SuNSHiNe through my window

Wonderful Graduation!

2009-07-20T00:11:00.007+08:00

Graduation Night

10 July 2009, Fullerton Hotel Ballroom

CF-ers! Cheers!

Mktg 101!

Bestest girlfriends from Yr 1 :)

Commencement
11 July 2009, Suntec Convention Hall

SMU buddies

Emms! - another one of my bestest girlfriends :)

2009-01-29T10:30:00.002+08:00

Better in Time
- Leona Lewis

It's been the longest winter without you
I didn't know where to turn to
See somehow I can't forget you
After all that we've been through

Going coming thought I heard a knock
Who's there no one
Thinking that I deserve it
Now I realize that I really didn't know
If you didn't notice you mean everything
Quickly I'm learning to love again
All I know is I will be ok

Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too
It'll all get better in time
Even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to
It'll all get better in time

I couldn't turn on the TV
Without something there to remind me
Was it all that easy
To just put aside your feelings

If I'm dreaming don't wanna laugh
Hurt my feelings but that's the path
I'll believe in
And I know time will heal it
If you didn't notice boy you mean everything
Quickly I'm learning to love again
All I know is I’m gonna be ok

Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too
It'll all get better in time
Even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to
It'll all get better in time

Since there's no more you and me
It's time I let you go so I can be free
And live my life how it should be
No matter how hard it is
I'll be fine without you
Yes I will

Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too
It'll all get better in time
Even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to (yes I do)
It'll all get better in time

Vienna - Christmas Markets and Concerts!

2008-12-10T07:20:00.005+08:00

Vienna's Christmas market

Schonbrunn Palace

Going for a music concert! Graves of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert

Skiing in Austria!

2008-12-10T06:41:00.006+08:00

Spent 3 days skiing in Austria from 26-29 November. REALLY EXCITING!!! I tackled the steepest ski slopes I've ever attempted...feels crazy. Never imagined myself going down such a steeeeep slope. And they call it a beginner's slope! All of us beginners nearly died up there! haha. Still, it was super duper fun. I feel like an accomplished skiier now! :)

A video of me coming down the slope! (I'm too small to be seen at the beginning, but hey I was skiing down at top speed you know! It just seems slow cos I'm so far away...)

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!

Everything

2008-12-06T04:06:00.002+08:00

I'm so in love with this song :)

Feeling Christmasie

2008-12-02T07:17:00.003+08:00

We set up a little Christmas tree in our apartment today...beautiful!! :)

Now I'm feeling all festive and Christmasie yea...

My birthday presents! (finally compiled)

2008-12-02T06:33:00.007+08:00

It's really heartwarming to receive birthday presents even when I'm miles away from home! :)

Here they are:

1. Postcard from my sweeet sista Ems
2. Winter cap + nicely decorated card from Janelle - my best pal in St Gallen!
3. A lovely and encouraging book from Therie (all the way from Spore!)
4. Hillsong CD from Lawrence

5. A 2nd surprise from my sis: this time a hand-made POP-UP card!

6. Last present to arrive (all the way from the US!): a very very special CD from Sicheng, which I'm listening to almost everyday haha :)

Teardrops on my Guitar (Taylor Swift)

2008-11-10T21:04:00.005+08:00

Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see
That I want and I needed everything that we should be
I bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about
And she's got everything that I have to live without

Drew talks to me, I laugh cause it's just so funny
That I can't even see anyone when he's with me
He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night

He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do

Drew walks by me, can he tell that I can't breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
She'd better hold him tight, give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky cause

He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do

So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light
I'll put his picture down and maybe get some sleep tonight

Cos he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do
He's the time taken up, but there's never enough
And he's all that I need to fall into..

Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see.

A travel-packed November

2008-11-06T07:30:00.002+08:00

I've had enough of block seminars for the last 2 weeks. I am officially declaring November as travel month. My schedule is already packed:

This weekend (7-9 Nov): Berlin + Dresden
Next weekend (15-16 Nov): Frankfurt + Heidelberg
Following weekend (22-24 Nov): Budapest
Last weekend (29-30 Nov): Vienna

There. Looks crazy enough. :)

STRESS has found me

2008-11-04T23:54:00.002+08:00

Why do things like to come all at once? Maybe they need to learn some planning.

This week, I have:
2 presentations due
1 written report due
1 problematic interview to arrange
SMU course bidding

and all these when I am taking a 9am-5pm class every day.

yucks.

SNOW!!!

2008-10-29T18:41:00.003+08:00

It snowed for the first time in St Gallen today!!! wheeeee :)

The night that snow fell...

and the morning after...

Photos from my Zermatt weekend

2008-10-29T18:08:00.005+08:00

Some photos on how I spent my birthday weekend at Zermatt

A day with 25 hours

2008-10-26T16:02:00.003+08:00

I woke up at 9am this morning, took my clock, turned it back to 8am, and re-lived the last one hour again. We always talk about how good it'll be if we can reverse the time, and it feels so surreal that I'm actually doing it now! So today, we officially have 25 hrs in a day - thanks to Daylight Saving Time (DST).

The main purpose of Daylight Saving Time (called "Summer Time" in many places in the world) is to make better use of daylight during summer (days are longer in summer). We change our clocks during the summer months to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. It therefore gives us the opportunity to enjoy sunny summer evenings, for eg. doing sports before the sun sets.

At the end of summer, DST ends. That is why time is moved backwards.

"In a typical case where a one-hour shift occurs at 02:00 local time, in spring the clock jumps forward from 02:00 standard time to 03:00 DST and the day has 23 hours, whereas in autumn the clock jumps backward from 02:00 DST to 01:00 standard time, repeating that hour, and the day has 25 hours.

A digital display of local time does not read 02:00 exactly, but instead jumps from 01:59:59.9 either forward to 03:00:00.0 or backward to 01:00:00.0." (Wikipedia)

Interesting and confusing concept.

If you're interested and confused, visit this website: http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/index.html

Olma!

2008-10-22T05:57:00.004+08:00

"Olma" - a Swiss trade fair for agriculture and food - is St Gallen's largest festival. Over two weeks, St Gallen literally came alive as visitors came in busloads to the festival.

I was really lucky to catch it while I'm here! Besides seeing funky llamas

and many many cows

For the first time in my life, I watched a PIG RACE!!! Can you imagine pigs racing? It was the cutest and most amusing thing I've ever seen. Watch it for yourself! :)

Autumn Colours!

2008-10-22T05:44:00.003+08:00

Green trees turning yellow, orange, and some even an intense red...beautiful!!

Birthday Pot-luck Dinner!

2008-10-10T17:37:00.002+08:00

Had a huge pot-luck dinner gathering at my apartment last night! I'm sure it was the largest gathering of Asians in the whole of St Gallen haha

On the menu:
a big pot of Bah Kut Teh + rice (prepared by MEEE!!)
sushi (by Patricia)
Hong Kong fried noodles (Chris and Greg)

Feel very happy, satisfied, and blessed :) Yippeee!

"Structured Procrastination"

2008-10-02T04:08:00.004+08:00

Happened to read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today. If you are often guilty of procrastinating, you should read it!

"Procrastinating: no excuse for wasting time"

(just quoting a small section)

The brainchild of Stanford University philosophy professor John Perry, structured procrastination involves doing small, low-priority tasks to build a sense of accomplishment and the energy to tackle more important jobs.

Too often, Mr. Perry says, people focus on their biggest and most important duties, then waste time on unproductive tasks when they procrastinate. Instead, he suggests procrastinators fill their time with less formidable - and more useful - assignments, such as following up with clients, completing expense reports or catching up on industry news. He says the smart procrastinator can earn a reputation for productivity while giving in to the urge to delay.

Authorities estimate that 80% to 95% of college students procrastinate and half do so routinely; between 15% and 20% of adults are habitual procrastinators.

Koledoye, a Philedelphia marketing director, says the technique helps her create "mental space" between herself and big projects and cope with attention deficit disorder. "While I'm doing all of those minuscule activities, I'm still thinking about the big thing I have to do," she says. "I'm consolidating my thoughts". Small accomplishments, like paying bills online or packing for a business trip, provide moments of satisfaction throughout her day, she says. "You don't feel like a failure because you are getting things done. It makes life a lot more manageable."

- Cari Tuna
The Wall Street Journal
Tuesday, September 30, 2008

More homecooked meals!

2008-10-02T02:30:00.005+08:00

My cooking repertoire is increasing! yeah! :)

My version of beef "stew"

Beef kailan!

Aglio Olio

One of the many apartment dinners we have

Willkommen Zum Oktoberfest!

2008-09-25T18:55:00.003+08:00

Beer + pork knuckles + big band + singing Germans + carnival + great friends + lotsa FUN = Oktoberfest 2008!!!

Salzburg - Sound of Music!

2008-09-21T08:20:00.009+08:00

"The hills are alive with the sound of music

With songs they have sung for a thousand years

The hills fill my heart with the sound of music

My heart wants to sing every song it hears"

My visit to "Sound of Music" Land, though short, was a fantastic one!

Right after school on a sunny Friday afternoon, we SCOOTED off to the train station, and arrived in Salzburg after a 5-hr journey from St Gallen. (I love travelling by train. You get a comfortable seat and a good view through the large windows...it's probably the best way to travel around Europe!)

Oh and Ems, this photo is for you :) Doggie riding a train!

Janelle and I - being such good navigators (!!) - found our way to the youth hostel effortlessly haha :)

There's a free screening of the Sound of Music movie every night at the hostel too. Cool huh :) So all the tourists and Sound of Music fans can sit down and d0 a little "recap" of the songs and scenes before going for the tour the next day!

Early the next morning, we left for the much-anticipated Sound of Music tour! Do some of these scenes look familiar? :) Ems, go watch the Sound of Music again and see if you can identify these places!

Later in the afternoon, we also went for a tour of a salt mine (salt mining was a major source of revenue for Austria in the past). This tour was such an experience! We were dressed up in grey mining suits, took rides through kilometres of dark mining tunnels, slid down steep slopes, and crossed a lake on a raft. Almost felt as if we were in some theme park!

The tours also took us to 2 charming little towns - one by the Lake Mondsee, and another town called Berchtesgaden (this is actually a border town in Germany).

And of course not forgetting the breathtaking mountains and lakes that accompanied us everywhere. Indeed, every turn the bus made along the winding mountain road presented us with yet another mountain peak, another castle perched on a hill, another beautiful lake.

"The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears

My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds that rise from the lake to the trees

My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies from a church on a breeze

To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls overstones on its way

To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely

I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music

And I'll sing once more"

The early arrival of winter?

2008-09-18T05:04:00.006+08:00

This is my winter jacket - the thickest and warmest jacket I brought to St Gallen, and my supposedly "most potent" weapon against the cold weather here.

When I unpacked my luggage after moving into my room, I tucked this jacket away at the back of my wardrobe, thinking that I won't be needing it until a few months' time. But on Tuesday, I had to pull this potent weapon out from the depths of my wardrobe...because St Gallen is FREEZING!! Over the weekend, the temperature here dropped from 18 degrees to 5 degrees. CRAZY.

Maybe someday next week I'll wake up and see snow outside my window.

Rainy weekend travels - Lugano & Bellinzona

2008-09-15T10:23:00.008+08:00

The weather forecast predicted it to be rainy across Switzerland over the weekend (with temperatures in St Gallen dipping to a low of 8 degrees C!). So I decided to escape the cold, dreary weekend to sunny Lugano in the south of Switzerland.

But even sunny Lugano wasn't spared of the rain, and we spent the whole Saturday exploring the city with soaking shoes and wet umbrellas :( Not exactly very enjoyable, especially when I know that Lake Lugano is supposed to look ten times more beautiful in good weather!

We woke up to slightly clearer skies on Sunday, however, and we grabbed the opportunity to take the funicular up to Monte Bre. The panoramic view of the lake, mountains and Lugano city definitely lifted my spirits!

Bits and pieces of Lugano look familiar to me, especially this William Tell statue along the lake!

I believe the Switzerland tour did take us here before...but it was like 7 or 8 years ago!! And we stopped so briefly at each city, I don't really remember what I saw at which place. I only remember we passed by Geneva, went to Lausanne (Olympic Museum), Lucerne, Lugano, St. Moritz, Zermatt. Took the cable car up the Matterhorn, and Mount Titlis (?), and also visited the Chateau de Chillon and Chapel Bridge. Oh and we popped by Lichtenstein too. But like all tour groups, we stopped so briefly at each place that it wasn't enough to form a "lasting impression". So I hope that I will have the chance to re-visit some of these places when I travel around Switzerland!

Anyway, after Lugano we headed up to Bellinzona, where we visited a magnificent old castle. The castle grounds are so well-preserved - just look at the photos!

A rainy but wonderful weekend, and a perfect start to the semester! :)

Missing home

2008-09-11T22:32:00.003+08:00

I miss home on lonely afternoons and quiet nights
miss the delicious food mummy cooks (i don't even mind ah-ma's food)
miss my piano, my room
miss my family and my friends
miss Candy and how she squeezes with me for space on my bed
and i miss chatty giggly Emerline! :)

Homecooked meals

2008-09-11T07:03:00.005+08:00

The food in St Gallen (and basically the whole Switzerland) is so expensive, we really have to cook our own meals!

My first few attempts at cooking:

Salmon cream pasta + a bowl of salad

Very healthy instant noodles with vege, beef, and eggs!

Doesn't look too bad right? haha :)

My beautiful room :)

2008-09-07T20:42:00.011+08:00

Some pictures of my room/home for the next 4 months! It's bright and airy, clean, new and well-equipped. And I like my big bed :)

This is the common living area and my apartment mates! (Anya from Russia, Slavena from Bulgaria, and Joachim from Germany)

The view from my room window - there is a big park just opposite:

St Gallen!

2008-09-07T19:19:00.000+08:00

It has been 5 days since I arrived in St Gallen. I've settled nicely into my apartment, done most of the administrative stuff (getting a residence permit and my St Gallen student ID card), bought a bus card, Swiss SIM card, and done my first round of groceries and laundry!

St Gallen is a REALLY small town, and you can get anywhere just by walking. Basically there's the university, a central marketplace (or town centre), and a train + bus station. Shops and supermarkets close early, bars and restaurants are usually too expensive, and there's practically NO SHOPPING!!! (I miss Orchard Rd and shopping malls) No wonder my apartment mates tell me that you don't come to St Gallen to get a life.

But while St Gallen might be "boring" as some people call it, I find the peaceful little town and rolling green hills a refreshing change from the skyscrapers and heavy traffic we get in Singapore. The university is situated on top of a hill, and when you look out of the window, you just see beautiful green hills and houses scattered across the fields. Halfway through German class, we can even hear cows moo-ing! Seems like a wonderful place to study and spend a semester :)

Looking forward to the start of school!

*SuNSHiNe* through my window