Beijing blues

Ever gone back to the place where you grew up long after you left?

I did.

During the coldest nights of winter '09, me and my crazy parents decided to head up north to the cold-ER and dry-ER Beijing for 5 days. Boy it was cold. I don't know how I survived year after year when I grew up in Beijing (probably because I was wrapped up in so many layers). Acclimation does not occur over night, so while I shivered and shriveled during the day - sightseeing still had to go on.

From temples to our old apartment, from the Olympic Village to family friends' place, there was always someone wherever you look. With such a huge population, I don't blame them for being in my sight. Beijing was better than I assumed - more welcoming and friendly than Shanghai (no offence to anyone). Taxi drivers were chatty, one even sang for us.

Now for my complaints (mwahaha).. I think I lost my train of thought..

Oh yes now I remember. Going back to the area where I grew up, all these things have changed. Shops that used to be there aren't there anymore, people that used to be there aren't there anymore. Then I feel stupid for trying to hold on to past memories like how I used to press my face against the shop window to watch the lady decorate the cake. (Wonder if I looked funny to her)

Then there's the visit to the Temple. Somehow, a desserted place during other times of the year suddenly becomes packed with people during Chinese NY. I pushed, and I got pushed. Everywhere I "walked", I could not spread my elbows apart. We were packed tighter than rice in a sushi roll (screw the sardine can metaphor). Oh and a fight started but then I got dragged away by mum.

During this trip, I ate yellow tomatoes and fish made into a squirrel. I was close to being deafened by hundreds fireworks that was planted along the street, being fired away only metres infront of me (it was like a warzone). I babysat kids for family friends while the older generation chatted (For the first time, I found out that baby-SITTING could be taken so literally). I banged my head on the taxi door countless times.

But I'd go back there anyday.

first rants of two-oh-oh-nine

hey hey, millhouse here. it's been awhile. Sniffle's onto me about posting now XD
So...2009 already eh, and we're all already what, halfway through our uni careers? i thought 4 months of holidays would last a bit longer, but it's almost the beginning of another 6 month slugfest of cramming, exams and the inevitable plethora of white/malting hairs which are sure to follow.

We've already had to decide on our courses this year. Hahah, uni stress hitting us before its even started. I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to be doing to finish my degree. Luckily I got wern and sniffle to do theirs first and kinda.... hijacked their timetables lol. Damn I need to get my ass back into reality and geared up for use. Well, metaphorically anyways.

Anyways, MAN. yeah. what else did i have to say. that's about it from me eh. err... >_> ohhh yeah. wern. good luck this year!! ----> (disclaimer: don't look at me)

okok. keep checking back here for more rants later on eh! and don't forget to vote! Okay. Back to listening to some good music. Peace out.

credits: image - dj ozma (can't remember where from) and sniffle for nagging me to post XD

Bigger than the Obama campaign

Oh look. New poll has started.

Good work JW

The WHNT team would like to encourage everyone to vote - oh and Wern we love you (:

WHNT team
xx

Hmmmmm

Well.... Ive been forced by Sniffle to make a post about the hol ending but what Sniffle said below is pretty much what Ive got to say (mostly).

Happy Sniffle????

All good things come to an end?

You'd think being on holiday would bring our complaints to an end. You thought wrong.

With uni around the corner and a kick of reality millimetres from our half-emptied brains, the holiday season would eventually end.

Being in the winter season for a good half a year, my body is screaming for some summer warmth. The "summer" holiday that is the longest of all has left our own friends sprinkled across the world, our textbooks to collect dust (or be burned), our first year at university now a past memory. In many ways, life at uni turned out to be different to what I'd imagined. Friends were harder to make, lectures were much more boring and people were more dependent on independence. There were ups. There were downs. Then you move on.

After being grilled in examrooms time after time (not literally), we were all ready for this 4month long holiday to give our brains a proper rehab. And then you realise how blind uni can make you. Being with brainheads day after day, sometimes the only thing you see is your GPA. Maybe it is justified because we like to impress our prospective employers or our own parents. We compare and we compete. Then we lose track of what it is that we really want to do in the first place. Do I want to travel? Do I want to work 8hours a day infront of the computer? Do I really prefer payrolls more than balance sheets? I miss those days when I got fed and didn't have to think for myself. Now they're gone.

My complaint is that I don't want the holidays to end, I don't want the fun to end, I don't want good things to end. But they do. When we finally get a scrumptious taste of happiness, sometimes we can't help but to be afraid of loosing that feeling one day.

I wish good things

at least some

will never come to an end

at least for a little while

at least long enough

so it will last forever in our memories