Feels like I haven’t blogged for… quite a while. Pretty quiet in here, huh?

This month completely whisked past me. Remember how I talked about going where the back of the 20RMB note beckons? Then I came back from the super good Yangshuo trip sick — flu/cold, sore throat, throat infection, fever, cough cough cough. Attended classes intermittently due to illness; let my school work pile up; went for a day trip organized by Fudan Foreign Students’ Office and ate self-plucked fresh strawberries; partied every weekend; had good meals; performed 中国话 with close friends in a school singing competition; watched competitors practise for Asia’s X Games; and then now it’s time to welcome the new month by packing off to Fujian!

But of course, before that, Ladies’ Night.

Ahhhh, school life.

So as to make my sojourn here pleasant, I shall work on my picture-taking.

Selling Hainan bananas (they taste really good) outside the gates of Tongji University

Hot hot buns (and making them at the back)!

Condom machines. 1RMB for 1 condom.

Recycling bin?

Mopping the blackboards

Plucking weeds and quarrelling

Sunning clothes, shoes, bedsheets, etc.

I now live in a building which people think has “wings”

One of my favourite snacks/meals! 莫皮卷菜! Stir-fried chicken, veggies, and beansprouts wrapped with a skin akin to tortilla.

Grace and I with drinks that match our clothes haha. I’m a regular at this stall opposite my classrooms, ‘coz they sell good popcorn chicken. Heh.

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I hate the fact that all my pictures are so ordinary and uninteresting. They may appear interesting to those who find the subjects novel, but they are just…pictures. I want to create images. And this I will do, even with a point-and-shoot. 大家拭目以待吧！

Instead of spending $500 fixing a crown on my about-to-split molar, a metal bind is now holding that tooth together, so it looks like I have braces, just on that tooth, and it cost me $180 instead. I would show you a picture but it’s revolting, so here’s just a couple of pics I took at the dentist’s. He was such a good sport letting me take pictures of him at work, drilling away, heh.

Okay, I don’t know why I’m actually exhibiting these to the world. But well, i guess spoilt teeth is a sign of age, and such a significant event should be blogged about. Okay I promise that the next time I ever blog anything about my oral health, it’s only going to be as serious as my teeth falling apart. So hopefully this is my first and last post on such a topic. Haha.

        It’s time to get moving and, at the very least, clear the path to the bed.

I decided it’s time to be in the know, time to have some know-how.

I’m going home, i’m coming home, today today today!

Hello Hello!

Can’t wait to see everyone again! Feels like it’s been such a loooooooong time already.

Here’s a preview of what you can look forward to seeing for 1 month while I’m in Singapore:

Squareface, at her heaviest and roundest ever, but still full of crap, and guaranteed to supply you with more sickening expressions and laughable stunts.

See y’all real soon!

(Okay, I know that was a completely weak attempt at a suitable title, but finally I’m beginning to blog abt something more than just reporting where I’m going.)

You actually only need 24 hours’ worth of Vegas on The Strip. Catch all the free performances in many of the themed hotels (all the hotels have a unique theme of its own), and even have time to catch a Broadway show, like Mamma Mia!. Then spend whatever time you have left on the tables, winning and then losing. Note to self: walk away.

Vegas is completely safe for the the solo traveller as everyone else there is a visitor too, all just wanting to be entertained, and entertained they will be from this massively constructed strip built solely for pure entertainment for the soul. Just be amused and wowed and don’t think about all the money involved in creating the whole fantasy land. Anyway, I was saying, it’s totally safe, so don’t even bother hiding your money in your shoes because removing them out of desperation at the tables is awfully “unglam”. Resist the free drinks too. They are out to get you to lose your inhibitions and by extension lose your money. Forget about tipping the dealers even if they did a good job because it just goes into a common fund for all dealers. Make loads of friends at the tables though, since it’s us against the dealers.

I took the Megabus there, which have far lower fares than those of Greyhound, though I needed to transit at Los Angeles first. People might have mistaken me for one of the homeless when they saw me, dishevelled from not having showered nor slept since I was engrossed at the tables desperately trying to win back the winnings lost, picking at my leftover food after waking up from sleeping while hugging my bag and keeping all other belongings between my legs at Union Station.

Vegas is a very conducive place for the beginner. Lessons are available at certain hotels for certain games, and dealers are very friendly and willing to help when you play. Macau is more for the advanced gambler, as everyone is serious and intent in the casinos in Macau. In Vegas, we all just wanna have fun, and I certainly did.

(Click on the image for slideshow of pictures I took in Vegas)

The money-sucking tables

I had a sumptuous Christmas Eve dinner (complete with turkey ham and some other Western and Asian fusion delicacies) with relatives who lived all my life somewhat a figment. Chances of meeting them are worse than the ones I only get to see once a year at Chinese New Year (or the occasional weddings or funerals), which makes this visit (and this Christmas) extra special and meaningful.

The Uncle whom I’d only heard of through my father’s stories and only spoken to and met this Christmas.

The very rare combination of family members taking a photograph together

The multitude of gifts I received this year from just one family

I haven’t really celebrated Christmas the past two years in China, and prior to that, I kept receiving chocolates, towels, or shirts that don’t fit. This year’s gifts overwhelmed me. Thoughts like so Christmas can be like this entered my head, and each member of the family gave me more than one gift each. Whoa. From left to right, top to bottom: UV Security Marking System; 32-in-1 Card Reader; Candies; Ferrero Rocher chocs; Inspirational book; Calligraphy pens; Wireless mouse (Logitech); Belgium Chocs; Digital Photo Album (Keychain size); Digital Photo Album (Card size); Moleskine notebook; coloured pens set. Okay, the digital photo albums are actually for my parents, but I’m free to keep it for myself too muahahahaha.

Alright. It’s 1am. 3 hours of sleep, and then off to the Big Apple.

I probably won’t be able to blog till next year. Have a Happy New Year everyone, and see you next year.

I should slap myself for buying a camera with the intention of learning its manual functions only to keep using the automatic function. However, there are many moments when I need to snap away at that precise moment without needing to take time adjusting for the right digits.

I hope to attend photography lessons soon.

Anyway, here’s a post I wrote in June:

I like to hold a camera in my hands and click away for the following reasons:

1) For the fun of it — I seek solace in successfully capturing a good moment

2) For keepsake — Photos with friends, family, strangers, and especial people are endearing

3) To share insights — A picture can depict a way of life, and describe all you want to say with one image

My current Kodak EasyShare Z650 Zoom has been with me for half a year, and I’ve still yet to know it better. Sometimes it takes more than one shot to get shots well captured, but I’d say this camera’s performance surpasses my previous Canon Ixus.

Is there a camera I’d love to own? I went to look at digital cameras intending to get a Nikon, and came home with my Kodak, and I think there’s so much to explore in cameras that I really can’t decide. I think I’ll continue venturing with my Kodak before I lay my hands on another camera. Perhaps I’ll only exchange money for a lovely camera in Canada or the U.S. since they’re cheaper there. For now, this Kodak is honing my eye for photography just fine.

Pictures can depict the way of life viewers may never encounter (pictures taken by yours truly):

And then there are pictures that are just poignant (picture taken by Sam):

This is a sponsored post.

(Check back tomorrow for the words of this post. Too tired now to think about what to write. But I couldn’t wait to show off pics so here are the pics first haha. as usual, click on pics for slideshow.)