Marcus' Back-to-School Journal: February 2010

exciting times indeed, well at least we're not in hibernation anymore, the bear has come out to play! Had kindava low key bday celebration with the folks, it started before I got to the lecture hall in the morning and someone wrote my name over the white board for all to see, and before I knew it, everyone was giving me bday hugs and kisses and cakes and songs, and it happened on the very same day we were to give our presentations on our project! Helluva way to take off that stage fright, I'll tell you that, not that I have problem with public speaking.

In the evening, just right after swedish class, I headed over to Maya's place where we were supposed to have a fika. We got in the building and everything was dim and quiet, and I was like: where's everybody? And then this twinkly sizzly light came on, the kinda fireworks kids love to play in the new year and doesnt produce a whole lot of smoke, and then the cake came out, candles and all, it was all just so sweet!

So we ate, we talked, we made plans, you know, just another ordinary night in this cold bitter winter. I felt myself at peace and reflective at the same time, happy that it doesnt take a whole lot to make me happy, and just be contented with the moment, happy that life aint stressful at the moment, happy for a bunch of good loving friends. Life is simplicity...

Last week was a whole week of pub crawl because Lisette has her bday, and they even made a nations-crawl monopoly drinking board game, minus the monopoly part and throw in the drinks and weird awkward questions when you hit 'chance'. It was all good fun, no one was particularly bothered with the project work we are to submit this week.

And in less than two weeks, we will board the Cruise from Stockholm to Riga and back for the weekend, the boat ride will take some 40 hours to-and-fro, imagine the amount of time on international sea! That's when duty-free kicks in, the purpose is not to see Riga, but to drink loads en route! Well I've been to Riga so I've done the whole Latvian thing, I gave in to peer pressure and canceled my skiing trip that weekend just to hangout with my fellow classmates! Over half of us have signed up (that's 40 pax to you), add another 100+ from facebook invitation to other students from the University, It's gonna be wild!

Truth is, this is gonna be one of the last group activity for us sustainable students as a class, and I would hate to give up the chance to mingle with these close friends that ive known for half a year. Everyone will go on to do different things in summer and come fall we will be doing different courses and such. And also, it costs us RM30 to do the round trip, with cabins and all, don't you just love the low season? Not very sustainable I'll admit, but hey, the ship is leaving WITH or WITHOUT us, so why not with us?

Will also be celebrating CNY with Elizabeth and all, she's from SanFran so she should know a thing or two about wrapping dumplings, i cant say the same!

Here's to the year of the TIGER!