connecting the dOts in life: October 2007

Tuesday 23 October 2007

ɑɪ lʌv spiːʈʃ (:

( I love speech)

The past 2 years have been a roller coaster ride, a tiring journey of ups and downs. And just when I thought the going's getting easy, I find myself standing, lost at yet another crossroad. I still remember how troubled I was deciding which course to study, which career path to choose a few months back. Some people criticized, some judged. Others motivated and inspired. Looking back, I can't actually pin-point a reason why I decided on speech, it just happened, almost out of the blue! It was as though I suddenly met the right people along the way, people who molded my thoughts and helped shaped my fate.

I'm really happy studying speech now. It's as though, for once, I'm really enjoying and forseeing myself applying what I'm learning! Sometimes it's tough trying to integrate since I'm one of the mere 2 international students there. But everyone's nice and it's a small group of us, 45 in a class!

Some of the people who make classes so much more fun!

Kaisin, me and Kelly, who's a real rocker chick!!

Shazma on the left, she's really camera shy. Kaisin's crazy over photography. And you can ignore me (:

Jo lives 2 floors below me! This photo was taken after we walked an hr back and forth from a club down the road. We were all set to attend a speech party that night and smartie me forgot to bring my ID! (:(: So we just settled for a nice romantic night walk hhaha!

wɪθ lʌv,

hʊɪ ʃʊæn <3

Practising phonetics transcription here haha! (:

Sunday 21 October 2007

Everything in its Time- Corrinne May

Sometimes I wonder what lies ahead
How long till my hunger is fed
They say it's hard to make it in this part of town
So many people on this merry-go-round

Some folks try astrology
Some turn to crystal balls
To find an answer,
To get through it all
I just fall on my knees and I try to pray
In the silence I can hear Him say

The river runs and the river hides
Out to the ocean and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to patience and watch for the sign
Everything in its time

I often feel like I'm two steps behind
Somebody must have moved that finish line
There are a thousand reasons
Why I should give up
But I'm stubborn in the things I believe

The river runs and the river hides
Out to the ocean and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to patience and watch for the sign

'cause maybe there's another plan
One I still can't see
A little surprise, like your love in my life
Funny how time changes how we see

The river runs and the river hides
Out to the ocean and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to patience and watch for the sign
Everything in its time
Everything in its time

Hz dear, stay strong (:

Hello dears! Another week flew past, I'm starting to feel like time is passing really quickly. School hours are fine, not extremely demanding I must admit. But after I get back from school, cook, and wash up, I'm usually tired and not long after it's bedtime!

Hz came to London over the weekend to visit! How happy I was to see her and chieh! (:

British museum in the morn! We couldnt last looking at all the exhibition sections :x

Signing on the guest list!

Ah, timeless!

Love them to bits (:

On fri, it was FG and CH outing! The Frances Gardner gang!

With St Paul's in the background, one of my favourite places (: It was so cold that night I was shivering. I really enjoyed the pizza we had by the river!

Had a HC gathering at imperial on sat afternoon. We sang and danced, really nostalgic! They even screened a video showing personalities like Mrs Foo and Mr Ang (which we had a good laugh at :D)

I think I've uploaded this photo before. This is the board I look at every night before bed, so I go to sleep thinking of all the wonderful people who have been in my life so far (:

I think I've come to be more appreciative of things since coming to London. There are times when I feel down and I tear up when I see my family and friends over skype, so near yet so far. But I'm glad that I've a great group of friends I know I can count on over here, and friends back home who leave sweet messages here and there (:

Lotsa love from me!

Friday 12 October 2007

Hey guys! more snapshots of what's been going on in my life (apart from studying!! :)

My wordrobe, decorated with phonetic symbols which I have to memorize!! :0

Went to Harrods on monday, was hoping to get a present for my mum's birthday!

Absolutely tempting!!

Sweeties. hurhur!

In the end, this is what I got her, english tea!! haha, coz everything else is unaffordable (well it will be if I go on a hunger strike. Was so eager to buy chocs for her, but the guy mending the stall said its a silly idea coz they will definitely melt :( anw I went to mail her present back and it cost 11 pounds! More reason to pack lunch to sch...

Clothes I got from the children section at Primark (a departmental store). I cant believe I can fit into the 9-10 year old category. heh though i must admit they're a lil tight at the shoulders. but still, GOOD DEALS! :D

Nick, my neighbour, celebrated his birthday at a chinatown restaurant. He sure looks hungry here.

Went to visit my distant relative at Bromley -by-bow over the weekend! she's a really sweet lady. Had a chat with her at her house, attended church service and had Swedish Meatballs in curry sauce before her husband drove me back!

My attempt to integrate some fibre into my pasta. Eww

Walk through the park on the way back to Frances Gardner, where I call home, at least for this year! :)

Realised I havent posted any pictures of my hall! Here they are! this is the main courtyard.

Coz some people are wondering what my address is, here it goes:

Huixuan Chia

Frances Gardner House c/o Langton Close

Wren Street, Grays Inn Road

London, WC1X OHD

Went to watch Les Miserables on thur. Gosh, the singing was absolutely mind-blowing!!!

Evidence that my appetite's slower turning normal. HAPPY LUNCH HOUR! left over cabonara pasta from dinner last night and a hearty sandwich!! :D

School's getting more stressful, but I'm enjoying what I'm studying, especially child psychology and development! Gotta get back to mugging gear soon, ah!

Take care everyone and have a great weekend! :D

Sunday 7 October 2007

The stupid things ppl do!

Illegal gathering?

No! It's a bunch of grumpy, sleepy ppl dressed in their PJs gathering like to-be-slaughtered cows out in the cold.

At 4.15 am, I was awaken by a deafening, persistent alarm. First I thought I was dreaming, then, I thought my alarm clock had suddenly gone beserk!! :x It took me awhile b4 I realised it was the fire alarm and damn was it freaking loud and annoying! I thought I could ignore it and hide under my covers, but staying in my room would have driven me nuts. It's by far the most effective alarm I've ever come across!

So I opened my door and peered out, only to see a few other sleepy heads with crazy hairdos popping out. It felt like we were all in a mass sleep walking session as we made our way down to the courtyard. This is when we wish we werent staying on the 7th floor! It took us forever to walk down the stairs!!:x

At the courtyard, everyone was just stony, sleepy, grumpy and COLD! Not a good feeling at all, we watched as the fire brigade arrived and scanned the area. It took about 20 min, before we were all allowed to return to dreamland.

And the cause of this? A bunch of idiots who tried to create a sauna in the kitchen by turning on all the stoves. wth! 0.o

And the fun continues! Just before I was putting on my clothes after bathing early the next morning, the same deafening shrill came on!! :x

And I thought firedrills happen once a year. AH!

Friday 5 October 2007

Had a speechie party today! It wasnt much, just the year 1s and 3s gathering at this super old school disco place with some wine and chips. I drank orange juice! haha.

Kaisin and I! With silly stickers with our names on them!

I started to cook! I think I'm definitely becoming more efficient. Ever since the last attempt when Minshin and I cooked from 830pm-11pm (partly coz we waited forever for the chicken to defrost) I've pledged to devote full effort into increasing my cooking efficiency! I'm pretty proud of my progress so far! :D

Fried Rice!!!!!

Korean instant noodles with mushroom, sausages, vegetables and egg! Bought the noodles (chu qian yi ding) from a korean minimart for 45 p=SGD1.35per pax!

I felt so happy eating it!! :D

Anw, here are some random sightings I came across and took pics of today!

I didnt know Kings Cross Tube station looks that nice!

After the party, Kaisin and I had time to spare before a volunteering meeting so we wondered into a scientology centre!

A man in a suit told us that a movie was going to be screened in a few minutes and invited us upstairs. When we got to the theatre, there was not a single person there!! THe title of the movie was "the evolution of science" haha. Till now I don't understand what was going on in the movie. Everything just seemed so unnatural and odd! anw, we left halfway coz I was starting to feel uneasy!

Below: Scientology gallery!

On my long walks back home, I come across strange sightings. London is such an exciting place!

Monkeys!

Is that a rocket? I swear it really did look like one blasting into space! whee!

School's fun so far! The lectures are quite slack. I'm still not used to this fact: during 1.5 hr lectures:

Lecturer: Let's have a short break shall we?

pause..

Lecturer: Let's make it 20 min? Get a bite, be back by then.

WAH and everyone comes back with coffee and snacks. In the past, 5 min breaks were like TO DIE FOR!

The weekend's coming! really excited coz I may be going for frisbee trials, and possible to watch Les Miserables! :D happy weekend everyone!!

Wednesday 3 October 2007

Random pictures!

Went to the malaysian embassy yesterday morn to get a criminal records check done. Felt like home again when I heard all that chattering in malay!

Was so happy to see the Malaysia flag!

Along my way back, I chanced upon the horses that were making their way to the Buckingham Palace Gates. Tried to follow them but they were too far ahead!

Pathway to the Palace gates.

Then, I realised the area around the embassy's really pretty! It's near Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, and even a war memorial!

First time I took the tube myself! Numerous posters along the way on the escalators! Cant wait to catch Les Miserables!

As a geeky student, I visited the school library. Damn is it nice!

Freshers weeks are on going, so I have to choose which clubs and societies I wanna join! Am thinking of the malaysian/singaporean society, Ultimate Frisbee, Gym (coz of pilates and yoga)! Cant make up my mind!! So now I'm just going around to take a look at everything! Tmr I'm gonna try ice skating for the first time! Am really excited!

Had more phonetics lesson today. I'm really enjoying them! shall blog more about it next time! Really tired, night everyone :D

Monday 1 October 2007

Hello my friends!!

I'm finally blogging!I really have alot to say, I dun even think I can finish everything I wanna type. Life in London is really different. And I've come to appreciate the readily available food that's waiting for me at the dining table back at home. Cooking's fun but time consuming, I hope I'll get more efficient with time! I do make it a point to have a big breakfast daily though!

Nutritious right!!

Sometimes, I do get into the emo mood and think about how it'll be like back at home. The culture here's pretty different. The british seriously love to drink and party. Booze booze and more booze. There was one night my flatmates brought back her friends to our house kitchen. There was drinking, and ppl were also rolling man-made cigarettes! :o hmm, to think that this is actually mild, I really hope that when they decide to do marijuanna, it will be discrete and not within my sight ( I heard its v common) I will so have the urge to yank those stuff away from them!

After nights of observing and playing silly games like truth or dare, I think I know who are the wild ones, the safe ones, the keep-my-distance ones etc. I dun mind drinking as a social thing, but I'm not going to turn into a clubbing freak or change who I am coz of the culture here!

Anw, take a look at my room! Thanks to Kai, a fellow singaporean who helped me put up the posters and "interior designing".

I love my posters!

Penthouse view? heh. I wanna buy more potted plants! (:

School officially starts tomorrow! I'm actually quite excited! though I've already met my course mates. Its a small class of 45 people.. but i think we'll get to know more ppl as some of our lectures are joint with audiology/psychology/linguistics students. I'm one of the two international students in my class, the other's Kaisin, a fellow Singaporean! So far, the experience has been quite unique. There are coursemates who are pretty old (married, even some with kids! :0) Most people here have so much difficulty pronouncing my name! It'll go like this:

Person: Hi there, you are?

Me: Hi, I'm Huixuan, nice to meet you, what about yours?

Person: I'm so and so

Me: Smiles or smth

Person: SOrry your name again?

Me: Huuuiii xxuuaannn(slowly)

Person: What!?hushun? Do you have an easier name which i can call you by?

Me:xuan?

Person: shuann. great!

After a while...

PErson: sorry can you repeat your name again?

AHH!it's pretty hilarious. especially when some people try to spell my names while storing my name in their mobile phones. There was a girl that spelt it as : SHOE- ANN.

Phonetics lesson tomorrow! So exciting! I hope I wont flop while learning the british accent. I have difficulties even understanding it when ppl speak to me!

TAKE CARE EVERYONE! <3