Vienna's Christmas market
Schonbrunn Palace
Going for a music concert!
Graves of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert
Graves of Beethoven, Mozart and SchubertWednesday, December 10, 2008
Skiing in Austria!
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...)
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!!!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Feeling Christmasie
We set up a little Christmas tree in our apartment today...beautiful!! :)
Now I'm feeling all festive and Christmasie yea...
Now I'm feeling all festive and Christmasie yea...
My birthday presents! (finally compiled)
It's really heartwarming to receive birthday presents even when I'm miles away from home! :)
Here they are:
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 :)
Monday, November 10, 2008
Teardrops on my Guitar (Taylor Swift)
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.
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.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A travel-packed November
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. :)
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. :)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
STRESS has found me
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
SNOW!!!
It snowed for the first time in St Gallen today!!! wheeeee :)
The night that snow fell...
and the morning after...
The night that snow fell...
and the morning after...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A day with 25 hours
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
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
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Olma!
"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! :)
Friday, October 10, 2008
Birthday Pot-luck Dinner!
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!
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!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
"Structured Procrastination"
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
"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!
My cooking repertoire is increasing! yeah! :)
My version of beef "stew"
Aglio Olio
One of the many apartment dinners we have
My version of beef "stew"
Aglio Olio
One of the many apartment dinners we have
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