My Arrival

I'm safe and sound!! I arrived yesterday evening and was picked up by a student from the school. Unfortunately, 2 of my 3 check in bags didn't make it. They got stuck in Chicago because we only had 30 to 45 mins to our next flight and it was so rushed... immigration and baggage collections took eternity.

I walked into my apartment into a roomful of people. 2 of my roommates were there. along with one of them boyfriends and a roomful of guys. Boy was it a shocker!! Didn't expect so many people!

So anyway, they were nice and helped me carry what bags I had into my room. The apartment is nice. big enough for us. the living room is nice too. the girls have done up the place nicely and it feels homely. the only bare and undecorated place is my room, because both me and my roommate have not been there to do it.

I unpacked some of my bags and then went to bathe and then crashed into bed at 10:30pm.

Woke up this morning at 4 am FREEZING. The blanket that the intl students loaned me was THIN. Boy, I wished I had my comforter... its in my bags stuck in chicago. I put on my jacket and a thick pair of socks and went back to
sleep. Woke up at 7am because I couldn't sleep anymore.

I went to eat some breakfast and met up with a few people that I met at the airport yesterday as they were being picked up too. All 3 of them are japanese. There are a lot of japanese in this school. Then we went to meet with the intl student advisor.

We then went to get our textbooks and supplies from the bookstore. Then went home to dump them at home. I then went to collect the bags that have arrived from Chicago from the International Center. Thankfully, one of my room mates was around and helped me to lug one bag. I took the very heavy bag and it was so tiring and hard dragging it back to the apartment. Thankfully, halfway, this ground attendant was passing by on a cart and he was nice enough to drive me and the suitcase back to my apartment. then one parent of another student helped me carry it up to staircase to me floor (only one flight of stairs thankfully).

Now, I'm unpacking everything. In a minute, I'll run to the supermarket with my room mate and her boyfriend to get some hangers. I'll get the other stuff tomorrow when I go there with the International students.

See ya!!!

Manmade Disaster

Ok, my room looks like a tornado flew through it and tossed everything about.... wait, it looks like I was in it!!!

Packing has been frantic the past few days, seeing as I've only a few days to do everything. Everything is dumped on my floor. I'm hoping to be able to finish packing my last check-in suitcase tomorrow, then start on my smaller carry on. then hopefully, pack my room into some sort of resemblance of order.... if that's ever going to happen!!

3 days till I fly! WAHHHH! time sure zooms past!!!! I can't believe I'll be flying over soon!! Unbelievable!

Ok. back to packing... oh wait. i think i better go sleep.

Vulnerability & Control

Went out today for dinner with some of my church Young Adults. 17 of us. I was a fun time I guess, but most of us were exhausted from the full day at church. I also realised something. All the time not spent building up and continuing the friendship with them has made a mark. There's nothing much to talk about between us. Most of them barely know me and they have told me that before. They have told me that I am very hard to get to know personally as I don't open up to them.

I admit that. I find it very hard to open up my inner most feelings and thoughts. It takes a lot of hard work on the person's part, a trust that takes long to build and a sense of being comfortable. I also hate opening up because it makes me vulnerable. Vulnerable to betrayal, vulnerable to attacks and also makes me accountable. I know being accountable is neccessary to help keep me clear before God... But I hate it! I hate having someone giving me that 'look', that 'eye' that says "You shouldn't be doing that." I hate having to explain my actions, and analyse everything I do.

It's all a matter of control. I am a control freak. I want and need to know where I'm headed to, what I'm doing, and control each situation. It's a gift and yet a curse. Its great to be such a person when managing things.... but it's horrible when you have to give control over to God and trust and follow obediently, even though I will have no way of knowing where He's taking me. That's my BIG issue with God. That and giving up some indulgence in my life.

Funny how a simple outing can make me think all these...

Voice of an Angel

I just came back from Corrinne May's concert!!! wohoo! It was SELL OUT! All 1600 seats SOLD!!!!!! The response from the audience was EXTREMELY good!! And if you know singaporean audiences, we are a hard bunch to please. But she got us all laughing and mesmerised by her! We even clapped so long she had to do encore after encore!! here's a run down of the concert:

Corrinne looked STUNNING!!! She is tallll, esp for a Singaporean. Longgg legs. Her hubby looked adorable!! hehehe, like a cuddly teddy bear!!

Corrinne went through pretty much most of her songs in the 2 albums! I was so impressed by how on-pitch and passionate she was!! At the first song, she was a bit nervous and didn't dare to look at the audience, but after getting into the song, she loosened right up!!

She is so natural on stage and not "acted". Her jokes were funny and impromptu and I loved when she explained each song's meaning and beginnings!! Gives me better insight into how much of her life goes into her songs!!

The mic incident was hilarious. After a song, her mic suddenly couldn't work. so while the mic people went and set up a nice one, she entertained us by playing a random melody! I can't believe how talented she is to just come up with a melody and even some lyrics on the spot!!!

Oh, and her forgetting the line from "The birthday song" is hilarious too! It just showed her as a person like all of us and not a "more perfect than real life" singer!! I like how she handled every hiccup and bump during the concert! She kept calm and kept the atmosphere light!!

The song that touched me most was "Fly Away"! She sang it with all the emotions so well, that it really touched my heart and I teared up!!! It's really perfect timing for me as I'm leaving for studies too and the song really portrayed my mother's sacrifice the best!!

Oh and I also liked how she thanked her parents before the last song!! She "Saboed" her parents while they were in the audience by saying out their full name and even describing what her mom was wearing!! lol.

The encores were terrific! One person in the audience shouted for her to sing a chinese song and you should have seen her expression!! lol. She kept saying no way! her chinese was too bad! her even threw in one line of the ONLY chinese song her knew, some children song. lol. then she mentioned how her brother was listening to an interview she was doing on a radio station and turned it off because of how horrible her chinese was!!

Her family seem to be very closed knit and i'm happy for her!!

I'm still on an adrenaline high!! Can't sleep! It was AWESOME! I wish it never ended!!!!


Ps: Corrinne's blog link is on the right. Her website add: http://corrinnemay.com/

Go check her out!!

Wohoo!

Ok, i plead temporary insanity for the last post. I just had an overwhelming need to do that! lol.

Well, i heard from my roommates in college! Wohoo! There are 4 of them. Jessica, Sarah, Molly and Lindsay. I think 3 of them are 21 and one is 20 this year. I'm going to be the youngest. All of them are from the US.

I'm getting excited about going to Hope college!!! Can't wait!