Parting of Ways

Yo guys...to those who actually do read this blog, that is.

Its glaringly obvious that Ar. Haan has temporarily(I hope) abandoned his blog.
Therefore, I do apologize to those who might be reading this which is highly unlikely, of course!
I haven't exactly consulted him on this, but as a man who finishes what he starts, I will continue to make good use of this space...

Oh, I've successfully enrolled and am now an official UNSW architectural student =)

Before you all cry irrational stuff likeAhaha...on a personal note, I believe that this blog will be improved and be henceforth, more interesting, since the co-authors study in diff universities, we can both blog all about the various stupid hellish things our universities do to us archi students....you know, as a warning to the innocent wide-eyed juniors out there. No threat intended. Not.

But seriously la...Newcastle has been great for me. I did a lot of firsts. Lets see...

10 FIRSTS THAT I WILL NOT FORGET IN UON

1. First time hanging out with guys only-ok la its not too a big deal but I realised its real cool, you know? They have a totally different view on things.
2. First time not sleeping for a night straight-not another one I'm looking forward to, but an experience nevertheless!
3. First time having such wacky lecturers-will perhaps sort of miss the funny Mr JR a.k.a. John Roberts. All experiences weren't sweet with him, but I have taken his critics constrctively and learn from it in the future.
4. Asked a guy to dance-CRAZYness to the extreme!...No regrets on that one although he refused like I expected him (a typical chinese educated Msian) to, I went on to
5. Dance with other guys...was it cha cha or salsa? It was a very interesting experience that brought further insight on many things...:P
6. And of course, doing drinking games...haih, thank goodness tak ade hangovers i will never ever attempt that...but most likely thanks to the gentlemanly guys who once drank my share for me when the doubles came, knowing I hated beer...:D aww
7. First presentation!....scary but I guess it was okay....on my family/unity concept...2 Rooms
8. My first university. How can I ever forget my first la?
no matter how Taman-Negara-ish it is...
9. My first and possibly best ever, studio experience with my coursemates.
I will so totally miss that. Newcastle studios definitely beat UNSW's..
10. Oh. And my first co-authored blog! A great place to create mischief and write and post pictures that is product of the sien-ness we experience here!
eg:check out Haan's perverted paper cranes...

Rest assured, Newcastle shall always be a part of me!

Part 2 Flashback in USA-Taiwan

2 January 2009

We found out later that due to the recession, Taiwan was actually suffering from its aftereffects-the street were so empty...and since we were only there for a day for transit purposes, we technically weren't allowed to get out of the hotel, even.

Yes, we are prisoners!

But we still sneaked out anyway.
Please la...its not as if we want to stay here la. Too much chinese man...later I become 100% true chinese-speaking chinese with a love for Jay Chou then how??
Okay, not as if that's a bad thing. I really do like some of Jay Chou's songs, and I do speak chinese. I was just kidding. I meant that this is SO LIKE CHINA man!! You call this Taiwan, but really, its like China. Taxi drivers cheat you! The fashion sense is like...==....
Or maybe its too much shopping in Fresno that did it.

However, on a happy note, we did enjoy the night-marketing!
not that we got anything substancial, but the atmosphere really counts for something-the crazy motorbikes that run at you in the alleys; the tangyuan:D; the famous pineapple tarts; the ah li san (de gu niang) tea...
and the garbage trucks emit a cartoonish music and lights which reminded us of Doraemon.
We thought it was some ice-cream/tau-foo-fah truck at first.

It was a resheshing experience la, basically. Something that's close to home.
The night markets, I mean. Not the garbage truck.

And somehow I must say I prefer the Taiwanese hotel's facilities to the American ones.
(cos got additional drinking water tap and hot water boiler...muahahaha...stingy americans drink from the tap)

3rd January 2009
We leave not too early in the morning for KL.
Mum disappeared while we waited for the airport bus, which caused some chaos and an all-out search for her. I was so worried, I even climbed untop the dunny cans to peek at the adjacent cubicles, just in case she had a faint or something. (she never fainted before btw)

She turned up mysteriously carrying bags of hot dogs for our breakfast at the last minute.
We did not talk in the bus to her, which I feel bad for, but she shouldnt disappear like that without telling us. I really thought that our holiday was going to a dreadful end.

You know what? It's communication that we all lack. Miscommunication.
We have to work on it in some point.
I tell myself, one basic thing I'm going to be sure is that my boyfriend and I will have open, honest, straightforward communication. If not, there is no way the relationship is going to proceed from there.

I watched Vicky Cristiana Barcelona, a Cannes Film Festival film which contributed to another thought I put into romantic relationships. A film not for the conservatives, it forced me to rethink what I really, really wanted in relationships--passionate love, or security attainable in marriage?
It (the plot) is very real in many ways, and very complicated. The message-do you dare to chase after what may just be, however fleeting?



I end my post with a flashback of what has happened: there is so much to learn from, so much I have seen. I will try my best to apply what I have learnt in this trip.

Sleeping through 2009 Part 1 Flashback in USA

Believe it or not, I spent my last day in 2008 in Hawai'i and I just slept through it!
30 December 2008 9 something at night
mom tried to make us go to sleep. Nooo...I wanted to watch those nice shows on tv...I personally liked this station: tbs very funny.
It had all the funny old stuff like Home Improvement, Two and a Half Men, and Married...and there's Fox..where they had CSI and Fringe...all the gruesome mystery stuff I love...and Sex and the City as well! arrrgh. Dad was standing there in his pjs booming, "hey tommorow's the last day in Hawai'i you're have to make the most out of your day! Don't waste your time lying in the bed and watching tv in the morning! You should walk! This is the world-famous Waikiki Beach okaay!"

Alright, alright, I'll sleep.
With fantasies of Roarke in my head to keep my nights sweet.


31 December 7 or was it 6 something in the morning
Aharharhar. i think my dreams were sweet. I even recall my bro commenting "nice underwear" last night. weird, but I'm flattered that someone appreciates my underwear. Girl's boxers okay. Not everyone does.
Father n Andy left earlier than me to walk on the world-famous waikiki beach...okay I'm just making fun of my dad...yea its a beach...but can't wait for me as girls do have to put on moisturiser and uv cream first right...
mom and i n the rest went to eat buffet brekky at Smorgy's. I've now grown accutomed to the food..just don't touch those deadly hash browns, sausages and suspicious meat products aside from ham and i'll be fine. Oh, and the pinapples are delish.
we went supposedly, for a stroll on Waikiki. I complained to mom about my damaged legs. not everyone was in a good mood, for some reason i don't remember now. She suggested that I soak in the beach as you know, salt contained healing properties.
I like the impulsive creature i am, took off my outer pants and proceeded to wade into waikiki. Wasn't too embarassed, since this is America. So i got my upper torso a lil' wet.
Silly me. I forgot I had my swimming pants on!
By then, my bros had waded into the sea with me, each looking so ridiculous. Andrew had sensibly brought his swimming loose pants, but he spoiled it all by standing knee-deep in the sea, writing. He then said to me, "you know, jordan looks sexy like that."
I gave my other "sexy" brother a glance; he was clad only in his Levi's, and he too was wading in the sea. Unlike Andy and me, he was more leaner looking, skinny, as mum says, and probably looks acceptable topless.
"errrrr kay." "No, seriously. I can never look like that."
I had to agree for the both of us.
*******
we ended up looking like wet ducks, with wet clothes clinging and bare feet back to ohana.
if only we brought the right clothes!
Later, mom went off to the International Market mysteriously and moodily without us...thus leaving us with Fat Cat Dad. He then went on to announce that we do not go to the beach again unless mom comes with us.

Fine. i don't feel like going anyway. Oliver was being such a disrespectful........
never mind, I have to forgive him anyway.
Andrew, who wanted to go again, prayed: Father God, please bring mom back so we can go to the beach amen.
Inside, i was hoping not. I'm flat out tired.
3 something in the afternoon
Mom came back mysteriously. So we ended up going to the beach.
"So....mom. What made you changed your mind?" Mom as usual, ignored me.
"He said go as family...so we have to go lo....not that I feel like going."
"Come Oooonnn! Its Waikiki wo! World Famous Waikiki beach! why???"
"I just don't feel like going la!"

Jap guy watching was vaguely satisfying.
Despite moaning "hungry" to my parents, dad was determined to deny us lunch as we had a huge brekky. However, the cherries mom brought along saved the day.
And mom and dad made up in the beach as well by cuddling in the water. :P
******
6 something in the evening
Had a very satisfying dinner at Kauri's. We all ate a prime rib special+salad/soup+mash/garlic pasta to make up for lost lunch. Only Oliver ate fish and chips...a typical choice for him (which he would regret later). Walked again around the shopping road and jordan did some dirty bargaining: he got his deal narrowly: USD$12 for 2 tiki-s.
Oh. And it turned out mom went off to the market to mail a book,(which i learnt my journalling habit from) Too Busy to Pray, to Uncle Simon. She's even underlined all the important points to him...
though i doubt he'll read it.

10 something at night
Can hear all the party-ing sounds outside. Sounds really crazy, but I need some sleep for tommorow.

1 January 2009 4am
Aaaaargh.....I hate flights like these....
and its 2009 already! what kind of holiday is this??
okay thats my grumpy side speaking.
Later, at the pick-up van, Oliver ran out just in time to throw up all of his dinner.
Perhaps that's one thing I would have dreaded doing as a doctor: dealing with puke.
urgh, I just can't stand the smell.
At the airport, I evolved into the Sleeping Monster, partly cos I'm sleepy, and partly to sleep off the nasty aftereffects of getting a whiff of oliver's puke.

No one, and nothing except for plane announcements, can wake the Sleeping Monster!
Once provoked, it will attack!
I attacked Jordan for the most of the day.

In the plane....
Watched The Duchess, I think. And The Women, Nights at Rodanthe. Loved them all. The old man next to me made weird gestures while jiving to lay all your love on me by ABBA.
In Tauyuan in Taiwan, 12pm
Ate yummylicious beef soup noodle near the Tauyuan Hotel...food is definitely cheap here...its like lamien, with luscious beef tendons, for only 40 yuan! And the wuotie and chenzhiao...heavenly!

to be continued...........................