Day 7 - The Completed First Week In China

So here it is folks! The Official Day that marks us being in China for one WHOLE WEEK! Whoo~ I think its a memorable day indeed...

Class started at 10 am and as promised we were dismissed approximately 11.30am to go for our brunch (breakfast+lunch) at the canteen. After finishing our lunch and did the toilet-visiting-procedures *smiles* , We had a surprise visit in the afternoon from the Deputy Principal Of Ngee Ann Poly (right), the director that handles the international programs in Ngee Ann Poly (center and in the white coat) and also the One that is responsible in making it possible for all of us to be here (far left).

With each lesson, there will be a follow-up quiz. So far i manage to get not so bad marks. Practical lesson are hands-on practice with the Flexims software. It ended around 4. I did a few errands with the rest of my roommates and rest alittle while only to go out again with Xh to play badminton. I played a little and then decided to join Clive and XY for a run. Its important to keep up our young stamina, you know~ haha!

We went back to Xh and Wei Guang playing badminton and I stayed to play with them and some of the locals before heading back to change for Joey's birthday party. By then, its already dark and its only 7! 

Before, my teachers in primary school told me about Winter season and how the day seems short and the nights are long and the weather is just cold and chilly. I think i'm very fortunate to experience what she told us about. 

Below are some of the pictures taken during Joey's birthday party. I had to grab some photos from Hajar, Masita, Benedict and Randolph and some others because I had totally forgot all about my camera. I'm sorry little cammie, I won't forget to bring you along next time, hokay?

 

Thanks for taking these awesome shots people!

During Dare or Dare (originally its truth or dare): Zeemin had to cut abit of her hair~
During Dare or Dare again: XH had to call a local guy, picked by Joey and have to ask or his name, age and tell him "Wa ai ni" Hahahha!
My face was smacked with cake badly~Oof! Thats Ice and Journey (:

Face smacked with cake was directly after most of us had our share of the cake.FuhsyoH! cake smacking damn shiok i tell you! there were some who resisted but all of them turns out with a face similar or worse than mine! wahahahah! No one was spared! whoo~

and nope, thats not a wedding cake (i thought its a wedding cake!). thats Joey's birthday cake! wow, right?
During Dare or Dare: Ice had to hug an opposite sex (see, zeemin excited~). Whos the lucky opposite sex?

BENEDICT!!

Formal photo before face is covered with cake (:
Roommates with Journey! I told you no one was spared and Xh smacked and facial-ised the most faces ah! :-P ahahha
Formal photo with our faces smacked with cake! =DD

To summarised it,the party went like this:

Song, cake, cake-mania, eat, game, eat, well-wishes, goodbye (;

Then i went to buy satay and Ji dan mian with jo1s! (((:

Best wishes to Joey! Hope you had as much fun as most of us. Last but not least thanks for inviting us to your party. I had loads of fun (;

priceless memoirs

Day 6 - Theme Park!!

A simple and sweet day (:
well, maybe?
Yes. (:

My roommates and I were almost late for our first gathering outing with the locals today. We made it though (:

I took the first public bus that came (2rmb) and we head off to the theme park first. While waiting for the rest of them to arrive, most of us took pictures at the waiting area and make use of the time to get to know each other a little bit more.

The theme park is really a big, vast of land. There's a lot of walking that needs to be done before we are able to see the different rides. At one point of time, I even asked Journey as to where is the Theme park. Imagined the amazement I felt when she said we are already in the Theme Park and that the rides are just a bit further away? Haha! We weren't suppose to pay for the entry fee. We were just required to pay for the rides that we want to get on. Which means, the rest of the park is free for others to move about and just stroll around to enjoy the sceneries. It wasn't bad at all. (:

There were quite a number of water boat rides that we had to passby. One that really caught my eyes are the ones that look like hamster-exercising-balls but they are actually kiddy rides! Fascinating, huh? It looks so FUN! They have skating rinks in the theme park as well! Cool, huh!

Took some photos, I hope it is enough to describe the theme Park (:
Went for dinner after paying for the hand-drawn self portrait. I got it for about 14 rmb? I have to ask hash again cos she volunteered to help all three of us pay first and I have not pay her back yet! hahah!

Went for shopping/dinner. however, we soon realise there werent any halal food stall in the shopping mall. I have to thank our hosts many, many for helping us locate a nearby (but not so near to me)muslim food stall. Not many of them joined us to eat but I know most of them had been running around just to help us find. For that, i know Hash and I are very grateful. Delighted I was when Journey, Xinhui, Weiguang and XY joined us still. (:






a view in the theme park
big, big candyfloss~
during waiting intervals
still during the waiting intervals
another view in the theme park


Someday I would like to get dizzy being swing like that O_O

Some kind of train to drive people around.
waiting intervals~

waiting intervals/scenery was nice!
still waiting intervals/longing to go to the bridge/view from the pavilion



Roasted Beef. Yum!(:
Menu for Dinner (:
Looking from the inside of the Muslim food stall.
Whoo~
hand-drawn portrait! I did one, too, but dint take a picture of it yet.

Anticipation and excitement~
Viking!
Big, big pretty balloons

the bull thats made up of pepsi cans
biggest hamster exercising ball yet?

NO! its a kiddy ride! (:

One seriously unique ride! "Crazy Train"

this is kerayyyzyyy~

I took the ride in the background. (:

Me, XH and Hashanah's hand with the pavilion as the background.
SOLO. lol
Roommates at the bridge~
I think this is the "Vivian, where are youuu???" pose(s).
the cute baby we met at the Muslim stall.
Us with Journey at the Muslim Stall.
Benedict, Xh and me at the bridge again...
Roommates and a new friend with the pepsi bull. haha!
OIP mate, Hui Miang (:
the i'm-the-only-one-without-a-local-partner picture? haha!
In the bus ride to the Theme Park
Kid!
With some of the local girls, Charlotte (not Chocolate :), Joey and Journey~

I think I made a new friend

every despair i felt slowly fading

probably after all the hardships i thought i'm going through alone

you let me know, i was not and that you're with me all along~

Friends, thank you for today (:

Day 5 - First Tour

We went on a tour to spend our first Saturday.  We head off to East Lake (Dong Hu) about 8 o’clock in the morning.

The East Lake has a lot of pretty and breath-taking views. I saw the Poetry-Recitation Pavilion and I believed those of us who went to visit the building made specifically to remember Qu Yuan (especially the ones with Mr Ng) , learnt a bit more about his strong sense of patriotism and how people respect and honor him in return.

My classmates and I can’t seem to get enough of taking the scenery photos. I think in the summer or late spring the place would be even more beautiful especially when every flower(s) are in full bloom.

Next stop was the Hubei Museum. I saw a lot of Vessels; Big, small, medium and a lot more variety of sizes. All of them are for different uses (from Mr Wong) and have three legs. Mr Wong pointed out that they have three legs because it would be more stable. I compared them with our study table (four-legs) and the tripod stand- for the Bunsen burner (three-legs) and I have to agree that the tripod stand which has three legs would be more stable than most of our study table.

Armors and war weapons were also on displays. They said the movie Red Cliff also showed similar outfit and armors to represent the past. The most famous item is the humungous musical instrument on display. Even Mr Ng encouraged us to take a photo it~

We had lunch at the Food Street. I had Chicken Noodle which honestly speaking, it’s not suited to my liking at all. @_@ That’s in fact my first unfinished meal so far. I had a fizzy apple juice to drink later on. That was quite nice (: but due to the cold weather, I just couldn’t finish it too.

Last stop was the Yellow Crane Tower. By that time, I was already drained and ready to retire to our bunk. By then, I was too tired to smile and was too lost in the sea of Chinese words from the tour guide.

In the end, I manage to pull through though, especially with photo-taking enthusiasts and the will to explore the place together with peers.

Yellow Crane Tower has its share of magnificent views and complex history. I find it hard to believe that they had built and rebuilt the same place for about six dynasties; Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing Dynasty.

I had mushroom and meat with rice for dinner at one of the other new Muslim food stall that we discovered the day before. Not bad at all, the mushroom was fresh and delicious! YUM! The best part of all is when XY told us he saw someone selling “Satay” (malay word for the meat on stick). We checked and asked the owner and he confirmed it’s halal and I bought 2 sticks of Mutton satay to try out and share with the other four who came and eat dinner with me. Spicy and tasty and very much UNLIKE Singapore Satay. Shall go back there for more soon. 

Random Pictures:

Our DORMITORY
View from Outside of Our Dormitory

Mushroom and Meat with Rice, add ji dan. ((:

East Lake Pictures:
ENTRANCE (Dong hua)

View behind a driver.

The driving wheel is on the left hand-side, unlike SG.


Along the way photos:

TAO HUA! (:

We saw the Poetry-Reciting Pavilion and Qu Yuan Statue.

Qu Yuan died, hence the sad face.

Trying to pose like the Qu Yuan statue.

GLASS SOUVENIRS!
THE LONG AND STEEP, SPRIRAL STAIRCASE.

My Groupmates.

JO1 classmates~

Chess (@ East Lake)

Pictures at the Hubei Museum:

Act cute before entering the museum

Snapshots from the museum:

Model.
In the Museum
If you see these things coming at you, you better run and take cover, i tell you!

Part of the Museum (the stairs).

Snapshots of Food Street (Lunch Place):

Pictures at the Yellow Crane tower:

The Yellow Crane Tower

The captured gratitude of the villagers for the old man whom brought them food on a yellow crane when there are undergoing hard times.

My intepretation: Santa Clause in a Chinese Version.

Touch the tower, touch the sky.

Views from the tower:

At the tower:

Photo-taking Enthusiasts (:

Group Photo at Yellow Crane Tower's Entrance

B.A.S with the Big Bell as background.

B.A.S near Yellow Crane Tower Entrance