read a few blogs since i got back this morning and not that i have done much reflections.. there's much which i'm supposed to do, for example: sleep!!! since it was quite an uncomfortable 12-hour coach ride back from paris.. oh, lesson learnt? no more coach rides.. i'll just pay for train rides..
2005.. it went passed.. just like that..
10th jan - 30th apr: semester 2 of ay 2004/2005
it was quite a painful semester with 7 modules and having 2 papers on the same day and ending my entire exams within a week.. it was painful enough.. but there were the moments of making friends with exchange students.. went to many 21st parties and missing many too.. 'killing' each other during lab sessions.. copying homework till the wee hours of the night.. my favourite studying buddies, whereby one has graduated and the other will graduate before i begin my 4th year.. my dearest cn6.. all the studying buddies in central lib.. enduring one last semester of german language at cls.. and most of all, planning for my upcoming exchange trip..
3rd - 21st may: my first stint as a waitress
23rd may - 15th june: trip to nias
this was really more than an experience.. it was overwhelming and it left me much questions.. it became a trip whereby i learnt about myself.. it was painful, but it had to be learnt somewhere.. it set me into a state of confusion but i'm still trying to understand why.. nias, gave a different light to many things.. it brought fear, it brought joy.. it built and sealed new and old friendships.. who can forget uncle's mega-watts smile, ibu's washing abilities, nenek's 'keeping the house in order', devin's suntan lotion, abang franky's batak food, abang taku's love for the kids.. and all those hours of just sitting around, enjoying each other's company though language was a huge barrier..
17th june - 23rd sept: working at uob
a reluctant return back home.. came back, burnt and totally kampong-style.. insanity but i started work immediately.. everyone scratched their heads, wondering what in the world is an engineering student doing in a bank.. it got to a point of getting so tired with work but yet, somehow it just went on.. skipped school to work despite having bid for all my modules and all.. made occassional guest appearances back in school but ended up disturbing ppl instead.. love my colleagues and miss them loads.. keeping contact is tough, but someday, i will try.. *bleah*..
1st oct - now: student exchange in germany
something i looked forward to since the days of immersion.. plans of turning it into an ia-session did not work out.. i'm just too lazy and tired to repeat the whole story here.. it was a roller-coaster ride that took a year to plan.. well, it is still a ride.. i came here, against all odds.. a year of planning, yet still coupled with so much hick-ups and stumbling blocks.. it came to a point of frustration and irritation but i went on with it.. so here i am, sitting in my hostel room, typing this very entry.. during the 3 mths here, i made friends.. friends from both asia, as well as from the european union.. friends from the trips which i took out of hamburg.. oh, in the 3 months, i toured berlin, koeln.. explored hamburg, but bit by bit.. finally left the country for stockholm, london & paris.. with less than 2 mths left of my exchange, it comes with a sense of what-ifs and what-nots.. many plans, perhaps will just go unaccomplished.. but with each closing door, perhaps a new door will open up.. but it is just a matter of time.. how long will the wait be? in the words of many germans here, i don't know..*laughs*... you must be wondering what have i been learning here.. in the light of the remaining time and with much to do, all has to be done before my departure..
in general...
sometimes i wonder, how did i go through this year.. a year when dynamics rules over equilibrium.. manchmal war es leicht, manchmal war es schwierig.. aber ich ging weiter..
thanks for all the support back home and here in germany.. thanks for all the friendships.. thanks for all the sweetness for the past year.. thanks for all your love.. it comes a point, whereby i have to stop receiving and start giving it back...
2006... in the new year..
there is much that i want and much that i will like to accomplish but i know well that by controlling much, i will eventually lose much as well.. all i can say about the new year is, cheers to the year that has passed and applauses for the new year.. it will never be an easy walk, but there are ways of making it easier..
to summarise the year before, in the words of robert frost..
two roads diverged in a wood,
and i-- i took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference..
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