my meagre existence

A kid at heart

2009-03-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes i still feel like a little kid. Unsure...lost.. not knowing what i'm doing or want to do with my life.

Why is there no place where i truly belong?

Officially a driver

2009-03-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

YES!! i passed my driving! it's such a huge relief..i couldn't wait to get it out of the way. no more having to fork out $42 to $65 each lesson, no more mumbling and irritating instructor, no more having to cancel appointments for driving lessons...yay! =D

Up next: Rescue diver

i've been quite inspired by The Guardian. i want to save lives when the time calls for it too! Off to Tioman with lilisan aka the most enthu diver i know! may we all become better divers.

when will it end...

2008-12-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

It's just a never-ending struggle.
I express discontent at certain things you do, certain comments you make, the argument starts. again. we NEVER have anything constructive to say to each other when it comes to times like these. Coz at the end of the day, you always come round to the SAME OLD argument.

"IT'S ALL HIS FAULT. IF YOUR FATHER NEVER DID WHAT HE DID, THINGS WOULDN'T BE THIS WAY NOW. I WOULDN'T BE SUFFERING."

ok. you win. it's all his fault. you never had a part in this. i dun matter, your son doesn't matter. what matters is that you've been through hell, you've done all you could for us? but have you really? i don't deny it must have been a really difficult time for you, but your actions later just shows clearly where you put your priorities.

you say you love us, you always remind me how much effort you have to put in. you keep the house pretty and spic-and-span. then why don't i feel loved? are my expectations too high? am i demanding too much? i understand you have a house to upkeep, a job that requires long hrs..but really its the little things that matter. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

all it really took is a minor adjustment from my side. adjusting to having no parents. no family. adjusting to the fact that noone will really be there for me. through my various experiences. I KNOW i cannot count on you. as much as i like to think so.. i have been disappointed many times. TOO many times. so i adapt. i grew not to expect. from here i can even get some unexpected bouts of joy. and i know as much as my father loves me, he is thousands of miles away. he will never be physically here. ever. i needed friends and activities to fill the void.

maybe i'm just this stupid needy person, and an unfilial daughter.

of course things have become much better between us in recent years, but i really don't want to become too attached. i don't want to start giving much. becoz i don't want to get hurt again one day. so i just don't care..this is a very valid complaint of me. i'm sorry but it's a form of self-protection.

it just always comes up every now and then. however hard i try to AVOID it, i cannot help myself sometimes.

I'M SICK AND TIRED. IT'S BEEN 9 BLOODY YEARS. how many more times do we have to go through this argument?

A week later...

2008-07-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

A week later, i still can't shake it off. Everyday, there'll always be a time when i stop and recall, each race set going through my head, each stroke, each breath. what went wrong? our trainings went well, the first day was good, the race sets didn't feel too bad. so why?

Part of me still wants to find excuses for ourselves. maybe external factors, however small, accumulated and led to our defeat.

Part of me tells me: we lost to a better team. i still find it hard to accept. but one day, perhaps, i will.

I regret not having won the golden cookie for myself, my boat. there will be no more chances for me, nor us graduates. i guess i will just have to live with it.

But, the fact remains, no matter what the outcome, i still love my team. we've gone through hell together, and that will always stand for something.

Continue to jiayou Phoenix. i will await the day you soar again. my spirit will always be with you.

Fair exchange

2008-06-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

We gave up our time to rest, time for friends and family, time for ourselves.
We sacrficed our womanliness.
We put away the freedom to plan for other things.

We acquired more friends and family, bonds others would never have the opportunity to experience throughout their lives.
We gained strength and courage.
We learnt about perseverance and commitment.

We won, we lost, we grew.

It's a fair exchange i think.

Fight hard girls, we'll make it all worthwhile.

WORST luck in the world

2008-04-30T00:51:00.000-07:00

I officially have the worst luck in the world. today.
Due to graduate, lastest last paper, and i have to wake up LATE.
GODDAMNIT @!*(&#
Not 10 mins, not 30 mins, not even 1 hr late, but 1 HR 20 MINS late. what the fuck am i doing. I couldn't hear all 3 alarms from my phone.

Truly desperate (you can't understand the extent of my desperation), i went straight to look for my very nice professor, who thankfully managed to help me sit for the paper, which thankfully again noone has already left. But i only had 45 mins to do it. bloody hell. BUT better than nothing. It is the fastest record time i have finished a paper. hooray to me. -_-

I thank you with all my heart Prof David Chew and Prof Lum Kit Meng who have had the compassion to shed me some light in my darkest hours.

Then i had to lose my hostel key...

....

Zzzz...

Seriously, this is how i have come to take life and things not so seriously. i.e. relac lah. You never know what life throws your way. You plan, you schedule, you study, you try your best. In the end what happens? you wake up late.

With all my mishaps it's a wonder i didn't become some hyperventilating paranoid freak.

whatever

2008-04-28T02:45:00.000-07:00

So i'm not good enough, or maybe i'm just not what you're looking for.

whatever. i can't be bothered anymore. i will one day find my own piece of heaven.

Carrots

2008-04-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

The carrot has got to be one of the most misunderstood and unappreciated vegetables in the world. STOP abusing carrots all you cooks! More often than not the carrot is merely used as a garnish or to add COLOUR to the dish, likely a mixed vegetable dish or smth of the sort.. and it is often tasteless. Because, according to my mom, they BOIL it in water before cutting it up into shreds or insignificant slices and cooking it with the 'mains'. the horror!!

Carrots are in fact very sweet tasting, aromatic, and yummy! ok i actually found that out during my stay in Norway, where we had very limited ingredients to work with. The humble carrot was part of my main staple - the porridge. Boiled together with the porridge, chopped up chunks of carrots add sweetness and are really a joy to eat! It tastes really good with meat stews too, or even just mashed up on its own.

Alright i know this post is a bit weird. hahah. BUT i still want to take this chance to stand up for the neglected vegetable that no one takes a second look at. Remember, the carrot is so much more than a garnish!

i MISS diving!

2008-03-31T03:31:00.000-07:00

Everytime i come back from a dive trip i just can't wait to pack my bags and go on ANOTHER one.

There's also the post dive-trip withdrawal symptoms, which include; daydreaming, mild depression, boredom with everything, difficulty in concentration ( esp. doing work), and a generally out-of-body experience, in which your soul is not here, wherever you are.

Diving is one of the greatest things that has "happened" to me. Divers out there i'm sure you agree with me. Jo your entry on Dayang brought back good memories of that place!

My recent diving adventure with mdgf ellie at Manado was fantabulous! save for the food poisoning incident =/

Our cosy little hut

First Dive

Martabak!!! i grabbed the chance to eat this indonesian spesial pancake *drool*

The never-ending jetty

Clear Blue waters

Dramatic skies

Ponies roaming around the resort!

Our huts

mdgf =) you are always beautiful to me

We got to play with fireworks!

I thought it would shoot up and explode but no =(

Underwater pictures courtesy of our friendly ah tiong dive enthusiast

FISHES EVERYWHERE =D

Frog fish

Endless wall dives

Feeding frenzy

Beautiful corals

Blue-ribbon eel

The gang

Even though sometimes you just see the same things over again, its just therapeutic to be part of the big blue sea.. and you never know what will be coming to pay you a surprise!

...

2008-03-12T05:26:00.000-07:00

i am disappointed in you.
no more anger. just disappointment.

why can't you see past yourself.

i really wish i could understand better.

Help stop this brutality!

2008-03-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

STOP wearing fur and there will be no more need for such cruel trade.
How will you like to be skinned alive? Take a look inside this Chinese Fur Farm.

Pledge to go fur-free at PETA.org

Car sounds

2008-02-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

This is really quite funny. check it out!

CNY 2008

2008-02-15T01:40:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year is my favourite time of the year! i love going to chinatown during this period of time, i love buying new year goods with my mom, i love new year flowers, i love family gatherings, and i love the red and goldness of everything around. and yes i am traditional and old fashioned. in some ways.

New year plants and flowers@ Thomson! Did i mention i love flowers? =)

*heart*

New year goodies @my house

my mom never fails to decorate the house with pussy willows during cny

初一 with 老妈

My beloved 老爸, 小弟, and 阿公 @Jakarta

Overall, despite having missed 2 flights to get back to Singapore (and i finally am back after much trauma and heartache at having unnecessarily wasted money), i would say that i had a good CNY 2008 =D

Thanks bobo for your help and concern! *hugs*

I wish everyone GOOD HEALTH and a HAPPY RAT YEAR!

Commitment

2008-01-09T06:08:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine made me read this book called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. and truth be told i wasn't really interested. but well i guess i did learn some stuff from it which i can apply in my life.

Here's for my tough ladies:
A passage by explorer W.H. Murray, who wrote this during one of the first Himalayan expeditions:

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

To commit here is to " devote oneself unreservedly." Thus means holding absolutely nothing back; giving 100 percent of everything you've got to achieve your goal.
This is the warrior's way. No excuses, No ifs, No buts, No maybes - and failure is not an option. Do this, and the universe will assist you, guide you, support you, and even create miracles for you.

Of course it won't be a stroll in the park. It takes focus, courage, knowledge, 100 percent of your effort, a never-give-up attitude, and you need to believe in your heart of hearts that you can do it and that you absolutely deserve it.

So c'mon ladies, what are you waiting for. Let us all COMMIT.

Paving a new future for us

2007-11-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

"I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride, to make it easier
Let the children's laughter, remind us how we used to be"

Whitney Houston - Greatest Love of All

.not the same.

2007-10-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

Nothing feels the same anymore. My mood is going in circles..i hate it!
Why am i no longer the carefree, dense person i was anymore. i feel weird.
im not myself.
i overanalyse. i think too much. i am restless. i am BORED. with life.
i was NEVER bored with life.
In fact, i was quite fascinated.
i tot it was PMS, but now i think maybe its not.
i tot it was the food. but im eating fine now.

What's going on man.

A slice of time

2007-10-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

I love how some photographs can capture our everyday life in ways that are special.
I love how photographs are a slice of time.
I believe every moment in our life can be beautiful, it's just how we see it.
True photographers see it.

I'll be looking forward to flipping through old photographs when im 50.
so i can reminisce on slices of my life.

The Guardian

2007-09-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

*This first section is dedicated to ellie*

I liked the part in the movie The Guardian when the middle aged woman talked about growing old.

She said something like this:

i don't mind growing old..

if my muscles ache its because i've used them

its hard for for me to walk up those stairs now because i've walked up them every night to the man who still loves me

i've got a few wrinkles here and there but i've laid under thousands of skies of sunny days

i look and feel this way because i smoked and i drank, i lived and i loved, danced, sweat, and screwed my way through a damn good life..

Getting old is not bad...its EARNED

I loved the movie.
It takes a real hero to be willing to sacrifice their lives for strangers.
But when u come to think of it, these people are the sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, kids, lovers, best friends of others.
We are just too consumed with our OWN lives to realise that.
I salute all who are in the life-saving field.

and ashton kutcher is dammmmmmn hot ;)

why

2007-09-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Some might ask, why do you torture yourselves?

why do u continue going for the endless trainings?

Because, It feels DAMN good AFTER.

300 Rocks

2007-03-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since i last saw such a WHOA! movie.
It's all about glory, honour, love, and being MACHO. haha.

Glory for yourself and your country
Honouring your principles
Love for your spouse, 'brothers' and people
Being macho, strong, and determined in the face of adversity

I totally admire their NEVER-SAY-DIE attitude. Never show fear, never retreat.
They're so MAN la!
plus they all looked damn good. hehe.
And I just melt when a man loves his wife to his last breath.
where to find such men nowadays?

Anw, come to think of it, competitive sports are akin to modern and more civilised versions of wars.
So girls, we must be strong for the cup.
We must love each other, row for each other, and fight for each other.
Really looking forward to training together for the june race after exams.. everyone working towards ONE goal..supporting each other, encouraging each other. my life will be complete. haha. pls don't freak out, but db has brought a whole new meaning to my life.

Feels good to be home

2007-03-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

wow..i've already been back for 3 and a 1/2 months
some things have changed, some have not
it's starting to feel like i never left
but it really feels good to be home.

back to a place where i belong
back to my dearest friends and family
back to rowing
back to the food i love
back to my teh C
back to the sun and the warmth
back to $3 meals
back to familiar horizon of HDBs
back to seeing asian faces
back to over-crowding
back to where most things are predictable
back to faster rates of msn file transfer
back to affordable taxi fares
back to $7-9.50 movies

where there is

no more dividing every price tag i see by 4, or worse, times-ing by 2 or 3
no more crazy downloading of movies
no more missing and longing
no more BREAD for lunch =)
no more communal home-cooked dinners
no more excitement of travelling to new places
no more norwegian fresh air
no more breath-taking views
no more wearing at least 4 layers of clothes out
no more having to take off 4 layers of clothes in the dressing room
no more wearing jeans everyday
no more looking like i don't change clothes in pictures
no more free natural air-con
no more having to pray that speedtouch (a user with unprotected wireless) will come on
no more having internet cut off while surfing halfway
no more heart pain when i eat out
no more cup of nescafe every morning
no more of 满街的帅哥 =(

some things you never appreciate till you lose them.

my dearest cartoon ellie

my lovely girls

my colourful team mates ( check out Lili's goth look)

my noisy cousins

my crappy jc classmates

however exciting and refreshing it was, i now know i still want to go home at the end of the day.

Amazing London

2006-11-20T03:13:00.001-08:00

Hey thanks everyone..i'm feeling much better now! Must have been PMS. And of coz that i have to stress about my exams and term papers now...=/
I shan't rant about my depressing plight of having to study while i'm on holiday (hur hur). Ok i'm not. But i can't help feeling like i am!

And HELP! I'm GORGING myself non-stop with so much food that i feel abit indigested. DB gals brace yourselves for a back to square one me: fair, pudgy, UNFIT, me. sob. You won't be seeing anymore pictures of me in this blog till i'm back to tough and dark..haha.

Right, back to London. Everything a world class city should be. Modern yet filled with history.Vibrant and peaceful at the same time, depending on which part of London you're in. And people who dress like you see in the movies. haha.
I'm in love with the Big Ben and the houses of parliament! It's the most majestic piece of work i've seen so far.

Mun and I stayed with her mum's friend, who moved there with her family abt 12 years ago and took great care of us! Not to mention fed us well. Indian food and indian tea all the way..yummy!

Pictures speak a hell lot louder than words!

The Big Ben and the houses of parliament. When we first arrived. Wow!

We took the Underground from Victoria to this place, Westminister.

Day 2: Mun says i'm obsessed with this building. I think i am!

The London Eye

Mun on one of the many bridges on River Thames, with London Eye and my boyfriend, Ben, in the background.

London Bridge. It's actually just a very normal and modern looking bridge coz it's rebuilt so many times. That is why you get the song "London bridge is falling down"!

The Tower bridge, which i (and i'm sure many of you) thought was London bridge all along. Haha.And Last picture you'll see of me.

Day 3: Mun fell sick, so i wandered around myself..
Buckingham Palace

St. James Park, right in front of Buckingham Palace. Charming.

Westminister's Abbey. Now a memorial and place of rest for many of England's Kings and Queens. Isaac Newton is buried here too! The interior is beautiful..but i can't take pictures. My No. 2 love.

The WW1 memorial (11th November)

The back(?) of Westminister's Abbey. Most pictures of the place only show that part of it.

I believe you've met Ben. More affectionately Big Ben.

Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery

Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square

PiccadillyCircus! The place with Lillywhites, cheap and genuine sports stuff and soccer jerseys. Lots of Theatres around too! I wanted to watch The Phantom of the Opera, but its too expensive..about 40 pounds i think.

Oxford Street.. THE shopping street. It's damn long, crowded, and very much like Orchard Road! Christmas lightings are up too! And they have a street called Orchard Rd..haha.

Buckingham Palace during the changing of the Guards. Seriously I expected more. Still, it was SO crowded we could barely see anything!

Day 4: It's off to quiet and peaceful little town by the sea, Redcar, where we stayed with Auntie Carole and Uncle Malcolm. It's about an hour away from Newcastle.
The North Sea and Hunt's Cliff.

ok...I should probably get back to work...

I miss familiarity

2006-10-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

Inspite of all the love i have for travelling, sometimes, i just want to just settle into my comfort zone. Do all the things i have done before, hang out with all the same people, go to the places i've been before.

I'm here, in a new country, so i must try new things, make new friends, go to places..must i?
I've decided, after all that crap, i'm still an introvert. i want to curl up in my room, by my bed, and watch my movies, surf the net, eat, sleep, and ostracize myself from the world..do i?

I know, it's so oxy-moronic, but aren't we all.
I want that bag, no i don't.
I want to go there, no i don't.
I like that person, no i don't.
I miss my mum, no i don't.
I can be independent, no i can't.
I am strong, no i ain't.
I don't need anyone, yes i do.
I want to go home, no i don't.

Maybe after these 2 months of everything new, i crave for the old, the familiar.
And i so want to stay there, forever.
And i'll bore myself to death.
Ah whatever.
I'm not even sure what i'm like.

Fjords in Norway

2006-10-07T04:19:00.000-07:00

A fjord (pronounced fiord) is a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes.
Typical characteristics of a fjord include:
- a narrow inlet
- a bottom glacially eroded significantly below sea level (allowing deep-draft vessels to navigate easily) - steep-sided walls which continue to descend below the sea surface
- greater depths in the upper and middle reaches than on the seaward side
- communication with the open sea
(Wikipedia)

It cost me quite alot for the train and boat rides for this visit! Much more than what i spent going OUT of Norway..eeks! But fjords are the essence of Norway!! How can i come all the way here and not see something that is so representative of the country. It's like how all the ang mohs know Singapore for the Merlion, and how it's so clean and safe. Good job Singapore.

Finances aside, the exposure and liberating experience was worth it, and the charming little town Bergen at the end of it was worth it. Honestly though, it wasn't as breath-taking as i expected it to be, but then again, maybe i expected too much. The weather played a part too, i'm sure it'll be much prettier in spring, when the flowers are in bloom and the ice caps have yet to melt!

Still, I have to proclaim that i love travelling!
i love the new sights and sounds
i love how big and wide the world is
i love being out and about

and i'd definitely love more money for me to do all these.

Anyway, there are like hundreds of Fjords here, what i saw is only a fraction of TWO Fjords.. haha..
Enjoy..

The Flåm Railway

Kjosfossen Waterfall (free fall of 93m)

Flåm, before i got on the boat

The boat ride

I want a house there too!

Isn't it such a romantic setting..haha

Off the bus for a quick photo-taking session

Voss, last stop before Bergen

Wow..surprisingly blogger didn't give me much problems uploading my photos today..maybe the administraters are starting to like my pictures..
Till next time!

Insights into my life in Bjerke

2006-10-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the period of non-existent updates..I guess the novelty of having a blog just started to wear off on me...haha.

Let me give you some idea of what i do in my studenthouse..which is pronounced as 'Biake'.
We took forever to find out how Bjerke was pronounced..properly! My friend Cindy thought it was pronounced ' Ber-jerk-ke '..heheh..imagine the locals hearing us say that!
In spite of our efforts, i believe the locals and other ang mohs still have difficulty understanding most of what we had to say. oh here's a dramatic story for you.

Me and my gang of 8 are split into 3 groups, so each group cooks dinner once a week. Other days we, or rather I, eat stuff like porridge, frozen pizza, or instant noodles. That's for lazy people =D
So one monday, me and mun were in the kitchen preparing our delicious dinner consisting of boiled carrots, broccoli, potatos, and fried fish with a creamy herb sauce (mMm..yummy..hey yy i CAN cook ok! haha.)

Suddenly, we heard someone along the corridoor crying quite horribly. ( i feel like i'm writing a compo) . The next moment, before we knew it, all of a sudden, in a twitch of an eye, Shuwei, our classmate from China, walked in totally pale and wailing her head off! Her hands were bloodied and held up away from her face, her clothes were stained with blood, and fresh red blood was flowing continuously from the left side of her head. Honestly, it was quite a scarey sight.
My first thought: " OMG, she was mugged! And hit on her head! In our hostel!! omg omg omg.."

While i was still in shock, Mun took charge of the situation and asked her what happened. Through her sobs, she managed to tell us that she knocked her head against the window edge.
Whew...though not a matter to be taken lightly, but still not as serious as getting robbed and attacked. The blood was still flowing . I gave her some kitchen towels while Mun checked on her wound. I didn't know what to do!

I happened to remember the emergency numbers 112 and 113, one was the polce and the other the ambulance. So Mun called 112, which turned out to be the police. They gave us a number to call for the nearest hospital. Noone picked up! What if someone died while they were busy holding the line?

Then i called 113. A woman picked up and said something in Norwegian.
I asked : " Is this the ambulance? "
Her : " yes it is, what is the problem? "
Me, frantically : " my friend hit her head and is bleeding, i need to get her to the nearest hospital. Which is the hospital nearest to Bjerke??"
Her : " i didn't understand A WORD you were saying, can u please repeat that? What is the problem? "

Sheesh!! I wanted to BOX her ok!!
She totally wasn't being nice or understanding at all.

Anyway, in the end she gave me an address, which is norwegian, and didn't bother spelling or saying slowly so i could catch it properly, and Mun had to bring Shuwei to go catch a cab with a mis-spelt address.

After they left, i channelled my focus into preparing the dinner so i didn't have to think about what just happened. i took awhile to get over the first image i saw of her! It was a rather traumatic evening.

Later we found out also that it is very normal for the head to bleed continuously and fervently when there is a cut, even if it was a small one. Another sigh of relief.

ok the main point is not the communications barrier of course, but it was meant to illustrate it somehow.

That's over and done with..how about some light-hearted and pretty pictures of views from my hostel.

My room

Views from my window

View from the kitchen, you can see the sea if you look close enough

Walao..blogspot totally only allows me to upload 5 pictures ok. And at ONE at a time.
I had to use photo bucket the other time to upload more. It's really too bad.

Gothenburg, Sweden

2006-09-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Central bus and railway station

I went to Gothenburg, or better known as Göteborg in Sweden last last weekend. Its was a great place with lots of pretty things to see, museums to go to and many cultural sights! A much friendlier and atmospheric place as compared to Oslo..quite worth the SG$250 i spent there altogether. The Swebus Express there costs about $78 and is a 4 hrs trip. And i'd reccomend getting the Gothenburg pass.. it has all your transportation taken care of and free entry into musuems and many other attractions.

The best thing was, 4 of us squeezed into a double room in Apple hotel for 320SEK ($73) for 2 nights, including buffet breakfast and dinner!
Initially, we thought that only 2 people could have the buffet, but it turned out that they didn't check or demand any proof of who eats! So we went in batches to eat our fill. *evil laughter*
I haven't been so filled up since i came to Norway! Yum.

The stupid thing was, we were all so guilt-ridden at the end of the 2nd day that we started imagining that the receptionist was staring at us suspiciously ( it was rather obvious considering that there were 16 of us asians with a grand total of 4 rooms..haha). So we were so nervous when we had to check out, afraid that the hotel will charge us more for each extra person.

Here's the big plan:
We move out in batches. Only 2 will stay back for each room to check out.
We decided to act blur and tell the person we didn't know about the '2 persons only in a double room' rule in the unfortunate event that we were interrogated. Duh.

And, it really didn't help that the receptionist jumped up from his sofa seat in front of the tv and brisk walked to the reception to check us out (we were totally hoping to just drop our keys and go).

Well in the end, as you might have guessed, nothing happened. *WHEW*
Cheers to Apple (budget?) hotel for not exposing us!

View from city centre, tram lines and all

The effervescent streets of the Gothenburg

They have really nice street lights in Europe, why can't Singapore be more creative with our designs?

Hard Rock Cafe in Gothenburg, where Hoobastank performed before!

Hard Rock T-shirt, which i was tempted to buy

The old town, Haga

View of the city from the fortress, with my beloved Da Jie

The Poseidon statue presides imposingly over Götaplatsen square, the city's cultural hub.

Sightseeing on the Paddan boat ride

Simin going into the submarine at the Maritiman, the world
s largest floating ship museum! Its consists of many ships, including this submarine and a destroyer!

The Universeum, a place rather like the science centre except bigger and definitely much more interesting! This is a huge tank where you can see sharks as well

The Liseberg themepark, Europe's largest. Look at that HUGE pack of potato chips you can win!

The world's biggest (or only?) wooden roller-coaster.
I was too chicken to go on it though almost all my other friends went!

The musuem of the world's natural history. Filled with the preserved bodies of the various species of animals! This is the African Elephant, it's ENORMOUS!

Giraffe!

.
That is a whale preserved from a looonngg time ago. It has a funny odour.
Honestly you can't really gauge how HUGE these animals are till you see it up close!

Sightseeing in Oslo

2006-09-12T02:32:00.000-07:00

Wow I've been here almost a month already! Cheers to a month of bread for lunch everyday. Sigh. And since my lessons are only 8.30 - 11.15 am Mon to Thur (muahaha), i've no excuse not to go around town for some exploration. I don't go out everyday after school, but often enough..haha. I'm going to run out of places to go pretty soon.

Let me introduce you to some of the pretty places in Oslo. It's a refreshing change from the Singapore landscape of boring flats and tall buildings. The architecture is beautiful, the weather is great, though its been getting progressively colder lately ( i would say it's about 16-18 degrees avg.).

Marie, here comes your request of pictures of buildings!
Kavi, there certainly are lots of cute guys here, esp in my school, but it'll be too obvious for me to take pictures of them! The girls here are not bad looking either! People here generally dress very well..while all i brought are t-shirts and jeans..oops.

This is the entrance to Karls Johans Gate, the most happening alley full of shops and cafes in Oslo

Inside Karls Johans Gate

Night view of Karls Johans Gate

Oslo Central
The tower with red flashy lights is the Trafikanten, a very convenient meeting place

This is the building where Hard Rock Cafe is, and standing there is my friend, pretty mun!

There are also lots of open spaces and parks where people just sit on the grass and relax, have a picnic, and make out! haha.

They love sculptures and fountains as well.. you find them almost everywhere! But it gives a cultural feel to the place, and certainly beautifies the city! I shall leave the sculpture park to another time coz they don't allow me to upload anymore pictures!

My cultural experience

2006-08-31T02:42:00.000-07:00

I learnt some things about the Norwegian culture last week.

*Flips through Intercultural workshop lecture notes*

Norwegians are:

1) Egalitarian (equal opportunities for all)

2) Independent and Self- reliant

According to my friend who has a romanian toilet mate, he tried opening a door for a norwegian woman struggling to open the door while both her hands were occupied with grocery bags. So then she looked at him coldly, and uttered these words :" What the fuck is wrong with you? I can open the door myself ." Jeezes relax lady.

3) Have a rural mentality

Due to the fact that they've traditionally lived in isolated small farms throughout the huge country. FYI, the country is currently populated with 4.5 mil people, as opposed to the 4 mil in the 2 million times smaller Singapore

Side-track in case you're bored already:
I visited a norwegian cultural museum a few days ago..here's some pictures of their rural settlements in the past.. prob around the 1800s.

They're all original huts brought here from all over norway, and all made of wood. It's a wonder they haven't gone rotten.

Oh and they sleep in these tiny beds, about 1.7m by 1.7m, with 3- 4 people in it! Apparently people last time are much smaller..and also they sleep curled up, and not in the 'dead man' position. And about what they eat everyday: bread with glue-like porridge. Eaten hot for the first meal of the day and cold for the rest. Ew. Talk about balanced diet.

Back to their characteristics.

4) Appreciation of nature/environment

My lecturer told me that his friend came to oslo a few years back and struck up a conversation with a norwegian at a bus-stop. The norwegian then exclaimed to him:" don't you think this is the BEST city in the world?". His friend: " why?" Norwegian:" you can get out into the forest in just 10 mins!!". Sounds good to me =). They also like to disappear off into the mountains to enjoy their own quiet time in nature when it comes to weekends. Well i really wouldn't mind that either.

Regarding their love for their environment, plastic bags at supermarkets here cost 0.50 Norwegian Kroners (NOK), which translates to about 0.128 cents in SGD with a 3.9 exchange rate. And you can recycle their plastic bottles and get from 1- 2.50 NOK (0.256-0.641 cents). Not much, seeing that one macdonald meal costs about SGD 17 (so it's true!), and bus fares cost close to $8. Thank god for student concession.

5)Individualistic

6) Conservative

No stories about these. yet.

My flight to Oslo

2006-08-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is for everone who sent me off at the airport, sent me well wishes, care about me and want to know about my life in Norway =)
After much procrastination, i have decided that it is TIME.
Wait any longer and you can start reading about my flight back to Singapore..haha.

*Clears throat*
First of all, i want to say i'm truly touched by everyone who came all the way to the airport to send me off. You guys rock! i was overwhelmed at the point when i had to leave for the departure gate. i didn't cry not because i won't miss everyone, but because i know there are so many great friends who care and are waiting for me to go back to them. i was sad and happy at the same time. And actually, 4 and a half months isnt that long..right?!

So anw, in the quietness of the plane, it was starting to sink in that i had just left my LIFE behind, and was feeling abit..well, down, i started looking at my stuff.. and hey! wad do u know..
my warm adidas jacket is from my favourite aunt. Thanks Jia Yee!
my functional crumpler is from my long time pals. Thanks Jo, Marie, Kavi, Shirong, Yuying, Vet and Wanzhi!(i'm using it every single day by the way =) )
my seiko watch and new spectacles are from my pretty mom. Thanks ma!
my PINK! bra and underwear are from my crazy team mates. Thanks girls!
my thirst-quenching water bottle and useful head rest pillow are from my COR bradhers. Thanks Wenwei and Cheekim!
i'm surrounded! i can't get away..and i wouldn't want to.. =)

Thanks too,
teddy for your ovaltine, milo, and horlicks packs (i've finished one pack already!)..
jo, marie, yy, and huili for the tears you shed..
for all the hugs and the handshakes to wish me well..

Well, i'm now into my 12th day here and more or less nicely settled down.
Shall update again and post many pictures (mostly scenery pictures, as u can imagine) to show all of you what it is like here! i have to go back for dinner now..