T-14

T-14 to home. 

This place is a shithole, but this shithole, I'll miss.

(Not gonna deny, this is the state of my room most of the times)

(Cupboard mirror open to hide my laundry line of dei kor behind)

Oxford

5 May 2015 / Oxford, UK

[Canon EF 50mm F1.8] [Sigma 17-50mm F2.8]

The past fortnight has reminded me of how much more closer I am to home than I think. Seeing friends from home brings a feeling like no other. Taking Joelle and Lummy around Manchester felt like any other day wandering around town back in Sg (although I stick with my stand that there is absolutely nothing to do here). Put down a hundred bucks for a London-Oxford day trip to meet Berty in the spur of a moment as well but there was not a single regret. Guess it won't be long till I meet the rest of you long lost darlings. It's seems like forever, but I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming home.

From the bed

I think I've had better sleep on bus rides than on my bed.

On the bus, you can hear people chatting and their feet shuffling up and down the bus. You can hear the bell ringing, and you can hear the engine running.

On the bed, it's just me, and the ringing sound of my thoughts.

Greece; Athens & Santorini

How was my trip? It was grim, unlike the stories these pictures depict. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed my trip very much. You see, in Greece, when we strayed away from the tourist attractions and walked through the streets of the city, I realised that things aren't quite as what the typical postcards have portrayed. People think of the artistic ruins on vast fields of green when they think of Athens, instead of the far-too-many homeless individuals sleeping on the floor and the locals who are afraid of being robbed in their very own home country. People think of white walls, blue doors and picture-perfect sunsets when they think of Santorini, but not of the cordial restaurant owners and staff, some of which who don't have a home and only reside in Santorini in the peak seasons to scrape through life. This is Greece. This is Greece as it is.

[Sigma 17-50mm F2.8]

Life

It feels like I've paused my life back home and got myself occupied with another here. Keeping up with the hustle hasn't been easy but the idea of being just a few more steps away from the finishing line to home has been the greatest motivation so far.

By hustle, I meant a huge bite away from my time for the SingSoc committee. February was mostly down with our Chinese New Year dinner preparations and the making of our smashing welcome gift punch boxes, kudos to Lorena. Then came March with the Graduation Ball and a weekend in London for the UKSSC dinner. It seemed never-ending especially with the academic work load piling up but I'm so proud of working alongside this quirky bunch. That weekend in London was undoubtedly a blessing in disguise -- the recollection of the rabakness at the after-party the night before, the MV-making of 'Singas in London' (ref: Niggas in Paris), the hunt for London's gastronomic delicacies, etc. Things seem to be looking positive from here and I can't wait to take on our next major event together.

But besides that, other things I've done in my term of MIA include:

i, My first Man U (v.s. Cambridge) match at Old Trafford

ii. Enjoying the absolutely stunning weather (but not-so-enjoying the wind)

iii. Lots of shopping especially at my new found love New Look

iv. Getting used to having a boyfriend

v. Trip down to Newcastle to visit Nic (which obviously meant lots of food involved) and meeting her very hospitable friends

vi. Satisfying my craving for tau gay (teppanyaki style)

vii. Touching Illustrator after what seemed like a thousand years for the design of the poker cards for Grad Ball

And now I'm off the Greece for my Easter holiday! Till then, xx