just finished watching the Danny Boyle classic. a flash thought about traveling – traveling traveling, not as in vacation traveling. traveling is a selfish activity – it’s an activity which you hope to cover as many miles within you, as your feet does.

no other place is a better setting for thoughts than when on a journey that you’ve always been thinking of, days weeks before it actually happens.

have to visit this place some day!

It felt terrible, to know that the fairy tale was coming to an end…

For as much as it was enriching, my time overseas was disorientating. The more I saw, the lesser I was sure of who I was, where I came from and where I stood.

Contrary to the writer’s opinion, I regard the ‘disorientating’ positively. It was a refreshing experience as you discover more about yourself. It was disorientating, it leaves me confused and upset. But as I try to gather those memories and experience, and give them second and third thoughts, I realised that all of those have strengthened me, in many ways.

It’s like sailing out in the sea.

If I had chosen to stay in the gentle and calm sea where I was entirely familiar with, I’m likely to have grown at a pace that I’m normally used to. No doubt it’s also growth, as over the same period time, I would also learn to be better at steering my sail.

But by choosing to sail out to the more choppy waters and bigger waves, it’s less comfortable, it’s disorientating. But at the end of the storm, as the sea calms down, have I become a much better sailor? I think so.

In Oslo. Nothing much to hoohaa about. The sunset at Bryygen was brilliant.

24th December

In Bergen at the wrong time. Everything’s close on Xmas. This tourist town has never been emptier. Even the hostel owner has gone home for Christmas dinner and forgot about our checking-in. Luckily someone opened the door for us and we found our room keys in the bin. Met a group of Singaporean students studying in US here.

Walking aimlessly on the streets of Bergen around the hostel at night since there’s pretty much nothing to do. The silence speaks so loud. What was it like this time last year?

Thinking of home, the christmas dinner at church with family, the christmas carols during service.

Thinking of HI paddies, of Xmas SS, the gift exchanges and the fun.

Thinking of SA paddies, the stayover and the gift exchanges.

Thinking of Linköping paddies, Hansil, Mijung, Sungyun, Souhei & friends..they’re probably having a big party right now.

Thinking of Laos Part II paddies, whether if they’ve returned from the recce trip in Pong Song.

Bitterness of winter makes loneliness of Christmas eve bite hard.

25 December

2nd day in Bergen. Christmas day. Everything’s still close. The only thing that isn’t close is the nature – this mountain call Mount Fløyen. It’s around 400 metres above sea level. Climbed to the top and saw God’s wonderful creations. The first time i felt like my ears are falling and my nose flow like a tap.

Got to know the Singaporeans staying here better and we started to talk cock. haha been a while since talking cock with anyone in Singlish =D Christmas Day itself didn’t ended too bad.

26 December

It’s boxing day and everything’s still closed. Climbed Mt Fløyen again, out of sheer boredom. Reached the top and shouted my lungs out. There’s a nagging thought that kept my mind occupied the entire day…

Alas, on the way down, Dubliner pub is open and watched Liverpool’s game there.

27 December

There begins the 18 hours back home to Linkoping from Bergen. 6.5 hours picturesque train ride from Bergen to winter wonderland then to Oslo. The withering green of the forest of trees juxtaposed perfectly against the snowy white mountain range. Can’t help but feel – God made this world beautiful, and humans made it ugly. Wonders of nature. 4 hours of time-killing in Oslo before 9 hours of bus ride home. The grand finale is the 1 hour walk back home from train station to Ryd. Woot!

And as I hunt through the stacks of documents in my drawer trying to find my banking details, I see the Kalas brochure, the LiU survival guide, the ESN folders, the exchange student checklist etc. It feels strange. It seems not too long ago that I always have the map of Linköping with me all the time. It feels not too long ago that I was trying to fit into this whole new world that seems so far away from home.

That’s the end?

///

It was the biggest group tour so far. My first with many of them and my last group tour too.
12 of us (Hansil, Mijung, Sungyun, Yunman, Eunseon, Souhei, Shaun, Alex and his 3 friends) went to Helsinki, Finland via a luxurious cruise from Stockholm.

It was funny, it was fun.

Standing on the deck, with the sea breeze caressing the face, and with the right music at the right time, it was the closest to heaven.

It was a time when thoughts went on a rapid rhythm of rewind and fastforward, about yesterday, today and tomorrow. Many questions found its answers that day. It’s as if the hallowing sound of the wind were the little whisperings from God.

I wish I had found the pause button that day.

Back from the UK leg of Melvin’s World Tour, 27 October 2008 – 4 November 2008

Liverpool (27 Oct – 30 Oct)
Everyone comes here for 2 reasons – Liverpool and The Beatles. Rightfully so, I thought. Douglas, who I met on Couchsurfing, picked us up from the John Lennon Airport over 100 miles away from where he lives, and we will be staying with him for the 3 nights in Liverpool. A very nice gentleman in his sixties, good humour and a Manchester United season ticket holder. So as you would imagine, a longlife Man U fan and a self-proclaim hardcore Liverpool fan who’s looking forward to his pilgrimage to Anfield, under the same roof, egos bound to clash. haha. On one night, we even stayed up till 3am just talking football. A really nice CS-ing experience!

This is Anfield, the sign I never got to see because the stadium tour was fully booked. So, we spent the entire afternoon in the LFC Museum. It was a magical tour back into the humble beginnings of the club till what it is today. Being a young fan, the Istanbul victory is the only glory days I ever saw, so the Istanbul section did make me squeeze a few tears just reliving the memories of the amazing comeback through anecdotes and video compilations. And yes, the Champions League trophy that United won in 1999, it’s in this very museum, cuz we won it 5 times =p

Then there’s Beatles Story, the museum dedicated to the pride of Merseyside, the Fab Four. Good music is timeless. For someone who didn’t grow up in the music of the sixties, it still sound fantastic today. And with this visit, it adds more meaning and significance to the songs that i’m listening. Then joined this Magical Mystery Tour where we go on a coach to visit the various Beatles-related places in Liverpool, eg. Strawberry Field, Penny Lane, John Lennon’s houses, Paul McCartney’s houses etc.

Manchester (30 Oct – 31 Oct)

This city, nothing much lor. Visited the Theatre of Nightmare, then happen to see Ronaldo there. Just a few seconds earlier, Park Ji Sung, Giggs and Ferdinand just left. Damnit…if only i had such luck at Anfield. Hmm…Castlefield, which is a area where a defunct canal now sits, is quite a beautiful place during sunset.

London (31 Oct – 4 Nov)

Managed to watch the longest running musical, Phantom of The Opera, at the very same theatre where it all started back in 1986 – Her Majesty Theatre at West End. The theatre was old but really well-maintained, posh and grand. It feels like we’re one of those members of royalty attending some gala event. But of course, the greatest highlight of the day was the musical itself. The actors and actresses were simply fantastic. The emotions were so strongly translated through their singing voices, whether is it love, fear, passion or anger. And these professionals, they have to do the same musical over and over again for at least 1 (2 for Saturday) show every day during the running season. Totally marvelled and touched by what I saw. Bravo! Brava!

Then as we exit the theatre, the sky has already turned dark (it was 5.30pm!) and it was the gloomy rainy London once again. But full marks to God for the aptness of the weather, juxtaposed perfectly with the ending of Phantom and the mood of the evening. As we walk down the Oxford St, the Hamley’s, the Zara, a tinge of deja vu stung.

you’ll never believe how busy the life of an exchange student is.

juggling between studies that he’s obliged to pass, the travels he’s expected to do, the parties he’s supposed to attend, and yet remember to do his laundry on a regular basis so that he doesn’t run out of shirts to wear.

travel planning, such an exciting prospect that everyone looks forward to, but yet such a pain in the ass while doing it. you’ll probably never believe this, but planning the travel routes – the connecting trains, google mapping, couchsurfing are no less frustrating than planning our timetable on the great STARS PLANNER. the difference is that travel planning is planning for something possibly fun and exciting but planning the timetable is planning for most probable misery.

just came back from Germany last week. barely kissed Frankfurt twice and spent approximately 2 days in Munich. with Hansil, Sung-yun and Shaun as traveling mates. very good company! hope to have more chance to travel together again~

didn’t have too much time in Frankfurt cuz our coach reach Frankfurt city center at almost midnight. the only adventure is when we went hunting for supper in the early morning and to realise that our hostel is located in the middle of Frankfurt’s redlight district! (and we go hahahaha at all the erotic posters plastered all over the walls). And we had supper @ McDonald’s cuz it’s the only food-let that’s open at those ghostly hours. Oh, interesting fact 1: Frankfurt’s McDonald has got 0% alcoholic beer on their menu and their big mac ain’t exactly erm..big.

And we took the DB bahn to Munich. Fantastic city. Checked in to a fantastic hotel (cuz of Oktoberfest, all hostels are fully booked) amazingly furnished and fantastically priced. It’s a 4 star hotel and cost us 180 euros per night per room. Probably the most expensive hotel that i’ll ever stay in my life, seriously.

In munich, we visited Frauenkirche, Peterskirche, Alte Rathaus, BMW Welt, BMW Museum and i forgot where. didn’t have time to rail to Fussen to visit the world famous Neuschwainstein castle (where Disney based their fairytales on, think Cinderella?). But the decision was mighty right. Because at Oktoberfest, i concluded that every single cent was worth it! Yes, even the hotel stay make perfect sense too. Words, pictures, videos can’t describe the amazing festival accurately. I’d say, i gotta agree now when someone said, “you haven’t seen the world when you haven’t been to the best folk festival in the world – Oktoberfest”. Oktoberfest – Das Fest!

More photos, on facebook.
More next time, cuz exams that he is supposed to pass, starts in less than 2 weeks time.

suddenly found this video from our Xmas SS 2007! it’s funny, it’s corny, it’s silly but i could watch it a million thousand times and never get bored over it. because it’s starring me, my lovely friends and those memories that all of us shared during that christmas! I guess all of them are off at the VOC right now ba. Not too long ago, it was us doing it and i remember getting so drenched during the seniors’ camp (damnit haha). my shirt is dry now, but everything else seemed so not-too-long-ago.

I’m getting super excited over Germany this weekend. So much so that I’ve been looking at the scribbles of my tentative itinerary in my little notebook rather than my textbooks during classes. It’s going to be a super big crowd @ Munich this weekend. (last year, 6 million drunkards flock to Munich over 16 days of Oktoberfest) But Munich is really too expensive to stay for too long, so we’re there for only 1.5 days. Have to choose between going to the castle tours or going to the main Oktoberfest tents. Both would take up the entire day. Argh. Decisions.

Bitter note aside, haven’t posted anything for quite a while. Mainly cuz my macbook’s magsafe adapter blew and my only connection was down. Updates bit by bit…

Magsafe blew
My lovely macbook ran out of battery as my magsafe blew. Called Apple Hotline 3 times clocking almost 3 hours, burning 200 SEK on phone bills alone =( On top of the 520 SEK that they’re charging me for the adapter replacement. That’s not the worst – cuz Apple sent the wrong adapter twice, and only got it right on the third package. Meaning, I lost many days on delivery so I was without internet for more than 10 days. In between those 10 days, I went around the whole city, hoping to find a replacement adapter but there ain’t any Apple stores around in this town. Desperate for internet cuz this is the registration period for my IA. Without internet @ home, I had to cycle to school just to use the internet to check my IA options during my free periods. A very pek-chek period.

School Blues
Third week of school and I’m totally lost. Not in terms of directions, but the schoolwork. I guess I’ve underestimated a lot about the amount of studying I’ve to do here. Flight Mechanics and Structural Dynamics are terrible terrible. Matlab too. Quality Management is still manageable, though assignments-laden. The main differences about studying here and in Singapore is that everyone ask questions openly in class, so the class often have discussions. And everyone seem to be really strong in their fundamentals (even the German and French exchange students are darn good in their field), whereas the product of our education (ie. me) churns out students who can only handle similar questions from PYP. The classrooms are also very well equipped, with better tables and lecture facilities.

Kravall & Fika
Parties, aka Kravall is the big thing over here. Everyone don’t mind queueing up more than 2 hours in the morning just to get the tickets to the next Kravall. So far, I haven’t been to many parties yet cuz the tickets are too hard to get. Ahh…but there’s always the next corridor gathering aka fika to look forward to! Really love going for the fika cuz there’s always so much fun, nice food, nice beer and many new people to meet! Just had a Japanese food fika on Friday at Yuri’s corridor. Although it’s expensive to try to emulate any asian dish here cuz of the high price, it’s really nice to have asian food, especially Japanese food, once in a while =D

Stockholm & more Wanderlust
Took a bus to Stockholm on Saturday with Koreans, Japanese and Swedish friends! It’s about 3 hours of bus from here, so after coming here for 3 weeks, it’s my first time going to Stockholm (other than the airport). Beautiful city – but the weather was bad, so we didn’t have time to explore more the city. Hope to go back some other time~

Upcoming travel plans…Booked all these tickets since Ryanair went on a priceslash!
26 Sept – 29 Sept > Frankfurt & Munich, Germany for OKTOBERFEST! =D =D =D
19 Oct – 23 Oct > Barcelona & Madrid, Spain after the exams for ht1!
29 Oct – 3 Nov > London & Liverpool, UK for my pilgrimage to Anfield =D

Pictures up on facebook =)