christmas came and christmas left, in this land where nobody really cares about this occasion, i guess i had fun with our own class party with lots of pizza and potluck. love those yummy dishes with a taste of home.

and we went out for a christmas cum birthday celebration dinner at this korean bbq restaurant. as usual we attacked all the food before we could take a good photo of them.

we walked down the street after that, trying to catch as much of the festive mood as we can and this is about the best christmas can get



and now it's time to bid farewell to 2008 and welcome 2009.
it doesn't feel like the year has come to an end, the people here lives as though life just goes on. haven't even thought about reflecting on 2008 and making new year resolutions. sitting in front of the comp typing this half an hour before the clock strikes 12 simply isn't me. i've been too good for too long. i want back my old life, i want to be young at heart forever.

人群中哭着
你只想变成透明的颜色
你再也不会
梦或痛或心动了
你已经决定了
你已经决定了

你静静忍着
紧紧把昨天在拳心握着
而回忆越是甜
就是越伤人了
越是在手心留下
密密麻麻深深浅浅的刀割

你不是真正的快乐
你的笑只是
你穿的保护色
你决定不恨了
也决定不爱了
把你的灵魂
关在永远锁上的躯壳

这世界笑了
於是你合群的一起笑了
当生存是规则
不是你的选择
於是你含着眼泪
飘飘荡荡跌跌撞撞的走着

你不是真正的快乐
你的笑只是
你穿的保护色
你决定不恨了
也决定不爱了
把你的灵魂
关在永远锁上的躯壳

你不是真正的快乐
你的伤从不肯
完全的愈合
我站在你左侧
却像隔着银河
难道就真的抱着遗憾
一直到老了
然后才后悔着

曾几何时的一场雪，
掩盖了那光秃秃的土地。
看不出雪的厚度，
摸不着地的泥沙。
被冻结的回忆也被埋在底，
等待春天的阳光把它溶解。
每天在泪水的滋润下，
你看，那松树依然那么有活力。

finally some winter sports in the icy-cold snow mountains of badaling. skiing!
the day started even earlier than normal school days so that we can reach there early to avoid the crowd. we thought we could catch up on our sleep on the journey there which took about an hour and a half. but look at this.

6 of us squeezed in the front row of the van that was meant for 3 only.
as the van progressed further and further from the city area, the high-rise buildings and man-made structures gradually became mountains and farms


everything covered with snow.
we passed by the great wall, and finally arrived at our destination.
'cold' is an understatement to describe the weather. it was beyond freezing point and beyond our tolerance. my fingers were totally numb just by standing outdoors for a few minutes taking photos.


and finally we got in, changed into the skiing attire and got ourselves ready.

looking like construction workers and feeling like teletubbies.
collected our equipment and off to the snow we went.

our job for the day was just to go up and slope and come down in 1 piece.
it was fun to let gravity do its job. but the wind was so strong that it could stop me halfway down the slope.
and it was tiring, especially when queuing up for the travellator and trying very hard to push ourselves forward and not to slide backwards.
ouch, my unused triceps and i'm having second and third thoughts about going harbin

昨天早晨上学的路途上，终于遇上了今年冬季的第一场雪。细薄的小白点隐隐约约地从天空飘落，虽然看不到四处飘溢着雪花儿的美，却给这早晨带来了一些精彩。
雪什么时候覆盖那光秃秃的树梢？什么时候才能堆雪人打雪仗？

一阵突如其来的寒流，已把气温降到了冰点。阳光多努力也无法溶解那已结成的冰块。昨晚不小心掉下的眼泪，也已冻结成冰。

i opened my email and found this email with the subject MY adventurous trip and fascinating scenary‏ from my dearest dad and it writes (in these exact words):

Legi, do you want to organize a family trip when you back for CNY holiday?
see this link
http://www.sengkit.com/travel/sglembing/

very funny dad, you think i'm very free is it? why don't you bring more goodies over and post it over to me since you have absolutely nothing much to carry around when you stop over in China erm next week? ok though i have absolutely no idea what you can buy.

btw, it's a pretty cool website!

i finally visited the bird nest and water cube last weekend, 2 days before my exam!! nothing much to see actually and the admission tickets were very expensive. but it was a good break from the books and memory work, and had a great time chatting with mom and playing around with sis. yep, they finally came last week, with lots of food and love. new camera, breakfast cereal and proper 3-in-1 nescafe! and of course cooking our dinners and housework, heh. i think if they stayed for longer, i will be back to my lazy-self again..
well, people mainly go there to take photos, so here they are..

waiting for the train at the subway transfer station.

the bird nest!

even the lights around the stadium look like mini bird nests

trying to fly out of the nest. heh

running is something i haven't done for ages..

this one occupies the centre of the field, together with his green friend (i don't remember their names)

Mom, Meimei and Me!

next we visted the water cube (the trees are so pretty right?) which is just beside the bird nest but we had to walk to the other end of the cube to buy admission tickets and then walk around the other corner just to get in. yes, the people here really enjoy walking..

i present to you a big big bubble

and you can teach me how to swim..
there was nothing much to see and do in the daytime except to sit down and rest our tired legs. so this is how the inside looks like now

that's the diving pool

and that's the swimming pool which is now filled with lights that change colour. the place has transformed into a tourist attraction with shows at night (i guess it's not too different from musical fountain) that costs a few hundred bucks per ticket. eeks..

yep, that's how it looks like on the whole, with the green lights this time.
and i flew out of the nest back to my BJ home. but when am i going back to my SGP home??

You Are Kayaking

You have a competitive spirit, but you don't like to compete alone. You do well in a partnership, where you can feed off the other person's energy. If you have the right partner, nothing can stop you. Your energy is infinite!

What Olympic Sport Are You?

a song that never fails to touch my heart, the sound of piano from upstairs that plays everyday, this is one rare time when i really playing the piano!

过往温柔
已经被时间上锁
只剩挥散不去的难过
在山腰间飘逸的红雨
随着北风凋零
我轻轻摇曳风铃
想唤醒被遗弃的爱情
雪花已铺满了地
深怕窗外枫叶已结成冰
缓缓飘落的枫叶像思念
我点燃烛火温暖岁末的秋天
极光掠夺天边
北风掠过想你的容颜
我把爱烧成了落叶
却换不回熟悉的那张脸
缓缓飘落的枫叶像思念
为何挽回要赶在冬天来之前
爱你穿越时间
两行来自秋末的眼泪
让爱渗透了地面
我要的只是你在我身边

when it comes to studying, i can never do a last burst.
sigh...
i can't believe what i just did.
haiz...
just give up la..

something called mental block and boring life is making this blog rather stagnant. haven't been out except to school and supermarket. and finally we had the authentic peking duck (though i didn't eat any, heh) and finally some photos..

all plates cleared, all food gone.

posing with the duckie before a slow walk home.
see how much clothings we pile on ourselves every time we have to get out, and see what i mean by turning white!
a big thank you to oi's dad for that big meal. looks like we stuff ourselves with good food once a week =)
been sleeping quite early these days because i'm not in the mood to study and have nothing better to do.
and i'm spending more time cracking nuts than eating them, and more time eating them then studying!
...
me: so when are you coming over?
mom: around 20th
me: hmmm ok, but i got paper on 24th
mom: then i go the weekend after that?
me: can, but i got another paper on the 1st.
mom: then when am i allowed to visit you before i go there and get frozen? you took all the jackets and i have to wear your ntu jacket now!
...

天天都有落叶特别是今夜
当沙沙的风吹每一片叶掉一滴泪
夜夜有人心碎他们相信谁
当爱被解了约作何感觉
莫非无尤也无悔依旧痴痴收藏落叶
傻的心傻到哭也流不出泪
我无所谓我冷若冰淡若水
我不为梦留一点空侵掠我紧闭心扉
当感情是唯一解不开的结
而人爱听谁伤了谁
我愿是风中飘然轻落的叶
我无所谓我伤过心掉过泪
我只在乎爱本无罪
何苦要陷入重围
当世界被感情蒙上一曾灰而我
宁愿是最后的落叶

立冬前的那晚格外暖和，是秋最后的告白吧，门前墙上的红叶，也一天天地飘落。本来想出去透一透气，让冷风清醒清醒脑袋，但公园里的景慕太美了，儿童在放风筝，在满地的落叶中寻找那最红的一片。老人们在聊天散布，慢慢地聊着生活的琐碎。情侣坐在树下谈情说爱，在徐徐飘落的树叶中互相取暖。只有我一个绕着公园转了一圈又一圈，让着眼前的景物一次又一次，一幕又一幕地荡过。
过去常犹豫叶子的离开是风的追求，还是树的不挽留。我想如今已找到答案了。

another weekend has passed and it's november now. quite an eventful weekend though.
saturday was basically spent walking. after spending hours walking around in circles trying to find our way to the summer palace where we walked supposedly another 8km around kunming lake. supposedly 8km because we had so much fun stopping to take photos along the way that all the road marshals were gone and we had to navigate the way back ourselves and took the shortcut instead. it was a nice and scenic walk, romantic i would say, and the wind was soooo strong it almost blew us away!
sunday was spent out, finally collected my atm card and walked around the area before heading back for dinner at the jap restaurant beside our house. authentic style with a private room to ourselves and waitresses dressed in kimono. unlimited flow of fresh sashimi, salmon, tempera and everything else for less than 60rmb. too full to move or even laugh at our unglam photos after that! and who else can we blame other than ourselves for the consequences of over-eating?
如果风能吹起湖面的波浪，能吹落树上的枫叶，就让它带走一切吧

after hearing all the horror stories, i am so thankful for my boring and monotonous life as a full-time student and part-time housewife. waking up in early in the morning making myself some nice hot breakfast, pile on layers of clothes, scarf, boots, gloves etc. walking to school, going home just before the sun sets to cook dinner, and back to my room where i'm suppose to study. dinner's probably the highlight of the day, sitting around the table together for some simple, delicious and healthy home-cooked food with a lot less oil than outside, and no msg. although our home is not the best in terms of furnishing and renovation, and it gets really cold at night even though all the windows are closed, i'm loving this homely feeling.
school's been hectic though it's just mainly classroom lessons now. apart from the boring theory lessons which we can't escape, it's quite exciting poking needles into ourselves and friends, getting free massage by practising tuina skills on each other. what else can i ask for? life sounds great so far doesn't it?
ok, it's getting late and really cold now. time to hide under my layer of blanket and quilt with 2 layers of clothes hugging my little hot hand-warmer. nights get as cold as close to zero degrees celcius now and i can't wait for the central heating to be switched on.

原本可以睡懒觉的星期六早晨，我们却比平常更早起床，太阳还未露出它温暖的笑容我们已收拾好了东西出门了。目的只有一个，那就是尽早抵达香山欣赏秋天的红叶。经过了近两个小时的城铁与公交，穿过了拥挤的车龙和人群终于到达了目的地。以为可以看到满地布满红枫叶的我们难免有点失望。一眼望去香山还是绿色的，只是多了点红色的点缀。我们一路走一路照相留念，轻轻松松一路上有说有笑地走到了山底。上山的路更是挤满了人，大大小小老老少少都是为了目睹这秋天的美而来。我们也只能跟着人群慢慢一步一步地往上走。终于在中午走到了山顶，找了一片空石头坐下来歇息，并欣赏眼前的风景。下山时我们选坐缆车，体验一下高高在上的感觉。但高处不胜寒，一点儿也没说错，冷风迎面而来入骨而吹，冻得我们手脚冰冷，连照相都难。就这样我们下了山，完成了这次的香山之旅。


登山队伍



远方的红叶

冷风

终于到了山顶！

人山人海


我试着体会诗人曾说过的霜叶红于二月花，更是因为可以远离污染和喧哗而感到心旷神怡。但红叶也不过是掉落前短暂的光彩，一种另类的美。

星期天我们到了北大，观赏了那儿的文化节，也参观了那古色古香的校舍。



在图书馆前面

未名湖

已经习惯这季节的变化，也爱上了落叶的美。
也终于领悟了不是你的东西终究不属于你。

it was finally over, the horrible exams. and it was time to chill on that chilly night.
we walked down the shopping street, had dinner at a small restaurant, walked down the small dark street with shops selling everything needed for the ill, injured and dead. finally reached the lake. but that was just a lake (or sea) and we were not there to fish. so we braved through the rain, trying our best to avoid puddles of water but our jeans were still wet and toes were to numb to be felt. then we finally heard music and saw lights. wanted to chill at some atas-looking pub with liveband playing english songs, but it was so noisy, smoky, expensive and the minimum per table was 400yuan. obviously we just wanted to chill so we walked back and found ourselves in a nice cosy pub singing emo chinese songs.

we were there a month ago in tanktops and skirts. now we're all wrapped up.

upstairs beside the windows overlooking the sea so dark at night. even the beer's called 'chill'

i want:
- pilot g-tec pens
- tombo hi-lighters (the whole set)
- pentel liquid paper
NOW!!!

and so my adventure in this city continues, yesterday i took my new toy out to explore the CBD area and to enquire about the cali fitness here. first time on the road wasn't too bad. here in BJ everyone has a right of way. the cars don't stop for pedestrians when turning even when the green man is on, the pedestrians cross even when red man is on, bicycles weave in and out of traffic, and even against the flow, and i hear the cars honk every moment even though i stay on the 18th floor and i'm not beside a major road. so the golden rule of getting anywhere is: just go.
alright, so i managed to find the place (and the building is really called 'the place') after about half an hour. it was a sunday and CBD was very very empty. one word to describe the area: awesome! architects are really cool ppl when then can make all the buildings look so good and unique.

the big apple!! haha. they were having some apple fair and the whole big apple is made up of real apples. cool right?
managed to find the gym without much difficulty and it's awesome! and very empty. it's really better than those in Singapore, maybe cos it's newer and very few ppl go there. i wonder how's the crowd during peak hour cos yesterday almost all the 2 rows of treadmill were empty and the class has less than 10 ppl. and half were not chinese. they even have a medicine ball abs machine where it's like those basketball game you find in arcades just that you throw medicine ball and you can lie back and do crunches each time you throw a ball. they even have a basketball court (cos its endorsed by yaoming) and a room for taiji and yoga etc. not to mention the changing rooms with big and pretty chairs in front of the mirrors and shower cubicles with soap, shampoo, conditioner and surprisingly, doors! (even those in s'pore only have shower curtains). now comes the sad part. they don't have records of international members in their system so i can only use the gym upon producing my membership card, which i lost!! bleah!!! and membership is damn freaking expensive! since they are so secretive about the price, i shall just say it's about 10 times (or even more) than the any normal gym around my house area. and i will definitely wear mask next time i go out on wheels again.

say 'eeeewwwwww' but that's the amount of dust i get EVERYDAY in my room (and i love magic-clean though it's so hard to find here) now just imagine what i've inhaled. won't be surprised if my lungs turn black soon.
meanwhile i shall just go run in park on days with good weather and i'm going to get that set of dumbbells.
teach me how to convert back to healthy lifestyle when munching on junk is inevitable, beer's cheaper than water, i need stimulants like caffeine to get me studying, and i concuss unknowingly on top of my bed almost every night, waking up in the middle of the night by the cold, and the list goes on..

the past week has been spent hiding at home, in our rooms, cramping as much information from the textbook into our brains as possible for the first exam here in BJ. and it was horrendous. the late nights almost made me doze off in the middle of the paper, and it certainly didn't help by sitting next to the window, listening to the workers singing as they work downstairs. oh well, just hope the next paper won't be as bad.
Now i don't mind being a permanent housewife. my mom will be never believe me when i tell her i really do enjoy cooking and cleaning up the house, that coming from someone who does absolutely zero housework back at home and always leaves her room in a mess.
and we are all turning super auntie by spending our lunch breaks doing grocery shopping, going to class after lunch break with bags of vegetables, comparing how much money is saved by buying things on sale in supermarkets, where to buy cheap and good stuff, and discussing how often we clean the house, etc. etc. speaking of food, i really miss sambal kangkong, curry fishhead, fish soup, horfun, economic beehoon, peanut pancake, botak jones, aston, fanciful pasta, yong tau foo!! ben and jerry's, GOOD COFFEE!!! mom, quick come and save me!!
SGD keeps dropping, the sun sets at 5.30pm, the weather is ever-changing, usually around 10 degrees at night, and goes as high as 26/27 degrees during the day. things i do everyday without fail: clean my room floor, think about what to cook, check weather forecast, exchange rate, horoscope (just for fun)
now should i convince myself that people change?

作夜开始下起的那场小雨，将今天的气温下降到了新的最低点。早上冒着雨走去家乐福买点儿东西，体会那早晨的雨露，那微风轻轻地吹过。每天都走过的那一条街，却见证了我每天不一样的心情。雨水虽然带走了薄薄的烟雾，也可洗掉脸上的眼泪，但却洗不掉内心的泪水，更带不走心中的寒冷。是否要等到它结冰才能麻醉那说不出又摸不着的痛。

can't believe one week of golden week has just passed like that! what constructive things have i done? none, really.. only destructive ones and the list will just get longer.
yesterday was quite a long and dramatic day. left home early in the morning to go shopping at the wholesale centre behind the zoo, cos they close at 4pm! and i'm such a fast and efficient shopper, just went there to get what i needed. bought a coat, 2 pants, 2 boots, and some other things which couldn't escape my temptation along the way. and as i was choosing and trying on the boots at my last stop, i lost my wallet!! some damn pickpocket stole it!! tmd! had to go through all the trouble of canceling and replacing my credit cards etc again! luckily i didn't bring my IC here, and luckily i took out most of my money, so i guess that thief must have been quite disappointed to find less than 100yuan inside (and a fifty dollar SGD note, if he's smart enough to change it). and the drama doesn't end here. we were lazy to cook so i decided to buy back some dumplings from the market behind the busstop where i had to alight. and there my dearest housemates called to say that we're out of electricity! it wasn't a blackout, it's just that we forgot to top-up our electricity card (yeah electricity is pre-paid here) and best thing is all banks were closed by then. so we knocked on the glass doors of the bank since there were people inside still. and thank goodness they don't operate law-by-law here, this friendly guy came out from nowhere and asked if we need help. he managed to get us into the bank and asked the people there to switch on the machine so that we can buy our electricity. if not we had to walk even further to a 24hour place or enjoy candlelight the whole night, without hot water to bathe. phew!
now i'm finally more or less settled in my new house, and here's some photos of my nice little corner..

that's my bed, with bedsheets brought over from home (that doesn't fit perfectly) and 2 big ikea cushions, and a small and simple bedside table from ikea too

that's the place where i'm suppose to be studying, luckily it's long enough for all my junk (which is really minimal)

my wardrobe, and that's almost all the clothes i have, including the first drawer of clothes (so much less than what i have back home), and i pasted the mirror myself (from ikea too)

my cute little bedroom slippers, so soft and comfy!

a place to gather when the hungry stomach growls, love the water dispenser, getting hot water can't be more convenient

living room, with our new and pretty purple sofa. very nice to sink in too.

kitchen. where all the yummy food comes from!
and here's photos of our first 2 attempts at cooking:

first home-cooked meal of egg and tomato, chicken with capsicum and fungus, potato and carrot soup.

our second attempt of egg and chives, mushroom and tofu, and pork ribs and lotus soup.
see we can cook!! and we just found out that the little eatery downstairs do provide delivery. looks like we won't starve in winter anymore!
brrrr... it's raining now and tonight's a cold night...