Deutschland!

Ich liebe Deutschland! ;) Had an overdose of sausages, beer, ice cream, dried apples and all sorts of sweet stuff! :)) Shopping in Germany is great, as usual. Bought some stuff at massimo dutti and mango, but shall restraint till I get back to Munich on the 8th and can shop for real. :D Zara's really cheap! And I found a lovely coat at UCB that they're willing to hold for me till I get back.. Why can't shopping in the states be as good as this?? Despite the strong euro and the lousy exchange rate..

Done!

It's all over. Ended finals yday. It does feel kinda strange to not have to study. :D

He's leavingggggg. :(

On a brighter note, nyc trip today! :)

It seems as though no time at all has past since the start of the semester.. so much has happened, but yet it appears surreal that it's now the reading days. Finals will be over in no time at all, and what have I accomplished thus far? That's a good question. I guess at least I can say that I now know myself better. ;) That seems to be about it though..

I should really be concentrating on studying, but then again, when have I really concentrated on studying?

Drats. I still care even though I pretend I don't.

I NEED to FOCUS. Finals are just around the corner and I really NEED to do well but WHY AM I NOT STUDYING???? :(

thanksgiving

This year I am grateful for:

1) My lovely roommates and gina who keep me grounded
2) Not being in a r/s I'm unhappy in
3) Joan- my "big sis"
4) Frannie visiting for thanksgiving
5) My lovely new coach bag :)
6) Having a manageable amount of schoolwork :(next sem is gonna be so bad ):
7) My lovely pals in singapore who offered tons of support
8) Boon who said I could call him anytime at all- and wasn't upset when I woke him up at 7am on his off day
9)Mar mar my utterly lovable darling
10) Ben and russ who tried so hard to lighten things up

:( I hate it when others comment about my driving, but I suppose it might have been really bad today. Driving at 4am without sleep is never a good idea, but then again, why couldn't he have been more understanding???

I guess I'm now feeling better. Small little everyday things are starting to make me smile again. There was this guy who went back to catch the door open for me after he has walked through it when he realized that I was going to go through it. It's a really small thing, but it somehow cheered me up when I notice people being nice to strangers. It's just small little touches like this that make the world the nice place I like to envision it as.

I am sick sick sick of studying. Not that I've been doing much of that though. I get distracted more often than not and end up going out for dessert instead, as evidenced by the last 2 nights. :P Or second dinners. ahhhhhh. I need to start doing more work and eating less before I turn into a pig.

Anyways. Yday night was fun. :) White dog with the gals- our first this sem with all 3 of us present.. and standing out in the cold chatting after that is sth I'd rmbr for some time still. :P

I've had a rather strange encounter today. I was studying in the bookstore.. and this pair came up to me asking me for help with math. The guy apparently remembers me from calc class.. and asked if I could help with his friend's stat qn.. Haha. I guess I'm not as invisible as I seem to think that I am..

It's not easy to face up to the cold harsh truth, but one is definitely better off doing so. There are certain moments and feelings I miss and will treasure in a way, but I recognize that I'm better off. I need to feel motivated if I still want to do well this semester.

No more nua-ing around!

It's over. Mixed feelings abound, but I'm okay- I think. :)

I wish things could be as simple as they used to be.

Here are some pictures taken yesterday. :) I've been too lazy to bring my camera around for most of the semester thus far.. so these are pretty much all I've taken this sem. School has been kinda crazy. I dun like math. Not anymore. 5 math intensive classes is just BAD. :( Other than that, life's good though. :) Fall break's in 2 weeks!!


In the subway..
Patou, where we had dinner. It was really sub-par.
My favourite gals at Patou.

:)Gina and I in our coordinating black and white outfits.Guys and sparklers at the clubsg mid-autumn festival celebration after dinner.

Been back at penn for about a week. My room's nicely done up now, albeit kinda messy with the unpacking not 100% done. School's kinda mad. :( On the bright side, I did well for both my history finals. :)

Yay. I'm finally all done with finals; no more history in the near future as far as I can see.. :)) Just loads of social science and engineering classes. Hmm. That doesn't sound too good either.

I'm feeling kinda pensive, about leaving Berlin and Germany.. and going to France and Spain where I'd feel totally lost with regards to the language. The past month in Germany has been great, although I didn't actually get to improve my German much since all my classmates speak English and my German interactions are limited to shopkeepers and strangers on the road. :( I feeeeel rusty.

Anyways, I'd be back in 2 weeks with loads of interesting photos! :D

Belated national day post

Happy National Day, Singapore! :) Hehe. Wanted to get the pics uploaded before I write this , but was too lazy to upload pics, so.. :P My memory's not so bad that I can't rmbr when National Day is k..Here's what I wore on 9th August.. National colours! ;)
This is a monster which actually moves and make noise when a euro coin is inserted.. My prof inserted a coin n we enjoyed the ensuing "performance"..
Rainy rainy munich.. :(( It was so GREY the whole day.
Inside the Five Courtyards.. it's filled with luxury brands.. all the pretty lights! :)
Elisabethmarkt at Elizabethplatz.. the student's equivalent of Viktualienmarkt near Marienplatz..
Our really uncomfortable nachtzug from Berlin to Munich..
Weisswurst for breakfast! :D
A view of Sendlingerstrasse through Sendlingertor.
Wurstsalat for lunch.. (yes, I do know that I'm ODing on sausages. XP)
Munich's really pretty once the rain stopped; which it did for a while at night..

Ahhhhh. Finals are tml and on thursday. The summer semester is drawing to a close really quickly.. :((( I DO NOT like history finals. The mugging is CRAZY. :(((

I've just gotten back from heidelberg and it's really pretty! :) Shall let the photos speak for themselves..

Shubs and I on Hauptstrasse, the main shopping street in heidelberg.
3 happy gals enjoying the sunshine..
Shubs and I at the Schloss area overlooking the Neckaer river..
Yh and I on the bridge..

Here's some pics taken in europe. My internet connection's really bad; refer to the rest of the pics on facebook. :)

Yh and gina posing as ampelmaenner. ;)

Yh and gina in front of a tree I wanted to take a pic of.
Yh and gina in one of the courtyards in the hackescher markt area.
Gina and I in one of the shopping areas around hackescher markt. :)) The shops were closed though, when we went.
Gina and I on ku'damm, with the Kaiser Wilheim Gedaechtnis Kirche in the background.
Gina and I at hackescher markt, right outside the s bahn station.
Gina, yh and I at the tiergarten on a lazy sunday afternoon.A nice tower in hamburg framed by the trees.
The river in hamburg. I love the geese!

Yay! I've survived the first week of classes- now it's just 3 more weeks to go. I'm really glad I decided to switch out of my global politics class and into the class about the third reich, despite the 75 euros course-change fee. :)) One more classmate from that class switched over today; he says that the prof expects too much of the class- something yh and I felt when we first met him during orientation on sunday. It's good that we trusted our gut feeling and switched before we missed any lessons with the new class.

Both classes are pretty cool, despite periods of boredom when the profs drone on.. I guess my attention span for history does not stretch to 3 hrs. XP I'm kinda suffering from an OD of museums though. Visited the third museum of the week today and I was pretty much counting down to dismissal time. Both classes consist of an american majority as expected. I mean, where else do universities expect students to take summer courses? :P It's definitely not a trend in europe..

We visited hamburg on wednesday, and I have to say that I really LOVE hamburg. :)) It reminds me of boston, with the nice breeze, seafood, and rather fashion conscious crowd. The architecture is really cool too- modern glass buildings juxtaposed with traditional red brick ones. It's a refreshing change from berlin's regimented architecture characterised by restored facades of historical buildings.. I had a grilled fish platter for lunch at this Portuguese restaurant for all of 6 euros! I miss fresh fish. The fried potato cubes which came with it were so good that I practically polished them all despite my usual reservations about potatoes. ;D And I managed to find some stuff at massimo dutti and mango. =) I think I seriously need to consider shipping some things back to penn or I'd break my back travelling to frankfurt's airport. :X

I really miss home.. und dich auch. :((

Milan was overall really fun. It didn't start off with a bang though. We were kinda apprehensive initially cuz the weather was unbearably hot (up to 38 degrees at some point) and milan wasn't exactly what we expected. It is as yx warned, dirty. Somehow, I had this impression that milan is this pretty cosmopolitan italian city with paved streets and friendly people all clad in the latest fashion. So sue me for being idealistic. XP Ahwells. Truth is, my image of milan is only right in the city centre, where the rich and the tourists shop. The store fronts are truly amazing. Window displays are taken to a higher level than they are elsewhere. Simply window shopping along the fashion quadrangle where all the luxury brands are located is a worthwhile experience. :)

Our "hotel" is family-run. Which is, I guess, a euphemism for tiny and dingy, in a way. It was converted from an apartment (or a few), and strangely enough, each room came with it's own toilet seat, sink and shower, right smack in the room itself. I was rather surprised, but we came to terms with it by having me shower in the shared bathroom on the first floor while yh showered in our room. By the end of our trip, the weather turned for the better (ie. I stopped sweating before I even step out of our room) and I felt better about the whole trip. Our hotel might be small and old, but the owners are friendly (despite them not speaking much english) and the place is kept clean. :) Italy is a land of friendly people, but my initial reserve is probably due to the language barrier. English is definitely less prevalent in milan as compared to berlin- and all announcements and signs can only be found in italian. I'm glad to say that I can now converse in basic (very basic indeed) italian.. :D

One of the most interesting things about milan is it's happy hour. From pretty much 6pm to 9pm every day, the bars in milan will set out a buffet which customers are free to enjoy as long as they purchase a drink. :) This pretty much constituted our dinners for the trip.

In any case, I'm back in berlin again, and school has started today. I'm in for a rough ride, I'd say. 150 pages of reading per day is NOT what I expected. :(( SIGHS. I guess that's what happens when I take 2 history classes concurrently.

It's strange how lonely I feel surrounded by friends.. Berlin is lovely, but some how, I'm not entirely enjoying it. I guess I miss Singapore, my mum, my friends. I dunno. It just seems weird. I should be on top of the world right now but I'm not.

Und ich vermisse dich. Ganz ganz viel. :(

I'm leaving Singapore tonight!! :( 2 months in Singapore has passed really quickly. Despite looking forward to 7 weeks in berlin/milan/paris/tours/barcelona, I'm 100% sure that I'd miss Singapore, especially since I'd only next be back in 10 months time.

I've sent off the packages to myself- they cost more than the $200 I originally thought it would. Ahwells. It beats bringing 2 huge suitcases ard Europe..

Annoying Thick-Skinned People

I loathe thick-skinned ppl who think they're welcomed wherever they go. Hey, if I didn't invite you, you're NOT wanted. STOP barging your way in. It's MY choice who I wanna meet up with. NOT yours. UGH. I DON'T CARE IF I'M BEING BITCHY. I'm sick of being nice to all and sundry.

Shopping Hiatus

Friends, please STOP me from buying anything at all ok? I seem to be spending a lot despite my resolution to stop shopping. :(((( Zara's sale was my undoing. I've acquired 2 pairs of flats (I couldn't help myself, they're the same ones I wore out in New Orleans n have missed ever since) and a lovely huge bag which can be used for sch/laptop/carry-on luggage. AND the two dressed I bought in the past few days after deciding that I've acquired enough dresses (they ARE gorgeous). Yeps, that's it. No more shopping for me. At least till Milan/Spain. :D

Okay, I'm feeling pretty ancient right now. :) Can't figure out if it's a good or bad thing to be growing up. Thanks, my dears.. I really had fun. :D

Anyways. I've decided that it's inevitable to have to ship some stuff back to penn. :(( I mean, it's definitely easier to ship back the stuff I won't need in europe rather than lug everything around right?? Now I've a box packed with clothes and shoes, and I wonder if I should get a second and weed out more stuff I mightn't need and go to europe with the bare minimum.. It's 2 more weeks till yh and I are flying to germany!! omg. And I used to think that my 10 weeks in singapore will crawl by.. There's so many things I wanna do prior to departure!! :(((

I'm back from bangkok and twas a pretty fruitful trip. :) I have to say that my favourite Asian holiday destination is (and will always be) hongkong. :D Hehe. Huixian mentioned wanting to go to hk... how I wish I could go with her... XP Haha. I can't imagine my mum's reaction though. If I actually bring up the topic. :X

Anyways.. I'm feeling rather old right now. I've less than 19 hours left as a teen!! :( The big 2-0 is approaching rather soon indeed.

Had fun last night hanging out with Alex and his friends. My alcohol tolerance seems to have lowered though. Felt slightly woozy after 2 beers and a long island.. which is NOT supposed to happen.

UGH. I still can't believe I woke up at 7am to jog after going to bed at 2am. Am I really aging or what?

I miss you. I don't know why I never told you so, but I do.

I've been reading the old entries.. and realised that I haven't really BLOGGED in a while. All I've done is complain and upload pictures. Lol. Hmms. I'm bored at work... and started searching orbitz for flights. I wanna go to seattle but the tickets are scarily expensive. The cheapest I can find from berlin is almost 2k sgd.. :(( Plans are foiled. Or rather, potential plans are foiled. Sighs.

Photos Galore

Opps. I haven't been uploading photos in a while, so these are the ones taken in singapore in chronological order.. :D
The view from vivocity..
Yinghui, gina and I at vivo after we ate at food republic.. :X I'm not a fan cuz all their branches serve the same formulaic stuff, but I did have rather good hakka lei cha there..
The singapore river.. :D
Maria, siannie and me by the singapore river.
A kindly stranger took pity on us.. :)
Peach, frannie and me in front of raffles city.. the last time I'd see frannie in some time.. :(
Nadia and me outside paragon.. This is the day I spent loads. XP Not all on clothes though. :P
Debs and I before we started eating at this japanese restaurant on far east's 5th floor called nanbantei. :D It was rather good. I had a sashimi salad and 2 sticks of squid yakitori while debs had gyoza and octopus yakitori. :)
The interior of the restaurant.
Debbie beaming with her optopus yakitori.
The mud pie and chicago cheesecake which I shared with nadia at this clark quay dessert shop whose name I can't recall.. They were yummy! :)Clark Quay at night. :D A blurry shot of yinghui and me in The Highlanders, the pub we chilled at. :) We had really strong long island ice teas.. :X

Shoe Quest

Black sandals from Dolce Vita

Gorgeous black dress.. :P

I want the shoes and the dress... *whines* too bad they're from shopbop.com, which means I can only buy them when I get back to penn. :( Ignore me, I'm just depressed cuz I haven't managed to find my strappy stiletto sandals and strappy flats. I've a dearth of open-toed shoes to wear here. Somehow most of them are at penn. :'(

omg

Okay. This is madness. I can't believe that I've just spent more money on a wallet for my sis's birthday present than I've ever done on a bag/wallet/anything for myself. Hmms. Maybe I love her more than I think I do.

The roadshow is over!! :D Wahahaha. I'm a happy gal. Been feeling lazy though. I haven't gone jogging since last friday; been lazing around in bed instead of waking up early to jog. Why why why? I need to feel more motivated or I'm turning into a lump of lard. XP

I've watched 3 movies in the past week: Shrek 3, Pirates and Priceless. None of which was truly good. They're just mediocore I suppose. I wanna watch a really good movie!! Any recommendations? :)

I should learn to let go.. Not to care so much, or worry so much cuz it is not going to help. :D Worrying will only come to nought. Shall TRY my best. ;)

I kinda sick of the current routine. I dunno. School just seems more fun in comparison. :D I can't believe that I can't wait to go back to school.

You Are 26 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Restlessness

Ugh ugh ugh. I'm freaking restless nowadays. :( July, come quick!! Hahaha. Work is BORING. Okay, that should have been established a loOoOoOng time ago. :P All I can do now is look forward to -uhhem- after work activities.. Haha.

'rents are thinking of gg to bangkok.. den I can get my suits made.. BUT bangkok isn't really my kinda place. :X Ahwells. Didn't enjoy my last trip there, but that was sth like.. 5 years ago. omg. I'm realllllly old. :(

Sighs. Ignore this childish post; pardon my boredom.

Silliness

I feel really really silly sometimes, with the things I do. Ahwells. I guess once I've chosen to do something, there's no point in having regrets cuz the decision has already been made. But why then do I feel so silly still? :(

Hong Kong!

Here I am, back from hk. Shopping was delightful, as usual, but I'm glad to say that I won't be shopping for some time to come (until the great singapore sale starts, that is), since I've gotten a pretty good loot. :D

Here's some photos.. evidently it was a shopping and eating trip. XP

Here's shan on cityexpress which took us from the airport to our hotel.My sesame and blueberry ice cream. The sesame's really unique cuz it has swirls of black sesame and white sesame mixed together.
Shan's bird nest dun4 dan4.
My finished mango dessert from xu liu shan.
Pork chop buns!! Haha. Evidently, I seem to eat the same things every time I go to hk..
Shan and her beef tripe noodles..
My scallops with egg white. :) I lurrrve scallops. Too bad for those who are allergic to them. :P

and this was taken before the trip.. Thomas, pj and I outside paragon. This is our, erms, 10th attempt at taking a photo of ourselves. XPPj and I at the paragon soba restaurant which I can never remember the name for. :P