Dialogues of the week

I woke up this morning to a knock on my door.


"Do you have an egg?"

"Huh?"

"An egg, E-G-G."

"No, I don't think so. Sorry."


And then about an hour later when I am more awake and coming back into my room from the computer lab:


"It's done."

"What?"

And then I saw this.

It's an apple pie that Yuko baked for a girl called Mandy from our level, whose birthday is today. I think she was trying to find an egg to glaze the pie. How sweet.

And I have an announcement to make. I HAVE FINALLY EXERCISED! I went to the Rec Centre yesterday to play table tennis with Lindsey and her boyfriend Kevin. I won all the matches that we played except one which I lost to Lindsey. Which was kind of weird, considering that Kevin was supposed to be the better player between the two of them. I think it's because Lindsey plays like the Forrest Gump style, with just the wooden bat and no rubber and she just whack the ball back to her opponent really fast. Kinda unorthodox. I wasn't expecting the people here to play table tennis so I am quite surprised to fun a few people here actually do. Just not the competitive kind that I used to do back in Singapore. I'm glad that I brought my bat along.

And I am glad that I brought my swimming costume along as well! I went swimming today with Cecile and then went to the jacuzzi pool for awhile. But I felt quite lousy about myself when I saw how fast the other Americans were swimming at the Olympic-sized pool. Someone told me that Michael Phelps once swam in that same pool during a swimming meet here a few years ago. My timing sucked as well, but I guess it's from all that deep-fried food. Never mind, I shall try harder next time.

Anyway, it's very interesting to hear so many different accents being spoken here in my hall. Simple words like Harry Potter, Orang Utan and Hansel and Gretel can be said in so many ways that it becomes incomprehensible to some. For eg:

Scenario 1

Lindsey: You read Harry Podder?

Cecile: What? I don't understand.

Me: Harry Pot-TER.

Cecile: AH, OUI! Air-hee Potteh!

Scenario 2

Me: Yeah we have some Orang Utans in the Singapore Zoo.

Lindsey: Cool! You have Oreng Utens?

Melissa (who is also French): Oh! Ohang Utan!

Scenario 3

Lindsey: So have you heard of the fairytale Hensel and Gredel?

Jan (pronounced YAAN, he is German): Vat?

Eveline: Hensel and Gre-TAL.

Jan: Ah, Ja! HAAN-SELL und GRRRE-TELL!

Aurelia (who is also French): Oui! Aann-sell et Ghey-tell!

Sometimes it's just hilarious talking to once another. But then, that's what makes our days here more interesting. And I have been revising my French with the French girls. So yay to me.

Anyway, Dobbs, the dining hall beside my hall, is finally opened. So I have been going there to eat since then. The food there is slightly better. On some days they even have rice. Which is really fantastic for me, even though it's not the best rice I have eaten. We shall see when the term progresses.

School starts tomorrow, and the course syllabus looks very scary. Like 15 assignments and 5 books to read and class discussion marks. I am starting to feel stressed. Luckily the final exam is like 20% of the entire course grade. I guess people here do not do last minute mugging. Great.

And that is all I have to say for today. Not many pictures recently, since it is always freezing nowadays and there is only a limit to what I can take inside Laws Hall. But my photojournalism class starts tomorrow, so plenty of opportunities to take pictures then. How lovely. Have a good week then!

PS: And I just found out that KT Tunstall is going to Singapore in March! Drats! Why do I always miss the good things in life? Sigh...