Random(1)

There just seems to be this void in time (not space) just before the major examinations each time in university. This interstatial period where one feels the lethargy and inertia to start flipping the notes and realising 12/13 weeks of sch has just slipped past, without you knowing.

This is happening to me right now.

One starts the semester often with aspirations to work hard, to make lots of friends, to try new things, but at the end of the semester feeling jaded about school and work. Wondering whether academics will go out of jobs if they ever stop writing journals and articles that put apparently simple ideas and weave them into a 20 page argumentation about issues, noting that half of the 20 pages will be of what other academics have already argued before.

Talk about recyling!

Sadly, this idea of ever becoming yet another sadistic person to torture poor undergraduates did come to my mind. Being at the forefront of research and ever expanding one's academic boundaries sound like a noble thing to do, I seriously do not doubt it. What is essential, in my humble opinion is the kind of social milieu that one is placed in, the supportive networks that is placed around an individual. Think Bruno Latour's Actor Network theory, the human and non-human actants interacting together for the production of knowledge in space and time.

Recent events have home seemed to have caused a paradigm shift. Seeing people around you graduating, the prospect of not reading any more shitty and constipated academic articles seem too appealing! With the capacity to spend empowered by Vitamin M, one goes up a rung in the social hierachy. But then again the sheer amount of responsibilty such as nation building (through our ever efficient tax agency) and everything else... will start to weigh you down and you get trapped in this place for me at least for 4 years.

Random thoughts, random thoughts and more random thoughts...

This happens most frequently after exams, so pardon the barrage of thoughts...

On my way to the library to return books else I be fined 1.50 sing a day per book

Down with capitalism??? (Nah, I dont think the library is profit driven)

UK host Visit

Here's a quick summary of what happened over the past week or so:

1) Its the second last week of sch here and I was rushing to hand in 2 of my coursework essays. Despite only having to pass these modules, i have to admit there was this academic pride within me, as an effective ambassador of NUS, i shall still maintain my normal (high) std of work. Sadly, i only know a hoot bout farming diversification policies in the Uk, and handed in a sub-par paper which I pray can smoke through.

2) 5 Looming exams coming up from 6th June till 18th June. I am SO STRESSED bout it that I decided to head down to London from the 4th-5th to pick Andrea up and go to Paris from the 13-17th. Talk bout being stressed.

3) thE SEP is coming to an end- be back in Sunny Singapore mid july. Till then, some last destinations include: MAdrid, Barcelona, Nice, Monaco, Cannes, Milan, Venice, Rome, Munich. Notice some repeated destinations...:(:( But since the gf is here, we'll just have to compromise on some places.

4) Last weekend was indeed special where I spent with a British family in the rural countryside near Oxford. Some photos!!!

Well, the pictures sure dont do justice to the house, but the interior of the house is uber gorgeous! Its quintessential English, and the room that Jared and I were given, its like a 5 star Hotel. Every corner of the room is decorated with the owner's impeccable taste. Just look at the teapots on the table. Our hosts are also collectors of portraits and for once we thought we were transported to fairy and lala land.

See what I mean, i was even smiling when I sleep...


Slacking one corner, enjoying the experience!



So actually, the house was converted from a farm, so now besides the physical structure of the house, there is a farm that rears chickens and grows fresh lettuce and asparagus!!!
Its like back in loughborough, as poor students, what we have on the table is what is on sale in the supermarket on that day. So Dinner will be simply, brocolli, Cauliflower, carrots...brocolli, Cauliflower, carrots...brocolli, Cauliflower, carrots...brocolli, Cauliflower, carrots...brocolli, Cauliflower, carrots...brocolli, Cauliflower, carrots...brocolli, Cauliflower, carrots...brocolli, Cauliflower, carrots...

You've got the idea!

So asparagus was the highlight for one of the dinners! Oh, did I mention, it was freshly harvested from the garden just one hour before, and there were 28 stalks in total. Just boil them and dip in melted butter with some fleur du sol... so heavenly...

So thats the chickens I was talking bout. And our hosts actually have at least one fresh egg a day. I was lucky enough to eat one egg that was laid like just the previous day. So we did eat like pigs, from cornflakes, mueslis, home made bread, fish pie, beef stew, mousaka (some greek dish), saussages, bacon,eggs,white wine, red wine and of course my favourite asparagus!!

Some activities that we did while in the house, scrabble, cooking, some ball game that you need to manuever your way around. The guy in the picture is Ingo, a fellow Host student from Cologne,Germany exchanging in Swansea, Wales. He speaks fluent English, German and French!!! Woah, I've got a lot to learn from him.




So that's a group picture of us over the weekend before we bid farewell.

It' pretty amazing that Mr and Mrs Cochrane (Malcom and Mary) have been hosting students for more than 20 years. I thought its really a great experience for us as short-term students to have a glimpse of English culture, food and values. Reflecting on Singapore, I wonder how many families would be such good hosts to international students in their homes and make them feel so comfortable and taken care of.

The beginning of the end

Photo taken during sunset in Stockholm, on top of some hill in Skansen, proudly by Panasonic Lumix TZ-3.