No, I'm not dead yet, but barely alive...

OMG, the past two weeks have been so crazy that I don't really know where to start. First, the main reason that I was MIA (which stands for missing-in-action, mum) is that I was busy with my photojournalism assignment which required me to do a picture story of another classmate while some other classmate does a picture story on me. So we drewlots and I kena this guy who pangsehed me at least 4 times and it was turning into a nightmare for me as I did not have enough shots of him with the deadline looming (we had to take at least 300 shots for the assignment and print out btw 6-8 pictures with captions and write two papers on that classmate). And on top of that I had to give time for the girl (her name is Anjali Pinto) who was supposed to take pictures of me. I was very lucky to have her coz she is really a good photographer and made me looked better than I am in real life. And I had a gazillion papers to write for my other classes and projects to do and exams to study for.

Then we had many exciting events happening these past two weeks, including an international fashion show last weekend and an international potluck party yesterday evening. And for the past two weeks I have never eaten better since I came here. The main reason is that I have been cooking! Or rather helping mostly to cook. Last weekend Yuko the chef taught us to make sushi and dumplings. On Tuesday she made cheesecake for me which is like NYDC or Secret Recipe-standard cheesecake. Yesterday she made more sushi for the international potluck party which was held at Sam's house. Widade, a french girl with Moroccan origin made Morrocan spring rolls and Ellie (Hye Jung) and Seon Ha, two South Korean girls, made dumplings. As for me, I cooked HOKKIEN MEE!!! Well, at least me and Sam's version of Hokkien Mee. I think we invented a new Singaporean dish last night because the final product looked like a cross between fried carrot cake and Hokkien Mee. And Sam bought a durian from the Hong Kong Market! They actually sell durians there, which is kind of amazing. But I didn't managed to get to try the durian which Sam bought unfortunately for me and fortunately for Yuko (who have tried durian cake before when she went to Singapore...).

And finally today is Ivan's (from Serbia) and Janet's (from China) birthday so we had alot of cake today. And Yuko made some spring rolls again with crab and cheese and onions inside and also Chawamushi (Japanese steamed eggs with mushrooms, radish and dried shrimps). She also baked a fantastically nice Chiffron cake for Janet so I had eggs, cake, spring rolls for dinner today.

So it's been an amazing two weeks with really great food and great people here. I have to really go to the Rec Centre next week to burn away all the evil calories which I have accumulated for the past two weeks.

And I woke up today to my roomie telling me that it's daylight savings day so we have to move an hour ahead. This concept is totally alien to me so I looked at her blankly for 10 seconds before I managed to get what she was trying to tell me. So for everyone one back in Singapore, I am now 13 hours behind you instead of 14 originally. So 9am here would be 10pm in Singapore on the same day. So hopefully you guys will not be as confused as I am about this daylight savings thing (which I honestly think it'a senseless...).

Ok, I shall shut up now and let my pictures do the talking...

At the International Fashion Show:

China

India

Thailand

Japan (this is Yumina Watanabe who lives in Laws Hall)

Japan

Vietnam

The Middle East

Food, glorious food! Most of which was made by Yuko...

Shrimp dumplings

Anjali Pinto and me. Anjali, who is half-Indian but cannot speak Hindi and is from Illinois, was my photographer for the classmate photograhy assignment.

I made good sushi ok!

It takes some skill to cut sushi nicely as well...obviously these are cut by Yuko.

Cecile is also another food guru in Laws. I wonder how Yuko sees with that Sadako-like fringe of hers...


This cheesecake was so gloriously good!

International potluck party:

Great food, happy people.

The two awesome organisers, Rachel and Sam.

Sam and I invented this dish. It looks awful but Yuko and the rest said it tasted really good. So I am not really complaining...

Busload of happy and contented students mostly from Laws Hall. Anti-clockwise from front left: Hiroyoshi (aka Kaji), Yuko, Seon Ha, Ellie (aka Hye Jung), my roomie, Yumina, I-dunno-him, Janet (aka Wenyi) and Shoko.

Tadah! The King of fruits.


More photos coming up, but the video has got to wait, since I am too busy cooking, eating and running around the campus...