Dare to live your life!
Concept paper aftermath
I was invited to a 1 AM walk around campus to get a study break. Just what I needed before my final study session last night. Going over all the material once more, I was happy with my knowledge status and felt calm so I got some decent, deep sleep.
The exam is finally done now, and so is my class and my group meeting. Next up is a tutorial and yet another exam, tomorrow. :)
Open book tests are worse
Moral development with ethical reasoning & decision making is one thing. But Public Relations and moral development with ethical reasoning & decision making...ahhh! The fact that this is an open book test freaks me out even more. But...all soldiers are gathered, as you can see! :D
Funny Asian culture videos
Everyone here is Singaporean but most have different roots a few generations back. Many from China, Malaysia or India. The local language is English for all and often Mandarin, Malay and Tamil after that. However modern Singapore might be or seem, being lost in Asia (or having the feeling of it now and then) turns these videos into a helping hand and distraction. This guy is Asian and brought up in Australia, he makes really funny Youtube videos.
Some things I really do recognize, hearing stories from local students about their family and relatives or cultural roots. Watch the video if you have the time, he is really funny! "I didn't float to Australia...on a jelly fish...so you two could fight all day!" - *Click on the picture to get to his channel. :D
Facebook knows and NUS slogan
Facebook knows I should be studying. FML! :D On another note, I really like the NUS slogan: The change is me. A focus on the individual, and equal parts of responsibility and potential to reach as far as you can imagine. It takes more courage to be in charge on your own, but at least you do not blame circumstances throughout life. At some point you need to see how your involvement and decision-making are influencing your life. ♥
Storm on the 25th floor
The wind is making loud noises here in the penthouse, on the top floor of our 25 story building. All windows are secured but the ventilation is going nuts. The building sounds alive, a refreshing little storm bringing us new, fresh air to breathe on the 25th floor. I am supposed to study right now. But after the night I have had I can only dream of finding the right focus to study... Think I am gonna take a cold shower and then give it another try - Lets do this!
Just a little more studying...
Going to do a little bit more reading for school and then I am off to bed! Tomorrow I have no classes which equals...study time! All day looong! All this studying, I need to make some travel plans again soon. Gotta keep my spiritual balance, and my sanity... :)
Work, play & Tutu cakes
Group work, class, group work, from early morning until 5 in the afternoon. But then it was time to balance it all out, so we went shopping, had a delicious varieties of Asian food for dinner and did a little more shopping. I spent about 70 SGD alltogether and am loving Singapore student life yet again!
By the way - I have had a lovely dessert over here a few times now. A warm spongecake called Kueh Tutu. The name was derived from the manufacturing process, because the steam made a sound like a little train... :)
From the beginning there were no fillings in these Chinese sweets but now they are made with shredded coconut among other, which is my favourite. What a craft - everyone, locals or not were standing in line to buy them from a lovely auntie, and every single tutu cake was made with the calm certainty that years of experience give you, before they were served on pandan leaves.
Tall and blonde in Singapore
I feel like a freak amongst all South East Asian nationals now and then, it might be useful to have experienced it but still, let's not hurt each other, okay? I hope that no delicate person is getting pointed and looked at, cause I can take it (kill them with kindness!) but what about others? I would never do that to another girl, cause guess what, we look different in Europe that you do over here, but I don't point and laugh at others for being different than my norm, even if my norm is that we all look different. I am tall with curves, tanned, blonde and proud. :) // L♥ve, Jas
Wanderlust
Not all those who wander are lost.
Studying, our Starbucks & a night out
Starting to get used to the real student life over here in Singapore. Group meeting yesterday and the same today. When I stop to see that I actually can manage to study multiple hours each day things become a lot easier. Flow...
There is always time to have fun now and then as well, in between or after study sessions. We often sit at the student court in Utown and study late and there are students present at all hours of the day. Don't mind that we have our own Starbucks café there as well. Talk about student life with a yummy edge ;) Banana bread, iced green tea or sweet coffee makes any study session a little more fun.
Talking about having fun, yesterday we went to 1-Altitude, the open air rooftop bar 282 m above ground. Always worth a visit. But then it started to rain and everyone was sent indoors, 10 floors further down and the buzz was gone.
We decided to run away and went to Highlander to dance until they closed up instead. Had so much fun, especially when the DJ was replaced by the band playing rock classics.
Felt very Aprés-ski... Also loved the small camera they had indoors. My friends and I entertained each other, and all we did indoors was displayed on the outdoor screens, haha.
We ended the night with delicious food at Senor Taco's. I love their chicken quesadillas! Had a good laugh at everyone that did not listen to my warning about their insanely hot habanero sauce.
(I had the pleasure - or pain - of overdoing that habanero sauce when I had tacos there the first time). Thanks for the laughs, everyone. Hate to say it, but I told you so! :D
Happiness is time spent with friends
With friends like these no need for anything else. :D My happiness in Singapore is made up of the people I spend time with and the memories we make together.
Dinner and a movie
After a study day all of us decided to turn this into a Thank God It's Friday and we are going to get steaks and burgers for dinner at Aston's in the city before catching a movie. I love going to the movies and have never been to the cinema here in Singapore, so it's about time! We're going to watch Ted, haha, it might be fun even if it's not my kind of film. :o) *Update: most of the time is was a funny, feel-good movie indeed! :)
Spooky dress and horror film studies
Happy midnight, I'm awake! Woken up several times now, getting scared of my dress moving under the ceiling fan, each time. Might have something to do with my elective course in Film studies, where we watch Horror films? :) That, and the special lighting from my purple lamp, which up until now has been relaxing and fun...
Singapore nights and time management
If you want to stay in the mix - and own it too! - you gotta do well in terms of time management. We really wanted to head out since tonight is Ladies night here in Singapore, but knew we had to get up early. I for example, have a tutorial tomorrow. So, we decided to head out for a delicious dinner in Chinatown and then took a short trip to Helipad in Clarke Quay. Yet another club in this wonderful city, with a real helicopter platform! We met up with some of the other ladies from Utown and danced like there's no tomorrow. The thing is, we rocked that place for barely two hours. Now I am at home, ready to do my work for uni before getting some sleep. It turns out, you can have it all, you just gotta plan well. :) Good night! ♥
Ps. Got this one awesome photo of one of the girls, which I really would love to share right now, especially cause she told me she reads my blog! ;-)
Welcome all new blog readers!
My blog centers around my life on exchange in Singapore and my travel adventures in South East Asia. I have been seeing this project as being "under construction". Have I found my style yet? Well, we're getting there. I have actually been getting feedback from blog readers. So much fun! Next time you pop in, leave a trace below in the comments. Or just keep on sneaking in and out anonymously. ;) Welcome! ♥
Smile - It's a brand new day!
My new iPad & a personal quote
After a journey from Apple in China and some difficulties on the way my new iPad finally has arrived at my apartment in Singapore; including the quote I chose to engrave on the back: "Let go of illusions and develop a new vision for yourself" - Wohoo!
Blue Valentine
I am taking actually a film studies class here in Singapore and I watch a lot of movies and take stills of scenes or moments I love, for some creative reason...
When I first saw this film I was in Australia, felt a little bit lonely and was not sure where to go to escape the heat. So I went to the outbound movies with a friends friend on a hot summer day and saw this sad and beautiful indie film called Blue Valentine.
True Blue or writing from the heart
It's hard for me not to share everything, I would love to be mysterious but it does not feel honest unless it is said or written; both for the biggest and the most random things. Not just because I, in many moments, can be quite easy-going, relaxed and open-minded. It is because I in my darker moments feel like the emptiest of empty shells, and I have to use the reflection of my person which I get from and through others, to detect and make sure that I even exist at all.
Now, I write like this again. Well - the difference is normally I never publish thoughts like these. I keep them in a neat little folder (okay nothing is neat with me, but hidden away anyways) on my laptop. And I'm tired of seeing my thoughts as something negative, something I do not like or do not want to be a part of me. For it is me. It is time to accept who I am and, if I dare, even use this as an opportunity to keep looking into myself and my soul. And more than that; use this ability of opening up to my advantage. It's time to let out the things I so sincerely love or have to do, because that is how I am. So, I think I’ll continue to write some more...
