My Preparation for Exchange

Things you should do during Preparation:

1. Not mind going solo

When deciding on my host university, all I wanted was to not be alone. Boy was I stupid! Exchange is a time for you to explore and be adventurous - basically an opportunity for you to pretend to be another person you never dared to be. When you are cool with being alone, you will then find out what you really want from the exchange programme and hence, be able to find the perfect country and university for that. 

I kinda regret choosing my host uni. Chose it out of convenience and cause I wanted to be with a friend. I just found out that the modules offered there are hardly anywhere near my interest. They also have really strict policies on module applications for exchange students :( 

2. Accommodation

I waited and waited. And waited. Waited for my host university to accept me (even though I knew they were probably going to accept me anyway since I was already approved by my home uni). Waiting was a terrible thing to do. I should have looked for accommodation the moment my school approved me. I should have! But I didn't. Right now, I am totally freaking out because property agents are not replying my emails about property enquiry! 

I was so desperate that I called them all the way from Singapore. I have to tell this story - the dude who picked up the phone didn't sound English at all. And I gave him my family name and he was like "Oh sounds like a Chinese name" and I said, "Oh yes it is". 那你可以讲普通话吗？I cried HAHAHA the entire conversation was in Chinese but it was way easier for him? So I guess I didn't mind if I managed to get what I needed done. 

When choosing and shortlisting property, my group took into account the distance it was from the university, the cost and also the amenities (e.g. dryer, internet). It rains almost every single day at some places and it will be almost impossible for your clothes to dry without a dryer. 

3. Check the weather

Google, please. There are a thousand websites on the Internet that are going to be really helpful. But please do not JUST look at the temperature. Look out for comments about the weather. Those comments are going to be way more useful as they will talk about other things like the wind (which kills). And ask friends! I am so lucky to have a friend studying just 15 minutes away from where I will be. I hope she won't start hating me for bombarding her with questions soon.

4. Budget

I think this is one of the hardest things to do for anything. How much is enough and how much is too much? My friend was a genius and dug out an exchange reflections report (they have at your school's office too) and seniors who have been to the same place as you will talk about their spending there and also tips on how to get the best deals! :) Accommodation, airfare, travel, textbooks, food, personal expenses... They even inserted photos of themselves at the destination! Hahaha!

5. Visa

Check if your host country requires you to apply for a VISA. Singaporean students do not require a VISA for exchange in the United Kingdom (UK). And I didn't know that.

"I finally received my acceptance letter and it instructed me to apply for a visa. I stupidly filled in the visa application form and was asked to pay like a huge amount of the visa. wtfuck hor i go exchange only. Need to spend so much money meh? Then an hour later, I realised I didn't even need a visa. Kinda spent the entire night filling up application forms for nothing... f**king stupid."

Update:

6. Tracking Travel Expenses

Just got back from a short trip to Taiwan and I attempted to track my expenses. And oh boy was it one of the best decisions I have made. I ain't no excel genius / nbs student / engineering student. My knowledge of excel is terribly limited but I managed to cook up an excel sheet that allows me to keep track of my expenses (included some formulas that helped me look at both currencies, and total spending, etc) There are so many changes I can make it to it but I am lazy now... But here is a screenshot of how my excel sheet looked like after the second day.

There are a few redundant columns (like the currency and conversion columns) and a few more useful ones that could be added. :) If you are interested in tracking your expenses with my very lousy formulated excel sheet, you may find it here: Travel Expenses.xlsx

I will probably update this post about my preparation until I actually embark on my adventure out to Newcastle. 

1st post-exam: bintan

It was not long ago that I last went back to Bintan. This trip was special because I had a special companion. :)

How handsome is he? *.*  

:):):) 

It was great having him around. He was like a little child, getting so excited over the smallest things - from the instant noodles to the "shopping malls" they had at Tj. Pinang. And I was glad that he went. I was down with food poisoning (I reckon) on the first night cause I overate. Poor boy had to stay up all night to accompany me, listen to me moan and groan in pain and to rub my fat belly with oil. 

Happy Birthday Jun Yang and I really hope you enjoyed the trip and our little adventure around Singapore. Right now, you are probably struggling to finish the Standard Chartered half marathon. 加油！I will be at the finish line waiting for you with some awesome tuna biscuit sandwich and toasted sandwich. (It's all about sandwiches today!) 

In other news, I have started my internship at Viddsee and I am so excited to see how things work out! :) I guess it is always exhilarating to be in a new company with new colleagues (and they happen to be very nice people who seem genuine). Hopefully my experience there will be interesting enough for me to be able to write a substantial post about it. (and we all know how terrible I am with writing)

m o r e t i m e f o r d i y p r o j !

Train of Dreams

post long overdue

School has been pretty irrelevant. Deadlines to meet, and no friends to meet. What the heck hahahaha life's a bitch (sometimes) It is 8 weeks into school and I guess I am finally getting used to being alone in my room. I no longer believe that the walls are closing in on me when I sleep and I no longer see the eyes on the ceiling. All is good.

What's better is that I finally found time to record a cover with my dear friend, Bjorn. Oh how I miss that guy (but he really damn annoying sometimes)

This is Call Me When You're Sober. Original by Evanescence.

peaceout ^.^v

in need of dorm room inspiration despite needing to move out after this sem

Still in the process of constructing my room, to make it have the slightest resemblance to any of the pictures above.... 

peace out ^^v

p/s been thinking of recreating this. what do you think?

#DIY Project: Calender 2014 Download

Been getting very very inspired by everything on the Internet. Right now, Etsy has been sucking me in with their online shops that sell the coolest things. 

Blue Octopus Print

Deer Print

Elephant Prints Tapestry

And then started looking at pretty stationaries:

Chevron cloth cases

Wooden Pencil Holders

Minimalist Calender 2014

Created a monthly planner like the one just above^ hahahaha Cannot believe they are selling downloads of it at 5 -10 bucks. Decided to create one myself. And if you guys are interested; here is a link to my Minimalist Calender for the remaining months of 2014. Plain simple hahahaha and its A3 :):) Say yes to big calenders.

Peace out yo ^^v

levitation photography 飞

This is one of those experimental photography works that give surprising results. I did a series (seen below) for one of my courses in school last semester and it was so much fun to work with the models. Thank you so much lmy, and Ken for being my models! :) 

The photo shoot definitely required a lot of planning beforehand and also a lot of work after. But just to break it down, there are a few types of levitation photography: 

+ make-the-model-jump 

• I really tried to make my models jump haha but we are not professional jumpers... we all fucking died trying hahahahaha it was hilarious
• And if you do not get what I am trying to say....

http://vectroave.com/2012/09/levitation-photography-by-denis-darzacq/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalrev/6055660075/

And my favourite definitely has to be yowayowacamera.com.

+ moving on: photoshop-much-much

• This type of levitation photography requires one to be versed in photoshop. Basically, the model is comfortable resting on an object that will be removed digitally. The removal of the object will create the illusion of the model being in the air.
• In both images, my models were propped on something else and they had to look effortless while being high up in the air. Especially for the first image with my roommate. She was easily 1m up in the air and had to jump even higher for the effect of levitation.

it would be cool to see my friends trying out their own levitation photography. share with me will you? 

peace out ^^v

surviving 2 weeks of a new year

+ absolutely hating the new year.

• being in a new hall was adventurous. but when that adventure is not all that fun, you tend to regret very quickly for paying $100 more per month for a single room w/o a/c. and where is the love in this hall? it is dead quiet at 12am and i can hear the crickets at 12:01am.

+ despite my uneventful days in hall, i realised i have to start feeling at home away from home.

+ finally got my blog all set up again

• i am terrible with html. i taught myself a little things here and there but i forget quickly. in an attempt to make some changes to my previous blog, i killed it. and lost all my html code from my secondary school days that anu passed to me... (sorry?)

+ exchange semester 2015 

my days with zanele muholi

I had the greatest privilege of working with Zanele. 

+ She has a huge huge heart. i could name you a few reasons right now. 

• she decided to work with me, a year1-going-on-year2 undergraduate, instead of a professional photographer and videographer. she told me that she rather work with me than a pro cause i am someone who she can teach. it was about her passion for photography. she wanted to give other amatuer photographers a chance to learn, and there she was; giving me that opportunity. she kept telling me that i was no smaller than the big cameras on opening night. slowly but surely, one day i will believe her.

• she photographs for a cause. a cause that i believe in so so much. freedom to love and the freedom to be who we want to be. i grew up in a traditional chinese family in singapore, and i am still living with my family. i know what it is like to be constrained and to be "moulded" into something that we are not. i know how it feels like to not be myself, and it sucks. i have friends who keep their sexuality and their relationships from their family for ten over years for fear of rejection by their families. (mind you people: my friends are in long term relationships despite the stereotype) it just is not right! one of the ten commandments says "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself". if i am not wrong, these ten commandments are like the constitution. they are the fundamental beliefs that we should all return to when in doubt. let us learn to love our family, friends, and neighbours regardless of sexual identity. zanele strongly fights for her cause despite the impending death threats back in south africa (many lesbians have been killed in south africa simply because they were lesbians). 

+ I finally got to witness first hand how an art event is being organised and held. 

+ I finally got to work with a real legit artist. it was terribly scary the first two days but then josiah ng told me that these professionals might make you seem incompetent but do not worry, just remember that you are doing this because of your passion and you will persevere. (k something along those lines. i am not as eloquent as he is.)

hair

i have been going a little crazy about hair: collecting photos of hair that i like and creating folders on desktop to organise them. i need nice hair man since i don't have a nice face. hands down, the best hair out there has to be that of jennim's/clothesencounter's.

*.* -- *.*

i can't evennnnn understand how one has such nice hairrrrrrrr issit her face that makes it look nice or was it the colour or was the hairstylist just legendary??? 

and finally, 

now to learn how to make my hair beautiful with all the hairstyles and hair curlers. 

lunch

Sushi Tei // Serangoon Gardens, Singapore

+ 
one month into summer and I still have not really accomplished anything. During finals, I was fantasising about my summer plans (trips to islands, and time with friends). Looks like none of it ever came true. Took me some time to realise this; but all my summer plans had my friends in them. 

and that is the stupidest thing one can ever do. 

honestly, 
friends bail. that is what friends do. they make plans too, but they are smarter than you. cause their plans involve only themselves and they make it work. while i stupidly planned trips to bintan that will never happen.

i should start spending summer for myself. 
not for the boyfriend, not for friends, or family. 

+
and now, my fucked-up-boring life in visuals:

 the hood during sunset

 #loveothers14

after church before the AJChoir concert

 during church

the gang 

first summer vacation

travelogue coming up!!!

updated: