape. We were not allowed to be on the dam itself, but from 3 sceneric spots that allows us to look at the dam from a safe distance, since construction of the dam is still ongoing.
The dam from different angles A miniature model of the dam

From the visit to the dam, it made me realise how proud the Chinese are of this great structure. Our tour guides mentioned that this dam broke world records and has the whole world concerned about its progress. Hence, I guess that was the reason why the government decided to set up 3 spots around the dam to allow public access for visiting.

After the visit, we took the 1 hour ride back to a jetty to board our river cruise, which we'll be staying onboard for the weekend. 2 people to each room, I shared a room with Huiling.The room was actually better than what i had initially expected. There were matteresses and a toilet bowl. Not bad!
By the time we settled down, it was already night time. hence we were left to rest for the day.

Day 10

2010-03-15T01:13:00.006+08:00

11MAR10

No lessons today!
But we went to visit Pharmaceutical Plant nearby school.
Not exactly the plant, just it's herb garden.

Its a very grand place, not at all like a plant.From this visit, i not only learnt alittle more about chinese herbs, but also fully experienced how the locals use their land.
As China is a very big country with a lot of land, hence the locals can actually 'waste' this resource. Also, it is built near residential estates and where a lot of people live, work and play.Just take a look at these pictures.

The plant is also built near a huge water body, which i presume is a lake.

A view of nearby estatesWe were welcomed by a fountain at the main hallA view of the garden There's this 'wishing stone' in the garden. It's actual purpose, is unknown to me.This is a swimming pool. This is an example of how they waste their resources.There's this about 2 storey high statue of the founder of chinese medicine. According to the interpreter, he lived to several hundred years!

After the visit, we went to Guang Gu Bu Xing Jie.
Jialin, Huiling, Weili, Eugene, Junjie, Yanlin, Jethro, Rey and me.

We went to eat at the Singaporean restaurant I mentioned at an earlier post. I ordered Laksa and was surprised at how much it tasted like those we sell in Singapore. So it was really nice and made me realise how much i missed home.

We had icecream! The taste was alittle different from what we have in Singapore, but nonetheless, the taste is still wonderfully sweet. We didnt really go shopping, as it was already getting dark. Hence soon after, we returned back to the hostel.

Day 9

2010-03-11T02:35:00.002+08:00

10MAR10

We have lessons again today.
After lessons, we went to Mr Wong's dorm. Just so that we know our way when we want to find him in cases of emergency.

We were all surprised when we saw how nice his was, compared to ours. It was much spacious and even had a living room with a television. He shared the apartment with other lecturers, each having a room to themselves. There was also a nice scenery outside their living room. After making much noise which i guess disturbed the other lecturers, we left and went back to our own hostels.

Went for dinner in the evening with Jialin, Weili and Benedict.
We went to a new place to try their food and were pleasantly surprised. Jialin took a few photos but an employee requested for the pictures to be deleted. I guess it was for fear that their menu would be copied in another restaurant. But the food was very nice. Will be going back there to eat again.

Day 8

2010-03-11T02:10:00.003+08:00

09MAR10

The first IS lesson by a Chinese Lecturer.
Our lecture was a combined one, with the MOT mates.

I was surprised by the standard of the Lecturer's english. To me, it was considered pretty good for a Chinese since they have little exposure to english. But still, he had some problems with the more complex words and had some trouble trying to explain what he wanted to say.
I felt that, our lecturers in Singapore tend to ask us questions like "Do you understand?" or "Am I going too fast?" However, the Chinese lecturer did not ask such questions. He just kept on talking about what he was teaching and the lesson ended like that. It's only the first lesson. Will have to observe longer inorder to make more comparisons.

After lessons, went to the supermarket with a whole group of people.
Jialin, Weili, Jiaen, Huiling, Benedict, Rey and Eugene.
we all went to stock up on our tibits and drinks.

That was when i saw this. It's actually their way of selling rice. In Singapore, Rice comes packaged in either 1, 5 or 10kg packages. But here, you can decide the exact amount of rice u want. Plus, costs on packaging can be saved. It was also more environmental friendly as the lesser plastic will be used to pack the rice. I felt that this should also be practiced in Singapore too.

Went back to the hostel after we've decided that we have got enough to last us.

Day 7

2010-03-11T01:09:00.006+08:00

08MAR10

In the morning, there was a slight snowfall. It was actually raining as well. But there wasn't much snow, hence once they touched the ground, they turned into water. It was my first encounter with real snow, hence i was really excited.
In the pictures, the little little white 'lines' are the snow. As for the video, ignore the 2 voices behind.

Then in the afternoon, the first lesson in Wuhan started!
Our first lecture for Environmental Techonology (ENV), in a classroom in the Foreign Language School. Mr Wong!
Had to climb a flight of stairs to the lessons everyday.It was even higher than the 75 steps behind Blk 50 in Ngee Ann. And indeed, after i counted, it consisted of 135 steps. That everyday, is very good exercise for the body.

It was a very different experience, having lessons in a very cold environment. I was shivering in the classroom, even with all the thick clothing. But nonetheless, it allowed me to experience how it felt like for the Chinese students to have lessons during such weather. And I must say, they really need to have very high tolerance level for low temperatures.

There was another snowfall at night. This time, it was even smaller.

snow!

2010-03-08T10:19:00.001+08:00

It's freaking SNOWING! :DDDD

hahaas. typical suaku Singaporean.
never see snow before. lol.
but who cares.
It's Snowing! :D

Day 6

2010-03-07T19:12:00.004+08:00

07MAR10

Today we went to try this restaurant along the shophouses that Dr Tan recommended.So, a group of us, Jialin, Jiaen, Huiling, Weili, Benedict, Eugene and I went there for dinner. Because there were too many people, hence they provided us with a sort of a 'function room'.
There we ordered 4 dishes and a soup. The food is quite nice, just that their tastes are abit too strong for my liking. Perhaps i'm used to slightly more bland taste compared to the food sold there.
We ordered:
fish
chicken
egg
But didn't take pictures of the soup and the vege.

The rice was the cutest. It came in a small bamboo pail and we had to split it amongst ourselves by ourselves. In Singapore, the rice was already put onto plates readily for us. There is also a common spoon for us to take the food due to personal hygiene. Whereas here, everybody just use their own spoon to take the food, even for the rice as well.

The meal wasn't costly as well. 11yuan per person is only about S$2.50.
CHEAP right?! And for a pretty full meal too!
So next time, maybe can go back there to eat again.

Day 5

2010-03-07T13:42:00.004+08:00

o6MAR10
Activities planned today were cancelled due to bad weather.
Weather forecast said that the temperature today would drop below 0 degrees Celsius.
So, it's another 'free day' for us.

After a whole morning of not doing much and lying around, we went shopping in the afternoon!

Weili, Jiaen, Dorothea, Benedict and I took the Mian Bao Che to the same shopping area we went to last time. This time, the driver auntie was very kind. She only charged us 25yuan, and she even gave us her phone number so that we can call her whenever we needed transportation. Which can possibly save us from a lot of trouble. I think that this is a really good way to 'snatch' business from other people. Since we can directly call her and ask her to drive us to wherever we want to go, instead of having to go out and negotiate with the driver about the price again and then worried of they may bring us to 'sell' if they are human traffickers. And it is somewhat like us calling for a taxi in Singapore, just that we are calling directly to the driver here.

we went to the Carrefour in the Guang Gu Bu Xing Jie and saw this restaurant selling Singapore Dishes like Laksa, Ice Kachang and Hainanese Chicken Rice. I was quite surprised as I didn't expect that such a restaurant would open at such a small city, when compared to other major cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

After we're done shopping, we called her and she came to drive us back to the hostel.

Day 4

2010-03-07T04:57:00.005+08:00

o5MAR10
There weren't much activities planned for today, hence it was considered as a 'free day' for all of us. To make use of this time, my roommates and I decided to do some cleaning.

But before that, we went to the supermarket and bought some other necessities that we missed out earlier. We came back and asked if we could borrow the mops and broom first, before buying. We asked the lady downstairs and she said "There are brooms and mops by the staircase. But i don't think u all would want to use it because it's quite dirty and Singaporeans are really particular about cleaniness." So we thanked her and went to check them out. Indeed, there were pretty filthy. So we still bought our own, and shared with the people in the room next door.
After we're done buying, then starts the cleaning.
Firstly, we moved all the things on the floor out of the room.
Secondly, sweep the room. The dust and dirt in the room were aplenty. So much so that i wondered if the room was ever cleaned before.
Thirdly, mop the room. The mop they bought was pretty big. So we had a hard time trying to squeeze the water from the mop before mopping.
Fourthly, clean the soles of our slippers. Since we were going to wear it around in the room hence they had to be clean, if not what for we clean the floors?Well, that's me trying to dry the mop, and Jialin washing the slippers.

Lastly, we waited for the floor to dry and moved all the luggage back in.

And there we have it!
quite a bit of time was killed just like that.
The one who does most of the work:
The people who were most of the time 'looking after' the things outside:A sense of accomplishment even though i didn't do much. Now i have a clean room!

Day 3

2010-03-07T01:05:00.006+08:00

o4MAR10
In the morning, we were brought to our classrooms at the School of Foreign Language, which is sort of like our LSCT building, on a small hilltop that overlooks a huge lake. There's even a huge sports track nearby.Of course, their 'small' is an amplified version of our 'small'. To reach the school, there are 2 route. either by the slopes, or by this staircase that goes directly upwards. An 8 storey building, with no elevators. The locals are really used to all the climbing and walking long distances. While apparently, we Singaporeans aren't since even going up by 1 level we have to take the lift. The inside of the building quite spacious. and there happened to be some event, hence flags where hung from the ceilings.
There are quotes on the corridors outside the classrooms. I suppose they are to aid the chinese in learning english, and also to motivate them to learn.
Our classroom will be at the 4th storey, thank goodness. If it's at the 8th storey, i think i'd be late for lessons everyday. Anyway, the classrooms are all using blackboard with chalk, some tables and chairs, no power sockets, no projector/ faulty projector. Imagine that! Even our primary school back home has bettter facilities, and yet we're in a university here.

In the afternoon, we went and bought a local sim card for use. But the thing is, we cannot call or sms overseas. So, have to wait for the people back home to call here.

We split into groups and went to Guang Gu Bu Xing Jie, directly translated as Optics Valley Walking Street. I was with Jialin, Weili, Jiaen, Huiling and Benedict. It is basically like our Bugis street, just a lot bigger, even bigger than our Vivocity. Like a shopping centre without a roof, people smoke inside the infrastructure. But even so, it is still a heaven for shopaholics.
Their Overhead bridge is quite big, and the stairs are gently-sloped. While in Singapore, the staircases are steep and bridges are narrower.
We took this public transport called Mian Bao Cher, directly translated as Bread Car. It is like our taxi, shaped of a minivan, which i heard that it is unlicensed. So it may be dangerous as they may just drive us to some foreign land and we cant do anything about it. Before u board the minivan, u have to negotiate the price with the driver. It does not run by meter, unlike taxis in Singapore.

Inside, the Guang Gu Bu Xing Jie, there are many many shops selling a wide variety of items. Eateries, Pharmacies, Boutiques, etc etc. it is like a one stop place for shopping. And when we were there, there was also alot of sales going on. so prices were even cheaper.

While walking to find our transport back, we passed by this grass patch near the other side of the overhead bridge. There were old people singing karaoke in the open, showcasing their voices and spending time with other elderly people. And i found this quite an interesting sight.
We went to negotiate the price with a driver, who insisted on 40yuan, when we came to the area with only 30yuan. I thought that it was because we didn't sound local and were students so he thought that he could earn abit more out of us. So we went along the line and asked another driver who insisted on the same price. Until finally, the third driver we asked agreed on 30yuan. So we boarded his vehicle and came back to the hostel.

Day 2

2010-03-06T13:04:00.006+08:00

o3MAR10
We went out to shop for our necessities.
Our lecturer, Mr Wong, brought us to a huge supermarket nearby. It was about a busstop's distance away from our hostel. We walked there, passing a row of shophouses along the way. They looked old and the original white paint have already turned grey. And unlike Singapore, wires are not hidden underground. Instead, they hung from street lamps.
The supermarket sells many many different types of items. from clothing to food, and from skincare products to toiletries. It's sort of like our Fairprice Extra in Singapore.

After we finished choosing the items that we wanted, we proceeded to the counter to pay for the stuff. When we left, we exited a gantry and had to get out receipts stamped. For what reason, i'm not very sure. But i'm guessing that it is to prove that we have paid for the items and they were bought from that store. This is a practice not practised in Singapore.

Then we realised, the kettle that we bought, was priced at 128 yuan on the receipt, instead of the 69 yuan we saw earlier. So we approached the Customer Service counter and asked the person in-charge.
She refunded us 128 yuan and told us to 'buy' the kettle again. And so, we manage to refund our 69 yuan that they accidentally charged us. This of course, surprised me. Because in Singapore, what most probably would happen is that, the person in-charge would tell us to use up that $69 by choosing more items from the store. Which we might end up paying more, if we overshot that amount.

After that, we came back to the Hostel.

In the late evenings, we went out for dinner. The pavement we walked on was dark as the street lamps went not in working condition. Unlike in Singapore, where it's always very brightly lit. After dinner, we went to a shop nearby and bought a router and some connecting wires for the internet. The shop owner told us that we could go back within 3 months if anything is wrong with the router. One of us asked, "so can we come back and exchange back the stuffs after 6 weeks?" And that kind shop owner said that we could. Which solves the problem of what we are going to do with the stuff after we go back to Singapore. Such a thing, would not happen in Singapore.

In the 2 incidents, it shows how different the customer service in China and Singapore is. In Singapore, most, if not all, would have this exchange policy that says "Strictly no refund of money". Whereas over in China, there's no such thing. So i think that it is a really good system, from the eyes of a customer.

Day 1

2010-03-05T20:36:00.007+08:00

o2MAR10
It's finally here!
The day that everyone is yearning and preparing for, 2nd March.
This shall be my first flight, and the longest I've been away from the comfort of home. Which of course, made my pulse double just by the meer thought.

5am. We were to meet at Changi Airport, Terminal ONE.
Accompanied by our loved ones, we all arrived with our fully packed luggage and are overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Feelings of sadness, for we would leave our loved ones behind soon, and perhaps feelings of fear for the unknown, as we do not know what to expect from this trip.
8am. our flight, CZ 352 took off from Changi Airport for the Guangzhou International Airport.
We were faced with a 3-4 hour ride ahead of us. The experience was a truly eye-opener for me. For the first time, I can gaze at the earth from above, and be amazed by the beauty of it. The service on the plane wasn't exactly the best, but it was acceptable. The meal that was served was delicious. We were asked to fill in a health declaration form onboard the plane. And because I was having a case of runny nose at the moment, hence i ticked against the option "running nose".
Around 12nn. We touched down at the Guangzhou International Airport.
Before we could get our passports stamped, there was an additional gantry which concerned the form we had filled in earlier. The officer looked at my form and immediately told me to follow a colleague of his to the office. There, they gave me a thermometer and told me to take my temperature, for fear that i had contracted the flu virus and was running a fever.

What surprised me was that the thermometer that was provived is actually old-fashioned mecury-in-glass thermometers, and we were told to put them at our underarms with direct contact with our skin for about 5 minutes. I had expected digital thermometers which can give more accurate readings at a faster rate. This shows that China is indeed, still a developing country.

Gradually, about 6 other people were brought into the small office. Everyone was given the same instructions and were expected to do as told. The officers weren't very friendly with us, and occasionally raised his voice at us. Which would not be a sight in Singapore, as our police officers would have been more friendly towards tourists.

Before i was able to remove my thermometer, one of them surveyed me and asked questions like "am you coughing?" and "are you down with flu?" Eventually, i was relieved to be able to leave as the thermometer proved that i wasn't running a fever.

6pm. our flight CZ3344 took off from Guangzhou International Airport to Wuhan Domestic Airport.
This is a shorter flight of only about 2 hours. A meal was also provided. The service this time round was better than the earlier one.
7:50pm. We landed in Wuhan Domestic Airport.
We were welcomed by a rainy weather and about 4 degree Celsius. I wasn't expecting the weather to be this cold, hence i wasn't prepared. We didn't have to get our passports stamped. Hence after we got our luggages, everyone squeezed our way to the officer to show them our pass and leave. The sight was rather similar to that when we're squeezing into MRTs in the peak hours, messy and crowded.

After that, we braved the slight drizzle and the strong winds to a bus, which drove us to our hostel. Here, everyone was confused and trying to find their own rooms. Ours was on the third level, and there aren't elevators. So we had to carry our luggages up the stairs to our rooms, which made everyone complain. This shows just how pampered we Singaporeans are and how different our lifestyles are, in contrast to the locals. Here, walking is a main form of transport. However back home, wheels are used more frequently in forms of cars, buses and even bicycles.

We found our rooms.
What really surprised me was the condition of the bathroom.Though it has a heater installed, but it does not have a toilet bowl, neither floor tiles. There is a sink in the room, but the water that runs through is freezing cold due to the cold weather.This only shows that the standard of living in China is low compared to that of Singapore's since locals could survive with the bare minimum.

We were then left to rest for the night. :)

2010-03-05T02:33:00.000+08:00

i'm in WUHAN!
:DDDDDDDD

2010-03-01T21:41:00.000+08:00

CZ352 0800

it's freaking 11 hours and 19 mins away.

zomg.

tml's the day

2010-03-01T01:26:00.001+08:00

it's TOMORROW.
everyone will be missed. :))
takecare!

end of year1

2010-02-27T01:57:00.004+08:00

Yesterday, was my officially last day of YEAR 1. :D
finally, all my papers have ended!
now is to wait for the results to be released.
i'm not pinning high hopes though. :(

anyways, today's already the 27th Feb.
28 and 1.
i'm left with only 2 days before my flight. :((
not enough time!
i need to rush rush here, and rush rush there.
omgosh. :(
which reminds me, i need to go get a flu vaccine.

oh ya, went to Partyworld with the girls.
had fun. :))
Lihui was SIBEI high.
Kate was all sian sian when we were singing chinese songs.
Yanling spilled a whole glass of sweet mango drink over me.
Yuyan was too shy to sing much.
Joyce was high, den low, den high back again.
Chuyi was singing while eating.
and Lingyu, became sick. =.=
LOL.

8

2010-02-22T22:27:00.004+08:00

EM2 is a total GONER. :((
another -A on the result slip.

anyways,
8 more days!

hais.

2010-02-21T15:44:00.002+08:00

i think, my appetite's getting better.
which also means, i'm getting Fatter.
:'(((

this is NO GOOD.

10

2010-02-20T17:04:00.003+08:00

10 more days.

till i'm off. :)

vivo!

2010-02-20T12:21:00.003+08:00

Wednesday Wednesday.
went out with Raphael.

actually we didnt do much that day.
lol. just watched "Valentine's Day" and then walk walk.
the movie not bad. i like the twist. :D

didnt take pictures. -.-
next time ba. :)

14 feb

2010-02-15T00:07:00.002+08:00

My very first day of the year of Tiger cum valentines' day is spent:

- Watching tv
- Facebooking
- Afternoon nap
- Sms-ing
- Playing cards

omg. p-a-t-h-e-t-i-c.
=.=

Happy CNY

2010-02-13T18:37:00.002+08:00

I'm looking forward to dinner later.
i really am. :)
it's Steamboat!!
omgoshhh.

anyways, my aunt bought Yu Sheng.
so we're gonna Lao Yu Sheng later as well.
last year my family didnt do that.
so there's smth extra to look forward to this year!

to end..
Happy Chinese New Year everyone! :D

grandma's house

2010-02-12T18:02:00.001+08:00

Currently at my grandma's house.
today's my father side's 'reunion dinner'.
because there's too many people, and we're ordering food from caterers.
so we have to bring forward our reunion dinner since today's the last day of work for the caterers before the CNY.
and, i'm so bored. >.<

i came directly from school.
took the mrt with Lingyu. :D
so i'm very early.
not even 1/4 of the people here. :((

finally, all the last lectures and tutorials and all over le.
starting from tml, is the start of the Study Break.
time to start studying!

anyways, i'm off to enjoy this boring evening. :((
blahs.
the only good news is, today can receive angbaos! :DDD

shopping in town

2010-02-12T17:30:00.001+08:00

went out shopping with Yvonne and Zhiwei on wednesday.
out searching for gifts. :D

so anyways, we met at Taka.
then walked to Heeren's for dinner.
after that, we went to 313.
shortly, we cab-ed to Marina Square.

it was there, we bought stuffs! lol.
and we saw Hweekee and Beverly too.
Zhiwei bought puzzles, i bought jackets.
well, Hweekee, Yvonne and Beverly paid for my jacket as my super-belated birthday present.
lol. thanks thanks! :D

then, took 960 back.
in the end, Yvonne didnt manage to get what she wanted. :P

Kairen's bday surprise

2010-02-10T01:50:00.000+08:00

CNY's around the corner.
and i only realised it yesterday.

too engrossed with all the buzz that's around me.
and of course, all the things that will be happening in the next few weeks.
so much so that i overlooked CNY.
since, what's so big about it when ur exams are approaching and u have to study?
:(

anyways, went to Kairen's house earlier to surprise him.
but i guess he already knew our plan earlier la.
so not as fun le. >.<
people present: Iris, ZhenAn, Yongzu, Ken, Yvonne, Kelvin, and of course, Yanling.
cake damn nice. :DDDD
den took 161 home.

no more MOL

2010-02-08T09:56:00.002+08:00

i've finally finished ALL of my MOL!
i'm so so so so happy. :DDDDDDD

day at Bugis

2010-02-08T09:48:00.002+08:00

Yesterday went to Bugis!
it's been dunno how long since the last trip.
and omg, bugis street have lots of changes made!

Met up with Yvonne at cwp at 2:30.
then we took 960 to bugis.
Sunday afternoon at Bugis was horrendous.
people EVERYWHERE.

but anyway, we went shopping.
she bought smth.
i saw a top which i wanted, but didnt buy.
and she said she'd buy that for me, as a super-belated birthday gift. :DDDDD

then we went off to meet the others at 5 plus.
Sharini, ZhenAn, Rachel, Kelvin, Yanling, Iris.
we all walked to NAFA together.

the concert by the SP Strings Ensemble was ok.
not bad i guess. :)
but the MCs were... omg.

then we all went to eat at Burger King.
with Kairen, Yongzu, Weili and Gwen as well.
after that, took 960 back to woodlands. :))

must DOs

2010-01-31T23:50:00.000+08:00

just a post before i formally start my day today. :)
omg. its 1:25pm already. =.=

anyways, a few things i MUST accomplish today.
underline: MUST.

1. finish maths MOL 5
2. finish maths tutorial 7
and as bonuses:
3. maths MOL 6
4. maths tutorial 8

:DDDD
see? it's all MATHEMATICS.
gosh.
this is how far behind i'm lagging.
because, maths simply is not my cup of tea. :)))

-edited-
i only managed to finish maths MOL 5.
LOL!
totally not productive. =.=
aiya. who cares la.
tml then say. :D

night everyone! :))

2010-01-30T21:59:00.001+08:00

today morning went gym-ing with Yvonne, Weili and Jialin. :D
didnt do much there la actually.
i spent the most time on the threadmills. =.=

after that left and accompanied Yvonne to eat lunch at Makan Place.
saw Joyce in her cosplay.
omg. damn cute can?
just make me wanna pinch her. :DDDDDDDD
i think she looks nicer with short hair. :)

then went off and met Raphael at Clementi.
we went to find Jietong. :)
spent about hmmm, about an hour plus with him?
i hope he'll be ok a week from now.

den came back home le. :)

2010-01-27T16:45:00.000+08:00

Currently in the Library.
bored...
just ended COMT lessons awhile ago.
the presentation is Next Week!
I CANT WAIT! :)
after that, Communication Toolkit shall go into History.
wahahaha. :DDDDD

of course, that's not the only presentation.
there's still the Thermo presentation on the 9th.
and i'm in charge of slides. o.o

today supposedly meeting Serene, Weili, Tracy, Sinyee, Jacq and Yvonne for dinner de.
but ah, cancelled. :(
so sad. i miss themmm la.
except for Yvonne, of course. :DD

exams are 3 weeks away.
and i havent started revising.
loads of tests coming next week too. =.=

not forgetting, a few more briefings for the Wuhan Trip.
getting our plane tickets soon. :DDD

gosh. i'm busy!
ahahaha. but i dun care. :)

2010-01-24T11:56:00.000+08:00

can finally use my phone le.
as in, can use back my own number. :)
so ultimately, have to thank CHAIWAI for his phone. :DD
thanks thanks.

and i'm freaking doing the irritating COMT slides now.
=.=

lost hp

2010-01-17T21:48:00.001+08:00

wth.
damn sian.

practice and outing!

2010-01-17T02:59:00.000+08:00

yesterday.. :)
met with a few peeps for lunch before Strings practice.
the went for practice.

the Mr Kong is a very intimidating figure.
and i'm seriously scared of him. o.o
but he damn pro la.
lol.

after that rushed off.
to meet Raphael.
at the busstop, we allowed 'destiny' to see where we would go.
and we ended up at Yishun. :D

walked around, and that's all for Northpoint.
finish exploring it le. hahahas.
then we bus-ed to AMK Hub.
over there, had dinner and XUE HUA BING! :))
oh, and i still havent finish that bottle of what, Almond Drink? o.o
after i recover, its all yours. :DDD
after everything, we bus-ed back to woodlands.

2010-01-12T01:11:00.001+08:00

today was the release of the O lvl results.
and i'm really glad that she's feeling ok. :)
thank goodness.

they mentioned smth about getting a class tee.
and wanted us to choose a number for ourselves.
i insisted on 17.
kangrong was kind enough to let me have that number. :))

dinner at pizza hut was yummy.
and very very filling.
:D

2010-01-10T02:43:00.000+08:00

yesterday's the last day of the Open House. :(
so sad luhs.

still have hwk haven do. OMG!
example: Maths!
boohoo. :((

went to watch the NP Concert Band's Concert at Singapore Conference Hall.
we cab-ed there. since we were running out of time.
and the driver was a really nice man. :D
people who went with me: Yvonne, Yanling, Kelvin, Kairen, Yongzu.
the concert was really not bad.
great job done! :DD

after that train-ed back to Sembawang and ate mac with Yvonne and Yanling at Sunplaza.
then train-ed back home.

2010-01-08T01:19:00.001+08:00

Open House is so FUN! :DD

start of school

2010-01-03T22:38:00.002+08:00

school's starting TOMORROW.
oh man.
2 weeks pass in a FLASH.

here comes Monday Blues. :(

Outing with Raphael :)

2010-01-03T15:56:00.000+08:00

yesterday went out with Raphael.

first we went to Queensway Shopping Centre.
to go shoe-hunting!
but he didnt find anything that caught his eye.
so we left, after grabbing smth to eat at Mac.

then, we bus-ed back to Causeway Point.
went to get tickets for Alvin and the Chipmunks 2.
they were super ultra cuteee!! :DD
ate dinner and went home. :)

thanks for accompanying watch the movie. :DDD

lalala lilili lololo

2010-01-01T18:17:00.004+08:00

HAIRPEE 2010 EVERYONE!
mei cuo, i am not koh shiyi.
this is TANYANLING posting.
im a hacker. mweeheehees.
HAIRPEE 2010! C:
.
.
.

zoom----

New Year Countdown

2010-01-01T03:20:00.003+08:00

31st Dec 2009
the LAST DAY of year 2009...

met up with the sec sch people at cwp.
initially wanted to go to Khatib.
but in the end we didn't. :)
people who went: Guanwei, Kokhou, Elyn, Jacq, Alex, Xinli, Hweekee, Lynn, Yinching, Junjie.

went to Pizza Hut for dinner.
then Kelvin came.
after dinner, went to Old Woodlands Point for pool again. :D
we played for a really long time.
Lingjie came as well to join us.
after that we rushed back to cwp.

i think we just about made it for the countdown.
took loads of pictures.
glam and unglam ones. =.=
also, Yvonne, Kairen and Yanling were there too. :DD
took pictures with them too.

continued to slack around until about 1 plus, then i took bus home.
heehee, pictures in FB.

last but not least, HAPPY 2010!

Secret Santa (OSGs edition)

2010-01-01T03:01:00.002+08:00

30th Dec 2009
FINALLY, we have our first every OSG outing!
which everyone of us was present for. :)
people present: Yanling, Chuyi, Lihui, Lingyu, Joyce, Kate, Yuyan and Me.

we all met up at Douby Gauht.
last to reach: Lingyu!
wahahahahas. so grats to Chuyi and Yanling for being late again. :DD

walked to Cathay and ate at Astons.
when we reached there, the person told us there weren't any Chicken and Fish available.
while we were ordering our food, even the Pork was sold out.
what was left was only 4 pieces of Beef and the Seafood.
ridiculous la actually. =.=

i didnt really mind la.
since i can eat steak. :D
but some of us couldn't. >.<

we exchanged our gifts and all before the food came.
and Yanling was my Secret Santa!
and i was also hers! :DDD
she gave me a necklace, while i gave her some Doraemon stuffs.

after the food, Lihui, Chuyi and Yanling left.
the rest of us went shopping.
we walked to Somerset.
first to Orchard Central.
where we took pictures at the Roof Garden.
then to the new mall, 313.
and i bought a top. :))

walked to the busstop with Joyce and Kate.
then bus-ed back to Woodlands.
where i met up with Raphael.

we went to play pool, at the Old Woodlands Point.
we tied, 3-3.
after that, we went back to cwp.

ate dinner, den walked around.
after that went to slack at McCafe.
and continued to walk walk until around 9 plus.
we seperated ways after my bus came.

i had a really enjoyable day. :)
photos in FB!!

Singapore Flyer

2010-01-01T02:45:00.003+08:00

29th Dec 2009
Went to ride the Singapore Flyer with Yanling, Yvonne, Kairen, Hweekee and Gordon.
it was a rather last minute decision la.
cause they said it was the last day for the Student Price thingy, so we went. :D

there was this kind soul who offered us his free ticket.
but in the end, we realised we gave an extra $10 note to the sales lady, whom insisted that we didn't.
so oh well, got free ticket = no free ticket.

but the ride.
omg. was so boring. LOL.
it was very slow, so it's good if you wanna take alot alot of pictures.
but 5 mins in the cabin, and i'm bored already.
though we were taking pictures throughout the "journey" :D

then came home. :)
pictures in FB!

Esplanade

2009-12-28T15:20:00.004+08:00

finally managed to go out yesterday.
with Yvonne, Yanling, Kairen and Raphael.
we went to Esplanade to watch Lingjie's CO Performance. :)

the performance quite good eh. :D
and Lingjie was like so happy to see us. lols.

then we went to eat fish and co.
it was a very long time ago since i last ate there.
still as oily as ever. >.<

then we did some window shopping and left.
Raphael and I went home.
the rest off to dunno where.

still waiting for Yanling and Yvonne to upload the pictures. =.=

Merry X'mas

2009-12-25T03:58:00.001+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!