...

Just to say, application for both postcards and appeals are closed... the cards are written, going to be stamped (this monday hopefully) and sent to your respective homes' letterbox... please await it/them with open arms

map...

gosh... spend so long getting this on paint... hope it will be useful...


The original map on a huge board outside the copy centre aka photocopying area (can you believe there is no machines in the libraries! I am sooo used to HSSML's machines..sigh.. and they charge taxes on copying as well.. oh gosh.. what would have cost like SGD2-3 cost USG5+ here)

postcards

I was waiting to eat lunch with Suzy and Sasha (Suzy friend, nice girl with cute hair but she was not feeling well so was absent)... decided not to wait in the cold and went to check out the student store... they finally got some nice UNC postcards and some sweat shirts on sale :)

okay finally got some nice and not too expensive postcards..


please everyone, get in line, queue up and pick your choice..



Choice 1: Wilson Library... really intiminating library, in my opinion.. haven't puck up my courage to get in cause it looks so grand and solemn... its like for people who are really knowledgeable.. but will definitely go there once.. I mean its a Library... you know how much I heart libraries...

Back( with the UNC crest 徽章and the full name of the landmark-Louis Round Wilson Library or more commonly known as the Wilson Library..) It contains rare collections and is not as visited as frequently as the RB House Library or aka Undergraduate Library where I hang out the most as it is near Garner, where I take my Economic class and the Davis (main)Library)



Choice 2: The licence plate sample... really caught my eye first, this one...


Back(Description: why it is called First in Flight, the Wright Brothers who invented the first airplane first flew in Kitty Hwark, NC on 17th Dec 1903...) gosh.. That got to be one of the best thing that happens... around the same position with invention of instant noodles (please do not laugh.. if you are living in a cold country where salad is more popular than noodles and soup... you will know... and you know how I love my soups...)



Choice 3: The license plate ... need I say more? Though I have seen one car with a NC initials front license plate


Back(Description: North Carolina has been referred to as the "Tar Heel" state since Revolutionary War)



Choice 4: Dean E Smith Centre, THE place for (basketball) games.. where DUKE-UNC rival will happen on the 6th Feb(when my family are here!)... playing on home ground hopefully will be an excellent start... it is super near my dorm, like at the corner, and of course near Kenan-Flagler Business School aka McColl Buliding as well... when there is game, you know cause the carpark from my dorm to the business school will be totally pack.. in the morning (even like 7+) it is pack too.. so you can't really cut across the carpark to get to McColl..


Back(with the UNC crest and the full name of the landmark-Dean E Smith Centre, with 22k capacity and the Tar Heels home turf) it is named after the basketball team long-time coach.. who recently gave up the position(think a few years back only?).. He is still alive I believe, making a trip down to the new basketball museum that opened a few days ago



Choice 5: The Bell tower... It rings every 15 minutes (yes 15!) and at each hour, with rings longer, with another additional ring to indicate the time... i.e 1 ring for 1pm... at 12 noon and 5pm (not sure why, for indicating sunset??lol just kidding) the rings are really special and weird.. will catch a time to record a video and/or sound clip...


Back( with the UNC crest and the full name of the landmark-Morehead Patterson Memorial Bell Tower or more commonly known as the bell tower)



Choice 6: All picture of the UNC famous landmarks (including the Old well and Bell Tower) really the cheapest among the rest at 25cent each...


Back(can still see the price tag that I torn it from...)


Gosh... finally posted finished... I was so going to write on each post cards.. when I thought why not post the pictures up and let everyone choose their favourite ones? :)and yes sis, you can have priority

dorm~~books~~pots & pans

the bag of pots and pans! luckily the bag didn't tear~~ else with 2 books, a backpack (with 2 books, one ultra thick one), I dint think I can manage back across the car park to get back dorm






my closet (2 of them!) for drying things...lol


for my sis: the books (4, 2 of the same copies) came in this box.. priority mail from the United States Postal Services.. I was sure you will be interested so took a picture, though you cant really see the recipient (not me, so it's fine if it cant be seen..wehe) it was sooo hard to get the book out of the box...


my shelf of knowledge... the books that I have gotten (one is in a library water proof plastic bag as it is a great novel that I will definitely love.. its too fragile without plastic cover and the other green one is the library book .. my parents will bring my copy over soon! together with 1 finance book and another reference book)



Realised the lack of photos for the last 2 posts (usu try to put some pictures but I have been lazy, not taking my camera with me... talking about which, I hope my sis is not missing the camera too much.. it is usu a hobby of hers to take pictures, not me.. the times I have with the camera (not counting overseas trips ) are limited to helping my sis photo-take...

I have been blessed with meeting great people here... it has been really fortunate.. even though I should feel bad/awkward/uncomfortable about accepting people kind gestures, like my buddy and his family constant help in both picking me up, buying things for me, ensuring I am okay and buying me meals...especially since I don't know them before hand... yet they are still so kind to me... I think I am enjoying the help more than the feeling of awkwardness...

I think it feels bad to reject the host's generous hospitality and I should accept with grace and gratitude and reciprocate in other ways... It is not something I am too familiar with, rather like a new experience for me as I have always been able to do many things without much assistance in the past... beside my family and bestest or old friends and people close to me...

Yet, in a whole new environment, you realise that it is easier ( not necessay or a have-to) to accept people's help and try to smile gratefully and sincerely... it makes life happier and the world a much nicer place to be in.. its not that you really need those nice gesture... you would die from lack of directions/help from strangers that you may not ever see after this but it certainly makes you a warmer person and the university experience a better/funner one :)

receipt

okies hope this can be claimed by insurance? hohohoho but I dont have 19 dollars to mail back..lol maybe I will go ask where to make payment

again... again?!?!?

I think I am going nuts soon.Am turnign to a fire drill magnets what with the NUS economics mapping (yesss it has been nearly a month!) and the 3rd fire drill in exact week! I mean whats up with the fire drill?!?!??!?!

I was halfway in Global Marketing class (aka the class where the professor ask you to contribute alot like 30% class participation grades and goes through little textbook materials but you are expected to read at least 2 chapters a week? the one that I still hopeless like cause its marketing?)lol.. and then the damn alarms rang... again.. for the 3rd freaking time this week (recall: 1st time on Tuesday night , I was on my way to bath, 2nd time one Sunday morning when I was sleeping after talking with my parents)

I swear I am having phobias whenever I look at them (and they are everywhere!!!!) gosh... at least today wasn't as cold as the last 2 times... no wind and all...

I kinda forget that you should left everything behind when there is a drill.. (kinda afraid people may steal cause the last 2 time, I locked my dorm doors so its safe) until I realised people walked out without any bags (mostly girls with small bags take their bags with them but others just left them in class)...

anyways, there is this international event in Kenan-Flagler (aka Business school ) where most international exchange students will go, introducing/answering questions local students may have with regards to our home universities or countries :) hope there are bottle water (need a stronger bottle !) and refreshments! lol


edit: there is no refreshments or bottles (sob sob, I think I left my v shaky bootle somewhere..lol so will be using the reliable metal flusk from Spore) but I got to see the programs that the school provides, not as much as NUS promise (I put promise, not provide cause the choices differ in each round and semester) but there are some very cheap and value-for-money ones :)

what a steal!!

its plainer than the other one but its nice too! and do you notice the cute pokca dots at the collar (there are some at the end of the sleeves as well) definitely better than those you get at G2000 and definitely cheaper (SGD 15+ tax!!)


its not those silky material, more of those zara smooth high quality shirt material, with slight glitter effect



hohohohooh just back at Hinton James after a day of making friend(s), shopping,meeting prof and endless work (cause I pushed it till now...)

finally met my international friend through the program which I only sent in the participation form last monday I think, they took a while to find a host and she immediately emailed me and we set up a date to meet, talk about efficiency!! lol

she is an America Indian, 31 years old I think (cause she said she married at 23 and come Feb xx they will be married 8 years!) and loves reading, watching movies (pay USD8 for movies in the mailbox, netflux.. I heard it before..not sure how it works before though..), travelling and adore kids... lol she is fun to hang out with I guess and I always think I mix better with people older than me(?)

anyways we went to her fav store called New York and Company.. I got their reward card (discount at birthdays, not that I will be in US then) but not their credit card which they were pushing for (got 25% more discount on top of the steals...lol ) cause I dont need so many credit cards and I dont have that much cash too...lol anyways bought 2 shirts for USD 9.99 each, when they look like thy cost 60plus in Spore...lol its supposed to be USD 34-36 one but was on sale.. saw some nice wallets, nice dresses and shoes in that shop and also in banana republic (was on sale, with those shorts my sis like on for USD 24plus but it was still too ex with regards to what I just bought and also the material is checked woolen ones which was passe to her alr..lol)

I will try to ask what bus takes me there from UNC (need to pay USD2 though) and maybe can take my family there/meet my internation friend there fro movies/more shopping/hanging around...lol

k need to get more work done~~

FYI

sis, for your infor, its high or 0 degrees, low of -10, with an average of -4 here... yahoo chapel hill weather forecast puts that it may feels like -11 degrees and its fair(sunny is always good though)..

the cold is okay, if you got your warm jacket, gloves/warm pockets (you see everyone with their hands in the pocket) and long pants/leg warmers (if you insist) but the wind is the terrible thing...and oh, the breath is all misty today during the fire drill

another!

oh my gosh... who was the girl that told me there isnt much fire drill around... its like sunday morning 10.20 am and I just went back to sleep after talking to my family (cause the reading was making me drowsy again) and there goes the alarm.. you think you would recognise the alarm after once, but NO~~~ its the irritating recurring sound that makes you go out and take a look.. its the flashing/twirling lights at each level that tells you you have to get out of your warm bed and blanket to go out and freeze yourself in the coldness...

its super cold today, much colder than any other day and the huge group of people had to wait like forever outside, with the half-melted snowed capped cars(the little snow on the ground has melted) and strong winds that drive you nuts... I was with one of my suite mates and whenever the wind blows, I couldnt stop laughing...its just too cold... there were some(few) in t-shirts or shorts (it is after all rather warm in the room and no one will expect another drill...) I saw a guy with a fluffy money slippers, warm like mine (pink ones, my mum bought those and they were among the last few) but so much funnier on a guy... oh my gosh, my hands, nose, mouth and ears are still cold.. they can be so cold they hurt and when you wash them with warm water, it hurts...

gosh I am so going to read my marketing and get more things done(was slacking on sat~~) before mastering enough courage and clothes to lunch... lol

P/S: sis, the short skirts, limit to 2, I think, get more long pants that can withstand the wind and also jeans.. (they are always reliable..) and rem to get the white windbreaker thingy grandma have.. its in my closet.. its ok-looking and can withstand the wind...

snow-ing~! really!

Hinton James





snow ball... or at least a lump of snow~~


see the snow on the grass... it only happens at the night cause the day'sun kinda melt the snow before it comes down and all you see on the ground is water... :)


I am remarkingly near the basketball court as well... just cause I am at the 2nd floor


just outside the dorm.. at the side door where I usu come out from to either go to kenan flagler or to throw food rubbish~~its super near the stadium too.. and as you can see there was a game today

oh my~~ its snowing... as in real white snow....here in North Carolina.. which never really happens often or every year! so we must be lucky to see them..

apparently it has been snowing for a while now.. since afternoon.. but I left my window slightly open and still didnt realise that it was snowing.. cause I was expecting those big white snow and all... till I came out of my dorm to heat water for the noodles, I just felt it was cold (not unusual here) and rather misty and rainy... only when I was talking to some one at the 2nd floor dinning area did I realise that ... so I went down to take as much pictures as my camera could before it went dead on me (no batt) and when it was wayy too old for the hands~~

oh and tar heels lost narrowly by a point(which was why my suite mate was visibly piss-y and upset) and the someone in the dinning area gave me some bread (with cheese and garlic power on it and apparently butter as well...)

the pit and kenan-flagler~~

microwave at the study area! wo O_o saw a guy (!!) microwave something for lunch before I knew there was some here~~ hohoh the good thing about being kapo


selling stamps!


sorry sis, no coke, pesi only and the food~~ nice!


the "talking" atm



campus map at Lenior.. took it while waiting for the U bus...

the pit is an area outside the student union and near the student store and lenior hall (cafe, which has a better range of food than Rams) .. was there waiting to have lunch with Suzy (and her friend) and happen to saw this group of pple doing acapella... really nice, and one of them really looked like brian from the backstreets boy...lolz


anyways, had a nice lunch (the clam soup was great! lots of ingredients in them, so was the coconut rice that was sweet~~ the curly fries and salmon was nice change too!) but had to rush for classes.. was rushing after class to attend a consultation with my CF professor (European, Yugoslavia I think who dress in suits and tie, all the time we see him~ but was cancelled cause he wasn't free last min, made me rush all the way from main campus to kenan-flagler... takes abt 30 mins ok! on bus and foot!) oh oh was rushing off when someone with a bike smiles brightly and say hi enthusiastically...lol I don't recognise him!

oh and my quiz on Wednesday got a 10/10, it was really easy kind cause economics is something I took really long alr~~ and almost everyone got full marks.. if you know which state in the US has the highest unemployment rate now, you will get 12/10 (bonus of 2 marks, imagine that~ my neighbor, aka guy who sat beside me, aka think is Joseph cause I peeped at his paper got 12~~ sigh... should have read more papers but its really uncomfortable doing the online reading, I am still traditionally used to physical papers) .. which btw if you are interested to know is Michigan...

cant upload the video~ again... so here are some photos of the kenan-flagler study area.. there are cheap (frozen) pizza, breads, pasta sold there and just with the microwave, you have a lunch! wa next time not enough energy/time to get to Rams, I can get a quickie lunch here! oh and I finally get the card activate with this voice atm machine! Cool~ and they sell stamps too!!

tar heels fountain drink (v ex one ok~~)

This is the fountain drink I thought was free.. end up paying... like USD1+ for it.. today got another one cause the rice (one of the only decent meal is Business Cafe, called Cafe McColl)...

It has Carolina Tar Heels on it, with the NC logo, the famous heel (with the star at its heels) and Ramses~~

food and 5 classes

oh my.... I don't think I ever had 5 classes in a day before.. from 8-915, 930-1045, 1230-145, 2-315 and 330-615... nearly faint.. only for 2 classes (the 3rd one and last one) I totally didn't doze off at all.. other than that I all got doze off a bit.. the worst was the 4th class.. cause 1. the class and teacher is ahem~~ though the module is supposedly for 2nd and 3rd years and also nearer to our NUS module where you have to handle a mock stock portfolio and explain your decisions 2. this is the back up module that I am thinking of taking only if I really don't want to take another finance class (the last class)..

now I think I will continue to take my initial finance class (last class) though its harder I think (mainly for 3rd and 4th years) but I really like the instructor... He makes things very clear though the students' questions are really technical and difficult to understand (especially the finance jargon so have to go google or wiki it~~)... but I think I will learn much from this class... so perseverance!!

really tired already so think I will go sleep early.. this lunch cum dinner cost me USD 7+.. sigh~~



oh and see the package at the left side? its supposed to be hot sauce..lol not too bad and the rolls (really like our spring rolls) is very good~with mashed vegetables .. the rice is good too, fried and fragrant.. at least better than the one that I had at Ram's head 2 days ago when the rice is literally fried.. the rice is not even cooked yet, with no salt at all. and its supposed to be for vegetarians, along with boiled carrots and french peas .. poor vegetarians.. as if it is not bad enough missing out of great meats and all~~

tar HEELS, tar HEELS, tar HEELS, tar HEELS, tar HEELS~~~

oh my gosh.. tar heels just finished playing with Georgia tech and it was crazy... it was a last minute win by 1 point.. I was studying/dozing off when the eruption of joy occurred.. you cannot imagine the noise and craze. I mean EPL man u and arch rivals night is big in spore, and you can occasionally guess the score from the (man u) supports opposite my flat.. but this is totally different!!

gosh the noise! the tar heels shouts throughout the dorm and the running sounds across the hallway.. for once, I am grateful to be in Hinton James.. its not the grandest, the prettiest, not the newest (for god sake, it doesnt even have wireless internet connection; the LAN wire is sooo much more reliable though.. no disturb to internet!) but but its one of the biggest, nearest to Kenan-Flagler (ie the business school where I have 2 packed days of classes, so its good to be in walking distance though I always think I am late...lol) and nearest to the stadium where there are games...

The UNC-duke will be Huge to say the least.. pity my parents are coming on that day and I am having small tests during the week..(one guy actually told the lect that his quiz was on the day after the game and the lect changed it to a day before the game so everyone can enjoy and not skip the quiz.. Imagine that in NUS... hmmm I cant either..lol)

when we win (and trust me, we will) the Franklin street will be impassable... I hope my parents can see that.. the huge crowds.. though I think they may be a bit tired from the long flight..gosh luckily there is 2 game with Duke though one is home (UNC on the 6th Feb), the other away at Durham on the 8th March.. oh my~~ looking forward to that.. you know how I am a sofie with such events.. need to get myself in one exciting, exhilarating game! P/S I recorded an incredible sound clip on my mobile.. cant upload it though~~

food~~

food from last time I am to the Rams head!~~~


today is the start of the week for meal plan.. meaning from today till next tue, I have a meal per day at either Rams or Lenoir...but since I have food from yesterday visit, I decided not to walk to get my dinner... microwaved the food (had to do it 2 times cause the 1st round dont seem hot enough) and soup(chicken!)..






not sure if you can see the steam?? had the salads pushed into the pasta and soup cause dont think raw vegetables taste good microwaved.. hohohoh er the mash potatos with not much gravey (they mashed the skin in.. lol) and ribbon pasta with tomato sauce (yet to try the creamy sauce, scare will be too rich~~)

anyways, now I can talk online (skype or msn) with my family (thanks sis~!~!~)*smiles proudly at family* so its been cool~~ lol ... but for my parents, technology needs some time to catch up and so be patient with the wacky computer flares, tempers and tech hiccups...

fire drill and cold weather

on top: my Onecard (aka matric card)
bottom: my Bank of America card with sticker reminding me to activate it :)

yesssss the subject sums up my day.. and of course, the dozing off in class~~ rounds up the day~~

overhead conversation 1 (during fire drill)

boy 1: hey girl! why do I only see you during the fire drills? where did you go?

girl 1: yeah..laughs

boy 1: and you are my girlfriend some more

girl 1 laugh as she walks back into building

boy 1 shouts: you cant go in there? its not a heroic thing to do! you cant go in there~~ (continue shouting)

overhead conversation 2

girl 2: (on phone) where are you?

girl 3: I am just outside the lobby..

girl 2: no, I am outside the lobby too!

girl 3 continue to talk on phone, till she realise girl 2 was just 3 foot behind her..

the wonders you see during fire drill.. plus the amazing research opportunities for professors who want to understand the most universal language and how man pick up such "useful" languages in the shortest time-vulgarities

round up a perfect day of cold weather ( me is getting stronger! cold is good, so you know you can be stronger and more fit *smiles to mum*) and tired lessons~

p/s: got my BOA card today in mail box. Had help trying to turn the complicated mailbox combinations but I cant seem to activate it via the phone... oh and I kop-ed/take out lots of food today(pasta, mash potatoes, breads, salad w/o the sauce, chicken soup, jam) and an apple from yesterday (that is rotting in my bag)...lol

NC

my msn picx at the moment.. not that you can see.. I am always appearing offline~~

food! galore~~

I have no idea why they call it freeze your butt out... your butt is the last place that will be cold.. so does the saying means it is so cold, the last place that will feel cold will be cold too? hmm but that is one is the last place you are concern with.. hands, legs, nose, cheeks are more impt... except when you are MJ, then everywhere that went under the knife will be in danger...

k enough nonsense...

see picx of my dinner then (havent even finish the cream of tomatoes soup...)


the bronze water cooler.. (sis: thought you might find it nice)...the water is really cold btw... but strangely the water some how taste better cold than hot.. it has a funny taste when its not cold~~


finally~~walked some 5mins (?) to get to Rams Head... will have to get more tomorrow to finish the quota of 7 per week.. else I can always treat pple.. cause own too much favor around...lol


just for you, sis :) *smiles cunningly*


the eggs (ham, tomatoes and cheese... shld not get tomatoes next time.. the pple there have a hard time tearing the tomatoes into small pieces...), rice, shredded chicken with pasta in whit cream(salty!) and lady's fingers


where I am sitting when I come back to the dorm to eat..not much different from back at home when we sit at small coffee table for dinners.. except there is no teevee...

demand~~

hot pink jacket~~ darn, not sure if my sis will like the velvet material but its really nice sis!!!



at the request of my sister, the bed sheets with pillow (I usu sleep on the other side that is bloody red-my fav colour together with royal blue)... the mal-nutrition bolster and if you can see(?) my white LG phone, that has no camera (that ok) and no dictionary (!! not okay~~)