Tuesday, May 24, 2011

I have moved!

After blogging here for so long, I have decided to move on to WordPress to better integrate all my different blogs!

You will be redirected to the new blog in 5 secs! If you are not redirected yet, click on this link! http://mrsuan.wordpress.com/

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Liege.

If you were my friend on Facebook, you would realize that I characterized Liege as underwhelming. Totally under my expectations would be a more apt description, I suppose. When we first came to Maastricht, a professor describe this little French city as "scenic" and "pretty". What we found were dilapidated monuments left to the harsh hands of weather, and dirty streets. Possibly the most impressive sight was a simple staircase that stretched on forever.


What a convenient way of creating a tourist attraction! Maybe STB should consider building a staircase all the way up Mt Faber and call it a new attraction.

In all fairness, there are some things that were nice in Liege. Like this retro Suzuki that I saw there...

Selling for a total of EUR 5400. It's quite a steal! Almost as beautiful as the MINI Coopers that I like. And possibly the cleanest thing that I saw in Liege!

And you know what's really ironic? There aren't even any Liege Waffles in Liege!

The Mute Mimi

I have taken to listening to Jay Chou's magnificient music since it's my free day today. There are so many thoughts running through my head now, but I shall attempt to put down what has been dominating my mind lately...

The foremost in my mind would have to be the realization that our short time in exchange is coming to an end. Besides spending time to plan the last month of travelling, I am also beginning to be quite scared of the unknowns that home might bring. After all, I would have been abroad for almost 6 months. Friends in college have lasted a semester without me, my family has also lasted the same amount of time, Singapore has had an election, even MM and SM are stepping down. It's just not the same Singapore anymore. How do I face the new pressures of being a year 3, how do I even cope with the workload? These are questions that keep popping up in my head these days.

Then of course, there's the present to worry about. My modules this block are hellish because I can't seem to click with any of my classmates, not to mention my groupmates. The content is hardly as interesting as the mods I've had for the previous block. All these make studying dry as a bark.

And at the back of my head is always the money that's quickly diminishing in my bank and the places we still have to plan for for the last month. Seems like I am the only one here without a blank cheque to base my exchange on. And it's really starting to get me worried that I might overspend and not be able to go home or something.

And perhaps the most depressing is the fact that I have no one to talk to at all. Beyond the people who are here, of course. I feel like I need to have some place to decompress a little, but no such place exists here. Haix. I guess I am ready to go home after all.

P.S.: If you were wondering about the title, it's 不能说的秘密

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Delores from 7-Eleven


It can become easy for concepts to become abstract when we are studying it in class, especially when studying in Maastricht where the focus is on the text and readings so much of the time. Sometimes, it's great to see examples at work, like what we see here in Delores. Customer relationships at the core of service!

I thought it would be good to share this article too by the Harvard Business Review, where I got this video from...

It's My Birthday!

Yes, as you might know, it's my birthday today! I got two surprises today from email. One from my dearest Mother, and another from the International Relations Office in Maastricht University.

My mother sent me this really cute e-Card from 123greetings.com. I didn't know that these things still existed! In a time of social networks and "Happy Birthdays" on Walls, it was heartwarming to see an actual e-Card that she picked out for me. It had these little elephants and bears holding balloons and cakes. CUTE TTM!

Another pleasant surprise was from the IRO office in Maastricht. I didn't think that they would have bothered sending me a birthday greeting, but they did! It was something from Hallmark with a customized message as shown below:
On behalf of the whole staff of the International Relations Office of Maastricht University, we wish you a Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day!

Kind Regards,
International Relations Office
Truly warming, even though it might have been pre-programmed. NUS should have this too if we don't already!

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

OSAMA IS DEAD!

Photo by the New York Times

But what does it all mean? With Osama bin Laden being nothing more than a symbolic leader of Al Qaeda more than a functional one, what meaning does his death hold for the world, other than allowing the U.S. to claim vengeance?

Sunday, May 01, 2011

What I think about the General Elections.

5 years ago, I wrote an article about the political awakening of the youth of Singapore in my 'A' levels GP essay. I argued against the view that our youth are politically apathetic and indifferent to the way our country was run. With the increasing popularity of blogs then, wrote about the increasing importance for the Government to engage the youth in conversation, to listen to the opinions we had about our country.

For 2006, they did just that. A P-65 blog was set up for MPs who were born after our Independence to talk about government policies. I remember a youth forum where MM Lee Kuan Yew spoke to JC students. Look how far we have come!

Today, my Facebook newsfeed is rife with news and videos about political rallies from both the PAP and the Opposition with encouraging frequency. I say encouraging because for the first time ever, I finally feel like we do have a say in how our country is being run. Our voices are finally being heard. Indeed, this is a watershed in Singapore history and politics, a time where citizens are filling daring to speak their mind, to talk about the issues that have been at the back of our heads for the last 5 years -- all these are enabled by social media.

To me, the results of the elections are inconsequential. Something has already changed in the air, with or without the changing of government. The PAP should recognise by now that our youth are no longer silent lambs in the realm of political discourse. Serious efforts should be made in talking to the citizens, and understanding our concerns. That's what it truly means to be a democracy!

A recent check on the P65 blog shows a blog that was last updated in 2010. The footprint of candidates on social media is paltry at best, with those who are in it becoming the most popular despite their humble "track record". Therein lies the potential of social media. Any political party that wants to gain power or stay in power in a country would have to earnestly engage in conversation with its citizens, or risk becoming irrelevant and demonized by those who dominate the social media discourse.

The SDP understands that, and has uploaded their campaign videos on YouTube. The NSP's Nicole Seah has the most number of "Likes" on Facebook other than our MM Lee Kuan Yew. On the flip-side, PAP's Tin Pei Ling has drawn criticism for her Kate Spade bag. Conversation is less about facts and figures, than about talking about the things that the people are interested in. Can your party deliver? Are you competent as a candidate? Or are you just materialistic and off-base with common sentiments? In a world where Friday is the YouTube clip with the most views in history despite being possibly the worst song in the world, hard truths and track records are no longer as relevant.

The biggest question for all the parties out there now is: "Are you listening?"

Friday, April 29, 2011

The Land of Chocolates, Clocks and Cliffs!

It's been a few days since we have been back from Switzerland, but I feel that the beauty of the country deserves a post at least.

To be frank, we all had the consensus that Greece was more beautiful than Switzerland. I really think it has to do with proximity though. We were immersed in beautiful sunsets, lovely white houses and a volcanic island in Greece, but we only managed to witness far-off peaks in Switzerland. Granted, we made it to the highest mountain range in Europe (Jungfrau, if you do not know it), but the remainder of the trip played out like sitting in a cinema watching a video. Only that we were in a train, of course - The Glacier Express. But I get ahead of myself. I should talk about the trip bit by bit...

We made our way to Switzerland by going through the Dusseldorf International Airport in Germany. That meant that we had to leave 4 hours before our check-in time to train all the way to Dusseldorf. That was also the first time we were taking EasyJet instead of our usual Ryanair. Somehow it feels a tad posher albeit still budget. Anyways, there wasn't anything interesting there.

We landed in Basel and immediately started scouting out for the prices of the produce there. Ian had warned us beforehand that things were going to be expensive, so we basically brought 4 days worth of biscuits, bread, and instant noodles with us to last through the whole trip. We got some weird stares along the way for eating our bread though.. I wonder if they think that we were too poor to afford meals or something. I still can remember 2 old ladies on 2 separate trains giving us weird looks of contempt...

Back to Basel! It was already dark when we landed, so we lodged at the YMCA Hostel there, which was well-equipped and -decorated as compared to any other hostel we have been to so far. Of course, we didn't know at this time that the Backpacker's Villa Sonnenhof in Interlaken was going to pwn it for miles and miles! The villa was almost all equipped. With a kitchen for your cooking needs, a ping-pong table, computers enough to start a LAN shop, a pool table, a POOL. Amazing. Add a good breakfast and good service to that, and it's no wonder why they got themselves so many awards from Hostel World and Hostel Bookers.

We went straight to Zurich the next day, leaving the exploration of Basel for our very last day in Switzerland. It's a pity that we didn't really manage to go to the main city of Zurich though. We spent our time in Hardbrucke, where we visited the headquarters of Freitag. There was an accident that happened to Chew there. She fell off a bicycle that she was taking photographs on, and we were scared to death by that. Thankfully, the staff of Freitag were kind enough to buy here some sugar and drinks to calm her nerves. We had heard about the hospitality of Switzerland before we came, but that was our first real encounter with that.

By the time we finished looking at all the bags, and finding the outlet shop that was nearby, it was about time to head on to Interlaken.

For the two days in Interlaken, we visited Jungfrau and took the Glacier Express that gave a view of all the different mountains in the Swiss Alps.


Jungfrau was amazing without question. I have never experienced winds so strong before. I really thought when I was on the plateau that I was going to get blown away if I didn't lower myself or hold on to the ropes at the side. If I look happy in that picture above, it's because I was glad to be able to hold on to the flag pole for support!

The view was of course, magnificent. Hopefully you will be able to see them when I get more time to update my Tumblr! The winds were so cold though, that most of us almost got frostbite, and we had to head in..

There was also an Ice Palace at Jungfrau, but it wasn't anything special. Not after you have seen the ice sculptures from Harbin, at least. Maybe it was because it's still the start of the tourist season, and most of the sculptures haven't been completed yet.

For our second day, we went on the Glacier Express! What was supposed to be a great journey turned quite sour because the passengers beside us kept reaching over to our table to take photographs without giving a care about us. Their armpits were literally almost in our faces lah! Also, because we were in a train all the way through, it didn't really feel real to me. Like I said before, it was much more like watching a movie rather than being there.

The Glacier Express took us about more than half a day to complete, and we had some time to drop by Lucerne before going back to Basel. It was a beautiful city that was rich in history, and and got to see lots of swans! We even coaxed one out of the water by luring it with biscuits. LOL. It was also in Lucerne where we saw this whole bunch of people dressed up as rabbits for Easter. More on that on Facebook! Anyways, watch this cute swan in action!


Exploring Basel on our very last day was just a matter of visiting the Munster because we were too tired from the trip to do anything else. I guess there wasn't much to see there anyways other than the multitudes of museums. And with that, we flew home to good ole Maastricht. And that was that =) Switzerland in a post!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Remembering.

The song "My Immortal" came on in my iTunes, and I was reminded of a younger me in secondary school.

Back then, I was still figuring out what life meant. Do you remember yourself in a similar stage of life? Everything was deeper than it looks, and everything seemed layered with added meaning. My eyes opened to the world of interpersonal relationships. I found God.

On hindsight, I figured out what I wanted to do with my life right then too. I was involved in creative things such as the Chinese Drama Circle, and I was involved in things that built people up, like the Boys Brigade. These things continue to be what I want to do with my life. I want what I do in the future to build up others, to show others that there are better ways of looking at things beyond the mercenary earning of money and beyond the pessimistic thoughts about others. I want to create - to translate ideas in my head into concrete solutions. Maybe that's why I love marketing. It's conversation, and it's innovation to make lives better.

Thinking about those times puts a smile on my face - the naiveté I had, the funny little things I did. I thought I fell in love then, only to find now that true love takes a lot more than just having that warm feeling coursing down my veins. All relationships take effort and time and compromise. I see that now, clearer than ever. It's beyond holding hands and feeling nice. It's deciding to say sorry, or to admit that you are wrong, even if it's not the most comfortable thing to do.

Sometimes I wonder if I would have turned out the same way I am without knowing God. Now I know what James means when he said "Every good and perfect gift is from above". I need to remind myself of that more.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Greece!

I always find it difficult to aggregate all the experiences I've had in a country into one single post, yet too tedious to write daily journals of the trip. I learnt that when I tried to keep a travel journal in Italy. So I guess the best way to communicate how the trip was is to show you an email that I wrote to my mother. I just sent it, so it's totally possible that you are reading it before she does. Hahas.. But it's everything I want to say about Greece. Because words cannot express how awesome the place is...

Hello Mother!

I just came back from the Greek Islands and just started school today. Actually I am taking the 1 hour I have before class to write to you right now!

Greece was the best place we have been to so far in terms of the scenery, the food and the people. We planned to go to Athens, Santorini (an island) and Rhodes (another bigger island), but ended up spending only 3 hours in Athens because the ferry we wanted to take initially was cancelled. The trip ended up to be more about the islands than the main peninsular of Greece.

Of the two islands that we went to, I must say that Santorini wins hands down. It's supposed to be super touristy because it's the place where they filmed "Mamma Mia", but we went there before the actual peak season started. So everyone was just starting to open their stores, and the weather was rather cold.

There was the beautiful sunset at Ia, and the panoramic view that we saw at the top of a monastery on a hill. Also, there was the beautiful scenery of the different coloured beaches (ask Sis to show you Facebook when I upload the pictures!). What really struck me though, was how friendly everyone was on the island. They were genuinely willing to help us and answer us when we had questions, and didn't get annoyed at all in situations where I think someone else would flare up. We were really just waiting for something bad to happen to us in terms of service, but it never ever came.

We also managed to get lots of free stuff in Santorini! This bar called Yazz Bar we went to gave us free Vinsanto wine, which is the locally produced award winning wine there. I bought some back for you guys to try =) The very same bar also treated us to some Moet Hennesy champagne one night when we went over there for a party they were having because it was the bartender's birthday. There were also lots of other examples of how other shops just offered us free yoghurt to try or more food. Really really friendly people!

The food there was also great. They basically eat something that is similar to the kebab that we see in Singapore, but they call them "Gyros" and "Souvlakis". They are also big on salads, olive oil and pita bread. I TOTALLY LOVE PITA BREAD NOW! What they do is they toast the pita and eat it together with a dip, normally made of greek yoghurt and cucumber called "tzaziki". I think I can make some when I get back for you all =) Other than that, the meals are mainly meat. Either pork or beef in the kebabs..

The trip in Rhodes was also very nice mainly because of the people. I didn't exactly fancy the scenery there, and the beaches really couldn't compare with Santorini. But the general warmness of the Greeks came through. There was this small incident with a very bitchy lady boss in the hostel we stayed in, but other than that, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I managed to get myself a good tan in Greece too! I was starting to feel gao wei because of how white I was becoming in Maastricht. Hahas..

I was just very impressed with how the people there were so friendly despite all the economic problems we read about in the newspapers. Frankly, I was expecting riots and strikes in Athens, and that's why we didn't plan to stay more days there. What we got out of it was so different though.. People were genuinely happy and sincere, and glad that we were there to visit their country. They were also happy to share their culture with us in terms of how to make their food.

I think it's hard for any other place to match up to Greece le!

Anyways, I really miss everyone at home! Sent some postcards back home. Let me know if you received it! I'm going to Switzerland for 4 days this Wednesday because they are having Easter holidays here, so I probably will not be able to skype again. BUT I'M ALWAYS THINKING OF HOME!!

<3

Your Son,
Dezhi

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

It was the first day of exams today, and we journeyed to the far North of Maastricht, to MECC. That's short for Maastricht Exhibition and Convention Centre.

We overestimated and ended up reaching there 1 hour in advance, meaning we had lots of time to burn while waiting for the exams to begin. So, we ended up choping a slot somewhere and started mugging! Typical Singaporeans!




When we finally went into the hall, it was like "WHOAAAA". It was mother huge. This photo probably doesn't do it any justice. But I am quite sure that it's much bigger than the MPSH back in NUS. The exam rules here also feels much more relaxed. They could bring their lunches in, and you can basically do anything before the exam starts. When time is up, there is an announcement to tell you that the exam has started, and everyone basically just starts doing it!

The paper was rather okay, I guess. It was the first paper, so I mugged really hard for it, and I could answer all the questions. It was obvious that Caren set some of the questions easy so that we could all pass I think. Ended up getting out of the exam hall 1 hour in advance =)

And it was off to Macs after that for some feel-good late lunch before we headed home for more muggingggg...

Monday, April 04, 2011

Through the looking glass.


来exchange感觉上就像时间冻结了一样,一直还以为过几个月后回到的家将会跟我离开的一模一样。昨天偶然看见了一个朋友的脸书(Facebook)后才忽然发现时间没有我地球还是不停地在转,朋友们的生活也一直在过。而我只能在这里默默的观看。那是一种好怪的感觉喔。

到底来这里值得吗?就像凯利说的,交流其实没有想象中的精彩。来这里之前还以为会认识到很多朋友,会学到别人的习俗和文化;来到之后却提不起劲去跟别人交谈,了解。想象中神奇的欧洲其实也没有多么地稀奇。也不知道是因为我的期望太高,还是因为考试的关系变得有点emo⋯⋯

剩下的时间我因该怎么充分的利用呢?是时候问自己到底要在交流的时候达到什么目的了。我不要再被课务影响了。Afterall,回到了新加坡之后有的是功课,再不享受就来不及了!

Saturday, April 02, 2011

Girlfriend Down.


Kai Li's ankle got injured from frisbee yesterday and it has begun to swell up. When she woke up today, she shouted in pain from the blood clotting there I guess. There is nothing much I can do about it other than boiling some eggs to rub the injured area for her and putting warm packs on the area to circulate the blood flow. The annoying thing is that our refrigerator here does not allow for ice production, making it impossible for me to use a cold pack to numb the pain.

Frankly, I think there wasn't a need for the game to be so rough. I guess I can't really blame anyone because after all, it's sports and these things have inherent risks. But this isn't the first time. When he tackled me for basketball I could brush it off since it was just a game and nothing much happened to me after falling. But Kai Li now? The least he could offer to her is an apology.\

I just hope she recovers in time for exams. If not I guess we would really have to take a cab down to the MECC..

Friday, April 01, 2011

匿名的好友

This song has been stuck on my mind since yesterday...

Thursday, March 31, 2011

MUG MUG.

It's crunch time. Exams are next Monday and Wednesday. But guess what? I am not really studying here. In fact, hardly anyone is. I know in my mind that if I dont start, I will probably fail, but I just can't get myself up to doing it.

Yesterday was interesting! We had an AIS workshop where I got to meet nice new people from other tutorial groups and got to learn about how to properly conduct business interviews to elicit information from people. So now I know that was what the IAD people were doing to me back in the Army!

I also found out that I got a 9 for AIS Case 2, which officially means that I am the MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE! HAHAHAHAHA. Wasn't expecting such a high grade, but I was glad all those hours of trying to talk some sense into the locals was worth it =)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Spacing out.

I am sitting right in front of my notes, refusing to look into them. Exams are coming next week, but I still feel lackadaisical about it. I'd much rather indulge in counting the time the mousehunting horn takes to reappear, or in listening to Yes 93.3 for some good ole Singapore goodness than study. I know this will get me nowhere, but I can't really help myself...

I have probably said this in numerous forms before, but right at this moment, I really miss Singapore. How does anyone stay away from home for a prolonged period of time without going crazy? When I eat, I think of pratas. When I cycle, I think of Mandai Hill. When I run, I imagine the park in Yishun I usually run in. And guess what? I am not even halfway in.

Yes, yes.. I know there is no other way than to suck it up and to wait it all out. In the meantime, I should enjoy the short time I have here and experience something I will never get to experience ever again. These are just moments I guess. Moments when I have the time to actually process my homesickness. Oh wells. Gonna stop whining already! Time to really hit the books hard! Marks don't score themselves.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

It's been a long time since I last wrote anything here. And with good reason. There is an overwhelming inertia for me when it comes to writing about trips, mainly because I am still tired from them, and writing about them with my limited language capabilities do the places no justice at all.

So with a mixed feeling of fatigue and mediocrity, I can never bring myself to finish anything I wrote about the different place we have been too. Add in the fact that the PBL system in Maastricht never allows for us to have a moment of rest where we are not reading readings = un-updated blog.

Sorry guys. I promise to get something out sometime soon! If you are a more of a "picture = 1000 words" person though, hop on to Asher Sojourns and knock yourself out. More photos from Italy coming right up! As soon as I can afford the time to sit down and pp everything. Sighs.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Kobe Bryant is, "The Black Mamba". Directed by Robert Rodriguez.


This is the ultimate advertisement I think. Funny, good pace, filled with little swooshes here and there that you might or might not notice. Then again, I am a Kobe fan. Hmm. I would definitely get a Black Mamba if I come across it. =D

Sunday, February 20, 2011

This Valentine's Day.

"Love is a decision," I once heard from someone. A decision to take a chance with someone without hoping for any reciprocation, without caring that you will get hurt along the way.

After a year and 20 days and counting of being in a relationship, I think I can finally understand what that means. Honeymoon period has left us a long time ago, but I still love Kai Li as much as ever. We bicker at times, and get angry at each other for the lamest things, but sometimes just looking at her makes me smile.

Last Valentine's Day, we spent the whole night giving out love to others in the form of roses for Project XOXO. This Valentine's Day, we had the whole day to ourselves, and we spent it walking around town, exploring the old St. Servaas Basilica at Vrijthof, and then getting lost while trying to make it back to the Markt. It wasn't all romantic, because the relics in the church really freaked me out quite a bit, but it was nice to explore a medieval church together, kind of like a mini-adventure =)

Lunch at Vrijthof was a matter of hunting for stew that Kai Li wanted and in the end trying out Dutch food that we didn't know. In the evening, she found the Pierre Marcolini chocolates I planted in my bagpack "accidentally".

Not the most romantic date I could think of, no sunrises or seasides or even cards, but I was just happy to be spending time with her. It's difficult to describe, kind of like a warm feeling in the heart?

That soon gave way to some more bickering started by expired food. LOL. SO TOTALLY US LAH.

Friday, February 11, 2011

X-Men: First Class - Official Trailer



So exciting! Though the cast seems relatively unknown.. I'll definitely watch it when it comes out though!

Sans Shutter.

The lack of a camera is bugging me now. I walk the streets all day, and imagine what I can do with a camera, full of juice. The statues call out to me; they want to be shot, they want to see the beyond the corners they haunt through Facebook or Flickr, yet I cannot consent them. They must wait.

I got lost again today, on almost the same street. I saw the same church at Tafelstraat, and walked past that same row of cafes. Something there attracts me. I guess it's the quiet atmosphere even though it is in the middle of town? A random question. Why do we not have European styled buildings in Singapore? The most we see are white colonial buildings, none of the brick and mortar I see here in Maastricht. Gracia once said it was because of climatic reasons, and it was not practical to have buildings with thick walls in Singapore, simply because we do not need them. What then of the aesthetic aspect of it all? It certainly feels great being immersed in a town where all streets are cobbled and buildings look like they are a century old!

Kai and I had an Italian lunch at the Markt today. I ate a Spaghetti Carbonara while she had Funghi Pizza. Authentic, would say, but I think we both felt a little cheated because the man in the shop shortchanged us of the 20% discount we were supposed to get by €2. Being an exchange student here is a constant struggle because everything costs too much, and ING Bank is not acting fast enough for me to get my cash locked up with the Visa Office!

I had my second AIS lesson today, and spent a bit of time mugging the first chapter of the textbook in the UM Library. There was a huge rush in trying to get our textbooks in order these past 2 days, and we ended up photocopying all our textbooks from the library because it was much too expensive for us. The PBL system seems to be posing quite a problem for us, since we have never been used to actually preparing for lessons and speaking up so much in a small group for tutorials. I guess it is also good exposure for me to learn to speak up and stand up for my own views and opinions. Frankly, I think I might have had an easier time in my tutorials as compared to the rest. Then again, I haven't had Consumer Behaviour yet. I heard it's a killer.

The rest of today was spent once again in the library, accompanying Geraldine and Jessica to print their Macroeconomics and Strategy textbooks. The story of how Chew swapped courses is another epic tale in itself, too long to be put in words here.

Finally, we went for an exchange students Welcome Tea, where we behaved totally anti-socially by surrounding a table and ravishing the nuts and tacos in our own little circle. Then again, none of us were feeling especially sociable. Stress is starting to pile up and I guess everyone was thinking of studying more than anything else.

Before long, it was time to go home again. This time, I am quite glad to be back here. There is tonnes of preparation to do, and an upcoming Brussels trip to plan, so off I go now, until next time!

Monday, February 07, 2011

Bridgestone - Carma

Couldn't resist putting this up. It's just so CUTE!

First Day of School.


There's a kind of travelling you can only do alone. One that involves wandering the streets aimlessly without a map, getting lost, and finding your way back again. You can only do it alone because walking is like talking to the streets. It's taking time to take in what is in front of you and thinking of how people could have come up with such architecture. I love just walking down the cobbled streets and feeling the soul of the place, thinking about the multitudes of people who have passed by the very same road. What secrets did these stones witness? What grandeur? Or what pain?

Today was the first day of school at Maastricht University. I was the only one taking Accounting Information Systems and Internal Control (AIS) in this block, so I went to school alone on Bus 1. It was slightly strange at first to be doing something alone, and yet it was peaceful at the same time because there was no need to create conversation. Simply sitting on the bus, looking at the other commuters and enjoying the scenery outside.

It was confusing at first to get to the class because level 2 of Zone E was actually at level 1 of Zone F. I went instead to level 2 of Zone F, only to find that it led to level 3 of Zone E. A slight frustration yes, but it was quickly overcome by the cautiousness of a first-day student, wanting to find his classroom before lessons started.

The way the tutorial was conducted was foreign to me. There are 14 people in the class, and one tutor. We basically read 2 short passages from the Block Book, or what would be called a course outline in NUS, and then had to see if there were any 'difficult words' and 'problem statements' underlying these two passages. With the identification of the problem statements, we went on to discuss them and to say what our understanding of these problems were. Those that we could not explain away became 'Learning Points'. That, was basically the summary of The Maastricht Approach - Problem Based Learning (PBL). Interesting yes, but terribly confusing. You never know if you got anything correct until you actually read up on it.

After the very short session of school (it lasted 45 minutes when it was slated for 2 hours), I wandered to the Student Services Centre for a cup of coffee and a croissant. The idea was to pass the time so that I could wait for Orange Bike to open. In the meantime, I also went around the Market looking for the bookstore to see how much a textbook would cost me.

And then I got lost. And I loved it.

I found old churches looming in corners of the street, I saw a beautiful suspension bridge that I never knew was there, and then there were back alleys of cafes half-open because it was still early in the morning. Waiters were sweeping the streets preparing to open, and some others were laying the tables. There were inscriptions on the walls I couldn't make out which looked like memorial stones to famous people that I don't know. The air was cool, and there were canals coming out in between houses sometimes. I felt like I was in some place that I only read off old books.

I finally did manage to find the bookstore in the church, only to find that an AIS textbook would set me back by €51. That is about SGD 100? Money that I cannot bear to part with, especially in a place as expensive as the Netherlands. I'd have to consult the rest to see if we could share a textbook or perhaps I would have to photocopy the book off the library that I don't yet know how to use.

With all my things settled, I found my way back to Orange Bike to get my repaired bicycle, and it was off home! Not before I lost myself again though.. And that was an adventure too, because I got to see Malpertuisplein from the other side, and I got to go to random neighbourhoods.

Perhaps I'll enjoy Maastricht after all.

Saturday, February 05, 2011

Amsterdam!

Maastricht is starting to get a little predictable, so we decided to spice things up by going to AMSTERDAM!!!! The land of Vandersexxx (Euro Trip reference) and coffeeshops!

So it is, that the 9 of us started out our journey by awakening at 9 am to take the train out to Amsterdam. Our first hurdle was the receptionist at the ticket counter. What happened was that we tried to purchase our tickets from the self-service counters, much like what we have at MRTs in Singapore. Karen managed to get an OV-ChipKaart from Yanling which gives us a 40% discount for up to 4 tickets. The problem was, there wasn't enough stored value in the card, so we had to go to the ticket counter to ask if we could buy our tickets there with cash instead! And since we were there, we decided that it was probably wise to buy another ChipKaart so that we can get more cheap tickets the next time...

Well, that turned out to be a mistake because we spent about 10 minutes queueing and filling up the form (which was in Dutch), only to realise that they needed a Dutch bank account number when we went back to the guy again. The exasperating thing is that they don't really care about you when you are standing there waiting to ask a question. The policy is really to just queue for anything, even if it doesn't require much effort from them. I guess it's a cultural thing?

Anyways, we eventually did manage to board our train just in time for Amsterdam. It was a whopping 2.5 hours train ride filled with lots of snoozing and mahjong-playing on my iPhone on my part. When we finally arrived, it was a mad rush to try to find the Tourist Information Centre so that we can join the day tour around Amsterdam. That didn't turn out too well because we ended up being too late, and the tour had already left for the National Monument.

So we went looking for them. And find them we did. But guess what? The tour was full, and we had no choice but to wander off alone in search of our own version of Amsterdam without a guide. Which was fine to me, because I always like finding out my own impression of places without knowing about it secondhand first, even though insider information would have been helpful. Then again, I guess different people have different expectations and thoughts about the matter.

Since we were lost, we decided to head for KFC for lunch so that we could plan our next step. And the next step was the Sex Museum that was just near the Central Station. Since I can't exactly put these things on Facebook, I am going to put it on Flickr! Just make sure you are above 18 to see it okae? It was a little bit too much for me, so much sex in one place, yet at the same time, it was kind of boring because there wasn't anything especially interesting there at all. Well, it was eyeopening at least.

IMG_1114

After the Sex Museum, we proceeded to Anne Frank Huis, the secret annex where Anne Frank of Anne Frank's Diary fame stayed in during the Nazi occupation. It was quite disappointing for me to see a modern looking building in its place instead of an old WWII house I expected. After the tour though, it was explained that Otto Frank, Anne's father, didn't want the house to be left dilapidated and simply a historical monument, but rather something that would remind people to fight against discrimination. And that is exactly what they are doing even today. Part of the centre hosts educational tours to actively discuss topics on discriminatory practices around the Netherlands.

The museum itself was organized around Anne Frank's writings about the place, with large quotes from the diary pasted on the walls to describe each room. In each of the rooms were some relics from the old house. Most of the furniture though, were removed. There were also various video interviews with people who have known Anne Frank and helped them to hide during the Occupation. Although it was a larger museum than the Sex Museum, this was much more digestable because of the lesser amounts of information they tried to display in each room. When you left, you really felt for the dire conditions of the Frank family and had a feel for how their lives must have been... The museum definitely achieved its aim of letting the visitors see how discrimination against a certain race or religion causes is undesirable and horrible.

Our final stop of the day was the Red Light District tour, for which we went back to the Tourist Office. At the juncture, I would just say that a picture says a thousand words, and post some pictures up here. Note though, that we were strictly not allowed to take photographs of the girls for the sake of their anonymity, so it's only photos of everything else!

It was interesting to see the sex workers in the windows, but it was much tamer than I expected. The scene in Pattaya is much much more "dirty" for the lack of a better word. Here, it's all business and all the women are fully clothed. Nothing disgusting about it at all. Oh, but most of the girls are quite hot =) One observation though, most of them have great butts. LOL

One of the only 2 wooden houses in Amsterdam: In the Monkey

CONDOMS.

A Condomerie, where they make bespoke condoms!

The famous Casa Rossa!

A railing with the design of a woman being penetrated.

After a loooong day, the guide brought us for drinks at a pub and then we headed back to Maastricht. Tiring but really fun! Can't wait to go back there again to see the other sights! Perhaps this time, it would be less sex, and more culture.

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

除夕。

Yesterday was Chinese New Year's Eve, and possibly the first one that I spent away from my family. Over here at Maastricht, we decided to do a little bit to celebrate Chinese New Year by making yusheng and steamboat for dinner.

Today was Residence Permit day, so we set out to Bonnefantenstraat 2 to make that. Managed to skype my sister and my grandmother a little bit in the morning, but the time difference really sucks such that there is very little overlap between my waking hours and theirs. And when it's evening in Singapore, it's the time when we are out settling things and running errands. =S

Anyways, today turned out to be quite horrible for me. I never knew it would be so difficult to deal with people in exchange. And these are people whom you cannot run away from. There is no returning home at the end of the day to cool things off because we are facing each other everyday. I have been trying my best help out and all, but I guess everyone sees things a little differently bah. It feels like we are already splitting into cliques so early into exchange, and that feels sucky.

Ahs. Life is tough.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Day 2.

Nothing is open on Sundays in Maastricht except for the first Sunday of every month.

With that, we braved the wintery winds and went exploring the dead town by foot. The first thing we found was the mart at the petrol kiosk that was open. Which sold porn. LOL! But things were really expensive, so we moved along after Ian bought some Doritos. We were searching for this Pakistani supermarket that Frankie told Karen about and Orleansstraat.

So we walked.. and we walked...

And we managed to get there! Not before coming across two squares of shops and an open bakery where we managed to settle our breakfast for Monday. Still getting the feeling that they have never seen Asians before, which is strange, since Maastricht is supposed to be teeming with exchange students. Hongkongers especially.

Anyways, so we got there finally, and it wasn't open! And since it was still early in the day, we decided to take a bus down to the train station to grab our lunch since the kebab store was supposedly open. In the end, we found ourselves in the central square because passed through it and decided that it was probably a better place to walk =)

I wish I had my camera with me, but I didn't. So no photos here. You'd have to look at Xiyu's album to see all the beautiful photos of the place. Really European, I think. Just what I imagined =) Little cafes lined the streets facing the square, and these cafes were open! So were most of the fast food places. Thank God! And so we managed to settle our lunch and our curiosity of the place at one shot. We are definitely gonna go back there when everything else opens up!

First Day in Maastricht.

I should really put my blog to better use now that I am overseas. Sadly I didn't take much photographs these past few days because I thought my camera was low on juice, while it was in fact, full.

If you have me on Facebook, you would know by now that we took 26 hours to actually get to Maastricht from Singapore. It was a back-breaking 2 plane rides where we got incessantly woken up by the air stewardesses for meals that we did not really need, and then a train ride where we got lost in.

The train ride was especially hard for the boys because the 3 of us had to help carry the luggages for the girls. It was okay for the first few times, but we tired after a few more times. It didn't help that the Hollanders gave us weird looks that said "Wow, I have never seen Asians before!" or "I wonder why they are here?". But anyways, we managed to endure those 2 gruelling hours by playing Name the Capital and "Who do you prefer". LOL. That was fun.

Sadly, it didn't end happily with us reaching Maastricht train station. We were left in the cold while we tried to find something to eat for dinner, and then we had to figure out how to take the bus over to Browerswag to get the keys to our apartments. THANKFULLY there was a college student there to help us find our way!

But of course, Browerswag was not the end of the journey. In fact, it was 2 km away from our apartments. You know, it really sounds easy on paper (blog) but imagine us each carrying a 30 kg luggage and a 7 kg hand carry, and lugging it all around town in the dark and cold. It was hell =S

When we reached Browerswag and got our keys we gave up and just ordered cabs to bring us finally to Talienruwe. They weren't as expensive as the rumours put them out to be, and we were glad to finally get here. And from there, it was just a matter of quickly putting on bedsheets, and falling deeply asleep.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Gatherings.



I had another gathering tonight. This time it was with my LOCC coursemates: Zhimin, Chee Wee, Chio and BJ. It was amazing how we could just talk about our lives and relationships and what we were up to for this semester as if we never parted. Gatherings with old friends always brings back fond memories for me, and oh boy, have I been meeting up with a lot of people this past holidays! In a sense, I am using my SEP as an excuse to reconnect with the people in my life!

We went to Commonwealth for some awesome zi char and talked on and on about the Army and the people who were in the army and what they are doing now, and what we are doing in school now, and all that.

There are parts of my life now that I really miss, such as kayaking and the Army days, and parts of my life that have shaped me into who I am today. I am soooo happy and thankful to God that I have all these friends with me in my life, and that I am still able to talk to them and all =)

I will really miss Singapore a lot when I am overseas I think. Because everyone I know is here, and everything that I hold dear is here too. Man, can't believe I am actually going to leave in 2 days time.

And it still feels as if things haven't really been sorted out yet in my family, and I don't really even know if things can actually be sorted out. I just hope that everything resolves itself with time?

Monday, January 24, 2011

Now, maybe this is a better car ad...

Joy made them No. 1?

I saw this advertisement on Saturday's Straits Times and couldn't help wondering what Joy had to do with Performance Motors being the Number 1 Luxury Car Retailer.

Was Joy a person? Like their top saleswoman who sold so many BMWs that they shot to the top? Did being really happy and joyful make their employees work harder to get better sales?

Then I found out: JOY IS BMW is BMW's (no, this is not a typo) new marketing campaign as shown in this video:

My question is, is BMW really joy? I mean, it is definitely performance, even the local dealership's name spells it out clearly. BMW is definitely power, masculinity, strength. Raw brutish energy even. But joy?

So I checked the inside of that gigantic spread out. Well, basically it said that joy made them No.1, and their employees are filled with joy. But that didn't really do it for me. Why BMW then? I could replace it with any other brand and still say that my employees are gleeful. To me, this was an advertisement that didn't work. Simply because I had to go online and google "Joy BMW" to find out why in the world they wrote that.

Joy did not make Performance Motors No. 1. BMW did. BMW's legacy of making great cars that perform, great cars that are a joy to ride in. Cars that bring you to where you want to be in the way that you want to be brought there - in style and aplomb. Nay, not joy.

Monday, January 17, 2011

我有真正快乐过吗?



又吵架了。这次是姐和哥哥。

不记得这个家没有吵架的日子。小时候是因为老爸脾气坏,拿妈妈做出气筒,他失业过后也是。然后是妈妈学会了吵回他。我们搬去婆婆家的日子又是阿姨们的争吵不休。搬回来后又是爸爸妈妈为了钱而吵。

现在是年轻人的时代了。姐姐越来越倔强,越来越不听家人的劝告。哥哥也越来越孤僻,不告诉我们他在外的事。

我好想小时候的我们喔!一起到唐城,虎豹别墅,圣淘沙游玩。一起玩。我是有快乐过的。快乐的是在父母吵架时,我们还能一起哭,一起笑。那是很久以前的事了。也许他们都忘了吧?

现在的我们根本不象一个家。一起吃饭难免会闹得吵起来。真的好累喔⋯⋯也许这次去荷兰能当作是休息吧!

我们大概回不到小时候了吧?

Thursday, January 06, 2011

I am now the proud owner of a Nikon D3100!

And he shall be named, Nick.

The Kit...

...and all the free gifts that came with it!

With enthusiasm, I tried it out on my collection of Absolut Vodka! There's really a clear difference in terms of vibrancy between my Lumix FZ-8 and this. Played around with the manual focus and the delayed flash too. Impressive! =DD

Here's my entire collection! Sans the Vodka Peach which was in the kitchen in the process of being finished up. Wah.. I do have quite a few don't I? Too bad my Vodka Pear was given away by my dad =(
Without flash...
..and with flash!
YAY! Now I have a DSLR to call my own and to take nice photos of in Maastricht! Can't wait to test it out in the open. But before that, I am going to get it an LCD screen protector and a proper bag so that I can haul it up the airplane.

-EXCITES!-

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Of Resolutions and Reminiscences.

If you have been reading this blog for many years, you would realise that I am not big on resolutions or remembering the past. Most of the time, I live it, and then I forget most of what I have done. And I do this because I always believe that new experiences should never be shadowed by the past. Then again, there are times when it's good to look back and reflect on what I have done for the past year, and to set goals for what I want to do in the future.

Reminiscences
2010 for me was really a year of maturing and finding out what I am good at. It was also a year where I believe I found my one true love. At the same time, 2010 was the year where I wised up to the world, which may not be a good thing.

2010 was the year which Bizad lost the Rag and Flag title to Science, who I might add, didn't win it gracefully, cheating on their no touch time, and refusing to meet with Dr Helen to even discuss some kind of concession. Then again, it was their chance to finally win. Perhaps playing fair wasn't exactly top of the list.

I managed to get my best semester of results yet in the previous semester, but I think it was still not up to par in the view of some of my family. To be honest, I was expecting to do better, but I was still glad to be able to improve fromt the previous few sems.. So good enough for me!

In the year, I matured significantly as a designer all thanks to the training that the Bizad Club gave me. I can't say that I am anywhere near being pro, but I am really proud of my body of work, and I really hope to be able to build on what I have and become better at what I do! Interestingly, Design has also affirmed my intentions in taking Marketing as a specialisation. Taking a course in Asian Marketing has reaffirmed that Marketing is truly what I like to do, and what I can see myself doing despite all the uncertainties and fears that I will not be able to land a good job when I graduate.

Of course, needless to mention, the greatest highlight of 2010 was finding Ms Oh Kai Li. We may have or little quibbles here and there, and sometimes we don't get why we do certain things and we get upset over each other, but at the end of the day, we are always able to talk through these things and realise that we truly love and care for each other. I can really see us being together for a looooooong time. And I am so glad that I managed to find such a wonderful girlfriend. Thank God!

-

Resolutions
I thought I would write myself some resolutions, not as things to complete in the year, but rather as things to work towards, a list to remind me of what I should be doing amidst the busyness of studies and all.

1) Maintain my relationship with God
Sad to say, i think I have lost a bit of that in 2010. I could feel myself leaning more on myself to chase after my grades and what I want, often ignoring what God wants, or what would glorify God more. I remember the days back in CCC where there was such emphasis on glorifying God and finding out what He wants to do in my life that many other things are secondary to that singular goal... I think I can find that back. And I really want to.

2) Lose weight!
Yes, I think if I wrote resolutions every year, it would be an annual item on the list. I am now at my heaviest weight ever. I have already been taking steps to lose some of my gut, but I think you can never have too much of a good thing. My target for this year is really to complete a triathlon. Let's see what I can get when I get back from exchange! Hopefully I am not tooooo fat then,,,

3) Have fun in Europe!
I'd better promise myself that so I will do it! Hahahahahas!

4) Get even better grades.
I really want to pull it up to at least a 2nd upper. And I know I have what it takes in me. I just need to keep the discipline when the going gets tough and the books get boring!

5) Save up enough money.
I don't really spend on big ticket items, but I think food for me is huge. So I always spend more than I need to on food. So here's reminding myself to cut down on spending so that I can have a better future, and have more money to spend next time!

6) Be a better designer.
I really need to learn everything from the basics, because so far, it has been intuition. I think in order to advance, I have to really practise practise practise. Who knows, maybe in the future I would be a graphic designer!

Well, that's all I can think of for now actually. Shall add to this if I can think of more!
 
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