Jetstar.

I think I should consider myself to be very lucky to be sitting here writing today’s entry of the journal. The flight back from Hong Kong to Singapore was abysmal at best.

To start with, the seats were horribly tight and there was virtually no leg space. While that was still bearable, it certainly wasn’t when the Dutch woman who sat in front of me chose to inclined her seat. The whatever space that I had to place my laptop on my lap suddenly was lost. It was so bad that I can only open my laptop lid to about just 40 degrees. It was crazy.

And then that woman who was sitting next to me decided to test the robustness of the plane’s radio communication system as she kept her mobile phone on throughout the entire trip. I wouldn’t have known until she received a message and the worst thing was that she didn’t even feel a little bit of guilt or embarrassment – she acted as if there was nothing wrong with her phone being left on. That stupid woman probably didn’t know that she could have gotten the entire plane of people killed. I’ve seen many stupid people before, but that woman definitely took some beating.

I know I get what I paid for, but this was the final straw. I swear that I’ll never take a Jetstar flight again. If I were to pay about another $100 more to ensure that I have a safe and comfortable trip I will do that.

The damn Jetstar flight completely ruined my day.

Airport.

So yup, after almost a week, it’s time to say goodbye to Hong Kong again. I’m now in the air-side of the departure hall, using those free Internet access booth (they don’t forcifully make you stop using the kiosk after 15 minutes like Changi Airport, may I add). I guess this trip hasn’t been as extravagant for me as did the previous ones, but nonetheless it’s one that I enjoyed very much. Especially with me being able to go round with my MacBook and connect to the Internet all the time!

I think I’ll spend my few hours on the plane working on my MacBook again. I’ve got an assignment to write, after all. If I manage to get it done early perhaps I’ll try to catch a nap. Sleeping for just 5 hours is not really good for your health.

OK, time to do some last-minute shopping before heading to the gate. Don’t bet on me buying a lot of things though. Some cakes and pastries could be all I can afford. Haha.

See you guys later back in Singapore.

Lok Fu.

I’m sitting in the KFC in Lok Fu now as I’m going to see another relative later who’s living around this area. For the past one and a half hours I have been working on my E-Commerce Business Models assignment. It’s not fun, but what to do… that’s the thing a student needs to do – doing assignments while on holidays. Something that I’m contemplating doing again in the future if I really decide on doing a postgraduate degree.

Anyway as mentioned the other day, my sis brought me to Nam Shan Tsuen for lunch the other day, and to be honest, that was the first time that I’ve ever been to that part of Hong Kong and when I was there, I felt a dramatic sense of nostalgia because this was how Nam Shan Tsuen looked like:

The flats in the estate.

This was apparently the second floor of the market. Notice how small the stalls are?

When I said I felt a sense of nostalgia, it was really because when I was a very young kid, I used to live in this part of Hong Kong known as Sau Mau Ping which looked exactly like Nam Shan Tsuen.

I’m feeling real tired as I sit in front of my MacBook. Partly because of the work that I have to be doing, and also partly because I slept late yesterday. The bad thing about Hong Kong is that the sun rises very early even when we are in autumn now – the sun was well up at 6.15 this morning, and because of the brightness outside, I woke up at 8 despite sleeping at 1.30. This is perhaps one of the things that I don’t appreciate about Hong Kong.

I’ll be sitting at my Singapore home tomorrow this time. Would be meeting the Union Camp guys for dinner, and I still haven’t really gotten anything for anyone back in Singapore… maybe I’ll just skip that this time round. I’m kinda running out of money anyway. Haha.

Hopefully I’ll get to update my little journal one more time tonight, but if not then I’ll just see everyone back home in Singapore.

Signal.

Managed to get some signal from my home again – seems like I think I didn’t really have to buy those wireless Internet connection time before I left Singapore. But then again, how would I know someone around my house is using wireless at home and how would I know my MacBook can pick those signal up?

These two days would be spent visiting relatives. And given that I’m kinda tired, I think I’ll upload my pictures tomorrow.

Would be back on Friday. Time sure flies.

Home.

This particular journal is brought to you again from the comfort of my own home – that means I managed to pick up some wireless signal again!

Anyway yesterday was almost entirely spent at CityU. Went to settle some of those tuition fee grant matters with my sis, and when that was done, we went to Nam Shan Tsuen for lunch. The food was decent, but the highlight was definitely the lemon Ribena we had – 6 thick slices of lemon in the Ribena made the taste very nice and very special!

After lunch, sis went for lessons while I stayed in CityU to work on my HYP. Because of the real limit on space, it was freaking difficult to find a seat and a electric socket at the same time! After almost 45 minutes (and draining the battery on my MacBook), I finally managed to find a seat in the atrium with a working socket! I don’t think I would ever encounter such a situation when I’m in NUS. Seats and electric sockets seem to be everywhere!

Me and my sis went to Mong Kok after she got off from class, and I went to get a CD at Sino Centre, which in my opinion is a must-go place in Hong Kong if you are looking for CDs, DVDs, and all things Japanese. The best thing? Almost everything is original and they are selling at good prices for the real things!

Dinner was back at Lam Tin where we had the personal steamboats at Cafe de Coral. Another indulgence.

Should be going out later, though not before getting something to eat as I’m kinda hungry now. The great thing about Hong Kong is that the food is so nice, it’s so easy to be hungry!

I’d better not forget that I’ve got an assignment for my E-Commerce Business Model to do.

Night.

I’m back home, and somehow I managed to pick up some wireless signal, so I’m able to update my journal for the third time for the day!

Went to The Peak and tried taking some pictures, but because it was a camera phone, the quality wasn’t very good. Nonetheless, here they are:

The harbour front of the Victoria Harbour from the Kowloon side.

The view of the Bank of China building from Exchange Square.

The view from the top of The Peak.

Would be going to CityU again tomorrow to settle some stuffs with my sister. Maybe I’ll try to rest a bit earlier tonight.

IFC.

This is the view of wherever I’m sitting now:

I’ve been sitting here in the IFC Canteen for the past 2 and a half hours (buying 2 cups of milk tea in the process). Did quite a bit of work for my HYP just now, and I think I’ll leave more of those kind of chores later when I go home.

Would be heading to the peak later. Hopefully there is some kind of power source up there so that I can continue using my MacBook.

Home.

I’m sitting in my Hong Kong home now, using the wireless access that my MacBook somehow managed to pick up. I was still pondering about going out today to do some work, but I think for the time being I can still sit in the comfort of my own home before the signal is lost. The signal is kinda week now, but I think I can still manage. At least I’ve gotten my emails already!

The past few days have been kinda windy here in Hong Kong, and while it’s not exactly cold, sometimes I do wish that I have brought along my windbreaker or something. But then again, I don’t even have such a windbreaker when I’m in Singapore. I saw one Nike windbreaker that costs about HKD450 and I was really tempted to get one, but then again I don’t think I’ll ever need it in Singapore, so I think I would just save up those money and see if I can get something else instead.

I wonder where I should go later, and I don’t know if I should bring my MacBook along.

Hong Kong.

After almost 2 days in Hong Kong, I finally managed to find a place to update my journal without having to endure all the smoke and darkness of that small Mong Kok Internet cafe. Now I’m sitting at the comfort of a KFC in Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong, using my MacBook and broadband Internet access at my own disposal. To ensure that I don’t get angry stares from the staffs here at KFC, I’ve gotten myself two Portuguese egg tarts and a cup of tea so that I can claim that I’m a customer!

Anyway the last two days have been OK so far in Hong Kong, though because of the budget this time round I dare not really go all out and buy the things that I was planning to buy – I’ll probably leave the shopping until the last day.

I went to City University (next to Festival Walk here in Kowloon Tong), where my sister now studies, yesterday and to be honest, after being shown around the place, I think I appreciate NUS more. For their 6 faculties, 12000 undergraduates and 5200 postgraduates, CityU has a grand total of 6 buildings to house all of them. They have one swimming pool, no running track, and 2 multi-purpose halls for almost everything. And the greatest thing of all, there is one canteen which serves everyone in the university, so much so that a lot of people have to make do with having their meals out of campus because the canteen really just cannot accommodate everyone at the same time. Even though the university looks to be pretty good in their facilities, the lack of space is something that I think is a big problem for them. For those of you people who keep on complaining about NUS, sometimes going out and see other places would really make you feel that NUS is really not that bad after all.

But one thing I think that NUS should really have is a corner where students can really make their opinions heard. In CityU there is a “democratic wall” where anyone in the student population can put anything up to air their views, and from some of the messages that I’ve seen just now, those topics there are really pressing issues, and some of them are nothing short of being controversial. I know we at NUS had a Speak-up Campaign recently, but I think a 3-day thing like that is never going to be enough.

Sometimes come to think of it, I think I really could have benefited more as a person studying in Hong Kong because of all the things that I could possibly have done here. At times it still irked me that I turned down the chance to study at the University of Hong Kong, but then again, I’m already 4 and a half years down my road in NUS, that regret should be thrown out of the case. But looking at how my sister is seemingly having fun studying at CityU, I just feel that perhaps I should continue studying for my postgraduate degree as well. Oh well, it’s just a thought. Haha.

Anyway for your viewing pleasure, here’s some of the pics that I’ve taken of City University:

The view of the City University Plaza.

This is the Atrium at CityU, this place is something similar to our forum at NUS, just that there is really no space for things like concerts and bazaars and all that. And yup, by the two sides of the atrium are all the lecture theatres. I didn’t manage to get into anyone of them, but judging on how they are being placed, I don’t reckon that they would be anything huge (like LT27).

The CityU entrance which is linked to the Festival Walk Shopping Centre.

The democratic wall in CityU. I took this picture today and before I actually took this, there were about 10 people reading the stuffs at the wall. And mind you, today is Sunday.

Haven’t really been working much for the past few days, I think I’ll probably pop over to the KFC at APM Kwun Tong tomorrow to do my work. After all Kwun Tong is just a bus ride away.

One more picture for your perusal:

Nice pond with nice fishes.

Changi Airport.

For the third time of the year, I’m standing in the Departure Hall of the Changi Airport, preparing to board the Jetstar flight that will take me to Hong Kong. The flight won’t leave until 3.45, but the gate is apparently opened now, so I probably would have to make a move over there soon.

Was trying to hook my MacBook up to the Internet, but apparently I have to log into my Starhub account in order to do so, and after about 10 minutes of struggling I decided to give it all up and use this free Internet access provided instead. Oh well.

OK I’m off, enjoy yourselves and see you guys soon!