Beach Day for O-week today.
The first beach I see in New Zealand. Mount Maunganui beach. It was beautiful. I climbed up rocks and got a nice view of the sand and sea. The tides were awesome. They were just nice, weren't too strong. My friend says surfing is easy. Maybe I should try it out tomorrow. Going to Raglan beach!! Woohooo, 2 beaches in 2 consecutive days, whatta slut I am!

And.. I was pretty annoyed by my stupid nose this afternoon coz there was just so much THICK mucus? I couldn't blow everything out and my nose was really getting on my nerves. But the moment I saw the waves and entered the sea, Holy... I dunno why but I was totally cured after that. The sea was really therapeutic..


Just came back from an International welcoming thing by the chapel in my school. Apparently there's a chapel in every NZ University. Wowoowow. Didn't know it was some church thingy coz we were only there for the food. Omg good sausages. Didn't know it was gonna be held at a chapel. Honest. May God bless my tormented soul.

Met a handful of Singaporeans there, who were all older than me. What a nice surprise and they were really happy to see me? They say it's very rare to see Singaporeans in NZ haha. It was nice meeting them coz you feel so at ease speaking in your own tongue? Learnt a number of things, just talking to them. Discussed about Cherian George's tenure. Didn't think it was that big of an issue until they started talking to me about it seeing that I come from WKWSCI. I am fascinated by the things they inform me. Networking in New Zealand, how awesome aye? One of them's a lecturer in my university so I really am quite secure here hahaha. They're thinking of inviting me over for dinners woohoo.

Ahhh... things have only just begun and I already wish things would go slower.

Btw, the papers that I was talking about earlier on?

THEY'VE BEEN APPROVED!!!!!! Hallelujah! I can take 65 points. I am blessed indeed. Maybe I should convert to Christianity. Just kidding. I shouldn't get myself embroiled in religion. It is so complicated to put faith in anything.

Right now, I'm focusing a lot on making even more new friends. Like sometimes I feel like I'm freakin desperate to make new friends and I'm pushing it and rushing it and I feel so UPTIGHT.

When I try to speak as if angmohs can't understand what I'm saying, I realise it's harder to speak? But when I speak in my own normal conversational manner as how I always do, I realise... I'm more comfortable and I feel like the other party senses that too and conversation flows better.

So, bottom line is. Don't speak like you need to speak like an angmoh. Speak like how you normally do but in proper english. No accents no slang. At least for me that is. I feel that... there's less of a pretense? And I'm conscious that I-am-myself when I speak normally. And not trying to be LIKE them. Yes. That's for me. Coz when I try to speak with some sort of accent, I know I'm not myself so I become kinda awkward. But when I'm speaking like how I always do, I talk better.

Tomorrow shall be a testing ground for me coz I'll be heading for a house party. A number of Americans are there. Let's see ;D

I need to buy beer before I head down for that. Remind me. Btw, alcohol really is a good way to socialise. Alcohol, meaning like beer or wine. Not talking about shots and hard liquor. I'm not into that kind of shit hahahahaha. I do like beer though and thankfully so. I realise... conversation flows better between parties through beer too. Somehow... it breaks down barriers? Especially intercultural barriers. Was talking to my German friends the entire night while drinking beer and it really does help. Why? I'm not sure. But I guess we can think of it as food? Food brings people together in a way that when we eat, we usually eat with people. And that would mean interaction. So same with beer, when you drink, you drink with someone, and it's one way to interact. And I guess, for Germans, drinking beer is very much a part of their culture, so it helps when you oblige to drink.



And I leave you with 2 very beautiful butterflies mating like it's nobody's business.



Shot at Hamilton Gardens last Sunday. So pretty huh?

p/s I changed the date and time of my blog to New Zealand time, so sometimes maybe you'll see posts a day early? As if you fast-forwarded in time. Like for you maybe it's still March 1st but.. I'm posting it on March 2nd? 5 hours earlier than Singapore time.