back from europe trip!

the 13 day tour was fun. i got to brush up on my chinese considering everyone's either from mainland china or taiwan. i got astounded by the three historical squares in florence, italy. i got to catch moulin rouge in paris. (yes, they're topless. but do look at them in artistical manner. they're amazing!) i did my first confession at st petersburg's cathedral. i got crazy and spent $200 on 2 bags, one for myself and another one for mom.

what else?

i got crazy again today. i decided that i shouldn't laze around and fulfill one of my wish lists while i am still in london. i decided to go to the winston churchill museum. (have i told you that i am a huge fan of this overweight but cute ex-prime minister?) and...considering how expensive tube rides are, i decided to walk...from westminster area all the way to oxford street and finally back to my dorm. of course i did do some new year shopping. too happy to pocket an elegant long sleeved top from esprit and to my amazement, there's a normal man tee for 99p! ha! decided to buy that for nug too.

while i just came back from my europe trip, mom told me that dad's gone for pilgrimage. at first, i thought she's just kidding, considering she always has some elements of sarcasm. but yes, dad's in jerusalem now! errrr...that's hard to believe, but i do hope he'll return home safely. apparently, my uncle, aunt, cousins and granpa tagged along too.

london's still not snowing. it just pours and pours and pours. you guys were right. i think 9 year old couldn't facilitate me in terms of keeping me warm anymore. i decided to buy a fleece for an extra comfort. no worries, 9 year old will never been abandoned. (9 year old---my dearest blanket) and my frying pans are gone! disappeared into the thin air! still contemplating whether i should buy new ones or not. i think i can't trust my floormates anymore. knife was once gone. now that my canned luncheon meat was grostequely damaged by some hungry fellow, i finally came to my senses. saved my 5 bottles of yakult otherwise i would be left with empty bottles.

alrighty, picture time! i decided to just post one that looks really cute.

random entry

did the coursework with a fellow affiliate student, an austrialian guy called ben. a very nice guy. i know i am really slow in processing information and he would patiently explain it to me. but one problem! big bad mouth odour! but surprisingly, i could take it. i couldn't take greg's though. (the purdue guy) i don't know whether this has anything to do with my dislike towards him. but maybe that's why :P

so guys out there who happen to read this entry, (probably none) brush your teeth twice a day please!!! it's quite an experience trying to concentrate on our conversation while trying to put up with the smell. i am polite, but it's just a distressing fact that guys have bad mouth odour. (or only those in my major?) okay, think of this. how are we supposed to kiss you while we can't take you within the radius of 1 meter?

okay, aside from that bad joke, hoho...count down to my europe trip. 3 more days guys! *brimming with exuberance* i am so ready to go! yes, i got a company, the myanmar guy whom i have never met before but sort of talked to recently. at least there's somebody to take pictures of me. :)

but i am going to miss nora's birthday party. argh! i guess i'll have coffee with her on friday before i leave. present's ready too. i think she'll love it. oh ya, nora's the first friend i have who's into sports. she joined soccer and track team. unbelievable right? look at me! i can't even get my butt off my chair to go to the gym. have promised her i would renew my gym membership once the new term starts. actually, i have to thank cedar for all the sports appreciation that i got for 4 years. otherwise, i think i would have ballooned up long time ago.

as the year is coming to an end, i have thought of ending my relationship too. he's a nice guy, no question about that. but, i've grown so dependent on him, something that i detest. plus, i think i have been blinded by love. i would drop off everything, including pretty important school work to help him. nah, never abandon my school work. i would just sacrifice everything for him. and, take note of the next few sentences. he knows his priorities. he knows he needs to get done with his work before making sure that i am fine. eventually, i would be totally disappointed. disappointed of how much effort i am putting, while i always see why he doesn't do things to me. *he does do things for me. but i am selfish enough to disregard them* well, i think this would be the most unfair thing i have to a person, but sometimes i need to get my thoughts cleared up. i am pretty negative that it's going to end. but i guess the europe trip would help me get away from him for a while. and hopefully, i shall see the light.

2006, here i come. the year i will turn 20. the year i will spend in london, west lafayette or mississippi? (depending whether i could get into the research program. i shall apply soon) the year my brother's going to graduate. (again, he outsmarts me. this is the second time he's graduating and i haven't even got my first degree. that's why i don't like it when people graduate. they'll depart and i am not even quite done with my course) but i am definitely sure that it's going to be a great year :)

taken from my ta's blog (translated from chinese) : when you're down, cry your heart loud. when you're done with crying, wash your face and give a gentle slap to yourself. tell yourself what your goals are and soar up high to get them. but remember, when you're high up there, you have to look down on the ground where you begin your journey.

1 week of certainty :)

i got my visa.

i got my visa.

i got my visa.

do you see how excited i am?

might be alone, but traveling around europe alone? i think that's a totally different experience.

i am thankful

french couple

so i entered this chinese coffee house in chinatown. i came alone, so i was seated with this french couple. they looked sweet. normally, european couples can't keep their hands off one another. this couple didn't. they respected each other. at times, the guy did gently carress the girl's cheek. but that's it. no holding hands. no fooling around with each other. the best part of all. they actually talked a lot. *though i didn't understand what they were talking about* in fact, both parties were so digressed in their conversation, oblivious of the rest of the world.

their food came. it's crispy pork with rice and hot and spicy beef hor fun. i was impressed. this couple seemed to know a lot about good chinese food. more food came. they ordered 3 plates of steamed dumplings. i couldn't contain myself upon seeing so much food. i kept quiet, but they noticed about my confused look. they laughed hard. and that broke the ice.

we talked. i told them that i am indonesian. and they knew where indonesia was. the girl said this to me, 'wo hui jiang han yu.' in perfect tone. i was even more mesmerized. i asked them whether they studied chinese language. the girl did. 10 years ago.

the couple told me about their traveling experience. they had been to china. they had been to jakarta and bali. but they didn't have enough time to travel to borobudur. *can you imagine? they knew about borobudur!*

something that touched me a lot, 'out of all asian countries we've been, we realize that indonesia has the friendliest people of all. they kept on smiling at us, though their living conditions weren't good. and that impressed us'

so it's my turn to ask. 'is it true that french people are so nationalistic to the extent that they don't want to speak in english to the tourists even though they can?'

the girl chuckled.

'basically, french aren't good in speaking in other languages. i noticed that while other nationalities have higher frequency of tone, french have way lower. that explains why we can't speak good english.'

'also,' the girl added, 'when arrogant americans come to france for holidays and throw their money around, the people in service do intentionally speak french only. they have this attitude towards arrogant people.'

we finished our food. the couple told me that they just had a stop over in london for the weekend. the girl joked that the guy had been waiting for her to finish work before this trip. it turned out, they had been best friends for more than 10 years since their university days. but they just became an item recently.

'i am happy for you two. i really am.' i smiled at them.

'i'm going to the bathroom. do make sure that he's not going anywhere.' the girl warmly replied.

'hey, he's been waiting for you for this weekend. he won't just run away from you.' i joked.

while the girl's away, the guy gave me one important advice. life's short. you can only travel a lot while you're young. when you get caught in work, definitely you won't travel much anymore. so, go around the globe. find out about various places you've never been before.

when it's time for us to separate ways, we shook hands. his name's sigma. her name's isabelle. and as i walked out of the coffee house, my eyes were brimming with tears. again, god showed me another extraordinary day of my life.

ecstatic

there are the days i think i was at the lowest point of my life. like yesterday.

everything's fine really. even work's done accordingly. but it's my feeling. i felt so alone. i felt terrible that i might not be going anywhere this christmas break. without my family. without anybody close to me. and nug didn't help either. used the indonesian slang of 'you' and 'i' which i completely detested. he did it before. and i couldn't forgive him for the same mistake again. thought of ending this. thought that i am better off without guys. but decided to put it to sleep anyway.

this afternoon, decided to buy a to-go food from a nearby indian restaurant. asked for a veg samosa. the uncle gave me two. and he gave me plenty of briyani rice out there. wow. i was thinking i would end up spending 6-7 pounds coz my last visit cost me around that price. nah. it's just 5.75. and the uncle gave me a change of 50p instead of 25p out of 6. he even let me try a spoonful of indian sweet. i walked out, smiling. realizing that some strangers do really like me.

later, it's chemistry class. didn't really catch up with the class during an example. but i became quite a genius later on. solved all the rest of the probs. and classmates suddenly asked me to help them. i felt happy when i could be help to classmates. and one classmate commented, 'you're a genius!' which sort of made my day.

so, my life isn't all about downs. sometimes the little things in life really brighten my up. like 2 days ago. buncit's birthday.

sent him a card a week in advance. realized that i didn't put down his apartment unit on the card. thought it wouldn't even reach him. but guess what? he got it. on his birthday. surprising huh?

i am just an ordinary person. but i realize. my days are not ordinary. not many people experience the joy what i've been through. and i thank god for that. i really do.

1 week towards uncertainty

checklist:
-coursework for this week. done.
-trying to get myself well enough. (don't know why i caught bad sore throat. i've been a good girl. i haven't eaten spicy or deep-fried food) almost done. though it still hurts.
-getting some sleep? errr...not quite. will do that this afternoon. thanks to short wednesdays. out by 1 and i normally won't do anything till the evening.

yes. holiday's looming in 1 week's time. looming? such a grim word. well, true. next week is the deciding week whether i am going for the europe trip or not. been checking my mailbox 5 days in a week. no letter from french embassy. what happens if i don't get a visa on time? i don't want to have a trip around uk. i need to get out of this country! but i am keeping myself positive. it's gonna be 3 weeks next week. i hope french people keep their promise and let me have the visa.

and han's graduating! to be really really frank, being the selfish me, i don't want him to graduate! when i am back to purdue, i won't have a guyfriend to be around with. (true, cheetah's around. but he's eaten up by his world of my cousin. sad) besides, he graduates 1 1/2 yr earlier than me and he started a semester before me. not fair! *notice a pang of jealousy here*

but yes, i am happy for him. looking at his working attitude, i think he's gonna make it to the working world. good luck, han! *though he's definitely not reading this*

okay, quite an erratic entry. better stop not.

picture time!

Church building

Trafargar Square, along with the fountain

With Nora and Ben, Nora's flatmate

Nug in front of dinosour structure at Natural History Museum

In front of Westminster Abbey

Inside the famous UK phone booth

In front of Buckingham Palace

mixing with the wrong people

all my life i always think that i am different. it's easy for me to make friends, but it's hard for me to find good pals who would stay by my side when i am down.

i always give my best to help anyone, even those who aren't close to me. but most of them just take advantage of me. so in recent years, i realize, i should just be inactive and let's see how many pals would actually turn to me.

since day 1 in london, i haven't found my clique of friends. at times i just feel so alone and trying to myself slightly happier, i subscribed to newsweek, a membership at a gym for a month and of course the online blockbuster. well, i did find a group of indonesians which i spend my friday nights with. but once friday nights are over, so is our encounter. they don't believe in paying for their shares, instead they believe in splitting the bill equally, something that i scorn on. (coz i believe in going dutch. you pay for what you eat) we planned a trip around europe together, but it ended up a disaster. the girl had some probs with her french embassy appointment, so she couldn't get the visa. now i am left with this myanmar guy whom i have no clue about. also, another girl, who showed much interests in the trip, was really nerve-wrecking. she said she would call me back if she decided to come. but she didn't pick up my calls. didn't reply my sms. and we had to resort to calling her using another number so that she would pick. and her response? 'i am still unsure. i will check back with you guys.' she hasn't called back till now.

ya, so i do mix with the wrong people all the time. i don't complain, coz i've become stronger over the years. i apologize for things that i am not wrong in, which is fine. my tolerance level is basically higher than most people, but...these few days, i realize, i do have some really good pals, who just don't take advantage of me.

han, who was on his journey from atlanta, called me up and asked how i was doing. told him i was stuck on the last question of my coursework. i probably would lose 50% of the marks for that coursework if i didn't do the question. guess what he did? he called up roommie, asked roommie to borrow the book at purdue's engineering library and he would get it from her and scan it to me.

and roommie? she immediately retrieved the book. took pics of the pages that i wanted...and when i told her she scanned the wrong pages, she redid the entire procedure once again, without any complaints.

so tell me, do you have any friends who are like these? i am really grateful to have them.

of course, i am not saying that they're the only 2 close pals i have.

there's pau2, whom, through our email correspondence, makes me learn a lot about life. she comes from a budget-inclined family and her lifestyle really causes me to look up at her.

there's kar ning, whom, i've written letters to since i was 11. she sends me christmas cards, chinese new year cards and lotsa more. i might not open up to her, but having a pen pal is such a blessing!

and of course those pals who always try to give their best to help me. zoo and tiffo. ning. berts. they never fail to surprise me.

thanks a lot, guys! i am really happy to have you as pals.

oh ya, remember the columbia girl? nora? i think we've become closer these days. i realized (through her) that it's not a custom that people divide the bill equally. we have to fight for what we believe is right. if she does become a good pal, i guess she's going to be the 1st american girl whom i can share my thoughts with.

ok, i have to go to class now. but i'll post pics of han's visit during thanksgiving and yesterday's christmas tree lighting later.

teaching

teaching requires passion. i am positive that the people who plan to go into teaching field know what they are about to face. some of them may not be good in explaining or for some of them whose first language isn't english, speaking might take some effort. but hey, they have chosen this career. they might have given up higher paying jobs for their passion. they might have chosen teaching as a stepping stone to becoming a professor instead of an associate professor. so why do we students make their lives so much harder? they are human beings after all, just like us. they make mistakes. they might seem to undermine your intelligence. but why scrutinize every mistake that they make, while we always try to pretend that we're smart?

today's chemistry 2 class was a wreck. yes, i admit it. the prof's an italian and his accent might throw you off. but he did do a good job. he answered every question that the students had. he didn't sigh when he had to repeat such a clear concept over again to somebody who's apparently notorious in class. but look at what some of my classmates did.

they threw paper balls around while he's not looking. (one, which had some food in it and it hit a guy and got him really mad. he eventually had to confront another person, but he didn't admit of doing it) and when the prof asked, 'is it okay if i cancel this?' (well, he meant whether it was okay to erase that part of the white board) one of my classmates commented, 'why didn't you just cross it instead of cancelling it', which caused the entire class to laugh.

i feel bad for the prof. there's once in which he got into mental breakdown and decided to finish class 1 hour before it's supposed to end. (he didn't even finish explaining the notes) i think he's a new guy and i do hope he won't quit the career just because of some rowdy 2nd year students. i know teaching is frustrating at times (actually i love teaching. i might want to do something related to teaching in future) but i am hoping that his experience now will serve as a lesson for future use.

and i am still not pleased with the attitude of the students. why are there always been some students who rebel against the teachers, no matter how prestigious your institution is. that makes me ponder. maybe i shall go for an observation at mit and see how the students behave. then i shall conclude that students can be such a pain in teachers' butts.

found something interesting

yes, it's wee hours now, but i can't seem to sleep. i am worried. i have to finish a coursework in a day's time and i need to get done with another subject coz the ta will only answer questions this afternoon. and i haven't done much! holiday syndrome i shall say, but i shall get out of my room and do some real work instead of playing the msn solitaire.

anyhow, yes! the interesting fact. go to http://education.guardian.co.uk/universityguide2005/table/0,15905,-5163884,00.html and check out for university college london, my current uni. it's ranked 2nd best in nation for chemical engineering! woo hoo!!! i thought it's just a decent uni which is willing to have exchange program with purdue(why do i doubt abt it? coz no one seems to know the name, especially the people back at home)...but i guess both institutions are picky about that.

knowing the fact that i'm in a pretty prestigious school, i really should buck up. i thought it's a pretty laid back curriculum, but i've been trying to swallow the 11 chapters of transport processes, and it's not good. not only that, i still have to digest 4 other courses coz their coursework is approaching. *gasp*

yes, motivation! i need you badly.

trip to southampton

right when i needed to get away from internet and guyfriend, the planned southampton trip arrived. it's a short one, i was there for only 1 and 1/2 day. but i am thankful that i could spend sometime with my long lost secondary school pal. the best part of all, i could get away from londoners, who, in my perception, are materialistic and rude.

anyhow, we went for a potluck dinner held by singapore students' association. was awkward initially, but could finally find the right clique of friends and the night turned out to be nice. we brought fried samosa, curry chicken and some nice indian sweets.

raji, shan and me, three ex-cedarians. i miss the good old days.

the next day?

southampton's actually divided into 2 areas, the downtown, where you could do all the shopping...and the old town, where you could see the ruins of castles.

at the port of sea. i love the scenery!the castle ruins i was talking about.

lastly, the gate separating the old town and downtown.

see ya soon, southampton!

differences between united states and uk

united states/ uk
------------- ----
1. bathroom/toilet
2. see you later! /cheers!
3. to go/ take out
4. shit!/ bollocks!
5. dollars & cents/ pounds & pence
6. homework and projects/ coursework
7. thanksgiving sale/ boxing day sale (26th dec)
8. me + slippers = ok/ me + slippers = big NO!
9. clubbing after 21/ clubbing after 18
10. burgers & chips/ fish & chips
11. car = necessity/ car = redundant
12. subway/ underground
13. amtrak/ national rail
14. black eyed peas/ magic numbers
15. costly textbooks/ cheaper international versions
16. SUVs/ cute lil 1-door cars
17. americanized chinese food/ chinatown food!!!
18. more chinese than indians/ the other way round
19. no alcohols in dorms /found beers in common kitchen's fridge
20. technology-inclined/ art+history-wise inclined

phew...can't think of other differences. but i am glad to tell you guys that having lived in two different places is quite an experience!

oh ya, next week's reading week...which means no school for a week! will be going to southampton for the weekend...and i guess i will comb through london for the rest of the week.

what i learn from americans

chatted with nora (another exchange program student from columbia) a week ago. she's worried. her parents are paying for her accomodation and tuition fee, but not her other expenses. sure, she has some extra saving from her summer research, but she's planning to go to italy next month. and she said that she probably might try to get a job when she goes home during winter break. (it's only a 3 week break) i couldn't give her any advice. and neither did i tell her that everything's been covered for me.

feel ashamed of myself. while i'm treating my summer research pay as emergency fund, nora treats hers for normal expenses. americans have been trained to be independent since they get out of high school. they have to pay for their tuition fees, which might cause them to be severely indebted after they graduate from college. but most of them will pull through. they'll get a job and after some years, they'll pay off their debts and live a stagnant life. look at us, asians. we are paid by parents all the way until marriage. at times, if the economic situation isn't good, married couples still ask their parents for money. shame! shame! shame!

just a couple of days ago, greg (the exchange guy from my school) told me that he's planning to buy a house in west lafayette and that he has opened an account for his retirement fund. and he's 21! it amazes me how a genius (yes, he's smart, though a lil cocky) has such a clear picture on what he's gonna do in the next 10 years. he plans to study at purdue all the way till he gets his phd, (he even knows what research topic he wants to take) which of course explains why he wants to buy a house. he has even researched why he should buy a house, coz according to him, having a house for more than 5 years has been proven to save plenty of money rather than renting an apartment room. well, good luck, greg! i think you can do it. but just tone down on your cockiness coz you can be a little irritating now.

kinda exasperated now. i can't even support myself financially. and my studying session has been on hiatus for 2 weeks. i feel a little hopeless. i think i need to make a schedule of myself instead of chatting online or reading friends' blogs. i'm beginning to get tired of this

venting my anger now

after living here for 3 weeks, i noticed that brits don't really have any manners. since i don't want to sound that negative, i'll just put this entry in conversation form.

scene: tube station
me (M): excuse me. my 10 pound was eaten by the machine.
counter girl (C): alright. let me fix it for you.

5 mins passed...line's getting long. c was still fixing the machine. the girl behind me was exasperated

girl (G): this is absolutely disgusting! it's the peak hour now and you are not doing anything. i am going to write a complaint to the transportation authority. what's your name?
C: *hesistant* i know about that, mdm. could you just hold on for 1 sec? i am trying to help this lady here.
M: ???

scene: classroom
prof (P): so the fugacity is refering to blah...blah...blah...

phone rang. went for another 5 secs before somebody shut it off.

P: it's okay. so what's the relation between fugacity of gases with blah...blah...blah...

another phone rang. another ring tone. by this time, i swore i almost wanted to find that person and kill him right on the spot.

scene: information system help desk
M: hi! may i know where i could find a scanner?
counter girl (C): it's being used right now. we only have 1 scanner. (what on earth? 1 scanner for 20000 students? that's ridiculous!) if possible, you could book it and return later.
M: but i only have 1 paper to be scanned. besides, i have to submit this form as soon as possible.
C: sorry miss, there's nothing we can do. *in harsh tone* why don't you just book it?
M: it's okay. i think i will compromise with the girl who's using the scanner now.
(approaching the girl)

M: hi! i'm sorry. but could you help me scan this and save it to my flask drive? i need to rush.
G: i'm still trying to figure out how to use the scanner.
M: yes, but could i just use the scanner for a sec?
G: no, are you a student here? i am using the scanner now. (i guess she didn't understand what i mean. she sounded german)
M: yes, i am. but is there a way in which i can just borrow the scanner for a sec?
G: why don't you wait for 10 mins and i'll be done?
M: (told myself, 'patience is a virtue. forgive and forget!')

scene: phone conversation with phone company
M: hi! i've tried getting the voucher to top up my credit for my dorm phone. been to the ucl shop and my warden, but am still to no avail.
operator (O): sorry mdm. but we no longer have that service in your campus anymore. (so why on earth do you still have your system in our school?)
M: ok, and i did try to use my credit card, but it rejected my card.
O: so what type of card are you using, mdm?
M: visa.
O: sorry, mdm. but visa doesn't work in our system.
M: but i saw the brochure. you guys did mention that visa is accepted.
O: no, mdm. we only accept mastercard, american express and switch.
M: ok, let me try again. thanks a lot anyway!

a while later, i tried putting my mastercard number to top up for my dorm phone's credit. it still didn't work! i finally came to a conclusion, to hell with it!!!

some overdue pics

i just realized that i haven't posted any overdue pictures, despite promising you guys i would do so. here they are:

that's me when i was 4. can you believe that? i can't!


sis and i. isn't she cute?

lil bro, who never behaves during photo shooting, with granpa

dad and i in hyde park

last but not least, of course the big ben!

isn't it grand?

unproductive weekend

demoralized of last week's tough classes, i decided to give myself a break. chatted all day long on friday, thinking i would start browsing through my notes on saturday. but it never happened. spent my saturday having lunch in chinatown, doing a price check up on textbooks, cooking plus chatting. (again! sigh) excused myself that there's still sunday. but look at me now. been reading paulo coehlo's the zahir, but left my school notes unattended. i felt so useless!!! school work's going to be tougher next week dear, and you're trying to get away from reality. worse still, i'm planning to go to southampton to visit shanthi next weekend. when will i have time for revision? *gasp* i've been telling myself i shouldn't disappoint my parents...but look what i am doing now! this is sad, really really sad.

maybe this get away situation only happens this weekend. i might get back on track next week. but i have the tendency to be driven away once i'm experiencing comfort. nooo! ok...so here's the extremely well laid up plan: will give myself a break tomorrow afternoon after class, have dinner and straight to the library! no more baby vaio in front of me. i will never get any work done. yes. that has to be done. otherwise, i'm going to be so screwed.

fish and chips

have i told you about this french guy who's my breakfast/ dinner buddy? i thought he's sort of interested in me (he would flash a big grin and wave hi on his arrival. he would change his seat and sit in front of me though he's halfway done eating) this morn, he told me that he's taking a train back to france...to meet his girlfriend. deep down inside, i felt terrible. terrible for judging people who just want to know you better for something else. i think i shall keep that in mind. i always think that guys have bad motives when they try to get close to me.

anyway, was drowsy over the classes that are getting tough, so i decided to check some friends' blogs. followed through this girl's daily thoughts, and i felt sorry for her. she's just like me, independent and not easily impressed by men. but once a man comes into her life, she treats him as everything. she will do anything for the sake of this man. but nope, the story doesn't end beautifully. they broke up coz she's not a christian. she began to lose faith in all male population. she believed that she wouldn't get married and become a single parent. and that actually petrifies me. i am afraid for people like her and me. we believe in independence, but men change our perspectives...and when they turn their back on us, we would grow so distrustful...to the extent that we do not believe in love anymore. that's not a right concept in life.

i do hope she's doing better now. and i do hope she would meet some wonderful people out there who are willing to help her through the pain. as for myself, i am learning as time goes. sure enough, a guy can make me cry and not have a good sleep. but another day goes, and i am back to myself. being realistic helps i think.

craved for fish and chips...and guess what! that's what the dining hall had for dinner :) thank god it's already weekend. school life's getting more hectic and i do need some brushing up to do...plus some good rest.

address and phone number

oh yaaa...

here is some overdue information:
Ramsay Hall
20 Maple St
London W1T 5HB
United Kingdom

cell: +44 7707 689923
dorm: +44 870 2377160

for some reasons, friends and mom can't seem to call my cell. hmmm...and i can't receive any text messages from us, though ci pie2 told me she could receive mine. hmmm weird.

oh ya, read carefully guys! i felt so guilty for not touching any lecture notes after school that i decided to go to the library yesterday. hehehe...i can never study in my room. there's bed. there's baby vaio starring at me, pleading me to sign on msn and chat away. and going to the lib actually broke the curse of me continuously doing unproductive things in my room! it's quiet...and impressively, my cell didn't allow me to make any calls. it said 'emergency calls only'. cool! at times i do feel that i should get away from all these technology gadgets. they can be such a nuisance.

am planning to catch a broadway show this weekend. should i watch mamma mia? or the woman in white? hmmm...worth pondering about. and where are my mails? i can't believe it! i still haven't got a single mail (including junk ones) after 1 and a half week of staying in the dorm. sigh...

oh ya...and have to see buckingham palace and tower of london. i do hope i'm going to make a good guide when roommie's here.

public display affections

let me tell you guys something...i always see couples french kiss on a rate of 1 per day. in the supermarket and mostly on the streets. it's just a disturbing sight! my dad commented that they're just open in expressing their feelings, but...errr...do keep it down! i am just not used to it. well, at least if you want to do a pda, just give a peck on the cheek and that's it. no carrying, no bear hugging, no hands entering your boyfriend/girlfriend's tees, no no no! to think about it, i think londoners are so much more open minded compared to west lafayetters. (hehehe...i just created another word in the dictionary of Melisa) they drink, (day and night! in fact, the university union has 2 bars and ppl freely drink in the afternoon) some of the freshies goes partying almost everyday (don't they have work to do?) and a korean neighbor asked for directions to chinatown while he allowed himself to enter my room. (whoaa...excuse me! it should be me offering ya to enter, not yourself!)

but i guess it helps to be more open minded. you don't feel bad if you're different coz people don't really care about that. they treat everybody equally. and i think regarding the pda thing, hey...expressing your feelings comes at random times. you don't have to be somewhere alone to do it. (but i still don't accept it) anyway, i am progressing in terms of coping. i don't think my neighbors are nuisance anymore. they are still in their 1st year, of course they wanna have fun! friends have added up, though i haven't found a close pal yet. (well, it takes time, mel!) my sleeping disorder is starting to disappear. classes have been great, though i am not given lunch break till the end of class, which is about 2/3 pm. and some dorm mates are really nice! there's this cute brit guy who always happens to go to the kitchen while i am doing something there. we have small chats, but he's really friendly. there's another brit girl, whom i always have random conversations in the kitchen too (muahaha...kitchen appears to be a meeting place eh?) and my korean neighbor who asked for directions to chinatown. (though he freaks me out a lil bit. i am afraid he's going to come to my room more often) and...i've met some european dorm mates! there's this group of polish gals (i think i mentioned about them in the prev entry) and a french guy, who talked about the differences of living in france and here.

anyhow, i think i've passed the loneliness stage. used to be so mad that han just messaged me online and not called me, (bah...he's always been cheapskate!) but...i am really happy to be in london now. sure enough, there's culture shock...but i am glad that i don't have to bother about guy problems and actually enjoy the scenery, classes and people. (oh ya...one more thing...museum visits are free of charge!!!)

met an Indo...at last!!!

One thing that I absolutely loath about living in a dorm is that there are lotsa false alarms! Can you believe that somebody actually turned the fire alarm on at 1230 am! For a start, I was already asleep. And the darn thing was so noisy! I couldn't care less to run downstairs, assemble at the courtyard just because of a drunken freshie who incidentally turned it on. Oh come on...have some sense freshie!!! You're at least 18. I need to have some sleep.

While I was entering the dining hall this morn, I saw a girl sitting down with 2 cans of Skippy's. Curious, I took a closer look and oh my god!!! It's ci Lenny, the girl who used to be my hostelmate in Singapore. I kind of knew that she's studying in UCL *thanks to Friendster* and I did message her through Friendster. But apparently she hasn't activated her Internet voucher yet. So listen up guys, I finally met an Indo!!! (whom I've lost touched since 1998) She said that there are rarely any Indos around...but ahhh...meeting an old pal is always been a good idea.

I still can't stand the other guy who's on this exchange program (Greg). He's smart I know...but can he just put his pride down? He was wondering where he could get an AC adapter and when I pointed towards the direction of Maplin Electronics, he told me that it looked as though I pointed at the tower nearby our dorm. Gees...I am not that stupid for goodness sake. I'm still keeping my patience, but do hope that I won't loathe him by the end of this year.