Finally can slow down the pace of playing catch-up with time...for a short while anyway =)

Hmm...will be embarking on another London trip this weekend..filling up my short(really short, like one fri and the weekend) break with musicals, movies, sightseeing, visits...and this is most probably the start of my uk-trotting plan with z. If we are disciplined enough this sem to do some real planning of our time(and then seeing them through), that is. Will be planning for summer soon too... We both agreed that the first sem seemed to have been a foggy dream of some sort...and we had floated through it, fighting the clouds groggrily, bumping here and there, getting lost, finding our way, getting lost again, and discovering new paths...In short, it's been a very growth-inducing period, as we adjust to our new independence, new environment, new statuses (overseas uni students),new everything. I won't say that it's been totally wasted, though it could have been better spent. But again, it's inevitable that some time needed to be spent on settling down...anticipated as much even before coming here anyway...well,hopefully tts done with and 2nd sem will be better spent. I'm determined it should be anyway...had enough of aimless moving around, living day by day without the committments like I used to have with exco and sch last time...and amongst all the plans in the making, certainly there'll be more new grounds to cover. Trekking w pam,z and pam's friend(when the weather's warmer), occasional weekend trips, floorball sessions, badminton, tennis...CSSA activities...jacq's case study project...etcetc...they're all in the pipeline...(somewhat ambitious eh...wonder if we'll have the energy, TiMe, discipline and finances to see them all through though haha) and hopefully too, after one sem of lessons, we can better assimilate into the diff curriculum now.This sem was demanding...next sem's wkload sld be even heavier it seems...

And now it's time to think about accomm for next year again. Put it aside for a while...Thought too much about the pros and cons btw broadgate flat and campus halls alr, only been leading me ard in circles. So guess I should just make a decision now and stick to it. No more thinking too much heh...and no more being swayed by anyone(1hr lect on the advg of std flat by deb, more over ny dinner by jacq, numerous casual discussions abt it with pam, z,sb etcect..wow...)So...it'll be my call and my decision this time...set.

On a separate note, was talking about the topic of friendship with z this afternoon, as we made our way ard Beeston..and now I'm listening to yet more discussions about friendships...all those letters to the DJs..triggered off this memory of one particular session I had attended for DMS a few months back, when we were asked to choose from a whole list of vocabs the top ten priorities in our lives...and then to narrow down from this list into 8, then 5, then 3 items...did it get easier or harder each time? Anyway, the point is, one of the things that I remembered pondering about was 'quality relationships'. When we had to compare our lists later on, it didn't escape my notice that this item was missing from many ppl's top 3 lists, elbowed out by other 'more realistic, more politically correct' goals...relationships with our family, friends, loved ones, superior, subordinates, acquaintances and many others...shouldn't we treasure these more in a world that's becoming more dangerous, global, practical and distant every minute? And surely having quality relationships will go a long way to making us more balanced, cheerful persons,won't it?But... I can't say tt I myself's been that focused or concerned with it before coming here also...maybe it's the being away from it all that makes one see things in a clearer perspective..whatever I had listed as my priorities then, wonder if it'll be any different now? After all, ppl will change; they grow with each and every experience...so who's to say that our priorities in life would be static? ~ponders~

Think i'm rambling again coz cny's coming and all..and not being able to be back home this year (and for a couple or more) to celebrate it with my family as I've been doing unfailingly all my life make me miss home somewhat. I am alright with spending christmas and new year here, with few others who also didn't go back to s'pore in dec, as we tried to balance getting piled-up work done, whipping up new dishes, shopping at sains for groceries and celebrating the festivals watching DVDs, eating steamboat(yum!)..it was actually cosy in a way, and a fresh experience for now...but CNY's DiFfErEnt...It'd already become somewhat of a tradition spending it visiting relatives as a family, and doing certain things every year..now I have to make do with just a phone call home I suppose...and hmm...we won't even have a day off sch tt day..just as well i guess..will help to keep us occupied for the day, then maybe we'll hold a small celebration at night to mark our 1st CNY away from home.

It's at times like these I'm really grateful for some contact with ppl back home. Saying this now as I had just received an x'mas card from a friend back home..and another from an acquaintance...so nice! haha...belated wishes but still very much welcome!! (Don't think u 2'll be reading this, but anyway...Danke Schon!! +)

Enough of my long entry of rojak topics...thanks for reading...and drop in some words in the comments section when free yups? Haven set up a tagboard yet...maybe if anyone's free, can gimme some advice on tt too =p

Current Weather Report: Mighty strong winds...haha..just recalled how piglet's image came to mind when z said 'blow me away..' as a particularly strong gust of wind attempted to speed us up in Beeston just now..