Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Music is my Life

I really had to blog this coz I was feeling abit emo reflecting the number of years spent on piano, music and choir. And I'm starting to miss playing classical pieces, learning a great deal from my teacher of 9 years(since 12!).
Remembering how I used to hate practicing, only like one hour a day(by pianists standards, its super LITTLE)..remembering how fun concertos were with two pianos.
Ok, the reason why im starting to miss this is because I've stumbled upon classical recordings with concertos, starting to remember the yummy Grieg concerto, Beethoven...so cool I've played most of the repertoires that are really common.
Ah....so sad...haven't touch the piano for 2.5 years..(only playing simple pieces at NUSPE once a year)

:(
And i wonder whether I WUD EVER START STUDYING..and I WUD EVER COMPLETE MY NOTES BEFORE SATURDAY COMES:(

Monday, February 18, 2008

Happy V-Day and Belated Happy CNY

Ah was thinking of a title but it's quite unrelated anywayz.
CNY celebrations here was good, with the good food, I guess its sufficient enough to satisfy me:D
Been quite "busy" these few days. Either bz watching tv, catching up on studies(ONLY one lecture and I'm barely half way through the notes, not to mention the readings and text:O). So with that, I'm gonna stop travelling for the time being till Easter comes(Prague!!!). I even wanted to go Oslo and Stockholm right after Modern Banking exam, but it's too much hassle. Plus I need to plan my two or three week travel with mum. The booking of train tickets, hostels, the itinerary..what a headache!!!
Sometimes I wish i have more than 24 hours.
Glad that my dad went to church, haha speaking of which I still do not practice that religiously. Sighz..lol..anywayz sisters also went there..so we'll see how it goes when I get back.

Brussels wasn't that great, but Bruges was. I really have no time to elaborate on the whole trip, except that I enjoyed looking at chocs, and buying them to the expense of my poor wallet.(Kinda got sick of the smell though )..and of course had a taste of mussels and fries( moules et frites) ...kinda got sick of it also..since i had like 30 mussels..spent alot..so blablabla

So my only trip left Prague followed by 2-3week Europe travel. And if i dun get a job here, another 10 days just on Germany and time to pack up n go home. If I get a job(yippee!!!IF), then Germany trips during weekends, which means a very lethargic me..no good no good..but good salary 800 euros per mth. Comfortable life in Germany, which is what i want to experience as well.

Hm, I'm thinking very hard as I write coz I dowan to msis out anything. So yep, off to mosre studying hopefully..

Oh yea, wus abit absent minded when i type my previous post..Trier-Vallendar ..WTF..supposed to be Trier Luxembourg

ok till then toodles

Monday, January 28, 2008

Trier-Luxemburg 27/01/2008

Well the Stuttgart trip din quite work out for me. Awww..really wanted to go to the black forest though. That was my MAIN reason..

Well, there's still good stuff. Me and Jen went to Luxemburg today..it wus great
We had abit of a hiccup meaning that we had to stay in Trier for one hour. So it was another opportunity to visit Trier and its Roman Ruins.
Headed to BK for lunch(My second time in Deutschland..how odd!!!)
Well, the tickets from Trier to Luxemburg is 10.40 return..how cheap is that???
So the total fare wus 23 euros per person. It could have been only 15 euros if 5 ppl went sigh:(..savings of 8 euros..shucks..( so far i've wasted 26 euros..and i'm pretty darn sure i'm gonna earn it back some how..angpow??)
But it's still pretty cheap though. I was so worried that by 2pm we will only have like four hours to see the "whole country". Still it was amazing we managed to finish everything by 5pm and took a train one hour earlier back to vallendar. Well, i will let the pictures do the talking..So there you go, photo bucket link please

Wonder why i had so many well's in this post

Luxemburg is a really tiny country. They speak French most of the time. But there are some Deutsch sign posts and also in menus. Since its super near to Germany as well.40 minutes to Trier.
The sight was really amazing. I'm sure there should be more to come in other countries. Went to the cathedrale of Notre Dame..which i think wus really nice..but Jen said that the Saint Peter's Basilica will blow u away man..nice buildings..
and when we sat down for tea..we went to this crowded cafe..where they serve crepes, tarts, and ICE CREAm..well had the hot chocolate( my very first in Europe..stingy me) and apfelkuchen..i din find what i wanted..the torte..but the apfel kuchen was the closest i cud get to..Jen had fruit crepe..which was Ok..

Well I'm going to Rome tomorrow. So i pray for a safe trip, no ppl near me ok( I swear I will blow my stinky breath to perverts and thieves if they dare to). Oh pray i will be able to see almost all of ROme..They say you can never see the whole of Rome in one day..I will prove them wrong..by doin three days:P

And then maybe a break for CNY dinner with friends.its so gonna happen..with jen around:)
And probably Belgium and Cologne after..or somewhere in Germany..

Meanwhile...pls hope i can get a dang JOB in Europe..or at least Germany:(
Im waiting for replies:(

Toodles

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Off to do more travelling



yep i've photo bucket now too..since facebook doesn't upload my damn photos. So i will alternate between photo bucket and facebook for now..FLICKr still has my old photos..so i will just leave it there..if u access all this three places..u will have the complete list..anywayz, an update

I'm going to Stuttgart on Friday. Everything's abit messy coz tonite there's a toga party and the girl im goin with might be partying till dawn..lolz..so we wont have time to discuss till around noon..we havent got the car ready..hopefully we can settle it soon..and the car is still available..and ..hope more ppl will join us..so we can save money..
Of course Stuttgart isn't enough without a trip to the...BLACK FOREST..to eat their torte (called Schazwarld Kirchetorte..) or the BLack forest gateau..im so gaonna try that..and of course..the cuckoo clocks
And if we are still goin to have the car..perhaps drive to Luxembourg the very next day and spend a day there..sooo tiring
And On Monday I will be off to Rome:D
Perhaps next week..Belgium and Cologne..shucks to the max..gonan spend alot..but hopefully i can try to budget as much as possible..:D
Okies toodles

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Hiking Tour 19/01

Yay, the International Relations office organized a "hiking" tour..to Marksburg Castle. First time touring a castle for FREE!It's four euros btw..haha..nice tour..then after that off to a nice meal..see the pic


There's rice in the middle, Ribs, TOmatoes with cheeeese, sausage big and small, and drumstick with baked potatoes slurp!!!Now do u feel like salivating..appetizers aren't that bad either..nice salad.top with dressing of some cream stuff with basil i guess..chilli(which is actually salsa that's not even spicy) and yummy garlic butter..wiht bread..slurpslurp..i ate two plates...and what a way to end the dinner with dessert CHOC pudding..im officially in love with desserts here..yums..din order any drinks tho..alot of them order white wine..but ewww...

So that ends my Hiking Tour..with a hug i gave to Viktoria and a handshake to Kerstin..haha..really nice ppl..

Interview on Wednesday..job's at Munich..my second possible chance..if i dun get Mediobanca..crosses fingers*

Today i went for a company presentation, Monitor Group. Turns out that the guy Nicolas who went on exchange to NUS wus there. And so happened he was going to work for them after graduation..Ahh, getting a job before graduating, no wonder he speaks up tonnes during strategy class..smart ass..
I think there wont be a Tauschies running dinner tmr..which is a big waste..coz u get to have free food, more friends(I mean german friends here)..and more company:D
Well after the company presentation it was dinner time..weird meat I think turkey with cranberry potatoes and carrots, salad and brot with garlic dressing or thousand island..
YAY..desserts again..and this time i have the pics.YUmmy vanilla pudding with cranberry or berry sauce..hahahah yums..i want to buy all the dessert in lidl but one..i cant control myself..(it has been proved true, when i started buying cakes for breakfast..and ate it during other times of the day urgh)

I hope there will be more company presentations in English..that way i can have free food:)
better if it's a finance or SCm company heee..this one's a consulting co..bliak

Going to Rome next week..So excited..going on my own..and i dun feel that bad..im sure i can do it on my own..gonna go Vatican museum..Colloseum..and many more places..as long as i can snap them on my cam..also to EAT man..what's Italy for without any food..pasta, pizza, gelato, tiramisu, cappucino..ahhhhh YUMs.....
gonna do my research before i go:D...must save alot of money for other trips too...and get more money for internship...HOLLLA

Anywayz, my pictures are all on facebook..so add me to view them..She Ai Ling Serene

toodles for now*lazy bum*

Frankfurt Trip

Gonna elaborate about the trip..

Started the journey by car at ten plus. It was a PAIN sitting in the middle TO and FRO..Frankfurt in an hour plus..considering the distance around 100km or more..but with a speed of minimum 110km/h..shud be able to get there quick enough..
Car pool is definitely cheap..but parking is not..tried to find cheap parking..and ended up parking somewhere for two hours..went to the Hauptbahnhof to get maps info..
Oh btw, toilets in Frankfurt cost a bomb..a whopping 0.70 euros for a visit..SYbille joked that she will be rich by opening a toilet in Germany..
After that, I kinda left on my own coz i had an interview at 2pm and it wus 12.30pm at that time. I kinda found the company after one hour of walking. Coz i overshot and then grosstan..when i found the right street..i realized that i wus at the opposite end of the street..so had to walk forever to get to ther other end
The interview went ok, I wus surprised that I'm not nervous and managed to answer questions smoothly. I am still awaiting their reply btw. Mediobanca S.p.A...investment banking job, long working hours, but i supposed good pay..(got another interview on Wednesday..sigh..hope more ppl contact me lar)

Ok later after almost one hour of gruelling interview, I went to meet the gang..They were at main tower. And again it took me some time before i cud find them. Also I cudnt find the way into the main tower..lol
Anywayz, i paid 3.10 euros just to spend like only 10 minutes looking up there..The lift took me to 53rd storey..can feel the pressure by then..the view wus magnificent..but wus really cold up there..i din noe that frankfurt wus soooo dense..maybe paris is also liddat
Next we went to the old opera house of Frankfurt..took some pics
Frankfurt Stcok Exchange wus next..we went there too late thou..or not we wud have been able to make reservations for the next day tour to the stock exchange..outside there's this big bear and bull..which signifies the bull market and the bear market(good and bad times for the stock market)..walked abit throughout the streets at 6pm(NIGHt time) before heading to the hostel..hostel's nice (nice beds..and oh so gooood breakfast)
we had dinner at some damn ex restaurant..had pork ribs and sauerkraut with mashed..sauerkraut is soo sour..pork ribs sooo salty..bliak..apfelwein too sour and alcoholic..i had a few sips..and my cheeks and face are burning and i went red..meal wus supposed to be 10 euros..but paid 13 euros for convenience of all(geeeeesh!!!)oh we went to a pub..and played texas hold em poker..nice..i won once..but i din win the whole game:(..wus fun

Next morning, did somore visiting..went to the cathedral to snap some pics inside the church..beautiful:)
Next up..the historical museum..where we saw some frankfurt and northpole stuff..and history botu frankfurt..so borrrringg..blek..nvr like museums in the first place
the second stop wus another museum..but this time i had enuff..so no more mueseums for me..the others went to Goethe Haus to visit the museum while i wander off in the streets..
After walking a while..I started to familiarized myself with the streets..counting a total of 3 Mcdonalds, 4 Starbucks..2 Zaras, H&M, Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Hugo Boss..and what not..all the brand names there..Swarozki..hm..got alot of brands there la..good for shopping..got BK also..i havent spotted KFC in deutschland yet...
Well i din do any shopping..except for "shopping" at the asian supermarket..asian supermarket is quite ex la...considering the cheap stuff i can get back at home..no clothes shopping till i wanna go home..probably do some shopping in italy..or other countries..OH yea..btw..so lame..tried to take some photos of the red light district..but scared la..those perverts go in to the place can edi la..but come out still want to stare at me like one kind..already so suey go in and do so gross stuff..come out stare at ppl like ppl wanna take ur pic liddat la..ok whatever..u may not understand me lol

So i guess that's the end of my Frankfurt trip..OH btw, the gang that i went with..Loves to trink Kaffee..we had coffee drinking(or rather alcohol or whatever) sessions everyday!Oh and i found out a great recipe..Honey and Milk..try it!
Oh and i had karamel ice cream at Mcdonalds..wanna try BK's ice cream too..yums..MOvenpick icream i want too..at Rewe..but sooo big..i scared it will melt since my fridge got no freezer..bleh

Ok Mediobanca faster call me..Im desperate for a job in Dang Frankfurt:(

Monday, January 21, 2008

Financial woes

I believe this is not my first time talking about this issue.
Anywayz, back from Frankfurt. Really good time with the ppl who were in Frankfurt. Great opportunity to meet ppl and of course went for the interview.
I thought the interview was ok till they asked me questions like cash flow etc. which obviously I forgotten about it and probably some I havent' even learn since its related to corporate finance. Investment banking job is really tiring. They mentioned that the working hours will be from 9am till probably 7-8pm..sometimes u can only go back home at 10pm-1am..urgh..sounds damn tiring..but it will be a damn good experience..And probably good pay too hopefully..will get the phone call tmr
Don't expect anything much from it. Another interview on Wednesday and two more pending applications.

Sighz, din know its sooo difficult to apply for an internship in Germany.
Wells, speaking of my "woes", I booked my air tickets to Rome thru Ryanair.com and guess what..I din realise that I bought travel insurance for 12 euros..*cries*..I quickly sent an sms to my mum asking her to call the cc company tmr and call me as well..but since the family is fast asleep..so..yea
To me, 12 euros is a HUGE amount..I kinda "rugi" abit in terms of money from the trip of frankfurt..and realised that i've been spending aloooot..which i need to really control from now on..else i wont have enuff to travel..but then again 12 euros is only like RM60..which means it can be earned easily, judging frm my capabilities of earning money..Haiz..i guess, you shud just accept and dun fret over the stuff u HAVE spent..but being the kiamsiap me..i cant help myself from stressing over this stupid issue..
So Rome next week..most probably SOLO..which is good n bad..hope i have a good time..
And the two weeks in europe shud be somewhere around Germany, and visit to Freiburg plus switzerland..and what not..

EESH! >.<