28/02/2010 - Steamboat with Singsoc!

Weather: Chilly

Mood: Slack


We had steamboat dinner at Cryfield 3's kitchen today. The attempt to gather ~20 ppl in the room was quite succesful.

Super lots of food! There were 4 steamboats/stations with different soup based and lots of 料!

How many chicken sacrificed for us today? And pigs too....

I'm too lazy to type for this post, moreover I was too busy eating to have the complete photos haha. Well, main point is, I really enjoyed the dinner and it was a good opportunity to interact with people and get to know more friends! ^^

Alarm! I havent studied for the past few days at all! Need to restart my engine soon. =D

Loves all~

27/02/2010 - Nicest rainbow ever!

Today I witnessed the most beautiful rainbow ever!

Wait a second before you start judging! This photo doesnt do justice to the pretty bridge of colours at all!!! (the no-smoking sign is damn extra!)



I was on the bus to Coventry and suddenly saw a faint streak of rainbow from the left window. As the bus made a few turns and corners, we were actually heading towards the rainbow itself. The rainbow spreaded so widely from one end to the other of the horizon and the view was breathetaking. Everyone on the bus was admiring the beautiful and definitely unforgettable sight while went through the rainbow. Yeah, can u believe it, we went under a rainbow, a full one.



Normally the rainbow that we've seen after rain are those partially visible ones but this one, it's fully arched and I could identify all the 7 colours! If only I have taken the photo while the bus was moving face to face towards it. I was quite shy to take out the camera and start snapping. But as the bus moved away from it, one girl apparently could resist snapping the beautiful picture and neither could I, so I followed suit. LOL.








I had lunch at Noodle Bar (finally!) and the food was awesome. Ordered this double roasted fried rice which come with a duck drumstick and generous portion of 烧肉, which totally borne testimony to the many good feedbacks from my friends about the food. =D





The serving was so huge I was practically gorging! Rice + pot of tea = 7.50 pounds. Worth it!

Walked around the Coventry centre, that's when I realised that things are really much more cheaper in the market as compared to the supermarket like TESCO or Costcutter.

The butcher place, so nice right, al the poultry neatly arranged at the glass window. Wont feel nausea when you see it unlike the usual wet market in singapore. haha.

Super cheap, but I've already bought grapes from tesco at 2.50 pounds. Need to finish it before the expiry date, so didnt get any from here.

Hmm, I'm starting to wonder why do most people prefer Leamington Spa over Coventry? The whole ambience might be more modern/ youthful, but if u consider it carefully, the shops in Leamington Spa are mostly available in Cov too. I like Cov for its market and plenty of dining options from fast food to restaurant.

Evening time, CS and I and a few other Singsoc ppl attended the Malaysian Night.

It was a play/ performance by the Malaysian Society and the main highlight was the stageplay of Puteri Hang Li Po. Can go google if you're interested about the story.

It was at the Butterworth Hall in Warwick Arts Centre and there was quite a big crowd of audience. The performance was good, we had good seats with fantastic view and I enjoyed myself. =D

Ever heard of Lady Gaga - Bad Romance on dikir Barat? Haha! Cool.

CS, Huilin & I

Good job Huilin! She sang beautifully and I didnt know that she could do it so well. =D

After the show, we went Dirty duck to chill. I wanted to have a drink too but could feel my cough syndrome building up, so no choice but to 戒口。Pray that I don't fall sick during the Easter Trip! =S

26/02/2010

TADA! My 20-inch luggage is really useful!
It's really torturous to lug the heavy groceries from TESCO back hall and the pain in my back and shoulders is killing me! The lugguage really made life easier. This looks quite kiasu but I was actually inspired by other students, some even brought a much larger luggage! I wonder how they carry it up the stairs if it gets so heavy.

Right, I went grocery-shopping this evening and bought alot of food to stock up because I'm lazy to walk to TESCO too often. Haha! 24 items big & small total up to a bill of 31.97 pounds. Expensive right. I was shocked too cuz I was happily grabbing what I feel like eating. Haha, but as long as I do not leave them to expire and throw away, it's not a waste! =D

I did alot of housekeeping today, did grocery and also laundry in the afternoon. I'm seriously starting to hate doing laundry, the walking and waiting is such a chore man!
But I cant seem to store my worn clothes up to 2 weeks before washing like what most of my friends did, because it just piles up and it's annoying to see them piling up!

This is the common laundrette just 1 minute walk away from my residence. It's near isn't it, but it's just that I live on the 4th floor and climbing the stairs is definitely not one of my favourite sport.

Oh anyway! I was loading my clothes in the washing machine and tried to insert the pound into the coin slot but it just keeps getting rejected. JUST NICE, this Uncle (singaporean context) who apparently was the serviceman or someone who deals with the machines, happened to be around. So I seeked his help and to my surprise, he meddled with the machine (insert key, push some buttons etc), returned me the 1pound which was rejected from the machine and simply said:

"Ok, you just need to press the button." (without any facial expression)

I was like "HUH?" for a moment, and then quickly regained my senses and knew what he meant. He's SO NICE! He actually helped me start the washing machine for FREE!

Lady luck doesn't shine everyday you know. =)

He wasn't even smiling or expecting a thank-you. He just continued with his business.. cool right. But of cuz being such and nice and polite gal =Xx I walked over and thanked him lah. Haha!

The waiting area for people to chill and rest while waiting for their clothes to finish washing/drying.

I wanted to fully utilised the time while waiting for the drying cycle to save one trip back and fro the residence. So I made myself a bento (Fung's/chinese style) for lunch and ate while waiting.

The drying cycle was approximately 50mins but I finished up my food in like 10 mins?? Guess I was too hungry. so in the end I had more than half an hour to wait and ended up dozing off...

But I was kinda fully prepared, brought along my charger to charge iphone and ipod so I could bring them to lessons later on. LOL! Kiasu-ism yet again.

I cooked 人参鸡汤 for dinner today! It was super delicious!

Herbal packet posted to me from SG!

Initially when I boiled the herbal filter packet with chicken drumsticks, it tasted quite bland. After adding some 调味料, mushroom and chinese cabbage, the soup became really sweet and tasty!

Like playing masak-masak. Cooking is so fun! Somemore this is delicious and easy to cook and won't stink you hair. LOL!

Ate it with rice and was really full after the meal. Although the rice wasn't that good, I cooked it with too much water. =X abit too sticky. But with such nice soup, don't matter lah.

Shared it with my neighbour Tiffany, who's a friendly gal from HK. She's a full-time student in Warwick though. Good company makes good food tastier. =)

I'm feel as if I'm stocking up for winter LOL! So much food so happy!

But these few days I've been missing things from my fridge and cupboard. Stupid, annoying people have been stealing my eggs, fork, hotdogs and even Pak Choi u know!!! Damn cheapo.

Hope they get diarrhoea from eating my food. Evil right? Please loh, they deserve it.

26/02/2010

Weather: Slight drizzle, windy, freezing cold.
Mood: Blank

I'm now in school waiting to see the prof cuz he wanna discuss about the research project which I'll be doing after easter. Supposedly have to meet him at 11am but I overslpt and reached at 11.30am. guess what. He forgot he had a group meeting with other prof at 11am so will only be free after 11.45am, fortunately I wasn't really late then.

All because of the Rootes Residence fire alarm which woke everyone up at 4am last night! Yes 4am!!! I was having such a gd rest and it interrupted my sleep, that's why I was so tired to wake up this morning. I wonder what's wrong with the alarm man. Why does it sound so often. Obviously I didn't exit the building last night.. It was so cold and drizzling! But don't be surprised alot of ppl actually did evacuate. Including my neighbours... Tsk tsk tsk

Now I don't even know when is there a real fire since there's too many false alarm. -.-"

23/02/2010 - counting down 2 weeks to the start of exams!

Weather: Dry but cold day, ~1 degrees celcius.
Mood: Super sleepy.


I felt so proud of myself. Every morning when my 2 alarms ring, I'll never fail to automatically reach for the snooze button. YET this morning, I actually woke up at 8am to Wondergirl - Nobody song which I had set as my alarm tone on the phone last night. Hmm, could that be the remedy for my 赖床的坏习惯? Lesson was at 9.05am so I actually had time eat cereal with milk for breakfast. Finally... ...

But I'm really very sleepy today! Yesterday night was the 1st time I suffered from insomnia after a month plus that I've been here. I could still remember how well I slept on my first night in Rootes residence. No problem at all! Natural air-conditioning, comfy bed, warm blanket, quiet hallways...


UNLIKE IN NTU.


Warm and humid.



Counting down 2 weeks to exam. I foresee myself to be hanging around my favourite place alot. @.@

YES. The library...

So after the 50min Polymer Chemistry lecture, I found myself a nice, conducive spot on level 5 of the library. It's alway like that ah.. The highest level will always be the SILENT FLOOR, just like in NTU. One thing I love most about Warwick's library is that there's always plenty of seats available for one to occupy. ALWAYS. On each level there'll be a few study areas and you won't be standing around hoping someone will leave for lessons so you can take the place.


NTU, time for a change. Probably that's what they intend to do with the old canteen A? Expand the libray. AND hopefully the collection of reference books available for borrowing too...



Anyway, I was so tempted to head back to hall and 补眠 since my next lesson will be at 3.05pm. But I'm feeling the need to make an effort to study now, even though my day wasn't productive yet again.


It's hard being the only exchange student this term studying Chemistry, and Chemistry being the only department that has its exams so soon in March! Which means.......I have to study now while the rest of the exchange students are out every weekend touring and partying.
Even though it's just S/U and not graded, I couldn't possibly take chances and not study at all?! Especially now that I haven't even study enough to be confident that I can pass. =S


I couldn't agree more with my coursemate who commented that they(Chemistry dept) should change the system. I'm only here in January, attended lessons till Feb, less than a month since now the yr 3 modules have already ended and it's exam preparation period.


So come to think of it, I only had 6 weeks of lesson and it's (final) exam? Minus off the 1st week when I missed so many lectures because my timetable wasn't finalised and minus off the time I needed to adapt to the teaching style AND minus off the time I spent to enjoy like what an exchange student would do.. =X


I'm left with such few moments that I'm really learning and absorbing from lectures. Damn.
Perhaps I would be better off if I utilize my time studying instead of grumbling here.

Right. That's what I'll start to do. =)






Annoying business aside, I realised something interesting that's going on in school.

Apparently, it's the campaign period for the potential Student Union leaders this week and as usual, you'll see campaigners putting up posters and giving a speech in the LT before lectures, just like in NTU.


But the amusing thing is that, lots of the posters and phamplets had things written like:

FREE CONDOMS GIVEN

BETTER SEX-HEALTH CARE

These are some of the factors which the potential leaders claim to be able to provide under their leadership. Well, no one seemed to be as amused as I am, but I'm actually quite disturbed.

Well, such is their open-ess. (even on campus!)

And look what I discovered at the health centre on campus at the start of the term.

This might be nothing interesting to my UK friends, but friends in Singapore..I wonder what's your thought upon seeing this? Haha!

FREE CONDOMS!

-.-"

21/02/2010

My brunch today!

20/02/2010

Just had dinner.. going to bathe and start work now.

I forgo my plan of going Oxford just so I can study and prepare for my exams which are in 2 weeks' time. BUT! I ended up booking the many hostels for the easter trip instead.

It's just so tiring to plan trips. From transport to accomodation, gotta make sure all the timing, location and pricing fits well...

But well, it certainly does instill a sense of satisfaction in us after we mould out the itinery and hopefully things will turn out well. =))

We're going on a 6 WEEKS-LONG EASTER HOLIDAY! ^^

18/02/2010 - It snowed again!

Weather: It started snowing again today! Fulfilled my wish!
Mood: Exhilarated!



I just had a nice warm shower, feeling so refreshed and happy! =D

Anyway, I was leaving the computer lab this afternoon when snow fell from the sky! It made me so excited that I went back to the lab and told me friend it's snowing again! But no one seemed to share my joy....

Trying to capture the falling snow, which looks like rain from the picture...

View from my room and within minutes the surrounding was covered in whites!

It was a cold and lazy weather but Suet has invited us to Westwood for dinner. I guess it's a good time to meet more friends! Westwood is a residence (hall) that is furthest away from the central campus and it was quite a long walk in the cold wet weather. But doesnt matter, I love snow! Haha!

She's cooking Sambal KangKong to go with the Chicken rice we're having for dinner.

Very lively kitchen with Singaporeans and Malaysians.

Setting the table...




Waiting for chicken to be cooked...

Suet Ping & I.

Group photo of the day!

After dinner, we were on our way to TESCO to get some stuffs for the girls making cookies for another friend's bday. The snow was really smooth and fluffy by then. We couldn't resist ending up in snowball fight and laying in the snow!

Failed attempt in making snow angel! LOL!

It's supposed to be 10pm+...

Enjoyed myself today! Good dinner, good company and good snow!