Prelude -- 16 days left

Today marks the last church service I'm attending before I leave for Taiwan. Suddenly, it dawn upon me that I'm really leaving, and I'm leaving soon. And this feeling continued on as I rushed off after service to meet my favourite people in NTU, the Morpheus Committee for our 2nd CNY gathering.

Coincidentally, the sermon today was on relationships and Morpheus is truly a committee in which I feel I have a relationship with. I'm so going to miss hanging out with these people not just because they are fun to hang out with, but they are also people whom I know I can confide in when I need advice.

Here's a really blurry picture of us tonight while having supper :)

Another group of people in which I want to continue to keep in touch with is my churchies. I've known some for years and the rest barely months, but I'm glad I come to know them. They are truly people whom I know I will want to have a relationship in. Since I'm not able to make it for most of the gatherings they are planning, I think today is the last time I'll see them in a long time.

No one can say what will happen 5 months later, but I do hope I can continue to stay in touch with them!

Prelude -- 17 days left

NTU must be really busy these days because I finally get my official letter for my study leave after a week! And right now it's another round of waiting for the proper certification from NTU so that I can proceed on to applying my visa (and the waiting game goes on...) Well, valuable lesson learnt: NEVER PROCRASTINATE TO THE LAST MINUTE TO GET THINGS DONE!

Speaking of which, I ought to get a decent luggage. I've been hunting for one for a few weeks, but to no avail. Perhaps I got to be less picky about certain details and just get one that's so-so. Or should I continue with my luggage hunting till I find the one? What a tiring process. (and doesn't this sound like what we do when we are looking for future partners? #justsaying)

Prelude -- 20 days before departure

Just as stated in the title, I still have 20 days left at home. Before I go on, perhaps I should do a short introduction about myself, although it's not as if you guys are really that interested in who I am anyway. 

About Me

I'm Vivience, currently a junior in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, pursuing my B.A in Chinese (Honours). Yes, I am a Chinese Major and no, I am not going to be a Chinese teacher in the near future. This is the first time I'm going to spend almost 5 months in a land where I know almost no one, perhaps only my NSYSU buddy assigned to me and my cousin who is studying in Hsinchu ( that's so far from me!).

Why NSYSU

Before I go on, NSYSU is the abbreviation of National Sun-Yet Sen University, just in case you're wondering what on earth that is. 

So why NSYSU? Because it's the most hassle-free university (in terms of the admin stuff I need to do for application) and one of the cheapest university (thanks to the strong SGD) available in Taiwan. Yes, I am an extremely lazy person and I always believe less is more (in many circumstances).

So, how are you feeling about the coming exchange?

Actually to be frank, I'm too busy to feel anything. There are still tons of paperwork left for me to be completed in these 2 weeks (factoring the fact that CNY is going to take away a week and all the weekends in which no one works), because I procrastinated till the last minute, as usual.

If I'm really to feel anything, firstly, of course I am EXCITED!! Just imagine 5 months of meeting new people (although I heard there are +/- 150 people from NTU in this batch of exchange student in NSYSU), touring places I've never been before (the only time I've been to Taiwan was 4 years ago and it was confined to Taipei), and of course experiencing new stuff. How can one not be excited?

Well, to be an emo-baby now, I also can't bear to leave my family and friends here in Singapore. Well, I love to hangout with friends, sometimes we can just talk over a drink for hours. Quoting my mother, it's a miracle for me to reach home before 10pm. If I'm to add in the hours I spent in school studying, actually 10pm isn't that late, right?

And how are you going to spend your remaining days in Singapore before flying off?

First, settle all the remaining admin miscellaneous issues, like visa, insurance, course registration, bla bla bla...

To meet up with some close friends for a proper dinner and hangout before I fly off and miss the chance to hangout with them more. 

And yes, to look for a new suitcase that will not burn too big a hole in my pocket!

Till the next time, ciao!