I love everything I have now on exchange; from my lessons, my friends, my company, my room mate, my room, my experience so far... But I really hate one thing, I hate the corridors of my hostel because they are so dark and spooky looking... Today just got frightened by a random Black girl... I am not trying to be racist, I may be responsible for scaring some other girl being so dark also... However, it really freaks me out easily... I just wished I was not so chicken... Anyone knows anything I can do to feel better? To be more brave? I need everything that may work... SOS

Finally bought DVD of House, the famous English serial, it is GOOD! Trust me. Also found this China website where they have all sorts of shows and movies online. And have watched the 1st few episodes of Meteor Garden (Korean), definitely much nicer than Taiwanese version! The male leads look too good to be true. :P

And so, other than going for lessons, travelling around to look see look see, I am also spending time to catch up on nice shows! Haha, it will never happen if I am back in NUS. Seriously, loving exchange and enjoying every single minute of it. :)

Understand that everyone back in NUS going to face the stress of post-midsem presentations, project/assignment deadlines soon after recess week. Jiayou!!!

When the going gets tough, remember tough times dont last, tough people do!

With the blinking of an eye, I have spent 2 weeks away from home, away from everyone and everything who is so familiar. Time really flies, been out almost everyday from morning to night, be it to travel and venture around, or to attend lessons at different venues. Finally get to have some personal time now to reflect and plan for my whole SEP.

Whenever I meet new people in new environment, or catch up with old friends, it never fails to amaze me at how I can easily talk to some, be comfortable in someone's presence. There is of course the other side of the story for the other people that irks the hell out of me.

I thought I can be ok with everyone, be really nice to everyone around me, but it seems that I cannot do that at times even when I put a conscious effort to. Am I a hypocrite?

Well, I shall go and settle what I need to before going off to friend's room to cook dinner. :)

I found my camera already! OMG OMG OMG, I really cannot believe it but it seemed that someone found it and returned it to the office that takes charge of international student matters in PKU. I will be getting it from the office tomorrow as it was closed by the time I know about it. It is so good it is unbelievable. I am starting to believe more and more in karma. I think I must help much much more people everyday in every way I can so that more good things and less bad things happen to me. :P My 22nd birthday wish came true!!! For the 1st time I can remember, my birthday wish actually came true. :)))

Let it snow let it snow let it snow~ Yep yep, if you have been watching the weather forecast, you would have noticed that it is snowing in Beijing right now!!! OMG OMG OMG! For the 1st time ever my life, I saw snow! And not just that, I had snow raining on me! And it felt really surreal when the snowflakes are the shape which you have seen before in drawings or cartoons! It is so so so pretty! The snowflakes look so so so cute! The landscape in PKU look so so so beautiful after it had snowed overnight! I even walked on PKU's very own pond, frozen! :D Haha, I really feel very blessed to be able to experience it when it was not supposed to snow at all.

Haha, I am also thankful I bought all the necessary gear to protect myself from the cold. Even though it still feels cold when I am outside walking with the wind, and it gets colder when the sky turns dark, I am surviving ok. :) Just that my fingers, ears and nose will feel numb most of the time, plus a bit of pain when it's really too cold.

I have also started lessons proper as of Tuesday. Tuesday was really terrible as I have back to back lessons with no proper breaks from 10am - 5pm. I have to bear with a hungry stomach all the way until 5pm to eat lunch cum dinner together. And it is not so comforting when it is cold somemore. Today was better as it was from 12noon - 9pm but with a 2hr break in between. But I am not complaining as I am enjoying being a student in PKU!

For one, the lessons I am taking will be the ones which I am interested in after sitting in and they really have good Chinese modules here which NUS may never ever have! I think I am so going to enjoy studying here I will not want to go back NUS. :P Furthermore, the students here are all so studious! Until now, I have been to many classes where the students attending were so much there was no more seats. The latecomers just come in and stand throughout the lessons, taking their notes like that. I have been to such a lesson myself and I really wanted to die after standing for 1hr already, salute them for being able to do it 1hr 40min.

Now is the time of settling modules.. It is really a chore and I am required under FASS Dean's Office to fulfil more credits than the students studying here! Have you ever heard of such a thing for exchange students?! Craziness... I am not complaining about going for more lessons but when assignments and examinations come, I think I will just go bonkers. Plus I have to make sure that the modules can be mapped back if not I will be taking the modules here in vain. I am willing to take more modules even if not mapped back but the assignments and examinations stopping me once again. Sian to the max. But it's ok, I believe I can find some way around it and in the end my SEP experience will be a rocking one!!! :)))

1st time spending birthday overseas, away from family and most friends, plus the ever familiar environment. Also the 1st time without any birthday cakes, but it is ok as I have eaten too much last year liao, can live with a few birthdays without cakes!!! I did not really bother announcing to the friends whom I have gotten acquainted with at China about my birthday but I did have birthday wishes here and there when they know.

They even sang me birthday song when we are on the subway lah, super malu but touched to the max at the same time. :P Sweet of them considering we have not known each other for more than a week. :) Thank you Ching Hui, Katherine, Kai Li, Kai Qi, Lan Fang, Xuan Yun, Xuan Ping & Yimeng!!!

There was also the birthday surprise knock on the door by Yun Li, Kai Qin & Si Ting. Haha, thank you for starting my birthday on such a good note even though I was like ants on hot pot having realised the lost of my camera.

Even though overseas, I managed to feel much love from Singapore as friends sms, email or facebook me to send their birthday wishes to me at far away China! :))) It really make my day even though I realised I lost my camera the very same day... I got a phone call from my dad & mum respectively to wish me happy birthday! Really very touched. I cried after putting down the calls as cannot let my parents worry lest they think something happened to me. During those 2 moments, I miss home. I miss being at home and seeing my parents. But after a while then ok already. :)

Thank you Chao Hsiang (you are the 1st!!!), Meng Ling (my student), Ning Fei, Jingyi from Anderson, Xin Hui aka Beng Beng, Gim Yean, Zi Cheng, Yi Yun, Si En (my cousin), Mei Ling, Samuel Wong, Chuan Seng, Edward, Lionel, Jun Yue, Serene, Xue Ying, Pearl, Evon & Tien Kwan!!! Thank you for remembering & wishing me with all the nice words, you all made me feel super blissful, seriously.

Not forgetting the belated birthday wishers, I believe firmly it is better late than never so all your wishes were as important and greatly appreciated too!!! Thanks Kok Hong, Sum Xue Fen, Linah, Ke Ching, Huan Wei, Yan Wei, Jingyi from NUS, Joshua, Kai Wei, Bing De, Cindi, Thomas & Xiaohui!!! You guys made me feel the happiness of birthday for a few more days wor! ;) It is really the thought that counts, therefore thanks so much!!!

Yes, your eyes are not playing a trick on you, after seemingly disappearing from the face of the world for 1 week, I am finally back! And with a new blog skin too! All at the expense of my energy sleep as I am tapping on other people's connection so have to make good of whatever time I have. Dozed off for a few hours when it was almost morning but managed to pull myself out of bed & finished the whole thing!!! Totally China feel right? ;) Get used to it as I most probably will be blogging more and more in Chinese from now on. :P

Anyway, I do not have much time left with the internet so shall chop chop do quick updates. :) Must first & foremost thank every single nice soul who came down to send me off last Sunday! I am sincerely touched to see the whole bunch of you, no words can describe how I felt at the moment when all of you have reached. Thanks Mei Ling, Sandra, Min Joo, Xiu Wen, Tien Kwan, Michy, Joshua, Jeremy, Zacchaeus, Chuan Seng, Evelyn, Zhimin, Bing De, Soon Leong, Remmy, Doris, Maomao, Pei Zhen, Li Ting, Michelle, Jacky, Ee Wei, Ethan, Zikang & Ivan. My gratitude also goes out to those who sent me off with sms-es!!! Thank you Kai Wei, Camy, Cindy, Jane, Zeren, Jianwu, Jo'An, Zi Cheng, Jun Yue, Sarizan, Julie, Yan Wei, Ming Guang, Desmond, May, Liting (pork), Jaspar & Hailing. Last but not least, those that gave their wishes face-to-face or through messenger (Ivan), Bike Quest & VDay Carnival people. Thank you so much for all the love, you guys make me feel super duper blissful!!! :)))

Next up, things at China or Beijing or PKU! The weather here is still cold but bearable as I have not worn my long johns ever since I came here. It is turning warmer with occasional dips which make me have the urge to wear thermal wear but I end up not. The food here is too oily, salty, sweet, spicy... you name it. The portion here, especially their carbo stuff is magnified at least 2 times!!! Oh man.. do not think and do not want either to get used to the food. Never mind, I am happy because they have sweet but ugly apples and nice strawberry!!! The toilet here is communal style, plus the bathroom too!!! Half-open air concept in my hostel especially. Really miss Singapore when it comes to this aspect.

I shall copy & paste my note from Facebook here:

• spent 4 days here so far & registered successfully at PKU as short-term exchange student
• i have a room at shaoyuan, will post my address somewhere soon
• my room mate is a pretty Korean girl!!! haha. i will hide her from all you guys loh.
• the toilet here is exciting-ly interesting, communal style man
• the bathroom here is open-style, meaning you shiver when you have to bath in winter!!!
• the corridor & infrastructure of my hostel is freaking old & spooky.. me really no like...
• i have no internet access, so if you see me online means i'm imposing on my friends
• i cannot access blogspot so wont have any recent blog posts
• the temperature is still pretty cold here but bearable as i do not even wear my long johns
• i have seen people eat fried scorpions, would not be trying unless being dared to
• i have seen live scorpions (before they were fried) put on satay sticks (can ask me for video)
• i have been exploring the school campus & PKU is huge!!! they have 3 main gates can
• i have spent so much here over the past few days i'm getting real worried
• my local number (phone) is with me so feel free to sms me as i can receive FOC
• my China number is +86 13439540124 so do not delete when u see sms frm tis number! :P

yep yep, that's more or less what's been happening. of course as per exchange students, i have been travelling my fair share too, but it will come to a temporary stop when school reopens i think. but will still venture out whenever possible de! last but not least, my address here is:

2-525 Shao-Yuan Building
Peking University
Beijing, 100871
People's Republic of China

In 5 days' time, I will be leaving this country which I have stayed on since young to go China for exchange for around 5 months. The longest time I ever left my family before was 3 weeks when I went YEP just last year. I think confirm plus chop along the way I will miss Singapore, my family and my friends. But I am really lucky, because I am not going alone, I have Lee Han to accompany me. Also, I have quite a big bunch of friends who are studying at Peking University and I can find them when I am studying there!! So exciting! :)))

我想令我最放心不下的是阿嫲和奶奶，毕竟她们都上了年纪，害怕自己不在时她们便与世长辞，那将增加我人生中的遗憾。。。我想也只能天天向上天祈祷保佑她们健健康康。还有家中的父母和弟弟，也是让人担心。希望这短短的五个月里家中不会有任何太大的变数，那就真的谢天谢地了。当然也会舍不得很多人，但是鱼与熊掌不可兼得，也只能这样了。心中的情绪，也只好小心地压抑着。。。

OMG OMG OMG! Haha, I drove around on my own for the whole of today! The 1st time ever since I've gotten my license, all thanks to Guan Jie!! Thank you so so so much for lending me your van, thanks for trusting your van with me even though I just got my license not long ago. Feel blessed and touched to the max! :)))

I went to collect the van with Ning Fei who helped me shift my stuff onto the van after we drove back to school with him being my vcomm. Then I drove him home at Bukit Batok which took us much longer because we 'hollan'. But not my fault loh! Haha. Anyway, after that drove by myself back home! I have to park! Seriously parking is not easy. I have to adjust and adjust for quite a few times before I can get the car straight with ample spacing on both sides of the van somemore. Heaved a huge sigh of relief when I successfully parked it in. ;)

And then after shifting stuff back home drove by myself once again to Plaza Singapura to meet Lionel and Chuan Seng for lunch. Before that went to fill up petrol for the 1st time in my life too! Back to PS, the multi-storey carpark was really a challenge as I have to drive all the way up to Deck 6 before I can find a lot to park in. This time I improve and only need to adjust one more time before the car is straight in! Hehehe. After which drove Chuan Seng to Kranji MRT and then back home, it was a long drive but being able to chauffeur people around was a great feeling. :) At night drove by myself back to school as I do not want to face the terrible morning traffic the next day. In between was my Daddy's driving test for me which I think I passed. :P

Upon reaching back school, I went back my room to leave my things after which drive to West Coast Park. Since got van, don't take the opportunity to drive really not doing justice to myself loh. :P It was a slow drive and I let down the window so that the cold night wind can come in. I really enjoyed the whole day driving around even though it is really demanding on your energy as you have to be alert to cars around you whenever you are on the road. Driving someone else's vehicle also added pressure to make sure nothing goes wrong on the road. But I really loved today. I really think I am such a fortunate person.