28th Feb 2008 - Earthquake

Currently, a familiar tune is echoing in my mind & resounding throughout my room. This melancholic tune brings back many memories, of all sorts of shape and sizes. I wonder what people would do with their memories? Cherish them, hold on to them as a beacon of hope, no matter how faint or dim it is? Or chuck them aside, locking them in a mental cage for all eternity? Perhaps some would place them into a treasure chest, occasionally taking them out and reminisce the past, while a smile forms subconsciously. I think for most, we never bother to think about what memories really are to us…

Sometimes, I feel so inept, in terms of character, especially after attending church. Since I left Singapore, I felt it has been so much of a challenge trying to be a nice person to everyone. To be able to concoct the right mixture of being firm and reasonable, yet being understanding and tolerant, is by no means a simple task. A few days ago, a friend said something along the lines of this “only by our sins would we be able to see the grace of God”. I suppose our inadequateness has a role to play in developing and redefining our lifestyles as we journey through life.

As I was trying to sleep last night, I experienced the tremors from an earthquake. It is rare to encounter earthquakes in UK. I was reading the papers this morning and the frequency of an earthquake is approximately once in every 10-25 years. If I am not mistaken, the only injury sustained, from this earthquake, was by a man who hurt his leg due to a collapsed chimney. Apparently, when I first felt the tremors, I thought someone was probably making loads of noise in his room. However, I thought to myself then that no one could make so much noise till my bed would be shaking as well. Furthermore, my ceiling was also trembling. I couldn’t imagine that it would be either of my 2 resident tutors, living above me, to be having a party that would bring the house down. That was when I realized that it was probably an earthquake. In my mind, when I conceptualized the probability of an earthquake, I was thinking of whether should I get dressed and take my valuables with me including my passport. I thought that it would be extremely troublesome to replace a passport, especially when I have a VISA in it. It seems like safety isn’t of paramount importance to me. Well, guess what I did eventually? I just carried on with my numerous futile attempts to stumble into slumber land!

It’s another 2 weeks plus till my vacation in Italy. Meanwhile, I’m feeling quite stressed by my work and project. I really hope I will be able to fully utilize this time to do a productive revision in preparation for my upcoming exams. I strongly feel the need to discipline myself into doing so… as time ticks away silently and perhaps, cruelly…

19th Feb 2008 - Edinburgh

Chinese New Year has since passed as I’m penning this entry. It is once again the year of the rat, meaning I’m already 24 years old. I would soon be able to lay claim to being a quarter of a century old! Many Singaporeans would consider Chinese New Year as a chore, but ironically, when you’re overseas, you tend to even miss the bothersome visitation of relatives and friends during Chinese New Year. I’ve been rather preoccupied with work till I’d to work through Chinese New Year and even Valentine’s Day. Thinking of which, Valentine’s week has just gone by.

My weekend was especially surreal as I was in Edinburgh. More so, it was my companions that made my short trip to Edinburgh worthwhile. Being in Edinburgh was akin to living a dream, taking a break from the monotony of work and just pure indulgence in the comfort and presence of friends. Edinburgh is quite a nice city, with its architecture surpassing most other cities in the UK. It is, after all, the capital of Scotland. Once again, I shall let the pictures do the talking as a picture speaks a thousand words. I had a really nice Chinese Dim Sum meal in Edinburgh. It was surprisingly good, better than what I had in Newcastle. If only there’s such a nice Chinese restaurant in Durham… Well, besides visiting attractions in Edinburgh, our evenings were particularly enjoyable as we had our get-together sessions. Seeing the group of us together was an interesting sight as well. Averaging 1.6 plus metres in height, only 1 of us stood out at nearly 1.9 metres! Haha, he’s my close friend from Lithuania who followed me to Edinburgh. I think it was much more of an experience for him than it was for me, being the only European among a “sea” of Asians! It wasn’t only his height that made him stood out but he was pretty striking amidst us, gaining most of the attention from the peculiar stares of the Scotts. I never imagined myself having a good friend from Eastern Europe, much less traveling with him. Likewise for him, it never occurred to him that he would mix with a group of Asians. The way life unravels for each of us is certainly mystifying although satisfying =)

Gosh, I think I caught a slight cold from the chilly weather in Edinburgh which was further pronounced by a long walk that I took in the dead of the night. Oh well, at least the walk did tire my friend out, resulting in her incessant snoring which reverberated throughout the room! Hehe, perhaps I might have exaggerated a fair bit, but at least her snoring was the absolute truth! I reckon it’s a fair tradeoff for me catching a cold? Anyway the weather today in Durham was brr…. cold and there was even frost on the fields this morning. I pray that the weather warms up tomorrow. Seriously, once the novelty of cold weather and snow wears off, one would prefer the warmth of the sun grazing upon the suppleness of our skin.

It’s already past 12am, guess it’s time to hit the sack. It’s now my 161st day away from Singapore… time really flies in the twinkle of an eye. I’m certainly looking forward to having supper in Singapore once again. Food most definitely rocks in Singapore, even more so since English food does not do much to gratify one’s palate!