Puzzled

Breakfast this morning was good...

But what's going on really? Is there hope?

I wish I could read minds... Or mind.

Chadstone

8 pm and the sky's still bright as day.

I've just returned from a trip to Chadstone Shopping Centre with nearly everyone except Gabriel.

The place is huge! Bigger than anything I've ever seen. Sadly it's mostly filled with upmarket boutique shops that I wouldn't dare walk into for the next urm.. 10 years?

The variety of goods sold there is astounding though, and I'd recommend everyone at least head over there to take a look around. I managed to get my fluorescent table lamp after so long! And I bought milk (Can't bear the loss of my staple diet anymore).

Didn't see the rows of cinemas that the RAs told us there were though. Odd.

Anyway, the main reason we went there was to exchange or get a refund for Xin Yi's bed cover. Seems like what her Mum bought can't even qualify as a blanket. Amazingly, the store agreed to a refund! In Singapore they'd just ask you to fuck off... Oh well, looks like we'll have to shop for the quilt another day.

Off to look for Harold to return him some money.

Later dudes.

Ping Pong

I learnt how to play Table Tennis at 1 am today.

Honest.

Bitch, Biatch, Botched

Phew! Finally! The Internet is graced by my presence once more. Bask in the glory of THE Narcissist.

Anyway, Med Fac's Transitional Residential Weekend has come to it's much anticipated end, and consequently, gazillions (Well, maybe just 3) of people have been delivered from Puragatory into urm... Hell.

Allow me to summarise.

Transition Residential Weekend S-U-C-K-E-D. Period.

It was a waste of time, money and effort. It was boring, shallow and repetitive. It useless, unnecessary and uninformed. It is the reason why I am now disillusioned with coming here.

I arrived in Melbourne and Monash University with an open mind, and a base level of respect for everyone, but Transition Residential just destroyed that all.

I was forced to group with MEDICINE students who are so totally naive, clueless and attention seeking that one could not believe that such people will become doctors some day.

The ELITE asked questions as though they have a verbal diarrhoea - only worse, next to NO ONE actually thought about what they said and if it was substantial and constructive.

I have coursemates telling me that being sober is an important attribute of a doctor.

I have people giving idiotic, plain inane comments that are just reflective of how little critical thinking they have. For example, the tutor tried to give an example of a rural area. A student interjected that her choice of location doesn't exist and is fictional.

I have people sharing their thoughts not because they were fresh perspectives but because they are just so common-sensical that the tutors can't help but agree with their viewpoints. Are they so desperate to seek approval? Is the nod or the "Yes" of a tutor so vital to their survival that they have to mention obvious things?

I have morons who take "friendliness" beyond necessary and just drop in on conversations and introduce themselves. Worse still, they don't understand sarcasm and take that as an invitation.

I see retards having ego grudge matches in the middle of the night, making noises and disturbing people. Some cock thought he'll grow another 8 testicles when he stood up on a table and drank a 2 litre bottle of milk.

What the fuck.

What is wrong over here honestly? What is?!

Are they really like that? I was so sick and tired of the "contributions" by the end of the first day that I felt like I was dead and hollow inside.

I am so severely disappointed by the quality of the students here. Though there are some who are extremely competent and smart, the spread of the intelligence is just too varied. How did they even pass the selection?

It is to my dismay that these are the people I am going to work with for the next 5 years. It sucks. It's horrible. It makes me wanna do NUS Law and sue the pants off each and every one of the idiots.

I am not claiming to be superior in anyway, but really, even I (And numerous other people I know) were more mature in behaviour, actions and thought than they are.

C'est la Vie they say?

Not possible.

I only hope the situation improves.

Otherwise, I desperately want out. Now.

KThxBye.

P.S. The next bastard who promotes his Club, Society or Programme with 'Having Fun, Party and BBQs" as the MAIN SELLING POINT is gonna get shot.

Monotony

Phew.

What a boring day. Probably because I was with Gabriel the entire day. Haha... Just kidding.

Morning breakfast as usual... Then to the Faculty meetings at the campus proper.

Oddly enough, the weather was sweltering hot today! I'm talking about 32 Deg C minimum. With no clouds! I NEED that pair of sunglasses now... Think I got a little sunburnt. Sucks.

Anyway, the day was mostly spent walking around like some idiot in my shorts (Still don't get why people think shorts are sexy..) and looking for the badminton dude... To no avail of course.

Late afternoon, we headed to this UNISMART lecture. It was pretty funny and interesting, but since all us guys have went through NS, they're really just teaching things that we've already learnt the hard way.

Evening was Pizza Night! And their pizza rocks. I could survive by eating just pizzas! (Maybe not...Too constipated)

We headed to this really secluded entertainment centre "Sidetracked" at night.

Raced the rest with a game of Go Karting. It was exhilarating! The speed, the freedom, and the urm... Competition felt invigorating. Probably the only good thing that happened the whole day.

Headed back to the dorm at around 11 to pack. I closed the door and received a knock nearly immediately. Thought it was Gabriel... To my surprise, Xin Yi stood there. Scared the shit out of me. They should make peek holes compulsory.

Seems like she wanted to use my phone to call her Mum. Oh well. Helped her find a song she was looking for too. I'm beginning to seem like a Service Support Personnel (Hope not...)! She then went off to spend the night with her Mum.

Mmm....Tomorrow's the first day of the Transition Residential Camp for Medicine Students. PLEASE let it be fun and entertaining. I hope there are lotsa group activities - and not those mass philosophy or life skills lectures.

Clothes are gonna be dry soon, so I'm heading out.

NitEz~

Boogie Oogie

Tonight was the Richardson Hall Toga Night, which is basically a euphemism for binge drinking and mindless dancing.

Seeing as that I've never done such a thing before, I dressed up in my Toga and went for it....

And while I didn't really "hate" it, I came out not understanding why people go club. The music sucked and was totally unsuitable for dancing (Maybe the DJ sucked), it was hot and sticky, it was a little sleazy.... And so on....

I left nearly 2 hours before the end of the party for a late night run to soothe my mind and reflect on the past few days... And reflecting always brings up thoughts and suppositions.

hA|z... Patience. Patience.

It was a beautiful night to lose yourself in the stars... So why was there no one to enjoy it with me?

P.S. Met Megumi from Osaka. Education Undergraduate. Likes Utada (Yay!), Singing (Yay!) and Star Gazing (YAY).

P.P.S. Went on a trip to Clayton Town today. Second time I've been there, except this was with Xin Yi, Jasmine, Ken, Rayner, Toti, and that urm.. Indian Guy. Pranaba?

P.P.P.S. Went to walk around the Clubs and Societies Fair with Xin Yi (Where were the rest of the people?! All gone!). Someone tell me why Badminton costs $80 to join.

Somebody Tell Me...

...That it doesn't mean anything to bump into the same person a few times a day on consecutive days... It's beginning to feel... Queer. (Ah-Hem, Jit)

Anyway, tonight's dinner was great. Finally! Authentic Chinese food! Probably the last Chinese meal I'm gonna have in a long while.

After dinner, I proceeded to the Hall Trivia Night, where we pit ourselves against the other Stairways... And we WON! Yay for the Smarties! (That's our group name)

I urm...Gamely volunteered to a challenge that I thought was drinking Rose Syrup and Coke. Only to find out a cup of CUSTARD SAUCE waiting for me after those two drinks. Freaking shit! Do you guys know what custard is? It's that yellow, sweet thingy found in pastries! A WHOLE cup.

I've never felt so sick before...

Washing clothes now. So I'll check back later.

So Long & Thanks For All The Fish!

Dinner time in 30 mins!

After spending 3 days in Australia, Gabriel's parents will be returning home tomorrow morning.

I'd like to express my gratitude to their hospitality and their concern. Feel kind of bad about the treats they've given me.

Anyway, we're headed to this Imperial Kingdom restuarant near the Pinewood Mac (Crap! Walking there TWICE today...); and yet again, I'm going to skip the Hall activity (Dinner at the Dining Hall).

Think they probably believe me to be anti-social now. LoL. Talk about bad first impressions.

Speaking of which, met most of the Singaporean Med Students here. Tons of guys....But only two girls - Jasmine and Xin Yi. hA|z.... What happened to the fairer sex?!

Ah, which brings me to Xin Yi. I keep bumping into her damn it. Found her realising she locked herself out when I went to fill water. So being nice, I accompanied her to the Ops Office (Need the stupid Key Card thingy to open doors - for shortcuts) to get a temporary replacement.

That's all for now. Shan't whine about the stupid "MedFest" (Read: Insurance agents offering indemnity packages) that I went for over the City Scavenger Hunt/Melb Trip with Gab.

Later then!

P.S. The title is quoted from Douglas Adam's classic, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

Pox & Bangs

Well well. A post at 8:30 am. What a surprise...

I was *ahem* rudely awakened this morning by my Residential Advisor for breakfast at that far off Pinewood Macdonald's.

They kept shouting, and banging on my door, and tried their best to stir me from my much needed sleep - and they succeeded...

Thanks to that and the fact that I met Xin Yi just outside, I dragged myself to that MacDonald's... And felt the shiokness of the morning breeze. Must have stated this many times, but the weather is incredible, if only it was like this back home...

Anyway, the breakfast trip was a fulfilling one. I met a couple of people.

David is from Malaysia, forgot what he's reading in University, but he didn't talk much to me either.

Ken is also from Malaysia and resides at Stairway 4, reading Accountancy, we seem to get along ok. He has lotsa opinions on many things, which is excellent - kinda sick of the mules I see in Singapore all the time who can't form their own perspectives.

Garota, my upstairs neighbour, hails from Botswana (That's in Africa), and is a fellow coursemate. Interesting dude. He came here ona Government Scholarship to pursue his dreams. Talked quite abit with him. Africa is an interesting place, perhaps I'll find the time and money to visit it someday.

Jasmine is from Stairway 6 and comes from Hwa Chong Institute (Haha....No more JC). She's doing Medicine too. And she bears a STRIKING resemblence to Joyce (No you Sec Sch dudes won't know who Joyce is). She has the same grades as me for the A Levels but got rejected by NUS. Thankfully, she was observant enough to notice that NUS Med Fac has weird admissions criteria (I knew it!).

Finally there's Xin Yi from RJ, she stays above my same floor neighbour, Hiroko. Met her at the corridor today and headed to Mac together. Also rejected by NUS Med Fac - sometimes you wonder why they reject locals but accept overseas students when I'm sure Singaporeans can't be that bad comparatively. Heck, foreigners don't even pay extra for school fees; a odd government we have.

Well that's all for now, I'm waiting for 11 am to head to some briefing. Not sure if it's even important... Maybe I'll just catch up on sleep.

And why is my laptop LCD flickering............. Shit.

P.S. I said "Pox" because I don't wanna say "Pots". That's all.

Registration & Enrolment

Ah... Day Two of my overseas University life.

Great! Except that I have yet to take part in any of the Hall activities. Must stop being anti-social... (More like lack of time... I wanna 搭善 one....)

Spent the majority of the day settling Registration & Enrolment! Got my first real feel of the size and look of the campus - and the verdict's good so far.

It's actually pretty big, and Med Fac is around 15 mins away from my Hall. Kinda sucks to walk so far...But I'll get used to it. Being a pretty old campus, the Uni has a nice soothing feel to it - more like some resort than a varsity.

Anyway, that's all I have to say.

Tomorrow's the big day. Probably heading to Melbourne (I feel like staying here to join the orientation activities...But I might have things to buy over there...), and it's the Faculty Meeting Day! Hopefully I meet some cool (read: CHIOBUS) people then.

Till the next post, Adios Amigos~

End Of Day One

Phew...

It's 12:40 am here.

Somehow I feel much more at ease with the place here than I thought I will be.

Maybe it's because of the weather, maybe it's because I didn't come here alone; but whatever the reason, I feel like I can face the world... And then some.

Have many more things to do tomorrow, so I'll be off.

Remember to leave your thoughts!

No comments = DEAD blog!

Impact!

Hey everyone.

First of all, thanks for the really nice photo album. Now I know where all those photos of me went to. Haha.

Anyway, I landed at Tullamarine (Melbourne International Airport) roughly two hours ago. Thanks to Gab's Dad, we got our luggage fast and clearing the customs & quarantine was no issue either. Unfortunately, the dumb driver was late.... By 1h 45mins! He'd have been sacked if this was Singapore. Oh well... At least I got to school in the end.

Speaking of which, this place ROCKS!!!!

Excellent weather at around 17 Deg C, nice and beautiful scenery, really friendly people(And some lookers too). Terry feel gian already? LoL!

Gonna go get some rest now. Sucks that Internet charges apply. Else I'll be spamming this blog with pictures of my room!

Till next time.

ARRRRRRRR Mateys!

Anticipation

For some reason all my insecurities have disappeared.

Leaving in 15 mins.

See you in Australia!

Save Me?

It's a mere 7 hours to my flight...

Right now, I'm sitting alone, staring at my computer screen - not sure where my buddies disappeared to.

Anyway, my packing is nearly done. Clothes, books, electrical appliances, toiletries... Everything except my feelings.

This is so weird.

It's not as if I haven't been through leaving home before - there was NS. But this time it feels different.

I am still excited and anxious and hopeful; but I am as much afraid, confused and lonely.

Hope everything goes well. May all the songs comfort me...

Because the silence is deafening... And I don't wish to hear myself right now.

Liberty & Independence

My first post in this blog...

Yesterday marked the end of a chapter of my life, the period of National Service.

After a long 2 years and 2 months of service, my liability has finally lapsed, and I have become an Operationally Ready NSMan. Though I wholeheartedly despise NS, I still have a few good words for it.

That it re-emphasized the importance of family and friends. That it made me realise how obnoxious and cold people can be. But more importantly, it taught me how to look our for others, and for myself.

Of course, the end of a chapter always heralds a new one.

And I as type my thoughts and emotions, the fact is that I will be off to Melbourne for medical studies in a mere 23 hours.

I am filled with mixed emotions, reverberating within me like a violent thunderstorm.

Honestly speaking, I never expected to go overseas to study; much less leaving my family and friends for a period of 10 months. But circumstances made it otherwise, and for the sake of my dreams, this is the path I must walk.

I am never one to show my feelings, and I can only hope that my family and friends do not interpret that as detachment or indifference. Rather, it is precisely because I choose silence to bring my point across.

Sadly, I am unable to leave without certain regrets.

Like how expensive such an education will cost. That my parents will probably worry themselves sick over me. That my friends will miss me (I certainly hope so). And that some opportunities are lost... *Sigh* If only things were a little different.

Regardless, I have some people to thank.

Words cannot do my gratitude justice.

So I can only say a heartfelt "Thank You" to the 9 years that Terry, Nigel, Jit Yee, Yi Hui and YunXiong have tolerated me. We have grown up together; and grown apart from each other too. Yet it is a strong tie that binds us, and despite all these years and the changes maturation has wrought on us, we have stuck with each other in our own ways.

I wish all of you the best, and that you remember our discussion that fateful Sunday at Grace's chalet.

Do your best and reach beyond the skies. And I promise I will do the same in my absence.

Well, that is all I can write; I have so many things on my mind that it is impossible for me to pen it all down coherently.

Wish me luck on this journey of self discovery! May it be as fulfilling and enriching as it is fascinating and frightening.