Jolly Folly, Mighty Morphin'

I have officially ended the week which has daunted me with 4 Prelims. You have no idea how much lighter I feel right now.

This week was kind of intense psychologically. The story's like this. Crew Team has a fix of RECRUITs and WALK-ONs. RECRUITs (about 12 of them) have rowed nearly all their high school life and have very good timings. We, the 'bo-bo' WALK-ONs are the newbies, who kind of with a mid-life crisis twist, feel like switching to new sports or just feel like picking up an oar and row. And because most competitions send out 2 boats (ie. 16 paddlers), there are just about a few slots left for WALK-ONs.

I think I live for competition. I mean, the less slots there are left, the more I REALLY feel like I want to SQUEEZE into them, or even better, ENTER with ease. (Did I sound sadistic on that one?) Next big competition coming in 2 weeks time, and Cornell's sending out 3 boats, so I'm pretty much in. But when it comes to competitions with only 2 representing boats, the adrenaline of hanging on the edge, not knowing your fate or whether you have a place in the boat just sends you in a tailspin and keeps you going like a dinosaur chasing a human-loaded truck. I'm just SO intent on climbing that table.

On to better things, I scored 100 for my first Prelim, what a surprise! On a stinking note, I actually finished another paper and was sitting around, sipping water and analysing how ballpoint pens work and swatting a fly or two, when the examiner said, "Pens Down". That's when I realised I had carelessly left a page unflipped and thus, unanswered. I bet the dead flies were laughing from their deathbeds.

Classes are REALLY cool here. I am just having too much fun everyday learning new things.

MakanMania is an annual event hosted by Singaporeans for the Cornell Community to spread our astronomical love for gastronomical delights. It's one of those things when I was sitting on the plane coming here, contemplating "What kind of impact do I want to make in Cornell", and this was one of it, to BRING food to others, to kind of say, "Hey you thought lo-mien and wanton were Chinese, wait till you see Singaporean hybrids like laksa and popiah", and to make a statement and broadcast something to the community.

Watching WALL-E this weekend, after realising how amazing it is that we are finally getting a mainstream movie released in this god-forsaken place!

Posted by Brandon at Friday, September 26, 2008 | Permalink

A fruitful week has passed again.

The mornings and nights are getting chilly here. As I release my brakes and whiz down one of the many slopes here, my fingers freeze to a blue-white and my ears shudder with thrill.

I MADE IT TO THE CREWING TEAM! For those who don't know what crewing is, imagine a banana that's white and that's pulled longer and slimmer and placed in water. Now that's a crew boat. And with 8 rowers each with a paddle. It RRRREALLY stretches you and of course, the scenic Cayuga Lake is one huge incentive. Until I learn the technology of uploading photos on blogspot, here's a link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22728454@N00/2551455881/ of a picture of Cayuga. The lake itself is bigger than Singapore and it's one of those places where you associate with idyllic, rustic and charming. The greatest thing is that the team gets to travel across the States to compete with other varsity teams. While the ice cuts deep in winter Ithaca, we'd be at Florida rowing and enjoying the sunshine! WE ARE READY TO RROOOCK it.

Now that was the happiest moment of the week when I was called to join the team.

After last week's post about my lack of understanding of why Americans love to ask, "How are you?", strangely enough, I'M beginning to be asking people, "How's it going?" Ok, I have no disapproval of how they greet each other, neither do I feel I'm betraying my own idisyncracy, I JUST AM, inadvertently influenced by the environment, getting into the feel of things here. I mean, you can't keep adding petrol here, you have to start adding gas; it's not water-cooler, it's a fountain; it's center, not centre. How long can an avid ice-cream eater one degree above the equator have sorbet all day in the Arctic?

I FEEL PUMPED and happy. And it is a great knowing that I am feeling warm in a very cold place. (Hi to Mum and Dad, who have become new readers to this blog.)

Posted by Brandon at Saturday, September 13, 2008 | Permalink

Brother is reporting to Penguin Cruises, NorthEast of Singapore this Friday for his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ...

Do a pull-up.

O well, you know sometimes, brothers have this most unfathomable relationship. I mean, I never go to my brother to tell him that I've had a bad day or ask him out for a movie. It's like we have been sharing a room since 20 years ago, but until I sit down and reflect on his sudden physical absence in my life, I realise that well, he is not in this very room which I have been close to 3 weeks in. 11pm comes and we will always be plugged to our own laptops, him smiling to himself for no apparent reason and me, probably watching a movie or something. Presence is never noticed until absence.

And of course, as he dons his army cap and boots, it feels more a regret that I won't be there to ease him into this new life, than a victory of sorts as a graduand watching a greenhorn lock horns with the green. He will suffer no doubt, get bitten by flies, hear horrifying tales of accidental burials of soldiers and come out, hopefully with more stories than a successful pull-up achievement to boast. I wished I had been a better brother really, punched him one time less when I was 5, taught him how to study, and possibly to have guided him more than I had.

Today, Don Thompson, President of MacDonalds USA, spoke to the Hotel School students. One line in particular, "Don't lose who you really are." It's funny because I'm not particularly a rice person back home, but now that I'm here, I'm yearning for rice all over again, sweet and sour pork, egg drop soup... The pizzas, burritos and chunky meat just don't appeal to me anymore. And I'm just thinking, "HOW PROUD I am of who I am!" I appreciate my own kiasu-ism, my efficiency, my culture of food and racial harmony blahblah. I mean, I walk around school everyday and represent this little island, whom people only know is all for cleanliness and all against chewing gum. And I walk amongst hundreds and thousands of similar manifestations and one day at a time, learn and learn and learn. How great!

Posted by Brandon at Saturday, September 06, 2008 | Permalink

"Hey, I'm speaking to..."

"Daniel. Daniel Thorpe."

"Hi, Brandon here, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you."

This exchange replicates itself in yet another conversation. And yet another conversation. And (surprise!) yet another conversation. I have to say people here make friends very easily. I mean, the Hotel School is known to be the college with the most receptions, food spreads, social gatherings. I hate to say it, but where is the quality of relationships, when conversations scratch barely beneath the surface and are decorated with honeyed niceties? Was it that nice to have met me? Haha, I'm actually laughing out loud on that one, forgive me.

And you know it is impossible to be remembering the names of the tens of people on which you have super-imposed the abovementioned conversation. Then, the next time you meet them, you start asking them to repeat their names, but merely for labelling purposes really, instead of really feeling an affinity towards this person, only to forget the names again.

Don't mistake me, I TRULY ENJOY knowing about people and their behaviours. And I am kinda of a kaypoh really and you know I will ask tonnes of questions, whether they matter or not. But I mean, after being introduced that this girl is from Pennsylvania, and studied in XXXX high school, what am I supposed to say? Ermmm, so was your school good? How do you spell Pennsylvania? I have no slightest idea in making conversation. I feel like a boy who had stuffed myself stupid with chocolates - too full with saccharide, and reaching "interaction saturation".

Speaking of which, why do Americans keep bothering to ask, "How are you?", like it's a form of salutation rather than question. They love to ask, then just walk past you, like the words just came out, pretty much forgetting that the more measured Asian like me (blur one at it) will probably reciprocate in a basic "I'm fine, how about you?" Then, the cycle goes again. Was it that important to have known how fine I was that day? Just imagine the face of this dude if I were to say, "I am not fine, how about you?" I'm certain he would do a double take.

I know it's all culture and my asking such rhetorical questions do make no sense. But hey, that's why everyone should do overseas exchanges, because your mind just explodes at the multitude of differences beyond the little bubble back home. Having said that, I miss sotong and crabs. Please mail some to me.

Posted by Brandon at Tuesday, September 02, 2008 | Permalink