2015

Bye 2015! 

This is my 2015 bucket list and it's time to see what I've accomplished this year. 
Original
2015's Daily things-I-aim-to-do

1. Sleep by 12.30am everyday (School time 10pm? But I slept later than 1am during peak periods and now during the holidays I sleep at 2am)
2. 8 hours of sleep everyday (Kinda, I'm probably lucky to be able to sleep 8hours a day even though I sleep really late)
3. Use less phone (LOL I changed to iPhone 6 because I gave up on S5)
4. Keep my room, table and wardrobe neat (I moved house so my room is a lot smaller right now. I've no choice but to keep everything neat. Besides, I had to keep my wardrobe neat because I've so many clothes.)
5. Fangirl less (Latest band??)
6. Do something meaningful (Didn't really no any big meaningful projects unlike my previous years.)
7. Step out of my comfort zone (Stepped out and made many friends.)
8. Keep in contact with my friends (Still keeping in contact with my secondary school friends and my JC friends)
9. Be a better daughter (I tried)
10. Better control of my finances (I think so, I've been counting my money well. Besides, I've worked hard this year even though I've been buying a lot of clothes.)

2015's Healthy living plan

1. Run 3 times a week for 45minutes (Or just do sports) (I kind of blanked out in the middle of the year and didn't exercise much when I was working and studying. I took part in rag though and I guess that could be counted as exercising for the entire of July)
2. No carbonated drinks, plain water (Sometimes, a little bit of carbonated drinks should be fine. I generally don't drink carbonated drinks.)
3. No fast food (HAHA less than like 10 times this year) 
4. Less fried food (Dinning hall keeps serving me fried food??!?!?!) 

2015's bucket list 

1. Pick up a new skill (What new skill ._.) 
2. Pick up a new language (Erm I learnt Korean with Vivian but I didn't follow up so I'm back to ground 0. I got 94/100 for the test though.)
3. Go to Vietnam (I went on a trip to Vietnam with my friends to meet Doan. I miss vietnam ): Nic to Vietnam) 
4. Go to Korea (I didn't go to Korea. I went on a day trip to Malaysia with Evan.)

2015 was a rather daunting year, albeit it was more eventful than 2014. There were many life skills that I've to learn and figure out on my own. This includes simple tasks such as taking care of my own passport, do my own transaction, do my own laundry and apply to scholarships and universities. I hope that I've not wasted my time in 2015 during my 8 month long holiday. (Holidays)  I also hope that I've not completely wasted my entire of year 1 semester 1 as I was obviously still in holiday mode. Nonetheless I doubt I'll make it through the semester without my wonderful family and friends and I'm extremely grateful for them. This concludes my final blogpost of the year. See you next year ! :-) 

The Guilt

You feel guilty because you were supposed to head to the gym today. You told yourself that you will head to the gym on alternate days. You said this is your holiday goal. This is your chance to keep fit because you have been eating a lot throughout the semester.

You succeeded on Sunday and Tuesday. You were supposed to run on Thursday morning but you told yourself that you need to do your laundry and pack up as you are moving back home that day. You unpacked everything and you decided that you will go down to the gym for your workout. You succeeded. Saturday came and you told yourself you would go to the gym in the morning. You woke up early to gym, and yet your book takes priority over your gym session. 

It is Saturday night, you are typing this blogpost and you are feeling extremely guilty. You just had a good dinner with your family after sunset service. It is currently 8.45pm and you are waiting for your food to digest. 

Quick! You still have time to head to the gym! It closes at 12am. The gym is just 5 minutes away. By the time your stomach finished digesting the food, it will be 10.30pm. The inertia is going to be real at 10.30pm as you sleep early at around 10.30pm or 11pm everyday. 

Beside you is a stack of new clothes. Your mom is outside your room nagging at you to bathe. After you click 'publish' you would go for your bath. Your brother just knocked at your door to remind you to bathe and wash your hair for you only wash your hair once every 2 days. That means you wash your hair on days when you gym. 

Good job Nicole. You're feeling extremely guilty now because you will wash your hair tonight and you are not going to the gym. How can you ever overcome this immense guilt? This inherent guilt will be with you until you head to the gym.

Now, take this guilt with you to the toilet as you bathe and as you sleep. 

And you will go to the gym in your dreams. 

The cycle will repeat until you go to the gym.

Who asked you to eat so much during the semester? You started this yourself, you have to stop this guilt yourself.  

Taking pictures

I'm not a professional photographer and I do not know how to take pictures in the perfect ratio. But I enjoy taking pictures of everything I do.

At that moment when one snaps a picture, everything at that moment comes to a standstill no matter how perfect or ugly that moment is. As I scroll through my photo album, I found too many selfies of myself and too many pictures of other people doing other things. Nothing explicit. I can't help but to smile when I look at these pictures as I recall what was happening that day and the emotions that ran through my head on that day. (I know I am supposed to be studying...) 

The following are a few pictures I took over the past 2 years-

This was taken almost exactly a year ago. I remember how we walked past and saw 'STAIN' on the board outside the student lounge. Mok and XinSiang laughed at how I was the stain of SA. Funny how I am the good kid. Being good kids, we decided to change it back to SAINT instead of studying. Well, I then got scolded because I didn't help to change it back to saint but instead, stood there to take a selfie.

This was also taken sometime ago. I never thought I would visit them in Vietnam. There was a promotional discount that the tickets to the band concert would be cheaper if you go with a scholar. I went with 2 scholars instead. But the discount was 1 for 1. Even when they toured me in Vietnam, I continued to receive discounts because they thought I was local.

We went back to St Nicks and Lizzie was studying in the new lounge. I remember I came from my my teaching internship training at NUS and I swear it was the longest ride I ever took back then because St Nicks was somewhere in AMK. It was just a random snapshot that made us laugh as she looked as if she was going on a war with the little kids. How old are you Lizzie? That night, I saw many of my graduating juniors who I welcomed in into St Nicks when I was Secondary 4. It was nice to see them grow and mature while I was away. (They used to stalk me HAHA)

This isn't the best picture of one of my many snapshots of Evan. He's extremely camera shy when it comes to individual photos. I took this in Vietnam on Day 1. That day, I was so excited as it was my first time travelling out of Singapore without my parents but with my close friends. What will I do without Evan who carried everything for me because I kept buying things? It was one of the rarest time he was in front of me because throughout the entire trip, he made sure that Doan and I were in front of him.

Kihan was skateboarding/penny boarding. It was a Monday that we went out to engineering for lunch. SOE had a lot of food and I was basically spoiled for choices as everything was cheaper than Utown. That Monday was the Monday that I learnt that I'll need more than 1 hour to learn how to penny board. I thought I could pick it up almost immediately like skating. On a side note, Kihan's really good at penny boarding and he'd always turn around so that I can catch up with him. It's unfortunate we can't continue our weekly Monday lunch because we got busy.

It's rare that XinSiang looks good in this photo because he's always the not-so-glamorous one due to his awkward photo face. This was taken after a sweaty day of walking into the jungle in an attempt to explore Singapore. The guys were acting as if they were in some urban operation where ever we go to and I would be in the center. Apparently, I was told that I have a role and I never knew what that role is until now. It was a Sunday and we all know, vanity is sweaty. All for 100 over likes on Instagram.

It was my birthday and I was really glad to have Beatrice and Vivian with me. These 2 are my closest friends who have been with me since secondary 1. I was once Beatrice's Bishan buddy and now I'm Vivian's Sengkang buddy as I recently moved to Sengkang. It was on 19/9/15 that they tailgated into my condo and followed my relatives around while saying that they can't be my relatives at the back. How funny. Though I stay near Vivian now, we seldom meet because I'm barely at home.

Here is a picture of me putting facial mask while writing my QR essay. That was the previous Sunday when I stayed in and forced myself to finish up draft 1. I worked since 6am to finish it up only to finish 3/4 by lunch. I was rather worked up as my excel skills did not come smoothly. Blessed am I to have 2 screens to work with. I met XS and Mok for lunch that day and I went home after 15 days of camping in my room. I felt good even though I barely did anything.

This is an extremely raw photo taken the next day after my previous photo. Little did I know my mom and my brother were both sick so I had to disturb them to make my presence known since I was home. I came back the next day and I actually fell sick after that. The highest temperature reached was 38.6 degree celcius and I had to get fever cooling patches for babies to keep my sanity. I am just glad it's not tonsillitis. I was in fact rather productive that night even though I was sleepy and I finished up my essay for QR.

This is a picture of a 大叔 I befriended in USP. I never thought I would actually be friends with this giant because I never spoke to him during orientation despite being in the same orientation group/house. Nonetheless, this 大叔 (notice how he looks like Steven Lim) is a very nice 大叔 who ate breakfast with me throughout the entire semester and my body clock wouldn't be at 7am now without this 大叔. By the way, you wouldn't want to study with him when he is doing WCT because of his round bottom flask. (psst, he looks like he's gonna fight)

This is a picture of Weixin and I at IKEA. This picture was taken was exactly a week before my birthday and I didn't know he would employ such tactics to get me out of my room, entertain me while the rest of my village invaded my room (with Kihan's help) to surprise me because they can't make it on my birthday. I really miss 8.45am, door 17, beehoon + egg and taugua days. Well, I satisfied my cravings for meatballs. :P

Here is a picture of Shao and I during USS. If I remember correctly, we were using my front camera to stalk the USS group behind us because we were bored. And snap!- A picture of us during USS. It's amazing how every Wednesday would be our study USS together days. It's even amusing that we were from the same training group for our teaching internship programme at the start of the year. HAHA. Mrs Noreen's Kids.

A picture taken with the Queen while we were waiting for tutorials to start. We were at S5 and didn't have inorganic chem tutorial that week. At that time, we were discussing about camp comm and she was basically spamming everyone on my contact list. Though this queen is a really demanding queen, this semester wouldn't be as bearable without her.

Taken in science library to send my mommy on a Friday after my tutorials. My mom pointed out that I looked tired instead of the 'alive' I captioned. Well, it was the 3rd/4th week of school and my body clock was a wreck and I was struggling to even wake up to attend 8am classes because I slept at 12am almost everyday. What was I doing?

Farewells are always the hardest. This was the last group picture taken before my bouncy spring flew back to Vietnam and then off to Montreal to pursue a career in Nursing. I cried buckets after that as I really do not know when I will ever get to see her again. To me, this is the most beautiful picture I 've taken this year (followed by all the pictures we took together in Vietnam for 10 good days). Thank God for college day so that I can send her off properly as I cried so badly on the last day of my Vietnam trip. I just felt that I could be a better host in Singapore as she stayed at my house during her last few days in Singapore. Here, in this picture are people who came from different CCAs (some of us are from the same CCA), different classes and different schools (Isaac, the in bright blue pants) to gather around for one last picture together despite our busy schedules. Yet, it's really amazing how we became friends with each other (especially Isaac who isn't from SA but got to know doan and I because of Evan). Aww man, I'm starting to feel sad again.



There are many more pictures that I've taken but I'll never start studying for my finals if I continue. It's always nice looking at old pictures once in a while and it's always nice to continue taking snapshots of my everyday life. I guess my selfies do mean a lot to me after all.

To end off, to me, a picture doesn't mean a thousand words but it is a moment that never changes even though the people in the pictures do. 

Sometimes, I Just have to grow up

I am a conscious living being, capable of making rational decisions. I am 19 and I am desperately trying to break away from the little girl image that I've been holding to for 19 years. And I have failed. Sometimes, it is really nice to have all attention on you and sometimes, it is simply just hard to change the way I behave unconsciously. Yet, my thoughts do not reflect one of a 16 year old girl and I strongly believe that my own opinion matters. Yet again, I do not voice them out. What will I do if I voice them out? Will I get into trouble?

While I want to grow up so that I can be free of other people imposing their opinions on me, there is still a part of me who doesn't want to break away from this good little girl image. I am sure that there is a way to compromise such opinions and I just have to find the guts to voice it out.

Dear friends, if you happen to be reading this, please don't think that I'm going to die or do anything dangerous or whatsoever. It's just a random thought that came across my mind as I continue to type my essay on reality and appearance. 

Semester 1

It is Friday on Week 13 (Friday the 13th) and it spells the last day of the semester. I'm actually 1/8 done with my university education! Honestly, though time passed really quickly, I felt that the semester has yet to end as there is still finals to take which I have yet to study for.

I am rather disappointed with myself as this isn't the university education I envisioned to have. At the moment, I really wish that I can turn back the clock and restart semester 1 proper as I really wasn't in into studying and actually completely lost motivation as I continued pursuing chemistry as my major. I honestly dislike how my inorganic chemistry module was taught as it was all about memory work. Then again, taking a step back, I really wondered if chemistry is the right choice for me as I am really uncertain of what I want to do in the future. I've yet to experience the lab life and therefore I do not have sufficient experience to mention about research life and currently, I feel that I'm entering uncharted waters. As for my math module, I wasn't learning. I was just being comfortable with what I know and barely put in any effort for math. I wasn't sure of what I was doing as I thought I chose chemistry and not math. Yet, math is seen to be an integral part of physical chemistry. I guess, I don't have a choice. 

As for my USP modules, I grew to understand how misleading the term 'scholar' is and the amount of effort I have to put in for my modules that I felt that chemistry is my second major. I've an essay that is still 5% done and I do not really know what I'm writing. This may sound surprising but I have come to like USS as a module even though it takes time and effort for a 2MC CS/CU module. It is amazing how pieces of knowledge come together and the different issues raised pertaining to each theory. This goes out to Quantum reality and Appearance too. I felt that I genuinely learnt something even though I could have put in more effort in my bell's inequalities and basically the mathematics involved in this module even though it was not essential. I'm glad my interest didn't die even though this module was so tough that I basically step out of class with a headache or spend 6hours thinking about a tutorial. 

As I'm typing this blog post, I really wish that I could turn back the clock to the start of the semester. I wished I put in more effort to get to know my friends better, to take part in rc life and to put in more effort in my modules as I felt that I barely learnt anything unless a submission comes and I scurry to look for my notes and start reading up. Socially, I'm unsure if I grew to be a quieter person as I felt as if I grew both ways. I do not know what I'm doing as on one hand, I made many friends and on the other, I do not have many close friends. Basically I'm a phantom. At times I would rather eat alone than eat with my friends as I simply don't feel like talking. Sometimes, I detest the fact that I just can't stay still and I detest the fact that I have to sleep and wake up early. I dislike how I do not have common topics with people. The only thing I can do is to start putting in effort. 

Wew this semester is full of regrets. And I will try not to make the same mistake next semester.

Speaking of which, there have been a lot of changes in my life. Living alone in the hostel isn't an easy feat for me when mommy isn't there to do my laundry or clean my room for me. I never noticed how I comply with the second law of thermodynamics so easily and I tend towards more disorder such that things get so messy and I basically can't live in such a condition that I have to clean up my room almost 2-3 days. There isn't mommy to clean for me. At the same time, I moved away from Bishan. I really miss Bishan as it was such a prime location and door 17 (Weixin will know this). I miss how there was a park for me to run or cycle in when I don't feel like doing anything. I miss Beatrice and how we could meet whenever we want because we stayed so near each other. (Beat this goes out to you and sorry vivvy though I stay really near you right now) Yifen is in UK so basically evening park sessions are over. Taking a step back, many things have changed over this 15 weeks and habits have changed too. My current room is half the size of my Bishan room and I have yet to adjust to how puny this room is. There are so many facilities to be used and I have yet to use any of them except the gym. I had to adjust to remember that I need an access card to enter the compound or I'll be stuck outside unless I tailgate other residents in into area. (Happens sometimes) Wew such a huge change in lifestyle... HAHA (trying to make this post less solemn) 

Well, all in all, 15 weeks (Including week 0 and recess week) flew by just like that and I guess it is just part of me growing up and adapting to my surroundings. Here's to a more productive reading week and even better 7 semesters ahead. (: 

Summer is over!

It's the end of my 'summer' holidays. It was so surreal that 8 months passed by so quickly. Many things happened as I grow to become a mature person during this 8 months of independence.

I stopped receiving allowance, I started working, I starting self-funding my own meals and transport. Upon receiving my Alevel results, I spent many nights applying for a scholarship and a scholars programme. Now, I'm proud to say, I'm a student studying in NUS studying under the faculty of science (chemistry). I also rejected a scholarship even though the terms were attractive. I don't know if this would leave a negative impression if I were to reapply for it again. My aim was to expose myself to a wide range of modules offered in USP which attracted me to apply even though I threw away my early admission slip as I thought it was just another programme. I did a teaching internship programme, gave private tuition and worked as a sales promoter. I believed I've learnt many valuable skills and lessons.

I never imagined myself to have come thus far. The 18 years 0 months old me back then was just studying hard for Alevels so that I will have a wide array of courses and scholarship to chose from and to apply to. The 18 years 11 months old me discovered that life isn't that easy after all. Having said that, I'm still a teenager who just discovered that there are many things to life. There are many options to chose from and there are many doors to open. It isn't about doing well, get a scholarship, get university over and done with and followed by a job which will perhaps make my parents proud. Having gone through 8 months of play and work, I've learnt to understand how the adult life works- how to make payment, how to do a bank transfer, how to send things via a post office, how to ask for help and many other things. The first 6 months of playing made me realised my desire to learn new things, to explore the world beyond education (not that I do not want to be a teacher. As of now, I still aspire to be one) so that I wouldn't be a teacher who only focuses on academia. (I discovered this as I was teaching my Sec 1). I've also interacted with a student and her parent who depended on tuition and my answers on a day to day basis.

Given that, I didn't waste my 6 months away. I started reading articles online to keep myself abreast of news and even read articles across many disciplines. I discovered that the world out there is so big and what I know is this small. I used to be nonchalant about the world around me. I didn't spend my 10 days in Vietnam playing but I also learnt about the different cultures in Vietnam. I discovered the many places Singapore have and yet so few know about them- except for a few hipsters who traveled all the way there to take photos to post on instagram. That includes my friends and me.

Then came July, I went for USP camp and made many wonderful friends. Eventually after the camp, somehow due to peer pressure and my own YOLO moment, I joined RAG. I learnt many dance steps and ended my holidays with a performance at the floating platform on the 7th of August. That was my first performance and perhaps its likely to be my last ever dance performance for I do not have hand-eye coordination. I had to repeat a certain step for hours to ensure I get the step right and not do anything funny.

These were my #holidaygoals- taken from a blogpost on 1 April 2015.

What have I done so far? 

1. Teaching internship (I'll elaborate further when I have time to do so, but I really enjoyed teaching!) 
2. Learnt Korean! (Vivian and I scored 93 & 94 respectively in our pre-elementary test) 
3. Hiding in National library with all the chemistry and psychology books. (Its really fun but 4 hours is the maximum I can go) 
4. Improved my squash skills (I'm not kidding when I say I improved, I'll work hard to improve more)
5. Keeping in contact with friends
6. Watched a lot of drama and wasting my life (I'm only watching an ongoing drama currently. I'm decent.)

What is next?

1. Improve my English (I think my english improved)
2. Read magazines (Not tabloid magazines) (I did not read any magazines)
3. Read books (I read books)
4. Read News (I read more articles and explored some subjects)
5. 10km goal!!! (I'm still stuck at 8km. I used to hate running, I can't believe myself) (I didn't reach 10km in the end. I ended up joining Rag dance and the conditioning was crazy enough. Dance practice was almost everyday from 10am-7pm 2 weeks before RAG)
6. Skip 2000 times without dying. (I'm still at 1300 times) (I reached that before July)
7. Learn a new subject on my own. (My USP essay was the first essay I enjoyed writing and it was on cognitive psychology. Along the way when I did some research, I found that social psychology was rather interesting so I've decided to pick it up and I've actually read some of it in the National Library.) (I didn't. I actually started working as a promoter as I felt that I needed money. But I assure myself that I learnt new things as I work too.)
8. Keep in contact with friends as much as possible (I kept in contact. It was honestly... tiring)
9. Work after I come back from Vietnam. (Probably retail or f&b) (Retail!!!)
10. Improve a skill - my guitar skills (Didn't do this at all)

It's time to start doing something productive! See you! 

Promoting reflections

It's been a while since I've reflected. Yet another month passed by and it's officially the last month of my holidays.

I'm not sure if my title is obvious but I'm back to reflect on my work experience in June as a promoter. I never thought I would be back to work as a promoter in a departmental store. I will always remember Dec 2012- Jan 2013 when I worked as a promoter in multiple departmental stores. I complained that it was mundane whenever there were no customers. Nonetheless, I'm not sure what came over me - I'm 50% sure that being bored at home was a major factor - that pushed me to apply for a job as a promoter in another company in the sports department. 

I must say that my opinions matured. Being a promoter is a tough job. I took it as an experience as I meet other people working in this line for years who shared many valuable experience with me, be it while I eat in the staff canteen or am waiting for customers to appear. We (Including me) meet many different customers each day. Customers that try on every product and not buy a single thing, customers that have deep pockets and customers that buy only what they have in mind.

Customer service and patience- They're valuable skills I acquired. (I'm not sure if I'm proficient at that) I had to orientate myself. The exact location the specific item is in the departmental store (at the very least my own level and department) and the exact directions to get there from where he/she is were the first I learnt. Though I promote for my brand, satisfying the customer's request comes first even if it means to guide them to my competitor (if they request). 

Next skill I acquired was to promote another product of another brand simply because the other promoter wasn't present at the moment. Though I can't write the sales chit for them, I learnt to drag and convince the customer to stay and wait for the other promoter to come back. It was heartwarming as we help each other to keep a lookout. I truly felt my area was like a mini community/neighbourhood. 

The most important thing I've learnt was to promote my product. I spoke to this promoter when I was having lunch one day and she shared with me that the success to good sales (on condition that there are customers) was to know my products at the back of my hand and to believe in my products. I thought this aunty was stating the obvious but it's true. I didn't believe in my product because I didn't. Yet, I studied the science behind the product, and explained to customers in simplified science concepts to convince them. At the end of the day, I still don't believe in my product even though I know that it works theoretically. Fair enough I had days with $0 sales and days with an overwhelming amount of $2000. I was wrong, I should've chosen a product I believe in.

Teaching is somewhat similar to promoting. Teaching is like promoting the subject you're passionate about. As a student, I could feel it when a teacher is passionate about his/her subject. Naturally, I believe that we tend to do better with a teacher who is passionate about his//her subject no matter how bad that teacher is at teaching. Okay, I sound schizophrenic but aptitude and passion for teaching is important too. 

After all, I can't believe I actually decided to enter this service line again. A month flew past and I learnt many new lessons as I meet different people who shared different stories with me. I'm truly grateful for that. To those who stand for 12 hours for 3-4 days straight, to those who are afraid of answering to their company for poor sales (There are seriously no people on weekdays), to those who have been in this line for 20 years (Stepping in before the sun in fully up and stepping out after the sun sets), to those who enjoy promoting their products, to those who work on weekends just to earn money and to those who constantly ensure that customers are satisfied, thank you for sharing with me your work experience. As a future customer to be, I'll ensure that I'll be a considerate and responsible one.

Book Review: Finding Audrey

I never imagined myself reading another Sophie Kinsella's novel until I chanced upon a book review on Guardian and apparently the review convinced me over to read another Chick Lit book. The genre isn't totally chick lit. Instead, it was under Young Adults. With that Kinokuniya voucher Doan gave me on my birthday last year, I bought the book last Wednesday. I was hooked. I spent the entire last Friday reading this in the library whilst waiting for Alicia and Xuan as they studied for their Block Test 2 which makes me reminisce those times... That is not the point.

Who should read this book: 

1. Young Adults 
2. People who love comic writing
3. People not looking for a cliche romance book

Anyone looking for some form of comic writing, this is the book I'll recommend. As usual, Sophie never fails to make me laugh with her comic writing. I had so much fun as I read this book at night and the bulk of it in the library. She offers interesting psychological insight into anxiety disorders and depression. Though I'm not sure how true, I literally cringed when Audrey starts crawling back into her 'den' as she meets Linus or anyone new. Her struggles were seemed real such that I was able to empathise with her. Each panic attack was an interesting episode and an insightful read as she struggles with her lizard brain and her heart. Her brother is a total gaming addict while her mom is a Daily Mail addict which resulted in a huge uproar in the family. A huge conflict arises between Frank and Mom when Mom read an article on Daily Mail and finds out that Frank is addicted to gaming. A series of family conflict where Mom and Dad argues over protecting Audrey from the cause of her current situation, and on curbing Frank's addiction to gaming was definitely not helping Audrey either. I was able to draw some parallels when mommy occasionally scolds my brother after reading a certain article on addiction and daddy would be all calm. Thank god, it didn't escalate to throwing the laptop down the balcony or bringing the CPU to yoga classes. (My mom attends yoga lessons too!)

Here's the cliche part: Linus, her potential boyfriend a.k.a Frank's best friend plays a huge role in speeding up Audrey's recovery and mending the broken ties within her family. We all know that this isn't reality. For a fun read, I totally recommend this book and every other Sophie's book. She's the only author that I follow and I blame that on my mommy as she introduced the 'Shopaholic' series to me when I was a lot younger.

The book ended with a simple message- a 14 year old girl who is trying to find her identity after a fall in life. Life is never a straight graph that continues to go up as Audrey wanted. There'll always be ups and downs in life just like how a relapse may occur to a mental patient making a steady recovery.

I'll definitely read this again a few years later! (I'm still a young adult!)

The Other Side of the Classroom

It has been approximately three months after my teaching internship stint. I've written this reflection on paper a couple of weeks ago and I finally managed to find time to type it out.

The Process

When did I know that I wanted to apply for this TIP: May

What made me wish to experience being on the other side of the classroom: I attribute this self-discovery to Yen Theme, Jonathan, Evan, Hyun Jun, Bi Juan and many others. Helping my friends regularly and whenever I could for whatever subject I was able to help in made me feel that Teaching was my calling. I really love Chemistry and I felt that nothing beats studying and teaching a subject that I like. (I hope this doesn't change!) I aspired to be like Ms Yee, Mdm Lee and other lectures who help students who struggled with Chemistry. My experience in advocates inspired me to be a teacher who is a pro-active change agent for the society.

How did I apply: I requested for 'notify me' emails. SA also notified when the application portal/link is open. It started in August when I looked into the page to look at the requirements. I was horrified when we need our prelim grades, olevel grade and a personal statement on why I wanted to go for this Internship programme. I studied really hard for my prelims and I thought my mediocre grades wouldn't get me anywhere near this programme. I requested to teach Chemistry/Physics even though my Physics obtained a C grade while my math obtained a B grade. Nonetheless, I literally jumped for joy when they offered me Chemistry/Physics at Secondary interview and my interview was on the 25th of November, a day after Alevels.

Fast forward, it was the day of my interview. It was a round table interview with 6 other interviewees, a principal and a MOE officer. We were grouped according to subjects. It was basically my first official after leaving SA. Though it was an interview, it was an interesting discussion. Some of the questions posed were as such:

1. The reasons for participating in this internship stint
2. What are some difficulties do you think you will face during the internship?
3. How will you convince your cooperating teacher to approve your classroom activity?
4. What do you feel about the use of social media in today's world? (Context: as a teacher)
5. Do you think teachers should exert violence (mild) on students? 

The interview was an hour long though it didn't feel like an hour long!

A month later, I was notified that I was posted to CHIJ Toa Payoh and 2015 came. I went down to Toa Payoh before my 3 days of training. 

The Training

Day 1- How to introduce myself, interview skills, attire and behavior. Basically- administrative matters.

Day 2 &3- The training was held at NUS School of Engineering. There, I learnt the attributes of a teacher, how a teacher should behave in front of his/her students and the basic values of teaching and the mission of MOE's education. It helped me understand the curriculum better as to the reason why it is structured the way it is. I also caught a glimpse where different difficult situations arise and how we should handle them so that the students will not be at the losing end. It sound easy, yet in reality, NO. I also learnt the values of assessments, homework and testing. There are different types of questions to test different thinking levels and the depth at which students understand the topic. Writing lesson plans was an important part and the importance of having a goal at the end of the lesson- Learning Objectives, Specific Instructional Objectives (The ones on our syllabus outcome). A teacher must learn to evoke response, to get a student to reflect on their actions using different languages or peer pressure which I could draw similarity to the different methods my teachers employed in school. It sounded easy. Really.  

The Internship
There are many valuable lessons and insights into the education system that I gained during the 2 months spent in IJTP. It has affirmed my aspirations for teaching. Initially, I felt a tad weird during the first 2 weeks as it really hit me that I'm not a student anymore. Gone were those days I sat in front of the classroom and take notes diligently. I had to adjust to having students thank or greet me and I felt extremely weird whenever a student shout 'Ms Ang' across the corridor.

The first 4 weeks were spent observing my supervisors/Co-operating Teachers for Chemistry and Physics- how they conducted their lessons and how they question students in general. I observed how they give instructions to the class and their body language. The teaching methods used by my teachers vary and I was glad to be exposed and really notice 2 different types of teaching. My Chem CT usually starts with slides, followed by worksheets to be done in class while my Physics CT focused more on questions in the textbook, workbook and worksheets, only highlighting the content that is essential to take note of.

Both CTs have their own peculiar ways when it comes enforcing expectations and rules. My Physics CT will make students stay back to complete their homework. My Chemistry CT conducts file checks while they're having CTs so that they will fill up whatever blanks they have on their papers, ensuring that they studied for them. Students are to stand up whenever their work is not completed. These are a few of the many methods used. I picked up some as I go for relief classes.

I went for a number of relief classes across a variety of subjects- English, Chinese, POA, Mathematics, Malay, Geography and Social Studies- unbeknownst to myself where I became a a teacher that teach every subject available when students asked me to help them in their given assignments. Some classes would negotiate with me to release them for early recess or to submit their lessons the next day. i.e. to take back as homework and to play in class. Initially, I would. I was in their shoes! Then I realised that it wasn't the right way to go. I started setting expectations.

• 1 person is allowed to go to the toilet each time
• I employed the 正 method. A stroke will be on the bored if their noise level is beyond acceptable. Should the Chinese character be completed, I will not hesitate to hold them back for another 5 minutes. 
• Peer pressure. I told the class to finish the given work by a certain time and if one do not submit, the entire class stays. 

Conducting lessons was not as easy as what I thought. People would say 'memorise the answer, read it' or 'read from the slides'. I must say, this is definitely not the right way to go. I was a boring teacher. 

For chemistry, I was not engaging at all. I was not able to scaffold simple concepts without content overload. I learnt that Chemical Bonding wasn't as easy as what I thought. In fact, I loved that topic! Yet, I realised many found it hard to visualise 'tetrahedral' until I showed the model of the molecule. The difference between intermolecular and intramolecular was not easy to explain using words either. It took me some time to become more comfortable. Besides, I can't drone on about the bonding and those electrons to obtain some auspicious number 8 that we always teach. Hands on work is essential and allowing students to come to realise a certain property will be easier. Another method was showing videos on structures instead of textbook pictures as it is easier to visualise that way. Teaching at a secondary level was rather tricky as I cannot give too much information while I'm expected to ensure that the subject is not boring. Preventing misconceptions from the start is really one of the most important factor. Recaps are a must before lessons start proper. Towards the end, I went straight to using models and analogies to explain concepts. What slides? Classroom Activities are a must too!

Phyiscs wise was surprisingly easier as there are many phenomenon when it comes to explaining concepts of force and moments. Class practice is important in a way as I used to struggle with physics and had my own secret stash of shortcuts when it comes to applying concepts. I did not teach a specific topic per se. As physics is my second teaching subject, I teach part of different topics, mark worksheets, CAs and go through them in class. The marking was not as easy as what I thought. Some times, I wondered what I taught in class as there were many creative answers, new lab instruments and new theories made in their answers. I was like them years back. Looking for careless mistakes meant staring at those workings as some added denominators and I wasn't sure how to bring them up in the next lesson. I had to identify systematic common misconceptions made on paper and I have to clarify them before the CAs. 

Classroom management was fine as the classes I've been to have obedient students who listen to the rules listed. It was really hard for me to scold due to incomplete work as I wasn't the main teacher. Well, should I be given the chance again, I'll definitely scold and set my own expectations at the start of the year and follow through. 

CCA wise was an eyeopening experience. I was never in a sports CCA. Yet, I was assigned to be a teacher-in-charge of netball. I had no idea what the requirements for sports CCA were and the responsibilities a teacher has to undertake. Netball was their niche CCA and so the girls had a lot of training sessions. It was really tiring for them as one told me that she couldn't find time to study for her CA. I felt helpless as all I could do was to advise her on time management. I observed how the other teachers motivated the girls and looked after their welfare. Missing their lessons so they can follow the girls out on competitions and ensuring their safety are one of the many things teachers have to do. I didn't notice my teachers effort till then. They do not just take their attendance!!! I was so proud when their hard work paid off as they managed to clinch the South Zone Champion title and move on to the national championships. 

All in all, I was glad when my students thanked me and said that I've inspired them to study harder. (Phew, I thought I was useless.) Given another chance, I'll start on the right foot and find the right method to teach as quickly as possible. Different classes have different learning styles. Lesson plans cannot be used throughout the cohort but to be tailored accordingly. I am truly humbled to be given this opportunity.

Time Check

Time Check: Mid-May

It has been almost 4 weeks since I came back from Vietnam and even though I've not found a job, In the blink of an eye, time passed so quickly that I can barely remember what have I done for the last few weeks. So what have I done so far?

1) Interview 1: USP interview update: (offered!!!) 
USP's interview was a little weird. I took 40-45 minutes and I really spoke as much as I could as I really wanted USP because I felt that it will be a good platform for me to improve in my critical thinking. The questions were weird and my answers were probably weirder. But that is the nature of USP. It was an enjoyable interview but the results will tell if I impressed. If I'm not offered, I'm probably going to apply for Utown because I really want to learn to be a critical thinker and I really want to learn how to write properly. Below are some questions they asked me:

• Tell me about yourself (obviously) 
• Is volunteering selfish?
• Is Singapore meritocratic? 
• What is your favourite subject and why?
• How do you feel about Amos Yee? 
• What did you do in CCA?
• Why USP? (This was probably the last question. Perhaps I spoke wayyyyyyy too much.)
• Do you think that you'll be able to cope with the arts subjects?

I can't really remember my answers but I just kept talking, made my interviewers laugh a little and that was all about it. I called my mom after the interview and I realised that I didn't feel that the questions were weird after I stepped out from my interview room! My mom told me that she hoped that I didn't crap excessively because I'm really good at talking a lot (of nonsense) and I told my mom that I hope that my answers were that bad too. HAHA. But I do feel that I could answer better after the interview but I really did all I can during the interview. 

2) Interview 2: MOE TA/TS interview. 
Many of my friends whom I've spoken to know how I felt after the (TA/TS) interview. To earn this interview was what really motivated me in my J2 year. I earned it. Well, it was an interview to remember...I felt that I've to improve a lot more to deserve the TA/TS and I honestly do not have high expectations after the interview.

I believe that I could have done better and that I've to improve to be a firmer person. I didn't feel the pinch until I stepped out of the interview room. The interviewer pointed out my weakness without having me to mention about it. I felt a little upset 2-3 hours after the interview that I did not give myself a chance to perform well in that aspect. I certainly know very well that 'not being firm' is my weakness and I know extremely well that I cannot scold.  But I also know that I'm decent when it comes to ensuring that my homework gets handed in and done up in a decent manner and I know how to question and reason in a way to get my message across. Yet, I didn't show it. Evan once told me that it is obvious that I am not firm. Knowing that myself, I still showed my weakness in my behaviour (I think) and I really have to work on that.

Another reason that I felt that I should have done better was to speak in a more formal manner to redeem my GP grade which they had pointed out during the interview as well. Yupp, I certainly saw that coming. So I'm going to have to work on that because I know that I have a lot to brush up on.

Next, I was distracted. The door opened during my interview as someone knocked the door and I actually stopped talking. Am I supposed to stop talking or keep talking? My interviewer(s) were slightly annoyed(?) as he told me not to be distracted. I felt that it was unfair regarding that point because I felt that it would be rude to have 2 conversations going on in the room. It was an extremely short one between the person at the door and the other interviewer but honestly, I would stop if this happened. Mirroring this to classroom management... How do I manage with noise? Well, anyone who studied with me know that I cannot stand noise and I'll find a way to make life better so that everyone will benefit. Besides, class cannot continue if there's noise. It's unfair to those students who wants to learn. (I know that very well as I'm a victim too.) I mean, as a teacher, you will want your students to listen and gain most from the lesson so you'll stop and do something about it right?

Lastly, what I could have done better was to defend my point better- as sharp as possible because when I was about to rebut my interviewer's point, I probably didn't seem confident enough so before I could say a word, I was told to go back and think about it. Perhaps if I came across more confidently, I would be given a chance to say something.

Well, if its mine, then its mine. I've tried my best and at least I know that my efforts were not in vain as my Alevels and prelims (a chance for TIP) gave me a chance for this interview. How did I then prepare for this interview? I had less than 2 days because I was notified while cycling from ECP to Changi. I had a mock interview with Bona, 2 to 3 questions, read up a little more on policies, reflected about my TIP experience and prepared my answers to the questions that I spot. They didn't ask me much about my TIP like what others had mentioned, hit bulls eye for a policy question and about myself and my views. I could have phrased my answers in a better manner- I spoke too much I guess. I spoke to my mother after the interview and she mentioned that there are many ways to get into the education system and to be the pro-active change agent that I want to be. I can always try again and improve myself to prove my worth. But at this stage, I know that I've done my best and though I regret a little, I'm not looking back. Psychometric Test next week!

3) Watched Dramas
I stopped writing drama reviews because they were meaningless and I'm a tad embarrassed about my drama reviews and my fangirl blog posts. But what have I watched so far after Liar Game... In order.

• Heartstrings 
• Healer 
• Kill me, Heal me (Healer and KMHM were really good.) 
• Blood (Every Tuesday and Wednesday morning) 
• Birth of a Beauty 
• Who Are You: School 2015 (Currently Tues&Wed)
• Sensory Couple (Currently Thurs&Fri) 
• Producer (Currently Sat&Sun) 
• Orange Marmalade (Currently Sat night) 
• Spy (I stopped at 1/4 the drama as it was boring) 

Really... but I moved on to something else... 14/2/15 - now and they're all ongoing so I guess I haven't been watching at a full speed. 

4) Instead, I've been watching Dnews and Test tube 

Dnews and Test tube were the best things that should have happened to me while I was studying for GP. Who knows that someone who was previously nonchalant about news (pre-GP) was hooked from one video to the next video as they go on explaining advances in sci&tech, sci theories, environment, social, and political issues in the world today. Once I was hooked to political ideologies and I spent the next 6 hours wearing my PC spects watching video after video and reading the links they provided in the description box below the video. I was hooked on political ideologies and the reasons for everything that happened which was related to them. 

5) I've been reading books 

I did my first book review. (Refer to the post below) and I'll do more in the future if the book made an impression. Another book I recently read was on 'The Selfish Society' it was a decent book but it was too dry and I wasn't sure what the author was talking about because there were a lot of parenting involved on babies being selfish etc and I think I was lost half way/ it didn't impress so I didn't write my second book review. What I learnt/understood was that the society wasn't that selfish in the past until capitalism and industrialisation were introduced. I was trying not to give up on the book but I gave up in the end, leaving 5 chapters behind. Sorry. 

6) Pick up a new subject- bio

Having no biology background, I had to teach my sec 1 student biology. Well, I had to study biology from somewhere and I can't just feed her with my old sec 1 knowledge 6 years ago. It took a lot of effort (I was procrastinating) to pick up a book on cells in the library and having to go through the basics one by one. Besides that, I had to google what I didn't understand so that I can provide more information to get her interested in studying for her SA1. Bio is really fun but it was quite hard to find a starting ground but I'm interested in learning more- especially proteins etc and DNA. 

7) Pick up a new skill - ukelele

Nah, it isn't a new skill. My skills were really rusty and hence I suggest that it's a new skill. Kidding, I'm just lying to myself. Dug up my ukelele which my juniors gave to me as a present in 2012 and I tried to recall a few chords eventually able to put something together. To conclude, I actually picked up 3 new chords and was able to transit between them smoothly. I learnt to play 2-3 songs too! Not fingerstyle- I have yet to master the guitar one! 

8) Socialising 

What I'm good at- socialising. Met up with many people ever since I came back and did many #nicholidaygoals. - refer to vsco or instagram. 

What is next? 

I'm still unsure of which university I should chose. Both NTU and NUS offered me my first choice- Chemistry. NTU however, has an added bonus with a 2nd major in food sci&tech which I don't really know what it is about. (But it is a second major) There's NUS science faculty open house to head down to next week so I'll probably make my decision after that. I'm more inclined towards NUS but NTU is really convincing. 

After accepting my offer, I'll probably have to do a medical check up and I'll have to start applying for hall/u-town if I do not get into USP. 

Probably, at the same time sign up for faculty orientation? 

I'll have to work towards improving my language which means that I've to read more and to write more.

Perhaps, I've to find a job to earn money as tuition is not enough to sustain me. I'm not charging $40 per hour or something but I'm not earning less than those who charge $40 per hour because I'm gaining experience and I'm constantly trying to improve the way I teach. 

Start exercising... Really. The only thing I did was my 40km cycle to changi and back to ECP. Please do not rain in the evening. ): 

Alright that's all for my reflections for the past month. I remember that I've to write my TIP reflections and I hope that the next few months will be a more meaningful one! 

Book Review: Why Bad Grades Happen to Good Kids?

This will be my first ever book review that I've written. Likewise, I will want to remember the books that I've read and thus my first book will be 'Why bad grades happen to good kids?' 

I picked this book up in the library genuinely because the title caught my eye. I thought to myself that this book might provide me with another point of view as to why some people do not do as well even though they studied as hard. Well, its a book for parents. And in this case, for their children. Essentially, it is not for teenagers.

Who should read this book: 

1. Parents (Obviously) with young kids or parents to be
2. People who are interested in education (Me)
3. Teenagers aged 18 and above

Parents who want their young children to do well, in particular parents that are in the midst of filing a divorce and parents who are too busy earning money for their family. In this age, both parents work and hence may not have time to monitor what their child does in school. This book offers how providing a child with a sense of safety at home and/or in school helps the child to concentrate better in school and academically. My parents genuinely want me to do well in life, similarly like every other parent who loves their child. Yet there are many advertises faced in this economically driven world- the need for their child to excel academically and may eventually unknowingly form goals for their children.

That brings to my next point on why teenagers aged 18 and above should read this book, including me- to help me understand my parents better. This book offers different case studies and I could better understand my parents point of view. At the same time, to help our younger siblings and to be better sisters/brothers. This book- even though written for parents- can be seen as a self-help book for us to improve ourselves (if seen from another perspective) in the future and by understanding why we didn't perform well when we were younger.

For people interested in education, it helps me to understand what a teacher should say, do and speak. It has helped me to understand how the power of words and actions can affect a student academically and emotionally in school.

What did I learn from this book: 

1. S-T-R-O-N-G
2. Self-esteem is essential for growth and development. There is a need to accept and encourage the child in a positive way to motivate them. 
3. What struck me most was 'Self-esteem is built when your child develops in areas she considers valuable, not in those that you decide should be valuable' (Chapter 2, page 23) 
4. Trust- the need to trust the school, parents and friends. Mutual trust. 
5. Responsibility- by providing the child opportunities to show that he/she is responsible, it builds up his/her self-esteem and tend to do better academically. Reason being- to be more responsible in school and to be better able to take charge of his/her homework and assignments. Otherwise, encourage him/her that he/she was responsible before and they should do the same for his/her homework and assignments. 
6. Options- Providing the child different options and allowing them to weigh what will benefit then will essentially allow them to chose the right path under proper guidance. 
7. Needs- The different learning abilities, the need for safety at home and in school. (This improves trust and self-esteem once their needs are met.)
8. Goals- Goals are extremely important and it is essential to set realistic short term and long term goals. Short term goals to guide them towards their long term goals. 'Goals are like rudders on ships. Realistic short- and long-term goals help us to steer our lives' (Chapter 7, page 133) 
9. Teachers need to set realistic rules and to ensure the needs of each student are met. 
10. Words and Actions are really important in the classroom as it can motivate a student to do better. 
11. Setting realistic homework and homework that builds their confidence. 

Questions to ask myself: 

1. How do we effectively tackle the causes if they're not doing well?
2. How did I grow to trust my teachers?
3. What about kids who come from parents who are not around?

Okay, that ends my first book review. Its a rather short book of around 135 pages. 

Nic to Vietnam

I'm so grateful that I'm given the chance to visit Vietnam again. Not only just going on a holiday, but going on a holiday with a few of my good friends- My graduation trip/our graduation trip. 'Graduation Trip' means without our parents and we were totally on our own. Without further ado, I'll introduce my travel buddies: 

12/4/15-15/4/15: Ngan, Weixin, Evan and YanLun. 

15/4/15-17/4/15: Ngan, Weixin, Thuy Anh, Evan and YanLun. 

17/4/15-21/4/15: Ngan, Thuy Anh and YanLun. 

Our group dynamics initially felt a little weird because we are not from the CCA or class. Evan and Ngan are my CCA mates, Weixin was initially an acquaintance in J1 turned good friend (who is Doan's classmate) due to the Heralds and YanLun is a friend met in J2 who I learnt that he was Weixin and Ngan's friend. Thuy Anh was also an acquaintance and she was Ngan/Doan's roommate. Yet, it wan't that weird or awkward after all and I hope they had as much fun as I did. I'm not sure how this whole jio to go Vietnam thing went as we are all different groups of people. 

Day 1 12/4/15:

Evan, Wx, Yl and I met at the airport at 5.30am and I was pretty excited as it was my first trip on my own and I honestly couldn't sleep. Well, while preparing for this trip, I learnt that I've to buy baggage no matter what because no matter how I pack, my luggage exceeds 7kg. Its a really budget trip- 3 flights $300(?) And I added baggage so its $370. Also, we don't actually need to book seats because there are empty seats and we actually ended up sitting at the back row together. (We were the last 4 to board the plane). Fast forward, we reached Ho Chi Minh city and met Doan there. 

After which, we cabbed to her house in district 12 and ate pho made by her mom which is really damn good. Its so much different from the Nam Nam that I always eat in Singapore. Next, we then headed off to the cu chi tunnels with doan's parents.

It was really impressive how the Vietnamese could make such tunnels and they could actually squeeze in side. (The current hole is widened for tourists). In addition to that, we got to see how they set up traps in the grounds with the limited weapons they have. We were really noisy as we duck walked through the tunnels. I bought cuchi tunnel sandals for bex but I ended up wearing them for myself. It only cost $5 SGD and its really cheap and comfortable. (No one else in SG will have the same shoes as me). 

They were made of used car tyres and its my new fashion sandals as of now. Next, her parents brought us to eat rice paper rolls(?) Its a version of the many versions of Vietnamese spring rolls which I failed at making. I've also never eaten that much meat in a day. ('; But, seriously we wouldn't be able to try this if we do not have any locals since the menu was in Vietnamese. 

 After dropping her parents back at their house, we went to district 1 (HCMC label their district like the Hunger Games) and saw the church which we learnt that was built by the French and went to a random bookshop. 

We then visited a mall which looks like any other malls in Singapore, so don't bother visiting before randomly walking on streets and stopping by random shops before heading towards the night market. We also stepped into vincom and it looked exactly like singapore's shopping mall- not worth visiting. We ate at a local coffee shop which one bowl only cost $2 SGD and bought Vinamilk!!!! I'm so glad to have doan because we could get stuff at a cheap price because she's a Vietnamese and she helped me to bargain too. So I managed to get a hat for $6 SGD and a sling bag for $10 SGD which I'm quite satisfied with. The night market is different from the night market I've seen in Thailand and it's really an interesting sight. 

So that sums up day 1, we reached doan's home at 11pm and had to take turns to wash up. 

Vlog: Vietnam Day 1!

Day 2 13/4/15: 

Woke up at 8am and it took us a really long time to wake up and wash up. At the same time, we laughed at each other's sleeping habits and ate at a local coffee shop for breakfast. Everything was in Vietnamese and its probably for locals but one bowl cost $1+ SGD which was really affordable. 

 Doan dropped us off at the war remnants museum while she went off to do some stuff. Honestly, the war remnants museum was really good and insightful. 

We're not supposed to look that happy. Its quite sad how our human race tortured each other during the war due to different ideologies. (Mental note: bias) The museum was well put together which tells a story through a series of artifacts and pictures which gave me a clearer idea of what happened in the past. The museum closes from 12pm-1pm for lunch so we went off to eat some fried carrot cake on our own. 

Along the way, we bought road side Banh My which cost less than $1 SGD and it tastes better than the Nam Nam one and lots of milk.

We were on our own anyway. We reached a local store that sells carrot cake. Evan's previous experience was able to bring us there and to recommend us Vietnamese carrot cake since he went there the previous trip. Problem: we didn't know how to order. So we called Doan and she ordered for us through the phone. The person was like '!!!?????' The carrot cake was like Singapore's but instead it is bland (there was no salted vegetable). After adding the sauce, it became so delicious- both a mix of sweet and salty, similar yet different from Singapore's carrot cake. It was an eye opener. We then made our way back to the War Remnants Museum as we didn't see finish and waited for doan. But we were too sleepy we just sat outside and slept. But the 3rd floor was really good. 

There were pictures during the war and post war and some were really disheartening especially the effects of agent orange. Doan then picked us up and we went to Saigon Square before she disappeared again. Though we were dropped at Saigon square, we did go in immediately. Instead, we went to a random cafe (any how walk and cross random roads) and drank coffee there. Phuc long (pronounced at fooc lom) is their Vietnamese equivalent of Starbucks. The coffee there was cheaper and it was really thick! So it's a legit coffee cafe. And we sat there for a while- napped, used WiFi and chat. 

We decided to head back to Saigon Square and shop. After Doan came back to join us, she helped me to bargain and got things at a cheaper price. Initially, Evan, Weixin and Yanlun were like following me around and I felt so PS because its mostly girl stuff which a a few stores that sell bags, winter wear, shoes, electronics and guy clothes that is of relevance to them. 

We then went off to a book store and wasted some time before going to Hong Hac Hotel near Ben Tanh market (Ben 10 market) to meet Rosa! Its how ironic we don't meet in Singapore but all the way in Vietnam. Doan then brought us to eat road side bean curd- we sat on those stools (OMG ITS TOO GOOD). 6 people cost $2 in total only. 

We them went to district 10 to eat 'whale'. This will probably remain in my memory as long as I can remember. Thinking we were going to eat whale, we agreed since its some exotic food that we will never ever eat in our lifetime. Our naïveness tricked us. It was quail! When we went there, our whales had bones and quail eggs came to our table. We were like 'how come whale lay quail eggs' and after talking about it, we came to a sudden realization that its QUAIL bird and its eggs that we were eating. Whales are not that small after all. (Watch my vlog). The guys then tried balute. I didn't dare. I learnt about balute in GP about how its cruel and I couldn't stand the sight of it. 

We then went back to district 1 and went to a cafe called lusine and ate brownies and we took 15-30min to take pictures of our food such that it became cold. But lusine is a beautiful cafe, not really Vietnamese culture but a cafe worth visiting. Its still cheaper than Singapore's cafe. 

We then dropped Rosa off at her hotel before returning back to Doan's house wash up and prepare for the night. 
Vlog: Vietnam Day 2!

Day 3 14/4/15: 
Day 3 was rather slack. We barely did anything much for day 3. Woke up really late and went for Vietnamese buffet together which wasn't as good as the street food we ate. Nonetheless, it was really quite cheap and we really enjoyed ourselves, maximising the time spent and gorging down food. When we were full, we played taiti and hoped that our tummies would quickly digest the food so that we could eat more. Scheming are we.

After which, we went for massage/manicure at district one near Tao Dang Park. Doan and the guys went for massage while I went to get my nails painted. It was really quite good and cheap. It wasn't a sleazy beauty palour but a legit one so I guess it was fine though the guys probably had a shock according to them. Next, we went to Tao Dang Park and slacked around, Weixin and Yanlun did a bit of Wushu since they were from Wushu while we sang some songs and walked around. The park was really interesting as people there really utilize the park- from dancing to exercising and even sleeping. It was in fact rather crowded at around 5.30pm and everyone was using the exercising machines. Well, it wasn't a quiet park per se, but it was probably due to the honking of the cars since it's a park in the really busy district 1. 

We then walked towards the water puppet theatre but didn't managed to catch the show as we didn't have enough time and headed off to the sports street. I was so tempted to get myself a squash racquet but I can't even play squash properly and my luggage probably didn't have enough space. We went to a restaurant and it sold goats meat. You guys had no idea how shocked I was when I heard that we were going to eat Goat's meat and spinal cord. I thought that Doan was joking but no. 

And I didn't eat a lot because I was still recovering from the shock that it's goats meat and I only ate chicken, pork and beef in my entire life. It tasted like mutton honestly, but it isn't mutton unfortunately. The goat's breast was quite chewy that I felt like I was eating fats. Evan, Weixin and Yanlun tried the spinal cord. That, I really didn't dare to try, so I have no comments but a few days later, I learnt that Trang An is famous for goat's meat and I really couldn't escape from it. Doan's mummy was laughing at me ): With her family and her sister, we went to CGV cinemas to watch Fast and Furious 7! I thought that I was going to sleep but it was really interesting. I'm not doing a movie review but Paul Walker. ): The cinema is just like Singapore's, maybe it doesn't have the surround system and extremely good resolution but the seats were comfy enough and there wasn't any disruption in the movie or whatsoever and one ticket was around SGD $3. So it was worth it! Went home at 12am. The streets was so empty that it was hard to flag a cab and it was really dark and scary. The roadside stalls were cleaning up and the entire road was deserted. We slept really late that night as Doan was packing. 
Vlog: Vietnam Day 3!


Day 4 15/4/15:

We woke up really late and had to rush to pack up to fly off to Hanoi.

Fast forward, we reached Hanoi and Thuy Anh's parents picked us up. The weather was really good and the temperature was around 25deg celcius and it was much cooler than Ho Chi Minh City. Upon reaching Thuy Anh's house, we unpacked and relaxed for awhile, playing cards before having dinner together with her parents. We tried a version of Bun Cha and Vietnamese Spring Rolls made by their helper, Thuy Anh and her parents!

We then headed out to Hoan Kiem lake (I was there in 2012) near the old quarters to have a walk. And took a picture of Ly Thai To. I could feel the difference between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh in terms of accent and culture. Well, its hard to say but in general, I feel that it is less commercialized and so the vibe given off is more traditional.

 Doan and Thuy Anh (They were roommates for 2 years in SA) went to get their picture drawn by a road side artist. We didn't as we didn't feel that it was that worth.

Hoan Kiem lake was really beautiful at night. I didn't get to see it at night before if I'm not wrong. After that, we went to a cafe in the old quarters to try egg coffee. It was really good! It tasted like pudding-ish and it was quite sweet. Except that we didn't know that we hard to stir our egg pudding and our coffee thoroughly so it was quite bitter at the bottom for us. (Maybe except for doan and thuy anh) but it was really nice!

We then headed back to Thuy Anh's house as we had to be ready 6.30am the next day to go to Halong Bay.
Vlog: Vietnam day 4!

Day 5 16/4/15:
Woke up at 6am. The night was really funny as Doan and I were laughing at our choir that only snore since we were not able to fall asleep due to that. Thuy Anh brought us to eat Hanoi's Pho. It really taste quite different in a sense that there is a more meaty taste and I personally prefer Hanoi's Pho. It was really nice!

We then headed to the opera house to take the bus to go to HaLong Bay. I said that I was going to go back there 2 years ago and yes, I went back to Halong bay, this time, I went back with my friends! We slept through our 4 hours bus ride, read some books and magazines and finally reached there and board the boat and had lunch. Unfortunately, nicnic here is allergic to seafood so I had my own dishes but nonetheless according to my friends, they said that the spring rolls were nice and in general it was fine. The trip cost US$30.

We then went to the upper deck of the boat and it was really beautiful!

We then stopped by a fishing village and took a small boat for sightseeing together as a group. It was a different experience from my previous trip as we didn't visit as many caves or climbed any limestone mountain. Yet, I appreciated the entire limestone landscape after studying about limestone terrains and tower karsts in H1 Geography that I could explain the formation and understand how they are formed.

We then headed to Thien Duong Cave which I think I visited before. (Tian Gong Cave) the ceiling was very high. Unfortunately, I felt that it was rather different because it felt less natural than it was 2 years ago due to more lights and the pavements. I couldn't really find any stalactites or stalagmites dripping which I was a little disappointed. The previous trip was good as the caves we visited was untouched and I really liked that.

We then headed back to mainland and went back to Hanoi and had broken rice for dinner at a restaurant. It was really nice. According to Doan and Thuy Anh, it originated from Ho Chi Minh. Unfortunately, I don't remember what is the restaurant called but it was really affordable and tasty. I swear I could eat the broken rice without any sauce.
Vlog: Vietnam Day 5!

Day 6 17/4/15: 
It was Evan's and Weixin's last day and we decided to head down to the ceramics village with the courtesy of Thuy Anh's dad who offered to fetch us there. It wasn't easy to squeeze 6 people into one car but we did anyway. We paid approximately $1.50 to make our cup which obviously fail. Well, I vividly remember that I sucked at it in Secondary 2 and well, 5 years later, I'm still terrible at spinning the wheel. The locals had to do it for us in the end.

Well, I wouldn't wear jeans to do it and I'm glad I didn't. Because we couldn't spin the wheel properly and all, we just got our jeans and legs (for me) dirty. We probably didn't have the skill anyway and that we were terrible at it. While waiting for the ceramics cup that they made for us to harden, we went to the ceramics market to walk around. I would actually buy some cups back because they were really affordable and adorable, yet I didn't because my luggage obviously didn't have enough space.

We then went back to Thuy Anh's house for mok and wx to get their luggage and headed off to the airport. Thuy Anh wasn't with us as she had an interview so we got a cab to fetch us to and fro with discount. 300k there and 150k back!

At night, we had dinner before heading off to watch the water puppet show. The water puppet show was like what Doan said, better in Hanoi and more expensive in Hanoi than Ho Chi Minh as it originated from Hanoi. It was really cool, I wonder how they control the puppet and all. I'm glad I had translators or I'd be lost and not know what is going on.

It is definitely worth the watch. Its just small stories and all but it was an interesting performance.

We then headed to the night market nearby (at the old quarters - it's like the district 1 of Ho Chi Minh) and that was probably where the majority of my money went. Thuy Anh is really good at bargaining. She says that even though I like the product, I must criticize it so that they will bring down the price. Anyway, I really got many items and each item cost less than $5! I bought a few dresses and they look really pretty. I'm satisfied with my purchases but I went back on Sunday anyway. We went back early as we had to go to Trang An the next day.
Vlog: Vietnam Day 6!

Day 7 18/4/15: 
Woke up early to go to Trang An! The bus ride was actually really long, of about 3hours instead of the estimated 2 hours on google. But Trang An this time felt really much more beautiful than Halong bay and I wished that I arranged Trang An before Halong bay for Mok and Pig. Upon reaching Ninh Binh, they brought us to eat goat's meat. I almost died honestly. Like I thought I was done with Goat's meat after eating it at Ho Chi Minh. But no, there's still goat's meat and Trang An is famous for that. I love their scorch rice! It was really nice.

We went to Bai Dinh temple first. Unfortunately we didn't climb all the way up to see the old temple. Bai dinh temple was semi-impressive actually. We sat the electric car to the gate of the temple before heading up to the top of the temple on the hill. We had to climb a lot and it was scorching hot that I almost died.

It was quite scenic and it was different from the temples that I visited in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, HongKong and Korea. It was worth the climb I guess. We had quite a lot of fun taking photos and complaining about the heat. There were 500 Buddha statues along the way to the temple.

Next, we head off to the main attraction that we were excited about. Trang An Grottos is so beautiful. We got on a boat upon reaching the area.

We went into 6 caves and it felt so good. It was cooling, untouched and the experience felt so natural and surreal.

This place is definitely a must visit and I hoped that it continues to remain untouched and hopefully more well preserved for many more years to come. There are 2000 of those kinds of mini boats and 2000 rowers. Yet they do not earn a lot as there wasn't many visitors there (according to the lady who row our boat- translated by Doan and Thuy Anh), we tipped her in the end and it was really a memorable experience to remember. Our tour group wanted to stay in Trang An for dinner so we had to and I couldn't escape from goat's meat again. We reached Hanoi at around 9.30pm and so we just head straight back to Thuy Anh's house to rest and sleep.
Vlog: Vietnam Day 7!

Day 8 19/4/15: 
Sunday was just sightseeing around Hanoi. This time, I found Hanoi more interesting and we went to many places. So our first location was the Temple of Literature. It was really crowded as there were students there taking graduation pictures. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful temple as it was were all the scholars studied at. So hopefully after visiting the temple, I'd be wiser. Kidding. It's worth visiting if it wasn't that crowded as it was an interesting sight. Honestly, I felt that I was in China but it is true that it was made by the Chinese but fused with Vietnamese culture.

Thuy Anh then brought us to the Vietnamese Art Museum which is nearby and its actually really impressive. The past didn't have cameras so they drew everything out. There we see a range of statues to artists view and impression during the Vietnamese war and of Vietnamese women and it was really quite impressive.

 

It is definitely a museum worth visiting. We then decided to head off to Hoa Lo Prison. (I've visited that before!) It wasn't very scary and I've read the stuff before but this time I'm reading it with post gp mind and I'm better able to understand the history of the prison and what exactly happened, while noting that it can be bias against the Americans. But it was an interesting read 温故知新(?).

After which we went to the old quarters and went into the cathedral which I've seen before but didn't manage to go in. So I did something different this time!

My camera went out of battery and I didn't bring the spare so we had to use my phone's battery. We then went to city view cafe to relax after a long day. City View Cafe is near Hoan Kiem Lake and the view there is really beautiful. The drinks there were affordable (slightly more pricey because of the view actually), there's 10% service charge but it is definitely worth the view! Thuy Anh left for another interview.

After resting, Doan, Yl and I decided to head off to walk around the old quarters and dragged Yl from shop to shop. They sold many traditional/tribal bags and pouches with really beautiful designs so I wasn't able to resist the temptation and bought one for myself. We also crossed the red bridge at the west lake.

There were many Made in Vietnam shop and I swear they're a must visit. I didn't buy anything there because I thought I would spend my money at the night market which was true that I did so. But the clothes there were really nice. Not branded, in fact some were counterfeit goods but the material is really quite good. Even those at the night market. It wasn't shear material and all and it cost less than 100k which is around $7 SGD so it was worth it. We had pho for dinner before heading to the nightmarket to continue shopping. (Only Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and bought many items before heading back to Thuy Anh's house. I'm so glad that Thuy Anh was there to help me to bargain and because she's a local, everything we got was at a cheaper price.
Vlog: Vietnam Day 8!

Day 9 20/4/15:
Woke up and slacked till 2pm. Before that, we recorded a few songs together and had a lot of fun because the bloopers were really funny! (Part of it will be in my vlog) We then went to the Vietnamese Women's museum after lunch at Thuy Anh's house and it was such an interesting museum! I liked it because it told me the different types of marriage and I learnt that there are 54 races and they all had different culture and it was really insightful.

It gave me a glimpse of the role of Vietnamese Women in the society and it was quite insightful. Definitely worth visiting. (By the way, all museum tickets and tourist attraction tickets cost 30k VND) We then went to the one pillar pagoda before walking past the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and then sightseeing at the west lake. It was really a slack day so we didn't do much except for sightseeing and looking at pagodas and just sightseeing.

We then headed to Lotte Mart which is just a supermarket to buy our Vietnamese snacks back home. And well, I bought A LOT OF MILK. Its cheaper there. Its 6400 VND. 600VND cheaper. So Yl and I bought a lot without thinking that our luggage maybe overweight.

We then went to eat some icecream before heading back for dinner and celebrated Thuy Anh's dad's birthday! Thank God YanLun and I bought Bailey's to thank her parents.
Vlog: Vietnam Day 9!

Day 10 21/5/15: 
It was our last day in Vietnam and I really dreaded the day because it meant farewell to my Doan and ThuyAnh. We packed up in the morning, ate bun cha which is really nice (vlog on how to eat) and I really love the pork balls! We then headed off the the airport and bid our goodbyes to Thuy Anh.
Honestly, I didn't know how I befriended Thuy Anh and I'm so grateful to have her as a friend. If you're reading this, thank you for everything in Hanoi and your effort in making our Hanoi experience a wonderful one.

Upon reaching Ho Chi Minh, Doan's mum picked us up for dinner and ate BBQ pork for dinner nearby and then headed back to the airport to check in our luggage and said our goodbyes.

We look so happy. Kidding. I cried tonnes and Doan, if you're reading this, I want to let you know that I love you many many and I believe that we'll meet again. I'll earn money and I'll visit you and all of us will see some white sandy bea-ches together. I went to Vietnam with 2 bags, I came back with 5 bags. Doan's mum bought for us our 90 rp pens. Whenever I write and study, I'll always remember of our Alevel journey together. To Weixin, Evan and Yl, thanks for joining me on my graduation trip and thanks for being my bodyguards and making this trip so fun.
Well, we really graduated. Thanks for making this trip possible for me and many years down the road, we'll reminisce those days when we were 18, when we were studying for alevels and when we were going on a holiday together and hopefully, we'll always find a way to create new memories together, including Doan and Thuy Anh. Kudos to globalisation!
Vlog: Vietnam Day 10!


See y'all soon! More pictures on vsco

Read my blogpost on my previous Vietnam Trip- I hope I matured.
Vietnam Day 1 2012
Vietnam Day 2 2012
Vietnam Day 3 2012
Vietnam Day 4 2012