Monday
It's reading week!
As the name suggests, it's a week for us to do reading, alternatively which many people do, you can go on a short vacation. By right it's a free whole week for us but there's a sociology makeup lecture. I think 'makeup lecture' is not a widely known term in UK, because when i told my friends about it, everyone would surprisingly exclaimed that it's fun to learn make up.

While waiting for my turn at HSBC, adi and i went to the Mac for our lunch. Did you know the main diff between Mayo chicken and Chicken sandwich is the bread? LOL!
Again, it's Iain Johnson serving us at HSBC, i would say he is very professional and helpful. Occasionally he would sidetrack on the banking consultation and chatted about his impression on Singapore. :P

Tried looking for the 200m badminton string that my brother wanted, but sadly to no avail. I nearly bought 1 box of instant noodles back home from Chinatown. Besides their own household chicken flavour noodles, you cant find any other brands in the supermarket!

Tuesday
Hit town with Didi to get myself a new boots for the winter. The 5hours search was fruitless after we combed through the whole Arndale area. I cant possibly spend that much on something i dun fancy yea?

In order to refresh our tired mind, we had a break at Yo sushi. The food is AWESOME! Under didi's influence, i started to develop a liking towards raw sashimi. Anyway, the whole bill amounted up to 35pounds which Mr Harrison generously footed for us.

After the window shopping, together with adi, we strolled down to his house for some pizza and fries. This was the time where we did a bit of research on our short vacation destination. Suggestions brought up were: Preston, Lancaster, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge and Newcastle. Guess what, it's really random and sudden decision for us to finally focus on Birmingham instead. HAHA!

Wednesday
The journey frm Manchester to Birmingham is approximately 1 hr 50mins, during the time on the train we were either drawing, playing paper games or exchangin sacrastic comments. HAHAH! It's our nature.
Just like any other cities in uk, the direction boards over here are really straightforward but it's amazing we still found ourselves lost. Basically, the camera freaks (Didi and me) were too engrossed with photo-taking that we took no notice of anything else.

Travel lodge is so disappointing without a service where we can check in our luaggage first! AWWWWW! Left with no choice, we headed to the nearby shop for lunch first. Birmingham has a lot of steep turning slopes as well as many blind spots - a good place to try out your driving skills. :P

My story skipped all the way to the waterhall gallery where unfortunately no photography is allowed. No worries though, the num of ppl inside was a great indication of its popularity. HAHAH! Nevertheless, there are a few oil paintings that caught my attention. Let's get one to hang in Weston Hall?? LOL!

The best highlight of the day was ultimately the 3D painting in which these intricate works optical logic is reversed to create a visual paradox. Catch it in my facebook sometime! A amazing piece of work which took us roughly 20minutes or more to admire. The rest of the hall are just European history which you guys wouldnt be interested in.

I wouldnt know if you call this bizzare encounter or purely altruism, this old Hindi man approached us to share his knowledge on some random stuff. Out of courtesy, we stayed on to listen. Halfway through, Didi and I were smart enough to disperse accordingly, leaving poor adi there on the spot. It pays to be kind bcoz adi was offered a piece of jade by the guy! LOL of course, no wise person will have the courage to accept it! What if it's hexed, like the movie 'Drag me to hell'? HAHAHA!

Outside the musum was yet another weird commemorating event by the Sikh, in hope to garner support towards the massacre done by the Hindu against their ethnic group. The backgrd music played together with those black coffins displayed really creeped me out.

Waited at Paradise Forum for Didi's friend, Joanne to bring us for dinner at Chinatown. Coincidentally, she also brought along 3 other China friends. Woah big gathering, isn't it?
The Yangchow fried rice that i ordered could last me 2 meals. 5.5 pounds = 13 sgd.
AHEM.

Had a stroll at bullring shopping centre after dinner. Nothing much, it's like 2 shopping centres connected together.

Back at the hotel, the 3 of us had hell loads of fun time imitating Michelle's Preston accent. I reckoned we will receive a complaint soon if we continued to learn it at the topic of our voice. LOL!

With my coat on, it's pretty warm enough for me but the guys insisted to pass me their only blanket. Their insistent made it so hard to decline so graciously i accepted it. From the way Didi was dressed and how tough they appear to be, i thought it will be alright. Then in the middle of the night, i was awaken up by some chatting. I thought they were bored, little did i realise they were complaining about the cold, until the very next day when i prompted them!
THANK YOU GUYS! You should have told me!

Thursday
Hurried down to the Hotel's dining place for our Eat-All-You-Can breakfast at 7.5 pounds. For once i was too starved to talk about the worth of it.
1st stop today is Bournville - Cadbury World! WOOHOO!

Cadbury must have been a great honor to UK bcoz apparently Bournville station is set aside for its development. Let me just describe the place.
The rich thick chocolate aroma filled the whole surrounding, the gates and rearings are all painted in purple (Cadbury's color), scenic place with the lush green fields... For all i know, it makes me young again!

The administrative fee is 10.9pounds for student. If my memory doesnt fail me, altogether there are 11 stops. It's a pity we didnt manage to finish it all, but experiencing it together with the guys are wonderful =)
Again, photos in facebook soon.

Met Joanne at Birmingham and we rushed down to Jewellery Quarter Museum before it closes at 4. Without a map in hand (left in the hotel), we had a hard time trackin down the place. 1 of the by-passers we inquired even asked for 80p change. That's a way of begging in UK, do not be surprised.
A big loss to reach the place and realized it was already 4pm. Anyway, Jewellery Quarter is just a street that specializes in Jewellery! CHAY

Took a train back to Birmingham, Bullring for a coffee break at Starbucks. PHEW what a day!
The shoppin spree saw me getting a decent looking pair of boots!
Dinner was at Chinatown, Malaysia Delight where i ordered Hokkien Mee. LOL i wonder why Chinese food can be that expensive, 6 pounds = 14 sgd.
The world is so small; we actually bumped into Suejinn and her friends.

Friday
Weston Hall apparently rejected my parcel from Spore which left me no choice but to travel down Parcelforce located near an industrial park to get it. WOAH to carry 6kg in rainy day back from old Piccadilly railway station was a serious torment.
As i unpacked my parcel, emotions feel me in - some stuff esp the perfume, reminds me of home. My mum is sweet =)

Winter is really near to our doorstep, so the urge to get winter clothings prompted us to town again. I finally picked up my sweater and coat from ZARA. The dilemma came in on whether to choose the beige or black coat. Frankly speaking, I prefer the black one because it gives me the elegance and serious feeling. However, the guys commented it to be too dull and that beige suits me better. After ages of internal struggle, i heeded their advices. =)

Dinner at Washabi, another great Japanese restaurant. I am loving sashimi!

Saturday
Suspected a fever this afternoon when i feel exceptional cold. Phebe is really sweet with her nagging. Yes mummy!

I asked my mum a few questions that are bugging me these few days. She is indeed supportive with her usual comment: It's up to you, you are big enough to make a decision. Just dun be stupid.
Should i head back Spore?

Out of boredom, this question came to my mind: How do i rate as a friend?

Friday
Just before i could get some slp, Adi woke me up to send Michelle off to the railway station. Our dear old michelle is leaving for home in Preston. Despite only 2 wks of close interactions, somehow we felt upset about her leaving, even though it was just for a wk!
Before entering the custom, she insisted to give us the oranges. WOAH so sweet!

Went over to Chandos Hall for accomodation fees clarification. The person in charge admitted about the direct debit deduction error and promised to rectify it at the next instalment. Phew, thank goodness i did my account, i cant imagine getting ripped 20pounds for nothing.

Didnt manage to get any wink of sleep and it was already time for hotpot at Didi's place. Their generosity shocked me a little, food bought were baby squid, fish, a variety of meatball, raw mushrooms etc etc. The final sip of wine gave me a total knockout and send me off to the sofa for a short nap. I insist it was the lack of slp and a full stomach that made me slpy and not entirely bcoz of the alcohol!
Deepest apologies for not washing my cutlery!

Miraculously, i woke up after an hour to have my ice-cream. LOL! Told you so, i just needa a bit of slp to refresh my mind. Then again, Pinguan, Andy, Adi and Didi commented about my peculiar behavior after the slp. BOO!

I was dead beat so had to say no for any entertainment in the night.

Thursday
Being such great buddies, Adi and I decided to entertain Michelle through the night today. First of al, we had dinner at her place, where she cooked pork and tomato. Reluctantly but out of courtesy, i tried it out. Can you believe that's my 1st time taking such stuff? HAHA friend, be honored okay?

Adi dragged us out of Weston Hall to attend the Halloween Party at Fairfield. Halfway through, we made our mind to rest in his room while he shall venture into the party alone. LOL! It was a great sensational chat with Michelle though the background music doesnt suit the conversation. :D

Played cards till 5am in the morning. The sharing and bonding gave us the impression that we've known Michelle for a long time.

Wednesday
Gracious Michelle cooked us noodles, mushroom and chicken for lunch today. No it's not mushroom chicken noodles, please separate the food. :D
Andy dropped by with his awfully sweet cakes that can give you diabetic if consumed everyday for at least a week. HAHA

Without Andy, we chatted in her room for hours b4 i made my way to Uni place for the submission of a damn piece of fire alarm form. It's all about cooking up excuses to skip any lecture but still able to fulfill the criteria :)

Tuesday
Jogged all the way from Weston Hall to Dalton Ellis this afternoon bcoz i was feeling edgy. It's a long distanceeeeee. Continued to feel touchy, I vacuum cleaned my room after the run.

I wonder whether is it telepathy, almost at the same time, everyone invited me out for a date/outing today. LOL wow such coincidence!
Andy - Bubbly tea
Michelle - Play cards at night
Adi - Chinatown
Didi - Swimming

Feeling kinda moody, I promised to go Chinatown with Adi for his grocery shopping. Meanwhile, not wasting the opportunity for another entertainer, I dragged Michelle out as well. Subsequently, Andy was asked to find us in the supermarket. This is strategic planning; killing 3 birds with 1 stone!
After the shopping trip at the daily saver shop, we went to Adi's place for dinner.

As usual or rather it could be his nature, Adi took forever to present us with a decent dinner. Another card playing and chatting session till 3am! My hp is highly valued all of sudden when the pair was extremely interested what's inside.

Monday
It's never a day for mugging on monday, by the time we ended our class, the timing is neither for dinner nor is it for any anithing else. Therefore, Adi and I strolled down to Arndale for some random window shopping!
The mini muffins bought looks delicious during the starvation period. HAHA!

Dinner over at Adi's place. He is really taking a loooooong time to whip up something.


Saturday
Lunch was at Pacific restaurant where Imelda had placed a reservation earlier on under Didi's name.
Today's heavy lunch was not caused mainly by the food but rather the content of conversation. Everyone literally was making fun of ex ms spore universe, Ris low, which indirectly criticized Spore's English standard! Oh man, i had a hard time defending for my dear old country in front of these 6 international friends.
Fortunately Grismond came into the conversation to back me up a little, with his line: Oh issit, i dun think hk ppl speaks good English either. HAHA nice 1.

Andy who has put in great effort to promote my presence decided to associate me with the heartbreaker song. Almost everyone commented that this song reminds them of me. WOAH, is that even a compliment?
To set everyone in the right mood, Imelda purchased the song directly from Itune via her phone. BEST.

Okay wonderful day! I am picking up preston accent, memorizing heartbreaker song lyrics, using spore's ris low taglines as often as possible and yes, continue to be live life fruitfully.
Afterall, it's all about ME. (got it?)

Friday
Unlike Mr Lee's straightforward teachings of emath during sec sch times, my uni math lecturer loves to explain the principles behind all questions. Imagine how bored i can really get when I've already mastered the shortest method to tackle the qn but the lecturer insisted to go through all the underlying theory first?

Grocery shopping is one of my best hobbies here in UK. I proposed the idea of setting up a grocery shopping club in the school: educating members on getting the best value out of their $$, enrich them with knowledge of respective products sold by each mart, organize a weekly trip for grocery purchases etc etc. Interesting, isnt it? :D

Accompanied by Michelle, I dropped over to Didi house for games at night. No more spoon feeding in adulthood, you've got to find your own entertainment! LOL!
We started out with the latest version of monopoly which is based partly on electronic gadgets. Cold hard cash is replaced by credit cards! Technology makes life easier but somehow too fast for us to enjoy each moment.
Adults playing monopoly is serious business with trading going on, rapidly developing their properties (skipping the stages), continuously seeking opportunity etc. Several times into the games, i've to stepped in and say: It's just a game! HAHA

Monopoly finished around midnight when everyone's multitasking ability went low. Needless to say, the winner goes to Michelle. Come on that's her innate ability. From Macau, of course she must be good with real estates management and gambling! HAHAH
The whole night was spent either on Uno stacko, if not daidee. By dawn, the only ones awake were Andy, Michelle, Didi and Me.

After an extremely short nap of hour plus, we were back to being gambling kings and queens - throwing the cards everywhere. In the morning, hours before the dim sum session, everyone was back to the mood for cards. Main contributions goes to HSL for teaching them a new game of red dot. Please remember me, if you guys ever play again. HAHA

Under peer influence, i've developed a liking towards clubbing kind of songs. :D

Thursday
I couldnt really wake up on time today thanks to the physical exercise ytd night. (DANCE! do not get me wrong)
It was a last min arrangement initiated by Michelle to head for lecture together. Therefore, with little time for preparation, i was late for the meetup at the reception, hence late for politics lecture. Okay, excuses. :D

The bus didnt manage to arrive on time so both of us were contemplating on our available options. For any decision made, you must always have a devil and angel. I stood on the my stand of walking to sch while Michelle preferred to wait for the free bus. LOL! Through compromising each other, we finally arrived to a consensus! :)

When it comes to politics lecture, i prefer self study to attending lecture. The pedantic speech accompanied by the aussie accent was very torturing for me. PHEW.
Apart from looking at Michelle doing her silly stuff, there's really no reason to keep me in. On 2nd thots, perhaps the sense of guilt?

Didnt manage to get inspiration for my essay so i ended up slping at 11pm.
Sounds pathetic isnt it?

Wednesday
Didi's repeated persuasion was very hard to reject for the dance later.
Lucky Adi succeeded in getting Michelle as his dance partner when Hanzhi was too ill to dance! LOL!

Rock and roll replaced rumba as my favourite dance this week :P Let's get high!
Dancing with didi is really challenging bcoz he repeatedly offered me the opportunity to spin. Should i be thankful to you for injecting such realism and excitement in my lesson? HAHA. Nevertheless, i sort of enjoyed it bcoz spinning seems to be an elegance move. (If you do a good one, of coz)
Still, the dazzling charm of dancing ultimately lies in our concentration.

I used to enjoy watching ballroom dancing but never have i expected myself to dance as well.
That's life, you never know what future holds for you.

The 4 of us took approximately 1 hr to walk frm Fallowfield back to Weston Hall, despite the fact that we have unirider.
That's BONDING, so stop saying im anti-social. :P

Tuesday
Brainstorming for sociology's essay is not an easy task, especially when the topic involves relationship that i aint even experience in.
This briefly explains what i've been doing in my room for the whole afternoon.

Night time saw me hanging out with the asian clique(Michelle, Victor, Gary, Bobby & Gary) at Silver Core's common room. I didnt know the terms used for the games differ across the countries: UK's bullshit is equivalent to Spore's Cheat.

Okay thanks to the whole lot, I came to understand this new game called Landlord which is somehow similar to Big2, except that instead of only limiting to 5 cards, we are allowed to play as many cards as possible. Double pair, triple pair, 3 of the same kind etc etc etc. However, there is no ranking of the symbols; cards of the same kind is the same. Therefore, jokers are included in the game as well, in order to win the daidee. What a game seriously.

Spent the next few hours discussing about Asia's dramas and the artistes. Yeah i didnt know guys would be interested in such topic too!
Tried out British pool with Michelle while the guys continued with their card games. It's way easier to get the balls into the pocket given such a small table! In no time, i was on my way to finishing the whole game. :P

Monday
Faced a wave of sacrasm and objections from Yanhan and Adi when i suggested to head library for some resources today after school. LOL under peer influence, I went town instead to gt a decent table lamp for my dimly lit room as well as grocery for the week.

Out of extreme boredom, Michelle dropped over my room in hope of getting some entertainment. Oh well, Weston hall will be a lot better with soundproof walls if not less sensitive people staying in. AHEM.

Room visiting is a great hobby of mine, right after viewing Michelle's room, we went over to Adi's lambert flat.
Silence doesnt mean anything in a poker game. Unless a person indicate his intention to pass either verbally or through actions, please do not assume it yourself. LOL

Michelle's narration of her friendship story accompanied with the sad background music made everyone emotional.
Isnt it a pleasant feeling to have when someone whom you met for less than a mth voluntarily tells you her personal story? This is TRUST. =D

Saturday & Sunday
Except for a quick lunch over at Didi's place on Saturday, i stayed in my rm for the whole of wkend to rush my tutorial works. All the sightseeing trips have taken up too much of my precious time and i seriously need to pick up my pace fast!

For once, i feel proud to reject a movie date and tennis game. =D

Friday
Moving hostel involves loads of hassle - checking Pankhurst court once again, return the keys, internet connection setup, getting grocery in blah blah blah. My whole afternoon is gone just like that.

Didi continues to be kind for aiding me to carry my grocery back. =)
I hope your fisheries will prosper. HAHAHA

Thursday
Andy Wan and Didi WERE great mans today. For a simple reason - they helped me move house! I've seriously underestimated their strength; everything seems no kick to them! Due to the small capacity of car or rather my bulk luggagges, we had to make 2 rounds. I thank Andy for travelling down specially despite being sick at that point of time.
Oh man, he drives really fast. -.^

Together with Michelle, Gary (another BBC), Yanhan, adi and didi, we went to the investment club at MBS South. Except for my stomach rumbling which was irritating, the whole session appears enjoyable. LOL when asked to pick a sector which we wanna be in, both didi and I chose mining bcoz the representative for it is HOT. HAHAHA just kidding la.

Dined at Taiwu with the clique. Nice dinner, nice people, stupid comments. AHEM.
Yay for once, nobody needs to acc me home!

Wednesday
Tutorials today were cool, I enjoyed it. :)

Experiencing a strong urge to view my room, i travelled down to Weston Hall for the 2nd time today. This morning I ran the risk of being late for tutorial by heading down to get my keys. The room looks good except that i no longer has the view of nature but rather a plain looking court.
With such a great location and few asian friends here, I can definitely compromise for the rm. I'm paying approximately 800sgd per mth for a room, it better got to be of some comfort to me. -.^

After much cleaning, I dropped over to Michelle's rm at Red Core for fun. Some people can just hit on wif you the moment you meet them. For my case, that's Michelle. HAHA
I love to search for friends with this kind of chemistry and frequency.

I was too engrossed with my chat that i forgotten about my date with Didi. Oops! I had to get a bag frm him and he needs to get his bball back frm me. LOL.

Persuaded to join ballroom dancing saw me heading down to the centre at a rural place near fallowfield with Didi, adi and Hanzhi. Even though it was just a hour of dance (excluding another hr for own practice), i managed to learn the basic steps for cha cha, rumba and contemporary dance. Stepping on each other foot is a common scene here, however my only prob does not lie here but on wrong coordination and body stiffness rather. Didi was my dance partner tonight and i bet we could do better after i catch hold of his tempo.

Tried learning the classic waltz from Andy and Didi but currently nth is registered in my mind. Oh well, another time then, I still prefer rumba though =)
Overall, i find learning dance quite interesting.

Tricia's blog entry on 'It's blabber time', totally reflected my mood for the night.
http://www.allusion8.wordpress.com/

What doesnt kill you will make you stronger, LOL isnt it true?
I've a heavy flu which affects my vocal and gives me bleeding frm nose, but look i'm still alive. =P

Tuesday
God has finally recognized my plight in Pankhurst Court and so decided to place me in Weston Hall instead. I wasnt too thrilled about it, despite me putting it as 1 of my transfer options bcoz comments on Weston are on the extreme. Residents either love it or they abhor to the core.

In less than 30mins time, after calling all the people who once lived or is currently living at weston hall and consulted my whole family (they passed the phone ard), I took the risk to accept the offer. Actually i was indirectly forced to take it, thanks to the receptionist.
Me: I like to schedule the rm viewing apptment.
Receptionist: Okay, how abt today at 1?
Me: Oh cant, i've only 1 hr to spare.
Receptionist: You only need 10mins to view the room.
Me: ........ ok.

After viewing the rm, i was back to the office...
Me: Oh when shld i give a reply?
Receptionist: U only have till 4pm, which is 30mins frm nw.
Me: Is it possible if i can giv a reply tml?
Receptionist: No. If u dun wan it, there are a lot more ppl dying for it.

I thot that's GREAT customer relationship management! How can I thank her enough for repeatedly pressurizing me to take the lovely little flat at City area??

There's lot of hassle before i can really settle down. Administrative work at Chandos Hall was easily done but over at Weston Hall reception i faced yet another problem. Do you know that their operating hrs is frm 8am to 1pm? If they can pay me a reasonable good salary, I dun mind working as the receptionist over here.

Strolled down to town with Didi to do some random shopping. Shop to shop, we went in each to find an ideal hp contract. Due to the fact that im stil keeping my spore line, I am only willing to spend 10 pounds per mth for an uk line.
Actually my plan is to get the pay-as-you-go card but the benefits derived do not rolled over next mth. If your math is good enuf, you'll realise getting a contract is wiser.
Purchasing a phone at UK is a bit diff frm Spore. Here, irregardless of the phone brand, you pick it for free but there's in exchange of 2 yrs contract. Logically, of course everyone will hunt for the blackberry but take note that the plan differs accrdingly to the brand of ur phone.

By right a hp contract is only allowed for people who has been staying in uk for at least 1 yr, but Didi's gift of gab is good enough to settle everything for me. He's god.
Perhaps if i bring Imelda along, I could even get better deal for my contract :P

I spent near to 20mins in this sports shop finding didi. Can you imagine how huge the place is?

Been busy with the hp contract that i found myself left with 10mins to draft and send a bdae sms bac to spore. LOL for once, it's like racing against time.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASMINE LIN!
Hope you'll be inspired to get inspired! =D

Tuesday
I dunno we are plain unlucky or what, but classes seem to be canceled at the eleventh hour these few days. Yesterday there was a power shortage and today there's a fire drill. AHEM. I paid my sch fees for your !$@%!$# sake.

A small grp of my asians friends are heading to York this coming wkend. If i choose to go, my conscience wil haunt me to death first b4 my mum will berate me. Sociology is getting interesting from pure love to emotional woman and unemotional man. What else man?

Sunday
My mum knocked sense into me this afternoon over skype. Bsides her, my fellow friends in spore have also been advising me on the same issue.
What a letdown i am to everyone, well in any case, not to worry for i'm finding back my momentum in life.

Conversation with Qyan is worthy of mentioning because her heartfelt comments (which muz have resulted frm her emo) moved me to the tears. I thank you for all the encouragement, assurance and advises; they've been really useful.
Someone will always be waiting for you in spore, especially us. No matter what, we'll be there to worry for you, checking on your well being etc.

Just like ytd, I stayed at home today for some fruitful work. There is an immediate need for me to get started on my loads of tutorials. Shu qiang is really thoughtful and patience enough to teach me an amath qn thru the webcam! Great job!

I can never understand why good people die early.

Phew, can someone tell me a good joke to brighten up my day?

Saturday
I didnt feel well at all, so after a pill i went dead for almost the whole day.

Friday
1st time swimming experience with Didi in Aquatic centre was good. There's no shower room but a shower place for at least 8 people. Not naked of coz but just a rinse or you can bath with your swimwear.

Weather is turning really cold these few days. My mood is badly affected by a lot of stuff.
Attended housewarming party and i must say the house is really crowded. Nth much, it's the usual socializing work.

Thursday
Woken up at 8plus since Imelda and the rest were having a lecture at 9. Implications? It's not right to continue sleeping when someone breaks away the momentum right? HAHA
Okay the whole place was left with me, Adi and Didi.

Nth much, we had a normal chat and before long I had to leave for my politics lecture.
BA econ reception at Whitworth Hall during the evening only allows me an hour of nap. Grumpy as i can be when experienced a lack of slp, Adi and I sort of entered for a moment of cold war due to a very trivial issue. Hmm apologies.

630 plus, we had to join another dinner with Spore society at Red Chilli. I am still skeptical about meeting Sporeans here. The feeling is just wrong.
Douglas Foo was the GOH for this event so as usual the customary stuff and formalities took place.
PHEW WHAT A DAY.

Wednesday
I was really indecisive on whether to turn up for the detention party at 11pm. Eventually i was persuaded by the people in Didi's house during pre drinking session to go for it. Connections indeed can get you anywhere. By right, i already sold my VIP tix to someone else but thanks to their resourcefulness, i still got mine at the eleventh hour.
Andy has a very unique way to invite me along.
Andy: Eh if you go, i treat u 2 drinks. Not just 1, it's 2 (forcefully pointing it to me)
Me: LOL do i even want to drink?!

Right club name to suit the right theme - Revolution. OH WOW! The queue was indeed long but VIP tix did the job in preventing us from freezin outside. VIP means very impt person isnt it? HAHA
Music was loud, people hanging out seems decent and environment looks presentable.
The moment we reached, Andy immediately ordered whiskey cola for everyone.
Andy: Here goes (giving me)
Me: What's that?
Andy: You drink and u noe.
Me: Oh really? My mum said i shldnt accept drinks from stranger. HAHA
Andy: LOL OMG u consider me as stranger??!!

Having drank like 1 pint at Didi's house, i was very sensitive to the amt i was going to take in the club. It has been long since i last drank, so to be safe i shld just take note of the vol. Before I could finish my drink, Andy bought each and everyone a shot. A shot is just a very tiny glass with its alcohol level hitting 30%. I tried sipping but was stopped by Chen Chen who claimed that by doing so, i mite get drunk. Ok the key to drinkin tis is to gulp it down and bite a lime after which.

I think andy will feel unhappy if he doesnt treat anyone till he/she gets drunk. Seeing that i am still very sober, he enquired if i like to try the 80% shot, which 3 glasses can send u slping. Everyone that went along pulled me into the dance floor and was desperately influencin me to dance. Ah ah, dancing is nt my hobby. I wld say all the Indo chinese clique is very encouraging, before i could escape from someone's clutches, I was dragged into another.

Time flew past and I realized my movement tends to lean towards one side. Feeling tipsy will mean there's a need to rest in a quiet place, therefore with adi and andy's companionship, we went up to the VIP bar instead. Coincidentally, we met Benjamin who came over to sit with us. Perhaps bcoz Andy was seated really close to me or he has a bad-person look, Benjamin actually warned me to be aware of stranger. Obviously he means Andy. HAHAHA
Funny. =D

Thanks to adi who left his keys at Didi's house, we had to wait till 3.30am (minutes before the club closed) for them to finish with their entertainment. Ok everyone is sober!
Anyway, we spotted an ambulance staff outside the club administering treatment to a guy whom i heard was suffering from alcohol poisoning. Amazing man.

After our early breakfast at 5.30am, I was already KO-ing at Imelda's king size bed. Stayin in an apartment like theirs is a kind of luxury.

Tuesday
The gloomy sky is a good indication of my mood today. I woke up tired and sick but thots of attending lecture thrilled me a little. (HAHA)
Mr K said i should pay attention instead of playin with my pencilbox and day dreaming away. Having said that, i started questioning my presence in this lecture. What's there to learn?

Decided to attend another lecture in an attempt to fully understand the scope and depth of the module. Comparative politics VS International politics. What's interesting?
Anyway, Mr K and i came across this debate.
A bookshop sells a stack of paper for 1.5pounds and on the info board it says: 3 for 2.
Does it mean:
a) 3 stacks for 2 pounds
b) Buy 3 stacks for the price of 2

Brain teaser man. Or am i juz stupid? =P

My plan today is to return home early after some grocery shopping to have a rest. Unfortunately it was totally destroyed when i realized my handphone pouch had gone missing. I applause my courage, determination and slight bit of dumbness to walk in the heavy rain from hostel to the marts. Drenched wasnt the big deal but losing the stuff inside is a thorn in my heart. Amulets, debit card, student card and photos (not naked of coz) are my assets.

Fruitless search over at the place so i returned home with a heavy heart. As i walked, the rain gets bigger, somehow i have the feeling of filming in idol kind of drama. God is simply out to play with me bcoz the moment i stepped into my room, out came the sunshine.
The climax of the story is nt returning back to my rm for a slp but the successful search by Mr K! YAY! If i've expected this, i wont spent 4 pounds calling back Spore to cancel my bank card. Cheers anyway!
The downside of this lovely little drama story is: I seem to be havin a fever. =S

There's a pre drinking at Didi's place before the detention party at 11pm tml. Excited? No, i was under pressure to attend, bcoz everyone said: ' MAKE FRIENDS'.
Haha let's see what is my gain at the end of the day.

How can they guarantee i get drunk when i've a mouth and hands to reject them flat?
^-^

Monday 5/10
I've lotsa fun doing my grocery shopping at Sainsbury bcoz the range of stuff is WIDE. =D
There's something better to replace Uncle Sam's microwavable rice at last!

Pretty upset with the module selection system - thanks to my indecisiveness, i am facing a problem currently.

Saturday
Supposedly our plan was to set off at 8am but due to some hot exotic MTV show, starring UK's top 50 hottest video, it was delayed back by an hour. I thought we watched it together last night, how come there's another part? Singapore govt is smart to ban this bcoz the guys can easily get hooked on.

(Our compiled conversation yesterday was smting like this)
Adi: Wow the top 30+ video is already so hot, i wonder what's number 1 showing.
Yanhan: Yeah cant wait to see!
Me: By that time, they are not wearing anything la.
Yanhan: Guys think of that almost every min.
Me: Which i said you all are psycho.
Adi: Where's the psycho!
I can even rem we had the debate in Albert Dock too. Basically i am fine with it, just wanna see how they defend for themselves in face of the sex issue.

The only bad pt I can think abt Liverpool is the weather. Even the guys regretted not bringing more clothing here, so can you imagine how strong the wind is? FREAKING.
Breakfast at Burger King was excellent, thought it costs me around 8sgd for a burger. AHEM, my mum will understand my longing for western food.

1st stop was at St George Hall, heritage centre which houses a great grand hall with willis organ, the dining settings in the past, the judge chamber, the prisoner's cell and some significant inventions.
World museum liverpool is a good place for family outing. Firstly it's free, secondly there are 5 storeys of diff themes and lastly i felt they are pretty interesting yet enriching at the same time.

I bet the guys were puzzled about my sudden initiative to approach the people for directions to Anfield Stadium. HAHA they smiled at me so i thought it's good opportunity to ask, isnt it?! The moment we reached the place, the unfortunate rain came pouring down. As a result, my camera drank much water. -.-

The entry fee into the musuem and stadium is 12 pounds, no doubt it's a lifetime experience but we actually pondered for quite some time. I am totally clueless on the origins and the glory behind all the trophies and medals won. Nevertheless, i am proud to be here!
Stadium tour was led by a liverpool staff which gave us quite a good roundup of the happenings and explanation bhind everything that we probed. Everything was on schedule, there's no time for you to think, so my suggestion is to keep taking pix, as much as you can.
All in all, a good experience!

Random shopping in town again. While the guys try out the shirts, i sat aside browsing thru the pix in adi's cam. He is such a bad photographer! LOL! Either it's unclear if not there's no focus! Okay for 1 ugly pix of mine, i'll delete one of his. HAHAHAHA
You got to be kidding - bcoz of my deliberate change of accent, this line is greatly abhorred by the guys. HAHA

Dinner was over at my place. I cooked... instant rice and soup. Come on, it's still a good treat!
Someone proposed going Old Trafford this or next wk, wow at this rate that we are progressing, in no time half of UK cities will be visited.
See how it goes~I still wanna go Switzerland with didi.

Friday
Late for mathematical lecture but it doesnt matter bcoz everything has been learnt before. LOL!

The journey from Manchester to Liverpool is approximately 50mins. It's called Lime street station perhaps because of the sulphur on the wall. The moment we came out of the rail, I became my cam-whoring while the 2 guys searched for our accommodation's site. With a map on hand, there's no place we can't find! =D

After lunch at Yates, we moved on to the 1st site of attraction - Albert Dock. Unlike Manchester, I like liverpool's directional boards which are really clear cut. Despite the unfortunate sudden drizzle, we continued to walk around the open space for photo taking. That's the spirit, who cares abt the rain! I thought we've very high tolerance level since each of us only wore 2 pieces????
The wide range of unique candies displayed in the shop at TATE caught our attention.

Just like the Beatles Story, there's an entry fee for Merseyside Maritime Museum.
Now that i recalled, hey we missed out on the International Slavery Museum which is free! OH MAN!
Back to story, we dropped by Liverpool One for random shopping. This is call market research. The best time was spent in this big cozy shop that specialized in party decoration and cards. Not only were the toy weapons sold useful for us to play along, the content of some cards are especially memorable. (Look at my facebook for all the info)

After Yanhan picked a card for his gf, we wasted no time in getting to Liverpool FC official club superstore. WOW the atmosphere just influenced you to be her fan! A normal jersey ranges between 52 pounds to 59. To be fair, I also have a glimpse inside Everton's shop which is like next door? LOL i see why a security guard is hired - well that's in case of riots after a match.

Before heading back to hostel, we dropped by American Pizza Slice for a 10 inch Fish Pizza. Call me a noob, but it's my 1st time seeing an 18inch Pizza! The ingredients comprises of small shrimps, small tiny salty fish (on every slice) and tunas flakes. =)
To show TEAM SPIRIT, i had to tag along with them to the bar for some chilling after dinner. Decided to cut down on alcohol since there will be a few more drinking session in this coming week, i didnt order any drink but merely get a few sips from Adi.
Yanhan ordered beer - wow so man! There's a price to pay, apparently he's pretty allergic to alcohol to as we spotted some rashes on his limbs.

The tv media was playing some sort of entertainment videos which the guys really enjoyed. A pity, i cant appreciate and so was in charge to study the map and plan the itinerary for tml. Ok that's in exchange for their contribution in reading the map today.

I was woken up in the middle of the night nt bcoz of hunger, fear, pain etc but by someone's snoring. OH MAN, mp3 is the biggest invention in the world.

Thursday
I failed to turn up punctually for Politics lecture due a chat with my mum earlier on as well as the need to travel to Dalton Ellis for form submission. Coincidentally, I met another lady who was there to submit the transfer form as well. Told you so, I aint the only one trying to escape from the rural life. HAHA

The soft voice from my lecturer with addition to the coughing going on around made the whole note taking session fruitless. Seriously, I hardly grasp the whole idea of the lecture. To my greatest shock, this module is for 1 whole year?!
Let's be decisive alright, i'll swap it tomorrow. ;) University of Manchester offers great flexibility to the course arrangement. Woohoo!

Turned up at the luxurious apartment didi and imelda are living at for an extravagant home-cooked lunch. I TOTALLY suffer a shock to discover their emperor kind of stay! It's a 2 rm house with newly furbished settings, brand new electrical appliances in a spacious high technology kitchen, adequate furniture, hotel's kind of bathroom (yes with a tub) as well as super huge rooms that can house a king size bed each. What's worthy of mentioning is the little hot spot at the balcony which has the overview of the canal and part of the city?
THIS IS OMG!
The treatment i received is so much diff frm them though we paid almost the same rental price?
No worries though, let me suffer a while in hostel, next few yrs i'll show you my house again. =D

While the guys went for bball game, i headed back to hostel for a break before meetin again for dinner in town. I saw Imelda doing accounts while dropping by Didi's place again, since he wanted to hav a bath. LOL they behave much like a couple but well fate doesnt seem to there yet?
Dinner is at Nandos, a restaurant famous for its chicken. Thumbs up!
Didi brought us along for a game of pool with his British born chinese friend, Andy. For some reason, i find him quite a gentleman =D As in he insisted to offer me his scarf when i was only wearing 2 pieces (not bikini please duh) and which is despite me rejecting him. After the game, he specially gave each of us a lift home. Sweet right? LOL
I think my progress in picking up the accent is pretty fast. =) =) =)

Travelling to Liverpool tomorrow right after school! We'll be once again checkin into Premier Inn since not many hotel can offer us the room based on our requirements. Ah ha, life's great at the moment =)
I've a full list of parties going on next wk, it's time for socialising!

School's hoodie has lesser range of colors and much expensive than those custom made ones. What's a good color leh?

Wednesday
After nights of research, i finally bought the 3 in 1 canon printer at Argos. Due to the heavy drizzle (yes, nt downpour), I learnt a few lessons today.

1. Bring an umbrella out
2. Wear a hoodie
3. Only wear fabric shoe in summer

Hoodie is a must have item in Manchester, much more impt than an umbrella which hardly serve any use. The weather here is indicative of the need to get myself a UOM hoodie, but what would be a good color? Purple, Dark Blue, Pink, Grey?

Tried buying tix for Friday's trip but there's just tooooooooooo many stuff to know. Haha it's not like Spore's SMRT tix purchase ok? Hence, the job of purchasing is thrown to Didi instead.

Lunch at pizza hut is excellent! =)

I spent much time beautifying my transfer letter tonight. The whole idea is not to sound great but pathetic. LOL Adi gave me suggestions that makes the whole essay appears threatening.
For instance: I am really happy to stay in UOM, so it's really a waste to miss the chance to study here if my parents were to ask me to withdraw.
Another one: My mum said unless i can find a better environment to live in which is the city area, she would gladly ask me to find another alternative to further my studies, probably in Spore.
You can tell a lot of a person's character from their essay. HAHAHA

Tuesday
1st and 2nd wk of school are not too hectic for us with only 1 or max 4 hrs a day of lecture. I wont know if you count that as cheating, but we are takin basic foundational modules which are taught in poly times. Adding on to our delight, 1st yr of studies is not calculated to our hons programme!
Woohoo, but that doesnt give me a chance to slack, okay? HAHA i need to fulfil my responsibility as a University of Manchester's student.

We were appalled by the ratio of westerners to asians during the introductory mathematics class today. For a while, we couldnt spot any other asians in the hall! The funny thing is almost 3 quarter of them raised up their hands as a show of abhorrent towards mathematics. I guess every race is talented in a particular area?
Statistically, it has been proven Indians do better in engineering and computing, majority of the westerners are wiser in debates/essays/economics, chinese excel in mathematics and so on.
This goes to show that: everyone is equal - there is no such thing as superior race.

Textbooks found in Blackwell (name of bkstore) are freaking expensive, most probably twice the cost than in Spore.
Walked past Uni of Manc's museum along oxford road and were attracted to a gigantic crab specimens on display. LOL 1 of the passerbys actually creep bhind to shock us!

Decided to get a more nutritious meal, i agreed to join Didi and adi for dinner at Curry mile. WOW finally a pleasant decent meal!
Had a chat over at my place's common room after meal and we stumbled across heavy topics like BGR and work kind of issue. Fate & Luck are the keys. =)
The fire alarm went off at the wrong time, cutting off our conversation when it reaches the climax. -.- It's not a drill but human's fault. OH MAN!

Looking at the long and expected boring wkend ahead, i guess it will be a real bore to stay in hostel whole day long so I proposed to the guys that we head over to a nearby city for 3 days vacation. Splendid, so itinerary is being planned at the moment.
We are going to L _ v _ _ _ 0 0 _.
That's easy, fill it in!

Travelling set me moving =)

Monday
Manchester university has great support system in terms of accommodation, security, academic or personal etc, even at night you can still call their hotline for anything you wanna ask. Just like how i screwed myself up with the vaccum cleaner tat created a power shortage for my room, it's eventually solved with a call.

I am not too sure whether psychology still works for me after i know so much abt the concepts, principles and underlying meaning behind it. Grr... more bks are needed unveil my world!
I am suitable to become a sociologist. =)

School started today and i tried very hard to stop myself from dozing off bcoz apparently i was seated right in front of the lecturer. Ah nah, not like those in NP where it's 3m away, for my case the dist is less than 1m.

In face of adaption problem and some arising situations, i feel pretty down today. Dedicate my gratitude towards Phebe Tay who hears me out and give me assurance in the middle of the nights for almost every single day. Not to forget about thanking Mr Gunawan for his perspective to change my mindset.
Homesick? Nah, I just wanna find a reason to smile.

I came over here to prevent getting into the rat race but i am still drawn into my internal struggle. Choice dilemma - the brain or the heart?
'Never let yesterday's disappointment overshadows your dreams for tml' is another quote (by huimin) that i always bear in mind.

Sunday
After the talk at Dalton Ellis hall, i headed down to town for some window shopping. It's really a bore to stay in hostel room for 1 whole day. There's nobody online to chat with for sure, so why waste such a beautiful day?? HAHA
Back in spore, when everyone started schooling, i felt left out. Now that i am here in this lovely country pursuing my studies, i continue to feel like an abandon kid.
Anyway, i wont be online frequently from next wk onwards since sch is starting tml! LOL!
I just hope to sit quietly and listen attentively to the lecture.

Sometimes i am so proud of myself walking to school everyday. The walk is definitely long but i've learnt to accept it as a good form of exercise. Then again, i hate walking to town from Pankhurst Court. Okay frm hostel to sch is like 2 MRT stations away but to town is around 4 MRT stations. -.-

Supposedly the plan is to meet up with adi and friends but i thought a little of personal space for myself is good too, esp when i take forever to shop around.
This is the meaning of independent - you are in charge of your own life. Learning things the hard way is usually my style, that's why i stand by the line: What doesnt kill you will make you stronger.

Major problem encountered! Why on earth are 2 debit cards issued to me?! I am holding on to 1 right now and my mum actually received another 1 in spore today. She has the pin to tat card but i've gotten nth as yet. This is worrying as i registered my card number into the sch system without even activating it???
Trials & tribulations.

I got very paranoid over my room's cleanliness lately, too much that i feel it's disturbing my mind. What a hygiene freak and perfectionist. Argh!
Experienced ears problem either bcoz of too much mp3 usage or the cold wind that is creating pressure on it. =/

Jia you, jia you and jia you.

Saturday
Mr Gunawan specially came down Victoria park for morning exercise with me. The cool breeze made me really dizzy and adding to my woes, i chose to wear shorts.
Yeah, i think there's such thing call eternal life.

Breathless me decided to stop over at Dalton Ellis's basketball court to watch the guys in action. The story just logically flowed from here - approached, make friends and played.
Keiran, Yoshi, Ryoda, Pei Hau.
I decided to con adi in getting a basketball next time we are out in town. =)

B4 leaving for lunch, i had to first of all change my attire again.
Okay i think this part is worth mentioning bcoz we had a BIG laugh about it.

If you have seen my room b4, you would know that my desk faces the window and the back of it is my cupboard and bed. Adi thought i was changing bhind his back where in fact I was rummaging through my cupboard!
Adi: Eh you wan to change, you tell me leh! Dun make me chua tio.
Me: HAHA you tot i am changing?! hello please you thot i am so.... liberated? LOL anyway my figure isnt so great la. HAHAHAH
I cant rem what he said, obviously not very significant or perhaps too stupid.

Ok the joke didnt end here...
I gave adi the permission to bath in my bathroom.
Me: HEY you wan to bath, you must tell me leh. HAHA (there's no lock at the bathrm)
Adi: Of coz duh!

We shared a footlong subway sandwich which has all the veggies in it. =/
Adi just cannot make it without the map. Therefore, thanks to my good sense of direction and memory, we found Sugden sports centre. LOL!

I appeared to be a mother who brought my kid (adi) for CCA when i juz sat there safeguarding his belongings while he had a match of bball. While waiting for it to end, i acquainted with Antonia, a 2nd yr Shell scholar from Msia who educated me on accomodation.

To be accompanied back home by adi and didi is interesting not entirely due to the companion but of the guessing game.
Okay here goes:
A school near novena, named after the road name, regularly visited by police, near to ministry of home affairs and a shop that sells very good bat kut teh. Starts with a B, ends with a R and in the middle is the L alphabet.
You will find it easier to guess like this. B___l___r

Corn seeds that i spent much time plucking goes well with Uncle Sam's chilli microwavable rice! After getting preached by everyone on msn for being anti-social, i tried interacting with my flat mates today. LOL i asked 2 of them whether they could mark out my English, 1 of them said perfectly fine and another commented it to be good except that i occasionally stumbled and missed out a few words. HAHAHA
I HAVE TO GET USED TO THEIR ACCENT.

Spent 1 night reducing the num of photos to be developed; 80+ is too much for my room to take!
Some people shouldnt appear too many times, if not it wont be fair. HAHA!
I somehow fear of not shuttin down my webcam when i am doin personal stuff, like changing? I wonder whether the person who sees it will receive a bigger shock or the one who is being seen. LOL

Friday
It occurred to me that i ought to have 2 alarm clocks tune at a time lapse of say 10min diff. Just today i almost overslpt for my module selection appointment at 1015am when i went back to slp after stopping the alarm. Should i credit my gratitude towards my hostel mates who were creating noise outside? HAHA.

Right modules that suits my expectations have finally been chosen. Basically, the timing for each class is very tight, perhaps entitled to only some spare time to get my lunch if class ends early.

The presence of a few marts located next to each other justified the need for me to compare the product variety and its price (of coz). Lidl is cheap for its fresh veggie, fruits and toiletries where Tesco is good for... nth. LOL! I guess they won in terms of layout and hygiene, which seems to be the similar case in Spore? The smart ones will understand =P

To battle against dry skin due to the cold climate, what we need is a good moisturizer cream! Adi insisted not to have it, hmm apparently he didnt learn his lesson when his lip bleed yesterday night. =S
Looks like i've really got to get my mum to send me my gel in spore because superdrugs doesnt seem to have natural skincare prdt! Nice shop name that is suggestive of its products.

Rested in hostel for the whole day to use lappy. Now that Jasmine lin consider coming over Manchester for vacation, i am thinking of how to spend my summer. Bside finding a job to kill time, i would love some travelings too. Wah piang, which noob doesnt travel in uk!

Not that i am ready desperate for holidays bt if we've plan to book early, we could take advantage of its discounts. Going london can be as cheap as 5 pounds! Mummy would rather me to go traveling than return back spore for nth.
So shall we go to other county of UK or another country like... France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Portugal or Italy?
Let's start collecting brochures. HAHAH!
I've better work hard to earn myself the treat.

I am facing a prob t0 understand their accent as well as to be understood. Tricia said it's hard to mix with other nationalities bcoz of the cultural diff which i totally agree, so perhaps i shld just find and stick to my own Asian clique.
Something are just not meant to be, no matter how hard you try.

Whether or not we will eventually become friends depends on fate and chemistry. Having international friends might be a kind of bonus to life but i wouldnt force it for sure. Not just because he/she is potential doctor, economist, physicist or other profession and i'll feel the need to acquaint them. No doubt it's useful connections but i'll really despise myself for doing so.
Anyway, my sporean's friends are good enough, hor??? HAHAHA!

I've been picking up coins on the street for 2 days, most probably the British does not consider 1 penny as money but then again I choose to believe that i am just plain lucky. =)
If that's the case, Yanhan and adi are British. LOL!

Lack of slp and exercise coupled with adaption problem and tonight's awkful dinner, i currently feel upset. Assurance is what i need.
Video call is very useful nowadays, for instance when i couldnt understand how to operate my filter, all i've to do is to ask Tricia for help via msn call. LOL thanks girl!

Thursday
The fire alarm went off at 530am yesterday morning, sending everyone scampering down to the ground floor. Having slpt at 2am yesterday night, the fire drill at such early hours indeed pissed me a little. Phew!

What a morning to see diff kind of pyjamas wore by the people in Pankhurst Court 1 & 2! I realise 1 of my flatmates have the habit of sleeping naked since he was all wrapped up in the blanket. HAHA!

There was no need to report for school but i still did in order to collect my swipecard as well as to go town with Adi. My room still lacks of pretty much necessities such as tidbits (HAHA) and toiletries. A MacDonald set meal is around $10 SGD, can you believe it! I shall stick to my Greggs's pastry which is also a good treat =)

I still cannot get over the fact that i am living in Pankhurst, Victoria Park whereas Adi is enjoying life in Lambert Hall, CITY AREA. LOL i shall not compare bcoz it just add fuel to my fire.
Lambert, Fairfield or Weston Hall is my target for the transfer. All the more better if the school can offer me University Place or Chandos Hall! Just when $$ currently doesnt matter, getting an ensuite in the City area seems so impossible now. =(

Unlike Spore, I've to be alert all times in Manchester.
This is really tiring.

Dinner with the Indo chinese clique near BBC. I didnt order anything bcoz i was too tired to eat. Sounds kinda stupid hor? HAHA
Back at hostel, I've to do a thorough analysis of module selection and timetable allocation. All these are heavy going stuff but it's necessary to prevent me frm wasting my time in the midst of waiting for lessons to start.
I shall rest in my hostel tomorrow afternoon once after my registration is finished.

OH btw, i had a video call with Melissa Tan today over at Adi's place! Her sense of humor and level of intelligence have reached a stage where only the smart ones can grasp. LOL! I cant believe in such a short period of time she can change to behave like an auntie. A pretty sexy auntie to be exact. I guess that's the aftermath of too much psychological studies? HAHA!
I miz her classic lines =)

I really could help but focus on her English from time to time. A wk stay in UK interacting with the British has influenced me to brush up my spoken language by speaking in full perfect English sentences. In any case, I'm really sorry but no worries though, i'll be able to tune myself back to suit the spore's culture fast!

Wednesday
Supposedly a chat with my mummy and Charlene this morning was a pleasant thing but what depressed me is Charlene's reaction: she doesnt seem to remember me.
I've half expected it. Who's next?

Based on few experiences, I can conclude that black isnt a lucky color for me. Just like any other day, after picking up letters from Dalton Ellis, i made my way to University place. Halfway through, i realized 1 of the gloves which have been forced into my back pocket was missing! For a start, i hesitated on whether to turn back for the search. Then again, it was a gift from Xueling bought during her OIAP days in China.

Haha it's a big deal to me so i retraced my steps back all the way back to look for it. When i found it, the back of my socks were stained with blood. My sacrifice just for a glove. Touching hor?
If the myth of biting shoe is real, I would definitely chew it.

Skipped a few module briefings that were found to be redundant for us (Yanhan, adi & me), in order to hit town =)
Checked out at Adi's lambert hall and was appalled by his purchases. This chap is really enjoying life here with all the electronic applicances. Isnt he fortunate enough to have his parents buying everything for him while he heads for school?

Spent the whole of afternoon at Arndale shopping centre for lunch and random shopping. The 10pcs of KFC chicken shared between 3 ppl is wayyyy too much that I swear not to touch it for 1 mth.
While the 2 turned back for school, I made up my mind to continue browsing thru the shops. Without the guys, doing market research is easier. There's just too much necessities to get and hey i didnt bring my family along. HAHA.
If you ask me, i felt the first week was unwisely spent. Phew long story.

There's lot of 1 pound shops here with very good bargain. Anyway travelling in Manc is not as easy as it seems. Value from the high bus frequency was compensated out to the heavy traffic jam. Met up with the pair and advanced towards Fallowfield - Sainsbury for grocery again.
Something silly actually happened. The cashier overcharged my discount goods and undercharged my water filter. At the end of the day, a quick calculation shows a slight loss for them.
Piqued by curiosity frm the way Yanhan speaks abt his happening hostel, we made our way to Owens' Park. OMG despite not having a toilet, he has a beautiful night scenery frm his rm and a huge cupboard.
Should i give up my toilet for the City???

Thanks Adi for accompanying me back to Victoria Park at night. Now that you do know how safe my place is huh? Putting Vict park is the wrong choice ever, I am neither here nor there. City area is needless to say have its obvious benefits and then at least fallowfield is another small interesting town on its own.
God sake, Victoria Park does not even look like a park! Just imagine a place with many long dark roads leading to even darker places, with overgrown trees giving all the unnecessary shades, uneven roads which you cant even run on and perhaps due to budget constraint - with few lamp posts alongside.
What doesnt kill you will make you stronger. B4 even getting robust, I am already dead.

Flat mates are fairly okay though they do not behave like decent students at all. Which student drinks often and bought a TV, apply for license to watch soccer match in the room? LOL it's their culture and as long as we continue practicing courtesy, i m pretty fine. HAHA!

All the shoppings have been giving me the wrong idea of my stay that I've to repeatedly tell myself: I am here to study.
We've a hard time deciding on the modules to take today. My schedule was more or less decided but Adi've unknowingly interfered with my thoughts and once again I was back with my internal struggle - Passion or Goal?

Surprise call from Xueling! I didnt expect the call and thought Adi must have been really bored to call me when we were in the same shop? Timing wasnt very right since i was busy with my selection of homeware bt well i can accomodate everyone!
How are you, all my buddies?

Tuesday
I met a few Asians during the briefing today. It has been verified by me: People who study over here are either rich or smart. Unfortunately, i am neither.
Several times in the lecture i almost dozed off due to the cold weather which is ideal for sleeping.

Having been here for 1 wk, there are a few tings that i abhor.
1stly, is on the tap. I've 2 taps in my room, 1 each for the cold and hot water respectively. Look, both of are on the extreme: Icy cold or boiling hot. Imagine hw many times a muddle head like me can be scalded?

I guess nobody knows i've a prob with walking? Perhaps that's my walking style, i always have the tendency of tripping easily. Chances of falling down is much higher here bcoz the road is not even at all.
Manc's weather is not as lovely as London; I still need 3 pieces to brave the cold wind. I thought 19 degree Celsius is my limit durin IBSM days but hey actually 12 to me is still endurable! Cold weather slows down walking pace and i seem to take forever to reach sch.
Bus fare costs as much as 1.5 pounds frm my hostel, currently with no bus card i guess walking is the best option. Since i wont be doing sports often, walking can help me to keep fit! =)

Spending wise is more or less the same as Spore. Of coz, you can be as thrifty as i do by shopping only for household brands! I would rather save for vacation than on costly necessities. Sandwiches, microwavable rice, apples and cereals are what i've for meals everyday. If i ever get bac home and someone is to treat me subway, i'll certainly pull a long face. HAHA oh plz!

Interacting with the people requires me to speak with a slang. Yes, some of you have told me to be myself but the prob lies in the British not knowing what we are talking about. Sporean speaks in a monotone which people frm Europe will never do that. No worries though, with a good foundation of hanyu pinyin, Sporean can do a very good job with the slang! I'll show you after 3 years =D
As i am not an audio learner, i've really got to focus attentively to what the British are saying. It's not nice to have them repeating themselves again.

My room is half packed bcoz i want to be all ready for moving once transfer starts.
My flatmates asked me out to chill out at the pub tonight. They are all nice friendly people but the date was too impromptu that i've to turn it down. Another day then!
Oh wow, worthy of mentioning is their course: Medicine, Physics, Japanese Studies, Biology.
This muz be the smart group.

Monday
To msn with ppl frm spore is sooo hard, left with no choice, i came back early just to webcam with my mummy.
Hey guys if u wanna find me, come online ard 2pm(spore) if not 12am. Either you can catch me in the (my) morning for a short chat, alternatively find me in the (my) evening, after i'm back frm sch.

Mummy said Charlene missed me a lot, but well i am so helpless too. Good news is my mum thought of sponsoring my Master in UK. I am god pleased to hear that! Anyway, i mite consider taking it in a diff country like... Australia? Spending my sch life travelling ard, meeting new people, learning new stuff, immersing in new culture is fruitful!
Everything's too early to say now, once again my philosophy applies: no expectation, no disappointment.

I saw my flatmates today, most of them are from UK. I still prefer to hang out with the Asians bcoz culture gap is nonexistent. Or perhaps, i am not sociable enough? Yes, that must be the case. Everyone deserve a chance =)

Huang Seling
26/02/1989
A better person to the world