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??