I have moved!

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

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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

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!

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?

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?"

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!

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.

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

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...

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！

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..

匿名的好友

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

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 =)

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.

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.

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

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.

X-Men: First Class - Official Trailer

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