Leaves have fallen to the ground, and now there's no one else around to hear the cry.

SMU Local Exchange

I am super blessed this semester. I finally fulfilled my dream by getting the opportunity to embark on a local exchange. :D

(Mandatory shot)

Thanks Michael for the photo.

I still remember my first day at SMU clearly. I walked into the wrong class and sat there for quite long, until the Professor started his lesson and I sensed that something was wrong. LOL, it doesn't sound like the course that I registered for?! After checking with my table mates, I hurried out to find the correct classroom. Super embarrassing!

In a blink of an eye, I have graduated from SMU. Received my results last month and geez, I must say that the school is very competitive. Hmm, but no regrets because beyond grades (thankgawd my grades are on a pass/fail basis), I really enjoyed myself there. The teachers, the friends, and the environment are all very different from NUS. And I understand now why my NUS professor decided to go back SMU to teach!

SMU only have seminars, unlike the lecture-tutorial style over at NUS. The seminars lasted as long as 3h 15mins, and sometimes the professors even overshot. However, I haven't dozed off once during lessons. LOL, unfortunately yes, I slept a lot during classes at NUS. It was more participative in SMU (which also explains the competitiveness and my grades), but I'm glad that it trained me to speak up more.

(Matchy matchy with Fatiha)

The first friend that I made in SMU! Also the friend who crazily loves pink like me. LOL! Coincidentally, we took 2 modules together (out of my 3 modules in SMU). So I see her practically on all the days I head to SMU. Thanks for being so friendly and being my aunt agony, and for bringing me around to explore SMU - we headed to the IT center, the SMU Labs, the Li Ka Shing library and the law library. (:

(Pizza Party Part 1)

On the last day of lessons, Professor Roh from my COMM302 Psychology of Strategic Communications class, decided to host a pizza party! I like Pizzahut, but I only grabbed a slice of pizza and a drumlet because I paiseh to take more LOL! I like Professor Roh, he is like some fatherly figure who always take care of students' needs. I had a consultation with him once for my individual assignment, and he chatted with me for quite a bit. A simple consultation ended up to be 30 minutes long hahaha. The best part? He actually remembers my name and my identity as a NUS student! He was telling me that it was 'fate' that we met, because he was meant to teach at NUS, but eventually chose SMU instead. Just nice my consultation slot was an hour before the last lesson, so he was saying how he really enjoy teaching our classes, and he also asked me about my career aspirations and all. He ended with wishing me the best of luck. I was teary-eyed by the time I left his office omg.

(Fatiha, Professor Roh and me)

Nobody tell me that my hair is super messy LOL. But I wanted to say that this module was super hard to score? I aced all the other components, but class participation was worth 20% and I flunked that and ended up with a super bad grade T.T

(Pizza Party Part 2)

On the same day, during my night class, Professor Clarence from my COMM360 Investor Relations class, also decided to treat us to pizza, and it is from Pizzahut too. LOL omg, I had an overdose of pizza within a day luh T.T But no complains because free food hehe, and this time round I grabbed two slices of pizza instead. It tasted so delicious! Why SMU professors so nice!! I don't recall any of my NUS professors treating us to food, so I got culture shock once again hmmm....

(Moroccan groupmate, Zaineb)

My groupmate from Morocco! How cool is that hahaha, she is actually a Masters student and I found her a little initimidating initially. But nope, she doesn't bite and is quite friendly!

(Presenting in style with my Investor Relations groupmates)

Spot my professor in the photo! We are so cute! This is the first time that I was ever asked to theme for a presentation, and it feels superb because the dress code makes me feel a sense of identity to my group! (: Things we learn in psychology hehes. Our theme is black and white, but hahaha omg in the photo there seemed to be a visible line separating the white and black forces LOL.

Initially regretted this module 'Investor Relations' after the first lesson, but it ended up to be fine. LOL, I'm just thankful that I didn't fail anything because I went into the class with zero finance/investment knowledge, so I was legit just a blur sotong. Most of my classmates already have basics, so it really doubles my stress x.x

But I'm thankful to have these nice groupmates with me. Thanks for adopting me even though I'm a local exchange student, you guys are really the best! I miss all our late nights together sighs. Oh yeahs guys, in case you think 6-9pm classes at NUS are super late, try SMU's 7pm to 10pm classes. I was brain dead by the end of the lesson. LOL. But given the chance, I will retake this module again.

(This is how we roll)

(Before I burst out into laughter)

(And everyone was being stupidly funny and the photo was ruined)

Cheers to my Investor Relations teammates Max, Jaspreet, Jingwen, Adam and Zaineb for the wonferful times. Special mentions to the first three for tanking most of the project, and for talking nonsense with me everything during lessons so at least I would not fall asleep. (:

(Crisis Communications)

COMM246 Crisis communications is never a module I thought that I would enjoy. I actually wanted to take it because I think it will be useful, yet I want to avoid taking in NUS under a particular professor. As a last resort, I applied for the course in SMU and thankfully I got it! (:

(This is pretty candid)

And yes, we coordinated our clothes for the presentation as well! Why on Earth do we choose green? Hahaha that's the color of our client company. #dedicated LOL. I really, really enjoyed myself with this bunch of kids. We suffered so much together, but also grew so much together. Thanks for being my motivation to attend lessons even though I'm on exchange LOL. P. S. I didn't skip any lessons because my professor Augustine Pang, together with my groupmates, definitely made the lessons so much more interesting!! 

How I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl.
Year after year, running over the same ground.
What have we found? The same old fears.

I don't know who I am. Or maybe I do know who I am and I just don't want to be her anymore.

Finally finished drafting this post that was supposed to be scheduled for two weeks ago. LOL yanqi the #1 procrastinator!

Here's goes:

It was a horrible week, really. Four meetings over the span of two days, so make a guess the amount of workload I will have. T.T

I'm super sleep deprived. Rushed out my assignment yesterday for submission today, and ended up having only three hours of sleep. Read my paper on the train this morning and realized there was a lot of grammar mistakes. LOL, lucky I brought a black pen and I was editing my printed assignment on the train. Super unprofessional sia me LOL!! And it's a 40% paper zzz.

Just ended my crisis press conference simulation in school, and it was such an interesting experience. There's journalists and photographers and students from other classes watching us. It was so stressful really! But then again, being the first group to finish means I get to watch the other groups! It was freaking hilarious to see my fellow classmates being rekt by the journalists HAHAHAHA!!

(The setup with mics)

Context: I was seated at the second row.

We draw lots and I was lucky to be the moderator for my group instead (I stood at the podium). But the entire situation totally went out of control. LOLOL, the journalists so aggressive. Reminds me of the time when I had to role-play as reporter during some mock crisis exercise at my workplace and I drilled my colleague so badly Hahaha. Is it karma strikes? It's definitely not fun being on the receiving end.

But ohwell, I'm really liking SMU for all the opportunities to learn.

I see her slipping away, bit by bit,
because you shove her down
when she so desperately needs
someone to help her back up.

I have been bathed in your depth of love, but now I drown in my sea of thoughts.

(Ahma Cake)

This was highly recommended by many of my friends, so I decided that I have to try it at least once. Is it good? Well, I finished the entire cake by myself within a few hours. It was strangely addictive LOL!!

I was late for my lesson at SMU yesterday, because it was raining heavily and my bus was late (excuses, I actually woke up later than usual LOL). Oh speaking of bus, I'm so happy that there's direct bus from my home to school! :D

Anyways, it was another day of culture shock. The Professor was asking for volunteers to do individual presentations, and by NUS' standards, it would be silence until the Professor picked someone. However, the game changes in SMU. PEOPLE ACTUALLY ENTHUSIASTICALLY VOLUNTEERED TO PRESENT. Oh wow, I guess I have a lot to learn.

Fatiha brought me to the library this time. It was so grand, unlike NUS. I'm actually loving SMU environment, somehow it feels therapeutic to study there. (: And my long bus ride to SMU also strangely feels very therapeutic. Hahahaha! I'm loving it!

So Fatiha left first because she had lessons after that. I was left alone in the library, but not for long, because I was meeting Huiqi shortly after. Then another embarrassing moment happened. T.T I couldn't find my way to Plaza Singapura from the library, so I walked back to my school. As I was making my way to the mall from my school, I actually had to walk past the library. Wth, did I just spend 20 minutes walking back to the same place???

Somebody save this direction idiot please. T.T

(Salmon Truffle Udon)

Itacho Sushi with Hui Qi after our KTV session. I love the fact that my school is so near to Teoheng! (: Thanks Hui Qi for coming down all the way to find me.

Anyways, I ordered this bowl of salmon truffle Udon because they had a promotion for it, so it's only $7! I thought it was weird initially because I couldn't imagine salmon with udon, much less truffle with udon. LOL, but it turns out amazing as usual. Itacho, you have done this right. (:

(Salmon, salmon, salmon)

What's Itacho without salmon! These salmon sushi taste damn delicious hahaha! (: I controlled myself from overordering this time round. This was my first Itacho experience that's not with Vivian, and my first Itacho experience that didn't burn a hole in my pocket. Much be Vivian's fault that I'm always spending my entire fortune at Itacho tsktsk.

In the dark times
Will there also be singing?
Yes, there will also be singing
about the dark times.

I know times may be hard for you right now. But just breathe. You can do this.

I'm so sorry if I disappeared for so long. Things have just gotten so hectic suddenly T.T

Backgrounder: I actually went for a 2 weeks trip to Taiwan recently. Come to think of it, I usually spend my Christmas and New Year Eve overseas because the plane tickets are cheaper somehow? Hahaha! Anyways, with this trip, I covered most of the places in Taiwan already. I just left a few more areas, like Kenting and Penghu, but I guess for those two places, it is better to head over during the summer instead!

(Throwback)

I was walking home with a Starbucks that day, and I thought that using the road as the backdrop is a nice idea. Hahaha, it was around 6pm and the sun was setting. The rays give the picture more depth yeahs! Nice.

Sorry, I digressed. So I was saying, my days suddenly became so much more hectic. Why? Because two days after I touched down in Singapore, I had to attend lessons in SMU. 

Anyways, I went to collect my SMU ID card on Monday and in the meantime, explore my new home for the next semester. PS. The ID card was vertical and I didn't quite like it. And I hate the fact that I have to tap in everytime I enter a building, ohgosh, damn inconvenient. Kenneth was telling me that the school is quite near Dhoby Ghaut, so I tried walking but omg where got near?!? Unless there is some shortcut that I didn't know of x.x

Tuesday was my official first day at school. I embarrassed myself because I walked into the wrong classroom and only realized it when the professor started lecturing. Wth I didn't realized there was Classroom 3.2 vs Seminar Room 3.2. I just walked into a room that stated 3.2 LOL. I'm an idiot. But thankfully, all their classrooms/seminar rooms are in the same building which makes it easier to find (unlike NUS, I think if I'm lost, that's it. I don't have to attend classes anymore because I probably need 1h to find my way).

I'm so not used to having 3h of lessons straight with only 10mins break in between. NUS's seminars only lasted 2h 35mins with a break in between somemore. Sighs, I feel like I cannot sit still and my brain was not working and I'm so exhausted.

So anyways, after the first lesson, I realized I had problems logging into the school portal. So my new friend, Fatiha, brought me to the IT Help Center. I'm so thankful to her for helping this clueless kiddo over here. And she also brought me to the SMU LAB, which is this cosy corner for people to have discussions and nap. Right, nap. They have beanbags for people to sleep. LOL. It was like #housegoals because everywhere was so bright and colorful! It brightens up my feelings straightaway.

Anyways, I had a 5h break in between because my first lesson ended earlier. I was so bored because I'm alone and I didn't want to waste money on public transport to go home first. So I found a table at a corner and started watching my variety shows. LOLOL. Goodness. I ended my lessons for the day at 10pm (I suddenly miss Aaron because he always let us go home 1h earlier) and only reached home at 11pm plus. T.T Sudden regrets for taking night classes. Zzz.

What an "eventful" first day of school. T.T

Throwback to the time I had Flaming Don with my mother. It was a Japanese restaurant located at Bugis+, and I would say the prices are a little steep. But it has a lot of good reviews, and I wanted to pamper myself for a bit hahaha! (:

(Hot green tea and miso soup)

(Teriyaki Chicken Don)

(Salmon Don)

Yes, the food is very nice. Worth trying it if you are in the vicinity!

Sorry for the long post, because I just wanted to document all the nitty gritty things during my SMU exchange. They will be memories that I will look back fondly in the future. :D

Maybe she'll call me one day
to tell me to stop writing about her,
and I will tell her that I will,
when she stops inspiring me.