It'll be Christmas in less than 2 hours!! actually by the time i finish writing this post, it'll probably be 1.
The holidays on the whole have been great. its really good to just kick back and relax without having to think or stress over any impending exams or papers due. i still haven't done my sitting-at-a-cafe-drinking-coffee-and-reading-my-book thing yet and sadly it'll have to be postponed until further notice.
Christmas here is a little more traditional and a lot of times I feel like i'm on the sidelines watching a movie of people's lives as they celebrate Christmas with family and friends. Its a relatively new experience though and I'm enjoying it thoroughly. Too bad there's no snow.
Anyway, for those who still read this blog, a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! =D
Monday, December 24, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Its Dec 11 and guess what! its 21 degrees outside. 21!!! and it is predicted to go to a high of 26 degrees later. sheesh! talk about global warming and crazy weather patterns.
well i guess i'll have to put away my winter coats for a while and change back to berms and t-shirts. not complaining though, i rather trudge to exams in summer clothes than wade through 4701384601inches of snow. hehe.
well i guess i'll have to put away my winter coats for a while and change back to berms and t-shirts. not complaining though, i rather trudge to exams in summer clothes than wade through 4701384601inches of snow. hehe.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Its not new when I say humans are really adverse to change and the unknown. However, its the impact of realizing how true this is that really hits home. Coming here was supposed to get me to step out of my comfort zone. It was supposed to get me to acknowledge and deal with the uncertainty of living. It was supposed to allow me to see how far I can push myself and find out my boundaries. And so far it has.
However, I also realized that too much change and uncertainty in one go can be so overwhelming that I just desperately reach out and grasp whatever that is familiar within my sight. Many times I do this at the expense of experiencing something new or something I will potentially like and enjoy. When these things happen, I'm thankful for the many friends who have their heads screwed on right to remind me that life is like this and I shouldn't crawl back into my comfort zone and huddle in a corner just because things could potentially go wrong if I tried it out. What happens if something DOES go right. I always forget that. Its an option I usually and very naturally pass over.
Thanks for listening to my problems guys and feel free to shove me out of my comfort zone whenever you see me crawling back there again.
However, I also realized that too much change and uncertainty in one go can be so overwhelming that I just desperately reach out and grasp whatever that is familiar within my sight. Many times I do this at the expense of experiencing something new or something I will potentially like and enjoy. When these things happen, I'm thankful for the many friends who have their heads screwed on right to remind me that life is like this and I shouldn't crawl back into my comfort zone and huddle in a corner just because things could potentially go wrong if I tried it out. What happens if something DOES go right. I always forget that. Its an option I usually and very naturally pass over.
Thanks for listening to my problems guys and feel free to shove me out of my comfort zone whenever you see me crawling back there again.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
It Thanksgiving Break now and I'm spending it at my friend's place.
before i left i really couldn't decide whether this break is a good thing or not and its a dilemma thats been bugging me every now and then throughout the holidays. Its such a bad time for a break! Exams, tests, papers, debates and final projects are due soon. so soon its scary. sometimes i just want to skip school and mug all day at the library so that i can catch up with my studies. URGH. I've become such a nerd! i'm scaring myself!
This was my first real thanksgiving and its nothing like what i expected thanksgiving to be. which is a good thing because i've enjoyed myself immensely. my friend's family travels to her grandparent's place for thanksgiving and they celebrate it at the local hunting club. yes, you didn't read wrongly. HUNTING CLUB. on the morning of thanksgiving, the men and boys and a few girls will go out early to deer hunt. every family will contribute dishes and everyone gathers for a thanksgiving lunch. i even got to try my hand at hunting in the afternoon. i didn't see anything though which was quite sad. by the end of the hunting trip i just wanted to shoot at something. anything!
despite my concerns over studies, i think the holiday came at a good time for me emotionally. i knew i was getting a little homesick but i didn't know how homesick i was until i got to my friend's place. just seeing her family and being with them really reminded me of home. they really made me feel very comfortable and a part of their family. i cannot thank them enough for this release.
hmmm, maybe this break did a lot of good for me afterall. although i didn't get all my work done (or even a little) i think i'm rejuvenated for the study marathon up ahead.
To all who're having their exams now, JIAYOU! and to those who're having their break now....i dun like you very much. =P
before i left i really couldn't decide whether this break is a good thing or not and its a dilemma thats been bugging me every now and then throughout the holidays. Its such a bad time for a break! Exams, tests, papers, debates and final projects are due soon. so soon its scary. sometimes i just want to skip school and mug all day at the library so that i can catch up with my studies. URGH. I've become such a nerd! i'm scaring myself!
This was my first real thanksgiving and its nothing like what i expected thanksgiving to be. which is a good thing because i've enjoyed myself immensely. my friend's family travels to her grandparent's place for thanksgiving and they celebrate it at the local hunting club. yes, you didn't read wrongly. HUNTING CLUB. on the morning of thanksgiving, the men and boys and a few girls will go out early to deer hunt. every family will contribute dishes and everyone gathers for a thanksgiving lunch. i even got to try my hand at hunting in the afternoon. i didn't see anything though which was quite sad. by the end of the hunting trip i just wanted to shoot at something. anything!
despite my concerns over studies, i think the holiday came at a good time for me emotionally. i knew i was getting a little homesick but i didn't know how homesick i was until i got to my friend's place. just seeing her family and being with them really reminded me of home. they really made me feel very comfortable and a part of their family. i cannot thank them enough for this release.
hmmm, maybe this break did a lot of good for me afterall. although i didn't get all my work done (or even a little) i think i'm rejuvenated for the study marathon up ahead.
To all who're having their exams now, JIAYOU! and to those who're having their break now....i dun like you very much. =P
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see so clearly
Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Chorus
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing Your praise
Than when we first begun
i'm gonna share all the new songs i learnt in church, intervarsity and campus crusade.
Halloween was last Wednesday. I didn't dress up...but there were many people who did.
In the US, Halloween is a BIG thing. shops have decorations for Halloween and costume and thrift shops really thrive during this period. people take days, weeks and sometimes even months to design and do up their costumes.
In Chapel Hill, the town closes off the largest street downtown and it turns into a giant Halloween party. about 75,000 people, including students, residents, out-of-staters and people from all over North Carolina, turn up. i was told that after 11pm the place becomes crazy and that i shouldn't expect to leave with every single person in the group i come with cos the place is so crowded. so me being me, i vowed to leave franklin street before 11pm.
while walking to franklin street, we could already see drunk people staggering around and paramedics attending to a guy who had already passed out. even before stepping onto the street, the strong smell of alcohol hits me. fortunately, it was about 9.45pm so the place wasn't so crowded yet.
most people were dressed up. cope lined the street. beside many groups of them were bins of confiscated alcohol, plastic knives, a random triton and any other potentially harmful objects (real or fake).
at franklin street, i was given a taste of the best of human creativity and lack thereof. imaginations really soared here. i saw a group of tetris bricks and tons of spongebob squarepants and harry potters. there were also of course some really distasteful getups like a pregnant britney spears, etc. (I shall not elaborate).
you might ask, what did i do at franklin. i asked the same question to friends before i went. the answer. just walked back and forth. really. thats what they do. walk back and forth to show off their costume or comment on others. if you want your costume commented on, 2 extremes, either make your props so huge people cannot walk past without seeing them, or wear as little as possible so that people cannot walk past without seeing them or it or whatever.
it was a new experience. not something i would want to experience again unless i have nothing to do that night. but it was an experience. not sure what to make of it though other than the fact that this festival seems so hollow and meaningless to me.
In the US, Halloween is a BIG thing. shops have decorations for Halloween and costume and thrift shops really thrive during this period. people take days, weeks and sometimes even months to design and do up their costumes.
In Chapel Hill, the town closes off the largest street downtown and it turns into a giant Halloween party. about 75,000 people, including students, residents, out-of-staters and people from all over North Carolina, turn up. i was told that after 11pm the place becomes crazy and that i shouldn't expect to leave with every single person in the group i come with cos the place is so crowded. so me being me, i vowed to leave franklin street before 11pm.
while walking to franklin street, we could already see drunk people staggering around and paramedics attending to a guy who had already passed out. even before stepping onto the street, the strong smell of alcohol hits me. fortunately, it was about 9.45pm so the place wasn't so crowded yet.
most people were dressed up. cope lined the street. beside many groups of them were bins of confiscated alcohol, plastic knives, a random triton and any other potentially harmful objects (real or fake).
at franklin street, i was given a taste of the best of human creativity and lack thereof. imaginations really soared here. i saw a group of tetris bricks and tons of spongebob squarepants and harry potters. there were also of course some really distasteful getups like a pregnant britney spears, etc. (I shall not elaborate).
you might ask, what did i do at franklin. i asked the same question to friends before i went. the answer. just walked back and forth. really. thats what they do. walk back and forth to show off their costume or comment on others. if you want your costume commented on, 2 extremes, either make your props so huge people cannot walk past without seeing them, or wear as little as possible so that people cannot walk past without seeing them or it or whatever.
it was a new experience. not something i would want to experience again unless i have nothing to do that night. but it was an experience. not sure what to make of it though other than the fact that this festival seems so hollow and meaningless to me.
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