Sleepovers

I realize after 2 years of being in TH that staying is hall is like a massive sleepover. Everyday is filled with some social activities and it's always with friends I love. And I love it. I love it so much that when I was young, almost EVERY weekend I'll either be staying over at a friend's place, or my friends will be over at mine. It's so crazy that my brother's friends used to think I'm gay cos every time it's guy(s) walking out of my room in the morning. But such experiences are really awesome; especially for a "lone child" like me, friends are my life... 

Then few weeks ago I headed down to Lund to find Huiwen and crashed at his place for a good 4 nights. There was this "fun" element that I felt but didn't manage to reconcile with; maybe the wanderlust was too strong, or perhaps I was just too mesmerized by Lund's autumn ambience. But looking back, now I kinda know what that feeling was! 

And now I'm lying here on the floor with a thin piece of mattress, sharing it with Joshua while Yimei had another, and Huihan had her bed's height compromised. This uncomfortable yet awesome experience seems so familiar. And I really love it. 

Skogskyrkogården 30/10/14

Finished my paper early and thought the weather was not to be missed, so I went back, took my coat, and headed out to this place on my to-go list:

Skogskyrkogården is a UNESCO heritage because of its history and some of the architecture inside. Entering the entrance and I know it's not a mistake to visit this place alone; it's really a place that can only be described as "peaceful" and"surreal". But it's not the Lim Chu Kang kind of peaceful, it's much cleaner (no burning of incense or papers), the fields are wider and greener, and there are buildings that actually appeal to the eyes. Oh, why am I comparing it to LCK? Cos it's a cemetery... 

Read reviews on TripAdvisor and many said they were here in the evening, and as the sun sets, it becomes kinda creepy (what do you expect of a cemetery, really). But I came as the sun was right above my head, so I could keep scary thoughts out of my mind, and just sit down, observe, blank out, and just soak myself into the silence. If it wasn't for the cold weather, spinning head and dripping nose, I can probably just stay there and zone out the whole afternoon (this is after I finished a finals with 8 essay questions, so ain't that difficult to empty the brain)... 

Cos SU to S/U

This was last night before my finals this morning... I don't think this will ever happen when I'm in NUS (maybe just a 7 min 蜡笔小新 but not this 90 min Sherlocks definitely) 

Also, I'm watching Sherlocks because I've caught up with GOT, Arrows, Family Guy, and South Park all while trying to "study" for this finals... So yeah. 

And look, it's Ben and Jerry's!!!

Down

Bad thing is, I'm having fever. And it happened last night before my finals this morning (I actually rushed through my last question partly cos I wasn't feeling very well, but mostly cos I drank too much water and had to pee). Also, the worst thing about falling sick while overseas is that I don't have people to physically take care of me. 

So I had to prepare my own cold towel and apply it myself; walk to the toilet to rinse it; refill my own water; and hide under my fortress of blanket like a pitiful soul, all by myself...

Good thing is, the water here is cold enough so I can save the trouble of getting ice from the pantry. Hahaha. 

But yea, I'll survive! And it actually isn't they bad cos exams are over and now's just time to relax anyway. 

Why not burn my fats instead. Tsk

Spamming all these posts, going for a run, doing all the online shopping, binge watching youtube videos, and even reading the news. 

Burn out is real and it happens; I just haven't felt it in a long time. This "I just needa pass my exams" is really kinda annoying. I'm having no motivation to do whatever I need for fear of actually getting a good grade (that'll be a "waste"). Study, also sian; don't study, also sian... I'm just stuck in a limbo now. 

And yea, I guess this is the part about exchange that people don't tell you about. 

Runner's high

It's been almost a month since I last went for a jog, after the morning weather took a dip; but two days ago Josh asked me along for an afternoon jog and the temperature, though still on the low side, was much more bearable. So I have been checking the temperature these few days and decided that 14 degrees this evening should be reasonably bearable. And so I went...

I don't know bout you, but my version of fairy tale life has always been to jog/stroll down a rural/secluded/forested/quiet area in the autumn evening with a setting sun and cooling weather; yellow/orange/red leaves on the trees and littered on the floor; an endless field and knolls patched with green grass; a lake with ducks or goose or swans gliding through aimlessly; some huts here and there filled with kids, families and laughter; ponies, horses, cows and herds of sheep loitering around their enclosed area; maybe a nursery or kindergarten somewhere where toddlers get to wander about freely...

Today, I lived my dreams.

Retail-high

The feeling of spending money and just splurge on something I know I won't regret is really quite shiok. Now I kinda understand why some people like to go for retail therapy when they feel sad. But still, it's only shiok conditional on me not seeing my bank account...

--

So after spending a bomb on the Script's concert tickets, I spent another bomb to purchase my Vienna/Budapest flight tickets. Something to do with Hyperbolic Discounting (gonna be tested in two days time; I guess reading my lecture notes played a part in this) that I know I'll rather just buy it on impulse. So... Solo trip is coming!!! (And seeing my OC mates before that too)

没 Ed, Script 也好

Tried to purchase tickets to Ed Sheeren's concert but they were sold out in less than half a day (I was having exams yo! >< )

I have been pretty outdated with happenings in Singapore, so imagine my surprise when I chance upon THE SCRIPT's concert opening up on sale TODAY! And frankly, I like The Script more than Ed Sheeren.

So within a span of half an hour (for fear of the tickets selling out fast again, and also owing to the inner-kiasuism in me), two tickets brought and we are concert-bound once again next April after a disappointing bid two days ago. KTV can still go on as planned for 14th March, of course ;)

For The First Time, I'll be heading for a concert by a band I like; Nothing beats this feeling, and If You Could See Me (and my happiness) Now, you'll feel my excitement... It's like a young kid anticipating to see his Superheroes on the Hall of Fame: no one can Talk You Down on this! I'm definitely going even if it's just Before The Worst (finals and my last summer break) and I'm now (quite literally) The Man Who Can't Be Moved. I do hope the Six (or however many) Degrees Of Separation (made up by the however many rows of people in front of me in the stadium) will not deprive me of an awesome experience and to Breakeven the cost of the tickets, otherwise, We Cry. I have no idea how to fit Science and Faith into this shit. 

Danny, Mark, and Glen, you can now Give Me Love, since Ed can't do that. 

Love is not enough

http://markmanson.net/love

This dude here really impressed me; yet another must-read by him, and it coincides with my beliefs regarding relationship ever since I realize the someone I have now is a rare wife-material:

In the course of your life you will meet many people you love, and that can happen whether or not you already have a partner. You'll be tempted, you'll contemplate. But what really makes a relationship works is when you think and tell yourself that you are in a relationship that is worth holding on to, thereby decide to turn down the temptation and stay faithful. Commitment, as commonly referred to, is more important than the initial spark of love. 

-- Jason Tey

 (This is not a quote from him, lol. Just my reflection after reading his work but his writing revolved around this.) 

Read it!

And just a footnote, I haven't actually met someone who tempted me or made me contemplate leaving my special someone, yet. But I don't doubt my own ability to stay committed. Hah!

Footnote on my footnote: I recalled that maybe at the rocky start of our relationship a particular childhood crush I loved (and still do, as a friend/sister) might have actually triggered some contemplation, but I've evidently stayed committed. Yay, testimonial! Hahah

Why I never like throwing birthday parties and how that convinced me to do a solo trip

A very random post cos I had a sudden (but important) enlightenment about myself: I don't know how to deal with life without getting the love (or attention) of others. I don't know how to be... alone. 

I've always had the excuse that birthday is just another day in the year and there really isn't anything to celebrate about. But I realize it's juat the childish me refusing to acknowledge the reality that the world doesn't revolve around me. What if no one turns up?... 

--

I ain't exactly a bitch who seeks everyone's attention and cuts myself when I fail to do so but I really do enjoy the limelight (or, putting it nicely, the love). I don't deny that it's not always a good thing; "what an egoistic snob" followed by an eye roll is probably the first reaction people have for someone who constantly seeks to be the center of attraction ("you're not the sun!" is quite cute too). 

Maybe it's a last-child syndrome; maybe it's just a personality flaw... Perhaps, I should stop thinking of myself as the main character in this real-life role-playing game fantasy of mine (I'm not the only one with this thought though, it's a philosophical existential question). 

But I've been trying to grow out of it, at least bit by bit (hey, I've been throwing parties every year since army times! Haha). And I'm thinking this exchange experience is really forcing me to get out of this particular comfort zone of mine.

Perhaps a solo trip will help...

The Special Someone

We aren't exactly the type that says 'I love you' every night; in fact, I think I can possibly count the number of times I've said that to you with my ten-fingers. And it's cool that we're cool with that.

But really, I'm glad you've found that special someone in me, and I'm even more grateful that you're giving me the assurance that I'm doing my job as a boyfriend well. I've never had someone like you, and I'm never gonna need someone else like you, because I've already got you... And yes, I think I've also fallen for the right someone too ;)

I love you, Blur Blur!

What's the rush?

I set aside one full day to try the four past year papers that our lecturer sent out previously for the finals tomorrow, each supposedly lasting 3 hours, same duration as tomorrow's paper.

And... I finished all four of them in less than 2 hours... 

--

I am not complaining, and I am not even sure if tomorrow's test is gonna be as easy a breeze as the ones I've done; but one thing I am sure is that I'll probably have more than enough time to finish my paper tomorrow. 

One thing Ms Blur repeatedly asked herself and me (but only the most recent one that I really registered the question), "why are they always rushing the architects?" Yeah... Why? I mean, I know the actual world is gonna be stressful and I know they want us to learn how to deal with stress and hone up our time-management skills and blah blah blah. In fact, I have been trying to convince Ms Blur with all these points, until... I myself start to doubt them. What if you allow architects more time to go through their creative brainstorming? What if you give them some respite so that they can freshen up their mind? I'm thinking a slightly looser schedule won't actually do a project too much harm, would it?...

As I start to ponder upon the difference between SU and NUS, I realize that apart from the fact that SU has no tutorials (means more self-motivated learning), another important point is that they do not rush you through the exams (or at least true for this upcoming one; I'm sure the next one on Thursday that's essay-based will drain up all 3 hours no matter.. It's essay yo). After sitting through 4 semesters worth of economics paper in NUS, I was/am pretty convinced that they are not testing how well you know your concepts, but how well you know your concepts AND manage to recall them within that stressful two-hour sitting. Which is also why I maintain my point that people who have way better grasp and teaches me my economics concepts may not necessarily have higher CAP than me, simply because they apply them slower (and oftentimes, it takes just 2 hours and 5 minutes for them to think of it; post-submission eureka moment anyone?). Is it really necessary for schools to expose students to these time-crunching, nerve-wrecking, every-second-counts, fastest-finger-first papers? From what I see during my internship, I can probably walk out of my table, get a coffee, take a dump, search it up on the internet before I get down to solving an "economics" problem given by my boss and submit 9 hours later at the end of the day. 

So really, what's the rush for? 

第二章

草稿在电脑的文件夹里已待了好长一段时间，老是没时间和精力去把它完成。好几次把它打开了，看了一遍，又把它关上；有时兴致来潮，就依灵感补上一两句什么的，但也拖了好久才得以把这篇文章完成......

--

《秋》

橘红色的落叶、温和的阳光、略带点潮湿的气候、再加上夜晚辽阔的星空。有些弥漫、却又藏着一丝丝的温和，让人又爱又恨。爱的是它的风和日丽、恨的是它的捉摸不定；爱的是它的神秘、恨的是它的忧郁。

有些人执迷冬天的童话；有些喜欢春天的希望；有的热爱夏天的豪迈；但秋天，秋天它包含了其他季节所有的所有，也包含了人生的意义。它是一个终结：是每个人在夏天的奔放以后慢下来休息、反思的一个禅院；它也是一个开始：是在冬天未到之前最后的一个冲刺。它是一个句号， 因为在这之后就是漫长的冬眠；但它也是个逗号，因为春暖花开之时还离秋风落叶之际有一断时差。有时它也是个感叹号，因为在人不经意让春夏晃眼流去之时也唯能感叹生命的短暂、岁月的无情。但更多时候它是个问号：敢问大地卷起这秋天幽美瞳景个中的奥妙，谁人可解？

秋天是个变换的季节。绿叶从翠绿变成火红、变成枯黄、变成落叶；气候从炎夏、变得温和、变得寒冷、变得刺骨；衣着从背心、换成衬衫、加上外套、再披上毛衣；心情也跟着从豪爽、变得随和、变得平坦、变得寂静。

人生就像是一个秋天的延长赛，不停地变换、更动。枯萎的落叶归根，在春风吹起之际又得以重生，再次变得翠绿。在人生不停地变动下，不免有些挫折、失败，但在不停的努力与奋斗下，往往能找到自己的出头天，“春风吹又生”...... 但切记：如果不是秋天的变换，春天绿叶璀璨的光芒就有失它特别之处；“重生”也就毫无意义。

Cos I'd rather pass

... than get flying colours. (Never thought I'll say this given that I'll probably never get to use my usual "I never..." stun again) 

Anyway, just watched The Internship when my finals is in two day's time and I haven't done a single practice question on this math-intense Econs paper (and I'm quite proud of it really haha! Will be prouder if/when I really do pass it...) 

--

Really kinda like the movie though I was thinking how it's just a big advertisement for Google the whole time... But hey, thinking out of the box! That's something I haven't done in a long while. Really like how the two of them just don't give a damn and do things their way; maybe that's how things should be when I go back to work! Or... Maybe not. 

Prague 19/10/14-20/10/14

PRAHA! Arrived in the place where my girlfriend spent her last summer missing me in (while I re-serve the nation). Too early to check in so we deposited our bags in the train station's luggage storage; grabbed some breakfast in Burger King (for a change!) and used their wifi for a little bit; withdrew/changed some currency (where Huihan got slapped with a 20% commission margin!) and off we go to the legendary main Prague Square. Reached the square with some time to spare (for once) and located the Sandemans Free Tour's red umbrella.

The one thing I really enjoyed in Prague came as a surprise: after attending so many Free Tours with Sandemans (and other tours and also those with other agencies), I must say that this is the best tour guide I have ever had - John Paul (aka JP; not the pope though). For one, when he was talking about the break-up of Czechoslovakia, he began with all the background stories and suddenly "the Slovaks reached out his hands and held Czech's, looked him in the eyes and and said, 'Baby, it's not you. It's me.'" And then he brought us to the Astronomical Clock (which was voted the second most disappointing attraction in Europe after the Mona Lisa; so many different voting, what happened to Manneken Pis?) and told us how anti-climax the whole clock show was but he somehow made it a climax for us when he imitated the figurines' actions like a clown. He then brought us around the streets, cathedrals, saw some David Cerny's provocative statues, to the Jewish Quarter, synagogues, and told us all the interesting history of Prague along the way (which I, as usual, don't quite remember). Tour ended just before we cross the river over to the Prague castle and we gave him a bigger tip than I usually would recommend (also cos the girls were super mesmerized by his humor, but yea, we were convinced too!) Got him to recommend us some non-tourist-trap places to try some Czech food and he did. So we went for lunch (which wasn't as impressive as the Polish ones I must say; but then again, I have limited sample size to be fair) and headed for the Castle after that. Castle was... a castle. Nothing really impressive after you've had your fair share of castles all around Europe (but also because we didn't wanna join another tour round the castle; I would think that knowing its history and significance would have made the old building more charming). Explored this side of the river before we crossed the Charles Bridge back to the railway side of the city.

Found our way back to our bags and managed to catch the 2nd most disappointing attraction in Europe as the time struck 7 pm (and the cheat code he taught us, to look at the normal clock at the top of the building was really quite useful). But at 30 seconds past the hour mark, some digital art display on one of the building across the square totally stole the whole limelight away from the clock. Anyway, after some confusion at the metro station we managed to buy the metro tickets and headed off to our hostel. PLUS Prague was repeatedly voted number one hostel in Prague despite its location being slightly off the city center, and it wasn't difficult to see why: they have super friendly and helpful stuff; clean environment; swimming and sauna facilities; and the whole atmosphere was just very relaxing. What made our stay even better was that they actually didn't have full occupancy; so our 8-men dorm was left with 3 empty beds and we had the whole room to ourselves! We didn't have much time to exploit it though; after heading out to have some Chinese food at a restaurant we passed by earlier on, it was already 10 pm. But we did use the room to play (and taught the girls how to play) bridge and did some workout. One more nice service they had was airport transfer! It wasn't too expensive considering us having 4 people to split the cost and so we could afford to wake up later and had more time to bid Jiahan goodbye as he pangseh us for Vienna/Budapest.

--

I'm back here in Lappis and posting this two days after I've reached Stockholm cos it was a mad rush preparing for Developmental Economics presentation which happened yesterday; and now, time to start studying for finals in 5 days' time...

Krakow 17/10/14-19/10/14

KRAKOW! The train delayed for 2.5 HOURS!!! HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!!! We wouldn't even know what was going on if not for the new Polish friend that Jiahan made on the train cos all the announcements were made in Polish but that wasn't enough to compensate the piss-off-ness in me for making my friend wait 2.5 hours at the other end of the railway. Worse, it rendered my planned itinerary redundant cos we had not enough time to head to any of the places we were intended to go. On hindsight, it was really awesome of Hanni to not be angry at all (is that why you're my gf's gf? Haha) and also, after calming myself down, I manage to convince myself that such things happen all the time and it was mainly my fault for planning such a tight schedule...

Anyway, still manage to check in and meet up with Hanni (who was religiously waiting in my hostel using the comp to do her assignment... Really sorry!!! And also thankful for the hostel for allowing her to stay there for a good 2 hours haha). Re-planned the whole itinerary and figured we have to wake up at 5+ in the morning the next day if we were to carry on with both the main attractions of Krakow; the rest were supportive of the idea so it was decided as such. But first, hungry stomachs! Han Ni brought us to this place with traditional Polish food (again) and it was really nice (again), we all had too much (again) in the end. After a nice dinner, our amazing and knowledgeable guide brought us around the city center, the Old Town, the Cloth Hall, walked a few kilometers to the Jewish Quarters and Jewish Ghettos; and most importantly, she even explained along the way and taught us everything she knew previously from the local guide! Really very impressed (and justified our dinner treat, though it was meant as an apology for making her wait haha). Took a bus back, brought our tickets for the next day's activities and headed back to our hostel.

Woke up at 5 the next morning as mentioned and walked to the train station to take a morning train. Chasing the sunrise once again reminded me of my previous solo train ride back from Lund. Reached the final stop but that wasn't our destination; we had two options of either taking a bus or a 20-30min walk, though we preferred to get a bus ride, we weren't sure of either so we had to ask. Found this auntie at the bus stop so we approached her, only to realize that she doesn't speak English. Just as we thanked her and were ready to look for our next target, she asked us if we were headed for "Auschwitz?" I guess that was the main tourist attraction in the vicinity and a group of Asians there most logically points to the fact that we are tourists visiting the local concentration camp. We said yes and so she started using sign language that basically asked us to make a left turn after a roundabout... We were kinda doubtful and even misinterpreted her (took the left turn at the roundabout 20m away which apparently wasn't the one she was referring to) but decided to trust her and feel proud that we actually "understood Polish" (LOL). True enough, we reached our destination. That's the good news; bad news is, the earliest English guide is 1.5 hours away and we couldn't afford to wait with a schedule so packed (again, my bad). So we took a self-guided tour relying on the words written within the sites and also some eavesdropping on other private English tour groups' guide. Auschwitz was depressing as expected and I shall not talk too much about it here...

Lunch time! I realize there're only two places we ate in when we were in Poland: KFC and Polish restaurants; and the latter weren't available in the area we were in, so guess what? Smart. Except this time round we have to put in much effort before we actually get to eat our fried chicken. I have no idea why but we were always running for trains; this time round I had my backpack and one whole bucket of chicken with me as I challenged the roughly 1-km distance to catch our train (next one is in 2 hours' time). Alas, we got onto the train safely, and could happily chow on our fried chicken without the usual sense of guilt. Played "Guess the Word SG" on my phone (good old times man, but I still miss playing the Chinese idiom category with Brandon... seems like the next time possible is next summer) and made hell of a noise but who cares~

Reached the central station once again and met up with Han Ni. This time round we're heading for the Wieliczka Salt Mine! Arrived just on time to join the Miner Route tour (voted among us to be more interesting and so we gave up the Tourist Route that is apparently - and as the name suggests - very touristy, for the lack of time) where we got to suit up and bring with us all the necessary equipment (torch light, emergency batteries, etc) and headed down the depth (which the actual value I conveniently forgot now as I type). Many interesting things such as the "Hungarian dogs" pushcarts that are so-called cos they make a noise that sounds like dogs barking and the thing came from Hungary; the micro-climate within the cave that is supposed to be effective for asthma treatment; there were also horses that stayed underground all the way till 2002 only because it was too difficult to bring them up to surface! What is more interesting is when Jiahan and his itchy hands picked up the emergency phone and caused some minor panic over at the other end of the phone and had to trouble our guide to give some explanation of our childishness (thinking bout it, it was really quite funny lol). Mined some salt as souvenir and even got a certificate for it before we changed out and headed back.

Took our bags and left for the train station; did some efficient shopping (where almost everyone brought something in less than half-an-hour, I got a scarf!) and headed for dinner. Polish food again, except this time in a setting similar to Singapore's food court. Halfway through the meal Huihan saw a friend from Singapore who is exchanging in Germany (what are the chances?) and when I turned around to check out who it was... Jason Chew (WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? Apparently chances are quite high as we had even more coincidental meetings with other people later on in the trip).

Bid Han Ni goodbye (I don't know why but I still feel a tiny tint of sadness after bidding my friends goodbye; it happened when I left Lund, and now it happens again) and "checked in" to the train, which is also our accommodation for the night. Surprise surprise, this sleeper train where we squeezed in a super cramped compartment turns out to provide us with the best sleep we've had thus far (perhaps cos we got to wake at 7 in the morning instead of 5)...

Warsaw 16/10/14-17/10/14

WARSZAWA! Started off with a good start (since I have a broad definition of what is good). Woke up at 2.30am to get an early bus to t centralen cos the metro doesn't operate early enough for us to check in on time. Girls stayed over in Joshua's place so we set off altogether from Lappis. Supposed to change to a second bus after the first but the bus stop was shifted due to some construction and we couldn't locate it in time! So we fast marched (the girls ran) all the way to the bus terminal, and reached 4min before time to find a long queue (we were lucky cos the underpass security just nice opened the gate as we were going down the escalator). Jiahan actually reached few minutes before us so we got to cut abit of queue but that wasn't enough... We missed the first bus cos it was too full! Luckily they called for a second one that came in 15min time. Got to the airport, took a plane (Wizzair was normal, nothing spectacular), and reached Warsaw Chopin Airport early in the morning.

First thing we did was to withdraw money and really got a "culture shock" cos everything is just so cheap (after figuring out and getting use to the new conversion rate)! We were too early to check in so we decided to look for lunch in the city centre and guess what we found: KFC! Well, they are really rare in Europe I must say. So we brought two large bucket (cos we can) and they were not super cheap but cheap enough when compared to Stockholm's prices (or maybe even Singapore's). Used the free wifi and got the directions to our hostel so off we go...

When reached, we realize we were still too early so we deposited our bags and headed out once again. Brought the gang to the old industrial part of the town, Praga (not to be confused with Prague's name in Czech, Praha), and they weren't exactly very impressed (so was I): the flea market, Vodka refinery, and all the old factories were either closed or not impressive at all... We did managed to get a nice view of when crossing the bridges and also got some nice polish pastries on the way though. Crossing back to the main city centre via another bridge brought us to the Old Town Square which I was genuinely impressed with (though Jiahan begs to differ). In fact, I thought the large space was much more fitting of my expectation of a square than what I would eventually see in Prague (maybe I was just having too high an expectation for the "bu la ge guang chang").

Explored the Old Town abit and headed back towards the hostel via the main street of Warsaw; took a detour to visit the Warsaw School of Economics but there weren't anything worth mentioning. One of the main aim for the guys during this trip was to get a haircut, and so one we found, just minutes away from our hostel. When we entered, the barbers were all busy so we had to wait. But while waiting, one of the customer struck a conversation with us and said that he visited Singapore back in the 1970s. The conversation went on for quite a while and we even asked him to introduce us some nice Polish restaurants and food in Warsaw, which he obliged. When he was finally done with he haircut, he left; only to return again with some nice Polish pastry as a welcome gift for us. Awesome uncle.

Mission accomplished in an hour's time and we all left with a sleek short hair (okay, maybe just Josh and me... Jiahan basically just had his sideburns cut off). Checked in and off we go to hunt for the restaurant that the uncle recommended and indeed a good recommendation! Friends from the Scandinavian countries always say to go Eastern/Central Europe to "eat like a king," and so we did. $17 for some traditional Beef Goulash; Roast Duck Legs; and many other nice food that I don't really remember. "Cheap fine dining" doesn't sound like an oxymoron anymore.

Rested early to compensate for the early morning adventure and headed to the train station the next day after breakfast and checking out. Oh, passed by their iconic Palace of Culture on the way (and we did missed some stuff on the itinerary but it doesn't matter since the main attraction is the food and its price tag)

Heart. Life. Love

<HEART>

Stockholm is literally where my heart is right now; it has been for the past 2 months, and will be for another 3 months or so. After running around for a month with someone special, I was supposed to finally settle down in this temporary home but turns out, I've continued the wanderlust and have in fact been out of this place more than being in it. Even so, every time I go on an escapade, I miss not the faraway land just north of the equatorial line but this sanctuary so different from what I've experienced the past 23 years of my life. Maybe I have indeed settled in; maybe I have reached a compromise with myself; maybe I'm just living the life...

<LIFE>

Heart is probably the most vital organ in our body and ever since human begin to understand ourselves, it has been a symbol of life. It is fair, to say the least, that our life literally builds on it. Revolving around every individual's biological life, is every individual's social life. Home, the one tiny and humid island, is where my life really is; and to say I'm living the life right now without acknowledging a sense of loss is fallacious. I'm living an alternate life, while missing a part of me: the part I refuse to let go; the part holding my life on hostage; the part I love...

<LOVE>

Romantics give love a scientifically inaccurate representation. When we grow uncontrollably in love with something, the only thing our heart does is to pump harder; sometimes it becomes a bit of a nuisance. Love is often associated with irrationality, figuratively "letting your heart takes over your brain," when in fact, the dopamine, oxytocin, and every other chemicals of love really work within the casing of our skull. It's amazing how our brain and nerves connect; right now, it's connecting with people all over the world, people I love. In Beijing, in Europe, in Singapore, and mainly in Taiwan... In these places, I have a home. 

--

Home is where the ____ is. 

What else is there to do

Getting comfortable with my temporary home and probably needs some reminder about my purpose here

Yoyo

Watching this year's JCRC challenge video and it brought back so much memories. Suddenly thinking bout the whole journey, I wish I wasn't part of it because I think I haven't done enough. There just wasn't anything that seem enough... But then again, I am glad I was given the opportunity to be part of it all. 

Bird has been complaining about hall being sucky now. I definitely think she's not 100% right. Freshies are enjoying themselves (maybe everyone does when they are freshies) and blocks are really super bonded (just look at B, D and E; I've never seen it so vibrant before). But then again, she's kinda right...

The kind of all-inclusiveness, welcoming and family bond that I was greeted with when I first stepped into TH was kinda missing. Somehow, I felt more hostility as I become more adapted with this place I call home. I've become more familiar with it, but yet it's distancing from me...

I've never looked back and thought about how great or how badly I've done as a Vice President, but on hindsight, maybe it was more of the latter. Maybe I am to blame for what's happening now. Maybe I could have done something, but I didn't. I use to believe otherwise; believe in myself. But probably, it's beyond me now..

It's never occurred to me but my time is over. The rods have been passed on for someone else to kayak, and I wish you all the best. 

Prank calls

Two guy just tried to open my door in a space of five minutes and both told me they got the wrong floor. The first one did have a key to the room just beneath mine though. Just that... both of them looks kinda tipsy and the first one even had a beer in his hands.

Thought it was a prank call, a physical one; then I begin to think that they might have stolen the keys or picked it up somewhere (which reminded me of Chin I, who told us to take out our room number for our transponder in TH in case someone picks it up and breaks in) and are up to no good. I looked down and saw that the lights below are off-ed so I went down one level to check it out. Nothing. So I came back up...

Hopefully no one reports any missing thing!

And I'm also starting to think that it's super unsafe here. Even when I live at the very last room down the corridor, there's a chance of strangers walking all the way here and attempted to open it up; can't imagine if I wasn't in and left it unlocked (not that I do that)...

Oh well, hope I'm just thinking too much into it!

--

Update! I went down again after my initial post and met the second guy who came. Turns out, they were having a party, and the first guy told him he made the same mistake after getting the key from my neighbour downstairs. Cool thing was when I asked him if he's alright and he just casually told me, "oh yea, I'm okay, just drunk." And he proceeded to climb up the stairs only to come down after realizing the party's one level down and not one level up...

Cool shit that happens in Lappis on a party night. Now I'm hearing them singing songs

Then again... security really isn't very impressive here.

Tech-idiot with some... common sense?

I woke my lappy up from its sleep and it hung on me at the log in page; so I just stared at it for a good one minute. And... Nothing. Then I felt the keyboard was kinda cold, so I placed my palm on the cold metal surface and continued to stare at the motionless screen...

Suddenly, it came back alive.

I would have forced shut it down normally, but I've loaded my series before I left the house so I kinda don't wanna waste it.

Sometimes it pays to be a bit lazy

THE most powerful article I have came across for a long while

http://markmanson.net/you-cant-have-it-all

The answer isn't to do more; it's to want less

Everyone has come across this sentence or a variation of it some time in their life; but now, let this sink into you. Read this damn article, every single one of you who sees this.

Copenhagen 4/10/14-5/10/14

KØBENHAVN! Last of the Scandinavian capitals for me and also the end of my 10-day 7-Scandinavian-cities tour (including the previous trip makes this the 9th Scandinavian cities I've visited. Few more to go!) 

Arrived here in the early afternoon fan chiong-ed off for buffet "brunch" which Huiwen recommended after his previous visit here and it was awesome! Food was really yummy with meat, salad, salmon (too salty though), pancakes, etc. awkward moment when Huiwen tried to pay the ones value in coins but the waiter thought he was giving tips and asked but Huiwen just have a determined "no"; I would have given him though, considering his efficiency... But oh wellz, budget. Then we headed to check in at Copenhagen Downtown Hostel, which was recently awarded the best Hostel in Denmark 2014 along with many other accolades. The atmosphere and setting really justifies it I must say, though I didn't really have a pleasant stay here (explain below). 

Ever wonder why Danish are the happiest people on earth for so many years running? Just look at the "sceneries"! One stone throw and you're very likely to hit a pretty girl, and I'm not even exaggerating. Lol (though our guide the next day would continue to give us a more elaborate explanation: something to do with them having this thing that vaguely translate to being in a state of coziness; and also something to do with them having lower expectations... Lower expectations so they're easier to hit and this lesser disappointment, leading to more happiness!) 

Anyway, walking around Copenhagen gives a little Amsterdam-feel, not so much because they are not too far apart, but more because they do have some canals running through the port city as well. But even more so, the smell of marijuana... Which brings me to our next place: Christiana! It's a free anarchy state within the Copenhagen city. What does it mean? Kinda like Vatican City within Rome, they are "independent" and not under the rule/order of te Danish government... Except, it's kinda unofficial. It is an anarchy state, so there's no form of governance. They are basically a bunch of hippies that settled in this old abandoned military base and set up their own community in this location. What do they do, you ask: Think Amsterdam - marijuana. They also have their three rules: have fun; don't run (apparently cos it causes panic); and no photography. They also have their own version of coffeeshops called "green zone" but they are much less discreet to say the least. One peculiar thing is that there were many children running around (not so peculiar cos they broke the rule but.. Children? In a damn anarchy weed heaven?!)! I was expecting some Hobbesian war of every man against every man, but guess I should learn from the Danes to expect less...

Went on to Nyhavns to take classic postcard photos with the houses... Which... Kinda looked like Bergen's Bryggens. Saw the opera house, walked past some nice statue, and finally reached the Little Mermaid. I was honestly most impressed by the Caramelized almond sold beside (which reminds me now as I type, that I still have some of it left; andddd I'm eating them now. Really good, lol), and the crowd this little statue draws in everyday. 

Walked back to the hostel for free dinner!!! Reached at 6.15 for a 6.30pm dinner and I witnessed firsthand how singaporean's kiasuism was utterly defeated by european's hunger... (Or maybe, like I say, I really don't have MUCH kiasuness in me) Once again, I recalibrated my expectations to suit the culture I was in... So we went on a hunt for dinner and I saw KFC!! First time in Europe so I convinced we should get it after our grocery shopping (lol). Brought a bucket of 8 (and their original reciepe is kinda crispy and not like the Singapore's drier version), sat down by the city hall and you know what they say? That calls for a Carlsberg! Which was exactly what we brought from the grocery store laaaaa. Lol. So fried chicken with beer by the city hall became the highlight of our trip...

Went back to hostel and decided to have an early night cos, I have no idea why, but I've been easily tired these few days; probably the effect of too much traveling. But some dude had to wake me up cos I was in his bed. Back story: my bed was taken. And it was by one of the guys in this group of 5 super noisy people from I don't know why. The girl claimed that her guy friend's bed was also taken the previous night... But I am somehow skeptical about it. Anyway, got woken up and changed bed and as you'd expect from good old Jason, insomnia. Fell asleep at last at around 3am. Zzz just when I wanted to restttttt. Next morning I woke up to a very good comeback (lol, my brain has about 7 hours lag): I should have just said "great, I've been getting bitten by bed bugs the whole night; I'm glad I get to change my bed" and then show them my bites. The guy and the receptionist are probably gonna be speechless. Lol. But oh wellz, we were at fault too anyway so shouldn't blame anyone on this incident. 

Next morning was breakfast buffet (again!) at another place. Thought this place had the world's highest Big Mac index, they probably haven't surveyed their eat-all-you-can buffets... Supposed to scrimp and save by eating lesser here but ended up having relatively reasonably priced buffet and getting really fat. Went on for free tour with Sandemans (loyal fan of theirs haha) which was mainly history (which I'll probably forget very soon... Actually, I don't even recall more than half of it now) and the reason why the city didn't have much medieval buildings (fire! Not once, but twice. Each claiming half the city). Interesting thing was that our group had sailors from somewhere. Two of my top choice jobs: sailor, and tour guide. Shortly after the tour, we went to some other castle before heading back to Lund. 

Fatness continues when we cooked Maggie mee for lunner, and while Huiwen went for some Bball session, I rotted in his room and skyped Ms Blur. So he burnt some fats and came back for more pizza, potato chips, and ice cream; while I just ate them without the burning off part. Lol. Woke up at 5am this morning and here I am, first solo train ride in Europe and it's a 4-hour non-stop from south to centre Sweden (from 16 degrees back to my 8 degree Celsius) 

*Munch munch* the almond's really good, especially since I was having a foul smelling mouth after my nap and am without water. Lol 

--

Gonna take a two weeks break before my next travel! As an Exchange Student, it's always "exchange" first before fulfilling the duty of being a "student"; now that the first part is done fore the time being, gotta go back and finish out the second part of the deal 

Lund/Malmö 1/10/14-6/10/14

LUND! Really like the first impression of the city (though I arrived dark and foggy but the next morning showed a much nicer side of the city). It's kinda like a U-Town since 60% of the population are students and more than half the geographic space is devoted to Lund University. Did I mention that Singaporeans make up the 5th largest group of foreign student in the school? How often you get the little red dot as the majority... 

Lund is more a town than a city but officially it's a "commune" (I have no idea what that means politically). Finished the main part of it the next morning before and after walking with Huiwen to the Economics campus where he headed for some 20-min discussion while I stayed in the library with nice books and Eduroam. This was ALMOST the place I would have studied in had Stockholm University not accepted me (but module mapping would suck if I were to come here... Met another economics student, Zac, here but the kind of modules he mapped kinda limit what he can do when we go back) 

Met Hweeting (Zoey) and Yixi (Hannah) for fika in this nice (and cheap, relatively) cafè that Hweeting brought us to. Anyway, it was kinda confusing cos they didn't know each other's Chinese name when I asked whether they know each other by their Chinese names! So it took Hweeting one day to figure out I was talking bout Yixi to ask her out for lunch together. But well, she did and we had! Really nice when your friends made friends and you find nice fika company; so I brought them over to Huiwen's place for dinner! Chicken rice was SUPER awesome, especially with the new Vietnamese chilli I got Huiwen to buy. 

Next morning was a lazy one, woke up late in the morning and went out for a walk on my own as Huiwen's already left for school. Honestly, I felt kinda lonely when I was wandering around getting lost; the usual company I had on the mini adventures into the unknown alleys was missing, and suddenly, I felt kinda insignificant. Kinda made me doubt whether I'll survive the solo trips I'm planning...

Stubborn me also refused to use my map so I went on to wander and get even more lost (going in circles kind of lost) when I'm supposed to meet Huiwen after his class. Knew he was nearby so I gave up and asked him to meet me where I stopped. Sat down and suddenly this two guys with pushcarts stopped by and I just waved them off without giving them a chance to speak as I assumed they were selling me stuff they were pushing around (just like what many in Singapore do and I just did what many Singaporeans are so used to doing) but nope; ICA was celebrating their anniversary and were giving out one free item. How nice! Guess I became more skeptical and less welcoming of kiasuism as I stayed longer in Singapore (mainstream aunties would have asked if they were giving out free stuff immediately upon approach, I guess... Later in Copenhagen will expose us to the european's version of kiasuism which I think is kinda similar to what we have back home... It's everywhere!). Lund kid came to the rescue and Stockholm kid brought Lund kid to a Lund cafe (yesterday's) and had kids meal, which was kinda like a regular meal in Singapore. Then off we go for a day trip out to Malmö!

MALMÖ. Quite small; not as nice but bigger and has a more cosmopolitan feel. Visited the usual city hall and stuff around the city centre then, guess what, Lidl! Grocery shopping everywhere, as usual. Went to some rundown castle/fort and saw the Turning Torso from afar. It's... just another OCBC tower to me; I think Sentosa has nicer buildings but like what Huiwen said, "it's a touris attraction cos it's in Scandinavia, where tall buildings are rare." So yeah... Went on to wander and chanced upon a botanic garden which was really nice; and the windmill that Kathy (the Hongkong girl in Malmö U) recommended was also here! Surreal place, and Huiwen took his Kannelbullar (Cinnamon bun) shot here cos it's National Cinnamon bun day... Naise. 

Went back to Lund for dinner with Zoey, Hannah, and 3 other Singaporean guys (including the Econs guy), and also met some other Singaporeans along the way... Fifth largest yo. 

一封信

在下笔写明信片给莫翁姓小姐时发现自己已对华文书写略有生疏，因此决定在部落格上稍微做些复习，写些短文什么的...

就从自己坚信的一些信念开始吧！

--

《复习》

两个大拇指重复的在键盘上乐舞，但却有些迷茫、有些不知所措；以往有神的笔迹已无处可寻，剩下的就些朴素的单字、简单的句子。什么谚语、成语的已同中学时期快乐悠哉的时光一同消失，真是有些可叹、可惜。

心有余而力不足，好在有汉语拼音和手机文字建议模式的帮助下才能继续把这篇文章写成。这也没人可赖；就在以英文为主要学习语言的教育系统下，没有必要使用华文而逐渐疏于复习，慢慢的就把自己以往的语文能力抛至后脑、忘得一干二净。

“不要质疑我的华文程度，当年可是拿了好几届的全级第一哦！”

就算来到了欧州交流，我都还是以自己能掌握双语的能力为傲。但实际上，不能在没有帮助的情况下写完一封明信片的我已不能算是中学时期颂扬的什么双语学者了。当初的理所当然，已从人间蒸发、消失得无影无踪。现在的“全级第一”，剩下的就只是些班门弄斧的会话伎俩。

人生，不也是如此。

一些人情、事物，在自己不知不觉的情况下被抛掷于后脑，当成理所当然。事物被我们遗忘了，还有机会在自己的努力下寻回。就像被刊登的散文，翻翻学文，还是能找到当年字字珠玑的字迹；生疏的文笔，在后脑里翻一翻、找一找，还是能勉强完成一篇短文。

但人与人之间，能吗？

情感，没有理所当然；人情，往往还是需要反复的“复习”......

Oslo/Flåm 27/9/14-30/9/14

FREDRIKSTAD. Past by this small town near the Sweden-Norway border on the Norwegian side on our way to Oslo cos we were too early for checking in and it was recommended on the brochure we took. Went to the Gamlebyen (old-something) which is a fortified town. Nothing impressive: cobblestones, goats and decorative cannons. Oh, it was a defense against the Swedes though. 

OSLO. Had a hard time looking for our apartment but we were genuinely impressed by the exterior of the whole house when we found it. Jane was even talking bout how she wish this "wooden beautiful house" is our apartment and it really turns out to be! Albeit we only got the garage and not the nice nice main apartment. But anyway, it was still an awesome three storey apartment with a loft bed for two, a hall, and a ground level bed room for two. So 5 of us fitted nicely in the apartment. Reached pretty late so we walked to the nearest grocery store to grab food for dinner and the next few meals only to realize the 10min walk our host told us turns out to be some 20+ minutes walk. Even worse, when we were paying for our food, we realize what's written on the price tag isn't exactly the actual price to pay and so we ended up paying S$80 for the groceries which included a S$30 whole chicken. No choice, we just rationed out everything we have nicely and manage to survive for about 3-4 meals with what we had ($4/pax per meal... Really darn cheap for Norwegian standards). And we also manage to hold the record of zero eat-outs while travelling. Cool or what. 

Next day we left our car in the garage and took a ferry (a real 5min walk from our place) to the city centre. Manage to smoke our way through to get a free ferry ride (well, our host told us to insist on getting the tickets at the pier on the city centre cos it's cheaper; we didn't even need much persuasion and the attendant let us off... Just that we didn't actually get any ticket when we reach the pier). Finished the whole stretch of the city in 2 hours (or less), and headed to the opera house that seems like it's floating on water and had our lunch on the rooftop which didn't really have much of a view except for the construction sites surrounding it. Got a bus ticket and we left for the museums on the side of the peninsular near our place, only to realize the museums are pretty overpriced and so we skipped it. That's 3pm. Know what's the good thing bout a road trip? We can go wherever we want, limited only by our ability to pay the fuel... Feeling "rich" (more like bored), we found some national park on the map recommended by the host and also realize there's a ski tower beside it so vroom vroom and we're off. Quite an amazing place that should be more spectacular during winter (the slope was used for zip lining during these warmer months) and also featured some nice traditional Norwegian huts. Didn't felt very well so stayed in the car while the rest went of to explore the ski practice ground. Drove back down the curvy, winding mountainous road (like a Initial D on Qiu Ming Shan) and we headed back home to plan for the next day. 

Impromptu, but we decided to go to Flåm. 

Bed bugs zzz

FLÅM!!! This is the starting point of the world renowed Flamrail and it costs quite a hefty bomb to reach this place by boat/train/bus so quoting Sho, "we're quite lucky to be able to come here by our own car." We left early in the morning at around 7am and drove for a good 5 hours before reaching this place. In the midst, we took UNO (our red Seat Leon, cos the car plate says so) through different seasons and the smart system even warned us of icy road when temperature goes below 4 degrees; really enjoyed this smart car. Took one "wrong" turn that actually made the trip faster but more importantly, took UNO to this UNESCO world heritage site (we only know bout it after we reach the tourist centre though, so we took the "wrong" route again and stopped by to take a photo with it on our way back). Nærøyfjorden, as we found out, is its name; and it's apparently the world's top natural heritage site, along with another Norwegian attraction - Geiranger. Decided to do a 1.5 hour hike up to a waterfall when we reach Flåm and after we took photos with he Flamrail that we didn't get on. Fulfilled Jane's desire to hike and enjoyed the rewarding view of the Flåm town, the meandering canals, sheeps on the field, and wooden houses dotting the landscape. Took out our lunch boxes and had our lunch to the background music of the splattering water from the waterfall. Trekked back down and headed back home. Highlight of this journey, however, was Huiwen and his shades. Tunnels are common in this mountainous region and they are often dimly lit for whatever reasons, so when Huiwen drove the car into one of these and started to complain about it being dark, we just laughed it off. Then he slowed the car down to almost a halt; I tried to help by turning the high beam on but it didn't help much. We all struggled to understand what's wrong and Song En started to suggest Huiwen to start eating carrots. Then, suddenly, with much revelation, Huiwen exclaimed, "Oh, I know why!" *takes out sunglasses* ......

That was the fun part bout this whole road trip, but as we all didn't have any experience driving in Europe and much less in Norway, we did have our fair share of hiccups (thankfully, not accidents!). Toll system. WTF. Even a local Norwegian shrugged his shoulder and told us, "I know, stupid Norway, right?" Even till now we're uncertain of whether or not it'll come back to haunt us. But even if it does, the unclear instruction in the email given by the Europcar person is probably also partly to be blamed, but more so the Norwegians and their super lousy English. Zzz. Probably only 1 in 4 petrol station attendant got what we were trying to say... And you think France is bad. We gave up in the end and decided to overpay everything to have a peace of mind, but realize we kinda got the dates wrong after we cross the border back to Sweden. Oh wells. 

Another irritating thing that happened: bed bugs. I was the only one with it throughout this trip, and it was only when I told the SU people about it that I know Yimei and Joshua also have it. The itch was so bearable I couldn't mind-over-body myself to not scratch it. Joshua got so fed up he even contemplated burning his bed. Lol. Though nothing to do with this trip, but it is yet another irritating Norwegian product; and it caused me to lose concentration while driving. -.- luckily we escaped unscathed. Lol. 

Zzz. 

Reached Stockholm for a lesson the next day and now off for the Malmö/Lund and Copenhagen with Huiwen! 

Gothenburg 26/9/14-27/9/14

GÖTEBORG! Driving for the first time in Europe!!! Left-hand drive yo. Was easier than expected and the thrill of getting to drive at 140km/h and faster is awesome; not to mention that our car was super awesome/powerful as well. 0-100 in 5 seconds kind of powerful. Supposed to get a VW Golf but they don't go by specific car so we got a Seat Leon that's of the same group. 

Lunch on the way to Gothenburg was grilled chicken with salad and bread and it was surprisingly delicious lol. Picked Huiweb up after some massive jam in Gothenburg's city centre and headed to our accomm. Cabin in the woods! Really nice but kinda hard to find; got lost wandering around the forested area... And we (I) ALMOST hit a deer crossing the road!!! It just stood there no-fuck-givenly looking at the car as if waiting for us to take a photo of it while all of us were busy shouting at Sho in the front passenger seat to take a photo but all he did was to wonder why the deer stood there and not run off. So in the midst of all these panic the deer leaped off and we didn't get a photo of it. Oh wellz. 

Driving in the city at night was pretty challenging (though few days later we'd come to realize that driving at night in the capital's city centre us worse). Found a place to park and the next challenge came. "P-automat" but we had no idea how to use it until we asked for help and it was a really cool system: no need to pre-purchase your coupon from convenient stores, just park and pay with your credit card via the machines. 

Walked around and had Subway for dinner; Gothenburg is quite a boring place as well... Probably the nicest part was the university. They do have a church for the fishes though; but they are all still probably waiting for their resurrection cos the Fish Church is in fact just a Fish Market -.- On the way to pick Sho from meeting his friend I got my first ever breath analyzer experience. Like my virgin traffic accident in Amsterdam, my virgin "breathing into the device" experience is also in a European country. Cool. 

Spent the next morning eating and cooking and then off we go to Norway!!