Heya! One half of the Blogger is back for now…
Whew… it has been 13 days since I landed on this foreign yet familiar piece of land that I have only read about yet never set foot upon. This university, whose website I have been frequenting so often over the past half year or maybe more. I’m thinking of the things I have read about, the preparation, the anticipation and the fear that I had. It is an inability, the impossible mission for me to reconcile my real and surreal world, my fact and my fiction, so now I have no idea what my previous expectations were and if they had been met or disappointed. All for the better perhaps, to give myself a clean slate to begin with. I have another 10 months, or maybe more, to explore the place and to explore within myself as I some what try to settle down or build up, if you like, a home here. As without any immediate burden or support, I try to live for this second and not the last nor the next.
This is project SUPER HAPPY GIRL in the making.
The first day I set foot on campus, I was depressed. As always, sad to leave my family and sad to be away from my friends, the people I care about. It is quite illogical, that I should make myself feel this terrible when I can jolly well just stay home and be simple and contented but no, neither is in my control. Firstly, I had to leave; secondly, I had to feel terrible. I knew there was no remedy other than time. But that’s ok, because in my mind I knew I could always count on time and I knew that nothing and nobody is indispensable. I knew as they had sung in some Jap song, that ‘everything’s gonna be all right’. (Which song is it?)
So as I sat on the steps of the sunken forum they have outside the Student’s union on the very first day, thinking how tragically long this year is gonna be, I already secretly knew that a year is but too short. I knew many things it seems!
The first person I got to know is a girl called Carol whom I met at the pre-departure meeting. Déjà vu number one comes in here because the way she talks reminds me so much of Wei. Her expressions and even the way she speaks Mandarin! But she is a lot more of a go-getter and she is also tanned and diminutive in size. I bumped into her at Heathrow Airport while we were clearing customs and I’m somewhat glad I found someone to hang with so early on in the Orientation.
The Singaporeans tend to hang together as do most people from other countries. I did make several friends from China and such and my flatmates come from all over but ultimately, the Singaporeans are more supportive of each other and we eat together and shop together. It is not the ultimate fun one can get but it is not a bad experience. Most of them are younger than me but very, very smart and although I lapse into my occasional daydream when they talk, I don’t actually mind just listening to them getting heated over social issues, politics, economics, math or even literature that I don’t know or have no opinion on.
The campus is a self-contained one. It has a post office, supermarket, medical centre and a beautiful arts centre; basically everything that you ever need to get your life running. It is a great place really, beautiful with greenery. There are big open fields where squirrels sprint and right outside my place is a lake. Tons of ducks and some swans gather here everyday. They shit all over the long and winding pebbled footpath that I have to tread everyday but I cleverly avoid the green shit with my keen eyes. I like the campus although it is rather new (we’re only 40 years old) unlike Oxford where the very air you breathe feels laden with history. But the side-effects of being self-contained in this small campus town came to me a few days ago. I actually felt slightly claustrophobic and ironically, wished for big bustling city milling with people, faceless and mysterious. People who walk so fast they overtake me (ok, everybody overtakes me), people jostling, grabbing a quick coffee before getting to work. That toil in a city, so bored and routine yet so energetic and vibrant, like everyone is tuned in to the same drum roll for war. I miss being anonymous in a city. It’s different from being anonymous on campus. I will look forward to London.
Two nights ago I watched a play at the Arts Centre called Bronte. It is about the 3 Bronte sisters who wrote passionate novels despite being chaste and isolated. The play was mostly serious and intense. Although I was in the mood for some romantic comedy sort (that’s my cuppa tea!), I have to admit from my amateurish point of view, that the play was well acted and well scripted and I was enraptured as it unfolded.
There are ample opportunities here to watch plays, musicals and concerts of all sorts, provided you have the money, of course. I have decided to save up (although I dunno how I’m going to do that when I’m not even earning) for the shows! Yesterday morning, I found out that a friend is also interested in watching Jason Mraz who will be playing at London, Manchester, Nottingham, Wolverhampton and several other accessible places, supporting James Blunt's concert. We spent the whole day surfing for his concert tickets but they are all sold out! I can’t believe the bad luck! The show is on February 2006, they started selling the tickets in August and they are all sold out already! I am so disappointed! My only wish is that they add an extra day or that someone sells the right tickets on ebay! What I would give to watch MRAZ play live! That would definitely make a good memory for one and all! I’m gonna keep watch for any chance to grab a ticket!
I was in Birmingham on Saturday and as a Singaporean friend puts it, Birmingham is to UK as Jurong is to Singapore. It was really nothing to shout about as compared to Warwick and Oxford, both of which is really quaint and pretty. Birmingham is not the kind of city I miss or that I am familiar with. It was rather dreary and boring but there is a relatively large (as compared to the one in Coventry – the nearest town to Warwick Uni) Chinese supermarket there so everybody was stocking up on food stuff. Some people went crazy over the tofu which was funny! I bought 2 packets of red bean cos I had a sudden craving for my mom’s red bean soup! On our way back to the station, someone kicked a bag of groceries left lying by the street and happily usurped the loot. I dunno if it’s right to do that. It’s definitely not moral but then if left there to waste, we may in fact be making better use of the stuff by cooking them. Part of me kept thinking if there was gonna be some drugs or voodoo in the bag but in the end I shoved the paranoia aside and landed myself with a pack of sago and rock sugar! Both of which I had decided not to buy so as to save money!
Gosh… I think this is stretching too long and I’m not even making it that interesting! I shall rattle on another time about my classes, déjà vu number two and the horrible food... amongst other long-winded tales.
And now some pictures to make everybody happy!
This is yesterday's brunch.
This is Heronbank, the place I live.
This is me and Carol in front of the Birmingham City Council. If you think I lost weight, you are very nice! I think I did too! Tell you about the food another time!
A rather beautiful church in Birmingham... it just reminded me of Jane's wedding! Every church now reminds me of Jane's wedding!