And the Warwickian Speaks!
Old news: I’m finally here!
In four days, I have done practically everything – shopped, travelled, cooked, gone for lecture.
Things are going good – not great as great can be, I guess, but oh! Nobody ever said that going to a new place would be easy! I definitely can’t expect the fitting in to come naturally over such a short time, but as a friend said – we will persevere! But I’m thankful that I’m in such a pretty place; it makes it all worthwhile. It made this dream worth dreaming about in the first place, so yes, how could I complain? I’m where I want to be! The campus is beautiful – and the chill shrouding it makes it all the more quaint. Campus roads are adorned with trees of leaves that seamlessly form a spectrum of fiery-red to orange to yellow to green on the same trunk. And you know, despite the adage warning us about how the grass is always deceivingly greener on the other side, the grass here REALLY is – literally – greener.
Green grass outside my flat
My room is not spectacular or particularly spacious, but it’s so incredibly cosy. I’ve been having a blast making my room as homey as possible. I bought pillowcases to match my duvet cover! And a kettle, and bananas (I want a fruit basket!), and a Tefal frying-pan, pots…I bought tea and coffee, though I have to admit that was partly because I thought it added to the homeliness of my room, haha. I love shopping for household appliances, and I especially adore buying pillowcases and bedsheets! I’m planning on looking for the perfect shade of purple to match my pillows and duvet (:
Before Unpacking
After the change
I know just a change in pillowcase colour seems like nothing, but I DO think it makes a difference!
I only wish I could have the liberty of buying a pretty mini table or shelf, a nice Japanese lamp to put on my window ledge, wallpaper my room for a bit, and oh, I don’t know! Decorate my room without the constraints of having to move to a flat next year. Moving will be an absolute nightmare- I’d have to move to Leamington Spa, which is a town out of Coventry
And I’ve been cooking! Francesca (Frankie), Vanessa and I (Tocil buddies) made a good watercress soup and honey-roasted chicken yesterday, and today I made chicken curry with Frankie. We even let two of my Brit flatmates try the curry – and they complimented it, aha. Not bad, huh? If only i could get sago – then I’d make sago dessert too!
Had an introductory lecture today as well, and I think the professor had a Irish accent because he was rolling all his R’s. The lecture was not the most ‘riveting’ (I quote the professor!) thing to listen to, because, well, I fell asleep for about 10 minutes, but it was pretty good, albeit a tad intimidating, for the rest of the 2 hours. Tomorrow I’ve got a groupwork session coming up at 9am – somewhat of an icebreaker, I’m guessing. I’m not really looking forward to the getting to the venue, because I predict I’ll lose my way and go in late, but it will be exciting to meet some more people!
Before I go on about Birmingham on Saturday, here’s a quick look at some pretty shots around and in the Math Building , where we had our lecture:
Outside the Math Building
Wall Painting in the Math Building
This artwork is apparently part of the Mead Gallery. Or something, I’m not exactly sure what it was.
Closeup of the Wall Painting
The artist let the paint flow down in vertical streaks I think? From what the info box said, different colours stand out at different times of the day- “yellows in the morning, deep purples in the evening” – now how cool is that?!
Frankie, Me and Ling Xia Outside the Math Building
THE Math Building!
Travelling – I went to Birmingham with a few of the Singaporeans two days ago! Did a spot of window shopping at the Bullring, and found a nice trenchcoat at Newlook and I fervently wish that they had a size 9 because 8 was tight but 10 was baggy. Such luck! ): And it’s been getting colder, so I have to get a coat quick! Also stopped by the the Chinese quarters for some Chinese food.
More about that later, though.
I’m off to bed! Gotta wake up for class.
And the Goodbyes Begin with…
Here’s a glimpse of post-dinner with some of my closest relatives.
And the baby was as entertaining as always. I’ll miss cuddling him! Of course, the solution to 24/7 worth of cuddling would be to have my own someday. HMM.
Today he was holding a handful of forks and spoons and he said “I have many spoons!”
So we taught him that the thing with four prongs was called a fork.
“Fork! Not Spoon!”
“Fark!”
HAHA.
So Much for All the Commercials…
see more pwn and owned pictures
Nyahaha. Maybe this happened when they were filming one of their God-like commercials.
_______________
Well just to update you, I’m postponing my flight to the 25th. So yes I have to take my own transport and everything- no free orientation coach pickup from Heathrow for me.
That’s alright. More warm weather and time for my stupid cough to get rid of itself. Plus a harsh lesson learnt – Don’t Freaking Procrastinate.
And I get to thoroughly clean my room and reorganise everything so I can make sure that I’ll properly weed out whatever I can’t bring but will useful for my parents e.g. working pens, bags, batteries, paper etc. OH and I get to compile a How-to document on Skype and MSN Messenger for my parents so that they won’t have to ONLY depend on the telephone.
Ironically, after much ado about leaving friends behind and etc. I think I will miss my parents the most- I don’t have to worry about my friends getting old and lonely. I don’t have to worry about my friends worrying about me like parents do. AND I don’t have to worry about my friends aching from mild arthritis/gastric yet still clean and mop and cook like nobody’s business. Plus I’m sure my friends don’t have a rapidly increasing white hair count.
So yes. After the years and years and quarrels and door-slamming and echoes of hurtful exchanges,
I will miss and worry for my parents ):
When I graduate, I will make sure they come for my convocation; after which I’ll arrange for them to go on a nice holiday – IN A COACH – unlike Paris in 2005 where they walked and hiked like 20-year-old backpackers. I’ll buy my mom nice handbags she’ll never use, so she can arrange them nicely on her shelf in my wardrobe (yeah it’s like that) and admire them, the way she does for all her handbags. I’ll buy my dad….um…ok, a nice wallet. Haha! Who else empathises with me when it comes to buying dad a present?
Yeah, yeah easier said than done – I might overindulge and find that I have no money left to make other people happy.
Scratch that! I will plan my finances so amazingly that even Alex will be shocked!
Ha.
When Luck Runs Out And..
…I get handed with this bundle of joy-
1. A (probably) late visa
2. A (possible likely) flight cancellation
3. A hacking cough
…which will cause me to
1. Fly alone
2. Take transport to Warwick alone
3. Find out how to take transport to Warwick alone (which is a separate issue altogether)
4. …with a giant 20+ kg suitcase (which is another separate issue)
5. Skip part/the whole of Orientation week
6. Be all the more miserable because my cough will get worse from the chill
.
.
.
..whoever came up with that lame crap about making lemonade when life hands you lemons should check how much lemonade you actually get from one lemon. That’s right. Squeeze it all out, baby. What’s that?
Nothing much.
And it’s sour.
And to make good lemonade you add loads of sugar and water anyway.
HOW’S THAT FOR A LOOPHOLE, HUH?
Somebody ought to review this stuff. Then shoot whoever wrote them.
.
On second thought, perhaps I shouldn’t sound so arrogant.
Anyone’s got a prayer to spare? I’m praying too, I promise. Whatever it takes, really.
p.s. HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
