mister snowman

Random Fillipino maid in my room

When my room went into total blackout while i was bathing, the first thought that came to my mind was, "Shit. We used up the 50bucks. Need to top up again for electricity". A few minutes later, the lights came back on and before i could see my pudgy self clearly in the mirror, it went dark again.

This went on the entire night and it affected every single one of us staying in Block 5 Dormitory of the International Cultural College. On a second thought, i have no idea why we are labeled as block 5 when there are NO OTHER BLOCKS? -scratches head-

So for the past N-days, i had on-off electricity and zilch Internet connection.
Apparently, winter came and destroyed all electrical appliances.
The central computer system for electricity was overworked because everyone was using the heater and heating blanket and so was the Internet system.

Amazing.
Luo Laoshi wrote a note asking all students to NOT use the blanket and heater together as it stresses and overworks the system, well, why not YOU ask the Wuhan weather to be less chillingly and depressingly cold?



Anyways, Christmas was blast with my fab class.
We had gift exchange and finally the agony ended in bouts of surprise laughters and screams.
Yao was my mystery present giver and i was the mystery giver to Yuchih.


The night ended on a high note where i saw half of the class high on alcohol, thanks to me.
-sniggers-
I bought the wines, vodka and breezers and mixed them all up.
2 caps per glass and they all almost went red and into auto-high drive mood.

The streets of Wuhan was filled with people and the christmas feel was evident.
A pity there was no snow but oh wells. -shrugs-

This is my first time celebrating a cold wintry Christmas and i wonder when will my next time be. This is probably the first time 15 of us were gathered together to celebrate a festive season and it may be our last too, where we each pursue our dreams.


So thank you all for making 2008 Christmas fun and memorable.
Looking forward to New Year's Eve countdown! =D

shopping is a vice

To commemorate the realisation that I've spent XXXXX RMB within this short period of time, I decided to buy a gift for myself to remind me that shopping is a vice.


I bought myself a shopping cart.
-grins-

Do not ask me how much i bought or spent.
Do not question my shopping abilities.
Do not assume that I shop mindlessly.
Do not presume that I buy needless stuff.

Because, I buy gifts for people with their needs in mind.
Because, I zip in and out of shops FAST and i settle on the things i want FAST.
Because, I believe in "chop chop" shopping.
Because, some things are REALLY cheaper here than in Singapore.
Because, if I don't get those stuff, I am simply letting myself down if I get them back in Singapore.

There you go, an honest and truthful confession from a wrongly-accused shopaholic. =)

Jiggle Wiggle Blabble

Our dearest school just enjoy mutilating us. The earlier days of shaking leg/shopping/sleeping/slacking is now history because all of a sudden, we have a million of projects, assignments and events to handle.
And the best thing is, the school term is supposed to end by Christmas week and exam begins on 8 January.
Amazing timetable i must say.

Anyways, it was a trip to Three Gorges and Jing Zhou we went on the previous weekend.
It is our last cultural trip for this immersion programme and with the avalanche of work piling on our shoulders, most of us weren't exactly looking forward to this weekend being burnt away.
Although the Three Gorges is a man-made miracle but the mist and air pollution did no justice to the scenery there.

If you look hard enough, beyond the horrible mist,
you'll see the Three Gorges Dam, slated for official opening in 2009.

Maybe because i was aching all over from the 5 hours bus ride, I couldnt really understand and take in the whole grandeur of the dam which the China people are so darn proud of. That explains why I took only 100+pictures. I am a cam-whore and with only 100 odd pictures taken on a picture-worthy opportunity trip like this, it seriously mean something.
There were a few highlights though.
Firstly, we saw Mingxiu peeing in public and Yufung drinking it up...

Then we had the 2 Top Spenders of our class showing us their money..

And then we had the whole lecture group gathered together at the mouth of the tractor, it made us feel good psychologically because it means we were still small enough! Well, most of us. -grins-

Basically it was really short trip to JingZhou/Three Gorges and back. A couple of us fell sick upon our return and really, i hope i won't be next. I don't like being sick in this cold, dry and inhuman weather.

I swear, i will not complain about the sweltering heat and intense humidity of Singapore when I go home in a little more than month.

I rather die in heat then freeze to death.

Understanding

I happened to come across this quote from Kowfong Laoshi's blog and I liked it very much.
Took time off from doing HTML assignment and used the quote to make it into a desktop wallpaper.

I often let my mind run wild and being a typical March Baby a.k.a Piscean, I think a little too much, I analyze a little too in depth and the biggest sin of all, I let my emotions take the wheel.

Because of the many uncertainties and doubts that I assume/believe/conjour, I let fear chain me up and I behave like a moron that is of utter humiliation to my intellectual being.
Life will seem like a piece of cake if I was Forrest Gump, where he takes life like a box of chocolates, just take a piece and pop into his mouth and accept whatever flavour that tingles his tongue.

Perhaps sometimes it is better to accept such uncertainty
then maybe my life will seem happier
then maybe all the happenings will seem easier to swallow
then maybe i can stop being a Grouch and live happily ever after.

At the very least, it sets me free.

Exploration

My fingers have lost its feelings.
My neck,arms,fingers,legs and feet no longer sees the light.
The necklaces i brought and bought are being kept in the drawer, away from the light.
As the temperature drops, I pile on the layers(hopefully not the kilos!) and dressing up seems like a chore.
I lost the urge to dress up because no matter what top I am wearing or what necklace i am draping around my neck, it gets hidden under the turtleneck/sweater/coat i am wearing.

All dressed-up in TWO eskimo-ish winter coat - things only Liwen will do

And since i am in cheena-land, no matter how badly we dress, we somehow look better than most of them. Even though we may have the exact piece, but the juxtaposition is great.
Maybe it's the hair, or the look or the language.
Maybe it's the culture because...
Singaporeans do not go "gurrrggghhh...PUI!" anywhere and anyhow.
Singaporeans that carry fake Gucci bags, chooses ones with double G logo and not double E.
Singaporeans say "Excuse me" when you are blocking their way instead of SHOVING through.
Singaporeans say "Thank you" when appreciation is due.

So even if you are all decked out in expensive wear, you still look like crap with the spit marks you left with each foot forward.
Went off to 黄鹤楼(Yellow Crane Tower) with Lynnette, Liwen and roomie since it was located in our vicinity. It was supposed to be a bigger group of us going but the aeroplane came and took them away. The Yellow Crane Tower has a long history and was built during the Three Kingdoms era, A.D.223. Thank goodness we chose to come on a weekday because there wasn't much of a crowd and tour groups were few and far between.
The entrance fee was a mere 25RMB because we had 50% Student Discount. While at the entrance barricade, the guard wanted to check my student ID and nodded in approvement when he saw that i was from CCNU and Singapore. "CCNU, good school." I felt so proud that my flat chest puffed out and was not flat, for that moment.

There are a few thousand universities in China and CCNU is ranked at 30ish nationwide.
In Wuhan, other than Wuhan University which is directly opposite us, we are Number 2. =)
So, although NP sent us to a shitty place as guinea pigs, at least we have comfy hostel to live in and a good reputable school to study in.

Mingxiu can never achieve the No.10 point just like how the locals fail at No.1.

The only time i can do monkey things to China's "God".
My initial plan was to stick a finger up his nose
but I think shop's photograph will probably stick her finger into my eye
if i did that.

Chang Jiang Bridge and River
The pollution is so bad that i think kids in learn that the sky is Grey not blue.
okay, i am exaggerating.
Hopefully this eases the shock factor!

Yea, I was mimicking SM Goh =D
this is China, I won't get caught!

You pay 30RMB to hit this Millenium Bell 9 times.
It is supposed to protect and bless you.
I think, it is just a good scam gimmick.

I am Annabel, also got a bell.

I can protect, bless and teach you taobao.com.
30RMB, give me better.
=)

Weekend rock n roll

Because of the hissy fit that my lappie has thrown, I was unable to update my blog for the past week, thus PARDON ME FOR THE INFLUX OF PICTURES AND WORDS!
All the I.T gadgets that we brought are gradually showing us their unhappiness by konking out on us one by one. Handphones suddenly cannot be turned on, laptops starts "hanging" and blacking out...
Luckily i managed to find a decent computer shop in Wuhan who *crossed fingers* honestly repaired my lappie and got it revived at a reasonable rate.
Now my only prayer is that my dearest Acer lappie will remain sane and satisfied and not abandon me at the most trying time.

Saying goodbye to Xia Li, the BEST and PRETTIEST security/hostel personnel

The week flew past and it was pretty eventful.
We bade WanYuan goodbye as she returned home to Singapore to seek professional advice on her water retention/leg swelling. China doctors are amazing. They told Wan Yuan that they do not exactly know what is wrong with her and apparently in China hospitals, your 3 meals are not SERVED to you. You have to get a meal card and get your desired food yourself.

And it's on first come first served basis. Amazing.
Imagine, you are paralysed from the waist down or that you are almost dying, you have to literally hobble/hop/crawl your way just to get your meal and hobble/hop/crawl back to your bed to eat.
By then, perhaps, your plate of rice have already its marks on the hospital linoleum floor and ants are scurrying to carry them away.
While the poor you, can only sigh and do nothing.
Because, no money no talk.

I may be exaggerating.
Perhaps. if you are in such dire position, the nurses might be nice enough to bring you your food. But it is just a maybe.

Perhaps it is homesickness, perhaps it is loneliness.
But all of us have caught the soft toy fever.
They range in all shapes and sizes and i guess Yuchih is the most pitiful one of all.
She has THREE soft toys - the elmo, the pink alien and the 93cm huge panda in grey jacket.
Even though we have a larger than Super Single-sized bed, but with her penchant for soft toys and FIERCE PROTECTION over them, i wonder how she sleeps every night. -strokes chin-

This scene will probably drive Yuchih mad.
She believes that every soft toy have feelings.
- floored -

Don't you think this pair of King Kong bedroom slippers fit Ming Xiu this Ah Meng perfectly?
- grins -

Courtesy of his very caring and good friends of T02

China is reaally huuge. CCNU has 4 gates (North South East and West) and our hostel is located at the West area. For the past 2 months we only managed to explore the North and East Gate because it's technically nearer to us.
Supermarket (Takashimaya style), shopping centre = West Gate （西门）
Post office, major bank = East Gate （东门）
IT mall, supermarket (Giant style) = North Gate（北门）

So we decided to complete exploring the 4 Gates and boy do the South Gate excites us!
Pasar malam
Roadside stall
Halal food

We are still caught in the South Gate fever after near to one month of discovery. The good food and cheap buys are the reasons for our loyal patronage.

And i found my 串串 there!

Each time I'm at Vivo, i will never fail to head towards to Central Restaurant and spend $5 on 3 pathetic sticks of meat. In China, 5 SGD can get me, say the whole deal? But the exchange rate is crap now so I guess I have to put a stop to my extravagant tai-tai lifestyle. -pouts-

Somebody please save the fledging economy now and bring back the days of 1SGD = 5.3 RMB!

hate.frustration

I hate assignments
because i utterly have no inspiration write about Beijing, about China, about Chu culture.

I hate Acer
because after i sent my lappie for a regular check up, it cock up.

I hate Acer's after service
because it does not have a 24hr hotline for me to call when i need help.

I hate China's air pollution and cold weather
because the dust and chill killed my lappie.

I hate this China immersion
because I had lappie problems from the start.

I hate my lappie
because you died when i need you most TWICE.

I hate myself
because no matter how I protect, no matter what
I still fail myself
I still lose the battle
I still suffer punishments.

God is fair
but
it takes a mighty heart to stop falling away.

Bei to the Jing

I must apologise for the lack of updates.
It was a mad rush from Wuhan to Beijing and back to Wuhan again.
And straight to class we went right after we got off the train.
And then it was Sports Day where we ran and waved like Olympians.
And then i had a thousand and one issues to deal with before i finally had the chance to sit down in front of my lappie and typed out how i feel.


The Beijing trip was an eye-opener. Not only did i saw the 2 sides of China, I also saw people and their heart. I was uber pissed at The Forbidden City where the Chinese tourists pushed their way through. I glared, I stared, I sweared and then I lost it.


They were so pushy that even though you are not moving, YOU ARE MOVING.
So I shouted at them to STOP PUSHING and for 3 seconds, the crowd went silent.
and i thought i won the Battle of Pushing and Shoving.
But after that 3 seconds of world peace, the Chinese did their thing again.
-faints-
B is for Beijing and B is also for Budget.
The trip was planned within a tight budget and we squeezed Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square(where i saw Mao's body), Bird Nest, Water Cube , among many others within 3 days.
Beijing is so advanced that it reminds me of Singapore.
The expressways fooled me for a moment.
I guess i finally succumbed to homesickness after 8weeks of escaping my longing.
i miss home.
i miss the familiarity.

But whatever comes your way
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
but when it all comes down you make it through
-Daniel Powter "Whole World Around" -