Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Wow, time has really flown by these past few weeks. It's hard to believe it's already been a few weeks since my last post. We've spent the last couple of weekends in Singapore, and it's been really nice to just hang out here, not having anywhere that we needed to be. We went out a few nights with other exchange students that we've met here, did some shopping, went to the zoo, saw a bit more of downtown Singapore, and just took it easy.

Last week, there was an organized Internatainal Cultural Night in our residence building, where all the different countries where all the Hall 16 students are from, were on display. The five of us put together our Canada table pretty last minute, and didn't really know what to do for it. We really don't have that much "culture" that can be that easily displayed, because Canada is comprised of so many different cultures. We decided to do our best with what we had: we all dressed in red and white, had "Canadian Pizza" from one of the canteens here, which is actually CALLED 'Canadian Pizza', had a laptop going through a slideshow of Canadian scenery, and had another laptop playing a previously aired hockey game. I couldn't tell you who played...nor who won. Our booth was pretty cheesy,compared to some of the amazing displays that some of the other countries put together, but we did our best, and the 6 pizzas were gone in minutes. There was a lot of great food there that night too, and we got to try some amazing things. At the India table, there was a girl doing Henna, so Janene and I both got Henna tattoos, which are just now starting to fade.

On Monday, Janene, Tia, and I, along with Lauren and Mitch (who also go to UVic, but are attending a different Singapore university on exchange) are heading off to Cambodia for a week for reading break. Yes, I know what you're thinking "how can you need a 'break' after all the non-reading you've been doing?"....it's true, we've had it pretty good...but if they're giving us another opportunity to head off somewhere fabulous, why not, right? I can't believe that we're leaving in less than a week for this trip, when it feels like we just got back from Vietnam. I'm expecting Cambodia to be somewhat like Vietnam in terms of culture shock, and the "feel" of the country (don't ask me to explain that, because I can't), but I could be way off. We'll just have to see.

This past Saturday was Valentine's Day, and it happens to be the first time that Sean and I have been apart on Love Day in the eight years that we've been a couple. It was definitely weird to be thousands of miles away from each other on a day that we've always been together. Saturday morning, however, a bouquet of roses showed up at my dorm room door :) In an effort not to be lonely and to have someone special on this special day, Janene and I got dressed up and went to a beautiful, romantic Japanese restaurant downtown, in the Pan Pacific Hotel, called "Keyaki". The food was incredible, and I'm pretty sure most people thought that we were there as a couple. And when they didn't think that we were a couple, they were making jokes about how we didn't have 'someone special on Valentine's Day'. Thanks. After dinner we took a cab to the Merlion (a giant statue of a half-lion, half-fish that shoots water out it's mouth), and walked around the boardwalk. On our way there, the cabby (after making sure we 'didn't have anyone special on Valentine's Day') told us that the Merlion could be our boyfriend, and shouted "say hi to your boyfriend for me!" as we got out of the cab. Really? Really. We were not really phased, considering we both do have someone special, AND we were each other's 'someone special' for the evening, but imagine if we were single, and lonely, and really sensitive about it? I guess Asians think it's hilarious to be alone. Everyone's a comedian.

We got some good news last week. One of the courses we were in, and were approved to take by both our home university and our exchange university, was Financial Risk and Insurance. It's an advanced investment course that focuses on derivatives, futures, puts, calls, etc., stuff we'd never learned about prior to our coming here. We clearly don't have the prerequisites for this course, and we were all panicking about failing it because it was past the "add/drop" date in the semester. For the past few weeks we've been in discussion with UVic, asking them to allow us to drop the course, and write a paper instead, which is usually an option for exchange students who can't find enough courses taught in English at their exchange university. Finally, after several conversations about it, UVic conceded, and we are no longer required to complete the course. Whew. No matter how much I would have studied for that course, I definitely would not have been able to pass, so this is a huge relief. Now we are required to write a 6000 word paper on an aspect of Business in Singapore. It can pretty much be anything we want, as long as it meets the few guidelines we were given. I'm still trying to solidify what my topic will be, and then I'll have to start my research. I'm extremely happy that I don't have to take Financial Risk......extremely happy. School is picking up, with projects and quizzes, etc. (no midterms!!), and studying is a little challenging when it's gorgeously, scorchingly hot and sunny outside (42 degrees the other day, with the humidity!.....that's 108F!), and the pool is calling my name, but I'm not even a little bitter about it, because I don't have Risk anymore. So life is good.

When I get back from Cambodia, March 1st, I will be at the halfway mark for this exchange. It's incredible to think that I've been out of the country, away from home, living in Asia for two whole months. I miss home, but I'm going to miss it here too....and I'm not quite ready to think about leaving yet. I'm sure I'll be ready to go once the four month mark hits, but for now, I'm enjoying it as I know the second half (only 71 days left!) is going to fly by even faster than the first.