Entry One

And the journey begins…

Farewell

Surprisingly, this wasn’t the saddest part for me..I felt ok on the day of departure, in fact, I was quite excited! I waved goodbye n smiled..因为我很想潇洒地离开。哈哈。一生可能只有那么一次能够在机场与人道别，当然选择最酷的方式。不知棣嵩离开的那天，也是否是潇洒地离开呢？棣嵩，在英国的生活如何呢？要照顾自己ok? Anyway, I watched Shrek 3 and 康熙来了on the plane..initially I refused to sleep, cuz its like Singapore Airlines u noe..must at least use the facilities..but in the end after watching kang xi, too tired already, so slept..but just when I was about to fall asleep, they woke us up for breakfast! Argh. Then soon we arrived at shanghai..then we had a 3 hrs bus ride to Hangzhou..i slept throughout the bus journey, but managed to take some pics of hangzhou streets along the way..Soon after, we reached Zhejiang University City College (ZUCC)..and a bunch of students helped us with the “unloading”, we are staying at Blk J, it’s a new block, so its super dusty n becuz it’s a new block so our internet wasn’t ready for us =(

Adapting

Reached ZUCC for 3 weeks (quite fast hor), and I’m still adapting to the life here lah..guess its not so easy afterall..The first week has been chaos n tough..When we first reached, our hostel room was so dusty, we had to buy brooms n mops to clean up the whole place..especially the toilet! (anyway, they dun have toilet bowl, only swat one, I was like so sian to see the toilet lah) yup..总之，就是有很多housekeeping to do..need to wipe the dusty n sandy tables, chairs and bed..then got to 铺bed sheets n stuff like that..oh ya, the hostel’s bed is double decker kind of bed..the bed is on top, n the table below.. At first, it was quite scary cuz its so~ high! But after a few days, sort of used to it le lah..actually got a lot things I can complain lor..like the sewage system had once broken down, the aircon is now spoilt too (super hot at night!), then got super lots mosquitoes (I kena like 22 bites liao lah), cements uncovered here and there…yup, that’s the environment I’m living in..of course, it can’t be compared to Singapore, but as wad my teacher say, we should all accept it with an open heart n mind..actually, this condition is already very gd compared to other places in China..so now, I’m kinda okie with the environment already..

i was feeling quite ok on the day we reached (maybe its becuz we were too busy with settling down) but from the next day onwards, when I realized that I’m actually in Hangzhou le, it feels actually a little scary..and the worst thing is, the 想家 feeling starts to come le.. I start to realize that, hey, going abroad to study isn’t 潇洒 and cool at all..its like, I have to sort of live on my own for such a long period of time..i was quite emo for the first few days, esp during weekends, I should be in church de, but here I am at a unfamiliar place..besides that, 19 weeks is definitely not short, I still have a long way to..time is one thing, another thing is, got to settle everything by myself...like washing, hanging n ironing clothes, settling 3 meals, buying groceries n some daily stuff, and managing school work at the same time! Now I really truly appreciate my mummy!! I miss her cooking so much!!!!!! So ya, will feel quite poor thing at times lah..got one day I even eat until cry lei..come to think of it, like quite silly hor..现在，我觉得好多了，因为毕竟过了这么多天，也多多少少适应这边的生活了，而且也想开了。其实比起永恒，这短短5个月算什么呢。我在这里是神的旨意，我相信这是一个很好磨练我独立的机会，更是一个只是属于我与神的旅程。虽然有时还是会很想家，但我会把这种相思之情化为动力。我一定要好好生活，尽情享受在杭州的点点滴滴，好让我回去时，能够跟你们说，我过得很充实。课业问题就算再棘手，我相信靠着神的力量，我凡事都能做！毕竟，我的天父是超过一切书本里奥妙的神，祂超乎文学、历史、哲学、写作、新闻，我需担心什么呢？

Studies

说到学业，Studies aren’t easy here..the standard is definitely higher..anyway, my purpose in ZUCC is to study, not attachment..its just a normal semester, just that we are doing it in China..We have six modules to take..all difficult de! =( “当代中国”，“阅读与写作”，“中国古代文学作品选读”，“华文新闻采访与写作”，“中国哲学精粹”，“中国通史”。If you notice, there’s a lot about China..there’s so much to learn about China, n a lot of pre studying n revision is required..i can feel the stress already! it’s a little overwhelming for me lah..got to work extra hard, its not gonna be easy, but I trust that God will sustain me thru! For the starting part, the 想家 feeling makes me dun really want to study..but recently I suddenly have the mood to study le..like today(fri), I stayed in hostel during my long long break, resisting the temptation to go online, to read up the whole chunk of 夏朝to 春秋战国 k! 超有满足感的..其实，在中国，也没有什么别的事情好做。除了吃饭、上学、买日常用品之外，其余的时间都应该会在读书和做作业吧吧。除非想出去走走。但你们知道我不是很喜欢逛街的人。而且人生地不熟，最好不要乱跑。更何况，我们来这边的目的本来就是要读书啊。。 Anyway, workload is really heavy here..so I try to keep u guys updated as often as I can ok?

Timetable wise, the whole day of lessons are divided into 四大节, first is from 8-9:35, 2nd is 9:50-11:25, 3rd is 13:30-15:05, 4th is 15:20-16:55..
Monday: I have lessons for 2,3,4 sections
Tuesday: 1,2,3
Wednesday: 2 & 4
Thursday: 2 &3
Friday: 1&4 (Ridiculous can)

School Calendar n activities:
sep 10- sep 30 (29th & 30th is a sat n sun but got to hav lessons cuz the following week is national holiday)* : Normal sch days
Oct 1-7: 国庆假期
Oct 8: sch resumes
Oct 13-14: 上海、苏州trip
Oct 29-Nov 2: Mid semester exams (lessons still on)
Nov 5-Dec 28: school days
(Nov 10: 参观新农村 / Nov 24: 参观媒体/ Dec 8: 参观绍兴 )
Dec 28: Last day of school
Jan 1: new yr holiday
Jan 3- Jan 10: Final Exams (Must pray for me!!)
Jan 12-15: Trip to Beijing
Jan 16-19: packing I guess
Jan 20: Back to Singapore! =) 19:25 hrs touch down
[*from oct 1 onwards, weekends no school and dun hav Christmas Hols! =( ]

Food n campus

Okie, food, hmm. Of course, they definitely can’t be compared to Mummy’s cooking n those gd gd food in Spore..canteen food is mainly rice and noodles..got all sorts of饭, got 铁板one, got cai fan style, got claypot style etc, n they are super generous with the rice! Our class advisor say that Canteen food is the healthiest..but we still choose to go out of school n eat..ZUCC is really big, they got 北校区 and南校区, got to use underpass to get from north to south..my hostel n classroom is at the north campus, its just five mins walk away from hostel to classroom, super shiok (but still got to wake up early, cuz must think of other classmates as well, have to spread out the time)..they have mini marts located at north n south campus, so we usually get our daily necessities from there..if not, we’ll go to a very big supermarket (like giant liddat) called “Ouchan 欧尚” to buy stuff..Ouchan is around 25 mins bus journey from school, by bus number Y8.. anyway, if we eat out, its normally at those small small stalls just outside south campus..the street is called 舟山东路。They have good food n cool shops there..still exploring more good food with frens..anyway, Y8 is taken at舟山东路too..yupz..anyway, my fav food here is 猪排反， only 10 rmb at most..the rest of the food are cheaper than this..so expenditure in China is really cheap!!

Emo-ing in China n God’s faithfulness

Now the emotions part..sigh! like what I said earlier on,想念，思念。 我不时在想念新加坡，而且是非常想念。for the starting part, When I think of all the studies n life here n that I’m so far away from home, I’ll feel really sad..like on last last tues I just broke out into tears! Kept crying! Cuz I really miss home..dunno how this 5 mths will pass..like so many hurdles to pass thru to get home..but thank God for comforting me with His Word..He ask me to rejoice in Him! and trust that He’ll lead me through! So I’m feeling much better recently le, compared to the first week.. guess its just a adapting period.. There’s a saying, 黑夜虽然漫长，但天总会亮。 Time will pass eventually, why not just spend it meaningfully right? Please pray for me too! Pray that I can be strong! N pray for my health..n pray for my internet!!! (Had been having probs to go online, guess it becuz my laptop is vista de..so a lot of probs with the connection n server..)yup, though I really miss Singapore, i shall really spend the time here fruitfully..I’ll fly on the wings of God n all my loved ones..the joy of the Lord is my strength!!! That’s what God told me on my first day of school...He asked/ ask me to rejoice in Him and do not let my heart be troubled..God is really faithful..n I can really feel that He is always by n on my side..He knows my weakness, n He tells me that my weakness is made perfect in Him..n really thank Hui Cheng lao shi for giving me a prayer book..i use that to pray every day n night..The prayer book teaches me a lot of things, like “prayer doesn’t cause faith to work, but faith causes prayer to work” (will share more in the future)..

Lastly, wanna let u guys noe, I really miss u all!!!! I miss church, miss tuanqi, miss worship band pract, miss serving on stage with AGPC young peeps, miss sun school, miss my family, miss SPH, miss everything back in Singapore! but hey xuewei, you’ll be back in no time!!!
I am in good hands, so no need worry for me k, just pray lots lots for me! Thank you so much!
If you want to contact me, email is the most convenient one

so email k! but guess I can only reply by email..cuz I heard the nearest letter post is like few bus stops away lah, super troublesome..
Think I’ve written long enough already, will write again de, meanwhile, take good care k! 我们 （你们，棣嵩和我）看得是同一片天空哦！=)