after thoughts

another event... took the flyer from the table with stickers...


some supporters who follow her in her stops in NC? she mentioned she see some familiar faces in the crowds..


the posters she was pointing to when she reminded everyone the time to vote...


got 2! this was chloe's btw.. I took mine before I left..

am glad that I came to the event cause it's not everyday you get to see politics up close and personal.. was commending to my friend that it's the best time to be in NC.. what with the NCAA tournament (my teammates were in UT when they won NCAA football and they said the street went wild... I am seriously thinking of going to the union to watch the game UNC vs Kanas.. may be packed but should be fun), the 5th year in Iraq (apparently NC is a state concerned about military as there are a huge number in the army... like how Iowa is concerned about NAFTA, NC is apparently big on Iraq), the spring after the credit/mortgage crisis (so that the prof have just enough time to incorporate into the syllabus), the election and how NC has become more important than usual... it is always good to head to the US for exchange but now the best place to be in exchange got to be NC...

she made an effort to connect with the students, as part of the young woman voters (she says at 28, she may be older than most but nevertheless, she is part of the group) but she seems really tired at the start.. enthusiastic level wasn't up though the thoughtful public speaking PR tactics were still visible. the eye contact, the small jokes, the 'gosh' whenever she had to pick a question from the floor, the exclamation that a question was a good one/one not asked before ( in response to the question is a vote for hilary a vote for bill, she said she heard that often but never quite like that/ his [the person who posted the question] words, not mine)...

I guess she really does believe in her mother's campaign (not just because she is my mother").. she was excellent with the facts, energy statistics 9she spent a good amount on that), the in-depth research, the detailed but somehow lack of focus (tired maybe?) answers.. nevertheless impressive with the number game she tosses out.. I mean, she must have field thousands of such questions all the time..

I like the idea of a universal health plan (and her story of how a sick and pregnant woman, as told by the sheriff in one of the states she and her mother been to, died because she was unable to afford insurance of the hospital fees 2 times in a week..) and the of economic independence so that at least it means the US has the moral voice to oppose their creditors of their blotchy human rights, IP issues.. I like the idea of a ready-to-lead-from-day1 commander in chief, the idea of lessening oil reliance (on mid east, former soviet union) , of developing green industry (solar but not nuclear which "everyone wants but not in their own backyard" ) even though friedman's doubts, I am not sure anyone will be able to obtain anywhere near what he has envisioned... (challenges in that industry seems insurmountable).. I like the idea of ending the genocide on Darfur, the awareness to Sudan, the push of diplomatic policies in all the countries in the world..

But I am nor sure about the the Iraq pull-out, the determination to come home now, the lack of time line for energy plan for the 10 cities ( it "depends upon the scientists, not the idealists") except for the 2025 (I think?) time limit.. I am not sure about her flip-flop stand on NAFTA (maybe it's just politics) the vote for hilary=vote for clinton.. some one commended that she wasn't sure about the seemingly changing campaign stand, from being experienced to about change (to which she seems to fumble and say abit clumsily that to her the campaign is not changing, it is about the stand towards issue and the rest doesn't matter, what it is most important is the issues, a great answer btw...)


I am not sure about the seemingly lack of economic reforms, the engagement of SEA (what I am most concerned about) and not just China, India or Taiwan so I am not sure if I am ready to be a volunteer yet.. the image of I am an independent woman contrast too greatly with the endorsement from her husband, the strong backing from him... he may be too good an asset to give up but there must be a way for them to tap on his popularity but not be seen like they are too reliant...

Ms Chelsea too a great stand though, a strong one on finding out more about who to vote for ( and ultimately to vote instead of being passive) from the debates and websites... and her stand to criticize President Bush seems to coincide with her dad's ( he went as far as not talking about Obama at all) and mum's decision to target their harsh words to "outsiders" rather than suffer backslash from supporters that do not like inter-party spats...

As much as she was pulling votes for her mother, she was raising awareness that everyone eligible can make a choice and a difference by voting...

I hope to see Senator Barack Obama before I leave.. I want to hear him inspire me, just like how Eve inspire me (mentioned how she did her best to get people to come down and the sale of her tees by student body vice president Mike Tarrant)...

siyng and chelesa clinton

posted by siying HEHE

Clinton Campaign

she took like tons of pictures with everyone, some requested for a hug (which she says in surprise that "hugs are always good") and this lady took many good pictures of Ms Chelsea with her PDA phone... nice tech~~ someone commented that she must be sick of taking so many pictures (which was why I was rather hesitate to take one with her... the poor girl must have taken enough to last a life time) but she smiled and says something in the line of liking to take them as you get to meet interesting people (referring to one guy who came in a pirate hat) truth be told, she was more friendly and more energized during the short meeting session than she was on stage... especially in the initial stages when you can see she is really tired... her voice was flat and her answers were all number games rather than what she believed in.. in the later stages she seems better but caught a glimpse of her rubbing her forehead.. man she has been campaigning hard... a one person even turned into a family affair...


at her left, clinton campaign senior advisor (if i dont recall wrongly).. a cute girl from the university paper (hmm DTH maybe?) was wanting to ask her how she enjoys NC/Chapel Hill and he answered on her behalf as she was busy taking photos with us.. his reply was that she is enjoying herself (what else?) and has been to many NC cities and how it has been a great experience...





the crowd before the start...it was raining, else it would have been beautiful to do it in the Pit... so the cafe was busting at the start...





got closer to the stage as the time passed and people leave...


if you can see, thats the girl with the poster saying something like there is a question here...lol


the second storey was packed as well, there was even a mic to allow people to ask questions from there...


when I was around at 2+ it wasnt too crowded, when I rushed in at just over 3, it was packed... the event was supposed to start at 3.15 but was delayed for an hour cause her flight was delayed..she came in from Peace College from Raleigh (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j_-7rQ1pPFlgZWWuy5mNXJX_Ff-QD8VOMVT02) which is usually travelled to by car rather than a plane....


current vice president of student body, who talked about how Eve tried her best to get political people to come over in anticipation of the NC primary which "is important, for once"..lol in his hands is a Eve's tee, with Eve's dance party in front and The world's our dance floor (i think) on the back... very pretty, wish I know who is benefiting from the sale of the tee..


Us with the crazy guy standing in front of us. I am only good with taking pictures of myself, with more than one person in the frame, I have problems, which is why you cant see me (well you can if you look really closely...lol at the right hand side...lol)he was talking with his friends and he noticed we were taking pictures, so he came to join us.. funny guy, name's seth I think, from listening to his group of friends making liberal jokes ( as in stereotypical liberals jokes... lol .. not that I know any but I can understand the sarcastic)


me and cloe (from Seoul, Korean University- she is very nice, suggesting that we should get together for dinner/lunch some time soon before we all leave UNC, she even offer to let me stay in her house if I am to visit Seoul *smiles* I, on the other hand, offered to take her around Singapore if she comes)


tar heels voice entertaining us with 3 songs (I only recognise the 1st song, Everything by Buble, the other 2 are nice church-y songs *smiles*)

okies, allow me to gush for a while.... lol.. I was wondering when will they come.. finally they did... well as close as it gets I think.. may prefer his dad(?) but she was cool as well... :)

was a total coinciding that I saw she will be coming.. I was seeking shelter from the rain just minutes from my economic class and decided to go to the undergrad lib (sis: the one you all been too). was in the bathroom (gosh I have so much trouble calling the toilet bathroom)and was looking at the posters pasted on the door (they have to most interesting events pasted on the door~~ and I saw Chelsea Clinton event in the Pit on the 31st March... and I was like isn't that over? How come I didnt see that poster before (mind you, I visit the undergrad lib often, if not for the nice sofa, the computers.. and also the bathroom often too)

then I realise it's today!hohoho.. I knew I should have took that cammie (camera) this morning! ( I was actually staring at it, wondering if I should take it or not, decided there was no need to) sigh shoot myself on the foot...

so had my quiz, met my teammate (who is a super cheer leader in our famous basketball team, she travels with the teams to the games.. ie she gets prime seats to the games~~) for a while to discuss how to tackle a case with no questions...lol

had a quickie lunch (like in 10 minutes, cleared a plate of rice, mac and cheese and coleslaw.. super american stuff oh..and a pizza) and took like 10minutes to walk all the way back to my dorm to get the camera.. and sammie (ie my spore cell with a camera so I have some pictures there as well when I am back)

oh and did I mention I do believe its the start of the rainy season here in chapel hill so I was never dry the entire day? heavy rain, small drizzle, sunny showers, cloudy and dark downpour.. all in a day ~~ dramatic (such a understatement)

revision~~ sort of..

pictures of revision session at the student union.. could be more efficient if I hadn't been sitting at the sofa near the huge flat screen tv showing kanas and davidson game...

it was fun though, to see them root for davidson... in Jacobs said cause "[davidson] is a tiny college, should always support the underdog" or as Yong Tae(I do think that's how you spell it cause he is korean and 28, with a black korean girlfriend who works as a personnel that test the waters in Raleigh~~ who I inferred from the boys' conversation is the daughter of a professor in UNC) says they are rooting also probably because Davidson may be a easier rival to win over to get into the NCAA March Maddness Finals.. No harm, to alway let others get rid of the difficult opportants for you.. after all, I am alway on the lookout for Liverpool to whip arsenal, chelsea to be whip by others too...

so you see, with all the distractions, moans/groans/cheers and not forgetting the idle chat in between, I think it was a good study session.. definitely looking forward to my next one :)


Stephen Curry of Davidson walks off defeated here, but is still recognized as the region's outstanding player. (courtesy of NCAA webbie)

Adventure is a life well lived, adventure is the humble search for truth, the compassionate love of others

Make the choice to be excellent, to be excellent with a heart.

Study hard and work hard. Play hard, keep an open mind. Take pride in yourself, in your school, in what you produce and the way you help others. If you make a mistake, make sure you learn from it and never give up. Stay strong to the finish.

I want to be that... and more

part I, II, III, IV

you know it when the signs are here... (no no I am not talking about mopping the floor though the same can be said about that as well...) you know when the clothes are disappearing... (*shrugs* girls are good with match-and-wear, we will get by with the limited amount of clothes we have, the years of mathematical application of permutations and combinations are really handy by now)...

you know it even as you try to hid the growing piles in the closet, behind the huge luggage, away from sight (what you don't see, you don't know)... but really... you know when the inevitable is coming when the socks are missing... and in cold days, that just does it... (in warmer days, I still have to think of my pilates classes, I kinda like wearing socks during classes, but that can be tricky when I am wearing my heels... hmm does that mean the inevitable comes later *smiles*)....

you know it when it's laundry day... sigh... 2 weeks worth of clothing and I can't push it back any longer... (2 weeks is usually the max, 1 if I have to do the bedsheets and all...) and since I don't have a room mate ( I have suite mates that watch teevee from 3am till 7am and who comes in loudly at 4.16am.. I think that is enough, thank you very much~~lol), I will carry the backbreaking bags of clothes myself...

It's actually not as bad as it sounds..Lots of things aren't... It's the idea that puts you off, more than the doing.. Mind you, I am not saying laundry is all fun...though I was really looking forward to doing laundry when I first came (I even did it once every week!) but after a while, it kind of take too long (too many trips ) and really, who have all the time to keep running up and down every week when once every 2 weeks does just fine :) oh... word of caution... take everything you need, you don't want to keep running up and down just to get your detergent or OneCard (aka cashcard)

Many friends I know put off laundry day as far as they can (both here and those international students back in Singapore) and if you have a room mate, you have double the laundry (of course double the hands as well) and it can get pretty messy without the laundry bag, whose socks, whose shirt.. whose really counting~~

saw another guy trying to stuff god-knows-how-long-worth-of-clothes in his mega huge boxing size laundry bag after toasting (that's what I like to call the dryer...) mind you, it's not those limply boxing bag, it's literally those that you can practice boxing with... wish I had my camera with me.. but I may not take a picture even then... might get hit in the face, especially with the amount of practice he could have had..lolz

sighz... the small things that matters... clean clothes, good food,you really get to take care of yourself here.. it's nice. more than nice, it's fulfilling, like living :)


messy pile in closet


messy pile on floor... (mum: this is just today's laundry, I don't pile them up on the floor on normal day~~)


the fabric softener (courtesy of Mrs Terry, Scott's mum) it's super pleasant-smelling, not only my clothes but somehow I keep smelling them all over the place too.. but it's nice, to wear clothes that smell fresh~~


Packed and all ready to go! It's is definitely heavier than it looks... but luckily I live one the 2nd storey.. so the long walk can only get that long...

**************************************************************************************************
2 hours ++ and many trips later


laundry room... (toaster area, littered with dried fabric softener)


laundry room with teevee.. for those bored of waiting~~ I actually watched my first live grey's here.. (but come to think of it, it is most probably a re-runs, heaven knows how long the strike was~~ finally my bones will up on april again!!)
the one with the door open (machine 13) is usually the one I use :)
***********************************************************************************************










da-dah!! fresh, slightly damp (you have to toast it 2 times for it to be drier but really beside wasting 2 quarters and more trips and time, all you end up is elastic clothes.. I rather dry them myself thank you very much...



empty laundry bag... ah.. what bliss~~ until next time...
(sigh the next time is in a week's time, my sheets are due next~)

sping, spring, spring ..it's SPRING! SPRING TIME~~

by popular demand from my sis...heheheh..this is the spring in UNC... one day, the trees are bare, the next flowers are blooming, covering them in the sweetest pink shades or purest white, the next day when you are rushing to get to class in 15 minutes (from HJ to kenan-flagler), you suddenly realise the trees are green! the flowers have silently fall off on the walkway, and when the cool wind blows, the roads are all full of petals (really really tiny white/pink ones that look like snow or stylefoam...lol)

spring is amazing... suzzane was telling me that in autumn, the orange trees looks really cool.. they turn from green to orange before the leaves all fall off to make way for freezing winter... but I think I fancy spring more... it's resemble life, vitality and heaven knows, we need more here...

spring! it makes you feel so good, the days are longer (always better!), the sky are brighter.. the clouds fluff-ier(finally the droughts situation are getting better!! weee~~ longer baths! just in time for hotter spring!), blue sky (the sky is always nice and blue but really in colder times, you don’t want to freeze your socks off just to admire the sky...all you can think of really is getting to a warmer building..)

the quads (aka the Polk place, where dad and mum saw the dogs fighting, aka the fields) are totally packed with people! really packed. I so need to get more pictures of the area .. and also the other famous UNC spring hang out place!! :) been wanting to get to the parks, walkways and field forever~~

anyways here are some spring pictures... :)


from the 2nd level... HJ~~


one the first thing I will see when I step out the dorm.. :) yellow pretty flowers.. on scrubs.. sigh .....spring is really here~~ to think a few days ago its still hugging-your-blanket-cold... you never get this at home~~


sunset~ the days are finally getting longer~


the view of the business school (on top the hill.. I like to think it's like a castle like building...)super near my dorm, except for the huge open space car park and 6 storey high indoor car park that I have to cross gosh~~ (I like to play the game of guessing the brand of the car whenever I walk through them every Tuesday and Thursday.. am getting better and better at recognising the symbol~~)...

oh and you know when it's game day.. the area is packed with cars (sis, there is actually a use/need for such a huge carpark!!) and there are orange traffic cones everywhere.. and everyone is walking down in Carolina Blue, with cute blue heels stickers on their cheeks while you are walking back up to your dorm...I am soo going to miss the basketball season.. so soak it in while it last~~


the road to dorm~


waiting for the trees to bloom...dorm sweet dorm~~ I dont usually go through via the main door cause it’s not where my room is located but I need to go through there when I am expecting mail( thanks aunt for the sweet postcard!!!)








Turing the corner to dorm, with the short cut~~ where flowers bloom and where you stand in the cold when the fire alarm ring at 10am on a Saturday or 12 midnight on a Friday


on my way back~~ HJ


on my way back... the dorm opposite mine.. looks really like an apartment doesn't it? HJ may not have these, being old and cranky and all.. but it’s the best...! happening.. ALL the time.. whether you like it or not..lol.. I am alr looking forward to Sat when NCCA Elite Eight starts at 9pm.. gosh I hope my friends dont organise the revision session then... I want to be in HJ to hear the shoutings! *smiles* (GO TAR HEELS~)


flowers~~ near the building you have to go to to settle your bills.. opps I think I clocked a dollar bill for a library book cause I totally didn’t realise I had it with me...




the beautiful area near the kenan stadium and where my dinners are usually at..(Rams Head..lol) and and also where my fabulous Pilates challenge class is at... every Wednesday 7.15-8.15... always come out feeling I have work out alot~~


a part of the kenan memorial stadium... named after the philanthropist Mary Lily Kenan Flagler and her husband, Henry Morrison Flagler (I believe) who donated lots to UNC. Many buliding are named after them, Kenan-Flagler Business School, the Kenan Football Center and all... :) will try and get her protrait in business school next time...
in case you can’t see it (like sis~~) it says TURN IT CAROLINA BLUE. they want the entire stadium to be in Carolina Blue when they are games~~ they started handing out shirts that says Turn it Carolina blue on game day at the stadium.. super cool~~


new navy heels with white petals on the walkway (on the way to Rams Head aka cafe)


sis: my new sitting/sleeping place... lol super comfy sofa on the 2nd level of undergrad lib.. the area outside the lib is getting pretty.. will take more next time k ?

more more more~~~

day 9...Scott's house


day 9, last day in wilmington.. on the way back :) outside scott's house..


day 8 of spring break... back at wilmington... with my v fall-looking dress in Ashley High School (4 years) where Scott, Pearlie(middle name as oppose to first name of Scott's sister, named after her grandma..) and Suzy's high school..


day 3, last day in washinton.. on the way back from Rosslyn metro back to Inn of Rosslyn.. :) this was near the place we ask an Asian woman for directions...lol


day 3, after coming back from the science museum(pay tickets but not much to see.. everyone was so tired, we were dozing off...lol)..H&M!!!!!!!!!! for my sis...


day 3, US Holocaust Memorial Museum...excellent exhobition.. but no picture taking so no pictures of any of the interior..


day 3 in washington, walking towards the Burea of Encraving and Printing (where they print the greenback!!) from the metro... I think..too many street photo


day 2 the washington momument from the mall...


day 2, teh capitol from the mall(a patch of field...)


Day 2, walking to the national archives... super nice walkways


day 2, the capitol, view from the supreme court


day 2 the capitol


day 2, on the way to the capitol


day 2, walking on the streets


day 1 food! in china town, finished the whole plate... hungry after the looong walk


day 1, the white house!!!


day 1, walking on street


day 1 in washington, Simthsonian insitution National Air an Space Museum


metro in wahington. abit blur... for sis...


day 2, in the house scott's dad built.. super nice, a villa facing the beach


day 2 at the light house on oak island near wilmington


by popular demand


day 1, at the beach