From the wonderful winter holiday till this very hot and hectic summer, many things have happened. Ah, yes, I just watched a couple hours of Game of Thrones, hence the post title. Anyway, so many things have changed since December so let me see where I begin.
The Winter
My first destination was Copenhagen, of course. It was exciting and I was filled in anticipation throughout the 17-hour flight journey. In between, I transited at Doha, Qatar. Didn't get out of the airport so my only impression of the place was gold and more gold.
I could feel the cold when we landed at Kastrup Airport, København (the danish name for Copenhagen). Had breakfast at a cafe while adjusting to the cold and dry climate. The pastries are wonderful, but what amazed me more is the biking culture. Apparently they cycle everywhere within the city. Its truly a wonderful city and I'm really keen on the idea of migrating to the Scandinavia one day.
The week in Copenhagen went by very quickly. The few highlights were Tivoli, Nyhavn, Ismageriet (gelato), Christmas markets, hot dogs, kebabs and potatos. Tivoli during Christmas was so beautiful that it felt like I was in Wonderland. Wasn't keen on the rides because it was cold and I had a headache that night. Dinner was, however, amazing. My steak was tender and juicy and her Danish roast pork just make me wanna snatch it over. We also went to the Christmas market around Norreport and Kongs Nytorv, the food IS amazing. The atmosphere can never be conveyed through words.
On day 3, we braved the rain to Ismageriet for ice cream at Amager, its so good that I wanted to go back for another round before I leave Copenhagen but sadly its close for half of January. Scandinavian life damn chill lol. The hot dogs, kebabs and potatoes deserve special mention because they are like the most common food around, I would say trademark but kebab is technically imported by Arabic migrants. Nevertheless, hot dogs are their trademark and the potatoes are too good not to be mentioned.
Oh did I mention that on day 5 it snowed? My first encounter with snow and its perfert. We were walking in a heavy rain in Frederiksberg park, and all of the sudden, the droplets turned into snow a few at a time. That moment is wayyy tooo beautiful. 唯美.
Second destination was Iceland. Hurray. Vikings. My favorite place of all times. Iceland is truly the land of ice and fire. Volcanoes and glaciers (many of them) side by side, where else do you find that? Unable to drive, we have to rely on tours to go around, and they pick us up and send us back to our hostel. As the plane was landing, we caught sight of some iceberg as well as the beach that was black (sand) and white (snow). Fell in love with the Iceland immediately. We went to Blue Lagoon immediately upon arrival. It was dark when we reach, and the pictures were pretty much underexposed, but being in the lagoon at night is magical! The steam that clouds the vision in the darkness, the blue hue of the lagoon, the warmth of the water against your skin, and the cold air that keeps you wide awake. Oh, it was also where I had my first taste of Icelandic glacier water. Perfect, just perfect.
The next day was tour day. Our first tour was the Golden Circle tour, and our first stop was Thingvellir National Park. It is where a section of the Mid-Atlantic ridge is located, where the Eurasian plate meets the North American plate. Aside from its great geographical significance, it was also where the first Icelandic parliament was held. It was also where I threw a glove down the valley in a feat of excitement, hmmm...Anyway, the landscape is breathtaking, like BREATHTAKING. As we move towards the Geysir (Strokkur actually), guess what, the wind literally blew our bus off track and we were stranded in the snow for over an hour in a very odd angle. The tour guide says it happen on daily basis. Lol. Went straight to Gulfoss to see the waterfall before its dark but half of it was frozen, and the lamb soup was actually more attractive than the falls haha. We reach Haukadalur geothermal area and manage to catch a few eruption of Strokkur before the sky went pitch black, and then another few hours back to Reykjavik.
Well, to compensate for our time spend hanging in odd angle, they gave us a full refund. So we went to catch the Northern Light Tour the same night. It wasn't in the plan, but I believe we would have went in the end even without the refund. Its really difficult to resist something that you probably see once in a lifetime. Had some great burritos for dinner and off we go into the darkness. No kidding. Pitch black darkness and we couldn't see further than a few metres without flash light in the open. No sign of northern lights and we were quite disappointed, but then miracle happened. On the way back, the lights became really strong and the tour guide was kind enough to stop by the roadside for 15 minutes. It was magical but a little disappointing for the human eyes. The beauty that you see on the internet can only be capture through DSLRs with long range exposure, so there's no such thing as seeing that with your own eyes. Wonderful nevertheless.
The next two days (Christmas and its eve) were homely, because almost everything was closed and we moved hostel to the suburbs, which was a few km away from town. Before we left downtown we had some awesome lamb hot dogs and the famous Icelandic fish and chips. Basically, they use super damn fresh cod. Enough said. Later that day, we rushed to 10-11 and manage to stock up our supplies (lovely homemade pasta) for the two days. We walked for 45 minutes back to downtown Reykjavik, passing through the business district that looked no different from a deserted town, for Christmas lunch. We had lobster soup, salmon skewer, cod skewer and a lot of bread. Everything was delicious, so perfect. Christmas dinner was a simple homemade marinara spaghetti with bacon, but it was the coziest dinner I ever had in my life. I'll never forget this Christmas.
Bidding farewell to my beloved Iceland, we flew back to Copenhagen for the afternoon to repack our luggage before catching the next flight to Prague. Oh Prague, the heart of Bohemia. It may not have the breathtaking landscape Iceland offers, but it definitely has one of the most medieval cityscapes. Spent a night in Prague before taking a ride to Cesky Krumlov, a small medieval town that has become a tourist attraction (and UNESCO World Heritage Site). Peace and tranquil, this is a cozy small town that's worth exploring. Food in Czech is cheap and delicious, and of a very different flavor from the Scandinavia. On our first day at Cesky, we had their trademark Bramboracky (potato omelette), Klobása (the Bratwurst of Czech) and three chunks of grilled salmon fillet for SGD 12. Best 12 bucks I've ever spent haha. Finally something cheap after 11 days in the Scandinavian countries. The best meat in Czech is obviously pork, everything pork just taste damn eff good, and its European size. The price for serving easily doubles in Singapore, with no satisfaction guaranteed. Overall, 2 days in Cesky was enough to explore the peninsula and the castle, walk the alleys, cross the bridges, and lose yourself in the 12th century town.
The next four days were spent in Prague, we stayed pretty far away from the city centre to save money because its really expensive during the New Year season. First, okay technically second, night in Prague was spent in the quiet neighborhood of Letňany. Our dinner was an amusing experience because the waiter of the small neighborhood restaurant does not speak English. He only managed to help us differentiate between the types of meat, and we just randomly selected our dinner. It turn out to be a pleasant surprise. Authenticly Praha.
The next two days were spent around the city centre, going to the Wencaslas Square, Old town, Prague Castle and Charles Bridge. Most of the time was spent walking with thermal breaks in cafes. A few highlight was the medovina (honey wine), the beer monastery behind Prague Castle, the marvelous St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, counting down and watching fireworks along Vltava River. If Reykjavik was the best Christmas, then this is the best New Year countdown I've ever had. OH, we had pretty authentic pho at a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner twice. It was really good and we need a break from all the meat ingested.
On the last day in Prague (and the first day of 2015), most of thing was closed and we ended up in McDonald's. Cheese King is the best McDonald's burger ever!!! Funny how we always have fast food for New Year. We had Popeyes for 2014, KFC for 2015 eve and McDonald's for 2015. New Year was as simple as Christmas because there's really nothing available in Europe during these 2 days.
The last few days in Czech was spent in Liberec, an ulu town that is known for skiing. There's like nothing else in the town, even the shopping mall is boring. Worst part? We got a room with no room keys. Cannot lock the door because its totally key-based. Thankfully nothing happened. Okay, back to skiing. The chairlifts were down, so we had to lug the equipments up the slippery slope and well, yes, we fell multiple times. Once we reach the ski slopes, we realize we can't ski for nuts and there is no coaching service because its still New Year holiday. Damn. So we just try our best psuedo-skiing, that is, move and fall down. Tiring day from falling but still quite a memorable experience. We left for Prague early the next day, and went to Republic Square for the roast pork knee that we wanted to try since Cesky before leaving for the airport.
I was back in Copenhagen for another 3 days. We spent the days walking around town, parks, shopping for souvenirs and grabbing a nice dinner of steaks and potatoes before I had to leave for Singapore. If it wasn't for EHDP I would have stayed longer. I really miss the Scandinavia now. Maybe one day, I'll return to live in Copenhagen or Stockholm, where the climate is right and the culture is lovely.
I could feel the cold when we landed at Kastrup Airport, København (the danish name for Copenhagen). Had breakfast at a cafe while adjusting to the cold and dry climate. The pastries are wonderful, but what amazed me more is the biking culture. Apparently they cycle everywhere within the city. Its truly a wonderful city and I'm really keen on the idea of migrating to the Scandinavia one day.
The week in Copenhagen went by very quickly. The few highlights were Tivoli, Nyhavn, Ismageriet (gelato), Christmas markets, hot dogs, kebabs and potatos. Tivoli during Christmas was so beautiful that it felt like I was in Wonderland. Wasn't keen on the rides because it was cold and I had a headache that night. Dinner was, however, amazing. My steak was tender and juicy and her Danish roast pork just make me wanna snatch it over. We also went to the Christmas market around Norreport and Kongs Nytorv, the food IS amazing. The atmosphere can never be conveyed through words.
On day 3, we braved the rain to Ismageriet for ice cream at Amager, its so good that I wanted to go back for another round before I leave Copenhagen but sadly its close for half of January. Scandinavian life damn chill lol. The hot dogs, kebabs and potatoes deserve special mention because they are like the most common food around, I would say trademark but kebab is technically imported by Arabic migrants. Nevertheless, hot dogs are their trademark and the potatoes are too good not to be mentioned.
Oh did I mention that on day 5 it snowed? My first encounter with snow and its perfert. We were walking in a heavy rain in Frederiksberg park, and all of the sudden, the droplets turned into snow a few at a time. That moment is wayyy tooo beautiful. 唯美.
Second destination was Iceland. Hurray. Vikings. My favorite place of all times. Iceland is truly the land of ice and fire. Volcanoes and glaciers (many of them) side by side, where else do you find that? Unable to drive, we have to rely on tours to go around, and they pick us up and send us back to our hostel. As the plane was landing, we caught sight of some iceberg as well as the beach that was black (sand) and white (snow). Fell in love with the Iceland immediately. We went to Blue Lagoon immediately upon arrival. It was dark when we reach, and the pictures were pretty much underexposed, but being in the lagoon at night is magical! The steam that clouds the vision in the darkness, the blue hue of the lagoon, the warmth of the water against your skin, and the cold air that keeps you wide awake. Oh, it was also where I had my first taste of Icelandic glacier water. Perfect, just perfect.
The next day was tour day. Our first tour was the Golden Circle tour, and our first stop was Thingvellir National Park. It is where a section of the Mid-Atlantic ridge is located, where the Eurasian plate meets the North American plate. Aside from its great geographical significance, it was also where the first Icelandic parliament was held. It was also where I threw a glove down the valley in a feat of excitement, hmmm...Anyway, the landscape is breathtaking, like BREATHTAKING. As we move towards the Geysir (Strokkur actually), guess what, the wind literally blew our bus off track and we were stranded in the snow for over an hour in a very odd angle. The tour guide says it happen on daily basis. Lol. Went straight to Gulfoss to see the waterfall before its dark but half of it was frozen, and the lamb soup was actually more attractive than the falls haha. We reach Haukadalur geothermal area and manage to catch a few eruption of Strokkur before the sky went pitch black, and then another few hours back to Reykjavik.
Well, to compensate for our time spend hanging in odd angle, they gave us a full refund. So we went to catch the Northern Light Tour the same night. It wasn't in the plan, but I believe we would have went in the end even without the refund. Its really difficult to resist something that you probably see once in a lifetime. Had some great burritos for dinner and off we go into the darkness. No kidding. Pitch black darkness and we couldn't see further than a few metres without flash light in the open. No sign of northern lights and we were quite disappointed, but then miracle happened. On the way back, the lights became really strong and the tour guide was kind enough to stop by the roadside for 15 minutes. It was magical but a little disappointing for the human eyes. The beauty that you see on the internet can only be capture through DSLRs with long range exposure, so there's no such thing as seeing that with your own eyes. Wonderful nevertheless.
The next two days (Christmas and its eve) were homely, because almost everything was closed and we moved hostel to the suburbs, which was a few km away from town. Before we left downtown we had some awesome lamb hot dogs and the famous Icelandic fish and chips. Basically, they use super damn fresh cod. Enough said. Later that day, we rushed to 10-11 and manage to stock up our supplies (lovely homemade pasta) for the two days. We walked for 45 minutes back to downtown Reykjavik, passing through the business district that looked no different from a deserted town, for Christmas lunch. We had lobster soup, salmon skewer, cod skewer and a lot of bread. Everything was delicious, so perfect. Christmas dinner was a simple homemade marinara spaghetti with bacon, but it was the coziest dinner I ever had in my life. I'll never forget this Christmas.
Bidding farewell to my beloved Iceland, we flew back to Copenhagen for the afternoon to repack our luggage before catching the next flight to Prague. Oh Prague, the heart of Bohemia. It may not have the breathtaking landscape Iceland offers, but it definitely has one of the most medieval cityscapes. Spent a night in Prague before taking a ride to Cesky Krumlov, a small medieval town that has become a tourist attraction (and UNESCO World Heritage Site). Peace and tranquil, this is a cozy small town that's worth exploring. Food in Czech is cheap and delicious, and of a very different flavor from the Scandinavia. On our first day at Cesky, we had their trademark Bramboracky (potato omelette), Klobása (the Bratwurst of Czech) and three chunks of grilled salmon fillet for SGD 12. Best 12 bucks I've ever spent haha. Finally something cheap after 11 days in the Scandinavian countries. The best meat in Czech is obviously pork, everything pork just taste damn eff good, and its European size. The price for serving easily doubles in Singapore, with no satisfaction guaranteed. Overall, 2 days in Cesky was enough to explore the peninsula and the castle, walk the alleys, cross the bridges, and lose yourself in the 12th century town.
The next four days were spent in Prague, we stayed pretty far away from the city centre to save money because its really expensive during the New Year season. First, okay technically second, night in Prague was spent in the quiet neighborhood of Letňany. Our dinner was an amusing experience because the waiter of the small neighborhood restaurant does not speak English. He only managed to help us differentiate between the types of meat, and we just randomly selected our dinner. It turn out to be a pleasant surprise. Authenticly Praha.
The next two days were spent around the city centre, going to the Wencaslas Square, Old town, Prague Castle and Charles Bridge. Most of the time was spent walking with thermal breaks in cafes. A few highlight was the medovina (honey wine), the beer monastery behind Prague Castle, the marvelous St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, counting down and watching fireworks along Vltava River. If Reykjavik was the best Christmas, then this is the best New Year countdown I've ever had. OH, we had pretty authentic pho at a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner twice. It was really good and we need a break from all the meat ingested.
On the last day in Prague (and the first day of 2015), most of thing was closed and we ended up in McDonald's. Cheese King is the best McDonald's burger ever!!! Funny how we always have fast food for New Year. We had Popeyes for 2014, KFC for 2015 eve and McDonald's for 2015. New Year was as simple as Christmas because there's really nothing available in Europe during these 2 days.
The last few days in Czech was spent in Liberec, an ulu town that is known for skiing. There's like nothing else in the town, even the shopping mall is boring. Worst part? We got a room with no room keys. Cannot lock the door because its totally key-based. Thankfully nothing happened. Okay, back to skiing. The chairlifts were down, so we had to lug the equipments up the slippery slope and well, yes, we fell multiple times. Once we reach the ski slopes, we realize we can't ski for nuts and there is no coaching service because its still New Year holiday. Damn. So we just try our best psuedo-skiing, that is, move and fall down. Tiring day from falling but still quite a memorable experience. We left for Prague early the next day, and went to Republic Square for the roast pork knee that we wanted to try since Cesky before leaving for the airport.
I was back in Copenhagen for another 3 days. We spent the days walking around town, parks, shopping for souvenirs and grabbing a nice dinner of steaks and potatoes before I had to leave for Singapore. If it wasn't for EHDP I would have stayed longer. I really miss the Scandinavia now. Maybe one day, I'll return to live in Copenhagen or Stockholm, where the climate is right and the culture is lovely.
The Spring
The moment I got back I was drowned by...uhm pretty much everything. EHDP choreography that I have missed in the whole December, revising my own choreography to teach and clean my dancers, getting the blockings down and the light cues ready. Planning for my modules. Handling all the shit that happen during lights plot. It was more than just the lights -.- Before I knew it, we're in UCC, then we're on the stage performing, and then everything is over. 3rd EHDP and still a fulfilling journey despite all the hardship that we had to overcome along the way.
CNY happened, went back to grandma's place and it felt like something is missing. My grandfather.
For the past couple of years his health had deteriorated. His was semi-deaf and his kidney failed, his relationship with grandma was rocky, and usually my dad is the only one (out of 7 children) that will sit down and chat with him, but my dad was overseas for the past two years as well. I didn't manage to see him when he was hospitalized, I didn't even know because it all happened so quickly. Within a few days of hospitalization and he left. Every now and then when I go back to grandma's place, I would miss the figure that's always seated in the front yard, the first person I would see when I reach the place. The figure that has always work in his mini-farm in the backyard. The person that gives angpau to only me and not any of his other grandchildren (they take from my grandma only). The person that would wake up early to by my favorite duck noodles for my breakfast. The person that always keep me entertained in my childhood. You'll always live in my memory, and I'll do you proud in life.
Then DU came, and both items had great significance to me. Team Nigga, one of the most intense item I've done, was one great item that truly bond us tight. I'm glad we killed the stage on both days, that energy was insane. Team Calamari, of great emotional significance and tells a story close to heart. We change song 3 practices before bump-in and guess what? We pulled it off. Probably not the creme of the crop item, but I was expressing through dance, all of us were, and that's what make the item so special for us.
Academically, this semester wasn't the best I could have done, but the choices made were not regretted. I spent much more time on the social aspect this semester, I even went to queue for LKY memorial after dance. We ended practice at 1am and we started queuing at 3am. Tired but I think this great man deserves the respect. Slightly less focused on academics this sem, probably because my fuel was running low and I just needed a slowdown in studying. I still love the subjects, but I need a break.
CNY happened, went back to grandma's place and it felt like something is missing. My grandfather.
For the past couple of years his health had deteriorated. His was semi-deaf and his kidney failed, his relationship with grandma was rocky, and usually my dad is the only one (out of 7 children) that will sit down and chat with him, but my dad was overseas for the past two years as well. I didn't manage to see him when he was hospitalized, I didn't even know because it all happened so quickly. Within a few days of hospitalization and he left. Every now and then when I go back to grandma's place, I would miss the figure that's always seated in the front yard, the first person I would see when I reach the place. The figure that has always work in his mini-farm in the backyard. The person that gives angpau to only me and not any of his other grandchildren (they take from my grandma only). The person that would wake up early to by my favorite duck noodles for my breakfast. The person that always keep me entertained in my childhood. You'll always live in my memory, and I'll do you proud in life.
Then DU came, and both items had great significance to me. Team Nigga, one of the most intense item I've done, was one great item that truly bond us tight. I'm glad we killed the stage on both days, that energy was insane. Team Calamari, of great emotional significance and tells a story close to heart. We change song 3 practices before bump-in and guess what? We pulled it off. Probably not the creme of the crop item, but I was expressing through dance, all of us were, and that's what make the item so special for us.
Academically, this semester wasn't the best I could have done, but the choices made were not regretted. I spent much more time on the social aspect this semester, I even went to queue for LKY memorial after dance. We ended practice at 1am and we started queuing at 3am. Tired but I think this great man deserves the respect. Slightly less focused on academics this sem, probably because my fuel was running low and I just needed a slowdown in studying. I still love the subjects, but I need a break.
The Summer
This summer was pretty hectic for a holiday, I'm juggling research work and Flag committee stuff while brainstorming for my thesis.
On the Flag side, administrative work is unavoidable being in sponsorship and acting as subcommittee head for one of the fundraising event. I just had to try it for real to confirm my disdain of admin work. Well, on the bright side, I'm doing charity work. So despite all the work, at least I know someone in need is benefiting from it.
I started work as research assistant under Prof. Ko, my advanced microeconomics lecturer. Up to more, there isn't much on the research aspect yet. I'm helping in with summarizing notes and organizing slides for the module he is teaching next semester: EC4334 Financial Market Microstructure. I really learn a lot from all these work alone, like a whole new branch of economics that I have to learn thoroughly in order to carry out the work assigned. A level-4000 module in 2 weeks, quite an achievement. I hope to learn more on actual research soon, probably the environmental macroeconomic project that he is working on. Among all the papers that he is working on, it seems like the most interesting and thesis-relevant topic for me.
Exam results were released exactly one week ago and they were slightly below expectations. I expected somewhere around the 4.3-4.4 range for the semester but I only manage to get 4.26. Careless mistakes in exam makes advanced microeconomics and logic worse than what it should be. Nevertheless, I still did better than expected in econometrics, real and numerical analyses. So guess its still balanced out in the end. Work harder next sem, no more excuses and slowdowns in my last 2 semesters.
The math tuition for the kid from low SES is starting soon, I don't really need the money as of now, but hearing his situation and his willingness to learn, it struck me that I really had many things to easily. For me, mathematics before university come quite naturally to me. I wasn't the best at it, but I was good enough to breeze through most of it. It was only till university that I faced difficulty in it, and I had to do extensive research and studying on my own to keep up with the lecture pace. So went I heard of this assignment (a continuation from a friend of friend), I decided to take it up. I hope that I could make some difference in someone else's life with whatever little time I have out of my hectic schedule.
Thank you for brightening 2 years of my life, and changing me for the better. You helped me discover who I am, both the good and the bad. You helped me found my passion and motivated me towards it. You taught me empathy, which I definitely lack. Thanks for always scolding me when I'm not living healthily despite my stubbornness, for always reminding me I don't have to be such a perfectionist because imperfection is what makes life perfect, and for being so accommodating with my laziness. You've done so much for me, but I've not been a positive influence in your life. Sorry :(
The innocence that I always laughed at, the values that I don't entirely agree with, and the caring personality that I've took for granted are what makes you beautiful. Like what you always tell me, don't need to be so harsh on yourself :) Maybe still bake a cookie for me one day?
On the Flag side, administrative work is unavoidable being in sponsorship and acting as subcommittee head for one of the fundraising event. I just had to try it for real to confirm my disdain of admin work. Well, on the bright side, I'm doing charity work. So despite all the work, at least I know someone in need is benefiting from it.
I started work as research assistant under Prof. Ko, my advanced microeconomics lecturer. Up to more, there isn't much on the research aspect yet. I'm helping in with summarizing notes and organizing slides for the module he is teaching next semester: EC4334 Financial Market Microstructure. I really learn a lot from all these work alone, like a whole new branch of economics that I have to learn thoroughly in order to carry out the work assigned. A level-4000 module in 2 weeks, quite an achievement. I hope to learn more on actual research soon, probably the environmental macroeconomic project that he is working on. Among all the papers that he is working on, it seems like the most interesting and thesis-relevant topic for me.
Exam results were released exactly one week ago and they were slightly below expectations. I expected somewhere around the 4.3-4.4 range for the semester but I only manage to get 4.26. Careless mistakes in exam makes advanced microeconomics and logic worse than what it should be. Nevertheless, I still did better than expected in econometrics, real and numerical analyses. So guess its still balanced out in the end. Work harder next sem, no more excuses and slowdowns in my last 2 semesters.
The math tuition for the kid from low SES is starting soon, I don't really need the money as of now, but hearing his situation and his willingness to learn, it struck me that I really had many things to easily. For me, mathematics before university come quite naturally to me. I wasn't the best at it, but I was good enough to breeze through most of it. It was only till university that I faced difficulty in it, and I had to do extensive research and studying on my own to keep up with the lecture pace. So went I heard of this assignment (a continuation from a friend of friend), I decided to take it up. I hope that I could make some difference in someone else's life with whatever little time I have out of my hectic schedule.
Thank you for brightening 2 years of my life, and changing me for the better. You helped me discover who I am, both the good and the bad. You helped me found my passion and motivated me towards it. You taught me empathy, which I definitely lack. Thanks for always scolding me when I'm not living healthily despite my stubbornness, for always reminding me I don't have to be such a perfectionist because imperfection is what makes life perfect, and for being so accommodating with my laziness. You've done so much for me, but I've not been a positive influence in your life. Sorry :(
The innocence that I always laughed at, the values that I don't entirely agree with, and the caring personality that I've took for granted are what makes you beautiful. Like what you always tell me, don't need to be so harsh on yourself :) Maybe still bake a cookie for me one day?