I’ve never been really a sporty person. I like doing individual sports like running, swimming and hiking. I just don’t get balls. (haha) That said, under the influence of my siblings who would tune into watch NBA, tennis, football and so on, I have acquired some kind of interest at least for football and tennis. They’re more of erm, social “lubricants”  to me. I’ve never been a great fan of basketball although my sister was playing basketball competitively for a few years and my brother, blessed with his height of 182 cm (tall for Asian men) will shoot hoops with his friends now and then.

So today, the entire SMU contingent of exchange students gathered at M’s place to watch World Cup. It was also a way to welcome Val. I’m really sorry I couldn’t go with him to Amsterdam. Blame it on the Dutch exam on Tuesday. (;

I cooked fish with butter sauce and paprika, spiced up with dill, pepper, salt and lemon juice for dinner They turned out surprisingly delicious even though I had never cooked them before. I’ve started to think maybe I have a flair for cooking.  We watched World Cup — Brazil against Ivory Coast with a true blue Brazilian (M’s house-mate) and had Ben & Jerry ice cream for dessert. We roared out loudly at the idiocy of the referee’s decisions, Ivory Coast’s ploy at “camouflaging” with their jerseys and also after discovering that Group G is touted to be the Group of Death not only because of the presence of outstanding soccer teams in the group but also perhaps literally due to some other reasons. (;

Life is good and simple here.

“Can I not go back please?” a part of me whimpered.

At the very back are the grades that I have to; and want to pull up, internships to do so that I feel a bit more ready, a marketing plan that I have to eventually roll out, the concert that I have to help prepare and probably the morale that I have to assist in boosting… It is akin to stepping back into a world of responsibilities. I feel well-rested and ready to charge and to work at least for the first two. Now I just need to summon enough courage and energy for the rest.

On a lighter note, I was secretly supporting Japan amid all the Oranje fans here in Netherlands. It was so hard trying to suppress my anxiety. Please, please, I hope the Japanese would take the Danes by storm.

London: I missed you twice in my life.

“Every city has a sex and an age which have nothing to do with demography. Rome is feminine. So is Odessa. London is a teenager, an urchin, and, in this, hasn’t changed since the time of Dickens. Paris, I believe, is a man in his twenties in love with an older woman.”

– John Berger

Even thinking about London and looking through the pictures now make my heart beat a nano-second faster. The ironic thing is that I took very few pictures compared to what I normally would have taken. I was there in early March this year and fortunate for me, the weather was lovely.

I have a strange affinity with London. I missed it twice in my life.  I was supposed to visit UK when I was sixteen and eighteen years old as part of enrichment programmes for literature students.  I was elated that I finally had a chance to step right into where the centre of English literature is/was.  So, here is how you will get to experience every aspect of London:

A) Find a terrific host who has been living in London for some time.

I emailed my senior, JY who lived in London for a few years and of course my dearest Gee Ern who has stayed in London for a month or so with her Friend for some recommendations especially knowing that both of my friends have similar interests as I do. I read before that sometimes, the reason perhaps why people could reply to your email speedily with a long list of the places to check out because they really enjoy their time there and it is a way for them to relive those good memories. (:  All thanks to them I get to experience every bit of London that may probably would not have been known to any tourist!

I have to really thank Jo for being such an awesome host. Once again, it felt really good to get to know your friend better in a foreign environment. The first day I arrived in her room, she laid out the maps and started giving suggestions, and telling me her tips and then proudly showed me her loot from Primark, Ebay UK and ASOS. She has maybe ten pairs of shoes. That is pretty outrageous for a girl on exchange.

Jo's room

While she was trying to write her essay for the umpteenth time and I was tucked into her roommate’s fresh-smelling bed with my book, we would start talking about London and our lives in general.   I’m pretty sure she would grow up (hehe, figuratively) to be a wise geographer. I love that girl and her intensity.

B) Watch West-end musicals

You must understand I have a history with music and stage performances. One of my many dreams is to perform in a musical — a professional musical, albeit the dream is a little too far-fetched to be realised. (; So I have decided to be an armchair critic instead.

Les Miserables is my favourite musical of all time. I like the story and its depth. I was a little disappointed at the production though. I was cringing at Eponine’s “On My Own”. Perhaps she was a little off-form but I found her voice too shrilling and bright for my liking. Simon Bowman put up an exquisite performance as Valjean, although his “Bring Him Home” seems a little too over-rehearsed and formulaic. David Thaxton was easy on the eye (; and was very convincing as Enjolras. I only just found out that there was another 25th anniversary production which is currently on an international tour now. I’m pretty tempted to go to Paris (again) to catch it especially after hearing John Owen-Jones’ rendition of “Bring him Home”.

We booked our tickets for “Love Never Dies” — the much-heralded sequel to Phantom of the Opera online, fearing that we probably would not be able to get tickets with student concession on the day of the performance. My friends and I were the objects of envy since we got to watch the musical two nights after the opening night. We watched the original London cast (how cool is that? Imagine thirty years down the road!) perform and they were probably all still reeling in the post-opening night euphoria and still dazzled by the thunderous applause and attention that had been showered upon them. Although actors are taught or ought to perform as if they are performing for the very first time in front of an audience, you could still sense the stark difference in ambience especially if I compare it to that of the Les Mis performance.

Ramin Karimloo is a rare gem — you could feel your stomach lurch and your heart wrench as he belts out his years of angst and longing as Phantom.

The Independent described his voice as “marvellously supple”. The Daily Telegraph stated, “Karimloo deftly combines menace and vulnerability throughout…” and finally, The Daily Express wrote that he  has “ a finely tuned, polished and highly melodic voice” and complimented that “[his] phrasing is always spot on, even poetic and he interprets the words with considerable passion.”  I couldn’t agree more! I enjoyed his performance so much that I wanted to give him a standing ovation right after “Till I Hear you Sing” . Apart from a spectacular performance by Ramin, there were also a few other scenes that I really like. I held my breath when Ramin and Raoul did the thrilling duet, “The Devil Takes the Hindmost” with much dramatic tension. The reprisal which was presented in a quarter format was very commendable too in terms of direction. It called for tremendous depth of vision from the director.

A quick snapshot before the crowd filed in.

The last musical that I caught in my week in London was Wicked. I am very fond of Kristin Chenoweth who played Glinda at Broadway. She is born to be a performer.  My friends who had gone for the business study mission to New York have been raving to me about the wonders of Wicked.  So how can I miss it? Furthermore, Glee has also popularised “Defying Gravity” which is the song that catapulted the character development of Elphaba and the story to a climax. I laughed. Everyone laughed.  It was a “feel-good” musical that didn’t leave you very much to ponder about except that maybe you would consider having “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” on your playlist now!

the audience supporting Wicked

Wicked's set

C) Go for the free walking tour and you’ll get an overview of the tourist attractions in London plus some really useful tips!

My friend had a point when she said the history of London may not be that intriguing so the tour is going to be a waste of your time (and money) and that the only thing that will make it interesting is that revered collection of anecdotes for instance, about people who tried to break into the Buckingham Palace that will crack you up maybe for a while. Well… she was half-right. (; I was there in London for the first time so I really didn’t mind being guided. If I don’t go for the walking tour, I would probably not know any of the tourist spots and would have dived headlong into what I came here for.

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This is probably about 1/3 of what you could do in London.

So, to be continued…  (:

whoever says Belgium is boring must be seriously mistaken.

How can it be a bore when

• just a few stops away, the announcements on the train would be switched from French to Dutch?
• the city of Antwerp is ‘blessed’ with a red-light district that houses women of all shapes and sizes?
• you can sample chocolate wherever you go?
• you can wander alone in the city of Bruges and live in a fairytale for once in your lifetime?

I like this trip very much maybe because it wasn’t planned. I decided on the spur of the moment to book a bus to Belgium, tag along with a group of new people and do some sight-seeing by myself, meet up with Cheryl and her awesome friends. I’m very glad I decided to ‘take the road less travelled’!

It was definitely a little awkward at first, as usual, being out of your comfort zone. I only really know three people out of the big group of ten but it got better. (Thank goodness, I clicked with the girls.) It was strange because the girls seemed to be the ones ‘wearing the pants’, navigating and leading the way.  (Cara is right, or rather, I agree with her point of view that being on exchange for me, at least is about branching out  with my closer group of friends here, making new friends and learning about different cultures. It is sad how some people prefer to stick in their own comfort zone. oh well, they may be having their own kind of fun too, maybe? Both of us had a conversation about this last night.)

After Bruges, the travelling party made our way to Brussels. Oh my. That was the day when the storm hit western Europe and we felt the brunt of it. I bade farewell to the group and did the sight-seeing with Cheryl (whatever we could manage in the stormy weather) and headed back to Louvain la Neuve to get some rest. ( Cheryl is a terrific cook!)

The moment we got off the train station, it was akin to entering a whole new world. A university town. The urban planning of this city could probably have been in the textbooks of young urban geographers.  It is like you just stepped into a cooler version of NUS (all the red bricks and student residences) but because the city is quite contained, according to Cheryl, it is also somewhat like SMU where you will meet people you know every time you head out.

It really has the ‘university campus’ feel that is sorely lacking in erm, Erasmus University. The student nightlife was crazy and I mean it. I don’t think I have seen or experienced the craziest side of it yet when I was there but I could estimate its potential and how Cercles in Louvain La Neuve would be like when it reached its peak of raving lunacy. The students were clad in their nastiest clothes — pull-overs, jeans and old sneakers. In fact, some of them like Jiahui and Cheryl’s house-mates bought special ‘armour” that was reserved only for cercles purposes. It was said that the glistening pool of beer and pee and perspiration and puke could go up to ankle-deep on the peak days. Ridiculously amusing. There were some students wearing strange-looking hats in the party. According to the UCL people, you need to drink at least 30-40 cups of beer (note that belgian beer has higher alcohol content) in order to be conferred upon the cult status. I didn’t bring my camera to the party because my friends said, “Bring nothing except maybe your handphone.” So we ran out to the cold after the pre-drink games to the “cercle” without our coats. I think I would have allowed myself to indulge a little more if I didn’t have a train to catch the following morning.

In the day before the party, I must not forget to mention that I was in Antwerp with Cheryl and Eugenia, doing what girls love to do most — shopping! On the Use-it map, several vintage and secondhand thrift stores were highlighted. Cheryl and I were already planning to hit them like how party animals would like to hit the hottest clubs in town. (this is a weird analogy on hindsight.)

How could we not shop in the fashion capital of Belgium?

don't miss this if you're in antwerp

Let me quote use-it map:

if you’re really lucky it is supersales: every piece for €3 for the first day, €2 on the second and €1 on the last!

Cheryl and I also found the use-it map so useful that we’re thinking of coming up with one for Singapore. (;

I love rummaging through the clothes, assessing their  ’potential’ of them in a few seconds and rejoicing over that one piece of treasure when you finally found it!

cheryl's loot

I’m  very happy with my harvest too. (; I didn’t take any pictures though. I have a feeling that would be  like a prelude to my London trip. oh no. greengirl, please control me if I start spending too much.  (:

value-creation

Check them out! I’ll be v-logging my experience in Europe as well. Thanks to Derek’s mentorship (haha), I have a better idea of how to use my camera. He actually knows my camera more than I do and he was explaining to me all the different functions. My powerful camera still can’t beat his DSLR though. Look at how beautiful his pictures are…

We were laughing because Derek started crooning a Christmas Carol unexpectedly

I couldn't stop laughing. Derek... Singing?! He has been converted by the two choristers.

an observation we have made: there're many zebra-crossings in Rotterdam

Here’s a peek into school life in RSM:

don't be deceived by this. there are no wireless connect and power points in the lecture theatres!

during the break of Strategic Management class

The class was getting restless

I like how RSM emphasizes on career-planning. I’ve signed up for Erasmus Recruitment Days where all the bigshot companies including Shell, Mckinsey, Unilever, L’oreal, Nestle, BCG from different industries will be on the campus giving presentations, workshops, hosting lunches and dinners for the students from 3-16 February. More than 100 top companies will be involved. There is no free lunch in this world. (it is not free by the way.) I have to transfer my CV onto the online template set up by the committee and I have to write motivation letters for the “company dinners/lunches” that are more exclusive. I’ll update about this when the time comes. So far, I’m pretty impressed by the organisation and the marketing of this event. There will also be an off-campus day when we can take a trip to Brussels! (more travelling, yay.) Also, the Office of Career Services has forwarded me an email about a very attractive internship opportunity.  (I just popped by the office and the next minute, they found a match for me.) Soon, I will have to start penning the motivation letter also known as cover letter in Singapore after I clarify that there will be no significant cross-cultural differences in terms of job application procedures.

I guess it is not all play for me. (:

alice in wonderland

 

 

wishlist for my European adventure

I’m getting quite excited for my exchange but everything seemed so fuzzy — I can’t believe I’m going to spend half a year in Europe! (:

okay, the list of things that I wish to have in my backpack:

1. A backpack – duh! I haven’t gotten a sturdy, reliable backpack that screams ME yet. I saw this black, plain one from Muji. Nope, I’m not sombre and boring.. It is just plain enough for me to add some quirky elements.

“artists use lies to tell the truth. politicians use lies to mask the truth.”

animal farm (:

This isn’t the kind of play/story that will naturally appeal to me. I used to think that my first “official” drama role will be a sad, mad woman. There are a lot of undercurrents in Animal Farm.  Gradually, I realise, there is an “Animal Farm” probably in almost every organisation or context. So if you’re interested, please buy tickets  from me. (WAYYYY CHEAPER too)  I have TWENTY tickets to sell!

Highly recommended. It’s a meaningful play to catch! Read the synopsis below. (;

CONSIDERED one of the best novels in the 20th Century, Animal Farm has enthralled generations of readers with its tale of political intrigue and allusions to the Stalinist era before World War II. Nonetheless, what gives Animal Farm its longevity is the cautionary tale against tyranny that resonates with us even until today.

Adopting the acclaimed novel into a theatre production with a sharp Singaporean satirical edge is Stageit, Singapore Management University’s (SMU) only student-led drama and theatre arts group. Established in 2002, Stageit has been involved in annual productions in various theatrical forms, such as Kuo Pao Kun’s Lao Jiu – 9th Born, Li Lien Fung’s The Sword Has Two Edges as well as musicals like Ho Min Fong’s Sing To The Dawn.

Based on the faithful theatre adaptation of the George Orwell novel by Ian Wooldridge, Stageit’s Animal Farm promises to be a multi-layered political play that will leave us thinking.

Synopsis of the play:

Manor Farm, one of the top notch farms in the land, is run by a Man named Jones. Lead by the Pigs – Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer – the Animals throw Jones off the farm, rename it Animal Farm and take over its running on their terms. Their independence is affirmed when, under the heroic leadership of Snowball, they quell Jones’ attempt at reacquiring Animal Farm by force. Not able to see eye to eye, Napoleon ousts Snowball to claim the seat of rule of Animal Farm for itself and its cronies, including its child Minimus.

Meanwhile, the Lower Animals – Boxer, the horse; Clover, its workmate; and Benjamin, the donkey – have to be content with working the farm daily; deprived of milk and enticed only by the occasional slice of red apple; their faith in a better future coaxed by the spiritual prophecies of Moses, the raven.

What does the future hold in store for the Lower Animals – the less privileged, less educated, and less well-born? What is the light of hope for them when absolute power absolutely corrupts?

de-cluttered

The orange disc of the sun melted into the ominous darkness which crawled up on the stooped backs of the snowy mountains like a wizened man scaling an insurmountable little hill. The last rays of light dispersed across the sky in a web of brazen inferno as if it was entrapping the whole universe beneath it.

“The sun is setting…” Min trailed off tremulously. Lovelia spun her head towards the imperious heavens. It was a sign of doom. Aghast at the swift flight of time, she cried out in futile consternation, “Help! Help! Help!”

Her hoarse screams echoed eerily with the piercing calls of the birds, akin to a wrangle of bargains in the wet market between the housewife and the pork-vendor. Of course now unmistakeably,  it was obvious that this was happening between a distraught girl and countless callous creatures lurking in the depths.

Min fumbled for her swiss army knife and retreated a few steps away from her friend. She droned tearfully, “Lovelia, don’t tell me to hang on anymore… It’s no use. It won’t work… They are going to come after us. They will kill us! The deadline. We’re going to die, aren’t we? I might as well…”

With that, Min laid the sharp blade of the knife against her placid wrist in a kamikaze stand-by position. Her raven-black hair was flying behind her head — looking like an  ebony silk handkerchief flung up as a sign of surrender to the world.  She shut her eyes and…

“No, Min, Min! No!”

– Reproduced on Feb 15

De-cluttering leads to discoveries. I found this short piece of fiction while cleaning up my room. I probably wrote it in my lower secondary. Secondary 1, maybe? I have no idea…

It is entitled “Out of Nowhere”. How apt.

I also found my ultrasound report! goodness. I was once so small and tiny. (;

ultrasound

inspiration board (:

While packing, I selected some interesting cards from my friends and pictures and created an inspiration board speedily. It wasn’t really ideal or perfect, but it gets me happy whenever I cast a glance at it.

I am glad I finally cleaned up my room. Extremely drained now. ah, better go catch a quick nap before I go to school. ):

back to normal

My greatest fear is that I wouldn’t be able to write and put my feelings into words. This sensation — “sensation” sounds too positive — has been recurring and I don’t really know what to make sense of it.

This may seem like I am struck with bipolar disease — compared to the state I was in when writing the previous post, I am really much more composed and collected. In fact, I don’t know or remember exactly what called for such curt and angry words. Perhaps I need to name that bitter part of me so that I can segregate it from the normal, people-loving and sane siying.

ah, when it comes to names, it’s best to consult Ben Tan, i guess. I hereby declare that when I die, he the founder of the my alter-ego will be the one who will have to present an eulogy on “Sally”. (so morbid!)

The good thing about me is that I don’t really stay infuriated or bear grudges for long. OR I might just have selective memory.

This emotional roller-coaster is a crazy, little ride. I am not taking charge nor am I taking care of myself. I am not feeling engaged. I don’t like to be just going through the motion in class. So today, I started penning resolutions and priorities. I am already close to twenty-one years old. I wouldn’t want to graduate jobless, dumb and depressed. I have always thought that I am a person with great aspiration and ambition and I would go all the way for what I want. It does seem like I am losing that side of me and… I am not empowered. I think FOS aka LWK is right. I am really LMI (little miss important) who likes to feel and be important but I definitely don’t want that to be at the expense of my true self or that to be wedged at the superficial level.

There are many things that I would love to do. They can be as simple as

reading newspapers and pondering over some interesting articles, jotting down random, funny observations about people, writing in my journal, scrapbooking… oh and I so need a lomographic camera!

I am not in my doldrums, don’t worry. (: I came back from Seoul, feeling very much rejuvenated (ironically, yes, given the situation that I am in — test and work and internship to be worried about). I spent a while thinking whether I would fit in because people around me all look like they have their souls sucked by the Super Maniac Ubiquitous vacuum.

It will soon be my turn.

For the time being, I still do enjoy dinners with my friends like “it’s-a-one-way-thing” junrong — he never fails to cheer me up, or keeping friends company like watching marie teach an italian girl management accounting… and in turn, I found another person who loves V for Vendetta!

It’s not too bad of a day, really.

I have to de-clutter and as cliche as it sounds, start anew.

the world as I see it. part II

I haven’t been blogging for weeks? Months? There had been an inertia to post pictures; no interesting revelation or observations. Probably just senseless one-liners and I think I have lost  even the little pool of readers that I had. I am beginning to morph into one of those guys in my class — practical, dreamless and safe. I had a heated debate with one of them during my project presentation Q & A. He is someone whom I had been eyeing for quite some time after he made a chilling remark about how practicality reigns above all. I had identified him as a specimen whom I wish to take upon my personal responsibility to drill some passion into him or to do some corrective surgery to tweak his 4.0 GPA-obsessed mind.

In all good honesty, I haven’t been really ecstastic or happy though I have my HIGHS and DOWNS. Things have been looking rosy though. I am doing this and  that and this and that and Paint-A-Pillar of course! (we ought to have a facebook group soon) I shall set little goals for myself now.

1. Solid publicity and marketing plan for Chorale & to start working on it with my new team
2. PAP to take off!
3. Secure a marketing internship
4. Read more, be inspired and write!
5. MY SUMMER PHOTO-JOURNAL!
6. CTV musical episode! I am really quite excited about this.
7. LOREAL Brandstorm Competition! Who’s up for it!!!
8. Clean my room and cut my hair

For now, yes, practicality reigns above all. I have to study Finance and Business Processes. They are not that bad really. It is just that I started out on a rougher patch this semester. I can’t wait for recess break.