Bittersweet
Singapore,
You make my heart so full! Thanks for all of the great food and memories.
Until next time,
<3 Helen
You make my heart so full! Thanks for all of the great food and memories.
Until next time,
<3 Helen
Recently, I had just completed my semester at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore. Studying abroad was more or less what I expected it to be. Before arriving in Singapore, I imagined myself meeting people from different countries and hearing their various perspectives; through living in the student hostel and attending events held for exchange students, I managed to meet students both local and international. Through interactions with people from countries, which I have never visited myself, I was able to learn about different countries. Beyond the connections made with people around the world, I was able to strengthen my relationship with my family from Laos, as well as, find spiritual growth.
est. 05.12.2017
est. 05.12.2017
Reading week
Do More With Time
After complaining to my sister about work, she said to me, "it's not about having time, but making time." Yups... I did exactly! After each project, I rewarded myself by taking a day or two off. Here are some of the highlights: Gastro Beast/ iLight at Marina Bay, Flower Dome, Henderson Waves, and Sentosa Island. These places are definitely must go places. Note that iLight Festival and Cherry Blossom are once a year. Don't miss out :D
est. 04.03.2017
est. 04.03.2017
THE LIFE AFTER RECESS WEEKThis is week 10....
Instructional week ends in about 3 weeks. Since recess week, I have been booked with projects, reports, assignments, presentations, you name it! In the last 3 weeks, I have completed 2 group presentations, 1 group report, 1 individual project, and 5 mini individual assignments. I am now preparing for a group presentation, a group report, and 3 individual reports. est. 03.23.2017 |
recess week - what would you do with a week off?
I was curious about what local students do on recess week so I asked every Singaporean friends I know. Strikingly, most (if not all) answered with so much excitement about staying home to study and prepare for midterms. It's quite inspiring and motivating to see how hard and dedicated they are to their studies. Hence (Singaporean's favorite word), the bell curve system at NUS. Despite the grading system, I hope to be on their level soon!
Unlike the locals, I took the week as an opportunity to travel. I took a trip to Bali (bucket list checked) for the first half of break and a trip to Hong Kong for the second. If you love nature like me, Bali is the place! I stayed in Ubud because it was relatively cheaper and safer than say compared to Kuta. Kuta is more touristy and more developed. If you like that, give Kuta a shot. For myself, I went to Bali for the more greener areas. There are many things to do in Ubud like visiting the Rice Field, Luwak Coffee Farm, Monkey Forest, Goa Gajah, or even take a stroll by the hostel.
For food lovers, I recommend Hong Kong. On this trip, I spent a lot of time eating! My favorite street food place was Dundas Street. Aside from eating, I did a good amount of site seeing at Mongkok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central Area, HKU, 1881 Heritage, and the Lantau Island. Regardless of the food and site seeing, my purpose of going was to attend the Shidler Alumni Event. It was an honor to be invited and be a part of the night. The event gave me the opportunity to meet, learn, and network with successful alumni including the five honorees - T.C Chan, Richard Leung, Cecilia Ho, Eddie Lam, and Teresa Yang.
est. 03.06.2017
Unlike the locals, I took the week as an opportunity to travel. I took a trip to Bali (bucket list checked) for the first half of break and a trip to Hong Kong for the second. If you love nature like me, Bali is the place! I stayed in Ubud because it was relatively cheaper and safer than say compared to Kuta. Kuta is more touristy and more developed. If you like that, give Kuta a shot. For myself, I went to Bali for the more greener areas. There are many things to do in Ubud like visiting the Rice Field, Luwak Coffee Farm, Monkey Forest, Goa Gajah, or even take a stroll by the hostel.
For food lovers, I recommend Hong Kong. On this trip, I spent a lot of time eating! My favorite street food place was Dundas Street. Aside from eating, I did a good amount of site seeing at Mongkok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central Area, HKU, 1881 Heritage, and the Lantau Island. Regardless of the food and site seeing, my purpose of going was to attend the Shidler Alumni Event. It was an honor to be invited and be a part of the night. The event gave me the opportunity to meet, learn, and network with successful alumni including the five honorees - T.C Chan, Richard Leung, Cecilia Ho, Eddie Lam, and Teresa Yang.
est. 03.06.2017
Hawaii Reminiscing
Last week, I was able to have a get together with two other exchange students (Chris and Vivian) from UHM. We bonded over lunch at U-Town and chatted about our personal experiences in Singapore. To sum it up, we love it here! On the left, Vivan and I were fortunate to get in touch with Weiting, a former exchange student at UHM. Along with Weiting, we also met Jei whom recently visited Hawaii. The girls were very thoughtful and took us on a hike. Our next adventure will consist of Poke Bowls! est. 02.17.2017 |
Xīn Nián Kuài Lè! 新年快乐!
Happy Chinese New Year 2017
Chinese New Year is undoubtedly the most important event in the Chinese Calendar. Chinese New Year is a celebration of home and family. This year, my Chinese New Year celebration was made possible. This year, it was the first celebration with my family since 2004. The whole celebration was beautiful. Our house was all decorated and we all got dressed for the occasion. For this event, I had no reasons to not wear the Hanfu (Chinese traditional dress), have my hair up in two buns, or even paint my nails red. Getting ready was probably one of the highlights for me. The most memorable moment was being with my family and being a part of the gather.
est. 02.03.2017
Chinese New Year is undoubtedly the most important event in the Chinese Calendar. Chinese New Year is a celebration of home and family. This year, my Chinese New Year celebration was made possible. This year, it was the first celebration with my family since 2004. The whole celebration was beautiful. Our house was all decorated and we all got dressed for the occasion. For this event, I had no reasons to not wear the Hanfu (Chinese traditional dress), have my hair up in two buns, or even paint my nails red. Getting ready was probably one of the highlights for me. The most memorable moment was being with my family and being a part of the gather.
est. 02.03.2017
Nope! I did not miss the celebration in Singapore! Before I left to Laos, I went to Chinatown (the busiest street during CNY) to pick up pineapple tarts and love letters for my friends and family. A big part of CNY in Singapore is the famous steamboat "hot pot" party. Fortunately, I was able to attend two - one with my residential house and one with my local/exchanger friends. Although we did not have a Yusheng "prosperity salad toss," it was still a great celebration!