Wednesday, April 30, 2008
10:44 PM

Parting

First it was David. Then it was Romain who left Hattenheim for home. By then you could start to see the sadness in everyone’s eyes. Not that we dislike going home, but that we are sad, at the same time, that we had to end the wonderful moments together, leave this beautiful place and wonderful country.

The night before Clement, Caroline and Mathilde left saw the first time Clement cooked for us. It was yummy lasagna, while Mathilde whipped up her signature gateau au chocolat, but nobody gave a damn about it. Everyone was just quietly eating, while I was trying to cheer up everyone by keeping a smiley face. We played the photo slideshow we made for them; the atmosphere was weird, but it was nice to look back at what we did together in the past 4 months. Xinyu and I made a recipe book each for Mathilde and Caroline, compiling all the favourite dishes made throughout the 4 months, including Mathilde’s Quiche Lorraine, Caroline’s Ratatouille, fried rice made famous by Xinyu, Johnson’s signature chicken wings, the cheese cake that Yinghao used to impress girls and the baked rice I concocted using merely instincts.

During the making process, we joked about them crying upon receiving the books, but never did I expect that Caroline would tear upon receiving the recipe book. This totally triggered our tears, and we just got so emotional about having to part so soon. Well, happy times end sooner, don’t they? Anyway we reckoned that we would soon see each other again, in Marseille and Paris and possibly Singapore, when they come to visit us! The flat never felt so empty when they left.

Last dinner. Clement looked so depressed as he cooked for the first time in his life for us.

Parting gifts for Mathilde & Caro - secret recipe book!

The memories of the place would not just be the sheer beauty of the river and vineyards, but also the people we spent the most times with in the place. Looking back at pre-exchange, I was hoping to meet people from all over the world, make friends and probably spend some time socializing at parties and gatherings. But the most important for me was traveling. Traveling is still important to me now on this exchange; I did meet as diversified and as many tauschies as I had expected since most of them are French. But I certainly formed stronger ties with these fellow flatmates as I would have expected, such that I would cry over their parting, and such that they would cry over having to part with us. I will really miss them.

Last gathering with the Asians.

Savouring last moments in Rheingau.

Schloss campus!

Our fav supermarket.

Someone trying to grope me!

Gummi sutra

One of the last dinners

Last BBQ

Last picnic.

Transporting our extra stuff to be shipped home.

Will miss this street.

Will miss this door.

Sunday, April 20, 2008
6:17 PM

Rheingau. Loves!

The myriad of emotions I am feeling this moment.

Excitement. Of more flowers blooming and green leaves emerging in the surrounding landscape. Of impending end of exchange and thus Eurotrip, tentatively Benelux-Copenhagen-Warsaw-Krakow-Prague-Budapest-Istanbul-Thessaloniki-Athens-Santorini-Venice-Florence-Rome-Pisa-Milan-Zurich-Bern-Interlaken-Monaco-Nice-Cannes-Marseille-Barcelona-Madrid-Paris, lasting 45 days. Of the upcoming internship in Hong Kong, first sem of year 4 and end-of-year trip to visit my sis in Australia.

Reluctance. To start on my projects and exam prep. To do all the due diligence for the Eurotrip. To leave the Rheingau at the end of the month. To start packing and shipping excess things back to Singapore. 9 days to leaving this home.

Bliss. Of the warmth that comes with spring. Of the birds the chirp-a-sing-a-ling-a-ling under the sun's rays. Of the view out of the window turning green. Of having lived in a fairytale town like what I imagined it to be. That I was here. That I made the choice of coming to ebs, to Europe for exchange.

Sadness. That exchange is coming to an end soon. That I have to part with the wonderful flatmates. That I have to leave the kampung.

Worry. That I can't get a good accom of my budget in HK. That I would overspend and not have enough cash to pay downpayment for the accom or eat or shop in HK and Barcelona (shopping for impt things yar).

If you ask me where I want to be right now, this is still where I want to be.
This moment.