I probably should tell you guys what I've been up to during my winter break.
Dec 12-20: Alternative Student Break at Washington D.C.
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Alt Stud Break (ASB) = a service learning trip. Mine was helping out with Metro Teen AIDS. Tasks included: listening to HIV 101 lectures, learning abt various organizations serving the HIV/AIDS cause, learning about the benefits of syringe exchange program, assembling safe sex kits (condoms (flavored/unflavored) +lubes+instructions+contact details) which I'm sure the F6 gang would really enjoy =P, handing out free safe sex kits to the public O_O and high school/middle school students O_O, helping to clean up a house for kids affected/infected by HIV/AIDS, listening to talks about LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transexual Questioning), packing/delivering food for terminally ill patients, preparing/serving food for homeless people.
I expected to not socialize well with the fellow students on the trip (since i didn't really mix well with most Americans during the fall quarter). First two days of the trip i was pretty quiet. Then third day I told them a riddle and for some reason they found my dramatic act funny O.O and then I had to re-enact the riddle for various people throughout the week until i got tired of it lol. [i'm so happy i can make people laugh lol~] Although most of the Americans swear and lot and use a lot of profanities all the time, all of them are pretty nice and interesting people. And please shatter your negative stereotype of blacks--- Corey is really a gentleman and April is hippie. Can't be stereotyped.
(Sorry people I'm running out of time..can't elaborate panjang lebar) A few pics on facebook--- lazy to upload the rest (Swt)
All in all, ASB was an unexpectedly fun experience. Got to know all kinds of people and managed to flesh out a dormant side of me. Hee.
Dec 20-Jan 3: Jeannie's House
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After ASB, I went to stay with Jeannie who is staying off campus. She cooks- authentic- Malaysian (primarily Chinese) food *_* It got really meriah when her friends (other seniors from INTI)- Jia Min and Jay came over and stayed. We went out to Chicago a few times together, and also to Jewel/Dempster to buy groceries.
Dec 24-25: White Christmas
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Helped to put up decorations at Sheil Catholic Center on Dec 22 or 23. Attended two Christmas Vigil masses, one the Children's mass with a children's choir and a pageant show in place of the gospel ^O^; the other one with a professor of music playing the grand piano OMG and glorious choir of aunties and uncles with superb singing~~~~
On Christmas Day, went alone to Argyle (a Vietnamese/Thai/Chinatown area on the way to Chicago) to buy egg tarts from Chiu Quon Bakery as buah tangan for Mary Deeley & family. Also bought 鸡仔饼 which is unlike those i ate in Malaysia-- it's like wet partially cooked random chicken parts (oily n geli...bleargh). Mary Deeley is a staff at Sheil who invited me over last time for Thanksgiving, and now for Christmas Day. Her husband Dan is American Chinese (from Hawaii ^^) and is a professor at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern Campus in Chicago (i assumed so--- correct me if i'm wrong). Spent a quiet afternoon at Mary's house =) Pictures on Facebook.
When i came back to Jeannie's house, Jeannie and Jay were cooking *gasps!* TOMYAM!!!!!! It tastes good! (Pictures on Facebook) After dinner we had the customary chit chat session until pretty late. ^___^ Sweet and warm christmas...which is really different from christmas in malaysia.. though i want my family still =)
Next day we had curry chicken.
Day after went to Millenium Park, Art Institute, Navy Pier- met many seniors from INTI (many of whom i dunno)
Day after that went to Chicago Chinatown----dimsum feast for lunch! (of course pay lah) After that send Jay to Union Station- he's taking train back to Purdue.
During those days i finished reading Wicked (marvellous book about the life of Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz), New Moon (sequel to Twillight--- Bella is the most delusional character i've ever read =.=|||), The Monkey Wrench Gang (story of radical environmentalists by Edward Abbey--- it's kind of boring though the characters are quirky n interesting)
29-31 Dec 2009
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Rest easy in Evanston for few days. Went to Gym with Jeannie, Jia Min. Met Prof. Walsh who's also working out LOL! and Katie from NUInterfaith Initiative (NUII).
Coupon frenzy. Because of the big bite nite raffle i got some gift certificates, which allowed us a free meal at Pine Yard (a really good chinese restaurant down Davis St, across from Post Office). The next day using some coupons we got 3 plates of noodles from Noodles & Co. for the price of one. Three cups of tea at Argo Tea using gift card. Went for NY Eve mass at Sheil (three of us-- Jia Min got recruited for the choir--- unfortunately she's not from around here). Dinner - coupon for 6-inch deep-dish pizza+drink for $7.25 plus tipu orang punya chocolate chip pizza + minus NU student discount at Lou Malnati's. Then at CVS, the nice boss (?) let us use Jeannie's extra bucks (from CVS care card) to reduce $14 bill to about $5 only! O_O After that Jeannie's gift card at Chipotle for a free buritto. Then another coupon for $5 off salmon salad from Lulu's. O___O Scary!!! (This is what happens when you keep all your coupons and only try to use them when they expire on the same day- Dec 31 2009 O.O)
After that we went to watch Sherlock Holmes the movie. I found it stressful maybe coz i rarely watch movies. It was not bad. definitely better than James Bond. Gotta watch Avatar 3D next time.
The night of Dec 31 2009 was so freaking cold X.X The heater wasn't working very well so the house was cold.....i had to wear thermal underclothes...and Jeannie couldn't sleep bcoz the room was tooo cold x.x
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This morning. I wake up to lots of things to do. (When can i ever get over the habit of pushing things until the deadline T.T)
To-Do-List
1. Finish Community Assistant (CA) application. (If I want that free board and meals I better do it properly)
* CA = warden for the dorm, have to plan events n socialize w ppl
- 3 short essays
- Leadership & Volunteer Experience
- reference forms - ask Mary Deeley this sunday
- pass to Yee Hoong asap
- one-minute video
Yeah people, although I'm not a mass com major I have to make a 1-min video of myself expressing why i wanna be a CA
Any ideas???????
Well that's all for the day! New Year Resolutions? Hmm. Cliche but i believe it's a good goal.
Try to be a better Christian.
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2009 has been a pretty interesting year...I thank God for 2009!
Happy New Year 2010, folks!
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p/s former roommate Suk Sien just called me! =D
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