Thursday, 20 October 2011
Why did you say that? Words are never uttered for no reason and no matter how much it is concealed behind innocence and ignorance, reason always lurks somewhere.
Were you trying to hint at something? Are the stones at the base of your wall beginning to show the first cracks?
Won't you reassure me?
Lord give me understanding and patience.
Sunday, 4 September 2011
I miss you :( :( :(
Memories are everywhere I look. But the world has caught up and swept us up into its whirlwind of reality.
At least we had that magical time.
In the blink of an eye...
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Wow, it's been a while since I've seen this page. I actually miss writing here. I know I ought to sit down and use this space as a place to pen my thoughts and reflect on life's going-ons but I never seem to find the time. Honestly, I don't know where it all goes!
So many things to do, so little resources. Hopefully my dear blog will emerge from hibernation soon.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Hey guys!
I AM SO SORRY. This is probably the worst blog ever. The last post was eons ago! Haha. Oops... I'll be surprised if you still read this! Which makes me wonder why I'm writing... Anyway.
I've shifted into my new flat! This is old news actually, considering that we moved in on 1 June but this is my official announcement here! My lovely flatmates are singaporean medics as well, and I'm glad to say that we've managed to live in peace and harmony for the last 2 months. I've no doubt we won't have any horrible disagreements anytime soon :) Yippee! Having this new place has really made this year in Glasgow miles better than last year. Why? Mmm... I can think of many reasons!
- The uni is no longer a 30-minute walk away. Imagine what a dread it is to walk that far everyday, especially when the weather's not particularly pleasant!
- I had the chance to do up my dream bedroom! Okay, it's not really perfect, seeing as there was a cash limit to restrain what actually translates from imagination to real-life but it's not bad! I'm in love with it. How nice to have your own space :D
- My flatmates are great cooks and that means I get fed well everyday! Cooking for 3 people also means each person gets a smaller portion = less weight gain (hopefully). I know it sounds contradictory but think about it: you can hardly cook 1/3 cup of rice for yourself in a rice cooker can you? And who really wants to constantly keep rice in the fridge?? But with 3 people, 1 cup of rice suffices! The only thing is, my expenditure on groceries has more than doubled... :S
- Not staying in halls = more privacy.
- Not staying in halls = cleaner environments.
- Staying with flatmates with common interests means we get up to more interesting stuff more frequently!
- The washing machine and dryer are not 4 floors down from me.
- Jason lives on the other side of the road from me! :):):) Haha.
That's all I can think of right now but I think you probably get the idea.
Life as a 2nd year medical student has started since 1 1/2 months ago and it's actually been fine! Seniors have always painted a scary picture of second year, what with the heavy workload and all, and I guess they're right, but we're getting along okay right now, probably thanks to our senior's notes! Copying and pasting Word documents have saved us loads of time and stress, trust me. So currently, life passes as a juggling act between school, cooking (aka satisfying our voracious appetites), time with Jason, cell group and church, and spontaneous events with the flatmates. Curious as to what the latter means?
Well, usually they're weekly eat-out events when we treat ourselves to good, large meals at relatively affordable restaurants. They've all been good so far :P Sometimes, they're baking events, which result in yummy desserts for us and anyone fortunate enough to be around at the right time! But rest assured, we're in more control this year. Last week though, dear Xiangning came up with a brilliant plan and it started out like this:
She hasn't been drunk before and neither have I, so we were both curious about our alcohol limits. I mean, how are you supposed to know where the line should be drawn if you don't even know what being near the line is like?? And with that, an idea was formed between us 3 flatmates... An alcohol tolerance test! Haha. I think you have a faint inkling of where this is going! With this in mind, we went off shopping for booze and ended up getting a grand stash of bailey's, pear cider, port, rum and peach schnapps. It was just going to be a small private event held in the safety of our humble abode and Lynette was supposed to stay sane to take care of 2 hopefully-drunk flatmates. Of course, we invited a few more people but they're all really sensible people, so it's nothing wild at all!
When that day finally came (which coincided nicely with our end of block, which means we have the weekend free without assignments), we really drank like no one's business! Haha! Alcohol's not really palatable to us but for the sake of a successful alcohol tolerance test, we soldiered on through glasses of booze and kept tabs of how much each person drank by writing on a mirror. How creative, huh?
Results: I found out that I don't have the liver enzyme deficiency so prevalent among Asians that causes them to turn red shortly after a drink. My friends say that probably gives me a slightly better tolerance and I'm less prone to vomiting but we don't know for sure. Xiangning fell asleep shortly after getting tipsy (the night was still young!! tsk tsk). I managed to drink till I got really tipsy but before I was drunk, so I could still remember what was going on and I could still walk in a straight line if I really focused. Lynette and Chriselle ended the night puking, though luckily not on the floor! The next morning, the minute I opened my eyes, I froze in bed and curious thoughts flew through my mind: Do I have a hangover? Would it be as bad as everyone says it is? Surprisingly, it wasn't that terrible. I mean, I did feel a strong disgust at the thought of alcohol, I had a slight headache and I was still stumbling around a bit but it all more or less disappeared with breakfast. So yay! That's one successful test! :)
Weekends are generally spent with Jason, because he's away on a placement at a hospital 1 hour north of Glasgow (Ayrshire, if you're interested), so he just stays there during the week and only comes home on Friday evenings. Next week will be his last week though, then he'll be attached to a hospital in Glasgow! That should be better.
Well, hope that's enough of an update for you guys. Sorry I haven't really kept in touch with any of you but I do hope that everyone's doing super duper well back home! :) Take care!
Monday, 2 February 2009
I'm back! Sorry for the long hiatus... too many things going on at once, so I didn't really have time. Then again, it's always the same excuse, isn't it? :P Anyway...
That means I've got more things to share now! Complete with photos too, since some of you have been asking for more visual content. Before I do that, I'd like to wish my dear Mummy a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you had a fantastic time and may this new year be a good one :) You're the best!
Okay, now let's talk about the ski trip to the French Alps I went on, from 3 to 10 Jan. Though it probably sounds expensive, it was relatively cheap because there are many agencies all around who organise budget ski trips during this time of year. There were 3 of us in total and mind you, two of us haven't properly skiied before. This was gonna be exciting... Haha. Anyway, we took a 2 hour plane ride to Chambery, the busiest airport in France during the ski season and incidentally, also the smallest. Imagine what a nightmare it was! The customs counter was just at the entrance to the building, so people who got off the plane immediately had to queue outside. In the cold. Not very pleasant, but luckily the queue moved quite quickly. Then we realised that the nightmare has only just started!
The wee building was PACKED. By that, I mean Oxford St on Boxing Day kind of packed, something you probably would not even experience on Orchard Road. Everyone was pushing in all directions, we couldn't see where we were supposed to go and definitely not pull our humungous luggage behind us. Service was inefficient too. Suffice to say that we were glad to finally squeeze out of the airport. Then it was another 2 hour bus ride to Alpe D'Huez, one of the many ski resorts. We purposely picked that for its many green beginner slopes! :P
When we got there, it was already late afternoon, so the rest of the day was spent doing grocery shopping (we rented an apartment with a kitchen), renting ski equipment and getting an idea of the surroundings. Next day was our 3-hour ski lesson! We put on layers of clothes, goggles etc. to protect from the cold, strapped on our ski boots, hoisted the skis and poles on our shoulders and proceeded to trek our way to the lift that would take us to the ski school. What would have normally taken us 5 minutes to walk took us 20 minutes instead! It was so difficult to walk in those boots because they were so tight and also because they hurt. They dug into your shins and were heavy. Add to that the fact that we had to walk carefully for fear of slipping on the ice on the pathways. Ouch.
Walking in those boots and carrying equipment is already a good workout - we were perspiring despite the temperature being negative. It was so cold that your fingers and toes get numb if they remain inactive for too long, even in gloves and shoes. BUT that doesn't mean that you should wrap up in layers upon layers of clothes for skiing because once you start skiing, you'll start warming up and it'll be fine. Trust me :)
The view from our balcony. I think it was dusk then. The sky changes to amazing colours!
I totally sucked during the lesson. I couldn't control the direction in which I was going and my other two friends have already progressed further! Even the instructor seemed exasperated with me. Oh well... I must admit I was in quite a low mood after that and filled with dread about the next 5 days of skiing. It was with much practice and tips from my friends that I gradually improved over the next few days. And we went from baby slopes to higher, steeper slopes. We never moved beyond green slopes though :D One important thing is to not be afraid of falling!
On the gondola, on the way to the slopes.
On the slopes.
We had fun in the patissiere in town too, choosing a different dessert or pastry each time. Yum! :P And we had cheese fondue one evening; it's a must-try Alpine cuisine. It was delicious! After a while, the cheese was too much though, even for a cheese-monster that I am.
See the big pot! Mmmm....
We also took a cable car to the peak of the highest mountain there at 3330m. It was snowing on the top and absolutely freezing! I got laughed at by a local ski instructor for looking so totally unprepared clothes-wise because I didn't bring a cap along. Thank God for my hood then! Haha. Sadly, it was snowing too much up there, so visibility was really poor and we didn't get a good view. Some crazy skiiers skiied down from that height! Scary...
I must say, 6 days of skiing, from 9am to 3pm everyday, is a bit too much for me though. Haha. From Day 2, we were all already suffering from aching muscles and bruised shins. I guess that's sacrifice for fun huh? And fun it was! Glad we had this ski trip; at least I learnt how to ski and had a French brioche!
After we got back, school started and it took a while to get back into the rhythm of work. Then it was Chinese New Year and the Singaporean society had our annual dinner at a Chinese restaurant. It was good :)
The weather here's turning colder now but less wet. The sun's also rising earlier and setting later everyday! YIPPEE!!! That makes me super glad :D And guess what? It snowed today! For the entire day! It doesn't snow very often in Glasgow, maybe not even once a year but it did today, albeit on and off. People were building snowmen, having snowball fights (we had our share! ) and there's a kinda festive Christmas feeling in the air. It was indeed a pretty day! Let's just hope the snow doesn't turn to frost on the streets tomorrow, if not it'll be dangerously slippery...
What it looks like outside my window.
Well, hope everyone's doing fine in sunny singapore! Take care! :)
xoxo
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
It's 2009 already! Hope you all had a great celebration, whether it was a really happening party somewhere hip or if it was just a simple gathering with friends and family :) Whatever 2008 was, may the new year bring more laughter, love and joy in your lives!
I know I say this all the time but time really does fly! It's been a year! So fast and we're all another step ahead and there is often the tendency to reminisce... Well, for me, 2008 was an impactful year that brought many changes. I experienced so many more things for the first time, some good and some not-so-good, but they're all life lessons in the end. They all help us grow to become better individuals!
The arrival of the new year also made me realise how much I've been missing out on the lives of my friends back home in Singapore... and it makes me feel a little sad :( I realise how much I miss all of you and the times we spent together. Everyone moves forward but the past sometimes feels better...
Sorry guys, if I seem to have lost touch with you at all! Guess there's a need for extra effort to make up for the distance :/ I've not forgotten you though! Okay, I shall stop my emo rantings.
School's starting tomorrow for you guys in Singapore! Oh wells, hope the holidays have revved you up for another year of studying. It'll be good :) Jiayou!
Love makes the world go round <3
Sunday, 28 December 2008
HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone!!
Hope you all had a great Christmas! I miss spending this special day with all of you back home! :(
It's the first time I'm spending it overseas and it was actually in London, where we went to visit my friend's friend. Okay, it's more like he went to visit his friend and the two of us tagged along. They were really hospitable and friendly though and were nice enough to put us up in their flat, which saved us loads of money! YES!
Holidays started on 18 December and immediately after class ended, a group of us got on a train and then a ferry to the Isle of Arran, where a Scottish friend of ours lives and who has invited us to visit his hometown. Arran is a small island off the west coast of Scotland, so travelling time for us wasn't too bad, since Glasgow's in the west of Scotland too. It's colder, windier and wetter there too but Arran's really pretty, especially in the spring and summer, when the weather's better. We stayed in his father's house, which made me feel like I was in a hotel. NICE.
To get a better idea, here's his kitchen:
And though you're probably just going to laugh at my hair, to prove my point about the wind, here's how strong it is:
P/S: Zoe, Aga, Jac! Look! I'm using the scarf from you guys! :)
The people here all form a close-knitted community. Everyone knows everyone else and they don't lock their front doors at all. That's a nice ideal community. Anyway, we only stayed here for 3 days before heading back to Glasgow on Saturday evening. That same evening, we went straight from the train station to a senior's flat for Christmas dinner, where I had THE BEST CHEESECAKE EVER. Don't be sceptical! The vote was unanimous- it was unbelievably good!! Sometimes the seniors do seem a wee bit scary...
On Monday evening, three of us travelled to London by coach. It was an overnight 8-hour ride but wasn't too bad. In any case, tickets were cheap. We arrived on Tuesday morning and had dim sum for lunch in Chinatown before catching Wicked, the musical. It is indeed as good as everyone says it is! London is a good place to watch musicals, particularly if you're a student, as the student price for fantastic seats are very reasonable and there are constantly musicals going on in the many theatres.
The next two nights were spent in Christmas parties, where there's free food! HAHA. More money saved! There are no public transport services on Christmas Day itself though, so we had to walk. That isn't such a bad idea, considering the amount of food we've consumed :P
Here are some photos:
Big Ben and the London Eye behind, on the left.
The Borough Market, which sells mainly food.
The ice-skating rink in the moat of the Tower of London. This is my first time, so it was quite scary but it was easier than I thought it would be. Not that I'm good of course! I still have a sore butt from all the falling I did, haha.
All of us :)
Boxing Day, 26 Dec, is the first day of the post-Christmas sale in the UK and the crowds are just insane. INSANE. It is when every single shop in the entire country puts up sales and they're usually quite good, like up to 50 or 70%. If you're interested in branded goods, it's even more worth it, which kinda explains the crowd in Harrods and the number of people on Oxford Street with a bright yellow Selfridges bag. So, Xiangning and I braced ourselves for the crowd as we headed for Oxford Street (a super long shopping street) on Boxing Day. Some shops open early but most keep to the usual timing. Though we were quite early (10+ am?), some stores already had mobs of people pressed up against the doors. Scary. There were so many people there! River Island had queues for the whole day, while Zara was congested beyond belief. Clothes were just strewn and thrown everywhere, including the floor. Poor sales assistants! Overall, it was a tiring experience but I thought the discounts were good :)
Next day, we headed to Harrods, just so Xiangning could take a look. We ended up zooming into the Zara opposite, where we spent about 2 hours... Haha. But we went into Harrods after that and in the food hall, I spotted something that made me exclaim in delight!
LADUREE!!!!! Omg do you know what it is? It's the famous patissiere from Paris, the one with the macaroons!! Haha! Imagine how happy I was when I saw it! It wasn't there the last time I was at Harrods with my mum (or maybe I just missed it) but it's right next to Krispy Kremes.
Look at how beautiful the inside is! We weren't allowed to take photos but I managed to snap this and keep it :D And then, how can one leave without buying some macaroons???
Clockwise from the pink one: Red fruits, Caramel with salted butter, Rose, Praline, Chocolate. 5 macaroons for a grand total of 6.68 pounds. It still does not deter me from fulfilling my dream! Haha. Now everyone must think I'm a little mad... Hopefully I'll get to try Pierre Herme's macaroons if we really go to Paris during the Easter holidays!
We left for Glasgow that night. Finally, home! Time to recuperate and study before ski trip to France on 3 Jan. More updates then! Have a happy new year!! :) MISS YOU!
