goodbye... farewell... until we meet again!

just a fewww hours until i go to the airport. i'm kind of nervous. not really to fly (for 16 hours! have a layover in tokyo but a very very short one), but to be back home. 

i think, i hope, that i'll be back here again someday. i definitely want to come travel around southeast asia more. there are so many great things to see in the countries around here and i'm a little displeased that i didn't take more advantage of it. but i guess it's just a reason to return and begin my adventures around the world. i don't think i would mind working here, living in the city. nothing permanent though. the life of an expat sounds pretty sweeet but what do i know :)

i'm gonna miss 80 degree weather in december. sunny blue skies and a tropical island, with the occasional downpour is really nice. i won't miss being too warm at times though, not a big fan of humidity. i'll miss meeting so many people from so many different countries. singapore is swarming with foreigners. it can get a little monotonous when you ask someone where they're from and it's either norcal or socal (i love california nonetheless!!). i'm a little bit divided on whether or not i'll miss singlish, lah. can?? yes can. i think i'll miss it a little. it's just as funny as spanglish... maybe a little more frustrating. also, i don't know if it's something i'll necessarily miss, but it was different being the minority. a significant minority. not too many mexicans here. there's always something to talk about when you are from a different country. but singaporeans are so accepting of others that it really wasn't inconvenient at all. they do after all have 4 official languages! and tourism is a big industry around these parts (which btw reminds me of bangkok, crazy what's going on there right now!). at home, i've had quite a few people ask me if i'm part asian... i don't really see it? but my brother gets it too sometimes so i dunno. BUT, i can't even remember how many times people HERE and in thailand & malaysia asked me if i had any sort of asian in me. it's like they know that i'm not, but they can't quite figure out where i'm from. apparently i'm exotic looking but it's probably because they've never seen a mexican. very different from southern cali which is like half mexican so i don't feel singled out very often. 

i spent my last day walking around the city, shopping, going to the national museum of singapore again (the stuff there is just so cool!) and just taking in this lovely & beautiful little island. 

i'll probably have more reflections about this 4 month holiday when i get back to the states. gonna have some major yetlag (jetlag). i can't waaaaiit to see everyone! there are just way too many things going on in my head right now....

i'm going back home to the west coast

where did the time go? how is this over already? i miss everyone so much already and i haven't even left yet.

i'm in a hostel right now, all by my lonesome. had to move out of my dorm room today so i'm staying here till my flight leaves tomorrow morning. the hostel is really nice, more of a hotel really.  

but i'm really sad right now. really. i had to say bye to maggie, magnus, asa & martin today. all in one day! i'm trying not to be an emo kid but i can't help it. i think it's highly probable that i am going to have a breakdown when i get to customs tomorrow and have to surrender my student's pass. its really over....

i have a lot more to write. i'll do it later. in a little more than 24 hours i'll be getting on a plane to cross over the pacific ocean. biggest ocean in the world, btw. 

[p.s.] jag älskar dig, you silly swedes!! i love the americans too :) 

thanksgiving

i think it's the first time in my life that i won't be at a family holiday... but i do have a bad memory so i may be wrong. a little bit bummed to be missing out, but not really because i know i'll be there in a few days. and i'm too busy trying to enjoy my last days in Singapore without getting all teary. here's what i'm thankful for:

1. my parentals. they are absolutely brilliant and i couldn't ask for better ones. they support me and love me unconditionally even though I KNOW i drive them mad at times. things get rough but i love them no matter what. they don't judge, they instead express concern. they trust that i'll make smart decisions and that i'll learn from dumb things that i've done. parents are parents but i think mine are quite lovely.... most of the time :)

2. my little broski and sissy sister. i'm thankful for my brother because he does almost anything i'll ask. i try to not take advantage of it. i think it's a mutual relationship though. and my sister... well, i think every girl needs a sis. i'm thankful that she shares her bed with me when i go home. and that she'll let me play my "rock n roll" (most of the time). and that even though i don't always ask she let's me borrow her stuff. they've been pretty cool younger siblings & they make being the oldest pretty easy. 

3. my marvelous friends. my bestest friends at home, my roomies, my 'sisters' (hahaha)- love 'em all. i choose to surround myself with good people whom i respect and they do the same in return. it's that simple & it's worked out rather favorably. i've had the most amazing times of my life with some of these people and i can't wait to get back to them! 

4. my BF(F). nearly 4 and a half years..... why do we still like each other?!? even through the bad & ugly times, i knew we were merely waiting for each other to grow up. i'm so incredibly thankful to have this person in my life. & that's probably an understatement :)

there are of course other things i'm thankful for. my lazy doggie (the only one who will lay around with me alll day when i visit home). the incredible opportunity to live in a foreign country. i'm thankful for the good health and happiness that runs in my family. i'm thankful for all the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and other 'family' that will be there no matter what... and are always down for a good old -fashion  get together. i'm thankful that i am lucky enough to be so happy. 

unfortunately, i'm not really having any sort of thanksgiving dinner. probably just some indian food like usual. since everyone's leaving singapore in the next couple days, we are going to spend these last couple nites having a good time. a straight-up debauchery festival. 

on an unrelated note- i went to the bird park and the zoo yesterday. i LOOOVED it all. penguins were my favorite- duh. perhaps one day i will have the joy of having one for myself. just a little small one? the white tigers were beautiful, magnificent, and terrifying creatures. last week (NO JOKE), a guy jumped into the white tiger exhibit and got mauled to death. crazy. apparently, the zoo people weren't too concerned because everything pretty much went on as usual a few days later. i mean, it WAS the crazy guys fault for jumping in there. did he think those tigers were just gonna lick his face? the singapore zoo and the bird park are so freakin cool. a lot different from the zoo back home. all the exhibits are so much more open. i guess it's natural since this is a tropical island. it's pretty cool when monkeys and birds aren't caged up. i just felt a lot.... closer (?) to a lot of the animals. not so many restrictions. scary and exciting. 

this kid went from thinking the bird on his head was funny to being absolutely terrified by it. the whole thing, including the kid in the background, was hilarious.

1 week.

that's all i have left. & i've been pretty EMOtional about it. i am not very good with goodbyes (who is?). people are starting to leave. but i'm not gonna think about that right now because i don't want to get sad again. also, that doesn't mean i don't like america (claud!!). i am actually very excited for home. i like home :) it's just too many thoughts and emotions to handle sometimes.

let's see, what's been going on in the week that i've had off....

celebrated Henrik's birthday (one of the SWEDEy pies). i call him Henny. anyway, we woke up him up realll early to sing happy birthday. well, the swedes sang happy birthday- maggie & i just clapped because we don't speak swedish. then that nite we went to KM8, a beach bar at Sentosa Island. it was lots of fun & i think the Henny will agree he had a good birthday. we had a mini-adventure getting back and ended up at a mall looking for food & a way to get back to school. to our delight there was a huge lit up christmas tree and santa sleigh outside! oh geez it made me really homesick. NOTE: i think Singapore starts up the holiday season pretty early. every single store at the mall the other day was playing christmas music. and the have sooo many pretty lights and decorations in the city!! but sheesh i thought you were supposed to wait until after thanksgiving?

maggie, khaleedah and i had our last "ThirstDay nite @ Le Noir" last week.... sad face. we go here almost weekly. i'm going to miss it a whole lot. we knew it was our last nite there together so we bought two bottles of champagne to ensure a healthy celebration. 

this is our security guard. he is here every night. looks pretty scary right? i don't know if he's the security guard because there is relatively low crime (like none) or if there's low crime because he's the security guard. i catch him taking naps. notice the open-toe shoes- very reliable if he ever had to chase down a suspect. 

IKEA is basically the motherland for Swedish people. we went there for dinner a couple nights ago and i had some meatballs and a chocolate ball and some other swedish goodies. the IKEA here is quite different then at home. well, it's exactly the same except for that here there's a whole ton of Swedish food to eat (not just $1 hot dogs) and even a mini market full of imported Swedish treats. i'm pretty sure we don't have that at home! unless i haven't ever noticed it? i'm definitely going to check it out.... 

Khaleedah left back to Atlanta/Miami last night. she had to leave really really early so we decided to stay up all night until she had to leave. instead of saying bye i told her i would see her in Miami for spring break. she is one of the most ridiculous bizarre understanding sensational hilarious person i've met. & i can't wait to see her again!!

  

current mood: happy :)

if you've ever gone through finals at school, then you probably know the wonderful feeling you have when they're finally over. it's almost euphoric knowing that you are freeee and don't have a worry in the world. i just finished my last test. my last school-related event in singapore. i can't believe i got here in july. they don't really have seasons when you live on the equator so my entire time here has kind of blended together. they do finals here the way they do them in Harry Potter- hundreds of people in one huge room in lined up desks. cool. except for that it's so cold in there because the air conditioner is at like 50 degrees so my fingers start to cramp up while i'm writing. though that might also be due to the fact that i haven't picked up a pen all semester... or that i'm holding the pen in a death grip and writing furiously for 2 hours. i would be lying if i said i'm going to miss the classes here. 

so now i have exactly 2 weeks left in Singyyypore. the only plans i have are to get tan and shop because i haven't bought gifts for anybody yet. and go to the zoo. it's like being on vacation while you are already on vacation. & oh yeah, when i get back i'm still on vacation for a month and a half. i have no complaints about my life.... nooo complaints. except that i don't know what i am going to do with it. but i'll worry about that later. i'm just looking forward to hanging out with the wonderful friends i have made here and going home to see the people that i love.

pretty happy right now.  

student plus dying equals studying

studying for final exams is wonderful! not. it's hard enough to study when i'm at home- it's even worse when you are in a foreign country and the last thing you want to do is study for a week straight. add in the fact that students at Nanyang are ONLY about their studies (more than usual) right now. plus, i can't stop thinking how i only have exactly 3 weeks left on this little island. it can be a little detrimental to your stamina. 

have i mentioned before that i have basically been eaten away by bugs & mosquitos since i've gotten here?? i don't know what it is (my blood?) but they freakin attack at all times. i hope i don't get dengue fever. actually surprised i haven't got it yet.   

last friday we hung out with some people we didn't really know and there was a girl there who had been traveling for the past 7 years and was finally on her way back home to New Zealand. she was not that pleasant to be around with but she did tell us this interesting thing about South Korea that we didn't believe until Khaleedah googled it. Koreans believe in Fan Death. Death by Fan. you know that fan you have blowing in your room right now, yeah it could kill you. it's really funny when you think about it, but those South Koreans are not messing around at all.

i haven't put pictures up in awhile, but that's only because i haven't taken any. so i'm stealing some. from daniel mostly. he takes some pretty good photos.

singapore is a fine city. you can't do anyyything here

this is one of our favorite little bouncers... isn't he precious

blahg

today was day 3 of my attempt to start studying. it's not like i have class... i really don't know what i am wasting my time on all day. oh, i know, birthday cards!! :) & other nonsense.

talked to my mom & brother earlier today (btw, the time difference is now 16 hours instead of 15) and that was quite entertaining. we started talking about the internet and how much i LOVE it and my precious mum said "i went on the internet for like 2 minutes the other day and then got off. i don't know what you guys look at. it's boring." oh mom, i can always count on her for a little giggle. but i really do love the internet... once i start clicking i just can't stop! 

the election is today!! obviously very exciting. i know it sounds nerdy but i think it's a very exciting time in history. i already sent in my absentee ballot weeks ago but i hope everyone at home votes (& judging by all of the facebook status updates, there are A LOT of people who already plan to).