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Posted on September 09, 2007 @ 11:35 pm
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I just wanted to write that I'm officially closing this blog. There will be no more "new" entries - in the sense of being about what is going on in my life at present, since I am no longer in Sussex. There might be some entries filling in the blanks from before, but this is unlikely.
"But, but, but," I hear you say, "this means I'll never know what's going on in your life!"
Well, do not despair! I have started a new blog and will be passing out the URL to friends and family soon. In the meantime, if you would like to know what it is, leave a comment (with your name, of course) and I will get back to you personally. :)
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| Apologies! |
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Posted on August 22, 2007 @ 12:15 am
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** EDIT: To leave comments, click on the link below this entry that says "Comment". When the new page loads, scroll to the bottem and check "Anonymous". You will be able to leave your name in the body of the comment itself. Now write your comment in the huge text box, leave your name, and when you are finished, click "Post Comment" at the bottom. You are done! **
It has come to my attention that people still check this blog for updates! As I am no longer studying abroad in England, I have ceased to update this blog regularly. I must also confess that all my lovely intentions to fill in the gaps in my entries (for instance, about travelling) have fallen to the wayside since returning to Los Angeles and running errands, moving in, preparing for school, etc. I apologise!
Hence, I would like you, my lovely reader, to give me some input.
If you would like me to fill in those gaps, please leave a comment stating: "Fill in the gaps" or something along those lines.
If you think, "Hey, Megan's blog is awesome, she should keep doing this instead of sending out mass emails twice/thrice a year", leave a comment saying "Continue blogging!"
And if you think, "Oh goodness, she sucks. I never want to read about her life again"... leave me an angry comment and make me sad.
If I get enough positive feedback (perhaps eight yeses?), I will continue blogging as suggested.
Muchas gracias!
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| Provence, France |
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Posted on July 22, 2007 @ 6:40 pm
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I'm too lazy at the moment to write up a lengthy update on my trip to Provence, but you can read all about it on the blog post that Gregory (my travel companion) wrote.
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| Six weird things |
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Posted on June 21, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
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Apparently I have been tagged to post about myself... so here goes!
1. I hate nicknames, especially those that are a play on my name. Chances are, if you call me by a nickname, I probably detest it. The only exceptions are if I came up with it, if it's gone on long enough, or if I love you/the name enough. Notable exceptions include my family (who else can get away with Ah Girl and other permutations?), Shuh Tien (meganix), Rachel (from Megals to Mae), and (almost) anything from my close girlfriends from SC and VJ (erm, like Bim/Bo). If you've ever called me "Megs" or "Meggy" and caught me wincing, now you know why.
2. I also hate people touching me. Well, no, let me revise that. I am all for the power of touch and human connection and all that, but if we're not close friends and you have your arm around my shoulder, or even if you tap me playfully or something, I am probably not comfortable with that at all. If you poke me/tap me on the shoulder to get my attention, I'm probably secretly glaring at you. Don't poke me.
3. I need to shower before bed, even if it means going to sleep with my hair wet. It's a habit I'm trying to change, with limited success.
4. I have very strange, vivid dreams. I'm not going to write about them here, but if you ask me, I might tell you.
5. I sing. A lot. Most times I'm not even fully aware that I'm singing. I have a pretty set repertoire that I go through over and over again, if only to help me pass time. This includes Disney tunes, jazz favourites, my choir rep, anything I might have played before in band, and cheesy oldies.
6. I have a confused accent. This means I have a posh British twang on top of California Valley girl speak on top of my British-fied Singaporean oral exam voice on top of the very distinct Singlish accent. Occasionally you might also find me speaking like my Spanish/French flatmates. I have a tendency to slightly mirror the accent of whoever I'm speaking to.
Alright, that's six things off the top of my head. I'm going to not spend my time in front of the computer these last two days in Sussex, so I'll probably write extensively when I return to the States. Until then, ciao!
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| Very short update |
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Posted on June 16, 2007 @ 5:42 am
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As of 3.30pm on Thursday, I was done with exams. YAY!
As of right now, I am getting ready to leave for Provence.
Au revoir!
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| Simple pleasures |
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Posted on June 06, 2007 @ 11:33 pm
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(Carmen brought condensed milk from Spain) + (instant Milo packets from Albert) = Milo with condensed milk How long has it been?! I think I just went to heaven.
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| Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me! |
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Posted on June 05, 2007 @ 1:16 am
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I went to the cinema for the first time last Saturday, with most of the girls - Carmen, Carole, Conchi, Marine, Marisa - to watch PoTC 3. Damn, it was convoluted! The French girls turned to me during intermission (don't ask me why the hell there was an intermission), hoping I could shed some light on the storyline, but I was just as confused as the rest of them.
Anyway, it was a good night. Funny and sad at the same time. Also, stay till after the credits... there's a short extra!
I think this movie redeems Orlando Bloom a little. I started seeing him as something more than Legolas wielding a sword. Johnny Depp is love, as always. And Singapore is NOT Singapore.
You get no other spoilers from me. Go watch it!
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| Mi scusi, per favore, parla inglese? |
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Posted on June 01, 2007 @ 11:21 pm
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I feel bad about not having updated in a while, so here's a photo post about Italy!
As you all might recall, I had four deadlines right before leaving for Venice, so I spent the week before mostly camped out in my room, keeping weird hours, surrounded by books and papers, writing, trying to write, and procrastinating. When I finished (just in time, I might add), I packed for Italy in about half an hour, and I was off!
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Posted on May 17, 2007 @ 6:33 pm
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My life at the moment:
1. Writing portfolio
2. Drama essay
3. Castle visiting
4. Battle & Hastings trip
5. Devising Theatre log
6. Greek Theatre log
7. Italy!
I've been staying up late (read: anything between 3 and 6 am), working, for the past three nights - Joyce, I'm turning into you! Anyway, I suddenly had an urge to listen to this song - it usually makes me feel quite teary, and I don't understand why! Thanks Joycey for figuring out how to upload mp3s. =) This is the USC Concert Choir at our Winter Gala, 2005.
David Childs - Salve Regina
Salve Regina
Mater Misericodiae
Vita dulcedo
et spes nostra salve
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Hevae
Ad te suspiramus
gementes et flentes
In hac lacrimarum valle
Eia, ergo, advocata nostra
illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui
Nobis post hoc exsilium ostende
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis, Virgo Maria
Translation:
Hail, O Queen
Mother of mercy
Our life, our sweetness
and our hope, hail.
To thee do we cry, exiles, sons of Eve.
To thee do we sigh, moaning and weeping
In this valley of tears.
Ah then, our Advocate,
those merciful eyes of thine turn towards us.
And Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb,
after this exile show unto us.
O clement, O holy, O sweet Virgin Mary.
[edit: I just found out my handphone bill for last month came to over 100 USD. ¡Mierda! That is the last time I send SMSes while travelling!]
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| Someday, I'll kill myself. |
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Posted on May 16, 2007 @ 3:55 pm
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One day I'm going to be the cause of my own death.
I have an essay due tomorrow at 4 pm. I have actually been working on since last week, so it's on its way there, but I had a minor setback yesterday when I ran into classmates and got the unpleasant reminder that I had to have secondary sources even though all I am doing is a critical analysis of the texts. Undaunted, I emailed my professor last night, hoping to receive information to the contrary, but no luck: "every essay should show that the student has consulted secondary material and make use of other critics' work to support one's own ideas and arguments."
So I trudged to the library this afternoon, praying that I would at least be able to find some relevant texts. (I have bad experiences with trying to find books in our library. There are few copies of required/recommended books, and students are forever hording/hiding them.) After more than half an hour of dedicated search, however, I turned up a couple of books which should prove to be useful. That done, I proceeded to Falmer Bar to return the cellphone I unfortunately claimed as my own last week. However, on my way to the bar, klutziness hit me big time. While eyeing a small group of people barbecuing on the nearby grass patch, I slipped on some gravel and fell face-down a small flight of concrete steps. I broke my fall with my hands, but scraped my leg on the steps. I looked at my palm, where a blob of blood was swelling from under a small, grey flap of skin.
The group of students were less than five metres away. There were at least ten of them. Not a single person came to help, even though I was lying stunned on the ground. How's that for bystander effect?
In the end, it was a kindly old man who helped me up.
When I got home I rolled up my right trouser leg and balked.How do I keep doing this to myself??
_____________________
The other reason I'll kill myself? Well this morning I woke up at noon (after having slept at 5 am, ostensibly working on my essay) and logged on to Facebook to reply to a message. On the "Home" page, I noticed that Richard had updated his status message to "Richard is hating f*cking fire alarms."
Fire alarms. Hrm. That set me thinking. I remembered having a vague dream of Marine asking me how I had managed to sleep through fire alarms. I laughed to myself, put the thought out of my head, and proceeded to search the library catalogue for reference material for my essay.
Before I left for the library, I banged on Marisa's door to wake her up. When she was conscious, one of the first things she asked me was, "Did you really not hear the alarm?"
Scheiße. It wasn't a dream?
The fire alarms in Sussex are most annoying, by the way. They are far worse than the ones on the SC campus. Insistent, loud and incredibly piercing, they are probably one of the school's most prudent investments.
And I slept through them.
I haven't really seen any of my flatmates today, but the few I have talked to (Marisa, Conchi, Rory, and Nazzar) have all asked me that same question with incredulous expressions on their faces. No one believes that I actually managed to ignore the alarms completely. While I do remember Marine asking me how I managed it, I have absolutely no recollection of the alarm itself. It must have gone on for quite a while as well; the firemen had to come turn it off.
This worries me slightly.
Someday, I'll kill myself.
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| Mishaps. |
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Posted on May 14, 2007 @ 1:14 am
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I had planned to be in Paris at the end of the month. After putting off the ticket buying for weeks, I finally decided to get down to it tonight, and was very proud when I finally got it all done, clicked "OK" and the confirmation page was loading up...
... until I saw that I booked my tickets for the end of June instead.
I immediately tried to stop the transaction, but it was too late - my email confirmation came through! Unwilling to spend that same amount again on buying tickets for the end of May, I decided to leave it as it is and search for somewhere else to go in a fortnight. An hour and endless clicks on easyjet.com and ryanair.com later, trying to find the cheapest tickets at such late notice, I am... off to Italy!
Siok was right when she said I make my travel decisions based on circumstances... only I could have created this fiasco!
All that said, I fly into Venice on the 23rd, and fly out of Verona on the 31st. I'm going to try to make it to Rome for a day at least during that period. Oh my. Albert, I think you were right. Tengo huevos! And thank goodness for that.
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| Eurovision 2007... |
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Posted on May 13, 2007 @ 12:03 am
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... was a huge laugh. I don't know if any of you caught it, but if you did, you'll know what I mean. I honestly think Germany should have won, but they didn't even come anywhere close - it's a very politicised competition. So tell me again, what political reasons explain Serbia's victory?? And Ukraine coming second? (I mean, what kind of lyrics are "Sieben, sieben, ein, zwei, drei" (seven, seven, one, two, three)?!)
I sound angry, but I'm not - it was actually hugely entertaining for me. Especially since we were watching the UK broadcast on BBC, which was accompanied by Terry Wogan's commentary. He takes the piss out of everything and everyone, and it was hilarious. I loved his snarky humour. E.g. "Hmm, Germany... are they going to give their twelve points to Poland?" (I don't believe they did, by the way.)
Anyway, that was a fine waste of a couple of hours, and I have finally watched the Eurovision contest. Yay!
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| 棋子 |
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Posted on May 12, 2007 @ 2:31 am
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It's past 2 am, and I just played my first losing chess game.
This doesn't mean I'm good at chess. Far from it. I only picked it up properly last summer and I've probably played no more than a handful of games since then. Problem is, I'm so bad, games just drag on forever and end in stalemates. Hence I have a tendency to avoid playing altogether.
Worse, I get so nervous about the competition that I start shaking from the first move (no matter who I play). I'm not even kidding - my entire body trembles throughout the game. In fact, my legs are still a little shaky now. What can I say? Kiasu, mah. Clearly, this is another reason I try not put myself through the nerve-wrecking experience.
However, I was so bored today I challenged Rory to a game at midnight (effectively butting Nazzar out for two hours; Rory was initially supposed to be playing Nazzar), which ended in me losing rather spectacularly.
Ah well. Live and learn, right? Hopefully this is a prelude to more (effective) games!
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| Photo update! and a little more. |
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Posted on May 09, 2007 @ 8:12 pm
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I realise I've been kind of MIA lately, but I have my reasons: I've had two performance exams in the last week. However, now that all that is over, I decided to celebrate by gracing my lovely readers with a photo post! (Although, of course, I have many, many more deadlines in the next two weeks, haha. I am such a procrastinator. Someone yell at me!)
An update on the weather: it's gone back to being miserable. I'm currently working on my Writing portfolio, and since late last week I've been wanting to sit outside and write, but I haven't been able to do so because it's been windy/drizzling/cloudy/downright miserable for the past couple of days. I think we're being punished for an early and hot summer! Oh, global warming, what are you doing to us... or perhaps, more accurately, oh Earth, what are we doing to you!
I realise this blog is becoming slightly superficial. Hopefully that is not a reflection on me and my time here! I am, no doubt, enjoying myself, but at the same time I have learnt much about myself and other people, work ethics, cooking, love (and lack thereof), friendships, and life, in general. Most of it just isn't fit for putting up on a public journal. But if you're at all interested in listening to me ramble, you know how to reach me! In turn I'm absolutely interested in finding out what has been going on in your life - I feel a little out of touch! Does no one write letters/emails anymore? As I have been telling several people, I'm trying to bring writing back! (Though I'm not as ambitious as him.)
Well then, enough of that. On to the photos!
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| Weather update, or my shortest entry ever. |
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Posted on April 26, 2007 @ 3:09 am
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Did I say the weather was getting better? Apparently I lied. The past two days have been very English again, all mist, drizzle and greyness. It's even raining right now! Well, at least it means I get to go to bed to the sound of raindrops thudding on my roof... mmm.
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| Buena Vista Social Club |
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Posted on April 24, 2007 @ 12:46 am
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mood |
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 relaxed |
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music |
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Buena Vista Social Club - Clocks |
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I have to confess, I've never heard of Buena Vista Social Club, even though I do have their music on my computer (the kind donation of Albert when he visited me). My introduction to the group actually took place in Istanbul - Sarah, Basi and I were in Halim's car, cruising along the Bosphurus, on the way to what would be a delicious seafood dinner. I was slightly tipsy on exhaustion, but riding on the high of a previous good night and a rather good day. I let myself drift out of the conversation, Halim's and Basi's voices floating over me; I watched the night lights reflect off the deep blue of the sea as we sped by.
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| Sunny days & international food |
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Posted on April 19, 2007 @ 12:58 am
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mood |
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content |
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I know I haven't posted the rest of my Easter updates yet, but that shouldn't stop me posting about what's happening recently, right? =)
Well, for one, the weather has been nothing short of fabulous since I returned. I remember telling myself that if London was gloomy I would be really upset and possibly pack up and head back to continental Europe. Amazingly, it wasn't! When we touched down, the sun was actually out. The sun! Out in London! I've never seen that... well, I guess there is a first for everything. As I was on the coach to London Victoria I saw lawns filled with half-dressed English kids, basking in this rare goodness. It's been the same all week here in Brighton. It's as if they're all afraid we will never see the sun again, and they're all soaking up some rays while they still can. In fact, I'm a little guilty of it too - I spent a couple of hours Sunday afternoon out on the slope behind East Slope with my flatmates (and others). But I just can't help but want to lounge around in the sun - it feels so good! In addition, the pleasant weather made for really fun volunteering today - we planted broccoli and other sprouts - and I've now gotten some colour back... I'm no longer pale and English!
________________________
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Posted on April 13, 2007 @ 3:38 am
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mood |
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satisfied |
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music |
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Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat |
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I'm not asleep yet, well, because... mostly because I'm stupid? I've been compulsively catching up on all the reading on the Internet I've missed out on over the last month... blogs, facebook, and sadly, only a little news (I have messed-up priorities. It seems a lot has happened in the world recently. Hopefully I'll catch up soon enough.)
But I was about to brush my teeth and call it a night, when I suddenly realised there was one more thing I really missed, one more craving I had to satisfy before bed. Music.
I'll say one bad thing about travelling around without a laptop or mp3 player - I really miss my music! I never realised how much I took my collection for granted until I had to go a month without it.
Brahms, I love you a little more now.
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| Back in Brighton |
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Posted on April 13, 2007 @ 2:12 am
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I arrived at London-Stansted at 12.30 pm yesterday, made my way into Hyde Park by way of Terravision (expensive coach from Stansted to London Victoria... 8 quid!) and then bought a day pass (which is also expensive, 5.10, especially compared to day passes everywhere else I've been) so I could ride the Tube. Albert and I spent a lovely afternoon lying on the grass, getting tipsy off a really good red wine, eating M&S chocolate chip cookies, and really needing to pee. I'm ashamed to say all the food was provided by him - I couldn't find any fruits to buy! I've been really spoiled by Europe I think, where fruit sellers are abundant, even on the streets... I've also been spoiled by the prices. Albert is right: we all moan about pricey London afterwards.
Anyway, I caught my bus back to Brighton at 8.20 pm, and have officially been back since 10.30. It's now past 2 in the morning and I haven't showered yet...
This post is rather rambly but it reflects my state of mind. I'm a little confused to be back home... part of me wants to zip up my bag, pack up and set forth to a new destination. My body still rocks out of habit, from travelling so much on trains. I keep wondering about what I should be doing tomorrow, where to go, what to see. It's hard to believe all the travelling is over, for now. My Easter break Europe Tour has come to an end...
I'm going to take a much-needed shower, then go to bed without setting an alarm, without needing to set an alarm, for the first time in ages. And then we'll see what happens in the morning.
Anyway, updates on the rest of Budapest, Istanbul, Prien and Madrid coming soon.
And then a large photo post!
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