Wednesday, July 19, 2006
With emotion out of the way
Now that thing called emotion is well and truly out of the way, I can start to write about all the events that have happened since I penned that last desolate, tearful entry. Well, make that the last 2 desolate, tearful entries.
Life has actually been good, (okay, that isn't exactly something you'd expect based on my angst filled entries, but I must admit that moaning is part of my gene pool). Lots have been going on since the exams (in chronological order):
1) Walking along Geelong after my long case exam enjoying the coastline, pulling the crisp salt scented air deep into my lungs, appreciating the houses at the waterfront, wondering how long it'll take before I can actually own one, remembering the sweet taste of freedom, wandering absolutely aimlessly-- with no sense of time, direction or purpose, just going where my feet take me. And I realised what a wonderful experience it is to still one's mind and let one's heart and feet carry you. I wish I could do it all the time.
2) Celebrating Rula's birthday with lunch on Lygon and gleefully reminding her once again she's one year closer to the big Three-O
3) Going to post exam party in Pugg Mahones with PS and David and meeting up with the post grads there. Had a number of unspeakable things happen there, one of which is me actually turning up made up and clad in heels (with diamonds, oh God), another of which is me attempting to dance, which really in reality is me waddling around the dance floor, making half hearted flicks of the head and uncoordinated hand movements that make me look like I'm repeatedly flushing the toilet and the last, is truly unspeakable I flush even to think of it.
Though despite me complaining about the hassles of having to dress up and dance, I really did have a good time. I loved the music, the drinks were decently priced, and I do in all honesty love dancing-- just that next time I'll do it in my head. =)
4) Writing letters to pple in my beloved group G and deliberating if I should send them out though now I won't have to coz we'll be in the same group again next semester. Yay!
5) Going horseriding at Gunamatta's on Mornington Peninsula. I'd forgetten how much I love riding-- finding the rhythm of the horse, rising to the trot, feeling as one with the horse, guiding it, not commanding but understanding it as it tries to understand you too.
6) Coming back to Singapore
7) Going off for an 8 day tour of Yunnan starting at KunMing then making our way Northwest to Dali then Li Jiang then back to Kun Ming. Here's a little excerpt of an entry I penned while making out way through the busy streets of Kun Ming:
" Day 2 10th July 06
Stealing a few quiet moments in the hotel lobby to scribble a few thoughts down. My first impression of Kun Ming is that it is a rather haphazard place. It doesn't appear to have seen much town-planning and much of the architecture is a mish mash of old and new, eastern and western. Modern skyscrapers sprout out among derelict shop buildings, sweet terraces bearing Mediterranean style windows are scattered among slate grey government houses. But most noticeable of all is the constant flurry of activity and the omnipresent smog that overhangs the entire city. There is an incessant flow of traffic with trendy Japanese cars jostling for space among the more showy European ones, battered old trucks that leave behind a trail of gravel and plumes of black smoke in their wake, and amongst them a constant stream of motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians impervious to all the activity and pollution going on around them.
Thankfully as we make our way out of the city to jiu3 xiang1, the air cools and the smog lifts and it is a pleasant journey on to yin1 cui4 xia2, which if my smattering of Mandarin is accurate enough should mean dark clear gorge. There, we take a slow cruise along the river and walk along a scenic trail which is really a man made ledge that juts out from the upper part of a limestone cave and winds its way into the depths of the caves. The trail is indeed scenic as the river courses below you then arcs its way over the rocks as it descends. At other points you see stalactites and stalagmites formed through millions of years and at one point we saw rows of stone terraces carved out from one side of the cave."
8) Release of results and realising that I can accomplish nothing on my own if not for the grace of God.
9) Preparation to go back to Melbourne to start a new semester on O and G and Children's.
Life has actually been good, (okay, that isn't exactly something you'd expect based on my angst filled entries, but I must admit that moaning is part of my gene pool). Lots have been going on since the exams (in chronological order):
1) Walking along Geelong after my long case exam enjoying the coastline, pulling the crisp salt scented air deep into my lungs, appreciating the houses at the waterfront, wondering how long it'll take before I can actually own one, remembering the sweet taste of freedom, wandering absolutely aimlessly-- with no sense of time, direction or purpose, just going where my feet take me. And I realised what a wonderful experience it is to still one's mind and let one's heart and feet carry you. I wish I could do it all the time.
2) Celebrating Rula's birthday with lunch on Lygon and gleefully reminding her once again she's one year closer to the big Three-O
3) Going to post exam party in Pugg Mahones with PS and David and meeting up with the post grads there. Had a number of unspeakable things happen there, one of which is me actually turning up made up and clad in heels (with diamonds, oh God), another of which is me attempting to dance, which really in reality is me waddling around the dance floor, making half hearted flicks of the head and uncoordinated hand movements that make me look like I'm repeatedly flushing the toilet and the last, is truly unspeakable I flush even to think of it.
Though despite me complaining about the hassles of having to dress up and dance, I really did have a good time. I loved the music, the drinks were decently priced, and I do in all honesty love dancing-- just that next time I'll do it in my head. =)
4) Writing letters to pple in my beloved group G and deliberating if I should send them out though now I won't have to coz we'll be in the same group again next semester. Yay!
5) Going horseriding at Gunamatta's on Mornington Peninsula. I'd forgetten how much I love riding-- finding the rhythm of the horse, rising to the trot, feeling as one with the horse, guiding it, not commanding but understanding it as it tries to understand you too.
6) Coming back to Singapore
7) Going off for an 8 day tour of Yunnan starting at KunMing then making our way Northwest to Dali then Li Jiang then back to Kun Ming. Here's a little excerpt of an entry I penned while making out way through the busy streets of Kun Ming:
" Day 2 10th July 06
Stealing a few quiet moments in the hotel lobby to scribble a few thoughts down. My first impression of Kun Ming is that it is a rather haphazard place. It doesn't appear to have seen much town-planning and much of the architecture is a mish mash of old and new, eastern and western. Modern skyscrapers sprout out among derelict shop buildings, sweet terraces bearing Mediterranean style windows are scattered among slate grey government houses. But most noticeable of all is the constant flurry of activity and the omnipresent smog that overhangs the entire city. There is an incessant flow of traffic with trendy Japanese cars jostling for space among the more showy European ones, battered old trucks that leave behind a trail of gravel and plumes of black smoke in their wake, and amongst them a constant stream of motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians impervious to all the activity and pollution going on around them.
Thankfully as we make our way out of the city to jiu3 xiang1, the air cools and the smog lifts and it is a pleasant journey on to yin1 cui4 xia2, which if my smattering of Mandarin is accurate enough should mean dark clear gorge. There, we take a slow cruise along the river and walk along a scenic trail which is really a man made ledge that juts out from the upper part of a limestone cave and winds its way into the depths of the caves. The trail is indeed scenic as the river courses below you then arcs its way over the rocks as it descends. At other points you see stalactites and stalagmites formed through millions of years and at one point we saw rows of stone terraces carved out from one side of the cave."
8) Release of results and realising that I can accomplish nothing on my own if not for the grace of God.
9) Preparation to go back to Melbourne to start a new semester on O and G and Children's.
# posted by H : 12:10 AM
