Thursday, July 30, 2009
update time. :)
as usual, it's been like, *forever* since my last update. and uh, the reason for that is that i haven't had that many exams to escape from. and, i've always had something else to be distracted with. BUT for the purpose of keeping my records on what i've done since flying away, i will attempt to backtrack and update with what happened from when i left for madrid till i ended up where i am, in cranfield. ;) quick run-through so i know what to update on: oct 28th - arrive in madrid!! :) practically 6 weeks late. :( november - lisbon (a week) december - porto (a week) christmas/ny vacations - zurich (3 weeks) february - sailing in palma mallorca (a week) march - MOVE to cranfield! april - madrid for alumni meeting & oxford with obop may - madrid to pick up stuffs / london june - pisa, paris and stonehenge!! july - madrid for exam, o'connells, and churros with chocolate!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
weekend n-2. san ranieri.
ok, this wasn't really the last weekend, but it was the week before so it's considered. 17th June. The festival of Pisa's patron saint. The only time of year something actually happens in this little town. They turned all the streetlamps by the river off, and instead placed hundreds and hundreds of tiny candles along the window sills and outlines of the houses by the river. The great light-up. =) Pretty. Although pretty dark considering the candles were slow-burning - they had to last the whole night! Also, fireworks, gazillions of people. and. Cotton Candy!!! (Zucchero Filato) It was basically a massive carnival / pasar malam. Haha. Complete with light-sticks and balloons for the kiddies and of course the mandatory light-up swords the vendors always try and tempt people to buy. Fireworks were.. disappointing. Except of course the part where the CittaDella looked like they were having a mini-rave in it and got all lit up followed by the fireworks dripping down the walls, and down the bridge over which I walk ever morning. That was the nicest bit. Oh, and the grand finale when they set everything off! Other than that, Singapore's fireworks festivals have kinda spoilt me since I expect everything perfectly choreographed without breaks. Heh. It was Pisa's biggest open air party ever! And the squares were littered with people till 5am in the morning - which believe me, for Pisa, is a big deal! Normally by like 3, the city's kinda asleep. To be honest, this is what I expected a student town to be more like when I first came here. Of course, not as crowded - since people came from all over to party - but with something happening somewhere all the time.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
weekend n-3. Final Disco-Treno.
Doesn't it sound so retro? Disco Treno --> Translated to Disco Train. Heh. It's basically when a bunch of suppressed kids from Pisa (about 200 of us) hop onto a small train built for maybe 50 people and go wild. And need I mention that no one wanted to sit down - not that we could, since we were packed like sardines. But instead of moving to the ends which were relatively empty, everyone (and i mean EVERYone) chose to squueeeezzzeee their way right to the middle where we were. It was madness. One hour of screaming, yelling, cheering, jeering, squishing, falling, climbing. And drinking. While I sat in a corner to breathe and amuse myself with everyone's behavior as they got more and more into their cups - or should i say home-made concoctions filling up massive water bottles. Honestly, the dudes on the train sitting down must have wondered what hit them when everyone got on. Most of them ran away though. One guy next to us stayed, and ended up being offered drinks by everyone else. Highly amusing really. :p When we got to the club it was even funnier, there was a wet-tshirt contest they tried to convince me to join, but hello - unlike the other girls, i was completely sober. Thank heavens they didn't think of carrying me and dumping me in the pool till much later (no, not in the pool but up somewhere)
Monday, June 09, 2008
weekend n-4. Rebeldia.
There was a protest against closing down some center somewhere. Lotsa reggae, lotsa partying, lotsa weed. We didn't stay for very long. :p And besides, Gaston and I had to figure out our CFD project which everyone else had already started on. All in all, incredibly un-eventful.
Monday, June 02, 2008
weekend n-5. Berlin! =)
And running on NY time. I love Berlin. Everytime I come back, I'm reminded how much I love it. But not to live. Never to live. A single girl alone in a large city like Berlin can get pretty scary. I'd need someone to walk me back every night to feel safe. Or I'd need to head home while it's still light. But this time, with so many people with me, I fell in love with Berlin all over again. The food, the people, the hours they keep. It's my kind of city really. The kind that never sleeps. Even till 6am on a Thursday night. ;) And the planes. Need I start? There's just something about these lean mean machines, when they're not used as killing machines but as a way to show off the skill of a select few, namely the patrolle suisse. Where the pilots are just as yummy as the Tiger F5s they zip around in. It's always good being a girl in an airshow. All you have to do, is go up to one of the pilots manning the closed display... and show a little... teeth! Hehe. My million dollar smile works wonders I tell you. Especially on trade day. ;)
Sunday, June 01, 2008
one more thing
i know i'm short, but i'm not even the shortest person by far. yet. YET! people always diss me because of my height. why IS that! *sticks out tongue* so unfair. that is why i tend to wear short skirts short though. haha. cos it makes me look taller even though my legs aren't that fantastic :P but yet i still get dissed. could it be that wearing skirts actually make me look shorter? another point to ponder. needed to end it on a slightly more frivolous note so i don't go to bed all grim and serious.
random thoughts
quick snapshot of this weekend before i do the whole long summary. while i was on my third walking tour of berlin - yes, i have been there on 6 different occasions, i think i may even be able to give my own walking tour of it now - i got to thinking (again). i always get really sad, and am really glad for the fact that i have shades on and people can't see my eyes - anyone who has seen my video of the bullfight in madrid will know what i'm talking about - especially when you think of all those people as like, real people, with real lives, at your age, just born into different circumstances. and this time i heard something new. this time i was thinking about courage and honor. cos there was this one part, where the guide was telling us about 17 soldiers who refused to fire on an unarmed crowd. these 17 soldiers were later executed. EXECUTED! For not wanting to do what they felt was wrong. If it came down to it, would I have the courage to do that? Would I even think for myself? I mean, I've wanted to be a pilot for so long, but granted, I doubt Singapore will ever go to war. Still. Makes me rethink why I want to do what I want to do. All I think about flying planes is dodging bullets, and playfighting, and sitting back in my cool f16. But I think I am incredibly naive. There is a lot more to it that I would have just rather not have thought about. And like all the pieces falling into place, I actually met someone who was in the US Air Force, and wanted to do it on his way to fulfill his dream in NASA, but on thinking about what he was really going to do, resigned, and came to berlin to teach 4-year-olds. Would I have had the courage those people did when it came down to life and death? Or would I just go with the flow and save my own ass? Only a real situation will tell won't it. And it's making me rethink my future direction. It seems Berlin always plays a part in me changing my mind. Heh. 2 years ago, I was *this* close to moving there, but changed my mind as I really couldn't see myself there. Now, back to visit, it's making me realise what I'm about to embark on yet again. Oh wells. If all else fails I'll just sail my ship around the world. A nice ship. With wooden boards and a deck, and sails. Proper sails. Like the ones Gaston and I saw in Sardegna. *grins* I've already recruited my crew I think. Well some of them at least. Haha.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Weekend n-6. Pre-Berlin ;)
Unfortunately, nothing exciting this weekend other than the last party at Akua Keta because lessons are officially over for all the Italian students. So they only have exams they can choose to take now, or in September, or in December. Don't you just love the Italian system? Heh. Also because we charmed our professors to give us a 2-day week next week so we could fly off for the ILA in Berlin! *grins* Of course, it's paid for. ;) hey, it *is* a field trip. even though we have to fly there. hehe. Plus. I managed to get my hands on trade day tickets again!! which means, it'll be time yet again to cajole the nice people who are there exhibiting to let me see the inside of the cockpits. ;) You can never sit in an F16 too many times - even though of course, it isn't quite flying. Just being in it will do. Haha. Did I mention it was my favourite plane of all time? ;) Part 1 Part 2 Still can't believe 2 years have gone by so fast since the last time I was there. At the end of the last one, when they said "see you in 2008" I never expected to *really* see them. Coolness. =) Naturally, I managed to arrange it such that I'm extending the trip by another 3 days so i can pop by Munich for a visit. And yes, that's paid for too - although this time it isn't really with the rest of the class. *grins* But it does come at a price. It means an exam on Tuesday, and 2-3 more in the week when I get back from the 3rd - 6th. =( Oh well. No biggie. There's always retakes. *big grin* Again, I love the Italian system, if you don't get the grade you want, you just sit for it again with no penalty whatsoever. ;)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Weekend n-7. La Giostra
Well, not the whole weekend was spent there, but this was the highlight of the weekend, I'll say. Haha. Jason and Ben came for a visit on Thursday, and unfornately, having an exam on Friday - and on Tuesday, I couldn't entertain them as much as I would have liked to. =( So they ended up going to the Cinque Terre by themselves, and wandering Pisa a little too by themselves. I played "Big Two" with them on Thursday night though, and brought them to the Mensa. Of course. ;) And dinner on Friday was at this little pizzeria on the other side of the leaning tower that was pretty yummy, and the atmosphere was really nice too! Since it's so out-of-the-way, we were the only tourists there. Heh. On Saturday though, we left for florence in the afternoon so I could try and get some last minute cramming done for my next exam, and this was seriously the highlight of our trip. I wish I had all the photos, but I was distracted enough to not have taken it from their cameras! Such a waste right? So they'll only be back to upload and stuff at the end of the month methinks. So you will have to live with my descriptions till then. :p  This restaurant, is the benchmark for all the other places I will visit from now on. The Italians and their penchant for eating dinner late meant that we got a reservation at a perfect time: 7.30. =) This quaint little place, is named La Giostra meaning carousel - because it used to have a cellar which house a carousel. Haha. It was so cosy! There are virtually no big lights. The arched ceiling is red-brick, and there are these branches stretch out above our heads, with sparkly lights entwined. There are no other lights in the whole place other than the candles in the centre of our tables, so it was incredibly cosy, although photo-taking was slightly tricky. The moment was sat down, someone appeared with a glass of bubbly (Prosecco - the white sparkling wine which is the italian equivalent of champagne)- and looked highly amused when I declined - and the cutest Colombian waiter ever appeared with a plate of Hors D'Oeuvres while we decided what to order. (He was so cute Ben was contemplating growing his hair out to look like that. Sorry Ben, only looks good if you're South American. :P) Before we got there, Gaston was checking out all the stars that went there, and he got so excited because Sting and John Travolta, and Metallica were there before, so he was wondering who we would meet this time. Alas, we were so bedazzled by our food, that we didn't pay attention to much else. Just our (cute) waiter and (canadian) waitress. Then someone else (maybe the chef? i'm not sure?) appeared to help us the the charming Italian menu - and we followed his reccomendation for the freshly handmade ravioli. with pear and pecorino! And the Penne with Gorgonzola and Pear. Ok, it sounds better in Italian: Pennette con Gorgonzola e pere William's Ravioli di Brie con carciofini Morelli And when the food came, after our first bites, it was like heaven. Seriously. It was sweet, and tangy and amazing. Just purely mind-blowing. Extraordinary enough for us to decide to order dessert, despite the fact that we were definitely blowing our budget on food for like, the whole month or something. Haha. The had the Tiramisù... sù... sù... sù... (That was how it was written in the menu, seriously! So cute!) And I had the Sacher Torte Imperiale (Warm chocolate cake, with molten chocolate sauce, and cream on the side with straweberries) They the Tiramisu was amazing, but I couldn't try it cos of the alcohol. =( Although my chocolate cake was so good, that I didn't even mind that it was dark chocolate! Haha. It was the coolest place ever, and the people were incredibly friendly - coming to our tables to check on us, how everything was. And the price was surprisingly affordable for service and food that stupendous! I heart it. I will tell everyone who comes here to go there. And if you want, I can bring you in exchange for a chocolate cake. I was even contemplating working there for free, as long as I get a meal each time I go there. I would so do it. Travel an hour there, and an hour back, just to have that amazing experience every single day. If I could do it in NUS to go to dinky school, I would definitely do it for food this good. Definitely a place I will return to before I leave Italy. I'll see it as my last farewell from here. ;) Oh and by the way, it's Michelin-rated. ;)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Weekend n-8. Alghero, Sardinia
So the last post explained how I ended up flying to Alghero for a short weekend getaway. Unfortunately, the weather was pretty blah from the moment we landed in the airport. =( It was grey and cloudy - although for me, without the blazing sun, it was pretty ok. ;) And we walked so very very very much! We were lazy and didn't want to wait for the shuttle bus to take us to the town, so we decided to walk there from the airport, and see a little of the Alghero countryside. For all of 8km and two hours. Haha! You can imagine how tired and hungry we were by the time we arrived at the main Alghero port. So what did we do then? Head straight for the yachts sailing off to Grotta di Nettuna. And spent the next hour or two basking on the deck in the sun that peeked out from behind clouds now and then, turning the water the most amazing blue ever (that and falling asleep now and then since we came home at 3am, and our flight left at 6am in the morning). Basically, the whole weekend was spent eating Pizza, sitting at Cafes, and walking. Walking along the beach, walking through the city, walking along the cobblestone streets in the old town. It was a lovely place. =) Photos off Gaston's picasa till I can find time to prettify them - with travelling, eating, going to school, and last minute cramming, it's a lil hard to stick myself in front of the computer to put up a post, let alone sort through photos. heh.
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