A New Friend?

A most interesting thing just happened to me. Whilst lazily walking from library to library, spending my Friday evening checking out books on the Vietnam War for an essay, I was suddenly approached by a stranger. Not five minutes sooner had I just past this man walking the opposite direction and I was quite surprised by how quickly he was able to catch back up to me. Anyways I stopped, thinking he may be lost and, as usual, thinking that I am the worst person to ask directions from on this campus, he said, a bit shyly, "You want be me friend?"

Before I could reply he went on, in sputtery English with a heavy Chinese accent, that he was a grad student from Taiwan and was very new to the area thus had no friends outside of his work. He was very nice and we talked for a short while before exchanging emails and parting ways. I'd like to meet more non-exchange students and this was a perfect opportunity. Perhaps we can talk about Taiwan a bit, as I'm hoping to stay there a few days while traveling through China in May.

It's really amazing how social everyone here is. I thought it was just the Singaporeans but I'm beginning to think that it's most of Asia. I met some girls both in my Aircraft Design and Aerodynamics classes, but unfortunately I dropped both and haven't seen them since. From the moment they sat next to me they were all smiles and very chatty, not even stopping the conversation when the lecture began! Yet more evidence to support why Singapore is dubbed the happiest country in Asia.

A True Wisconsin Girl

You can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but you can't take Wisconsin out of the girl. I really like some of the food here, although it's a bit difficult to find because it's usually hiding behind the chicken feet or the pig organ soup. There are some (well, several) home dishes that I love love love and regardless of whether or not the Western Food place in the canteens serves them I refuse to eat them because it's just not the same. And most of the "Western" food they make here is really gross. And after eating either rice or noodles for 95% of my meals, I have come to realize a greater appreciation for the signature foods of Wisconsin.

The first is obvious: Milk. The milk here is usually soy, sometimes evaporated, and every once in a while you can find decent stuff at the supermarkets that is imported from Australia. Still, it doesn't compare to that delicious gallon of Land-O-Lakes that I can down in a few days if I'm up for it. I miss drinking a cup of milk when I'm hungover and putting some in my cereal for breakfast. Man, I could really go for a bowl of Cheerios right now.

And, of course, cheese. There is no cheese here. And if there is it takes like crap. I can count on one hand the number of times I've eaten cheese here, and not once has it been on its own. I want to go to Woodman's and get a bag of Bucky Badger cheesecurds or pick up a brick of jalepeno cheese and slice it up and eat it with some Keebler's Club Crackers, or maybe Townhouse. They're both tasty. Oh, and sausage would be a tasty addition as well. And I want to mix it in with my scrambled eggs in the morning.

More specifically, Macaroni and Cheese!! YUMMMMMMM I will probably eat this for lunch every day for a week when I come home. Either that or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Also when I was living in Rhinelander I found these really really yummy Fig Newmans, like Fig Newtons but organic and SO MUCH BETTER. I had to go to Walmart (cringe) every second day to get a new box.

And I would be doing Wisconsin a terrible disservice if I didn't mention the beer. Now I throughly enjoy a cold mug of Tiger Beer, but in no way does it compare to Honeyweiss, straight from the Chippewa Valley of Good Old Wisconsin. Or Capital Amber. Or Spotted Cow!! Yum.

Countdown to Thailand!

In one week, that is 7 days, that is 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, I will be basking in the sun on Koh Samui, and island off the east coast of Thailand. Wednesday night I'll actually be flying out of Singapore and into Bangkok with Nani, then spending some quality time at the airport before meeting more exchange students to catch our flight to Koh Samui. We've got an itinerary up until 24 February and after that it's up in the air -- where the wind blows, I go. The first day in Thailand we'll hang out on Koh Samui, then take a ferry to Koh Phan Ngan Friday night for the Full Moon Party, which should be an adventure all its own. I hear they have delicious shakes ...

Early Sunday morning will be a flight back to Bangkok, but instead of just seeing the airport we'll spend a few days exploring the city. Afterwards who knows, but my guess is that we'll end up in Phuket and Koh Pi Pi before finally flying back to Singapore. Koh Pi Pi is where The Beach (that movie from a few years back with Leonardo DiCaprio) was filmed and it looks just gorgeous!! I will most definitely spend some quality time with my camera while there. Should be a fun trip!!